Before the Star Boundary became an Open Heaven Realm Cradle, though it was very rare, there were still a small number of people who directly ascended to the Seventh Order.
After countless years of accumulation, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had a number of such gifted people.
However, only 100 or so managed to break through that final barrier and ascend to the Ninth Order. Some of them were still growing their powers, like Xiang Shan, Luo Ting He, and a few others, nonetheless, many more had been killed on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Most Ninth-Order Masters achieved the required enlightenment while battling the Black Ink Clan Masters on the Black Ink Battlefield. Only by killing the enemies would they stand a chance to achieve a breakthrough.
Yang Kai didn’t know any of this, for he didn’t come from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises. He just instinctively wanted to secure a better future for Humans by using his experiences.
That was why he decided to strike a peace deal with the Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory. It was just an experiment.
The experiment turned out to be useful and feasible; therefore, when the Black Ink Clan wanted a peace deal 300 years later, those from the Supreme Headquarters were willing to agree.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been easy for the two Races to discuss a peace deal given the blood feud between them.
Since all the details had been confirmed, the Masters of the two Races took their leave. Unlike the earlier heated atmosphere, the mood was quite peaceful.
The Black Ink Clan would give the Humans some resources as compensation, while the Humans didn’t have to worry about the Black Ink Clan going back on their word.
When the content of the peace deal was spread one month later, the Human cultivators in different Great Territories were thrilled.
Out of the 13 Great Territory Battlefields, apart from Profound Nether Territory, the remaining 12 Great Territories had been in turmoil. As such, the soldiers from the major Armies were envious of the environment and situation in Profound Nether Territory. Over there, the Territory Lords were not allowed to take part in the war; as such, the Profound Nether Army had essentially been disbanded since there weren’t any large-scale battles. Comparatively, the Humans in Profound Nether Territory were both safer and freer.
Now, they didn’t have to be envious. 6 out of 12 remaining Great Territory Battlefields would become copies of Profound Nether Territory. Although the other Great Territories would remain unchanged, things would become much better for the Humans as the number of Territory Lords who could take part in the war would be decreased.
Of course, those from the Supreme Headquarters had to look at the big picture and mobilise the Human Masters to different battlefields accordingly.
The Human cultivators from Profound Nether Territory started streaming into the six new Great Territories that were included in the peace deal. As such, a lot of pressure had been lifted off the originally cramped Profound Nether Territory.
Many ambitious people even started penetrating the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clan had occupied. As Hunters, they naturally had to bear a higher risk, but it was nothing compared to the potential rewards. It was said that fortune favoured the bold, after all.
As a peace deal was reached between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan, the situation in the expansive 3,000 Worlds changed completely.
This kind of situation would be sustained for many years to come.
Perhaps there would come a time when a certain incident would shatter this agreement; after all, the Humans and Black Ink Clan couldn’t co-exist forever. One of the parties would be completely wiped out eventually. When some triggering event took place in the future, the two Races would surely engage in a final decisive war.
Everyone was working hard to prepare for that future.
It had been 300 years since Yang Kai first visited the Myriad Monsters World.
The sapling he had planted back then had grown into an enormous tree, its gigantic crown like a green cloud that covered the entire sky.
A lot had changed in the Myriad Monsters World. Compared to 300 years ago, the World Energy was undoubtedly richer and the Grand Daos and Principles were more perfect as well.
More and more Humans appeared in this wild World as cities and towns of different sizes popped up everywhere.
This World, which was originally fully occupied by the Monster Race, now had many Human residents.
Most Humans living in this place had ancestors who had made contributions on the various battlefields. They used their Military Merits to exchange for a right to let their Juniors or Disciples reside in the Myriad Monsters World.
Of course, there were also some Open Heaven Realm Masters responsible for standing guard over this World. As such, even though the Humans and Monster Race weren’t exactly compatible, the situation had been peaceful. There hadn’t been any incident where the Humans recklessly hunted the Monster Race or vice versa.
In fact, many Great Monsters chose a different path forward, broke through their shackles, and gained Human Form. They took the initiative to come into contact with the Humans and left the Myriad Monsters World before heading to the various battlefields to fight the Black Ink Clan.
The World Tree clone’s nourishment had started showing its effects.
Although the quality and quantity of prodigies born in this World were not comparable to the Star Boundary yet, some impressively gifted people had already begun to appear.
As time passed, this World would be another Star Boundary.
Everything was right on track, just as Yang Kai had planned.
Yang Kai didn’t inform anyone about his arrival here. Even the Open Heaven Realm Masters responsible for monitoring this World were unable to detect Yang Kai’s presence as they were mostly in the Fourth Order and Fifth Order.
It wasn’t until two years later that Yang Kai left the Myriad Monsters World.
He didn’t return to Profound Nether Territory though. Since they had struck a peace deal with the Black Ink Clan, he couldn’t make a move as he pleased, unless the Black Ink Clan went back on their word first.
The Human Race’s future did not hinge on him alone, but rather on all the Juniors who were now battling the Black Ink Clan. Yang Kai was unable to bear the weight of saving an entire Race. All the same, he had done his best. As for whether the future was bright or dark, that would be up to all Humans to decide.
Yang Kai thus returned to the Star Boundary and arrived at the place where the World Tree clone was located. After giving it some thought, he landed on a branch and directly opened a tree cave in its trunk before sitting down inside.
The noise he made naturally alerted the Open Heaven Realm Masters who were recuperating or cultivating in this place.
The World Tree clone was the very foundation of the Star Boundary and the most valuable asset for the entire Human Race. It could be said that without this clone, the Star Boundary wouldn’t have become what it was today, and the Humans’ future would’ve been extremely bleak.
As such, there were always at least five Eighth-Order Masters on guard here who were tasked with preventing any accidents from happening. What’s more, due to the clone’s mysterious powers, one would gain some benefits by recuperating or cultivating here.
Therefore, there were many Open Heaven Realm Masters in this place who had to use a lot of Military Merits to obtain a quota.
However, these Masters only occupied a branch or sat down somewhere on the tree crown. They treasured the World Tree clone and wouldn’t dare to damage it one bit.
With five Eighth-Order Masters monitoring this place, no one had the guts to do so either.
Hence, it was shocking that Yang Kai directly carved a hole in the trunk.
The five Eighth-Order Masters widened their eyes in disbelief and quickly investigated. If anyone else had done this, they would’ve dealt with him like he was a Black Ink Disciple; however, when they realized the responsible party was Yang Kai, they all turned a blind eye to his behaviour.
This couldn’t be helped. Although the World Tree clone was said to be a treasure of all Humanity, it was Yang Kai who actually brought it out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and planted it here.
Even if he wanted to uproot the entire clone, the Humans could only try to dissuade him from doing so, not to mention that he only opened a tree cave for himself. There was no way they could forcefully stop him.
Furthermore, they were probably no match for Yang Kai to begin with.
These Eighth-Order Masters exchanged glances and communicated with each other using their Divine Senses.
“It seems that Junior Brother Yang is injured. His aura is quite weak.”
“Since a peace deal has been struck, he can’t make a move as he pleases, so how did he get injured?”
“Did he go to the No-Return Pass and pick a fight with the Royal Lord?”
“Since he knows he isn’t a match for the Royal Lord, why would he invite trouble to himself? Moreover, I think he just returned from the New Great Territory.”
These Eighth-Order Masters were puzzled as they had no idea what happened to Yang Kai that caused his aura to plunge and made him look so frail.
Nonetheless, it was apparent that Yang Kai had made a cave mansion in the trunk to recuperate. As such, they didn’t dare to say anything or disturb him.
Yang Kai used to be a little brat who had to call them Seniors, but now he was significantly more powerful than they were. At the thought of this, these old Eighth-Order Masters couldn’t help feeling dejected.
However, it was thanks to these talented young people that they had a chance to oppose the Black Ink Clan. If the next generation was weaker than the previous one, there wouldn’t be a future for Humans.
Inside the clone, Yang Kai bore the excruciating pain in his Soul and looked around, feeling pleased with this simple tree cave.
He then began cultivating in seclusion in this place.
He figured he had to cultivate for many years this time and only hoped he had the patience for it. At any rate, he knew that he had to grow strong so that he would have the power to protect himself when war broke out in the future.
Now, he was one of the most formidable Masters in the Human Race, but when a new batch of Ninth-Order Masters and Royal Lords appeared in the future, he would become far less useful.
It would be best if he could make it to the Ninth Order, but even if he failed to do so, the peak of the Eighth Order would have to do.
As he sat down with his legs crossed, Yang Kai refined sets of materials as he stimulated the Soul Warming Lotus to repair his Soul.
The Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art was indeed savage. Although Yang Kai had already used it once 300 years ago, he still almost couldn’t bear the pain of doing so again.
The pain of literally tearing his Soul in half was several times more intense than using Soul Rending Thorns.
Wu Kuang knew that Yang Kai had the Soul Warming Lotus, which was why he taught him this Secret Technique. If Yang Kai didn’t have the Soul Warming Lotus, it would’ve been pointless for him to acquire this technique, for he would have perished the first time he tried to use it.
Just like the Soul Rending Thorns, only Yang Kai could fully utilize this Secret Technique.
Yang Kai was glad that he had acquired this Supreme Treasure when he was still a budding cultivator. Without the Soul Warming Lotus, he wouldn’t have become who he was today.
As a cool sensation spread across his mind, the pain gradually subsided.
Time went by slowly.
Several years later, a man got to his feet in a secret room in High Heaven Palace. His aura was restrained, and he appeared calm and collected.
Fang Tian Ci waved the jade in this hand and opened the secret room’s restrictions before exiting. It took him 10 years of retreat before he finished stabilizing his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation.
The bright light made him squint as he felt as though a very long time had passed.
Suddenly, he realised that he was no longer in the Void World. He was in the 3,000 Worlds, which was far more expansive.
A disciple from High Heaven Palace had been waiting for him, and hearing the door open, he turned around and saluted Fang Tian Ci, “Greetings, Senior.”
“The Head Manager has ordered that once you come out of your retreat, you have to immediately go and see her,” the disciple from High Heaven Palace said.
[The Head Manager…]
A woman’s image flashed across Fang Tian Ci’s mind. If he remembered correctly, the Head Manager was standing beside the Dao Lord at that time. It seemed that the Dao Lord valued her.
Understanding this, Fang Tian Ci wouldn’t dare to be negligent as he extended his hand, “Please lead the way.”
Soon, they arrived at a Grand Hall where Fang Tian Ci saw the Head Manager of High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si. This woman was fairly powerful. Just like him, she was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm; nonetheless, it must have been quite a long time since she achieved her ascension, for she had an ample heritage and robust aura.
Fang Tian Ci saluted her, “Greetings, Head Manager.”
Hua Qing Si responded with a smile and caringly asked him about his retreat. When she learned that he had stabilised his cultivation, she set her mind at ease.
Over the years, when the Open Heaven Realm Masters who came from the Void World ended their retreat, they would be led to this place to meet her; then, she would assign them to different Great Territory Battlefields.
After all, it was Yang Kai’s order, so she had to meticulously execute the task.
However, because these Open Heaven Realm Masters, who came from the Void Dao Temple, were not familiar with the outside world, Hua Qing Si had compiled some information to be given to them before they set off.
“Palace Master has ordered that once all of you are done stabilising your cultivation, you are to deploy to the Great Territory Battlefields for training. This is the information about those Great Territories. Take a look at it. If there’s any particular place you want to go, you can tell me about it,” as Hua Qing Si spoke, she fished out a jade slip.
Although she had the right to send them to any place she wanted, she would always discuss the matter with these people first. Yang Kai only told them to get some training, but he didn’t specify where they had to go. As such, Hua Qing Si’s action was reasonable.
Fang Tian Ci took the jade slip and thanked her. As he infused his Divine Sense into it and went through the information, he soon had a better understanding of the 3,000 Worlds and the situation that the Humans were in. The information he saw astounded him. Back then in the Void Dao Temple, he had heard Liu Jing Shan mention that in the world where the Dao Lord lived, the Humans were fighting the Black Ink Clan, a powerful and malicious enemy.
However, he had never expected that the Human Race was in such a perilous situation.
Suddenly, a sense of urgency rose within him. The Human Race had been forced to retreat to a mere 15 Great Territories. Once the Black Ink Clan occupied these Great Territories, the Humans would no longer have a place they could call their own in this expansive Universe.
Nevertheless, when he read that the Black Ink Clan had taken the initiative to strike a peace deal with the Humans after the Dao Lord applied pressure on them, which helped alleviate the Humans’ situation, he couldn’t help admiring the Dao Lord, who seemed able to achieve anything.
Although there were many Eighth-Order Masters, the Dao Lord was still in a league of his own.
At that moment, Fang Tian Ci felt honoured and secretly decided that when he ventured into the outside world, he must not tarnish the Dao Lord’s name. After all, they came from the Dao Lord’s Small Universe, so they were different from the other Open Heaven Realm Masters.
When Hua Qing Si saw him lowering the jade slip, she asked softly, “Is there any place you’d like to go?”
Fang Tian Ci replied, “I’ll let you make the decision, Head Manager.”
