The higher one’s Order in the Open Heaven Realm, the stronger one became, and there was a huge disparity in strength between each Order. Take Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like themselves for example. With their strength alone, they were completely powerless against a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, let alone an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. In the eyes of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was probably no different from an ant.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai had been pursued by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. With him standing here unscathed, there was no need to further elaborate on what happened at the end. It was obvious that he had successfully escaped the pursuit of that Eighth-Order Master.
Such a feat was even more shocking and admirable compared to how he challenged and defeated all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise by himself.
“It was during that incident that I had the opportunity to enter the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land. As you know, Senior, I have a Dragon Clan bloodline. Entering the Ancestral Land is like a fish diving into water for me,” Yang Kai continued, “This Junior saw a Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was suppressed and sealed in the Ancestral Land since ancient times.”
“A Black Ink Giant Spirit God!” Yuan Du’s expression became excited.
“That’s right.” Yang Kai nodded, “Speaking of which, I didn’t understand why the Giant Spirit God had that appearance at the time, much less why a Giant Spirit God was suppressed and sealed in the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land in the first place. After all, the Giant Spirit God Clan has a gentle, almost child-like temperament. As long as one does not provoke them, they will not provoke others. For a long time, this Junior had wondered why the Giant Spirit God was suppressed and sealed in ancient times. Just what kind of conflict took place between that Giant Spirit God and the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land?
“It was not until later when this Junior was enlightened by Elder Shi Zheng that I understood. The Giant Spirit God had embraced the Black Ink. That was probably the reason why the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land were in conflict with him back then.”
Yuan Du’s eyes were shining so brightly that he looked terrifying, “That must be the reason. Looks like the Giant Spirit God had indeed been enlightened.” Pacing back and forth with an excited and agitated expression, he suddenly stopped moving and asked, “Martial Nephew, are you sure the Giant Spirit God is dead?”
Yang Kai revealed a look of remembrance, “Although countless years have passed, the Giant Spirit God’s corpse remains perfectly intact. The Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land claimed that he was dead, but I’m not sure about the specific circumstances. I’ve never observed the Giant Spirit God from up close after all. In any case, the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land have designated that area as a Restricted Area, so nobody dares to approach carelessly.”
Those words were peppered with half-truths. He could be certain that the Giant Spirit God was dead; after all, many Divine Spirits headed by the Phoenix Clan and the Kun Clan had risked danger and ventured deep into the Giant Spirit God’s body to investigate. Their investigation did not reveal the slightest hint of vitality.
“If that’s the case, then there’s a possibility that he’s not dead!” Yuan Du’s expression became even more excited, “How powerful is a Giant Spirit God!? How could he possibly be killed so easily!? Even the Divine Spirits can’t achieve something like that! He’s simply suppressed and sealed in that place. I’m sure he is accumulating strength and waiting for the chance to rise again!”
Having said that, Yuan Du laughed heartily and reached out to pat Yang Kai on the shoulder, “Martial Nephew, you are the lucky charm of the Black Ink Disciples! You brought such great news as soon as you arrived!”
“Honoured Master,” Gu Ling’er called out from the side, “Are we going to figure out a method to rescue the Giant Spirit God?”
Yuan Du quickly said, “Of course! We definitely need to rescue such a powerful helping hand. Nevertheless, we need to confirm whether he is still alive first. If he is still alive, then we must rescue him. But, if he is dead, then there’s no point. Besides… that place is the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land. With our strength alone, I’m afraid our hope of success is slim to none.”
Judging from his words, he could not confirm whether the Giant Spirit God was alive or dead even though he seemed pretty confident that the Giant Spirit God was still alive earlier.
He turned to look at Yang Kai, “I’m afraid we will have to rely on you for this matter, Martial Nephew. It is the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land, after all, so only you can freely access that place.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “I will do whatever it takes!”
Yuan Du nodded in satisfaction, “But, before that, we should ask the Divine Lord for advice. Come with me.”
After saying that, he beckoned to them and led them in a certain direction.
Zong Yu Quan and the others immediately followed with excited expressions, as though something good was going to happen.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s heart raced slightly. The ‘Divine Lord’ that Yuan Du mentioned just now forcefully reminded him of the Black Ink Clansman! If he was not mistaken, then the ‘Divine Lord’ that Yuan Du mentioned was most likely the Black Ink Clansman hiding in the shadows!
[Will I face my greatest trial so quickly?] There was no denying that Yang Kai came to Lang Ya Paradise for this purpose. What’s more, he had been working hard in this direction. It was just that the opportunity to approach his target came so quickly that he was mentally unprepared.
In front of Yuan Du and the others, he could simply use the Black Ink Strength suppressed and sealed in his Small Universe to conceal the truth and deceive them.
However, could he keep his identity hidden in front of a true Black Ink Clan member? Would the Black Ink Clan have some sort of special method to distinguish between friend and foe? He did not know. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to proceed forward at this point. His only option was to take things one step at a time. In the worst case, he could transform into a Grand Dragon and fight to the death.
At this moment, there was something else that puzzled him even more. [Could it be that the Black Ink Clansman is hidden in Yuan Du’s Small Universe World? Otherwise, there is no explanation for his current behaviour.]
A short while later, they arrived at an empty space where an altar in the shape of a Nine-Layer Pagoda stood on the ground ahead. It was several tens of metres tall and made from an unknown substance. More importantly, there was an eerie and sinister aura pervading it.
Yang Kai had been guarding against the Black Ink Clan and contemplating how he should react when faced with the true Black Ink Clan member. Therefore, he couldn’t help feeling confused when he suddenly caught sight of the altar. [What the Hell is that for!?]
On the contrary, the Black Ink Clan that he had been guarding against was nowhere to be seen.
Zong Yu Quan, Gu Ling’er, and the others clearly knew what was going to happen in advance. It might not even be their first time here, so their expressions were calm. Nonetheless, their gazes were extremely feverish when they looked in the direction of the altar, almost as though filled with reverence.
Yuan Du stepped forward with a solemn expression. Standing below the altar, he reached his hand out and grabbed at something. A short sword appeared in the palm of his hand. Then, he slashed the sword down his wrist. The short sword was extremely sharp. Not to mention, he had dispelled his defensive powers, so as soon as the sword came slashing down, his flesh churned and fresh blood spurted out violently.
He raised his hand and scattered his blood across the altar while chanting something. Nobody knew what he was muttering, but following his actions, his entire Small Universe began to vibrate. The Black Ink Strength churned and wriggled as though it had a life of its own.
Meanwhile, Zong Yu Quan and the others watched and waited with fiery gazes.
Yang Kai turned his head to the side, leaned close to Gu Ling’er’s ear, and whispered, “Senior Sister Gu, what is Senior Yuan Du doing?”
Gu Ling’er blushed slightly but patiently explained nevertheless, “Honoured Master is trying to communicate with the Divine Lord.”
[Communicate…] He suddenly understood. The Black Ink Clansman was not in this Small Universe. Why else would they need to go through such tedious procedures? Although Yang Kai did not know where the Black Ink Clan member was hiding, was it really possible for Yuan Du to communicate with them just by doing this? He couldn’t help being extremely sceptical!
After waiting for a long while, the altar remained unresponsive. On the contrary, Yuan Du’s complexion became pale due to excessive blood loss. Even if he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it was impossible for him to last long when his blood was spilling freely from his wrist like a fountain.
Yang Kai leaned towards Gu Ling’er again and whispered, “Senior Sister, there’s no response!”
Gu Ling’er continued to blush, “It’s like that sometimes. Not every attempt to communicate will succeed!”
“Why?” Yang Kai was puzzled. Logically speaking, the Black Ink Clansman should be very responsive to the Black Ink Disciples. Be that as it may, her words indicated that the success rate of this communication method was rather inconsistent.
Despite not understanding the reason for everything that was happening at the moment, Yang Kai carefully recorded this scene in his heart. He would need to report his findings to Li Yuan Wang and the others later. As Elders from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, they might know something.
“I don’t know either,” She slowly shook her head.
After a whole hour had passed, Yuan Du’s complexion became as white as paper. Just as his figure was about to collapse, the altar suddenly trembled violently.
In the next moment, Yang Kai’s expression changed slightly. That was because he sensed a mighty Will resembling the Heavens descending from the sky without any warning. Compared to that Will, all the living beings in the World seemed like nothing more than ants.
[Is the Black Ink Clansman really this powerful!?] His heart thumped wildly in his chest.
Following the advent of that Will, a look of excitement appeared on Yuan Du’s pale face. His voice also became louder at the same time.
Yang Kai could not understand what Yuan Du was saying at all, but he vaguely guessed that it was some kind of mantra to summon the advent of the Black Ink Clansman’s Will.
All of a sudden, pitch-black Black Ink Strength spread out from the pagoda-like altar and flowed outward in all directions like water. It was extremely pure Black Ink Strength.
Zong Yu Quan and the others immediately knelt on the ground with their hands stretched out in front of them and their bodies lowered to the ground. They constantly prayed in the direction of the altar.
Yang Kai was stuck in a daze when he felt Gu Ling’er tugging sharply on the corner of his clothes. Hesitating slightly for a moment, he imitated their actions and prostrated himself on the ground.
The Black Ink Strength that resembled real black ink flowed out of the altar and slowly came close. Zong Yu Quan and the others then absorbed and collected the Black Ink Strength into their Small Universes.
Upon receiving the nourishment of the Black Ink Strength, their expressions became even more enlivened. Even Yuan Du, who suffered from excessive blood loss, seemed to become as mighty as a dragon and fierce as a tiger at this moment.
Under these circumstances, Yang Kai did not dare to do anything suspicious. He simply allowed the Black Ink Strength to pour into his Small Universe, then activated his strength to suppress and seal it.
The Will that descended without warning earlier had left him feeling extremely on edge, for fear that his identity would be revealed; however, he soon discovered that the majestic Will was not paying any attention to him. In fact, the Will seemed a little strange. It was strong one moment and weak the next, erratically fluctuating in an endless cycle.
After boldly perceiving the energy for a moment, Yang Kai vaguely discovered that the Will was rather simple. There was not the slightest hint of subjectivity. In other words, the Will gave off the feeling of a person with a blank mind.
If there were no thoughts, then how could it communicate? How could it respond to Yuan Du’s summons and descend here? Everything was extremely odd!
The entire ritual did not last for long. From the beginning to the end, only an hour or so pass. Once the ritual ended, the Will that descended slowly vanished into nothingness. Only then did Yuan Du get to his feet and stand there with his brow wrinkled tightly.
Everybody else also followed suit and stood up. All of them were flushed and glowing as though they had just received great nourishment.
Yang Kai looked around. [Oh, no! I can’t be the exception!]
Thus, he secretly activated his strength and forced his complexion to become as red as fire, turning his skin a radiant shade!
The Will that descended from the altar just now had subsided, but Yuan Du continued to stand there with a deep frown on his face. The others did not dare to disturb him carelessly, so they could only wait quietly.
After a while, he finally blew out a breath softly and raised his hand, “Let’s go out first before we talk.”
When the words left his mouth, his Small Universe that was spread outward closed swiftly.
Yang Kai felt his vision blurring for a moment, and by the time it returned to normal, he was already standing in the room from before. He anxiously asked, “Senior, what were the instructions of the Divine Lord?”
Yuan Du shook his head and said nothing.
Yang Kai was extremely anxious, but did not dare to ask questions rashly lest he roused Yuan Du’s suspicion again. It had taken a lot of effort for him to infiltrate the Black Ink Disciples’ organisation and obtain Yuan Du’s recognition; therefore, things would not end well if he roused Yuan Du’s suspicions again.
A long time passed before Yuan Du finally looked up at Yang Kai, “Martial Nephew, can I trouble you to make another trip to the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land? Please figure out a way to determine the life or death of the Giant Spirit God.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Of course, that’s not a problem. I’ve already received the recognition of the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land during my last trip there. Ordinary people are not allowed to enter that place at will, but as a Grand Dragon, I can freely enter and leave that place without obstruction.”
“That’s good. This matter is not urgent though, so you can go when you are free, Martial Nephew.”
Yang Kai then asked, “Senior, it’s one thing if the Giant Spirit God is dead. But, what if he is still alive? Do I need to think of a way to rescue him?”
Yuan Du asked, “Can you do that?”
Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment, “It will be difficult! Senior, you might not know this, but the Divine Spirits all gather in the Ancestral Land. There are many Divine Spirits with strength comparable to Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. My strength is very insignificant there. But, if the Giant Spirit God is still alive and I can figure out a way to rescue him, then no matter how many Divine Spirits are in the Ancestral Land, they will not be his opponents!”
Yuan Du nodded, “A Giant Spirit God is powerful indeed, but he has been suppressed and sealed for so many years. Even if he is alive and receives help from you, it will be difficult for him to wield his full strength for some time.”
The gears in Yang Kai’s head spun, “Maybe I can figure out a method to bring all of you into the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land! That way, we can cooperate from both the inside and the outside! Senior, how many Black Ink Disciples do we have? How powerful are they?”
Yuan Du replied, “All of them are already gathered here. By the way, there’s also Jiang Yan. He left on a mission and has yet to return. The last one would be Elder Shi Zheng, who oversees the Star Boundary!”
Yang Kai’s mouth fell open, “Are there only so few Black Ink Disciples?”
Yuan Du laughed, “Did you think enlightening a Black Ink Disciple is easy?”
Yang Kai answered, “I only know that you need the Black Ink Insect.”
“That’s right. The enlightenment of each Black Ink Disciple requires the use of a Black Ink Insect. The Black Ink Insects are bestowed by the Divine Lord and are extremely rare. It took me several thousand years to get just a few, and I gave the last one to Elder Shi Zheng to use on you.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai showed an expression of realisation, his heart calming down considerably.
[This is great! I’m glad there are only so few Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise!] Although he could not rule out the possibility that Yuan Du was lying to him, Yuan Du had already accepted his identity, so there should be no need for him to conceal anything anymore. What’s more, this matter was related to the Giant Spirit God.
