A quick estimation indicated that the materials from Void Land should have arrived at Great Evolution Paradise by now, so Void Land should already be using the Good Fortune Divine Furnace to create higher Order materials. That was why Yang Kai was happy to procrastinate. The longer they delayed things, the more chances Void Land would have to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.
Nevertheless, it did not matter too much. Even if they reached an agreement today, it would take some time for the Cave Heavens and Paradises to gather their materials and send them to Great Evolution Paradise. Void Land could go ahead and use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace until the materials from the Cave Heavens and Paradises arrived.
“There’s something else.” Hua Qing Si leaned closer and lowered her voice, “Shi Zheng of Lang Ya Paradise wishes to have a private meeting with you, Sect Master.”
“Shi Zheng?” Yang Kai frowned.
Needless to say, he was acquainted with all the foreign affairs envoys from the Cave Heavens and Paradises stationed in the Star Boundary. Shi Zheng was the foreign affairs envoy of Lang Ya Paradise and a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“Did he say what it was about?” Yang Kai asked.
If it were any other Cave Heaven or Paradise, he would not have been so concerned. The key point was that Shi Zheng was from Lang Ya Paradise, and Lang Ya Paradise was the Master Sect of Zhang Ruo Xi’s Ancestor. Moreover, Zhang Ruo Xi was currently a Lang Ya Paradise disciple.
Hua Qing Si shook her head and said, “He didn’t say anything, but I think it has something to do with the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.”
The representatives of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were going to gather at High Heaven Palace in three days’ time to discuss the matter related to the Good Fortune Divine Furnace together. Hence, Shi Zheng’s intentions for asking for a private meeting with Yang Kai was obvious.
[Is he planning to use his private connections to get a better deal?] Yang Kai felt a little disgusted by the idea, but could not refuse due to his relationship with Zhang Ruo Xi. If he rejected Shi Zheng’s request, there was no saying whether Shi Zheng would harass Zhang Ruo Xi in the future. Be that as it may, the situation was such that he could not agree to over-the-top demands even if he met with Shi Zheng in private. That was something Shi Zheng had to understand.
“Invite him over then,” he ordered.
To which Hua Qing Si said, “Elder Shi claimed that there are too many eyes in the Star Boundary, so it is inconvenient for him to visit you recklessly. He asks that you take a small trip instead.”
[His sneaky and furtive actions are really giving off the vibe that he wants to discuss some sort of underhanded and dishonourable secret with me.]
She then continued, “Sect Master, if you do not wish to meet him, I will arrange for somebody to send a message to him.”
Yang Kai pondered in silence for a long time before he said, “I will still need to meet him anyway. Where are we meeting?”
Hua Qing Si hurriedly handed over a jade slip.
He took the jade slip from her and used his Divine Sense to probe the contents. Understanding flooded his heart and he asked, “What about the time?”
She replied, “Elder Shi told me that he will be waiting for you there, Sect Master.”
[How rushed…]
Thinking about it again though, it made sense. Many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would be gathering in High Heaven Palace in three days. There would not be any other chances for them to meet if they did not rush the meeting now.
“I’ll go and take a look.”
“Sect Master!” Hua Qing Si hurriedly shouted after Yang Kai, “Be careful!”
Yang Kai nodded and vanished out of sight.
The place where Shi Zheng had chosen was still within High Heaven Territory, but it was quite a distance away from the Star Boundary. Moving quickly, Yang Kai arrived in less than four hours.
The void was tranquil, and a ship drifted quietly with two figures standing silently on the deck. Upon detecting Yang Kai’s aura, both of them turned to look in his direction. One of them looked surprised for a moment before shouting in excitement, “Sir!”
Yang Kai landed on the deck and looked forward with an equally pleasantly surprised look, “Ruo Xi?”
Shi Zheng was not the only person waiting for Yang Kai in this place, Zhang Ruo Xi was here too.
Speaking of which, Yang Kai had looked forward to seeing Zhang Ruo Xi when news about the World Tree spread and the Cave Heavens and Paradises began moving into the Star Boundary. Unfortunately, she never appeared even though the people from Lang Ya Paradise had arrived.
When Yang Kai asked Shi Zheng about the situation, he learned that Zhang Ruo Xi was cultivating in retreat. It was obvious at their reunion today that Zhang Ruo Xi was already an Open Heaven Realm Master.
“Sir, why are you here? Elder Shi told me that an honoured guest would be coming, and here I was wondering who it would be.” Zhang Ruo Xi smiled as brightly as a flower in bloom.
Yang Kai laughed, “I never thought I would meet you here either. Did you rush here from Lang Ya Paradise?”
She nodded, “I wanted to come back to visit, but I was in retreat previously. It was simply not convenient for me to come. Now that my cultivation has stabilised, the Master Sect finally allowed me to come.”
“What Order are you in?” He looked concerned.
“Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm!” She replied happily.
“Good! Very good!” He reached out to pat her head, though there was no denying that he felt a little regretful. If she had condensed her Dao Seal a little later, she might have had the chance to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Nevertheless, regret was useless at this point. Once a cultivator had condensed their Dao Seal, the foundation was laid for which Order Open Heaven Realm they could achieve.
“How is the Master Sect?”
Zhang Ruo Xi smilingly replied, “It’s wonderful. Senior Sister Gu has always taken good care of me; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to advance into the Open Heaven Realm so quickly.”
The ‘Senior Sister Gu’ that Zhang Ruo Xi mentioned was none other than Gu Pan. As a Lang Ya Paradise Core Disciple, Gu Pan was one of its future pillars; therefore, her attitude towards Zhang Ruo Xi would hugely affect the treatment that the latter received in the Sect.
“In that case, I will have to thank her properly when I meet her again.” Yang Kai smiled. Speaking of which, he had not met Gu Pan since they last encountered one another during the Dao Theory Assembly.
Setting aside such thoughts, Yang Kai looked up and cupped his fist in a manner that was neither rude nor polite, “Greetings, Elder Shi!”
During the conversation between Yang Kai and Zhang Ruo Xi, Shi Zheng simply stood to the side and watched with a smile on his face. He had not shown any intention of interrupting them. At this moment, he finally spoke up in a generous manner, “You are too polite, Sect Master Yang.”
Yang Kai said, “Why did you ask me to come here, Elder Shi?”
He was already unhappy with the fact that Shi Zheng had requested a private meeting with him before the Cave Heavens and Paradises met up to discuss the matters regarding the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. In addition, he arrived only to see that Zhang Ruo Xi was also here. These points only solidified his impression that Shi Zheng was a cunning and sly man.
Although Yang Kai could understand Shi Zheng’s wish to utilise personal connections, for him to go so far as to bring Zhang Ruo Xi here showed clear intentions of taking advantage of the relationship between Yang Kai and her.
Shi Zheng responded, “You already have the answer in your heart, Sect Master Yang, why bother asking? Let’s sit down and talk.”
A feast had been prepared in advance on the deck, and a tantalising smell filled the air. Since Yang Kai was already here, he figured he might as well stay. There was nothing he needed to worry about since Shi Zheng was the one who had a request for him.
After thanking Shi Zheng, Yang Kai took a seat. Shi Zheng sat opposite Yang Kai while Zhang Ruo Xi knelt by the side and served them. The entire ship only had the aura of three people and there was nobody else in the vicinity.
“Sect Master Yang, you are young and promising indeed. This King admires you very much. Please allow this King to drink this toast to you,” Shi Zheng raised his glass.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Many thanks, Elder Shi.”
He raised his glass and gulped down the contents. Warmth filled his belly from the alcohol.
Zhang Ruo Xi refilled their wine glasses quietly.
“Sect Master Yang, the World Tree root that you brought out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and planted in the Star Boundary could be said to have benefitted this entire vast universe. This King will drink to that too!” Shi Zheng raised his glass for the second time.
“The results were unexpected. I did not anticipate this situation either when I planted the World Tree.”
Shi Zheng smiled, “But, there is no denying that the 3,000 Worlds has benefited. If not for your actions back then, the Star Boundary would not be producing so many peerless talents.”
After two glasses of wine, he continued, “I heard that Gu Pan received a lot of help from you in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, Sect Master Yang. This King will drink this toast as thanks on behalf of Gu Pan.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and drank again! He secretly thought to himself, [Is this guy trying to get me drunk so that he can ask me for more benefits? If that’s the case, then I’ll drink you under the table!]
It was a good wine, but how could something brought to the table by a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master be of poor quality? Nevertheless, Yang Kai was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with the body of a 10,000-metre-long Grand Dragon. How could mere wine make him drunk?
After three glasses of wine, Shi Zheng finally got to the point, “I’m sure you have some guesses as to why this King invited you here, Sect Master Yang. You are not wrong. This King is indeed here for the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.”
Yang Kai was slightly surprised by his bluntness and said, “The representatives of the Cave Heavens and Paradises will be gathering at the High Heaven Palace in three days’ time to discuss the matter regarding the Good Fortune Divine Furnace’s right of use together. As long as the condition I named is satisfied, all the Sects will be able to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. Lang Ya Paradise is no exception. So, what is it that you wish to discuss with me, Elder Shi?”
Shi Zheng laughed, “The 36 Cave Heavens and 72 Paradises make up more than 100 top forces in the 3,000 Worlds. I’m sure that meeting your requirements will not be a problem, Sect Master Yang. Even so, both parties are free to negotiate with each other. The time that each Sect can use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace is limited, not to mention that they will be taking turns to wait in line. Therefore, Lang Ya Paradise would like to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace for a longer time!”
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows slightly, “How long?”
“Three to five years. If possible, eight to ten years.”
Yang Kai smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes, “You must be joking, Elder Shi.”
Even if each Sect was allowed to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace for three months, it would take more than 300 months for the 100-plus Sects to each use it once. That meant that some 20 to 30 years would pass before each Sect could have another opportunity to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.
Therefore, it was simply impossible for Yang Kai to allow Lang Ya Paradise to use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace for three to five years, much less eight to ten years.
This amount of time was nothing to Open Heaven Realm Masters under normal circumstances. For instance, repairing the Universe Temples had taken Yang Kai a whole 20 years to complete.
It was just that nobody was willing to wait so long; moreover, the elite disciples from various Sects in the Star Boundary would not take long to grow up, and once they condensed their Dao Seal, they would need a large supply of high Order materials.
Shi Zheng said sternly, “This matter might be difficult for others, but it shouldn’t be much trouble for you, Sect Master Yang. You only need to put forward conditions that cannot be met by any of the Sects during the meeting ij three days so that negotiations will break down. Before the results of the discussion come out, Lang Ya Paradise can use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace for a while. As for how long we can use the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, that will depend on your means, Sect Master Yang.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help rolling his eyes. [Void Land is currently using the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. If I could create such an opportunity, why would I give up these benefits to outsiders?]
At that thought, he shook his head, “I’m afraid I will have to disappoint you, Elder Shi. I’m just the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace. The Cave Heavens and Paradises are existences that my generation looks up to. Although I have the qualifications to negotiate with them, I’m nothing more than the representative for Great Evolution Paradise. I cannot reach out for a yard after taking an inch. Besides, I’m sure that the discussion to be held in three days will reach a conclusion.”
Shi Zheng showed no signs of annoyance and simply chuckled before saying, “There’s no hurry to reject my request, Sect Master Yang. Since Lang Ya Paradise has a request for you, it’s only natural that we won’t let your efforts go in vain. Please look at this before we continue our discussion!” After saying so, he gestured to Zhang Ruo Xi, “Bring out that item and give it to Sect Master Yang.”
[Is he planning to give me a gift?] Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
There was a time when High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were a distant and unattainable existence to him. They were people whom he could only admire and respect. Yet now, he was not only standing on equal footing with the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, but also in the position for others to try and give him gifts to win his favour.
However, he was rather curious as to what Shi Zheng planned to give him. Ordinary treasures were not enough to interest him, but Shi Zheng seemed so confident. That could only mean that the gift was truly magnificent.
Zhang Ruo Xi entered the cabin and returned a short while later with an exquisite wooden box in her hands. The box was about the length of her arm and made from an unknown material. More importantly, it was radiating with the aura of a Sixth-Order material.
Yang Kai raised his brow at the sight. Just the box was a Sixth-Order Wood Element material that was worth at least 15 million Open Heaven Pills. Just what was the value of the item placed inside such a box?
Under Shi Zheng’s orders, Zhang Ruo Xi carefully placed the box in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai looked at the box suspiciously.
Shi Zheng gestured with a smile, “Please have a look, Sect Master Yang!”
However, Yang Kai remained motionless and shook his head instead, “Elder Shi, there are countless eyes targeting the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. Even if I wish to help you, I am powerless to do anything. Nonetheless, Ruo Xi is a native of the Star Boundary. Just because of that relationship alone, I will do my best to arrange for Lang Ya Paradise to be at the front of the line when the Cave Heavens and Paradises take turns using the Good Fortune Divine Furnace. As for the rest, I’m afraid I’m powerless to help you. So… there’s no need for me to see what’s inside the box. Please take it back, Elder Shi!”
If not for his relationship with Zhang Ruo Xi, Yang Kai would not have come here at all. It was only for her sake that he was willing to accommodate Lang Ya Paradise to some extent, where possible. Unfortunately, over-the-top demands were beyond his ability. The Good Fortune Divine Furnace did not belong to him after all. He was only entrusted this matter by Grandmaster Ma Fan to discuss the Good Fortune Divine Furnace’s right of use with the Cave Heavens and Paradises on behalf of Great Evolution Paradise.
Shi Zheng chuckled, “There’s no need to worry, Sect Master Yang. This is something Lang Ya Paradise prepared especially for you. Let’s leave the rest aside for the time being. Please have a look, Sect Master Yang.”
Yang Kai grinned, “I’m afraid that I might be tempted if I look!”
Shi Zheng’s confidence indicated that the object inside the box was extremely extraordinary. Yang Kai was worried it might actually impress him.
