Yang Kai nodded lightly. Likewise, this was something he had always thought to be strange. The Cave Heavens and Paradises boasted an inheritance that was passed down for countless generations. Not to mention, there were many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in those Sects to begin with. Why would they need to use such despicable means to strengthen their dominance over others?
It might have been a plausible reason if it involved only one or two of the Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, all 108 Cave Heavens and Paradises carried the same attitude. It was only natural for people to wonder about the actual reason.
“This Monarch has always believed that the major Cave Heavens and Paradises are hiding some huge secret. Moreover, this secret is something only the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters have the qualification to know. That is why all the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who do not originate from the Cave Heavens and Paradises tend to suffer a tragic fate. There are no exceptions. Why else would we hide in the Shattered Heaven for so many years? The 3,000 Worlds is vast and magnificent, so why wouldn’t we wish to travel the world and witness the wonderful sights?”
“A secret…” Yang Kai murmured under his breath. Although he could not determine whether Cheng Yang ‘s speculation was true or false, his limited knowledge of the situation indicated that there was some truth to those words.
Cheng Yang turned to the side and smiled, “Little Brother, you are different from this Monarch. Your potential is great. If you can figure out the truth one day, please let me know. It will answer all the questions that have been swirling around in this Monarch’s heart for so many years.”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded. Now that he was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, advancing into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was something in the near future. Despite bearing the title of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Son-in-law, he was not actually from any of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. There was no saying whether he might actually learn the secret mentioned by Cheng Yang when he advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
A sudden thought struck him. The Proprietress had been in retreat for so many years now. It was certain that she would advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm when she came out of retreat, so what kind of difficulties would she face at that time? If the Cave Heavens and Paradises really did come forward, what would happen if he refused their demands?
Several days later, a group of people came to a stop in the void.
Cheng Yang carefully observed his surroundings before he nodded at Yang Kai in confirmation, “If this Monarch is not mistaken, there’s a high probability that a portal is hidden here. When this Monarch passed through this place in the past, the portal showed faint signs of opening only to vanish in the next instant. This Monarch has been searching for a long time, but my efforts have proven to be in vain. That’s why I could only mark down the location for the time being. Over the years, I would come here from time to time to investigate only to come up empty-handed. It’s up to you now, Little Brother.”
Yang Kai nodded and immediately manipulated his Space Principles.
Just like the previous occasion, a layer of ripples that were visible to the naked eye gradually spread out into the surroundings with him at the centre. Everywhere the ripples passed, space would become distorted.
The several dozen subordinates under Cheng Yang’s command watched with interest. The same was true even for Cheng Yang. Although he had vaguely seen some of the scenes when he was hiding in his home previously, that experience was far less profound than this time.
The layer of ripples created by the Space Principles was undoubtedly the best way-finding stones in the Void. If there was a portal hidden in this place, the ripples that swept over the portal were bound to produce a different reaction compared to the other areas.
This scene amazed Cheng Yang greatly. [Space Principles sure are useful in this situation. If only I was proficient in the Dao of Space, I’m certain I could discover all the Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises hidden in the Shattered Heaven with enough time.]
It had to be said that these Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises were relics left behind in ancient times, so there was a high possibility that valuable treasures were hidden in them. After all, both the Profound Fish that appeared 3,000 years ago and the World Spring that appeared recently had emerged from Universe Cave Heavens left behind in ancient times. Two of the Four Universe Pillars had already appeared, so who could say whether more would be found?
An incense stick later, Yang Kai abruptly turned to look in a certain direction. There was a slightly different fluctuation in the Void coming from that direction.
Cheng Yang followed Yang Kai’s gaze, but could not detect any anomalies.
Nevertheless, another incense later, with Yang Kai diligently focusing his Space Principles in that direction, the anomaly in the Void was finally revealed. It became obvious that there was a large area that was different from the surrounding space.
“There is one here after all!” Cheng Yang exclaimed in excitement.
Yang Kai replied lightly, “I wonder whether it is a Universe Cave Heaven or a Universe Paradise.”
If it was a Universe Cave Heaven, then it was the legacy left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master or even a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If it was a Universe Paradise, then it was the legacy of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so the value would not be as great as the former. Even so, every single Universe Cave Heaven or Universe Paradise would at least contain the Dao Essence cultivated by the original Master.
Yang Kai had devoured the Spear Dao Essence in Pear Flower Cave Heaven and improved his mastery over the Spear Dao by leaps and bounds. These Dao Essences were undoubtedly a huge treasure for cultivators who cultivated that particular Dao.
Another hour passed by, and a huge gaping hole suddenly appeared in the Void, becoming a black hole with a clear aura of a Small Universe radiating from within.
The portal was open!
Yang Kai and Cheng Yang exchanged a glance with each other before the two of them moved at the same time and plunged into the portal. Hong Hu and Xia Lin Lang followed closely behind. Meanwhile, the rest stood outside waiting.
An hour later, four figures emerged. It was Yang Kai and the others.
“Sir, what is the situation inside?” One of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters under Cheng Yang quickly asked about the situation.
Cheng Yang replied, “This is a Universe Paradise. The former Master was probably proficient in the Sword Dao. The Sword Dao Essence is quite abundant.” After saying that, he picked out a few people and instructed, “You will stay behind to explore this Universe Paradise. Any harvests must be organised and recorded. Pocketing anything privately will not be forgiven.”
“Yes!” Those people accepted the orders.
Afterward, he turned to Yang Kai and added, “I will leave the rest to you, Little Brother Yang.”
“En!” Yang Kai nodded and reached out his hand to cover the portal. Under the urging of Space Principles, the obviously abnormal Void gradually repaired itself and became indistinguishable from the surrounding environment after a while. Taking out a token, he injected his Aura and engraved some Space Principles into it, “I’ve used a Secret Technique to conceal the portal so that outsiders will not be aware of it even if they pass by this place. You can explore this place with peace of mind. In order to enter and exit through the portal, you will need this token. Recklessly trespassing into this place will most likely get you exiled to the Void.”
The expressions of the Open Heaven Realm Masters picked out by Cheng Yang immediately became unpleasant. Yang Kai’s actions clearly indicated that he did not trust them; otherwise, why would he create the token?
Even the eyes of Cheng Yang flashed slightly at those words. He never expected Yang Kai to pull out such a card.
Yang Kai ignored them, however, and simply handed the token to Xia Lin Lang before saying, “Gather up some people to stay behind to help with the exploration.”
Xia Lin Lang nodded and glanced at Qin Fen, “Qin Fen, you stay here.”
Qin Fen took the token and quickly said, “Yes!”
Yang Kai turned to the side and looked at Cheng Yang, “The next spot?”
Cheng Yang gave a slight smile, “Please follow me, Little Brother.”
They set off again with great energy while Qin Fen and Cheng Yang’s subordinates stayed behind, watching the group’s departure. It was not until the departing group was out of sight that they finally entered the Universe Paradise under Qin Fen’s lead.
Cheng Yang had been living in the Shattered Heaven for over 10,000 years. He spent most of his time in seclusion, sometimes spending up to several hundred or even 1,000 years in retreat. Even so, when it came to familiarity with the Shattered Heaven, there was nobody better than him except maybe the two other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
After so many years, it was only natural for him to know various bits of information that other people might not know. For example, the locations where the portals of various Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heaven might be hidden.
Under Cheng Yang’s guidance, Yang Kai searched no less than ten locations in the short span of three months. All of these locations were suspected to have hidden Universe Cave Heavens or Universe Paradises.
In the end, they discovered a total of five portals. The other five locations came up empty. Nevertheless, a success rate of 50% was very high. It could be said that Cheng Yang ‘s information was extremely accurate.
No matter how proficient Yang Kai was in the Dao of Space, he would never have found any of these portals within the Shattered Heaven without Cheng Yang’s guidance. During his escape with Xia Lin Lang previously, he had tried looking for a hidden Universe Cave Heaven or Universe Paradise to seek refuge, but his efforts had been fruitless.
Among these five portals, three of them were Universe Paradises while the other two were Universe Cave Heavens. The harvest was bound to be plentiful if all of them could be fully explored and developed.
Yang Kai had nothing to worry about after leaving Xia Lin Lang to supervise the proceedings here. Regardless of the valuable treasures that might be discovered in these five locations, he and Cheng Yang would split the gains equally among them. As for where Xia Lin Lang would eventually decide to choose as her residence, that would be up to her own consideration.
“Little Brother, are you sure you don’t want to stay in the Shattered Heaven for a few more days?” After seeing what Yang Kai could do, Cheng Yang was reluctant to let him leave so easily, “I will be honest with you, Little Brother. I’m certain that Ku Yan and Tian Luo also know where some likely portals are located. If you can stay for a little while, this Monarch can ask them about these locations.”
The names ‘Ku Yan’ and ‘Tian Luo’ that he mentioned were the names of the other two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven. There was a total of three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven, and while they could not claim to be close friends, there was bound to be some communication between them.
Yang Kai smiled, “There’s no need to be so anxious, Divine Monarch. I will probably visit the Shattered Heaven again in the future. If you wish, you might as well make some inquiries first. It won’t be too late for us to cooperate again when I return next time!”
Cheng Yang raised his eyebrows, “That’s a promise then!”
Yang Kai nodded and turned to look at Xia Lin Lang, “If anything comes up, send Qin Fen to Void Land to find me!”
Xia Lin Lang nodded, “I will. Take care!”
Only then did Yang Kai turn to Cheng Yang and cupped his fist, “Until we meet again!”
“Come back soon, Little Brother. This Monarch will be waiting to hear from you!”
Yang Kai shot a glance at Hong Hu, and the two of them rushed into the depths of the void together.
After watching the two figures disappearing into the distance, Cheng Yang finally smiled and said, “Young Lady Xia, have you decided which Universe Cave Heaven you want yet?”
Xia Lin Lang replied, “Not yet. I wish to have a better look at them first.”
“As it should be. You have to shop around before buying something, even more so when it comes to choosing a place to stay. Take your time to compare between them. You only need to inform this Monarch once you have decided. Since Little Brother Yang and I have an agreement, I will not go back on my word. You should also rest assured. I will definitely keep my men tight-lipped about the location you choose as your residence. I will never reveal a word to the outside world.”
Xia Lin Lang gave an elegant bow, “Many thanks for your kindness, Divine Monarch!”
…..
Two figures transformed into streams of light that sped through the void as swiftly as the wind.
A month later, Yang Kai and Hong Hu finally came out of the Shattered Heaven. It was not until this moment that Hong Hu, who only recently left the Ancestral Land after living there for her entire life, could be regarded as having seen the splendour of the 3,000 Worlds.
Unlike the desolation found everywhere in the Shattered Heaven, each Great Territory that they passed through was filled with countless twinkling Stars and flickering lights. Moreover, the vitality nurtured by the many Universe Worlds and Spirit Provinces could clearly be felt.
Returning to Void Land from the Shattered Heaven was a long journey that took an extensive amount of time. That was because it was Hong Hu’s first time leaving the Ancestral Land, so she had never left her Imprint in any of the Universe Temples located throughout the Great Territories before.
They had no choice but to travel through each Great Territory with their strength alone. As a result, the time spent on their journey was undoubtedly longer than Yang Kai’s initial trip.
Yang Kai did not return directly to Void Land either. Instead, he first took a trip to Great Evolution Territory. He had not forgotten about the palace artifact he previously commissioned Grandmaster Ma Fan to refine.
So many years had passed since then, so the palace artifact should have been refined by now. Ever since witnessing the wonders of Heavenly Sword Union’s Heavenly Sword Palace, he had been green with envy towards those with palace artifacts.
Although the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace could be said to be a palace artifact, and a supremely high-end one at that, it was related to the Dragon Clan’s cultivation and inheritance, so it was not something he could wield carelessly. That was why he left the Crystal Palace in Four Phoenix Pavilion before he departed from the Ancestral Land.
Inside Great Evolution Territory, Yang Kai found the portal of Great Evolution Paradise with ease. Cupping his fist, he shouted in a loud voice, “Grandmaster, this Junior is here per our agreement. Please open the way.”
Following that, the portal opened. Yang Kai and Hong Hu slipped inside and a figure came to greet them. It was a young and beautiful girl.
“Junior Sister Cen!” Yang Kai nodded. He recognised that person as one of the remnants of Great Evolution Paradise known as Cen Cen, who was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
During his last visit here, he had gotten to know several Open Heaven Realm Masters of Great Evolution Paradise, and Cen Cen was one of them. There was also another person called Nalan Lu Shui, who was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. At the moment, Nalan Lu Shui was nowhere to be seen. There was no saying where she had gone.
“Senior Brother Yang!” Cen Cen returned the greeting and shot a curious glance at Hong Hu, who was standing behind Yang Kai.
“Is the Grandmaster here?” Yang Kai asked.
She nodded, “He’s here. Old Ancestor has been waiting for you. What you asked for has been completed, but…”
“But what?” A feeling of panic gripped Yang Kai’s heart as he secretly wondered whether something had gone wrong with his palace artifact.
She whispered, “Old Ancestor has been in a terrible mood recently.”
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter as he asked, “Why?”
“A bunch of hateful people arrived.” Cen Cen pouted, “You’ll see for yourself once you’ve met Old Ancestor.”
While speaking, she took the lead and showed them the way.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling surprised. Not many people knew about the remnants of Great Evolution Paradise. He only knew about them from the Proprietress, so who would come here? Not to mention, with Grandmaster Ma Fan’s cultivation and status, who could put him in a terrible mood?
The pair followed behind Cen Cen and soon arrived at Grandmaster Ma Fan’s personal meditation area. Before they even got close though, Hong Hu whispered in Yang Kai’s ear, “Be careful, there are quite a few powerful little ones inside the room.”
Yang Kai raised his brow at those words. Hong Hu was on par with a top Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in strength; therefore, people that she would consider powerful would not be just any stray cat or dog by the side of the road. They were definitely in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm or above. What’s more, High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could only be from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Cen Cen stopped in front of them and turned around to speak, “Old Ancestor is inside. Please enter on your own, Senior Brother.”
“Many thanks, Junior Sister Cen.”
She then darted her eyes back around a bit before saying, “If you really want to thank me, then please speak to Old Ancestor on my behalf. Bring me along when you return to the Star Boundary. It has been so long since I last met Senior Sister Lan. I miss her greatly.”
“I’ll do my best.” Yang Kai smiled.
Cen Cen pumped her fists and cheered for him, “I’m counting on you!”
