Yu Ru Meng looked at him and snapped, “It may not be risky? Then let me ask you, can you still come back after sealing the Void Corridor?”
Yang Kai was at a loss for words.
Yu Ru Meng said through gritted teeth, “Look! If I’m not mistaken, after you seal the Void Corridor, won’t you end up in the Black Ink Battlefield?”
Yang Kai replied softly, “That side may not be the Black Ink Battlefield either, it’s just a guess.”
“What if it is?”
Yang Kai was silent.
“There’s a good chance it is, right?” Yu Ru Meng stared at him.
Now Yang Kai nodded his head. The Void Corridor that was left behind after the death of the Black Ink Royal Lord was indeed very likely to have some connection with the Black Ink Battlefield. There was little doubt about that.
Yu Ru Meng scoffed, “All of us weak and delicate women have been with you for so many years, and yet you haven’t even given any of us proper status. You always take risks and put us in a state of extreme anxiety, and now you did not even consult us before deciding to go to that Black Ink Battlefield? What do you take us for!?”
Yang Kai felt ashamed, and was speechless as he knew that this was indeed his fault.
For countless years, these women had followed him without any complaints; however, they truly did not have any status as his women. Although they had never asked for it, which woman did not look forward to celebrating that auspicious day?
Yu Ru Meng stood up and declared, “Ning Chang, Xue Yue, Ji Yao, Qu’er, Xiao Wan, come with me to pack up our things. We’re leaving!”
Yang Kai was confused as he asked, “Where are you going?”
Yu Ru Meng coldly snorted, “Since we’re going to be widows anyway, you don’t have to care about where we are going. The world is big and there are plenty of men around. I will take my Sisters to find someone who will cherish us, and live our lives in peace.”
Xia Ning Chang was at her wits’ end and said, “Big Sister Ru Meng, Husband must have had no choice but to do what he plans to do.”
Tao Ling Wan also nodded vigorously, the two of them were the most docile among all the women, so Yu Ru Meng’s words undoubtedly made them suffer a great shock.
“Have no choice?” Yu Ru Meng exclaimed, “No one forced him to do anything, he decided to do it all by himself. What do you mean by he had no choice?”
She then looked at Xia Ning Chang and the others, “Are you leaving with me?”
Xia Ning Chang had no choice but to get up, nod apologetically to Yang Kai, and walk over to Yu Ru Meng’s side.
She did not want to see Yang Kai go to the Black Ink Battlefield either, and although Yu Ru Meng’s actions were a bit extreme, she would be happy to do it if it could make Yang Kai change his mind.
Xue Yue got up, but kept her head down. She just kept looking at the ground.
Ji Yao also stood up in a similar manner.
Tao Ling Wan looked at Qu Hua Shang.
Qu Hua Shang pondered for a moment before she stood up too. Regardless of what happened next, she would have to spend the rest of her life with Yu Ru Meng and the others; thus, it was better to side with her on this issue.
“Hmph!” Yu Ru Meng snorted scornfully at Yang Kai, then turned around, and led the girls away.
The atmosphere in the Grand Hall instantly became very awkward. The Great Emperors and other Sixth-Order Masters looked at each other but did not know what to say; after all, this was a family matter, and it was inappropriate for them to comment. Although what Yu Ru Meng said was rather harsh, everyone knew that she just did not want Yang Kai to risk his life again. They too felt the same and did not want Yang Kai to go.
Even if the stability of the 3,000 Worlds was at stake, there was no reason to put the entire burden on a single Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
This burden was too heavy even for High Heaven Palace and Void Land to bear, not to mention Yang Kai alone.
“I’ll go and check on my Sisters-in-Law.” Yang Xue stood up and chased after them, but when she reached the entrance of the Grand Hall, she stood still and with her back towards Yang Kai, she said, “Big Brother, I will support you whatever you decide to do, but… I don’t agree with you in this case!” She dashed away after saying that.
Yang Kai sighed. He was already mentally prepared for this when he made his decision as this was not the same as previous situations he had been through.
In the past, even if the situation was critical, as long as he overcame the danger, he could return safely.
However, this time was different. If he really was sucked into the Black Ink Battlefield, it would be the same as abandoning everything in the 3,000 Worlds. It was impossible for him to return.
Throughout history, so many elites from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had stepped through the No-Return Pass and none had ever returned. Thus, there would be no exception for him.
Yu Ru Meng was keenly aware of this, which was why her reaction was so intense.
“Do you all also want to persuade me to not go?” Yang Kai asked as he looked around at the crowd. Although Yu Ru Meng was furious and his backyard was essentially on fire, he would not apologize for his decision. They were all family so he felt he had nothing to be embarrassed about.
Zhan Wu Hen said, “Since you have already decided, then any attempt at persuasion would be meaningless. If the Void Corridor is not sealed and is really connected to the Black Ink Battlefield, then who can avoid responsibility in the 3,000 Worlds? Don’t worry too much about it, if anyone dares to get close to your Wives while you’re away, I’ll smash his head in.”
This was of course a joke. Even if Yang Kai really left, Yu Ru Meng and others would not really go off seeking another husband. Everything she said was just to force Yang Kai to change his mind.
“When will you leave?” asked Serene Soul Great Emperor, Yao Jun.
Yang Kai said, “Not so soon. The ancient sealing power is still holding the Void Corridor closed and will continue to do so for a while, I will not leave until I sort out the matters at hand.”
Yao Jun nodded lightly, “That’s good. You should only go when you have no other concerns.”
The crowd talked for a while more before dispersing.
Yang Kai walked out of the Grand Hall looking rather depressed. Although he had a lot of Wives, he wasn’t actually very good at dealing with women. Now that Yu Ru Meng had led them to rebel against him, he did not know how to pacify them.
Of course, he could tell them that he had changed his mind and Yu Ru Meng and the rest would immediately be relieved; however, since he had already made the decision, how could he change it just like that?
Yang Kai was not doing this for the sake of the wider world, nor was it due to a sense of righteousness. He was not noble to that extent. If the Cave Heavens and Paradises were capable of solving the problem at hand without him, he certainly would not have insisted. However, the problem was that even taking into consideration the whole of the 3,000 Worlds, there was no one else who could do it except for him.
He had to step forward in the face of this predicament.
If the Black Ink Clan really came through the Void Corridor and invaded the 3,000 Worlds then, not to mention his Wives, everyone in High Heaven Palace, Void Land, and the Star Boundary would be in peril.
He could not even say goodbye to Su Yan, Shan Qing Luo, and Zhu Qing before departing.
The three of them had been taken to the Ancestral Land to cultivate their Divine Spirit heritage, and had not yet returned.
Standing at the edge of a certain Spirit Province and looking into the depths of the void, Yang Kai’s thoughts fluctuated. He thought about how much he owed his Wives. For so many years, it seemed that he had not spent much time with them. He always seemed to have one thing or another to keep him occupied.
This time was even worse. How could he still go when he knew that it was a one-way trip. Once he left, he might never be able to see them again. He did not even consider their feelings when he made that decision.
Yang Kai felt that if the situation was reversed, he also would not accept it so easily. Yu Ru Meng kicking up that fuss without any regard for him was a perfectly normal reaction. In fact, it would be a problem if she had accepted his decision without any hesitation.
[I’m truly scum!] Yang Kai chastised himself and made up his mind that this time he would kneel in front of them and beg for their understanding and forgiveness!
He turned around suddenly, a firm and unwavering look on his face.
Just as he took a step forward though, Yang Xue quickly descended from above and landed in front of him, calling out anxiously, “Big Brother, I’ve finally found you.”
Yang Kai’s face stiffened and asked, “What happened?”
“Something terrible!” Yang Xue blurted out.
“What?” Yang Kai was shocked.
“It’s hard for me to explain. Come with me to take a look and you’ll soon understand.” Yang Xue said, grabbed his arm, and dragged him away.
Yang Kai’s heart sank. He did not know what had happened to cause his Little Sister to become so anxious. She had gone to find Yu Ru Meng and the others, so her anxiety might be due to them.
Yang Xue shook her head and refused to answer regardless of how many questions he asked, which made Yang Kai feel increasingly uneasy.
Soon they arrived at a Spirit Province, one which served as the temporary base for one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises. All the Ore Stars in Black Territory had been mined clean, so there were broken Spirit Provinces of all sizes everywhere. The Cave Heavens and Paradises naturally occupied a few of the larger ones.
There was a palace on this Spirit Province.
Yang Xue took Yang Kai and rushed inside.
As soon as they entered, there were several beautiful women smiling at them on either side, but Yang Kai did not know any of them.
The critical point though was that these women all had profound Seventh-Order auras radiating from them.
They were obviously High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Yang Kai’s heart tensed up and he became instinctively cautious as he did not know what was happening.
Yang Xue, however, pushed Yang Kai to the front with a smile.
The women grabbed him from the left and right and dragged him inside.
“What’s going on?” Yang Kai was completely confused. [Didn’t Xue’er say something happened? What is the meaning of this joyful mood now?]
“Big Brother don’t be afraid, I lied to you earlier. Nothing happened, just go along with it,” Yang Xue followed along, and reassured him as they walked.
“No no no, what the Hell is going on?” Yang Kai did not know how he should react. He was still anxious to appease his Wives and now, he was being dragged along here. He felt uncomfortable with the few High-Rank Open Heaven Realm flowers holding onto him to his left and right, teasing his nose with their alluring fragrance.
“You’ll know soon enough,” Yang Xue said with a playful smile, refusing to tell him anything more.
Yang Kai flicked her forehead with his finger, but could not bear to do anything more. He only had one Little Sister and he hardly took care of her as she was growing up. However, they were bound by blood and Yang Kai could not bear to chastise her.
From the looks of this situation, nothing should happen. Even if something did happen, it should be a good thing.
Once they entered an inner room, which was obviously a bedroom, they were greeted with a distinct fragrance. Yang Kai did not know whose room this was, but it was clear it belonged to a woman.
Yang Kai was dragged directly to a chair, and then the ladies to his left and right pressed his shoulder hard, “Sit down!”
Yang Kai could not do anything other than to sit down.
The next moment, he was shocked and frantically grabbed onto his clothes, “What are you doing, Seniors!?”
Just as he sat down, several women came straight at him and began to strip him of his clothes.
“Hmph! Why are you acting all shy and innocent?” A High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master smiled coquettishly. Her voice was as smooth as silk and there were obvious traces that she was born in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
“Why are you calling us Seniors? How could you make us sound so old?” Another High-Rank Open Heaven Realm woman poked her finger on Yang Kai’s forehead, causing him to tilt back slightly.
Yang Kai chuckled nervously and said, “All of you are young and beautiful, but through dedicated cultivation have reached the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. All of you must be thousands of years old. Calling you Senior was out of respect for you. Surely, I can’t address you as Big Sisters, can I? That would be highly improper!”
During this time, a few of them had skillfully removed Yang Kai’s outer clothing. They were extremely skilled and it was not long before an exquisite red robe appeared from somewhere. One of them dragged Yang Kai to his feet and then two others stretched out his arms to pull the robe onto him.
A few others were shuffling around, straightening the robe and tying up its belt. Soon, Yang Kai was properly dressed.
Yang Kai was in a daze and completely ignorant of what was happening.
When he was made to sit down again, a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm woman came around behind him, spread his long hair and skillfully rearranged it neatly.
Yang Kai looked into the mirror in front of him and stared at himself with a dumbstruck look. He was dressed in a red robe and looked very festive.
A woman beside him was busy, applying rouge and powder to his face.
Yang Kai quickly raised his hand to resist. Being dressed in such festive clothes was one thing, but now they were applying cosmetics to his face. This was unacceptable to him and he protested, “Seniors, is this necessary?”
“Don’t move!” The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm woman from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven slapped Yang Kai’s hand away and pressed down his raised arm. She scolded him, “Of course you have to dress up appropriately for your auspicious day.”
“Auspicious day?” Yang Kai’s jaw dropped, “What’s this all about?”
She smiled sweetly as asked back, “What do you think?”
Yang Kai quickly looked curiously towards his Little Sister, but Yang Xue just said with a wide smile, “Big Brother, don’t worry about anything, just go along with it and everything will be fine.”
Yang Kai did not know whether to laugh or cry, but considering who he was up against, he decided that he had to play along without further resistance. And so, he just sat there calmly and allowed those women to dress him up.
At some point, his heart began beating a bit faster.
They labored for less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense before the women around Yang Kai looked at him in detail and then nodded, “That’s about right!”
The Yin-Yang Cave Heaven High-Rank Open Heaven Realm woman brought a bright red flower and tied it to Yang Kai’s chest to complete the look and then clapped her hands and declared, “Finished!”
“Let’s go, let’s go! To the wedding!” Yang Xue cheered as the women pushed and shoved Yang Kai out to the palace.
