The next day, at dawn, Yang Kai, who was meditating, felt some movements from the room next door. Releasing his Divine Sense, he found that Cang Yan, Li Wan, and Fei Jian had quietly left, obviously heading towards Ascending Heaven Cliff to investigate the situation over there.
Fei Yu, on the other hand, after a night of excessive drinking, didn’t wake up at all and was currently lying on her bed in a slovenly manner, her robes only half covering her pure white thighs, causing Yang Kai’s vision to spin when he glanced over at her.
Shaking his head helplessly, Yang Kai silently crept over and covered her with the beddings in an attempt to maintain some semblance of modesty for his Martial Aunt.
It was not until noon that Fei Yu lazily got up, stretched, and walked over to the window, standing there quietly for a while.
“Hey, little Martial Nephew, let’s go out and have a look at the city,” Fei Yu suddenly suggested.
“But Cang Yan Martial Uncle said for us to wait here until they came back to the inn,” Yang Kai wrinkled his brow.
“Relax, in Floating Clouds City, there generally won’t be any danger, and even if a fight does break out, the City Lord’s Mansion’s people will handle it,” Fei Yu walked over and sat her enchanting bottom down next to Yang Kai leisurely, exhaling a fragrant breath as she continued to persuade him, “Come on, let’s go. It’s so rare we get a chance to come here, there’s no point if we just stay here in this stuffy room. Cang Yan and them may not be back for a few days, are we supposed to just sit here and wait the whole time?”
As she said so, Fei Yu unscrupulously wrapped her arms around Yang Kai’s, pressing her amazingly soft and elastic capital against his shoulder.
Yang Kai’s face went black, “Fine fine, let’s go, better than staying here and letting you take advantage of me.”
“Little bastard!” Fei Yu grit her teeth angrily.
The two took a moment to clean up before quickly leaving the inn and walking out onto the busy street.
Even if Fei Yu didn’t propose so, Yang Kai had planned to go out.
Old Man Du had said that because the Thousand Year Demon Flower was about to bloom, there would be a lot of excellent Alchemists and powerful cultivators from around the world gathering here. Where there were many people, there were many resources.
A variety of rare herbs, spirit grasses, and spirit medicines which were usually difficult to find would appear here.
Yang Kai needed to collect some of these herbs!
Although he was currently being provided herbs by Soaring Heaven Sect in order to practice Alchemy, he still needed to search for others, firstly for his own cultivation, and secondly for the Ancient Demon Clan.
When he left Demon God Citadel, Li Rong gave him a list of materials needed in order to refine the Saint Pill they required. After such a long time, Yang Kai had almost completely collected these herbs, but there were still some he had yet to find.
This time’s trip to Floating Clouds City was a rare opportunity.
Inside Floating Clouds City, there were many shops and cultivators, people flowed through the streets like a great river.
Fei Yu held Yang Kai’s arm intimately as they strolled through the streets, their handsome man and beautiful woman combination drawing many people’s attention.
“Martial Aunt, isn’t this a bit inappropriate?” Yang Kai felt more than a little uncomfortable. As they walked, he would occasional have some excessive physical contact, causing him some discomfort.
“How is it inappropriate? I’m responsible for protecting you; little bastard, you’re not going to tell me you’re reacting to your Martial Aunt, are you?” Fei Yu glanced at him and smiles sweetly.
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, “I’m a young man, and this is just a normal phenomenon.”
“Well, don’t stress yourself out over minor matters,” Fei Yu chuckled, seemingly enjoying herself greatly as she walked along and whispered quietly to Yang Kai.
Along the way, under her guidance, Yang Kai was able to accurately distinguish who belonged to the Demon Race and who was from the Monster Race.
In Tong Xuan Realm, the Human, Demon, and Monster Races dominated over all other races, with Humans being the most numerous, followed by the Demon Race, while the Monster Race had the least members.
The root cause of the scarcity of the Monster Race was the Beast Transformation Pond.
The Beast Transformation Pond was the core foundation of the Monster Race, when a Monster Beast reached a certain level of strength, they could assume human form with the assistance of the Beast Transformation Pond and obtain wisdom and sentience not inferior to a Human Race powerhouse.
It can be said that every Monster Race with a human form was a true master, this was very different from the other two races.
However, this was not the whole story. There were some formidable members of the Monster Races that innately possessed the ability to assume human form from birth, and some among the Monster Races with outstanding aptitude that could achieve human form without the assistance of the Beast Transformation Pond.
These were the true elites of the Monster Race, the apex powerhouses.
Yang Kai gained a great deal of understanding and insight through Fei Yu’s explanations.
Inside a shop owned and operated by Floating Clouds City’s Alchemist Guild, Yang Kai walked a few laps before wearing a helpless look.
He hadn’t found any of the herbs he was looking for.
“Little brother, I’ve seen you come around several times but never buy anything, could it be that the things in my shop aren’t to your liking?” The shopkeeper couldn’t help but ask.
Yang Kai shook his head, “These are all good things, but they’re not what I’m currently looking for.”
“Is little brother an Alchemist?”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and showed his Alchemist token. The shopkeeper took the token and investigated it for a moment before his expression became even friendlier, “I don’t know what this little brother is searching for, so if it is convenient, can you tell me? I can help keep an eye out for little brother that way.”
Nodding, Yang Kai casually reported the names of the herbs he was looking for.
The shopkeeper’s face became awkward and nodded, “The medicinal herbs little brother is searching for only grow in very specific environments and are as such, precious and scarce. Such things aren’t likely to appear in this store. If you want to obtain them, it won’t be easy. Little brother may wish to go to the Trading District to have a look, if you’re lucky, you might have some gains.”
“Trading District?” Yang Kai’s expression changed.
“Good, for this grand occasion, the City Lord and two Vice City Lords specially designated an area of the city where Alchemists from all over the world can exchange goods. There are many excellent Alchemists here who have collected rare and precious herbs they don’t have a use for and are willing to exchange for things they do need, little brother can go there and try your luck.”
“Where is the Trading District?”
The shopkeeper warm heartedly pointed Yang Kai in the right direction. Yang Kai nodded slightly and offered his thanks before he and Fei Yu left for the indicated district.
After half an hour, Yang Kai looked at an open square where a lively scene was taking place and couldn’t help showing a light smile.
“Does this place remind you of something?” Fei Yu couldn’t help asking, seeing Yang Kai laugh so strangely.
“En, some past events in my Sect,” Yang Kai replied casually.
The scene in front of him, with countless people setting up stalls and bargaining back and forth, reminded him of when he was just young, weak boy visiting the Black Wind Trade Market set up by High Heaven Pavilion, Storm House, and Blood Battle Gang.
This kind of buying and selling scene gave him the illusion he had gone back to those simpler times.
Of course, this Trading District was not surrounded by a forest or manned by Elite Disciples of the Three Sects.
After sweeping his eyes around, Yang Kai was shocked to discover that many of the stall owners here were actually Alchemist. They had hung their Alchemist tokens on their chests to reveal their identities.
There were also some ordinary cultivators who had obviously obtained good herbs when they were out adventuring who were waiting behind their booths for prospective buyers.
There were things to buy and things to sell, the whole scene was incredibly lively.
There were even people who hung signs asking for Alchemists to help them refine pills.
Everything here was basically related to herbs and pill, and a thick medicinal fragrance lingered in the air.
Yang Kai picked up his feet and began walking around, wandering back and forth between the various stalls.
It was a rewarding experience.
Many herbs that were all but impossible to find actually appeared here.
Most sellers also didn’t have any special requests for payment and most things could be bought with sufficient Crystal Stones.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had many Crystal Stones on him. Although the vast majority of his Crystal Stones had been left to the Ancient Demon Clan, what he kept on him was still enough for him to be considered wealthy.
Bargaining back and forth with these sellers, Yang Kai had soon acquired a few herbs.
During this process, Fei Yu played a big role. Yang Kai had never expected that this Martial Aunt of his would possess such phenomenal skill in this area, using her sharp wits and tongue, along with her own great beauty to mercilessly butcher these sellers, often allowing her to acquire these precious herbs at much lower prices than they were initially being sold for.
After half a day, Yang Kai had harvested quite a few precious herbs, and even some he required for the Ancient Demon Clan’s Saint Pill.
He was very satisfied.
“I helped you save a lot of Crystal Stones today, so how do you plan on thanking me?” Fei Yu held Yang Kai’s arm a little tighter as she asked with a sweet smile.
“Buy whatever drink you want.”
Fei Yu’s beautiful eyes flashed as she joyfully shouted, “Little Martial Nephew, you really know how to make your Martial Aunt happy!”
“But! You’re not allowed to get drunk! Otherwise, when Cang Yan and them return, they’ll complain.”
“I know,” Fei Yu curled her lips faintly.
As they were speaking thought, there was a sudden burst of excited voices not far from them, as if they crowd had discovered something incredible.
In the next moment, Yang Kai clearly smelt a faint fragrance fill the air. As soon as this fragrance entered his nose, he felt a cool, refreshing sensation all the way to his core!
Yang Kai and Fei Yu’s eyes simultaneously lit up as they exchange a quick glance. They knew that a real treasure had appeared.
Turning their eyes towards the place where the ruckus originated from, Yang Kai found that a noisy three layer crowd had already formed. Fortunately, through the gaps in the crowd, Yang Kai could still see a faint multi-coloured light bloom.
“Let’s go see,” Fei Yu said, pulling Yang Kai’s arm as she walked over to the crowd.
However, even after quite some effort, the two of them couldn’t squeeze their way through the crowd and instead could only listen to the other buyers calling out, “Brother, what are you selling this thing for?”
“Ten Saint Pills!” A slightly aged voice answered.
Immediately after these words were said, the crowd of people fell silent.
“Brother, isn’t that a too expensive? Saint Pills can’t be refined casually. In this world, there are only a handful of Alchemists capable of refining Saint Pills. You all of a sudden asking for ten, don’t you think that’s a bit outrageous?”
“That’s right, can’t you trade this thing for other herbs or Crystal Stones?”
“How about exchanging it for an artifact? I have a few Spirit Grade Top-Rank artifacts here you can choose from!”
“Ten Saint Pills, I only need ten Saint Pills. If you don’t have any Saint Pills, please leave.”
“Brother, can’t you stretch the rules a bit, don’t be so unreasonable.”
“This guy is simply too arrogant! Can this thing possibly be worth ten Saint Pills? Bullshit! I think this guy must have gone crazy from poverty.”
“Big brother, if you give this thing to me, I can be yours from now on, how about it?” A pretty voice called out.
“You immoral woman, don’t you have any sense of shame?” Someone immediately called out in disdain.
“Depending on your looks, you dare try to pull off such a scheme? You really don’t have any self-awareness.”
“It’s none of your damn business!”
The voices grew louder and the scene quickly became messier and messier.
“Scram!” A shockingly loud voice rang out, causing everyone’s eardrums to rattle, instantly silencing the crowd. Some of the weaker cultivators even had blood flowing out of their ears. Obviously, everyone being so noisy in front of his booth had cause the seller to become a little angry.
“I don’t want to repeat myself again, if you can’t meet my requirements, leave,” The seller said in a low but firm tone.
“Third Order Transcendent!” Some among the crowd shouted.
The faint aura emanating from the seller allowed everyone to realize just how high his strength was, causing many people who were hoping to take advantage of this situation to sigh and slowly receded.
At first glance it was obvious this seller was a fierce and decisive person who had seen more than his fair share of blood. Anyone trying to take advantage of him would surely end up with only more trouble for themselves.
However, there were still many people who stayed behind and continued to try to bargain with the seller.
Unfortunately, the seller always shook his head and insisted on his original price of ten Saint Pills.
Gradually, the number of people in front of the booth decreased until it became a nearly deserted spot.
Yang Kai and Fei Yu finally made their way to the front of the booth and upon seeing what was being sold, they eyes couldn’t help flashing.
In front of the seller was a palm sized pure white lotus that seemed to have been carved from the purest ice, but it was actually exuding a strong vitality from its blossom, while a faint fragrance wafted from it that gave both Yang Kai and Fei Yu a comfortable, pleasant sensation that affected even their Souls, allowing their thoughts to become clearer and sharper than normal.
[A rare treasure!] Yang Kai immediately concluded.
“Ice Heart Snow Lotus?” Fei Yu immediately called out in alarm, quickly squatting down and examining the ice lotus with her beautiful eyes before drawing a sharp breath, “Could this be over 10,000 years old?”
As soon as this statement came out, Yang Ka’s expression changed greatly.
[10,000 years!] No matter what herb it was, even the lowest most ordinary herb, if it could grow to 10,000 years of age, it would become a valuable treasure, not to mention this ice lotus which, from the start of its inception, was clearly not ordinary.
The face of the seller which had always been tranquil ancient well also moved slightly, turning his eyes to Fei Yu and nodding slightly, “Finally someone with some vision.”
Fei Yu smiled lightly, “It’s not that I am the only one who can judge the quality of your goods, it’s just those who have the knowledge don’t want to reveal the truth.”
Those who wanted this ice lotus would obviously not emphasize its value in the hopes that the seller’s eyes weren’t so keen so they could pick up a bargain.
“Are you really only willing to accept ten Saint Pills in exchange for this?” Fei Yu asked softly.
To which the seller nodded firmly.
Fei Yu shook her head and sighed, ten Saint Pills was a price she couldn’t pay. Saint Grade pills weren’t something that just anyone could refine; even Saint Grade Alchemists would also have a great chance of failure when refining one.
As such, Saint Grade pills were always expensive; with ten of them one would even be able to afford a small city!
For any ordinary cultivator, it would basically be impossible to see ten Saint Pills throughout their entire lifetime.
“Martial Aunt, can this thing nourish one’s Soul?” Yang Kai also had a sharp eye for treasures but after all, he was somewhat lacking in experience so he did not immediately recognize this ice lotus.
Fei Yu, on the contrary, was different. Although she was not Alchemist, she had lived many years so she had considerably broader vision and knowledge than Yang Kai. It wasn’t surprising she was able to recognize this Ice Heart Snow Lotus and its true age at a glance.
“En, it’s a rare treasure which can nourish one’s Soul,” Fei Yu nodded lightly, “You don’t even need to refine it into a pill, you can simply swallow it directly. Anyone who consumes such an Ice Heart Snow Lotus would experience a vast increase in the strength of their Spiritual Energy. But it’s strange, this thing is extremely hard to come by, why don’t you simply take it yourself and instead want to exchange it for ten Saint Pills?”
“I naturally have my own reasons,” The seller said bluntly, obviously not willing to explain any further, “Do you have enough Saint Pills? If you have them then we can make a deal now, if you don’t, don’t waste my time.”
Fei Yu pursed her lips slightly, her opinion of this seller dropping considerably.
Yang Kai pondered for a while then asked, “Can you give me a few days to gather that many Saint Pills?”
“How long do you want?” The seller turned his eyes to Yang Kai.
“Three days!”
“I can give you the time, but I can’t guarantee I won’t sell it by then,” The seller bluntly replied.
Yang Kai frowned, “But I only have one Saint Pill on me right now!”
“That’s your problem.”
Seeing the sellers inflexible attitude, Yang Kai didn’t bother saying anymore. A treasure which could nourish one’s Soul was something he really wanted, but in order to refine ten Saint Pills, even with his current proficiency in Alchemy, it would still take him some time to prepare.
At the very least, he would need to collect some herbs that were not lower than Spirit Grade Top-Rank grade, preferably Saint Grade.
With the assistance of a supplementary Spirit Array and the Myriad Drug Milk, Yang Kai was confident he could refine ten Saint Pills in three days.
Of course, the price he would need to pay would be massive as he would definitely waste countless materials along the way.
Just as he was considering whether it would still be worth it to do this, someone suddenly appeared beside him. Yang Kai turned to look at this newcomer and discovered it was actually a young man around his age with a handsome appearance.
The young man also glanced towards Yang Kai and as their eyes met, both of them couldn’t help feeling astonished.
Both of them felt that the other party’s strength was outstanding.
Fei Yu’s beautiful eyes also flashed as she stared at this young man curiously.
The young man suddenly showed a temperate yet enchanting smile, causing the world around him to seem a bit sunnier than before.
“This Ice Heart Snow Lotus is quite good,” The young man took back his gaze from Yang Kai and shifted his attention to treasure in front of him.
“Ten Saint Pills!” The seller still said indifferently.
“Good, I want it,” The young man nodded lightly.
Yang Kai and Fei Yu both wore stunned expressions, and even the seller seemed to be in a state of shock, frowning as he said, “Give me the ten Saint Pill first, then it’s yours.”
He obviously didn’t believe such a young man could suddenly come up with ten Saint Pills.
The young man’s sunny smile didn’t fade though as he casually tossed a Universe Bag to the seller, “Check it yourself, exactly ten. If you want more, I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
The seller released his Divine Sense to investigate, smiling happily a moment later. Standing up, he quickly packed up his stall and strode away, his figure soon disappearing without even saying a word.
Yang Kai and Fei Yu were both dumbfounded.
The young man on the other hand smiled lightly, reached out his hand which looked as fair as a young maiden’s and carefully picked up the Ice Heart Snow Lotus, placing it in another Universe Bag before nodding to Yang Kai in a friendly manner, “I would seem I’ve been rude to this friend, seizing something you were after. I hope you can forgive me, after all, everyone wants good things.”
“Not a problem,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, not showing any intention of haggling with the youth over this.
He couldn’t afford to purchase the ice lotus while the other side could, there was really nothing more to say.
“En, goodbye then,” After the young man said it, he quickly disappeared into the crowd.
“That kid… What kind of background does he have?” Fei Yu said after a long period of absentmindedness, still somewhat stunned, “Ten Saint Pills, he didn’t even blink.”
“He should have an incredible background,” Yang Kai stared at the direction in which the youth disappeared, “On top of that… he’s a very high level Alchemist himself.”
“How do you know?” Fei Yu asked curiously.
“His fingertips had a fragrance of pills, and that fragrance was from Spirit Grade pills, probably from immersing himself in Alchemy all year round.”
Fei Yu couldn’t help covering her mouth in shock, “Doesn’t that mean he’s on the same level as you?”
So young, but able to refine Spirit Grade pills, that was not something an ordinary person could accomplish. Mi Na was also a Spirit Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, but she was older than Yang Kai.
But the youth from a moment ago looked to be about the same age as Yang Kai.
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head with a solemn expression, “He might even be better than me.”
This time, Fei Yu was so shocked she couldn’t speak.
Originally, she had thought a monster like Yang Kai would only appear in this world once every hundred years, but now, just after arriving in Floating Clouds City, she had actually met another one.
“However… he looks like a genuine gigolo, while I’m not!” Yang Kai suddenly grinned proudly, obviously taking pleasure in others’ misfortune.
Fei Yu shook her head in amazement, “You… he’s just a bit more handsome than you.”
“If he grew out his hair, I’m sure he would definitely be mistaken for a beautiful young woman, hahahaha!” Yang Kai laughed heartily, a man growing into such an appearance was in itself a kind of sadness.
“Let’s go see if there’s anything else good before heading back,” Yang Kai said, beckoning to Fei Yu, the latter hurriedly following after him with a somewhat dissatisfied look upon her face, “Hold on, you said you’d treat me to anything I want to drink, were you lying to me?”
“We can buy what you want and take it back to the inn to drink.”
After that, it was as if the pair had used up all their luck, so even after wandering around the Trading District for two hours they didn’t encounter anything good.
Just as they were preparing to head back to the inn, Yang Kai and Fei Yu saw a new stall go up and the person behind it take one precious herb after another from his Universe Bag.
Yang Kai couldn’t help having some expectations seeing this. This person seemed to be an Alchemist as he had an Alchemist Guild Token on his chest, and although he couldn’t tell this person’s grade just from that, the herbs the latter was taking out were all rare treasures.
“Let’s go take a look,” Yang Kai said to Fei Yu, walking over and standing in front of the booth, waiting quietly for the seller to take out all his wares.
The people around the area also seemed to have discovered something going on here and soon many people had gathered around. As a result, the Alchemist’s business was red hot and his herbs were quickly snatched up.
When the audience saw that this seller’s Universe Bag was finally empty, they couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
“Wait a moment please, my companion is on his way and he too has a lot of good things on him,” The seller hurriedly said.
Hearing this, everyone’s enthusiasm picked up once again and no one left, all of them crowding in even closer as they looked forward to what else would be for sale.
“Friend, where did you and your companion obtain all these treasures. They all seem to be quite well aged,” Someone asked curiously.
“Heh heh, I might as well tell you, we actually accidentally found a Mysterious Small World. There was nothing in there except for some herbs though, all of which we harvested and brought here to sell.”
“Your luck is really good,” Many envious people looked on and muttered.
Mysterious Small Worlds came in all shapes and sizes; for instance, the Mysterious Small World where the Ancient Demon Clan resides is relatively large. As for some of the smaller ones, their entrances were normally well hidden, but if one could find one, it was quite possible they would be able to find treasures left over by ancient cultivators. On top of that, some Precious Treasures and rare herbs may naturally grow in these Mysterious Small Worlds and reach a very old age as no one was there to disturb them. Of course, there was also a chance there would be nothing inside such a small world. Everything depended on the luck of the finder.
Despite the many years Tong Xuan Realm had existed and the countless cultivators who sought out these hidden Mysterious Small Worlds, there were still many places that had yet to be discovered. These Mysterious Small Worlds were uncultivated virgin land and any one of them may contain incredible wealth.
The Alchemist behind this stall and his companion were obviously very lucky to have found such a space.
This alone was enough to make the crowd envious.
After a while, another middle-aged man came over and, just as the Alchemist before him, he began taking one rare herb after another from his Universe Bag.
Every time he took something out, it would lead to a flurry of people trying to snatch it up.
Those who had come to the Trading District to find herbs generally had higher vision than average buyers, so they naturally would not miss such a great opportunity.
The scene was so lively that the Alchemist and his companion had to split the work, one of them handling the sales while the other received Crystal Stones, keeping the both of them quite busy.
The two men were also quite honest and upright and didn’t take this opportunity to sell their wares at an inflated price, instead only selling them for slightly more than the market value. This increased all of the buyers’ enthusiasm and willingness to participate.
Yang Kai had been paying attention the whole time but was in no hurry to purchase anything.
Although these herbs were all rather precious, he had yet to see something he really needed.
Suddenly, the Alchemist’s companion took a fiery red orb that resembled a small burning fireball. As soon as this thing appeared, the surrounding air took on a scalding heat. Everyone felt this change and realized the potency of the medicinal properties contained within this thing, quickly noticing that there were even a lot of dense lines atop its surface which resembled a cultivator’s meridians.
Yang Kai eyes light up the moment he saw this and quickly reached out his hand!
At the same time, many people who were able to judge the quality of this item also stuck out their hands. In an instant, more than a dozen big hands grabbed towards this red herbs.
Fei Yu silently stamped her foot on the ground and an invisible wave of air centered around her suddenly spread out.
This stealthy eruption of a Third Order Transcendent power forced all of the rivals Yang Kai was competing against to stumble backwards.
In that instant, Yang Kai and Fei Yu exchanged a glance, both of them smiling lightly in understanding.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s hand caught the round fiery herb, but what he had not anticipated was that there was another hand that caught hold of it from the opposite side as well.
Of everyone present, only Yang Kai and this challenger had not been affected by Fei Yu’s little trick.
Looking up at the owner of this hand, Yang Kai’s face couldn’t help showing an astonished look while Fei Yu was also quite surprised.
This person was actually the young man who had bought the Ice Heart Snow Lotus with ten Saint Pills earlier. The opposite party also grinned back at Yang Kai when he noticed who his competitor was.
After everyone else regained their balance, they all shot bad looks towards Fei Yu, but upon seeing the opposite party was actually such a beautiful woman, all of the anger in their hearts failed to materialize.
“Heh heh, looks like there’s going to be a good show,” Someone who saw the dispute between Yang Kai and the young man couldn’t help laughing.
Everyone else’s attention was also drawn towards this standoff, each of them guessing who would be the one to win this precious herb in the end.
“Friend, we meet again,” The young man smiled at Yang Kai and showed a dazzling white smile.
“Indeed,” Yang Kai also laughed, his brow rising slightly, “Do you also want this thing?”
“I believe I said earlier that everyone wants good things.”
“There are so many good things around, you shouldn’t need to keep grabbing the same things as me, right?” Yang Kai said in an easy-going manner, seemingly wanting to persuade this youth to give up.
The youth however just shook his head, “There are certainly many good things here, but nothing I want, I only want this Earth Fire Core.”
“What a coincidence, so do I.”
“Then what should we do?” The young man frowned, he also hadn’t anticipated encountering such a situation so he turned to the seller and asked, “Shopkeep, do you have another Earth Fire Core?”
The seller slowly shook his head, “There’s only this one, the two of us exhausted all our strength searching that small world and only found this after digging several thousand meters down.”
Earth Fire Cores would only appear underground in places with significant amounts of flame energy, and even in such environments they would still be a rarity. It was called a fire core because it was formed by gathering a great deal of subterranean flame essence and had many wondrous uses.
It also happened to be one of the herbs Yang Kai needed to refine the Saint Pill for the Ancient Demon Clan, but although he didn’t know what this young man needed the Earth Fire Core, it was obvious he wasn’t willing to give up on it.
“Hey, friend, you should lighten your grip, if you use any more force, this Earth Fire Core just might break,” The young man’s expression changed as he noticed that unlike last time, Yang Kai’s attitude was quite determined, feeling things had become somewhat difficult.
“You as well!” Yang Kai smiled lightly, hesitating for a moment before saying, “You bought that Ice Heart Snow Lotus a moment ago so you’ve already made a big gain today, why compete with me of this Earth Fire Core still?”
“This and that are two different things,” The other party kept shaking his head, “How about this, if friend is willing to take a step back, I can compensate you for your loss. How about I offer you a price equivalent to this Earth Fire Core?”
Yang Kai shook his head firmly and said, “If you are willing to take a step back, I can compensate you instead.”
“Heh heh!” The young man laughed somewhat hollowly, a look of helplessness appearing on his face.
“You two, arguing like this is bad for my business, can you please decide who is going to buy it already?” The seller was also a bit embarrassed and tried to move the situation along.
“Wait a moment, I’ll try again to convince this friend to give way,” The young man said lightly.
But before he could open his mouth to continue persuading Yang Kai, someone suddenly pushed his way through the crowd and after shooting everyone a disdainful glance, stuck out his hand and grabbed towards the Earth Fire Core, arrogantly saying, “You two don’t have to fight anymore, this Earth Fire Core now belongs to this Young Lord.”
Yang Kai and the young man’s faces both changed simultaneously. In order to compete for this Earth Fire Core, both of them had use the largest amount of strength it could withstand, if anyone were to add any more strength to their grasp, the Earth Fire Core would be immediately ruined.
As such, before this newcomers hand had even reached the Earth Fire Core, both Yang Kai and the young man took action at the same time, both of them using their free hand to send out a punch.
The newcomer was also a young man, but from the expensive robes he was wearing it was clear he had a superior identity and strong background.
After being knocked backwards, the new young man became angry and grinned fiendishly, “You two dare attack me? Your courage isn’t small! Don’t you know who I am? No one dares fight with me in this Floating Clouds City!”
“I don’t give a damn who you are, if you dare stick your hand out again, I swear I’ll chop it off.” The young man who was competing for the Earth Fire Core with Yang Kai suddenly said savagely. Regarding his contest with Yang Kai, he could still remain calm as both of them relied on their own strength and methods, but this person suddenly showing up and butting in made him somewhat unhappy.
Yang Kai’s eyes also flashed; he didn’t speak any words but his aura became dangerous.
The gathered crowd of people suddenly became agitated upon seeing this.
“Two little brothers,” The seller’s face changed greatly after he glanced over at the newcomer and whispered, “This is Young Master Nie Cong, you can’t afford to offend him.”
“Does he have some kind of strong backer?” Yang Kai asked offhandedly, he had already noticed that many people around him were giving him looks of pity when they saw Nie Cong arrive. Many had also started to distance themselves.
The cultivation of this Nie Cong wasn’t high having only reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary Sixth Stage, nothing to fear, so it must be that the power behind him was worth caring about.
The seller’s face became somewhat flustered as he quietly looked over at Nie Cong and saw the other side wearing a smug look, apparently not having any intention of stopping him. Seeing this, the seller immediately realized that Nie Cong wanted him to report his identity to these two little brats who didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth so they would take the initiative to withdraw and apologize.
The seller let out a long breath and began explaining, “Two little brothers should have recently arrived in Floating Clouds City so it is not surprising you are unaware. Floating Clouds City has one City Lord and two Vice City Lords, all of them Saint Realm masters; one of the Vice City Lords is called Zhou Liang, a master from the Human Race and he had a favoured woman named Nie Chu Feng, who is also a First Order Transcendent. This Young Master Nie Cong is the nephew of Nie Chu Feng.”
“I see,” Yang Kai nodded at the same time as his competitor. Behind this Nie Cong was a Saint Realm master who was also an overlord of Floating Clouds City, no wonder he was able to act so arrogantly in front of all these people without any fear.
Now that his identity had been revealed, Nie Cong sneered dismissively and said, “Do you now know who this Young Lord is? Since you know, hand over the Earth Fire Core, if you put it down now, I’ll be generous and allow you to leave safely.”
Yang Kai asked back blankly, “Isn’t fighting forbidden within Floating Clouds City?”
The seller wore a bitter expression as he stuttered, “Little brother must be joking, this place not allowing fights is true, but such rules only apply to most people, there are still a small number of people who are outside this rule.”
As he spoke, he glanced over at Nie Rong intentionally or unintentionally.
This Nie Cong obviously belonged to the latter category.
“Do you know how grave your situation is now?” The young man Yang Kai was competing with suddenly said, “If you know, you should let go of this Earth Fire Core, otherwise, if you stir up this Nie Cong’s anger, I’m afraid you won’t be able to leave here safely.”
“Then why don’t you let go first?” Yang Kai turned his eyes back to the pretty youth and smiled.
The young man just grinned back at him, “Why you… I really don’t know if you know how to write the word dead?”
“I don’t know if I’ll be the one to die first, or if it’ll be you?” Yang Kai didn’t back down.
Fei Yu’s beautiful eyes shimmered as she kept a close watch on the quickly evolving situation, secretly condensing her True Qi in case she needed to take action.
As the two youths argued, Nie Cong’s expression became quite ugly. He found that these two kids didn’t fear him at all even after learning about his identity and background and were instead still fighting over ownership of the Earth Fire Core while ignoring him.
This made him very sullen.
Stepping forward, Nie Cong firmly declared, “I don’t care where you brats come from or what kind of background you have, but in this Floating Clouds City, only I have the last say.”
Saying so, he once again reached out for the Earth Fire Core, his True Qi gathering in his hand, apparently holding the mentality that it would either belong to him or be destroyed.
Yang Kai immediately became angry and did not hesitate to punch towards the outstretched hand.
At the same time, the youth opposite Yang Kai also sent out his own attack.
Nie Cong suddenly froze in place, his face filled with disbelief.
In the next instant, with a great splash of blood, Nie Cong’s hand was severed from his wrist and before it could even fall to the ground had burst into a bloody fog.
With a pitiful scream, Nie Cong stumbled back, blood bursting from his new wound, creating a spectacular red fountain.
The onlookers also called out in shock, none of them having anticipated seeing such a scene.
Although Yang Kai’s punch contained a substantial amount of force, it had still only been meant to push Nie Cong back, the one responsible for cutting off the latter wrist was the young man Yang Kai had been competing with. Without the protection of Nie Cong’s True Qi, his severed hand then directly exploded under the influence of Yang Kai’s attack.
The seller’s jaw dropped as he wore an expression of utter disbelief.
“You… you dare hurt me? You bastards, I’ll kill you!” Nie Cong didn’t come to his sense for a while but the moment he did, seeing his stump hand, his eyes instantly went bloodshot as he rushed towards Yang Kai and the young man in a hysterical rage.
Yang Kai remained indifferent and simply stared back at him coldly.
The youth opposite him went one step further and coldly said, “I told you, if you dare reach out for it again, I’d cut off your hand.”
Nie Cong once again froze up as he felt a chill run up his spin and penetrate his heart, his eyes wavering.
“If you dare take one more step, I’ll kill you!” The young man threw out this threat.
Nie Cong’s expression twisted as he did his best to endure the humiliation he felt in his heart before yelling, “Just you wait!”
Having left this threat behind, Nie Cong flew off, leaving a trail of fresh blood behind him.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed dangerously but quickly suppressed his idea of cutting weeds and pulling out roots before glancing over at his competitor.
The scene was so quiet one could hear a needle drop. Everyone’s eyes were focused on Yang Kai and the young man. Some of them had expressions of pity while others were taking pleasure in their misfortune, while still others had thoughtful looks, wondering what kind of strong backing these two had that allowed them to not fear a Saint Realm master.
“Two little brothers, you…haa!” The seller was speechless, all he wanted to do was sell some herbs but now it had actually turned into such a mess.
“Sorry about that, I got a little too excited,” The young man smiled before turning to look at Yang Kai, “Stirring up such trouble, aren’t you afraid?”
“You’re clearly not afraid, so why should I be?” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
“Interesting, I suddenly found that I quite like you.”
Yang Kai’s face went black, “I’m not interested in men.”
The young man quickly realized the ambiguity in his words and waved his hands in a flurry, “You misunderstand me, I just think that your temperament is quite to my taste, how about we become friends?”
“Good, give me this Earth Fire Core first.”
The youth couldn’t help gritting his teeth and going silent for a while before finally saying, “If we continue like this, neither of us will ever give in.”
Yang Kai nodded gently. Strictly speaking, he also noticed that he and his opponent’s personalities were somewhat similar. When people of similar dispositions have a dispute, it is often difficult for them to resolve things due to their similar methods of handling affairs. Of course, this also led to them being able cooperate quite smoothly with one another like how they had just dealt with Nie Cong. In truth, Yang Kai was not the only one just now who had wanted to cut weeds and pull out roots, the youth also had such thoughts flash across his mind.
“Is friend an Alchemist?” The young man asked with a smile.
“En, just like you.”
“Since we’re both Alchemist, and this dispute is over an herb, how about we settle things with an exchange of pointers?” The young man narrowed his eyes and proposed.
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded slightly, his expression overflowing with confidence.
“Great!” The other party nodded repeatedly as he laughed, “Then we have a deal, whoever wins this contest gets to keep the Earth Fire Core. Before then, we’ll let this beautiful girl hold on to it.”
Saying so, he glanced over at Fei Yu.
Fei Yu smiled and let out a light giggle, “Young man, you really know how to talk.”
“Just stating the facts!”
Fei Yu smiled even wider.
After asking the seller about the price of the Earth Fire Core, Yang Kai and the young man both handed over half the required Crystal Stones and bought the Earth Fire Core before turning it over to Fei Yu, who smiled and said, “Little Martial Nephew, although Martial Aunt wants to help you, since you’ve already agreed to settle this with a contest of skill, Martial Aunt will act fairly and present this to the winner. If you lose, don’t blame Martial Aunt, a real man must keep his word.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “Let’s first find some place quiet, there seems to be a few too many people here.”
The young man happily agreed.
Seeing their nonchalant attitude, the seller couldn’t help calling out, “Two little brothers, you should hurry up and leave Floating Clouds City, after injuring Young Master Nie Cong, if you don’t leave now, I’m afraid you’ll never be able to, him withdrawing just now was definitely to find reinforcements.”
“It’s not a problem,” The young man shook his head lightly before turning to Yang Kai, “Let’s go to your place, it’s not convenient for others to come to where I’m staying.”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders and nodded before he and Fei Yu led the way back to their inn.
Only after the three of them had left did the seller shake his head and sigh, “Two lunatics.”
“What are you so worried about? Them acting so fearless must mean they have an incredible background. Perhaps this time, Nie Cong has gotten in over his head, heh heh,” The Alchemist companion of the seller whispered softly. Apparently, he didn’t have a very good impression of Nie Cong and hoped these two young strangers would teach him a harsh lesson.
His words also resonated quite well with the surrounding crowd, many of them who were idle at the moment choosing to follow after the three ‘lunatics’ in hopes of seeing this good show continue.
Back at the inn, inside Yang Kai and Fei Yu’s room.
After stepping inside, the young man took a quick glance around before giving a slight nod and extending his hand to Yang Kai while introducing himself, “Di Yao, how should I call this friend?”
“Yang Kai,” Yang Kai didn’t hesitate to give his real name as he shook the outstretched hand before turning to Fei Yu, “This is my Martial Aunt, Fei Yu.”
“Did you come here for the Thousand Year Demon Flower?”
“En, you as well?”
“Indeed, but my purpose is different from yours, so you don’t have to worry about me trying to snatch the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal essence from you, it may even be possible for us to cooperate.”
“Cooperate?” Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly, “Cooperate how?”
“Let’s not mention this for now, we can always talk about it when the time comes. Just, perhaps you won’t be able to reach Ascending Heaven Cliff as easily as you think,” Di Yao smiled lightly, “Let’s first deal with the matter at hand.”
“How should we do this?” Yang Kai sat down cross legged and took out his Incense Burner.
This Incense Burner was the reward he obtained from the third page of the Black Book; whenever Yang Kai performed Alchemy he would generally use this pill furnace.
When he saw the Incense Burner, Di Yao’s eyes couldn’t help shining, “Friend is a real master, being able to use such a small pill furnace is quite rare.”
Alchemists, when refining pills, needed to portray various kinds of Spirit Arrays inside their pill furnaces to assist them in the Alchemy process. The larger the pill furnace, the easier it is to portray a Spirit Array, and the less precise the Spirit Array would have to be.
Conversely, a skilled Alchemist didn’t need to use a large pill furnace to portray the required Spirit Arrays. To some extent, the smaller the pill furnace used by an Alchemist, the superior that Alchemist’s skill was.
As he made this comment, Di Yao also took out his own pill furnace.
His pill furnace was exquisite, with carvings of dragons and phoenixes all over its surface. It was a high quality item that obviously stemmed from the hands of an Artifact Refining Grandmaster. Its size was also just about the same as the one Yang Kai used.
In comparison, Yang Kai’s pill furnace seemed a bit quaint compared to this one, but anyone with any kind of vision could tell that his Incense Burner was a higher grade item.
Di Yao stared at Yang Kai’s Incense Burner with a look of envy.
His pill furnace was given to him by his master and it was actually a world famous pill furnace. It had been used by Di Yao’s Alchemy Master when the latter was young. Di Yao had thought that there was no pill furnace in the world better than his own, but now he had actually discovered one.
“Let’s have a single round Alchemy Technique contest. No matter what pill you refine, we only look at the grade and quality of the pill as well as the time used to refine it.” Di Yao composed himself and laid out the contest’s rules.
“Agreed,” Yang Kai nodded succinctly.
“Then let’s get started,” Di Yao cracked his neck and in the next instant became focused, quickly taking out a number of herbs from his Universe Bag.
At the same time, Yang Kai’s hands also started moving, pulling one kind of rare herb after another from the Black Book space, each of their ages and efficacies reaching the highest standard.
An invisible aura condensed inside the room as the two young men both reached the height of concentration as they arranged their ingredients and began circulating their True Qi, warming up their pill furnaces as they portrayed their chosen Spirit Arrays.
Fei Yu’s beautiful eyes couldn’t help flashing as she stared at their movements, covering her mouth in shock as clear signs of admiration appeared on her face.
She quickly found that the actions of the two young men in front of her were surprisingly consistent and the speed at which they engraved their Spirit Arrays was essentially equal.
In this world, there was someone of the same age who was actually able to compete evenly with her little Martial Nephew in Alchemy? Who exactly was this Di Yao?
Fei Yu was shocked and soon became immersed in watching their performance, even going so far as to silence her breath so she wouldn’t disturb their concentration.
After just ten breaths of time, the Spirit Arrays inside both pill furnaces had been perfectly drawn and the two young Alchemists simultaneously picked up one of their chosen herbs while pushing their True Qi.
Yang Kai’s True Qi carried a strong and pure Yang Attribute which was scorching hot like the sun while Di Yao’s True Qi, similar to Cang Yan’s, was of a burning hot Flame Attribute. Both of them were perfectly suited for Alchemy.
The herbs quickly dissolved under the effects of the pair’s True Qi and medicinal liquids were rapidly produced, the various impurities being burned away and evaporated as a visible rate.
Medicinal liquid, like spring raindrops, danced through the air inside the two young men’s swirling True Qis and with every rotation increased in purity and density.
The two young men’s hands both waved and the condensed medicinal liquid fell directly into their respective pill furnaces.
A second herb was taken by each of them at that moment and the process began repeating itself.
Fei Yu’s eyes flashed with a brilliant light as she stared fixedly at these two.
She found that the hearts of these two young men in front of her were now completely immersed in Alchemy, neither of them responding to or even aware of the world around them, such dedicated focus was truly remarkable.
Men who were completely serious always had a unique and distinctive air about them.
Seeing this, Fei Yu’s brow furrowed slightly as she suddenly came to the understanding that these two youths would definitely become grand figures in the future and reach a height others could only look up to in awe.
Time passed slowly, and the room gradually filled with an enchanting pill fragrance.
The two young men’s True Qi wrapped their respective pill furnaces tightly at that moment in preparation for the final stage of refinement.
Suddenly, Di Yao wore a happy expression and a smile appeared on his lips. Reaching out, he opened his pill furnace and a round golden pill flew out and was immediately caught.
Inspecting the quality and grade of the pill, Di Yao nodded with satisfaction, although he had been rushing himself and was quite nervous, he had still managed to perfectly display all of his Alchemy skills.
Nearby, Yang Kai also seemed to have reached his final step.
Fei Yu couldn’t help becoming nervous. Yang Kai had fallen behind in terms of refinement speed, so if he couldn’t surpass this Di Yao in terms of quality, he would lose.
The Alchemy contest between these two young Alchemists was coming to a head, causing Fei Yu to feel almost breathless.
Just after Di Yao successfully refined his pill, Yang Kai also patted his pill furnace with his hand and a brownish pill flew out which Yang Kai quickly caught.
“Impressive!” Di Yao sincerely complimented, from the aroma wafting from Yang Kai’s pill furnace, he could tell that the pill Yang Kai refined was without a doubt Spirit Grade, as for the specific rank it was, he would have to see it in order to make a proper judgement.
What was most incredible though was that Yang Kai’s speed was not inferior to his own.
Regarding the speed Di Yao could perform Alchemy, he had put in a great deal of effort to reach his Master’s high requirements.
From the moment he gained awareness of the world around him, Di Yao had followed his Master and studied the Alchemic Way as they crossed mountains and plains. Every day, he would listen attentively to his Master’s teachings and receive hands-on guidance, taking nearly two decades before finally reaching his current level of achievement. So the question was who was the master of this youth he had just met? Who was capable of raising such a talented disciple?
Di Yao was now really interested in Yang Kai, his eyes filled with curiosity, but also a strong determination not to lose.
“When it comes to refining speed, you’ve won. I’m impressed.” Yang Kai’s expression was light, not showing the slightest emotional fluctuation because of this little loss, “Let’s compare the quality and grade of our pills then.”
Di Yao smiled and opened his hand, presenting the pill he had just refined to Yang Kai, confidently declaring, “Spirit Grade Top-Rank!”
“What a coincidence, I also refined a Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill!” Yang Kai opened his hand and said.
Hearing this, Fei Yu let out a light sigh.
The two of them had refined the same quality and grade of pill, but Di Yao had used slightly less time to do so, the result of this competition was clear.
“Hahaha, I won!” Di Yao laughed happily.
“Not necessarily,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
“Do you want to renege on our deal?” Di Yao’s expression abruptly became gloomy as he stared at Yang Kai with cold eyes, his True Qi showing some signs of welling up.
“Of course not, take a look yourself,” Yang Kai also shook his head lightly before tossing over the pill he had just refined. Di Yao grabbed and turned his eyes suspiciously towards it, but in the next instant, his eyes bulged as he called out in shock, “Pill Veins?”
The pill refined by Yang Kai just now had a myriad of tiny lines atop its round surface. These lines closely resembled the meridians within a human’s body and inside them a powerful medicinal efficacy flowed. Listening carefully, it was almost as if Di Yao could hear the medicinal power coursing through these Pill Veins.
The medicinal efficacies of this pill had undoubtedly been refinined to the extreme by Yang Kai.
“How can this be?” Di Yao couldn’t believe his eyes as he stared fixedly at this pill.
Yang Kai on the other hand wasn’t in any hurry and simply waited quietly. Fei Yu’s face also lifted as she swept away her prior nervousness and replaced it with a bright smile.
After a short while, Di Yao took a deep breath and straightened his half collapsed self-up before turning a complex look towards Yang Kai, “You’re really fierce!”
Regardless of whether this pill giving birth to Pill Veins was due to Yang Kai’s luck, they very fact that it had meant the latter’s Alchemy technique was unquestionably profound. If Yang Kai didn’t refine the pill’s medicinal efficacies to their fullest extent, even with great luck, forming Pill Veins would have been impossible.
Once a pill formed Pill Veins, its value would be multiplied several times.
It was for this reason that highly skilled Alchemists would pursue the birth of Pill Veins when they refined pills, because if they succeeded, the efficacies of the ingredients used would be magnified several times.
Even Di Yao’s Master couldn’t refine pills that gave birth to Pill Veins as he pleased; only when he was in a perfect state was it sometimes possible to do this.
Pills with Pill Veins had always been considered treasures by cultivators, and were often capable of saving their lives in the most critical of situations, placing them on the same level of trump cards.
“I lost,” Di Yao took a deep breath, calmed the unwillingness in his heart, and once more wore his usual sunny smile, calmly admitting his defeat without the slightest bit of grievance.
Yang Kai simply smiled back at him.
Fei Yu made the final announcement, “Since this little brother admits defeat, this Earth Fire Core now belongs to little Martial Nephew and myself.”
“Good, since I am willing to gamble I am prepared to lose, it’s yours,” Di Yao nodded lightly.
Fei Yu handed the Earth Fire Core to Yang Kai and the latter quickly stuffed it into his Black Book space.
“Friend, may I take the liberty to ask, who is your teacher?” Di Yao asked with a hopeful grin.
“I can’t say,” Yang Kai shook his head; it was actually the truth he couldn’t say anything about this subject.
“I understand.” Unexpectedly, Di Yao didn’t continue to inquire, instead just nodding easily and saying, “These powerful masters aren’t normally willing to expose their identities.”
Yang Kai stared at Di Yao thoughtfully as he suddenly realized that this youth must have been taught by a powerful master. It was highly probable that the Master behind him was an Alchemy Grandmaster who was famous throughout the realm.
“I have a presumptuous request, would friend be willing to agree?” Di Yao looked at Yang Kai sincerely.
“What request?”
“Can I take this pill away with me?”
“Feel free,” Yang Kai smiled faintly.
A Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill with Pill Veins was quite expensive, but it was still slightly inferior to the Earth Fire Core. Moreover, this Di Yao fit quite well with Yang Kai’s personality and after openly competing against him he naturally didn’t care about such minor gains and losses.
“Many thanks!” Di Yao was overjoyed and quickly stored the pill away.
“Martial Aunt, can you help me pour some tea? I want to talk a little bit with Brother Di a little more,” Yang Kai asked Fei Yu. It was rare for two such people to meet like this so Yang Kai also had the intention to make friends with Di Yao.
Yang Kai had very few male friends he could speak openly with while he actually had a considerable number of ‘close’ female friends. When he thought of this, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a bit ashamed.
“I’m afraid you won’t be able to calmly drink tea right now,” Fei Yu didn’t move, her pretty face suddenly wearing a chilly expression.
Yang Kai blinked once and quickly realized that the trouble he had been expecting had come. Outside the inn where he was currently staying there was a group of people rapidly approaching, they had yet to arrive but their murderous intent could already be felt.
“He really went and found reinforcements?” Di Yao just shook his head.
“Kid, I don’t know what you are relying on, but since this mess was something you provoked on your own, don’t expect others to help you. One of Floating Clouds City’s Vice City Lords, even I can’t afford to offend such a character,” Fei Yu said with a smile.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t plan to bring you into this matter,” Di Yao said, walking to the window and glancing out; but after seeing the situation, he simply whistled in admiration, “There sure are a lot of people.”
Turning around, he called out to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, I hope we have a chance to chat again another day. En, you must go to Ascending Heaven Cliff and condense the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower, it will have great benefits for you. I’m looking forward to working with you!”
Yang Kai expression changed and was about to ask what Di Yao meant, but before he could open his mouth the opposite party had already leapt from the window.
“This little kid…” Fei Yu lazily leaned against the window and looked at the situation down below while helplessly shaking her head.
“He seems to know some secrets that others don’t,” Yang Kai frowned, Di Yao’s last words before he left had piqued his attention.
This trip to Floating Clouds City was mainly for the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower which could greatly assist Transcendent Realm masters break through to the Saint Realm, but listening to the meaning of Di Yao, simply condensing the medicinal liquid would also have benefits for Yang Kai.
But it was just condensing medicinal liquid, how could that bring any benefits to him? Yang Kai simply couldn’t understand.
Standing at the window and looking out, Yang Kai saw the street below the inn was now completely crowded with people.
Most of these people had come from the Trading District. Knowing there would be a good show here, they had come early to stake out good seats in preparation to watch the fun.
Still others had gotten word of this event and had hurriedly made their way over.
The rest of the people were cultivators brought by a beautiful middle-aged woman. This beauty was emitting a fierce aura, her pretty face twisted in anger as she ground her teeth menacingly.
Beside this beautiful woman was the one handed Nie Cong. He was silently rubbing his stump arm while staring at Di Yao with extreme hatred.
“Hey, this guy has some guts, not only did he not run away, but he even showed up on his own initiative,” Seeing Di Yao jump out all on his own surprised many in the crowd.
“Like I said, this little brother must have a very strong background so he doesn’t fear that bitch Nie Chu Feng!”
“Who cares how strong his background is? Strong dragons don’t oppose local snakes, this is Floating Clouds City, and I still think this brat is more unlucky than lucky.”
“This little brat really doesn’t have a sense of discretion, actually provoking Nie Cong. Everyone in Floating Clouds City knows that Nie Cong is doted upon by that bitch, only a foreign genius would dare act so unscrupulously. With her nephew losing a hand, how could Nie Chu Feng possibly just let things go?”
There was a constant buzz amongst the crowd as everyone talked about the relationship between Nie Cong and Nie Chu Feng. These voices did not escape the ears of the middle-aged beauty though and only caused her murderous intent to rise as she swept her eyes coldly around the onlookers.
Everyone hurriedly shut up, for fear of getting into trouble.
“Was it you who took the hand of my nephew?” Nie Chu Feng stared at Di Yao and asked in a cold voice.
“En,” Di Yao nodded casually.
“Why would you do such a thing?” Nie Chu Feng asked as she grit her teeth hard.
“I warned him. He didn’t listen, so I acted,” Di Yao shrugged his shoulders and snorted, “Anyone who dares to destroy my herbs is my enemy, I show no mercy to my enemies!”
“Your courage isn’t small!” Nie Chu Feng sneered, “A trivial herb, can it compare to my nephew’s hand?”
Di Yao expression became cold, “What thing is your nephew? Can his life compare to the herb I want?”
“Aunty, don’t talk nonsense with him, let me kill him!” Nie Cong snarled.
Nie Chu Feng stared deeply at Di Yao and asked in a cold voice, “There were two of you who dared attack my nephew right? Call that other brat out, I’ll send both of you off on the road together.”
“A real man takes responsibility for his own actions, this matter is mine and mine alone,” Di Yao slowly shook his head.
“Good,” Nie Chu Feng took a deep breath, her full rich peaks heaving up and down as she spoke icily, “How do you want to die? Tell me and I can grant it as your last request.”
“I don’t want to die!” Di Yao smiled, not showing the slightest signs of nervousness.
“That’s not something you can decide anymore,” Nie Chu Feng slowly raised her jade hand and gathered a green True Qi into her palm. In an instant, a putrid scent filled the air, causing anyone who smelt it to have the urge to vomit.
Nie Chu Feng was a First Order Transcendent, and although this level of cultivation was not very strong considering the whole of Tong Xuan Realm, she could still be counted amongst the ranks of the Transcendents.
Di Yao, like Yang Kai, was still just a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator, so the gap between their strengths was still quite large. The moment Nie Chu Feng began condensing her True Qi, Di Yao’s face became dignified.
Not waiting for this woman to attack, Di Yao quickly raised his hand and threw something over to Nie Chu Feng.
Nie Chu Feng’s eyes flashed as she reached out and easily caught this object, her beautiful face changing abruptly upon seeing what it was.
“Golden Dragon Token?” Nie Cong also called out in surprise.
“No wonder he dares act so crazy, it turns out this little brat has the Golden Dragon Token of Floating Clouds City,” Fei Yu suddenly understood, her beautiful eyes fixedly staring at the token in Nie Chu Feng’s hand, her red lips pursing lightly.
“His background really isn’t small,” Yang Kai smiled.
Anyone who held the Golden Dragon Token of Floating Clouds City was considered a VIP of the City Lord’s Mansion. Although Yang Kai didn’t know Di Yao and Floating Clouds City’s City Lord were related, he had still heard about the tyrannical methods of this Demon Race’s Saint Realm master, Ao Gu.
After recognizing the Golden Dragon Token, Nie Chu Feng’s murderous intent and momentum deflated like a popped balloon, her beautiful eyes staring in shock towards Di Yao as she asked, “Where did you get the Golden Dragon Token?”
She was somewhat dubious about how such a young man could have any relationship with Ao Gu.
However, Di Yao just shrugged his shoulders, “Senior Ao Gu gave it to me, if you don’t believe me, you can ask him yourself.”
“I will indeed ask,” Nie Chu Feng’s expression became somewhat uncertain, beckoning to a nearby cultivator before ordering him, “Go and ask Zhou Liang Vice City Lord about this.”
“Yes!” The man replied firmly before flying off quickly.
The scene suddenly stagnated and the audience began whispering amongst themselves again, many of them finding it difficult to hide their surprise.
Nie Chu Feng looked Di Yao over, her eyes flashing a complex light; this boy suddenly taking out the Golden Dragon Token had really made things somewhat difficult for her.
“Aunty, you have to help me kill him!” Nie Cong lowered his voice and glared hatefully towards Di Yao.
“Stop. He has the Golden Dragon Token!” Nie Chu Feng slowly shook her head and frowned.
“What of it?” Nie Cong bit his lip so hard it bled as he muttered under his breath, “Since he has the Golden Dragon Token, I have to swallow the insult of losing my hand? No matter what, I want him to die today!”
Nie Chu Feng opened her mouth and was about to try persuading her nephew once more, but when she saw Nie Cong’s pain and aggrieved face, her heart couldn’t help filling with anger.
From infancy to maturity, Nie Cong had grown up under her care and had never suffered the slightest grievance. In this Floating Clouds City, as soon as the name Young Master Nie Cong was reported, anyone and everyone would bow politely and flatter him, he had not once encountered a situation where he could not obtain what he wanted.
But today, one of his hands had been cut off and destroyed.
“Do you really want him to die?” Nie Chu Feng’s beautiful eyes gradually revealed a dangerous light.
“He must die or my hatred will never be soothed!”
“Good, then aunty will help you!” Nie Chu Feng’s expression became cold as she immediately made up her mind. In order to kill this brat, she had to end everything before Zhou Liang arrives, otherwise, it would be impossible for her to act.
As for what this brat’s true identity was and what kind of relationship he had with Ao Gu, once he was dead, none of that would matter.
As long as Zhou Liang said a few words to sooth Ao Gu’s anger, he could calm the situation down sufficiently; after all, this young man was just a guest of Ao Gu.
For such a person, especially after he died, would Ao Gu risk having a conflict with Zhou Liang?
Thinking so in her heart, Nie Chu Feng no longer hesitated, the green True Qi once again emerging from her tender body and before anyone could respond, transforming into a viper and shooting towards Di Yao.
Di Yao’s face changed abruptly, hot True Qi pouring out of his body rapidly, setting the air around him ablaze and forming a three-layered barrier.
The green serpent opened its teeth and broke through this blockade of flames easily before continuing to press towards Di Yao. From the mouth of this snake, a putrid aura sprayed out, instantly corroding Di Yao’s Flame Attribute True Qi.
In the blink of an eye, all of Di Yao’s True Qi defences were broken, and the snake arriving in front of him. Di Yao’s pupils shrank and his body flickered, barely avoiding this fatal blow.
Before he could catch his breath though, from the ground below his feet, a number of green snakes burst forth and tightly encircled him, attacking from all directions.
Di Yao’s flustered look suddenly became calm and he activated an extremely profound movement skill, allowing him to disappear like a ghost, leaving behind multiple after-images as he once again dodged this assault.
The audience uttered a string of exclamations, none of them having anticipated that this young man could still remain safe under Nie Chu Feng’s attack.
Before everyone could recover from their shock though, from the third story of the inn, an earth-shaking eruption of True Qi burst forth, sending out a series of ripples visible to the naked eye. These ripples seemed to contain some kind of extremely mysterious power and the moment they contacted the deep green snake, the latter stagnated and was gradually being suppressed.
In the next instant, a dazzling light, like the blade of the sharpest knife, split into ten strikes and slashed down from the sky above.
As if the sun and the moon had exploded, a brilliant flash of light that blinded everyone in the vicinity shot out and the putrid green True Qi snake was eviscerated without leaving behind a single trace.
After everyone recovered their sight, they found that there was another young man now standing in front of Di Yao, the very one who had previously been competing for the Earth Fire Core in the Trading District.
“Brother Yang…” Di Yao stared at Yang Kai’s back, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, a slightly unwilling look appearing on his face.
The eruption of power a moment ago made him realize just how absurd Yang Kai’s combat power was. Di Yao had originally thought that as an Alchemist like him, it was impossible for Yang Kai to possess impressive fighting strength, but now it was clear that the other side’s combat prowess was actually far greater than his own.
Inferior in terms of Alchemy and weaker in terms of strength, it was unavoidable that Di Yao felt somewhat aggrieved.
Yang Kai also frowned, feeling a bit of helplessness himself.
If possible, he had wanted to avoid getting involved with this trouble, but from the way Nie Chu Feng and Nie Cong were acting, even if he didn’t show up, he knew they would come looking for him sooner or later.
It could be said that the moment he had competed with Nie Cong for the Earth Fire Core, this grudge could only be resolved by force.
Knowing Soaring Heaven Sect’s four Protectors couldn’t compete with a Saint Realm master from Floating Clouds City, Yang Kai could only place his hopes on Di Yao.
This kid was always acting mysterious, so he definitely had some kind of background to rely on, hopefully, it would be enough to solve this problem.
Realizing this, Yang Kai decisively took action.
Fei Yu also fluttered down from the window and stood in front of the two kids with a begrudging smile on her face, muttering through her clenched teeth, “Little brat, you really know how to stir up trouble.”
Di Yao just curled his lips in response, “She can’t kill me.”
“Oh? So young yet already possessing such a bold tongue, your temper is really just like my bastard Martial Nephew’s here,” Fei Yu smiled.
“Aunty, those two are his companions,” After seeing Yang Kai, Nie Cong stared at and quickly pointed to Yang Kai and Fei Yu.
Yang Kai’s expression was indifferent. In truth, back at the Trading District, he had only forced Nie Cong to take a few steps and had never actually wounded him. However, the other party seeking vengeance for even this made him feel quite helpless.
“Rest assure, aunty will help you seek revenge,” Nie Chu Feng pretty face became chilly as she waved her hand and shouted, “Kill them all!”
With this one command, the cultivators she brought with her all pushed their True Qi and rushed towards Fei Yu and the others.
Fei Yu’s smile didn’t fade in the slightest even when the dozen or so cultivators crashed towards her, not showing the least bit of alarm. A gentle strength pulsed from her body in the next instant and in the blink of an eye the entire area was filled with a dense mist.
This mist rapidly condensed into thousands of water droplets and under Fei Yu’s exquisite control short out in all directions, intercepting all of her would-be attackers.
“Third Order Transcendent?” Nie Chu Feng pretty face changed once more.
When Fei Yu attacked just now, Nie Chu Feng realized the huge gap in strength between them and immediately understood that today, it would not be possible for her to help Nie Cong get his revenge.
Among the people she brought, the most powerful was a single Second Order Transcendent while two others were First Order Transcendents, the rest were just Immortal Ascension cultivators.
Such a force was certainly not enough to challenge a Third Order master.
Her expression growing increasingly hazy, Nie Chu Feng’s fury nearly drove her mad!
For so many years, no one in Floating Clouds City had ever dared to disobey her. Because she received Zhou Liang’s asylum, even Third Order Transcendent masters would treat her courteously.
But now, the situation had grown completely beyond her control.
This hateful group of outsiders had enough guts to ‘act like a fool in front of their lord’, they must really be impatient to die.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The water droplets surged forth with uncommon momentum and knocked back all the cultivators who had attacked just now, sending most of them to the ground, crying in pain. Only the three Transcendents managed to emerge relatively unscathed.
This was all because Fei Yu had no intent to kill them; after all, this was someone else’s territory, giving these people a lesson so they would back down was enough for now.
After witnessing Fei Yu’s methods, the three Transcendents who had just escaped all wore ugly expressions as they stared towards this beautiful woman with fear and dread.
“Still want to play?” Fei Yu smiled lightly as she teased, “Big sister here may not be so gentle next time.”
“Aunty!” Nie Cong called out in an aggrieved voice.
Nie Chu Feng’s expression fluctuated and was uncertain about how she should proceed from here when suddenly an angry shout rang out, “All of you stop this instant!”
At the same time, this voice reached everyone’s ears, an incredible pressure descended like a great mountain falling from the sky, causing everyone’s breath to stagnate.
Immediately after, a figure appeared in the distance and rapidly approached, soon landing right in the middle of the square.
Nie Chu Feng’s beautiful eyes lit up as she quickly squeezed out a smile as if she had just seen her saviour, calling out hurriedly, “Zhou Liang!”
Zhou Liang glanced at her faintly before immediately turning his eyes away and focusing on Di Yao who was standing behind Fei Yu and Yang Kai and quickly walking toward him, his expression quite gloomy.
The eyes of Fei Yu and Yang Kai narrowed, feeling like they were being stared at by a vicious snake, finding it difficult to even swallow.
Nie Chu Feng was incomparably excited as she thought Zhou Liang was going to personally vent her grievances for her. Gently patting Nie Cong’s head, she silently signalled him that everything was all right now.
Nie Cong wore a sinister smile as he opened his eyes wide and stared. He wanted to see just how these fools who provoked him would die.
Zhou Liang doted upon Nie Chu Feng greatly. Any time this beauty made a request to him, he would always carry it out, so naturally, this time would not be any different.
Nie Cong was full of confidence as he smiled grimly while taking pleasure in these bastards’ misfortune.
Under the stern look and quick approach of Zhou Liang, Yang Kai felt as if he had been suppressed by the other party’s momentum, a cold chill running up his spine, unable to move at all.
A Saint Realm master, two Great Realms above his current cultivation. If Zhou Liang really wanted to kill him, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to resist, and even Fei Yu wouldn’t be able to escape this catastrophe.
Di Yao, who was still standing behind Yang Kai, whispered softly at that moment, causing both Yang Kai and Fei Yu to be shocked.
Zhou Liang ignored Yang Kai and Fei Yu completely, went straight up to Di Yao, and hastily asked, “Has Young Master Die been injured?”
His tone of voice was filled with concern and urgency, and even some faint nervousness and fear, it seemed like to Zhou Liang, what he was most worried about was whether Di Yao had suffered any harm in the previous battle.
The audience was stunned, Nie Chu Feng’s smile went stiff on her face, and Nie Cong could do nothing but stare dumbfounded with his jaw dropped.
“Nope, I’m fine,” Di Yao casually shook his head.
“That’s good,” Zhou Liang let out a sigh of relief, his face finally relaxing as the wrinkles on his brow smoothed, in the next instant gently comforting, “Young Master Die must have been frightened. This Zhou Liang was negligent and hopes Young Master Di won’t take offence.”
Di Yao just smiled lightly and waved, “It’s fine.”
Zhou Liang next turned to Yang Kai and Fei Yu, gently nodding as he asked, “Are they friends of Young Master Di?”
“En,” Di Yao smiled and replied, “New friends.”
Zhou Liang’s look instantly became friendly as he nodded towards Yang Kai. “En, good, very good. Since you are a friend of Young Master Die, that makes you an honoured guest of my Floating Clouds City. You can rest assured that I will give you an explanation for this mess!”
After saying so, Zhou Liang’s face became cold and his aura became chilly as he turned around the walked towards Nie Chu Feng.
Nie Chu Feng was still recovering from her initial shock; her eyes were somewhat dull as the scene in front of her really went beyond her ability to accept.
Although Di Yao had previously shown her Ao Gu’s Golden Dragon Token, that should only have meant he was a guest of Ao Gu. Why was Zhou Liang so polite to him then, even going so far as to flatter him?
Was the force behind this young man something that made even Zhou Liang fearful?
When she finally managed to compose herself, Zhou Liang was already standing in front of her.
“Uncle Zhou…” Feeling Zhou Liang’s anger, Nie Cong went pale and his knees began to tremble as he called out.
*Pa…*
A loud slap rang out and Nie Cong was sent flying, spinning a few times through the air before he hit the ground and instantly fainting.
“Zhou Liang, what are you doing?” Nie Chu Feng’s beautiful eyes gradually restored their clarity and upon seeing Nie Cong being slapped across his face, she cried out.
*Pa…*
Another crisp slap rang out and a clear handprint appeared on Nie Chu Feng’s pretty face as a trickle of blood left her lips.
Covering her cheek with her hand in shock, Nie Chu Feng trembled fearfully as she stared at the man who had always doted upon and favoured her, suddenly feeling like this person had become a complete stranger.
The coldness on Zhou Liang’s face made her feel like she had been dropped into an icehouse as the blood in her heart froze up.
“Lowly slut, do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Zhou Liang asked coldly.
Nie Chu Feng was dazed and could only shake her head.
“Ignorant woman!” Zhou Liang eyes became sharp and he coldly shouted, “All these years, you and your bastard nephew have used my name to commit all kinds of evil in Floating Clouds City and I have always opened one eye and closed the other while sheltering you, but today, I cannot stand idly by!”
“Why?” Nie Chu Feng screamed.
“You have offended someone who absolutely should not be offended!” Zhou Liang replied coldly and indifferently, “Leave, take your bastard nephew with you and go. From now on, you are forever banned from entering Floating Clouds City, if I see you here again, you know the consequences.”
Nie Chu Feng’s beautiful face lost all colour upon hearing these words, utterly shocked that Zhou Liang would speak such heartless words to her.
“Why have you not left my sight?!” Seeing that she was not moving, Zhou Liang roared angrily once more.
Feeling Zhou Liang’s rising murderous intent, Nie Chu Feng tender body trembled as she realized he was not joking; only now understanding how profound the power behind Di Yao must be.
Nie Chu Feng was certain that Zhou Liang would not treat her so cruelly even if she had offended someone from Ao Gu’s family, him acting so callously now made Nie Chu Feng see just how horrifying Di Yao’s background was.
Naturally, it must be some behemoth that even Zhou Liang had to show deference and respect towards.
Upon understanding this, Nie Chu Feng suddenly burst into tears and pleaded, “Zhou Liang, please don’t be so cold-hearted, I know I was wrong, I will sincerely apologize to this young man and swear to never provoke him again.”
Nie Chu Feng was just a First Order Transcendent. In other words, her strength was insignificant, and all she had to take advantage of was her beauty. Being able to receive Zhou Liang’s love and protection allowed her to live freely in Floating Clouds City, but once she lost that, with her weak cultivation, she would not be able to support herself.
She had offended too many people in Floating Clouds City over the years.
Once she lost Zhou Liang’s asylum, she was very clear about what would be waiting for her.
Therefore, in full view of the public, Nie Chu Feng fell to the ground, held on to Zhou Liang’s thigh and begged.
However, not only did the audience not feel that this beautiful woman was pitiful, most of them showed happy looks.
This woman’s evil deeds were well known throughout Floating Clouds City and her unpopularity was as high as could be.
Zhou Liang’s face remained indifferent throughout everything and simply looked down at her coldly.
Nie Chu Feng gradually despaired, knowing that her former lover would not change his mind, regaining her calm after a moment, brushing her messy hair back behind her ear as she slowly rose up and said, “Zhou Liang, you driving me away, I won’t complain any further about, but out of considerations for the many years of love we shared, I wish to ask one last thing of you/ I hope you can promise it to me, if you do, I will leave right now!”
Staring at the beautiful face of this woman, Zhou Liang expression changed slightly, seemingly reminiscing about the time he had spent with her before letting out a light sigh, “Say it, if I can, I will fulfil your last wish.”
Nie Chu Feng smiled helplessly and asked in a quiet voice, “Last night, I heard you say that a very powerful Alchemist had arrived in the City Lord’s Mansion. Can you ask him to help refine a pill to restore my nephew’s severed arm? Since even you say he is so powerful, surely he had the ability to refine such a pill, right?”
“En, he can,” Zhou Liang nodded.
“Then…” Nie Chu Feng smiled happily.
“But I cannot satisfy your request.”
“Why?” Nie Chu Feng became slightly hysterical, “One day as husband and wife, a hundred days of graciousness, are you really so unfeeling as to deny me even this small favour?”
“It is not that I am too unfeeling, it is that you are too stupid,” Zhou Liang leaned over and whispered into Nie Chu Feng’s ear, “The young man you offended is the only disciple of that Alchemy Grandmaster. That Alchemy Grandmaster is the existence which Ao Gu, Jin Jiao, and I dare not provoke.”
Nie Chu Feng’s eyes went round with shock.
“Leave,” Zhou Liang waved his hand. “I hope that from now on you won’t be so blind.”
Grief and indignation filled Nie Chu Feng’s face as she bit her lips so hard blood oozed from them. Immediately bending over and picking up Nie Cong, who was still unconscious off the ground, she shot a hate-filled glance towards Zhou Liang and Di Yao before quickly using her movement skill to disappear into the crowd.
Among the crowds, there were many who wore cold and sinister expression on their faces. After Nie Chu Feng made her move, many of these plotting individuals followed.
Every grudge was owed its due vengeance, and it was time for these people to settle their accounts with this poisons woman.
Zhou Liang witnessed all this but did not stop it.
“That woman is dead,” Yang Kai whispered softly.
“She’s just getting what she deserved,” Fei Yu spat disdainfully. She despised this kind of woman who only knew how to flatter those with power yet lacked any kind of self-awareness.
Zhou Liang came over and looked at Yang Kai and Fei Yu kindly, “Since the two of you are friends of Young Master Die, why not come to the City Lord’s Mansion for a few days? There should still be some time before the Thousand Year Demon Flower blooms.”
Di Yao also showed Yang Kai a somewhat expectant look, seemingly hoping he could come to the City Lord’s Mansion as well.
But Yang Kai simply shook his head, “I have a few Martial Uncles who are currently running some errands outside, we have to wait for them to come back so I’m afraid I must decline your gracious offer.”
“Since that’s the case, this old master won’t insist. If you have time, do come to the City Lord’s Mansion to visit,” Zhou Liang smiled before turning to Di Yao. “Young Master Di, let us return first.”
Di Yao responded with a sigh, nodded to Yang Kai, and left with Zhou Liang.
All around the gathered crowd was silent, many of the people who had come to watch the show still unable to recover from what they had just witnessed, looks of shock and disbelief still plastered all over their faces.
For an unknown young man, Zhou Liang not only beat his beloved mistress but also drove her out of Floating Clouds City, this was the epitome of ruthlessness.
Moreover, simply because they had some relationship to that young man, Yang Kai and Fei Yu received a warm and courteous invitation from Zhou Liang.
What exactly was the background of this young man to warrant such treatment?
After some time, the crowd gradually dispersed. Some bold people wanted to inquire about Di Yao’s background from Yang Kai but Yang Kai and Fei Yu didn’t give them a chance, quickly hiding themselves inside the inn.
In truth, they too were a bit shocked.
Despite knowing that Di Yao must have some kind of strong background, Yang Kai still found that he had greatly underestimated the other’s origins.
After he and Fei Yu pondered over it for a while, they couldn’t think of anything reasonable, so they simply let the matter drop.
After returning to the City Lord’s Mansion, Di Yao immediately went to see his Master.
In a quiet room, Di Yao’s Master was silently meditating so when the former walked in, he simply stood quietly and waited. After waiting for a long time, the old man slowly opened his eyes.
“Master, I lost again,” Di Yao sighed lightly.
“Lost again?” Hearing this, the old man was quite surprised.
“En, Master, take a look at this pill,” Di Yao reverently handed over the pill that Yang Kai had refined in their contest a short time ago.
The old man took it and his eyes immediately brightened, “Pill Veins?”
Releasing his Divine Sense to inspect it, the old man’s look gradually change and only after quite a while did he hand the pill back to Di Yao and asked, “Was this pill refined by your opponent?”
“En.”
“What kind of person was it?”
“He’s about the same age as me,” Di Yao quickly described Yang Kai’s appearance.
The old man listened quietly as he stroked his beard and after a moment said, “This young man is a serious monster.”
“Why does Master say so?”
“His Alchemy technique is a bit sloppy, it seems like he had never been strictly taught. That is to say, unlike you, he has never had formal instruction from a Master.”
“What?” Di Yao cried out in shock.
Not having a master yet already possessing such outstanding Alchemy technique, then if Yang Kai was the same as him and had received more than ten years of careful guidance, just what kind of level would he have reached?
“If my guess is correct, he should be self-taught through some ancient books and handwritten notes left behind by a highly skilled predecessor,” The old man speculated, his guess infinitely close to the truth.
“Teacher, I suddenly feel quite depressed!” Di Yao sighed dispiritedly.
“Hoh hoh, there’s no need for that,” The old man smiled softly, “There are always one or two people in this world that have Heaven defying aptitude, he belongs to this category. Although he has never had formal training, his control of Spirit Arrays and True Qi and even his ability to select and process herbs all bare the mark of his own unique insights, a very good seed indeed.”
“Haa…” Di Yao sighed heavily, “Master, it’s been just slightly more than a year since we emerged from the wilderness yet I’ve already lost to two different people. The last failure can be taken for granted, her physique was special after all, but today’s defeated really left me somewhat muddleheaded.”
He had great confidence in his ability to win this contest, but at the last moment, Yang Kai had actually successfully refined a pill with Pill Veins, causing him to lose.
“Then you should understand well now what it means to always strive to improve yourself, there are always heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people,” The old man said solemnly.
Di Yao nodded repeatedly, “Master can rest assure that disciple will redouble his efforts in the study of the Alchemic Way and will certainly not disappoint Master’s expectations.”
The old man caressed his beard, smiled, and nodded lightly.
There was a glimmer of light in the depths of his eyes though as he thought of something but decided not to say to his apprentice.
From the pill brought back by Di Yao this time, the old man had discovered some familiar traces, specifically from the Spirit Array technique that this young Alchemist utilized while refining this pill.
These traces seemed to be somewhat similar to the ones used by a little girl who defeated Di Yao a year ago.
[Is there some kind of relationship between the two?] The old man became pensive, in his heart feeling quite curious about this Yang Kai and very much looking forward to meeting him.
Two days later, Cang Yan and the others finally returned. When Yang Kai saw them again, he found that the expression of his Martial Uncles was not very good.
After taking a short break and drinking some tea, Li Wan sighed heavily and said, “It seems that we underestimated the attraction of the Thousand Year Demon Flower has to Transcendent Realm masters. This time’s matter will probably be a bit difficult.”
“How so?” Yang Kai asked.
“There are too many people here, there are already at least a hundred Transcendent Realms gathered around the mountain, waiting for the Thousand Year Demon Flower to blossom. On the actual day, that number will likely triple,” Cang Yan replied, letting out a slightly helpless sigh.
Yang Kai’s face also changed greatly.
More than three hundred Transcendents; even if only ten percent of them were Third Order, that still meant there would be at least thirty.
Although the four Protectors from Soaring Heaven Sect were all incredibly strong, able to dominate over opponents in the same realm with ease, in such a chaotic environment among so many masters, it would still be very difficult to escort Yang Kai to Ascending Heaven Cliff and monopolize the Thousand Year Demon Flower.
If things went badly, there was even a chance they would be completely annihilation.
Talents like Yang Kai were incredibly rare, so now Cang Yan and the other three had to consider whether taking this risk was worth it, if they couldn’t afford the consequences, it would be best for them to leave Floating Clouds City now.
“What if we find someone to work with?” Yang Kai’s expression changed once more as he made this proposal.
“Who could we find to work with?” Cang Yan slowly shook his head, “Everyone is aiming for the Thousand Year Demon Flower so it’s not realistic to find someone to cooperate with. Cooperating means dividing up the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower. There are already four of us here who need a share and no one knows just how much medicinal liquid can be condensed from the Thousand Year Demon Flower can condense, if there isn’t enough in the end, it would only lead to another dispute.”
“What if there was someone who had no interest in the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid, could we work with them?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
“Where would we find such a person?”
“Close by.”
“You mean that little boy?” Fei Yu spoke thoughtfully, quickly understanding who Yang Kai was talking about.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Boy, what little boy?” Li Wan chimed in, “Didn’t we say you should stay in the inn these days before we came back?”
“Never mind that, it was just a small outing,” Fei Yu quickly transferred the topic, “Actually, we met a very interesting little fellow.”
“Let’s hear about it,” Cang Yan asked curiously.
Yang Kai quickly summarized the events that led up to him meeting Di Yao, greatly surprising his three Martial Uncles, especially when he mentioned how Zhou Liang, a genuine Saint Realm master, treated this strange boy, not even hesitating to banish his mistress in order to appease the latter. All this considered, the identity of this Di Yao was definitely extraordinary.
Moreover, he was not a guest of Zhou Liang’s, but of the Demon Race master Ao Gu! Zhou Liang, who was from the Human Race, had actually stepped forward to protect him, further increasing Yang Kai’s Martial Uncles’ interest.
Although they had never met this boy, after listening to Yang Kai’s description, all three of them were vaguely able to see a giant shadow hiding behind Di Yao, silently protecting him.
“Is he trustworthy?” Cang Yan asked solemnly.
“I believe so,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Objectively, I also believe him, that little boy isn’t half bad,” Fei Yu added with a smile.
“Since the two of you say so, it should be credible,” Cang Yan nodded, “The other party indicated he wanted to work with you, right?”
“That’s what he said.”
“It seems that he has some other objective on Ascending Heaven Cliff that the public is unaware of. If that’s the case, then you should try talking to him about it, if everyone can work according to their own needs, it would be for the best,” Cang Yan’s eyes flashed brilliantly, “However, if he doesn’t want the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower, what is he after? We need to investigate this clearly so as not to fall into a trap.”
“Then how about I go to the City Lord’s Mansion to talk to him?” Yang Kai asked, he too was quite concerned about what Di Yao said before. It seems this guy knew some secret that others didn’t. Yang Kai was interested in knowing where he learned this hidden information.
Moreover, Yang Kai wanted to know what force was behind Di Yao.
It was impossible for Zhou Liang to treat a young man so courteously if there wasn’t someone extremely powerful behind Di Yao the former wanted to curry favour with.
If Yang Kai’s guess was correct, this person should be Di Yao’s Master and they should also currently be a guest in the City Lord’s Mansion!
This person was no doubt a top-level Alchemy Grandmaster, being able to speak with such a master would be greatly beneficial to Yang Kai.
Obtaining the consent of his several Martial Uncles, Yang Kai left with Fei Yu and headed for the City Lord’s Mansion.
However, before they could go far, the two of them ran into a familiar pair, one old, one young, it was old man Du Wan and the young Mi Na. Upon catching sight of them, Mi Na ran over happily and said a few words to Fei Yu before her beautiful eyes glanced over at Yang Kai and asked, “Who is this toy boy?”
Yang Kai’s face immediately went black, “What did you say?”
Mi Na couldn’t help covering her mouth as she stared at Yang Kai in shock, pointing to him as she stuttered, “You… but… how are you…”
Suddenly remembering something, she clapped her hands and nodded, “Right, Old Man Du gave you that thing, I almost forgot.”
As she said so, she reached out and started pinching and pulling Yang Kai’s face, muttering in amazement.
Old Man Du and Fei Yu just stood to the side and smiled wryly, not making any attempt to interfere.
“You little bastard, stirring up so much trouble the moment you arrive in Floating Clouds City, you really can’t sit still can you?” Mi Na smiled happily, playing with Yang Kai’s new handsome face excitedly.
“You’ve already heard about that?” Fei Yu smiled towards Mi Na elegantly.
“En, the whole of Floating Clouds City knows about it,” Mi Na nodded while continuing to knead Yang Kai’s face like she had found a new toy and was happily playing with it.
Yang Kai gradually became frustrated with this but instead of getting angry he instead wore a nasty smile and retorted, “If you keep pinching me, I’ll have to fight back, little girl, don’t reach out for a yard after taking an inch !”
Saying so, he directed his gaze at her full rounded chest, his eyes filling with a sinister light.
Mi Na suddenly stepped back as she crossed her arms defensively across her chest and ground her teeth, “Rogue.”
“Old Man Du, where are you headed?” Yang Kai paid no more mind to this crazy girl and turned his attention to Du Wan.
“There’s going to be an Alchemy contest in the main square hosted by the Alchemist Guild. This old man was bringing Mi Na to the competition. It’s not often she comes out so it will be a good experience for her,” Du Wan explained, suddenly wearing an expectant expression as he asked, “Little friend Yang, do you want to participate? Although it is already passed the registration time, with this old man’s recommendation, there won’t be any problem joining the competition.”
“Good, you have to go, everyone competing is from the younger generation, if you go, you can definitely earn our Grand Boulder City Alchemist Guild branch some fame!” Mi Na said eagerly.
Yang Kai scratched his nose and smiled, “Old Man Du, did you perhaps make a special detour?”
Du Wan smiled without the slightest hint of shame, “Have I been seen through by little friend Yang?”
If Du Wan really was headed to the main square, it made no sense of him to appear here. When Yang Kai and Fei Yu were visiting the Trading District a few days ago, Yang Kai had also heard about this Alchemy contest and knew that it wasn’t being held anywhere around here.
Because of the Thousand Year Demon Flower, countless Alchemists had no gathered in Floating Clouds City, which was a truly rare occurrence. The Alchemist Guild would naturally try to take advantage of this situation to examine the standard of the younger generation of Alchemists by giving them a platform for exchanges and competition.
“Actually, this old man made a bet with a few old friends regarding which of our Alchemist Guild branches had the best junior. En, the bet was any one item in our Universe Bags. The heritage of these old fellows is quite rich after all,” Du Wan’s made his sales pitch.
Mi Na also chimed in, “If you can win the final victory, the Alchemist Guild will also provide a generous reward of rare herbs and even a high-quality pill furnace.”
Saying so, she shamelessly grabbed on to Yang Kai’s arm and begged, “Big Brother Yang Kai, you have to go, Junior Sister really wants that pill furnace, it’s a Saint Grade item!”
Seeing Mi Na act this way gave Yang Kai goosebumps but he still managed to put on a wry grin, “Since Old Man Du has asked, how can I refuse? Don’t shake me anymore, you’re making me dizzy.”
“You’ll really come? Great!” Mi Na shouted excitedly.
Yang Kai only hesitated for a moment before giving in and nodding, “Good, if I can win the final victory, I hope that I can choose the herbs I need from the bet and rewards, as for the pill furnace, I don’t need it.”
“En en, no problem!” Mi Na nodded her head furiously like a chicken pecking rice.
“Don’t get so excited, there are many strong Alchemists in this world, I won’t necessarily be the last one to laugh.”
“Nope, this is a competition amongst the younger generation of Alchemists, so no one can beat you,” Mi Na replied, full of confidence in Yang Kai.
The trip to the City Lord’s Mansion to negotiate with Di Yao about the Thousand Year Demon Flower had been temporarily set aside, in any case, Yang Kai wasn’t in that much of a hurry.
Yang Kai agreed to Old Man Du’s request because Old Man Du had been very good to him. Back in Grand Boulder City, if it wasn’t for Old Man Du’s conscientious care, Yang Kai wouldn’t have been able to settle in so easily and ultimately it was because of Old Man Du that Cang Yan had found him.
On top of that, Yang Kai was indeed tempted by the potential profits.
He had now collected a lot of the required herbs for refining the Saint Pill the Demon God Citadel needed, even the extremely rare Earth Fire Core from a few days ago, but there were still a few precious materials he had yet to obtain.
These old friends of Old Man Du may not necessarily have what Yang Kai needed, but they may have a way of acquiring them, so establishing a good relationship with them was by no means a misdemeanour.
As long as the remaining herbs could be collected and he continued promoting his Alchemy skills, Yang Kai could return to the Snow Mountain Range and bring the Ancient Demon Clan out.
In this unfamiliar realm, he urgently needed to have his own strength and support.
In the northwest corner of Floating Clouds City, a large crowd of people had gathered around a three hundred meter open square were roughly a few hundred tables had been set up.
These tables had been prepared for the Alchemist who would soon be participating in the competition.
Outside the square, countless cultivators and Alchemist were quietly waiting while a number of white-haired old men were busy making final preparations.
Yang Kai’s mental state was calm, without much tension, while on the other hand, Mi Na, after seeing such a magnificent scene, was constantly chattering, like a village girl who had never seen the world suddenly entering the magnificent city. Everything here was fresh and amazing to her.
“Brother Yang!” Someone suddenly called out from the side.
Yang Kai looked over and realized that Di Yao was also here and behind him were two powerful Transcendents wearing black armour.
It seemed like after the incident a few days ago, the City Lord’s Mansion had specially prepared these two bodyguards for him, the care they showed towards this youth was indeed unordinary.
“You came too?” Yang Kai smiled. This was a pleasant coincidence, if Yang Kai had just gone directly to the City Lord’s Mansion, he might have missed Di Yao as the latter had actually come here.
“I came to watch the fun,” Di Yao smiled, “Did you also come to enjoy the excitement?”
“I came to enter the competition,” Yang Kai said lightly.
“Seriously?” Di Yao was obviously taken aback, “If you attend, what’s the point in even holding a competition?”
Amongst the younger generation of Alchemists, those who had reached Spirit Grade were already considered extremely good seedlings and they were quite scarce in number, forget about there being freaks like Yang Kai who had already reached the Spirit Grade Top-Rank.
Him participating under these circumstances was really not much more than bullying the weak.
“I’m just playing casually,” Yang Kai smiled.
Di Yao’s gaze flashed and a mischievous grin formed on his face, “If you’re going to participate… I want to as well.”
“Yang Kai, who is this?” Mi Na blinked as she stared at Di Yao.
“This is the person who competed with me for the Earth Fire Core a few days ago, Di Yao,” Yang Kai introduced, next pointing to Du Wan and Mi Na, “These two are Old Man Du, Du Wan, manager of Grand Boulder City’s Alchemist Guild branch and Mi Na, a Spirit Grade Low-Rank Alchemist.”
Di Yao fixed his expression and respectfully cupped his fists, “So it is Grand Boulder City Alchemist Guild’s manager, Junior Di greets Old Man Du!”
“Do you know me?” Du Wan smiled lightly.
“My Master has told me of you. Master said that you are one of the few Alchemists in the world that is likely to become a Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist!”
“Your respected Master…” Du Wan expression changed.
“Sorry, my Master does not allow me to freely expose his name,” Di Yao explained.
Du Wan couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed but he quickly composed himself and nodded, “It’s fine since your Master has said so much, he must be my Du Wan’s Senior. In that case, please convey to him that this Du Wan will definitely live up to his expectations and in his lifetime absolutely arrive at the Saint Grade Mid-Rank! “
“Junior will definitely convey Old Man Du’s sentiment to my Master,” Di Yao nodded politely.
“My respects to the young,” Du Wan sighed, “I had thought little friend Yang was the absolute best amongst the younger generation of this world’s Alchemists, but upon seeing little friend Di, I now realize that this old master’s eyes are still too inexperienced, little friend Di is in no way inferior to little friend Yang.”
“Old Man Du, how do you know that his Alchemy technique is comparable to Yang Kai’s?” Mi Na asked curiously.
“Hoho, Alchemists are not the same as ordinary cultivators, when you become as old as I, you naturally will be able to see through such things,” Du Wan smiled.
Mi Na glanced over at Di Yao and found that the latter actually wore an indifferent expression as if accepting Old Man Du’s evaluation was only natural. Mi Na snorted with dissatisfaction at this and immediately said, “It seems you’re quite the arrogant one.”
“Huh, I am?” Di Yao was dumbfounded.
Mi Na nodded and said, “I want to see if your Alchemy technique is really on par with Yang Kai’s. Old Man Du, let him sign up, who knows, maybe he’s just an embroidered pillow, pleasant to look at but ultimately useless.”
“Mi Na, don’t be rude!” Old Man Du quickly reproved.
“Good, since Brother Yang is participating, of course, I have to participate,” Di Yao cut in happily, “Senior Du, how about I enter under the name of your Alchemist Guild branch?”
Hearing this, Du Wan couldn’t help smiling bitterly and shaking his head, “It seems my old friends will be suffering some massive haemorrhaging today.”
Originally, with just Yang Kai participating, first place was already his, and now that Di Yao was also joining in the fun, clearly no one else stood any chance of winning.
[I hope they aren’t hit too hard,] Old Man Du secretly thought.
Now that Di Yao was joining in, Yang Kai could only keep him company while trying not to stir up too much trouble.
Du Wan went over to the high platform at the head of the square and completed the registration process, soon returning with two numbered plates for Yang Kai and Di Yao.
These two youths were different from all the other Alchemists present, both of them wearing casually expression without the slightest tension or excitement. It seemed that they really were just here to play casually.
While they were waiting, a group of people, a number of old folks at their head followed by some young Alchemists.
Yang Kai suddenly understood that these should be the old friends Old Man Du mentioned.
When this group arrived in front of them, each of them smiled and exchanged greetings with each other, the scene was quite harmonious.
These old guys had been friends for many years so naturally, their friendship was quite deep. On the other hand, the younger generation Alchemists were all glaring at each other with some faint hostility, making for a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
The older generation members also detected this but made no attempt to stop it, on the contrary, they instead were constantly stimulating these young people with their words as if they feared the world would not be chaotic enough.
As a result, the calmness of Yang Kai and Di Yao caught their attention. All of Old Man Du’s old friends tried to inquire about these two youths’ details but Old Man Du would always just laugh them off and change the subject.
Suddenly, a gong sounded and wind instruments sang out, causing the extremely lively scene to quickly calm down.
Atop the high stage, a majestic voice soon called out, “Greetings everyone, this one is Floating Clouds City’s Alchemist Guild branch’s manager, Liu Fu. To all of the Alchemists visiting from afar, this Liu extends his warmest welcomes. No matter what everyone’s purpose for visiting Floating Clouds City is, so many friends from so far away gathering together is a rare occurrence so my Alchemist Guild has taken this opportunity to host this Alchemy competition. I hope all of you will put forward all your skills today so we may decide the number one Alchemist among the younger generation.”
After saying a few words of greeting, Liu Fu quickly went over the contest’s rules as well as the final reward.
The announcement of a Saint Grade pill furnace being awarded to first place instantly turned the eyes of countless Alchemists red.
Mi Na was also incredibly excited, her expression burning with passion as if she would not relent until that Saint Grade pill furnace was hers.
After speaking for a while and rallying everyone’s spirits, Liu Fu paused and swept his eyes over the crowd, smiling as he announced, “Now, let the contest begin! Please find your position according to the number plate you received!”
As soon as he shouted so, hundreds of people poured into the square. All of these people were Alchemist from the younger generations, having a maximum age of no more than forty. All of these Alchemists had at least reached the Mysterious Grade while only around ten percent were Spirit Grade Alchemists.
Yang Kai and Di Yao exchanged a glance before they too slowly walked towards the square.
The two of them were the last to sign up, so their location was naturally at the back corner and it was quite clear their tables had just been added.
If it weren’t for Old Man Du pulling strings, the two of them would definitely not be eligible to participate.
However, this also lined up well with Yang Kai’s intentions, he could take this opportunity to discuss cooperating with Di Yao.
On the tables in front of them, there was a Universe Bag, Yang Kai picks it up and examined it with his Divine Sense, quickly discovering it contained a large number of herbs as well as a pill furnace.
The pill furnace was Mysterious Grade Mid-Rank and the grades of the herbs were also not high, only a few reaching Spirit Grade. With these imposed limitations, most of the Alchemists here would be able to easily display their skills while making it easier for the judges’ final review and comparison.
The Alchemy competition was divided into several events, the first one being the refinement of medicinal liquid. The higher the amount of medicinal liquid one could condense within a specified time, and the purer that medicinal liquid was, the higher their score would be.
It could be said that everyone’s starting point was exactly the same so the end result would be up to each individual’s own skill.
Liu Fu gave the word, and the contest officially began.
Yang Kai took out all the herbs in the Universe Bag, picked up a few of them, and rested them atop the palms of his hands before refining them with his True Qi, a relaxed expression upon his face the whole time.
Sweeping his eyes over to Di Yao, Yang Kai found the former had done the same.
An outstanding Alchemist would be able to refine several herbs into a medicinal liquid at once.
Mi Na, who was located in the centre of the square, also displayed an impressive speed.
Although she had no confidence in competing with Yang Kai, compared to all the other Alchemists gathered here, she was undoubtedly excellent.
Flames of True Qi danced and herbs were quickly condensed into medicinal liquid and their impurities removed, these movements were all smooth and orderly.
“Brother Di!” Yang Kai called out as his hands continued moving, “About the cooperation you mentioned before.”
“Have you considered my offer?” Di Yao called back, his speed also not dropping in the slightest.
“We can cooperate, but I want to know if your goal is not the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower, why are you participating at all?”
“I’m afraid I can’t say right now. All I can tell you is that condensing the medicinal liquid has great benefits for you and me alike. Naturally, the medicinal liquid I condense can all be turned over to you, your several Martial Uncles and Martial aunt need it, right?”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded, his brow furrowing slightly in the next instant, “If it is convenient, can you tell me what these benefits are?”
“It’s not that it is inconvenient, it’s simply that I don’t know,” Di Yao smiled and shook his head, “My Master only told me so much, I am simply complying with his instructions.”
Di Yao once again mentioned his mysterious Master, only increasing Yang Kai’s curiosity, he didn’t know just how powerful and influential this Master was, but he knew that if he asked anything directly, most of his questions would simply receive no answer.
“There are four Third Order Transcendents on my side that can escort me to Ascending Heaven Cliff, what about you, Brother Di?” Yang Kai decided to focus on things he could get an answer to for now.
“Senior Ao Gu will probably give me a few Transcendent Realm masters as escorts, but I don’t know exactly how many; however, as long as we work together, our chances will be much higher than most. At the start it will be a battle between Transcendent Realm masters, but once we reach the peak of Ascending Heaven Cliff, it will be a battle between Alchemists, and the strength of most Alchemists can be a discounted direction, so you and I should easily be able to snatch up the Thousand Year Demon Flower,” Di Yao smirked.
“Good, then we’ll go with that. We’ll act together on the day the flower blossoms,” Yang Kai nodded, putting down the medicinal liquid he had just condensed before raising his hand.
Di Yao was dumbfounded, “So fast?”
In the short time they were speaking, Yang Kai had actually condensed all the herbs into medicinal liquid.
The old men on top of the head platform who was in charge of supervising the competition all stared blankly, seemingly unable to believe one of the competitors had already completed the first event.
However, before they could return to their senses, in the next moment, Di Yao also hurriedly raised his hand, only lagging behind Yang Kai by a few breaths.
Immediately, one of the Saint Grade Alchemists flew down from the high platform and came over to Yang Kai and Di Yao; after checking their medicinal liquids, he announced in a somewhat strained voice their successful clearance.
Sitting atop the high platform, Du Wan smiled as he stroked his beard, seemingly having expected this scene from the start, his expression the very picture of calm as if he was simply enjoying the mid-day sunshine.
On the other hand, Old Man Du’s old friends couldn’t sit still, one of the yellow-faced old people asking, “Brother Du, where did you find these two little monsters? The speed they condensed their medicinal liquid was basically on par with our own.”
“Hoho, that’s a secret,” Du Wan smiled and shook his head, “I hope all of you are prepared to shave off a few pounds of meat.”
The faces of a few old fogies atop the platform turned bitter at these words, all of them clear that Du Wan had been assured of victory in their little game and that they had all stupidly walked right into his trap.
But all of them had been old friends for many years, so naturally, they wouldn’t renege on their debts for something like this and transfer things out of their Universe Bags.
On the contrary, they all became quite interested in these two outstanding young Alchemists, and they were all quite pleased to see the younger generation filled with such hopeful talents.
In the first test, out of the original several hundred contestants, more than half were eliminated. These people were unable to condense all of their herbs into medicinal liquid within the prescribed time or had failed too many times in the process.
Mi Na managed to enter the second round so she was quite happy.
After the first round, the second began immediately – portraying Spirit Arrays.
Using the Mysterious Grade Mid-Rank pill furnace inside the Universe Bag, the competing Alchemists were to portray Spirit Arrays. There was no time limit for this round, the more Spirit Arrays one could portray and the more complex their structure, the better.
Yang Kai and Di Yao once again easily won first place.
Third round, control of fire.
Fourth round, arranging medicinal herbs.
Fifth round, sixth round…
Finally, the last round was a competition of refining pills.
There was no time given to the competitors to rest and in just over a day, the Alchemy contest was completed; in the end, only Yang Kai and Di Yao remained.
Mi Na had been eliminated during the fourth round and although she was a bit frustrated with this result, it was still quite a good showing for her. After a few compliments from Old Man Du, she was immediately happy again.
In front of the whole crowd, when the last round of the competition came around, Di Yao took the initiative to forfeit.
For one, from their previous contest, he already knew he wasn’t Yang Kai’s opponent. Although their accomplishments in the Alchemic Way were quite close, there was still a small but obvious difference.
Di Yao also didn’t want to expose the full extent of his and Yang Kai’s abilities in front of so many people. The previous rounds were just side by side, single technique comparisons, so there wasn’t much of a problem showing off a little bit, but if the two of them were to go through the entire process of refining a pill, some things which were best kept secret would definitely be exposed.
Their Alchemy speed and methods were simply too unusual.
The Alchemist Guild experts were somewhat astonished, never having expected Di Yao to give up such a great opportunity, but after noticing his indifferent expression and mentality, they relaxed.
“Brother Yang, I’ll say goodbye here for today, let us meet again soon. I’ll be heading back first, or Master will yell at me again,” Di Yao said, and under the escort of the two Transcendent Realm guards, strolled back towards the City Lord’s Mansion.
Liu Fu stood atop the high platform and announced that the winner of the competition was Yang Kai and then delivered the prizes promised by the Alchemist Guild to the latter on the spot.
A Universe Bag filled with rare herbs and a Saint Grade pill furnace.
Countless people stared with envious eyes.
Yang Kai immediately threw the Saint Grade pill furnace to Mi Na, causing the little girl to become so excited she ran up to him and kissed him on the cheek.
“Little friend Yang, come here,” Du Wan smiled and beckoned him over to a corner of the high platform.
Yang Kai nodded and walked over.
“Kid, who is your teacher?”
“How about coming to my Three River City’s Alchemist Guild branch? We’re much richer than Grand Boulder City’s branch and there are many more beautiful women there as well.”
“If you keep following Du Wan, your future prospects will be limited. This old fart already has half a foot in the grave, you should come with us instead.”
As soon as Yang Kai arrived, all the old fogies beside Du Wan began bombarding him with such comments as they stared at Yang Kai feverishly.
Yang Kai was shocked, the enthusiasm of these old fogies was way too high and he immediately felt smothered.
“Do all of you old farts, have you no shame?” Du Wan cut in, “Since when did I become a half-dead old man? Actually trying to snatch a treasure right in front of me? If any of you dares say anything more, this old Du will go all out with you!”
“Du Wan, save your energy, what’s the point in becoming so excited at your age? Be careful not to strain your back,” Someone laughed.
“Your age is not small either,” Du Wan snorted back.
“This Junior is grateful for various Seniors’ care,” Yang Kai took this chance to get in a few words, “But Junior does not intend on pursuing the Alchemic way for his entire lifetime, I wish to spy on the peak of the Martial Dao. Studying Alchemy is just a way for me to compliment my pursuit of the Martial Dao, so Junior is sorry but he must reject your good will.”
The crowd of old fogies were all dumbstruck, their jaws dropped as they stared at Yang Kai, even Du Wan was no exception.
“You want to immerse yourself in the Martial Dao? With such astounding aptitude in Alchemy, why would you insist on pursuing the Martial Dao? Young man, don’t you understand what kind of potential you have?”
“Indeed, this is simply a waste of the gifts the Heavens have bestowed you. If your objective is to protect someone, you can do so easily by enhancing your Alchemy skills. As long as your Alchemist grade rises to a certain point, there is nothing in this world you cannot obtain, whether it is wealth, privilege, reputation, status, or beauties. On top of that, you won’t need to struggle to obtain them yourself, as long as you put out the word, someone will naturally deliver it to you.”
“After becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster, you will receive all kinds of advantages, no matter where you go, even if you visit the Demon Land or Monster Domain, those Demon Race and Monster Race powerhouses will treat you as a respected guest.”
The group of old folks continued their attempts to persuade Yang Kai, painstakingly describing the wondrous prospects of becoming a top tier Alchemist in an attempt to change his mind.
“My only hope is to reach the peak of the Martial Dao!” Yang Kai declared firmly, without the slightest hint of uncertainty in his eyes.
Everyone was struck speechless.
The Martial Peak was not something one could achieve simply by pursuing Alchemy.
Feeling the steadfast determination of Yang Kai, everyone sighed as they all thought he was ruining himself.
“Du Wan, you must spend some time talking to this little boy, he’s too young and impetuous, I’m afraid he cannot see far enough into his future to understand,” The old man who invited Yang Kai to Three River City before whispered into Du Wan’s ear.
Du Wan nodded lightly, “When I have a chance to, I will speak with him.”
Du Wan obviously also felt like pursing the peak of the Martial Dao would be too much of a waste given Yang Kai’s aptitude for Alchemy.
Coughing lightly, Du Wan said, “This matter can be set aside, for now, little friend Yang having his own goals is a good thing, young people must naturally have their own thoughts and pursuits.”
He was afraid that the zealous teachings of these old guys would have the opposite effect which would do no good in the end so he quickly changed the subject, “Since you all are willing to gamble, you must be prepared to lose, are you all ready?”
Hearing this, the crowd of old fogies all suddenly wore bitter expressions as they clenched their teeth and scowled towards Du Wan, “You old fox!”
Although they all said as much, none of them was about to renege on their bet so they all took out their own Universe Bag and tossed it to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and in an instant; there were five new Universe Bags in his hand.
“Heh heh, who made you all so overconfident?” Du Wan laughed happily while saying to Yang Kai, “Little friend Yang, no need to act polite, if you have a liking for anything you see, just take it, the good things in their Universe Bag were all gifted to them anyways.”
“Then… Junior will be impolite,” Yang Kai also smiled and in front of these old folk’s nervous stares, released his Divine Sense and carefully examined the Universe Bags.
After simply seeing the content of the first Universe Bag, Yang Kai’s face changes greatly.
It was worthy of being the Universe Bag of a Saint Grade Alchemist, everything contained inside was extraordinary, there was nothing below Spirit Grade Low-Rank, and whether it was pills, herbs, Secret Arts, or artifacts, there was no shortage of items which had reached Saint Grade.
There were also a number of strange items Yang Kai couldn’t identify.
But regardless of what it was, the aura and energy fluctuations given off by them made it obvious they weren’t ordinary.
Yang Kai was dazzled but after confirming that there were no herbs he needed in this Universe Bag, he then began the difficult process of choosing something else.
“Young man, do hurry up, this old master can’t help feeling a little anxious if you act so slowly,” The owner of this Universe Bag couldn’t help but comment.
“Old Man Du, can I only take one thing?” Yang Kai turned an awkward look to Du Wan.
“En, my bet with these old friends was for one item each,” Du Wan nodded gently before suddenly wearing a mischievous grin, “But my old friends are all generous characters who are especially fond of promising young talents, therefore, I think it won’t bother them if you were to take something more as a sign of their appreciation, isn’t that right, Brother Chang?”
Saying so, Old Man Du smiled crookedly at the owner of this Universe Bag.
“Of course!” The old man surnamed Chang’s face was a dark shade of blue but he still managed to smile and nod; even though he knew he was being conned by Du Wan, in front of a promising young Junior, he would lose too much face if he were to say no, “This Chang has always been the epitome of generosity.”
As he somehow managed to form these words, his mouth twitched violently and his fiery gaze made it abundantly clear he couldn’t wait to beat Du Wan to a pulp.
“Then I’ll take these two things,” Yang Kai calmly took out two herbs from the Universe Bag.
The old man surnamed Chang’s face suddenly loosened, quickly snatching back his Universe Bag from Yang Kai and nodding, “Take it, take it!”
Seeing him like this, it was obvious that the things taken by Yang Kai weren’t particularly precious to him, thus he was able to relax.
Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t reach out for a mile after taking an inch; this time, he had really picked up a huge bargain, being able to obtain two Saint Grade materials from this Universe Bag already made him more than satisfied.
With these two Saint Grade herbs as the primary materials, Yang Kai could later refine two Saint Pills.
After processing the first Universe Bag, Yang Kai moved on to the second one and after he swept the contents with his Divine Sense, his eyes couldn’t help lighting up.
He found an ingredient he urgently needed inside this Universe Bag, a stalk of Congealed Dew Grass!
From the items on the recipe Li Rong gave him, the Congealed Dew Grass was a must have. The environment this herb grew in was extremely demanding and although it may exist somewhere in Tong Xuan Realm, it was still incredibly rare.
What’s more, the Congealed Dew Grass in this Universe Bag had reached absolute perfection in terms of shape and age.
Yang Kai unceremoniously accepted this stalk of Congealed Dew Grass as well as another Saint Grade from the Universe Bag.
The third and fourth Universe Bags didn’t have anything of particular interest to Yang Kai so he simply picked two Saint Grade herbs from both at random.
Finally arriving at the last Universe Bag, Yang Kai carefully began looking through it.
A moment later, he couldn’t help revealing a somewhat disappointed look because he did not find any of the ingredients he was looking for and was preparing to casually pick something when his expression suddenly changed and his focus was drawn to a particular item inside the Universe Bag.
After examining this item for a while, a faint smile appeared on his face as he muttered, “It really is the same.”
As he muttered, he took out two items.
Everyone who saw what Yang Kai pulled out though couldn’t help revealing a strange look, because although one of the items was a Saint Grade herb of similar value to the ones he had taken before, the other was actually a small round dark stone.
“What is this?” Du Wan’s swept his eyes over the stone and asked curiously.
The other members of the older generation gathered around also examined this tone and shook their heads.
Apparently, none of them recognized what this round black stone was.
The owner of the Universe Bag also shook his head slowly and said, “Don’t look at me, I don’t know either. When I first found it, I just thought it was quite strange and placed it in my Universe Bag. After so many years though I haven’t been able to identify it or understand what it is for. Does little friend Yang happen to know what it is?”
Asking so, he turned his eyes to Yang Kai.
“I also don’t know, I just thought it was unusual so I chose it.”
“Good, then you can take it away, in any case, I have no idea what kind of material it is so it’s pointless to hold on to it,” The owner of the Universe Bag said generously.
“Many thanks, Senior,” Yang Kai smiled and stored the dark round stone into his Black Book space.
With the gambling debts having been settled, Yang Kai asked to be excused and then jumped off the high platform.
The old fogies still wanted to try persuading him some more, but before they could open their mouths Yang Kai had already made his escape, so they could do nothing but sigh.
“Du Wan, you must not let him go astray. It is rare such a good seedling appeared; he will definitely achieve great things in the Alchemic Way. None of us wants to see him ruin his own promising future.”
“En, Du Wan, you have to persuade him after going back. If you can’t, I’ll come to snatch him and bring him back to my Three River City.”
“This old man will do his best,” Du Wan smiled bitterly, somewhat unable to understand in his heart why Yang Kai was so obsessed with the Martial Dao. In this world, eighty percent of the people studied Martial Dao and could be called cultivators.
But among them, Alchemists were rare. There might not necessarily be one qualified Alchemist among 10,000 cultivators, and those who had good aptitude in Alchemy were even scarcer.
Alchemists with both excellent aptitude and high skill were admired existences wherever they went goes. It was simply impossible for this little brat to not understand the gap between ordinary cultivators and Alchemists yet he still insisted on pursuing the Martial Dao instead.
…..
After meeting up with Fei Yu, Yang Kai and his Martial Aunt immediately returned to the inn to share with Cang Yan and the others the results of their discussion with Di Yao.
Having listened to what they had to say, Cang Yan nodded slightly, “If that is the case, our chances would undoubtedly be much higher. That kid is a VIP guest of Ao Gu’s, so the City Lord will definitely not be stingy with him. At that time, the bodyguards he will have accompanying him will include at least one or two Third Order Transcendents, and that is only a conservative estimate.”
“Martial Uncle, how long will it be until the Thousand Year Demon Flower blooms?”
“Specifically how long, I don’t know, but according to the ancient records I’ve seen, there will be a Heavenly Manifestation before the Thousand Year Demon Flower blossoms, so we’ll know when it is time.”
“Now there are many people gathered around the mountain waiting for the Thousand Year Demon Flower to blossom, some of them are even camped out on Ascending Heaven Cliff, but the closer one stays to the target, the more dangerous it is, so there’s no need for us to worry,” Li Wan smiled confidently, “Little Martial Nephew, you have a good rest, for now, when the time comes, we’ll be sure to escort you there.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
Returning to his room, Yang Kai sat cross-legged and took out the two dark round stones from inside his Black Book space.
“Hey, isn’t that the stone you obtained last time from that ancient cave mansion?” Fei Yu asked curiously, “How come there’s an extra one now?”
“I just obtained the second one from an Alchemist Senior’s Universe Bag,” Yang Kai explained, he had specifically chosen the dark round stone for this reason, “Martial Aunt, do you have any idea what these things could be used for?”
“I honestly don’t know, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen this kind of thing,” Fei Yu shook her head.
“How odd,” Yang Kai was also quite puzzled. Even a powerful Alchemist Senior couldn’t even recognize what material this stone was and had not been able to inquire about its use or identity for several decades.
Yang Kai instinctively felt that these two dark round stones were not simple.
Circulating his True Qi to probe them, releasing his Divine Sense to examine them, Yang Kai tried multiple methods but discovered nothing in the end.
After half a day, Yang Kai reluctantly gave up and stored them away again.
Over the following days, Yang Kai entered a kind of secluded retreat inside the inn, always maintaining his peak condition in order to cope with the upcoming battle.
His Martial Uncles and Martial Aunt were also making their own preparations.
One morning, while Yang Kai was meditating, he suddenly opened his eyes as he felt a strange change in the World Energy around him.
It felt like some invisible force was drawing it in, gathering it in one specific direction.
Before he could even figure out what was happening, the situation became heated.
Even though he was indoors, Yang Kai felt a sudden gust of wind blowing and all the doors and windows began to creak.
Fei Yu also opened her beautiful eyes hastily and muttered, “This is…”
As she spoke, a light flickered across her eyes as she leapt towards the window and stared off into the distance, excitedly calling out, “The Thousand Year Demon Flower is about to bloom!”
Yang Kai’s spirit shook.
From the next room over, the sound of rustling clothes sounded. Apparently, Cang Yan and the others had already set out. Yang Kai and Fei Yu exchanged a single glance before the two of them also jumped out the window and flew off.
At the same time, all of Floating Clouds City began boiling up as countless cultivators rushed into the streets from all directions and stared towards the tall mountain in the distance.
“There’s movement from the Thousand Year Demon Flower!” Someone shouted.
This sentence set off everyone’s excitement.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and stared at the tall mountain peak, only to see, high up in the sky, a five coloured burst of light shining atop the clouds. World Energy continuously gathered towards the five coloured light while all of Floating Clouds City erupted into activity.
“Let’s go!” Cang Yan called out before transforming into a streak of light and speeding towards the mountain.
The crowd quickly followed behind.
*Shua Shua Shua…*
Countless people all began rushing out.
Yang Kai realized just how high the difficulty of this competition would be in an instant, there were Transcendent Realm masters everywhere he looked. Although only a few of them were Third Order, the total number of competitors was still far greater than what Cang Yan had previously estimated.
The Transcendents who just rushed out of Floating Clouds City already totalled more than four hundred, and that wasn’t even counting the ones who had camped out on the mountain in advance.
Even a conservative estimate right now would place the number of Transcendents involved in this event at over five hundred.
Such a terrifying number made Yang Kai’s scalp feel somewhat numb.
Above the City Lord’s Mansion, Ao Gu, Zhou Liang, and Jin Jiao stood tall, staring at the movement atop the distant mountain peak, each of them wore dignified expressions.
“Grandmaster seems to have gone as well,” Jin Jiao caught sight of a certain figure leaving the City Lord’s Mansion and commented.
“Hm? Isn’t Grandmaster a Saint Realm master? In the past, the Thousand Year Demon Flower failed to bloom because of the presence of a Saint,” Zhou Liang was shocked.
“You don’t have to worry about it. Grandmaster seems to have taken some kind of pill to temporarily suppress his cultivation,” Ao Gu said faintly, “After all, the last time the Thousand Year Demon Flower bloomed, he was the one who condensed its medicinal liquid. Obviously, he knows more about it than anyone else.”
Hearing this, Zhou Liang and Jin Jiao both breathed a sigh of relief.
Although they had only recently met Grandmaster and done him some small favours, they had already gained unimaginable benefits from him.
The Saint Pill the Grandmaster had refined for them had allowed both their physiques and Souls to grow substantially. Although the cultivation of the three Saints had not improved, all of them realized they had grown noticeably stronger.
Grandmaster arriving in Floating Clouds City was really an unexpected blessing for them.
In order to repay Grandmaster’s kindness, Ao Gu and the two Vice City Lords had spared no effort to ensure the safety of his disciple, dispatching the strongest guards from the City Lord’s Mansion to serve as his escorts.
From the Three Clans, a total of six Transcendents were deployed, two of which were Third Order while the others were all Second Order, it was a considerably luxurious lineup.
Ao Gu and the two Vice City Lords were originally preparing to snatch the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower. Although the three of them no longer needed it, each of them had friends and relatives who could make sure of it.
But since Grandmaster arrived, the three of them felt somewhat embarrassed to ask for even more benefits.
Floating Clouds City’s Transcendent Realm masters all flew forward as swift as the wind, rushing to be the first to reach the peak of the mountain.
A grand battle had also already erupted at the foot of the mountain.
No one wanted to let someone else go first and everyone around was an enemy, so it was only natural that some hot-blooded individuals would think of eliminating their competition first. A little friction between individuals triggered small-scale battles which then expand and affected others, causing more and more masters to quickly join in.
Under the protection of Cang Yan and the others, Yang Kai was able to safely rush into the chaotic battlefield.
A team with four Third Order Transcendents was still a very powerful force in this situation and everyone in their surroundings seemed to realize Cang Yan and the others weren’t easy to deal with, so most tried to avoid provoking them for no reason.
Screams rang out one after another. In this kind of large-scale melee, naturally there were injuries and deaths; blood and broken limbs were scattered about miserably.
The distance of several dozen kilometers to the mountain’s base was crossed by Yang Kai’s group in less than half the time it would take to burn a stick of incense.
When they arrived here, Yang Kai and the others paused and watched as others continued rushing towards Ascending Heaven Cliff.
Cang Yan turned around and asked in a deep voice, “Little Martial Nephew, is that person who agreed to collaborate with you not here?”
“Not yet,” Yang Kai shook his head as he could not spot Di Yao.
“Should we continue heading up?” Li Wan asked slightly anxiously.
“Let’s wait a moment,” Cang Yan’s brow wrinkled, “If Little Martial Nephew’s inference is not wrong, then that boy must know some secrets that others don’t. If we act together with him, it will definitely be to our advantage.”
The first ones to rush up the mountain would not necessarily be the ones to laugh in the end, the mountain had plenty of potential dangers so whether they could reach the summit of Ascending Heaven Cliff was still unknown.
Standing in the same place and waiting quietly, Yang Kai and his group saw some other teams consisting of two or three masters excitedly rush up the mountain from time to time.
After the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, Di Yao’s voice suddenly called out, “Brother Yang!”
“Over here!” Yang Kai quickly waved his hand as he turned around and saw the lineup the other side had brought, his eyes immediately flashing brilliantly.
He discovered at this moment that he had still been underestimating Di Yao’s ability as a whole seven masters were accompanying him.
Six of these masters belonged to the Three Clans and each of them was either a Second or Third Order Transcendent while the last one was somewhat a mystery; Yang Kai couldn’t spy on his cultivation and the other party’s face was also concealed by a cloak. It seemed this individual was not willing to expose his true face.
However, from the small bit of skin he exposed, it was easy to tell that this person was an old man.
After staring at this old man for a moment, Yang Kai’s expression changed as he faintly guessed something, but he did not take the initiative to ask.
The masters from the City Lord’s Mansion and the four Soaring Heaven Sect Protectors stared at each other, both sides seem quite satisfied with the other’s strength, suddenly wearing happy expression as they felt the opposite party would not drag them down.
“This event is of great importance, so I hope everyone here can cooperate sincerely to insure we are all satisfied in the end. I want to remain friends with Brother Yang when this is all over after all,” Di Yao said with a smile.
The six masters he brought all nodded firmly, “Young Master Di can rest assured.”
Cang Yan also nodded, “Little brother is too polite, but despite that, I must take this opportunity to confirm, the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid, do you truly not need it?”
“Indeed, I have already explained this to Brother Yang,” Di Yao confirmed.
“Good, then there should not be any issues,” Cang Yan said in a satisfied tone, “Since that is settled, let’s go.”
“There’s no rush,” Di Yao smiled and shook his head, “Wait a moment, it’s not time yet.”
“Wait a moment?” Cang Yan’s brow wrinkled, although he also knew that this kind of opportunity could not be obtained simply by rushing forward, now that the Heavenly Manifestation had emerged, it was certain the Thousand Year Demon Flower was about to bloom, with so many people rushing forward, if they were to delay too long, forget about eating meat, there wouldn’t even be soup left for them to drink.
“It’s still too early, all of this is just a precursor to the Heavenly Manifestation. When the real Heavenly Manifestation emerges, it won’t be too late for us to go up,” Di Yao didn’t explain too much as he replied with a relaxed look, not showing any signs of tension at all.
Cang Yan and the others were puzzled and couldn’t help but ask, “Little brother, it’s not that we don’t believe you, but we’re somewhat curious, how much do you know about the Thousand Year Demon Flower?”
“En, well, more than any of you at least, heh heh,” Di Yao grinned confidently.
As they were talking, Yang Kai couldn’t help glancing suspiciously over at the old man who had covered his face with a cloak. He instinctually thought this person was Di Yao’s mysterious Master!
Di Yao knowing so much about the Thousand Year Demon Flower was definitely because of this old man.
The old man also seemed to be aware of Yang Kai’s gaze and the corners of his mouth slightly rose as he said, “Is this little brother the one who won the final victory in the Alchemy contest the other day?”
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“En, the younger generation is filled with talent,” The old man commended lightly.
Cang Yan and the others also glanced over at this old man suspiciously, somewhat unable to understand what this person’s background or status was that allowed him to have such a big tone.
“Yang Kai!” Suddenly, a sweet sounding voice called out. Yang Kai turned around to state at the source and sure enough, he saw Mi Na and Old Man Du both approaching. Before they had even arrived, the little girl was exchanging enthusiastic greetings.
But when they arrived in front of one another, Yang Kai couldn’t help staring at her solemnly and asking, “How come you’re here?”
Old Man Du let out a helpless sigh and explained, “This little girl really can’t sit still and insisted on coming to take a look at the excitement, so this old master had no choice but to come with her.”
“You’re deliberately causing trouble!” Yang Kai reproved her seriously.
Mi Na couldn’t help spitting out her tongue and replying coyly, “I just came to watch, I won’t be going up so there shouldn’t be any danger.”
“All the same, be extra careful,” Yang Kai sighed.
Mi Na glanced all around and smiled happily as she commented, “If you don’t go up, you’ll probably not be able to obtain a spot.”
“We’re waiting,” Yang Kai replied casually.
“Waiting for what?”
“For when the real Heavenly Manifestation appears.”
“The real Heavenly Manifestation?” Du Wan also wore a blank expression, even he knew very little about the Thousand Year Demon Flower. But after mulling over these words, his eyes suddenly stared at the old man in the cloak pensively and after hesitating for a moment, he nervously asked, “May I ask your Excellency’s honoured name?”
His tone of voice clearly conveyed a sense of tension.
Yang Kai’s eyes also couldn’t help but flash.
“Ho ho, the name of this old master is not worth mentioning,” The old man said with a chuckle.
Du Wan’s body shook as if he had been struck by lightning, his eyes going wide as he stared at this old man incredulously as he muttered, “You… you are…”
“Shh…” Di Yao quickly raised his finger to his mouth.
Du Wan, however, was too excited, as if he was a devout believer who had met his spiritual leader, in the next instant bowing deeply as he shouted, “Disciple Du Wan, humbly greets Grandmaster!”
Yang Kai, Cang Yan, and everyone else all froze on the spot, completely dumbstruck.
Du Wan was the head manager of the Grand Boulder City’s Alchemist Guild branch, a figure famous throughout the entire realm. Saint Grade Alchemists were incredibly rare, so someone of Du Wan’s status would be regarded as an honoured guest wherever he went, others would treat him with reverence and respect but now, this famous Saint Grade Alchemist, had actually not hesitated to bow down before this old man and even claimed to be his disciple.
This was all simply too shocking.
Everyone was stunned silent, even the six Transcendent Realm masters that Di Yao brought with him were completely ignorant, they had only been ordered to come here and didn’t know much about Di Yao or the identity of this old man.
The old man suddenly smiled wryly, “There’s no need for you to do this, haven’t you seen this old master hiding his face so as to avoid attracting too much attention?”
As if he had awoken from a dream, Du Wan stood up straight, sweat pouring down his forehead as he harshly blamed himself, “Disciple has been negligent in his conduct and hopes Grandmaster will not take offence.”
“It’s fine,” The old man waved his hand lightly and chuckled, “How did you recognize me?”
“Does Grandmaster not remember?” Du Wan said with excitement, “When disciple was young, he had received some guidance from Grandmaster, and although it was only a short ten days, disciple has always remembered Grandmaster’s teachings and voice.”
“So that’s how it is,” The old man gently nodded.
Cang Yan’s face also suddenly changed as he cried out in a voice much higher pitched than normal, “So it’s him!”
Listening to Du Wan’s words, Cang Yan immediately guessed who this venerated old man really was, he also understands why Ao Gu had to take such good care of Di Yao, even sending six Transcendent Realm masters to escort him to Ascending Heaven Cliff.
It turns out Di Yao’s Master was a true top-tier character!
Only such a person could teach a disciple like Di Yao. At this moment, Cang Yan understood everything.
“Who is he?” Fei Yu whispered as Li Wan and Fei Jian also looked at him curiously.
Cang Yan glanced over at the old man and saw that he didn’t intend on stopping him so he moved his lips silently.
Understanding these silent words, Fei Yu, Li Wan, and Fei Jian were all dumbstruck once more.
Yang Kai also read Cang Yan’s lips and couldn’t help feeling shocked.
Old Man Of Heaven’s Keep!
The Grandmaster Alchemist who had earned the respect of Human, Demon, and Monster Race alike, and, like Yang Kai, a possessor of a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
Cang Yan recognized his identity because Du Wan had once mentioned to him a long time ago he had studied under the Old Man Of Heaven’s Keep for ten days when he had begun his Alchemy career.
When Du Wan mentioned this just now, Cang Yan had naturally pieced things together.
Cang Yan couldn’t help feeling excited, in fact, everyone here was so.
After all, the legendary Old Man Of Heaven’s Keep was in front of him. Cang Yan and the others unconsciously converged their strength and momentum and became respectful, their eyes filling with a look of worship.
Yang Kai also secretly examined this legendary figure, his mood somewhat turbulent.
There were very few people with the Conflagrated Knowledge Seas, and even fewer of those were high level Alchemist. In this world, it was likely that he and the Grandmaster in front of him were such cases.
This commonality made Yang Kai want to hear from this old man about the secrets of the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai’s current use of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea was still somewhat rough, but this Grandmaster was different. The latter had lived for countless years and whether it was in terms of experience or knowledge he had countless times more than Yang Kai. If Yang Kai would gain a massive amount of benefits if he could discuss this with him.
However, Yang Kai was still somewhat uncertain about whether he should disclose the secret of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
While he was debating this idea in his head though, the Old Man Of Heaven’s Keep suddenly laughed, “Since you have all recognized me, this old master won’t bother with these cheap tricks.”
Saying so, he lifted the hood from his cloak and revealed his face.
“Grandmaster, disciple has long wished to see Grandmaster again, to listen to Grandmaster’s teachings face to face, and now, finally…” Du Wan was so excited that he was actually sobbing between his words.
“When this matter comes to an end, we will have some time to talk. You having your current achievements greatly pleases this old master. This old master taught you for only ten days, and you being able to reach this step is all thanks to your own skill and efforts,” The Old Man Of Heaven’s Keep said lightly.
Du Wan was extremely flattered and continuously thanked him.
“Don’t call me Grandmaster, if people were to hear it things would only become more complicated. En, this old master’s real name is Li Rui, you call me Old Man Li.”
“Yes,” Du Wan respectfully responded.
“Who is this Senior, why does Old Man Du call himself a disciple?” Mi Na was still unaware of the situation and whispered to Yang Kai.
“You should ask Old Man Du some other time,” Yang Kai replied quietly.
“Hmph, acting all mysterious,” Mi Na spat disdainfully.
Given her personality, if she had encountered such a situation before, she would definitely have come right out and said, “Hey old man, who are you?”
But when she saw how Old Man Du was acting, Mi Na didn’t dare speak too rashly.
She was blunt but not an idiot.
Before the group of people had recovered from the excitement, Yang Kai looked over at the Old Man Of Heaven’s Keep and asked, “Old Man Li, Brother Di knowing so much about the Thousand Year Demon Flower, were you the one who told him?”
“Indeed,” Old Man Li nodded lightly as he glanced over at Yang Kai and smiled, “Little friend, I feel from you an aura somewhat similar to my own, after the conclusion of this event, would you care to speak of few words with me? If you don’t mind, I believe there are many things I can help you to understand.”
Cang Yan and the others’ eyes all brightened as they silently signalled to Yang Kai to accept.
Yang Kai was a promising young Alchemist and the other side was the world’s foremost Alchemy Grandmaster. No matter who it was, they would leap at the chance to listen to the Old Man Of Heaven’s Keep’s teachings. Such a great opportunity suddenly appearing in front of their Little Martial Nephew, how could they not encourage him to agree?
Yang Kai couldn’t help smiling wryly. He had just been agonizing over whether to disclose the secret of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea to Old Man Li, but now it seems the other party had been aware of this secret all along.
Now, with no need to hide anything, and given the fact that Yang Kai felt no maliciousness intent from this powerful old master, he quickly nodded, “I’d like nothing more!”
“Good good good,” Old Man Li nodded with a big smile.
“Master, let’s talk about this Thousand Year Demon Flower with Brother Yang and the others, they all must be quite confused right now while hoping you can dispel their doubts,” Di Yao suggested.