He didn’t have a particular place in mind as he felt that it made no difference where he went; after all, wherever he went, he would be fighting the Black Ink Clan. After spending 2,000 years to build his current heritage, he had the confidence that even if he came across a Feudal Lord, even if he couldn’t win, he would be able to escape. He was confident but not conceited. Although he had never exchanged moves with the Black Ink Clan before, he was different from the newly promoted Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were impulsive in their youth.
“Before that, I’d like to see the Dao Lord. I have some doubts that I’d like to consult with him about.”
“You mean Palace Master? He…” Hua Qing Si appeared to be in a tight spot. She was aware that Yang Kai had returned to the Star Boundary and opened a cave mansion in the World Tree clone to recuperate. As such, they shouldn’t disturb him at this point. After giving it some thought, she asked, “If there’s anything you’d like to know, I can tell you.”
Fang Tian Ci shook his head and said apologetically, “I can only tell the Dao Lord about it.”
Hua Qing Si hesitated for a bit. Since this man appeared serious, she knew that it must be something important. As such, she rose from the chair and said, “Come with me; however, I can’t guarantee that the Dao Lord will see you.”
[If the Palace Master is recuperating, he might not respond to us.]
“Many thanks, Head Manager.”
They then left the Grand Hall and shot into the sky.
A moment later, Fang Tian Ci looked at the gargantuan tree in the distance and fell into a dazed state.
In fact, when he ascended to the Open Heaven Realm 10 years ago, he had seen this tree while following Hua Qing Si back to the Star Boundary. However, he was preoccupied with the joy of having achieved an ascension and also confounded by the mysteries surrounding his circumstances, so he didn’t ask her about it. It wasn’t until this moment that he asked, “What tree is that, Head Manager?”
Hua Qing Si replied with a smile, “It is a clone of the World Tree.”
She then related to him the clone’s background. A myriad of expressions flashed across Fang Tian Ci’s face as he subconsciously placed his hand on his abdomen.
He initially thought that it was just a large tree that had lived for a very long time, so he was surprised to learn that the tree was the Human Race’s very foundation. It was thanks to this tree that the Star Boundary could continuously produce prodigies, who were the Humans’ hope for opposing the Black Ink Clan.
If not for this tree, the Human Race’s future would’ve been bleak.
Furthermore, such an enormous tree was only a clone. Fang Tian Ci wondered how majestic the real World Tree must be.
“What about the other one?” Fang Tian Ci took a look at the other tree beside the World Tree clone.
The tree was significantly smaller than the clone, and its tree crown wasn’t as expansive; however, there was no denying that it was gigantic as well. From a distance, the tree even looked somewhat translucent and immaterial. One could hardly tell if the tree really existed in this world.
Just then, a curvy figure flew down to the tree and disappeared the next moment.
“That is the Immortal Parasol Tree,” Hua Qing Si explained patiently, “It is a Sacred Treasure that belongs to the Phoenix Clan. You should keep your distance from it if you’re not required to approach it. Phoenix Clan members are very proud people, so they may attack you if you intrude into their sacred ground.”
“The Phoenix Clan…” Fang Tian Ci fell into a dazed state. Although he had never met a Phoenix before as he came from the Void World, he knew that the Phoenix Clan members were some of the most powerful Divine Spirits in existence, second only to the Dragon Clan.
Just then, another curvy figure appeared from the tree before leaping into the air. The next moment, a dazzling light exploded as a high-pitched Phoenix cry reverberated across the sky.
Fang Tian Ci instantly saw a stunning and glorious Phoenix with a very long tail manifest before him. The figure soon disappeared into the Void, but the after-image lingered for quite some time.
[How beautiful…]
Fang Tian Ci couldn’t help feeling awed. He wondered who would be capable of winning the favour of such beautiful and noble creatures.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Hua Qing Si suddenly said, “I’ll let you in on a little secret. One of the Palace Master’s Wives is a Phoenix Clan member.”
Fang Tian Ci wasn’t surprised one bit, for he thought that the Dao Lord totally had the right to marry a noble Phoenix Clan member.
Soon, they arrived at the bottom of the World Tree clone.
Instantly, Fang Tian Ci felt many Divine Senses probing him from all directions, each one of them at least as powerful as his own. There were also several Divine Senses that were especially powerful which Fang Tian Ci believed belonged to the Eighth-Order Masters.
After giving it some thought, he realised it was only natural that some formidable Masters were protecting such an important place.
Hua Qing Si looked up at a particular spot on the clone and turned to Fang Tian Ci before sending him a Divine Sense transmission, “Don’t disturb the others.”
Hearing that, Fang Tian Ci bent his back as he spoke, “Disciple Fang Tian Ci requests an audience with the Dao Lord.”
He didn’t use a Divine Sense transmission, nor did he dare to speak too loudly. If the Dao Lord wanted to see him, he would naturally hear it, if not, Fang Tian Ci wouldn’t dare to be insistent.
Fortunately, not long after he finished speaking, the Dao Lord’s voice was heard coming from that direction, “Come over.”
An elated Fang Tian Ci turned around and saluted Hua Qing Si, “Many thanks, Head Manager.”
Hua Qing Si responded with a smile and waved her hand, “Go on.”
Fang Tian Ci leapt into the air and traced the source of the voice before arriving at a huge tree cave. The instant he stepped inside, he saw the Dao Lord looking smilingly at him.
“Dao Lord,” Fang Tian Ci hurriedly saluted him.
“Have a seat,” Yang Kai motioned for him to sit down and raised his hand to reactivate the cave mansion’s restrictions, ensuring that no one could see or hear them.
Fang Tian Ci took a seat as he was told. When he noticed how pale Yang Kai looked, he exclaimed, “Are you hurt, Dao Lord?”
Finally, he realised why the Head Manager appeared hesitant when he requested to see the Dao Lord, for the latter seemed to be in the middle of recuperating.
At that moment, Fang Tian Ci felt guilty and apologized, “I shouldn’t have disturbed you, Dao Lord. Please forgive me.”
Meanwhile, he was shocked that even a powerful Master like the Dao Lord had been so heavily injured. It seemed that the Humans were indeed in a perilous situation.
There was an awkward expression on Yang Kai’s face as he said gently, “It’s not serious. I’ll recover in no time. What are you here for?”
Fang Tian Ci replied respectfully, “There’s something I need to ask you about, Dao Lord.”
Yang Kai looked meaningfully at him. Without asking him what the matter was, he said, “Everyone has their own secrets. Some secrets can be shared with others, but some are best kept to oneself. You have to know that Humans are born with greed and selfishness. Sometimes, you think you’re just being frank, but such qualities may make your relationships difficult to handle.”
Fang Tian Ci was surprised by the insinuation in his words, [Does the Dao Lord know already? That’s impossible, even I didn’t notice it at all in the past! It wasn’t until I started focusing on stabilizing my cultivation these past few years that I realised it. Although he’s the Dao Lord, he can’t possibly know everything…]
“Dao Lord, you’ve given me everything, so I trust you,” Fang Tian Ci said solemnly.
Yang Kai felt speechless, [What’s going on with my Human Self? He’s way too honest and upright. He doesn’t have any of my shrewdness or caution.]
After pondering for a moment though, he realised that the trust Fang Tian Ci had in him was a kind of virtue and courage. Furthermore, the disciples from the Dao Temple all had some blind admiration for him, so it was only natural that Fang Tian Ci trusted him.
At that moment, Yang Kai put on a gratified expression, “I’m glad that you think so.”
However, he felt awkward in secret, for in reality, he was having a chat with himself. Probably no one had experienced such a strange situation before in history.
Nonetheless, his Human Self was oblivious to everything.
Fang Tian Ci couldn’t be blamed for this as he should have died when he was still in his Mother’s belly. If not for Yang Kai tearing his Soul apart and saving him, Fang Tian Ci wouldn’t have been born at all.
However, Fang Tian Ci was only a fetus at that time, so he couldn’t bear the immense power of half an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s Soul. As such, Yang Kai had sealed most of his Soul fragment, including all of his memories and powers.
As Fang Tian Ci grew powerful, these seals would gradually dissolve and allow him to realise his true self.
In other words, Fang Tian Ci was still his own person at this point.
Nonetheless, he was now in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so the seal in his Soul must have loosened, and when he ascended to the Eighth-Order one day, the seal would shatter entirely and he would find out everything.
This was the same case for both Yang Kai’s Human Self and Monster Self.
Fang Tian Ci trusted Yang Kai not only because he was a Dao Temple disciple, who typically admired the Dao Lord, it was also because he, as the Human Self, trusted his true body.
There was no way anyone would harm himself in this World. Fang Tian Ci of course hadn’t noticed this yet, but he instinctually understood that the man before him only had the best of intentions for him.
“Dao Lord, do you remember I told you before that my Small Universe had materialised?” Fang Tian Ci asked.
Yang Kai snapped back to reality and nodded, “Yes, I remember.”
Fang Tian Ci went on to say, “You told me that perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I’ve cultivated the Dao of Space; however, I feel that might not be the case.”
“Why do you think so?” Yang Kai pretended that he knew nothing.
Fang Tian Ci replied solemnly, “Please have a look, Dao Lord.”
Saying so, he suddenly opened a portal to his Small Universe and let Yang Kai see inside.
Yang Kai secretly sighed to himself, thinking that an honest person like Fang Tian Ci would easily suffer setbacks in life. He hoped that this guy wouldn’t be so naïve in front of the enemy and just casually open the portal to his Small Universe, for that would be disastrous.
As he looked into the Small Universe with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai feigned surprise, “This…”
There was no doubt his Human Self had a solid heritage. Although Fang Tian Ci was a newly promoted Sixth-Order Master, the World Force in his Small Universe was only slightly weaker than that of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai realised it wasn’t so surprising. His Human Self had the right to directly ascend to the Seventh Order and in fact, he had succeeded in just that, but due to the true body’s restrictions, Fang Tian Ci was forced to regress to the Sixth Order.
Despite that, his heritage didn’t decrease much.
The Human Self was destined to be a Master who would be able to fight enemies much stronger than his Realm would suggest was possible.
With a solemn expression, Fang Tian Ci said, “I only discovered this thing in my Small Universe when I was cultivating in seclusion. Clearly, it was already there when I first formed my own Small Universe. When I discovered it for the first time, it was still a sapling; however, as time passed, it grew into a huge tree. With this thing around, I feel that my Small Universe is stable and impervious to outside interference. I have a feeling that this thing seems to have something to do with the fact that my Small Universe has materialised. What do you think this thing looks like, Dao Lord?”
Yang Kai looked up at him, “It’s a World Tree clone.”
[I was the one who put it into your body, so how could I not know about it?]
Back then, Yang Kai acquired three World Tree clones from the Old Tree. One of them was given to Wu Kuang, another was planted in the Myriad Monsters World. The final one was sealed in Fang Tian Ci’s body.
Before he ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, the World Tree clone was in a dormant state and naturally unnoticeable, but now that he was an Open Heaven Realm Master, the World Tree clone sprung to life.
Time waited for no man. If Yang Kai wanted Fang Tian Ci to grow as quickly as possible, this World Tree clone was essential.
“It really is a World Tree clone!” Fang Tian Ci seemed to have expected this, but was still shocked by the answer.
If he hadn’t seen the World Tree clone in the Star Boundary, he wouldn’t have associated it with the one in his Small Universe. He only knew that it must be some kind of amazing tree; however, when he saw the giant World Tree clone in the Star Boundary, he instantly realised that there was also one in his Small Universe.
“Dao Lord, do you know why there is a World Tree clone in my Small Universe?” Fang Tian Ci appeared puzzled. He wanted to see Yang Kai because he wanted to ask him about this.
“What’s so surprising about it?” Yang Kai smiled, “Look.”
As he spoke, he opened a portal to his own Small Universe.
Fang Tian Ci looked up and infused his Divine Sense into the portal, after which he saw the entirety of the Void World. He also saw the Void Dao Temple and a massive tree in the centre of this World that was even larger than the World Tree clone in the Star Boundary.
“Dao Lord, you…” Fang Tian Ci widened his eyes in disbelief. He had lived in the Void World for 2,000 years and travelled the entire World as far as he knew, but he had not known that there was such an enormous tree in the Void World.
It was apparent that the Dao Lord had hidden it from them.
“You’re not the only one who obtained such an opportunity.” Yang Kai closed the portal and didn’t intend to explain anything. When the seal in his Human Self dissolved one day, Fang Tian Ci would understand everything. It was pointless to explain anything to him now.
Fang Tian Ci was still baffled. He felt that he had gotten the answer to his doubts, but it also felt as though he had learned nothing.
“Having this opportunity is just one factor in your life, the key is how you turn this opportunity into your own power,” Yang Kai explained. The Human Self appeared to be straightforward and honest, so Yang Kai decided to be a little more direct, “Do you know why I’ve become who I am today and why I’m more powerful than other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters?”
Fang Tian Ci shook his head.
“It’s because I’ve had many opportunities in life,” Yang Kai stated bluntly, “There’s no use only doing things step by step when it comes to cultivation. Only by seizing opportunities will you grow stronger quickly. It’s only been around 2,000 years since I started cultivating, but I’m now an Eighth-Order Master. Moreover, I started as a Fifth-Order Master. Anyone else would’ve been considered lucky if he could ascend to the next Order in 2,000 years.”