There was a group of people waiting outside. Yang Kai looked up and saw that the people from High Heaven Palace, the Great Emperors, Mao Zhe, Yue He, and all the other Sixth-Order Masters from Void Land were lined up on both sides. When they saw Yang Kai dressed in his red robes, they cupped their fists and said, “Congratulations Sect Master, on your Wedding Day!”
Yang Kai returned the greetings with a grin, “Congratulations to one and all!”
He suddenly realized that he was congratulating himself, and how lame he must have appeared!
He was initially confused by the sudden flurry of activity around him. He was just thinking about how he should apologize to Yu Meng Ru and his other Wives, but now he somehow found himself at his wedding.
Furthermore, it seemed that everyone was in on it, except him. He didn’t even know whose idea all this was.
“Sect Master, please!” Mao Zhe reached out and gestured with his hand.
There was a luxuriously decorated ship waiting in front of him, which was also decorated in red. There were many people waiting on board, so it was obvious that a lot had gone into the preparations for this.
Yang Kai took a deep breath, suppressed the excitement and nervousness in his heart, then waved his hand and said confidently, “Let’s go!”
This was the first time he had experienced a marriage ceremony with him as the groom. It was undeniable that he was nervous. He had not been so apprehensive even when he was locked in that cage with the Black Ink Royal Lord for 100 years.
A group of people from High Heaven Palace and Void Land boarded the ship along with Yang Kai, but when he glanced around, he saw that most of the people were from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. They were all in the Open Heaven Realm, and several were even in the Seventh-Order.
Everyone was holding musical instruments they had gotten from who knows where.
The celebratory air was practically overflowing. When Iron Blood Great Emperor gave the order, the ship immediately erupted with music and drums which made the atmosphere extremely lively.
The ship sailed ahead slowly towards a certain Spirit Province, the sounds of joy and music accompanying them along the way.
The band on the ship was grand, consisting of some twenty or so Open Heaven Realm Masters, including some in the Seventh-Order. Yang Kai was the only person who could make so many Open Heaven Realm Masters from so many Cave Heavens and Paradises come out and perform for his wedding.
A short while later, they arrived at the Spirit Province. The sounds of music continued and the Groom’s Party disembarked from the ship, heading straight for a grand palace up ahead.
A group of people blocked the way to the palace though, and the leader of that group was none other than Six Wood Divine Monarch of Golden Antelope Paradise, Liu Mu!
Liu Mu smiled widely as he was surrounded by Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. There was a group of at least 100 people here, guarding the entrance to the palace.
“Divine Monarch!” Yang Kai stepped forward and offered his greetings, remaining on alert. Yang Kai noticed that Liu Mu looked at him with some kind of malicious intent, which made Yang Kai feel that something was wrong.
Although he had cooperated with this wedding, Yang Kai had not yet fully understood the details. Furthermore, he could not understand why he had to come to Golden Antelope Paradise for his wedding.
He had never been here before, but since Liu Mu was here, this was obviously Golden Antelope Paradise’s temporary base in Black Territory.
No one had told Yang Kai anything about the arrangements before they set out.
“Brat, looks like you’re in good spirits and you’re even dressed for the occasion,” Liu Mu teased as he looked Yang Kai over from head to toe.
Yang Kai cupped his fist and bowed, “Divine Monarch, this Junior is here to receive the bride. I’d truly appreciate it if Divine Monarch could be accommodating.”
“Good!” Liu Mu waved his hand grandly before he shouted, “Someone wants to marry my Golden Antelope Paradise’s disciple. Brats, tell him what kind of person is worthy of that?”
Yang Kai was stunned by what he just heard and asked in a dumbfounded voice, “How can I be marrying a disciple of Golden Antelope Paradise? My Wives have nothing to do with Golden Antelope Paradise.”
Liu Mu smiled and explained, “Xue Yue has worshiped this Monarch and is now my Legacy Disciple!”
Yang Kai raised his brow and wondered, [There is such a thing? When did this happen? How come I didn’t know anything about it?]
However, this was undoubtedly a good thing. The Cave Heavens and Paradises had always been strict in accepting disciples, almost never accepting outsiders who did not cultivate their specific Secret Arts. Not to mention that it was Liu Mu, an Ancestor, who had personally accepted Xue Yue as his Disciple.
It was a great honour for anyone to worship an Eighth-Order Ancestor as their Honoured Master and it was similarly not a trivial affair for an Ancestor to accept a Disciple. Liu Mu’s statement meant that Xue Yue was really Golden Antelope Paradise’s disciple. With her as the disciple of Liu Mu, an Eighth-Order Ancestor, it meant that Xue Yue was incomparable in terms of both seniority and status among the disciples of Golden Antelope Paradise.
Even when the Sect Master of Golden Antelope Paradise met Xue Yue in the future, he would have to address her as Junior Sister.
The other Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Cave Heavens and Paradises did not have this authority, but Liu Mu, as an Ancestor, could accept anyone he wanted to as a Disciple. All it took was him declaring it so and no one would be able to challenge him.
Yang Kai was touched and immediately bowed once more, “Many thanks, Senior!”
Liu Mu grinned and replied, “Don’t be so quick to thank me. Marrying this Monarch’s Disciple will not be an easy task.”
Yang Kai suddenly understood where the unease he had been feeling before was coming from.
Without giving him a chance to react, Liu Mu shouted, “Come, come, tell this Brat who is worthy to marry my Golden Antelope Paradise’s disciple!”
Immediately, Open Heaven Realm Masters came out from the left and right, each holding a huge wine jug and lined them up in front of him like a wall!
Yang Kai shuddered at the sight as each of these wine jugs was as big as a small water barrel. It was extraordinary to take out twenty such jugs all at once.
It looked like they were planning to drown him with wine!
Just as anticipated, Liu Mu loudly declared, “Finish these and you can take her away. Leave alone if you can’t!”
Yang Xue suddenly protested, “Senior Liu Mu, this is not what we agreed upon.”
Liu Mu laughed heartily, “Little girl, this Monarch is trying to teach you that the world is dangerous and you should not trust people so easily!”
Yang Xue pouted angrily.
“Good!” Yang Kai waved his hand, reached out, took a wine jug in front of him, tore open the seal with his hand, and began pouring it down his throat.
Liu Mu smiled as he warned, “Brat, you should take it slow. My Golden Antelope Paradise’s special-brew is not so easy to drink. Be careful not to drink so much that it affects your ability to perform tonight!”
Before Liu Mu’s warning, Yang Kai had already tasted the strong wine.
The wine flowed like a molten led down his throat and into the abdomen. Instantly, his abdomen began to churn from and a huge amount of energy erupted from his gut, overwhelming his body. Yang Kai could not help but stifle a grunt.
This wine was obviously not ordinary. It must have been brewed using a lot of precious Spirit Fruits and Herbs. Not only was the wine full of strength, but it could also enhance his cultivation.
This wine was definitely extremely valuable, and yet Golden Antelope Paradise had taken out twenty jugs of it for him.
Under Yang Xue’s watchful eyes, Yang Kai drank up a jug in just a dozen gulps.
There was a roar of approval from all around.
Yang Kai wiped his mouth, reached for another jar, and began again!
After downing five jugs in a row, Yang Kai began to stagger slightly; however, his whole body was bursting with energy and he gritted his teeth as he gasped, “So strong!”
Yang Kai didn’t drink much alcohol in general, but he was still able to hold his liquor. The wine of Golden Antelope Paradise was extremely strong though, so it wasn’t easy for him to drink so much.
However, he could not show any weakness. Yang Kai continued to tilt his head back and pour more into his mouth.
Ten jugs, fifteen jugs, nineteen jugs…
Yang Xue was beginning to look worried.
Ultimately though, Yang Kai managed to drink all the wine!
Throwing down the last wine jug, Yang Kai said proudly, “Senior, how’s this?”
Liu Mu looked at him with a smile and waved his hand, “Clear the way!”
The crowd of Open Heaven Realm Masters immediately opened up a pathway and Yang Kai led Luan Bai Feng, Yue He, Zhou Ya, Mo Mei and several other women into the Grand Hall.
Outside, Yang Xue, Zhan Wu Hen, and the others took out pre-prepared Space Rings to distribute to the Golden Antelope Paradise disciples who blocked the way. Each ring contained 100,000 Open Heaven Pills. It was not much, but it was a celebratory token.
They could certainly have provided more, but this was just the beginning of the celebrations. Golden Antelope Paradise alone had hundreds of members, so they had just spent 10 million Open Heaven Pills. They did not know how many more of such situations would require them to hand out Space Rings again. Furthermore, these disciples didn’t really need such a paltry sum of pills.
Those who received the celebratory tokens were naturally happy though and continued to offer their congratulations.
A few moments later, Yang Kai emerged from the palace while accompanying Xue Yue, who was wearing her red phoenix coronet.
Yang Xue and the others led Yang Kai to the boat. Zhan Wu Hen, who was in charge of the directions and route, waved his hand and ordered, “Set sail! To the next family!”
Xue Yue was placed in a compartment on the boat and sat upright there with a red veil covering her face.
She had been dragged away by his Little Sister before Yang Kai could even say a word to her.
“W-Where are we going now?” Yang Kai slurred drunkenly.
Xue Yue had been accepted by Liu Mu as his Legacy Disciple, and was considered to be a disciple of Golden Antelope Paradise; so, where were the others? Yang Kai did not know how they arranged it, but he knew that it was the good intentions of all the Cave Heavens and Paradises, along with High Heaven Palace and Void Land, who had prepared this entire event. He just needed to go along with it.
The wedding came out of nowhere, and he was unprepared for it, but he was willing to go through with it.
“We’ll know when we get there.”
Yang Xue stood beside him, pursed her lips, and smiled. She was naturally happy to see her Big Brother getting married. Her only regret was that some of her Sisters-in-Law were not around, and her parents were not able to attend.
There was nothing she could do about it though as Su Yan and her other Sisters-in-Law were in the Ancestral Land while her parents were in the Star Boundary; thus, she could not invite them over on such short notice.
Soon, the boat arrived at another Spirit Province. It was the second stop for Yang Kai to pick up his brides.
Yang Kai scanned below the ship and saw High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters lined up in two rows. They were led by a stately Eighth-Order Ancestor and all of them were blocking the palace behind them. Although there were only a few of them, they stood straight in tidy ranks, like they were a thousand-man army. It was immediately clear that this was Great Battle Heaven!
Only the disciples from Great Battle Heaven gave off such a presence.
Yang Kai had previously seen the Eighth-Order Ancestor who stood at the front. He was extremely fierce in the fight against the Black Ink Royal Lord.
Yang Xue whispered to him, “Great Battle Heaven’s Thunderbolt Divine Monarch, Pi Li, has taken Ji Yao as his Disciple!”
Although Yang Kai had a vague suspicion after what happened in Golden Antelope Paradise, he was still a little surprised to hear his Little Sister say this.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had really gone all out. Xue Yue had become the Disciple of Golden Antelope Paradise’s Six Wood Divine Monarch, and now, Ji Yao had become the disciple of Great Battle Cave Heaven’s Thunderbolt Divine Monarch, Pi Li.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises were obviously raising the status of these women. They were doing this to assure Yang Kai that he could seal the Void Corridor without leaving behind any worries. It would be for the best if he could come back after determining it was safe, but if he could not return, then High Heaven Palace and Void Land would have an extra layer of protection with the Cave Heavens and Paradises by doing this. Thus, he did not have anything to worry about.
This was a great assurance.
Yang Kai led the groom’s party swiftly down the boat towards Thunderbolt Divine Monarch, where he hastily bowed and saluted, “Greetings, Divine Monarch!”
Pi Li looked Yang Kai over from head to toe. He nodded slightly but did not smile as he asked, “You want to marry my Great Battle Heaven’s disciple? It is not an easy task, you brat. Are you prepared?”
After what happened at Golden Antelope Paradise, Yang Kai was already mentally prepared that he would have some challenge each time he picked up one of his brides. Ultimately, they would not go overboard to interfere though as this was more of a ceremonial tradition rather than a real obstruction.
Yang Kai puffed his chest with his head held high and said arrogantly, “I am prepared, Divine Monarch!”
Pi Li chuckled and said while waving his hand, “You have guts!”
Seven Open Heaven Realm Masters immediately landed behind him and immediately assumed a Formation. Each looked very serious with murderous intent and shouted, “Kill!”
Open Heaven Realm auras permeated the air, indicating that all seven of them were in the Sixth-Order.
The Sixth-Order was just right. A lower cultivation was unable to hinder Yang Kai, while a higher cultivation might be too difficult for the groom’s party. In any case, the stronger Open Heaven Realm Masters from High Heaven Palace and Void Land were also in this realm. Meanwhile, their only Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had been requested by Yang Kai to go back to the Star Boundary on a mission.
Yang Kai immediately rolled up his sleeves and grinned, “All I need to do is to beat them, right?”
He looked at the seven like an Ominous Beast fixated on his prey. The seven came from Great Battle Cave Heaven and had cultivated a fearless mentality since they were young, but somehow, they still felt rather intimidated by Yang Kai.