After Cen Cen departed, Yang Kai finally took a step forward with Hong Hu. Many eyes instantly turned to look at him as soon as he entered the hall. Yang Kai looked up and couldn’t help revealing a look of surprise. Staring at one of the old men, he laughed, “Elder Yu?”
The old man was Yu Chang Dao of Free and Unfettered Paradise. He was also High Heaven Palace’s Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder on paper. Having taken a fancy to a baby with the Innate Dao Body back in the Star Boundary, Yu Chang Dao had wanted to take the child on as his Legacy Disciple.
However, the baby’s Mother had insisted that her deceased husband’s dying wish was for the child to join High Heaven Palace. No matter how he tried to persuade her, she had refused to change her mind.
In the end, Yang Kai came up with a brilliant solution to the problem. He invited Yu Chang Dao into High Heaven Palace to become the Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder. In this way, the child would remain as a High Heaven Palace disciple even though his Master was Yu Chang Dao. Not only would Yu Chang Dao get his wish, but High Heaven Palace would also receive an additional Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master as a Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder!
It could be said to be a win-win solution where everybody was happy!
After Yang Kai left the Star Boundary, the first thing he did was to study and repair several broken Universe Temples scattered across the 3,000 Worlds. Next, he went to the Black Prison to transport Ore Stars from its depths to its periphery. Then, he cultivated inside the Astral Wind Divine Ability in the Shattered Heaven. When he obtained the World Spring, he was pursued relentlessly and entered the Ancestral Land as a result. Inside the Ancestral Land, he unlocked the Demon Sealing Land and improved his Dragon Vein to become a Grand Dragon.
In the blink of an eye, several decades had passed!
Yang Kai never imagined that he would run into Yu Chang Dao here, and it was not just him either. The other people in the room were also very familiar to him. They were the foreign affairs envoys from the major Cave Heavens and Paradises who should be watching over the Star Boundary.
Leaving aside Yu Chang Dao of Free and Unfettered Paradise, there was also Hong Xiang Ling of Azure Void Cave Heaven, Duan Rui Shan of Clear Mind Cave Heaven, and Lu Zhen Yang of Azure Nether Paradise. Hong Xiang Ling had persistently tried to matchmake Yang Kai in the past, so Yang Kai had a deep impression of the old man as a result.
There were a total of four Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and each of them was more or less the representatives of their respective Cave Heavens and Paradises. These four people were no strangers to Yang Kai either as they had all gone to the Star Boundary and met him before.
On the other hand, Grandmaster Ma Fan was nowhere to be seen.
“Sect Master!” Yu Chang Dao stood up. Although his cultivation was higher than Yang Kai’s, he still held the title of High Heaven Palace’s Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder. He could also be regarded as part of High Heaven Palace, so it was only natural for him to be a bit polite towards Yang Kai.
Hong Xiang Ling laughed heartily, “Yang Boy!”
“Senior Hong!” Yang Kai cupped his fist and asked curiously, “Why are you here?”
Hong Xiang Ling chuckled, “Why can’t we be here? What about you, kid? Why did you come here?”
Yang Kai replied, “I previously commissioned the Grandmaster to refine an artifact for me, so I am here to collect it as promised!”
Hong Xiang Ling nodded and exclaimed, “The World Tree sure is amazing! I can’t believe it actually made the Iron Rooster move! I was wondering why he brought a group of his disciples to the Star Boundary several dozen years ago. It turns out that you had already made a deal!”
“Who are you calling an Iron Rooster?” A dissatisfied voice rang out as Grandmaster Ma Fan walked out of the room in the back and glared at Hong Xiang Ling.
Hong Xiang Ling slapped his mouth lightly and shamelessly responded, “I was talking about myself!”
“Hmph!” Grandmaster Ma Fan coldly snorted. Only then did he turn to look in Yang Kai’s direction. It was just that he did not look at Yang Kai, but rather at Hong Hu who was standing behind him, asking in a solemn tone, “This is…”
Yu Chang Dao, Hong Xiang Ling, and the others had also been curious about Hong Hu’s identity. Despite being in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, they couldn’t help feeling a slight pressure from the woman in front of them even though the other party was not even exerting the slightest bit of strength.
Under these circumstances, it was only natural that they were concerned about her identity. It was just that Yang Kai did not take the initiative to introduce her, so they could not ask. Although they could not ask, Grandmaster Ma Fan was forced to. He was the Master of this place after all. Besides, he would not have revealed himself if he had not detected this woman’s unique aura.
Yang Kai quickly introduced Hong Hu, “This is Senior Hong Hu.”
Afterward, he introduced everybody else to Hong Hu, one by one.
Hong Hu smiled and nodded.
Yu Chang Dao raised a greying brow at those words, “I’ve heard that there are five Phoenixes. Red Phoenix, Azure Qing Luan, Yellow Yuan Chu, Purple Yue Zhuo, and White Hong Hu. Your aura seems… a little different.”
He only had this association after seeing that she was dressed in white.
She smiled and said, “I am the White Hong Hu you’re thinking of.”
Everybody turned pale without exception.
Yu Chang Dao said solemnly, “Forgive us for our disrespect!”
Meanwhile, Hong Xiang Ling asked seriously, “Why did the Phoenix Clan return?”
Hong Hu looked at him in confusion, “What?”
He frowned, “Didn’t you return from that place?”
“What place?” She queried, “I came from the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land in the Shattered Heaven.”
The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the hall exchanged glances before Hong Xiang Ling quickly said, “I must have made a mistake. Please forgive me.”
Hong Hu gave Hong Xiang Ling a strange look and seemed pensive; likewise, Yang Kai looked confused.
When Hong Hu revealed her identity earlier, they had such a look of despair on their faces that one would have thought that the sky was falling. When Hong Hu explained that she was from the Ancestral Land in the Shattered Heaven though, they became extremely relieved instead.
[Where is this place that Hong Xiang Ling mentioned? What does it have to do with the Phoenix Clan?] Just as Yang Kai was pondering these questions, Grandmaster Ma Fan stretched out his hand and tossed out something. An object came flying towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai instinctively caught the object, and when he looked down, he saw that it was a miniature palace countless times smaller than normal. His eyes immediately lit up at the sight and he exclaimed in delight, “Grandmaster, is this…”
“Purple Heaven Palace!” Grandmaster Ma Fan replied casually, “It can be said that it lives up to its name. Refining this item cost an arm and a leg; however, these materials were provided by High Heaven Palace and Void Land. As for the details of how many resources were used, you only need to ask your Head Manager for the details. I also integrated the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder that you left with me back then. You can slowly explore the specific effects after you finish refining it.”
Yang Kai played with the palace lovingly and said, “Many thanks, Grandmaster.”
The Crystal Palace could not be used carelessly, so it could be said that the Purple Heaven Palace was his first palace artifact. As for how much this palace artifact had cost, Yang Kai currently owned a First Class Star City and a large stake in a Super Star City. He also occupied the New Great Territory and the Black Territory, so how could he be troubled by something like cost? What’s more, Cheng Yang and Xia Lin Lang were currently exploring the five Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises. Once these places had been fully explored, Yang Kai would gain yet another source of income.
The Void Land of today was no longer the same Void Land that used to worry about resources. There was an abundance in the storage and distribution of cultivation materials.
“Your skills are amazing indeed, Grandmaster,” Duan Rui Shan of Clear Mind Cave Heaven praised.
As one of the 36 Cave Heavens, it was a given that Clear Mind Cave Heaven had its own skilled artisans. It was not difficult for them to refine a palace artifact, but doing so as skillfully as Grandmaster Ma Fan was not easy. The palace artifact he refined was so small and exquisite that it could be held in one hand. That was the gap in their skills. Moreover, it was a gap that was absolutely impossible to overcome.
Yang Kai was happily playing with the palace artifact that Grandmaster Ma Fan had named the Purple Heaven Palace when he heard Grandmaster Ma Fan’s voice ringing throughout the room, “Allow me to be honest with you all. I am now High Heaven Palace’s Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder. I cannot make the final decision regarding your request. You should discuss it with the Sect Master instead.”
Yang Kai’s delighted expression turned to surprise as he instinctively felt as though he had been tricked. It was an ominous feeling indeed.
As an Artifact Refining Grandmaster, Ma Fan naturally had superb skills. There were only a handful of people throughout the vast 3,000 Worlds whose Artifact Refining skills could compare with his.
When others refined a palace artifact, it was almost a certainty that several dozens or even hundreds of Artifact Refiners would need to work together to complete the project. Even if their skills were superior, it would still be a collaboration between a dozen people at the least.
In contrast, Grandmaster Ma Fan had refined the Purple Heaven Palace all by himself from start to finish!
The number of people across the 3,000 Worlds who could achieve such a feat could be counted on one hand; therefore, an Artifact Refiner with such superb skills like him was a rare and precious talent for any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises. Forget Yang Kai’s yearning to recruit him, even the 36 Cave Heavens and 72 Paradises coveted him!
It was not that nobody had tried to recruit him; in fact, almost every Cave Heaven and Paradise had sent representatives to recruit him over the past many years. Even though they offered generous and bountiful rewards, Ma Fan rejected every single offer without exception. In his opinion, Great Evolution Paradise was his root. He was born as part of Great Evolution Paradise, and he would die as part of Great Evolution Paradise!
Yang Kai had the same idea at the beginning, so he tried to recruit Grandmaster Ma Fan as a Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder of High Heaven Palace. After gaining insight into the current situation of Great Evolution Paradise, he even used the existence of the World Tree as bait to lure Grandmaster Ma Fan into working for him.
It was just that Grandmaster Ma Fan never accepted the offer to serve as a Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder, though he did agree to refine the palace artifact for Yang Kai. In this matter, Yang Kai had never pressured him into making a decision either.
Who could have known that Grandmaster Ma Fan would make such a shocking statement when Yang Kai was completely clueless about the current situation?
For that reason, Yang Kai’s first reaction was not joy, as he felt that something extremely troublesome had fallen into his hands. He was still reeling from the shock when Yu Chang Dao looked at him with bright eyes, “You’re part of the family, Grandmaster? That’s great! Sect Master, we need to take good care of our family!”
Meanwhile, Hong Xiang Ling went one step further. He stood up and walked over to Yang Kai, “Yang Boy, I have a Disciple in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Not only is she as beautiful as a flower, but she also has a gentle temperament. It’s just that she has yet to meet a suitable life companion. More importantly, she has never been exposed to love and romance. She has always been obsessed with cultivation, so much so that she is showing signs of cultivation dissonance. I believe she needs a young and handsome man like you to save her…”
Before Hong Xiang Ling could finish speaking, Duan Rui Shan slapped his palm on Hong Xiang Ling’s face and pushed the latter aside, “Sect Master Yang, feel free to mention any conditions you want. I will not refuse as long as your demands are within Clear Mind Cave Heaven’s abilities to fulfil!”
Lu Zhen Yang of Azure Nether Paradise also chimed in, “Does High Heaven Palace need another Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder? This Lu has always felt a sense of kinship with High Heaven Palace. It’s a pity that you’ve been away for such a long time, Sect Master Yang. I could not join even though I wanted to join High Heaven Palace so badly.”
All four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters stared at Yang Kai with burning gazes, like starving ghosts faced with a table full of delicacies. They practically scrambled over each other to speak in their excitement.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling dumbfounded as he hesitantly asked, “W-What are you talking about?”
Seeing Yang Kai’s confused expression, which did not seem fake, the four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters couldn’t help looking at each other.
Hong Xiang Ling was the one who eventually asked, “Kid, you still don’t know?”
“What should I know?” Yang Kai countered, “I just returned from the Shattered Heaven and only came here to retrieve my artifact from Grandmaster Ma Fan.”
Lu Zhen Yang frowned and turned to look at Grandmaster Ma Fan, “Grandmaster, can Sect Master Yang really call the shots on this matter? He doesn’t seem to know anything.”
Grandmaster Ma Fan just sat there and watched them with a smile. Reaching out his hand, he took out a wine bottle and took a sip before he nodded, “Of course, he can! Well, even if he couldn’t before, now that I’ve said so, he has the authority to make the decision!”
The four Masters’ gazes became scorching hot once more.
Yang Kai’s expression turned bitter, “Grandmaster, just what is this situation? The least you could have done was to inform me about it beforehand.”
Grandmaster Ma Fan pondered in silence for a moment before he stood up, “Follow me!”
After saying that, he strode outside.
Yang Kai put the Purple Heaven Palace away and hurriedly followed. Hong Hu wanted to come along, but he waved her away and asked her to stay behind. Following Grandmaster Ma Fan out of the Grand Hall, he walked deeper into the void.
Grandmaster Ma Fan’s voice came from the front, “Great Evolution Paradise has two Core Treasures. One of them is a replica of the Universe Furnace. The genuine Universe Furnace is practically impossible to find; moreover, it contains the Universe Essence and produces Innate Open Heaven Pills. Consuming Innate Open Heaven Pills will allow any Open Heaven Realm Master to break through their shackles and reach the next Order, without any limitations or drawbacks. The Open Heaven Pills that are commonly used in the world today were created by the ancient Great Experts who extensively studied the Universe Furnace’s Open Heaven Pills and consequently developed a pill recipe based on their research. The genuine Universe Furnace shakes the very foundation of the 3,000 Worlds every time it appears in the world, but nobody is capable of possessing it. The Ancestors of Great Evolution Paradise were fortunate enough to see the Universe Furnace in person and threw themselves into long years of research. As a result, they spent countless years and resources to create a replica of the Universe Furnace. Although it is not nearly as profound as the real Universe Furnace, it is quite extraordinary in and of itself. This Old Master performs Artifact Refining with its help. You’ve seen that for yourself.”
Yang Kai nodded. When he first came here with the Proprietress to commission Grandmaster Ma Fan for an artifact, he had seen the latter activating the power of the Sun’s True Fire to refine an artifact using the replica of the Universe Furnace.
“The second treasure is known as the Good Fortune Divine Furnace!” Grandmaster Ma Fan’s voice became solemn.
“Good Fortune Divine Furnace?” Yang Kai raised his brow at those words.
“This one is not a replica or imitation, but a naturally formed treasurer!” There was a sense of pride in Grandmaster Ma Fan’s voice, “According to the records written by my Ancestors, the Good Fortune Divine Furnace suddenly appeared in Great Evolution Paradise one day. It can be considered a gift from the Heavens. The World’s blessings are infinitely mysterious after all.”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “What makes the Good Fortune Divine Furnace so special?”
Grandmaster Ma Fan replied, “You’ll know when you see it for yourself.”
Yang Kai did not ask any more questions.