After a moment of silence, he continued, “The World Tree clone contains a mysterious power that seals and stabilizes one’s Small Universe. With the clone in your possession, your Small Universe is naturally shielded from any external forces. More importantly, you do not have to fear Black Ink Strength. Other Open Heaven Realm Masters, even Eighth-Order Masters, have to divert part of their strength and attention to resist Black Ink Strength while fighting the Black Ink Clan, but we don’t have to do that. Just let it wash over you, for you can suppress it with ease. You’re not at risk of getting corrupted by Black Ink Strength; therefore, when you battle against the Black Ink Clan in the future, go all out without fear. Don’t let the other party off if you can defeat them. If you’re less powerful than them, run. You’re also an expert in the Dao of Space now, and given your Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, no one can harm you unless an Innate Territory Lord makes a move.”
Yang Kai paused for a moment before saying, “Also, the World Tree clone can condense and purify World Force which will help you refine your strength. You’ve been cultivating for many years already, so I’m sure you know that the purer one’s power is, the more powerful one is.”
Fang Tian Ci nodded.
What Yang Kai said was simple to understand. Hitting someone with a one-kilogram wooden slab or a one-kilogram iron block had totally different effects. Although they weighed the same, there was no doubt the latter would cause more damage. That was the benefit of having purer power.
Over the years, Fang Tian Ci had fought many battles, but he had never been defeated. What he relied on wasn’t his Realm, but his solid foundation, which brought him very pure power. Most of the time, his opponents had higher cultivation than his own, but he remained more powerful.
When Yang Kai saw that Fang Tian Ci was mesmerised, he went on to say, “Certainly, these benefits are useful for going against enemies, but let’s also talk about the benefits this thing has when it comes to cultivation. When an Open Heaven Realm Master ascends to the Seventh Order, their Small Universe will materialise. That allows them to raise living beings in their body. However, if you ask around, you’ll realise that no Open Heaven Realm Master, not even the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors, keeps living beings in their Small Universes. Do you know why?”
Fang Tian Ci shook his head as he appeared eager to find out more.
Certainly, Yang Kai was pleased with his reaction.
“That’s because, without something to seal and stabilize one’s Small Universe, when an Open Heaven Realm Master deals with a powerful opponent, their Small Universe inevitably shakes violently. When that happens, the entire World is thrown into turmoil. In that case, how many living beings do you think will survive?”
Upon hearing the explanation, Fang Tian Ci said, “Does Dao Lord mean that with the World Tree clone protecting my Small Universe, when I fight with someone, my Small Universe won’t be affected?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “You’re a promising young man. I’ve exchanged moves with countless Masters before, and even some Royal Lords who tried to hunt me down. However, when you lived in the Void World back then, did you ever feel any tremors? Without the World Tree clone to guard my Small Universe, the Void World would’ve been destroyed instead of becoming as prosperous as it is today.”
A puzzled Fang Tian Ci asked, “Dao Lord, what benefits do we get by doing so?”
“There are a lot of benefits,” Yang Kai explained enthusiastically, “As living beings are born, live, and die in the ones’ Small Universe, they produce a lot of World Force. In other words, even if you don’t cultivate, your heritage will still grow slowly. The more living beings there are, the quicker your power will grow.”
Fang Tian Ci finally realised something, “Is that why Dao Lord’s cultivation speed is much quicker than others?”
“Yes.”
An excited Fang Tian Ci said, “Disciple understands now. What Dao Lord means is that I should find some living beings and place them into my Small Universe as well. That way, I’ll also become a Seventh-Order or even Eighth-Order Master sooner.”
“There’s no need for that. Don’t tell anyone you have a World Tree clone. There will always be some wicked people out there who will stop at nothing to acquire treasures. I have enough power to protect myself, so no one will dare to harm me; however, once others find out that you have a World Tree clone, you might fall into danger.”
“What should this disciple do, then?” Fang Tian Ci asked humbly. It wouldn’t have mattered if he didn’t know the World Tree clone’s advantages, but now that he was aware of them, he had to make good use of it.
“I’ll give you something. Open up your Small Universe,” Yang Kai ordered.
Fang Tian Ci opened up the portal as he was told.
Yang Kai did the same as a thought flashed across his mind. The next moment, Fang Tian Ci felt that the Dao Lord had stuffed something into his Small Universe.
As he looked into his Small Universe, he was amazed.
A moment later, Yang Kai closed the portal and explained, “They are Small Stone Race members. Although they have very low sentience, they reproduce rapidly. Moreover, by raising them, you’ll gain 10 times the benefits compared to raising other living beings. Take good care of them. They’ll be useful to you.”
“Many thanks, Dao Lord.” Fang Tian Ci saluted him.
“I’ll also give you some resources. You’ll need them when you cultivate.”
“Disciple thanks Dao Lord for his generosity.”
“I also have some artifacts for you. You’re a Sixth-Order Master now. Just take them and refine them when you’re free. They might save your life when you’re in danger.”
“Yes.”
“Good, I have to continue recuperating. You may leave now.”
Fang Tian Ci got to his feet and saluted him, “Disciple will take his leave now.”
Yang Kai only waved his hand.
Fang Tian Ci felt his emotions undulating in his heart as he left the cave mansion. After cultivating for 2,000 years, he finally had the chance to fight against the Black Ink Clan. He decided that he must not disappoint the Dao Lord or tarnish the Dao Temple’s name.
Suddenly, he realised that the Dao Lord hadn’t actually answered his question. He still had no idea whether the fact that his Small Universe had materialised had something to do with the World Tree clone or not.
Soon, he shook his head with a smile, for it was no longer necessary to harp on this issue. After his chat with the Dao Lord, he now knew what he had to do for his future. Just by heading in that direction, he would grow stronger quickly.
Furthermore, the Dao Lord had given him many things.
Hua Qing Si had been waiting for him. Fang Tian Ci walked up to her and cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Head Manager.”
She shook her head with a smile, “Don’t mention it.”
“Head Manager, which Great Territory should I head to?”
Hua Qing Si replied, “There’s no rush. There’s something I have to ask you.”
“Please go ahead, Head Manager.”
“The Palace Master… I mean, your Dao Lord is an expert in three Grand Daos, which are the Dao of Space, the Dao of Time, and the Spear Dao. I’m sure you’re aware of this.”
Fang Tian Ci nodded. Every cultivator in the Void World knew this, for the Dao Essences of these three Grand Daos were the richest in the atmosphere.
“Have you cultivated one of these three Grand Daos?” Hua Qing Si asked.
Fang Tian Ci replied, “I’ve cultivated all of them.”
Hua Qing Si was startled, “Really?”
She had come into contact with many disciples from the Void Dao Temple before and it could be said that 1 out of 10 had a certain mastery of one of these three Grand Daos. A much smaller number of them had dabbled in two of these Grand Daos.
However, she had never met anyone who had cultivated all three Grand Daos before. Fang Tian Ci was the first.
It was no wonder that the Palace Master was willing to see him even though he was recuperating. It seemed that he valued Fang Tian Ci highly.
“Then, do you know your level of mastery over these three Grand Daos?”
Fang Tian Ci appeared hesitant as he had no idea how to reply to her.
Hua Qing Si smiled, “It’s fine. Come with me.” She knew that it wasn’t easy to answer this question.
Saying so, she led the way for him while Fang Tian Ci followed her.
Soon, they arrived at a secret place at the back of High Heaven Palace. There were three palaces in front of them. Fang Tian Ci looked intently and felt that some mysterious powers were undulating from those three palaces.
Hua Qing Si explained, “These are the Sealed Worlds that the Palace Master has left behind for the disciples of the Void Dao Temple. They correspond to the Dao of Space, the Dao of Time, and the Spear Dao. If anyone has inherited part of his legacy into one of these Grand Daos, they can enter and get some training. It’s also a place to test your mastery over these Grand Daos.”
Fang Tian Ci’s eyes brightened when he heard that. Since the Dao Lord had left behind these Sealed Worlds, they must be amazing. If he could go in and cultivate, he would benefit from it.
“Test our mastery over these Grand Daos?”
Hua Qing Si nodded, “There is no end to the cultivation of the Grand Dao. In the past, there were no guidelines or specific quantitative measures to gauge one’s mastery. The Palace Master invented some guidelines for categorising one’s mastery over each Grand Dao, and most people have acknowledged it.”
Fang Tian Ci’s interest was piqued, “What are the guidelines?”
Hua Qing Si explained, “The guidelines are based on the Open Heaven Realm, so there are nine levels in total. The First Level is the lowest and Ninth Level is the highest. In sequence, they are Superficial Contact, Peering Through the Doors, Taking the Initial Steps, Traversing a Familiar Path, Attaining Mastery Through Comprehensive Understanding, Exceeding the Ordinary to Reach the Extraordinary, Standing Above All Others Within Sight, Summiting the Peak, and Shocking History and Dazzling the Present. Usually, when a person manages to condense their Dao Seal using their main Grand Dao, they will be at a level of Peering Through the Doors. When they ascend to the Open Heaven Realm, they will automatically reach the level of Taking the Initial Steps.”
(Note: There were 10 levels in the past… the author seems to have decided to change that so there are now 9.)
Fang Tian Ci gave it some thought and felt shocked. When a person condensed his or her Dao Seal, they had only reached the Second Level of mastery, and when they ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, they reached the Third Level. Fang Tian Ci couldn’t help but wonder how high the Dao Lord’s achievements in the three Grand Daos were.
Furthermore, the categorisation showed that the higher the level, the more difficult it was to comprehend new insights.
“These three Sealed Worlds correspond to the three Grand Daos. There are some hurdles inside, and every hurdle represents a level. Your limit will be the level of your mastery of a specific Grand Dao,” Hua Qing Si explained.
Upon hearing her explanation, Fang Tian Ci nodded, “Disciple understands.”
“Which Sealed World would you like to try first?” Hua Qing Si looked at him.
Fang Tian Ci replied, “The Space Dao Sealed World.”
Hua Qing Si pointed at the leftmost Grand Hall, “That is the Space Dao Sealed World. Just go in on your own. I’ll be waiting outside.”
Fang Tian Ci saluted her and stepped into the Grand Hall while Hua Qing Si waited outside.
After Yang Kai left behind these three Sealed Worlds back then, those from High Heaven Palace were the ones who built these Palaces. Over the years, many disciples from the Void Dao Temple came to this place to get some training. They had inherited the three Grand Daos thanks to Yang Kai’s blessing.
Even some Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan members were interested in the Time Dao Sealed World and the Space Dao Sealed World.
These Sealed Worlds were not only places to test one’s mastery of Grand Daos but also wonderful training grounds. Hua Qing Si had never entered any of these Palaces before, so she had no idea what was inside. However, she was sure that the Palace Master must have left behind many of his own insights. By breaking through the hurdles inside, those who had cultivated these three Grand Daos would gain massive benefits.
It wasn’t until half a month later that an energetic Fang Tian Ci left the Grand Hall.
Without stopping, he entered the second Palace where the Time Dao Sealed World was located.
Half a month later, he stepped into the Spear Dao Sealed World.
When he finally shuffled out of the third Grand Hall, Hua Qing Si could feel that his aura had become far more stable. Although his cultivation didn’t increase much, his strength must’ve improved significantly.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Head Manager,” Fang Tian Ci saluted her with a joyful expression. He had gained massive benefits by going through the three Sealed Worlds this time. Nonetheless, he had reached his limits. He reckoned that when he cultivated for a longer time and gained a deeper understanding of the Grand Daos, he would be able to cross even more hurdles.
Hua Qing Si shook her head to show that it was fine, “How many hurdles have you passed in the Space Dao Sealed World?”
Fang Tian Ci replied, “It’s embarrassing, but I was stuck at the sixth hurdle.”
Hua Qing Si was slightly surprised. Fang Tian Ci had just ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, but he had managed to overcome five hurdles. Such an achievement had never happened before. Many disciples had left the Dao Temple over the years, and some of them had cultivated the Dao of Space; however, the best result achieved so far was the fourth hurdle. In other words, they were on the level of Traversing a Familiar Path.
Nonetheless, Fang Tian Ci had achieved the level of Attaining Mastery Through a Comprehensive Understanding of the Dao of Space.
One must not underestimate the difference of one level, for it meant a vast disparity between achievements. The difference was akin to the differences in Order in the Open Heaven Realm.
The Palace Master’s First Disciple, Zhao Ye Bai, had only achieved the Sixth Level when his mastery was tested.
Hua Qing Si thought that it was such a shame. There was no doubt Fang Tian Ci was a talented person, but unfortunately, he had only ascended to the Sixth-Order. Had he directly ascended to the Seventh-Order, he could’ve attained amazing achievements like the Palace Master’s three Disciples.
The mastery of a Grand Dao was different from cultivation. As long as one hadn’t reached their innate limit, they could improve their cultivation by putting in the effort and resources.
However, comprehension and enlightenment were required to master Grand Daos. Without enough wits, one couldn’t advance far in any Grand Dao regardless of how powerful their cultivation was.
Hua Qing Si was also a veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so she naturally understood this.
She initially only wanted to find out Fang Tian Ci’s mastery over the Dao of Space, but she couldn’t suppress her curiosity as she asked, “What about your results in the Time Dao Sealed World and the Spear Dao Sealed World?”
A bashful Fang Tian Ci replied, “I only overcame the fifth hurdle in the Time Dao Sealed World. It’s worse in the Spear Dao Sealed World. I only passed the fourth hurdle.”