They had heard of many of his deeds over the years. In particular, they knew he had spent 100 years inside the Black Prison cage with the Black Ink Royal Lord, yet still survived. Who else could possibly accomplish such a feat?
Yang Xue did not know whether to laugh or cry though as she went forward to tug Yang Kai’s sleeve and protest, “Big Brother, what are you thinking? Today is your wedding day! Why do you want to take them on yourself?”
She was thinking that her Big Brother must have been a little drunk due to all the wine he had at Golden Antelope Paradise, so now that he had been taunted, he could not resist taking up the challenge. This was totally different from what Liu Mu had agreed on before, but she could not help it if he had decided to change things at the last moment.
Zhan Wu Hen then said, “These tasks should be left to the groom’s party!”
Pi Li finally smiled, “I don’t care how many people you use, but you must defeat them in order to take the bride away.”
Yang Kai looked around and grinned meaningfully, “You underestimate my Void Land and High Heaven Palace!”
Zhan Wu Hen and the others snorted coldly. They then stepped forward one by one and soon all of them gathered around Yang Kai.
The Sixth-Order Masters of Void Land and High Heaven Palace were basically all present, numbering nearly 20 people or three times as many as those from Great Battle Heaven.
Looking at each other across the void, the seven members of Great Battle Cave Heaven appeared calm and collected. They did not look intimidated by the numerically superior enemy, which showed their mental fortitude.
Yang Kai waved his hand and declared, “Fight!”
The next moment, twenty Void Land Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters rushed forward and clashed with the seven from Great Battle Heaven. Immediately, fists and feet began to fly.
There was no need for any modesty or standing on ceremony. Since the fight was inevitable, all of them should get it over and done with as fast as possible.
It was just a competition similar in nature to a sparring match, so neither side used any Divine Abilities or Secret Techniques, not to mention artifacts. They all simply fought with their bodies and World Force.
The huge advantage in numbers did not enable Void Land to sweep aside their foes, though, and the battle soon turned into a stalemate.
The seven men of Great Battle Heaven were arranged in an amazing Formation that allowed them to join their powers together, as if they became one entity.
Yang Kai was amazed by this display.
The seven people were obviously familiar with fighting together and had a tacit understanding of each other’s strengths and tactics due to many years of practice. At times, they gathered together, only to spread out in the next instant, causing High Heaven Palace’s Sixth-Order Masters to lose ground.
However, High Heaven Palace fighters were no pushovers; after all, they had the numbers advantage and after they broke through to the Sixth-Order, each of them had at least hundreds of years of experience consolidating their cultivation. Additionally, every one of them had the experience of entering one of the Small Source Worlds of the Cave Heavens and Paradises at least once.
In their current state, their Small Universe heritage was no longer the same as when they initially broke through to the Open Heaven Realm.
A fierce battle ensued for the next incense stick worth of time.
In the end, it was Iron Blood Great Emperor Zhan Wu Hen who found the opportunity to break the Formation of the seven men with a heavy punch. Immediately, the rest swarmed over them and split up the Great Battle Heaven disciples, denying them the chance to re-establish their Formation.
Zhan Wu Hen came back with a huge black eye, cupped his fist, and said, “Fortunately, we have not failed our mission!”
The black eye was from a punch from one of the Great Battle Heaven Sixth-Order disciples. Yang Kai’s face twitched as he tried to control his laughter before he nodded lightly, “Many thanks for all your hard work!”
Yang Kai turned to Pi Li. The Divine Monarch nodded and declared, “You’ve passed the test!”
He then stepped to the side and invited them in.
“Many thanks, Divine Monarch!” Yang Kai thanked him, rushed into the Palace, and escorted Ji Yao out.
Thereafter, the ship continued on its way.
The third stop, to Yang Kai’s surprise, was the temporary base of Myriad Demons Heaven!
The one who became a disciple of Myriad Demons Heaven was naturally Yu Ru Meng.
Yang Kai had a grudge with Thousand Cranes Paradise, but he also had one with Myriad Demons Heaven, because when he was determined to advance directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, it was Myriad Demons Heaven that headed the effort to suppress him. A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master named Ti Zheng personally went to Shattered Heaven and finally forced Yang Kai to only advance to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Ti Zheng died afterward for some unknown reason, which did alleviate Yang Kai’s grievance with them.
Afterwards, Myriad Demons Heaven’s Core Disciple, Pei Wen Xuan, involved himself with Zuo Quan Hui and was also killed.
Of all the Cave Heavens and Paradises, if there was one that Yang Kai hated the most, it was definitely Myriad Demons Heaven.
So he could never have imagined that Myriad Demons Heaven would accept Yu Ru Meng.
However, when all things were considered, Yu Ru Meng was part of the Demon Race, and if the matter was looked into in detail, all the Demon Race from the Demon Realm were the disciples of Myriad Demons Heaven. This was a result of Mo Sheng being from Myriad Demons Heaven and having ended up in a Universe World which he contaminated with his Demon Qi, transforming it into the Demon Realm when his physical body failed him.
It was the best choice for Yu Ru Meng to become a disciple of Myriad Demons Heaven.
It was also an Eighth-Order Ancestor, called Mo Sha Divine Monarch, who personally took her as a Disciple!
At that moment, Mo Sha led a group of Myriad Demons Heaven disciples to intercept the groom’s party outside the palace. Each Myriad Demons Heaven disciple was covered with Demon Qi, and several of them were smiling deviously at Yang Kai, looking very menacing.
Yang Kai led the groom’s party forward to greet the group. Mo Sha carefully looked at him from head to toe several times before pointing behind him and declaring, “She’s waiting inside, enter by yourself.”
Yang Kai was stunned.
They were as good as sworn enemies and he thought that Myriad Demons Heaven would be prepared to make things hard for him, so Yang Kai had rolled up his sleeves preparing for a huge fight. He never thought that it would be so easy.
This was a good thing though, so he quickly thanked Mo Sha and hastily entered the palace.
Yang Kai realized that something was wrong as soon as he stepped into the palace.
The entire place was decorated as a chamber and there were a dozen couches inside. Atop each cough sat a graceful figure with an opaque phoenix coronet and red robes covering them.
Suddenly, the doors of the palace slammed shut.
[What is this?] Yang Kai was puzzled, but he finally understood that this was how Myriad Demons Heaven was going to make things difficult for him. The challenge had simply been inside this time, instead of outside.
Mo Sha’s voice suddenly rang out from nowhere, “Three chances for you to find the right bride. Take her away if you can find her. If not, heh…”
Nothing was said after the chuckle. That meant that if he could not find the right bride, then he also could not take her away.
Yang Kai smiled contemptuously, “I don’t need three chances, one is enough!”
He knew Yu Ru Meng so well after being with her for so many years and was confident that he could find her here with his eyes closed.
Mo Sha snickered, “Don’t be so cocky just yet!”
Yang Kai frowned and immediately took a closer look at those dressed up as brides and was stunned! Outwardly, there was almost no difference between the dozen brides. In terms of height or size, they were all identical!
He was surprised that Myriad Demons Heaven could find so many women of the same physical appearance to pull this off.
Yang Kai quickly composed himself when he realized that, since Myriad Demons Heaven had gone through all the trouble to set this up, it meant that this test was not going to be easy to overcome.
Yang Kai next tried to use his Divine Sense to probe the situation.
Unexpectedly though, all those brides were protected by some kind of strange power that prevented Yang Kai from detecting their cultivation.
[They’ve certainly prepared well enough!] Yang Kai thought that even if Myriad Demons Heaven could find a dozen women of similar height and features as Yu Ru Meng, there would always be some differences in their auras. Yu Ru Meng was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and could be distinguished easily by comparing the depth of these women’s cultivation. Yu Ru Meng’s aura should be able to stand out from the crowd.
Now that he had tried though, he realized that Myriad Demons Heaven had taken precautions against this method.
He clenched his fist lightly coughed, cupped his fist and greeted them, “Ru Meng!”
A dozen voices instantly replied, “Husband!”
Yang Kai gasped with his mouth wide open, dumbfounded! Although the brides’ replies were staggered, they all sounded exactly like Yu Ru Meng. It was as if they were all her clones.
Moreover, his original intention to greet the brides was to enable the real Yu Ru Meng to give him a hint, but he did not get anything from her.
When he thought about it, he remembered that Yu Ru Meng was so angry that she was ready to leave him to find someone else to marry, so now, even if he was ready to marry her, it was only natural that she was still upset with him and would not obediently cooperate.
Maybe this test right now was even devised personally by Yu Ru Meng.
Yang Kai realized that based on his understanding of her character, she might really be capable of doing such a thing. He suddenly felt a headache setting in.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai slowly walked to the nearest couch, lowered his body to take a closer look, and tried to use his nose to sniff.
The bride in front of him giggled softly, “Husband, they are all fake. You’d better not choose the wrong one. If you choose the wrong one, I will never forgive you!”
Yang Kai nodded confidently, “Rest assured, I will not choose wrongly!”
As he spoke, he came to the second couch and continued to observe and sniff.
It took a half cup of tea’s time to finish checking everyone. Then he appeared confident and smiled as he declared, “I think I know where you are!”
A soft laughter was heard, and Yu Ru Meng’s voice called out, “Since you know, then take me away.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’ll take you away now!”
After he said that, he walked swiftly to the couch in the center, grabbed the bride in front of him by the arm and said, “You’re the one!”
The bride who was grabbed stumbled, and fell directly into Yang Kai’s arms, giggling happily.
Yang Kai suddenly realized something was amiss. He lifted the red veil only to see a bright-eyed young girl smiling in his arms, but she was not Yu Ru Meng. He totally did not know who she was.
“You…” Yang Kai’s jaw dropped, and quickly tried to let go.
The young girl laughed and said, “Martial Aunt Ru Meng was right. You really tried to find her by her scent, so Martial Aunt left some of her perfume on me!”
The cultivation of the young girl was Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Although she was equal to Yu Ru Meng in terms of cultivation, since Yu Ru Meng was now Mo Sha’s Disciple, her status in Myriad Demons Heaven was significantly higher; thus, the young girl had to address her as Martial Aunt.
The young girl stuck to Yang Kai and would not back off. She looked up at him with doe eyes as she asked, “Martial Uncle, don’t you want to marry me? I would be so glad.”
“How highly improper!” Yang Kai pushed her aside gently before he began to stroke his chin and continued to look at the dozen or so Yu Ru Mengs in front of him, beginning to feel flustered.
After a while, he pleaded, “Ru Meng, stop this tantrum, be a good girl, and come away with me.”
No one responded to him.
Yang Kai, continued to reminisce openly about the time he spent with her in the Demon Realm, making them sound like the best days of his life when they were foolish and in love. He was trying to use this emotional card to force a reaction from her.
Suddenly, one bride’s body moved slightly.
Yang Kai immediately scurried over, grinned, and asked, “Is that you? Ru Meng?”
The person in front of him did not reply, but the voice of Mo Sha sounded again, “Brat, you only have one last chance, you better make good use of it!”
Yang Kai’s face froze.
Was the woman in front of him not her? He lifted the red veil and sure enough, the bride was not Yu Ru Meng. It was another unknown woman who looked at him cheekily with a smile.
Yang Kai asked curiously, “Why did you move just now?”
The woman replied with a giggle, “What’s wrong with me moving a little after sitting for such a long time?”
Yang Kai wanted to ask if she did that on purpose, but it was pointless. Two of the three chances had been wasted. Now he only had one last chance.
Mo Sha had already spoken, so if Yang Kai could not find the real Yu Ru Meng with this third selection, he wouldn’t get any more.
This caused him to feel as if he was carrying a mountain on his shoulders.
However, it was really difficult to find Ru Meng here. Although there were only a dozen brides in the hall, and Yang Kai had eliminated two of them, the rest still looked exactly the same as Yu Ru Meng in form and posture. He also could not detect her from the differences from their auras because they were protected by that inexplicable power.
Yang Kai frowned and began thinking hard.
There are indeed many people with similar features in the world, but it was impossible to have so many that look exactly the same, especially when they all came from Myriad Demons Heaven.
Yang Kai was originally surprised that Myriad Demons Heaven could find so many people with such a similar body shape and height to Yu Ru Meng, but now it seemed that there was something else going on here!
These brides should have used some Secret Technique to achieve this level of similarity.
In other words, as long as he found some flaw in this Secret Technique, he could identify which was the real Yu Ru Meng.
Yang Kai suddenly understood the purpose of Myriad Demons Heaven’s test.
However, at this point, he had no intention to hide anything. Since he would be going deep into the Void Corridor to re-seal it, it didn’t matter if this little secret of his was exposed.
With a slightly wry smile, Yang Kai immediately activated the golden Demon Eye of Annihilation, which could see through all illusions.
Immediately, he could see the dozen or so people in front of him had indeed changed. The original dozen women with identical features had now, under the gaze of his Demon Eye of Annihilation, changed in varying degrees. Some become taller, others shorter.