If there were many Black Ink Disciples, Yuan Du would definitely have shown some greater ambitions. Unfortunately, with so few Black Ink Disciples, it was practically impossible for them to rescue the Giant Spirit God, who was suppressed and sealed in the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land.
More importantly, Yuan Du no longer had any Black Ink Insect in his possession! For most of the Open Heaven Realm Masters, the Black Ink Insect was the most troublesome aspect. Without this threat hanging over their heads, they would have much less scruples when taking action in the future.
“Looks like we have to work hard to gather more companions!” Yang Kai rubbed his chin, looking as though he was thinking hard about the future.
“This King would like that too, but the instances when the Divine Lord bestows the Black Ink Insects are simply too unpredictable.”
Yang Kai gave a leisurely sigh, “If that was the case, you should have enlightened more Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Senior!” After saying that, he seemed to realise something and turned to give Gu Ling’er and the others an apologetic look, “Please don’t take offence. This Junior Brother is not looking down on you. It’s just that the gap in power between a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master is extremely large. Of course, you will also advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm soon.”
Gu Ling’er and the others looked indifferent and turned a deaf ear to him.
Yuan Du smiled slightly and said, “It’s not that simple. The Black Ink Insect might be able to convert others into Black Ink Disciples, but the Black Ink Insect itself is actually extremely fragile. Even a First-Order Open Heaven Realm Master can effortlessly kill a Black Ink Insect if they are prepared. That is why I have to catch others off guard in order to enlighten them. Elder Shi Zheng and I are very close friends, so he was always unguarded around me and became enlightened as a result. That would not work for the other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise. Moreover, if I failed in my attempt to convert them, this King’s identity would not be secret anymore.”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened, “Senior, have you ever thought of enlightening Sect Master Li? We can bring him back to the right path.”
Everybody was shocked by his words. In their opinions, Yang Kai was far too daring. They could not believe that he had set his sights on the Sect Master. However, upon further consideration, they realised that although the risk was very high, if they succeeded, the benefits that they would enjoy were also correspondingly terrifying.
If the Sect Master were to convert others in turn, the strength of the Black Ink Disciples would surely expand like a snowball rolling down a hill. The entire Lang Ya Paradise would become the Black Ink Disciples’ base of operations if that were to happen.
“It can’t be done!” Yuan Du waved his hand forcefully in a dismissive action, “The Sect Master’s cultivation is at the point where he can break through his shackles and advance into the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm at any time. There is no chance of success at all unless we can get very close to him. Even if we manage to approach him, it would be hopeless as long as he does not lower his defences.”
Yang Kai smiled, “It will naturally be impossible if we take action ourselves, but what if Gu Pan were to do it instead?”
Yuan Du stiffened slightly in surprise, but he immediately came back to his senses, “Martial Nephew, are you saying…”
“The reason you didn’t convert Gu Pan earlier was that she had yet to advance into the Open Heaven Realm, isn’t that right? Now that she has advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, there is hope for her to advance into the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future. She has more than enough qualifications for you to use a Black Ink Insect on her now. Once she becomes a Black Ink Disciple, she can then enlighten the Sect Master! Our chances are very high!” Yang Kai earnestly enticed Yuan Du.
Yuan Du rubbed his chin in contemplation, looking rather interested in the idea.
Just as Yang Kai mentioned, the reason he had not converted Gu Pan earlier was that her cultivation had been too low and there was no guarantee whether she could successfully advance into the Open Heaven Realm.
By the time he made plans to enlighten Gu Pan, the news about the Star Boundary’s World Tree came out. Comparatively speaking, he had greater interest in Yang Kai. That was why he used the last Black Ink Insect on Yang Kai in hopes of using his strength to control the Star Boundary.
In that way, all the rising stars produced in the Star Boundary would become the reserve force of the Black Ink Disciples. When they had gathered enough power, the Black Ink Disciples could set off a storm in the 3,000 Worlds!
“What you’ve said holds true, Martial Nephew. Unfortunately, we lack the Black Ink Insect right now,” Yuan Du nodded lightly, “Leave this matter to me. I will do my best to ask the Divine Lord to bestow more Black Ink Insects. On the other hand, I will have to trouble you over the matter regarding the Giant Spirit God in the Ancestral Land.”
Yang Kai agreed readily, “No problem!”
“Let’s stop here for today,” Yuan Du started to climb to his feet as he spoke.
Yang Kai quickly said, “Senior, this Junior has a question to ask you.”
Yuan Du looked at Yang Kai, “Go ahead!”
Yang Kai asked, “Where is the Divine Lord? Is the ritual we performed just now the only method to communicate with him? Wouldn’t it be better to meet him in person?”
Yuan Du smiled bitterly, “How could I not have thought of meeting the Divine Lord in person? I’ll be honest with you, Martial Nephew. In all these years, although the Divine Lord has occasionally responded to my requests, he has never communicated directly with me before. Moreover… I have the feeling that the Divine Lord is trapped somewhere. I don’t know where that place is located, but the Divine Lord is probably on the verge of breaking out soon.”
Yang Kai was shocked, but his expression remained unchanged on the surface, “How do you know, Senior?”
Yuan Du laughed, “That’s because the Divine Lord very rarely responded to the sacrificial offering ritual at the beginning. Nine out of ten times, the ritual would be unsuccessful; otherwise, I would not have had so few Black Ink Insects through so many years. But, the situation began to change about 100 years ago. The frequency of the Divine Lord’s response became higher and higher, especially in the past decade. There have been almost no failures at all.”
Yang Kai immediately ‘cheered up’, “In that case, it must be as you say, Senior.”
The Black Ink Clan’s response towards Yuan Du’s sacrificial offering ritual was becoming more and more frequent. There could only be one explanation for that. Just as Yuan Du mentioned earlier, the Black Ink Clansman was about to break free of whatever prison they were trapped in. That was why the communication between both parties had been greatly enhanced.
[Who was the Black Ink Clansman trapped by? Where are they trapped?] Yang Kai did not know, but Yuan Du was no more informed either.
Yang Kai had countless other questions that he wanted to ask; for example, how did Yuan Du come into contact with the Black Ink Clansman in the first place or how did Yuan Du become corrupted? Unfortunately, he could not ask any more questions at this time. In any case, the information he learned so far was enough. The situation at hand was clear, and it was time to take action. Besides, he was simply grateful that his efforts in Lang Ya Paradise were not in vain.
“Black Ink Eternal!” Yuan Du whispered solemnly before he took his leave.
The rest responded in unison, “Black Ink Eternal!”
Afterwards, Zong Yu Quan and the others left quickly. It was not appropriate for them to remain gathered here after all. If not for the pretext of inviting Yang Kai over for an exchange, it would have been difficult for them to gather together under normal circumstances.
“Junior Brother Yang.” Gu Ling’er called out in a gentle voice, “Junior Sister Gu Pan has already entered the Five Lights World, right?”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s right. Sect Master Li sent her there as soon as the training ended.”
She then smiled, “To be able to receive kindness from you, Junior Brother Yang, Junior Sister sure is blessed.”
If Yang Kai had not conceded defeat at the last moment, how could Gu Pan have obtained victory? All the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise were well-aware of that fact.
“I couldn’t just defeat everybody after all. Sect Master Li might have beaten me up himself otherwise.”
Gu Ling’er complained resentfully, “You didn’t hold back against me at all, Junior Brother.”
During the training, Yang Kai not only injured her but also forced her to buy his healing pill by compulsion without discrimination. Every time she recalled that incident, she couldn’t help feeling resentful.
“Hahaha…” Yang Kai gave a dry laugh, not knowing what to say in this situation.
“Junior Sister Gu Pan is currently inside the Five Lights World. You’ve been involved in the training all this while, Junior Brother, I’m sure you have not taken a good look at the scenery in Lang Ya Paradise. Why don’t I show you around? There are many fun places in Lang Ya Paradise.”
Faced with the request of such a gentle woman like Gu Ling’er, especially under the ardent gaze of her watery eyes, there was probably no man in the world who would refuse her; however, Yang Kai shook his head and said, “Maybe next time. I wish to go to the Ancestral Land as soon as possible to confirm the life or death of the Giant Spirit God. This matter is related to the rise of the Black Ink Clan, so it cannot be delayed.”
Since he brought up the Black Ink as an excuse, she could not refute anything he said; thus, she could only nod in response, “I hope you have a smooth journey, Junior Brother.”
“Senior Sister, take care! I’ll be taking my leave now!” He cupped his fist, then soared into the air and departed in the blink of an eye.
An hour later, many people witnessed the Sect Master’s Legacy Disciple Dong Peng giving Yang Kai a send-off from Lang Ya Paradise.
Inside a secret room, many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were gathered together. There were at least fifty or sixty of them altogether. It was conceivable how fifty or sixty Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered together would be an extremely terrifying force.
Aside from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, there were no other great forces that could bring out such a line-up. Nevertheless, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered here were not from the same Cave Heaven or Paradise. They each represented one of the great forces that stood at the top of the 3,000 Worlds.
More than a month had passed since they arrived at Lang Ya Territory, but they had remained hidden inside this secret room throughout this period. With the exception of Sect Master Li Yuan Wang, Vice Sect Master Gao Ting, several Supreme Elders, Gu Pan, and Dong Peng, no one else in Lang Ya Paradise was aware of their arrival.
At this moment, they were all waiting for something. Although there were so many of them, the secret room was totally silent. For Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, such patience was nothing. Only Li Yuan Wang, who sat in the highest seat, seemed very uneasy and subconsciously rubbed his fingers together lightly.
All of a sudden, a weak energy fluctuation appeared, followed by the sound of footsteps. Everybody became alert and turned to look in the direction of the sound.
A short while later, Yang Kai stepped into the secret room under Dong Peng’s guidance. Although he had departed Lang Ya Paradise earlier, his actions were only to fool the Black Ink Disciples. He later secretly returned to Lang Ya Paradise with the help of Dong Peng. It was thanks to his proficiency in the Dao of Space that his quick trip was unknown to all the other people in Lang Ya Paradise, apart from Dong Peng whom he had made arrangements with in advance.
“Greetings, Seniors!” Yang Kai bowed in greeting.
“Sit!” Li Yuan Wang gestured with his hand.
Yang Kai murmured his thanks and took a seat.
Several dozen pairs of eyes stared fixedly at him as Li Yuan Wang asked, “What did you learn?”
Gu Ling’er previously gathered Zong Yu Quan and the others under the pretext of inviting Yang Kai over for an exchange of pointers. As the Sect Master, he was naturally aware of the circumstances. In particular, those people had already been identified as Black Ink Disciples by Yang Kai. That alone was a great cause of concern for him.
Yang Kai had immediately taken his leave after departing from Gu Ling’er’s place, so Li Yuan Wang had not had the time to ask anything.
“There’s good news and bad news. Sect Master Li, which would you like to hear first?” Yang Kai asked while looking at Li Yuan Wang.
Li Yuan Wang reluctantly replied, “Let’s hear the good news first.”
Yang Kai said, “The good news is that, apart from the few people who I’ve already identified as Black Ink Disciples, there are only two other fish who slipped through the net. One of them is a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master named Gong Wen Shan!”
“Gong Wen Shan…” When Li Yuan Wang heard the name, he turned to look at Gao Ting.
Gao Ting looked sad, “Wen Shan has also been corrupted by the Black Ink?”
Judging by his tone and expression, he probably had high hopes for Gong Wen Shan. Unfortunately, it was meaningless no matter how much he favoured him now that he had been corrupted by the Black Ink. Although the appearance of a person corrupted by the Black Ink would not look any different from usual, they were no longer the same person as before inside.
Li Yuan Wang murmured, “When that child Wen Shan first advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, it had only been to the Fourth Order. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was his limit. It was only thanks to many years of intense cultivation that he was able to obtain his current achievements. Therefore, it was inevitable for him to succumb to the temptations of the Black Ink Strength. I’m afraid that’s probably one of the reasons the mastermind chose him.”
Yang Kai exclaimed, “As expected, you know about some of the mysteries of the Black Ink Strength.”
Judging from the meaning behind Li Yuan Wang’s words, it could be seen that he knew about the ability of the Black Ink Disciples corrupted by the Black Ink to break the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm and advance without limitations.
“It looks like you’ve heard of it too!” Li Yuan Wang glanced at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded, “As long as those who have been corrupted by the Black Ink have enough resources, they can continue to advance in their cultivation without limitations. That is indeed a huge temptation. It’s no wonder that the Cave Heavens and Paradises have always kept the information regarding the Black Ink a secret since ancient times.”
“That’s right. People’s hearts are unpredictable. If this information were spread to the public, who can guarantee that those with ulterior motives or misanthropy will not take the initiative to seek out the Black Ink Strength? Although it is basically impossible for the Black Ink Clan to exist in the 3,000 Worlds, there is always an exception to everything. Lang Ya Paradise’s current situation is that exception.” Li Yuan Wang sighed deeply.
Gao Ting looked at Yang Kai and asked, “You mentioned that there are two fish who slipped through the net. If one of them is Gong Wen Shan, then who is the other one?”
Yang Kai’s expression became solemn, “That’s related to the bad news I have for you. The last person is Yuan Du!”
“What!?” Li Yuan Wang was shocked and even Gao Ting had a look of disbelief on his face.
That was Yuan Du! One of the three Vice Sect Masters in Lang Ya Paradise!
It was obvious that the other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters present in the room were also aware of Yuan Du’s identity, so their expressions at this moment were extremely serious.
One of the three Vice Sect Masters in Lang Ya Paradise turned out to be corrupted by the Black Ink. If this news were spread to the public, they would be subjected to endless ridicule.
Li Yuan Wang could barely believe what he heard, “Martial Nephew, are you certain that person is Yuan Du?”
Yang Kai replied, “I saw him myself. How can it be anything but the truth?”
“Are you acquainted with Yuan Du?” Li Yuan Wang asked persistently. It was not that he did not believe in Yang Kai’s words, it was just that the truth was simply too difficult for him to accept.