He looked embarrassed, as though he had disappointed the Dao Lord.
On the other hand, Hua Qing Si was lost for words.
When she heard Fang Tian Ci say that he had cultivated all three Grand Daos, she thought that he had only majored in one and perhaps dabbled a bit in the other two.
Now, that didn’t seem to be the case.
This Fang Tian Ci had attained a high level of mastery in all three Grand Daos!
One had to know that Fang Tian Ci had just made it to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he had already attained such achievements. There was no doubt he had a bright future ahead of him.
Although the Spear Dao was his worst Grand Dao, he had still passed the fourth hurdle, which was already something most Dao Temple disciples were unable to achieve.
Given this man’s amazing comprehension skills and achievements, Hua Qing Si even suspected that he might be the Palace Master’s illegitimate child; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so gifted even though he came from the Void World.
After examining his face though, Hua Qing Si shook her head, for Fang Tian Ci looked nothing like Yang Kai.
Finding her thoughts ridiculous, she smiled helplessly. The Palace Master had many beautiful Wives, so if he wanted to have a child, he didn’t have to do it furtively. Since the Palace Master still didn’t have any descendants after so many years, he apparently didn’t want to distract himself by having to look after his offspring yet.
Nonetheless, she didn’t know that this seemingly preposterous idea was actually quite close to the truth.
Fang Tian Ci wasn’t an illegitimate child; instead, he had an even closer relationship with Yang Kai, for he was the latter’s Human Self.
“Head Manager?” Fang Tian Ci called out to her. For some reason, he felt there was something off about the Head Manager’s gaze when she looked at him.
Hua Qing Si came to her senses and cast away her wild ideas before saying, “Is there any Great Territory you’d like to go to?”
Fang Tian Ci shook his head with a smile, “No. I’m fine with any assignment given to me.”
After pondering for a moment, Hua Qing Si said, “In that case, you should probably head to Profound Nether Territory. The Palace Master is in charge of that place on paper; however, since there’s an agreement in place, he can’t make a move as he pleases. As such, he decided to return here to cultivate.”
Fang Tian Ci didn’t understand when she mentioned the ‘agreement’, but when he learned that Yang Kai was in charge of Profound Nether Territory, he nodded joyfully, “I’ll go to Profound Nether Territory, then.”
Certainly, he had to take a look at the Great Territory where the Dao Lord was in charge.
“Good. If you are interested, once you arrive at Profound Nether Territory, you can look for a little bra… young man named Yang Xiao. His Squad is recruiting members who are experts in the Dao of Space. You can make your own decision, of course, and this is by no means an order. In fact, no one in Profound Nether Territory will give you any orders. You’ll be free to do as you see fit there,” Hua Qing Si explained with a smile. [Stinking Brat, I’ve done my best to help you, as for whether you’ll be able to keep him, that depends on your own capabilities.]
A few years ago, Yang Xiao had sent a message to Hua Qing Si and asked her to look out for disciples from the Void Dao Temple who had cultivated the Dao of Space. Although quite a number of disciples had left the Void Dao Temple over the years, there still weren’t a lot of them. As such, there were even fewer people who were skilled in the Dao of Space.
Hua Qing Si had recommended two people so far, but unfortunately, their mastery over the Dao of Space was not up to Yang Xiao’s standards.
Fang Tian Ci, on the other hand, was a suitable candidate.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t like she could force Fang Tian Ci to do anything. She had only given him a suggestion; as for whether he would look for Yang Xiao, that was his decision to make.
“Disciple understands,” Fang Tian Ci nodded.
Then, Hua Qing Si gave him a Universe Chart, “Head to Profound Nether Territory on your own, then. Don’t forget to check in at the Army Headquarters and register your name when you arrive.”
“Yes!” Fang Tian Ci replied and put away the Universe Char before leaping into the air.
He only had to pass through one Great Territory to go from High Heaven Territory to Profound Nether Territory. It was also the Great Territory where the Supreme Headquarters was located, so it was safe. In fact, as long as the 13 Great Territory Battlefields on the frontlines were not broken through, the defence at the back would remain impenetrable.
Fang Tian Ci kept checking the Universe Chart to verify his location while sometimes using Space Principles to hasten his pace.
A month later, he passed through the Great Territory where the Supreme Headquarters was located and arrived at Profound Nether Territory. Then, he intercepted a Squad of people, who seemed like they were heading back from the battlefield to get some rest, and asked them for directions. Following that, he headed straight to the Universe Fragment where the Army Headquarters of Profound Nether Territory was located.
Upon his arrival, he reported his name and background. After his information was registered, he received an Identity Token. The person handling this matter for him was a beautiful woman who was only a Third-Order Master.
Due to her weak cultivation, she could not contribute much in terms of war potential, so she dealt with administrative matters as part of the support staff.
The woman was very patient, and upon learning that it was Fang Tian Ci’s first time in Profound Nether Territory and that he had never fought with the Black Ink Clan before, she explained many things to him, which Fang Tian Ci was grateful for.
Then, Fang Tian Ci asked, “Do you know Yang Xiao?”
The woman’s eyes brightened when she heard that, “Sir Yang Xiao? I know him, of course. Are you looking for him?”
Fang Tian Ci was startled. Hua Qing Si only told him to come to Profound Nether Territory and look for Yang Xiao if he was interested, but she never gave him any details. He initially thought that it would be hard to look for one person on this vast battlefield, but it now seemed that it wasn’t so difficult.
Since a cultivator dealing with administrative tasks in the rear was aware of Yang Xiao’s name, it seemed that he was pretty famous.
However, when Fang Tian Ci realised that the woman was blushing, he knew that Yang Xiao was not just famous for his battle record.
Just as he expected, when the woman realised that he was looking for Yang Xiao, she appeared more enthusiastic, “Why are you looking for Sir Yang Xiao, Senior Brother?”
Fang Tian Ci explained, “I just came from High Heaven Palace where the Head Manager told me to look for him.”
The woman’s eyes became even brighter, “You’re from High Heaven Palace?”
Yang Kai was in charge of Profound Nether Territory on paper, and he was the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace. Many of the cultivators in this place also came from High Heaven Palace. There was no doubt that High Heaven Palace was the most famous Great Force in the entire Profound Nether Territory. Even the Cave Heavens and Paradises were no match for it.
“Do you have a Universe Chart?” The woman asked.
“Yes,” Fang Tian Ci promptly fished out his Universe Chart and passed it to her.
The woman took it and surged her Divine Sense before giving it back to him, “Sir Yang Xiao’s Squad always remains on the frontlines. Recently, they’re supposed to be getting some rest at this forward outpost. If you head over now, you might find them there.”
Fang Tian Ci looked into the Universe Chart and saw a marked location in Profound Nether Territory. “Many thanks,” he nodded gratefully.
Following that, he was ready to leave.
“Wait a moment!” The woman called out to him.
“Is there anything else, Junior Sister?”
The woman bashfully passed him a Space Ring.
Fang Tian Ci was puzzled as to what was going on.
The woman said sheepishly, “Please pass this to Sir Yang Xiao. Since I can’t fight the enemy directly, I’d like to give Sir Yang Xiao some pills that can heal his wounds and restore his energy. Please tell him to stay safe.”
“Alright,” Fang Tian Ci nodded. Although he had never met Yang Xiao before, he thought that the latter must be quite popular among the ladies. That was why this woman only wanted to give some pills to Yang Xiao even though there were so many soldiers at the frontline.
“By the way, my name is Yun Xi!” The woman added.
Fang Tian Ci was torn between tears and laughter, thinking that Yang Xiao might not even know who this woman was if he gave him her name.
Following the directions in the Universe Chart, Fang Tian Ci took a few days to arrive at the forward outpost; however, before he even entered the place, he was stopped. Although he had shown them his Identity Token, he was still asked to enter a Purifying Array.
The soldiers who fought with the enemy were at risk of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Once that happened, they would become Black Ink Disciples, who didn’t look different from the normal cultivators.
Because it was impossible to tell a Black Ink Disciple from an ordinary Human just by observing them, a large Purifying Array was arranged at every forward outpost. Its design was based on the interior of a Purifying Black Ink Battleship and it contained a lot of Purifying Light.
Anyone who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength or had become a Black Ink Disciple would have that Black Ink Strength dispelled by Purifying Light the moment they stepped into this array.
Someone who hadn’t been corrupted by Black Ink Strength wouldn’t lose anything by entering it.
When there was a change of affairs in Profound Nether Territory back then, some Black Ink Disciples tried to sneak into the forward outposts; however, their Black Ink Strength was purified by the Purifying Array, which allowed them to regain their original nature.
Soon, the Black Ink Clan stopped doing such a futile thing. All the same, the Purifying Array remained, for some cultivators might be accidentally corrupted by Black Ink Strength. The array could save their lives.
The moment Fang Tian Ci stepped out of the array, he was amazed by what he saw.
The huge forward outpost was like a prosperous city. The streets were neat and clean, with shops lining them for as far as the eye could see. There was also a massive number of people walking around.
The cultivators who moved around this place were all Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Fang Tian Ci had never seen so many Open Heaven Realm Masters in one place before, and this was just one of the forward outposts operated by the Humans.
It was said that there were a total of 10 similar forward outposts in Profound Nether Territory.
That wasn’t even including the headquarters at the rear.
Nonetheless, it also made Fang Tian Ci realise how formidable the Black Ink Clan must be. So many Open Heaven Realm Masters had gathered in the same Great Territory, yet they were still unable to destroy the Black Ink Clan, which went to show how powerful the enemy was.
The cultivators were mostly in groups of three to five people with some bigger groups reaching a dozen or so. Rarely was anyone on his own like Fang Tian Ci.
While he was looking around, someone came up to him and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Senior Brother.”
Fang Tian Ci looked around, but upon confirming that the other party was speaking to him, he saluted him back with an awkward expression, “What’s the matter, Junior Brother?”
The other party’s aura suggested that he was a Fifth-Order Master. Given the fact that Fang Tian Ci was a Sixth-Order Master, it was only reasonable that he called him Junior Brother. If they were in the same Sect, seniority would be important. If they were not from the same Sect, they would usually address each other according to their cultivation.
“Is it your first time here, Senior Brother? If so, please come with me.” Saying so, the person passionately took his sleeve and tried to drag him away.
Fang Tian Ci found it strange, [Is it so obvious that it’s my first time here?]
Unbeknownst to him, his reaction was indeed conspicuous to the others. Only a cultivator who arrived at this place for the first time would be curious about his surroundings.
Just then, another person leaped forward and intercepted them before politely greeting Fang Tian Ci, “Well met, Senior Brother.”
Then, he looked at the Fifth-Order Master, who was holding Fang Tian Ci’s sleeve, and said, “Brother Zhou, it’s Fei Yun Squad’s turn this time. You’ve crossed the line by snatching him like this!”
Brother Zhou shook his head, “There are only a few people in the Fei Yun Squad. I told you to merge yours with another Squad, but you just wouldn’t listen to me. So what if you manage to persuade him to join your Squad? You won’t keep him for long.”
The cultivator from Fei Yun Squad snapped, “Nonsense! All four of us in the Fei Yun Squad are above the Fifth Order. In fact, Squad Leader Chai is a Sixth-Order Master. All of us are powerful, so how could you compare us to the other Squads?”
“It’s not like our Squad Leader isn’t a Sixth-Order Master. Senior Brother, we have one Sixth-Order Master and two Fifth-Order Masters in the Thousand Mountain Squad. There are six people in total. Given our collective power, we’re even able to deal with a Feudal Lord if we come across one.”
“Don’t listen to his nonsense, Senior Brother. If his Thousand Mountain Squad ran into a Feudal Lord, they’d immediately run away instead of fighting. The Fei Yun Squad is different. We accidentally bumped into a Feudal Lord the other day, and under Squad Leader Chai’s leadership, not only did we manage to withdraw safely, but we also dealt that Feudal Lord a painful blow.”
Fang Tian Ci was perplexed as he listened to these two, but after giving it some thought, he soon realised what was going on.
Apart from the six Great Territories where things remained unchanged, the other Great Territories didn’t have any Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords involved directly in the war. As such, both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan had scattered their soldiers around. The Humans relied heavily on Squads as they hunted the Black Ink Clansmen down.
Apparently, when these two people saw that Fang Tian Ci was new to this place, and as such wasn’t part of any Squad, they decided to recruit him into theirs.
Nonetheless, Hua Qing Si had already given him a suggestion regarding this matter. Even if she hadn’t, Fang Tian Ci wasn’t ready to join any Squad in a hurry. At the very least, he had to figure out the current state of affairs in Profound Nether Territory first.
One had to sharpen his tools before starting to work. It was crucial to collect more information first.
Fang Tian Ci raised his hand to stop them from arguing and cupped his fist with a smile, “Many thanks for inviting this Fang to your Squads, but I’m afraid I must decline. Before coming to Profound Nether Territory, Head Manager Hua told me to look for a certain Senior Brother.”
Both of the recruiters instantly fell silent while ‘Brother Zhou’ smiled helplessly, “You already have somewhere to go? In that case, please forgive our rudeness.” Then, he asked curiously, “Who are you looking for, Senior Brother?”