Everyone turned their attention to Old Man Li upon hearing these words.
Old Man Li drew a light breath before nodding, “Good, making Di Yao wait here was indeed this old master’s intent, because the Heavenly Manifestation really has not yet appeared. The Thousand Year Demon Flower is currently in the process of opening and it will be around another half a day before it truly blossoms, it won’t be too late to ascend the mountain then. All there is up there now is a chaotic battlefield; going now has only detriments and no benefit.”
“A thousand years ago, when the Demon Flower last bloomed, it was Master who condensed its medicinal liquid, so in regards to it, he definitely knows more than anyone else,” Di Yao added.
Cang Yan and others were once again shocked.
This piece of news was something they had never heard of before.
A thousand of years ago, the Old Man Of Heaven’s Keep certainly did not have the same aloof status and worldwide fame as he did today. At the time, he was also just a young man like Yang Kai and Di Yao.
As time passed, he had gradually earned his reputation until finally, the name Old Man Of Heaven’s Keep had been etched into Tong Xuan Realm’s history.
As for his early exploits, most of them had basically been forgotten by the world.
Old Man Li smiled and slowly continued, “The Thousand Year Demon Flower is said to originate from the Starry Sky. Legend has it that many years ago, a seed fell from the Heavens onto Ascending Heaven Cliff and the Thousand Year Demon Flower came into being, its medicinal liquid is able to greatly enhance one’s chance of breaking through to the Saint Realm, so every thousand years, there is an epic struggle for it in which many masters lose their lives.”
“Many masters have attempted to monopolize this Thousand Year Demon Flower over the years, but no matter how many people searched for its whereabouts, before the time came, none of them ever found a trace of it. Ascending Heaven Cliff, once reached a height of ten thousand meters, but now it is only eight thousand because many have tried to smash open its summit in order to find the Thousand Year Demon Flower.”
Everyone listened carefully, as if afraid they would miss something, their demeanours all extremely focused.
“Why couldn’t they find it? I have always been very curious about this; since the Demon Flower is so important, why has no one ever successfully taken it from Ascending Heaven Cliff?” Mi Na asked the question on everyone’s mind.
“Because the Thousand Year Demon Flower is not there!” Old Man Li glanced at her and smiled, “What you see, is not the real Thousand Year Demon Flower!”
“Not the real thing?” The crowd was stunned.
“En, it is indeed a rare treasure of heaven and earth and contains extremely mysterious energy. After waiting for a while, when you see it, you will naturally understand what this old master means,” Old Man Li seemed to have no intention of hiding anything, freely explaining all he knew, “Also, it is quite sensitive, once it detects the aura of a Saint Realm master, it absolutely will not blossom. Long ago, many Saints tried to obtain the Thousand Year Demon Flower during its scheduled blossoming, but each time the Demon Flower failed to bloom, that is why in recent times no Saint has participated in this event.”
“Old Man Li, what should we do after this wait?” Cang Yan asked quickly.
“Escort these two youngsters until they enter the flower, after that, everything will be up to their own abilities. There’s nothing more you can do to help them.”
Hearing this, Cang Yan couldn’t help feeling confused.
Old Man Li laughed and said, “Saying anything more now won’t make it any clearer, when the time comes, you will understand.”
Cang Yan and the others nodded slightly and no longer asked.
While they were speaking, the violent battle up ahead continued. It was as if the entire mountain had become a battlefield with various Transcendent Realm masters escorting their Alchemists to the summit all while competing against their surrounding rivals.
Gradually though, the fight calmed down. It seemed as though everyone had noticed that something was not right with the Thousand Year Demon Flower and had ceased their battle for now.
Half a day later, the five coloured rays atop the mountain peak burst and in the sky, a beautiful flower bud appeared.
This flower bud was so massive that even those back in Floating Clouds City, several dozen kilometres away, could clearly see it suspended mid-air above the summit of Ascending Heaven Cliff.
Everyone also saw that this flower bud had no physical form and was instead purely composed of energy; it was extremely mysterious.
When this flower bud manifested, the World Energy within a few hundred kilometres immediately began madly flooding towards it.
The streams of converging World energy were visible to the naked eye and were constantly pouring into the flower bud, disappearing in the next instant.
At the same time, atop the mountain, the masters who had survived the previous war all rushed towards the flower bud.
Several dozen teams comprised of hundreds of Transcendents all exerted their full strength in an attempt to claim this prize.
The battle that had just calmed down broke out once again, and this time, it was even bloodier and crueller than before.
Masters continuously fell as Martial Skill and artifacts flashed across the sky, shredding both bodies and Souls. Even the Alchemists who were being protected by these masters were not spared in this chaotic melee.
In a flash, several teams were completely annihilated, leaving no survivors behind.
Everyone couldn’t help wearing dignified expressions as they suddenly realized just how intense this competition would be.
“Old Man Li…” Cang Yan asked once again, his face quite tense.
“There’s no rush!” Old Man Li slowly shook his head, his expression remaining as calm as ever.
Cang Yan took a deep breath and steadied his mood, waiting quietly for the moment to come.
A short time later, one team managed to rush over to the flower bud, but this team did not even have time to rejoice before they were submerged in attacks by the crowd that followed.
In the vicinity of the flower bud, countless people fought a bloody battle.
There were also some cunning people who avoided this whirlpool of death and were trying to find ways to condense the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid, but no matter what they tried, they failed to achieve anything. Helpless, they could only turn towards the flower bud and join the fray.
This battle over the Thousand Year Demon Flower had greatly damaged the strength of several dozen forces and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Transcendents.
After another hour or so, the World Energy in the air gradually became thinner, apparently, it had all been absorbed into the flower bud of the Thousand Year Demon Flower and reached a saturation point. The flower bud which had been closed the whole time also began showing signs of blooming.
“It’s time,” Old Man Li said lightly.
“Let’s go!” Cang Yan shouted, and with Yang Kai and Di Yao in the middle, their team set out, each of them using their movement skills to quickly rush towards the bud.
Their group of twelve, with the exception of Yang Kai and Di Yao, were all Transcendents, six Third Orders and four Second Orders, whether it was in terms of number or strength, they were amongst the most formidable teams on the mountain.
However, Cang Yan and the others still dared not relax, tightly surrounding Yang Kai and Di Yao to ensure not the slightest harm came to them.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the huge flower buds ahead and gradually, the closed petals began expanding outwards, blossoming faster and faster. Cang Yan and the others had only made it halfway up the mountain yet the Thousand Year Demon Flower had almost fully bloomed.
Suddenly, a multi-coloured light burst out and an inexplicable energy fluctuation pulsed across the sky. Under the influence of this strange energy, everyone couldn’t help suddenly calming down.
The remaining masters also stayed their hands, each of them directing all of their attention towards the now open petals of the Thousand Year Demon Flower, each of them putting their guards up and monitoring their surroundings while signalling to their respective Alchemists to begin condensing the medicinal liquid.
Unfortunately, though, none of these Alchemists knew where to start, the True Qi they sent out towards the blossomed flower was able to wrap up its petals but that was all, no sign of refining or condensing occurred.
This discovery made everyone’s expression sink.
All of them had scrambled madly to be here, many of their teams having suffered heavy injuries or even deaths, but now they couldn’t make any progress at all, what was the point in all of this then?
By the time Yang Kai’s group arrived, the Thousand Year Demon Flower floating in the sky had already been surrounded with almost no free space for them to settle down on.
“Go to the position where the centre of the flower is!” Di Yao suddenly whispered.
As they had no idea what else to do, upon hearing this, Cang Yan led everyone towards the indicated spot.
The centre of the flower (the pistil) was naturally a very eye-catching position, and at this moment it was already occupied by two powerful teams, each of them searching for a way to condense the medicinal liquid.
The arrival of Yang Kai’s team had immediately aroused their attention and vigilance.
The two competing teams both turned to face their new opponents, their attitudes surprisingly consistent.
Perceiving the number and cultivation of the other party, Cang Yan’s brow furrowed, quickly summoning his Saint Grade sword and pushing his Flame Attribute True Qi to condense a giant flame sword, his momentum rising to its peak as he stared towards his opponents.
“There’s no need to settle this with violence,” Di Yao said before immediately calling out the two other teams, “How about you open up a spot for us and in return I tell you how to refine the Thousand Year Demon Flower.”
“Do you know how?” The eyes of the opposite groups all flashed upon hearing Di Yao’s words.
“Probably,” Di Yao smiled lightly, “But if you don’t agree, we can only fight it out.”
Di Yao used a perfect mix of courtesy and force, his expression calm the whole time.
Hearing his words, the other side’s expressions all became solemn. When they scanned this group of newcomers, they realized that the situation was not good; although their numbers and cultivations were more or less even, in the end, their side was still made up of two different teams so acting in unison would be difficult. On the other hand, Cang Yan’s side were one whole, so if a fight were to really start, their side would clearly be at a disadvantage and would likely be the ones ultimately forced to withdraw.
The masters from the two teams glanced at each other and quickly reached a consensus.
The two teams merged together, opening up a spot for Yang Kai’s group.
Di Yao’s expression brightened, appearing somewhat pleasantly surprised. He had just been speaking casually before and had not anticipated things would go so smoothly, quickly saying, “Thank you!”
As he spoke, their team settled into the open space.
Stepping onto the broad petal, Yang Kai had a strange feeling.
Although the Thousand Year Demon Flower was purely composed of energy and had no physical substance to it, the energy itself was so rich it was no different from a solid form.
“We’ve given you a spot as agreed, now why don’t you tell us how to condense the medicinal liquid?” Once of the masters from the other two teams stared at Cang Yan vigilantly while asking Di Yao.
“Just wait,” Di Yao smiled and didn’t answer.
The masters from the other two teams suddenly looked uncomfortable, silently circulating their True Qi and raising their guard, preparing to take action at any moment.
After about ten breaths of time though, at the very pistil petals, a ripple of energy visible to the naked eye appeared, attracting everyone’s attention and causing them to become even more alert.
Di Yao suddenly leaned over to Yang Kai and whispered something into his ear; Yang Kai nodded silently in response.
Immediately after, Di Yao went around to all the others in the group and told each of them something.
This little action didn’t go unnoticed by the other two teams of course, and one of their masters soon angrily called out, “What are you doing? If you dare try to deceive us, we’ll make you pay a steep price!”
Di Yao just laughed however and casually said, “Rest assured, I will tell you how to condense the Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid, I won’t deceive you.”
“You better!”
As the two were speaking, the ripples from the pistil became more and more pronounced, as if small stones were constantly being thrown into a calm lake.
From the pistil, where the ripples were originating, a mysterious energy began appearing and spreading out.
“Go!” Di Yao suddenly shouted and together with Yang Kai, rushed towards the epicentre.
The two’s speed instantly reached an extreme and in the blink of an eye they had already arrived at the centre of the ripples.
In the next instant, a shocking scene took place; the two young men dove into the ripples and, as if they had fallen into a deep pool of water, completely disappeared.
Although the masters from the other two teams had been on full alert, none of them had anticipated such a strange and sudden development, and by the time they came to their senses were too late to stop it.
These masters instantly became furious and were just about to attack when Cang Yan suddenly said, “Wait a moment.”
“You group of lying bastards, what do you want to say at this point!?”
“I can let your Alchemists go in, only on the other side is it possible to condense the medicinal liquid, but all of you must stay behind and help us guard this entrance. You don’t want any other opponents to break in, right?” Cang Yan said calmly while still holding his Saint Grade sword covered in flames, exerting an invisible pressure on them.
All of the other teams’ masters were somewhat stunned by this proposal but with no time to think it through, they simply nodded, “Good!”
“Thank you!” Cang Yan gestured.
The Spirit Grade Alchemists from the two teams quickly followed after Di Yao and Yang Kai and dove into the pistil, their figures disappearing in the next moment.
Four Spirit Grade Alchemists suddenly disappearing into the flower had naturally attracted a lot of attention from the surrounding teams.
Although none of them understood what was happening, all of them were keenly aware of what needed to be done and faintly felt that this occurrence was related to how to condense the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid.
Dozens of sharp gazes focused on the pistil and in the next instant, countless teams rushed over.
Cang Yan grinned fiercely and the Saint Grade sword in his hand suddenly transformed into a roaring Fire Dragon that shot towards the incoming crowd.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Fei Jian pulled open his bow and shot out a barrage of powerful, yet invisible arrows skewering several of the incoming opponents.
Li Wan’s short body suddenly radiated a dazzling golden radiance and in an instant, his barely adult-sized body transformed into a massive giant towering over everyone else.
Fei Yu’s red lips parted as she blew a watery mist from her seemingly delicate mouth. This mist morphed into a giant serpent that bore its fangs and struck like lightning towards nearby cultivators. Each of its victims immediately became red faced and disoriented, as if they were completely drunk and incapable of even standing up straight.
In the air, there was suddenly a strong smell of wine which was both fragrant and intoxicating.
The four masters from Soaring Heaven Sect suddenly bursting out their complete strength sent a cold chill down the backs of the other Transcendents beside them guarding the Demon Flower’s pistil.
None of them dared hold back either, whether it was the Transcendents from the other two teams or the six guards sent by the City Lord’s Mansion, they also displayed their most formidable Martial Skills and artifacts.
In an instant, Martial Skills and artifact strikes flew out atop the petals of the Thousand Year Demon Flower and an earth-shaking battle began.
Although the Soaring Heaven Sect Protectors, City Lord’s Mansion guards, and the masters from the two unfamiliar teams totalled eighteen masters altogether, and each of their individual strengths was no low, a few fierce tigers were still unable to beat back a massive pack of wolves. Facing hundreds of Transcendent Realm masters, they quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.
After less than twenty breaths, all of them had suffered varying degrees of injury. Li Wan, who was at the forefront, had already been beaten bloody by the countless attacks he had endured.
Cang Yan’s expression was incredibly solemn as he fought while keeping a thread of Divine Sense locked on the pistil, making sure not to miss any changes that occurred.
After the four Spirit Grade Alchemists entered, the ripples spreading from the centre of the petals began slowing, and as time passed they began fading.
Soon, the ripples stopped propagating at all.
“Retreat!” Cang Yan shouted, no longer daring to stick around, grabbing Li Wan and fleeing as swift as the wind and quick as lightly.
Fei Yu, Fei Jian, and the six guards from the City Lord’s Mansion were close behind.
The remaining two teams were stunned, unable to understand why their allies had suddenly abandoned their position, but without Cang Yan and the others, it was impossible for them to continue guarding this place so they too hurriedly escaped.
At the pistil, the guards had left and the door was wide open.
The cultivators who had just arrived were overjoyed and hurriedly tried to escort their own Alchemists forward in order to have them follow after Yang Kai and Di Yao.
But to their dismay, now that the ripples had ceased, no matter how hard they tried, no one else was able to enter the flower.
For a time, countless shouts and curses rang out.
Meanwhile, Cang Yan and the others had already returned to the base of the mountain, each of them bathed in blood and panting heavily for breath, even the beautiful Fei Yu was a complete mess as a tinge of fear still gripped her heart.
Fortunately, all of them had only needed to guard the entrance for about thirty breaths of time, if they had to remain any longer, it was possible none of them would have survived.
All of them had received quite heavy injuries with Li Wan being the most severely wounded. After dispelling his golden giant form, he immediately collapsed to the ground.
Old Man Li quickly stepped forward and gave everyone a pill.
Cang Yan and the others expressed their gratitude before hurriedly swallowing the healing pills.
A short time later, all of them felt significantly better and Li Wan’s injuries had also been stabilized, at least, there was no immediate threat to his life.
“Old Man Li, is this all right?” Cang Yan opened his eyes and turned to look at the Thousand Year Demon Flower which was still floating gently in the sky. Even now, atop its giant petals, there were countless masters looking for a method to enter.
“En,” Old Man Li nodded lightly, “The rest will depend on their own good fortune.”
“Two other Alchemists also managed to go in, we were powerless to stop them,” Cang Yan muttered somewhat dissatisfied.
“No problem, even though they went in, they won’t be able to obtain anything,” Old Man Li laughed, obviously he had great confidence in Di Yao.
“Fair enough,” Cang Yan nodded lightly. With Yang Kai there, those two Alchemists obviously wouldn’t be able to make any waves, that kid had even been able to kill Second Order Transcendents.
“We really must thank Old Man Li for everything,” Fei Yu said, still somewhat distressed, “If it weren’t Old Man Li’s instructions, we would be no better than headless flies like everyone else.”
Who could have thought it would be so difficult to condense the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower. All of them had originally thought that when the flowers blossomed, the nearby Alchemists would simply need to refine it and that would be it. If it weren’t for some lucky coincidences causing Yang Kai and Di Yao to meet and befriend one another, thus allowing them to obtain Old Man Li’s advice, the four Protectors were certainly they wouldn’t have been able to complete their task here so smoothly.
“Hoho, I’ve just lived a little longer than all of you, nothing more,” Old Man Li laughed lightly, “Good, there’s no need for us to wait here, let’s head back to Floating Clouds City, it will be more than a few days before they come out again.”
Everyone nodded and turned towards Floating Clouds City with Old Man Li.
Along the way, Cang Yan found that Old Man Li seemed to be quite interested in his Little Martial Nephew and asked a lot about him. Although there were outsiders present, in the face of Old Man Li’s inquiries, Cang Yan answered as much as possible.
“Oh, so you say he is from a very remote place?” Old Man Li suddenly smiled, “I see.”
“We were also quite surprised, never had I thought such an amazing talent like that kid would emerge from such a small place,” Cang Yan smiled and shook his head. Compared with Yang Kai’s performance, the so called Elite Disciples of Soaring Heaven Sect were mediocre at best.
“You should not underestimate those who are born in lower levels of our world. There are many talented people from all places, but because of various constraints, their development is limited; however, if any of them manage to rise up even in such a harsh environment, they can often ascend to great heights,” Old Man Li lightly said.
“What Old Man Li says is absolutely right,” Cang Yan smiled and nodded, “I would never have believed so before, but after seeing Little Martial Nephew, I am thoroughly convinced. I even heard Little Martial Nephew say he has two Senior Sisters who came out from his homeland who are no worse than him, possibly even better in certain aspects.”
“He has two Senior Sisters?” Old Man Li raised his eyebrows.
“En, Little Martial Nephew has been looking for them, but unfortunately he has no clue where to start. Haa… it truly is difficult to find two individuals in such a vast sea of people.”
Amidst the void, Yang Kai and Di Yao suddenly appeared. The moment they emerged, Di Yao quickly summoned a defensive artifact and a beige light curtain wrapped both him and Yang Kai. With a solemn expression, he hastily called out, “Brother Yang, don’t leave the scope of my artifact, or you’ll be in grave danger.”
Yang Kai didn’t answer though as he was completely focused on the scene in front of him.
Up and down, left and right, there was absolutely nothing but a seemingly endless abyss.
All around there were bright stars while slightly closer by there was a great sun that gave off waves of heat and a pale moon that radiated a cold light, making Yang Kai wonder if he was dreaming.
Although this void was not completely pitch black, have essentially no point of reference and not being able to see where it began or where it ended caused a type of uneasiness to well up in Yang Kai’s heart.
There was no ground beneath his feet and no force pulling him down, he was simply drifting about randomly. The Ascending Heaven Cliff and the Thousand Year Demon Flower had vanished and all Yang Kai could see in his immediate surroundings was something that resembled a dark cave entrance.
Naturally, this was a Void Corridor.
The Thousand Year Demon Flower’s pistil seemed to be an entrance to a Void Corridor and Yang Kai currently didn’t know where it had sent him.
“Where are we?” Yang Kai asked quickly.
“The Starry Sky!” Di Yao took a deep breath and said with an excited expression, gazing around at his surroundings in wonder.
“The Starry Sky?” Yang Kai’s brows jumped as he couldn’t help asking, “Are the legends really true?”
“Of course they’re true,” Di Yao nodded repeatedly, “Most of the world’s masters have heard rumours about the Starry Sky, and there are also many products from the Starry Sky in Tong Xuan Realm, but no one has ever arrived at the Starry Sky or knows what it truly looks like; but who would have ever thought that the Thousand Year Demon Flower was actually a doorway to the Starry Sky?”
“Is this really the Starry Sky and not just some Mysterious Small World?” Yang Kai was still unable to believe it; he was more inclined to believe this was some magical Mysterious Small World.
“Why would I need to lie to you?” Di Yao smiled, “Master told me this place is indeed the Starry Sky; see the large star over there bursting with vitality? That is our Tong Xuan Realm!”
Yang Kai turned in the direction Di Yao pointed and indeed saw a huge star; of course, from where he was standing, this star only appeared about the size of a fist, as if he could hold out his hand and tightly grasp it.
His mood was hard to describe.
“Why is it round?” Yang Kai frowned, he had never expected the so-called Tong Xuan Realm to be spherical in shape.
Wouldn’t the people on the backside fall off? Yang Kai felt deeply worried.
“I don’t know why,” Di Yao shrugged his shoulders.
As the two were talking, their expressions suddenly changed and they quickly turned their gazes to the Void Corridor behind them.
Di Yao manipulated his defensive artifact and brought Yang Kai back a short distance.
The next moment, from the Void Corridor, two more people appeared.
The two men were the Alchemists from the other two teams they had been collaborating with, and as soon as they stepped out of the Void Corridor, the two Alchemists assumed a fighting stance.
Obviously, they also knew that in order to obtain the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower they would have to first defeat Yang Kai and Di Yao.
These two Spirit Grade Top-Rank Alchemists weren’t young and their cultivations weren’t low, both of them First Order Transcendents; however, because they specialized in Alchemy, their combat power was only slightly higher than that of Peak Immortal Ascension cultivators, incomparable with true Transcendents.
But facing two kids like Yang Kai and Di Yao, they showed no fear and firmly believed they would be the ultimate winners.
Yang Kai snickered and was about to respond to their provocation when Di Yao reached out and stopped him, slowly shaking his head and grinning, “There’s no need to fight with them.”
“Huh? Why?” Yang Kai was confused.
Di Yao just laughed in response, “Because they’re already dead.”
Saying so, he turned to the other party and shouted, “Friends, you should summon your own defensive artifacts or your deaths will be quite miserable.”
The two men were stunned by these words and were quite doubtful but after noticing their current situation and location, their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Obviously, they had never anticipated that after entering the Thousand Year Demon Flower they would arrive at the Starry Sky.
This vast and endless abyss greatly frightened them.
Worse though, before they could compose themselves, the two of them felt a powerful destructive force tearing at their bodies.
Their faces changing drastically, neither of them hesitated to summon their most powerful defensive artifacts to protect themselves from this strange energy.
Alchemists were never poor, so their artifacts weren’t bad, the two of them both possessing Spirit Grade Mid-Rank or Top-Rank grade defensive artifacts. This level of the defensive artifact was enough to withstand the full blow of a Third Order Transcendent master.
Unfortunately for them though, in the Starry Sky, such artifacts could only slightly delay their time of death.
The strange energy in their surroundings continuously impacted their defensive artifacts, causing their radiance to quickly flicker and dim like candles in the wind that could be snuffed out in the next instant.
“Where is this?” One of them cried out.
“Who knows,” Di Yao wouldn’t kindly dispel their doubts and simply waved goodbye to them before gradually drifting away with Yang Kai.
The two men were stunned but quickly recovered and immediately took action, not daring to remain a moment longer. But when they prepared to return the way they came, they noticed that the Void Corridor behind them had already closed. Turning around once more, wanting to seek Di Yao and Yang Kai’s help, they noticed that this pair of youngsters had also disappeared. Their eyes went dull as their minds were overcome with terror.
Vaguely, Yang Kai thought he heard some miserable screams in the distance and upon looking back, he saw the two men disintegrate, not leaving behind any bones. Even the two Alchemist’s defensive artifacts broke down into dust and were quickly scattered.
“Does some kind of powerful destructive energy permeate the entire Starry Sky?” Yang Kai quickly realized the seriousness of the problem. The light barrier created by the defensive artifact that Di Yao had summoned also showed traces of being attacked, but this artifact’s grade was obviously incredibly high so there was no need to worry about it collapsing.
“En, the power flowing through the Starry Sky is not something we can resist. Master almost died here a thousand years ago; if it wasn’t for him coincidentally having a powerful defensive artifact at the time, there would be no Old Man of Heaven’s Keep. Master said that in order to withstand the destructive force of the Starry Sky, one’s physique needs to be at least on par with that of a Second Order Saint or have a comparable defensive artifact.”
Yang Kai nodded slightly, now quite curious about the Starry Sky.
He had never known that the legendary Starry Sky would be so dangerous, even just standing in it was life-threatening.
As he spoke, Di Yao’s movement suddenly stopped and he grinned, “Found it.”
As he spoke, he pointed his finger forward.
Yang Kai turned to look in the direction Di Yao pointed and his eyes couldn’t help flashing, “The Thousand Year Demon Flower?”
A short distance away, there was a flower that looked exactly the same as the Thousand Year Demon Flower Yang Kai had seen before floating in the sky, the only difference was that this Thousand Year Demon Flower was countless times smaller
“En, this is the real Thousand Year Demon Flower!” Di Yao nodded lightly, “In fact, the Thousand Year Demon Flower we saw atop Ascending Heaven Cliff is just a projection. The real Thousand Year Demon Flower and Tong Xuan Realm have some kind of inexplicable connection, and through it, the Demon Flower can absorb energy from Tong Xuan Realm. During this process of absorption, its image will be magnified many times and appear atop Ascending Heaven Cliff, but the World Energy it absorbs actually flows here.”
At this moment, the Thousand Year Demon Flower appeared a vibrant green colour and in the centre of its blooming petals, there were a few drops of crystal clear, jewel-like liquid that gave off an intoxicating fragrance, calming the minds of anyone who smelt it.
“Brother Yang, go ahead and take them, condensing this medicinal liquid doesn’t require any special method, as long as one can find the real body of the Thousand Year Demon Flower, they can take it away. These drops of liquid are the essence of the Thousand Year Demon Flower, the wondrous medicine that can greatly enhance a Transcendent’s chances of breaking through to the Saint Realm!” Di Yao explained.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and moved in front of the Thousand Year Demon Flower before carefully counting, soon revealing a happy smile because he found a whole six drops of crystal liquid.
“There are a lot of them, it seems Brother Yang’s luck is quite good,” Di Yao smiled, “Last time, when Master came here, there were only three drops. I was originally worried there wouldn’t be enough for your Martial Uncles and Martial Aunt to use but now it seems there are actually two extra drops.”
“You take these two drops,” Yang Kai said as he took out a jade bottle and carefully collected the medicinal liquid.
“I don’t need them,” Di Yao shook his head, “We made an agreement before that all of the medicinal liquid would belong to you and to me it really isn’t something important. Master is already a Saint, and with regards to myself… En, I want to break through to the Saint Realm through my own efforts and not by external factors.”
Yang Kai looked at him for a moment before nodding, “Then I won’t be polite.”
Di Yao was obviously confident in himself and believed that with his natural aptitude, even if he had no external assistance, he would one day successfully become a Saint.
This was exactly the same as Yang Kai!
When Yang Kai broke through each Great Realm, he never used external forces and relied solely on his own sentiments and efforts. In doing so, his foundation would be more stable. On the contrary, if he relied on external forces, he might actually limit his future potential.
However, unlike Di Yao, who only had Old Man Li, Yang Kai had many friends and family members, so these extra two drops would definitely come in handy one day.
After collecting the six drops of medicinal liquid, Yang Kai was in a good mood and asked, “How do we go back now?”
“There is another Void Corridor nearby which leads back to Tong Xuan Realm, as long as we find it we can go back, but Master didn’t mention anything about its location and told me to seek for it myself,” Di Yao suddenly grinned, “But even if I find it, I’m in no hurry to go back.”
“Why is that?” Yang Kai couldn’t help asking.
“This is an incredibly rare opportunity Brother Yang,” Di Yao said in an excited voice, “This is the Starry Sky, and we are currently surrounded by the power of the Starry Sky which contains countless traces of Heavenly Dao Laws. Cultivating here for a single day is equivalent to cultivating back on Tong Xuan Realm for half a year, and if you can comprehend anything while in this place, it will bring you a lifetime worth of benefits!”
Hearing all this, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he eagerly asked, “Is that true?”
Di Yao nodded firmly.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Yang Kai was impatient to get started and quickly sat down before circulating his Secret Art.
Seeing this, Di Yao was dumbfounded and couldn’t help chuckling, “There’s no need to rush, right now my Saint Grade artifact is blocking the ambient energy of the Starry Sky, wait a moment and I’ll let some of it inside so we can cultivate.”
Saying so, Di Yao’s expression suddenly became dignified as he controlled his defensive artifact and opened a small crack in its light barrier.
Amidst the endless Starry Sky, the beige coloured light curtain that was surrounding Yang Kai and Di Yao thinned slightly and allowed in a wave of violent energy that tore at their bodies.
Immediately, both of the young men showed pained expressions, their bodies trembling as countless small, bloody wounds appeared on their skin.
Although Di Yao had the face of a gigolo and was prettier than most women, his physique was actually quite strong, far surpassing what an ordinary Alchemist would normally possess. It could be said that Di Yao was the same similar to Yang Kai in that not only was he proficient in Alchemy, but also in combat.
Both of them sat within the protection of the defensive artifacts and while they tempered their physiques they also tried to perceive the mysteries of the Starry Sky’s energies, trying to glean some benefits from it.
Quickly, two days passed since they first came to the Starry Sky. For the past two days, Di Yao had been occasionally weakening the power of his defensive artifacts to allow the Starry Sky’s ambient energies to leak in, each time increasing the amount slightly. For him, the harvest was not small.
These two days worth of tempering had made his body a lot stronger.
However, Yang Kai gradually felt somewhat dissatisfied. The Starry Sky energy which was allowed into the defensive shield now had essentially no effect on him at all while Di Yao was obviously being pushed to his limit.
If Yang Kai were to continue cultivating here, it would be impossible for him to make any significant progress.
After thinking about it for a while, Yang Kai suddenly said, “Brother Di, let’s act separately. I can see that maintaining this artifact consumes a great deal of your True Qi, but if you don’t need to protect me as well, your expenditure should decrease significantly.”
These past two days, Di Yao had been constantly taking pills to supplement his True Qi, otherwise, it would have been impossible to maintain this artifact’s shield.
Fortunately, he had apparently brought many high-quality pills, obviously in preparation for this situation.
Hearing this, Di Yao frowned, “Acting separately is fine, but do you have a Saint Grade defensive artifact? It can’t be Saint Grade Low-Rank either, it has to at least be Mid-Rank to withstand the ambient energy here.”
“I think… I probably don’t need to use an artifact,” Yang Kai replied hesitantly.
“…what?” Di Yao apparently thought he had heard wrong, “You want to resist the strength of this Starry Sky energy directly with your flesh?”
“Let me try it first, if I can’t then I’ll think of something else,” Yang Kai suggested.
Di Yao’s brow wrinkled and only after a long silence did he nod slightly, “Then you be careful, although I also think that your physique is stronger than mine, this is no joking matter. This is the Starry Sky, if one’s physique is not strong enough, the only result will be death, even Saint Realm masters are no exception to this!”
“I know,” Yang Kai smiled, “I’m heading out.”
As soon as he said so, Yang Kai left the scope of Di Yao’s artifact.
Now fully exposed to the Starry Sky, Yang Kai immediately felt a drastic difference. From all directions, indescribable energy surged towards him, as if he was surrounded by an invisible enemy that was mercilessly attacking every inch of his body.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Atop his firm muscles, countless small wounds appeared and blood began flowing out, but Yang Kai not only felt pain, but excitement as well.
Sure enough, with just his body alone, he was able to withstand the destructive energy of the Starry Sky; in fact, not only did he not have to worry about his life, if he continued tempering himself like this, the benefits he would obtain were simply unimaginable.
Di Yao’s face went blue in an instant, his expression twitching violently for a while before he let out a long and envious sigh, “Monster!”
He did not dare to leave the scope of his artifact’s protection. Although his physique was indeed above average, it was far from the freakish level of Yang Kai.
Even if he were to take a few more years and dedicate them to tempering his physical form, he may not be able to achieve such a standard.
“How do you feel?” Di Yao quickly calmed down and asked curiously.
“Terrible,” Yang Kai’s face made a pained expression as shot a grin towards Di You, “Would you like to come out and try?”
“Yeah right, I still have some self-knowledge!” Di Yao quickly refused, “Good, since you don’t need the assistance of my defensive artifact, we’ll act separately and see who finds the Void Corridor back to Tong Xuan Realm first.”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded.
“It’s not convenient for us to contact one another here if I find the Void Corridor and reach my limit but you still have yet to appear, I’ll take my leave first.”
“Brother Di doesn’t have to worry about me, when I’ve had enough, I’ll leave here on my own.”
“Then be careful not to die out here,” Di Yao reminded, “Keep in mind that the ambient energy of the Starry Sky is not evenly distributed, there may be some places where it is far more concentrated and violent, you should avoid such places at all cost or you really will die without any chance of burial!”
“There are such places?” Yang Kai’s showed an expression of eagerness and excitement.
Seeing this, Di Yao rubbed his forehead and felt a big headache coming on. He found that Yang Kai indeed had a similar personality to his own but there was one big difference between them. When faced with great danger, he was the type that liked to approach it from a stable position while Yang Kai was the type that liked to dive in and take risks.
“Good, I’ve said what I needed to say if you still die then that’s your own fault. Goodbye, let’s meet again in Floating Clouds City!” Di Yao was too lazy to care about Yang Kai’s recklessness any further and simply cupped his fists, turned around, and prepared to leave.
“Take this with you,” Yang Kai threw something out to Di Yao.
“What is it?”
“Something good,” Yang Kai smiled, “If you suffer any grievous wounds, apply this to them and they’ll soon be healed.”
“Thanks,” Di Yao smiled and nodded before quickly drifting off into the Starry Sky.
Staring at his disappearing back, Yang Kai smiled.
Yang Kai was quite fond of Di Yao, he had received a great deal of help from the latter regarding this time’s quest to obtain the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid. Without Di Yao, Yang Kai knew it would have been impossible for things to have gone so smoothly.
So before they parted, Yang Kai had gifted Di Yao some Myriad Drug Milk.
The Yang Kai from before, who had not delved into the Alchemic Way, could not tell the grade or preciousness of various high-quality medicinal herbs, but now that he was an experienced Alchemist, his vision had become much more refined.
He could now somewhat identify the various grades of the Myriad Drug Liquid series.
The lowest level Myriad Drug Liquid could be considered Spirit Grade while the Myriad Drug Milk was Saint Grade. As for the small amount of Myriad Drug Cream he possessed, Yang Kai was still unable to completely classify it but he always felt it was somewhat different and beyond the scope of Saint Grade.
Giving Di Yao some Myriad Drug Milk was just a simple exchange of gifts between friends.
After quietly standing in place for a moment, Yang Kai turned around and flew off in the opposite direction of Di Yao.
In this endless Starry Sky, the only point of reference he could count on was the first sized Tong Xuan Realm, so Yang Kai has to keep an eye on it while simultaneously searching for the Void Corridor and quenching his body.
The power of the Starry Sky was constantly tearing at his flesh and although this tearing was not life-threatening to Yang Kai, it was enough to cause him significant pain.
In the fresh blood that flowed from his wounds, there was a faint golden radiance.
This was the blood of the Demon God.
Li Rong and Han Fei also said that one day, when Yang Kai’s blood turned completely golden, he would have the same ability as the legendary Great Demon God.
Yang Kai was greatly looking forward to that day.
Time flowed by and Yang Kai lost track of just how long he had been wandering around the Starry Sky. In the beginning, the power of the Starry Sky could wound his body, but gradually, as his flesh became tougher, this destructive energy could only leave behind small scratches on him.
As for the Void Corridor, Yang Kai had still yet to catch even a glimpse of it, so he concluded he was searching in the wrong direction. Apparently, the way Di Yao went was the correct one.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry to find the Void Corridor; shuttling freely through the Starry Sky, he continued looking for places to temper his flesh and comprehend the Heavenly Way.
As Di Yao had said, amongst the Starry Sky, the distribution of the mysterious destructive energy was very uneven; there were places where it was dense and places where it was sparse.
Now, places, where this energy was thick, had become Yang Kai’s goal, only such regions of the Starry sky could effectively temper his physique now.
In this long and boundless journey, Yang Kai’s mood underwent some invisible changes and his Divine Sense became more and more acute.
One day, Yang Kai was sitting in an energy-filled region, quenching his flesh, and allowing his Divine Sense to explore the mysteries of the Starry Sky, when he suddenly felt something was not quite right.
Quickly immersing his consciousness into himself, after a careful inspection, he finally discovered the source of this strange sensation.
It was actually coming from his Wordless Black Book.
Or rather, it was coming from the Black Book space.
The ambient power of the Starry Sky was very slowly pouring into the Black Book space and disappearing without a trace as if it was being absorbed by something inside.
Examining the objects inside the Black Book space for a while, Yang Kai was amazed to discover that the power of the Starry Sky was actually being absorbed by the two strange black stones.
As energy flowed into them, the two dark stones actually shimmered with a dim light and suddenly felt as if they were full of vitality.
Yang Kai was stunned.
He quickly realized that if he wanted to understand what these black stones really were, the power of the Starry Sky was the key!
The old friend of Old Man Du who obtained one of these black stones several decades ago had never managed to learn anything about them because he had never been to the Starry Sky.
This was really a big coincidence, Yang Kai secretly thought, unable to concentrate again on his cultivation as he focused on the changes the two stones were undergoing.
However, after quite some time had passed, Yang Kai slowly gave up.
Because the two black stones seemingly did not change at all from beginning to end, they simply continued to draw in the energy of the Starry Sky while emitting dim light, other than that, nothing else happened.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai no longer wasted his time paying attention to them. Standing up and glancing around casually, he eventually decided on a direction and once again travelled across the Starry Sky.
Any time he sat in one spot, quenching his flesh, the power of the Starry Sky in the vicinity would be consumed and eventually could no longer be used to temper himself.
Time after time Yang Kai changed location, each time seeking out places with increasingly dense Starry Sky; in this way, the intensity of his physique soared upwards.
The wounds he suffered layered against one another. Each time a wound healed and left a scar, another wound would tear open in its place. The ongoing process left his body tattered with horrendous marks. However, this did not bother him. He understood the benefits of this act and continued to suffer the agonising pain, looking forward to the benefits later on.
Gradually though, Yang Kai was unable to find places suitable for his cultivation and regions that had once almost brought him to the edge of death could now be strolled through without suffering any harm.
Although Yang Kai believed there would be more violent energy further out into the Starry Sky, he was worried that if he went any further, he would be unable to find his way back.
If Yang Kai lost his way in the endless Starry Sky, he would definitely die.
Feeling that his harvest was big enough, Yang Kai turned around and returned the way he came. Although the Starry Sky was vast and empty, by using the Tong Xuan Realm as a point of reference he could still make his way back.
Moving forward day by day, although his speed was extremely fast, there was still a long way to go, but Yang Kai was not in a rush and instead was doing his best to relax both physically and mentally in order to obtain the maximum benefit he could from this trip to the Starry Sky.
At some point though, he suddenly paused and frowned.
The power of the Starry Sky flowing around him seemed to have suddenly undergone a strange mutation, something he had never experience before.
Yang Kai immediately became alert and quickly turned around, all the colour draining from his face in the next instant.
As far as Yang Kai could see, across the entire expanse of the Starry Sky, a churning storm like phenomenon had appeared and was approaching his position.
What’s more, its speed of approach was incredibly fast!
Yang Kai was terrified, although he had been searching for places where the ambient destructive energy of the Starry Sky was stronger in order to temper he physique, he had never anticipated such a massive, violent, storm front would instead find him.
Even though this storm was still quite far from him, from the vague energy fluctuations he could sense, Yang Kai felt that an aura of death was moving towards him.
[I can’t withstand it!] In an instant, Yang Kai understood this simple fact. With the current strength of his physique, once the storm caught up with him, it would only take a short time for even his bones to be smashed into dust!
The Starry Sky was filled with danger.
Di Yao and Old Man Li did not know much about the mysteries of the Starry Sky, and had never seen such a Starry Sky storm, so obviously, they had not provided Yang Kai with any information regarding this phenomenon.
Realizing all this, all the hair on Yang Kai’s body stood on end and without any hesitation, he removed the Primordial Shackles which were still on his ankles even now and fled as quickly as possible.
Since Fei Yu gave him the Primordial Shackles, Yang Kai had always been wearing them, but now, in order to increase his chances of surviving even a bit, he had decisively removed them.
Like a bolt of lightning, Yang Kai soared across the Starry Sky, covering great distance in the blink of an eye.
However, Yang Kai still felt his speed was inadequate. Opening his Wind and Thunder Wings behind him, Yang Kai once again rapidly accelerated, reaching his absolute maximum speed a moment later.
The wind was nimble and the thunder was swift. After being completely refined, the Wind and Thunder Wings and merged perfectly with Yang Kai’s Flaming Yang Wings and greatly boosted Yang Kai’s movement speed and agility.
Yang Kai had no idea how long he had been escaping, but he didn’t dare stop nor look back, because he knew that not only had he not opened up any distance between him and the Starry Sky storm, it was instead gaining on him rapidly.
The range of the storm was further than Yang Kai could see, so there was no way he could avoid it, if he couldn’t find some way to outpace it, then there was no way he could escape.
Maintaining his current speed consumed a massive amount of Yang Kai’s True Qi but with the Starry Sky storm behind him closing in, he had no time to care about such consumption. As the storm approached, Yang Kai felt like the sky itself was collapsing on him, leaving him nowhere to run.
As the pressure behind him increased, Yang Kai’s expression became solemn and he suddenly came to a stop. Retracting his Wind and Thunder Wings back into his body, he turned around and stared at the Starry Sky storm that was approaching.
[I can’t escape! It’s impossible to outrun it!]
[Since I can’t escape, I can only resist it directly!]
Yang Kai wasn’t confident he could face this storm head on, but right now he did not have any other choice.
As the Starry Sky storm got closer and closer, Yang Kai was surprised to find that instead of being nervous, he instead felt a sense of anticipation and a desire to compete with this storm made his blood boil. His eyes shining brightly, his spirit was roused and a fierce fighting spirit overwhelmed all of Yang Kai’s other thoughts.
The ambient power of the Starry Sky was filled with violence and destruction, but that was simply incomparable to this Starry Sky storm.
Not far in front of Yang Kai, there was a small Asteroid Sea, where hundreds of thousands of large and small asteroids were floating. Some of them were only the size of a fist while others were bigger than mountains.
Yang Kai had just passed through this Asteroid Sea.
Soon, the Starry Sky storm’s destructive aura reached this Asteroid Sea and, the instant any of the asteroids was touched, it would be ground into dust, regardless of its size.
Hundreds of thousands of asteroids that were spread out over tens of thousands of kilometres were vaporized within a short three breaths of time, leaving behind only a cloud of dust in the Starry Sky.
Seeing this, Yang Kai grinned fiercely.
In the next moment, the Starry Sky storm swallowed him too.
“Devil Transformation!” Whispering in a low voice, a dark Demonic Qi explodes out from Yang Kai’s body as black Demon Crests covered his entire form, disappearing in the next instant into his skin.
Yang Kai’s Blood Force rose madly and the strength of his physique increased rapidly.
Yang Kai next summoned out his Bone Shield and set it up in front of him.
However, this Mysterious Grade Top-Rank defensive artifact only lasted two breaths of time before it shattered in Yang Kai’s hand, unable to play the slightest role.
Devastating energy surrounded Yang Kai, tearing his clothes to shreds and ripping apart his flesh and blood. Yang Kai gritted his teeth and roar in alternation, pushing his True Qi to its limits to form a protective barrier around him.
The moment his True Qi appeared though, it melted away like snow in the early spring.
Yang Kai’s face sank upon realizing that his True Qi couldn’t provide him with any protection.
The only thing he could use to resist this wanton destructive energy was his body.
Understanding this, Yang Kai no longer wasted his True Qi and instead concentrated on the changes in his flesh while doing his best to move in the opposite direction of the storm!
He was like a lonely boat in a violent storm, the waves tossing him back and forth, constantly in danger of being torn apart.
What was truly astonishing though was despite having basically lost control of his own body, he was somehow still alive.
The omnipresent energy of the Starry Sky surged into Yang Kai’s bodies through his innumerable wounds, wreaking havoc both inside and outside his physique.
His five viscera and six organs all suffered grave injuries and every part of Yang Kai’s body was dyed gold as his blood flowed freely. If anyone were to see him right now, he would appear like a man stripped of all his skin, his torn muscles and tendons exposed, a truly terrifying sight to behold.
Even after using his Demon God Transformation, Yang Kai’s tough and powerful body was still incapable of resisting this Starry Sky storm. His body suffering near-fatal damage, his Soul also began to tremble and the Spiritual Energy that comprised his Knowledge Sea was on the verge of being blown apart.
Not daring to hesitate, Yang Kai hastily took out some Myriad Drug Milk and smeared it over his body while swallowing down one Saint Grade herb after another.
The powerful medicinal properties in these raw herbs, combined with his own enhanced Blood Force after the Demon God Transformation allowed Yang Kai’s damaged body to rapidly be repaired, but as quickly as his flesh and blood were restored, they were again torn apart by the Starry Sky Storm.
As time passed, the destructive energy in Yang Kai’s surroundings became richer and more violent as he approached the centre of the Starry Sky storm.
Flesh and muscle were quickly ripped apart, exposing golden bones within.
Naturally, it was the Unyielding Golden Skeleton, the remains of the Great Demon God!
Even in the face of the devastating Starry Sky storm, these bones remained completely unscathed.
By now, Yang Kai had become completely numb to pain and the only thing driving him forward was his stubborn will to survive, he understood that if he were to admit defeat here, he would undoubtedly die.
Although he was still not sure whether he could survive this disaster, while there was still a glimmer of hope, he refused to give up.
Time had never passed so slowly for Yang Kai. Since he had been enveloped by the Starry Sky storm, only the time it would take for half of stick of incense to burn had elapsed, yet to Yang Kai it felt like years had gone by, every single moment was filled with suffering and torture the likes of which he had never even imagined possible before now.
Myriad Drug Milk was constantly being consumed and Yang Kai had no time to care about just how many Saint Grade herbs he had wasted by swallowing them raw.
The cycle of destruction and repair his physique was undergoing continued without end, becoming tougher, stronger, and more able to withstand damage from the Starry Sky storm each time.
After what seemed like an eternity to Yang Kai, the violent energy around him finally began to weaken.
Yang Kai’s very soul shook as he carefully examined his surroundings and discovered that he had already passed through the center of the storm and was now approaching its tail end.
Realizing the most difficult time had passed, Yang Kai was ecstatic, feeling that he really had hope of surviving this tragedy and sparing no effort towards that end.
The violent energy continued growing weaker and gradually, Yang Kai emerged from the Starry Sky storm.
Dizzy and disoriented, it took Yang Kai quite some time to stabilize himself; turning around to stare at the slowly disappearing Starry Sky storm, he couldn’t help letting out a laugh.
His voice was hoarse, but despite its weakness, it was filled with joy.
The next moment, Yang Kai trembled fiercely and weakness overcame him, his consciousness quickly swallowed by the darkness as he fainted on the spot.
…
Amidst the endless void, Yang Kai lay motionless, lacking the strength to even wiggle his fingers, his body and Soul relaxed to the extreme, completely unaware of the changes his physique was undergoing.
He didn’t know how long he had been in a coma, but the dull pain from radiating from his entire body eventually woke him up.
Although he couldn’t see what he looked like right now, Yang Kai knew his appearance must be miserable because he could tell that much of his flesh and blood was missing.
The blood of the Demon God, which radiated a pale golden light, was constantly being generated inside Yang Kai though, circulating through his veins, bringing magical energy and rich vitality to every corner of his body, repairing his damaged flesh.
His Unyielding Golden Skeleton was the source of Yang Kai’s Demon God Blood and after experiencing this disaster, the Unyielding Golden Skeleton seemed to have been stimulated and was now producing pure Demon God Blood slowly. Each drop it generated quickly transforming into Yang Kai’s vitality.
Inside Demon God Citadel, Yang Kai had witnessed the astonishing resilience of the Ancient Demon Clan, their physical prowess was several times stronger than that of Human cultivators.
And the primary reason for this was because they had an excellent bloodline, within their bodies flowed a trace of the Great Demon God’s blood.
But Yang Kai, as the legitimate successor to the Great Demon God, had an even more astounding resilience than the Ancient Demon Clan.
His tough veins and physique squirmed and under the influence of the Demon God’s blood, the damaged areas of his body emitted a faint golden radiance. Broken tendons connected together and become tougher and more flexible while his flesh and blood were slowly regenerated, stronger than ever before.
In this disaster, with the exception of his bones, every inch of Yang Kai’s body had suffered varying degrees of damage.
The bones of the Great Demon God were unscathed by the ravages of the Starry Sky storm because they were tougher than a Saint Grade Top-Rank defensive artifact.
This made Yang Kai pleasantly surprised.
Right now, Yang Kai’s entire physique was no covered in a faint golden aura, even his damaged five viscera and six organs were giving off a golden glow as a staggering vitality gradually rebuilding his flesh and blood.
The Myriad Drug Milk’s medicinal efficacies were still playing their role and complimented Yang Kai’s newly formed Demon God Blood.
Floating in the void, Yang Kai let go of all his thoughts and completely relaxed his mind and body while silently allowing the Demon God Blood to transform his physique and mend his body.
If an outsider were to come across him now, all they would be able to see would be a human-shaped figure shrouded in golden light. This golden light gave off a pure and vigorous vitality that was slowly blending into the hidden figure.
All of Yang Kai’s fatigue and pain gradually disappeared under the influence of the Demon God Blood while his strength also began recovering.
After an unknown amount of time passed, Yang Kai’s eyes began to brighten. At that moment, he felt a few strange energies well up inside his body.
Naturally, these were the energies that had poured into his body while he was enveloped by the Starry Sky storm.
From the various broken parts of his physique, the inexhaustible Starry Sky energy flooded out and after their initial rampage, they gradually settled down, as if they were very satisfied with Yang Kai’s current body and decided to take up residence, becoming a part of his strength.
These Starry Sky energies contained all kinds of profound and mysterious elements and in the blink of an eye, they circulated throughout Yang Kai’s entire body and were quickly absorbed into his physique.
However, all this meant was that Yang Kai had taken in this Starry Sky energy, he still needed to slowly comprehend its mysteries before it could truly be considered his own strength.
Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai immediately calmed himself and immersed his consciousness inside his body.
An invisible door seemed to be slowly opening in front of him, allowing Yang Kai to catch a glimpse of a whole new world he had never seen before.
Faintly, Yang Kai felt as though he was standing atop the clouds, overlooking the mortal beings below.
At that instant, he felt as if he had broken free from the bonds of mortality and arrived at a higher realm of existence.
As his flesh and blood squirmed and regenerated, impurities Yang Kai never knew existed slowly began discharging from his body, purifying his physique while increasing its formidability. At the same time, these impurities were being expunged, an invisible layer of shackles that had been binding Yang Kai was slowly broken and he took a great step forward on his path to the peak of the Martial Dao!
This feeling became clearer and clearer as time passed and gradually Yang Kai’s entire consciousness became immersed in it, his mood becoming calm and steady.
Amongst the endless Starry Sky, Yang Kai lay quietly, his mind lost in this ethereal state, feeling the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way, his Soul undergoing a profound sublimation.
Although his body’s restoration was somewhat slow, not only was it regenerating, it was also undergoing a transformational quenching.
Both Yang Kai’s body and Soul were experiencing rapid improvements; surviving the Starry Sky storm disaster had brought him unimaginably huge benefits.
As his physique was restored and his Soul became stable, Yang Kai soon forgot about the passage of time.
At this moment, he even forgot he was adrift in the Starry Sky as no one was there to bother him.
It wasn’t until after a great amount of time passed that Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly shot opened and flashed brilliantly. Cracking his bones as he inspected himself, Yang Kai quickly noticed the various changes his flesh and blood had undergone.
The mysterious energies in the surrounding Starry Sky were seemingly being drawn into his physique by some kind of invisible force.
After the baptism of the Starry Sky storm, these Starry Sky energies could no longer damage Yang Kai and instead, after pouring into his body, were assimilated and became part of his strength.
An invisible momentum spread out and became stronger and stronger, creating a kind of small storm with Yang Kai at its centre.
His body and soul reached a kind of critical point as every inch of his physique gave off a joyful aura, causing Yang Kai to throw back his head and roar towards the Heavens.
Halos of light suddenly burst from his body and spread out rapidly towards the surrounding Starry Sky.
Then, all of sudden, everything became incomparably calm.
Yang Kai quietly stood in place and felt enormous power course through his body. Gently gripping his fist, he felt like he could reach out and pluck the stars from the sky and move the moon with his hands, the strength he possessed at this moment was unlike anything he had ever felt before.
[Transcendent Realm!]
The moment his body was fully restored, Yang Kai successfully broke through to the Transcendent Realm. From now on, he had truly left behind the mortal plane.
Yang Kai quickly realized the difference between his current realm and the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Whether it was his physical strength or Spiritual Energy, both had achieved astonishing growth and his combat power had improved dramatically.
If he were to fight with Xu Qi and Duan Hai of Bright Thunder Spirit Religion, Yang Kai was confident he could thrash both of them so hard they wouldn’t be able to tell what direction up. It was unlike last time where he had to rely on the power of the Wind Eye to kill them.
Breaking through to a new Great Realm was very difficult, but once one succeeded, they would undergo fundamental changes, which was why all cultivators pursued higher realms with a burning desire that could never be satisfied.
After calming down, Yang Kai began inspecting his body.
What he was most surprised to find though, was that there were no scars left on his body and all the broken parts of his physique had perfectly healed and were even much stronger than before.
Not only that, Yang Kai could feel that the blood flowing through his veins was very different from before. Approximately one-third of his blood no contained devastating power.
This was definitely the Demon God’s Blood.
Moreover, the Unyielding Golden Skeleton had also experienced some kind of awakening; from now on, his bones would continue to produce Demon God’s Blood, slowly replacing Yang Kai’s original blood. It probably would not be long before all the blood in his body completely held a golden hue.
When that time came, his strength would probably experience another dramatic growth.
Closing his eyes and silently contemplating his current circumstances, a grin slowly formed on Yang Kai’s lips and he began to laugh. At first, it was just a small, quiet chuckle, but soon it grew louder until finally it was a riotous uproar that could be heard far off into the Starry Sky.
His journey through the Starry Sky had, for the most part, been arid and boring, but Yang Kai felt it was truly worthwhile.
The benefits he gained from the Starry Sky were unfathomable.
Unfortunately, that kind of Starry Sky storm was probably a very rare phenomenon, so it was unrealistic to want to use it to quench his flesh again. Thus, it was time to go back!
With that idea in mind, Yang Kai took a deep breath before sweeping his gaze around to gain his bearings. Suddenly though, he caught sight of some faint glowing objects in the distance.
He quickly flew over to investigate.
These glowing objects were actually some small pieces of precious ore.
Yang Kai’s expression became puzzled, wondering how these ores would suddenly appear here but after giving it some thought, he realized that there must be leftovers from the Asteroid Sea that was destroyed by the Starry Sky storm.
That Asteroid Sea was composed of hundreds of thousands of large and small rocks so it was not odd there would be some precious minerals in them. After the outer rocks were crushed, the precious ores inside were all that remained as they were the only materials tough enough to withstand the force of the Starry Sky.
This meant, at the very least, these ores were Saint Grade Mid-Rank materials!
If he collected these ores and used them to refine artifacts, Yang Kai should be able to obtain a number of Saint Grade artifacts, provided he could find an Artifact Refiner capable of crafting such artifacts of course.
Yang Kai quickly collected these ores. His Bone Shield had been ground into dust earlier so collecting these materials was quite important to him. If he ever got the chance, he could ask an Artifact Refiner to help him refine a new, better artifact.
Yang Kai’s harvest was quite rich as he managed to obtain hundreds of large and small chunks of ore in the end, most of which, to his embarrassment, Yang Kai could not identify.
However, since all of these were products of the Starry Sky, not being able to recognize them was actually a given.
After stuffing all of these ores into his Black Book space, the feeling of regret Yang Kai had over his lost Bone Shield dissipated.
Taking a moment to find the right direction, Yang Kai embarked on the journey back home.
He didn’t know how long he had spent in the Starry Sky, only that it was definitely not short as it had been at least two or three months alone for his wounds to heal from the Starry Sky storm.
In other words, it had taken him two or three months of uninterrupted meditation and to break through to the Transcendent Realm, the hardship of reaching this realm could easily be imagined.
Him not returning for so long would definitely cause his Martial Uncles and Martial Aunt to grow somewhat anxious.
Time flew by and just when Yang Kai thought he had become completely lost, he finally spotted a green flower bud emitting a faint, pleasant fragrance.
The Thousand Year Demon Flower!
It wasn’t in bloom at the moment but had instead restored its original flower bud form as it gently floated in the voice.
Upon finding this place, a great weight was lifted from Yang Kai’s heart. Many days ago, he and Di Yao appeared near this place and according to Old Man Li, the Void Corridor leading back to Tong Xuan Realm would certainly not be far away.
Circling around the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s location, Yang Kai shuttled back and forth several times until he finally found the Void Corridor.
There was no trace of Di Yao nearby so it was likely he had already gone back.
Both of them had agreed before that they need not worry about the other. If either of them found the Void Corridor and needed to return ahead of the other, they should simply do so. Yang Kai felt that after such a long time had passed, Di Yao should have left the Starry Sky.
Not hesitating for an instant, Yang Kai plunged into the dark corridor and disappeared.
After experiencing familiar dizziness, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by a beautiful and refreshing mountain forest on a warm spring day.
Gazing around, Yang Kai couldn’t help scratching his head as he didn’t recognize where he was.
Releasing his Divine Sense and sweeping the area though, he soon smiled.
In a place a few dozen kilometres away, there were some life auras that should be cultivators.
Using his movement skill, Yang Kai rapidly flew towards this group, arriving nearby a short time later.
After a glance though, Yang Kai’s look became somewhat strange as he found these people to be somewhat interesting.
They were all members of the Human Race, but they were actually grouped in male, female pairs. There were three pairs in total and every one of them was an Immortal Ascension cultivator, their strength neither high nor low.
At the moment, they were fighting a fierce Monster Beast.
From the way they fought, and the way their True Qi was flowing, these men and women pairs seemed to be of one mind and body, in other words, they have all practised some kind of dual cultivation Secret Art.
When two of them acted together, they could bring out strength beyond the sum of their individual cultivations.
Actual Title- Transcendent Realm
When Yang Kai appeared, he did not conceal his aura so naturally, he was noticed by this group.
Although they were in combat, the six people of this group did not forget to maintain vigilance during their battle. Obviously, they immediately realized Yang Kai’s approach and even though they did not feel any hostility from him, they still had one of their pairs break off from the fight and monitor his movements lest this newcomer makes any sudden moves against them.
Yang Kai smiled and didn’t mind their attitude, when one met strangers outside, especially when one was fighting, maintaining a healthy degree of suspicion was undoubtedly correct.
The Monster Beast they were dealing with wasn’t particularly strong, only around a mid-Sixth-Order level, so under the joined attack of the remaining four people, it was quickly killed.
After waiting for them to process the aftermath of their battle and restoring themselves, Yang Kai approached and greeted them in a friendly manner and asked them for directions.
“The way to Floating Clouds City?” One of the women wrinkled her brow and looked at Yang Kai suspiciously before pointing in a certain direction, “Floating Clouds City is that way, if you just travel in that direction you should arriving in three to five days.”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He was really worried that the place he returned to would be a great distance from Floating Clouds City. Tong Xuan Realm was too big after all, if the Void Corridor in the Starry Sky had sent him to some far off place, it wouldn’t be unthinkable for him to need to fly for a year simply to get back.
“This friend, might I ask why you want to travel to Floating Clouds City now? The battle for the Thousand Year Demon Flower ended a year ago, did you not receive news about that yet?” One of the men asked.
“A year ago?” Yang Kai’s face went black, obviously, he had greatly underestimated the passage of time, he had thought he had spent at most half a year in the Starry Sky but apparently, it had been twice that long.
Seeing the look on Yang Kai’s face, the members of the group misunderstood him and thought he really intended to visit Floating Clouds City to compete for the Thousand Year Demon Flower but had made a grave miscalculation in timing.
The three women all stifled their laughter as they stared at Yang Kai like he was a fool.
“En, it ended a year ago. It was said that it the winners of the competition was actually a couple of young kids, but that they’ve now gone missing. Many people are now looking for them, hoping to buy the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid from them,” One of the men with a burly build smiled and explained, “Friend, I’m afraid it’s a bit late for you to be rushing there.”
“Haa… I really had no idea,” Yang Kai said while immediately becoming vigilant in his heart, thinking he should quickly remove the disguising artifact on his face lest someone recognize him and try to ‘buy’ the medicinal liquid from him.
“Where is this friend from? How could you have not received news of such a big event after so long?” The big man asked lightly.
“I come from a remote countryside region, news is a bit slow to reach there,” Yang Kai casually answered, not waiting for them to speak again, cupping his fists and saying, “In any case, you have my thanks, goodbye!”
After saying so, he shot off in the direction the woman had pointed.
“That guy is really interesting, even knowing he’s a year late he’s still in such a rush,” The woman next to the big man smiled and commented.
“That’s his business, in any case, let’s first take a look at the quality of this Monster Beast’s core.”
The group of six suddenly wore excited looks after these words were spoken.
Yang Kai was as swift as wind and quick as lightly as he sped forward, removing the disguising artifact on his face and revealing his original appearance shortly after he parted with the former group of six.
This artifact that Old Man Du had given him was really useful. If he hadn’t had such an artifact at the time, Yang Kai estimated that he would now be facing the pursuit of Transcendents from across the continent.
When he thought about Di Yao and the difficulties the boy toy would encounter, Yang Kai couldn’t help grinning, taking some pleasure in his misfortune.
Of course, with the protection of Old Man Li, even if Di Yao was found, no one should be daring enough to provoke him.
…
Floating Clouds City, City Lord’s Mansion.
Old Man Li and Di Yao had already been here for a year now, making the Three Clans Saint Realm masters, the City Lord and the Vice City Lords, extremely happy.
Although these three masters didn’t know why Old Man Li had lingered here for so long, the latter’s mere presence was a kind of glory all on its own. Every day they would respectfully greet him, completely putting on the appearance of respectful juniors, while taking special care of Di Yao.
At this moment, Di Yao was listening to Old Man Li’s lecture on the Alchemic Way.
Nine months ago, Di Yao had returned after spending three whole months in the Starry Sky and obtaining unimaginable benefits. This had made Old Man Li very satisfied.
He had originally thought that Di Yao would only be able to stay in the Starry Sky for a month, so his Apprentice’s performance far exceeding his expectations had been a pleasant surprise.
As he was lecturing though, Old Man Li suddenly found that Di Yao was a little absent-minded, smiled lightly, and paused to ask, “Are you worried about the little boy surnamed Yang?”
“En,” Di Yao nodded, “At that time if I had only insisted on moving together with him… It’s been more than a year since then yet he’s still not back, Master, you don’t think…”
“If that truly is the case, that is his fate!” Old Man Li sat down and took a sip of tea, placing the cup down after a moment of reflection, “After a year in the Starry Sky, I can hardly imagine him surviving.”
If it weren’t for Di Yao insisting that Yang Kai would return, Old Man Li would have already taken him out from the City Lord’s Mansion to continue their journey around the world. Although Di Yao had an agreement with Yang Kai to meet here, considering the honourable status of Old Man Li, waiting for an entire year was showing more than enough respect.
“Brother Yang shouldn’t have died,” Di Yao’s brows wrinkled, and though his words were firm, his tone showed that even he was somewhat uncertain.
“It looks like you have quite a bit of confidence in him.” Old Man Li chuckled lightly.
“En, I witnessed firsthand the absurdity of his physical strength in the Starry Sky!” Di Yao’s eyes shimmered brilliantly, “Even after spending three months tempering myself in the Starry Sky, I still wouldn’t dare compare my current self with him from that time. I just can’t believe such a monster would die so easily.”
“A year of time is really too long though, it’s possible he lost his way or encountered some kind of unexpected accident,” Old Man Li sighed slightly, “I also don’t want to see a young man like him die, but if that is the case, there is nothing we can do to change it. Yao’er, we should leave here, staying in this place for too long is not good for your education.”
“Master… let’s wait another ten days. If he doesn’t come back after ten days, then let’s leave!” Di Yao asked on last time.
“Good, we’ll wait another ten days to see if he can create a miracle!” Old Man Li nodded lightly, but just as he spoke these words, his face suddenly cramped up and his expression became awkward.
“Master? What happened?” Di Yao asked curiously, he had rarely seen his Master show such an expression, it seemed something truly beyond the latter’s comprehension had happened.
“The miracle you’ve been waiting for seems to have really appeared,” Old Man Li quickly regained his composure and smiled towards his apprentice.
“You mean…” Di Yao suddenly understood and couldn’t help feeling pleasantly surprised.
“En,” Old Man Li nodded lightly.
“Hahaha, I knew that guy wouldn’t die so easily! Where is he now?” Di Yao laughed and asked.
“In that inn.”
“I’ll go find him then! I really want to see what kind of transformation he went through after all this time,” Di Yao said and flew out.
“Remember to bring him over, this old master has something to say to him,” The voice of Old Man Li came from behind to which Di Yao quickly responded.
After his apprentice left, Old Man Li couldn’t help showing some shock on his face as he muttered, “An entire year, did that boy really remain in the Starry Sky this whole time? How did he manage to survive?”
The dangers of the Starry Sky was something Old Man Li had also experienced firsthand, although it was a thousand years ago, even after so long, the Starry Sky was still the Starry Sky, not a place ordinary people could set foot into and return safely.
Half a year ago, Old Man Li determined that Yang Kai would probably never come back, but seeing Di Yao insistence, he had not said anything so as not to discourage his young apprentice.
In this world, it was quite rare to find a person of the same generation who could compete with Di Yao in Alchemy. His apprentice already saw that boy surnamed Yang his life’s greatest rival, regarding these thoughts, Old Man Li was very clear.
But now, Old Man Li found he himself was wrong, incredibly wrong at that!
An old master like him had his own unique vision that had been tempered by many, many years of experience, so there were very few places where his judgment would be so off the mark. Yang Kai’s miraculous return was once such instance though and it even Old Man Li the vague impression it was somehow fated so.
Slowly shaking his head, Old Man Li pondered over this for some time as he smiled temperately.
Inside the inn, the return of Yang Kai surprised Cang Yan and Fei Yu.
Over the past year, his Martial Uncle and Martial Aunt had been waiting in Floating Clouds City, and although Di Yao invited them to the City Lord’s Mansion, both of them had politely turned down his offer.
The entire reason Ao Gu was so open and welcoming to Old Man Li and Di Yao was because of Old Man Li’s status, Cang Yan and Fei Yu obviously couldn’t expect similar treatment.
If Cang Yan and Fei Yu really had gone, Ao Gu would most likely treat them no different to air.
“You little brat, you finally decided to come back!” Cang Yan laughed, putting down a big stone that had weighed on his heart.
Fei Yu’s beautiful eyes also shimmered and were slightly wet, her face dyed slightly red as she stared at Yang Kai, as if she couldn’t quite believe all of this was real.
“Martial Aunt, you’ve been drinking again,” Yang Kai obviously saw through her appearance and was speechless, of course, the strong fragrance of alcohol in the room was a dead giveaway as well so it wasn’t difficult for him to understand what was going on.
“So what if I drink a little wine? What’s it to you?” Fei Yu’s red lips pursed as she glared at Yang Kai for a moment before bursting out into a smile.
“Thank goodness you’re back! Fei Yu was worried to death about you and had constantly been drowning her sorrows in alcohol, it was really suffocating,” Cang Yan quickly complained.
“Martial Uncle Li Wan and Martial Uncle Fei Jian?” Yang Kai looked around and didn’t see the two of them, nor did he discover their auras anywhere inside the inn.
“They’ve already gone back,” Cang Yan explained, “Do you know how long you’ve been gone?”
“I know,” Yang Kai nodded.
“En, the Sect can’t be left empty for so long so they went back in advance while Fei Yu and I stayed behind. Old Man Du and Mi Na also returned to the Alchemist Guild branch in Grand Boulder City with those two. Now that you’re back though, we can also get going.”
“I’ve let Martial Uncles and Martial Aunt worry,” Yang Kai said somewhat guiltily. Even after disappearing for an entire year, there was no look of doubt or suspicion on the faces of Yang Kai’s two Seniors, only some worry about his safety and relaxation after knowing he was fine.
If it had been anyone else who was simply in a cooperative relationship with Yang Kai, they would likely have thought the latter had taken the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower for himself and escaped.
But obviously, his Martial Uncle and Martial Aunt had no such thoughts.
“I was also very worried about you, Brother Yang, why are you not mentioning me as well?” Suddenly, a burst of loud laughter came from outside the room and before it had faded, Di Yao strode inside.
After looking around the room though, Di Yao scratched his head and asked, “Brother Yang? Didn’t I hear his voice a moment ago? Who is this guy?”
As he said so, he swept his eyes over Yang Kai with a puzzled look upon his face.
: /
I’ll see myself out.
Di Yao had never seen Yang Kai’s real face before, so him being confused at this moment wasn’t unwarranted.
Yang Kai smiled at this and said hello.
Hearing the sound of his voice, Di Yao immediately understood, shaking his head wryly as he commented, “It turns out that you were in disguise the whole time, you’re certainly quite vigilant.”
After saying this, Di Yao stared at Yang Kai for a moment before light flashed across his eyes and a look of shock appeared on his face, quickly asking, “Brother Yang seems somewhat different from before, did you break through to the Transcendent Realm?”
Di Yao’s eyes were quite sinister and he quickly noticed what was off.
“I was lucky,” Yang Kai smiled modestly, not bothering to conceal his breakthrough.
Both Cang Yan and Fei Yu were also shocked, it was only after Di Yao mentioned this that they too noticed Yang Kai had reached the Transcendent Realm. Just now, as they were celebrating Yang Kai’s safe return, neither of them had realized this.
This was a big pleasant surprise for them.
“You little brat, in another ten or twenty years, I’m afraid you’ll catch up with your Martial Uncle,” Cang Yan laughed, patting Yang Kai’s shoulder, a look saying Soaring Heaven Sect wasn’t lacking successors plastered on his face.
“Brother Yang, did you really stay an entire year in the Starry Sky?” Di Yao asked curiously, even though he had witnessed the strength of Yang Kai’s physique, he still found it difficult to believe Yang Kai could safely spend such a long time in the Starry Sky.
However, if this wasn’t the case, how could Yang Kai’s cultivation have broken through to the next Great Realm in such a short period of time?
“En, I ran into some trouble up there and only found my way back a few days ago,” Yang Kai admitted.
Di Yao’s face twitched as he was struck speechless.
He had persisted for three months in the Starry Sky but ultimately could not endure any longer and returned to Tong Xuan Realm through the Void Corridor, but even that had earned him great praise from his Master.
Di Yao also felt quite proud of his achievement at the time.
But now, compared with Yang Kai, the difference was simply too great!
“The Starry Sky?” Cang Yan and Fei Yu both heard what the two youths were talking about and couldn’t help showing looks of amazement and disbelief, “Did you just say Starry Sky? Did you really travel to that place?”
“Everyone sit down, I’ll explain everything,” Yang Kai smiled.
Everyone wanted to know about the mysteries of the Starry Sky, and Cang Yan and Fei Yu were no exception.
After the four of them took a seat, Yang Kai began narrating his adventures in the Starry Sky. Not only were Cang Yan and Fei Yu fascinated by this tale, even Di Yao, who had also been to the Starry Sky, was captivated.
Yang Kai had encountered far more wondrous and shocking things than he had after all.
During the three months, he had stayed in the Starry Sky, Di Yao spent most of his time beside the Void Corridor, tempering his body while constantly being ready to evacuate. Yang Kai, on the other hand, had roamed around a great distance and even encountered a devastating Starry Sky storm.
When they heard about how the Starry Sky storm had shattered hundreds of thousands of meteorites, some of which were even larger than a mountain, in a matter of breaths, all of their faces went pale.
They couldn’t even imagine how Yang Kai managed to survive that kind that kind of disaster. From what he told them, they estimated that such a Starry Sky storm would be fatal even for Saint Realm masters.
However, not only did Yang Kai survive, he even became stronger afterwards.
As for how he survived the Starry Sky storm, Yang Kai did not elaborate, only saying he had just brushed the edge of the storm and suffered some lighter injuries as a result. After all, the truth was related to the body of the Great Demon God and the Demon God’s Blood. Yang Kai did not dare disclose too much.
Next, Yang Kai took out a jade bottle containing four drops of medicinal liquid from the Thousand Year Demon Flower and handed it to Cang Yan.
Even the calm and steady Cang Yan, when accepting these four drops of medicinal liquid, could not stop his hands from trembling slightly, a look of excitement appearing on his face.
With these four drops of medicinal liquid, their four Protectors of Soaring Heaven Sect all had a great chance of breaking through to the Saint Realm!
The Saint Realm and Transcendent Realm only differed by one layer but the gap between them was much, much wider than the one between the Transcendent Realm and Immortal Ascension Boundary.
On Tong Xuan Realm, there was no shortage of Transcendents, but Saints were few and far between. Every Saint Realm master was a pillar of their Sect, a rare treasure.
Even the mighty Soaring Heaven Sect only had two Saint Realm masters. In addition to the Martial Ancestor, Chu Ling Xiao, there was another Ancestral Martial Uncle who was currently in a long term secluded retreat. Forces like Bright Thunder Spirit Religion did not have a single Saint Realm master.
“Since Little Martial Nephew is back and we’ve obtained the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower, we should head back,” Fei Yu suggested. She too could not wait to return to Serene Resplendent Peak, enter retreat, and attempt the greatest breakthrough of her life.
“Indeed,” Cang Yan obviously agreed, “But before that, Little Martial Nephew, you have to go see Old Man Li. This time, if not for Old Man Li’s assistance, things would not have gone so smoothly.”
“I was thinking so too,” Yang Kai nodded. Cang Yan didn’t have to remind him to go see Old Man Li; after all, the two of them were probably the only Alchemists with Conflagrated Knowledge Seas in Tong Xuan Realm. Yang Kai felt he could learn a lot of useful knowledge from Old Man Li and wasn’t about to pass up such an opportunity.
“Master also asked me to bring you over,” Di Yao smiled, “Let’s go, we shouldn’t keep Master waiting. Do two Seniors want to come as well?”
“There’s no need,” Cang Yan shook his head, “Please give your honoured Master our sincere thanks.”
“En!” Di Yao nodded before taking Yang Kai and leaving the inn, heading off towards the City Lord’s Mansion.
A short time later, the two youths arrived at the City Lord’s Mansion, and under the leadership of Di Yao, casually strolled inside.
In front of a small house in the back courtyard of the City Lord’s Mansion, Di Yao stopped and called out respectfully, “Master, I’ve brought Brother Yang to see you.”
“Come in,” The voice of Old Man Li drifted over.
Yang Kai adjusted his expression and smoothed his robes before quickly following behind Di Yao.
After seeing the true face of Yang Kai, Old Man Li did not show much surprise, obviously, he had been aware of certain things from the start, simply smiling as he said, “Sit.”
“Many thanks for Old Man Li’s hospitality!” Yang Kai cupped his hands and bowed before taking a seat.
Di Yao personally poured tea for the two before also sitting down next to Yang Kai.
The scented tea filled the house with a calming, fragrant aroma; Old Man Li didn’t talk, and neither did Yang Kai, in front of him was an almost sage-like existence, after all, a man admired and respected by all sentient beings in the world.
Only after a long silence did Old Man Li wave his hand suddenly. Yang Kai immediately noticed that an invisible force had wrapped up the whole room and although he could still see the outside world, anyone trying to peek in from beyond this barrier would be unable to notice anything.
Seeing this, Yang Kai suddenly realized that this white-haired old man in front of him was not just a top-ranked Alchemist, but also an incredibly powerful master.
“I heard from Yao’er that little brother is a disciple of Soaring Heaven Sect, correct?” Old Man Li asked.
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Then this old master must take the liberty to ask, has little friend been a disciple of Soaring Heaven Sect from birth or did you only join the Sect within the last few years?” Old Man Li suddenly asked a seemingly random question.
Yang Kai stared blankly at Old Man Li before replying somewhat in shock, “How did Senior know? I really only pledged allegiance to Soaring Heaven Sect recently, probably about a year and a half ago.”
“Sure enough!” Old Man Li nodded lightly, “Good, as for the specific reason I asked you this, I will explain shortly. First of all though, this old master must ask little brother something again; do you really have a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea?”
As soon as this statement came out, Di Yao’s expression was filled with shock as he turned to stare at Yang Kai in horror.
Yang Kai let out a laugh, “Senior’s vision is indeed sharp when Senior first saw this Junior, Senior had already noticed, right?”
“En, those with Conflagrated Knowledge Seas are more sensitive to others who are the same. The higher one’s strength, the stronger this induction is, so this old master was able to notice, but little brother does not need to be worried, as long as you don’t use your Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, it won’t be easy even for top-ranked Saint Realm masters to notice it.”
“Do you really have a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea?” Di Yao’s eyes bulged wide.
Yang Kai nodded.
“Why you… your luck is really quite enviable,” Di Yao said with a bitter smile. A Conflagrated Knowledge Sea was something he dreamed of possessing, because he has seen the profound mysteries of a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea from his Master. For an Alchemist, a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea and Conflagrated Divine Sense could provide significant assistance; as an Alchemist with exceptional aptitude, how could Di Yao not want one?
But this was not something one could acquire simply by desiring it. A Conflagrated Knowledge Sea was a type of rare mutation that could not be cultivated; it was basically only through luck and coincidence that one could acquire one.
Over the years, Old Man Li had done much research and put in significant effort to help Di Yao regarding this, but the latter’s Knowledge Sea had never undergone any change.
“What is little brother capable of doing with your Conflagrated Knowledge Sea now?” Old Man Li asked again.
Yang Kai scratched his cheeks awkwardly and replied in a somewhat embarrassed tone, “Sneak attacking others who are off guard.”
Old Man Li simply laughed and nodded happily to this though and said, “En, not bad, this is really one of the wondrous uses of a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea. The attack from a mutated Divine Sense is far more lethal than one from an ordinary Divine Sense, even if your opponent is stronger than you, if they don’t have a strong defense around their Knowledge Sea, you can cause them a significant loss, even possibly incinerating their Soul, something fatal to anyone. However… this is just one of its uses, do you know that a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea’s most profound use is in Alchemy or Artifact Refining?”
“Junior has speculated as such but has no idea how to go about using it so,” Yang Kai said with a sigh, adjusting his expression and respectfully asking, “Junior hopes Senior will offer him some guidance!”
Old Man Li smiled and nodded, apparently Yang Kai’s eagerness to learn made him very satisfied.
“This time, I asked you to come so I could pass on to you my experiences regarding this, let loose your Knowledge Sea’s defense,” Old Man Li said lightly.
Yang Kai eyes brightened, quickly calming his breath and lowering his Knowledge Sea’s defences.
Old Man Li’s expression also became serious as he slowly extended his finger, a burst of mystical energy gathering at its tip.
The moment Old Man Li’s finger gently touched Yang Kai’s forehead, a pure and intense Spiritual Energy filled with a massive amount of information poured into his mind.
Not daring to hesitate, Yang Kai hastily began studying this information.
This was the knowledge and experiences Old Man Li had accumulated over many years regarding his own Conflagrated Knowledge Sea including how to use it for Alchemy and other aspects.
All of these experiences and pieces of information were incomparably precious.
Yang Kai soon became completely immersed in his studies as his understanding of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea and how to use it to perform Alchemy rapidly grew.
Wanting to sort through such a vast amount of information in a short time was impossible; after all, this was the sum total of Old Man Li’s experience for the past few hundred years. The latter had imparted all of it to Yang Kai without reservation.
The house was silent as time passed by, neither Old Man Li nor Di Yao spoke to disturb Yang Kai, both of them simply waiting quietly.
After a long silence, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly became clear again, and with a thoughtful look upon his face, he summoned out his pill furnace while taking a few herbs from his Black Book space.
Next, his Conflagrated Divine Sense burst forth and wrapped up the herbs, quickly using his blazing hot Spiritual Energy to condense them into medicinal liquids and then depositing them into the pill furnace.
His Conflagrated Knowledge Sea then penetrated the pill furnace and manipulated the various medicinal liquids, combining and refining them in an orderly fashion.
A moment later, a fresh pill fragrance filled the air.
With a light whooshing sound, a round pill flew out of the pill furnace and Yang Kai grabbed it in his hand before carefully examining it, soon revealing a smile on his face.
A Saint Pill! It had been far simpler and straightforward to refine this pill compared to using his True Qi to do so, all while requiring less time. On top of all that though, Yang Kai felt that if he became more skilled at using his Conflagrated Divine Sense in this manner, the average quality of the pills he refined would increase as well.
Using his Conflagrated Divine Sense for Alchemy was on a completely different level than using his True Qi.
Throughout the process, Old Man Li and Di Yao were also completely engrossed.
Di Yao was thoroughly amazed. Even though he had seen his Master refine pills using his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea many times, he still couldn’t help feeling a sense of wonderment each time it was done. Regarding this unique advantage Yang Kai possessed, naturally he was quite envious.
Old Man Li also gave a firm nod, his eyes flashing brilliantly, the comprehension ability and aptitude Yang Kai just displayed made him feel that sharing his own experiences with this young boy was worthwhile.
This youth will certainly be able to thoroughly understand his many experiences and from there form his own unique opinions and insights.
“Many thanks for Old Man Li’s guidance!” Yang Kai stored away the pill and cupped his fists once more.
“Ho ho, little brother is too polite, this old master teaching you these things also comes with a condition,” Old Man Li smiled.
“Old Man Li, please name it.”
“This old master wants to ask, how did you acquire your Conflagrated Knowledge Sea? Also, I sense that the strength of your Conflagrated Knowledge Sea seems to be no worse than this old master’s. It is difficult for me to imagine, at your age, you being able to cultivate your Conflagrated Knowledge Sea to this level. If it is convenient, can you dispel this old master’s doubts?”
Yang Kai paused to organize his thoughts for a moment before replying, “En, about the first question, it was actually an unexpected accident. I once acquired a piece of Yang Crystal Jade which had given birth to a True Spirit. Hoping to enhance my own cultivation, I attempted to absorb and refine that Jade True Spirit, but I had never anticipated that during the process I would acquire a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.”
“A Jade True Spirit?” Hearing this, Old Man Li’s expression changed greatly, “You’re courage isn’t small, actually daring to absorb such a thing.”
“At the time, I didn’t think too much of it, but looking back now, I realize just how reckless that act was,” Yang Kai grinned wryly, “Fortunately, the Jade True Spirit was not too strong, or there would be no me here today.”
Old Man Li nodded slightly and contemplated for a moment before saying, “Refining a True Spirit indeed could allow one to give birth to a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, but this method is a bit too dangerous.”
Old Man Li asking this was obviously for Di Yao’s sake, the former very much wanted his apprentice to acquire a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, but Yang Kai’s approach was obviously not suitable.
Even setting aside all the danger involved in refining a Jade True Spirit, at the end of the day there was no guarantee this method would allow Di Yao to acquire a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, the fact that Yang Kai could was simply a coincidence.
“About the second question…” Yang Kai slowly said, “My Conflagrated Knowledge Sea’s intensity being comparable to Old Man Li’s is probably because I swallowed someone else’s Conflagrated Knowledge Sea rather than because of my own efforts in cultivating it.”
“Swallowed the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea of another?” Old Man Li’s brow wrinkled slightly.
“Old Man Li misunderstands, I did not rob someone of their Knowledge Sea. In a certain place, I found the sealed Conflagrated Knowledge Sea remnants of a number of cultivators. Since their Spiritual Energy had been relatively well preserved, it allowed me to swallow and refine them to enhance my own.” Yang Kai explained.
“Your opportunities really make others jealous!” Di Yao said without trying to hid his intense envy.
In this world, cultivator with mutated Divine Senses were incredibly rare, to the point it could be said that the only high-level Alchemists with Conflagrated Knowledge Sea in Tong Xuan Realm were Yang Kai and Old Man Li.
There may be others with Conflagrated Knowledge Seas, but most if not all were not proficient in Alchemy and could only use their mutated Divine Senses to fight.
“En, this old master understands,” Old Man Li nodded lightly, “Thank you, little brother, for answering this old master’s questions, the information you provided has been quite helpful.”
“Old Man Li is too polite, Junior has benefited greatly from Old Man Li already,” Yang Kai quickly said, pondering for a moment before asking, “Senior, is there anything else you wish to tell me?”
Before, Old Man Li had correctly guessed that Yang Kai had only joined Soaring Heaven Sect recently but had not revealed his reasoning behind this assumption which intrigued Yang Kai.
Someone of Old Man Li’s status would never make random guesses or say meaningless words, since he had made a point of asking this question, there was obviously something more to it.
“En, this may or may not be related to you,” Old Man Li smiled before handing over a pill to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai accepted the pill and after carefully inspecting it took asked, “Isn’t this the pill I refined?”
This pill was the one he had refined in the inn when he was competing with Di Yao, the one with Pill Veins.
“If it is convenient, could little brother portray the Spirit Arrays you used to refine this pill?” Old Man Li said, quickly adding, “Rest assure, this old master is not trying to spy on your secrets, I just have some doubts about your methods.”
“It’s not inconvenient at all,” Yang Kai smiled. Regarding people like Old Man Li, Yang Kai felt completely relieved sharing his knowledge, quickly using his True Qi to inscribe the Spirit Arrays he had used into his pill furnace.
Soon, the Spirit Arrays had been completed and Yang Kai handed over his pill furnace.
Accepting it, Old Man Li carefully inspected the Spirit Arrays, a thoughtful look appearing on his face after a moment before handing it to Di Yao and saying, “Have a look.”
Di Yao wore a confused expression but still followed his Master’s instruction, a short time later also revealing an interested look.
“How is it?” Yang Kai asked, confused by the reactions of this Master, apprentice pair.
“Interesting,” Di Yao looked at Yang Kai with a smile, “The Spirit Arrays used by Brother Yang have some subtle differences from the ones we use now, they seem more ancient.”
“En,” Old Man Li nodded lightly, “These are very old Spirit Arrays, ones that have been lost to time, and they are definitely superior to the ones we use now.”
“I learned them from a very ancient book,” Yang Kai explained, “If Old Man Li wants, I can portray all of the Spirit Arrays I have learned for you.”
Old Man Li chuckled lightly in response, “There’s no need, this old master asking you about this is not because I want to acquire your methods, but because this old master and Yao’er have encountered these Spirit Arrays before, so I thought that incident might be related to little brother.”
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkles, “I’d like to hear the details please!”
“Brother Yang, it’s like this,” Di Yao began narrating, “I have been cultivating with my Master in the mountains since birth, studying the Alchemic Way for an entire twenty years. Just a few years ago, Master decided to take me out of the mountains and experience the world. I had always thought I was invincible among my peers in the field of Alchemy, but in this Floating Clouds City, I lost to Brother Yang… And before that, I lost to another person two years ago!”
Hearing this, Yang Kai was shocked, “Is there someone out there in our generation who is superior to Brother Di in Alchemy?”
“Good, what made me feel especially depressed was that she was a young woman!” Di Yao looked at Yang Kai with a grin.
Yang Kai was stunned, but suddenly remembering something, his eyes brightened as he eagerly asked, “What kind of woman?”
“I don’t know, her face was covered with a veil but she wore a small sapphire on her forehead and her eyes were exceptionally bright and pure, she should be a great beauty with innocent and cute looks.”
Yang Kai’s breathing gradually became hurried and his voice trembled as he asked, “Was there a somewhat lewd looking old man with her?”
“Lewd?” Di Yao’s expression became bewildered, “En, there was an old man with her who had a bit of a rascally look in his eyes.”
“Was that old fogey surnamed Meng?” Yang Kai took a deep breath and asked.
“Sure enough, they really are related with little brother,” Old Man Li gently nodded, “When I saw some traces of the Spirit Array little brother used to refine this pill, this old master had some guesses, but was unsure. Now it really seems like little brother and that young miss are from the same Sect, yes? After all, the Spirit Arrays you use are identical.”
“En, she is my Senior Sister!” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
There could be no mistake. Two years ago, the young woman who beat Di Yao in an Alchemy competition must have been Xia Ning Chang! In this world, only Xia Ning Chang could accomplish this, of that Yang Kai was certain!
“Which insanely fierce Sect are you from?” Di Yao was dumbstruck, “That woman seemed to have some kind of special constitution that allowed her to use not only her own True Qi but the surrounding World Energy to perform Alchemy. She could even produce Pill Veins at will! I lost all three matches I had with her miserably, it was quite a heavy blow to my confidence. Then there’s you who is even more of an anomaly, you even have a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea. I can’t compare with either of you Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair.”
“She does have a special constitution, one related to Alchemy,” Yang Kai nodded, a great excitement filling his heart, after looking for so long, he had finally found a useful clue to his friend’s whereabouts.
“The Sacred Spirit Medicine Body!” Old Man Li suddenly said, “No wonder… she possess the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body! In time, her achievements will definitely surpass this old master’s. Meng Wu Ya, that old bastard, actually trying to be mysterious and refusing to disclose such an important matter to this old master.”
Yang Kai expression changed. From the way he referred to Meng Wu Ya, he could infer that Old Man Li and Treasurer Meng were old acquaintances and may even belong to the same generation of masters.
“Senior, when you met them, was there anyone else with them? I have another Senior Sister and a friend who should have been together with them.”
“Are they also proficient in Alchemy?” Di Yao asked worriedly.
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“Unfortunately no, at the time, this old master only saw Meng Wu Ya accompanying that little girl surnamed Xia.”
Yang Kai’s complexion immediately became bad as his heart began to pound.
If Meng Wu Ya was with Xia Ning Chang, what about Su Yan and Old Demon? Where had the two of them gone?
Yang Kai wasn’t too worried about Old Demon; after all, the latter was originally from Tong Xuan Realm and had occupied the body of a Demon General. Except for Saint Realm masters, no one would be able to hurt him, but Su Yan was different. A young woman all alone in this world, with her weak strength and great beauty, what would become of her if she encountered some kind of danger?
What reason was there for her to separate from Meng Wu Ya, or what accident she had she encountered?
Yang Kai’s heart suddenly sank to the bottom of a valley as all kinds of negative thoughts swirled about his head.
Seeming aware of Yang Kai’s anxiety, Old Man Li quickly offered some words of comfort.
Yang Kai also understood that thinking the way he was would not help the situation, only by finding Meng Wu Ya and asking him would he be able to grasp what had actually happened.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai’s mood gradually settled and he asked, “Old Man Li, where did you and Brother Di meet them?”
“Blue Water City!”
“Blue Water City?” Yang Ka’s brow furrowed slightly.
“En, it’s a city a few months journey away from here, but even if you go there, you most likely won’t find them. We met them two years ago and at the time, Meng Wu Ya said they would be leaving in short order. They have likely long left Blue Water City,” Old Man Li said slightly apologetically. From the intense reaction Yang Kai had shown, it was clear that Meng Wu Ya and that little girl surnamed Xia were very important to him.
“Regardless, this is the first clue I’ve obtained about them, so even if they left long ago, I still have to go and investigate,” Yang Kai said solemnly.
“En, very well,” Old Man Li smiled and nodded, “Then I will simply wish little brother good luck.”
“I must take advantage of Old Man Li’s auspicious words!” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Bidding farewell to Old Man Li and Di Yao, Yang Kai hurried back to the inn.
This time, in addition to a wealth of knowledge, he had obtained a valuable clue from Old Man Li about Meng Wu Ya and his Little Senior Sister’s whereabouts which was a pleasant surprise. Armed with this information, Yang Kai didn’t want to delay, so after explaining the situation to Cang Yan and Fei Yu, he immediately set off for Blue Water City.
Both Cang Yan and Fei Yu knew that Yang Kai had been looking for his two Senior Sisters. So now that he had a clue about them, although his chances of finding them were somewhat slim, they made no effort to stop him and instead volunteered to escort him to Blue Water City.
Yang Kai of course politely refused.
The Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid, which he had taken more than a year to bring back, was something his Martial Uncles and Martial Aunt had even sought after in their dreams as it was the key to them breaking through to the Saint Realm, how could Yang Kai delay them for his personal matters?
Yang Kai’s attitude was incredibly firm, so Cang Yan and Fei Yu eventually relented, urging him to pay attention to his safety and reminding him that if he was to suffer any grievances outside, he must return to the Sect and inform them.
Feeling the care and concern of his Martial Uncle and Martial Aunt, Yang Kai’s heart was warmed.
As for acting alone outside, it was something Yang Kai was very skilled at. For so many years, he had basically single-handedly forged his own path in the world.
Tidying up his things, Yang Kai immediately departed.
Outside Floating Clouds City, Cang Yan and Fei Yu watched him leave before turning in a different direction and flying off towards Soaring Heaven Sect, they needed to return and prepare to break through to the Saint Realm.
Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, Old Man Li and Di Yao also said their goodbyes to Ao Gu and the others before setting off on the road again.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling impatient and rushed ahead as swift as wind and quick as lightly the whole way.
Although he knew that after so long, there was not much hope he would be able to see them, he still tried his best to get to Blue Water City as soon as possible to see if he could obtain some useful clues about Treasurer Meng and Xia Ning Chang’s whereabouts.
Even crossing famous mountains and rivers, Yang Kai ignored everything around him and madly dashed forward.
Now that he had broken through to the Transcendent Realm, his speed had increased dramatically and when he came to uninhabited regions, Yang Kai also unfurled his Wind and Thunder Wings to further increase his pace.
Although Transcendents were by no means weak, in Tong Xuan Realm, reaching such a cultivation was still not enough to dominate the world.
Yang Kai estimated that at the very least, he would have to break through to the Saint Realm before being able to move about unobstructed here.
He had to become stronger and stronger in order to establish a real foothold in this place. Although he had become a disciple of Soaring Heaven Sect, and his Ancestral Founder and Martial Uncles were all very good to him, in the end that was not his own strength.
What Yang Kai wanted was a power that belonged to him.
As time passed, Yang Kai’s feeling of urgency gradually calmed down.
After his mood settled, Yang Kai suddenly became more and more cheerful. The self-confidence and unyielding determination he had relied on in the past seemingly returning. He felt that as long as he was given enough time, one day, he would once again stand at the top of the world and become a true hegemon.
He had the Unyielding Golden Skeleton and the Demon Eye of Annihilation,. With this legacy of the Great Demon God, as long as Yang Kai could bring out their full potential, there was no limit to how strong he could become.
On the road, Yang Kai did not idle, immersing himself in the sentiments he had obtained from the Starry Sky as well as comprehending the knowledge regarding Conflagrated Knowledge Seas that Old Man Li had taught him, integrating all of these insights into his own strength.
This change in mentality and rise in self-confidence was like a catalyst that allowed Yang Kai to comprehend and solidify his own foundation and strength.
His recently promoted Transcendent Realm cultivation was quickly stabilized as a result.
Across the endless wilderness, there were endless forest filled with ancient towering trees and vast rivers and lakes filled with pristine waters. Beautiful sighs and fresh air rich in World Energy and vitality surrounded Yang Kai. Traces of Monster Beast and Human activity could also be seen every now and then.
As Yang Kai flew past, the psychological burden he had originally felt gradually melted away.
After half a month, after passing through a vast forest and crossing over a towering mountain range, Yang Kai felt wind wash over him.
This breeze had a faint salty smell to it.
Yang Kai’s expression couldn’t help changing slightly as a feeling of familiarity came over him.
When he was still young and weak and left High Heaven Pavilion for the first time, when he arrived at Sea City, he had smelled a similar scent in the air.
Because it was the breeze coming in off the ocean, it contained the smell of salt and fish.
Looking into the distance, on the remote horizon, there was an endless expanse of sparkling blue. The wind was blowing in from that direction but it was only after Yang Kai had crossed the mountain range behind him that he had been able to realize this ocean’s existence.
[The ocean?] Yang Kai raised his eyebrows.
He hadn’t expected the so-called Blue Water City to be a coastal city and only realized now that, in his hurry, he had failed to acquire any information about this place before rushed off.
Cang Yan and Fei Yu had not informed him about this either, so when Yang Kai saw this scene, he couldn’t help reminiscing about his previous experiences.
It was as if he had suddenly returned to his former world and arrived at Sea City once again.
Remembering about the masters from the Endless Sea Island Sects and the young peacock raising girl Zhong Miao, Yang Kai couldn’t help smiling warmly, shaking his head a moment later to dispel these thoughts from his mind before flying forward once more.
The closer he got to Blue Water City, the more concentrated the Water Attribute Energy in the air became. This place was definitely a good place for Water Attribute cultivators to practice.
Three days later, Yang Kai finally arrived at Blue Water City, paid a Crystal Stone to the guards, and entered safely.
Inside Blue Water City, the atmosphere was lively. Many cultivators here wore light blue robes because they cultivated Water Attribute Secret Arts and Martial Skills so they had a special affection for this colour.
Here, Yang Kai’s True Yang Secret Art was faintly suppressed but that did not affect him too seriously.
Those like him who cultivated Yang or Fire Attribute Secret Arts would not be willing to live in a place like this, if they were to remain here for too long, not only would their Secret Art be suppressed, their strength might even degrade.
Although he already knew the chances were slim, Yang Kai still felt somewhat disappointed shortly after arriving in Blue Water City.
He had not released his Divine Sense yet, but he was certain that Meng Wu Ya was no longer here.
Treasurer Meng’s Heavenly Palace defensive artifact was still in Yang Kai’s possession, so when he arrived in Blue Water City, Yang Kai had deliberately taken it out of the Black Book space.
If Meng Wu Ya was really here, the Heavenly Palace would have shown some reaction; after all, this artifact still had Meng Wu Ya’s Soul mark on it.
Since there was no reaction though, it showed that Meng Wu Ya and Xia Ning Chang have long since left.
After a brief bout of depression, Yang Kai collected himself and began to search for information in Blue Water City.
Although Meng Wu Ya and his Little Senior Sister had already left, they might have left behind some clues Yang Kai could use to search for them.
Now that he had an official identity as an Alchemist and an Alchemist Guild Token, it was no longer necessary for him to wander about on his own to inquire about news.
After strolling around for a while, Yang Kai arrived at the Blue Water City Alchemist Guild Branch. Once he showed his Alchemist Guild Token, he easily obtained information from the other Alchemists in the branch.
Yang Kai’s Alchemist Guild Token was the one he had acquired when he first came to Grand Boulder City, so it still only showed he was a Spirit Grade Low-Rank Alchemist.
Even so, the other Alchemists of Blue Water City were still amazed. Regarding this Alchemist Guild branch, the manager was only a 100-year old Spirit Grade Top-Rank Alchemist, so Yang Kai was extremely warmly received and praised as a talent from the younger generation.
Yang Kai had to admit that having an Alchemist Guild Token really made things more convenient wherever he went.
Although this world was vast, almost every city had an Alchemist Guild branch unless the city was too small.
Of course, not every Alchemist Guild branch had a manager like Old Man Du who was a Saint Grade Alchemist. For example, Blue Water City’s highest ranked Alchemist was only Spirit Grade Top-Rank.
In other places, even Spirit Grade Mid-Rank Alchemists could be branch managers.
Yang Kai came here to inquire about information firstly because with his Alchemist status it was convenient to do so, and secondly because Xia Ning Chang was also an Alchemist, there was a chance she had interacted with the other Alchemists here.
However, after asking around, everyone here simply shook their heads. Only one person said that he had seen this old and young pair, but even he had never had any interactions with them. Moreover, his memory of the event was somewhat foggy as it had already been two years.
Yang Kai felt helpless but still thanked this man for his help.
It seemed as though the clue he had obtained from Old Man Li was a dead end, Yang Kai thought to himself with a forced smile.
Although this series of disappointments made Yang Kai feel somewhat depressed, he did not become disheartened. He firmly believed that one day he would be able to reunite with Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang and even Old Demon that old bastard.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai continued to looking for clues in Blue Water City while searching for a number of medicinal herbs.
These herbs were things he needed to refining the Saint Pill for the Ancient Demon Clan and were only produced in ocean regions, thus they were quite rare and precious.
Yang Kai believed he may be able to find them here.
Time passed by quickly yet Yang Kai did not make much progress, not only did he not find any messages or clues left behind by Meng Wu Ya, even the herbs he was searching for eluded him. The people he asked always shook their heads or gave him strange looks, claiming that these herbs were almost extinct or they had never heard of them before.
One month later, when Yang Kai was inquiring about the news in a certain medicine store, he suddenly noticed that there were several people who were clearly following him.
His brow wrinkling, Yang Kai looked back and saw a group of cultivators led by a burly middle-aged man making no attempt to hide themselves approaching him.
This group of people weren’t very strong, all of them only Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators, but there was a large number of them and their auras were fierce, obviously they were not a peaceful bunch.
When they arrived in front of Yang Kai, the middle-aged man unscrupulously stared at him.
“Do you need something?” Yang Kai asked in a somewhat disgruntled tone.
Since this group of people weren’t giving him friendly looks, naturally Yang Kai wouldn’t treat them with courtesy. His mood at the moment was not too good, so if someone provoked him, he wouldn’t mind using them to vent his frustrations.
“Brat, I heard you’ve been asking about the whereabouts of an old guy and a little girl, right?” The middle-aged man leaned over and asked Yang Kai bluntly.
“You’ve met them?” Yang Kai’s eyes flashed.
“Does that old man have a lewd look in his eyes and the little girl wearing a veil?” The man asked.
“That’s them!” Yang Kai was overjoyed and suddenly felt that the group in front of him became somewhat adorable.
“Then we have met them,” The big man nodded lightly, “Why are you looking for them? What is your relationship with them?”
“You don’t need to know that,” Yang Kai shook his head, “As long as you can provide me with any clues about them, I can offer you appropriate compensation!”
“You’re gonna pay us?” The big man suddenly grinned wryly, “What kind of compensation are you offering?”
“Crystal Stones, pills, as long as your information is useful, I can give you anything you want.”
Hearing this, the big man couldn’t help revealing a look of surprise. From Yang Kai’s age and the way he dressed, he really didn’t expect this youth to have anything of significant worth.
“Seems your quite sensible kid,” The big man nodded slightly, “But although we’ve seen that old man and young lady you spoke of, we don’t have any specific information about their current whereabouts.”
“Then don’t waste my time,” Yang Kai’s mood suddenly sank and his expression became cold.
The big man laughed at this and continued, “Although we don’t know much about them, that doesn’t mean others don’t. If you’re interested, why not take a little trip with us?”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed and also wore a grin, “Good, lead me to this person who knows about them.”
The big man nodded in agreement, turning around and walking off. Yang Kai hurried to keep up while the other who had accompanied the big man followed behind, silently sealing off Yang Kai’s path of retreat.
This group of people didn’t have any good intentions, of this Yang Kai was naturally aware, but it was also likely they had some information regarding Meng Wu Ya and Xia Ning Chang, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to describe them so accurately.
What exactly did Old Man Meng do to them? Why did this group of people seem to have a deep grudge with him?
Despite knowing he was walking into a disadvantageous situation, Yang Kai boldly followed as he had confidence in his skills. Not showing the slightest hint of anxiety, he simply followed along while secretly observing his surroundings.
He had been active in Blue Water City for an entire month now and naturally knew there were no Saint Realm masters here, so he had nothing to fear.
After following the big man for some time, Yang Kai suddenly found himself in front of a large manor.
Upon entering the manor, the big man led Yang Kai to a grand courtyard and eventually came to a tranquil garden.
In the garden, there was a young man with a sullen look sitting upon a chair. Kneeling in front of the youth were two scantily clad women who were snuggling up next to him.
These two women were not very strong, probably only True Element cultivators, but at the moment, their two snow white necks actually had collars around them. The collars were attached to some kind of rope that was being grasped by the youth.
One of the women’s bottoms curled upwards as if defying gravity and was half squatting on the ground in a seductive pose, as if she was acting like a puppy, wagging her tail and begging towards the seated young man; as for the other woman, her head was actually buried in the youth’s lap, her head moving back and forth rhythmically, each time she did a faint slurping noise could be heard.
These two women wore extremely thin dressings that did nothing to conceal their tall peaks upon their chests and the soft grasslands between their thighs.
When they arrived there, the big man and his group of followers couldn’t help breathing a little heavier, licking their lips as obscene light flashed across their eyes.
As for the young man sitting in the chair, his expression was one of absent minded indulgence.
Yang Kai face immediately went black.
He had long heard of that some young masters from wealthy families had unusual fetishes and would do all kinds of extreme and distasteful acts.
But upon seeing an example of this debauchery for the first time, it was still somewhat off-putting.
“Young Master, I’ve brought the person you were seeking,” The big man observed for a while before seemingly realizing his gaff and quickly reporting.
The young man sitting in the chair seemed to have not heard and simply continued reveling in his ‘activities’.
Suddenly, the young man’s face changed and became enraged, reaching out and grabbing the hair of the woman whose head was buried in his crotch, lifting her up and slapping her face several times, “Damn slut! How many times have I told you not to use your teeth!”
These slaps were extremely heavy and the woman’s cheeks instantly swelled up, but she did not dare to complain, hastily kowtowing at the youth’s feet, her body shivering in fear.
Seeing all this, Yang Kai’s eyes gradually narrowed and his aura became somewhat dangerous.
The young man lazily reorganized his clothes before finally turning a cold look to Yang Kai and asking in an arrogant voice, “Are you the one looking for that old guy and little girl?”
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded, “Do you have clues about their whereabouts?”
“No, I’m also looking for them!” Young grinned menacingly, “If you have any information about them, can you tell me?”
“Are you also looking for them?” Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled, “What are you looking for them for?”
“I should be the one asking you that,” The face of the youth suddenly became hazy and unpleasant, “But since you’ve asked, I might as well tell you.”
As he spoke, the youths expression became uglier and uglier, his hand gripping the arm of his chair so tightly it cracked as his True Qi surged up, “I’m looking for them, because I want them to die! The reason this Young Master has fallen into such a state is all because of that old bastard! Brat, tell me right now, what is your relationship with them, you better think clearly before you answer though, if you are their friend or relative, I’ll let you taste the worst torture this world has to offer until the day you die!”
“That old guy actually attacked you?” Yang Kai heard this and was stunned.
What kind of identity did Meng Wu Ya posses? If there wasn’t an extremely compelling reason, it was impossible for him to use a heavy hand on a Junior.
The only explanation was that this young man had done something to enrage Meng Wu Ya.
Yang Kai immediately thought of Xia Ning Chang. Treasurer Meng regarded his Little Senior Sister as a treasure. If this young man had any ideas about Little Senior Sister, that might be enough to set Meng Wu Ya off.
Also, from what Yang Kai had seen of this young man, how he indulged in females, he had an idea of what had happened. Although his Little Senior Sister never revealed her face, anyone who laid eyes upon her could tell she was an astonishing beauty, one that with an especially innocent and cute temperament, causing anyone to unconsciously be attracted to her.
Considering all this, Yang Kai’s expression also became unpleasant.
“My Cheng Family treated that old bastard like an honoured guest yet he actually dared to harm our young master,” The big man who led Yang Kai came, explained, “Brat, what is your relationship with that old man? If you dare to lie, I, your Grandpa, will teach you a harsh lesson.”
“Why would he act against your family’s Young Master? Can you explain this to me?” Yang Kai glanced over at him, his eyes flickering a dangerous light.
The big man, as if unaware of Yang Kai’s murderous stare, openly replied, “My family’s Young Master favoured that girl and put some medicine in her food.”
“Put medicine in her food?” Yang Kai gently nodded, “I can see your Young Master doing something like that.”
Xia Ning Chang possessed the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, trying to use drugs on her was the very definition of foolish. Although he was clear that his Little Senior Sister was never in any real danger and was perfectly safe and sound, anger still burned in Yang Kai’s heart.
“That old guy beating you was too merciful, if it was me, I wouldn’t have done just that,” Yang Kai snickered.
“Little brat, what do you say?” The big man’s expression became cold as he angrily roared.
The young man looked at Yang Kai with great interest and asked, “If it was you, what would you have done?”
“Kill!”
When everyone heard Yang Kai say this, all of them laughed and spat out words of ridicule.
“Boy, you’re certainly crazy enough. In my Cheng Family’s house, actually daring to say something so bold, I’m afraid you don’t know how to write the word ‘dead’! In this Blue Water City, my Cheng Family is…” The big man began ranting off arrogantly, but before he could finish, his words came to an abrupt end.
A faint bloody smell filled the air and the eyes of the big man bulged as his face was dyed red. At that moment, he could feel all the meridians and veins in his body constantly expanding, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t suppress this trend.
*Hong…*
Flesh and blood suddenly spattered all over the garden. No one knew what had happened, only that the big man who once stood next to them had exploded, bones and all, leaving behind only a pool of blood where a man once existed.
Those who were standing close to him were covered in fresh meat.
Being thrust into this hellish scene, everyone was stunned, standing there stupidly, unable to even react. The young man sitting in the chair was even more stunned, incapable of comprehending what had just happened.
“I’ll ask you once, do you know where that the old guy and little girl went? Anyone who tells me, I can leave with a whole corpse,” Yang Kai swept his eyes around, his gaze filled with an intense chill.
“Kill him!” The young man’s face drained of all colour, finally coming to his senses upon hearing Yang Kai’s words and quickly ordering his underlings to attack.
The remaining henchmen also woke up from their dazed state and began moving.
A burst of Wind and Thunder forces welled up, and although Yang Kai stood perfectly still, a wave of this force burst forth from his body.
Though Yang Kai did not summon his Wind and Thunder Wings, the concentrated Wind and Thunder pulse he released transformed the garden into a land of death.
All the Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators caught in this miniature hurricane didn’t even have a chance to resist before they were cut into countless pieces, their deaths extremely miserable.
The young man sitting in the chair was dumbstruck, never had he imagined he had actually provoked such a god of disaster.
Because he heard Yang Kai was very young, he had simply sent some of his underlings to bring him back, but now it was apparent this youth possessed strength far beyond what one his age should have.
“A Transcendent? Impossible!” The youth’s eyes nearly popped out of their socket, his expression filled with terror.
Being able to kill so many Immortal Ascension cultivators without even moving, only a Transcendent Realm master would be capable of such a feat, but could there really be such a young Transcendent in this world?
Seeing the incomparably cold expression on Yang Kai’s face as he stepped towards him, the young man cried out in panic, “Don’t come over! I don’t know where those two went, don’t come over!”
“Then you can die,” Yang Kai said indifferently; after confirming that this young man was not lying, he struck out with his fist and smashed the latter’s head.
Inside the once tranquil garden, the smell of blood filled the air, and only an indifferent Yang Kai remained standing. This incident couldn’t even be called a battle, the other party daring to provoke him was simply them seeking their own deaths.
The two scantily clad women were uninjured, but they seemed to have been overwhelmed by the whole situation, both of them staring at Yang Kai absentmindedly, their tender bodies trembling lightly, not daring to move.
When Yang Kai’s eyes landed on them, his gaze softened slightly. He had no intention of finding trouble with these two.
All of sudden though, Yang Kai’s eyes became sharp again as he turned to stare in a certain direction.
From the direction he was staring, a pair of fierce auras rose and it was clear that a master was approaching.
This Cheng Family was a local overlord in Blue Water City, so it was only natural they had Transcendent Realm masters keeping watch. Feeling the True Qi fluctuations indicative of battle in the garden, this master immediately came over to investigate.
Even before these masters had arrived, one of their voices had already called out, “Who dares act dissolute in my Cheng Family?”
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows and stood still, quietly waiting, not making any attempt to escape.
The ones who were approaching were only First Order Transcendents, the same as Yang Kai, so although there were two of them, Yang Kai was not afraid.
No one in the same realm could defeat him, of this he was completely confident.
A moment later, from the left and right, two old men arrived, one of them wearing beige-coloured robes, the other wearing light blue clothes. After seeing the horrible scene in the garden, both of these old men couldn’t help feeling stunned.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed because upon seeing these two old men, he noticed they were both half-crippled, both of them were missing one arm and one leg. In place of their limbs was some kind of artifacts that, although appearing lifelike, were still obviously made of some kind of metal.
“Boy, were you the one who killed these people?” The old man in the beige coloured robes loudly questioned.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, not denying the charge.
“Why did you kill my Cheng Family’s people, what injustice or enmity do you have with my Cheng Family?” The old man angrily screaming blue shirts.
“We have neither enmity nor injustice between us!”
“Then why have you wantonly murdered our people? Since when was my Cheng Family so easily bullied?” As they spoke, the two old man’s True Qi condensed, apparently preparing to exact revenge for their fallen clansmen.
Yang Kai’s calm demeanor made them realize he had some skill, but when they tried to probe him with their Divine Senses, it only felt as though they were trying to explore a dark, bottomless pit like. Unable to determine anything about this strange youth inevitably caused these two old men some unease, both of them wondering just where this inscrutable Junior had come from.
“If you don’t give us a proper confession for this, my Cheng Family will use all its might to eliminate you!” The old man in beige robes gritted his teeth and declared.
“Eliminate me?” Yang Kai sneered in a low tone, “Good, I’ll just ask my questions after I beat the two of you!”
The young man Yang Kai had just killed didn’t know where Meng Wu Ya and Xia Ning Chang went, but that didn’t mean these two old men didn’t.
As he spoke, Yang Kai sent out a burst of burning hot Spiritual Energy, instantly condensing it into an invisible ray of heat and shooting it towards the two old men.
The age of the other party was not small and the length of time they had spent cultivating was not short so obviously their Knowledge Seas’ defence was not fragile and they possessed Soul type artifacts for defense.
But the two old men’s Soul type artifacts only flashed brilliantly for an instant before shattering and they were struck with a scaling hot aura, both of their expression immediately filling with panic.
Having received the guidance of Old Man Li, Yang Kai now had a certain understanding of how to use his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
His Conflagrated Knowledge Sea was not only useful for Alchemy, but also for fighting.
This was Yang Kai’s first true battle after breaking through to the Transcendent Realm and his opponents were actually two veteran cultivators in the same realm, naturally he wanted to use them to test his current strength.
As such, Yang Kai did not hold back at all.
What he didn’t expect though was that these two old men’s Knowledge Sea’s defenses would be torn through so easily. If they weren’t wearing good Soul type defensive artifacts as well, this one strike from Yang Kai could have incinerated their Souls.
Also realizing this, the two old men’s foreheads immediately leaked cold sweat and they frantically raised their defences.
Yang Kai retracted his Conflagrated Divine Sense attack while simultaneously darting forward like lightning, arriving in front of the two old men in the blink of any eye.
With two palm strikes, the two old men’s defences crumbled like paper and were both sent flying, the two of them coughing up blood unceasingly.
Smashing into the ground, the two old men had yet to climb up when Yang Kai’s figure appeared right before their eyes, like a towering mountain they were unable to surmount, blocking out the sun’s rays and causing their eyes to grow dim.
[We can’t resist him!] The two old men both instinctually thought this but were unable to accept it.
Yang Kai was also somewhat dissatisfied, thinking that trying to compare against others in the same realm was something of a mistake.
As a dangerous aura enveloped the two old men, they did not dare to move recklessly, only able to lie on the ground, a chill creeping into their hearts, as if they had been tossed into a deep abyss from which there was no return.
“Who the hell are you?” The old man in the beige robes still tried to keep up appearances, enduring the fear in his heart as he tried to probe Yang Kai’s origins.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Who I am, you don’t need to know. I ask you something, you answer. If I am satisfied, I can let you go, if I am not, heh heh… by this time tomorrow your Cheng Family will no longer exist!”
The ruthless words of this youth deeply impacted the two old men, both of them immediately nodding in agreement. From the strength Yang Kai displayed when dealing with them, the two old men were convinced the former had the ability to carry out this threat.
“Two years ago, did your Cheng Family receive an old man and a veiled young woman?” Yang Kai stared directly into their eyes and asked.
As soon as this statement came out, the two old men’s faces suddenly went white, seemingly recalling something truly terrifying, their eyes filled with fear and panic.
The old man in beige robes called out, “It turns out you’re with them! Little brother, our Cheng Family was indeed in the wrong that time and we paid a heavy price for it, even the two of us were punished severely. Two years later, is there still a need to act ruthlessly?”
The blue clothes man also quickly nodded, “Our Cheng Family has learned its lesson, should we not consider this matter finished?”
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as ne noticed that these two old men were seemingly misunderstanding his intentions.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Yang Kai asked, “Were your hands and legs taken off by that old man?”
Both of them nodded with strained expressions upon their faces, obviously unwilling to recall what had happened two years ago.
Yang Kai grinned slightly, his dissatisfaction with Treasurer Meng swiftly diminishing.
With Meng Wu Ya’s personality, someone daring to drug Xia Ning Chang really wouldn’t just result in breaking the legs of a young man, it seemed the two Transcendents of the Cheng Family were also punished by him.
The old man in beige quickly followed up, “That Senior seemed to have some friendship with one my Cheng Family’s ancestors, so when he came to this Blue Water City, he entered the Cheng Family for a few days and was received as an honoured guest. My Cheng Family treated him with courtesy, but we never thought… Haa… My Cheng Family’s disobedient Young Master had ideas about that Senior’s disciple and actually dared to slip drugs in her food. When that Senior discovered this, he immediately flew into a rage. At that time, if not for one of Water Spirit Temple’s Elders coming forward to sooth his anger, I’m afraid my Cheng Family would have been wiped out. Even so, we paid a heavy price. In the end, out of respect for his friendship with our Cheng Family’s ancestor, that Senior showed mercy and spared our lives!”
“Water Spirit Temple?” Yang Kai eyes lit up, “Did you say Water Spirit Temple?”
“Yes?” The old man in the beige robes was somewhat confused, not understating why Yang Kai suddenly looked a little excited.
“Did that old man and veiled woman go to Water Spirit Temple?” Yang Kai asked eagerly.
“Most likely. That Elder from Water Spirit Temple seemed to have come to Blue Water City specifically for them. On top of that, this city is under Water Spirit Temple’s jurisdiction. My Cheng Family is also one of the forces attached to Water Spirit Temple.”
Yang Kai held his chin and sunk into contemplation for a moment, his expression changing back and forth, frightening the two old men somewhat.
After a long silence, Yang Kai suddenly laughed, “So that’s it!”
At that moment, he suddenly became cheerful.
This was really a case of finding a carriage while lost on a mountain road, experiencing joy after disappointment!
“Little brother, you…” The old man in the beige robes trembled and hesitantly spoke, fearing that Yang Kai would destroy the Cheng Family after becoming angered.
“This matter has nothing to do with you anymore. Since that old guy didn’t destroy you, it means his relationship with your ancestor was not shallow, so I won’t overstep my bounds, but… I’ve already killed so many of your henchmen and even your Young Master, what do you have to say about this?”
“That disobedient waste, his death isn’t worth pitying!” The old man in beige coldly snorted, “If it wasn’t for him, how could the two of us have been reduced to this state?”
As he spoke, his expression twisted noticeably, apparently he was still quite angry about this even though two years had passed.
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, restraining his impulse to cut weeds and pull out roots here, faintly asking, “Which direction is Water Spirit Temple?”
“That way, across the sea there is a set of islands that serve as the foundation of Water Spirit Temple,” The old man in beige quickly pointed Yang Kai in the right direction.
Before the old man finished speaking, Yang Kai had already taken off and disappeared from sight.
After waiting for a long silence, confirming that Yang Kai had really left, the two old men breathed a sigh of relief, the two of them sluggishly getting up, the colour of their faces alternating between red and blue.
Losing to a little brat who still reeked of his mother’s milk, they had really lost face. Fortunately, no one was around to see this embarrassing display or they really might have to silence some witnesses.
Such misfortune!
Leaving Blue Water City, Yang Kai rushed forward, not caring about his True Qi consumption in the slightest.
Water Spirit Temple was Shui Ling’s Sect.
Since crossing the Abandoned Earth and entering the Void Corridor together with Shui Ling, arriving in Tong Xuan Realm, it had been almost three years. Before they separated at Bold Independent City, Shui Ling had also invited him to join Water Spirit Temple, but Yang Kai had refused.
If he had not rejected her offer at the time, perhaps he would have already been reunited with Meng Wu Ya and Xia Ning Chang, thinking so, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a bit of regret.
Yang Kai was sure that Meng Wu Ya and Xia Ning Chang went to Water Spirit Temple to find Shui Ling, and perhaps Treasurer Meng had left a message for Shui Ling to convey to himself!
After all, back in the Central Capital, Meng Wu Ya knew about Shui Ling’s origins so it wouldn’t have been odd for him to guess Yang Kai might come here, but after not being able to find any trace of the latter, he could go to Water Spirit Temple.
This was all just Yang Kai’s speculations, but it was probably close to the truth.
The words of the two Cheng Family old men also reinforced Yang Kai’s hypothesis.
An Elder from Water Spirit Temple coming to Blue Water City to greet Meng Wu Ya meant the latter had gone to Water Spirit Temple and met with Shui Ling.
After meeting with Shui Ling, Meng Wu Ya would know for certain that Yang Kai had arrived in Tong Xuan Realm!
Burning with impatience, Yang Kai shot across the sea like a bolt of lightning, all but cutting the water apart as he flew forward.
After a day and night of flight, Yang Kai spotted some traces of islands in the distance. These islands were scattered about randomly, like chess pieces on a board.
Some of these islands were large while some were small, ranging from only a dozen kilometres to several hundred or even thousands of kilometres in radius.
Yang Kai’s spirit shook as he recognized this island chain as Water Spirit Temple’s territory.
On the sea near the islands, a number of large and small vessels were sailing back and forth, transporting various materials and people for the Water Spirit Temple. The scene was grand and magnificent, highlighting the extraordinariness of Water Spirit Temple.
Dark Clouds Island was one of the islands under the direct jurisdiction of Water Spirit Temple. For some unknown reason, the sky over this particular island was always filled with clouds. On Dark Clouds Island, eight out of every ten days it would be drizzling, while the other two it would be pouring.
He Pu was only an Immortal Ascension cultivator, but he had good interpersonal skills, so although he couldn’t become a high ranking member of Water Spirit Temple, he had managed to acquire a steward’s position.
Nowadays, he managed the various business affairs of Dark Clouds Island. Today as well, the weather was bad, the rain never ceasing. He Pu silently cursed the Heavens while directing his fellow brothers to unload the goods from several recently arrived ships.
These materials were to be sent to Water Spirit Island to be used by the Sect’s Elite Disciple for cultivation and daily life.
While no one was paying attention, He Pu quietly took two Crystal Stones from one of the crates and stuffed them into his pocket before pretended nothing had happened and continuing to order the others about.
“Steward He, Steward He…” He Pu turned around quickly after being called out to, finding one of his Juniors named Cuttlefish waving towards him.
“What is it?” He Pu asked in a disgruntled tone. At that moment, he was feeling slightly guilty, so when Cuttlefish called out to him he nearly panicked.
Water Spirit Temple had strict rules. Even if he was the steward of Dark Clouds Island, if he was found to be embezzling resources, a light punishment would be expulsion from the Sect while a heavy one would be breaking his four limbs.
“Steward He, there’s a suspicious black spot over there, it looks like someone is flying over.” Cuttlefish wasn’t his real name, but due to his fish shaped face, someone had given him this nickname and now everyone called him that. However, the one in question didn’t mind and after so many years, most of his fellow brother and sister disciples couldn’t remember his real name.
“Someone flying over?” He Pu narrowed his already small eyes and stared in the direction Cuttlefish was pointing, a moment later wearing a mocking grin, “What an idiot, doesn’t he know about the mysterious power surrounding Dark Clouds Island? Well, whatever, just let him taste a little bit of the Heaven’s Wrath.”
“But… what if he dies?” Cuttlefish asked, slightly worried.
“If he dies, he died, why should I care?” He Pu coldly snorted, “Flying over like that while not even knowing about our Dark Clouds Island’s natural barrier, obviously he’s not an acquaintance; even if a thousand such people died it doesn’t matter.” Saying so, he turned his eyes up towards the sky and muttered, “This damn weather, it’s really too depressing.”
After hearing what He Pu said, Cuttlefish felt it was reasonable. Now he was no longer worried about this newcomer but instead was somewhat looking forward to his arrive, wanting to know how miserable the latter’s death would be.
As Yang Kai flew across the ocean, the first major Island he came upon was Dark Clouds Island. Looking up and seeing the dense cloud formation above this place, he faintly felt something was unusual about them, but even after pausing and spending a moment to investigate he couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary.
Shooting off again like a bolt of lightning, Yang Kai rapidly approached Dark Clouds Island.
Ahead of Yang Kai there was a crowd of people that seemed to have noticed him. Many of these people were pointing at him and calling out to him from the shore but because they were separated by too great a distance and the winds were whistling too loudly, Yang Kai wasn’t able to hear what they were saying.
A moment later, Yang Kai arrived above Dark Clouds Island. All the cultivators down below stared at him, a look of pity and sympathy flashing across their eyes.
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled; although he didn’t know what was going on, he didn’t notice any hostility from these people so he didn’t pay it too much mind, but just as he was about to descend, from above his head a crackling noise erupted.
Immediately after, Yang Kai felt a blast of lightning crash down from the sky and land upon his head.
The strength of this bolt of lightning was so intense that it almost caused Yang Kai to fall into the sea.
His whole body stiffened and all his hair stood on end, but after a brief loss of control, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a pervasive sense of comfort.
His Wind and Thunder Wings seemed to have absorbed the majority of the Lightning Attribute Qi and stored it in his right shoulder blade.
The crowd down below all called out in alarm when the lightning bolt struck, but in the next moment, they abruptly stopped, all of them showing dumbfounded looks as they stared at Yang Kai in something of a daze.
After being struck by a bolt of lightning as this as an adult male’s arm, aside from his hair standing on end, this little brat was completely unscathed; this development was somewhat beyond their ability to understand.
The defining feature of Dark Clouds Island was not only it’s overcast skies, but also the incredible amount of Lightning Attribute energy that lingered high up in the atmosphere. Normally, the dark clouds would not release this Lightning Attribute energy, only when some unfortunately living creature strayed too close would they be struck by lightning.
As such, Dark Clouds Island was not just a territory marker on the farthest outskirts of Water Spirit Temple, or a place for trade with the outside world, but also a natural defense barrier.
If a person who was not aware of this flew over, they would end up suffering a baptism of lightning.
This kind of Heavenly Wrath was something that even the Elders of Water Spirit Temple weren’t capable of withstanding.
Every six months, the Elders of Water Spirit Temple would use some special methods to release the Lightning Qi that accumulated in the clouds to prevent a situation where too much accumulate and suddenly discharged, destroying Dark Clouds Island.
He Pu recalled that the last time the Elders drained this Lightning Qi was a few months ago. After such a long period, the Lightning Attribute Energy accumulated within the clouds should have reached a level that would force Transcendents to yield and withdraw, so why was this little brat able to all but ignore it?
As the crowd watched absent-mindedly, bolts of lightning continued to fall from the dark clouds in rapid succession like snakes striking from their burrows, all of them, without exception, striking Yang Kai.
The burst of crackling noise resounded continuously and the light given off was so bright that the onlookers soon had to shield their eyes.