A short while later, they arrived in the depths of the void. There was a barrier shrouding over this area and Yang Kai could sense an extremely hostile aura before he even approached, naturally terrifying him.
It had to be said that even though he was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he could rival a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in strength when he transformed into his Grand Dragon Form; therefore, for him to have such a reaction only went to show the ferocity of the barrier.
“This place was originally Great Evolution Paradise’s highest level Restricted Area. Non-members of Great Evolution Paradise would never be allowed to enter. However, with the passage of time, Great Evolution Paradise has become desolate, so there is no reason to hold on to such rules anymore.” Grandmaster Ma Fan explained while taking out a crude and simple token. Forming a seal with his hands, a mysterious light penetrated the token before shooting out and transforming into a tunnel of light.
Grandmaster Ma Fan took the lead to enter the passage, and Yang Kai followed closely behind. The two of them walked along the tunnel that seemed tens of thousands of kilometres long, and at the end of the passage, a three-legged furnace that was as tall as a person and carved with intricate patterns that covered the entire surface entered Yang Kai’s vision.
“Is this the Good Fortune Divine Furnace?” Yang Kai observed the furnace curiously.
At first glance, there was nothing particularly strange or special about the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. The only thing that caught Yang Kai’s attention was the grey fog that permeated the interior of the furnace. It was extremely strange and when his Divine Sense penetrated the grey fog, it was like a rock sinking deep into the sea. The grey fog filled the entire Good Fortune Divine Furnace; moreover, it crept about slowly like a living thing.
Yang Kai frowned slightly and asked, “Is it alive?”
For a moment, he could swear that he detected a peculiar vitality from the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.
Grandmaster Ma Fan shook his head, “It is neither alive nor dead. Even the Ancestors of Great Evolution Paradise could not determine whether the Good Fortune Divine Furnace was considered a living thing or not. They couldn’t even figure out why it appeared here in the first place. There were no signs before its sudden appearance, and nobody could move the furnace after it appeared here.”
“What a strange thing!” Yang Kai observed for a while before he asked, “What is so special about the Good Fortune Divine Furnace?”
Grandmaster Ma Fan said, “I’ll show you.”
While speaking, he made a sweeping motion with his hand and a large number of materials that exuded rich Wood Element Power were thrown into the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.
Yang Kai could clearly tell that the Wood Element materials were of rather good quality.
All of them were Fifth-Order materials; furthermore, there were also quite a lot of them, as many as ten. After the many Fifth-Order Wood Element materials were thrown into the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, the grey fog wriggled and swallowed them whole. In the next moment, they vanished out of sight.
Grandmaster Ma Fan waited quietly for a while before he took out another Fifth-Order Wood Element material and threw it into the grey fog.
There was still no movement, so he tossed in another!
After repeating his actions four more times, the grey fog suddenly began writhing violently. Even the colour of the fog changed. The grey and dirty-looking fog suddenly became crimson red. In the next moment, the red fog shrunk abruptly before expanding violently again, and an object came flying out of the fog.
Grandmaster Ma Fan was clearly prepared for this situation, he reached out his hand and caught the object lightly before glancing it over and nodding, “Seems like my luck isn’t too bad today.”
Then, he casually tossed the object to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai caught the object and carefully examined it, his eyes contracting slightly at the sight, “A Sixth-Order material?”
Grandmaster Ma Fan affirmed, “This is what makes the Good Fortune Divine Furnace special.”
Yang Kai stared at Grandmaster Ma Fan in dumbfounded mazement, “How is that possible?”
Grandmaster Ma Fan replied, “If you’re asking me how this works, then I don’t know either. Even the Ancestors of Great Evolution Paradise could not figure it out. The World is full of mysteries and there are many things that cannot be understood just because your cultivation is powerful. Hence, the reason why the Good Fortune Divine Furnace is called the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.”
Yang Kai felt his breath becoming short and ragged. What he was holding in his hand was a genuine Sixth-Order Wood Element material. He turned to look to the side only to see that the crimson red fog had gone back to a dull grey colour after spitting out this Sixth-Order material and his throat suddenly went dry!
“Grandmaster, does the Good Fortune Divine Furnace produce materials with higher Orders after consuming enough from the Order below?”
Grandmaster Ma Fan nodded.
“Did Elder Yu and the others come here because of the Good Fortune Divine Furnace?”
Grandmaster Ma Fan laughed, “Of course. What else is there in Great Evolution Paradise that is worth a trip here in person? After all, they don’t expect to recruit this old man.”
Yang Kai swallowed nervously, “With this divine object in hand, wouldn’t I be able to monopolise all the resources in the world?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Grandmaster Ma Fan doused Yang Kai’s excitement with those words, “The Good Fortune Divine Furnace might be able to produce a higher Order material in exchange for ones from a lower Order, but if you calculate in strict terms, the results are basically always a huge loss. Think about it; how many materials did I use just now?”
“Fourteen!” Yang Kai had watched carefully.
Grandmaster Ma Fan had thrown ten World Element materials into the furnace at the beginning. Afterward, he added four more before he finally obtained a Sixth-Order material. In terms of value, one Sixth-Order material was equivalent to ten Fifth-Orders materials; therefore, it was equivalent to losing four Fifth-Orders materials.
“It’s not that simple though. The losses you sustained this time were Wood Element materials, but what about Yin and Yang Element materials? Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials are worth more than ten times the value of Fifth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials. Not to mention, Fifth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials are easier to obtain while those of the Sixth-Order are extremely rare!”
Yin and Yang Element materials in the Sixth-Order and above were extremely valuable and often could not be bought regardless of the price offered.
Grandmaster Ma Fan just smiled meaningfully and asked, “Can you guarantee that every fourteen units of the same type of material will be exchanged for one of a higher Order? As I said just now; my luck today is relatively good. If your luck is bad, you might not get one in return even if you used dozens or even hundreds of materials. Luck is the most difficult element to predict out of everything.”
Yang Kai clenched the Sixth-Order Wood Element material in his hand and quickly said, “But, if I had to choose, I would rather consume several dozen Fifth-Order Yin or Yang Element materials in exchange for a single Sixth-Order counterpart.”
Fifth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials might be difficult to find, but they were much easier compared to those of the Sixth-Order. It had to be said that Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials were categorised as strategic reserves that could not be used easily, even among the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Back when Void Land was being besieged by Heavenly Sword Union and Zuo Quan Hui, the Great Emperors had required countless materials to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. If Yang Kai had not gone to the Black Prison, robbed Luan Bai Feng, and mined an Ore Star from the Black Territory’s depths, he would not have been able to get his hands on the necessary materials. The Great Emperors might still be stuck at the Emperor Realm even now if that had been the case.
Grandmaster Ma Fan nodded, “That’s why they are here! The World Tree is infinitely mysterious. Even though the World Tree of the Star Boundary is just a clone, the feedback from it is so powerful that one can barely believe it. The Cave Heavens and Paradises have taken in quite a number of disciples from the Star Boundary and even dispatched many of their own disciples to be raised there. Over the past few years, many excellent and talented individuals with extraordinary aptitude have appeared in the Star Boundary. It can even be said that there have been more geniuses emerging from the Star Boundary in the past few decades than in the entire 3,000 Worlds over the past few thousand years. Not much time has passed, so these little ones have not fully grown and developed; even so, it is enough to see that there are many among them who are eligible to advance directly into the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Some of them might even be able to advance directly into the Seventh Order!”
The Star Boundary was Yang Kai’s homeland, so he couldn’t help feeling proud after listening to Grandmaster Ma Fan’s words. It was foreseeable that the Star Boundary would surely present a grand and prosperous scene in just a few hundred years!
Grandmaster Ma Fan thus sighed, “We’re talking about advancing directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm! Since the establishment of the 36 Cave Heavens and 72 Paradises, how many people have been able to advance directly into the Seventh Order? Not only does it require extraordinary aptitude but also incredible luck and fortune! In any case, one will require Seventh-Order materials in order to advance directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. The materials for the Five Elements will not pose too much of a problem for now as it is given that the Cave Heavens and Paradises will have some reserves, so they will not lack them. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters need these same materials for cultivation, as well, but even if they have some Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials in their reserves, there certainly won’t be enough. It is only natural that they will have to plan ahead.”
Yang Kai immediately understood the situation, “Is that why they want to borrow the Good Fortune Divine Furnace? They want to create enough Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials to prevent their reserves from being stretched too thin when the time comes.”
Grandmaster Ma Fan nodded.
Yang Kai exhaled a long breath. Putting himself in their shoes, he would have made the same choice if he was someone from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
“In that case, you could have negotiated with them yourself, Grandmaster. Why are you pushing such a highly beneficial deal on me?” Yang Kai was puzzled.
If they wanted to borrow the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, then they would surely need to pay a price. This was a good thing for Great Evolution Paradise. They could make a lot of money just by imposing any random condition. It was a highly beneficial deal that all but fell from the sky into their lap. There was no reason to pass up something like that to somebody else.
Be that as it may, Grandmaster Ma Fan had done just that. He even went so far as to proclaim himself as High Heaven Palace’s High-Rank Guest Elder. In doing so, he placed the full authority over the Good Fortune Divine Furnace in Yang Kai’s hands.
Grandmaster Ma Fan explained, “You may only see four people here today, but those four aren’t just representing their four Cave Heavens and Paradises. They are also representing all the other Cave Heavens and Paradises. They are here to test the waters. Great Evolution Paradise has long gone into decline. At present, this old man is the only one supporting this Sect. Do you think Great Evolution Paradise has the qualifications to negotiate with the Cave Heavens and Paradises? At the most, we can ask for some resources as compensation, but Great Evolution Paradise does not lack resources. This old man only needs to offer up a few Artifact Refining chances to earn more than enough resources for all of us.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly, “Grandmaster, are you saying that they will choose to use force instead if you refuse their request?”
Grandmaster Ma Fan affirmed lightly, “That’s the most likely outcome!”
Yang Kai was secretly surprised. According to Grandmaster Ma Fan, the Cave Heavens and Paradises were scrambling to prepare Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials in advance. The more they could procure, the better it would be for them. That was why they needed to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.
Even though they had always known about the existence of the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, they had never bothered to set their sights on it, mainly because the uncertainty when using this strange innate treasure was too high. They might invest tens or even hundreds of materials only to come up empty-handed. Which Sect could possibly afford such losses?
In any case, each Sect was bound to have some reserves of Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials. The numbers might be small, but they were enough. It was just that the situation was different now. The current supply could no longer meet the demand, so they had to come up with different solutions.
Although they might suffer heavy losses from using the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, all their losses would be worth it if they succeeded in producing a disciple who advanced directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. After all, if one were to advance directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, then their future limit would be the Ninth-Order!
Leaving aside the Seventh-Order materials for now, even the supply of Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials was insufficient for the near future. The Cave Heavens and Paradises would surely have a much greater demand for such materials in short order.
“At present, Void Land is the only Sect in the entire 3,000 Worlds that has the qualifications to negotiate with all the Cave Heavens and Paradises,” Grandmaster Ma Fan turned to look at Yang Kai.
The World Tree was the best example.
The Star Boundary was Yang Kai’s homeland, and the World Tree was growing in the Star Boundary. Regardless of his cultivation, he had more than enough right to speak on the matter. His status as a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary was enough for him to speak on equal terms with the Cave Heavens and Paradises at least in this situation.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed, “What are your conditions, Grandmaster?”
Grandmaster Ma Fan laughed, “It’s easy to talk to smart people.”
Great Evolution Paradise was in a steady decline, so how could they negotiate with the Cave Heavens and Paradises on equal footing? Under such circumstances, there was nothing they could do to stop the Cave Heavens and Paradises from simply taking control of the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.
As a last resort, Grandmaster Ma Fan could only dump the risks on Yang Kai instead. Nevertheless, his actions would result in Yang Kai taking quite a large share of the profits from Great Evolution Paradise. It was only natural that he would refuse to take part in such a loss-making business.
“Regardless of the conditions you eventually agree upon with the Cave Heavens and Paradises, Great Evolution Paradise will receive half of the proceeds!” Grandmaster Ma Fan declared bluntly.
Even if it was only half the amount, it would still be far more than the amount Great Evolution Paradise would receive if they tried to negotiate on their own.
Yang Kai nodded without hesitation, “Fine!”
This deal was the equivalent of pie falling into his outstretched hand for nothing. There was no reason for him to be dissatisfied with receiving half of the benefits when he didn’t need to do anything to obtain them in the first place.
“Also, Great Evolution Paradise’s Dao Temple in the Star Boundary will need to be doubled in size. This old man wishes to send more disciples to cultivate at the Star Boundary!”
“That’s not a problem either.”
“That’s enough,” Grandmaster Ma Fan nodded.
“Is that all?” Yang Kai was extremely astonished.
“What else should I ask for?” Grandmaster Ma Fan looked at Yang Kai flatly.
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “You’re truly an unselfish man, Grandmaster.”
Grandmaster Ma Fan snorted, “It won’t seem sincere if I tried to take the lion’s share. Well, in any case, this old man is planning to come out of retirement.”
“Come out of retirement?” Yang Kai was curious.
“The little ones will surely experience rapid growth after being sent to the Star Boundary. They will need many resources for their cultivation once they advance into the Open Heaven Realm in the future. Great Evolution Paradise is not wealthy, so this old man will need to find a way to make more money. Seeing as this old man has no other skills, I can only perform Artifact Refining for others.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up when he heard those words, “Are you planning to help others perform Artifact Refining to earn resources, Grandmaster?”
“Do you have an idea?”
“Yes, I do! I have a great idea!” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “If you don’t mind, Grandmaster, I can hire you as Void Land’s Chief Artifact Refiner. For every artifact that you refine, I will pay you a certain amount according to the value of the artifact. What do you think?”
Grandmaster Ma Fan fell silent. It was obvious that he did not wish to be restrained in such a manner.
Yang Kai continued, “In addition, I can also send some disciples over to help you, Grandmaster. Whenever you are in a good mood, you can teach them something. If you are in a terrible mood, you can feel free to beat and scold them. Of course, the disciples will remain respectful and filial to you.”
Grandmaster Ma Fan glanced sideways at Yang Kai with an expression that seemed to say, “Brat, you are untrustworthy after all.”
Yang Kai struck while the iron was hot, “Grandmaster, you’ve already proclaimed to be High Heaven Palace’s Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder in front of Elder Yu and the others. Would it make a difference if you receive an additional title as Void Land’s Chief Artifact Refiner?”
After hesitating for a long while, Grandmaster Ma Fan finally let out a long sigh, “I never imagined that this old man would have such a day!”