Fang Tian Ci had the intention of asking them about Yang Xiao; after all, they seemed to be stationed at this forward outpost, so they should be familiar with the goings-on in this place. He then told them he was looking for Yang Xiao.
Instantly, they wore respectful looks.
“Are you from High Heaven Palace, Senior Brother?”
“Yes.”
“I see. If you’re looking for Senior Brother Yang, you just have to wait here for a few days. Senior Brother Yang has just taken his Ten Directions Supreme Squad out on a hunt. I suppose it’ll take him some time before he returns.”
“Ten Directions Supreme Squad?” After pondering for a moment, Fang Tian Ci replied with a smile, “That’s an interesting name for Senior Brother Yang’s Squad.”
The two of them exchanged glances and let out a dry laugh. The Squad’s name was more than just being interesting, for its full name was ‘My Adoptive Father in all Ten Directions reigns Supreme, but I am Second to Him’!
Upon learning that Yang Xiao’s Squad would come back sometime later, Fang Tian Ci decided to wait beside the Purifying Array. That way, as soon as Yang Xiao returned, Fang Tian Ci would find out about it, ensuring that he wouldn’t miss the chance to meet him.
Having cultivated for thousands of years already, Fang Tian Ci had grown to be a patient person. He could wait for years at a time, let alone a few days.
No one came up to him again; as such, he was able to sit down and cultivate with peace of mind.
Some 10 days later, Fang Tian Ci heard some shouts of excitement while he was cultivating.
“The Ten Directions Supreme Squad has returned! They’ve done something big this time by destroying a Black Ink Clan Army of 30,000!”
“For real?”
“It’s true! I heard that they’ve even killed eight Feudal Lords this time.”
“He’s just as formidable as his Father.”
“Well, that’s nothing. We could do the same if our Squad had so many powerful members.”
“What nonsense are you saying? It’s extremely difficult to destroy a Black Ink Clan Army of 30,000. No one would dare to challenge so many Black Ink Clansmen if they weren’t capable enough. Usually, it’ll take more than 10 Squads and at least the same number of Seventh-Order Masters to deal with so many Black Ink Clansmen. The Ten Directions Supreme Squad hadn’t sought any external help this time. Furthermore, it seems that they’ve returned unscathed.”
As Fang Tian Ci listened to the noise around him, he realised something and opened his eyes, only to see the cultivators around him staring fixedly at the Purifying Array. There was a look of reverence on their faces, as though they were waiting for a Heroic General who had just won a great war to return.
As a light flashed across the Purifying Array, a figure emerged.
He was a young man who was clad in white robes. Even his hair was silvery-white. Not only did he look handsome, but he also appeared noble and imposing.
The moment he appeared, the people around him started greeting him hospitably. It seemed that this white-robed young man was quite popular in this forward outpost.
The men looked at him with admiration while the women stared at him with fervour, as though they were trying to melt the young man with their eyes.
They kept greeting him by calling him ‘Big Brother Yang Xiao’ and ‘Sir Yang Xiao’.
[Is this the Yang Xiao that the Head Manager told me to look for?]
Fang Tian Ci examined the young man and realised that the latter was indeed an outstanding individual. After stepping out of the array, Yang Xiao greeted everyone with a faint smile. He wasn’t aloof, but he wasn’t passionate either.
However, what puzzled Fang Tian Ci was that there was an old-looking turtle the size of a small plate sitting on the young man’s head, looking just like a hat.
As though noticing his stare, the old turtle extended his neck and took a look at him.
Fang Tian Ci was startled, for this small turtle was obviously a powerful Master. The aura he exuded momentarily suggested that he was no less powerful than a Seventh-Order Master.
Following behind Yang Xiao was a woman who was also clad in a white dress. Fang Tian Ci wasn’t sure if it was just his delusion, but he felt that the woman and the Dao Lord looked similar.
Then, more figures shuffled out of the array. Following behind Yang Xiao and the white-robed woman were two young men and one young woman.
One of the men looked like an honest and cheerful person, but something seemed to be troubling him as he kept shaking his head.
The woman walked alongside him as she whispered to him. Although she was gorgeous, her expression was frigid, like an unsheathed blade. Fang Tian Ci only looked at her for a moment, but he still felt as though something had pierced into his soul.
The other young man had a distinct bowl-cut hairstyle. Just like Yang Xiao at the front, he kept greeting the cultivators around him, seemingly enjoying the attention.
Behind them was an Ancient Ominous Beast. On its head sat a Stone Man with his arms crossed, looking as though he was full of himself.
Meanwhile, riding on the Ominous Beast’s back were a young boy and a young girl.
The young boy appeared to be adorable, but when he smiled, his mouth tore apart and revealed a hideous set of teeth.
On the other hand, the young girl appeared quite cute and delicate.
[This Ten Directions Supreme Squad’s members are a bit strange…]
Despite their eccentricity, Fang Tian Ci could feel that they were all powerful.
None of the members in the Squad were weak, as most of them exuded a might equivalent to Seventh-Order Masters; as for those who didn’t, they were all Sixth-Order Masters.
It was no wonder that this Squad was able to destroy a Black Ink Clan Army of 30,000. Any Black Ink Clan Army would be doomed if they came across such a lineup.
Nevertheless, the fact that they were completely unharmed illustrated just how strong they were.
The Head Manager had given Fang Tian Ci a good recommendation. If he could join such a Squad, Fang Tian Ci would never be bored again.
After giving it some thought, he stepped forward and soon arrived in front of Yang Xiao. Then, he cupped his fist and said, “High Heaven Palace, Fang Tian Ci, greets Senior Brother Yang.”
It wasn’t until this moment that he realised the Dao Lord and this Senior Brother shared the surname Yang.
[Are they related in any way?]
However, Yang Xiao looked nothing like Yang Kai. On the other hand, the white-robed woman beside him resembled the Dao Lord quite a bit.
“Oh?” Yang Xiao looked at him with surprise, “You’re from High Heaven Palace?”
Yang Xiao found the other man unfamiliar. Since he didn’t know him, he reckoned that the latter was a newly promoted Sixth-Order Master.
“Yes. The Head Manager said you’re recruiting members, and she told me to look for you.”
Hearing that, Yang Xiao appeared pleasantly surprised, “Head Manager Hua told you to look for me?” He then realised that this guy was from the Void Dao Temple; otherwise, Head Manager Hua wouldn’t have asked him to seek him out. At that moment, Yang Xiao started feeling expectant. Hua Qing Si had recommended two people previously, but unfortunately, their abilities were not up to his standards; as such, he recommended them to other Squads.
Anyway, cultivators who had cultivated the Dao of Space were universally welcomed, so they were soon accepted.
When fighting with the Black Ink Clan, even though strong Masters could help kill more enemies, there would also be times when escaping was essential. In times like these, cultivators who had cultivated the Dao of Space proved to be invaluable.
On all the battlefields, there was no doubt that the disciples from the Void Dao Temple were the most popular, especially those who had cultivated the Dao of Space. Once such people appeared, countless Squads would invite them to join them by offering many perks.
Yang Xiao was eager to find out Fang Tian Ci’s abilities, so without hesitation, he turned to the honest-looking young man and said, “Junior Brother Zhao, give him a test.”
Zhao Ye Bai stepped forward and motioned for Fang Tian Ci to follow him.
Fang Tian Ci knew that it was a test he had to pass if he wanted to join the Ten Directions Supreme Squad. As such, he followed the other man without any questions.
Soon, they left the forward outpost and disappeared into the void.
An hour later, they returned together. While Zhao Ye Bai remained calm and collected, Fang Tian Ci seemed to be lost in his thoughts.
The test was nothing special as Fang Tian Ci was only tested on his utilisation of the Dao of Space.
Fang Tian Ci was initially confident, but he never expected that Zhao Ye Bai was also a Master of the Dao of Space. Moreover, Zhao Ye Bai had a greater mastery over this Grand Dao than he did.
There was no doubt that Fang Tian Ci had been defeated by the other man when it came to the Dao of Space, and it wasn’t because Zhao Ye Bai was an Order above him, but rather because his comprehension of the Dao of Space was greater.
Fang Tian Ci felt that he had learned a lot, and he also came to realise that there were always people beyond people.
“How was it?” Yang Xiao asked eagerly.
Zhao Ye Bai gently nodded in response.
Yang Xiao guffawed and passionately patted Fang Tian Ci’s shoulder, “From now on, you’re a member of the Ten Directions Supreme Squad. We can finally do something greater.”
His Squad was basically unrivalled in the entire Profound Nether Territory. Others were envious that they were able to kill enemies with ease, but the truth was, how was it possible for them to improve themselves if they felt no pressure?
Only the weak bullied those weaker than themselves, while those who were strong challenged those who were stronger.
Their goal wasn’t to make a name for themselves in Profound Nether Territory; instead, they wanted to storm into the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clansmen had occupied, destroy their Black Ink Nests, and ruthlessly kill all the Black Ink Clansmen they could find.
However, if they wanted to do that, they would face a huge risk even though their Squad members were powerful; as such, they needed enough power to protect themselves.
They initially had such a member.
Back then, with Liu Yan and Zhao Ye Bai joining forces, they could escape if they came across enemies they were unable to defeat; however, after Liu Yan returned to the Star Boundary to cultivate in seclusion in her Phoenix Nest, the Squad’s mobility and ability to escape had been significantly reduced. That was why Yang Xiao sent a message to Hua Qing Si, asking her to look out for people who were experts in the Dao of Space.
Since Fang Tian Ci had passed Zhao Ye Bai’s test, there was no doubt that he had gained the latter’s acknowledgement. Yang Xiao had faith in Zhao Ye Bai’s judgement.
“Come on. I’ll introduce our members to you,” Yang Xiao said enthusiastically.
As he introduced the Squad members to Fang Tian Ci, the cultivators around them were envious. They knew what it would mean if one could join the Ten Directions Supreme Squad; however, they also knew that it wasn’t easy to become one of them.
Yang Xiao wasn’t interested in anyone who wasn’t capable enough.
Although it was Fang Tian Ci’s first time meeting these people, he somehow felt as though he had known them for a long time; as such, he became close to them very quickly.
He sincerely admired Zhao Ye Bai as he cupped his fist and said, “Please give me more guidance in the future, Senior Brother Zhao.”
Zhao Ye Bai smiled frankly, “If there’s some free time, we can discuss the Dao of Space and have a friendly competition. Since you’ve cultivated the Dao of Space, you must be from the Void Dao Temple and have inherited the Honoured Master’s Grand Dao. As such, you shouldn’t underestimate yourself.”
“Honoured Master?” Fang Tian Ci was stunned.
Yang Xiao smilingly wrapped his arm around Fang Tian Ci’s shoulders, “Junior Brother Zhao is my Adoptive Father’s First Legacy Disciple.”
“Adoptive Father?” Fang Tian Ci was astounded.
“I’m talking about the Dao Lord as you all call him,” Yang Xiao explained nonchalantly. Then, he appeared somewhat envious, “That old man certainly has had some fun by building a Dao Temple in his Small Universe. If I had one of the Four Universe Pillars and a Small Universe, I would’ve done the same.”
Fang Tian Ci was bewildered.
Hua Qing Si only told him to come look for Yang Xiao, but she didn’t give him many details. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised many members of this Squad were closely related to the Dao Lord.
The Dao Lord’s Adoptive Son, Little Sister, and three Legacy Disciples were all members.
Certainly, Fang Tian Ci was aware of Zhao Ye Bai and the other two Legacy Disciples. When he was cultivating in the Dao Temple back then, he was informed that the Dao Lord had taken on three Disciples in the Void World. They were all legendary figures, but they were now standing right in front of him.
Upon that realization, Fang Tian Ci felt relieved. It was no wonder that Zhao Ye Bai had a better grasp of the Dao of Space; he was the Dao Lord’s First Disciple who inherited his Dao of Space. It wasn’t surprising that he was more skilful in this Grand Dao.
It was only reasonable that Fang Tian Ci was defeated.
Fang Tian Ci felt that the Head Manager had found him a wonderful Squad to be a part of.
Initially, he only decided to take a look at Yang Xiao in Profound Nether Territory after getting a suggestion from the Head Manager, but he hadn’t made up his mind yet to join his Squad. After all, he had been cultivating in seclusion in the Star Boundary since he left the Void World; as such, he knew little about the 3,000 Worlds.
He had his own ideas, but he would also accept kind recommendations. He had passed Zhao Ye Bai’s test, and he acknowledged that the latter had a better grasp of the Dao of Space. By cultivating alongside such a powerful person, he would gain immense benefits.
However, he soon realised that the Ten Directions Supreme Squad did not only have Senior Brother Zhao, but also Senior Sister Zhao and Senior Brother Xu.
The Dao Lord’s three Disciples had respectively inherited his three primary Grand Daos.
By joining the Ten Directions Supreme Squad, it would mean that Fang Tian Ci had a chance to frequently exchange insights on these Grand Daos with them. It was a good reason for him to join the Squad.
An energetic Yang Xiao declared, “Since that is settled, we should go and get some resources first; then, we’ll throw a welcome party for Junior Brother Fang. When we’re done getting prepared, we’ll set off.”
They could finally leave the Profound Nether Territory and roam the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clan had occupied. Yang Xiao could not wait to get started.