Only one person among them had not changed at all!
Yang Kai stepped forward, stretched out his hand, and called out warmly, “Ru Meng!”
The person in front of him rose up and placed her hand in his, and Yang Kai picked her up by the waist with swift movement!
The next moment, the soft flesh at his waist was fiercely pinched, and Yu Ru Meng’s voice sounded affectionately in his ears, “Consider yourself lucky!”
Yang Kai endured the pain with a happy smile.
When he walked out of the palace, Mo Sha appeared to have something on his mind, but did not say anything else.
After thanking him, the ship set sail again and rushed to the next Spirit Province.
The fourth stop was the site of Divine Medicine Cave Heaven.
Among the 36 Cave Heavens, there was a Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven and a Divine Medicine Cave Heaven, one for Artifact Refining and one for Alchemy.
The original Open Heaven Pill recipe was rumoured to have been devised by the forefathers of Divine Medicine Cave Heaven over the course of many years.
Most of the high-end Spirit Pills in the 3,000 Worlds also originated from Divine Medicine Cave Heaven.
Now that Yu Ru Meng had been accepted by Myriad Demons Heaven, Yang Kai thought, [Perhaps Little Senior Sister has now become a Disciple of Divine Medicine Heaven?]
Little Senior Sister was born with the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body and had a unique advantage in the Alchemic Dao, so her joining Divine Medicine Cave Heaven was perfect for her.
Yang Xue nodded from the side and said, “Exactly, Divine Medicine Heaven’s Purple Jade Divine Monarch, Zi Yu, has accepted Ning Chang as his Disciple.”
Yang Kai had gone through a lot of hardships to become a Son-in-Law of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, even spending a year in the Dao Theory Assembly facing down vicious criminals, but now, with these marriages, he had become related to many Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Each of the previous Cave Heavens and Paradises had tests of varying difficulty, and Divine Medicine Cave Heaven seemed to be no exception.
Outside the premises, two huge Alchemy Furnaces had been set up. It was obvious that this was a competition of Alchemy techniques.
Yang Kai did not know whether to laugh or cry. For him to compete in Alchemy with a Divine Medicine Cave Heaven’s disciple was more or less like a novice trying to show off meager skills before an expert.
Although he was also versed in the Alchemic Dao, the most recent time Yang Kai performed any real Alchemy was already hundreds of years ago when he was first refining the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Since he entered the 3,000 Worlds, Yang Kai had really not put much effort into his Alchemy studies.
It could be said that his mastery over the Alchemic Dao was only a little bit higher than when he left the Star Boundary. According to his own classification system, his Alchemic Dao had stagnated at the fourth level, Traversing a Familiar Path.
How could he compare to an opponent who specialized in Alchemy? A Divine Medicine Cave Heaven’s Open Heaven Realm Master, who had been immersed in the Alchemic Dao for centuries, if not millennia, would absolutely have higher attainments than him.
There was no comparison.
At the critical moment, it was Wondrous Pill Great Emperor who took up this task.
Wondrous Pill Great Emperor was a man whose Grand Dao was the Alchemic Dao, and after advancing to the Open Heaven Realm, his mastery over Alchemy had improved greatly.
Yang Kai did not know how good Wondrous Pill had become, but if he looked at the entire Void Land and High Heaven Palace party, he was the only one who could compete with Divine Medicine Cave Heaven in this field.
Furthermore, Xia Ning Chang was Wondrous Pill’s Disciple in all but name as well, so it made sense for him to take responsibility here.
Back when he lived in the Star Boundary, Yang Kai originally wanted Xia Ning Chang to become the Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor; however, the latter had already accepted his final Disciple and publicly proclaimed he would not accept another. As such, the matter had to be dropped.
However, Wondrous Pill Great Emperor personally taught Xia Ning Chang the Alchemic Dao, and Xia Ning Chang lived in Medicine Pill Valley for a long time. She even studied under all of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor’s other Disciples. In a sense, she was Wondrous Pill Great Emperor’s Disciple in all but name.
Therefore, although formally, they did not have a Master and Disciple relationship, they were in reality Master and Disciple.
Now, Xia Ning Chang had the honour to worship Divine Medicine Cave Heaven’s Purple Jade Divine Monarch, Zi Yu, and became his Disciple. Naturally, Wondrous Pill Great Emperor was extremely happy for her.
Divine Medicine Heaven originally did not want to make things too difficult for Yang Kai, but since the others had all put up tests, they naturally could not be an exception. This was just a formality, so regardless of Yang Kai’s mastery of Alchemy, he could still take Xia Ning Chang away.
However, when the other side brought forward a true Alchemist, Divine Medicine Cave Heaven’s Open Heaven Realm representative had no choice but to take the situation more seriously. This disciple realized that his opponent from Void Land had some extraordinary skills in the Alchemic Dao, and if he was sloppy or careless, he might end up losing the competition.
The Alchemy contest was truly magnificent, with both sides showing off all their skills.
The Spirit Pills they chose to refine were fortunately not complicated and each only took less than half an hour to complete. The Divine Medicine Heaven disciple cupped his fist to Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, while the latter returned the courtesy. Those who were uninitiated in the Alchemic Dao had an idea who had won when the dust settled.
Zi Yu personally came forward to review the Spirit Pills refined by both sides, but did not do any open comparisons. If there was a formal judging, there would be a winner and a loser, which would reflect poorly on this auspicious day.
However, those with discerning eyes could see that though Wondrous Pill Great Emperor was skillful in Alchemy, he had only advanced to the Open Heaven Realm a few hundred years ago, so how could he be better than the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Divine Medicine Cave Heaven? The Divine Medicine Heaven disciple had reached the Open Heaven Realm thousands of years ago, so in terms of the Alchemic Dao, even Wondrous Pill Great Emperor could not compare to him.
Yang Kai happily rushed into the palace and under the guidance of the Divine Medicine Cave Heaven disciples, entered a boudoir and carried out the festively dressed Little Senior Sister.
The last stop was Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
There were no difficulties or tests here, nor was there need for any.
Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang had already entered and passed the Samsara Pavilion’s test, crossing nine reincarnations together to emerge on the other side. In Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s history, they were the only couple to ever accomplish this; thus, there was no need to test anything.
The Divine Monarch from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s side was named Qing Yu, and Yang Kai came forward to salute him respectfully.
Yu Xiang Die, who was standing beside him, smiled and said, “Come with me, she’s waiting inside.”
After saying these words, she turned around and walked forward while Yang Kai followed closely behind.
When Yang Kai looked up, he saw two women in red dresses sitting on the bed with red veils covering their faces. When they heard the door open, the one on the left tensed up slightly, and the ones acting as bridesmaids today wrung their hands while looking nervous.
Yang Kai looked stunned.
[Why are there two brides?] He wondered to himself if this was some kind of test from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven; however, he soon dismissed this thought as he realized who was front of him.
One of them was Qu Hua Shang, while the other was Tao Ling Wan. Although both of their faces were covered with red veils, he could easily distinguish them from their auras.
Yang Kai turned his head towards Yu Xiang Die and looked at her with a questioning look. He clearly meant to ask what Yin-Yang Cave Heaven meant by this.
Yu Xiang Die smiled, but did not say anything.
During this moment of hesitation, Tao Ling Wan, who was sitting motionless on the bed, was obviously feeling nervous and uneasy. Qu Hua Shang, who was sitting next to her, took the initiative to reach out and hold her delicate hand.
Yang Kai did not hesitate for long though, stepping forward to stand in front of the pair before holding out his left and right hands as he said softly, “My Ladies, please rise!”
Two small hands reached out and Yang Kai pulled the two women up before turning around, embraced on both the right and left, and walked majestically out with them by his sides.
Tao Ling Wan slowly relaxed her tensed body.
Yu Xiang Die, who was following behind Yang Kai, also felt relieved.
The arrangement here was made without any prior notice to Yang Kai, so as to surprise him. She saw Yang Kai’s attitude toward Tao Ling Wan when she was in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and knew that if he was given a choice, he might not be willing to marry Tao Ling Wan.
It was not that he did not like her, but rather that he was not familiar with her. Since he had very few interactions with her, he was not as emotionally attached to her.
Tao Ling Wan was set up by her Honoured Master in a conspiracy to resolve the awkward situation Yin-Yang Cave Heaven found itself in some time ago. Chen Xiu had used his own Disciple’s cultivation dissonance to trick Yang Kai into helping Tao Ling Wan. Once that happened, Yang Kai’s aura had permanently been engraved into Tao Ling Wan’s Small Universe due to the Secret Art she cultivated. Now, Tao Ling Wan needed Yang Kai’s power in order to advance to Seventh-Order, and even to simply survive.
This was the path a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple treaded when they cultivated the Heartfelt Dao.
Thereafter, Tao Ling Wan even took the initiative to enter the Samsara Pavilion and set up a Heart Barrier for herself. Fortunately, Yang Kai recognized her at the last moment and managed to retrieve her sealed memories, returning them to her so she could successfully leave the Samsara Pavilion.
In that life, Tao Ling Wan was deeply moved by Yang Kai, could not forget him, and realized that she had found her true love. Thus, when Yang Kai left Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, she followed him.
Today, since he was getting married, how could Yin-Yang Cave Heaven not have her here?
Soon, Yang Kai would enter the Void Corridor to seal it, and perhaps never return. Without Yang Kai, she would not ever be able to reach the Seventh-Order; thus, no matter what, before Yang Kai left, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had to pave the way forward for her.
On this auspicious day, Yang Kai naturally could not embarrass Tao Ling Wan.
With the two women sitting there together, if Yang Kai was to take one away and leave the other behind, that would be a humiliation so great to Tao Ling Wan that killing her would have been kinder. If she were a more extroverted woman, she might be able to overcome such humiliation given enough time; however, Tao Ling Wan was someone who was extremely introverted and innocent. To this day, she still blushed when she spoke to Yang Kai.
Although he had no special feelings for Tao Ling Wan, Yang Kai knew that she felt close to him because of the Secret Art and the reincarnation they experienced together in the Samsara Pavilion. In that life, she had sealed her memories and had no idea who he was, or even who she was; nonetheless, she still sacrificed her life to block a fatal sword strike for him.
The experiences in the Samsara Pavilion were all about one’s true heart, and the decisions made in that life would reflect what one would do in reality.
Yang Kai could not bear to hurt a woman who was literally willing to die for him; thus, when he saw the two of them sitting in that room, it was easy for him to make a decision.
A short while later, Yang Kai walked out of the palace, arm in arm with his two brides.
Chen Xiu was waiting for them inside the palace with his head raised to the Heavens. His expression appeared calm, but his heart was full of unease. He was terrified he would see a scene he did not want to see. When Yang Kai took longer than usual inside the palace, Chen Xiu felt as though hundreds of thousands of years were ticking by. Every moment was filled with torment.
When he saw that Yang Kai had led the two women out though, the huge boulder weighing down on his heart was lifted and he exhaled a long sigh of relief.
Chen Xiu still felt very guilty about what he did back then and was also sorry for his Disciple who he had put in such an embarrassing situation. However, from his standpoint, what he did at that time was for the sake of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven as a whole. He wanted to save Yin-Yang Cave Heaven from embarrassment and protect its reputation. He did not act for selfish reasons.
In addition, he had only agreed to this plan because he felt that Yang Kai’s status was good enough for his Disciple, and that she would not be dishonored by following this man.
Originally, he did not expect Tao Ling Wan to participate in this wedding event. He also knew that his Disciple did not hold much weight in Yang Kai’s heart. At least it was not to the extent of being considered for marriage. It was Yu Xiang Die who made the suggestion and finally Azure Feather Divine Monarch, Qing Yu who agreed. Qing Yu did not object to Tao Ling Wan being in the room where Yang Kai was to receive the bride, which Chen Xiu was very grateful for.
With Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s people feeling relieved, the procession that came to welcome the bride broke out in cheers.
Although there were already four brides aboard the boat, they were each brought aboard one at a time from the different families. Now, at Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s residence, Yang Kai actually brought two brides back at once!
One of them was naturally Qu Hua Shang, and the other, without much thought, should be Tao Ling Wan.
They were Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples, and both of them were Sixth-Order Masters! In the past, they could only marry within Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, or have others marry into Yin-Yang Heaven!
The status of the person who joined the family could not be too low and his aptitude must also meet the grade. It could be said that the requirements were very high, but today, Yang Kai actually took two brides back from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven at once. This was surely a new precedent which would never again be seen in the future.
The sound of the instruments became more and more festive, and the Open Heaven Realm Masters on the boat all put in the greatest effort to add to the celebratory atmosphere of the auspicious day.
With all the brides aboard, the groom’s party said farewell to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and steered the ship back towards Void Land’s temporary base.
A crowd had been waiting for a long time back at Void Land’s palace.
A long red carpet was laid on the ground, and the ship soon moored in front of it. One by one, seven people were led down from the ship.