He Pu squinted and circulate his True Qi, attempting to continuing watching, but he was unable to see anything in the end.
This scene lasted for some time before the Lightning Qi in the dark clouds became somewhat sparse and the intensity of the light finally decreased enough that everyone could open their eyes again and scan the skies.
Screams rang out soon after as the crowd soon found that the youth who had rashly flown into Dark Clouds Island’s airspace was still floating up in the sky. On top of that, not only was he uninjured, his face had a happy smile upon it.
“Steward He, was that kid’s brain fried by the lightning?” Cuttlefish came over and whispered.
He Pu was also dumbstruck, unable to determine what to make of this situation.
If this young man wasn’t struck stupid, the only explanation was he possessed enough strength to ignore this degree of lightning!
However, how could that be possible? The Sect’s Elders had said that even a Third Order Transcendent wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed from such Heavenly Wrath. This little brat looked to only be twenty-three or four years old, was he really that powerful?
As the crowd down below was lost in such thoughts, the young man up in the sky shook his head, revealing a look of disappointment for a moment before hurriedly putting his clothes in order and flying down to Dark Clouds Island.
Noticing this, everyone on the shore became alert and secretly began circulating their True Qi.
Aware of their vigilance, Yang Kai made a silly grin, wearing a look of someone harmless to humans and animals alike and slowly landed on the island.
“Who are you?” He Pu asked in a cold voice, sizing up Yang Kai, quickly discovering that he had really never seen him before.
Anyone who entered Water Spirit Temple’s territory from the mainland would first have to pass through Dark Clouds Island. If this youth was really an acquaintance, given his freakish performance just now, He Pu should have had some impression of him.
“Pardon me, is this Water Spirit Temple?” Yang Kai did not answer the question directly, instead, asking this question while sweeping his eyes across the crowd. Relaxing when he noticed that there was no Transcendent Realm masters on the island. Most of those present were just Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators.
“Indeed!” He Pu nodded, “This Water Spirit Temple’s Dark Clouds Island. May I ask who your Excellency is? Why have you come to my Water Spirit Temple?”
Yang Kai’s outrageous performance just now made He Pu feel that this young man was not someone he should provoke, so he did not dare act too overbearing; however, as the island’s steward, he still had to learn the identity and purpose of the other party.
“Don’t misunderstand, I have no malicious intentions here,” Yang Kai smiled, “I’m just here to find someone.”
“Find someone?” He Pu’s brow wrinkled slightly, “Who are you looking for?”
“En, a girl named Shui Ling. If I remember correctly, she should be the daughter of your Water Spirit Temple’s Sect Master!”
“Looking for Shui… Looking for the Little Princess?” He Pu’s eyes widened, a weird expression suddenly appearing on his face as he let out a chuckle.
Everyone else also gave Yang Kai wry looks when they heard this.
“Right, I’m looking for your Little Princess!” Yang Kai nodded, “If it is convenient, can you tell me where she is? En, it would be best if you could take me to see her.”
“Kid!” He Pu smiled and said in a light tone, “Although I don’t know which force you come from, considering you have some skill, I won’t embarrass you, but you’d still best turn back, the Little Princess is not someone the likes of you can get close to.”
Saying so, He Pu waved his hand as if to shoo Yang Kai away.
Seeing everyone’s attitude, Yang Kai frowned and said, “Are you misunderstanding something?”
Thinking Yang Kai was acting reluctant, He Pu just grinned spat and continued, “Misunderstanding? Are you trying to say you’re not here to try to court our Sect’s Little Princess? I don’t have time to waste with you then. My Sect’s Little Princess is a rare beauty so you young people seeking after her is quite normal, even my fellow brothers and I have had such fantasies once or twice,” Letting out a sigh, He Pu wore a distant look and said, “But although I understand and even somewhat sympathise with you, I can’t bend the rules, if you don’t leave, don’t blame us for being polite to you.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help himself from laughing despite trying his best not too, this group of people had really misunderstood him.
Although Shui Ling was truly quite pretty, like a playful spirit, Yang Kai had never had any impure intentions towards her.
Back in the Central Capital, the two of them had started off as enemies but gradually become friends. Because of that friendship, when Yang Kai decided to travel to Tong Xuan Realm, he had brought her along with him, sublimating their relationship quite a bit.
From beginning to end though, Yang Kai had never had any feelings of love towards Shui Ling, only friendship.
After thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai took something out from his Black Book space and handed it over, “Take a look at this.”
He Pu glanced over at him suspiciously before accepting the object. After carefully examining it for a while, he suddenly called out in surprise, “Little Princess’s token? Where did you get this?”
“Huh? Naturally your Little Princess gave it to me,” Yang Kai replied somewhat dumbfounded.
“Gave it to you?” He Pu’s eyes bulged, slapping his forehead a moment later, seemingly remembering something, “Right, you must be the person the Little Princess spoke of. Oh, please pardon my rudeness from before, Brother. If Brother had taken out this token from the start, I wouldn’t have made things so difficult for you.”
“It’s fine,” Yang Kai shook his head and curiously asked” “What did your family’s Little Princess tell you?”
“Three years ago, when the Little Princess returned, she made a point of telling me that if a Young Master holding her token appeared here one day, be sure to treat him courteously.”
It had been three years since Yang Kai parted ways with Shui Ling in Bold Independent City.
After learning that Yang Kai was Young Lord who the Little Princess had once spoken about, He Pu quickly dispensed with his previous careless attitude and immediately became enthusiastic and respectful.
He Pu was a smooth talker and spared no expense in praising Yang Kai as a talented, handsome young man with extraordinary strength.
After no longer being able to stand He Pu’s prattling, Yang Kai interrupted and asked, “I want to meet with your Sect’s Little Princess, can you take me to see her now?”
He Pu suddenly looked a little embarrassed, “Under normal circumstances, with the prior urging of the Little Princess and given the fact that brother has this token, this He Pu would have taken you to meet her right away, but… Little Princess apparently isn’t on her private island right now. Would Brother be willing to let me send some people to inquire about Little Princess’ current location before I lead you to see her?”
“Of course!” Yang Kai nodded; in any case, he had found Water Spirit Temple already, so long as he could meet with Shui Ling now, he could obtain news about Meng Wu Ya, Su Yan, and Old Demon. Since it was just a matter of time now, Yang Kai could not do anything but wait. “Then I’ll have to trouble you with this.”
“It’s no trouble at all! Brother should have a seat for now, I’ll be right back,” He Pu said hurriedly before stepping away and ordering someone to bring some refreshments and courteously entertain Yang Kai before bringing a group of people and hastily departing from Dark Clouds Island.
Dark Clouds Island was the natural barrier at the outskirts of Water Spirit Temple, a place where many goods and people flowed through, so it was quite lively.
Yang Kai waited for half a day before He Pu returned, a big smile upon his face as he laughed and said, “Brother, fortunately I did not fail my task. When I found and reported to her about brother’s arrival, Little Princess seemed quite anxious to see you as well and urged me to bring you to her right away, are you prepared to leave now?”
“En,” Yang Kai stood up and walked off with He Pu.
Usually, those who arrived or departed Water Spirit Temple via Dark Clouds Island had to take a boat, because once they left the ground and tried to fly, the Lightning Attribute Qi gathered in the clouds above the island would fall on them, but earlier today, all of this Lightning Qi had been absorbed by Yang Kai, so He Pu boldly and confidently led Yang Kai through the skies.
On the road, He Pu introduced Water Spirit Temple’s various features to Yang Kai.
In a several thousand kilometer radius, every island, large and small, all belonged to Water Spirit Temple. Many of these islands had rich World Energy and abundant spirit grasses and herbs, making them excellent environments for cultivation in.
Because there were so many islands spread out over such a large area, it was often quite troublesome to find a single individual.
As the Little Princess of Water Spirit Temple, it was natural for Shui Ling to have her own island. Her private residence was also one of the best in all of Water Spirit Temple, but today she was not on her own island but instead in a place called Cloud Wind Island.
The foundation of Water Spirit Temple was set on the sea, away from the mundane turmoil and the hustle and bustle of the mainland. This environment was pristine and filled with natural beauty, but there was one aspect that was a constant thorn in the side of Water Spirit Temple’s members.
That was the sea beasts that would, from time to time, invade and rampage across the islands.
The Monster Beasts of the sea were very different from the Monster Beasts on land. Aquatic Monster Beasts were generally large in size and proficient in the Water Attribute Qi manipulation, making them quite troublesome to deal with. If it was just some weaker Aquatic Monster Beasts causing trouble, the problem wasn’t difficult to solve, but when a powerful Monster Beast surfaced, even the elite cultivators of Water Spirit Temple would have to expend a lot of effort to repel or kill it.
At this moment, on Cloud Wind Island, Shui Ling was commanding a group of cultivators to fight off a sea beast the size of several houses.
The reefs around Cloud Wind Island had been smashed to pieces and great waves surged back and forth. The scene was extremely dangerous.
This Aquatic Monster Beast had eight long tentacles and was surprisingly nimble for its size. From its great mouth, it was constantly spitting out water arrows, each of which contained significant power.
Although there were a large number of masters under Shui Ling’s command, this sea beast’s vitality was extremely strong and it could not be defeated in a single blow so it was impossible to drive it away in short order.
When she received He Pu’s report a moment ago, Shui Ling could hardly believe her ears and her thoughts immediately became somewhat chaotic, impeding the smoothness with which she issued her commands. This cause her scattered subordinates to fall into a dangerous state, some of them nearly losing their lives as a result.
“Liu Zhuo, you take command!” Shui Ling’s heart was in a mess, how could she possible calmly direct this Monster Beast subjugation? Her beautiful eyes filled with a look of pleasant surprise and anticipation, although she remained in place, she all but stood on her tip toes as she scanned the distant skies, seemingly searching for someone.
The cultivator named Liu Zhuo’s heard Shui Ling’s order and quickly nodded, swiftly assuming command and re-establishing order amongst the faltering troop, quickly calming the chaotic battlefield.
Quietly glancing over, Liu Zhuo found that his Little Princess’ mood seemed to be fluctuating quite a bit and appeared quite happy, prompting him to ask, “Young Lady, what kind of person is the one He Pu just mentioned? Why does Young Lady seem so concerned with him?”
“He’s a friend!” In Shui Ling’s mind, Yang Kai’a appearance surfaced, but upon remembering all the rude behaviour he had shown her back in the Central Capital, she couldn’t help grinding her teeth and spitting, “A very hateful friend.”
Liu Zhuo was stunned, if he was a friend, why was he also hateful? Shaking his head, he wasn’t able to understand what the Little Princess was thinking.
However, as the Little Princess’ retainer, he knew it wasn’t his place to pry into her private affairs so he simply let the matter drop. In truth, he was somewhat curious about this person. He had been serving the Little Princess for a few years now but had never seen her show such a wide range of expressions before.
About half an hour later, two small black spots appeared on the horizon. Noticing this, Shui Ling trembled slightly and quickly looked over only to see He Pu leading someone towards her direction.
As the distance shrank, Shui Ling finally saw the person’s appearance.
Her heart clenching up, Shui Ling’s clear eyes quickly became somewhat watery.
His appearance hadn’t changed much since a few years ago, only seeming a bit more robust and mature.
Still up in the air, Yang Kai spotted Shui Ling and suddenly increased his speed, leaving He Pu behind and in the blink of an eye arriving in front of Shui Ling.
“Beautiful woman, it’s been some time since we last met,” Yang Kai gave a snarky greeting with a friendly smile upon his face.
Shui Ling could be considered as one of his few friends.
“You bastard!” Shui Ling ground her teeth as she stared at Yang Kai menacingly, rushing over in the next instant and punching and kicking him.
Liu Zhuo, who was still commanding the beast subjugation, and He Pu, who had just caught up, were both stunned by this scene.
How could they not be stunned seeing their aloof Little Princess openly flirt with a young man?
“What?” Yang Kai did not evade, letting her get in a few good hits before asking in confusion.
“Didn’t you die? How are you still alive?”
“Who said I died?” Yang Kai asked back angrily.
“That beauty from Bold Independent Union told me,” Shui Ling said in a huff, “Last time, when I went to Bold Independent Union to find her, she told me you had been abducted. Since then there had been no news from you so she said you were probably dead!”
With so many others around, Shui Ling didn’t openly say anything about the Coffin Carrying Man, obviously afraid of causing Yang Kai trouble.
“Oh, that did happen,” Yang Kai nodded, not making any attempt to deny it.
“How did you escape?” Shui Ling was shocked.
“My luck was good, he just let me go,” Yang Kai replied thoughtlessly.
“Haa… Good people really don’t live long while scourges lasts a thousand years,” Shui Ling sighed forlornly, “When that beauty told me about you, she was crying almost inconsolably; did something happen between the two of you? Or else, why would she be sad that you died? When I left, your relationship wasn’t so good, quickly tell me what all of that was about, don’t tell me, to her, you actually… em?”
Seeing Yang Kai rise from the grave, Shui Ling was particularly happy and without any pause began bombarding him with various questions.
“You little girl, why are you asking so many questions all of a sudden?” Yang Kai stared at her somewhat dumbfounded.
“Fair enough, I already know the answer anyways,” Shui Ling spat disdainfully, “You shameless bastard, wherever you go you are surrounded by women, I really shouldn’t have let her approach you back then, I really harmed her!”
“It was an accident, just an accident,” Yang Kai said awkwardly. At that time, under the influence of the Charm Monster’s Spiritual Energy toxin, he really had been helpless.
“Hmph, who would believe you?” Shui Ling snorted, suddenly wearing a solemn expression as she sincerely said, “In any case, you being alive will definitely make many people happy.”
“Are you also happy I’m alive?” Yang Kai asked, a sly look appearing on his face.
“I’m looking forward to you dying sooner!” Shui Ling pouted, her face blushing slightly.
Seeing this scene, He Pu and Liu Zhuo only became more and more surprised. From this brief interaction, it was obvious to them that the relationship between their Little Princess and this young man was not shallow. What kind of origins did this youth have that caused their Little Princess to lose all trace of her usual etiquette? It was really mysterious.
“It’s quite lively here,” Yang Kai glanced around and this sea-side region was occupied by a group of cultivators fighting against a giant Monster Beast. These cultivators weren’t weak, with a Transcendent master in command and the rest having at least reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary, but the Monster Beast they were fighting seemed to be a Seventh-Order one and was perfectly suited to fighting in the water, it’s eight long tentacles possessing incredible strength and lethality, able to summon waves and split the seas.
The group of cultivator had inflicted many large and small wounds on this Aquatic Monster Beat, but they had been unable to kill it. Blue blood flowed from wounds that were opened on its skin but after its flesh squirmed a bit, its injuries would be healed.
Yang Kai only observed for a moment before determining that this Monster Beast could not be killed by this group.
Its vitality was simply too tenacious.
“En, this bastard seems to be eyeing the spirit grasses on Cloud Wind Island and has already stolen quite a few,” Shui Ling said in a somewhat annoyed tone as she glared angrily at the Monster Beast.
“Young Lady, I’m afraid we’ll need reinforcements if we want to drive it off,” Liu Zhuo also saw that the situation was not good and quickly advised.
Shui Ling nodded in agreement.
“Why don’t you go up?” Yang Kai turned to look at Liu Zhuo blankly. This person was a First Order Transcendent, if he joined the subjugation, their group should be able to kill this sea beast, but it seemed as though he had no intention of doing so and was only standing back and issuing commands.
Liu Zhuo glanced over at Yang Kai and coldly snorted, “If I go up, who will protect the Young Lady’s safety?”
Yang Kai was stunned by this comment and no longer said anything.
It seemed like Shui Ling had yet to break through to the Transcendent Realm and was still just a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator. In other words, her cultivation was the same as when she had separated from Yang Kai. After three years, she had still not broken through this barrier, it could be seen from this how difficult taking that single step was.
Shui Ling had a distinguished status, so of course Liu Zhuo had concerns about her safety. Knowing this, Yang Kai knew well enough not to argue any further. This was someone else’s territory, if recklessly tried to push his opinion onto them, it would only stir up the other side’s resentment.
Shui Ling on the other hand though just spit her tongue out towards Yang Kai teasingly before turning to Liu Zhuo and saying, “Go join them, that’s the fastest way to finish that guy off.”
“But Young Lady…” Liu Zhuo’s brow wrinkled, obviously somewhat unwilling, his duty was to protect Shui Ling; everything else came second.
“Since I’ve told you to go, just go, I still have some things to discuss with this bastard,” Shui Ling glanced at him and casually said, “Rest assure, I’ll remain back here. Also, with this bastard here, even if that Monster Beast rushes over, I’ll still be perfectly safe, right?”
Her last words were pointed towards Yang Kai.
In response, Yang Kai just smiled and didn’t answer.
Although this Seventh-Order Monster Beast was enormous and possessed not weak strength, if Yang Kai wanted to, he would surely be able to kill it; however, it would be a bit presumptuous for him to step forward here given that he was just a guest, he had no intention of drawing any unwanted resentment towards himself.
“Go on, what are you still doing here?” Seeing Liu Zhuo still not moving, Shui Ling couldn’t help urging him once more.
Liu Zhuo expression became cold as he shot a glare towards Yang Kai and muttered, “Little brat, you better look after the Young Lady carefully, don’t let her suffer any kind of mishap.”
“Don’t worry,” Yang Kai shrugged.
Seeing this, Liu Zhuo begrudgingly used his movement skill and shot towards the sea.
With him joining in, the situation immediately improved. Now that there were two Transcendents teaming up, supported by a group of Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators, the Water Spirit Temple forces quickly gained the advantage and the sea beast was soon howling in pain as its eight tentacles took significant damage.
Yang Kai stood and observed the battle for a moment. After determining that there was no problem over there, he smiled slightly and said, “That guy seems quite loyal to you.”
“He’s my subordinate, of course he’s loyal to me,” Shui Ling said proudly, “You think this Young Lady is the same as she was back in the Central Capital? Let me warn you, if you dare to bully me now, I’ll let them chop you up into bits.”
“When did I ever bully you?” Yang Kai asked completely naturally.
Shui Ling snorted meaningfully, “Whether you bullied me or not, you yourself are clear in your heart! After not seeing you for a few years, you seem to have grown quite a bit, what’s your current cultivation?”
Yang Kai rubbed his nose and replied back vaguely, “Why do you want to know?”
He didn’t want to conceal something so simple from Shui Ling, but he was afraid if he said something it would depress her. When they had first met, Shui Ling was already a master at the Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage while Yang Kai was still just a Peak True Element cultivator, but now, less than five years later, Yang Kai’s cultivation had completely surpassed Shui Ling’s. The rate at which he progressed was really a bit too ridiculous.
Even if Yang Kai didn’t say anything though, Shui Ling wasn’t ignorant, smiling lightly as she said, “From what I know of your cultivation speed, I have some idea about just how far you’ve advanced. That also goes to prove my assessment of you was correct, no matter where you go, you can always stir up great storms; it’s really quite enviable. I’m different, once I left Water Spirit Temple, I couldn’t do anything.”
“Silly girl, what do you want a high cultivation for anyways?”
“Not telling! How about it, after seeing the foundations of my Water Spirit Temple, do you have any thoughts of joining? My offer still stands, if you join, I can provide you with the best cultivation environment. We have a lot of unoccupied islands, as long as you see one you like, I can give it to you as your private domain.”
Three years ago, Shui Ling had tried to win over Yang Kai. And now that she had met him again, that idea resurfaced.
This was because there had never been anyone Shui Ling had such high expectations for; only Yang Kai could make her anticipate his future achievements so much. Although this person was somewhat hateful, his ability and aptitude were truly astonishing.
“Joining this place would be the same as ruining myself,” Yang Kai smiled and rejected Shui Ling’s kindness, “The Water Attribute Qi here is so rich, how am I supposed to cultivate?”
“My Water Spirit Temple certainly has places appropriate for you to cultivate. There are several volcanic islands where the climate is burning hot all year round.”
“Even then, I’ll have to politely refuse, I have a place to stay already.”
“Where?” Shui Ling asked with great interest, “What kind of place could you have taken a liking to?”
Yang Kai spoke briefly about what happened in Soaring Heaven Sect, and after hearing that the Ancestral Founder who created High Heaven Pavilion was that Sect’s current Sect Master, Shui Ling immediately gave up any idea of recruiting Yang Kai again.
High Heaven Pavilion was Yang Kai’s home Sect, him choosing to settle in Soaring Heaven Sect was reasonable. On top of that, Soaring Heaven Sect was a great force in Tong Xuan Realm, even Shui Ling had occasionally heard about it.
In the time it took them to finish their conversation, the nearby battle had come to an end.
After Liu Zhuo joined in, the Aquatic monster Beast was quickly defeated and escaped after suffering severe wounds. Although it was regrettable they failed to kill it, repelling it while not suffering any losses on their side was still something to celebrate.
Shui Ling issued a few follow-up commands before leaving her subordinates to handle the clean up and leading Yang Kai off.
Among the thousands of islands under Water Spirit Temple’s jurisdiction, Water Spirit Island was the largest and possessed an incredibly rich World Energy aura. Shui Ling’s name also came from this island.
Usually, Shui Ling lived and cultivated on this island.
Most of the island’s inhabitants were disciples of the Water Spirit Temple along with those disciples’ families. On this island, houses were arranged in a patchwork manner and the crowds would come and go as they pleased, making for a lively environment.
Atop the highest point of the island, there was a row of palace-like buildings, one of which belonged to Shui Ling.
As soon as Shui ling led Yang Kai here, a beautiful young maidservant came out to greet them and immediately offered an assortment of delicious food and wine, crafted from the bounty of the sea, displaying the highest level of cordiality possible.
However, because of all the things weighing on his heart, Yang Kai couldn’t taste any of the food or drink.
Seemingly aware of this, Shui Ling quickly dismissed her maids and said, “I know what you are here for, and I can tell you right now that I really do have the information you’re looking for.”
Yang Kai’s breathing became a bit hurried as he stared at Shui Ling and said excitedly, “Meng Wu Ya really did leave a message with you.”
“En, two years ago, he suddenly came to the Water Spirit Temple along with your Little Senior Sister who was proficient in Alchemy. After leaving behind some words, he quickly left, hoping I would pass along his message to you. Originally I went to Bold Independent Union to find you, but when I arrived there, I heard from Yun Xuan that you had probably died,” Shui Ling sighed faintly, “Fortunately you’re alive and well. The Heavens haven’t abandoned you yet it seems.”
“What message did Treasurer Meng ask you to convey to me?” Yang Kai asked eagerly.
“He said, that old fogy Old Demon had separated from them, saying he was going to the Demon Land to develop a force in anticipation of his Young Master’s arrival,” Shui Ling grinned wryly.
“That old nut…” Yang Kai shook his head and smiled. Of course, Old Demon’s ambition really might be possible; after all, he now possessed the body of a Demon General, that along was enough to warrant his confidence. At the very least, he shouldn’t have any trouble mixing in with the Demon Race.
“What about Su Yan? Where is Su Yan?”
Shui Ling glanced over at him hesitantly before saying, “I can’t tell you where she is specifically, but I can tell you that she is alright. Senior Meng and your Little Senior Sister seemed to have something to do, so Senior Meng entrusted Su Yan to a Sect one of his old friends resides in and let her temporarily cultivate there. The location of that Sect is very suitable for Su Yan, so not only will she not encounter any danger, she will be able to obtain a lot of benefits.”
“Then why can’t you tell me where she is?” Yang Kai was puzzled.
“Because if I told you, you’d immediately go seek her out. The force she is staying with doesn’t allow any outsiders inside their territory. The people there are somewhat unreasonable and the strength they possess is actually much greater than my Water Spirit Temple. There are countless masters in that Sect. Given your temperament, if you go there and they refuse to let you see Su Yan, once you make a mess of things, you’ll probably be in danger.”
“Seriously? I’m just going there to see my Senior Sister, why would they make things difficult for me?”
“I told you, those people are unreasonable, that’s just how they think. It can’t be judged by common sense.”
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled, sinking into thought for a moment before muttering, “Since Treasurer Meng entrusted Su Yan to that Sect before he came to Water Spirit Temple and left this message with you, that force must be quite close to here. Su Yan Senior Sister cultivates an Ice Heart Secret Art, the most suitable environment for her is one that is extremely cold… A Sect based in an icy region near your Water Spirit Temple that is also stronger than your Water Spirit Temple…”
“Stop stop!” Shui Ling’s called out helplessly, Yang Kai’s words had all but inferred Su Yan’s location so she knew trying to hide it any further was useless. Glaring at him angrily, she snorted bitterly, “You’re too smart for your own good!”
“Then tell me about it, I can’t really think of a place that matches those conditions so I have to find someone to ask about it anyways!” Yang Kai grinned, he really wasn’t too knowledgeable about this world’s forces, or else he would have already known the answer to his inquiry.
“Ice Sect!” Shui Ling said reluctantly, “Have you heard of it?”
Yang Kai shook his head.
“A few thousand kilometers west of my Water Spirit Temple, there is a glacial region. Ice Sect is based in that frozen land. They live a mostly isolated life and rarely come into contact with outsiders, so they don’t have any particularly close ties with the rest of the world. It’s only because they are located relatively close to my Water Spirit Temple that we have some interactions. Occasionally, my Water Spirit Temple will do some business with them, but whenever we make an exchange, the men, women, and even children who we meet with are as cold as ice. Your ice fairy Senior Sister entering that place was really quite appropriate.”
“Why would Treasurer Meng take Senior Sister to such a place?” Yang Kai frowned.
“It seems that Senior Meng and the Sect Master of Ice Sect have some friendship so he felt relieved entrusting Su Yan to her,” After Shui Ling finished, she looked at Yang Kai solemnly and asked, “Do you insist on going to Ice Sect?”
Yang Kai nodded.
It had already been several years since he came to this world and now that he finally had a definite piece of news about his Senior Sister, of course he had to check it out and see how Su Yan was doing. If Ice Sect really was suitable for her, letting her stay there to cultivate wouldn’t be a bad idea, but if she wanted to leave with him, Yang Kai would bring her to Soaring Heaven Sect.
Chu Ling Xiao was the Ancestral Founder of the High Heaven Pavilion, naturally that meant he was Su Yan’s Martial Ancestor as well.
“When do you plan to leave?”
“Now.”
“Do you even know where to go?” Shui Ling rolled her eyes at him, “Wait a few more days, I’ll find someone familiar with the route to guide you. You flying off on your own now will just be a waste of time.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded, not rejecting Shui Ling’s kindness. Having someone lead him was naturally better than him wandering around by himself.
Above the vast ocean, a massive iron boat sailed forward against the wind and waves, heading west at an extremely fast speed.
The ship was filled with cultivation resources and was crewed by disciples of Water Spirit Temple.
Yang Kai stood at the bow of the ship and stared west, his thought somewhat distracted. Since he had first become involved with Su Yan, they had never been separated for such a long time. The deep ache and longing for her he felt in his heart was like a fine wine, the longer it remained bottled up, the more potent it became.
After roughly half a month’s stay on Water Spirit Island, his opportunity finally came when this trade mission between Water Spirit Temple and Ice Sect came up, and Yang Kai didn’t hesitate to seize it.
Over the past half a month, Shui Ling had taken very good care of him and provided him with every kind of convenience he could want, making one more attempt to persuade Yang Kai to join the Water Spirit Temple. Unfortunately, Yang Kai ultimately refused.
When he finally left, Shui Ling threw something of a fit and didn’t even show up to say goodbye.
Taking advantage of this down time, with Shui Ling’s help, Yang Kai also managed to acquire a number of the herbs he needed to refine the Ancient Demon Clan’s Saint Pill.
Although these herbs could not be found in Blue Water City, for a great force like Water Spirit Temple, they weren’t too difficult to acquire.
Although the speed of the great ship was nowhere near what Yang Kai was capable of, it was definitely not slow. Obviously, it had been specially built by skilled masters and even had some characteristics in common with high grade artifacts. The several times it was attacked by Monster Beasts, it had easily shrugged them off.
The ship also had several Transcendent Realm masters aboard to prevent any accidents from happening.
He Pu of Dark Clouds Island was here too and was actually the one responsible for this trade mission with Ice Sect. Ice Sect was very powerful and had many high-level masters, each and every one of them possessing a frigid demeanor; however, because of this, they were very honest and upfront when it came to transactions. Water Spirit Temple had been cooperating with them for more than a few years now so there was a certain degree of trust built up between the two Sects. When Water Spirit Temple delivered Ice Sect various cultivation resources and supplies, they would receive a large amount of Ice Attribute spirit grasses and herbs in return.
Ice Sect was rich in Ice Attribute ores which were of great value to Water Spirit Temple.
“Young Master Yang,” He Pu smiled as he appeared next to Yang Kai, “After about half a month, we will arrive at the edge of a great glacier, from there, we have to disembark and fly the rest of the way. The people you’re looking for live in the depths of that glacial world.”
“What kind of Sect is Ice Sect?” Yang Kai turned around and asked.
“I don’t know much about them actually,” He Pu smiled awkwardly.
“You don’t know much about them? Don’t you trade with them quite often?”
“We indeed have an established relationship, but I have never been to Ice Sect itself. Every time we trade, we do so on one of the outer glaciers quite some distance from Ice Sect’s headquarters. Those Ice Sect people are really aloof and unreasonable though, every time we meet they stare at us with disgruntled expressions, as if we owe them an incredible amount of money. On top of that, they’re quite averse to outsiders; they consider Ice Sect to be a pure land and outsiders will only bring filth into their realm. If anyone dares to approach their territory, they will certainly not be polite.”
“So, what you mean to say is, you don’t actually know where Ice Sect is, do you?” Yang Kai knit his brow.
He Pu shook his head before coughing lightly, “Young Lady specifically instructed that if things did not go smoothly, Young Master Yang should return to Water Spirit Island where the Young Lady will be waiting to receive you.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help chuckling when he heard these words, “That little girl still has ideas about me.”
He Pu’s mouth twitched slightly. He had never heard anyone dare call the Young Lady ‘little girl’. The courage of this Young Master Yang was simply too big, but what was even more astonishing was his relationship with the Young Lady was good enough that she didn’t mind him speaking to her in such a manner.
“The wind outside is quite strong, let’s go inside,” He Pu quickly adjusted his expression and said with a smile, “My Junior Brothers have prepared some food and wine, I hope Young Master Yang will accept this invitation.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded and walked into the cabin with He Pu.
Although He Pu didn’t know the details about Yang Kai and Shui Ling’s relationship, he had a few guesses. At the very least, Shui Ling treated him differently than an ordinary guest, so naturally He Pu thought it was a good idea to make friends with him.
Yang Kai also didn’t have any kind of arrogance and soon mixed in the crew, laughing and drinking together with everyone harmoniously.
The days passed by and the air obviously became colder, it seemed like as the great boat sailed forward, it was gradually approaching a world of ice and snow.
The waves on the sea also became smaller and weaker than before, and around the ship, floating chunks of ice could be seen.
As time passed, this change in situation became even more obvious.
Yang Kai knew this meant he was getting closer and closer to the glacial world and his heart filled with endless expectation and excitement.
Half a month later, the great ship finally came to a stop as the sea in front of it was completely frozen over. Snowflakes the size of goose feathers fell from the sky and from just a quick look, it was obvious the ice on the water’s surface was several meters thick.
The ship couldn’t proceed any further.
He Pu skillfully commanded the crew to pack the ship’s supplies into a number of Universe Bags and prepare to land on the glaciers.
After a short hustle and bustle, everything was prepared.
Leaving a few people behind to look after the boat, the rest of the Water Spirit Temple team leapt off of the deck and, brazing the frigid wind and snow, continued heading west.
The temperature here is extremely low; even a cultivator like He Pu wore a lot of warm clothing, Yang Kai was the only one still a casual shirt and pants. Not only did he not feel cold, he even seemed to be enjoying the weather. This cause He Pu and the others to stare in amazement, wondering just what kind cultivation Yang Kai possessed that allowed him to treat this terrible environment as if it was nothing.
As far as the eye could see it was pure white, a frozen glacial world seemingly devoid of any impurities.
The team from Water Spirit Temple flew forward for several days before the Transcendent leading them suddenly made a gesture to stop.
The team all halted and stared towards their front.
Amidst this snowy world, there seemed to be a few vague figures dressed in pure white robes. Against the glacial background, these people were nearly impossible to detect.
Yang Kai had discovered these people’s auras some time ago, but had not said anything, choosing to sit back and observe first.
After searching the area in front of him for a while, the leader of Water Spirit Temple’s team finally confirmed his counterparts, smiled happily, and hurried forward.
A moment later, their team arrived in front of these half-hidden figures.
Obviously these people were disciples of Ice Sect. Sweeping his gaze over them quickly, Yang Kai could help narrowing his eyes.
Although these people’s expressions were aloof and indifferent, even somewhat disgruntled, giving them an unwelcoming and unreasonable aura, all of them had incredibly dense and pure True Qi, each of them giving off a chilling aura that was difficult to ignore.
The harsher the environment, the stronger the cultivator that could be honed, this was a well-known truth.
Living a life of isolation in this glacial world, Ice Sect’s disciples not being formidable would be strange.
It seemed like Treasurer Meng entrusting Su Yan to this place had by no means been out of simple convenience. With Su Yan’s temperament, this environment really was perfectly suited to her.
The two sides were obviously familiar with each other so the lead Ice Sect disciple, upon seeing the Water Spirit Temple delegation, didn’t refrain from showing some impatience as he indifferently asked, “How come you’re so late this time?”
He Pu quickly stepped forward and replied with a flattering smile, “Sorry, sorry, some matters delayed our trip here, causing us to arrive a bit later than expected.”
“It better not happen again,” The man was coldly snorted.
He Pu almost choked on his words, secretly rolling his eyes and no longer trying to exchange pleasantries, instead quickly getting his people to hand over their Universe Bags to the Ice Sect disciples so the latter could confirm the goods.
After a quick inspection, the leader of the Ice Sect group nodded, expressed his satisfaction with the materials sent by Water Spirit Temple, then handed over two Universe Bags from his sleeve to He Pu.
He Pu swiftly checked the contents of the Universe Bags before smiling and saying, “Good, this time’s exchange has been fruitful, I hope we can continue to cooperate in the future.”
Upon hearing this, without saying anything more, the Ice Sect delegation turned around and prepared to leave.
“Please wait a moment!” He Pu called out.
The lead Ice Sect disciple turned around and asked in an unhappy voice, “What?”
“Ahem, I’d like to ask you about someone,” Yang Kai stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said.
“Ask about someone? Who do you want to ask about?” The man frowned, his expression clearly impatient.
“A young woman named Su Yan, she should currently be residing in your Ice Sect.”
“Su Yan?”
“En, she should have entered your Ice Sect two years ago, if possible, I hope you can allow me to see her…”
“There’s no one with that name in my Ice Sect, you’ve come to the wrong place!” The man didn’t wait for Yang Kai to finish before waving his hand and gruffly cutting him off.
A tinge of anger welled up in Yang Kai’s heart but didn’t immediately act out, choosing instead to stand by and watch this group depart.
Soon, these people disappeared into the snowy world.
“Young Master Yang, this…” He Pu looked at Yang Kai somewhat sympathetically. Although he knew the people of Ice Sect were not easy to converse with, this group had simply been too cold, even refusing to give the other side a chance to speak.
“You go back first, give my thanks to Shui Ling for all her help and tell her I’ll come thank her in person when I get a chance.”
“But Young Lady said that if things don’t go well, we have to bring you back with us lest you suffer any injustice here,” He Pu hesitated.
“Her good intentions are something I’ll make a note of in my heart. When you go back, just tell her I insisted on staying,” Yang Kai smiled and patted He Pu’s shoulder, “This time you’ve worked hard.”
Being treated in such a friendly manner, He Pu immediately felt flattered and let out a laugh, “Young Master Yang is too polite, this Hu wishes Young Master Yang success in your coming venture. If things are truly impossible, please don’t hesitate to leave, these Ice Sect people really aren’t good to provoke.”
“En, I know, if there’s a chance, we’ll meet again in the future,” Yang Kai cupped his fists before quickly turning around and following after the Ice Sect disciples.
Looking at his disappearing back, He Pu sighed and shook his head before also turning around and leading his team back the way they came.
Yang Kai subtly released his Divine Sense and locked onto the group of Ice Sect disciples, following them from a safe distance.
He was certain this group of people knew Su Yan.
Although the man who spoke did not expose any flaws, the young woman standing behind him, trembled slightly as a look of surprise briefly appeared on her face when Yang Kai mentioned Su Yan’s name.
Although she had quickly regained her composure, Yang Kai had not missed this slight change.
Yang Kai didn’t know why they denied Su Yan’s existence, but he couldn’t feel at ease without seeing her for himself.
There was also a faint uneasiness in his heart, as if he knew something was wrong.
Su Yan had been entrusted to Ice Sect by Meng Wu Ya. Ice Sect’s Sect Master and Treasurer Meng seemed to have some kind of friendship, and that friendship definitely wasn’t shallow. If not, Meng Wu Ya would not have done this.
Yang Kai believed in Treasurer Meng!
Since that was the case, Su Yan shouldn’t have been wronged in Ice Sect, but the faint restlessness in Yang Kai’s heart still unsettled him and he vowed to find Su Yan and see for himself how she currently was.
Atop the glacier, several Ice Sect disciples in their pure white robes rushed forward. They were the ones who had just traded with He Pu.
Under the leadership of a middle-aged man, the group of people walked in a seemingly random pattern across the snowy landscape.
There were many large and small outcroppings on this vast glacier, and with their white clothing and special methods of concealing their auras, it would be almost impossible to detect them if one didn’t carefully inspect the area.
As the middle-aged man led his fellow disciples back towards the Sect, he couldn’t help wrinkling his brow. He instinctively felt like they were being tracked, but even after sweeping the surroundings with his Divine Sense repeatedly, he couldn’t detect anyone, causing him some distress.
After traveling for quite some time, not only was this group not closer to Ice Sect, they were instead getting farther and farther away.
The young woman next to him finally couldn’t help but ask, “Ni Ren Martial Uncle, why are we flying in this direction?”
The middle-aged man didn’t answer, as if he hadn’t even heard her.
The young woman didn’t give up though, her expression becoming somewhat puzzled as she asked, “Also, when that youth asked about Junior Sister Su Yan, why did you tell him that Junior Sister wasn’t in the Ice Sect? She is obviously there, I even spoke a few words to her less than a year ago.”
Ni Ren just shot a cold glance towards the young woman, scaring her and immediately causing her to stop talking.
A young man next to the woman quickly explained, “Don’t ask too much Junior Sister, Martial Uncle naturally has a good reason for doing this. Everything he does is for our protection. Outsiders are all sinister and deceitful; at first glance it was obvious that guy back there wasn’t anything good, actually wanting to intrude into our Ice Sect, who knows what kind of evil plot he has.”
“Oh… en,” The young woman simply replied; although she somewhat disagreed in her heart, she didn’t dare say any more.
Another seemingly concerned disciple sped up and approached Ni Ren, whispering, “Martial Uncle, are we being followed?”
Ni Ren frowned a moment before muttering, “I don’t know, it may just be my imagination. Among that group of people, no one should have the ability to shadow us without me noticing, but just in case we’ll take a roundabout way back.”
“Yes.”
Ni Ren’s expression did not relax though; recalling Yang Kai’s appearance though, he just shook his head and felt he was being overly cautious.
Although that young man seemed out of the ordinary, and was certainly not an average Junior, in the end, he was still nothing but a kid. It should be impossible for his cultivation to be higher than his own.
However, what Ni Ren really cared about was that he was actually looking for Su Yan.
The young woman who had suddenly entered Ice Sect two years ago!
Not long after joining, that young woman created a huge sensation, the Sect Master and all the Elders lavishly praising her, saying that one day she would certainly become a Third Order Saint!
Her performance was certainly awe inspiring. When Su Yan joined the Sect, she was still just an Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage cultivator, but in less than a year, she successfully broke through to the Transcendent Realm and continued progressing rapidly. According to Elder Qian Yue, for the past year, Su Yan had been in secluded retreat, as to what kind of realm her cultivation had reached, Ni Ren could only imagine.
On top of that, Su Yan easily mastered all of Ice Sect’s Secret Arts and Martial Skills, becoming proficient in most of them almost at first glance.
This kind of achievement was unheard of in all of Ice Sect’s history.
Her aptitude actually didn’t differ much from one who possessed the legendary Ice Crystal Jade Body special constitution. Unfortunately, the Ice Crystal Jade Body was incredibly rare and had essentially never been seen before.
Ni Ren hadn’t had much contact with Su Yan, but he had learned from Elder Qian Yue that this young woman was simply supremely suited to cultivating in Ice Sect! Originally, the Sect Master had half forcibly admitted her into the Sect against the other Elder’s objections, but after discovering her amazing talent, Elder Qian Yue’s attitude completely changed and even hoped to accept her as a direct disciple. Forget about allowing Su Yan to freely read the Sect’s Secret Arts and Martial Skills, Elder Qian Yue even allowed her to freely enter the Sect’s Sacred Ground, the Ice Cave, to cultivate.
Unfortunately, Su Yan didn’t seem willing to join Ice Sect, causing Qian Yue no small frustration, but there was really nothing she could do.
When Yang Kai mentioned Su Yan, he made Ni Ren feel quite wary.
If it was any other disciple, Ni Ren probably won’t have bothered concealing the truth, but since it was about Su Yan, Ni Ren thought he should first report the incident to Elder Qian Yue.
As these thoughts swirled about his head, Ni Ren’s feet never stopped moving, shuttling back and forth across the glacial landscape.
Yang Kai, who was a fair distance behind this group, saw this and merely snickered lightly.
The other party seemed to be faintly aware they were being tracked but were not certain, so they were eagerly trying to shake Yang Kai off.
Unfortunately for them, having been locked onto by Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense, everything Ni Ren tried was in vain.
Three days later, Yang Kai noticed that the group he was tracking had suddenly disappeared into an ice mountain, their life auras seemingly vanishing into thin air.
After stopping in place for a moment, Yang Kai frowned and decided to walk closer to the region they had disappeared, soon coming across a dense field of ice mountains.
Even after examining the area in front of him for some time, Yang Kai couldn’t discover anything out of place; all he knew was that these ice mountains were concealing some kind of secret.
However, his efforts weren’t completely fruitless as, to his great joy, he felt Su Yan’s aura!
Because they had cultivated the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art, as long as the two of them were within a certain range of each other, they could sense the other’s existence.
After they had absorbed the energy of the Yin Yang Monster Ginseng, this invisible spiritual connection had grown even stronger.
Su Yan was inside one of the ice mountains a short distance in front of him, her aura incredibly calm and peaceful, as if she was in some kind of deep sleep, but when Yang Kai tried to reach out to her, he wasn’t able to obtain the slightest response.
Yang Kai’s expression instantly became gloomy upon realizing this.
Most likely, Su Yan had encountered some kind of accident! Otherwise, after sensing his presence, she would definitely excitedly run out to see him.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s anger flared up and a murderous aura began leaking from his body, his eyes becoming sharp and dangerous.
Inside the ice mountain field lay a snowy paradise.
Ice Sect’s foundation was in this mountain range. Innumerable years ago, Ice Sect was a well-known super force in Tong Xuan Realm, but because of a certain incident, Ice Sect had abandoned its former domain and secluded itself here, no longer contacting the outside world or accepting outsiders into its territory.
Every ten years, Ice Sect’s Elders would go out and search for some disciples with excellent aptitude to inject fresh blood into the Ice Sect; these disciples would all be orphans without any other family members.
The strictness with which Ice Sect selected its disciples was incredibly harsh so each one of them was a talented elite.
There weren’t many people in Ice Sect; from the Sect Master to the youngest disciples, there were only about five hundred in total. However, there were quite a few masters including several Saints and at least twenty or thirty Transcendents. It could be seen from this alone that Ice Sect’s cultivation methods and vision were extraordinary when it came to its disciples.
At this moment, in the center of one of the ice mountains, inside an ice room, Ni Ren was reporting about the recent transaction to Elder Qian Yue.
Qian Yue was a middle-aged beauty and although she did not look old, she was already a powerful First Order Saint. Like Fei Yu, she had simply done a good job in maintaining her appearance.
After listening to Ni Ren’s report, Qian Yue nodded lightly, “Well done, you’ve worked hard, bring the disciples of your team to take some of those supplies to cultivate with.”
“Many thanks, Elder Qian Yue,” Ni Ren said, but did not immediately retreat, a look of hesitation appearing on his face.
“Is there something else?” Qian Yue stared at him with her pair of beautiful eyes, realizing something was not quite right thus taking the initiative to ask.
“It’s like this, Elder. During this time’s transaction, something happened that concerns this disciple.”
“Go on.”
“There was a young man who asked this disciple about Su Yan’s whereabouts. I don’t know where he obtained his information, but he seemed to be aware that Su Yan was in our Ice Sect!”
“He was looking for Su Yan?” Qian Yue’s pretty face dimmed, her brow wrinkling slightly “What kind of man?”
Ni Ren quickly described Yang Kai’s appearance and added, “He is not old, but there was something strange about him. Disciple is incompetent and wasn’t able to spy on his strength, but he faintly gave me a sense of oppression.”
“He gave you a sense of oppression?” Qian Yue said slightly shocked, muttering to herself, “Is he the person that old guy mentioned to the Sect Master before? How could he have come so quickly?”
When that old fogy brought Su Yan to Ice Sect and handed her over to the Sect Master, he had once said that someday a young man might come looking for her. He also made a point of saying, when that time came, the Sect Master should not shut him out. Otherwise it would very likely cause some form of heaven shaking disaster.
The Sect Master and Elder Qian Yue weren’t aware of Su Yan’s aptitude at the time, so they only reluctantly agreed, but after witnessing Su Yan’s talent first hand, neither of them wanted to let her leave. As long as Su Yan stayed in Ice Sect, given her natural ability, she would definitely one day inherit the position of Sect Master.
What made Qian Yue feel helpless though was that Su Yan had encountered an accident and currently was unable to meet with anyone.
This young man’s relationship with Su Yan must be very close, if he were to learn of Su Yan’s current state, it would likely lead to some unwanted consequences.
Qian Yue couldn’t help rubbing her forehead, feeling a slight headache coming on as she asked, “Did you lead that young man back to the Sect?”
“No,” Ni Ren shook his head, “Disciple thought it best to report the situation to Elder first, so he did not tell him the truth.”
“Good, well done,” Qian Yue nodded with satisfaction, but before she could offer a few words of praise for Ni Ren’s quick judgement, her expression suddenly changed. Releasing her Divine Sense into the surrounding area, she soon coldly snorted and said, “Ni Ren, Ni Ren, you really are incompetent! Allowing someone to follow you back to our Ice Sect, yet not even realizing it?”
“Ah?” Ni Ren was stunned, “Impossible, I lead my team to wander through the ice fields for several days outside just in case someone was following us before coming back, how could he have…”
“Hmph!” Qian Yue coldly snorted, “If I say he followed you, then he follow you. Also, that little brat seems to be very dissatisfied with our Ice Sect, the aura he’s emitting right now is quite unfriendly.”
“Please calm your anger, Elder disciple will go now and drive him away!” Ni Ren quickly said, a tinge of irritation on his face.
When he came back, he had been extremely cautious and alert, but he had still been silently follow, not even realizing after he returned to the Sect, it was really a big loss of face to him.
“Go and send him away. This little brat is obviously not the friendly type so give him a good lesson, but remember, you mustn’t endanger his life,” Qian Yue ordered. In the end, this youth was somehow related to that old fogy, if they were really to kill this young man, it would be difficult for the Sect Master to explain to that old fogy.
The Sect Master had already reprimanded Qian Yue regarding Su Yan’s accident, so she was not eager to receive another sermon.
Ni Ren hurriedly nodded before rushing out, his look cold and gloomy.
Outside the ice mountain range, Yang Kai’s face was also quite gloomy, his eyes closed as he silently continued to examine Su Yan’s condition. Although he was certain her life wasn’t in any danger, he could not understand what had happened to her that would cause her to not respond to his call. It was like she was in some kind of coma and completely unaware of his presence.
A moment later, several not weak auras suddenly appeared in Yang Kai’s perception range and rapidly flew over towards him.
Yang Kai opened his eyes and a cold light flashed across them as he stared in the direction the Ice Sect disciples were approaching from.
Not long after, this group arrived in front of Yang Kai.
“Brat, sure enough, it’s you!” Ni Ren snorted as he stared at the slightly familiar youth in front of him. Just staring at the cold, murderous look on the opposite party’s face, Ni Ren knew this brat wasn’t anything good.
Regarding this person, Ni Ren didn’t have the slightest good impression.
“You dare follow me? Your courage really isn’t small,” Ni Ren coldly snorted, saying in a disgruntled tone, “It seems I’ll have to have a talk with Water Spirit Temple, how could they have raised such an insidious villain?”
When he met Yang Kai before, the latter had been moving together with the disciples of Water Spirit Temple, so naturally he thought Yang Kai was also member of Water Spirit Temple.
“Water Spirit Temple has no relationship with me!” Yang Kai snorted.
Ni Ren frowned as he stared at Yang Kai, calmly saying, “I don’t care what Sect you belong to, this is my Ice Sect’s territory. Go back to wherever you came from, otherwise don’t blame us for being unkind.”
“Before I see the person I have to see, I’m not going anywhere,” Yang Kai glared at Ni Ren, flames of anger rising in his heart. This guy clearly knew Su Yan, but when he had asked about her before, the latter had simply cut him off before Yang Kai could finish his question. And now that Yang Kai had arrived here and confirmed Su Yan’s presence, this guy wanted to force him to leave without so much as a word of explanation.
This attitude was simply arrogant to the extreme!
Yang Kai was furious, but still didn’t act immediately. Ice Sect’s Sect Master had some kind of relationship with Meng Wu Ya. Meng Wu Ya entrusting Su Yan to this place obviously stemmed from the former’s good intentions, so if Ice Sect could give him a reasonable explanation he could accept, Yang Kai didn’t want to make a big deal out of things.
Right now, he just wanted to know what had happened to Su Yan and how she was.
However, even if Yang Kai didn’t let his anger erupt, Ni Ren did, roaring loudly, “Little brat, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, speaking such bold words to me in my Ice Sect’s territory, you are the first! If you utter any more nonsense, I’ll teach you a harsh lesson!”
“You can try!” Yang Kai sneered.
Ni Ren’s expression became indifferent as he nodded lightly, “Very well, I didn’t want to hurt you, but you’ve brought this upon yourself. A mere junior daring to act so arrogantly in front of me, your ignorance knows no bounds! Today, I’ll let you know who the master is around here!”
Saying so, Ni Ren’s eyes flashed and a burst of white light shot out from them. In this white world, it was extremely difficult to detect this light.
The light seemed to be composed of the coldest ice and cut through the air like a sword, slicing into Yang Kai’s head and ripping through his Knowledge Sea’s defence, trying to defeat him in one fell swoop.
“A Divine Sense attack…”
Yang Kai’s mouth curled into a cold sneer and slowly shook his head, “I thought your Ice Sect cultivators were supposed to be strong, but it turns out you’re nothing much. If that was all you’ve got, then I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.”
Although Ni Ren’s Divine Sense attack had easily penetrated into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, it was quickly incinerated, causing no damage at all.
Ni Ren’s face changed dramatically upon realizing this and all the other Ice Sect disciples around also stared at Yang Kai in amazement.
Ni Ren was a First Order Transcendent master, and though he did not major in cultivating Spiritual Energy, his Divine Sense was still quite powerful. To deal with such a junior should have been a simple task, so the other party not taking with any damage and even leisurely being able to taunt them really was difficult for the Ice Sect disciples to accept.
“Junior Brother, this little brat is a little strange!” Another Transcendent beside Ni Ren quickly said.
Ni Ren nodded heavily; just now, when Elder Qian Yue told him to bring others to drive this little brat away, he had felt she was making too much of a fuss, but now he knew otherwise. Fortunately he had brought some of his fellow brothers to help or else, if he had come all alone, facing this strange kid in battle likely would have result in him suffering an embarrassing loss.
As he thought so, Ni Ren stared at Yang Kai fixedly, his expression a lot more solemn then it was before, a moment later saying, “Little brat, I see you have some skill. I won’t embarrass you any further, so leave now.”
“I said, before I see the one I need to see, I’m not leaving,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, his attitude firm, his expression sinking as he coldly stated, “If you don’t let me see her, I’ll flatten every one of your ice mountains!”
“Bold! You think we’ll allow you to act as you please in our Ice Sect?” Ni Ren shouted furiously.
“It seems it’s useless for me to speak with someone of your status in Ice Sect. Since that’s the case, I’ll have to find someone with some real authority!” Just as Yang Kai’s voice fell, his figure flickered and he shot towards a certain ice mountain in the distance. From that mountain, he could feel a powerful Divine Sense monitoring the situation over here.
“Don’t even think about it!” Ni Ren shouted, his True Qi bursting forth, “Frozen World!”
The bone chilling wind suddenly became even colder and in a flash, Yang Kai’s body was surrounded by a mysterious energy. This energy quickly solidified into innumerable icy blades that shot towards him from every possible direction, each of these blades giving off an imposing and dangerous aura.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s figure was lost in this torrent of blades.
However, Ni Ren’s expression did not relax and instead became even more solemn.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The ice blades continued to fly towards Yang Kai from all around, but at the centre of this barrage a blazing inferno had erupted and was spreading outwards at incredible speed. Soon, a red hot ball of flames as dazzling as the sun formed, blinding those who tried to stare at it.
*Hong…*
When Ni Ren’s Frozen World exploded, Yang Kai stood mid-air, surrounded by his flames, radiating a scalding hot aura as he stared down at Ni Ren indifferently.
“Transcendent Realm!” Ni Ren complexion changed greatly as his eyes bulged in disbelief.
Feeling Yang Kai’s True Qi fluctuations, he finally understood what his opponent’s cultivation was.
This young man, like him, was a First Order Transcendent master! And his opponent’s True Qi was actually several times purer and denser than his own. What made Ni Ren truly unease though was that this youth’s True Qi had a potent Yang Attribute, the nemesis of his Ice Attribute Qi!
“Junior Brother, watch out!” In the instant that Ni Ren lost his composure, his Senior Brother nearby suddenly called out and hurriedly pulled him away.
*Xiu…*
A fiery red spear scratched Ni Ren’s body and sank into the ground, instantly melting the ten thousand year old ice and opening a hole dozens of meters across and at least a thousand meters deep.
Feeling the power of that spear which was purely condense of this strange youth’s True Qi caused all the Ice Sect disciples present to go pale.
All of them had broken through to the Transcendent Realm, but none of them was confident they could have withstood such an attack. If they had been hit directly with that flame spear, they would likely have vaporized as easily as the ice around them had.
*Hu hu…*
An unbearably hot True Qi aura spread out and instantly covered a several thousand meter radius. Within this scalding domain, anyone who cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts was suppressed to some degrees and their True Qi seemed to circulate more slowly.
Yang Kai stood mid-air, a cold chill flashing across his eyes as he stared down below and solemnly said, “I’ll ask you one last time, what happened to Su Yan?”
“Boy, we don’t know anyone named Su Yan, so how are we supposed to know what happened to her? If you want to fight, stop trying to find excuses and just fight!” Ni Ren stubbornly declared.
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded and no longer wasted his breath. Condensing a drop of Yang Liquid at his fingertips before flicking his wrist and shooting it out.
The drop of Yang Liquid exploded and transformed into thousands of tiny droplets that flew towards the Ice Sect disciples below.
“Ice Curtain!”
“Ice Lock!”
“Ice Crystal Beasts!”
Ni Ren and the others Transcendents all immediately responded to Yang Kai’s attack, each of them using their own Ice Attribute Martial Skills.
A shield of ice filled with profound chill rose up in front of the Ice Sect disciples while chains comprised of Ice Attribute Qi shot towards Yang Kai. At the same time, a series of roars rang out and a number of giant Monster Beasts appeared above the glacier, fierce looks upon their faces.
These Monster Beasts were composed entirely of Ice Attribute True Qi and had the appearance of elaborate ice sculptures; however, each of them behaved incredibly lifelike, running atop the ground and soaring through the sky as they struck towards Yang Kai.
*Chi chi chi…*
The drop of Yang Liquid which had transformed into countless tiny droplets effortlessly penetrated the Ice Curtain, causing Ni Ren and his fellow brothers’ faces to pale, all of them quickly summoning their own defensive artifacts in the next instant to protect themselves.
Simultaneously, the Ice Lock’s chains wrapped up Yang Kai, but before their summoner could celebrate, to his horror, his Martial Skill which should have been able to tie down a Second Order Transcendent was actually instantly melted by Yang Kai’s True Yang Yuan Qi, not even slowing the latter down for a single breath.
Yang Kai stepped forward leisurely and confronted the ice crystal beasts next.
After not having used this particular Martial Skill for so long, Yang Kai once again pushed forward his palms and with a great tiger roar and ox bellow, the Heaven Shaking White Tiger and Earth Splitting Divine Ox appeared, their bodies radiating a burning hot golden aura as they charged forward.
*Pa pa pa…*
All of the ice crystal beasts that charged towards Yang Kai were no match for the White Tiger and Divine Ox phantoms and were easily crushed and evaporate by the latter, disappearing in a puff of steam.
In less than three breaths, Yang Kai had crushed the Ice Sect disciple’s techniques and arrived in front of them. The True Qi fiercely overflowing from Yang Kai’s body made each of these disciples tremble unconsciously. They had never thought that a cultivator in the same realm as them could so completely overwhelm them in combat. Even though it was three against one, not only was this strange youth not showing any signs of defeat, he even appeared calm and relaxed, as if he hadn’t even used half his full strength yet.
Feeling the power surging through his body, Yang Kai truly felt carefree.
Certainly, the cultivators of Ice Sect had much higher combat power than average, the two First Order Transcendents of the Cheng Family which Yang Kai had cleaned up previously in Blue Water City weren’t even in the same league.
Even if two people had the same cultivation, depending on their comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, their combat power could be vastly different.
Regarding this point, Yang Kai had achieved something of a pinnacle amongst the same realm, although these Ice Sect disciples were all rare talents in this field, their achievements were still incomparable to Yang Kai’s.
After making a move, Yang Kai’s anger seemed to have been released somewhat and his emotions gradually calmed down.
He came to Ice Sect not to fight or kill, but to see Su Yan.
Thinking so, his murderous intent converged significantly but his momentum did not. Ni Ren and the other Ice Sect disciples did their best to stop Yang Kai, but not only could they not block him, they were actually teetering on the brink of total defeat.
This whole scenario made them feel quite fearful and their attitudes towards Yang Kai changed dramatically as a result.
On the outskirts of the ice mountains, the several Ice Sect Transcendent Realm masters teamed up against Yang Kai were constantly complaining in their hearts.
They had initially thought that their opponent was just a young ignorant brat, someone any one of them could easily send packing, but never had Ni Ren and his fellow brothers thought that Yang Kai’s strength would be so monstrous, completely surpassing all three of them put together, forcing them into a miserable situation.
Such a huge contrast in expectation and reality dumbfounded them.
Although the two side’s True Qi attributes mutually repelled one another, this youth’s True Qi was far more dense and pure, so every time they fought, the Ice Sect disciples Martial Skill would melt like snow under the spring sun. Even just their basic True Qi defence around their bodies was severely strained by the blazing hot aura Yang Kai was giving off.
“Anyone who dares to stop me today will die!”
All of a sudden, Yang Kai showed an impatient expression and angrily roared, his gaze becoming cold and ruthless.
Ni Ren’s heart clenched as his instincts cried out to him to retreat, immediately forcing him to put all of his strength into defending himself. Under the threat of Yang Kai murderous intent, he finally felt the situation had become untenable.
Yang Kai’s performance was completely unexpected; Ni Ren couldn’t understand how a boy so much younger than himself could completely suppress him and his fellow brothers.
“This is my Ice Sect’s domain, not somewhere you can act dissolute!” Ni Ren somehow choked down his fear, grit his teeth, and tried to act strong.
“You’ve said that once before,” Yang Kai stared at him coldly, “Not somewhere I can act dissolute? Is Ice Sect really so great? I’ll show you the meaning of dissolute!”
As he said so, a burst of wind was thunder erupted, engulfing Ni Ren and his two fellow disciples in a dense storm filled with sharp wind blades and lethal lightning bolts. A slaughtering field instantly appeared and the three Ice Sect disciples’ defensive artifacts all began to flicker rapidly under the intense bombardment, dimming quickly and soon losing their effect all together.
After that, the Ice Attribute True Qi the three Ice Sect disciples used to guard their bodies was swiftly eroded by the wind and thunder field, their clothes shredding, and dense wounds soon appearing on their bodies.
The aura of death breathed down their necks, causing Ni Ren and the others to pale with fright.
Trapped inside this strange killing field, they were unable to escape no matter what they tried.
Yang Kai slowly lifted his hand and patted towards their direction. A giant palm print appeared in the sky as he did so, shining a blinding golden light like the midday sun, falling towards the three Ice Sect disciples in the next instant, bringing with it a terrifying heat and destructive force, as if a volcano was pressing down on them.
Containing a fierce momentum, before the palm print had even hit its target, the surrounding glacier began to melt, sending a thick cloud of steam soaring up into the sky.
Ni Ren and his fellow brothers’ knees all went soft and each of them nearly collapsed to the ground, their bodies trembling violently as they stared at the huge palm print descending upon them.
“Stop!” A loud voice resounded in all of their ears as a white figure shot out from one of the ice mountains. In the blink of an eye, this figure arrived in the sky above Ni Ren and raised a jade-like palm towards Yang Kai’s attack.
*Pa…*
The golden palm print directly collapsed and Yang Kai was forced back several steps, his face paling and a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of his lips.
However, no signs of surprise appeared on his face; instead, he cracked a light smile as he stared towards the woman who had suddenly appeared.
This woman was a mature beauty clothed in a pure white dress with an enchanting figure and a cold expression. At this moment, she too was staring towards Yang Kai, an incredulous look upon her face, seemingly unable to believe that this young man could easily defeat Ni Ren’s team.
Ni Ren and his fellow brothers were all First Order Transcendent masters and their strength within Ice Sect was not low. They should have been more than enough to take care of this minor incident but had actually almost died just now, this result was something she found difficult to accept.
Since when did such an astonishing young talent appear in Tong Xuan Realm?
“You finally decided to show yourself,” Yang Kai snorted.
“Elder Qian Yue!” Ni Ren and others shouted happily, as if they had just seen their saviour, their eyes filled with pleasant surprise.
“Draw back,” Qian Yue waved her hand and easily dispersed the field of wind and thunder around Ni Ren and the other.
Yang Kai’s expression was dignified. This woman was a Saint Realm master, so her having such ability was no surprise to him. The whole reason he had made a show of killing Ni Ren was to lead this woman out.
This woman was the one who had been spying on this place from the nearby ice mountain.
Ni Ren and the others didn’t have any real authority in Ice Sect, but this person probably did.
“What force are you from? Why are you proficient in three different attributes?” Qian Yue frowned as she stared at Yang Kai solemnly, wanting to find some kind of clue from his clothes or manner, but eventually coming up empty.
“Where I’m from isn’t important, I’m only here to see someone!” Yang Kai took a deep breath, “I hope you can open your Ice Sect’s doors and allow me to see her. If she is well, I’ll lead her away from here and consider this time’s matters settled. If she is not, I’ll make your Ice Sect pay an appropriate price.”
“Foolishness,” Qian Yue slowly shook her head, a look of ridicule flashing across her beautiful face, “My Ice Sect has been in seclusion for many years and its reputation no longer resounds throughout the world, but it still not so easily bullied. The person you are looking for is not here, go back to wherever you came from, other don’t blame me for taking action against a Junior.”
“You don’t need to feign ignorance with me, you and I are both well aware that Su Yan is in your Ice Sect,” Yang Kai replied indifferently, completely undeterred by Qian Yue’s words.
“I said the person you’re looking for is not in my Ice Sect,” Qian Yue repeated, a tinge of anger welling up in her heart.
“Oh really?” Yang Kai smiled mockingly, “Would you like me to point out exactly where she is right now?”
Saying so, Yang Kai pointed his finger in a particular direction and confidently stated, “The person I’m looking for is inside a tall ice mountain fifteen kilometers in that direction and is currently in some kind of deep sleep state.”
Qian Yue beautiful face twitched as she stared at Yang Kai in amazement.
This boy was correct, and the precision with which he described Su Yan’s current state and location were extremely high. Qian Yue couldn’t figure out how he could possible know all of this.
“Anything you’d like to say?” Yang Kai glared back at the mature beauty silently for a moment before firmly declaring, “All I want is to see her and determine whether she is alright.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Qian Yue quickly adjusted her expression and doubled down on her previous statement.
“If you insist on not letting me see her, then I can only force my way in,” Yang Kai’s aura suddenly became callus as he exclaimed, “I hope your Ice Sect can afford the price.”
“If you dare act unruly here, I cannot guarantee your life!” Qian Yue grit her teeth and issued an ultimatum.
Yang Kai nodded gently and no longer spoke, immediately pushing his True Qi to its limits.
*Hua…*
Yang Kai opened his Wind and Thunder Wings directly and immediately grabbed everyone’s attention, all of them wondering what kind of profound Martial Skill or artifact composed these beautiful wings.
In that brief moment of absent-mindedness, Yang Kai disappeared from all of their sights.
Qian Yu’s face changed dramatically, her tender body flickering in the next instant as she hurriedly pursued him.
*Hong…*
A loud bang erupted from a nearby thousand meter tall ice mountain, and under a terrifying force, its upper half exploded, sending chunks of ice and snow scattering in all directions.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
A series of loud explosions continued to spread across the ice mountain range as Ni Ren and his fellow disciples looked on in a daze. None of them could grasp Yang Kai’s movements, after opening that strange pair wings, the latter’s speed had increased to an incredible degree.
They couldn’t even lock onto Yang Kai’s position after fully releasing their Divine Senses.
As a blurry figure flickered about, one ice mountain after another was struck. This intruder was like a raging fireball, smashing directly into the ice mountains, using his own body and True Qi to destroy everything in his path.
Within a few breaths of time, six thousand-meter ice mountains had been obliterated, the Ice Sect disciples who were cultivate inside them scrambling out of the debris, many of them either confused or cursing but without exception, falling unconscious moments later.
The same happened to Ni Ren and his two fellow disciples. After watching Yang Kai’s performance for a brief moment, they had all suddenly fallen to the ground unconscious.
Qian Yue didn’t notice this strange anomaly because at the moment all her attention was focused on Yang Kai, a thick look of shock plastered all over her face. Even though she was a First Order Saint and wasn’t holding back, her wanting to catch up to Yang Kai who had opened his Wind and Thunder Wings was somewhat unrealistic.
The wind was swift and the thunder was agile; the enhancement the Wind and Thunder Wings provided to Yang Kai’s speed could no longer be described in words.
Amidst the ice mountains, two figures flashed rapidly, one fleeing, the other chasing, running around and around in circles, the surrounding ice mountains breaking open and crumbling one after another.
From the very beginning, Yang Kai never intended to confront this Saint Realm master head on.
His current strength was indeed quite astonishing, allowing him to fight and defeat enemies above his own realm with ease, so dealing with Ni Ren and the other two Ice Sect Transcendents wasn’t difficult, but Yang Kai still had some self-knowledge, a Saint Realm master was not an opponent he could fight right now.
The energy flowing through Saint Realm masters was very different from that of Transcendents, so every Martial Skill and move a Saint made was incomparably stronger that one’s displayed by Transcendents.
The Saint Realm dominated above the Transcendent Realm!
If he wanted to fight against a Saint Realm master and not immediately be defeated, Yang Kai figured he had to at least become a Third Order Transcendent.
If he tried to stand and fight this beautiful woman, Yang Kai had no chance of winning, so he could only try another method to get the other party to give way.
He had to make the biggest ruckus he could!
“Little brat, stop!” Qian Yue was infuriated, she couldn’t catch up to Yang Kai so she could only shout angrily at him from behind.
“I already said, if I can’t see Su Yan, I’ll flatten all of your Ice Sect’s mountains!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, not slowing down but instead increasing his speed even further.
Wrapping his intrepid physique in blazing hot True Qi, Yang Kai hit straight towards the ice mountains in front of him. None of these mountains could withstand the force of his collision. Everywhere he went, he smashed open the landscape as easily as one would smash a plank of rotten wood.
Qian Yue’s eyes went red as she saw her beloved Ice Sect’s thousand-year-old foundation crumbling around her, a deep sense of distress and anger filling her heart.
Bumping into such a reckless and unreasonable young man really made her feel like her luck was too bad.
In the middle of their chase, Qian Yue stopped suddenly, her beautiful eyes flashing an icy cold light as she glared towards Yang Kai’s figure, shouting loudly, “Suppress!”
The surrounding World Energy suddenly twisted unnaturally, causing Yang Kai’s expression to change dramatically, hurriedly coming to a halt and turning in a different direction, but no matter what way he faced, a wall of icy energy was closing in on him, leaving him no way out.
The astonishing methods of a Saint Realm master were beyond his ability to comprehend or resist.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The wall of frigid energy smashed into Yang Kai and sent him tumbling through the air. Fresh blood spurt from his mouth and the golden light which had been surrounding his body vanished as he fell uncontrollably towards the ground below.
Seeing that Yang Kai hit the ground, Qian Yue’s face could help relaxing somewhat.
This time she knew she was in the wrong. Denying the existence of Su Yan and refusing to let Yang Kai see her all stemmed from her own selfishness, so even if Yang Kai had ruined more than a dozen of Ice Sect’s ice peaks, she had never had any murderous intent towards him.
All she wanted was to cause enough difficulty for Yang Kai so that he would willingly retreat.
She could not hand over Su Yan so easily; after all, it was too rare to meet such an outstanding seedling. Qian Yue still had not given up on recruiting Su Yan as her disciple.
Moreover, Su Yan’s state at the moment was not good and she truly could not meet with anyone.
After injuring Yang Kai just enough, she could easily drive him away, or so Qian Yue thought, but before she could even fly over to investigate his situation, her expression changed dramatically.
Down below, Yang Kai, who should have hit the ground and been knocked unconscious, once again rushed out, his golden True Qi aura completely restored.
“Impossible!” Qian Yue’s beautiful eyes quivered fiercely. She was perfectly clear how much strength she had just used; it should have been more than enough to knock out a mere First Order Transcendent.
But at this moment, not only did the other side not seem to have taken any damage, his momentum had instead increased and his demeanor had become more violent, as if silently declaring he would not rest until he had flattened all of Ice Sect.
Just how strong was his body that he could withstand such a blow without falling unconscious?
*Hong Hong Hong…*
One ice mountain after another collapsed, causing Qian Yue to become somewhat hysterical as she cried out, “Boy, you’re seek death! If you don’t stop this instant don’t blame me for not showing any mercy!”
Yang Kai just laughed wildly in response, “If you want to kill me, you’re free to try! Let’s see what comes first, my death or your Ice Sect’s destruction! Since you refuse to let me see Su Yan, I will let all of us be buried alive here!”
“Impudence!” Qian Yue shouted, watching almost one tenth of Ice Sect’s foundation be destroyed, a sliver of killing intent finally crept into her aura.
If she couldn’t subdue this little brat, within less than an hour, Ice Sect really would have to find a place to relocate to.
Such wanton destruction had naturally alerted everyone else in Ice Sect.
One by one, masters emerged from different ice mountains and gathered together.
“Qian Yue, what happened? Where did this barbaric boy come from?” A middle-aged with a dim expression coldly shouted out.
“Big Brother, capture this little brat for me first. I’ll explain what happened later!” Qian Yue who was still pursing Yang Kai hurriedly called out.
Hearing this, the middle-aged man wrinkled his brow; although he was somewhat unwilling to personally deal with a Junior, seeing the violent destruction of Ice Sect, he also felt a deep sense of indignation and immediately complied, “Good!”
As he spoke, his figure flickered and appeared in front of Yang Kai, snorting loudly, “Boy, stop this instant or…”
Before he could finish what he was going to say though, Yang Kai shot past him wrapped in a great gust of wind.
A loud rumbling noise rang out and the ice mountain behind the middle-aged man shattered.
“Such insolence!” The middle-aged man coldly snorted, and in the blink of an eye, somehow appeared right beside Yang Kai, his palm pushing forward and landing on the opposite party’s chest.
Yang Kai’s face went white and his speed his speed and momentum noticeably dropped. At the same time, a frigid energy spread from the place he had been struck, impeding the flow of his True Qi. From an outsider’s perspective, it was like he had been caught in a mire and was having difficulty moving.
At a speed visible to the naked eye, a thin layer of frost spread across the surface of Yang Kai’s body and threatened to completely freeze him in the next instant.
A Second Order Saint!
Yang Kai’s heart clenched up as he desperately twisted his body and quickly withdrew from the middle-aged man’s reach.
At the same time, Yang Kai pushed his burning hot True Qi as hard as he could and with some effort managed to dispel the chill in his body, restoring his freedom after a brief moment.
Seeing this, a look of surprise filled the middle-aged man’s face as he couldn’t help muttering, “Such a fierce brat!”
With his Second Order Saint cultivation, even after directly injecting his own freezing energy into this boy, not only had he failed to incapacitate the latter, he had barely even slowed him down.
Given his strength and status, taking action against Yang Kai was already a great stain upon the middle-aged man’s honour, if he were to act again, he really wouldn’t have any face left.
A master like him had his own pride, and generally disdained to perform actions that could be interpreted as bullying the weak.
“Big brother, why did you stop?” Seeing the middle-aged man standing mid-air, his arms crossed behind his back, exhibiting the style of a powerful aloof master, Qian Yue couldn’t help complaining.
The middle-aged man frowned and said solemnly, “Things have already become like this. Boy, enough, as long as you stop I will not act against you again, but don’t push your luck. If you have something to discuss we can all sit down and talk about it.”
As the middle-aged man spoke, two more Saint Realm masters from Ice Sect appeared and blocked Yang Kai’s retreat. The two did not move against Yang Kai immediately but instead just stared towards him with great interest, their eyes filled with curiosity.
Four Saints!
The immensity of Ice Sect’s heritage was obvious at a glance.
Yang Kai was caught in the middle of this encirclement and he knew that against such a lineup, he could no longer act recklessly, and since he perceived that the middle-aged man was being sincere, he also came to a halt and stood calmly mid-air.
“Why should I listen to anything you have to say?” Yang Kai stared back at the middle-aged man and asked indifferently.
The middle-aged man showed a faint smile and nodded, “I am Ice Sect’s Elder, Qian Hao!”
Yang Kai turned his eyes to the middle-aged beauty and sneered, “She is also an Ice Sect Elder, how do I know you two aren’t wearing the same pair of pants?”
Qian Yue pretty face became cold and she wanted to retort, but Qian Hao cut her off and said, “The two of us are real blood brother and sister, how can we not be on the same side?”
“Big Brother!” Qian Yue glared at him bitterly.
“However, you have no choice,” Qian Hao’s expression became cold, “You’ve ruined so much of my Ice Sect’s foundation, if you don’t give me a proper explanation, do you think I will just let you go? You best have a reason I can accept for your reckless behaviour otherwise I will let you taste the world’s most painful torture from now until the day you die.”
Yang Kai sneered and took back his Wind and Thunder Wings before glancing over at Qian Yue, “I came here to find someone, but she insisted on stopping me from seeing her.”
“Find someone? Who are you looking for?” Qian Hao frowned.
“Su Yan.”
Hearing this, Qian Hao and the other two Saint Realm masters brows furrowed.
“Big Brother, this person should be the one that the old fogy mentioned before he left,” Qian Yue whispered into Qian Hao’s ear, the latter nodding slightly before wearing a disgruntled look, “Since that’s the case, why didn’t you just let him see her? Was it necessary to make such a big fuss over something so small?”
“Su Yan… had an accident,” Qian Yue replied somewhat awkwardly.
“An accident?” Qian Hao was genuinely surprised, “What happened?”
Although Qian Hao was also an Elder of Ice Sect, he had been in secluded retreat for the past few years and was thus not too familiar with the everyday occurrences in the Sect. If it weren’t for the ruckus Yang Kai had stirred up today being so earth-shaking, he wouldn’t have even appeared here.
“Haa… let’s not talk about this now, I’ll explain everything to you later. Right now, Su Yan really can’t see anyone; moreover, just look at this little brat, at first glance it’s obvious he’s cruel and vicious. How could I allow such a bad influence to get close to Su Yan?”
“The two of them already know each other,” Qian Hao sighed heavily.
“All I see is a toad lusting after swan meat,” Qian Yue coldly snorted, glaring hatefully at Yang Kai, the latter appearing more and more unpleasant with each passing moment.
Seeing his little sister’s bad impression of this kid being so entrenched, Qian Hao knew well enough not to say any more, no matter what, this time, although it was his originally his sister who was in the wrong, it was true that this little brat didn’t put Ice Sect in his eyes. Having destroyed so many ice mountains, if Qian Hao really tried to make big things small, and small things nothing, it would be difficult for him to explain to the Sect’s disciples.
Considering all this, Qian Hao coldly said, “Just because of that, you dared act so aggressively and wantonly destroyed my Ice Sect’s foundations?”
“Since I’m not happy, no one else will be either!”
“Boy, you’re certainly crazy enough, I just don’t know if you can afford the consequences! I won’t kill you, but you only have two choices, either enter my Ice Sect as a slave and work until you repay the damage you have caused this time, or cut off both of your hands, choose yourself.”
Finished speaking, he stared at Yang Kai coldly, wondering what choice this kid would make.
“I choose neither.”
Qian Hao smiled and shook his head, “That’s not something you can control. Good, since your aptitude is good, we’ll just go with the first option. Although your Secret Art is at odds with my Ice Sect, you are still a rare talent, it would be a pity to destroy you just like that.”
Saying so, an invisible energy suddenly burst forth and directly imprisoned Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t make any attempt to dodge and simply allowed himself to be bound; however, he didn’t show any signs of panic either, instead a look of victory appeared on his face accompanied by a dismissive sneer.
“What are you laughing at?” Qian Hao frowned, “From now on, you will follow beside me and serve me. Don’t worry, I won’t treat you badly. Since you’ll be entering Ice Sect as a slave, there will always be an opportunity for you to see the one you want to see, of course, that is so long as you behave honestly, if not, you’ll have to suffer some pain.”
“You want me to serve you?” Yang Kai laughed loudly, “I’m afraid you won’t have the opportunity to receive such a blessing!”
Qian Hao coldly snorted, “Allowing you to serve me is because I favour your talent, but you best not test my patience.”
Another of the Saint Realm masters also shouted, “En, little brat, Qian Hao accepting you is already showing you great honour, don’t fail to appreciate his kindness.”
The last person Saint followed up, “Kid, angering Qian Hao now won’t do you any good.”
A slightly smug look crept onto Qian Hao’s face as he looked at Yang Kai with great interest, “No matter what reason you had for coming to Ice Sect, no matter what kind of grievances you have suffered, it is still a fact that you cannot act unruly here. Me not killing you immediately is already a great benevolence, as for the nonsense you spouted a moment ago, what capital do you believe you have to bargain with? Do you think that with your paltry strength, you can escape from me?”
“Take a look around you!” Yang Kai snickered as he gestured towards the ground below, a mocking smile appearing on his face.
Hearing this, the four Saint Realm masters all wore confused expression before quickly examining the situation around them.
The next moment, the calm expressions on all four of the Saints changed drastically.
From a while ago, all of them had felt that something about this situation was off, but with all of their attention focused on Yang Kai, they had failed to carefully monitor their surroundings.
But after Yang Kai’s reminder, the four of them noticed that it was far too quiet. Almost all of Ice Sect’s disciples had been forced out of the ice mountains by Yang Kai’s rampage yet none of them were making the slightest sound.
Moreover, when the four Saints looked around, they discovered that their disciples were all passed out on the ground with looks of pain and anguish upon their faces.
With just a quick glance, the four Saints discovered that more than two hundred Ice Sect disciples were in this comatose state. Regardless of their cultivation or age, each of these unconscious individuals auras was slightly unstable, even the Transcendents among them were no different.
It was impossible for so many Ice Sect disciples to be incapacitated for no apparent reason, the only explanation was that this little brat had done something to them.
However, just what kind of method did he possess that allowed him to pull this off under the noses of four Saint Realm masters? Qian Hao and the others were deeply puzzled.
“What did you do?” Qian Hao glanced over at two of the other Saint Realm masters before focusing his attention back onto Yang Kai.
“Take a guess!”
“What did you do to them? Why do they all seem to be in great pain?” Qian Hao asked again, this time with much more force.
However, in response, Yang Kai simply grinned back at him mockingly.
Simultaneously, the two masters who had received the silent instructions of Qian Hao inspected the unconscious disciples, but no matter how they examined them, they couldn’t find any external wounds or signs of poisoning.
Exchanging dismayed glances, the two Saints were completely lost.
How did all of these disciples become like this without being poisoned or injured?
Not giving up, the two Saints quickly released their Divine Senses to more closely inspect their unconscious disciples but not long after they had done so, both of their expressions paled and they cried out in shock, “What are these?”
As they shouted, the hurriedly retreated, as if something terrifying was chasing after them.
Looking at this scene, whether it was Qian Yue or Qian Hao, they felt a chill shoot up their back, causing them to shiver unconsciously.
“What happened?” Qian Yue called out worriedly.
“Stay back, whatever you do, don’t release your Divine Senses!” One of the two Saints paled and shouted as he fled, “There’s something targeting our Divine Senses, if you release your Divine Sense you’ll be targeted as well!”
At the same time, the other Saint Realm master cried out in pain, his expression twisting in agony.
Two First Order Saints had suddenly fallen into a difficult situation and even looked somewhat fearful. Qian Yue wanted to help, but had no idea where to even start.
Qian Hao stared at Yang Kai coldly as he sunk deep into through, his eyes containing a trace of unease as he quietly condensed his True Qi to defend himself.
This kid’s methods were too strange, even able to damage two First Order Saints, naturally, Qian Hao didn’t dare lower his guard.
After a brief struggle, the two Saint Realm masters gradually stabilized themselves, but the pained look upon their faces did not completely disappear and their brows remained deeply furrowed, a tinge of fear apparent in their eyes.
“Boy, what did you infect them with?” One of them turned his gaze towards Yang Kai and solemnly asked, his eyes containing none of their previous contempt as he desperately endured the pain in his Soul.
“Worthy of a Saint Realm master, you’re still able to maintain your consciousness,” Yang Kai said lightly, offering some genuine praise.
Not only could these two Saints remain awake, their combat effectiveness had essentially not decreased. In other words, the present them weren’t much different how they were a few moments ago, they simply had some additional minor concerns.
“What exactly happened?” Qian Yue asked slightly worriedly. She was naturally aware of just how strong these two Elders were, if it had been her in their place, she likely wouldn’t have been able to escape either.
“Some kind of imperceptible insects have infected the Knowledge Seas of the disciples, when we tried to inspect them with our Divine Senses we were also attacked,” One of them said, directly a hate filled glare towards Yang Kai as he explained, “Although we can temporarily suppress these strange insects, it will take us some time to completely get rid of them, but I’m afraid that none of the disciples have enough strength to do the same.”
“Strange insects?” Qian Yue beautiful face paled, “What kind of insects?”
“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him!”
Qian Hao sighed, a look of hesitation appearing on his face for a moment before he released Yang Kai’s shackles and said, “Boy, you win, releasing you first is a show of my Ice Sect’s sincerity, now answer our questions!”
“A wise man knows when to submit to the circumstance!” Yang Kai sneered.
The faces of the four Saints all became ugly.
Four Saint Realm masters had come out to deal with a single First Order Transcendent Junior but not only did they fail to thoroughly subdue him, two of them had actually fallen into the latter’s trap and been injured, a large part of Ice Sect’s foundation had been destroyed, and several hundred of their disciples had been put into a life-threatening situation.
Although Yang Kai’s taunting angered them greatly, none of them dared show any aggression.
“What kind of insects are these?” Qian Hao asked, “As the one who released them, you should know that at least, right?”
Yang Kai gently nodded, responding in a neither rude nor polite tone, “Soul Devouring Insects, surely you’ve all heard of them, right?”
Hearing this, all four of the Saints expressions became grim.
Naturally they had heard of Soul Devouring Insects before, these Exotic Ancient Insects were so small they were practically invisible and they exclusively fed on Spiritual Energy. Once they infected a victim’s Knowledge Sea, they would multiply rapidly and were incredibly difficult to get rid of.
However, these Ancient Insects were something the four Saints had only heard of in legend, who among them could have thought they still existed?
“Boy,” One of the masters who had been infected by the Soul Devouring Insects coldly snorted, “My Ice Sect may be isolated, but we are not ignorant. Soul Devouring Insects are indeed formidable, but wanting to infect a Saint Realm cultivator’s Knowledge Sea with them is nothing but a fantasy, it’s impossible that these things are Soul Devouring Insects!”
According to what they knew, Saints should easily be able to deal with Soul Devouring Insects, not only should it be impossible for them to become infected, even if they were, with their powerful Spiritual Energy they should have easily been able to kill these Exotic Ancient Insects.
So when Yang Kai reported the name of these insects, this master’s first reaction was that the former was lying.
Yang Kai simply grinned mockingly, “I apologize, my Soul Devouring Insects are probably not the same as the ones in the legends, at the very least, they’re a bit more powerful.”
Since the time Yang Kai had explored the ancient cave mansion with Cang Yan and Fei Yu and obtained these Exotic Ancient Insects, almost two years had passed. Over the past two years, the Soul Devouring Insects had remained inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea atop the five coloured island where they had received many benefits. Yang Kai could clearly feel that these Soul Devouring Insects had become much stronger than they originally were as a result.
When Yang Kai was playing cat and mouse with Qian Yue, every time he destroyed one of the ice mountains, he had release numerous Soul Devouring Insects, so when the Ice Sect disciples had emerged from the ruins, all of them, without exception, had been infected.
“You’re saying that these things are Soul Devouring Insects? Why are you safe and sound then? How did you release them?” The man asked coldly.
“You ask too many questions and I have no obligation to answer them,” Yang Kai glanced at him contemptuously, “I’ll only tell you that within the next half an hour your Ice Sect disciples won’t be in any life threatening danger, but after that, I can’t make any guarantees, these little guys aren’t all that obedient!”
“You… you court death! If my Ice Sect disciples encounter any accident, you’ll die a miserable death!”
Yang Kai laughed riotously at this threat and sneered, “Having several hundred people buried along with me doesn’t sound bad! As long as you are willing, I can make them die right now!”
The four saints suddenly became silent, each of them feeling a great headache.
There weren’t many Ice Sect disciples to begin with, about five hundred in total, if two or three hundred of them were to suddenly die, the loss would be too great. This little brat was simply a demon who would use whatever means at his disposal no matter how underhanded and dastardly to achieve his goals.
The four Saints all felt a deep hatred towards Yang Kai, but they didn’t dare act rashly here even though they had absolute confidence they could instantly kill him.
After all, once they killed him, what would they do about the Soul Devouring Insects he had released?
However, admitting defeat here was so humiliating that none of them could bring themselves to utter the words. As they all grit their teeth and dark and gloomy thoughts swirled about their heads thought, a woman’s voice suddenly lightly called out, “Little boy, is your surname Yang?”
Yang Kai’s face changed dramatically upon hearing this voice because he had failed to notice anyone approaching him, yet when he turned around and saw the source of this voice, he discovered an incredibly beautiful figure only a few steps away from him.
This woman looked quite young, at most that same age as him Yang Kai and Su Yan, but her body radiated an unfathomable aura that greatly pressured Yang Kai even though she was not actively trying to suppress him.
This kind of pressure was not something he felt from any of the other four Elders of Ice Sect.
As she stood there, this woman seemed to be integrated into this frozen world, as if within this domain she was omnipotent and omnipresent.
Third Order Saint!
Yang Kai took a deep breath, and immediately became vigilant.
Although he knew he was facing a terrifying enemy, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling slightly strange; after listening to this woman’s words, the raging anger he felt in his heart actually weakened a lot.
Besides being incredibly pleasant to the ear, there also seemed to be some kind of magical power in this woman’s voice that gently soothed the grievances and injustices Yang Kai felt.
“Greetings, Sect Master!” Qian Hao and the other Saints also quickly adjusted their expression and respectfully bowed.
The woman smiled faintly and waved her hand, “There’s no need to be so polite. Aren’t things here a little bit too noisy?”
Although there was no meaning of blame in her tone, Qian Hao and the others couldn’t help blushing with embarrassment, all of them wishing they could find a hole to crawl into and hide.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed and hesitantly asked, “Are you the Sect Master of Ice Sect?”
“En, I am Ice Sect’s Sect Master, Qing Ya,” The woman nodded lightly and smiled, the aura she radiated as pure as the surrounding glaciers, without the slightest impurities, giving anyone who saw her and heard her gentle voice a refreshed feeling, “Are you surnamed Yang?”
The hostility on Yang Kai’s face decreased significantly and his expression became relaxed as he nodded slightly.
“Are you the one Meng Wu Ya spoke of?”
“Yes.”
“You’re even more impressive than he described, I didn’t expect you would be able to find this place so quickly,” Qing Ya curled her lips slightly.
“I also did not expect that Ice Sect’s Sect Master would be so young and beautiful, I thought that Treasurer Meng’s friend would be a white-haired old woman, today has been an eye opening experience,” Yang Kai looked Qing Ya up and down, a look of amazement on his face, his vision limpid, only offering sincere praise without the slightest obscene or offensive light.
“Do you think so?” Qing Ya seemed to be very happy, the smile on her face showing some faint traces of enjoyment.
“Glib tongued brat!” Qian Yue pursed her lips and muttered to herself, “Really isn’t a good thing!”
“Treasurer Meng actually knows someone like you, it seems I’ve greatly underestimated him,” Yang Kai nodded seriously.
Qing Ya giggled lightly, even if it was obvious Yang Kai’s praise had traces of intentional flattery, she was still delighted to receive it.
Qian Hao and the other Ice Sect Elders couldn’t help feeling awkward in their hearts as they watched this exchange. They hadn’t seen their Sect Master laugh so care freely in a long time. None of them had expected this little brat from who knows where would actually be able to elicit such a response from their Sect Master.
[This little bastard must be an incorrigible womanizer, otherwise how could he have such a clear understanding of a woman’s heart?] The male Saints all cursed in their hearts as they wore contemptuous expression upon their faces.
Outside the ice mountains, Qing Ya, Ice Sect’s Sect Master had silently appeared but not only did she not show any dissatisfaction or hostility towards Yang Kai, she behaved in an amicable manner which made it difficult for Yang Kai to continue to make trouble.
He had originally decided to thoroughly cut off relations with Ice Sect, run amok to vent his dissatisfaction, and then take Su Yan away.
However, the attitude of the Sect Master Qing Ya made him feel somewhat incapable of following through with his plans. If he were to continue to act standoffishly when the other side had greeted him with a warm smile, it really would be a bit unreasonable.
“You came looking for Su Yan? Meng Wu Ya mentioned you would,” Qing Ya continued in the same gentle tone.
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“I’ll be honest with you, Su Yan has had an accident.”
Yang Kai’s expression immediately became cold upon hearing this, prompting Qing Ya to hurriedly say, “But you can rest assured that her life is not in any danger, she has just entered a frozen state.”
“A frozen state?” Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled.
“Her present condition is the result of her own decisions; of course, my Ice Sect also bears some responsibility. In any case, you will understand when you see her, it’s not something a few words can explain clearly,” Qing Ya beckoned to Yang Kai.
“Sect Master…” Qian Yue shouted hastily, obviously still wanting to prevent Yang Kai from meeting Su Yan, but she immediately shut her mouth after Qing Ya shot her a single glance.
“Right, before that, can you take back the little insects from my Ice Sect disciples’ Knowledge Seas? Since they were released by you, you should have a way to remove them, yes?” Qing Ya looked at Yang Kai with a smile.
“Please excuse me, before confirming my Senior Sister’s condition, I am not prepared to take back those insects,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head. Right now, the Soul Devouring Insects which allowed him to control the fate of more than two hundred Ice Sect disciples was the only bargaining chip he had. Although he felt Qing Ya was a trustworthy person, one could never truly know what was in the heart of another person. If he were to take back his Soul Devouring Insects and the other party suddenly attacked him, facing a Third Order Saint, Yang Kai would have no ability to resist.
“You’re certainly cautious enough,” Qing Ya shook her head, “In that case, are you certain my Ice Sect’s disciples won’t have any issue?”
“I already said that within half an hour, they won’t be in any danger,” Yang Kai replied flatly.
“Very well, you come with me first. Qian Yue, you come too. Qian Hao, you look after these disciples.”
“Yes,” The elders all respectfully replied, Qian Hao then turning to Yang Kai and coldly threatening, “Little brat, don’t play any tricks, or else I’ll tidy you up.”
Yang Kai was too lazy to pay attention to him.
Qing Ya flew forward and eventually brought Yang Kai in front of the ice mountain he felt Su Yan’s aura coming from. With a wave of her jade-like hand, Qing Ya revealed a hidden door in the side of the mountain.
This door was carved from fine ice crystals and a mysterious energy flowed through it. If one looked closely, they could see faint traces of Spirit Array lines running across its surface which obviously isolated whatever was inside any Divine Sense trying to probe it.
Once inside the ice mountain, a profound chill flooded towards Yang Kai from all directions, causing him to shiver slightly before he quickly circulated his True Qi, expelling the Cold Qi from his body.
Feeling the heat radiating from Yang Kai’s body, Qian Yue showed an unhappy expression, her pretty face filling with a look of disgust.
Everyone in Ice Sect cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts and Martial Skill, so they were greatly averse to the type of energy Yang Kai possessed.
The interior of the ice mountain was crystal-clear and the path the trio walked along was lined with softly glowing crystals, creating an astonishingly beautiful sight and ambience.
As they proceeded deeper into the mountain, Yang Kai’s breathing gradually became heavy as he felt Su Yan’s presence getting closer and closer.
After walking for about half the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, the trio arrived at in front of a large ice door and Qing Ya looked back at Yang Kai and said, “Su Yan is here, but you must promise me, after seeing her don’t get agitated.”
“I know,” Yang Kai nodded faintly.
Qing Ya nodded in return and gently pushed open the door, revealing a large ice room, allowing Yang Kai to enter first before she followed behind with Qian Yue.
There was nothing in this ice room besides a large crystal bed carved of profound ice. Atop this ice bed lay Su Yan, her eyes closed and her body wrapped in a layer of ice, seemingly in a very deep sleep.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed and flames of anger erupted in his heart but he quickly suppressed these negative feelings and slowly walked toward the ice bed.
Qing Ya and Qian Yue were both staring at him, the two of them quite surprised to find that this young man who only moments ago was acting so violently and treacherously, upon seeing Su Yan’s face, actually wore such a gentle expression, the look in his eyes showing a deep care and affection.
The expression on Yang Kai’s face fluctuated rapidly between excitement, anxiety, anticipation, and concern as he slowly stepped forward.
As he approached Su Yan’s side, his expression gradually became calm.
Arriving before the ice bed, staring down at the sleeping beauty in front of him, Yang Kai’s mouth curled into a light smile.
Lying atop the ice bed, Su Yan’s vitality was strong and there was no sign her life was in any danger, it was just that her whole body was wrapped in a strange layer of ice, seemingly frozen in place and unable to respond to the arrival of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai extended his hand but was unable to touch her.
Staring at her for a moment, Yang Kai noticed that Su Yan’s look was calm, her hands resting lightly atop her flat belly; obviously she had been fully aware of what she was doing before she had been frozen in this ice and had not experienced any pain in the process.
What was odd though was at the moment, Su Yan’s True Qi was still circulating, obviously her Secret Art was still operating, and at a significantly faster rate than normal.
Knowing that Yang Kai’s mental and emotional state were currently fluctuating, Qing Ya and Qian Yue both remained silent and did not bother him.
Time passed by quickly and while Qing Ya’s expression did not change, Qian Yue’s was beginning to show some signs of impatience.
More than two hundred Ice Sect disciples were still in a precarious state outside. If Yang Kai didn’t take back his Soul Devouring Insects after the stated half an hour, these disciples would die, so Qian Yue couldn’t help urging him, “Boy, haven’t you stared at her long enough? No matter how long you stand there you can’t wake her up, not only is her body frozen, her consciousness is as well.”
Yang Kai simply glanced back at her coldly in response.
Qian Yue unconsciously shifted her eyes, seemingly feeling somewhat guilty.
“Is this some kind of Martial Skill?” Yang Kai shifted his attention to Qing Ya and asked.
Qing Ya nodded lightly, “En, it is my Ice Sect’s core inheritance Martial Skill, Frozen Body Sealed Heart! After displaying it, the body’s True Qi is condensed into a layer of ice that freezes the body and mind, causing all sensation of the outside world to be lost.”
“If that’s so, why is my Senior Sister’s Secret Art still circulating?” Yang Kai frowned.
Qing Ya smiled, “Frozen Body Sealed Heart is an auxiliary cultivation technique. When one of my Ice Sect disciples uses this Martial Skill, they can force themselves into a deep meditative state which allows them to cultivate faster. Many disciples will use the Frozen Body Sealed Heart when they enter secluded retreat. Depending on how much True Qi one uses when activating this Martial Skill, the longer they will remain in a frozen state of enlightenment.”
“How long will my Senior Sister remain in this state?” Yang Kai asked dimly.
Qing Ya complexion became somewhat gloomy as she shook her head, “I don’t know, possibly several years, possible dozens of years, possibly forever… Su Yan’s True Qi has formed a kind of cycle that is constantly maintaining the technique.”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he inquired, “Why did she freeze herself? What grievance or maltreatment did she receive in Ice Sect that forced her into this state?”
Saying so, he glared angrily towards Qian Yue.
“Brat, what are you staring at me for, I want nothing but the best for her, how could I possibly mistreat her?” Qian Yue was a little annoyed.
“You shouldn’t be too anxious little boy, Elder Qian Yue never mistreated Su Yan, in fact she wholeheartedly wanted to accept your Senior Sister as her disciple,” Qing Ya quickly consoled.
“I’m afraid she does not have such good fortune!” Yang Kai genuinely loathed Qian Yue.
“This matter truly has something to do with Elder Qian Yue though,” Qing Ya sighed softly, “Su Yan becoming like this is partly her responsibility.”
Qian Yue’s expression became pained as she said in a dispirited tone, “I didn’t anticipate this, I don’t even know when she learned the Frozen Body Sealed Heart. If I had only known earlier… I wouldn’t have been so insistent, haa…”
Saying so, she turned her eyes to Yang Kai and coldly said, “Little brat, I do not deny my role in all of this, but everything I did, I did to benefit her, I never had any intention to harm her!”
“What exactly happened?” Yang Kai’s hostility did not decrease in the slightest. Although Qian Yue had said as much, that was, after all, only her side of the story, ultimately, he had to understand what had transpired before making a judgement.
“Qian Yue, you explain,” Qing Ya rubbed her forehead lightly.
Qian Yue nodded slightly and began narrating the matters that had occurred after Su Yan entered Ice Sect.
Two years ago, Meng Wu Ya had suddenly brought Xia Ning Chang and Su Yan to Ice Sect to see Sect Master Qing Ya and entrusted the latter with Su Yan temporarily.
Ice Sect secluded itself in this glacial world and generally did not allow outsiders into its territory, but Meng Wu Ya had some friendship with Qing Ya, so after shamelessly using some soft and hard forms of persuasion, Qing Ya eventually agreed to his request.
After settling Su Yan here, Meng Wu Ya and Xia Ning Chang left.
“That old fogey said he was going handle some kind of dangerous matter with his apprentice but didn’t want to expose Su Yan to that danger so he decided to secretly leave the latter here. It was only after he left that Su Yan learned the truth, but at that point she had no choice but to stay in Ice Sect,” Qian Yue explained.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, there was truly nothing wrong with Treasurer Meng’s decisions. Him not telling Su Yan in advance he was leaving Ice Sect was because he knew Su Yan’s personality; the latter would definitely try to follow him in order to help rather than stay behind in Ice Sect.
“And then?” Yang Kai pressed.
“Sect Master handed Su Yan over to me to take care of. At first I thought nothing about her. When she first arrived here, her strength was not low but nothing remarkable; however, I soon discovered that she possessed an unparalleled aptitude, her cultivation speed was nothing short of astonishing and most importantly, her cultivation techniques lines up perfectly with my Ice Sect’s Secret Arts and Martial Skills! Thinking back about it, that old fogey probably planned all of this out before bringing Su Yan to Ice Sect.”
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched slightly as he mused that Meng Wu Ya had definitely plotted for things to turn out this way. That old fart knew many powerful masters in Tong Xuan Realm, even Chu Ling Xiao and him were old friends, but despite that, he had specifically brought Su Yan here. Obviously, he did so because he knew that Ice Sect’s heritage was the best for Su Yan.
Meng Wu Ya acting so was his way of getting Ice Sect to cultivate Su Yan for free.
If Yang Kai was in his place, he would have done the same!
After seeing Su Yan’s aptitude, Qian Yue gradually became more concerned about her and began testing her in various aspects of cultivation, but every Martial Skill and Secret Art of Ice Sect she gave her, Su Yan was immediately capable of comprehending.
Qian Yue was greatly surprised and felt like she had picked up a rare treasure. Since then, she had been carefully teaching Su Yan, even opening up Ice Sect’s Restricted Area, the Ice Cave, to allow her to cultivate at will.
After some time, Qian Yue proposed to accept Su Yan as her direct disciple, but what surprised her was that Su Yan refused, disappointing her somewhat.
However, because she so highly cherished Su Yan’s aptitude, Qian Yue did not blame her and instead maintained her attentive attitude. For this, Su Yan was very grateful, so although the two were not officially master and disciple, they were as close as any Junior and Senior pair could be.
“That child’s aptitude is incredible, and her physique is also quite special. I don’t know what kind of opportunity she encountered but her current constitution is very close to the legendary Ice Crystal Jade Body special constitution,” Qian Yue said slowly, a trace of doubt soon appearing on her face, “However, after consulting some ancient books, I found that her physique is not the Ice Crystal Jade Body.”
Yang Kai lightly snorted at this.
He had left Su Yan so much Myriad Drug Liquid and Myriad Drug Milk which the latter had taken religiously for many years; it would odd if her physique wasn’t outstanding by now.
“Moreover, when she was alone, I often noticed she would be lost in thought, a happy smile that was normally difficult to see appearing on her face,” Qian Yue glared at Yang Kai coldly, “It was as if she was reminiscing about someone or something.”
Yang Kai wore a smug grin hearing this.
Qing Ya pursed her lips and smiled as she quietly sized up Yang Kai, a few doubts crossing her mind, wondering just what kind of special place this little boy had that could so captivate Su Yan’s heart.
“My Ice Sect disciples all cultivate Ice Attribute Secret Arts that require one’s heart to be pure and free of desire in order to reach the Grand Accomplishment Stage. This child often revealing a lovesick expression is the nothing less than a scourge you’ve forced upon her!” Qian Yue said angrily, a look of hatred filling her eyes as she glared at Yang Kai, apparently she thought that he was a hindrance to Su Yan’s future achievements.
In response, Yang Kai spat disdainfully and ruthlessly countered, “You old woman, what would you know of the wonders of female love?”
“Why you…” Qian Yue’s tender body trembling fiercely as she grit her teeth and her pretty face paled, her True Qi surging up as if she couldn’t want to slap Yang Kai to death in order to sooth the hatred in her heart.
“Silly child, haven’t you said a bit too much?” Qing Ya gently rebuked Yang Kai.
Yang Kai just impatiently waved, “Fine fine, go on.”
Qian Yue bit her lip hard, her chest heaving up and down, seemingly quite enraged, her beautiful pupils flashing a hostile light that only calmed down after much comforting from Qing Ya, eventually muttering under her breath, “I’m not in the mood to say anything more.”
Yang Kai laughed victoriously before turning his attention to Qing Ya.
Ice Sect’s Sect Master let out a light sigh before slowly continuing, “I’ll explain. Su Yan’s aptitude was excellent, and the progress she showed was outstanding, causing Elder Qian Yue to want to accept her as a disciple. After being rejected though, nothing much changed, Qian Yue thought that over time, if she displayed enough sincerity, one day Su Yan would be willing to officially join my Ice Sect as a disciple.”
“Unfortunately, things did not progress smoothly,” Qing Ya frowned slightly, “A year later, Elder Qian Yue and I both discovered an issue with Su Yan.”
“What issue?” Yang Kai asked urgently.
“She seems to have cultivate more than one Secret Art. In her body, there is another Secret Art that coexists with her original Ice Attribute one,” Qing Ya slowly shook her head, “If there was no such additional Secret Art and Su Yan only cultivated a pure Ice Attribute Secret Art, there would be no hidden danger, but that unknown Secret Art seemed to be hindering the progress of her core Secret Art, impeding her progress.”
“Impeding?”
“En, although there is no problem for the time being, if the situation is allowed to continue without being resolved, Su Yan’s growth will not only stagnate, he strength could actually regress,” Qing Ya looked fixedly at Yang Kai, “You and this child are Senior Sister and Junior Brother and she obviously is quite enamoured with you, do you know what other Secret Art she is cultivating?”
“I know,” Yang Kai nodded.
“What Secret Art is it?” Qing Ya and Qian Yue both asked.
“A Dual Cultivation Secret Art,” Yang Kai said without reservation.
The two women suddenly blushed and Qian Yue loudly cursed, “You bastard, you really are the culprit who harmed Su Yan! If not for you stealing her innocence, destroying her body’s purity, how could she only have such achievements now?”
“What the hell do you know?!” Yang Kai snapped back.
Yang Kai was greatly dissatisfied with the fact that this woman was trying to push all the fault for this situation onto him.
Since he began cultivating the Joyous Unification Art together with Su Yan, not only had she not received any harm, instead she had benefitted greatly. It was not an exaggeration to say that the Joyous Unification Art was an indispensable factor in Yang Kai and Su Yan’s rapid progress.
“A Dual Cultivation Secret Art?” Qing Ya frowned, “How could you cultivate that kind of obscene Secret Art? Although Dual Cultivation Secret Arts can allow one’s strength grow rapidly, in general, their foundations will become unstable as a result and sooner or later the hidden dangers left behind will hinder one’s development.”
“Nonsense, how is the love between a man and a woman something obscene? Isn’t it just that you’re thinking is too conservative?” Yang Kai glanced over at her, “Moreover, whether Su Yan or I have unsteady foundations, you should be perfectly clear about.”
Qing Ya’s expression suddenly became pensive.
Indeed, if they had really been practicing some kind of shoddy Dual Cultivation Secret Art, it would be impossible for Su Yan to have her current foundation and cultivation. With her current strength, the hidden dangers associated with such a technique should have long ago emerged.
However, Su Yan was still near perfection in almost every aspect.
As for the little boy in front of her, him being able to use his First Order Transcendent cultivation to face off against a master like Qian Yue and not instantly lose was not something an ordinary talent could achieve.
The only explanation then was that the Dual Cultivation Technique the two of them had practiced was incredibly profound and not only didn’t cause any harm, but instead brought them mutual benefits.
There were indeed such Secret Arts in this world, but when one heard the words ‘dual cultivation’, their first thought would be of the detriments normally associated with using such a method. This was a preconceived notion, a type of bias that had come about due to the vast majority of such cultivation techniques really having these kinds of drawbacks.
“Let’s set this matter aside for now, we have never studied any Dual Cultivation Techniques after all so we aren’t in a position to debate their merits or detractors,” Qing Ya’s face was still slightly red as she quickly changed the subject, “In any case, when Elder Qian Yue discovered this issue, she hoped that Su Yan could abolish that unknown Secret Art and devote herself fully to her Ice Attribute Secret Arts. If she were to discard that Secret Art and instead cultivated my Ice Sect’s highest grade Secret Art, it would only have benefits to her without any harm.”
“My Senior Sister refused, right?” Yang Kai stared at her coldly.
“En.”
“Qian Yue and I didn’t understand why she refused so stubbornly at the time, but now it seems that this Secret Art should be something that connects the two of you, making her unwilling to discard it,” Qing Ya sighed faintly, “This child’s passion is really unreasonable.”
“It’s a pity the object of her affection is so unworthy of her!” Qian Yue took the chance to interject, her face filled with disdain.
“If you dare spout any more crap I’ll immediately kill all of your Ice Sect’s two hundred disciples!” Yang Kai coldly glared at Qian Yue, the latter gnashing her teeth as she glared back, obviously unwilling to back downs.
Ignoring them, Qing Ya simply continued, “Elder Qian Yue advised her several times regarding this matter but she never once agreed, so finally Elder Qian Yue wanted to force her to discard that Secret Art, but Su Yan seemed to be aware of this and before Qian Yue could act, she preemptively used the Ice Body Sealed Heart technique to freeze herself!”
Yang Kai grinned menacingly, “So what you mean to say is, my Senior Sister becoming like this, is all because of this woman?”
As Yang Kai spoke, his True Qi surged violently and a thick murderous intent began overflowing from him.
Qing Ya expression changed and she hastily said, “Please try to remain calm, although I also think that Qian Yue’s approach was not correct, wanting to force Su Yan without her consent, but her intentions were good. My Ice Sect’s Secret Arts are not something just anyone can cultivate, what she thought was best for Su Yan just inadvertently harmed her.”
“Such good intentions are really praiseworthy, on behalf of my Senior Sister I thank you greatly,” Yang Kai ground his teeth and coldly snorted, his voice filled with icy malice like the cries of a demon from the lowest depths of purgatory.
Unexpectedly, Qian Yue did not offer any rebuttal to Yang Kai’s sarcasm, instead just wearing a look filled with shame, her eyes flashing a pained light.
If she had continued to be unrepentant even now, Yang Kai probably would have lost it and immediately attacked her, but upon seeing her regretful appearance, Yang Kai’s murderous intent dissipated significantly.
Although he found this woman abhorrent, it seemed like she really did care deeply about Su Yan.
This along was enough for Yang Kai to not pester her any further.
Taking a deep breath and depressing his rampaging emotions, Yang Kai slowly said, “How this situation came about, I now understand.”
Qing Ya knit her brow and said softly, “In fact, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The Ice Body Sealed Heart technique is not harmful to Su Yan, and as long as she maintains this state her cultivation will improve rapidly, when she next awakens, her strength will have noticeably increased.”
“When she next awakens?” Yang Kai sneered, “When will she wake up? Ten years, twenty years, even longer?”
Qing Ya and Qian Yue both stayed silent.
Yang Kai’s question was the crux of the matter and they had no answer to give him.
No Ice Sect disciple has ever used the Ice Body Sealed Heart so thoroughly, whether Su Yan would ever wake up was questionable. If they couldn’t find a way to solve this issue, it was possible she would sleep forever.
“We have explained things to you as promised, now about my Ice Sect’s two hundred disciples…” Qing Ya asked, “As the Sect Master of Ice Sect, I guarantee you that as long as the danger to my disciples is relieved, no one will embarrassed you again.”
Yang Kai stared at her deeply for a moment before nodding lightly.
After walking outside with Qing Ya and Qian Yue, Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense and summoned back all the Soul Devouring Insects he had previously released, taking them back into his Knowledge Sea.
The only exceptions were the two Ice Sect’s Saint Realm Elders, who refused Yang Kai’s assistance and instead returned to their own private residences to enter secluded retreat.
The two of them were confident that using their own powerful cultivations and Spiritual Energy they could purge these Exotic Ancient Insects from their Knowledge Sea which would allow them to avoid owing Yang Kai a favour.
Qian Yue and the others then carefully examined the disciples and confirmed they were no longer in any danger before finally relaxing.
For the past half a month, Yang Kai remained in Ice Sect, spending the entire time beside Su Yan’s bedside.
Meanwhile, in another ice room, Ice Sect’s Sect Master and the four Saint Realm Elders gathered together and were in the midst of a fierce argument. The four Elders each had their own opinions and were vigorously debating their point while the Sect Master, Qing Ya, sat silently upon her crystal ice chair.
One of the Saint Realm masters who had previously had his Knowledge Sea invaded by Yang Kai’s Soul Devouring Insects loudly shouted, “That boy is detrimental to us! We have no idea what kind of underhanded method he used to control those Exotic Ancient Insects and ruthlessly attack our Ice Sect’s disciples. We should expel such a vicious and cruel person as quickly as possible.”
The other Saint Realm master who had suffered a loss at Yang Kai’s hand nodded in agreement, “That is my opinion as well.”
Saying so, they turned to look at Qian Hao and asked, “What do Brother and Sister Qian think?”
“He must leave!” Qian Hao hesitated for a moment before declaring, “Our Ice Sect is a pure land, yet he wantonly intruded and stirred up such a mess. Such a scourge cannot be allowed to remain.”
Qian Yue didn’t say a word, but from the look on her face, it was obviously she wanted Yang Kai out of Ice Sect as soon as possible.
“Sect Master!” Qian Hao turned to look at Qing Ya, “Isn’t it time we asked him to leave? Him remaining in Ice Sect is highly improper.”
Qing Ya smiled faintly, “Why are all of you so anxious to force him out? Although his previous methods were indeed a bit too aggressive, from his perspective, he had no other choice, and even though he did threaten us by taking advantage of our disciples, in the end, none of their Souls were damaged and they only needed a few day of meditation to recover. We cannot simply dismantle the bridge after crossing it.”
Her beautiful eyes then flashes before she continued, “Moreover, he came here to find his Senior Sister, but now Su Yan is in a deep sleep that we have no idea when or even if she will wake up. If we now insist on driving him away, I am afraid it will only provoke a violent response from him, possibly even leading to him releasing those Exotic Ancient Insects again.”
“Then what are we to do? Are we supposed to just allow him to stay in our Ice Sect indefinitely?”
“We should just allow him to take Su Yan away!” Qian Hao suggested, “When that old fogey came here, he said that if someone came to find Su Yan, we should not block or embarrass him. Why not just drop this matter and let him leave with Su Yan?”
To this proposal though, Qian Yue couldn’t help frowning, “Big Brother, with Su Yan in that state, I don’t feel comfortable letting that little brat take her away.”
Although she hated Yang Kai, Qian Yue was still very fond of Su Yan; naturally she didn’t want to do anything to endanger the latter further and decisively shook her head, “I can’t agree to that.”
“Good,” Qing Ya waved her hand, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. From what I’ve seen, that boy is someone who deeply treasures his personal relationships; as evidence, this entire time he has not left Su Yan’s ice room. I’ll go speak with him first to determine what he plans to do next; perhaps he already plans to leave Ice Sect of his own accord.”
Hearing this, the four Elder could only nod.
The three male Elders quickly left while Qian Yue stayed behind, quickly saying, “Sect Master, I’ll accompany you.”
Qing Ya gently nodded as the two of them got up and headed towards the ice mountain where Su Yan was.
A short time later, the pair came to the ice room and knocked on the door gently. Although they received no response, Qing Ya could feel some unusual energy fluctuations inside and couldn’t help wrinkling her brow, pushing the door open in the next instant.
At this moment, inside the ice room, not only was there a bone chilling cold, but also a burning hot energy flowing about. Looking around for a moment, Qing Ya couldn’t help covering her mouth in shock.
Both of Yang Kai’s hands were actually placed on Su Yan’s ice covered body as his True Qi madly surged.
“You fool, what are you doing!?” Qian Yue shouted, immediately rushing forward, raising her hand as if to slap Yang Kai away.
Yang Kai made no attempt to resist and instead simply turned his head to stare at her coldly.
Qian Yue’s heart jumped when she saw this, her hand stopping only millimeters away from Yang Kai’s body, grinding her teeth as she asked once more, “What are you doing?”
“None of your damn business!” Yang Kai snorted.
Qing Ya also hurried over and worriedly said, “Don’t do this, you’ll only injure Su Yan.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Yang Kai said faintly.
He was the one who least wanted to hurt Su Yan. Every time he tried something he did so with the utmost caution so there would be no unexpected accidents.
“Are you trying to communicate with Su Yan?” Qing Ya asked pensively.
Yang Kai nodded.
He and Su Yan both cultivated the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art and the Joyous Unification Art had a total of three stages. At the first stage, the two of them needed physical intimacy in order to dual cultivate, but once they reached the second stage, there was no longer any need for physical contact, they only had to be within a certain proximity to each other in order to form a cycle with their two True Qis, allowing them to purify and sublimate once another. Whether they were cultivating or fighting, this connected state was of great benefit to both Yang Kai and Su Yan.
Currently, Su Yan’s body was encased in a thick layer of ice, so obviously using the methods associated with the Joyous Unification Art’s first stage was impossible; this ice was condensed from the sum total of Su Yan’s True Qi, Yang Kai didn’t want to break it lest it cause unwanted backlash to her.
His only hope then was that by initiating the second stage’s dual cultivation method he could somehow communicate directly with Su Yan’s unconscious mind.
However, after trying for so long, he had not made any progress, Su Yan’s True Qi never responded to his own and so the two were unable to blend together.
“You don’t need to plow the air, I don’t know what kind of cultivation technique your Dual Cultivation Secret Art is, but the Ice Body Sealed Heart is one of my Ice Sect’s most profound core inheritance Martial Skills, once one displays it, they lose all sensation of the outside world. I doubt your Dual Cultivation Technique is comparable to the Ice Body Sealed Heart!” Qian Yue calmly declared, as if to throw cold water onto Yang Kai’s efforts.
Yang Kai of course turned a deaf ear to her and simply wrinkled his brow.
His efforts over the past half a month had yielded no results so now it seems his only hope was to try to initiate the Joyous Unification Art’s third stage method. If even that didn’t work, Yang Kai would have no choice but to give up and simply wait for Su Yan to wake up on her own.
He did not feel it was worth the risk to forcibly wake Su Yan up now. The Ice Body Sealed Heart’s frozen state wasn’t harmful to Su Yan and was instead actually benefiting her, so there was no need to act recklessly at this stage.
Yang Kai just wanted to be able to communicate with her and understand what she was thinking and feeling right now.
After experiencing all of this, if Su Yan didn’t want to stay in Ice Sect, Yang Kai would immediately take her away. On the other hand, if she told him she wished to remain, Yang Kai would respect her wishes. Ice Sect was a cultivation paradise for Su Yan and despite Tong Xuan Realm being so vast, it was still difficult to find an environment so perfectly suited to her Secret Art.
Seeing him sink into contemplation, Qian Yue just coldly snorted and no longer tried to irritate him.
Qing Ya sighed softly and said, “Yang Kai, there is a saying that the haste makes waste, you should not be too anxious.”
Yang Kai smiled, looked up at her and asked, “Since this is your Ice Sect’s Martial Skill, do you really have no way to lift it?”
Qing Ya shook her head helplessly, “Unless the one who used the technique voluntarily lifts it, there is no way for an outsider to interfere. It is precisely because the Ice Body Sealed Heart seals all consciousness it can provide such assistance to my Ice Sect disciple’s cultivation.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“Yang Kai, I have something to ask you,” Qing Ya expression became somewhat awkward as she hesitantly spoke.
“You want to ask when I’ll be leaving?” Yang Kai revealed a playful smile, cutting directly to the point.
Qing Ya was slightly startled, not having expected this youth’s mind to be so sharp, quickly saying, “I don’t want to drive you away, but my Ice Sect usually does not accept outsiders. Su Yan is one thing, but your presence here really infringes on my Ice Sect’s customs.”
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of remaining here much longer, this frozen environment suppresses my Secret Art quite severely after all,” Yang Kai curled his lips, “But for the time being I don’t plan on going anywhere. I wish to retreat here for just a few more days and I hope that no one will disturb me.”
“Retreat here?” Qing Ya quickly picked up on his meaning and asked, “Do you want to try reaching out to Su Yan’s consciousness still?”
“Brat, I advise you to give up and leave,” Qian Yue said, making no attempt to hide her dislike of Yang Kai, “No one can get in touch with someone who has displayed the Ice Body Sealed Heart. Stop wasting your time, just leave Su Yan here, whether she chooses to enter my Ice Sect or not I’ll still take care of her, there’s no need for you to interfere!”
“There’s no need for you to take care of her,” Yang Kai glanced over coldly at Qian Yue before turning to Qing Ya again, “Sect Master, please accept this Junior’s request!”
“Very well,” Qing Ya nodded helplessly, “I will allow you to retreat for some time in my Ice Sect, but only this once. When you exit your seclusion, regardless of what Su Yan’s condition is at that time, you will have to leave. Whether you take Su Yan with you when you go or leave her here, my Ice Sect won’t interfere.”
“Many thanks, Sect Master Qian!” Yang Kai nodded slightly. Qing Ya was much easier to speak with than Qian Yue, on top of that, she was young and beautiful with a voice that was both warm and gentle, Yang Kai simply couldn’t imagine her being one of Treasurer Meng’s old friends.
Just imagining her and that perverted old man Meng Wu Ya standing together, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a sense of pity, like watching a fresh flower being planted in cow dung.
Thinking so, his expression became somewhat weird.
Seeing Yang Kai’s strange look, Qing Ya wrinkled her brow but didn’t ask anything, quickly taking Qian Yue and leaving.
After they left, Yang Kai took a deep breath and returned his gaze to the icy beauty sleeping in front of him, his eyes slowly softening.
After watching her for a moment, Yang Kai closed his eyes and laid his hands on the ice covering Su Yan’s body before fully releasing his Divine Sense.
The Joyous Unification Art’s third stage, the Union of Heart and Soul’s ultimate method was the blending of the two’s Souls.
In the past, Yang Kai and Su Yan had actually reached the Union of Heart and Soul stage, but they had never actually tried to blend their Souls in order to dual cultivate.
But now, Yang Kai could only use this method to try and relate to Su Yan.
While sitting directly in front of Su Yan, Yang Kai continuously called out to her with his Divine Sense, pouring his True Qi into the thick layer of ice surrounding her body, quickly penetrating it and reaching her meridians.
However, Su Yan remained completely unresponsive. Not only was there no physical response from her, even her consciousness showed no reaction at all.
At this moment, she seemed like a sleeping ice doll.
Yang Kai wasn’t discouraged though and continued again and again to try to contact Su Yan using this method.
He believed that the deep bond between Su Yan and himself had a high chance of overcoming the impediment of the Ice Body Sealed Heart and allowing their consciousness to resonate with one another.
Time flew by and Ice Sect was restored to its original tranquil state. Although the Saint Realm Elders could clearly feel a hint of blazing hot aura emanating from a certain ice mountain, under the strict orders of Qing Ya, no one went to disturb that place.
Ten days, one month, two months… The burning aura never once subsided, only flaring up from time to time before returning to a steady state.
Although the various Saints did not have a good impression of Yang Kai, the perseverance he showed still impressed them somewhat.
From time to time, Qing Ya and Qian Yue would stare in the direction of the ice mountain Su Yan slept within and sigh.
Inside the ice room of the ice mountain, Yang Kai acted as if he was possessed, repeating the same movements and motions over and over again, sending his True Qi and Divine Sense unceasingly towards Su Yan.
At first he didn’t receive any response, but over time, he gradually felt some unusual fluctuations which seemed to be weak threads of Divine Sense that seemingly wanted to respond to him but were unable to form a coherent message.
When he realized this, Yang Kai was ecstatic and immediately redoubled his efforts.
He lost all track of time and only felt a deep sense of exhaustion.
Suddenly, Divine Sense felt as if it had sunk into a dark, bottomless abyss and become lost.
A bone chilling cold seeped into his Soul, and Yang Kai couldn’t help opening his eyes and gazing around, but everywhere he looked, there was nothing but darkness. The only clear sensation he had was the profound cold that seemed to grip his heart.
This strange empty place exuded a feeling of solitude and loneliness but amidst that, Yang Kai faintly heard someone calling out to him.
His heart trembling, Yang Kai suddenly realized that this was Su Yan’s spiritual world.
Having displayed the Ice Body Sealed Heart, Su Yan was sealed, so her spiritual world being a void was understandable; however, there was still a tiny part of her subconscious that was trying to respond to Yang Kai, but like it had fallen into a nightmare, it couldn’t break free from this dark prison.
Yang Kai frantically searched for the source of the voice calling out to him, his feet never stopping, but the path he traveled seemed to be without end.
Releasing his Divine Sense as far as he could, Yang Kai explored this dark space while spreading his presence all around.
Eventually, from a certain place, Yang Kai received some unusual feedback and paused in place, closing his eyes and carefully examining it.
A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes and a light blossomed in the darkness in front of him.
Yang Kai smiled happily and his Soul Avatar quickly sprinting towards the light. As he approached it, he felt a familiar aura radiating from it; it was Su Yan’s Spiritual Energy.
The light grew brighter and brighter until eventually Yang Kai passed through it and the endless darkness that had surrounded him gave way a bright landscape.
Looking around, Yang Kai couldn’t help gawking slightly.
Because the place he found himself in was very familiar.
High Heaven Pavilion!
Sweeping the area with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai quickly found the small house he used to live in, the room Su Yan had stayed in, the Contribution Hall Treasurer Meng used to tend to, and many other familiar buildings, even the various paths and plants were exactly as he remembered them.
The only difference from the High Heaven Pavilion Yang Kai knew was that this one was devoid of people. It was incredibly peaceful, with ice and snow everywhere.
This was Su Yan’s true spiritual world, everything here appeared in accordance with her will, similar to how inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, the Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus had transformed into a five coloured island.
Su Yan’s spiritual world taking on the appearance of High Heaven Pavilion most likely meant that she missed the time she had spent back in the Sect and had subconsciously arranged her spiritual world to reflect it.
This scene wasn’t something Su Yan had deliberately created, Yang Kai clearly understood this.
Unfortunately, even after arriving here, Yang Kai still didn’t notice any trace of Su Yan.
Standing in place and thinking about it, Yang Kai soon realised where Su Yan was and smiled.
His Soul Avatar quickly set off along a path he had not traveled in a long time, passing through various places in the Sect until he reached the Coiling Dragon Stream.
At the edge of the Coiling Dragon Stream, there were still a few fruit trees that swayed in the wind, a number of red fruits handing from their branches. These fruit trees had been planted by Yang Kai many years ago and had actually been destroyed when the Demon Lord escaped from his prison, but now they had actually reappeared in Su Yan’s spiritual world.
Standing beneath the fruit trees, Yang Kai reminisced silently for a moment before leaping down into the chasm.
Falling a short distance, Yang Kai quickly came to a stop before shooting into a small cave in the side of the Coiling Dragon Stream.
This was Yang Kai’s secluded home. When he had been young and weak, it had taken him a lot of work to carve out this secluded cave with his miniscule True Qi.
The secluded cave was not big and only had two rooms. The outside one was where Yang Kai had usually meditated, while the inner one had a stone bed where he had slept.
His Little Senior Sister, Xia Ning Chang, had often slept atop this stone bed too.
Passing through the outer room and arriving at the inner one, Yang Kai saw a familiar figure lying down atop the stone bed.
Even inside her spiritual world, Su Yan was sleeping. Apparently after displaying Ice Sect’s Ice Body Sealed Heart, even her Soul had been put into a deep sleep. If it had not been she would have long ago responded to Yang Kai’s presence.
Slowly walking over, Yang Kai stopped at the stone bed’s side and squatted down, gazing at the sleeping beauty in front of him, his face filled with tender affection.
Seeming sensing the arrival of an outsider, Su Yan’s eyelashes fluttered lightly and her brow furrowed gently; finally, a moment later, her mouth curled into a faint smile.