The others were naturally fine with it. Over the years, Yang Xiao had been the one leading the Squad. It wasn’t that he was the strongest. In fact, the Seventh-Order Masters in the Squad were all equally powerful. It was just that the others had no interest in managing the Squad’s affairs, so they decided to let Yang Xiao take charge of everything.
At the mention of resources, Fang Tian Ci suddenly recalled something and fished out a Space Ring, “By the way, Senior Brother Yang, when I was at the Army Headquarters the other day, a Junior Sister named Yun Xi told me to pass this to you. There are some pills inside…”
Before he could finish his words, he felt a forceful clasp on his shoulder, which caused him some pain.
Fang Tian Ci was astounded, thinking that Yang Xiao’s strength was quite intense.
“What are you talking about, Junior Brother? I don’t understand.”
Fang Tian Ci was confused so he tried to explain again, “Senior Brother, it was a Junior Sister named Yun Xi…”
“Hehe…” A melodious laugh was suddenly heard from the side. Fang Tian Ci reckoned that it was Yang Xue’s voice, and he could feel that Yang Xiao was shuddering.
When he turned his head, he saw Yang Xiao glaring at him, “Junior Brother, you should not follow the crooked path.”
Fang Tian Ci was puzzled.
Without explaining further, Yang Xiao left him and walked up to Yang Xue before whispering to her. Fang Tian Ci could faintly hear him saying, “I don’t know any such woman. Don’t listen to his nonsense.”
Zhao Ye Bai came over and patted Fang Tian Ci’s shoulder with a smile, “Let’s go, Junior Brother Fang.”
A worried Fang Tian Ci said, “Senior Brother Yang…”
“He had it coming!” Zhao Ya walked past them and snorted.
…..
In a dense forest, the sprawling branches seemed to be connected. All the trees were gigantic, and their crowns were so vast that when one looked down at the continent from above, it was as though it was a sea of green.
Although many Humans lived in the Myriad Monsters World now, the environment hadn’t changed much. Such wilderness had been sustained for uncountable years, so not much change would happen in a short time.
In this dense forest, danger was hidden everywhere. The roles of hunters and prey could be flipped upside down in an instant. A more powerful creature might just be hiding somewhere behind, waiting to pounce on its prey and gnaw at it.
It was the perfect representation of natural selection.
In such an environment, the Monster Race had an unrivalled advantage when it came to their cultivation. The Heavenly Way and Principles of this World favoured Monster Race too. It was made even more conspicuous after a World Tree clone was planted several hundred years ago.
More and more Great Monsters broke through their shackles and shook off the Universe World’s shackles, allowing them to head out into the expansive Outer Universe to explore the unknown.
As the strongest Great Monsters left, the original balance was shattered. After several hundred years of change, there was now a new order in this World.
Even though it was daytime, it was still extremely dark in the forest as the tree crowns blocked all sunlight.
An arm-thick snake with glistening skin slithered around a branch and approached its target in silence, a tree cave in the trunk that exuded the aura of blood and flesh.
Although the snake was furtive, the prey in the tree cave still noticed its presence. Just as the snake stuck its head into the tree cave, a grey shadow dashed out at the speed of lighting.
The snake seemed prepared. The moment the grey shadow appeared, the snake shot forward and opened its hideous mouth before biting down.
The grey shadow howled in pain, but it couldn’t get rid of the snake. As poison entered its body, the grey shadow soon stopped moving.
The snake then wrapped its body around the trunk and widened its bloody mouth. It was ready to enjoy its meal.
Unbeknownst to it, there was a shadow behind it that moved slightly. The shadow perfectly blended into the tree’s shadow, ensuring no one could see it. The shadow had seen the snake successfully take down its prey, but it remained unmoving, which showed how patient it was.
Just as the snake was deluged with the joy of having killed its prey, the dark shadow leapt out.
Compared to the snake, there was no doubt that the dark shadow was smaller, but it was extremely agile and appeared behind the snake in the blink of an eye before biting its neck.
The snake hissed in pain as its figure started writhing and fell to the ground. The dark shadow quickly leapt away with a piece of flesh in its mouth and gulped it down.
As a metallic tang permeated the area, the snake hissed wildly as it coiled up and raised its head high to intimidate the opponent.
However, the dark shadow remained unphased. As it stepped on the fallen leaves, it made no noise. It just kept circling the snake, patiently waiting for a chance to strike.
This kind of life-and-death battle frequently took place in the forest. The winner would enjoy its delicious meal while the loser ended up in the other’s stomach.
Half an hour later, the battle ended.
The snake lay on the ground with countless wounds on its body, many of which were bone-deep. The dark shadow was the winner as it now devoured its prey.
However, the dark shadow soon collapsed to the ground.
Although it had gained victory, it wasn’t unharmed. Its prey resisted fiercely and bit the dark shadow several times earlier; as such, the dark shadow had been struck with poison.
This kind of poison wasn’t lethal, but it would make the dark shadow blackout for a while.
However, in such a dangerous forest, the dark shadow probably wouldn’t wake up again.
An incense stick later, the sound of something brushing through the canopy was heard in this silent forest and several figures dexterously jumped from branch to branch.
Although the Human Race had started living in the Myriad Monsters World over 200 years ago, this World remained a treasure trove that was yet to be fully exploited.
Apart from Monster Beasts in this World, the things that were most useful to the Humans were Spirit Flowers and Herbs.
After all, this was a Universe World where ancient wilderness remained unexplored, and Monster Race knew nothing about Alchemy. Other than the Spirit Herbs that could be consumed directly, the rest wasn’t put to good use. As such, the Humans living in this place would come together and enter the forest to collect precious resources every so often, gaining massive rewards each time.
However, this came with many risks. Although Yang Kai had told the Great Monsters in the Myriad Monsters World they could not hunt the Humans back then, this kind of thing couldn’t be prevented entirely. There were still some Monster Beasts who retained their wild nature and who functioned more on instinct than reason, so if they came across a Human on their own, they would normally just eat them.
Under most circumstances, the Humans and Monster Race got along fairly well in the Myriad Monsters World. Neither side made a move on the other for no reason, which was why the Humans dared to enter the forest and collect Herbs. Without Yang Kai’s restriction in the past, these Human cultivators would’ve been destroyed the moment they stepped into the forest.
Suddenly, a petite figure stopped in her tracks. She looked like a beautiful young woman in her early twenties and her aptitude was clearly quite good as she was already in the Separation and Reunion Boundary.
The metallic tang in the air was obvious, so she certainly noticed it.
As she looked around, she soon saw the bloodied battlefield. She leaped from the branches and landed beside the snake; then, she saw the dark shadow lying on the ground.
“Junior Sister,” another figure landed beside her. He seemed to be a young man who was a few years older.
The young woman pointed at the dark shadow and said, “It’s a Shadow Leopard!”
“Is it dead?” The man asked.
“I don’t think so,” the young woman replied. Then, she placed her hand on the Shadow Leopard’s neck and said affirmatively, “It’s still alive, but I think it’s been struck with poison.”
The man urged her by saying, “Ignore it. In the Myriad Monsters World, it’s only normal that Monster Beasts fight with each other. We should focus on our mission.”
“However, if we ignore it, it will be eaten by other Monster Beasts.” The woman didn’t have the heart to let the small leopard die, so she looked up at the man, “Please save it, Senior Brother.”
The man frowned as he wasn’t willing to have a hand in the affairs between Monster Beasts, so he dissuaded her, saying, “It would be terrible if its parents misunderstand us. This Shadow Leopard is still very young, so perhaps its parents are nearby.”
The young woman replied, “If they were nearby, they would’ve saved it already. Its parents must be dead. It’s such a pity that this leopard has to start hunting at such a young age.”
As she recalled certain memories, she felt a lump in her throat.
She went on to say, “Moreover, it’s fine even if its parents come looking for it. We’ll just give the leopard back to them. Please save it, Senior Brother.”
As she tipped her head back, she looked at the man with teary eyes.
The man didn’t have the heart to see the woman cry, so he raised his hands and gave in, “Alright. We’ll save it. Stop crying.”
The young woman instantly stopped crying and smiled, “You’re the best, Senior Brother.”
Then, she crouched down and picked up the Shadow Leopard, “Let’s go, Senior Brother.”
“Are you going to carry it just like this?”
“Yes?”
“Shouldn’t you give it a detoxifying pill and dress up its wounds?”
“Ah…” only then did the young woman come to her senses and start treating the little leopard. Since they had to enter the forest to collect Spirit Herbs frequently, they always made sure to bring some detoxifying pills with them as they never knew what they might encounter. Such pills were useful at this moment.
In the expansive Universe, there were countless Sects and Great Forces. The Cave Heavens and Paradises had a long history with ample heritage, and were unrivalled in the 3,000 Worlds. As such, they were considered First Class.
Under the Cave Heavens and Paradises, the Great Forces with Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters assuming command were considered Second Class.
For the Great Forces that didn’t even have any Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, they were classified as Third Class.
Supposedly, the Universe should be filled with the lowest class Great Forces, but the truth was, Second Class Great Forces came in the largest number in the 3,000 Worlds.
Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm ranged from the Fourth-Order to the Sixth-Order, and as long as a cultivator’s aptitude wasn’t too terrible, he or she could make an initial breakthrough to the Second or Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. After that, given enough time, effort, and resources, such a person would become a Fourth-Order Master.
As such, there were a lot of Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Masters in any Great Territory, while there would be quite a number of Sixth-Order Masters as well.
However, even if the two Great Forces were both second-class, the difference in their heritages could be immense.
As long as there was a single Fourth-Order Master in a Sect, it was considered Second Class. On the other hand, a Sect with several Sixth-Order Masters in charge was also considered Second Class, but no one would say two such Sects were comparable.
Great Feather Pavilion was a below-average Second Class Great Force. At the peak of its power, it only had two Fifth-Order Masters and four Fourth-Order Masters. This kind of heritage could only be described as ordinary.
However, even a Great Force like Great Feather Pavilion had occupied a Great Territory and had it named after their Sect.
Following the Black Ink Clan’s invasion however, all Great Forces, no matter their size or strength, had no choice but to give up on their heritages and evacuate to High Heaven Territory, even the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Back then, Great Feather Pavilion was visited by a Human Squad that was deployed from the Barren Territory. Following their instructions, they met up with the Great Forces from the other nearby Great Territories and headed to High Heaven Territory. Although they experienced some dangers along the way, they safely arrived at their destination.
Their lives in High Heaven Territory were hard.
At that time, there were countless cultivators from different Great Forces that had gathered together. Just like those from Great Feather Pavilion, they had left their homes and didn’t have a place to stay.
There were two Universe Worlds in High Heaven Territory. One of them was the Star Boundary and the other was the Demon Realm. No ordinary people could go to the former, while the latter wasn’t suitable for most people to live in.
Since there was a lack of space and resources, everyone from Great Feather Pavilion was filled with a sense of despair.
It wasn’t until High Heaven Palace sent them to a Universe World in the New Great Territory that they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
After such a traumatising experience, everyone from the Elders down to the lowest disciples of the Sect realised just how miserable it was to be weak. However, it was extremely difficult to increase one’s strength.
Therefore, when the Masters of the Star Boundary spread word about the Myriad Monsters World, the Open Heaven Realm Masters from Great Feather Pavilion all headed to Profound Nether Territory without hesitation to join the war against the Black Ink Clan so that they could earn Military Merits, which could be traded for the right to live in the Myriad Monsters World.
The appearance of the Myriad Monsters World was like a beacon of hope for the weaker Great Forces.
They didn’t have the right to enter the Star Boundary, but the Myriad Monsters World represented a new beginning. As long as they could let their Juniors cultivate in the Myriad Monsters World, they would get nourishment from the World Tree clone. Perhaps there would be a prodigy who could directly ascend to the Sixth Order or Seventh Order in the future. Just one such person would be enough to help them overcome their destitute destiny.
Finally, when the Myriad Monsters World was opened up, the first batch of people from Great Feather Pavilion settled down in that place. Initially, there were only 10 or so disciples from their Sect, but as time passed, more and more moved into the Myriad Monsters World.
They occupied a small Spirit Peak and rebuilt Great Feather Pavilion. Although the beginning was tough, they were no longer in the position like that of several hundred years ago where they were unable to even imagine a future for themselves.
Now, there were 8,000 to 10,000 Great Forces that had settled down in the Myriad Monsters World, and there would surely be even more in the future.
Fortunately, the Myriad Monsters World was vast. When Yang Kai inspected this place back then, he realised that it was much larger than an average Universe World. If it wasn’t, it couldn’t have accommodated so many Great Forces.
Presently, the Open Heaven Realm Masters above the Third Order from Great Feather Pavilion had headed to the battlefields to battle the enemy. Only several old and frail Second-Order Masters stayed behind in the Sect to teach the younger disciples.
Fortunately, there wasn’t much danger in the Myriad Monsters World. Otherwise, these Second-Order Masters couldn’t have ensured everyone’s safety.
Several young kids stood outside the Sect’s entrance and appeared expectant. Suddenly, one of them exclaimed, “Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters are back!”
Following the cheers, many agile figures passed through the forest and approached them in the blink of an eye.
There were fewer than 100 people, and they were all young people in their teens and twenties.
The effectiveness of the World Tree clone’s nourishment had a lot to do with cultivation and age. A young person with low cultivation would get the most benefits, while an old Third-Order Emperor Realm Master might not gain any benefits at all.