Yang Kai led the way, with six women in three columns of two following behind him. Seven people connected by fate, each holding a large red flower to add to the festive atmosphere. This was what Void Land and High Heaven Palace had been planning for.
On the way, there were people who had arranged to perform Secret Techniques to add colour and cheer to the celebration.
The crowd entered a Grand Hall amidst loud music and cheers.
Yang Kai looked up and saw that the Grand Hall was decorated in red and ready for the ceremony.
Six Wood Divine Monarch, Liu Mu, was already waiting in front with a big smile on his face. They did not know when he had come over from Golden Antelope Paradise.
As expected, he was the master of ceremonies today.
Liu Mu looked at Yang Kai with a smile and raised his hand to silence the rowdy crowd around them. He then declared, “On such an auspicious day, the groom and his brides should perform the ritual of three bows to become Husband and Wives, as is tradition for both mortals and cultivators alike.”
The Grand Hall was filled with Open Heaven Realm Masters from all the Cave Heavens and Paradises to participate in the celebrations.
On hearing what Liu Mu said, they could not help but mutter in their hearts that the three bows ritual had really remained unchanged for ages.
As expected, Liu Mu looked at Yang Kai and said, “But, one of your Wives said that you have a few partners who could not be here due to some personal affairs. It would not be fair to them if you were to perform such rituals today.”
As soon as this was said, many people were startled and looked towards Yang Kai.
These Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises may not all be that familiar with Yang Kai, so they did not know how many partners he had in total. However, he already had six beautiful brides standing beside him, so how many more were there who could not make it over for the wedding!?
This brat was too much! It was rare for one to have so many partners and have all of them be so considerate to each other. How could this brat have such great charm?
“What’s more, your parents are not here either.” Liu Mu then continued, “So we will not be performing the three bows ritual today. Today is only a formality to gather your brides to you. You can do your own wedding properly later!”
[No wedding ceremony?] Yang Kai was taken aback by what was just said. He did not know what was in store for today’s events and up until now he just went along with it, but it was true his parents were not in the hall. Likewise, Su Yan and the others were also not present. It was indeed inappropriate if he were to make his marriage vows here today.
As for the Wife who Liu Mu mentioned, Yang Kai was sure that it was Yu Ru Meng who spoke up after reaching an agreement with the others.
“What do you think?” Liu Mu asked as he looked at Yang Kai.
“I will abide by this!” Yang Kai replied respectfully.
Liu Mu nodded, “Good! Deliver them to the bridal chambers!”
This was something unexpected for even the Open Heaven Realm Masters, who had lived for countless years.
After the six women left and were settled in one by one, Yang Kai, who was dressed in festive red, was dragged out to the hall again. A great banquet was set up here where all the people in Black Territory could participate regardless of their status or origin.
There were literally hundreds of banquet tables arranged with dishes and drinks!
As soon as Yang Kai showed up, he was led by Yang Xue to make a toast.
It could not be helped that there were a lot of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises here. Most of them were Seniors, and now some were even his Elders from the Sects who took in Yu Ru Meng and the others as Disciples. Even the Divine Monarchs, their Honoured Masters, were personally present. Thus, Yang Kai, as a Junior, needed to personally toast these distinguished guests.
Yang Kai could not cheat when he was under the watchful eyes of so many Open Heaven Realm Masters, so each cup of the toasts had to be drunk to the last drop.
As a result, even Yang Kai, who had a high alcohol tolerance, started to become dizzy.
In the end, several Great Emperors had no choice but to help him with some of the drinks.
After a significant part of the evening had passed, Liu Mu walked over and patted Yang Kai’s shoulder as he said, “Good, you’re done here. You may retire to accompany your Wives. It’s your wedding night, so you should not be negligent. Still, you’re going to have a busy night,” he said cheekily as he grinned at Yang Kai. His innuendos were so obvious that even Yang Xue who was standing beside Yang Kai blushed intensely.
“Hic… en, Divine Monarch. Yes, yes!” Yang Kai responded drunkenly before waving his hands in all directions as he bellowed, “You people carry on with the celebrations. This Junior is going to subdue the Tigress with his Dragon!”
This led to laughter all around.
Yang Xue hastily grabbed Yang Kai’s arm and dragged him away. She could see that her Big Brother was really drunk. He must be very happy; otherwise, he would not have indulged himself like this. However, they really could not stay here any longer, as she did not know what inappropriate words her Big Brother would say if they remained here.
Yang Xue led Yang Kai into the inner sanctum of Void Land and High Heaven Palace’s temporary camp. Then, she paused and asked, “Big Brother, where to first?”
This was a question that Yang Kai had to decide since he took back six brides at once.
Yang Kai wiped his mouth and said with great pride, “To Ru Meng’s chamber!
[To think that this woman wanted to leave him and remarry! Today, I will show her how vigorous I am!]
“En!” Yang Xue responded and led Yang Kai towards Yu Ru Meng’s bridal chamber.
Yang Xue had been with the six women when they were taken to their respective bridal chambers; thus, she knew where Yu Ru Meng was. All of them were brought to six adjacent courtyards that were festively decorated.
The first courtyard was Yu Ru Meng’s, and as they walked inside, they saw someone outside the chamber. As a newlywed bride, there were many aspects that were inconvenient to handle personally; thus, someone was required to take care of and assist her.
The person standing outside Yu Ru Meng’s room was none other than Yue He.
Yang Kai hiccupped, stared, and asked, “Why are you here?”
Yue He elegantly bowed, smiled, and replied respectfully, “Young Master, today I am Madame Meng’s maid of honour.”
Yang Kai clicked his tongue, but he could understand such an arrangement considering that there were not enough people here from Void Land and High Heaven Palace.
“Thanks for your hard work!” Yang Kai said, and then directly stepped towards the entrance.
However, Yue He did not let him pass and instead stopped him at the door.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Yang Kai raised his eyes to look at her.
Yue He bowed again, as if she was really a maidservant. She then replied slowly and deliberately, “Young Master, Madame Meng said that she is not feeling well today. If Young Master was to come, she requested for Young Master to go somewhere else!”
Yang Kai could not help but glare at her and ask, “How could she not be feeling well on such a happy day? Is this some kind of joke?”
Yue He lowered her eyes and replied, “That is what Madame Meng said.”
Yang Kai looked around with his hands behind his back and saw that there was no one else but Yang Xue standing behind him and Yue He in front of him. He smiled and replied, “Oh? Want me to go somewhere else? Where to?”
Yue He pursed her lips and said, “As Madame Meng said, Young Master can go anywhere he wants as long as you don’t loiter here in front of her chambers. She said that any sight of you will anger her.”
“Ru Meng is usually such a sensible woman, how could she say such unreasonable things?” Yang Kai appeared as if he did not believe it and strode inside.
Yue He could not stop him, and he managed to push her aside.
A short while later, a loud bang was heard coming from the room, followed by a muffled grunt. It was impossible to tell what happened inside.
Yue He and Yang Xue, who were standing outside, looked at each other and then they craned their necks hoping to peek inside.
With a creak, the door opened and Yang Kai came out with his hands still behind his back. He then instructed Yue He, “Ru Meng is not feeling well, so you must take good care of her tonight.”
Yue He stared at the new black eye on Yang Kai’s face and struggled to maintain a straight expression, somehow managing to reply solemnly, “Rest assured, Young Master, I will take good care of Madame Meng.”
“Very good.” Yang Kai nodded and took a few steps forward before turning back and said sternly, “Don’t let anyone know what happened here.”
To think that he was barred from his own bride’s chamber on their wedding night, and then beaten by her after he tried to force his way inside. How could he face others if word of this travesty ever leaked out?
It looked like Yu Ru Meng was still upset with him!
“Yes!” Yue He answered dutifully.
After leaving this courtyard, Yang Kai turned right and went into the next courtyard.
This was the courtyard that Xia Ning Chang was in and the person guarding the door was Shu Mu Dan, Hua Yong’s wife.
“Sect Master,” Shu Mu Dan greeted respectfully with a bow as soon as she saw Yang Kai approach.
“Many thanks for your hard work!” Yang Kai nodded at her. These Sixth-Order Open Heaven Masters under his command were not raised by him, they all had joined him midway. Hua Yong and his wife Shu Mu Dan were the most loyal to Void Land though because their newly born child was raised in the Star Boundary and received a great deal of nourishment from the World Tree. As a result, their child’s aptitude was extraordinary and he could easily make an initial breakthrough to the Sixth-Order or maybe even the Seventh-Order in the future. As such, the pair were extremely grateful and devoted to Yang Kai.
They were thankful that they followed Yang Kai out of the Shadowless Cave Heaven back then; otherwise, their child would not have had such a great opportunity.
However, at this moment, Shu Mu Dan looked a bit uneasy as she stopped Yang Kai from entering the chamber and reported, “Sect Master, please kindly stay where you are. Madame is not feeling well today, so she probably can’t accompany you tonight. Madame said that you should go somewhere else first.”
[This excuse seems familiar…]
Yang Kai’s face twitched as he asked, “Not feeling well?”
It was understandable that Yu Ru Meng was upset and not in the mood for the night; after all, she had been angry enough to declare she would leave Yang Kai to find someone else to marry, but Xia Ning Chang was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who he had seen just a few hours ago. She was still fine at that point, so how could she not be feeling well all of a sudden?
[Little Senior Sister has always been the most obedient. In all these years, she always agreed to whatever I asked. So, how could it be that she refuses to see me tonight?]
Yang Kai felt really upset. [Was Little Senior Sister convinced by Yu Ru Meng to go against me? The nerve!]
Yang Kai thought of barging in directly, but then he decided against it. He did not want to make things difficult for Little Senior Sister.
“Sect Master, what happened to your eye?” Shu Mu Dan suddenly asked curiously.
[How could she even ask this question?] It was only when Yang Xue quickly shot a glance at Shu Mu Dan that the latter realized that she was out of line and quickly stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.
Yang Kai ignored her and called out, “Little Senior Sister, rest well, I will see you later.”
“…. en…” Xia Ning Chang’s voice sounded softly from inside.
Yang Kai looked at Shu Mu Dan again and instructed, “Take good care of her.”
“Yes!”
He turned around, left, and headed for the third courtyard.
The third courtyard was occupied by Ji Yao, and the lady outside the door was Zhou Ya.
When she saw Yang Kai arrive, Zhou Ya hastily greeted and then looked at him awkwardly.
Yang Kai chuckled flatly, clearly having anticipated the situation, and asked, “Is the Madame not feeling well?”
Zhou Ya froze for a moment and then nodded her head, “Sect Master’s insight is as masterful as ever, Madame is indeed not feeling well!”
“En…” Yang Kai remarked with a heavy heart. Without saying much more, he nodded and said, “In that case, make sure the Madame rests well. I will come back to see her later.”
“Sect Master, take care!” Zhou Ya said. She could not believe that he was already leaving. When she heard Ji Yao’s order earlier, she felt very worried. How could she drive away the groom on his wedding night?
Furthermore, Yang Kai was not just her Sect Master, but also her Master as Zhou Ya had left her name on the Loyalty List! As such, she did not dare to drive him away for Ji Yao.
Who would have thought that Yang Kai would leave on his own without her having to deny him entry to the chamber!
Zhou Ya heaved a sigh of relief.
Yang Kai turned around and left.
Yang Xue had seen all of this and felt so awkward and embarrassed by what had happened. She did not expect her Sisters-in-law to behave in such a manner today of all days, it was totally out of character for them. Her Sisters-in-law were usually demure and accommodating. Their behaviour was truly out of the ordinary today and it appeared that they had discussed this and decided to all act in solidarity. It was highly likely that the rest would be doing the same to Yang Kai.
Thereafter, Yang Kai went to Xue Yue but was once again denied entry into the chamber.
Then he went to Qu Hua Shang, and the same thing happened.
[To think that even Qu Hua Shang is in cahoots with Ru Meng!]
At this point, how could Yang Kai not know what his Wives were up to?
Yang Xue, who had been following behind Yang Kai, was now very worried. Today, they received six brides but five of them had refused Yang Kai entering their bridal chamber. Now, there was only one chamber remaining which was occupied by Tao Ling Wan. If he was rejected at the last chamber, then her Big Brother would really lose all face.
Although today was merely a formality and they did not conduct the proper wedding rituals, it was still her Big Brother’s auspicious day. It would be a huge scandal if this final step could not be completed.
If he could not enter a single bride’s chamber tonight, on his wedding day, Yang Kai would become the butt of everyone’s jokes tomorrow. Yang Kai represented the face of Void Land and High Heaven Palace now, so that must not be allowed to happen.
“You can leave now,” Yang Kai suddenly stopped and said as he stood in front of the last courtyard.
Yang Xue was stunned for a moment, but then tried to speak up, “Big Brother, you…”
Yang Kai smiled, “Don’t worry, there won’t be any problems here.”
After saying that, he waved his hand and walked into the courtyard.