“When I first came to Lang Ya Paradise and went to visit you with Junior Sister Gu, I met Yuan Du along the way. Junior Sister Gu explained his identity to me at the time,” Yang Kai explained.
Li Yuan Wang thought back for a moment before he nodded in response, “That’s right. Before you arrived, I was discussing some matters with Yuan Du. You arrived right after he departed.”
In that case, it could be confirmed that Yang Kai was speaking the truth. The identity of the final person corrupted by the Black Ink could also be confirmed. It turned out to be one of the three Vice Sect Masters in Lang Ya Paradise! Even if Li Yuan Wang had strong mental fortitude, he was shocked by the news and lost his composure.
The news that Yang Kai brought certainly consisted of good news and bad news.
The good news was that Lang Ya Paradise’s situation was not as dire as they initially predicted.
When Shi Zheng’s identity as a Black Ink Disciple was first exposed, many foreign affairs envoys from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises had been extremely worried about the situation in Lang Ya Paradise. Nobody knew how many Black Ink Disciples were hidden after all. That was also why they immediately dispatched several dozen High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters with the intention of helping Lang Ya Paradise and containing the situation.
It was only at this moment that they discovered that the situation was not too terrible or unbearable. There were only a few people who had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. In this way, the situation could be controlled to a certain extent. There was no need to worry about the information being leaked to the outside and causing a panic.
On the other hand, one of the three Vice Sect Masters of Lang Ya Paradise turned out to be a person corrupted by the Black Ink. There could not be any worse news for Lang Ya Paradise.
Yu Xiang Die of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven said, “Tell us about all the events and people that you encountered in detail. Let’s take a look at the situation together!”
“En!” Yang Kai responded before he continued, “During the training, I confirmed the identities of several Black Ink Disciples. By the way, the people who are corrupted by the Black Ink and eroded by the power of the Black Ink Clan call themselves Black Ink Disciples!”
Everybody nodded lightly. That was something none of them had known beforehand. It couldn’t be helped since nobody had ever infiltrated the Black Ink Disciples to gather more information.
Yang Kai continued, “Gu Ling’er is one of them. After the training, I received an invitation from her. She invited me to her Spirit Province for an exchange meeting. When I arrived, I saw that the other Black Ink Disciples in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were already there. In the beginning, the conversation was very ordinary. It was no different from the gatherings with the other Fellow Brothers. Then, Yuan Du came…”
Yang Kai described everything he encountered and heard in Gu Ling’er’s Spirit Province to them in great detail. The main reason was that he was worried about missing out on any useful information. There was no denying that the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters present in this place knew more about the Black Ink Clan than he did. There was no denying that if Shi Zheng had not tried to drag him into the matter, he would not have known about the existence of something as evil as the Black Ink Clan even now.
When he told them about how Yuan Du had repeatedly tried to sound him out, everybody couldn’t help feeling very nervous even though they knew he must have resolved the issues without any danger; after all, he would not be sitting here safe and sound otherwise.
Upon hearing about the altar and Yuan Du’s sacrificial offering ritual, they furrowed their brows slightly in response. Then, when they heard about the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land, they finally turned pale in fear.
Yu Xiang Die asked in shock, “Did you make up that story to deceive Yuan Du, or is that story the truth?”
Yang Kai responded sternly, “The Black Ink Giant Spirit God does exist. He still sits within the Ancestral Land. However, I did not tell Yuan Du the whole truth. At the time, several Divine Spirits headed by the Phoenix Clan and the Kun Clan went deep into the Giant Spirit God’s body to investigate the situation. They confirmed that he had been dead for many aeons. Besides, when I first obtained the Dragon Clan’s Crystal Palace, I also witnessed various scenes from the ancient war with its help. During that ancient war, the Dragon Clan’s Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Clan’s Phoenix Empress burned all their Blood Essence and used the Sacred Treasures of all the Divine Spirit Clans as a foundation to split the Ancestral Land into two. Using that as a basis, they managed to suppress and seal the Giant Spirit God.”
Although he witnessed various scenes from the ancient war back then, he had not known about the actual situation at the time, much less understood why a Giant Spirit God was in conflict with the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land. It was not until later when he came across the Black Ink Disciples that he suddenly understood the entire situation. The Demon Sealing Land passed down by word of mouth between the Divine Spirits should actually be known as the Black Ink Sealing Land!
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s response, everybody breathed out a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that the Giant Spirit God was dead! The Giant Spirit God Clan was an extremely terrifying Race after all. If he was not dead, even the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land would not be able to stop him if he were released from captivity. At that time, rivers of blood would surely flow in the 3,000 Worlds.
Gao Ting said, “In other words, Yuan Du’s current goal is to free the Giant Spirit God!”
“That’s right!” Yang Kai nodded, “But, his efforts are bound to be in vain.”
He nodded lightly, “The situation is still within control.”
Yuan Du had no reason to deceive Yang Kai at the time, so his words back then were probably the truth.
The Black Ink Insects were extremely rare. For that reason, he only managed to corrupt a few people in Lang Ya Paradise over the years. Among them, with the exception of the dead Shi Zheng, the rest were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
At this moment, they could only be certain about one thing: Yuan Du was the cause of everything. As long as they cut off the source and clip the wings that he developed, then the worrying situation in Lang Ya Paradise would be resolved.
Unfortunately, they could not be certain as to where the true Black Ink Clansman for whom Yuan Du had performed the sacrificial offering ritual was currently hiding! Just solving the issue of Yuan Du and the Black Ink Disciples would not eradicate the problem completely. If they could not remove the fundamental cause of this issue, then a second or even a third Yuan Du might appear again in the world several thousand years later.
Li Yuan Wang observed worriedly, “Judging by the meaning behind Yuan Du’s words, the Black Ink Clansman is probably being suppressed and sealed somewhere in the 3,000 Worlds. If his contact with the Black Ink Clan had become more and more frequent over the past 100 years, then it can be speculated that the suppressed and sealed Black Ink Clan member is showing signs of regaining their freedom!”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s also what Yuan Du claimed.”
“Regarding the place where the Black Ink Clan is being held, do the rest of you have any ideas?” Li Yuan Wang raised his head and looked at the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters below him.
Everybody shook their heads in response.
Yu Chang Dao spoke, “There has not been any unusual news from any of the Great Territories in the 3,000 Worlds over the years. Besides, there are no related records written in the ancient books of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. It can be surmised that the suppressed and sealed Black Ink Clansman has existed since a very long time ago. This incident might even have occurred before the birth of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.”
Yang Kai suddenly had an idea, “Could it be in the same era as when the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan suppressed and sealed the Black Ink Giant Spirit God?”
Li Yuan Wang reached up and stroked his beard, “That’s not impossible, but nobody can confirm the truth.”
There was no other explanation as to why there were no records in the ancient books of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. If such an evil existence had truly been suppressed and sealed, then the ancient books passed down through the inheritance of the Cave Heavens and Paradises would surely have mentioned the incident.
Even the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were clueless about this matter. In that case, the suppressed and sealed Black Ink Clan member could only have existed a very long time ago.
“Could it be located in the Shattered Heaven?” Somebody asked with a frown, “The situation of the Great Territories in the 3,000 Worlds is basically known to us. Only the Shattered Heaven is chaotic and filled with all sorts of dangers. Even High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters like us might not escape unscathed if we ventured deep into the Shattered Heaven and encountered danger. It would make sense to say that the Black Ink Clansman was being suppressed and sealed in the Shattered Heaven!”
Yu Xiang Die acknowledged the idea, “Looks like we need to investigate the Shattered Heaven thoroughly. This matter is of grave importance, so there can be no room for negligence.”
Li Yuan Wang nodded in agreement, “Let’s discuss this matter later. At present, it is more important to deal with the Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise.”
“Senior Brother Li, please make the arrangements. We will support Lang Ya Paradise unconditionally!”
They originally thought that there were many Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise, which was why several dozen High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had rushed here so quickly. They wanted to take precautions to prevent future disasters. Now that it had been confirmed that there were not many Black Ink Disciples, their tense nerves relaxed considerably. With so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters present, it would not be a problem for them to deal with a few Black Ink Disciples. They only needed to be careful not to be contaminated by the Black Ink Strength.
As for the affairs of Lang Ya Paradise, they had to be settled by Lang Ya Paradise.
In the following days, everything was calm and quiet. The training that was triggered by Yang Kai was the talk of the town. That training had also inspired the determination of many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise to cultivate harder. It was said that as many as several hundred Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise had entered retreat all at once after the training. Some even vowed not to come out of retreat until they advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Consequently, the once lively Lang Ya Paradise suddenly became much quieter and more desolate than usual.
In the Spirit Province where Li Yuan Wang lived, many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters concealed their figures as though they were waiting for somebody to come. Similarly, Yang Kai concealed himself in the Void. With the help of the Grand Array around the Spirit Province, he disguised himself to prevent his aura from being discovered.
On the porch of a thatched hut below, Li Yuan Wang sat in a rattan chair like an elderly farmer in the countryside. There was a teacup in his hand, and he would take a sip from time to time.
A stream of light sped over from a distance and landed in front of Li Yuan Wang. That person cupped his fist and said, “Greetings, Sect Master!”
Li Yuan Wang smiled and gestured with his hand, “Sit!”
Yuan Du nodded and sat beside Li Yuan Wang before he asked curiously, “Did you summon me here because you needed something from me, Sect Master?”
Li Yuan Wang shook his head, “Can’t I have a chat with you for no particular reason, Senior Brother?”
Yuan Du was slightly taken aback. [‘Senior Brother’… It has been so long since I heard those two words. When was the last time I heard this title? Was it 3,000 years ago? Or, 5,000 years ago?]
It was so long ago that he could no longer recall.
“Of course, you can.” Yuan Du smiled, “Come to think of it, it has been a long time since we Fellow Brothers sat together so quietly like this.”
“That’s right.” Li Yuan Wang sighed, “Ever since you became the Vice Sect Master and I became the Sect Master, we’ve only been worrying about Lang Ya Paradise every single day.”
Yuan Du glanced sideways at Li Yuan Wang, “I’ve never seen you paying much attention to these affairs, Junior Brother. On the contrary, the grey hairs of the three Vice Sect Masters have been increasing year after year.”
“Bullshit!” Li Yuan Wang responded with a straight face, “I’ve devoted all my blood, sweat, and tears to Lang Ya Paradise! How could Lang Ya Paradise become so glorious otherwise!?”
Yuan Du jokingly scolded, “Don’t flatter yourself! This is the foundation that many Seniors have worked hard to lay down over immeasurable years! You are simply managing what they succeeded to build!”
Li Yuan Wang replied seriously, “Managing what they succeeded to build is not a simple feat. Everybody else thinks that being the Lang Ya Paradise Sect Master is marvellous, but they do not know how much my heart breaks over the Lang Ya Paradise disciples.”
Yuan Du curled his lips, “Your shameless behaviour has never changed, no matter how many years passed, Junior Brother.”
Li Yuan Wang suddenly exclaimed, “On the other hand, you’ve changed a lot, Senior Brother!”
Yuan Du’s eyes narrowed slightly, “How did I change?”
Their gazes met. Then, Li Yuan Wang’s expression became extremely solemn, “You’ve gotten older, Senior Brother. You’ve long lost the suaveness of youth!”
After saying that, he burst into laughter with a smug look on his face, as though he himself was very young.
Yuan Du also laughed along.
The two Fellow Brothers seemed to have returned to the time when they were young and carefree. Although they constantly used to bicker, they had a very close relationship with each other.
Yuan Du had joined the Sect earlier, and by the time he advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, Li Yuan Wang had only just started cultivating. It was just that Yuan Du’s Order when he first advanced into the Open Heaven Realm was not as high as Li Yuan Wang’s. That was why they were both in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm today.
“Do you think the old man is dead?” Li Yuan Wang suddenly asked.
Yuan Du chuckled, “The old man is such a lively person. How can he be dead? He was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm when he left!”
“En!” Li Yuan Wang nodded, “You’re right. With his personality, even if everybody else was dead, he would still be alive and kicking!”
At the mention of the old man, Yuan Du seemed to deflate and lose interest. Therefore, the two Fellow Brothers fell back into silence.
Li Yuan Wang took a sip of tea, and his voice became a little grimmer, “Senior Brother, don’t blame the old man too much for what happened back then. He made you advance into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm for your sake. I didn’t understand at the time, but now that I am the Sect Master… Every time a disciple preparing to advance into the Open Heaven Realm comes and asks me which Order would be safer for them to advance into based on their heritage, I feel like I am holding their future and destiny in my hands. My choices… My answer to their question will affect their entire life.”
Yuan Du remained silent.
“I was too young back then. Besides, too much time has passed. There is no way to determine what your heritage was at the time, but since the old man asked you to advance into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it must mean that advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm would have been very risky for you. The old man at the time was just like me now. He held your future in his hands, but his choice was made for your sake. It may only be a one-Order difference between the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but the slightest misstep would have extinguished your Soul. How could the old man bear to watch you fall short at such a critical moment?”
Yuan Du lowered his head, causing a dark shadow to cover his eyes.
“To this day, do you still think that the old man was wrong, Senior Brother?” Li Yuan Wang asked.
Yuan Du finally opened his mouth, “As you’ve said, Junior Brother, how can I not know that the old man was only acting in my best interests?”
“If that’s the case, then why can’t you understand?” Li Yuan Wang looked at Yuan Du sorrowfully.
Yuan Du shook his head, “Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, it’s still a possibility. A person who gives up before even trying is already sick in the head!”
Li Yuan Wang stared at Yuan Du calmly. A long while passed before he sighed, “Senior Brother, it’s never too late to turn around and repent!”
Yuan Du’s gaze went slack, and he stared into the distance quietly, “I’ve already passed the point of no return, Junior Brother!”
His eyes seemed to have a peculiar power that allowed him to see through the void. Staring directly in the direction of Yang Kai, he frowned, “To be honest, I’m more curious about how that boy is able to resist the Black Ink Strength.”