Every quota to live in the Myriad Monsters World was valuable; as such, those from Great Feather Pavilion wouldn’t dare to waste them, sending those young disciples who had excellent aptitudes to this place with the bare minimum of Elders to look after them.
Chatters and laughter were heard in front of the entrance.
Soon, the young kids were attracted to a particular anomaly. It was a little beast with black and smooth fur. The little beast seemed to be injured as it was asleep in a Senior Sister’s arms. Blood had seeped through the bandages around its body.
The young kids surrounded the Senior Sister and chirruped. It appeared they had instantly become fond of this little beast.
A young disciple asked, “Senior Sister Qin Xue, is this a Monster Beast?”
Qin Xue smiled and nodded, “En, it’s a Shadow Leopard.”
The disciple extended his hand in an attempt to touch the Shadow Leopard, but he soon retracted it as he was worried that the Shadow Leopard would wake up suddenly and bite him.
A Second-Order Master asked, “What’s going on?”
Qin Xue then briefly relayed to him what happened to the Snow Leopard and asked, “Elder, can I raise it?”
The Elder replied, “I don’t mind you raising it, but how do you intend to feed it?”
“I can bring it out and do some hunting.”
The Elder shook his head, “When that Sir planted the World Tree clone in this place 300 years ago, he made an agreement with the Great Monsters that both Races should coexist harmoniously and that we couldn’t harm each other for no reason. Although there have been incidents of Monster Beasts hunting Humans over the years, that was mostly related to beasts who had retained their wild nature. As such, we couldn’t settle the score with them. If you make a move on the Monster Race though, it will be a breach of the agreement between that Sir and the Monster Race. If the Monster Race members flare up, no one can protect you.”
It was the first time Qin Xue heard about this, so she was caught in a dilemma. After pondering for a moment, she asked, “Will it be alright if we hunt some normal beasts?”
The Elder nodded, “That should be fine.”
Normal beasts were not part of the agreement; after all, some weaker cultivators still needed to eat to survive.
An elated Qin Xue said, “I’ll keep it for now, then. Now that it’s hurt, it won’t survive if we release it back to the forest. When it recovers, I’ll let it go if it doesn’t want to stay.”
“Good,” the Elder nodded.
As such, the little Shadow Leopard was kept in the Great Feather Pavilion.
Qin Xue was initially worried that the Shadow Leopard wouldn’t be able to adapt to the new environment, but she soon realised that her concerns were unnecessary.
Although the Shadow Leopard was still very young, it seemed to have some sentience as it knew who saved it. After it awakened, it didn’t show any hostility towards Qin Xue.
As Qin Xue took good care of the Shadow Leopard and it recovered quickly.
When she went to visit the Shadow Leopard a month later, she realised that it was nowhere to be seen. She searched everywhere in Great Feather Pavilion but still couldn’t find it.
It seemed that the Shadow Leopard had left without a word.
This made the young woman sad; however, after giving it some thought, she realised that a Monster Beast like the Shadow Leopard was supposed to live in the wild. By keeping it in the Great Feather Pavilion, it might wear away the leopard’s instincts, which would inevitably weaken it. As such, she soon accepted this reality.
It wasn’t until half a year later that she came across the Shadow Leopard again.
As though they were destined to meet again, Qin Xue bumped into the dark shadow when she was collecting Spirit Herbs in the forest. The Shadow Leopard walked up to her with obvious affection, which pleasantly surprised Qin Xue. They hadn’t met for half a year, and the Shadow Leopard had grown much larger.
She managed to collect more resources this time, as with the Shadow Leopard leading the way, she easily found a lot of precious Herbs.
Since then, collecting Spirit Herbs was the activity that she looked forward to the most.
As time passed, both Qin Xue and the Shadow Leopard both grew stronger.
The young woman had grown up to be a beautiful lady like a blooming flower. She had married her beloved Senior Brother and given birth to children. She lived a full and happy life.
On the other hand, the Shadow Leopard had grown from a Monster Beast to a Monster General, then a Monster Commander, and eventually an intimidating Monster King.
The Great Forces nearby knew that there was a Monster King that was equivalent to an Emperor Realm Master protecting the Great Feather Pavilion’s territory. As such, the disciples from the Great Feather Pavilion were safe whenever they headed out to collect herbs or wander around.
All this was because a young woman took the initiative to save a Shadow Leopard in the past. Others couldn’t help feeling envious.
Although they wanted to do the same, they didn’t know where to start.
Several hundred years later, heavy rain poured down from the sky as lightning struck through the night.
Qin Xue heard a familiar growl when she was cultivating. Her expression changed as she immediately stopped.
Then, she pressed her ear against the door and listened for a while. Following that, she dashed out of the Great Feather Pavilion and charged forward in the rain. Now, she was an Emperor Realm Master who had condensed her Dao Seal. As long as she refined the Seven Elements, she would be able to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm. Her aptitude was fairly good, though not the best, so she had been refining Fifth-Order materials over the years. As such, she could most likely directly ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
One had to know that just a few hundred years ago, the strongest Master in Great Feather Pavilion was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and he had worked his way up to that level from the Third-Order. No one in Great Feather Pavilion’s history had ever directly ascended to the Fifth Order in the past. All this was thanks to the World Tree clone’s nourishment.
Now, several people in the Great Feather Pavilion also had the potential to directly ascend to the Fifth Order. Although no one had yet shown the aptitude to reach the Sixth Order directly, there was no doubt Great Feather Pavilion was on the rise.
Qin Xue’s Emperor Qi blocked out the pouring rain for her as she dexterously ran forward and soon stood above a tall tree crown.
When she looked up, she felt her chest tightening.
On a peak that was several hundred metres above the ground, lightning struck and illuminated the entire world.
She saw the well-built Shadow Leopard, who had been her friend for hundreds of years, standing on the peak and howling at the sky, no trace of fear in its voice.
[It’s going to attempt a breakthrough!]
Qin Xue couldn’t help but feel worried at this sight.
Now, Qin Xue was no longer an inexperienced 20-year-old woman. At the very least, she was an Emperor Realm Master who had been living in the Myriad Monsters World for hundreds of years, so she was aware of many secrets that commoners did not know.
This expansive Universe had gone through three very long eras, which were the Primordial Era, the Early Ancient Era, and the Late Ancient Era. They were respectively ruled by the Divine Spirits, Monster Beasts, and finally the Humans.
In every era, the Heavenly Way favoured these different rulers.
In the Early Ancient Era, the Heavenly Way favoured the Monster Race, and as such, it was easier for the Monster Race to cultivate. Following the fall of the Early Ancient Era and the arrival of the Late Ancient Era, Humans rose to prominence; therefore, the preference was shifted from the Monster Race to the Humans.
In other words, the Humans were the current favourites in this Universe. Perhaps it had something to do with the Humans’ influence on the Heavenly Way due to their rise in power. However, even though Qin Xue was an Emperor Realm Master, she couldn’t form judgements of her own as she had only heard about such things from others.
The only thing she was certain of was that the current era wasn’t friendly to the Monster Race, making it more difficult for them to cultivate than the Humans.
The ancient cultivation techniques of the Monster Race had been lost to time, so most relied on the Humans’ Open Heaven Realm method to achieve an ascension. In other words, they had to assume Human Forms to shatter their shackles.
However, the Myriad Monsters World was a place which somehow preserved the aura of the Early Ancient Era quite well. It was said that when the Lord of the Star Boundary arrived at this place several hundred years ago, the Great Monsters here had not only lost the ancient cultivation techniques, but they had also never met Humans before. As such, how were they supposed to assume Human Forms and make use of the Humans’ Open Heaven Realm cultivation method to break their innate shackles? Therefore, in the past, the Great Monsters were unable to get rid of the World’s restrictions. Once they became Monster Kings, they were unable to improve any further.
The Lord of the Star Boundary did not only plant a World Tree clone here though, he had also taught the Great Monsters the Primal Art. It was thanks to him that the Great Monsters were able to continue cultivating.
Therefore, in the Myriad Monsters World now, there were two methods the Monster Race could use to cultivate. One was to use the Primal Art left behind by the Lord of the Star Boundary, and the other was the Humans’ Open Heaven Realm method. There were pros and cons to both, so neither could be said to be superior. The Monster Race members had to make their own decisions.
Many Monster Beasts became close to Humans when they were still very young, and were subsequently raised by them. Since these Monster Beasts quickly learned how to assume Human Form, they naturally chose the Human’s cultivation method.
However, a Monster Race member like the Shadow Leopard, who had always remained a beast, chose the Primal Art.
It had been over 10 years since Qin Xue last met the Shadow Leopard, and at that time, she already felt that the beast was on the brink of achieving a breakthrough. Nevertheless, she hadn’t heard any news from it since then.
Much to her surprise, she heard the noise of its breakthrough on this stormy night.
She had read a lot of ancient books and found out that Monster Race members who chose to achieve a breakthrough by using the Primal Art had to face a much greater risk than those who relied on the Open Heaven Realm method.
That was because Monster Race members cultivated the Primal Art by refining their Monster Cores, which were their very foundation. The stronger the Monster Core, the more powerful the Monster Race member was, but there were also a lot of uncertainties in this refining process.
Qin Xue couldn’t help feeling worried. She had spent the last few centuries with the Shadow Leopard, so she had already regarded it as her friend. In her heart, this Monster Race member was just as important as her husband and children.
Now that the Shadow Leopard was at the most critical moment of its ascension, it was only natural that she was anxious.
Just then, another roar reverberated across the sky.
Following the roar, thick Monster Qi permeated the area as though it had materialised. In an instant, the peak was surrounded by a layer of fog.
*Kacha…*
As though responding to the Shadow Leopard’s roar, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky.
Qin Xue could faintly see that on the peak, the Shadow Leopard spat out a round object that soon hovered above its head.
It was the Shadow Leopard’s Monster Core!
A bolt of lightning struck down at the small Monster Core like it was a long whip.
Qin Xue flinched as though she was the one being whipped. She widened her eyes and looked intently at the Shadow Leopard.
The originally still Monster Core started rotating around after being hit by the lightning. Threads of lightning whirled around the dark Monster Core and formed some cracks in it.
The Shadow Leopard growled as its Monster Qi surged to repair its Monster Core.
Just like how the Humans had to go through a World Baptism when achieving an ascension, Monster Race members experienced a similar trial. However, the current situation was more dangerous than the trials Humans had to face.
After all, the Heavenly Way was in favour of the Humans presently. If a Monster Race member relied on the Open Heaven method to achieve a breakthrough, they were essentially complying with the Heavenly Way. However, if they chose the Primal Art, they were defying the Heavens. As such, the wrath of lightning wasn’t just a trial, but a Heavenly Tribulation.
It was thanks to the primitive environment in the Myriad Monsters World that the tribulation was less severe. If a Monster Race member attempted a breakthrough in such a way in any other Universe World, it would face an even more ferocious attack.
Everything seemed frail beneath the Heavenly Tribulation. If the Shadow Leopard couldn’t persevere, it would be killed and its Monster Core would be destroyed; however, if it could survive, it would gain massive benefits.
Another even more powerful flash of lightning struck just then, causing Monster Core to spin even faster.
Seeing this, Qin Xue set her mind at ease. She had known the Shadow Leopard for years, so she was aware of its capabilities. This kind of Heavenly Tribulation supposedly wouldn’t cause the beast serious harm.
She secretly prayed that her friend would not get too greedy. If she had known what would happen, she would’ve looked for the beast and discussed with it earlier.
Nevertheless, given the Shadow Leopard’s temperament, she reckoned that it was useless to talk to the beast about it.
This fellow was obstinate. When it was still a little beast back then, it left Great Feather Pavilion without a word after it recovered.
As the bolts of lightning continued to strike, the Shadow Leopard remained unmoving. It only kept howling in response, as though it was trying to shatter the sky.
“Who goes there?” Qin Xue’s expression turned cold abruptly as she charged forward in a particular direction. While in mid-air, a sword appeared in her hand.
“Jade Moon Sword Arts, 3,000 Sword Lights!”
A rain of sword lights poured down like a storm as countless trees were instantly leveled; however, a momentary glint from within the chaos made Qin Xue’s heart sink.
Violent Monster Qi surged from below. The sword lights struck Monster Qi and disappeared, as though the latter was a mire.
Certainly, Qin Xue hadn’t fully unleashed her power, but it also showed how powerful the other party was.
Finally, Qin Xue realised who had been acting furtively in this nearby place.
It was a Monster King, not a Human.
A series of hisses were heard. From the thick Monster Qi, a snake head that was as large as a house emerged. The snake head was angular, as though it was carved from a rock, and its scales looked extremely robust. The snake glowered at Qin Xue, who was standing on a nearby branch. There seemed to be a sense of ruthlessness behind those eyes.
“Rock Snake King!” Qin Xue’s pupils dilated, but she soon calmed herself down, “Snake King, please withdraw!”
She secretly cursed, thinking that it indeed wouldn’t be easy for the Shadow Leopard to achieve an ascension.
Following the agreement between the Lord of the Star Boundary and the Great Monsters back then, the Human Race and Monster Race had been living together harmoniously in the Myriad Monsters World. However, the Monster Race still fought amongst themselves quite fiercely. Every living Monster King made a name for itself by killing many other Monster Race members.