“If this gift can tempt you, Sect Master Yang, then that’s exactly what this King wants!” Shi Zheng smiled and commanded, “Ruo Xi, open the box for Sect Master Yang!”
Zhang Ruo Xi was silent. Giving Yang Kai an apologetic look, she leaned over and placed her hand on the wooden box. She had been absolutely ecstatic when she saw Yang Kai earlier, but after sitting here and listening to the conversation between Shi Zheng and Yang Kai, she vaguely realised that something was wrong. It was just that Shi Zheng was a Lang Ya Paradise Elder. As a disciple, she could not disobey his commands.
The wooden box slowly opened.
When Yang Kai looked into the box, a black thread suddenly shot towards his body at the speed of lightning. It was so fast that he failed to react in time. If he had been on guard, the black thread might not have struck him. Unfortunately, the key point was that he had been unprepared. He had even widened his eyes to look into the wooden box, ready to see what treasure was contained inside. Who could have known a strange object would jump out instead?
As soon as the black thread emerged, an aura that made Yang Kai extremely uncomfortable permeated the air. The black thread immediately buried itself into his body and vanished out of sight.
On the other hand, the smile on Shi Zheng’s face grew deeper! However, his smile soon stiffened on his face. That was because the black thread that had plunged into Yang Kai’s body came back out and seemed to be trying to flee towards him instead.
A large hand suddenly reached out as swiftly as lightning and captured the black thread.
Shi Zheng was dumbfounded! Similarly, Zhang Ruo Xi and Yang Kai were dumbstruck!
The black thread struggled and wriggled violently in Yang Kai’s hands like a living creature. When he looked down at it, he discovered that the black thread had no head or tail. It resembled a large black earthworm. Moreover, its body was releasing an extremely distressing black aura that leaked out from within its body like steam.
[What the Hell is this!? I can tell at a glance that this isn’t anything good!]
Yang Kai looked up and met Shi Zheng’s eyes. The latter had a look of confusion on his face. The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched slightly. Smiling at Shi Zheng politely, Yang Kai slowly placed the black earthworm in his hand back into the wooden box and gently closed the cover before he stuffed the entire box into his Space Ring.
“I like the gift very much, Elder Shi,” He nodded lightly.
Shi Zheng stared at Yang Kai solemnly and traces of his aura slowly began spreading out into the air.
Yang Kai stood up, “Elder Shi, I still have things to do at High Heaven Palace. I will be taking my leave; please excuse me.” Then, he turned to look at Zhang Ruo Xi and continued, “Ruo Xi, follow me back to the Star Boundary!”
Zhang Ruo Xi could tell that something was strange about the situation, so she nodded immediately.
Yang Kai wrapped his power around her, and with a flash of his thoughts, Space Principles began fluctuating in preparation for his return to the Star Boundary. With his current capabilities, he could use the Star Boundary’s World Force to return in an instant as long as he was still inside High Heaven Territory, regardless of the distance.
Shi Zheng stood up, and the aura of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master exploded. When the World Force surged violently, he threw a punch in Yang Kai’s direction. The power behind this punch was absolutely horrifying, causing the local space to warp, severing the connection between Yang Kai and the Star Boundary almost instantaneously.
In that moment of desperation, Yang Kai gently pressed his palm against Zhang Ruo Xi’s body to push her aside. He himself was struck squarely in the back by Shi Zheng’s fist and his figure was thrown forward like a ragdoll as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Everything occurred so suddenly that Yang Kai had already been injured by Shi Zheng before Zhang Ruo Xi had the time to react. She did not know whether Yang Kai was even still alive.
On the other hand, Shi Zheng showed no intention of paying attention to her at all. He pursued Yang Kai and sent several Divine Abilities at his crumpled body. Following that, he stood in the void and watched with his hands behind his back.
Yang Kai was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he had a history of killing a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Zuo Quan Hui; therefore, everybody in the Cave Heavens and Paradises had some understanding of his strength. That was also why Shi Zheng attacked without holding back in the slightest.
His original plan had failed, so he could only go for the kill. He believed that Yang Kai could not survive his vicious barrage of attacks; however, when the energy fluctuations of those Divine Abilities gradually vanished, he saw a blood-drenched Yang Kai standing there and staring at him coldly.
[He’s not dead?] Shi Zheng’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight.
Not only was Yang Kai not dead, but he didn’t even look to be heavily injured.
For a moment, Shi Zheng wondered whether his eyesight was compromised. Everything that happened today had left him reeling from disbelief. First, the trap he prepared had been ineffective towards Yang Kai; then, his attacks had failed to settle the matter in a single blow.
[Just what kind of Monster is this brat!?]
“That hurt!” Yang Kai swung his arms and cracked his neck.
If it had been before Yang Kai most recently entered the Shattered Heaven, the sneak attack of a veteran Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might have killed him on the spot. The other party had struck without holding back in the slightest, so no matter how strong Yang Kai was, it would have been impossible for him to defend himself so suddenly.
Fortunately, he obtained the World Spring in the Shattered Heaven, so even if Shi Zheng was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, those Divine Abilities and the punch to his body were unable to affect his Small Universe in the slightest. All the power in those attacks were borne only by his body, so he did not experience any turbulence in his Small Universe like before.
Furthermore, he currently had the body of 10,000 metres long Grand Dragon. The clothes on his body were also transformed from his Dragon Scales; hence, his defensive abilities were outstanding!
Shi Zheng had attacked with everything he had, and Yang Kai was injured pretty badly as a result. Nevertheless, these injuries were nothing to an Open Heaven Realm Master as long as their Small Universe remained unharmed.
In the distance, Zhang Ruo Xi finally managed to come to a stop after being shoved aside by Yang Kai earlier. When she looked up and saw that Yang Kai was fine, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. A brief moment of hesitation appeared on her face, and then she turned around and sped towards the Star Boundary.
She had no intention of staying behind to fight beside Yang Kai because she knew that she would not be able to help with her Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation. On the contrary, she would only become a distraction for Yang Kai. All she could do was escape as far as possible so as not to become his burden! That was undoubtedly the correct decision to make.
She did not know the reason why Elder Shi Zheng had plotted against then attacked Yang Kai. Everything that happened just now was extremely difficult to believe. Not to mention, she had clearly felt an intense disgust when the black earthworm-like object emerged from the ‘gift’ that Elder Shi Zheng had wanted to give Yang Kai.
Upon seeing Zhang Ruo Xi escaping out of the corner of his eyes, Yang Kai secretly praised the girl for her intelligence. Only then did he turn to look at Shi Zheng in a leisurely manner and ask, “Why?”
Shi Zheng studied Yang Kai in disbelief, unable to understand why his Divine Abilities were ineffective against him. What puzzled him even more was why Yang Kai had not succumbed to his trap earlier. That was his biggest miscalculation. If his initial plan had worked, all the troublesome matters afterwards would not have happened in the first place.
All of a sudden, Shi Zheng seemed to realise something and asked, “Did you refine one of the Four Universe Pillars?”
“Is this incident your will alone, Elder Shi? Or, is this the stance Lang Ya Paradise is taking?” Yang Kai looked at Shi Zheng calmly.
It would not matter too much if this incident was merely the personal actions of Shi Zheng, but it would become intriguing indeed if it turned out that he actually represented Lang Ya Paradise.
“Which of the Four Universe Pillars did you refine?” Shi Zheng stared at Yang Kai intently.
“What was that black earthworm-like thing?”
Both of them questioned the other, but neither side answered the other’s questions.
Shi Zheng was the first to lose his patience. He had been completely exposed when his attack failed. If he wanted to make up for his mistakes, then he could only silence both Yang Kai and Zhang Ruo Xi. What’s more, those who refined the Four Universe Pillars had to die!
His murderous intent surged without warning, and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm World Force burst out violently. His figure charged towards Yang Kai at the speed of lightning.
A voice rang out in the universe, “Heaven and Earth, lend me your strength!”
In that moment, Yang Kai instantaneously understood one thing, Shi Zheng had decided on a meeting place located so far away from the Star Boundary because he was afraid Yang Kai would borrow the might of the Star Boundary to obtain the temporary powers of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
However, the truth was that Yang Kai could borrow the strength of the Star Boundary from anywhere as long as he was still within High Heaven Territory.
Following that shout, a look of panic appeared on Shi Zheng’s face. If he allowed Yang Kai to advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, then he would have no confidence in his ability to kill Yang Kai within a short time.
What surprised Shi Zheng slightly was that nothing happened after Yang Kai’s confident shout. Yang Kai’s aura did not show any signs of being enhanced and the aura coming from him was still that of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai’s face twitched slightly as he muttered to himself, [This is awkward…]
He could borrow the Star Boundary’s World Force to obtain the temporary powers of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from anywhere as long as he was in High Heaven Territory, but right now, since he was half a day’s journey from the Star Boundary, even though he could clearly sense the Star Boundary’s World Force churning and rushing towards him, it would take a while to arrive from such a large distance!
How could Yang Kai afford to wait when there was a formidable enemy in front of him? By the time the Star Boundary’s World Force arrived, the outcome of the battle between them would have already been decided!
Shi Zheng did not know what was happening, but he had a vague guess. His body immediately tensed and a powerful surge of World Force spread out to form the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking net, which severed Yang Kai’s connection with the Star Boundary. The immense Star Boundary’s World Force that was rushing towards Yang Kai suddenly lost its target; hence, it turned around and returned to the Star Boundary.
“Break!” Yang Kai shouted, manipulating Space Principles as he thrust out ferociously with the Azure Dragon Spear. That blow immediately blasted a small hole in the sealed space.
“Heaven and Earth, lend me your strength!” He held his spear horizontally in front of him and shouted. The World Force of the Star Boundary that had just calmed down began churning once more, then it rushed towards him like the rising tide.
In the next moment, Shi Zheng charged forward. Numerous Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques rained down from above, causing Yang Kai to flee desperately.
That was not all. The hole that had been blasted open was repaired by Shi Zheng, effectively cutting off the connection between Yang Kai and the Star Boundary once more. As a result, the Star Boundary returned to peace for the second time!
Yang Kai felt as though his veins were about to pop from frustration. Urging his Space Principles to their limits, he used all his strength to break the barrier once more and shouted, “Heaven and Earth, lend me your strength!”
How could Shi Zheng possibly give Yang Kai the chance to succeed though? World Force surged and the enormous void turned into a cage again.
…
Inside the various Dao Temples on the Star Boundary, many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters frowned deeply. Some of them even came out and observed the changes in the Star Boundary.
The movements of the Star Boundary’s World Force were so obvious that it was impossible for them not to notice anything, especially since these tumultuous changes occurred repeatedly. These changes were simply far too conspicuous.
The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters initially suspected that something had happened to the Star Boundary, but upon careful consideration, the realisation quickly struck them, a Great Emperor was trying to borrow the Star Boundary’s World Force!
Although they had not personally witnessed Yang Kai borrowing the World Force back then, they knew about the incident. After understanding this point, they couldn’t help wondering, just which Star Boundary Great Emperor was doing this? Were they simply experimenting? Or, was there a deeper meaning behind these actions?
Unlike the many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, the Great Emperors quickly came out of retreat and gathered together.
Aside from Iron Blood Great Emperor and Martial Beast Great Emperor who were guarding the New Great Territory’s Territory Gate, and Bustling World Great Emperor who was overseeing High Heaven Star City, the remaining five had been alerted to these changes. They included Serene Soul Great Emperor, Flower Shadow Great Emperor, Ice Feather Great Emperor, Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, and Heavens Revelations Great Emperor.
As they looked around at each other, Serene Soul Great Emperor frowned and asked, “Where is Yang Kai?”
All of them were here, so the abnormalities in the Star Boundary had nothing to do with them. In that case, only one possibility remained. Yang Kai was trying to borrow the Star Boundary’s World Force, but his attempts were interrupted for some reason. That was the only explanation for the repeated attempts.
They all shook their heads. Ever since learning that they could directly refine and absorb the Star Boundary’s World Force to enhance the heritage of their respective Small Universes, they had been cultivating in retreat without regard for affairs in the outside world. If not for the major commotion today, they would not have gathered together today. Who among them would know where Yang Kai was?
At that moment, Hua Qing Si rushed over in a hurry. Seeing that the five of them had come out of retreat, she quickly shouted, “Sect Master might be in danger!”
“What happened?” Serene Soul Great Emperor Yao Jun asked solemnly.
Hua Qing Si immediately informed them about how Shi Zheng had invited Yang Kai for a private meeting.
The five of them scowled after listening to the explanation.
Yao Jun said, “Looks like Yang Kai is really in danger after all. He would not have tried to borrow the Star Boundary’s World Force otherwise. This matter cannot be delayed, we need to assist him immediately!”
The rest nodded in agreement. Just as they were about to rush into the sky though, a voice suddenly rang out, “I’ll go!”
They turned to look in that direction only to see Yu Chang Dao heading towards them. It was obvious that he had heard their conversation just now. He was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who stayed at High Heaven Palace all the time after all, so it was extremely easy for him to investigate the situation if he wanted to.
Yu Chang Dao noticed the wary look that the Great Emperors were giving him and said, “This matter has nothing to do with the Cave Heavens and Paradises. The specific reasons will have to be carefully investigated. I will definitely give you an explanation when I return.”
This incident had occurred after Yang Kai went to meet with Shi Zheng, so the Great Emperors were naturally suspicious as to whether the Cave Heavens and Paradises had done anything underhanded in secret. That was why they were so vigilant when Yu Chang Dao appeared.
This matter could not be delayed though, and Yu Chang Dao knew that he could not explain himself quickly, so he decided not to waste his time. Nodding at the Great Emperors, he immediately soared into the sky.
There was no telling whether he had said anything to the other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Star Boundary, but numerous powerful auras quickly followed behind him. In the blink of an eye, some forty or fifty people turned into streams of light and set off in a mighty procession.
