If An Ling’er had asked him to stay when she had first discovered him, Yang Kai would have left without any hesitation.
But instead she had actually encouraged him to go!
Obviously, she had done this completely out of consideration for him. An Ling’er being willing to go so far for him made Yang Kai reluctant to just abandon her.
After all, it appeared as if Nine Heavens Holy Land had suffered some kind of calamity!
Seeing Yang Kai take the initiative to stay, An Ling’er was particularly happy, hurriedly explaining what had transpired after he had entered the Holy Tomb.
Only now did Yang Kai learn that it had been nine whole months since he entered the Holy Tomb.
For the first six of those months, nothing of note had happened.
However, on a certain day roughly three months ago, the barrier around the periphery of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s nine spirit peaks had suddenly ceased functioning, catching all the Elders and Protectors somewhat unprepared.
No matter how they investigated though, they couldn’t discover what had gone wrong much less repair and re-activate the various Spirit Arrays which formed the barrier.
Just as everyone was at a loss, Saintess Nan, who noticed the disappearance of the barrier, attacked the Holy Land.
Together, the various Elders and Protectors managed to successfully repel Saintess Nan but the Holy Land suffered terrible damage in the process, many disciples suffering injuries or falling in the battle.
Immediately after that incident, foreign enemies appeared.
“Foreign enemies?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“En, my Holy Land has been a peak force for many years, but what force doesn’t have enemies? When the old Holy Masters was alive, we could still deter these foes, but after his passing two years ago, and with no new Holy Master succeeding his position, these enemies saw an opportunity. My Holy Land’s nine peaks is an excellent territory for cultivating, causing many people to secretly covet it.”
“So these enemies of yours decided to hit you while you’re down?” Yang Kai snickered.
“En,” An Ling’er nodded in agreement, looking somewhat low-spirited, “But it’s not like we have no blame in this matter. When the old Holy Master was alive, we held a dominant position, so it’s only natural they have some grievances with us…”
“Hmph, if it was just some trivial small forces, my Holy Land still wouldn’t even put them in our eyes, but…” Yu Ying followed up, frowning deeply as she lamented, “But for the past while, Saintess Nan has stirred up a great deal of trouble outside, so a few forces that have grudges against us took the opportunity to gather a large number of masters to pressure my Holy Land. These masters were either harmed directly by Saintess Nan, or had their loved ones killed by her, causing them to resent my Holy Land.”
“Seems like when it rains, it pours!” Yang Kai frowned and understood why the atmosphere inside Nine Heavens Holy Land was so bleak.
However, Nine Heavens Holy Land’s barrier failing three months ago coincided with when he obtained the Holy Master Spirit Ring.
[Could it be related to that?] Yang Kai secretly pondered, not entirely sure.
“Half a month ago, those people came to complain, demanding we turn over the previous generation’s Saintess to them, but in the battle three months ago, Saintess Nan was injured and fled far away. How are we supposed to find her now? Great Elder tried to explain the situation, but it didn’t help at all. The few forces coveting our nine spirit peaks continued to inflame the situation eventually leading to a fight. Both sides suffered multiple dead and wounded in that battle, worsening the situation, so not it is almost impossible to resolve this matter peacefully, haa…”
“Which forces are stirring up trouble?” Yang Kai asked.
“The ringleaders are the three nearby forces, Shattering Mystical Palace, War Spirit Temple, and Netherworld Sect!” Yu Ying said with a look of disgust and anger appearing on her pretty face, “These three forces are the main culprits. If it was just one of them, even though my Holy Land’s strength has declined greatly, we wouldn’t even bother paying attention to them, but the three of them are now working together and have simultaneously drawn in a large number of outside masters. Now, my Holy Land is facing almost half the world’s forces!”
“Is the situation really that bad?” Yang Kai was also taken aback.
However, upon remember what Saintess Nan had been doing these past two years, it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility for things to have reached such a point.
Wherever Saintess Nan went, death and destruction would follow, causing a huge problem for Nine Heavens Holy Land. As a Second Order Saint, Saintess Nan’s base strength was incredible; add to that her mastery of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, only a Third Order Saint Realm master would be able to subdue her. In this world, there weren’t many such masters!
Yang Kai wasn’t even sure if Soaring Heaven Sect’s Chu Ling Xiao had reached such a level.
“It’s even worse than you think!” Yu Ying’s expression became cold, “These three forces aren’t just coveting the Holy Land’s resources and land, what they’re most interested in is Ling’er!”
Saying so, she unconsciously glanced over at An Ling’er.
Yang Kai’s thoughts turned quickly and suddenly understood, “They want to force you to join one of their Sects’ disciples together with her in order to obtain the inheritance of your Holy Master, right?”
Once they acquired the Holy Master’s inheritance, they could reach the sky in a single leap, it was a huge benefit that even if they struggled for a few hundred years they couldn’t obtain.
“Exactly!” Yu Ying nodded sternly, “When they drew back half a month ago, they gave us an ultimatum, hand over Saintess Nan one month later, or they would flatten our nine peaks! But later that day, the Great Elder received a secret letter saying that if the previous generation’s Saintess couldn’t be delivered, the current Saintess would be acceptable as a substitute!”
“They’ve thought this out quite well…” Yang Kai was genuine impressed with these force’s scheme. After pausing for a moment to absorb all he had just heard, he then asked, “So, are you planning to just sit here and wait for death?”
Yu Ying’s mood became depressed as she replied, “What else can we do? Although this world is vast, we have nowhere else to go. And there’s still half a month left until the deadline, Great Elder is even now trying to convince the forces who were roped to take a step back and negotiate. If only the three local forces remain, they won’t be able to cause any waves, and once my Holy Land recovers, we can slowly deal with them.”
“Your old Holy Master has really harmed you,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head. “Why didn’t he treat those three forces better before he died, at least to the point where they won’t come to cause trouble for you?”
“Hey! Which side are you on?” Yu Ying glanced over at Yang Kai somewhat disgruntled.
“I’m just telling the truth,” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders.
“When the old Holy Master was alive, although he did treat them somewhat overbearingly and demanded they pay a certain amount of tribute each year in the form of cultivation materials, it was because of the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s shelter that their three forces could remain safe and sound,” An Ling’ Er explained, “Now they choose to repay that kindness with enmity, they’re nothing more than ungrateful wolves.”
“What do you mean? How did your old Holy Master shelter them?” Yang Kai was puzzled.
“I didn’t tell you? Our Holy Land is at the edge of the Human Territory, just over that mountain range is the Beast Sea Jungle which is the territory of the Monster Race. If it weren’t for the old Holy Master’s presence here, the Monster Race’s Great Senior over there would have already brought his forces to occupy this land.”
“Monster Race?” Yang Kai raised his brow and asked, “You mean to say that over there is the Monster Domain?”
“Yes!”
“Then why haven’t they taken action as well?”
Since the old Holy Master had fallen, the Monster Race making a move should have been given. The Three Clans all had irreconcilable enmity between them to the point where fights broke out simply by meeting one another. The Monster Race not taking advantage of such a superb opportunity didn’t make sense. Given this, Yang Kai keenly realized that there should be something more to this story than meets the eye.
An Ling’er glanced over at Yu Ying, seemingly seeking her opinion. Yu Ying’s pretty face wore a complex expression as she contemplated for a while before finally nodding lightly.
Only then did An Ling’er continue, quietly explaining, “The old Holy Master and that side’s Monster Race Great Senior seem to have some friendship… them not moving is probably for this reason.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai showed an interested look, sneering as he ridiculed, “Then it seems the Monster Race is actually more humane… That Monster Race Great Senior’s strength must not be weak, right?”
“We’ve never met him, but it’s more than likely that’s the case,” Yu Ying nodded.
“And that’s the current situation,” An Ling’er said, looking straight at Yang Kai, seemingly waiting for him to state his opinion. Yu Ying also looking at him anxiously, as if she was worried he would immediately leave after learning how dire things were.
If that were to really happen, Yu Ying would probably break down and cry.
Yang Kai being able to safely return from the Holy Tomb meant he must have passed its test. That meant that as of right now, he was essentially the Holy Land’s Holy Master. With him assuming command, it would be possible to stabilize the mood of the Holy Land’s disciples and it would become more convenient to handle various large and small affairs.
Two beautiful women, one young, one old, staring at him so fixedly made Yang Kai feel a certain helplessness, eventually forcing him to ask, “Where are Xu Hui and the others?”
Hearing him ask this, both An Ling’er and Yu Ying smiled joyfully, Yu Ying quickly replying, “I’ll take you to them!”
Saying so, she immediately turned around and led the way.
Yang Kai and An Ling’er followed close behind.
“Does… does this mean you’re willing to become the new Holy Master?” An Ling’er suddenly whispered.
“I didn’t say that, so don’t misunderstand. Right now… I can make some effort, as for if it will make any difference, I can’t guarantee. I can only say that I’ll do my best. If your Holy Land is still destroyed by this catastrophe, at least you won’t be able to complain about me not trying.”
“En, en,” An Ling’er smiled brightly, “I knew you were a good person, we really are friends, right?”
“En,” Yang Kai grinned, a mischievous glint flashing across his eyes, “So you’d best not fall in love with me. If you do, I’ll leave, and we won’t be friends anymore.”
“Hmph, don’t be so arrogant!” An Ling’er blushed bright red, hitting Yang Kai a few times, grinding her teeth as she muttered, “You really think that all the women in the world will be attracted to you? Although you’re not bad, you’re not my type at all.”
“Oh? What kind of man is your type then?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“Someone older than me, tall and handsome, kind and caring…” An Ling’er suddenly fell into a fantasy, quickly firing off a long list traits her dream man should have.
“Your vision is really lacking!” Yang Kai kept shaking his head, wearing an expression seemingly bloated with arrogance, causing An Ling’er to giggling.
As they flew forward, Yang Kai saw numerous broken buildings and traces of blood left behind from battle.
The busy Holy Land disciples who saw Yu Ying and An Ling’er all stopped and saluted respectfully, but when they noticed Yang Kai who was walking together with An Ling’er, they all, without exception, showed looks of shock, none of them able to believe their own eyes.
Up ahead, Xu Hui was busy directing people. Yu Ying shouted out to him, causing him to turn his head to answer her, but before he could utter a single word, his eyes suddenly bulged. It was like he had seen a ghost, causing his jaw to drop, rendering him speechless for quite some time.
In front of a collapsed building, Xu Hui stood there staring at Yang Kai dumbly, hardly able to believe his eyes.
Shi Kun, Cheng Yue Tong, and the other Elders also wore similar expressions.
“Don’t look so surprised. Or what, did you think I already died inside that tomb?” Yang Kai quipped.
Xu Hui finally came back to his senses, a trail of tears soon streaming down his face as he wore a joyful expression, trembling greatly as he cupped his fists and bowed deeply, “Greetings, Holy Master!”
“Congratulations on returning, Holy Master!” The other Elders also respectfully called out.
It seemed like Yang Kai appearing here now was equivalent to seeing hope, the haze and depression on their faces were instantly swept away.
Even the Holy Land disciples who were gathered nearby all turned fervent looks towards Yang Kai, regarding him as some kind of saviour.
In response, Yang Kai frowned and raised his hand, “Don’t be in such a rush to address me so…. Let’s put such matters aside for now; I’ve heard about the general situation from Elder Yu Ying and An Ling’er. Is there anything I can do to help? Speak freely, if I it’s within my ability, I’ll try my best to assist you.”
Xu Hui was startled, immediately understanding the meaning of Yang Kai’s words, quickly adjusting his tone as he cautiously said, “Of course, of course. The things we’re dealing with here are just minor matters such as comforting the disciples and treating the injured, there’s no need for you to intervene.”
As he spoke, Xu Hui’s eyes unconsciously glanced towards Yang Kai’s hand, a look of disappointment soon appearing on his face.
“Are you looking for this?” Yang Kai flipped his hand and summoned out the Holy Master Spirit Ring.
Everyone gathered around trembled when they saw this small ring appear. Xu Hui nodded repeatedly as his mood recovered, excitedly shouting, “Little Brother, you really brought the Holy Master Spirit Ring out!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, putting the ring on his finger in front of everyone and casually saying, “I had wanted to deliver this ring to you when I came out, but… something unexpected came up so before I reach the Saint Realm I’ll have to keep it with me. I’ll return it to you when the time comes.”
Yang Kai estimated that when he broke through to the Saint Realm he would be able to take back his Soul brand from this ring.
“No, no, this Spirit Ring is yours now, it doesn’t matter how long you want to wear it,” Xu Hui smiled, the other Elders also nodding in agreement.
“However… now that we have the Holy Master Spirit Ring, things will really be much easier,” Xu Hui said in a relieved tone, “Little brother, this old master needs to ask you to do a few things.”
“Go ahead, Great Elder,” Yang Kai nodded.
“There are a large number of injured disciples and there aren’t enough healing pills and herbs available, you I’d like to ask little brother to go to the Sect’s main Treasury to take some things out.”
“Good, lead the way.”
Xu Hui quickly nodded, issuing some instructions to the other Elders before leading Yang Kai off in a certain direction.
After they left, the shocked expressions returned to the other Elders’ faces.
“He really came out of the Holy Tomb? It’s already been nine months. How did he do it?” Shi Kun kept shaking his head, unable to understand.
“This has broken all records for the longest time spent in the Holy Tomb by far, right? I remember that the previous record was only two months.”
“Taking so long to pass the Holy Tomb’s test, could it be this new Holy Master’s ability is that poor? Did we perhaps look too highly upon him?”
“None of that matters, the most important thing is that he brought out the Holy Master Spirit Ring, so the Spirit Arrays that form the barrier around the nine peaks can be reactivated and we can prevent those bastards’ invasion.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Only Yu Ying’s eyes flashed an extremely complex light.
She had yet to figure out how Yang Kai had just fooled her senses and silently appeared beside her. Even if he had mastered the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, he still shouldn’t have been able to accomplish such a feat.
Had they looked too highly upon him, or were they actually still underestimating him?
“Yu Ying, what’s wrong?” Cheng Yue Tong saw her friend acting somewhat unsettled and quickly came over to ask.
“Nothing, I was just thinking that this future Holy Master is very different.”
“Different how?” Cheng Yue Tong asked curiously.
“I’m not sure,” Yu Ying slowly shook her head before turning around and shouting, “What are you staring at? Don’t you have things to do?”
The disciples who had gathered around were suddenly awoken from their daze and quickly scattered like frightened birds, returning to their own individual tasks.
However, word of the new Holy Master successfully passing the Holy Tomb’s test still spread rapidly, causing all the Holy Land disciples who heard the news to rejoice, feeling the Holy Land now had hope.
At the same time, Yang Kai and Xu Hui arrived in front of the Holy Land’s main Treasury.
After a quick inspection, Yang Kai was quite surprised; he didn’t know what material this Treasury was made from but even with his unusually powerful Divine Sense he couldn’t even penetrate its outer layer much less see what was stored inside. On top of that, this Treasury was obviously incredibly sturdy, essentially impregnable to outside attacks.
On the way over, Xu Hui had also given Yang Kai a quick explanation of the situation.
The materials collected by Nine Heavens Holy Land that weren’t immediately needed were usually sent to this Treasury for preservation. Over the years, the amount of rare and precious material stockpiled in this vault was considerable.
However, since the fall of the old Holy Master, this place had become inaccessibly.
Over the past two years, the remaining materials in the Holy Land had slowly been used up, and after experiencing this most recent disaster, the last remnants had been consumed clean, leaving many of the injured disciples without any healing pills, let alone pills used to cultivate.
So right now the highest priority was to open the Treasury so the supplies inside could be used.
But the only key to open the Treasury was the Holy Master Spirit Ring brought out by Yang Kai.
Following Xu Hui’s instructions, Yang Kai poured his True Qi into the Holy Master Spirit Ring and then pushed the ring on his finger into a slot in the center of the Treasury’s door.
A flash of light appeared and the heavy door slowly slid open.
A huge underground warehouse appeared in front of Yang Kai’s eyes that were lined with all kinds of commodities such as herbs for Alchemy, metals for Artifact Refining, jade bottles filled with finished pills, and countless artifacts.
Yang Kai was dazzled and even somewhat shocked by this sight.
After all, this was the storage space for the accumulated wealth of an apex level force; the amount of wealth in this place was simply beyond Yang Kai’s imagination.
“Little brother, have a look around for yourself, if there is anything you need, feel free to take it, I will go call some disciples right now to help bring out the materials we need!” Xu Hui said to Yang Kai before turning around to leave.
Yang Kai was immediately overjoyed.
The materials here were diverse and abundant, enough to supply the needs of ten thousand disciples for quite some time. It was no wonder that the three nearby forces had taken the risk of attacking Nine Heavens Holy Land. Without even mentioning how good the surrounding nine spirit peaks were for cultivating, just the wealth stored in this vault was enough to make them salivate.
Whether in good times or in bad times, what ultimately moved people were benefits, this was an unchanging truth.
Yang Kai didn’t have the slightest reservations and immediately began wantonly stuffing herbs used for Alchemy into the Black Book space in preparation for whatever the future held.
Yang Kai still needed to increase his Alchemy skill. Although he could currently refine Saint Grade Low-Rank pills, he was not very adept at it yet. Only when he became capable of refining Saint Grade Mid-Rank pills could he return to the endless Snow Mountain Range to find Coffin Slave Senior, enter the Mysterious Small World, and free the Ancient Demon Clan from their captivity.
Compared with Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai valued Li Rong and Han Fei more.
It was also because of his complicated relationship with the Ancient Demon Clan that Yang Kai didn’t want to have much to do with Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Humans and Demons were irreconcilable enemies, if he were to become both the Holy Master and leader of the Ancient Demon Clan, if a conflict were to erupt between the two, Yang Kai would find himself caught in the middle.
In no time at all, Yang Kai had swept away a lot of precious spirit herbs, even acquiring materials necessary for the Saint Pill the Ancient Demon Clan needed.
Finally, Yang Kai had collected all the materials needed for that Saint Pill!
Yang Kai’s was in utter joy. Even after collecting numerous materials already, it seemed that none of the supply has diminished in the slightest. It was only when he started collecting some Crystal Stones for cultivating, that he stopped.
Xu Hui bustled about inside, stuffing a large number of Universe Bags with herbs before handing them to the disciples waiting outside and instructing them to deliver them to the Holy Land’s Alchemists.
Half a day later, this work slowly came to an end.
“Little brother, did you not find anything you needed?” Xu Hui saw Yang Kai empty-handed, without even a single Universe Bag, and misunderstood that he had returned empty handed.
However, Xu Hui was also keenly aware that besides the things he had taken, a large amount of supplies, especially high grade Alchemy’s material, were now missing, puzzling him greatly.
“I’m fine,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
“Let’s go then, if you want, you can come back here anytime,” Xu Hui laughed, no longer raising the issue.
After leaving the Treasury, Xu Hui then said, “I’ll have to trouble little brother to follow this old master again so that the Nine Peak barrier can be opened again.”
Yang Kai nodded, indicating to him to lead the way.
The Nine Peaks Spirit Array and barrier were profound, the culmination of all the previous Holy Masters’ countless years of effort. Once opened, this barrier could withstand the indiscriminate attacks of a Saint Realm master undamaged for some time.
Although every Holy Master was a peak Third Order Saint, but there were always times when the Holy Master had to leave the Holy Land. When he left, it was this barrier that kept the Holy Land safe.
Yang Kai wasn’t proficient in barrier type Spirit Arrays as he had almost never been involved in arranging them before; however, it is not necessary for him to spend a lot of time learning about the Nine Peaks Spirit Array, all he had to do was use the Holy Master Spirit Ring in accordance with Xu Hui’s instructions to re-activate it.
Traveling back and forth among the nine spirit peaks, stopping from time to time, Yang Kai consumed a massive amount of True Qi until half a day later the Spirit Array was successfully re-started.
World Energy once again began to rapidly flow towards the Holy Land while at the same time a thin energy membrane barely visible to the naked eye enveloped Nine Heavens Holy Land, protecting it from the outside world.
Xu Hui was completely shocked!
He was well aware of just how much True Qi it took to activate this Spirit Array; even the previous generation’s Holy Master couldn’t re-start after it shut down it within half a day.
It was a Spirit Array that covered the entire Holy Land.
However, Yang Kai did just that, and even after activating the Spirit Array, his face wasn’t the slightest bit flushed, as if he hadn’t exerted any effort at all.
Xu Hui couldn’t even begin to speculate how massive the amount of True Qi hidden inside Yang Kai’s body was, causing him to be deeply astonished.
Realizing this, Xu Hui’s attitude became even more respectful.
He knew that although his current cultivation was higher than Yang Kai’s, in a short time, this young man would definitely ascend to a height that he would forever be unable to reach. At that time, the entire Holy Land would have to rely on Yang Kai.
After hurrying about for an entire day, most of the Holy Land’s immediate concerns had been dealt with.
As night fell, clouds gathered overhead, blocking out the starlight, causing a heavy aura to cover the sky above the Holy Land.
The various Protectors and Elders of Nine Heavens Holy Land gathered to discuss how to deal with the crisis which would befall them half a month later.
The various masters, led by the Holy Land’s neighbouring three forces, had already declared that after half a month, they either surrender the previous generation’s Saintess or hand over current generation’s Saintess, otherwise it would be war.
The three forces who had been suppressed by Nine Heavens Holy Land, daring to make such a bold statement obviously indicated how great their confidence was, otherwise their attitude wouldn’t have been so intractable.
Handing over the previous generation’s Saintess was impossible for Xu Hui and the other Elders, they didn’t even know where Saintess Nan was right now. Likewise, it was impossible for them to hand over the current generation’s Saintess. A battle half a month later was essentially inevitable.
Not even knowing what this meeting was about or what intentions this group of Elders had, Yang Kai was dragged over and forced to attend by An Ling’er.
As the various Elders were discussing matters, Yang Kai remained silent, showing no intention to express his own opinion.
Yang Kai had enough self-knowledge. Although this group of Saints continuously expressed their expectation that he inherit the Holy Master’s position, at this critical juncture, he had no decision-making power. In all of their opinions, Yang Kai was still too young.
Therefore, Yang Kai just chose to remain silent.
After listening for a while, Yang Kai was surprised to discover that no one here had any thoughts of escaping, they were all determined and stay behind and fight to defend the honour of the Holy Land.
Yang Kai shook his head secretly, deciding not to pass judgement on this decision.
Although he also knew that by fleeing to the mountains one didn’t need to worry about having firewood to burn, Yang Kai was also aware that a large force like Nine Heavens Holy Land wanting to migrate was not an easy task. Even if Xu Hui and the other Elders could safely evacuate, the common disciples would likely be abandoned.
Right now, the most crucial thing was how to console the foreign masters that were gathered together by Shattering Mystical Palace, War Spirit Temple, and Netherworld Sect. As long as they could make these masters withdraw, even with its current weakened strength, the Holy Land could easily repel the three local forces.
After discussing this matter at length yet not reaching any kind of consensus, everyone’s eyes suddenly turned to Yang Kai who was sitting to the side drinking his tea.
“What are you looking at me for? I’m used to wandering freely, I don’t have any experience about such matters. You talk, I’ll just listen.”
“Heh heh…” Xu Hui let out a hollow laugh and calmly said, “Though that may be the case, surely little brother has some opinions of his own, yes? Please share them with us, perhaps a fresh perspective will help us find a solution.”
The other Elders in the room all turned looks of anticipation towards Yang Kai as well, seeming curious about what he would say.
Yang Kai wrinkled his brow, and although he was somewhat unwilling to contribute, he still reluctantly asked, “How many Saint Realm masters are there among the three forces stirring up trouble?”
Xu Hui’s expression brightened as he quickly replied, “These three forces are not very powerful, each of them only possessing two Saint Realm masters, all of which as basically First Order. The only one we need to pay attention to is Zhang Ao from Shattering Mystical Palace, that old bastard’s cultivation is the same as mine, Second Order Saint. If the two of us were to really fight, it’s not certain who would win.”
Yang Kai expression moved slightly. Each of the three local forces possessing two Saints meant there was a total of six Saint Realm opponents, five of which were First Order while one of them was Second Order.
This lineup was the same in terms of number and cultivation as the current Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Right now, Nine Heavens Holy Land had one Second Order Saint and five First Order Saints.
This was not counting the forces which had been roped in by the three forces though; there were surely a number of powerhouses among this group. Having just suffered an attack from Saintess Nan, Nine Heavens Holy Land wanting to repel such a force was indeed unrealistic.
Moreover, if it really came down to a fight, even if Nine Heavens Holy Land survive, it might never be able to rise up again.
There were simply too many forces involved in this matter.
They had never wanted to become enemies with so many forces, but the trouble caused by Saintess Nan was undeniable so naturally Nine Heavens Holy Land’s had to take some responsibility.
“Haven’t you thought about asking for help? Nine Heavens Holy Land has existed for so many years so shouldn’t you have some allies?” Yang Kai suggested hesitantly, “Can’t you ask your allies for help during this crisis in exchange for a favour down the road?”
When Yang Kai spoke these words though, everyone else in the room wore an awkward embarrassed.
Seeing this, Yang Kai immediately understood. Nine Heavens Holy Land really had no allies! When the old Holy Master was alive, they were conceited, thinking that no force in the world could stand on the same level as their Holy Land, but as a result, now that their Sect had encountered a crisis, obviously no one would come to their aid.
Yang Kai rubbed his forehead for a while, rendered absolutely speechless by this fact.
He could ask Soaring Heaven Sect for help. His three Marital Uncles and his Martial Aunt would definitely respond, but there simply wasn’t enough time for that. By the time Yang Kai returned to Soaring Heaven Sect, Nine Heavens Holy Land would likely already be destroyed.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, solemnly saying, “That Monster Race Great Senior… Have you ever thought about asking him for help?”
“The Monster Race Great Senior?” Xu Hui’s complexion changed.
“En, since he is a Great Senior, his strength and the strength of his subordinates is certainly not weak.”
“You must be joking,” Shi Kun frowned, “Those Monster Race powerhouses only regard us humans as eyesores. If we were to ask for help from them and they accepted, once word of it spread out, Nine Heavens Holy Land would immediately become an enemy of the entire human race and never be able to rise again.”
“Exactly,” Yu Ying gently nodded, agreeing with Shi Kun’s statement, “No matter how bad the situation becomes, it is impossible for us to ask for reinforcements from the Monster Race. In addition, none of us have ever met with that Monster Race Great Senior, only the old Holy Master has some friendship with him, there’s very little chance we could convince him to help even if we did ask.”
Yang Kai was stunned, never having expected his proposal to be so firmly rejected; only not understanding that he had greatly underestimated the degree of hatred between the different races.
He was not a native of Tong Xuan Realm and although he had been in this world for a number of years now, the deep-rooted prejudices of this world had not affected him much.
Before coming here, Yang Kai hadn’t even known about the existence of difference races like the Demon Race and Monster Race.
“There is a person who, if he can be found, may be able to easily resolve the Holy Land’s crisis,” Xu Hui suddenly fell into contemplation and whispered softly.
“Does Great Elder mean that man?” Cheng Yue Tong seems to remember something and immediately asked.
“En.”
“What man?” Yang Kai was curious, not knowing who they were talking about, but surmising he was some extraordinary master.
“An old man with mysterious origins, we don’t know anything specific about him, but he should be an old friend of the previous Holy Master. Half a year before the old Holy Master fell, that old man suddenly came to visit him and stayed a few days in the Holy Land. During that time, the old Holy Master was very courteous towards him, so the relationship between them shouldn’t be just a casual one. If we can find him, he would surely help us.”
“En, that old man had a profound aura around him, as if he was impossible to see through. Moreover, I have never seen the old Holy Master act so politely towards another individual before, so he obviously isn’t some average person,” Yu Ying followed up.
“An old man with mysterious origins?” Yang Kai was stunned, “Do you have any idea where he is now?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“However, he should return to the Holy Land again at some point,” Xu Hui suddenly said confidently.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because when he came to my Holy Land, the little girl accompanying him left something behind on one of the nine peaks. After he left, the old Holy Master told me to pay special attention to that place and not allow anyone to approach or damage it. I assume after a certain period of time that old man and little girl will come back here and retrieve whatever it is they deposited there.”
“En, after that little girl set up some kind of array in that place, I had a casual look once,” Meng Tian Fei nodded, somewhat helplessly confessing, “Whatever it is she did though, has made the place uninhabitable. If one stays there too long, they’ll freeze, even I couldn’t stand being there for very long.”
Listening to their words, Yang Kai suddenly understood what they were talking about.
When he was opening the Nine Peaks Spirit Array and barrier with Xu Hui during the day, he indeed came across an odd place. That region was particularly cold, and not just in a temperature sense. There was some kind of unusual chill in the air that caused one to feel quite uncomfortable.
At the time, Yang Kai thought it was a natural occurrence, some kind of restricted zone in Nine Heavens Holy Land, but apparently that was not the case.
However, suddenly hearing about an old man accompanied by a little girl, a certain familiar pair emerged in Yang Kai’s mind.
Chuckling to himself, Yang Kai shook his head, thinking there was no way such a coincidence could possible happen.
With a smile on his face, he asked casually, “That old guy you mentioned, he wouldn’t happen to be a geezer that tries to put on a sagely appearance yet has a wandering obscene gaze?”
Xu Hui didn’t have time to respond before Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong both nodded, Yu Ying even gritting her teeth as she grumbled, “Exactly! That old bastard’s eyes were always staring at places they shouldn’t be.”
Cheng Yue Tong also chimed in, “En, en, at his age yet still acting so wantonly, Yu Ying and I somehow managed to treat him politely, but in truth we couldn’t wait to dig out his eyes!”
The breathing of the two beautiful women both became rough, seemingly still quite angry with that old man.
Xu Hui, on the other hand, smiled dumbly, “Aren’t you two perhaps mistaken? When one reaches a certain height, their eyes are naturally filled with ‘life’.”
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong both glared coldly at Xu Hui at the same time.
“Ahem, just pretend I never said anything,” Xu Hui’s immediately retreated.
Yang Kai’s expression, on the other hand, became cramped, his pulse slightly accelerating as a sense of excitement and expectation filled his chest, continuing to ask, “Was that little girl wearing a veil, making people unable to see her true appearance, but still giving off a pure, and innocent aura?”
Everyone in the room turned to look at Yang Kai with amazement, Xu Hui asking in a shocked tone, “Holy Master, you… *ahem*, little brother, how did you know?”
“Seriously?” Yang Kai suddenly felt a little dumbfounded, quickly confirming his suspicions, “Did she also wear a light blue gem on her forehead?”
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, everyone nodded, Yu Ying adding, “Although that old guy was somewhat hateful, the little girl who was accompanying him was another story entirely. Although we couldn’t see her true appearance, I don’t think she was any less beautiful than our Saintesses, and… her cultivation was also incredible, no worse than yours. Before meeting you, she was the greatest genius of the younger generation I’d ever seen.”
“That was two or three years ago, her current cultivation is probably higher than mine!” Yang Kai declared, his mood suddenly become somewhat complicated.
Meng Wu Ya and Xia Ning Chang!
There were not many people who the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land would treat with courtesy, but Meng Wu Ya was one of them. Coupled with the fact he was followed by a little girl similar to Xia Ning Chang… The people Xu Hui and the other Elders were talking about could only be them.
They had actually come to Nine Heavens Holy Land, a fact that surprised Yang Kai greatly.
“Does little brother know them?” Xu Hui and the others glanced around at each other after noticing Yang Kai’s unusual state, the meaningful smile on his face that was somewhat absentminded, as if he was lost in his memories, making them realize that this new Holy Master might be old friends with that pair.
“How should I put this…? I’m acquainted with them,” Yang Kai smiled.
Xu Hui’s mood brightened and was just about to ask but Yang Kai cut him off before he had the chance, “Unfortunately I haven’t seen them for a number of years and I don’t know where they are right now.”
“Ah…” Xu Hui showed a disappointing look, but quickly recovered, “Since we can’t find someone to help us, we can only rely on our own strength now. Fortunately, little brother has retrieved the Holy Master Spirit Ring so if those people dare to attack, they will certainly pay a heavy price!”
“Good!” The crowd nodded, continuing their discussion.
Yang Kai found an opportunity and sneak away.
Following his memories from earlier that day, he soon came to a certain spot on one of the nine peaks.
This mountain was not much different from the other eight, standing tens of thousands of meters high, towering up into the sky, a magnificent scene to behold.
However, halfway up the mountain, a frigid aura appeared. The higher one climbed, the more intense this aura became and close to the summit, countless icicles hung from the rocky ridges, like sharp spears.
During the day, when Yang Kai was reactivating the Nine Peaks Spirit Array, he had found this place somewhat odd, but had not given it much thought at the time.
Now he wanted to see just what his Little Senior Sister had set up and left behind here.
Flying upwards, it only took a moment to reach the summit where the chill in the air was so strong it seemed to penetrate into the depths of the soul and freeze one’s thoughts.
Yang Kai began probing the area but soon paled slightly. He found that even with his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, he had to exert his full strength in order to stop his Soul from being affected by the chill in the air.
As for his body, even circulating his True Qi at full speed Yang Kai couldn’t completely dispel the cold which penetrated his skin.
[How strange!]
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, but with great confidence in his ability still boldly went forward.
After a while, a clear and deep pond suddenly appeared before Yang Kai’s eyes, the chill seemingly emanating from its depths. Around its perimeter was small depression, which seemed to have been left by people. [It seemed that not everyone from the Nine Heavens Holy Land has completely avoided coming here.]
Around the deep pond, there were some subtle energy fluctuations, arranged in a mysterious and profound manner.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to probe these fluctuations and soon a smile of delight appeared on his face.
This was definitely his Little Senior Sister’s handiwork. Yang Kai could tell because the Spirit Arrays which were giving off the energy fluctuations contained many traces of the Spirit Arrays he had taught Xia Ning Chang.
Why had she done this though? From what Yang Kai heard from Xu Hui, Xian Ning Chang and Treasurer Meng did not take anything away from this place, probably because the time was not right, which also indicated that they’d likely return at some point.
What secrets were hidden in the depths of this frigid pond? Was it related to breaking the seal placed on Meng Wu Ya?
Yang Kai secretly guessed but couldn’t say for certain.
Chu Ling Xiao said that Meng Wu Ya had fought with the Demon Commander and was hit by the latter’s Profound Heavenly Seal, suppressing his cultivation to the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary. This led to Treasurer Meng to seek refuge in Yang Kai’s homeland. Searching for someone with a Sacred Spirit Medicine Body might also have been a reason Meng Wu Ya traveled to the other world.
Beneath the Central Capital, Meng Wu Ya managed to lift the first layer of the seal and restore his strength to the Second Order Transcendent Realm. After not seeing him for so many years though, Yang Kai couldn’t be sure what his current situation was.
Yang Kai had always been very curious about Treasurer Meng’s true cultivation.
That old man knew Chu Ling Xiao and was friends with Ice Sect’s Sect Master, Qing Ya, he even knew the old Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land…
Which one of these three was not a top level master? Being able to associate with such people must mean Treasurer Meng’s true strength couldn’t be much worse than theirs.
On top of that, everywhere he went, he seemed to leave behind a profound impression on others.
“Why did you come to see the Reflecting Moon Pond?” A voice suddenly called out from behind. Yang Kai was in deep thought and hadn’t even detected this newcomer’s approach, so when he heard these words he immediately condensed his True Qi, but in the next instant he calmed down and turned to look at An Ling’er and said, “I just wanted to take a look around. This place is called Reflecting Moon Pond?”
“En,” An Ling’er smiled as she looked up into the sky, “There’s no moon tonight, if there were, the view would have been even more beautiful. What kind of secret the Reflecting Moon Pond holds, no one knows, but it can show a near perfect reflection of the moon and stars above, indistinguishable from the real thing. I used to come here to play with Xiao Lian frequently…”
Seeming remembering about her three sisters who were killed by Saintess Nan, An Ling’er’s mood suddenly dampened.
“Is it really so mysterious?” Yang Kai quickly changed the subject to avoid An Ling’er dwelling on her sadness, “Even though it’s inside your territory, your Nine Heavens Holy Land doesn’t know what’s hidden here?”
An Ling’er shook her head slowly, “Great Elder and the other Elders don’t dare explore its depths. No one knows how deep this Reflecting Moon Pond is. The old Holy Master once went down to try to uncover its mysteries but returned empty handed; after he came out, he forbade anyone else from entering though, so what is hidden inside, no one knows. Moreover, originally, this peak didn’t have this pervasive chill, only when one dove into the Reflecting Moon Pond would they feel cold. I don’t know how it became like this but it should be related to the Spirit Array that little girl arranged here.”
After she finished explaining, An Ling’er apparently couldn’t take it anymore, shivering as she hastily said, “Let’s go back, it’s too cold here.”
Yang Kai nodded, not insisting on staying any longer, and flew down with her.
Yang Kai spent the rest of the night in contemplation and reflection, eventually coming to a decision about his next course of action.
The next day, he went to find Xu Hui and directly said, “Great Elder, I want to meet that Monster Race Great Senior!”
Upon hearing this, Xu Hui couldn’t help doing a double-take, hurriedly asking, “Why does little brother want to see him? Do you still want to ask him for help?”
Yang Kai smiled and shook his head, “He might have had a relationship with the old Holy Master but no friendship exists between him and I, even if I ask him for help, the answer will obviously be no.”
“Then why do you…” Xu Hui somewhat couldn’t understand.
Yang Kai’s expression suddenly became solemn and he hesitated for a moment before asking, “Great Elder, have you ever thought about abandoning the Holy Land’s territory?”
“You mean escaping?” Xu Hui frowned.
“Yes, escaping, of course, only temporarily,” Yang Kai nodded firmly, “As the saying goes, by staying in the azure mountains, one need not fear having wood to burn. Now, surrounded by foreign enemies, the Holy Land has no way to resist. If the situation really breaks down and turns into a fight, I’m afraid Nine Heavens Holy Land will really be destroyed in your generation. When things reach that point, how many of you will be able to escape? Perhaps you Elders and Protectors with your profound strength and deep cultivation will be able to flee, but what about the remaining disciples?”
Xu Hui expression became gloomy as he sighed deeply, “this is something we all understand, but the Holy Land’s disciples number between six and seven thousand, where could we possible go with so many people? Shattering Mystical Palace, War Spirit Temple, and Netherworld Sect have all chosen to thoroughly offend my Holy Land; naturally they won’t give up easily now. They also understand the concept of beating a snake to death to avoid future calamities. I’m afraid that if we try to stage a mass evacuation, they will immediately chase after and attack us. Since that’s the case, we might as well stay and fight where we have the territorial advantage.”
“So, you have considered it?” Yang Kai’s eyes flashed.
Xu Hui nodded somewhat awkwardly, “Although doing so is a great humiliation to our ancestors, right now what’s most important is to preserve the blood of the Holy Land. When we have accumulated enough strength, we can stage a comeback and make those who desecrated the Holy Land pay a steep price!”
As he spoke these words, Xu Hui’s face filled with determination and anger.
“Good good, since you’ve already thought about it, I don’t need to worry about convincing you,” Yang Kai laughed sinisterly, continuing a moment later, “I have a place to safely house all the Holy Land’s people. As long as we move there, no one will have any way of harming you.”
“Oh?” Xu Hui’s eyes lit up, asking somewhat curiously, “Little brother is referring to…”
“It’s not convenient to tell you now; just wait, when the time comes I’ll inform you. Of course, the premise is that you believe me!” Yang Kai said vaguely.
“I believe, naturally I believe!” Xu Hui nodded repeatedly, soon becoming confused though, “What does any of this have to do with you going to see that Monster Race Great Senior?”
“These two matters really have nothing to do with each other, at least not directly, but if you really agree to give up the Holy Land’s territory for a while, I think seeing that Monster Race Great Senior is a necessary,” Yang Kai grinned fiercely, “The Holy Land’s foundation can’t simply be handed over to those three forces freely; in that case… if that Monster Race Great Senior learned that Holy Land was now empty, what do you think he would do?”
Xu Hui knit his brow slightly and quickly muttered, “The World Energy aura inside the Monster Race’s territory isn’t nearly as rich as my Holy Land’s. They have also coveted this place for a long time. If they were to learn that the Holy Land had been deserted, I’m afraid they would immediately invade and occupy the nine peaks…”
As he spoke, Xu Hui suddenly understood what Yang Kai wanted to do, a look of shock filling his eyes as his face twitched slightly. He had never expected that this new, young Holy Master actually had such a sinister and devious side.
Yang Kai smiled villainously as he spoke in a frightful tone, “My mother taught me, those who respect me one step, I should respect ten steps, but those who wrong me, I should beat three times over!”
Xu Hui couldn’t help feeling a chill run up his spine, as if he had just been thrown out into a frigid blizzard, only able to mutter somewhat haltingly after a long time, “Your mother is a true hero…”
“Good, I know that you can’t take responsibility for such a decision alone, go discuss it with the other Elders now, if they all agree, let me know.”
Xu Hui’s eyes flashed as he cupped his fists and said, “Although I can’t take responsibility for such a decision by myself, if little brother were to promise to inherit…”
“Scram!” Yang Kai didn’t wait for Xu Hui to finish before bluntly cutting him off.
The corner of Xu Hui’s lips twitched for a moment before he let out a sigh and flew off.
The Patreon changed, so I wanted to reschedule everything to be 9 Chapters this week. Do enjoy ~
Yang Kai hated being led around by others, his fate could only be forged with his own hands.
It was for this reason that he had always been extremely opposed to the idea of inheriting the position of Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, because this was not something he sought on his own. No matter how friendly the people of the Holy Land were to him, his intentions were simply incompatible.
However, when Yang Kai learned that Xia Ning Chang and Meng Wu Ya came here and arranged something around the Reflecting Moon Pond, Yang Kai’s resistance to Nine Heavens Holy Land noticeably decreased.
By preserving the foundation of Nine Heavens Holy Land, perhaps he could meet his Little Senior Sister again in the future!
He had already found Su Yan who was now staying in Ice Sect, concentrating on cultivation. As for Old Demon, Yang Kai wasn’t worried, that old Devil Lord was not someone good to provoke. It was only his Little Senior Sister that he would often worry about.
Now that he had found a concrete method to reunite with her, Yang Kai naturally didn’t want to see this hope dashed by some foreign enemies’ invasion.
Therefore he had taken the initiative to make this proposal to Xu Hui’s.
Soon, Xu Hui sent word and, just as Yang Kai had expected, after learning that there was a place that could safely house the Holy Land’s disciples, the various Elders and Protectors all expressed their willingness to temporarily evacuate in order to preserve their strength in anticipation of retaliating one day.
However, regarding this place which could house six or seven thousand disciples, they were obviously curious and repeatedly inquired about. However, Yang Kai was unwilling to inform them and the issue was only resolved when An Ling’er stepped forward to mediate the situation, convincing the Elders to temporarily back off.
“Since you’ve decided to follow my suggestion, let’s move on to other matters. Tell me everything you know about that Monster Race Great Senior,” Inside a grand hall, Yang Kai looked across at the Elders and quickly said, “The more detailed the better.”
After coming to Tong Xuan Realm, Yang Kai had only ever met a single member of the Monster Race.
The Charm Monster!
That devilish woman could use her Spiritual Energy toxin to stimulate the basest desires buried inside a human’s heart. But aside from that, Yang Kai essentially knew nothing about the Monster Race. Now that he was planning to go see a Monster Race Great Senior, naturally he had to prepare himself.
“None of us have met that Monster Race Great Senior, but from what the old Holy Master told us, he is an Eighth-Order Monster Beast. What’s more, he is naturally capable of cultivating two different elemental attributes. His strength is quite impressive and he has a number of powerful inborn Divine Abilities.”
“An Eighth-Order Monster Beast…” Yang Kai frowned. In the past he had speculated that a Sixth-Order Monster Beast was equivalent to a human Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator, while a Seventh-Order was equivalent to a Transcendent. So, an Eighth-Order was essentially a Saint.
In other words, the Monster Race Great Senior had strength on par with a Second Order Saint Realm master at least, most likely a Third Order!
“That Monster Race Great Senior also has a number of Eighth-Order Monster Beast subordinates who, while not as strong as him, are by no means weak. There are also a large number of Seventh-Order and Sixth-Order Monster Beasts who serve under him but those who have achieved human form only number around twenty.”
“Twenty or so, all of them at least equivalent to Transcendent, Seventh-Order and above…”
“They are naturally gifted in combat as well, so although they have not cultivated any Martial Skills, their strength in battle should not be underestimated.”
“They also don’t understand Spirit Arrays, so the World Energy where they live is not very rich and is completely determined by nature.”
Everyone began explaining what little information they knew to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai listened carefully to them, only asking curiously once they had finished, “The hatred between the two races is not shallow, so how did your old Holy Master manage to befriend that Monster Race Great Senior?”
Xu Hui chuckled and explained, “The Monster Race’s territory doesn’t have many Crystal Stone mines but it has an abundance of spirit grasses and spirit medicines. Once, the old Holy Master went out to search for a certain herb and coincidentally ran into that Monster Race Great Senior. The two of them fought for a while but neither of them could triumph over the other. After exchanging blows for a while, they apparently gained a kind of mutual respect for one another and negotiated a kind of trade deal. From then on, the old Holy Master would occasionally bring a large number of Crystal Stones with him to exchange for spirit grasses, spirit herbs, and some rare ores and materials from that side. They aren’t very proficient in Alchemy or Artifact Refining, so the artifacts and pills they use were basically supplied to them by the old Holy Masters.”
“So it’s like that…” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Then, if that Monster Race Great Senior still respects that old friendship, I shouldn’t encounter any danger this time… En, that should be the case!”
“Why do you think so?” Xu Hui asked curiously.
“The old Holy Master fell almost two years ago. The Monster Race must have gotten word of such a big development a long time ago yet they haven’t taken any action. The only explanation is because the Monster Race Great Senior doesn’t plan on hitting Nine Heavens Holy Land while it’s down. If that weren’t the case, your Holy Land’s current situation would be far worse than it is now!”
Listening to Yang Kai’s explanation, everyone only thought about it slightly before nodding in agreement.
“I heard that the Monster Race has a magical ground called the Beast Transformation Pond, yes?” Yang Kai asked suddenly.
“En,” Xu Hui nodded, “The Beast Transformation Pond is the foundation of the Monster Race. I don’t know how it was created, but every place that has a Beast Transformation Pond has a large gathering of Monster Race powerhouses living nearby. On that side, whenever a Monster Beast breaks through to the Seventh-Order, it is eligible to enter the Beast Transformation Pond, and if it’s luck and opportunity is good enough, it can transform into human form. If not, those Monster Beasts can only forever remain in their beast form.”
“Something like that really exists?” Yang Kai suddenly became interested, unable to help himself from wanting to see one of these mysterious ponds.
Xu Hui however shook his head, “Not every Monster Beast that enters it can successfully obtain a human form, I’ve heard that many Monster Beasts fail in their attempt. But even if they manage to obtain a human form, many of the Monster Races chose to remain in their true form most of the time. As such, even though we only see around twenty of them at a time, it is quite likely that there are more members of the Monster Race, possibly even double that number.”
“Impressive!” Yang Kai praised liberally.
The entire Nine Heavens Holy Land only had about that many Transcendents, which meant that the strength of the Monster Race group just across the mountains was basically on par with the Holy Land even at its peak.
“Prepare some Crystal Stones first,” Yang Kai ordered, “Since I will be meeting the Monster Race Great Senior for the first time, as a Junior, it is only natural I bring some gifts, or else I probably won’t even be able to see him.”
“Good, I will arrange it,” Xu Hui responded and immediately went out.
An hour or so later, everything was prepared. Yang Kai took two Universe Bags filled with Crystal Stones and left the nine peaks in the direction of the jungle.
The Protectors and Elders of the Holy Land all watched him leave, complicated looks upon their faces.
“Great Elder, why does it feel like the attitude of the new Holy Master has suddenly changed a lot?” Shi Kun frowned.
“En, it’s as if he has become enthusiastic about protecting the Holy Land. He used to have an indifferent attitude, but now…” Cheng Yue Tong also wrinkled her brow.
“I don’t know,” Xu Hui slowly shook his head, “But whatever the cause, it is a good thing. Him being concerned about the Holy Land today means he is more likely to succeed the position of Holy Master tomorrow.”
“Perhaps it’s related to the Reflecting Moon Pond,” An Ling’er muttered.
“Oh? Why do you say that?”
“Just a guess,” An Ling’er smiled, but couldn’t explain any further.
“Ling’er, can we really believe him? He said he knows of a place where so many Holy Land disciples can take shelter and has now suddenly left to meet with a Monster Race Great Senior, I can’t comprehend what he is thinking!” Yu Ying said worriedly.
“Weren’t we all prepared to fight to the death against the enemies outside our gates? If he succeeds, the situation may turn for the better, if not, we will simply have to act in accordance with our previous plans. Since that’s the case, what does it matter if we believe in him or not?”
“True,” Yu Ying smiled, feeling slightly relieved.
“But… if you’re asking me personally, I believe him,” An Ling’er’s face suddenly became solemn. “He is someone who can always survive through. Regardless of how hopeless the situation he is thrown into. Turning danger into safety, I think he can do so again this time.”
“If that’s the case, when all of this is over, whether he agrees or not, this old master will regard him as Holy Master!” Xu Hui firmly declared.
“It is exactly as Great Elder says,” The crowd nodded, their gazes filled with anticipation.
…..
Yang Kai had only just left the nine peaks before he suddenly felt he was being watched.
Shattering Mystical Palace, War Spirit Temple, and Netherworld Sect had gathered a great many masters together and attacked Nine Heavens Holy Land half a month ago. Although they were forced to retreat, they had certainly not gone far and had obviously set up patrols nearby in order to monitor Nine Heavens Holy Land’s movements while they waited for the deadline they set to come.
Anyone who left the Holy Land’s territory would definitely be spotted by them.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t the slightest bit flustered. With his powerful Divine Sense, the cultivation levels of his pursuers were clear to him.
A single First Order Transcendent, and a dozen Immortal Ascension cultivators!
Such a team wasn’t even enough to fill the gaps between Yang Kai’s teeth.
After chasing him for an hour through the mountains, those people lost Yang Kai’s trail.
The Transcendent Realm leader’s expression became solemn as he came to a halt and signaled his Immortal Ascension Boundary subordinates to gather around and carefully probe their surroundings; however, no matter how they searched, none of them could perceive Yang Kai’s position.
“Senior, where did that little brat go?” From amongst the team, a young man with a square head asked.
The Transcendent Realm master slowly shook his head, his expression becoming even more dignified as he said, “This boy is somewhat strange, we should fall back.”
“He didn’t look very old so his strength shouldn’t be too high, right?” The young man sneered, thinking this Senior was being too cautious.
“What do you know? Do you think that all young people in this world are as useless as you? That boy might look younger than you, but since he can escape from my perception, it’s obvious his strength is not to be trifled with. Perhaps… he already noticed us and was simply trying to lead us into a trap up ahead.”
The youth who had been scolded and slandered seemed to be slightly dissatisfied, grumbling under his breath, “I don’t think he’s that strong.”
The Transcendent Realm master sneered and no longer spoke any nonsense, simply saying, “If you think you’re stronger than him, go chase him yourself, I’d like to see if you can come back alive.”
Saying so, he turned around to leave.
This team was made up of cultivators from a number of forces. Because the region around Nine Heavens Holy Land they needed to monitor was vast, a large number of people were required so the groupings had become somewhat messy. After the youth was reprimanded by someone from a different Sect, he was naturally unhappy, but although his words were somewhat impertinent, since this Senior planned to leave, naturally he wouldn’t stay behind by himself. And so, with a sullen expression, the youth also followed behind the crowd silently.
The moment the youth turned around though, he saw the First Order Transcendent who was leading their team suddenly come to a stop again. Glancing at this Senior’s face, the youth noticed the former had a terrified expression and was shivering in fright.
“What happened?” The young man who had been reprimanded before couldn’t help muttering, glancing towards where his Transcendent team leader was staring. What he saw there caused him to become dumbstruck.
Down below, under the shade of a big tree, the young man who had flown out of Nine Heavens Holy Land had at some point unknown to them appeared behind them. He was just standing there smiling casually towards their group.
Everyone realized they were in a critical situation and hurriedly pushed their True Qi as they stared towards Yang Kai vigilantly.
The method this youth had used to evade their senses and approach them was enough to demonstrate his extraordinary ability. Everyone in this patrol team had some degree of vision, so they immediately understood that Yang Kai was not someone good to provoke.
In particular, the lead Transcendent, who was the closest to Yang Kai, had constantly been trying to probe the latter’s depths but no matter how he used his Divine Sense, it was like he was staring into a bottomless sea, unable to determine anything, causing him to feel extremely shocked.
“I’ll stall him, the rest of you split up!” The Transcendent Realm leader shouted to everyone.
Yang Kai simply maintained his smile, turning a deaf ear to this man’s words as he walked towards them.
As Yang Kai approached them, everyone in this patrol team felt as if a huge pressure had descended upon them from the sky, as if they were standing in the path of an avalanche, incapable of resisting.
The Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators couldn’t help feeling like collapsing to the ground, as if under this pressure they would soon be ground into dust, bones and all.
“Run!” The Transcendent screamed, forcefully circulating his True Qi as he soared into the sky.
“You think you can run?” Yang Kai coldly snorted as his Spiritual Energy condensed into a sharp blade and shot towards the Transcendent’s forehead, in the next instant tearing apart the latter’s Knowledge Sea defences.
A small piece of jade that was worn around this Transcendent’s neck flashed brilliantly before immediately shattering.
This jade pendant was a Soul defensive artifact designed to protect against enemy Divine Sense attacks and its grade was not bad, at least Mysterious Grade Mid-Rank.
But even so, this artifact was completely destroyed by Yang Kai’s Divine Sense attack.
The man, who had just flown up into the sky, came crashing down, his eyes losing all semblance of light. The First Order Transcendent slammed head first into the ground as he let out a piercing howl, the sound passing into the ears of the surrounding Immortal Ascension cultivators, sending cold chills up their spines.
The young man with the square head realized just how massive the gap in strength between him and Yang Kai was in that instant and understood that the Senior who led his team had not made the slightest exaggeration.
The young man didn’t know what method Yang Kai had used just now, but to reduce a First Order Transcendent to such a miserable state, how deep would this youth’s cultivation have to be?
The miserable cries only lasted for ten breaths before gradually weakening and eventually stopping all together, the Transcendent Realm cultivators now lying stiffly on the ground, not moving.
Dead!
The remaining dozen or so Immortal Ascension cultivators all shuddered and the sound of their teeth chattering was audible, each and every one of them staring towards Yang Kai in horror, none of them know what to do now.
Yang Kai glanced around at them faintly, all of them quickly turning their heads as he did, none of them having the courage to meet eyes with him.
A dozen Immortal Ascension cultivators… Yang Kai couldn’t help chuckling wryly at this sight. Back when he was in the Central Capital, this kind of lineup would be considered quite formidable, but only a few years later, Yang Kai could actually completely disregard their combat strength.
These people were now no different from ants before him.
“I have some questions to ask you, who can answer me?” Yang Kai suddenly said.
These people were all scared stiff, each of them thinking they were going to die soon, so none of them reacted immediately; however, the square headed youth was actually able to compose himself somewhat quicker than the others and shouted, “I can!”
Yang Kai shot a glance towards this youth and nodded lightly, “Tell me, where are you guys stationed?”
“We have a camp set up at the base of a mountain roughly fifty kilometers from your noble sect!” The young man was afraid that if he answered too slowly it would annoy Yang Kai so he blurted out a response as quickly as he could.
“How many of you are there?”
“At least three thousand…”
“That’s certainly a lot, how many Saints?” Yang Kai continued questioning. Three thousand was less than half the number of people Nine Heavens Holy Land had, but if a fight really broke out, what was important was the number of masters each side had. If one side’s masters emerged victorious, that side would win the war.
Only those with Transcendent or Saint Realm cultivations mattered. No matter how many cultivators below the Transcendent Realm there were, their combat strength would make no difference.
“Liu Gui, if you dare reveal information to the enemy, once we return, your head will fly from your neck!” One of the Immortal Ascension cultivators in the crowd with some backbone shouted after coming to his senses.
The others in the group also turned angry and disdainful looks towards the young man named Liu Gui.
Liu Gui immediately became nervous and he didn’t dare continue speaking, only able to turn a timid and anxious look towards Yang Kai, as if worried about annoying him with this indecisive attitude.
However, Yang Kai just smiled softly and nodded, “You can rest assured that no one will ever learn you told me this information, so speak freely!”
Saying so, Yang Kai waved his hand towards the surrounding Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators causing them all to lose strength and kneel on the ground, none of them able to move or even speak, each of them sweating profusely as they shivered in fear.
Having received Yang Kai’s assurance, Liu Gui seemed to be relieved and quickly revealed everything he knew.
As he listened, Yang Kai’s expression became gloomier and gloomier.
It seemed this time Nine Heavens Holy Land was truly facing a great disaster.
Shattering Mystical Palace, War Spirit Temple, and Netherworld Sect had not only managed to rally their own allies and friends again Nine Heavens Holy Land, but taking advantage of the destruction Saintess Nan had wrought outside, they had even managed to rope in another dozen forces to their cause.
None of these dozen or so forces were too strong, each of them possessing a single Saint Realm master at most, some not even having such a powerhouse among their ranks.
However, counting the six Saints the three Sects had between them, the total number of Saints Nine Heavens Holy Land was currently facing was twelve.
In terms of numbers, the enemy had twice as many top level masters as Nine Heavens Holy Land; as for Transcendents, the difference was even greater.
If it became a fight, Nine Heavens Holy Land had no chance of winning, even with the help of the Nine Peaks Spirit Array and barrier; they would only be able to resist the enemy for a short time.
As Xu Hui had said, since the three Sects had chosen to thoroughly offend the Holy Land, they had spared no effort to ensure their victory. There was no chance they would give Holy Land an opportunity to make a comeback.
There had been no attacks since their first offensive not only because they had delivered the Holy Land an ultimatum, but also because they were waiting for more reinforcements to arrive.
Half a month later, they would no doubt invade in masse, destroy Nine Heavens Holy Land and plunder the wealth this colossus had accumulated over thousands of years before carving up its territory.
Besides the three Sects, the other forces had basically gathered here because of Saintess Nan and had no deep hatred with Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Liu Gui was born with a square head but he was also a clever person. Even under the hate filled glares of his companions, he told Yang Kai various pieces of valuable information.
After listening to Liu Gui’s words, Yang Kai had a fairly good idea of his enemy’s situation.
Nodding lightly with a satisfied expression, Yang Kai patted Liu Gui’s shoulder in a friendly manner and praised, “Young man, you have a promising future, be sure to keep on living.”
“Yes yes… many thanks for young master’s praise,” Liu Gui responded with an awkward smile, his expression suddenly changing as he stared at Yang Kai suspiciously.
A moment ago, he felt something go missing from his Knowledge Sea, but after briefly inspecting himself, he couldn’t find anything wrong.
Yang Kai smiled and explained, “As insurance, I’ll be keeping your Soul brand with me. Don’t divulge anything that happened here after you go back; otherwise, even if we are separated by thousands of kilometers, I can easily put you to death.”
Liu Gui’s face went white and he couldn’t help stumbling backwards a few steps, fumbling for his words as he shouted, “Sou… Soul brand?”
“En. Also, don’t even think of running away, with your Soul brand in hand I can sense your location, if you dare act disloyal in any way… you know the consequences.”
“Yes yes yes, I understand!” Liu Gui nodded his head rapidly. Although he wasn’t sure what Yang Kai had just done to him, he did have a vague feeling he was no longer in control of his own fate.
“Good, I’ll take my leave then!” Yang Kai grinned, his figure flickering and disappearing before Liu Gui could blink.
Liu Gui was once again stunned but soon regained his senses and pointed to his companions who were still unable to move and shouted, “What about them?”
However, he didn’t receive any response.
Liu Gui’s expression fluctuated, becoming somewhat strained.
A moment later, Yang Kai, who was heading towards the Monster Domain, heard a faint series of screams and curses from behind him. Obviously Liu Gui had started ‘processing’ his former compatriots.
Liu Gui was not a good person. That was judged when Yang Kai had seen how he acted. He was clearly the type that would use underhanded schemes and cunning to accomplish his goals. As such, in order to protect his secrets from being leaked out, Liu Gui would naturally silence the witnesses to his crimes. This kind of person was always despicable and shameless.
However, Yang Kai needed to arrange a game piece in the enemy’s camp, so he could monitor their movements, and this kind of person who greatly feared death and would do whatever it took to survive was undoubtedly a good candidate.
As for how Liu Gui would explain how he alone survived when the rest of his team was wiped out, that was his problem.
Flying forward, Yang Kai moved as fast a lightning as he followed the directions Xu Hui had given him.
After crossing the great mountain range, Yang Kai quickly felt that he had arrived in a completely different land.
The World Energy that permeated the atmosphere was a bit strange.
Just like in the Demon Land, where the World Energy was mixed with a faint Demonic Qi, a faint Monster Qi filled the Monster Domain’s World Energy aura.
However, regardless of whether it was the Monster Qi or Demonic Qi within the World Energy of either territory, it only existed because the race which lived there had subtly influenced the world around them, causing slight changes in the natural aura.
Beyond the vast mountain range lay an expansive forest.
This place was known as the Beast Sea Jungle and it was the territory of the Monster Race.
Trees which would take several people to surround were everywhere, creating shelter from the hot sun.
Yang Kai had only just entered this place before he noticed a Monster Beast staring at him. Examining it slightly, Yang Kai discovered that this Monster Beast had only reached the Sixth-Order and thus didn’t pay it any mind, continuing forward in hopes he could find a Monster Race person he could communicate with.
But soon, Yang Kai noticed that the Monster Beast he had come across earlier was different from any he had ever encountered before.
It was actually trailing him from a short distance, not rashly launching an attack but instead seemingly monitoring him.
As Yang Kai continued forward, he ran into several other Monster Beasts, all of which began following along with him just like the first one he had come across.
On top of that, this group of Monster Beasts was well organized and disciplined, obviously having a certain degree of sentience even if it wasn’t that high.
Perceiving this, Yang Kai stopped for a moment and attempted to communicate with these Monster Beasts.
Yang Kai actually had a fair amount of experience in this area as he had spent many months communicating with the Divine Tree, allowing him to convey his thoughts relatively clearly to these creatures.
The most important thing to do now was the patiently communicate with these Monster Beasts that he bore them no malicious intent. Only after Yang Kai managed to accomplish this would the other party not act vigilantly towards him and actively engage in conversation.
During this process, showing any kind of urgency would only stimulate the other party’s wariness which would be counterproductive.
Somewhere inside the jungle, Yang Kai stood quietly, restraining his aura while integrating himself into the environment, constantly releasing his Divine Sense towards his surroundings, trying to convey his goodwill.
The nearby Monster Beasts silently hid themselves while staring fiercely towards Yang Kai’s position.
Time flowed by but Yang Kai didn’t become anxious.
After half a day’s effort, Yang Kai finally heard the sound of rustling nearby and when he turned his head he saw a giant tiger-like Monster Beast slowly emerge from its hiding place.
*Sha sha sha…*
After the first Monster Beast emerged, the others quickly followed suit and soon Yang Kai found himself surrounded.
Yang Kai swept his eyes around and couldn’t help smiling brightly.
These Monster Beasts came in all shapes and sizes but each of them had a grand an imposing appearance and aura.
When they had approached to within a dozen meters or so of Yang Kai, they all stopped and sent out low roars. At the same time, Yang Kai felt that they were trying to communicate something to him.
Unfortunately, these Monster Beasts’ intelligence was not fully developed so they couldn’t perfectly express their thoughts.
Yang Kai smiled and then passed a message back to them which went something like, “Hello everyone, I have no ill intentions in coming here today, you don’t have to worry, I just wish to see your Great Senior. If it is convenient, could you show me the way?”
After sending out this message, the giant tiger-like Monster Beast let out a growl, seemingly asking why Yang Kai wanted to see the Great Senior.
“I have something to discuss with him,” Yang Kai patiently answered.
The Monster Beasts fell into silence, each of them glance around at each other, seemingly unable to make a decision.
After a while, the tiger-like Monster Beast tilted its head back and let out a thunderous roar.
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly but he didn’t make any attempt to stop it, simply standing there quietly and waiting.
Yang Kai had no idea where the Monster Race Great Senior lived, so right now his only option was to try to get these lower level Monster Beasts to help him.
Immediately after the tiger Monster Beast roared, a second roar deeper into the jungle resounded, then a third, then a fourth, each one getting farther and farther away, as if the message was being relayed over and over again.
Yang Kai blinked at this sight but quickly understood, sitting down next to a big tree and taking out a few bottles of pills from his pocket before tossing their contents out towards the nearby Monster Beasts.
These pills were all made by Yang Kai himself and were for improving the flow of one’s True Qi, allowing them to cultivate more easily.
The surrounding Monster Beasts saw these pills and carefully leaned down to smell them.
Monster Beasts had sharp instincts which allowed them to inherently avoid danger while seeking out opportunity. So, although the grade of these pills weren’t very high, the medicinal aura which leaked from them naturally drew their interest.
Within a few breaths, the pills were snatched up by the Monster Beasts and swallowed down like beans before all of them turned looks of anticipation towards Yang Kai.
Smiling and shaking his head wryly, Yang Kai could only pull out a few more bottles of pills.
Roughly half an hour later, Yang Kai, who had been sitting casually, suddenly wore a solemn expression and looked up towards a certain direction.
From the direction he was staring, Yang Kai sensed an unruly aura rapidly approaching.
On top of that, the strength of this newcomer was definitely not low, at least equivalent to a Third Order Transcendent, or in terms of Monster Beasts, a Peak Seventh-Order!
*Hong…*
A burly figure descended from the sky like a meteor, landing directly in front of Yang Kai, throwing up a cloud of dust and causing a shockwave that caused all the giant trees in the surrounding to sway wildly.
The Monster Beasts, who had been quietly waiting with Yang Kai, were frightened and quickly dispersed.
Yang Kai blinked as he stared forward, soon discovering a middle-aged male with a massive build about forty years old standing there. The man was looking down at him with eyes filled with scorn and disdain.
This man’s appearance was also quite eye-catching, wearing only some rough animal skins and having thick, messy black hair that blew about in the wind freely.
At first glance, this person appeared like a mad lion, everything about him screaming the word ‘wild’.
[A Monster Race Cultivator!]
Yang Kai immediately determined this man’s identity. After receiving the relayed message the Monster Beasts had sent out, this Monster Race powerhouse had obviously immediately rushed over.
This burly man’s eyes were filled with aggression and blood-thirst; what’s more, the once calm and friendly Monster Beasts that had been lying down next to Yang Kai seemed to be infected by this man’s aura and were now baring their fangs while letting out low growls.
Yang Kai didn’t mind however, simply grinning and standing up calmly.
“Human, you dare intrude into the Beast Sea Jungle, your courage is not small!” The middle-aged Monster Race man roared, his Monster Qi condensing as he directed a menacing intent towards Yang Kai. .
“I have some things to do here and would like to ask this friend to give me a moment to explain,” Yang Kai replied with a genial smile.
“Who is your friend!?” The burly Monster Race man shouted, turning his face and spitting before continuing to yell, “Despicable human, my Monster Race can never be friends with you!”
“Ah…” Yang Kai was speechless.
The other party was obviously completely opposed to interacting with him, causing Yang Kai to feel somewhat helpless.
“May I ask Your Excellency’s honoured name?” Yang Kai cupped his fists and asked, not giving up.
“Great Senior has bestowed me the name Kuang Shi (Wild Tiger)!” The Monster Race man’s face seemed to glow with pride as he spoke these words, as if it was a great honour for him to have received his name from the Great Senior, coldly snorting in the next instant, “Got it?”
“En, I remember,” Yang Kai nodded seriously.
“Hateful human,” Kuang Shi shook his head before asking, “What did you do to my compatriots? Why did them seem so close to you a moment ago?”
“I didn’t do anything to them, I simply gave them some pills,” Yang Kai explained casually, “Don’t worry, they’re just pills that assist one cultivate, they don’t have any harmful side effects.”
“Pills?” Kuang Shi’s eyes lit up, apparently quite sensitive to this word.
Yang Kai smiled and asked, “I have some more of those pills here, does Brother Wild want them? As this is our first meeting, consider them a small gift from me!”
Saying so, Yang Kai took out a few bottles of pills and handed them over.
Kuang Shi expression clearly showed he wanted to accept, but there were clear signs of struggle between his brows as well. After smelling the pill fragrance directly though, his desire immediately won out over his reason, reaching out and accepting the pill bottles before grumbling, “Despicable, hateful human, don’t think you can win my approval with these things… En, although, now that I take a closer look, you don’t seem to be too annoying.”
Yang Kai chuckled dumbly despite trying not to; secretly thinking this guy was a bit too pure and innocent.
If everyone from the Monster Race was like this Kuang Shi, perhaps dealing with them would be easier than Yang Kai anticipated.
Checking the bottles of pills, Kuang Shi was apparently quite satisfied and carefully put them into his pant pockets, apparently treasuring them greatly.
Curling his lips fiercely, Kuang Shi swept his eyes over Yang Kai once and asked, “I heard that you want to see Great Senior?”
He had not asked Yang Kai anything since arriving here so obviously he had received this bit of information from the message the Monster Beasts had passed along.
“Good, could Brother Wild possibly introduce me?”
Kuang Shi just laughed in response though, “Boy, what do you think my Beast Sea Jungle is? You think you can just casually meet our Monster Race Great Senior? Seeing how respectful you’ve acted so far, I won’t kill you immediately. Quickly go back to wherever you came from. I’ll give you until sunset tonight, if you dare remain here after that, tonight will be the night of your death!”
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled slightly as he patiently explained, “Brother Wild, I wish to see your Great Senior in order to discuss some important matters, is there any way you can stretch the rules?”
“Don’t test my patience; you humans never know when to back down. If you irritate me, your end will be very miserable. The Beast Sea Jungle never allows humans to enter, me not attacking you immediately is already a great mercy,” Kuang Shi coldly snorted.
Yang Kai just laughed though, “That’s not entirely true, Brother Wild, I’ve heard that a man used to come to your Beast Sea Jungle every now and then to chat and drink with your Great Senior, correct?”
Kuang Shi’s expression changed greatly as he shouted, “Where did you hear that? Ah… that ring on your hand, why does it look somewhat familiar?”
“Because the man who used to come here wore this ring,” Yang Kai raised his hand and clearly showed the ring on his finger to Kuang Shi, “You should have heard about the old Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land falling, yes? In a sense, I am his successor! The old Holy Master and your Great Senior shared some friendship, it was for that reason I came here to discuss something with your Great Senior.”
“You are his successor?” Kuang Shi couldn’t help widening his eyes as he stared at Yang Kai with amazement, “That guy was very powerful, even able to fight on par with Great Senior, how could his successor be so weak?”
Obviously he looked down on Yang Kai greatly, as if he thought one finger would be enough for him to crush the latter.
Yang Kai didn’t mind though and just continued, “You should know that the old Holy Master brought a lot of Crystal Stones and pills with him each time he came… But now two years have passed without any new supplies being brought here, yes? Since I’ve inherited the position of the old Holy Master, in the future, I also plan to bring a number of things here to trade, such as…”
“Such as?” Kuang Shi couldn’t help being attracted to this idea.
“For example, those few bottles of pills I just gave you,” Yang Kai smiled.
“Those are already mine!” Kuang Shi hastily covered his pocket and stared at Yang Kai vigilantly, fearing he would ask for them back.
“En, naturally those are yours,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “But if you want any more of those, I first need to speak with your Great Senior. Only after I reach an agreement with your Great Senior can I continue to bring such things here. Aren’t you interested in that?”
Kuang Shi lifted his head and stared off into the distance, his brow wrinkling tightly as if he was deep in thought.
After thinking for a while, he scratched his and sighed, “Why do I feel that your words are only half true… Boy, are you trying to deceive me?”
Saying so, he glared directly into Yang Kai’s eyes.
Yang Kai returned his stare, not revealing any signs of anxiety.
After some brief interaction, Yang Kai understood that although this Kuang Shi had achieved a high degree of sentience, like many of the Monster Race, he still mainly relied on his instincts.
After all, having evolved from Monster Beasts, this was understandable.
This kind of person showed everything they were thinking on their face and would change between happy and angry in an instant. If they felt that you were a good person, they would open up to you and trust you, if you weren’t pleasing to the eye though, they would not hesitate to attack.
Yang Kai actually felt that dealing with this kind of person was quite interesting.
So when he faced Kuang Shi, he didn’t try to put up any kind of front.
“Good, I’ll lead you to the Thunder Tree Palace, but whether Great Senior will see you is not something I can guarantee,” Kuang Shi hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing.
“Many thanks,” Yang Kai sighed with relief and knew that it was the approval of the other party.
Thunder Tree Palace… Although Yang Kai wasn’t familiar with this place, he simply assumed it was where the Monster Race Great Senior lived.
It was an imposing sounding name.
After agreeing to lead Yang Kai, Kuang Shi didn’t waste any time and immediately set off. Along the way he constantly warned Yang Kai to not play any tricks otherwise he would make him suffer.
Each time the subject came up, Yang Kai would promise to not cause trouble.