Yang Xue looked on with bated breath and waited anxiously.
The guard here was Luan Bai Feng, and when she saw Yang Kai appear, she immediately bowed and greeted respectfully, “Sect Master!”
Yang Kai nodded and walked straight ahead. Luan Bai Feng did not say anything at all and simply parted the curtains and invited him inside.
When Yang Xue saw this, she heaved a huge sigh of relief.
Luan Bai Feng did not stay inside, and soon came out. She closed the door, winked at Yang Xue, and the two women left, side by side.
Although the chamber was only temporarily decorated, it was done with careful considerations. Tao Ling Wan was wearing a phoenix coronet and bridal robes as she sat still on the bed.
She became nervous when she heard Yang Kai’s steps approaching from outside. As his footfalls got closer, she could not help but tense up.
She did not expect Yang Kai to come here at all!
Today, there were six new brides, and apart from Qu Hua Shang and herself, the other four had been with Yang Kai for much, much longer. The length of time that they spent together definitely resulted in an accumulation of emotions deep in their hearts that tied them far more closely than the two newcomers who had only just started to be with him.
She also knew that she was far less important in Yang Kai’s heart compared to the others, so she did not harbour any expectations of tonight at all.
However, he really came.
Tao Ling Wan was not prepared for this and was so nervous that she even forgot to breathe!
Yang Kai was also a bit overwhelmed; he did not have much contact with Tao Ling Wan at all. The reason why he brought her out from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s temporary palace today was because he really could not refuse. He thought that he could solve the issues between them later, but reality caught up with him and one thing happened after another, leading to the situation they were facing right now.
The wedding was so sudden that no one informed him beforehand, and Yin-Yang Cave Heaven even placed Qu Hua Shang and Tao Ling Wan in the same room, so he did not even have a choice.
With this situation right now, Yang Kai also had a hard time deciding what to do.
When he saw Tao Ling Wan’s nervousness though, Yang Kai felt a little amused. With a bit more thought though, he realized that this woman was simply too shy and innocent. She was inevitably apprehensive when she encountered this kind of situation today.
However, some things had to be done, and it was his job as a man to take the lead here!
Yang Kai poured himself a glass of wine and took a sip before sitting down and saying, “Don’t be afraid, I just came to take a rest.”
As soon as he spoke, Tao Ling Wan, who was sitting on the bed, was startled and began to shiver. Although it was subtle, it was obvious that she was very nervous.
Yang Kai smiled to himself as he explained, “The others refused to let me in. They all pushed me to come to you.”
Tao Ling Wan was wearing a red veil in silence so he could not see her expression. She also finally understood why Yang Kai appeared here instead of elsewhere.
The others did not give him access to their chambers, which was why he ended up with her. However, Tao Ling Wan knew that today was their auspicious day and if Yang Kai could not enter any of the bridal chambers, malicious gossip would undoubtedly spread.
“Today was just a formality, not a proper wedding. So, Wan’er, it is still not too late to back out of this. It is important for you to obtain a life that suits you the most. Life is a long journey, and you need to find the right companion, otherwise it will be nothing but sadness. Furthermore, I will be leaving to seal the Void Corridor soon. I can’t guarantee that I will survive. Ru Meng and the others had been with me for many years; thus, they have no choice but to stay with me. However, you still have a choice. Tonight, I will just rest here and I will leave first thing tomorrow. There’s no need for you to be nervous.”
Tao Ling Wan only became more nervous after hearing what he said though, her body trembling more and more.
Yang Kai smiled bitterly and said, “Rest assured, I will not do anything to you. I will just sit here. Why don’t you take off the veil and let’s have a casual chat?”
Tao Ling Wan did not move, but she began to shake even more.
Yang Kai’s expression suddenly turned stern as he got up, walked towards Tao Ling Wan’s side, and touched his fingers to her wrist.
The next moment, Yang Kai exclaimed, “You’re experiencing cultivation dissonance again?”
He had encountered this situation once before. At that time, in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Tao Ling Wan had suffered cultivation dissonance and Yang Kai had naturally tried to help her. Although with his assistance, Tao Ling Wan was able to turn danger into safety, it also resulted in Yang Kai’s aura being left in her Small Universe.
It was because of that inadvertent act that the two of them forged a connection together.
However, this time, the situation was obviously much more serious than before.
Yang Kai quickly asked, “How many times has this happened over the past century alone?”
The reason for bringing Tao Ling Wan out of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was that her Master, Chen Xiu, said that without truly connecting with Yang Kai, Tao Ling Wan would always be at risk of cultivation dissonance. Once this happened, only Yang Kai could help her.
“F-Five times!” Tao Ling Wan said weakly.
Yang Kai immediately felt terrible. When he volunteered to enter the cage to probe the situation, he never expected to be trapped inside for 100 years. During these 100 years, it was impossible for Tao Ling Wan to live in peace and had even suffered five cultivation dissonance episodes.
Fortunately, Qing Yu, an Ancestor of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, had been present and had also cultivated the Heartfelt Dao, so he could personally take action to help Tao Ling Wan resolve her cultivation dissonance.
However, although the Qing Yu was the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, with profound cultivation that stemmed from the same roots as Tao Ling Wan, he only could treat her symptoms, not the root cause of her condition.
This was also the reason why he agreed to let Yang Kai marry two Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples at the same time. Tao Ling Wan had to commit herself to Yang Kai in order to cure her current situation completely. There was no other choice.
Tao Ling Wan’s cultivation dissonance was getting progressively worse. One day, even an Eighth-Order Ancestor like Qing Yu would be powerless to help her.
In Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, such cultivation dissonance was regularly suffered by those who cultivated the Heartfelt Dao’s core Secret Art. It was, strictly speaking, a side effect of the Secret Art and not a true cultivation dissonance.
Disciples who had a more profound cultivation and cultivated the Heartfelt Dao without achieving harmony between Yin and Yang would suffer a cultivation dissonance to varying degrees.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was the limit of cultivation of this Secret Art! If they wanted to achieve a breakthrough and overcome this issue once and for all, it was necessary to harmonize Yin and Yang.
If a disciple cultivating the Heartfelt Dao encountered something like this before meeting their destined partner, they could rely on their own persistence and will to resolve it, just as Tao Ling Wan had done for many years before she met Yang Kai.
At that time, when she experienced cultivation dissonance, she would have managed just fine even if Yang Kai did not help her; after all, she had experienced such situations many times before and overcome them all.
However, how could Yang Kai have known about such intricacies in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Secret Arts? When he saw Tao Ling Wan showing signs of cultivation dissonance, he did what was natural and tried to help, falling right into Chen Xiu’s scheme.
It was due to his good intentions that Yang Kai ended up being entangled in this matter.
Now, Tao Ling Wan’s situation was much more serious than during Yang Kai’s first encounter with her. He could clearly feel the agitation of Tao Ling Wan’s Small Universe, and if this issue was not resolved, it was very likely to cause her Small Universe to collapse one day.
Having experienced this situation once before, Yang Kai naturally knew what he should do.
He pushed the power of his Small Universe and poured it into Tao Ling Wan’s body.
It was easily accepted, as if their powers were of the same origin, just as it was the first time.
With Yang Kai’s assistance, Tao Ling Wan’s condition gradually improved. Within the time taken to burn a stick of incense, Tao Ling Wan’s shivering had calmed down, and the agitation within her Small Universe subsided.
Yang Kai only stopped once he was sure the current crisis had been solved.
After a few moments of silence, he asked, “Senior Sister Qu told me about the Heartfelt Dao’s Secret Art. How have you resolved this issue so far?”
Tao Ling Wan softly explained that it was Ancestor Qing Yu who helped her.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and felt even more guilty after realizing how much trouble he had caused by his carelessness.
“Ancestor said that he could help me suppress it at most two more times. After that, there would be nothing more he could do,” Tao Ling Wan said again.
The next time Tao Ling Wan encountered this problem, even if Yang Kai was not around, at least The Azure Feather Divine Monarch might be able to help; however, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s disciples never encountered such dire situations as they would have resolved the issue with their chosen partner long before it reached such a point.
Yang Kai sat in silence in the room.
The problem Tao Ling Wan faced seemed to leave him with no choice.
Since it was her life at stake here, Yang Kai might have to keep her with him at all times, otherwise there was no way to solve it.
However, it was obviously not realistic for him to bring her along. It would be fine if the other side of the Void Corridor was not the Black Ink Battlefield. The two of them could still find their way back slowly if that was the case; however, if the other side was the Black Ink Battlefield, then Tao Ling Wan would die if she followed him in.
That was the same as leaving her here.
After a long silence, Yang Kai stood up, went to the table, poured two glasses of wine, and brought them over. He sat next to Tao Ling Wan and gave her one of the glasses.
“We have the rest of our lives ahead of us, so if we have the chance, we should get to know each other better.”
Tao Ling Wan was wondering why Yang Kai had suddenly gotten her a glass of wine; however, upon hearing what he said, she realized what was going on and immediately nodded joyfully.
The two of them intertwined their arms and drank the entire glass of wine.
Yang Kai took the glasses and placed them down. He then gently lifted the red veil and revealed a shy Tao Ling Wan who had her head slightly bowed and her cheeks flushed red.
Yang Kai curled his fingers and extinguished the candles with a flick, plunging the room into darkness.
Tao Ling Wan began to breathe heavily. Even though she had lived in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven for many years and had hardly socialized, she still understood what was waiting for her at this moment.
“It’s late, we should rest,” Yang Kai said.
“En.” Tao Ling Wan nodded lightly.
…..
“Madame, Young Master has entered the innermost courtyard, and the lights have gone out.” Inside the chamber, Yue He reported the situation to Yu Ru Meng.
Yu Ru Meng nodded, lifted the red veil on her head, and cursed, “That smelly man! Always saying one thing then doing another! Never allowing one to not worry about him!”
Yue He was dumbfounded and replied, “You all planned this together, and now you’re complaining about Young Master? Who just threw Young Master out with a black eye? If you had accepted him here, he wouldn’t have gone anywhere either.”
Yu Ru Meng knew very well that this would be the result when she planned to reject him today; however, she could not admit that openly.
Yu Ru Meng sighed and said, “At least Xiao Wan’s matter is resolved. That’s a relief.”
Looking up at Yue He, she asked somewhat helplessly, “Did we do something wrong?”
Yue He shook her head and said, “Madame understands Young Master’s nature. When he was trapped for 100 years with the Black Ink Royal Lord, you constantly worried about him. Now that he has been released, he still intends to go and seal the Void Corridor. He should depart without any unresolved issues so his heart is not burdened. Madame did the right thing.”
Yu Ru Meng nodded, “En.”
If Yang Kai had gone into the Void Corridor while carrying worry and guilt, he would have no peace, and neither would they. That was why they made those arrangements to facilitate Tao Ling Wan’s recovery. They wanted Yang Kai to be free of any burdens so that he could concentrate on the difficult task he was about to face. What they did was also to help Tao Ling Wan secure her position in the household.
“Do the others know about it?” Yu Ru Meng asked again.
“I believe so,” Yue He replied, “Shu Mu Dan sent a message to the others as soon as the candle was extinguished.”
Yu Ru Meng nodded, then suddenly cursed through gritted teeth, “That smelly man must be enjoying himself now!”
Yue He was struck speechless.
Yang Kai naturally did not dare to be partial to any of the six brides he took in; thus, he made sure that he took turns to accompany a different Madame every day.
For half a month, Yang Kai shuffled among the six courtyards. Outsiders envied him, but only he knew how much work it took to placate and satisfy these new brides of his.
When Myriad Demons Heaven’s Mo Sha heard the report from one of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Masters under his command, the corner of his brow twitched visibly as he muttered, “That brat has been at it for half a month straight?”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master smiled and nodded, “Yes, he seems to be quite addicted to it.”
Mo Sha fell silent before snorting, “In the world of mortals, shouldn’t a married woman return to her bridal family to pay her respects?”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Master was stunned and did not quite understand why the Ancestor mentioned this suddenly; however, he immediately nodded and said, “There is indeed such a custom. Does Divine Monarch intend to…”
Mo Sha waved his hand and said dismissively, “It was just a random comment, think nothing of it.”
…..
In Xia Ning Chang’s courtyard, Yang Kai was relaxing on a chair. Now that everything was settled, the ancient seal of the Void Corridor could still be maintained for some time, so there was no rush for him to act. With beauties by his side, Yang Kai’s life was extremely comfortable and enjoyable. How he wished that these days could last forever.
However, he knew that this was impossible and he should enjoy every moment that he could.
Xia Ning Chang was sitting next to him. She took a grape-like spirit fruit from somewhere, and began to peel the skin and remove the seeds. She then gently fed it to him.
Yang Kai took a bite, and playfully bit Xia Ning Chang’s fingers. Little Senior Sister tried to pull her fingers back, but could not bear to be too forceful. She then glared at him coyly and said, “Don’t let the other see this.”
She blushed slightly.