Yang Kai’s whereabouts were obvious as they only needed to head in the direction that the Star Boundary’s World Force had surged towards earlier.
Moments after the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters departed, the five Great Emperors quickly took to the skies after them. It would be for the best if this matter was unrelated to the Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, if the Cave Heavens and Paradises were involved, Yang Kai would have a hard time facing so many enemies alone. Even if their presence would not change the fact that they were powerless to resist, they could not allow Yang Kai to fight alone!
……
In the void, the sealed space formed by the power of Shi Zheng’s World Force would be broken by Yang Kai from time to time. Be that as it may, Shi Zheng would quickly fortify the cage again every time Yang Kai tried to borrow the strength of the Star Boundary.
After repeated attempts, Yang Kai roared furiously, “Show proper respect! Don’t go too far with your antics!”
Shi Zheng naturally ignored Yang Kai while every attack he unleashed was ruthless and lethal.
If it were any other, ordinary, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, even those at the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it would have been impossible for them to survive under the fierce attacks of a veteran Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master for so long. Nevertheless, Yang Kai grimly persisted. Despite being covered in blood and looking quite miserable, he managed to narrowly escape death every time.
Yang Kai finally understood the wonders of the World Spring. Without the World Spring, his Small Universe would have fallen into chaos or even possibly collapsed from the impacts by now. In contrast, his Small Universe remained as firm and resilient as ever thanks to the protection of the World Spring. It didn’t matter how powerful the attacks that Shi Zheng threw at him, none of them could shake his foundation.
All the injuries he sustained were physical wounds. Thankfully, the Dragon Scale clothes he wore on his body that gave him powerful defensive abilities and the immense restorative abilities of a Grand Dragon combined with his potent Wood Element Power allowed him to persevere.
A quarter-hour later, Shi Zheng vaguely noticed something wrong.
Yang Kai’s wretched appearance repeatedly gave him the illusion that he could kill him if only he tried a little harder; even so, every time he used his full power to deliver a fatal blow, Yang Kai somehow managed to survive.
[This brat just won’t die!]
How could he fail to realise that Yang Kai was simply trying to buy time? Yang Kai knew that Shi Zheng could form a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking cage, but he continued to try and borrow the Star Boundary’s World Force. Such obvious movements were clearly a means to inform the Star Boundary that something had happened to him.
If Shi Zheng’s guess was correct, then the many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters stationed at the Star Boundary were already on their way here. His identity had been exposed to Yang Kai, so if he could kill him quickly, he might be able to continue hiding his identity. On the other hand, if he failed to kill Yang Kai, then all the years of forbearance would be in vain.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Shi Zheng’s expression became solemn all of a sudden. Forming a set of seals with his hands, and a giant sword sparkling with starlight suddenly emerged from behind his back. The giant sword that resembled a Star was a dazzling sight to behold. At the same time, Sword Qi exploded out, threatening to shatter the local space.
“Divine Manifestation!” Yang Kai was shocked.
There was a huge gap in power even among individual High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, and the biggest difference came from whether or not they had their own Divine Manifestation. Those who had their own Divine Manifestation were rare even among the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Yang Kai had a deep understanding of the immense strength of Divine Manifestations, and it turned out that Shi Zheng was one of the few who had one.
Luck had played a vital role when Yang Kai killed Zuo Quan Hui back then. Although Zuo Quan Hui had been in the Seventh Order for many years, he had not comprehended his own Divine Manifestation. If he had a Divine Manifestation, the outcome of their conflict would have been very different.
Cold murderous intent shrouded Yang Kai, and his exposed skin immediately got goosebumps. When the aura of death came down on him, he knew that he would not live to see the sun tomorrow if he continued to conceal his true strength. Hence, he immediately put the Azure Dragon Spear away and took a deep breath. With a great roar that rang out across the void, he shouted, “Dragon Transformation!”
A Dragon Roar rang out and golden light burst forth as Yang Kai’s body swelled abruptly. Following a series of cracking sounds, Dragon Scales covered his entire body, his hands turned into Dragon Claws, Dragon Horns emerged from his head, a Dragon Beard fluttered beneath his jaw, a Dragon Tail swept side to side, and his Dragon Eyes glowed majestically.
A 10,000-metre-long Grand Dragon suddenly manifested, and a powerful Dragon Pressure permeated the void. Golden Dragon Scales shone like Great Suns, illuminating the darkness.
“A Grand Dragon!?” Shi Zheng was so shocked that even the movement of his hands paused for a moment.
Shi Zheng had known that Yang Kai carried a Dragon Clan bloodline as that had been revealed outside of the Shadowless Cave Heaven to ward off his enemies at the time.
Nonetheless, Shi Zheng never imagined that Yang Kai was not just a random Dragonkin, but a genuine Mature Grand Dragon. It had to be said that a Grand Dragon was the equivalent of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of strength!
[How can he be a Grand Dragon!? This brat is far too treacherous!] If Shi Zheng had known that Yang Kai had the strength of a Grand Dragon, he would never have bothered to fight with him here. He might be a veteran Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but he did not have the confidence to kill a Grand Dragon. If he could not kill the other party, then why waste time trying?
Thinking back to how Yang Kai had repeatedly and desperately acted as though his life had been hanging by a thread, Shi Zheng nearly grounded his teeth to bits. [This boy has been hiding his strength just to keep me hanging and buying time by making me think that I have the ability to kill him!]
In the end, just when Shi Zheng decided to pull out his trump card and end things swiftly, Yang Kai finally revealed the truth. [How can he be so despicable and shameless!? Bastard!]
Yang Kai, who had transformed into a Grand Dragon, shook his head side to side and spoke in a thunderous voice, “Are you surprised?”
[Fuck your surprise!] For the first time in his life, Shi Zheng discovered that a person could be this shameless. He had the sudden urge to leave right now. Unfortunately, his Divine Manifestation had already been summoned, so there was no choice but to release the arrow on the string!
The shocking sword transformed into a dazzling stream of light that stabbed straight at Yang Kai’s enormous body. A razor-sharp aura that contained Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering force immediately appeared in front of Yang Kai’s Dragon Head.
Yang Kai opened his mouth and let out a roar. A brilliant golden ray of light shot out from his mouth.
Dragon Breath!
The fluctuation from that burst of horrifying energy caused a huge wave of ripples to spread outward. Nevertheless, the giant sword that had transformed into a stream of light slowly, but steadily pushed forward despite being enveloped by the Golden Dragon Breath.
[I can’t block it!] Yang Kai’s Dragon Eyes widened in horror. The power of the Dragon Source in his body had already been urged to its limits, but it was still not enough.
It was not his first time fighting a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but it was his first time facing the Divine Manifestation unleashed by one.
Besides, Zuo Quan Hui was obviously significantly weaker compared to Shi Zheng. Even if Zuo Quan Hui were to face such a blow, he would have to flee in the face of danger.
Although Yang Kai had advanced to become a Grand Dragon and obtained the capital to hold his own against a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it had not been long since his breakthrough. Not to mention, this was his first time fighting as a Grand Dragon, so he was sorely lacking in experience as a result. The main reason was that he had always assumed a Half-Dragon Form during his Dragon Transformation. Unlike back then, he was now an actual Dragon and was unfamiliar with his new Dragon Form, so it was difficult for him to bring out the true strength of a Grand Dragon.
A short while later, the giant sword suddenly trembled violently and broke through the blockade of the Dragon Breath to stab straight at his head.
In that moment of life or death, Yang Kai abruptly tilted his head. It was a pity that his enormous form, while extremely imposing, was not as agile or flexible as a Human body, and he failed to avoid the attack as a result.
A stream of blood mist erupted from his chest, accompanied by a low groan. At the same time, his 10,000 metres long Dragon Form was sent flying backwards as though he was struck by a mountain.
By the time Yang Kai finally managed to stabilize his figure, he looked down to see an additional wound the size of a house on his chest. Golden blood gushed out from the wound, and the surrounding Dragon Scales had been shattered to pieces.
Yang Kai was secretly horrified. It had to be said that the defensive abilities of a Grand Dragon were extremely powerful. Not to mention, he had concentrated all his strength on his chest at the last moment. Nevertheless, he was still injured by Shi Zheng’s shocking sword. The horrors of that sword could clearly be seen.
Fortunately, by some stroke of luck, he had managed to avoid being hit in a vital spot during the exchange, so although his current wound looked very terrible, it was not critical.
The only difficulty was that he could sense a strange force lingering around his wound. That force was producing traces of Sword Qi that hindered his regenerative abilities.
[This is a big loss!] Yang Kai forcefully swallowed a mouthful of blood and looked up.
Shi Zheng had already transformed into a stream of light on the horizon and escaped into the distance.
There was no hesitation in his actions. After unleashing his sword attack, he immediately turned around and fled without caring whether Yang Kai survived or not. That was because he knew that the Masters in the Star Boundary were already rushing over. If he did not leave now, he would not have another chance to leave again.
Yang Kai’s enormous Dragon Eyes stared at Shi Zheng’s back calmly. He was in no rush to give chase; instead, he sneered and sent a transmission out, “I’ll let you escape for a while. I’ll have to hand it to you if you manage to escape!”
Shi Zheng, who was fleeing in front, paused for a moment. He was tempted to turn around and kill Yang Kai on the spot.
After being taunted, he recalled that Yang Kai was a master of the Dao of Space, so running away would not allow him to escape. However, things had already reached this point, so he had no other choice but to keep his head down and proceed onward in hopes of fleeing from High Heaven Territory.
Yang Kai’s enormous body lay horizontally in the void as he urged his power to cover the wound on his chest. The force behind Shi Zheng’s attack was very heavy. Furthermore, that attack had a strong lingering effect. Even if a normal person did not die from those after-effects, they would lose their mobility and be forced to recuperate on the spot.
Thanks to Yang Kai’s incredible recuperative abilities, it only took a short while for him to suppress and seal the strange force in his wounds to prevent it from affecting his movements later. Only then did he push his Space Principles and chase after Shi Zheng.
In the void, Shi Zheng transformed into a stream of light and frantically raced towards the Territory Gate.
If he wanted to escape from High Heaven Territory, then his only option was to head towards the Territory Gate. As luck would have it, the situation in High Heaven Territory was different from the other bountiful Great Territories due to its remote location. There was only one Territory Gate leading in and out of High Heaven Territory; therefore, he had no other choice.
A short while later, Shi Zheng’s figure, which had been rushing forward, suddenly came to a halt. He stared at the enormous figure in front of him with a helpless gaze.
Having transformed into a Grand Dragon, Yang Kai’s body literally shone with a golden light. He was so dazzling that it was difficult not to notice him even from afar. Besides, Yang Kai had no intention of concealing himself and simply stood there openly to wait for Shi Zheng.
Upon seeing that Shi Zheng had finally appeared, Yang Kai snapped in annoyance, “You sure ran really slowly!”
He had already been waiting here for some time prior to Shi Zheng’s arrival.
“Grand Dragons are not immortal!” Shi Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Yang Kai snorted, steam coming out of his large nostrils as he declared, “You won the first round. Let’s begin the second round. I won’t lose this time!”
Shi Zheng gritted his teeth and said nothing. A giant sword that sparkled as brightly as a Star slowly emerged from his back and rose into the sky.
Yang Kai felt his teeth hurting at the sight. Without even thinking, he turned around and fled, his voice wafting over from far away, “Fine, you’ve got guts indeed! The second round is your win! I’ll be waiting for you up ahead for the third round!”
Shi Zheng was so furious that he nearly coughed up blood!
Not daring to waste time fighting Yang Kai, he simply wanted to end things as quickly as possible. His first attack might not have killed Yang Kai, but Yang Kai had been heavily injured nonetheless. If he followed up with a second attack, he might just be able to obliterate Yang Kai. That was why he summoned his Divine Manifestation without any hesitation.
Who could have known that Yang Kai would escape? He ran! Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he turned tail and ran!
Like punching cotton, Shi Zheng’s ferocious blow came to nought. Hence, there were no words to describe his agony!
[Didn’t that brat claim that he would not lose again with such confidence? Why did he turn and run as soon as the words left his mouth!?] Shi Zheng was tempted to ask Yang Kai if he even knew what the meaning of integrity was.
It would not have mattered so much if it was just a normal attack, but the key point was that the energy consumption from activating one’s Divine Manifestation was extremely high. It was true even for a mighty Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him.
Shi Zheng had already activated his Divine Manifestation twice. Although the effect had previously been somewhat useful, the Divine Manifestation he unleashed this time was completely pointless.
Divine Manifestations were trump cards to High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, and as such could not be used casually. Once brought out, they should be able to play a decisive role in battle because the consumption was simply too great.
Even Shi Zheng only had enough strength to use his Divine Manifestation four or five times before he was completely exhausted. Moreover, this was the second time he cast his Divine Manifestation!
[If he does that again later…] The corners of his eyes twitched slightly. [Just who did I meet? Why didn’t I realise that he is such a… despicable person when I interacted with him in the past!?]
In any case, this attack was useless, and he had no other place to go, so he could only continue towards the Territory Gate.
In less than half a cup of tea’s time, he came across Yang Kai waiting for him again. Yang Kai’s enormous body lay horizontally across the void, his Dragon Claws waved about wildly and his Dragon Tail swept from side to side. He looked like he was doing warm-ups before a big battle.
As soon as they met again, Yang Kai immediately asked, “Are you going to cast that sword again? If you are, then hurry up! I’ll consider the third round your win again!”
Shi Zheng gritted his teeth to hold back the roiling blood in his chest and shouted, “Die!”
It was meaningless for him to win numerous rounds; after all, it only took losing one round for everything to end for him. This was an unfair fight through and through.
As soon as his shout rang out, he charged towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai sneered. [Without the Divine Manifestation, why should a Grand Dragon like me fear you?]
This was his first battle since becoming a Grand Dragon, so having a powerful enemy to train his senses was exactly what he wanted. Hence, Yang Kai immediately became entangled with Shi Zheng.