Su Yan’s eyes suddenly opened and she gazed towards Yang Kai who was kneeling down next to her bedside.
Yang Kai froze in place.
When their four eyes suddenly met, all of Yang Kai’s thoughts came to a halt.
Su Yan pursed her lips and giggled lightly at this sight. As she smiled, the chill in the air quickly began to dissipate.
“Su Yan, you…” Yang Kai stared dumbfounded.
“Without permission, forcefully breaking into another’s Knowledge Sea, Junior Brother, your courage is not small,” Su Yan gently rebuked Yang Kai, a slight teasing meaning in her tone.
“How… how did you wake up?” Yang Kai asked excitedly, “Didn’t you display the Ice Body Sealed Heart?”
Su Yan sat up slowly and smiled, “En, but when I did so, I also put in place a special seal.”
“What kind of seal?” Yang Kai asked.
“A seal to alert me. If your Divine Sense entered my Knowledge Sea, it would automatically awaken my consciousness.”
“Awaken your consciousness?” Yang Kai frowned.
“En,” Su Yan gently nodded, “Only my Soul and consciousness is awake; my body is still in the Ice Body Sealed Heart’s frozen state. I believe this is something even Elder Qian Yue didn’t know.”
Su Yan had thoroughly comprehended the Ice Body Sealed Heart technique while Qian Yue only thought Su Yan had a superficial understanding of it and was unaware that the latter could manipulate it to such an extent.
“Why did you do this?” Yang Kai asked in confusion.
“I can cultivate faster in this state,” Su Yan looked over Yang Kai gently, “You become stronger so quickly, if I don’t cultivate diligently, wouldn’t I end up being a burden to you?”
Yang Kai laughed in spite of trying not to after understanding Su Yan’s motivations for taken such extreme measures.
“What if someone else had broken into your Knowledge Sea?” Yang Kai suddenly thought of a terrible possibility. Su Yan was in a deep sleep in the material world and knew nothing of the outside, if someone had harboured ill intentions towards her, there would be nothing she could do to resist.
“No one else could achieve this, only you could. Although, perhaps some extremely powerful master would be capable of breaking my Knowledge Sea’s defences, but if that were to happen, I could only go all out with them so as not to let them take advantage of me,” Su Yan declared firmly.
“You’re deliberately making trouble!” Yang Kai grumbled, unable to stop himself from chiding her.
Su Yan ignored his protest and instead extended her hand to stroke his cheek, softly comforting, “It seems you’ve endured a lot of hardship.”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head in response, “I haven’t endured any hardship, in fact, many have taken good care of me all this time.”
“If so then that’s good; how much time has passed on the outside?”
“Since you fell asleep, it’s only been about a year.”
“A year… you arrived here quite quickly…” Su Yan’s face was filled with a sweet and happy smile.
“En, so Senior Sister should reward me for my efforts,” Yang Kai smiled meaningfully.
“What kind of reward do you want?”
“What do you think?”
Su Yan blushed bright red from her neck to her face, and her pair of beautiful eyes began to spin slightly.
“We’ve never tried the Joyous Unification Art’s third stage cultivation method,” Yang Kai stared at Su Yan, a burning aggression filling his eyes.
“Junior Brother…” Su Yan couldn’t help feeling shy.
The third stage’s cultivation method was the blending of their Souls. Su Yan naturally understood this; and although she had already come to accept her husband and wife relationship with Yang Kai, she still felt somewhat nervous about blending their Souls.
Blended Souls meant that all of their secrets would be known to one another, there would be nothing left to conceal.
“Su Yan…” Yang Kai unceremoniously grabbed Su Yan’s jade-like hand and caressed it, his eyes gleaming like a starved wolf that had at last found its prey.
Su Yan put up some symbolic resistance but she never once tried to break away, biting her thin red lips as she sat atop the stone bed silently, her face a deep shade of crimson.
Seeing her appearance, Yang Kai no longer had any scruples, pouncing upon her and pushing her down onto the stone bed, his hands wandering all over Su Yan’s heavenly body, the victorious grin of a conqueror plastered all over his face.
The blending of Souls was something Yang Kai had only heard rumors and never attempted, but it was said that the pleasure one felt from such a union was far greater than a purely physical one, and once you tried it, it was impossible to not become addicted.
“Let’s start!” Yang Kai declared seriously.
Su Yan nodded lightly.
At the same time, the two of them began to circulate the Joyous Unification Art, and in the next instant, their two Soul Avatars transformed into dazzling burst of light that flooded the stone room with a brilliant radiance. The two glowing lights began entangling with one another, chasing and blending with one another as they slowly merged into a single entity, a glorious sound resounding between the Heavens and Earth as they did so.
Yang Kai felt as if he was drunk, drowning in the sweetest nectar one could imagine, almost unable to extricate himself. The comfort and joy he felt from the very core of his being blew away all his thoughts and all he wanted to do was indulge in this indescribable sensation.
Although there was no intimate contact between their flesh, the please the two of them received was every bit as overwhelming as the legends described.
Yang Kai could feel Su Yan’s Soul wrapping around his own, and every time they blended together, a new surge of joy would overcome them, leaving both of them somewhat incapable of controlling themselves.
The two of them had completely opened their Souls to each other but neither of them bothered to spy on the other’s secrets, simply allowing their emotions and consciousnesses to freely flow between them.
Anyone who experienced this blending of Souls would be completely taken in by this overwhelming sensation that was completely detached from the pleasures of the flesh.
As their two Souls blended, both Su Yan and Yang Kai’s Soul were slowly undergoing some subtle changes.
The Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art’s dual cultivation methods not only allowed a man and woman’s True Qis to blend together, thus purifying and enhancing one another, it even allowed their Divine Senses to do so as well.
Su Yan felt a rush of Spiritual Energy and profound enlightenment flood her Soul as she entangled with Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s thoughts and insights into the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao were being shared with her.
Su Yan didn’t dare to resist, open her heart and mind to accept all of it, imprinting these valuable treasures onto her very Soul.
Yang Kai’s Soul also benefited greatly in this process. Although Su Yan’s sentiments and insights weren’t of much use to him, as the two of them continued to dual cultivate, he could clearly feel his Soul becoming stronger and his purity of his Spiritual Energy increase.
Inside the ice room, the pair’s Souls blended as the True Qi inside their bodies burst out involuntarily, harmonizing with one another, flowing together as they circulated their Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art.
With each cycle the pair completed, their True Qi would become all the more pure.
The benefits Su Yang and Yang Kai gained from this time’s dual cultivation were simply unimaginable.
Suddenly, behind Yang Kai, the phantom image of a dragon appeared while simultaneously a phoenix phantom similarly emerged from Su Yan’s body.
The two phantoms absorbed the True Qi the pair were releasing and rapidly grew in size, a moment later filling the entire ice room.
A resounding dragon’s roar rang out along with a piercing phoenix cry. The two sounds echoed throughout the ice mountains, causing the entire glacial region to tremble as snow and ice were blasted out.
With a great bang, two completely opposite energies shot out of one of the ice mountains and rushed into the sky.
Everyone in Ice Sect, from Sect Master Qing Ya down to the Common Disciples, were greatly alarmed by this sudden development, all of them rushing out of their secluded rooms to see just what had happened.
Qian Yue was also shocked. She had been quietly meditating in her own private ice cave when she all of a sudden felt the two unusual energy fluctuations. Naturally, she rushed outside to investigate the situation.
Glancing around, she quickly discovered the other three Elders of Ice Sect standing mid-air, staring up into the sky with dignified expressions.
Even Sect Master Qing Ya’s pretty face wore a solemn look.
“Sect Master!” Qian Yue hurriedly approached them and shouted but did not receive any response. Turning her gaze in the direction they were looking for, Qian Yue’s beautiful eyes shot open.
Floating high up in the sky was a dragon more than a hundred meters in length, a flaming aura pulsing from its body as it swayed back and forth, a magnificent and bizarre scene to behold. In addition to the dragon, there was a similarly enormous Ice Phoenix, seemingly cared from the most beautiful crystal, flapping its wings gently as if flew out.
The dragon and phoenix chased after one another playfully, both of them releasing a colossal momentum that weighed heavy on all who saw them.
From the dragon and the phoenix, everyone felt a blistering heat and a profound chill respectively; these two extreme auras couldn’t be ignored by anyone present.
What shocked Qing Ya and the others the most though was that the two auras pulsing from the Golden Dragon and Ice Phoenix were familiar to them.
Naturally they were the auras of Yang Kai and Su Yan!
As all of them stood there in shock, the dragon and phoenix who were chasing one another around suddenly came to a halt, turned around, and flew straight towards Qing Ya and the Ice Sect Elders.
The several Saint Realm Elders all trembled slightly and silently began condensing their True Qi.
The Golden Dragon and Ice Phoenix flew to within a few meters of these five Saints before coming to a stop, the dragon in front with the phoenix one step behind, the two of them leaning towards one another intimately, just like a couple.
The Golden Dragon’s two giant eyes then turned to stare at Qing Ya and the other Saints fixedly, a distinctly human light flashing across them. Being stared at like this made each of the Ice Sect Elders somewhat nervous; for some inexplicable reason, this gaze made them feel small and weak, as if they were at the opposite party’s mercy.
Especially Qian Yue, she felt that the Golden Dragon’s gaze contained a thick meaning of warning when it landed on her.
Qing Ya frowned and quickly circulated her True Qi to resist the oppression emanating from the dragon and phoenix before hesitantly asking, “Yang Kai?”
The eyes of the Golden Dragon flickered slightly before turning away, soaring off into the distance together with the Ice Phoenix.
With another great dragon roar and phoenix cry, the Golden Dragon and Ice Phoenix flew away and quickly disappeared across the horizon.
It wasn’t until after they confirmed the two giant phantoms had left that the members of Ice Sect finally breathed a sigh of relief, each of them only then aware of the cold sweat drenching their backs.
Staring off in the direction the dragon and phoenix disappeared, Qing Ya pondered thoughtfully.
She indistinctly felt that they weren’t really leaving but instead were simply going out to play amongst the glacial world.
Sure enough, a moment later, she heard a gentle rumbling off in the distance; apparently that dragon and the phoenix pair were frolicking somewhere nearby.
Shaking her head somewhat helplessly, Qing Ya turned to the other Ice Sect Elders, waved and smiled gently, “Everything is alright, go back.”
“Sect Master, was… was the Golden Dragon that little brat?” Qian Hao frowned and asked indefinitely. The dragon and phoenix had originally appeared in the sky above the ice mountain where Yang Kai and Su Yan were located, but how could two Juniors create such a huge momentum?
“Most likely,” Qing Ya smiled, “They’ll come back soon.”
“They’re coming back?” Qian Hao’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Didn’t you notice? The Souls and consciousness of those two children were blended together with that dragon and phoenix while their True Qi was what comprised those giant bodies, which means their true bodies are still here in Ice Sect. How can they not come back?”
“Does that mean, he managed to awaken Su Yan?” Qian Yue asked hurriedly, a hint of joy in her voice.
“I don’t know, we’ll have to wait until they come back to ask,” Qing Ya smiled gently.
“That rotten brat, he’s too much! Making such a fuss, was he trying to warn me and Ice Sect to not mistreat Su Yan?” Qian Yue ground her teeth as she thought back on the meaningful glare the Golden Dragon had directed specifically towards her.
“But Sect Master, with the cultivation of those two, how could they possess enough True Qi to create such grand and dense phantoms?” Qian Hao ask with a puzzled expression. If what Qing Ya said was true, then the giant dragon and phoenix avatars had been forged from Yang Kai and Su Yan’s True Qi. But how could two First Order Transcendents possibly store enough True Qi in their bodies to create phantom forms that could even cause Saint Realm masters like them to feel pressure?
Su Yan cultivated a profound Ice Attribute Secret Art, so if there wasn’t enough True Qi in her body, she could probably use the ambient Ice Attribute energy to supplement her consumption.
But how did Yang Kai do it?
Unable to understand, Qian Hao could only shake his head.
Off in the distance, the dragon and phoenix phantoms continued their game of tag while Yang Kai and Su Yan’s consciousnesses constantly communicated.
Before now, when they dual cultivated, there would often be times when the dragon and phoenix tattoos on their bodies would come alive and swim across their skin, but Yang Kai and Su Yan had never imagined that their Souls could actually assume the form of a dragon and phoenix.
But this time, because the two of them advanced to the point where their Souls blended together, they managed to achieve this feat.
Also, because of this phenomenon, the two of them made an unintentional discovery. At the moment their Souls assumed this form, Yang Kai and Su Yan realized that the dragon and phoenix tattoos on their backs weren’t just tattoos, but were separate entities that contained a massive amount of energy, far more than they themselves actually possessed and could even allow them to transform into their current, extremely powerful Soul Skill form.
Yang Kai deliberately making a display in front of Ice Sect’s Elders was indeed for the reason Qian Yue had guessed, he wanted to warn Ice Sect not to meddle in Su Yan’s affairs in the future, lest they bring about consequences they couldn’t afford.
Regarding this, Su Yan seemed to be somewhat unwilling, and even softly rebuked Yang Kai, saying he shouldn’t act like that.
While the two flew across the snowy landscape, they continued communicating with one another.
In their current dragon and the phoenix incarnations, the entire world appeared quite different. It was as if they were two sovereigns reigning over this world, a mysterious feeling that allowed their states of mind to undergo a kind of profound sublimation.
Some time later, Yang Kai suddenly came to a stop above one of the many icebergs. He felt that there was something inside this iceberg that contained a great amount of energy.
Under normal circumstances, even with his greatly strengthened Divine Sense, it would have been impossible for Yang Kai to have discovered this, but right now, with his Soul blended together with the Golden Dragon, his senses had become particularly sharp.
Su Yan had apparently also noticed this anomaly and had stopped next to Yang Kai, communicating to him with her Soul, “I heard that these ancient icebergs can sometimes produce Ice Attribute Precious Treasures. Sect Master and Elders Qian Hao and Qian Yue have found some such treasures in the past. Perhaps this iceberg contains one such Precious Treasure?”
“What do you think it is?” Yang Kai asked.
“Frozen Ice Jade Crystal, a Saint Grade material, it is of great use to anyone who cultivates an Ice Attribute Secret Art.”
Yang Kai’s spirit was roused hearing this, “We’ll find out once we obtain it.”
As he spoke, a golden light shot out from his Golden Dragon avatar towards the iceberg, emitting a scorching heat that seemed capable of melting anything in its path.
*Hong…*
The iceberg shook violently and the incredibly ancient ice which it was comprised of cracked, soon appearing like a great spider web which spread across the entire surface.
Although the iceberg was damaged, the ice it was comprised of had withstood thousands of years of time and was much stronger than Yang Kai had imagined, not collapsing.
Su Yan said nothing and simply stood beside Yang Kai, their four eyes meeting briefly, the two of them immediately understanding the intentions of the other.
In the next moment, the two of them took action together, the Golden Dragon and Ice Phoenix both shooting forward like bolts of lightning.
The two of them acting as one unleashed a destructive force several times greater than what Yang Kai alone had just produced.
Without so much as a single sound, Yang Kai and Su Yan passed through the iceberg and emerged on the other side.
After a brief moment of silence, a great rumbling rang out and the giant iceberg collapsed.
At the same time the iceberg was broken, the energy fluctuations that Yang Kai felt before became much clearer.
However, before he could look for it, he felt the scene before his eyes sway and a deep sense of exhaustion overcame his Soul.
Not only did Yang Kai experience this sense of fatigue, Su Yan did too, their Golden Dragon and Ice Phoenix forms fading significantly, as if they were on the verge of collapse.
“Junior Brother, I’m quite tired!”
“Let’s go back first,” Yang Kai said hurriedly. This was the first time the two of them had merged their Souls into these dragon and phoenix bodies, so it was inevitable they could not remain in this form for long. At this time, they had to hurry to return to their real bodies and recuperate so as to avoid damaging their Souls.
Hearing this, Su Yan nodded gently and together with Yang Kai quickly returned the way they came.
After only a brief moment of peace, Ice Sect once again welcomed a great commotion as the two huge energy fluctuations which had just left approached once more. Soon after, the giant Golden Dragon Ice Phoenix appeared in the sky above Ice Sect briefly before disappearing into one of the ice mountains.
Looking at where the pair disappeared, Qing Ya shook her head and smiled bitterly, “It really was those two children… Qian Yue, come with me, let’s go see them.”
“En,” Qian Yue quickly nodded.
Back inside the ice room, Yang Kai and Su Yan’s Souls returned to their respective bodies and Su Yan once again entered into a deep sleep.
Having spoken at length with Su Yan, Yang Kai finally put down the burden weighing on his heart. Apparently she would remain in the Ice Body Sealed Heart’s frozen state until she broke through the next minor realm, that is, until she became a Second Order Transcendent, after which she would automatically wake up.
This was something she had set up in advance before she entered her deep sleep.
After knowing the truth, Yang Kai was no longer worried and also didn’t intend to take Su Yan away from Ice Sect. The environment here truly was very suitable for her cultivation, so leaving her here would benefit her more.
Moreover, Ice Sect’s Sect Master Qing Ya and Elder Qian Yue really were quite good to her; although Yang Kai held a small grudge against Qian Yue. Also, after Su Yan put in many good words for Qian Yue, Yang Kai decided to no longer hold it against that woman.
After carefully cultivating for a short time, the exhaustion Yang Kai felt from his Soul gradually faded.
Sensing two familiar auras outside the ice room, Yang Kai got up and opened the door.
Sure enough, Qing Ya and Qian Yue were standing outside. After seeing Yang Kai, the two women’s beautiful eyes flashed a slightly complex light.
“Did Su Yan wake up?” Qian Yue took a look around and asked somewhat hurriedly.
“She did wake up for a while but she’s fallen asleep again,” Yang Kai explained lightly.
Qian Yue turned her eyes towards Yang Kai and her brow wrinkled slightly; she found that this little brat no longer displayed much hostility towards her and couldn’t help wondering what had happened.
“Did you have a good talk with her?” Qing Ya asked softly.
Yang Kai gently nodded, “I did.”
“So what did the two of you decide?”
“Su Yan wants to say here, so I must ask several Seniors to take care of her.”
Qing Ya smiled gently and nodded, “Don’t worry, although Ice Sect does not accept outsiders, but even just considering Meng Wu Ya’s face, I wouldn’t treat her poorly.”
“Many thanks, Sect Maser Qing!” Yang Kai said.
“Good, I never thought someone could actually awaken another who had performed the Ice Body Sealed Heart, you’ve really surprised me. I suppose that also proves that the relationship between you and Su Yan is not ordinary,” Qing Ya’s pretty face showed a hint of admiration.
Yang Kai smiled and didn’t explain any further. Although part of the reason he had succeeded was his own efforts, the most fundamental reason was that Su Yan had made early preparations!
If it weren’t for her setting it up so, Yang Kai figured he would never have been able to contact her Soul, much less break into her spiritual world.
“I have something to ask you now,” Qing Ya suddenly said with a serious face.
“Hm?” Seeing her solemn expression, Yang Kai couldn’t help nodding, “What does Sect Master Qing want to know?”
“What kind of Dual Cultivation Secret Art do you and Su Yan cultivate?”
“Why do you ask?” Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a bit strange. Ice Sect’s disciples cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts which stressed maintaining one’s purity, almost the exact opposite of dual cultivation, so Yang Kai didn’t understand why Qing Ya suddenly became interested in this.
Even if she knew what Secret Art Su Yan and Yang Kai were cultivating, and Yang Kai taught it to her, she didn’t have a partner with which to practice it so there would be no point.
“No need to be so vigilant, I’m not trying to inquire about your Secret Art, but there is something about it that bothers me,” Qing Ya frowned slightly, sinking into contemplation for a moment before slowly continuing, “A long time ago, Tong Xuan Realm had a number of famous forces.”
“Oh? What was so famous about them?”
“They were forces powerful enough to shake the realm!” Qing Ya quickly said, “These forces were the strongest in Tong Xuan Realm. When they reigned, the Demon Race and Monster Race didn’t dare act arrogantly. During that era, most of the Demon Land and Monster Domain actually belonged to our Human Territory.”
“There were such forces?” Yang Kai was extremely surprised.
“En,” Qing Ya nodded lightly, “It’s just that at some point, something happened, and all of these powerful forces suffered grave losses, some of them even losing their core inheritances. With their foundations crippled, these great forces inevitably declined and gradually became weak. Of course, such powerful forces, even after suffering sharp declines in strength, did not necessarily disappear, most of them still surviving until today just in a weakened state!”
Yang Kai expression changed, “Is Ice Sect one of those forces?”
Qing Ya was slightly surprised by his sharp insight but quickly smiled and nodded, “En, my Ice Sect is indeed one of those forces. At the height of its power, my Ice Sect had tens of thousands of disciple and occupied a vast territory, but after experiencing that disaster, my Ice Sect’s surviving Ancestors moved the Sect to this place to live a life of seclusion, isolated from the outside world.”
Yang Kai was thoroughly shocked, “What kind of cataclysm happened to cause so many great forces to suddenly collapse?”
Qing Ya shook her head, “I don’t know, it happened so long ago that no clear records remain of that event.”
“Why is Sect Master Qing telling me all this?” Yang Kai wondered, this kind of ancient history didn’t seem to have anything to do with him.
“Because I remember one of those ancient great forces seemed to practice a very profound kind of Dual Cultivation Secret Art and the top masters of that force were known as the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress! These two masters cultivated their force’s most core inheritance and it was said that when they joined forces to fight, they were nearly invincible. Also, when they fought… they could assume the form of a great dragon and phoenix!” Saying so, Qing Ya stared fixedly at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s look changed greatly, “Sect Master Qing’s meaning is…”
Qing Ya smiled softly, “I am just speculating and am not certain, but ordinary Dual Cultivation Secret Arts are detrimental. Those who cultivate them in general have impure True Qi and very rarely possess noteworthy accomplishments, but you and Su Yan are different. The Dual Cultivation technique the two of you cultivate is obviously extraordinary, and after witnessing the grand vision you showed earlier today, I could not help wondering if that legendary force has something to do with you!”
“I don’t know,” Yang Kai’s expression became awkward.
Qing Ya looked at him with a smile and didn’t ask any more. Regarding such matters, she only intended to inform Yang Kai of her thoughts; if she were to continue asking him questions, it would be akin to prying into his secrets, a taboo amongst cultivators.
“Sect Master Qing, do you remember what that force is called?”
“If I recall correctly, it seems to have been called Dragon Phoenix Heaven! It should still exist even now, if you search for it, it should not be difficult to find them.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, pondering for a moment before suddenly remembering something, asking curiously, “Wait, Sect Master Qing, I heard that long ago, the first master under Heaven was the Demon Race’s Great Demon God? How could there be so many Human Race Sects dominating Tong Xuan Realm then?”
Qing Ya giggled lightly as his question, “The Great Demon God is also a character out of legend, but his time was actually further into the past, the era I spoke to you about came after the Great Demon God disappeared.”
“So it’s like that,” Yang Kai nodded, a few speculations arising in his heart.
With the disappearance of the Great Demon God and the Ancient Demon Clan being sealed away, the Demon Race would have been severely weakened and would obviously not be the Human Race’s opponent.
Tong Xuan Realm’s history was long and rich in legends, obviously a few different eras and rulers had come and gone.
“Sect Master Qing, I’ll be going out for a bit to run a small errand, I’ll leave Ice Sect shortly after I get back from it,” Yang Kai informed Qing Ya before leaving the ice room.
Looking at his disappearing back, Qing Ya slowly shook her head, “I wasn’t trying to chase you away just now.”
“The sooner he’s gone the better!” Qian Yue grumbled under her breath before turning around and rushing into the ice room to check up on Su Yan’s condition, only feeling relieved after she confirmed that the latter was in a stable state.
Inside the ice, Su Yan wore a happy smile.
Yang Kai rushed forward, following the route he had taken together with Su Yan just before, heading towards the location of the destroyed iceberg.
Half a day later, the collapsed iceberg finally came into view.
Without even having to release his Divine Sense, Yang Kai could clearly feel a powerful energy fluctuation coming from beneath the rubble.
Smiling happily, Yang Kai rushed over to it.
A short time later, after breaking through some layers of ice, Yang Kai found a longan sized crystal clear gem.
The energy fluctuations were being emitted from this ice crystal.
[Was this the Frozen Ice Jade Crystal that Su Yan had mentioned?] Yang Kai pinched it between his fingers as he examined it, soon discovering that the energy contained within this small crystal was actually extraordinarily pure and rich.
What made his feel strange though was that at this things core, there seemed to be a thick, transparent liquid.
This liquid exuded a chill so profound that Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was nearly frozen by it when he tried to probe it.
Yang Kai felt somewhat amazed at this, his Divine Sense was by no means ordinary, having evolved into a Conflagrated Divine Sense, but even so he couldn’t withstand the cold energy contained within this tiny ice crystal.
Giving up on trying to probing it further, Yang Kai stored the ice crystal into his Black Book space. When he was preparing to return to Ice Sect though, something nearby caught his attention and upon investigating, he couldn’t help feeling shocked.
Buried in the ice, there was actually a jet black skeleton.
On this skeleton’s bones there were many vein patterns that resembled meridians but there was not a trace of flesh, it was a truly ominous image.
[Could it be some disciple of Ice Sect encountered an accident here?] Yang Kai wondered in his heart. This iceberg had produced a suspected piece of Frozen Ice Jade Crystal, so perhaps someone had been here before treasure hunting only to end up being frozen here after suffering some kind of disaster.
However, what made Yang Kai somewhat uncertain was that this person’s meridians had remained, yet their flesh had not.
Yang Kai very much wanted to ignore this situation, but after thinking about it for a moment, he reached out and extracted the black skeleton from the ice before hefting it over his shoulder and flying back to Ice Sect.
Regardless of anything else, Su Yan would be in the care of Qing Ya and Ice Sect for the foreseeable future. If this person really was an Ice Sect disciple, the least Yang Kai could do was take him back to Ice Sect so he could be properly buried.
One day after he left, Yang Kai returned to Ice Sect.
Upon arriving at the ice mountain range, Yang Kai was met by Ice Sect’s Elder Qian Hao.
The middle aged man frowned slightly as he stared coldly at Yang Kai, inquiring in a somewhat dissatisfied tone, “Boy, why are you still in my Ice Sect?”
“I’ll be leaving shortly,” Yang Kai didn’t have a good impression on Qian Hao either, so he simply tossed over the skeleton from his shoulder and bluntly stated, “By the way, I found someone who might have been your Ice Sect’s disciple out there, it looks like they suffered some kind of accident.”
Qian Hao frowned hearing this and took a look, in the next instant his expression changing dramatically, his eyes quivering fiercely, seemingly having seen something terrifying, immediately dropping the frozen skeleton from his hands towards the icy ground below.
*Hong…*
The frozen skeleton hit the ice with a loud bang causing Yang Kai, who was still standing mid-air, to frown towards Qian Hao, wondering why this Second Order Saint was showing such a frightened expression.
Floating over Ice Sect, Qian Hao’s look changed and became especially complicated. Yang Kai stood by and watched, frowning deeply as he did.
“Boy, where did you find this thing?” Suddenly, Qian Hao looked up and solemnly asked Yang Kai.
“About half a day away from this place, inside an iceberg,” Yang Kai replied casually, “Why, what’s wrong?”
Qian Hao didn’t answer, his expression instead becoming even more dignified. Suddenly, he turned around and let out a loud shout, a clear meaning of warning apparent in his tone.
Yang Kai’s gaze flickered as he realized he had probably made some kind of mistake in judgement and had inadvertently struck upon one of Ice Sect’s secrets.
[Whose frozen bones were these? Why did Qian Hao look like he had seen a fierce enemy the moment he laid eyes upon it?] Yang Kai wondered as he locked his Divine Sense onto the black skeleton but was unable to notice anything unusual.
Hearing Qian Hao’s shout, Ice Sect immediately became active, the Transcendent Realm and above masters quickly appearing, following the lead of Sect Master Qing Ya.
“What happened?” Qing Ya hurriedly asked.
If it wasn’t an extremely important matter, Qian Hao would never have issued such an alarm, so Qing Ya immediately realized a serious problem had occurred.
“Come with me!” Qian Hao said, quickly flying down as he quietly circulated his True Qi, ready to act at a moment’s notice.
Yang Kai’s expression dimmed as he quickly followed after the masters of Ice Sect.
Down on the ground, the Ice Sect masters tightly surrounded the frozen black skeleton, many of them frowning suspiciously, obviously many here also just as lost about it as Yang Kai was, but when Qing Ya and the other Saint Realm Elders saw these jet black bones, all of them went pale.
“All of you fall back!” Qing Ya quickly ordered.
The Transcendent Realm masters all look around at each other in confusion, but didn’t ask anything in the end and obediently followed Qing Ya’s orders to withdraw.
Soon, only Qing Ya, the four Saint Realm Elders, and Yang Kai remained.
“Where did you obtain it?” Qing Ya asked, her pretty face filled with a stern solemnity.
“This boy brought it here,” Qian Hao pointed to Yang Kai.
“Yang Kai, where did you find this? How did you find it?” Qing Ya quickly asked.
Seeing a seriousness he had never witnessed before on Qing Ya’s face, Yang Kai fully realized the gravity of the situation and quickly explained what had happened. As the five Saints listened to his tale, their expressions became even heavier.
“What’s wrong? Is he not a disciple of Ice Sect?” Yang Kai frowned and asked, he had brought this skeleton back out of good intentions but now it seems he had actually caused trouble for Ice Sect, naturally he felt a bit embarrassed.
“How could such an ominous creature be one of my Ice Sect’s disciple?” Qian Hao coldly snorted, a look of anger and even hatred flashing across his face.
“Ominous creature?” Yang Kai was thoroughly shocked this time, “I had no idea there was some kind of grievance between him and your Ice Sect, I only thought he was one of your disciples who had gone missing. Since that’s the case, I’ll just return him to where I found him.”
“Don’t touch him!” Qing Ya quickly stopped Yang Kai, shaking her head slowly.
Seeing her violent reaction, Yang Kai couldn’t help smiling dumbly, “Aren’t you all making too much of a fuss over nothing? No matter what kind of evil this guy committed in life, he’s dead now, what reason is there to be so wary of him?”
“Who said he’s dead?” Qian Hao coldly snorted.
The smile on Yang Kai’s face suddenly converged as a deep wrinkle appeared on his brow, “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like, he’s not dead, he’s still alive!” Qian Yue muttered, her pretty face still somewhat pale.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded, sweeping his eyes over the other Saints in doubt but finding that none of them showed any meaning of refuting, obviously they all agreed with Qian Yue’s assessment.
“He’s not dead? But this person doesn’t have any flesh, he’s just a skeleton with meridians, how could…”
Qing Ya softly sighed, interrupting Yang Kai’s words to explain, “There are many strange life forms in this world which you have never heard of. No one knows how they were born, but these strange life forms normally possess strong vitality and odd physiques that grant them more powerful strength than mere flesh and blood.”
Hearing her explanation, Yang Kai couldn’t help remembering the Jade True Spirit!
That Jade True Spirit was also a sentient creature that lacked flesh, blood, and even bones; however, if it had been allowed to fully mature, its destructive power would have reached an earth shattering height.
Therefore, although what Qing Ya said was somewhat difficult for him to comprehend, he still quickly accepted it.
“But you don’t need to be nervous, this one doesn’t appear to be too strong,” Qing Ya smiled slightly. Hearing her words, Qian Hao and the other Saints also relaxed.
“Yang Kai, since you brought this thing here, you’ll have to help us deal with it,” Qing Ya turned to Yang Kai again.
“Good, please grant this Junior instructions!”
“Incinerate him,” Qing Ya pointed to frozen skeleton in front of them.
Yang Kai said nothing and pushed his True Qi directly, wrapping up the frozen skeleton in a ball of scorching flames.
The ice melted at a rate visible to the naked eye, soon revealing the jet black skeleton within.
Just as Yang Kai wanted to increase his True Qi output to burn it down in one fell swoop, a violent aura pulsed outwards from the black skeleton.
Yang Kai was stunned, his expression hanging greatly as he saw the two empty eye sockets suddenly fill with two green flames, akin to human eyes, revealing a dangerous light as the skeleton began to move.
It seemed to be struggling.
Qing Ya pretty face darkened as she quickly waved her hand, sending a few energy spikes into the skeleton, nailing it to the ground.
Seeing this, Yang Kai immediately pushed his True Qi to its limit.
Suddenly, a screeching howl filled the air, penetrating the ears of everyone present. This howl was filled with cruel and violent impulses that seemed to be trying to warp the minds of any who heard it.
Ice Sect’s Saint Realm masters were obviously able to ignore this, but surprisingly, even Yang Kai wore an indifferent expression.
This fact was not lost on Qing Ya, who had secretly been paying attention to him. She had originally thought Yang Kai would be at least somewhat affected by this Soul attack, so she was quite surprised when she saw him could completely disregard it.
The piercing wails ringing in all of their ears grew even shriller and soon took on a desperate feeling.
Gradually, the tragic howls weakened and eventually disappeared.
*Hu…*
The black skeleton finally succumbed to the flames and was quickly reduced to ashes, completely disappearing into the wind.
Seeing this bizarre scene, Yang Kai was having trouble associating it with reality.
He had never imagined before that a skeleton without any flesh or blood could actually remain alive and retain its consciousness.
“Sect Master Qing, can you explain now? What was that?” Yang Kai frowned towards Qing Ya, not knowing anything made him feel particularly uncomfortable.
“What point is there in asking so many questions?” Qian Hao coldly snapped.
However, Qing Ya waved her hand and softly replied, “There’s not much I can tell you, in truth, even we don’t know much about these beings. I simply heard from my Ice Sect Seniors that he is a member of the Bone Race.”
“Bone Race?” Yang Kai’s brow furrowed.
“En, they don’t innately possess flesh and blood, only a skeleton and meridians, but among them there are masters of exceedingly high strength. The reason my Ice Sect became so weak is directly related with them.”
“No one can say clearly where this race came from. In addition to the Bone Race, it seems that long ago many strange life forms suddenly appeared on Tong Xuan Realm. Remember how I told you before that because of a certain event, many of the world’s greatest forces were nearly destroyed? That event is related with these strange races. One of the reasons my Ice Sect has taken up residence here is because of those races. My Seniors said that apparently, in the past, some of the Bone Race’s masters escaped; we are here to seek them out and guard against them. Over the millennia, we have discovered a number of frozen Bone Race members and killed them, but since I assumed the position of Sect Master, this is the first time one has been discovered. Apparently we have still let some fish slip through our net.”
“That’s an interesting story,” Yang Kai said, a strange expression upon his face.
“How is it interesting? What you found this time is only a very weak Bone Race clansman, if it had been one of the stronger existences, our Ice Sect would probably have suffered greatly!” Qian Hao said coldly.
“Then why do you insist on remaining here?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“The Bone Race indeed has powerful masters, but not all of them are so strong, also… we are not weak, us guarding this place is to ensure they don’t have a chance to resurface and wreak havoc,” Qing Ya smiled lightly.
Yang Kai trembled slightly hearing this, “So what you mean to say is, you live in this secluded place in order to protect the world in secret?”
“Hehe, it’s nothing so grand, we are just following the wishes of our Ancestors. Besides, the outside world is a bit too noisy for us, after staying here for so long we simply don’t want to leave,” Qing Ya replied casually.
Yang Kai suddenly felt a profound sense of respect for these silent guardians.
“Elders, I must trouble you to take a careful inspect the area to see if there are any other Bone Race survivors,” Qing Ya turned to four Saint Realm Elders and ordered.
“Yes!” The four Elders answered in unison before turning around to organize the Transcendents behind them and setting off to survey the region.
Yang Kai stood in place, pondering for a long time before finally asking hesitantly, “Will Su Yan be in any danger here?”
“Don’t worry,” Qing Ya turned her eyes towards the sky, “As long as I am here, she won’t encounter any harm. Even if there are any Bone Race survivors lurking about, they can’t stir up any trouble here!”
Hearing this, Yang Kai felt a lot more at ease, quickly took out the ice crystal from the Black Book space, and handed it to Qing Ya, “This is something I found in that same iceberg, Su Yan said that it was useful for those who cultivate Ice Attribute Secret Arts.”
“Frozen Ice Jade Crystal?” Qing Ya was mildly surprised, but after staring at it for a moment she called out in shock, “No, this is… Frozen Ice Jade Marrow?”
“What’s that?”
“This crystal’s outer layer is comprised of Frozen Ice Jade Crystal while the liquid inside it is an even purer substance known as Frozen Ice Jade Marrow. You’re luck is really good, even being able to find such a treasure,” Qing Ya looked at him with amazement, “With this to assist her, Su Yan’s strength will increase even faster, it’s nothing less than an ultimate treasure for those who cultivate Ice Attribute Secret Arts.”
Saying so, she directed a smile towards Yang Kai and asked, “Giving this to me, aren’t you worried I might take it for myself? It also has great use for me!”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “Even if Sect Master Qing uses it, it doesn’t matter, you can think of it as a gift from me for taking care of Su Yan from now on.”
“Hmph, your tongue really is glib!” Qing Ya teased lightly, “Don’t worry, when Su Yan wakes up, I will help her refine this. I’m not so desperate as to steal something from a Junior!”
“In any case, I’ll thank Sect Master Qing in advance for looking after Su Yan,” Yang Kai smiled brightly and cupped his fists.
Seemingly realizing something, Qing Ya asked, “Are you not going to see her again before you leave?”
“There’s no need, I know she’s fine now,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Junior will take his leave now.”
Saying so, Yang Kai turned around decisively and left.
“If you see Meng Wu Ya, give him a message from me, tell him the favour he owes me, I’ll collect sooner or later!” Qing Ya’s voice came from behind.
Without turning around, Yang Kai waved his hand and soared off into the distance.
Atop the ocean, an iceberg the size of a small room drifted along with the waves. Atop this iceberg, Yang Kai sat comfortably cross-legged.
After having found Su Yan and learning that Meng Wu Ya and Little Senior Sister were safe and sound, he felt a lot easier.
Although he had not taken Su Yan away with him and instead left her in Ice Sect, with the help of Qing Ya, Su Yan would only grow stronger. The next time they met, Yang Kai figured Su Yan’s strength would have noticeably increased.
Feeling happy, Yang Kai didn’t hurry along and simply let the iceberg drift wherever it wanted to, pushing his True Qi only enough to make sure it stayed upright.
Now that he had no immediate worries, Yang Kai figured he should return to Soaring Heaven Sect and quickly improve his Alchemy proficiency so he could refine the Saint Pill needed to free the Ancient Demon Clan before finally returning to Coffin Slave Senior’s hiding place in the Snow Mountain Range.
After receiving guidance from Old Man Li, Yang Kai’s understandings and insights into the Alchemic Way had improved notably. He also fully realized the superiority of using his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea to perform Alchemy rather than his True Qi.
On top of that, after having dual cultivated with Su Yan, his Soul had undergone a kind of sublimation, coupled with the various experiences he had absorbed thanks to the Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai had gained some new and significant insights.
Sitting atop the iceberg, Yang Kai immersed himself in comprehending the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, various thoughts and ideas flitting across his consciousness.
As these thoughts intertwined and combined together with his own experiences, Yang Kai’s expression and mood gradually became reflective.
The sea was vast and boundless, and Yang Kai did not encounter any interruptions, so he gradually forgot the passage of time and even where he was or where he was going and became immersed in his own thoughts.
Beneath the iceberg, gigantic marine animals would swim by now and then, but Yang Kai had completely concealed his aura so all these beasts could sense was a small floating chunk of ice; naturally they didn’t cause him any trouble.
In the sky up above, scattered clouds drifted about, down below, the ocean waves undulated rhythmically. This was the first time since arriving in Tong Xuan Realm that Yang Kai truly felt content and connected with this world.
After a month or two, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath, a big smile upon his face.
This period of enlightenment had brought him an improvement to his strength that was not small, while also allowing him to realize just how difficult it was to break through to the next Order of the Transcendent Realm.
It could be said that every Transcendent Realm master had experienced all kinds of hardships and struggled on the edge of life and death. Only after overcoming all of these challenges had they achieved a cultivation level that separated them from mere mortals.
Those who had failed to surpass these challenges had either been forever unable to break through that barrier or had died trying.
Among the new improvements Yang Kai had achieved this time was the various magical uses of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
His Conflagrated Knowledge Sea was a type of mutation or evolution of an ordinary Knowledge Sea and was superior in almost every way, whether it was regarding offense, defense, or even investigating and deceiving others.
Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy was powerful enough that once he covered his body in it, he could fool outsiders who tried to investigate him regarding his strength, thus causing them to underestimate or ignore him. This ability was an unexpected harvest that made Yang Kai pleasantly surprised.
After a little experimentation, Yang Kai found that this new ability was quite convenient to use, he only needed to restrain the flow of his True Qi and then use his Spiritual Energy to create some illusionary auras to deceive others.
However, Yang Kai estimated that this method would only be effective against those with weaker Spiritual Energy than him, those who had significantly more powerful Divine Senses would be able to see through this camouflage.
Still, Yang Kai was quite satisfied with his newfound ability.
Standing up atop the iceberg, Yang Kai stretched lazily before sweeping his eyes over the surrounding ocean.
Seeing nothing in every direction he looked, his expression immediately became grim as he cursed silently.
Although he had unconsciously avoided the dangers from sea beasts while he was in his state of enlightenment, Yang Kai had also been so completely absorbed in his contemplations that he had lost track of where he was.
Originally, his intention was to go back to Water Spirit Temple and see Shui Ling. This time, Shui Ling had helped him a great deal, and as one of Yang Kai’s few friends in this world, he had intended to thank her personally.
Afterwards, Yang Kai had planned to use Water Spirit Temple as a transit point on his journey back to Soaring Heaven Sect.
But now, he obviously couldn’t use that plan anymore.
Standing on the iceberg, after venting his annoyance for a while, Yang Kai eventually regained his composure and calmed down.
As long as he came across someone and obtained directions from them, he could understand where he was and where he needed to go. Considering this point, Yang Kai simply sat down, made himself comfortable, and stared out across the rolling sea.
The schools of fish swimming beneath the surface seemed full of vigor and vitality.
Yang Kai also spotted some colourful coral clusters as he swept his eyes around.
Three days later, as Yang Kai was staring lazily up at the clouds, he suddenly detected some life auras at the extreme range of his released Divine Sense.
Immediately perking up, Yang Kai stood up and stared off in the direction he had sensed the auras.
On the far horizon, a small black spot several kilometers away seemed to be slowly traveling forward.
Naturally, this black spot was a grand sea ship and even though it was far off, Yang Kai could still see the extraordinariness of it.
This grand ship was not solely comprised of wood and metal; instead, it also seemed to be refined from many precious ores in a manner similar to that of an artifact and obviously had impressive offensive and defensive abilities. Only such a vessel could withstand the violent attacks of giant sea beasts.
Yang Kai had seen many such boats back at Water Spirit Temple.
However, this particular ship was the most magnificent one Yang Kai had seen yet, its bow like a great dragon head that rose above the rough seas, breaking through the waves as it sailed forward at incredible speed.
Atop the big ship, many brightly colored flags fluttered in the wind.
Yang Kai estimated the speed and direction of the ship as well as that of the iceberg beneath his feet, soon figuring that the two would soon pass within a dozen kilometers of each other at this rate.
Increasing the output of his True Qi, Yang Kai sped his iceberg up in order to intercept the ship.
A moment later, Yang Kai took back his Divine Sense. Although he didn’t dare probe too much, he had basically confirmed that there were no Saint Realm masters on board the ship, there were however several Transcendents including a few Third Order masters.
With his Soul Devouring Insects in hand, Yang Kai stood atop his iceberg without any fear, calling out to the approaching ship, trying to attract the attention of the other party.
Sure enough, a short time later, a few figures appeared at the bow of the ship, staring and pointing in his direction, apparently having noticed Yang Kai’s presence.
However, from their indifferent demeanors, it was apparent they did not intend to pay Yang Kai any mind nor alter the speed or course of the ship they were riding.
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled and watched as the big ship passed by him. Of course, he did not give up so easily. He was now lost at sea so he really had to find someone to ask directions from.
Hesitating for only a moment, Yang Kai made his decision and pushed his True Qi once more, rapidly increasing the speed of his iceberg and charging straight towards the ship.
The people on the ship’s deck immediately reacted, calling out in alarm.
Atop the big ship, the crew who were alerted by these calls ran up on deck to see what the matter was, including a Transcendent Realm powerhouse.
After learning what was going on, the Transcendent master angrily shouted, “A mere brat from who knows where acting so recklessly. Destroy the iceberg under his feet this instant! Actually daring to have ideas about my Holy Land’s ship? He really must not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! En, don’t kill him yet, capture him so we can interrogate him first!”
With the order of the Transcendent Realm master being given, the disciples also struck out with righteous indignation, several of them standing at the ship’s bow immediately displaying their Martial Skills and artifacts.
*Shua Shua Shua* Several beams of light shot from the ship’s bow in the next instant.
Yang Kai was stunned, never having expected the other party to react so violently, quickly leaping off his iceberg to avoid the barrage.
With a loud bang, the iceberg that had carried Yang Kai across the sea for the past two months was reduced to dust.
As they watched small chunks of ice scatter across the surface of the sea, all the people onboard the boat looked around carefully for Yang Kai’s figure, but no matter where they looked they saw nothing put blue ocean.
“Where did he go?” The Transcendent Realm master also lost track of Yang Kai at that moment and unable to immediately find where he had disappeared, his expression became ugly.
Everyone else on the deck also shook their heads.
One of the disciples spoke up, “Wasn’t he killed in that explosion? From what I could see, he looked quite young and probably wasn’t very strong.”
“Nonsense!” The Transcendent shouted, “Since he dared to wander the sea alone, he must at least have an Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivation. On top of that, if he was really killed, why is there no blood on the surface? That brat is hiding somewhere, look more carefully.”
“There’s no need for that,” A slightly annoyed voice suddenly came from the side of the ship, and in the next moment, a wet Yang Kai jumped up onto the deck, frowning unhappily at the people on the boat as he muttered, “There is no enmity or grudge between us, so why did you suddenly attack me?”
“We didn’t attack you, we simply destroyed the iceberg you were floating on!” The Transcendent Realm master coldly snorted, “If we really wanted to harm you, do you think you’d still be able to stand here safely?”
Yang Kai frowned and didn’t say anything.
The few attacks a moment ago, he had seen clearly, so he knew they really weren’t aimed at him and possessed not killing intent. Perhaps it was his actions had been misunderstood by these people resulting in this situation.
Of course, Yang Kai never intended to hit their ship with his iceberg.
But there was also no use in explaining this now, so Yang Kai simply didn’t bother saying anything.
“Brat, I’ll ask you a few questions, you answer honestly, if you dare to deceive me, I’ll throw you overboard to feed the fish,” The Transcendent Realm cultivator quickly said.
Yang Kai nodded, circulating his True Qi slightly to dry his clothes before trying to make himself appear as docile as possible.
“Who are you, why are you floating on an iceberg above the sea?”
“This Junior is just a nameless person, I accidentally lost my way at sea and had no choice but the settle down on that iceberg or else it would have drowned long ago.”
“Hmph!” The man coldly snorted, Yang Kai not replying to his question directly obviously made him feel somewhat unsatisfied.
“Then why did you seeking out my Holy Land’s vessel just now?”
“I had no choice; I have been drifting for many days so when I saw your ship, I wanted to ask for directions. En, actually, if it is convenient, could you possibly let me sail along with you until we reach dry land?”
“Rest assured, I can pay you for your troubles,” Yang Kai quickly added.
The cultivators who stood on the deck all looked like they had heard some kind of joke and couldn’t help laughing, all of them turning interested and dismissive looks towards Yang Kai.
Even the Transcendent Realm master couldn’t help grinning, nodding as he asked, “Brat, what kind of compensation can you pay?”
“Is ten Crystal Stones good? That’s all I can afford right now,” Yang Kai cocked his head to the side, perfectly portraying the look of a countryside hick who knew nothing of the world. He had already noticed that whoever owned this ship was fabulously wealthy and naturally wouldn’t care about any reward he could pay them.
Seeing this, the people on the deck laughed even harder.
The Transcendent Realm cultivator nodded lightly at this, “Who would have thought, a brat like you actually has some spare cash on him. However, you should keep those ten Crystal Stones for your own use.”
Saying so, he turned to a nearby cultivator and said, “Give him a boat and make him get the hell out!”
Yang Kai’s previous answers to his questions had made him feel wary. Although Yang Kai’s strength wasn’t high, he was not prepared to have the latter remain onboard; the safest thing to do was to send him away as quickly as possible.
“That’s also fine,” Yang Kai didn’t make a fuss, “Can you also give me some directions then, it doesn’t matter where to, as long as you point me in the direction of land it’d be fine.”
“What use is there in giving you directions?” The other side quipped, “With your cultivation, there’s no way you can reach land, you should just pray to the sea for mercy. In fact, you should already be thanking your luck that you met my Nine Heavens Holy Land, if it had been a vessel from some other force, I’m afraid you’d already be fish food.”
“Nine Heavens Holy Land?” Yang Kai expression became slightly dignified.
Daring to use the words ‘Holy Land’, this force was obviously no small matter. Since coming to Tong Xuan Realm, Yang Kai had seen a variety of forces, large and small, such as Bold Independent Union, Water Spirit Temple, Bright Thunder Spirit Religion, Soaring Heaven Sect, etc.
Among them, Bold Independent Union and Bright Thunder Spirit Religion could be considered weak, Water Spirit Temple’s strength ranked somewhere in the middle, and Soaring Heaven Sect was the strongest; however, Yang Kai estimated that this Nine Heavens Holy Land was even stronger than Soaring Heaven Sect!
As these thoughts flashed across his mind, a few cultivators carrying a small boat came over and began lowering it over the side of the big ship, one of them calling out, “Uncle Qian, the boat is ready.”
The Transcendent Realm cultivator, apparently called Uncle Qian, was just about to nod when his brow suddenly wrinkled, quickly turning around and immediately bowed, “Young Lady, why have you come out?”
The other cultivators standing on the deck also hurriedly bowed, each of them displaying a completely respectful attitude.
Yang Kai also turned around to see who they were looking at, his eyes flashing in the next instant.
From the ship’s cabin, a woman dressed in a pale blue dress had emerged. This woman was quite young and incredibly beautiful. Her skin was like fine white jade and her black brows curled at just the right angle. Her eyes were filled with a nimble light and her figure was nothing less than exquisite. She carried herself with an uncommon gracefulness that contrasted greatly with her well alluring figure, instantly causing anyone who saw her to have a pleasant yet reserved impression.
Seemingly aware of Yang Kai’s fixed gaze which was very different from the others around her, the woman couldn’t help frowning slightly towards him.
Noticing this, Uncle Qian turned back and roared angrily at Yang Kai, a thick flavour of warning apparent in his tone.
Yang Kai, of course, ignored him.
“I was a little bored and heard some noise from outside, so I came to see what the matter was,” The woman replied lightly, her voice crisp and sweet, glancing around the deck as she asked, “What happened here?”
Uncle Qian quickly reported what had just transpired, concealing nothing from this young woman.
After hearing the explanation, the young woman turned to look at Yang Kai and nodded lightly, indicating she understood.
“I didn’t expect this little thing to disturb the Young Lady, it is really my grave sin!” Uncle Qian said quite forcefully.
“Uncle Qian is too serious,” The woman slowly shook her head before staring deeply towards Yang Kai, a moment later smiling slightly as she confidently stated, “However, his story really is a lie!”
Yang Kai stared back at this young woman curiously, wondering why she was so confident in her analysis.
“En, he is far too suspicious, so I thought it best to send him away,” Uncle Qian shot a bad look towards Yang Kai.
“There’s no need to drive him away. With his Immortal Ascension cultivation, if we force him to leave, he won’t survive. Although he lied about his origins, he doesn’t have any malicious intent towards us, his circumstances are probably just difficult to talk about. In any case, let him stay with us until we reach our next port before making him leave!”
“Since Young Lady commands so, subordinate will obey!” Uncle Qian replied respectfully.
“I’ll go back first, carry on,” The young woman issued her commands and then turned around and left.
After the young woman left, Uncle Qian turned to Yang Kai and said coldly, “Young Lady is very compassionate, not ordering me to chase you out, so you’d best behave. If you dare try to pull anything, I’ll let you know the meaning of regret!”
Yang Kai grinned sheepishly and nodded, “Rest assured, I won’t make a fuss, I only want to return to land.”
“You’d better!” Uncle Qian nodded firmly before signaling to a nearby Peak Immortal Ascension cultivation, “Cheng Fei, take care of him, don’t let him stir up any trouble!”
“Yes!” A big burly man quickly responded.
After issuing this command, Uncle Qian went back to his own business.
The man called Cheng Fei walked over to Yang Kai and looked him over once, his eyes filled with disdain.
Yang Kai was currently only revealing an Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage cultivation, and unless a Saint Realm master came and intentionally probed him, no one could see through his real strength.
Such a cultivation at such an age was incredibly common in Tong Xuan Realm and wouldn’t arouse any suspicions.
This Cheng Fei had a Peak Immortal Ascension cultivation so he naturally felt superior.
“Little brat, this Sir doesn’t have time to waste looking after you, so you better not cause any problems or Grandpa Cheng here will break your legs!”
“Yes, yes, I’ll behave,” Yang Kai nodded repeated.
Every one of these Nine Heavens Holy Land cultivators had a sense of arrogance that had seeped into their very bones, probably as a result of their Sect’s supreme status among Tong Xuan Realm’s forces.
It was similar to that other side, where the disciples of the Eight Great Families would feel a sense of superiority, as if no one in the world was worthy to be mentioned in the same sentence as them.
Yang Kai had seen more than his fair share of this and didn’t pay it any mind.
“Come with me, I’ll arrange a place for you to live!” Cheng Fei smiled deviously as he waved to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai quickly followed after him, asking as they walked, “Friend, who was that girl just now? How come all of you seemed so respectful towards her?”
“Little brat, your curiosity is somewhat heavy!” Cheng Fei sneered towards Yang Kai, coldly snorting as he asked, “Why do you want to know?”
“No reason, I just thought she was quite beautiful,” Yang Kai revealed a gentlemanly expression as he offered some words of praise.
“Heh, our Nine Heavens’ Saintess is naturally beautiful,” Cheng Fei said, a hint of fanaticism on his face, obviously quite infatuated with this ‘Saintess’, quickly recovering in the next instant and angrily snorting, “Brat, if you dare to look upon Her Highness the Saintess with such impure eyes again, this Sir will dig out your eyes! You think a mere toad can eat goose meat? You really don’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! Saintess is so pure and gentle, someone who deserves to be joined with her has simply not been born yet! Her sparing you a single glance is already the result of all the blessings your ancestors left behind for you!”
This big man continued to berate Yang Kai about this subject for a while, seemingly never running out of insults he could levy.
Yang Kai simply rolled his eyes continuously, thinking that although he couldn’t match Di Yao, that little gigolo, his appearance was also extraordinary and heroic. How could he be described as such a wretched person?
However, he had no interest in arguing here so he simply lowered his head and followed behind Cheng Fei.
But that young woman actually being the Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land made Yang Kai feel quite surprised.
From what little he knew, a Saintess was supposed to be a noble and sacred existence that under normal circumstances, would never appear in public, so why would Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Saintess be aboard a ship roaming the seas?
Soon, Cheng Fei brought Yang Kai in front of a room at the bottom of the ship.
With a somewhat mocking grin he said, “Get inside. Before we arrive at our destination, you’ll stay here and you’re not to leave without permission. Naturally, meals will be sent to you three times a day. If you dare go out without our explicit consent, we’ll toss you overboard then and there!”
Looking at the small space cramped up beside the ship’s hull, Yang Kai couldn’t help but frown.
However, he didn’t intend to stir up trouble here and simply went inside without saying a word. Seeing Yang Kai’s obedient and docile attitude, Cheng Fei was very content, immediately closing the door after the former had gone in and walking away.
This room wasn’t a room at all; it was probably just a small storage space a few meters across that was filled with a slightly strange smell.
Helpless, Yang Kai could only put up with these conditions. Since there was no furniture in the room to speak of, he simply sat down cross legged and opened the small window behind him, allowing the crisp sea breeze to blow in.
This at least cleaned up the musty air.
The big ship continued sailing on steadily and Yang Kai did not look for trouble. He didn’t even spy on the movements of the people on the ship, instead just sitting in meditation and cultivating in his cabin all day long, waiting for this Nine Heavens Holy Land ship to finally reach land.
During this period, Cheng Fei sent three meals a day to him, all of which were casually made from some kind of fish. Yang Kai ate it but had only one comment. [It is impressive how one can make a fish taste like nothing.]
The Transcendent Realm Uncle Qian occasionally inquired about Yang Kai as well, and seeing Yang Kai honestly remain in his assigned room he was quite satisfied.
Occasionally, some sea beasts stirred up trouble but the masters aboard the ship would always quickly dispatch them.
After spectating several battles, Yang Kai was secretly surprised by the heritage of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
From what he could tell, there were at least six Transcendent Realm masters aboard this ship, two of which were Third Order, Uncle Qian being one of them, and the remaining four were all Second Order.
However, what made Yang Kai slightly confused was that there really was no Saint Realm master aboard. The status of the so called Saintess should be very important, so it would be reasonable for a Saint to be accompanying her when she set out to sea in case something unexpected occurred.
Unable to understand this point, Yang Kai didn’t think too deeply about it.
Inside a giant room, the Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land gently rested her head on her hand as she stared out the window, lost in thought.
This room was hundreds of times better than the one Yang Kai was staying in. It was well laid out, illuminated, and filled with a pleasant fragrance, giving it a sense of warmth as well as a kind of noble quality.
Do note. They are called Saints in real life. Please read this and come back to me thanking me or my team for alerting you when you get an A for your English Exams XD
“What is Young Lady thinking about?” A maidservant standing next to the Saintess saw her listless expression and couldn’t help asking.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything,” The Saintess slowly shook her head, a faint trace of sorrow apparent between her brows.
“Was Young Lady wondering if we would successfully find the next Holy Master this time?” The maidservant, Bei’er, grinned and asked.
“I don’t want to find any nonsense Holy Master!” Saintess sighed slightly exasperatedly.
“But that is Young Lady’s most important responsibility,” Bei’er’s expression dampened noticeably.
“I know, and I am looking, but he has yet to appear, so there’s nothing more I can do.”
“It would be best if he didn’t appear for a lifetime, then Young Lady wouldn’t have anything to worry about.”
“Shh!” The Saintess quickly lifted a jade finger to her mouth before turning her eyes to the room’s door, quietly whispering, “Saying such things to me is fine, but you mustn’t let anyone else hear them, especially not Uncle Qian or there’ll be problems.”
“I know,” Bei’er spat out her tongue playfully, “But Young Lady doesn’t have to worry too much, there are four Saintesses of Nine Heavens Holy Land, perhaps one of the other three who are out searching right now will find an appropriate candidate.”
“It’s no good no matter which of us find him,” The Saintess sighed slightly before standing up suddenly, “Enough sitting around, I’m going out to get some fresh air.”
“En,” Bei’er nodded quickly.
Exiting her cabin and strolling around the deck for a while, the Saintess’ mood improved noticeably. As she walked about, she suddenly recalled the disturbance Yang Kai’s appearance had caused and casually asked one of the nearby disciples about him.
Upon learning that since his arrival, Yang Kai had actually not left his assigned cabin, the Saintess couldn’t help frowning slightly.
Because of some special reasons, she could basically see through other’s true thoughts, so when she first saw Yang Kai she knew he had no hostile or malicious intent, but she also felt that he was a bit strange, as if he was shrouded in a layer of fog that caused even her, who excelled at reading others, to fail to completely understand him.
But learning that he was not causing any fuss and had essentially faded into the background, the Saintess didn’t see any reason to intentionally associate with him, so after strolling around for a while longer, she simply returned to her room.
The days passed by and before Yang Kai knew it, he had been sailing aboard the grand ship for an entire month. All of a sudden, one day, when he was immersed in his meditation, Yang Kai smelt a nostalgic fragrance waft through the air.
Naturally it was the smell of land.
Quickly turning around and looking out his window, he saw some scattered islands appear on the distant horizon.
His spirit rousing, Yang Kai swiftly got up.
Staying in this cramped cabin for the past month had been quite stifling so now that Yang Kai could see land and knew he would finally be able to escape from this place, he inevitably felt happy.
Half a day later, the big ship docked at one of the island’s ports and soon after, Yang Kai heard footsteps outside his door. A moment later, the big man named Cheng Fei pushed his way inside and bluntly said, “Brat, we’ve arrived at our destination, get out!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and stepped out of his room.
Up on the deck, the disciples of Nine Heavens Holy Land were disembarking in an orderly fashion while down on the docks, some cultivators who seemed to be local big-shots were respectfully welcoming the former, big flattering grins pasted all over their faces.
Yang Kai saw the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess on the deck and after thinking about it for a moment, walked over to her directly.
His movements immediately caught the attention of many of the cultivators around and even Uncle Qian began pushing his True Qi and staring towards Yang Kai with a grim expression.
It seemed like he was preparing to butcher Yang Kai the moment the latter made any kind of inappropriate move.
As if he was completely unaware of the malicious eyes gathered on him, Yang Kai simply walked over to a spot not far away from the Saintess, cupped his fists and said, “Many thanks for rescuing me, Young Lady, I will remember this kindness in my heart. I wish Young Lady good health and longevity!”
The Saintess’ eyes flashed before wearing a quaint smile, Yang Kai’s words and actions were somewhat different from those she had encountered before and surprised her slightly, nodded lightly as she replied, “No need to be so polite, from now on you should be careful not to fall into the sea again.”
“Many thanks for Young Lady’s concern. I’ll take my leave!”
Saying so, Yang Kai turned around and quickly left the ship.
“Glib tongued brat!” Uncle Qian didn’t seem to like Yang Kai very much and couldn’t help muttering under his breath and coldly snorted.
“I actually think he’s quite sincere,” The Saintess stared at Yang Kai’s disappearing back as she pursed her lips and giggled.
Around the ship, all the gathered cultivators, both young and old, were instantly drawn to this smile, many of them becoming absent minded for a while until Uncle Qian snorted heavily, shaking them out of their daze, many of them blushing as the awkwardly went back to their assigned tasks.
After Yang Kai got off the big ship, he leisurely strolled around the island.
There were many cultivators on this island, coming and going in droves, but the World Energy Aura here seemed a bit thin, at least, not nearly as rich as the islands occupied by Water Spirit Temple.
Moreover, there seemed to be no real masters on this island. Among the local leaders who had come to greet the Nine Heavens Holy Land ship at the dock, the strongest was only a Second Order Transcendent, and he was an old man with long snow-white hair.
Evidently, this island chain was not a particularly good piece of land and was only occupied by some small forces, none of which was even in the same league as Water Spirit Temple.
Having observing the crowd, Yang Kai could faintly determine that, unlike at Water Spirit Temple, there seemed to be a lot of outsiders wandering around here.
After walking around the island for a while, Yang Kai strolled into a local inn, chose a seat by the window, sat down and ordered some food and drink from one of the waiters.
The young waiter took his order and, a moment later, returned with an exquisite spread of dishes, but just as he was about to leave, Yang Kai called out to him to stay.
“What orders does honoured customer have?” The waiter asked with a smile.
Yang Kai said nothing and simply placed two Crystal Stones on the table.
The waiter’s eyes lit up and immediately wore a flattering smile as he respectfully said, “Honoured guest, these dishes are hardly worth two Crystal Stone.”
“I want to ask you some things, if your answers satisfy me, whatever is leftover is yours!”
“Whatever honoured guest wishes to know, feel free to ask, this humble one will certainly not conceal anything!”
Yang Kai nodded, pausing for a moment to arrange his thoughts before continuing, “First off, where is this place?”
The waiter directed a stunned look towards Yang Kai for a moment before asking with a smile, “Honoured guest doesn’t even know where here is? Then how did honoured guest come to…”
However, before he could finish, the waiter saw a flash of impatience in Yang Kai’s eyes and quickly explained, “This is Azure Sea Island…”
“What notable forces are established in this region?”
“Around the local island chain there are the Cheng Family, Wang Family, Hai Family…” The waiter listed off several forces one by one.
After listening to his remarks, Yang Kai realized that the nearby islands were essentially controlled by a group known as the Seven Family Alliance.
There were twenty or thirty islands in the nearby chain and these seven families were the strongest forces present. These families weren’t very powerful, and Yang Kai had already seen most of their strongest masters back at the dock. Each of them had at most a Second Order Transcendent as their leader as well as another three to five other Transcendents serving as Elders.
When Yang Kai asked about how far this place was from Water Spirit Temple, the waiters answer stunned him.
It seemed that Water Spirit Temple was in the opposite direction he had gone while aboard the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s great ship and was at least a few ten thousand kilometers away.
Knowing this, Yang Kai could only shake his head helplessly, it seems he had to put aside his plans to return to Water Spirit Temple and thank Shui Ling personally for now.
The closest port on the mainland was also about a month’s distance by boat from this place!
“Is there an Alchemist Guild branch here?” Yang Kai asked.
The waiter shook his head.
[This really is a backwater place!] Yang Kai thought to himself. There wasn’t even an Alchemist Guild branch here, which showed just how remote this Azure Sea Island was.
“Is honoured guest an Alchemist?” The waiter was a sharp person and instantly became aware of something after hearing Yang Kai’s question.
“Why do you ask?” Yang Kai glanced over at him curiously.
“The Seven Family Alliance is aggressively recruiting Alchemists and are offering extremely lucrative rewards. If honoured guest wants to make some money, you may want to try visiting them.”
Yang Kai silently snickered in his heart, obviously not interested in such an idea.
He didn’t care about what kind of rewards he could obtain, he only wanted to improve his Alchemy skills, but from what he had just heard about the Seven Family Alliance, it was obvious they didn’t have a large supply or rare herbs he could use to practice with.
“Right, why are there so many guests around here? Why are they all dressed up and puffing out their chests like they’re trying to show themselves off?” Yang Kai smoothly changed the topic.
Since he came to the island, he had noticed something odd. Essentially, every young man he came across was dressed up in his finest. Not only that, they seemed to be paying great attention to the way they spoke and acted, as if they were trying to appear like noble, educated scholars.
In fact, it wasn’t just the young, even the middle-aged men appeared to be on their best behaviour, as if they were under the scrutiny of an invisible pair of eyes.
This puzzled Yang Kai greatly and made him wonder if this was some kind of strange local custom.
“Doesn’t honoured guest already know?” Listening to Yang Kai’s question, the waiter showed a sly smile, his expression somewhat ambiguous.
“Should I?” Yang Kai glanced over at him unkindly and reached for the two Crystal Stones on the table, he was somewhat annoyed at this waiter speaking so much nonsense.
However, the waiter acted faster, swiftly snapping up the Crystal Stones and offering his thanks before leaning over and whispering into Yang Kai’s ear, “The Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Saintess is supposed to arrive here today, so everyone is deliberately trying to show themselves off.”
Yang Kai frowned upon hearing this, “That Saintess coming here, what the hell does that have to do with them?”
“It has everything to do with them!” Seeing that Yang Kai really was ignorant of the situation, the waiter felt slightly surprised but quickly proceeded to explain, “The Saintess going out is a sign that Nine Heavens Holy Land is seeking its next Holy Master. If someone can catch her Highness the Saintess’ attention, he’ll be able to leap over the dragon gate and soar into the sky in a single bound!”
“You mean them?” Yang Kai swept his eyes around and could only see a crowd of worthless idiots putting on airs and posturing to the point he felt nauseous, smiling disdainfully as he said, “Only if that Saintess is totally blind will she have a liking for any of these fools.”
“Sh…” The waiter quickly gestured to Yang Kai before vigilantly glancing around and whispering, “Honoured guest cannot say such things out loud or you’ll draw public anger. Besides, who the Saintess will ultimately choose, no one can say. Every time the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess goes out like this it creates a similar storm. Six months ago, when Nine Heavens Holy Land spread the word that their Saintesses would be going out, the entire world shook and countless young heroes began secretly preparing. Since half a month ago, this Azure Sea Island became incredibly lively because word that the Saintess would be stopping here came out. Otherwise, how could there be so many outsiders here in such a remote place right now?”
Although Yang Kai had come to Tong Xuan Realm nearly four years ago, he was still relatively ignorant about its various traditions.
After listening to the waiter, he finally realized that the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess journeying out into the world was actually a big event!
Also, he learned that the Saintess he met from Nine Heavens Holy Land did was not the only one!
There were, in fact, a total of four Saintesses, each of whom had sailed off in a different direction on a voyage that would take them across the entire Human Territory.
These Saintesses had grown up in Nine Heavens Holy Land since birth and after twenty or so years of dedicate cultivation, after undergoing a strict selection based on their innate talent and beauty, they would be groomed to become Saintesses of Nine Heavens Holy Land, training in a special Secret Art.
The purpose of their voyage was to find the next Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land!
The current Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land had grown old and would likely pass on soon, so these four Saintesses had gone out in a grand fashion.
As for what method they used to find the next Holy Master, the world’s populace didn’t know. Only each Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land and his Saintesses knew.
According to historical records though, the first nine generations of Holy Master, before being found by the Saintesses, came from a diverse background.
Some of them were famous youngsters while others had just been ordinary traders, some of them even had below average aptitude but once they had been found by a Saintess and entered Nine Heavens Holy Land, they had all undergone a dramatic transformation!
These nine people ranged in age from their early teens to over sixty years old when they had been discovered!
It seemed the Saintesses had some kind of unique vision which let them find these individuals amongst the crowd of people.
It was for this reason that when a Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land arrived, those who had dreams of ascending to the top of this world put on their best and carefully displayed themselves. After all, if they were really to be selected by one of the Saintesses, it would simply be the ultimate blessings of their nine generations of ancestors.
As such, there were so many shameless people now on the island deliberately trying to promote themselves.
None of them knew how the Saintess would choose the next Holy Master or when the Saintess or the masters next to her were even watching, so the only thing they could do was to act to the best of their ability at all times so as not to miss this opportunity.
Hearing all this, Yang Kai was dumbstruck, never had he imagined something so bizarre could actually be possible.
“Brother seems to know a great deal about this matter,” Yang Kai commented.
The waiter grinned meaningfully and replied, “I only know what everyone else knows, on this island, honoured guest is probably the only one who doesn’t.”
“Then you have no hopes regarding this matter?” Yang Kai turned to stare at him. According to this waiter, before he previous Holy Masters were found, many of them had been no better than average civilians, even an ordinary restaurant waiter should have a chance.
“Of course I do, why shouldn’t I?” The waiter nodded frankly, “But regarding someone like the Saintess, I naturally know I have no qualifications to attract her attention. If she happens to take notice of me, then it is this humble one’s blessing, if not, then that’s all there is to it. Given then, I might as well go about my business as usual rather than putting on a useless act.”
“Admirable!” This waiter’s composed and casual attitude really garnered a favourable impression from Yang Kai, the latter cupping his fists and nodding, “En, then I should wish brother waiter here good luck.”
“Then I’ll take advantage of honoured guest’s auspicious words!” The waiter smiled before attending to his work.
After eating and drinking his fill at the inn, and acquiring some useful information, Yang Kai left.
Now that he had nothing urgent to do, he wasn’t about to rush off again. The Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess looking for a new Holy Master was something he was also somewhat curious about, wondering just what kind of person that woman would take a liking to.
So Yang Kai decided to stick around for a while to watch the excitement.
The nearby twenty or thirty islands were all quite lively. Since the arrival of the Saintess, all the young men behaved like they had been fed some kind of stimulant and were shamelessly parading themselves around.
Yang Kai spent the next ten days touring around the entire island chain, experiencing the local customs while purchasing a large number of herbs, unfortunately he never found anything he needed or was particularly interested in.
After the Saintess arrived here, it was as if she had gone into hiding, much less searching for a new Holy Master.
Just as Yang Kai was finishing up his tour around the archipelago, in a grand palace atop one of the islands, the Third Order Transcendent Uncle Qian walked over to the Saintess in a respectful manner and hesitantly asked, “Young Lady, is there still no response?”
The Saintess slowly shook her head.
Uncle Qian sighed slightly and muttered, “This is already the eighth place we have visited but it seems the new Holy Master is not here either! After a few days, let us proceed to the next place.”
The Saintess nodded slightly and did not refute. From an early age, she knew what kind of responsibility she was shouldering and worked diligently towards that end. Between her and her three sisters, one of them would eventually find that chosen person among the boundless crowd who would become the next Holy Master.
“Uncle Qian, I have not left the palace since we arrived here, I’d like to go out today with Bei’er to see the scenery, is that alright?” The Saintess asked suddenly.
Uncle Qian paused for a moment before nodding, “Very well! But Young Lady has to disguise herself well!”
“Don’t worry, I know!” With Uncle Qian’s affirmative answer, the Saintess’ mood visibly improved.
After putting on a disguise, the two young women happily left the palace, two Second Order Transcendent masters quietly tailing behind them to guard against any kind of accident.
On one of the local islands, Yang Kai was searching for rare herbs in a medicine shop when he suddenly felt a powerful energy fluctuation sweep towards him from a distant place. A moment later, with a great bang, the entire island seemed to shake from a profound impact.
The faces of everyone on the islands changed greatly, none of them knowing what had happened. Yang Kai also furrowed his brow and quickly left the medicine shop, soaring into the air to see what the source of the disturbance was.
What he saw when he first flew up was a giant column of water shooting towards the Heavens before slowly falling back down, as if something incredible had emerged at the bottom of the sea.
Many people were also rushing over towards that side, each of them curious about what exactly was going on.
At the same time, Yang Kai suddenly noticed an aura that made him feel very comfortable!
A strong Yang Attribute aura! Obviously this aura had appeared as a result of whatever accident had occurred at the bottom of the sea.
His interest immediately being roused, Yang Kai also flew towards.
Above the sea, there would normally be a thick Water Attribute aura, so in general it was impossible for a strong Yang Attribute energy to be present, so whatever was generating this aura was definitely an extraordinary treasure.
Yang Kai very much wanted to know what kind of object was capable of emitting such energy.
However, before he could approach the area in question, he was stopped by a number of people. These people should be cultivators from the Seven Family Alliance, obviously this local overlord had formed a blockade around the area to stop anyone from getting to close.
Although there were a great many foreign cultivators present right now, no one took the initiative to stir up trouble so although the atmosphere was somewhat tense, no full scale battles erupted, most people choosing to stop somewhere close by and observe the situation before deciding how to proceed.
Yang Kai listened to the random chatter around him for a while but didn’t hear any useful information, only that whatever was happening was something completely unexpected.
Soon, a large group of masters appeared.
Yang Kai had seen these people before; they were the group that had been at the dock to welcome the Saintess when the big ship from Nine Heavens Holy Land ad arrived, the masters from the Seven Family Alliance.
This group huddled together and began whispering back and forth, all of them wearing dignified expressions as they occasionally shot glances at the surrounding crowds gathered nearby.
Yang Kai, who had chosen to take a wait and see approach, only noticed that the Yang Attribute energy aura coming from the depths of the ocean was becoming more and more intense, further stimulating his curiosity.
After waiting for half a day, while Yang Kai was debating whether or not to sneak into the depths when night came around, the Seven Family Alliance’s masters seemingly came to a decision.
A yellow faced Transcendent Realm masters emerged from their group and walked towards the crowd of foreign cultivators that had by now congregated together in one spot not far away and lightly coughed, “All of you gathered here now must be aware of the incident that took place earlier today, some of you probably even witnessed the fallout from it. My Seven Family Alliance does not intend to conceal anything here and hopes that, together with our foreign guests, we can work together in a cooperative manner. As such, I am here to inform you that down below, an Ancient Ruins has appeared!”
Cries of shock immediately burst out!
Yang Kai’s expression also changed greatly.
Ancient Ruins, these two words were like resounding thunder in everyone’s ears, dazing all of them.
The yellow-faced old man glanced around at the crowd’s reaction and nodded with satisfaction, smiling as he continued, “There’s no need for suspicion, there are truly Ancient Ruins down below. For some time now, my Seven Family Alliance has been aware of these ruins and has frequently been sending people to investigate the situation down below. The great disturbance earlier was a result of one of our investigation teams triggering some kind of restriction, this has been confirmed by the disciples who returned afterwards.”
“Old man, what kind of scheme are you plotting, do you want use to go down and help you explore the road so your Seven Family Alliance can reap the benefits while we face all the danger?” Immediately, some smarter individuals began to call out.
Listening to these voices, the crowd of foreign cultivators all became slightly wary, many of them turning vigilant looks towards the yellow-faced old man.
The Seven Family Alliance wouldn’t be telling them about such a big treasure trove without some ulterior motive reason, it was quite likely they were trying to temp these outsiders into exploring these Ancient Ruins so they could treat them as pathfinders and reduce the risk their Seven Family Alliance had to face.
The yellow-faced old man however smiled and unexpectedly nodded, “We indeed had such an idea, but that is not main reason we are telling you all this! My Seven Family Alliance knows its own strength, we know well enough that we cannot block all of you from exploring the situation here for long!”
“Old man, you indeed have some self-awareness!” Some people laughed.
Because of the appearance of the Saintess, there were currently many more outsiders here than normal, and although most of them weren’t that strong, it was really impossible for the Seven Family Alliance to blockade all of them.
Perhaps while they were seeking for treasures in front of them, someone would be sneaking up behind them.
The yellow-faced old man so frankly admitting everything had won a favourable impression from many of the foreign cultivators present.
“After some lengthy negotiations, my Seven Family Alliance has decided to make you all a proposal, I hope each of you will listen and consider it seriously!”
“Old man, if you have anything to say, hurry up and say it!”
“My Seven Family Alliance will coordinate an exploration of the Ancient Ruins down below. If any of you wish to join us, we will hold a registration and organize you into teams. If we discover any benefits down there, my Seven Family Alliance and all those who participate in the exploration will share them equally. This proposal has advantages for both sides and can also avoid any unpleasant results from us acting in an adversarial manner.” The yellow-faced old man then let out a snort as his tone grew colder, “But this old master must first remind you that the situation inside these Ancient Ruins is unknown. Where there are benefits, there are also risks, those friends who want to work together with my Seven Family Alliance should be aware of this point. If any of you suffers injuries or dies, that will be solely your responsibility!”
The yellow faced old man finished speaking and stared out across the crowd, stroking his long beard as he waited quietly.
Although they knew they couldn’t fully believe his words, the mere mention of an Ancient Ruin still managed to firmly grab everyone’s attention.
If there really was an Ancient Ruin down there, then there would definitely be treasures as well and whether they fought or cooperated with one another, it was ultimately for those unseen benefits. As such, all the foreign cultivators gathered on the shore were inevitably tempted.
What’s more, the great movement when the Ancient Ruin’s barrier was disturbed had already been noticed by all of them, making the yellow-faced old man’s story seem more credible.
Many of these outsiders gathered together frowning and deliberating, while others, like Yang Kai, stood alone, observing the situation vigilantly.
The Seven Family Alliance was definitely forced to make this decision, but they were also likely trying to take advantage of the situation to reduce their own losses by roping in all these outsiders to serve as pathfinders.
From this, it could be easily understood that although they knew something about the Ancient Ruins down below, it likely wasn’t much.
Yang Kai’s thoughts turned quickly in his mind as he quickly evaluated the options before him.
Should he join the exploration team?
Going down there definitely carried risks, but the source of that rich Yang Attribute aura was something Yang Kai was interested in.
Now that he had reached the Transcendent Realm, he had no decent artifacts on hand. His Bone Shield had been destroyed during his trip to the Starry Sky so the only usable artifact he had at the moment was the small sword currently floating in his Knowledge Sea.
However, that soul type artifact was only Heaven Grade Top-Rank. While it had some value back in the Central Capital, it wasn’t of much use to Yang Kai anymore.
If it was a powerful artifact exuding that potent Yang Attribute aura, it would be a perfectly fit for Yang Kai; after acquiring it, his combat strength would increase dramatically.
Even if it wasn’t an artifact and was instead just some precious material, it would still be incredibly useful to him.
Considering all this, Yang Kai quickly made a decision.
At the same time, there were many other outsiders who had come to the same decision as him. After the yellow-faced old man finished speaking, it wasn’t long before someone stepped out of the crowd and flew over to the registration place the Seven Family Alliance had set up.
Soon, some scattered cultivators began coming forward, including Yang Kai; however, the majority were still standing by, looking suspicious and uncertain.
Seeing this scene, the yellow-faced old man who has been silent for some time now suddenly said, “Right, there is one more thing I must tell all of you. Although my Seven Family Alliance is willing to cooperate with all of you, it is impossible for us to allow each and every one of you to participate. En, each of our Families will only recruit thirty outsiders to join their respective exploration teams. Naturally, the higher your strength the better. Those who have not yet broken through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary need not bother applying to join.”
“Hey, old man, why didn’t you say something so important sooner?!” A series of dissatisfied roars erupted from the crowd and many of those who had still been hesitating broke out into a sprint, rushing to register with the Seven Family Alliance lest all the available spots be taken up.
The yellow faced old man simply continued stroking his beard in response, his mouth curled into a slight smirk, a triumphant look upon his face.
All of the Seven Family Alliance’s teams stood apart from one another and any cultivator who wanted to join in the undersea exploration could choose which one they wanted to work with.
Soon, seven big groups had formed with a little less than two thousand people in total.
Yang Kai was among the first to sign up and after casually reporting his name, he displayed an Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage cultivation, intentionally disguising himself but still easily qualifying and being directed to a waiting zone.
Time passed by slowly as all of the gathered outside cultivators applied to the Seven Family Alliance’s masters. Most of these foreigners were rejected because their strength was too low but still others, like Yang Kai, passed the screening relatively easily.
After an hour or so, the teams had been finalized.
However, the number of cultivators who had passed the Seven Family Alliance’s scrutiny was greater than the yellow-faced old man’s expectations. There were nearly three hundred foreign cultivators, the weakest of which was still an Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage maser, remained. There was also a not small number of Transcendent, making up nearly a tenth of the population.
The Seven Family Alliance powerhouses gathered again to hold a discussion, the same yellow-faced old man soon emerging and announcing, “This old master has felt the enthusiasm of all of you, so all of you who have passed my Seven Family Alliance’s test will be allowed to join us. As for the rest of these friends, please remain on the coast line, if you dare not listen to my advice, don’t blame my Seven Family Alliance’s disciples for not being merciful!”
The remaining foreign cultivators didn’t possess very high strength to begin with, so with the unquestionably unfriendly words the yellow-faced old man delivered, none of them had any thoughts of stirring up trouble; this was, after all, still the Seven Family Alliance’s territory.
Seeing the yellow-faced old man’s attitude go from friendly to menacing so quickly, the cultivators who were excluded could only utter a few curses under their breath.
After finishing this brief episode up, the masters from the Seven Family Alliance came together and seemed to be making some final preparations.
Yang Kai stood in a remote corner, indifferently observing the strength of the people around him. Most of the others gathered here were doing the same, each of them apparently seeing all the others as competitors rather than allies.
Perceiving this, Yang Kai couldn’t help chuckling. They hadn’t even found any treasures yet, but the tension was already so thick. If they really were to find something good down there, Yang Kai figured that a big fight would immediately break out, likely resulting in a large number of casualties.
The Seven Family Alliance really had some sinister methods!
They knew they couldn’t stop all these outsiders from diving into the sea to treasure hunt, so they adopted what, on the surface, appeared to be a compromise strategy. On its face, this arrangement shared the secrets of the Ancient Ruins with outsiders but in actual fact, even if the Seven Family Alliance brought a large number of foreigners down with them to explore the ruins, these individuals were by no means united and would instead mutually constrain each other. Such a group of loose sand wouldn’t be able to stir up much trouble down in the Ancient Ruins and when the time came, the Seven Family Alliance cultivators only needed to sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight before reaping the fishermen’s benefits. Everything was set up for the Seven Family Alliance to gain the most profit while exerting the least amount of effort!
Yang Kai secretly shook his head in admiration.
As he was observing his surrounding ‘allies’ though, a whiff of fragrance suddenly drifted over from his side, its aroma somewhat familiar to him.
Wrinkling his brow slightly, Yang Kai turned his head to discover a woman standing next to him with a light smile on her face
After staring at this seemingly unfamiliar woman for a moment, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed as he called out in amazement, “You…”
“Shh…” The woman quickly placed a jade finger on her lips and silenced Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s eyes flickered before quietly releasing his Divine Sense and scanning the area around them. After confirming no one was listening in on them, he turned to the somewhat delicate featured woman with a strange smile and whispered, “Girl, how come you’re here?”
“Why are you so sure it’s me?” The woman smiled faintly, a touch of surprise apparent in her eyes.
Yang Kai laughed slyly and shook his head before replying, “There’s a saying that to know a woman you must know her scent! Every woman has a unique fragrance so although you’ve changed your appearance… En, and by some method I can’t quite understand, even covered up your original aura, you still can’t disguise your scent!”
“Dog nosed bastard!” The woman’s face blushed bright red as she glared half mad half embarrassed towards Yang Kai, “You seem like quite the expert in this field, you must have hooked up with a lot of women, right?”
“Nonsense,” Yang Kai shook his head in a serious manner, “I have always been a pure and incorruptible paragon, I would never do such shameless things.”
The woman pursed her lips and trembled slightly, trying to stop herself from giggling out loud before flatly stating, “I don’t believe you.”
Yang Kai squinted towards her for a moment before directing his eyes towards two Second Order Transcendent masters who were flying over from the distance. These two men were releasing their Divine Senses unscrupulously, seemingly anxiously looking for someone; however, after sweeping this area and apparently not finding anything, they turned around a left in a clearly exasperated state.
“Isn’t this bad? Regardless of anything else, you are a Saintess, what exactly are you doing here?” Yang Kai quietly glanced in the direction the two masters were leaving, “Those two seem to be looking for you.”
“Don’t look at them directly! They’re quite alert, if will really be bad if I’m discovered by them,” The woman quickly pulled on Yang Kai’s sleeve.
Yang Kai was really shocked when he realized the true identity of this woman.
She was actually the one he had met back on that big ship, the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Saintess!
Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of strange technique she had used to conceal her aura but it had apparently also allowed her to disguise her appearance.
If she hadn’t taken the initiative to approach him, Yang Kai estimated he wouldn’t have even noticed her.
This Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Saintess’ skills were really profound! No wonder she was able to escape the detection of those two Second Order Transcendents and secretly hide here.
“You still haven’t told me, what are you doing here?” Yang Kai wrinkled his brow.
“Of course I came here to join the excitement.”
“This excitement isn’t something good to join, if you’re not careful the price will be your life!” Yang Kai muttered as he directed a stern glance towards her.
The Saintess immediately became annoyed at his words though, “Do you think I’m someone ignorant who would just die in vain? Hmph, even you with your Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage cultivation can go, so why can’t I? My true strength is a lot higher than yours.”
“You know, like this, you don’t have any of the etiquette or demeanor of someone raised as a Saintess,” Yang Kai couldn’t help commenting. The woman in front of him right now was very different from the gentle and quiet Saintess he had witnessed before, and it seemed this was her real temperament.
“What’s it to you? I won’t be choosing you as a Holy Master anyways!” The woman sneered.
“I don’t want to be any nonsense Holy Master!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully.
The woman’s expression suddenly became somewhat pleading, “Don’t expose me… please… I believed in you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have approached you.”
“Rest assured, I don’t have a hobby of meddling in other people’s business,” Yang Kai nodded, but soon became somewhat confused, “You’re an honoured Saintess, so why are you bothering to approach a nameless junior like me?”
The Saintess’ long eyelashes fluttered lightly as she smiled, “How should I put this, I feel like there is something unusual about you. It’s like everything about you is covered in a mysterious barrier that I can’t fully comprehend. I have a strong sense of curiosity towards the unknown.”
Yang Kai’s expression dimmed as he snickered back, “I could say the same about you.”
What kind of cultivation did this woman have? Yang Kai couldn’t tell! Even though the two of them were close enough he could smell the scent of her hair, it seemed like some kind of mystifying force surrounded prevented him from probing her.
“Your laugh looks a bit evil,” The Saintess commented as she stared back at Yang Kai, “I grew up in the Holy Land since I was a child. This is actually the first time I have left, but no matter where I go, there are always people following me, watching me, restricting my movements. All of this is boring me to death! I figured that in this backwater place I can take care of myself so I decided to ditch my escorts and have a little fun.”
“You don’t need to explain it to me,” Yang Kai said lightly, “I have no interest in hearing the sob story of some stranger. En, after we arrive at the Ancient Ruins, don’t pester me, if you encounter any danger, do your best, don’t expect anyone to come save you!”
Seeing Yang Kai’s attitude suddenly become so off-putting, the Saintess couldn’t help grumbling, “I never expected you to come save me! You should just worry about yourself!”
After saying so, obviously somewhat annoyed, she was not willing to keep talking with Yang Kai.
Seeing her like this, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief.
During this exploration, he didn’t know what would happen; perhaps there would be great danger. If this Saintess was to latch on to him, it would severely restrict his movements. He preferred to act alone without having to concern himself with other people’s wellbeing.
Although this woman had indeed granted Yang Kai passage on her ship, they were essentially still strangers, so Yang Kai felt no obligation to protect her safety.
In Yang Kai’s opinion, she was just another flower that had grown up in a greenhouse who thought she could prove her ability by showing off a bit of her skill. Once she suffered some real pain, she would come to realize the world was not such a friendly place.
After waiting for what seemed like a long time, the Seven Family Alliance’s cultivators finally finished their preparations and selected outsiders gathered into seven teams under the directions of the yellow-faced old man.
When Yang Kai was signing up before, he had simply chosen one of the seven families at random and it wasn’t until now that he learned he had joined the Hai Family’s team which was actually led by the yellow-faced old man.
There were roughly forty people in this team, each of whom looked like they were not weak, one or two of them having even reached the Transcendent Realm. As for the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess, she was with a different family’s team.
The yellow faced old man came forward and cleared his throat before addressing the crowd gathered before him, “This old man is Hai Wang Gu, a Protector from the Hai Family of the Seven Family Alliance. For this time’s expedition to the bottom of the sea, this old man will be leading you. Once we enter the Ancient Ruins, I hope you will all obey this old man’s orders and not act on your own so as to avoid unnecessary accidents! En, in addition to all of you, my Hai Family will be sending more than a dozen masters. Let us all act together. Since you’ve chosen to accompany my Hai Family, this old man will try his best to maintain each of your safety, but I will say this up front, if any of you does anything to disrupt the harmony of the group, don’t blame this old man for acting ruthless.”
Saying so, he swept his eyes over the crowd coldly, but received no challenge from any of the foreign cultivators.
Hai Wang Gu nodded with satisfaction, “That being the case… may the Heavens bestow good fortune on us, let’s go!”
Finishing his speech, Hai Wang Gu immediately took off, the forty or so foreign cultivators and the Hai Family’s masters following soon after, all of them flying over to the sea.
At the same time, the other six families began moving as well.
As they sped along, Yang Kai secretly spied on the number and strength of the people the Hai Family had dispatched. There were only a dozen or so of them, but in addition to Hai Wang Gu, there were actually two other Transcendents while the rest were all at the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary, which meant that although their numbers were smaller, their overall strength was actually greater than the outsiders.
Obviously the Hai Family had sent all of its elites and were in full control of the situation.
The other six teams also had a similar configuration.
After a short time, everyone arrived above the ocean and Hai Wang Gu tookout a disc-shaped artifact. This artifact gave off a glittering silver radiance and emitted a strong energy fluctuation. It was at least a high quality Spirit Grade artifact.
“Gather around, this old man will use this to bring us to the seabed,” Hai Wang Gu beckoned to the crowd.
Everyone obediently moved towards him.
Hai Wang Gu then poured his True Qi into the disc-shaped artifact, and suddenly, a silver light curtain roughly ten meters in diameter appeared and wrapped everyone up. Soon after, the silver bubble began sinking into the sea.
Seeing him reveal such a method, many people’s expression became solemn.
Although Hai Wang Gu had not used too power an artifact or Martial Skill, simply being able to lead a few dozen people into the depths of the sea was still quite impressive.
Watching the changes in everyone’s mood, Hai Wang Gu couldn’t help showing a somewhat smug look on his face.
Surrounded by the blue ocean, the deeper they dove, the darker it became. This deep darkness gave many people a creepy feeling, most of the cultivators here had never dove into the sea before after all so they were understandably somewhat nervous, some of them even quietly shuffling closer to Hai Wang Gu, as if looking for some sense of security.
Yang Kai swept his eyes around the area and quickly spotted size other bright lights in the water, obviously the other six families were using their own means to rush to descend to the bottom of the sea.
The silver light barrier created by Hai Wang Gu was extremely tough, not allowing a single drop of sea water from the outside to penetrate it. Staring outside the light shield, the cultivators could see various colourful fish swimming about, adding a slight bit of brightness to the otherwise dreary scenery.
As they continued to dive, the expression on Hai Wang Gu’s face gradually became somewhat strained.
The sea in this area was unfathomable deep and the lower they went the higher the pressure became. Even though he was a Transcendent Realm master, using an artifact to maintain such a large-scale barrier required a massive amount of his True Qi.
The silver light curtain seemed to be under a great deal of stress and slowly began to deform, becoming less rounded than before as the space inside even started to shrink somewhat.
The cultivator who perceived this couldn’t help turning towards Hai Wang Gu and wrinkling their brows, wondering whether this old man would be able to insist until they reached their destination.
After diving for a while, Hai Wang Gu suddenly said, “Everyone, the old man must ask for your help, contribute some of your True Qi to help this old man maintain the operation of the artifact or we may not be able to reach the bottom of the sea.”
Hearing his request, many people silently cursed in their hearts.
This old fox clearly had plenty of spare capacity and was simply acting as if he was having a difficult time. Clearly he didn’t want to use too much of his own True Qi so he could maintain his peak state and had thus asked everyone else instead.
Seeing the silvery light barrier continue to shrink towards them though, even if they knew the old man was lying, the gathered cultivators didn’t have any choice and quickly began pushing their True Qi towards Hai Wang Gu’s artifact.
Hai Wang Gu smiled and nodded, quickly guiding this influx of True Qi into his the appropriate spirit arrays inside his artifact.
Yang Kai also contributed, supply a stream of True Qi reasonable for someone at the Immortal Ascension Seventh Stage, secretly sneering in his heart as he did so. Everyone here had the same idea about preserving their True Qi and were only willing to contribute the minimum necessary, hoping that others would pick up the slack so they could gain an advantage in the coming exploration.
Before they even reached the bottom of the sea, everyone was already playing such games, so when they got there, it could only be imagined how chaotic things would become.
After accepting everyone’s True Qi, the silver light curtain really did stabilize and expand back out.
But after a while, Hai Wang Gu once again made a similar request.
This process repeated itself several times yet there was still no sign of the so-called Ancient Ruins. Everyone had burned through a large amount of True Qi and were slowly becoming impatient, some of them even opening complaining.
Hai Wang Gu however just stated calmly, “There’s no need to become anxious, we’ll be there soon, the depth of the seabed here is not something you can imagine.”
This continued for another stick of incense worth of time before someone suddenly pointed below and shouted excitedly, “Look, it’s the bottom!”
Everyone quickly turned their eyes in the direction this man was pointing and suddenly felt their spirits rise. Down below them, there were a number of colourful lights shimmering, and amongst these lights was a massive set of ruins.
“Ancient Ruins!” Everyone could not help but exclaim.
“It looks like we’ve finally arrived,” Hai Wang Gu smiled slightly, increasing the silver light curtain’s rate of descent.
A short time later, the group arrived at the periphery of the Ancient Ruins. Even from the outside, it was obvious to all that these Ancient Ruins occupied a vast expanse of land, at least several dozen kilometers in each direction. Amidst the ruins were several deserted palace-like structures as well as numerous houses arranged in neat rows; of course, many of these buildings had already collapsed, leaving behind only the wreckage.
Most impressively, around the outer perimeter of this huge Ancient Ruin was a transparent barrier that, even though they were on the seabed, kept the inside ruins perfectly dry.
Outside this barrier, countless pieces of coral grew and swayed in the flowing sea water, many of them giving off a soft glow, providing a kind of eerie illumination.
Seeing all of this, everyone couldn’t help feeling somewhat nervous, wondering what kind of dangers lay inside.
Hai Wang Gu actually had a leisurely expression as he continuing to maintain the operation of his artifact and directly led everyone into the ruins.
The outer barrier which was blocking the sea actually didn’t provide any resistance to their intrusion and the group of several dozen people easily passed it and entered the Ancient Ruins.
Hai Wang Gu took back his artifact and let out a light breath before lifting his old face, his eyes flickering with anticipation.
“Since we’ve arrived, we should move quickly, the other six groups should also be here by now!” Hai Wang Gu said.
Everyone’s expression turned black as they stared at his calm and relaxed appearance, all of them realizing this old fox had really been using them before.
In order to maintain the operation of the artifact, most of the people had experienced fairly heavy consumption, but Hai Wang Gu was still bursting with energy.
Proposing they immediately move out was obviously because he didn’t want to give them any time to restore themselves.
As he spoke, from positions not far away, the other six groups also arrived.
Without even enough time to curse, the foreign cultivators all took out some restorative pills and swallowed them down, quickly following after Hai Wang Gu while circulating their Secret Arts to supplement their consumption of True Qi.
In order to avoid other people’s suspicions, Yang Kai also followed suit, casually tossing a pill into his mouth.
After entering this Ancient Ruin, Yang Kai felt that a rich flow of Yang Attribute energy coming from a certain direction. This abundant Yang Attribute energy seemed to flood the entire ruin, causing the ambient temperature to actually be somewhat warm.
However, he did not immediately leave the team and head in that direction. This Ancient Ruin was filled with unknown dangers so he planned to follow along with this group to first explore the situation before setting off on his own.
The crowd was dazzled as they walked forward.
At first glance, it was obvious the age of these ruins was quite old, at least several thousand years. Who knows what kind of great force this once was that, for some unknown reason, had wound up being sunk into the depths of the ocean.
Everyone was paying close attention to their surroundings, fully releasing their Divine Senses, searching for any place there might be hidden treasures.
As Hai Wang Gu was walking at the front of the crowd, he suddenly said, “If anyone discovers anything, please first hand it over to this old master. Don’t worry, after leaving these ruins and returning to the surface, this old master will ensure that everyone gets their fair share, my Hai Family absolutely won’t take everything here for ourselves. Of course, the more you contribute, the more benefits you will get in the end. This policy also applies to my Hai Family!”
He spoke righteous words and made solemn vows, but after eating a big loss at this old fox’s hands, no one here was willing to believe him again.
As the group walked forward, a few people rushed towards a couple of rows of collapsed houses. This sudden burst of movement obviously caught everyone’s attention and they all realized that there must be something in these houses as they could feel slight energy fluctuations coming from them.
Hai Wang Gu lifted his hand to indicate everyone to stop and wait.
Those that continued to move were all Hai Family’s cultivators. Naturally, this being the area they stake their claim to, none of the outside cultivators dared to act as they pleased.
If it turned out that there was something good here, allowing the Hai Family to eat the meat while collecting some soup afterwards wasn’t a problem, and if there was any danger, allowing the Hai Family to test the waters was also good; everyone here had such thoughts.
A short time later, the Hai Family’s cultivators quickly returned. The two who had gone to search the left row of houses both had downcast looks and were shaking their heads, apparently not having found anything.
The pair that had searched the right set of houses however had faces filled with smiles, the two of them quickly handing a small object over to Hai Wang Gu.
Everyone’s eyes lit up as they stared towards this object.
Hai Wang Gu accepted the object and carefully wiped the dust off of it before using his Divine Sense to investigate. A moment later, his brow loosened as he nodded, “Good, it’s an artifact, unfortunately it seems to have degraded to the point where it can only display a Mysterious Grade Low-Rank prestige! Truly unfortunate, if it were in good condition, it would probably at least be a Spirit Grade Top-Rank artifact!”
Listening to his words, everyone couldn’t help showing a look of regret.
What Hai Wang Gu said was the truth, everyone here had their eyes on the artifact and were probing it with their Divine Senses, so him lying would be pointless.
However, finding an artifact so soon after arriving could be considered a good start, raising everyone’s expectations even higher.
“This artifact will be taken care of by this old master for now. After we return to the surface, I will find an Artifact Refiner to repair it, perhaps some of its former strength can be restored, increasing its grade,” Hai Wang Gu said frankly before storing the artifact in his Universe Bag.
From the start, Hai Wang Gu had said that all treasures their group found would be kept by him and only after the exploration was over would they be distributed according to everyone’s individual contributions; since this artifact was found by his Hai Family cultivators, no one expected him to share it even after they got back.
Having already gained some small benefits, everyone became more passionate in their search.
In order to expand the scope of their search, Hai Wang Gu divided everyone up into three small teams, each of them led by a Hai Family Transcendent Realm master, and sent them off in three different directions.
Yang Kai was still following behind Hai Wang Gu. The small team he was part of now consisted of only twenty or so people and with the exception of Hai Wang Gu, only Yang Kai had reached the Transcendent Realm. Everyone else was an Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator.
Amongst the many ruined houses on either side of the road they were traveling, people would occasionally find something of value. Most of these things were artifacts, but there were occasionally Secret Arts and Martial Skills as well. However, these Secret Arts and Martial Skills generally weren’t well preserved, and the moment they were touched, they crumbled into dust, depressing a great many.
There were also some pills, but because of the long passage of time, their medicinal efficacies had completely passed, leaving behind only some worthless dregs.
After half a day, Yang Kai’s group had only managed to harvest some damaged artifacts, causing most of them to feel somewhat unsatisfied as these gains were far from what they had been expecting.
Yang Kai stayed at the back of the group, neither showcasing nor hiding himself, only working as hard as an average Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage cultivator should, not attracting anyone’s attention.
Among the couple dozen artifacts that had been found, he had also made some contributions, but nothing of noticeable significance.
Silently though, Yang Kai felt somewhat doubtful. This Ancient Ruin should be the remains of a large Sect from long ago. Such a Sect should have a lot of internal barriers and restrictions guarding their more valuable locations, this point could easily be inferred from the barrier that was blocking the sea from flooding this place. But until now, their group had yet to encounter any such barriers, much less any kind of danger.
This instead made Yang Kai even more vigilant.
As they were walking, a man with a thin frame suddenly approached Yang Kai, causing the latter to frown as he glanced over curiously. Yang Kai immediately noticed that this thin man was grinning towards him silently.
“Do you need something?” Yang Kai asked.
“Boy, you seem like a smart one!” The man whispered, glancing over towards Hai Wang Gu who was leading the way, making sure that the latter wasn’t paying attention to them.
“Is that so?” Yang Kai suddenly felt things were becoming interesting. This guy was also a foreign cultivator who had joined Hai Wang Gu.’s group. He had a Peak Immortal Ascension cultivation and didn’t seem very old, only in his early thirties. His pair of small and narrow eyes resembled those of a poisonous snake, always revealing a somewhat sinister light.
Him suddenly calling out for no reason made Yang Kai somewhat curious, wondering what the former was plotting.
“Of course, I saw all of it!” The man replied lightly, “While you basically kept silent, your eyes were constantly flickering. It was quite a shrewd performance; you’re trying to hide your true strength in order to snag something big, aren’t you?”
“No, you’re thinking too much,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
“You don’t have to deny it, everyone is thinking this way anyways,” The thin man sneered, “That old guy keeps putting everything into his Universe Bag, who here can’t see what he’s trying to do? After all of this is over, he’ll probably give us nothing, or maybe he’ll give us some petty profits just to shut us up, this is his Seven Family Alliance’s site after all, we simply don’t have any say in the matter!”
“They eat meat, I drink soup!” Yang Kai smiled, “I’m content with just that.”
“You don’t look like someone so easily satisfied!” The thin man spat disdainfully, lowering his voice even further, “How about it? Any interest in teaming up with me?”
“Teaming up, what for?”
The thin man stared at Yang Kai like he was staring at an idiot before saying, “There’s no danger in this place, we just need to find a way to sneak off and search for treasure on our own, why should we bother staying with them?”
“Oh? Not a bad idea!” Yang Kai’s expression became bright, a look of interest appearing on his face.
“Isn’t it?” The thin man saw the look on Yang Kai’s face and quickly struck while the iron was hot, “If we really find anything good, we can split it between the two of us, fifty-fifty, I’m a person who believes in being fair!”
“Although your suggestion is tempting, I’d still rather follow the group, there’s safety in numbers after all,” Yang Kai seemed to hesitate, slowly shaking his head.
The thin man hurriedly comforted his worries though and continued his sales pitch.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t buying, so the other side couldn’t help but swear, “You dumbass, if you keep following them blindly you’ll suffer a big loss sooner or later!”
Yang Kai was too lazy to care about him though.
At first glance it was obvious this guy wasn’t anything good, him trying so hard to rope Yang Kai in was clearly because the latter didn’t have enough confidence to go it alone and wanted to find someone to help explore the way for him. When they really encountered any danger, it would be easier to deal with if there were two of them.
But once they obtained something of value, with his Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary strength, dealing with the young and weak Yang Kai should be easy.
Or at least the thin man thought so!
[Since when did I become such an easy mark to prey upon?] Yang Kai coldly snorted in his heart.
“There’s a few houses in front, some of you go check them out!” Hai Wang Gu suddenly stopped and pointed towards a cluster of houses.
Everyone nodded, and the team quickly dispatched a couple of people to search the houses.
Yang Kai also went this time, walking towards one of the houses on the right.
There were a total of five people in Yang Kai’s group and while three of them stayed outside and rummaged around, Yang Kai stealthily used his Divine Sense to confirm there was nothing of worth outside before walking into one of the houses. But before he could enter the house, a shadow quickly appeared next to him and the thin man who had just spoken to Yang Kai entered one step ahead of him.
Yang Kai simply shook his head, didn’t pay him any mind, and casually walked into the house.
Most of the items inside had already been reduced to dust but in a corner of one of the rooms there were a few jade bottles scattered on the ground.
By the time Yang Kai arrived, the thin man was already picking his way through the jade bottles, a look of helplessness on his face as he opened them at random.
This type of jade bottle was incredibly common and was usually used to hold pills; however, since arriving in the Ancient Ruins, due to the long passage of time, nothing but useless dregs had been found in such bottles.
However, all of a sudden, the thin man’s expression changed greatly as a look of excitement flashed across his eyes.
“Find something good?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
The thin man suddenly remembered that there was someone else inside with him and nodded towards Yang Kai, “See for yourself!”
As he spoke, he handed over the jade bottle.
Yang Kai took it and looked inside, but upon seeing the pill at the bottom of the jade bottle, he too couldn’t help feeling shocked.
This pill was very different from an ordinary pill, there was a thick layer of mist gently billowing across its surface, like a dense cloud. This cloud was composed of pure World Energy and formed a kind of translucent protective film that enveloped the entire pill.
Although Yang Kai didn’t know how many years had passed since this pill had been refined, he instantly knew that its medicinal efficacies had not only not been lost, but had instead become significantly more intense.
The aroma that wafted from this pill was incredibly rich and fresh.
After only sniffing it slightly, Yang Kai knew it was a Saint Grade pill!
However, the pill’s grade was only a secondary concern, what was truly shocking was the cloud-like layer surrounding it!
“Pill Cloud?!” Yang Kai exclaimed.
Yang Kai could already be considered an excellent Alchemist and when he refined pills, a good number of them would form meridian like patterns on their surface, commonly known as Pill Veins.
Once Pill Veins appeared on any pill, its value would be multiplied several times over, and no matter how many years it was saved for, as long as it was preserved in reasonable conditions, its efficacy would never fade!
Every outstanding Alchemist pursued the refinement of Pill Veins, trying their best to allow Pill Veins to appear. Unfortunately, there was no effective way to ensure that every pill one refined would give birth to Pill Veins.
In the end, the appearance of Pill Veins involved a lot of luck.
Above Pill Veins was the legendary Pill Cloud!
Pill Veins would frequently appear when Yang Kai performed Alchemy, but until now he had never once produced a pill with a Pill Cloud.
Today was actually the first time he had ever seen a pill with a Pill Cloud!
According to legend, when a pill gave birth to a Pill Cloud, not only were the effects of the pill strengthened several times over and its medicinal efficacies would never weaken, the Pill Cloud would automatically gather the surrounding World Energy to nourish the pill.
It could be said that the longer a pill with a Pill Cloud was stored, the greater is efficacy would become, and the higher its value will be!
As for Omni-Magician and WeChat, those two novels are kinda kinks I guess. They are also hosted on this website but they require a particular taste to enjoy.
It was impossible to know how long the Saint Pill in the jade bottle had been stored here, but suffice it to say, the Pill Cloud had been gathering World Energy and nourishing this pill for countless years.
Such a pill could no longer be considered a mere Saint Pill! Its value now is simply incalculable!
Especially for an Alchemist like Yang Kai, it had immense research value. If he was able to comprehend even a fraction of the mysteries of this Pill Cloud, Yang Kai would also have a greater chance of one day refining a similar pill.
All kinds of thoughts quickly intertwined in Yang Kai’s head and his expression rapidly changed back and forth.
Inside the jade bottle, the Pill Cloud seemed to exude a subtle attraction, drawing the surrounding World Energy into the pill.
Yang Kai lifted his eyes from the pill reluctantly and stared at the thin man solemnly.
The other party was also scrutinizing Yang Kai, and the moment their eyes met once again, a green light flashed from the thin man’s hand and in the blink of an eye, the room was filled with a poisonous mist.
“Heh heh, you dumb brat, don’t blame me for being ruthless, blame your own stupidity for being so naive,” The thin man sneered as he watched Yang Kai’s figure become wrapped up in poisonous mist.
As he spoke these words, the thin man’s True Qi surged as he summoned a dagger into his other hand and thrust it straight towards Yang Kai’s chest.
In this instant, the thin man had brought out his full strength to kill Yang Kai!
A Saint Pill with a Pill Cloud that had been stored for several millennia, such a treasure wasn’t something just anyone could just simply take. Both Yang Kai and the thin man were aware of this fact and had to act.
As long as Yang Kai could obtain this Saint Pill, this trip to the bottom of the sea could be considered a resounding success, there wouldn’t even be a need to keep searching for other treasures and could simply leave right now.
Shrouded in the green poisonous mist, the thin man wore a half-crazed expression.
“Clank”
Yang Kai didn’t move and as the dagger struck him, a spark erupted from his chest, but that was all, even his skin wasn’t broken as he stared back at the thin man coldly.
The smile on the thin man’s face quickly converged as his eyes filled with surprise which soon turned to horror as his expression warped.
He had not held anything back when he attacked, yet not only did he fail to kill Yang Kai, his own hand had instead been bloodied from the recoil. When he stabbed Yang Kai, it was as if he had been trying to stab a wall of steel. This strange youth’s body was incomprehensibly hard.
“Idiot!” Yang Kai brushed his chest and smoothed out the wrinkles on his clothes before turning his eyes to the thin man, “If you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have had a reason to kill you. You brought this upon yourself, friend!”
“Impossible, how did you… Even a Transcendent shouldn’t be able to resist the effects of my poison, how are you completely unaffected!?” The thin man trembled fiercely, a sense of fear and terror filling his heart.
“Nothing is impossible,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, his figure flickering just as the thin man was about to make a run for it, blocking the latter’s path of retreat as he swiped his hand towards the other side’s throat.
The thin man’s eyes bulged as his hands quickly tried to cover his neck, his voice failing to escape from his throat. After stumbling a few steps backwards he fell to the ground dead!
A Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator was no more difficult to kill than an ant for the current Yang Kai.
After the thin man died, Yang Kai swiftly collected the remaining jade bottles, hurriedly opening them to see if there were no other pills with Pill Clouds before quickly moving towards the exit.
“What happened? What the hell happened?” The three cultivators who had been rummaging around outside the house all rushed inside, almost colliding with the stumbling Yang Kai and hurriedly asked.
Although the confrontation between Yang Kai and the thin man had taken place out of sight, the sudden burst of True Qi just now had not been missed by them, so they naturally had come to investigate.
“Run, a trap was triggered!” Yang Kai shouted, his face turning slightly blue.
The three men glanced behind Yang Kai quickly and when they saw the green poisonous fog billowing towards them, they couldn’t help feeling stunned. None of them dared stay any longer, all of them hurriedly running out with Yang Kai following close behind.
“What happened inside?” Hai Wang Gu saw the four people run out in a hurry, each of them with a shaken look upon their face, and hurriedly asked.
“There was a seal inside one of the rooms and when my friend was inspecting it, he accidentally set off some kind of trap,” Yang Kai quickly explained, his face now a slightly unhealthy shade of green.
“What happened to him?” Hai Wang Gu’s expression changed greatly.
“He’s dead!”
“Dead?” The group of cultivators suddenly became noisy.
After arriving here, they had been treasuring hunting for more than half a day yet had not once encountered any kind of danger, so many of them had thought that this Ancient Ruin was extremely safe, but now that one of them had inexplicably died, they couldn’t help feeling slightly uneasy.
“How come you’re alright?” Hai Wang Gu eyes flashed as he stared towards Yang Kai questioningly.
“I was farther away from the trap when it went off but it seems I was still poisoned…” Yang Kai coughed, the shade of green on his face quickly growing darker as he did so.
As soon as everyone heard him say so, they hurriedly backed away, most of them showing fearful looks as if they were afraid being near Yang Kai would also implicate them.
Yang Kai observed all this and secretly breathed a sigh of relief!
A moment ago the thin man had released a cloud of poisonous mist, probably thinking it was a good strategy. When someone outside asked what happened, he would just give the same explanation Yang Kai currently was.
So Yang Kai just borrowed the thin man’s plan to explain his cause of death.
The house was still filled with poisonous mist so no one would go in to investigate it carefully. Yang Kai even deliberately inhaled a little of the poisonous mist to make his story more convincing.
“There was a trap set up inside…” Hai Wang Gu muttered, suddenly turning a suspicious look towards Yang Kai, “What did you find inside that house?”
“Only these jade bottles, I quickly grabbed them before running out,” Yang Kai said, quickly handing over the jade bottles to Hai Wang Gu.
Everyone showed a disappointed look upon seeing this.
They had already found too many jade bottles throughout the ruins but none of them ever had any useful pills inside.
Hai Wang Gu’s expression was also not very good as he glared towards Yang Kai distrustfully.
They hadn’t encountered any seals of barriers so far yet now they had suddenly come across one, which seemed to indicate that there must be something particularly valuable inside; otherwise, why would the original owner of the house bother setting up such a trap?
“You aren’t hiding something, are you?” Hai Wang Gu stared at Yang Kai and interrogated.
Yang Kai’s face immediately wore a dumbfounded expression, “I don’t have a Universe Bag, where would I hide something?”
Hai Wang Gu’s Divine Sense swept Yang Kai and confirmed that there was nothing else on him before nodding lightly.
Although the Universe Bag was a convenient storage artifact, it was not something everyone in Tong Xuan Realm could possess.
Back when he was in Bold Independent Union, of the people that Yang Kai met, only the captains of Bold Independent Union’s teams possessed their own Universe Bags. For this time’s exploration, most of the foreign cultivators didn’t possess any kind of storage artifact.
“Doesn’t Senior trust me?” Yang Kai stared up at Hai Wang Gu blankly.
Hai Wang Gu hurriedly explained, “Just a routine inquiry, little brother need not pay it any mind!”
Saying so, he no longer paid any attention to Yang Kai and instead helplessly opened the jade bottles.
Originally, he had not expected to find anything in these jade bottles, but upon inspecting their contents, Hai Wang Gu couldn’t help widening his eyes, seemingly having discovered something impossible.
At the same time, everyone smelled a pleasant medicinal fragrance!
“Hm?” Hai Wang Gu was amazed, pouring the contents of the jade bottle onto his palm. More than a dozen round objects came out, most of which were mere scraps, but mixed in with these dregs were two distinctly different pills.
These two pills had Pill Veins, and as a result, had not suffered any degradation even after so many years at passed.
“Spirit Grade Pills!” Hai Wang Gu called out excitedly!
Everyone else in the group also wore excited expressions as they stared towards Hai Wang Gu’s palm, a touch of envy flashing across their eyes.
These two pills were not just Spirit Grade pills, but pills that had given birth to Pill Veins, making them several times more valuable than ordinary pills.
Yang Kai stood to the side, indifferently observing the expressions of the crowd.
He had also checked these jade bottles and knew what was inside, but he intentionally didn’t take them away.
For him, these Pill Vein pills were of little value, he could refine any number of them himself, only the Saint Pill with a Pill Cloud was worth him striving for.
By throwing these jade bottles to the crowd, he had successfully attracted everyone’s attention away from himself.
Hai Wang Gu quickly opened the other jade bottles and sure enough, was not disappointed, finding several other pills with Pill Veins.
There were various Spirit Grade and Mysterious Grade pills, all of which were perfectly preserved!
“There really were some good things in that house,” Hai Wang Gu kept nodding and laughing, their Seven Family Alliance was a small force and couldn’t afford to hire any powerful Alchemists, so they naturally couldn’t obtain pills with Pill Veins easily. Suddenly acquiring several Spirit Grade pills with Pill Veins had made him quite satisfied.
“If you find any jade bottles later, you can’t turn a blind eye to them, there may be other such pills inside them!” Hai Wang Gu swiftly stored these gains away before calling out to everyone in his group.
Everyone nodded in response, none of them had considered this aspect before and only now remembered about the legendary Pill Veins.
“Little brother has contributed a great merit!” One of the foreign cultivators patted Yang Kai’s shoulder intimately and applauded.
No one bothered mentioning the thin man who had died.
Everyone had only just met each other, so even if one of them had died a miserable death, no one was going to shed any tears for him.
Yang Kai kept coughing, his face showing a pained expression as he murmured, “It’s a pity that my friend who went inside with me didn’t come out…”
Hai Wang Gu turned to look at him, and although he didn’t actually think so in his heart, still opened his mouth to say, “Little brother can rest assured, after going back, we’ll make sure there’s something in it for your friend. If we can find any of his friends or relatives, this Hai will definitely send some of this time’s benefits to them. For now though, let’s set this matter aside. Here, take this detoxification pill, it was personally refined by my Hai Family’s chief Alchemist, it should help stabilize your condition!”
Having obtains some unexpected gains, Hai Wang Gu no longer doubted Yang Kai’s story, and instead showed the minimal amount of concern necessary to maintain a good public image, handing over a pill to the latter.
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai took it. He inspected it slightly to determine it really was just a detoxification pill and that nothing sinister had been added to it before throwing it directly into his mouth, sitting down cross-legged as if he was circulating a healing art and said, “All of you can go on ahead, don’t let me hold you back. I’ll catch up soon.”
With his current strength, Yang Kai really didn’t need to put the people who had come to explore these Ancient Ruins in his eye. With his Soul Devouring Insects in hand, anyone below the Saint Realm was not his opponent.
However, because it was useful to have more people to explore the Ancient Ruin’s situation, Yang Kai had kept himself hidden and simply followed the crowd.
Now that he had a decent idea of this place’s dangers, Yang Kai intended to leave the group and act on his own.
He was very curious about the source of the Yang Attribute aura and wanted to check it out as soon as possible.
And now, his opportunity had come!
Yang Kai felt that Hai Wang Gu wouldn’t care about the life or death of an insignificant character like him.
However, to his disappointment, Hai Wang Gu actually shook his head firmly and said, “No no, how could we just abandon you here alone?”
It seemed like because Yang Kai had contributed a significant merit, Hai Wang Gu wanted to make a good impression to the crowd by showing some concern, quickly signaling to a nearby Hai Family cultivator, “Fourth Brother, you stay here and take care of him, after his condition stabilizes, catch up with us.”
The cultivator who was called out to quickly nodded and then stood next to Yang Kai, assuming a protective posture.
Yang Kai could only smile and nod, “Many thanks for Senior’s good intentions.”
Hai Wang Gu gently nodded, “Good, you heal up as soon as possible and then join the rest of us with Fourth Brother. We’ll be waiting for you two up ahead.”
Saying so, Hai Wang Gu turned around and led the others off.
Yang Kai was helpless and could only pretend to circulate a healing art as the Hai Family’s ‘Fourth Brother’ stood like a wooden stake a few meters away from him.
After half an hour or so, Yang Kai stood up again.
“How are you?” Fourth Brother bluntly asked.
“Moving about shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Then let’s go,” Fourth Brother quickly said, his face showing some slight signs of annoyance.
And so the two of them rushed forward, following the path Hai Wang Gu’s left behind and after about as long as it would take to burn a stick of incense, they caught up.
However, when Yang Kai saw the situation of the team, he couldn’t help feeling surprised.
There were originally about twenty people in this small exploration group, but right now, there were actually only thirteen, and each of their expressions was somewhat grave.
During the short time Yang Kai was ‘healing’, this team had obviously suffered from unexpected dangers. As for the seven or people who were missing, it was obvious what their fate was.
[I must be more careful… this Ancient Ruin is a sitting death trap!]
When he saw Yang Kai and the cultivator called Fourth Brother return, Hai Wang Gu simply nodded to them with a slightly ugly expression, not saying anything more.
“What happened just now?” The one called Fourth Brother walked over to another Hai Family cultivator and asked.
The latter, with a touch of fear still lingering on his face, whispered back, “There seems to be a lot of barriers and traps around this area, one of which was accidentally triggered, causing several of our group to die instantly!”
Fourth Brother paled and didn’t dare ask any more.
As they were speaking, a loud cry rang out from the distance.
Hai Wang Gu, who was sitting cross legged nearby, quickly opened his eyes and stared suspiciously in the direction it originated, muttering under his breath, “The Cheng Family’s signal?”
Saying so, he hurriedly stood up and waved, “Everyone come with me, it seems someone has made some kind of discovery!”
After a few minutes of hurrying along, Hai Wang Gu and his team came across a large group of people that had apparently gathered here upon hearing the previous signal.
And under the leadership of the Seven Family Alliance’s master, more groups were constantly appearing.
After they arrived here and saw the scene in front of them, everyone wore a shocked and excited expression.
Before everyone’s eyes was a large transparent ball of light which was constantly emitting a powerful energy fluctuation. It was impossible from this distance to tell what kind of material this ball of light was comprised of, but from the intensity of the energy it gave off, it was clearly a powerful artifact.
What’s more, it was still completely intact!
However, there was an invisible barrier separating blocking everyone’s way, so all the cultivators who were nearly salivating at the sight of the light sphere could only stare greedily at it.
One cultivator after another tried to approach the artifact but all of them were pushed back without exception, none of them even able to step within arm’s reach of the light sphere.
When Hai Wang Gu led Yang Kai and the others over, the scene was already incredibly lively, with at least several dozen people gathered around.
Upon seeing the light sphere, Yang Kai also became interested and secretly raised his alertness.
A familiar aura sudden emerged from the crowd, and upon sensing it, Yang Kai couldn’t help rolling his eyes.
The origin of this aura was none other than the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Saintess, who was currently pursing her lips and staring towards him strangely.
Yang Kai quickly put his vision aside and pretended to not see her.
Not having suffered any harm along this dangerous path, Yang Kai noted that she had some skill. She still had a carefree expression upon her face and her beautiful eyes flashed with excitement and anticipation, apparently quite happy at the moment. It seemed that this adventure to the bottom of the sea had allowed her to experience a kind of enjoyment she had never felt before.
[This silly girl!] Yang Kai silently thought to himself.
“Brother Cheng, what’s going on here?” Hai Wang Gu stepped forward and asked another Second Order Transcendent old man.
The loud signal just now had been sent out by this person. The Seven Family Alliance had long resided on the nearby island chain and had developed some special methods to contact one another, so Hai Wang Gu knew exactly who was calling for help the moment he had heard the previous shrill alarm.
There were a lot of people gathered around who had the same questions as Hai Wang Gu and all the other Transcendents nearby Old Man Cheng were repeatedly raising their voices.
“Hold on for a moment, when everyone has gathered, I’ll explain,” Old Man Cheng spoke.
The crowd hesitated a moment before nodding, settling down and waiting.
Time passed by quickly and more teams arrived one after another. Apparently, all the groups who had been exploring nearby had heard the signal and were converging here.
As more and more teams gathered, the group quickly swelled to over a hundred in number.
After waiting for a while and seeing no one else arriving, Old Man Cheng finally spoke, “Good, it seems no one else will be coming.”
“Brother Cheng, can you explain what’s going on now, why did you suddenly call all of us here?”
“Of course! It’s for that artifact!” Old Man Cheng smiled and pointed towards the light sphere not far away, “This artifact’s power cannot be measured, and its function is also completely unknown. When my team first arrived here, we discovered that there was an invisible barrier preventing anyone from approaching it. About this, all of you must have already clearly seen. With just the strength of my Cheng Family’s team, we are unable to break this barrier though, so I decided to ask everyone nearby to assist us!”
Hai Wang Gu’s brow wrinkled before smiling wryly, “Brother Cheng, there is no problem with us working together, but there is only one artifact after we break this barrier, who gets to keep the artifact?”
“Everything is open for discussion!” Old Man Cheng did not respond directly and instead pointed back to the light sphere, “Behind this light sphere is a grand palace, if my guess is correct, this place should be of significant importance to the ancient Sect which once stood here. Otherwise, an artifact of this grade would not have been placed here. As long as we break the barrier in front of us, there will definitely be gains for all of us. Who knows, perhaps there will be even better and more powerful artifacts stored deeper inside.”
“All of that is just your speculations!” Hai Wang Gu frowned.
“But there is definitely value in trying!” Some people agreed with Old Man Cheng.
The many masters gathered quickly entered into discussions and soon reached a consensus.
Hai Wang Gu had raised some doubts just now, but it was undeniable that the attraction of this artifact was quite big.
After reaching an agreement, everyone quickly made preparations.
Each of the Transcendents here was leading a team of between ten to twenty cultivators.
Hai Wang Gu returned to Yang Kai and the others with the resolution the Seven Family Alliance masters had come to just now.
“Everyone needs to contribute their strength to see if we can break this barrier. If we can break it, not only can we harvest that mysterious light sphere artifact, but we will also be able to search the palace behind it. There will definitely be many benefits inside so each of you must not hold back.”
“Rest assured Old Hai, we’ll do our best to live up to your expectations!” Someone immediately shouted out excitedly.
Hai Wang Gu nodded with satisfaction.
A moment later, everyone had been arranged into their positions.
More than one hundred people stood not far from the invisible barrier, each of them holding their breath, secretly preparing.
Old Man Cheng stepped forward and called out, “Everyone must act according to my commands. This defence barrier is somewhat strange, it seems that unless we use all our strength to instantly break it open, it will simply recover and we will have to start all over again.”
Everyone nodded.
Old Man Cheng swept his eyes over the crowd once before slowly raising his hand, his expression solemn. Everyone gathered around all began to condense their True Qi, preparing to attack.
A moment later, Old Man Cheng lowered his hand towards the barrier.
As soon as he waved his hand, a barrage of powerful Martial Skills and artifact attacks flew towards the barrier.
*Hong long long…*
The entire Ancient Ruin shook.
There were only a few Transcendents among the cultivators gathered here, less than ten in total, while the rest were all at least Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage masters. However, with so many powerful attacks being launched at once, the power that erupted was quite substantial and literally shook the earth around them.
Countless attacks landed on the invisible barrier simultaneously, creating a myriad of ripples on its surface, like a thousand stones had been tossed all at once into a calm lake.
The invisible barrier seemed to be extremely flexible thought, so even after being struck by so many attacks, although it distorted quite fiercely, it did not break.