It wasn’t until now that Yang Kai realized just how vast the Beast Sea Jungle was, and as he flew forward he saw tens of thousands of Monster Beasts living here, from newborn cubs to the Monster Race masters that had achieved human form.
There were only a few Monster Race gatherings of this size throughout the entire Monster Domain and each one had their own Great Senior assuming command.
The Human Territory, Monster Domain, and Demon Land, were not equal in size. The Human Territory was the most extensive, followed by the Demon Land, then finally the Monster Domain.
This Beast Sea Jungle was a whole one-tenth of the entire Monster Domain.
If Yang Kai wanted to travel to Thunder Tree Palace from here, it would take at least three days.
Three days one way meant a six day round trip. While this wasn’t a short amount of time but it also wasn’t too long, so Yang Kai didn’t rush, calmly flying forward, following behind Kuang Shi as he appreciated to sights of the Beast Sea Jungle.
Under his Divine Sense’s exploration, Yang Kai discovered numerous types of rare ores, spirit grass, and spirit medicines which were simply growing wildly in the jungle, no one even attempting to mine or harvest them. Occasionally, some Monster Beasts would directly eat some of the spirit herbs like a cow chewing on grass. Seeing this, Yang Kai felt an impulse to spit blood.
If he could get his hands on these materials and refine them into pills, their efficacies could be multiplied several times over compared to simple swallowing them.
However, Yang Kai knew this was not the time to pursue such matters and simply praised the richness of the Beast Sea Jungle instead.
Of course, the only one around to share these words of praise with was Kuang Shi. After traveling together for a day, Kuang Shi discovered that this human was actually quite easy to get along with and began speaking more opening with him.
After Yang Kai gifted him an artifact that was quite suitable for him to use, Kuang Shi immediately became friendly with him.
Giving away a Saint Grade artifact he obtained from the Holy Tomb was naturally impossible; each of them was worth as much as a city and could be called a rare treasure under the Heavens.
Even if Yang Kai was to gift one of these to another, it would have to be someone very close to him.
However, Yang Kai had a number of lower grade artifacts on hand. When he had gone to explore the Ancient Ruins deep below the sea with An Ling’er last time, he had collected quite a few, so giving one away here to acquire some favour was no burden to him.
With a new artifact in hand and a few bottles of pills in his pocket, Kuang Shi was all smiles.
Now, when Yang Kai called him Brother Kuang or friend, Kuang Shi didn’t raise any objections.
As they traversed the Beast Sea Jungle, with Kuang Shi leading the way, although they were stopped every now and then by other Monster Race masters, upon hearing that Yang Kai was the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, all of them simply cast him curious glances before allowing them to pass.
Perhaps, to these Monster Race masters, Nine Heavens Holy Land disappearing was not something they wanted to see.
In the past, the old Holy Master had brought a lot of Crystal Stones, pills, and artifacts which had enriched their lives greatly, so after going two years without any of these, these Monster Race masters were quite anxious to see trade resume.
Three days later, a massive tree that towered higher than any he had ever seen before appeared before Yang Kai’s eyes.
This ancient tree was like a mountain, soaring into the sky, innumerable giant branches growing from its immense trunk, and its massive canopy casting a shadow more than a dozen kilometers in length.
Yang Kai suddenly came to a halt.
When he first saw this ancient tree, he actually thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but after carefully examining the scene in front of him, he realized it really was a tree.
It’s just that this tree was too enormous.
The world was truly filled with wonders. Compared to this giant tree, the Divine Tree in Yang Kai’s Black Book space was like a three-year-old baby.
Kuang Shi saw the shocked look on Yang Kai’s face and couldn’t help smiling smugly, “What you’re seeing is the Thunder Tree Palace, the place where Great Senior and the various members of my clan live. Great Senior’s residence is at the very top.”
“Why is it called Thunder Tree Palace?” Yang Kai asked with genuine curiosity.
Kuang Shi snorted gruffly and explained, “Thunder Tree Palace is actually a tens of thousands of years old Thunder Swallowing Wood. It is capable of naturally attracting Heavenly Thunder and refining it within its trunk. You must have heard that Great Senior’s original form is the noble Scarlet Flame Thunder Dragon. Great Senior’s cultivation requires the power of thunder and lightning so this is the perfect place for him to live.”
“It can attract the power of thunder and lightning?” Yang Kai was shocked, “If that’s so, how can others live there?”
“Great Senior’s methods are not something you can comprehend. The power of Heavenly Thunder is absorbed by Great Senior and will thus not affect others who live down below,” Kuang Shi proudly explained, “Of course, there are a few others among my clan who need the power of thunder and lightning to cultivate so Great Senior will give a portion to them.”
On the road here, Yang Kai learned that Kuang Shi deeply admired this Monster Race Great Senior, any time his name came up in conversation, Kuang Shi would show a look of worship.
So seeing the abundance of pride on his Kuang Shi’s face right now didn’t even faze Yang Kai anymore, simply nodding and replying, “So that’s how it is, your Great Senior is truly impressive.”
“Naturally,” Kuang Shi laughed heartily, “I wonder if I, Kuang Shi, will be able to reach Great Senior’s height in this life. Good, let’s not discuss this anymore, come with me, we’ll be there soon.”
Yang Kai nodded and quickly followed.
A short time later, the two arrived below the huge ancient tree.
As soon as arrived, from all directions, Yang Kai felt numerous Divine Senses probing him, like a raging torrent, washing over every inch of his body, seemingly want to inspect him inside and out.
Yang Kai’s expression remained calm, allowing them to scan him all they wanted, not putting up any kind of resistance, and simply staring around indifferently.
Beneath the ancient tree there were many Monster Beasts, each and every one of them possessing a sturdy body.
Purple-backed blood spider, golden-striped steel turtle, phosphorous green leopard, red-flowered pheasant… all sorts of rare Monster Beasts Yang Kai couldn’t identify had gathered around.
As if awoken by Yang Kai’s appearance, these Monster Beasts all stood up and glared towards him menacingly, their eyes darting back and forth, seemingly communicating with each other.
Yang Kai immediately understood that these Monster Beasts couldn’t be compared to the ones he encountered in the Beast Sea Jungle.
These Monster Beasts all undoubtedly possessed a high degree of intelligence, no worse than Kuang Shi, and their strengths were also not low, at minimum having reached the Seventh-Order.
Yang Kai secretly guessed that they might not be able to assume human form or were members of the Monster Race who simply preferred remaining in beast form.
Under the gaze of so many eyes, Yang Kai remained calm and composed, further attracting the attention of these Monster Beasts.
On the other hand, after arriving here, Kuang Shi became slightly more restrained, quickly greeting some of his acquaintances here before hurriedly saying to Yang Kai, “You wait here, I’m going to report to Senior Cai Die (Bright Butterfly); whether or not you can meet Great Senior will be up to her.”
Yang Kai gently nodded.
Kuang Shi then leapt up into the ancient tree, quickly disappearing into its branches.
Yang Kai stood in place like he was told while the surrounding powerful Monster Beasts eyed him like an uninvited guest, obviously not pleased with his appearance.
However, all of this was within Yang Kai’s expectations so he was psychologically prepared.
*Sha sha sha…*
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from above his head and a moment later several figures fell down onto some of the lower branches, each of them directing curious and condescending looks towards Yang Kai.
When he heard this movement, Yang Kai unconsciously lifted his eyes and couldn’t help feeling shocked.
Naturally, these figures were Monster Race masters who had achieved human form. Each of them was dressed similarly to Kuang Shi and gave off a wild aura, all of them still retaining some of their original beast characteristics.
The middle-aged man on the left had a furry tail behind him and a somewhat long neck and beady eyes. It was apparent his original form was some kind of ape.
The woman on the right had a graceful figure and snow white slender legs, her flat belly exposed to the air and some small, sharp tiger teeth showing from the side of her mouth. On top of her head there were also two fluffy triangular ears, indicating her original form was some kind of tiger or a cat.
Yang Kai couldn’t help staring curiously.
These Monster Race masters simply stood atop the nearby branches and observed Yang Kai, seemingly having no intention of causing trouble for him. Each and every one of them remained silent, only the young woman with the cat ears showing an extremely interested look, muttering under her breath, exposing her sharp teeth.
When he met eyes with any of them, Yang Kai would gently nod while the Monster Race masters would simply sneer lightly.
Suddenly, a pitiful yell came from high up in the ancient tree. When he heard this yell though, Yang Kai immediately frowned.
Because the one shouting was clearly Kuang Shi who had led him here. It seemed like he had been beaten ruthlessly and was now falling.
With a burst of snapping sounds, Kuang Shi’s burly body broke numerous branches and ripped off countless leaves before smashing into the ground in front of Yang Kai, directly opening up a large pit.
“You dare bring a human to my clan’s Thunder Tree Palace, Kuang Shi, are you tired of living? If so, I’ll send you to the afterlife right now!” A tender yet ice cold voice suddenly called out from above. In the next instant, in a flash of multi-coloured light, a pretty figure appeared in front of Yang Kai and gently floated mid-air. Although this woman was clearly reprimanding Kuang Shi, her beautiful eyes were actually fixed on Yang Kai, a sharp light flashing across them.
With this posted, it will still be 9 chapters a week. Though, there might have been some broken-hearted readers.
At the same time as the voice called out, a dangerous aura flared up, causing all the hair on Yang Kai’s neck to stand on end. It was only after he furiously circulated his True Qi that he was able to resist this invisible pressure.
The other party was a woman, a young and very beautiful woman.
She wore a clean, moon-white dress that lightly wrapped around her enchanting figure and was embroidered with floral patterns, giving her a dainty and petite look, but the momentum pulsing from her small body was anything but cute.
Moreover, behind her was a pair of seven coloured wings. The wings were very different from Yang Kai’s Wind and Thunder Wings; they were thin and nearly transparent, almost like the wings of a butterfly. They were spread wide but seemed incredibly flexible and gave of a light, intoxicating fragrance.
This pair of wings looked sleek and fragile, but had obviously been cultivated by this woman into an artifact-like existence, their edges giving off a sharp, cold light. Yang Kai had no doubt that this pair of wings was comparable to the sharpest of blades, capable of easily slicing through stone or metal.
As soon as this woman appeared, the Monster Race masters who had been casually observing Yang Kai all turned and bowed to her respectfully.
Saint Realm! Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he immediately judged the cultivation of this petite woman with her pair of seven coloured wings. On top of that, she was no ordinary Saint.
The tremendous pressure Yang Kai felt from her indicated that this woman’s strength was at least comparable to a Second Order Saint.
“That’s not right! Senior Cai Die, please let me explain!” Kuang Shi, who had been knocked into the ground, leaped up and shouted anxiously, his face beaten black and blue yet not daring to show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.
“What is there to explain?” Cai Die shifted her eyes to Kuang Shi and coldly spoke, an invisible strength suddenly emerging from her hand and drawing out the artifact and pills in Kuang Shi’s pockets.
“After receiving a bribe from this human you then brought him to Thunder Tree Palace? Kuang Shi, your courage is not small!” Cai Die shouted menacingly, her wings beating slight faster as a cold murderous intent flashed across her eyes.
Kuang Shi’s face went pale as he waved his arms frantically, “It’s not like that, it’s… well, it is like that… this human did give this Kuang Shi some things in exchange for bringing him here, but… but there’s a deeper reason for this!”
“I don’t care what your ‘deeper reason’ is, since you dare to break the rules set by Great Senior, you will die today!” Cai Die coldly snorted, staring towards Kuang Shi like he was a dead man.
Yang Kai quickly tried to step forward, but the moment his foot left the ground, it seemed to touch the nerves of many of the gathered Monster Race masters, their countless pairs of eyes fixed on him in the next moment as they exerted a great pressure towards him from all sides.
Yang Kai’s physique squirmed slightly but quickly shrugged off this pressure, which would ordinarily be enough to paralyze someone of his cultivation, and gently took a step forward.
The Monster Race masters who saw this showed startled looks, as if they hadn’t expected Yang Kai to be able to achieve such a feat.
“Senior Cai Die, is it?” Yang Kai cupped his fists, showing neither fear nor nervousness, “This Junior is Nine Heavens Holy Land’s new Holy Master, Yang Kai. I requested Brother Kuang here to lead me to Thunder Tree Palace in order to meet your Great Senior and discuss some business with him.”
“Nine Heavens Holy Land’s new Holy Master?” Cai Die’s brow furrowed deeply, seemingly skeptical.
“Yes, yes! Senior Cai Die, it was because he is from Nine Heavens Holy Land that I agreed to bring him here. If that was not the cause, I would never have done so. Please understand, Senior Cai Die!” Kuang Shi bobbed his head; cold sweat pouring dripping down his forehead, thinking to himself he had really made a mistake this time. If he had known Senior Cai Die would be so angry he wouldn’t have dared bring Yang Kai to Thunder Tree Palace.
“If you say you are, you are?” Cai Die shouted coldly, “What proof do you have?”
“The Holy Master Spirit Ring is the best proof,” Yang Kai raised his hand and showed the ring to her.
The Monster Race masters all stared at him for a moment before bursting out into laughter.
Cai Die coldly snorted, “How can a ring prove your identity? That ring was indeed worn by the person who used to come to my Thunder Tree Palace, but how do I know where you obtained it from?”
“Then how does Senior Cai Die want me to prove my identity?” Yang Kai stared back at her calmly.
Cai Die curled her lips fiercely as she flapped her wings gently and floated up to a nearby branch, sitting down beside the young cat eared girl before faintly replying, “There’s no need for you to prove anything. Since you dared to come here, you must die! Kuang Shi, you brought him here, so he is your responsibility, understand?”
Kuang Shi shot a complicated look over towards Yang Kai before nodding lightly, “I understand.”
“Kuang Shi, do it right, don’t lose to this human.”
“Come on, dig out his heart, the heart of the human cultivators is amazing.”
“If you lose, we’ll all look down on you.”
Up in the branches, the several Monster Race masters who had assembled began shouting excitedly, all of them sitting down and preparing to watch the show.
Kuang Shi grumbled silently to himself for a moment. Although he was some reluctance, since Cai Die had ordered him to, he had no choice in the matter. Helplessly, he turning to Yang Kai and saying, “Boy, I apologize in advance, if you die here, don’t blame this Kuang Shi for being too ruthless.”
“Please act freely, Brother Kuang,” Yang Kai smiled as he shot a glance over towards Cai Die before continuing, “I’m also quite interested to see how the Monster Race fights.”
“Big Sister, this guy is quite interesting, it’s like he’s not afraid at all,” The cat eared young girl stared at Yang Kai with great interest.
“Hmph, human men like him most like acting mysterious. Just wait, he’ll show you his pathetic side soon enough,” Cai Die coldly muttered, as if she had a very good understanding of humans.
“En, en, Kuang Shi will definitely tear him to pieces!” The cat eared young girl also nodded.
Down below, a great roar suddenly rang out and Kuang Shi charged forward straight towards Yang Kai.
Although he did not use any profound movement skill or any kind of special ability, the mere force behind his charge was enough to shake a mountain.
In this initial clash, Yang Kai wanted to test the other party’s strength, so he intentionally did not dodge and instead tightened his muscles and stretched out his arms to meet Kuang Shi head on.
*Hong…*
A violent explosion burst out and Yang Kai felt an irresistible force smash into him, sending his body flying out uncontrollably.
From this brief exchange, Yang Kai realized he had greatly underestimated the raw strength of Kuang Shi.
This brute force alone was enough to make Kuang Shi a difficult opponent for any ordinary cultivator in the same realm.
Flipping mid-air, Yang Kai quickly stabilized himself and landing on the ground, retreating a few steps before finally coming to a stop.
“So weak…” The cat eared young girl spat disdainfully, feeling a little disappointed in this outcome. On the other hand, Cai Die’s eyes narrowed slightly, a look of surprise briefly appearing on her face.
Originally, she had thought Yang Kai wasn’t very strong; the energy fluctuations coming from his body allowed her to instantly grasp his true cultivation which was obviously lower than Kuang Shi’s.
But after this initial clash, Cai Die discovered that although this human wasn’t able to withstand Kuang Shi’s blow, he had also not suffered any trace of injury.
She had estimated that Yang Kai would have at least ended up with a pair of broken arms.
[Interesting, this boy seems to have some skill,] Cai Die thought to herself, suddenly paying more attention to the fight.
Although he had sent Yang Kai flying, Kuang Shi seemed quiet dissatisfied with this result. Not giving Yang Kai any time to breath, Kuang Shi once again roared and charged forward, his Monster Qi bursting out and a bloodthirsty aura pulsing from his body.
“Brother Kuang, defend yourself!” Yang Kai’s gaze became cold as he lifted his hand towards the sky, gripped something invisible, and swung it down.
In that instant, a huge sword of golden light appeared, carrying with it a terrifying might as it slashed towards Kuang Shi.
This giant sword had an unstoppable momentum, seemingly cutting space apart as it fell.
Seeing this, Kuang Shi’s complexion changed greatly, immediately halting his charge, planting his feet, and crossing both his arms in front of his body to defend himself just as the giant sword was about to strike him.
*Keng…*
The Profound Heavenly Sword landed on Kuang Shi’s arms, sending out a grating sound as if it had struck a wall of iron, its golden body shattering as it sent its target tumbling through the air, leaving behind a shallow wound that oozed red blood.
“Hm?” Yang Kai raised his brow as he stared at this result.
Kuang Shi had actually blocked a strike from his Profound Heavenly Sword with just his bare arms, showing that his physique was at least as strong as a high-grade artifact.
The Monster Race’s methods were quite impressive!
Kuang Shi completely ignored the injuries to his arms and immediately went back on the attack. After the Profound Heavenly Sword shattered, Kuang Shi’s burly body flickered and, taking advantage of Yang Kai’s moment of confusion, managed to arrive behind him. Monster Qi condensing in his hand, Kuang Shi claw towards Yang Kai’s seemingly unguarded back.
In one swipe, Yang Kai’s body was split in two.
Kuang Shi was stunned and felt that something was wrong because when he struck Yang Kai, it was as if he hit thin air and there was no trace of blood anywhere.
“Kuang Shi, behind you!” The cat eared young girl anxiously shouted.
Just as she shouted, Yang Kai re-appeared wearing a light smile upon his face and threw out a golden spear towards Kuang Shi before the latter could even turn around.
Heaven Punishing Spear!
Kuang Shi’s reaction though was still extremely quick. As soon as he heard the cat eared young girl’s warning, he immediately leapt up into the air, flipping over as he used him Monster Qi to seal off the area around Yang Kai, blocking any path of retreat.
However, just as Kuang Shi did so, a giant golden palm appeared before his eyes, flying towards him and rapidly enlarging until it was the only thing he could see.
Heaven Covering Hand!
*Hong…*
Kuang Shi was struck head on and tumbled through the air more than a dozen times before pounding into the ground.
Up on the giant ancient tree’s branches, the Monster Race powerhouses all stared in amazement at this development.
Each of their strengths and insights were quite refined, so they were all clear that Yang Kai’s true cultivation realm was lower than Kuang Shi’s, but in this fight, it was actually Kuang Shi who was being suppressed, and quite badly at that. There was essentially no opportunity for him to even counterattack.
This reality was somewhat difficult for them to accept.
As they were lost in thought, Kuang Shi climbed up from the ground and roared angrily, as if he had finally become enraged. At this moment, the Monster Qi in his body began pulsing rapidly as his eyes became blood red, as if he wouldn’t rest until he tore Yang Kai limb from limb.
Yang Kai wasn’t intimidated though, and instead was quite relaxed, using one Nine Heavens Divine Skill after another to suppress the enemy before him.
From beginning to the end, Yang Kai did not use his full strength, diverting a part of his attention towards the pair of eyes that were staring down at him from above as he fought with Kuang Shi.
If Yang Kai wasn’t mistaken, the owner of this gaze was the Monster Race’s Great Senior which ruled over this place.
Yang Kai had achieved a comprehensive understanding of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills back in the Holy Tomb, all he lacked now was real experience using them. Kuang Shi, a master with strength equal to a Third Order Transcendent, was just right for him to practice on. Yang Kai couldn’t have asked for more.
During the battle, Yang Kai continuously displayed the various Nine Heavens Divine Skills, becoming more skillful with them each time he did.
The Monster Race masters sitting up in the ancient tree also soon noticed that something wasn’t right. Kuang Shi wasn’t this human boy’s opponent at all, yet the fight was still continuing, obviously this human boy wasn’t taking this seriously!
“Big Sister Cai Die, this human is really interesting! How can he have so many different ways of fighting?” The cat eared young girl asked, her eyes shining brilliantly as if she had just witness a brand new world.
Cai Die gently nodded and patiently explained, “The Human Race doesn’t have a beast core or naturally strong physique like our Monster Race, but instead, by molding the True Qi in their bodies in special ways, they can display techniques called Martial Skills. Many Human Race martial skills are actually imitations of our Monster Race’s innate abilities. If you fight against human cultivators in the future, be sure not to judge them solely based on their appearance and physical strength. If you underestimate them, you’ll be the one to suffer a loss.”
“Good, I’ll remember,” The cat eared young girl nodded, suddenly excitedly saying, “Big Sister Cai Die, can you catch this human so I can play with him? He can use so many different tricks, I’m sure it’ll be lots of fun to play with!”
Cai Die was stunned by this innocent request, soon rubbing her forehead with a forced smile on her face, “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because…” Cai Die stops her words there and turned her eyes towards the top of Thunder Tree Palace, seemingly receiving some kind of instructions, and nodding firmly, “Understood!”
Saying so, she calmly turned her eyes to the battle down below and shouted, “Enough!”
Hearing this order, Kuang Shi immediately retreated from Yang Kai and directed a somewhat awkward look towards him, shaking his head wryly after a moment, “You brat, you’re quite fierce, fortunately I didn’t rashly attack you a few days ago when we first met, or I’m afraid I would have embarrassed myself!”
“Brother Kuang is too polite; your strength is by no means bad!” Yang Kai laughed back freely.
“Of cou…” Kuang Shi suddenly became proud, but upon noticing Cai Die’s cold eyes staring at him, he quickly swallowed back his words, turned around, and dashed into the jungle, his voice calling out from afar a moment later, “I’m off to patrol the area. Recently, the jungle hasn’t been peaceful!”
After he left, Yang Kai turned his attention to Cai Die and smiled lightly, “Have I passed your test?”
“Hmph, you think you’re so smart!” Cai Die grumbled under her breath, a clear look of disgust showing on her face, coldly shouting in the next moment, “Come with me, Great Senior wants to see you!”
Saying so, the wings behind the back flapped and she soared up into the canopy.
Yang Kai nodded and quickly followed after her as the Monster Race masters resting on the branches stood by and watched, many of them wearing unsatisfied expressions on their faces, as if the battle just now hadn’t been exciting enough for them.
The cat eared young girl simply pursed her lips as she stared at Yang Kai’s disappearing back reluctantly.
Flying higher and higher, Yang Kai realized just how enormous this ancient tree really was. Passing through the various wide and dense branches, as he followed after Cai Die, Yang Kai saw a number of Monster Race masters playing around as well as a large number of tree houses built right into the ancient tree’s trunk.
The entire ancient tree was like a giant family home with traces of Monster Beast activity everywhere one looked.
Seeing this, Yang Kai inexplicably felt a unique sense of cohesion and unity!
There was an incalculable number of Monster Beasts living throughout Tong Xuan Realm, but the number of Monster Race masters that had managed to assume human form was quite limited. As such, the Monster Race was far more united than the Human or Demon Race. The ones beneath each Monster Race Great Senior were closer to brothers and sisters than subordinates.
When Kuang Shi was being stared down by Cai Die, although he appeared quite scared, he didn’t once display a formal attitude. Amongst the Monster Race, everything that did not relate to survival and power, was apparently superfluous.
The human form Monster Race masters were few in number in the first place, and most of them chose to remain in their original forms; as a result, since entering the Beast Sea Jungle, Yang Kai had only seen ten or so such human form masters.
However, each of them was a true powerhouse.
The higher he flew, the denser the World Aura became, and Yang Kai was also keenly aware that the trunk of the ancient tree contained Thunder Attribute energy.
Probably because this ancient tree had bathed in Heavenly Thunder for over ten thousand years, it had taken on a powerful Thunder Attribute aura.
After a long upward flight, Yang Kai and Cai Die passed into a layer of clouds and became surrounded by a soft white mist that was almost like wisps of cotton one could grasp with their fingers. It was a rare and beautiful sight to behold. Amongst these white clouds stood a charming wooden house built right into the trunk of the ancient tree.
A powerful dragon’s breath pulsed from this wooden house, immediately drawing Yang Kai’s attention.
Feeling this powerful aura, Yang Kai secretly gulped.
“Go in, Great Senior is waiting for you inside!” Cai Die stopped in front of the wooden house and motioned Yang Kai inside.
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai nodded to her lightly before calmly stepping forward.
The first thing Yang Kai saw upon entering the wooden house was a middle-aged man sitting at a table quietly. This middle-aged man was quite handsome and wore a plain robes, appearing harmless to humans and animals. The only distinguishing feature he had were two horns only about as long as one’s finger sticking out from either side of his head.
The two horns were dyed a mix of red and blue and seemed to contain rich Fire Attribute and Thunder Attribute energy, flashing a dull light from time to time.
This was a true Peak Eighth-Order Monster Beast, the Monster Race’s Scarlet Flame Thunder Dragon Great Senior!
Yang Kai couldn’t help admiring this man silently.
The Great Senior slowly opened his eyes and stared at Yang Kai faintly, not showing the slightest aggression or probing intent, but under this gaze, Yang Kai felt somewhat uncomfortable, as if the man in front of him could see through all of his secrets.
Yang Kai quickly composed himself, sealed off his Knowledge Sea, and restrained his aura.
The Great Senior smiled lightly, his expression both handsome and imposing as he calmly asked, “Are you the successor of that guy?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, knowing the ‘guy’ this Great Senior referred to was the old Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
“Your cultivation isn’t as high as his, but your aptitude is good.”
“Great Senior is too polite!”
“So, why have you come here?” The Great Senior continued, “The Beast Sea Jungle generally does not allow human cultivators to enter, those who do soon become food for my clansmen. Seeing as you are that guy’s successor, I gave him some face and didn’t let them immediately attack you, but if you dare displease me, I promise you your end will be very miserable. I had some friendship with that guy, but that doesn’t mean I have any friendship with his Sect, so… you’d best think carefully before you answer my question.”
Although his tone was light, Yang Kai could still tell there was a hint of annoyance in his voice. Perhaps this Great Senior felt Yang Kai was too young or too weak to be worthy enough to see and speak with him.
Yang Kai however just laughed fearlessly before pulling out the two Universe Bags he had brought with him, placing them on the table as he said, “I heard the old Holy Master and Great Senior were on good terms, as his successor, naturally I must visit Great Senior to pay my respects. After all, I may have business dealings with you in the future.”
The Monster Race Great Senior chuckled and didn’t even glance at the two Universe Bags, dismissively saying, “I was on good terms with that guy because I respected his strength. What do you have that can earn my respect? Perhaps you’ll have such qualifications a hundred years from now, but the current you… is insufficient.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly, “A hundred years? It won’t be that long, in at most twenty or thirty years… I’ll have such qualifications.”
The Monster Race Great Senior gently sneered and shook his head, “You’re certainly crazy enough… Since that’s the case, come here twenty or thirty years from now, that is, if you can live that long!”
His not so subtle meaning that Yang Kai appeared like the type to die young. This of course made Yang Kai somewhat unhappy.
Knitting his brow further, Yang Kai got to the main point, “Great Senior, do you have any interest in making a business investment?”
“An investment?” Great Senior squinted at Yang Kai before smiling lightly, “Invest in you? Why should I do that? If I can’t see any advantage in that, of course I won’t.”
Not waiting for Yang Kai to answer, the Great Senior pointedly asked, “Your days must not be feeling good about now, yes?”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, curiously asking, “Did Great Senior receive news about the Holy Land’s current state?”
The Great Senior slowly shook his head though, “I have no interest in inquiring about your side, but that guy, before he died, came here once and predicted this situation.”
“The old Holy Master predicted this situation?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“En, he knew he wouldn’t live much longer and told me that before he died he should properly handle the woman next to him, but after all, she was a companion he had spent his entire life together with so he couldn’t bring himself to discard her so even though he knew that after he died she would surely stir up a great storm… If my guess is right, you should currently be besieged by many people right now, yes?”
Yang Kai nodded solemnly, “Since Great Senior knows that much, you must also know the purpose of my trip.”
The Great Senior snickered as he slowly sat up in his chair, “I indeed know why you’ve come, but unfortunately for you, I refuse to lend you any help, no matter how many supplies you bring me. Why do you think the Monster Race has endured so long? It’s not because of the few masters we possess, but because we don’t intervene in outsider’s affairs. Once I leave the Beast Sea Jungle and enter your Human Territory, I can no longer control the situation. Don’t you humans have a saying, sticking one’s neck out makes it easier to chop off? Putting my entire clan in grave danger for some meager benefits, do you think I, a Monster Race Great Senior, would do something so short sighted?”
As he spoke, his eyes flashed a sharp light.
Yang Kai wore a forced smile as he replied, “Since Great Senior knows all this, I won’t speak any more nonsense. In truth, even if you don’t help me, the Holy Land’s people won’t be in any danger, moreover, we have we decided to temporarily abandon the Holy Land’s territory and wait for a day when we’ve accumulated enough strength to stage a comeback. However, during that time, I’d prefer the resources located within our nine spirit peaks not fall into the hands of those invaders; on the other hand, since Great Senior had some friendship with the old Holy Master, I thought it would be alright to let you take care of it for a while. It would also be an opportunity for you to improve your clan’s strength.”
Hearing these words, the Monster Race Great Senior frowned as he directed a cold stare towards Yang Kai, as if trying to see through his real thoughts at this moment.
After hesitating for a moment, the Great Senior said, “That Spirit Array of yours is very powerful and the World Energy aura is truly quite rich. If my clansmen were allowed to cultivate there, their strength would definitely improve rapidly, but that alone is not enough to make us leave the Beast Sea Jungle.”
“Then what if I leave you all the Holy Land’s Alchemist to help you refine pills as well?” Yang Kai suddenly suggested, “As far as I know, there is no one among the Monster Race who is proficient in Alchemy. On top of that, I can let the Holy Land’s Artifact Refiners stay behind as well. Before we come back, they can refine a large number of pills and artifacts for you. Of course, you’ll have to provide the materials, but I don’t think that should be too difficult for you.”
The Monster Race was not proficient in Alchemy or Artifact Refining, but they were certainly not lacking in materials. The spirit grasses and spirit medicines in their territory were simply swallowed by them directly while they essentially turned a blind eye to rare ores and materials. If these resources could be refined though, the Monster Race’s overall strength would improve significantly.
Although the Monster Race Great Senior had, in the beginning, stated with absolute certainty he would not intervene in the Human Race’s internal struggles, the hidden meaning behind his words just now had not gone unnoticed by Yang Kai.
He too wanted his clansmen to settle down on the nine spirit peaks of Nine Heavens Holy Land so they could make use of the rich World Energy to cultivate, but the conditions proposed by Yang Kai at first were simply not enough to move him!
In other words, this guy was also a master who would not strike unless he was certain he could deal a killing blow. As long as there were enough benefits, his prior insistence would be worth less than nothing.
It was because he understood this that Yang Kai immediately proposed leaving the Holy Land’s Alchemist and Artifact Refiners behind to assist the Monster Race.
Sure enough, this condition had caught the Great Senior’s attention, but there was clearly still some hesitation in his expression.
Yang Kai laughed happily and continued, “Among the nine peaks, there are a number of Crystal Stone mineral lodes. Before we return, you may mine them to your heart’s content, however many Crystal Stones you mine you can keep.”
Hearing this, the Great Senior suddenly raised his brow and stared at Yang Kai curiously, “All these various conditions you’ve given are entirely beneficial to my Monster Race, why is that? You’re not going to tell me it’s just because you want us to guard your house while you’re gone, are you?”
“En, there is one place in particular I would like Great Senior to protect!” Yang Kai went silent for a moment before saying, “If the nine peaks were to fall into the hands of our enemies, they might destroy that place… that is not something I wish to see happen.”
“That place should be very important to you.”
“Indeed, but it is worthless to Great Senior and the other masters from your clan,” Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
“Are you confident that after my clan occupies your home, we will simply give it to you when you come back to claim it?” The Great Senior looked at Yang Kai with a grin, a playful expression appearing on his face, “Perhaps after we occupy it we’ll simply declare it our territory from now on!”
“Since I dare to ask Great Senior to help me, I am certain I can retrieve the nine peaks when the time comes,” Yang Kai replied calmly, “Also, being on good terms with the Holy Land is good for you too. We will be able to conduct business just like before only if that basic condition is maintained.”
“I’d very much like to see how you plan on snatching your nine peaks back once they land in my hands!” The Great Senior sneered fiendishly, “When the time comes, if you still don’t have the qualification to speak on equal terms with me, forget about returning your nine peaks, I’ll take your life instead!”
“Does that mean Great Senior agrees?” Yang Kai grinned.
“Naturally, I agree!” The Monster Race Great Senior nodded lightly. Yang Kai was essentially giving him a mountain of benefits for free, how could he not agree?
Although entering the Human Territory would have its dangers, Nine Heavens Holy Land was situated on the very edge of the Human Territory, and with a master like him assuming command, it was essentially impossible for them to be encircled by human race powerhouses so they only needed to sit back and calmly cultivate.
To the Great Senior, if Yang Kai wanted to take back the nine peaks from his Monster Race, he would at least need to have strength equal to him.
As for how many years that would take, it shouldn’t be a small number.
Quite likely it would be at least a hundred years! Yang Kai’s shameless boasting about being able to stand on equal ground with him in two or three decades was something the Great Senior had dismissed offhandedly.
A hundred years was enough time for his clan’s strength to grow several times over and to mine clean the Crystal Stone mineral lodes in the nine peaks.
There would even be enough time for some of his clansmen to study Alchemy and Artifact Refining from the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Alchemists and Artifact Refiners, that way they would never need to rely on outsiders for such things again in the future.
All kinds of wonderful thoughts passed though the Great Senior’s mind, suddenly making him feel like he had picked up a huge bargain!
Of course, if they wanted to occupy the nine peaks, they would have to help Nine Heavens Holy Land expel their enemies; this point was not lost on Great Senior.
At that moment, Cai Die, who had been waiting outside, suddenly rushed inside, a dignified expression upon her face, completely ignoring Yang Kai as she quickly said, “Great Senior, there’s been an accident at the Beast Transformation Pond!”
Great Senior’s expression also sank as he immediately stood up and rushed out the door with Cai Die hurriedly following after him.
The two of them seemed to have completely forgotten about Yang Kai’s existence.
A short time later, Yang Kai heard a number of rushing sounds come from down below, apparently all of the Monster Race masters had also swiftly left.
Yang Kai sat in place awkwardly for a moment before making up his mind, standing up, and chasing after the masters who had just flew out.
He had always been quite curious about the Beast Transformation Pond the Monster Race was in sole possession of, wondering just what kind of mysterious power it held that allowed a Monster Beast to achieve human form.
Although approaching such an important location would likely provoke the anger of the Monster Race masters, Yang Kai decided to go anyways.
There would not be many such opportunities to expand his understanding like this.
The Beast Transformation Pond was located only a dozen or so kilometers from Thunder Tree Palace. At the base of a great mountain, in a relatively flat region, powerful energy fluctuations were being sent out, causing even the sky above to change colour.
At this moment, the howl of a beast in great pain were ringing through the air, causing the vitality of all who heard them to tumble as their hearts pounded.
When Yang Kai arrived nearby the Beast Transformation Pond, he discovered that it was surrounded by countless Monster Beasts and Monster Race masters.
Each of them had a worried look upon their face as they stared towards the sight in front of them silently and anxiously.
Even Yang Kai’s appearance here had been ignored by them.
Standing slightly behind the crowd, Yang Kai glanced towards where all of them were staring and his eyes lit up.
At a certain point where the surrounding mountains met lay a deep pit with a diameter of about three hundred meters. This pit was filled with an unknown liquid that gave off a mysterious energy.
This was no doubt the Monster Race’s Beast Transformation Pond.
At this moment, inside the Beast Transformation Pond was a snow white deer shaped Monster Beast with two great antlers sticking out from its head. The mysterious energy contained in the strange liquid was currently flowing into the body of this Monster Beast, modifying its physique in some way, but something had obviously gone wrong as it was now crying out in pain and sorrow.
Beside the Beast Transformation Pond, the Monster Race Great Senior stood with a dignified expression on his face, his Monster Qi surging up and spreading out in all directions, seemingly trying to help this deer-shaped Monster Beast.
Unfortunately, this seemed to be having little effect.
Centered around the Beast Transformation Pond, flashing lines appeared on the ground from time to time, similar to how the lines of a Spirit Array would react when energy flowed through them.
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as he became somewhat confused.
He had heard that the Monster Race didn’t understand how to engrave or use Spirit Arrays, so how was this giant Spirit Array beneath the Beast Transformation Pond arranged? Also, just by looking at how the Great Senior was acting, it was obvious he was oblivious to the Spirit Array; otherwise instead of spreading out his Monster Qi in all directions he would be coordinating it with the flashing energy lines of the array which would clearly be more efficient and effective.
“Hey, why are you here?” Yang Kai had been so lost in thought that he had failed to realize when a petite figure had arrived beside him until it spoke.
Coming back to his senses, Yang Kai turned to the side to see a Monster Race master standing next to him.
It was the cat eared young girl who had been watching him during his fight with Kuang Shi. At this moment, she was staring at Yang Kai with an interested look, her pair of light blue jewel-like eyes filled with curiosity, her lips curled into a light smile which showed her sharp tiger-like teeth.
“Hello,” Yang Kai quickly cupped his fists to her and with a smile explained, “I heard a lot of movement coming from here so I decided to come see what it was all about.”
“Your courage is really big, even daring to come here! Be careful the others don’t tear you to pieces when they notice you!” The cat eared young girl made a few clawing motions as if she was picture the scene of Yang Kai being ripped into.
“They wouldn’t, would they?” Yang Kai’s face went black upon hearing this.
“Hehehe…” The cat eared young girl suddenly smiled and let out a laugh which resembled the sound of a silver bell as she teasingly stared at Yang Kai, “Scared you!”
“You were playing with me?” Yang Kai immediately understood what this little girl was up to, chuckling helplessly as he asked, “What happened here?”
When Yang Kai asked this, the smile on the cat eared young girl quickly vanished as she let out a sad sigh, “Poor White Jade Deer, when he tried to assume human form, something went wrong, he’s probably going to fail.”
“What went wrong?”
“I don’t know,” The cat eared young girl slowly shook her head, “I also had trouble when I tried to take human form for the first time. At that time, it was only thanks to Great Senior’s help, otherwise I would have failed.”
“Are the consequences of failure quite serious? Why does it seem like all of you are so worried?”
“Of course the consequences are serious!” The cat eared young girl nodded repeatedly, “This is not because of a lack of personal understanding and insight, but rather a problem with the Beast Transformation Pond itself. If it was just a personal failing, then at worse you’d just maintain your beast form, but if one fails like this, even keeping your life is uncertain.”
“The problem is with the Beast Transformation Pond itself?”
“En, this situation has actually occurred several times, many of those guys didn’t survive in the end…” The cat eared young girl said sadly.
“Hateful human, why are you here?” Just then, a delicate voice called out and Cai Die quickly arrived, sheltering the cat eared young girl behind her as she stared vigilantly towards Yang Kai, “Who allowed you to come here?”
“Err…” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, “I just came over to take a look.”
“Mao Niang, did he do anything to you?” Cai Die stared at Yang Kai coldly as she asked the cat eared young girl she was protecting behind her.
“No, he just spoke a bit with me,” The cat eared young girl replied quickly.
“Be careful around humans, if you’re not, he’ll do something bad to you.”
“Em, like what?” The cat eared young girl asked curiously and innocently.
Cai Die pretty face flushed slightly red as she angrily replied, “Capture you and beat you ruthlessly before locking you up starving you to death!”
The cat eared young girl suddenly panicked as she directed a fearful look towards Yang Kai. It seemed for her, this was the most severe torture in the world.
“Hey, please don’t casually slander me,” Yang Kai smiled bitterly, “Do I look like such a person?”
“How dastardly you are, you should be clear about in your heart!” Cai Die sneered, “Because of Great Senior’s orders, I haven’t taken any action against you, but you’d best behave honestly… otherwise I don’t mind teaching you a lesson.”
Seeing how firm her attitude was, Yang Kai just sighed, “Fine, I’ll return back to Thunder Tree Palace and wait for your Great Senior to come back so we can finish our previous discussion.”
Saying so, he turned around and prepared to leave.
Yang Kai had already gotten to see the Beast Transformation Pond so he decided to withdraw for now, lest he stir up the Monster Race’s resentment unnecessarily.
Yang Kai was just about to leave when a violent energy fluctuation burst out from the Beast Transformation Pond. Along with a loud hissing sound, the entire Beast Transformation Pond seemed to boil up from below.
At the same time, the massive Spirit Array lines centred around the Beast Transformation Pond began flashing randomly.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up all of a sudden and immediately cancelled his plans to leave, focusing his sight on the Beast Transformation Pond once again as he sent his powerful Divine Sense into the ground nearby.
With the sudden change in the Beast Transformation Pond, Cai Die was apparently in no mood to deal with Yang Kai, quickly turning around together with the cat-eared young girl to watch the White Jade Deer that was struggling in the pool, a look of worry filling both their faces.
Standing on the edge of the Beast Transformation Pond, the Monster Race Great Senior’s expression also became more solemn than before and the Monster Qi which he was emitting from his body became even fiercer, spreading out to cover the entire Beast Transformation Pond.
But even with the Great Senior’s incredible strength, he couldn’t suppress the riots of the Beast Transformation Pond.
The White Jade Deer, who was half submerged in the pond, looked like he wanted to jump out but was seemingly being grasped by a pair of giant invisible hands he could not break free from. A series of mournful howls leaked from his mouth as he stared desperately towards the Great Senior, as if imploring him to save him.
All the Monster Races masters who saw this scene couldn’t help wearing aggrieved expressions, causing the atmosphere to become particularly heavy.
A mysterious energy which was now visible to the naked eye was slamming into the body of the White Jade Deer, drilling into his physique like countless worms, causing his flesh to swell up and distort randomly, producing a horrifying picture.
Dark red blood flowed out from the White Jade Deer’s seven orifices and it became clear that this powerful Seventh-Order Monster Beast that had achieved the qualifications to take human form would soon die.
The Great Senior also slowly withdrew his Monster Qi while directing a helpless look towards the still struggling White Jade Deer.
Everyone realized that this clansman of theirs no longer had any hope and all of them began to silently mourn for him, many Monster Race masters even shedding tears.
“Big Sister Cai Die, can’t you find a way to save him…” The cat-eared young girl begged Cai Die while weeping.
Cai Die smiled bitterly as she stroked the young girl’s head while helplessly shaking her own.
Even their Great Senior was helpless, what could she possibly do?
“Can you let me try? I might have a way to save him,” Yang Kai, who has been observing the Beast Transformation Pond fixedly, suddenly opened his mouth.
Cai Die glanced over at him suspiciously, a clear look of doubt and anger flashing across her pretty face as she shouted, “A mere human boy like you?”
Yang Kai simply stared back at her without the slightest bit of timidity.
Cai Die frowned deeply, wondering just where this human brat was getting his confidence from, disdainfully snorting in the next breath, “You say you have the ability to save him? Boy, don’t think that because Great Senior has made some kind of deal with you, you can act however you want here. This is my Monster Race’s territory, not your Human Race’s land, if you annoy me, I can kill you at any time.”
“Instead of wasting your breath threatening me, you might as well ask Great Senior to see what he thinks,” Yang Kai coldly snorted. This Cai Die was always showing him a rather disgusted look, causing Yang Kai to feel somewhat uncomfortable and confused, wondering just how he had offended her.
“Maybe I can save him, maybe he will still die, but if you continue doing nothing, your clansman will definitely die. We humans have a saying, ‘giving medicine to a dead horse can’t do any harm’; I don’t know if you’ve heard it before?”
Being spoken to like this, Cai Die’s pretty face became cold and she was just about to shoot back at Yang Kai when the cat-eared young girl hurriedly cut her off, “I’ll go ask Great Senior now!”
Saying so, her petite body swiftly flickered a few times and arrived in front of the Great Senior who was still standing beside the Beast Transformation Pond.
Cai Die was stunned for a moment before she quickly turned a suspicious glare towards Yang Kai and coldly asked, “What scheme are you up to? Do you want to destroy my Monster Race’s foundation by ruining the Beast Transformation Pond?”
Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing dumbly, “Is paranoia a way of life for you? Why do I feel like you hate humans so much? Were you abused by humans in the past for something?”
When these words came out, a thick murderous intent burst out from Cai Die’s body. It seemed like Yang Kai’s casually guess had actually touched upon some painful experience she was hiding in her heart, causing her pretty face to warp with hatred.
Not waiting for her to explode, Yang Kai quickly said, “I have no interest in your Monster Race’s Beast Transformation, about that you can rest assured. The only thing I’m interested in is what’s hidden beneath it.”
“What’s hidden below?” Cai Die narrowed her eyes, but didn’t have time to ask Yang Kai about what he meant before the cat-eared young girl flew back over and pulled him towards the Beast Transformation Pond as she hurriedly said, “Great Senior wants to see you!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and followed the cat-eared young girl towards the Beast Transformation Pond under Cai Die’s vigilant gaze.
“I want to see just what kind of mischief you’re up to!” Cai Die coldly snorted and hurriedly followed.
A lot of Monster Race masters saw this scene and showed curious looks, wondering why, at this critical moment, their Great Senior had suddenly allowed this unfamiliar human boy to approach the Beast Transformation Pond.
A moment later, Yang Kai stood beside the pond. At such a close distance, Yang Kai fully realized just how enormous the amount of energy hidden inside the Beast Transformation Pond truly was.
“Mao Niang said you have a way to save him?” Great Senior stared at Yang Kai solemnly.
“I can try!” Yang Kai nodded lightly, not explaining any further.
“Just try?” The Great Senior’s brows furrowed, appearing somewhat disgruntled.
“In this situation he’s guaranteed to die, right? Since that’s the case, you have nothing to lose by letting me try,” Yang Kai calmly replied.
Great Senior hesitated for a moment before decisively nodding, “Good, try! But no matter what happens, after this is all over, you have to give me a reasonable explanation!”
“Fine,” Yang Kai nodded. Since he chose to make a move here, he was prepared to be questioned later by this Great Senior.
As soon as they reached an agreement, Yang Kai shut his eyes and began wantonly releasing his Spiritual Energy into the surrounding.
Feeling the power of his Divine Sense, the Monster Race masters nearby were all shocked; even the Great Senior couldn’t help calling out in surprise, “Conflagrated Divine Sense?”
Cai Die, who was also standing nearby, also trembled lightly upon sensing this.
Yang Kai fully releasing his Divine Sense at this moment made it impossible for him to hide his Soul’s true strengths.
The Spiritual Energy intensity he was releasing right now was comparable to a Saint Realm master’s and even carried a special attribute to it.
Like molten gold, Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy penetrated into the surrounding earth. No one here was able to understand what Yang Kai was doing though; only feeling like his Spiritual Energy was flowing in some kind mysterious pattern.
The bright lines which appeared all around the Beast Transformation Pond also began to shine on and off.
The White Jade Deer who was submerged in the pond was still howling as painfully as before though as his physique deformed irregularly and his bones creaked. The mysterious force which was surging into his body was clearly still wreaking havoc.
The White Jade Deer’s eyes were completely red now and tears of blood were rolling down its face, but through all this pain and suffering, it stared desperately towards Yang Kai, as if grasping at any straw it could, its vision filled with expectation and pleading.
Yang Kai remained focused though and simply continued to release his Spiritual Energy faster and faster.
Gradually, all the Monster Race masters felt that the chaotic energy fluctuations coming from the Beast Transformation Pond become gentler, as if they were gently being smoothed out by a giant invisible hand.
Seeing hope in this desperate situation, even Cai Die, who was extremely prejudiced against Yang Kai, couldn’t help revealing a look of anticipation towards him, because he had managed to achieve something even their Great Senior couldn’t.
“Come on!” Mao Niang cheered the White Jade Deer on while paying close attention to Yang Kai.
As soon as the first positive signs came out, she began cheering even louder.
As time went by, the turbulence in the Beast Transformation Pond became weaker and weaker and the chaotic energy fluctuations slowly stabilized. The White Jade Deer soaking in the pond also no longer called out painfully but instead showed an expression filled with comfort and joy.
“He really did it?” Cai Die stared dumbfounded at the scene in front her, almost unable to believe her own eyes.
The Monster Race masters in the crowd all showed shocked expressions as well, holding their breaths as looks of excitement and anticipation crept onto their faces.
They were all happy because they knew White Jade Deer had escaped the jaws of death.
A half hour later, everything became calm.
Another hour after that, the White Jade Deer immersed in the pond suddenly began squirming again as his physique distorted wildly and he released howls as if he was suffering from the most brutal torture as his bones seemed to be snapping.
However, the Monster Race masters who saw this scene not only did not worry, but instead showed joyous expressions.
Because they knew that White Jade Deer was about to achieve human form.
Sure enough, as his flesh distorted and his bones cracked, the White Jade Deer’s body gradually began to transform into a human form.
Yang Kai also opened his eyes and took in this magical scene with great interest.
The transformation process continued for a while yet.
Eventually, though, a young, naked teenage boy with a short pair of antlers on his head appeared in the Beast Transformation Pond, and all the Monster Race masters burst into cheers.
Great Senior, who was still standing beside the Beast Transformation Pond, reached and lifted the young boy from the Beast Transformation Pond with his Monster Qi before draping a fresh new robe over him.
The young man fell to the ground and violently shuddered while gasping for breath. It was only after quite some time that he managed to stumble to his feet and sweep his spirited eyes around like a newborn baby, curiously taking in everything he could see.
“Another new family member! Hehe…” Mao Niang came over and patted the boy’s head, her face filled with joy, “Good, good!”
The young boy then turned his head and looked at Yang Kai, opening his mouth as he tried to speak but no words came out; however, the look of gratitude on his face was unmistakable.
“There’s no need to rush,” Mao Niang softly comforted, “When you’ve recovered a bit, Big Sister here will teach you to speak.”
The young boy gently and obediently nodded.
“Cai Die, take him back to rest,” Great Senior ordered.
Cai Die gently nodded and quickly shot a complicated glance towards Yang Kai before leading Mao Niang and the young boy back to Thunder Tree Palace.
As he stood beside the Beast Transformation Pond, Great Senior stared deeply towards Yang Kai, his expression only lightened after a long silence, “You should restore yourself first. We’ll talk about this later.”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded before sitting down cross-legged and closing his eyes.
Even with the Great Senior still watching, Yang Kai didn’t hesitate to continue submerging his Divine Sense into the Beast Transformation Pond, seemingly studying something.
Of course, this did not escape the Great Senior’s notice, but he made no attempt to stop Yang Kai, instead just waving to his fellow clansmen to disperse.
Looking at the closed eyed Yang Kai, the Great Senior’s lips curled slightly, feeling that after this time he might uncover some of the secrets he had been trying to figure out since long ago.
And all of this was actually thanks to a human boy.
Even if the Great Senior was somewhat unwilling in his heart, he was helpless to change the situation now.
[This little brat…] Great Senior shook his head and smiled wryly, it seemed he had somewhat looked down upon Yang Kai’s abilities. Just the fact that the latter had a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea was enough to classify him as out of the ordinary.
Yang Kai sat for a whole day and night, exploring the mysteries hidden below the Beast Transformation Pond while slowly recovering his strength.
The Great Senior naturally didn’t stay behind to watch him and had returned to Thunder Tree Palace long ago.
When Yang Kai opened his eyes once again, only Cai Die remained nearby the Beast Transformation Pond. This Monster Race beauty with her seven coloured wings was currently staring at Yang Kai curiously.
Their four eyes suddenly met and Cai Die’s expression became a bit unnatural, quickly averting her gaze.
“Senior Cai Die…” Yang Kai hurriedly stood up and greeted her.
“Finished?” Cai Die asked lightly.
Yang Kai nodded, not sure if he was imagining it but thinking this woman’s hostility towards him had decreased a lot.
“Since you’ve finished restoring yourself, come with me, Great Senior is waiting for you!” Cai Die said, flapping her wings and leading the way.
Yang Kai hurried to keep up.
On the way back to Thunder Tree Palace, the Monster Beasts and the Monster Race masters who appeared all showed kind eyes towards Yang Kai, their previous revulsion and rejection completely disappearing.
It seemed like because Yang Kai saved the White Jade Deer, he had won their collective goodwill.
The Monster Race was truly united! Yang Kai silently praised.
Such a scene would be impossible to see in any human force; at most, this act would have won the favour of a few people related to the one he saved, very much unlike the current situation Yang Kai found himself in with the Monster Race clan here. Now, no one despised Yang Kai or looked down on him, most of them even regarding him as a distinguished guest.
Arriving at the top of Thunder Tree Palace, in front of the Great Senior’s house, Cai Die stopped and motioned to Yang Kai, “Go in.”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai smiled and walked towards the house.
“Ah…” Cai Die suddenly called out.
“Hm?” Yang Kai turned to her and quickly noticed an awkward look upon her face. Her pink lips quivered a few times before she quietly shouted, “Thank you!”
After squeezing out these words, her body flickered and quickly flew down, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai smiled dumbly at this sight for a moment before turning back around and walking into the Great Senior’s house while shaking his head.
Inside the house, the Great Senior stared at Yang Kai with a smile for a moment before kindly motioning to him, “Sit down.”
As he said so, he glanced towards the door and seemingly unintentionally mentioned, “You’re the first human to obtain Cai Die’s approval; even though your Holy Land’s old Holy Master came here many times, she never gave him any face.”
“Oh? I suppose I should feel honored then,” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
The Great Senior smiled and shook his head, “Don’t blame her for being prejudiced against you, she has her reasons.”
Saying so, the Great Senior handed over a bottle of fine wine and continued, “Let’s drink while we talk. This wine was also brought by your old Holy Master. The Monster Race doesn’t excel at creating such good things.”
Yang Kai accepted, took a sip, and frowned slightly, “It’s alright, I have something better, do you want to try it?”
“Please!” Great Senior said unceremoniously.
Yang Kai laughed and brought out a bottle of wine from his Black Book space and filled Great Senior’s cup.
Seeing this, the Great Senior frowned slightly before grinning, “Boy, I thought you were somewhat pleasing to the eye before, but now it looks like you’re a stingy one. Every time your old Holy Master visited, he would bring several hundred bottles of wine. This King can drink several bottles of that wine at a time yet now you only offer me this small cup?”
Yang Kai’s face immediately went black, “This wine is incredibly precious, I only have this bottle left, how could I allow it to be drunk so carelessly?”
The Great Senior snorted lightly and with a somewhat dissatisfied look upon his face he reluctantly picked up the cup in front of him and drank it down.
The moment the Great Senior drank this wine though, his expression changed greatly, as if his very soul had been shaken. On his face, all signs of dissatisfaction completely disappeared as he seemed to be immersed in a wondrous mood, grinning a moment later as he liberally praised, “Good wine! This is far superior to any of the wines your old Holy Master ever brought. Come, come, another!”
Saying so, he thrust his cup in front of Yang Kai and continually urged.
Yang Kai generously filled his glass again and watch as the Great Senior drank it down again. Only after drinking his third cup did the Great Senior sit back and relax.
“Was this wine brewed by you?” The Great Senior asked.
Yang Kai shook his head, “It was brewed by my alcohol-obsessed Martial Aunt. Great Senior shouldn’t expect too much and must savour the taste well; after all, it took her fifty years to brew this.”
“Fifty years…” Great Senior was dumbstruck for a moment, soon shaking his head, “Your Martial Aunt is really interesting, actually taking a whole fifty years to brew this bottle of wine? On the other hand, it was not time wasted, this wine is not simple.”
Yang Kai showed a faint smile and lightly sipped his own glass. His cultivation and strength were not nearly as high as this Great Senior’s so he couldn’t drink it freely.
The amount of energy contained in the Thousand Safflower Wine brewed by his Martial Aunt Fei Yu couldn’t be underestimated. If he were to drink too much all at once, he would really become drunk and pass out.
“Great Senior just mentioned something about Senior Cai Die having a reason for her prejudice towards humans, what exactly happened to her?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“Oh, she…” The Great Senior took a moment to organize his thoughts before saying, “Before she achieved human form, she was caught by a Human Race cultivator because her true form is the Seven Coloured Illusory Butterfly which was known for its rarity and beauty. Although the human who caught her and raised her didn’t abuse her per-say, while she was in captivity she witnessed a great many disturbing things… En, suffice it to say, the man who caught here wasn’t a good thing, so she developed a deep disgust and distrust towards humans.”
“So it’s like that,” Yang Kai now understand why Cai Die always seemed to feel repugnance for him.
“Well, it’s a tale from long ago,” Great Senior smiled, “When this King was out traveling many years ago, I happened to come across her and saved her.”
“Good, let’s not mention this anymore.”
Great Senior nodded lightly, setting the topic aside.
The room suddenly fell silent as the Monster Race’s Great Senior stared deeply towards Yang Kai, a while later asking, “Are you prepared to explain to me what the previous matter was all about?”
“What does Great Senior want to know?”
“What do you know?” Great Senior answered with a question of his own.
Yang Kai wrinkled his brow slightly and responded, “I know just about everything.”
“How do you know all that? Even I haven’t comprehended the mysteries hidden beneath the Beast Transformation Pond!” Great Senior’s expression suddenly became incredibly solemn.
“That’s because what is beneath the Beast Transformation Pond is a giant Natural Spirit Array. Great Senior isn’t proficient in Spirit Arrays, right?” Yang Kai smiled, “I think Great Senior already knows that there is a powerful Earth Vein running below the nearby mountain range, yes? The Beast Transformation Pond is a manifestation of the overflowing energy from the Earth Vein; however, the Beast Transformation Pond also seems to contain some other mysterious energy. What that mysterious energy is, I have yet to figure out, all I know is that it is that energy which helps your Monster Race achieve human form.”
“Explain carefully!” The Great Senior quickly urged.
“I’ll be honest with Great Senior, in fact, I am an Alchemist. The Natural Spirit Array below the Beast Transformation Pond is similar to the Spirit Arrays I use in Alchemy, but that Spirit Array is actually a collection of countless smaller Spirit Arrays and is extremely complicated and complex. The process your Monster Race undergoes to achieve human form is essentially equivalent to an Alchemist performing Alchemy.”
“What is the relationship between the two?” The Great Senior asked somewhat confused.
“The Beast Transformation Pond is the furnace, the Earth Veins are the Spirit Arrays, the pond’s water is the medicinal liquid, and the Monster Beast is the pill!”
“You’re saying my Monster Race is the same as a medicinal pill?”
“En. When one performs Alchemy, they blend all kinds of different herbs together in one place to produce various profound and subtle changes to their medicinal properties and eventually condense them into a single pill. The same is true for how your Monster Race achieves human form. Upon clearing certain conditions and with enough of the mysterious energy contained within the pond, your physique undergoes various changes which allow you to take human form.”
The Great Senior wrinkled his brow deeply as he muttered to himself, seemingly carefully digesting what Yang Kai had just told him.
Despite his exquisite strength and deep cultivation, he still had difficulty understanding this abstract Alchemy knowledge.
After a long time, the Great Senior sighed helplessly, “I only understand about half of what you said…”
“It’s not that easy to explain. If Great Senior is willing to study Alchemy, in less than ten years or so, you should be able to completely understand what I am saying,” Yang Kai smiled and shook his head, “Unfortunately, Great Senior’s Monster Qi is not suitable for Alchemy.”
“I don’t need to comprehend Alchemy; I just need to understand how that Spirit Array beneath the Beast Transformation Pond functions. If my guess is right, my clansmen often having accidents during their initial transformation is because that Natural Spirit Array is damaged, correct?”
“En, I was able to patch it, allowing me to save that White Jade Deer,” Yang Kai nodded, sinking into silence for a moment before continuing, “Good, after the crisis my Nine Heavens Holy Land has been dealt with, how about I teach Great Senior how to maintain and repair that Spirit Array?”
“What are your conditions?” Great Senior narrowed his eyes slightly as he stared at Yang Kai warily.
“Heh heh… For any Alchemist or Artifact Refiner, the Spirit Arrays they use are part of their core secrets, something they won’t easily divulge to outsiders, doing so will be a big loss to me. How does Great Senior plan to compensate me?”
The Great Senior glared at Yang Kai indignantly for a while before cursing through his teeth, “Hateful! As long as you can teach me about that Spirit Array, my Monster Race will owe you a favour, if you have any needs in the future, just come to me and I will assist you!”
“Great Senior’s attitude is really refreshing! It looks like we’ll be good friends in the future,” Yang Kai smiled innocently.
“You’re more difficult to deal with than your old Holy Master,” Great Senior grumbled, soon laughing though as he raised his glass and drained it, “Forget it, your Human Race can always produce one or two outstanding talents, this King is also looking forward to seeing if you can rise to my level in twenty or thirty years. As for owing you a favour, it’s not a big deal either way. You can even use this favour now to let me help you resolve your Nine Heavens Holy Land’s current crisis.”
“No, regarding the Holy Land’s crisis, let’s stick with the agreement we negotiated before. I’ll save this favour for later.”
“Do as you please!” The Great Senior pursed his lips slightly and said no more.
After a lengthy chat, both sides were quite satisfied.
The half bottle of Thousand Safflower Wine was almost completely drunk by Great Senior alone but Yang Kai didn’t regret it, to him, it was far more important to obtain the friendship of the Monster Race. Even if this friendship was still mainly based on mutual interests, Yang Kai didn’t mind.
After Yang Kai patched the Beast Transformation Pond’s Spirit Array, it wouldn’t have any problems in the short term. He had also taught some basic information about the Natural Spirit Array to Great Senior as well, just in case.
Since his business here had been concluded, Yang Kai bid the Great Senior farewell.
The Great Senior naturally didn’t try to detain him and saw Yang Kai off.
Down below Thunder Tree Palace, the White Jade Deer, who had been rescued by Yang Kai, was waiting. After achieving human form, he now looked like a gentle young boy with skin so white even women would be jealous.
After being able to personally thank Yang Kai, he looked quite happy.
In response to this young boy’s gratitude, Yang Kai simply waved his hand, indicating he didn’t need to pay it any mind; then, after briefly saying goodbye to the other Monster Race masters, Yang Kai flew off towards Nine Heavens Holy Land.
It took Yang Kai three days to get to the Thunder Tree Palace so it would obviously take that long to go back.
However, there was still time until the Holy Land’s deadline so he was not in a hurry.
Two days later, while flying above the jungle, Yang Kai suddenly felt a rambunctious aura rapidly approaching him. After examining this aura for a moment, Yang Kai smiled and stopped.
A short time later, Kuang Shi appeared in the distance and called out, “Little brother, I’m glad you are safe and sound.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “What a coincidence, meeting Brother Kuang here.”
Kuang Shi curled his lips, “I’ve been waiting for you here… your business with Great Senior, did he agree?”
“En, he agreed, a few days from now your Great Senior will lead your clan to my Holy Land.”
“Hahaha, really?” Kuang Shi laughed, seemingly very happy, nodding to himself for a while as he openly said, “Very good, I’ve always wanted to see what the outside world is like. Spending every day patrolling this jungle is simply too boring.”
Yang Kai was amazed that this was what Kuang Shi was so happy about, but soon shook his head wryly and cupped his fists, “If Brother Kuang plans on visiting, little brother will prepare a warm welcome. En, I will definitely provide good entertainment for you.”
“Naturally I must go, I’ve heard there are so many novel things in your Human Territory, and of course I have to go see them for myself!”
“There are indeed many interesting things, but there are also many dangers, Brother Kuang must not let his guard down.”
“Why must I fear danger?” Kuang Shi said heroically, “The more dangerous the better, what would I do if the outside world was just as boring as this place?”
“It’s good that Brother Kuang can think like that… Good, there’s not much time left, I have to hurry back. Little brother will be waiting in the Holy Land for Great Senior and your clan’s arrival!”
“Go on, be careful!” Kuang Shi waved his hand and waited for Yang Kai to leave before turning around and heading back to Thunder Tree Palace, planning on volunteering to join the expedition Great Senior would be leading to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Two days later, Yang Kai arrived back at Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Quietly releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai soon discovered that the situation had changed somewhat since he left.
Ten kilometers or so outside the nine peaks, Yang Kai noticed many signs of human activity and the Nine Peaks Barrier itself had also become somewhat weaker, as if it had recently suffered some bombardment.
Yang Kai’s expression immediately became cold, understanding that these forces had not followed their own deadlines and had already begun launching attacks.
However, judging from the state of the Holy Land’s barrier, it should still be on the level of tentative attacks.
Word of Yang Kai’s return quickly spread, and Xu Hui and the other Elders soon gathered together inside the main palace.
Inside the hall, the Holy Land’s six Saint Realm masters and An Ling’er, the only surviving Saintess, stared towards Yang Kai, waiting for him to speak.
“Things went well, the Monster Race’s Great Senior has agreed to our request. Of course, his help comes at a cost.”
Xu Hui and the other Saint Realm Elders were all shocked; although they had agreed to Yang Kai’s plans and proposals before, none of them had expected too much and were simply willing to let him try in order to give some face to this new Holy Master.
One had to know the person Yang Kai was dealing with as a Monster Race Great Senior, not a simple character.
But unexpectedly, in less than ten days, Yang Kai had already secured this supreme powerhouse’s cooperation.
“That Monster Race Great Senior… What price does he expect us to pay?” Xu Hui asked worriedly.
“While they watch over the nine peaks for us, all the Holy Land’s Alchemists and Artifact Refiners have to stay behind and assist them. They will also be able to freely mine the Crystal Stone lodes located among the nine peaks.”
“Just those two conditions?”
“En, only those two.”
The six Elders all exchanged glances and silently relaxed.
It was only natural for them to mine the Crystal Stone lodes. If the Holy Land’s people temporarily evacuated from here, the Crystal Stone lodes would definitely fall into the hands of their enemy. Since that was the case, they might as well just let the Monster Race mine them instead.
As for lending them the Holy Land’s Alchemists and Artifact Refiners, as long as it was arranged properly and not discovered by outsiders, this also wasn’t an issue.
These two conditions were within everyone’s ability to accept.
This way, rather than saying Nine Heavens Holy Land was asking for help from the Monster Race, it was better to say they were taking advantage of the Monster Race’s strength to give their enemies a harsh blow, like driving a pack of wolves to attack a tiger.
The only issue was that this pack of wolves was not easy to deal with. If they really let the Monster Race take root in the nine peaks, it would likely cost them quite a bit if they ever wanted to expel them.
But Xu Hui and the other Elders didn’t need to think that far ahead right now. So to say, this was all the decision of the new Holy Master, they just had to obey.
Once the new Holy Master grew to a certain height, he would naturally retrieve the nine peaks.
Seeing Yang Kai take the initiative to travel to the Monster Race’s territory to seek assistance, Xu Hui felt that this new Holy Master had become more concerned about the Holy Land. As long as things proceeded like this, Xu Hui was certain Yang Kai would soon agree to inherit the position of Holy Master.
Having reached this critical turning point, the disaster facing the Holy Land right now become unimportant.
“Great Elder, I noticed that the Nine Peaks Barrier has recently been attacked, did they decide to make a move while I was away?” Yang Kai asked Xu Hui who was somewhat lost in thought.
Xu Hui quickly composed himself and nodded, “Just a day ago, they launched a probing attack, but as soon as they noticed that the Nine Peaks Barrier had reopened, they immediately gave up. However, judging from their current movements, I’m afraid they will come in full force within one or two days.”
“That should be more than enough time. Go arrange the disciples, have them start preparing to withdraw. Let me know as soon as everything is in order.”
“Yes,” Xu Hui and the other Elders nodded firmly.
Although Yang Kai’s had developed some friendship with the Monster Race Great Senior, and even earned a favour from him, Yang Kai still felt leaving all the Holy Land’s people here together with the Monster Race was not a good idea, so the evacuation still had to be done. This was the best way to avoid any unforeseen accidents from occurring that could ruin all his previous efforts.
What’s more, the place he chose to house the Holy Land’s people was perfect for them to enter secluded retreat and cultivate.
As the Elders and Protectors all set about their individual tasks, An Ling’er followed beside Yang Kai and explained the other magical uses of the Holy Master Spirit Ring.
The Holy Master Spirit Ring was not just a symbol of the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Holy Master, it could also open many places that normally were sealed off, such as the Treasury and the Nine Peaks Spirit Arrays.
But that was not all, the Holy Master Spirit Ring also allowed the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Holy Master to use the energy stored in the Nine Peaks Spirit Array to multiply the power of his own Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
Each of the nine spirit peaks contained a repository that stored a mysterious energy which corresponded to one of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills. When the Holy Master fought within range of the Nine Peaks Spirit Array, as long as his own cultivation was sufficient, he could be called unrivaled in the world.
Knowing this, Yang Kai’s spirit was roused and eagerly began studying this newfound ability, only now understanding some of the hidden mysteries of the Holy Master Spirit Ring.
With this card in hand, Yang Kai’s confidence about the approaching war grew once more.
Yang Kai also found some time to go to the Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Treasury and swept everything inside into the Black Book space.
In any case, the Holy Land was going to be temporarily evacuated, if he left these things here, they would only wind up in the enemy’s hands. Since that was the case, Yang Kai felt it was better to just take them away right now.
After cleaning the Treasury out, Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction.
With all kinds of herbs, ores, artifacts, and Crystal Stones, Yang Kai’s net worth suddenly multiplied many times over.
Two days later, at the crack of dawn, Yang Kai, who was silently meditating, felt a faint shock come from somewhere outside the nine peaks and opened his eyes, coldly staring in the direction of the explosion.
[They’ve come!]
The masters who had been gathered nearby finally couldn’t hold themselves back and had begun their assault on Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Slowly getting up, Yang Kai swiftly walked out of his room and found Xu Hui and the other Elders lined up solemnly, seemingly waiting for Yang Kai.
Everyone’s expression was very dignified and a mix of tension and anger could be seen on their faces.
Seeing Yang Kai appear, all of them bowed.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Let’s go take a look, I wonder who it is that is so eager to die!”
A light flashed across the eyes of Xu Hui and others as they quickly nodded and followed after Yang Kai.
They found that after returning from the Monster Race, Yang Kai no longer seemed to reject them, and although he had not once personally admitted it, his words and deeds now truly aligned with the Holy Land.
Upon realizing this, all of their spirits rose and they faintly felt that the Holy Land still had hope.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
A burst of loud explosions echoed throughout the nine peaks as one region of the barrier was continuously shelled. However, despite this section of the Nine Peaks Barrier flickering somewhat, there were no signs of it failing or enemies invading.
The Holy Master Spirit Ring was on Yang Kai’s hand, and the Nine Peaks Barrier was opened by him personally, so there was a subtle connection between the two.
Any attack that hit the barrier Yang Kai could sense far more clearly than Xu Hui and the others.
The attacks just now stemmed from a number of Transcendent Realm cultivators. So far, none of the enemy’s Saint Realm masters had taken action, allowing Yang Kai to relax.
A short time later, the group led by Yang Kai arrived at the edge of the nine peaks and came to a stop mid-air. Looking out at the scene in front of him, Yang Kai couldn’t help grinning, “There’s certainly a lot of them !”
Beyond the Nine Peaks Barrier, a large crowd had assembled.
At the very least there were several thousand people gathered here; it seemed like the three forces had won over a lot of helpers during this time.
Yang Kai swept his eyes and Divine Sense over this crowd indifferently and soon noticed that among these thousands of people, there were three particularly large teams, immediately understanding that they were the cultivators from Shattering Mystical Palace, War Spirit Temple and Netherworld Sect.
In addition to these three large teams, there were many other forces mixed in, each of them clustered together as they occupied different positions and coldly stared towards the nine peaks.
After Xu Hui and the other Elders appeared, the cultivators who were attacking the barrier quickly leapt back while various others in the crowd showed looks of fear.
An injured tiger was still a tiger. Although Nine Heavens Holy Land had suffered a sharp decline in strength, it was still a powerful force that had survived for countless years, whether it was in terms of history or heritage, none of the forces present could compare.
An inherent deterrence still remained.
All of the masters gathered understood that if they couldn’t completely wipe out Nine Heavens Holy Land today, once it recovered and sought revenge, none of them would be able to escape.
Every Holy Master of the Holy Land had become a Peak Third Order Saint, this was a legendary feat. Throughout the entire Tong Xuan Realm, only a select few forces could guarantee that one of their Sect’s disciples could achieve such cultivation.
Each and every one of these forces was one to be feared and respected.
Under the probing of Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense, the number of enemy Saint Realm masters was clear at a glance.
There were fifteen in total!
Two of them were Second Order Saint while the rest were First Order.
Nine Heavens Holy Land was at an absolute disadvantage in terms of quantity and cultivation.
“Xu Hui, you and I have known each other for nearly a hundred years, but it wasn’t until today that this old master discovered that you’re such a turtle. What’s wrong? Do you really think that as long as you hide behind your Nine Peaks Barrier you’ll be safe? Do you think you can just pretend the atrocities your previous generation Saintess committed have nothing to do with you?” The leader of one of the three big teams suddenly shouted.