He had not known anything when he first arrived, but he soon understood after his conversation with Li Yuan Wang. He was not a fool after all. Besides, Li Yuan Wang’s behaviour today was simply too abnormal.
Yang Kai’s hiding spot was located not far from Yuan Du, and due to the gap in their strengths, it was impossible for Yang Kai to keep his presence hidden under Yuan Du’s intentional search of the surroundings.
Seeing as his cover had been seen through, Yang Kai revealed himself without further ado and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Senior!”
Yuan Du looked at Yang Kai with a puzzled look on his face, “Your Small Universe has already been corrupted by the Black Ink, so why aren’t you affected?”
“Senior, what you saw was this…” Yang Kai partially manifested his Small Universe, causing its projection to appear behind him.
Just as Yuan Du had previously seen, the Black Ink Strength writhed about in Yang Kai’s Small Universe; however, as Yang Kai’s Small Universe spread outward, more scenery entered Yuan Du’s vision.
Yuan Du immediately understood, “Four Universe Pillars!”
If there was anything in the world that could truly restrain the Black Ink Strength, then it could only be the Four Universe Pillars. The powers of a Divine Spirit could not fully resist the erosion of the Black Ink Strength. After all, even a Divine Spirit could become corrupted by the Black Ink. It was just that the possibility of a Divine Spirit being corrupted by the Black Ink was much lower than an Open Heaven Realm Master of the same strength.
Needless to say, Yuan Du knew about the effects of the Four Universe Pillars. It was just that the Four Universe Pillars were extremely rare treasures that could only be dreamt about by most; hence, he never even imagined that Yang Kai would have one of them, much less that Yang Kai would be so bold and reckless as to suppress and seal the Black Ink Strength in his Small Universe to deceive his eyes.
“So, does that mean Shi Zheng is dead?”
He was the one who ordered Shi Zheng to use the Black Ink Insect to corrupt Yang Kai, but Yang Kai was safe and sound. Not to mention, Yang Kai had the Black Ink Strength suppressed and sealed in his Small Universe. The source of the Black Ink Strength could only have been Shi Zheng.
Yang Kai nodded.
During their conversation, numerous figures appeared out of nowhere. There were at least a dozen High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered in this place. Meanwhile, Li Yuan Wang gave a wave of his hand, activating the Sealing Grand Array of the Spirit Province to isolate the inside from the outside.
Yuan Du swept his glance over the crowd and chuckled, “What an impressive line-up! You really think highly of this Yuan!”
With so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might not stand a chance, much less Yuan Du, who was only in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. He had no chance of winning this fight. It was certain death for him!
Yuan Du was dead. His death was not caused by anybody else but himself. He died by suicide.
It was just like what Shi Zheng had done in High Heaven Territory when faced with a situation of certain death. In the face of insurmountable odds, he did not show any resistance and simply chose to cut off his vitality. His actions were extremely decisive.
This was a completely unexpected situation. The dozen or so High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t even get the chance to take action. On the contrary, they were quite shaken to personally witness a Master, who was their equal in terms of status and identity, resolutely taking his own life in front of them.
Yang Kai frowned slightly at the sight. Staring at the spot where Yuan Du had died, he couldn’t help feeling extremely unsettled in his heart.
These Black Ink Disciples seemed to think nothing of their lives after being corrupted. This incident only made him more and more aware of the horrors of the Black Ink. The Black Ink Strength was a force capable of controlling one’s body and mind, which even a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could not resist.
After watching the Senior Brother whom he had known for thousands of years dying in front of him, Li Yuan Wang’s gaze became very complicated. He stood frozen in place without saying anything for a long time.
Gao Ting stood by his side. Looking up into the horizon, he gave a soft whisper, “Sect Master!”
It was not until he heard his voice that he returned to his senses. He waved his hand and removed the Sealing Array around the Spirit Province.
Immediately after that, a figure sped through the sky towards them. It was Dong Peng. Landing in front of Li Yuan Wang, he bowed and cupped his fist, “Honoured Master, everything has been dealt with. There are no survivors.”
Li Yuan Wang nodded lightly.
When he invited Yuan Du over, he had also arranged for the others to deal with Gu Ling’er and the rest of the Black Ink Disciples at the same time. Even Jiang Yan, who left Lang Ya Paradise some time ago, had Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters tailing him. As soon as he approached High Heaven Territory, they would automatically get rid of them.
“Were there any casualties?” Li Yuan Wang asked.
Dong Peng shook his head, “There was some resistance, but no casualties.”
Li Yuan Wang nodded.
On the contrary, Yang Kai breathed out a sigh of relief when he heard those words. It was normal to have some resistance in the face of death. If all of the Black Ink Disciples had the same courage as Shi Zheng and Yuan Du to sacrifice themselves, then it would be too terrifying. Still, it seemed not everyone could disregard their lives so easily.
Although Lang Ya Paradise did not lose many people in this incident, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters they lost were people who either held important positions in the Sect or had very high popularity. The disappearance of one or two of them could have been ignored, but all of them disappearing abruptly was bound to arouse the suspicions of the disciples.
Naturally, Lang Ya Paradise had already prepared the means to deal with the aftermath. It just so happened that many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who suffered defeat at Yang Kai’s hands had declared that they were going to enter retreat after the training ended. The disappearance of Gu Ling’er and the others could be explained away by claiming that they had gone into retreat. As for Yuan Du, the same would apply to him.
Over time, the waves would naturally subside.
“Many thanks to all of you for coming to help with this matter. Lang Ya Paradise is very eternally grateful,” Li Yuan Wang composed himself and turned to thank the many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered around him.
Even though they did not get the chance to make a move because Yuan Du had ultimately chosen to end his own life, Yuan Du might have resisted if they had not been watching the situation from nearby. There was no saying whether he would have fought Li Yuan Wang under the compulsion of the Black Ink Strength.
Yu Xiang Die nodded lightly, “Since ancient times, the Cave Heavens and Paradises have always been one family. You’re being too polite, Senior Brother Li.”
The affairs of Lang Ya Paradise could be considered to have been resolved; however, while they were hiding here, they remained unaware of the situation of their own respective Sects. Before rushing over to Lang Ya Paradise, they had already sent messages back to their respective Cave Heavens and Paradises to inform them about the reappearance of the Black Ink Strength.
If everything went as planned, then the Cave Heavens and Paradises had probably been checking themselves in the recent period. Judging from the current situation in Lang Ya Paradise, it was unlikely that the Black Ink Disciples existed in the other Cave Heavens and Paradises. Even so, there was always a possibility. If Lang Ya Paradise had a person like Yuan Du, then the other Cave Heavens and Paradises might have one too.
Li Yuan Wang said, “Now that Yuan Du is dead, the source has been cut off. It will not be easy for us to track down the Black Ink Clansman after this. Do you have any other ideas?”
Yuan Du was nothing more than a Black Ink Disciple. While he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and one of the Vice Sect Masters of Lang Ya Paradise, he was insignificant compared to the actual Black Ink Clan member. Now that he had chosen to take his own life, the search for the true Black Ink Clansman became the top priority of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. As long as the Black Ink Clansman was not found, all of them would have trouble sleeping soundly at night.
Nobody spoke up. During the previous discussion, they had concluded that the Black Ink Clan was most likely hiding in the Shattered Heaven. That place was not only vast, but extremely dangerous and chaotic, so it was much easier to hide and cover one’s tracks there compared to any of the other Great Territories in the 3,000 Worlds. As such, it was not going to be easy to find the whereabouts of the Black Ink Clansman in the expansive Shattered Heaven.
Yang Kai stepped forward and said, “If you will allow me, Seniors, I would like to investigate Yuan Du’s Small Universe. I might be able to learn something there.”
Yu Chang Dao’s eyes lit up at those words, “The altar!”
The only means for Yuan Du to communicate with the hidden Black Ink Clansman and receive Black Ink Insects was through the power of the altar and the sacrificial offering ritual. Although he was dead, the altar that was connected with the Black Ink Clan might not necessarily have been destroyed. They might actually discover something by studying that altar.
None of them had considered this idea. It was not that they were dull-witted. Rather, the Black Ink Strength was so evil and invasive that they subconsciously assumed that the Small Universe left behind by Yuan Du was a forbidden zone.
On the other hand, Yang Kai not only had the World Spring, but also in-depth experience from entering Shi Zheng’s Small Universe once. It was only natural for him to view the situation from a different point of view.
“Are you confident?” Yu Xiang Die asked with concern.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I can only give it a try.”
How could he be certain about anything? Despite witnessing Yuan Du’s actions during the sacrificial offering ritual, he could not figure out how Yuan Du had gotten in touch with the Black Ink Clansman earlier. Even if he did manage to get in contact with the Black Ink Clansman, he was even more uncertain about whether they would discover that he was not part of the Black Ink Disciples.
Nevertheless, giving a dead horse medicine could not harm the horse any further. He could only do whatever he could in this situation. It would not make a difference if he learned nothing, but if he did learn something, then it would certainly be a pleasant surprise. It would be even better if he could determine the location of the Black Ink Clan member’s hiding place through this opportunity.
Li Yuan Wang did not give an immediate answer; instead, he activated his Divine Sense and communicated with the other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters for a long time. Only then did he turn to look at Yang Kai, “Be careful!”
Those words indicated his agreement.
Yang Kai nodded. Stepping forward, he walked towards the spot where Yuan Du had died.
Yuan Du was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so the Small Universe in his body had been fully materialized. The situation of his death was similar to Shi Zheng where his Small Universe hadn’t shattered but had instead been exiled to the Void, leaving only an external portal behind. Even his body had been devoured by his vanished Small Universe.
At this moment, there was an extremely uncomfortable aura coming from the portal. It was the aura of the Black Ink Strength.
Thanks to his prior experience, Yang Kai could be considered traversing a familiar path. His figure flickered and he plunged into Yuan Du’s Small Universe.
Just like the scene he saw a few days ago, Yuan Du’s Small Universe was pitch-black. The dense Black Ink Strength writhed and surged tumultuously like ink that had been spilled on the ground.
Unfortunately, as Yuan Du had died by suicide, the Universe Paradise he left behind was now a chaotic mess. With the World Barriers cracked and the landscape turned upside down, it was now essentially a mass of shattered Spirit Provinces that were being loosely held together.
Yang Kai could only secretly pray that the altar had been preserved; otherwise, he would not have the opportunity to come across another one again.
Wandering around in Yuan Du’s Small Universe, he tried his best to compare his surroundings with the scenes in his memories to search for a sense of familiarity. It took several hours before he found the altar in the shape of a Nine Layer Pagoda on a Spirit Province that only had a radius of several dozen metres.
Using a Secret Technique, Yang Kai removed the altar completely and relocated it to a larger, stabler Spirit Province. He silently recalled Yuan Du’s various actions from before, then he reached out to retrieve a sharp longsword from his Space Ring and slashed at his arm. Having withdrawn his defensive abilities, the sword slash immediately caused his Golden Dragon Blood to spurt out and splatter across the altar.
Yang Kai allowed his blood to flow freely, but even so, his brow furrowed with worry. Yuan Du had used his own blood as the sacrificial offering and simultaneously muttered something under his breath back then. Unfortunately, Yang Kai did not know what Yuan Du had said at the time. He could imitate actions such as offering his own blood as a sacrificial offering, but how could he know what Yuan Du had been chanting at the time? It might have been some kind of irrelevant mantra or a crucial part of the ritual. He was not sure whether Yuan Du’s muttering would have any effect on the sacrificial offering, so all he could do right now was give his best attempt and leave the rest to fate.
Golden Blood continuously dripped onto the altar as Yang Kai suppressed his emotions and waited quietly. Yuan Du had also performed the sacrificial offering ritual for quite a long time. It seemed that the Black Ink Clansman only responded after a long wait, so Yang Kai was not in a hurry. Be that as it may, he never expected the altar to remain unresponsive even after three whole days had passed. The Dragon Blood he spilled was enough to fill a pond by then.
The situation gave him an inevitable sense of discouragement, and he wondered whether his method was wrong. If his method was wrong, then it didn’t matter how much blood he spilled or how long he waited. He would never get in touch with the hidden Black Ink Clansman. Therefore, Yang Kai decided to wait one more day, and if there was still no effect, he would immediately leave.
To his pleasant surprise, the altar reacted half a day later. Pure Black Ink Strength suddenly poured out like poisonous snakes sliding out from the shadows and quickly wrapped around him.
The Black Ink Strength pouring out of the altar was slightly different from the Black Ink Strength that Yuan Du owned. Although the Black Ink Strength could not be called dense, it was much purer in comparison.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling shocked! He had only done this on a whim, so it was surprising that his method actually worked!
In spite of his excitement, he remained extremely vigilant. He did not forget that a mighty Will had descended all of a sudden when he watched Yuan Du performing the sacrificial offering ritual. The horror of the Will demonstrated the strength of its owner. That power was not something he could resist.
Pure Black Ink Strength surged around Yang Kai as if trying to flood into his body. He pondered in silence for a moment but ultimately did not resist. The Black Ink Strength then quickly infiltrated his body and rushed into his Small Universe.
In the next moment, the majestic Will that he experienced previously descended again without warning! All of a sudden, his entire body was struck with an exceptionally peculiar feeling. It was cold, dark, and deathly silent. At the same time, an unstoppable restraining force came from all directions to envelope him in countless layers. He was unable to move a single muscle as a result.
This feeling made him panic, but he soon came to realise that this horrendous feeling did not belong to him. When the majestic Will descended and the Black Ink Strength poured into his body, he resonated with the Will to some extent. It would seem that this resonance allowed both parties to spy upon a fraction of each other’s inner feelings.
[These feelings of gloomy darkness, silence, and restraint are not my own but that of the Black Ink Clansman!] As soon as Yang Kai realised that fact, he cursed in his heart. [Shit! If we resonate with each other during the sacrificial offering ritual, then the Black Ink Clansman will surely realise that I am not part of the Black Ink Disciples!]
He immediately tried to cut off the connection, but his efforts were completely useless.