After everything calmed down again, expressions expression became dignified.
The wave of attacks just now obviously was not enough to break this mysterious barrier.
Old Man Cheng clapped lightly to gather everyone’s attention before shouting, “One more time. Please don’t hold back, it is to everyone’s advantage to break this barrier. None of you want to waste time here, right?”
He saw that though the previous attack was indeed powerful, most of the cultivators gathered here had not really used their full strength; obviously, these people had underestimated the strength of this barrier.
Hearing Old Man Cheng’s words, the cultivators that had held back just now didn’t dare repeat their mistake in hopes of getting lucky and prepared to give their all in the next strike.
After waiting for everyone to prepare again, Old Man Cheng once more raised his hand before sweeping his eyes across the crowd pointedly, everyone he stared at fully condensing their True Qi in response.
After giving everyone ample time to prepare, Old Man Cheng swung his hand down again.
A thunderous sound rang out as the violent energy of countless attacks bombarded the mysterious barrier. In order to break this barrier and enter the palace behind it, everyone had done their utmost this time, not concealing their strength. Even Yang Kai used some of his true ability.
If this barrier was in good condition, it would have been impossible for this ragtag group to break open.
But these Ancient Ruins had been around for too long and all the barriers here had weakened significantly, such was the case with the barrier in front of them as well.
As this second wave of attacks landed, the invisible barrier distorted greatly and this time seemed to have reached its limits.
*Kacha…*
Many tiny cracks appeared mid-air and soon began to spread out at a speed visible to the naked eye. Soon, the entire barrier was covered in fissures.
Everyone held their breath, their entire attention focused on the barrier, their eyes filled with expectation.
A crackling sound, like a piece of glass being shattered, rang out, and the invisible barrier suddenly broke open.
The moment the barrier was broken, all the cultivators on the scene seemed to come alive and before the Transcendent Realm masters could even issue any orders, everyone had used their movement skills and rushed forward.
At the same time, the foreign Transcendents and the masters from the Seven Family Alliance all stared towards the light sphere greedily, each of them instantly sticking their hands out towards it, wanting to snatch it up before anyone else could.
In an instant, the group of people who had just been working together, suddenly turned on one another and began a violent struggle.
True Qi surged up as everyone pushed and shoved everyone else, afraid of falling behind.
Yang Kai didn’t move, simply standing in place while coldly observing the situation. The Saintess from Nine Heavens Holy Land also stood in place. In addition, a number of more cautious cultivators stood back and watched.
Perhaps they were aware that their strength wasn’t sufficient and they had no chance to obtain the mysterious light sphere artifact, or perhaps they instinctively thought that there would be other dangers lurking about this place. Either way, none of them dared to act rashly and instead allowed the more eager members here to explore the situation first.
Sure enough, before anyone could actually even reach the light sphere, a burst of white light containing a mysterious energy wave spread out from it as fast as lightning.
The expressions of the cultivators rushing forward all changed dramatically as they were completely caught off guard by this light pulse.
Before anyone could react, they were struck head-on by the light pulse and instantly wrapped up in a stark white glow.
In the blink of an eye, those who had been struck went stiff, their eyes bulging before they fell to the ground, unable to mount even the slightest bit of resistance.
Seeing this, Yang Kai also paled and retreated without the slightest hesitation.
The moment the light halo pulse swept past the now unconscious cultivators, Yang Kai had felt like something had been drawn out of them and was absorbed by the nearby light sphere.
However, even with Yang Kai’s current speed, he still couldn’t escape from the ever-expanding light pulse and before he could go far he had already been shrouded by it.
His Soul shook and the inside of his Knowledge Sea stirred. In that instant, Yang Kai felt as if he had been struck by a mountain and that his Soul was being pulled from his body.
Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai quickly steadied himself and tried to stabilize his trembling Soul.
As he did so, he swept his eyes over the surrounding and, to his surprise, noticed that none of the cultivators who had not participated in the earlier struggle had managed to escape; all of them had fallen to the ground, including Hai Wang Gu.
Even the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess had fallen to her knees.
However, she was still putting up some stubborn resistance and before she completely collapsed, she shot a glance over towards Yang Kai, her lips trembling slightly, trying to say something yet failing to vocalize the words.
[Help!] Yang Kai’s mind filled in those missing words. But how could Yang Kai pay her any mind? Right now, he was having difficulty just trying to keep himself upright. After being covered by that strange light pulse, Yang Kai felt as if his Soul had been caught by a big, invisible hand that was trying to extract his consciousness.
Facing this kind of crisis, Yang Kai didn’t have time to contemplate what kind of mysterious heritage this artifact represented, instead quickly immersing his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea.
There, Yang Kai opened his Demon Eye of Annihilation, but even then, he wasn’t able to avoid his fate.
After less than ten breaths of time, Yang Kai collapsed, his Soul leaving his Knowledge Sea and entering into a world fill with white.
Staring around, Yang Kai saw many figures in front of him, each of them wearing fearful and uneasy expressions, shocked by what had just happened to them and desperately looking around, trying to understand their current situation.
All of these figures were the Soul Avatars of the cultivators who had been gathered outside, more than a hundred of them in total.
“Hey!” Hearing a shout from the side, Yang Kai vigilantly turned around and found the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess beckoning to him from a somewhat remote corner of the space.
Yang Kai wrinkled his brow and only after several urgings did he walk over to her.
She too was now just a Soul Avatar and seemed somewhat illusory. Without access to her physical body and True Qi, she had also reverted to her original appearance.
“Do you know where this is?” The Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess looked around while quietly inquiring.
“How would I know that?” Yang Kai frowned, and although he had some guesses in his heart, he truly wasn’t sure.
“I saw how you resisted… whatever this is. You manage to resist longer than anyone else, is your real cultivation actually much higher than Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage?” The Saintess frowned, looking Yang Kai over, her eyes suddenly flashing with fright, “Ah, how come your Soul Avatar…”
As she got closer to Yang Kai, she felt a scorching hot aura radiating from his Avatar.
Yang Kai shot her a cold glance.
The Saintess smiled back at him, “Don’t worry, I don’t have a habit of leaking other’s secrets. Do you cultivate some kind of special Soul Skill?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, not bothering to explain any further. Ordinarily, he could easily hide the secret of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, even if he used his Divine Sense to attack someone, he could still conceal it so long as he didn’t add any Fire Attribute Spiritual Energy; however, in his Soul Avatar form, separated from his Knowledge Sea, some trace signs would inevitably appear.
As the two spoke, Yang Kai took the opportunity to scrutinize the Saintess in front of him, feeling slightly shocked at what he discovered.
This Saintess’ had a mysterious power that allowed her to conceal everything about her from Yang Kai’s Divine Sense in the physical world, so before now Yang Kai had no idea about her true strength, but now that two were only Soul Avatars, Yang Kai could see through her cultivation at a glance.
First Order Transcendent!
Her age was similar to his own, yet she had already reached such a realm. Nine Heavens Holy Land was truly a force to be reckoned with!
“I think we’ll be safer if we both take care of each other here, what do you say?” The Saintess suddenly suggested. When she first started this little escapade of hers, she had been together with a large group of people so she thought, even if she dove to the bottom of the sea, she wouldn’t be in any great danger. However, along the way, after witnessing various unexpected events, she realized that this Ancient Ruin was not someplace she could casually stroll about.
Now that even her Soul had been pulled out of her body and trapped in this strange space, she naturally wanted to find someone she could depend on for some security.
“I don’t want to drag along an unnecessary burden,” Yang Kai glanced at her and slowly shook his head.
The Saintess curled her lips defiantly and retorted, “You’re quite the arrogant one. You haven’t even seen me take action yet so how can you say for certain I’ll be a burden to you? When the time comes, perhaps you’ll be the one who needs to depend on me?”
“Then why don’t you let me experience your methods,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, his expression still indifferent, “After I see them, I’ll consider whether I want to cooperate with you!”
The Saintess’ pretty face darkened noticeably, snorting coldly as she turned away, apparently not willing to talk to Yang Kai any more.
From childhood until now, although she had not had much contact with males of her generation, she had never thought that there were actually people as hateful and arrogant as Yang Kai.
It was as if he thought he was the world’s fiercest person and everyone else wasn’t even worth looking at.
He was really a repugnant fellow.
As the two of them argued, the Seven Family Alliance and foreign cultivators all gathered together and began discussing the current situation.
“Look at that!” Suddenly, an exclamation came out, and everyone who heard it looked towards the direction the man who had called out was pointing.
High up in the sky, a few golden characters emerged from the white void, giving off a dazzling radiance.
Soul Battle Hall!
Each of the words was written in a vigorous and powerful style, revealing an indescribable charm. These words were not portrayed through ordinary means and were instead written by a profound master’s Spiritual Energy.
Even after countless years, the deep majesty that was revealed from these three words had not faded, startling all who saw them. Everyone quickly looked away, as if they were afraid if they stared too long their Souls would be destroyed.
“Soul Battle Hall? Should we interpret these words to mean this is a place where one fights with their Divine Sense?”
“So, that light sphere was a Soul type artifact?”
“Were all of our Soul Avatars pulled into this place so we could fight one another?”
Everyone began chattering, quickly discovering some clues about their current situation, coming to conclusions similar to the ones Yang Kai had thought of.
Hai Wang Gu waved his hand and gestured to everyone, calling out loudly, “If this is really the interior of that artifact, and our Souls were forcefully pulled into this space, if we want to leave, we must first find an exit. None of us can just sit back and wait, everyone should start exploring this place to uncover its mysteries!”
Hearing his words, everyone quickly took the initiative to split up.
This white space was truly a void, and seemed to go on forever in all directions; however, everyone quickly discovered that something was odd.
No matter how far someone walked, they couldn’t go more than a few kilometres before they found themselves back where they started.
After exploring around for some time yet not discovering anything suspicious or even remotely worth their attention, everyone began to feel somewhat disheartened.
The Seven Family Alliance’s Transcendent Realm masters were also participating in this search, extending their powerful Divine Senses in all direction, but no matter how they probed this white space, they could not discover anything, it was like this space was a completely sealed prison with no way out.
“Did you find anything?” The Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess suddenly came over to Yang Kai and asked, as if she had already completely forgotten the unpleasantness of their previous conversation.
In this white void, everyone was like headless flies, so the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess had once again come over to talk to the only person she knew, Yang Kai.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head before suddenly turning to look at her and chuckling.
“What are you laughing at?” The Saintess frowned, “I suddenly found that you’re quite hateful.”
“Then why do you keep trying to talk to me?”
“I don’t know anyone else here, and if they were to recognize me as a Saintess…” Since she came here, she had been hiding her identity, not daring to show her true face to anyone here; After all, the masters of the Seven Family Alliance had all come to welcome her when she first appeared in this island chain and would definitely remember her appearance.
As a Saintess, she had been held up as a symbol of nobility and purity, if today’s matter were to be spread out, not only would it damage her reputation as a Saintess, but even the majesty of Nine Heavens Holy Land would be tarnished.
Therefore, she was quite worried someone would recognize her, and even if she didn’t have a particularly good opinion of Yang Kai, he was really the only one her she could consult with.
“We probably can’t exit this place,” Yang Kai continued to shake his head as he let out a sigh.
“We can’t?” The Saintess’ beautiful face paled slightly, “Could it be we’ll be trapped in here for the rest of our lives?”
“Most likely!” Yang Kai nodded sternly.
“Don’t frighten me, I still haven’t found the next Holy Master yet…” The Saintess really began panicking. Through their few brief contacts, Yang Kai had realized that this silly girl was relatively naive and didn’t understand the cruel and sinister nature of the world; it was probably a result of her status and upbringing.
She was the exact opposite of Yang Kai, who from very young had become accustomed to trials and tribulation and could now face situations like this with a kind of calm indifference.
“I heard that the Holy Masters of your Nine Heavens Holy Land are all found outside your borders by you Saintesses, do you all have some special method of choosing who becomes your Holy Master?” Yang Kai suddenly asked curiously.
“Why would you ask that now? Naturally I have my methods!” The Saintess suddenly becomes somewhat vigilant, “This is something only we Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintesses can achieve, even if you ask me I won’t tell you anything.”
“I was just curious!” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.”
The Saintess secretly breathed a sigh of relief, apparently quite worried that Yang Kai would continue to inquire about the secrets of the Holy Land. Nonetheless, she took the initiative to slightly distance herself from him.
Time passed and the more than a hundred cultivators continued to constantly search their strange environment, but none of them was able to uncover anything.
Gradually, anxiety, panic, and uneasiness began to set in and the cultivators became increasingly agitated as they wandered aimlessly around the white space.
The masters from the Seven Family Alliance also had ugly expressions.
They were well aware of the seriousness of the problem.
The light sphere everyone had been seeking had actually forcibly pulled all their Souls into this inexplicable space which seemed to have no way out; that meant their fate was die in this place!
Those who were present had cultivations of at least the Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage. Although their Souls being separated from their bodies wouldn’t be a problem for a short time, once a certain period had passed, without any care, their physical bodies would wither and die.
Once their physical bodies perished, their Souls would become rootless wood, and if they couldn’t find an appropriate vessel to inhabit, they would soon disappear.
Panic and fear of this eventuality began to subtly spread throughout the crowd.
Yang Kai stood back and observed; having felt the rising tension, he had quietly slipped out of the crowd and put some distance between him and everyone else, raising his vigilance as he did so.
The Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess also noticed the strange atmosphere and attached herself to Yang Kai; wherever he went, she would follow, keeping a not too close yet not too far distance from him.
Yang Kai paid her actions no mind and simply allowed her to do as she pleased.
After an unknown period of time, everyone had finally given up exploring their surroundings because there was simply nothing to find!
Everyone sat down where they were to take a break, though, their dark and gloomy expression said otherwise.
Suddenly, a quarrel broke out, it seemed like two cultivators had gotten into an argument and things had begun to escalate. They began shouting and cursing one another, their voices growing louder very quickly. This verbal spat was like a spark in a dry field, igniting the irritability of everyone around.
“Old bastard, if you hadn’t insisted on breaking that damn barrier, none of us would have fallen into this mess! Now that we’ve all been trapped in here, how are you going to compensate us for this?” Someone suddenly shouted towards Old Man Cheng.
With this man taking the lead, many other foreign cultivators began levying condemnations, all of them believing that this disaster was all Old Man Cheng’s responsibility.
There were even many people from the Seven Family Alliance who were giving Old Man Cheng unfriendly looks.
Old Man Cheng’s expression became grim as he sneered audibly, “Aren’t all of you being a bit unreasonable? Although it’s true I summoned all of you here, before breaking the barrier, none of you raised any objections or were forced to accompany us. Didn’t you all want to search the palace behind the barrier for treasure? Yet now that this has happened, you want to push all the blame onto this old Cheng’s head? ”
“No matter what, it was you who caused all of this, if you can’t find a way out of this place, you must pay with your life!”
“That’s right! You Cheng Family bastards are responsible for this mess, so you have to clean it up, otherwise we’ll make you pay the price!”
“The Seven Family Alliance has this responsibility!”
“Since we’re all going to die anyways, we’ll make sure you suffer for this first!”
Everyone seemed to be filled with righteous indignation and were now openly denouncing the Seven Family Alliance, putting on an aggressive stance as if a fight would break out at any moment.
Seeing the tide turn against him, Hai Wang Gu’s face became sullen, “Before coming here, this old master had said that benefits and risks coexist and that whether you live or die is your responsibility. All of you knew this yet still chose to come. My Seven Family Alliance has no obligation to protect your safety, what do your lives have to do with me?”
These words, at this time when emotions were running high, did not calm the crowd and instead inflamed the situation, Hai Wang Gu shirking all responsibility at this point only made him appear even less sympathetic.
However, this was exactly what the sly Old Man Cheng wanted, soon wearing a smile and turning to the first cultivator who had yelled at him and coldly declaring, “Wanting me dead with such meager skill? Foolishness!”
As he spoke, a sharp blade of Spiritual Energy shot out from Old Man Cheng’s Soul Avatar and instantly slashed into the foreign cultivator’s figure.
A scream rang out and the cultivator didn’t even have a chance to fight back before his Soul Avatar directly broke up.
This man was only was only an Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage cultivator, against the Second Order Transcendent Old Man Cheng, how could he possibly resist?
The crowd suddenly went silent, and the rioters from before all trembled in fear as they stared towards the spot where the previous cultivator had disappeared.
None of them had expected Old Man Cheng to act so ruthlessly, suddenly killing someone without any prior warning.
But soon, the people standing nearby where the unlucky cultivator had died wore strange expressions, their faces showing a look of unexpected happiness, as if they had just tasted the finest wine, the aura of their Soul Avatars even becoming slightly stronger.
“Hm?” Hai Wang Gu raised his brow as he stared at this scene fixedly.
At the same time, all the Transcendents present seemed to notice something surprising.
The Soul Avatar of the dead cultivator had broken up and transformed into strands of Spiritual Energy which had then been absorbed by the several nearby cultivators. Because they had absorbed this Spiritual Energy from the deceased cultivator, their own Souls had grown visibly stronger.
Yang Kai also saw this scene, and his mouth couldn’t help curling into a strange smile, quietly muttering under his breath, “It seems things are about to get interesting!”
“What’s going on?” The Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess asked nervously, she was just following Yang Kai around at this point and hadn’t seen much of the scene just now, so Yang Kai suddenly making such a comment was a bit incomprehensible to her.
“It seems most people here are going to die!” Yang Kai smiled menacingly.
Even as he spoke these words, the Seven Family Alliance’s Transcendents quickly exchanged a glance and instantly understood what each of them was thinking.
An average cultivator found it many times more difficult to cultivate their Spiritual Energy than their physique or True Qi. If they didn’t possess a high grade Soul type Secret Art, they could only use pills to slowly nourish their Souls; such a process took many years to yield results though.
However, in this strange space, there seemed to be some inexplicable law that allowed the residual Spiritual Energy of any Soul Avatar that was destroyed to be swallowed up by others!
This was extremely tempting for anyone.
However, this situation was also accompanied by risks, when another’s Soul collapsed and scattered, the remnants would contain fragmented memories and experiences from that cultivator’s life. If one absorbed too many of these fragmented thoughts, their own personality and memory would likely be affect. In the most serious of cases, one might lose their sense of identity all together or even go completely insane.
Yang Kai had devoured the Soul remnants of many other cultivators before, but only after using his Demon Eye of Annihilation to purge these impurities from them, leaving behind only the pure Spiritual Energy and sentiment. If not for this, he would already have become a madman.
The benefits to his overall Spiritual Energy density were much smaller than directly swallowing these remnants, but the enlightenments about the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao could be completely preserved in this manner, something Yang Kai needed far more than simply improving his cultivation.
But everyone else present obviously didn’t have so many reservations. They had never seen a Secret Art that allowed a cultivator to directly devour the Spiritual Energy of others, even if there was one, it would be far too rare and precious for them to ever get their hands on.
After seeing the people around the dead cultivator receive such benefits, the Seven Family Alliance’s masters were inevitably tempted.
Glancing around at each other, they all quickly wore fierce grins.
The Spiritual Energy of many Transcendents suddenly erupted without any warning and. Since they didn’t possess their flesh and blood bodies here and couldn’t use any of their respective Martial Skills or artifacts, the only thing anyone here could use to attack another was Soul Skills!
Various Soul Skills landed upon the crowd, and before the many foreign cultivators had a chance to respond, more than a dozen of them were instantly killed, their Soul Avatars breaking apart.
The masters from the Seven Family Alliance rushed over to where these cultivators had died and madly devoured the Spiritual Energy which had been left behind.
Whether it was Old Man Cheng or Hai Wang Gu, their old wrinkled faces were filled with exhilaration and excitement.
In that moment, they felt themselves becoming stronger, absorbing the Spiritual Energy remnants of these dead cultivators’ Souls had saved them one or two years of cultivation!
They didn’t care one bit about these foreign cultivators’ lives and instead were eager to have all of them die; this way, not only could they strengthen their Souls, all the treasures obtained in the Ancient Ruins would belong to them.
Facing such temptation, naturally, they had no qualms about slaughtering everyone!
In this white world, the conditions and temptations present had awakened the darkest impulses in the hearts of all the Seven Family Alliance’s masters. These people did not even hesitate to kill their way through dozens of people.
After feeling the benefits of this wanton slaughter, these masters only became more eager.
The foreign cultivators were briefly taken aback but soon reacted, some of them roaring angrily, “I have long seen through your greedy intentions. Brothers, fight with them!”
In an instant, the Soul Avatars of more than a hundred people were divided into two large camps, the Seven Family Alliance was one party while the other was comprised of all the foreign cultivator. In this Soul Battle Hall, a desperate struggle began.
Without artifacts, Martial Skills, or even flesh and blood, the only thing everyone could rely on was their own Soul’s strength and any Soul Skills they may have cultivated.
The cultivators of the two camps collided, and Soul Avatars from both sides continuously collapsed, breaking up into strands of Spiritual Energy that were absorbed by others nearby.
After consuming the Soul remnants of others, these cultivators become even more irritable and murderous, seemingly wanting to kill everyone in front of them in order to obtain the most benefits.
It soon became apparent that the Seven Family Alliance’s was the stronger of the two camps; after all, each family had one or two Transcendents here, easily allowing them to reap the lives of the disordered foreign cultivators.
However, among the foreigners there were also several Transcendents, who soon rallied together and were able to hit back, inflicting considerable damage to the Seven Family Alliance.
Everyone’s eyes had gone red and screams of insanity and fear constantly filled the air.
The cruelty and madness of this scene dumbfounded the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Saintess, her tender body trembling in terror as she watched this bloody melee play out. Even when someone began approaching her, she failed to take notice of them.
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled but decided to sit on the sidelines, interested to see just what kind of skill this young woman possessed.
Finally feeling the approaching crisis, the Saintess woke from her daze and a destructive wave of Spiritual Energy instinctually pulsed from her Avatar, flinging the nearby cultivator far away.
Coming to her senses and glancing around at the Soul remnants that were seemingly scattered all around the world, the Saintess frowned deeply and, unlike everyone else, chose not to absorb them, instead moving away as quickly as possible, a look of disgust filling her pretty face.
Yang Kai nodded secretly, feeling that this woman had decent skill and sense. She instantly understood that these benefits came at too high a cost.
As if sensing Yang Kai was observing her, the Saintess glanced over at him, a trace of vigilance flashing across her eyes.
She didn’t know if Yang Kai would act like everyone else here and suddenly try to attack her; if he did, she wasn’t sure she could resist.
From Yang Kai, she felt a vague sense of pressure, and the burning aura coming off his Avatar made her particularly uneasy.
Yang Kai no longer paid any attention to her and instead re-directed his attention to the melee, an indifferent look upon his face.
The battle had become lopsided. Under the coordinated attack of the Seven Family Alliance masters, the foreign cultivators, who were essentially loose sand, had no choice but to cooperate with each other to fight back. Although this achieved some results in the beginning, in the face of an absolute gap in power, they were quickly being defeated.
After the foreign Transcendents were killed, the remaining Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator became helpless.
Many who were fighting violently only moments ago were now begging for mercy, but the masters of the Seven Family Alliance ignored them and continued reaping their Souls in order to gain more benefits.
Gradually, only a dozen or so people remained, all of them Transcendent Realm masters from the Seven Family Alliance.
If seems that because they swallowed excessive amounts of remnant Souls, side effects were finally beginning to break out. Each of these masters appeared on edge, their Soul Avatars giving off a somewhat chaotic aura.
After only a brief pause, the survivors of the previous carnage began to fight again.
“What should we do?” As Yang Kai was watching, the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess came over to him for the third time, her face filled with anxiety and helplessness, causing Yang Kai to chuckle slightly.
“What do you mean ‘what should we do’?” Yang Kai asked back
“What should we do if they suddenly attack us?” The Saintess was clearly frightened. Although she was a First Order Transcendent, there were still so many masters left from the Seven Family Alliance. Once they began targeting her, she wouldn’t be able to resist, so even though she was still somewhat wary of Yang Kai, she decided to approach him in an attempt to tie their fates together.
“You deal with your problems, I’ll deal with mine!” Yang Kai shooed her away, keenly aware of her intentions.
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll die here?”
“This is a blessing not a curse, and even if it is a curse, it couldn’t be avoided, what use is there in being afraid?” Yang Kai sneered, his complete indifference to everything dumbfounding the Saintess once again. As she was staring at him though, Yang Kai also began looking her over.
“What do you want to do?” The Saintess immediately became alert, Yang Kai’s unrestrained gaze gave her chills and she quickly said, “Don’t forget, I rescued you once before, you should show a little gratitude.”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders in response, “Rest assured, I don’t have any intentions towards you, there’s no need for you to be nervous.”
The Saintess wore a somewhat distrust look upon her face, staring straight into Yang Kai’s eyes, as if trying to see through his thoughts, her expression relaxing a moment later.
She could feel that Yang Kai really bore no malicious will towards her, but as for his true thoughts, she had no idea, causing her to feel slightly uneasy.
If she had known this little adventure of hers would be so dangerous, she wouldn’t have fooled her guards and snuck off to dive to the bottom of the sea!
The Saintess desperately wanted to cry but was unable to shed any tears.
Yang Kai no longer cared about her and instead focused his Divine Sense on the battle occurring a short distance away.
The Seven Family Alliance’s dozen masters were all familiar with each other, so the fight between them was quite heated. On top of that, under the influence of the Soul remnants they had swallowed, these dozen or so masters had basically lost their ability to reason and were only interested in slaughtering one another. After an hour or so, the outcome of this war was decided.
Of the dozen or so masters who had fought, almost all of them had died, only two of them survived.
One of them was the Hai Family’s Hai Wang Gu and the other was Old Man Cheng who had gathered everyone here in the first place. Both of these two were Second Order Transcendents so in this battle they undoubtedly had the greatest advantage in terms of strength.
However, after such a fight, their Soul Avatars had become somewhat weak. After battling each other for a while, they apparently could no longer persist and both sat down to recover their stamina and a little of their sanity.
Seeing this scene, the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess immediately motioned to Yang Kai, apparently encouraging him to take this opportunity to attack and kill these two old guys.
However, Yang Kai kept shaking his head, indicating that he didn’t have the courage or strength to do so, causing the Saintess no small amount of frustration.
From beginning to end, Yang Kai hadn’t shown the slightest bit of fear, or even concern, instead he even seemed to be enjoying himself as he watched these people fight.
This kind of performance either indicated his absolute confidence or ignorance.
The Saintess didn’t think it was the latter, so she couldn’t understand why he would give up such a good opportunity to launch a sneak attack.
If she were to attack on her own, she didn’t have confidence she could win, thus she could only hesitantly remain where she was.
It wasn’t difficult for Yang Kai to kill Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng, it could even be considered quite easy, but he didn’t want to expose his true strength in front of outsiders. If it is someone else, the solution would be simple, he just needed to silence the witness to the crime and that would be that, but this Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess had previously extended a helping hand to him, although he didn’t really need it.
Killing this woman in cold blood just to keep his secrets was something Yang Kai couldn’t bring himself to do.
He had his own code of conduct, and killing someone who had once helped him ran counter to that code.
Yang Kai had a fair headache now, and mused about how it would be nice if he could find a way to stun this young woman for a while.
As he was mulling over such impractical thoughts, Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng finally seemed to have discovered that there were still two outsiders left here.
Yang Kai and the Saintess had remained far from the battle since it began and had simply been quietly observing the whole time, but now that almost everyone else had been eliminated, it was impossible for them to hide anymore.
Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng both glanced at one another before suddenly letting out a laugh.
“Brother Cheng, how about we solve this small problem first before deciding who the ultimate victor between us is?” Hai Wang Gu suddenly proposed.
Old Man Cheng frowned and pondered for a while before nodding, a malicious grin appearing on his face in the next instant, “I just happen to need to supplement my Spiritual Energy.”
Saying so, the two of them stood up at the same time and glanced over towards the two outsiders, neither of them showing any signs of anxiety as they calmly strode over towards them, a look of absolute confidence upon their faces.
When they had approached to within a short distance, the two old men glanced over at their prey and couldn’t help feeling stunned, apparently recognizing the young woman as the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess.
“You…” Hai Wang Gu pointed at the young woman, his brow wrinkling deeply, “Are you not Your Royal Highness the Saintess?”
Old Man Cheng also wore a completely stupefied expression.
Their murderous intent and unruly demeanors both disappeared upon recognizing the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess.
“It is I!” The Saintess nodded lightly.
“How come you are here?” Hai Wang Gu frowned and asked, seemingly coming to a conclusion and asking in amazement, “Could it be you came here as a member of my Seven Family Alliance’s exploration group?”
“En, I had wanted to come take a look at the scenery down here, but I never expected such a thing to happen,” The Saintess replied, looking extremely calm and composed.
“This is…” Hai Wang Gu looked suspiciously towards Yang Kai.
The Saintess hesitated for only an instantly before replying, “He is my servant!”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed, shooting a somewhat stunned glance towards the Saintess. Her words just now indicated her intent to use her status to shield him by tying them together.
Any servant of a Saintess would obviously be a disciple of Nine Heavens Holy Land. With such an identity, it was likely Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng would be more hesitant to act against Yang Kai.
Sure enough, upon hearing the Saintess’ words, the expressions of the two old men became grim, showing both hesitation and reluctance.
Their moods were completely reflected in the aura fluctuations of their Soul Avatars though. These fluctuations were sometimes rapid, sometimes calm, sometimes dangerous while sometimes nervous. Obviously, they weren’t as respectful as their expressions indicated and were weighing the pros and cons of their next actions.
Perceiving the malice directed towards them, the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Saintess’ beautiful face changed slightly, lifting her hand slightly and releasing a subtle force from her Soul Avatar.
This force was quite mysterious, and did not carry the slightest murderous intent or maliciousness, but when it appeared, it was like a gentle rain that lightly washed over Yang Kai, Hai Wang Gu, and Old Man Cheng’s forms, seeping into their Soul Avatars before disappearing.
All three of them frowned, unsure of what the Saintess was trying to do.
A moment later though, Yang Kai suddenly felt that his state of mind had calmed greatly and his Soul felt a sense of comfort, it was like a spring breeze had swept away all of his troubles, and the idea of secluding himself away from the world and no longer caring about anything became quite prominent in his mind.
Secretly surprised, Yang Kai quickly shook off such escapist thoughts before turning to look at Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng, surprised to see that the irritability their two Soul Avatars were just giving off seemed to have been soothed. The two of them no longer showed the same violent aggression and were obviously thinking more clearly now.
The Soul Skill the Saintess had just used must be one that helps clear others’ hearts and minds.
Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng looked at each other with their brows wrinkled and hesitated for a while before Hai Wang Gu asked, “What happened just now, Your Royal Highness Saintess saw, correct?”
The Saintess’ pretty face changed slightly as she wore a faint smile, “Yes, but you can rest assured that I will not disclose this matter to anyone, I also do not wish for others to know I was here. What we need to do now is to find a way out of this place, don’t you agree?”
Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng both remained silent, their brows still deeply wrinkled, apparently weighing their options.
The Saintess was a little uneasy; although she used her special Soul skill to help Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng temporarily stabilize their moods, these two men were not good people to begin with. Once malicious thoughts took root in their minds, even her Soul Skill couldn’t dissuade them.
Quickly shooting a glance over towards Yang Kai, she saw him pretending he wasn’t involved.
The Saintess bit her teeth, trying not to say anything but was about to explode!
After a while, Hai Wang Gu suddenly said, “Brother Cheng, what do you think?”
Old Man Cheng took a deep breath and quickly replied, “Since things have come this far, we should see it through to the end!”
Hai Wang Gu smiled and nodded, “Sure enough, Brother Cheng and I are of the same mind.”
Saying so, he directed a sharp glance towards the Saintess and coldly snorted, “So what if you’re a Saintess? No one cares about your status here, and no one will know it was us who killed you.”
The Saintess’ face finally became gloomy as she realized these two old men were determined to silence the witnesses to their crime.
With so many foreign cultivators dead and the Seven Family Alliance having lost so many masters, if the truth of this incident were to spread out, it would be extremely damaging to the Hai Family and Cheng Family.
On top of that, this was the perfect place to make someone disappear.
As they spoke, the two old men’s Soul Avatars once again revealed a hostile and violent aura, in the next instant the two of them launching Divine Sense attacks towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s strength seemed to be relatively low, so Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng naturally wanted to quickly dispatch him first then find a way to deal with the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess together.
Yang Kai’s face became cold and the moment these attacks were about to hit he swiftly dodged them.
“Hm?” Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng were both shocked by this unexpected development.
“I’ll help you stall one, you should be able to beat them one on one right?” Yang Kai said to the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess before beckoning to Hai Wang Gu, “Old fart, show me what you’re made of!”
“Little brat, I’ll kill you!” Hai Wang Gu shouted angrily, easily being drawn in by Yang Kai’s cheap taunt and charging towards him.
Normally, it would be impossible for Hai Wang Gu to act so recklessly, but right now, whether it was him or Old Man Cheng, both of them had swallowed too many Soul remnants so their consciousness were somewhat unstable. It can be said that most of their actions right now were being driven by their more base impulses, so when Yang Kai insulted him, Hai Wang Gu had immediately lashed out.
“Wai…” The Saintess hurriedly tried to say something to Yang Kai but before she could, Old Man Cheng came flying towards her and she had no choice but to quickly use a Soul Skill to defend herself.
Yang Kai has led Hai Wang Gu far away but had no intention of fighting him and was only constantly avoiding the latter’s Divine Sense attacks while taking the opportunity to observe the situation of the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess.
He was planning on letting this Saintess kill Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng so he didn’t need to expose his strength or the existence of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai felt that with her background, this Saintess should have the ability to accomplish this.
Although her cultivation was slightly lower than that of Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng, Nine Heavens Holy Land and the Seven Family Alliance couldn’t even be placed in the same category in terms of heritage. From the Soul Skill this young woman just displayed, Yang Kai estimated her true combat strength should be greater than these two old men.
But after watching for a while, Yang Kai discovered that something was wrong.
Under the constant attack of Old Man Cheng, this woman seemed to only know how to evade and defend herself and showed no intention of fighting back.
From Yang Kai’s perspective, this Saintess had multiple opportunities to take advantage of her opponent’s openings to launch a counterattack, but she never once acted upon them.
It wasn’t even that she couldn’t see these openings but that she didn’t seem to have any will to fight Old Man Cheng.
“What are you doing?” Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling annoyed and shouted out towards her, “Fight back, what do you plan on accomplishing by simply running away?”
“I…” Saintess desperately wanted to cry but was unable to shed any tears, trying to get a word out only to be interrupted again by Old Man Cheng’s assault.
“Little brat, you should be more worried about yourself!” Hai Wang Gu chased behind Yang Kai while laughing maniacally.
Yang Kai glanced at him coldly before his image flickered and shot towards the direction of the Saintess.
Arriving a moment later, Yang Kai came up beside the Saintess and grumbled, “What’s going on? Why aren’t you fighting back?”
The Saintess grit her teeth and shot back angrily, “Why are you asking about something you already know?”
“Why would I be asking about something I know?” Yang Kai asked back.
“I’m a Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land!”
“I know that, what about it?” Yang Kai suddenly found that he couldn’t understand this woman’s words.
“You don’t know what Saintesses can’t do?” Blocking another attack, the young woman shot Yang Kai a blank look.
Yang Kai shook his head.
“What backwater countryside did you crawl out from!?” The Saintess saw that he wasn’t lying and her eyes filled with shock before she shouted, “A Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess, before death, cannot kill!”
“Says who?” Yang Kai’s face went black as he began to realize his clever plan was likely going to fail.
“This has been the case since ancient times!” Saintess hurriedly explained, “We can’t kill, once we violate this taboo, a flaw will develop in our Secret Art!”
“What bullshit Secret Art has such a dumb flaw!?” Yang Kai was furious, he had never heard of a Secret Art with such a ridiculous restrictions.
However, with such an unreasonable condition, the Secret Art she cultivated must be quite formidable.
“Then why aren’t you making a move?” The Saintess fled together with Yang Kai as she shot him a sharp glance, “Even in this situation you seem to be quite relaxed, why are you trying to make me do all the work?”
Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing under his breath, feeling somewhat helpless; it seems he couldn’t kill these two old men with a borrowed a knife after all. But, before he did anything, the Saintess voice once again rang out.
“Although I can’t do it myself, I can help you. With my assistance you don’t need to worry whether you’re their opponent or not,” The Saintess hurriedly said.
“How do you plan on helping me?”
The Saintess said nothing and instead poured some kind of Soul Skill into Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar.
Yang Kai’s face changed slightly; when this Soul Skill penetrated into his body, he couldn’t help but feeling a strange sensation, as if a connection had been made between him and this Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess. It was as if she possessed something within her that was now flowing into Yang Kai, rapidly enhancing the strength of his Spiritual Energy.
On top of that, a vast amount of information began appearing in his mind and all sorts of mysterious Secret Arts and Martial Skills were rapidly being imprinted in his consciousness.
Yang Kai immediately felt as if he could freely use these skills!
This feeling was fantastical and unfounded but Yang Kai was fully convinced it was the truth.
His rapid footsteps halting, Yang Kai quickly came to a halt, standing his ground while taking a deep breath, his eyes filling with light.
The Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land also hurriedly stopped, standing not far behind Yang Kai, her beautiful eyes staring at him nervously.
“Little brats, let’s see where you can run now!” Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng roared. Although these two juniors weren’t as strong as they were, they were quite quick, so if they hadn’t stopped on their own, it was possible these two old men wouldn’t have been able to catch them.
Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng, their stomachs full of grievances, were both releasing a thick murderous intent.
Yang Kai slowly turned and stared at them, his brow furrowed, seemingly puzzled by his current condition.
A moment later, Yang Kai slowly raised his hand, and his Spiritual Energy burst out, quickly condensing into a huge golden sword that hovered above his head.
This giant sword was comprised purely of Spiritual Energy and was more than a dozen meters long. From this golden body, a burning hot aura pulsed, seemingly capable of incinerating anything it touched.
An unparalleled sense of oppression fell from the sky, and Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng’s faces became stiff as they stared towards Yang Kai. Under this pressure, they felt as if a mountain was pressing down on them and a deep sense of fear penetrated all the way to their bones. In that instant, they felt as if death was upon them and any resistance was futile.
As for the Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land, she too was trembling, her pretty face filled with a look of amazement. As she stared towards Yang Kai, a different kind of light flashed across her beautiful eyes, as if she had just discovered something incomprehensible, her spirits rising greatly!
Yang Kai stared at the giant sword above him, somewhat lost in thought for a moment flicked his wrist. In the next instant, the giant sword descended from the sky directly towards Old Man Cheng.
A violent wave of wind swept past and before Old Man Cheng could make a sound, his Soul Avatar disintegrated under the giant sword. Hai Wang Gu, who was standing nearby, was also thrown through the air from the aftermath, landing nearby somewhat unsteadily.
“This is the Profound Heavenly Sword?” Yang Kai frowned and turned to look at Saintess, the latter unconsciously nodding.
“Yes!”
Old Man Cheng was killed with a single blow and Hai Wang Gu had been flung away like a stray dog and was currently scrambling frantically to escape from Yang Kai.
Yang Kai glanced over at the fleeing Hai Wang Yu faintly before his moving his hand slightly, the giant sword that had just crushed Old Man Cheng transforming into a rope and shooting off, capturing the fleeing old man instantly and immobilizing him.
Yang Kai gently tugged his hand and the rope that was binding Hai Wang Gu dragged him back towards the former.
“This is the Imprisoning Heaven Lock?” Yang Kai asked the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess.
“En!”
“Interesting, why am I suddenly able to use these Soul Skills?” Yang Kai looked at her suspiciously, “And my Spiritual Energy seems to have strengthened significantly. What exactly did you do to me?”
“Can we talk about this later?” The Saintess’ eyes flickered, apparently somewhat reluctant to answer.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and didn’t ask any further.
The two Soul Skills Yang Kai had just used were skills he had never even heard of until just now, yet now he seemed to have a comprehensive understanding of them as well as a complete mastery of their usage, as if he had cultivated them for many years.
If was impossible for this odd situation to occur spontaneously and the only explanation was that this woman had done something to him.
If Yang Kai had to guess, it was like she had directly transferred these two Soul Skills into Yang Kai’s consciousness, allowing him to instantly comprehend and use them.
On top of that, the amount of Spiritual Energy Yang Kai just used wasn’t that great; at most, it was equivalent to what Hai Wang Gu and this Saintess could use, but that not powerful strength had been enough to easily obliterate Old Man Cheng.
Yang Kai’s heart and head were filled with doubts and confusion!
“What are you going to do with this person?” The Saintess asked, pointing to the tied up Hai Wang Gu.
“What else can I do?” Yang Kai snorted, and the rope tied to Hai Wang Gu suddenly burst into flames. With a scream of despair, Hai Wang Gu’s Soul Avatar was incinerated, leaving behind not even a trace of ash.
Throughout the entire Soul Battle Hall, only Yang Kai and the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess remained.
Facing each other, under Yang Kai’s focused gaze, the Saintess seemed somewhat uncomfortable and averted her eyes.
“What is your name?” Yang Kai asked.
“An Ling’er… what about you?”
“Zhang San!”
An Ling’er’s pretty face turned sour. Yang Kai’s perfunctory attitude really annoyed her, but right now wasn’t an appropriate time to vent her grievances so she could only swallow her anger.
“Now can you tell me what you did just now?” Yang Kai asked solemnly, “Whatever it was, it was quite unusual.”
“Do you have to know?” An Ling’er bit her lip lightly but Yang Kai just nodded firmly, “If I don’t understand what just happened, how can I be sure it won’t bring me harm?”
“You can rest assured that what I did was absolutely harmless to you, moreover, I have no reason to harm you.”
“I still hope you can explain it to me clearly.”
“Good!” An Ling’er took a deep breath, “Since you insist on this, I’ll tell you.”
After she said that, she fell silent for a moment, seemingly organizing her thoughts, a moment later continuing, “Even you should know some basic information about my Nine Heavens Holy Land. Every Holy Master is found by us, the Saintesses from the outside world. We have some special methods with which to seek out appropriate candidates, and if one of them passes our test, they will become the next Holy Master of the Holy Land. As for what kind of methods we use to seek out such candidates, please forgive me, I can only tell you that it is related to my Secret Art.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“I think you should have heard that before being named as Holy Master, each of these people came from different walks of life and their aptitudes varied greatly, but once they enter my Holy Land and become the Holy Master, they are reborn and become extraordinary existences. This actually had a lot to do with us, the Saintesses.”
“Oh? How so?”
“We… since birth were raised as the Holy Master’s cultivation furnaces! All our cultivation and experiences are strictly prepared for the Holy Master, so that upon finding him and bringing him back to the Holy Land, we can instill them into him; this is the greatest responsibility of us Saintesses. Moreover, because there is more than one Saintess in the Holy Land, the benefits each Holy Master can obtain are massive, which is why every Holy Master can become an extraordinary powerhouse, because it is not just him cultivating on his own. Depending on various circumstances, the number of Saintesses can range from three or four to up to seven or eight, all of them assisting the Holy Master in his cultivation. With so many cultivation furnaces all providing assistance to him, it is difficult for the Holy Land’s Holy Master to not become strong.”
“Something like that really happens?” Yang Kai was shocked.
“This is the greatest secret of my Holy Land, do not tell anyone else about it,” An Ling’er warned seriously.
“Don’t worry, I don’t have loose lips,” Yang Kai nodded, becoming slightly pensive as he muttered, “So, my being able to master the Soul Skills of your Nine Heavens Holy Land is simply because you learned them yourself and you then instilled that knowledge into me?”
“En, what you mastered are the skills I am proficient in. A Saintess, before death, does not kill, but we can use our special methods to assist the Holy Master, and the benefits we bring to the Holy Master are not limited to just this. You should have felt just now, with my assistance, your Spiritual Energy became stronger.”
Yang Kai’s expression couldn’t help being strange at this point, “But I’m not your Holy Master, how come you were able to assist me so?”
An Ling’er sighed and bit her lip before saying, “Although I don’t want to admit it, you probably have the aptitude to become the next Holy Master.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“It’s true. Just now, I only wanted to help boost your Spiritual Energy so that you could fight against those two and had no intention of imparting the Holy Land’s Divine Skills, but somehow you managed to comprehend them all on your own. Can I ask you, how many of the Divine Skills did you manage to learn just now?”
“Just those two!”
“Those two skills are both incredibly difficult to comprehend, even with the help of us Saintesses. If a new Holy Master wants to master the Holy Land’s Divine Skills, it is not so easy. It is very likely that it will take many tries before a new Holy Master can thoroughly master any of the Divine Skills. You being able to not only grasp but utilize two of them in an instant, you should be able to understand the implications,” An Ling’er narrowed her eyes slightly.
Yang Kai’s eyes also narrowed slightly, “How many Divine Skills have you mastered?”
“Nine!” An Ling’er smiled lightly, “Want to learn?”
“Meh!” Yang Kai replied casually, putting on an uninterested expression.
“I can teach all of them to you right now actually, but there is a condition you have to promise me.”
Yang Kai’s face sank; he didn’t like it when people bargained back and forth with him.
“Follow me back to the Holy Land. When the times comes, not only will you be able to obtain my enlightenments but also those of my three sisters, we will help you grow in the shortest time possible.”
“You want me to go back with you to become your Holy Master?” Yang Kai grinned.
“Yes! I feel like you are an appropriate candidate, even though… you’re somewhat hateful,” An Ling’er replied truthfully.
“Not interested!” Yang Kai smiled and shook his head slowly.
“You…” An Ling’er almond coloured eyes bulged, a look of pure surprise spreading across her face. Never had she imagined that Yang Kai would refuse her offer so bluntly.
Who didn’t want to be the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land? The entire archipelago occupied by the Seven Family Alliance had become incredibly lively, with cultivators coming from near and far, all just for the chance of being selected by the Saintess. After all, if they were really chosen, it would be like leaping over the Dragon Gate and soaring into the sky in a single bound!
No matter where An Ling’er went, each island was the same: All the men, young and old, would flock to her with expectant looks.
But now, when she took the initiative to invite someone she believed worthy of receiving this honour, she was actually rejected! An Ling’er couldn’t help feeling like she was dreaming, staring dumbfounded at Yang Kai, unable to speak.
“If I want strength, I’ll cultivate it myself, why should I depend on women for it?” Yang Kai sneered, “What difference is there between that and being a gigolo?”
“Are you still not clear about the benefits of becoming a Holy Master?” An Ling’er frowned, “Becoming a Holy Master not only means you will become one of this world’s hegemons in the future, you will also receive things most people will never be able to obtain in their lifetimes. Whether its wealth, status, fame, even beauties, all of it will be yours.”
“Does that also include you?” Yang Kai looked at her evilly.
An Ling’er’s expression suddenly became a bit unnatural, but she soon nodded, “Yes, I was originally born to be the Holy Master’s cultivation furnace, not only me, but also my three sisters. As long as you desire it, regardless of what it is, we sisters will give it to you; you can openly enjoy the pampering of four wives!”
“A tempting offer!” Yang Kai licked his lips, an obscene expression appearing on his face which seemed to be particularly wretched.
“Then you…”
“Nope!” Yang Kai sneered, his expression changing faster than flipping the page of a book, shaking his head and saying, “There must be demerits, becoming Holy Master has so many advantages, so the price one has to pay shouldn’t be small, right?”
An Ling’er pretty face froze up as she stared deeply at him and nodded, “Yes, there is a rumor in the Holy Land that, although there is no basis, I believe is the price each Holy Master needs to pay!”
“Let’s hear it!”
“Every Holy Master doesn’t live long… It seems that the one who lived the longest was only three hundred years old.”
Nine Heavens Holy Land was a powerful Sect and the Holy Master, with the assistance of so many Saintesses as cultivation furnaces, definitely increased his strength rapidly. Yang Kai estimated that each Holy Master became a Third Order Saint after only several dozen years.
Third Order Saints had long since transcended the level of mortality and their life expectancy was greatly extended, to only live to three hundred years was obviously dying young.
Even Third Order Transcendents from certain forces could live for hundreds of years.
Upon hearing the price, Yang Kai completely discarded any intentions to become the so-called Holy Master had. Three hundred years seemed like a long time, but for those who pursued the Martial Dao, such a period of time was but a fleeting moment.
Yang Kai firmly believed that even if he didn’t become a Holy Master, in three hundred years he would still be living well, perhaps traveling around with Su Yan and Little Senior Sister, freely exploring the world.
“However, if you think about it, in exchange for such benefits, it’s a small price to pay; after all, this isn’t something many people can pursue in their lifetime,” An Ling’er continued trying to persuade Yang Kai.
But Yang Kai simply snickered and said confidently, “After thirty years, I will be able to stand on equal footing as your nonsense Holy Master.”
“Thirty years…” An Ling’er stared at him doubtfully, “You certainly know how to talk big.”
To stand on equal footing with the Holy Master meant at least being a Third Order Saint.
An Ling’er didn’t believe Yang Kai was capable of this and only thought he was an overconfident youth.
“Believe what you like,” Yang Kai smiled, his face filled with confidence.
“You really won’t reconsider?”
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head, “But I have to say, the way you choose your Holy Master is too sloppy. How can you decide the next leader of such a big force so casually?”
“It’s not sloppy!” An Ling’er retorted vigorously, “Our Secret Art is based entirely around finding the next Holy Master. As long as there is a suitable candidate within a certain radius, we Saintesses can perceive them. A situation like yours is the actually the alternative method to finding a candidate. If we Saintesses cannot find an appropriate candidate within the allotted time, we can only let the Holy Land recruit as many young people with high aptitude and pass them knowledge of the Holy Land’s Divine Skills to see if they can comprehend them. Although today’s event was an accident, you have indeed passed my test and are eligible to enter the Holy Land. En, in fact, your performance is exemplary, so you’re definitely qualified!”
Yang Kai laughed back at her, “Can you guarantee that the person you choose is loyal to your Holy Land and doesn’t have any ulterior motives?”
“We can!” An Ling’er nodded firmly, “After entering the Holy Land, the new Holy Master’s mindset will change.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes at this comment. Although he wasn’t quite clear about the details, from what he could gather, it seems the Nine Heavens Holy Land would use some special method to brainwash their new leader.
“Fine fine, let’s put this aside for now,” Yang Kai didn’t want to continue inquiring into the secrets of Nine Heavens Holy Land. The more he knew, the less helpful it was to him. Having said so, Yang Kai released a subtle stream of Spiritual Energy from the Soul Avatar and before An Ling’er could respond, wrapped her in it.
“What are you doing?” An Ling’er’s pretty face changed as she suddenly found herself unable to move. Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy was far stronger than she had estimated before and also contained a burning hot aura that caused her Soul Avatar a fair amount of discomfort.
Yang Kai looked her over, a complicated look flashing across his eyes as he nodded slightly, “En, considering everything that’s happened, the safest course of action would be to kill you.”
“Kill me?” An Ling’er’s beautiful face paled slightly, “You think I’ve seen too much?”
“That’s one of the reasons,” Yang Kai nodded calmly, “With the things you know, I can imagine that once you go back, your Nine Heavens Holy Land won’t leave me alone and will try to force me to go back with you, either to force me to take the position of Holy Master or to kill me in order to protect the secrets of your Holy Land. I don’t want to deal with either of these situations.”
“Aren’t you being a bit paranoid?” An Ling’er frowned as she stared at him faintly, “As long as I don’t tell anyone, who will know what happened here today? And don’t forget, I saved you once before, don’t tell me you’re going to repay that kindness with enmity.”
“You don’t need to remind me,” Yang Kai spat disdainfully, “In fact, I don’t know what I should do with you right now. If I killed you, I would definitely regret it for the rest of my life, at worst it may become a kind of heart demon, but if I just let you go, I won’t be able to feel relieved.”
Listening to him, An Ling’er nervousness couldn’t help diminishing greatly as she quietly asked, “So what do you need me to do?”
“Nothing much! But this was something I wished to avoid as well.” Yang Kai sighed as he reached out his hand and grabbed towards her Soul Avatar.
An Ling’er was frightened and wanted to struggle but was still unable to move.
Yang Kai’s hand hadn’t even touched An Ling’er before he clenched his fist and pulled it back towards himself.
An irresistible attraction seemed to emerge all of a sudden and An Ling’er’s vision became hazy, her Soul Avatar collapsing to the ground softly a moment later.
Struggling to raise her head, she directed a hate-filled glare towards Yang Kai and spat angrily, “So you learned more than just two Divine Skills!”
“Sorry, I actually learned three of them!” Yang Kai smiled, “This one is called Great Heavenly Attraction, right?”
An Ling’er bit down hard on her lips and refused to answer.
“Profound Heavenly Sword, Imprisoning Heaven Chain, Great Heavenly Attraction…” Yang Kai muttered, “Your Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Divine Skills are really quite convenient and practical.”
“Convenient? Practical?! You’re only able to use them because of my ten years of hard work!” An Ling’er listened to his evaluation and suddenly couldn’t help snapping back at him.
Yang Kai simply ignored her and instead stared at the small piece of Spiritual Energy in his hand. This thread was something he had pulled out from An Ling’er’s Soul Avatar and actually looked like a miniature version of her, sitting cross-legged atop Yang Kai’s palm, solemn and motionless.
This was An Ling’er Soul brand!
With this brand in hand, Yang Kai could control whether An Ling’er lived or died at will.
“As a safety precaution, I’ll be accepting your Soul brand, and I hope from now on our paths will never cross again. En, well, when one day I am able to match your Holy Master, I’ll go to your Nine Heavens Holy Land and return this brand to you,” Yang Kai said, storing away her Soul brand into his own Avatar.
An Ling’er looked as if she had suffered a great injustice, but was helpless to resist.
Although she too was proficient in the Great Heavenly Attraction, her Divine Sense was not nearly as powerful as Yang Kai’s, so even though she wanted to fight back, she couldn’t.
This man was simply abhorrent to the extreme, she had clearly just offered him fame, riches, power, and women, yet not only did he refuse her, but he was also now trying to control her as well.
“Hey, I’m not really trying to act maliciously towards you, stop looking at me like I’m so kind of monster,” Yang Kai said to her as he shook his head.
“You bastard!” An Ling’er gnashed her teeth, seemingly trying to vent her anger.
“Yes yes yes, I’m a big bastard, the most hateful person in the world. Anyways, you should calm yourself down and cultivate quietly for a bit,” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively. Now that he was in possession of her Soul brand, he felt much more relaxed.
Although extracting her Soul brand had caused some damage to An Ling’er’s Soul, it would be fine as long as she cultivated for a while, Yang Kai had made sure of that just now.
An Ling’er pursed her lips and ignored him, wandering a short distance away and sitting down, looking very pitiful.
Yang Kai watched her for a moment before helplessly shaking his head and flying off.
This white world was indeed inside a Soul type artifact. As for this artifact’s purpose, Yang Kai wasn’t quite clear. All he knew was that it was capable of forcefully extracting others’ Soul Avatars and dragging them into this strange space.
This was something quite useful for Yang Kai nonetheless.
His Soul was actually much more powerful than his physical body, so once he encountered a powerful enemy, with this artifact, he could force them into a confrontation between Divine Senses.
In such a battle, Yang Kai would have a lot of advantages.
As such, he really wanted to collect this artifact for himself.
However, the more than a hundred people who had been drawn into this white space had already searched it several times over and found nothing of note. In fact, the only thing that was at all different in this place was the glowing ‘Soul Battle Hall’ words hanging up in the sky.
Flying up to the position where the words were written, Yang Kai carefully inspected them, his expression turned stern.
As time passed, An Ling’er also recovered from the damage she had suffered and turned her eyes towards the sky, a while later also flying up and standing next to Yang Kai, asking, “Are you looking for an exit, or do you perhaps want to refine this artifact?”
“Not angry anymore?” Yang Kai glanced over at her curiously, he found that this woman was quite forgiving. Before now, Yang Kai had repeatedly pushed her away, but each time, after a short bout of pouting, she would come over to him again.
“Of course I’m still angry!” An Ling’er firmly stated, “But I’ve decided to put that aside for now. The most important thing right now is to find a way out of here.”
“Clever girl!” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “You’re right, I want to refine this artifact. Since it’s a Soul type artifact, it should be possible to refine it using my Spiritual Energy, but I don’t know how I should go about doing that, what do you think? Any suggestions?”
An Ling’er swept her eyes around carefully and thought for a moment before replying, “You should try refining these three words, it may be the core of this artifact. Pour your Spiritual Energy into these words and you should be able to take possession of this artifact!”
“Seems we’re in agreement,” Yang Kai nodded before saying, “You should stand farther away.”
An Ling’er narrowed her eyes slightly, and although she felt a little confused by his suggestion, she still obediently moved away, landing back where the two of them had just had their last fight.
Looking up, she saw Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar sitting cross-legged and motionless mid-air, seemingly concentrating on something.
All of a sudden, an astonishingly hot burning aura spread out from his Soul Avatar as a brilliant, golden light filled the entire white space, the Soul Battle Hall seeming shaking in response.
Instantly, the three words were directly wrapped in blazing flames.
An Ling’er’s jaw went slack as she saw this, her tender body trembling slightly.
Originally she had thought that Yang Kai had cultivated some kind of special Soul Skill or possessed a powerful Soul type artifact which gave his Soul Avatar that faint burning aura, but after witnessing this scene, she realized that neither of these was the case. The truth was that his Soul Avatar gave off a burning hot aura because of its innate nature!
[A Conflagrated Knowledge Sea?] An Ling’er was completely shocked.
Moreover, from what she could tell, Yang Kai’s use of his Spiritual Energy had reached a very high standard.
No wonder he had taken her Soul brand, it wasn’t just because he had learned some of the Holy Land’s secrets from her, but also because he possessed such a secret!
He obviously didn’t want her to tell anyone about this.
However, with this, the two of them might really be saved. The power of a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea was far greater than an ordinary Knowledge Sea, and it seemed Yang Kai’s raw strength was also quite considerable. This Soul type artifact, even if its grade wasn’t low, probably wouldn’t be able to withstand being refined by such hot, violent Spiritual Energy.
An Ling’er suddenly felt a bit joyful as she made up her mind to do whatever it took to convince Yang Kai to return to the Holy Land with her!
A Holy Master with a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea! This was unprecedented even in the Holy Land’s entire history. With such aptitude and capital, as long as he became the next Holy Master, he would certainly be the most powerful one in history!
The seabed, somewhere in the Ancient Ruins.
In this place, within a thousand meters, there were more than a hundred cultivators lying on the ground, most of them already dead. Only a man and a woman still showed any signs of life, but they were both comatose.
In front of these cultivators there was a glowing light sphere that was continuously emitting some subtle energy fluctuations. As these fluctuations rose and fell, the light from the sphere also pulsed, sometimes brilliant and blinding, other times seemingly on the verge of being extinguished.
Suddenly, a golden radiance bloomed from the light sphere. When this golden aura appeared, the nearby space gradually became hot.
This golden aura began expanding outwards and soon encompassed the entire region, turning the light sphere into a miniature golden sun, the burning sensation in the air become more and more intense.
*Kacha…*
The sound of something shattering rang out.
At the same time, two Souls shot out from the light sphere, circle a few times, and then slowly landed on two of the bodies lying down below.
The golden radiance coming from the light sphere gradually dimmed and after a while, the entire orb went dark.
A moment later, An Ling’er slowly struggled to open her eyes and arduously picked herself up off the ground. After finally managing to stand upright, she looked around and spotted Yang Kai a short distance away.
As the pair met eyes, they couldn’t help grinning slightly.
Inside the Soul Battle Hall, in order to refine the artifact, Yang Kai had been persistently burning the three glowing words with his powerful Spiritual Energy, and just now, after who knows how long, he finally managed to succeed.
After overcoming such hardship together, An Ling’er suddenly felt that Yang Kai was somewhat good but still in most cases, bad. However, still quite bearable to be around. Yang Kai also thought that this young woman wasn’t so bad either, even if she was a bit naive. When he was refining the artifact, she had not tried to disturb or hinder him in any way and had instead just waited quietly while keeping her distance.
After successfully refining the Soul type artifact, it was easy to leave; Yang Kai simply summoned an exit and the two of them stepped through it.
Their Souls having been separated from their bodies for quite some time, a sense of discomfort was unavoidable. Yang Kai’s condition wasn’t too bad; after all, his Soul was significantly more powerful than An Ling’er’s, while the latter was still struggling to adjust. After confirming that Yang Kai had also returned, she promptly sat back down and began circulating her Secret Art while re-adjusting herself.
Yang Kai also sat down and carefully confirmed that there was nothing wrong with his body before standing up and walking over to where the Soul type artifact was.
Now that he had finished refining it, this artifact naturally belonged to Yang Kai.
Standing beside it, with a single though, Yang Kai stored it into his Knowledge Sea.
After inspecting the artifact for a while, Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised. This was a rare treasure left behind by the ancient Sect which once stood here and was definitely Saint Grade. Even after experiencing endless years idling in this place, this artifact had actually not lost much of its strength.
After nourishing it within his Knowledge Sea for some time, Yang Kai believed he could restore it to its original strength.
Yang Kai was very satisfied and felt that this trip had been worthwhile. Earlier he had obtained a Pill with a Pill Cloud, making it difficult for him to contain his excitement, and now he had acquired a Soul type artifact that was perfectly suited to him, it could be said that his harvest here had been bigger than anyone else.
Taking back his consciousness, Yang Kai looked around and found that An Ling’er was still meditating while Hai Wang Gu and the others had already died. Yang Kai thought about it for a moment before walking over the bodies and sifting through the various Universe Bags, taking anything he found useful while discarding the rest.
Half a day later, An Ling’er slowly opened her beautiful eyes; after this short adjustment, she had basically made a full recovery.
Seeing Yang Kai seemingly looking after her, the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess smiled, an inexplicable sweetness welling up in her heart.
Getting up and gently stepping over to Yang Kai, she asked, “Are we going back now or continuing to explore?”
“I want to continue exploring this place. There is at least one place I need to investigate, as for you… well, do whatever you want,” Yang Kai replied bluntly before walking off.
Seeing Yang Kai acting somewhat cold towards her again, An Ling’er pursed her lips and quickly followed after him without a word.
Arriving in front of a grand palace, Yang Kai couldn’t help frowning slightly.
This palace was the one originally guarded by the Soul Battle Hall, the one Hai Wang Gu and Old Man Cheng had gathered over a hundred cultivators together to break into, hoping to discover more treasures.
Unexpectedly though, after breaking the barrier around this palace, everyone’s Soul had been pulled into the Soul Battle Hall, thoroughly disrupting their initial plans.
Now though, when Yang Kai and An Ling’er inspected this place, they discovered signs that other people had already been here recently. The palace had essentially been ransacked and anything of value had already been taken.
“Did someone else come here later and discover this place?” An Ling’er guessed.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, agreeing with her analysis.
Although more than a hundred people had been dragged into the Soul Battle Hall, there were still many others who had entered these Ancient Ruins.
Yang Kai didn’t know how much time had passed, but he estimated that by now, the entire Ancient Ruins had been looted clean.
Realizing this, Yang Kai no longer wasted time, left the palace directly, and headed straight towards the source of the Yang Attribute fluctuations he felt.
Although it may have already been a month or two since they arrived at this place, the Yang Attribute aura that had first drawn Yang Kai here was still present.
Yang Kai wanted to know just what it was.
An Ling’er didn’t say anything to provoke or question Yang Kai and simply followed behind him step by step.
Yang Kai knew that she had still not given up on persuading him to return with her to Nine Heavens Holy Land so he deliberately ignored her.
After some time, Yang Kai felt he was drawing closer to the source of the Yang Attribute energy, but along with the Yang Attribute energy, Yang Kai also felt another kind of special fluctuation.
Void force!
Yang Kai suddenly realized that something was wrong and a sinking feeling told him he wasn’t likely to gain anything for his troubles here.
Sure enough, after passing over a small ridge, Yang Kai’s steps came to a halt and a helpless frown appeared on his face.
An Ling’er saw his expression droop and quickly looked over in the direction he was staring, covering her mouth in shock in the next instant and shouting “A Void Corridor?”
A short distance ahead, a roughly five-meter pitch black hole appeared in the ground. Naturally, it was a Void Corridor.
The Yang Attribute energy and the force of the void that Yang Kai felt were both coming from this black hole.
“How come there is a Void Corridor here?” An Ling’er couldn’t help feeling surprised. Void Corridors weren’t very common. It was said that a long time ago, masters tore holes in space as they fought which resulted in the formation of Void Corridors. There was also a theory that these Void Corridors were natural formations that had coincidentally formed on their own.
Through researching the mysteries of Void Corridor, some masters in the current world could use their own great strength to manipulate the force of the void to create Void Corridor-like existences, allowing them to cross ten thousand kilometres in a flash.
Chu Ling Xiao of Soaring Heaven Sect possessed such ability!
However, doing this consumed a great deal of time and energy, so even a master as powerful as Chu Ling Xiao was not willing to do so if not absolutely necessary.
However, the pseudo-Void Corridors these masters constructed and legitimate ones were worlds apart in terms of stability and distance of transmission.
There being a Void Corridor in this Ancient Ruin came as quite a surprise to An Ling’er.
It was a mystery what lay on the other side, it may be somewhere else in Tong Xuan Realm, or it may be a separate Mysterious Small World.
“Let’s head back!” Yang Kai said after a short silence. Although the source of the Yang Attribute energy was of great interest to him, he wasn’t about to rush head long into a Void Corridor. If it transported him to a distant part of the Starry Sky, it might be impossible for him to find his way back.
Saying so, he didn’t even wait for An Ling’er to reply before soaring straight up.
“Ah, wait for me!” An Ling’er shouted and quickly chased after him.
A moment later, the two of them arrived at the barrier of the Ancient Ruin, passed it, and plunged back into the sea.
Instantly, Yang Kai felt an enormous pressure from all directions, seemingly trying to crush even his bones.
Feeling this tremendous pressure, Yang Kai quickly pushed his True Qi and opened up a bubble around himself.
An Ling’er’s eyes flashed and dove into Yang Kai’s True Qi bubble, standing close by with a relaxed smile on her face.
“Why you…” Yang Kai glared at her.
“What?”
“Isn’t a Saintess supposed to be pure and noble? Sticking so close to an unfamiliar man, is that something you should be doing?”
“Unfamiliar man?” An Ling’er argued back, “Didn’t I tell you, you are fully qualified to become the next Holy Master. If you didn’t have such qualification, I wouldn’t even approach you.”
“If you dare mention that again just see if I don’t kill you!” Yang Kai shouted fiercely.
“You say that but you don’t have any intention of acting on it,” An Ling’er seemed to have seen through Yang Kai’s nature and was no longer frightened by him so easily.
Yang Kai ground his teeth as he stared at her wickedly, a devious smiling soon forming on his face, “You like provoking me? Do you really think I don’t have a way to tidy you up?”
“Try it if you dare!” An Ling’er stared back at him defiantly.
Yang Kai’s grin became even wider as he slowly began taking back his True Qi, shrinking the bubble around the two of them greatly.
An Ling’er let out a slight yelp upon seeing this and quickly leaned in towards Yang Kai, fearing she would be exposed to the outside sea if she didn’t.
Yang Kai continued to withdraw his True Qi, shrinking the bubble more and more.
The noble and holy Saintess soon had no choice but to squish up against Yang Kai, her delicate little hands grabbing tightly onto his clothes as her chest met his, her pretty face fluctuating between bright red and pale white, secretly gnashing her teeth but not daring to say anything more.
Soon, An Ling’er’s face had become a deep shade of crimson.
As the defensive barrier shrank, she could wrap her arms and legs around Yang Kai, her two proud peaks greatly deforming as the pressed against his strong chest.
Even though she was extremely unwilling, she had no choice but to maintain this humiliating posture.
“You pervert! Criminal! Demon!” An Ling’er bit her lips and pouted pitifully to Yang Kai, exhaling hot, fragrant breath next to his face.
Looking at An Ling’er’s half angry, half ashamed expression, Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing wickedly, “Your Majesty the Saintess, how do you feel?”
As he spoke, he deliberately breathed right next to her delicate earlobe, causing An Ling’er already blushing face to dye even redder and her heart to pound, something Yang Kai could feel due to their ‘close’ contact.
The Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess had grown up since birth in the Holy Land and spent almost all of her time cultivating and being instilled with a certain mentality.
That was that she was born to serve the Holy Master and everything she possessed and obtained was for the Holy Master’s sake.
In Nine Heavens Holy Land, the Saintesses were symbols of nobility and holiness, so they were never allowed close contact with any man.
Now, wrapped around this essentially unknown man’s body, An Ling’er’s thoughts were in a state of confusion, the only thing she was certain of was that she deeply regretted provoking such a hateful bastard.
What was worse though was that this wicked person had not only passed her test but was even able to instantly comprehend three of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
[The Heavens must really be blind!] An Ling’er bit her lip hard in an effort to stop herself from shouting something unladylike.
Seeing her truly aggrieved appearance, Yang Kai no longer bothered teasing her and simply maintained the status quo as he swam upwards.
A while later, the two youths burst out of the sea and returned to the surface.
An Ling’er, quickly separated herself from Yang Kai like a frightened rabbit, gasping for a breath while glaring at him with a look of resentment.
“I’ll say this to you now, everything you saw down there, you must not mention in front of anyone from Nine Heavens Holy Land, or else I won’t hesitate to permanently silence you. In exchange, I assure you that I will never do anything to harm your Nine Heavens Holy Land, nor will I tell another soul about your Sect’s secrets! Good, from now on, it would be best if we never meet again, both for our sakes,” Yang Kai said seriously.
“I understand, you don’t need to mention that again,” An Ling’er nodded lightly.
“Very good, I hope you find your new Holy Master soon!” Yang Kai smiled before quickly departing.
Staring at his disappearing back, An Ling’er’s expression became complicated.
She had never thought that someone would refuse such a good deed which was practically handed to him on a platter; she always thought that when she found someone qualified to become the next Holy Master, that person would be in utter joy. He would not be able to contain himself, and ask when he will be able to arrive back to the Holy Land with her. A place filled with wealth and riches. However, Yang Kai’s reaction and attitude had completely shattered her previous preconceptions.
When he left, he didn’t show the slightest regret; it was obvious he was completely unwilling to become the Holy Master.
“Oh no!” An Ling’er suddenly cried out, only now remembering that she had been missing for so long. Uncle Qian and the others were probably losing their minds with worry by now.
Above the archipelago, a think sense of tension filled the air.
The people from the Seven Family Alliance and the disciples of Nine Heavens Holy Land had almost turned the nearby islands inside out over the past one and a half months.
But to this day, the whereabouts of the Saintess were still unknown.
Facing the ever increasing anger of Nine Heavens Holy Land, each member of the Seven Family Alliance trembled in fear.
The masters of the Seven Families were currently all gathered together in a giant palace originally reserved for the Nine Heavens Holy Land delegation, each of them leaking cold sweat from the their brows.
Qian Ning’s face was gloomy to the extreme as he stared at these people and muttered angrily, “After more than a month, none of you has been able to find the slightest clue to the whereabouts of the Saintess. I will give you three more days, if I can’t see the Saintess standing in front of me within three days, I will personally flatten all your islands!”
“Protector Qian, please calm your anger, we will assign more people to the search and will definitely find Her Highness the Saintess!” A First Order Transcendent cultivator continually wiped the sweat from his forehead and shouted.
Nine Heavens Holy Land visiting their territory was a great honour for their Seven Family Alliance, but who could have predicted such a crisis would befall them.
“Protector Qian, is it possible Her Highness the Saintess accompanied the exploration group from some time ago?” Someone guessed.
“That group that went treasure hunting at the bottom of the sea?” Qian Ning coldly snorted, “How could Her Highness the Saintess do something so ridiculous?”
“But in with the exception of the seabed, we have searched everywhere…”
“Didn’t those who went to explore the seabed return three days ago? There was no trace of Her Highness the Saintess among them, if she really had been with them, she would have returned by now.”
“But… down there, there were many casualties, perhaps Her Highness the Saintess…”
“Impudence!” Qian Ning roared furiously, “What kind of characters is Her Highness! Even those low born vagabonds could come back alive, how could she possible have had an accident? I don’t care what method you use, or how many people you need to call, if I don’t see the Saintess within three days, you know the consequences! Get out!”
The leaders of the Seven Family Alliance were secretly annoyed at being treated this way but they didn’t dare show so on their faces. Their small alliance was really not worth mentioning in front of Nine Heavens Holy Land so they naturally couldn’t provoke Qian Ning.
However, before they could even leave the palace, a maid suddenly rushed over with a giant smile upon her face as she shouted, “Protector Qian, Protector Qian, Saintess, she… she’s returned!”
“She’s back?” Qian Ning raised his head and rushed out to meet the maid, eagerly asking, “Where?”
The maid quickly led the way, followed closely by Qian Ning, and soon arrived in front of An Ling’er.
Qian Ning’s face filled with tears and was so happy he was unable to speak, the great stone which was weighing on his heart this whole time finally lifting.
When An Ling’er walked over, everyone in the palace quickly bowed, “Greetings, Saintess!”
An Ling’er nodded lightly before somewhat guiltily saying, “Uncle Qian, this time I’ve caused you to worry, I’m truly sorry.”
“No no, as long as Saintess is safe, all it well,” Qian Ning smiled, obviously much more relaxed then just now, “Have you been hurt in any way?”
An Ling’er shook her head slowly.
“May I ask, where has Saintess been these days?”
“While I was out, I suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment, so I found a secluded place to retreat, I didn’t think I would be in seclusion for more than a month,” An Ling’er whispered, her attitude seemingly unnatural if one were observing closely.
Qian Ning did not miss this point and narrowed his eyes slightly, realizing that she was likely lying, but since the Saintess didn’t want to explain and she was safe and sound, he decided to simply count it as a blessing and let it pass, nodding happily as he shouted, “Good, very good!”
Turning around he said to the nearby maid, “Bei’er, take Her Highness to have a good rest.”
“En,” The maid, Bei’er nodded quickly.
The leaders of the Seven Family Alliance all exchanged glances upon seeing this scene play out and breathed a sigh of relief.
…..
On one of the island in the archipelago, Yang Kai found a cultivation room for rent, paid a few Crystal Stones, and stepped inside.
This room was owned and operated by the Seven Family Alliance and was designed for cultivators to use when they needed retreat and the cost to use it was far higher than an average inn’s room.
However, this cultivation chamber came with many isolation barriers that allowed a cultivator to avoid any kind of external interference; on top of that, the Seven Family Alliance placed guards around the area who would ensure the safety of those cultivating here, so it was worth the additional expense.
As such, these rooms were quite popular with foreign cultivators.
Cultivation rooms like these existed in most large cities; after all, there were always cultivators who suddenly gained insights into their practice and would need a place to retreat.
Inside the cultivation room, Yang Kai first inspected the various barriers, quickly determining that their quality wasn’t bad and could withstand a certain amount of impact as well as serve as alarms against outside intrusion. Finished with his inspection, Yang Kai sat down and took out the Pill Cloud pill and placed it atop his palm.
He wasn’t in a rush to leave this place partly because he couldn’t wait to see how this pill was refined and partly because he wanted to stay and monitor An Ling’er’s movements.
It wasn’t that he wanted to think the worst of her, but there were some things that required him to exercise an abundance of caution.
In the unlikely event that An Ling’er sold him out, he would probably become an enemy of Nine Heavens Holy Land. Such a colossus, once provoked, would bring him endless trouble.
Yang Kai had learned three of the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Divine Skills in that inexplicable situation. These Divine Skills belonged to Nine Heavens Holy Land’s core inheritance and obviously couldn’t remain in the hands of outsiders. Once they knew the truth, they would have only two options, kill Yang Kai or force him to become their new Holy Master.
Taking An Ling’er’s Soul brand was something he was helpless about.
Although he had her Soul brand now, it didn’t allow Yang Kai to know everything she did, but he could at least notice any big changes in her mood, so it was possible to monitor her somewhat as long as they were close by.
Without thinking about it any further, Yang Kai immersed himself in studying the pill before him.
It was a Saint Grade Pill! A Saint Grade Mid-Rank pill to be more exact.
Alchemist who could refine Saint Pills were uncommon in any age.
Du Wan was a famous figure throughout Tong Xuan Realm and was still only a Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, with his methods, he couldn’t refine a Saint Grade Mid-Rank pill unless he was extremely lucky.
Among the people Yang Kai had met, only The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep, Li Rui, could easily refine Saint Grade pills.
An excellent Alchemist could infer the level and skill of another by observing the traces left behind on one of the latter’s pills.
Staring at the Saint Pill in his hand, Yang Kai was deeply impressed.
Although Yang Kai’s experience was not incredibly rich, he could still see that the one who refined this pill had done so in a smooth and natural matter, with no rough traces left behind from either the purification or condensing stages of Alchemy. The skill of this Alchemist had obviously reached a superb height, possibly even comparable to that of Old Man Li’s.
However, too much time had passed. It was impossible to determine which ancient force those ruins belong to so obviously it was unrealistic to discover the identity of this Alchemist.
The most valuable thing about this Saint Pill though was obviously the Pill Cloud which enshrouded it. The rich aura from this cloud not only maintained the medicinal efficacies of this pill but also continuously gathered the surrounding World Energy to nourish it, strengthening its properties as time passed.
After so many thousands of years of accumulation, the energy contained inside this Saint Pill was simply immeasurable.
Yang Kai estimated that even if a top Saint Realm master were to swallow this pill, they would likely be unable to bear the energy contained within it.
A pill like this was simply something from legend.
Yang Kai immersed himself in studying this pill, savouring the technique used by the Alchemist who had refined it.
While doing so, it was as if he could see a scene from countless years ago, yet at the same time the finer details were hazy, covered in clouds.
Time flew by and several days passed. During this time, Yang Kai had constantly been in retreat in his cultivation room, spying on the mysteries of the Pill Cloud Saint Pill, reaping some small gains.
Yang Kai had also been monitoring An Ling’er these days and so far, everything seemed to be proceeding uneventfully. Apparently she had not taken the risk to sell him out. However, for reasons Yang Kai couldn’t understand, the delegation from Nine Heavens Holy Land had not yet departed.
Perhaps they were concerned after the disappearance of their Saintess that they didn’t have enough security and were waiting for reinforcements.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai no longer paid much attention to An Ling’er’s situation and fully concentrated on studying this ancient Saint Pill.
A few more days passed but Yang Kai still couldn’t glean much information regarding the Pill Cloud pill, so he was now left with only one option. This method had a number of risks associated with it, on top of which there was a chance he wouldn’t be able to learn anything from it, so it was a gamble.
He simply had to swallow it!
By feeling the effects of the pill with his body, he could possibly learn some of the secrets of the Pill Cloud while uncover the process by which this Saint Pill was refined!
Yang Kai hesitated for a long time, deciding whether he should take this rather extreme step.
A pill with a Pill Cloud was simply too rare; what’s more, this was a Saint Grade Mid-Rank pill, a valuable treasure all on its own. Once he swallowed it, it would be gone.
On top of all that, because of the Pill Cloud that surrounded the Saint Pill, Yang Kai couldn’t tell what this pill’s purpose was. Whether it was a healing pill, a supplementary cultivation pill, an enhancement pill, or a detoxification pill, Yang Kai had no clue.
Everything was a mystery, the only thing he was certain of was that it wasn’t a poison pill.
The other big risk was that after such a long period of time, the energy accumulated in this pill by its Pill Cloud was too large, causing Yang Kai to worry if he could even withstand taking it.
Although he had his Unyielding Golden Skeleton which could accept an unimaginably huge amount of energy, the capacity of his meridians and physique was still limited. If the massive amount of energy contained in this pill were to fill his meridians faster than his Unyielding Golden Skeleton could absorb it, his body may be damaged or even directly explode!
After weighing his options for a long time though, Yang Kai gradually firmed his resolve.
[I will risk it!]
With such a great opportunity in front of him, he had to at least try. Instead of pondering and hesitating over it forever, he might as well take action and deal with the consequences whatever they may be. Once he absorbed the medicinal efficacies, everything would become clear.
After making up his mind, Yang Kai left his cultivation room once to pay for an extension of ten days and told the Seven Family Alliance guards on duty that without his permission, no one was to disturb him. After accepting several Crystal Stones, the person in charge of the cultivation room happily agreed.
Returning to the cultivation room again, Yang Kai activated all the isolation barriers at their maximum setting before sitting down cross-legged, taking a deep breath, and preparing himself.
After achieving his peak condition, Yang Kai tossed the ancient Saint Pill into his mouth and swallowed it down.
Not daring to show the slightest bit of carelessness, Yang Kai immediately began circulating his True Yang Secret Art while waiting for the pill’s effects to appear.
Three breaths later, Yang Kai felt heat well up in his lower abdomen and began to rapidly spread outwards. This heat was like bubbling magma, burning Yang Kai’s five viscera, six organs.
When this heat first appeared, it was like a small stream and not too strong, but in the blink of an eye it transformed into a flowing creek, then a raging river, and finally a vast ocean.
Yang Kai could even hear the movement of this massive amount of energy from his chest, it was like a violent storm that whipped and howled as it sent out one violent torrent after another.
Yang Kai’s face went white, then red, as if it was on fire, his True Qi surging up and down as every pore on his skin involuntarily opened and countless streams of energy began leaking out, evaporating into the air.
Even circulating his True Yang Secret Art as fast as possible, Yang Kai felt his meridians close to bursting as the energy contained within the pill continued to flow out.
The effects of this pill rapidly flowed along Yang Kai’s meridians and penetrated every in of his physique.
At this moment, it was as if Yang Kai had opened a mysterious space filled with explosive energy and while receiving this energy’s violent baptism, he also had to focus his attention in order to explore the secrets hidden within.
With one mind, trying to do two nearly opposite tasks was no simple matter.
Soon though, Yang Kai noticed something was wrong, while the medicinal efficacies of the pill were indeed flowing through his meridians and physique, even though he was rapidly circulating his True Yang Secret Art, none of this energy was being absorbed into his Unyielding Golden Skeleton. Instead, it was all gathering towards his forehead.
As soon these streams of energy reached his forehead though, they would disappear like they had been swallowed by an invisible vortex.
Yang Kai was shocked and quickly reacted by immersing his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea.
The moment his Soul Avatar opened its eyes, Yang Kai saw a torrent of energy pouring into his golden red Knowledge Sea, like great waterfalls being burned and assimilated by the sea of flames below.
Yang Kai stared blankly for a moment before suddenly understanding.
It turned out that Saint Pill was not a healing pill, nor a pill for cultivating, but one meant to nourish one’s Soul!
In the instant it took Yang Kai to comprehend this, a nearly overwhelming amount of energy flooded in, causing his entire Knowledge Sea to toss violently, the Soul Battle Hall and Demon Eye of Annihilation floating in the sky seemingly becoming somewhat unstable.
The small Heaven Grade Top-Rank Soul sword had been swept away in this raging storm and disappeared altogether.
Realizing he was in grave danger, Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing vehemently. Originally, he had thought that no matter how much energy this Saint Pill contained, his unique Unyielding Golden Skeleton would be able to safely absorb it, greatly reducing the risk of taking this Pill Cloud pill.
However, he hadn’t anticipated that this ancient Saint Pill was meant to cultivate one’s Spiritual Energy, rendering his Unyielding Golden Skeleton useless.
Although Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea was much vaster than an ordinary First Order Transcendent’s, there were still limits to it. With this massive amount of energy continuing to pour in, his Knowledge Sea would exploded sooner or later.
Yang Kai’s expression was incredibly ugly, and the only thing he could do now was try to stabilize his turbulent Knowledge Sea while desperately trying to think of a way to resolve the crisis before him.
Unable to think of any way out of this predicament, Yang Kai was just about to start panicking when suddenly, his entire Knowledge Sea was flooded with a brilliant five coloured radiance. When this aurora appeared, the massive amount of energy that was still pouring into his Knowledge Sea began to rapidly flow towards something and disappear.
Yang Kai glanced over in the direction of the flow and quickly discovered the source of this phenomenon, grinning dumbly a moment later.
What was helping him swallow this massive amount of energy, thus saving his life, was actually the Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus.
When he had first obtained his incredible Soul nourishing treasure, Old Demon had told him that the Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus could grow and if given enough time would evolve to have six colours and eventually seven colours!
This process of evolution was very long, possibly thousands of years to tens of thousands of years.
Once it reached the Seven Coloured state though, the assistance the Soul Warming Lotus would bring to its possessor was simply immeasurable.
Yang Kai had already gained unimaginable benefits from the Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, his Spiritual Energy and Soul being significantly stronger than his body’s True Qi cultivation was mainly due to it.
So Yang Kai could imagine how miraculous the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus would be.
Old Demon had also said that although the Soul Warming Lotus’s growth was slow, it could be artificially accelerated by allowing it to absorb pills and Precious Treasures that nourished one’s Soul.
In a way, doing this was an investment. After a cultivator took these elixirs, pills, or treasures, they would need to share some of their efficacies with the Soul Warming Lotus, which would reduce the immediate benefits they would obtain but once the Soul Warming Lotus evolved, it would pay back that investment many times over.
In the past, Yang Kai had intentionally diverted a great deal of Spiritual Energy to the Soul Warming Lotus every time he took Soul nourishing medicines, but so far he had seen no noticeable response from it, so Yang Kai hadn’t paid it much mind.
But now, with this unimaginable amount of energy flooding into his Knowledge Sea, the Soul Warming Lotus had instinctively reacted and begun absorbing it.
As the Soul Warming Lotus madly swallowed this energy, the pressure Yang Kai felt reduced dramatically.
At the very least, his Knowledge Sea had become somewhat stable.
Immediately coming to his senses, Yang Kai consciously directed the energy pouring into his Knowledge Sea towards the Soul Warming Lotus while allowing his Knowledge Sea to absorb whatever excess remained.
But even so, the amount of energy he needed to absorb personally was still nearly overwhelming, frightening Yang Kai.
Without any hesitation, Yang Kai began using Spiritual Energy to spy on the mysteries of the True Alchemic Way.
This was the most intensive way Yang Kai knew to consume Spiritual Energy and was his only recourse to handle this emergency situation.
The energy flowing in was thus divided into two major streams, one of which was absorbed by the Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus while the other was assimilated by Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, supplementing his constant consumption.
The Soul Devouring Insects, which had taken up residence on the five coloured island in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, also played a role in consuming this endless torrent of energy, all of them seemingly celebrating this unexpected feast.
After employing every means at his disposal, Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea finally calmed down, the inflow and consumption reaching a fragile balance.
Yang Kai couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief. This time, not understanding the nature and role of this Saint Pill yet still taking it had nearly resulted in him killing himself.
Without having to focus all of his attention on his Knowledge Sea’s situation now, Yang Kai began exploring the mysteries of the Saint Pill itself.
Right now, Yang Kai’s lower abdomen felt like it was home to a small sun which was constantly throwing out massive amounts of heat and energy.
After a quick investigation, Yang Kai was flabbergasted. He discovered that the total efficacy of the Saint Pill had barely been consumed, less than one percent of it having been absorbed by him at this point.
However, while the Pill Cloud was dissipating and the medicinal efficacies were being absorbed into his meridians, Yang Kai could indeed comprehend some things about its nature he had formerly been unable to.
The pill’s ingredients, how the flames were controlled to refine it, what kind of Spirit Arrays were used during the Alchemy process, the Alchemy Grandmaster’s various supplementary techniques, all kinds of information was slowly being revealed to Yang Kai.
Vaguely, Yang Kai’s thoughts began tracing the mysteries of this pill which was refined so many millennia ago and a brand new world of Alchemy began to appear in front of him.
Within this new world, all kinds of Alchemy insights were shown to him.
Entering a state of enlightenment, Yang Kai became intoxicated in this world as bits and pieces of information were absorbed into his consciousness and his comprehension of Alchemy slowly began improving.
Compiling all these various insights together, Yang Kai gradually began to unravel their mysteries, as if the original scene of this Saint Pill being refined and its Pill Cloud forming were re-appearing before his eyes, a magical experience.
9 Chapters this week. Though the Patreon dropped below the 2K mark, I already scheduled when it was still 2.4K, which was like a few hours before it took a nose dive. So, all good.
On a certain island in the local archipelago, once again, Qian Ning arrived on Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess quarters. He was currently requesting that she prepare for another trip.
Unfortunately, ever since the Saintess had returned, An Ling’er firmly rejected both of his requests.
This time was no exception.
Qian Ning couldn’t help feeling somewhat annoyed. Although in the Holy Land, the Saintess had a higher rank than him, during this expedition, he was the one who was responsible for An Ling’er and the entire crew’s mission and safety.
“Young Lady, looking for the next Holy Master is your mission, we shouldn’t stop over in such a place for too long, no matter what reason you may have!”
“I know,” An Ling’er frowned, her pretty face slightly pale, “But I don’t know why, recently, I always had a feeling of restlessness, as if something terrible is about to happen.”
“Something terrible?” Qian Ning’s expression became even more solemn, “What do you mean?”
An Ling’er slowly shook her head and murmured, “I don’t know, I can’t explain it…”
Qian Ning’s brow furrowed as he gazed at An Ling’er suspiciously, a moment latter simply nodding, “If so, then we will stay for a while longer. When Young Lady believes we should depart, please let me know.”
“En.”
Staring at Qian Ning’s receding figure, An Ling’er’s forehead suddenly oozed large drops of sweat. What she had said just now was not to deceive Qian Ning, but was indeed what she was currently feeling.
She didn’t know what had happened, or what was about to happen, but these past few days, An Ling’er had always felt anxious and on edge.
Initially she had thought it had something to do with Yang Kai seizing her Soul brand, but after some careful investigation, she found that there was no connection between that and her current mood.
…..
Inside a certain cultivation room, Yang Kai had been in secluded retreat for ten straight days and had at last absorbed the entire efficacy of the ancient Saint Pill.
He had managed to comprehend a few of the mysteries of this Saint Pill and its Pill Cloud and although it was not much, it could still be considered a rich harvest, so he was greatly satisfied. Even his understanding of Alchemy techniques had improved somewhat.
When the effects of the ancient Saint Pill finally fading completely, Yang Kai felt as if his entire being had transformed.
His body felt light and his Soul felt clear; on top of that, his Spiritual Energy had become much stronger than before and a strange, pleasant sensation now filled his Knowledge Sea.
This indistinct sensation also allowed him to use his Spiritual Energy faster and more freely than before.
His brow furrowing slightly, Yang Kai quickly immersed himself in his Knowledge Sea and began examining it carefully.
Though Yang Kai had just begun its investigation, he immediately froze up, completely stunned.
During this period of retreat, he had been constantly spying on the mysteries of the Pill Cloud and, aside from the initial moments, had not paid any attention to the situation in his Knowledge Sea. Currently, when his Soul Avatar stoop above his Knowledge Sea and saw how greatly it had changed, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of shock.
Naturally, his Soul and Spiritual Energy were greatly enhanced, and the heat from the scattered flames had grown even more intense. Though, the Demon Eye of Annihilation and Soul Battle Hall were also still suspended in midair, apparently not having undergone any great change.
However, the island which was formed from the Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus had evolved.
At this moment, the island was bursting with multi-coloured light, making it appear even more radiant and beautiful than before.
As Yang Kai carefully examined it, he soon discovered that the island, which had once shone with only five colours, now had an additional shade to it, making it six coloured!
This new colour was a bit thinner than the other five, but it was nevertheless there.
Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus!
After recovering from his shock, Yang Kai let out an uproarious laughter.
He had never thought after obtaining the Soul Warming Lotus he would get to see it evolve in his lifetime; after all, according to Old Demon, the process was exceptionally long.
Who could have thought that after absorbing the ancient Saint Pill’s medicinal efficacies, the Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus would actually evolve a grade? Now there was only one more step before it would become its ultimate seven coloured form.
For every extra colour, the benefits received from the Soul Warming Lotus would double.
Yang Kai could feel that the nourishment his Soul obtained from the Soul Warming Lotus right now was much more potent than before, and this effect was permanent and persistent. As long as Yang Kai owned the Soul Warming Lotus, it would continue to strengthen his Soul and increase his Spiritual Energy.
His harvest this time was simply unimaginable.
From five coloured to six coloured had taken nearly a decade. Over that period of time, Yang Kai had taken a massive amount of elixirs and pills, and that didn’t even count the nutrients that the former owner of the Soul Warming Lotus had fed it.
Yang Kai didn’t know if he could see the Soul Warming Lotus evolve into its final form before he died.
However, he was still satisfied. Watching the now six coloured island gently radiate light, Yang Kai found himself smiling uncontrollably.
Just then though, a strange vibration disturbed his Soul.
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled and quickly searched for the source of this disturbance, a moment later, his expression becoming solemn.
It wasn’t that his Soul had been disturbed, but rather the Soul brand belonging to An Ling’er was all of a sudden giving off some violent fluctuations. It seemed like this woman had encountered something that deeply scared her and was currently feeling a great sense of uneasiness.
[What kind of danger could she possibly have encountered?] Yang Kai thought to himself.
Although her cultivation wasn’t too high, only a First Order Transcendent, but she was a Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land. She was someone with an untouchably high status. In this small island chain, who would dare disrespect her, much less threaten her?
Feeling somewhat uneasy, Yang Kai opened his eyes and got up to leave his room.
Deactivating the various barriers around the cultivation room, Yang Kai stepped outside, but the moment he did, he heard screams of fear and panic all around him. Not far away, thunderous explosions resounded and the whole world seemed to tremble as a terrifying pressure pressed down upon the entire island.
Yang Kai instantly went pale and quickly began circulating his True Qi in order to resist this violent pressure.
Sweeping his eyes around, Yang Kai saw that the entire island was in a state of chaos and countless people, as if they were being pursued by some kind of monster, were doing their best to flee.
*Hong…*
A loud bang resounded, causing Yang Kai to stumble, and behind him, the cultivation room he had just exited exploded into splinters.
Yang Kai looked around but didn’t find any traces of an enemy anywhere nearby. It wasn’t until releasing his Divine Sense that Yang Kai found, in the sky a short distance away, an aura that caused him to tremble.
Turning his eyes in the direction of this aura, Yang Kai saw a giant sword almost a thousand meters in length floating high up in the sky. This giant sword struck with a destructive force that seemed capable of flattening islands and tearing space!
“Profound Heavenly Sword?” Upon seeing this sword, Yang Kai immediately recognized it as one of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
He had learned this skill from An Ling’er and was even capable of using it quite proficiently, but the Profound Heavenly Sword he had once summoned was a Soul Skill while the one he was witnessing right now was no doubt a powerful Martial Skill which was formed from a vast amount of True Qi. The essence and power were both worlds apart.
*Kacha…*
Under the giant sword’s strike, the island below was directly sliced into two.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he shifted his gaze to a beautiful figure that floated high up in the sky.
It was this person who had just displayed the Profound Heavenly Sword.
It was a woman wearing a long white dress which perfectly complemented her graceful figure. She had a kind of divine aura around her that was somewhat similar to An Ling’er’s, exuding a sense of nobleness and holiness, but she also carried with her a faint trace of Death Qi!
It seemed like she had already passed away and right now was just a walking corpse.
Yang Kai was shocked by this strange situation.
Grasping the huge Profound Heavenly Sword in her small hand, the woman chopped and sliced randomly, soon demolishing the entire nearby island, causing it to break up and sink into the sea.
The people on that island, under this tyrannical assault, were unable to even try to resist, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.
The surrounding azure water was dyed bright red in an instant.
This scene, straight from the apocalypse, was truly terrifying.
The woman then soared towards the next island in the chain and began waving her Profound Heavenly Sword again.
In an instant, another island was destroyed.
In less than ten breaths of time, three islands were destroyed by her hands.
Yang Kai’s blood ran cold as he saw this avatar of destruction wantonly destroy all the islands around her. Not daring to stay here any longer, he quickly used his movement skill to escape in the opposite direction.
Yang Kai’s movement seemed to have caught the attention of this woman though and a ray of light, like a vicious snake, shot towards him.
“Imprisoning Heaven Chain!” Yang Kai was shocked as he confirmed that this woman was someone from Nine Heavens Holy Land, and very likely a high-level figure at that, otherwise how could she be using various Nine Heavens Divine Skills so freely?
What made Yang Kai feel especially uneasy though was the other party’s cultivation. This mysterious woman was definitely a Saint Realm master.
The Imprisoning Heaven Chain chasing him was so fast and contained such dense True Qi that in his normal form Yang Kai had no hope of escaping it.
Not daring to hesitate, Yang Kai unfurled his Wind and Thunder Wings, boosting his speed several levels and shot off like a bolt of lightning.
When the Imprisoning Heaven Chain arrived, all it was able to grasp was Yang Kai’s afterimage.
Across the distance, the mysterious woman’s beautiful eyes stared at Yang Kai’s retreating figure, a slight trace of what could be interpreted as suspicion appearing on her pretty face, her tender body flickering in the next instant and disappearing.
When she reappeared, she was already not far behind Yang Kai.
Feeling the cold murderous intent behind him, all the hair on Yang Kai’s body stood on end and before his pursuer could launch another attack, he hurriedly concealed his aura and snuck off in a different direction.
The woman stopped mid-air and tilted her head somewhat, her eyes slowly sweeping around, apparently searching for Yang Kai’s position.
Although she quickly found Yang Kai, she didn’t appear to be in a hurry and instead turned in a different direction, her brow wrinkling slightly as a look of pain crept onto her expression.
Yang Kai was annoyed, unclear as to why such a powerful master was pursuing him, but he figured An Ling’er should know something about it. The most important thing for him to do right now was find that somewhat naive young woman and find out from her what was going on!
In front of an ornate palace, the masters from Nine Heavens Holy Land had all gathered together and were currently staring up absentmindedly at the woman floating high up in the sky.
“Aunt Nan?” An Ling’er shouted in a slightly hoarse tone, her tender body shuddering as tears suddenly began leaking from her beautiful eyes and a forlorn whimper escaped from her lips.
“Saintess Nan being here like this… does that mean… Holy Master has passed away?” Qian Ning’s lips trembled and his face drained of all colour.
Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus
Just as everyone was silently staring at the carnage before them, Yang Kai suddenly rushed over and landed straight in front of An Ling’er, frowning deeply as he stared at her.
Calling out in surprise, An Ling’er came back to her sense and stared at Yang Kai, hurriedly asking, “How come you’re still here? Why haven’t you left yet?”
“I can’t!” Yang Kai calmly shook his head, “That woman’s Divine Sense is locked onto me.”
“Ah…” An Ling’er covered her small mouth and her beautiful eyes trembled, directing a look of sympathy and apology towards Yang Kai.
“Who is she and why is she targeting me? How are you related to all of this?” Yang Kai asked several questions at once, his voice filled with annoyance.
“You are… that little brat we plucked from the sea before?” Qian Ning turned to look at Yang Kai, his expression quite ugly, obviously quite unhappy with this unexpected visitor. Their Nine Heavens Holy Land delegation already had enough headaches, so Yang Kai suddenly appearing here and asking a bunch of nonsense questions caused Qian Ning’s anger to rise to the surface, the latter waving his fist and shouting, “Go away, you think this is a place you can speak?”
Saying so, he sent a burst of True Qi towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai shot him a gloomy look and didn’t bother trying to hide his strength anymore, easily countering Qian Ning’s attack, his body not even flinching, his expression completely indifferent.
“Hm?” Qian Ning was shocked and promptly re-examined Yang Kai, as if he couldn’t believe this weak little brat could actually easily resolve his strike.
“I have no intention of becoming enemies with you, I just want to figure out why that woman is after me,” Yang Kai said with some impatience, coldly declaring his standpoint and attitude to Qian Ning before turning his attention back to An Ling’er.
“Uncle Qian…” An Ling’er raised her hand and stopped Qian Ning from retorting before looking back at Yang Kai with a bitter smile, “Her targeting you is your own fault.”
“Why?”
“Probably because you learned the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.”
Hearing this, the several Transcendent Realm masters of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s expression all changed dramatically as the stared at Yang Kai with a look of disbelief. Qian Ning was even more stupefied as stared back and forth between Yang Kai and An Ling’er, hoarsely asking, “He… how could he have learned the Nine Heavens Divine Skills?”
Only the very top characters of Nine Heavens Holy Land were qualified to learn the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, even Qian Ning has never studied them.
“Girl! Are you courting death?!” Yang Kai’s face suddenly filled with anger.
He had never expected An Ling’er to reveal such an important secret in front of so many people all of a sudden, forcing him into an oppositional relationship with Nine Heavens Holy Land.
“It doesn’t matter,” An Ling’er smiled bitterly and shook her head, “We’re going to die anyways, letting them know now is irrelevant.”
“Young Lady, what happened?” Qian Ning hurriedly asked, his face filled with suspicion, apparently having a few speculations in his heart.
“It’s just as you think,” An Ling’er wiped the tears from her eyes and whispered, “The man in front of you, after passing my test, was able to comprehend three of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills!”
Everyone’s jaw dropped upon hearing this, their eyes all bulging so much they might pop out at any moment.
It was only after quite some time that Qian Ning returned to his senses and asked, “So… isn’t he the perfect candidate to become the next Holy Master?”
“En,” An Ling’er nodded lightly.
The looks Qian Ning and the others directed at Yang Kai changed greatly, becoming respectful and expectant.
“But it’s too late now, Aunt Nan has already arrived here…” An Ling’er smiled helplessly and said, the expression of Qian Ning and the others also falling upon hearing her words.
“I don’t care one bit about any nonsense Holy Master, explain to me what’s happening right now. Who is that woman? You should at least know that, right?” Yang Kai temporarily pressed down the murderous intent in his heart and pointed back towards the woman who was still floating mid-air, directing a cold stare towards them.
An Ling’er had already exposed everything and holding her responsible right now wouldn’t help matters so Yang Kai set that aside and focused on trying to understand why this strange woman was wantonly slaughtering people and now apparently targeting him specifically.
“She is my Aunt Nan!” An Ling’er replied softly.
“Aunt Nan?”
“The only remaining Saintess of the last generation’s Holy Land!”
Yang Kai was stunned and surprised, “Does your Nine Heavens Holy Land have some kind of intense internal strife? Is the previous generation’s Saintess hostile towards you?”
An Ling’er shook her head with a pained expression, “Aunt Nan has always been very good to me, how could there be any kind of infighting? En, do you remember the words I said to you once regarding Saintesses?”
“Huh?”
“A Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess, before death, cannot kill!”
“What does that have to do with the current situation?” Yang Kai was genuinely puzzled.
“That is only the first half of the saying, there is another half after it…” An Ling’er’s voice trembled, clearly demonstrating the horror in her heart, slowly muttering in her next breath, “Before death, cannot kill, after death, slaughter one million corpses.”
Yang Kai’s expression became sluggish as he frowned deeply, “What does that mean?”
“A Holy Land Saintess doesn’t kill any sentient being during her lifetime, but once she dies, if her body is not promptly destroyed, her corpse will fall onto the Asura’s path and begin slaughtering all living creatures. This is probably our Secret Art’s greatest malpractice!” An Ling’er let out a soft breath, “As such, after each Saintess’ death, her body will be burned quickly to avoid the situation Aunt Nan is currently in. Before we set out, Aunt Nan was in good health, how could she suddenly…”
Yang Kai suddenly understood, no wonder he could feel a faint trace of Death Qi in the woman. According to what An Ling’er just said, this previous generation’s Saintess named Aunt Nan should already be dead.
The dead still being able to move wasn’t something unfamiliar to Yang Kai.
The Coffin Carrying Man was also a living corpse. He had passed away many, many years ago, but the obsession in his heart and his tyrannical cultivation allowed him to continue moving. Even after his death, he had continued to fulfil his mission of searching for an individual capable of rescuing the Ancient Demon Clan.
As such, this Saintess named Aunt Nan probably had a similar obsession in her heart, and a very powerful one at that, or else it wouldn’t be enough to support her current actions.
“Saintess Aunt Nan and Holy Master were deeply connected, so assuming the Holy Master fell, Saintess Aunt Nan also…” Qian Ning sighed heavily.
“Are all of you Nine Heavens Holy Land people total dumbasses? Why would you set such a dangerous person loose!?” Yang Kai roared furiously, being stared at by a Saint Realm masters was akin to be stared at by death itself, obviously his mood wouldn’t be good.
“What use is saying all this now?” An Ling’er shot him a bitter look, “Because I cultivate the same Secret Art, Aunt Nan was able to quickly find me. Anyone in the local archipelago that can’t resist her I’m afraid will die, then after killing me and everyone else here, she will seek out and kill my three sisters. Until someone comes forward and completely destroys her body, she will continue slaughtering everyone she comes across.”
The most powerful individual in the nearby archipelago was just Qian Ning, but even he, a Third Order Transcendent, was just as powerless to resist the previous generation’s Saintess who was a genuine Saint Realm powerhouse.
“No matter what, Young Lady and the future Holy Master cannot die here!” Qian Ning suddenly turned to face Yang Kai and said solemnly, “Little brother, although you haven’t entered the Holy Land yet, since you’ve already passed the Young Lady’s test, you can be considered half our Holy Master. Please take the Young Lady with you and leave quickly, if worst comes to worst, even if you have to sacrifice the Young Lady, you must ensure your survival.”
Yang Kai stared back indifferently; although Qian Ning’s rhetoric made him feel slightly touched, it was still impossible for him to accept becoming the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land!
Qian Ning’s act just now was completely casting pearls before swine.
“You two leave quickly, we will try to buy you some time!”
“Don’t act so presumptuous!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Buy time? You’re just throwing your lives away! Besides, where the hell are we supposed to escape? There’s nowhere anywhere near here that we could…”
Before he finished speaking though, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly flashed as he remember a certain place nearby that might just work, turning his gaze towards the seabed as he quickly contemplated their odds of success.
An Ling’er also seemed to have thought of this possibility, quickly exchanging a glance with Yang Kai and confirming the two of them were thinking the same thing.
During the several breaths it took for this conversation to finish, Saintess Aunt Nan had been floating mid-air, watching them, not taking any action, her face showing a look of hesitation, apparently the last remnants of her consciousness from before she died was holding her back, but obviously this situation wouldn’t last long as it was apparent the cold murderous intent around her body was becoming more and more dense.
“Little brother, if you die here, then that is simply the fate the Heavens have bestowed, but if you survive, please go to the Holy Land and assume the position of Holy Master, the Holy Land… must not go one day without a Holy Master!” Qian Ning declared heavily to Yang Kai as he tightly held the latter’s shoulders.
Yang Kai said nothing in reply.
“Go now, quickly!” Qian Ning took a deep breath before raising his head towards the still hovering Saintess Aunt Nan.
The expression of the other party was constantly changing, but gradually the hesitation on her face was being replaced with cold indifference as the murderous intent around her became thicker. As this murderous intent overflowed, the temperature of the entire archipelago seemed to plummet as fierce winds began howling like shrieking ghosts.
Yang Kai didn’t hesitate any further, immediately grabbing An Ling’er, summoning his Wind and Thunder Wings and shooting off into the sky.
At the same time he moved, Saintess Aunt Nan waved her hand towards his direction, releasing an imposing wave of pressure.
Qian Ning took the few masters of Nine Heavens Holy Land and with steadfast determination moved to intercept this attack.
“Uncle Qian, everyone…” An Ling’er turned back and shouted out anxiously.
“They’re dead,” Yang Kai said in a dignified tone, pushing his speed even further, a moment later plunging into the sea along with An Ling’er. Quickly wrapping the two of them in his True Qi, Yang Kai began to rapidly descend towards the bottom of the sea.
Just as they entered the water, Yang Kai shot a glance behind him and just caught the scene of Qian Ning and the others bursting into blood fog.
The masters from Nine Heavens Holy Land didn’t manage to last more than three breaths against Saintess Nan!
After killing Qian Ning and the others, Saintess Nan still refused to give up, waving her hands and slashing her Profound Heavenly Sword down towards the island below her, rapidly cleaving it in half, sending large chunks of it into the sea, killing or injuring countless civilians in the process.
In the next instant, the huge Profound Heavenly Sword was thrown out by Saintess Nan and like a bolt of lightning broke through the sea’s surface and chased after Yang Kai and An Ling’er.
Yang Kai’s blood ran cold as he pushed his True Qi to its limit, increasing his speed to the extreme but still failing to escape from the approaching danger, the giant sword behind him seemed completely unimpeded by the sea, splitting apart the water as if it were no thicker than air as it raced forward.
Glancing behind him, amidst the blue water, the giant sword that exudes a shocking aura and unparalleled murderous intent caused even Yang Kai’s soul to shiver.
Behind the giant sword, Yang Kai also vaguely saw traces of the previous generation Saintess.
She was actually chasing after them, apparently intent on putting Yang Kai and An Ling’er to death.
As they continued to dive, Yang Kai hurriedly shouted to An Ling’er, “If you want to live, focus, this is no time to wallow in sadness!”
Hearing this, An Ling’er nodded quickly and immediately began pouring her True Qi into Yang Kai’s body.
In an instant, Yang Kai felt the flow of his True Qi become both faster and stronger.
The Secret Art the Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess cultivated could allow Yang Kai to improve his combat power for a short time, which was why he brought An Ling’er along when he fled.
True Qi bursting out, the same Nine Heavens Divine Skills, the Profound Heavenly Sword, appeared in Yang Kai’s hand.
However, even with the support of An Ling’er, Yang Kai could only create a Profound Heavenly Sword with a length of several tens of meters, a far cry from the one Saintess Nan sent towards them.
The two Nine Heavens Divine Skills shot towards each other from opposite directions and soon collided.
A huge muffled sound rang out as Yang Kai’s Profound Heavenly Sword was instantly ground into dust, the surrounding seawater exploding outwards from the force of the collision, the shockwave propelling Yang Kai and An Ling’er downwards at an even faster pace.
The figure of Saintess Nan was also momentarily pushed back, but she soon overcame this resistance and began chasing them again.
“What weaknesses do the Saintesses of your Nine Heavens have?” Yang Kai asked urgently.
“There’s no such thing, she can only be stopped by someone with strength exceeding her’s; however, I can try stalling her for a while!” An Ling’er clenched her teeth and entrusted herself completely to Yang Kai, focusing all her attention on her mind and releasing a Spiritual Energy wave towards Saintess Nan.
Yang Kai vaguely felt as if he heard a song resonating with his Soul, seemingly touching the very depths of the human heart. Anyone who heard this song couldn’t help relaxing and becoming tranquil.
His eyes narrowing, Yang Kai quickly concentrating as he realized that this Soul Skill should be similar to the one An Ling’er previously used back in the Soul Battle Hall which had a calming effect.
Saintess Nan was already dead, and only her instincts and strong obsession were supporting her actions, so using this kind of Soul Skill on her was an ideal solution.
From what Yang Kai could perceive, the movements of Saintess Nan indeed became slower and the True Qi fluctuations coming from her body also grew somewhat unstable, as if she was suffering a kind of mental torment.
“Good!” Yang Kai’s spirit lifted, as long as An Ling’er could delay this Saint Realm woman, he was fully confident they could escape.
“I can’t keep this up for very long,” An Ling’er pretty face paled as she hoarsely said.
Yang Kai turned his gaze towards her and saw she was also suffering greatly. This was obvious though, given the massive difference in their cultivations, An Ling’er using a Soul Skill to deal with Saintess Nan was bound to cause no small amount of backlash.
Yang Kai’s expression became dignified once again as he continuing cutting through the water, wracking his brain to find other ways to delay their pursuer.
Many ideas came to mind, but he rejected all of them immediately as the gap in their strength was simply too great, any conventional method he tried to use would at best be a waste of time and at worse, distract him causing them to fall into even greater danger.
The Soul Battle Hall would probably be useful; after all, it was a genuine Saint Grade artifact. Once he activated it, Yang Kai’s own Soul would be dragged into that white space, but even if it was a contest of Souls with Saintess Nan, he had no confidence in defeating her.
His Demon Eye of Annihilation was also incredibly powerful, but if Saintess Nan’s Soul didn’t rush into his Knowledge Sea, the Demon Eye of Annihilation couldn’t play any role.
Besides purifying any Soul Avatar that broke into Yang Kai Knowledge Sea, it could only absorb the Soul remnants of recently deceased cultivators nearby Yang Kai.
Currently, Saintess Nan couldn’t strictly be described as dead, otherwise the Demon Eye of Annihilation would already have activated.
Thinking it over, Yang Kai concluded he had no options here and inevitably grew somewhat anxious.
At that moment, the song that had been ringing in his ears suddenly stopped and An Ling’er coughed out a bloody mist, her tender body going completely limp in Yang Kai’s arms, panting heavily as extreme weakness overcame her.
Without the restraint of An Ling’er’s Soul Skill, Saintess Nan once again restored her previous speed and began closing the distance between her and Yang Kai.
Fortunately, the huge Profound Heavenly Sword had apparently exhausted its True Qi and dissipated and Yang Kai had put some distance between them.
Diving further and further, numerous sea beasts and giant fish which had been attracted by all the noise began gathering around, all of which Yang Kai simply ignored as he raced ever downwards.
On the other hand, Saintess Nan, as An Ling’er had said, actually bothered killing everything around her, reaping the lives of a great many of these sea beasts.
Although slaughtering these beasts was as simple as waving her hands, the sheer number of them slightly hindered Saintess Nan’s speed, buying Yang Kai and An Ling’er a precious few moments.
Yang Kai never felt time pass so slowly. Being relentlessly chased by a Saint Realm master, certain death approaching ever closer, each breath seemed like an eternity.
Noticing a faint luminescence up ahead, Yang Kai couldn’t help crying out happily, “We’re almost there!”
Hearing this, An Ling’er managed to open her eyes and asked weakly, “At the end, can you tell me your name? Your real name. If we fall here, can’t I at least know whose arms I died in?”
Yang Kai’s expression ramped, totally unable to understand how this young woman’s head worked or why she would bother asking such a dumb question now.
But this time, he didn’t bother concealing it anymore and told her what she wanted to know.
An Ling’er grinned back at him, “If we survive this, will you follow me back to the Holy Land?”
“Never!” Yang Kai refused unceremoniously, “If you keep spouting nonsense I’ll throw you away right here, right now!”
“Ruthless bastard!”
As the two bantered back and forth, they arrived outside the barrier of the Ancient Ruins. Yang Kai didn’t even pause and rushed straight inside, the barrier not hindering him in any way.
Upon entering the barrier, without the seawater to hinder him, Yang Kai’s speed rose to its maximum again, his Wind and Thunder Wings appearing behind him as he and An Ling’er shot forward like an arrow from a bow. Racing towards the location of the Void Corridor, Yang Kai and An Ling’er moved so quickly they left behind a trail of afterimages.
Moments after the two of them rushed inside the barrier, Saintess Nan also rushed in, her figure flickering as she chased after Yang Kai, her speed in no way inferior.
Feeling the terrifying pressure approaching him from behind, Yang Kai’s only thought was to escape, having not the slightest intention of fighting this Saint Realm master.
As he flew forward, the Yang Attribute energy from the Void Corridor grew stronger and stronger, letting the two of them know they were getting closer to where the Void Corridor existed.
Yang Kai clenched his teeth and continued pushing his speed to its limit.
Suddenly, from behind, Yang Kai felt a burst of True Qi. Yang Kai’s expression changed dramatically as he realized Saintess Nan had begun attacking again, raising his degree of wariness to its maximum as he monitored his surroundings.
In front of him, a giant net strangely appeared and rapidly moved towards him.
“Capturing Heaven Net!” An Ling’er exclaimed, “Quickly avoid it! Once one is caught in it, even their Soul won’t be able to escape!”
There was no need to remind Yang Kai of this. Although he didn’t understand the specifics of this Divine Skill, as someone with a wealth of experience, he naturally wouldn’t allow this Capturing Heaven Net to ensnare him.
The instant he dodged the Capturing Heaven Net though, another burst of True Qi erupted behind him.
A jade-like hand that seemed to fill the entire sky appeared and reached out towards them. Seeing this, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling like the Heavens themselves were trying to grab hold of him.
There was no way to outrun this hand, or to evade it, their capture seemed inevitable.
“Covering Heaven Hand!” An Ling’er murmured, her face completely ashen, a bleak smile slowly forming on her lips as she closed her beautiful eyes, as if she thought that all hope was lost and death would soon take her.
“Devil Transformation!” Yang Kai called out and the next moment, the world seemed to tremble as an extremely potent Demonic Qi suddenly spread out of from his body, Demon Crests appearing all over his physique before sinking into his skin and disappearing in the next instant.
Immediately, Yang Kai’s Blood Force and the momentum surrounding his body soared to an incredible level.
An Ling’er’s eyes shot open, her tender body shuddering as she stared dumbfounded at the man holding her, her beautiful face filled with astonishment.
At this moment, she felt like Yang Kai had transformed into a completely different person, his body emitting a bloody and cruel aura yet somehow simultaneously feeling more reliable than before.
His body was like a great mountain which would remain unmoved even in the face of torrential wind and rain.
The incredible surge in moment broke free of the Covering Heaven Hand’s imposing pressure and when the devastating attack arrived, all it managed to grasp was airs.
*Hong…*
Throughout the Ancient Ruins, countless houses collapsed as waves of pressure visible to the naked eye pulsed from Yang Kai’s body and spread to the surrounding area, travelling as far as the outer barrier and even disturbing the outside sea.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai lurched forward, his face completely pale.
An Ling’er simultaneously felt a hot liquid splash onto her face. Rubbing her cheek, she quickly discovered that this liquid was actually blood that was overflowing from Yang Kai’s mouth.
Obviously, he had not completely been able to avoid the impact of the Covering Heaven Hand just now and had his stance disrupted.
“Shit!” Yang Kai cursed under his breath as he quickly steadied himself and continued to escape, directing his eyes towards his abdomen as he did so.
Suspicious, An Ling’er followed his gaze and immediately covered her mouth in shock as she screamed, “Punishing Heaven Spear!”
At some unknown point, a thick, shimmering spear had inserted itself into Yang Kai’s stomach. This spear was also one of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills. Amidst all the shock and chaos, not only had An Ling’er failed to notice, even Yang Kai hadn’t realized until now that he had been pierced by this spear.
As fresh blood stained Yang Kai’s clothes, if one were to look carefully, they would notice some faint traces of golden.
An Ling’er suddenly burst into tears as she truly thought all hope was lost now.
The power of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills was something she knew better than almost anyone, not to mention that this Punishing Heaven Spear had stemmed from her Saintess Nan’s hand without the slightest trace of mercy. Even if Yang Kai was an extraordinary genius, his five viscera and six organs had likely already become pulp and were not far from death.
The only reason he had yet to fall and was still struggling forward was probably due to sheer willpower. Considering all this, An Ling’er was filled with sorrow and guilt.
An Ling’er couldn’t help thinking that if back in the Soul Battle Hall, she hadn’t used her Soul Skill on Yang Kai, he never would have learned the Nine Heavens Divine Skills and wouldn’t now be facing her Saintess Nan’s pursuit.
Her head filling with such thoughts, she naturally felt she had harmed Yang Kai, causing him to suffer an untimely death far before his time.
“Fuck, you better teach me all of your damn Divine Skills or else this time I’ll have suffered a huge loss!” Yang Kai’s face was pale white but he still endured the pain assaulting his body and managed to angrily complain.
He hadn’t expected this Punishing Heaven Spear could even penetrate his body after using his Devil Transformation. Yang Kai’s current physique was so intrepid that he could even resist the destructive force of a Starry Sky Storm but this Saintess Nan had still managed to pierce him like paper.
It was obvious just from this how powerful this Divine Skill was.
If it had been any other Transcendent, having suffered this blow from Saintess Nan, they would likely have already been vaporised.
“You, how can you be thinking about such things even now…” An Ling’er stretched out her hand as she stared at the deep wound on Yang Kai’s body. Feeling the fresh blood flowing down her fingers, her heart clenched tightly as tears rolled down her face, soaking her clothes.
“Can you stop crying already? All your blubbering is distracting me!” Yang Kai shouted, “You silly woman, how can you be so weak under pressure?”
Hearing his harsh words, An Ling’er quickly stifled her voice but she was unable to stop her tears from leaking out.
Suddenly, in an open space up ahead, a large black hole which seemed like it led to an unknown abyss appeared, causing Yang Kai’s face to light up, “We’re here!”
Gathering the remainder of his strength, Yang Kai crashed towards the Void Corridor with An Ling’er.
Just as he reached the Void Corridor, Yang Kai felt Saintess Nan’s murderous intent converge on him.
Arriving at the final moment of their escape, how could Yang Kai possibly let his guard down? Tossing An Ling’er into the Void Corridor, Yang Kai abruptly turned around and summoned a giant Black Dragon above his head. Opening its mouth and letting out a great roar, this Black Dragon charged towards the approaching Saintess Nan.
*Hong long long…*
A massive explosion occurred as the two collided.
The Black Dragon only lasted for an instant before collapsing and Saintess Nan shot towards Yang Kai, her momentum not decreasing in the slightest as the latter dove into the Void Corridor.
Yang Kai grinned as blood trickled from his mouth and his Demonic Qi fiercely burst out, wreaking havoc all around.
At the bottom of the sea, the Void Corridor which had existed for countless years was simply unable to bear this kind of violent explosion and quickly shattered, sending out a violent shockwave of void energy, swallowing up Saintess Nan and Yang Kai.
In the next moment, Yang Kai felt a strong sense of vertigo and nearly passed out.
Through pure force of will, Yang Kai forced himself to remain awake and after a few breaths, the darkness around him was swept away and a sea of white clouds appeared high up in the sky above his head. There was no sun, moon, or stars to be seen and only a faint scent of heat lingered in the air.
This hot aura made Yang Kai feel somewhat comfortable.
Falling through the air, Yang Kai figured he had successfully been sent to a distant place by the Void Corridor because the aura of Saintess Nan was nowhere to be found.
Just before he crossed the Void Corridor’s threshold, Yang Kai deliberately destroyed it so he estimated that Saintess Nan would not be able to find them for quite some time.
Thinking so, Yang Kai breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Being chased by a Saint Realm master was not a pleasant experience.
That Saintess Nan should have at least been a Second Order Saint because she was much more powerful than Ice Sect’s Qian Yue. In front of her, Yang Kai had no power to fight back and was even hard pressed to escape.
His falling body was suddenly hugged by a pair of jade arms. Yang Kai turned to look and sure enough, the one who caught him was An Ling’er who he had sent through the Void Corridor ahead of him, a big smile plastered all over her still crying face.
Yang Kai struggled for a moment and managed to free himself from her embrace and stand on his own atop a giant tree, gasping heavily as he began examining his surroundings.
He and An Ling’er were currently standing on a towering tree at least three hundred meters off the ground and were surrounded by a dense and vibrant forest.
Yang Kai also quickly noticed a strange phenomenon. The trees here seemed to be somewhat different from others he had seen, not just in shape, but in nature, as they had a faint Yang Attribute Energy flowing through them.
Simply put, these trees seemed to possess a Yang Attribute aura.
Yang Kai was incredibly puzzled, these trees seemed to be just ordinary trees and not any kind of Precious Treasure or spirit grass, so how could they have a Yang Attribute aura?
Looking up at the hazy sky, Yang Kai frowned and muttered, “Mysterious Small World?”
Only Mysterious Small Worlds would have no sun, moon, or stars, the one where the Ancient Demon Clan lived was also like this.
“Ah? A Mysterious Small World?” An Ling’er was obviously taken aback but that didn’t stop her beautiful eyes from filling with curiosity. She had never seen or entered a Mysterious Small World and had only heard about them in rumours. Coming to this kind of place for the first time was obviously novel to her.
“En, this should be a Mysterious Small World!” Yang Kai nodded lightly, but after speaking just a few words he began violently coughing and all the wounds on his body once again began leaking blood.
“You need to rest and recover!” An Ling’er held him nervously. The wounds Yang Kai had suffered this time were all quite serious. Not only was he run through by Saintess Nan’s Punishing Heaven Spear, but also the last moment, when he destroyed the Void Corridor, the resulting explosion and the rampant power of void had also left their mark on him. His clothes were tattered and scars marred his entire body while parts of his flesh had been ripped apart entirely, it was an incredibly miserable picture.
An average person would have died several times over having received these kinds of injuries but Yang Kai still had the strength to speak and even the energy to observe the surrounding environment, causing An Ling’er to not know whether to laugh or cry.
As she spoke, An Ling’er took out a bottle of pills from the Universe Bag on her belt and pushed it into Yang Kai’s hands, “This is my Holy Land’s Saint Grade healing pill, quickly take it”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, already feeling unsteady on his feet, accepting the pill bottle, pouring a few out, and directly swallowing them.
Before he had time to begin refining them though, Yang Kai felt a burning heat rapidly shoot towards him from all directions and in the next instant, he found himself and An Ling’er bound by energy ropes.
The two of them were caught completely off guard, quickly incapacitated, and fell to the ground.
After landing, Yang Kai found he was unable to move.
Having already exhausted all of his strength, suffering from a sudden surprise attack, Yang Kai had no way to resist and soon fainted.
[Goddamn it! Captured again?] That was the last thought to go through his mind as Yang Kai’s eyes went dark.
He had twice entered Mysterious Small Worlds since arriving in Tong Xuan Realm, both times as a captive. The first time he had been abducted by the Coffin Carrying Man and this time, before he could even get his bearings, he had been captured. It was really terrible luck.
“Hateful Demon Race!” Yang Kai faintly heard someone curse and saw a number of indistinct figures approaching him before his consciousness completely faded.
…..
Amidst the pitch black darkness or night, Yang Kai slowly woke up, every single inch of his body ached. Even with his strong physique, he could not simply ignore such intense trauma.
Not sitting up or even opening his eyes immediately, Yang Kai quickly probed his current situation.
A moment later, Yang Kai’s expression became gloomy.
Just as he imagined, his True Qi and Spiritual Energy had a number of seals placed on them. In order to unseal his True Qi, it would take him some time but it shouldn’t be impossible, it was likely someone with only slightly higher strength than his own had applied his bindings. As for the seal on his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai was confident he could easily crack it, but to not attract any unwanted attention, he didn’t dare act rashly.
He didn’t know where he was or what kind of masters were lurking around, if he were to free himself haphazardly, it would likely end very badly for him.
However, something that was of particular interest to him was the seal on his True Qi actually had a faint Yang Attribute aura to it and the ambient Yang Qi in the air was far richer than the outside world.
The Yang Attribute aura he had felt in the Ancient Ruins should have originated from this place.
The injuries on his body had already mostly healed, allowing him to infer that he had been in a coma for at least three days.
There were some other auras nearby but none of them belonged to An Ling’er.
Where had that woman gone?
An Ling’er was a rare beauty with a noble and innocent demeanour, if she had fallen into the hands of unscrupulous people, it wouldn’t end well for her. Yang Kai couldn’t help but slightly worrying about her.
Right now he seemed to be in some kind of prison cell which was constructed of sturdy wood, not something he could break easily with his True Qi sealed.
After opening his eyes and taking a moment to adjust to the ambient light, Yang Kai slowly sat up.
This movement did not go unnoticed by the others around him and soon someone came over and muttered in surprise, “Hm? Brat, you’re actually alive? How is that possible?”
“Where is this place, who are you?” Yang Kai asked as he looked around.
“Shut up! You’ll speak only when spoken to, I’ll pull out your tongue if you keep blabbing,” The man coldly snorted, his attitude extremely unfriendly, opening the cell door as he ordered, “Get out, my clan’s leader wants to see you.”