As soon as this voice called out, a number of others began yelling and cursing as well.
Xu Hui’s expression remained indifferent as he coldly replied, “Zhang Ao, why must you do this?”
Hearing this, Yang Kai expression changed as he couldn’t help staring towards this old man.
Zhang Ao, Shattering Mystical Palace’s Sect Master, a Second Order Saint and the one Xu Hui said a few days ago was the only man from the three forces they had to be concerned about. All the other masters from the three nearby sects weren’t strong enough to enter Xu Hui’s eyes, but this Zhang Ao had the same cultivation as him, so if they were to fight, it was impossible to tell who would win and who would lose.
“Why must I do this?” Zhang Ao coldly snorted, “This old master simply led these numerous friends to Nine Heavens Holy Land today to seek justice for our many dead relatives and friends!”
“Justice?” Xu Hui stared at Zhang Ao with eyes full of contempt and disdain, “A despicable villain like you dares talk about justice?”
“Whether or not this old master is a despicable villain is not for you to judge,” Zhang Ao snorted, “Your previous generation’s Saintess murdered countless people from outside yet your Nine Heavens Holy Land hid here behind your precious barrier and did nothing. Did any of the dead ever provoke your Nine Heavens Holy Land? What wrong did they ever commit towards you that you had to go so far as to slaughter them? Did any of them even know you at all?!”
“That’s right, you allowing the previous generation Saintess to wantonly torment the world’s common people, you must answer for this!”
“If you can’t present the corpse of the previous generation Saintess to us, today we will trample flat your Nine Heavens Holy Land!”
“I say they’re all in this together! Perhaps they were the ones who sent the previous generation Saintess to murder our friends and family!”
“……”
Many people among this group of people were angry and as soon one of them began shouting, others joined in, and although their words were course, many of them were actually fact, so when Xu Hui and the others heard all of this, although they were angry, they were also unable to refute them.
They didn’t intend to ignore the actions of Saintess Nan, it was simply that they didn’t have enough strength to deal with her.
The old Holy Master died, and the only remaining Saintess and the future Holy Master had only been recently brought back from the Demon Land by them. Where did they have time to seek out Saintess Nan? What’s more, Saintess Nan was proficient in the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, Xu Hui and the other Elders were not her opponent at all, even if they found her, they would only bring disgrace upon themselves if they fought.
When Saintess Nan had previously attacked the Holy Land, it took them a lot of effort simply to repel her, resulting in the Holy Land suffering massive damage and casualties.
Seeing the frustrated expressions of Xu Hui and the other Holy Land Elders, Zhang Ao smiled smugly and continued to pour fuel onto the fire, loudly calling for Xu Hui and Nine Heavens Holy Land to bring out Saintess Nan and execute her in front of everyone to comfort the souls of the innocents she had mercilessly killed.
Even if Xu Hui wanted to argue back, there was nothing he could say.
The Saintesses were not to kill a single soul throughout their lifetime, yet after death, they would slaughtering a million corpses. This was a secret deeply hidden by the Holy Land, even if they tried to explain now, no one would believe them.
“Zhang Ao, are you really so vicious? When the old Holy Master was alive, he provided no small favour to your Shattering Mystical Palace!” Xu Hui shouted indignantly, “Cao Guan, Wu Jie, must you two also act like this?”
Of the two people Xu Hui named, Cao Guan was the head of War Spirit Temple, and Wu Jie was the master of Netherworld Sect, the two of them were First Order Saint.
Cao Guan shouted firmly, “What is Great Elder talking about, this Cao Guan has always been righteous and only ever stands on the side of justice!”
Wu Jie was a man with a thin build and pale face. He had a sinister and vicious look and had obviously cultivated some kind of Evil Secret Art. His body and the green and black robes he wore gave off an eerie aura which made no one dare stand within a dozen meters of him. Hearing Xu Hui’s words, he cackled evilly and said, “My Netherworld Sect is only causing trouble in order to seek compensation. Great Elder should understand the concept of paying money to dispel disaster. In fact, if you can afford the price, it’s not impossible for this Wu Jie to help you out now.”
“Wu Jie!” Zhang Ao glanced over at him gloomily, “Don’t speak such tasteless jokes.”
Wu Jie just grinned and shrugged his shoulders, not saying any more.
Seeing this, Zhang Ao sneered, “Xu Hui, you just said your old Holy Master provided us no small favour, yes? Then how do you explain why every year our three forces had to give your Nine Heavens Holy Land tribute in the form of cultivate materials yet seven years ago, when this old master wanted to enter your nine peaks’ Four Spirit Cave to cultivate I was flatly rejected? Is this the so called favour we were given?”
Xu Hui slowly shook his head, “You presenting us tribute was not fake, but have you ever thought about what would happen if you didn’t have the shelter of my old Holy Master? Could your three forces have developed so calmly and safely? Without my old Holy Master, the Great Senior of the Beast Sea Jungle would have already wiped your three Sects out!”
“Don’t try to raise that Great Senior with me,” Zhang Ao shouted angrily, a vicious light flashing across his eyes, “Don’t think I don’t know your old Holy Master and that Monster Race Great Senior were on good terms in private and that he even often went to the Beast Sea Jungle to trade with him! You dare do such despicable deeds, consorting with our Human Race’s mortal enemy, betraying the world’s common people; do you not fear the Heavens’ retribution? Every year, many of our three Sects’ disciples mysteriously go missing, are you going to stand there and tell me they weren’t caught and eaten by those Monster Race bastards?”
Hearing this accusation, many of the gathered masters wore stunned and horrified looks.
All of them turned questioning glances towards Zhang Ao.
Zhang Ao sneered and continued, “It’s true, the old Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land frequently interacted with that Monster Race Great Senior. This old master witnessed him come and go from the Beast Sea Jungle several times. This old master even caught some Monster Beasts and searched their memories to confirm the truth of this matter; this is by no means some unfounded slander!”
Receiving this response, the masters who were still acting somewhat hesitant suddenly became determined.
The hatred between difference races ran very deep so hearing what Nine Heavens Holy Land was guilty of immediately caused these masters a great deal of revulsion. On top of that, Zhang Ao making such a bold claim yet Xu Hui not trying to refute him obviously meant it was true.
In an instant, all the gathered masters outside the Nine Peaks Barrier glared towards Xu Hui and the other Holy Land Elders with hatred.
“Xu Hui, why didn’t you go and ask that Monster Race Great Senior to help your Nine Heavens Holy Land?” Zhang Ao stared down at Xu Hui triumphantly, his voice laced with sarcasm, “That Monster Race Great Senior has the strength of a Peak Third Order Saint, as long as he makes a move, we would have no choice but to retreat. Your old Holy Master was good friends with him, wasn’t he? Could it be those Monster Race bastards believe that after death, nothing remains (not ties or soul to reincarnate)?”
Xu Hui’s face went from red to white, obviously completely enraged but unable to argue back, his blood boiling up.
“Saying anything more is useless,” Yang Kai suddenly said, “You don’t need to waste your breath, the more you speak, the more disadvantageous it will be for the Holy Land. After all, the incident with Saintess Nan is indeed the responsibility of the Holy Land.”
“En,” Xu Hui nodded low spiritedly.
In front of everyone’s eyes , Yang Kai took a step forward and stood in front of o Xu Hui and the other Holy Land Elders.
Thousands of pairs of eyes fixed on Yang Kai, most of them revealing looks of confusion, not knowing what this young man was thinking standing up at this time.
In fact, when the representatives of Nine Heavens Holy Land first appeared, many people had eyed Yang Kai suspiciously.
Xu Hui and the other Saint Realm masters from Nine Heavens Holy Land appearing was a matter of course and An Ling’er was a Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land, but only Yang Kai was unfamiliar to them, this youth’s origins and identity a complete mystery to them.
Such a young man standing side by side with Xu Hui and the other Holy Land Elders was more than just strange, and from what they could see, Xu Hui was actually quite polite and respectful towards this youth.
Even Zhang Ao was a bit confused and even after pouring over his memory he couldn’t recall a young man like Yang Kai holding any sort of position of importance in Nine Heavens Holy Land.
“Guests,” Yang Kai called out, “The incident regarding Saintess Nan is truly the responsibility of the Holy Land, but Holy Land is also helpless to do anything about it now. Saintess Nan is already dead, now she is just a walking corpse, so the Holy Land cannot order her to do anything. Moreover, she also holds great killing intent towards the Holy Land; I believe many of you know that Saintess Nan attacked the Holy Land a few days ago. En, the Holy Land, just like all of you, has suffered losses at Saintess Nan’s hands, and we too wish we could swiftly deal with her, so I will ask you here to give the Holy Land some time to allow Great Elder to provide a satisfactory answer to all of you and remove the scourge of Saintess Nan.”
Hearing Yang Kai’s words, the masters who had been persuaded by the three Sects to crusade again Nine Heavens Hold Land frowned deeply.
None of them were fools and each was capable of making rational judgements. Looking back now, they found that Yang Kai’s words had some truth to them. When they had encountered Saintess Nan, not only had they not felt any vitality from her, but they had also sensed a touch of Death Qi instead.
Moreover, these past two years, Saintess Nan, regardless of who it was or where they were, would directly try to kill them, as if the only thing remain in her heart was killing intent, but before that, all of them had only heard that the old Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land was a good person with a kind heart.
The difference between the two and the way her personality suddenly changed was just too drastic.
Also, several days ago, Saintess Nan attacking Nine Heavens Holy Land was a fact.
Some of the gathered masters were shaken by Yang Kai’s words; in the end, they weren’t eager to become enemies with Nine Heavens Holy Land.
“Boy, stop speaking nonsense!” Zhang Ao glared at Yang Kai, “You say that Saintess Nan is already dead? How can a dead person go around killing people? Do you think we’re all fools you can deceive with such an obvious lie?”
“That’s right, if she was really dead, how could she have done all that?”
“Then I ask you, why would the Holy Land want this to happen? Allowing Saintess Nan to go on a wanton slaughter, what advantage does that bring to the Holy Land?” Yang Kai asked.
Zhang Ao opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t think of anything to say.
Most of the forces here had come because they had suffered losses at Saintess Nan’s hands and wanted the Holy Land to give them justice. In truth, the only ones who really wanted to eliminate Nine Heavens Holy Land were the three forces led by Zhang Ao, and they were simply taking advantage of this opportunity to act.
“Boy, enough of your rubbish! What thing are you? You think you have the qualifications to speak with this old master,” Zhang Ao disdainfully snorted, “The only one here who is qualified to speak with this old master is Xu Hui. Xu Hui, have you gone senile in your old age? Actually allowing a snot nosed brat to speak for you, truly laughable!”
“I’m not qualified to speak with you?” Yang Kai grinned, “Sorry, I think I’m the most qualified to speak here.”
Zhang Ao frowned, not understanding what Yang Kai was talking about.
“I am the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land. Do you still want to say I lack the qualifications to speak to you?” Yang Kai said calmly as he looked down on Zhang Ao.
When this statement came out, everyone stared dumbfounded towards Yang Kai.
Even Xu Hui and the other Holy Land Elders wore looks of shock, but soon their eyes lit up as they gazed towards Yang Kai’s back, each of them silently shouting joyfully in their hearts.
He acknowledged it! He personally acknowledged it!
Yang Kai had actually acknowledged that he was the new Holy Master of the Holy Land in front of these thousands of people.
Xu Hui even felt the urge to throw his head back and laugh. During the past year, he had constantly been working hard to make Yang Kai feel a sense of belonging to Nine Heavens Holy Land, but Yang Kai had never relented, and although Xu Hui felt Yang Kai’s attitude had changed a bit after returning from the Monster Domain, until now everything had still just been fleeting.
But after declaring himself the new Holy Master in front of so many people, even if he wanted to change his mind in the future it wouldn’t be possible.
At this moment, all the masters from the Holy Land, including Xu Hui, felt a great weight lift from their hearts. The sense of relief that filled their souls made even the difficulties in front of them seem insignificant.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong, the two beautiful women, suddenly appeared even more radiant and spirited.
Vaguely, they seemed to see a great pillar which supported the Holy Land stand back up again, supporting the nine peaks.
“The new Holy Master?” Zhang Ao’s complexion suddenly became somewhat pale as he stared at Yang Kai in disbelief; War Temple’s Cao Guan also wore a frown as a cold light flashed across his eyes.
Wu Jie of Netherworld Sect simply grinned and let out a somewhat creepy laugh as he whispered to himself, “Interesting, we thought they were a bamboo basket incapable of carrying water… yet they already have a new Holy Master.”
These three forces had brought together and misled a great many masters not just to destroy Nine Heavens Holy Land but to occupy the foundation of the Holy Land, and what they most valued was the core inheritance of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Who wouldn’t covet an inheritance which guaranteed a person could easily break through to the Third Order Saint Realm?
As long as they could overwhelm Nine Heavens Holy Land, capture An Ling’er, and join her to one of their Sects’ elite disciples, they would only need to spend some years to cultivate a top level powerhouse. At that time, their forces would be completely reborn and become existences no less powerful than Nine Heavens Holy Land.
So when they heard Yang Kai say this, whether it was Zhang Ao or Cao Guan, both of them couldn’t help feeling frustrated and angry, as if the treasure they had coveted had actually been snatched right from under their noses.
“Xu Hui, what he said… is it true?” Zhang Ao asked, his expression becoming gloomy.
Xu Hui took a step forward and with a solemn expression declared, “Yes, for more than half a year, my Holy Land has had a new Holy Master, but as these days have been quite busy, we had yet to make a public announcement. However, there is no need to hide this fact any longer.”
Listening to him, Zhang Ao felt a little disheartened.
It was no impossible for him to accomplish his biggest goal here. Even if he could lay claim to Nine Heavens Holy Land, he wouldn’t be able to acquire this mysterious inheritance.
Cao Guan saw his partner’s interest begin to fade and quickly passed a Divine Sense message to him, causing Zhang Ao’s look to brighten and his eyes to heat up as he snickered and stared towards Yang Kai.
Obviously he had found a new goal; as long as he can capture both Yang Kai and An Ling’er, this mysterious inheritance would fall into the palm of his hand.
Many people among the crowd were now whispering to each other, the young men all staring enviously towards Yang Kai because they knew becoming the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land was the same as reaching the Heavens in a single leap. No matter what he used to be, or how terrible his aptitude was, he would definitely stand among the clouds in the future, overlooking the entire world.
This envy gradually transformed into anger as the gazes they directed towards Yang Kai became filled with hatred, as if they thought it was only alright for such good fortune to fall upon them rather than this brat from who knows where take advantage of it.
A few kilometers back from the front lines of this gathering of forces, two young women were staring at Yang Kai fixedly, one of them filled with doubt and curiosity, the other actually breathing somewhat rapidly as a faint trace of excitement filled her chest.
“Hey, Yun Xuan, is it just me or does this new Holy Master of the Nine Heavens Holy Land look like a certain person we once knew?” Ruan Xin Yu of Bold Independent Union whispered to Yun Xuan subtly, “See, doesn’t he look quite similar?”
“He does resemble him, but that can’t be right?” Yun Xuan bit her lip gently, “Back then, he should have died…”
“Who saw him die?” Ruan Xin Yu frowned, “We only saw him being taken away.”
“But… if he didn’t die, why didn’t he contact me after all this time?” Yun Xuan couldn’t help feeling somewhat lost, in her mind the figure of a young man she greatly missed surfacing and slowly overlapping with this new Holy Master in front of her, the two images almost exactly the same.
Her heart clenched as she began to shiver, could it really be him?
With a few kilometers separating them, Yun Xuan couldn’t see this new Holy Master clearly, so she wasn’t completely sure.
Ruan Xin Yu on the other hand just coldly snorted and said, “That little brat is surely just a careless womanizer. After playing with you, he abandoned you without a second thought, why would he come back to find you?”
“Don’t talk so loudly!” Yun Xuan hurriedly hushed her, glancing over nervous at the two middle-aged men standing nearby, lowering her voice and whispering, “Don’t let my father hear you, he still doesn’t know…”
Ruan Xin Yu curled her lips, “I think that person is absolutely him. How can there be two people so similar under the sun? Unless it’s his twin! He didn’t care one bit about you, yet you still want to defend him?”
“I’m not trying to defend him…” Yun Xuan glanced over at Yang Kai again, but the more she stared at him, the harder it became for her to peel her eyes away.
Whether it was his figure, his sound, or his demeanor, everything matched perfectly with the images in her memory, causing her heart to suddenly fill with a complicated mix of hope, sorrow, joy, and grief.
“Do you at least dare to come with me and confirm whether or not it’s him?” Ruan Xin Yu immediately felt a sense of indignation for her friend and proposed, “If we get a closer look, you should be able to tell, right?”
“Now?”
“Of course now!” Saying so, Ruan Xin Yu couldn’t help grabbing hold of Yun Xuan’s arm and dragging her forward.
“Xuan’er…” Yun Cheng, the Union Master of Bold Independent Union, called out suddenly, “What are you going to do?”
“Union Master, we’re just going to get a closer look at the excitement. We’ll be back soon,” Ruan Xin Yu answered before quickly flying off.
Yun Cheng shook his head before glancing over at middle-aged man standing next to him and asking, “Ji Yan, you’ve been staring at that so called new Holy Master with a thoughtful expression for a while now, did you notice something?”
Hearing this, Ji Yan quickly replied, “Union Master, do you still remember the major incident I reported to you a few years ago?”
“Several years ago?”
“The year when my Raging Flame City was destroyed, it was also the year when Union Master and the Young Lady finally made amends,” Ji Yan said.
“You mean that matter, of course I remember,” Yun Cheng gently nodded. A city under Bold Independent Union’s control was destroyed, causing them to suffer heavy losses, it was only natural that Yun Cheng but what made Yun Cheng would recall such an event; the only silver lining of that tragedy was that the daughter who had stubbornly refused to talk to him had finally returned home afterwards.
Ji Yan was Raging Flame City’s City Lord at the time and had accompanied Yun Xuan back to Bold Independent City to report on this event.
“Why bring that up now?” Yun Cheng asked, quite confused.
Ji Yan stared at Yang Kai for a moment before drawing a deep breath and whispering, “Union Master, if I am not mistaken, that new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land was the young man who was taken away by the Coffin Carrying Man.”
“What?” Yun Cheng’s expression changed greatly, “Are you certain?”
Ji Yan nodded firmly, “Absolutely. Because he came to Raging Flame City with the Young Lady, my impression of him is quite clear. I think the Young Lady should have also noticed something and thus decided to get closer to make sure.”
“Didn’t you say he died?” Yun Cheng suddenly realized the seriousness of the matter. This was related to the mysterious Coffin Carrying Man, if news of this spread out, it would likely shake the world.
The Coffin Carrying Man had existed for countless years, and everyone wanted to unravel the secrets surrounding him, but no one had ever succeeded as they no one had ever discovered his hiding place.
If this new Holy Master was really the one who was caught in the past, he must know more about the Coffin Carrying Man’s secrets than anyone else in history, even where he was currently hiding.
“We all thought he was dead, but now it seems he’s not only alive, he has also been blessed with a great opportunity and succeeded the position of Nine Heavens Holy Land Holy Master.”
Yun Cheng’s face twitched unconsciously, feeling somewhat bitter in his heart.
Because this new Holy Master was quite possibly once a disciple of his Bold Independent Union.
“However… how could his strength have increased so fast?” Ji Yan was dumbstruck, “When I last saw him, he was only an Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage junior, but now, only four or five years later, he’s already become a Second Order Transcendent, the same as me. How did he do it? Young Lady having a liking for him wasn’t without cause it seems.”
“You said Xuan’er… she…” Yun Cheng heard these words and frowned pensively, “Had a special relationship with him?”
Ji Yan laughed somewhat dryly and replied, “En, according to my observation at the time anyways, but because we all thought that he was dead I did not report this matter to Union Master. I ask Union Master to punish me appropriately.”
Yun Cheng slowly shook his head, “No matter, Xuan’er is also a young woman, and naturally she will have someone she likes… No wonder when she returned to Bold Independent City she was depressed for a while, I thought she hadn’t completely put down the previous matter about her brother and thus was trying to avoid me still, but it appears that wasn’t the case. According to your observation, what was this youth’s attitude towards Xuan’er?”
Ji Yan respectfully replied, “He didn’t reveal too much concern for her, but young people… heh.”
“Oh?” Yun Cheng smiled, “If that’s the case, if Nine Heavens Holy Land doesn’t fall this time, it seems my Bold Independent Union might have a good opportunity!”
“What does Union Master mean?” Ji Yan heard this and immediately knew what to say, having some idea about what Yun Cheng was thinking.
“Let’s just observe for now, perhaps they won’t be able to withstand this calamity, but if they can…. En, we must act careful this time, make a show of things but don’t get caught up in the storm.”
“Union Master is wise!”
Elsewhere, another person was also staring towards Yang Kai with great interest, and when he determined that Yang Kai was indeed the young man taken by the Coffin Carrying Man back in Raging Flame City, he couldn’t help smiling fiercely and quickly flying forward.
A short time later, this man came up to War Spirit Temple’s Cao Guan.
“Temple Lord, subordinate has something to report!”
Cao Guan, who was staring at Yang Kai with a gloomy expression, impatiently replied, “Tell me later.”
“Temple Lord, this matter is related to that new Holy Master!”
Cao Guan turned his head and looked at him before nodding lightly, “Yao Di… what do you want to say?”
The man named Yao Di quickly rushed over and whispered something into Cao Guan’s ear.
If Yang Kai saw this man, he would likely remember his appearance.
When Yang Kai had encountered the Coffin Carrying Man in Raging Flame City, this person was also present.
At the time, Yao Di had appeared together with Xu Qi of Bright Thunder Spirit Religion and Zuo Xing of Profound Heaven Alliance. These three had specifically pointed out to him by Yun Xuan as characters to beware of.
Back then, these three masters had been following the Coffin Carrying Man and had eventually arrived at Raging Flame City.
Later, Yang Kai was taken away by the Coffin Carrying Man and sent into the Mysterious Small World where the Ancient Demon Clan lived. When he came out, he went to Grand Boulder City and then to Bright Thunder Spirit Religion under the recommendation of Grand Boulder City Alchemist Guild Branch Manager Du Wan. Xu Qi lost his life as a result of this series of events.
Listening to Yao Di’s story, Cao Guan’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, eventually asking in a shocked voice, “Is that true?”
Yao Di quickly nodded, “Subordinate clearly remembers his appearance!”
“This has become really interesting,” Cao Guan snickered, “It seems that this time we can reap twice the harvest we expected. After grabbing him, not only will be able to obtain the inheritance of Nine Heavens Holy Land, but also solve the mystery of the Coffin Carrying Man… “
His spirits roused, Cao Guan whispered quietly, “Who else besides you knows about this?”
Yao Di frowned and pondered for a moment before replying, “That Ji Yan of Bold Independent Union should also recognize him; after all, he was there when the incident happened!”
“Bold Independent Union… hmph, nothing to fear, keep an eye on them, if they dare leak this news, I’ll tidy them up personally,” Cao Guan spat disdainfully.
Yao Di nodded quickly before casting a glance over towards the delegation from Bold Independent Union.
The most powerful master in Bold Independent Union was Yun Cheng, a Third Order Transcendent, there wasn’t a single Saint Realm master in their force. Such a force was naturally despised by Cao Guan.
In Tong Xuan Realm, only the forces that had Saint Realm masters could be considered powerful.
Inside the Nine Peaks Barrier, Xu Hui spoke sincerely, “I believe everyone is now clear about Saintess Nan’s current condition. Her actions were not the will of my Holy Land, if all of you can draw back and not embarrass my Holy Land further, my Holy Land will surely compensate you for the losses you suffered. If you insist on being enemies with my Holy Land, then I’m afraid we can only settle this with force.”
“Compensation? You think human lives can simply be compensated for?” Zhang Ao saw many people showing signs of hesitation because of the emergence of this new Holy Master and immediately roared, “Xu Hui, are you seriously going senile? Who doesn’t know that since ancient times, paying for murder with one’s life is the only true compensation?”
“Zhang Ao, don’t go too far!” Xu Hui shot back angrily.
However, Zhang Ao simply became even more rampant as he let out a loud laugh, “I’m going too far? Clearly it is your Nine Heavens Holy Land that is going too far! Actually thinking you can just bully us, kill our loved ones, then throw a few Crystal Stones at us and expected us to happily accept! We’re not here for money, we’re here to seek justice!”
“Have I not just offered you justice? Why do you insist on acting so aggressive?”
“You’ve offered us justice? When? Where?”
“Just now! This old master pledged that we will deal with Saintess Nan and offer compensation for the damage she caused to your forces! Zhang Ao, do you think this old master can’t see through your scheme? You still insisting on resolving this matter with force is just you trying to mislead everyone into becoming enemies of my Holy Land!”
Having been so bluntly exposed in front of everyone by Xu Hui, Zhang Ao’s brow twitched ever so slightly before he sneered and suddenly nodded, “Good, I believe the words you spoke earlier, but you must know that verbal agreements aren’t guarantees, even if I am willing to believe you, others may not be! Before you fulfill your promise, I think you should offer us some kind of insurance. ”
“What kind of insurance do you want?” Xu Hui frowned.
Zhang Ao’s gaze slowly shifted towards Yang Kai and An Ling’er, letting out a laugh as said, “Please allow your new Holy Master and Saintess to stay in my Shattering Mystical Palace for a while. Before you solve the problem of the previous generation’s Saintess, we will take care of them.”
Hearing this, Cao Guan quickly followed up, “Yes, Brother Zhang’s proposal is good, my War Spirit Temple also agrees. Great Elder can rest assured, the new Holy Master and Her Highness Saintess will be treated appropriately, absolutely no harm will come to them.”
Wu Jie, who was standing to the side like a shadow, surprisingly did not express his opinion, simply letting out a creepy laugh.
“In your dreams!” Xu Hui shouted furiously, the new Holy Master was indeed young, but he was the symbol of the Holy Land, if he fell into the hands of another force and was used as a hostage, not only would he become a laughing stock, even Nine Heavens Holy Land would be forever disgraced. On top of that, what Zhang Ao’s was plotting, Xu Hui knew clearly; naturally there was no way he would agree to this ridiculous request.
“Then there’s no need for any more nonsense,” Zhang Ao’s eyes flashed a cruel light, raising his voice as he shouted, “Today, we shall trample flat your Nine Heavens Holy Land to avenge our dead family!”
With this war cry, many others behind Zhang Ao also became excited, caught up in the atmosphere.
“There’s indeed no need for any nonsense!” Yang Kai gently took a breath and shouted, “The time for words is over, those friends gathered here today who intend to reconcile, the Holy Land will naturally reconcile with, those who do not, we will treat as enemies!”
As he spoke, Yang Kai’s eyes swept over the crowd before him.
Suddenly, an astonished light flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes as he gazed towards a certain inconspicuous spot in the crowd. On the other side of his gaze stood two young women who were staring back at him, one of them was gnashing her teeth and muttering what seemed like a series of curses while the other was just staring at him blankly, her beautiful eyes trembling slightly.
Yun Xuan and Ruan Xin Yu!
Yang Kai recognized them at a glance.
Although a few years had passed, their appearances hadn’t changed much. Yun Xuan seemed to have a slightly more mature air to her while Ruan Xin Yu was still the same as Yang Kai remembered.
The only big change was the relationship between the two of them. They used to be very uncomfortable in each other’s presence, but now they looked as close as sisters.
When their four eyes suddenly met, Yun Xuan shivered, instantly realizing that the young man in front of her was definitely the one she constantly saw in her dreams. In that moment, her expression became disordered and although she quickly concealed this face, it had not escaped observation.
“See? I told you it was him,” Ruan Xin Yu ground her teeth as she bitterly muttered, “This unfaithful bastards is really living well.”
Yun Xuan’s mind was in a state of confusion and didn’t know what she should do. If it weren’t for the current situation, she would definitely have flown over, grabbed hold of him, and asked why he hadn’t contacted her all these years if he was still alive.
But now wasn’t the time for such things, under these circumstances, she didn’t dare to expose her feelings.
Seeing Ruan Xin Yu open her mouth in preparation to shout, Yun Xuan quickly grabbed her arm, “It’s not him, though they are quite similar…”
Saying so, she turned around and flew away.
Recognizing and making contact with each other wouldn’t bring any advantage to either of them, so Yun Xuan immediately decided to leave and pretend she hadn’t seen anything.
“Hey…” Ruan Xin Yu hesitated for a moment before hurriedly chasing after Yun Xuan, angrily whispering, “What are you saying? It’s clearly him! Even if that brat turned into ashes I’d recognize him!”
“I said it’s not, so it’s not him!” Yun Xuan replied impatiently.
“Fine fine fine, if that’s the way you want to handle this, so be it. Far be it for me to meddle in other people’s business,” Ruan Xin Yu grumbled unhappily.
Looking at the quickly retreating backs of the two young women, Yang Kai quickly composed himself. Although he wasn’t certain why Bold Independent Union was involved in this incident, Yang Kai was fairly sure it was because of Saintess Nan.
“Boy, you’re really quite pitiful!” Zhang Ao stared at Yang Kai coldly, “You may be the shortest reigning Holy Master in the history of Nine Heavens Holy Land history. Although you Holy Masters have never lived long, you will definitely break the record today.”
“Is that so?” Yang Kai sneered lightly, “I’d like to see how you plan on taking my life today!”
Even in this hopeless situation, Yang Kai didn’t show the slightest sign of panic or fear; on the contrary, he seemed so calm and carefree that many were unable to unable to accept it.
In the next instant, from Yang Kai’s body, a burst of burning hot True Qi shot out, quickly leaving the Nine Peaks Barrier and transforming into a several meter long golden sword.
It was one of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, the Profound Heavenly Sword.
Simultaneously, from one of the nine peaks, a massive amount of mysterious energy erupted, like a great beast that had awakened from its slumber, releasing a terrifying aura.
This aura and energy instantly flowed through the Nine Peaks Spirit Array and merged together with the Profound Heavenly Sword Yang Kai had just released.
In the blink of an eye, the several meter long Profound Heavenly Sword grew to over a hundred meters in length, cutting through the air, carrying with it an awe-inspiring power as he slashed towards Zhang Ao.
*Chi chi chi…*
It was the very space around it was being sliced apart, a shocking destructive aura descended. This Profound Heavenly Sword fell towards the crowd like a great mountain, causing many to give up any idea of resisting, their expressions filling with fear.
When this Profound Heavenly Sword first appeared, Zhang Ao didn’t pay it any mind; after all, Yang Kai’s cultivation wasn’t high and it was displayed across the Nine Peaks Barrier, there was no way it could threaten a Second Order Saint like him.
But when it inexplicably swelled up, even Zhang Ao felt a hint of danger from it.
In an instant, the power of this Profound Heavenly Sword has increased several fold.
Zhang Ao couldn’t ignore it.
With a loud shout, Zhang Ao counterattacked.
*Hong…*
When the giant sword struck, a golden light bursts out, blinding everyone around. Even with his profound strength, Zhang Ao was almost knocked out of the sky by this sword strike.
Beside him, many of the Shattering Mystical Palace’s cultivators, who had been swept up in this golden light, didn’t even have a chance to shout before they were disintegrated, leaving not even ashes behind, as if they had simply vanished.
Seeing this, everyone went pale.
No one had thought that this new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land who had just been speaking about reconciliation would suddenly turn around and launch a killing blow in the next instant.
Cold, ruthless, and without the slightest hesitation.
This new Holy Master’s face changed faster than flipping a book.
A roar of cursing erupted from the Shattering Mystical Palace’s camp, as the survivors of this attack saw their friends and family slaughtered, their eyes going bloodshot and rage filling their hearts as they glared towards Yang Kai.
The cultivators from War Spirit Temple and Netherworld Sect hastily withdrew upon feeling the terrifying power contained within that sword strike. Seeing the destruction caused by this sword, all of them couldn’t help shuddering as they hurriedly looked for shelter.
The grand formation outside the Nine Peaks Barrier suddenly became messy.
Everyone felt the earth beneath them shake and the masters who had been misled by the three Sects into joining this crusade swiftly retreated. Yang Kai’s attack had been directed entirely at Zhang Ao, so it had not affected them much.
At this moment, they all suddenly had second thoughts, unsure whether or not they should continue antagonizing Nine Heavens Holy Land.
The law of the jungle was the one unchanging truth from the ancient past to the present. Nine Heavens Holy Land’s previous generation Saintess had indeed carried out a merciless slaughter, stirring up a great deal of anger and resentment, but if the people from Nine Heavens Holy Land were telling the truth, it really had nothing to do with them; they had even publicly offered to compensate the victims of this tragedy.
The courage to recognize responsibility for this matter alone was worthy of respect. There were few forces in this world like Nine Heavens Holy Land who would admit to such mistakes. If it was another great force, they would likely pretend they were uninvolved and simply order the victims to go back to where they came from.
Many of the forces gathered here felt that if they withdrew now, not only would they be able to avoid suffering any more losses, they could even receive some compensation from Nine Heavens Holy Land. There was even a possibility of building some small friendship with Nine Heavens Holy Land under these circumstances.
In an instant, many people became hesitant.
Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, Wu Jie, and the other masters from the three Sects all stood dumbly in place; that one strike from Yang Kai had simply left them flabbergasted.
None of them could have ever imagined that Yang Kai, who was only a Second Order Transcendent, could release such a strong attack.
That sword strike just now was comparable to the full powered attack of a Peak First Order Saint, and although Zhang Ao had managed to resist it, his arms were now numb and his vitality was disturbed, causing his face to flush; obviously he had not escaped unscathed.
Even as Saint Realm powerhouses, facing such power, they felt that their lives were at risk, causing them to shudder involuntarily.
Yang Kai, who had just displayed the Profound Heavenly Sword, grinned towards Zhang Ao and slowly extended one of his palms.
Above where the Shattering Mystical Palace cultivators were gathered, World Energy suddenly began condensing and becoming heavier. A storm whipped up and in an instant, a grand palm print appeared.
Another of the nine spirit peaks suddenly released a torrent of profound energy just like before, and under the blessing of this power, the big palm print suddenly became many times larger and more powerful, now seemingly covering the entire sky, blocking out all traces of light.
Heaven Covering Hand, one hand covers the Heavens!
Zhang Ao finally came back to his senses and together with the other Saint Realm master of the Shattering Mystical Palace summoned their most powerful artifacts and released powerful attacks towards this giant hand.
*Xiu Xiu…*
Two flashes of light, like bolts of lightning, shot towards the sky, piercing two large holes in it. In an instant, the giant palm print distorted and its momentum greatly reduced, but it had not dispersed entirely.
*Hong…*
The earth shook violently once more and outside the Nine Peaks Barrier, a thousand meter long palm print appeared on the ground.
Several dozen Shattering Mystical Palace cultivators had failed to avoid this strike and had now been reduced to piles of meat, their deaths extremely miserable, a thick bloody scent filling the air.
“Ruthless!” A few kilometers away, Yun Cheng’s eyes shrank as he called out in alarm.
“Such power!” Ji Yan, who was standing next to him, felt a cold chill run up his spine. Although he felt that Yang Kai’s cultivation was now comparable to his own, the two attacks just how were not something cultivators of their level could produce.
Ji Yan thought to himself that if he had been standing over there a moment ago, even if he didn’t die from that attack, he would be seriously injured.
“By drawing support from the Nine Peaks Spirit Array, he can enhance the power of his own attacks several times,” Yun Cheng saw through this mystery at a glance. Although Yang Kai had only attacked twice, each time he did, one of the nine peaks had sent out a powerful burst of energy; this subtle connection was obviously not missed by him. Gently sighing, Yun Cheng spoke in a dispirited tone, “It seems my Bold Independent Union isn’t qualified to swim in these turbulent waters.”
Although Bold Independent Union had many disciples, they had few top level masters. On top of that, they didn’t have a single Saint Realm master. Facing this kind of fierce struggle, Yun Cheng couldn’t help feeling a sense of frustration as well as a burning desire for strength. .
“What are you all standing around for, quickly break this barrier!” Seeing so many of his Sect’s disciples killed and wounded right before his eyes, Zhang Ao bristled with anger.
Upon hearing Zhang Ao’s roar, the Shattering Mystical Palace’s masters all suddenly awoke from their daze, quickly summoned their artifacts, and struck towards the Nine Peaks Barrier.
Cao Guan of War Spirit Temple also came to his senses, hurriedly put aside his fear and shock and quickly taking action to deal with this disaster.
Yang Kai on the other hand let out a wild laughter as he stood at the edge of the barrier and continued to unceasingly release his Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
One spirit peak after another erupted, connecting with Yang Kai and enhancing the power of his killing strikes a dozen times over.
He was indulging in what he had obtained!
Yang Kai had never wielded such awesome strength so freely, he could clearly sense just how terrifying the power of each of his attacks was after they were boosted by the Nine Peaks Spirit Array.
Each strike he made was almost comparable to Second Order Saint’s attack.
Having already torn all face, Yang Kai no longer held back and simply attacked without holding anything back.
After the Profound Heavenly Sword and Heaven Covering Hand, Yang Kai displayed the Punishing Heaven Spear, Capturing Heaven Net, and Imprisoning Heaven Chain in short order.
Yang Kai also used the Grand Heavenly Shield, using several drops of Yang Liquid to condense it and directly placing it outside the Nine Peaks Barrier. After being enhanced by the Nine Peaks Spirit Array, this massive golden shield became like a second barrier, standing firm no matter how the masters outside bombarded it.
Fighting against all the cultivators of Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple, Yang Kai not only didn’t show the slightest fear, but instead seemed to be enjoying himself.
Xu Hui and the other Hold Land Elders all stared at him in shock.
Originally, they were also a little uneasy in their hearts, wondering if they would be able to overcome this crisis, but witnessing such an outstanding performance from this new Holy Master of theirs allowed them to put down the huge stone which had weighed upon their hearts. Standing behind Yang Kai, it was like they were simply there to watch a good show, neither taking action nor saying a word, simply standing there like faithful bodyguards, even seeming somewhat bored.
Zhang Ao cursed unceasingly, apparently having become truly enraged. At some point, he threw out a large scroll-like artifact which was filled with drawings of many different exotic beasts and released a strong five coloured glow.
Pouring his True Qi into it, the scroll unfurled and expanded greatly before pasting itself onto the Nine Heavens Barrier.
The beasts which were painted onto this scroll seemed to come alive in that instant and leapt off the paper, passing through the barrier without the slightest resistance and rushing towards Yang Kai.
At the same time, Cao Guan of War Spirit Temple also summoned a long sword which transformed into a great beam of light and, following the pattern of the scroll’s beasts, broke through the Nine Peaks Barrier and stabbed towards Yang Kai’s forehead, bringing with it an aura of death.
The masters from these two forces and some other powerhouses who had been infected with the war-like atmosphere also shouted angrily and pushed their True Qi violently, sending out their fiercest attacks towards Yang Kai.
These many masters had all joined forces in this instant to try to eliminate Yang Kai in one fell swoop.
In their minds, at this moment, Yang Kai was undoubtedly their most dangerous enemy, but as long as they could kill him, they would be able to break through this barrier and destroy Nine Heavens Holy Land.
The Nine Peaks Barrier and Spirit Array were all linked to this new Holy Master. As such, if this new Holy Master were to have an accident, Xu Hui and the other Holy Land Elders would no longer be able to resist.
In fact, they were mostly correct; without Yang Kai, Nine Heavens Holy Land wouldn’t last long.
These strange beasts all let out Heaven shaking roars and each of their attacks was not to be underestimated, showing prestige comparable to that of Saint Realm and Transcendent Realm masters.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid and didn’t even show any intention of dodging.
Xu Hui and the other Saint Realm masters who had been standing behind him moved in that instant, pushing their True Qi rapidly as they surrounded Yang Kai and struck towards the sea of attacks converging towards him.
A massive number of explosions filled the air and innumerable burst of multi-coloured light spread out around Yang Kai, just like a brilliant fireworks display.
When the light died down and everyone could finally see again, their blood couldn’t help going cold.
Yang Kai stood in the exact same place, completely unscathed, and all the killing strikes which had been launched towards him had been completely defeated and dispersed.
“With just this meager amount of strength, you want to trample flat my Nine Heavens Holy Land? Are you all sleepwalking or just stupid?” Yang Kai sneered as he casually let out a few insults.
The faces of Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and many other attacking masters flashed between red and white, each of them wanting to refute this brat before them but unable to do so, causing them to feel incredibly awkward.
“Boy, don’t think this has anything to do with your ability! Without the support of your Nine Peaks Spirit Array, you’re not worth shit!” Cao Guan shouted angrily, his face filled with unwillingness.
Yang Kai’s true cultivation was completely unworthy of his attention, but this brat hiding behind the Nine Peaks Barrier and using the Nine Peaks Spirit Array to attack them was indeed quite tricky for them to deal with.
The Nine Peaks Barrier and Spirit Array were the culmination of all the previous Holy Masters of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s effort. Each of these previous Holy Masters were all Peak Third Order Saint Realm masters; naturally the Spirit Array they collectively arranged and improved wouldn’t be weak.
In addition to the special methods utilized by a few of the Saint Realm masters such as Zhang Ao and Cao Guan, very few of the attacks from a moment ago had even managed to pierce the Nine Peaks Barrier.
Without first breaking this barrier, there was no way for these invaders to fight with the people of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Realizing this, a deep sense of unwillingness spread across Cao Guan’s face.
Upon hearing Cao Guan’s insult, Yang Kai simply let out a burst of laughter and snapped his fingers, his demeanor calm and carefree.
No one knew what this action meant.
However, in the next instant, Cao Guan heard screams all around him and dozens of his War Spirit Temple’s elites, including two or three Transcendent Realm masters, fell from the sky, writhed in pain for a moment, and then died.
A huge panic instantly spread and everyone couldn’t help putting some distance between Cao Guan and themselves.
Even Cao Guan himself couldn’t help himself from shivering.
No one knew what method Yang Kai had just used to silently kill several dozen War Spirit Temple cultivators, making it all the more frightening.
None of them saw Yang Kai use any kind of Martial Skill, artifact, or Soul Skill; he only seemed to snap his fingers and suddenly dozens of people had died.
This unfathomable occurrence brought about a huge panic, everyone fearing they would be the next one to suffer this invisible attack.
“Whether or not I have the qualification to stand here is not for you to judge,” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Yang Kai didn’t want to use his Soul Devouring Insects on the mass here, but he felt that continuing his previous offensive was also somewhat difficult.
Although his own True Qi was abundant, with his connection to the Nine Peaks Spirit Array, Yang Kai understood that the energy required to maintain this level of combat was far too great.
As for his Soul Devouring Insects, they were capable of killing anyone below the Saint Realm, so killing several dozen people was a cinch.
However, Yang Kai didn’t dare release too many of them. These ancient exotic insects were not very obedient and the cultivators gathered outside weren’t all sworn enemies of Nine Heavens Holy Land, if he really slaughtered all of them, it would only create bigger problems for him and the Holy Land.
Not to mention he also saw Yun Xuan and Ruan Xin Yu here.
If either of them were to accidentally becoming involved, it would be bad.
Fear and panic were still spreading outside the barrier though; after several dozen elites from War Spirit Temple died, no one dared to make any rash moves, all of them just staring towards Yang Kai nervously, their eyes flashing a complicated light.
The strength and methods Yang Kai showed had shocked everyone and let them all realize that even if they managed to defeat Nine Heavens Holy Land this time, they would have to pay a heavy price.
“Wu Jie, why didn’t you make a move just now?” Zhang Ao suddenly turned his head and shouted. In the direction he was staring, Wu Jie of Netherworld Sect stood quietly, having not taken action from beginning to end, the green aura around his body still causing everyone to avoid him by far.
Wu Jie laughed lowly as he replied, “I’m just looking for the right opportunity.”
“Have you found one yet?” Zhang Ao asked in a low voice.
Wu Jie slowly shook his head.
“I’ll settle this account with you later!” Zhang Ao coldly snorted, a look of dissatisfaction filling his face. From the beginning, Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple had been fighting full force against Yang Kai, and although there were some hot-headed masters who had joined in, most people had actually been standing back and watching the whole time.
Moreover, Yang Kai’s attack had also been completely focused on his and Cao Guan’s forces, never one involving anyone else.
This made Zhang Ao keenly realize that today, there was no chance of them breaking through Nine Heavens Holy Land’s defences. What’s more, if he continued to linger here with such dismal morale, perhaps Nine Heavens Holy Land would instead launch a counterattack!
That old dog Xu Hui was no pushover, after dealing with him for so many years, Zhang Ao knew this point quite well.
“We’ll withdraw for now and let you live a few more days, but mark this old master’s words, we’ll be back soon enough, I hope next time your luck is also so good,” Zhang Ao spat coldly before waving his hand and leading the remaining Shattering Mystical Palace cultivators away.
“Whoever dares come next time, we will show no mercy,” Yang Kai declared coldly.
“So wild…” Ji Yan, who had been observing the battle from a distance, couldn’t help muttering, “Young and impulsive!”
Yun Cheng, the Union Master of Bold Independent Union, chuckled wryly in response, “Let’s go, there’s nothing for us to do here today, we’ll withdraw first and see what comes next.”
“En,” Ji Yan nodded, quickly keeping up with Yun Cheng’s pace.
Standing at the edge of the barrier, Yang Kai quietly released his Divine Sense and scanned the crowd for a certain individual, sending them a message a moment later.
The young man who was following the crowd to retreat received this message and couldn’t help trembling slightly; however, he quickly composed himself before stealthily sneaking away.
A moment later, everyone had scattered and withdrawn, leaving behind only a pile of bloody corpses.
Seeing this, Yang Kai finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt a trace of exhaustion.
On the other hand, the Holy Land’s Elders and Protectors were in high spirits, as if they had just won a great victory, each of them staring towards Yang Kai with looks of respect and even some traces of worship.
“Holy Master… May I call you so from now on?” Xu Hui asked, carefully observing Yang Kai’s reaction. After discovering that Yang Kai didn’t make any objections, Xu Hui’s last shred of tension relaxed and he smiled broadly, “Sure enough, the new Holy Master is not an average person. In just a few days, actually being able to connect your own Soul to the Nine Peaks Spirit Array, this Xu cannot even begin to express his admiration.”
“En, en…” Yu Ying nodded repeatedly, her beautiful eyes now filled with spirited light, “I had thought that today the Holy Land would have to mount a desperate escape. Never had I expected we could actually push these invaders back so easily.”
“Don’t celebrate yet,” Yang Kai knit his brow, “Today, they greatly underestimated the strength the Holy Land still possessed, causing them to suffer such a big loss, next time things won’t be so easy.”
Listening to Yang Kai’s words, everyone fell silent, Xu Hui eventually saying, “With Holy Master here, and with the assistance of the Nine Peaks Spirit Array, can we not…”
“What kind of ability do you think I possess?” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “You may not be able to tell, but the power stored in the nine spirit peaks is not inexhaustible. After connecting with it directly today, I am certain of this point.”
“Ah? What does Holy Master mean to say?” Xu Hui and the others asked worriedly.
“What I mean to say is at most, I can only use the same power I used today one more time before the mysterious energy contained within the nine peaks is completely drained. When that time comes, I won’t be able to enhance the power of my attacks. Simultaneously, the Nine Peak Spirit Array will shut down and the barrier around the Holy Land will collapse,” Yang Kai explained.
Everyone present suddenly realized the seriousness of the problem.
Today, they could force Zhang Ao to retreat only because of the Nine Peaks Spirit Array and Barrier; without it though, Yang Kai was still just a Second Order Transcendent.
Even with their six Saint Realm masters, how could they possible resist such a large number of enemies?
“However, after this battle, I think at least half of the forces which were gathered by the three Sects will leave; after all, no one wants to become enemies with a powerful force that has the possibility to rise once more,” Yang Kai analyzed.
“If it is half, then it’s half, the rest who still dare to come will really be enemies of my Holy Land.”
“En, next time we won’t hold back,” Yang Kai sneered. For this battle, he had purposefully only attacked the cultivators from War Spirit Temple and Shattering Mystical Palace. As for the cultivators from Netherworld Sect, since none of them had taken the initiative to attack, Yang Kai had ignored them as well.
Yang Kai acted so to send a clear message, those who didn’t treat the Holy Land as an enemy would not be attacked.
After knowing this fact, anyone who still chose to invade the nine peaks could only be judged as a true enemy of the Holy Land.
“How is the arrangement of the disciples?” Yang Kai asked.
“Everything has been arranged!” Xu Hui nodded firmly, but soon became somewhat uneasy as he asked, “Holy Master, even if it is only temporarily, must we really abandon the nine peaks?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded firmly, “I have already reached an agreement with the Monster Race Great Senior, it’s impossible for us to renege on that agreement now… The Holy Land must first draw back. We will let the Monster Race and those invaders take on one another, that way, anyone who dies can only blame the Monster Race. Otherwise, the Holy Land will have too many enemies.”
“Very well,” Xu Hui nodded low-spiritedly.
No matter what it did this time, the Holy Land would not feel any better. If they stood and fought, winning would only lead to the Holy Land forging a great number of enemies. In a time where the Holy Land had both internal and external troubles, it would be very difficult to recover. On the other hand, if they lost, not only would the Holy Land suffer a great number of casualties, they would also lose their home and foundation.
Moreover, given their enemy’s strength and number, the Holy Land losing was far more likely than them winning.
Since that was the case, the best option was to temporarily evacuate, keep a low profile, and leave this mess to the Monster Race to clean up.
The hatred between the races had existed since ancient times, so it didn’t really matter how many people the Monster Race killed, nothing would change.
“Holy Master, I still want to ask, where is this place that can house thousands of the Holy Land’s disciples?” Xu Hui narrowed his eyes as he asked Yang Kai.
“When the time comes, I’ll naturally inform you…” Yang Kai smiled, “Good, you should first inform the disciples to prepare to evacuate. I’ll be going out for a moment.”
“Go out, at a time like this?” Xu Hui heard this and couldn’t help wondering what Yang Kai was thinking, quickly proposing, “If Holy Master wishes to go out, at least allow Elder Yu Ying to accompany you.”
“No, the enemy has withdrawn temporarily and won’t be back for some time. I’m only going out to see someone quickly, there won’t be any danger,” Saying so, Yang Kai’s figure flickered and disappeared from everyone’s sight. Even when the various Elders tried to use their Divine Senses to find him, they couldn’t.
Flickering Heavenly Shadow! The only movement skill among the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
Xu Hui and the other Elders all exchanged stunned looks before shaking their heads wryly, wondering just who Yang Kai was going out to see at this critical time.
A dozen or so kilometers away, the many forces and cultivators who had come to crusade against Nine Heavens Holy Land had gathered together, many of them wearing gloomy and worried expressions.
Many people were currently debating whether or not they should continue trying to fish in these turbid waters.
In order to face Nine Heavens Holy Land, this once colossal monster, they had to gather so many forces together in order to barely stand a chance. However, if they were to fail in this endeavour and allow Nine Heavens Holy Land to survive, what would be waiting for them would definitely be ruthless retaliation.
How could any of these individual forces withstand this kind of revenge? The most likely result would be them collapsing at the first blow.
Zhang Ao and Cao Guan were particularly unhappy.
Inside a large tent, the two of them, along with Wu Jie, sat around a table. Currently, Zhang Ao and Cao Guan were berating Wu Jie for his actions, or rather lack thereof, today. Wu Jie just standing by and watching the show had caused the two of them to lose a great deal of face.
Wu Jie however didn’t pay them much mind, simply sitting there smirking, further fueling Zhang Ao and Cao Guan’s anger.
After letting them vent their frustrations for a while, Wu Jie said, “Do you two think that if this Wu had taken action the situation could have been saved? I’m sure you both saw, even if this Wu joined in the attack, nothing would have changed.”
“At the very least, we wouldn’t have been so badly embarrassed!” Zhang Ao shouted, “Even with so many masters on our side, we were actually shamed by a snot nosed brat and forced to retreat!”
Saying so, he pounded his fist on the arm of his chair, pulverising it into dust.
“That little brat, I want him dead!” Cao Guan also chimed in, his eyes somewhat bloodshot.
Only after cursing a few more times did the mood inside the tent gradually calm down.
Cao Guan let out a long sigh, “In the end, we’re just a collection of loose sand. If those forces could unite together like Brother Zhang and I, what would we need to fear about attacking Nine Heavens Holy Land?”
“Indeed,” Zhang Ao nodded. Today it had essentially been the cultivators of Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple battling against Yang Kai, everyone else had simply been standing on the sidelines watching the show. If everyone had worked together though, it might have been possible for them to break the Nine Peaks Barrier.
“Palace Master, Palace Master…” Suddenly, a cry came from outside the tent and a disciple of Shattering Mystical Palace rushed inside.
“What is it?” Zhang Ao asked unhappily, immediately feeling disgruntled about one of his own subordinates not understanding proper etiquette.
The disciple showed an awkward expression upon being scolded but still quickly said, “Palace Master, a number of small forces are preparing to leave.”
“Leave?” Zhang Ao’s eyes narrowed and a cold light flashed across their depths.
“En, they said they didn’t want to become enemies with Nine Heavens Holy Land, so they intend to withdraw.”
“Nonsense!” Cao Guan stood up and shouted, “No one may leave!”
At this critical moment, if anyone were to leave, it would have a devastating effect on morale and it would not be long before others started withdrawing as well.
“It appears there’s a need to have a good talk with those who wish to leave,” Zhang Ao muttered coldly, glancing over at Cao Guan and Wu Jie, “What about you two?”
“I was thinking so too!” Cao Guan nodded firmly.
Wu Jie also shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
With the three of them reaching a consensus, they quickly got up and left the tent.
In a different tent nearby, everyone from Bold Independent Union gathered around to discuss the situation.
Union Master Yun Cheng was constantly glancing over towards his daughter, a thoughtfully expression upon his face. Yun Xuan on the other hand seemed like she was in a daze, her somewhat gloomy and vacant expression only further convincing Yun Cheng that something significant had happened between his daughter and the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
“Union Master,” Ji Yan, who was paying attention to the situation outside, quickly whispered, “It seems like Star Gathering Sect and Cold Snow Hall are preparing to leave.”
Yun Cheng nodded lightly, “When we returned, I overheard the leaders of those two Sects discussing this matter. Apparently the losses they suffered at Saintess Nan’s hands weren’t great, only a few common disciples. They came here essentially to join the fun thinking they might be able to extract some form of compensation from Nine Heavens Holy Land; they never anticipated becoming blood enemies with them. After seeing the depths of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s heritage, them wanting to leave is reasonable.”
“En, what Union Master says make sense,” Ji Yan said, “From what I’ve heard, only a few forces suffered serious losses because of Saintess Nan, the rest only have some minor grievances like us. However, Zhang Ao and Cao Guan’s actions today are also quite thought provoking; it doesn’t seem like either of their Sects suffered any losses so are they just using this opportunity to add insult to injury?”
Yun Cheng sneered, “Of course they have a bigger purpose for doing all this. Just the nine spirit peaks of the Holy Land are enough to make them drool, but if my guess is right, their main objective is that new Holy Master and the only remaining Saintess. As long as they can capture those two…”
Ji Yan’s eyes lit up as he suddenly understood, “I see! Their appetite is really not small!”
“I hadn’t thought of it before today, but now I understand why Zhang Ao and Cao Guan gathered up so many forces; they’re treating us all like pawns, haa… We are still far too weak, if we had a strong enough background, why would our Bold Independent Union have to pay any heed to the schemes of Zhang Ao and Cao Guan.”
Saying so, Yun Cheng intentionally or unintentionally glanced over at Yun Xuan, secretly smiling after discovering that his daughter chose to remain silent.
Yun Cheng was obviously very concerned about what kind of relationship his daughter had with the new Holy Master.
“Then, Union Master, what do we do, should we also leave?” Ji Yan asked.
“Leave?” Yun Cheng snorted, “Do you think we can just casually leave now?”
“Hm?” Ji Yan was confused for a moment but his face soon went pale, “Union Master can’t possibly mean…”
“En!” Yun Cheng smiled calmly, his brow wrinkling a moment later as he looked up, “They’ve already made their move. Let’s go. There’s a good show to see.”
After saying so, he got up and walked out of the tent, the other members of Bold Independent Union quickly following after him.
Outside, the cultivators of Star Gathering Sect and Cold Snow Hall, who were preparing to leave, had been stopped by Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and Wu Jie. No one knew what they were saying; all anyone could see was that Zhang Ao’s face grew quite gloomy as the leaders of these two small forces spoke. Suddenly, the situation changed.
A series of miserable screams rang out as Zhang Ao, Cao Guan and the masters who accompanied them began slaughtering the members of these two small forces.
After less than ten breaths, more than a hundred people had become fresh corpses.
All the onlookers were stunned, their eyes widening as they took in this tragic sight, feeling as if they had been trust out into a blizzard, shivering uncontrollably.
Sweeping his gaze across the crowd, Zhang Ao shouted, “Refusing to avenge the deaths of their friends and family and actually wanting to fawn over Nine Heavens Holy Land, these scum aren’t qualified to live in this world! This Zhang is ashamed to have once called them companions and has given them what they deserve! From now on, this Zhang will assume responsibility for seeking the justice their loved ones need in order to find eternal rest!”
Cao Guan followed up, “All of you can rest assured, Nine Heavens Holy Land is only a grasshopper after autumn! Let them act arrogantly for a few more days; when we next attack, we will surely emerge victorious! Everyone disperse now and rest well. A few days from now, we will require everyone’s strength!”
Hearing the self-absorbed preaching of these two, no one responded. It was only now that everyone realized what kind of trouble they had gotten themselves into.
“We’re riding a tiger now, heh!” Yun Cheng smiled and shook his head, a look of self-ridicule upon his face.
The forces and masters who had been tempted and misled into coming here had all seen through the truth of this situation now, but facing Zhang Ao and Cao Guan’s tyrannical strength and methods, they could do nothing but shut their mouths and obey.
Judging from the way they had treated Star Gathering Sect and Cold Snow Hall, if anyone was to voice a dissenting opinion now, they would soon find themselves lying on the ground in a pool of their own blood.
Gradually, the crowd dispersed as a few people processed the dead.
After returning to their tent, Yun Cheng looked around and couldn’t help asking worriedly, “Where is Xuan’er?”
Yun Xuan have been with them until just a moment ago but now she was nowhere to be seen.
“Xin Yu is also not here, the two of them probably had something to take care of and have gone out,” Ji Yan replied.
Hearing this, Yun Cheng felt somewhat relieved and no longer asked any questions.
Somewhere in the surrounding jungle, Yun Xuan and Ruan Xin Yu both followed behind a young man vigilantly. The three of them had gone a fair distance from the gathering place and were now deep into the wilderness, but the young man in front of them simply kept walking.
“Hey, what force are you a disciple of? What’s your name?” Ruan Xin Yu wasn’t very patient so after seeing this youth lead her and Yun Xuan forward while not explaining anything she couldn’t help calling out and asking.
This young man’s cultivation wasn’t very high, so she wasn’t worried he would try something with her and Yun Xuan.
“Two young ladies, this one is called Liu Gui, a disciple of War Spirit Temple,” The young man responded quickly, his attitude quite polite.
“War Spirit Temple?” Ruan Xin Yu’s brow furrowed, “Why did you call the two of us out here? What is this important matter you spoke of?”
“Hehe, young ladies will know when we arrive at our destination, please rest assured. I am not a bad person,” Liu Gui smiled.
Ruan Xin Yu coldly snorted, “Listening to you say that only makes you sound even more suspicious. If there really is some important matter happening up ahead, why not inform your Temple Master instead of covertly leading the two of us out to this remote jungle? Tell me, what are your true intentions?”
“I have no intentions at all,” Liu Gui desperately wanted to cry but was unable to shed any tears, “I was simply entrusted with this mission. A certain man asked me to bring you… no, to bring her to a certain place, you simply followed on your own.”
“Someone entrusted you to lead us here?” Yun Xuan heard these words and couldn’t help trembling, suddenly feeling a sense of expectation, hurriedly asking, “Who was it that entrusted you to do this?”
Liu Gui stammered for a moment only to helplessly reply, “Young lady, please don’t ask, I have my own difficulties so I really can’t say anymore. However, you can rest assured we will be there soon.”
Yun Xuan quickly turned her eyes forward and fully released her Divine Sense, but she was unable to sense anything or anyone up ahead.
“Yun Xuan, this kid is too suspicious. Maybe there is some kind of trap waiting for us up ahead. I think we should just go back,” Ruan Xin Yu whispered to Yun Xuan.
Yun Xuan however just smiled back at her, “You’re thinking too much. No matter what, he is a disciple of War Spirit Temple, there’s no need for him to do any of this.”
“No reason to do any of this? Isn’t it clear he has ulterior motives? Maybe he was just fascinated by your beauty!”
“Don’t scare me…” Yun Xuan quickly tightened her grip on her clothes.
“If two young ladies are really uncomfortable, why not seal this one’s strength first? That way, when we arrive at our destination, if there really is any danger, this one’s life will be in your hands,” Liu Gui heard them whispering to each other and suddenly understood why they didn’t feel relieved following him, immediately making this proposal.
“Good, then I won’t be polite!” Ruan Xin Yu immediately acted, quickly patting her palm on Liu Gui’s back a few times, sealing his True Qi.
Liu Gui didn’t mind and simply continued walking forward in a calm manner.
Seeing his appearance, Yun Xuan and Ruan Xin Yu felt relieved.
After walking more than a dozen kilometers, the trio came to a small lake and Liu Gui finally breathed a sigh of relief before pointing to the front, “We’re here, the man who wishes to see you is over there.”
Looking in the direction he was pointing, Ruan Xin Yu couldn’t help covering her mouth in shock as she let out a yelp while Yun Xuan also stared in disbelief, her beautiful eyes flashing a brilliant light as she saw who was waiting for them.
The lake’s surface was sparkling clean and the water itself was crystal clear, a few fat fish could even be seen leisurely swimming about its depths.
Near the lakeside stood a young man who, at this moment, was smiling lightly towards Yun Xuan and Ruan Xin Yu who Liu Gui had brought here, raising his hand and waving as he casually called out, “Long time no see you two.”
Ruan Xin Yu and Yun Xuan didn’t immediately reply, both of them just standing there dumbstruck.
Seeing this, Yang Kai shook his head wryly and walked towards them.
When Yang Kai arrived in front of the trio, Liu Gui stepped forward and hastily bowed while letting out all kind of flattery, “Lord Holy Master, before, this lowly one had eyes but failed to see, I beg Lord Holy Master not to take offence.”
“It’s fine,” Yang Kai waved his hand lightly.
Liu Gui’s expression loosened as he respectfully said, “Sir, I have brought the two young ladies as you requested.”
“Good work,” Yang Kai patted the shoulder of the young man he had used the Great Heavenly Attraction on to control previous, causing the latter to feel quite flattered, “It is only what I should do.”
Hesitating for a moment, Liu Gui nervously continued, “Sir, you should be able to see I have no malicious intent towards you, so would it be possible for you to first return my Soul brand? Sir can rest assured, I, Liu Gui, will never reveal half a word about Sir Holy Master to another soul, lest Heavenly thunder strike me down!”
Seeing his begging appearance, Yang Kai simply smiled and said, “I cannot do what you request right now, but you can rest assured, so long as you obey me well, I will not harm you.”
“Does this lowly one dare not obey?” Liu Gui wore a bitter smile. The previous time Yang Kai left the nine peaks to go to the Beast Sea Jungle, Liu Gui’s team had been the ones to intercept him, but not only had they failed to capture Yang Kai, instead Liu Gui was forced to divulge everything he knew before having his Soul brand taken. If the Temple Master were to ever learn about this, even if he had nine lives Liu Gui wouldn’t be able to survive.
Considering all this, Liu Gui felt a deep bitterness in his heart.
“Obedience has its rewards,” Yang Kai was carefully observing and knew this youth was quite uncomfortable with the current situation. Knowing a willing pawn was more useful than an unwilling one, Yang Kai immediately threw Liu Gui a bottle of pills.
Liu Gui instinctively reached out and caught this bottle. After opening it and taking a sniff, a look of shock and joy filled his face as he unconsciously called out, “Spirit Grade pills?”
“Work hard and there will be more benefits in the future for you,” Yang Kai encouraged.
“Yes yes yes! Many thanks, Lord Holy Master!” Liu Gui gratefully exclaimed.
As an Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator with average aptitude, Liu Gui’s status in War Spirit Temple was quite ordinary, so the pills he usually used were also ordinary goods. At best, by regularly performing tasks for the Sect, he could receive two or three Mysterious Grade pills a month, but now, after completing a trivial errand for Yang Kai, he had actually been rewarded with a bottle of Spirit Grade pills.
This was a massive windfall which caused Liu Gui to become somewhat dazed, no longer even caring that Yang Kai had taken his Soul brand and he could not control whether he lived or died.
He even secretly thought to himself that being able to work for this new Holy Master was a great good fortune.
Seeing Liu Gui’s reaction, Yang Kai was quite satisfied, further confirming that this guy was a villain who would forget all honour at the sight of profit. Giving such a person some small benefits would be enough to make him sell you his life.
Waving his hand to undo the seals Ruan Xin Yu had placed on him, Yang Kai signaled to Liu Gui, “Go back, there’s nothing more for you to do here.”
“Yes! Lord Holy Master, if you have any need of subordinate in the future, please do not hesitate to ask!” Liu Gui struck his chest and declared.
“There will be opportunities,” Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
Liu Gui turned around to leave, but just before taking off, he glanced over at Yun Xuan with a somewhat jealous look and muttered, “Young Lady’s good fortune is truly enviably.”
He could sense that this girl shared a not simple friendship with this new Holy Master.
Yun Xuan’s pretty face immediately blushed bright red while Ruan Xin Yu gave him a sharp glare and shouted, “You talk too much!”
Liu Gui let out a hollow laugh as he quickly scurried away.
After Liu Gui left, Yang Kai smiled and turned his attention to the two young women in front of him, “It’s been several years since we last met yet you two are still as graceful and charming as before.”
“Glib tongued brat!” Ruan Xin Yu snorted disdainfully, “You bastard, since you didn’t die, why did you not send Yun Xuan a message to let her know. Do you have any idea how much sadness you made her endure?”
“Xin Yu…” Yun Xuan cried out, biting her lip in the next instant as she directed her beautiful eyes towards Yang Kai, suddenly feeling like the young man in front of her had become incredibly tall and distant, as if she could only gaze up towards him from afar.
When she had first met him, his cultivation was actually below her own and his appearance was somewhat distressed. He was like a young, ignorant boy who had just wandered out from a deep forest.
However, just a few years later, he had now become the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land and his strength had soared far beyond hers.
Currently, she was a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator while he had actually become a Second Order Transcendent…
With such a gap between them, even if she were to work tirelessly for a dozen years she might not be able to catch up.
Standing in front of Yang Kai, Yun Xuan couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of inferiority, causing a pungent bitterness to fill her heart.
Perceiving Yun Xuan’s abnormal mood, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly, but not knowing what she was actually thinking or feeling, all he could do was laugh and try to crack a joke, “Could it be you don’t recognize me?”
“Even if you were reduced to ashes I’d be able to recognize you,” Yun Xuan said with a forced smile.
“Then why are you looking at me like you’ve just met a stranger?” Yang Kai scratched his cheek awkwardly, “If you’re angry because I didn’t let you know I was safe, then I sincerely apologize, these past few years have been incredibly busy; moreover, there are certain things about me I don’t what to expose to the public.”
“Hmph, I think you’re just a shameless bastard,” Ruan Xin Yu snorted indignantly, “You clearly just want to play around and then run away so you can avoid taking any responsibility.”
“What responsibility do you want me to bear? Wasn’t everything that happened back then an unavoidable accident?” Yang Kai argued back somewhat awkwardly.
These past few years, Yang Kai really hadn’t thought about Yun Xuan much; although he felt somewhat embarrassed about what had happened, in his heart, she just couldn’t compare to Su Yan or his Little Senior Sister.
If it weren’t for the Charm Monster’s Spiritual Energy toxin, the two of them would never have become anything more than acquaintances.
“So you don’t want to take any responsibility, I really misjudged you!” Ruan Xin Yu shouted contemptuously, her gaze filled with scorn.
Helpless to argue back, Yang Kai could only shake his head wryly.
Yun Xuan, who had remained silent through this argument, finally let out a long breath and smiled slightly, “Xin Yu, don’t say any more, there’s no meaning to it. Some people, some encounters are just that fleeting, there’s no need to try to force things not meant to be.”
“You’re quite laissez faire,” Ruan Xin Yu stared at Yun Xuan with amazement.
“How did you make a disciple of War Spirit Temple bring us here? Why does he listen to your orders?” Yun Xuan turned a curiously look towards Yang Kai as she changed the subject.
“Heh, we had a slight conflict half a month ago and at that time, I placed a little seal on which allowed me to communicate directly with him. When I saw you two earlier today, I sent him a message telling him to lead you here,” Yang Kai explained, following up with a question is his own, “Is your Bold Independent Union also involved in this incident?”
“En,” Yun Xuan nodded, “Your Holy Land’s previous generation Saintess passed by my Bold Independent Union’s territory some time ago and killed a few of our disciples. That Zhang Ao of Shattering Mystical Palace somehow found out about this and sent an invitation to my father to come here. Thinking it would be an opportunity to discuss some matters with Nine Heavens Holy Land, my father decided to accept Zhang Ao’s invitation. Never had we expected that Zhang Ao’s purpose was not to reconcile with you but to launch an all-out fight.”
“Them inviting you to join them was simply for them to increase their numbers,” Yang Kai sneered.
“En, that should be the case. In fact, many forces that gathered here have similar experiences to my Bold Independent Union. Before we came here to see you, two small forces actually tried to leave, but before they could, they were ruthlessly slaughtered by Zhang Ao.”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed, “They’ve certain played a strong hand.”
“After that demonstration, I don’t think anyone will dare to leave. Zhang Ao also declared that next time they attack they will certainly flatten you Nine Heavens Holy Land; can you resist them?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “If it really comes down to a fight, the end result will be a mutual loss. The Holy Land will definitely suffer heavy casualties, but your side won’t feel any better.”
“Then what are you going to do? You should leave here quickly; it’s far too dangerous to stay.”
“Don’t worry; I have a way to handle the situation. On the other hand, it’s you who should avoid getting involved here,” Yang Kai’s expression became serious, “If you continue to participate in this, your Bold Independent Union will definitely suffer greatly.”
“What do you mean?” Yun Xuan couldn’t help feeling startled.
“I can’t tell you any more right now. In any case, after you go back, do whatever you can to persuade your father to leave here as soon as possible. There will be a big change in the situation which will make it very dangerous to stay here soon.”
Yun Xuan frowned but nodded lightly, not asking Yang Kai to explain any further, choosing to believe in him.
Ruan Xin Yu on the other hand couldn’t help scoffing, “Aren’t you acting a bit too confident? Although your Nine Heavens Holy Land has a strong barrier and a number of powerful masters, as far as I know, along with the ones from those three sects, the number of Saint Realm powerhouses your facing is twice the number your Holy Land currently has.”
“And so?” Yang Kai snickered, “If they dare to come, they’ll pay a heavy price.”
“I can’t understand you at all…” Ruan Xin Yu slowly shook her head, “For that matter, how did someone like you become the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land anyways?”
“Everyone has their own opportunities,” Yang Kai chuckled, “I’d rather not have become the new Holy Master of this place but… things happened.”
Ruan Xin Yu spat disdainfully, obviously not believing a word Yang Kai said. In her opinion, any man who managed to obtain such an opportunity would be beside themselves with joy, how could Yang Kai be any different?
This little brat was clearly trying to act aloof and mysterious! Ruan Xin Yu increasingly looked down on Yang Kai, secretly feeling that the rapid growth of his strength was entirely because he had received the cultivation of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
If Nine Heavens Holy Land was willing to train her, she could reach such a height.
“Is there anything else you want to say?” Yun Xuan asked Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was stunned by her forwardness but soon shook his head, “No.”
“Then we’ll head back first. If we stay out too long, it will cause people to become suspicious,” Yun Xuan said, directing a complicated expression towards Yang Kai in the next instant as she whispered, “No matter what, thank you for your reminder this time, I will speak with my father and let him know what you’ve told me, as for you… you must be careful, I know you’re much fiercer than you were when we first met and your status is also quite high, but your true strength is still quite limited. If you find you can’t solve this problem, please don’t force yourself.”
“Good, I’ll remember,” Yang Kai nodded sincerely.
“Then we’ll take our leave. If you can overcome these difficulties, you’re welcome to visit Bold Independent City at any time,” Yun Xuan smiled before grabbing Ruan Xin Yu’s hand and flying off.
Standing in place and gazing at their quickly fading backs, Yang Kai’s mood fluctuated quite a bit; he hadn’t expected this woman to act in such a composed manner, handling things calmly and then leaving without showing much hesitancy.
Originally, Yang Kai was still thinking about how he should comfort her but now it appeared that wouldn’t be necessary.
Inside the jungle, Ruan Xin Yu, who was following the path back the gathering point, indignantly grumbled, “You fool, since you finally got to see him again, why did you just leave like that?”
“Isn’t he alive and well? What else was I supposed to do?” Yun Xuan smiled lightly.
“Are you alright with this?” Ruan Xin Yu asked, feeling bitter in her heart.