The magnificent Will plunged straight in and invaded his consciousness, causing him to feel an involuntary sense of adoration. It felt as though the Will reigned supreme in the world. Any kind of resistance was a form of blasphemy and disrespect. Only surrender was the correct path!
A dense layer of cold sweat immediately broke out across his forehead. There was an immense battle taking place in his heart, and the look in his eyes became uncertain.
At that critical moment, a cool feeling spread out across his mind and abruptly brought him back to his senses. It was the Soul Warming Lotus! When things reached a critical point, the Soul Warming Lotus reacted automatically.
In the next moment, he raised his hand to summon his spear and thrust it out. His World Force burst out at the same time. The altar in front of him shattered in response, and the dense Black Ink Strength scattered into the surroundings. Holding his spear in one hand, he gasped for breath with an expression of lingering fear on his face.
The situation just now had undoubtedly been very dangerous. If the Soul Warming Lotus had not stepped in at the last moment, he was uncertain as to whether he could resist the influence that the Will exerted on him. Moreover, if he had failed to withstand the pressure, he would have suffered tragically even if he did not become corrupted by the Black Ink.
The Black Ink Strength was extremely strange indeed!
A short while later, Yang Kai walked out from the Yuan Du’s Small Universe. Many of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had been waiting for several days, so they quickly questioned him as soon as he appeared.
Yang Kai told them all about the situation he encountered in detail, but he concealed the existence of the Soul Warming Lotus. He only told them that he struggled with all his strength just to deal the critical blow, which cut off his connection between him and the Black Ink Clansman.
Li Yuan Wang’s expression was extremely solemn, “Is the Black Ink Clan capable of affecting one’s consciousness out of thin air?”
That was extremely important information. Although the Cave Heavens and Paradises had some understanding of the Black Ink Clan, they only knew that the Black Ink Strength was extremely aggressive and corrosive. That was why they had always been on guard against the Black Ink Strength; however, if the situation was as Yang Kai had described, then there would be far more precautions to be taken in the future.
Yang Kai pondered in silence, “The Black Ink Clan’s Will is certainly powerful, but it might not necessarily be that terrifying.”
“What do you mean?” Yu Chang Dao asked.
Yang Kai explained, “This situation did not happen when I experienced the sacrificial offering ritual with Yuan Du. The only difference is that Yuan Du was the one presiding over the sacrificial offering ritual back then and I was the one presiding over it this time. There’s a high possibility that only the person performing the sacrificial offering ritual will be directly affected by the Will. The others are unable to form a direct connection with the Black Ink Clan member, so they naturally will not be affected.”
Everybody nodded lightly. It was not impossible. If that was the extent of the Black Ink Clan’s Will power, then the threat of the Black Ink Clan was not that terrifying after all.
Yang Kai sighed again, “It’s such a pity. While the sacrificial offering ritual barely succeeded this time, there was no way to figure out where the Black Ink Clansman was hiding.”
Li Yuan Wang replied, “It doesn’t matter. The universe might be large, but now that we have a goal, as long as we patiently keep searching, we will definitely locate them one day.”
That was something the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to handle. It was no longer something that Yang Kai could handle alone.
“I heard you have the Profound Yin Bamboo in your possession.” Li Yuan Wang suddenly turned to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai blinked, “There might be a need for everybody to sit down and discuss this matter!”
He previously opened up his Small Universe and allowed the others to investigate him to clear the suspicion of being corrupted by the Black Ink. Therefore, some of the secrets in his Small Universe had been exposed. The existence of the Profound Yin Bamboo was witnessed by many of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Besides, this was one of the bargaining chips that he had prepared to negotiate with the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so there was no need to deny its existence.
The Profound Yin Bamboo was one of the Twelve Minor Universe Pillars. Its effects were not as powerful as the Four Universe Pillars, and its cultivation required a massive cost. Nevertheless, it was extremely useful for every Open Heaven Realm Master with a Small Universe that had materialized. It was certainly a treasure. Unfortunately, in order for it to show its strengths, one would have to spend massive amounts of their own strength to cultivate it.
Yang Kai had personally verified this fact. The Profound Yin Bamboo mainly devoured the World Force in order to grow and spread into a forest. In that way, it would take at least hundreds to thousands of years of hard work to turn the Profound Yin Bamboo into a bamboo forest that was not very large in terms of scale.
That was equivalent to turning the World Force stemming from hundreds to thousands of years of intense cultivation into the nutrients required for the growth of the Profound Yin Bamboo. As a result, the heritage of the Open Heaven Realm Master would weaken and their strength would decline.
If it was before, they might not have been so desperate to obtain the Profound Yin Bamboo; however, with the reappearance of the Black Ink Clan, their desire to obtain the Profound Yin Bamboo had changed.
Even if this treasure could not make their Small Universe as robust and flawless as the World Spring, or prevent the invasion of external forces completely, it could at least increase their resistance against the Black Ink Strength.
In other words, the existence of the Profound Yin Bamboo might save their lives at a critical moment. Comparatively speaking, the risk of losing the heritage of their Small Universe or declining in strength was not worth worrying about. No matter how much their strength decreased, their Order would not decline.
After hearing what Yang Kai said, the many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters subconsciously clutched at their respective Space Rings. They couldn’t help recalling what happened during the training at Lang Ya Paradise.
During the training, Yang Kai had treated all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise as fat sheep and sheared off their thick layer of wool for his own use. His actions left many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters resentful and miserable due to the heavy losses they suffered.
With those people as an example, how could anything good happen to them? They could practically foresee a greasy, smiling face as he tried to take the lion’s share from them.
Negotiations over the Profound Yin Bamboo took place in a secret room, along with the discussion for the Good Fortune Divine Furnace.
The matters regarding the Good Fortune Divine Furnace remained up in the air. The main reason for the situation was that both parties were unsatisfied with the terms offered by the other side. Before Yang Kai was attacked by Shi Zheng, the foreign affairs envoys at the Star Boundary were supposed to discuss this matter with him after two days. Unfortunately, the reappearance of the Black Ink Clan had immediately disrupted all their plans. It was not until now that this issue was brought up again.
Yang Kai was fixated on the Small Source Worlds of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Even though he named his conditions in the past, none of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had shown any intention of giving in to his demands.
The opportunity to enter the Small Source Worlds was extremely precious to any Cave Heaven or Paradise. More so, since it was not enough for the use of their own disciples. The disciples often had to wait in line for hundreds of years, sometimes even thousands of years, before they could enter. How could they possibly give such an advantage to outsiders?
If not for the reward from the training previously, Gu Pan would not have the qualifications to enter the Five Lights World for training either. That was the case even for a Core Disciple like her, so what more need be said about the Common Disciples?
Since Void Land did not have a Small Source World of their own, they could only set their sights on others instead.
Although it was said to be a negotiation, the truth was that Yang Kai one-sidedly refused everybody else. The rights of use for the Profound Yin Bamboo and the Good Fortune Divine Furnace were very attractive to all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Be that as it may, Yang Kai refused to accept any other conditions aside from the qualifications to enter the Small Source World for training.
On this point, neither Yu Chang Dao nor Yu Xiang Die spoke up for Yang Kai. Although they were inextricably linked to him, they were foreign affairs envoys as well. In other words, they represented the interests of the Sects behind them.
The discussion went on for a day and a night. Throughout this entire period, Yang Kai continued to insist on his demands; thus, the others could only give in upon seeing his persistence.
In the end, the final results of the negotiation were decided. Each Cave Heaven and Paradise would provide the qualification to enter a Small Source World once for training. In return, Yang Kai had to provide each Cave Heaven and Paradise with five stalks of the Profound Yin Bamboo and the right to use to the Good Fortune Divine Furnace for two months.
That was the best result that could be achieved.
Nonetheless, over a hundred Cave Heavens and Paradises meant that Yang Kai would need over five hundred stalks of the Profound Yin Bamboo. That was an enormous number. Even he could not come up with such an amount in a short time. As for the order in which the Good Fortune Divine Furnace would be used, the issue of precedence was something the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to discuss among themselves. He could not care less about such matters.
After the negotiations were settled, everybody took their leave and departed.
Even though not all the foreign affairs envoys of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were present during this negotiation, the people present today were enough to represent the rest. Those Cave Heavens and Paradises whose foreign affairs envoys did not participate in this negotiation would also acknowledge the results. That was the tacit understanding and trust accumulated between the Cave Heavens and Paradises over countless years.
All the foreign affairs envoys were in a rush to return to their respective Sects in order to report the results of the negotiation and prepare the materials that would be sent to Great Evolution Paradise. These materials would be used in the Good Fortune Divine Furnace to create higher Order materials.
Before Yang Kai left, he asked Li Yuan Wang a question. This question had been troubling him for a very long time now.
“How are Small Source Worlds created?” Li Yuan Wang reached up to stroke his beard and nodded in understanding, “Do you wish to obtain your own Small Source World?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Indeed.”
Many Open Heaven Realm Masters had been added to the ranks of Void Land, so if they had their own Small Source Worlds, then they could help the disciples improve their cultivation quickly.
It was a pity that only the Cave Heavens and Paradises had something like the Small Source Worlds. He had never seen nor heard of any other great forces with their own Small Source World. Therefore, he had never understood where Small Source Worlds came from or how they had such mystifying effects.
“If this is some kind of taboo secret, then please act as though I never asked, Sect Master Li.” Yang Kai hurriedly said when he saw the pensive look on Li Yuan Wang’s face.
Li Yuan Wang waved his hand dismissively, “It’s a secret, but it’s not really a secret either. You’ve entered a Small Source World before. What did you think about it?”
Yang Kai thought back to his previous experience in the Divine Armament World and said, “It felt very real. There was no sense of being an illusion.”
The decades that he spent while training in the Divine Armament World felt like a cycle of reincarnation and rebirth. His impression of that experience was very profound.
Li Yuan Wang laughed, “Of course, it feels real. That’s because the true nature of the Small Source Worlds comes from the Universe Paradises and the Universe Cave Heavens!”
Yang Kai was stunned by those words, “The Universe Paradises and the Universe Cave Heavens? Sect Master, you don’t mean…”
Only the Small Universe left behind after the death of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could be called such. The Small Universe left behind by a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was known as a Universe Paradise, and the Small Universe left behind by an Open Heaven Realm Master above the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was known as a Universe Cave Heaven.
Li Yuan Wang nodded lightly, “It’s exactly what you’re thinking. All the Small Source Worlds stem from the Small Universes left behind by High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.”
“How can that be!?” Yang Kai was shocked to the core.
“There’s nothing impossible about it.” Li Yuan Wang chuckled softly, “But, not every Small Universe left behind by a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master will transform into a Small Source World.”
If that was the case, then there would have been many more Small Source Worlds in existence and they would not have been valued to this extent.
“Is there some kind of special Secret Technique required for the transformation?” Yang Kai boldly speculated.
Li Yuan Wang shook his head in response, “The transformation is not caused by the use of a Secret Technique. On the contrary, you have to cultivate a specific Secret Art from the beginning. This Secret Art does not have powerful properties, so there are no advantages in a battle against others. However, it allows the cultivator to transform their Small Universe into a Small Source World at the time of their death. Of course, it is not that simple. The birth of a Small Source World is a very complicated process. It can be said that the cultivator has to pay a lifetime’s worth of hard work for their efforts to succeed.”
Yang Kai understood, “Sect Master, do you mean that from the very beginning, these people cultivated for the sole purpose of transforming their Small Universe into a Small Source World after their deaths?”
Li Yuan Wang nodded solemnly, “Nobody forced them. They were aware of their future destiny when they first cultivated this Secret Art.”
Yang Kai was slightly stunned by those words.
After cultivating hard for a lifetime, their Small Universe would eventually be transformed into a Small Source World after their deaths to become a training place for others. That would require a great amount of dedication and a strong sense of belonging to one’s Sect.
While achieving such a feat might be as difficult as ascending to the Heavens for any other great force, it would not be difficult to find such disciples among the Cave Heavens and Paradises that boasted an inheritance of countless years. What’s more, cultivating this special Secret Art would not cause any harm to the disciples. It was just that they might suffer some disadvantages in battle. That was because the Secret Art was unsuited for combat; it was only suitable for cultivation.
“The formation of a Small Source World is not an easy feat, and not every attempt will succeed.” Li Yuan Wang explained, “Most of the time, among all the people who cultivate this Secret Art, only one out of ten can successfully produce a Small Source World. I’m sure you understand why the Small Source Worlds are so precious even to the Cave Heavens and Paradises now.”
Yang Kai nodded.
On a fundamental level, a Small Source World was the Universe Paradise or Universe Cave Heaven left behind after the death of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
How many years would it take for a cultivator to grow from an ignorant child to a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master before finally reaching the end of their life? Despite such a long wait, there was only a 10% chance of producing a Small Source World in the end. How could a Small Source World not be precious?
Yang Kai suddenly thought of something, “If that’s the case, does that mean all the living beings in the Small Source World are real?”
Li Yuan Wang nodded, “Of course! The disciples who cultivate this Secret Art will never participate in battle; hence, they will start raising living beings in their bodies to form the World Principles in their Small Universe as soon as they advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm and their Small Universe transforms from immaterial to material. The prosperity of those living inside would be enough to guarantee that the World Force of the Small Source World would continue to increase even after their deaths. Moreover, the various rules decided by the Master before his death will become the goal of the disciples who enter the Small Source World in the future. By achieving this goal, their training will be completed successfully. The disciples will then obtain the recognition of the Small Source World’s World Principles and receive great benefits!”
Yang Kai revealed a look of understanding.
The rule of the Divine Armament World, which he entered for training previously, was to obtain one of the Ten Divine Armaments. In the end, he went overboard and took three in one go which resulted in a huge loss to the heritage of the Divine Armament World.
When he came out of the Divine Armament World, the Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Ancestor overseeing it had seemed quite upset with him. That was because the results of his training were equivalent to depleting the training opportunities of several disciples!