He had no choice but to rip his heart out for the sake of his disciples.
“In that case, do we have a deal, Grandmaster?” Yang Kai was ecstatic.
Grandmaster Ma Fan nodded sullenly.
Yang Kai burst into hearty laughter, “Don’t worry, Grandmaster. The disciples I send to work under you will not add to your worries.”
Grandmaster Ma Fan snorted, “They won’t be able to learn anything from me without the necessary talent and skill.”
Yang Kai turned to look back at the Good Fortune Divine Furnace again, his gaze burning hot.
Grandmaster Ma Fan added, “What I showed you just now was the situation after putting in various materials of the same Element. As long as the amount is sufficient, the Good Fortune Divine Furnace will return a material of a higher Order; however, there’s another method as well.”
Yang Kai asked, “What method?”
Grandmaster Ma Fan said, “Take out a set of materials of the same Order and throw them in. You will know after you give it a try.”
Upon hearing those words, Yang Kai took out a complete set of Fifth-Order materials harvested from the Gourd Vine from his Space Ring. If there was any resource that Void Land did not lack, it was undoubtedly Fifth-Order materials. Ever since obtaining the Gourd Vine, Void Land could harvest a complete set of Fifth-Order Yin, Yang and Five Elements materials every month from it.
Yang Kai brought a lot of materials along with him when he first departed the Star Boundary. Now that several dozen years had passed, he was certain that Void Land had accumulated even more such materials by now.
After throwing the complete set of seven into the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, the grey fog wriggled like a living creature and greedily swallowed them up in the blink of an eye. A short while later, the grey fog suddenly turned crimson red and an object was spat out from the depths of the furnace.
Yang Kai caught the object, took a look, and exclaimed with raised eyebrows, “A Sixth-Order Water Element!”
Grandmaster Ma Fan explained, “Compared to only investing materials of the same Element, the chances of the Good Fortune Divine Furnace giving back a material of a higher Order increases up to 70 or 80% if you invest a complete set of materials in one go. It can almost be said that the chances of failure are minimal. However, this method has a drawback in that it is impossible to determine the Element of the material you will receive back from the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. You received a Water Element material this time, but it might be a Fire Element or Yin Element instead next time!”
Yang Kai sighed, “It really is amazing!”
There were two methods, both with their respective pros and cons. The first method might result in great losses, but one would receive a material of the same Element as the Element originally invested. On the other hand, although one would experience much less losses with the second method, there were a multitude of uncertainties that came with the results.
Yang Kai had the sudden urge to take all the materials that Void Land had been accumulating from the Gourd Vine over the years and throw them into the Good Fortune Divine Furnace right now. No matter how uncertain the results, he would eventually obtain some Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials if he threw in hundreds or thousands of sets, right?
When they returned to the Grand Hall, Hong Xiang Ling and the others immediately turned to look in their direction.
Lu Zhen Yang of Azure Nether Paradise said, “Sect Master Yang, we have been delayed here for quite a few days now. The Grandmaster refused to come out of retreat earlier, so there was nobody we could discuss with. Seeing as you have the right to call the shots regarding this matter, you need to give us a proper answer.”
Duan Rui Shan of Clear Mind Cave Heaven nodded in agreement, “That’s right, Sect Master Yang. Please feel free to name any condition you might have. We are here on behalf of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Naturally, we will not let Great Evolution Paradise suffer any losses from this transaction.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Grandmaster Ma Fan, who had an aloof expression on his face, as though this matter had nothing to do with him. It was clear that he was unwilling to intervene at all.
Just as Grandmaster Ma Fan had mentioned earlier, Great Evolution Paradise simply could not refuse the Cave Heavens and Paradises borrowing the Good Fortune Divine Furnace under the current circumstances.
In this vast universe, Void Land was the only force that could negotiate with the Cave Heavens and Paradises on equal footing. The declining Great Evolution Paradise did not have this qualification.
Grandmaster Ma Fan’s previous act of hiding and refusing to meet anybody was nothing more than a tactic to buy time. It just so happened that Yang Kai was returning from the Shattered Heaven, so he quickly passed this troublesome matter over for Yang Kai to handle. Still, even if it was only for personal benefit, Yang Kai would not sell the rights to the Good Fortune Divine Furnace cheaply.
Facing everybody’s gazes, Yang Kai smiled lightly, “It has only been a few decades since you sent your disciples to the Star Boundary. No matter how extraordinary their aptitude, I’m sure their cultivation is not that high, right? There is still a long time before they advance to the Open Heaven Realm, so why are you in such a rush?”
Duan Rui Shan shook his head, “How can we not be anxious? Just as you said, the cultivation of the disciples we sent to the Star Boundary over the past few decades might not be too high, but their growth speed is too greater. I’m afraid it won’t take more than one or two hundred years before some of them begin to advance into the Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “That fast?”
For some to advance into the Open Heaven Realm within another 100 or 200 years, the speed was simply too shocking to believe.
Hong Xiang Ling stated, “The disciples we sent to the Star Boundary were carefully selected in the first place, so their aptitudes and talents were already among the best. Moreover, they are cultivating in a place as wondrous as the Star Boundary, so how can they not improve quickly? To be honest, despite how long old men like us have lived, we have never seen such a prosperous sight before. The cultivation of those little ones advances practically every single day.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling slightly worried, “If their cultivation improves too quickly, will they not suffer from an unstable foundation?”
Yu Chang Dao shook his head, “We were also worried about this at the beginning; however, we discovered that there are no such issues after performing a thorough examination of the condition of our Disciples. The feedback they received from the World Tree and the highly abundant Heavenly Way and Martial Dao aura in the Star Boundary are enough to satisfy their advancement requirements. That is why they do not show any signs of an unstable foundation whatsoever even though their cultivation is progressing rapidly. Take my Disciple, Shi Da Zhuang, for example. Sect Master, do you know what his current cultivation is?”
Shi Da Zhuang was the child whom Yu Chang Dao tried so hard to recruit as his Legacy Disciple because of the baby’s Innate Dao Body which was extremely compatible with his inheritance. It was also because of Shi Da Zhuang that Yu Chang Dao became High Heaven Palace’s Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder. That was why Yang Kai had a deep impression of this Disciple.
At the time of Yang Kai’s departure, Shi Da Zhuang was a newborn baby, and about 30 years had passed since then. With his aptitude, it was obvious that his cultivation would not be too low.
Yu Chang Dao had no real intention to let Yang Kai guess, so he answered his own question, “That child is already in the Origin Returning Realm. In the near future, he will advance into the Origin King Realm, then the Dao Source Realm, and then Emperor Realm. After that, he only needs to condense his Dao Seal before he is ready to advance into the Open Heaven Realm!”
Advancing from a baby with no foundation to the Origin Returning Realm in the short span of a couple of decades was no longer something that could be achieved with talent alone. One would also need the guidance of a great Teacher and an extremely conducive cultivation environment. Fortunately, Shi Da Zhuang had both!
Yang Kai gasped softly. He himself had two disciples. Leaving aside Zhao Ye Bai who had mediocre aptitude, Zhao Ya was definitely the cultivator with the most Heaven-defying aptitude he had ever met. Nevertheless, even with her aptitude, and even if he did not suppress her cultivation for so many years, she might not be able to advance to the Origin Returning Realm within such a short time.
The reason for the difference in their cultivation was that one was cultivating in a Holy Land like the Star Boundary while the other was in his Small Universe.
Yu Chang Dao continued, “In another one or two hundred years, the disciples of each Sect will surely reveal a splendid scene of a hundred flowers blooming. At that time, there will be as many people advancing into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm as carp swimming upriver. There will most likely be people advancing into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm too. Can you imagine how great the demand for materials would be among the Cave Heavens and Paradises? Forget the Fifth-Order materials; each Sect has an adequate stock of them, so there will be enough to go around. However, there won’t be enough Sixth-Order or Seventh-Order materials at all.”
In the past, those who could advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm generally held the status of a Core Disciple in the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Most of the time, only one person would be born to each Sect every few hundred to 1,000 years. Qu Hua Shang of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and Ning Dao Ran of Free and Unfettered Paradise were such disciples.
It was precisely because Core Disciples were so rare and precious that Zuo Quan Hui tried to take revenge on Yang Kai for killing Zhao Xing during Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly.
Now though, thanks to the Star Boundary’s existence, there were bound to be more and more Core Disciples in the future.
Hong Xiang Ling followed up, “It is precisely because of this reason that we need to plan ahead; otherwise, it will be too late if we wait until the time comes when we need these materials.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “It has been a long time since I left the Star Boundary, so I don’t know much about the situation there.” His fingers tapped lightly against the table as he pondered in silence for a while. Then, he raised a finger, “The right to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace for one month in exchange for the opportunity to enter the Small Source Worlds of each Sect once for life experience.”
Grandmaster Ma Fan had been standing nearby, silently drinking wine from his bottle all this while, seemingly aloof and unaware of what was being discussed; however, as soon as Yang Kai spoke those words, he choked and spat out a mist of wine.
[This brat… sure is bold!] Ma Fan suddenly felt that leaving the matter involving the Good Fortune Divine Furnace to Yang Kai had been a wise choice indeed. That was because he would never have such thoughts if he were the one to do the negotiations. At most, he would have asked for resources from each Sect as compensation.
Thinking about it carefully though, this was like any business transaction where one should always try to take the lion’s share so that the other party had some space and leeway to bargain and negotiate.
Duan Rui Shan’s brow twitched visibly at those words, “Sect Master Yang, can you change your conditions? For example, each Sect pays a certain amount of resources in exchange for the right of use it for a certain amount of time.”
Lu Zhen Yang nodded in agreement, “That’s right, Sect Master Yang. The Small Source Worlds are extremely important to the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Our own disciples have to wait in line to enter the Small Source Worlds for training. Most of the time, many of them don’t even get a chance to enter despite waiting for hundreds or even thousands of years. We simply cannot afford to portion out an opportunity for you.”
Although Yu Chang Dao and Hong Xiang Ling remained silent, it was clear that they were of the same mind.
Yang Kai just smiled and negotiated, “You don’t need to feel so distressed. Thanks to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, I had the opportunity to enter a Small Source World for training once. It was a bountiful trip, and I’ve not forgotten the feeling. I’ve been thinking that it would be great if I had another opportunity to enter another Small Source World. As for this request… Well, it’s bound to be a little tight, but I’m sure it’s not too difficult for you all.”
Lu Zhen Yang looked like he was about to speak, but Yang Kai raised a hand and interjected, “Of course, I am simply making this suggestion. As for how things will actually be implemented, I’m sure you will need to discuss with the others first; after all, this matter involves all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. This decision is not something the four of you can make on your own.”
The words Lu Zhen Yang wanted to speak got stuck in his throat, which was a terrible feeling.
Yang Kai thus swiftly got to his feet, “I’ve been away from home for too long. I need to return to Void Land, so I won’t stay here any longer.” While speaking, he turned to look at Grandmaster Ma Fan, “Grandmaster, I’ll be taking my leave first. I will send some people over. At that time, I will be counting on you, Grandmaster.”
Grandmaster Ma Fan nodded lightly. It was something they had agreed to earlier, so he would not regret his decision.
Yang Kai glanced at Hong Hu and the two of them walked out.
“Shall we head back to the Star Boundary?” Hong Xiang Ling looked at the others. Now that Yang Kai, the only person they could negotiate with, was gone, it was meaningless for them to remain here any longer. Yang Kai had already named his conditions. Whether or not they could accept the conditions or how they were going to fulfil the conditions would require further discussion among the representatives of the other Cave Heavens and Paradises.
“Let’s go!” Likewise, Duan Rui Shan nodded and stood up. The rest quickly bid their goodbyes to Grandmaster Ma Fan and followed closely behind Yang Kai and Hong Hu’s departure.
Yu Chang Dao caught up to Yang Kai. Standing next to him, he spoke in a low voice, “Sect Master, in my opinion, Da Zhuang has a solid foundation. Moreover, his roots and his aptitude are absolute. There is a high possibility that he can advance directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm when he condenses his Dao Seal in the future!”
Yang Kai raised his brow at those words, “That’s good news.”
Yu Chang Dao smiled flatteringly, “About the materials that he will need when he advances into the Open Heaven Realm…”
Yang Kai turned to look at Yu Chang Dao and asked with a chuckle, “Elder Yu, are you asking me this question in your capacity as High Heaven Palace’s Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder or Free and Unfettered Paradise’s foreign affairs envoy?”
Yu Chang Dao answered with a straight face, “When it comes down to it, Da Zhuang is a High Heaven Palace disciple. Of course, this Old Master is discussing this matter with you in my capacity as High Heaven Palace’s Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Da Zhuang is a High Heaven Palace disciple. Naturally, High Heaven Palace will take full responsibility to provide all the materials he will need to advance into the Open Heaven Realm.”
Yu Chang Dao immediately broke into a bright smile, “Da Zhuang is really fortunate to have joined High Heaven Palace.”
Yang Kai said gratefully, “It’s all thanks to your dedicated teaching over the years, Elder Yu.”
Hong Xiang Ling and the others watched as the one old fox and one young fox chattered away happily. They couldn’t help feeling a little frustrated by the sight. When Yu Chang Dao did not hesitate to become High Heaven Palace’s Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder in order to take Shi Da Zhuang as his Disciple back then, many of his friends laughed at and ridiculed him.
However, based on the current situation, his decision had been a wise one indeed. Thanks to his identity as High Heaven Palace’s Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder, he succeeded at forming a good relationship with Yang Kai, and as a result, it was much easier to get some benefits from, and reach agreements with Yang Kai.
Even if Shi Da Zhuang were to grow and develop under High Heaven Palace’s banner, he would still be Yu Chang Dao’s Legacy Disciple. That was something that would never change, regardless of the circumstances.
During the journey, Hong Xiang Ling and the others constantly tried to find opportunities to discuss the rights to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace with Yang Kai, but the latter stubbornly refused to budge on his stance. Thus, the others could only sigh helplessly.
From Yang Kai’s viewpoint, he had already named his conditions. As for the rest, the Cave Heavens and Paradises would need to come to a consensus. Only then could the negotiation proceed any further. There was no need to waste their energy discussing this matter until then. Besides, he actually proposed similar conditions in the past.
When news about the World Tree first leaked out to the public, the news attracted many Cave Heavens and Paradises to investigate the situation. He had wanted to request opportunities to enter the Small Source Worlds of these top great forces in exchange for the right to accept disciples from the Star Boundary and establish a Dao Temple in the Star Boundary.