“En, I’m fine with it,” Yun Xuan replied with a relaxed and indifferent look upon her face, “He is not someone I can hope to be with anymore, even if I try to stay by his side, I’ll only be a burden to him. Since that’s the case, I might as well end things now and just leave it as a fond memory. That’s more than enough.”
“You won’t regret this in the future?” Ruan Xin Yu asked.
“There’s nothing to regret.”
“Forget it, do whatever you want, it’s your own business, just don’t come crying to me later saying you failed to grasp today’s once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“I won’t!” Yun Xuan said faintly, glancing back briefly before returning her gaze forward again. A tear gathering at the corner of her eye as her heart became clearer about what was in that man’s mind. She, more than anyone else in the world, understood that she was just a passer-by. If that wasn’t the case, he would definitely have chased after her.
…..
After Yang Kai returned to Nine Heavens Holy Land, he immediately called Xu Hui and the other Elders over.
“Holy Master, according to your instructions, all the disciples have made preparations to evacuate and are ready to depart!” Xu Hui cupped his fists and reported.
Yang Kai nodded, “Come with me!”
No one knew where he was going or what he was planning to do, but none of them asked any questions and simply followed behind Yang Kai.
Shuttling through the nine peaks, a moment later, Yang Kai arrived in front of a large smooth stone surrounded by carvings of dragons and phoenixes, and was engraved with the words ‘Holy Tomb’.
The Holy Tomb was the restricted area where all former Holy Masters of Nine Heavens Holy Land were buried. Arriving here, the looks on all of the Elders and Protectors’ faces became respectful.
“You’ve all been wondering where I plan to place the Holy Land’s thousands of disciples, do you still need to ask now?” Yang Kai stood in front of the giant stone and smiled back at everyone.
After a brief moment of confusion, all of them suddenly understood.
Xu Hui stuttered to ask, “Holy Master, the place you mentioned, it couldn’t be…”
“Besides here, can you think of anywhere else?” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “The Holy Tomb is without a doubt the best option.”
“We cannot!” Xu Hui’s expression changed greatly, “This is the sacred ground where all the Holy Land’s Holy Masters are entombed, how could we possibly disturb their eternal rest?”
“Those who are dead are gone. There is nothing we can do that will disturb them,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“The Holy Land has its customs, no one other than the Holy Master and the Saintesses may enter the Holy Tomb!”
“Customs are dead, people are alive, please be flexible Great Elder,” Yang Kai persuaded.
“While that may be true… No, this really will not do! If we were to enter the Holy Tomb, blatantly violating the customs and traditions passed down by our ancestors, what face would we have left in front of the Holy Land’s future disciples?”
“You stubborn old fart…” Yang Kai began losing his patience, turning his eyes to the rest of the Elders and asking, “What do you think?”
Shi Kun wore a difficult expression and quickly averted his eyes.
Meng Tian Fei and Luo Sheng also did not express their opinions.
Cheng Yue Tong opened her lips and tried to say something but quickly stopped herself.
“A group of wastes!” Yu Ying coldly snorted, solemnly saying, “Holy Master, although Great Elder is indeed somewhat stubborn and inflexible, in this case, I believe he is right.”
“You also think so?” Yang Kai stared blankly at this beautiful woman.
Yu Ying nodded firmly.
Yang Kai rubbed his forehead in frustration before turning to the last person present, “An Ling’er…”
“Don’t ask me, I’m just an ignorant little girl, I don’t know anything,” An Ling’er quickly pretended it was none of her business.
Yang Kai gawked at her for a moment before clenching his teeth. She was the only one he had counted on siding with him, yet she had actually abandoned him at this critical juncture.
“Is there really no way?” Yang Kai turned his eyes back to Xu Hui and asked solemnly.
“If it was any other matter, having received Holy Master’s command, even if this old master had to offer up his life, I would not hesitate, it’s just… regarding this…” Xu Hui stuttered, his expression filled with a mix of unwavering loyalty and guilt, as if he truly wished to obey Yang Kai’s command yet was simply incapable of doing so.
“Good!” Yang Kai interrupted him before he finished, “Then I wish all of you good luck, in two or three days, Zhang Ao will return and the Beast Sea Jungle’s Great Senior will bring the masters of the Monster Race here, when the time comes, we’ll see just how many of you can live! Farewell!”
Saying so, Yang Kai turned around and prepared to leave.
Xu Hui’s eyes shrank as he hastily reached out and grabbed Yang Kai’s sleeve, tightly pinching it as if his life depending on it, asking in amazement, “Holy Master, where are you going?”
“You all want to sit here waiting for death, but I have a bright future ahead of me, so why would I stay here to accompany you? Of course I’m going to leave,” Yang Kai replied as if it were a given.
“But if you leave, what is the Holy Land to do?” Xu Hui asked in a fluster.
“Huh? What does that have to do with me? I found a way out of this mess for all of you yet you refuse to take it, could it be you want me to stay here and be buried along with the rest of you?” Yang Kai spat disdainfully as he declared, “Sorry to disappoint you, I’m not so noble.”
“This…” Xu Hui suddenly became speechless, thinking that young people really acted like young people, making snappy decisions and rushing into things without the slightest hesitation. Before, Yang Kai had shown an attitude worthy of a Holy Master, yet now all of sudden he had become cold and indifferent, as if he didn’t care whether the Holy Land was destroyed or not.
“Furthermore…” Yang Kai snorted, “Even though you call me Holy Master, all of you refuse to execute my commands; what point is there in me staying here then? Even if you somehow survive this crisis, I’m afraid I’ll degenerate into a puppet you can manipulate at will.”
“We would not dare!” Xu Hui protested in horror.
“Oh really? Why are you still restraining me then?”
Xu Hui quickly let go and withdrew awkwardly.
“Enough!” Yu Ying called out, glaring towards Yang Kai somewhat badly, “The Holy Master should have the demeanor of a Holy Master, how can you act like such a rogue? Do you enjoy forcing Great Elder into a corner like this?”
After reprimanding Yang Kai, she let out a sigh and glanced over at Xu Hui, “Great Elder, this…”
Xu Hui hesitated for a long time, seemingly contemplating the issue, secretly glancing over at Yang Kai to observe the latter’s reaction, helplessly sighing after a while, “Since the Holy Master has made such a proposal… even though it will ruin the customs passed down by our ancestors, I suggest we take a vote. The seven of us here have the highest decision making authority in the Holy Land, so if the majority here agrees to enter the Holy Tomb, then… we can only do so.”
“So be it,” Yu Ying nodded.
“Who doesn’t agree to enter the Holy Tomb? Raise your hands high so I can see them,” Yang Kai asked, sweeping his eyes over the crowd.
Great Elder Xu Hui quickly raised his hand.
However, the other five Elders and Saintess An Ling’er all glanced around at each other awkwardly, none of them moving a muscle.
“You…” Xu Hui turned to face his fellow Elders with a shocked and somewhat hurt expression upon his face, as if he couldn’t believe no one here agreed with him that preserving the Holy Land’s traditions was of paramount importance.
“Slippery boy…” Yu Ying muttered to herself. She knew, if Yang Kai had phrased his question differently, the result of this vote would have been different.
The new Holy Master was a young man, and apparently an impulsive one at that. In this situation, who would be willing to openly refute his opinion? If they did that, it would only cause him to feel a sense of rejection towards the Holy Land, possibly leading to him abandoning them altogether.
No one could afford this responsibility.
“Great Elder, you let me win,” Yang Kai cupped his fists and grinned.
Xu Hui smiled back bitterly, “Since things have gotten to this point, this old master won’t make any more objections. Everything will be in accordance with Holy Master’s wishes.”
“I’m doing this for your own good, don’t look so distressed. If the Holy Land’s previous Holy Masters knew what the current situation was, I’m sure they’d forgive you.”
“I hope so.”
After opening the Holy Tomb with the Holy Master Spirit Ring, Yang Kai led everyone inside, each of them wearing a solemn expression, as if they were on some kind of sacred pilgrimage.
Once inside though, seeing this tiny city-sized Mysterious Small World that had no sun, moon, or stars, and was simply overcast with a hazy bluish white sky, all of them couldn’t help feeling a bit lost.
“This is the Holy Tomb?” Yu Ying whispered softly, her beautiful eyes unable to hide their disappointment. The sight in front of her was completely different from what she had imagined.
She had believed that the Holy Tomb was a serene and peaceful paradise with refreshing gardens and crystal clear lakes.
The reality though was that the Holy Tomb was a barren, dreary purgatory filled with a pervasive Yin Qi and the only moving objects inside were some dim fluorescent wisps, akin to spirits, that only added to the atmosphere’s creepiness.
Everyone else looked around with curiosity and surprise. Only Great Elder Xu Hui wore a worried look as he fidgeted about, constantly muttering under his breath, as if he was still afraid that their arrival had disturbed the slumber of the previous Holy Masters.
“The World Energy here is very rich,” Cheng Yue Tong inhaled gently, her full chest exaggeratedly undulating, a look of surprise flashing across her face.
The World Energy density among the nine peaks was already outstanding, but compared to the Holy Tomb, it was still dwarfed. It was no wonder all previous Holy Masters would choose to enter secluded retreat here.
“The environment isn’t very inviting, but it is a good place to take shelter and cultivate,” Yang Kai smiled, “When I first came here, I was also shocked by how rich the World Energy aura was. I don’t know where this World Energy comes from though. En, this Mysterious Small World is much smaller than an average Mysterious Small World, but there should be no trouble housing all the Holy Land’s disciples here.”
“From what Holy Master just said, it sounds as if you have been to other Mysterious Small Worlds, yes?” Cheng Yue Tong looked at Yang Kai with amazement.
Although the concept of Mysterious Small Worlds was widely known about, very few people had actually entered one before. These mysterious spaces were completely independent of Tong Xuan Realm and their entrances were usually quite difficult to find.
Yang Kai just smiled lightly, glancing over at An Ling’er, not bothering to explain.
“Where are the coffins of the previous Holy Masters? Why can I not see any of them?” Xu Hui looked around for a while, a look of confusion filling his face, “There should be many coffins here.”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched imperceptibly and asked, “Why do you say there should be coffins here?”
“It only makes sense, every previous Holy Master would craft his own coffin and carry it with him into the Holy Tomb at his predestined time of death… Also, this place is far too clean, there’s simply nothing here.”
Listening to Xu Hui say so, everyone else also discovered that something was out of place. The Holy Tomb’s ground was perfectly flat, as if it had been cut with a single stroke of a very sharp blade, and even though a layer of dust had covered most of it, there were some traces left behind by what appeared to be a violent explosion of energy.
“Yes, where are the remains of the previous Holy Masters?” Shi Kun scratched his head and looked around.
“There may be some hidden secrets inside the Holy Tomb… En, the last time I came here, it was like this,” Yang Kai quickly said.
If Xu Hui were to find out he had shattered all the bones and coffins inside the Holy Tomb when he absorbed the drop of Demon God Golden Blood, Yang Kai really didn’t know how this old man would react.
After a busy day and night, everything was arranged.
The thousands of Holy Land disciples filed into the Holy Tomb, bring a sense of life to this Mysterious Small World filled with Yin Qi.
Although there were many people to house, the Holy Tomb was more than large enough.
Xu Hui and the other Elders also prepared a massive amount of living materials in advance, enough for Holy Land’s disciples to live off of for quite some time.
Yang Kai also told them to relax and focus on their cultivation, when the time came, he would naturally let them out again.
Xu Hui and the other Elders all nodded firmly.
Outside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai sat alone on top of one of the nine spirit peaks, overlooking the huge foundation that had endured for countless years, his mood calm and tranquil.
At this moment, Nine Heavens Holy Land was practically silent as there was no one else around but him.
Closing his eyes, Yang Kai entered a state of meditation as he quietly waited for the enemy to come.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Kai opened his eyes and stared off in a certain direction, a grin slowly appearing on his face.
Zhang Ao’s group had come once again and were now loudly cursing and shouting as they bombarded the Nine Peaks Barrier, sending loud bangs echoing throughout the Holy Land.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered and when he reappeared, he stood a short distance away from Zhang Ao.
Zhang Ao’s eyes narrowed as he shouted, “Little brat, seems you still have the courage to appear. Good, today shall be the day of your death!”
Cao Guan next to him also sneered, “Open the barrier and surrender, perhaps then we’ll spare you!”
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to these two and instead glanced around, his eyes fixing on the cultivators from Bold Independent Union for a moment before quickly moving on, faintly saying, “Very good, since all of you are determined to be enemies with my Holy Land, you should be prepared to accept the consequences.”
Many people wore looks of dread as they quickly averted their eyes. On the other hand, among the Bold Independent Union cultivators, Yun Xuan wore a low-spirited expression.
She had discussed with her father, Yun Cheng, all night long, and even relayed the warning Yang Kai had given her, but right now, Bold Independent Union was riding a tiger, so Yun Cheng had no choice but to accompany Zhang Ao here.
Meeting again like this, Yun Xuan couldn’t help feeling like she had disappointed Yang Kai’s good intentions.
“Where’s Xu Hui? Why is it just you here you little bastard?” Zhang Ao was keenly aware that something was not right. Today, Nine Heavens Holy Land was too quiet, there were simply no signs of anyone about, only this new Holy Master had made an appearance, even Xu Hui and the other Holy Land Elders were nowhere to be seen.
“To deal with the likes of you, there’s no need for Great Elder to appear!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully.
“Maniac! Boy, I’d like to see if you can still be so arrogant once I have you on your knees!” Zhang Ao was completely irritated, waving his hand widely as he shouted, “No one hold back, I’ll handle this brat, the rest of you work together to break this damn barrier, once it falls, the wealth of the nine peaks will be shared amongst all of us!”
Hearing these words, many of the cultivators who were still hesitating suddenly became enthusiastic.
Nine Heavens Holy Land’s heritage was deep, and it was unknown just how many treasures, elixirs, Secret Arts, and Martial Skills they had horded away all these years, it would be a huge windfall for any of these forces to obtain even a tiny bit of these things.
Men die for wealth as birds die for food. Zhang Ao throwing out such temptation now naturally aroused the fighting spirit of many people.
In an instant, under the leadership of Cao Guan and Wu Jie, more than a dozen Saint Realm masters attacked the Nine Peaks Barrier while Zhang Ao summoned his scroll-type artifact and struck towards Yang Kai, apparently intending to pin down Yang Kai’s movements.
Yang Kai’s smile on deepened, showing no intention to confront Zhang Ao, simply falling back to avoid this attack but maintaining a cold, indifferent expression; he didn’t even make any attempt to block the bombardment of the Nine Peaks barrier.
Zhang Ao suddenly felt a tinge of unease in his heart as he stared towards Yang Kai, wondering what this little brat was up to.
*Chi chi chi…*
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
A shrill sound rang out as countless attacks struck upon the barrier, but to everyone’s surprise, the barrier Nine Heavens Holy Land was so proud of seemed to be as flimsy as paper.
Under the bombardment of so many masters, the Nine Peaks Barrier endured for less than thirty breaths before shattering, opening the road ahead to all of them.
Everyone was startled by this scene, none of them having anticipating things going so smoothly.
After gawking for a moment, Zhang Ao became overjoyed and yelled, “Little brat, let’s see try to run now!”
As he spoke, the dozen or so Saint Realm masters flew into the nine peaks and surrounded Yang Kai.
Immediately behind them, the forces which had gathered to crusade against Nine Heavens Holy Land also leapt forward frantically, as if they were afraid all the benefits here would be stolen by others if they moved too slowly.
Bold Independent Union’s Union Master, Yun Cheng’s expression fluctuated back and forth, quickly releasing his Divine Sense to probe the nine peaks but soon lifting his foot to step forward.
But before he could take this step, his sleeve was caught by someone. Looking back, he saw his daughter, Yun Xuan, staring at him with a pleading look.
“Xuan’er, what is it?” Yun Cheng frowned.
“Father… The Nine Peaks Barrier has been broken, let everyone else handle what comes next, let’s go back now!” Yun Xuan bit her lips and said.
“Go back now?” Yun Cheng thought for a moment before smiling gently, “Didn’t I explain carefully to you last night? How can you bring this matter up again?”
“Father, please trust me, staying here any longer really won’t have any benefit to us.”
“Yes, Union Master, we should leave now while that little bastard draws their attention,” Ruan Xin Yu chimed in.
“Do you also think this way?” Yun Cheng stared pensively towards Ruan Xin Yu, “Do you believe that little brat?”
Last night, Yun Xuan had conveyed Yang Kai’s warning to Yun Cheng, allowing him to realize that his daughter had actually gone to meet with this new Holy Master the day before; however, Yun Cheng had not taken Yang Kai’s warning very seriously. The difference in the two side’s strength was too great and Yun Cheng simply couldn’t think of any way Nine Heavens Holy Land could fight back. The only advantage the Holy Land had was the Nine Peaks Spirit Array and Barrier but that had already been collapsed now.
“Xuan’er, out of consideration for your friendship with him, do you not want to add insult to injury here?” Yun Cheng laid bare Yun Xuan’s true thoughts, “Don’t worry, if he really has the ability to escape from this crisis, it can only bring advantages to my Bold Independent Union, if he does not then that is simply his fate. However, under these circumstances, I believe he has run out of luck!”
Yun Cheng sighed, he also thought this might be a good opportunity for Bold Independent Union; after all, his daughter had a close relationship with the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land. If the Holy Land were really to make it through this disaster, in the future, would Bold Independent Union need to fear not having a backer?
But now it seemed like Nine Heavens Holy Land was only outwardly strong but inwardly weak.
At this most critical time, only the new Holy Master came out to meet the enemy while the Elders, Protectors, and even disciples had all disappeared.
This made Yun Cheng wonder if this new Holy Master had actually been abandoned here to attract Zhang Ao’s attention while the others escaped.
“Rest assured, Zhang Ao won’t kill him,” Yun Cheng comforted, “That boy is of great use to Zhang Ao.”
The biggest goal Zhang Ao had in uniting so many forces and masters to attack Nine Heavens Holy Land was to obtain the Holy Land’s core inheritance. Currently, this inheritance should be held completely and exclusively by Yang Kai, how could Zhang Ao be willing to kill him?
“If you don’t wish to be enemies with him… then you can withdraw along with Xin Yu,” Yun Cheng said, calling out to Ji Yan, “Take my daughter and Xin Yu to a safe place.”
“Yes,” Ji Yan nodded, wrapping up Yun Xuan and Ruan Xin Yu with his True Qi before flying away.
Yun Xuan wore a bitter look and obviously wanted to continue trying to persuade her father but she simply couldn’t think of a way to do so. Turning her beautiful eyes towards Yang Kai, who was currently surrounded by powerful masters, all she could do was lament as she was gradually brought far away.
After his daughter left, Yun Cheng snorted lightly and led his forces forward.
“Little bastard, your defeat is inevitable, surrender without a fight!” Zhang Ao shouted towards Yang Kai, a smug expression filling his face as his eyes filled with greedy light, as if the core inheritance of Nine Heavens Holy Land was already in his hands.
Cao Guan also called out for Yang Kai to give up resisting or face the consequences.
Yang Kai simply stood there indifferently and said nothing.
The place where he stood was surrounded on all sides by more than a dozen Saint Realm masters and several dozen Transcendents, each of them staring at him fixedly.
However, even in this situation, he wore a calm and relaxed expression, causing his captures instead to grow nervous, none of them daring to rush forward to attack him lest he had some trick up his sleeve.
They were inside the Holy Land now, and all of them had witnessed Yang Kai used the Nine Peaks Spirit Array to display power on par with a Saint Realm master, if they pushed him too far, no one here except Zhang Ao would be able to suppress him.
“Boy, things coming to this really is quite disappointing,” Wu Jie of Netherworld Sect suddenly spoke, cackling wickedly.
Yang Kai shot him a glance and grinned as well, “What were you hoping for?”
Wu Jie slowly shook his head, the eerie green aura swirling around his body like it had a mind of its own, “I thought you would use some shocking and unexpected method to resist us, but it seems I was expecting too much. If this is really all you have left to offer, I advise you to be surrender and let me seal your True Qi, lest Brother Zhang or Brother Cao accidentally hurt you.”
“Haha, I’m afraid I must decline your good intentions,” Yang Kai laughed heroically, “Wanting to capture me depending on just you people? I think you’re trying to bite off more than you can chew.”
“Wild!” Cao Guan shouted angrily, no Transcendent Realm cultivator would dare spout such nonsense in front of so many Saint Realm masters. This boy’s arrogance simply knew no bounds.
“Temple Master…” A figure suddenly flew over and shouted out to Cao Guan, “There’s no one here, all of the disciples of Nine Heavens Holy Land are gone.”
“No one?” Cao Guan was stunned.
“En.”
At the same time, Zhang Ao, Wu Jie, and the other Saints also received similar reports. This discovery inevitably concerned them somewhat, each of them putting on a dignified expression, wondering just what kind of trick Nine Heavens Holy Land was trying to pull.
Thousands of people suddenly disappearing, this phenomenon was simply too abnormal.
The faint uneasiness he had felt earlier became stronger and Zhang Ao decided not to delay matters any further.
A long night of sleep brings about many dreams.
In the next instant loudly shouting, “Brothers, let us capture this brat first. As long as we have him in our hands, Xu Hui and the others won’t be able to stir up any trouble no matter what scheme they have up their sleeves!”
Zhang Ao waved his hand and everyone else nodded, quickly condensing their True Qi as they prepared to rush Yang Kai.
However, before they could take action, a series of screams rang out from afar. When they heard these blood curdling screams, everyone couldn’t help freezing in place.
Quickly sweeping the area with their Divine Senses, the masters gathered around Yang Kai all wore gloomy expressions.
None of these masters was weak and under investigation of their powerful Divine Senses, they swiftly discovered a large number of powerful auras which were flooding into the nine peaks, stirring up a great storm wherever they went.
On the horizon, a great disturbance, like a gathering storm cloud, was rapidly approaching. Amidst this dark cloud, a number of faint figures stood arrogantly in high up in the sky, staring down indifferently at the cultivators below, giving off a massive sense of oppression.
Zhang Ao’s complexion changed greatly, throwing Yang Kai to the back of his mind as he called out, “What’s going on?”
Pitiful screams continued to ring out once after another and the smell of blood soon filled the air. No one seemed to have any time to answer Zhang Ao’s question. Only after quite a while did a blood stained Shattering Mystical Palace disciple rush over and report, “Palace Master, it’s a disaster, a huge horde of Monster Beasts has appeared!”
“Monster Beasts?” Zhang Ao’s eyes narrowed as he shifted his gaze towards where the screams were coming from just in time to witness the terrifying scene of a giant Blue Eyed Python swallow a human cultivator whole.
Zhang Ao didn’t know which force that cultivator came from, but he could tell the latter’s strength was not weak, having a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivation. However, in front of this giant python, this unfortunate man had no power to fight back. It was as if an irresistible suction force was being emitted from this python’s mouth, sucking in this cultivator before the python swallowed him whole, a slight bulge which seemed to be struggling sliding down the giant python’s neck a moment later.
*Chi chi chi…*
A series of attacks landed on the giant python, creating a number of dazzling sparks, but the giant body covered with black scales seemed to be impregnable, remaining completely undamaged. Shaking its head and wagging its tail, the python swallowed down several more cultivators while pulverising others into bloody paste as it rampaged about.
This scene was nothing short of a bloody purgatory.
Looking around, Monster Beasts of various shapes and sizes had invaded every corner of the nine peaks. These Monster Beasts’ eyes were all red, as if their bestial instincts had been stimulated by the scene of blood in the air, all of them slaughtering their way through the human cultivators, no one able to block their path.
Screams of pain and terror resounded as everyone began panicking and fleeing.
“Where did these Monster Beasts come from?” Zhang Ao screamed as his face paled, a look of dread flashing across his eyes as he stared towards the black cloud in the distance.
“They seem to have come from the Beast Sea Jungle!” Cao Guan replied quickly.
As soon as these words came out, all the masters gathered around Yang Kai felt a cold chill run up their backs.
The Beast Sea Jungle was the territory of the Monster Race where one of the Monster Race Great Seniors lived; that was one of this world’s top powerhouses!
Glancing back towards the rapidly approaching dark cloud, everyone immediately understood what was happening.
“Hateful boy, actually colluding with these evil monsters!” Zhang Ao roared as he turned a hate filled glare back towards where Yang Kai was standing but to his shock, there was no one there. Yang Kai, who should have been completely surrounded, had at some unknown point disappeared, leaving behind several dozen bewildered masters.
The dark cloud finally arrived in the sky above the nine peaks and from it descended a glowing seven coloured beam of light. A graceful figure with fluttering translucent wings appeared from inside this beam of light a moment later, a cold, indifferent expression upon her beautiful face.
Cai Die!
Following closely behind Cai Die were twenty to thirty Monster Race masters in human form, each of them grinning fiercely as they radiated an awe inspiring pressure towards the Human Race cultivators below. Kuang Shi took the lead and plunged towards the ground like a meteor, opening up a giant crater when he landed. Immediately after, he rushed towards a Transcendent Realm human cultivator, shrugging off the attacks directed towards him with his flesh alone before grabbing hold of this unfortunate man and sinking his teeth into his neck.
Blood splashed out and Kuang Shi let out a thunderous roar, his eyes filled with joy. The Human Race Transcendent didn’t even have a chance to resist, dying immediately after Kuang Shi ripped out his throat.
This bloody scene was burned into the eyes of the surrounding Human Race cultivators, causing them to lose all courage and flee in all directions, none of them daring to fight with Kuang Shi.
Before they could escape far though, more Monster Beasts blocked their path and set upon them.
Atop one of the nine peaks, Yang Kai stood indifferently overlooking the bloody slaughter down below.
The figure of the Monster Race Great Senior appeared next to him a moment later.
“Great Senior, you’re a bit late,” Yang Kai smiled and quipped.
“Hmph, it’s not easy gathering up so much manpower, you didn’t exactly give me much time,” The Monster Race Great Senior coldly snorted.
“How many came?”
“Three thousand Sixth-Order, eighty Seventh-Order, and nine Eighth-Order!”
Yang Kai couldn’t help raising his brow, “An impressive lineup.”
“Do you think I, by myself, could assure the safety of the Beast Sea Jungle all these years? If not for there being enough masters beside me, the Beast Sea Jungle would already have been overrun by your Human Race,” The Great Senior slowly shook his head, “Take your Nine Heavens Holy Land as an example, you guys rely too much on your Holy Master, as soon as he died, this place became vulnerable.”
“Tell that to them, not me,” Yang Kai laughed, he had also seen the flaw in Nine Heavens Holy Land’s system, it was the exact opposite of the Monster Race which had a large number of top level masters accompanying the Great Senior so that, even if the latter fell, the Beast Sea Jungle would not be in any danger.
This time, it seemed like the Monster Race had turned out in full force.
“Remember what you promised me,” Great Senior glanced over at Yang Kai.
“Rest assured, since I’ve reached an agreement with you, I won’t renege on it,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“How do you want me to handle these invaders?” The Monster Race Great Senior asked.
“Do as you please,” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, as if it had nothing to do with him.
The Great Senior snickered back, “Little brat, are you looking forward to me killing all of them?”
Yang Kai smiled but didn’t reply, clearly indicating his stance.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you then. Killing too many people is not good for my Monster Race, doing so will only bring out more intense revenge from your Human Race’s masters,” Great Senior snorted, already having seen through Yang Kai’s intent to use his Monster Race to solve the Holy Land’s problem for them.
If these human cultivators were really to be slaughtered clean, the hatred for their deaths would only be directed towards the Monster Race while Nine Heavens Holy Land could feign ignorance.
Although he understood this, the Monster Race Great Senior still couldn’t refuse Yang Kai’s proposal; however, when it came to the implementation, naturally he wouldn’t allow himself to be led around by Yang Kai.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand though, if it’s convenient, could you enlighten me, boy?” The Monster Race Great Senior glanced over and asked Yang Kai.
“What?”
“Where did all the people from your Nine Heavens Holy Land go? Why does it seem like only you are here?”
“Naturally they’ve hidden themselves in a safe place. Great Senior doesn’t need to worry. Once the unpleasant business here is concluded, the Alchemists and Artifact Refiners I promised you will return.”
“Good, I don’t believe you’d dare deceive me.”
Down below, upon seeing the Monster Race join the fray and quickly proceeded to slaughter countless masters, Zhang Ao and the other leaders of this crusade knew the situation could no longer be salvaged, quickly pushing their True Qi and using their movement skills to escape.
Even if their hearts were filled with unwillingness, there was simply nothing they could do.
Bold Independent Union’s Union Master, Yun Cheng, stared around in grief. Seeing so many of his disciples and subordinates either dead or seriously wounded, he couldn’t help feeling a profound sense of regret.
If he had just heeded his daughter’s persuasion and taken everyone back immediately, he could have avoided being swept up in this catastrophe and suffered no casualties at all.
Now, it was too late for all that, of the several hundred disciples he had brought with him, nearly half were already dead or dying, while even he himself had to flee under the terrifying charge of the Monster Race masters.
Seeing Zhang Ao and the other Saints already retreating, Yun Cheng no longer dared to remain, rallying his remaining subordinates and disciple together and immediately chasing after Zhang Ao, fighting their way out.
From the moment the Monster Race arrived till the battle ended, less time than it would take to burn a stick of incense had passed.
Among the nine peaks, dead bodies and blood could be seen everywhere, making for a shocking scene. Of the cultivators who had come to crusade against Nine Heavens Holy Land, at least a thousand had died.
Under the lead of some giant Monster Beasts, the horde soon ran out of the nine peaks to pursue the fleeing human cultivators.
“Do not pursue them!” A tender voice suddenly called out as Cai Die’s graceful figure fell to the ground lightly, blocking the stampeding Monster Beasts’ path. Upon hearing this command, all of these Monster Beasts came to a halt before lifting their heads towards the sky and letting out great roars.
When they heard this series of howls, the fleeing human cultivators trembled in fear, all of them immediately putting all their strength into increasing their speed.
“A difficult matter for one is accomplished with ease by another,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head and sighed. The huge, insurmountable crisis facing Nine Heavens Holy Land had easily been resolved by the Monster Race, making him feel somewhat frustrated.
“What you see here is the strength my Monster Race has accumulated for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Do you think you can obtain such power casually?” The Great Senior snickered, “Your Nine Heavens Holy Land isn’t bad, but it’s still not comparable to my Monster Race.”
“Indeed, otherwise there would be no point in taking advantage of your strength,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Well, you cultivate diligently, and in a hundred years or so you’ll be able to stand at my height. By then, Nine Heavens Holy Land will be strong again.”
“A hundred years? Great Senior, you’re looking down on me far too much,” Yang Kai grinned.
“You want to say it will only take you twenty or thirty years? How could this King believe your nonsense?”
“Just wait and see,” Yang Kai rolled his eyes.
As the two talked, Cai Die flew over and landed in front of them. After shooting a faint glance towards Yang Kai, she reported, “Great Senior, all the humans have fled.”
“Good, spread my commands, clean up the battlefield then let everyone find a place to settle down. From now on, these nine peaks are part of my Monster Race’s territory; we need to make good use of the resources here.”
“Yes.”
“Boy, I’ve solved your problem for you, shouldn’t you fulfill your end of the bargain now?”
Yang Kai nodded.
He had already reached an agreement with this Great Senior and had no plans on going back on his word.
Arriving in front of the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai let out the Alchemists and Artifact Refiners he had agreed to lend the Great Senior, satisfying the latter greatly.
The Holy Land’s Alchemists and Artifact Refiners were of course frightened facing these Monster Race powerhouses, but they settled down greatly when the Great Senior personally guaranteed their safety.
Yang Kai also activated the Nine Peaks Spirit Array to enrich the World Energy aura for the Monster Race.
Yang Kai then handed off a fine piece of jade upon which he had engraved the Natural Spirit Arrays he had agree to teach the Great Senior about previously, allowing the Great Senior to study it on his own.
These Natural Spirit Array diagrams were related to the Monster Race’s Beast Transformation Pond and were the most valuable item out of this entire transaction to the Monster Race Great Senior.
A few hundred kilometers away from the nine peaks.
Inside a dense jungle, many cultivators had hidden themselves, none of them daring to even breathe loudly. The sun shining down through the canopy illuminated the gloomy expressions upon Zhang Ao and the other’s faces.
Since their defeat at the hands of the Monster Race, ten days had already passed.
During these ten days, Zhang Ao constantly thought back to the scenes that day, his heart filled with a deep sense of unwillingness each time. He had thought that as soon as he captured that little bastard he would be able to obtain the core inheritance of Nine Heavens Holy Land, but never had Zhang Ao imagined the Monster Race would actually intervene at the critical moment.
The Monster Race Great Senior had brought several dozen masters with him and had forced them to flee like beaten dogs.
All the forces Zhang Ao had gathered together to crusade against Nine Heavens Holy Land had long been scattered, leaving only Shattering Mystical Palace, War Spirit Temple, and Netherworld Sect.
With just the three Sects, they wouldn’t be able to beat the original Nine Heavens Holy Land, much less exact revenge upon the Monster Race.
Moreover, all three Sects had suffered heavy losses and the number of masters they had left who could still fight was not many.
It was undoubtedly the best choice to withdraw here, but Zhang Ao simply couldn’t resign himself to that. After manipulating so many forces and masters yet still failing to defeat Nine Heavens Holy Land, Zhang Ao could imagine how much of a laughing stock his Shattering Mystical Palace would become once word spread out.
His blood boiling, Zhang Ao’s expression became even darker and more sinister.
“That despicable little brat, actually daring to collude with those evil monsters, hateful!” Zhang Ao cursed as he gazed back in the direction of Nine Heavens Holy Land, sullen and helpless.
Cao Guan also grumbled indignantly, “He dares face universal condemnation, as soon as the news of this spreads, I think it’ll be impossible for him to stand tall anywhere in Tong Xuan Realm.”
Wu Jie simply cackled and said, “Nine Heavens Holy Land is actually quite interesting, I never expected they’d actually join forces with the Monster Race.”
“This isn’t necessarily the idea of Xu Hui or the other Holy Land Elders. I’ve been dealing with Xu Hui for several decades so I have a fair understanding of his thinking; it’s highly unlikely he would propose such a thing. All of this is probably because of that little brat,” Zhang Ao coldly snorted, “The most important thing right now though is how to seize him from the Monster Race.”
“En, this is somewhat difficult to handle,” Cao Guan frowned deeply.
“You two still don’t want to give up?” Wu Jie stared at them with amazement and shook his head, “With that Monster Race Great Senior protecting him, what hope do you have to capture him with?”
“Can he not come out for a lifetime? I vow not to rest until I catch that little bastard!” Zhang Ao face filled with cruel madness.
“I as well! Why, what’s wrong? Does Brother Wu want to retreat now even after receiving so many benefits from us?” As he spoke, Zhang Ao shot a bad look towards Wu Jie.
Wu Jie quickly raised his hand and said, “Receiving wealth to disperse disaster has always been my Netherworld Sect’s objective. Now that I’ve received payment from you two, of course I’ll help you to the end.”
“That would be for the best,” Zhang Ao nodded with satisfaction.
As the three Sect leaders were talking, a cultivator who had gone to scout out the nine peaks situation returned and after respectfully bowing, reported, “The nine peaks have been completely occupied by the Monster Race, and there are no signs of any of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s disciples anywhere. There’s only traces of Monster Beast and Monster Race activity inside; they appear to be busy mining the Crystal Stone mineral lodes!”
Hearing this, Zhang Ao and Cao Guan’s brows both twitched in annoyance.
If it weren’t for the damn Monster Race, those rich mineral lodes would be theirs right now.
“Are you certain you didn’t see anyone from Nine Heavens Holy Land inside?” Zhang Ao frowned. This piece of information was something he was particularly concerned about. Before the war started, he hadn’t spotted any of the Holy Land’s disciples or even Elders which could possibly be explained by them hiding somewhere nearby, but them not appearing even now was a bit intriguing.
“Yes, this subordinate and several dozen others have been observing day and night, but no one has spotted a single disciple of Nine Heavens Holy Land since that day.”
“Nine Heavens Holy Land’s thousands of disciples couldn’t have simply vanished,” Cao Guan wore a puzzled expression, venturing a guess in the next moment, “Brother Zhang, could it be that the Monster Race…”
Hearing this, Zhang Ao was stunned for a moment before a sneer appeared on his face, “It’s possible. The Monster Race is by no means a trustworthy partner, perhaps that little brat thought he could collude with those beasts only to have them turn on him once they got what they wanted; if so, he really lifted a stone only to smash his own foot!”
“That little bastard got what he deserved!” Cao Guan’s mood improved noticeably, soon wondering though, “But if that’s the case, that little brat is likely now in the hands of that Monster Race Great Senior. How are we supposed to capture him?”
Zhang Ao frowned and sunk into contemplation, but even after thinking about it for half a day, no feasible plan came to mind.
…..
Inside a grand palace, Yang Kai sat face to face with the Monster Race Great Senior and portrayed several exquisite Spirit Arrays between them.
Yang Kai pushed down his impatience as he carefully taught the Great Senior.
Originally, he had already carved the entire series of Spirit Arrays related to the Beast Transformation Pond onto a fine jade slip; but after the Monster Race Great Senior examined it thoroughly and told Yang Kai he was unable to understand all of it, Yang Kai had no choice but to explain them himself.
Fortunately, the Great Senior’s perception wasn’t bad, so although he had never studied this subject before, after receiving ten days of Yang Kai’s dedicated lectures, he was finally able to grasp the key points of the Spirit Array diagrams.
All that was left for him to do now was to slowly comprehend it so that if any problems occurred when one of the Monster Race first tries to assume human form, the Great Senior could fix them himself without having to ask Yang Kai for help.
After Yang Kai finished explaining the Spirit Array diagrams, the Monster Race Great Senior let out a long breath, his face showing a look of shock as he muttered, “This Spirit Array diagram conforms greatly to the Heavenly Way and is of great use to those who cultivate the Martial Dao. Who was it that taught you these things?”
“No comment!” Yang Kai smiled.
“Good, I don’t intend to inquire about your secrets; it’s just that many of the mysteries hidden within these Spirit Array diagrams can’t be seen with your current cultivation and vision. Although my attainments in this field are much shallower than yours, my vision and experience far outstrip your own still. En, boy, treasure and study these Spirit Array diagrams well, one day you will discover that profundities hidden within them are far greater than you can imagine.”
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as a thoughtful look appeared on his face.
“Earlier you mentioned you were an Alchemist, right?” The Monster Race Great Senior suddenly asked.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“Since you’re an Alchemist, why not stay here and assist my clan? I think your Alchemy level should not be bad. My clan has collected a lot of rare materials over the years, things your Human Race would find difficult to ever acquire.”
“No thanks,” Yang Kai waved his hand, “I’m not interested.”
“Don’t say that, everything is open to discussion, let’s talk about it, what treatment you want, I can promise you,” The Monster Race Great Senior smiled widely.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “I’m afraid I’ll have to decline Great Senior’s kind intentions, I have others things to attend to so I can’t stay here for long, en, the Reflecting Moon Pond I told you about, I’ll have to ask you to help me look after it. Someone may come here later to examine it.”
“You want to leave?” Great Senior frowned.
“If I don’t leave now, I am afraid I never will,” Yang Kai stared straight into the Great Senior’s eyes, not showing any fear.
Great Senior grinned, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded, “Go, we’ll meet again.”
“Great Senior should take care, who knows, within a few years, I may be back to reclaim the nine peaks, so you’d best take advantage of the resources here while you can.”
Saying so, Yang Kai didn’t wait for the Great Senior to reply before flying off, quickly disappearing from the palace.
After Yang Kai left, the Great Senior’s expression turned into a sneer, “A few years? That boy looks down on people far too much.”
The Great Senior had brought his clansmen out from the Beast Sea Jungle in a grand fashion, risking a full scale conflict with the Human Race in order to help Yang Kai solve the Holy Land’s immediate crisis; how could he only occupy the nine peaks for a few years as payment?
“Great Senior, do you intend to just let him leave like that?” Cai Die appeared silently, a light frown upon her face, “He has precious knowledge about the Beast Transformation Pond’s hidden mysteries.”
“En, but he has also done a great favour for our Monster Race,” The Great Senior said with a complicated expression, “I know what you’re worried about, but you need not be, that little brat is trustworthy and will not easily leak the secrets of the Beast Transformation Pond. My Monster Race cannot stoop so low as to act like humans, repaying kindness with enmity. Cai Die, don’t get any crooked ideas, I know you want to put him under house arrest for safety’s sake; but do away with such thoughts.”
“Yes,” Cai Die respectfully replied, glancing off in the direction Yang Kai disappeared and suddenly chuckling, “But he certainly is crazy enough, claiming he will be able to stand on equal ground with Great Senior within twenty or thirty years and now saying he’ll be back to recover the nine peaks within a few years, I’d really like to know where he gets all his confidence from.”
“The young never lack confidence…” Great Senior mused, “However… I always feel like the things he said will come true. That boy is quite strange, so I don’t want to make a move against him. Instead, I’d like to see just how he plans to achieve those wild claims of his.”
“So that’s how it is,” Cai Die nodded, a smile appearing on her face.
“You should smile more, you look more attractive when you do,” Great Senior suddenly said.
Cai Die’s face blushed red before she directed a stern glare towards the Great Senior, “Why would Great Senior suddenly say something Kuang Shi would say?”
“Haha, beauty should naturally bloom more, what point is there in trying to hide it? What difference is there between that and how those deceitful humans act? One should be true to one’s nature and temperament. Regarding that, I really appreciate that little boy’s attitude; though his temperament is somewhat lawless, so he’s likely to suffer a big loss sooner or later!” Saying so, the Great Senior’s face showed a look of taking pleasure in others’ misfortune, as if he knew Yang Kai was about to suffer such a loss.
Cai Die couldn’t help pursing her lips and smiling, she never knew that her Great Senior actually had such a side to him.
Beyond the nine peaks, Yang Kai secretly wore a cold expression.
Working with the Monster Race was undoubtedly a double edged sword, the slightest carelessness would result in tragic consequences.
Although the Great Senior’s attitude towards him was quite good, Yang Kai still had to use an abundance of caution when dealing with such a powerhouse.
After all, Yang Kai never knew when this master would suddenly decide to act impulsively.
The gap in strength between them was still too great.
The Monster Race Great Senior sharing some friendship with the old Holy Master was naturally because the two of them stood at the same height. Although Yang Kai had inherited the old Holy Master’s titles and status, in the end he was still just a Second Order Transcendent Realm cultivator, a minor character in the eyes of the Great Senior.
Sweeping the area with his Divine Sense quickly and determining no one was pursuing him, Yang Kai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He was certain that if he remained in the Holy Land for much longer, he would not be able to leave; the Great Senior would definitely ‘invite’ him to perform Alchemy for the Monster Race.
Yang Kai had gradually relaxed after flying out a few dozen more kilometers.
But before he had a chance to catch his breath, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed again and he quickly glanced over towards a certain area in the jungle. In the direction he was staring, a scroll-like artifact appeared and a large number of beast images that were drawn upon roared fiercely, leapt off the parchment, and charged towards him.
Immediately behind this horde of beasts was a sharp beam of light that was also honing in on Yang Kai, an oppressive and dangerous aura radiating from it.
Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai immediately condensed a Grand Heavenly Shield, one of Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
A golden shield was quickly formed in front of him.
The beasts that had rushed out of the scroll didn’t slow their pace at all and slammed directly into the Grand Heavenly Shield, each of them shattering into a million points of light one after another.
The beam of light that followed also hit the Grand Heavenly Shield and made a crisp bang before being bounced back.
The Grand Heavenly Shield also collapsed at this point and Yang Kai let out a cough before turning a gloomy look towards the source of the attacks.
Over there, Zhang Ao was laughing happily, “Little bastard, you really dared to come out. It seems the Heavens are truly helping me!”
Cao Guan stretched out his hand towards the beam of light and a long sword type artifact flew into his palm. Wu Jie also floated behind these two like a spectre, staring at Yang Kai quietly.
This trio had thought there was no hope of them being able to capture Yang Kai and had actually been preparing to withdraw to reconsider their strategy when they suddenly got word that Yang Kai had exited the nine peaks.
Immediately overjoyed, the three of them quickly set out to pursue and seize Yang Kai.
However, to their great surprise, even without the power of the Nine Peaks Spirit Array backing him up, Yang Kai had actually managed to block Zhang Ao and Cao Guan’s first attack unscathed.
Only now did the three of them realize they had far underestimated Yang Kai’s personal strength.
“Let’s see where you run this time! This place is far from your nine peaks; even if you want to ask for help from that Monster Race Great Senior it’s impossible,” Cao Guan laughed heartily.
“You’re all really annoying,” Yang Kai glared at the three of them with obvious impatience.
He too had not expected to run into these three here.
Yang Kai had thought that after suffering defeat at the Monster Race’s hands, these three would sneak back to their Sects and seal up their gates, but unexpectedly they had actually not lost hope and were still lingering around.
Three Saint Realm master, one of whom had reached the Second Order; Yang Kai knew he was not their opponent. With his current cultivation and means, he was barely able to fight with a First Order Saint, but the chances of him winning were slim.
The Saint Realm and Transcendent Realm seemed to be fundamentally different. After encountering so many Saints and even competing against a number of them, Yang Kai was keenly aware of this fact.
However, these three wanting to capture him was also not realistic, a fact that allowed Yang Kai to remain calm and indifferent even in this situation.
“Heh heh, boy, there is no road to Heaven nor path to Hell for you, surrender without a fight and you can lessen how much you’ll have to suffer!” Zhang Ao coldly declare, silently releasing his Spiritual Energy towards Yang Kai as he spoke, wanting to influence his mind and dampen his will to resist.
Yang Kai however didn’t even blink, completely ignoring Zhang Ao’s Divine Sense attack.
Seeing this, Zhang Ao’s brow knit slightly. This little Second Order Transcendent Realm brat in front of him was like a bottomless black pit, no matter how much Spiritual Energy Zhang Ao sent out, he couldn’t see through the latter’s depths.
“You think you can capture me with just the three of you?” Yang Kai snickered mockingly, not putting these three in his eyes at all, “Give it your best shot, I’d like to see if you have any skill at all.”
“Boy, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!” Cao Guan gnashed his teeth, “If you come quietly, we won’t treat you poorly, but if force us to catch you, we won’t show any mercy.”
“Come! If this time you fail to catch me, I swear I’ll return this insult by exterminating your whole families!” Yang Kai’s look suddenly became fierce as he shouted out angrily. These three were worse than cockroaches, making Yang Kai fume with irritation.
In his heart, Yang Kai made a vow that once he grew up, he would find and kill these three.
“Unfortunately for you, you’ll never get the chance!” Zhang Ao stretched out his hand and manipulated his scroll-type artifact, creating a powerful suction force which made the space around Yang Kai to ripple and distort like the ripples on a pond, becoming thick and viscous.
A smug look of victory appeared on Zhang Ao’s face, thinking there was no way Yang Kai could escape from this imprisonment.
Yang Kai simply grinned in response, a cold light flashing across his eyes as he stood in place, not moving.
The suction force increased suddenly and the scroll-type artifact rapidly expanded, spreading out in all directions before wrapping tightly around Yang Kai.
Seeing this, Cao Guan was overjoyed and let out a raucous laugh.
Zhang Ao just coldly snorted, drawing his artifact back towards him, but after carefully examining it, his expression became dark and gloomy.
Yang Kai, who should have been wrapped up inside the scroll, had mysterious disappeared, there was simply nothing inside!
“It seems like he ran away a long time ago!” Wu Jie’s eyes flashed an eerie green light as he solemnly stated.
“Ran away?” Zhang Ao’s eyes suddenly bulged, “When did you run?”
“Probably the moment you attacked him… Jie jie jie… the Nine Heavens Divine Skills are truly impressive… this movement skill is not ordinary!” Wu Jie turned his head and looked off into the distance.
Following his gaze, Zhang Ao and Cao Guan quickly released their Divine Senses and sure enough, a dozen or so kilometers away, they caught a trace of Yang Kai’s aura. At this moment, Yang Kai was flying away at such an extraordinary speed it caused both Zhang Ao and Cao Guan to gawk.
The speed Yang Kai was displaying right now was actually faster than an ordinary Saint Realm master.
No wonder this little brat didn’t show any signs of panic, it turns out he had his own skill.
“Don’t even dream of escaping from my grasp! I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth if necessary!” Zhang Ao loudly declared, his body flickering and disappearing in the next instant.
Cao Guan also hurried to keep up.
Wu Jie actually calmly stood in place for a moment, a look of interest appearing on his face, but soon flew off at lighting quick speed, leaving a trail of green mist behind him.
As he flew forward, Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense to grasp the movements of the three people behind him, his expression becoming even more cold and vicious.
He had not anticipated being chased like this, and although he was not afraid of his pursuers, Yang Kai still felt quite uncomfortable, so while racing forward, he continuously looked for opportunities to lose them.
However, these three were all Saint Realm masters, so it was no easy task to completely throw them off.
Time passed by and Yang Kai had lost ago lost track of how far he had flown. Although he had managed to shake off his pursuers a few times already, after a while, they would seek him out again, just like flies to honey, annoying him to no end.
Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of method these three were using to accurately lock onto his position from so far away.
It was only now that Yang Kai understood he had underestimated the attraction of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s core inheritance to these three. Just because he despised this inheritance which traded one’s lifespan for power didn’t mean others didn’t covet it.
Originally, Yang Kai planned on flying in the direction of Soaring Heaven Sect. As long as he returned to Soaring Heaven Sect, these three men wouldn’t dare chase after him and would have no choice but to withdraw.
However, as he flew and flew, Yang Kai lost his way and couldn’t identify which direction Soaring Heaven Sect was in, so he could only take one step at a time while choking down his smoldering rage.
One day, as Yang Kai was continuing his long distance escape, he suddenly came to a stop and stared off into the distance.
Up ahead of him, an unusual aura was slowly gathering, causing Yang Kai to feel vigilant.
A moment later, this aura became much stronger and right before Yang Kai’s eyes, a figure wrapped black robes that gave off an eerie green mist seemed to appear out of thin air.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at this newly appeared man for a moment before calling out in surprise, “Wu Jie?”
Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of Divine Ability this Netherworld Sect Sect Master had used, but it had somehow allowed him to instantly appear right in front of him. This method far surpassed Yang Kai’s understanding.
However, from Wu Jie’s appearance, he seemed to be extremely tired, his complexion pale as he gasped for breath and his True Qi fluctuating somewhat unstably.
Yang Kai quickly spread out his Divine Sense as far as he could and after discovering no other signs of danger nearby, he immediately took action, “Soul Battle Hall!”
A white light flashed and a mysterious force bursts out of Yang Kai’s body, catching Wu Jie off guard and forcefully pulling his Soul Avatar out.
“Ah…” Wu Jie was shocked and shouted, but in the next instant, his consciousness blurred. When Wu Jie regained his sensed, he discovered that his Soul Avatar had actually left his Knowledge Sea and appeared in a strange white world.
Not far away, Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar was glaring at him viciously.
The Soul Battle Hall was the Saint Grade artifact that Yang Kai and An Ling’er had been trapped together in back in the Ancient Ruins beneath the sea and this was actually the first time Yang Kai had used it since acquiring it.
This artifact had a special effect that forcefully extracted the Soul Avatars of everyone within its range and pulled them into this space, forcing opponents into a contest between Souls.
However, there are great drawbacks to this artifact. When using it, Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar would leave his body and also enter it, leaving his physical body in the real world vulnerable.
Wu Jie was a First Order Saint and has powers that Yang Kai did not quite understand. The risk of taking a strike now and having the two chase behind him were too high a rick so, he had not hesitated to summon the Soul Battle Hall and draw him into this space, preparing to end this as quickly as possible.
Yang Kai’s eyes burned with flaming fighting intent, he wanted to know if his current Spiritual Energy cultivation could really compete with a genuine Saint Realm master’s.
The Soul Battle Hall was the perfect place to try.
Realizing Yang Kai’s intentions, Wu Jie quickly raised his hand and said, “Boy, don’t be impulsive, I’m not here to fight with you.”
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as he sneered, “Is there any point in saying such things now?”
“You don’t believe me?” Wu Jie looked at Yang Kai with a strange grin, “If I really had malicious intent towards you, I wouldn’t have appeared in front of you this way. I’m sure you can sense that my current strength is far from its peak level.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and stared at Wu Jie deeply, his Divine Sense continuously probing him, observing his reactions and responses, trying to discern if he was telling the truth or not.
Wu Jie’s manner was calm, and at this moment, he seemed completely honest and upright.
After a moment, Yang Kai withdrew his hostility and sneered, “If you’re not here to fight, why appear in front of me at all?”
“Naturally to discuss something,” Wu Jie saw Yang Kai take back his murderous intent and also relaxed, letting out an evil sounding laughter
Yang Kai was stunned and couldn’t help wrinkling his brow, “Are you perhaps misunderstanding something? The two of us are sworn enemies, what is there to discuss?”
“The two of us being sworn enemies, isn’t that just Sir Holy Master’s one sided opinion?”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes.
“My meaning is simple, this Wu is willing to exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk with Sir Holy Master. I wonder what Sir Holy Master’s opinion is?”
“You might be willing, but I am not!” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “You have pursued and harassed me for many days now, yet you think with just a few simple words you can resolve this grudge? Aren’t you being a bit too naive?”
Wu Jie wore a helpless expression and replied, “This Wu was forced to act so… Zhang Ao and Cao Guan joined forces to pressure me, so I had no choice but to go along with them. When we attacked Nine Heavens Holy Land last time, I only brought along a few people from my Netherworld Sect and I never once took action, yet my forces still suffered a number of casualties at the hands of the Monster Race.”
“You got what you deserved,” Yang Kai coldly snorted, but he also knew that what Wu Jie said just now was not a lie. During the last battle, he really had not seen many cultivators from Netherworld Sect.
“Heh heh…” Wu Jie grinned wryly, “I know that Sir Holy Master probably does not believe this Wu’s words, but how should I put it… This Wu’s Netherworld Sect’s objective has always been to collect wealth to disperse disaster. I accepted benefits from Zhang Ao and Cao Guan so naturally I had to work with them, but now, this Wu has decided to withdraw from this matter.”
“Why?” Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he stared at Wu Jie curiously.
“Because I believe Sir Holy Master can become a great person! Zhang Ao and Cao Guan think that as long as they capture you, they can obtain the core inheritance of Nine Heavens Holy Land and become Third Order Saints, but I think they have simply been blinded by their own greed.”
“You don’t think so as well?” Yang Kai looked at Wu Jie with great interest.
Wu Jie firmly shook his head, “If becoming a Third Order Saint was really so easy, your Nine Heavens Holy Land would not only have your Holy Master break through to such a realm. If that was really the case, I’m afraid you would have already used such a method to become invincible throughout the world. Although I don’t know what that inheritance is, or what kind of secrets it hides, this Wu is clear that there is no such thing as benefits without cost. Every one of your Holy Land’s Holy Masters is short lived, and each generation only your Holy Master becomes a Third Order Saint. Although it is obvious this inheritance is quite profound and powerful, there are clearly many drawbacks as well. Even if we managed to obtain that inheritance from you, it’s not certain we will succeed in using it while the chance of failure is actually quite greater.”
“It seems you understand far more than those two,” Yang Kai couldn’t help improving his opinion of Wu Jie. This guy wrapped in black robes and green aura may seem like a sinister ghost, but his intelligence and wit were actually quite sharp.
“Sir Holy Master is too polite!” Wu Jie smiled and cupped his fists, displaying a modest and respectful manner, “It’s for these reasons this Wu does not want to become enemies with you. Also, you have proven your personal strength is out of the ordinary… I have never heard of a mere Second Order Transcendent being able to survive the pursuit of three Saints before. In fact, if it wasn’t for Zhang Ao’s Second Order Saint Realm cultivation, we would have long ago lost track of you. If things continue on like this, even if we pursue you for the rest of our lives we likely will never catch you.”
“But you actually managed to appear in front of me,” Yang Kai’s expression became cold, obviously quite concerned with how Wu Jie had magically overtaken him.
“The price I paid to do so though was enormous…” Wu Jie wore a forced smile and shook his head, “I’ll be honest with Sir Holy Master, when this Wu was young, he had a fortuitous encounter and obtained a mysterious technique which allows me to tear space and travel a thousand kilometers in the blink of an eye!”
“Tear space?” Yang Kai’s eyes shrank.
“Yes, but although this may sound simple, when executing this technique, it is easy to become lost in the Void, forever unable to find your way out. If it weren’t for us being absolutely unable to catch up to you, this Wu would never have used such a risky method! From the time I obtained this technique until now, this Wu has only used it twice, and each time was extremely dangerous.”
Wu Jie spoke very sincerely, not even concealing what method he used to appear before Yang Kai.
“Is Sir Holy Master perhaps interested?” Wu Jie suddenly smiled, “If you are, this Wu can freely offer this method to you.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai expression changed and his eyes flashed.
It would be a lie to say he was not interested in a method to tear space and instantly travel a thousand kilometers, but Wu Jie’s attitude so far was still concerning to him.
“What is it you want?” Yang Kai frowned and asked seriously.
“Sir Holy Master is quite cautious. Actually, this Wu does not want anything in particular at this moment, coming here to speak with you was simply to show my attitude… Good, Netherworld Sect is willing to always be on good terms with Sir Holy Master, I wonder if you understand my meaning?”
Yang Kai stared at him coldly and keenly grasped the key points in his words. The one Wu Jie wanted to make friends with was him, not Nine Heavens Holy Land.
For him, it was obviously more important to become friends with Yang Kai than Nine Heavens Holy Land.
“What advantage does that have for me?” Yang Kai relaxed as he could feel that Wu Jie was not telling lies because from the start, his Soul Avatar had not shown any unusual fluctuations.
“The method this Wu described earlier, could it be Sir Holy Master is not interested at all?” Wu Jie smiled, also relaxing somewhat, “This Wu does not have any particular strong points, but he understands what needs to be done! It is for this reason that Netherworld Sect could develop into the force it is today. Although Sir Holy Master’s cultivation is currently below this Wu’s, I believe that within a few years you will overtake me. I don’t want to sit idly by waiting for you to exact your revenge on my Sect, and… This Wu always felt that even if I was to fight with you now, I may not necessarily win.”
“You really do understand what must be done!” Yang Kai’s mouth curled into a fierce grin.
He suddenly found that this Wu Jie was quite interesting. Although he was no doubt a villain, he was an upfront and level headed one. Moreover, his vision and instincts were excellent. Inside this Soul Battle Hall, Yang Kai really didn’t fear him.
“Netherworld Sect received much favour from your old Holy Master and hopes to continue receiving such favour from you in the future. This Wu is not asking for much, he only wishes to secure a bright future for Netherworld Sect.”
“I can promise you that much!” Yang Kai nodded.
“Many thanks,” Wu Jie cupped his fists and bowed.
“In the future, you will rejoice that you made such a wise decision today,” Yang Kai laughed confidently.
“It seems Zhang Ao and Cao Guan are in for some misfortune…” Wu Jie said meaningfully as he exchanged a look with Yang Kai and laughed.
A moment later, he adjusted his expression and with a flick of his wrist, sent a glimmering ball of light towards Yang Kai and solemnly said, “Inside this are the memories of that fortuitous encounter this Wu had in the past. If you examine it briefly you’ll understand that what this Wu said is not false.”
“I’ll accept this then,” Yang Kai absorbed the ball of light into his Soul Avatar.
“Although this method is profound and shocking, this Wu must caution you, never use it unless absolutely necessary, otherwise you may find yourself lost in the Void, when this Wu first used it…” Coming to this point, it seemed Wu Jie recalled something terrifying and began shivering, unwilling to even remember it, “In any case, be abundantly cautious.”
“I’ll remember,” Yang Kai nodded, not bothering to check the information he received.
“There is still something I must tell you. This Wu estimates that Zhang Ao and Cao Guan will not give up on capturing you for some time so I have no choice but to continue chasing after you for a while. However, I don’t think Sir Holy Master will mind, there’s no way we can catch up to you anyways.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Good… then this Wu will say goodbye!” Having obtained Yang Kai’s promise, Wu Jie looked very satisfied.
Yang Kai waved his hand and released the Soul Battle Hall’s bindings, allowing the pairs Soul Avatars to return to their bodies in the next instant.
Wu Jie nodded towards Yang Kai and was about to depart when a frown appeared on his face and he seemingly casually mentioned, “Right, has Sir Holy Master ever seen the Coffin Carrying Man?”
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a cold light and his aura became dangerous.
Wu Jie jumped in surprise and quickly said, “No need to get so excited, I was just asking offhandedly.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I inadvertently heard that Cao Guan and one of his subordinates named Yao Di talking about the Coffin Carrying Man when they were talking about you, so I thought you may have seen the Coffin Carrying Man at some point.”
“Yao Di?” Yang Kai frowned, suddenly recalling a person by that name having been outside Raging Flame City that day, asking, “What else did they say?”
Wu Jie shook his head, “I didn’t hear clearly, they were quite covert in their conversation.”
As if he was speaking to himself, Wu Jie continued, “It’s rumored that the Coffin Carrying Man hides some kind of shocking treasure that anyone who unlocks his secret can obtain the power to become a supreme ruler… En, I don’t know if such rumors are true or false. Heh, well, pay it not mind, I was speaking thoughtlessly, I’ll take my leave!”
Saying so, Wu Jie flew off in a leisurely manner.
Gazing at his disappearing back, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled.
As the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire. The rumors about the Coffin Carrying Man weren’t exactly true, but they also weren’t entirely wrong.
On the Coffin Carrying Man’s back, there was indeed a hidden power that could allow a person to become the ruler of a vast territory, but this power could not be wielded by just anyone.
Wu Jie seemingly unintentionally raising this was obviously his way of subtly warning Yang Kai not to reveal his relationship with the Coffin Carrying Man.
This fellow… his thoughts were quite exquisite, and he was also the type who acted decisively.
Just because he was optimistic about Yang Kai’s future, he had done his best to melt the enmity between them and instead become friends. From a certain perspective, Wu Jie was quite far-sighted.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai didn’t think too much about it, turned in a certain direction and flew off.
Zhang Ao and Cao Guan were still chasing him and the former was a genuine Second Order Saint. Facing the Divine Sense probing of such a powerful master, Yang Kai had no choice but to flee as he couldn’t completely hide his aura.
In a flash, a month passed by, and Yang Kai faintly felt that he had gotten rid of Zhang Ao’s tracing.
After such a long chase, not only was Yang Kai depressed, it was likely Zhang Ao had also lost hope and had finally given up.
Spending a few more days wandering around to determine that he had really lost Zhang Ao, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he was not worried about them being able to catch him, being pursued by a Second Order Saint was by no means comfortable.
Spotting a lush and verdant mountain range up ahead with extremely rich World Aura, Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense to inspect the area but discovered only some low level Monster Beasts.
Nodding with satisfaction, Yang Kai immediately flew towards one of the mountain peaks.
Deep in a remote mountain range surrounded by lush vegetation that exuded a peaceful atmosphere, a beautiful and refreshing spring-like day.
Inside a natural cave half-way up a certain peak, Yang Kai sat cross-legged as he reviewed a certain scene in his mind over and over again, examining it from every angle, studying it diligently.
This memory was of the fortuitous encounter Wu Jie had spoken to Yang Kai about and subsequently passed on.
After managing to lose Zhang Ao and Cao Guan, Yang Kai didn’t immediately rush back to Soaring Heaven Sect but instead found a secluded place to begin studying this profound method to tear space.
Yang Kai was very interested in this technique.
If he could successfully grasp it, in the future, should he encounter an enemy he could not match, he could still easily escape.
However, from what Wu Jie had told him before they parted ways, using this method was accompanied by great risks.
Calming his mind, the scene from Wu Jie’s memory appeared before Yang Kai’s eyes as clearly as if he had been there to witness it personally.
After a day or two, Yang Kai had thoroughly remembered all of this memory’s contents.
Opening his eyes, Yang Kai let out a wry laugh, now understanding why Wu Jie had so easily handed over this extremely precious fortuitous encounter to him; it turned out the restrictions on its use were equally great.
Up until now he had still been wondering if Wu Jie was up to some kind of scheme, but after fully comprehending this tearing space method, Yang Kai realized he had been too suspicious. Wu Jie wasn’t plotting anything; it was just that whether he shared this technique with Yang Kai didn’t matter.
This method, while extremely profound and powerful, was actually also extremely simple.
It was like a combination of a Martial Skill and Soul Skill that consumed both True Qi and Spiritual Energy, and the amount consumed was astronomical.
Even someone as strong as Wu Jie, after displaying it once, was thoroughly exhausted.
Yang Kai was only a Second Order Transcendent; Wu Jie obviously thought that even if Yang Kai was able to comprehend this method, he wouldn’t be able to use it for some time.
Unfortunately for Wu Jie, he had looked down on Yang Kai too much. The True Qi and Spiritual Energy Yang Kai possessed were many times greater than Wu Jie imagined and were actually enough for him to display this method.
When using this method, the more True Qi and Spiritual Energy that was consumed, the farther away one could leap after tearing space.
Yang Kai completely immersed himself in this Divine Skill and quietly began comprehending it.
It was rumored that the Void Corridors and Mysterious Small Worlds scattered throughout this world were actually created in ancient times by extremely powerful masters.
Although these rumors weren’t necessarily true, Yang Kai realized from this point, just how high the strength and perception of the cultivators of that age were.
Tearing space and creating independent spaces were perhaps not difficult matters to them.
It was only because too much time had passed and the understanding of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way had greatly declined that this kind of profound skill had gradually faded from existence.
Perhaps, in today’s world, only the top masters in the Third Order Saint Realm could touch this threshold and move instantly across a dozen or even several dozen kilometers, but none of them could tear space and cross a thousand kilometers all at once.
The only way to achieve such a feat was to use a Void Corridor.
Time passed and the sun and moon rose and set many times. Without even realizing it, Yang Kai had sat in this cave for half a month or so before he felt he had thoroughly comprehended this Divine Skill and was now eager to try it out.
Although Wu Jie had repeated warned Yang Kai that he must be cautious when using it, since he had obtained such a magical technique, if he didn’t try it at least once, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to resign himself.
Only by personally experiencing it could Yang Kai determine if he could really tear space with this method or whether Wu Jie had just been exaggerating.
If he didn’t at least try it here, when he really found himself in danger in the future, it would be too risky to pin his hopes on this method he had no experience with.
After debating the issue in his head for a long time, Yang Kai eventually made up his mind and stood up.
True Qi and Spiritual Energy bursting out simultaneously, Yang Kai combined them with one another, causing a subtle change to occur and then bombarded the space in front of himself.
In front of Yang Kai, a series of ripples spread out, as if he had just thrown a stone into a calm lake.
When these ripples appeared, Yang Kai poured even more True Qi and Spiritual Energy into them, observing carefully as they slowly spread out.
After continuing this for a long time, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly lit up as his thoughts became completely calm and tranquil. In that instant, he discovered that the space in front of him was now somewhat different from normal.
Before he had a chance to examine this space closely though, these minute differences vanished.
Taking a light breath, Yang Kai did not become anxious, restraining the release of his True Qi and Spiritual Energy and controlling his breathing.
Although he had thoroughly comprehended this Divine Skill, he still found it quite difficult to put into practice.
It really made Yang Kai wonder about how these ancient masters formed Void Corridors and Mysterious Small Worlds, moreover doing so inadvertently while they were in battle.
Compared with them, Yang Kai felt he was still far too weak.
Perhaps his current self, in front of those ancient masters, was no different from an ant.
Half a day later, when Yang Kai finished restoring himself to his peak state, he tried again.
True Qi and Spiritual Energy once again burst out and bombarded the space in front of Yang Kai, causing a new set of ripples to appear.
This time, Yang Kai could feel the changes in front of him much more clearly, causing him to celebrate slightly.
Gradually, the space in front of Yang Kai became somewhat wrinkled, or perhaps twisted, like a transparent piece of cloth that had been folded upon itself.
From this strange fold, some unusual energy fluctuations appeared.
Yang Kai’s spirit shook and without any hesitation he transformed his True Qi and Spiritual Energy into a sharp blade and slashed towards the fold.
*Ka…*
As if a door had been opened, a dark crack mysteriously appeared in front of Yang Kai. Staring into this tear in space, Yang Kai was unable to see anything, as if nothing at all existed inside it, causing him to wonder just what dangers it was hiding.
The aura around the mountain Yang Kai had secluded himself in suddenly became disordered as an unimaginable suction force emerged from this dark tear, madly swallowing the nearby World Energy, creating a violent storm.
As World Energy poured into it, the rift quickly collapsed in on itself.
Yang Kai didn’t even have time to observe it carefully before, in a flash of darkness, the rift disappeared and the twisted space in front of him returned to normal.
Yang Kai couldn’t help wrinkle his brow.
He clearly knew that he had only gotten halfway through displaying this Divine Skill and that as long as he could expand this tear in space enough he could enter it and explore what was inside.
Gently exhaling a breath, Yang Kai quickly inspected his current state and was shocked by what he discovered.
There was actually three or four drops less Yang Liquid in his dantian and about half the Spiritual Energy in his Knowledge Sea had been consumed.
Yang Kai was struck speechless. The cost to use this Divine Skill was far greater than he had imagined.
Even if he was in peak condition, he could only use it twice at most before he completely ran out of Spiritual Energy.
No wonder when Wu Jie appeared in front of him that day he looked like an arrow at the end of its flight. Displaying this method even with a First Order Saint’s cultivation must have been quite difficult.
Yang Kai quickly took a drop of Myriad Drug Liquid and swallowed some Spiritual Energy supplementing pills to increase the rate at which his Spiritual recovered.
After an hour, Yang Kai was fully restored and prepared to try again.
……
Through repeated trials and failures, Yang Kai gradually accumulated extremely valuable experience.
Three days later, after completely restoring himself, Yang Kai opened his eyes, full of confidence.
He believed firmly that this time he would successfully tear space.
Pushing his True Qi and Spiritual Energy in a controlled manner, much unlike his earlier attempts where he simply poured out as much strength as possible, Yang Kai merged the two energies together and bombarded the space in front of him.
An orderly series of ripples appeared and soon space began to wrinkle and distort. Seeing this, Yang Kai rapidly increased his output of True Qi and Spiritual Energy.
The dark slit appeared mid-air, as if a pair of invisible hands had torn the space apart, and suddenly expanded.
This tear in space soon began emitting a powerful suction force that madly swallowed the surrounding World Energy.
Yang Kai didn’t hesitate and leapt into the crack.
After he entered, the jet black rift disappeared.
As a familiar feeling of dizziness came over him, Yang Kai smiled. Not only did he not panic, he instead wore a look of great anticipation.
Just as Yang Kai had expected, the tear in space he had created was basically identical to a Void Corridor’s entrance, he could tell because the feeling he got when crossing the two were extremely similar.
Previously, when Yang Kai had entered Void Corridors, he would feel a subtle sense of vertigo, but it would subside shortly after exiting it on the other side.
This time however, the sense of vertigo persisted and Yang Kai felt like he had stepped into a bottomless abyss and was even now continuing to fall, unable to see where it ended.
A kind of turbulent energy flow lingered that seemed to contain a terrifying destructive force lingered about Yang Kai.
A cold chill ran up Yang Kai’s spine as he focused himself and carefully moved about in order to avoid these patches of turbulent energy.
These void turbulences were not something he could resist right now as he estimated they were even more powerful than the ambient energy of the Starry Sky. Once he was sucked into one of them, it was very likely he would become lost forever.
These void turbulences were also the reason Wu Jie had so strongly cautioned Yang Kai against using this method casually.
The first time Wu Jie used this technique, he had probably suffered a big loss in this place, leaving behind a kind of mental trauma.
Yang Kai suddenly felt like he was riding a small boat in the middle of a storm. Although he was in constant danger of being destroyed, he somehow managed to avoid the surrounding void turbulences and remain safe while exploring his surroundings.
Yang Kai didn’t hurry to leave this place as he wanted to thoroughly study and comprehend this tearing space method. He faintly felt that all the secrets of this profound technique were hidden among this seemingly turbulent void.
As long as he could unravel the mysteries here, Yang Kai estimated he could freely tear space and not have to worry about the inherent dangers.
Time passed by and Yang Kai became absorbed in his comprehension, slowly relaxing.
It was only when the surrounding void turbulences suddenly became chaotic and violent that Yang Kai’s expression change and he quickly condensed his True Qi and Spiritual Energy together to tear open another rift in front of him and flee.
In a flash, Yang Kai returned to Tong Xuan Realm and felt the scorching sun beam down on him, as if he had emerged high up in the sky, a thick layer of clouds actually appearing below his feet.
This scenery alone was enough to allow Yang Kai to relax as he let himself fall towards the ground, pushing his True Qi gently to stabilize his figure.
In a flash, two months passed by. Yang Kai had spent these past two months familiarizing himself with this tearing space method.
He had spent more than half this time inside the Void, quietly perceiving the turbulent flow of the Void, trying to comprehend its hidden mysteries.
When his Spiritual Energy ran out, he would leave the Void, find a place to meditate and restore himself, then repeat the process again.
By now he was able to easily tear space, enter the Void, and re-appear elsewhere in Tong Xuan Realm.
However, even when Yang Kai exerted his full strength, the distance he could cross was quite short, roughly two or three hundred kilometers at once. On top of that, he had yet to grasp which direction he traveled, so when he returned from the Void, he would appear in a random spot.