He finally understood why he was not rejected by the people when he first entered the Divine Armament World. On the contrary, they had accepted his presence as a matter of course. It was all thanks to the effects of the Small Source World’s World Principles, and these rules were formulated by the Master of the Small Source World before his death.
“Generally speaking, most of the Small Source Worlds that belong to the Cave Heavens and Paradises are founded upon Universe Paradises. There are very few Small Source Worlds produced from Universe Cave Heavens,” Li Yuan Wang continued, “A Universe Paradise is the legacy left behind after the death of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it is open to any Open Heaven Realm below the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm for training and benefits. On the other hand, a Universe Cave Heaven is the legacy left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. That is why only Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters are eligible to enter.”
Yang Kai understood.
For a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, as long as one advanced directly into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm when they advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, then they would eventually reach the limits of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm after countless years of cultivation. Such disciples could be found in abundance in the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
On the other hand, it was different when it came to those who could cultivate to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. They would be the Core Disciples of the Sect, like Gu Pan. Disciples with such aptitude would eventually become the pillars of their respective Sects if they developed fully, so how could their Sects be willing to let them cultivate this special Secret Art?
Nevertheless, there would always be exceptions to everything. Some of the chosen disciples might not have shown outstanding aptitude when they were young, but as they cultivated, their talents shone brighter and brighter. Therefore, it became possible for them to advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. In due course, these disciples would reach the end of their lifespans after advancing into the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, leaving behind Small Source Worlds on the rank of Universe Cave Heavens.
In this vast universe where 108 Cave Heavens and Paradises existed, there were hundreds of Small Source Worlds. Be that as it may, there were apparently less than ten Cave Heavens and Paradises with Small Source Worlds on the level of a Universe Cave Heaven.
The cultivation of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in these ten or so Cave Heavens and Paradises that owned the Small Source Worlds on the rank of a Universe Cave Heaven would progress much faster than the other Cave Heavens and Paradises. Over time, the birth of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would slowly increase in number and frequency. Heritage was something that was accumulated over countless years after all.
“That can’t be all…” Yang Kai suddenly remembered something, “If that was really the case, then what is with the flow of time in the Small Source Worlds?”
Only two months had passed during his training in the Divine Armament World, but the time he actually spent in the Divine Armament World was more than several dozen years! The flow of time in the Small Source World was far too different compared to the outside world.
It had to be said that Yang Kai had already reached the sixth level of the Dao of Time, Exceeding the Ordinary to Reach the Extraordinary; even so, he only managed to double the flow of time in his Small Universe compared to the outside world. It was impossible for those who cultivate this special Secret Art to be better than him in the Dao of Time, let alone be better than him by several times! Seeing as the Universe Paradise or Universe Cave Heaven was the essence of the Small Source World, there was no explanation for this accelerated flow of time.
“Every Cave Heaven and Paradise has pondered this question before, but there has been no clear answer so far.”
Yang Kai frowned and asked, “Who created this Secret Art?”
Li Yuan Wang replied, “It was handed down since ancient times. This Secret Art is something that has existed even before the Cave Heavens and Paradises were formed. Even now, the Cave Heavens and Paradises are simply learning from the wisdom of the past.”
It turned out that the Secret Art had been handed down since ancient times, during an era where too much time had passed for anything to be verified. Yang Kai suddenly felt extremely troubled. He recently encountered many things that came from an era far in the distant past. That was true for the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Black Ink Sealing Land, the Black Ink Clan, and even this special Secret Art.
“Although nobody has a definite answer, judging from the results, it would seem that cultivating the Secret Art would indeed cause the flow of time in their Small Universe to increase greatly after they advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. That was an improvement of ten or even tens of times!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up when he heard those words, “Is there really such a good thing!?”
If that was truly the case, then that would truly be a huge help to the Open Heaven Realm Masters; after all, Yang Kai could already feel the benefits even though the flow of time in his Small Universe was only twice the speed of the outside world. Those raised in his Small Universe would produce World Force, and under the same circumstances, Yang Kai was experiencing double the benefits compared to others in similar situations. It was only natural that his growth would also be much faster.
Speaking of which, there were not many people like him in this vast universe who could raise living beings in their Small Universe without any worries. There was no need to even speak of the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had no such qualifications, and the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters barely had any either. Only the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would try to raise living beings in their Small Universe and even then very few did.
“Do you think it’s a good thing?” Li Yuan Wang glanced at Yang Kai with a strange half-smile.
“Could it be that there’s a disadvantage?” Yang Kai frowned.
Li Yuan Wang sighed, “Those who cultivate this Secret Art are generally short-lived. Compared to their Fellow Brothers in the same Realm, their lifespans tend to become very short after they advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Thanks to the influence of the Secret Art, the flow of time in their Small Universe also affects them.”
Yang Kai was stunned by those words.
“If an ordinary person lives for a year, then that same span of time is equivalent to tens or several tens of years to them. How could they live a long life under such circumstances?”
The time they experienced themselves was equivalent to the flow of time in their Small Universe. That was very different from what Yang Kai experienced where the flow of time in his Small Universe might be double the ordinary speed, but that was due to his comprehension of the Dao of Time so there was no harm done to him.
“In this world, it is very rare for only benefits to exist. Nothing in this world is perfect!” Li Yuan Wang sighed once more.
Just like the Black Ink Strength, that was something that could break through the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm that had been in place since ancient times and allowed the cultivator to advance infinitely without regard for their own limitations. Unfortunately, those corrupted by the Black Ink Strength would turn into another person altogether. That was the same for this special Secret Art. Even though the Secret Art could increase the flow of time in their Small Universe by several times, the Secret Art would consume the cultivator’s lifespan in exchange.
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before he spoke, “Sect Master, can I have a look at this Secret Art?”
Li Yuan Wang turned to look at Yang Kai, “Do you plan to cultivate the Secret Art? That’s not a good idea.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I only want to have a look. Allow me to speak truthfully, Sect Master, I know a little bit about the Dao of Time and may be able to gain something from the Secret Art.”
Li Yuan Wang was extremely shocked, “Do you also dabble in the Dao of Time?”
Yang Kai’s proficiency in the Dao of Space was something Li Yuan Wang knew well. In the training that riled up hundreds of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise, Yang Kai would not have been much of an opponent if he had not been proficient in the Dao of Space, regardless of his strength. It was precisely because of his proficiency in the Dao of Space that all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise had been twisted around his finger.
If the Dao of Space was difficult to cultivate though, then the Dao of Time was even more so!
[It’s bad enough that this brat is proficient in the Dao of Space, but he also dabbles in the Dao of Time!? Just what kind of freak is he!?] Despite living for so long and having seen so many things during that time, Li Yuan Wang could not help feeling shocked at this moment. Looking Yang Kai up and down for a moment, he suddenly blurted out, “There’s nothing great about Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Why don’t you become the Young Master of Lang Ya Paradise instead!?”
Yang Kai rolled his eyes immediately, “You must be joking, Sect Master.”
Li Yuan Wang replied seriously, “I’m not joking. The entire Lang Ya Paradise knows that you abandoned Xiao Pan’er after thoughtless sleeping with her. I’m afraid it will be difficult for her to find a Dao Partner in the future. You need to take responsibility for your actions.”
Yang Kai turned to leave, “Forget it. I’m sure Yin-Yang Cave Heaven has this Secret Art too. I’ll go and ask them instead.”
Li Yuan Wang immediately grabbed Yang Kai by the arm, “Calm down! We can always talk things out peacefully.”
Yang Kai turned around, “Who is the one acting unreasonably?”
“Fine, fine!” Li Yuan Wang waved his hand dismissively, “Let’s leave the matter regarding Xiao Pan’er aside for now. You can take a look at the Secret Art, but I have a condition.”
The special Secret Art was known as the Great Nothingness Scripture. Every Cave Heaven and Paradise had a copy, so it was not a huge secret. It was said that the Great Nothingness Scripture was engraved on a huge stone monument in ancient times and was obtained by the Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
If it was an ordinary person, it would have been impossible for them to study the Great Nothingness Scripture.
However, Yang Kai was different from ordinary cultivators. He was Yin-Yang Heaven’s Son-in-Law in name and the Star Boundary’s Great Emperor in status. Thanks to the Star Boundary’s World Tree, he was inextricably linked to the Cave Heavens and Paradises. What’s more, he recently went to great lengths to solve the issue of the Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise.
Although Yang Kai was a mere Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he had already encountered and taken part in many secrets in the 3,000 Worlds. That was why Li Yuan Wang believed that it would not matter if he showed Yang Kai the Great Nothingness Scripture. Nevertheless, he named a condition. The condition was that Yang Kai had to share his findings with Lang Ya Paradise, regardless of what he comprehended from the Great Nothingness Scripture.
Naturally, Yang Kai had no reason to refuse. He simply wanted to learn why cultivating the Great Nothingness Scripture would cause the flow of time in the Small Universe to increase rapidly after advancing into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. There was nothing to hide even if he actually learned something from this opportunity.
The place where the Great Nothingness Scripture was stored had been designated as a Restricted Area, so there were numerous barriers covering the surroundings. Aside from the Ancestors and certain Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Elders in Lang Ya Paradise, nobody else was allowed to step foot in this place.
When Li Yuan Wang led him to this place, Yang Kai immediately noticed the stone monument standing tall on the ground. The stone monument was quaint and simple. It was easy to see that the stone monument was very old at first glance; moreover, there were dense lines of small letters carved into it.
“It is no longer known where the original Great Nothingness Scripture was found. This is not the original, but the Ancestors completely replicated it in its entirety. Even the size of the stone monument is identical to the original. Their efforts were all so that their future disciples could better comprehend this Secret Art. It is a pity that even though the Cave Heavens and Paradises are highly capable, we only understand the utility and not the rationale behind this Secret Art.”
The various advantages and disadvantages of cultivating the Great Nothingness Scripture were known to all the Cave Heavens and Paradises, but the reason for these happenings remained unknown. That was why Li Yuan Wang mentioned that they were simply learning from the wisdom of the past.
Yang Kai nodded and shifted his gaze downward.
Not far from the Great Nothingness Scripture’s stone monument was a row of thatched cottages that stood out conspicuously. That was not all, there were also several figures sitting quietly below the stone monument. All of them had their heads raised to look up at the small letters carved on the stone monument in fascination. Among these people, there were young adults, teenagers, and even a child that looked no more than ten years old.
Upon hearing the commotion, they turned to look in this direction. Then, they immediately stood up and bowed in unison, “Greetings, Sect Master!”
Li Yuan Wang nodded lightly and waved his hand lightly for them to return to their activities. Only then did he explain the situation to Yang Kai, “These are the Lang Ya Paradise disciples cultivating the Great Nothingness Scripture.”
Yang Kai understood. There were no more than five people in this place. Whether or not they could successfully advance into the Open Heaven Realm, achieve the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, and transformed their Small Universe into a Small Source World after their deaths… These were huge obstacles in their path. If they failed to overcome any of these obstacles, then their thousands of years of effort would all be wasted.
“I’ll give you half a year. You may comprehend at your leisure. I’ll come and pick you up then!” Li Yuan Wang said.
“Many thanks, Sect Master Li!” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
This place was Lang Ya Paradise’s Restricted Area after all. The fact that Li Yuan Wang allowed him to stay here for half a year to comprehend the Great Nothingness Scripture was already pushing the limits; therefore, it was impossible for him to stay here indefinitely.
After explaining everything to Yang Kai, Li Yuan Wang took his leave.
Yang Kai walked over to the stone monument and raised his head to commit all the words on it to memory. It had to be said that the Great Nothingness Scripture was certainly an extraordinary Secret Art. Even though he did not try to cultivate it, his current vision was extremely high, so he understood the advantages and the disadvantages of the Secret Art at a glance.
Li Yuan Wang was right. This Secret Art was only suitable for cultivating. It was extremely stable, so the cultivators cultivating the Great Nothingness Scripture would hardly ever encounter any bottlenecks. As long as they followed the proper procedure, they would not face the risk of cultivation dissonance either. Unfortunately, that was also the greatest disadvantage of this Secret Art. It was far too peaceful. As a result of cultivating this Secret Art, even if their cultivation improved, they would not have much combat power to speak of.
Even if they fought somebody in the same Realm, they were bound to be at a disadvantage. That was absolutely unacceptable for a cultivator who was trying to reach the peak of the Martial Dao. If they couldn’t even protect themselves, then how could they strive for a higher Realm?
Be that as it may, the cultivators born in the Cave Heavens and Paradises had no need to worry about such matters. They only needed to cultivate here over many years. There was no reason for them to participate in external battles, so it didn’t matter if their combat powers were lower than usual.
However, even though Yang Kai studied the Secret Art diligently, he could neither identify the connection between the Great Nothingness Scripture and the Dao of Time nor figure out why a cultivator who cultivated this Secret Art would experience a sudden multi-fold increase in the flow of time within their Small Universe after advancing into the Open Heaven Realm.
Although the five Lang Ya Paradise disciples cultivating in this place did not understand Yang Kai’s origins, they saw Sect Master Li Yuan Wang bringing this person here with their own eyes. Nobody else had ever had such an honour before. Combined with his Open Heaven Realm heritage, they realised that he was different from them and did not take the initiative to speak to him.
Yang Kai ignored them and found a place to sit directly beneath the stone monument to comprehend the mysteries of the Great Nothingness Scripture.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye. At this point, Yang Kai could already recite the entire Great Nothingness Scripture backwards. While he fully understood the mysteries of the Secret Art, he could not find any connection between the Secret Art and the Dao of Time.
The lack of findings puzzled him greatly. Logically speaking, the Great Nothingness Scripture should have some connection to the Dao of Time since it could greatly enhance the flow of time in the Small Universe of a cultivator who had advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Nonetheless, he simply could not figure out the connection.
In that case, there were only two possibilities. One was that his attainments in the Dao of Time were insufficient, so he did not have the ability to detect the connection. The second possibility was that the effects could not be seen just from studying the words of the Secret Art in the first place. If he wanted to verify the effects, then he could only cultivate the Secret Art himself!