“Leader?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Stop asking questions and do as your told, otherwise I’ll chop you up and feed you to the Divine Tree right now!” The man threatened as he glared towards Yang Kai, turning around and walking out, “Follow me.”
Yang Kai’s expression remained indifferent as he followed the man outside, quietly inspecting his surroundings as he walked forward.
Currently, he was in a dark and damp corridor that was lined with cells similar to the one Yang Kai was in before, each one separated from the others. There were also a number of people in these cells who, after hearing movement, turned their eyes towards him curiously.
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled when he saw these inmates, feeling like something was off with them.
The auras these people emitted were different from those of average people. Strictly speaking, there were traces of Demonic Qi lingering around each and every one of them!
Among these people, Yang Kai didn’t see any trace of An Ling’er, nor were there any signs of where she might have been taken.
Soon, Yang Kai followed the man out of prison. After coming outside into the light, the man looked back at Yang Kai and seemed to want to say something but after seeing his prisoner’s state, he couldn’t help showing a shocked expression as he pointed at him and stuttered, “You… your body…”
“Is there something wrong?” Yang Kai asked indifferently.
“You were on death’s door, how are you…”
When Yang Kai was first brought here, there wasn’t one place on his body that wasn’t wounded, his stomach had even been pierced clean through, leaving behind a gaping hole. Everyone had thought he be dead before night fell.
But now, seeing him essentially unharmed, the man couldn’t help feeling somewhat stunned and uncomfortable.
“My restorative abilities are better than most!”
“‘Better than most’ doesn’t even begin to describe it,” The man stared at Yang Kai distrustfully, suddenly asking coldly, “Brat, you must have used some miraculous healing pill. If you still have any, hand them over, if I find them on you later you’ll only suffer more.”
“I don’t have anything like that,” Yang Kai shook his head.
The man swept his eyes up and down Yang Kai, seemingly looking for traces of a hidden pocket or Universe Bag; unfortunately for him, he didn’t discover anything and was somewhat disappointed. Grinding his teeth unhappily, he grabbed Yang Kai and pushed him forward.
Inside a large hall, many people were gathered, each of them having an almost glowing complexion, a thick and somewhat scalding aura pulsing from each of their bodies.
Everyone here, whether they were male or female, young or old, actually cultivated a Yang Attribute Secret Art, similar to Yang Kai. On top of that, each of their cultivations wasn’t low, the weakest of them still having reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage while a fair number of them were Transcendents.
There were more than a dozen people gathered here and at the head of the hall sat an old man with a particularly strong aura. This old man’s hair was red and wore an indifferent expression, giving off an imposing air.
Next to the old man was a square-faced youth wearing a grey shirt who made no attempt to conceal his surging True Qi.
This youth was actually a Third Order Transcendent!
This group of people was apparently in the middle of some kind of discussion but when Yang Kai arrived, all of them couldn’t help stopping and casting looks of surprise and amazement towards him, a strong sense of curiosity flashing across their eyes.
“Leader, I’ve brought him!” The man who led Yang Kai here cupped his fists and said. The old man sitting at the head of the room nodded lightly before waving his hand, dismissing the man. Before he left though, he didn’t forget to warn Yang Kai about showing proper respect again.
“Yi Feng, is this the Human you brought back?” The old man stroked his beard and temperately asked as he stared deeply towards Yang Kai.
As the old man spoke these words, Yang Kai could clearly feel a burning aura probing his body, seemingly inspecting him inside and out.
“En,” The young man standing next to the old man quickly responded, also staring at Yang Kai somewhat strangely.
“Didn’t you say he was on the verge of death? How can he be standing here now like nothing happened?” The old man asked again.
Yi Feng scratched his head and frowned, “I don’t know. When we brought him back here, he looked like he would die at any moment, I thought he wouldn’t last more than a day… Hey kid, what happened, how did you heal yourself?”
Yang Kai looked at the youth, then at the old man, wrinkling his brow as he asked, “From what you’ve said just now, you don’t seem to be Human.”
Only someone from a different race would refer to him as ‘Human’.
“Impudence!” Yi Feng’s expression immediately became cold, “When I ask you something you answer, otherwise keep your mouth shut.”
Saying so, he waved his hand a stream of energy, like a whip, struck Yang Kai’s body.
With a snapping sound, a new bloody mark appeared on Yang Kai’s chest, with his True Qi sealed, there was no way he could have resisted such an attack.
Yang Kai didn’t move and simply grit his teeth, turning his eyes towards the young man and staring fiercely.
“You’ve got guts at least!” Yi Feng sneered, raising his hand again and condensing his True Qi, seemingly planning on teaching this rude brat a harsh lesson.
“Enough, Yi Feng!” The old man suddenly raised his hand and stopped the youth from whipping Yang Kai, staring at the latter with a tinge of curiosity as he grinned, “Human Race kid, you have some skill. If I am not mistaken, the strength of your physique isn’t inferior to an average Saint’s, is it?”
“What?” Yi Feng’s expression changed to one of shock, “But his cultivation is only at the First Order Transcendent Realm.”
“He must have continuously tempered his body in order to achieve his current strength. Having such a strong physique at such a young age, truly impressive!” The old man smiled and asked, “How did you do it?”
“Every day I had someone whip me ten thousand times. Anyone who does the same can achieve what I have,” Yang Kai grinned back.
“A stupid way of doing things, but indeed possible.” Whether the old man didn’t know Yang Kai was spouting nonsense or just didn’t care, he simply the issue drop and moved on, “Because you are a Human, we’ve let you live for now. If you were a member of the Demon Race, your luck wouldn’t have been so good.”
Saying so, the old man’s expression suddenly became solemn as he asked, “Boy, I’ll ask you some questions, if I am satisfied with your answers, I can allow you to live a few more days. If I am not… you know the consequences.”
People under the eaves have to bow, so Yang Kai simply nodded.
“Do you any relationship with the Demon Race?”
“No.”
“You don’t? Then why did you appear here? Where did you come in from?”
“I came here from the seabed! There was a Void Corridor in an Ancient Ruin I recently explored. My companion and I were being chased by a powerful master and used that Void Corridor to escape. After coming to my senses, I found myself here.”
As Yang Kai spoke, the old man continued staring fixedly at him, seemingly wanting to determine if the former was lying. After a moment of silence, the old man continued, “Tell me about what happened, in detail.”
Under the gaze of the other party, Yang Kai began narrating his story, neither lying nor trying to conceal anything. The strength of this old man was unfathomable and Yang Kai didn’t know whether the former had some kind of special skills regarding interrogation so right now, lying would likely be counterproductive.
“You managed to escape from the pursuit of a Saint Realm master?” The old man was astonished, “You’re skill isn’t small!”
“Ha! It was mostly luck, I almost died…”
The old man nodded lightly, accepting Yang Kai’s explanation.
“Why did you think I had some sort of connection with the Demon Race? Also, where is my companion now? What’s her situation?” Yang Kai asked.
“Brat, you certainly have a lot of question,” Yi Feng coldly snorted.
The old man also frowned, apparently displease with Yang Kai asking so many questions, but he still responded, “Because only those from the Demon Race have ever entered this place, you are the first Human to come here. As for your companion, you don’t have to worry, she is fine, only her freedom of movement has been restricted.”
Saying so, he then turned to Yi Feng, “Go back to the place you found them see if there is another entrance. If you find one, destroy it!”
Yi Feng was just about to nod when Yang Kai cut in, “There’s no need for that, I destroyed the Void Corridor before coming here.”
“And we’re supposed to just take your word for that?” Yi Feng snorted as he glared over at Yang Kai, quickly cupping his fists to the old man before leading a group of people back to the forest Yang Kai had appeared in.
After Yi Feng left, the old man continued, “You cultivate a Yang Attribute Secret Art?”
Yang Kai nodded.
The old man grinned, “Not many Humans cultivate Yang Attribute Secret Art, and looking from your appearance, your cultivation technique isn’t bad, is it?”
Yang Kai’s expression tightened slightly, thinking this old man was interested in his True Yang Secret Art, but before he could say anything, the old man simply waved his hand dismissively and said, “But even the best Human Yang Attribute Secret Art is nothing compared to ours.”
When the old man said this, everyone else in the room wore a proud expression and nodded, directing contemptuous looks towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai expression relaxed as he asked, “You all seem to cultivate Yang Attribute Secret Arts, what race are you, and where is this place?”
“Us?” The old man stroked his beard and said, “We are Human yet also not Human!”
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed as he listened to this non-answer.
“Our ancestors belonged to the Human Race, but we are a little different from Humans now,” The old man continued, not explaining much. “This place is our home, you outsiders refer to it as a Mysterious Small World.”
“I saw a lot of people back in your dungeon, are they all from the Demon Race? What hatred do you have with the Demon Race?”
“Boy, you really have a lot of questions! It seems your one of those fools who don’t know their places!” The old man starred him coldly, but still grit his teeth and muttered, “The hatred between us and the Demon Race is absolutely irreconcilable. One day, we will wipe all of the Demon Race from existence. As for you, we won’t kill you for the time being. Your strange physique should have some uses for us!”
Saying so, he narrowed his eyes towards Yang Kai once more before waving his hand, “Take him away!”
Immediately, one of the guards came up to Yang Kai and pushed him towards the door.
After Yang Kai had left, everyone in the hall began chattering.
“Leader, the physique of that brat is really quite unique, what’s more, he actually cultivates a Yang Attribute Secret Art, if we turn him into nutrients for the Divine Tree, perhaps the Divine Tree will be stable for a while.”
“En, the Divine Tree has become more and more unstable recently, if this continues, we may end up losing our place of shelter.”
“Grabbing these Demon Race dregs isn’t a long term solution, we need to figure out how to resolve the issue with the Divine Tree. If the Divine Tree were to have an accident… our clan would be devastated.”
“All of you shut up!” The old man shouted, “Do you think this old master doesn’t want to solve this problem? We still don’t even know what the cause of all this is, so how do we go about solving it?”
Hearing this, everyone’s expression sank.
After a brief silence, the old man issued a new commanded, “Xu Qiu, go inform our clansmen to take special care of that boy, give him the best food available and lift the seals on his body. Also, send him one of the Divine Tree’s fruits, I want him restored to his peak condition as soon as possible!”
“Yes,” The man named Xu Qiu quickly got up and walked outside to carry out his orders.
Everyone in the room secretly gripped their fists with a sense of anticipation, knowing what their leader was planning.
Yang Kai was brought back to the same damp and dark prison and shoved into a new cell.
Inside this cell there was another figure with a bleak expression on their face, sitting curled up in the corner, weeping softly.
After hearing movement from the front of their cell, this person looked up, and in an instant, her beautiful face lit as she shouted tenderly, “Yang Kai?”
As she spoke, she quickly jumped to her feet and rushed over towards him while inspecting him carefully, soon discovering that he had essentially recovered from his injuries, greatly astonishing her.
An Ling’er was separated from Yang Kai and brought here several days ago. She, like everyone else, had thought that after suffering such intense wounds, Yang Kai would either be permanently crippled or worse, dead. Never had she expected him to appear before her so quickly and in good condition.
Yang Kai glanced at her and signaled with his eyes for her to remain quiet. Only after the two guards outside had left did he bring her to the corner of the cell.
“Are you alright?” Yang Kai glanced at her and found that aside from her eyes being swollen from crying, her clothes and face were still in order.
An Ling’er shook her head, “I’m fine, they haven’t done anything to me. What about you?”
“I’m fine,” Yang Kai grinned.
“Where is this place, do you know who those people are? Why are they holding us prisoner?”
“I’m not entirely clear, all I know is that they don’t seem to be human and that they have some kind of deep hatred with the Demon Race!” Yang Kai glanced around at the adjacent cells where a number of curious pairs of eyes were staring at him and An Ling’er, each of the people behind these eyes giving off a faint demonic aura.
These people should be members of the Demon Race who were caught and brought here.
“Out of the wolf’s mouth and into the tiger’s den,” An Ling’er sighed, her expression quite ugly.
“At the very least, your Aunt Nan won’t be able to find us for a while,” Yang Kai sat down and said. Compared to being pursued by the previous generation’s Nine Heavens’ Saintess, this place seemed safer, at least for now.
Listening to Yang Kai’s words, An Ling’er’s mood became a bit better, also sitting down next to Yang Kai and snuggling up beside him.
Yang Kai didn’t pay her actions any mind and instead focused his attention on the surrounding Demon Race people. These people should have had their Demonic Qi and Divine Senses sealed as well, but even if they weren’t, in this place, where the air was rich in Yang Attribute Energy, their Demonic Qi would receive a great degree of suppression.
The number of demons held here numbered at least a dozen or so, and their cultivations varied quite a bit. As for their exact strength, Yang Kai couldn’t tell. With a seal still on his Knowledge Sea, he didn’t dare use his Divine Sense forcefully to spy on others.
As Yang Kai was observing his neighbours, a man suddenly came over to his cell.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he inspected this man.
Yang Kai had seen this man in the hall just now, he had been sitting in a relatively high position and could probably be counted as one of this place’s masters.
The man stood outside the cell and stared at Yang Kai indifferently. A moment later, a number of others appeared as well.
“Open the cell!” The lead man told one of the guards who immediately opened the cell’s door.
The people who had just arrived walked in and an enticing aroma filled the cell. Yang Kai was amazed because he found that these people had actually brought trays of beautifully arranged delicacies as well as several jugs of wine.
“Brat, consider yourself lucky. Our leader has told us to take good care of you,” The lead man coldly snorted, waving his hand and sending a burst of True Qi into Yang Kai.
The next moment, Yang Kai felt all the seals in his body disappear and his True Qi once again began flowing through his meridians, his strength quickly recovering.
However, Yang Kai didn’t make any hasty movements. The other party so casually unsealing his True Qi was obviously because he wasn’t worried about Yang Kai being able to escape or even hurt him.
The trays of food and drink were placed down in front of Yang Kai while the lead man stood by and watched indifferently.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Yang Kai frowned. These people had suddenly brought him tasty food and fine wine and had then proceeded to un-seal his True Qi and Spiritual Energy, such inexplicable behaviour of course made Yang Kai feel vigilant.
There was no such thing as a free lunch!
“No meaning!” The man sneered, slowly walking over and opening his hand, revealing a pale yellow fruit the size of a small fist. The moment this fruit appeared, Yang Kai felt the surrounding Yang Attribute Energy become stronger and a fragrant scent brush past his nose.
His brow rising, Yang Kai stared fixedly at this fruit.
“Hmph, even after offering this to you, the way you act is still filled with suspicion. Hurry up and eat it!” The man tossed the fruit over and Yang Kai caught it, staring back and forth between the fruit and the man’s face suspiciously.
The lead man no longer said anything and simply turned around and left with his clansmen.
A moment later, the group had disappeared.
Yang Kai sat deep in thought, not eating the fruit in his hand or touching the food in front of him, unable to hide his confusion. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand what was going on.
Suddenly, from the cell to his left, a strange laughter rang out, “Human brat, your luck isn’t bad, you actually get a nice meal before you die, it seems like those bastards value you quite a bit.”
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as he glanced over at the source of the voice but the light was too dim for him to tell what this man looked like.
His eyes narrowing slightly before relaxing, Yang Kai let out a friendly laugh and asked, “Friend, everyone here is in the same predicament, is there any need to taunt one another? Do you want some of this?”
“Nope, best of luck to you!” The man flatly rejected Yang Kai’s offer and then stopped talking.
“Is it poisoned?” An Ling’er asked nervously.
“You think too much,” Yang Kai shook his head. If these people really wanted to kill him, they didn’t need to use such petty tricks, from the strength they had shown, they definitely had the ability to put Yang Kai and An Ling’er to death instantly, why waste good food simply to poison them?
On top of that, although Yang Kai didn’t recognize what it was, the fruit he was given last was definitely something extraordinary. At the very least, this fruit was a Spirit Grade Top-Rank ingredient which contained a very rich Yang Qi.
One such fruit would be enough for someone with Yang Kai’s cultivation to completely restore themself.
“Eat up, there’s nothing wrong with it,” Yang Kai smiled and stuffed one of the plates into An Ling’er’s hand.
After having her True Qi and Spiritual Energy both sealed and spending a number of days living in fear, An Ling’er really did need to replenish her strength, so she immediately accepted and began eating.
Yang Kai also began stuffing his face, quickly sweeping away everything in front of him, not even letting the pit of the fruit go, swallowing it directly, adding a few drops of Yang Liquid to his dantian in the process
Over the next few days, people would come and deliver food to Yang Kai’s cell, which were all heavenly delicacies.
Yang Kai had already adjusted to this new environment and after these past few days, not only had his injuries completely healed, his strength had also improved slightly. This place was simply a cultivation paradise for the True Yang Secret Art.
Whenever Yang Kai and An Ling’er received these meals, the Demon Race people on either side of them became particularly unhappy.
They were all prisoners in the same prison, but the difference in treatment was as different as Heaven and Earth, causing all of them to wonder just what kind of connection Yang Kai had with the clan that occupied this Mysterious Small World.
In the cell on the left, the Demon Race person who had first spoken to Yang Kai had thought the latter would soon be killed, but after so many days, not only had the people here not found any trouble with him but instead continued to offer him various benefits, leaving him practically speechless.
Roughly five days later, Yang Kai, who was meditating in his cell, suddenly felt an unstable Yang Attribute energy fluctuation in the air, seemingly emanating from somewhere in the distance.
Wrinkling his brow, Yang Kai tried to examine what was going on, but was unable to discover anything useful.
On the other hand, the Demon Race people in the all the cells all wore dignified expressions as soon as they felt this strange energy fluctuation, all of them going silent as uneasiness filled the air, as if this energy fluctuation marked the coming of some kind of disaster.
“What happened to them?” An Ling’er huddled closer to Yang Kai and whispered.
Yang Kai shook his head, his expression also becoming solemn.
The clatter of footsteps could soon be heard as a number of people rushed into the prison from the outside and immediately grabbed a number of Demon Race people, dragging them kicking and screaming from their cells.
But with their strength completely sealed, there was no way these Demon Race people could fight back effectively and soon they were all knocked down and brought out.
After dragging these prisoners out, the doors to the cells were locked again.
Those who still remained began to clamor and curse but obviously no one responded to them.
“Enough! All of you shut up, you think shouting is of any use here?” In the cell to the left of Yang Kai’s, the Demon Race man who had spoken to Yang Kai before called out.
Soon after, everyone fell silent.
Seeing this, Yang Kai glanced over at this man curiously. Apparently this guy had some fame and prestige amongst the Demon Race or else the others here wouldn’t have so easily obeyed him.
After roughly the time it would take to burn a stick of incense, the unsteady energy fluctuations gradually subsided and eventually faded away.
A somber mood fell over the prison as all of the Demon Race people inside became noticeably low-spirited.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he thought to himself that these captives should know more about what was going on. Perhaps he could acquire some useful information from them if he could just get them to talk.
A day later, someone once again brought food and wine, but this time Yang Kai didn’t stuff his meal down immediately but instead took a jug of wine over to the Demon Race man on his left and said in as friendly a tone as possible, “Do you want to share a drink? This wine isn’t half bad.”
Amidst the darkness, a pair of eyes slowly opened and glanced over at Yang Kai, a moment later a snort ringing out, revealing a sense of disdain and ridicule.
“Although I’m human and you’re a demon, and the relationship between our two races has never been friendly, but where I come from we have a saying, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ What do you think?” Yang Kai continued his attempt to persuade this man.
In response, the man slowly took back his sneer and contemplated for a while before saying, “Hmph, you Humans are infamous for your treachery, but at least you don’t seem too hateful!”
Saying so, he stood up, walked over to where the two cells met, sat down and took the jug of wine from Yang Kai’s hand and drank it down.
A few breaths later, after watching him swallowing down the jug of wine, Yang Kai handed this man another.
Seeing him act so subservient, the Demon Race man couldn’t help nodding while disdainfully snickering, “I despise you, humans, the most. You all act servile to those stronger than you yet boast arrogantly in front of those weaker than you. A sinister and deceitful bunch!”
“Heh heh,” Yang Kai didn’t get angry and simply handed over the jug of wine, “Drink first, we can talk later.”
The food and drink disappeared quickly after that.
The Demon Race man stopped constantly making insults but the way he looked down on Yang Kai with utter scorn didn’t change from beginning to end.
“Is there something you want to ask?” The man grumbled, obviously having seen through Yang Kai’s intentions from the start.
Yang Kai simply smiled and first gave his name to his neighbour before saying, “I haven’t asked friend’s name yet.”
The man frowned, seemingly reluctant to report his name, but after considering for a moment he bluntly said, “Gou Che!”
Hearing this name, Yang Kai showed no reaction, but the nearby An Ling’er couldn’t help crying out in shock as she covered her mouth in surprise.
“Hm?” Yang Kai turned to look at her.
“Are you really Gou Che?” An Ling’er stared at the Demon Race man in disbelief.
“Good!”
“My god, you’re actually Gou Che, how come you’re stuck in this prison then?”
“Is he someone famous?” Yang Kai asked An Ling’er curiously.
Gou Che snorted as he curled his lips, “Human brat, originally I thought you were somewhat clever, how come you suddenly look so ignorant?”
“Sorry, I’ve never heard of you,” Yang Kai smiled faintly.
An Ling’er licked her red lips and whispered, “Although I have heard the name Gou Che, he is not actually that famous, the famous one is his father! One of the four Demon Generals, Gou Qiong!”
“Your old man is a Demon General?” Yang Kai was also shocked.
The title ‘Demon General’ was one Yang Kai was unfortunately quite familiar with. Back in the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land’s Evil Cavern Yang Kai had killed a Demon General’s Soul Clone! It was only after coming to Tong Xuan Realm though that Yang Kai learned of the terrifying strength each Demon General possessed from Shui Ling.
“My old man is my old man, I am me!” Gou Che seemed unwilling to borrow his father’s name and reputation.
“If you have such a powerful father, how could you have been caught and imprisoned here?” Yang Kai asked, somewhat dumbfounded.
Gou Che squinted as he glared at Yang Kai for a moment before sighing heavily, “A series of unlucky coincidences. In any case, let’s not talk about that. When I get out of here, I’ll rally together enough soldiers to raze this place to the ground.”
“May your wishes come true,” Yang Kai casually said before finally getting to the main point, “How much do you know about this place?”
“Not much,” Gou Che shook his head and no longer rejected Yang Kai outright as he had previously, perhaps agreeing with the sentiment that his enemy’s enemy was his friend, or perhaps thinking he could somehow use Yang Kai to help him escape from this predicament. “We only know that the people here call themselves the Sun Clan. They seem to have once belonged to the Human Race, but because of the Secret Arts they cultivate and that damn Divine Tree of theirs, their physique is now somewhat different from ordinary humans, so they gave themselves a new name.”
“Divine Tree?” Yang Kai frowned and vaguely remembered hearing that name when he first woke up. If he wasn’t mistaken, the Sun Clan clansmen who brought him to the hall said he would turn him into nutrients for the Divine Tree if he didn’t cooperate.
“En, it’s the root of their Sun Clan! Didn’t you see a giant tree when you first came here? The Yang Attribute energy being so rich in this place is all because of that Divine Tree! If not for it, how could our Demon Qi be so strongly suppressed?”
The energy flowing through Demon Race cultivators was called Demonic Qi, which was equivalent to the True Qi which flowed through Human cultivators.
After listening to Gou Che’s story, Yang Kai shook his head slowly, he really hadn’t seen this Divine Tree before, probably because he and An Ling’er had entered this Mysterious Small World from a different entrance.
“The Divine Tree is a strange entity that can generate Yang Attribute energy all on its own; however, recently, for some unknown reason, it seems to have become somewhat unstable. In order to keep the Divine Tree healthy and stable, the Sun Clan people here began catching people from the outside, and the only entrance to this Mysterious Small World is in my Demon Land, so those they have caught all come from my race. Strange, how did the two of you get here?”
“There’s more than one entrance to this place, we accidentally came in through one of them,” Yang Kai explained casually.
“No wonder,” Gou Che nodded lightly before continuing, “You must have felt the unusual energy fluctuations just now; they occur when the Divine Tree becomes unstable. Whenever that happens, they take some of the people they’ve captured here and use their blood and flesh to nurture and comfort the Divine Tree.”
“So those few who were taken just now…”
“They’re dead!” Gou Che sneered, “And it won’t be long before it’s our turn! I’m sure you can see, there aren’t many people left in here.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed slightly upon hearing this. There were only one or two people left in the cells adjacent to his and it was likely there weren’t many in the other cells as well. Every time the Divine Tree’s instability appeared, they had to take several of them to act as blood sacrifices, so it was obviously it wouldn’t be long before everyone in here was dead.
The Sun Clan always abducting Demon Race cultivators from the Demon Land was bound to attract attention after so long so it was likely the Demon Land was now on guard against them so as not to let them succeed so easily anymore, meaning a fresh supply of bodies couldn’t be expected.
“The fruit you ate a few days ago came from their Divine Tree,” Gou Che frowned and explained, “Seeing how you ate that thing so happily, and considering the annoying feeling that comes from your aura, you should cultivate a Yang Attribute Secret Art, right?”
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“Then you can relax for a while. Before everyone else here is killed off, they probably won’t touch you. Their Divine Tree is especially fond of people like you so I’m sure they’re saving you for last,” Gou Che said, obviously taking some pleasure in Yang Kai’s misfortune, his menacing smiling giving An Ling’er the chills.
“Many thanks for your consideration,” Yang Kai cupped his fists and replied.
Gou Che just snickered before turning his attention to An Ling’er, sweeping his eyes over her body wantonly before saying meaningfully, “Brat, if I were you, I would enjoy myself while I can. You have such a beauty nearby yet you haven’t even touched her, could it be you have problems down there? That’s not good, you can’t disappoint her like that.”
As soon as Gou Che said this, the other Demon Race captives burst out into a fit of laughter.
Yang Kai’s face went black and suddenly felt like this guy was somewhat off putting. An Ling’er on the other hand did her best to cover herself while shooting a hateful glare towards Gou Che and hiding herself behind Yang Kai.
…..
Since talking to Gou Che that day, Yang Kai gained a slight understanding of his current situation and began making some psychological preparations.
After getting a taste of wine after who knows how long, Gou Che became somewhat shameless; whenever the Sun Clan came to deliver food, he would always take two jugs of wine from Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t mind though and simply shared without any complaints.
After getting along for a dozen days or so, Gou Che’s attitude had become more temperate and although it wasn’t as if he was treating Yang Kai like a sworn brother, he at least mellowed his insufferable arrogance.
The only thing that continued to frustrate Yang Kai was how Gou Che always egged him on regarding An Ling’er, each time causing the naive young woman to turn beat red and cling to Yang Kai to hide her embarrassment.
Being imprisoned here, while constantly on edge, not knowing when they would be dragged off and executed had caused the already unruly Demon Race cultivators to completely let loose and seek for some kind of entertainment anywhere they could.
In the past ten days, Yang Kai felt the unstable Yang Attribute energy fluctuations coming from the Divine Tree twice.
Both times, several of the Demon Race prisoners were taken out, never to return.
As the days went by, the number of Demon Race cultivators in the cells continued to dwindle and the moods of those who were left behind grew even heavier.
Their time of death was not far away, and everyone was aware of it.
The atmosphere was incredible gloomy, with only Yang Kai and Gou Che capable of looking forward. Neither of them seeming to be worried, as if they didn’t care whether they lived or died.
Yang Kai spent most of his time cultivating, not missing any opportunity to improve his strength.
He knew that the day he was taken out from this place, he’d have to fight a difficult battle. In this Mysterious Small World, to survive, he knew he would have to kill. If that is the case, then sharpening his blade at any opportunity he can was the best thing he could do right now.
Below the Saint Realm, he didn’t put anyone in his eyes, if anyone provoked him, he could directly release his Soul Devouring Insects and turn this Mysterious Small World into a mass graveyard. Presumably, the leaders of the Sun Clan wouldn’t be able to accept such an outcome which would give Yang Kai an opportunity to sit down and bargain with them.
Therefore he didn’t have any reason to panic.
But this was his biggest trump card and he wasn’t prepared to expose it until the last possible moment.
Two months passed by and basically every five days, a group of people would be brought out from the prison, but as more time went by, Yang Kai felt that the frequency of the Divine Tree’s episodes was increasing.
There were already very few people left in the dungeon.
With the exception of Yang Kai and An Ling’er, only Gou Che and his cellmates were left.
The next time the Divine Tree acted up, it would be their turn. This feeling of impending death unnerved even the normally calm Gou Che.
One day, while drinking with Yang Kai, Gou Che suddenly said, “Friend, you look like a real man. If death is really imminent, would you not resist?”
“Do you think I have the ability to resist?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“They didn’t seal your True Qi, your chances are at least better than mine.”
“Well, if it comes down to it, it certainly won’t just sit still and wait for death.”
“Good, when the time comes, I’ll help you. If you really can escape from this forsaken place, please bring a message to my father; tell him about this place and what happened here so he can take revenge for me!” As he spoke, Gou Che’s expression became fierce, “I have to let these bastards know my Demon Race is not to be trifled with.”
Yang Kai glanced over at him thoughtfully, faintly thinking that this hoodlum should still be hiding some methods, or at least was still capable of putting up some resistance.
However, it seemed like whatever methods he had were very limited; from how he spoke, it didn’t seem like he had any hope of escaping.
[With his help, maybe there really would be a chance to escape!] Yang Kai thought to himself.
As they were talking though, a familiar energy fluctuation filled the air.
Yang Kai, Gou Che, and An Ling’er’s eyes flashed, each of them falling into a temporary daze.
“It’s time!” Gou Che took a deep breath and said.
The Divine Tree had become unstable again, and now, besides them, there was only one other Demon Race cultivator left in this prison. They would certainly be chosen this time.
*Deng deng deng deng…*
The sound of hurried footsteps came from outside and with a loud bang, several Sun Clan clansmen burst into the prison.
It’s mainly to see how the other sites are stealing the content. I doubt they are literally copying and pasting so, let’s see how it goes. TBH, I don’t actually hate them for stealing, just wish that they would have the Patreon link there for us to hit the higher goals. Do you hear me guys?
The leader of this group was the man who had previously lifted the seal on Yang Kai’s True Qi and Spiritual Energy, his expression this time could only be described as gloomy. After arriving, he waved his hand and several of his clansmen immediately opened the two cells.
“Boy, your time of death has arrived,” The man said coldly, “Wasting so many of our resources and living so comfortably for so long, I want to see just how much return you’ll pay!”
As he spoke, he once again sealed Yang Kai’s True Qi before turning to his clansmen and ordering, “Take them all!”
Gou Che and his fellow Demon Race cultivator both suddenly let out muffled grunts as they received several punches and kicks and were dragged out of their cell. On the other hand, Yang Kai and An Ling’er didn’t resist and were spared such unpleasantries.
Walking along the prison’s dark corridor, Gou Che seemed to be somewhat unwilling to cooperate, so it was stop and go for a while, resulting in several whippings. As a result, when the group finally made it out of the prison, Gou Che was a bloody mess, but he was still stubbornly resisting, spewing curses from his mouth as he struggled against his captors.
The master from the Sun Clan simply sneered in response, “Go on, curse, curse like there’s no tomorrow, cause there isn’t! Son of a Demon General? Hmph, you’re nothing but a dead man walking. No one will come to rescue you.”
“If you have the guts, let me go. As soon as I return I’ll rally soldiers and lead my father’s army back here to annihilate you all!” Gou Che yelled.
“Idiot!” The man spat disdainfully.
As Gou Che spoke, he continuously shot glances towards Yang Kai, seemingly urging him to act, but Yang Kai just kept indicating that now was not the time.
Right now was when the surrounding masters were wariest. Even if he was at full strength, Yang Kai couldn’t guarantee he could escape successfully, so how was he supposed to do so when his True Qi and Spiritual Energy were sealed?
He had to wait for an opportunity to release his Soul Devouring Insects and take a large number of Sun Clan clansmen hostage first.
After seeing Yang Kai respond this way several times, Gou Che stopped signalling to him and instead began staring suspiciously, wondering what this strange Human brat was thinking.
As the group walked forward, the Yang Attribute energy fluctuation also grew stronger and more unstable.
The Sun Clan clansmen seemed to be in a hurry and were constantly urging Yang Kai and the others to walk faster.
A short time later, Yang Kai came to an open space where there was nothing within a thousand-meter radius beside a giant golden coloured tree that’s canopy seemed to stretch into the clouds.
Yang Kai could sense that all the Yang Attribute energy in this place was being generated from this giant tree.
It was almost like a giant umbrella, its huge canopy stretching out in all directions, radiating so much Yang Qi that it formed a thin, film-like barrier that subsequently covered the region where the Sun Clan people lived.
As soon as he arrived, the True Qi in Yang Kai’s body showed some signs of movement and soon after, the seal which had been placed on him was silently destroyed.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed with shock.
He had never thought such a strange tree could exist in this world. This giant tree was obviously the Sun Clan’s Divine Tree, the foundation of their race.
Because of the Secret Arts the Sun Clan cultivated, as long as they remained near this Divine Tree, their strength will rapidly increase, unlike Yang Kai who needed to constantly search for Yang Attribute Precious Treasures and auras just to cultivate.
This was simply a paradise Yang Kai could only dream of.
Staring up at the huge Divine Tree, Yang Kai spotted a number of fruits hanging from its branches. These fruits were the same as the one Yang Kai had eaten soon after waking up in this strange Mysterious Small World, some of them were mature while others seemed to still need more time before ripening.
Not far from the roots of the Divine Tree, the Sun Clan’s Elders were waiting, and upon noticing Yang Kai and the other prisoners’ arrival, they turned around and stared with expectant eyes.
Soon after, the Divine Tree seemed to give off some unusual fluctuations, as if trying to convey a message of desire, releasing a wave of pure Yang Attribute aura that transformed into several visibly ropes which wrapped around Yang Kai.
Seeing this scene, all of the Sun Clan Elders’ spirits roused.
The old leader smiled and nodded as he muttered, “It looks like the Divine Tree likes this human.”
“Thank the Heavens, with this human, the Divine Tree should be able to stabilize for a while, giving us enough time to find some new nutrients!”
“Being able to become the Divine Tree’s nutrients is your life’s greatest honour!” The master who escorted Yang Kai and the others here sneered.
“Doesn’t seem like it to me,” Yang Kai replied flatly but made no attempt to free himself from the energy ropes the Divine Tree had wrapped around him.
These Yang Qi ropes not only didn’t restrict Yang Kai’s movements, they actually gave him a feeling of comfort.
Glancing around, Yang Kai saw that not far in front of himself was a pile of bones and earth that had been dyed red by blood. Obviously, these were the remains of the Demon Race cultivators who had previously been brought here.
This sea of bones and blood was quite shocking at first sight.
An Ling’er pretty face went pale, thinking that she would soon join this mass grave, her heart couldn’t help filling with panic.
*Kacha Kacha…*
As they were pushed forward and stepped, the bones beneath their feet cracked and crumbled, releasing a somewhat gruesome sound.
Gou Che roared as his eyes gradually turned red and filled with anger, the aura around his body become violent and dangerous.
The blood and bones here were all left behind by his clansmen, naturally, Gou Che felt enraged.
As he approached the Divine Tree, Yang Kai’s expression gradually became strange, he felt as if the Divine Tree was trying to convey something to him but was unable to decipher it, causing him to sink into contemplation.
Soon, the group of prisoners was brought before the Divine Tree.
The Sun Clan didn’t seem to want to waste any time, all of them eager to start the blood sacrifice to appease the Divine Tree.
The old leader stared at Gou Che and bluntly commanded, “Start with him.”
Immediately, someone came over and knocked Gou Che to the ground.
“Kid, if you don’t act now when will you?” Gou Che suddenly yelled at Yang Kai, his body swelling up as he spoke, his physique filling with a kind of explosive power that easily smashed through the seals with just his Demonic Qi.
Without hesitation, Gou Che thrust his hand towards the nearest Sun Clan clansman’s heart, trying to strike him to death.
None of the Sun Clan present even batted an eye though, instead staring at Gou Che as if he were some kind of idiot. The old leader simply waved his hand and Gou Che’s movements froze, no matter how the latter tried he simply couldn’t move. Sweat dripping down his forehead, unwillingness filled Gou Che’s red eyes but in the face of absolute power, there was nothing more he could do.
“You think by risking your life you can put up some kind of last-ditch struggle?” The leader chuckled, “Foolishness, do you think I would give you any such chance?”
“You old bastard!” Gou Che gnashed his teeth and cursed, the veins on his forehead nearly popping out, not losing hope as he continued to push his Demonic Qi but still unable to free himself from this predicament.
Gou Che’s strength wasn’t low, already arriving at the Third Order Transcendent Realm, but in front of a Saint Realm master, he still couldn’t put up any kind of resistance. On top of that, this place was right below the Sun Clan’s Divine Tree, the ambient Yang Qi was incredibly rich, harshly suppressing Gou Che’s Demonic Qi, even the weakest Sun Clan clansmen in the same realm could easily beat him here.
“Kill him!” The leader shouted somewhat impatiently.
The two Sun Clan guards who had dragged Gou Che here sneered as they raised their hands, their True Qi surging as they prepared to cut off their prisoner’s head.
“Wait!” Seeing Gou Che’s head about to roll, Yang Kai suddenly shouted.
“Boy, what do you want?” The old leader turned to look at Yang Kai sullenly, “Don’t tell me you want to take his place and die first?”
As soon as this statement came out, Gou Che’s expression also became somewhat confused.
Yang Kai simply grinned, “Sorry, my relationship with him isn’t nearly that good, whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me.”
“Then why did you open your mouth just now?”
“I just thought I might have a way to resolve your problem and appease your Divine Tree,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
All the Sun Clan clansmen present wore unpleasant expression upon hearing this, the old leader coldly glaring towards Yang Kai as he said, “Boy, you know to talk big I’ll give you that, but if you dare try to stir up trouble here, I’ll make you suffer a fate worse than death.”
“Whether I’m boasting or not, you can determine after letting me try; in any case, you have nothing to lose,” Yang Kai said, shrugging lightly.
In the next moment, True Qi surged out from Yang Kai’s body.
“You…” The master who had escorted him here stared in disbelief, unable to understand how this boy had so easily broken through the seals on his strength.
“Don’t look so surprised, it’s not that I have the ability to break through your seals, it was the Divine Tree that helped me!” Yang Kai smiled as he pointed at the energy ropes still tied around him.
“Strange!” The man shook his head in confusion.
“Now then, do you want me to try? To be honest, if you want to kill us all now, I have no opinion. At worst I’ll die a quick death, but if you let me try, you might receive an unexpected surprise. En, well, even if it doesn’t work, it won’t be too late to kill us then. It’s your decision.”
Seeing him look so calm, seemingly indifferent to whether he lived or died, the Sun Clan’s Elders became somewhat hesitant.
The most important point here was the Divine Tree’s behaviour. They had never seen the Divine Tree entangle someone like this before. Not even the strongest members of their Sun Clan had experienced such a thing.
As such, Yang Kai’s words had some credibility to them.
Perhaps it was as he said and he could give them some unexpected surprises.
The crowd whispered amongst themselves for a moment before all of them turned their attention to their leader.
The old man sunk into contemplation for a moment, his eyes staring at Yang Kai with some distrust but eventually nodding as he said, “This old master will allow you to try, but you must first tell us what you plan to do.”
“There’s no way to describe it, you’ll just have to watch and see!” Yang Kai smiled, ignoring the unfriendly stares of the surrounding Sun Clan clansmen as he walked forward.
“If you dare damage the Divine Tree, I will pull out your Soul and torture you for all eternity!” The old leader threatened coldly.
Yang Kai secretly snorted, not caring at all about the old man’s threat.
In front of everyone’s eyes, Yang Kai walked over and stood before the giant Divine Tree.
Both Gou Che and An Ling’er secretly clenched their fists, neither of them knowing what Yang Kai was thinking.
Standing beside the Divine Tree’s roots, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled slightly as he slowly extended his hand and pressed it against the tree.
The instant he touched it, his body shook.
The Divine Tree in front of him was simply a gigantic treasure! The Divine Tree had so much Yang Attribute energy stored within it, it was difficult for Yang Kai to even fathom. It was as if Yang Qi flowed through the tree’s trunk like a raging river. It was to the point where it he listened carefully, Yang Kai could actually hear sound of the flowing Yang Qi.
Yang Kai’s expression changed greatly, wondering just what kind of height his strength would grow to if he could absorb this massive amount of energy.
However, he quickly shook his head. This was the Sun Clan’s Divine Tree; in front of so many masters, it was simply impossible for Yang Kai to absorb any energy from it. If he even tried, he would become a corpse in the next moment.
As Yang Kai stood there, all of the Sun Clan’s masters had their Divine Senses locked onto him, if he made any kind of suspicious movement, they would ruthlessly kill him.
However, Yang Kai’s performance was quite tactful as he simply investigated the Divine Tree, nothing more.
After some time passed, many of the Sun Clan began to show impatient expressions because the fluctuations coming from the Divine Tree had not decreased in the slightest.
Yang Kai also no longer wasted any time, instantly smashing the seal on his Spiritual Energy and then sending his Soul Avatar into the trunk of the Divine Tree.
Inside the Divine Tree, Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar found a golden world filled with Yang Qi so rich it turned into a liquid and flowed like a mighty river. Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar swam through this river, tracing it back to its source.
After a little hard work, Yang Kai arrived at a mysterious space.
This space was somewhere inside the Divine Tree and, strictly speaking, should be its core.
In front of Yang Kai’s Avatar, he discovered an unusual energy formation that seemed to be quietly floating within the golden river. This energy formation exuded an astonishingly hot aura that was subtly different from its surroundings.
As he watched, Yang Kai saw this energy formation pulse slowly, giving it the appearance of a great, beating heart.
Seeing this, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling shocked.
There is always a reason when there is change.
When he had first arrived before the Divine Tree and the latter had taken the initiative to reach out and contact him, Yang Kai had a faint idea what was going on, and now that he had seen this mass of energy, he became certain about his speculations.
At the same time, Yang Kai thoroughly understood what the bouts of restlessness the Divine Tree had were about.
The Sun Clan were unclear about the actual situation and could only provide the Divine Tree with nutrients in the form of blood sacrifices.
Letting out a long sigh, Yang Kai continued to stare at the energy mass in front of him for a while.
This energy formation continued to pulse as it revealed a sense of eagerness and intimacy towards Yang Kai.
This energy formation was still in a state of chaos, but Yang Kai believed that if it was given enough time and enough nourishment, it would form a complete consciousness.
The world was truly vast, even giving birth to such a strange life form.
Yang Kai had encountered the Jade True Spirit and the Bone Race skeleton before which were similarly strange existences, and now he had come across this Divine Tree which, from the looks of it, was in the process of evolving into a completely new life form.
Transforming from a mere plant to a sentient being!
This energy formation at the heart of the tree was actually a gathering of Spiritual Energy and once it completed its evolution, it would become something akin to the Divine Tree’s Soul.
Yang Kai was deeply surprised, never having thought a tree could actually reach such a step.
The occasional riots of the Divine Tree weren’t because it had contracted some kind of illness or because it was on the verge of death, but because its evolution required a massive amount of energy.
It was rooted here so there weren’t many nutrients it could absorb from its surroundings, so whenever it needed more, it would unconsciously cry out. That was also why, when the Sun Clan offered it blood sacrifices, the Divine Tree would settle down for a while.
After eating and drinking enough, it naturally became stable.
However, such a method wasn’t a cure for the problem so it would inevitably start complaining again after a period of time, causing the Sun Clan no small amount of worry.
The amount of energy the Divine Tree needed for its evolution was too large, but judging from the increasing frequency of its riots, Yang Kai felt that it wouldn’t be long before it succeeded.
Yang Kai quickly figured out what was going on, but what he didn’t know was how much the Sun Clan knew.
It was reasonable to say that they could understand the situation by simply sending one of the Soul Avatars into this place, but from their uneasiness and urgency when it came to the Divine Tree’s riots, it seemed as though they were clueless about what was really happening.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling confused about this.
The only way to solve this mystery would be to ask!
Thinking so, Yang Kai quickly took back his Soul Avatar.
Just as he opened his eyes, Yang Kai heard many angry voices coming from the Sun Clan’s masters, all of them seemingly growing impatient, anxious to sacrifice Gou Che and his companion to calm the Divine Tree.
“What are you all so worried about?” Yang Kai squinted at them and said faintly, “I just finished my investigation and came up with a plan, wait a moment longer!”
The leader of the Sun Clan stared at Yang Kai coldly as he declared, “I’ll give you the time it takes to boil a cup of tea, if you can’t calm the Divine Tree by then, all of you will die here today! “
“A cup of tea…” Yang Kai chuckled, “Should be enough.”
Saying so, Yang Kai soared up into the sky and hid himself in the Divine Tree’s dense canopy, disappearing from everyone’s line of sight. The Sun Clan masters weren’t worried though. Even if they couldn’t see Yang Kai, their Divine Senses were still watching every move he made.
Atop the Divine Tree’s huge trunk, Yang Kai arrived at a spot he estimated was the location he had encountered the energy formation.
Stretching out a finger, Yang Kai opened a small crack in the trunk.
Immediately after, Yang Kai condensed a drop of Yang Liquid at his fingertip and dropped it into the crack.
The drop of Yang Liquid directly penetrated into the tree and disappeared.
Although he appeared calm on the surface, Yang Kai’s heart was pounding as he wasn’t certain his plan would work.
What he was doing right now was something he had just come up with on the spot, so there was no guarantee it would have any effect at all.
Yang Kai still remembered back when he was first beginning to cultivate that he had grown several Yang Attribute fruit trees by using his Yang Liquid, so he knew his Yang Liquid had such a growth-promoting effect and that the effect was quite significant.
A spirit fruit tree which should have taken several years to grow and produce fruit had fully matured within a month after absorbing a single drop of Yang Liquid.
Right now, this Divine Tree’s evolution required a massive amount of energy and a drop of Yang Liquid was undoubtedly the best choice for this. On top of that, Yang Kai’s Yang Liquid was very different from the past, the energy contained within a single drop was dozens of times greater than before.
Perhaps this could satisfy the Divine Tree’s requirements!
If it couldn’t though, Yang Kai would have no choice but to give up.
Waiting silently, Yang Kai felt a great sense of tension, not because he was afraid to confront the Sun Clan in a fight, but because he was full of expectations. He was looking forward to seeing what kind of role his Yang Liquid could play here and just what the Divine Tree’s evolved, sentient form would be like!
Suddenly, the fluctuations coming from the Divine Tree became much more intense, as if the drop of Yang Liquid had greatly stimulated it and it was now going on a rampage, throwing the surrounding area into a state of chaos.
“Boy! What have you done!?” Among the Sun Clan masters who were waiting down below, one of them immediately roared angrily upon seeing this and flew up towards Yang Kai, intending to execute him.
“Wait!” This time, it was the Sun Clan’s leader who called out, his brow wrinkling deeply as he examined the situation.
“Leader, that brat definitely tried to harm the Divine Tree, please let me immediately kill him!”
“I told you to wait!” The leader glanced at this man and declared in a domineering tone, shutting the latter up instantly.
Up in the canopy, Yang Kai heard the noise down below, but paid it no mind, instead wearing a happy expression.
The Divine Tree was rioting now not because it was upset but because it desperately wanted more of his Yang Liquid, its rioting was its way of begging for more.
The crack Yang Kai had previously opened actually split apart even further all on its own.
The Divine Tree seemed to think that by doing so it would be able to obtain more benefits.
Its consciousness was currently in a state of ignorance, just like an unborn child. It could vaguely sense what was going on in its surroundings, but couldn’t distinguish what much of it meant. This crack opening on its own was a subconscious reaction it took.
Yang Kai grinned and fed the Divine Tree another drop of Yang Liquid into the trunk from his fingertips.
A moment later, the rampaging aura of the Divine Tree became much more stable.
This time, everyone from the Sun Clan couldn’t help showing strange expressions, the old leader’s eyes flashing a cold yet expectant light.
As time passed, the aura of the Divine Tree gradually became calm, as if an invisible hand had gently been lulling it to sleep.
Everyone waited with anticipation and soon enough, Yang Kai jumped down from the Divine Tree, his face pale and sweat dripping from his forehead.
After landing, Yang Kai sat down without a word and began circulating his Secret Art.
No one dared to disturb him and even the Sun Clan clansmen held their breaths as they waited quietly, wondering just what kind of method he had used to successfully comfort the Divine Tree.
Gou Che and An Ling’er were both stunned but soon let out sighs of relief. They knew that this time they had managed to escape from the jaws of death.
After some time, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes, his complexion somewhat better but obviously still quite weak, the True Qi in his body seemingly severely depleted.
His expression was also quite gloomy and it was apparent he wasn’t in a good mood.
This was no act, Yang Kai really was in a foul mood. This time, in order to provide the Divine Tree with enough energy, he had actually fed it twenty drops of Yang Liquid.
This was a big loss.
“Boy, what did you just do?” The Sun Clan leader quickly asked, “How were you able to comfort the Divine Tree?”
“Do you think I’ll tell you?” Yang Kai sneered.
“Brat, you’d best start talking, if you don’t, we’ll let you taste the world’s finest torture!” Someone immediately threatened.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head and replied back in a defiant tone, “Do whatever you want, this time’s comforting was just a temporary fix. If you don’t want to completely solve your Divine Tree’s problem, you can beat me all you’d like, I promise you if one hair on my head is harmed, the next time your precious Divine Tree goes on a rampage I’ll definitely stand by and watch!”
Yang Kai’s fearless and defiant attitude caused the Sun Clan to hesitate.
The old leader smiled strangely and maintained a neutral attitude while cynically saying, “Boy, your courage isn’t small. Do you think we’ll be so easily intimidated? You only have one life, you should cherish it more, obeying us is your only option here!”
Yang Kai just glanced over at the old leader indifferent and said nothing, stubbornly refusing to cooperate.
Now that he had finally seized the initiative, Yang Kai’s best option was to remain silent, once the Sun Clan learned what he had done, they would likely treat him as a long-term nutrient supply for the Divine Tree and force him to continuously manufacture Yang Liquid to water it.
That was not an outcome Yang Kai wanted to see.
However, listening to their tone, Yang Kai faintly felt that they really didn’t know the Divine Tree was evolving, causing him to frown, it wasn’t until after a moment of reflection that Yang Kai suddenly understood.
He was able to learn the truth because his Soul Avatar had broken into the Divine Tree’s interior to examine it.
But the Sun Clan’s Soul Avatars obviously couldn’t replicate this. Within the Divine Tree’s trunk was an intense flow of Yang Qi, once any of their Soul Avatars entered, they would likely be burned to death!
They didn’t have Yang Kai’s Conflagrated Knowledge Sea which could ignore that scorching heat.
Considering all this, Yang Kai’s last worries disappeared as his courage inflated again.
As long as the Sun Clan didn’t know the truth of the matter, Yang Kai could firmly grasp the initiative in their negotiations.
The Sun Clan leader stared deeply at Yang Kai, his brow furrowed as his expression became somewhat gloomy, only after a while smiling and nodding, “If you don’t want to explain then so be it, I’ll have plenty of chances to figure it out.”
This place was their home turf, and his cultivation was much higher than Yang Kai’s, so naturally the old leader felt Yang Kai couldn’t be able to conceal his methods for long.
Yang Kai simply shrugged his shoulders and remained indifferent.
“Because you have the ability to comfort the Divine Tree, you still have some value, so we won’t be killing you today, but I warn you, don’t try to play any tricks. You won’t be able to afford the consequences!”
Yang Kai chuckled and finally spoke, “You can feel relieved, I understand my own worth, as long as you don’t harm me or my companions, I’ll cooperate with you.”
“You’re an interesting one, boy!” The leader smirked, Yang Kai’s adaptability had gained the old man’s approval.
“But before that, I have a few requests I hope you can fulfil.”
“Don’t reach out for a yard after taking an inch, you don’t have the qualifications to discuss any conditions with us, it seems you really don’t understand your own position!” The old leader coldly snorted, his expression becoming gloomy again.
“I’m not asking for myself but for your Divine Tree. If you want your Divine Tree to be restored as quickly as possible, it’s best if you hear me out, if you don’t want to thought, that’s also fine.”
The Sun Clan cultivators all frowned as they stared at Yang Kai distrustfully.
“Speak!” The old leader said calmly.
“First, starting today, I want all of your Sun Clan clansmen to stop absorbing Yang Qi from the Divine Tree, if you want to cultivate, do it far away from this place!”
“Why?”
“I can only say that this has something to do with the riots of the Divine Tree,” Yang Kai replied perfunctorily.
The Divine Tree’s evolution required a massive amount of energy which Yang Kai was no supplying in the form of Yang Liquid, the last thing he wanted was for a portion of that to be absorbed by the Sun Clan, further increasing his consumption.
“What kind of joke is that? With just one sentence you want our entire clan to stop cultivating?!” A Sun Clan master shouted.
“It’s up to you to decide, I don’t care either way, I’m just making the suggestions.”
“How long do you want us to stop?” The Sun Clan’s leader asked.
Yang Kai frowned and asked, “How long ago did your Divine Tree start acting up?”
The old leader calmly replied, “It has been about three years, though it was not very obvious in the beginning, but as time passed the episodes became more and more frequent.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. If what the old man said was true, then the evolution of the Divine Tree had started roughly three years ago which was similar to Yang Kai’s own estimates. Since that was the case, as long as he could at least maintain the current conditions, it shouldn’t be long before the Divine Tree finishes its evolution and obtains sentience.
“If my guess is correct, then you’ll only have to endure this situation for at most a year, half a year or even less is possible though.”
“Acceptable!” The old leader nodded and agreed to Yang Kai’s request, with him agreeing, none of the other Sun Clan masters raised any objections.
Enduring for a year wasn’t a big deal for them!
“Second, I need something to supplement my True Qi, preferably those fruits from the Divine Tree, the more the better!” Yang Kai said lightly.
Hearing this second condition, all the Sun Clan present wore sour expressions.
The old leader even laughed, “The more the better? Do you think that the fruit of the Divine Tree is easy to come by? Every fruit here has been grown for several hundred years, even I don’t have the opportunity to take one so easily. Do you think you have the right to obtain such valuable treasures?”
“Aren’t there a lot right here?” Yang Kai’s expression dimmed, these people were really too stingy, there were obviously a few dozen fully matured fruits hanging from the Divine Tree, their aroma stimulating Yang Kai’s appetite even now.
“These are the accumulated wealth of my clan’s thousands of years worth of effort, how could we let some outsiders take them?” The leader old said bluntly.
“Fine, it doesn’t have to be these fruits, Yang Attribute spirit grasses, herbs, fruits, or pills are also fine! You shouldn’t be lacking those too, right?” Yang Kai said impatiently.
Yang Kai wasn’t about to be a shorn sheep. Since he was providing Yang Liquid for the Divine Tree’s evolution, naturally the Sun Clan should supplement his consumption.
“You all saw, just now, in order to sooth your Divine Tree, I had to expend all of my True Qi, if I don’t have something to help me supplement my consumption, how am I supposed to restore myself?”
To this argument the old leader could only nod reluctantly, “Good, what you say makes some sense. We’ll give you something to supplement your True Qi, you don’t need to worry about this point!”
“Third……”
“Stop while you’re ahead, our patience is limited, we won’t allow you to keep naming conditions so wantonly,” The old leader said unhappily, directly interrupting Yang Kai’s words.
Yang Kai sneered back in response, “I just wanted to say that since you have a need for me, shouldn’t you give me a better living environment? I can’t escape from this place anyways, is there a need to keep me in your dungeon still?”
“Fine!”
“My female companion, en, and these two Demon Race friends of mine, if it’s convenient, let them live with me as well.”
Gou Che couldn’t help but glance over at Yang Kai in surprise, his expression showing some signs of gratitude.
“Very well!” The old leader was obviously becoming impatient and didn’t wait for Yang Kai to continue before saying, “The conditions you proposed, I can satisfy, but if you can’t meet my clan’s expectations… you should understand.”
“I’m very clear about that,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, his face filled with a bright carefree smile.
“Take them away and have someone fulfil his requests!” The old leader waved his hand and quickly said.
The master who had previously escorted Yang Kai and the others here came over and immediately took them away.
After they had left, one of the Elders from the Sun Clan wore a gloomy expression as he muttered, “This little brat is so rude, daring to make so many demands, why did you agree to his conditions?”
“Me promising him is my own decision, besides, he only asked for some trivial things. This is just until we figure out what means he used. The next time he comforts the Divine Tree, I’ll be watching him closely! Send someone to monitor them, especially that young human boy. I want to know everything he does from now on.”
“Yes!”
…..
Inside a small palace, Yang Kai’s group of four people settled in.
After arranging accommodations for these four, the Sun Clan man who had led them here promptly left.
However, both Yang Kai and Gou Che knew that there were many powerful masters lurking about just outside, their Divine Senses unscrupulously monitoring them, obviously there was no chance of them escaping right now.
Having moved into a comfortable environment after just escaping death, everyone in the group felt some lingering fear, especially Gou Che and the unknown Demon Race cultivator, they didn’t understand why Yang Kai had even bothered to save them.
Inside one of the rooms, the four people gathered together and Gou Che stared at Yang Kai with a complicated expression, hesitating several times before finally asking the questions on his mind.
In response, Yang Kai simply smiled and said, “There’s no particular reason, all of us are in the same situation, and saving you two didn’t take any extra effort, so I just decided to do so. Does Brother Gou Che need any other explanation?”
Gou Che wore a stunned expression as he scratched his cheek, suddenly saying in a firm tone, “No matter what, this time, I, Gou Che, owe you my life. I will not forget this kindness, in the future, if the opportunity arises, I will certainly repay this grace!”
This time, if it weren’t for Yang Kai interfering, he would most certainly have been turned into a sacrifice by the Sun Clan.
“Brother Gou Che is too serious,” Yang Kai faintly waved his hand. “Us being able to leave here is another matter altogether, if things don’t go well we may still die here.”
“If such a time comes we’ll just have to fight it out with them.”
“We’ll deal with that when the time comes. Good, this palace is big enough, you two find a place to stay for now. There won’t be any danger in the short time, I need to hurry and restore myself!”
“Then I won’t disturb brother any longer. Rest well!” Gou Che said before quickly leaving together with his fellow clansmen.
An Ling’er on the other hand didn’t leave and just stared at Yang Kai with her beautiful pair of eyes, a thoughtful expression upon her face.
“Need something else?” asked Yang Kai.
“You lied,” An Ling’er said bluntly, “I know you’re not kind enough to save Gou Che for no reason. You must be plotting something!”
“Beauty, haven’t you ever heard of silencing others for knowing too much?” Yang Kai grinned evilly.
“Stop it, I know you won’t do anything to me,” An Ling’er spat disdainfully, rolling her eyes at Yang Kai’s act she had seen too many times already, lowering her voice as she continued to ask, “What scheme do you have? What are you trying to get from him?”
“Nothing,” Yang Kai smiled, “What I want is his gratitude.”
“What good is that to you? Here, his gratitude can’t save you.”
“In here it really can’t save me, but what about outside?” Yang Kai gave her a meaningful look.
“Outside…” An Ling’er’s brows wrinkled, obviously not comprehending what Yang Kai was implying.
“Idiot!” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “It’s said that women with big chests don’t have any brains, it seems to be true!”
“I…” An Ling’er turned bright red and quietly looked down at her towering peaks, gritting her teeth as she mumbled, “How are they big?”
“They certainly don’t look small, en, you’ve developed quite nicely,” Yang Kai said with an obscene look upon his face.
“Rogue! Shameless!” An Ling’er shouted angrily, her skin flushing crimson.
Inside the palace, after Yang Kai painstakingly explained, An Ling’er finally understood what he was after.
If his guess was right, after escaping from this Mysterious Small World, the place they would appear would be the Demon Land!
The Demon Land was naturally ruled over by the Demon Race, and since ancient times, humans and demons had been enemies. In Tong Xuan Realm, with the exception of the central neutral zone, once members of the two races met, there would inevitably be a battle.
If two humans like Yang Kai and An Ling’er suddenly appeared in the middle of the Demon Land, they would surely encounter the chase down of the Demon Race, and even if they possessed Heaven defying abilities, they wouldn’t be able to safely escape.
However, with Gou Che’s help, it would be a different story.
This guy’s father was Demon General Gou Qiong, a man whose hand could cover the sky in the Demon Land. As long as they could obtain the latter’s shelter, Yang Kai and An Ling’er wouldn’t have to worry about losing their lives at least.
Therefore, Yang Kai was trying his best to earn Gou Che’s gratitude right now.
Hearing this, An Ling’er stared at Yang Kai with a scornful look, “You want to depend on something as flimsy as gratitude? Is your brain filled with flowers?”
Yang Kai snorted back, “I’m just thinking farther ahead than you. Of course, all of this first depends on us being able to leave this place. If we can’t escape from this Mysterious Small World, even if that delinquent Gou Che becomes my sworn brother, it wouldn’t do us any good.”
“Do you think we can leave?” An Ling’er narrowed her eyes and bit her lip anxiously.
“I don’t know, it’ll depend on our efforts from now on,” Yang Kai shook his head helplessly. Right now, he didn’t dare make any guarantees; he could only say he would do his best.
“I wonder what state the Holy Land is in,” An Ling’er sighed faintly.
Saintess Aunt Nan suddenly becoming like that meant that the old Holy Master must have fallen, which meant that the entire Holy Land had probably become a mess.
“I don’t know about your Holy Land, but I fear your three Saintess sisters are more unfortunate than fortunate!”
“Ah…” An Ling’er’s beautiful face paled as she called out in alarm. Thinking about it now, she felt that what Yang Kai said was very possible.
Because they cultivated the same Secret Art, Saintess Aunt Nan could easily find the other Saintesses’ positions. An Ling’er had just barely escaped thanks to Yang Kai and the Void Corridor, but her three sisters would likely not have such luck. There were no Saint Realm masters in the teams escorting the Saintesses so none of them could possibly resist the attack of a Second Order Saint.
In all likelihood, Saintess Aunt Nan had killed one or more of the other three before coming for An Ling’er.
Yang Kai’s words had instantly wiped away all the joy An Ling’er felt from surviving their most recent disaster, causing her mood to sink to its lowest point yet.
“Well, uh, just pretend I didn’t say anything. The situation might not be that bad!” Yang Kai fumbled for his words as he secretly regretted opening his mouth just now; to him, it was just something obvious which didn’t make any difference to him, but to An Ling’er, it was obviously nothing short of a tragedy.
“This is all your fault… just as I was starting to feel better…” An Ling’er glared at Yang Kai before turning around and running out.
Yang Kai shook his head helplessly while reminding himself to not be so talkative in the future.
The Sun Clan kept their word and soon after moving Yang Kai and the others into their new housing, delivered a number of Yang Attribute pills.
In this place, the ambient Yang Attribute energy was incredibly rich so it was naturally suitable to the growth of spirit herbs of the same attribute. The Sun Clan apparently also had their own Alchemists who could refine these herbs into pills.
There was a total of ten bottles, each with ten Spirit Grade Low-Rank pills inside.
Although these pills weren’t too high-end, they also weren’t too bad.
Ten bottles of Spirit Grade Low-Rank pills took less than half an hour for Yang Kai to consume, essentially compensating for the Yang Liquid he had just used.
However, Yang Kai obviously wasn’t satisfied just making up for his loss, he wanted to use this opportunity to extract as many benefits as he could from the Sun Clan.
After all, he would likely have to comfort the Divine Tree many times in the future with his Yang Liquid. How could a trivial ten bottles of pills satisfy him?
Waiting three days so as not to cause too much suspicion, Yang Kai once again asked the Sun Clan for more pills, causing the eyes of the Sun Clan guards who were monitoring him to nearly pop out of their sockets.
Ten bottles of ten pills each was enough for any one of them to use for several months, but this Human Race brat had actually spent just three days to consume them all.
However, as he was under their constant supervision, they also understood that Yang Kai had not secretly hidden or destroyed these pills. He hadn’t taken a half step outside the palace nor did he have any kind of storage artifact on him, so naturally it was impossible for him to have misappropriated these pills.
After cursing him out for a while, the guards finally brought ten more bottles of pills to Yang Kai, repeatedly emphasizing that he had to use them sparingly. Even for their Sun Clan it wasn’t easy to refine so many cultivation pills.
Yang Kai nodded solemnly while secretly sneering, swallowing these pills like beans the moment the guards left.
He could refine Spirit Grade Low-Rank pills at will now, so even just eating them casually as snacks they wouldn’t last more than two days.
It could only be said that the level of the Sun Clan’s Alchemists was too low.
Time passed day by day and the Sun Clan thought that after this most recent unusual comforting, the Divine Tree would remain stable for quite a while, but after only five days, the Divine Tree once again began releasing unstable energy fluctuations.
When he noticed this, Yang Kai quickly prepared himself.
Sure enough, only a few breaths later, someone came and escorted him to the Divine Tree.
This time, An Ling’er and the others didn’t follow and instead remained in the palace.
Beneath the Divine Tree, the Sun Clan masters gathered around their leader, all of them waiting anxiously. After seeing Yang Kai arrive, all of their Divine Senses locked onto him, apparently wanting to take this opportunity to figure out what method Yang Kai was using to sooth the Divine Tree’s rioting.
In response, Yang Kai wore a casual expression, not displaying a single hint of nervousness.
Yang Kai didn’t care about them spying on them, because in this world, besides him, no one else could do what he was about to do.
As such, he really wasn’t worried about anything.
When he arrived, Yang Kai didn’t bother speaking any nonsense and simply leapt up into the Divine Tree’s canopy, found the crack in the great trunk he had split open last time, and began feeding it drops of Yang Liquid.
Each drop of Yang Liquid represented the entire amount of True Qi Yang Kai’s physique, with the exception of his dantian, could contain, which meant that each drop of Yang Liquid, given the current size and toughness of his meridians, contained an incredible amount of pure Yang Qi.
Even so, each time a drop of Yang Liquid was fed to the Divine Tree, it would easily be absorbed, dispersing and disappearing almost instantaneously.
The energy fluctuations from the Divine Tree became even more violent as it tried to convey its desire for more.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t in any rush and continued to steadily feed the Divine Tree one drop of Yang Liquid after another, gently soothing it.
All the Sun Clan’s masters stood close by and observed but were ultimately unable to understand what was happening, causing each of them to frown. Although they could sense a massive amount of energy suddenly appearing every now and then, it would disappear just as quickly in the next moment, denying them an opportunity to investigate.
Watching this process repeat itself, all of their brows wrinkled deeply.
Many of them wanted to move closer to get a better look, but hesitated out of concern that they would annoy Yang Kai, causing him to stop cooperating with them.
After about half an hour, the Divine Tree’s aura settled down once more.
Yang Kai’s then sent his Soul Avatar into the Divine Tree to inspect its condition and quickly discovered that the energy formation which formed the latter’s core had become more solid and slightly less chaotic in nature.
Nodding with satisfaction, Yang Kai figured that it wouldn’t be long not before this energy formation finished evolving and gained sentience.
When Yang Kai leapt down, the Sun Clan immediately noticed that his condition was the same as last time, his face pale and all the True Qi drained from his body.
Glancing around at each other, they nodded approvingly.
Regardless of how Yang Kai was comforting the Divine Tree, from his performance, it was obvious to them he was at least giving it his all and not cutting any corners, something the Sun Clan wanted very much to see.
After allowing him to recover for a moment, they walked over to him.
The Sun Clan’s old leader called out, “Boy, I heard that you consume pills very quickly, do you take my Sun Clan for fools?”
Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and panted lightly, struggling to argue back, “I indeed consumed many pills, but although I had some small gains, the one that ultimately benefits is your Divine Tree. I’ll tell you this right now, ninety-nine percent of the energy I absorbed from those pills was returned to your Divine Tree. Having just seen what I did, I think all of you are clear about this point. Are you really going to care about some insignificant benefits I gain in the process?”
The old leaders of the Sun Clan narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. Although he felt that there was something wrong with Yang Kai’s explanation just now, he also couldn’t definitively refute them.
“I might as well take the opportunity to mention this to you then, and you had best take what I say seriously. I need more pills, many more, otherwise the next time your precious Divine Tree acts up, I can’t guarantee that I’ll have enough True Qi to comfort it!”
Hearing his rude request, the Sun Clan masters all wore gloomy expressions. Yang Kai’s attitude was so brazen and arrogant that they couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable and annoyed.
“If it really is for the Divine Tree, I can provide you with what you need, but your rate of consumption is too high, if this last too long, I’m afraid our Alchemists won’t be able to keep up!” The Sun Clan leader calmly said.
“If there aren’t enough pills just give me herbs instead, I’ll refine them myself!” Yang Kai compromised.
“Do you understand Alchemy?” The Sun Clan’s leader looked at him with some shock.
“That’s none of your business!” Yang Kai bluntly stated.
“Fine, after having them prepared, I’ll have the appropriate materials delivered to you,” The Sun Clan’s leader nodded before asking, “Right, why did the Divine Tree’s riot come so quickly, shouldn’t you explain this to us?”
“What’s there to explain? You couldn’t have thought that after I comforted it last time your Divine Tree would no longer riot, did you?”
“Of course not, I just felt that the cycle should have been longer.”
“Idiot,” Yang Kai sneered, “The faster these bouts come the better, only after reaching a certain frequency will it stop altogether. In fact, if possible, I hope to come here every day to appease instead of waiting for its riots to appear on their own.”
“Come here once a day?” The gathered masters all showed puzzled expressions.
“En.”
“Very well, I agree to your request. Rest assured, as long as you single-mindedly assist the Divine Tree, my Sun Clan will not treat you poorly, we will even give you some benefits. Since you cultivate a Yang Attribute Secret Art, perhaps my Sun Clan will have some Martial Skills and auxiliary techniques which will be useful to you!” As if appreciating Yang Kai’s ‘sincerity’, the Sun Clan’s old leader’s expression became more temperate and started throwing out some casual words of praise.
Yang Kai smiled happily on the surface while spat disdainfully in his heart. From what he had seen of these people so far, he knew they only considered him a slave labourer. Even if they delivered him any Martial Skills or Secret Arts, they would only be low-grade things.
Regarding such things, Yang Kai wouldn’t spare a glance.
In the Mysterious Small World, time passed by uneventfully.
Gou Che and the other Demon Race cultivator had nothing to do all day. With their Demonic Qi and Divine Sense’s both sealed, they couldn’t even cultivate, so they had both grown incredibly bored out of their mind.
It was the same for An Ling’er, as a young woman, she had a more tranquil temperament, and was less troubled by the current circumstances. Instead, she listlessly spent most of her time in a daze.
Compared to them, Yang Kai was very busy.
The Sun Clan sent him a large quantity of spirit grasses and spirit herbs which Yang Kai then refined into pills before promptly swallowing them down to cultivate. On top of that, every day he would go to the Divine Tree to feed it a few drops of Yang Liquid, causing his schedule to be quite full.
The quality and grade of the Sun Clan’s herbs were very good, allowing Yang Kai to put the many sentiments and insights into Alchemy he had been piling up into practice, subsequently improving his overall skill, delivering gratifying results.
The Sun Clan’s masters were constantly monitoring Yang Kai’s movements as well, but no matter how much they observed, they couldn’t completely understand what bizarre method he was using to appease the Divine Tree.
Also, since Yang Kai began visiting the Divine Tree daily, it had never had another bout of erratic energy fluctuations.
All the Sun Clan clansmen were extremely happy about this, thinking that this human boy was really somewhat useful and secretly rejoicing they hadn’t just lopped off his head.
The only thing that made them unhappy was that Yang Kai consumed too many of their precious spirit herbs. He was like a bottomless pit that no amount of cultivator resources could fill.
If Yang Kai’s movements weren’t under constant surveillance, they would surely have interrogated him about this point several times already.
In the blink of an eye, four months had passed by.
On this day, after Yang Kai fed several drops of Yang Liquid to the Divine Tree and sent his Soul Avatar into its trunk for his customary inspection, he couldn’t help smiling happily.
The once chaotic energy formation inside the trunk was now pulsating regularly, like a butterfly that was just about to break through its cocoon, a sense of vitality literally radiating from it. Moreover, after sensing the arrival of Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar, it subtly tried to reach out to him.
It seemed as though it was trying to communicate with Yang Kai but didn’t know how to express itself clearly.
Yang Kai’s spirit rose as he knew this was a sign the Divine Tree’s evolution had reached its most critical juncture. At this speed, it would be only another month or two before its consciousness fully formed, at that time, it would become a true sentient lifeform.
After quietly comforting it for a while, Yang Kai took back his Soul Avatar and jumped down ‘weakly’ from the trunk. After a short break to restore himself, he spoke to the nearby Sun Clan Elder, “From tomorrow onward, I want to live here!”
“Live here?” The Sun Clan Elder asked with a clear look of surprise.
“En, there are some things I’m concerned about, I’d like to be as close as possible to continuously observe your Divine Tree, so instead of running back and forth all day long, it will be more convenient to just live here. Also, that way, if something does happen, I can respond right away.”
“It’s no problem to live here, but boy, why do I feel like you’re plotting something.”
The Sun Clan Elder stared at Yang Kai with distrust.
“I’m aware of my situation, impose whatever kind of supervision you deem necessary. You’re just thinking too much anyways,” Yang Kai chuckled.
“As long as you understand your place, boy. However, I have to check with Leader first,” The Elder spat.
“I’ll await the good news then,” Yang Kai casually said before getting up and walking towards his temporary residence.
When Yang Kai arrived back at the palace and told An Ling’er about his plan to move to the Divine Tree, they young woman suddenly became somewhat nervous.
“If you leave, what should I do? Gou Che and his friend are still living here.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help frowning as he remember this point.
Although Gou Che had behaved well so far, there was no guarantee that without Yang Kai’s asylum, he wouldn’t take an interest in An Ling’er. Even if Gou Che didn’t act rashly, there was still another Demon Race cultivator living here.
The Demon Race was originally a violent and cruel people who tended to act as they pleased, not a group who would simply obey if told to do, or not to do something.
“You’ll just have to come with me, I’ll tell them I need someone to take care of my personal needs, they won’t make a fuss over something so trivial,” Yang Kai thought for a moment and said.
“En,” An Ling’er nodded quickly, her expression relaxing.
The next day, the same Sun Clan Elder came to the palace and told Yang Kai that the old leader had agreed to his request. Yang Kai also took the opportunity to mention An Ling’er.
The Elder only thought about it for a moment before nodding. There was no need to consult the clan leader about such a minor matter.
After briefly informing Gou Che about what was happening, Yang Kai left the palace together with An Ling’er.
Beneath the Divine Tree’s towering figure, An Ling’er settled in. The Sun Clan did not allow her to fly up into the Divine Tree’s canopy like Yang Kai, only allowing her stand nearby and observe.
However, this made no difference to An Ling’er. As long as she didn’t stray too far from Yang Kai, she felt relieved. She knew that she was safe right now only because Yang Kai was sheltering her. Without him, she would either have become a blood sacrifice or a plaything for the Sun Clan, two endings she simply couldn’t accept.
High up atop the Divine Tree, Yang Kai dripped a few drops of Yang Liquid from his finger into the crack before he began to observe the reaction of the energy formation. Like yesterday, the Divine Tree tried to communicate with him, but was still unable to express itself clearly.
Yang Kai’s sent out Spiritual Energy pulses meant to comfort the Divine Tree’s core from his Soul Avatar, trying to calm it down while also teaching it to better express itself.
As an unexpected side effect, after supplying Yang Liquid to the Divine Tree for so long, it now seemed to be quite dependent on Yang Kai, so when the latter comforted it, not only did it immediately settle down, it also unconsciously expressed a sense of happiness.
As time passed, everything remained calm and peaceful.
When he wasn’t trying to sooth and communicating with the Divine Tree, Yang Kai spent his time accompanying An Ling’er.
In order to ensure that the Divine Tree could evolve as soon as possible, Yang Kai didn’t dare to circulate his True Yang Secret Art, lest he absorb energy from it and delay the process.
The changes the Divine Tree was undergoing went unnoticed by everyone except Yang Kai who was communicating with it regularly.
The chaotic energy formation now seemed to have reached a saturation point and was obviously on the verge of some unimaginable transformation.
One day roughly a month after Yang Kai and An Ling’er began living beneath the Divine Tree, when Yang Kai once again sent his Soul Avatar into the trunk, a Soul fluctuation burst out from the Divine Tree’s core, conveying a profound sense of happiness, as if it had been waiting for a long time for him to come and was overjoyed with his arrival.
At that moment, Yang Kai clearly felt that a tiny consciousness had been born in the energy formation in front of him.
With a look of shock on his face, Yang Kai carefully released his Divine Sense and slowly inspected the heart of the Divine Tree.
The moment his Divine Sense touched the Divine Tree’s heart, the latter released a burst of hot aura that instantly wrapped up Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar.
From the depths of the Divine Tree’s heart a faint sound seemed to resound, almost like the babbling of a baby that was happily squirming in its parents arms.
Yang Kai immediately felt slightly uncomfortable.
Thankfully he possessed a powerful Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, otherwise his Soul Avatar would have been reduced to ash after being wrapped in the hot aura the Divine Tree had released.
Quickly passing his thoughts to the Divine Tree, the aura wrapping him silently withdrew, although it was clearly somewhat unwilling to do so.
Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing at this development. He felt that the Divine Tree was completely indistinguishable from an ignorant baby and was instinctively approaching someone it thought was close to it.
At this moment it shouldn’t have fully evolved but was essentially only a step away from gaining sentience.
Recognizing its sense of loss, Yang Kai quickly appeased it, causing the Divine Tree’s core to once again become lively.
After spending two hours comforting and playing with it, the Divine Tree’s heart gradually stabilized and seemed to fall into a deep sleep, no longer giving off any Soul fluctuations.
Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief and took back his Soul Avatar, an incredible sense of exhaustion soon overcoming him.
Yang Kai felt that dealing with this life form which had yet to fully evolve was more difficult than fighting against a Saint Realm master. It was completely ignorant of everything and could only express itself to Yang Kai by wildly throwing about its emotions.
In order to avoid the Sun Clan becoming aware of what had transpired here, Yang Kai had to continuously coax this wild child, causing him to expend a great deal of Spiritual Energy.
However, this situation was somewhat outside of Yang Kai’s expectations.
The reason why he had begun feeding his Yang Liquid to the Divine Tree was simply to buy time, lest he, Ling’er, and the others be used as blood sacrifices by Sun Clan. As a secondary concern, he had wanted to take a look at what the Divine Tree’s evolved form would look like.
Never had he thought that by providing his Yang Liquid and using his Divine Sense to sooth it, the Divine Tree would develop a sense of dependence and trust towards him.
Perhaps it mistakenly believed Yang Kai was its family.
This was similar to how some creatures, when just being born, would treat the first face it saw as its parent.
The Divine Tree’s current state could only be described as thus.
Although Yang Kai wasn’t certain about any of this, whatever the case was, it probably wasn’t a bad thing.
After resting for a while, Yang Kai gradually recovered.
After playing together for so long, the Divine Tree also seemed to have become exhausted; as a result, over the next few days, whenever Yang Kai sent his Soul Avatar into its trunk, its core would remain silent.
It took more than five days for it to once again wake up.
This time, its consciousness was a bit clearer, and not only could it play together with Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar, it also managed to convey some vague information to him.
These bits of information, or rather thoughts, were still quite garbled, and Yang Kai wasn’t able to figure out most of what it meant, but it was almost as if he was listening to someone talk to themselves, expressing a sense of curiosity about everything around themselves.
Yang Kai could only smile helplessly and accompany it, trying to help whenever he could.
Spending time like this was both physically and mentally exhausting.
Time continued to pass by; the Sun Clan masters came every day to observe the situation and would inevitably confirm that Yang Kai wasn’t playing any tricks and that there were no significant changes occurring to the Divine Tree, or so they thought.
The Divine Tree would wake up every few days, and each time it did its Soul would become more and more complete. Then, after playing with Yang Kai to its heart’s content, it would fall back asleep, living a truly carefree life.
Soon though, the periods of time the Divine Tree would fall asleep grew shorter. In the beginning, it would sleep for five days straight before waking up, but this gradually became four days, then three, then two…
The messages it conveyed from is Soul also gradually became clear and Yang Kai knew that the consciousness of the Divine Tree’s evolution was about to be completed, filling his heart with a great sense of expectation.
Yang Kai continued to converse with the heart of the Divine Tree, helping it to perfect its consciousness.
After repeating this process many times, Yang Kai began treating the Divine Tree as a real, sentient being. It had its own emotions and judgements now and couldn’t be considered just a towering tree any longer.
As a result of their interactions, the Divine Tree became closer and closer to Yang Kai, completely opening its heart to him without any reservations.
Its current consciousness was still on the level of an ignorant and naughty baby. Every time Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar came to visit, it would show great joy, often grabbing him and dragging around inside its trunk, as if taking him on a tour of its body.
Its thoughts right now were quite simple; in short, it was a white sheet, unstained by anything, fully expressing its emotions innocently, without the slightest deception.
It would be happy when Yang Kai came, and sad and reluctant when he left. Many times, even if it was in a state of deep sleep, its Spiritual Energy would reach out and tightly wrapped itself around Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar, refusing to let go.
This made Yang Kai very happy as well, such purity causing him to feel somewhat ashamed of himself.
As it playfully communicated with Yang Kai, the Divine Tree’s awareness also grew rapidly.
One day, when Yang Kai sent his Soul Avatar into the Divine Tree’s heart, a thought so incredible was transmitted to him, welcoming him. Soon after, the Divine Tree’s consciousness rushed over, hovered in front of Yang Kai, and hugged him intimately.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded by this sudden development and only tried to convey a message to the Divine Tree after quite some time.
He didn’t expect though that within a single breath, a response would be given to him. Although this thought was still somewhat unclear, at the very least, Yang Kai could figure out what the Divine Tree was trying to convey to him.
Yang Kai grinned happily. The consciousness of the Divine Tree had finally fully formed.
After such a long time feeding it with his Yang Liquid, the Divine Tree had successfully evolved into a sentient life form. Yang Kai had made great contributions to the birth of this life, and although it would have reached this point on its own, the time required would have undoubtedly been significantly longer.
A strong sense of accomplishment suddenly welled up in Yang Kai’s chest.
It was as if he was watching a child he had been taking care of finally stand up and take a stumbling step forward.
However, the Divine Tree still had much to learn.
Yang Kai immediately began sending his thoughts to the Divine Tree’s consciousness, teaching it how to better express its emotions and communicate properly with him. However, this little guy was too naughty, compared to studying these things, it seemed more interested in playing with Yang Kai, refusing to sit still and learn for any significant length of time.
After a long time chasing it around, Yang Kai took back his Soul Avatar from the Divine Tree and rubbed his somewhat sore forehead.
A moment later though, many branches suddenly curled towards Yang Kai and at the same time a message was passed to him in the form of a Spiritual Energy communication.
Yang Kai was stunned as he looked at the branches that were extended towards him, noticing that each of them had a golden fruit hanging from them.
“Are you giving these to me?” Yang Kai asked after thinking about it for a moment.
The branches trembled light in response, the Divine Tree’s way of nodding.
Yang Kai smiled and shook his head before replying, “I appreciate your intentions, but I can’t accept these fruits.”
He was still being monitored by the Sun Clan’s masters, if he was to accept these fruits now, it would only bring him trouble. Even though Yang Kai had constantly been drooling over these fruits filled with rich Yang Qi since the moment he laid eyes on them, he had never even tried to pick any of them.
But how could Yang Kai have known the Divine Tree would be so stubborn, continuously extending its branches towards him as if vowing to never give up unless he accepted its gift.
No matter how Yang Kai tried to persuade it, nothing worked, and in the end, the Divine Tree made the fruits fall from its branches before shoving them into his arms.
Yang Kai’s face immediately went black, unable to think up a way to explain away this situation.
As for the Divine Tree, like it had just accomplished something great, its branches swayed back and forth as if it was celebrating.
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he stared at the seven ripe fruits he could neither keep nor discard in his arms. After thinking about it, Yang Kai decided to take just take what came, jumped down from the trunk, and called out to the nearby Sun Clan masters.
Immediately, several Sun Clan powerhouses who had been monitoring Yang Kai came over to see what the matter was, but upon seeing their precious fruits in the hands of this little human brat, they immediately became enraged.
“Boy, you dare to steal the fruit of the Divine Tree, you must be seeking death!” One of them roared as his bristled with anger, looking as if he would attack in the next moment.
Yang Kai simply turned to this man and coldly replied, “I didn’t steal them, they just fell off.”
“Bullshit, even if the Divine Tree’s fruit full ripens, if it is not picked, it can remain hanging for a hundred years without issue! Your ability to spout nonsense is truly awe inspiring you little bastard!”
“I told you I didn’t steal anything, if I really had stolen them, I would have eaten them already,” Yang Kai was too lazy to explain anything to them and simply tossed the fruits over to the nearby masters.
The few Sun Clan clansmen hastily caught these fruits, gloomy expressions filling their faces.
The man who spoke just now quickly came to his sense though and coldly snorted, “Don’t think that you can escape punishment for your crime. We will report what happened here to Leader, what your fate will be will be decided by him!”
Yang Kai simply spat disdainfully, not caring in the slightest.
At that moment though, a horrifying energy suddenly welled up and an aura of hostility filled the air. Before anyone could understand what was going on, numerous golden whips lashed out towards all of the Sun Clan masters.
When they noticed the approaching crisis, each of the Sun Clan’s masters’ expressions changed greatly and they hastily tried to dodge.
Unfortunately for them, these attacks were not only fast, they were incredibly numerous, so none of them were able to escape, each of them being struck multiple times before they could even comprehend what was happening.
*Pa pa pa…* A series of sharp impacts rang out and all the Sun Clan masters were violently thrown back, blood leaking from their wounds. Facing these rapid attacks, none of them was able to put up any kind of resistance.
One of the less powerful Sun Clan cultivators was directly turned into a bloody fog, not even his bones remaining.
Yang Kai was startled by this sudden development while An Ling’er hastily hid behind him, her tender body trembling as she stared at this gruesome scene in utter shock.
The Sun Clan masters who had just been flung through the air didn’t even have enough time to pick themselves up before a second barrage of golden whips descended upon them, and even though they could see these attacks approaching them, they still weren’t able to resist this indiscriminate bombardment.
*Pa pa pa pa…*
The lashing sounds rang out endlessly and every Sun Clan cultivator received no less than a hundred strikes to his body. In the blink of an eye, all five of the remaining masters had been beaten to death.
Yang Kai turned back and stared at the huge Divine Tree behind him with astonishment.
At that moment, there was not the slightest wind, yet all of the Divine Tree’s leaves rustled madly, it’s thick and dense branches swaying back and forth as if in a fit of rage.
From the crown of the Divine Tree, a golden radiance so dense it could be seen with the naked eye appeared and then condensed into long, thick whips.
The dead Sun Clan cultivators were struck once more by these golden whips.
Broken bones and pieces of flesh were scattered about as a rich bloody smell filled the air.
Yang Kai clearly felt the Divine Tree’s violent, near hysterical anger; apparently it had become enraged because of these people’s attitude towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was completely dumbfounded, never having expected such a development to occur.
He had only handed those fruits over to the Sun Clan thinking he could spare himself some trouble; after all, he was still not sure he could escape from this place, he didn’t even know where the exit was.
Although he knew better than anyone that the Divine Tree had gained sentience and was now a completely different existence than before, he hadn’t anticipated it would launch such a vicious and powerful attack simply because he had been treated poorly.
The Divine Tree’s attacks lacked any kind of rhyme or reason and could only be described as it randomly lashing out with its enormous stores of energy; however, that was still more than enough.
“Yang Kai…” An Ling’er stuttered, shivering quite noticeably as she clutched his clothes tightly, he beautiful eyes filled with confusion.
Upon hearing An Ling’er call out to him, Yang Kai came to his senses and quickly conveyed his thoughts to the Divine Tree, soothing it’s raging anger.
Receiving this comforting, the golden energy whips which hung from the Divine Tree’s canopy finally stopped their assault, picked up the fruits which had fallen to the ground, and delivered them back to Yang Kai.
“Why does it look like… it has its own consciousness?” An Ling’er’s thoughts were in a state of chaos as she stared at the Divine Tree behind her.
“Where should I even begin?” Yang Kai smiled bitterly.
In the time it took for this brief exchange between Yang Kai and An Ling’er, the Divine Tree’s recalled all its golden whips, plucked every ripe fruit on its body, and angrily shoved them towards Yang Kai.
There were sixty or seventy in all, each one containing an unimaginable amount of Yang Attribute energy.
Yang Kai took a deep breath before letting out a long sigh, feeling the situation was now beyond redemption.
The Divine Tree had acted purely out of goodwill towards Yang Kai just now and had not even hesitated to kill several people just to help him.
However, this violent attack had also given Yang Kai a big pleasant surprise. The Sun Clan cultivators who had been nearby just now were all Transcendents, but not one of them had been able to resist the indiscriminate bombardment of the Divine Tree.
His eyes flashing a cold, sharp light, Yang Kai’s mouth gradually curled into a grin.
This was, perhaps, an excellent chance!
“I’m going to destroy the seals binding you; after that, defend yourself!” Yang Kai quickly said to An Ling’er, swiftly sending his True Qi and Divine Sense into her body.
The seals in An Ling’er’s body were nothing in Yang Kai’s eyes, but he had not previously undone them to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. But now that the situation had developed to this point, there was no point in trying to remain low key anymore.
In the blink of an eye, An Ling’er felt that her long stagnant True Qi once again began to flow and the barrier around her Knowledge Sea shatter, completely restoring her freedom.
The next moment, from all directions, countless figures flew over. The rampage of the Divine Tree just now had obviously alarmed the Sun Clan, and they were now rushing over in order to investigate.
As soon as they arrived and saw the broken and bloodied bodies lying on the ground, the Sun Clan masters became infuriated. None of them bothered even asking what had happened and simply directed their murderous intent towards Yang Kai, their True Qi subsequently welling up in preparation to attack.
Seeing this, Yang Kai simply let out a light chuckled before storing all the Divine Tree’s fruits into the Black Book space and then releasing a powerful pulse of Spiritual Energy, which hid an innumerable number of Soul Devouring Insects in it.
During the Ice Sect incident, Yang Kai had already tested the power of the Soul Devouring Insects and knew that anyone below the Saint Realm would be unable to resist them!
The first group of Sun Clan cultivators to arrive were not weak and were significant in number, but there was no Saint Realm master amongst them.
The shockwave of Spiritual Energy impacted all of these newcomers and although it didn’t cause them any direct injuries, it allowed Yang Kai’s Soul Devouring Insects to silently penetrate the former’s Knowledge Seas. This meant that in the short term, Yang Kai could attack and destroy their Knowledge Seas as he pleased.
At the same time Yang Kai moved, the Divine Tree also launched a violent attack, tossing around its golden whips wildly, carving up the surrounding ground with its chaotic barrage.
Rumbling sounds rang out as the newly arrived Sun Clan cultivators suffered tremendous damage, none of them able to even approach Yang Kai before they were swept up by the Divine Tree’s attacks, the less fortunate ones dying instantly.
Taking in the situation around him, Yang Kai wore a dignified expression.
A tyrannical pressure suddenly spread from the distance and rapidly approached, the Sun Clan’s old leader and Elders appearing before Yang Kai a moment later.
“Leader, something is very wrong with the Divine Tree!” One of the cultivators who had survived the Divine Tree’s last assault quickly yelled.
The old leader wore a sullen expression as he observed the Divine Tree, a cold light flashing across his eyes as his gaze moved to the nearby Yang Kai, a trace of shock mixed in with his anger.
The other Sun Clan Elders’ performances were worse as they called out in amazement, “How can this be?”
They were all Saint Realm masters so with their powerful Divine Senses it was not difficult for them to detect the Soul fluctuations coming from inside the Divine Tree. On top of that, they could clearly feel this consciousness’ disgust towards their prying eyes; it seemed to harbour a strong hostility and was firmly rejecting them.
“The Divine Tree… it has a consciousness now?” The old leader’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Yang Kai’s face and asked in a solemn voice.
Yang Kai grinned back at him, “You guessed it.”
“Is this your doing?”
“I can’t take the credit here, I just helped it along,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“And because of that it treats you kindly yet rejects my clan?” The old leader was an experienced and worldly person, so although he didn’t know the full story, seeing the scene before him, he quickly inferred the truth of the matter.
A newly born consciousness would always be kind to the one whom it was familiar with.
“The Divine Tree is my clan’s sacred object, you damn thief!” The Sun Clan’s old leader roared angrily.
“I didn’t want to steal it, it just happened to grow close to me, what do you want me to say?”
“Back then, I should have just killed you!” As he spoke these words, the old leader felt a deep sense of regret while the other Sun Clan masters gnashed their teeth as they glared hatefully towards Yang Kai.
“En, you should have, but now you can’t!” Yang Kai declared, his face filled with confidence.
“If you really think so, you’re gravely mistaken,” The Sun Clan’s leader smiled grimly, “A trivial First Order Transcendent dares act so arrogantly in front of this old master, you simply don’t know how high the Heavens are!”
Saying so, a potent Spiritual Energy suddenly burst forth from his mind.
Yang Kai didn’t even have time to react before a sharp thorn pierced his Knowledge Sea, causing him an indescribable amount of pain as if his very Soul was being torn apart, his expression twisting in an instant as his body trembled and large drops of sweat rolled down his forehead.
What this old man’s true cultivation was had always been a mystery but at that moment, when Yang Kai suffered an attack from him, the pressure he felt was no less than when he faced Saintess Nan.
This old man was at least a Second Order Saint!
The Divine Sense attack from such a master was something even Yang Kai couldn’t ignore.
His Knowledge Sea tossing violently made Yang Kai feel nauseous and unsteady.
At the moment the old leader released his Divine Sense attack, several of the other Sun Clan Elders quickly launched their own killing blows towards Yang Kai.
The Divine Tree’s branches immediately fell from the sky and before these strikes managed to land, wrapped up Yang Kai and An Ling’er who was supporting the latter, bringing the pair to the top of its canopy.
An Ling’er cried out in shock but by the time she came to her senses, she and Yang Kai were already atop the Divine Tree’s trunk, shielded from the outside by a large number of tightly woven branches.
At the same time, the energy whips which hung down from the Divine Tree’s crown shot forward to intercept the approaching Sun Clan masters.
Facing this storm of attacks, the expressions on all the Sun Clan Elders’ faces changed dramatically. None of them had anticipated such a development. When they wanted to chase after and kill Yang Kai, they were blocked by the Divine Tree, and since they were concerned that they might damage the foundation of the Sun Clan they had no choice but to fall back.
“Leader, the Divine Tree seems to be sheltering him!” One of the masters said with an ugly look upon his face.
“I know,” The face of the old leader also clouded over and became especially complicated.
The Divine Tree was not only sheltering this thief but even attacking their clansmen. What was worse though was that the attacks from the Divine Tree were no less powerful than those of a Saint Realm master. Obviously, it wouldn’t be easy to break through its defence.
A great sense of shame and unwillingness filled the Sun Clan leader’s heart. This feeling was like watching the baby he had raised since birth for a lifetime suddenly being stolen away by a shameless thief, yet the baby happily accompanying him.
“It doesn’t matter, that brat shouldn’t live long after taking my attack!” The old Sun Clan leader coldly snorted, letting out a long breath.
With his cultivation, killing a young man like Yang Kai was as easy as pinching an ant, so he was convinced that Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to withstand his previous blow.
As soon as said that that, low laughter resounded from the top of Divine Tree.
All of the Sun Clan Elders wore expressions of shock as they turned their gazes towards the source of the laughter only to see Yang Kai step out somewhat unsteadily from a sea of branches, his eyes red with rage.
“He didn’t die?” The Sun Clan leader’s brow furrowed as he muttered unconsciously, “Impossible!”
Even if this Human Race boy had an extremely high-grade Soul type artifact to assist him, such a young man couldn’t possibly have resisted the previous Divine Sense attack. Also, the old man saw that Yang Kai’s consciousness was somewhat blurry still so there was no doubt the latter’s Soul had suffered damage, yet somehow this boy was still alive.
*Dong dong…*
*Dong dong…*
A dull, rhythmic pulsing sound suddenly came from the Divine Tree, immediately gathering everyone’s attention. The Divine Tree’s newborn consciousness seemed to have nearly gone crazy because of the injuries Yang Kai had suffered and an aura filled with anger and hostility stronger than anyone had imagined possible began radiating out from it.
Even Yang Kai, whose head was still throbbing in pain and had even passed out for a brief moment froze up in shock, discovering he had still been underestimating the Divine Tree.
Centred around the roots of the Divine Tree, the earth began to crack open, and a rich and powerful Yang Attribute energy rushed out, incinerating everything in the surrounding.
Even the masters from the Sun Clan had to protect themselves with their True Qi in order to resist this aura, their skin soon turning a dark shade of red from the excessive heat.
The branches of the Divine Tree danced wildly through the air and the energy whips hanging from its canopy lashed about randomly, filling the air with crackling noises.
*Kacha…*
The huge Divine Tree swayed left then right then back again, gradually becoming faster and faster as it did.
After a few breaths of time, in front of everyone’s astounded eyes, the Divine Tree, which had been rooted here since before the Sun Clan’s ancestors arrived in this Mysterious Small World, actually split the earth and extended pillars of Yang Attribute energy similar to human legs from its trunk, lifting its huge body off the ground and stepping forward
Its roots, each glistening with a brilliant golden radiance, joined the energy whips hanging from its canopy and began attacking the surrounding dumbfounded Sun Clan masters.
“Ha ha ha ha!” Yang Kai hand held his forehead and laughed loudly towards the sky.
There had been so many things he hadn’t expected this time around, the Divine Tree actually possessing such ability was something he never even considered.
The wounds he had suffered to his Soul didn’t concern him much because with the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus’ assistance, it wouldn’t take long for them to heal.
As long as he didn’t suffer an attack that could instantly smash his Knowledge Sea and destroy his Soul, Yang Kai had nothing to fear, this was something the Sun Clan leader obviously didn’t know.
Unlike his carefree celebratory mood, all the Sun Clan masters felt as if they were losing their minds as they watched the Divine Tree lumber towards them while unscrupulously attacking, forcing all of them to hurriedly retreat.
After allowing the Divine Tree to vent its anger for a while, Yang Kai gently comforted it, “It’s alright now, you’ve given them enough of a lesson.”
Yang Kai saw that the Divine Tree’s actions were quite clumsy. Although it had incredible strength, it was somewhat unrealistic to expect it to actually kill the Sun Clan’s top-level masters, the latter only needed to withdraw a certain distance in order to ensure their safety.
Also, it was only because of the Divine Tree’s importance to the Sun Clan that these masters had not attacked Yang Kai, seemingly afraid of harming the former.
Now having the Divine Tree’s shelter, Yang Kai’s first thought was to quickly leave this place.
This was a heaven-sent opportunity.
After being soothed by Yang Kai, the Divine Tree calmed down and became much more stable; however, it still waved his golden whips around, as if warning the Sun Clan not to get any closer.
“Little thief, if you get down here and beg for mercy, I may still spare your life, but if you wait until my clan seizes you, you’ll have no such opportunity!” The Sun Clan’s old leader shouted as his face twisted with rage.
“Oh no, I’m so scared!” Yang Kai stood on the trunk and cried out in a frightened voice, doing his best to further antagonize the surrounding crowd.
“Do you think you can escape? Wishful thinking! You dare confuse my clan’s Divine Tree, even if I have to chase you to the ends of the world, I will shred your corpse into ten thousand pieces!”
“Stop farting out of your mouth already!” Yang Kai grinned defiantly.
An Ling’er, who was behind Yang Kai, still hadn’t quite adapted to their current situation and was in a state of confusion, but upon hearing Yang Kai’s words, she couldn’t help but laugh.
Yang Kai glanced back at her and smiled, obviously in a good mood, before turning back and shouting, “Old dog, do we fight or negotiate here?”
“Do you think you’re qualified to bargain with this old master?” The old leader of the Sun Clan stared at him with an enraged gaze, as if he couldn’t to cut Yang Kai to pieces, drink his blood, and eat his meat.
Although the Sun Clan was really somewhat hesitant to act here, none of them put Yang Kai’s cultivation in their eyes; they felt, as long as they could find the right opportunity, when the Divine Tree’s guard was lowered, they could instantly take Yang Kai’s life.
So after listening to Yang Kai’s question, the Sun Clan’s old leader refused without giving it a second thought.
Such great shame! In his own home, the Divine Tree, which was regarded as his clan’s greatest treasure and foundation, was seduced by a little foreign brat. Such shame for the Sun Clan could not be erased even if they killed Yang Kai ten thousand times over.
However, Yang Kai simply sneered, and from the protection of the Divine Tree’s branches, stared down at the old man and replied confidently, “Indeed, I do think I have the qualifications.”
As he spoke, Yang Kai sent out a faint pulse of Spiritual Energy.
This pulse didn’t contain any murderous intent, nor did it have the slightest attack power, but when it swept over several of the nearby Sun Clan clansmen, the latter collapsed to the ground, clutching their heads as they howled in agony.
Three breaths later, these people all went stiff, lying their without the slightest hint of vitality, blood leaking from their seven orifices.
The rest of the Sun Clan masters instantly went pale, the old leader included, sweeping his gaze around as cold light flashed across his eyes.
Even he had not realized what kind of trick Yang Kai had used just now. On top of that, the clansmen who had fallen were not weak, yet none of them seemed to have the slightest ability to resist this human boy’s strange attack.
A chill filled the air as the remaining Sun Clan masters turned to look at Yang Kai again, this time a hint of fear apparent in their stares.
“Boy… you’ve successfully enraged me.” The Sun Clan’s leader muttered in a low tone, his murderous intent so thick it was almost palpable.
Yang Kai remained indifferent and simply shook his head with a smile, “I’m just giving you proof I have the necessary capital to bargain with you.”
As he spoke, his voice suddenly became cold, “My patience is limited. Old dog, you’d best give me a reply as soon as possible, or else, besides your few precious Saints, everyone else will die!”
Hearing this, over eighty percent of the Sun Clan masters stumbled backwards in horror, as if doing so gave them a sense of security. What they didn’t know was that their Knowledge Seas had already been contaminated by Soul Devouring Insects, so no matter where they tried to run it was pointless.
The old leader of the Sun Clan seethed with anger as he glared towards Yang Kai, only managing to squeeze out a strained voice after a long silence, “What do you want?”
“Let us leave! That is my only requirement,” Yang Kai shouted.
“Leader, we can’t just let him go. Our clan’s losses are so heavy, allowing him to just walk away is unacceptable!” Someone immediately objected.
“En, if we don’t kill him my anger will never subside!”
“Kill him! We must kill him, even if we have to injure the Divine Tree to do it!”
Several Saint Realm masters shouted angrily, determined to put Yang Kai to death for his crimes, unwilling to accept any kind of negotiation.
In response to their clamouring, Yang Kai just laughed and shouted, “Your losses are indeed not small, but have you not thought about what you’ve gained? Your Divine Tree now has its own consciousness, which means it is a completely different life form from before. As long as I leave this place, you can slowly get closer to it and once you earn its favour, the benefits you’ll receive are unimaginable!”
Just as Yang Kai spoke these words, the huge Divine Tree shook noticeably, apparently quite dissatisfied and aggrieved, it seemed quite sad as it thought Yang Kai was trying to abandon it.
Yang Kai’s heart clenched and quickly used his Divine Sense to convey some comforting words to it while still negotiating with the Sun clan, “However, it’s a different story if you force me to remain. Because I helped the Divine Tree evolve into its current form, it is very close to me right now. As long as I’m given enough time, I’m confident I can make it only favour me, so that even if you try to win it over in the future you won’t be able to. This won’t take me long either, perhaps only a few days, so if I were you, the one thing I’d want to do is send me away as soon as possible!”
The brows of all the Sun Clan Elders wrinkled upon considering this.
Yang Kai’s words were spoken from their perspective, and although they were still quite suspicions of his claims, what he said was undeniable possible.
The Divine Tree undergoing such a huge change was a pleasant surprise to them, even taking into consideration the losses they had suffered, this change was undoubtedly a great thing for the entire Sun Clan.
The Divine Tree possessing its own Soul and being able to actively assist them was something the Sun Clan had never even dreamed of before.
“We could also just kill you and end these troubles once and for all!” The Sun Clan’s old leader obviously was something tempted but when he thought about how many of his clansmen had already been killed, he couldn’t bring himself to simply let Yang Kai go free like this, gritting his teeth as he declared, “As long as you are dead, the Divine Tree will still belong to my clan.”
“Fair enough!” Yang Kai smiled, “You guys really should have enough ability to kill me. I’m not arrogant enough to think I can escape from so many of you, but I can at least bury most of your clansmen along with me, you should ask yourselves if you can afford to pay such a price! In addition, if you want to kill me, you’ll have to damage the Divine Tree. If you hurt it now, will it ever accept you? This little guy’s thinking is quite simple, if you injure it, it will definitely remember for the rest of its life. Old dog, don’t try to steal a chicken only to lose your rice!”
Yang Kai’s shamelessness as well as his insulting tone caused the Sun Clan’s old leader to feel both rage and helplessness.
The Elders who had been calling for Yang Kai’s death also fell silent and frowned, feeling the situation had become somewhat tricky.
If the Divine Tree did not have its own consciousness, even if it meant damaging it, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill Yang Kai.
But now that the Divine Tree could think for itself, they didn’t dare act rashly, for fear of exactly what Yang Kai said would happen. If the Divine Tree came to hate them, and refused to give them any Yang Attribute energy from now on, the entire Sun Clan would be finished.
Turning their eyes towards their leader, all the Sun Clan clansmen waited for him to make a decision, none of them willing to offer their opinions anymore.
The Sun Clan leader pondered for a while before staring up at Yang Kai and asking, “Can you guarantee that the Divine Tree will recognize us when you leave?”
“Why do I have to guarantee you anything? It’ll all depend on your own hard work. For a start, you should speak more politely right now. You acting so hostile towards me makes this little guy quite unhappy.”
Seemingly in order to back up Yang Kai’s words, the branches of the Divine Tree swung more fiercely at that moment, as if trying to express its anger.
Many of Sun Clan’s masters couldn’t help frowning, their hearts filling with grief and indignation, quickly restraining their murderous intent while their expressions became even uglier than before.
“En, that’s right, smile. If fate decrees it so, the next time we meet we’ll all be good friends, right?”
“Little brat, don’t reach out for a yard after taking an inch!” The old Sun Clan leader’s face contorted, his extreme unhappiness apparent to all.
Yang Kai simply grinned happily in response.
“Good, I’ll let you leave, and I hope we will never meet again,” The Sun Clan leader shouted gloomily.
“Glad you understand!” Yang Kai nodded towards him approvingly and added, “Not only me, but my companion as well. Right, I’ll take those two Demon Race cultivators too.”
The Sun Clan leader frowned, “You want to take those two as well? They have nothing to do with you, right?”
“I have a good and generous heart. Helping others brings me the greatest joy, I simply can’t stand the thought of others suffering!”
An Ling’er, who was still hiding behind Yang Kai, heard these words and rolled her eyes.
“In any case, your Divine Tree has now evolved, obtaining wisdom and awareness. You have no need to offer it those Demon Race cultivators as blood sacrifices anymore,” Yang Kai continued to persuade.
The Sun Clan leader nodded lightly, turning to one of his subordinates and shouting, “Go bring the two demons here!”
The man hurried off towards Yang Kai’s old palace after receiving this order.
Yang Kai sat down and waiting atop the Divine Tree’s trunk and soon after the Sun Clan escorted Gou Che and the other Demon Race man over.
Gou Che’s face was gloomy and was constantly struggling, but his resistance was only counterproductive. When he arrived at the Divine Tree, his face was swollen and bloody, obviously having taken a harsh beating.
“Brother Gou Che!” Yang Kai stood up and shouted.
Gou Che frowned, his expression becoming somewhat awkward but still eventually nodding in response as he glanced around suspiciously.
Gou Che could feel that the atmosphere at the scene was odd, but he couldn’t understand what exactly had happened, so he figured it was best to keep silent for now, lest he say something wrong.
“Bring those two up,” Yang Kai patted the Divine Tree and whispered.
The next moment, two long, whip-like energy ropes stretched out towards Gou Che and his companion, wrapping them up and hauling them over to where Yang Kai was standing before the two of them could react.
Upon landing, Gou Che whispered in a low voice, “Brother, what is going on here?”
“I’m taking to two of you with me!” Yang Kai smiled.
“With you?” Gou Che’s face changed slightly, “Where?”
“Away from here.”
Gou Che was dumbfounded, quietly glancing at the crowd below as he whispered, “They agreed?”
“Whether they want to or not, they had to agree. Rest assured, I’ve already reached a deal with them.”
“Then why does it look like they all can’t wait to kill you? Are they really willing to let you go just like that?” Gou Che was completely lost.
Yang Kai nodded in response, not bothering to explain too much, simply calling out to the people bottom, “Where is the exit?”
The Sun Clan’s leader took a deep breath to calm his anger before coldly pointing in a certain direction.
Yang Kai looked over before gently patting the Divine Tree.
The next moment, the huge Divine Tree slowly began moving, the earth shuddering with each great step it took as it carried Yang Kai and the others towards that side.
Behind them, a large group of Sun Clan masters followed closely.
Gou Che’s eyes went wide as he stared at the big walking tree foolishly, muttering in a tone of disbelief, “Brother, what strange method is this? Why is this tree… walking on its own?”
“Heh hehe, the Divine Tree has gained sentience so it can understand my words.”
“Incredible…” Gou Che still couldn’t believe what he was seeing, even with it happening right before his eyes. Sweeping his eyes around, he quickly discovered that the Divine Tree really was walking on its own, supported by two golden pillars in the shape of human legs formed entirely of Yang Attribute energy.
In an instant, Gou Che felt his understand of the world undergo a drastic change, he and the other Demon Race cultivator unable to speak for quite some time after.
The Divine Tree’s movements were awkward and neither fast nor slow. It took half a day of walking before Yang Kai felt a faint trace of void energy coming from up ahead.
Void Energy was something that only appeared in the presence of a Void Corridor.
Since Yang Kai could sense Void Energy in front of him, it was safe to assume there was a Void Corridor up ahead.
A moment later, a pitch black hole appeared before everyone’s eyes in a spot a several dozen kilometers away from where the Sun Clan lived.
Yang Kai secretly nodded to himself, thinking it was obvious he hadn’t been able to detect this Void Corridor earlier given how far away it was from where he had been kept prisoner.
A moment later, the Divine Tree stopped in front of the Void Corridor.
This Void Corridor was about 3 meters in diameter and could allow several people to walk through it side by side; however, it was obviously not big enough to fit the Divine Tree through.
If the Divine Tree tried to enter it forcibly, there was a great chance that the Void Corridor would collapse and crush it into dust.
“Brother Gou Che, do you have any impression of this place?” Yang Kai asked in a serious tone.
Gou Che observed the area for a while before nodding lightly, “En, I remember seeing this place when we were first captured and brought here.”
“That’s good!” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction.
Although he has already reached an agreement with the Sun Clan, Yang Kai had no idea if they would bring him to the appropriate Void Corridor. If the world on the other side of this corridor was not the Demon Land but instead a forbidden zone or dangerous region, all his efforts would be in vain.
“Boy, you’re certainly cautious enough,” The Sun Clan leader snorted, “Since this old master promised to let you go, I won’t play any tricks. There is only one exit to this place, there are no other Void Corridors!”
“One can never be too cautious!” Yang Kai didn’t pay the old man’s sarcasm any mind, instead wearing a serious expression as he spoke to Gou Che and the other Demon Race man, “You two enter with An Ling’er first, I’ll follow soon after.”
Gou Che and this Demon Race’s cultivator’s Demonic Qi and Spiritual Energy were both still sealed, so they were currently no different from ordinary mortals with the exception of their great physical strength; remaining here would only be a burden for Yang Kai.
Hearing this, the two of them nodded, the other Demon Race cultivator not saying a word before stepping through the Void Corridor and disappearing while Gou Che shouted, “Brother, you must be careful. We’ll be waiting for you on the other side!”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
Gou Che stepped into the Void Corridor, leaving only An Ling’er behind, the latter shooting a worried glance towards Yang Kai before she too evacuated.
After the three of them left, Yang Kai let out a light breath and then sat down atop the Divine Tree’s trunk, not immediately following after them.
All of the Sun Clan clansmen frowned as they stared at him vigilantly, worried he was up to some kind of mischief.
“Boy, why don’t you leave? We’ve met all your requests already!” The Sun Clan leader stared at him as if looking at a god of plague, hoping he would hurry up and disappear. This time, the Sun Clan had suffered a huge loss but had no choice but to choke it down, as long as they had the Divine Tree which had evolved into a sentient lifeform, they price they had paid would be worth it.
“No need to be so anxious, I’m just having a quick rest!” Yang Kai smiled as he began circulating his True Qi and controlling his breathing.
Meanwhile, he sent his consciousness into the trunk, his Soul Avatar manifesting itself inside the Divine Tree’s heart a moment later. Under the Divine Tree’s protection, Yang Kai wasn’t worried about the Sun Clan masters trying to harm him.
Sensing Yang Kai’s arrival, the Divine Tree immediately rejoiced and the flow of energy inside its trunk became faster.
“Calm down!” Yang Kai quickly communicated to it, “I need to ask you something. I’m about to leave this place, would you like to go with me?”
The Divine Tree’s Soul immediately began wrapping around Yang Kai, expressing its agreement and eagerness.
“Seems like you’re willing,” Yang Kai smiled happily, “Good, although I have never tried this before, this method should be feasible. Remember, if this doesn’t work, you’ll have to stay here for the time being. If that turns out to be the case, I promise you that before long I’ll come back to get you.”
Yang Kai’s message was a bit complicated and the Divine Tree didn’t seem to understand it for a while, but by feeling the emotions behind Yang Kai’s words, it still managed to somehow understand, becoming a bit sullen for a moment before quickly recovering, seemingly happy to receive the latter’s promise.
“Good, then first, I’ll leave my mark with you!” Yang Kai said quickly before consuming a massive amount of his Spiritual Energy to leave behind a mark on the Divine Tree’s Soul.
This way, even if he failed to take the Divine Tree away with him today, he would be able to subtly sense its existence no matter how far they were apart.
This was different from the time he ‘accepted’ An Ling’er’s Soul brand, one instance was Yang Kai receiving something, the other was him giving. In other words, if the Divine Tree’s Soul ever became damaged, Yang Kai’s Soul would also suffer harm. On the other hand, if An Ling’er’s Soul was to be injured, Yang Kai wouldn’t suffer any ill effects.
After he finished communicating with the Divine Tree, Yang Kai took back his consciousness and returned to his body.
In front of everyone’s eyes, Yang Kai slowly got up swept his eyes over the Sun Clan masters indifferently, his gaze filled with a firmness that had not been there before, his body straight like a javelin, as if he had just made a serious decision.
The Sun Clan leader’s heart jumped as he quickly shouted, “It’s bad, this little brat lied to us, he’s up to something!”
Yang Kai let out a great laugh before calling out, “I’m not up to anything, I just thought I’ll give you all a surprise before leaving!”
Saying so, Spiritual Energy poured out from Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and immediately wrapped around the entire Divine Tree.
With a single through, from inside Yang Kai’s body, the Wordless Black Book began emitting a powerful suction.
*Dong…*
Yang Kai’s heart clenched tightly, thumping as if it had been struck by a hammer.
His face went white as his figure stumbled. In that instant, Yang Kai felt the aura of death close in on him.
However, no one paid any attention to him as they were focused on something much more astonishing. Right before their eyes, the huge Divine Tree turned into a stream of light and magically vanished.
Everyone from the Sun clan was dumbfounded, all of them standing in place with their jaws dropped, unable to process what had just happened.
Through sheer force of will, Yang Kai managed to maintain his consciousness and not faint on the spot, turning around rapidly and leaping into the Void Corridor, releasing a series of attacks he had prepared beforehand.
His True Qi surged up and the surrounding aura became chaotic.
*Hong long long…*
As the sound of explosions rang out, the Void Corridor warped and Void Energy began spewing out from it. A moment later, the Void Corridor suddenly shrank and disappeared.
At the same time, pitiful screams resounded from all directions.
As soon as Yang Kai had left, the Soul Devouring Insects which had infected the Sun Clan no longer had anything holding them back and immediately went wild, causing every cultivator before the Saint Realm to fall to the ground!
The Sun Clan’s old leader and Saint Realm Elders all stared blankly at their surroundings, unable to utter a single word!
The Divine Tree had disappeared, the only Void Corridor which linked them to the outside world was destroyed, and a massive number of their clansmen had inexplicably died… all these tragedies had occurred in the span of a few breaths, not giving them any time to process what was happening.
The Void Corridor being destroyed was within their expectations, the Sun Clan’s masters had long seen that Yang Kai had such a plan; however, they made no attempt to stop him from doing so. In any case, they had already lived inside this Mysterious Small World for generations and outside was the Demon Land. It wasn’t safe for them to come and go through it, so the Void Corridor being destroyed didn’t bother them too much.
Their clansmen suddenly falling down dead was probably the result of that little brat’s mysterious methods. He had silently killed a few of them earlier without any of them being able to stop him, so this was probably just a repeat of that.
However, what none of these powerful Saints could understand was how this weak Human Race boy had caused the Divine Tree to disappear.
The Void Corridor was not nearly stable enough to support the Divine Tree leaving, and even if it was, it was impossible for its giant form to simply vanish in front of their eyes.
“Little thief! I swear I’ll find you and chop your corpse into ten thousand pieces!” The Sun Clan’s old leader roared towards the Heavens, the fiery red hair on his head all standing on end.
The other Sun Clan Elders also made similar oaths, but it was already too late, the object of their mutual hatred had disappeared.
….
Amidst a sea of sand, Yang Kai’s body fell heavily to the ground, causing Gou Che and the others who had arrived early to rush over in surprise.
After seeing Yang Kai’s current state, An Ling’er couldn’t help panicking.
Yang Kai’s face had drained of all colour and his lips were a deep shade of purple. His True Qi flow was chaotic and his Spiritual Energy was essentially non-existent.
Although he didn’t appear to have suffered any external injuries, his body had already gone cold, as if he was on the verge of death, his heart beating loudly yet without any sense of rhythm, seemingly struggling to continue.
Ever after being chased by Saintess Nan last time, Yang Kai had not fallen into such a bleak situation.
An Ling’er didn’t know what happened in the Mysterious Small World after she had left, but seeing Yang Kai like this now made her feel incredibly anxious.
“Brother, brother…” Gou Che also hurried over and shook Yang Kai, but he did not receive any response no matter what he tried. After carefully inspecting Yang Kai, Gou Che found that the former’s Soul was fluctuating weakly and his Knowledge Sea had suffered a tremendous loss.
“He can’t be saved…” The other Demon Race man slowly shook his head, his expression somewhat low spirited.
Although he had no real connection to Yang Kai, regardless of anything else, this time, it was thanks to Yang Kai that he could survive. Seeing his saviour in such a state inevitably left a bad taste in his mouth.
Gou Che frowned and wanted to say something, but upon seeing the heart-wrenching look on An Ling’er’s face, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
They had no pills or herbs on them currently, back in that Mysterious Small World, even their Universe Bags had been taken away by the Sun Clan. Currently, even though they wanted to help Yang Kai, there was really nothing they could do.
With their Demonic Qi and Spiritual Energy sealed, they also had no way of even assisting Yang Kai’s vital functions.
“No, he won’t die,” An Ling’er kept shaking her head as she lifted Yang Kai’s upper body and placed his head on her laps, her hands trembling as she gently tried to brush the sand from his face, as if afraid she would use too much strength and injure him further, “The last time he suffered such serious injuries, he didn’t die, this time… for sure…”
*Dong…*
Another strange heartbeat was conveyed from Yang Kai’s chest after which his vitality seemed to become weaker once again.
An Ling’er burst into tears as her heart filled with pain.
“Junior Sister, don’t cry,” Gou Che stuffily said, “Your True Qi is not sealed, quickly try to support him.”
Hearing this, it was as if An Ling’er was woken from a dream, hurriedly using her Nine Heavens Holy Land’s mysterious Divine Skills on Yang Kai, trying to preserve his last remaining vitality, but no matter how hard she tried, the latter showed no signs of improvement.
“Haa…” Gou Che sighed heavily, feeling sorry for Yang Kai. Gou Che had wanted to find a chance to repay him, but had not anticipated that the moment they escaped from that accursed Mysterious Small World, Yang Kai would actually end up like this.
During the day, the heat that radiated from the sand was hard to endure, but when night fell, a deep chill filled the air, causing one to shiver unconsciously.
Beneath the full moon, burst of Cold Qi visible to the naked eye would occasionally leap from the sand, like ghosts.
Gazing around, it was as if the endless desert had been covered in a thin layer of ice that reflected the pale moonlight, creating a beautiful yet mysterious air.
At some indistinct location in this vast dessert, An Ling’er stared down at Yang Kai, her True Qi surging as she tried to warm his ice cold body.
Currently, Yang Kai seemed no different than a corpse. After escaping from the Mysterious Small World during the day, he hadn’t even opened his eyes. At the beginning, his body still had some warmth and his heart would beat occasionally, but as time passed, his body grew colder and colder as his vitality seemingly leaked out. He was like a candle in the wind, in danger of being snuffed out at any moment.
An Ling’er had guarded him carefully this whole time, never once leaving his side.
This was the future master of the Holy Land, even if he truly was dead, there was no way An Ling’er could allow any harm to come to him, a firm and resolute expression filling her face.
*Shashasha…*
Not far away, the sound of footsteps sounded, drawing An Ling’er’s attention. When she looked up, she saw Gou Che, who had left to scout the area earlier some time ago; even if he had great physical strength, he wasn’t able to resist the chill of the desert at night, shivering as he walked, his hair covered in frost.
An Ling’er’s eyes flashed as a vigilant look crept onto her face. Having spent so much time with Yang Kai, she had also had contact with Gou Che and knew that this Demon Race man was something of a lascivious delinquent. Now that it wasn’t certain Yang Kai was dead or alive, she felt she had to keep her guard up against Gou Che.
However, An Ling’er quickly relaxed when she remembered her opponent’s Demonic Qi and Spiritual Energy were still sealed.
“How is he?” Gou Che came over to An Ling’er and hurriedly asked.
An Ling’er simply shook her head slowly in response.
“So, in the end, he really can’t be saved.”
“You! You’re not allowed to say that! He’ll live!” An Ling’er immediately became angry, a sharp light flickering across her apricot coloured eyes.
“Good good good, just pretend I didn’t say anything. But you should still prepare yourself, nothing in this world is permanent, haa… Brother Yang’s fate is truly quite cruel,” Gou Che sighed. Seeing Yang Kai suffer such misfortune in order to help them escape, Gou Che’s manner towards him became much friendlier, “If he can survive, that would be for the best. This master wanted to bring him to Qing Liao City to offer some hospitality.”
Saying so, Gou Che sat down on the cold sand a short distance away, a slight grin suddenly forming on his face as he commented, “I found that this human kid is quite interesting. I’ve captured a number of humans before, but none of them were anywhere near as impressive as Brother Yang. All of them put up an ugly display, immediately kowtowing and begging for mercy the moment they found themselves in danger. Brother Yang on the other hand has some real backbone, his temperament really fits well with my Demon Race, preferring to die fighting than live as a coward, a real man.”
Gou Che rambled on for a while, but what attracted An Ling’er’s attention was something he had said close to the beginning, quietly asking, “Those humans you caught, what did you do with them?”
Gou Che swung his hand down in a chopping motion, causing An Ling’er’s pretty face to go somewhat black. She immediately decided not to talk to him more than absolutely necessary.
At night, the vast desert was incredibly quiet, only some scorpion like creatures moved about. Gou Che caught a few of them and ate them with great relish.
As he ate, he gave a running commentary about their taste as well.
As the night dragged on, the desert became colder and colder.
Yang Kai’s only remaining vitality also rapidly faded, a point that both An Ling’er and Gou Che noticing, both of them secretly growing nervous as they carefully watched over him.
A half hour after the middle of the night, this last bit of vitality suddenly vanished.
The light in An Ling’er’s beautiful eyes suddenly went out, her tender body shuddering uncontrollably.
Gou Che also let out a heavy sigh, feeling that the Heavens were unjust.
The two of them were only immersed in their sadness for a moment though before a pulse of vitality erupted from Yang Kai’s body. This burst of vitality soon transformed into a raging flame, quickly heating up Yang Kai’s near frozen body. At the same time, True Qi began flowing through his meridians so quickly and violently it could be heard.
*Hu…*
With a light puff, Yang Kai entire figure was engulfed in flames as a translucent layer of golden True Qi burst forth from his body, transforming the nearby sand in a sea of magma.
An Ling’er was shocked and hurriedly retreated, almost burning herself in the process.
Gou Che was also stunned by Yang Kai’s current appearance, the poisonous tail of a big scorpion he had been eating slipping out of his mouth as his jaw went slack.
Yang Kai suddenly coughed up a dark blood fog before taking back the True Qi which had leaked from his body, quickly jumping to his feet as he glanced around vigilantly, only calming down a moment later when he laid eyes on a dumbstruck An Ling’er and Gou Che nearby, breathing a long sigh of relief while taking back his Divine Sense.
Slowly sitting back down on the ground, Yang Kai adjusted his breathing as the scene before he fell into a coma flashed before across his mind, allowing him to quickly grasp his current situation.
There were no abnormalities in his physical body, but his Knowledge Sea was still in a state of turmoil, causing Yang Kai to moan in pain as he held his head and trembled lightly.
Even after somehow managing to stabilizing his condition, Yang Kai couldn’t reduce the dull ache he felt in his head.
“Where are we?” Yang Kai opened his eyes and quietly asked, his face distorting from the near unbearable pain.
“The Demon Land’s desert,” Gou Che replied somewhat mechanically before quickly coming to his sense and asking hurriedly, “Brother Yang, are you… dead or alive?”
Yang Kai raised his eyes and glanced over at him tiredly, “What do you think?”
“Haha!” Gou Che laughed raucously, “I knew you wouldn’t die so easily!”
“Who was it that said he couldn’t be saved?” An Ling’er shot him a cold glance.
Gou Che suddenly choked, unable to say anything in response.
“How do you feel?” An Ling’er turned her attention to Yang Kai and asked nervously.
“Terrible,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, his Soul was currently in a state of turmoil and was somewhat unstable.
“Then you should quickly rest.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, no longer speaking. Sitting cross-legged on the ground and trying to steady himself, he sent his Soul Avatar into his Knowledge Sea to more carefully examine it.
Looking around, Yang Kai saw that his entire Knowledge Sea was in a desolate state, the rich burning flames and endless ocean water had all but disappeared, a sign that his Spiritual Energy had been severely overdrawn.
His Knowledge Sea was also somewhat chaotic; at times, great winds would blow, while at others, thunder and lightning rained down, the entire world shaking unsteadily as if it would soon collapse.
The reason for all this was because Yang Kai had forcefully brought the Divine Tree into the Black Book space.
Never had he thought that this one, seemingly simple act would bring him so close to the gates of death.
The things he normally stored into the Black Book space were small, the biggest one not even one percent the size of the Divine Tree, so even if it consumed some of his Spiritual Energy, it had only been a trifling amount.
But this time, Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy had been completely exhausted. Bringing the Divine Tree into the Black Book space had nearly caused his very Soul to collapse.