Every time he used this Divine Skill, Yang Kai exercised a high degree of caution.
The turbulence inside the Void could not be taken lightly as the chaotic energy they contained was too unpredictable and difficult to guard against. There were several times when Yang Kai was almost caught up in these currents, and if he had not hastily escaped, he likely would never have been able to leave the Void again.
Yang Kai’s tyrannical physique also played a vital role during this period. Just like the Starry Sky Energy, the Void turbulences were extremely harmful to one’s body. Yang Kai estimated that even Wu Jie would have to summon his defensive artifact to ensure his safety each time he used this method.
One day, Yang Kai returned from the Void through the Void Rift and appeared inside a misty mountain valley.
Yang Kai was still unable to control where he re-emerged from the Void, so each time he came back, he would raise his vigilance in case he landed in some dangerous place.
This time too, Yang Kai immediately concealed his aura and quietly began exploring his surroundings.
After a moment, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling stunned.
He discovered that there were actually a few hundred people of varying strength led by a First Order Saint Realm master gathered at the mouth of this mountain valley.
All of these people seemed to be solemnly and silently waiting at the edge of this valley. As for why they were behaving this way or why they were here, Yang Kai couldn’t tell.
Yang Kai quickly realized he had inadvertently intruded into the territory of some force, but seeing as the strongest master present was just a First Order Saint, he also wasn’t worried.
Quietly finding a place to sit down, Yang Kai concealed himself and his aura before starting to restore the strength he had just consumed.
Yang Kai didn’t bother investigating what the group of cultivators outside the valley were up to, but half a day later, after finished restoring himself, he was surprised to discover that this unknown Sect seemed to be carrying out some kind of sacred ceremony. All of these cultivators were acting very seriously and the ones with lower strength seemed to be filled with excitement and anticipation.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Yang Kai didn’t hurry to leave but instead decided to stick around and observe for a moment.
Another half a day later, the ceremony apparently ended and in a booming voice, the lone Saint Realm master began to solemnly chant some incomprehensible words.
A moment later, a cultivator with a Peak True Element Boundary cultivation strode into the mountain valley.
A Peak True Element Boundary would not be weak back in the Central Capital, but in Tong Xuan Realm, such cultivators either had mediocre aptitude or were very young.
The one who walked into the mountain valley belonged to the latter category.
Inside the thick mist, this individual walked straight towards Yang Kai. From his appearance, he appeared to only be a fourteen year old boy.
Not unlike Yang Kai many years ago, this slightly immature youth excitedly strode forward with an unyielding look upon his face that seemed eager for strength.
Yang Kai let out a chuckle as he such a thought came to mind.
Remaining hidden, his Divine Sense locked onto this boy, Yang Kai silently observed what he was doing.
This mountain valley was not too wide, but it stretched and twisted for quite some distance. The boy walking through the fog maintained a steady pace, his eyes focused ahead of himself.
But before this youth had gone more than a thousand meters, from the depths of the mountain valley, a gentle wind burst forth.
The youth was unable to resist this force and was pushed back towards the valley’s entrance.
After stabilizing himself, a discouraged look appeared on his face.
At the same time, Yang Kai wrinkled his brow, because when this thrust of wind appeared, he suddenly felt a tingling sensation from behind himself, as if something was trying to crawl across his back.
However, upon carefully examining himself, Yang Kai didn’t find anything at all on his back.
Yang Kai wore a puzzled expression and slowly shook his head.
After the boy was pushed back, he turned around, hung his head, and walked back the way he came. A moment later, upon leaving the mountain valley, everyone who was waiting there seemed to understand and sighed.
The First Order Saint simply glanced at the youth once before calmly shouting, “Next!”
Another cultivator, who was similar in age and cultivation to the first boy, then walked into the valley.
Like the first boy’s experience, after walking inwards a short distance, he was pushed back by the same soft force and turned back in frustration.
One by one, these youths walked into the valley, were repelled, and returned.
The Saint Realm master, who was presiding over all this, also began to appear somewhat low-spirited.
Yang Kai observed for some time before finally understanding. Although he didn’t understand the specifics of the ceremony these people were performing, it was in all likelihood some kind of test.
Unfortunately, it seemed like none of the youths gathered here were able to pass this test, each of them being blocked after advancing several hundred to a thousand meters into the mountain valley.
Out of the hundred or so young boys who had gathered at the mouth of the valley, fewer and fewer had not entered, those who had failed all wearing disappointed looks upon their faces.
Yang Kai turned his attention to the depths of the mountain valley at some point and narrowed his eyes.
Every time that gentle force appeared to push back these youths, Yang Kai would feel the same tingling sensation coming from his back. At first, Yang Kai thought it was just his imagination or perhaps some hidden master playing tricks on him.
But after experiencing this tingling sensation so many times and carefully investigating it over and over again, Yang Kai found that it was not like he originally thought.
The strange sensation he was feeling, as if something was crawling across his skin, was clearly coming from the Golden Dragon tattoo on his back.
Listening carefully, Yang Kai could even hear a subtle dragon roar from this tattoo.
The Golden Dragon tattoo on his back, and the Ice Phoenix tattoo on Su Yan’s, were things they obtained when they had inherited the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art.
What was the relationship between that and this place?
After thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai left his hiding place and walked deeper into the mountain valley.
Spreading out his Divine Sense, a moment later, Yang Kai wore a look of surprise.
Although he had been observing the movements of the group at the mouth of the valley, he had not yet carefully examined the surrounding terrain, so it wasn’t until now that he discovered that this winding mountain valley, from a bird’s eye perspective, was actually shaped just like a great dragon.
The mouth of the valley was the dragon’s tail, while the deepest depths was its head. There were also several offshoots from the valley in the shape of dragon claws, giving it a vivid and realistic look.
Moreover, the deeper Yang Kai ventured into the valley, the clearer the sensation coming from his back was and the faster the Golden Dragon tattoo swam about.
Sensing this, Yang Kai was even more convinced that this place was related to the inheritance that he and Su Yan had received back in the Inheritance Heaven’s Cave.
[How could there be such a coincidence?] Yang Kai secretly thought to himself. He had only inadvertently arrived here while trying to master the technique to tear space.
If everything was as he suspected, then Yang Kai could even guess which force this place belonged to.
At the mouth of the valley, the Saint Realm master’s brow had by now completely turned into a frown as he shouted in a worn out voice, “Next!”
At this command, a young boy with somewhat delicate facial features stepped forward and walked towards the mountain valley.
When the youth disappeared into the fog, the Saint Realm cultivator couldn’t help letting out a sigh.
“Palace Master, this is the last person,” A nearby Transcendent Realm cultivator whispered.
The man referred to as Palace Master simply nodded slightly, “I know, it seems this time is also a failure.”
The Transcendent Realm cultivator frowned, “After three years training these hundred youths, which one of them hasn’t made good progress? Palace Master, could it be that our method is somehow wrong?”
The Palace Master glanced over at his subordinate and asked, “What are you suspecting?”
“Subordinate would not dare, but…”
“No buts!” The Palace Master scolded harshly, “Although our Sect is now not very strong, you must remember that long ago, we were one of this world’s most powerful forces! Anyone who saw us would treat us with courtesy, and our disciples could freely walk the world as no one dared to provoke us!”
“Yes.”
The Palace Master then let out a sigh, “Our ancestors recorded these things in our Sect’s ancient books so that we would never forget our past prosperity! Unfortunately, all these years, no one has passed the Dragon Valley’s test so it has been impossible for us to reproduce our past brilliance and glory!”
“Palace Master, you…” The Transcendent Realm cultivator curiously asked.
The Palace Master simply shook his head, “I did not pass the valley’s test, it was just good fortune that I was still able to break through to the Saint Realm, otherwise I’m afraid we wouldn’t have even been able to protect our Sect’s foundation.”
The group of youths standing nearby eagerly listened in on the conversation between these two masters, a look of curiosity appearing in their eyes.
At this moment, the fog that constantly shrouded the Dragon Valley suddenly became somewhat disordered and the enter mountain valley trembled slightly, startling everyone standing at its mouth, each of them wondering if some kind of accident had occurred.
The gathered youths even went somewhat pale with fright.
Suddenly, a great dragon’s roar resounded from the depths of the mountain valley and a dazzling golden radiance as brilliant as the noon sun shot into the sky.
The eyes of the man called Palace Master suddenly bulged as he stared dumbfounded at the golden light. The Transcendent Realm cultivator beside him also wore the same shock filled look.
The golden light began twisting and after a while, a dragon head filled with endless majesty was formed, proudly and indifferently overlooking the valley below.
Under its gaze, all the gathered cultivators couldn’t help feeling small and insignificant.
Even the First Order Saint Realm Palace Master couldn’t help trembling as he pointed towards the Golden Dragon high up in the sky and stammering, “It appeared, it really appeared… it’s exactly the same as what was recorded in the ancient book, the Golden Dragon’s head has appeared, the Dragon Emperor has returned…”
“Palace Master… this, does this mean… someone passed the test?” The Transcendent Realm master stuttered.
The Palace Master was too excited to compose himself as tears streamed down his face, not even reacting to his subordinate’s question as he stared fixedly at the Golden Dragon head for a moment. Only after a while did he suddenly ask, “The boy who just entered the Dragon Valley, what was his name?”
In the deepest part of the mountain valley, Yang Kai stared at the Golden Dragon head that suddenly appeared as his heart pounded furiously.
The tingling sensation Yang Kai had been feeling, had transformed into an intense throbbing that seemed to be resonating with the dragon roar coming from the valley. In the next instant, the Golden Dragon tattoo leapt off his back and flew straight toward the giant dragon head floating high up in the sky.
As the two dragons met, the intensity of the golden light rose drastically, to the point where no one could even open their eyes.
A moment later, the light faded and Yang Kai discovered that he was now inside a golden world filled with an unfathomable amount of pure energy. A Golden Dragon only a few meters in length was now swimming around him, constantly swallowing this rich golden energy.
Yang Kai probed this dragon slightly before relaxing his guard.
This several meter long Golden Dragon gave off the same aura as him and if Yang Kai’s guess was correct, it should be the tattoo which normally resided on his back. As to why it had suddenly manifested itself and was devouring this golden energy, Yang Kai did not know, but even so, he could tell that as it fed, this Golden Dragon was slowly growing both in size and strength.
From behind Yang Kai, all of a sudden, the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground rang out. Turning around, Yang Kai saw a youth roughly fourteen or fifteen years old sitting on his butt staring back at him in terror.
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled.
He had been so focused on the shocking scenes before him that Yang Kai had actually not even noticed when this youth had appeared.
This boy was a True Element Boundary Seventh Stage cultivator, which in front of the current Yang Kai was no different from an ant.
After releasing his Divine Sense for a moment, Yang Kai slowly shook his head. He didn’t know why, but his Divine Sense was unable to penetrate this ocean of golden energy so he was unable to determine what had happened outside.
Sweeping his eyes around, Yang Kai confirmed that, besides the young boy in front of him, there was no one and nothing else present.
With a light smile, Yang Kai stepped towards this youth.
Yang Kai had many suspicions in his heart, and this boy was the perfect candidate to confirm them.
Seeing Yang Kai approach, the boy seemed to be overcome with fear and before Yang Kai could even speak a single word, the boy’s eyes rolled back and he fainted on the spot.
“Seriously?” Yang Kai gawked. Although he didn’t think he was particularly handsome, he also didn’t believe he appeared wicked. The timidity of this little brat was simply too great.
Without any choice, Yang Kai could only sit down and wait while carefully examining his surroundings.
This place had been completely engulfed by this golden energy ocean, and the Golden Dragon tattoo that usual rested on his back was still slowly swallowing it. Yang Kai tried to see if he could break through this energy blockade, but soon concluded it was futile.
The golden energy ocean was impregnable, and Yang Kai estimated that even if he used his Devil Transformation, he wouldn’t even be able to leave a scratch on it.
By tearing space, he may be able to leave here, but when he tried to recall the Golden Dragon, it didn’t respond to him, so Yang Kai had no choice but to settle in.
In any case, it was unlikely anyone from the outside could come in here as well.
Turning his attention to the youth in front of him, Yang Kai was surprised to discover that this boy’s Secret Art was actually a Yang Attribute one, similar to his own, and although the True Qi flowing through this boy’s body couldn’t be considered outstanding, it was still not bad considering his cultivation realm.
After waiting for half a day, the boy finally regained consciousness.
Upon opening his eyes, the youth didn’t seem to understand the situation he was in. However, the moment he spotted Yang Kai sitting a short distance away, breaking into a smile, the youth hurriedly crawled in retreat; he dared not lessen his vigilance against this stranger in front of him.
The youth’s eyes were filled with dread.
Seeing this, Yang Kai chuckled, “Don’t be afraid, I just have some things I want to ask you.”
The youth, however, maintained his wariness, showing a stance similar to a rabbit cornered by an eagle, pushing his True Qi to its maximum, preparing to put up a final resistance.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a hint of approval.
In a sense, Yang Kai felt this boy was somewhat similar to himself, when faced with a strong enemy, he unconsciously wanted to resist.
“If I wanted to kill you, there’s nothing you could do to resist!” Yang Kai grinned fiercely.
Hearing these words, the youth seemed to be dumbstruck for a moment but soon let out a long sigh, and with a resigned expression, got to his feet, patted the dust from his pants, and bowed, “Please ask whatever you want, Senior.”
“Senior?” This time it was Yang Kai’s turn to be stunned. This was the first time he had ever been called this by another. Nodding slightly, Yang Kai figured that he really was the Senior in this circumstance. In terms of strength, he was far above this boy, and even in terms of age, he was around ten years older, being called Senior was understandable.
“What force do you belong to?” Yang Kai asked after a moment of contemplation.
The youths eyes flashed a confused light before he hesitantly answer, “Dragon Phoenix Palace… Doesn’t Senior know this already?”
“Dragon Phoenix Palace… Sure enough!” Yang Kai took in a breath. When he noticed the Golden Dragon tattoo on his back behaving unusually, he had guessed as much, so hearing this name from this boy’s mouth was just a way of confirming his speculation.
When he was back in Ice Sect, Qing Ya had mentioned Dragon Phoenix Heaven. Though the name was not exact, it was similar and unique enough to be recognisable to him.
Qing Ya told him that ‘the inheritance he and Su Yan had obtained may be related to Dragon Phoenix Heaven’. Many centuries ago, Dragon Phoenix Palace was a powerful force on par with the Ice Sect of that time, but it had gradually declined because of the loss of its core inheritance.
Although the long years had been unkind to it, causing it to wither away somewhat, like Ice Sect, Dragon Phoenix Palace had yet to disappear into the annals of history.
There were several forces which had similar experiences throughout Tong Xuan Realm, Dragon Phoenix Palace was simply one of them.
At that time, Yang Kai secretly decided that when he had free time he would pay a visit to Dragon Phoenix Palace to have a look around, but unfortunately, he had been involved in a series of troubles after leaving Ice Sect which kept him thoroughly occupied.
It was only a coincidence that while practicing his tearing space method he had come here today.
Perhaps this was also some kind of divine intervention or fate.
After learning that this place was Dragon Phoenix Palace, Yang Kai immediately affirmed that the inheritance he and Su Yan obtained back in the Inheritance Heaven’s Cave was from this force.
“Senior… who are you? How did you open the Dragon Valley’s ancient barrier? Before now, all of us just thought it was some kind of legend.”
“Me?” Yang Kai thought about it for a moment, “In a sense I have some connection with your Dragon Phoenix Palace.”
The youth happily smiled upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, “Does that mean we’re all one family?”
“One family? Heh, well you can think that if you’d like.”
The young boy’s expression suddenly relaxed a lot, “That’s good, I thought my time of death had arrived.”
“Were you afraid I’d kill you?” Yang Kai squinted at him with a wry grin.
The youth scratched his head awkwardly and replied, “Please don’t take offence, Senior, Junior was simply thinking too much. Right, I should introduce myself, this Junior is Dragon Phoenix Palace disciple Sun Yu.”
“My surname is Yang…” Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
“Greetings, Senior Yang,” Sun Yu’s bowed politely, as if he was greeting an Elder from his Sect.
It was only reasonable for Sun Yu to think like this; after all, this Senior Yang had the ability to open Dragon Valley’s ancient barrier, so he must have some relationship with Dragon Phoenix Palace. On top of that, Yang Kai had just acknowledged having some connection to his Sect, so Sun Yu immediately felt relieved and was no longer on edge.
“Come and sit down, there are many questions I still need to ask you,” Yang Kai motioned to Sun Yu in a congenial manner.
“Please speak freely, Senior Yang, disciple will do his best to answer your doubts,” Sun Yu nodded quickly.
After chatting with Sun Yu for a while, Yang Kai gradually understood Dragon Phoenix Palace’s current situation.
Simply put, it was neither weak nor strong. There was a single Saint Realm master in the Sect named Chen Zhou, he was the one Yang Kai had previously detected at the mouth of the valley.
Although just a First Order Saint, that was enough to barely guarantee the safety of Dragon Phoenix Palace.
The ceremony Yang Kai had witnessed was known as the Dragon Valley’s Trial and it was held once every three years. The various youths who participated were selected from Dragon Phoenix Palace’s disciples, like Sun Yu, as well as others from the nearby affiliated Sects.
The disciples who came from Dragon Phoenix Palace’s affiliated Sects and Families would have to return to their own forces if they failed to pass this trial.
Every past Palace Master of Dragon Phoenix Palace presided over this test in hopes that one day, one disciple would be fortunate enough to pass and revitalize Dragon Phoenix Palace.
Unfortunately, after innumerable years and many successive Palace Masters, no disciple had ever passed the Dragon Valley’s Trial. This had led to Dragon Phoenix Palace’s declining to the point where only the current Palace Master still believed there was any kind of hidden legacy inside Dragon Valley.
That was, until now when Yang Kai inadvertently arrived here, causing Dragon Phoenix Palace to once again see hope.
As Sun Yu was explaining all of this, he suddenly face palmed and jumped up, “Oh crap, Palace Master and the others must think I was the one who opened the barrier and passed the Dragon Valley Trial.”
“Just let them think so, what’s the problem?” Yang Kai smiled casually.
“But… this really has nothing to do with me, all I did was walk along the valley until a sudden strong force pulled me here. No no, this isn’t right, I have to tell Palace Master.”
“You can’t get out,” Yang Kai shook his head as he turned his eyes to the surrounding golden barrier, “Not only you, even I can’t get out. We’re stuck here until all of this golden energy has been swallowed up.”
“What?!” Sun Yu’s face went white, “Then… what should I do?”
“Wait,” Yang Kai replied briefly, not showing the slightest bit of anxiety.
Seeing this Senior Yang acting so calm and relaxed, Sun Yu also seemed to regain his composure and slowly sat back down.
After chatting a bit more, Yang Kai learned from Sun Yu that while the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance was hidden in Dragon Valley, Dragon Phoenix Palace had another restricted area called the Phoenix Nest!
Inside the Phoenix Nest was the inheritance of the Phoenix Empress.
Anyone who passed the Dragon Valley’s Trial would have to select a young woman to inherit the Phoenix Empress’ position and become his life partner.
Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress were the titles given to the two strongest masters of Dragon Phoenix Palace many centuries ago. With these two masters at the helm, Dragon Phoenix Palace was considered one of the most powerful forces in the world.
Nowadays, the leader of Dragon Phoenix Palace only dared call themselves Palace Master.
Yang Kai expression changed when he heard this, suddenly becoming interested in this so called Phoenix Nest. If his guess was right, there should be something important there for Su Yan.
“The disciples selected to participate in the Dragon Valley’s Trial will be granted a special Secret Art from Palace Master even if we fail to pass. As such, as long as we can find the right girl, we won’t cultivate too slowly in the future.”
“A Dual Cultivation Secret Art?” Yang Kai asked bluntly.
Sun Yu nodded slightly as his face turned somewhat red.
“Do you have a girl you admire?”
Sun Yu shook his head rapidly, his face becoming even redder, “But there are many beautiful girls in the Sect… we can choose freely from among them, but once we form a pair, it will be for life!”
Yang Kai expression changed, only those who had cultivated profound dual cultivation technique knew the true meaning of not separating for a lifetime. As such, Sun Yu’s words just now seemed to resonate with Yang Kai, causing the look in his eyes to become gentler.
Outside the Dragon Valley, all of Dragon Phoenix Palace’s leadership had come together and were staring excitedly in the direction of the valley’s depths.
Palace Master Chen Zhou wore the most joyful look of them all, with a gigantic smile plastered on his face.
Dragon Phoenix Palace was a little different from other forces because it practiced Dual Cultivation Techniques. As a result, basically every master here had their own life partner.
At this moment, Yu Ting Yi, Palace Master Chen Zhou’s companion, was also together with him, holding his hand gently but actually unable to stop his stalwart body from trembling lightly.
Yu Ting Yi looked like a beautiful middle-aged woman with an outstanding figure, but because her aptitude was slightly worse, she had fallen behind Chen Zhou’s cultivation slightly and was now only a Third Order Transcendent. Seeing her husband so unable to control himself, she couldn’t help laughing lightly, “Good good, just because that inheritance has reappeared, is that a reason to become so excited?”
Chen Zhou took a deep breath, “You don’t understand! All previous Palace Masters have taken the restoration of this inheritance as their highest responsibility, but now, after so many years, it has finally appeared under my watch, how can I not be excited? The reappearance of this inheritance means our Dragon Phoenix Palace will once again have a Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress. As long as we have these two masters, we will be able to restore our past prosperity…”
Saying so, he suddenly called out, “Has Xiao Ling still not returned?”
Just as Chen Zhou shouted, a figure flew over from the distance, calling out before he even arrived, “Palace Master, subordinate is back.”
It was the Transcendent who was previously with Chen Zhou.
Chen Zhou rushed forward anxiously and asked, “Have you inquired where that disciple is from? Is he a disciple of my Dragon Phoenix Palace or one of our subordinate forces?”
“Reporting to Palace Master, the boy is called Sun Yu and he is a disciple of Dragon Phoenix Palace, he was born and raised in the Sect,” Xiao Ling replied quickly.
Hearing this, Chen Zhou couldn’t help smiling and nodding, “Good good good! Very good!”
Although it wouldn’t be much of an issue if this Sun Yu had come from one of the affiliated forces, since he had grown up in Dragon Phoenix Palace, his feelings towards the Sect would definitely be deeper, relieving one of Chen Zhou’s concerns.
“Who is his teacher?”
“Elder Ling Jian!” Xiao Ling answered before yielding the way, “Elder Ling, please come!”
Chen Zhou looked up and saw Ling Jian flying over, letting out a hearty laugh.
When the two sides met, Chen Zhou solemnly said, “Elder Ling has worked hard, you have cultivated a good disciple.”
Ling Jian’s face filled with smiles as he shamelessly accepted this praise.
Although Ling Jian was indeed an Elder, he was still just a First Order Transcendent. He was essentially the last ranked amongst all the Elders and was not taken seriously by anyone in the Sect. On top of that, he was already quite old so these years he had basically just hung up the title of Elder while whiling away his remaining lifespan.
Never had he imagined he would encounter such a miracle today.
The disciple he taught had actually opened Dragon Phoenix Palace’s most core formation that had laid dormant for millennia, and if all went well, that disciple would obtain the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance.
His disciple obtaining this inheritance meant his value as his master would also soar to untold heights.
In all likelihood, when the Dragon Emperor matured, Ling Jian’s status would probably be equal to the current Palace Master’s.
Usually, Chen Zhou wouldn’t even bother meeting with this old Elder, but today he didn’t dare act disrespectful, showing Ling Jian the utmost courtesy and politeness.
Ling Jian wasn’t able to adapt to this new reality so quickly, but that did not stop him from enjoying it.
All the higher-ups of Dragon Phoenix Palace were staring at him with intense envy, wondering why they had not been the ones to cultivate the disciple who obtained the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance.
If they had been the ones to train such a disciple, it would be them talking and laughing merrily with the Palace Master right now.
The scene was quite lively as Chen Zhou constantly inquired about Sun Yu’s situation and information. In response, Ling Jian freely told everything he knew about Sun Yu, right down to the trivial anecdotes that had occurred when he was a baby.
Chen Zhou listened attentively to all of this and never once grew bored, instead only becoming more enthusiastic as he showered praise upon the old man, saying that Sun Yu was a good seed and that, in the future, Dragon Phoenix Palace would be relying on him and Ling Jian.
Ling Jian was so happy that he thought that even if he were to die right now, he would have no regrets.
The lively scene continued on for many days without subsiding. Every day, people gathered outside Dragon Valley and gazed fervently towards the valley’s depths. Of course, none of them could see anything, but that did not dampen their enthusiasm. Dragon Valley was normally filled with mist which blocked out all of the sun’s rays, but now it was actually shrouded in golden light and pulsed with an astonishing amount of energy, causing everyone to not dare to approach.
Palace Master Chen Zhou also took some protective measures, deploying all the elites of Dragon Phoenix Palace around Dragon Valley to guard against Sun Yu being disturbed while accepting this inheritance.
Time passed by, but no matter how long they all waited, Sun Yu didn’t emerge from Dragon Valley, inevitably causing them to feel anxious.
…..
Inside the golden energy ocean-wrapped world, Yang Kai was busy manipulating his pill furnace, adding herbs to it while refining pills with his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, polishing his skills and knowledge of Alchemy.
He was currently only one step away from evolving his Alchemy, and since he was stuck in this place with nothing to do, Yang Kai decided to practice his Alchemy skill.
Sun Yu, who was caught up in this situation, also seemed to be a diligent youth. After spending two or three days together with Yang Kai and learning he was temporarily unable to leave, he immediately began cultivating.
The golden energy in this place with incredibly rich and potent, but was actually not of the Yang Attribute and instead had a sacred quality to it.
Yang Kai couldn’t tell what exactly this energy was, but using it for cultivation would not be an issue.
Moreover, the power contained within this golden energy was astonishing. Even if Sun Yu could only absorb a tiny fraction of it, it would be enough to benefit him for the rest of his life.
One cultivated, one practiced Alchemy, and the two essentially kept to themselves like this as the days flew by.
Yang Kai didn’t need to worry about running out of Alchemy materials as before he left Nine Heavens Holy Land, he had emptied the Holy Land’s Treasury into his Black Book space. He currently had enough herbs and spirit medicines to last for quite some time.
One day, after Yang Kai just finished refining a Saint Grade pill, he noticed that Sun Yu had stopped cultivating and was currently sitting nearby and observing his movements curiously.
“Understood anything?” Yang Kai smiled.
Sun Yu shook his head honestly and replied, “Senior, the way you perform Alchemy is quite strange; at least, it’s very different from the way I’ve seen anyone else perform Alchemy.”
“Oh, how so?” Yang Kai asked.
“You don’t use True Qi… All the Alchemists I’ve seen refining pills are constantly pushing their True Qi and their rate of consumption is quite fast, but when Senior performs Alchemy you don’t seem to use True Qi at all. Also, the speed at which Senior refines pills is much faster than those people… What grade of pill are you refining? Mysterious Grade?”
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s face went black, thinking this little brat really lacked vision, actually believing the Saint Grade pill he had just refined was a worthless Mysterious Grade pill.
Seeing his expression, Sun Yu wore a shocked look and gasped, “It wouldn’t be a Spirit Grade pill, would it?”
“En, that’s right,” Yang Kai didn’t want to explain too much to him.
“Senior is really fierce… Successfully refining a Spirit Grade pill in just one or two hours, if the Alchemists of our Sect were to learn of this I’m afraid they’d die of shame.”
As a man who had experienced many great storms and received no small amount of flattery in his life, Yang Kai was still somewhat pleased when he heard Sun Yu say this. Though, that was perhaps due to the pure look of admiration in this youth’s eyes.
“Why don’t you continue cultivating?” Yang Kai stored the Saint Grade pill away and asked.
Sun Yu smiled bitterly and replied, “I don’t know why but I can’t absorb the energy here… and the two Crystal Stones that I was carrying have also been used up.”
Yang Kai nodded slightly, knowing what Sun Yu was saying was the truth. Although the energy here could be used, Sun Yu’s strength was still too low.
Furrowing his brow as he stared at this youth, Yang Kai suddenly asked, “Do you long for strength?”
Sun Yu gawked for a moment before nodding firmly.
“Why?”
“Because I’m a man!” Sun Yu spoke as if it was only obvious, “Of course I long for strength. Moreover, when one day I meet a woman I like, if I don’t have enough strength, how will I keep her safe?”
Yang Kai laughed at this response, “Very good!”
Men long for strength, there was no need for any complicated reason.
Sun Yu scratched his head as he observed Yang Kai reaction curiously.
Yang Kai suddenly wore a sincere and solemn look and said, “Kid, how about making a deal with me?”
“Senior need not act so polite, if you have any instructions, please tell me, this Sun Yu will do whatever he can to help,” Sun Yu replied earnestly.
However, Yang Kai shook his head and emphasized once more, “I’m only interested in making a deal with you.”
Sun Yu’s face also became serious, realizing that what Yang Kai was about to request of him was likely something important and not easy to handle. Contemplating for a moment, he still nodded eventually, “Many thanks for Senior’s consideration, please ask!”
“Since you want strength, I can give it to you!” Yang Kai grinned, “But you have to agree to my request… En, when we leave here, and you return to Dragon Phoenix Palace, don’t divulge anything about me.”
Sun Yu was stunned and couldn’t help asking, “Why?”
“I have my reasons,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Do you agree?”
“But Senior, since you can open the barrier here, you must have a deep relationship with my Sect… and Palace Master and the Elders of the Sect are surely looking forward to your…”
“For the time being, I don’t want them to know about me. When I have time, I will meet with your Palace Master to explain,” Yang Kai replied casually.
Yang Kai had still not finished dealing with Nine Heavens Holy Land’s mess, so if he were now get involved in Dragon Phoenix Palace’s affairs, he would likely no longer be able to rest due to overwork.
However, since the Phoenix Nest held the Phoenix Empress’ inheritance, he would definitely have to return here one day with Su Yan.
The people of Dragon Phoenix Palace must currently think that Sun Yu was the one who opened this formation and raising this youths strength would help Yang Kai conceal the truth, provided Sun Yu didn’t say anything.
Yang Kai appreciated this boy somewhat so he wasn’t willing to kill him to keep his secret.
With the resources Yang Kai had on hand, it would be simple to cultivate one youth. Even if Sun Yu’s aptitude was mediocre, Yang Kai had methods to improve it. What’s more, this boy cultivated a Yang Attribute Secret Art similar to Yang Kai’s so it could be said they shared a common source.
So long as Sun Yu nodded, he could obtain a wonderful opportunity that was simply unimaginable to others.
After thinking for some time, Sun Yu said, “Although I don’t know why Senior must do this, there is surely an important reason… I must only ask, does Senior have any hostile intent towards my Dragon Phoenix Palace?”
“Of course not.” Yang Kai laughed.
“Good, then I promise not to reveal your existence!”
“Very good!” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction.
Two months passed by.
Sun Yu, who was staying with Yang Kai, had rapidly improved his strength. In just two months, he had reached the Peak True Element Boundary from the True Element Boundary Seventh Stage!
Sun Yu was ecstatic.
He was only fifteen this year and his aptitude was only slightly above average. If he had cultivated at his previous rate, reaching the Peak True Element Boundary would have taken him at least for a year or so.
But now, he had actually accomplished this feat in just two months.
He knew that all the credit for this belonged to the Senior surnamed Yang, causing Sun Yu to become even more respectful towards Yang Kai.
Over the past two months, all this Senior had done was provided Sun Yu with some Crystal Stones for cultivation and made him drink a drop of unknown medicinal liquid every day.
Sun Yu had no idea what kind of mysteries this medicinal liquid hid, but after taking it for two months, he actually felt like he had been reborn.
His physique had become both more powerful and flexible than before and he could tell that his meridians had been strengthened and expanded. However, the biggest and most important change was that the purity and richness of his True Qi was now double what it had been before. When his True Qi flowed through his meridians, Sun Yu could even hear some subtle rushing sounds.
These were all signs he had grown more powerful.
The most intuitive manifestation of all this was Sun Yu’s consumption of Crystal Stones when he cultivated.
In the past, it would take Sun Yu five or six days to absorb all the energy in a single piece of Crystal Stone.
But now, he didn’t even need a full day to absorb a piece of Crystal Stone, and this rate of consumption was still gradually getting faster.
Fortunately, this Senior Yang seemed to be extremely rich, so Sun Yu didn’t need to worry about his consumption of Crystal Stones. Every time, Senior Yang would give him a pile of Crystal Stones, and once Sun Yu ran out, Senior Yang would simply hand him more.
On top of all this, Senior Yang provided many different pills to assist Sun Yu in his cultivation. Whether it was Mysterious Grade pills or even Spirit Grade pills, it seemed like this Senior Yang had an endless supply of them.
Sun Yu couldn’t even describe the gratitude he felt.
Sun Yu understood that although this Senior didn’t teach him any powerful or profound Secret Arts or Martial Skills, he was actually fundamentally improving his body while enhancing his physique and aptitude. This kind of chance would benefit Sun Yu for the rest of his life.
[Is this one of those legendary fortuitous encounters?] Sun Yu thought to himself excitedly.
When he was back in Dragon Phoenix Palace, Sun Yu had often heard from the masters around him talk about these kinds of fortuitous encounters. They said that such things could not be sought out and were essentially chance occurrences, but those lucky enough to obtain one would be able to leap over the dragon’s gate and soar into the sky. Of course, Sun Yu had only thought that such things were the stuff of rumour and legend and never took his Seniors’ ramblings seriously.
After all, how could one come across such a good thing so casually?
But now, how else could Sun Yu describe everything that was happening to him, besides as a fortuitous encounter.
In Sun Yu’s heart he secretly rejoiced that he was fortunate enough to be the last disciple to enter Dragon Valley and then get dragged into this golden world by that inexplicable force. He was overjoyed he had met such a good person like Senior Yang.
Sun Yu seemed to be able to see his own bright future beckoning to himself!
As such, Sun Yu put even more effort into his cultivation, not daring to slack off for a moment. Such an opportunity was not something that everyone could meet, and Sun Yu was terrified he would fail to live up to the care Senior Yang had shown him.
Sun Yu wished for nothing more than to be able to clone himself so he could cultivate twice as fast while not sleeping or eating.
Yang Kai did not miss Sun Yu’s efforts and was very satisfied with what he saw.
This young boy had perseverance, determination, and most importantly obedience and endurance.
Yang Kai grew fonder of him as time passed.
Originally, Yang Kai had simply wanted to give Sun Yu some small benefits as payment for sealing his lips, but watching this boy put in so much effort to his cultivation, Yang Kai soon began sparing no effort to train him.
Every day, Yang Kai would give Sun Yu a drop of Myriad Drug Liquid as well as Crystal Stones and Mysterious Grade and Spirit Grade pills he had personally refined without any reservations.
Everyone who worked hard should have such opportunities.
Yang Kai often thought about all the hardships he had to endure on his path to acquire his current strength and couldn’t help wanting to lend this boy a helping hand.
What was rare was that, despite being just a young brat, Sun Yu actually understood that rest and relaxation were essential parts of cultivation. After he rushed to the Peak True Element Boundary and cultivated for a while, Sun Yu encountered a type of bottleneck and immediately took a step back instead of recklessly charging ahead. He spent time observing Yang Kai perform Alchemy as well as took the initiative to ask some questions about the Martial Dao.
A True Element Boundary cultivator breaking through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary was indeed a great hurdle. Yang Kai himself had been stuck at this point in his cultivation for some time and was naturally very experienced in how to handle it. Passing some small insights on to Sun Yu immediately allowed the latter’s eyes to light up, often leading the youth to sit in contemplation for long periods of time before once again beginning to cultivate.
Time continued to pass by.
One day, while Yang Kai was immersed in Alchemy, he suddenly noticed that Sun Yu, next to him, was giving off a faint pulse of Spiritual Energy, and couldn’t help showing a faint smile, stopping the movement of his hands and observing the youth intently.
Now was the most critical moment for Sun Yu to open his Knowledge Sea. No one could help him. Everything depended on his own efforts.
The process of opening his Knowledge Sea lasted for a few days, allowing Yang Kai to fully comprehend Sun Yu’s determination and perseverance; each time he nearly failed, Sun Yu would push through with sheer force of will.
Suddenly, inside Sun Yu’s inner world, the infinite void was torn asunder and an invisible space appeared as his aura underwent some subtle changes.
Immortal Ascension Boundary! He had finally broken through.
Yang Kai breathed a light sigh of relief. He had been with this boy for so many days now, observing the efforts he had made. Naturally, Yang Kai hoped Sun Yu would succeed.
Fortunately, the boy had succeeded.
Sun Yu’s Knowledge Sea was empty, completely unlike Yang Kai’s when he first broke through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary. Yang Kai had managed to cultivate out his Divine Sense while still at the True Element Boundary, so once he opened his Knowledge Sea, his was already abundant with Spiritual Energy, enough of which to form a vast sea.
Sun Yu, on the other hand, had to start gathering Spiritual Energy and form his Knowledge Sea from scratch.
“Senior…” Sun Yu’s face was filled with joy as he called out in excitement, speaking somewhat incoherently as he rejoiced, “I… I broke through… Immortal Ascension Boundary…”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded, “Have you realized the difference from how you used to be?”
“En, even when I close my eyes, I can still perceive everything around me.”
“Good, as your Soul becomes more powerful, the distance you’ll be able to sense things across, and how much detail you’ll be able to observe will also increase. Your present Soul is just like a candle in the wind, work hard to cultivate it.”
“Yes!” Sun Yu replied in a positive and respectful tone, quickly closing his eyes and beginning to meditate.
However, soon after, he awkwardly opened his eyes and stammered, “But Senior… I don’t know how to cultivate Spiritual Energy… Master never taught me this.”
When Sun Yu had entered Dragon Valley, he was only a True Element Boundary Seventh Stage cultivator. According to Ling Jian’s estimations, Sun Yu would need at least two more years before arriving at the Immortal Ascension Boundary, as such, he had yet to teach the youth anything about cultivating his Soul.
Hearing this, Yang Kai laughed in spite of trying not to. After organizing his thoughts for a moment, he then began passing on his own attainments and experiences in this field to the boy.
Sun Yu listened attentively to nodded repeatedly.
“Good, the best was to cultivate one’s Spiritual Energy is to refine a Soul type artifact, this not only improves your combat strength but also strengthens your Soul,” Yang Kai then smiled and said, “I happen to have a Soul type artifact quite suitable for you to use.”
As he spoke, Yang Kai opened his palm and summoned out a delicate little sword.
This little sword was an artifact Yang Kai had obtained when he participated in the Inheritance War and it had accompanied him for many years now. However, it was only a Heaven Grade Top-Rank artifact and along with the improvement of Yang Kai’s strength, fewer and fewer opportunities had arisen for it to be used.
Sun Yu quickly waved his hand, “Senior, you have already given me so much, this artifact…”
“It’s of no use to me, it’s only Heaven Grade Top-Rank, keeping it would just be a waste, but for you, it’s just right.”
Hearing Yang Kai say this, Sun Yu hesitated for a moment before composing himself, reaching out, and respectfully held out his hands, “Many Thanks for Senior’s gift, Sun Yu will work hard to not bring shame upon Senior’s name!”
Yang Kai chuckled, wiped his Soul mark from the sword, and said, “Refine it carefully. When you can take this artifact into your Knowledge Sea, you’ll basically be finished.”
“En!” Sun Yu nodded then quickly set about refining the small sword.
Yang Kai no longer paid attention to him and resumed refining pills.
After much long and painstaking effort, Yang Kai’s Alchemy’s proficiency had finally advanced once more and he was now able to consistently refine Saint Grade pills.
He had become a Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemist!
He was only one minor rank away from meeting the requirements to free the Ancient Demon Clan.
Even throughout the entire world, there weren’t many Saint Grade Alchemists.
Du Wan of Grand Boulder City had also reached such a level in Alchemy; he was received courteously wherever he went and currently served as the respected manager of the Alchemist Guild’s Grand Boulder City Branch. With Yang Kai’s current skills and means, as long as he was willing, he too would be able to receive similar treatment.
However, Alchemy had always been an auxiliary pursuit to Yang Kai, a way to broaden his comprehension of the Martial Dao.
Yang Kai’s only wish was to pursue the peak of the Martial Dao.
Through studying Alchemy, Yang Kai had discovered many insights regarding his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea as well as many questions he needed to ponder, allowing him to become more and more skillful in manipulating it.
Although he was now just a Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, Yang Kai estimated that if he used the Myriad Drug Liquid and auxiliary Spirit Arrays, there was a chance he could refine Saint Grade Mid-Rank pills.
The world formed by the golden energy ocean was still solidly wrapped around Yang Kai and Sun Yu, and the small Golden Dragon which had manifested itself from the tattoo on Yang Kai’s back was still swallowing this energy, its body growing larger by the day. As this Golden Dragon consumed this golden energy, it also began giving off a majestic and awe inspiring aura.
Yang Kai was not in a rush and simply continued going about his own business.
Recently, Yang Kai hadn’t had any time to pursue his own cultivation, so this was actually a welcome opportunity.
Just like the Golden Dragon, Sun Yu also showed rapid growth. After his physique was improved by the Myriad Drug Liquid, cultivating became much smoother and easier for him.
The small sword Yang Kai delivered Sun Yu took the later roughly one month to refine and after experimenting with its power, he soon fell in love with it.
Sun Yu’s current Knowledge Sea had a good accumulation of Spiritual Energy now as well.
Every day, he consumed many Crystal Stones and precious pills, and whenever he encountered a problem in his cultivation he couldn’t solve, all he had to do was consult Senior Yang to obtain appropriate guidance. Sun Yu felt he was the luckiest person alive and he now considered Yang Kai his own honoured master and respected him as such.
Anyways, I opened up the link a minute from this post.
here is the link!
There will be 9 chapters this week.
Once again, for those interested to join the MP Patreon, do so after this week. Way more beneficial to you when you start next week.
One day, as he was refining a Saint Pill, Yang Kai suddenly frowned.
He had inadvertently noticed that the Yang Liquid he had stored in his own dantian was almost exhausted. The last time he re-supplied himself with Yang Liquid, Yang Kai had thought it would be sufficient to last him for a least a decade or so, but now he discovered that his estimations were wrong.
Every time he tore space it required a few drops of Yang Liquid, Yang Kai had apparently used too much in order to become familiar with this method.
It was time to supplement it.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had some sixty or seventy Divine Tree fruits in his Black Book space, each of which contained an amazing amount of Yang Attribute Energy. If he consumed all of them, he could fill his dantian again.
The Divine Tree was now residing in his Black Book space as well, and although cultivating these fruits was a long and difficult process, simply storing them away and not eating them would be a waste, so Yang Kai didn’t hesitate.
Taking out a fruit, Yang Kai began taking big bites of it.
The sound of Yang Kai snacking woke Sun Yu from his meditation, causing him to glance over, his eyes lighting up in the next instant.
Sun Yu was now an Immortal Ascension cultivator so he could naturally see just how extraordinary the Divine Tree fruit was; the seemingly overflowing Yang Attribute Energy it contained was particularly appealing to him.
However, Sun Yu also didn’t dare reveal any kind of covetous attitude in front of Yang Kai.
While preparing to close his eyes and continue his meditate, Yang Kai suddenly smiled towards him and tossed him a small piece of the fruit, “It’s not that I’m trying to be stingy, but you can’t eat too much of this thing.”
Sun Yu’s face blushed as he bashfully accepted the small piece of fruit before popping it into his mouth.
A moment later though, Sun Yu’s True Qi violently rioted and his skin became bright red, all his pores opening wide as they sprayed out excess heat and energy, making it seem like he was on the verge of exploding.
Yang Kai paid the boy no mind and simply allowed him to handle this crisis on his own.
Sun Yu didn’t dare neglect and immediately began circulating his Secret Art as quickly as he could in order to absorb the massive amount of energy now rampaging through his body.
Only after a long while did the violent aura gradually calm down. At this moment, Sun Yu was bursting with life and his aura was also noticeably stronger, even his complexion looked more radiant.
“Want some more?” Yang Kai asked.
Sun Yu quickly shook his head.
The small piece of pulp he had just eaten had nearly caused his dantian and meridians to rupture. Seeing Yang Kai eat them one after another like ordinary snacks without so much as blinking made him realizes just how huge the gap between them was once again.
Although this fruit was definitely a good thing, Sun Yu had enough self-knowledge and naturally didn’t dare ask for more.
Yang Kai swallowed down all sixty or seventy fruits in short order, causing the number of drops of Yang Liquid in his dantian to increase by several hundreds.
Just as he was smiling with satisfaction, Yang Kai’s brow suddenly wrinkled and he quickly sent his consciousness into the Black Book space.
“What happened?” Manifesting his Soul Avatar in front of the huge Divine Tree, Yang Kai asked.
“There are some strange changes happening over there,” The Divine Tree sent him a message.
It had been a long time since Yang Kai had acquired the Divine Tree and its consciousness had greatly matured since then. Now, it had no difficulty communicating with Yang Kai and could clearly express its thoughts and meaning.
“Where?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“Follow me,” A wisp of golden light suddenly emerged from the Divine Tree and flew off in a certain direction, leading Yang Kai.
Following after it, Yang Kai soon came to a certain spot in the Black Book space and looking around, his brow wrinkled and a look of surprise appeared on his face.
“Here!” The Divine Tree sent him another message as the golden wisp circled the area.
Even without it telling him though, Yang Kai noticed something was wrong.
There were many scattered pieces of gravel here and some precious ores he had been keeping were now gone.
In particular, the quantity of rare minerals he had brought back from the Starry Sky had noticeably decreased.
Yang Kai remembered that after the Starry Sky Storm, he had collected a large number of precious ores and stored them here. Later, he had also piled up the ores he had taken from Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Treasury here.
However, now there seemed to be something that was absorbing the essence from these ores and leaving behind only some useless impurities.
Yang Kai couldn’t help glancing over at the Divine Tree curiously.
Some time ago, Yang Kai had accidentally discovered a similar occurrence. At the time, he had thought it was the doing of the Divine Tree, so he hadn’t paid it much mind.
But now it was fairly clear this wasn’t the doing of the Divine Tree because it didn’t seem like it was lying to him.
“You’ve been staying here the whole time, did you notice anything?” Yang Kai asked after being unable to glean any clues from the pile of ores in front of him.
“Nothing,” Divine Tree hesitantly replied, “I only felt something strange was happening here.”
“Help me keep an eye on this, if you find something, tell me immediately,” Yang Kai said.
Something so strange happening inside his Black Book space had confused Yang Kai greatly.
The essence contained within these ores wouldn’t just disappear for no reason, there must be something consuming them. But since the Divine Tree didn’t do it, the question was who, or what did?
Yang Kai would feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat so long as he couldn’t solve this mystery.
Receiving a nod from the Divine Tree, Yang Kai left the Black Book space and continued practicing his Alchemy.
Several peaceful days passed by before Yang Kai once again felt the call of the Divine Tree.
Without hesitation, he sent his Soul Avatar into the Black Book space and asked, “Did you discover something?”
“En,” The Divine Tree once again sent out a golden wisp and the two of them flew over to where the pile of ores lay before it pointed, “It’s them, I felt them slowly absorbing the essence of those stones, I’m certain of it.”
Following the direction it indicated, Yang Kai gawked for a moment at what he saw.
Although Yang Kai had just haphazardly piled the ore he had collected over the years here, he still recognized the two stones on the other end of his gaze and even clearly remember when and where he had obtained them.
Because these two stones were quite special compared to the others scattered around.
It was the two pitch-black round stones.
The first of these two stones had been found inside the secluded ancient cave which was home to the Soul Devouring Insects. At that time, Yang Kai was on his way to Soaring Heaven Sect for the first time and had taken a detour to explore this ancient cave mansion with Cang Yan and Fei Yu. His Martial Uncle and Martial Aunt had brought back a few treasure from the depths of the cave, one of which was this pitch-black round stone which had finally been collected by Yang Kai.
Yang Kai obtained the second pitch-black round stone back in Floating Clouds City. While waiting for the Thousand Year Demon Flower to bloom, he had been forced to participate in an Alchemy contest by Du Wan and Mi Na, ultimately winning first prize as well as the right to pick two treasures from Du Wan’s Saint Grade Alchemist colleagues’ Universe Bags.
Because the two pitch-black round stones were very similar, almost identical, they had caught Yang Kai’s attention and he had spent some time carefully examining them, unfortunately he had never learned anything useful about them despite his efforts.
Never had Yang Kai imagined that the culprit for this strange occurrence in the Black Book space was actually them.
What kind of strange stone absorbed the essence of other rare ores? Yang Kai thought about it for a long time but still ended up drawing a blank.
After carefully probing the two stones with his Divine Sense again for a while, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly.
He discovered that some beautiful patterns, like the meridians of a human body, had appeared on the surface of the two pitch-black round stones. Unfortunately, these patterns only appeared intermittently, as if they had been damaged or worn out somehow.
This discovery greatly surprised Yang Kai.
When he first obtained these two pitch-black round stones, he had performed a detailed examination of them, but at the time, no such patterns had appeared at all.
The delicate and somewhat unclear patterns that had now shown up were obviously related to the two pitch-black round stones absorbing the essence of the ores around them.
On top of that, it was only now that Yang Kai could detected that there was some unusual energy flowing through these patterns, akin to the True Qi in a cultivator’s meridians.
These two stones really hid some kind of mystery!
After thinking about it for a while, Yang Kai decided to set the matter aside for now. After knowing what was happening inside the Black Book space, he was no longer overly worried and simply asked the Divine Tree to continue monitoring the two stones before he took back his consciousness.
Yang Kai faintly felt that the two strange stones weren’t simple, and if he continued to allow them to absorb mineral essences some unexpected changes would eventually occur.
The two stones absorbing the essence of other minerals would no doubt make them stronger, which meant Yang Kai would be able to use them to refine an even stronger artifact in the future.
Opening his eyes, Yang Kai glanced around and saw the Golden Dragon was still consuming the surrounding golden energy and that it would not be done for a while yet. He also noticed Sun Yu still hard at work cultivating nearby.
And so, Yang Kai went back to practicing Alchemy.
Inside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai had refined a drop of Demon God Golden Blood and acquired the Soul Fission Divine Ability Soul that once belonged to the Great Demon God. Since then, Yang Kai had been cultivating this Divine Ability and had made good progress thanks to his Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus constantly nourishing his Soul and Soul Clone.
At this moment, Yang Kai also clearly realized the benefits of cultivating Soul Fission.
When one cultivated this Divine Ability to the grand accomplishment stage, it would be as if they had two Souls and could thus cultivate Spiritual Energy twice as fast as others.
Yang Kai had never heard of any Secret Art that even remotely compared to such a boost in Spiritual Energy cultivation speed.
Although Yang Kai had not yet reached such a height, he could clearly feel that thanks to the existence of his Soul Clone, his Spiritual Energy was growing significantly faster than before.
As such, he had spared no effort to cultivate his Soul Clone in the hopes that one day it would be able to play its complete role.
Once he cultivated Soul Fission to its extreme, as long as he could find the right body for it, he could separate his Soul Clone from his Knowledge Sea and implant it into this second form, allowing him to essentially be in two places at once or explore some dangerous region without risking his life.
Yang Kai also began refining the Silver Leaf Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact which he had obtained from the previous Holy Master inside the Holy Tomb. This Silver Leaf was filled with a mysterious power and was extremely difficult to refine. Fortunately though, Yang Kai had plenty of time and was not in a hurry.
After confirming the source of the disturbance in the Black Book space, Yang Kai would check in on the two pitch-black round stones every few days to see what changes they were undergoing.
As time passed, the fine patterns on their surface became clearer and more coherent, the price paid though was that most of the minerals Yang Kai had collected had been reduced to dregs. Of the pile of ores he had harvested from the Starry Sky and Nine Heavens Holy Land, only about half remained.
If this kept up, within a year or so, the two stones would consume every last ore in the Black Book space.
Inside the golden energy ocean, whether it was Yang Kai or Sun Yu, both of them had lost track of the passage of time as they busied themselves with their own affairs. Occasionally, the two would stop what they were doing, relax, and chat, but after having rested themselves for a time, they would continue their work, neither one bothering the other.
The days that passed by were by no means wasted though, instead they were quite productive and meaningful. Both Yang Kai and Sun Yu obtained enormous growth and benefit from this unexpected accident.
Dragon Valley stretched and twisted like a real dragon laying on the ground. It was covered in a fog all year round and even the strongest of masters couldn’t see into its depths.
Initially, around Dragon Valley, many Dragon Phoenix Palace masters had hidden themselves and were constantly on guard, but as time passed, these masters had left one by one.
Now, only Palace Master Chen Zhou remained at the mouth of the valley.
At this moment, Chen Zhou stared towards the misty mountain valley with a worried look and sighed.
Two years ago, when the disciple named Sun Yu had managed to trigger the long dormant Dragon Valley’s barrier and summoned for the vision of the Golden Dragon head, all of Dragon Phoenix Palace celebrated.
The attention of all the top leaders of Dragon Phoenix Palace was constantly focused here, thinking that the Sect would soon enter into a new prosperous age and would one day stand at the summit of Tong Xuan Realm alongside its most powerful forces.
But after two years had passed, there was still no movement from inside the valley. Although everyone could detect the powerful energy fluctuations coming from within, the disciple name Sun Yu had never returned.
Gradually, people became disheartened, though none dared say so in front of Palace Master Chen. But in private, everyone had come to the conclusion that the disciple name Sun Yu had likely met with disaster.
He was only a boy at the True Element Boundary Seventh Stage. After not having appeared for so long, it was almost certain he had starved to death in the Dragon Valley.
Gazing at the golden light ocean, Chen Zhou sighed once more.
“Palace Master…” Chen Zhou’s companion, Yu Ting Yi, who was one of the few who still remained here, couldn’t help sighing and offering words of comfort, “The disciple who opened the barrier has obtained great fortune, he is surely alright.”
Chen Zhou did not respond, his expression simply becoming gloomier.
Yu Ting Yi reluctantly sighed again before turning to look at a nearby old man.
Besides Chen Zhou, the only other who had insisted on waiting here for the entire two year time was this old man.
It was Elder Ling Jian, Sun Yu’s master.
Elder Ling did not possess great strength or aptitude, his title as Elder more a formality due to his age than an indication of his status in Dragon Phoenix Palace. Before, he had no real power and was all but ignored by most.
Two years ago, when Sun Yu had suddenly opened the formation, Ling Jian’s status suddenly soared and almost every Elder who saw him would politely greet him, allowing him to enjoy almost unparalleled freedom and respect inside Dragon Phoenix Palace.
But now, no one treated him that way anymore.
Chen Zhou and Ling Jian stood next to each other as they stared into the mountain valley’s depths, sighing continuously as looks of sorrow filled their faces.
A figure quickly approached, and Elder Xiao Ling of Dragon Phoenix Palace soon appeared and quickly observed Chen Zhou’s expression before glancing over at Yu Ting Yi.
The latter slowly shook her head, her beautiful eyes filled with a helpless gloom.
Xiao Ling immediately understood; since the last time he came, no noticeable change had likely appeared in Dragon Valley. Shaking off these distracting thoughts, he respectfully cupped his fists and spoke, “Palace Master, the Elders request your presence to discuss some important matters.”
“Let them hold their discussion , just inform me of the result,” Chen Zhou Yi Xing waved his hand.
“Forgive me, Palace Master, but this matter must be decided by you personally, otherwise I would not have dared disturb you,” Xiao Ling replied awkwardly.
Chen Zhou frowned slightly, a look of annoyance appearing on his face.
Yu Ting Yi quickly said, “You should go, you have not asked about any of the Sect’s affairs for the past two years…”
“I must wait here for the Dragon Emperor to return!” Chen Zhou firmly declared, interrupting Yu Ting Yi before she could finish speaking.
Yu Ting Yi wore a forced smile in response.
“Do you think there is no hope left? Ignorance! The Dragon Emperor will return, we just do not know when!” Chen Zhou coldly snorted, his face showing a look filled with confidence.
Yu Ting Yi smiled and spoke, “If you say it will be so, it will be, but that also means there’s no need for you to be so anxious. The Elders are waiting for you, the sooner you take care of things the sooner you can return. Leave this place to Elder Ling and I, we will inform you immediately if anything happens.”
Chen Zhou glanced over at his wife for a moment before nodding lightly, “Then I’ll ask this of you, be sure you keep a close eye on this place.”
“En,” Yu Ting Yi nodded gently, feeling somewhat helpless in her heart.
Chen Zhou took one last long look towards the depths of the valley before turning around and preparing to leave with Xiao Ling.
At that moment though, Dragon Valley, which had remained silent for two whole years, suddenly pulsed, sending out a powerful energy fluctuation that blew away all the lingering mist, revealing itself in all its splendor.
Now, anyone standing at its mouth could see straight into its depths.
Chen Zhou’s steps immediately came to a halt and he began trembling with excitement, not daring to even breathe as he stared towards the valley.
The low-spirited Ling Jian also suddenly became excited as his old pair of eyes flashed with expectation, his wrinkled hands clenching tightly.
“There’s movement!” Chen Zhou couldn’t help shouting.
Xiao Ling, who had come to summon Chen Zhou, also couldn’t help stopping in place as he stared suspiciously towards the depths of the valley, his mood also becoming somewhat jubilant.
Although he and the other Elders were somewhat dissatisfied with the fact that Palace Master Zhou had cast aside all of the Sect’s affairs and had stubbornly remained at Dragon Valley’s mouth for the past two years, many of them even feeling that the disciple name Sun Yu had long ago perished, seeing this phenomenon still couldn’t help rousing Xiao Ling’s expectations.
After all, he too was a member of Dragon Phoenix Palace.
……
Inside the golden ocean at the end of Dragon Valley, the Golden Dragon had finally finished swallowing up all the ambient energy and its whole body was now emitting a dazzling light. It was as if it had become a true dragon and carried with it an aura of endless majesty.
Sun Yu, who had been meditating, was alarmed and awoke, instantly meeting the Golden Dragon’s eyes. In that instant, Sun Yu felt a sharp pain in his head and collapsed to the ground.
The moment he met eyes with the Golden Dragon, Sun Yu felt as if his Soul was being forcibly drawn out of his Knowledge Sea and crushed.
Yang Kai suddenly appeared in front of him and shielded him from the Golden Dragon’s view, allowing Sun Yu to quickly close his eyes and steady his mind.
A resounding dragon’s roar rang out as the Golden Dragon soared up into the sky.
The sky seems to explode as a burst of light so bright erupted that everyone within a hundred kilometers was blinded.
It was as if the Golden Dragon had been trapped for thousands of years and had just broken free, rejoicing as it soared through the sky. After a while, the Golden Dragon suddenly swooped down and slammed into Yang Kai, bringing with it a devastating power.
Yang Kai let out a shout as the Golden Dragon sunk into his body, immediately feeling like something he had lost had returned.
Along with this feeling of reunion, the Golden Dragon also brought with it a phenomenal amount of pure energy.
All of Yang Kai’s clothes were blasted into dust as this energy burst forth.
Yang Kai quickly condensed several Grand Heavenly Shields around Sun Yu while summoning his Silver Leaf Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact.
The Silver Leaf pulsed vividly before rapidly expanding and wrapping Sun Yu in a second layer of protection.
If Yang Kai did not do this, Sun Yu wouldn’t be able to resist the fallout from the energy explosion and would be instantly vaporized.
After spending a great deal of time, Yang Kai had finally finished refining this artifact which had belonged to the previous Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land. This Silver Leaf had the ability to transform into many shapes and sizes, giving it great flexibility whether it was used for attacking or defending, worthy of a Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact.
*Kacha…*
The sound of his bones dislocating crackled as Yang Kai’s flesh rippled, the True Qi in his meridians circulating as an unimaginable speed, exerting huge pressure on them.
A moment later, countless cracks appeared on Yang Kai’s skin and blood began pouring out, dying his surroundings a golden sheen. Fortunately, under the powerful restorative strength of the Demon God Golden Blood, the damaged areas were quickly repaired.
However, this didn’t mean that the energy rampaging through Yang Kai’s body had stopped. A cycle of damage and repair quickly formed.
During this process, Yang Kai not only didn’t show any signs of distress but instead wore an excited look upon his face.
When the Golden Dragon returned to his body and transformed back into a Golden Dragon tattoo, Yang Kai suddenly felt that the world around him had undergone some subtle changes.
The flow of energy between the Heavens and Earth had become clear and more distinct compared to before.
In the midst of all this, Yang Kai felt as if he had caught a glimpse of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao. The insights and mysteries he had previously failed to grasp now seemed to be within reach of his fingertips!
Standing in place, Yang Kai calmed himself, closed his eyes, and immersed himself in this wondrous feeling.
Above Yang Kai’s head, wind and clouds swirled as the World Energy within a hundred kilometer radius began gathering, as if some great force was drawing it in.
These giant Heavenly Manifestations had naturally attracted the attention of all Dragon Phoenix Palace’s leadership, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and rushed towards Dragon Valley, each of them wearing looks of excitement.
Chen Zhou and Ling Jian, who had been standing guard here the whole time, stared bright eyed towards the depths of Dragon Valley, the latter even bursting into tears of joy.
Although none of them was able to detect Sun Yu’s aura, all of them knew that this scene must be related to the young boy. Perhaps he had successfully acquired the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance and was now facing some kind of final test.
“These violent energy fluctuations are signs of a breakthrough!” Xiao Ling muttered to himself.
Yu Ting Yi is also nodded lightly, “The momentum is not inferior to someone breaking through to the Saint Realm!”
When Chen Zhou had broken through to the Saint Realm, there had also been a grand Heavenly Manifestation, but compared to the scene that was playing out before their eyes, it was still somewhat dwarfed.
Was the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance really so amazing? When Sun Yu entered Dragon Valley two years ago, his cultivation had only reached the True Element Seventh Stage. Just what standard had he reached now? No matter what, it was impossible for him to have reached the Saint Realm, so how was he supposed to withstand such a violent energy storm?
Everyone couldn’t help suddenly feeling worried.
Chen Zhou suddenly shouted severely, “Relay my orders! Create a blockade twenty kilometers outside the Sect! No outsiders may enter! If anyone dares try to intrude, no matter who it is, kill them without mercy!”
With such a massive movement happening here, it was bound to attract nearby masters. If anyone who harboured malicious and covetous intentions towards the new Dragon Emperor, this would be an ideal time for them to interfere.
Especially in the nearby Frozen Nether Cave Heaven. Two years ago, after obtaining news about the occurrences in Dragon Valley through various means, they had shown signs of wanting to make trouble, but after two years of silence, and not knowing whether Sun Yu was dead or alive, they hadn’t made any rash moves.
But today, with this Heavenly Manifestation appearing, they would definitely act.
Feeling the thick murderous intent pulsing from Chen Zhou’s body, Xiao Ling also realized the seriousness of the situation and quickly began making arrangements.
“The Dragon Emperor’s legacy has finally reappeared, these two years… I haven’t waited in vain!” Chen Zhou’s eyes began to water up as he felt that a great weight had lifted from his shoulders.
In the depths of Dragon Valley, Yang Kai stood silently amidst a sea of World Energy, as if the two had somehow become one, an experience Yang Kai had never had before.
The power within his body rapidly increased and soon reached its peak level, but there was no sign of it stopping and it continued to soar, breaking through all boundaries and limits.
Yang Kai clearly knew he was on the verge of a breakthrough.
It had been several years since his last breakthrough, and while waiting for the Golden Dragon to finish swallowing the golden energy ocean, Yang Kai had not slacked on his own cultivation and had also obtained many insights while studying Alchemy.
It could be said that breaking through right now was completely natural and that he wouldn’t encounter any bottlenecks.
The storm of World Energy around Yang Kai tempered his already solid physique and True Qi. His flesh and blood pulsed with unimaginable power.
Yang Kai was ecstatic.
Lowering his guard and opening his stance, Yang Kai completely immersed himself in this intense World Energy baptism.
Most cultivators would use their True Qi or artifacts to protect themselves during a breakthrough so as not to be hurt by the rampaging World Energy that gathered around them during the process.
Although this approach was much safer, the benefits one could obtain were reduced correspondingly.
Yang Kai did the complete opposite of this, using his tyrannical physique to directly withstand this external bombardment, tempering his flesh and blood to the extreme, forming a never ending cycle of benefits. This was why every cultivator paid special attention to their foundation, the firmer it was, the more benefits they could obtain and the greater the height they could reach in the future.
Yang Kai’s foundation was incredibly solid.
Shooting a glance over at Sun Yu, who was guarded by Grand Heavenly Shields and the Silver Leaf artifact, Yang Kai confirmed the youth was unaffected and put down the last of his worries.
A wave of World Energy fell from the sky like a bolt of lightning, bringing with it an overwhelming pressure and momentum, causing everyone from Dragon Phoenix Palace standing at the mouth of Dragon Valley to change complexion in shock.
Seeing such a powerful destructive force, none of them could guarantee that Sun Yu would be able to return safely.
Chen Zhou and Ling Jian were both anxious like ants on a hot wok, wanting to immediately rush to the depths of the valley to have a closer look but simultaneously worried they would disturb Sun Yu if they did so, causing them no small amount of grief.
At this time, Xiao Ling, who had left to arrange the blockade of the Sect, sent word that the nearby Frozen Nether Cave Heaven had indeed been alarmed by this situation and that enemy masters, under the leadership of two First Order Saints, were now heading towards Dragon Valley.
Chen Zhou’s face went cold and a sharp light flashed across the depths of his eyes.
Ever since Dragon Phoenix Palace had begun to decline, Frozen Nether Cave Heaven had begun to rise. There was an obvious friction between the two forces, but with each of them possessing Saint Realm masters, despite constant small skirmishes breaking out, no major conflict had yet to erupt.
Everyone knew that once a major battle took place, neither side would be able to emerge unscathed.
Although Dragon Phoenix Palace only had one Saint Realm master, Chen Zhou, if it became a life of death fight, Frozen Nether Cave Heaven would no doubt sustain unacceptable amounts of damage.
Frozen Nether Cave Heaven suddenly mobilizing all its forces at this time was no surprise to Chen Zhou.
“Elder Ling, I leave all matters here in your hands. If Sun Yu can return safely… Take him away from Dragon Phoenix Palace and tell him that the revitalization of our Sect will depend on him.”
“Palace Master!” Ling Jian’s face paled when he realized what Chen Zhou wanted to do.
“Xiao Ling, Ting Yi, come meet the enemy with me! I’d like to see what kind of ability they think they possess to so brazenly invade my Dragon Phoenix Palace!” Chen Zhou shouted before soaring off.
Xiao Ling and Yu Ting Yi also rushed to keep up.
At the mouth of the mountain valley now, only Ling Jian remained.
Staring towards the depths of the valley, Ling Jian only grew more anxious, muttering under his breath, “Smelly brat, still unwilling to come out? You really know how to torture this old master’s heart.”
Deep in the depths of Dragon Valley, World Energy continued pouring down from the Heavens towards Yang Kai who openly accepted every last bit of it, his face filled with excitement.
This situation lasted for an hour or so before the swirling World Energy began to thin out and the terrifying aura that engulfed Dragon Valley gradually subsided.
An invisible wave of pressure centered on Yang Kai suddenly spread around.
At this moment, Yang Kai’s body felt incredibly light and a joyous sensation spread across every inch of his body. Clenching his fists silently, Yang Kai could feel just how much his strength had increased.
Spreading out his Divine Sense, Yang Kai found the range and clarity of his perception had also grown substantially.
Third Order Transcendent Realm!
Just one step away from the Saint Realm.
Several dozen kilometers away, Yang Kai sensed some people were fighting, and it was an intense battle at that. There were even three Saints involved, causing Yang Kai to frown slightly, not knowing what was going on.
Yang Kai took his attention back and began examining the changes in his body.
The Golden Dragon tattoo had returned to his back but was now far more lifelike and was actually constantly swimming across his skin, appearing quite strange to the outside observer.
Also, at this moment, the Golden Dragon tattoo seemed to contain a massive amount of energy that caused even Yang Kai to feel somewhat nervous.
It gave off a profound and majestic aura that was familiar to Yang Kai.
Monster Qi!
Having coming in contact with members of the Monster Race and talked directly to a Monster Race Great Senior, Yang Kai was very familiar with Monster Qi and at this moment the energy radiating from his Golden Dragon tattoo actually contained traces of Monster Yuan Qi.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai understood.
The inheritance hidden here was the real Dragon Emperor’s inheritance!
What he and Su Yan received back in the Inheritance Heaven’s Cave was just a primer, only after coming here and obtaining the hidden energy could they become the true Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress.
Yang Kai didn’t know why he suddenly understood all this, but he figured it had something to do with acquiring the true inheritance.
After carefully examining himself, Yang Kai felt extremely satisfied.
Taking out a set of clothes from the Black Book space and donning the, Yang Kai removed the protective layers around Sun Yu.
The Grand Heavenly Shields shattered and the Silver Leaf artifact was retrieved by him.
Sun Yu still appeared somewhat shaken by what had just happened but after seeing Yang Kai, he quickly cupped his fists, “Many thanks for rescuing me, Senior!”
He was well aware that if Yang Kai had not protected him at the critical moment, he would have long since departed for the next world. Even if he cultivated diligently for a few dozen years he might not be able to resist such a shocking display of power.
“A minor matter,” Yang Kai smiled faintly before turning his gaze towards the mouth of the valley, casually saying “There is a cultivator with a First Order Transcendent cultivation outside who seems to be waiting for you.”
“First Order Transcendent?” Sun Yu was surprised before immediately saying excitedly, “It must be Master. Oh no, we’ve been trapped here for so many days, Master has certainly become impatient waiting for me. Senior, do you know how long we’ve been staying here?”
“Probably about two years,” Yang Kai replied off-handedly.
“So long?” Sun Yu was dumbstruck; shocked that a whole two years had passed by, he had simply not felt the passage of time at all; following beside Yang Kai and reaping such enormous benefits had apparently diluted this feeling.
“Don’t be in such a rush,” Yang Kai smiled as he looked at the youth, “Do you remember the agreement between us?”
Sun Yu nodded solemnly, “I remember. To me, Senior is an honoured teacher, I will certainly not reveal your existence.”
“Very good.”
“But… if Palace Master and the other elders ask about the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance, how should I answer them?”
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed, feeling like there wasn’t really a good answer to this question. Although he had been training Sun Yu for a while, and the youth’s aptitude had undergone earth-shaking changes, allowing him to one day certainly have some achievements. The matter about the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance really wasn’t so easy to explain away, “Let’s put this aside for the moment, your Dragon Phoenix Palace’s masters are fighting with another group of people right now, and they seem to be at a disadvantage.”
“Engaged in battle?” Sun Yu frowned, releasing his Divine Sense but unable to perceive anything.
His cultivation realm wasn’t high enough so he could only perceive things within a few kilometers of himself, but after a little contemplation, he concluded, “It must be the people from Frozen Nether Cave Heaven. Hateful! That group of bastards must have detected the movement from this place and decided to launch a full scale invasion of my Dragon Phoenix Palace.”
“Is there some kind of grudge between your two forces?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
Sun Yu shook his head, “It’s just them looking for trouble. Their Sect specializes in Ice Attribute Secret Arts and Martial Skills and my Dragon Phoenix Palace just happens to have something they greatly covet.”
Yang Kai frowned and suddenly understood, “The inheritance inside the Phoenix Nest?”
“Indeed,” Sun Yu nodded, “Since the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance has reappeared, the new Dragon Emperor will definitely need to find a favourable woman to inherit the Phoenix Empresses’ inheritance. That’s Frozen Nether Cave Heaven’s goal, once they succeed, perhaps they’ll completely annex our Dragon Phoenix Palace.”
Yang Kai let out a somewhat creepy laugh as he stared at the youth.
“Why are you laughing like that, Senior?” Sun Yu was confused.
“Looks like you’re in trouble,” Yang Kai said, clearly taking pleasure in the boy’s misfortune.
Sun Yu thought about it for a moment before his expression turned bitter, suddenly understanding. The leadership of Dragon Phoenix Palace currently thought he was the one who triggered the formation and received the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance and even if they had tightly controlled this information, it was likely Frozen Nether Cave Heaven had learned about his identity. The purpose of Frozen Nether Cave Heaven’s invasion this time was obviously Sun Yu.
Clearly they intended to capture him and force him to choose a woman from Frozen Nether Cave Heaven to become the new Phoenix Empress and obtain the inheritance from the Phoenix Nest.
“Senior…” Sun Yu’s face filled with unease as he stared over at Yang Kai, silently praying for rescue.
“Don’t worry, since I was the one who created this issue in the first place, I’ll help you handle it. This is also an opportunity to let your Dragon Phoenix Palace’s leaders confirm that you obtained the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance.”
Sun Yu breathed a sigh of relief, “Many thanks, Senior.”
“No problem!” Yang Kai smiled faintly, “You exit the valley, I’ll protect you from the shadows. Act bold and courageously.”
“Yes!” Having received this assurance from Yang Kai, Sun Yu felt greatly relieved and hurriedly rushed towards the mouth of the valley, as if he believed that with Senior Yang’s astonishing methods, repelling Frozen Nether Cave Heaven would be a simple task.
After Sun Yu left, Yang Kai turned his gaze in the direction of the nearby battle, his eyes flashing a gloomy light.