After transforming into a Grand Dragon, his body became unimaginably enormous. In particular, his field of vision was very different from before. In the past, even after using his Dragon Transformation, his body retained some human characteristics, so his fighting style didn’t have to change much.
On the contrary, many of the battle skills he accumulated through past fights could no longer be used after transforming into a Grand Dragon. Yang Kai had to learn everything from scratch once more.
However, he could not win without transforming into his Grand Dragon Form because he was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Only by transforming into the Grand Dragon would he have the qualification to openly compete with a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
For a time, the scene was as tragic as could be. The majestic Grand Dragon was practically a punching bag for Shi Zheng and Yang Kai suffered endless beatings.
Shi Zheng threw numerous Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques in quick succession, and when those attacks landed on Yang Kai’s Dragon Scales, many of them were blasted off.
The attacks of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were extraordinary indeed. Yang Kai felt pain coming from all over his body. It was doubtful if there was a single spot on his body that did not hurt.
Fortunately, a Grand Dragon had innately powerful defences. Yang Kai also activated his Wood Element Power, which contained the condensed essence of the Immortal Tree. Relying on these abilities to heal these injuries during battle, he barely managed to persevere. In any case, his aim was not to kill Shi Zheng, but rather to buy time by delaying him here. That was enough.
As long as Shi Zheng did not cast his Divine Manifestation, he could not do anything to Yang Kai.
During the battle, Yang Kai gradually familiarised himself with the body of a Grand Dragon. At the beginning, he focused only on defending himself as he was powerless to fight back. However, he slowly became capable of counter-attacking as the fight went on.
Although the number of times that Yang Kai managed to counter-attack were few and far between, every one of those attacks frightened Shi Zheng greatly. There was no helping it, though, as even the local space would be shredded when the huge Dragon Claws swiped towards him. If he was caught in those Dragon Claws, even a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him would die.
Hence, he summoned his Divine Manifestation once more while Yang Kai was unprepared. At the same time, he desperately drew upon his strength to create a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking cage around them.
This attack had to kill Yang Kai, for if he missed this opportunity, then he was bound to suffer a tragic ending. That was why he waited for a perfect moment to activate his Divine Manifestation and use the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking technique.
Yang Kai had no way to escape. Even if he had the ability to break the Void to flee, doing so would undoubtedly take a few breaths in this situation.
When Masters fought each other, a single breath was more than enough to determine the difference between life and death!
Shi Zheng originally believed that Yang Kai would try to escape again when he summoned his Divine Manifestation, but who could have anticipated that Yang Kai wouldn’t turn to flee this time around? Moreover, his Dragon Eyes seemed to indicate that he was taking pleasure in the misfortune of others.
Shi Zheng suddenly had an ominous feeling, as though something extremely bad was about to happen.
Before he could unleash his Divine Manifestation, Yang Kai suddenly clenched his enormous Dragon Claws into a fist and punched forward fiercely. A Dragon Roar reverberated through the air, “Cow Punch!”
[Cow punch? What kind of cow is he attacking?] Shi Zheng was a little dumbstruck; however, in the next moment, he felt as though he had been struck by lightning. The colour in his face drained abruptly as his Small Universe shook violently and his World Force became exceedingly chaotic.
Yang Kai’s fist had clearly struck empty space, but Shi Zheng felt as though all that energy was erupting inside his Small Universe.
[I can’t believe he has the means to attack my Small Universe directly!] Shi Zheng was absolutely horrified by the attack.
For Open Heaven Realm Masters, the Small Universe in their bodies was their foundation. It was their everything. Therefore, the slightest turbulence in their Small Universe was enough to affect the combat ability of any Open Heaven Realm Master.
Consequently, throughout countless years of inheritance, many brilliant and talented Ancestors from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had overcome various difficulties and paved the way forward by comprehending numerous Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques that could impact the Small Universe directly. These attacks were the closely-kept secrets of each Sect.
Nevertheless, these Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques were bound to have traces that could be detected and guarded against.
Shi Zheng himself had learned such a Secret Technique and even used it during the battle, it was just that it was completely ineffective against Yang Kai. Having refined one of the Four Universe Pillars, Yang Kai’s Small Universe was flawless and extremely stable. It could be said to be the greatest nemesis of these Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques.
On the contrary, Yang Kai’s attack had shown no signs at all. Even if Shi Zheng wanted to defend himself, he did not know how to take precautions against the attack. Only then did he understand one thing. [Damn it! I’m the cow he’s punching!]
Yang Kai sneered, “Why did you think I was spending so much time fighting with you? You fell for it, didn’t you? You fool!”
The Cow Punch Secret Technique was very strong indeed; moreover, it was elusive and all but impossible to defend against. The only drawback to this Secret Technique was that it required quite a long preparation period beforehand. The preparation period varied according to the strength of the opponent.
Yang Kai had to follow the fluctuations of the enemy’s aura back to their Small Universe in order to successfully perform his Cow Punch Secret Technique.
Inside the Shattered Heaven, Blood Crow Divine Monarch had suffered from the Cow Punch Secret Technique greatly. Shi Zheng was simply following in his footsteps now. This Secret Technique was a bizarre method for the weak to overcome the strong against all odds.
Shi Zheng sprayed out a stream of blood mist that spread into the distance, and his aura abruptly weakened. His Small Universe had been bombarded by Yang Kai’s Secret Technique, causing it to shake and his World Force to become disordered.
If the injuries were only to this extent, then he would not be in such a miserable condition. He was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all. With his extraordinary cultivation, such a level of injury was nothing to him. The instability in his Small Universe would also calm down quickly.
The key point was that he had been activating his Divine Manifestation at that exact moment; hence, he was completely focused on the task at hand and the power in his body could not withstand the slightest bit of slack.
It was at this juncture that Yang Kai punched out at Shi Zheng.
When the giant sword rising into the sky behind his back shattered and collapsed, Shi Zheng instantly suffered an immense backlash. This situation was equivalent to being struck by his own attack, and it was only by luck that he did not die on the spot.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at the sight, “Elder Shi, you really do have extraordinary skills! You even hit yourself when you lose your temper! I’m impressed!”
Shi Zheng gritted his teeth, fresh blood trickling out the sides of his mouth. The rage and despair in his heart could not be described with mere words.
Powerful energy fluctuations suddenly appeared from afar. Both Yang Kai and Shi Zheng turned to look in that direction at the same time. Numerous light streams were rushing in this direction. They were none other than the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who had rushed over from the Star Boundary.
Yang Kai immediately became elated by the sight and turned to look at Shi Zheng, “Elder Shi, I’m afraid you’re doomed.”
At present, Shi Zheng’s aura was faint and chaotic. It was obvious that he was severely injured. Even Yang Kai had the confidence to take Shi Zheng down by himself, let alone with the arrival of so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. It could be said that Shi Zheng had been completely backed into a corner at this point.
Shi Zheng took a deep breath and looked at Yang Kai with a slightly complicated expression. The rage that had filled him earlier vanished all of a sudden, and his entire being became extremely calm.
Yang Kai frowned. He felt that something was wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.
Meanwhile, Shi Zheng just sat down cross-legged in the void. His eyes that were quietly staring at Yang Kai abruptly became pitch black, and a thick black fog poured out of his entire body.
Yang Kai became vigilant. [This aura… is familiar.]
He suddenly recalled the ‘gift’ that Shi Zheng had given to him recently and frowned deeply. [Didn’t that worm that sprang out from the wooden box have the same aura? Just what is it?]
“Black Ink… Eternal!” Shi Zheng called out faintly. As soon as the words left his mouth, his entire body was shrouded in the churning black fog and disappeared out of sight.
In the distance, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who rushed over from the Star Boundary looked suspicious when they first caught sight of the situation. In the next moment, they seemed to recall something and their expressions changed drastically.
Yu Chang Dao and the foreign affairs envoy from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven called Yu Xiang Die urgently cried out to Yang Kai, “Yang Kai, run!”
But it was too late. The black fog wrapping around Shi Zheng exploded without warning. A large patch of inky blackness swiftly covered the surrounding void like a drop of ink that was dripped into a pool of clear water. The darkness covered a large region in an instant, and Yang Kai who was standing nearby was enveloped within.
The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters halted in their tracks. Every single person looked at the darkness fearfully. On the other hand, Yu Chang Dao and Yu Xiang Die looked extremely worried. Unfortunately, there was no time for them to hesitate.
The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters did not communicate with each other at all, but they still moved as though their hearts and minds were connected. They quickly split up and surrounded the large patch of void that was shrouded in the black fog from a distance. Following that, they immediately threw out various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques with Heaven Sealing Earth Locking effects.
The joint force of several dozen High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters working together was so powerful that it only took a single breath before this region containing the black fog was turned into a solid cage.
When they finished sealing the void, they finally breathed a sigh of relief as they looked around nervously. However, Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen.
Yu Chang Dao was silent for a long while before he said, “Sect Master Yang seemed to be a Grand Dragon. With the strength of a Grand Dragon, it should not be too difficult for him to resist that evil thing.”
Yu Xiang Die muttered, “Let’s hope so.”
The strength of a Grand Dragon could indeed resist the erosion of that evil. It could even be said that the strength of all Divine Spirits had a natural advantage against it. Be that as it may, Yang Kai was currently stuck in the middle of that wicked fog. Nobody could say much about the current situation with any certainty and Yang Kai himself had yet to appear either, so there was no way to know his condition.
During their conversation though, the thick fog suddenly swirled around and Yang Kai’s enormous body rushed out from within.
“What is this!?” Yang Kai scowled deeply. That black fog gave him an extremely uncomfortable feeling. It was exceptionally sinister. Clearly, it was not something good; moreover, he had tried to search for Shi Zheng’s whereabouts inside the black fog only to discover that he could not detect Shi Zheng’s life aura anywhere. It was as if Shi Zheng’s last act was self-destruction.
[Why did he act so decisively?] Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling surprised.
Shi Zheng was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so even if he failed to kill Yang Kai and could not escape the many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who came over to support Yang Kai, there was no need to kill himself on the spot.
However, that was exactly what Shi Zheng did. Speaking of which, all of Shi Zheng’s actions today puzzled Yang Kai greatly, especially the last words that Shi Zheng said earlier.
Turning around, Yang Kai saw many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters standing far away and looking at him in astonishment; thus, he swung around and headed straight towards them. He could not understand what had happened today, but these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters might know something.
Contrary to his expectations, as soon as he moved, they reacted warily, as though they were about to face a great enemy. Their World Forces surged, and they all took up defensive postures.
One of them shouted, “Stay where you are and don’t move! If you take another step forward, we will attack without mercy!”
Locked onto by the Divine Senses and auras of several dozen High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, Yang Kai felt mountain-like pressure bearing down on him even though he was in his Grand Dragon Form. His enormous figure was immediately frozen in place. His Dragon Head turned to look at them, and he asked in a thunderous voice, “What’s going on?”
For a moment, Yang Kai suspected that they were in league with Shi Zheng; however, he realised that the situation was different upon a closer look. Rather than plotting to harm him, it was almost like they were scared of him.
[Didn’t you come here to rescue me?] Yang Kai was a little speechless. What’s more, it was not until this moment that he realised something else, the space where he was standing had been sealed by an extremely powerful force.
The High-Rank Masters exchanged glances with each other, their Divine Senses fluctuating as they communicated silently. It was obvious that they were discussing something, but they couldn’t seem to reach a consensus despite their long discussion.
Yang Kai eventually lost patience and glared angrily at them, “What is the meaning of this!?”
Yu Xiang Die stepped forward to comfort him, “Yang Kai, please don’t be impatient. We are not targeting you specifically, but what happened today is a little complicated. Before we figure out whether you are safe or not, please don’t make any rash movements lest you cause any misunderstandings.”
She was the foreign affairs envoy from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, and he was a son-in-law of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven; therefore, he could only listen to her when she spoke up.
Yang Kai frowned slightly and said, “Shi Zheng seems to be dead, and I’m safe now.”
Yu Xiang Die shook her head, however, and said, “It’s impossible to tell whether you’re safe from your outer appearance. Let me ask you this, how are you feeling right now?”
Yang Kai shook his body a bit and replied, “It hurts a bit.”
Having just fought with Shi Zheng, his entire body was covered in wounds; hence, he was in terrible pain and desperately needed to find a place to recuperate.
Yu Xiang Die didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “I’m not asking you about that. I was asking you… whether there’s anything strange about your Small Universe?”
Yang Kai responded confidently, “There are no anomalies!”
What could be wrong with the World Spring protecting his Small Universe? Shi Zheng had repeatedly attempted to shake his Small Universe during their brief fight, but it was all to no avail.
Yu Xiang Die frowned slightly. Although he said as much, she did not dare to believe him completely. The 3,000 Worlds was vast, and there were many things that the general public, and even most disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, did not know about. Be that as it may, how could Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like themselves not be aware?
Even if something had happened to Yang Kai, it was impossible to tell from his outer appearance; otherwise, they would not have been fooled by Shi Zheng for so many years.
Yu Chang Dao explained, “Sect Master Yang, you’ve seen all of Shi Zheng’s anomalies for yourself. The Black Ink Smoke that he released before his death is also extremely corrosive. If the Small Universe of an ordinary Open Heaven Realm Master becomes corroded by the Black Ink Smoke, they will turn into the same existence as Shi Zheng. They will seem no different from the outside, but their nature will be changed drastically. Sect Master Yang, we are unable to determine whether you have been corrupted by the Black Ink Smoke.”
Only then did Yang Kai understand why they were being so vigilant towards him. He exclaimed in astonishment, “Is the Black Ink Smoke really that amazing?”
Thinking back, he had indeed felt as though the black mist had been trying to corrode his Small Universe when it entered his body. It was just that his Small Universe was flawless under the World Spring’s protection. It was impossible for the Black Ink Smoke to corrode him unless he opened a portal to accept the Black Ink Smoke into his Small Universe himself.