“So what if they see?” Yang Kai said playfully.
“It’s not fair to them.”
“What’s not fair about it?” Yang Kai smiled playfully.
Xia Ning Chang could not stop him, so she let him do whatever he wanted. He tickled her fingers with his tongue.
Suddenly, the door of the courtyard was pushed open and Yue He walked in. Xia Ning Chang was so shocked that she quickly pulled her hand back.
Yue He obviously saw everything, pursed her lips, and snickered. She stood in front of Yang Kai, half-bowing, and greeted, “Young Master.”
“Yes?” Yang Kai asked as he continued to eat the fruit.
“Madame Meng asked me to inform you that it is time for her to return to her family.”
“Back to where?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Yue He said, “For newlyweds, it is customary for the Husband to take his Wife back to her bridal family to pay his respects.”
Yang Kai blinked. He naturally knew about this custom, but it was really more of a mortal custom; thus, he did not think too much about it and had no intention of doing so.
Furthermore, the Cave Heavens and Paradises were not exactly their bridal families. The Divine Monarchs who took them as Disciples did so mainly because they appreciated Yang Kai’s initiative to seal the Void Corridor and wanted to give him a sense of reassurance that his family would be taken care of after he left.
Yang Kai’s forthcoming trip was a gamble with his own life. If he succeeded, it would be a great victory. For such a sacrifice, even the guardians of the 3,000 Worlds had to show their appreciation.
“According to Madame, whether the Cave Heavens and Paradises were sincere in accepting Disciples or not, now that names have been given, and statuses set, it cannot be annulled. Young Master should take each of the Madams back as this will serve as a means to confirm their status. To the Madams, High Heaven Palace, and Void Land, this will be beneficial for the future. The Madams can regard the Cave Heavens and Paradises as their homes and refuge and can visit as frequently as they wish. If protocol is not followed, their goodwill towards the Madams may fade after you leave.”
Yang Kai rubbed his chin as he pondered for a while before nodding, “That’s right, I’ve neglected this. Let’s make the necessary arrangements.”
Yue He nodded and replied, “Which family is Young Master planning to visit first?”
Yang Kai asked, “What does Ru Meng suggest?”
“Madame Meng said that since Yin-Yang Cave Heaven offered two disciples, and both of them are newcomers, you should go there first. The order of the rest doesn’t matter. You may go to Myriad Demons Heaven next,” Yue He explained.
Yang Kai naturally did not have any objections and immediately agreed, “Then let’s do as she suggested.”
The next day, Yang Kai led Qu Hua Shang and Tao Ling Wan to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s temporary residence, as a customary visit to their ‘relatives’.
Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was completely unprepared and obviously did not expect Yang Kai to perform such a visit. Nonetheless, the three were still warmly received.
Chen Xiu was particularly appreciative of the visit. After asking Yu Xiang Die to inquire Tao Ling Wan about something, he looked at Yang Kai with immense gratitude.
Chen Xiu was really happy. After his scheme had failed and dragged his Disciple into a predicament, he had been constantly blaming himself. Now, he was finally free of this burden.
Now the only worry was whether Yang Kai could come back alive after entering the Void Corridor. If he met with any accident inside, then his Disciple would be widowed.
At the end of the drinking session, Chen Xiu no longer had the air of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He threw his arm over Yang Kai’s shoulders and expressed his friendship for him. All the other disciples looked on with awe and were dumbfounded by how close they were. If not for Chen Xiu’s Second Disciple, Feng Cheng Si, stopping him, Chen Xiu might very well have become Sworn Brothers with Yang Kai, which would have made the family hierarchy quite awkward.
When Yang Kai was about to leave, Chen Xiu was in tears and revealed his true feelings. He took Yang Kai’s hand and told him that he would take care of Xiao Wan in the future.
Naturally, Yang Kai accepted with enthusiasm.
The next day, Yang Kai led Ji Yao back to the Great Battle Heaven. Naturally, he received warm hospitality.
On the third day, Yang Kai led Xue Yue back to Golden Antelope Paradise. Liu Mu led a group of men to drink Yang Kai under the table, causing the latter to flee at the earliest opportunity.
On the fourth day, he and Xia Ning Chang returned to Divine Medicine Cave Heaven.
On the fifth day, Yang Kai finally returned to Myriad Demons Heaven with Yu Ru Meng.
In fact, even now, Yang Kai was not sure about Yu Ru Meng’s discipleship under Myriad Demons Heaven.
It was true that Yu Ru Meng belonged to the Demon Race and had some faint connections to Myriad Demons Heaven, but it was still a great surprise to Yang Kai that the Divine Monarch would really accept her as a Disciple.
As soon as the boat arrived at Myriad Demons Heaven, they were warmly greeted.
It was two Seventh-Order Open Heaven who received them, no less!
“Greetings, Senior Brothers!” Yang Kai cupped his fist and saluted them respectfully.
He realized that his seniority had been raised after his Wives were accepted as Disciples of the Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Previously, when he saw these Seventh-Orders Open Heaven Realm Masters, Yang Kai had to address them as Senior, Martial Uncle, or Aunt.
Now when he met them, he could greet them as Senior Brother or Sister. After all, Yu Ru Meng was Mo Sha’s Legacy Disciple. With her seniority, no one could fault Yang Kai for addressing them like this.
At Myriad Demons Heaven’s temporary base, Yang Kai was naturally treated with great hospitality again, and after a feast, he was already quite drunk.
However, Mo Sha did not show up from beginning to the end. It was only when Yu Ru Meng proposed to pay her respects to her Honoured Master at the time of departure that they were brought to him.
The two entered hand in hand into an empty hall. The door to the hall slammed shut behind them.
A figure covered by Demon Qi sat cross-legged in the center of the hall. The turbulent Demon Qi, thick enough to seem like a viscous liquid, surrounded Mo Sha Divine Monarch.
“Honoured Master!” Yu Ru Meng bowed and greeted respectfully.
Yang Kai followed suit.
Mo Sha opened his eyes and raised his hand. With a gentle flick, the two of them rose.
Mo Sha kept his hand up and pointed a finger towards Yang Kai.
Both Yu Ru Meng and Yang Kai did not expect Mo Sha to suddenly make such a move, so they were caught off guard when the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master took action.
Yang Kai was hit by the flick of a finger and stumbled backward several steps with a muffled grunt.
“Honoured Master!” Yu Ru Meng was shocked and quickly ran over to Yang Kai. She knew that there was a grudge between Yang Kai and Myriad Demons Heaven, and was worried Mo Sha was going to harm Yang Kai.
Yang Kai placed his hand on Yu Ru Meng’s shoulder and pulled her behind him before he firmly shook his head to signal that he was alright.
After that finger flick, his eyes burned as if they were on fire, and in the next instant, his left eye suddenly turned golden, with a vertical slit, while his right eye became pitch black.
At first glance, it looked as if the right eye had been stained by the Black Ink Strength, but this was different. It was a Secret Technique.
“Demon Eye of Annihilation and Black Purgatory Eye!” Mo Sha nodded lightly and stood up. With his hands behind his back, he stepped in front of Yang Kai and carefully examined his two eyes to make sure they were correct, then narrowed his eyes and asked, “Was Ti Zheng killed by you?”
After asking this though, Mo Sha shook his head and said, “No. Although Ti Zheng’s cultivation was decent, he had not cultivated these two Eye Techniques. My Myriad Demons Heaven’s two Core Techniques cannot be cultivated by just anyone.”
Yang Kai endured the discomfort in both eyes and said hastily, “So, Divine Monarch had already noticed.”
Of all the Cave Heavens and Paradises, the reason why Yang Kai was most wary of Myriad Demons Heaven was not because he initially had some grudges with them, but because of these two Eye Techniques.
At that time, when he was outside of the Shattered Heaven, Ti Zheng noticed that he had these two Eye Techniques and was very concerned about them. He even offered to buy his two eyes. Of course, Yang Kai did not agree.
Before that day, Yang Kai had never shown these two Eye Techniques to Ti Zheng.
Yet Ti Zheng was aware of them. It could be that the people of Myriad Demons Heaven were sensitive to those who had these two Eye Techniques.
Ti Zheng was only a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; thus, Mo Sha, who was in the Eighth-Order, was much stronger than him.
During the days spent in Black Territory, Yang Kai had intentionally avoided all the High-Rank Masters from Myriad Demons Heaven just to avoid causing any trouble. The last time, when he came to welcome the bride, Mo Sha did not say anything, so Yang Kai thought he had gotten away with it. However, now it seemed that, although he did not say anything, that did not mean that Mo Sha did not notice.
Yang Kai did not know what Mo Sha had done to cause the two Eye Techniques to involuntarily reveal themselves, but at the moment he had no way of hiding them.
Mo Sha’s eyes twitched slightly and his left eye instantly turned golden, with a vertical slit, while his right eye turned pitch black like a black hole. At that moment, Yang Kai felt an excruciating pain.
In a flash though, Mo Sha’s eyes returned to normal again.
Then it dawned upon Yang Kai that this person in front of him also cultivated these two Eye Techniques, and it seemed that he was much more skilled at using them. As such, it was not surprising that he could detect others who cultivated them.
“These two Eye Techniques are core secrets of Myriad Demons Heaven. Even ordinary disciples are unable to obtain them. Where did you get them from?” Mo Sha asked curiously.
He thought that Yang Kai had killed Ti Zheng and took them from him; however, Ti Zheng had not cultivated these two Eye Techniques so that was impossible.
Since they were in this situation, it was meaningless for Yang Kai to hide things from Mo Sha. Moreover, he would be going to seal the Void Corridor soon, so Mo Sha would not harm him. Yang Kai figured he might as well come clean.
He thus went ahead and told the story of how he managed to obtain his two eyes.
Mo Sha listened with amazement, not having expected the whole process to be so full of twists and turns.
Yang Kai’s Demon Eye of Annihilation was obtained very early on in life, back in Tong Xuan Realm, while the Black Purgatory Eye came much later.
These two seemingly unrelated Eye Techniques were actually from the same source.
“Mo Sheng…” Mo Sha frowned and muttered to himself. He had never heard of this name, but according to Yang Kai’s story, it could be deduced that this person should be from a long time ago. Mo Sha wondered what happened to this ancient disciple. To arrive in a remote Universe World, experience a massive drop in cultivation and become confined to that Universe World, then contaminate the world into becoming the Demon Realm.
If not for a series of coincidences, Mo Sheng could have contacted Myriad Demons Heaven and asked for help to take him back to the Sect long ago.
“This was how it happened, and the two Eye Techniques were obtained by chance. It was not something Junior did on purpose.”
Mo Sha looked at him and said, “Whether it was an opportunity or an intentional act, these are still core secrets of Myriad Demons Heaven.”
Yang Kai asked, “Then what does the Divine Monarch want?”
Yu Ru Meng could not help but become nervous. She was the one who said that they should return to their ‘families’ after the wedding. If Yang Kai was in danger now because of this, she would inevitably feel guilty.
Now she understood why a Senior Sister of Myriad Demons Heaven suddenly came looking for her one day. She then got her thinking about going back to the Sect after the wedding.
It was now obvious that Mo Sha, this cheap Honoured Master of hers, wanted to meet her Husband to confirm certain matters. Returning to her bridal family after the wedding was just an excuse.
Mo Sha slowly said, “Since this is a core secret of Myriad Demons Heaven, naturally it cannot be passed on. I can either destroy your eyes, or you can become a Myriad Demons Heaven’s disciple, so that you have the right to retain them.”
Yu Ru Meng forced a smile and said, “Honoured Master, even if my Husband is not a disciple of Myriad Demons Heaven, he is already Myriad Demons Heaven’s Son-in-Law. He can now be considered as one of Myriad Demons Heaven’s people.”
Mo Sha shook his head and said, “That’s not the same.”
Yu Ru Meng was about to speak when Yang Kai raised his hand to stop her and stared at Mo Sha. He then said, “It is impossible for me to become a Myriad Demons Heaven disciple, and I don’t want to lose my eyes either; after all, I do not know if I will become blind after they are destroyed. Divine Monarch, is there any other choice?”
“What choice do you want?” Mo Sha looked at him with a smile.
“How about Divine Monarch pretends not to know about this?” Yang Kai raised a brow.
Mo Sha almost laughed and said, “Do you think that’s possible?”
Yang Kai spread his hands and said openly, “If that’s the case, then Divine Monarch will have to kill me!”
Mo Sha face twitched and roared, “You think I won’t kill you?”
Yang Kai snorted, “If Divine Monarch kills me, your new Disciple will be widowed!”
Yu Ru Meng nodded vigorously from the side and begged, “Please be merciful, Honoured Master.”
Mo Sha said, “We have been fighting with the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless years, and countless others have died. We already have tens of thousands of widows.”
This topic was getting a bit heavy.
Yang Kai thought for a while, then turned his head to look at a worried Yu Ru Meng, and said, “Do not be afraid, Divine Monarch is just intimidating me. I still have to go to seal the Void Corridor. He will not do anything to me.”