However, the proposal was rejected by Xu Ling Gong. The reason was that the qualifications to enter the Small Source Worlds were tough competition even among the disciples of each Cave Heaven and Paradise. They didn’t even have enough to go around for themselves, so how could they let somebody take advantage of them in that manner?
Even Xu Ling Gong had spoken back then, so Yang Kai could only settle for the second-best option and change his conditions.
However, the situation was different now. The Cave Heavens and Paradises had witnessed the mysterious effects of the Star Boundary’s World Tree with their own eyes over the past few decades. The rapid growth of their disciples was the best proof. What immediately followed was a large demand for higher Order Materials. If they wanted their disciples to successfully directly advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they had no choice but to compromise.
Compared to opportunities to train in the Small Source Worlds of each Sect, the advancement of their disciples was naturally their top priority. That was why Yang Kai was confident that he could reach a consensus with the Cave Heavens and Paradises to some extent!
The routes to the Star Boundary and Void Land were different. Yang Kai, Hong Hu, Yu Chang Dao, and the others travelled together for a month or two before they went their separate ways.
Yu Chang Dao and the others headed straight to the Star Boundary.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai set off for Void Land with Hong Hu. It took another two months before the two of them finally arrived at Void Territory after a long journey.
Looking from a distance in the void, the enormous Void Land and Star City stood next to each other. Void Star City had been restored to its previous prosperity and there was a steady stream of flight-type artifacts in all shapes and sizes coming in and out of the Void Dock. It appeared to be very lively.
In reality, Hong Hu had sensed the vitality of Void Territory as soon as they entered. Despite passing through many other Great Territories, there had not been any other one that was as lively as Void Territory. Moreover, flight-type artifacts were a rare sight in the vast void. It wasn’t until she saw the prosperity of Void Star City that she understood why this place attracted so many cultivators.
“Is this Void Land?” Hong Hu stared in amazement.
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s right. This is Void Land.”
Staring at Void Land that was covered by the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array, Hong Hu seemed to detect something, “I can sense the aura of the Dragon Clan. It’s not very pure, but it’s very strong!”
Yang Kai laughed and commented, “I forgot to tell you, Senior. Void Land sits on the back of Bi Xi. Old Man Bi Xi had been sleeping for tens of thousands of years, and the Spirit Province on his back gradually evolved into Void Land’s predecessor.”
“Bi Xi!” Hong Hu raised her delicate brow. As part of the Phoenix Clan, it was only natural that she knew about Bi Xi’s existence. Although she knew about him, she had never met him before, so she sighed in amazement, “I’ve always heard the saying ‘Bi Xi bears a heavy load’. Legend even had it that his back can carry the entire universe. Now that I see him today, he really lives up to his reputation!”
When they got closer, Yang Kai took out a jade, opened the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array, and slipped inside with Hong Hu.
Old Man Bi Xi’s Embodiment was sitting down cross-legged on one of the platforms located on a certain Spirit Peak. His long eyebrows drooped down to his knees and a mysterious language flowed out of his lips, imparting precious wisdom with every word.
Many Divine Spirits sat upright in front of him and listened attentively. These Divine Spirits included the Dragon Clan members who grew up on Dragon Island, Xiao Xiao who had taken in Tai Yue’s Source, Liu Yan who had the Phoenix True Fire, Luan Feng, Fan Wu, and the Stone Spirit Clan from the Star Boundary’s East Territory, Qiong Qi who was Flowing Time Great Emperor’s mount, and several others with a wide variety of Races.
The Divine Spirits in the Star Boundary might all carry different Sources and inheritances of their own, but they did not know how to cultivate or improve their respective bloodlines past a certain point. Needless to say, it was difficult for them to explore their own inheritance without any guidance.
Old Man Bi Xi might only be a Dragonkin, but he was old and wise, with an immense amount of knowledge and experience. Oftentimes, some Divine Spirits would gain valuable insight just by listening to a casual remark from him.
The Dragon Clan had made great progress under his earnest teachings over the years. Among them, Zhu Qing’s true form had grown to over 5,000 metres in length. While she was far from the standard of a Grand Dragon, she was now comparable to a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm in strength. Likewise, the rest of the Divine Spirits also experienced growth to a certain extent, though none as pronounced as Zhu Qing’s.
It was for this reason that all the Divine Spirits liked to gather around Old Man Bi Xi to listen to his teachings.
All of a sudden, Old Man Bo Xi raised his head and looked up into the sky in shock. Slowly getting to his feet, he announced in a loud voice, “An honoured guest has graced us! Welcome!”
The others looked up upon hearing those words only to see two streams of light descending from the sky and landing in front of them. One of them was Yang Kai, who had not shown up for several decades. The other was a woman dressed in snow-white robes whom nobody had seen before.
Zhu Qing’s beautiful eyes lit up, and she gazed at Yang Kai lovingly. Unfortunately, there were too many people here so no matter how much she missed him, it was inappropriate for her to act overly intimate in public.
On the other hand, Xiao Xiao and Liu Yan did not have such reservations. The two of them had accompanied Yang Kai from the time he was young and weak. It could even be said that they were his longest companions.
Xiao Xiao scrambled over and stood in front of Yang Kai. Using both hands, he climbed along Yang Kai’s clothes until he reached his shoulders and sat down with a happy expression.
Meanwhile, Liu Yan ran over in small steps and came to stand in front of Yang Kai. Stretching her arms wide, she looked up and called out in a babyish voice, “Master, up!”
Yang Kai raised his hand and rapped his knuckles on her head, “Speak normally!”
Thanks to some lucky opportunities, Liu Yan had obtained a true body even though she was originally an Artifact Spirit. It was just that she had always maintained a child-like appearance. At this moment, she was acting adorable and childish on purpose.
After being hit on the head, her eyes immediately became misty and she stubbornly held out her arms and said, “Hold me!”
Yang Kai sighed and bent down to pick her up. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck in satisfaction and tilted her small head to rest against his neck. Even the corners of her eyes crinkled with pleasure.
On the contrary, Zhu Qing’s smiling gaze immediately flooded with wanton murderous intent!
Xiao Hong and Xiao Hei, whom Yang Kai had brought out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, had grown considerably stronger thanks to the long-term consumption of the Dragon Blood Pills; moreover, they had been taught to assume Human Form by Old Man Bi Xi. When they saw this scene, the pair, who also looked like small children, rushed over. Standing side by side in front of Yang Kai, they stretched out their arms, “Carry us too!”
When Xiao Hei spoke, his saliva dribbled to the ground, which then began to sizzle and melt away, like it was being corroded by acid. It was a terrifying sight.
Liu Yan flushed slightly and looked down at the other two with a scornful look. Then, she abruptly turned around to look at Hong Hu and whispered a question in Yang Kai’s ear, “Master, who is this Aunty?”
“Aunty?” Hong Hu choked. She had been studying Liu Yan with great interest. Both of them were part of the Phoenix Clan, so she immediately detected the Phoenix True Fire inside Liu Yan’s body. That Source Strength was a little different from Luan Feng, who only had a weak Phoenix Clan bloodline. It was undoubtedly an extremely pure Phoenix Clan Source!
The corners of Hong Hu’s face twitched involuntarily when she suddenly heard Liu Yan’s remark. Still, she gave a fake smile and said, “What an adorable child! She is so cute and lovable!” While she was speaking, she reached out a hand and grabbed Liu Yan’s cheek, giving it a rough need and twist as she asked through gritted teeth, “Is this the person who inherited the Phoenix Empress’ Source?”
Caught between these two, Yang Kai was drenched in a cold sweat as he quickly shook his head and said, “It’s not her, but one of my wives. She isn’t here, so she is probably in retreat.”
Hong Hu nodded lightly, “That’s good!” Giving Liu Yan a sweet smile, she released her grip and patted Liu Yan on the head, “This Aunty is called Hong Hu. We are of the same Clan. This Aunty will make sure to take good care of you in the future.”
Liu Yan turned her head away, showing the back of her head to Hong Hu. Her posture screamed, “Who the Hell do you think you are, old hag!?” Moreover, a bright red mark marred her fair little face.
“So, it is Junior Sister Hong Hu! Please forgive my discourtesy!” Seeing that the atmosphere was turning chilly, Old Man Bi Xi immediately stepped forward to intervene.
Hong Hu bowed elegantly, “Greetings, Senior Brother Bi Xi!”
“Junior Sister, are you from the Ancestral Land?” Old Man Bi Xi asked.
Yang Kai looked at Old Man Bi Xi in surprise, “Senior, do you know about the Ancestral Land?”
Old Man Bi Xi chuckled, “After living for so long, it’s only natural to know a thing or two. Long ago, I visited the Ancestral Land. What’s more, I stayed there for some time before I returned.”
Hong Hu was curious, “Why do I have no recollection of this?”
Bi Xi simply replied lightly, “It was many years ago.”
She fell silent for a while, then she nodded, “It looks like it has been quite a while indeed.”
Seeing as Bi Xi claimed to have visited the Ancestral Land in the past, then he must have gone there before. Nevertheless, she had no recollection of this. In other words, she had yet to even be born during his visit! That was something that could be traced back to several tens of thousands of years ago.
“How is the situation in the Ancestral Land? Is it the same as usual?” Bi Xi queried.
Hong Hu smiled lightly, “The Ancestral Land has undergone great changes. It’s not possible to explain everything in a short time. I will tell you the details when we have the opportunity.”
“Good!” He nodded.
Yang Kai put Liu Yan down and spoke up from the side, “I don’t know what it was like when you visited the Ancestral Land, Senior, but the current Ancestral Land is not what it used to be. The reason Senior Hong Hu returned with me is to bring all the Divine Spirits in Void Land back to the Ancestral Land; after all, they will grow much faster there. They might even receive the opportunity to obtain the inheritance within their Source Strength.”
When Old Man Bi Xi heard those words, he said worriedly, “The Kun Clan is in the Ancestral Land. If the little Dragons from Void Land head there…”
Yang Kai smiled, “Don’t worry. The Phoenix Clan will take care of them. Not to mention, I’ve already talked to the Kun Clan and come to an agreement with them.”
Old Man Bi Xi nodded, “That’s for the best. I’ve thought of telling you about the Ancestral Land all these years, but I was worried about the Kun Clan. That’s why I never mentioned it. Seeing as you’ve already made the necessary arrangements though, it’s definitely a good thing to send them there.”
“Many thanks for your concern, Senior!” Yang Kai nodded.
In truth, he had wondered about this issue. Logically speaking, an existence like Bi Xi was bound to know about the Ancestral Land; even so, not a word about it had been spoken in all these years. Only now did the truth come to light. It was not that Bi Xi never bothered to tell Yang Kai, but that he was simply worried about the existence of the Kun Clan.
The Dragon Clan members in Void Land were far too weak. Rashly sending them to the Ancestral Land was equivalent to sending a lamb into the tiger’s den. Rather than sending them to their deaths, it was better to remain silent for now. Now that Yang Kai had made certain arrangements and a Phoenix Clan Master like Hong Hu would be protecting them, there was nothing to worry about anymore.
During their conversation, a stream of light suddenly sped in this direction. The light approached them in the blink of an eye, only to reveal a stunning figure.
Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, Zhu Jiu Yin!
She spent most of her time in retreat and rarely showed herself. Even Yang Kai had a difficult time trying to meet her. Only Shan Qing Luo could meet Zhu Jiu Yin frequently. The reason for her arrival at this moment was clearly that she had noticed Hong Hu’s Divine Spirit aura and came to check out the situation out of curiosity.
After not seeing her for so many years, Yang Kai could clearly sense that this woman’s aura had gotten deeper and more profound.
She was a Mature Divine Spirit, but had grown up in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary all her life until Yang Kai brought her out. As a result, she was unable to adapt to the World Principles of the outside world immediately, which was why she could not exert her full strength all this while. Even so, the strength she displayed back then was enough to easily suppress a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. At present, she was probably a match for any Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in strength.
“Phoenix Clan?” Zhu Jiu Yin exclaimed in surprise after a thorough examination of Hong Hu.
There was more than one person with a Phoenix Clan Source in Void Land; therefore, Zhu Jiu Yin was not unfamiliar with the aura of the Phoenix Clan. That was how she figured out Hong Hu’s origins at a glance. What surprised her was that the aura of this Phoenix Clan member in front of her was extremely powerful. This Phoenix was definitely not weak.
Hong Hu nodded as she was also examining Zhu Jiu Yin curiously. There were no Heavenly Moon Demon Spiders in the Ancestral Land, so it was her first time seeing this kind of Divine Spirit. For a time, she couldn’t identify her.
Yang Kai stepped forward and introduced them to each other. Only then could they consider themselves acquainted.
“The Ancestral Land?” Zhu Jiu Yin revealed a suspicious look, “What is that place?”
Hong Hu smiled, “It is the origin of all Divine Spirits. To be honest, Junior Sister Zhu, with how strong your bloodline is, you should have been able to sense the existence of the Ancestral Land. That is the instinct that can be found deep within the bloodline of every Divine Spirit after they reach maturity, regardless of their origins or Clan.”
A look of realisation came over Zhu Jiu Yin’s face, “So it’s that place!”
Just as Hong Hu mentioned, she had developed a vague sense that she was being summoned somewhere over the years. It was just that the sense was very weak and indistinct.
Ever since leaving the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, she had been trying to adapt to the World Principles of the outside world. Not to mention, she had yet to recover her strength completely. There was no saying whether there would be any dangers waiting for her either. That was why she did not bother to explore and investigate this feeling. Nevertheless, she originally planned to make a trip once she recovered her full strength. It was a surprise to learn the truth about that place from Hong Hu.
“The Ancestral Land is where all Divine Spirits originate from. It is a place filled with rich Ancestral Strength, which is highly beneficial to the cultivation of Divine Spirits. The reason Senior Hong Hu came along with me this time is to bring everyone with a Divine Spirit bloodline to the Ancestral Land. As for the specific situation in the Ancestral Land, Senior Hong Hu will explain to everybody in detail,” Yang Kai said while looking at everybody.
Many of the Divine Spirits looked fascinated.
Over the years, the strength of the Human cultivators who came from the Star Boundary had increased steadily. Leaving aside the fact that the Great Emperors and Yang Kai’s Wives had already advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm a long time ago, even most of the Pseudo-Great Emperors from back then had advanced to the Open Heaven Realm.
On the other hand, the Divine Spirits who used to dominate the Star Boundary barely took a step forward.
They felt very lost when it came to their futures as a result. Although listening to the teachings of Old Man Bi Xi over the past few years had helped them to a certain extent. the improvement of their bloodline was simply too slow.