In this way, it was obvious that the object contained within the wooden box had been trying to invade his Small Universe; however, it was suppressed by the World Spring in his Small Universe. His Small Universe was perfectly protected, so that worm had been unable to invade him and was forced to flee as a result.
“If that’s the case, you don’t need to worry. I have not been corroded by the Black Ink Smoke.”
They only watched him quietly.
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, “What’s wrong? Don’t you believe me?”
Yu Xiang Die sighed, “It’s easy enough to confirm this fact. I’ll go and check out your Small Universe myself.”
[Why do those words… sound so familiar?] Yang Kai suddenly recalled something. Back when he was asked to repair the Universe Temples, the Ancestors from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had also made the same request.
“No!” Before Yang Kai could say anything, one of the High-Rank Open Realm Masters interjected, “If he has been corroded by the Black Ink Smoke, then you will also be in danger if you enter his Small Universe to investigate the situation, Elder Yu.”
Yu Xiang Die smiled, “No matter how you put it, Yang Kai is a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-Law. It’s only natural for me to take this risk as his Elder. Besides, he can transform into a Grand Dragon. He has a certain level of resistance to the Black Ink Smoke, so he might not have been corrupted.”
The High-Rank Open Realm Master shook his head, “It’s better to be cautious. Let’s send a message to our respective Ancestors and ask them to decide about the situation.”
Yang Kai was a little shocked. [Why are they dragging their Ancestors into this matter!?]
The Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were all Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Most of the time, they remained inside their respective Sects and were not dispatched easily. [It looks like this matter is more serious than I expected.]
Yu Xiang Die pondered in silence for a moment, “I insist on investigating the situation inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe. The Black Ink Smoke might be corrosive, but it can be resisted as long as one has enough strength.”
“There’s always a risk. The 3,000 Worlds is not ‘that place’ after all,” the High-Rank Open Realm Master from earlier quickly said.
At this moment, Yang Kai spoke up, “Will you be reassured if I can prove that I have not been corroded by the Black Ink Smoke?”
Yu Xiang Die looked at him, “How will you prove that?”
Yang Kai smacked his lips. He had not wanted to reveal the fact that he had refined the World Spring as that was something that would rouse too much greed in others. Bright Sun Divine Monarch had pursued him from the Shattered Heaven all the way to the Ancestral Land just for the sake of the World Spring.
If an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would do that, how could the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters here be any different? These High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters might come from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, but one should never fully let their guard down around others. Shi Zheng was the best example.
Before coming here today, Yang Kai would never have believed that Shi Zheng would harm him in any way. He thought that Shi Zheng only wanted to discuss the matter regarding the Good Fortune Divine Furnace with him.
However, things might take a turn for the worst with how they stood at the moment. Not only was the space where he was standing sealed, but it was also impossible for him to fight so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Besides, the misunderstanding would only get worse if he actually got into a fight with them. More importantly, it would be even harder to take the initiative if they invited the Ancestors of various Cave Heavens and Paradises here.
After weighing all the pros and cons, Yang Kai decided to tell the truth, “I have refined a World Spring, so it is impossible for external forces to corrode my Small Universe!”
“A World Spring!?” Everybody exclaimed in astonishment.
As High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, how could they not know about the World Spring? That was one of the Four Universe Pillars after all. The World Spring was a treasure that any Open Heaven Realm Master would wish for.
“Everybody, please have a look for yourselves!” While speaking, Yang Kai opened the portal to his Small Universe for them to see inside clearly.
The secret of his World Spring had been exposed, so he did not mind exposing even more. Besides, it was useless to only speak about such things. They would not believe him unless they saw the truth with their own eyes.
Numerous Divine Senses immediately passed through his portal in that moment and poured into his Small Universe. Yang Kai immediately frowned in response. It was an uncomfortable feeling, as though his home had been invaded by outsiders.
“Huh…” Somebody exclaimed in surprise, “His Small Universe has already materialized?”
The transformation of one’s Small Universe from immaterial to corporal was something that was reserved for High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. The Small Universe of those below the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm were unable to fully materialize.
Be that as it may, the scene in front of them exceeded their understanding. Yang Kai was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but his Small Universe had already turned corporeal. How did he do it?
Leaving aside the future, Yang Kai was the only Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to have ever achieved such a feat throughout history. At least, there were no prior records written in the ancient books. That was why these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were completely stunned.
“World Spring! It really is a World Spring!” Even more shocked voices ran out. A World Spring was such an obvious existence that they immediately noticed its presence at a glance.
Under the effects of the World Spring, they could clearly sense that Yang Kai’s Small Universe was flawless and extremely stable. It was difficult for his Small Universe to be affected by any external forces.
In addition to their feelings of envy, they also felt relieved. With the World Spring protecting his Small Universe, it was true that he would not be corroded by the Black Ink Smoke. What’s more, they did not sense any of the Black Ink Smoke’s aura in his Small Universe.
Before they could investigate Yang Kai’s Small Universe more carefully though, they felt an immense force shoving their Divine Senses out. Many of them were unsatisfied with what they saw so far. They seemed to have seen some peculiar things inside his Small Universe, but they were kicked out before they could get a better look.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had already returned to his Human Form and closed his Small Universe. He then asked, “There are no problems now, right?”
Everybody exchanged a glance with each other and Yu Xiang Die breathed a sigh of relief, “It’s no problem now. Come over here before we continue the discussion.”
Only then did he move and come to their side.
“You’ve worked hard.” She nodded at him, “It’s great that you’re safe. Please don’t blame us for being overly cautious. The Black Ink Smoke is simply too dangerous.”
“I understand.”
“Sect Master Yang, are you raising living beings in your Small Universe?” One of them suddenly raised the question. Although it was only a brief glimpse, there were so many villages and cities in Yang Kai’s Small Universe that the traces of living beings thriving inside could be seen clearly.
“That’s right. Is there a problem?” Yang Kai looked at that person.
“No problem, no problem at all. Your luck sure is good, Sect Master Yang.” That person sighed in amazement.
Countless years had passed since they first advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. They themselves had thought of raising living beings in their Small Universes to increase the speed of their cultivation, but this idea was not realistic. Even though they were in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, there were still times when their Small Universes became unstable. Who would dare to raise living beings in their Small Universe so casually? Those living inside would suffer tragic casualties if they were to encounter a powerful enemy, after all.
However, Yang Kai was different. With the protection of the World Spring, there was no need for him to worry about that problem. In other words, his cultivation would increase steadily even without him cultivating. It was equivalent to becoming stronger with every passing moment.
That was extremely enviable.
“What kind of creatures are those little rocks? Why have I never seen them before?” Another person asked.
“What little rocks? You must have been mistaken,” Yang Kai responded with a straight face.
“Sect Master Yang, I think I saw some Profound Yin Bamboo in your Small Universe…”
“What Profound Yin Bamboo?” Yang Kai vehemently denied, “There’s no such thing.”
“Don’t be like that, Sect Master Yang. We can negotiate the price if you really have the Profound Yin Bamboo. The Profound Yin Bamboo is different from the Four Universe Pillars. If we nurture it properly, we can gain an inexhaustible supply that is truly unlimited. Instead of enjoying such a treasure on your own, why don’t you exchange the Profound Yin Bamboo with us for something good?”
“Can I exchange them for the training rights of a Small Source World?” Yang Kai asked flatly.
[Didn’t you say that you don’t have the Profound Yin Bamboo?] Many rolled their eyes.
The person from earlier nodded repeatedly and smiled from ear to ear, “We can negotiate something!”
“What are the terms of negotiation?” Yang Kai looked at that person with great interest.
“Leave that for later.” Yu Chang Dao waved his hand decisively before declaring, “Let’s deal with the matter in front of us first before we talk about anything else.”
“Indeed!” Somebody agreed.
Yang Kai shot a look at the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who brought up the Profound Yin Bamboo earlier to indicate that they would have an in-depth discussion on the matter later. That person nodded lightly to indicate that he understood. Thanks to the looks they exchanged with each other earlier, everything they wanted to say had been said.
“Sect Master, just what happened today?” Yu Chang Dao asked while looking at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai replied innocently, “You’re asking me? That’s what I wanted to ask you. High Heaven Palace’s Head Manager informed me today that Shi Zheng of Lang Ya Paradise asked for a meeting with me. It seemed like he had something he wanted to discuss. Thinking that I had nothing better to do anyway, I decided to come. In the end, he gave me a generous gift as soon as I arrived.”
“A generous gift?” Yu Xiang Die frowned.
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s right. As you all know, Lang Ya Paradise and I have some connection with each other. Shi Zheng is a Lang Ya Paradise Elder. If he wants to give me a gift, there’s no way I can turn it down. So, I reluctantly accepted.”
The rest of them looked at each other with strange expressions. After a period of contact with Yang Kai, how could they not know his nature by now? He was the kind of person who did not act until he was certain that he could succeed. That was the case with the World Tree before, and that was also the case now with the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.
He even went so far as to create a special Space Array to monopolise the New Great Territory, making it difficult for the Cave Heavens and Paradises to interfere in that matter. If somebody was willing to give him a gift, he would surely accept with unwavering enthusiasm, how could he possibly be reluctant in any way?
Nevertheless, they couldn’t be bothered to argue about his manner of blatantly talking himself up.
“What did he give you?” Yu Chang Dao asked in concern.
It was as though he really wanted to know what kind of treasures Shi Zheng had offered as a gift. It was just that Shi Zheng had been corrupted by the Black Ink; for that reason, the things that he offered as a gift should not be taken lightly. Precautions had to be taken in advance in case it turned out to be something bad.
“Here it is!” While speaking, Yang Kai took out the wooden box from his Space Ring and opened it abruptly.
A black thread shot out from within. Yang Kai was ready and immediately captured it in his hand. The headless and tailless thing that resembled a black earthworm struggled and wriggled in his hands, but could not escape.
The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were stunned for a moment, then they reacted as though facing a great enemy. Their expressions changed drastically, and they swiftly retreated using their various Movement Skills.
In an instant, the space within a 100 kilometres radius around him became devoid of people.
Yang Kai looked up at them and seemed a little speechless, “Why did you run so far? Don’t worry. I’m holding this thing, so it can’t escape.”
Nevertheless, he could understand why they fled. They had been so vigilant towards the Black Ink Smoke that was left behind after Shi Zheng’s death, what more this black earthworm-like thing in his hands?
This thing definitely came from the same source as the Black Ink Smoke. Moreover, it was stronger than the Black Ink Smoke. An ordinary person would definitely have gotten into trouble if they held the black earthworm with their bare hands.
Fortunately, his Small Universe was so perfect and flawless that this black earthworm could not corrode him at all. It could be said to have met its nemesis.
“Sect Master, please put away that Black Ink Insect!” Yu Chang Dao shouted from afar, “That thing is too dangerous! Open Heaven Realm Masters like us cannot afford to be contaminated!”
“So, this thing is called a Black Ink Insect?” Yang Kai glanced at the black earthworm in his hand, seeming to feel something.
The black smoke left behind after Shi Zheng’s death was called Black Ink Smoke, this thing was called a Black Ink Insect, and Shi Zheng had mentioned something before his death, Black Ink Eternal.
[What is this… Black Ink?] Yang Kai suddenly felt as though the 3,000 Worlds were not as simple as he initially thought. Then, he recalled what Xu Ling Gong mentioned in the past, that the universe was vast, and the waters were muddy. There seemed to be a secret in the shadows that was affecting the 3,000 Worlds, and the fog was about to be lifted before his eyes.
“Everyone, is there something you know that I don’t?” Yang Kai asked.
The crowd fell silent. A long time later, a white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master finally said, “Sect Master Yang, there are many secrets in the world. Some things are better left unknown.”
The words had only just left his mouth when he heard Yang Kai giving a cry of surprise.
Everybody thought that Yang Kai had been injured during his battle with Shi Zheng earlier, so they quickly looked at him in concern. In the next moment, their expressions changed drastically.
The Black Ink Insect that had been captured in Yang Kai’s hand all this time had escaped his grasp for some reason. It had transformed into a black thread that rushed towards the white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master at the speed of lightning.
The white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master immediately became drenched in cold sweat. He might be in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he was bound to suffer a tragic end if he was corrupted by the Black Ink Insect. The only possibility was that his Small Universe would be invaded and he would eventually become corrupted by the Black Ink like Shi Zheng.
According to the ancient books, it was extremely tough to defend against the Black Ink Insect, unless they could kill it in time. If it got too close, then even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would suffer terribly.
Space suddenly condensed slightly, and under the fluctuations of Space Principles, the black thread that was rushing towards the white-robed Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master froze in place.
Yang Kai leisurely walked over, then he grabbed the struggling Black Ink Insect with his hand and looked up at the white-robed Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, “What did you say just now? I apologise, but I did not hear you clearly. Can you repeat what you said?”
The Black Ink Insect in his hand moved restlessly, as though it could escape from Yang Kai’s control at any time.
Everybody’s expression darkened. [He could have just spoken nicely. Why is he threatening others?]
Yu Xiang Die didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “With Sect Master Yang’s current strength and status, I believe he has the right to know about these things. What do you think?”
Everyone fell silent, and only a long while later, somebody finally nodded, “Alright, we’ll tell him.”
They had no choice but to explain the situation. Yang Kai was staring at them fixedly with the Black Ink Insect in his hand, which frightened all of them. Who would dare to go against him at this moment?
Besides, although these matters were only known to the Elders of the Cave Heavens and Paradises since ancient times, if it really came down to it, Yang Kai’s current strength and status certainly gave him the qualifications to know about certain secrets.
Naturally, the main reason was that he had been exposed to this matter today, making it useless even if they wanted to conceal the truth from him.
The others did not express their opinions, but not saying anything was as good as having no objections to the matter. Only then did Yu Xiang Die say, “Put the Black Ink Insect away.”
“Fine!” Yang Kai obediently placed the Black Ink Insect back into the wooden box and tossed the box into his Space Ring.