After all, the Divine Tree was very different from anything Yang Kai had stored in the Black Book space before, not only was it massive, it also contained an unimaginable amount of energy. It was understandable he had to pay such a price.
However, it was worth it!
Being able to take the Divine Tree away, Yang Kai felt that even if he had to pay such a steep price, it would be worth it. Now he didn’t have to worry about fulfilling his promise with the Divine Tree.
Yang Kai was a man of his word.
His lost Spiritual Energy could be re-cultivated and supplemented by the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, so it wouldn’t take too long for his Spiritual Energy to return to its peak.
Moreover, this time, the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus had played a vital role. If it had not protected Yang Kai’s Soul at the last moment, it was likely he really would be dead right now.
Considering all this, Yang Kai quietly rejoiced.
Withdrawing his Soul Avatar from his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai next inspected the Black Book space. Just after arriving though, Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar was embraced by a brilliant golden light.
The Divine Tree was now here, its golden roots and jade green leaves illuminating the once dull Black Book space.
Surrounded by this burning aura, the pain in Yang Kai’s Soul decreased noticeably and was replaced with a warm, comfortable sensation.
In response to Yang Kai’s arrival, the Divine Tree’s branches swayed back and forth, as if it was celebrating, a burst of eager calls emanating from its heart.
Yang Kai smiled as he sent his Soul Avatar into the heart of the Divine Tree, allowing the latter’s Soul to immediately wrap around him.
It was obviously aware that Yang Kai was currently in a very weak state and did not try to drag his Soul Avatar all over the place but instead carefully surrounded and comforted him.
The next moment, a powerful energy poured into Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar, quickly supplementing Yang Kai’s lost Spiritual Energy.
Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised and made no attempt to stop it, allowing the Divine Tree to display its capabilities.
After an hour or so, Yang Kai’s weakness had disappeared and he once again became energetic, his dried up Knowledge Sea reaching a state of saturation.
At the same time, all kinds of dark injuries Yang Kai had sustained were restored.
Yang Kai conversed with the Divine Tree for a while and explained that it might have to stay in this place for a while. After receiving a positive response, Yang Kai promised to come see it whenever he had time before taking back his consciousness.
Although the Divine Tree was reluctant to part, it didn’t try to stop him.
Opening his eyes again, Yang Kai discovered that the darkness of night was gradually receding, giving way to the morning sun.
Wrinkling his brow for a moment, Yang Kai let out a light sigh as he estimated he would at least need to break through to the Saint Realm if he wanted to take the Divine Tree out from the Black Book space. Only by reaching the Saint Realm would be able to do with while not harming himself.
However, he was not in a rush. Right now, he was still stuck in the Demon Land, even if Yang Kai could release the Divine Tree immediately, there was no place for it to settle.
It would be better to find a place for the Divine Tree to stay first, Soaring Heaven Sect’s Serene Resplendent Peak would be a good choice.
Seeing Yang Kai open his eyes, Gou Che and An Ling’er who had been monitoring him all night long finally relaxed.
“Brother, why does it seem like you’ve been completely restored already?” Gou Che asked curiously. An hour or so ago, Yang Kai was still in a state close to death, and even if his restorative abilities were better than most, this kind of recovery speed was too abnormal. On top of that, Gou Che didn’t see him take any kind of healing pill or medicine.
It was really inexplicable.
“No, I’ve only somewhat recovered,” Yang Kai smiled and replied.
Although he had saved Gou Che and the other Demon Race cultivator from the Sun Clan, he didn’t have any intention to really forge a friendship with Gou Che.
Rescuing them this time was a means to an end. Yang Kai hoped to take advantage of the other party’s status to move about freely in the Demon Land!
As such, Yang Kai didn’t tell Gou Che the whole truth. He was still somewhat wary of this Demon Race man, feeling that Gou Che didn’t actually treat him sincerely and wouldn’t care much about the fact that the former had saved his life.
“Brother Gou Che, you’re certain this desert is inside the Demon Land? Are you familiar with this region?” Yang Kai asked.
Gou Che frowned and shook his head, “This desert is a very dangerous area, even my Demon Race try to avoid traveling through here. In this place, no matter how strong you are, there are things you can’t easily overcome. I’m only certain we’re in the Demon Land, but as to which direction we should go to reach civilization, I’m also at a loss. All we can do is start walking and hope we’re going the right way, and that we don’t run into any of the more troublesome dangers lurking around. Pray we don’t get lost, once that happens… I’m afraid we won’t ever be able to leave this desert.”
Hearing Gou Che’s speech, Yang Kai and An Ling’er both felt somewhat gloomy, secretly thinking to themselves that their luck had really been quite bad recently. First they had been chased by Saintess Nan back in the archipelago, then forced to flee into an unexplored Void Corridor only to fall into the hands of the Sun Clan. Now, even after a death-defying escape, they had wound up in this seemingly endless desert in the middle of the Demon Land.
The ups and downs of life really made one feel helpless.
Soon after Gou Che finished explaining their situation, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed as he stared off in a certain direction, whispering quietly, “Someone’s approaching!”
Probing this newly appeared aura for a moment, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to Gou Che and said, “It’s your clansmen!”
“Oh?” Gou Che replied casually, “That guy didn’t die? He didn’t return last night so I thought must have fallen out here. Seems his luck wasn’t so bad.”
When Gou Che spoke his tone was light and carefree, apparently not showing any concern about his fellow clansman’s life, as if he didn’t care whether the latter lived or died one bit.
Realizing this, Yang Kai frowned slightly.
A short time later, the Demon Race man who Yang Kai had rescued from the Mysterious Small World returned with a delighted look upon his face, “I found a way out!”
Hearing this, everyone was overjoyed, Gou Che asking urgently, “Really?”
The man smiled and nodded, “I’m certain; I’ve explored this desert once before. At that time, I once encountered an oasis and made a distinctive mark on one of the trees. I came across that same oasis last night. It seems our luck isn’t bad, this place is on the periphery of the desert. We only need to travel a few days in that direction to leave.”
As this Demon Race man spoke, his expression became more and more excited, having some difficulty containing his joy.
Yang Kai and An Ling’er also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like they had finally seen light after a long eternity in the abyss.
Only needing a few days to leave this place seemed lucky enough. When they went back, Yang Kai considered finding a place to enter secluded retreat for a while.
“Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and lead the way, I’m dying of thirst here!” Gou Che waved his hand and began running off in the direction the other Demon Race cultivator pointed.
The latter also didn’t speak any nonsense and quickly chased after Gou Che.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai said to An Ling’er, the latter nodding slightly as she kept pace with Yang Kai, walking side by side with him.
As she observed the two Demon Race cultivators rushing forward in a jubilant mood, An Ling’er turned to the side and quietly whispered, “Yang Kai, you have to be careful about that Gou Che. If you trust him too much you’ll only end up suffering!”
“Do I need you to remind me?” Yang Kai chuckled, “I never had any intention to trust or make friends with him, but right now we’re in the Demon Land. If we want to leave here safely, our best bet is to take advantage of his status.”
An Ling’er nodded lightly as she said, “Fortunately he didn’t see much of your true ability back in that Mysterious Small World, otherwise things would be even more dangerous.”
“If he were to learn your true identity, it would also be bad,” Yang Kai’s expression became solemn as he said, “Never reveal your status to him, and try to avoid using any of your Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Divine Skills”
“I’m not some naive little girl, how could I possibly be so careless?” An Ling’er smiled confidently.
“Hurry up, Brother Yang, what are you doing?” Gou Che suddenly turned back and yelled at Yang Kai.
“We’re coming!” Yang Kai responded before turning back to An Ling’er, “Let’s pick up our pace.”
The other Demon Race man’s sense of direction was quite good, even walking through this vast sea of sand with next to no landmarks for reference, he was able to accurately lead the way. This was especially impressive seeing how his Demonic Qi and Divine Sense were both still sealed, meaning he was relying solely on his own skill and instincts right now.
After walking for roughly three hours or so, a faint speck of green appeared on the horizon.
An oasis!
In such a vast desert, only a few magical places like this one existed where one could find water and plants. Almost every desert had such places, but no one knew how they were formed or how they endured.
Big oases could remain for hundreds or even thousands of years without any change, providing invaluable places for travelers to stop and rest.
An oasis was often a life-saving place in the eyes of desert travelers.
Seeing the oasis appear up ahead, the two Demon Race men began running even faster, rushing forward as if they couldn’t bear to wait a moment longer.
After the time it would take to burn a stick of incense, Yang Kai and An Ling’er also arrived at the oasis’ edge. Unlike the outside desert’s blistering heat, this place was actually just slightly warm, huge cactus and broad leafed trees blowing in the breeze, creating a comfortable atmosphere.
A large, sparkling lake lay in the center of the oasis. This lake’s water was crystal clear, like a bottomless mountain spring, and had many strange and exotic plants growing along its shore.
When Yang Kai and An Ling’er arrived here, they found that Gou Che and the other Demon Race man had not entered the water or even approached it but had instead hidden themselves behind a big rock on the shore and were holding their breaths as they stared towards the lake, their expressions filled with a mix of caution and obscenity.
Sensing Yang Kai’s arrival, Gou Che quickly motioned to him, telling him to keep quiet, the look on his face quite strange.
Yang Kai frowned, not comprehending what was going on, quickly bringing An Ling’er over to the other to and peeking out from behind the rock; however, he didn’t see anything of note at first glance.
“What are you doing?” Yang Kai asked quietly.
“Look over there!” Gou Che quietly pointed to a certain spot on the nearby shore.
Yang Kai and An Ling’er both turned their gazes in the direction he pointed and suddenly froze up.
On the shore, there were some neatly folded clothes, and from their style, it was obvious they belonged to a woman.
These clothes were here, but the person was nowhere in sight, so the obvious conclusion was that they were currently swimming at the bottom of the lake.
Yang Kai suddenly understood. Gou Che and the other Demon Race man hiding here was all so they could peek at this bathing beauty.
“Shameless!” An Ling’er’s cheeks immediately went red as she grit her teeth and a cold light flashed across her beautiful eyes, turning to Yang Kai and sharply saying, “Don’t you dare join them!”
Yang Kai curled his lips and firmly declared, “I’ve always been a paragon of virtue, I would never participate in this kind of dirty matter.”
Even as he spoke these words though, his eyes drifted back towards the lake.
Seeing this, Gou Che smiled towards Yang Kai and chuckled lowly, “I knew Brother Yang was a man of great culture.”
At that moment, Gou Che felt that Yang Kai was suddenly much more pleasing to the eye.
Yang Kai quickly said in a serious tone, “Perhaps this isn’t such a good idea, if you’re discovered by her…”
“Who does it matter if she discovers us? Is she going to eat me or something?” Gou Che snorted without any concern.
Although he couldn’t use any of his strength right now, in the end, he still had a distinguished identity. As the son of a Demon General, there were very few people who would dare to attack him, so even if he was caught peaking, he didn’t care.
“Brother Gou Che, surely you don’t lack women, why bother doing this?” Although Yang Kai also understood a man’s desire to seek out beauties, something about this particular situation caused him to feel uneasy so he quickly tried to persuade Gou Che to leave this place.
Gou Che sneered in response, “Naturally I’m not lacking in women, but such thrills are always welcome.”
The other Demon Race man next to him also nodded, obviously agreeing with Gou Che’s point of view. Their two pairs of eyes then continued to stare at the lake’s surface, both of them looking forward to the moment when the woman at the bottom of the lake would appear.
Seeing this, Yang Kai felt helpless and no longer wasted his breath.
At that moment, a ripple suddenly appeared on the surface of the lake and the two Demon Race men’s breathes suddenly halted, their eyes opening wide in anticipation.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
A burst of noise suddenly rang out and a series of sharp water arrows shot out from the surface of the lake.
Everyone’s expression changed dramatically. Yang Kai and An Ling’er reacted quickly and managed to avoid these attacks, but Gou Che and the other Demon Race man weren’t so lucky. For the sake of getting a better view, they had completely pushed themselves up against the rock, so by the time they noticed the incoming attack, it was too late for them to avoid it.
With a loud bang, the rock shattered and the sand flew up into the air. Stone debris shot forth, bringing with it a not weak force, cause Gou Che and the other Demon Race man to fly back, both of them unable to open their eyes as they howled miserably.
The two of them had instantly become battered and bruised.
Yang Kai caught a glimpse of a pure white form emerge from the lake, carrying with it a graceful and glamorous air.
But before he could get a good look at this figure, he lost track of it, a cold chill running up his spine as his eyes shot open in surprise.
After everything settled down, Gou Che roared angrily, “Fuck, damn whore, you dare attack this master?”
The moment he spoke these words though, Gou Che was struck by some invisible force and sent flying through the air again, hitting the ground hard and tumbling several times. When he stood up again, his cheek was swollen and a blazing anger filled his eyes. Having suffered such humiliation, the only thing on his mind right now was to fight this unknown attacker, his eyes darting around searching for his target.
He didn’t have to look long though. Standing a short distance in front of them was a beautiful woman who had just left the lake, her eyes coldly glaring at Yang Kai and his group. Her body was full of mature charm, with long shapely legs, which peaked in an out of her pale blue dress. Her twin peaks were a grand sight to see and her shoulders were half exposed. Perhaps because she had just been bathing, her clothes tightly clung to her body, highlighting her excellent style.
Just by standing there she exuded a sense of beauty difficult to ignore.
Unfortunately, at this moment, the woman’s pair of beautiful eyes were filled with murderous intent and a dangerous aura pulsed from her body, causing everyone around to shiver unconsciously.
Yang Kai eyes narrowed, secretly cursing Gou Che, wondering why, of all people, he had to annoy such a dangerous woman.
When he arrived here, Yang Kai didn’t dare use his Divine Sense to examine the area, lest he annoy unnecessary trouble, so it was only after this woman attacked that he realized Gou Che had provoked a true master.
The other side clearly knew that someone had been peeking at her and had immediately took action upon leaving the lake.
Gou Che, who didn’t seem to know the meaning of fear, shouted out as he held his swollen face, “Damn woman, you dare hit me again?”
“So what if I hit you?” The woman glanced over at Gou Che coldly, “If you dare spew another disrespectful word from your mouth I’ll kill you!”
“Oh?” Gou Che snickered, “I’d like to see if you have the courage to lay one finger on me again!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a sharp blade of energy rushed towards Gou Che’s and instantly pierced his shoulder.
Blood gushed out from the wound like a fountain and Gou Che’s face went pale, staring dumbfounded at the woman in front of him.
He hadn’t expected this woman would really attack him the moment he spoke, the sharp pain coming from his shoulder finally causing him some panic.
Although he was a womanizer and a delinquent, Gou Che wasn’t a fool. From the methods this woman had shown so far, he knew that even if he was in peak condition, he wouldn’t be her match. With a bloody hole in his shoulder, Gou Chen became much more obedient, though the look of anger on his face didn’t fade, he at least stopped talking and simply glared at the woman instead.
“Humans?” The woman curiously sized up Yang Ling and An Ling’er, her brow furrowing slightly, “Since when did my Demon Race begin associating with humans? Interesting!”
Yang Kai’s expression darkened as he moved An Ling’er behind him and condensed his True Qi, preparing to act at a moment’s notice.
“Hmph!” The woman snorted disdainfully, stepping forward lightly as she flicked her wet hair, glancing over at Gou Che and the other Demon Race man, “Your Demonic Qi and Spiritual Energy seemed to be sealed, was it these human brats who did that to you?”
Gou Che said nothing but the other Demon Race man shook his head slowly and explained, “It was not them. We accidentally fell into a Mysterious Small World some time ago and were captured by the natives. It was thanks to this human boy that we were able to escape.”
“Wastes!” The woman’s expression immediately became cold, “Members of my Demon Race actually needing to rely on the pity of humans to live on dishonourably? Do you think you still have the qualifications to live in this world!?”
Saying so, the woman lifted her slender finger and shot out a number of energy spikes.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Instantly, the Demon Race man had a few bloody holes opened on his body, a pitiful grunt leaking from his lips as he sunk to the ground, gasping for breath, his eyes filled with shock and horror.
The woman did not intend to kill him, she was just dissatisfied with him relying on Yang Kai to survive and decided to give him some punishment.
“So, what kind of skill do you possess?” The woman turned her attention to Yang Kai, her Divine sense quickly sweeping him like a frigid gust of wind, examining him from head to toe.
“Another waste!” The woman lost interest immediately after she probed Yang Kai and learned what his current cultivation was.
A moment later, the woman sneered and declared, “Your courage isn’t small, daring to be impolite to me. For that I should teach you what the true meaning of suffering is, but today I am in a good mood, so I won’t immediately kill you. Come with me!”
Saying so, she waved her jade hand and a carriage-like artifact with a giant bed shrouded in a translucent pink canopy appeared out of thin air, a distinctly feminine fragrance wafting from it.
The woman gracefully stepped over to the carriage, parted the curtains, and stepped inside, casually releasing two bursts of energy towards Gou Che and the other Demon Race man as she did.
The next instant, the two of them felt all the seals in their bodies shatter, causing both of them to smile unconsciously.
“Little human girl, you also come up!” The woman reclined on the fragrant bed, her graceful curves on full display, putting on a relaxed and lazy appeared as she beckoned to An Ling’er.
An Ling’er was extremely wary and turned to Yang Kai to silently ask what she should do.
Yang Kai nodded lightly to her, so An Ling’er cautiously boarded the carriage and stood beside the bed nervously.
“You three carrying the carriage, don’t tell me you need me to teach you how to do even something so simple?” The woman said lazily in a voice extremely pleasant to the ear.
Yang Kai couldn’t help wrinkling his brow.
Gou Che roared angrily, “What thing are you? You actually want father here to be your carriage bearer? Do you have any idea who I am?”
“Why should I care who you are? If you don’t want to die, move your feet. If you don’t hurry I don’t mind finishing you off right now!” The woman’s beautiful eyes flashed a cold light, her Demonic Qi rumbling ominously, as if she really would execute him if Gou Che dared to refuse.
Gou Che ground his teeth but he had no choice but to act obediently in the face of absolute power, shutting his mouth, stepping forward, and hoisting the carriage onto his shoulders.
Yang Kai and the other Demon Race man shot each other a quick glance before also walking over helplessly.
After receiving directions from the woman, the three new coolies flew up into the sky at an extremely fast speed.
Atop the large bed, An Ling’er sat, her back as straight as a board, observing the surrounding environment as she followed the woman’s instructions to massage her shoulders.
The woman apparently had no intention to communicate further, simply lying there with her eyes closed, enjoying the service.
As the delicate fragrance wafted past his nose, Yang Kai grumbled in annoyance. Originally, he had wanted to safely leave the Demon Land with the help of Gou Che, but now it seemed like there was no chance of that, it wasn’t even certain this bastard would be able to protect himself. Yang Kai would have to figure out something on his own.
Half a day later, a huge city wall appeared in front of everyone’s eyes. This city was located quite near the desert and its walls were comprised entirely of stones harvested from there, giving the entire city a yellowish colour.
Inside the city, countless demons came and went.
When the city came into sight, Gou Che’s eyes suddenly bulged as he cried out in a hoarse voice, “Sand City? Then you are…”
“Shut your mouth!” The woman didn’t even open her eyes as she shouted lightly.
Gou Che’s hurriedly shrunk his neck, now seemingly terrified, all of his previous arrogance instantly vanishing without a trace.
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s expression also changed.
Soon, the carriage arrived in the sky above Sand City. Following the woman’s instructions, the carriage quickly came to a huge palace at the centre of the city.
The palace was built in a very unique architectural style, as if it was a mountain range all on its own, the highest peaks reaching several hundred meters into the sky.
Flying to the front of the palace and standing before its highest point, looking down, it was possible to overlook the entire city, giving one a wondrous feeling.
However, the palace seemed somewhat out of place in this city. Its walls and grounds were all constructed of white jade stone and ornate carvings of dragons and phoenixes adorned its great pillars and halls.
Precious crystals were inlaid wherever one looked.
When the carriage arrived, a tyrannical looking Demon Race man quickly came over and respectfully said, “Mistress, you’ve returned?”
The woman nodded lightly and stepped down from the carriage.
“These people are…” The man glanced over at Yang Kai and others with a puzzled expression, only when his eyes landed on Gou Che did a glimmer of suspicion appear on his brow, staring at the latter that seemed somewhat familiar.
“Send someone to pass Gou Qiong a message, tell him if he wants to see is precious son in one piece, he needs to prepare enough ransom to exchange for him!” The woman glanced over at Gou Che before continuing, “En, also tell him that there are three others accompanying his son, whether he redeems them as well is up to him.”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed. This conversation clearly indicated that this woman had long ago seen through Gou Che’s identity. But even though she knew who he was, she still dared treat Gou Che like that, and from the way she so casually spoke Gou Qiong’s name, it was easy to infer just what this woman’s identity was!
Gou Qiong was one of the four Demon Generals, the only ones who dared not put Gou Qiong in their eyes were the other Demon Generals!
Amongst the four Demon Generals, there was only one female: Xue Li!
She bore a feminine name and was a charming lady. However, even her elegance could not overshadow her ruthless and cruel personality.
The woman who they accidentally met was actually a Demon General! And Gou Che, not knowing the immensity of Heaven and Earth, actually dared try to peek at her naked body!
Yang Kai couldn’t wait to beat Gou Che to a pulp in order to vent the rage in his heart.
“Mistress, I doubt that Gou Qiong will care about the lives of these three,” Xue Li’s subordinate smiled grimly, as if taking pleasure in others’ misfortune as he stared at Yang Kai and the other.
“Just pass the message to him anyways. Right, tell Gou Qiong that this little human brat is his son’s saviour,” Xue Li stressed, “I’d like to see how Gou Qiong will treat this matter.”
“Oh? How surprising, a Demon General’s heir actually owing his life to a human, interesting… Subordinate will go and deliver this message personally.”
“Go!” Xue Li waved her hand.
“Senior Xue, Senior Xue…” Gou Che called out hastily.
“What?” Xue Li gave him a faint look.
“Is it possible to discuss this matter? If you want a ransom, I can collect it on my own, there’s no need to bother my father over such trivial matters,” Gou Che pleaded with an awkward look upon his face, apparently afraid Gou Qiong would blame and punish him.
“This matter is beyond your ability to control,” Xue Li coldly snorted, no longer paying any attention to him, turning around and walking into the palace.
Immediately after, a group of Demon Race guards came over and escorted Yang Kai’s group of four into the palace.
The three men were brought to rooms in one wing of the palace while An Ling’er accommodations were arranged next to Xue Li.
Unlike back in the Sun Clan, no restrictions or seals were placed on them. Xue Li seemed quite confident that none of them could escape. Not only did she not limit their freedom in any way, she even had meals delivered to them three times a day, treating each of them more like guests than prisoners.
Although there wasn’t anyone guarding them, Yang Kai still behaved honestly, not making any attempt to escape.
In the presence of Xue Li, Yang Kai knew he wouldn’t be able to escape even if he tried; what’s more, he had been separated from An Ling’er. Yang Kai had no intention of abandoning An Ling’er here and escaping by himself.
Gou Che seemed to be aware of his blunder this time and was now behaving very docile, as if completely exhausted by the situation, no longer showing any hint of his former arrogance.
Xue Li had sent a messenger to Gou Qiong, not selling her fellow Demon General the slightest bit face and directly asking for a large ransom amount in exchange for his son. Yang Kai figured Gou Qiong wouldn’t care about his or An Ling’er’s death and at most would redeem Gou Che and the other Demon Race man.
Yang Kai had previously heard about the four Demon Generals, the top masters of the Demon Race, each of them possessing tyrannical strength and influence.
These four masters each governed territories in the north, east, west, and south corners of the Demon Land, guarding its borders and preserving order. Normally there was very little exchange between them, but apparently, the only woman among them, Xue Li, did not have a very harmonious relationship with the other three Demon Generals.
It was for that reason that the territory she governed was relatively desolate. Whether it was in terms of ambient World Energy density or the richness of the land’s resources, Xue Li’s territory was incomparable to the other three Demon Generals’.
Even the relatively uninformed Yang Kai had heard such rumors before, but upon seeing the situation for himself, he realized these rumors weren’t groundless.
Xue Li’s capital was Sand City, which was situated near the vast, uninhabitable dessert, and her relationship with Gou Qiong was obviously bad.
However, since she sat in the position of a Demon General, there was no doubt she had her own unique skills and means. Such a woman couldn’t be treated lightly, so Yang Kai doesn’t dare take any rash actions.
As such, Yang Kai spent his days in the palace quietly, without trying to stir up any kind of trouble.
Gou Che on the other hand apparently tried numerous times to escape, but each time his attempts were foiled by the masters serving under Xue Li and then beaten mercilessly as punishment.
After suffering like this for a month or so, Gou Che finally became resigned to his fate.
Learning from Gou Che’s mistakes, Yang Kai became even more cautious about his actions.
More than a month later, Yang Kai, who was meditating in his room, suddenly heard footsteps outside and opened his eyes, staring towards the door calmly.
After a while, the door was opened, and the Demon Race master who had sent the letter to Gou Qiong walked inside and said to Yang Kai, “Get out, Mistress wants to see you!”
Yang Kai stood up silently and followed after him.
The man turned and looked at Yang Kai a few times as they walked forward, each time snickering faintly, as if he was seeing something quite amusing, a taunting look in his eyes.
Yang Kai frowned and instinctively noticed something was wrong, but he did not ask anything because he knew this man wouldn’t reveal anything to him.
After walking for some time, the man led Yang Kai to a grand hall.
There was a grand and spacious chair at the front of this hall, covered in luxurious furs and blankets dyed a dark red colour, giving it a majestic appearance. Xue Li lay there silently, her shapely body with all its exquisite curves on full display, her eyes closed and hands folded as if she was in a meditative state.
In the center of the hall, a large incense burner released a pleasant scent which filled the room.
An Ling’er, dressed up as a maidservant, stood next to Xue Li with a somewhat tense posture.
Seeing Yang Kai arrive, An Ling’er’s beautiful eyes lit up briefly as she threw him a look of concern. In response, Yang Kai just slowly shook his head, signaling to her that he was fine.
After being captured and brought here, the two of them had not seen one another. Yang Kai had been confined in his own room while An Ling’er had been accompanying Xue Li. In this Sand City palace, the only humans were Yang Kai and her, so An Ling’er naturally placed all her hopes on him and was obviously concerned about his well being.
Seeing him safe and sound now, An Ling’er couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief, smiling to Yang Kai slightly but not daring to make any unnecessary noise.
Yang Kai looked around and soon found that Gou Che and the other Demon Race man were also standing here, the expressions of both of them full of panic and fear, like a pair of mice that had seen a cat.
“Mistress, we’ve brought them,” Xue Li’s subordinate quietly reported.
Xue Li nodded lightly, slowly opening her pair of enchanting eyes and glanced down, slowly straightening herself up while stretching her waist lazily.
Her movements allowed the blouse she wore to rise up and reveal her flat white belly and delicate navel, filling the air with an intoxicating air.
No one dared to stare at her though; no one but Yang Kai that is.
Xue Li’s eyes immediately became sharp as she glanced towards Yang Kai. As if he had just been burned, Yang Kai felt a slight pain on the skin of his face, but he did not avert his gaze, remaining indifferent as always.
Xue Li didn’t seem to care about such trifles and instead got down to business, “Gou Qiong replied.”
Gou Che’s body trembled, wringing his hands nervously as he stared up at Xu li and asked in a half whisper, “What was his response?”
“Hehe… you are his son. After falling into my hands, what do you think his response was? En, your father paid enough ransom to redeem you.”
Hearing this, Gou Che’s expression changed to one that was an odd mix of happiness and depression.
Happiness because he could finally escape from Xue Li’s grasp, but depression over what kind of punishment he would suffer once he returned home. This contradictory mood was openly expressed on his face, making it particularly entertaining to see.
“What about me?” The other Demon Race man asked anxiously.
“You were also redeemed!” Xue Li nodded lightly, a teasing smile creeping onto her face as she next said to Yang Kai meaningfully, “You and this little human girl as well, Gou Qiong redeemed all of you.”
An Ling’er was first stunned, then happy, her furrowed brow relaxing somewhat.
On the other hand, Gou Che and the Demon Race man both wore strange looks upon hearing this, the two of them shooting a glance over towards Yang Kai before both of them lowered their heads, their expressions somewhat complicated.
Yang Kai simply frowned, not only not showing the slightest joy but instead looking quite gloomy as he asked boldly, “Are all you Demon Race people so generous?”
“Hm?” Xue Li’s brow rose as she looked at Yang Kai, smiling lightly as she replied, “Gou Qiong is not the generous type, this time was simply an exception!”
“Is the ransom you demanded a large amount?” Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Xue Li. Even facing one of the four Demon Generals, he didn’t show any signs of fear or cowardice, his expression always calm and composed.
“It wasn’t a lot, but it also wasn’t a small amount. It was just enough for Gou Qiong to be annoyed for a while!” Xue Li smiled as she stared at Yang Kai with interest and even some appreciation. In front of her, few people could remain as calm as Yang Kai. Even the son of Gou Qiong was acting like a timid rat, and contrasting the two, Xue Li suddenly felt that this human boy was more worthy of her attention.
At the very least, he had more backbone than many of the Demon Race men she had seen.
Yang Kai nodded gently before suddenly turning to look at Gou Che and asking, “Brother Gou Che, Senior Gou Qiong spending so much money this time, do you have any thoughts on the matter?”
“Ah?” Gou Che was startled and for some reason didn’t dare to return Yang Kai’s stare, his eyes darting about randomly as he somehow muttered, “I have no thoughts…”
As he spoke, his expression was incredibly awkward.
“Does Brother Gou Che really have nothing to say?” Yang Kai’s mouth curled into a sneer as he pressed the issue.
Gou Che slowly shook his head.
The other Demon Race man next to him also stared at the floor and held his tongue.
[So… it’s like that huh?] Yang Kai thought, aware that he was most likely jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
At the front of the hall, An Ling’er stared at this exchange suspiciously, unable to understand why Yang Kai’s attitude towards Gou Che had suddenly changed so much, becoming cold and aggressive.
Xue Li and her subordinate both made no attempt to interrupt this exchange, each of them just grinning, seemingly enjoying the show.
“Good!” Yang Kai grinned, “Then I suppose this is goodbye, Brother Gou Che. Heh, our friendship really was quite short…”
When Gou Che heard these words, his face became somewhat red with embarrassment.
Yang Kai ignored him and turned to look at Xue Li, asking her seriously, “Senior, if I said I want to refuse the ransom that Gou Qiong paid for me, will you immediately kill me?”
“Oh?” Hearing this, Xue Li’s beautiful eyes couldn’t help flickering with a touch of praise, asking lightly “Do you actually wish to refuse?”
“Yes, I refuse!”
“Hehe…” Xue Li suddenly wore an amused smile, giggling happily, her proud peaks trembling noticeably.
Her subordinate also wore an interested expression as he stared at Yang Kai, a touch of praise flashing across his eyes.
After taking a moment to calm herself, Xue Li softly spoke, “If you refuse Gou Qiong, that means I will lose a certain amount of benefits, so naturally I’d want to kill you. I have been holding on to you for so long, feeding and housing you, am I just supposed to accept such a loss? However… the ransom has already been delivered to my hands so I won’t be letting go of it so easily, I can also use this as a way to slap Gou Qiong’s face… Good, I can spare your life.”
Yang Kai’s face immediately went black as his mood became gloomy.
He realized that Xue Li’s insidious words were pushing the responsibility onto him and placing him in direct opposition to Gou Qiong. Although this was a trivial matter, how could a man of Gou Qiong’s status possibly bare being insulted so? He had kindly paid enough ransom to buy Yang Kai’s freedom yet the prisoner in question had actually rejected his offer. If word of this were to spread out, the world would no doubt treat Gou Qiong as a joke for being despised by Yang Kai.
A solemn Demon General being despised by a mere human boy would no doubt anger Gou Qiong.
Although all of that was nothing but a farce!
“I accept your request!” Xue Li smiled brilliantly, quickly waving to Gou Che and the Demon Race man, “Get out, if I can still find you with my Divine Sense within half an incense worth of time, don’t blame me for being impolite to you!”
As soon as she spoke these words, Gou Che and the Demon Race man immediately transformed into streaks of light, flying out of the palace without so much as a glance back, in the blink of an eye already flying several thousand meters away, obviously using their full strength to flee as fast as possible.
Xue Li wasn’t kidding, her Divine Sense had been locked onto Gou Che and the other Demon Race man. If they didn’t flee far enough fast enough, she really would kill them.
This woman was simply a vicious viper!
“You humans really are quite astute,” Xue Li said cynically, “But since you refused the ransom that Gou Qiong paid for you, you have to prove that you have enough value to me. My Sand City does not support wastes!”
“So you won’t just let me go?” Yang Kai asked mockingly.
“Let you go?” Xue Li sneered, “Humans who enter my Sand City can only leave one way: Death! But since you seem to be somewhat out of the ordinary, I don’t plan on killing you right away. En, don’t disappoint me, otherwise I’ll let you experience a life far worse than death.”
Saying so, she stood up and moved to leave the room.
“Senior…” An Ling’er hurriedly shouted, a look of desperation flashing across her beautiful eyes, “Can you give us a moment to talk?”
Xue Li frowned slightly but didn’t object, simply turning around and leaving, silently acquiescing.
After Xue Li left, one of her subordinates grinned and sharply said, “If you have anything to say, hurry and say it. Don’t make me wait, I don’t have much patience.”
Saying so, he too walked out of the hall.
Only Yang Kai and An Ling’er remained now.
The Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess quickly came over and asked Yang Kai about his present condition, a thick meaning of concern and worry in her voice. Yang Kai repeatedly assured her he was fine and then asked her how she was doing.
An Ling’er smiled bitterly and replied, “Senior Xue hasn’t mistreated me so far, she only has me accompany her and take care of some minor tasks, so you don’t need to worry about me. More importantly… Why did you refuse Gou Qiong’s offer to redeem us?”
“Do you think I shouldn’t have refused?”
“I don’t know, but that Xue Li is not a good person, I’m afraid if we remain here we’ll encounter danger sooner or later.”
“She is not a good person, but neither is Gou Qiong,” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I refused because I want to keep control of my own life.”
“Ah? Why do you say that?” An Ling’er was lost.
Yang Kai explained carefully, “If I accepted his ransom, it that means I will owe him my life. No matter what kind of excessive demands he makes, I won’t be able to refuse.”
“But… you also saved Gou Che’s life. If you take that into consideration, shouldn’t the two things offset one another?”
“You’re still so silly,” Yang Kai knocked her head lightly, “That’s the biggest problem here.”
An Ling’er rubbed her forehead while staring at Yang Kai as if she had been greatly wronged, “I don’t get what you’re saying, explain it clearly.”
“Haa…” Yang Kai looked at her and shook his head, “You being able to grow up must not have been easy. You must thank your Nine Heavens Holy Land for keeping you inside the Sect all these years, if you had gone out on your own, I don’t know how many times you’d have died already.”
An Ling’er pursed her lips unhappily.
“I saved Gou Che, that life-saving grace should have become something we could rely on to leave the Demon Land, but now it’s actually a fatal problem. Think about the identity of Gou Che: His father is Gou Qiong, a Demon General. Didn’t Xue Li say this when we first met, ‘A solemn Demon General heir actually needing a human to save his life…’”
“The meaning of that statement was that he should not have been saved by me, or at the very least, he shouldn’t have been saved by a human. If I really accepted Gou Qiong’s ransom and allowed him to redeem us, within a few days, both you and I will wind up dead in some roadside ditch!”
“Ah!” An Ling’er yelped as she covered her mouth.
“The best way for Gou Qiong to not let news of this disgrace spread out is to silence all the witnesses to the crime. With no evidence, no one will know that his son had been saved by a mere human,” Yang Kai smiled coldly, a dangerous light flickering across his eyes.
“Isn’t all that just your speculations?” An Ling’er was somewhat unable to believe what she just heard.
“It’s not a guess, it’s a fact!” Yang Kai concluded, “Gou Qiong is not a generous man, so how could he suddenly be kind enough to redeem his son, a stranger, and two humans? You should know that the amount of ransom he paid was not small, clearly he has an ulterior motive… If my guess is right, on the way to Gou Che’s home, there are already masters waiting for us in ambush. Once we show up, all that will be waiting for us is death!”
An Ling’er tender body trembled as a sense of escaping from certain doom suddenly overcame her.
“This point, Xue Li was also well aware of! But she didn’t make any effort to inform us. That woman really is sinister…” Yang Kai gnashed his teeth.
“No wonder when you refused she smiled so weirdly, so it was like that,” An Ling’er suddenly realized; at the same time, she also felt a great sense of admiration for Yang Kai.
If it had been just her instead, she would likely have happily left with Gou Che, happily fantasizing about how Gou Qiong would thank her for saving his son, not realizing the hidden murderous intent behind all of this!
As a hint of fear flashed across her eyes, a sense of anger also welled up inside her, “Gou Che, that ungrateful dog, how could he not have known how his father thinks?”
“Hmph, he couldn’t be clearer,” Yang Kai sneered.
“You should have left him to rot in that Mysterious Small World!” An Ling’er cursed furiously.
“That was my mistake, I wanted to borrow his identity and status; unfortunately, it seems trying to be clever actually made me into a fool. Well, at least it wasn’t a total loss; he did bring us out of that desert. Without him, we might have been lost in that place for the rest of our lives. Even if we had made it out, we probably would have been chased down by other Demon Race cultivators instead of standing here comfortably in Sand City right now.”
Everything has its pros and cons, it all depends on how one thought about it.
Gou Che had truly acted cold and ruthless, but Yang Kai had never been sincere towards him either, so there was nothing to really be disappointed about.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Right now, we need to consider how to survive while still in Xue Li’s hands. Since you’re by her side, pay attention and observe her carefully, see if there’s something we can use, perhaps some casual discovery will prove to be a breakthrough point for us.”
“En,” An Ling’er nodded firmly, feeling a kind of solidarity and shared sense of destiny with Yang Kai.
As they were speaking, Xue Li’s subordinate called out to them from outside the hall, urging them to hurry up, so Yang Kai quickly said goodbye to An Ling’er and departed and was returned to his room again.
Time passed and everything was quiet.
Since Yang Kai rejected Gou Qiong’s ransom that day, he seemed to have been forgotten by Xue Li, and before he knew it, two months had gone by.
Yang Kai was also happy with the status quo for now; besides meditating and cultivating throughout the day, he spent his time communicating with the Divine Tree.
After several months, the Divine Tree’s consciousness had matured greatly, and it was now possible for Yang Kai to hold simple conversations with it.
From Yang Kai, the Divine Tree had learned a lot, and its wisdom was still growing rapidly. Today, it possessed ability equal to that of a six or seven-year-old child; besides being slightly mischievous, everything about it was excellent.
The Divine Tree was now rooted in the Black Book space and Yang Kai could supplement his own Yang Qi and Spiritual Energy from it any time or place. It was as if Yang Kai was carrying a massive storage space of energy with him which was extremely convenient to use.
After two months of dedicated cultivation, Yang Kai’s strength had increased significantly.
One day, when Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar dove into the Black Book space, he found something out of place.
The rare ores he had stored in the Black Book space seemed to have decreased in number somewhat.
These ores were collected from the last time Yang Kai entered the Starry Sky. After passing through the Starry Sky Storm, he had found many precious ores left behind from the Asteroid Sea. He wanted to use these ores to create some powerful artifacts, but had never had time to find a suitable Artifact Refiner.
Yang Kai wasn’t too clear about the exact quantity of these ores, but after checking it over a few times, there were indeed fewer than he remembered.
In the place where he had been keeping them, there was some scattered gravel remaining. These leftovers were completely composed of impurities. In other words, the essence of the original ores had been consumed, leaving only dregs behind.
Yang Kai was puzzled and quickly used brought his Soul Avatar into the Divine Tree’s core to ask it about it.
Yang Kai thought that the Divine Tree had secretly absorbed the essence from these ores but after hearing his question, the Divine Tree actually shook its head and said it had done no such thing.
Yang Kai laughed dumbly at this response and didn’t ask again.
The consciousness of the Divine Tree was only equivalent to that of a child, it was only normal for it to lie a little about such things at this age.
Yang Kai naturally didn’t have any intention to blame it, if the Divine Tree needed these ores, he would happily give all of them to it.
“Good, if these stones are useful to you, you can use as many as you want, you don’t need to ask me first. Right, there is also a pool of medicinal liquid over there, you can absorb one drop of it every day, it may help your growth.”
The Divine Tree rejoiced slightly and immediately reached out a branch towards the pool of Myriad Drug Liquid and took a drop, a moment later releasing a long, satisfied sigh.
Seeing this, Yang Kai smiled warmly, but soon after he noticed that someone was approaching his room so he quickly informed the Divine Tree before returning his consciousness back to his body.
Just as he opened his eyes, the door was pushed open and Xue Li’s subordinate waved towards Yang Kai indifferently, “Get out, Mistress wants to see you.”
Yang Kai frowned for a moment but refrained from asking anything and quickly followed the man out.
Yang Kai didn’t know what this man’s exact cultivation was, but from the pressure he felt and how highly Xue Li’s trusted the latter, it was likely this man was a Saint Realm master.
The Demon Race was generally longer lived than those of the Human Race, so from appearance alone, this person didn’t seem very old. He looked like a handsome thirty-year-old man who constantly had an arrogant expression on his face.
Only when he was in front of Xue Li would this man restrain himself, not daring to act prideful in the slightest.
“Friend, how should I address you?” Yang Kai asked suddenly.
The man turned his head and stared at Yang Kai for a moment before chuckling, “Mistress said your courage wasn’t small, it seems she was right! Boy, you don’t seem to have the awareness a prisoner should have.”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders and replied casually, “Although I have indeed been confined by you, since you haven’t done anything to me after so long, it means that I still have some use to you. Why should I act anxiously for no reason?”
“Seems your head isn’t too bad either, good, I like it!” The man laughed before saying, “Call me Yu Mo.”
“The names of your Demon Race people are really weird…” Yang Kai shook his head.
“I think the names of your humans are the weird ones!” Yu Mo grinned.
“What does your Mistress want from me this time?” Yang Kai asked again.
“I don’t know, maybe she thinks you no longer have any value and has decided to kill you,” Yu Mo grinned as he took pleasure in Yang Kai’s misfortune, continuing scornfully, “You’d better prepare yourself, otherwise you may find yourself lacking a head without even knowing why.”
The corner of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched slightly but he managed to maintain his indifferent expression somehow.
Seeing this, Yu Mo nodded secretly, feeling like this little brat was indeed somewhat different. Any average person would probably be panicking after hearing such words, but this boy actually still looked quite carefree.
In the same hall as before, Xue Li was waiting, but An Ling’er did not appear this time.
Yu Mo brought Yang Kai here, bowed respectfully, and then stood to the side, staring at the latter coldly.
Xue Li nodded lightly, lifted her eyes and swept Yang Kai, calmly saying, “I’ve kept you alive until today, are you ready to create some value for me?”
Yang Kai frowned, “What are you referring to?”
Xue Li laughed lightly before slowly standing up and continuing, “I told you before, my Sand City does not raise wastes! Since I allowed you to live, naturally I have a use for you. Good, a First Order Transcendent, it’s not easy to acquire such cultivation at your age. You should be a Core Disciple of some big force, yes?”
Yang Kai neither confirmed nor denied.
“Well that doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care which force you are from, since you’ve fallen into my hands, you have no choice but to obey me. If you dare to defy my commands… you know the consequences…”
Saying so, her beautiful misty eyes flashed a cold light.
“What do you want me to do then?” Yang Kai asked calmly.
“Kill! Or being killed!” Xue Li giggled and said, “Yu Mo, explain to him carefully, it’s time for him to make his debut.”
Sitting her perfectly shaped bottom back down on her luxurious chair, Xue Li assumed a lazy positing while staring at Yang Kai faintly.
Yu Mo straightened his back and spoke to Yang Kai next, “The land around Sand City is barren, and the other places governed by Mistress Xue Li are not any more bountiful, even the World Energy is thin in her lands! Moreover, because this place is close to the vast desert, hardly any traders pass through here, so it is reasonable to say that General Xue Li’s territory should be very poor.”
“Could it be that it isn’t?” Yang Kai tilted his head and asked.
Yu Mo grinned and continued, “Not only is it not poor, on the contrary, the richness of Sand City is unmatched by any city in the Demon Land. The wealth that flows in and out of this place every year is simply incalculable.”
Yang Kai raised his brow, somewhat surprised.
Yu Mo looked at Yang Kai proudly, thinking this little brat would ask why, but after waiting for an awkward amount of time and seeing him not have any such intention, Yu Mo grew annoyed and said, “Because Sand City has something that can attract all of the Demon Land’s people. This one feature has made Sand City the most popular among all the Demon Land, even the other three Demon Generals have temporary residences here!”
“Oh?” Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling somewhat interested, “What kind of place can attract so many people?”
“The Death Arena!” Yu Mo grinned, “Simply put, it is a stage that allows cultivator within the same round to engage in life or death contests. Masters from all over bet Crystal Stones or materials on the competitor they fancy, and if that person wins, they can gain a certain amount of income. The odds are all different for each contest and the gains are not fixed. If your luck is good enough, you can win a dozen times what you initially bet!”
“Isn’t that just gambling?”
“En!”
“And the banker is your Sand City? If that’s so, you will profit either way,” Yang Kai grinned.
“We also need to cultivate, and that requires materials and supplies, but this territory is too poor, so we can only find ways to gain profits from those wealthy people’s pockets.”
“So you want me to fight, right?”
“Good. Recently in the fights, we’ve had a string of bad luck and have lost quite a few Crystal Stones. You are a First Order Transcendent, so although you’re not much to look at, if you play your role right, we should still be able to recover some of our losses,” Yu Mo nodded slightly.
“Are there any benefits in it for me?” Yang Kai asked.
“You actually want benefits?” Yu Mo snorted.
“Of course, you want me to fight with my life on the line, don’t tell me there aren’t any benefits for me in this at all?” Yang Kai replied as if it were only natural.
“Interesting. Mistress, what do you think?” Yu Mo looked over at Xue Li and asked.
“Give him a little something.”
Yu Mo nodded his head in acknowledgement, turning back to Yang Kai and saying, “Since Mistress has said so, as long as you can let us win, we’ll give you a share of the profits.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Good.”
He then turned to Xue Li and asked, “If I can collect enough money this way, will you let me buy my freedom?”
Xue Li’s opened her eyes slightly, stared at Yang Kai coldly, and then closed them again before saying, “That will depend on my mood. If you behave well, I might consider it, but if you dare try to bargain back and forth or raise any fuss, I’ll immediately kill you. Yu Mo, test his ability. He better not just be trash that can only talk big.”
As soon as she spoke those words, a terrible pressure burst from Yu Mo’s body and engulfed Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s body bent and his knees sank, almost falling to the ground in that instant. Realizing the tyrannical force this aura contained, Yang Kai’s expression changed greatly as he madly circulated his True Qi to resist the pressure coming from Yu Mo.
“Hm?” Yu Mo was also greatly surprised by this development. From the moment he had laid eyes upon him, he had not liked Yang Kai, so he wanted to take this opportunity to teach this human boy a harsh lesson and have him beg for mercy. Yu Mo had wanted to let Yang Kai fall to the ground and eat dirt, crushing the always indifferent look on the latter’s face, so he was quite surprised when this little brat actually withstood the pressure he applied.
His eyes flashing a cold light, Yu Mo increased the pressure he was emitting again.
Yang Kai let out a grunt and his body once again began sinking, his knees bending further as his face turned red, clenching his teeth as he glared angrily towards Yu Mo.
*Kacha…*
The white jade floor suddenly shattered and cracks spread out from the position Yang Kai was standing, causing the hall’s walls to creak slightly from the load.
Xue Li also finally opened her eyes and stared deeply at Yang Kai, a look of anticipation appearing on her pretty face, as if she wanted to see just how the latter would resist Yu Mo.
Under Yu Mo’s terrifying aura, Yang Kai’s body quivered and blue veins began appearing on his skin, but after ten breaths of time, he seemed to have adapted to the pressure and his body slowly began straightening up again.
Yu Mo’s look changed upon seeing this. He was clearer than anyone about how much power he was using. Under such pressure, forget a First Order, even a strong Second Order Transcendent cultivator shouldn’t have been able to put up any kind of struggle, only a Third Order would barely be able to resist.
But this little brat had actually managed to do just that, although it was obvious it wasn’t easy for him to do so.
Coldly snorting, Yu Mo’s increased his power for the third time.
*Ka…*
Yang Kai’s legs sank into the ground all the way to his knees this time.
At that moment though, Yang Kai made a move, his body lifting off the ground like an arrow shot from a bow, True Yang Yuan Qi gathering in his hands as rapidly approached Yu Mo. The True Yang Yuan Qi conjugated to summon out a large golden sword in his hands, and before he could reach Yu Mo, Yang Kai had already swung it down.
Murderous intent flashed across Yu Mo’s eyes and his own Demonic Qi took on a dangerous aura.
“Enough!” Xue Li lightly said, her voice echoing throughout the hall.
Like an invisible shockwave hit him, Yang Kai’s body suddenly came to a halt and the Profound Heavenly Sword held in his hand shattered into pieces and disappeared into the wind.
Yu Mo’s quickly took back his strength before frowning towards Yang Kai who was standing nearby, coldly asking, “Boy, were you trying to kill me just now?”
Yang Kai only grinned back at him fiercely.
“Yang Qi, an annoying Qi as always!” Xue Li frowned, seemingly unhappy.
Although with her cultivation there was no way Yang Kai’s True Yang Yuan Qi could have any kind of suppressive effect on her, it was still repulsive to her, like fire and water. The Demonic Qi within her body was naturally rejecting Yang Kai’s True Yang Yuan Qi.
“Your strength isn’t bad, this King has apparently been looking down on you,” Xue Li nodded lightly. Being able to persist for so long under Yu Mo’s pressure and even daring to fight back at the last moment, trying to kill the latter, this human boy’s combat power and willpower far surpassed what his present cultivation realm suggested was possible!
As a Saint Realm master, Xue Li’s vision would not be mistaken on this point.
“Mistress, we can make good use of this,” Yu Mo swept Yang Kai indifferently, a sinister glint flashing across his eyes.
“Good, it’s time we made those bastards bleed,” Xue Li smiled coldly, “Arrange a match for him tomorrow, I want him to obtain victory after a difficult struggle!”
“Yes!” Yu Mo snickered as he looked at Yang Kai like a wild wolf eyeing a lamb.
“I have another request!” Yang Kai cracked his shoulders and quickly added before Xue Li could get angry, “This is the last one!”
“Say it!” Xue Li said unhappily.
“Give me an artifact that can change my appearance. I don’t want my true face to be seen by too many people, or there will be a lot of you demons chasing me in the future,” Yang Kai said.
Xue Li was startled for a moment but quickly recovered, grinning as she said, “You think quite far ahead.”
As long as Xue Li managed things properly, Yang Kai could bring her a great deal of wealth and all the Demon Race powerhouses she scammed wouldn’t dare direct their anger at her, so naturally their grievances would land on Yang Kai. That meant that even if he were to gain his freedom from Xue Li, he wouldn’t likely be able to escape the Demon Land alive.
Yang Kai already had such an artifact, the one Du Wan gave him.
However, he didn’t dare to use it; after all, that was the artifact he had used to change his appearance when he harvested the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower. Once someone recognized that, it would bring him even more trouble, so he could only ask Xue Li for something similar.
“I don’t have an artifact like that,” Xue Li shook her head, “But I can give you a mask, just use that to cover your face.”
“Good enough!” Yang Kai nodded.
“Take him away! Have a good rest tonight, you better not die tomorrow!” Xue Li laughed.
Yu Mo brought Yang Kai back to his room again but before leaving used several seals on his True Qi. In an instant, Yang Kai felt as if his True Qi flow had slowed several times over and even his movements were somewhat sluggish.
“Do you know why I did this?” Yu Mo asked.
Yang Kai gently nodded, not putting up any resistance. From what Xue Li had just said, it was easy to infer that she wanted him to fight a desperate battle tomorrow in order to fool the eyes of those rich Demon Race masters, causing them to misjudge his strength. That way, in the future, they underestimate Yang Kai’s strength, bet against him, and lose their money, allowing Xue Li to profit.
Without Yu Mo applying these seals, Yang Kai was likely to expose some of his strength mistakenly. The Demon Race powerhouses that were betting weren’t blind, so even a slight upsurge of strength would cause them to realize that something was amiss.
The Death Arena was the biggest feature of Sand City, many great characters from all corners of the Demon Land would raise fighters or captured slaves and arrange them to fight life or death battles in the Death Arena.
There were no rules or restrictions. As long they were a member of the Demon Race, they were eligible to enter and participate.
Regarding the naturally cruel and bloodthirsty Demon Race, this was undoubtedly very attractive. They could enjoy these blood-stained battles while also gambling and earning Crystal Stones, so the Death Arena’s was always quite popular, and for this reason, Sand City was able to gather a great amount of wealth and supplies all year round.
Among the four Demon Generals, Xue Li was undoubtedly the wealthiest.
Yu Mo gave a simple explanation about the Death Arena to Yang Kai and then left.
With nothing to do overnight, Yang Kai simply adjusted himself to his peak condition.
The next day, at noon, Yu Mo came again and led Yang Kai out.
Leaving the giant palace, Yu Mo flew towards a certain position in Sand City where a huge ring-shaped arena had been set up.
The venue’s setup was not poor and at its centre was a giant stage surrounded by a variety of sturdy barriers. Around this stage were a massive number of seats. Currently, these seats were filled with Demon Race spectators who were watching a battle between two cultivators on the centre stage.
The strength of these two cultivators wasn’t very high, but the fight was quite fierce, both of them covered in bloody scars, each of them glaring hatefully towards the other. The two repeatedly used their artifacts and Martial Skills to hack, pierce, and slash at their opponent, dying the surroundings dark red.
When the battle finally came to an end, the crowds in the stands cheered raucously.
Yang Kai watched the whole situation calmly with an expression of indifference.
Yu Mo turned to him and sneered, “When your turn comes, you’ll fight an opponent with a similar cultivation, but unlike you, he’ll be able to use his full strength. Right now you can probably only use half your strength, so you best be careful. Although I don’t care whether you live or die, Mistress hopes you can bring her some wealth, so you best not disappoint her.”
“I know!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
When the two of them arrived here, from the highest point in the stands, a cold look shot towards them. Yang Kai looked back and saw Xue Li sitting there, with An Ling’er standing by her side.
When their four eyes met, An Ling’er couldn’t help wanting to call out to Yang Kai, but Xue Li immediately gave her a stern look.
Receiving this silent warning, An Ling’er didn’t dare to say anything, and Yang Kai also shook his head, indicating to her that she shouldn’t act rashly.
Having arrived at the Death Arena, Yu Mo led Yang Kai to a poorly lit underground tunnel and walked inside.
After arriving at the end of the tunnel, a faint light shone from up ahead, and a ramp leading to the interior of the Death Arena appeared.
A group of Xue Li’s subordinates were waiting here and when Yu Mo arrived, they all respectfully greeted him.
“Sir Yu Mo, is this the little human brat that’s fighting this time?” Asked a man with a sallow complexion.
“Good, the announcements have been made and the odds are set,” Yu Mo nodded lightly.
The yellow-faced man snickered as he swept his eyes over Yang Kai, snickering under his breath, “Boy, best stay alert, your opponent isn’t one to be taken lightly, he’s won three times already, most cultivators in the same realm as him can’t even last as long as it would take an incense stick to burn. Well, try not to die too pitifully out there.”
“We’ll talk about it again if he’s able to last an incense stick worth of time,” Yang Kai replied indifferently, not showing the slightest bit of panic.
“Ho…” The yellow-faced man was surprised for a moment before he sneered again, “Where did this little brat come from, acting so arrogant. Hah, grandpa here would like to see just how you plan to kill your opponent within an incense worth of time!”
Yu Mo also glanced over at Yang Kai and coldly snorted, obviously feeling like Yang Kai was boasting shamelessly. Although he had personally tested Yang Kai’s strength and knew this human boy wasn’t ordinary, now that the latter could only use half his full strength, even being able to survive would be questionable. As for such big talk, Yu Mo thought Yang Kai was simply overreaching himself.
Yang Kai no longer said anything and just waited quietly.
Inside the Death Arena, the battle between the two cultivators had already reached a conclusion. One person had been dismembered, the other had been crippled. Some people immediately came out and cleaned up the stage. The winner was now a disabled waste, so after quickly consulting with the Death Stage’s administrators, the cleanup crew, obviously used to dealing with such situations, directly killed him before disposing of his corpse.
As blood stained the ground once more, cheers erupted from the stands again.
After waiting for the cleanup to finish, Yu Mo turned to Yang Kai and nodded, “It’s your turn, remember what Mistress said yesterday!”
Yang Kai’s expression remained indifferent, simply accepting the mask Yu Mo had prepared for him, covering his face, and stepping forward.
From the ramp on the opposite side of the stage, another man slowly walked out as well. This man was bare chested and had huge, rippling muscles, his entire physique seemingly containing a kind of explosive power. In comparison, Yang Kai, who was a head shorter, appeared somewhat scrawny.
As this competitor approached, a murderous intent rose from him like a fierce storm, seemingly wanting to tear Yang Kai limb from limb with just his aura alone.
However, Yang Kai remained unmoved, like a ten thousand year old reef. When the murderous intent struck him, it was as if it took the initiative to separate and flow past him.
High up in the stands, many people showed an interested look, thinking this life or death battle should be very exciting. An Ling’er, who was standing next to Xue Li, also silently gripped her fists and watched nervously.
A moment later, the fighters came to a stop less than ten meters apart and stared down one another.
The burly man opposite Yang Kai also seemed to be a human who had the misfortune of being captured by the Demon Race. According to Yu Mo, most of the cultivators that entered the Death Arena were prisoners like Yang Kai. In order to save their own lives, they chose to fight here. Others had taken the initiative to hire themselves to wealthy Demon Race masters specifically to participate in the Death Arena, using it as an opportunity to gain benefits and status. Still others were specially trained by certain powerhouses for the explicit purpose of fighting here.
No matter what reason they had for entering the Death Arena though, there was ultimately only one objective – killing the enemy!
“Boy, cowering behind a mask, are you too ashamed to show others your true face? Hah, if you kneel down to give I, your grandpa, three kowtows, I’ll give you a painless death!” The brawny man shouted, his voice like booming thunder, causing Yang Kai’s ears to ring.
The burly man’s outburst wasn’t just meant to intimidate Yang Kai though; it also contained a subtle Divine Sense attack. If Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea defences were lax and this Divine Sense attack managed to affect his Soul, he would instantly lose all will to fight and would end up being suppressed by his opponent, unable to even resist.
However, such a low-level trick obviously wouldn’t work against Yang Kai, his aura not even rippling as he simply stared back at the burly man indifferently, slowly examining his body while circulating his True Qi.
Thanks to Yu Mo, Yang Kai’s current True Qi circulating speed was greatly reduced, and his own reaction speed had become much slower. Without lifting the seals placed on him, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to bring out his peak strength.
But Yang Kai still felt it wouldn’t be too difficult to handle this loud man.
“Boy, are you deaf?” The brawny man cried out once more.
Just as he shouted though, the burly man saw Yang Kai’s figure flicker and a pointed murderous intent rapidly approach him from the side. The big man’s eyes flashed a cold light as his mouth curled into a provocative grin but didn’t make any attempt to dodge.
*Hong…*
A dull thud resounded as Yang Kai’s punch hit his opponent’s ribs, but the burly man actually remained in place, his body as hard as an iron plate. In fact, it was Yang Kai who felt pain from the rebound of his fist hitting the other side!
The strength of this burly man was quite good! Yang Kai immediately realized why his opponent was able to win three games in the Death Arena. The combat experience and ability of this brawny man was obviously far beyond what an ordinary cultivator possessed. If it weren’t, he would have died long ago in this forsaken place.
His initial strike having no effect, there wasn’t even time for Yang Kai to withdraw before the big man smirked and responded. At some unknown point, the burly man had lifted his hand up high, condensed his entire body’s True Qi into it, and swung it down mercilessly.
As his hand chopped down, the mass of True Qi burst out, transforming this knife-hand into the equivalent of a great hammer strike.
This attack has not even arrived yet the entire Death Arena’s stage sunk from the pressure, showing just how horrifying the power of this strike was.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed and he responded somewhat clumsily, unable to withdraw his fist in time.
The next moment, the burly man’s knife-hand chopped directly onto Yang Kai’s arm.
With a crisp sound, Yang Kai’s arm broke and limply fell to his side. It was only then that Yang Kai managed to retreat and open up some distance between him and his opponent.
From the stands, hisses of shock could be heard.
These Demon Race masters who were spectating the mask wearing Yang Kai’s match had noted his calm appearance at the start and thought he possessed some kind of special skill, but now seeing his arm broken so easily, they were obviously disappointed.
“Ah!”
An Ling’er screamed as a look of worry flashed across her pretty face.
Xue Li’s gaze sharpened as she stared at Yang Kai down below, grinning slightly.
Atop the Death Arena’s stage, Yang Kai, who had his arm broken just now, had only just regained his footing when the burly man rushed in front of him, two black arcs of lightning swirling around his arms, giving him a fierce appearance.
From his sturdy body, a bloody and brutal aura burst forth as a cold light concentrated in the palm of his hands.
Immediately, on the burly man’s palms, two black lightning-like balls of energy the size of washbasins appeared, emitting a thick murderous aura.
Both his palms struck towards Yang Kai.
Surges of lighting erupted!
The burly man clearly wanted to kill Yang Kai with this one strike!
Yang Kai didn’t have any ability to resist and under the pressure of the black lightning which came at him from both left and right, he couldn’t even dodge. In the blink of an eye, his whole body had been struck by countless palms, turning into a scared and bloody mess, making him look quite miserable.
The boos from the stands grew even louder.
What the crowd wanted to see was a bloody battle, not a one-sided slaughter.
The performance of Yang Kai really made one want to curse, and the unlucky Demon Race masters who had placed bets on him made no attempt to hide their dissatisfaction.
Even Xue Li’s brow wrinkled slightly, her expression growing colder by the moment.
She suddenly thought that Yang Kai’s earlier performance was nothing but a freak accident and that his real ability wasn’t that good. If that wasn’t the case, how could he be so pathetic in front of a cultivator in the same realm?
If he continued to take this assault like this, he wouldn’t survive long!
[Another waste!] Xue Li’s coldly snorted to herself, gradually losing all interest in Yang Kai.
Fresh blood stained the ground and Yang Kai looked more and more distressed. On the other hand, his opponent only became fiercer, trying to capitalize on his current advantage.
The burly man struck mercilessly, sending Yang Kai flying up into the sky with a punch to his jaw, then knocking him into the ground as soon as he fell back down.
Dust flew everywhere and no one was able to see what was happening on the battlefield. On top of that, because of the multi-layered barriers around the Death Arena’s stage, even the Saint Realm masters in the audience couldn’t gain anything more than a vague impression with their Divine Senses. All anyone could tell was that the fight had come to an end.
[How boring!] Many people thought to themselves.
However, before they could start grumbling out loud, a burst of murderous intent filled the air and a gust of wind burst forth, expelling all the dust from the stage.
After everyone saw the situation in front of them, they couldn’t help calling out in shock.
Yang Kai, who should have fallen to the ground and been beaten to death, at that moment, had used his unbroken arm to grab hold of his opponent and pin him to the stage.
That hand was firmly gripped the back of the burly man’s neck, like a great vice, and no matter how the latter struggled, he couldn’t break free.
No one saw what happened just now, all they knew was when the dust scattered, this scene had appeared before them, it was truly surprising.
They had seen before Earth shattering counter attacks launched at the last moment in order to win a battle, but never once had a situation as strange or confusing as this one occurred.
As silence filled the arena, the mask worn by Yang Kai’s face seemed to give off a cold glint.
Wind and Thunder Qi surged up in Yang Kai’s palm and then poured into the burly man, forming a killing storm inside his body.
*Peng…*
In the next instant, the big man’s strong body directly burst into a bloody fog, not even leaving behind any bones!
High up in the stands, Xue Li’s beautiful eyes lit up as a hint of surprise flashed across them. She hadn’t thought Yang Kai would put on such a strange and wonderful performance, her thin red lips curling into a grin.
“How great is his real strength?” Xue Li suddenly whispered to An Ling’er.
“I won’t tell you!” An Ling’er shook her head repeatedly.
“You won’t tell me?” Xue Li didn’t get angry and instead showed a thoughtful expression while flashing a playful smile, “Then I’ll just have to figure it out myself.”
Turning her eyes back to the Death Arena below, Xue Li watched the scarred and broken armed Yang Kai walk step by step towards the exit, thinking to herself that this human brat she had randomly picked up was indeed out of the ordinary!
In the stands, after a long silence, an eruption of noise burst out, most people complaining loudly about this nonsensical result, discussing what exactly had just happened.
When Yang Kai returned to the dark ramp, Yu Mo’s eyes flashed a cold light as he stared fixedly at him.
As for the yellow-faced man, he just dumbly stood in place, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.
After less than the time it would take to burn a stick of incense, this arrogant little human boy had really killed his opponent.
“Did the match look difficult enough for you?” Yang Kai took off the mask and shot a glance towards Yu Mo.
Yu Mo’s mouth twitched once before he nodded lightly.
Not only did the match appear difficult, it was quite realistic, without the slightest flaw. Even Yu Mo thought that Yang Kai was dead, only to be surprised at the last moment.
[This boy’s courage really isn’t normal. Wasn’t he even slightly worried about taking so many attacks head on?]
Yang Kai tightened his muscles and with a crisp sound his broken arm snapped back into place.
“Next time, arrange a Second Order Transcendent opponent for me, that way I can earn more profits. The sooner I accumulate enough wealth, the sooner I can go free!” Yang Kai grinned.
Yu Mo couldn’t help feeling a bit annoyed suddenly.
Returning Yang Kai to the palace, Yu Mo then left to allow the former to recuperate.
After this time’s victory, Yang Kai’s treatment also improved greatly. Many good dishes to help him recover his stamina and strength were served to him and An Ling’er even received permission from Xue Li to visit him once.
The two of them talked for quite some time before An Ling’er left.
After a three day interlude, Yang Kai’s second bout was scheduled.
Perhaps because of his bizarre performance last time, when the masked Yang Kai appeared again, he attracted a lot of attention.
This time, his opponent was a genuine Second Order Transcendent.
After a hard fight, Yang Kai barely managed to escape death and obtain a come-back victory, causing all the Demon Race spectators cry out in surprise, none of them able to believe what they had just seen.
Defeating someone in a higher realm was a feat not many could achieve, especially after one reached the Transcendent Realm where each Minor Realm represented a massive increase in combat power.
Normally, a Second Order Transcendent cultivator would easily be able to put a First Order Transcendent to death, but this common sense was actually flipped on its head by Yang Kai.
Just like last time, Yang Kai’s True Qi had been restricted by Yu Mo’s sealing technique, so he wasn’t able to display his full strength, so unlike the act he had put on before, this time Yang Kai really was fighting desperately.
In a life or death struggle, Yang Kai was able to grasp many things he had been unable to before, causing him to somewhat rejoice. He felt fighting such a desperate battle was of great benefit to his growth.
As such, Yang Kai didn’t actually feel much resentment about having to participate in these fights and was instead almost looking forward to it.
This was a rare opportunity for him to temper himself!
The growth of a cultivator couldn’t be separated from reality, fighting real life or death battles would often bring one more benefits than simply remaining in secluded retreat. Of course, this was premised on being able to survive such fights.
After thoroughly understanding this, Yang Kai began urging Yu Mo to arrange stronger opponents for him!
Yu Mo was dumbfounded and often stared at Yang Kai as if he was staring at someone screwed loose in the head. He had never seen a captured prisoner like Yang Kai actually requesting to fight more often in the Death Arena.
Xue Li on the other hand was quite open-minded, arranging fights for Yang Kai whenever he requested them.
The strength of Yang Kai’s opponents also continuously increased, causing him to suffer more and more hardships with each passing bout. But each time it looked like it was all over for him, Yang Kai would somehow pull off a miracle and win.
Over the next three months, Yang Kai fought a total of fourteen times on the Death Arena’s stage. All fourteen of his opponents were Second Order Transcendents. Some were from the Human Race and Monster Race, while there were still others belonging to the Demon Race, each of them competing in this blood sport for one reason or another, but all of them eventually finding defeat at Yang Kai’s hands.
Through these life or death battles, Yang Kai reaped a huge harvest, not only gaining a greater understanding of his own strength, but also all the accumulated insights into the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao of his defeated opponents after he devoured the remnants of their Souls.
The rate at which his strength grew could only be described as astonishing.
After three months of repeated fights, Yang Kai had also inadvertently become something a celebrity, there was basically no one who lived in Sand City that didn’t know of him. Xue Li’s masked human subordinate who, despite only having a First Order Transcendent cultivation, had killed more than a dozen Second Order Transcendents.
In the Death Arena, the odds of Yang Kai winning changed over and over again, but this still couldn’t stop others from betting on him with great enthusiasm.
Xue Li, as the arena’s banker, naturally wouldn’t lose money in this kind of gambling, but seeing Yang Kai’s horrifying rate of growth caused her some suspicion.
She, compared to anyone else, understood what was happening, how Yang Kai was achieving his rapid increase in strength by constantly defying death in combat.
One day, a messenger arrived at Xue Li’s palace and requested an audience. After meeting with Xue Li for some time, the messenger finally departed with a satisfied look upon his face.
An hour later, Yang Kai was summoned.
Inside a side hall, Xue Li was lying upon a great bed, her perfectly shaped bottom facing upwards as her proud peaks were squeezed beneath her body, her chin resting gently upon her hands, a most stimulated posture.
An Ling’er was half-kneeling beside her while massaging Xue Li’s shoulders.
There was a delicate, mature fragrance lingering about the hall that tickled one’s nose.
Yu Mo brought Yang Kai into the hall, bowed, and then moved to the wall, not daring to lay eyes upon Xue Li.
On the other hand, Yang Kai stood at the edge of the bed and swept his eyes over Xue Li’s wondrous body.
This Demon General was as vicious as a snake, but it was undeniable that she was a great beauty filled with mature charm, unlike An Ling’er who still retained a kind of youthful innocence.
Such a woman had a fatal enticement to any man.
However, a character like Xue Li probably would not be tempted by any man, the only thing that could move her was strength, overwhelming and all conquering strength!
After waiting for quite some time, Xue Li suddenly said, “Gou Qiong sent me a messenger a moment ago.”
“Hm?” Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled, “Is it related to me?”
“Yes, Gou Qiong seems to want to kill you.”
“Then how did you reply?” Yang Kai looked at her coldly as he mockingly asked, “Don’t tell me you agreed to sell me?”
“This King indeed thought about it, but I still refused him!”
“Why is that?”
“Because he is Gou Qiong!” Xue Li sneered, “If he wants something, obviously I won’t happily comply; however, his messenger made an interesting proposal which I did agree to.”
Yang Kai didn’t ask anything and just waited for her to explain.
“Tomorrow, on the Death Arena’s stage, you’ll fight someone sent by Gou Qiong! If you win, you’ll be able to earn enough ransom money to free yourself. If you lose, you’ll have nothing, including your life!” Xue Li said lightly.
Yang Kai raised his brow and snickered, “The fighter sent by Gou Qiong shouldn’t be weak, right?”
Xue Li glanced at him teasingly and nodded, “A Third Order Transcendent!”
Hearing this, even Yu Mo, who had been keeping his head down to the side, also showed some response.
“Seems you two are collaborating to put me to death,” Yang Kai grinned wryly, not showing the slightest sign of panic.
“He indeed wants you dead, but I, I want to know where your limit is!” Xue Li’s pretty face became slightly cold, “Don’t think this Queen doesn’t know you’re still concealing your true strength, it seems you still have a lot of cards you’ve yet to play!”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, not acknowledging or denying her speculation.
“Therefore I am very much looking forward to your performance tomorrow, don’t disappoint me.”
“You’ll just have to wait and see!”
Xue Li sneered lightly, calling out to Yu Mo next, “Remove all the seals on him, I want to see if he can survive against Gou Qiong’s pawn!”
Yu Mo nodded lightly, quickly revolving his True Qi and lifting the seals that had been dampening Yang Kai’s strength.
“I have a question. If I win tomorrow’s match, you said I’d have collected my own ransom. What about An Ling’er?”
Xue Li looked at him and grinned, “Of course you’ll only have collected enough for yourself, but… I can give you a chance. If you win tomorrow, I’ll let both of you go!”
“You’ve said so yourself!” Yang Kai laughed, “A Demon General’s words should be credible, yes? I hope you won’t go back on them!”
Xue Li closed her eyes and made no response.
The surrounding earth was dyed completely red from the countless lives which were reaped here, traces of battles wherever one looked. This was the Death Arena!
A number of Demon Race powerhouses who had access to inside information were already waiting in the stands early today. After watching a few fierce battles, a masked human slowly came out of the underground ramp.
In an instant, the arena was filled with cheers.
Over the past few months, Yang Kai had shown many thrilling and suspenseful battles to these demons, making him famous throughout Sand City.
Today, the battle between Yang Kai and another master was the ultimate finale.
Because there were rumors that his opponent this time was different from the past, it was actually a Third Order Transcendent master!
Since the opening of the Death Arena, there had never been a match between two opponents with such a great disparity in cultivation realms. With two Minor Realms separating the fighters, in the eyes of those who were uninformed, the result was a foregone conclusion.
But for those who had seen Yang Kai’s dozen plus battles, there were still some who had hopes he would create a miracle one again!
Hatred between different races played no role here, because Yang Kai’s performance was just that astounding, providing the very height of entertainment to the Death Arena’s loyal customers.
“Is this the little human brat who has won more than a dozen matches in the Death Arena, the one who barely survives each time?” In the stands, a Saint Realm master with sharp eagle-like eyes turned to the man beside him and asked.
“Yes, Senior Feng Biao. His performance is really outstanding, even the elite juniors from our Demon Race are far inferior to him!” The person next to him replied immediately.
“Hmph, after today, he’ll be nothing but another corpse!” Feng Biao coldly snorted, looking as if he was quite reluctant to allow Yang Kai to continue breathing.
“What Senior says is absolutely right… After all, his opponent is different from the previous one,” The man nodded repeatedly, suddenly lowering his voice as if he had some concerns, “But Senior, he is the champion trained by Senior Xue Li, if we really kill him and Senior Xue Li decides to blame us…”
“She won’t,” Feng Biao shook his head decisively, “This fight was set up at Sir Gou Qiong’s request. I negotiated with Xue Li personally yesterday and reached an agreement that no matter what happens today she will not hold us responsible!”
The man heard this and suddenly showed a somewhat confused expression, wondering why General Gou Qiong was so concerned about this Human.
Only a small number of people knew that the son of Gou Qiong was saved by Yang Kai. Feng Biao had been sent here this time specifically to deal with this issue once and for all, but he had been ordered to keep his mouth shut about the details, so even the subordinates he had brought didn’t know the whole story.
Although Xue Li was no friend of Gou Qiong’s, she also wouldn’t do something as petty as spreading such a story around to shame the latter, she was only interested in confronting Gou Qiong head on!
“Senior, that Yu Mo is coming!” The man whispered suddenly.
Feng Biao’s eyes narrowed as he glanced up to see Yu Mo flying towards him from a distance, the latter landing next to him a moment later and sitting down casually.
Both of these two were First Order Saints and served Demon Generals who were at odds with each other, so naturally there was no goodwill between them.
As their four eyes met, it was as if invisible sparks filled the space between them.
“Yu Mo, it’s been so long since I last saw you!” Feng Biao greeted with a cold look upon his face.
Yu Mo smiled back lightly and replied, “Feng Biao, even after not seeing you for so long, I still can’t get used to your face. Every time I see your dumb look, it makes me want to kill you!”
“Same to you!” Feng Biao sneered back, his True Qi slowly beginning to condense, his hostility filled eyes glaring towards Yu Mo.
Yu Mo curled his lips at that moment and continued, “This time I haven’t come here to pick a fight with you, I just want to ask you something.”
“What?”
“Looking at you, it seems that you’re quite confident about today’s battle!”
“Hmph, saying something so obvious!”
“My Sand City’s Death Arena promotes gambling. If you’re so confident, why not make a bet with me. When the battle is over, you may be able to pick up some extra benefits that way!”
“Do you think you need to remind me of that?” Feng Biao said with obvious displeasure, “I’ve already bet 200,000 Crystal Stones!”
Yu Mo wore an expression of surprise and said, “Worthy of Feng Biao, such boldness! It seems you want to take my Sand City for all its worth.”
“Can’t you handle even that little?” Feng Biao smiled contemptuously, “If I can’t afford it, I can withdraw right now, as long as you, Yu Mo, in front of everyone, bow down and apologize to me!”
“You must be joking, since Sand City has opened this business, naturally, no matter how big the bet, we can swallow it. In fact, I just wanted to ask you, since this is such a rare opportunity, why not wager some real money?” Saying so, Yu Mo shot a provocative look towards Feng Biao.
In response, Feng Biao narrowed his eyes and asked, “Real money?”
“En, how about wagering everything you own. If I remember correctly, you have a number of good artifacts on you, right?”
Feng Biao frowned as he stared suspiciously at Yu Mo, coldly saying, “Seeing you like this, it appears you have quite some confidence in that human boy.”
“Think whatever you’d like. Maybe he’ll win, maybe he won’t, but whether you gamble or not is up your own courage!”
Feng Biao stared at him deeply. Although he knew that this guy, who was always as incompatible with him as fire was with water, was provoking him, he couldn’t back down now and simply nodded “Good, then I’ll bet all my artifacts as well!”
Saying so, he flicked his wrist and a glowing chainmail armour, a long halberd with a shocking aura, and a jet black saber appeared in front of Yu Mo.
These three items were all Saint Grade artifacts, each one of them a priceless treasure. These artifacts were the ones Feng Biao most valued and frequently used. If he were to lose them in this time’s gambling, his combat effectiveness would drop significantly.
After handing over these three Saint Grade artifacts, Feng Biao even took down his Universe Bag from his waist and tossed it over to Yu Mo, saying as he did so, “If we’re going to do this, we might as well do it thoroughly, what do you say?”
Yu Mo’s eyes brightened, didn’t speak any nonsense, and simply smiled, turned around, and left.
Feng Biao didn’t make any attempt to stop him nor did he ask any question. Although the two of them weren’t on friendly terms, they would still abide by the verbal agreement they had reached.
A moment later, Yu Mo returned to Xue Li.
“Is everything arranged?” Xue Li looked down at Yang Kai who was standing in the middle of the Death Arena and asked softly.
“Good, Feng Biao put out all his belongings,” Yu Mo nodded lightly, frowning in the next instant, “Mistress, are you really so confident about that little brat? To be honest, although his previous performances were quite surprising, this time I honestly don’t favour him. It’s quite likely he’ll die here. Him dying isn’t a big deal, but with Feng Biao gambling so much money, when that boy dies, it will be a big loss to Sand City.”
“I don’t know!” Xue Li’s said as she shook her head and some slight confusion flashed across her eyes.
Yu Mo was immediately dumbstruck.
As one of the four Demon Generals, a master that had few equals throughout the world, Xue Li naturally had extremely profound insight and vision, but this time it seemed like even she was uncertain about the situation.
“I am also gambling here. Although from any reasonable perspective, that little brat is undoubtedly a dead man, but…”
Saying so , Xue Li turned to look at An Ling’er who had been standing there silently the whole time and smiled slyly, “From beginning to end, this little girl hasn’t shown any signs of concern.”
Yu Mo couldn’t help turning to look at An Ling’er and indeed found that this was the case. Even though this little human girl knew Yang Kai would be facing a very strong enemy today, her expression remained calm.
Xue Li had obviously realized some information from An Ling’er’s behaviour.
“I asked her several times what the true extent of that boy’s strength was but she always refused to answer me. But that only makes me even more curious!” Xue Li reached out and gently stroked An Ling’er’s face, scaring the latter terribly.
“Tell me, has he ever fought with such an opponent before?” Xue Li suddenly asked in a solemn tone.
An Ling’er’s beautiful eyes became dull in that instant but quickly recovered their light as a look of struggle appeared on her face, the scene of her and Yang Kai being chased down by Saintess Nan and facing off against the Sun Clan’s masters in that Mysterious Small World flashing across her mind.
Even so, An Ling’er wore a pained expression as she somehow managed to shake her head.
Xue Li reluctantly sighed, “Her willpower is also quite remarkable, it seems she’s cultivated a very powerful Secret Art.”
“However, just from how she responded now, it’s fairly obvious that boy down there had fought against such a master before and managed to survive, otherwise she wouldn’t have been so relaxed just now.”
“En,” Xue Li nodded lightly, “If this time he still doesn’t die, in the near future, he will definitely become the most dazzling person in the entire realm. At that time, he may even exceed the strength of the Demon Commander and become a supreme existence!”
Yu Mo’s body trembled lightly, “Does Mistress really evaluate him so highly?”
“He has the potential!” Xue Li categorically said, a trace of cold killing intent flashing across her beautiful eyes.
“It’s a pity that such a person is not a member of our clan. If he was a member of the Demon Race, he would be worth cultivating,” Yu Mo had been following Xue Li for many years so he naturally knew what she was thinking right now and couldn’t help feeling a bit distressed.
Such astonishing aptitude only made this human boy a bigger threat, if such a genius was not killed early, it would inevitably have a significant negative impact on the entire Demon Race in the future.
As such, today, this little brat’s fate had already been decided, because even if he were to win this fight, Xue Li planned to kill him.
Looking down at the Death Arena’s stage where Yang Kai was silently waiting for his opponent to appear, Yu Mo sincerely pitied him.
After a long wait, Yang Kai’s opponent finally appeared. This person looked like he was walking in a leisurely manner but his speed was actually extremely fast, and in just the blink of an eye, he was already standing in front of Yang Kai.
Wearing plain black robes which could be found in any ordinary shop, this man had a majestic yet cold aura which was perfectly highlighted by his jet black shoulder length hair and profound gaze.
A surging malevolent intent pulsed from this man’s body and his Demonic Qi was incomparably pure; obviously, he was a lot stronger than an ordinary Third Order Transcendent master.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as his heart sank somewhat.
Even with just a glance, he could tell that his opponent was no easily pinched persimmon, this time he would have to go all out if he wanted to win.
Although Yang Kai had his Soul Devouring Insects and was thus not afraid of any opponent under the Saint Realm, this situation was different. In front of so many Demon Race masters, he couldn’t expose his Soul Devouring Insects, so he could only defeat his opponent head-on.
Moreover, Yang Kai also wanted to test just how much he had grown during this period of time.
As Yang Kai was observing his opponent, his opponent was also observing him, his eyes focused intently as if they were trying to see through all this masked youth’s secrets.
Although the man couldn’t see Yang Kai’s face, he could feel the murderous intent pulsing from the latter’s body. This aura was extraordinarily rich and not the slightest attempt to conceal it was being made. Even facing an opponent whose realm far exceeded his own, the eyes of this masked youth only showed a burning desire to fight.
This was no ordinary opponent!
This man only observed Yang Kai for a moment before coming to this conclusion, a hint of caution flashing across the depths of his eyes.
With such a massive gap in cultivation yet still being so eager to battle meant only one of two things, either this youth was absurdly arrogant or he had complete confidence in his ability!
Someone who could win more than a dozen fights in the Death Arena could not possibly be the first. If that was the case, he would have died long ago, but did that mean this little human brat thought he could actually put up a fight against a Third Order master with his puny First Order Transcendent cultivation?
The man suddenly felt that things had become interesting.
When Yang Kai’s opponent appeared, chatter erupted throughout the Death Arena’s stands. Many Demon Race cultivators pointing towards Yang Kai were pointing towards Yang Kai’s challenger with suspicion and excitement, many of them obviously recognizing the other’s identity.
“Isn’t that Sir Gou Qiong’s subordinate Di Xiao?”
“It’s him. When I visited Qing Liao City before, I saw him once. It really is Di Xiao!”
“Why would he appear in the Death Arena?”
“It’s said that he is Sir Gou Qiong’s strongest fighter below the Saint Realm and that he is only one step away from breaking through and becoming a Saint.”
“This human boy versus Di Xiao, I’m afraid the outcome is set! Di Xiao’s strength isn’t comparable to an ordinary Third Order Transcendent. As Sir Gou Qiong’s vanguard, he has made many great achievements in battle and is said to even be able to hold his ground against a Saint Realm master for a short time.”
“En, what a pity. After today, I’m afraid we’ll never get to see this masked kid fight on the Death Arena’s stage again.”
“A trivial human boy, who cares if he dies? I hope Di Xiao kills him quickly, this little brat has acted arrogantly for long enough. Does he think no one in my Demon Race is his equal?”
“Good, good, although I enjoy watching him fight, he is, after all, a human.”
The whispering voices came from all over and reached Yang Kai’s ears, causing him to wrinkle his brow slightly. He hadn’t expected his opponent today to be so famous amongst the Demon Race.
Gou Qiong sending such a master to deal with him, it was obvious what kind of importance the former placed on this matter.
Di Xiao suddenly grinned and said, “Friend, although we come from different races, I heard that you have defeated more than a dozen Second Order Transcendent opponents, each time narrowly escaping death. I admire you quite a bit. If possible, I’d like to become friends with you, but since I was ordered by Sir Gou Qiong, this time I must take your life, when the time comes, please don’t blame me.”
Yang Kai’s brow moved slightly but didn’t speak, choosing to remain silent as always.
“Then… let’s get started!” Di Xiao cupped his fists as he said these words and then, in an instant, vanished like a ghost.
Yang Kai’s expression changed dramatically.
Quickly retreating from where he was standing, Yang Kai fell back a couple dozen meters, clenched his fist, condensed his True Qi, and then struck the ground with an earth shaking force.
*Hong…*
The entire Death Arena stage trembled violently, the rippling waves only stopping once they reached the ring’s surrounding barriers.
A giant pit with a depth of several meters appeared in an instant.
From the pit, a flash of cold light shot out, as if it was tearing space, ignoring all obstacles and distance and arriving in front of Yang Kai’s chest in the next instant.
*Pu…*
Like a blossoming red flower, blood splashed out as Yang Kai coughed, staggering back a few steps as he directed a dignified stare in front of himself.
On his chest, there was a longan sized wound which was leaking fresh blood even now, dying his robes a dull red.
Exclamations came from all directions as many eyes among the spectators flashed with surprise, shocked by Di Xiao’s tyrannical strength.
Everything happened too quickly. Di Xiao had used some kind of profound movement skill, vanished from in front of everyone’s eyes, snuck underground, then sent out a lightning fast attack that could pierce through any kind of defence and wounded Yang Kai before the latter had time to react.
Since his debut on the Death Arena stage, Yang Kai had fought more than a dozen times, and although each time he escaped from death he would become bruised and bloody, there was never a time as dangerous as just now. The match had only just begun yet he had already been injured by his opponent.
On top of that, this injury was not light, his face going slightly pale as he panted for breath, only able to steady himself some time later.
Di Xiao stood not far away, a smile upon his face, staring at Yang Kai as if he hadn’t ever moved; however, if one looked closely, they would notice a trace of dissatisfaction between his brows.
Di Xiao thought that even if his attack wasn’t able to kill Yang Kai, the latter would at least be wounded to the point where he would lose all ability to fight back; he hadn’t expected this human boy to actually only receive a light injury.
[This little brat… was somewhat strange! His physique seemed to be quite tenacious and had invisibly resolved most of the power of my strike.] Di Xiao evaluated
“Fierce!” Di Xiao expressed sincere admiration, “I never imagined someone like you existed among the Human Race!”
“You’re not too bad yourself!”
“Let’s try this again!” Di Xiao snorted, not giving Yang Kai any time to recover, a number of tornadoes suddenly appearing around him. These tornadoes were massive and extended all the way up into the sky, throwing the entire Death Arenas stage into chaos.
The loose gravel on the ground was swept up in this whirling wind, making the tornadoes even more dangerous.
Next, an incredibly potent Demonic Qi burst from Di Xiao’s body and dyed the tornados pitch black.
At some unknown point, dark clouds appeared in the sky over the Death Arena, obscuring the sky and creating an especially dignified atmosphere.
Countless incomparably sharp wind blades appeared at the edges of the tornados, whirling about at incredible speed, slicing through everything they touched with ease.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
In an instant, the wind blade had completely wrapped up Yang Kai, leaving him no path to Heaven, nor road to Hell.
Yang Kai let out a low roar and the earth beneath his feet abruptly collapsed. Next, at his fingertip, he condensed a drop of Yang Liquid and transformed it into the shield which he then placed atop his head.
The wind blades struck in the next moment, bombarding Yang Kai from all directions, causing his True Yang Yuan Qi’s shield to deform greatly. It was like Yang Kai was adrift the midst of a great storm, his boat constantly in danger of being destroyed, yet through this onslaught, Yang Kai remained unharmed, successfully resisting the innumerable wind blades.
All the Demon Race spectators up in the stands cried out in shock.
Yang Kai only had a First Order Transcendent Realm cultivation, yet he had actually been able to resist the powerful attack of Di Xiao, a genuine Third Order Transcendent powerhouse, without even suffering the slightest injury. This development made the audience quite uncomfortable.
Di Xiao was no ordinary Demon Race cultivator; he was one of Demon General Gou Qiong’s most trusted subordinates and could almost be considered the first person in the entire Demon Race below the Saint Realm.
The number of masters who had died at Di Xiao’s hands were countless; moreover, he was a talent Gou Qiong had personally taken an interest in, raising the former to become one of his future elites. As such, Di Xiao’s strength was not comparable to an ordinary Third Order Transcendent.
Even from up in the stands, the Demon Race cultivators could feel just how horrifying Di Xiao’s power was, yet such power couldn’t even break the True Qi shield Yang Kai had hastily condensed, obviously this was an unexpected development.
“Mistress, he really does possess astonishing potential!” Yu Mo called out, “In all the matches he fought up to now, he never displayed such means.”
Xue Li’s beautiful eyes flashed a cold light, “Only using his True Qi, he was able to withstand that attack, it’s obvious the purity and density of his True Qi is no weaker than Di Xiao’s. Good, very good!”
The cultivators around Xue Li were also paying close attention to this match now, unable to hide their shock.
Only An Ling’er wore an anxious look upon her face. Although Xue Li had just been praising Yang Kai, An Ling’er did not miss the coldness in this Demon General’s tone.
The more outstanding Yang Kai’s performance was, the more determined Xue Li would be to kill him!
However, if Yang Kai lost to Di Xiao, he would still die.
In either case, Yang Kai’s situation right now could only be described as perilous. An Ling’er thoughts were in chaos, not knowing what she should do.
“Interesting!” Di Xiao stared at Yang Kai as the latter continued to resist his attack.
Originally, when Gou Qiong sent him here to kill a little human brat, Di Xiao had thought it was a severe case of overkill and couldn’t work up any motivation. It was only after arriving in Sand City and hearing about Yang Kai’s various achievements that Di Xiao thought such a person was worthy of him executing.
However, that was all, he hadn’t really put Yang Kai in his eyes.
But now, after discovering that this human boy actually had enough strength to fight back against him, Di Xiao felt genuine excited.
Di Xiao was the kind of person who enjoyed fighting and was always eager to bathe in blood. On top of that, his favourite thing was to watch his opponent tenaciously resist yet ultimately fail and succumb to their demise.
At that moment, Di Xiao’s mentality underwent a subtle change and he began to regard Yang Kai as a real opponent.
The Demonic Qi which spewed out from Di Xiao’s body instantly increased a lot.
The tornados which were swirling around him like dark dragons also merged together and formed one giant mass, engulfing the entire Death Arena stage.
The surrounding barriers creaked under the impact of this wanton storm and ripples visible to the naked eye began to appear.
However, these barriers were all personally erected by Xue Li and obviously Di Xiao wouldn’t be able to destroy them so the Demon Race spectators in the stands weren’t worried, all of them still focusing all their attention on the match before them.
At this point, Yang Kai had been completely covered by wind blades and tornados.
The wind blade swept over him like a plague of locusts descending upon a field, overwhelming in number, their sharp auras constantly trying to tear him apart, the aura of death lingering about them.
There was nowhere to escape, and it was impossible to avoid them!
Yang Kai was cornered.
*Kacha…*
The shield he had condensed from his Yang Liquid was unable to withstand this persistent bombardment and directly collapsed.
In the next moment, Yang Kai’s body was impacted by countless wind blades, his clothes shredded as blood splashed out. In less than a breath of time, Yang Kai’s skin was filled with innumerable wounds and his robes were broken and tattered.
Di Xiao grinned as he stared mercilessly at Yang Kai, as if he was looking at a dead man.
The next moment though, Di Xiao’s smile went stiff.
Yang Kai, who should have been killed, slowly straightened himself up while slightly lowering his head, staring back at Di Xiao with a gloomy and sinister expression, a burst of strange and creepy laughter leaked from his lips.
With a sneer, Yang Kai stretched out a hand and pulled off his tattered shirt, revealing his toned physique and rippling muscles that seemed to contain a shocking amount of power.
Standing in the center of the raging wind blades, Yang Kai remained unmoving, like a great mountain, resisting the surrounding storm without flinching in the slightest.
“Friend, it seems your strength isn’t much!”
An uproar spread throughout the crowd instantly when Yang Kai uttered these words.
The Demon Race spectators up in the stands were all shocked and amazed.
All of them had thought that this time, with Di Xiao personally taking action, Yang Kai would be swiftly defeated, even killed, but the situation in front of them differed greatly from their expectations, giving them a not small surprise.
Even wrapped completely in wind blades, Yang Kai’s body didn’t receive any noticeable damage, only suffering some minor cuts. It seemed his physique had reached an incredible degree of fortitude, allowing him to withstand such attacks head on.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Yang Kai’s provocation made Di Xiao’s expression become somewhat ugly, the latter smiling sullenly as he shot back, “You really don’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! I must see how long you can keep spewing such nonsense!”
Saying so, Di Xiao waved his hands, and the swirling tornado that encompassed the entire Death Arena stage rapidly contracted, focusing all its destructive force on Yang Kai’s position, firmly trapping him in place.
As the tornado rapidly contracted, the number and intensity of the wind blades also greatly increased, forming a dark, dense killing zone around Yang Kai.
Like an angry black dragon, it slammed and whipped against Yang Kai.
“Shaping True Qi is something I can do too!” Yang Kai grinned, and with a great roar, a huge dragon head appeared above his head.
A dazzling golden radiance cut through the dark wind, bringing with it a shocking and violent momentum.
A long body quickly formed behind the golden dragon head and in the next instant, it shot out, colliding with the dark tornado, the two entities tearing and ripping into each other.
Over the entire Death Arena stage, a swirling storm of gold and black rampaged.
The golden dragon Yang Kai had just summoned was the very same one that was tattooed on his back. Before, Yang Kai was only able to use this hidden power when he was in his Devil Transformation state, but ever since his visit to Ice Sect, where he had blended souls with Su Yan, he discovered he could release it even in his normal state. On top of that, the golden dragon was also linked to Yang Kai’s Soul so it was far more agile and responsive than Di Xiao’s simple Martial Skill.
The two dragons fought one another, creating an incredible fierce display.
Everyone’s full attention was fixed on this magnificent scene, all of them staring up into the sky above the Death Arena stage, wondering which dragon would be the ultimate victor.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
With a series of deafening explosions, as if a volcano was erupting, the two dragons intertwined, and the dark tornado was gradually beaten back by the golden dragon, retreating in defeat over and over again, its colour quickly dimming.
True Yang Yuan Qi had always been the nemesis of Demonic Qi, so the aura the golden dragon radiated made every Demon Race cultivator present feel uncomfortable.
Suddenly, a pair of shouts resounded and the two figures who had been standing atop the Death Arena stage all this time flickered and collided, fresh blood splashing out as they did.
At some point, when everyone’s eyes had been attracted to the two dragons colliding up in the sky, Yang Kai and Di Xiao had also begun engaging in a fierce battle.
Terrible bursts of energy filled the Death Arena stage. After the two figures separated from one another, Yang Kai wiped his hand across his chest, his fingers dripping with blood as he did.
Yang Kai felt an excruciating pain at that moment. Even though he had only clashed with Di Xiao for a few breaths, he felt like his body had been pierced by thousands of attacks, his chest and arms now bearing numerous bone deep wounds.
Gou Qiong’s high regard for Di Xiao was no misplaced. As a peak Third Order Transcendent, the latter indeed possessed battle sense and combat experience far beyond average, allowing him to capitalize on any opening presented before him.
However, although Yang Kai’s condition was miserable, Di Xiao’s wasn’t much better.
One of Di Xiao’s shoulders had been torn apart and a great chunk of his flesh was now missing, causing blood to flow down his side uncontrollably, his imposing aura also showed some signs of disorder as his face distorted from the pain.
Staring at one another, panting for breath, the eyes of the two fighters atop the Death Arena stage both turned red at the same time. At this moment, blood-thirst had consumed both Yang Kai and Di Xiao’s hearts, the only thought now being to fight and slaughter the opponent in front of them!
When she saw the blood flowing from Yang Kai’s abdomen, Xue Li, who had been lazily sitting the whole time, suddenly leapt to her feet, her beautiful eyes trembling as she stared towards the Death Arena stage, a look of disbelief covering her face, as if she had discovered something impossible.
“Mistress!” Yu Mo saw this and couldn’t help calling out.
Xue Li’s brow furrowed deeply as she took in a deep breath, relaxing her shocked expression and sitting down again only several breaths later.
Yu Mo wore a puzzled expression, not understanding why Xue Li had suddenly had such a violent reaction. Although Yang Kai’s performance was indeed far beyond everyone’s expectations, could that alone cause her to act so out of character?
[What did Mistress just discover?] Yu Mo thought about it for a while before slowly shaking his head and focusing his attention back on the battle down below.
Killing intent flowed out in great waves, and even from where he was standing high up in the stands, Yu Mo could clearly sense it, quickly steadying his mind lest he inadvertently be affected by it.
Di Xiao and Yang Kai were evenly matched, each of them matching the other blow for blow; no one could predict what the final outcome would be now.
The thick and powerful Demonic Qi that emerged from Di Xiao’s body created a dark domain around him filled with evil energy.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was like a small burning sun, his True Yang Yuan Qi surging towards his surroundings, blocking the attacks of Di Xiao’s Demonic Qi. The two opposite energies collided with one another violently, each one trying to annihilate the other.
Both fighters pushed their strength to the extreme, neither of them daring to hold back or show mercy.
Great howls and deafening roars filled the air.
A shocking murderous intent pulsed from Yang Kai who now could only think of killing, shouting towards the Heavens, forgetting everything else, his only desire now was to destroy the enemy before him.
True Yang Yuan Qi madly surged forth and suddenly suppressed the other party’s Demonic Qi.
Di Xiao’s expression tightened and he didn’t dare hesitate, his body flickering and instantly appearing above Yang Kai as he sent out a devastating palm strike filled with deadly aura towards the masked human youth below.
The surrounding ground instantly disintegrated and transformed into fine dust, but Yang Kai managed to avoid this strike at the last moment and counterattack, sending out his own palm strike filled with dense True Yang Yuan Qi towards Di Xiao.
Without the slightest reservation, the two fighters atop the Death Arena stage used all their skill and strength to clash with one another.
Di Xiao’s cultivation was higher than Yang Kai’s by two Minor Realms, but his Demonic Qi was being suppressed by Yang Kai’s True Yang Yuan Qi so he could only bring out about eighty percent of his maximum strength, causing him to feel extremely annoyed and frustrated.
As the contest between Yang Kai and Di Xiao become more and more intense, the surrounding World Energy became increasingly turbulent, shrouding their figures and obscuring their auras.
The spectators up in the stands now could only see vague figures flickering about and were unable to determine the exact situation atop the stage.
This was a true death match!
Blood constantly spattered onto the cracked ground as deafening explosions continuously rang out. Both Yang Kai and Di Xiao had been consumed by madness and had lost track of everything else around them. This kind of fierce battle caused everyone who witnessed it to tremble from excitement and fear.
A variety of exquisite Demon Race Martial Skills were released from Di Xiao’s hands, each one causing Yang Kai to suffer greatly. In response, Yang Kai used the flexibility and potency of his Yang Liquid to rip apart and penetrate Di Xiao’s defences.
The two figures entangled and violently bombarded one another, each attack carrying with it a ruthless killing intent. As they fought, flashes of light constantly burst out and as the area around them seemed to explode as if it was being engulfed in a meteor shower, dazzling the spectating crowds.
Before anyone knew it, half of the Death Arena stage had been destroyed.
There had never been a battle which caused such destruction to the Death Arena before. Every Demon Race spectator felt his or her blood boil, many of them wishing they could throw all caution to the wind, jump down from the stands, and join this bloody fight to the death.
Di Xiao became more and more shocked as the battle dragged on. Never had he dreamed that a human boy whose cultivation was far lower than his own could actually possess such strength.
His own killings strikes continuously rained down on Yang Kai but often could only superficially wound the latter, never once delivering the intended fatal blow; his opponent’s body was like a lump of steel, completely unlike the fragile humans he had fought before.
However, what shocked Di Xiao the most was Yang Kai’s resiliency and endurance.
Each and every move the two of them made contained the maximum amount of force possible, neither of them holding anything back, so after such a long fight Di Xiao was very flustered and had consumed a massive amount of his Demonic Qi, causing both his momentum and strength to fall far below his peak.
But this Human boy was different, he had somehow managed to maintain the same level of output this entire time, never once weakening, even becoming somewhat more intense as time passed.
It was like his body contained an inexhaustible supply of True Qi!
In addition, the more Yang Kai was wounded, the more brutally he fought back, as if the pain was a drug stimulating his bloodthirsty nature.
As the battle dragged on, Di Xiao noticed something which truly made him afraid.
The wounds Yang Kai had suffered throughout their fight were actually healing at a speed visible to the naked eye; for instance, the dense injuries he had previously received from the opening salvo of wind blades had now basically disappeared.
[This kid can even restore his own injuries in the middle of a fight?]
Di Xiao hadn’t seen Yang Kai take any kind of pill or elixir; moreover, there was no time for him to have done so.
For the first time, Di Xiao discovered that such a strange person actually existed, not only could he compete with the so called favoured Sons of Heaven, he actually far exceeded them.
This discovery struck a deep blow to Di Xiao’s pride, causing his mood to become somewhat gloomy.
He was an elite amongst the elite of the Demon Race. At just eighty years old, he had already reached the very peak of the Third Order Transcendent Realm and was expected to break through to the Saint Realm before the age of one hundred!
A one hundred year old Saint Realm was a rare presence throughout the entire realm.
Some of the great forces of the Tong Xuan Realm managed to raise their own elite disciples to the Transcendent Realm at very young ages, but once they reached that realm, almost all of them would experience a sharp decrease in their rate of growth and fewer still managed to become Saints before the age of one hundred.
But he, Di Xiao, had such potential! Gou Qiong had high expectations for him and gave him the best cultivation environments and resources to support his growth.
Di Xiao has always been proud of this and felt that one day he could certainly become the first person below the Demon Commander, or possibly even the Demon Commander himself!
But now, he had received a devastating blow. If what Gou Che had reported was the truth, then this human boy who was even now fighting evenly with him was only twenty-five or six years old.
Could it be that he had been cultivating for so many decades in vain?
When masters fought, it was not only a contest of their skills but also a battle of their wills.
As soon as Di Xiao’s state of mind became disturbed, the stalemate was broken and his momentum collapsed, allowing Yang Kai to completely suppress him.
The Demon Race spectators up in the stands also quickly discovered that the situation had taken a turn for the worse. Originally, the gold and black auras in the Death Arena stage were equal in intensity to one another, but suddenly the dark Demonic Qi belonging to Di Xiao weakened while the annoying golden aura shone brilliantly.
Seeing this scene, everyone couldn’t sit still.
“Impossible! Can this boy even defeat Di Xiao?”
“How can this be? Di Xiao is a Third Order Transcendent, two full levels higher than him.”
“If Di Xiao is defeated, my Demon Race will lose all face!”
“Is… is that guy really real? A First Order Transcendent being able to defeat a Third Order, if he were to becomes a Saint…”
Even Feng Biao, who had been sent by Gou Qiong to oversee this task, had a gloomy look upon his face as his brow furrowed deeply, his hands crushing the arms of his chair unconsciously.
Xue Li was also leaning forward now, her powerful Divine Sense penetrating the Death Arena’s barriers as she carefully observed the changes in the battle.
No one in the audience had a clearer idea of what was happening than her because she was the one who had constructed the barriers around the Death Arena stage in the first place. Her original intention was to make it so that the cultivators who fought would not receive any interference from the gamblers on the outside, so even if they were top-level masters, if they tried to peep through these barriers, all they’d be able to discover was some vague details.
Xue Li was different though, her beautiful eyes easily able to track Yang Kai and Di Xiao’s movements.
The battle turning out like this was truly beyond Xue Li’s expectations, even if she managed to glean some clues from An Ling’er’s behaviour, inferring the possibility that Yang Kai might win, it was still difficult to believe what she was seeing.
This fight was also far more exciting than she anticipated!
Also, as Xue Li spectated the match, the murderous intent that originally filled her eyes slowly faded and was instead replaced with a thick sense of confusion.
With a thunderous explosion, the gold and black energies which had been entangled with each other this whole time suddenly separated and two silhouettes retreated backwards, coming to a stop a dozen meters or so apart.
Dust blew about and the battlefield lay in ruins, everyone up in the stands held their breath, the entire Death Arena falling silent as all eyes stared towards the stage down below, wondering who had come out on top.
Gradually, the dust settled and the two fighters’ figures appeared before everyone’s eyes.
Sharp breaths were drawn as the Demon Race spectators couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Di Xiao was bathed in blood, with almost no part of his body still intact. All over his scarred skin there were clearly visible palm print, fist marks, etc…
Gou Qiong’s elite subordinate seemed to be exhausted, his laboured breathing clearly ringing in everyone’s ears, illustrating just how weak he currently was.
Yang Kai was also covered in blood that, under the strong rays of the sun, seemed to glow a faint golden colour, giving him a strange appearance. There were many scars and wounds all over his strong body, numbering no less than the ones on Di Xiao’s.
The only difference between the two was the look in their eyes; Di Xiao’s originally confident gaze was now dull while Yang Kai’s was filled with strength.
Di Xiao had been defeated!
As long as one wasn’t blind, they would be able to see this.
“I’ve underestimated you… you’re truly strong!” Di Xiao coughed a few times, spitting out some blood and viscera from his mouth.
“Anyone who looks down on me has to pay the price!” Yang Kai grinned and took a deep breath before lifting his foot and slowly walking forward, his True Qi surging once more, his eyes filling with murderous intent.
It was clear he planned to kill the person in front of him and bring this deathmatch to a close!
Seeing his intentions, Feng Biao, who had been in something of a daze in the stands, came to his senses and stood up, shouting in an angered voice, “Little brat, you dare!”
As he shouted, his figure flickered, disappearing from where he stood and shooting towards the Death Arena stage like a bolt of lightning.
Despite Di Xiao disappointing Sir Gou Qiong’s expectations, actually losing to a little human brat, he was still one of Gou Qiong’s most elite warriors. Yang Kai couldn’t be allowed to simply kill him here.
Feng Biao couldn’t just sit idly by and watch, he had to take this opportunity to finish off Yang Kai!
“Yu Mo!” On the other side of the arena, Xue Li suddenly shouted.
Yu Mo nodded lightly and also shot out.
A moment later, Yu Mo appeared in front of Feng Biao, blocking his way.
“Make way!” Feng Biao shouted furiously, not having any scruples about this being Xue Li’s site, sending out a palm towards Yu Mo as the latter responded in kind.
The two First Order Saints instantly engaged in an astonishing fight over the Death Arena, each move they made shaking the Heavens, causing the hearts of all the spectators down below to clench.
All the Demon Race spectators present were dumbfounded. They hadn’t expected to see such a wonderful battle between peak Transcendent Realm cultivators today and now they were even being shown a rare fight between Saint Realm masters. This unexpected development immediately invigorated them, drawing their full attention.
“Yu Mo, what’s the meaning of this?!” Feng Biao couldn’t get rid of Yu Mo’s entanglement and immediately interrogated him, “You know who Di Xiao is. If he dies here, can you withstand Sir Gou Qiong’s anger?”
“Idiot! Whether Gou Qiong is angry or not has nothing to do with me!” Yu Mo sneered, “This is Sand City, my Mistress’ site, or did you forget even something so basic?”
“Are you trying to force Sir Gou Qiong and Xue Li into a war!”
“I have no such intent; however, the Death Arena has the rules of the Death Arena. Two people enter, only one may leave alive, this rule may not be broken!”
“You…” Feng Biao ground his teeth as he continued the fight with Yu Mo. Still managing to focus on the ground, Feng Biao saw Yang Kai arrive in front of Di Xiao and condensed his True Yang Yuan Qi into his fingertip and calmly pointed it towards the limp, Di Xiao.
Di Xiao was thoroughly exhausted and didn’t even have the strength to stand properly much less put up any kind of resistance. At this moment, he was simply looking to the sky helplessly.
Feng Biao quickly shouted, “Little brat, if you dare do this, you’re dead!”
Just as he said these words though, the True Qi gathered at Yang Kai’s fingertips transformed into a sharp blade and stabbed into Di Xiao’s chest.
Di Xiao’s body shook, and the blood gushed from his chest like a fountain, his eyes opening wide as he fell backwards.
*Peng…*
A puff of dust flew up.
“That little brat…”
“He really killed Di Xiao.”
“Interesting! I don’t think even Miss Xue Li can protect him now!”
“If Miss Xue Li doesn’t protect him, he’ll definitely die!”
In midair, seeing with their own eyes that Di Xiao had died, Feng Biao and Yu Mo also stopped fighting, the former’s face becoming extremely gloomy, his eyes staring hatefully towards Yang Kai, seemingly want to tear off the latter’s stupid mask to see just what kind of bastard was beneath it.
Yu Mo’s eyes also flashed as he was secretly shocked by Yang Kai’s boldness, quickly returning to Xue Li’s side without saying a word.
Next to Di Xiao’s body, Yang Kai stood quietly, his back straight and motionless.
Under the influence of the Demon Eye of Annihilation, an undetectable Soul remnant poured into Yang Kai’s mind and was absorbed.
Gradually, the atmosphere and aura in the surroundings became strange and the fluctuations pulsing from Yang Kai’s body underwent a subtle change.
The deep rage and hatred in Feng Bao’s eyes which were staring at Yang Kai were suddenly replaced with a thick shock and jealousy.
“Mistress…” Yu Mo also exclaimed, his eyes narrowing as he stared towards Yang Kai.
Xue Li’s complexion also changed again upon feeling the energy fluctuations coming from Yang Kai, a look of genuine surprise filling her face.
“Mistress, could it be…” Yu Mo’s voice trembled as he hesitantly spoke.
“En, it’s an epiphany, this boy…” Xue Li’s beautiful eyes flashed a strange brilliance, “A few months fighting life or death battles here have probably allowed him to comprehend many things and today’s battle allowed all of that to sublimate, resulting in sudden enlightenment.”
“Inconceivable!” Yu Mo cried out in amazement, “Does he want to break through here? Isn’t he acting a bit too supercilious?”
Di Xiao had just been killed by him and Feng Biao couldn’t wait to put him to death, the Demon Race spectators in the stand also were filled with indignation and many were clamouring for Yang Kai’s life. This was quite likely the worst possible time for a breakthrough.
If the situation wasn’t handled well, it might turn into a riot where the angry crowd directly swarmed him.
“Mistress, in this situation, do we just sit back and watch?” Yu Mo turned to Xue Li and asked.
As long as Xue Li didn’t speak, Yang Kai would definitely die today, no Demon Race cultivator wanted to let such a monstrous human boy continue breathing. Although Yang Kai had brought them a lot of excitement and entertainment, the situation was different now.
Everyone here was no well aware of how terrifying this boy’s potential was!
“Nonsense, of course we’re not going to just sit back and watch. Relay my command, anyone who dares to enter the Death Arena stage before he finished breaking through is to be killed without mercy!” Xue Li’s beautiful face filled with an inexplicable excitement.
“…ah?” Yu Mo let out a gaff; dumbfounded by the order he had just been given.
Just before, Xue Li had clearly decided to kill Yang Kai today regardless of whether he won or lost the fight, so this sudden and drastic change in attitude greatly confused Yu Mo.
If they really wanted to kill this human brat, they didn’t even need to act. Feng Biao and the other Demon Race spectators would happily murder Yang Kai while he was breaking through.
Earlier, Yu Mo had only blocked Feng Biao to suppress Gou Qiong and maintain the rules of the Death Arena.
Was this little brat’s performance so impressive that Xue Li was reluctant to kill him? Yu Mo secretly speculated but still couldn’t understand.
However, he didn’t ask anything and simply carried out his orders, spreading out his Divine Sense in the next instant to relay Xue Li’s command.
The next moment, from outside the Death Arena, a large number of powerful Demon Race masters appeared, taking up defensive positions around the broken stage.
Seeing this scene, everyone understood that Xue Li intended to shelter Yang Kai and immediately dismissed all thoughts attacking, contenting themselves to just holler and scream angrily.
Yang Kai, standing atop the Death Arena’s stage, seemed completely unaware of all this.
But, in truth, he was also paying close attention to his surroundings, so the behaviour of Xue Li’s subordinates also caused him to feel a bit confused. However, since this woman didn’t seem to want to immediately kill him, Yang Kai focused his attention back onto breaking through safely, clearing his mind of all distractions and entering a state of enlightenment.
Outside the Death Arena stage, countless Demon Race spectators shouted and cursed but none of them dared to make any rash moves.
Atop the stage, the surrounding World Energy churned violently.
After what seemed like a long time had passed, a burst of energy that cracked the surrounding earth suddenly burst out with Yang Kai at its center.
All of the World Energy in the area began madly swirling about as if it were being drawn in by a giant whirlpool, crashing against the Death Arena stage’s barriers.
“Such terrifying World Energy!” Yu Mo’s eyes went round as he couldn’t help calling out in shock.
Xue Li also had showed a look of surprise, her beautiful eyes flashing a strange light as she muttered under her breath, “He really has enough capital to act so crazily, this kind of World Energy baptism is comparable to something a Third Order Transcendent Realm Master would face. No wonder he was able to kill Di Xiao.”
The spectating Demon Race cultivators who saw this scene also didn’t have pleasant looks upon their faces. If the one currently standing on the Death Arena stage was Di Xiao, they would be cheering joyously, but a human boy showing such potential only made them feel uncomfortable.
As a tidal wave of World Energy flowed towards the Death Arena stage, Yang Kai closed his eyes, his face filled with a look of comfort as the faint golden glow shrouding him became more and more dazzling.
All of a sudden, the violent storm of World Energy rushed towards Yang Kai’s body and within ten breaths was completely absorbed by him.
The chaotic aura within the Death Arena also became tranquil.
Staring at Yang Kai now, the expressions of the surrounding Demon Race masters were unsightly as they grumbled in their hearts but were unable to vocalize just how they were feeling at the moment.
Yang Kai, who had been severely wounded in his battle with Di Xiao, was now recovering at an astonishing speed, the minor injuries he had suffered already completely healed while the major ones were no longer a hindrance to his movement.
Xue Li beautiful eyes shrank upon seeing this and she licked her thin red lips as she stared excitedly towards Yang Kai.
Atop the Death Arena stage, Yang Kai gently clenched his fists and felt the power flowing through his body, extremely satisfied.
This time’s breakthrough had gone incredibly smoothly.
The insights and sentiments he had gained over the past few months of difficult fights had been like nourishment for his body and Soul, allowing him to reach the edge of a breakthrough, and after a fierce battle with Di Xiao, he managed to spy on the mysteries of the Second Order Transcendent Realm.
The purity and density of Yang Kai’s True Qi had risen to a new level, and even his Spiritual Energy had sublimated, becoming more powerful than before.
Yang Kai couldn’t have been more pleased with this outcome. The only thing that made him feel helpless was that he was still standing in the middle of the Death Arena, surrounded by Demon Race masters.
What’s more, Xue Li was looking on!
The killing intent Xue Li had towards him had not gone unnoticed by Yang Kai, so he never dropped his guard against her, but with the huge gap in their strength, he still couldn’t help feeling powerless.
Although Yang Kai didn’t understand why she suddenly decided to protect him and allow him to break through here, he knew this woman didn’t do so out of kindness. His best option was still to leave Sand City as quickly as possible.
Considering all this, Yang Kai turned his eyes towards Xue Li and shouted, “Senior Xue Li, are the words you spoke to me before still valid?”
Xue Li’s beautiful eyes narrowed as she laughed charmingly, “What words are you referring to?”
“You promised me that as long as I can win in this battle, you will let me and my companion leave! It can’t be that Senior Xue Li doesn’t intend to keep her word?” Yang Kai continued to shout, making sure his voice could be heard by all the surrounding Demon Race spectators.
Xue Li let out a light snort as she stared at Yang Kai from far away, a trace of hatred flashing across her beautiful eyes.
Although the two of them indeed had such an agreement, Xue Li never had any intention of complying with it, but now that Yang Kai had exposed it in front of so many people, Xue Li would have to consider it again.
A Demon General failing to keep their word would greatly harm Xue Li’s reputation.
“Smelly brat!” Xue Li ground her teeth angrily, fully realizing Yang Kai was doing this to force her hand knowing she couldn’t refuse him in the presence of so many witnesses.
“Mistress, he’s seeking his own death!” Yu Mo said, taking pleasure in Yang Kai’s misfortune as he grinned, “Just let him leave, then he’ll die without us having to lift a finger!”
As he said so, Yu Mo glanced over at Feng Biao who was even now exuding a thick murderous intent. Yu Mo knew that Feng Biao was the one who most wanted to put Yang Kai to death.
“The key is that I don’t want him to die now!” Xue Li grumbled.
Yu Mo was stunned and didn’t dare say anything more.
“Does Senior Xue Li want to renege on her promise?” Atop the Death Arena stage, Yang Kai shouted for the third time, his face was filled with an unreadable smile.
Xue Li let out a soft breath, causing her proud peaks to undulate exaggeratedly; slowly getting up, she said to Yang Kai in a calm voice, “Naturally this King will not, you and your female companion are free to leave. Wherever you decide to go now, you may go, no one here will try to stop you!”
Yang Kai stared at her deeply, cupped his fists and bowed lightly, “Many thanks, Senior Xue Li!”
Saying so, Yang Kai soared up from the Death Arena stage, arriving beside Xue Li in the blink of an eye, grabbed hold of An Ling’er, and shouted, “Let’s go!”
“Little brat, I believe we will meet again soon!” Xue Li suddenly whispered, the words directly reaching Yang Kai’s ear, causing his heart to tremble. Sweeping his eyes towards Xue Li, Yang Kai suddenly discovered that this vicious woman was staring at him profoundly.
[Cheap whore!] Yang Kai secretly cursed, realizing that Xue Li had no intention of letting him go so easily. In front of all these Demon Race spectators sitting around the Death Arena, going back on her word would make her lose too much face so she had no choice but to agree to his demands for now, but she was no doubt planning to make a move behind the scenes.
As soon as Yang Kai and An Ling’er left, he estimated multiple pursuers would follow!
Even so, Yang Kai simply smiled confidently and replied, “Really? I believe we’ll never see one another again!”
“We’ll see!” Xue Li coldly snorted.
Yang Kai brought An Ling’er up into the sky and soared off towards the horizon like a bolt of lightning.
From the Death Arena’s stand, those who were particularly angry and wished to kill Yang Kai also got up and left in groups of three or four, quickly following after the latter.
Xue Li and Yu Mo both ignored this, pretending they saw nothing, making no attempt to block these people.
Feng Biao, who was Gou Qiong’s representative, stood in place, his face showing a contemplatively look for a moment before turning his gaze to Xue Li, grinning meaningfully, and also flying off.
“Mistress, if all of them really pursue that little brat, he may really end up dead!” Yu Mo whispered.
Not to mention the First Order Saint Feng Biao who as pursing him, just the gathering of Demon Race masters who had left to chase Yang Kai were enough to kill him.
Although Yang Kai’s combat ability was out of the ordinary and he had just broken through a Minor Realm, he had just fought an intense battle with Di Xiao so it was likely he wouldn’t be able to exert anywhere near his peak strength.
After the ones pursuing him caught up, the only possible result was his death!
“En, he’s dead!” Xue Li grit her teeth, obviously somewhat annoyed, “That little brat brought this upon himself. If he obediently stayed here I wouldn’t have killed him, but he just had to go seeking death all on his own.”
“Then…”
“Go bring him back!” Xue Li ordered, “Don’t let anyone else capture or kill him.”
“Yes!” Yu Mo bowed before chasing after Yang Kai.
“Hmph, actually daring to say we’ll never see one another again? I’d very much like to see what kind of expression you show this King when we next meet!” Xue Li smiled lightly, got up, and strolled casually towards her palace to await the moment Yang Kai was captured.
Outside of Sand City, Yang Kai flew while tightly holding An Ling’er, his speed pushed to his current limit, the two of them leaving a long afterimage behind them.
“Are you alright?” An Ling’er asked, full of concern, she had seen just how seriously injured Yang Kai was just now in his battle against Di Xiao. Right now what he needed most was rest but instead he had to madly consume his True Qi.
“I’m fine,” Yang Kai shook his head.
Yang Kai was clearer about his condition than anyone so he couldn’t help marveling at the astonishing restorative power of his Demon God Blood. Normally, after suffering such heavy injuries, Yang Kai would have to cultivate for several days in order to recover, but now, the Demon God Blood in his body was actually mending his wounds at a rate visible to the naked eye, so although he wasn’t perfectly healed, flying and even fighting wouldn’t be an issue.
On top of that, the thing Yang Kai least had to worry about was his consumption of True Qi; with hundreds of drops of Yang Liquid in his Dantian and more than sixty Divine Tree fruits in his Black Book space, his reserve of True Qi was essentially unlimited.
“It seems like someone is chasing us!” An Ling’er suddenly whispered, her beautiful face paling.
“Not one, many!” Yang Kai’s expression remained unchanged. With his unusually powerful Divine Sense, he had long ago noticed they were being pursued and even knew the exact number and cultivation of the ones chasing them.
There was quite a large number of Transcendents accompanied by two or three Saints in the lead group.
Behind these people was Feng Biao who had firmly locked his Divine Sense onto him like maggots on rotting bones.
Still further behind Feng Biao was Yu Mo!
Xue Li really had sent him to chase after them, causing Yang Kai to curse in his heart, swearing one day he would teach that viper woman a good lesson.
All in all, more than half of the masters from Sand City were now pursuing Yang Kai and An Ling’er.
Although bitter in his heart, Yang Kai revealed nothing on his face and simply continued flying forward at his current speed.
The Demon Race masters who chased after them from Sand City had all summoned their own artifacts and were doing their best to quickly shorten the distance between themselves and Yang Kai.
After half an hour, Yang Kai had flown several hundred kilometers but his pursuers were now closing in.
Noticing this, An Ling’er became anxious and hurriedly used her Secret Art to help promote the circulation speed of Yang Kai’s True Qi.
“They can’t catch us,” Yang Kai comforted her gently while continuing to maintain his flight speed, waiting for the right opportunity.
From what Yang Kai could perceive, most of his pursuers were not worth being worried about. As soon as he released his Soul Devouring Insects, the vast majority of them would die.
The only ones Yang Kai needed to pay attention to were the Saint Realm masters and Feng Biao and Yu Mo behind them, these masters were still difficult opponents for him to face!
However, noticing that Feng Biao and Yu Mo were maintaining a certain distance from him and not approaching any closer, seemingly staying at the limit of where their Divine Senses could track him, Yang Kai immediately felt like his chance had come!
Whether it was Feng Biao or Yu Mo, both of them obviously had great confidence in their own strength and were unwilling to work together with other Demon Race cultivators, so they consciously maintained some distance between themselves, the other pursuers, and Yang Kai.
This however gave Yang Kai an opportunity.
With a whoosh, Wind and Thunder Qi surged up and Yang Kai’s Wind and Thunder Wings unfurled from his back.
With a flicker of these wings, Yang Kai’s already quick pace suddenly multiplied several times over. Meanwhile, An Ling’er narrowed her eyes and circulated her True Qi in order to resist the violent surge in wind pressure around her.
In an instant, the pair left Feng Biao and Yu Mo’s Divine Sense’s coverage range.
An Ling’er couldn’t help letting out a shout; although this wasn’t the first time she had seen Yang Kai use his Wind and Thunder Wings, having already witnessed them back when they were fleeing from Saintess Nan, no matter how many times she saw them, should couldn’t help feeling fascinated by their beauty.
Such a pair of wings should not be owned by a man, but instead by a woman.
Even so, seeing Yang Kai like this, An Ling’er felt he seemed quite heroic at the moment.
An Ling’er pursed her lips slightly as she stared at Yang Kai’s profile, her eyes blurring slightly, unconsciously pressing her tender body closer to his as she tightly held onto him with her arms.
“Hey, why are you going starry eyed in this kind of situation?” Yang Kai immediately noticed An Ling’er’s abnormal behaviour and turned a dumbfounded gaze towards her as an amazingly soft and elastic sensation made contact with his arm, causing his fierce momentum and tension to rapidly deflate.
An Ling’er’s face suddenly flushed bright red and immediately shot back indignantly, “What nonsense are you talking about? I… I just thought that the outside world is truly filled with wonder, completely different from what I imagined it would be like back in the Holy Land.”
Since her first encounter with Yang Kai, An Ling’er’s days had truly been filled with excitement. All this stimulation frightened her and caused her much grief, but it was also incredibly thrilling; it was as if, so long as she stayed together with Yang Kai, no matter what kind of danger they encountered, they would be able to safely pass through it.
“An average person can’t have such an exciting life!” Yang Kai laughed somewhat dumbly, waving his wings rhythmically, pushing his speed faster and faster, transforming into a streak of light that shot across the sky.
The expressions of the Demon Race masters who had been tailing the pair all abruptly changed when this occurred. All of them were closing in on Yang Kai, but in the blink of an eye, they had actually completely lost track of him.
Amongst the group of pursuers, even three Saint Realm masters couldn’t hide their shock. Not daring to hold back any longer, they quickly pushed their speed to its maximum and shot off in the direction Yang Kai fled.
A moment later, two figures flew over and joined the pursuit. Obviously these two were Feng Biao and Yu Mo who noticed something had gone wrong and thus increased their pace.
The expressions of the two Saints were particularly awful, especially Yu Mo’s. It wasn’t until now that he realized that even in that brutal life or death battle with Di Xiao, Yang Kai had still been hiding his strength.
With the astonishing speed Yang Kai just displayed, it would have been easy for him to have Di Xiao dancing in the palm of his hand, but he had actually concealed it until just now; obviously he had done so in order to get his pursuers to lower their guard, giving him a chance to escape.
As a result, Yang Kai really managed to escape from his pursuers’ Divine Sense search range.
“That damn brat!” Yu Mo’s face twisted in anger as he cursed while continuing to chase after Yang Kai.
An hour later, the Transcendent Realm Demon Race masters who had been pursuing Yang Kai finally came to a stop. They had no idea which direction Yang Kai and the few Saint Realm masters had gone or any way to track them, so after letting out a few bitter sighs and curses, they turned around and headed back to Sand City.