The inheritance hidden inside the Phoenix Nest belonged to Su Yan, yet this Frozen Nether Cave Heaven was actually looking to steal it, they must really be tired of living!
If not for this reason, Yang Kai would be unwilling to intervene in other forces’ disputes.
However, Dragon Phoenix Palace had a great many subtle connections with him so him taking action this time was simply like returning the favour for him obtaining the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance.
Do give me feedback on this one. The decision is kinda a grey zone for me.
Ling Jian stood at the mouth of the valley, anxiously waiting, muttering under his breath constantly, yet not seeing any traces of Sun Yu appearing.
Gradually, Ling Jian even began to think that his disciple had been killed in that terrifying World Energy storm.
Just as he was about to lose all hope, from the depths of Dragon Valley, a figure dashed out, causing Ling Jian to stare and tremble in shock.
This figure was quite similar to the Sun Yu in his memories but was somewhat taller and stronger. Ling Jian’s old dim eyes were somewhat lost for a moment as he stared fixedly towards the approaching youth.
After a while, the appearance of this figure finally appeared clearly in Ling Jian’s eyes, and upon confirming it really was Sun Yu, Ling Jian shed tears of joy and cried out, “Smelly brat, you are finally decided to come out. Do you know how much worry you’ve put me through!”
“Master!” Sun Yu also wore an excited expression, quickly rushing over Ling Jian and bowing politely to him, however, before Sun Yu could say anything, he was pulled by Ling Jian who hurriedly said, “Follow me! “
Seeing his old Master acting like this, Sun Yu suspiciously asked, “Where are we going?”
“Those Frozen Nether Cave Heaven bastards have launched in invasion. Palace Master and the other Elders have gone to confront the enemy but the other side has two Saint Realm masters. We can’t block them for long so Palace Master instructed me before he left that if you returned safely, I was to lead you away from here to safe location. Palace Master is entrusting the revitalization of the Sect to you.”
“Where is this safe location?” Sun Yu knit his brow.
“Twin Spirit Pavilion… My Dragon Phoenix Palace and Twin Spirit Pavilion have always been on good terms. If we go there, we can avoid this crisis and buy ourselves time for you to mature.”
Ling Jian had thoroughly considered this issue. His disciple Sun Yu had now accepted the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance and would definitely grow into a supreme expert one day. He also urgently needed to find a favoured woman to inherit the Phoenix Nest’s inheritance. If they divulged all of this to Twin Spirit Pavilion, the latter would definitely be willing to shelter them.
As long as they could receive this kindness, letting Sun Yu look for a Phoenix Empress from Twin Spirit Pavilion wouldn’t be beyond reason.
No matter what, they couldn’t let the Phoenix Empress’ inheritance fall into the hands of an enemy like Frozen Nether Cave Heaven.
“I won’t leave!” Sun Yu suddenly broke away from Ling Jian’s grip and stood firmly in place.
Ling Jian glanced back and looked at him and anxiously shouted, “You smelly brat, ignoring your Master’s words at a time like this, do you want to irritate this old master to death?”
Sun Yu coldly snorted said, “With the Sect facing mortal disaster, how can I simply run away? Since Frozen Nether Cave Heaven dares to violate your territory, they must pay an appropriate price!”
Ling Jian suddenly became somewhat absent-minded, staring blankly at his disciple, unable to understand the situation for a while.
Although his disciple had obtained the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance, that still couldn’t explain his current confidence, actually declaring he wanted Frozen Nether Cave Heaven to pay the price for their actions. What did he have to back up such rampant talk?
Releasing his Divine Sense, Ling Jian carefully probed Sun Yu, but upon realizing his disciple’s current cultivation, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he struggled to speak, “Y… you…”
“You want us to pay the price? Hahahaha, boy, you’re certainly arrogant enough!” A burst of laughter suddenly came from nearby.
Along with this taunting voice, a number of figures appeared like ghosts, each of them dressed in long, pure white robes.
Sun Yu’s expression changed and instinctually leapt back towards Ling Jian. Ling Jian also wore a dignified expression as he stepped forward to shield his disciple, sweeping his eyes coldly over these newcomers as he muttered under his breath, “Frozen Nether Cave Heaven dogs!”
The ones who had appeared were cultivators from Frozen Nether Cave Heaven. There were five of them in total, all of them Transcendents.
This quantity and grade of expert against the First Order Transcendent Ling Jian, the end result was obvious.
It was because of this that these five had boldly shown themselves and were even now directing taunting gazes towards this Master and disciple pair.
The middle-aged man who appeared to be the group’s leader stared at Sun Yu with a smirk and teased, “Little brat, was it you who just said you wanted my Frozen Nether Cave Heaven to pay the price?”
Sun Yu’s face had drained of all colour and he didn’t dare to answer back.
Although he had been cultivated vigorously by Yang Kai and his aptitude had undergone an earth-shaking change, in the end, he was still just a naive sixteen year old boy who had never weathered any great storms before. Now facing five Transcendents, he had lost all courage before the fight even began, and if it weren’t for his Master standing in front of him, he likely would have already fallen into despair.
Hiding behind Ling Jian, Sun Yu glanced around rapidly, as if desperately searching for something, a moment later a smile appearing on his face and his nerves quickly settling.
After the middle-aged man taunted them once, he no longer paid any attention to Ling Jian or Sun Yu; instead, he and the other four men turned their eyes towards the direction of Dragon Valley, pondering, “The Heavenly Manifestation originated from over there somewhere, right?”
“En, this is Dragon Phoenix Palace’s Dragon Valley, where the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance lays hidden. I’d never believed that old story, but now it appears I have to. For the past two years, that Chen Zhou has apparently been guarding this place.”
“If that’s so, then is it certain that Dragon Phoenix Palace disciple obtained the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance?”
“En, I’ve already inquired about this. The one who obtained the inheritance was named Sun Yu, a True Element Boundary Seventh Stage brat!”
“That boy’s luck is quite good then. Let’s go in, we’ll see who grabs him first!”
The five Transcendents completely ignored Ling Jian and Sun Yu, as if they weren’t even there.
Ling Jian was still on edge until a moment ago, when he heard this group’s conversation and realized there was still an opportunity for him and his disciple to escape. These five didn’t seem to know that the teenager in front of them was actually the Sun Yu they were looking for.
None of them had ever seen Sun Yu before and the change in Sun Yu’s cultivation had been too dramatic so these five not associating Sun Yu with the one they were looking for was reasonable.
“Sirs…” Ling Jian called out hesitantly, “If you wish to go in, this old man will not stand in your way, but can you let us leave first?”
“You want to leave?” The middle-aged leader glanced over at Ling Jian and chuckled before nodding, “Good, make that little brat cut off his tongue first! Actually daring to say he wants my Frozen Nether Cave Heaven to pay the price, the longer he keeps his tongue the more trouble it will cause him, he should remove it now to avoid disaster later.”
Ling Jian’s complexion changed but he still managed to squeeze out an ugly smile, “My disciple is simply young and ignorant, so this old man was specifically accompanying him. I hope good sirs can find it in their hearts to overlook this incident.”
“Ha ha ha ha!” The five Frozen Nether Cave Heaven cultivators laughed mockingly, finding this whole situation somewhat entertaining.
The middle-aged leader soon sneered, “It’s not like we can’t let him off, young people inevitably stupid mistakes and we don’t want to be accused of bullying the weak… En, since he’s your disciple, you’ll have to accept his punishment on his behalf. Kneel down and kowtow a few times, then shout that your Dragon Phoenix Palace people are all inferior to pigs and dogs then we’ll consider letting him go, how about it?”
Saying so, the middle-aged leader grinned threateningly towards Ling Jian.
Ling Jian’s expression immediately froze over, although he was old, he was still a man who had reached the Transcendent Realm; he still had his own pride and insistences.
This middle-aged man so wantonly demeaning them, how could Ling Jian not become angry?
But remembering the great task Palace Master Chen Zhou had entrusted him with, Ling Jian choked down his anger and under the humiliating gaze of the middle-aged man slowly began kneeling down.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man’s eyes shone with a sly light and sneered.
“Master…” Ling Jian suddenly reached out to support Ling Jian, his immature face now filled with an eerie coldness, its former timidity and fear seemingly having vanished into thin air, replaced instead with a thick murderous intent.
“Smelly brat…” Ling Jian stared at him suspiciously.
Sun Yu just shook his head slowly before stepping forward, past Ling Jian, and arriving in front of the opposite five men, “You came here looking for Sun Yu, yes?”
“You can sure spout a lot of nonsense, boy,” The middle-aged man grumbled unhappily.
“You don’t need to enter the valley to find who you’re looking for, I am Sun Yu!”
The middle-aged man gawked at Sun Yu’s statement, for a moment, unable to believe what he was hearing, the other four Transcendents also not faring much better than him.
“There’s no need for you to doubt my words!” Sun Yu snorted, “When I went in, I indeed was only a True Element Boundary Seventh Stage cultivator, but that was naturally two years ago!”
“Two years to cross a whole Great Realm?” The middle-aged man exclaimed.
Sun Yu was now the Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage cultivator. Compared to the True Element Boundary Seventh Stage, it really was an entire Great Realm of difference, if was because of this massive difference in strength that when the five of them had arrived here, none of them thought this boy was Sun Yu.
One of the other men’s eyes lit up, “Is this the so called power of the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance?”
“If you’d like to think so… you can!” Sun Yu snorted, his expression completely relaxed, facing these five Transcendent Realm masters without the slightest bit of fear, completely different from only a moment ago.
After listening and absorbing Sun Yu’s words, the five from Frozen Nether Cave Heaven suddenly stared towards him with excitement.
A cultivator using only two years of time to grow from the True Element Boundary Seventh Stage to the Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage, this was nothing short of a miracle! Instantly, these five realized just how formidable the hidden Dragon Emperor’s inheritance really was.
All of them were no staring greedily towards Sun Yu.
“You smelly brat!” Ling Jian was so mad he coughed up blood.
These five had eyes but failed to see, none of them recognizing Sun Yu’s true identity which had created an opportunity for the two of them to escape. As long as he could keep Sun Yu safe, Ling Jian was prepared to endure any kind of insult, but this foolish disciple of his had actually gone and exposed himself. What different from that and throwing oneself into a flaming pit was there?
Lian Jian really wanted to know what the hell was going through his discple’s head right now; before, he wasn’t so dumb. Although Sun Yu’s aptitude wasn’t good by any measure, he was at least level-headed enough, not a genius but at least not a fool.
After entering Dragon Valley, did something happen to drastically change his temperament?
Ling Jian wished he could slap his disciple’s unconscious to shut him up.
“Master… it’s alright!” Sun Yu smiled lightly, nodding his head to his master, his expression filled with confidence.
Looking at his disciple’s calm smile, Ling Jian didn’t know why but he too seemed to regain his composure, the pressure he felt from the five Transcendents before him seemingly melting away.
Letting out a laugh, he nodded, “Good, since that’s the case, Master will accompany you, whether we live or die will be up to the Heavens to decide.”
“We won’t die, the ones who are going to die… are them!” Sun Yu’s tone became cold as he glared sharply at the five men in front of him, sending an aggressive and intimidating aura towards them.
The five men all unconsciously took a step back at that moment, each of them wrinkling their brows as they narrowed their eyes.
Sun Yu staring them down made the five Transcendents from Frozen Nether Cave Heaven feel uncomfortable for some reason they couldn’t understand.
Although this little brat had crossed an entire Great Realm in two years, in the end he was still just an Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage cultivator. By all rights, he shouldn’t be able to put up the slightest bit of resistance against any one of them, much less all five.
But then why did this brat seem completely unafraid of them? In fact, the way he was staring at them was as if he almost pitied them.
After hesitating for a moment, the lead middle-aged man shouted, “Damn brat! Trying to play cheap tricks with us, I’d like to see how you kill us!”
Saying so, he waved his hand and shouted, “Catch this little brat and kill this old fogey!”
The four masters standing behind him immediately went into action, all of them shooting out like lightning, rushing towards Ling Jian and Sun Yu.
One of them grabbed towards Sun Yu, planning to capture him alive, while the other three mercilessly sent attacks towards Ling Jian, planning to instantly reap his life.
Ling Jian didn’t even have time to react before the attacks of the three men appearing in front of him, his hair standing on end as he saw his life flash before his eyes!
But in the next moment, something strange happened.
The four men who had rushed out, whether it was the one trying to capture Sun Yu or the three Transcendents attacking Ling Jian’s, all seemed to be caught by some invisible force, their actions immediately coming to a halt. In the next instant, all of them grabbed their heads as they fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
Spiritual Energy from each of their Knowledge Seas burst forth, as if they were trying to resist some invisible force which was destroying their Souls.
The lead middle-aged man’s eyes shrank as he called out to his comrades in alarm.
But none of them responded.
After a mere five breaths of time, the four men all lay silent on the ground, their body’s stiff, their vitality gone. They were all dead.
Ling Jian stared blankly at all of this, his eyes bulging.
Sun Yu also gulped and was breathing heavily, unable to steady himself for a time. A moment ago, the Frozen Nether Cave Heaven master had already caught his arm, yet now he was lying on the ground dead.
Sun Yu’s eyes filled with joy and excitement as he glanced around, understanding that all of this was because Senior Yang had taken action just now.
A move worthy of a powerful master!
These four Transcendent Realm masters, who had driven Sun Yu and Lian Jian to despair, had inexplicably died, and the lead middle-aged man standing only meters away hadn’t even seen how it happened.
Sun Yu put down the last of his worries and grinned fiercely towards the last remaining enemy.
Struck by this gaze, the middle-aged man couldn’t help retreating a few steps, a cold chill shooting up his spine.
“Boy, what did you do?” The middle-aged still couldn’t believe what he was seeing and shouted anxiously.
“What point is there in explaining to a dead man?” Sun Yu replied flatly, gently lifting his finger toward the middle-aged man.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man screamed in terror and hastily summoned his defensive artifact to protect himself while turning around and fleeing.
He had no idea what this boy named Sun Yu had done just now but whatever it was; it had killed four of his companions whose strength weren’t much different from his own. If he stayed here any longer, he would surely be the next to die.
Was this Dragon Emperor’s inheritance really so incomprehensible?
In any case, he had to warn the two Saint Realm Seniors of his Sect so they could take precautions.
“Death!” Sun Yu shouted.
As soon as his voice sounded, the middle-aged man, who had already flown over a hundred meters away, suddenly let out a pitiful scream and just like the other four, grabbed his head as he fell to the ground, struggling for a few breaths before going limp, his Soul erased from existence.
Five Transcendent Realm masters dying like this caused Sun Yu to flush with excitement as he constantly look around, his face filled with a look of praise and worship.
“Good job, keep up your performance,” The voice of Senior Yang sounded in his head, causing Sun Yu’s expression to fill with confidence and his body to brim with strength, like he couldn’t wait to fly straight to Frozen Nether Cave Heaven and launch and all out slaughter.
“Smelly brat…” Ling Jian’s lips trembled, his face still somewhat pale as he incoherently asked, “You… did you just kill five Transcendents?”
Even now, Ling Jian still couldn’t believe it. The scene in front of him was simply too ridiculous to be real.
He still remembered that two years ago his disciple couldn’t even beat a cultivator in the same realm, yet now he was actually able to handle five powerful enemies that even Ling Jian was no match against.
Ling Jian couldn’t help feeling like he was stuck in some kind of absurd dream.
“It’s not like that, Master, all of this is thanks to the power of the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance,” Sun Yu couldn’t bear to outright lie to his Master and replied vaguely.
Ling Jian was startled for a moment but soon burst into joyful tears, “The Heavens have eyes, the Heavens have eyes!”
“Master, I won’t flee to Twin Spirit Pavilion, I’m going to find Palace Master and help resolve the Sect’s crisis!”
“This…” After experience Sun Yu’s strange and inexplicable methods, Ling Jian was no longer as insistent as before, but he still had some lingering concerns, “There are two Saint Realm masters over there, although Palace Master can hold down one of them, but you……”
“Relax, Master, I have a sense of discretion!” Sun Yu smiled and glanced over towards Dragon Valley’s depths stealthily. Although he couldn’t see or perceive Yang Kai’s presence, he knew that Senior Yang was hiding nearby.
With this kind of backing, Sun Yu could freely act unscrupulous!
“Good, I’ll go with you. Leave explaining to Palace Master to me. The Sect is now facing a crisis, as disciples, we should be fighting for it, not thinking of how to escape!” Ling Jian declared imposingly, inspired by his disciple’s confidence and heroic demeanor.
And so, the Master and disciple pair flew off together to join the battle.
…..
Twenty kilometers or so outside Dragon Phoenix Palace, high up in the sky, a group of cultivators were engaged in a life or death struggle. Every moment someone being injured or dying, their corpses falling to the ground below.
Martial Skills and the artifact attacks lit up the sky as explosions boomed all around, vividly illustrating just how fierce this battle was.
Dragon Phoenix Palace and Frozen Nether Cave Heaven had a deep seeded enmity and this time Frozen Nether Cave Heaven had come fully prepared, turning out in full force, and with their advantage in terms of number of Saint Realm masters, they had quickly seized the initiative.
Less than half an hour after the battle began, Dragon Phoenix Palace had already suffered heavy losses.
Palace Master Chen Zhou and Yu Ting Yi stood side by side, numerous bloody scars covering their bodies, the two of them working together to somehow tie down the enemy’s two Saint Realm masters.
If not for them dreading Chen Zhou would launch a last, desperate struggle and drag one or more of them down with him, the two Frozen Nether Cave Heaven’s Saints would have already killed him.
“Bai Jing Chu, Yan Zhi, today, if my Dragon Phoenix Palace is not destroyed, I swear I will one day slaughter you and your entire Sect!” Chen Zhou roared, his voice booming like thunder, echoing throughout the sky, filled with anger, unwillingness, and remorse.
Yu Ting Yi stood shoulder to shoulder with her husband, panting for breath, her proud chest heaving up and down as blood dripped from her lower abdomen. She was only a Third Order Transcendent and had suffered no small injury in this high-intensity battle.
However, because of the Dual Cultivation Technique she and Chen Zhou practiced, when the two of them took action together, Chen Zhou’s strength would noticeably increase.
She had to go forth, for without her, Chen Zhou would not be able to fight two enemy Saints at once.
Bai Jing Chu and Yan Zhi of Frozen Nether Cave Heaven glanced at each other before jumping back out of the fight, the former laughing heartily as he shouted, “Chen Zhou, whether you are willing or now, since we have come here today, we are fully prepared to extinguish your Dragon Phoenix Palace. You need not worry about this point! As for you wanting to slaughter us, I’m afraid you’ll have no such opportunity.”
Chen Zhou wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered as he said, “The Dragon Emperor’s inheritance has reappeared now, soon the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress will rise again, they will certainly avenge my Dragon Phoenix Palace.”
“Dragon Emperor inheritance?” Yan Zhi laughed mockingly as he quipped, “You mean that thing that was hidden in Dragon Valley? Good, my subordinates should have arrived by now, so I’m afraid your newfound Dragon Emperor is already our captive. Hahaha, rest assured, we’ll help cultivate your Dragon Emperor for you.”
“En, we won’t treat him poorly. It’s said that each Dragon Emperor needs to choose his own Phoenix Empress, my Frozen Nether Cave Heaven has a number of beautiful women he can pick from. Once he gets a taste of them, I’m afraid that little brat will completely forget about this waste of a Sect.”
The two enemy Saints casually taunting him caused Chen Zhou expression to change abruptly and his heart to sink.
Over at Dragon Valley, only Ling Jian was left. With just Ling Jian’s strength, there was no way he could resist too many masters. If Sun Yu was really captured, Dragon Phoenix Palace really would have no chance to rise again.
“Hateful!” Chen Zhou gnashed his teeth.
Yan Zhi’s eyes flashed in that instant as he sent out a burst of Spiritual Energy straight towards Yu Ting Yi beside Chen Zhou.
Having lost focus for an instant because of the enemy’s words, Chen Zhou was caught off guard and by the time he reacted, Yu Ting Yi had already been hit.
With a mournful wail, Yu Ting Yi flew backwards several dozen meters, as if she had been struck by a huge invisible force, her face draining of all colour as she fell to the ground below.
Chen Zhou eyes went bloodshot and desperately wanted to rescue her but Bai Jing Chu swiftly intercepted him and sneered, “Without your woman, I’d like to see how you plan on fighting with me!”
Dragon Phoenix Palace’s dual cultivation technique was profound, when a male and female pair who cultivated it fought together, their strength increased far more than the simple sum of their parts, so Yan Zhi had constantly been looking for an opportunity to knock Yu Ting Yi out in one fell swoop. Without her, neither he nor Bai Jing Chu feared Chen Zhou.
Chen Zhou’s momentum flared up as he fought desperately against Bai Jing Chu, releasing one powerful move after another.
Yan Zhi didn’t intervene though, his eyes flashing a cold light as shot towards Yu Ting Yi, his murderous intent flaring up, obviously he wanted to take this opportunity to kill Yu Ting Yi.
“Get lost!” Chen Zhou saw that his companion was in imminent mortal danger and immediately became enraged, using the fan-like artifact in his hand to send out a thousand blades of wind, each as sharp as any treasured sword.
“Chen Zhou, it’s over. Don’t put up any useless resistance, just stand there and watch how your precious woman dies! Don’t worry; we’ll make sure to bury you along with her!” Bai Jing Chu didn’t flinch, summoning out his own cauldron shaped artifact and using it to send out a massive shockwave that blocked the wind blades as he constantly taunted Chen Zhou, trying to rile up his enemy.
In the next instant, Yan Zhi caught up to the unconscious Yu Ting Yi, snickered, and mercilessly struck towards her.
At that moment, a Silver Leaf shaped artifact flew out from somewhere, releasing a dazzling glow as it expanded and wrapped around Yu Ting Yi.
Yan Zhi’s palm strike landed squarely on this Silver Leaf, but upon impact, it was like all his strength sank into an endless ocean, as if he hadn’t struck a physical object at all.
On the other hand, the Silver Leaf sent out a brilliant flash and all the energy from Yan Zhi’s attack was reflected back, causing him to fly backwards miserably.
The Silver Leaf which wrapped Yu Ting Yi then flew off towards Dragon Phoenix Palace and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Chen Zhou couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief, all his anxiety and worries abating. At the same time though, his brow wrinkled slightly, wondering which powerful master had just rescued his wife.
Sweeping the area with his Divine Sense, Chen Zhou didn’t find any other Saint Realm masters nearby and couldn’t help feeling confused. The Silver Leaf, which had wrapped up Yu Ting Yi and flown into the Dragon Phoenix Palace, quickly returned and once again transformed into a burst of light, revealing two figures, one old, one young.
This light halo was dazzling to behold and contained radiated strong energy fluctuations, seeming to contain enormous power.
Bai Jing Chu and Yan Zhi of Frozen Nether Cave Heaven both narrowed their eyes as they stared at this pair of newcomers suspiciously. They quickly discovered that these two people who had suddenly broke into the battlefield were not nearly as strong as they had anticipated.
The old man was only a First Order Transcendent and appeared to already have one foot in the grave, probably unable to put forward much battle strength.
The young one on the other hand was bursting with vitality, but was only an Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage kid, far weaker than even the dying old man.
Ordinarily, Bai Jing Chu and Yan Zhi wouldn’t even spare these two a second glance, but the intense light halo surrounding them was not something they could simply ignore.
After all, this halo was formed by an artifact that had just rescued Yu Ting Yi. Yan Zhi, who had made contact with this artifact, was well aware of its power.
At the very least, it was a Saint Grade Mid-Rank artifact!
This was a treasure even Yan Zhi would drool over. There were only two Saint Grade artifacts in Frozen Nether Cave Heaven and both of them were only Low-Rank. Yang Zhi and Bai Jing Chu had both paid an incredible price to have a Grandmaster refine them.
In order to refine these two artifacts, Bai Jing Chu and Yan Zhi had nearly emptied Frozen Nether Cave Heaven’s coffers and had only managing to restore the Sect’s finances recently after many years of saving.
What kind of background did this old and young pair have? With such poor cultivation levels they were actually using such tyrannical artifacts.
As Bai Jing Chu and Yan Zhi were both lost in thought, Chen Zhou’s eyes shrank as he unconsciously shouted, “Sun Yu?”
At a glance, he recognized the young boy as the disciple who had entered Dragon Valley two years ago, while the old man standing next to him was none other than Ling Jian who had been guarding the entrance to Dragon Valley.
But why had this Master and disciple pair come out from Dragon Valley and rush to this chaotic battlefield?
Chen Zhou was incredibly anxious, worried about the injury Yu Ting Yi had suffered and also about Sun Yu, who had suddenly appeared in front of a strong enemy. Because of these concerns, Chen Zhou’s movements became somewhat dull and suffered a hit from Bai Jing Chu whom he was engaged in battle with, in an instant finding himself somewhat suppressed.
“Sun Yu?” Yan Zhi beady eyes swept the boy in front of him and muttered, “I heard that the boy who entered Dragon Valley bore that name… Little brat, are you that person?”
“So what if I am, old dog?” Sun Yu replied unafraid, not only acknowledging his identity but also insulting Yan Zhi.
Yan Zhi wasn’t angered though and instead let out a burst of laughter, “Haha, you really wear out iron shoes while seeking one’s own feet. This old master was worried those people wouldn’t be able to find you, but unexpectedly you’ve come to deliver yourself to me, very good, very good.”
“You mean those five Transcendents you sent to Dragon Valley?” Sun Yu sneered.
“How do you know about them?” Yan Zhi’s eyes narrowed and suddenly felt that something about this situation was off. Facing a master like himself, this youngster was far too calm, rather it was the old First Order Transcendent beside him that couldn’t bear to look Yan Zhi in the eye, seemingly under great pressure.
“Of course I know about them,” Sun Yu grinned meaningfully, “Because they died… died at my hands!”
“Died at your hand?” Yan Zhi stared dumbfounded for a moment before smirking and slowly shaking his head, “Boy, do you think this old master will believe the nonsense you just spouted? Before trying to act tough you should first consider your own weight!”
Five Transcendents, each of them not weak, being killed by a mere Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage brat? Although the artifact protecting him wasn’t ordinary, Yan Zhi didn’t believe Sun Yu had such great ability.
“Believe what you like, but the next to die will be you,” Sun Yu coldly snorted.
“Kid…” Yan Zhi laughed dumbly and said in a mocking tone, “You shouldn’t anger this old master, angering me won’t bring you any advantage. Although this old master won’t kill you, making you suffer a little bitterness isn’t an issue. Now, obediently surrender yourself so this old master doesn’t have to act impolite!”
Chen Zhou, who was still fighting Bai Jing Chu, obviously overheard this conversation and couldn’t help coughing up blood in anger as he shouted, “Ling Jian, you old coot! How could you allow Sun Yu to come here!?”
Even going all out now, Chen Zhou could barely tie down Bai Jing Chu while Yan Zhi could essentially move about unchecked; now that Sun Yu had appeared here, wasn’t the conclusion to this struggle already set?
Sun Yu was Dragon Phoenix Palace’s last hope; Ling Jian was really too ignorant.
“Palace Master, there is no need to worry!” Ling Jian was too timid to answer back but Sun Yu was not, clearly shouting, “Today, since disciple dares to come here, he has full confidence in his ability to resist! Since Frozen Nether Cave Heaven dares to invade my Dragon Phoenix Palace, they must pay the price in blood so they understand once and for all that we are not to be trifled with!” Saying so, he turned a fierce stare towards Yang Zhi and declared, “Old dog, you’re first!”
Sun Yu was young and impetuous, fully believing in Yang Kai’s words, so when he spoke just now he had done so loudly and without any hesitation. After the youth’s words passed out, all the cultivators who were fighting came to a halt and turned their attention towards him.
A moment later, the masters from Frozen Nether Cave Heaven burst into laughter as they began shouting words of mockery and ridicule while those from Dragon Phoenix Palace averted their eyes in shame.
To all of them, it seemed like this youth who had appeared out of nowhere was simply ignorant of the immensity of Heaven and Earth.
Yan Zhi was also greatly amused, crossing his arms before himself and wearing a look of self-aggrandization, “Boy, I’d like to see how you intend to make me pay. This old master will even stand here and not move so show me what you’ve got.”
“Heh heh, those five Transcendents also said something similar, that is… until they died…” Sun Yu laughed.
At that moment, a thunderous dragon roar rang out and an awe-inspiring burst of golden light shot into the sky.
Every cultivator below the Saint Realm was instantly blinded. Simultaneously, a pressure so overwhelming descended upon the crowd that many found themselves unable to breath for fear that if they made the slightest move they would be met with a swift and merciless death.
Even Yan Zhi, who had just been facing Sun Yu with a calm and relaxed look, immediately became alarmed.
From amidst the dazzling golden radiance, he sensed a massive object rush towards himself. Not daring to hesitate, Yan Zhi hurriedly gathered his strength to defend himself while at the same time summoning out a Spirit Grade Mid-Rank Grade defensive artifact.
If he didn’t go so far, he feared he would instantly be killed by whatever was approaching.
*Hong…*
Space itself seemed to collapse as a burst of violent energy erupted, sending out a powerful shockwave that blew away the surrounding clouds and toppled nearby trees.
Yan Zhi coughed out all the air in his lungs as he was sent flying like a paper kite. In that instant, he felt as if he had been struck by some giant irresistible force that crushed the meager strength he had managed to gather to protect himself. Recovering his balance, Yan Zhi heard a loud crack and glanced down only to see the Spirit Grade Mid-Rank artifact he had summoned nearly break in half while losing all function. It would need to undergo extensive repairs before it could be used again.
What was he hit with? Whatever it was, it had destroyed his Spirit Grade Mid-Rank defensive artifact with a single blow!
The golden radiance gradually began to subside and Yan Zhi finally saw what was attacking him.
His eyes shrank as he stared dumbfounded at the sight before him.
Hovering there midair was a hundred meter long Golden Dragon staring down at Yang Zhi. Its giant eyes were filled with contempt and disdain and under its gaze, Yang Zhi couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of humbleness and inferiority.
The Golden Dragon appeared sleek and agile and was covered in a layer of dazzling Golden Scales. These scales seemed impregnable, as if no attack could harm them. Its dragon claws also appeared extremely sharp and gave off a cold, murderous intent, making people not doubt that they weren’t inferior to even the highest-grade artifacts.
“An energy projection?” Yan Zhi frowned, but quickly denied his guess.
The Golden Dragon in front of him was too solid and too real, it was impossible for it to be a mere gathering of True Qi.
In other words, what stood before him, was a real dragon!
This was a king of the Monster Race, a legendary existence that could reach the Ninth-Order!
Yan Zhi had heard that the Monster Race had several Great Seniors, each of them Peak Eighth-Order Monster Beasts, and that one or two of them were distant descendants of True Dragons which was what had allowed them to reach such a height.
To the Monster Race, the True Dragon’s bloodline was the most noble of lineages.
Those Great Seniors were able to acquire strength equivalent to that of Peak Third Order Saints because of this pedigree, and now a real True Dragon was in front of Yan Zhi.
This was a legendary Ninth-Order Monster Emperor, an existence that far surpassed this world’s greatest experts.
Feeling the blazing energy pulsing from the Golden Dragon, Yan Zhi couldn’t stop himself from shivering.
Yan Zhi stood dumbly in place, Ling Jian who came with Sun Yu was also dumbstruck, his whole body trembling as he kept wiping his old dull eyes, seemingly trying to confirm if what he was seeing was some kind of hallucination.
Even Sun Yu wore a look of pure excitement, his eyes filled with worship as if he couldn’t wait to bow down and pay tribute to this majestic being.
“The power of the Dragon Emperor!” On the other hand, Chen Zhou couldn’t help shouting out as he stared absentmindedly towards the Golden Dragon. How couldn’t believe that a day had come where he could witness such a scene, nor could he believe that the young Sun Yu was actually capable of achieving this.
Two years ago, this common disciple was still unknown and only had a trivial True Element Boundary Seventh Stage cultivation. Although he had then managed to obtain the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance, Chen Zhou estimated that even if he was safe, Dragon Phoenix Palace would have to vigorously cultivate him for dozens of years before he really matured.
But unexpectedly, today, Sun Yu, who had just emerged from Dragon Valley, was capable of facing off against a genuine Saint Realm master and also summoning for the Dragon Emperor’s power.
Chen Zhou burst into a fit of joyous laughter, feeling like he wouldn’t mind even if he were to die right now because he had finally fulfilled his ancestors’ greatest wish.
Bai Jing Chu wasn’t in any mood to pester Chen Zhou, only capable of staring dumbly up towards the giant Golden Dragon, a sense of shock and awe filling his heart.
All the cultivators who had formerly been fighting with their lives on the line had completely stopped as they watched this sensational scene.
A huge panic and unease soon began to spread throughout the cultivator from Frozen Nether Cave Heaven, as if a great winter storm had suddenly descended upon them.
Twenty kilometres outside Dragon Phoenix Palace, a True Dragon appeared, bringing the heated battle to a halt.
Sun Yu, who was also in something of a trance, suddenly heard Yang Kai’s reminder in his mind and quickly composed himself, turning around and shouting towards Yan Zhi, “Today, this will be the burial place!”
As if responding to the young boy’s words, the dragon roared once more and shot forward like a great golden arrow straight towards Yan Zhi.
Yan Zhi didn’t dare to neglect and immediately summoned his Saint Grade Low-Rank artifact, the Profound Ice Sword!
When this artifact appeared in his hand, Yan Zhi’s momentum increased noticeably as an ice-cold chill pulsed from his body, matching the aura his Profound Ice Sword was giving off, the two seemingly merging into a single entity.
Before the Golden Dragon had even reached him, Yan Zhi swung his Profound Ice Sword, sending out a dazzling ray of frigid light from the Saint Grade longsword.
An ice-cold aura spread out from Yan Zhi’s location like a great winter storm had descended, causing the temperature within the surrounding thousand-meter radius to drop sharply.
The sword waves sent out from the Saint Grade Low-Rank artifact flew towards the Golden Dragon with imposing momentum.
The huge Golden Dragon did not make the slightest attempt to evade and crashed straight into the sword waves.
*Chi chi chi…*
Sparks flew as countless blades of icy Sword Qi landed on the dragon’s golden scales, but upon contact with the blazing hot aura, the Profound Ice Sword’s attacks all evaporated like droplets of water sinking into a raging inferno.
Seeing this, Yan Zhi’s eyes shrank as fear welled up in his heart.
Frozen Nether Cave Heaven specialized in Ice Attribute Secret Arts and Martial Skill, fighting a True Dragon which gave off such intense burning energy was like a mouse meeting a cat.
In this situation, Yan Zhi couldn’t even bring out eighty percent of the Profound Ice Sword’s full strength.
Yan Zhi also had other methods at his disposal but he didn’t dare to use them freely as, under the influence of the Golden Dragon’s burning aura, the power in his body no longer flowed smoothly, so the potential for backlash from failed execution of his techniques increased noticeably.
The True Dragon flew in front of him and opened its massive maw, causing Yan Zhi to shout and swing his long sword, sending out a giant blade of light towards the Golden Dragon.
His move just now had only been made in an attempt to buy himself enough time to escape. Facing a Ninth-Order Monster Emperor, Yan Zhi freely admitted he was not worthy to be its opponent; the majesty of the other party was simply inviolable, if he continued to entangle himself with it, he would definitely die.
In front of this monster, Yan Zhi felt like he was walking a fine line between life and death.
But how could he have imagined that his sword wave wouldn’t actually manage to block the charge of the Golden Dragon, or even freeze it in place for a moment?
Yan Zhi’s brow furrowed, feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
If this Golden Dragon really was a Ninth-Order Monster Beast, it would have been impossible for him to block it.
After examining it more closely, Yan Zhi discovered that although this Golden Dragon’s aura and imposing manner were indeed overwhelming, the pure strength within its body didn’t seem to match it.
The energy fluctuations Yan Zhi felt coming from this Golden Dragon were basically on par with his own, possibly even somewhat weaker.
Narrowing his eyes, Yan Zhi no longer tried to escape and instead began displaying one method after another to fight with this Golden Dragon.
Seeing the Dragon Emperor’s power re-appear in all its glory, Chen Zhou, who had been at a disadvantage in his fight with Bai Jing Chu, also felt inspired and quickly turned the tables on his opponent.
All the masters from Dragon Phoenix Palace were similarly roused, the original gloom in their eyes replaced with a near-fanatical brilliance. It was as if they could already picture their Sect’s bright future and were now fearlessly fighting back against the Frozen Nether Cave Heaven invaders, forcing them to retreat again and again in defeat.
Sun Yu, who was still protected within the Silver Leaf’s light halo stared out at the battlefield, clenching his fists as he silently cheered on the Golden Dragon.
In his heart though, he was feeling some slight confusion, wondering why Senior Yang had chosen to not show up in person but instead use the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance to confront the enemy. In his mind, with Senior Yang’s true ability, if he were to make an appearance, he would be able to easily beat Yan Zhi and the other invaders senseless.
Sun Yu’s vision and experience weren’t high, so he didn’t understand that Yang Kai was actually just a newly promoted Third Order Transcendent!
After a brief but fierce battle, Yan Zhi suddenly burst into laughter, “It turns out this giant worm is just mediocre, hahaha!”
When the Golden Dragon first appeared, Yan Zhi had really been frightened; after all, he was facing a legendary Ninth-Order Monster Emperor, but now he had determined that this Golden Dragon’s true strength was at best, comparable to his own. This meant that he had the power to resist it so he no longer held back, sending out a flurry of attacks, bombarding the dragon’s golden scales.
This Golden Dragon had apparently not fully matured and could only display strength equal to an initial stage Eighth-Order Monster Beast! Making this judgement, Yan Zhi calmed down.
The Profound Ice Sword emitted a chilly aura that collided head-on with the hot aura from the Golden Dragon. The two offset each other, creating a burst of fog that shrouded the entire sky, making it difficult for those standing at a distance to see anything but flashes of light coming from the battle.
Inside the layer of fog, as Yan Zhi and the Golden Dragon collided with each other over and over again, the former saw the later begin to show almost human-like expressions on its face.
Since a while ago, Yan Zhi had felt that instead of fighting a Monster Beast, he was fighting with another person!
As the battle progressed, Yang Zhi also discovered that this Golden Dragon’s movements were becoming sharper and more refined, as if it was rapidly becoming stronger, exerting more and more pressure on him.
Every time the incomparably sharp dragon claws slashed towards him, Yan Zhi had a misconception that they were tearing through space, causing cold sweat to trickle down his forehead.
His eyes flashing a cold light, Yan Zhi forcefully calmed himself and channelled his strength into the Profound Ice Sword, causing it to release a brilliant glow. In the next instant, at the tip of his long sword, Yan Zhi condensed a gigantic ice spike and sent it flying towards the Golden Dragon.
Facing this incredibly powerful and unavoidable attack, the Golden Dragon showed no fear, opened its giant mouth, and sprayed out a blazing hot golden beam of energy.
*Hong…*
The two masses of opposite attribute energy collided with one another and exploded in a brilliant display of light, blinding everyone in the surrounding area.
The scorching hot energy beam won out in terms of purity and density though so after melting away the ice spike, its remaining momentum shot towards Yan Zhi unimpeded.
Yan Zhi’s look became flustered as he hastily tried to dodge when suddenly a taunting voice resounded in his mind. Startled by this unexpected communication, Yan Zhi’s movements stagnated as he turned a shocked look towards the Golden Dragon not far away.
By the time he came to his senses, it was too late for him to escape.
The beam of golden energy which was still powerful enough to cause the surrounding atmosphere to warp hit Yan Zhi head-on, causing the latter to release a pitiful scream. Hastily releasing a burst of Cold Qi from his body, Yan Zhi desperately tried to offset the damage caused by the burning energy.
A moment later, after leaping out from the golden energy beam, Yan Zhi’s breath was in disarray. Although he had not been fatally wounded, his beard and hair had been completely burnt away and he appeared distressed.
Turning his eyes back to the Golden Dragon, Yan Zhi glared at it with undisguised hatred.
The voice that had disturbed his concentration just now should have been transmitted to him by the Golden Dragon in front of him, causing him to suffer a blow he should have been able to avoid.
However, what bothered him the most was that the voice he heard was too human-like as though it was from a Monster Beast.
“I don’t care if you really are the Dragon Emperor! Since you dare injure me, today, you must die!” Yan Zhi shouted angrily as he tossed his Profound Ice Sword up into the air.
The long sword instantly transformed into a giant bizarre shaped Monster Beast in midair, comparable in size to the Golden Dragon itself, and launched itself towards and entangled the Golden Dragon.
A fierce dragon roar rang out as the hundred meter long Golden Dragon struggled violently, but was ultimately unable to escape the binding of the transformed Profound Ice Sword.
Yan Zhi took this opportunity to concentrate a bone chilling energy into his hands and close in, sending a vicious double strike towards the Golden Dragon’s belly.
The golden scales which had so far been impervious to any kind of attack could not prevent this and were directly broken, allowing Yan Zhi hands to sink deep into the Golden Dragon’s flesh before finally being.
When Yan Zhi pulled out his hands, a dark red blood mixed with golden radiance splashed out.
“Ha ha ha!” Yan Zhi laughed madly, since the battle had begun, this was the first time he had managed to hurt the other party, making him see hope of victory. Not waiting for the Golden Dragon to counterattack, he quickly fell back and taunted, “You think just because you have this massive build you’re invincible? Naive!”
Hearing these words, the Golden Dragon seemed to become completely irritated and its huge body actually began to twist and distort before rapidly shrinking down.
Upon doing so it immediately escaped from the Profound Ice Sword’s entanglement.
Yan Zhi was stunned once more; he had never heard of a Monster Beast being able to freely adjust the size of its body.
He knew about Monster Beasts that had achieved human form, but the scene in front of him exceeded his knowledge by far.
Not waiting for him to come to his senses, the now much smaller Golden Dragon shot towards Yan Zhi, swiping its razor-sharp claws towards him, causing his hair to stand on end.
Yan Zhi quickly discovered that although his opponent’s body size had shrunk, its imposing aura and momentum had not changed at all. What was worse though was after it had reduced its size, it had become faster and more agile.
Suddenly, a number of golden energy chains appeared beside the Golden Dragon before sealing the space around Yan Zhi, trapping him in place.
Simultaneously, a great golden spear appeared out of thin air, carrying with it a Heaven destroy power.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
In a blink of an eye, this spear seemed to leap across space and pierce towards Yan Zhi.
“Impossible!” Yan Zhi screamed, his vision was still quite good so he could naturally tell at a glance that whether it was the chains binding him or the imposing spear trying to impale him, both were extremely profound Martial Skills.
How could a Monster Beast display such exquisite Martial Skills?
With a great shout, Yan Zhi somehow managed to throw his body aside, narrowly avoiding the golden spear, but failing to escape from the chains surrounding him.
When he made his desperate dodge, Yan Zhi inadvertently contacted one of the golden chains and suddenly felt his body become heavy, as if a mountain was pressing down on top of his head; even his Soul showed signs of being imprisoned.
Although this feeling only lasted a brief moment, in a contest between two evenly matched masters, even the slightest of gaps could greatly affect the outcome of the fight.
If Yan Zhi had ever been to Nine Heavens Holy Land or had ever met the old Holy Master, he would have immediately recognized these two Martial Skills.
Imprisoning Heaven Chain and Heaven Punishing Spear.
Two of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
The former was not only capable of binding the physical but also the spiritual while the Heaven Punishing Spear was unmatched when it came to killing potential.
Yan Zhi had no idea just how fearful these two Divine Skills were and had thus not paid enough attention to the Imprisoning Heaven Chain surrounding him. When he unintentionally brushed it, his Soul received a jolt, causing his thoughts to become dulled and his movements to become sluggish.
Entangled by chains and pursued by the spear, Yan Zhi immediately found himself in a dangerous predicament.
Yan Zhi continued moving about, but he couldn’t escape from this encirclement and began growing anxious. Just as Yan Zhi was feeling pressured, the now shrunken Golden Dragon once again took action, sending out another beam of burning hot golden energy. Yan Zhi cried out as he quickly pushed his True Qi to resist. In an instant, Yan Zhi’s hastily constructed True Qi defences were broken through and burst open.
Two Golden Dragon claws stretched out suddenly, piercing into either side of Yan Zhi’s chest and immediately beginning to pull in opposite directions.
Yan Zhi’s eyes went bloodshot as he felt the aura of death approach, understanding that he would not be able to escape from this calamity and screaming, “Don’t think it’ll be that easy!”
Madly pushing his True Q, Yan Zhi abandoned all defence and sent out a flurry of attacks towards the Golden Dragon.
Seemingly having expended all of his energy in this last desperate attack, Yan Zhi snickered before his aura suddenly deflated and his body lost all strength.
Dark red blood mixed with golden radiance sprayed everywhere as a deafening dragon’s roar echoed throughout the sky.
*Hua…*
Yan Zhi body ripped in two and his blood and organs splattered out. A terrifying scene to behold.
The cultivators who heard the thunderous dragon roar looked up just in time to see this bloody picture.
“Sect Master died?” The masters from Frozen Nether Cave Heaven stared dumbly towards the scattered flesh and blood falling down from above, all of them instantly becoming absent-minded, as if they were unable to accept such a result.
Less than an hour ago, Yan Zhi had fearlessly led them to invade Dragon Phoenix Palace, declaring that they would seize the brat who had obtained the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance and bring him back to Frozen Nether Cave Heaven to use for their own benefit.
But now, Yan Zhi had been literally torn in half by the Golden Dragon which had suddenly appeared.
A master who has reached the Saint Realm had actually died so miserably!
Throughout all of Tong Xuan Realm, there were not many masters who had reached such a height and each of them had cultivated diligently for at least one or two hundred years to have such achievements. Each of these masters possessed shocking methods and exceedingly high ability, not to mention various life saving cards, so over the years, there were very few Saints that actually died in combat.
At the very least, none of the cultivators from Dragon Phoenix Palace or Frozen Nether Cave Heaven had ever seen it in front of their eyes.
But now, such a scene that was hard to fathom, was playing out in front of them.
There were only two Saint Realm masters in Frozen Nether Cave Heaven; one of them had just died, and the other was currently being suppressed by Dragon Phoenix Palace’s Palace Master. Seeing this, the masters from Frozen Nether Cave Heaven all lost their fighting spirit, causing their momentum to plummet.
The dozen meter long Golden Dragon let out another great roar towards the Heavens, seemingly venting the pain from its wounds while also putting on a demonstration of its might.
Bai Jing Chu’s face went deathly pale and no longer dared to continue battling Chen Zhou.
Although he and Yan Zhi were both First Order Saints, he was still somewhat weaker than Yan Zhi. Witnessing Yan Zhi be killed by the Golden Dragon, Bai Jing Chu understood he had no chance of victory here.
“Retreat!” Bai Jing Chu shouted, hastily withdrawing from his fight before turning around and fleeing.
“You think my Dragon Phoenix Palace is some place you can come and go as you please?” Chen Zhou sneered, chasing after Bai Jing Chu and sending out a powerful slash.
Blood splashed out and Bai Jing Chu disappeared into the distance, leaving behind one of his arms that soon burst into a blood fog.
Chen Zhou came to a halt, abandoning his pursuit as he panted for breath.
He had suffered some minor injuries before but because of the appearance of the Dragon Emperor’s power, he had pushed through the pain and fought on, now he was an arrow at the end of its flight.
The remaining Frozen Nether Cave Heaven masters saw Bai Jing Chu flee and no longer dared to remain, all of them panicking as they scurried away like a pack of stray dogs.
It wasn’t until now that Chen Zhou had time to take a good look at the Golden Dragon that symbolized the Dragon Emperor, his gaze filling with a deep and solemn respect as he gazed upon it
However, Chen Zhou noticed something strange. After the Golden Dragon tore Yan Zhi in half, it became motionless, and its pair of giant eyes showed a thoughtful look, as if it was reflecting on the battle it had just fought, digesting the insights it had obtained.
Shaking his head, Chen Zhou convinced himself he was simply thinking too much.
A moment later, the Golden Dragon moved again, transforming into a stream of golden light as it shot towards Sun Yu then mysteriously disappeared.
At the same time, the light halo protecting Sun Yu and Ling Jian also withdrew.
Chen Zhou adjusted his expression and quickly dragged his tired body over to Sun Yu. But before he could say anything, Sun Yu respectfully cupped his fists and bowed, “Greetings, Palace Master!”
Ling Jian also hastily saluted.
Chen Zhou laughed heartily, “There’s no need for you to act so humble, you are now the Dragon Emperor of my Dragon Phoenix Palace, and it is I who should be saluting you. You acting so polite will only make things difficult for me.”
Sun Yu wore an awkward expression as he scratched his head, not knowing what he should say, causing his face to blush slightly.
Only he truly understood everything that had just transpired. A moment ago, he had only put in an appearance and said a few words, the one who actually killed Yan Zhi was Senior Yang, and it had nothing to do with him.
On top of that, Senior Yang had left his own artifact to protect him and his master during the fight.
Chen Zhou smiled brightly as he observed Sun Yu, liking him more with each passing moment, he was under the mistaken impression that this young Dragon Emperor was simply being humble.
“I must also thank Lord Dragon Emperor for rescuing this humble one’s life. If not for your prompt actions, I fear Ting Yi would have already…” Chen Zhou’s face showed a look of lingering fear. If not for the Silver Leaf protecting her at the last moment, Yu Ting Yi would definitely have been killed by Yan Zhi.
To Chen Zhou, Yu Ting Yi was his other half, the woman he shared life and death with, each of them regarded the other as more important than their own existence.
Sun Yu saving Yu Ting Yi had earned Chen Zhou’s heartfelt gratitude.
“It was only what I should have done…” Sun Yu kept waving his hand, the awkwardness and helplessness he felt only growing stronger.
Seeing the young boy’s shy appearance, Chen Zhou smiled and nodded, “Lord Dragon Emperor has just experienced a difficult battle and must be very tired. Elder Ling, escort Lord Dragon Emperor back to the Sect so he may rest, I will remain here to finish processing the battle’s aftermath.”
“Yes!” Ling Jian quickly and respectfully responded before leading Sun Yu back towards Dragon Phoenix Palace.
As he flew forward, Sun Yu kept glancing around, his expression cramping up slightly.
“Heh, Heh heh heh heh…” Ling Jian suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.
“Master, what are you laughing about?” Sun Yu asked in a puzzled tone.
“Smelly brat, you’ve got good prospects… You actually managed to kill that Saint Realm master. I thought we were dead for sure this time,” Ling Jian didn’t treat Sun Yu nearly as respectfully as Chen Zhou had; after all, the two of them had a Master, disciple relationship. Ling Jian had essentially watched Sun Yu grow from infancy to today.
“Master… Let’s not discuss this matter anymore,” Sun Yu blushed.
“Good,” Ling Jian nodded quickly before solemnly muttering, “But the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance is really shocking. You can kill a First Order Saint Realm already, if you were to fully mature and become a Saint yourself, wouldn’t that mean you’d be unmatched in this world? By that time, my Dragon Phoenix Palace would be the most powerful force in Tong Xuan Realm. When that day comes, as your master I can definitely benefit from your fame.”
Ling Jian was essentially talking to himself out loud, his face showing a youthful exuberance unsuited to his age, as if he could already picture the wonderful picture Sun Yu would open up.
Sun Yu on the other hand just lowered his head and remained silent as he flew back towards the Sect with his shameless Master.
Back inside Dragon Phoenix Palace, the tense atmosphere had yet to fade. All of the Sect’s masters had gone out to meet the enemy so the only ones left were the young disciples and weaker cultivators. After seeing Sun Yu and Ling Jian return, these people quickly swarmed them and began asking what was happening.
Even Sun Yu’s suddenly emergence from Dragon Valley had been long forgotten by most.
Ling Jian immediately took advantage of his seniority and told the various disciples to disperse, only informing them that the Sect had achieved a great victory and that of the two Frozen Nether Cave Heaven Saint Realm masters, one was killed while the other had lost an arm before fleeing.
The disciples of Dragon Phoenix Palace grinned wryly at this story, none of them taking Ling Jian’s words seriously.
Although they weren’t very strong, they understood the gap between their own Sect and Frozen Nether Cave Heaven. The other side had two Saints while theirs only had one, how could such a result be possible?
Ling Jian didn’t bother explaining and simply brought Sun Yu back to their original residence and settled him in.
After Ling Jian left, Sun Yu breathed a sigh of relief, finally relaxing his strained nerves as he glanced around and called out, “Senior, Senior Yang…”
“Don’t shout, I’ve been following you the whole time,” A familiar voice came from Sun Yu’s side.
Sun Yu turned towards the source of the voice and quickly saw Yang Kai sitting on a nearby bed. Having not even noticed when Senior Yang had come in, Sun Yu was once again impressed by his powerful means.
Quickly getting up, Sun Yu respectfully bowed, “The great graciousness of Senior Yang rescuing my Sect today will never be forgotten by this Sun Yu. In the future, I will definitely repay this favour!”
Yang Kai simply waved his hand and replied somewhat lethargically, “So long as you don’t reveal my existence its fine.”
Sun Yu was startled upon discovering that Yang Kai was covered in cuts and bruises and that his clothes were filled with blood stains. Especially prominent was a great wound on Yang Kai’s lower abdomen where a faint cold aura still lingered, causing the blood which flowed out to quickly freeze.
However, what puzzled Sun Yu the most was the faint golden hue that came from Yang Kai’s blood.
“Was Senior injured?” Sun Yu asked with concern.
“Just some minor scratches!” Yang Kai shook his head, “As long as I rest for a while these injuries won’t be a problem.”
“How was Senior hurt?” Sun Yu was greatly confused. From beginning to end, he had not seen Yang Kai take action, all the young boy saw was the giant Golden Dragon fighting with Yan Zhi. Although the Golden Dragon suffered numerous wounds in the battle with Yan Zhi, what relationship did that have with Senior Yang?
Also, the big injury on Senior Yang’s lower abdomen corresponded to the injury the Golden Dragon had suffered.
Sun Yu had clearly seen when Yan Zhi condensed all of his Ice Qi into his arms and inserted them into that position on the Golden Dragon’s body.
Dragon Phoenix Palace became extraordinarily lively and busy.
Frozen Nether Cave Heaven had invaded in force only to have one of its Saint Realm masters killed by the newly reborn Dragon Emperor, while the other lost his arm to Palace Master Chen Zhou.
When Chen Zhou and the other Elders returned in triumph, everyone burst into joy.
Never before had the Sect had so many reasons to celebrate.
Despite all the accumulated grievances, they had with Frozen Nether Cave Heaven, every time an incident came up, the cultivators of Dragon Phoenix Palace would be forced to swallow their anger and give way. Over the years, this had caused the disciples of Dragon Phoenix Palace to be unable to raise their heads in front of those from Frozen Nether Cave Heaven.
Every disciple of Dragon Phoenix Palace was quite hostile towards Frozen Nether Cave Heaven.
But this time, the enemy had suddenly launched a full scale invasion, sending out all of its masters, causing everyone to think today would be Dragon Phoenix Palace’s last day.
However, the end result was even more shocking.
From those who had returned from the battlefield, the disciples who had taken shelter inside the Sect learned that the reason for their unexpected victory was because of the sudden appearance of the Dragon Emperor.
And that Dragon Emperor was none other than Sun Yu, the youth who had become the most talked about disciple for the past two years!
The Golden Dragon that had soared into the air and displayed unmatched majesty had been witnessed by everyone who took part in the battle.
“The Sect’s chance to rise has come! Sir Dragon Emperor managed to kill that First Order Saint Yan Zhi with just an Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage cultivation, after a few years, I’m afraid he’ll be able to compete with even Third Order Saints!”
“En, en, when Sir Dragon Emperor was fighting that Yan Zhi, I saw him standing back, not taking action personally. The entire time, his face remained calm and relaxed, as if he never doubted he would emerge victorious.”
“Are you saying he didn’t even go all out?”
“Of course he didn’t, if he did, I’m afraid even that Bai Jing Chu wouldn’t have been able to escape.”
“Fierce! The Dragon Emperor’s inheritance is truly awe-inspiring! I also heard that when Sir Dragon Emperor entered the Dragon Valley two years ago, he was only a True Element Boundary Seventh Stage cultivator, yet after only two short years he had managed to reach the Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage, such cultivation speed is simply astonishing.”
“I grew up with Sir Dragon Emperor… when we were children, I knew he was no ordinary person, now it seems I was right, hahahaha!”
“Really? Is there any inside news you can tell us?”
“Inside news… there is one thing, heh, but it’s useless to you.”
“Useless to us? Then who is it useful to?”
“To the girls of the Sect who haven’t yet selected a partner of course… I can tell you now; Sir Dragon Emperor doesn’t yet have a dual cultivation partner!”
“This… If any girl is able to catch his eye, wouldn’t she be able to soar from the branches and become a phoenix?”
“En en… Haven’t any of you noticed these days that many of our Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters have been frequenting the place Sir Dragon Emperor lives? Fortunately Palace Master placed him in a different palace, otherwise I’m afraid he wouldn’t be able to get a moment’s rest!”
“……”
Inside Dragon Phoenix Palace, discussion and gossip ran rampant. The young disciples would gather together in groups big and small and talk at length about Sun Yu.
The world-famous Dragon Emperor was a supreme powerhouse that emerged from Dragon Phoenix Palace many centuries ago. It was because of the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress that the Dragon Phoenix Palace had become a force which was second to none in its prime.
It was a pity that after many years the inheritance was broken and the Sect had gradually declined.
But today, the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance had reappeared and everyone believed that the Phoenix Empress’ inheritance would not be far behind.
Of course, this all depended on the meaning of Sir Dragon Emperor; after all, it was up to him to choose a lifelong companion.
Palace Master Chen Zhou was busy for several days dealing with the aftermath of the war while Elder Ling Jian, for his great meritorious service of training such an outstanding disciple, was directly promoted to the post of Great Elder of Dragon Phoenix Palace, becoming second in authority only to Chen Zhou.
A giant luxurious palace in the heart of Dragon Phoenix Palace that was constructed of the finest stone and decorated with the most exquisite of carpets and carvings.
This palace was equipped with some kind of Spirit Array which made the World Energy aura within its halls extremely rich.
This palace was the residence which Palace Master Chen Zhou usually lived in, but it had been given to Sun Yu as his new home a few days ago.
Outside, numerous masters from Dragon Phoenix Palace were hidden in the dark, their auras carefully concealed as they served as guards, monitoring everyone who approached within a certain distance of the palace.
Although Sir Dragon Emperor had already displayed incredible might, he was still just a sixteen year old boy, so Chen Zhou couldn’t help worrying about his safety. For fear of him encountering some kind of accident, Chen Zhou had naturally deployed some defenses around Sun Yu’s residence.
A few dozen meters outside the palace, a large crowd of young girls was making noise.
Each of these girls was born beautiful and had been cultivated diligently by Dragon Phoenix Palace specifically for the male disciples to choose as dual cultivate partners.
Several dozen girls were scattered about outside, each of them showing different styles of beauty, making for a dazzling and eye catching display.
Sun Yu stood near one of the palace windows and stared out at this sight, glancing around at several of his pretty Senior Sisters who were wearing thin, highly exposing robes while casting coquettish looks towards him.
This display of ten thousand charms stimulated Sun Yu’s heart like a gentle and enticing caress, causing his pulse to race and his face to blush bright red. He wanted to look away but simultaneously felt incredibly reluctant to do so, only increasing the helplessness he felt.
After staring for a while, Sun Yu somehow forced himself to close his eyes, took a deep breath, and circulate his Secret Art to calm his mood.
“Who isn’t a bit loose when they’re young? If you want one of them, as long as you say a few words to that Palace Master of yours, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to arrange things for you,” Yang Kai suddenly called out.
Sun Yu was startled and immediately became embarrassed, blushing again as he said, “Senior must be joking, I don’t have any such ideas.”
“Then what are you thinking about?” Yang Kai smiled teasingly from his perch atop a nearby jade bed.
Sun Yu thought about it carefully before replying, “Everything this Sun Yu has today is all thanks to Senior Yang’s blessing, I simply don’t have such skill. If it were not for Senior insisting on concealing himself, I would immediately report everything to Palace Master. The Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters have all come here with high expectations of me, so if I was to really choose one of them under false pretenses, they would definitely be disappointed in the future. Right now, what I must do is become stronger, strong enough so that none of them will be disappointed becoming my partner, only then can I seriously consider such matters…”
Reaching this point, Sun Yu began scratching his head awkwardly and saying, “Moreover, I’m still young… Master said that I’m still maturing, constantly thinking about such things isn’t good for me.”
“Ha ha ha ha!” Yang Kai laughed heartily, nodding slightly, “Fair enough. Then you should focus on becoming strong so when you do find a partner, you have the strength to protect her.”
“Good, it is just as Senior has said,” Sun Yu nodded and earnestly before asking, “Have Senior’s injuries been restored?”
“Almost,” Yang Kai casually responded. He has been healing here for a few days now. Regardless of anything else, Yan Zhi was still a genuine Saint Realm master, so the damage Yang Kai received in battle with him would not be restored in a short amount of time; especially the giant wound on his abdomen which contained an amazing destructive power. It took Yang Kai quite some time to disperse the residual Cold Qi from the wound before he could focus on healing it.
Sun Yu still didn’t understand why Yang Kai had been hurt because from his perspective, Yang Kai had never shown up during that fight.
The truth though was the Golden Dragon fighting Yan Zhi was none other than Yang Kai himself.
After obtaining the true Dragon Emperor’s inheritance, Yang Kai was able to use the enormous energy contained within his Golden Dragon tattoo to assume the form of a dragon.
This was still a type of True Qi transformation, but it was simply too real, essentially no different from a flesh and blood Monster Beast.
Since it was Yang Kai’s first time using such a method, he had initially made himself too large and could not immediately adapt, causing him to suffer a lot during the opening moments of his battle with Yan Zhi.
If Yang Kai were to use this method again, he would be able to perform much better than before.
After transforming into the giant Golden Dragon, both his strength and defence grew substantially.
If this hadn’t been so, Yang Kai estimated that if he wanted to defeat or kill a Saint, he would have to use his Devil Transformation.
Third Order Transcendent was just a stone’s throw away from First Order Saint, but ultimately it was not the Saint Realm.
Yang Kai had gained greatly from his battle with Yan Zhi; at the very least, he confirmed that it was not a problem for him to kill a First Order Saint with his current cultivation.
As for Second-Order Saints, such experts were quite rare, and Yang Kai couldn’t make any judgements without actually fighting one first.
While he was recovering, Yang Kai was also reminiscing about the bloody battle, examining his mistakes and silently learning from them.
“Senior…” Sun Yu suddenly stammered, “From now on, what should I do? Palace Master and everyone else really believe I’m the Dragon Emperor!”
“Let them think so… This way you can obtain the best resources. I believe that with your current aptitude, it won’t be difficult for you to become formidable.”
“This… Deceiving Palace Master and Master makes me feel quite ashamed.”
“Don’t think too much about it,” Yang Kai knit his brow, “When the time comes, I’ll personally explain everything. For now, all you need to do is cultivate diligently.”
“Good,” Having obtained Yang Kai’s promise, Sun Yu relaxed. If the real Dragon Emperor came forward to explain, presumably Palace Master and his Master wouldn’t blame him, right?
“En, if I haven’t guessed wrong, it won’t be long before your Palace Master begins pushing you to pick a Phoenix Empress.”
The Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress re-emerging was the greatest wish of not just Chen Zhou, but all of Dragon Phoenix Palace’s ancestors. Now that the Dragon Emperor had appeared, Chen Zhou would naturally expect the Phoenix Empress to quickly appear.
Only when both of them appeared would Dragon Phoenix Palace truly be complete.
Chen Zhou had not stopped the young girls from coming here, probably thinking it would be best if one of them could win Sun Yu’s favour.
Listening to Yang Kai, Sun Yu became nervous again, “What should I do?”
Yang Kai laughed dumbly and simply said, “Just reject them all. You’re now the Dragon Emperor, Chen Zhou wouldn’t dare ignore your opinions. Just tell him you want to focus on cultivating for now!”
“Good idea!” Sun Yu nodded. As long as he entered secluded retreat and did not emerge for a few years, he could really become powerful enough to no longer feel embarrassed.
“I need to take a look at your Phoenix Nest, lead me there,” Yang Kai then said.
“Good… but Palace Master will definitely not let me go alone.”
“That’s fine, they won’t be able to find me,” Yang Kai smiled.
Sun Yu no longer said anymore and quickly went out to arrange it.
The Phoenix Nest was located not far from Dragon Valley, and Yang Kai was very curious what it was like, but he soon learned that it was actually just a jungle.
From above, the jungle itself though appeared to be shaped in the form of a great flying phoenix.
The jungle was comprized completely of a single species of ancient trees, all of which had grown to an enormous height after untold centuries of time.
Phoenix Nest was very different from Dragon Valley in that the latter was only approachable by the Dragon Emperor, no one else could even enter. Once an outsider tried to approach, they would be pushed away by an invisible force.
Phoenix Nest, on the other hand, hadn’t shown any kind of abnormal reaction for many years. It was as if it was just another ordinary jungle. There were even many disciples of Dragon Phoenix Palace who would come here to have romantic trysts.
However, after the Dragon Emperor had reappeared, Chen Zhou had listed Phoenix Nest as a restricted area and banned anyone from getting close.
When Sun Yu told Chen Zhou about wanting to visit Phoenix Nest, the latter was more than happy to comply as he thought Sun Yu was making preparations for the return of the Phoenix Empress. As such, Chen Zhou immediately sent a number of masters to escort Sun Yu to Phoenix Nest.
Arriving at the edge of the jungle, Sun Yu made up an excuse to have his Transcendent Realm escorts wait outside before he alone entered Phoenix Nest.
Sun Yu’s status was completely different now, so these Transcendent Realm masters didn’t dare disobey him. All of them had been among the people who witnessed Yan Zhi’s death, so they were well aware of what kind of power the Dragon Emperor possessed and were naturally not worried about Sun Yu’s safety.
Not long after walking into the jungle, a figure flashed and Yang Kai appeared beside Sun Yu.
“This is Phoenix Nest?” Yang Kai glanced around and asked curiously.
“En,” Sun Yu nodded, quickly explaining the details of Phoenix Nest.
Yang Kai listened attentively while not saying anything, simply walking forward in a certain direction.
Yang Kai felt that there was something in this Phoenix Nest that was calling out to him, causing the Golden Dragon tattoo on his back to become more active and give him a strange tingling sensation.
After explaining what he knew, Sun Yu cleverly and silently followed behind Yang Kai.
After walking for quite some time, the two suddenly emerged from the jungle and saw a small lakefront of them.
This lake was filled with clear, sparkling water but it was impossible to see very deep into it, much less find its bottom. The lake seemed to be covered by a strange and mysterious power. Standing on the shore and looking down, Yang Kai couldn’t help raising his brow slightly.
He found that there was a kind of hazy reflection in this lake, one of a majestic phoenix. It seemed real yet illusory all at once.
“This is Phoenix Lake. It is named so because of the inexplicable reflection that appears to be a phoenix; however, many people have dove down and investigated its depths over the years yet none of them found anything special,” Sun Yu explained casually.
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Yang Kai knew that some mysterious places would only respond when a specific person appeared. Except for that particular person, no one would be able to discover anything, even if they possessed incredible strength.
Standing on the shore of the lake, the Golden Dragon tattoo on Yang Kai’s back began swimming even more quickly, and there was even a feeling like it would rush out at any moment.
Gently taking a breath, Yang Kai did not suppress it any longer.
A moment later, along with a great dragon roar, the Golden Dragon tattoo leapt from Yang Kai’s back and manifested itself.
However, the current Golden Dragon was quite different from the one which had appeared that day in front of Yan Zhi. The current Golden Dragon was only five meters in length.
After rushing out of Yang Kai’s body, it swam a few circles through the air before plunging towards Phoenix Lake.
The lake surface rippled for an instant and then the Golden Dragon disappeared.
Sun Yu was excited as he carefully observed this scene.
Throughout Dragon Phoenix Palace, only he was aware of Yang Kai, the Dragon Emperor’s, secret. Furthermore, only he had been training by none other than the Dragon Emperor himself. This was something he naturally took pride in. Now he was about to witness the appearance of the Phoenix Empress’ inheritance. How could Sun Yu, as a disciple of Dragon Phoenix Palace, not be excited?
Sometime after the Golden Dragon disappeared into Phoenix Lake, the water’s surface became unsettled, as if there was some great energy rising up from its depths.
As the ripples spread, the phoenix image in Phoenix Lake began to twist and distort. If one were to stand back and observe from a distance, it would look like this illusory phoenix image was actually flapping its wings as it soared upwards from the bottom of the lake.
A tiny wisp of light suddenly fluttered over and sunk into Phoenix Lake.
After the first, a second came, then a third. Soon hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of these wisps began flying over, each one containing a mysterious yet profound power!
Yang Kai and Sun Yu were stunned by this sight, both of them quickly looking around, trying to determine where these wisps had come from.
The pair soon discovered that these wisps of light were actually flying over from the trees which Phoenix Nest was comprised of. When they had come here though, Yang Kai had not found anything unusual about these trees, so this development was quite shocking even to him.
Throughout Phoenix Nest, innumerable wisps of light were being released, just like a swarm of fireflies. These wisps rushed out of the jungle and quickly gathered towards Phoenix Lake.
The Transcendent Realm masters who were waiting outside Phoenix Nest also stared at this scene with wide eyes, unable to control their shock and excitement.
Even Chen Zhou, who was busy handling various affairs in Dragon Phoenix Palace, also quickly stared in the direction of Phoenix Nest upon noticing this development.
The Dragon Emperor had reappeared, and now Phoenix Nest had also begun showing remarkable changes. Clearly, the Phoenix Empress would soon also present herself.
The matters he was handling weren’t of vital importance so Chen Zhou immediately dropped them and soared off in the direction of Phoenix Nest. In Dragon Phoenix Palace, none of the other masters had any mood to continue working on their own matters with such an important event suddenly taking place, all of them quickly chasing after Palace Master Chen, heading towards Phoenix Next so they could witness the reappearance of the Phoenix Empress’ inheritance.
On the shores of Phoenix Lake, Yang Kai waited quietly while Sun Yu stared fixedly at the glowing wisps as they fell into the lake. It was as if he found himself in some fairyland, unable to extricate himself.
Sitting on the shore of the lake, Sun Yu clearly felt that the energy in the surrounding region had undergone a tremendous change.
There was a strong sense of majesty pulsing from the bottom of the lake, and it was growing stronger by the breath.
After what seemed like both a long yet short time, all the wandering wisps sank into Phoenix Lake. At that moment, the hazy phoenix reflection in the lake seemed to come alive and its wings began to flutter more and more quickly.
Suddenly, the lake seemed to explode and water shot up into the sky.
Amidst the great splash of water, a Golden Dragon and a blue Ice Phoenix appeared together.
A thunderous dragon roar and piercing phoenix cry resounded through the Heavens, the former resonant, the latter piercing, the two sounds mixing together and spreading out seemingly endlessly.
Yang Kai grinned as he stared up at the magnificent scene before him.
Similar to the True Dragon in legend, the Phoenix was another sovereign of the Monster Race, a supreme existence capable of reaching the Ninth-Order.
At this moment, the dazzling scene of a dragon and phoenix was on display. The Golden Dragon swam happily through the sky while the Ice Phoenix quietly floated atop the lake, its pair of bright eyes revealing an intelligent light, seeming to observe Yang Kai, carefully scrutinizing him.
A moment later, Ice Phoenix cried out lightly in a satisfied tone.
After letting out this cry, the Ice Phoenix suddenly trembled and its body transformed into a million wisps of light that scattered about and quickly disappeared.
Phoenix Lake became calm once more and the Golden Dragon flew back and returned to Yang Kai’s body.
Yang Kai closed his eyes at that moment and sunk into a state of contemplation and reflection.
The inheritance here was Su Yan’s, but she was currently in Ice Sect. He would have to go meet with her first before bringing her here to obtain what belonged to her.
Seeing Yang Kai not moving, Sun Yu also waited quietly, not daring to disturb him.
A while later, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and said, “Sun Yu, I need you to do me a favour.”
Sun Yu immediately wore a serious look and replied, “Please speak freely Senior Yang.”
“Make sure your Dragon Phoenix Palace carefully looks after this Phoenix Nest.”
“Please feel relieved Senior Yang, Sun Yu will certainly not let any harm come to this place.”
“En.”
Sun Yu suddenly grinned and asked, “Does Senior already have someone in mind for this inheritance?”
Yang Kai gave him a stunned look and asked, “How did you know?”
“Senior’s aura just became very gentle, as if you were thinking about someone dear to you… If I am not mistaken, that person should be Senior’s companion.”
“Little brat, you’ve got good eyes,” Yang Kai laughed for a moment before nodding, “Good, things here have been settled, so I should make a move.”
“Ah, Senior, you’re leaving?” Sun Yu couldn’t help showing a hint of reluctance.
The achievements he had today were entirely thanks to Yang Kai. If it weren’t for him obtaining this opportunity two years ago, Sun Yu figured he would at best be an Immortal Ascension Boundary First Stage cultivator, possibly even weaker, and his aptitude would be nowhere near as good as it was now.
With Sun Yu’s original aptitude, even if he cultivated diligently for his entire life, his limit would probably be the Transcendent Realm.
But now, he could clearly feel that it was only a matter of time before he broke through to the Saint Realm.