Yu Ru Meng was very worried, but was reassured when she heard what Yang Kai said. Yang Kai volunteered to seal the Void Corridor, and there was no one else in the 3,000 Worlds capable of doing it in his place, so how could Mo Sha kill him?
If he did, there would be no way for him to explain himself to the other Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Yang Kai turned his head to Mo Sha and said, “Divine Monarch, just state exactly what you want. There’s no need to drag this matter out further.”
Mo Sha grunted in frustration. Yang Kai’s smug look was truly annoying. He was really tempted to give this cheeky brat a slap and snuff him out once and for all.
However, just as Yang Kai had said, that was not an option.
Moreover, when he asked Yang Kai to come here today, his original intention was not to make things difficult for him.
After a moment of contemplation, Mo Sha suddenly flicked his wrist and a jade slip flew towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai raised his hand to catch the slip and then poured his Divine Sense into it. He frowned a moment later and asked, “Divine Monarch, what is this…”
“The Black Ink Battlefield is extremely dangerous. Your Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation is far too low. It’s also too late to start raising your cultivation. The Cave Heavens and Paradises owe you a favour. Myriad Demons Heaven has nothing of value to give you, but since you are lucky to have obtained these two Eye Techniques, then you should cultivate them properly,” Mo Sha said, “Myriad Demons Heaven’s two Great Eye Techniques have untold secrets and infinite power. You must be diligent when cultivating them!
“Many thanks, Divine Monarch!” Yang Kai was overjoyed.
“Leave!” Mo Sha waved his hand impatiently. To him, today’s incident was making a mountain out of a molehill. This situation was special and he did not want to pursue it any further.
Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng bowed and bade farewell to Mo Sha.
On the way back from Myriad Demons Heaven, Yu Ru Meng took the time to inquire what Mo Sha had given to Yang Kai.
“The cultivation method for the two Eye Techniques,” Yang Kai explained.
Since he received the two Eye Techniques, although their power had increased alongside his own cultivation, Yang Kai had never really practiced them properly, let alone understood how to use them.
Now that Mo Sha took the initiative to give him the knowledge to cultivate them, this was an excellent development for Yang Kai.
It was a great gift.
Both the Demon Eye of Annihilation and Black Purgatory Eye were core secrets of Myriad Demons Heaven. In Myriad Demons Heaven, ordinary disciples were not worthy to cultivate them at all. Only elite disciples were fortunate enough to practice one of them, with very few being able to cultivate both.
Under normal circumstances, if an outsider like Yang Kai had these two Secret Techniques, Myriad Demons Heaven would definitely fight him to the death and would ruthlessly kill him to prevent their secrets from leaking out.
However, the situation was different now. Yang Kai would soon go to seal the Void Corridor and his fate was uncertain. Mo Sha would not be insistent under such circumstances.
No one could say for certain what was at the other end of the Void Corridor; however, there was a high possibility that it led to the Black Ink Battlefield. Although Yang Kai seemed to have nine lives, his chances of surviving were slim if that was the case.
Even if he survived, he would not have the chance to return to the 3,000 Worlds. That was why Mo Sha was so generous to pass on the two Eye Techniques and their cultivation method otherwise, Myriad Demons Heaven would never have allowed their core secrets to be leaked.
When he returned to Void Land’s temporary base, Yang Kai immediately announced he would enter retreat.
As Mo Sha said, he did not have much time left, and it was too late to consider raising his cultivation. Thus, Yang Kai decided to cultivate these two Eye Techniques. Perhaps they would help him out of some critical situations.
Although his women did not know what was the purpose of his retreat, they were understanding in their response; after all, they were all satisfied with the time Yang Kai spent with them over these past few days.
The jade slip contained the cultivation method for the two Eye Techniques, and also explained their uses when cultivated to their peak.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation and Purgatory Black Pupils, were respectively a support and attack method.
If one could really cultivate them to the peak, the Demon Eye of Annihilation was capable of breaking all illusions. Previously, in order to break the Super Array that enveloped Black Territory, the Cave Heavens and Paradises used countless people to mine out the Ore Stars in order to weaken it.
However, at the same time, there was another group who were responsible for cracking the countless Spirit Arrays that filled Black Territory.
These Spirit Arrays, like the Ore Stars, were part of the Super Array.
This group of people was mainly led by those from Myriad Demons Heaven, with the help of many Array Masters. In Myriad Demons Heaven, those who cultivated the Demon Eye of Annihilation were all High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, and under their perceptive eyes, many of the Spirit Array’s flaws became obvious. This greatly improved the efficiency of breaking the arrays and saved a lot of time.
Yang Kai had used his Demon Eye of Annihilation to observe the core Spirit Arrays just outside the central cage of the Super Array; however, although he knew that the Spirit Arrays were dangerous, he could not avoid them all even after a channel was opened to send him into the cage.
During the 100 years that Yang Kai was trapped in the cage, it was Mo Sha, who personally sought out the weaknesses of the Spirit Arrays outside the cage and succeeded in cracking all these Spirit Arrays.
Mo Sha had not cultivated the Dao of Spirit Arrays, so he relied entirely on the Demon Eye of Annihilation to see through these Arrays instead.
However, even with the powerful Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, Mo Sha had still not cultivated the Demon Eye of Annihilation to its highest level.
It was written in the jade slip that if one could really cultivate the Demon Eye of Annihilation to the highest point, one could even see through the fabric of reality, space, and time to view the future.
In the history of Myriad Demons Cave Heaven, no one had ever cultivated the Demon Eye of Annihilation to this extent, and it was not possible to say whether this level truly existed.
Naturally, Yang Kai did not expect to achieve mastery comparable to those from Myriad Demons Heaven; after all, such great prowess could only be achieved by cultivating for countless years. He would be satisfied if he could simply improve the power of his Eye Techniques.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation was not a killing method. It was mainly a deterrent and auxiliary skill.
In contrast, the Black Purgatory Eye was a very powerful killing method. Yang Kai had also used this Secret Technique, so he knew this fact very well.
Under the Black Purgatory Eye, everything was silenced and the world was plunged into darkness. Enemies targeted by this Secret Technique were often caught by surprise and left incredibly vulnerable.
If the enemy was deprived of all their senses, they were bound to fall into immense danger.
The days passed.
High Heaven Palace fell quiet as no one dared to disturbed Yang Kai’s retreat.
One day, a ray of light flew over.
Noticing the commotion, members of Void Land and High Heaven Palace went to investigate, and soon Xue Yue stepped forward and bowed, “Honoured Master!”
The person who came was Liu Mu. He looked serious and solemn, so it was obvious that something had happened.
This caused the hearts of the members of Void Land and High Heaven Palace to sink.
After all these days of peace and quiet, the time had finally come.
“Call him out!” Liu Mu said to Xue Yue.
Xue Yue pursed her lips, nodded, and turned to leave.
Yu Ru Meng stepped forward and asked, “Senior, is it time?”
Liu Mu shook his head and replied, “It’s impossible to say exactly, but he has to head over just in case something goes wrong.”
It had been almost five months since Yang Kai returned from the Void Corridor to the rear lines. During this period, the ancient sealing power had been dissipating continuously. Once the ancient sealing power had completely dispersed, the Void Corridor would be completely formed and the two ends would be connected.
In recent days, the rate of the dissipation of the ancient seal had obviously accelerated. The Divine Monarchs present there did not dare to take the situation lightly; thus, Liu Mu came to ask Yang Kai to exit retreat.
Yu Ru Meng nodded to show that she understood what he meant.
A short while later, Yang Kai appeared and met Liu Mu. He inquired about the situation and nodded lightly, “I’ll go investigate the situation. Senior, make yourself at home.”
After saying that, he turned his head to Yu Ru Meng and the others, nodded, then manipulated Space Principles to instantly disappear.
Soon enough, Yang Kai reappeared beside the Void Corridor. Previously, he left Space Beacons behind when he went back to his Wives, so they now came in handy to quickly cross the distance.
At this moment, more than a dozen Eighth-Order Ancestors were guarding the Void Corridor. All of them were relieved to see Yang Kai.
Qing Yu spoke first, “Boy, these past few days, the Void Corridor has been behaving oddly. We need you to check the situation.”
“Yes!” Yang Kai answered and dashed over to the Void Corridor. Space Principles surged as he closed his eyes to investigate. Moments later, Yang Kai dove straight in.
This scene made the Eighth-Order Ancestors, who were guarding this place, raise their brows.
A Void Corridor was not a place one could come and go as they pleased. In its current state, the corridor was filled with unimaginable void turbulence, like a raging maelstrom. Even if one’s cultivation was strong, they may lose their way if they were pulled into this chaotic storm. If one could not find a way out, then they would be trapped in the Void forever.
Thus, although the Eighth-Order Ancestors had been guarding this place for several days, no one dared to enter to investigate.
Yang Kai, however, bravely entered like it was nothing, which made them sigh emotionally.
However, this was his speciality. Although Yang Kai’s cultivation was a lot lower than theirs, his proficiency in the Dao of Space allowed him to enter the Void Corridor safely.
After waiting for about three or four hours, Yang Kai rushed out from the Void Corridor.
“What’s the situation?” Qing Yu quickly asked.
“It can hold on for another half a month to a month,” Yang Kai replied.
He had to calculate how fast the ancient sealing power was dissipating, and how long it would take for him to reseal it. Half a month to a month was the limit; any longer and it would be too late.
The Ancestors looked at each other for a moment before nodding slightly and started sending out messages.
A day later, a large number of rays of light came over. All of them were the Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
The time limit for sealing the Void Corridor had been set, so they had to begin preparing.
In case of a failure, the Void Corridor would be completely connected and the Cave Heavens and Paradises would face unknown dangers.
Teams formed by Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises appeared as they guarded the Void Corridor tightly.
The Void Land and High Heaven Palace members also arrived. Although they were the smallest in number and the lowest in cultivation, they had still turned out in full force.
The women looked at Yang Kai with reluctance and worry, but they could not do anything to change the situation. They could only pray that the other side of the Void Corridor was not connected to the Black Ink Battlefield.
“Waiting for someone?” Mo Sha asked when he saw Yang Kai hesitate.
Yang Kai responded, “There’s one more thing I need to take care of.”
Mo Sha nodded and said nothing more. He believed that Yang Kai would not be careless in this kind of matters. Since he intended to wait, then he must be certain there was time. It was useless to rush.
Liu Mu said, “Just as well, let me tell you about the situation on the Black Ink Battlefield.”
This was also information Yang Kai intended to find out, so he immediately cupped his fist and said respectfully, “Junior listens with respect.”
Liu Mu said, “In truth, none of us know what the full situation is on the Black Ink Battlefield. As you know, no one has ever returned after they crossed the No-Return Pass. What we do know is gathered from information sent back from time to time. None of us has seen the real situation with our own eyes, so what we tell you can only be taken as a reference.”
“Junior understands.”
Liu Mu pondered a moment before continuing, “The Black Ink Battlefield is vast. No one knows exactly how big it is. Over the millennia, the Cave Heavens and Paradises have been sending people to fight, but they have not been able to kill the Black Ink Clan to the last. That shows just how powerful the Black Ink Clan is. In the Black Ink Battlefield, there are a total of 108 Great Passes. Each Cave Heaven or Paradise is responsible for one of them. Each Pass is a self-sufficient fortress, but they are all closely linked. Reliance on the 108 Great Passes Grand Formation has allowed the Cave Heavens and Paradises to keep the Black Ink Clan at bay. Otherwise, they would have rushed into the No-Return Pass and invaded the 3,000 Worlds long ago.”
“If you really end up there, remember to rush to the nearest Great Pass. You have the World Spring protecting your Small Universe, so it is impervious to external forces. Our allies on the other side certainly do not know your identity, but as long as you show them your World Spring, they will not treat you as a Black Ink Disciple. No matter which Cave Heaven or Paradise guards territory you arrive at, as long as you can enter one of the Great Passes, you’ll be safe.”
Yang Kai nodded and said, “Junior will remember.”
After a moment of silence, he asked, “But just in case, can Senior give me some kind of Faith Token?”
Liu Mu waved his hand and said, “Faith Tokens are useless on that battlefield. Those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises can be corrupted by the Black Ink Strength at any moment, so the only way to confirm one’s identity is to inspect their Small Universe. Faith Tokens can’t be trusted.”
Qing Yu then said, “Originally, we intended to offer you some of our strength in the form of protective techniques, but considering that the other side may be the Black Ink Battlefield, doing so would only expose your identity; thus, you can only rely on yourself.”
When Yang Kai went into the cage and confronted the Black Ink Royal Lord, he was blessed by five Eighth-Order Ancestors. He relied on that protection to defend himself from the Black Ink Royal Lord’s opening attack.
However, for this trip, if the other side was indeed the Black Ink Battlefield, such protective techniques would only put him in more danger as Yang Kai would not be able to hide his identity.