The Shadow Leopard was no exception to this. When Qin Xue saw the Shadow Leopard for the first time, she felt that it was cute and adorable, but the truth was he was the most ferocious Monster Race member she was aware of. Moreover, it was quite arrogant.
This kind of Monster Race member naturally had a lot of enemies.
Qin Xue had saved the Shadow Leopard’s life before. As such, a grateful Shadow Leopard never showed its wild side in front of her over the years.
The Rock Snake King was one of the Shadow Leopard’s enemies as their territories were next to each other. The Shadow Leopard was bullied by the snake when it was weak, so when it grew stronger, it was determined to get its revenge.
Certainly, the Rock Snake King wouldn’t allow its enemy to grow in power. If the Shadow Leopard passed through the tribulation and ascended above the Monster King Realm, the Rock Snake King would be doomed.
Therefore, the moment it realised that the Shadow Leopard was attempting a breakthrough, it slithered over and approached the Shadow Leopard in secret, waiting for a chance to deal a fatal blow to its enemy. Nonetheless, Qin Xue managed to detect its presence.
The Rock Snake King was extremely powerful; furthermore, its skin was as hard as steel. The Shadow Leopard had exchanged moves with it several times but could never defeat it outright. Although Qin Xue was an Emperor Realm Master, she didn’t have the confidence to defeat the Snake King either. In fact, she might not even be able to protect herself.
Even though it was difficult for Monster Race members to cultivate, they were innately more powerful than the Humans when in the same Realm. That was because they had robust physiques and spent much longer accumulating heritage.
“You dare make a move against me, Human?” The Rock Snake King glared at Qin Xue as it hissed and spoke Human language.
Qin Xue frowned and cupped her fist, “Please forgive my earlier offence, Snake King.”
They had to comply with the agreement between the Lord of the Star Boundary and the Great Monsters, which was the very foundation of the Human Race’s survival in the Myriad Monsters World. Without this agreement, the Humans would find it hard to live in such a world.
The Rock Snake King snorted, “Scram. I don’t want to waste any time on you.”
Following that, its burly figure zigzagged towards the Shadow Leopard.
Certainly, Qin Xue couldn’t back down; otherwise, the Shadow Leopard’s ascension would be interrupted. Let alone break through to a higher Realm, it might even lose its life.
A hint of hesitation flashed across Qin Xue’s eyes, but she soon brought down her sword and sent a sword wave slashing across the route where the Snake King was heading, forming a crack on the ground.
“Please retreat, Snake King!”
Rain poured down from the dark sky as the small woman stood steadfastly on the tree branch in front of the Rock Snake King.
The eyes on the snake head beamed with an insidious glow as it hissed rapidly. Soon, a Human-like smile appeared on its face, “Good, this King has never eaten a Human before. I’ll devour you before dealing with that stupid leopard!”
The moment it finished speaking, its snake head appeared in front of Qin Xue all of a sudden and opened its hideous mouth, emanating a pungent breath. It was as though the snake wanted to swallow Qin Xue in one fell swoop.
A terrible stink exuded from the snake’s gruesome mouth. Qin Xue’s petite figure was stuck inside the mouth as though she would be devoured at any moment.
At the most critical moment, she resisted the snake’s teeth with her sword. Following a violent impact, she was sent flying away, thus widening her gap with the Rock Snake King.
Although the snake was heavy, it zigzagged forward at an incredible speed. As its Monster Qi surged, the trees along the way cracked and fell to the ground as though they were just straws.
The moment Qin Xue stabilised herself, she felt an immense force coming from behind. She swung her sword and infused her Emperor Qi into it to protect her back.
With a boom, the huge snake tail struck, almost shattering her protective Emperor Qi. Qin Xue staggered forward, but before she could regain her footing, she saw a green fog coming at her.
She was astounded. Although she knew that it wasn’t easy to deal with a Monster King, it wasn’t until she exchanged moves with the Rock Snake King that she realised how powerful the other party was.
Initially, she just wanted to stop the Rock Snake King from harming the Shadow Leopard, but she soon realised that she couldn’t deter the other party without going all out.
“Snake King, forgive my disrespect!” She wielded her sword and cast the fog away with a flash of sword lights that soon formed a light screen and covered the snake.
She had used the most powerful method she possessed to strike back.
“Good!” The Rock Snake King was enraged. It let the sword lights rain on it and cut across its robust skin. As its blood streamed down from the wounds, it roared, “Since the agreement has been nullified, what are you all waiting for?”
Qin Xue’s expression changed drastically, “Snake King, you…”
The Rock Snake King smiled wickedly, “You’re the one who broke the agreement first, so it is not our Monster Race’s fault if your Sect is destroyed!”
Several hundred years ago, that Master who taught the Monster Race the Primal Art agreed with the strongest Great Monsters of the time, which stated that the two Races must not harm each other for no reason. As such, both Races had been living together harmoniously for the past few hundred years.
However, the Myriad Monsters World originally belonged to Monster Race.
More and more Humans appeared in this place with each passing day, and although their existence posed no threat to the Monster Race, many of these Humans had ample vitality in their bodies. Therefore, Monster Race members coveted them. If they could devour these cultivators, it would be beneficial to their growth.
Many Monster Kings intended to eat these Humans as food; however, they were unable to do so since there was an agreement in place.
Nonetheless, several hundred years had passed, so the initial fear which enforced the agreement was less oppressive now. The Monster Race only needed a chance to nullify the agreement.
Only now did Qin Xue figure out that the Rock Snake King did not only want to get its revenge, but was also plotting against the Humans when it decided to interrupt the Shadow Leopard’s ascension.
Streams of Monster Qi started surging from all directions suddenly. They were all Monster Kings who were just as powerful as the Rock Snake King.
These Monster Kings approached in the rain.
Qin Xue was naturally flustered.
Many figures emerged from Great Feather Pavilion and looked into the distance. The Shadow Leopard’s ascension, the fight between Qin Xue and the Snake King, and the Snake King’s roar were by no means quiet, so there was no way those from Great Feather Pavilion didn’t hear them.
Among the crowd, a young woman, who resembled Qin Xue, exclaimed with a flustered expression, “Mother is over there!”
Several Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were in charge of the Great Feather Pavilion, sported solemn expressions.
Given their strength, they were not afraid of those Monster Kings. Regardless of how powerful Monster Kings were, they hadn’t broken free from the World’s restrictions. On the other hand, even though their Order was low, they were still Open Heaven Realm Masters. These Monster Kings were not comparable to them at all.
However, these Humans couldn’t make a move; otherwise, the peace that had been sustained for hundreds of years in the Myriad Monsters World would be shattered. When that happened, the entire Myriad Monsters World would descend into chaos.
They couldn’t possibly bear the responsibility.
“How could Qin Xue be so foolish to make a move on a Monster King?” One Second-Order Master snapped. As he spoke, he took a step forward, “I’ll bring her back.”
The Humans were not supposed to meddle in the Monster Race’s affairs.
Nevertheless, after the Second-Order Master took two steps forward, a figure stood in his way. She was the young woman who resembled Qin Xue, and although her cultivation was low, she still spread her arms and stood steadfastly there, “You can’t go, Elder. Leopard King is achieving an ascension, and the Snake King is its enemy. If you bring Mother back, Leopard King will be killed.”
“If I don’t bring your Mother back, she will die. If she’s killed by a Monster King, we won’t even be able to avenge her death,” the Second-Order Elder stared at the young woman, who appeared hesitant.
“Step aside!” The Elder ordered.
Tears welled up in the young woman’s eyes as she didn’t know what to do.
After a sigh, a middle-aged man emerged from the crowd, “I’ll go over.” He was also an Emperor Realm Master.
The young woman called out in pleasant surprise, “Father!”
The middle-aged man lovingly stroked the young woman’s head and looked at the Second-Order Master, “Please look after Shuang’er, Elder.”
The Elder frowned and said solemnly, “You mustn’t act on a whim.”
The middle-aged man smiled, “Don’t worry.”
The next moment, he turned into a ray of light and charged forward.
Meanwhile, a large area of the forest where Qin Xue and the Rock Snake King were fighting had been levelled, covered with a thick green fog. Inside the poisonous fog, sword lights could faintly be seen flickering. The fight between them had reached a climax.
Although Qin Xue had condensed her Dao Seal, she still found it hard to deal with a Monster King who was only one step away from achieving a breakthrough. Moreover, her Emperor Qi was draining quickly as she needed to defend herself from the poisonous fog and fight at the same time. There was no doubt she was in a perilous situation.
Just then, a figure boldly charged into the fog with a sword in hand and joined the fight. As he and Qin Xue joined forces, they were able to fend off the Rock Snake King’s violent attacks.
“There’s one more here. Very good!” The Rock Snake King guffawed at how foolish these Humans were. Since one more Human had joined the fight, things would be simpler for Monster Race. It had made the right decision to persuade the other Monster Kings to take action together.
The middle-aged man wrapped his arm around Qin Xue’s waist and flew backwards for several hundred metres. The moment they left the fog, the man shouted, “Snake King, why don’t we stop things here?”
“In your dreams!” The Rock Snake King shot out of the fog. Although its figure was huge, it was extremely agile. The snake opened its mouth and hissed, “Since you dare make a move, don’t even think about leaving this place alive!”
“So be it,” the middle-aged man put on a bitter smile. He knew that they couldn’t settle the problem easily, but he still wanted to give it a try. As such, he wasn’t disappointed when he failed.
Then, he lifted his sword and surged his Emperor Qi before shouting, “I, Hou Qing Hai and my Wife will take responsibility for today’s matter. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Please abide by the agreement, Monster Kings. Don’t be fooled by any unscrupulous villain and risk ruining your futures!”
His voice travelled for quite a distance, and the Monster Kings, who were crossing the borders and approaching them, were startled for a moment, but they soon shrugged it off.
Inside Great Feather Pavilion, the Second-Order Elder sighed. He had already expected this kind of outcome when Hou Qing Hai offered to go, but he was unable to stop him.
The young woman cried, “Father! Mother!” Just as she was about to dash forward, the Second-Order Elder tapped his hand on her head, and the young woman collapsed.
“Take her inside,” the Elder ordered.
Some Senior Sisters who were close to her carried her and entered the pavilion.
Several Second-Order Elders looked in the battlefield’s direction and sighed.
“I’m afraid this issue will be hard to settle.”
“Since we’re here, Great Feather Pavilion will be safe. The Monster Kings won’t have the guts to attack us.”
“I’m worried today’s incident will affect the current affairs in the Myriad Monsters World. If the Monster Race members turn hostile against the Humans as a whole, we will be held responsible.”
“We have to inform the High Heaven Palace about this and ask them to help settle this issue.”
“Do we just let Qing Hai and Qin Xue fight on their own?”
“There are Monster Emperors in the Myriad Monsters World. If we make a move, those Monster Emperors won’t stay silent and do nothing. Unless we’re ready to fight the entire Monster Race, we mustn’t act rashly.”
Someone let out a long sigh. They were powerless to solve this crisis; after all, they were only Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so they were not powerful enough to suppress all the Monster Race members in the Myriad Monsters World. It was a pity that two bright disciples were in trouble. Both Hou Qing Hai and Qin Xue had the potential to directly ascend to the Fifth Order. They had already condensed their Dao Seals and just had to keep cultivating for another century or two before making that final breakthrough.
Although the Elders were frustrated, they were unable to stop it. They were aware of Qin Xue’s relationship with the Leopard King. Since the Leopard King was attempting a breakthrough, it was only natural that Qin Xue would stand up for it.
On the battlefield, Hou Qing Hai and Qin Xue joined forces and finally suppressed the Rock Snake King.
However, they were not one bit pleased, for they could feel the streams of powerful Monster Qi approaching.
“I’m sorry for dragging you into this, Husband,” Qin Xue sent a Divine Sense transmission apologetically.
Hou Qing Hai chuckled as he replied, “What are you saying? Since we’re married, we will live and die together, there’s nothing for you to apologize about. Moreover, this matter is not irresolvable.”
“Husband, you mean…”
Hou Qing Hai shifted his attention to the Shadow Leopard, “If Leopard King successfully breaks through, it will be able to protect us.”
Qin Xue’s eyes brightened. Earlier, she was too anxious to realise this. Upon her Husband’s reminder though, she finally understood they were not in a hopeless situation.
Indeed, if the Shadow Leopard could achieve a breakthrough and become a Monster Emperor, it would be able to save them.
Following a flash of lightning, a gigantic figure appeared in the sky and let out a high-pitched caw. Thick Monster Qi was approaching fast from the sky.
Hou Qing Hai’s expression changed as he looked up and saw a huge figure descending.
“Iron Wing Eagle King!”
It would take most Monster Kings some time to arrive, but the Iron Wing Eagle King could move swiftly, so it naturally appeared sooner than the others. Seeing that the Rock Snake King was besieged, the eagle swooped down to lend its aid.
The two Emperor Realm Masters had lost their advantage since they had to deal with two Monster Kings now.
The Rock Snake King sneered, “You’ve come at the right time, Eagle King! We’ll eat these two Humans together then kill that stupid leopard!”
Without responding to it, the Eagle King fiercely attacked the Humans.
Immediately, Qin Xue and her Husband fell into a dangerous situation. During the intense battle, Qin Xue took a look at the Shadow Leopard and instantly felt a chill run up her spine.