Everybody finally breathed a sigh of relief. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who were regarded as terrifying existences were played around by Yang Kai. Just thinking of the situation earlier, they couldn’t help feeling complicated.
The void was not the place to discuss such matters, so Yu Xiang Die raised a hand and summoned a ship. Everybody boarded and sat down on the deck.
Yang Kai widened his eyes and stared at the people in front of him with a thirst for knowledge.
Meanwhile, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters stared at Yu Xiang Die. Their meaning was clear, ‘since you brought up this matter, it is up to you to solve it.’
Yu Xiang Die rolled her eyes at them before she turned to look at Yang Kai, “If we have to be honest, our understanding of this matter is fragmented and not very comprehensive.”
Thanks to this incident, Yang Kai clearly felt her intent to protect him. When he had been suspected of being corrupted by the Black Ink Smoke, she had proactively offered to inspect his Small Universe. It could be seen that she truly regarded him as Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Son-in-Law.
That was why Yang Kai willingly believed her words and nodded, “In that case, please tell me what you know.”
She pondered in silence for a moment, seeming to arrange her thoughts. A short while later, she finally started her explanation, “In this world, there exists a peculiar race known as the Black Ink. We call them the Black Ink Clan!”
The Black Ink Clan was apparently extremely dangerous. The main reason was that they had extremely powerful invasive and corrosive abilities. This was something Yang Kai himself had personally experienced. Whether it was the Black Ink Smoke that Shi Zheng left behind after his death or the Black Ink Insect, both had such properties.
Once a cultivator’s Small Universe was corroded by the Black Ink aura, they would turn into the Black Ink Clan’s slaves and undergo a drastic change in mentality. However, it was impossible to tell the difference by appearance alone. Those who were converted looked no different from normal.
That was the case for Shi Zheng. Nobody ever thought that he had been corroded by the Black Ink Clan and became one of their servants.
Yang Kai listened with a deep frown. If that was the case, then the Black Ink Clan was truly difficult to guard against. Who could say whether the other party had been corrupted by the Black Ink Clan?
“The last time something like this happened in the 3,000 Worlds was over 70,000 years ago.” Yu Xiang Die lowered her voice slightly, “I’m sure you’ve heard of this before. There was once a Cave Heaven that took in an extremely talented disciple. This disciple had the ability to advance directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. His aptitude was so great that it shocked both the past and present. That Cave Heaven devoted all their resources to nurturing him, and one day he finally advanced into the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. However, he suddenly underwent a drastic change in nature and went on a massacre. That Cave Heaven suffered countless casualties as a result, which eventually led to its collapse. There was no choice but to remove their name from the list of Cave Heavens and Paradises.”
This was indeed a story that Yang Kai was familiar with as he had heard it from Yue He when he was still in the Emperor Realm.
Yu Xiang Die continued, “Because that disciple was not raised in the Cave Heaven but accepted into the Sect halfway through, a rumour spread across the 3,000 Worlds from then onward. Cultivators who were not raised in a Cave Heaven or Paradise were not allowed to advance directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, lest they grow up and threaten the dominance of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help certain memories from flashing before his eyes…
His journey to the Open Heaven Realm had been wrought with countless obstacles set up by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Ti Zheng of Myriad Demons Cave Heaven did not even hesitate to lure him into the Shattered Heaven where a great ambush lay in wait just to hinder his advancement into the Open Heaven Realm.
In the end, he had been forced to break through to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. The Cave Heavens and Paradises finally stopped targeting him after that.
Yang Kai had no regrets about the matter. The Proprietress had been trapped in the Shadowless Cave Heaven at the time, and his cultivation in the Emperor Realm had been far too weak. He had no choice but to advance into the Open Heaven Realm for the opportunity to enter the Shadowless Cave Heaven to rescue her.
Even though he had no regrets, he could not help feeling some resentment towards the Cave Heavens and Paradises when he recalled everything he went through in the past. He had been cultivating on his own without provoking anyone, so why was he not allowed to advance directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm? It was not until today that he learned the truth.
“The inheritance of the Cave Heavens and Paradises stretches back for countless aeons. If they were truly so petty, they would never have reached such prosperous heights. The reason they do not allow cultivators from the outside world to advance directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm is not to show their dominance, but to prevent the past from repeating itself. The catastrophe from 70,000 years ago brought down a Cave Heaven. It’s obvious that nobody wants that to happen a second time.”
If anybody were to advance directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and was secretly converted by the Black Ink Clan once more, it would be a catastrophe if they reached the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm undiscovered. On the other hand, anything beneath the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm would not make much of a difference. No matter how talented a person was, if they advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they could only reach the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm due to innate limits. The Cave Heavens and Paradises did not lack for Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so once the truth was exposed, many Ancestors would take action and the situation could be controlled.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow tightly together as he asked, “Is that to say that the genius was corrupted by the Black Ink Clan?”
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “That’s right. Nobody knows when he was enslaved as the only signs appeared after he advanced into the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Since then, the Black Ink Clan has not appeared in the 3,000 Worlds again. To be honest, this is our first time seeing traces of the Black Ink Clan with our own eyes. We have only ever read about them in ancient records before.”
Yang Kai frowned for a moment before saying puzzledly, “That can’t be right. If the Black Ink Clan is so difficult to guard against, then there should be a lot more of them. Why has the Black Ink Clan remained silent for so many years that even you have never seen them?”
Yu Chang Dao explained from the side, “It is difficult to resist the corruption of the Black Ink Clan, but their main method of doing so is through the Black Ink Insects. It’s the thing you put back into that box just now. The Black Ink Insects are apparently very rare and precious. Unless they come across an extremely valuable target, the Black Ink Clan will not make a move so easily.”
“Then, that Black Ink Smoke…” Yang Kai glanced suspiciously in the direction that Shi Zheng had died. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had worked together to seal that space, and even now the black smoke churned and roiled, looking extremely ominous.
“Shi Zheng was clearly infected by a Black Ink Insect. When he saw us coming to aid you, he knew that he would not leave this place alive. That’s why he chose to die. After his death, the Black Ink aura in his Small Universe exploded out. This Black Ink Smoke is what’s left. At the end of the day, the Black Ink Smoke and the Black Ink Insect are from the same source.”
It was no wonder these people immediately fled several kilometres away when he took out the Black Ink Insect earlier. They were probably worried that the Black Ink Insect in his hands would explode.
Yang Kai rubbed his chin and pondered, “In other words, in the eyes of the Black Ink Clan, I’m considered an extremely valuable target.”
Yu Xiang Die laughed, “Of course. You might only be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but the Star Boundary is now the focus of the entire 3,000 Worlds. The existence of the World Tree will also nurture many excellent cultivators in the future. Not to mention, you are a Star Boundary Great Emperor. If you were converted by the Black Ink Clan…” At that point, she suddenly stopped laughing and shuddered in fear, “Asking you to destroy the Star Boundary is a simple task. If the Star Boundary no longer existed, then the Open Heaven Realm Cradle would be gone too.”
Everybody looked at each other and finally understood why Shi Zheng had tried to corrupt Yang Kai.
On the other hand, Yang Kai suddenly recalled something.
The Ancestral Land had a Demon Sealing Land, and the Demon Sealing Land contained a long-dead Black Giant Spirit God. When he was cultivating in the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace, he had glimpsed the shocking battle that took place in ancient times. In order to suppress and seal the Giant Spirit God, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans had paid an enormous price. In the end, both the Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress were forced to sacrifice themselves, burning all their Blood Essence just to stop the rampaging enemy.
Yang Kai had always wondered why that Giant Spirit God went to war against the Divine Spirits; after all, the Giant Spirit God Clan was an extremely peaceful and innocent Race. Although they were powerful, they did not provoke others for no reason. They only fed on dead Universe Worlds and travelled through the vast 3,000 Worlds for that reason.
Furthermore, he had not understood why the Giant Spirit God had been black in colour. That Giant Spirit God was a little different from Ah Da, whom he met in the past. Yang Kai initially thought that it was just the difference between individuals of an ethnic group, but looking at things now…
What if the Giant Spirit God in ancient times had been corrupted by the Black Ink? If his nature changed drastically after being corrupted by the Black Ink Clan, then that Giant Spirit God had been enslaved by the Black Ink Clan!
[Demon Sealing Land… Demon Sealing Land… That’s not a Demon Sealing Land! That’s a Black Ink Sealing Land!]
Too much time had passed, so what happened in ancient times could no longer be known. The knowledge that was passed down through word of mouth over countless generations, which was why the Black Ink Sealing Land had been misrepresented as the Demon Sealing Land instead.
No wonder Yang Kai had not sensed the existence of any Demon Qi when he first entered the Demon Sealing Land. That was because the land had nothing to do with Demons in the first place.
Nobody knew how a mighty Giant Spirit God had been corrupted by the Black Ink Clan in ancient times.
Both the Dragon and Phoenix Clans only succeeded in suppressing and sealing the Giant Spirit God by sacrificing the Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress of the time in addition to half of the Ancestral Land. So many years had passed that even the Giant Spirit God had lost all vitality and the Black Ink Clan’s aura was nowhere to be found.
The Ancestral Strength was extremely peculiar and powerful; moreover, it clearly had some restraining effects towards the Black Ink Clan. If that was not the case, there would be remnants of the Black Ink Clan even though so many years had passed and the Giant Spirit God had died completely.
“The Black Ink Insect is extremely precious to the Black Ink Clan, which is also why the Black Ink Clan’s actions are generally aimed only at High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. After all, converting a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master is not worth the effort to them.” Yu Xiang Die explained, “Speaking of this, I’m sure you’ve also heard of another rumour. Aside from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, anybody else who advances into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and above would be pursued relentlessly. For that reason, many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters even flee to the Shattered Heaven, hide their names, and live in seclusion.”
Yang Kai asked pensively, “So, the reason why the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters are being targeted by the Cave Heavens and Paradises is that you are afraid they might come into contact with the Black Ink Clan?”
She nodded, “That’s part of the reason. All the Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises cultivate Secret Techniques to stabilize their Small Universes to prevent corrosion by external forces. Although the effects are not as great as the World Spring, these Secret Techniques will at least offer them some protection so that they are not completely powerless against the corrosion of the Black Ink Insects. On the other hand, it is different for those who were not raised by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Despite being High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, if they were targeted by the Black Ink Insect, they would only end up corroded by them.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. After listening to her explanation, the other question in his heart had been answered.
Having been to the Shattered Heaven, he knew that there were indeed many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters hiding there. All the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters hiding there were afraid of being rounded up by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Xia Lin Lang once mentioned that in order for the Cave Heavens and Paradises to maintain their dominance, any outsiders who advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm would either be recruited into their ranks or vanish without a trace, suspected to have been killed.
That was why, no matter how barren and dangerous it was in the Shattered Heaven, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters hiding there would not leave easily. That was also the reason why Xia Lin Lang would rather flee into the depths of the Shattered Heaven, where death was almost certain, than leave together with Yang Kai.
“I heard that many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters just vanish without a trace, never to be heard from again, after being taken away…” Yang Kai looked at Yu Xiang Die.
Yu Xiang Die remained silent.
The white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master replied, “They are not dead. The Cave Heavens and Paradises have never abused them either. They were simply sent to a certain place. As for where that place is… That information cannot be disclosed for the time being!”
Yang Kai took out the wooden box with a flip of his hand. The cover of the wooden box opened and closed, revealing the black thing inside that was eager to leap out of the box.
The white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master looked melancholic! [Am I being targeted? I’m definitely being targeted, right!?]
Yu Xiang Die stepped in to smooth things between them, “Yang Kai, please stop asking questions. You will understand when the time comes. There are many things that the Cave Heavens and Paradises have no choice but to conceal. It is not because we wish to do so, but because the truth will cause panic and havoc. It is not beneficial to the peace of the 3,000 Worlds.”
Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment. Putting the wooden box away, he grinned meaningfully, “When the time comes… Are you referring to the moment when I advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm?”
She said nothing once more, so it could only be taken as tacit acknowledgement.
Yang Kai thus continued, “I have another question. Lan You Ruo is currently in retreat in Void Land and attempting to advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. What will you do if she succeeds?”
Yu Xiang Die answered, “Lan You Ruo used to be a First Inn shopkeeper, and First Inn is the private property of Si Tu Kong from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. Hence, she can also be considered part of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. When she advances into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven will take the appropriate measures. Besides, she herself knows about these things, so there is no need for you to worry.”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow slightly. Although his questions had gone unanswered, he could not inquire any further seeing as Yu Xiang Die had already said so much.
At this moment, Yu Chang Dao spoke up, “Friends, what we need to deal with right now is the matter related to Shi Zheng. Although he chose death, he had initially tried to corrupt Yang Kai with a Black Ink Insect. That can only mean that he has even more Black Ink Insects in his possession. This Old Master has reason to suspect that Shi Zheng is not the only person in Lang Ya Paradise to be corrupted by the Black Ink!”
As soon as that statement came out, the expressions of all the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters became solemn.
The fact that Shi Zheng had been corrupted by the Black Ink Clan was truly unexpected. Something like this had not happened in 70,000 years after all. The Cave Heavens and Paradises might have taken some precautions, but too much time had passed and their guard had clearly become too relaxed as a result.
If Shi Zheng had not tried to corrupt Yang Kai with the Black Ink Insect today, his identity would not have been exposed either.
In that case, how many more Shi Zhengs were there in Lang Ya Paradise? More importantly, how many other Shi Zhengs were there among the rest of the Cave Heavens and Paradises?
Nobody knew for certain the answers to those questions, but the situation seemed to have taken a turn for the worse all of a sudden.
Most importantly, where did the Black Ink Insect come from? It was impossible for people corrupted by the Black Ink to produce the Black Ink Insects themselves. The only ones who could produce the Black Ink Insect were the true Black Ink Clan clansmen. In other words, there was at least one pure Black Ink Clan clansman hidden somewhere in the 3,000 Worlds! Just thinking about the possibility was terrifying.