It was not until today that they learned about a place where all the Divine Spirits originated. Moreover, the Ancestral Land was filled with the mysterious Ancestral Strength that was highly beneficial to the cultivation of the Divine Spirits. How could the Divine Spirits not be fascinated by such a mysterious place? For a time, they couldn’t help looking excited.
“On behalf of all present, I offer thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai cupped his fist at Hong Hu.
Hong Hu nodded, “Bring the one who inherited the Phoenix Empress’ Source to me. Once you have arranged everything, I will bring them back to the Ancestral Land.
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded.
Hong Hu would naturally receive hospitality from Old Man Bi Xi and Zhu Jiu Yin, so there was no need for Yang Kai to worry about her. Yang Kai asked Zhu Qing for details and learned that Su Yan was currently cultivating in retreat; thus, he left with a flash.
As soon as Yang Kai departed, a large group of Divine Spirits crowded around Hong Hu as though they had found a rare treasure. They eagerly asked about the situation in the Ancestral Land.
Hong Hu felt as though she was drowning in infinite enthusiasm, so she couldn’t help smiling bitterly for a while. She never imagined that so many Divine Spirits had gathered in Void Land. Not to mention, they consisted of so many different Clans. Even though she was surrounded by so many Divine Spirits, she patiently answered their questions one at a time. In their conversations with each other, the situation in the Ancestral Land gradually became clear to all.
Just as Yang Kai was rushing towards Su Yan’s cultivation location, a transparent and almost imperceptible silk thread came flying through the air and wrapped around his body at the speed of lightning. Yang Kai lowered his head to look, seeing a silk thread move like a living thing and swiftly wrap around him several hundred times, swaddling him so tightly that he resembled a dumpling.
Immediately after that, a tugging force came from the silk thread. Bundled up like a ball and unable to move a muscle, he was involuntarily dragged through the air at breakneck speed. His figure turned into a stream of light.
On one of the Spirit Peaks below, the graceful figure of Second Manager Bian Yu Qing stood on the branch of the tree. She looked up into the sky with a suspicious look in her beautiful eyes, “Why does that look like the Sect Master?”
When she looked again, there was nobody in sight anymore. In her confusion, she sent a message to the Governor of Void Star City, Mo Mei, “Did Sect Master return?”
Mo Mei replied a short while later “I don’t know!”
Bian Yu Qing frowned and murmured to herself, “I can’t believe I’m seeing things. Am I getting old?”
Inside a certain hall, Yang Kai was thrown to the cold ground like a wet rag. A plump body straddled him from above and a slender hand caressed his cheek. A slim finger pulled his chin upward, “Smelly man, are you finally willing to come back?”
Yang Kai could not move a single muscle. Looking around for a bit though, he winked at Shan Qing Luo, “Senior Zhu Jiu Yin is with Old Man Bi Xi. She won’t be back for the time being. Shall we enjoy a quick one? Or, would you prefer going for a hundred rounds?”
Shan Qing Luo blushed slightly and spat softly, “Why are you thinking of such naughty things as soon as you return!? Who will listen to you!?”
His tongue was so sweet that it was as though his mouth was filled with honey, “Luo’er, it has been so long! I missed you so much!”
Her body immediately softened at those words. Her face turned redder, but her large and watery eyes still glared at him, “Hmph! Missed me? If you missed me, then why didn’t you come to me? If I had not dragged you here just now, you’d probably be making love to Big Sister by now! I knew it! Out of all the Sisters, Big Sister has the largest place in your heart!”
Yang Kai replied seriously, “Every one of you is equally important to me! Nobody comes first or last!”
“Liar!” She pouted.
Getting nowhere with this conversation, Yang Kai flexed slightly and the silk threads that bound him snapped apart. Grabbing Shan Qing Luo’s elegant waist, he flipped over and pressed her beneath his body. He looked at her affectionately, “Words can be deceiving, but the body does not lie. Why don’t you feel it with your body?”
Shan Qing Luo turned her head away and closed her eyes, her lashes fluttering slightly.
…
After the dust settled, Shan Qing Luo lazily rested on top of Yang Kai’s body and muttered, “The Ancestral Land?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Senior Hong Hu came here to bring all the Divine Spirits in Void Land back to the Ancestral Land. Senior Zhu Jiu Yin seems to be quite interested in the idea as well. If things go as planned, she will bring you with her. I’m not worried since she will be taking care of you, but do be careful of the Kun Clan when you arrive there.”
Shan Qing Luo nodded, “I will.”
Yang Kai reached out and slapped her full, smooth as silk moon before saying, “I need to find Su Yan. Senior Hong Hu is waiting for her.”
The enchantress lying above him simply winked at him mischievously though and remarked, “No need. I’ve already sent a message to all my Sisters and asked them to come over.”
While saying so, she gave a wave of her hand and released a barrier. Several familiar auras immediately entered Yang Kai’s perception.
Under his dumbfounded gaze, Yu Ru Meng walked in the lead, followed closely by Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Xue Yue, and Ji Yao.
Yu Ru Meng stood with her back upright and her chest puffed out, staring down at the couple on the bed with a look of disdain. Su Yan stood there with her head slightly lowered. On the other hand, Xia Ning Chang, Xue Yue, and Ji Yao were blushing furiously. Their skin was flushed and they seemed to be at a loss for what to do.
“Everyone’s here!” Yang Kai gave a dry laugh.
Yu Ru Meng glared at Yang Kai before she turned to look at Shan Qing Luo, “Was the meal you had alone tasty?”
Shan Qing Luo rested on Yang Kai’s chest with a silly look in her beautiful eyes, “Tasty or not, you’ll know once you try it for yourself, Big Sister Ru Meng.”
Even though Yu Ru Meng was a Charm Demon, she had to reluctantly admit that she was not as good as Shan Qing Luo when it came to such shamelessness. Thus, she sighed to herself. [This devilish woman is bold indeed. No wonder this smelly man is so obsessed with her and visited her as soon as he returned.]
Xia Ning Chang’s head was hanging so low that she practically touched her chest as she murmured, “Luo’er said you were back, so I… I came to have a-a l-look. I-I’m going now!”
While speaking, she covered her face with her hands and turned to flee.
Shan Qing Luo, however, lifted a hand, and a snow-white spider thread wrapped around Xia Ning Chang’s waist. Ignoring Xia Ning Chang’s startled cry, she dragged the veiled beauty back to the bed and giggled happily, “You’re already here, so why are you leaving? No one can leave without taking good care of Husband!”
Yu Ru Meng turned to glance at Xue Yue and Ji Yao. Those two were absolutely terrified and their eyes were filled with horror. She sneered coldly and strode towards the bed, stripping off her clothes while walking, “You acted like pitiful widows when he was gone, always sighing and looking gloomy all day long. Why are you hesitating now that he is back? I don’t care. If I don’t drain this smelly man dry today, I won’t call myself Yu Ru Meng again!”
She went up and kicked Shan Qing Luo aside.
Looking at the situation on the bed, Su Yan suddenly stepped forward.
Ji Yao and Xue Yue hugged each other, trembling uncontrollably as they called out in a shaking voice, “Big Sister, you…”
Su Yan turned a deaf ear to them. Her gaze was firm, as though 1,000 men would not stop her!
..…
“Sect Master really came back?” Bian Yu Qing was dealing with some minor tasks in Void Land when she suddenly received the message. Following a check with her Divine Sense, she became filled with joy. She quickly set aside what she was doing and hurried towards the Main Conference Hall.
When she arrived in front of the Grand Hall, she saw a figure with one hand supporting his waist and one hand pressed against the wall for support. The figure was hobbling along, seeming as though each step required great effort. The figure was extremely familiar, and upon taking a closer look, she was shocked, “Sect Master!”
Bian Yu Qing hurried over and took Yang Kai’s arm. His complexion was as pale as paper and his aura was weak. He looked like he had been severely injured, so her expression became stern, “Sect Master, are you injured?”
Yang Kai opened his swollen eyes and stared at Bian Yu Qing for a long time before he seemed to recognise her, “Is it you, Second Manager?”
Bian Yu Qing was livid, “Sect Master, who injured you? This subordinate will immediately organise the troops to seek justice!”
Yang Kai coughed lightly and waved his hand dismissively, “No need. I admit defeat. The enemy is too strong. I am not their opponent.”
Yu Ru Meng, that Charm Demon, sure was cruel! She went so far as to use a Secret Technique to gather Yang to supplement Yin to suck him dry. Thankfully, his Dragon Clan bloodline was powerful. Not to mention, he recently became a Grand Dragon. If it had been the him from the past, he would have been a withered husk by now. Even so, he couldn’t help feeling weak and light-headed at this moment. It was no different from a life-or-death battle against a powerful foe!
Bian Yu Qing was absolutely shocked. It had to be said that Yang Kai was a powerful Master. Even when faced with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Zuo Quan Hui, he had dared to fight head-on. In the end, he finally killed his mighty enemy even though his cultivation was weaker.
[Just what kind of terrible monster did the Sect Master encounter for him to be at such a disadvantage? I can’t even imagine it!]
“Sect Master, are we really not going to seek revenge?” Bian Yu Qing asked in confusion as this attitude was very unlike his usual attitude.
Yang Kai waved aside her suggestion, “It’s just that I’m too weak now. I will work hard on my cultivation and get even with them with my own power one day.”
Only then did she nod, “This subordinate understands.”
The two of them walked into the Grand Hall. After helping him into his seat, she heard him breathe a long sigh of relief.
Yang Kai then asked, “What happened in Void Land during the years that I was absent?”
Bian Yu Qing quickly replied, “Everything is running smoothly. The disciples are working hard on their cultivation and the Star City is prospering.”
He nodded, “Tell me about it.”
Hence, she immediately gave a brief summary of everything that happened in Void Land over the years. There was nothing particularly noteworthy. Back when Zuo Quan Hui led Heavenly Sword Union against Void Land, Void Land had eventually managed to turn the dangers around under Yang Kai’s leadership. Afterwards, news of the Star Boundary’s World Tree spread throughout the 3,000 Worlds and Void Land’s name became famous as a result.
That battle also allowed the entire universe to learn about Void Land’s powerful heritage! Even Zuo Quan Hui, a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master from Thousand Cranes Paradise, had died at the hands of Void Land’s Lord. Prior to this incident, it could be said that High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were essentially invincible existences in the 3,000 Worlds.
It could be said that aside from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, Void Land was now the strongest in the 3,000 Worlds. In this respect, even those with countless years of inheritances could only sigh at their inferiority. Consequently, numerous great forces had been trying to befriend Void Land so that they could visit the Star Boundary and enjoy a share of the pie.
Unfortunately, the Star Boundary’s attitude was very clear. Regardless of the great force, they were free to recruit talents from the Star Boundary, but the outcome would rely solely on their abilities. If they had the ability to appeal to the native Star Boundary cultivators and recruit these talents into their respective Sects, then Void Land and High Heaven Palace would not interfere.
However, they were not allowed to establish Dao Temples in the Star Boundary. Each of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had a Dao Temple in the Star Boundary; hence, there were over a hundred Dao Temples spread across the Four Territories. There was simply not enough space to accommodate more.
This was the policy Yang Kai decided upon before he left, and Hua Qing Si handled the issue perfectly.
The Star Boundary had Hua Qing Si managing it, so there was nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, in Void Territory, the Star City was prosperous. It was now already a veritable First-Class Star City that was not inferior to the large-scale Star Cities under the command of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Furthermore, the monthly auctions where the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was featured drew even more people than before. It could be said that Void Land was making a fortune just by relying on this Star City. Not to mention, the large number of resources that Luan Bai Feng had to send from the Black Prison every year!
The current Void Land could be said to be extremely wealthy. As long as the disciples had enough contribution points, the resources they needed would definitely be supplied to them!
That was why many Emperor Realm Masters had advanced into the Open Heaven Realm over the past few decades. Many had even condensed their Dao Seals and had begun condensing the Yin, Yang and Five Element Powers. There was no doubt that the number of Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land would experience an explosive wave of growth in the coming decades!
“So far, there are roughly twenty Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land and High Heaven Palace. There are basically no changes in this regard. On the other hand, we have 162 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, 493 Fourth-Order Masters, and over 1,300 Open Heaven Realm Masters beneath the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm!”
There were nearly 2,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters in total! It was a terrifying number indeed. Ordinary Second-Class great forces would be considered pretty successful with 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters among their ranks. However, Void Land had over 20 times that number! That was where heritage came into play.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Has Proprietress come out of retreat?”
Bian Yu Qing shook her head, “Bai Qi and the others have been standing guard over Madame Lan’s place of retreat over the past few years, but there have been no movements so far.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly. The Proprietress had been in retreat for close to 100 years already, but there was still no news from her so far. There was no telling whether her attempt was successful or not.
Be that as it may, it could be seen just how difficult it was for a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. It had to be said that the Proprietress’ aptitude was very high as she had advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, which made her comparable to the Core Disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
“Keep an eye on Proprietress and inform me immediately if there’s any news,” Yang Kai instructed.
“Yes!”
“Also, I stopped by Grandmaster Ma Fan’s place on my way back and received an unexpected windfall.”
“Grandmaster Ma Fan?” Bian Yu Qing pondered for a moment after hearing the name before quickly realizing something, “Are you referring to Grandmaster Ma Fan of Great Evolution Paradise?”
“Have you heard of him before?” Yang Kai looked at her curiously.
She smiled and answered the question, “Senior Sister Hua sent a message from the Star Boundary. Information on the situations at High Heaven Palace and Void Land is shared among us after all. I heard that Grandmaster Ma Fan brought a group of disciples to the Star Boundary several dozen years ago, and Senior Sister Hua allowed them to establish a Dao Temple there. There was an uproar at the time because of this incident.”
“Why?” Yang Kai frowned.
She explained, “That was because you instructed Senior Sister Hua to prevent any great forces aside from the Cave Heavens and Paradises from establishing a Dao Temple in the Star Boundary before you departed back then. If things had played out equally for all parties, then nothing would have happened. The key point was that the Great Evolution Dao Temple had appeared out of nowhere. Those great forces with no qualifications to establish a Dao Temple were naturally dissatisfied with the situation, so they went to High Heaven Palace to argue with Senior Sister Hua.”
“How was this matter settled in the end?”
“In the end, the foreign affairs envoys from the Cave Heavens and Paradises came forward to suppress the storm. Afterwards, the great forces no longer dared to question anything again.”