Such great fortune was bestowed to him by Yang Kai, causing Sun Yu to be eternally grateful.
“En, it’s about time I left. There are many things I need to attend to. Don’t worry, we’ll meet again in the future,” Yang Kai replied.
“En, then Senior must take care. Next time we meet, Sun Yu will not disappoint your expectations!” Sun Yu said sincerely as he cupped his fists, “Disciple will redouble his efforts to not bring shame upon Senior’s care and training!”
Yang Kai smiled faintly, no longer said anything, and simply flickered, disappearing in the next instant.
Staring off in the direction of Yang Kai’s departure, Sun Yu let out a low-spirited sigh before also turning around and departing.
After exiting Phoenix Nest, Sun Yu couldn’t help being shocked by the scene in front of him.
All the masters of the Sect had assembled here and were standing together with Palace Master Chen Zhou, waiting for Sun Yu.
After seeing Sun Yu come out from inside, all of them revealed looks of curiosity and expectation.
“Palace Master, Master…” Sun Yu cupped his fists.
Chen Zhou quickly returned the courtesy before hesitantly asking, “Lord Dragon Emperor, has the Phoenix Empress’ inheritance begun to materialize?”
The movements inside the Phoenix Nest had been witnessed by all of them so naturally the masters here had begun to speculate.
Sun Yu braced himself and replied, “En, somewhat.”
“You mean?” Chen Zhou was overjoyed.
“Er…” Sun Yu stammered for a moment before a thought flashed across his mind and he quickly stated, “There is no disciple in the Sect suitable to obtain the Phoenix Empress’ inheritance. Moreover, the time for it to be accepted by someone has not yet arrived.”
“Ah?” Chen Zhou suddenly became disappointed, anxiously inquiring in the next moment, “How long will we need to wait?”
Sun Yu shook his head, “This is a matter of fate, only the Heavens know. Even I cannot say.”
The ambiguity of his answer made Sun Yu feel somewhat uneasy, but upon glancing around, he saw that all of the Elders from the Sect actually wearing thoughtful expression, nodding lightly as if they seemed to think his casually made up statement made sense.
Secretly breathing a sigh of relief, Sun Yu relaxed and declared, “I must enter retreat. You don’t have to concern yourself about the Phoenix Empress’ matters, she will appear when the time is right.”
“En,” Chen Zhou quickly nodded, “Right, Lord Dragon Emperor, how should we handle Frozen Nether Cave Heaven? Please give us your decision.”
“Palace Master should so as you see fit,” Sun Yu replied with a bitter smile, how was he supposed to make a decision about such important matters?
Hearing this, Chen Zhou no longer asked anything and simply returned to Dragon Phoenix Palace alongside Sun Yu and the other Elders before preparing the best cultivation materials and resources and arranging a secluded area for the ‘Dragon Emperor’ to enter retreat.
Yang Kai flew forward, swift as the wind and quick as lightning.
He crossed famous mountains and rivers with a joyful smile.
He had thought about going directly to Ice Sect to find Su Yan and bring her back to Dragon Phoenix Palace to obtain the Phoenix Empress’ inheritance, but he reconsidered soon after. If Su Yan was still in a state of frozen cultivation, going to see her now would only be a waste of time.
Also, he hadn’t returned to Soaring Heaven Sect for several years now. In fact, it had already been close to five or six years since he parted ways with his Marital Uncles and Martial Aunt back in Floating Clouds City.
Yang Kai felt that he should return to Soaring Heaven Sect, so he could at least inform his Martial Seniors and Ancestral Founder Chu Ling Xiao that he was alright.
Although he had been in Tong Xuan Realm for a number of years now, Yang Kai still didn’t have a place he felt a strong sense of belonging to; to him, even Soaring Heaven Sect was just the Sect the Ancestral Founder of the High Heaven Pavilion created.
His Martial Uncles and Martial Aunt were no doubt very good to him, but Yang Kai still found it difficult to feel a sense of intimacy towards Soaring Heaven Sect as he did with High Heaven Pavilion.
Regarding this world, he was simply a visitor.
The Central Capital and High Heaven Pavilion were his roots.
As such thoughts flashed across his mind, Yang Kai couldn’t help wondering how all of his friends and family back there were doing, many of their faces flashing before his eyes as he continued on his way.
When he left the Central Capital, Yang Kai had told everyone that when the time was right, he would return and bring them over to this new world. Thinking about it now though, his words had been a bit irresponsible; currently, he didn’t even know how to get back to that world.
Although he was now able to tear space, the most Yang Kai was capable of accomplishing was to move a few hundred kilometres in a random direction, and after displaying this method two or three times, his Spiritual Energy would be completely drained.
This method could only be used in the most urgent of situations or when there was some danger he could otherwise not escape from.
After thinking over the issue for some time, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly lit up, remembering that both Chu Ling Xiao and Shui Ling of Water Spirit Temple had both found their way over to that side. Perhaps if he consulted with them, he too could find a way to return home.
However, before then, Yang Kai still felt he first needed to improve his personal strength, and second, establish a force he could control.
Otherwise, even if he brought his friends and family here, he wouldn’t be able to guarantee their safety.
The Ancient Demon Clan was a good choice!
Nine Heavens Holy Land was also an alright option. As for Dragon Phoenix Palace… Yang Kai wasn’t considering them for now. He would have to meet with Su Yan again before coming to any kind of decision about them.
Most importantly though was finding a site that could accommodate so many people.
Time unknowingly passed by and Yang Kai crossed a few tens of thousands of kilometres. Now, when he unfurled his Wind and Thunder Wings and used the Nine Heavens Divine Skill Flickering Heavenly Shadow, his speed could only be described as lightning quick.
Along the way, Yang Kai would stop at some towns in order to ask for directions until half a month later, he finally saw the endless Snow Mountain Range on the horizon and felt a faint yet familiar chill in the air.
He was almost there!
Soaring Heaven Sect was located just a thousand kilometres or so away from the Snow Mountain Range.
Two days later, Yang Kai finally returned to Soaring Heaven Sect.
Amidst the mountain valley surrounded by the Hundred Peaks Spirit Array, Yang Kai could see traces of cultivator activity. Smiling lightly, Yang Kai flew straight towards one of the peaks.
Arriving halfway up the mountain where a clear stream flowed, Yang Kai landed lightly next to a small cave.
Serene Resplendent Peaks!
This was the mountain peak which belonged to his Fei Yu Martial Aunt and was also the place where Yang Kai lived.
Walking into the cave, Yang Kai descended into the belly of the mountain. After several twists and turns, before he had even reached the living space, Yang Kai smelled a strong fragrance of alcohol.
Yang Kai’s face went black as he sighed, thinking that Fei Yu Martial Aunt was the same as always, completely addicted to wine; however, with such a thick fragrance in the air, Yang Kai really wondered just how much she had drunk.
A moment later, Yang Kai walked into the living space when suddenly a loud bang rang out nearby and a water curtain wrapped around him. This water curtain such a potent alcoholic fragrance that when Yang Kai unconsciously inhaled, he became slightly dizzy.
Hastily circulating his True Qi, Yang Kai quickly recovered from his drunken state.
From behind the water curtain, a jade hand shot out and accurately grabbed Yang Kai’s shoulder.
Yang Kai didn’t put up any resistance and simply let the jade hade catch him, waving his hand to cut open the water curtain in front of him and smiling as he glanced over, “Martial Aunt!”
Hearing this voice, the person behind the water curtain seemed startled and loosened their grip significantly.
Four eyes suddenly met. The beautiful pair of eyes flashed a deep sense of surprise as her drunken face exuded a different kind of brilliance.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s smile suddenly stiffened and he quickly shifted his gaze.
He had immediately found that his Fei Yu Martial Aunt had apparently just been bathing and, alarmed by his unannounced arrival, had only wrapped a thin bathrobe around her rich, enchanting figure. Even now, she was using one hand to hold this bathrobe so it would not slide off her wet body while her other hand was grabbing Yang Kai’s shoulder.
Her two long, slender, legs were completely exposed to the air while the deep valley between her full peaks glistened lightly and her long, wet hair cascaded down her fragrant shoulders, painting a captivating picture.
Yang Kai also thought he had briefly seen two delicate cherry coloured petals through the sheer bathrobe.
It seems he had picked the worst time to appear! Yang Kai thought to himself awkwardly.
Normally, no one would visit Serene Resplendent Peak. Even Cang Yan and the others would let Fei Yu know ahead of time before showing up, very much unlike Yang Kai who had just casually walked inside.
“I was wondering who would be so bold as to enter my home uninvited, it turns out it was you, you little brat!” Fei Yu grinned meaningfully, not only not releasing Yang Kai but instead dragging him towards her and putting him in a headlock, saying in a teasing tone, “Little Martial Nephew, after not showing up for so many years, this is the first thing you do when you get back? Don’t you think you’re acting a bit improper?”
Feeling an amazing elasticity on his back along with a pair of slightly more prominent bumps on his shoulder blades, Yang Kai hurriedly tapped Fei Yu’s arm and whimpered, “Martial Aunt, can you first let go of me?”
“Martial Aunt doesn’t mind, so what are you worried about? Are you afraid your Martial Aunt is going to eat you?” Fei Yu continued to tease, tightening her hold on Yang Kai, pressing her incredible capital even more onto his back as she breathed hot breathe across his ear.
“Martial Aunt must be joking…” Yang Kai pitifully cried out, feeling a sense of numbness spread from the base of his ear while unable to help his body from having certain other ‘reactions’.
Seemingly aware of this, Fei Yu let out a snort and finally released Yang Kai, directing a piercing stare at him with her pair of beautiful eyes, gritting her teeth as she complained, “Little bastard, have you had enough fun outside and finally remembered to return home?”
Yang Kai quickly sat down on a nearby stone bench and poured himself a glass of water, pretending to drink it calmly as he directed his eyes elsewhere, “Martial Aunt, can you wear proper clothes first before we talk? With you appearing like this, I feel somewhat uncomfortable!”
“Little hoodlum! You even have such a reaction to your Martial Aunt?” Fei Yu’s face blushed as she shot him a warning, “You sit right there and wait for me to tidy you up. If you dare move a single step from that spot, I swear I’ll chase you to the ends of the world and punch you black and blue!”
Saying so, her tender body flickered and disappeared.
Yang Kai finally breathed a sigh of relief, a look of helplessness filling his face.
His Fei Yu Martial Aunt really didn’t have the dignity a Marital Aunt should.
After a short wait, Fei Yu walked out again, this time fully, if not neatly dressed, a brilliant light flashing across her beautiful pupils as she smiled widely and sat down opposite Yang Kai, staring at him attentively.
“Heh heh, Martial Aunt, after not seeing you for several years, it seems you’ve become even more beautiful. A moment ago I didn’t have a chance to look closely but now that I do, it’s clear that you look even younger and radiant than before, just like a young woman in her prime!”
“Smelly brat, don’t think that by tossing out a few glib comments you’ll be able to appease your Martial Aunt!” Fei Yu quipped, the anger and frustration she had been suppressing for several years melting away.
Over the past few years, she had frequently inquired about and investigated into Yang Kai’s whereabouts but had never been able to discover anything. Naturally, this caused her a great deal of worry; after all, Yang Kai was from a remote backwater countryside and his strength wasn’t very high. When she last saw him in Floating Clouds City, he only had a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivation.
How could Fei Yu not be worried?
Not only was she concerned about his safety, his three Martial Uncles were also worried about him.
Each of them had vowed that if Yang Kai managed to return safely they would teach him a good lesson!
However, after seeing Yang Kai again, Fei Yu somehow couldn’t get angry and only felt like a big stone had finally been lifted from her chest.
After staring at her wayward Martial Nephew for a moment, Fei Yu’s expression suddenly became solemn and quickly released her Divine Sense. Carefully probing Yang Kai, a look of shock appeared on her face as she couldn’t help covering her mouth and exclaiming, “Little Martial Nephew, what is your current cultivation?”
Although she could already tell, she simply couldn’t believe it.
“Third Order Transcendent!”
“You’re really a Third Order Transcendent?” Fei Yu leapt up and immediately arrived beside Yang Kai, grabbing his wrist and sending a thread of her own True Qi and Divine Sense into Yang Kai’s body to examine him in finer detail.
While she probed him, she asked nervously, “You haven’t cultivated some kind of forbidden Secret Art, right?”
Yang Kai laughed dumbly and shook his head, “No. Also, such Secret Arts are only effective at rapidly increasing one’s realm during the early stages, how could they continue helping someone in the Transcendent Realm?”
Listening to him, Fei Yu nodded slightly in agreement.
Forbidden Secret Arts were ones that defied the natural order and went against the Heavenly Way. There were actually many such Secret Arts in this world, and cultivators who were blinded by power often chose to cultivate them, allowing them to grow rapidly early on. However, the higher the realm they reached, the weaker they became and the harder it was for them to advance due to the many hidden dangers in their foundations.
Before reaching the Transcendent Realm, so long as one had high enough aptitude, given the quality of Secret Arts and resources available in Tong Xuan Realm, it was not difficult to rapidly grow. For example, Shui Ling had already reached the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary before she was even twenty years old.
Such cultivation at such an age back in the Central Capital was simply extraordinary. At the time, even Yang Kai had no choice but to admit his inferiority.
Such young geniuses were common in Tong Xuan Realm.
Nevertheless, after reaching the Transcendent Realm, breaking through each minor realm was accompanied by great difficulties. Some people spent several dozen years just to break through a single minor realm, many not ever being able to advance for the rest of their life.
Fei Yu’s aptitude was also quite good, but even she took six or seven decades to cultivate from the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary to the Third Order Transcendent Realm, and she had remained in the Third Order Transcendent for another thirty or forty years after that before breaking through to the Saint Realm.
Counting strictly, Fei Yu was now over a hundred years old!
However, with such a formidable cultivation base and by using certain youth retaining techniques, she still had the appearance, and temperament, of a young woman.
When Yang Kai went to Floating Clouds City with her in the past, he was only a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator, but today, after only five or six years, he had actually become a Third Order Transcendent.
This kind of cultivation speed was simply too terrifying.
Fei Yu was understandably worried he had taken advantage of some dubious method to achieve this.
After inspecting him for a while, Fei Yu’s furrowed brow slowly relaxed as she shook her head lightly, “There doesn’t seem to be any problems. Your True Qi is both pure and vigorous, not any worse than your Martial Aunt’s; however, just to be safe, we should get Cang Yan and them to check you out as well.”
Saying so, she sat herself back down and stared at Yang Kai curiously, “What exactly have you been up to these past few years? Since we parted back at Floating Clouds City, there’s been no news from you at all!”
“I…”
Yang Kai had just opened his mouth when Fei Yu suddenly interrupted, “Hold on a moment, Cang Yan and them will definitely want to hear this as well. I’ve already sent them a message so they should be here soon. You’d best be prepared though, those three smelly men all said they were going to teach you a lesson for the trouble you’ve caused.”
“Ah… en,” Yang Kai scratched his head, closing his lips, sitting up somewhat straighter on the stone bench.
Seeing his awkward appearance, Fei Yu didn’t feel like pressing the issue again and instead just lazily rested her cheek on her palm while grabbing a piece of spirit fruit to chew on as they waited.
After less than the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside.
“They’re here,” Fei Yu smiled faintly, sitting back comfortably as if she was preparing to watch a good show, her beautiful pupils flashing an interested light.
It seemed she was quite looking forward to how Cang Yan and the others would tidy up Yang Kai.
Yang Kai expression became somewhat dignified as he sat up straight, staring towards the entrance.
After a moment, three figures rushed in simultaneously; obviously, it was Cang Yan, Li Wan, and Fei Jian.
As soon as they entered, Li Wan shouted, “I heard that little bastard is back?”
Cang Yan also wore an austere expression, as if anticipating a coming storm while Fei Jian’s fingers were lightly rubbing, a dangerous aura pulsing from their tips.
Three pairs of eyes immediately locked onto Yang Kai.
In response, Yang Kai jumped to his feet and let out a hearty laugh, “Several Martial Uncles, congratulations on breaking through to the Saint Realm! It is really the great fortune of my Soaring Heaven Sect. With several Martial Uncles’ great strength, you will surely soon become famous throughout the world! Congratulations indeed!”
Fei Yu was startled by this sudden outburst, but soon wore a wry grin as she muttered under her breath, “Sly little bastard!”
The three men couldn’t help glancing around at each other as cramped smiles appeared on their faces. Although they had said they would teach Yang Kai a good lesson, that was only because of all of the worries he had caused them. Now seeing Yang Kai safe and sound, how could they really get angry with him?
Hearing Yang Kai suddenly say these lines as well caused them to laugh dumbly despite themselves and shake their heads despite trying not to.
Moreover, all of them being able to break through to the Saint Realm was in large part due to Yang Kai’s efforts. If it weren’t for him condensing the medicinal liquid of the Thousand-Year Demon Flower, even if Cang Yan and the others could still make this breakthrough, it would have taken them many more years, possibly even decades.
“Little brat!” Cang Yan’s serious expression melted away like a snowflake under the sun, a big grin soon replacing it as he heavily patted Yang Kai’s shoulder and looked him up and down, nodding as he said, “Good good good, two arms, two legs, and your head, seems everything is in place!”
“En, he actually looks more solid than before,” Li Wan also laughed.
Fei Jian narrowed his eyes slightly, “Your aura is also much denser.”
“It seems that you’ve grown up a lot outside these past few years. En, very good!”
His Martial Uncle had only offered some simple praise but Yang Kai could feel their deep sense of care towards him, warming his heart.
Fei Yu, on the other hand, waited for the three of them to finish their greetings before snorting lightly, “You three are also Saints now, yet you didn’t even bother to probe little Martial Nephew’s current cultivation?”
“What’s wrong with his cultivation?” Cang Yan frowned, releasing his Divine Sense and sweeping Yang Kai with it casually.
The next instant though, his eyes bulged as if he had just seen something impossible.
Li Wan and Fei Jian noticed this and also quickly checked Yang Kai, both of them soon showing similar expressions to Cang Yan.
Third Order Transcendent Realm!
This little Martial Nephew who had come from a remote backwater was now actually a Third Order Transcendent. His True Qi fluctuations clearly illustrated this.
“I remember when we left the Sect for Floating Clouds City, little Martial Nephew was only at the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary. Although after condensing the medicinal liquid of the Thousand-Year Demon Flower he broke through to the Transcendent Realm, it has only been five or six years since then, yet he has already grown to such a height. Cang Yan, you take a look to see if there are any problems with little Martial Nephew’s foundation,” Fei Yu quickly said.
Cang Yan expression quickly became serious as he began examining Yang Kai.
A moment later, he shook his head slowly, “Strange, very strange!”
“What’s strange?” Li Wan and Fei Jian asked somewhat anxiously.
“There’s no issue with little Martial Nephew’s cultivation. His foundation is very solid and the purity and density of his True Qi are almost no different from even our own.”
“Wha… how is that possible?” Li Wan exclaimed. Before going to Floating Clouds City, the three of them had only been Third Order Transcendents, yet now, Yang Kai had actually caught up with their cultivation at that time.
“If he didn’t obtain some incredible fortuitous encounter, it can only mean that little Martial Nephew… is an incredible Heaven defying genius!” Cang Yan’s eyes flashed as he stared at Yang Kai with great interest, “Little Martial Nephew, what exactly did you experience outside these past few years? “
“Oh, nothing much, I just casually walked here and there. As for fortuitous encounters, there were indeed a few things,” Yang Kai laughed wryly.
“Let’s hear it,” All four of the others in the room suddenly said curiously.
Yang Kai took a breath and, feeling slightly helpless, began to simply narrate what had happened to him these past few years. He didn’t dare mention the matters regarding Nine Heavens Holy Land and Dragon Phoenix Palace and instead emphasized his experiences in Ice Sect, the Mysterious Small World where he met the Sun Clan, and his time in the Demon Land. Listening to his story, his Martial Uncles and Martial Aunt couldn’t help revealing shocked expressions.
After Yang Kai finished his story, his four Seniors went silent for a long time.
Li Wan was the first to break the silence, sighing as he said, “You’ve certainly had many fantastical experiences. The Demon Land… Even we don’t dare venture into that place, it’s rumoured that there are powerful Demon Race masters everywhere, making it extremely dangerous for us Humans.”
“Oh right, little Martial Nephew, were you able to find the locations of those two Senior Sisters you were looking for?” Fei Yu’s beautiful eyes flashed, seemingly quite interested in both Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang.
“En, I already found one of them, she is currently cultivating in Ice Sect. As for the other, I am still uncertain of her exact whereabouts, but I believe I will be able to reunite with her soon,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Good, you must bring them to the Sect at some point after you find them. I must see what kind of charm your two Senior Sisters possess to let you never forget about them.”
“There will be a chance.”
“En, enough about these matters, little Martial Nephew returning to the Sect after so long is a great good fortune, we must celebrate!” Cang Yan suddenly shouted, shooting a sly glance over towards Li Wan and Fei Jian.
Li Wan and Fei Jian immediately understood his intentions and fervently expressed their agreement.
Fei Yu smiled bitterly and said, “You stinky men are just after your Great Aunt’s Thousand Safflower Wine! I knew it from the moment you all said you’d rush to my Serene Resplendent Peak. I’ll say this now, this is the last time! Out of consideration for little Martial Nephew’s face, I’ll let you each drink one bottle today, but if you dare try this again, Great Aunt here will go all out with you!”
The three of them laughed slyly and quickly began to prepare.
After drinking to their hearts’ content, Cang Yan and the others were dead drunk and stumbled out of Serene Resplendent Peak. Before leaving though, they told Yang Kai to pay a visit to the Ancestral Founder. Chu Ling Xiao was apparently also quite worried about him.
Yang Kai readily agreed.
Fei Yu was also incredibly drunk; her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as her eyes so moist it seemed like they would squeeze out drops of water at any moment. Holding tightly to a big wine bottle, not caring the slightest for her sloppy appearance, she lay sprawled out across the stone table and was lightly snoring.
Seeing this all too familiar scene, Yang Kai shook his head helplessly and began cleaning up.
The next day, Yang Kai went to meet with Chu Ling Xiao.
Inside the same secluded room, Chu Ling Xiao sat atop his cushion quietly, as if he had not moved at all these past few years.
After seeing Yang Kai, Chu Ling Xiao smiled happily and lightly commented, “I heard from Cang Yan and those kids that you had reached the Third Order Transcendent Realm. Originally, this old master still had some doubts, but seeing you now, it appears to be true.”
“Disciple was just fortunate enough to encounter some opportunities; otherwise I would not have my current achievements.”
“You don’t need to be so modest, opportunities and adventures are another part of one’s strength; since you were able to meet them, the strength you gained also belongs to you.,” Chu Ling Xiao nodded lightly before narrowing his eyes ever so slightly as he stared at Yang Kai, “However, your aura is somewhat odd… Different from how it was previously. You now have an air of majesty around you that did not exist before! Curious, you are quite young and should not be able to exude such a lofty air. Just where did you acquire it?”
Yang Kai was stunned, not having expected Chu Ling Xiao to be aware of this.
The majestic and dignified aura belonged to the Dragon Emperor and was not strictly possessed by Yang Kai himself.
Before Yang Kai could answer though, Chu Ling Xiao waved his hand calmly, “This old master was just thinking out loud, you need not explain to me, everyone has some secrets that they don’t want others to know.”
Yang Kai laughed awkwardly before suddenly wearing a serious expression, “Right, Ancestral Founder, I have something I’d like to consult with you about.”
“En, go ahead,” Chu Ling Xiao nodded lightly.
“Ancestral Founder, have you constructed a Void Corridor before?”
“Oh?” Chu Ling Xiao smiled faintly, “How did you know?”
Yang Kai scratched his head and replied, “Ancestral Founder may have forgotten, but over on that side, inside High Heaven Pavilion, there is a Void Corridor which leads to a place about ten thousand kilometres away…”
“En, there indeed was such a thing,” Chu Ling Xiao thought about it for a moment before nodding, “En, I was the one who created that Void Corridor…. but that was not a result of my own skill, I only managed to create it by borrowing the power of an artifact.”
“Could Ancestral Founder speak about it in more detail?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
Although Yang Kai could now tear space, he wasn’t able to determine where he reappeared, when he emerged from the void, he would simply appear somewhere in the surrounding several hundred-kilometre region.
If he ever found himself in a dangerous situation, this uncertainty would become a major issue.
However, if Yang Kai could determine where he would reappear, this tearing space method would become of great use to him.
It was for this reason, among others, that he wanted to consult with Chu Ling Xiao about these things.
“That artifact was something I had inadvertently obtained many years ago. Although I knew it contained a trace of the power of void, I had never been able to use it nor understand the mysteries it contained. When I fought with that Demon General, the two of us inadvertently stumbled upon a hidden Void Corridor entrance and travelled to your world. After killing that Demon General, I founded High Heaven Pavilion over there, but was unable to find my way back here!” Chu Ling Xiao revealed a reminiscent look, “I stayed in that land for a number of years before, out of desperation, pinning my hopes on that artifact. Unfortunately, after I managed to activate the artifact, although I successfully created a Void Corridor, it was one that could only convey an individual ten thousand kilometres away rather than one that could cross worlds.”
Saying so, Chu Ling Xiao showed a slightly exasperated expression.
“Since that’s the case Ancestral Founder, how did you get back here?” Yang Kai couldn’t help but wonder.
Chu Ling Xiao chuckled wryly, “A chance coincidence. Over there, there’s a place called Nether Mountain, yes?”
Yang Kai nodded. Nether Mountain was the greatest forbidden zone in the Great Han Dynasty. Yang Kai had even gone there once for life experience in a Mysterious Small World. It was also the place he first met cultivators from Tian Lang Dynasty.
Naturally he remembered that experience clearly.
“It was there that I found a Void Corridor and after I entered it I found myself back in Tong Xuan Realm.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up immediately.
Was there also a Void Corridor leading to this side hidden in Nether Mountain? Yang Kai knew nothing about it; he had only been able to arrive in Tong Xuan Realm thanks to Meng Wu Ya telling him about the Void Corridor in the forbidden land of Tian Lang Dynasty.
There was also the Void Corridor hidden in the Earth Vein beneath the Central Capital.
When he thought about it, Yang Aki realized that there were actually a lot of hidden connections between his old world and Tong Xuan Realm; it was just that most people knew nothing about them.
Conversely, there should also be a number of ways to get from Tong Xuan Realm back to that world.
After a long conversation with Chu Ling Xiao, Yang Kai unfortunately did not obtain any solid clues about returning home, but there was one thing he did learn. As long as he continued searching patiently, he would one day be able to find his way back to that world.
Yang Kai wasn’t in a rush though. In any case, he had neither the ability to protect nor a place to house his friends and relatives now.
For now, he decided to continue studying the tearing space Divine Ability he had obtained.
Leaving Chu Ling Xiao’s residence, Yang Kai flew back to Serene Resplendent Peak and casually informed his Fei Yu Martial Aunt he wanted to enter secluded retreat.
He had just broken through to the Third Order Transcendent Realm and had not yet had a chance to consolidate his cultivation, so he planned to do so now while studying the mysteries of tearing space.
In the depths of Serene Resplendent Peak there was an extremely expensive secret room entirely comprised of Crystal Stone. Before going to Floating Clouds City, Yang Kai had often spent time in this room studying Alchemy. When he asked, Fei Yu readily agreed to lend it to him.
After closing the chamber, Yang Kai reached out and waved his hand. In front of him, a dark crack split open and from it a chaotic and terrifying energy pulsed.
Yang Kai was already quite familiar with tearing space and could do so rather easily.
After Yang Kai dove into The Void, the dark tear in space quickly closed and vanished without a trace.
As always, a sense of weightlessness overcame Yang Kai the moment he entered The Void. Sitting cross-legged, Yang Kai circulated his Secret Art to consolidate his cultivation while releasing his Divine Sense into his surroundings to study the path of the void turbulent around him.
Yang Kai had always felt that there was some mystery hidden in these void turbulences but the reason no one had unravelled it so far was because these turbulences were simply too dangerous.
Even if a Saint Realm master managed to arrive here, they would not be able to withstand this turbulence and it would only be a short time before their physical body and Soul were torn to shreds.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, wasn’t worried about such things; his physical strength and Divine Sense were both out of the ordinary which gave him a great advantage in this plane.
Transforming his Divine Sense into thousands of individual threads, Yang Kai attached them to the void turbulences around him as he followed and studied them, trying to unravel the laws which governed them.
Yang Kai didn’t become anxious and focused on maintaining a state of mental tranquility.
As time passed, he gradually began to comprehend some simple rules of The Void, but he was still unable to grasp the key, leading him to further immerse himself in his studies.
Suddenly, the turbulences throughout The Void became unstable. Yang Kai quickly awoke from his meditative state and took back his Divine Sense threads. Looking around himself, he was shocked to discover that this entire region of the Void seemed to have become chaotic, with a powerful destructive energy and aura seemingly flooding in from all directions.
Yang Kai had frequently encountered this situation while experimenting with this tearing space method. It was quite similar to what he had experienced back in the Starry Sky; when the Starry Sky energy reached a certain concentration, a storm would form.
Inside The Void, there were Void Storms formed when the strength of the void reached a certain concentration.
This was a natural phenomenon.
Every time this happened, Yang Kai had swiftly avoided it. This time too, when he noticed the Void Storm approaching, Yang Kai’s first thought was to escape, but after thinking about it for a moment, his brow wrinkled and he slowly sat back down.
When he had explored the Starry Sky, he had been forced to endure a Starry Sky storm and as a result, benefited greatly from it, even breaking through to the Transcendent Realm. So, Yang Kai thought, if he now stayed here and felt the mysteries hidden inside this Void Storm with his own flesh and blood, perhaps he could unlock the secrets of tearing space which had thus far eluded him!
Thinking so, Yang Kai no longer rushed to leave and instead quietly sat amongst the turbulent flow of The Void while condensing all his strength in preparation for the arrival of the destructive storm front.
A moment later, the violent Void Storm swallowed engulfed him.
In an instant, all of Yang Kai’s clothes were turned into dust and his body was covered in wounds, leaving almost no place on his skin unharmed.
Yang Kai couldn’t help paling slightly.
Although Yang Kai knew that the energy which flowed here was even more mysterious and dangerous than the power which permeated the Starry Sky, it appeared he had still underestimated it.
Yang Kai hastily used all his strength to resist the ravages of the storm.
With his skin cut open, blood flowed out freely, covering Yang Kai in a layer of red and gold, while a profound and mysterious strength seeped into his physique.
A look of shock filling his face, as Yang Kai had to endure an aching pain all over his body and quickly investigated.
The strength which had seeped into his pores was obviously Void Energy, the basis of the method he used to tear space.
More and more Void Energy poured into his body and gradually reached a concentration that even Yang Kai felt was unbearable. It felt as if he was being sliced open from both inside and outside by a million tiny blades.
Moreover, because it was Void Energy that was tearing into him, Yang Kai’s entire figure had become somewhat intangible.
Yang Kai clearly knew that his hands and feet were right in front of his eyes, but because of the constantly twisting space around him, Yang Kai mistakenly felt like his limbs had actually spread out over a vast distance.
Not daring neglect, Yang Kai immediately shouted in a low voice, “Devil Transformation!”
Rich and pure Demonic Qi gushed out from his Unyielding Golden Skeleton and transformed into exquisite Demon Crests that covered Yang Kai’s skin before they sank into his physique and disappeared.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s vitality and physical strength rose madly along with his momentum and aura.
The pain which had just been unbearable suddenly became much lighter.
Gently breathing a sigh of relief, Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense once more and began exploring this explosion of Void Energy while simultaneously allowing his body to bathe in and forcibly remember it.
Time had never passed so slowly, but gradually, Yang Kai noticed some subtle yet extremely gratifying changes in his perception.
The seemingly random movements of the void turbulences around him now, in Yang Kai’s perception, showed some faint semblance of order, allowing him to vaguely grasp their ebb and flow.
Yang Kai grinned happily and continued to maintain his current state, constantly trying to comprehend the mysteries of The Void through the Void Energy which flowed in and around him.
After what seemed like an eternity, yet for all Yang Kai could tell might have only been a fleeting moment, the Void Storm finally passed and everything became calm once more.
Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and was surprised to find the originally chaotic yet empty Void before him was now filled with a near infinite number of faint points of light, almost like a beautiful starry sky.
Sweeping these points of light with his senses allowed him to read some subtle information from each.
Yang Kai brow wrinkled slightly as he continued to carefully examine these points, and as he gradually comprehended what each of them was trying to convey to him, his heart filled with excitement.
Focusing all his attention on one particular point of light, Yang Kai saw a palatial mountain peak appear in his mind. The mountain peak soared several thousand meters into the sky and was surrounded by many others. Its most distinguishing feature though was a great waterfall which fell into a river that ran beside a cave which led into its inner depths.
Immersing himself in this image, Yang Kai felt almost as if he was floating mid-air, overlooking this familiar mountain.
Serene Resplendent Peak!
It was his Fei Yu Martial Aunt’s private residence and the place he was currently cultivating.
Stretching out his hand, Yang Kai tore space at that point of light and stepped through.
Looking back, Yang Kai found himself standing inside a great forest bathed in beautiful and refreshing spring like sunlight with the sounds of a great waterfall pouring roaring in his ears.
Yang Kai immediately flew up into the sky and scanned his surroundings, barely able to contain his excitement.
Taking in everything around him, Yang Kai couldn’t help letting out a loud, hearty laugh!
The scene before his eyes, when seen from high above, was almost exactly the same as the one he had perceived from the point of light inside The Void.
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, so excited he wanted to throw his head back and let out a roar.
Today, he had finally, truly grasped the mystery of tearing space and no longer had to worry about losing his way and randomly appearing somewhere within a few hundred kilometers when leaving The Void.
Now, as long as he wanted to, he could roughly determine the direction and position he wanted to go.
Using his body to directly feel the mysteries of The Void had really paid off.
If he had known this method was feasible, Yang Kai would have long ago tried it instead of wasting so much time trying to slowly puzzle through this mystery.
Half-way up the mountain, a pretty figure swiftly flew over, seemingly alarmed because of all the noise Yang Kai had been making, wanting to investigate what was happening.
As she drew near Yang Kai who was still floating mid-air and laughing happily to himself, Fei Yu couldn’t wearing a strange look, placing her jade white hand onto her forehead to block the sun’s rays as she looked up and shouted, “Little Martial Nephew, weren’t you in retreat? What did you come out here to do?”
Upon hearing her voice, Yang Kai quickly looked over and smiled, “I thought I’d come out and take a walk today.”
“You came out?” Fei Yu frowned, “How come I didn’t notice?”
She too had been inside the mountain cave but had not noticed Yang Kai come out of the secret room, so naturally she was somewhat confused.
“Martial Aunt probably just missed me,” Yang Kai said casually.
Fei Yu didn’t ask anything more and instead just swept her eyes up and down Yang Kai a few times, seeming examining him with great interest, pursing her lips as she lightly said, “Little Martial Nephew, don’t you think there’s something a bit ‘off’ with you right now?”
“Something off?” Yang Kai frowned, not knowing what she was talking about.
“Little boy, your stature is quite good…” Fei Yu expressed her admiration, her fair white neck gradually blushing slightly, her pair of beautiful eyes staring at him appreciatively, “I never noticed underneath your clothes held such a treasure…”
Yang Kai’s stupidly grinning face immediately went black as he suddenly realized what she was talking about, his figure flickering in the next instant as he dove into the pond beneath the nearby waterfall.
Outside, Fei Yu nearly doubled over as her giggling voice resounded like a silver bell.
Yang Kai felt like dying. He had just been so immersed in his comprehension of tearing space that he had even forgotten that all his clothes were shredded to dust in the Void Storm.
It was no wonder his Martial Aunt had been staring at him oddly.
From the pond down below, Yang Kai stuck just his head up above the surface, wiped off the dripping water from his face and shouted, “Martial Aunt, couldn’t you have said something a bit sooner?”
Fei Yu floated down and gently poked the top of his head, still having trouble controlling her laughter as she mischievously grinner, “What’s the matter, your Martial Aunt here is so much older than you. What point is there in acting so bashful?”
Yang Kai retracted his head back into the water somewhat, revealing just his helpless eyes.
In front of Fei Yu, Yang Kai really couldn’t fight back; if it had been any other woman so blatantly sexually harassing him, Yang Kai would have already taught her that there were some men she couldn’t provoke.
But Fei Yu was his Senior and Martial Aunt…
“But seriously, what were you doing here. How did you get all those scars?” Fei Yu’s gaze immediately became serious as she asked with concern.
It wasn’t just Yang Kai’s unusual choice of attire that had caught Fei Yu’s attention just now, she had also clearly seen his bare skin had traces of dried up blood all over it, apparently he had just suffered numerous serious wounds.
“Just a bit of an accident…” Yang Kai replied faintly.
Determining that Yang Kai truly didn’t have any issues, Fei Yu relaxed and let the issue drop, bursting into giggles again before shaking her head and flying back down.
Yang Kai scrubbed himself inside the pool for a while before donning a new set of clothes.
Upon returning to the cave, Yang Kai saw Fei Yu smiling towards him.
“That’s right,” Fei Yu suddenly said, “Have you gone to see Old Man Du yet? After you didn’t return for over a year, he began sending Mi Na over every now and then to inquire about you. Both of them seemed quite concerned about you.”
“Oh, then I should go have a look then,” Yang Kai nodded, “I’m free at the moment so I might as well go now.”
“Good, the earlier you go, the earlier you can return!” Fei Yu waved her hand, knowing that Yang Kai was still somewhat embarrassed to be here right now.
“I might stay there for a while. There’s some Alchemy problems I’d like to discuss with Old Man Du.”
Fei Yu shot him a glance before snickering, “Do as you’d like. After all, the last time you ‘went out for a while,’ you didn’t come back for six years!”
She thought that Yang Kai was just looking for an excuse to avoid her for a bit but in fact, Yang Kai real did want to get Old Man Du’s advice regarding some issues regarding Alchemy.
As for today, Yang Kai’s Alchemy abilities were quite high, almost on par with Du Wan’s, and with the help of the many profound Spirit Arrays he knew, Yang Kai even felt he wouldn’t lose to Old Man Du when it came to purely refining pills.
However, Du Wan had been immersed in this field for a very long time, so he would naturally have his own unique experiences and insights.
Such things could only be accumulated over time and were exactly what Yang Kai was currently lacking, making them extremely precious to him.
In order to free the Ancient Demon Clan from that Mysterious Small World, Yang Kai’s Alchemy technique still needed to improve. Thus, he was quite eager to find ways to promote his Alchemy technique.
If he could acquire the Ancient Demon Clan’s strength, there were many more things Yang Kai could accomplish.
Bidding farewell to Fei Yu, Yang Kai left Soaring Heaven Sect and flew off towards Grand Boulder City.
Two hours later, he touched down outside the city gates.
Upon arriving here, Yang Kai was surprised to find that the city seemed to be much livelier than before. There were many foreign cultivators coming and going, all seemingly in a rush.
Yang Kai shook his head and no longer paid any attention to such things as he walked straight towards the Alchemist Guild.
Just after Yang Kai walked into the Alchemist Guild, a young girl who couldn’t be older than fifteen with her hair done up in a pair of swaying twin-tails rushed over and intercepted him.
Although she was young and her figure had yet to fully mature, it was clear she would soon become a beautiful young woman, a fresh and pleasant sight to behold.
The little girl rushed straight up to Yang Kai and stopped him in his tracks, placing arms akimbo as she questioned, “Who are you? How can you just casually stroll inside this place?”
Yang Kai swept his eyes over her quickly and discovered that this little girl’s cultivation was respectable enough; actually having already reached the True Element Ninth Stage, slightly better than Sun Yu from Dragon Phoenix Palace when Yang Kai first met him.
“Who are you?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
Grand Boulder City’s Alchemist Guild branch should only have three occupants, Du Wan, Mi Na, and Mi Na’s master Ye Xiong.
Since when did such a small girl take up residence here?
“What business is that of yours?” The opposite party huffed as she stared back at Yang Kai, dissatisfied, “This is the Alchemist Guild, don’t you know? It’s not a place just any random person can enter.”
“Random person…” Yang Kai nearly choked. This little girl was neither very old nor very tall, but her attitude was by no means small.
“Hmph, you must be someone looking for Alchemy services from Old Man Du or Master Ye, right? If you want to request them to perform Alchemy, come back in a month. The schedules of the two masters are currently full,” The little girl said, clearing thinking herself quite clever for figuring this out.
“It’s so busy here?” Yang Kai was amazed.
“Naturally, many people come here to request Alchemy from the two Grandmasters,” the girl replied proudly, as if she was the one being requested for Alchemy services by these people, her eyes flashing in the next moment as she suddenly said, “If the grade of pill you need refined isn’t that high, I can help you.”
“You also study Alchemy?” Yang Kai looked down at her, suddenly becoming somewhat interested.
“En, naturally, you shouldn’t underestimate me just because of my appearance, I’m actually a Mysterious Grade Low-Rank Alchemist!”
“Oh? That’s quite impressive,” Yang Kai praised sincerely. So young yet already a Mysterious Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, it was a rare right indeed. On top of that, Yang Kai had never met this little girl before, so she must have only arrived within the last three to five years. She was probably a seedling Du Wan or Ye Xiong had come across and was now instructing in the Alchemic Dao.
Using only three to five years to become a Mysterious Grade Low-Rank Alchemist proved how high this little girl’s aptitude was.
Hearing Yang Kai’s praise, the girl suddenly smiled and no longer felt that this young man in front of her looked so bad, “How about it? I can help you perform Alchemy. At or below Mysterious Grade Low-Rank my success rate is eighty percent!”
“Eighty percent, very good, how much do you charge for your services?” Yang Kai asked, rubbing his chin.
“There’s no charge!” The girl replied quickly, “Old Man Du and Master Ye said that I should take every opportunity I get to refine more pills so there’s no need to offer me any compensation. En, well, of course, if you feel like paying me… I’m not going to refuse. En, actually, Alchemy is quite laborious, each time Wu’er performs Alchemy, she drips with sweat and becomes quite tired!”
Yang Kai couldn’t help chuckling as he nodded, “So your name is Wu’er?”
“En!”
Yang Kai thought about it for a moment before taking out a batch of Heaven Grade and Mysterious Grade herbs from the Black Book space and handing them over to the little girl.
These herbs weren’t very high grade so they had almost no use to Yang Kai anymore, but they happened to be perfect for Wu’er to practice with in order to improve her Alchemy skills.
Yang Kai remembered when he first started practising Alchemy and all the struggles he went through to collect herbs and couldn’t help lending her a hand.
Wu’er’s eyes lit up as she quickly accepted the herbs and placed them into her Universe Bag.
“Help me refine a hundred pills with those,” After handing over the herbs, Yang Kai made a broad request.
“Good, with so many herbs, it should be enough,” Wu’er happily promised, “But a hundred pills will take some time, en, come back to me after one month and I should be able to hand them over to you!”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded before taking out some Crystal Stones, “This is your reward!”
“You’re also really giving me…” Wu’er looked up at Yang Kai timidly, her hands gripping her floral print skirt, looking somewhat hesitant and embarrassed.
“Performing Alchemy is laborious and time-consuming, naturally I should compensate you.”
“Then… Wu’er won’t be polite,” Wu’er said, accepting the Crystal Stones as a giant smile blossomed on her face, suddenly feeling like the young man in front of her was much more cordial than Old Man Du or Master Ye, nodding happily as she declared, “En, very good, after one month, you can come here to accept your pills, I’m going to go start refining them now. You won’t be disappointed!”
Yang Kai gently nodded, smiling as he watched her run off.
Rushing forward to happily, Wu’er turned a corner and accidentally bumped into Mi Na, the latter quickly catching Wu’er just as she was about to fall before lightly scolding, “Little girl, how can you be so energetic every day?”
“Senior Sister, look, look!” Wu’er handed over the Crystal Stones she was holding, causing Mi Na eyes to flash as she asked, “Where did you get so many Crystal Stones?”
“There’s still more in my Universe Bag, that person gave me more than twenty pieces!”
“Who gave these to you?” Mi Na couldn’t help but frown.
“A young man… He said he wanted me to help him refine a hundred pills and that these Crystal Stones were my reward!”
“A hundred pills?” Mi Na was stunned, “What does he want so many pills for? On top of that, he actually asked for specifically you to refine them?”
“En! The herbs are in my Universe Bag.”
Mi Na’s expression became sour as she snorted, “Must be some degenerate! That person is either blind or has some evil ulterior motive! Is he still in the guild?”
“I don’t know… he was here a moment ago,” Wu’er stared back at Mi Na in confusion, not understanding why her Senior Sister suddenly seemed unhappy.
“I’ll go take a look,” Mi Na said before running off.
Her Junior Sister was too young and was still in the process of learning Alchemy, if that person really wanted to find someone to perform Alchemy, he definitely wouldn’t have looked for Wu’er, she simply didn’t look reliable enough.
Mi Na instinctively thought that whoever this man was, he was trying to get close to Wu’er for some nefarious purpose.
A look of anger and righteous indignation upon her face, Mi Na was determined to confront this low-life and teach him that the Alchemist Guild was not to be trifled with.
But just as she reached the guild’s entrance hall, she saw a familiar figure standing around leisurely. Four eyes suddenly met and the slightly roguish looking young man grinned and called out, “Beauty, long time no see.”
Mi Na froze up as she stared at him foolishly for a moment before coming to her senses and exclaiming, “Yang Kai!”
As she called out, she rushed forward once more, this time with an excited smile upon her face though as she hurriedly asked, “Why you, did you finally come back?”
“En, I got back just a month ago.”
“Hmph, I thought you’d died out in the wood somewhere,” Mi Na grumbled, “Over the past few years, I’ve been sent by Old Man Du to Soaring Heaven Sect to inquire about your news many times, but there never was any.”
Inside the Alchemist Guild, seeing Yang Kai for the first time in years, Mi Na was quite happy.
However, when she remembered all the worry he had caused Old Man Du, Mi Na couldn’t help feeling somewhat resentful too. For this guy, she felt she had run back and forth to Soaring Heaven Sect so many times the hills in-between had gotten flatter.
“That’s why I came over to see you all,” Yang Kai smiled.
“Hmph, seems you still have some conscience left!” Mi Na snorted as she swept her eyes over him, suddenly thinking of something as she did, “Wait, the one who just asked Wu’er for Alchemy… wouldn’t be you, right?”
“En, it was me,” Yang Kai nodded.
Mi Na patted the chest and breathed a sigh of relief, “So it was you, good, I thought that it was some no good pervert eyeing Wu’er and planned on teaching him a lesson.”
Yang Kai just laughed, “It seemed like she needed some materials to practice with so I gave her some… Since when was there such a little girl here, I’ve never seen her before.”
Hearing this, Mi Na’s expression became somewhat gloomy as she quickly checked to make sure Wu’er had left before whispering, “Old Man Du and I picked her up on our way back… such a poor girl.”
“Picked up on your way back?” Yang Kai is stunned.
“En, on our way back here from Floating Clouds City, we passed by a village that had been attacked by a pack of Monster Beasts. Everyone in the village was dead except her. We found her alone and crying amongst the ruins and didn’t have the heart to just leave her so we brought her back with us to Grand Boulder City. When we found her, she was less than ten years old. She was incredibly thin and had lost the ability to speak, seemingly quite traumatized… It was only after caring for her for a few years that she turned into her current appearance, running around all day long with energy to spare. Haa… such a handful.”
Yang Kai smiled warmly and commented, “You really picked up a good seedling.”
“En!” Mi Na’s beautiful eyes shimmered, “Old Man Du was also quite surprised at Wu’er’s aptitude for Alchemy. When we brought her back, she hadn’t even begun cultivating, yet now she’s already reached the True Element Boundary Ninth Stage and her Alchemy level has recently broken through to the Mysterious Grade Low-Rank. Honestly, as her Senior Sister, I feel quite pressured. If I don’t work hard, that little girl will overtake me in a flash.”
Yang Kai chuckled at this, “It’ll be years before that happens.”
“I’m afraid it won’t take very long though…” Mi Na smiled bitterly, “I’m only a Spirit Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, only one grade higher than Wu’er, with how fast that little girl is growing, she’ll probably surpass me within ten years.”
Saying so, Mi Na suddenly looked at Yang Kai curiously and asked, “What about you? Have you been able to progress beyond the Spirit Grade Top-Rank?”
“Well, a little,” Yang Kai scratched his cheek, not daring to tell Mi Na the truth for fear of discouraging her.
“Fine fine, seeing you like this, it’s obvious you’re already able to refine Saint Pills. This girl is just a common mortal, I shouldn’t be trying to compare myself with you two freaks!” Mi Na grumbled in frustration, but in the next instant smiled, “Enough about that. Come with me, if Old Man Du knew you came back, he’d no doubt be very happy.”
Yang Kai gently nodded before following Mi Na into the Alchemist Guild.
Before they had gone far though, Yang Kai expression changed as he asked, “Is Old Man Du entertaining guests?”
Yang Kai could sense the auras of several individuals inside Old Man Du’s room as well as hear some light laughter. One of these auras belong to Du Wan while the others all possessed Transcendent Realm cultivations.
“En,” Mi Na responded, “They just arrived today actually.”
“Then I can wait.”
“No…” Mi Na smiled meaningfully, “I think those few guests will also want to see you.”
Yang Kai was momentarily stunned but quickly realized, “They couldn’t be the few I met back in Floating Clouds City?”
“Not bad!” Mi Na grinned as the two arrived in front of Du Wan’s room, calling out in the next moment, “Old Man Du, another guest has come to see you.”
The laughter and the conversation inside came to an abrupt halt as Du Wan immediately said, “Let him come back another time, today this old master won’t be seeing other guests.”
“Are you sure about that, Old Man Du? If that’s the case, then I’ll show him out,” Mi Na asked as she winked mischievously towards Yang Kai.
“Why you little…” Du Wan’s helplessly sighed before asking, “Who is it? From the sounds of it he must be a very important guest.”
Not waiting for Mi Na to answer, Yang Kai called out, “Old Man Du, it’s me, Yang Kai!”
“Yang Kai?” Du Wan’s called out in surprise, a series of footsteps ringing out in the next instant and the door soon flying open, revealing Du Wan’s expectant face. After seeing Yang Kai, a look of pleasant surprise filled Old Man Du’s expression as he shouted “It’s you!”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
“Come in, come in!” Du Wan enthusiastically greeted Yang Kai, “It’s good that you’re back.”
“Haha, after wandering around outside for a while I just recently returned to the Sect where I heard that Old Man Du had asked Mi Na to travel to Soaring Heaven Sect several times to inquire about this Junior’s wellbeing. For all Old Man Du’s concern, Junior is very grateful,” Yang Kai said seriously.
“It’s fine, it’s fine, you are a member of my Alchemist Guild Branch. I am its Manager, naturally I should pay attention to your wellbeing,” Du Wan shamelessly smiled and said, “You came at just the right time actually, this old man was just talking about you with several old friends.”
As the two talked, they entered the guild’s back hall.
Inside a spacious room sat several figures with ages and temperaments similar to Du Wan’s, each of them stretching their necks as they looked over towards the door expectantly.
After the appearance of Yang Kai though, all of them couldn’t help showing confused looks.
“Hey, Du Wan,” An old man with a rather uncouth attitude called out, “Something’s not quite right, he doesn’t look anything like the little boy from last time. Did you think my eyes had gone dim and memory had gone bad and thus brought some random kid here to deceive me?”
This old guy was quite rotund and sat directly on the floor like a giant lump, resting his whole body on a nearby wall. Just speaking a few words causing him to pant slightly.
“En… although his age seems about right and the voice is quite similar, his looks are completely different!” Another old man said as he caressed his long beard, sweeping his eyes up and down Yang Kai.
“Heh heh, you two dullards, don’t you remember Du Wan received a special artifact as payment for Alchemy several years ago that could explain all this?” A third person seemingly saw through everything at once and said smugly, “If I recall, that artifact is able to change the look and aura of a person.”
“Then… this is that little brat’s true appearance and what we saw back then was just a disguise?” A fourth old man proposed.
“Junior Yang Kai greets several Grandmasters,” Yang Kai smiled and cupped his fists.
“Come come, have a seat first,” Du Wan warmly motioned, “All of us are used to acting freely, there’s no need for you to act polite.”
Yang Kai glanced around and found that these Grandmasters were indeed casually relaxing. Instead of sitting on chairs around a table they were all sitting on the ground, probably because out of consideration for their overly obese member.
Not standing on ceremony, Yang Kai sat down next to Du Wan.
Four pairs of eyes gathered onto Yang Kai with great interest, causing the latter to laugh somewhat wryly.
Yang Kai still remembered how back in Floating Clouds City he had ‘received’ some treasures from these four people’s Universe Bags for winning first place in an Alchemy competition.
“Du Wan, you were certainly cautious enough, having this little boy wear that disguising artifact, no wonder no one has found him despite having his portrait and searching for many years,” One of the old men smiled, “So it was like this.”
“If I didn’t take precautions he would have been in trouble,” Du Wan smiled, “Although some clues pointed to Soaring Heaven Sect, with Chu Ling Xiao sitting over there, no one dares make any trouble.”
Yang Kai had condensed the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower, so naturally there were many inquiring about his whereabouts in order to snatch this precious treasure from him.
“Were you so confident he would be the one to obtain the Thousand Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid?”
“I just thought it best for him to not reveal his identity in front of so many people,” Du Wan smiled, “Still, even I was quite surprised he was able to obtain the medicinal liquid of the Thousand Year Demon Flower, it was really quite amazing.”
Saying so, Du Wan suddenly said, “Right, Yang Kai, let me formally introduce them to you, this is the Manager of Shattered Star City Alchemist Guild branch, Hong Fang, a Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemist!”
“Greetings Grandmaster Hong!” Yang Kai respectfully bowed.
“No need, no need!” Hong Fang caressed his beard and smiled, “It won’t take long before you reach the same level as me, being called Grandmaster by such a talent is troubling.”
Du Wan smiled and did not refute, next pointing to the fat old man, “This is the Manager of Lightning Flash City Alchemist Guild, Chang Bao, also a Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemist! En, Brother Chang indulges too much in food and drink, so his body has become like this. You should take heed not to indulge in such excess.”
Chang Bao immediately shot back, “Sampling the world’s delicacies is one of life’s greatest pursuits, Du Wan, you just don’t understand it.”
Du Wan ignored this comment and proceeded to point to another person, “This is the Manager of Three River City’s Alchemist Guild, Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemist He Feng!”
Just after the introduction, He Feng smiled broadly and said, “Little boy, remember when I invited you to Three River City a few years ago yet you turned me down. Have you given the matter anymore thought?”
Saying so, he quickly tempted, “This old man has several beautiful granddaughters he can introduce you to. In fact, it doesn’t matter if you want them all as long as you agree to come to my Three River City’s Alchemist Guild.”
“Junior is grateful for all Grandmaster He’s concern, but this young one owes Old Man Du much grace so I must unfortunately refuse Grandmaster He’s kindness.”
He Feng narrowed his eyes and said, “Your courage is not small, no one has dared refuse this old master’s kindness before yet you’ve actually done so twice. Smelly brat, you’ve simply made this old master lose face!”
“Who told you to make a fool of yourself?” Du Wan laughed heartily, Yang Kai saying such words had obviously made him quite happy as he grinned from ear to ear, ignoring He Feng’s protest as he turned to the last person in the room, “Last but not least, this is Moon City Alchemist Guild’s manger, Kong Ruo Yu, also a Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemist!”
Yang Kai respectfully bowed once more.
Top Alchemists and Artifact Refiners were normally male because most women’s natural physiques were milder and more temperate, unsuited to handling the high temperatures and flames required to perform Alchemy and Artifact Refining, but this Kong Ruo Yu had actually become a Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, which showed that she had clearly worked harder and possessed greater aptitude than others. If she had been born a male, her achievements would probably be even higher.
Inside Du Wan’s room, excluding Yang Kai, there were currently five Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemists, this was an incredibly luxurious lineup.
Throughout all of Tong Xuan Realm, the number of Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemists was probably no higher than twenty, each of them a world famous figure, yet in this place there were actually five.
Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemists were even rarer, numbering three to five at most.
As for Saint Grade Top-Rank Alchemists, there was essentially only the hidden dragon who showed his tail but never his face: The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep, Great Grandmaster Li Rui alone.
As Du Wan carefully introduced Yang Kai, the other four Alchemy Grandmasters also looked at Yang Kai with gratified expressions.
Yang Kai’s outstanding performance back in Floating Clouds City’s Alchemy contest had left a deep impression on them. Each of these old masters believed that in time, this young boy’s achievements would eclipse their own and usher in a new golden age for Alchemy.
Mi Na had left and returned with a tray of spirit fruits and fresh tea, offering them to these guests before drawing back once more.
She was not yet qualified to sit amongst these Grandmasters. Not just her, even her master Ye Xiong didn’t have the qualifications to participate in this conversation.
Du Wan inviting Yang Kai to sit among this group showed just how much value he placed on the young man.
These several Alchemy Grandmasters were all old friends so they didn’t maintain much decorum between them, freely speaking to one another while not minding Yang Kai’s presence in the slightest.
Yang Kai didn’t make a sound, only listening intently from the side, not showing the slightest impatience or boredom, instead quite interested in a number of the topics these five were discussing.
After talking for quite some time, Du Wan suddenly smiled and said, “Each of you live several tens of thousands of kilometers away yet you’ve all come here today to my Grand Boulder City. You probably didn’t do this just to chat about old times, yes?”
As soon as this was said, the four other Alchemy Grandmasters nodded seriously.
The old woman Kong Ruo Yu was the first to speak up, “There is truly something we wished to discuss with you. Chang Bao, you explain, you were the one who found it in the first place.”
Du Wan turned his attention to Lightning Flash City’s Alchemist Guild Manger.
Chang Bao expression also became solemn as he searched around in his Universe Bag for a moment before bringing out an incomplete animal skin. This skin was quite ancient and released a mysterious aura. Handing it to Du Wan, he simply said, “See for yourself.”
Du Wan accepted the animal skin and spread it out. After staring for a moment, he couldn’t help becoming absorbed in it.
The more he examined it, the more excited Du Wan’s expression became, as if he had just obtained some precious treasure.
Only after a moment did Chang Bao begin to explain, “This Spirit Array was something one of my disciples obtained and handed over to me. I have spent over a year studying it but was unable to decipher its mysteries, so I brought it to Brother He Feng…”
He Feng smiled bitterly and continued, “I was also helpless though, so the two of us sought out Brother Hong and Senior Sister Kong…”
“Even all together we couldn’t decipher it, but we knew that Brother Du was on the verge of becoming a Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist, thus we all decided to come to Grand Boulder City to let you try,” Kong Ruo Yu followed up.
“En,” Du Wan nodded lightly, indicating that he understood, but after carefully studying the animal skin for quite some time, he slowly shook my head, “I’m afraid I must disappoint all of your expectations. This Spirit Array is very complex and complicated. It doesn’t look like the Spirit Arrays we currently use and appears to be more ancient; on top of that, it’s incomplete, this Du is also helpless to explain it.”
Listening to him, the other four did not show much of a disappointed look.
They had come here simply to try their luck and hadn’t really expected Du Wan to be able to easily unlock the secrets of this Spirit Array.
Du Wan mysteriously grinned at that moment though, “Although this old man can’t decipher it, there is someone in this world who can certainly explain this Spirit Array’s mysteries.”
“Who?” Asked the four in unison.
“The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep!”
Chang Bao couldn’t help rolling his eyes, “Grandmaster’s whereabouts are unknown. He is the hidden dragon who shows his tail but never his face, how do you propose we even begin to search for him? When I first began studying Alchemy, Grandmaster was already world famous. Even now that I am a Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, I have never actually seen his true appearance, a fact I still deeply regret.”
Of the five Alchemy Grandmasters present, it was likely that only Du Wan had the honour of meeting The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep.
However, Du Wan didn’t say anything; after all, he had long passed the age where he needed to show off.
Intentionally or unintentionally glancing over towards Yang Kai, Du Wan said, “Perhaps in addition to The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep, there is someone else who can decipher this…”
“Du Wan, enough with the suspense, if you have an idea just say it!” He Feng urged him impatiently.
“Heh heh…” Du Wan chuckled.
Yang Kai did not miss Du Wan’s glance and understood that the latter was still convinced that there was a powerful Alchemy Grandmaster behind him, one who was likely on par with The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep; it was because of this that Du Wan had gave him a subtle look.
Helpless, Yang Kai sighed and said, “Old Man Du, can you let me take a look?”
Du Wan smiled happily and quickly handed the animal skin over.
Chang Bao suddenly became nervous, “Yang boy, treat that skin carefully. If you break it, I’ll drag you back to Lightning Flash City to compensate for it.”
“Don’t worry,” Du Wan chuckled calmly.
Of the five Alchemy Grandmasters here, only Du Wan paid close attention to Yang Kai, the others instead continuing with their discussion about the Spirit Array portrayed on the animal skin.
Each of them had spent a significant amount of time studying this mysterious Spirit Array and naturally had their own insights and opinions about it. Now that they were gathered together, they thought that by combining what they knew they might find a way to explain the Spirit Array diagram and complete it.
Yang Kai looked at the Spirit Array diagram and after some time his brow wrinkled slightly.
The Spirit Array portrayed on the animal skin was truly quite complex and actually seemed to be a compound array comprised of a number of simpler ones, causing it to become somewhat bloated.
After the Spirit Array diagrams were broken up and separated though, Yang Kai realized that their individual components resembled those recorded in the True Alchemic Way with only minor differences.
Alchemy was constantly evolving and the Spirit Arrays used to perform it were independently researched and developed by many different Alchemy Grandmasters all over the world. It was common for Spirit Arrays to change and develop over time, sometimes completely transforming from one age to the next.
With Yang Kai’s current vision, it was quite easy for him to spot the flaws and drawbacks in this Spirit Array diagram.
However, compared to the Spirit Arrays currently in use, the wealth contained in this Spirit Array diagram was massive, and once it was cracked it could bring about great development to the field of Alchemy.
Du Wan obviously expected him to speak up, and Yang Kai had no reason to refuse.
Comprehending the nature of this broken Spirit Array, Yang Kai began comparing it to the ones he inherited from the True Alchemic Way while extrapolating the missing segments.
After a long time, Yang Kai had completed a rough patch of the Spirit Array.
The other Alchemy Grandmasters were currently silent, apparently having reached a dead end in their attempts.
Du Wan, who had always been paying attention to the changes in Yang Kai’s expression, was still quite upbeat, but the other four were somewhat dejected because even with all of them together they failed to complete the Spirit Array, causing them all no small frustration.
“Did you understand it?” Du Wan asked suddenly.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “En.”
The other four Grandmasters suddenly looked up in surprise and Hong Fang called out, “You’ve deciphered it?”
He Feng shouted, “Young man, you mustn’t speak irresponsibly, even us old fogies were helpless to understand this thing, how could you have cracked it so simply?”
“Whether he is boasting shamelessly or not, we’ll soon see,” Du Wan grinned.
Yang Kai also maintained his composure, taking out a few good pieces of jade from the Black Book space before holding them in his palm one at a time and using his Divine Sense to inscribe some markings onto them.
A few moments later, he handed the jades to Du Wan and explained, “After dismantling it, this Spirit Array can be broken down into these individual arrays, but as to what each one of them is used for, you’ll have to verify by actually using them for Alchemy. I hope this will be helpful to several Grandmasters.”
Du Wan’s nodded solemnly before accepting the jade pieces, keeping one for himself before distributing the remaining pieces to the other four.
Seeing this old and young pair both wearing such serious expressions, the other Grandmasters no longer commented and instead focused on the diagrams inscribed in the jade pieces.
After a while, the expressions of everyone changed and became somewhat complicated.
The pieces of jade rotated amongst the five Grandmasters as they examined the Spirit Array diagrams in each of them as they muttered, “It really was solved?”
When the several scattered Spirit Array diagrams in the jade pieces were put together, they indeed formed the large array portrayed on the animal skin. Not only that, the array was actually complete and even had some ingenious enhancements.
A problem that had baffled several Saint Grade Alchemists for over a year being solved so simply was somewhat difficult for all of them to accept.
“Young man, how do you understand this? These should all be long-lost ancient Spirit Array diagrams, you shouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn these at your age,” He Feng asked Yang Kai.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’ll be honest with you, I obtained guidance from Old Man Li and even studied under him for a time.”
“Old Man Li? The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep?” Kong Ruo Yu exclaimed.
“Seriously?”
“You’ve met Grandmaster Li?”
“Where did you see him? What does he look like?”
At the mention of Old Man Li, these aloof and powerful Grandmasters transformed into eager young children, each of them calling out excitedly.
Yang Kai shot a glance over at Du Wan, the latter quickly coughing and muttering, “Actually… I too met him.”
“Du Wan, don’t try to shamelessly boast!” He Feng obviously didn’t believe him, grinning at him teasingly.
“It’s true,” Du Wan persisted, “It was back in Floating Clouds City. Old Man Li was there but he didn’t reveal his identity.”
“Do several Grandmasters remember that other young Alchemist at the Alchemy competition conference, the one who competed with me until the end?” Yang Kai asked.
“Naturally we remember!” Hong Fang nodded, “If I recall correctly, he was being escorted around by several masters from the City Lord’s Mansion… What does that have to do with Old Man Li though?”
“He is Old Man Li’s Legacy Disciple!”
“What? Legacy Disciple?”
“No wonder… no wonder that at such a young age he had such attainments in Alchemy, this old man had always been wondering which powerful master cultivated such a genius.”
“That little boy’s luck is truly enviable; actually receiving the favour of Old Man Li, his future prospects will certainly be limitless.”
The few of them couldn’t help feeling envious of Di Yao’s luck.
“After those events, I studied under Old Man Li for a time. En, these Spirit Array diagrams were learned from Old Man Li, that’s why I was able to comprehend them,” Yang Kai explained.
“So that’s it…” He Feng stroked his chin, seemingly believing what Yang Kai had said. Even Du Wan was nodding lightly, no trace of doubt apparent on his face.
However, when the four of them thought that they had actually been so close to Old Man Li yet didn’t even get to greet him, they all suddenly felt annoyed and jealous of Du Wan’s good fortune.
These ancient Spirit Arrays contained an enormous wealth of knowledge and although none of them currently understood what their true purpose was, that could be solved by simply investing enough time studying them.
Having unlocked the hidden secrets of these Spirit Arrays, the gathered Grandmasters were quite pleased.
Du Wan’s eyes flashed as a mischievous grin appeared on his face, “Old friends, being able to decipher the mysteries of this Spirit Array diagram was all thanks to little friend Yang Kai’s strength. If not for him, I’m afraid we would all die of old age before discovering their true purpose. Now that all of us have obtained such positive results, don’t you think showing some expression of sincerity is necessary?”
“Old Du, what are you trying to say?” He Feng’s brow furrowed.
Chang Bao even hurriedly covered his Universe Bag as he stared at Du Wan with great vigilance.
The last time these four had met back in Floating Clouds City, they engaged in a gambling match with Du Wan, resulting in their loss and the pilfering of their Universe Bags by Yang Kai. Now listening to Du Wan’s thinly veiled suggestion, all of them immediately became alert.
Du Wan pretended like he didn’t see this and instead turned to Yang Kai and smiled, “My old friends have always been generous, and you’ve just helped them solve a problem that had been troubling them for quite some time, I think they should offer you some thanks… En, don’t you agree? No need to hold back, feel free to rob- accept their charity.”
Listening to him, the four others in the room wore pained expressions, each of them wishing they could run up and slap the ungrateful wolf surnamed Du.
Kong Ruo Yu soon let out a sigh though and chuckled, “En, what Senior Brother Du said makes some sense, we certain have profited greatly from this trip, it’s fine if we offer a little something to Yang boy. All of us have our own face to consider. After having picked up such a bargain from a Junior, we should really thank him.”
With Kong Ruo Yu having expressed such an opinion, the other three had nothing more they could say.
He Feng grit his teeth and turned to look at Yang Kai, as if preparing himself for a great sacrifice as he boldly stated, “What would you like? Say it, and we will certainly satisfy you!”
Despite He Feng’s bold claim, when Yang Kai’s eyes wandered over to his Universe Bag, he couldn’t help flinching.
Chang Bao and Hong Fang also felt their hearts jump up into their throats, clearly fearing that Yang Kai would once again ransack their Universe Bags.
However, to their surprise, Yang Kai smiled and said, “Since several Grandmasters are willing, this Junior won’t be polite. En… this time though, I don’t want any of the treasures in your Universe Bags.”
The three old male Alchemy Grandmasters heard this and breathed a sigh of relief, each of them turning friendlier looks towards Yang Kai, silently praising him for knowing some discretion.
“Then what do you want?” Du Wan was surprised, “Wealth is the one thing my old friends do not lack. If you pass up this opportunity, it may not appear again anytime soon.”
“Du Wan, you shut up! Let the young lad speak for himself,” Chang Bao shot Du Wan a bitter glance.
“Good good, I won’t say anymore!” Du Wan said helplessly, immediately falling silent.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before asking, “Several Grandmasters are all Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemists, as a reward for unlocking this Spirit Array, how about refining a Saint Pill for me?”
“Refining a Saint Pill?” Chang Bao mouth twitched slightly.
“En, refining a Saint Pill!” Yang Kai nodded sincerely.
“Saint Pills aren’t something that can be casually refined,” He Feng stroked his chin. Although they were indeed all Saint Grade Alchemists, refining Saint Pills was still no easy task for them and was accompanied by great risks of failure.
On top of that, refining a Saint Pill was quite laborious.
It was because of this that every Saint Pill in this world was worth a fortune.
“Why not,” Du Wan suddenly chimed in, sweeping his eyes around at his old friends, “How many years has it been since we had a little competition? Why not take this opportunity to compare notes with one another? We can let Yang Kai and Ye Xiong act as judges to see who among us is better at refining Saint Pills.”
“Du Wan, do you think just because you’re about to promote to Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist, you no longer need to put us in your eyes?” He Feng snorted.
“No no… it’s just that this is such a rare opportunity and now that it’s been brought up, this Du’s hands are feeling a bit itchy.”
“Good, I agree with Senior Brother Du’s proposal, it truly has been a long time since we’ve competed with one another,” Kong Ruo Yu also expressed interest.
“I have no objections,” Hong Fang shrugged his shoulders.
“Haa… very well, I guess these old bones will have to accompany you then…” Chang Bao huffed, his bloated body trembling as he grumbled.
“En, everyone, come with me,” Du Wan laughed, looking quite happy, before standing up and walking out while signaling for the others to accompany him.
Yang Kai asking these five to refine Saint Pills was by no means for the pills themselves.
Currently, if he wanted a Saint Grade pill, he could refine it himself. Although it was not easy to refine one, and the herbs were difficult to acquire, Yang Kai’s Black Book space was currently filled with vast amounts of wealth, so several Saint Pills weren’t really that valuable in his eyes.
What Yang Kai was interested in was the insights of these Alchemy Grandmasters and their Alchemy process, hoping he could observe and learn from them.
The Grandmasters were also aware of this but had not refused, not only agreeing but also secretly deciding to showcase their most exquisite Alchemy techniques for the young Alchemist.
Inside the pill room of the Alchemist Guild, the Grandmasters each found a comfortable spot, sat down, and took out their own pill furnaces and the corresponding herbs they would be using.
Each of these herbs was bursting with spiritual energy and were all clearly Saint Grade materials.
Also inside the pill room, Yang Kai, Ye Xiong, and Mi Na were also present.
This was a wonderful and rare opportunity, so Du Wan had naturally called over Ye Xiong and Mi Na too.
As for the little girl Wu’er, she was still too young and inexperienced, so even if she was allowed to watch, she wouldn’t learn anything.
Mi Na was so excited her cheeks were flushed as she sat beside Yang Kai and anxiously asked, “How come the Grandmasters suddenly decided to have an Alchemy competition? And refining Saint Pills, no less?”
“En, I haven’t witnessed Old Man Du perform Alchemy for quite some time, much less the other four Grandmasters. This is really a big event one doesn’t see every decade!” Ye Xiong was also very excited, staring at the scene in front of him with glowing eyes as he seriously said, “Mi Na, you must pay very close attention without even blinking! This will be incredibly beneficial to your future growth.”
“En, I know that, Master,” Mi Na nodded repeatedly, her expression quite serious.
“Is everyone ready?” Du Wan looked around with a smile and asked.
Everyone nodded lightly, indicating that they were finished with their preparations.
“En, why don’t we first introduce what kind of pill we will be refining,” Du Wan smiled and suggested, “This old man will be refining the Thick Ice Good Fortune Pill… it is an auxiliary cultivation pill for those who practice Ice Attribute Secret Arts and Martial Skill. After taking it, it allows one to create Cold Qi pressure inside one’s body, which helps purify and refine True Qi. En, the required materials are Profound Ice Jade Crystal Flower, Colourless Mineral Essence, Blue Blood Grass, The Monster Core of the Seventh- Order Ice Jade Python…”
Du Wan spoke in a clear voice, explaining the ingredients he would be using to the trio of onlookers, allowing each of them to wear a thoughtful look.
Each Alchemist would have his own unique habits and methods when performing Alchemy. Even their selection of herbs and the order in which they were utilized were of great importance and worth studying, not to mention how these materials would be combined and integrated with one another.