“Shi Zheng has set a precedent. Every one of us is a suspect. It isn’t just us, but all the High-Rank Open Heaven Masters in the Star Boundary too. That is why this Old Master has a suggestion. We will start with a voluntary examination to prove our innocence!” While speaking, Yu Chang Dao looked at the rest of the High-Rank Open Heaven Masters.
The High-Rank Open Heaven Masters hesitated for a moment before quickly nodding in agreement. This matter was an important one that might even affect the stability of the 3,000 Worlds. All the people present here today were not ignorant of the bigger picture, so they would not object to the suggestion.
“In that case, let us begin!” Yu Chang Dao, as the one to make the suggestion, took the lead, surging his World Force and opening the portal to his Small Universe, “Please take a look!”
Nobody held back out of politeness and numerous Divine Senses poured into Yu Chang Dao’s Small Universe in quick succession.
Yang Kai also joined in the fun. The main reason was that he wanted to know the difference between his Small Universe and the Small Universe of an actual High-Rank Open Heaven Master. His Divine Sense poured into Yu Chang Dao’s Small Universe. After some investigation and comparisons, he discovered that his Small Universe was still vastly inferior in terms of size and the richness of World Force when compared to Yu Chang Dao’s.
With the gap in their cultivation, it was only normal to experience those differences; nevertheless, Yang Kai was raising many living beings in his Small Universe in addition to the Small Stone Race. Given time, he would certainly enjoy a brilliant future.
After a while, everybody withdrew their Divine Senses once they confirmed that there were no issues with Yu Chang Dao’s Small Universe.
The Small Universe was the foundation of an Open Heaven Realm Master, so under normal circumstances, one would never allow others to investigate it. Doing so was equivalent to exposing all their secrets after all. It was just that this situation gave them no other choice. The best way to determine whether a person had been corrupted by the Black Ink was to take a look at their Small Universe. The Small Universe of an Open Heaven Realm Master corrupted by the Black Ink was vastly different from normal after all.
With Yu Chang Dao serving as an example, the others quickly opened the portals to their respective Small Universes and allowed the crowd to investigate freely. Every one of them was tense and nervous, scared that another Shi Zheng might appear among them.
Yang Kai finally realized why the Ancestors had been so adamant about investigating his Small Universe when he first began repairing the Universe Temples. Their actions were clearly a precaution lest he turned out to be corrupted by the Black Ink! It was not until they confirmed he was clean that they allowed him to act with peace of mind.
At the time, they also mentioned that the Universe Temples were related to the stability of the 3,000 Worlds. That was something he had yet to understand so far.
Although the Universe Temples were a convenient method of travel, it was a bit of an exaggeration to say that they were related to the stability of the 3,000 Worlds. Nevertheless, these words had come from the mouth of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it was impossible not to wonder about their deeper meaning.
After checking everybody, it was revealed that nobody else showed signs of being corrupted by the Black Ink and the tense atmosphere finally dissipated a bit.
However, thanks to this opportunity, Yang Kai learned about the wealth of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. The foreign affairs envoys of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had many amazing treasures in their Small Universes, some of which simply made one drool at the sight.
Yu Chang Dao nodded and followed up, “We can now be certain that there is nothing wrong with any of us present, but we will still need to check those in the Star Boundary.”
Yu Xiang Die added, “This matter is related to the Black Ink Clan. I’m sure they will take the overall situation into consideration. If anybody raises an objection, then there is no doubt that they have been corrupted by the Black Ink.”
The white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master hesitated for a long time before he carefully opened his mouth, “The Star Boundary’s existence is critical, so this matter cannot be delayed. If there exist other people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink, there is no saying whether they were communicating with Shi Zheng. Now that Shi Zheng is dead, they might target the other Star Boundary Great Emperors. With the current cultivation of the Star Boundary’s Great Emperors, it will be difficult for them to defend themselves.”
While speaking, he would glance at Yang Kai from time to time. He was scared that Yang Kai might suddenly bring out that wooden box again. When he saw that Yang Kai did not react, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and volunteered, “I will head back to the Star Boundary first to ensure its safety.”
Yu Chang Dao nodded, “Many thanks for your hard work. Nevertheless, it is better to bring more people back with you so as to avoid any unexpected accidents. In addition, you can ignore all the others for now, but the Star Boundary Great Emperors must be investigated carefully!”
Yang Kai’s expression twitched slightly at those words, but he did not say anything. Yu Chang Dao’s actions were understandable. Shi Zheng had tried to attack Yang Kai mainly because of the Star Boundary; therefore, the other Star Boundary Great Emperors were also valid targets.
The white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master left quickly with seven or eight other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in tow.
Serene Soul Great Emperor and the others, who had come to help after realizing that Yang Kai was in trouble, soon encountered the white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master and the others coming towards them before they even arrived at their location.
As they were only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, their cultivation was one Order lower than the foreign affairs envoys, so it was only natural for their speed to be slower. That was why they failed to arrive in time even though the dust had already settled regarding this matter.
Along the way here, they also ran into Zhang Ruo Xi. Following a brief inquiry, they hurriedly rushed here as though there were coals burning under their feet.
When both sides encountered each other and understood the situation, Serene Soul Great Emperor and the others immediately realized that the matter was urgent; therefore, they swiftly utilized the privileges of Star Boundary Great Emperors to bring the white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master and the others back directly.
Meanwhile, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who remained in the Star Boundary immediately detected the return of the white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master and the others; hence, they quickly came to ask about the situation.
The white-robed High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master and the others recounted everything that happened earlier, and everybody’s expression turned grim.
The Black Ink Clan and the Black Ink Insect… These were no trivial matters. If they did not handle this matter well, then all the Cave Heavens, Paradises, and the 3,000 Worlds would be dragged into this. It would surely lead to a huge catastrophe. That was why there was not much hesitation, and many High-Rank Open Heaven Masters quickly agreed to submit to an examination.
Many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered at the place where Shi Zheng died, their Divine Senses shuttling back and forth as they communicated with each other.
A short while later, they seemed to reach a consensus. Yu Chang Dao nodded and said, “Since everybody agrees, then let us head to Lang Ya Paradise immediately. Not only will this trip be highly dangerous, but we might also face the risk of death. Please mentally prepare yourselves for that possibility.”
Shi Zheng might be dead, but there were bound to be other Masters in Lang Ya Paradise who were corrupted by the Black Ink. This matter could not be delayed in the slightest; therefore, they had to ferret out the rest of those dangerous existences as soon as possible. It was impossible to remain calm if those people remained in Lang Ya Paradise. There was no saying how many others like Shi Zheng might appear in the future if nothing was done about them now. Most importantly, they had to find the Black Ink clansman in order to avoid future troubles!
They nodded in agreement, but did not pay much attention to the dangers that Yu Chang Dao mentioned earlier. They were all Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so who among them had not faced death head-on before? The Cave Heavens and Paradises had always shared both weal and woe. That was why, even if Shi Zheng was the only one in Lang Ya Paradise who had his identity exposed, the others could not sit idly by and do nothing.
“We need you to come with us too, Sect Master,” Yu Chang Dao said while turning to look in Yang Kai’s direction; however, Yang Kai was no longer there. Yu Chang Dao couldn’t help being taken aback for a moment, “Where is the Sect Master?”
Yu Xiang Die helplessly pointed in a certain direction. He looked in that direction and felt the corners of his brow twitching slightly at the sight.
At some point in time, Yang Kai had gone to the place where Shi Zheng had died. That place was swirling with the Black Ink Smoke, but he was moving around in the smoke without the slightest hindrance. Even if he had the protection of the World Spring in his Small Universe and was not afraid of being corroded by the Black Ink Smoke, wasn’t it too much for him to swim about inside it so fearlessly and unscrupulously?
“What is he doing?” Yu Chang Dao was puzzled.
Yu Xiang Die replied, “I think he is searching for the Small Universe Shi Zheng left behind.”
When the others were discussing matters seriously, she noticed Yang Kai sitting by the side looking bored; however, it didn’t take long before he seemed to think of something. He quickly ran off with an excited look in his eyes and plunged straight into the Black Ink Smoke. It would now seem that he was searching for Shi Zheng’s Small Universe.
Shi Zheng was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and his Small Universe had already been transformed from immaterial to corporeal. If he were killed by an enemy, his Small Universe might have shattered and scattered throughout the Void. Seeing as he died by suicide instead, his Small Universe should have remained intact. There was a high possibility that the Small Universe would be preserved.
In reality, Shi Zheng’s Small Universe had indeed been preserved. It was just that it was hidden somewhere within the Void and enveloped by a thick layer of Black Ink Smoke.
Yang Kai searched around for a bit and soon detected a weak Space Principle fluctuation. Utilising his own Space Principles in the direction of that energy fluctuation, he opened the portal to Shi Zheng’s Small Universe and slipped inside.
As soon as he stepped into this place, he couldn’t help being a little startled. That was because Shi Zheng’s Small Universe was different from any Universe Cave Heaven or Universe Paradise that he had ever entered before. This entire world was dyed in black, as though smeared in pitch-black ink.
He immediately understood why the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had suggested investigating each other’s Small Universes.
The Small Universe of an Open Heaven Realm Master corrupted by the Black Ink was certainly very different from the ordinary. Moreover, the difference was so obvious that it was impossible to conceal and could be seen at a glance. Relying on this method of investigating the Small Universe would accurately reveal whether a person had been corrupted by the Black Ink.
Yang Kai quietly perceived his surroundings. The Universe Paradise that Shi Zheng left behind after his death contained a rich Sword Dao Essence, which was in line with the Divine Manifestation he displayed before.
This Sword Dao Essence was useless to Yang Kai, but he would not have refined this Dao Essence even if it proved otherwise. Shi Zheng had been corrupted by the Black Ink, so who knew whether there was anything wrong with his Dao Essence?
Yang Kai’s purpose in coming here was to search for Shi Zheng’s legacy. After investigating the Small Universes of the many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters earlier, he saw various different treasures. Shi Zheng was also a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, so he should also be fairly wealthy.
There were no traces of living beings in the Small Universe, which indicated that Shi Zheng had not raised any living beings. Not everybody was as blessed as Yang Kai to meet the conditions to raise living beings after all.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense spread out like the tide and he soon found several buildings that resembled houses. Those buildings stood out conspicuously with no intention of concealment whatsoever. The Small Universe was the foundation of an Open Heaven Realm Master after all, so there was no need to worry about their treasures being stolen even if they left the treasures out in the open, unless they were dead.
There were pronounced energy fluctuations within those buildings; therefore, Yang Kai quickly rushed over with gleaming eyes and soon arrived. A quick search of the buildings immediately brought a smile to his face.
The wealth of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was quite substantial indeed. Leaving aside the hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills, there were also cultivation materials of various Orders, including Sixth-Order and even Seventh-Order ones. Not to mention, there were quite a large number of them. He even found some Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials. In addition, there were many artifacts that looked extremely extraordinary.
Shi Zheng was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so there was no saying how long he had lived. In any case, all the treasures that he accumulated in his life and stored in his Small Universe were now taken away by Yang Kai.
Yang Kai searched for a little while longer but found nothing else. Only then did he leave this place. Be that as it may, he used a Space Secret Technique to completely suppress and seal the portal of this Small Universe.
This place was within the boundaries of High Heaven Territory, so if the World Force from Shi Zheng’s Small Universe leaked out into the Void, it was bound to be absorbed by the Star Boundary World Tree. The power of the Black Ink Clan was far too bizarre. More importantly, Yang Kai was unable to determine the ramifications of the World Tree devouring this evil energy.
In that case, he might as well suppress and seal this place completely! With his current attainments in the Dao of Space, there should not be anyone in the 3,000 Worlds who could break through his Space Secret Techniques.
The only thing that continued to pose a problem was the Black Ink Smoke that Shi Zheng left behind. This thing could be said to have come from the same source as the Black Ink Insect. Furthermore, it was extremely corrosive. Leaving it here was not very safe. If a curious passerby were to approach this place, they would most likely end up being corrupted by the Black Ink.
Just as Yang Kai was trying to figure out a solution to the problem, he suddenly heard somebody calling him via transmission. Therefore, he returned to the deck of Yu Xiang Die’s ship.
“Have you finished your discussion?” Yang Kai asked.
Yu Xiang Die nodded, “Yang Kai, we need to head to Lang Ya Paradise as soon as possible. Seeing as Shi Zheng has been corrupted by the Black Ink, Lang Ya Paradise might be in danger.”
Yang Kai simply nodded, “Alright.”
She continued, “If you have nothing better to do, we would like you to come along with us!”
“No problem!” Yang Kai agreed readily.
Everybody couldn’t help being a little taken aback by his answer. They had been thinking about all the ways to persuade him if he refused to join them, but who could have known that he would agree so readily? All the words that they prepared in advance subsequently became redundant.
In their opinion, the biggest reason they wanted him to accompany them was that his Small Universe had the protection of the World Spring. There was no need to worry about him becoming corrupted by the Black Ink. It could be said that any one of them might become infected and be turned, but Yang Kai would not face such issues. He was somebody whom they could put their absolute trust in. In such a treacherous battlefield, a person whom they could trust explicitly would oftentimes make a big difference; otherwise, they would not have wanted to bring him along.
“This trip might be dangerous!” Yu Xiang Die looked at Yang Kai seriously.
Yang Kai laughed, “I faced danger too, when Shi Zheng was trying to kill me earlier. The Black Ink Clan affects the peace of the 3,000 Worlds. This Yang Kai might have been on the safe side for some time, but I am also partially responsible for this matter.”
He then quickly advanced the conversation and asked, “Have you decided on your course of action? You don’t expect all the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise to open the portal of their Small Universe for you to check, right?