“En,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
The name ‘Great Evolution Paradise’ would be quite unfamiliar to most of the great forces in the 3,000 Worlds. On the other hand, in the eyes of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, Great Evolution Paradise used to be one of the 72 Paradises in the past. It was just that the Sect had fallen into decline due to certain reasons. Now that the Star Boundary was prosperous, Great Evolution Paradise’s presence in the Star Boundary undoubtedly meant that it was showing signs of revival. It was only natural that the rest of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were happy to see such a situation.
“Sect Master, what windfall did you receive from Grandmaster Ma Fan?” Bian Yu Qing asked curiously.
Yang Kai excitedly said, “Great Evolution Paradise has an innate precious treasure called the Good Fortune Divine Furnace…”
He then told her about everything he witnessed. After listening to his explanation, Bian Yu Qing looked extremely shocked and murmured under her breath, “How can there be such a mysterious object in this world?”
Yang Kai sighed in amazement as well, “If I had not witnessed it for myself, I would not have dared to believe it either! But, the Cave Heavens and Paradises are eyeing the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. Grandmaster Ma Fan entrusted this matter to me, so I made a proposal. It won’t take long before they reach a consensus among themselves and come back to discuss it with me again. At that time, they will be taking turns using the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. Void Land has to make the first move before that happens. Second Manager, quickly prepare some materials and deliver them to Great Evolution Paradise. We will use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace to produce the materials that Void Land lacks.”
The Cave Heavens and Paradises were preparing for the future of the disciples, so how could Void Land do any different? A large number of talents in the Fifth, Sixth, and even Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm were bound to emerge from the Star Boundary. It would be too late to figure out a solution when the time came that they needed the resources. It was better to prepare something like that as early as possible.
“Understood!” Bian Yu Qing nodded in affirmation, “Don’t worry, Sect Master. Void Land has accumulated quite a number of resources over the past few decades, so I’m sure they will be enough to create a sufficient supply of higher Order materials.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Leave enough for the disciples’ cultivation needs and deliver the rest to Great Evolution Paradise. Furthermore, gather some disciples gifted in Artifact Refining and send them along too. Opportunities to openly learn the skills of a Master like this are very rare.”
Bian Yu Qing’s eyes lit up as she asked, “Grandmaster Ma Fan is accepting Disciples?”
Yang Kai shook his head and smiled, “That’s not it. He is simply making plans for the future of his own disciples. As such, he intends to come out of retirement to earn some income by performing Artifact Refining. I have hired him as Void Land’s Chief Artifact Refiner. In the future, all the artifacts in Void Land can be left to him to refine.”
“That’s great news!” Bian Yu Bing exclaimed in delight. Both the Heavenly Executioner’s Sword and the Heavenly Net Umbrella that were placed in the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array had been refined by Grandmaster Ma Fan.
“That’s right. Have Yue He and the others been staying at the Star Boundary all this time?” Yang Kai asked. Although it had not been long since he returned, he did not detect any powerful auras with his Divine Sense perception. None of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Void Land were here.
She answered, “I was just about to tell you about this, Sect Master. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land spend most of their time in the Star Boundary. One of the reasons is that there are too many people gathered there. There is certainly a need for some Masters to remain on guard to deter any unwanted incidents. The second reason is related to the development of the New Great Territory. The New Great Territory has an abundant stock of resources. Out of Void Land’s current reserves, more than half come from the New Great Territory. In addition, Senior Sister Hua sent a message a few days ago saying that they made some sort of special discovery in the New Great Territory recently. She requested that I let you know you should head to the Star Boundary as soon as possible if I happen to encounter you, Sect Master.”
“A special discovery?” Yang Kai’s brow lifted at those words.
But Bian Yu Qing just shook her head, “Senior Sister Hua did not mention any specific details about this discovery, but it should be good news.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before he nodded, “Got it. It’s true that I need to head to the Star Boundary as the Cave Heavens and Paradises are waiting for me to discuss matters regarding the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. Unfortunately, I cannot leave right now. I will head to the Star Boundary once I’ve seen Senior Hong Hu off.”
Hong Hu would most likely decline to stay in Void Land for a long time. The reason she came here was mainly to bring Su Yan, the one who inherited the Phoenix Empress’ Source, back to Four Phoenix Pavilion. The rest of the Divine Spirits were simply hitching a ride with her.
Afterwards, Yang Kai handed Bian Yu Qing a list with many precious resources recorded on it.
Three days later, Hong Hu came to bid her farewells, and Yang Kai did not try to stop her.
For the Divine Spirits, going to the Ancestral Land one day earlier would mean that they could reap the benefits one day sooner. Moreover, the current Ancestral Land was different from back then. With the opening of the Demon Sealing Land, the Ancestral Strength had become extremely rich. Not to mention, the Sacred Treasures of each Clan had re-appeared in the world. If nothing else, the Dragon Clan would enjoy immense benefits just by going to the Ancestral Land and cultivating in the Crystal Palace.
The group of Divine Spirits led by Hong Hu slowly left Void Land in an enormous ship. On the other hand, Yang Kai simply stood there and watched them off.
As expected, Zhu Jiu Yin followed along. For her, she had regained her freedom after her contract with Yang Kai to be a Protector had been annulled. If not because she wanted to teach Shan Qing Luo, she would have left Void Land a long time ago.
Su Yan and Shan Qing Luo had also gone along with the others. Su Yan was Hong Hu’s main reason for coming. The Four Phoenix Pavilion attached great importance to her thanks to her identity as the inheritor of a past Phoenix Empress’ Source. Shan Qing Luo had been reluctant to leave, but she could not win against Zhu Jiu Yin; therefore, she could only set off for the Ancestral Land.
Zhu Qing, Yang Xiao, the Dragon Clan, Xiao Xiao, Liu Yan, Jiu Feng, Luan Feng, Fan Wu, Cang Gou, the many Divine Spirits from the Star Boundary, and even those with only a trace of a Divine Spirit bloodline also went along with Hong Hu. Their departure was a mighty sight to behold.
Once they embarked on this journey, there was no saying when they would meet again. However, the Divine Spirits would surely have grown tremendously by the time they meet again!
“Husband, you seem a little reluctant to part ways with them.” Yu Ru Meng pressed herself against Yang Kai’s body and exhaled an orchid scent in his ear.
Yang Kai’s calves shuddered slightly, and he answered in a trembling voice, “It’s nothing. It’s not like we’ll never meet again.”
She glanced sideways at him with a smile, “Husband, why are you so nervous? It’s not like this Mistress will eat you.”
While saying so, she licked her lips with her bright red tongue.
The sight made a chill spread out from the tips of his toes to the top of his head, causing all the hair on his body to stand on end! Turning his head to the side, he saw a person passing by not far away and quickly called out, “Second Manager!”
Bian Yu Qing stopped in her tracks and turned to look in this direction, “Sect Master!”
He asked seriously, “Second Manager, did you come here because you have something to discuss with me?”
She responded in confusion, “No. This subordinate was simply passing by. I am on my way to the Star City!”
“Second Manager, you have something to discuss with me, right?” He repeated his question with a stern expression.
She blinked and answered in an uncertain voice, “Yes… I have something to discuss with you?”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “I see. It must be something urgent. Let’s walk and talk.”
His figure came to her side in a flash, and he gave her a look. She then followed him in confusion.
Behind them, Yu Ru Meng gave a cold sneer, “Men!”
“Second Manager, you’ve worked hard all these years,” While leading Bian Yu Qing forward, Yang Kai spoke up suddenly.
Bian Yu Qing smiled, “Not that hard. If not for your kindness back then, Sect Master, I would have died a long time ago. I would not be standing here today. Besides, things in Void Land are wonderful now.”
It would have been better if the man from back then had survived until today. Even now, she could not forget the man named ‘Kou Wu’, who gave his life for her. If he was still alive today, she was certain that he would have great achievements to show for his efforts.
“Once you’ve finished dealing with the matters regarding Great Evolution Paradise, you should take some time to advance to the Open Heaven Realm. Managing Void Land all this time has caused significant delays to your cultivation,” Yang Kai said with some guilt.
Void Land and the Star Boundary were two large territories. One was managed by Head Manager Hua Qing Si while the other was managed by Second Manager Bian Yu Qing. They were both women who had to pick up the slack left behind by Yang Kai who had always been an arm-flinging shopkeeper; a great force would have many affairs, both big and small, to take care of after all.
As a result, their cultivation had never been particularly high. Thanks to the Star Boundary’s World Tree, Hua Qing Si had managed to condense her Dao Seal, but she had yet to advance into the Open Heaven Realm before Yang Kai departed back then. There was no saying what condition she was in now. The same was true for Bian Yu Qing!
Upon hearing what Yang Kai said, Bian Yu Qing felt a warmth flooding her heart and she nodded obediently, “Good. I will go into retreat once I have settled the matter regarding Great Evolution Paradise. I will not disappoint you. But, Sect Master, who will manage Void Land if I go into retreat?”
Yang Kai asked, “Do you have any good candidates to recommend?”
To which she replied, “In Void Land, aside from Senior Bi Xi whose cultivation is the highest, there are only your Wives and Void Star City’s Governor Mo Mei. Senior Bi Xi will never agree to manage these affairs and your Wives have no such experience either, so it might not be appropriate for them to rashly take over. Why don’t you leave things to Governor Mo Mei? She has managed the Star City very well over the years.”
Yang Kai nodded and said, “I had that idea too. This is the perfect timing; let’s head to Star City to inform Mo Mei about this matter.”
The two of them thus went to Star City together.
Mo Mei was naturally delighted to see that Yang Kai had returned. The truth was that she had already received news of his arrival. The Star City and Void Land were neighbours after all, so it was only natural that news travelled quickly between these two places. However, she was in charge of managing Void Star City, so she could not leave without notice.
Yang Kai informed Mo Mei that Bian Yu Qing would soon enter retreat in order to advance to the Open Heaven Realm. During that time, the management of Void Land would be temporarily handed over to her. To which she nodded in agreement.
After that, he casually made a cursory check of the financial situation in Void Star City before he finally took his leave. Yang Kai did not dare to remain in Void Land for long, so the day after sending Hong Hu off, he spoke to Bian Yu Qing once more before he made his move and set off for the Star Boundary in a rush.
In any case, Yang Kai had originally planned to visit the Star Boundary as soon as possible. There was still the discussion with the Cave Heavens and Paradises regarding the Good Fortune Divine Furnace after all. Not to mention, Hua Qing Si had sent a message saying that they made an interesting discovery in the New Great Territory. It was only natural that he went there as soon as possible.
It was definitely not because he was frightened!
Think about it; from the day he began cultivating until now, Yang Kai had experienced countless battles of varying intensity. When had there ever been a person whom he feared?
On this trip to the Star Boundary, Yang Kai travelled alone. Under the urging of Space Principles, he shuttled through the Void and would also transfer between the Universe Temples from time to time. In this way, it only took him half a month to arrive at High Heaven Territory.
The area around the Territory Gate was extremely lively. Ships of all shapes and sizes would frequently pass through the Territory Gate to enter High Heaven Territory.
News of the Star Boundary’s World Tree had spread throughout the 3,000 Worlds, as well as the fact that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had taken up residence in this remote Universe World and established their respective Dao Temples. Naturally, various other great forces flocked to this place.
Although they could not build their own Dao Temple in the Star Boundary, High Heaven Palace did not restrict their activities in the Star Boundary or High Heaven Territory. Needless to say, that was provided that they did not do anything harmful.
As a result, many Open Heaven Realm Masters would bring their youngest Disciples with them to the Star Boundary. They would then search for a random place and settle down there, which would allow their Disciples to be exposed to the light of the World Tree so that they would have greater accomplishments in the future. There were even more great forces searching for disciples with excellent aptitudes in the Star Boundary, hoping to recruit them for themselves.
It could be said that there were Open Heaven Realm Masters everywhere in the Star Boundary. Even an unremarkable old man that could be seen in any random small village might just be a Fifth or Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If these old men were looking around with glowing eyes, then they were surely searching for suitable Disciples!
Over the decades, the native cultivators in the Star Boundary had gradually gotten accustomed to such things. There had been some resistance when the great forces first tried to recruit people from the Star Boundary at the beginning; after all, the people in the Star Boundary only knew of High Heaven Palace and nobody had knowledge about the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises later established their respective Dao Temples in the Star Boundary and, as their fame spread, the natives in the Star Boundary slowly relaxed their vigilance.
Nowadays, it was not difficult for the Cave Heavens and Paradises to recruit disciples. Their reputation had spread so much that the people in the Star Boundary were familiar with all of them. These Cave Heavens and Paradises were known as the strongest great forces in the entire vast Outer Universe. The chance to join them was also a type of opportunity; however, these Cave Heavens and Paradises had made an agreement with Yang Kai in advance. Each Sect could only accept up to five disciples every 100 years.
If the great forces below the Cave Heavens and Paradises wanted to recruit disciples, they had to display a strong enough heritage. Even so, the young talents might be very picky about their choices. The Open Heaven Realm Masters who were responsible for recruiting disciples faced great difficulties as a result.
In the past, these Open Heaven Realm Masters had always been the ones choosing their disciples, but after coming to the Star Boundary, the scenario was reversed instead. These little ones who had barely grown any of their body hair were not only unafraid of these powerful Open Heaven Realm Masters, but they might also look down on the Sects they came from for not being good enough.
Be that as it may, the Open Heaven Realm Masters had no choice but to patiently explain that their Sects were not weak. They were simply not as powerful as the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Fan Liang Peng of Heavenly Martial Tower had a deep experience regarding such matters!
Heavenly Martial Tower could be considered a Second-Class great force that dominated Heavenly Martial Territory. As such, this Sect was not weak in the slightest. Moreover, Fan Liang Peng himself was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Heavenly Martial Tower immediately dispatched him to High Heaven Territory to investigate the situation in the Star Boundary when news of the World Tree first spread. After he submitted his report on the situation in the Star Boundary, Heavenly Martial Tower immediately placed great importance on this matter. Therefore, they gave him another task, he had to recruit five disciples with outstanding aptitude from the Star Boundary within 100 years!
For that reason, he spent great effort and searched the Star Boundary for decades before he found four disciples. From his perspective, these four disciples had extraordinary aptitudes and had an opportunity to advance directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future! When the news came back, the entire Heavenly Martial Tower practically jumped up and down in joy to celebrate.
In the past, only the Core Disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were eligible to advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It was impossible for Second-Class great forces to nurture such talents. On the other hand, there was no lack of people with such aptitudes in the Star Boundary.