Three thousand kilometers from Sand City, Yang Kai’s expression became gloomy.
He found that he had still underestimated the means of these Saint Realm masters. Although Yang Kai had already used his Wind and Thunder Wings to flee from the range of their Divine Senses, he could clearly tell that, using some unknown method, they were still actually chasing after him.
The Demon Land was vast, and Yang Kai wasn’t even sure where he was, so he could only chose to flee in a random direction and pray that he eventually left this place.
Yang Kai’s powerful Spiritual Energy played a vital role at this time; although his True Qi cultivation was only at the Second Order Transcendent Realm, his Spiritual Energy was no weaker than a Saint Realm master’s.
His Divine Sense’s strength was actually even greater than Feng Biao and Yu Mo’s, allowing him to grasp their location even when they couldn’t grasp his.
With this advantage to aid him, Yang Kai somehow managed to avoid populated regions and being discovered by other Demon Race masters, saving him a lot of unnecessary trouble.
After fleeing for a long time though, even Yang Kai began to feel fatigued. Whether it was physically or mentally, he had consumed a great deal of stamina, even An Ling’er’s face was dispirited, obviously tired out.
Repeatedly escaping and hiding, the pair still couldn’t get rid of Feng Biao and Yu Mo’s pursuit. The other Saint Realm masters had given up after chasing Yang Kai for a few days, but these two were like rabid dogs, swearing not to rest until they sank their teeth into their prey.
Feng Biao and Yu Mo, who both found the other unpleasing to the eye, even formed a kind of subtle camaraderie born of mutual hatred during this seemingly never ending chase.
Time flew by and soon half a month had passed, then one month…
Carrying An Ling’er with him, Yang Kai had now crossed hundreds of thousands of kilometers of the Demon Land. The only upside was that the Demonic Qi which constantly lingered in the air seemed to be getting thinner, causing Yang Kai to secretly rejoice, feeling like he had not chosen the wrong direction and that so long as he kept this up, they would soon be able to leave the Demon Land.
As long as they left the Demon Land, Feng Biao and Yu Mo would likely stop pursuing them.
With a renewed sense of hope, Yang Kai suddenly became full of energy.
One day though, as Yang Kai was soaring forward, his expression suddenly became solemn and he quickly came to a halt, staring fixedly at a patch of jungle in front of him.
From the direction he was staring, Yang Kai noticed the aura of a large number of masters seemingly concealing themselves while waiting in ambush.
When Yang Kai came to a stop, from the jungle below, a pair of cold eyes fixed onto him.
“Such a vigilant brat!” The Demon Race said in praise as a look of surprise flashing across his face. He and the people he had brought with him had perfectly concealed their auras and hidden themselves amongst the environment, but had unexpectedly still been discovered by their target.
“Still trying to act stealthy at this point? Just show yourselves!” Yang Kai observed for a moment before suddenly calling out.
The leader of this group of Demon Race masters grinned and no longer tried to conceal himself, soaring up into the air to face Yang Kai directly.
Observing this Demon Race master, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling somewhat suspicious. He had never met, or even seen this man before, but from the other side’s attitude, it was obvious he was waiting here for him and An Ling’er.
This person’s cultivation was also not weak, probably a Saint Realm master, and even if he wasn’t as strong as Feng Biao or Yu Mo, he wasn’t much worse. Behind this man, there were also a number of powerful masters who seemed to be curiously eyeing Yang Kai.
Hearing a rushing sound coming from behind him, Yang Kai’s face sank, realizing that Feng Biao and Yu Mo were quickly approaching.
Sure enough, a moment later, these two made dogs appeared and stopped close behind Yang Kai.
“Yu Mo, this is the human brat you said escaped from Sand City?” The Demon Race master in front stared at Yang Kai and casually asked.
With an ice cold expression, Yu Mo nodded and said, “Yeah!” Then turning to Yang Kai and cursing, “Damn brat, you really run fast! If I didn’t send word to City Lord Man to block your path, I’m afraid I really wouldn’t have been able to stop you!”
As he spoke, a look of deep hatred flashed across his eyes.
After receiving Xue Li’s orders, Yu Mo thought he would quickly be able to capture Yang Kai and return to Sand City, but after an entire month of pursuing the latter, not only was Yu Mo thoroughly exhausted, he had nearly failed his mission.
Right now, Yu Mo was feeling quite aggrieved and depressed, secretly swearing to himself to brutally torment Yang Kai the whole way back to Sand City after capturing him in order to vent the hatred in his heart.
After listening to Yu Mo, Yang Kai suddenly understood that, while chasing him, the other party had used some method to convey a message to this City Lord Man, telling the latter to set up an ambush here.
Yang Kai smiled bitterly. In the end, this was someone else’s territory. Although he had managed to escape for a while, he was finally blocked today. This was no doubt a hopeless situation.
As Yu Mo and City Lord Man were conversing, Feng Biao simply stood to the side, his eyes drifting back and forth, seemingly observing the situation.
He and Yu Mo’s purposes were different, his objective was to kill Yang Kai in order to complete the task given to him by Gou Qiong, but now that Yu Mo had called a helper, he suddenly felt that things had become difficult.
His eagerness to stir up trouble was not missed by Yu Mo and even City Lord Man could easily guess what he was thinking, the latter letting out a laugh as he said, “Isn’t this Feng Biao? Instead of staying in Qing Liao City and serving Sir Gou Qiong, you’ve actually come all the way out here to this remote wilderness. What do you plan to do?”
Yu Mo said lightly, “Feng Biao, I’m not interested in embarrassing you today, withdraw!”
Feng Biao coldly snorted before turning his gaze towards Yang Kai, glaring hatefully at him for a moment before turning back to Yu Mo, backing off a short distance, and faintly saying, “If you want to catch him, so be it, I won’t interfere, but everything that’s happened up till now, I will fully report to Sir Gou Qiong. I hope you can afford the consequences!”
Seeing Feng Biao take a stand, Yu Mo no longer spoke any nonsense with him, turning to Yang Kai and sneering, “Little brat, will you surrender without a fight, or do you want me to catch you? I’ll tell you in advance, if you chose the second option, you won’t get off with just some light injuries!”
“Are you so confident that you can catch me?” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Hearing this, City Lord Man’s eyes bulged for a moment before he snickered dismissively, “Yu Mo, what kind of background does this human kid have? His arrogance is simply heaven defying.”
In front of three Saint Realm masters, actually daring to spout such words, could it be this kid was messed up in the head?
“He has the capital to act so arrogant. Di Xiao was killed by him in the Death Arena of Sand City, one-on-one!” Yu Mo explained faintly.
“What?” City Lord Man was stunned, “Are you sure you aren’t mistaken? That Di Xiao was actually killed by him? He seems like he’s only a Second Order Transcendent!”
“I saw it with my own eyes, how could I be mistaken, and… when he killed Di Xiao, he was only a First Order Transcendent, after killing Di Xiao, he broke through to his present realm.”
“Is that true?” City Lord Man asked in disbelief, shocked to the point of speechlessness.
“Do you think Feng Biao and I would chase after him for an entire month if it wasn’t?” Yu Mo ground his teeth, “Fuck, don’t mention it any more, it’s shameful to even bring it up.”
“Ha ha ha ha!” City Lord Man burst into laughter, a look of ridicule appearing on his face, “You chased after him for a whole month yet still couldn’t catch him?”
As he laughed, his face suddenly became cold and he solemnly said, “If that’s the case, this little brat really must have some skill.”
Though City Lord Man seemed like a gruff and brutish person, he was no fool. He knew that given Yu Mo’s personality, there was no way he would be praising a human cultivator unless there was no other alternative.
Realizing this, City Lord Man immediately understood that there was probably something special about this human boy. Killing a Third Order Transcendent with only a First Order cultivation… No one from the Demon Race could accomplish this kind of feat. On top of that, the one who was killed was Di Xiao, a man who always killed people in higher realms than his own; this only further emphasized how absurd this human’s strength must be.
“Gu Man, this time I’ll have to bother you to take action while I stand guard!” Yu Mo glanced over at Feng Biao who was standing not far away, indicating that he obviously didn’t trust Feng Biao and was concerned the latter would try something once he saw an opening.
“No problem, I like destroying the pride and self-confidence of young brats, especially ones like this human… Hah, this will be fun!” Gu Man nodded casually, lifting his head arrogantly as he waved to his hand, “All of you go test his skill. Don’t get careless, I don’t want to have to collect your corpses if you screw up!”
The masters behind City Lord Man all snickered as they turned malicious stares towards Yang Kai.
Yu Mo frowned and faintly felt that this course of action was somewhat improper, but he soon felt that so many people dealing with Yang Kai shouldn’t be a problem so he made no attempt to stop them.
“City Lord, if we catch this human brat, can we get some kind of reward?” One of the masters suddenly asked, apparently wanting to extract some benefits from Gu Man.
“Rewards your ass! Father here was sent to the edge of the Demon Land by Sir Xue Li to serve as City Lord of this desolate waste yet you dare ask me to reward you? If you want something, ask Yu Mo,” Gu Man spat angrily.
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s eyes light up as his mouth curled into a slight grin.
Gu Man’s words were nothing but curses and complaints, but they had actually revealed a piece of information that made Yang Kai quite excited.
This place really was at the edge of the Demon Land! That meant that as long as he could escape from here, he could leave the Demon Land.
“Enough! After grabbing him are you still concerned you won’t get any benefits?” Yu Mo shouted, “Gu Man, you never change. If not, how could Sir Xue Li have sent you here? Your short-sightedness is the reason you never make any progress!”
Even after being insulted so, Gu Man didn’t get annoyed and just laughed heartily, “You heard that right? Yu Mo just said that there’ll be reward for catching him. What are you waiting for, hurry up you idiots!”
As soon as the masters behind Gu Man heard this, their auras became fierce as they directed menacing stares towards Yang Kai, quickly spreading out to surround him.
Yang Kai didn’t panic and simply observed his surroundings with cold eyes, secretly preparing to unleash his Spiritual Energy to release his Soul Devouring Insects and kill all the cultivators here below the Saint Realm!
Just as the two sides were on the verge of clashing though, An Ling’er suddenly shuddered and a look of fear and panic appeared on her pretty face, quickly pulling on Yang Kai’s clothes to get his attention.
“What happened?” Yang Kai brow rose slightly as he asked under his breath, thinking An Ling’er might have sensed the other side trying to pull some kind of trick he had missed.
However, An Ling’er’s beautiful eyes simply trembled as she gently lifted her finger and pointed to the distant horizon, “Over there!”
Unconsciously glancing in the direction she was pointing, everyone was immediately dumbstruck.
In the distance, where the sky met the earth, a thick and tumultuous dark cloud had suddenly appeared and was now rapidly approaching them. From this dark cloud an ominous and eerie aura that made one feel particularly uncomfortable and a potent yet somewhat incoherent Spiritual Energy radiated.
Everyone present paled slightly upon noticing this newcomer.
“Saintess Nan?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
“It must be!” An Ling’er gently nodded, her beautiful eyes becoming dim and gloomy.
“Fuck!” Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing under his breath. Whether it was being chased by Yu Mo and Feng Biao or being ambushed by Gu Man, Yang Kai was still able to maintain his calm because he still had cards to play. He believed that as long as he used his Devil Transformation, he could successfully bring An Ling’er and escape from here.
But at this critical moment, this never killing before death, after death slaughter a million corpses previous generation Saintess had actually appeared, disrupting all of Yang Kai’s plans and causing him a great deal of anxiety.
Yang Kai had already experienced Saintess Nan’s methods and knew that he was unable to resist her, even if he had broken through to the Second Order Transcendent Realm, he didn’t have any confidence he could flee from her.
Being able to escape from her hands last time was entirely thanks to the Void Corridor at the bottom of the sea, but now that Yang Kai had encountered Saintess Nan in this vast wilderness, there was no possibility of him fleeing successfully.
Yang Kai was agitated, but so were Feng Biao and Yu Mo.
They were both Saint Realm masters, so naturally they were able to sense how tyrannical the approaching person was. This was an existence that caused even them to feel dread.
Just what kind of powerful master would come to this remote place? Unable to understand, they both unconsciously glanced over towards Yang Kai, wanting to obtain some kind of clue from him.
“If you don’t want to die, I suggest you let us go, my reinforcements will be here soon!” Yang Kai looked at them coldly, trying his best to put on a calm appearance.
Seeing this though, Yu Mo just snickered, “If the one coming is your reinforcements, why are they directing murderous intent towards you and that woman you’re holding?”
Yang Kai curled his lips helplessly, knowing there was no way he could fool Yu Mo and the other Saints here.
“Boy, you sure know how to stir up trouble, actually provoking such a powerful enemy, you being able to live until today is nothing short of a miracle.”
“Do you think I intentionally go around making powerful enemies?” Yang Kai grumbled indignantly. If he hadn’t inadvertently learned those three Nine Heavens Divine Skills from An Ling’er and become stained with her aura, Saintess Nan wouldn’t be targeting him like this.
“Yu Mo, this aura of that person is a little weird…” Gu Man frowned as he carefully probed the approaching master, feeling that the Death Qi aura coming from them was far too heavy and that they lacked any kind of vitality a living person should have. Shaking his head, he asked, “What should we do?”
“Quickly capture this little brat first!” Yu Mo didn’t dare to delay and immediately tried to seize the initiative. No matter how odd this newcomer’s aura was, Yu Mo was certain they possessed terrifying strength. Even if he and Gu Man joined forces, it was unlikely they’d be able to defeat this person.
Delaying here would only bring them more troubles.
“Don’t bother, I’ll go with you!” Yang Kai said freely and easily, his attitude taking a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn. If he went with Yu Mo and the others, there was a chance he could survive, staying here would only mean certain death. Right now, he still didn’t have the ability to resist Saintess Nan!
“Seems you know your limits, boy,” Yu Mo nodded lightly, expressing satisfaction, but soon his look changed again, a bitter smile appearing on his face, “I’m afraid it’s too late though… this person is too fast!”
Just as these words left his lips, from the dark rolling cloud which was still a fair distance away, a hand seemingly carved of the finest jade stretched out towards them.
As this jade-like hand reached towards them, it grew larger and larger until eventually it seemed to cover the entire sky, blocking out all traces of light!
Heaven Covering Hand! The hand that can cover the Heavens.
The Demon Race masters all began cursing while Yang Kai hastily retreated from this place together with An Ling’er.
*Hong…*
The earth shook and the patch of jungle that Gu Man and the others had previous hidden in was blown away, leaving behind only a dozen kilometer long palm print.
It was as if the region had been struck by some kind of natural disaster, the wind whipped and sand and dust flew in every direction. A few of the Demon Race masters with bad luck were unable to escape and were flattened on the spot.
Everyone else, by pushing their strength to its limits, barely managed to avoid this calamity.
Yu Mo and Gu Man gathered together, both their faces unsightly. Even though the two of them already knew the strength of the approaching person was higher than their own, it wasn’t until the other side attacked that they discovered they had still underestimated this person.
Second Order Saint! This person had at least reached such a realm.
Standing mid-air, Yu Mo and Gu Man didn’t show any fighting intent, only wishing they could quickly flee from this place, but they didn’t dare make any rash movements because ever since that huge palm had been thrown at them, a powerful Divine Sense had locked onto their bodies. Once they tried to escape, they would certainly be greeted by a ruthless attack.
Both of them took a deep breath and turned their eyes towards a certain spot in the distance. From the direction they were staring, the graceful figure of a woman dressed in a long white dress was slowly approaching.
She had exquisite looks and a noble and holy temperament; a rare beauty.
But at the moment, her expression was faint, and there was a thick Death Qi between her brows, making her complexion appear somewhat dark.
From her, Yu Mo and Gu Man couldn’t feel the slightest trace of life.
As she walked forward, energy gathered at her slender fingertips, quickly shaping into sharp blades that shot towards everyone around her.
The Demon Race cultivators below the Saint Realm didn’t have the slightest ability to resist and within a few breaths had all been killed by this woman.
Seeing this, Gu Man’s eyes went red as he shouted, “Whore, you dare attack my, Gu Man’s people?”
Yu Mo also wore a gloomy expression as he shouted out, “Damn woman, not even saying a word before indiscriminately killing everyone in sight, don’t you think you’re going too far?”
Facing the angry roars of these two men, Saintess Nan didn’t respond at all and simply continued to leisurely step forward, her beautiful eyes not even blinking.
In his heart, Yang Kai cheered while maintaining a solemn look upon his face.
Saintess Nan was already dead and obviously wouldn’t respond no matter what Yu Mo and Gu Man said, so naturally Yang Kai was happy to sit back and watch them confront one another.
The only problem now was how to escape from this previous generation Saintess. Even if Yu Mo and Gu Man worked together to intercept her, Yang Kai estimated that they wouldn’t be able to block her for long!
Still standing in mid-air, as they watched Saintess Nan approach, the hairs on Yu Mo and Gu Man’s necks all stood on end, the two of them quickly exchanging a glance before condensing their strength.
They knew that today, they could not avoid fighting this woman.
Even Feng Biao, who had so far been sitting back and observing, began to prepare himself. He too had been locked onto by Saintess Nan’s Divine Sense, so if he wanted to live, he could only temporarily join forces with Yu Mo and Gu Man to resist her.
The three First Order Saints immediately gathered together and relaxed slightly, even if they couldn’t defeat Saintess Nan, working together, they shouldn’t have too much trouble escaping her.
A moment later, when Saintess Nan had approached within three hundred meters of them, a thick Demonic Qi burst out from the three Demon Race Saints, each of them using their full strength to launch a pre-emptive strike.
In response, a giant sword appeared in the sky and immediately slashed down towards the three Demon Race Saints, carrying with it an earth shattering power.
Profound Heavenly Sword!
This giant sword projected an overwhelming power causing Yu Mo, Gu Man, and Feng Biao to tremble in fear.
The three Saint Realm masters from the Demon Race didn’t know anything about their opponent and instantly found themselves embroiled in a difficult struggle with Saintess Nan.
Although there were three of them, Saintess Nan’s cultivation was higher than their own by a Minor Realm so she wasn’t at any kind of disadvantage.
Seeing this, Yang Kai was overjoyed.
Without a word, he quickly pulled An Ling’er and began escaping!
“That damned brat…” Yu Mo saw this but couldn’t do anything about it, grinding his teeth angrily. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to complete his task this time and thus directed his anger towards Saintess Nan, even summoning his Saint Grade artifact and launching one ruthless blow after another towards her.
After the time it would take to burn half a stick of incense , Yang Kai and An Ling’er had managed to flee about a hundred kilometers, but with this much distance between them, they could still feel the fallout from the battle of the four Saint Realm masters, causing them a bit of lingering fear.
Yang Kai had always felt that there was some kind of fundamental difference between the Saint Realm and Transcendent Realm. Yang Kai sensed that the energy flowing in every one of the Saint Realm masters he had met was somewhat different from the True Qi flowing through his meridians.
Not having arrived at such a height, Yang Kai didn’t know much about the secrets of the Saint Realm, so he could only wait and ask about it later.
“Ah…” An Ling’er suddenly shouted, narrowing her eyes as she stared towards a spot in the distance, seemingly sensing something.
At the same time, Yang Kai’s expression also sank. Using his Divine Sense, he had discovered several tyrannical presences in front of them that were rapidly approaching!
The auras of these people were no weaker than Yu Mo’s and one of them was even comparable to Saintess Nan’s!
In this remote wilderness, suddenly encountering so many Saint Realm masters was not something Yang Kai could simply ignore!
Just as Yang Kai wanted to draw An Ling’er away from the approaching masters, the latter suddenly smiled and her expression relaxed, “It’s my Holy Land’s people!”
“Ah?” Yang Kai was shocked.
“We’re saved, it must be a team led by Great Elder Xu Hui!”
Hearing what An Ling’er just said, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled. Calling all of this a coincidence was a bit of a stretch. However, when he thought about it, if it really was a group of masters from Nine Heavens Holy Land, they only needed to follow Saintess Nan and they could sooner or later find An Ling’er, the premise being that An Ling’er was still alive of course.
Yang Kai’s first instinct was to escape. He really didn’t want to have any contact with the people from Nine Heavens Holy Land, but as soon as this idea came up, he immediately dismissed it.
If he were to suddenly flee at this time, it would only cause the approaching group of masters to be suspicious. Also, Yang Kai wasn’t sure what Saintess Nan would do after he separated from An Ling’er. If Saintess Nan were to disregard Yu Mo and the other Demon Race Saints and instead chase after him, he wouldn’t be able to resist. In this situation, Yang Kai’s safest choice was undoubtedly to meet with the masters ahead.
“An Ling’er…” Yang Kai suddenly whispered.
“Hm?”
“During this time, how have I treated you?”
“How have you treated me?” An Ling’er was stunned by this question, quickly recalling the events of the past few months, her cheeks blushing slight as she replied softly, “Very good.”
Whether it was the exploration of the Ancient Ruins, the time spent in the Mysterious Small World, or their stay in the Demon Land, Yang Kai had always taken very good care of her. Even during the times it was difficult for him alone to escape he had never abandoned her, the two of them sharing trials and tribulations together for nearly a year. An Ling’er has long ago regarded Yang Kai as someone she could trust with her life.
“Then do me a favour. When we meet your Holy Land’s people, don’t mention anything about me becoming a Holy Master candidate or about me learning three of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills from you!”
“You don’t want to become Holy Master?” An Ling’er clearly understood Yang Kai’s intentions behind this request.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “I’ve told you many times before, even if I don’t become your Holy Master, I can still reach that height. If I become your Holy Land’s Holy Master, I’m afraid it won’t even be three hundred years before I become a pile of bones! I absolutely reject that kind of future as it will make many people sad!”
“Would those people happen to be women?” An Ling’er whispered, his voice containing a hint of bitterness.
“*Ahem*… only one or two…” Yang Kai’s face became awkward.
“Good, since you so firmly reject the idea, I won’t say any more. When we reach a safe place, you should find a way to leave on your own, I don’t think Great Elder and the others will try to embarrass you,” An Ling’er pursed her lips slightly.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, his pace remaining unchanged, flying straight ahead to rendezvous with the approaching group of masters.
As the two were speaking, several power Divine Senses swept towards them. After only a brief examination, these Divine Senses revealed a hint of joy and excitement, clearly identifying An Ling’er’s life aura.
A few moments later, a few indistinct figures appeared in Yang Kai’s eyes and from the distance a voice called out, “Is that you, Your Highness Saintess?”
“Great Elder!” An Ling’er responded quickly.
“It really is Your Highness Saintess!” The figures immediately sped up and in the blink of an eye arrived in front of Yang Kai and An Ling’er.
Four Saints!
Leading this group was the so called Great Elder Xu Hui, the one An Ling’er said was a Second Order Saint no worse than Saintess Nan. He was a slightly older man with sharp eyes and a temperate demeanor.
Behind him, there were three other Saints, which should be masters from Nine Heavens Holy Land.
This kind of tyrannical lineup showed just how rich Nine Heavens Holy Land’s heritage was; after all, if the old Holy Master and Saintess Nan were still alive, there would be two more top level masters in this Holy Land.
Soaring Heaven Sect was considered a powerful force, but it only had two Saint Realm masters, Chu Ling Xiao and another old Martial Uncle Yang Kai had never met before.
Compared to Nine Heavens Holy Land, Soaring Heaven Sect was a bit weaker.
With this kind of background, Nine Heavens Holy Land could be considered an extremely powerful and influential force in Tong Xuan Realm, but after the old Holy Master and Saintess Nan fell, Nine Heavens Holy Land’s strength should have fallen greatly.
“This is surely the blessings of the Old Holy Master’s soul in Heaven. Your Highness Saintess is really safe!” Xu Hui quickly cupped his fists and bowed, looking as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. The other three masters also showed similar expressions. It was obvious how worried they were about An Ling’er’s safety, quickly inquiring about her wellbeing the moment they met her.
An Ling’er waved her hand lightly and assured them she was alright.
As they spoke, the eyes of Great Elder Xu Hui suddenly shifted to Yang Kai, a look of approval flashing across his face as he asked, “Then this should be the future Holy Master?”
Yang Kai’s face changed slightly, his brow furrowing. This old man saying such words the moment they met had caught him off guard.
An Ling’er was also taken aback and quickly shook her head, “No, Great Elder, you’re mistaken…”
“Ho ho, Your Highness Saintess doesn’t have to explain, everything that happened back in the Seven Family Alliance’s archipelago, we have heard about from Qian Ning!” Xu Hui quickly said, revealing a look of appreciation and satisfaction, “So young yet able to comprehend several Nine Heavens Divine Skills all at once, this is a feat no previous Holy Master has ever achieved.”
Yang Kai was even more shocked now, but he managed to maintain an indifferent expression, showing no intention to speak.
Instead, it was An Ling’er who asked anxiously, “Did Uncle Qian survive?”
Back in that remote archipelago, in order to buy time for Yang Kai and An Ling’er to get away, Qian Ning and the other Nine Heavens Holy Land masters had launched a suicide attack against Saintess Nan. Yang Kai witnessed Saintess Nan kill these masters, leaving not even bones behind, so logically there was no way they could have survived.
Indeed, Xu Hui shook his head and explained, “He died, everyone from that expedition team, with the exception of Your Highness Saintess, died; however, before he fell, Qian Ning managed to send out a message. It was because of this that we learned that the future Holy Master had been found. Ever since then, we have been chasing after Saintess Nan, hoping we would one day find the two of you!”
This was basically the same as what Yang Kai guessed had happened, but when he thought about Qian Ning, he couldn’t help grinding his teeth. If he was determined to die then he should have just died, but in his last moments he had actually caused so much trouble. His death really wasn’t worth pitying!
An Ling’er snuck a peek at Yang Kai, and seeing the unhappy look on his face, she couldn’t help worrying, uncertain of what she should do in this situation.
“This isn’t a place we should stay for long, we must quickly leave!” Xu Hui quickly swept his eyes around as he hurriedly urged.
The other Saints also nodded in agreement.
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled and finally spoke, “Saintess Nan… do you plan to just ignore her?”
Xu Hui smiled awkwardly and replied, “Saying this will likely make you laugh, but I may not be Saintess Nan’s opponent, so even if we want to stop her, we can’t!”
“Then, from now on, she will always chase after me and An Ling’er?” Yang Kai said in a disgruntled tone.
“Once we return to the Holy Land that won’t be an issue. Once you enter the Holy Land, Saintess Nan will no longer pursue,” One of the other Saint Realm masters quickly said.
“That is why we must swiftly return to the Holy Land!” Xu Hui explained, speaking as politely as possible to Yang Kai, seemingly quite respectful towards him.
The other Saints also showed a polite attitude, so although Yang Kai was unhappy about this situation and didn’t want to have anything to do with Nine Heavens Holy Land, for now he could only agree to follow them back.
Yang Kai decided to observe the situation for now. If on the road things took a turn for the worse, he would immediately separate from this group and not appear before anyone from Nine Heavens Holy Land until he fully matured.
But Xu Hui and the other Saints here knew he had studied several of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, so Yang Kai worried they wouldn’t easily let him leave, causing him quite some headache.
Seeing him not object, Xu Hui’s expression relaxed and quickly wrapped Yang Kai and An Ling’er in his True Qi before flying off.
A short time later, their group left the Demon Land.
Saintess Nan’s Divine Sense, which had been locked onto Yang Kai and An Ling’er, was also cut off because of the increasing distance.
It was only now that Yang Kai breathed a slight sigh of relief.
As they flew along, Xu Hui appeared calm and composed, but in reality, he was secretly observing Yang Kai, a sense of amazement filling his heart as he did.
He could see that An Ling’er seemed to care deeply about Yang Kai, and not as a Saintess concerned about a future Holy Master, but as a woman concerned about a man. From time to time, when Yang Kai revealed a sullen or dignified expression, An Ling’er would appear panicked and her pulse would race.
This future Holy Master… was really quite extraordinary!
Who An Ling’er was, Xu Hui knew better than anyone else. Which Saintess cultivated by the Holy Land didn’t have eyes atop their head? This future Holy Master actually being able to so quickly capture Her Highness Saintess’ heart fully explained how great his charm and methods were.
From this point alone, it could be seen this young man had gained Her Highness Saintess’ full approval.
What was even more commendable though was this young man’s cultivation, he was actually already a Second Order Transcendent!
All this time, Xu Hui had been speculating about what kind of cultivation the future Holy Master currently had, feeling like it wouldn’t matter even if he was only reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary. With the Holy Land resources and dedicated cultivation, it would only take a few dozen years for him to reach the peak of the Martial Dao, but reality had given Xu Hui a pleasant surprise.
Such a young Second Order Transcendent was a rarity throughout the entire continent.
Thinking about the message left by Qian Ning before his death, Xu Hui couldn’t help but smile. The more he looked at Yang Kai, the more pleasing he appeared to the eye.
“Right, Your Highness Saintess, how did you escape from the Seven Family Alliance archipelago? As far as I know, that entire island chain was destroyed by Saintess Nan and there were almost no survivors!” Xu Hui asked curiously
An Ling’er glanced over at and upon seeing him nod, she began narrating what happened in the Ancient Ruins beneath the sea.
“A Void Corridor?” Xu Hui brow rose, celebrating in the next breath, “The Heavens truly must be blessing my Holy Land. So, when you came out of the Void Corridor, you found yourselves in the Demon Land?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded quickly, fearing An Ling’er would let slip what happened in the Mysterious Small World, “After arriving in the Demon Land, we accidentally fell into the hands of Xue Li and only managed to escape a few days ago!”
“Demon General Xue Li?” Xu Hui paled at the mere mention of this name, the other three Saints also showing looks of shock, as if they couldn’t believe Yang Kai and An Ling’er could actually escape from such a master, causing them to greatly admire this pair of juniors.
All of them couldn’t help thinking to themselves at that moment that if they fell into the hands of Xue Li, they would certainly have become prisoners for the rest of their lives.
Thinking so, the Saint Realm masters of Nine Heavens Holy Land treated Yang Kai, this future Holy Master, even more respectfully.
Flying past famous mountains and rivers, Xu Hui and the other Saints never once slowed down, crossing several tens of thousands of kilometers every day, having long escaped from Saintess Nan’s pursuit.
On the way, Xu Hui casually inquired about Yang Kai’s origins. Upon learning that he was actually from Soaring Heaven Sect, Xu Hui felt a little surprised.
Soaring Heaven Sect was also considered a powerful force; however, it was quite far from Nine Heavens Holy Land so they had next to no interactions with one another.
“Soaring Heaven Sect also recently experienced a massive increase in strength; it seems that they all of a sudden had four new Saints.” At the mention of Soaring Heaven Sect, one of the old men from the Nine Heavens Holy Land team couldn’t help shouting, “Right now, their overall strength may actually be above our Holy Land.”
“Four new Saints?” Yang Kai smiled slightly upon hearing these words, immediately thinking of Cang Yan, Fei Yu, and his other Martial Uncles. It seems like the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower from Floating Clouds City really helped them break through.
“I also heard about that, it is said that those four went to Floating Clouds City along with an Alchemist nearly two years ago to compete for the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid… If I remember correctly, the Alchemist who accompanied them was a young man. En, his description is somewhat similar to the future Holy Master!” Saying so, Xu Hui turned a meaningful look towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s expression however remained indifferent, as if he simply hadn’t heard what was said. Right now, no matter what Yang Kai said, it would only cause more suspicion; this old man Xu Hui had obviously already had some guesses of his own.
However, this old man wasn’t malicious towards him, so Yang Kai was temporarily not worried.
Seeing Yang Kai not respond, Xu Hui just smiled lightly, “There’s no need to envy others. My Holy Land has a new Holy Master, so it won’t be long before our strength recovers to its peak, possibly even growing beyond that!”
“Yes, that’s right!” The crowd quickly shouted out in agreement, all of them seeming to have great expectations for Yang Kai.
Yang Kai frowned at this and solemnly said, “Seniors, I have no desire to inherit the position of Holy Master. Once we reach a safe place, I plan to leave.”
“Ah?” Xu Hui was stunned, “You don’t wish to become Holy Master?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I have already spoken with An Ling’er about this many times. I learned three of your Nine Heavens Divine Skills without understanding the implications of doing so. From now on, I can swear not to use these three Divine Skills.”
“This…” A few people suddenly found themselves unable to say anything.
An Ling’er bit her lip lightly and added, “I have a lot of responsibility for this matter, he did not intentionally learn my Holy Land’s Divine Skills, if you wish to blame someone, please only blame me.”
Xu Hui frowned, glancing back and forth between Yang Kai and An Ling’er, his thoughts were unreadable. Suddenly smiling, he said, “Let’s not discuss this matter right now. Seeing how little brother is from Soaring Heaven Sect, we will not embarrass you. If it is convenient, let us first return to the Holy Land so we may properly entertain little brother. After having a look at the Holy Land with your own eyes, if little brother still insists on leaving, we won’t force you to remain!”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed and knew that in front of so many Saint Realm masters he couldn’t just refuse.
Once he rejected their offer, it was likely they would instead use forceful means to detain him. Although they wouldn’t harm him, they would definitely find a way to bring him back to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Xu Hui had already made the biggest concession he could here. Given his status and strength, if he really decided to force Yang Kai to come with them, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to resist, this alone illustrated Xu Hui’s sincerity.
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded lightly, wanting to avoid any further disputes for the time being.
Seeing him agree like this, An Ling’er couldn’t help showing a happy smile.
The group continued forward.
Different from the previous harmonious atmosphere though, after learning that Yang Kai did not intend to become the new Holy Master, Xu Hui and the other three Saints suddenly fell silent, constantly meeting eyes while exchanging messages with their Divine Senses, seemingly discussing something.
Yang Kai noticed this but pretended not to.
A short time later, the four Saints suddenly began chattering incessantly, describing the power and heritage of Nine Heavens Holy Land, obviously trying to seduce Yang Kai by explaining all the benefits he could receive by becoming Holy Master.
Yang Kai allowed them to carry on until their tongues grew tired, treating their words like the passing wind, never showing the slightest bit of interest, causing Xu Hui and the others to feel somewhat helpless.
However, from their descriptions, Yang Kai gained a better understanding of just how monstrous this force was.
Although each Nine Heavens Holy Land Holy Master did not live a long life, every one of them became a peak Third Order Saint.
As long as it possessed a Third Order Saint, any force would be considered a top force.
Moreover, the way the Holy Master cultivated was different from ordinary cultivators. Inside the Holy Land, there were some places where only the Holy Master could enter. In these sacred grounds, the Holy Master’s strength would grow extremely quickly. How this worked though was something of a mystery to Xu Hui and the other Saints.
With multiple Saintesses assisting him cultivation, as many as eight and as few as three, it was difficult for each Holy Master’s strength to not improve rapidly. Every Saintess was carefully selected, each one possessing superior aptitude and beauty. These Saintess were also completely obedient towards their Holy Master.
It could be said that as long as one became Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, not only could he enjoy having three wives and four concubines, but he could also rise to the peak of this world in terms of strength and status.
The only drawback was limited longevity!
Not only was the lifespan of each Holy Master short, so too were the lives of his Saintesses.
The previous Holy Master originally had six Saintesses, but over the past fifty years, five of them had fallen, leaving behind only Saintess Nan.
When the old Holy Master died, Saintess Nan also fell.
The previous generation’s Holy Master and Saintess had all passed on, so now all hope for the Holy Land was pinned on Yang Kai and An Ling’er. How could Xu Hui and the others possibly allow Yang Kai to so easily leave?
“Great Elder, what about Xiao Lian and the others?” An Ling’er realized something from Xu Hui’s words and couldn’t help asking.
Xu Hui’s expression immediately became gloomy, and he hesitated for a while before replying, “All of them died. Of this generation’s four Saintesses, only you remain, the other three were killed by Saintess Nan!”
“Ah…” An Ling’er cover her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.
She had held out some hope that her sisters had also found appropriate candidates to become the new Holy Master which would allow Great Elder Xu Hui to not force Yang Kai into the position, but those hopes were dashed now by this sad news.
But thinking about it carefully, none of the Saintess’ teams had a Saint Realm master with them, so once they were discovered by Saintess Nan, there would be no way they could escape.
She was extremely fortunate to have met Yang Kai and to have coincidentally learned about the existence of a Void Corridor. If not for those two strokes of luck, her fate would likely have been the same as her three sister Saintesses.
“I am deeply sorry, Your Highness Saintess!” Xu Hui quickly consoled, “As such, the Holy Land’s future depends on the two of you.”
Saying so, he quickly turned to face Yang Kai, “Little brother, please excuse this old master for being so frank, but if little brother refuses to accept the position of Holy Master, I’m afraid within a hundred years the Holy Land will disappear.”
Xu Hui’s words were spoken in a very earnest and dignified tone.
The other three Saints also quickly pleaded, “We too must ask little brother to accept our rude request, the Holy Land’s inheritance cannot end with our generation!”
Yang Kai gently sighed as he stared off into the distance, “The tides rise and fall, flowers blossom and wilt, such is the way of the world. No force can survive forever, even someone as strong as the Great Demon God has faded into the annals of history. And… someone suited to become Holy Master are not limited to just me are they? It’s just that An Ling’er has not found another candidate yet.”
“Little brother apparently doesn’t know the whole story, otherwise you would not say such words. Each of our Holy Land’s Saintesses can only choose one candidate to become the next Holy Master, once she had chosen, she will never be able to sense another potential candidate!”
“What you mean to say is that in this world, only I can become your new Holy Master?” Yang Kai frowned, suddenly feeling like the situation had become difficult.
Xu Hui and the others all nodded solemnly.
“If little brother does not agree, then our Nine Heavens Holy Land can only wait for its demise!”
“Little brother, we beg of you, please inherit the position of Holy Master!”
“Don’t try to force me, forcing me will make me angry!” Yang Kai shot them a stern look.
Xu Hui’s expression changed and quickly waved his hands, “We wouldn’t dare!”
Seeing Yang Kai growing impatient, An Ling’er quickly said, “Didn’t Great Elder just say we wouldn’t discuss this matter for now, why are you bringing it up again?”
Xu Hui smiled awkwardly as he said embarrassedly, “This old man was impatient just now, please don’t mind me. Little brother, let us first return to the Holy Land and allow little brother to experience our Holy Land’s culture and livelihood. This old man will certainly entertain you well.”
“En, at this pace we should arrive within three to five days,” Another person quickly chimed in.
Beautiful scenery all around, extremely rich World Energy, subtle barriers and formations scattered in and around the surrounding mountains, isolating this stretch of land from the outside world.
Nine Heavens Holy Land!
This ancient force had exited for countless centuries, leaving behind an illustrious history. Its strength was outstanding, with few Sects throughout Tong Xuan Realm being its equal.
However, when Yang Kai arrived here for the first time, he felt that this Holy Land was submerged in a somber atmosphere, probably because the old Holy Master had died and the new Holy Master had yet to appear.
Nine Heavens Holy Land, like Soaring Heaven Sect, was situated amongst a mountain range, but unlike Soaring Heaven Sect’s Hundred Peaks Formation, Nine Heavens Holy Land only had a Nine Peaks Formation.
Although this number was relatively small, the arrangement of these nine mountains had a great agreement with the Heavenly Way, so the Spirit Array based on them was no worse than Soaring Heaven Sect’s; in fact, it was even stronger.
Whether it was defensive strength, or the rate at which it gathered World Energy, this Nine Peaks Formation was superior to the Hundreds Peaks Formation.
Amidst these nine spirit peaks, beautiful palaces were scattered about, providing enough shelter for over ten thousand disciples. The entire Nine Heavens Holy Land was like a paradise, brimming with life and vitality.
When Xu Hui and the other Saints brought Yang Kai and An Ling’er back to the Holy Land, they didn’t bother concealing themselves and instead landed right in the centre of the Holy Land’s great square, as if trying to announce their presence. The old man then leading the way towards a magnificent palace.
On both sides of the road, a large number of the Holy Land’s disciples rushed over to respectfully greet Xu Hui and the other Saints.
Upon seeing An Ling’er’s figure, these disciples would all loudly and enthusiastically call her name while wearing near fanatically expressions regardless of whether they were male, female, young, or old.
As the only unfamiliar face, Yang Kai also gathered a fair amount of attention.
Such a young man, being respectfully escorted by Great Elder Xu Hui and the other Sect Elders, it was easy for these Holy Land disciples to infer this newcomer’s identity.
Whispers immediately spread throughout the crowd as the various disciples of Nine Heavens Holy Land quietly pointed to Yang Kai, all of them spiritedly discussing whether this youth was the new Holy Master the Saintess had found, their faces filled with a mix of excitement and curiosity.
It was as if as long as Yang Kai succeeded the position of Holy Master, Nine Heavens Holy Land would be saved!
Those who had slightly better vision and had determined the truth of the matter even began respectfully cupping their fists and bowing to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai on the other hand showed no response, remaining as indifferent as always.
Xu Hui and the other Saints secretly nodded their heads upon seeing this, their evaluation of Yang Kai rising even further.
Although Yang Kai was a disciple of Soaring Heaven Sect, he was still a young man; they had deliberately led him along this path to allow him to experience the wealth and prosperity of the Holy Land as well as evaluate the strength of its disciples. However, even in the face of all of this, Yang Kai had not shown any signs of panic or fluster and remained perfectly calm, as if he had experienced great winds and waves, allowing Xu Hui and the other Saints to hold him in high esteem.
This future Holy Master’s mental strength and temperament were both extraordinary!
Xu Hui and the others all silently exchanged glances, becoming even more determined to make this youth inherit the position of Holy Master.
The entire way was filled with great hustle and bustle.
In front of Yang Kai was a grand palace built of precious stone with many magnificent columns upon which were carved vivid images of dragons and phoenixes.
When they arrived here, Xu Hui turned around and waved his hand gently.
The spectating Holy Land disciples saw this and quickly dispersed, each of them still carrying much curiosity and doubt in their hearts, wondering who this unnamed youth was and whether or not he would inherit the position of Holy Master and save the Holy Land from its current predicament.
“Little brother, please!” Xu Hui lowered his head slightly in a respectful manner.
Yang Kai sighed reluctantly and frowned, “Senior, I have simply come to the Holy Land as a guest, is there any need to be so formal?”
Hearing this, Xu Hui understood that Yang Kai was still reluctant to accept the Holy Land, smiling lightly as he nodded, “What little brother said is right, let us go together.”
“En.”
Once inside the palace, under the arrangement of Xu Hui, everyone was seated around a magnificent table and soon, a grand banquet was prepared. Just from looking at it, it was clear that Xu Hui and the other Elders were giving Yang Kai a welcoming reception.
At the banquet, Yang Kai didn’t show any urgency or nervousness, as if he was just an ordinary passerby, only exchanging a few toasts with Xu Hui while enjoying the lively scene.
Yang Kai found that it was actually quite easy to get along with this old man as long as the latter didn’t mention anything about the Holy Land or Holy Master.
Xu Hui’s strength was high and his background was not shallow, but he was still friendly and approachable; however, Yang Kai knew that this was because this old man was trying to build a good rapport. If Yang Kai was just some other youth, it was unlikely Xu Hui would be behaving so patiently with him.
As wine was served, a group of young girls were called in to perform various songs and dances.
These girls were all quite beautiful and wore thin, yet tasteful robes, revealing just enough to entice one’s fantasies. With a variety of temperaments, yet all showing a refined grace, these young girls were a dazzling sight to behold.
Yang Kai appreciated this show very much but his vision remained clear throughout, without the slightest obscene light.
Sitting beside him, An Ling’er saw this and couldn’t help smiling with satisfaction.
After some excitement, the banquet wound down and Xu Hui and the others also took their leave, never once mentioning anything about the Holy Master position to Yang Kai, appointing a maidservant to lead him to his room.
Yang Kai was taken to a giant room in one of the palace’s wings, its floor covered in luxurious carpeting and its walls decorated with exquisite stones which provided soft lighting. There was an incense burner in its centre that gave off a gentle scent that caused one to relax and feel their tension melt away.
“Young Lord, do you wish to bathe? There is a large pool in the adjacent room with warm water already prepared,” The maidservant asked softly.
Yang Kai glanced over at her briefly before slowly shaking his head and signaling for her to draw back.
The maidservant politely nodded, bowed, and then retired.
After waiting for this young girl to leave, Yang Kai walked over to the door, opened it, and looked at the somewhat hesitant An Ling’er who was outside, “Why are you just standing out here, come inside?”
“Ah… en…” An Ling’er nodded and slowly stepped inside.
“You came at just the right time, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Yang Kai said, grabbing hold of An An Ling’er’s hand and bringing her over to the bed.
An Ling’er’s face blushed slightly but she didn’t put up any resistance and simply let Yang Kai lead her around.
A moment later, sitting on the edge of the bed, she wore a somewhat flustered expression but still managed to maintain her calm.
Yang Kai also sat down on the bed, turned to look at her, and smiled bitterly, “Xu Hui showing me off to your Holy Land’s disciples and bringing in a group of dancers to seduce me. Obviously, he doesn’t have any good intentions.”
“Great Elder just wants you to inherit the position of Holy Master, why do you make it sound so insidious? Also, those girls weren’t mere dancers, they are all excellent disciples of my Holy Land who have gone through a strict selection process. Only when the most distinguished of guests arrive will they be called out to perform,” An Ling’er bit her lip gentle, a slight bit of resentment appearing on her face as she asked once more, “You really don’t want to become Holy Master?”
“I don’t!” Yang Kai shook his head firmly before wrinkling his brow, “Tell me honestly, is what Xu Hui said before really true?”
“What?”
“After you chose me, you can no longer choose another.”
An Ling’er paused for a moment before gently nodding.
“Your Holy Land is really strange, regardless of how you think about it, I’m just an outsider; how can you hand over such an important position like Holy Master to a strange? Why don’t you just select a candidate from within your own ranks?”
An Ling’er simply smiled softly, “This has been our custom since ancient times. I think you’ve heard by now that every Holy Master of our Holy Land has been brought back by us Saintesses from the outside world, yes?”
“En.”
“While that is basically the case, there was one exception… If I recall correctly, the Holy Land’s ancient records state that about nine hundred years ago, the new Holy Master was actually a disciple of the Holy Land. At that time, several Saintesses reacted to him so he was chosen as the new Holy Master, but since then, such a situation has not occurred again. Haa… if a disciple of the Holy Land could become the next Holy Master, we Saintesses wouldn’t have had to go out searching for candidates, then Xiao Lian and them…” Suddenly recalling the fate of her sisters, An Ling’er’s eyes became slightly red.
“I’m sorry…” Yang Kai stuttered awkwardly, not knowing how he should comfort her.
An Ling’er rubbed her eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down, hesitating for a moment before continuing, “If you insist on not becoming Holy Master… I will help you speak to Great Elder and the others.”
“Don’t bother, you’ll just be wasting your time,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Since Xu Hui has already determined that I am the only possible candidate now, no matter what you say, it won’t work.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know…” Yang Kai sighed helplessly. Although Xu Hui wouldn’t dare use too forceful of an approach, he also wouldn’t give up no matter what, causing Yang Kai no small headache.
If it weren’t for the life of each Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land being so short, Yang Kai probably wouldn’t have any problem inheriting the position. After becoming Holy Master and increasing his strength to a certain point, he could just clean up Xu Hui to solve the grudge in his heart.
But the drawbacks of inheriting the position of Holy Master were enough to put Yang Kai off.
An Ling’er looked somewhat embarrassed, her brow knitting slightly as she whispered, “Regardless of anything else, you should stay here for a while. Saintess Nan may be waiting outside, it’s not safe for you to leave right now. Wait a few days and then take a look at the situation again.”
“Good, it seems that’s the only choice,” Yang Kai nodded, “Right, I’ll have to trouble you to send a message to Soaring Heaven Sect telling them that I am well so they don’t worry.”
“Rest assured, I’ll certainly relay your message,” An Ling’er nodded.
“Thank you.”
“No need to be polite…” An Ling’er smiled, her mood becoming slightly better, leisurely standing up as she said, “Then you rest for now, I’ll head back first. If you need anything, just tell me, I’ll let Xu Hui arrange it for you.”
After An Ling’er left, Yang Kai’s expression became solemn as he quietly released his Divine Sense into his surroundings.
As Yang Kai expected, the palace had a large number of masters hidden just outside, quietly monitoring his every move.
Yang Kai snickered but didn’t care, he knew that Xu Hui would make sure of such arrangements.
However, he had no plans to leave Nine Heavens Holy Land right for the moment. Just as An Ling’er said, Saintess Nan may be waiting outside. Leaving the Nine Peaks barrier now would be akin to walking into a death trap.
Before he could come up with some practical way to evade Saintess Nan, Yang Kai didn’t want to act rashly.
The people of Nine Heavens Holy Land didn’t have any malicious intent towards him, they simply wanted him to assume the position of Holy Master. So long as he continued to stubbornly refuse, they probably would have no way to force him. In short, this was a battle of wills.
In the meantime, Yang Kai felt he could take advantage of this opportunity to consolidate his cultivation after his most recent breakthrough. Having decided on his short term course of action, Yang Kai’s mood noticeable improved.
Using his Divine Sense to penetrate every inch of his body, Yang Kai carefully examined all the changes his True Qi and physique had undergone. After breaking through to the Second Order Transcendent Realm, Yang Kai felt that his True Qi’s density and purity had improved significantly once again.
In that last life or death fight, his physical body had also become sturdier.
His Spiritual Energy had also undergone a kind of sublimation. Under the constant nourishment of the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, the growth Yang Kai’s Soul had experienced as a result of this breakthrough was quite gratifying.
Right now, Yang Kai felt that even in a frontal collision, his Spiritual Energy strength wouldn’t be weaker than that of a First Order Saint.
Coupled with the potency of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, if an ordinary First Order Saint really tried to fight with him in this way, Yang Kai felt he would be the one to come out on top.
This comprehensive rise in strength greatly increased Yang Kai’s confidence. This past year filled with setbacks and misfortune had been like a driving force pushing him to become stronger.
Any master, in a life or death battle, would be able to gain insights he would otherwise be unable to acquire. Only by pushing oneself to the edge of death could some things be understood.
It could be said that every true master had experienced many life or death situations, allowing them to temper their spirit, which in turn gave them the will to survive and pursue greater heights of the Martial Dao.
The spoilt children who grew up in greenhouses, sheltered from such trials and tribulations, would no doubt be able to advance smoothly and rapidly upon the road paved for them, but upon encountering even the slightest setback, would become lost and fade from glory.
Yang Kai obviously belonged to the former type. Since he began to cultivate, his path had been filled with thorns, and only by dragging his broken and bloodied body through many life and death crises had he achieved strength far beyond his peers.
Everything Yang Kai now possessed had been won through his own efforts, his strength the result of steadfast determination and hard work, not just luck.
Realizing all of this, Yang Kai’s mentality had gradually undergone some subtle changes, becoming more confident and feeling that as long as he was given enough time, he could rise to the peak of the Martial Dao and overlook all mortal beings.
Calming himself, Yang Kai continued to examine the changes in his body.
What surprised him the most was that the golden blood flowing through his veins seemed to be much more concentrated than before.
Both Li Rong and Han Fei had said that once his blood become completely golden in colour, it would be equivalent to him possessing the blood of the Great Demon God and would allow him to manifest the Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities.
The Great Demon God was a legendary figure, a man recognized by the Three Clans as the first master under Heaven. During his time, no one dared to challenge his majesty.
The wondrous uses of the Demon God’s Golden Blood were endless. It was because the Demon God’s Blood flowed through his veins that Yang Kai’s body was so study and his physical strength had reached such an astonishing height.
Yang Kai could hardly imagine how strong his physique would become once the transformation of his blood was complete.
The reason the Ancient Demon Clan’s bodies were so formidable was because they had inherited some blood from the Great Demon God. Compared to them though, Yang Kai’s golden blood was undoubtedly the most orthodox inheritance and was thus far purer.
As he immersed his consciousness into the Black Book space and communicated with the Divine Tree, Yang Kai’s simultaneously circulated his Secret Art and began cultivating.
Just as Yang Kai was constantly growing, so too was the Divine Tree evolving. With Yang Kai’s permission, the Divine Tree had been absorbing a drop of Myriad Drug Liquid every day. Thanks to this, its consciousness seemed to have become clearer and its intelligence was also rapidly increasing; now, not only could it communicate clearly with Yang Kai, it even began asking him questions.
Like he was caring for a young child, Yang Kai did his best to answer the Divine Tree’s inquires.
Time flew by and suddenly more than two months had passed since Yang Kai arrived in Nine Heavens Holy Land.
After spending so much time here, Yang Kai had gradually become accustomed to Nine Heavens Holy Land and aside from not being able to leave easily, the treatment he received was quite good.
Great Elder Xu Hui and the other Elders seemed to be receiving him as the highest grade of guest, not only sending him a large number of pills and elixirs to assist him in his cultivation, but also providing several young beautiful maidservants to tend to his day to day needs; they even brought Yang Kai a large number of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Martial Skills and Secret Arts for him to use as references.
Aside from not touching any of the maidservants, Yang Kai accepted what he could. He spent all his time diligently, allowing him to quickly consolidate his Second Order Transcendent cultivation.
Xu Hui and the other Saint Realm masters would also visit Yang Kai frequently to chat, though they tactfully avoided the subject of the Holy Master’s succession. Occasionally, when they supposedly had free time, Xu Hui or one of the other Elders would bring Yang Kai out to sightsee and allow him to experience the Holy Land’s rich heritage and natural beauty.
It was obvious they wanted to use such an approach to impress Yang Kai, hoping he would take the initiative to accept the position of Holy Master.
Unfortunately for them, even after two months of this, Yang Kai’s stance had not changed, causing Xu Hui and the others to grow somewhat anxious.
Atop one of the nine spirit peaks, inside a majestic building, the Holy Land’s Elders and Protectors gathered together for a discussion headed by Xu Hui.
Nine Heavens Holy Land’s original lineup was incredibly strong, with the old Holy Master standing at the top with his Third Order Saint Realm cultivation, followed by Saintess Nan and Xu Hui who were Second Order Saints, then finally the remaining Elders and Protectors Yu Ying, Luo Sheng, Shi Kun, Meng Tian Fei, and Cheng Yue Tong. These five people were all First Order Saints, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong being women.
A single force having so many Saint Realm masters was extremely rare throughout Tong Xuan Realm.
“Great Elder, what is the attitude of the future Holy Master?” A middle-aged beauty Yu Ying asked. She wore a bright red dress that perfectly outlined her rich, mature body. Her skin was smooth and tender and she possessed a graceful style that was complimented by a pair of bright and pure eyes.
Listening to her question, everyone gathered here cast their eyes towards Xu Hui with concern.
In response, Xu Hui frowned and sighed, “He still shows an abundance of reluctance. Although I have never deliberately mentioned this matter during our time together, it is obvious he has no intention of becoming the Holy Land’s next Holy Master.”
“This boy is really quite interesting…” Luo Sheng said with an astonished look upon his face, “Throughout the world, which young man doesn’t want to become the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land? It’s like reaching the sky with a single step, yet since he arrived here he has always remained indifferent, as if we’re trying to force some unwanted burden onto him.”
“Pay attention to your words, that’s the future Holy Master you’re speaking of, not some random ‘boy’!” Cheng Yue Tong, who wore a sleek white dress, coldly said to Luo Sheng, the latter smiling awkwardly as he glanced over at Great Elder Xu Hui. Upon finding the latter not looking angry, Lou Sheng breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
“However, it truly is quite strange,” Cheng Yue Tong frowned slightly, “Is it possible he disdains to join our Holy Land?”
“How can that be?” Shi Kun snorted, “Although the old Holy Master has fallen, our Holy Land is still a great force, second to none in this world. Whether it is fame or heritage, it is far better than his Soaring Heaven Sect, how could he not understand that?”
“It is not impossible!” Xu Hui suddenly said, “I personally took him to visit the Holy Land’s various spirit peaks while showing him the heritage of our Holy Land, and although he listened carefully and offered his praise, he never once showed the shock a young man his age should show, as if everything in his eyes was just fleeting clouds.”
“Did that boy… *ahem*, the future Holy Master really show such a reaction?” Luo Sheng asked curiously.
“Great Elder, do you know what he likes? If so, we can try to approach him by offering him that,” Meng Tian Fei suggested, “The Holy Land cannot go one day without a Holy Master, yet it has already been over a year since the old Holy Master passed away. Fortunately we have sought a future Holy Master and brought him back to the Holy Land, causing quite a stir amongst the disciple. Many of them are wondering when the ascension ceremony will take place and have begun to ask questions. Such uncertainty has even started to affect their cultivation. The situation can’t be left as is for much longer.”
“En,” Yu Ying also nodded, “If we know what he likes, we can retain him. At the very least, we can let him have some sense of belonging to the Holy Land. Only by doing so can we guarantee the Holy Land’s future prosperity.”
“He likes strength!” Xu Hui’s eyes flashed, “After all my observations, I found that the only constant with him is his pursuit of power. Besides that, everything else for him seems superfluous. Even the maidservants I sent to serve him have failed to catch the slightest bit of his attention!”
“There’s actually a young man in this world who doesn’t like beauties?” Luo Sheng’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.
“Do you think everyone is like you, obsessed with women?” Yu Ying coldly snorted, her expression becoming unpleasant, causing Luo Sheng’s neck to shrink up.
“Could it be he likes Her Highness Saintess and is putting on such a performance for her?” Cheng Yue Tong suddenly thought of a possibility. In front of a woman he favoured, no man wanted to show off his ugly side, many of them even often trying to appear noble and heroic in order to attract the other party’s attention. If it was because of Saintess An Ling’er, Yang Kai acting so would not be unusual.
Everyone gathered here was a seasoned person and understood this point.
However, Xu Hui just smiled bitterly, “It’s not like that. On the contrary, it is Her Highness Saintess who adores him, yet he seems to only treat her as a friend.”
“Poor Ling’er…” Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong both muttered, feeling somewhat mournful.
The two of them had watched over An Ling’er as she grew up, so naturally they had some sentiments towards her.
“The future Holy Master is no ordinary person…” Xu Hui suddenly said, “I have never met such a young Second Order Transcendent before, have you?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“Soaring Heaven Sect… they’ve raised a rare genius. But it’s strange we have never heard anything about him up till now. Such an outstanding youth should be famous throughout the world yet he has somehow managed to remain hidden all this time, it’s seriously incomprehensible! Moreover, he actually brought Her Highness Saintess and escaped from Demon General Xue Li’s hands. I can’t even imagine how he accomplished that.”
“He also escaped from Saintess Nan’s pursuit…”
As these words were spoken, everyone’s heart quietly filled with shock one more.
Having never discuss the matter, no one had paid it much mind, but thinking about it now, it was really an unbelievable feat. A Second Order Transcendent repeatedly escaping from Saint Realm masters determined to capture or kill him, and even bringing another person along with him, this would only be possible with either Heaven defying luck or possessing astonishing methods.
The people gathered here were more inclined to believe it was the latter of the two possibilities, making it even more difficult for them to estimate Yang Kai’s real depths.
Those who became Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land had come from all different walks of life and their aptitudes had ranged from outstanding to below average.
Therefore, even if a particular generation’s Saintesses only brought back a low level Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator, Nine Heavens Holy Land was confident it could cultivate them into a top level master, not to mention Yang Kai whose aptitude and starting cultivation were simply a hundred times better than that.
“In any case, we must find a way to let him inherit the position of Holy Master! Without the Holy Master’s Spirit Ring, many critical locations in the Holy Land cannot be opened. This matter cannot be delayed any further!” Xu Hui suddenly declared firmly.
“But isn’t he still unwilling?” Yu Ying frowned, feeling the situation was somewhat awkward.
“So what if he’s not willing? With so many Saint Realm masters here are you saying we can’t even accomplish this?” Shi Kun said, evidently growing impatient.
“Do you want to use force?” Yu Ying’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Shi Kun coldly.
“I also had such intentions!” Xu Hui let out a long breath, “His manner is very firm, and continuing to wait won’t help matters. Given that, we might as well take a gamble and send him into the Holy Tomb!” “
As soon as this statement came out, everyone’s brow wrinkled. It seemed that this Holy Tomb contained danger that caused even Saint Realm master like them some anxiety.
“If… if he can’t come out?” Cheng Yue Tong asked, a hint of worry in her voice, “Ling’er is the only Saintess left in this generation and she has already chosen him so she won’t be able to find a second candidate. If he fails to come out…”
“If he can’t come out, then my Holy Land can only seclude itself from the world and wait for the next generation of Saintesses to mature.”
The next generation of Saintesses had not even been selected yet, so it would be at least twenty years before they could mature. Twenty years may not seem long, but if the Holy Land lacked a Holy Master, no one could obtain the old Holy Master’s Spirit Ring from the Holy Tomb and many important places would be inaccessible. Not having access to these critical locations would be enough to bring down even a colossus like Nine Heavens Holy Land.
This was the reason why for the past two months these Saints had not dared to act rashly, but seeing Yang Kai remain so stubbornly opposed had caused Xu Hui to think twice.
“But he has yet to fully comprehend all of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, how is he supposed to go inside? It is said that the Holy Tomb is the place where the Nine Heavens Divine Skills were created and one needs to be proficient in them in order to enter.”
“He has learned three of the Divine Skills, that should be enough. This is all for my Nine Heavens Holy Land. Even if he is the future Holy Master, if he must be sacrificed then we must not hesitate!” Xu Hui shouted, “If he can come out smoothly, presumably he will be grateful for our decision today!”
“Good!” Shi Kun, Meng Tian Fei and the others nodded in agreement.
No Holy Master had ever come out of the Holy Tomb and not had a sense of belonging to the Holy Land. The reason these Holy Masters who were brought back by the Saintesses dedicated their lives to the Holy Land was inseparable from the secrets contained inside the Holy Tomb.
Although no one here knew what exactly was hidden inside Holy Tomb, they were all well aware of this point.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong, the two middle-aged beauties both had uncertain expressions on their faces, obviously not fully onboard with this idea, but under the circumstances they knew not to raise any objections here.
Having come to a consensus, this group of Saints quickly took action, preparing to send Yang Kai into the Holy Tomb.
The next day, Yang Kai, who was meditating inside the palace, opened his eyes upon perceiving Xu Hui and the other Elders approaching.
Yang Kai also noticed that something was a little different this time. This time, the ones who had come weren’t only the ones he had seen before, but even some he had never met before.
Although they did their best to conceal it, Yang Kai could sense a kind of solemn and serious mood from these people’s breathing and aura, causing him to become somewhat alert, not knowing what they were planning.
A moment later, there was a knock at the door. After Yang Kai allowed them to enter, the door was pushed open and Xu Hui and the other Elders and Protectors all stepped inside.
Yang Kai couldn’t help raising his brow, faintly feeling that Xu Hui was about to tell him something important related to the Holy Master’s position. If not, there would be no need to assemble all of the Holy Land’s masters here.
After exchanging greetings, Xu Hui introduced Yang Kai to the other Elders assembled here, Yang Kai politely greeting them in turn.
“What important matter does Great Elder have to discuss today?” Yang Kai asked bluntly, making no attempt to hide his own wariness.
“Today I want to ask little brother to accompany us to a certain place!” Xu Hui showed a faint smile and said kindly.
“I believe I have toured your entire Nine Peaks region, are there still other places I’ve yet to see?”
“En, my Holy Land has a number of restricted areas that little brother isn’t normally able to see. Today we wish to take you to one of them.”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed and asked, “Since it is a restricted area, isn’t it inappropriate for an outsider like me to visit it?”
“Little brother is not an outsider, and on top of that, no one may enter this particular place except little brother!” Xu Hui replied solemnly.
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow, “No one but I can enter. Does that mean that only those qualified to become Holy Master may enter this place you speak of? Heh heh, this matter, can I refuse?”
Xu Hui’s expression became somewhat embarrassed as he cupped his fists and said, “I must ask little brother to forgive our forcefulness. Please accompany us!”
Yang Kai gently sneered, sweeping his eyes over the Saint Realm masters in front of him, secretly estimate what kind of chance he would have if he were to put up a resistance here, quickly dismissing the idea.
There were simply too many people here, and each of them was a powerful Saint. Yang Kai felt that even if he used his full strength he wouldn’t be able to escape from here.
Considering all this, Yang Kai’s look relaxed and shrugged his shoulders, “Then… I must ask you to show me the way.”
Hearing this, everyone smiled happily, Xu Hui especially as he quickly motioned, “Please!”
Xu Hui had thought that today there would be have to deal with some unpleasantness with this future Holy Master and had made up his mind to use whatever means necessary should Yang Kai resist to bring the latter to the Holy Tomb.
So it came as a pleasant surprise when Yang Kai actually took a step back and agreed to go with them, allowing him to avoid an awkward situation. After all, if Xu Hui were to displease the future Holy Master today, there was no telling what kind of retaliation he would face in the future.
Once outside the palace, everyone surrounded Yang Kai and quickly flew towards one of the spirit peaks. This group appeared completely casual at the moment but in fact, they were all paying close attention to Yang Kai’s movements; once he showed any signs of resistance, there was no doubt they would immediately take action against him.
“Great Elder, can you tell me where you’re taking me this time?” Yang Kai asked on the way.
Xu Hui hesitated for a moment before honestly replying, “The Holy Tomb!”
“Holy Tomb?” Yang Kai was stunned, “Why does that sound like some kind of burial place?”
“You’re not wrong,” Xu Hui nodded heavily, “When each of my Holy Land’s Holy Masters realize their time of death is approaching, they will enter the Holy Tomb! So it is indeed a burial ground. It is the resting place for all of my Holy Land’s previous Holy Masters!”
“Is it dangerous?” Yang Kai asked with a smiling, seemingly just casually making conversation.
“For any of us, it truly is dangerous. Anyone who is not a candidate to become Holy Master will die if they enter, but for little brother, it can be thought of as a kind of final test!”
“What do you mean?”
Xu Hui once again hesitated to respond.
Seeing this, Yang Kai immediately said, “If you don’t want to say then don’t bother. I don’t have any interest in learning others secrets, especially ones of such importance. The more one knows, the more dangerous it is for them.”
To Yang Kai’s words, Xu Hui smiled awkwardly, “It’s not that it is impossible to say… Since things have reached this point, this old master won’t hide anything from you. Little brother only knows that each new Holy Masters is brought back by the Saintesses from the outside world, but what you may not know is that every time the Saintesses go out to make a selection, more than one candidate is brought back. This is because my Holy Land has several Saintesses in every generation and each of them finds a Holy Master candidate according to their own vision and Secret Art’s induction. Through the installment of each Saintess, these candidates comprehend the Nine Heavens Divine Skills and then enter the Holy Tomb. Only the one who can return from the Holy Tomb alive will then become the true Holy Master!”
“Then it seems I’m quite lucky, there’s no one to compete with me this time,” Yang Kai said sarcastically.
Xu Hui just laughed awkwardly and nodded, “You can say that.”
“What’s inside?” Yang Kai asked, his tone suddenly becoming serious.
“This old master doesn’t know… I only know that it is the place where all previous Holy Masters are buried. Other than that, I know nothing else about what is inside. Not only me, the other Protectors and Elders have no knowledge of what is contained inside the Holy Tomb because only those who have learned the Nine Heavens Divine Skills are eligible to enter!”
“So what you mean is, the Nine Heavens Divine Skills are the key to entering?” Yang Kai asked thoughtfully.
“Most likely; however, what is certain is that there are real dangers inside. Little brother, once you enter, you must be careful, negligence will only result in irredeemable accidents.”
Cheng Yue Tong quickly added here, “Although there are dangers, there are also many benefits.”
“Benefits?” Yang Kai turned to her, his interest immediately piqued, “What kind of benefits? Explain clearly.”
Cheng Yue Tong smiled and continued, “I can’t say for certain, but whenever they needed to enter secluded retreat, all previous Holy Master would choose to do so here, and each time they came out after, their strength would improve greatly. On top of that, each time the old Holy Master entered, he would obtain some fair gains from inside.”
“Indeed, the artifact used by the old Holy Master was brought out from the Holy Tomb. That was a Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact. There aren’t many such artifacts in the entire world!”
“Every artifact used by the previous Holy Masters was similarly powerful, and all of them are buried inside the Holy Tomb. So to speak, this is a big opportunity for little brother. Perhaps you may be able to obtain a useful artifact from inside,” Xu Hui elaborated.
“Saint Grade Top-Rank artifacts? Why didn’t you say so earlier! If you had told me that from the beginning, I’d have already entered that Holy Tomb, there would have been no need for all these games!” Yang Kai suddenly looked very excited.
Everyone was dumbstruck.
“Taking risks is one of the things I enjoy most,” Yang Kai grinned, an unreadable expression appearing on his face, “The more dangerous the place, the more I feel like visiting it, especially places like your Holy Tomb where even surviving is not a certainty!”
Xu Hui’s face twitched upon hearing this, suddenly finding that he couldn’t completely understand Yang Kai.
Xu Hui and the others soon brought Yang Kai to the base of one of the nine peaks.
Yang Kai looked around curiously for a moment but the only thing of note he could see was a flat stone embedded in the mountainside with two magnificent words carved into its slightly mossy surface.
Holy Tomb!
This was obviously the entrance to the Holy Tomb.
Yang Ka’s brow rose. Although he couldn’t see anything with his eyes, he noticed a faint energy fluctuation coming from this stone slab in front of him.
Xu Hui stepped forward and formed a few mysterious hand seals before patting his hand on the stone, causing ripples across its surface, as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake. A moment later, a hole appeared in the center of the stone.
Upon seeing this hole, Yang Kai couldn’t help calling out in shock, “A Void Corridor!”
Xu Hui gently nodded, “Good. Beyond this lies the Holy Tomb, the final resting place of all previous Holy Masters. Naturally, the inside of the Holy Tomb is a Mysterious Small World. Every perspective Holy Master has to pass this test before officially succeeding the position. Little brother, you must be careful inside. If nothing else, you must bring out the Holy Master’s Spirit Ring which should be with the old Holy Master, it is the key to many important places in the Holy Land.”
“En, you must surely come back alive!” Yu Ying said seriously.
“The Holy Land’s future rests in your hands,” Cheng Yue Tong whispered solemnly.
Everyone else also wore looks of anticipation and concern as they stared at Yang Kai.
On the other hand, Yang Kai just glanced around at them and chuckled, “I think you should instead pray I never come out.”
“Why is that?” Xu Hui asked curiously.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a cold light as he glared at them, “If I come out, I’ll make sure you pay for this!”
Everyone was startled by these words and only now realized just how angered Yang Kai was at being forced to enter the Holy Tomb, but before any of them could say anything, Yang Kai plunged into the Void Corridor and disappeared.
“This future Holy Master is clearly one to hold a grudge… It can’t be he really plans to seek compensation from us after exiting, right?” Shi Kun frowned.
Xu Hui’s expression also fluctuated, letting out a deep sigh a moment later, “It seems his disposition… isn’t very mature.”
“Well, in any case, all of this was Great Elders proposal, we just went along with it. If the future Holy Master really does intend to blame us, Great Elder will be here to shoulder the responsibility!” Meng Tian Fei said, clearly taking some pleasure in Xu Hui’s misfortune.
All the other Saints immediately cast contemptuous looks towards him.
…
Once Yang Kai entered the Holy Tomb, the Void Corridor closed. All around him, fluorescent green wisps floated about, like tiny spirit. A cold breeze gently permeated this space, carrying with it indistinct cries and howls, causing one to shudder.
The ambient light was not bright, leading to limited visibility, but the density of World Energy was quite astonishing, so thick it had almost condensed into a white fog that filled this space.
This Mysterious Small World had richer World Energy than any place Yang Kai had ever seen with the exception of an Earth Vein. It was obvious why each Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Holy Master would choose to enter retreat here.
With this kind of ambient World Energy, one wouldn’t even need to use any pills or Crystal Stones to cultivate; all they’d need to do is breathe.
This was indeed a cultivation paradise, the only drawback being its gloomy atmosphere.
As he observed his surroundings vigilantly, Yang Kai couldn’t help going slightly pale.
In his perception, several powerful energy auras had suddenly appeared and were rapidly moving towards him.
These auras were extremely strange. They seemed to have always been here but only when Yang Kai appeared did they become active.
Before Yang Kai had time to react, these energy auras had already engulfed him.
Yang Kai hurriedly condensed his True Qi into a protective barrier but soon he found that things weren’t what he had expected.
These strange energy auras that had gathered around him weren’t causing him any harm.
Wrinkling his brow, Yang Kai carefully examined these auras and a moment later a look of shock appeared on his face.
He found that there were a total of nine distinct energy auras, each of them containing a profound and abstruse sentiment, similar to a remnant Soul yet seemingly naturally produced.
Three of these energy auras also contained something which felt familiar to Yang Kai.
Carefully probing one of these auras with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai immediately recognized traces of one of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
The Profound Heavenly Sword!
Yang Kai’s expression changed and a certain suspicion appeared in his heart. Quickly probing the other two energy auras he felt a sense of familiarity towards, he soon recognized them as insights of the Imprisoning Heaven Chain and Great Heavenly Attraction.
These three Divine Skills were exactly the three moves Yang Kai had learned from An Ling’er, yet now they had appeared in this place.
[So, these nine auras in front of me are the nine, Nine Heavens Divine Skills?] Yang Kai frowned slightly, almost certain of his guess.
That old fart Xu Hui had said that in order to enter the Holy Tomb, one must learn the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, because only if one comprehended the Nine Heavens Divine Skills could they enter safely.
The nine energy auras in front of him should be obstacles meant to test him. Without breaking through them, he couldn’t penetrate further into the Holy Tomb.
Yang Kai instantly understood the mystery of this Holy Tomb. After thinking about it, he sat down cross legged in front of the energy aura that represented the Profound Heavenly Sword.
The Nine Heavens Divine Skills were all quite unusual, they could be displayed as Martial Skill with True Qi or as Soul Skills with Spiritual Energy, something Yang Kai had never encountered before.
If he wanted to break through this barrier, Yang Kai’s only choice was to comprehend and displays all of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense burst forth and his invisible Spiritual energy quickly transformed into a giant sword that cut towards the energy aura in front.
Nothing happened though!
Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense attack had vanished into the energy aura, like a drop of water sinking into a vast sea.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed, using his Profound Heavenly Sword a few more times to attack the energy aura yet each time he failed to achieve any noticeable results.
Yang Kai suddenly felt that this test might not be as simple as he originally thought.
After carefully recalling what Xu Hui and the other Saints had said and reviewing everything he had learned about Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai suddenly thought up a possibility.
Could it be that he was not skilled enough at displaying the Nine Heavens Divine Skills causing him to fail to break through the blockade of this energy aura in front of him?
Yang Kai had learned his Nine Heavens Divine Skills from An Ling’er, so his comprehension of them was only as good as hers. An Ling’er was still young so her understanding of the Divine Skills was still somewhat immature. As such, it was reasonable that Yang Kai couldn’t display the full profoundness of the Divine Skills.
Yang Kai had witnessed Saintess Nan using the Profound Heavenly Sword, it was on a completely different level than his own. Obviously Saintess Nan’s comprehension of the Divine Skills had reached an extremely high level.
Moreover, each prospective Nine Heavens Holy Land Holy Master had to enter the Holy Tomb before he could qualify to inherit the position. What was most important though was that those who came before Yang Kai didn’t necessarily have higher strength yet they had passed through the Holy Tomb, so the conditions to clear this test had nothing to do with strength, it only depended on one’s comprehension of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills!
Considering all this, Yang Kai didn’t rush to show his poor Nine Heavens Divine Skills but instead immersed his consciousness in the Profound Heavenly Sword energy aura in front of him, carefully perceiving its mysteries.
As time passed, Yang Kai gained much, repeatedly comprehending the insights contained within the Profound Heavenly Sword energy aura, his understanding of its mysteries constantly deepening, soon becoming so familiar with it; it was as if it had been branded into the depths of his soul.
When Yang Kai opened his eyes again, he discovered he could perceive the various traces within the energy aura in front of him and all of its mysteries and hidden rules had become clear.
Spiritual Energy bursting forth once more, Yang Kai again displayed the Profound Heavenly Sword.
This time, Yang Kai used the purest form of this Nine Heavens Divine Skills, its profoundness several times greater than the one he learned from An Ling’er.
With a great cracking sound, the energy aura in front which was bombarded by Yang Kai’s Profound Heavenly Sword shattered.
A long winding road suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai, leading straight into the depths of the Holy Tomb.
Yang Kai smiled slightly and instantly understood the mysteries behind this Holy Tomb.
For those who entered here that hadn’t practiced the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, they would likely be torn to dust by these nine energy auras, but those who had were different. As long as one could crack any of these energy auras, they could then find their way out.
On top of that, the more of these energy auras one solved, the clearer their path and the safer they would be!
What Xu Hui said was right, the Nine Heavens Divine Skills were indeed the key to entering the Holy Tomb.
Yang Kai didn’t immediately rush forward but instead turned his attention to the other energy auras.
In any case, he had been forced into the Holy Tomb by Xu Hui and the others. If he didn’t fish enough benefits from here before going out, wouldn’t that be too much of a waste?
Each of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills was incredibly powerful and profound. After seeing Saintess Nan display them multiple times, Yang Kai had already had ideas about learning them. Now that such a good opportunity had appeared in front of him, how could he simply pass it up?
Not to mention that by solving more of these energy auras, Yang Kai would be safer in this place.
Making up his mind, Yang Kai immediately began to spy on the mysteries of the other two Nine Heavens Divine Skills he was familiar with.
Four days later, he cracked the Imprisoning Heaven Chain energy aura, then three days after that the Great Heavenly Attraction energy aura was solved…
After that point, Yang Kai’s pace slowed noticeably. The first three Divine Skills he had already learned a fair deal about from An Ling’er so his starting proficiency was quite high. The remaining six though, were Divine Skills he had never studied before, naturally this meant Yang Kai had to start from scratch. It was fortunate that these energy auras contained all the mysteries of the Divine Skills within them, so all he had to do was study and comprehend.
Cultivation knew no years. This saying was not false, as Yang Kai immersed himself in the Nine Heavens Divine Skills inside the Holy Tomb, he quickly lost track of time. On the other hand, the Elders and Protectors outside the Holy Tomb quickly began to worry.
For the first few days after Yang Kai entered, all of them held great expectations, hoping he would suddenly emerge from the Holy Tomb, bring with him the Holy Master’s Spirit Ring, and inherit the position of Holy Master.
Ten days later, everyone became slightly anxious, although none of them said anything out loud; all of them began wondering if Yang Kai had encountered some kind of difficulties inside.
A month later, everyone’s expression had become dignified.
Two months later, despair appeared on their faces and forlorn sighs could be heard frequently.
Three months, four months…
As time passed, fewer and fewer Elders and Protectors remained here, all of them now believing it was impossible for Yang Kai to appear before them again.
Every Holy Master candidate who entered the Holy Tomb had to pass this test. This was well documented in Nine Heavens Holy Land’s historical records.
Xu Hui and the other Elders naturally knew that this process would take some time.
The fastest time a candidate had cleared the Holy Tomb’s test was fifteen days, while the slowest one took two months.
However, it had now been four months since Yang Kai entered the Holy Tomb and there was no sign of him, this led Xu Hui and the others to believe Yang Kai was already dead.
The various Protectors and Elders all sighed heavily as they departed one by one; they all held important positions and had many things to deal with, how could they continue to wait here in vain?
Even Xu Hui, who had initiated this matter, left after four months.
Only An Ling’er remained outside the Holy Tomb.
Three days after Yang Kai entered the Holy Tomb, An Ling’er learned of this incident, but even though she immediately rushed over and openly complained to Xu Hui and the other elders, there was nothing that could be done.
These past four months she had been waiting here, but no matter how eager she was, Yang Kai never appeared.
On a certain day, two beautiful women, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong, came together and saw An Ling’er still standing outside Holy Tomb, causing the two of them to sigh.
“This little girl, she’s still waiting here,” Yu Ying said faintly.
“We were too anxious, not only have we ruined our Holy Land’s one hope, we also destroyed a bright young man’s future,” Cheng Yue Tong’s pretty face also flashed a trace of embarrassment and remorse.
“What use is saying this now? When Great Elder made this proposal, we didn’t raise any objections, all of us carry some responsibility,” Yu Ying slowly shook her head. “Fortunately, the one this little girl sent to deliver a message to Soaring Heaven Sect was intercepted by Great Elder, otherwise, if Soaring Heaven Sect were to learn about this, they would certainly not let our Holy Land off.”
“En, such an outstanding young talent, no matter which Sect he belonged to, would be vigorously cultivated,” Cheng Yue Tong said with a hint of anxiety.
Right now, Nine Heavens Holy Land was now suffering from many external troubles, if they suddenly made enemies of Soaring Heaven Sect as well, it was likely they would need to immediately activate the Nine Peaks Array and isolate themselves from the outside world. If that were to happen, even if they raised a new generation of Saintesses, they would not be able to leave to seek out a new Holy Master.
“In the end, did we think too highly of him, or did he just happen to have bad luck?” Yu Ying sighed, “Each of the past Holy Master candidates received some advice and guidance from the previous Holy Master before entering the Holy Tomb, but this time he had to dive in completely unprepared, it must have been too difficult for him…”
“Let’s go take a look,” Cheng Yue Tong said, stepping forward.
A moment later, the two of them arrived in front of the Holy Tomb. An Ling’er, who heard movement behind her, turned her head and saw them arrive, nodding her head slightly to greet them before turning around again.
In the past, An Ling’er and these two female Elders were quite close, but the relationship between them had now grown a bit cold, obviously as a result of them forcing Yang Kai to enter the Holy Tomb.
Exchanging a somewhat depressed glance with one another, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong didn’t know how to comfort this young girl and instead stood there staring at the entrance to the Holy Tomb awkwardly.
After a long silence, Yu Ying finally spoke up, “Ling’er, don’t wait any longer, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to come out.”
An Ling’er just shook her head in response.
“Listen to us, go back and rest, you’ve been waiting here for four months already,” Cheng Yue Tong also advised.
“He will come out,” An Ling’er said solemnly in a firm tone.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong were stunned for a moment before the two of them wore forced smiles and asked, “How do you know that? No Holy Master has ever taken so long to return from the Holy Tomb.”
An Ling’er just confidently said, “Just because others couldn’t, doesn’t mean he can’t. None of you have witnessed his skill, so it’s only natural for you to think that way, but I know he will come out.”
The two beautiful women narrowed their eyes and tentatively asked, “What kind of skill does he possess to makes you evaluate him so highly?”
Although Yang Kai’s aptitude was obviously uncommon and his strength wasn’t bad, the two middle-aged beauties had never actually seen him take action so naturally they didn’t know his true depths. An Ling’er on the other hand was different, the time she spent with Yang Kai was not short, so she was obviously clearer on his details.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong suddenly became somewhat curious and wanted to find out more from An Ling’er.
“I can’t explain it too well, but he can always manage to pull off miracles one after another. Surprising those around him to no end. On top of that, he said… even if it doesn’t enter my Holy Land, he will reach the same height as the old Holy Master within thirty years!”
“The same height?” Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong both wore stunned expressions, “The peak Third Order Saint Realm?”
An Ling’er nodded sincerely.
Yu Ying smiled wryly, “He is now a Second Order Transcendent, wanting to become a Third Order Saint within thirty years… I’m afraid that’s impossible.”
“En, there aren’t many Third Order Saints in the entire world,” Cheng Yue Tong also smiled, the two women apparently thinking that Yang Kai was just shamelessly boasting.
Both of them were well aware of how difficult it was to improve one’s strength after reaching the Transcendent Realm. Their aptitudes were considered excellent, or else it would be impossible for them to have reached the Saint Realm, but even they had trouble progressing now.
Even if Yang Kai’s aptitude exceeded their own; impossible things were still impossible.
In this world, which Third Order Saint was not at least a hundred years old? Even if they looked young, each one of them had experienced the long passage of time and only through constant accumulation had they reached their current height.
Yang Kai seemed to only be in his twenties, saying he could reach such a level within thirty years, wasn’t that like saying he could stand at the top of this world at only fifty years old?
Reaching the Saint Realm before one turned one hundred was extremely rare, a fifty year old Third Order Saint was simply impossible!
[Youthful ignorance!] Both Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong pursed their lips, thinking Yang Kai was just a boy who didn’t understand the immensity of Heaven and Earth.
“Why are you smiling like that?” An Ling’er turned and stared at them angrily, “Since he dared to say that, he can certainly achieve it. Just you wait, within thirty years he will definitely become a Third Order Saint.”
“He needs to come out from inside the Holy Tomb first,” Yu Ying frowned slightly, turning a worried look towards An Ling’er, hesitating for a moment before asking, “Ling’er, do you like him that much? Otherwise, how could you speak like that about him?”
An Ling’er’s face immediately went bright red as she hung her head in embarrassment.
“I don’t hate him…” After a moment of silence, An Ling’er whispered softly, “But more than that, I feel guilty towards him. I was the one who involved him in all of this, if I hadn’t taught him the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, he wouldn’t have encountered so much misfortune and he wouldn’t have been forced into the Holy Tomb by all of you. He should have had a better future…”
“That was our decision, it has nothing to do with you,” Yu Ying sighed, assuming full responsibility here.
“Elders, can I ask something of you?” An Ling’er suddenly raised her head and spoke with a deep seriousness.
“Speak,” Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong nodded lightly.
“If… if he can return from the Holy Tomb, can you let him leave? He truly doesn’t want to remain here,” An Ling’er smiled bitterly, “Perhaps for others, becoming Holy Master of the Holy Land is a dream come true, but for him, it is nothing but a shackle. Forcing him to stay here does not have any advantage to him, do you really want to obtain a Holy Master who so wholeheartedly rejects the Holy Land?”
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong’s brows furrowed, exchanging awkward glances with one another, unable to simply agree to this request, causing them to feel somewhat embarrassed.
An Ling’er continued, “Don’t both of you think he won’t ever come out? That since he died he won’t reveal any of the Holy Land’s secrets? Since that’s the case, what difference is that with complying with this?”
“This… this has to be discussed with Great Elder,” Yu Ying smiled reluctantly; “We can’t take responsibility for such a decision.”
“I can promise you!” A loud voice suddenly came from afar, a streak of light rushing over and the figure of Great Elder Xu Hui appearing in front of Holy Tomb.
“Great Elder,” Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong greeted hastily.
Xu Hui nodded lightly before turning to look at An Ling’er, “Your Highness Saintess, what you just said, I can promise you!”
“Really?” An Ling’er smiled happily.
“En, Elder Yu and Elder Cheng can testify to it!” Xu Hui said, nodding firmly, “Of course, the premise is that he can come out, and he really does not want to become Holy Master!”
“He should not be willing.”
“That may not be the case…” Xu Hui smiled meaningfully, “Perhaps when he comes out, there will be no need for us to ask and he will take the initiative to inherit the position of Holy Master… no Holy Master candidate who has ever successfully left the Holy Tomb has not pledged their life to the Holy Land.”
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong eyes flashed slight as smiles appeared on their faces.
Although none of them knew what mysteries were hidden inside the Holy Tomb, what Great Elder Xu Hui said just now was true. Every Holy Master candidate who returned from the Holy Tomb wholeheartedly considered the Holy Land his home and worked tirelessly to support it, even if they had come from a completely different Sect or family.
“Does Great Elder also think he can return?” An Ling’er focused on this point, her eyes shining brilliantly.
“I hope so…” Xu Hui slowly shook his head, “But I don’t think there’s much of a chance.”
“Just wait; he’ll definitely give all of you a surprise!” An Ling’er gently clenched her fist.
The three Elders all looked at her curiously, not knowing why she was so confident that Yang Kai, who had entered the Holy Tomb for more than four months, could return safely.
……
Inside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai let out a low shout and a burst of Spiritual Energy surged up from his Knowledge Sea before slamming into a mass of energy floating in front of him.
Accompanied by the crisp cracking sound, the last of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills energy auras shattered and all of its profound insights flowed back into Yang Kai’s mind, allowing him to thoroughly comprehend it.
Profound Heavenly Sword, Imprisoning Heaven Chain, Great Heavenly Attraction, Capturing Heaven Net, Heaven Covering Hand, Punishing Heaven Spear, Grand Heavenly Shield, Flickering Heavenly Shadow, Scarlet Heavenly Arrow…
All of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, now seemingly incomparably familiar. These nine Divine Skills were astounding, far superior to any Martial Skill or Soul Skill Yang Kai had previously encountered.
After such a long period immersed in their study, Yang Kai had mastered the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
Also, with the World Energy aura in this place being extremely rich, by practicing here for several months, Yang Kai had not just become proficient in the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, but he had also made great progress in his cultivation.
Every time he broke through one of the Nine Heavens Divine Skill energy auras, the road in front of Yang Kai became clearer and more spacious. After fully comprehending all nine of them and shattering the last energy aura, the entire Mysterious Small World seemed to become brighter, allowing Yang Kai to see the full extent of the Holy Tomb.
Releasing his Divine Sense to explore his surroundings, Yang Kai suddenly showed a surprised expression.
The World Energy was so rich that Yang Kai originally thought that this Mysterious Small World was extremely vast, but from what he could tell, it was actually only about as large as a mid-sized town. This was without a doubt the smallest Mysterious Small World Yang Kai had ever seen.
Yang Kai couldn’t fathom where the near inexhaustible supply of World Energy was coming from in such a tiny space. It was almost as if there was some great source of World Energy which was constantly yet undetectably being poured into this Mysterious Small World.
Throughout the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai sensed all kinds of dangerous Spirit Arrays. These arrays all gave off potent energy fluctuations and radiated a dangerous aura. Once someone accidentally touched one, they would likely suffer a terrifying attack.
Yang Kai could now see through all of this, that was how clear his surroundings had become. It was likely related to the Nine Heavens Divine Skill energy auras he had shattered before, the more of them that were broken, the more traps were revealed.
Yang Kai had shattered all nine energy auras, so naturally he could see all the mysteries hidden inside the Holy Tomb.
Not far away, there were several skeletons scattered about, their flesh already completely gone and their possessions all turned to dust.
These skeletons should have been the Holy Master candidates who had entered the Holy Tomb in the past but had failed to pass the test and died here. From what Yang Kai could tell, these skeletons’ ages varied greatly and were spread out across the entire Holy Tomb, their number not small.
In addition, there were a number of large coffins which placed in different locations around the Holy Tomb.
These coffins were all different shapes and colours, but one thing they shared in common was the grim aura they emitted.
Yang Kai quietly condensed his True Qi to guard against any accidents and walked towards the nearest coffin.
Quickly arriving in front of this coffin, Yang Kai found that it was no covered and inside there was a neatly dressed, handsome, middle-aged male corpse.
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as his eyes were attracted to a bronze ring on the corpses’ left hand.
Standing beside the coffin for a long time, Yang Kai eventually determined that there was no hidden dangers and reached out his hand to touch this ring.
If his guess was right, this ring should be the Holy Master’s Spirit Ring that Xu Hui had mentioned.
All previous Holy Masters would enter the Holy Tomb with the Holy Master Spirit Ring when they felt their time of death was approaching, and the next Holy Master’s first and most important task was to retrieve this ring from the Holy Tomb.
This was because this ring was related to the operation of the entire Nine Heavens Holy Land, without it, many important places were inaccessible.
Also, from the condition of this corpse, it was obvious it had died just recently.
It was absolutely the previous generation’s Holy Master!
A Third Order Saint Realm master, only living a short three hundred years before dying of old age, throughout the entire world, such a phenomenon could only be found in Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Observing this man for a moment, Yang Kai couldn’t help frowning slightly, thinking that if he were to become the master of this place, three hundred years later this would be his fate.
A pitiful and lamentable prospect.
After removing the ring from the fingers of the previous generation’s Holy Master, Yang Kai examined it carefully but soon shook his head. He couldn’t recognize what this ring was made of and could only say that it was some kind of special artifact because inside the ring there some vague energy fluctuations which even after thousands of years did not seem likely to dissipate.
These energy fluctuations were odd and seemed to follow some inexplicable law Yang Kai couldn’t quite make sense of.
As he was staring at it, Yang Kai suddenly felt a powerful suction force emerge from the ring. It was as if a big invisible hand had appeared, broke through space, and dove straight into the depths of Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, causing his Soul to shudder slightly.
“Great Heavenly Attraction!” Yang Kai paled, instantly recognizing the burst of energy from the Spirit Ring as one of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills and quickly trying to resist, but before he could even blink, a dim light flashed and he felt something disappear from his Knowledge Sea.
The next moment, Yang Kai felt a subtle connection between himself and the Holy Master Spirit Ring.
Yang Kai’s face became gloomy as he stood there, staring at the Holy Master Spirit Ring in his hand, wishing he could immediately destroy it.
Great Heavenly Attraction could forcefully remove another’s Soul brand, allowing one to control it. Yang Kai had initially caught An Ling’er off guard and used this trick to obtain her Soul brand. With it, Yang Kai gained control over whether An Ling’er lived or died and could even spy on the changes in her mood.
However, at this moment, this Holy Master Spirit Ring had used the Great Heavenly Attraction to obtain Yang Kai’s Soul brand.
Needless to say, this was something the previous generation’s Holy Master had secretly arranged.
A move made by a Third Order Saint was not something Yang Kai could resist or dispel.
This also meant that if Yang Kai were to throw away this ring, he would also be throwing away his Soul brand. Once it was obtained by an enemy, it would be equivalent to seizing control of Yang Kai’s life.
Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing repeatedly. Originally he planned on taking this Holy Master Spirit Ring and use it as a bargaining chip to obtain his freedom from Xu Hui, but now, this Holy Master Spirit Ring was his and absolutely couldn’t be handed over to someone else.
Yang Kai’s mood suddenly became awful.
Before Yang Kai could compose himself though, from the body of the previous generation Holy Master in the coffin, a huge wave of energy rushed out.
At the same time, from all the coffins inside the Holy Tomb, similar waves of energy burst forth and rushed towards Yang Kai.
It was as if they were being drawn towards Yang Kai somehow.
In an instant, Yang Kai felt his Knowledge Sea’s defenses torn apart and these masses of energy pour into his head, causing his consciousness to become chaotic.
Yang Kai went pale and didn’t dare hesitate, quickly sitting down cross legged and immersing his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea.
In his Soul Avatar form, Yang Kai swiftly examined his Knowledge Sea and found that it was now turbulent and stormy. It seemed that his Knowledge Sea had automatically responded to this invasion by counterattacking.
The sea of flames roared as waves crashed back and forth, battering these invaders which seemed to instinctively fear Yang Kai’s Conflagrated Knowledge Sea and were fleeing in all directions.
While they were rushing about, these invaders were releasing invisible spiritual energy fluctuations towards Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar.
Yang Kai immediately wore a suspicious expression, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the energy masses which had rushed into his Knowledge Sea, his mind gradually stabilizes.
The roaring sea water and flames also calmed down.
From what Yang Kai could see, these energy masses were actually the wills of the old Nine Heavens Holy Land Holy Masters. Strictly speaking, they were remnant Souls.
However, Yang Kai couldn’t sense any conscious thought from these Soul remnants; they seemed to only be autonomously completing some final task their previous owners had set at their time of death.
These energy masses didn’t have any hostile intent and were simply releasing continuous bursts of Spiritual Energy towards Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar, seemingly trying to convey something.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before taking the initiative to lower his Soul’s defences and accepting whatever it was that these Soul remnants were trying to instill into him.
After a while, Yang Kai’s expression became strange.
Unlike what he expected, these Soul remnants weren’t trying to teach him some kind of Secret Art or Martial Skill, but rather were trying to apply some kind of brainwashing to him.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s views towards Nine Heavens Holy Land underwent some subtle changes, suddenly feeling like staying here wouldn’t be so bad. By becoming Holy Master he would not only gain great wealth and status, he would be able to command thousands of disciples and arrive at the peak of Martial Dao in the shortest time. It was far better than trying hard on his own.
Such thoughts caused Yang Kai’s will to soften and a sense of laziness to take over. He also felt that the remnant Souls of the past Holy Masters were warm and friendly and that he wanted to hear more of their teachings.
However, a sense of deep repulsion soon emerged from the depth of his soul. His heart clenching from those thoughts and Yang Kai quickly cut off the connection of his Soul Avatar with them. He hastily expelled all these misleading thoughts, turning a cold eye to the Soul remnants floating around him.
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai sneered, his eyes flashing a cold light.
Yang Kai had always been curious about why the Holy Masters brought back by the Saintesses would be so willing to join the Holy Land, even if it meant their lives would be greatly shortened. It turns out they were indoctrinated by these Soul remnants inside the Holy Tomb.
If not for his Soul being far stronger than normal, it was likely Yang Kai would have followed in these people’s footsteps and been completely brainwashed within an hour or two.
The Spiritual Energy bursts emanating from the Soul remnants of these previous Holy Masters had a strong enticement to them. Under their influence, anyone would quickly feel a sense of connection and affection towards Nine Heavens Holy Land, regarding it as their own home and a place they needed to protect.
Even the strongest of the previous Holy Master candidates who entered the Holy Tomb and passed its test were merely First Order Transcendents, so their Souls weren’t very strong. But Yang Kai was different, his cultivation was far stronger and his Spiritual Energy was even stronger than that, giving him a certain ability to resist this kind of spiritual attack.
Additionally, he had never wanted to become Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, allowing him to quickly come to his senses.
Understanding all of this, Yang Kai suddenly became fearless. If it was some other kind of restriction or technique, he might be worried, but the biggest mistake the remnant Souls of these previous Holy Masters was diving into his Knowledge Sea.
In this place, only he was the master!
Trying to communicate with the remnant Souls, Yang Kai didn’t receive any response. These previous Holy Masters had died long ago and these remnant Souls had simply been preserved in this place via some strange method, but none of their consciousness remained, they simply carried out this one task mechanically.
The mental attacks of these Soul remnants continued uninterrupted, using all kinds of appeasement and inducement, trying to shake Yang Kai’s Soul, causing him to gradually grow impatient. After failing to communicate with them, Yang Kai decided to put an end to this once and for all and opened the Demon Eye of Annihilation floating over his Knowledge Sea.
The golden eye stared down at these Soul remnants like a majestic king before shooting out a beam of golden light.
With a great whoosh, all the remnant Souls of these once powerful Third Order Saints were instantly purified.
Inside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai spent a few days meditating as he absorbed the essence of the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s previous Holy Masters’ remnant Souls.
His harvest was unimaginably huge!
Although Yang Kai’s cultivation realm hadn’t changed at all, because he assimilated the sentiments and insights of so many Third Order Saint Realm masters, his understanding of his future path had become incomparably clear.
As long as his physique and True Qi could keep up, his cultivation would be able to advance without any worries. It could be said that before becoming a Third Order Saint, he would not encounter any bottlenecks when trying to break through.
Such fortune was something all cultivators could only dreams of.
The reason why it was so difficult to break through to higher realms was that every time one reached a critical point, they would encounter bottlenecks. If they failed to spy on the mysteries of the next realm, they would forever be unable to break through.
All cultivators encountered bottlenecks along their path, preventing them from advancing further. Even those favoured Sons of Heaven with incredible aptitude who rapidly progressed and caused the world to marvel at their talent when they were young, would often times later in life encounter insurmountable bottlenecks and find themselves unable to advance any further.
If they encountered some kind of opportunity or if their luck was good enough to break through that bottleneck though, their strength would increase sharply.
So, bottlenecks were something that every cultivator worried about, and no matter who it was, they would encounter at least some in their pursuit of the Martial Dao.
Yang Kai had also encountered several bottlenecks in the past and only after overcoming several life and death situations had he managed to surmount them.
But from now on, he wouldn’t have to worry about this problem. Before becoming a Third Order Saint, his cultivation path would be smooth.
Letting out a gentle breath, Yang Kai stood up and felt that his entire world had undergone some subtle changes, a sense of connection and understanding permeating his soul, giving him a wondrous and mysterious feeling.
Suddenly, from the coffin in front of him, Yang Kai felt some faint energy fluctuations, and after inspecting this anomaly for a moment, a smile appeared on his face.
Upon direction a thread of his Divine Sense towards the source of the energy fluctuations, a stream of light burst forth from the coffin and flew straight towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stuck out his hand and the stream of light landed on his palm; examining it, it turned out to be a small silver leaf.
The veins on this leaf were distinct and lifelike, as if it had just been plucked from a tree, but this seemingly simple and delicate leaf was actually radiating a shocking aura!
Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact!
Xu Hui and the other Elders had said that the artifact used by the previous Holy Master was of this grade, and that there weren’t many like it throughout the entire world.
This Silver Leaf artifact bore the Soul mark of the previous generation Holy Master, but since Yang Kai had purified all the remnant Souls of the previous Holy Masters with his Demon Eye of Annihilation and absorbed their essence, naturally he could control their leftover Soul marks.
In other words, if there were any artifacts left in any of these coffins, Yang Kai could easily obtain them without worrying about any kind of backlash.
Yang Kai had never seen an artifact like this one, but the variety of artifacts throughout the world were many and they came in all shapes and sizes. This Silver Leaf obviously possessed incredible power but since he had not refined it, Yang Kai couldn’t be clear about its use, so for now he simply stored it into his Black Book space.
Avoiding the various arrays and barriers inside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai eagerly walked towards the second coffin.
He intended to sweep this place clean!
Making his way around, Yang Kai reaped a great harvest once again. These coffins all belonged to previous Holy Masters who were top level powerhouses, so naturally the artifacts they used were outstanding as well.
Almost every coffin had at least one Saint Grade artifact, most of them Mid-Rank with a small number only Low-Rank. Unfortunately, the only Top-Rank Yang Kai obtained was the Silver Leaf, showing just how rare such powerful artifacts were.
Although these artifacts were all not bad, Yang Kai actually wasn’t that interested in them. These swords, halberds, and spears weren’t suitable for him to use as he had never studied any weapon techniques, he was more accustomed to using his own hands and feet when it came to fighting.
The only item which drew Yang Kai’s attention was a dark red Armour Artifact. This armour was light yet dazzling and had a beautiful design. It could absolutely withstand the attacks of a lower level Saint Realm masters.
This armour was designed for a woman. Yang Kai was certain of this as he had taken it off a female corpse.
The coffin where he had found this armour was different from the others. There were two skeletons lying inside of it, one of them a previous Holy Master and the other one of the Saintesses from that generation. The two of them were embracing one another, even in death, causing even Yang Kai to let out a faint sigh.
This Armour artifact would actually make a good gift, whether it was for Su Yan or Xia Ning Chang.
Thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai decided to collect it as well.
Soon, Yang Kai stopped in front of the last coffin, but what made him surprised was that there was no trace of any artifacts inside, and unlike all the others, this coffin was actually sealed shut and encased in multiple layers of barriers. These barriers had obviously been in place for many, many years and were thus showing some signs of degradation.
Also, for some unknown reason, when Yang Kai stood in front of this coffin, he felt the blood stir and his heartbeat become stronger. It was as if something inside the coffin was calling out to his blood.
After staring for a while with a frown upon his face, Yang Kai slowly shook his head. Because of the barriers, he couldn’t effectively investigate the inside of the coffin to figure out what was happening.
However, only this coffin was sealed, making it obvious that this particular Holy Master didn’t want others to open it and investigate the secrets hidden inside.
If it weren’t for his strange induction, Yang Kai also would have simply let things be as he didn’t sense any artifacts inside, but now he couldn’t bring himself to simply ignore it.
Even though he tried, Yang Kai couldn’t suppress his curiosity.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Kai’s expression became firm and he lifted his hand and punched towards the coffin, sending out a burst of True Qi.
The barrier set up by a Third Order Saint, in theory, would be impossible for Yang Kai to break, but this Holy Master had died countless years ago so the barrier was now nowhere near its peak strength.
It took Yang Kai less than half an hour to break through all the barriers.
As the last rays of light faded, the final barrier sealing the coffin lost its effect. Yang Kai took a deep breath, reached out and unsealed it.
After a putrid gas leaked out, the skeleton that appeared before Yang Kai’s eyes causing him a great deal of shock.
This skeleton was severely damaged, with broken bones and fractures all over. From what Yang Kai could tell, over eighty percent of this skeleton’s bones had some kind of injury on them.
Yang Kai was astonished!
Every Holy Master lying here was a peak Third Order Saint, and this one was no exception. When one reached such a realm, their flesh and bones would become incredibly tough and very few attacks could damage them.
However, the scene in front of Yang Kai showed that this Holy Master had fought with a powerful enemy before he died and regardless of whether he won or lost, had actually taken a severe beating. The reason why this master had died was definitely related to these injuries!
What kind of person could kill a peak Third Order Saint?
Somewhat absent minded, Yang Kai’s gaze drifted over the broken skeleton and eventually landed on a jet black bottle.
Before he died, this Holy Master had folded his hands and tightly held this black bottle to his chest. This bottle also had several restrictions on it and was clearly trying to seal something inside.
A terrifying energy pulsed from this bottle, immediately making Yang Kai feel like his whole body was throbbing.
*Kacha…*
A crisp sound rang out suddenly. It seemed like when Yang Kai broke the barrier around the coffin, he had caused the contents of the bottle to become unstable and at this moment it was violently rampaging, trying to break free of its prison.
The black bottle couldn’t bear such strain and within moments countless cracks appeared on its surface while the light from the seals also began to fade.
Yang Kai stood by and watch, not making any attempt to interfere. He faintly felt that whatever was inside the bottle had something to do with him.
Together with the scene in front of him, he even had some guesses as to what was happening.
*Kacha…*
With a crack, the black bottle shattered and a brilliant golden light burst forth, brightly illuminating the entire Holy Tomb.
The various barriers and Spirit Arrays all over the Holy Tomb were smashed by this golden light and ceased to function.
A terrifying Demonic Qi, centered on the golden light, erupted into the surroundings, sending all the scattered coffins hurtling through the air before causing them to explode, turning all the skeletons of the previous Holy Masters into dust.
Yang Kai stared intently at the golden light, his expression fluctuating as he muttered under his breath, “Demon God Golden Blood?”
From the golden light Yang Kai could smell a strong bloody scent; there was no doubt this was a drop of blood. Moreover, this drop of blood was like the purest molten gold. It exuded a rich Demonic aura that made even Yang Kai fearful. To actually be grasped by a deceased Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, besides being a drop of Demon God Golden Blood, Yang Kai couldn’t think of any other possibilities!
Why was there a drop of Demon God Golden Blood here thought? What kind of relationship was there between his Holy Master and the legendary Great Demon God?
Before Yang Kai could organize his thoughts though, the drop of Demon God Golden Blood floating in front of him, as if having discovered its target, suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a golden afterimage and it rushed directly towards Yang Kai’s brow, entering his forehead and disappearing before he could react.
In the next moment, Yang Kai’s expression twisted.
The golden blood in his veins seemed to have been hyper-stimulated and was on the rampaging wildly. This quickly spread to his meridians and physique, causing multiple explosions all over his body. Within a few breaths, Yang Kai was covered in wounds and his whole body felt as if it was on fire, causing him unbearable pain.
A dazzling golden light shrouded Yang Kai. Unable to bear the pain, Yang Kai lifted his head and roared as this Mysterious Small World was filled with a thick bloody aura, transforming it into a strange red and golden space.
Yang Kai’s Unyielding Golden Skeleton squirmed and creaked as the Demonic Qi stored inside it burst forth and transformed into Demon Crests covering his skin, disappearing into his physique in the next instant.
The red and gold Mysterious Small World was suddenly submerged in a thick darkness without a single trace of light.
Inside this darkness, Yang Kai grit his teeth and trembled, his skin filled with cracks as red blood oozed out onto the ground.
However, in front of his eyes, a series of illusory scenes began unfolding, depicting an earth-shattering battle.
Yang Kai didn’t open his eyes nor did he use his senses to try to perceive anything, yet the scenes of this battle still vividly appeared in his consciousness.
Soon, Yang Kai found himself drawn in by this battle, even forgetting the extreme pain he was experiencing, all his attention focused on it.
The battle was between two extremely powerful masters, every move they made containing unimaginable power. It was as if these two really had the power to destroy the world.
One of them was a man who gave off a shocking Demonic Qi while the other was a temperate middle-aged man.
The appearance of the former was familiar to Yang Kai, and after thinking about it for a moment, his eyes lit up and immediately understood who this master surrounded by Demonic Qi was.
The Great Demon God!
This was the Great Demon God!
Yang Kai had seen the statue of the Great Demon God back in the Mysterious Small World where the Ancient Demon Clan lived; it was very similar to the person in front of him, practically identical.
The Great Demon God was a legendary existence; during his time, no one was his opponent, the recognized first master under Heaven! Under his command, the Demon Race reigned supreme and even the Human Race with its superior population had to bow and give way.
Since then, no leader of the Demon Race dared to use the title Demon God, all of them instead calling themselves Demon Commander, such was the extent of their worship and respect towards the Great Demon God.
It was said that there was once a Demon Commander who in his arrogance named himself Demon god, and as a result, within a few days, was besieged and killed by his own subordinates.
From this it was obvious just how much influence and prestige the Great Demon God still had in the Demon Race even after his fall.
However, the scene in front of Yang Kai was probably from before the Great Demon God matured and reached that peak. Even so, the masters who could fight one on one with him were still extremely rare.
This middle-aged man was one such person!
He was that era’s Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land! The one whose body Yang Kai had discovered broken and shattered within the sealed coffin.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling somewhat agitated. He didn’t know why he could see this battle which had occurred countless years ago, but he faintly felt it was related to the drop of Demon God Blood. Perhaps the Demon God’s Golden Blood carried with it some memories of the Great Demon God.
The Great Demon God and the Holy Master of the time were both Third Order Saints, it was truly a showdown between peak level masters.
What lead to this battle, Yang Kai didn’t know, by the time he began observing the two masters were already engaged in an intense struggle, both of them holding nothing back.
From the ground to the sky, the sky to the Starry Sky, and then back to the ground from Starry Sky, the scene changed rapidly as the two fought. Their strength seemed even, neither one of them gaining any advantage over the other.
The more Yang Kai watched, the more enthralled he became, unable to think of anything else.
Being able to witness such a high level battle had great benefits to his growth. The Juniors of great forces would often be taken by their Seniors to observe the battles of high-level cultivators so they could witness what true combat looked like, hopefully allowing them to gain some form of inspiration or insight in the process.
It could be said that the scene in front of Yang Kai was a rare opportunity!
The methods these two men used in their battle caused Yang Kai to sink into contemplation while fixedly observing them.
After an unknown amount of time passed, the stalemate between the two men was gradually broken.
Whether the Holy Master made some slight mistake or he couldn’t see a path to victory and his momentum faded, he suddenly found himself at a disadvantage.
The Great Demon God on the other hand was like a raging beast, taking this opportunity to ruthlessly suppress his opponent.
As Yang Kai watched this battle with great relish, the picture in front of him suddenly changed again. Probably because so much time had passed, the memories stored in the Demon God’s Golden Blood weren’t very coherent.
When the vision stabilized again, Yang Kai saw that the battle had already been decided. That generation’s Holy Master coughed up a large amount of blood and his face went pale, his figure quickly transforming into a streak of light as he fled from the Great Demon God.
Before leaving though, he took with him a drop of the blood from the Great Demon God.
The Great Demon God just stood in place, staring coldly and arrogantly towards the retreating figure, not showing any intention to pursue, a moment later his figure also fading away.
The scene in his mind was then cut off…
Yang Kai let out a long breath and slowly calmed his racing heart.
He had never expected he would one day witness the Great Demon God in such a way. Since coming to Tong Xuan Realm, he had heard many legends about this man from many different people and knew that he was somehow inextricably linked with himself.
The Unyielding Golden Skeleton was from the Great Demon God’s body and the Demon Eye of Annihilation was once his eyes, even the Wordless Black Book had been created by him. Unfortunately so many years had passed since the Great Demon God’s time so Yang Kai never had a chance to witness his true strength.
However, now he had.
The inheritance left behind by the Great Demon God had been of great help to Yang Kai’s growth, but Yang Kai felt that he would not be bound by the Great Demon God’s path. On the contrary, Yang Kai was convinced that he could one day exceed the Great Demon God and arrive at a height far surpassing his past achievements.
Only by doing so could he live up to inheritance he received and also prove that all he had obtained was not simply given to him by the Great Demon God.
After watching this great battle, Yang Kai finally understood what had happened to the Holy Master inside this last coffin.
The wounds this Holy Master’s bones suffered should have been caused by the Great Demon God. After that battle, the former had returned to the Holy Land and soon after passed away. The reason he had left behind a drop of Demon God Golden Blood was likely because he couldn’t accept this outcome.
This series of coincidences led to Yang Kai accidentally obtaining this drop of Demon God Golden Blood and being able to observe such a fierce battle.
Inside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes. The darkness that had permeated this space had faded and the original gloomy atmosphere had been restored.
Examining himself, Yang Kai was slightly surprised.
Although he had suffered numerous injuries all over his body, with his powerful restorative abilities, such wounds were irrelevant. What he cared about though was that because he had absorbed a drop of Demon God Golden Blood, the blood flowing through his veins had undergone significant changes.
The amount of golden blood Yang Kai possessed increased noticeably and the Demonic Qi which filled his Unyielding Golden Skeleton had become even more potent.
Additionally, he had even comprehended one of the Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities!
Soul Fission!
By using one’s own Soul brand as a base and filling it with a massive amount of Spiritual Energy, one could nourish it using special methods to grow a second Soul. This second Soul could then be split from one’s body and move independently, essentially a Soul Clone.
The strongest of Soul Clones could display over eighty percent of all of its original’s abilities.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, remembering the Soul Clone of Demon General Meng Ge who he met in his previous world.
Inside the Evil Cavern, Yang Kai, without knowing anything, had used the Devil Sealing Chain to kill Meng Ge’s Soul Clone, and was subsequently threatened by the Demon General.
It wasn’t until coming to Tong Xuan Realm that Yang Kai understood just what kind of powerhouse Meng Ge was.
At that time, Meng Ge should have been using this Soul Fission Divine Ability and somehow sent his Soul Clone to the Evil Cavern. However, compared to the Great Demon God’s Soul Fission Divine Ability Yang Kai had just obtained, there was a big gap in performance.
Simply put, Meng Ge’s Soul Clone was far too weak.
Yang Kai guessed that Meng Ge had discovered some ancient books left behind by the Great Demon God and used them to replicate this Divine Ability, but it had turned out far inferior to the original.
Cultivating Soul Fission had many advantages. Once one’s Soul Clone was formed, one would have two Souls inside their Knowledge Sea. Having two Souls cultivating at once meant the growth of one’s Spiritual Energy would be twice as fast.
Of course, the price one had to pay in order to cultivate a second Soul was massive! Cultivating Soul Fission required a huge amount of Spiritual Energy.
However, for Yang Kai, this was not a problem. With the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus constantly nourishing his Soul, his Spiritual Energy could be recovered far more rapidly than others.
Sweeping his eyes around his surroundings, Yang Kai discovered that the Holy Tomb was now a complete mess. It seemed like because of his entry this time, this Mysterious Small World had been all but destroyed.
From now on, any Holy Master candidate who came here would likely not be able to gain any benefits, nor would they receive any brainwashing from their predecessors.
Even Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a bit awkward. Although he had been forced to enter this place by Xu Hui and the others, the Holy Tomb was also one of the pillars of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s foundation. If the Elders and Protectors of Nine Heavens Holy Land were to learn that he had ruined this place, they definitely wouldn’t let him off easily.
At the very least, they would force him to accept the position of Holy Master to take responsibility.
On top of that, the Holy Master Spirit Ring had absorbed Yang Kai’s Soul brand.
Yang Kai suddenly felt things have become complicated and unless he was willing to go to war with Nine Heavens Holy Land, the situation had become set.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Yang Kai didn’t rush to leave the Holy Tomb and instead began cultivating the Great Demon God’s Soul Fission.
Inside his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai condensed a Soul brand and then using some special methods began injecting his Spiritual Energy into this brand, building and nourishing his Soul Clone.
The Spiritual Energy required for this process was immense and even with the help of the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus Yang Kai couldn’t keep up with the consumption. Fortunately, there were many pills inside the Black Book space, including those for restoring Spiritual Energy.
Yang Kai also had a large amount of Myriad Drug Liquid left so he wasn’t worried about his Spiritual Energy running dry.
Days flew by.
Yang Kai had no intention of quickly leaving the Holy Tomb, hoping that with the passage of time, he could fade from the memories of Xu Hui and the other Nine Heavens Elders. And so he continued to cultivate.
Only when he had reached the minor accomplishment stage of the Soul Fission Divine Ability did Yang Kai decided to stop.
From now on he didn’t need to actively cultivate this Divine Ability as his second Soul would now continue to strengthen itself all on its own. Unfortunately, until it reached full maturity it would not have its own consciousness and could not provide him with any assistance. Once it reached maturity, Yang Kai would also need to find a suitable container to implant it into in order to create a true Soul Clone.
Right now, his Soul Clone lacked the ability to think for itself and could only be manipulated directly by Yang Kai. But sending it into places that were inconvenient or dangerous for him to go might prove useful at some point!
Slowly standing up, Yang Kai looked around for the Holy Tomb’s exit.
Moments later, Yang Kai sensed a faint energy fluctuation and moved towards it, soon arriving in front of a stone wall. After pouring his True Qi into this wall, a Void Corridor appeared in front of him and he stopped through, returning to the outside world once more.
Yang Kai arrived in front of the same blue stone entrance to Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Holy Tomb he had entered from.
As soon as he appeared, Yang Kai immediately concealed his aura and quietly probed his surroundings.
He wasn’t sure how long he had stayed inside the Holy Tomb but he knew it wasn’t a short amount of time. Since there wasn’t anyone around anymore, obviously Xu Hui and the others had left long ago.
This was the perfect time for him to sneak away.
As long as he left Nine Heavens Holy Land, he would be like a bird returning to the sky, a fish swimming through the sea. It would be incredibly hard for Xu Hui and the others to bring him back once more.
However, after carefully examining the situation around him, Yang Kai’s expression became somewhat strange.
The entire Nine Heavens Holy Land was in a state of confusion. It seemed like a big battle had just occurred as traces of destruction could be found all around. There were many houses and buildings among the Nine Peaks that had broken walls or collapsed roofs.
Yang Kai also smelled a faint scent of blood in the air and cries of pain reached rang in his ears.
Suddenly, Yang Kai sensed a familiar life aura. This person seemed to have noticed his presence causing their aura to fluctuate wildly.
Yang Kai turned his head just in time to see An Ling’er.
This Saintess, a symbol of purity and nobility, currently had a blue cloth wrapped around her head and her white dress was covered in dust and blood, clearly she had just been involved in a fight.
When she saw Yang Kai, a look of joy and disbelief filled An Ling’er’s beautiful face as she stood there dumbfounded.
Before she could open her mouth to speak though, An Ling’er saw Yang Kai’s figure flicker and in the next moment appear in front of her. Her mouth was covered and her movements sealed, causing her to be unable to resist as Yang Kai quickly brought her to relatively secluded pavilion a short distance away.
“I’m letting you go now, don’t shout!” Yang Kai whispered.
A hint of panic flashed across An Ling’er’s pretty eyes before she quickly nodded.
Yang Kai released her and then quickly backed away, lest she misunderstand his actions as an attempt to silence her.
“You came out?” An Ling’er glanced around nervously before whispering.
Yang Kai gently nodded, “Just now.”
“You really came out!” An Ling’er breathed out a sigh of relief, a light smile appearing on her face. She had been worried about Yang Kai this entire time so seeing him now, safe and sound, it was like a large stone had been lifted off her heart, causing her to relax.
Yang Kai being forced into the Holy Tomb was something An Ling’er always felt she carried a large responsibility for. During this time, she had always been blaming herself to the point where it had affected her health.
Now though she could finally feel at ease.
“It’s good that you’ve come out!” An Ling’er gently patted her chest, “Since you’ve come out, you should quickly leave before Great Elder or any of the others find you.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he stared towards An Ling’er and asked, “Are you willing to let me just leave?”
“En,” An Ling’er revealed a forced smile, “I know you don’t want to be here, trying to force you to stay would only make you hate me. Since that’s the case, I might as well just let you go.”
Yang Kai expression softened and a hint of gratitude appeared on his face.
“What are you staring at me like that for? If you’re discovered you won’t be able to get away!” An Ling’er frowned.
“I was just thinking you look much more attractive now!” Yang Kai flattered shamelessly.
An Ling’er’s face blushed bright red as she angrily spat, “Don’t try to sweet talk me now, I’ve known you’re not a good thing since long ago. Don’t think you can win my favour after all this time.”
Yang Kai laughed dumbly before putting on a serious face and cupping his fists said, “This is goodbye then, I hope there’s a chance for us to meet in the future.”
“En, go quickly. Head south, Great Elder and the others are currently north of this place,” An Ling’er urged.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, quickly found his bearings and then quietly flew off towards the south.
Shortly after Yang Kai’s departure, a figure emerged from the shadows and walked towards An Ling’er.
“Ah, Elder Yu Ying!” An Ling’er was startled and called out unconsciously.
Yu Ying stared in the direction Yang Kai disappeared for a while before letting out a sigh and faintly asking, “Are you really willing to just let him go like that?”
“You saw?” An Ling’er’s expression became somewhat awkward. She didn’t know when Yu Ying had arrived behind her but from the latter’s tone of voice it obvious she had seen and heard everything just now.
“I only saw him hurriedly leave, without any hesitation.”
“There’s nothing here that would cause him to hesitate,” An Ling’er said with a forced smile.
“What about you? You exhausted yourself worrying about him, spent so much time together with him, shared so many hardships together with him, even admired and respected him. Aren’t the two of you at least more than friends?” Yu Ying looked faintly towards An Ling’er.
An Ling’er shook her head gently, “While he is certainly somewhat hateful, I don’t think I’m worthy to be joined together with him. Moreover, I truly don’t think of him in that way, just being friends with him is probably for the best. En, undeniably, following beside him I felt a deep sense of security, making me mistakenly feel like I was the younger one, and I would always be protected by him… but with the current position the Holy Land is in, I don’t think it’s right to implicate him. Elder Yu Ying, can you not mention this to Great Elder? We might as well just say he died here.”
Yu Ying’s brow furrowed deeply, seemingly weighing the decision.
An Ling’er quickly hugged Yu Ying’s arm, acting the part of a spoiled child.
Faced with this combination of soft and hard sell tactics, Yu Ying could only smile bitterly and rub her forehead, “Alright, alright… Nothing happened here and I didn’t see anything… I won’t say a word about this to anyone. Ling’er, you’ve exhausted yourself these past few days, you should quickly go back and have a rest. We Elders will take care of the problems outside, you don’t need to worry about them. All the Holy Land’s hopes now can only be pinned on you. You must diligently cultivate the Saintess’ Secret Arts for now. If the Holy Land can survive this crisis, it will be up to you to train a new generation of Saintesses.”
Seeing Yu Ying agree to her request, An Ling’er immediately became joyful.
However, when the two of them remembered the Holy Land’s precarious situation, their eyes noticeably dimmed. Whether the Holy Land could survive the current catastrophe or what the future held, neither of them could say.
Perhaps, within a short time, everyone here would die. If not for this cruel realty, it would have been impossible for Yu Ying to so easily agree to An Ling’er’s request.
“Elder Yu Ying is apparently quite amenable,” A light voice suddenly reverberated throughout the pavilion, making it impossible to determine exactly where the person speaking actually was.
Yu Ying’s beautiful face paled as she quickly condensed her True Qi, shouting aggressively, “Who goes there!”
As soon as these words left Yu Ying’s lips, a figure emerged a few steps away from her, a somewhat teasing smile upon his face.
“Flickering Heavenly Shadow?” An Ling’er cried out, immediately recognizing this Nine Heavens Divine Skill. This was a very profound movement skill that was equally useful for concealing one’s presence or escaping from an enemy.
Recovering from her shock, An Ling’er stared at Yang Kai who had suddenly returned and couldn’t help asking, “Why didn’t you leave?”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders before seemingly unintentionally shooting a glance towards Yu Ying.
When he had left just now, he noticed that this woman was hiding behind An Ling’er, so in order to insure news of his re-appearance was not leaked, he had concealed himself in order to monitor these two. By doing so though, he had overheard the conversation between the two women and suddenly felt that simply disappearing on his own would leave a sour taste in his mouth.
“How did you deceive my Divine Sense? I clearly noticed that you had already traveled far away, just when did you come back?” Yu Ying stared at Yang Kai, a look of incredible disbelief spread across her face.
She was a genuine First Order Saint, but Yang Kai was still able to silently approach this close to her without her noticing. That meant that if Yang Kai had harboured any hostile intent towards her, it was quite possible she would be a corpse right now.
Immediately realizing this, Yu Ying’s tender body shivered as a cold sweat dripped down her back, suddenly discovering that this future Holy Master was somewhat beyond her ability to understand or control.
“No need to be so nervous, it’s not like I’m going to eat you,” Yang Kai grinned, intentionally not answering Yu Ying’s question, his expression then quickly becoming serious as he asked, “On the other hand, I’m somewhat curious about what you two were just discussing. What exactly happened to your Nine Heavens Holy Land while I was gone?”
An Ling’er opened her mouth to explain but before she could get a single word out, Yu Ying quickly cut her off, “Does that have anything to do with you? Since you’re unwilling to inherit the position of Holy Master, is there any point in asking about that?”
Yang Kai knit his brow and felt somewhat confused.
The last time he had seen her, this beautiful woman had spoken and acted very respectfully towards him, yet this time it was as if she had encountered an enemy and was harshly rejecting him.
Yang Kai had no intention of haggling over the issue with her though so he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded, “If you don’t want to say that’s fine too, I don’t have a habit of prying into other people’s business. Farewell.”
Saying so, he really turned around to leave.
“Wait!” Yu Ying suddenly called out again.
“What now?” Yang Kai shot an impatient look towards her.
Yu Ying’s expression became a complicated mix of embarrassment and reluctance, only speaking again after a long silence, “Don’t rush off, I’ll explain everything to you.”
“Sorry, I don’t want to know anymore. The more I know, the more trouble it will be!”
“You…” Yu Ying gawked at him, her face turning from green to red to blue as she grumbled, “How can you like this?”
This boy was acting completely like a delinquent, without the slightest majesty or nobility a Holy Master should have. Didn’t he enter the Holy Tomb? How come his attitude was still so defiant?
In the past, everyone who had passed the Holy Tomb’s test and re-emerged had treated the Holy Land as their home.
Yu Ying simply couldn’t understand.
Seeing this beautiful woman at a loss, Yang Kai’s mood suddenly became excellent, sitting down on a nearby stool in the corner pavilion before turning to An Ling’er, “You tell me.”
An Ling’er snuck a glimpse towards Elder Yu Ying only to see her glaring towards Yang Kai viciously, as if she couldn’t wait to peel his skin, eat his flesh, and drink his blood. Understanding what Elder Yu Ying was feeling all too well as she had experienced similar incidents many times in the past when it came to Yang Kai, An Ling’er did her best to stifle her laughter for a while before pursing her lips and saying, “Why do you want to know about this? Once you know, it will only bring you trouble.”
“From what you two discussing just now, the situation is quite serious, of course I’d want to know. Besides, you just said we’re friends… I don’t have many friends,” Yang Kai suddenly said solemnly.
An Ling’er’s expression changed greatly upon hearing these words, a meaningful smile soon appearing on her face as she said, “That Gou Che will definitely regret not treating you sincerely in the future!”
“En, he will,” Yang Kai grinned, his face filled with confidence.