Seeing as he was already in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, the foundation of his cultivation had already been set, so there was no further opportunity to start over again. Even if he had the opportunity, he would not actually cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture either; after all, this Secret Art was completely done for the sake of becoming somebody else’s stepping stone.
An idea soon came to him. Maybe… there was no need for him to cultivate this Secret Art himself…
…..
Inside the Small Universe, there was a lively scene in front of the Seven Stars Sect’s Main Gates. It was the Seven Stars Sect’s Disciple Recruitment period that was held once every three years. Countless young people from all over the world had travelled here in hopes of joining Seven Stars Sect.
At present, Seven Stars Sect was no longer the small force that it once was in the past. Across the entire Void Continent, the overall strength of the Seven Stars Sect could be ranked among the top three.
Sect Master Shang Guan Ji had advanced into the Emperor Realm many years ago. Based on his strength alone, Seven Stars Sect could not be considered powerful; however, according to legend, there was an Ancestor in the Third-Order Emperor Realm in the Seven Stars Sect. That was an extremely terrifying existence; after all, how many Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters were there in the entire Void Continent?
The Supreme Elder, known as Yang Kai, was not born in Seven Stars Sect. It was said that he wandered here a long time ago and stayed in the Seven Stars Sect because he felt some kind of fate with the Sect. That was how he eventually became the Seven Stars Sect Ancestor.
In the past, a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master had acted presumptuously in Seven Stars Sect. As soon as the Ancestor stepped forward, the Master known as Shen Xing of Southern Star Palace had immediately been silenced.
Many of the smaller Sects had lamented over the fact that this Master had not been fated with them. If their Sects had caught his eye back then, the current Seven Stars Sect would not exist today.
Compared to the lively scene in front of the mountain gates, the atmosphere inside the Main Conference Hall seemed a little gloomy.
The current fame and reputation of the Seven Stars Sect was all thanks to the Ancestor alone. Shang Guan Ji might have advanced into the Emperor Realm, but he was only in the First-Order Emperor Realm. He was not responsible for Seven Stars Sect’s current fame. Unfortunately, the Ancestor had been missing for many years!
Nobody knew when the Ancestor had gone missing. When Shang Guan Ji went to visit one day, he discovered that the Spirit Peak where the Ancestor lived was completely devoid of people. Even the two Disciples whom the Ancestor had taken in were nowhere to be seen.
Shang Guan Ji had been shocked by the discovery. At first, he assumed that the Ancestor had simply taken his Disciples out for training and would return soon. Contrary to his expectations though, the Ancestor remained nowhere to be seen after so many years. What’s more, there was not the slightest clue of the Ancestor’s whereabouts in the Void Continent.
Instinctively, Shang Guan Ji felt that the Ancestor had abandoned Seven Stars Sect. The Ancestor was not somebody who originated from Seven Stars Sect after all. He simply happened to be passing by this place and waiting for the right person to come along. Since he found the person he had been waiting for, why would he remain in Seven Stars Sect?
Nevertheless, Shang Guan Ji was not resentful. The only reason Seven Stars Sect could enjoy its current reputation and status was all thanks to the Ancestor. He could only resent himself for being too weak to protect the foundation that the Ancestor had established back then.
Although this information had been kept under wraps for a long time, there was no such thing as a wall without holes. Many among the top ten Sects in the Void Continent were currently watching Seven Stars Sect vigilantly. Why else would so many Emperor Realm Masters come to observe the Disciple Recruitment this year?
It was a friendly visit in name, but it was actually a test. While Seven Stars Sect might not be obliterated if they failed to overcome this disaster, their reputation would definitely suffer a heavy blow. They would become a laughing stock if the news spread to the public. If that happened, finding good disciples would become difficult in the future.
The people in the Main Conference Hall were brainstorming various suggestions. Although there were many differing opinions, none of them could come up with a good solution to their current problem. In any case, the Disciple Recruitment was about to begin. If they were capable of doing the job, then it was time for them to start showing their abilities. At this point, it was impossible for them to conceal the news of the Ancestor’s disappearance.
Just as Shang Guan Ji was at a loss for what to do, a figure frantically rushed into the Grand Hall as though he was being pursued by a ghost. Everybody turned to look in that direction only to see Elder Guan Qian Xing stumbling into the Grand Hall with an extremely strange expression on his face.
“What happened?” Shang Guan Ji asked.
Guan Qian Xing might be in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, but he was clearly very agitated by something at this moment. Seeming to be out of breath, he exclaimed with a mixture of surprise and joy, “The Ancestor…”
There was a series of rustling noises as everybody stood up abruptly. Shang Guan Ji asked in a trembling voice, “Do you have news of the Ancestor!?”
Despite inquiring for so many years, there had been no news of the Ancestor. There was no saying whether it was a blessing or a curse for such information to appear today.
Guan Qian Xing pointed behind him, “The Ancestor is on the viewing platform!”
“What!?” Shang Guan Ji could barely believe his ears.
After a few stunned moments, he hastily rushed outside with Guan Qian Xing following closely behind. Following a quick conversation along the way, Shang Guan Ji finally learned that the Ancestor, who had been missing for so many years, had abruptly appeared on the viewing platform today.
Nobody knew how the Ancestor appeared. Even the Emperor Realm Masters from the other great forces who were sitting on the viewing platform had not noticed his presence until Guan Qian Xing, who was in charge of the Disciple Recruitment, suddenly turned around and saw him.
Guan Qian Xing almost thought that there was something wrong with his eyesight at that moment. After hastily greeting the Ancestor, he immediately rushed over to give his report.
When Shang Guan Ji arrived at the viewing platform, he saw that the Ancestor was indeed sitting in the highest seat right at the centre with an indifferent expression on his face. The rock that had been weighing down on his heart for so many years suddenly lifted at that moment. [The Ancestor did not abandon Seven Stars Sect! He came back!]
While he did not see the two Disciples under the Ancestor, the Ancestor had always been similar to a hidden dragon that showed its tail but never its face. In any case, he was not qualified to ask any questions.
What delighted him even more was the reactions of the Emperor Realm Masters on the viewing platform.
In the past, news of the Ancestor’s disappearance had been leaked to the public for some unknown reason. Many Sects in the Void Continent had repeatedly tried to probe for the truth, and various businesses under Seven Stars Sect had faced pressure from multiple directions.
Even the Disciple Recruitment had attracted Emperor Realm Masters from more than ten Sects to come and watch. What was there to see at a trivial Disciple Recruitment? Everybody knew that this was a test!
When Shang Guan Ji welcomed these Masters, all of them wanted to visit the Ancestor; however, he politely declined all their requests. His actions might have confirmed their suspicions about Yang Kai’s disappearance.
For that reason, the Emperor Realm Masters who came to watch the Disciple Recruitment became less polite towards Seven Stars Sect over the past few days. Their attitudes towards him also became much more condescending than before.
At this moment, the same Emperor Realm Masters who had been acting high and mighty were sitting upright and shivering in fear like quails during winter. Some of them also had pale complexions and feeble auras, almost as though they had been injured.
They had been sitting here and waiting for the Disciple Recruitment to begin, and during this period, they leisurely chatted among themselves to pass time. The atmosphere was very harmonious.
It was not until Guan Qian Xing hastily bowed at a certain person in greeting that they realised something in horror. An additional person had appeared on the viewing platforms at some point in time without their realisation. Moreover, that person was sitting in the main seat belonging to Seven Stars Sect.
This incident startled them greatly! There were First-Order, Second-Order, and even Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters among them. Nonetheless, none of them had noticed his presence. Did they meet a ghost in broad daylight!?
One of those present was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master from the Spirit Sea Temple and he originally wanted to investigate this person with his Divine Sense. Who could have known that he would experience a severe backlash just from this probing action? It was fortunate that the mysterious young man held no killing intent; otherwise, he would have died on the spot.
A Third-Order Emperor Realm Master already stood at the highest peak on the Void Continent. Even so, a simple probe had ended with such an outcome. Just how high was the cultivation of the mysterious young man!? It was rumoured that there were higher Martial Dao Realms beyond the Emperor Realm. Could it be that this person was beyond the Emperor Realm!?
Judging from Guan Qian Xing’s respectful attitude towards the young man, there was a high possibility that this person was none other than the Ancestor who was rumoured to have gone missing.
When Shang Guan Ji rushed over with the Elders of Seven Stars Sect in tow and bowed to Yang Kai in greeting, the Emperor Realm Masters finally confirmed Yang Kai’s identity. That person was indeed the mysterious and powerful Ancestor!
They were puzzled and confused by the situation. Wasn’t it said that the Ancestor had been missing for many years!? The Spirit Peak where he currently lived was devoid of people, and there were no clues about his whereabouts across the entire Void Continent. Why would he suddenly appear here today!?
Nevertheless, nobody questioned the situation. They all just quickly stood up and bowed in greeting.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Please sit. All who come here are guests.”
Now that all his worries from before had been swept away, Shang Guan Ji had a healthy flush on his face and he asked for instructions, “Ancestor, do you have any orders regarding the Disciple Recruitment?”
“Just proceed as usual. This King is only here to have a look.”
“Yes!”
The Disciple Recruitment was held as usual, but the news of Seven Stars Sect Ancestor’s appearance quickly spread to the public. Although Yang Kai claimed that he was only here to watch, this piece of news was extremely important to the people who came to participate in the Disciple Recruitment.
The Ancestor was not just anybody. How could he possibly come to watch the ceremony for no reason? It had to be said that the last time he came to watch the ceremony, he took in two Disciples at once! Who could guarantee that he was not here for more Disciples!?
Therefore, as soon as the news came out, all the people who came to participate in the Disciple Recruitment became highly motivated and desperately showed off their skills.
The Disciple Recruitment lasted for a whole day. Regardless of how outstanding the aptitude of a disciple though, none of them caught the interest of the Ancestor. Many people who came to watch the excitement were extremely disappointed as a result.
Hence, they were shocked and confused when Shang Guan Ji personally led a dirty and dishevelled thirteen- or fourteen-year-old young man over to Yang Kai.
The many Emperor Realm Masters on the viewing platform hurriedly recalled the information on this young man and quickly came to a conclusion.
Xu Yi; overall assessment C-; aptitude below average.
Nowadays, Seven Stars Sect had a higher standard when selecting new disciples. Only those with an overall assessment of C+ and above had the qualifications to join the Sect. It was obvious that Xu Yi’s assessment did not meet the requirements, so he was bound to be eliminated from the selection. However, Yang Kai had summoned him! Nobody could understand what Seven Stars Sect’s Ancestor was planning to do.
On the other hand, Xu Yi himself looked so frightened that he resembled a terrified little beast. Shang Guan Ji had probably said something to him when leading him here; hence, he immediately dropped to his knees with a thud in front of Yang Kai and pressed his head against the floor, “This little boy from the mountains, Xu Yi, greets Senior!”
Yang Kai quietly watched Xu Yi. He originally entered his Small Universe with the intention to find some suitable candidates to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture. He could not cultivate the Secret Art himself, but if he could allow the people in his Small Universe to cultivate it in his stead, then he could monitor their condition at all times. That would be very helpful for his research into the Great Nothingness Scripture.
It was fortunate that he happened to be just in time for Seven Stars Sect’s Disciple Recruitment, but he did not expect to obtain such a harvest.
There was no denying that Xu Yi’s aptitude was not very high. He was only on par with Zhao Ye Bai in terms of overall talent. Be that as it may, Yang Kai could keenly sense that this child was compatible with Time Principles.
Yang Kai’s Small Universe had an abundance of Dao Essence, namely Space, Spear, and Time Dao Essence. These three Daos were also the Daos that he was most proficient in.
Before Zhao Ye Bai was born, Yang Kai had sensed that Zhao Ye Bai had extraordinary talent in the Dao of Space. Although Xu Yi was not as innately talented as Zhao Ye Bai, he was not bad either. If he was guided properly, he might reach great heights in the Dao of Time in the future. That made him the best candidate to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture.
In this way, Yang Kai had found heirs to all three Daos that he was proficient in. Zhao Ye Bai for the Dao of Space, Zhao Ya for the Spear Dao, and Xu Yi for the Dao of Time.
“Where are your parents?” Yang Kai asked.
Xu Yi lowered his head and respectfully answered the question, “This little boy is an orphan. My parents have long passed away.”
Everybody in the surroundings revealed a look of understanding. From the tattered clothes and dirty appearance of Xu Yi, it could be seen that he had nobody taking care of him at a glance.
“Are you willing to worship me as your Master?” Yang Kai asked again.
A commotion spread through the crowd. Many of the Emperor Realm Masters and the Elders of Seven Stars Sect on the viewing platform turned to look at Yang Kai in complete disbelief. In their opinion, Xu Yi’s aptitude and assessment had no cultivation value. Even if he were allowed to cultivate, his future achievements would be extremely limited.
Why would the Ancestor take an interest in someone like Xu Yi!? What’s more, he planned to take Xu Yi as his Disciple!?
Although Shang Guan Ji was puzzled, he did not question the decision. The Ancestor would surely have his own reasons for his decision. In any case, the thoughts of the Ancestor were not something Shang Guan Ji could figure out. Maybe there was something special about Xu Yi that the Ancestor could see but they could not.
That was why he couldn’t help giving Xu Yi a gentle prod when he saw the boy staring blankly at Yang Kai, “Silly brat, why are you still daydreaming!? Receiving the favour of the Ancestor is a great honour!”
Xu Yi quickly bowed, “Disciple Xu Yi greets Honoured Master!”
He might not understand what the Ancestor represented, but he knew of Shang Guan Ji’s status. The fact that Seven Stars Sect’s Sect Master was being so respectful to this person clearly meant that the Ancestor’s status was much higher. He had been eliminated from Seven Stars Sect’s selection because did not have the qualifications to join the Sect; therefore, he had been quite disheartened. Now that there was a ray of hope in the darkness, it was only natural for him to grasp this opportunity with all his might.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and vanished out of sight with a flicker of his body. Xu Yi, who had been kneeling on the ground, also vanished at the same time!