Given enough time for the four disciples to finish developing, the strength of Heavenly Martial Tower would definitely be elevated. Their status would also rise like a rising tide that lifted all boats.
Unfortunately, it was impossible for these four disciples to be brought back to Heavenly Martial Tower for cultivation. The feedback from the World Tree was the key to the growth of these disciples. If they wanted to stimulate the potential of these disciples, then they could only allow their disciples to cultivate in the Star Boundary. At the very least, the four disciples would have to cultivate until they condensed their respective Dao Seal before they could be brought back to Heavenly Martial Tower.
It was a pity that Heavenly Martial Tower did not have its own Dao Temple. Fortunately, they had a fairly good relationship with one of the Paradises. Heavenly Martial Tower’s Tower Lord personally came forward to discuss the matter. Only then could they send their four disciples into the Paradise’s Dao Temple to be nurtured. Needless to say, Heavenly Martial Tower paid quite a heavy price for this.
This had become a normal situation in the Star Boundary. Even if the Sects without a Dao Temple managed to recruit some disciples, they could only figure out a method to foster their disciples with the other great forces. The Dao Temples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were one of the options, and the native great forces in the Star Boundary were the other one.
High Heaven Palace currently fostered no less than thousands of disciples belonging to many other great forces. These disciples lived and cultivated in High Heaven Palace, and their situations weren’t really any different compared to actual High Heaven Palace disciples.
Similarly, the original great forces in the Star Boundary such as Azure Sun Temple, Serene Soul Palace, and Ahan Temple were also fostering many foreign disciples. The native great forces in the Star Boundary had gained enormous wealth as a result.
Now that Fan Liang Peng had taken in four disciples, there was only one last person before his task was considered complete. Naturally, he spared no effort in his search.
While passing through a small village a few days ago, he happened to encounter a child around ten years old. He observed the child for two days and determined that the child had great aptitude. It was perfectly in line with all the criteria set by Heavenly Martial Tower to accept disciples. The child was bound to have great achievements in the future.
Therefore, he immediately visited the child’s family and revealed his intentions. The child’s parents seemed to be honest people who were very easy to talk to. They smiled quietly no matter what he said to them.
When Fan Liang Peng finished his speech, the child’s Father finally scratched his head and responded, “Old Sir, we have no objections if you want to recruit Chai Shan into your Sect. It’s just that Chai Shan has his own ideas. If he agrees, then you can take him away.”
Fan Liang Peng broke into a wide smile upon hearing those words, “The child is extremely lucky to have such enlightened parents!”
If the parents had no objections, then what kind of opinion could a ten-year-old child have? His effort to recruit disciples was a done deal.
Turning his head to the side, he looked at the child named Chai Shan with a smile, “Child, would you like to join Heavenly Martial Tower? With your aptitude, your future achievements will surely be extraordinary. Nevertheless, you will need to obtain a good teacher and join a powerful Sect. Otherwise, your aptitude will be wasted without proper guidance!”
Fan Liang Peng originally thought that the child would immediately bow down and gratefully beg him to join Heavenly Martial Tower after listening to his question, but contrary to his expectations, the child waved his offer away dismissively, “I know. People have told me the exact same words before.”
Fan Liang Peng’s heart clenched upon hearing those words. [Somebody said the exact same words before? Who?]
The child named Chai Shan asked, “Old man, let me ask you this, who is the strongest in the Heavenly or something Tower?”
[O-Old man!?] The corners of Fan Liang Peng’s brow twitched. [I’m a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master! It’s bad enough that you didn’t call me Senior, but how dare you call me an old man!?]
Nevertheless, children had no filters on their mouths, so as a responsible adult, he did not pick an argument with the child and simply answered with a smile, “The strongest Master is Heavenly Martial Tower’s Tower Lord!”
“What Order?”
“Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!” He announced proudly.
“How many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters are there in your Sect? What about Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters?”
“Uh, if you’re talking about Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, then our Tower Lord is the only one. As for Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, we have around six of them.”
“Tsk!” Chai Shan spat disdainfully, “One Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and just six Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters? Heavenly Martial Tower sure is weak!”
[Foul-mouth child, how dare you speak so disrespectfully!?] Fan Liang Peng nearly lost control and cussed out loud. In his mind, he was thinking that Heavenly Martial Tower was a Second-Class great force that dominated Heavenly Martial Territory. Even the Great Territory was named after the Sect itself!
While he did not dare to claim that Heavenly Martial Tower was very strong, there was no doubt that Heavenly Martial Tower was definitely considered mid-level among all the Second-Class great forces in the 3,000 Worlds! Which great force in the nearby Great Territories would dare not show Heavenly Martial Tower some respect!? Therefore, he could hardly believe that Heavenly Martial Tower was mercilessly scorned as weak by a ten-year-old child!
For a time, he could barely keep his composure. Just as he was about to reason with the child, Chai Shan leaped off the chair. It was clear that the boy could not be bothered to reason with him any longer.
Chai Shan put his hands on his waist and looked Fan Liang Peng in the eye, “Old man, please go back. I’m a man who will join High Heaven Palace one day. I’m not interested in Heavenly Martial Tower!” Then, he turned to look at his parents, “Father, Mother, don’t just let any random person into the house next time. It’s such a waste of time. I’m going off to play now!”
After saying that, he turned around and skipped out the door.
His Mother quickly shouted after him, “Don’t run so quickly! Be careful not to fall!”
“Got it!” His voice came from afar.
Meanwhile, Fan Liang Peng remained seated in his chair with dumbstruck silence. [I am a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. How did I become just ‘any random person’ in the eyes of a child?]
Chai Shan’s Father looked at Fan Liang Peng with a smile, “Old Sir, Chai Shan does not seem to be willing. Uh…”
Fan Liang Peng came back to his senses and coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment, “You Son’s intentions to join High Heaven Palace shows that he has lofty aspirations indeed. It would seem that he is not fated with Heavenly Martial Tower. Ahem. Since we are not fated, then this Old Master will not disturb you any further.”
After leaving the small village, he looked back once more. Chai Shan was playing with a group of children in a carefree manner. Thus, he couldn’t help feeling a little emotional. [Have the times changed? Or, is the situation in the Star Boundary simply different?]
…
Inside the Grand Hall of High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai sat upright and listened to Hua Qing Si reporting on the changes in the Star Boundary over the years. When he heard about how High Heaven Palace was fostering the disciples that many great forces had recruited from the Star Boundary, he couldn’t help bursting into laughter, “I can’t believe they came up with that idea!”
Hua Qing Si said, “There’s no helping it. Aside from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, Great Evolution Paradise is the only other Sect with a Dao Temple in the Star Boundary. The other great forces don’t have their own Dao Temples, so they have nowhere to place the disciples that they recruit. That’s why they can only choose fostering instead. In that regard, High Heaven Palace and the other native great forces in the Star Boundary have opened our doors for their convenience. Doing so does not increase our troubles after all. We also make sure that the cultivators under our foster care are all treated equally.”
Yang Kai nodded in agreement, “They are all cultivators from the Star Boundary after all. It’s only right for us to do so.”
Still, Hua Qing Si sighed, “To be honest, many of those disciples have extraordinary aptitudes. I have to admit that the people sent by the great forces to recruit disciples have extremely sharp eyes.”
He smiled, “Head Manager, are you feeling sad about the loss of talent?”
“A little,” She nodded.
“There’s no need for that.” He waved away her concerns, “Thanks to the feedback from the World Tree, the number of talents will only increase with time. Even if we accept them all into High Heaven Palace, we will not be able to care for them. On the contrary, it will only cause others to be jealous of us. This is the best solution to the problem. Although many great forces in the 3,000 Worlds have recruited disciples from the Star Boundary, they have no choice but to leave these disciples in the care of the great forces in the Star Boundary. In other words, they are spending resources to help the Star Boundary cultivate our talents.”
Her eyes lit up at those words, “As expected of you, Sect Master, you’ve seen through everything.”
He laughed, “These disciples come from the Star Boundary in the first place. Their homes are here, so no matter how high their cultivation becomes in the future, they will never forget about the Star Boundary.”
“That’s true!” She nodded.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai looked at Hua Qing Si with slight regret, “Head Manager, did you eventually advance to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm?”
During this return trip, Yang Kai discovered that Hua Qing Si was already a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Hua Qing Si lifted a hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, “With my aptitude, I’m already very satisfied to be able to advance to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
“Didn’t you try to use the Divine Dao Water I set aside for you?” Yang Kai asked.
To which she replied, “I didn’t see a need to try. It’s not because I’m being reserved either. We discovered quite a significant amount of Divine Dao Water in the New Great Territory over the years. It’s just that I know that even if I had used the Divine Dao Water to fortify my Dao Seal, I would still have had a long way to go before I could advance to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. There would have been a huge risk involved if I forced my way.”
He nodded lightly, “If there was such a risk, then it was better to be safe.”
“That’s what I thought too. Besides, a starting point in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm isn’t bad either. I will still have the chance to advance to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm one day.” She smiled.
“Second Manager told me that you’ve found something special in the New Great Territory. Is that true?” Yang Kai asked.
Nodding, Hua Qing Si reported, “I was just about to tell you about this, Sect Master…”
Just then, he raised his hand to stop her. He looked up and saw more than ten people coming towards them from the outside. Each of them was shrouded in an extraordinary aura which made it obvious they were extremely strong. They were High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Both Yang Kai and Hua Qing Si stood up to greet them.
Yang Kai was familiar with most of the people who just arrived, with only a few of them being unfamiliar faces to him. One of them was a charming and beautiful woman who stared at him with great interest with a pair of elegant eyes.
Yu Chang Dao was also among them, and he automatically introduced Yang Kai to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters whom the latter was not acquainted with. The rest of the unfamiliar faces were nothing special, but there was one person who was worthy of attention. It turned out that the beautiful woman came from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and her name was Yu Xiang Die.
Yang Kai bowed in greeting, “Greetings, Martial Aunt Yu!”
Yu Xiang Die smiled sweetly, “I’ve long wanted to meet you, Young Master. It’s a pity you’re never around. Now that I meet you today, I can see that you have an extraordinary temperament indeed.”
Yang Kai humbly replied, “You praise me too much, Martial Aunt.” After a pause, he followed up with another question, “Where is Xu Ling Gong?”
Xu Ling Gong was supposed to be in charge of all matters related to the Star Boundary, but he was nowhere to be seen and Yu Xiang Die was here in his stead.
Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking that it was rather strange.
Yu Xiang Die smiled, “Senior Brother Xu is busy with another matter. I’m afraid he left the Star Boundary some time ago.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly in response and did not inquire further.
After everyone took their seats, Hua Qing Si instructed somebody to prepare some tea before she stood respectfully to the side.
More than a dozen Open Heaven Realm Masters had suddenly come here together; moreover, these people included Yu Chang Dao and Yu Xiang Die. The former served as High Heaven Palace’s Supreme Guest Elder while the latter came from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, which had a close relationship with Yang Kai.
The reason for their arrival went without saying. It was obvious that they came for the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.
After everybody sat down, they chatted for a little while longer before Yu Chang Dao said, “Sect Master, we came here today mainly to discuss the matter regarding the Good Fortune Divine Furnace with you.”
Yang Kai had expected the response, so he was not surprised. He nodded and asked, “Have the Cave Heavens and Paradises decided to agree to the request I made previously?”
Before Yu Chang Dao could speak, another High-Rank Open Heaven Master interjected instead, “Sect Master Yang, the opportunities to undergo training in the Small Source Worlds are extremely precious. Don’t you think that you’re trying to take the lion’s share by demanding the opportunity to undergo training in exchange for the right to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace for one month?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t think so. I’ve personally witnessed the amazing effects of the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. One month might seem short, but if you’ve made adequate preparations, you can obtain quite a lot of good things within that period. It will be more than enough to satisfy your disciples’ advancement needs for some time.”
Another person spoke up, “That might be the case, but each Sect will have to take certain risks when using the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. Besides, the number of materials consumed by the Good Fortune Divine Furnace can be very alarming. We cannot bear all the risks ourselves while you alone enjoy all the benefits. Isn’t that right, Sect Master Yang?”
Yang Kai looked at the man with a smile, “As far as I know, each Sect has more than one Small Source World. I am only asking for one opportunity from each of you. Why are you so reluctant to make some sacrifices? It is true that the Good Fortune Divine Furnace will consume a lot of materials, but it is well within your ability to bear such losses. You would not have tried to target the Good Fortune Divine Furnace otherwise. What’s more, if each Sect gets one month and more than 100 Sects take turns every month, then it will take more than ten years for everyone to get their turn. It’s not that I’m not willing to give each Cave Heavens and Paradises more time, it’s just that the people at the back of the line will have to wait a very long time if each Sect gets an extended usage period.”
That man shook his head, “The price is too high!”
Yang Kai calmly replied, “Since you’ve all decided to come together today, you’ve obviously discussed a solution in advance. Why don’t we just get straight to the point instead?”
Everybody looked at each other and nodded lightly in unison.
Yu Chang Dao said, “Sect Master, the outcome of our discussion is that we forgo the qualification to enter the Small Source World for training. Instead, we will provide a certain number of materials in exchange for the right to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. Of course, each Sect can make a certain degree of concession in terms of the materials. We will not let High Heaven Palace suffer any losses. What do you think, Sect Master?”
Although he was High Heaven Palace’s Supreme High-Rank Guest Elder, Yu Chang Dao was here today to represent the Cave Heavens and Paradises; therefore, he could only negotiate with Yang Kai from the standpoint of Free and Unfettered Paradise.
Yang Kai burst into laughter and shook his head, “High Heaven Palace does not lack materials.”
If mere compensation in terms of materials was enough to exchange for the right to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, then Grandmaster Ma Fan would not have left this matter to Yang Kai. It would have been more beneficial for him to do the negotiations himself.
The High-Rank Open Heaven Master who spoke up previously frowned, “Sect Master Yang, the Good Fortune Divine Furnace belongs to Great Evolution Paradise. If you are unable to make a decision, then don’t you think you need to have a careful discussion with Grandmaster Ma Fan at Great Evolution Paradise?”
Yang Kai turned to look at that person, “I have full authority to make the final call when it comes to the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. Grandmaster Ma Fan left this matter to me, and I will not disappoint him.”
He then stood up and continued, “It looks like you have not come to a consensus, which is fine. It’s not too late to come back and discuss matters with me once you have reached an agreement amongst yourselves. But, don’t even bother to mention anything about providing materials in exchange for the use of the Good Fortune Divine Furnace again, not unless you are providing Yin and Yang Element materials in the Sixth Order and above!”