Yu Xiang Die shook her head and replied, “We don’t need to check all the Open Heaven Realm Masters. As I told you before, the Black Ink Insect is very rare and precious in the 3,000 Worlds. The Black Ink Clan will not bother to corrupt any cultivators below the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. That is why we only need to investigate the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. At that time, we only need to investigate their Small Universe to discover any problems as soon as possible.”
After pondering in silence for a moment, Yang Kai shook his head and said, “That’s not enough! If there are more Masters who have been corrupted by the Black Ink in Lang Ya Paradise, then your actions will only force them to take drastic measures. There’s no saying how much harm you will cause to Lang Ya Paradise if that were to happen. You might also put yourselves in danger. What if those people choose suicide like Shi Zheng and the Black Ink Smoke in their bodies permeates the air? How can any eggs be left unbroken when the nest has been disturbed? What’s more, you are not looking for the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink, but the actual Black Ink clansman behind them! Investigating the Small Universe is the easiest way to alert them to the situation.”
Yu Xiang Die sighed, “How can we not know that? But investigating Small Universes is definitely the most convenient and effective method. Besides, we can’t think of a better idea. The people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink look no different from ordinary people on the outside. As for the actual Black Ink clansman, we might be able to capture a few people who had been corrupted by the Black Ink and interrogate them thoroughly.”
Yang Kai again shook his head, “Shi Zheng clearly had the strength to fight still, but when he realised that you were approaching and that he no longer had hope of escaping, he resolutely ended his life. His actions go to show that the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink have blind allegiance to them. Although you can find the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink, judging by Shi Zheng’s actions earlier, it is impossible to learn the whereabouts of the Black Ink clansman from them.”
Everybody looked at each other in distress. They undoubtedly had a greater understanding of the Black Ink Clan than Yang Kai. Even though it was their first time seeing somebody who had been corrupted by the Black Ink, there were some records in ancient books after all. Besides, they also witnessed the scene of Shi Zheng’s suicide just now, so they knew that Yang Kai was speaking the truth. The people who had been corrupted by the Black Ink were literally loyal to the death, so it was extremely difficult to obtain any clues from them.
“Do you have any good ideas?” Yu Xiang Die asked.
Yang Kai rubbed his chin quietly, then he suddenly turned to look at the Black Ink Smoke that Shi Zheng left behind. An inexplicable light flickered in his eyes and a short while later, he finally asked, “Do you know whether the people who are corrupted by the Black Ink can sense each other?”
Yu Xiang Die shook her head, “That has never been confirmed; after all, the 3,000 Worlds has been stable for so many years, with the exception of the incident from 70,000 years ago. At the time, only one person had been corrupted by the Black Ink. Besides, very little information on the Black Ink Clan has been recorded in the ancient books.”
Yang Kai thus said enthusiastically, “We should prepare for the worst-case scenario. Assume that there is a pure Black Ink clansman concealed within Lang Ya Paradise, there are many Masters who have been corrupted by the Black Ink, and these Masters are able to sense each other.”
Yu Chang Dao looked at Yang Kai with a puzzled expression, “Sect Master, why does it seem as though you are very excited?”
“Nonsense!” Yang Kai flatly denied, “I’m simply making assumptions. How can I possibly be excited?”
Somebody asked puzzledly, “So, what if the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink can sense each other? And, so what if they can’t?”
Yang Kai rubbed his chin and replied, “I have a bold idea! Wait here for a moment, I’ll be right back!”
While saying so, he suddenly turned around and charged into the Black Ink Smoke.
Everybody looked at each other, not having any idea what Yang Kai was doing.
In the blink of an eye, the Black Ink Smoke that was as dense as fog began to churn violently and recede at a speed that was visible to the naked eye.
Somebody exclaimed in astonishment, “Is he collecting the Black Ink Smoke!?”
If that was not the case, then there was no other explanation for the scene in front of them.
The expressions of Yu Chang Dao and Yu Xiang Die changed greatly at the sight, and they nervously paid close attention.
After refining the World Spring, Yang Kai’s Small Universe was flawless and impermeable. External forces could not invade or harm his Small Universe. Even the Black Ink Smoke and the Black Ink Insect could hardly shake him in any way; however, those were only external forces. There was no saying what would happen if Yang Kai opened a portal into his Small Universe and collected the Black Ink Smoke into his body.
Be that as it may, the scene in front of them clearly indicated that he was doing exactly that. For a time, all of them were extremely nervous. They also secretly thought to themselves that Yang Kai was far too daring. Even High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters like them were terrified of the Black Ink Smoke, but he was actually accepting it into his body!
Yang Kai had indeed opened the portal to his Small Universe inside the Black Ink Smoke and guided it into his body.
He had been wondering about what to do with the Black Ink Smoke just now. The Black Ink Smoke did not look like it was about to disappear any time soon, but he could not leave it be without doing anything either. The only solution was to set up a Grand Array that would cover this area and turn this region into a Restricted Area. Be that as it may, doing so would only draw more attention to this place. Who could say whether a random passerby with abundant curiosity would try to break the barrier to take a peek inside?
Upon learning that Yu Chang Dao and the others planned to bring him to Lang Ya Paradise with them, Yang Kai couldn’t help but entertain the idea of taking the Black Ink Smoke away with him to avoid future troubles!
He had completely suppressed and sealed the portal to Shi Zheng’s Small Universe with a Secret Technique, so without him, other people would never be able to open it even if they knew the location. If he could take the Black Ink Smoke away with him, then he would truly have nothing to worry about anymore.
At the same time, he had an idea that he wanted to verify. His understanding of the Black Ink Clan and the people corrupted by the Black Ink was too lacking. The Cave Heavens and Paradises did not know much about this topic either, so he might be able to use this opportunity to do some experiments.
Naturally, Yang Kai was not foolish enough to gather all the Black Ink Smoke into his Small Universe in one go; after all, it would be too late for regrets if something went wrong.
He first tried to collect a small amount of the Black Ink Smoke into his Small Universe. To his pleasant surprise, he soon discovered that the Black Ink Smoke remained suppressed by the power of the World Spring even when it was inside his Small Universe. It was unable to cause any disturbances, much less affect his heart or mind. In this way, he confidently and boldly went ahead with his idea.
[The World Spring is amazing! No wonder it is listed as one of the Four Universe Pillars!] When he first obtained the World Spring in the Shattered Heaven, Yang Kai never imagined that it would have such a powerful suppression effect on the Black Ink Clan.
If that was true for the World Spring, then the other three would surely be no different. The Four Universe Pillars were pretty much the nemesis of the Black Ink Clan!
It didn’t take longer than an incense for all the Black Ink Smoke to be collected into Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
When he returned to the group, they stared at him extremely vigilantly. Several dozen auras were locked firmly on him, and they looked as though they would blast him to smithereens at the slightest sign of trouble.
Yang Kai felt awkward for a moment before he quickly opened the portal to his Small Universe, “Please calm down, everyone. I have not been corrupted by the Black Ink. Please take a good look.”
They did not hold back. At this time, it was better to err on the side of caution. Numerous Divine Senses poured into Yang Kai’s Small Universe to investigate the situation.
In one corner of his Small Universe, a large cloud of Black Ink Smoke seethed as though it had a mind of its own. Fortunately, it was suppressed and sealed in place by an invisible force that made breaking through impossible. Apart from this spot where the Black Ink Smoke existed, the rest of Yang Kai’s Small Universe was business as usual.
Everybody breathed a sigh of relief. It was not until this moment that they knew the World Spring had such a wonderful effect, and they couldn’t help feeling envious for a time.
One should not be fooled by the fact that their cultivation was higher than Yang Kai’s. If they were to encounter the Black Ink Insect or the Black Ink Smoke, they would be powerless to resist.
“Yang Kai, please be very careful. If you notice anything strange about the Black Ink Smoke, you must immediately split off and abandon the contaminated land. Even if you have to damage your Small Universe, you must never allow yourself to be corrupted by the Black Ink!” Yu Xiang Die warned.
Splitting off and abandoning the contaminated land in one’s Small Universe was the method recorded in the ancient books of the Cave Heavens and Paradises to defend against the Black Ink Smoke and Black Ink Insects. Doing so would damage one’s Small Universe and might even cause their cultivation to regress, but it was still better than being corrupted by the Black Ink.
“I understand!”
“Sect Master Yang, those small stone creatures…” One of them remained curious about the Small Stone Race living in Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
“Small stone creatures? I don’t know what you’re talking about. You must be mistaken.”
Brushed aside by Yang Kai, that person looked extremely speechless. [I’m not blind. Those strange stone men were running around everywhere. How could I have seen wrongly?]
“Good! Let’s stop the idle chat here!” Yu Xiang Die looked around, “We should set off for Lang Ya Paradise as soon as possible. If there are no objections, then we should depart now!”
Everybody nodded in agreement; thus, Yu Xiang Die immediately steered the ship to head towards the Territory Gate.
On the deck, Yang Kai said, “Seniors, I have a plan, but I don’t know if it is feasible.”
Everybody immediately became curious and Yu Xiang Die asked, “What plan do you have? Let’s hear it.”
Yang Kai explained, “I’m sure your original plan is to head straight towards Lang Ya Paradise to investigate the Small Universe of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, find those who have been corrupted by the Black Ink, and follow the trail in search for the true Black Ink clansman.”
She nodded.
“This plan is simple and straightforward indeed, but we have already mentioned the drawbacks earlier. We might also alert the enemies and make the Black Ink clansman behind the scenes become vigilant. Besides, those who have been corrupted by the Black Ink might not reveal any useful information. If that’s the case, then we will only capture some of the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink at most. That only treats the symptoms and not the root cause. The Black Ink Clan clansman hiding behind the scenes might use the Black Ink Insect to corrupt others in the future if we cannot find them.”
At this point, Yang Kai suddenly proposed, “But, what if I infiltrate them? As you know, I have not been corrupted by the Black Ink; however, the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink don’t know that. When Shi Zheng attacked me this time, he believed that his success was a certainty. I’m sure the rest of the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink think so too. That’s why, in their opinion, Shi Zheng would have succeeded. So… they will believe I am one of them!”
Everybody nodded when they heard those words. The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were not fools. Not to mention, Yang Kai had already made his meaning so simple and clear. It was not difficult for them to understand.
“So, my idea is… Let me go to Lang Ya Paradise first to figure out just who has been corrupted by the Black Ink. It will be even better if I can figure out the identity or location of the Black Ink clansman. At that time, the enemy will be in the dark but we are not. It won’t be too late for you to take action then!”
Yu Xiang Die pondered for a moment, then she nodded lightly, “This is a good idea indeed. But, in doing so, you will face great danger if you are exposed.”
If this plan was implemented, then the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could not enter Lang Ya Paradise with him. On the contrary, they would be required to lie in ambush and wait for news from him. They could only make a move once they received confirmation from Yang Kai.
In response, Yang Kai just smiled, “Their strongest means are the Black Ink Insects and the Black Ink Smoke. Unfortunately, both these two things are ineffective against me. The hardest part is trying to get them to accept me! That is why I asked whether the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink can sense each other and verify each other’s identities as a result.”
Yu Chang Dao immediately understood, “Sect Master, did you collect the Black Ink Smoke into your Small Universe for this reason?”
Yang Kai nodded, “It will be for the best if they are unable to sense each other. If that’s the case, then they will have no way to judge whether I have been corrupted by the Black Ink. At that time, I only need to mention Shi Zheng and I’m sure they will not suspect me too much. But, if they have the means to sense each other…”
While saying so, he suddenly lifted his hand and a wriggling ball of Black Ink Smoke immediately appeared above his palm.
The expressions of the Masters around Yang Kai changed drastically at the sight, and they swiftly retreated.
Yang Kai quickly stored the Black Ink Smoke and chuckled, “I’m sure this will be enough to reassure them.”
Yu Xiang Die glared at Yang Kai, “Use your mouth to talk; don’t frighten others!”
“Yes, yes,” Yang Kai quickly nodded in agreement. “In any case, let me infiltrate them and figure out the truth. It will be better than attacking them head-on from the start.”
Yu Xiang Die nodded lightly before asking the crowd, “What do you think?”
Their previous plan had been much simpler, but there was no real hope of capturing the real Black Ink clansman with it. On the other hand, Yang Kai’s methods might be a little convoluted, but were more likely to eradicate the Black Ink Clan threat once and for all.
Comparing the two, the answer was obvious.
“I agree with Sect Master Yang’s proposal,” somebody said.
“And I!”
“Count me in!”
…
A short while later, everybody came to an agreement.
Yu Xiang Die then declared, “Since nobody has any other opinions to express, we will act according to this new plan.” She turned to look at Yang Kai, “It’s just that… doing this will not guarantee your safety. When you enter Lang Ya Paradise, you have to be very careful. We will try and figure out a way to sneak in and meet up with you.”
Yang Kai smiled, “Even if I am exposed, I can flee if I can’t win. I’m good at this kind of thing. At that time, I will need your help to clean up the situation, Seniors.”
“That’s easy enough,” Everybody nodded once more.
Yang Kai did not know whether it was only his imagination, but he seemed to sense a trace of approval in the eyes of these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
In the past, even though he could stand on equal footing with the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and negotiate with them in certain areas, he had never received their true recognition.
For all this time, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had always looked at him like he was a young upstart.
That was not difficult to understand though as the Cave Heavens and Paradises had spent years to achieve the prosperity, heritage, and fame they enjoyed today.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had relied on the Star Boundary’s World Tree and his status as a Star Boundary Great Emperor to obtain the right to speak to them on equal footing. Didn’t that make him a nouveau riche in the eyes of aristocratic families with a long history of inheritance?
Nevertheless, the situation was different now. Technically speaking, he could have ignored the matter related to Lang Ya Paradise as he was not part of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Although he held the title ‘Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-Law’, he had yet to actually marry Qu Hua Shang.
However, Yang Kai had taken the initiative to volunteer to infiltrate the enemy’s base to gather intelligence. The courage to take on such a task was not something just anyone would possess.