All the Emperor Realm Masters on the viewing platform secretly gasped at the sight.
Just like how Yang Kai had appeared out of nowhere, nobody managed to catch a clear glimpse of how he disappeared either. With such elusive movements, how could anybody stop him if he wanted to harm them?
There was no need to mention how after these events, the many Emperor Realm Masters politely said their goodbyes and departed with haste.
On a certain Spirit Peak, Yang Kai studied Xu Yi, who was standing in front of him, “You wish to gain a Master, and I wish to gain a Disciple. However, this matter should not be rushed. There is something I must first explain to you. You may answer after you’ve given this matter some thought.”
Xu Yi clenched his fists tightly and nodded. The young man was not very knowledgeable, but he instinctively sensed that his answer would affect his future destiny.
“I have a Secret Art that I need someone to cultivate for me. You are a good candidate. Unfortunately, cultivating this Secret Art comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. The good thing is that you are very compatible with this Secret Art and there is a high possibility that this Secret Art can make up for your lack of aptitude. If you cultivate this Secret Art, you might achieve great things in the future.”
Xu Yi flushed beet red. It was clear that he was very excited, but he still asked cautiously, “What are the disadvantages?”
Yang Kai nodded slightly. Xu Yi’s attitude satisfied him. If Xu Yi had been too eager to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture, Yang Kai might not have taught him the Secret Art lest he regret his choice in the future and feel resentment towards Yang Kai instead.
“Cultivating this Secret Art will not benefit you in combat. In other words, under the premise that your opponent is in the same cultivation realm as you, you might not be able to win against them. Moreover, when your cultivation reaches a certain realm, your lifespan will be greatly shortened.”
“I don’t like fighting!” Xu Yi said softly.
Yang Kai smiled, “In the path of cultivation, battles are inevitable. You can’t avoid battles just because you don’t like them.”
Xu Yi nodded and spoke like an old man, “One has to compromise; it is not always possible to act as they please.” After saying that, he blushed furiously, “That’s what I often hear from others…” Following some careful consideration he asked another question, “How high do I have to raise my cultivation before my lifespan will start to shorten?”
Yang Kai looked at Xu Yi and said, “Very, very high. What’s more, you may not be able to reach that point at all.”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was not something just anybody could achieve at will.
“Is that so…” Xu Yi lowered his head. A long while passed before he raised his head and said, “I am willing to cultivate that Secret Art.”
He might be very young, but he had given much thought to this matter. If he did not cultivate this Secret Art, with his aptitude that had eliminated him from Seven Stars Sect’s selection, he would not have many other future options once he left this place. Even if he managed to join other smaller Sects, his cultivation would not amount to much no matter how much effort he put into it.
Although the Ancestor in front of him had mentioned that cultivating the Secret Art would bring various disadvantages, that was something that would only happen in the distant future. Why bother to worry about that now?
“You can take your time to consider. There’s no rush to answer!” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively.
Xu Yi nodded silently and did not rush to express his intentions again. Nevertheless, he continued to stay on the Spirit Peak.
From that next day onward, Yang Kai started to prepare various means to nurture Xu Yi’s foundation. He would occasionally toss Xu Yi into a giant bathtub to soak in a medicinal bath for several days or bring out some medicinal liquid for Xu Yi to apply on his body. Once in a while, he would also hand out some elixirs for Xu Yi to consume.
The young man did not refuse any of these items.
Yang Kai did not teach Xu Yi any cultivation techniques. Be that as it may, Xu Yi discovered that his body was undergoing a subtle change as time passed. He seemed to shed his former self and was reborn as a result. His body felt much lighter compared to before. Even his vision and hearing became significantly sharper.
Zhao Ya and Zhao Ye Bai had also gone through this process in the past. Before they started cultivating in earnest, Yang Kai had spent enormous amounts of time and energy laying their foundation for them. As the saying went, ‘All tall buildings began from the ground’. He himself had not enjoyed such favourable conditions when he started cultivating, but he spared no effort when it came to his Disciples.
Nobody had ever been so kind to Xu Yi before. Ever since the death of his parents when he was five years old, he had lived the life of a wanderer. There were also several occasions where he nearly starved to death. If not for his good luck, he would have died a tragic death a long time ago.
As Yang Kai did not restrict his freedom, he would often leave the Spirit Peak and wander around Seven Stars Sect. He was only a teenager after all; it was only natural that his curiosity was at its peak.
All the people he met would treat him courteously, regardless of whether they were Common Disciples or Elders in the Sect. At the same time, he slowly grasped Yang Kai’s identity and influence from the snippets of conversations that he heard from the people around him. Everybody in Seven Stars Sect believed that the Ancestor had already taken him in as a Disciple, so nobody dared to show him any disrespect.
Therefore, he did not hesitate to express his willingness to cultivate the Secret Art when Yang Kai questioned him again two months later.
“I hope you’ve thought about this carefully. I’ve already explained the disadvantages of the Secret Art to you. Once you begin cultivating, it will be too late for regrets,” Yang Kai warned solemnly.
Xu Yi nodded seriously, “This Disciple has decided! If I don’t cultivate this Secret Art, this Disciple might already be part of the soil in 100 years. There may be disadvantages in cultivating this Secret Art, but it’s still better than living a mediocre life!”
Yang Kai nodded slightly, “In that case, I will teach you the Great Nothingness Scripture!”
Xu Yi hurriedly bowed down, “Disciple greets Honoured Master!”
Yang Kai received the worship, but he did not ask Xu Yi to stand up immediately. Instead, he opened his mouth to explain something, “I have to let you know one thing. You are not the only Disciple under me. I’ve already taken in two other Disciples before you. Your Eldest Senior Brother is Zhao Ye Bai and your Second Senior Sister is Zhao Ya. They are elsewhere at the moment. I’m sure you will have a chance to meet them in the future.”
Xu Yi nodded. He had heard about this previously. The Seven Stars Sect disciples had mentioned his Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Sister while leisurely chatting with him, but he did not know much about the other two Disciples under his Honoured Master.
“Honoured Master, I’ve heard that Eldest Senior Brother does not have good aptitude. Is that true?” He asked.
Yang Kai nodded and swept a glance over Xu Yi, “He is on par with you.”
Xu Yi blushed when he heard those words. His aptitude was his greatest shortcoming. He secretly thought to himself that he had to work harder in the future; otherwise, he would only embarrass the Honoured Master when he was travelling outside.
At the same time, he couldn’t help feeling curious. Other people generally only accepted Disciples with good aptitude and rarely even bothered to give those with poor aptitude a glance. On the contrary, the Honoured Master seemed to accept these Disciples without such qualms.
At any rate, he was secretly grateful for the Honoured Master’s peculiarity. How else would he have the opportunity to worship the Honoured Master?
“Calm yourself and focus your mind!” Yang Kai instructed and simultaneously stretched out his finger towards Xu Yi’s forehead.
Xu Yi felt a finger stabbing at him before he could react. In the next moment, a warm and gentle force flowed into his mind. It was immediately followed by a considerable amount of inexplicable information. His body swayed unsteadily as a result, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.
Before he could understand what had happened, he heard his Honoured Master’s voice, “This is the Great Nothingness Scripture. Don’t rush to cultivate the Secret Art. You only need to comprehend it for now.”
“Yes!” He nodded respectfully.
In the following months, Xu Yi lived in the house where Zhao Ya and Zhao Ye Bai had lived previously. He soaked in medicinal baths, applied medicinal liquid, consumed Spirit Pills, and constantly comprehended the mysteries of the Great Nothingness Scripture.
Unfortunately, he had never cultivated before, so he could not really comprehend anything when he suddenly came into contact with the mysterious Secret Art. It was fortunate that Yang Kai would take some time out of his schedule to explain the mysteries of the Great Nothingness Scripture to him.
One day, Xu Yi was soaking in the bathtub and listening to Yang Kai’s explanation when he suddenly noticed that his Honoured Master had gone silent. Moreover, his Honoured Master was completely motionless as though somebody had used a Binding Secret Technique on him. Startled, he jumped in fright and anxiously shouted, “Honoured Master?”
Yang Kai waved his hand at Xu Yi dismissively and stared blankly in a certain direction.
What was inside his Small Universe was just a projection of his Spiritual Energy, while his true body remained beneath the huge stone monument from before. The reason for his sudden absent-mindedness was that one of the five Lang Ya Paradise disciples cultivating the Great Nothingness Scripture had suddenly broken through his bottleneck and advanced to the next Realm.
Although it was only an advancement from the Origin Returning Realm to the Origin King Realm, Yang Kai clearly detected a trace of Time Principles permeating the disciple’s body for a brief moment when the advancement succeeded. It was only present for a moment before vanishing without a trace. If he had not been proficient in the Dao of Time, he might not have detected them at all.
The other disciples, even the one who just advanced into the next Realm, seemed completely oblivious to the energy fluctuations. When Yang Kai tried to investigate further, the energy fluctuation from the Time Principles had already vanished. Furthermore, the disciple who just advanced into the next Realm showed no other signs of the Time Principles around him.
This situation puzzled him greatly. Nevertheless, he confirmed that the Great Nothingness Scripture was indeed related to the Dao of Time.
Li Yuan Wang had only given him half a year’s time, so it was predestined that his endeavour would not produce many results; hence, it was truly fortunate that he had asked Xu Yi to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture. As long as Xu Yi was in his Small Universe, all the changes that occurred to Xu Yi while cultivating this Secret Art would not escape his perception.
It would seem that the only way for him to find the answers to the connection between the Great Nothingness Scripture and the Dao of Time was from Xu Yi. As a result, he started to nurture Xu Yi even more diligently than before, using only the very best herbs to help his Third Disciple solidify his foundation.
Xu Yi’s innate talent was poor, but his aptitude improved slightly thanks to Yang Kai’s efforts. At this rate, it would become easier for him to cultivate in the future.
When there was only half a month before the end of the six-month period, Xu Yi woke up one morning only to see his Honoured Master standing by his bedside and staring intently at him as soon as he opened his eyes. Startled, he hurriedly greeted the other party, “Honoured Master!”
Yang Kai’s gaze was profound, and he studied Xu Yi keenly as though he was trying to figure out something. There was a look of absolute confusion on his face. That was because he discovered that Xu Yi’s body already contained the Yuan Qi that came from cultivating the Great Nothingness Scripture. Although it was as weak as a fluttering candle flame, the nature of the Yuan Qi was identical to the five Lang Ya Paradise disciples beneath the stone monument.
In other words, Xu Yi had officially begun to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture! It was just that Yang Kai clearly recalled that there was nothing different about Xu Yi last night. More importantly, he had yet to allow Xu Yi to officially begin cultivating.
During the past few months of contact, Yang Kai had watched Xu Yi’s actions carefully. The young man was simple and honest without any kind of scheming or cunning in his heart. He was very similar to his Eldest Senior Brother Zhao Ye Bai in this aspect. He also treated Yang Kai’s words reverently. If Yang Kai did not allow him to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture, then Xu Yi would never cultivate the Secret Art on his own initiative.
Besides, Yang Kai did not see Xu Yi cultivating the Great Nothingness Scripture either, so where did the Great Nothingness Scripture’s Yuan Qi come from?
“Is something wrong, Honoured Master?” Xu Yi asked in confusion. The way the Honoured Master stared at him was making him feel very uneasy. Thus, he vaguely wondered whether he had made a mistake somewhere and displeased his Honoured Master.
“Did you cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture?” Yang Kai inquired bluntly.
“No!” Xu Yi quickly shook his head, “I would not dare to cultivate the Secret Art without Honoured Master’s permission.”
He did not seem to be lying.
“What did you do last night?” Yang Kai continued to question.
Nothing inside his Small Universe could be concealed from his perception, and he had indeed watched Xu Yi sleeping the entire night. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened, but the Great Nothingness Scripture’s Yuan Qi definitely only started appearing last night.
“Disciple did not do anything. I was simply sleeping.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Check your own body. Do you feel anything different from before?”
Xu Yi hurriedly perceived himself when he heard those words. A short while later, he exclaimed in surprise, “Honoured Master, it feels like there’s something cool swimming around in my body!”
“That’s the Yuan Qi of the Great Nothingness Scripture.”
Xu Yi was stunned. Although he had never cultivated before, he understood what it meant for the Great Nothingness Scripture’s Yuan Qi to appear in his body. Be that as it may, he clearly had never officially cultivated the Great Nothingness Scripture.
[Where did the Yuan Qi come from? Could it be that I gained such benefits just from listening to the Honoured Master explain the mysteries of the Great Nothingness Scripture to me?]
After a moment of bewilderment, he suddenly scratched his head and looked at Yang Kai apologetically, “Honoured Master, does dreaming count as cultivation?”
“What dream?” Yang Kai furrowed his eyebrows together.
Xu Yi explained, “Disciple had a dream last night. I began to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture, but… it was just a dream!”
Yang Kai was puzzled, “You dreamt that you were cultivating the Great Nothingness Scripture?”
Xu Yi replied, “Yes. I’m certain I cultivated in my dream. Disciple has always had many dreams since I was young. It happens almost every night. Moreover, it always feels as though many days have passed in my dreams. I often wake up feeling dizzy and exhausted as a result.”
A sudden realization struck Yang Kai, and he suddenly had a bold conjecture, “Do you always feel as though many days have passed every time you enter a dream?”
Xu Yi mulled over the question for a moment, “Most of the time. There was once when I felt as though I stayed in my dreams for two whole months. Moreover, everything in my dreams felt very real, almost like I was really living in that dream.”
Yang Kai asked, “Even after you came here?”
Xu Yi nodded, “Yes. But, after coming here, I don’t feel so exhausted anymore whenever I experience such dreams. It’s probably because my body has grown stronger.” Pausing for a moment, he added, “Honoured Master, I really did not cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture.”
“I know.” Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment and casually said, “It might be that you’re extremely compatible with the Great Nothingness Scripture. That may be why you can gain something just from listening to my teachings.”