Du Wan clearly wanted Yang Kai and the others to learn these things, thus why he bothered explaining in such detail.
After he finished, Kong Ruo Yu smiled and spoke, “This old lady will be refining the Evading Death Pill, which has the effect of protecting ones Soul. If one receives a heavy or even deadly injury to their Soul, as long as they take this pill, it will provide a certain healing effect. The required materials are Asura Bone, Soulless Ghost Face Flower, Solid Spirit Rock Bamboo, Hundred Tribulation Congealed Jade Nectar…”
The several Grandmasters reported the names, uses, and precious ingredients of the Saint Pills they would be refining one after another.
Mi Na and Ye Xiong were both stunned as they listened to these explanations. Simply being able to gather together so many rare and precious herbs was a sight to behold.
Their expectations were only lifted higher by this as they felt their hearts beating slightly faster.
After they all finished, the five Grandmasters glanced around at each other and Du Wan announced, “Good, let’s begin!”
The other four nodded.
In the next moment, pure True Qi burst out from the five Grandmasters and the temperature in the pill room shot up.
Yang Kai stared intently at the five Grandmasters, observing how they manipulated their True Qi as well as which Spirit Arrays they chose to engrave on their pill furnaces.
As each of the Grandmasters engraved their respective Spirit Arrays, they purposefully slowed down and emphasized certain movements to allow Yang Kai and the others to observe clearly, making sure the marks they left with their True Qi were clearly visible. Yang Kai, Ye Xiong, and Mi Na were all able to glean much information about each of the Spirit Arrays before them during this demonstration.
Picking up one spirit herb after another and feeding them into their pill furnaces, the five Grandmasters moved their hands smoothly and quickly, swiftly extracting the medicinal liquid from each of them before separating them and moving on with the next.
As Mi Na stared at this process, she gasped in appreciation, only to quickly cover her mouth in the next instant, fearing she would disturb the Grandmasters.
Yang Kai was also dazzled by this display. Although his current Alchemy level was comparable to the Grandmasters in front of him, there were still much he could learn from them, especially with regard to their finer Alchemy techniques such as the detail they put into processing their medicinal liquids.
Comprehending these details would lead to great improvements in Yang Kai’s own Alchemy skill.
Each Grandmaster’s hands flew about both rapidly yet fluidly, appearing like an artistic display which contained the crystallization of their Alchemy insights.
Yang Kai became more and more engrossed as his whole consciousness gradually became immersed in this scene, simultaneously observing while pondering to himself what he would do differently at certain junctions compared to these Grandmasters, silently taking note of any place he found his own understanding or technique lacking by comparison.
Soon, Yang Kai forgot everything else around him, as his whole being submerged itself into the world of Alchemy, unable to extricate himself.
The same was true of Mi Na and Ye Xiong, both of them even forgetting the passage of time as they watched.
Amidst the sweltering heat of the pill room, blazing hot True Qi swirled as the Spirit Arrays engraved on each pill furnace was erased and re-drawn again and again. An excellent Alchemist would not use only one Spirit Array during Alchemy, and would instead carefully observe the intensity and temperature of their flames to replace their Spirit Arrays in order to achieve the best results possible.
From this point in particular, Yang Kai gained great inspiration. When he performed Alchemy, he normally used only a single Spirit Array, but now he felt that by using multiple Spirit Arrays at different times, the effects he could obtain would be much better.
The bursts of medicinal fragrance that would leak from each pill furnace now and again filled the pill room with a dream-like mist.
The expressions of the Grandmasters also became extremely solemn as the final moments of the Alchemy process approached, none of them daring to show the slightest carelessness as that may cause all their previous efforts to go to waste.
After four hours, the pill furnace in front of Du Wan suddenly hissed and shook, as if something inside had come to life and was desperately trying to escape.
Du Wan’s expression became dignified as he patted his furnace several times, pouring his True Qi into it to complete the final stages of the refinement.
A moment later, he gently tapped his pill furnace once and a snow-white nail-sized pill flew out.
Du Wan eyes flashed as he swiftly pulled out a high quality jade bottle, caught the pill, and sealed it inside the bottle.
Even as he did so, a thick pill fragrance wafted about the pill room.
Having just successfully refined a Saint Pill, Du Wan nodded to himself, seeming quite satisfied.
Mi Na and Ye Xiong also couldn’t help feeling excited seeing this scene.
The five Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemists had all begun refining their respective pills at the same time, but Old Man Du was the first to finish, it could be seen from this alone that his accomplishments in Alchemy were higher than the other four.
However, no one made a sound, only silently watching, waiting for the other four Grandmasters to complete their refinements.
Immediately after Du Wan was Kong Ruo Yu, only taking a stick of incense longer before she too extracted a Saint Grade Low-Rank pill from her furnace and stored it in her own jade bottle.
Half an hour later, Chang Bao, He Feng and Hong Fang also finished their pills.
Five Saint Pills being refined at once filled the entire pill room with a rich pill fragrance that was both refreshing and pleasant to the nose and spirit.
The five Grandmasters looked somewhat tired, especially Chang Bao whose large body was now dripping with sweat, his excess fat trembling as he breathed heavily and wiped his forehead constantly with his sleeve.
Glancing around, the five Grandmasters smiled at one another but none of them rushed to compare their finished Saint Pills, instead each of them pulling out a True Qi restoring pill and sitting cross-legged to recover.
Each of them needed some time to adjust themselves after this laborious process.
Refining Saint Pills had expended a great amount of their True Qi and Spiritual Energy.
It was only now that Mi Na and Ye Xiong dared to gasp as they reflected on everything that had transpired before them, both of them feeling like they had reaped a huge harvest, somewhat anxious to immediately refine some pills to verify the new insights they had just obtained.
“Yang Kai, which of the five Grandmasters so you think is the fiercest?” Mi Na stared in front of her intently and asked.
However, she received no response to her query.
Surprised by this silence, she quickly turned her head towards Yang Kai only to discover that he was wearing a contemplative expression, as if he was so lost in thought and had not heard her question at all.
“It looks like his gains were not small,” Ye Xiong smiled, “Don’t disturb him, he should have learned even more than us.”
Yang Kai had obviously sunk into a deep state of enlightenment. If he had not gained a massive harvest, reaching such a state would have been impossible.
Ye Xiong was somewhat envious.
“En,” Mi Na nodded quickly as she once against quieted her breathing, while waiting for the five Grandmasters to restore themselves.
A moment later though, Mi Na saw movement out of the corner of her eye and once again turned to face Yang Kai.
Looking curiously, Mi Na let out a surprised gasp.
She found that Yang Kai had at some point taken out his pill furnace as well as a number of Saint Grade spirit herbs, placed them in front of himself, and was now focused on portraying a Spirit Array into his furnace.
It was at this moment that the five Grandmasters finally finished restoring themselves and awoke from their meditation, Hong Fang letting out a loud laugh, “Our Saint Pills have been refined, now let’s let our judges see who the best among us is.”
“Good,” Chang Bao grinned meaningfully, “I hope that all of your Alchemy techniques haven’t regressed.”
“You should worry about yourself,” Du Wan shook his head and laughed, “For these past few years you’ve been patronizing a few too many restraints for your own good.”
Chang Bao grinned back at Du Wan, “But my Alchemy technique has not fallen.”
The Grandmasters all stood up as they bantered back and forth before walking over to where Yang Kai and the others were waiting.
However, they hadn’t taken more than a few steps before noticing what Yang Kai was doing and calling out in surprise.
“Oh, kid… Are you trying to show off meager skills before an expert?” He Feng said with a big smile, speaking teasingly but with no malicious intent.
On the other hand, Du Wan’s brow wrinkled as he suddenly realized something out of the ordinary. The only female Alchemist, Kong Ruo Yu, also wore a dignified expression as she raised her hand to stop her colleagues from stepping forward.
Mi Na and Ye Xiong also stepped away from Yang Kai and quickly approached the five Grandmasters.
“Old Man Du, Yang Kai suddenly started performing Alchemy, it seems like he harvested a lot of things and couldn’t wait to verify them,” Mi Na whispered.
“En,” Old Man Du nodded with a smile on his face, his eyes filled with appreciation, “Don’t bother him, he should have obtained an epiphany.”
“An epiphany?” Mi Na couldn’t help but frown, “Do such things happen in Alchemy?”
“Of course! Did you believe that one could only obtain an epiphany in the Martial Dao?” Du Wan whispered, “Such things are also possible in the Alchemic Dao. Once one enters such a state, everything around them fades away and only the sentiments and insights they suddenly obtained appear before their eyes. Right now, nothing exists in this world except his pill furnace and the herbs beside him… Fascinating, I wonder just what kind of breakthrough he’ll achieve.”
“En, speaking of epiphanies, I too once had the good fortune to obtain one many years ago,” Kong Ruo Yu recalled, “It was just as Senior Brother Du said, I couldn’t see anything else at the time, only my pill furnace and herbs. The only thing I could think of was refining that pill… Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, I was never able to reach such a state again. Haa… just like the epiphanies in the Martial Dao, it is something that cannot be sought, only met by chance.”
“What happened then? Did Grandmaster Kong successfully refine that pill?” Mi Na asked curiously.
Kong Ruo Yu smiled and nodded, “Naturally I succeeded. Moreover, the quality of that pill was extremely good with almost none of the medicinal essence going to waste; it is a work I am still proud of to this day that is stored in my collection.”
“Amazing,” Mi Na said, her eyes’ filled with respect.
“Wait, haven’t you all noticed something odd about the materials this little boy selected…” He Feng frowned, “Why are there so many Saint Grade materials? It couldn’t be that he wants to refine…”
Hearing these words, everyone’s attention was immediately drawn back to the pile of materials in front of Yang Kai and upon careful examination they discovered that all of the herbs he had laid out were indeed Saint Grade.
“Is he trying to refine a Saint Pill?” Chang Bao exclaimed.
Du Wan’s eyes lit up as he chuckled, “If everything turns out well, he could refine a Saint Pill with these materials!”
“Du Wan, stop joking around!” He Feng rolled his eyes, “How hard it is to refine Saint Pills, all of us know well. It’s true his aptitude is astonishing and his skills profound, enough so that I can declare without doubt he will one day become a Saint Grade Alchemist whose achievements will far outstrip our own, but that’s a matter for the future. Refining a Saint Pill at his present age, isn’t that expected a bit too much?”
“Young people are always headstrong and fearless, thinking there is nothing they cannot accomplish by recklessly charging ahead, facing some setbacks along the way is by no means a misdemeanor. It’s just unfortunate that in his epiphany he did not chose Spirit Grade materials instead; if he had, he would likely have reaped more benefits,” Hong Fang said with a look of regret.
Chang Bao and Kong Ruo Yu also sighed in agreement, all of them feeling that Yang Kai trying to refine a Saint Pill now was him overestimating his skills.
Du Wan, on the other hand, just smiled lightly and said nothing more.
Although he hoped that Yang Kai would succeed, even he felt that Yang Kai was overreaching.
Being able to successfully refine a Saint Pill meant Yang Kai would already be qualified to call himself a Saint Grade Alchemist. One had to know that throughout all of Tong Xuan Realm there weren’t many such Alchemists, and each of them was an old monster who had been immersed in Alchemy for countless years.
Yang Kai was simply too young.
“We should observe what he does carefully so later we can give him pointers on any shortcomings he shows. That will be what’s best for his future growth,” Kong Ruo Yu suggest.
Everyone else nodded before silently focusing their attention on the pill refinement in front of them.
Yang Kai’s movements weren’t as fluid as their own but they were nonetheless meticulous and steady, each one executed with impeccable precision and timing.
Seeing this, the several Grandmasters were all secretly amazed.
Yang Kai’s foundational skills were incredibly solid and even to their highly critical eyes, the way he condensed his medicinal liquids was without the slightest flaw.
Moreover, the True Qi that he revealed from his body was both pure and vigorous. None of them knew what Spirit Array he had drawn inside his pill furnace in advance, but each herb he placed inside it was purified into the highest quality medicinal liquid without the slightest bit of waste.
The medicinal liquids that had already been condensed were then wrapped in his True Qi and suspended beside the pill furnace, waiting to be used later.
Witnessing these motions, each of the Grandmasters couldn’t help nodding lightly, showing their approval.
After roughly half an hour, all the herbs had been condensed into medicinal liquids, causing the five Grandmasters to be somewhat stunned.
Even if they were to trade places, they would not have been able to accomplish this step faster or better than Yang Kai; in fact, most of them would likely take even longer.
This could only mean that the purity and potency of Yang Kai’s True Qi was higher than their own and the Spirit Array he was using was superior.
After all the medicinal liquids were condensed, Yang Kai waved his hand quickly and a burst of light suddenly appeared inside his pill furnace. It seemed like he had instantly destroyed the Spirit Array which he had portrayed earlier.
Seeing this scene, Chang Bao couldn’t help muttering, “This little boy is too careless. Destroying his Spirit Array so haphazardly, how will he re-draw a new one in time?”
The medicinal liquids had already been condensed, and even tightly wrapped in True Qi. The longer they were left as is, the more their medicinal efficacies would diminish, so returning them to the pill furnace as soon as possible was of paramount importance.
They too would replace the Spirit Arrays they used during refinement, but only after fully preparing them beforehand. Also, they would not completely destroy their previous Spirit Arrays and instead use it to build up a new one, saving both time and effort, which increased their efficiency.
On the other hand, Yang Kai had directly destroyed his original Spirit Array.
Each of the Grandmasters couldn’t help showing a worried look, almost as if they could see Yang Kai refining an inferior quality pill, wasting a large number of precious Saint Grade materials.
However, Chang Bao had barely finished his words when another flash of light appeared inside Yang Kai’s pill furnace and it began twinkling faintly once again. Each of the Grandmasters had excellent vision so it only took them a moment to discover that a new set of markings was rapidly appearing inside the pill furnace.
“So fast?” He Feng was so stunned, somewhat unable to believe what he was witnessing, “That’s impossible…”
The shimmering rays of light were a clear sign that a new Spirit Array had taken shape.
It was only a moment ago that Yang Kai had destroyed his previous Spirit Array, yet he had already finished portraying the next. Such speed far exceeded the understanding of all five Grandmasters!
Yang Kai seemed to have changed the Spirit Array in his pill furnace instantaneously!
Moreover, none of them had seen him use the slightest amount of True Qi.
When portraying a Spirit Array inside a pill furnace, one had to pour their True Qi into it and carefully control it in order to succeed. It was like treating ones True Qi as ink and the pill furnace as paper.
However, Yang Kai didn’t show any signs of injecting his True Qi into the pill furnace just now.
Where did this new Spirit Array come from then?
“He used his Spiritual Energy and Divine Sense!” Du Wan’s eyes lit up as he quickly said.
“Impossible…” He Feng snorted and kept shaking his head, “While it’s possible to draw a Spirit Array with ones Spiritual Energy, it isn’t strong enough to be used for Alchemy. If someone tried to do that, it would only end up collapsing and destroying the materials inside.”
“See for yourself!” Du Wan didn’t bother explaining and simply motioned for the others to observe.
Of everyone here, only he knew that Yang Kai possessed an attributed Spiritual Energy because of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
The same as The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep.
Spirit Arrays built with ordinary Spiritual Energy really couldn’t be used for Alchemy, but those built from Conflagrated Spiritual Energy were different. Not only could they be used for Alchemy, they were actually superior to ones drawn with True Qi.
Everyone was now holding their breath and watching nervously.
Seeing Yang Kai not even hesitate to add the medicinal liquids he had condensed back into the pill furnace, each of them felt their hearts leap up into the throats.
All of them were afraid he would waste these precious materials.
Unexpectedly though, after the medicinal liquids were returned to the pill furnace, there was no signs of the Spirit Array shattering and the different liquids began mixing and smelting together, interacting with one another as a medicinal fragrance began to gradually leak out.
Each of the gathered Grandmasters was amazed, not understanding what kind of mysteries were hidden inside Yang Kai’s pill furnace that allowed this to happen.
Yang Kai’s expression remained completely focused, both his hands waving about as his True Qi surged up and down, controlling the furnace’s temperature precisely so as not to inadvertently damage the medicinal efficacies contained within.
Everyone’s eyes suddenly became bright again.
A moment later, a cracking sound rang out from inside the pill furnace, accompanied by a flash of light.
The Spirit Array Yang Kai was using was destroyed once again, causing the nerves the Grandmasters had just settled to once again tense up.
In the blink of an eye, a third Spirit Array appeared inside the pill furnace.
“This…” He Feng’s eyes widened, not having any idea what he should say anymore.
When each of them performed Alchemy, they too would change Spirit Arrays as the process went on, but such rapid and frequent replacements like the ones Yang Kai was using was something they had never even heard of before.
Also, they vaguely felt that Yang Kai was not just using his True Qi to perform Alchemy, but also his Spiritual Energy.
A two-pronged approach.
The strength of this little boy’s Spiritual Energy was also somewhat strange!
Yang Kai had a Third Order Transcendent Realm cultivation which was actually higher than any of the Grandmasters present. Thus, even though they noticed something out of place, it was impossible for them to unravel the secrets of Yang Kai’s Conflagrated Spiritual Energy, so naturally they were quite confused.
*Pa pa pa…*
Almost every half an incense stick worth of time, the Spirit Array inside Yang Kai’s furnace would be replaced. The several Grandmasters really couldn’t comprehend why Yang Kai was doing this as such frequent changes didn’t seem to serve any practical purpose and instead introduced a greater risk of failure.
Time passed by and a pill fragrance gradually began wafting through the air, one more potent than any of the ones the previous Grandmasters had managed to produce.
“It’s only been two hours…” Chang Bao’s fat trembled as he exclaimed in shock.
The appearance of a pill fragrance meant that the pill was about to be completed, yet from beginning to the end, Yang Kai had only spent two hours.
In comparison, they had each taken almost twice as long to refine their respective Saint Pills!
“Is this boy really refining a Saint Pill?” Hong Fang frowned, “Could it be he’s just using Saint Grade materials to refine a Spirit Grade Pill?”
Listening to this comment, the gathered Grandmasters thought it was indeed possible.
It wasn’t uncommon to refine lower-grade pills with higher-grade materials. Some less skilled Alchemists would even deliberately select high-grade materials to boost the success rate of the pill they were trying to refine.
At this moment, everyone felt that Yang Kai was probably doing something similar to this.
After all, the two hours was just too short a time to refine a Saint Pill, but for a Spirit Grade Pill, it was actually just right for someone Yang Kai’s age.
“Haa… this boy really scared this old master,” He Feng exclaimed exaggeratedly, “For a moment there, this old man thought the younger generation had already overtaken us and lost all confidence in himself.”
Chang Bao also chuckled, “But his performance is truly quite good, en, very good… Hey, Du Wan, you really should allow this little brat to come to my Lightning Flash City, I promise to not treat him poorly.”
Du Wan ignored the loose commentary and continued staring at Yang Kai instead.
He always felt that given Yang Kai’s personality, he would not engage in such wasteful and defeatist practices. Moreover, Du Wan knew Yang Kai was already a Spirit Grade Top-Rank Alchemist several years ago. If he really wanted to refine a Spirit Grade Pill, there was no need for him to intentionally choose Saint Grade materials.
Just want kind of pill was he refining? Only time would tell, but even someone as calm and steady as Du Wan couldn’t help feeling somewhat anxious.
The pill fragrance continued to grow stronger and it was obvious it was nearing completion.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s hands began moving even more rapidly as visible golden True Qi appeared at his fingertips, drawing beautiful arcs through the air. As these arcs connected together, a mysterious and complex Spirit Array appeared.
Everyone stared wide eyed at this unexpected development.
This exquisite Spirit Array was then inserted into the pill furnace, quickly integrating into it and disappearing.
Inside the small pill furnace, a violent bang rang out as if the nearly formed pill had come alive and was struggling to escape.
The surrounding World Energy suddenly became turbulent and began flooding like a tide towards the pill furnace.
At this moment, it seemed as if Yang Kai’s little pill furnace had become a bottomless whirlpool, drawing in all the nearby World Energy.
Perceiving this, the expressions of everyone gathered inside the pill room changed greatly, none of them knowing what was happening.
After several breaths of time, everything became calm once more.
Yang Kai reached out and patted his furnace, causing the pill to leap out. Quickly catching it, Yang Kai stuffed the freshly refined pill into a prepared jade bottle.
Gently exhaling a breath, Yang Kai didn’t even look at the pill he had just refined and instead closed his eyes, sinking into a kind of meditative state, clearly reviewing his gains.
While he was at it, he also seemed to be restoring the energy he had consumed.
As the room falling silent, the five Grandmaster all exchanged glances hesitantly.
The pill was now inside a jade bottle so they could not immediately tell what grade it was, but from the strange phenomenon they had just witnessed, it was obvious to all of them that the pill Yang Kai had refined was very unusual.
After waiting for a time yet not seeing any signs of Yang Kai waking from his meditation, Chang Bao finally couldn’t take it anymore and called out, “Du Wan, open that bottle.”
“En, I’m also curious whether the boy refined a Spirit Grade Pill or a genuine Saint Pill!” Hong Fang also spoke up.
Yang Kai was a member of Grand Boulder City’s Alchemist Guild Branch, so right now the responsibility naturally fell to Du Wan.
With all his old friends urging him on, Du Wan was also helpless and acquiesced, “Okay…”
Stepping forward, Du Wan picked up the jade bottle as everyone else huddled around and stared at him unblinkingly.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Open it already,” He Feng eagerly shouted.
Du Wan smiled wryly and opened the jade bottle. The moment he did and smelled the scent of the pill within, his hand trembled.
Du Wan didn’t even have to look at this pill as he could tell from the fragrance alone that Yang Kai had without a doubt refined a Saint Pill!
[He has actually grown to this level!] Du Wan was amazed.
The jade bottle was quickly snatched up by He Feng and after he glanced inside, he called out hoarsely “It really is a Saint Grade pill?”
“Let me see that…” Chang Bao hurriedly said, grabbing the jade bottle and confirming for himself that inside it was a freshly refined Saint Pill, his fat jiggling as he stared at it in disbelief.
The jade bottle made its way around the Grandmasters until it finally landed in Kong Ruo Yu’s grasp.
After examining the pill for a moment, Kong Ruo Yu’s expression suddenly became solemn, double-checking to make sure she wasn’t seeing things before haltingly muttering, “You old farts, are your eyes blind?”
“What? Isn’t it a Saint Grade pill?” Chang Bao stared at her blankly.
“En, it’s definitely a Saint Pill. What is Senior Sister Kong trying to say?” He Feng frowned.
Kong Ruo Yu smiled strangely at their reactions before handing the jade bottle back to them and saying, “Look again, this is no ordinary Saint Grade pill.”
Seeing her so serious, everyone quickly leaned in to take a second look.
Observing the pill again, whether it was its fragrance, quality, or radiant aura, all of them met the requirements of a genuine Saint Pill.
As they were carefully examining it though, they noticed that the Saint Pill had some faint lines crossing its surface which seemed to fade in and out of existence, similar to the meridians of a human body.
Within these meridian-like lines, a subtle energy pulsed, and if they listened very carefully, they could even hear the sound akin to flowing water coming from the pill.
“Pill Veins?” Several of them all shouted at once.
“Heh heh, a Saint Pill which had given birth to Pill Veins refined right in front of this old lady! Truly an eye opening experience,” Kong Ruo Yu’s voice quivered, a somewhat unwilling look mixed with pleasant surprise filling her face.
“This…” Everyone else in the room found themselves too shocked to even speak.
Yang Kai simply refining a Saint Pill was enough to shock them, yet now the pill he had refined actually had Pill Veins.
This was a dream many Alchemy Grandmasters had pursued their entire lives yet few had ever accomplished.
Each of the five Grandmasters here had refined a lot of Saint Pills over their careers, yet none of them had ever refined one with Pill Veins.
Simply by possessing Pill Veins, the value and efficacy of this Saint Pill multiplied several times over. Most importantly though, it could be preserved forever.
As long as it was not physically destroyed, no matter how many years passed, the efficacy of this pill would never decrease!
This was the true value of Pill Veins.
Ordinary pills did not possess such an advantage. No matter how well they were preserved, over time their medicinal efficacies would leak out.
That was why, for ordinary pills, the sooner one took it after it was refined, the better.
Silavin: Okay. 10 Chapters this week. Woohooo!
Also, Rebuild World is out 😀 Yay!
Inside the pill room, the five Grandmasters took turns staring at the Saint Pill with Pill Veins that was just refined by Yang Kai, each of them rendered speechless for quite some time.
To the side, Mi Na heard everything that was just said and was also dumbstruck, her beautiful eyes constantly flashing with complicated light. From time to time, she would glance over at Yang Kai who was still meditating and grind her teeth, obviously somewhat unwilling.
“This boy… his luck is truly good,” After a long time, Chang Bao muttered with clear envy in his voice.
“En, too good in fact,” He Feng echoed.
Du Wan glanced over at them and murmured, “Is this really just luck?”
“What else could it be?” Hong Fang chuckled, “Pill Veins and Pill Clouds are the ultimate pursuit of every Alchemist; unfortunately, these two magical existences are extremely difficult to come by and no one knows for sure how they form. Every pill that gives birth to Pill Veins or a Pill Cloud is the result of coincidence of opportunity. However, it is undeniable that Alchemists must perform a perfect refinement to even have any chance of forming Pill Veins, from this point alone, it seems this little brat is better than us.”
“En,” Kong Ruo Yu also gently nodded, “When I had my epiphany that year, the pill I refined also could be called perfect, something I was very proud of, but now, compared with this little fellow, it seems it wasn’t actually much.”
Four of the Grandmasters present seemed to have attributed the appearance of Pill Veins to luck; only Du Wan didn’t comment.
Luck was no doubt an important factor, but the Alchemy process could not be discounted, especially this Saint Pill which Yang Kai had used so many different Spirit Arrays to form…
Du Wan faintly felt that this Saint Pill giving birth to Pill Veins was the result of Yang Kai’s efforts, not just luck.
“A youth’s potential…” Chang Bao’s said with a rare serious expression, “Should we bring out our own Saint Pills for comparison?”
“Is there any need?” He Feng blushed with shame. Before Yang Kai refined his Saint Pill, each of them had full confidence in their own and felt it was superior to the others present.
But now, in front of a Saint Pill that had given birth to Pill Veins, they no longer felt like there was any point to their little competition.
Even if they discounted the appearance of Pill Veins, just the time required for Yang Kai to refine his Saint Pill was something they couldn’t hope to match, causing them a great deal of embarrassment.
The five Grandmasters glanced around at each other silently before quietly stowing away the Saint Pills they had just refined, as if trying to hide them.
…..
Yang Kai had sunken into a state of enlightenment, his Soul Avatar standing in an empty space where nothing existed except a myriad of Spirit Arrays hovering high up in the sky.
Yang Kai’s consciousness shuttled back and forth amongst the massive wealth of information and knowledge he had gleaned from the True Alchemic Way over the past many years, all of it now seemingly on display right before his eyes.
Up until now, this seemingly unimaginably vast amount of knowledge and experience in the Alchemic Dao had just been scattered memories floating about Yang Kai Knowledge Sea, but at this moment, he actually felt that there were some subtle connections between all of it, slowly turning his simple memorization of it into a kind of comprehension.
It was as if a closed door had suddenly cracked open and was slowly exposing the hidden secrets of the Alchemic Dao to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai dove straight in and soon became obsessed, not daring to relax his mind for an instant as he soaked up this new enlightenment.
As time passed by, the True Alchemic Way, which had been engraved into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, was finally completely understood by him, leaving no more hidden places to uncover or explore.
Now, Yang Kai could recite and explain any section of the True Alchemic Way off the top of his head.
His understanding of Alchemy also sublimated and advanced to a new height.
Before, it was like he was standing before a great mountain, staring up at the mysteries of Alchemy, but now Yang Kai felt he was standing atop the clouds, looking down on everything, all of it within his control.
This also included the generation of Pill Veins and Pill Clouds.
These ultimate pursuits of Alchemy were not just chance coincidences but could really be produced by applying the appropriate process!
Pill Veins were like the meridians of a pill. With these meridians, a pill could be preserved forever.
A Pill Cloud was an enhanced version of Pill Veins.
Both of these were a kind of natural Spirit Array and could be comprehended and interpreted via a large number of Spirit Arrays which were contained within the True Alchemic Way. By compiling those Spirit Arrays ingeniously and refining a pill with them, it was possible to promote the chance of Pill Veins and Pill Clouds appearing!
At the last moment of refining the Saint Pill, Yang Kai had simply tried out this wild thought of his and to his great surprise and joy succeeded, allowing him to unexpectedly comprehend the mysteries behind forming Pill Veins.
This was what ultimately led to his leap in understanding and the enhancement of his Alchemic technique.
However, although by applying the correct process it was possible to promote the appearance of Pill Veins and even Pill Clouds, actually doing so was quite troublesome and had a fair chance of failure.
The Grandmasters had concluded that Yang Kai had gotten lucky, and in truth they weren’t wrong.
Thoroughly comprehending the True Alchemic Way, Yang Kai felt his Alchemy skill had undergone encouraging improvements.
Still quite excited, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and glanced around, but upon seeing his surroundings, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat stunned.
He was still sitting cross-legged in the pill room, but the five Grandmasters, Ye Xiong, and Mi Na had all disappeared. There was only one young girl with a pair of twin-tails sitting down nearby, curiously observing him.
Seemingly because he had suddenly woken up, the young girl was surprised and couldn’t help letting out a cute yelp.
“Wu’er?” Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled, “Why are you here?”
Wu’er quickly adjusted herself and grumbled back, “Why can’t I be here?”
Yang Kai chuckled at this sight, not quite sure why this little girl was acting a bit hostile towards him, quickly asking, “What about Grandmaster and the others?”
“They saw you not waking up after a long time and left, telling Wu’er to come here and watch over you until you woke up,” Wu’er muttered in a discontent tone.
“En, you’ve worked hard,” Yang Kai nodded lightly before standing up.
“Why you…” Wu’er snorted, “Since you’re already an Alchemist, why did you ask Wu’er for help performing Alchemy? Senior Sister laughed at me because of that…”
“Why would she laugh at you?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“She laughed because a Mysterious Grade Alchemist like Wu’er was actually trying to help a Saint Grade Alchemist perform Alchemy… Are you really a Saint Grade Alchemist?” Saying so, Wu’er cocked her head to the side and stared at Yang Kai.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, not intending to hide this fact from her.
Wu’er however just grinned and said, “I don’t believe you, you can’t be a Saint Grade Alchemist, Senior Sister must have been lying in order to make fun of me again.”
“Why don’t you believe me?” Yang Kai suddenly felt interested.
Wu’er wore a serious expression as she said in a completely natural tone, “Saint Grade Alchemists all have long white beards… your hair is still black, so you can’t be one!”
Yang Kai couldn’t help bursting into laughter at this innocent comment.
Seeing him like this, Wu’er’s mood immediately soured, “What are you laughing at? Do you think that Wu’er is easy to deceive just because she’s young? Just you wait; I’ll let Senior Sister come tidy you up, she’s much more fierce than me! Also, these are the pills you wanted Wu’er to refine, there wasn’t quite enough time, so Wu’er only managed to refine thirty of them… The rest you can find a way to handle on your own, Wu’er will return your herbs to you!”
“No need,” Yang Kai waved his hand casually, “Keep all of it for yourself. The pills will help you cultivate, they should be just right for your current strength. Those herbs will also be useful for you to practice with.”
Saying so, Yang Kai seemed to think of something and immediately began withdrawing Mysterious Grade herbs from the Black Book space, “I’ll also give you these, I have no use for them now anyways.”
Wu’er had originally wanted to reject his offer; after all, her Senior Sister had taught her that accepting gifts from strangers would come at a cost.
Although the person in front of her looked tall and heroic, that didn’t necessarily mean he was anything good.
However, before she could refuse, a massive pile of herbs appeared in front of her.
Wu’er’s jaw slowly began to drop as she stared at this sight.
These herbs weren’t very high grade, but they were indeed something she needed right now. By refining them into pills then taking them to sell, they would create a substantial amount of wealth for her.
More importantly though, they were perfect practice materials for her to improve her Alchemy proficiency!
Wu’er quickly swallowed back down the words of rejection she was about to utter.
Gradually, the pile of herbs in front of her transformed into a mountain, yet the young man in front of her still didn’t stop, as if he had an inexhaustible supply of treasures on him.
Wu’er stared dumbfounded at this.
Only after a long time did Yang Kai stop and say, “With this much you’ll need to prepare a few Universe Bags, go ask your Senior Sister or your master for some.”
“Eh? Ah… en…” Wu’er responded somewhat dazed.
Yang Kai smiled warmly, reached out and patted her head before walking out.
It took some time after Yang Kai left for Wu’er to come to her senses, quickly gripping her floral patterned skirt with both hands and rushing out, eager to ask her master for several Universe Bags.
Inside Old Man Du’s room, Du Wan sat in meditation, reflecting back on all the actions Yang Kai had taken that day while refining that Saint Pill, trying to picture each of the different Spirit Arrays which had been used in the process.
The more he thought about it, the more mysterious Du Wan felt the whole process was.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Old Man Du’s brow furrowed. Sending out his Divine Sense to see who it was, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face in the next instant, “Come in.”
Yang Kai pushed open the door and cupped his fists respectfully.
Old Man Du smiled, got up and greeted Yang Kai, pouring him a cup of tea before asking, “How was your harvest this time?”
“Very good,” Yang Kai nodded, sincerely continuing, “I must say my thanks to Old Man Du and the other Grandmasters. If not for all of you allowing me to observe your Alchemy processes, I would not have obtained this opportunity.”
“You’re too polite,” Du Wan shook his head, “You being able to gain so much is naturally due to your own skills. Ye Xiong and Mi Na were also both there, but they didn’t seem to gain much. Only you managed to reap so many benefits.”
“The other Grandmasters?” Yang Kai asked, looking around but not finding any of their figures.
“Gone, they came here just to see if this old man could unlock the secrets of that Spirit Array. After they achieved their objective, they waited half a month, but seeing you not showing any signs of waking up, they departed.”
“Oh, I had wanted to thank them in person,” Yang Kai felt somewhat regretful.
The several Grandmasters had not concealed anything when they performed Alchemy, which was equivalent to them exposing their most precious secrets to Yang Kai, something he was very grateful for.
“You’ll have an opportunity to do so in the future. Those old fellows are a restless bunch, they’ll likely be back in Grand Boulder City in the near future,” Du Wan chuckled, “It won’t be too late to express your gratitude when you next see them.”
After a while, Du Wan handed over the Saint Grade Low-Rank pill that Yang Kai had refined before.
This Saint Pill had previously been kept by the several Grandmasters, but now that Yang Kai was awake, Du Wan naturally returned it to him.
Yang Kai accepted it and gently grasped it, a thoughtful look soon appearing on his face.
Possibly because he had fully comprehended the True Alchemic Way, leading to a leap in his Alchemy skills, Yang Kai noticed that he could clearly feel all the details and nuances of the pill in his hand without even looking at it.
It was as if it was a part of him, a wondrous feeling.
“Right, I saw that at the last moment when you were refining this Saint Pill, you suddenly portrayed a large compound Spirit Array… Was that in some way related to producing Pill Veins?” Du Wan asked suddenly.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Indeed, the appearance of Pill Veins was thought to be a purely coincidental occurrence, but at that moment I thought there were actually some subtle ways to promote the probability of Pill Veins being born, hence why I used so many Spirit Arrays.”
“Promoting the probability of their appearance?” Du Wan’s eyes lit up and hurriedly asked, “How much can you improve that probability?”
If this method was really effective, then Alchemy across Tong Xuan Realm would undergo a sensational change. Being able to frequently refine pills that gave birth to Pill Veins would allow the value of Alchemy to multiply several times over.
However, Yang Kai smiled wryly and shook his head, “I can’t give you an answer to that question, all I can say is that it can improve the chances of Pill Veins appearing to some degree. I’ve yet to comprehend and understand everything related to this as well… En, some time ago I came across an ancient Saint Pill that allowed me to spy on some of the Alchemy techniques a Grandmaster from long ago used. I hadn’t expected those techniques were actually to promote the appearance of Pill Veins.”
“A Saint Pill left over from ancient times?” Du Wan’s expression became solemn, “How did you know that Saint Pill came from a previous era?”
“Because it did not have Pill Veins… but a Pill Cloud. Through the condensation of its medicinal efficacies, I could infer that it had existed for at least a few thousand years!”
Du Wan inhaled sharply, his eyes flashing brightly, “A Saint Pill with a Pill Cloud? Where is it now? Can you let me see it?”
Yang Kai scratched his head awkwardly and muttered, “I ate it.”
“Y… you… ate it?” Du Wan was stunned.
“I nearly exploded as a result!” Yang Kai smiled bitterly, thinking back to the scene when he had swallowed that ancient Saint Pill. It was truly a rash move, but thanks to consuming that ancient Saint Pill, his Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus had finally evolved into a six coloured one.
“Such a waste of Heaven’s gifts!” Du Wan stood up and shouted angrily, “A Saint Pill that had given birth to a Pill Cloud was eaten just like that by you? How could you…. the nerve!”
Du Wan didn’t hold back, vehemently scolding Yang Kai for wasting such a precious treasure.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai couldn’t understand Du Wan’s mood. When one’s knowledge of Alchemy reached a certain height, they would be able to comprehend some of the methods and techniques another Alchemist used by examining their finished works, even possibly uncovering many long-lost Alchemy mysteries.
At the time, Yang Kai had similar thoughts, hence his decision to swallow the ancient Saint Pill in order to examine it while refining it.
It was no surprise that Du Wan became angry when he learned about this.
After ranting indignantly for a while, Du Wan took a deep breath and steadied himself, saying, “Fortunately your luck was good, or there wouldn’t be a Yang Kai today.”
Pill Clouds and Pill Veins were fundamentally different. Pill Veins could only guarantee that a pill could retain its full efficacy indefinitely, but a Pill Cloud would allow any pill to slowly absorb the surrounding World Energy, thus increasing its efficacy over time.
An ancient Saint Pill from thousands of years ago which had been nourished by its Pill Cloud would have condensed an unfathomable amount of medicinal energy.
Yang Kai not dying in a violent explosion after swallowing it was already a miracle.
“What exactly did you realize from that ancient Saint Pill?” Du Wan asked eagerly.
“That Pill Cloud… it had some traces of being artificially produced, that’s why when I was performing Alchemy a few days ago I took those actions. Looking back now, it seems that Pill Veins and Pill Cloud can really be artificially induced, even if the probability of producing them is still somewhat small,” Yang Kai frowned.
“Any increase in probability is good,” Du Wan’s immediately said, quickly following up, “You must study this method well. If you can one day fully comprehend it, it will have a huge impact on the entire Alchemy world. If you need any assistance, don’t hesitate to ask, this old man will do everything in his power to help.”
“Then I must thank Old Man Du in advance, I will most likely be troubling you in the future,” Yang Kai replied honestly.
“Right,” Du Wan suddenly remembered something, reaching down and sifting through his Universe Bag, a moment later pulling out a golden token and handing it over, “This is your new identity token, the original one only recorded you as being a Spirit Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, right? Now that you are a Saint Grade Alchemist, you’ll have to change it.”
“No, Old Man Du… I don’t care about such things.”
Du Wan smiled at him knowingly and said, “I know that you don’t care about such formalities, but as the Manager of Grand Boulder City’s Alchemist Guild Branch, it is my responsibility to hand this token to you. En, if you agree, I’d actually like to report this to the guild’s headquarters! When those old stick in the mud learn there’s such a young Saint Grade Alchemist here, won’t their eyes pop out of their sockets?”
As if he could already see those people’s reactions, Du Wan smiled very cheerfully.
“Old Man Du, is there any way you can not report this?” Yang Kai bitterly said, “While high-level Alchemists indeed receive much respect and privilege, it’s also accompaniee by a lot of trouble… I don’t want people bothering me each day seeking Alchemy services.”
Du Wan’s expression became solemn hearing this and after a moment let out a long sigh, “I must ask you something, and I hope you will answer honestly.”
Seeing Old Man Du suddenly turn so serious, Yang Kai couldn’t help also become so, nodding, “Old Man Du, please.”
“Have you really not thought about dedicating your life to the pursuit of Alchemy?” Du Wan asked almost forlornly, “Seeing your recent performance, I believe you will one day reach even Old Man Li’s height in the Alchemic Dao. I don’t wish to see such Heaven defying aptitude buried in vain.”
Yang Kai smiled and firmly shook his head firmly, “Old Man Du… You and I are not strangers, so I won’t try to gloss over this. I told you once before, what I pursue is the peak of the Martial Dao, Alchemy is only an auxiliary in that pursuit… today, I still hold that same belief, which one is primary and which one is secondary cannot be confused.”
Du Wan’s expression dimmed slightly, seemingly somewhat saddened.
“However… studying Alchemy has brought me tremendous benefits and assisted me greatly in my pursuit of the Martial Dao, so in the future, as I cultivate the Martial Dao, I won’t slack in my study of the Alchemic Dao.”
Du Wan frowned and sighed, “When one studies two different paths, one is destined to be the main while the other the branch… But you are still young and have infinite possibilities ahead of you. En, good, this old man will do his best to live on to see if, while majoring in the Martial Dao, you can reach the pinnacle of Alchemy as well!”
Speaking these words, it was as if a knot in his heart was untied, allowing Old Man Du to let out a hearty laugh.
Yang Kai also grinned and nodded, “Then I must ask Old Man Du to wait and see.”
“En,” Du Wan gently nodded, “I won’t report your promotion to the Guild Headquarters, but in exchange you must promise me a request.”
“What request?”
“You’ve met Wu’er, yes?” Du Wan did not answer immediately.
Yang Kai nodded.
“What do you think of her?”
“Her aptitude is good, whether it is cultivation or Alchemy, she is far above average.”
Du Wan chuckled happily, “En, in my Alchemist Guild Branch, there are very few of us; not long ago, it was just Ye Xiong and Mi Na accompanying this old man. Ye Xiong is a little dull, but if there is enough opportunity in this life, he can still improve, even possibly becoming a Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemist. Mi Na is better than her master, but her future achievements are still likely limited. Without some life changing encounter, she won’t be able to surpass this old man… but about Wu’er, I am very optimistic.”
“The meaning of Old Man Du is…”
“Heh heh, if you have free time, I hope you can grant Wu’er some guidance. If your Alchemy skills were by chance buried and lost, this old man would die from regret.”
“Old Man Du is too serious.” Yang Kai quickly said.
“This old man can take responsibility and let Wu’er worship you as her master, what do you think?”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded, “Old Man Du, like you said, I am still young and immature, how could I be qualified to take on a disciple? Also, I have many matters I need to attend to and won’t be able to dedicate a lot of time to caring for and raising her. I think it best if we go with your original thought and I simply provide her with some guidance from time to time.”
“Well… fine, this old man won’t force you.”
Du Wan making such a proposal was understandable to Yang Kai. As a cultivator who frequently ran around outside, his life was accompanied by many dangers. If one day Yang Kai was to accidentally die, all the Alchemy knowledge he had mastered would also fade from existence.
Old Man Du definitely didn’t want to see such a result.
Therefore, he had asked Yang Kai to teach Wu’er.
After agreeing to Old Man Du’s request, Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry to return to Soaring Heaven Sect, so he asked Mi Na to send a message to the Sect saying he would be staying in the Alchemist Guild for a while.
He too needed to upgrade his Alchemy proficiency, as he was just a small step away from becoming a Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist.
Time passed by quickly as he spent his following days together with Mi Na and Wu’er.
Everything he had grasped about Alchemy he shared freely with the two girls, allowing Mi Na and Wu’er’s skills to grow rapidly.
From time to time, even Ye Xiong would shamelessly join in on Yang Kai’s lectures.
However, Yang Kai was surprised to find that the Spirit Arrays which he could quickly comprehend were actually quite difficult for others to grasp, even if he was there to personally guide them through it.
After thinking about it though, Yang Kai understood.
The reason he could so easily grasp these concepts was naturally because the True Alchemic Way had been directly branded into his Knowledge Sea, all of its mysteries and wonders available for him to review and study at a glance. Others were different, they had to learn everything from scratch.
Wu’er was the best of the three; after all, the time she had been exposed to Alchemy was the least so her ability to learn and accept new things was quite good. Mi Na was also quite flexible in this regard and learned nearly as quickly. Ye Xiong, on the other hand was another story, sometimes, even after hearing things explained multiple times and ways, he couldn’t comprehend them.
After such things happened two or three times, Ye Xiong was too embarrassed to return again.
As time went by, Wu’er’s attitude toward Yang Kai also gradually changed, going all the way from hostile to fondness and eventually reaching something akin to worship.
The little girl was lively and energetic, seemingly bursting with enthusiasm the whole day long, many ideas and insights popping out of her head as she voraciously learned. There were even times when some of her casual words allowed Yang Kai to gain something.
In a blink of an eye, three months had passed.
During this time, Yang Kai had remained inside the Alchemist Guild, teaching Wu’er and Mi Na while simultaneously polishing his own Alchemy technique.
Yang Kai watched as Wu’er’s skills rapidly grew, causing him to become even more enthusiastic about teaching her. Yang Kai had a very favourable impression of this slightly eccentric, energetic young girl.
One day, as Yang Kai was making himself busy inside the pill room, he suddenly noticed some movements behind him, quickly stopping what he was doing and turning to look at the exit only to find Old Man Du walking in with a worried look upon his face.
The three Juniors quickly got up to offer greetings.
Old Man Du waved his hand to stop them and said, “This old master has something to say. If you don’t have a compelling reason, in the near future, don’t go outside.”
“What happened?” Mi Na asked.
“The situation outside is somewhat turbulent…” Old Man Du said in a dignified tone, “If you exit rashly, you might find yourself in trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” Mi Na was puzzled.
Yang Kai also frowned and suddenly asked, “Is it related to the influx of outsiders in Grand Boulder City?”
Du Wan glanced over at Yang Kai in surprise, soon continuing, “En, it seems that you also noticed. A few months ago, many foreign cultivators suddenly appeared in Grand Boulder City and set up a temporary camp. They seem to have come here searching for something and have been recruiting others since they arrived.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Although Yang Kai had basically not left the Alchemist Guild since arriving here three months ago, the changes in Grand Boulder City did not escape the investigation of his Divine Sense.
Various groups of outsiders would frequently enter Grand Boulder City, buy up living materials and cultivation supplies from the various shops, and then rush out again. It was an unusual phenomenon.
Especially in the recent period, more and more foreigners were seemingly using Grand Boulder City as a transit point, staying for a while to re-supply before leaving just as quickly as they came.
It seemed like they were exploring the endless Snow Mountain Range.
Considering all this, Yang Kai couldn’t help but frown and ask, “Old Man Du, have you heard anything specific about all this?”
Du Wan gently nodded and, “I know a bit. Today, Ancient Moon Cave Heaven’s Ran Jing and Luo Sheng Sect’s Mao Da came to me and asked for my help refining a few Dispelling Poison Pills. When I casually asked them what for, the two of them said they were going to the depths of the Snow Mountain Range in order to search for something, the Dispelling Poison Pills were just a precaution… En, I assume whatever it is they’re searching for is related to something poisonous.”
After one took a Dispelling Poison Pill, one would temporarily be able to resist various types of toxins, and if the one to refine such a pill was a Grandmaster like Du Wan, it would basically make one immune to all poisons throughout the world. Although it was expensive, it was well worth the money.
As for Ran Jing of Ancient Moon Cave Heaven and Mao Da of Luo Sheng Sect, Yang Kai was familiar with their names.
Centered around Grand Boulder City, there were four fairly prominent forces.
Soaring Heaven Sect, Bright Thunder Spirit Religion, Ancient Moon Cave Heaven, and Luo Sheng Sect.
Yang Kai has even served as an Honoured Guest in Bright Thunder Spirit Religion for a time.
When Yang Kai first came to Grand Boulder City, Du Wan had explained to him the various strengths and weaknesses of these four forces. Excluding Soaring Heaven Sect, the remaining three forces were similar in strength and composition, none of them possessing Saint Realm masters. Ran Jing and Mao Da were both Third Order Transcendents, similar in strength to Religion Master Xia Cheng Yin who had recently died.
Not only had many outsiders flooded into the Snow Mountain Range, but the nearby Ancient Moon Cave Heaven and Luo Sheng Sect had also gotten involved.
Listening to Du Wan, Yang Kai suddenly thought of something, his expression changing dramatically, immediately pushing his Divine Sense to its limits, forming it into a thread which contained a short message he sent thousands of kilometers away.
After a long time, his eyes shook as he took back his Divine Sense, his expression becoming extremely solemn.
“Old Man Du, I have to go out!” Yang Kai suddenly said.
“Ah?” Du Wan was stunned. He had deliberately come here to warn these three to not go outside but now Yang Kai had suddenly told him he needed to do just that. After thinking about it for a moment, he asked, “The matter these outsiders have come here to handle, is it related to you in some way?”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly as he said, “I hope I’m mistaken, but from what I can tell, that seems unlikely.”
Du Wan was deeply confused as he stared at Yang Kai for a while before finally relenting, “You must pay close attention to your safety. It would be best if you went back to Soaring Heaven Sect first and find your four Martial Seniors. As long as you have their protection, you shouldn’t encounter any danger.”
“En, I’ll do that,” Yang Kai replied casually before rushing out.
After he left, Du Wan slowly shook his head and grumbled, “If I knew it would turn out like this I wouldn’t have said anything…”
Mi Na’s brow furrowed deeply as she asked, “Old Man Du, what exactly is going on? What relationship does it have with Yang Kai?”
“I don’t know… I just hope he stays safe,” Du Wan replied, somewhat annoyed. If he had known this would happen, he would have pressed Ran Jing and Mao Da for details, as they surely knew more than they told him.
……
After leaving the Alchemist Guild, Yang Kai shot out like a bolt of lightning, bypassing Soaring Heaven Sect and flying straight towards the vast Snow Mountain Range.
With the news he heard from Du Wan, coupled with his own investigation, Yang Kai had vaguely guessed what was happening here.
He had never expected something so dramatic to happen though.
Waiting until there was no one around, Yang Kai unfurled his Wind and Thunder Wings, flew high up into the clouds, and boosted his speed to its limit, wrapping himself in his own Spiritual Energy to conceal his aura.
As he soared through the sky, from time to time, down below, Yang Kai spotted cultivators shuttling back and forth across the tundra.
Three days later, Yang Kai had traveled deep into the Snow Mountain Range.
An endless chain of mountains wrapped in glistening snow and ice stretched out in every direction.
Quietly releasing his Divine Sense to investigate his surroundings, Yang Kai soon discovered a faint response, grinned, and flew off in that direction.
Half a day later, Yang Kai hid himself inside a small snowy mountain as he stared off in a certain direction.
In that direction, a large group of cultivators, numbering several thousand in total, were gathered, many of whom had come here from Grand Boulder City recently.
Among these thousands of people, Yang Kai noticed a particular Spiritual Energy fluctuation which had some subtle connection to his own Soul.
In that direction, Yang Kai silently sent out a Divine Sense message.
At the same time, inside a large tent, several Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators were silently cultivating. Although they had all reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary, the temperatures here were simply too cold and their consumption of True Qi just to stay warm was massive so they had no choice but to frequently restore themselves like this.
One of the youths who had been meditating suddenly opened his eyes as his aura fluctuated unstably.
When they noticed his strange behaviour, several other people inside the tent also opened their eyes and looked at him, quickly discovered that the young man had gone completely pale, as if he had just encountered something terrifying.
“Liu Gui, what happened?” One person hurriedly asked.
The young man named Liu Gui didn’t respond at first, his expression changing back and forth between bitter and helpless, only a while later replying, “It’s nothing you need to worry about, I just need to go out for a moment.”
“You want to go out now? We’re scheduled to go out tomorrow to search a new region, if you exit now, how will you support yourself later?” Someone else said.
Liu Gui however did not respond, simply getting up and walking out.
Seeing this, everyone in the tent slowly shook their heads and stopped paying attention to him.
All of these people belonged to the same force and were familiar with one another. The former youth called Liu Gui didn’t possess very good aptitude and was actually several minor realms below them not long ago, but for some unknown reason, over the past two years, his cultivation had soared, reaching the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary, putting him on the same level as all of them.
This time they had come to journeyed tens of thousands of kilometers into the endless Snow Mountain Range just to seek out a single person. But amidst this seemingly infinite expanse of snow and ice, with no clues as to where that person was hiding, none of them thought they had a high chance of succeeding.
Liu Gui shuttled through the snow and after a while arrived in front of a different tent following the instructions he had just received.
This tent was very different from the others nearby. It was large and luxurious with subtle traces of light flashing around its perimeter. Obviously a Spirit Array had been placed around it, blocking anyone from probing inside it with their Divine Sense.
The only things people could notice about the inside of this tent was a faint green aura which lingered about it and the eerie cries which leaked out from within, causing everyone nearby to shudder unconsciously.
Standing outside the tent, Liu Gui couldn’t help swallowing hard, glancing around anxiously to make sure no one was paying attention to himself while trying to work up the courage to speak. However, before he could say a word, the tent’s entrance suddenly split open and a large hand grabbed Liu Gui, dragging him inside in the next instant.
Even with his Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivation, Liu Gui wasn’t able to put up the slightest bit of resistance and could only stare helplessly as he felt the hand of death reach out towards him, his eyes filled with terror.
A strange laughter suddenly filled his ears as Liu Gui stared at the person in front of him, a man wrapped in a black robe covered in an eerie green aura. This man was currently staring at him coldly, his eyes seemingly pulsing a green light, making him appear extremely scary.
“Little brat, you’re quite courageous, actually daring to spy on This King’s tent!” The person wrapped in the green aura chuckled menacingly as he said, “Tell me, how would you like to die? This King will grant you this final request.”
Liu Gui’s face paled as he desperately squeezed out his words, “Forgive me, Senior Wu Jie, this Junior had no intention of spying…”
“Then why are you sneaking around outside my tent? Were you ordered by your War Spirit Temple’s Cao Guan to come here?” Wu Jie coldly snorted.
“No, Senior,” Liu Gui fell to his knees and hurriedly said, “This Junior was simply entrusted to deliver a message to Senior.”
“Entrusted? By who?” Wu Jie frowned.
“This…” Liu Gui hesitated, seemingly not daring to reveal the identity of his employer.
Wu Jie sneered, “What do you want to say to me?”
Liu Gui didn’t dare dally and hurriedly said, “He said… he wants to see you. As for his identity, he said that as long as I said the words ‘tearing space’, Senior would understand.”
As soon as Lui Gui spoke those words, Wu Jie’s expression changed dramatically, immediately waving his hand and activating all the barriers around his tent, completely isolating it from outside investigations, frowning as he stared at Liu Gui and said, “How are you related to him?”
Liu Gui let out a pained laugh, “Can I not say?”
“Then, let me ask you this. What are your thoughts on this?” Wu Jie stared at him coldly.
Liu Gui sighed helplessly and explained.
After understanding how Liu Gui was connected with that young man, and why he could receive orders from him, Wu Jie laughed raucously, causing Liu Gui a great deal of discomfort, as if his Soul was being stripped from his body.
After flying over a large stretch of the Snow Mountain Range, Yang Kai sat down quietly atop a small hill, the falling snow soon burying him.
Yang Kai was indifferent to this and instead focused on concealing his aura. Even if an ordinary Saint Realm master were to pass by, it was unlikely they would be able to notice him.
A short distance away from the mountain, a green streak of light was quickly approaching.
A moment later, the green streak of light came to a stop above the mountain top, revealing a black-cloaked figure; naturally, it was Wu Jie of Netherworld Sect.
In Wu Jie’s hand was a dispirited Liu Gui, the young disciple from War Spirit Temple seemingly having accepted his fate and making no attempt to resist.
“Where is he?” Wu Jie glanced around, asking coldly upon not finding any trace of Yang Kai nearby.
Liu Gui quickly said, “This is the location he gave me, is he not here?”
As he spoke these words, Liu Gui hurriedly searched his surroundings.
“What took you so long?” Suddenly, a voice called out from nearby, greatly surprising Liu Gui. Immediately after he identified the source of this voice though, Liu Gui wore a big smile and shouted, “Lord Holy Master!”
Wu Jie also starred in front of himself towards a nearby snowdrift, his eyes flashing brilliantly.
Soon, a person emerged from the snowdrift and with a light pulse of True Qi melted the snow which had covered him.
Wu Jie grinned, casually tossing aside Liu Gui before cupping his fists, “Sir Holy Master, it’s been several years; I see you’re doing as well as ever!”
As he spoke, his glowing eyes swept over Yang Kai, wondering how much this young Holy Master had grown, and upon discovering Yang Kai had actually become a Third Order Transcendent, his heart couldn’t help clenching slightly in shock.
“Sect Master Wu as well,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
Wu Jie quickly said, “Heh heh, it took some time to escape those people’s detection, I hope Sir Holy Master won’t take it to heart.”
“Sect Master Wu appearing is all that matters,” Yang Kai replied lightly before finally glancing over at Liu Gui, “You’ve worked hard.”
Liu Gui quickly waved his hand, “It is my honour to work hard for Lord Holy Master; moreover, it is all thanks to Sect Master Wu’s strength that this lowly one could appear here… heh heh…”
As he spoke, Liu Gui wore a somewhat anxious expression, as if there was something he really wanted to say but didn’t dare to.
Understanding what all this was about, Yang Kai tossed him a jade bottle and said lightly, “This is your reward for this time. I may still have need of you in the future, go back and cultivate well.”
Liu Gui was overjoyed as he quickly caught the jade bottle, “Many thanks, Lord Holy Master!”
Last time, when Liu Gui brought Yun Xuan and Ruan Xin Yu of Bold Independent Union to see Yang Kai, he had obtained a bottle of pills as a reward. It was all thanks to that bottle of pills that Liu Gui’s strength had grown so rapidly recently. Today, Yang Kai had rewarded him with another bottle so naturally, Liu Gui was ecstatic.
Tightly holding the jade bottle, Liu Gui cautiously said, “If two Sirs have no further need of me, this lowly one will retire first. If I am gone for too long, those in my unit will become suspicious.”
“En, go!” Yang Kai waved his hand.
Liu Gui took off and never looked back.
As Yang Kai was speaking with Liu Gui, Wu Jie just stood nearby and listened, showing no intention of interjecting, a somewhat puzzled look appearing on his face as he did so.
Only after Liu Gui left did Wu Jie ask curiously, “How are you related to that War Spirit Temple disciple?”
Yang Kai smiled lightly and replied, “When you all attacked Nine Heavens Holy Land, I subdued him and made him remain in War Spirit Temple, I never expected to get so much use out of him though. En, I hold his life in my hands so I feel relieved letting him run around, there’s no need for you to concern yourself over him.”
Wu Jie grinned and nodded, “Sir Holy Master’s vision is quite profound. Even seeing through this, it seems that your Soul is also stronger than mine now.”
If that wasn’t the case, when Wu Jie arrived here, he would have been able to detect Yang Kai’s existence.
A Third Order Transcendent having a stronger Soul than a First Order Saint, how was that even possible?
Wu Jie felt deeply shocked, though he didn’t show much on his face.
Saying so, Wu Jie waved his hand and a moment later, a creepy black wisp flew back to him from the direction Liu Gui left and soon disappeared into Wu Jie’s body.
“Sect Master Wu, how come you’re here?” Yang Kai’s expression became serious as he got down to business.
Back in Grand Boulder City, when Yang Kai released his Divine Sense, he faintly felt Liu Gui’s presence and couldn’t help feeling surprised. Since Liu Gui was here, it meant that War Spirit Temple had deployed its forces here, which in turn made it likely Netherworld Sect and Shattering Mystical Palace had as well.
These three forces formed the core of the crusade against Nine Heavens Holy Land.
However, this group of people travelling all the way to the endless Snow Mountain Range was nothing short of odd, and although Yang Kai had some guesses about their purpose, he still had to find Wu Jie to confirm it.
“You couldn’t still be chasing me, right?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he stared at Wu Jie with a grin.
Wu Jie sighed and said, “You could say that, but not at this moment. Simply put it, we’re here to find someone!”
“Who are you looking for?” Yang Kai continued to stare at Wu Jie, silently causing the latter to feel a faint sense of oppression.
Wrinkling his brow, Wu Jie explained, “This person should have some relationship with Sir Holy Master, and it seems that you also have some concerns regarding him, so Sir Holy Master has likely already guessed our purpose in coming here! It seems Sir Holy Master really does know the secrets of the Coffin Carrying Man ad even knows where he is hiding, yes?”
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed as he let out a sigh, it seems his enemies had really come here for the Coffin Carrying Man.
When he first met Wu Jie, Yang Kai recalled him seemingly casually mentioned that a cultivator from War Spirit Temple named Yao Di once witnessed him being abducted by the Coffin Carrying Man outside Raging Flame City. It was also because he seemed related to the Coffin Carrying Man that Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple were so reluctant to give up chasing Yang Kai.
However, Yang Kai didn’t care what these two forces thought as he truly wasn’t afraid of them.
Unexpectedly thought, two years later these enemies of his had actually found their way to the endless Snow Mountain Range.
“Whether I know something or not isn’t of importance, just tell me, why did you all decide to come here?” Yang Kai frowned.
Wu Jie grinned and didn’t bother speaking any nonsense, directly explaining, “It was actually quite simple to trace Sir Holy Master here. Sir Holy Master caused both Zhang Ao of Shattering Mystical Palace and Cao Guan of War Spirit Temple to lose a massive deal of face, so naturally, they spared no effort in investigating your background and origins. It wasn’t difficult to learn that Sir Holy Master originated from Soaring Heaven Sect… but what was surprising was that Sir Holy Master didn’t seem to have been born in Soaring Heaven Sect but instead came from some remote countryside and only joined Soaring Heaven Sect recently. Knowing this, it was easy to learn that Sir Holy Master served as an Honoured Guest in the nearby Bright Thunder Spirit Religion for a time. En, after questioning some disciples of Bright Thunder Spirit Religion, we learned that Sir Holy Master first appeared in the Snow Mountain Range, coupling that with the fact that Sir Holy Master’s last known appearance was when he was abducted by the Coffin Carrying Man, it was easy to draw some conclusions.”
“Seems your minds are quite sharp,” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
He had been taken away by the Coffin Carrying Man and then appeared in the Snow Mountain Range, just this fact alone was enough for some people to infer that the Coffin Carrying Man might be hiding somewhere in this endless Snow Mountain Range.
And they were right!
Wu Jie’s expression became solemn suddenly as he continued, “Zhang Ao and Cao Guan both hate you deeply and extremely covet the strength behind the Coffin Carrying Man, so naturally they went all out to uncover this information; moreover, it truly wasn’t much effort, simply asking a few people was enough to learn all of this.”
“However…” Wu Jie continued with a somewhat grim look upon his face, “Despite guessing the Coffin Carrying Man is hidden somewhere in this Snow Mountain Range, with how vast this region is, trying to find a single person with no other clues was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack the size of a mountain, so originally Zhang Ao and Cao Guan weren’t willing to come here.”
“Hm, then why are you here?” Yang Kai frowned.
Wu Jie paused before wearing a bitter smile, “I’ll be honest, Sir Holy Master, two years ago or so, the three of us pursued you for a few months, but after thoroughly losing your tail the three of us returned to our respective Sects in defeat. At the time, Zhang Ao And Cao Guan both sat on pins and needles, worrying about when Nine Heavens Holy Land’s restored its former strength and sought revenge, thinking they needed to find a strong backer that could compete with Nine Heavens Holy Land or uproot and move their Sects! But before they could implement either of those plans, a mysterious individual appeared before Zhang Ao asking about Sir Holy Master. It was because of that mysterious person that we entered the Snow Mountain Range.”
“A mysterious individual?” Yang Kai’s brow rose, “Mysterious how?”
Wu Jie look became dignified, “That person completely concealed themselves in a black robe so we were unable to even determine their gender, all we know is that he or she possesses an unfathomable cultivation and is always accompanied by a subordinate. But that subordinate is actually a First Order Saint!”
Yang Kai’s face also couldn’t help becoming serious hearing this.
If this mysterious fellow’s subordinate was already First Order Saint, how strong was he himself?
“This time’s exploration was under the command of that person, so my Netherworld Sect had no chance to reject.”
“Do you know anything about that mysterious individual’s background?”
Wu Jie slowly shook his head, “He only promised us that if we followed him, Nine Heavens Holy Land would no longer pose a threat to us, so Zhang Ao and Cao Guan both immediately agreed, not only inviting all their allies to join this expedition, but also spending a massive amount of resources to rope in the nearby Ancient Moon Cave Heaven and Luo Sheng Sect.”
Yang Kai nodded. The Snow Mountain Range was so vast that it was only natural they sought out more manpower. Although there were no top-level masters in Ancient Moon Cave Heaven and Luo Sheng Sect, they didn’t lack people who could be used.
Ran Jing and Mao Da going to Grand Boulder City to find Du Wan in order to ask him to refine them Dispelling Poison Pills was obviously in preparation for facing the poisonous aura released by the Coffin Carrying Man.
“Although this Wu doesn’t know who that guy is… but in this world, there are very few who have achieved such profound cultivation, and… whether it was him or his subordinate, the auras surrounding their bodies is quite discomforting!”
“Oh, what kind of aura?”
Wu Jie lowered his voice and declared, “A demonic aura!”
Yang Kai’s expression changed greatly, “You mean that the person is from…”
Wu Jie slowly shook his head, “I can’t say for certain, but the aura around them certainly does feel like that. Sir Holy Master, I believe you should not involve yourself in this matter; it’s not something this Wu can help you with. To be honest, even I feel on edge every moment I stay here.”
“Don’t worry. I know what to do.” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
After meeting Wu Jie, Yang Kai confirmed his own guess, these people had really come to the endless Snow Mountain Range for the Coffin Carrying Man.
The Snow Mountain Range was vast, but with thousands of cultivators scouring it, it wouldn’t be long before they discovered the hiding place of the Coffin Carrying Man.
Yang Kai felt both agitated and frustrated. His Alchemy skill was still slightly lacking, otherwise, he would have already flown to the Coffin Carrying Man’s location and entered the Mysterious Small World inside the blood-red coffin.
What concerned him most though was the powerful mysterious individual mentioned by Wu Jie, this person’s presence was a massive unexpected variable. From Wu Jie description, it wasn’t difficult for Yang Kai to infer that this mysterious master was a Third Order Saint!
There really weren’t many such masters in this world.
Who could it be?
Yang Kai wracked his brain in confusion.
“Sir Holy Master?” Wu Jie saw Yang Kai lost in thought, not moving for a long time and couldn’t help calling out.
Yang Kai returned to his senses and was just about to speak when he suddenly wore a cold expression as he stared at Wu Jie meaningfully.
“Em, what happened?” Wu Jie frowned, not knowing why Yang Kai’s attitude had suddenly become so hostile.
“Wu Jie, I remember you saying your Netherworld Sect’s policy was to receive money in exchange for dispelling disasters.”
“En, this Wu has always maintained such a policy!” Wu Jie nodded firmly, “That was why even after offering tribute to Nine Heavens Holy Land, my Sect has not lacked supplies for its development.”
“Then… how much benefit did you receive from these people?” Yang Kai coldly spat, roaring in the next breath, “Even daring to betray me, your courage is not small!”
Wu Jie was startled, drawing back several steps as he asked in confusion, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai stared at him deeply, his Divine Sense piercing into Wu Jie’s mind in the next instant. The latter’s face changed greatly but noticing Yang Kai bore him no murderous intent, did not resist.
A moment later, Yang Kai took back his Divine Sense and nodded, “It seems like you were unaware…”
“You mean…” Wu Jie finally comprehended, his green eyes flashing brilliantly as he swept them over his surroundings, a moment later chuckling lowly as he quietly moved closer to Yang Kai.
“Come out! What point is there in still trying to hide now?” Yang Kai shouted.
“Fierce! Even being able to see through this technique, worthy of the one my Master is interested in, wouldn’t you say… Sir Holy Master?” With a series of snide comments, the space around Yang Kai and Wu Jie seemed to distort as a number of figures strangely appeared.
Upon hearing this voice, Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he stared towards the source, fixing his gaze on a handsome middle-aged man and muttering in disbelief, “Yu Mo?”
The one who just spoke was no stranger, but instead someone Yang Kai was quite familiar with.
The Demon Land’s Demon Race master, First Order Saint Yu Mo of Sand City.
Beside Yu Mo stood a black-cloaked figure still wrapped in shadows. This individual’s aura was non-existent, as if they were an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before, but that did not stop Yang Kai from sensing great pressure from them.
As for the other masters in his surroundings, Yang Kai did not bother looking at them.
“Little brat, since I last saw you several years ago you’ve grown quite a bit!” Yu Mo commented, a calm and composed look upon his face as he stared towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai shot him a faint glance before turning his eyes to the mysterious black figure, smiling bitterly as he said, “Since Yu Mo is here, will Senior Xue Li be making an appearance as well?”
Hearing this, the mysterious black-cloaked figure let out a laugh like a silver bell, causing many of the assembled masters to turn and stare in shock, all of them apparently never having imagined that the enigmatic master with unfathomable strength who was leading them was actually a woman!
Removing the black cloak, a beautiful woman with a gorgeous face appeared.
When Zhang Ao of Shattering Mystical Palace and Cao Guan of War Spirit Temple saw this face, they both showed absent-minded expressions, as if their entire being had been drawn in by her.
Although Xue Li’s wasn’t a peerless beauty, she was incredibly attractive if one were to account for her fantastic strength and noble temperament.
“Hmph!” Yu Mo, clearly disgruntled, coldly snorted.
As if they were woken from a dream, Zhang Ao and the others quickly removed their gazes, their hearts filling with anxiety.
“Boy, you’ve caused this Queen no small amount of trouble!” Xue Li sneered lightly, “Since you escaped from my Sand City, I have been searching for you for three whole years. This Queen has never spent so much effort on anyone before.”
“Oh? I’m honoured,” Yang Kai laughed, his face still showing a calm and confident look.
“Senior Xue Li?” Wu Jie muttered to himself. Just now, he had clearly heard Yang Kai call this mysterious woman by that seemingly familiar name, a moment later his entire body trembling as he called out in shock “Demon General Xue Li?”
It was only now that Wu Jie finally figured out the true identity of this mysterious woman.
At that moment, his surrounding green aura became discovered as his blood ran cold.
Throughout the Demon Land, below the Demon Commander, there were four Demon Generals, each of them a top-level powerhouse, and Demon General Xue Li was one of them.
Wu Jie couldn’t believe such a figure had actually infiltrated so far into the Human Territory and even forced Zhang Ao and several others to work for her.
And obviously, she had done all of this just to get to Yang Kai!
What exactly did this young Holy Master posses that would cause someone like Xue Li to go so far?
The four words ‘Demon General Xue Li’ rang like thunder in the ears of the other Human masters as well, causing all of them to gawk as they once again stared at her, seemingly trying to confirm whether this was really the case or not.
Xue Li paid them no heed as her beautiful eyes were fixated on Yang Kai, an overwhelming sense of greed and desire apparent in their depths.
“Senior Xue Li daring to come here, are you not afraid be being besieged by my Human Race’s masters? This place is nowhere near your lands after all,” Yang Kai quipped.
In his heart, he was quite anxious though.
When he first heard Wu Jie describe this mysterious person, Yang Kai was still wondering who it might be.
His first thought was that it might be Demon General Gou Che!
Although he had never met Gou Che face to face, that Demon General had wanted to put him to death twice! So, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to send people here to kill him.
Even Demon General Meng Ge was a possibility.
After all, when Yang Kai was weak, he had killed his Soul Clone back in the Evil Cavern by taking advantage of the Demon Sealing Chain. Meng Ge should still remember his aura as a result.
However, Yang Kai hadn’t expected the one who had come was actually Xue Li.
Yang Kai simply felt that there wasn’t much hatred between them. Although he had escaped from Sand City in the past, he hadn’t damaged any of her interests or prestige, so would it really be necessary for her to pursue him for three whole years?
What’s more, she actually chased after him personally.
Hearing Yang Kai’s words, Xue Li just laughed, “If I was afraid, this Queen would not have come; although your Human Race certainly has a number of masters, which one would care about you?”
“Senior Xue Li seems to have great confidence in her strength!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
“En, however… you’ve given me quite a surprise as well little boy. Your strength growing at such an astonishing pace is one thing, but more importantly, how did you discover this Queen’s presence? With your current cultivation, that should have been impossible.”
Hearing this, Wu Jie also turned a curious glance towards Yang Kai. Everything had happened too suddenly and even he had not noticed anything out of the ordinary, it was only after Yang Kai’s attitude suddenly changed that he realized something was afoot.
“Liu Gui died!” Yang Kai spoke flatly, “As the pawn I placed in your camp, of course I’d notice if he were to die.”
“I see!” Xue Li nodded lightly, faintly recalling their group had just killed a stray Immortal Ascension Boundary youth a moment ago, never having expected that would expose their presence.
“Sir Holy Master… things are quite difficult,” Wu Jie whispered to Yang Kai as he glanced around.
“Difficult indeed!” Yang Kai also frowned, “If I had known Xue Li was here, I wouldn’t have called you out, it was my mistake.”
Yang Kai had thought only people on Zhang Ao’s level were around and hadn’t anticipated a Third Order Saint Realm Master would also be present.
Wu Jie wanting to sneak off to meet him without her noticing was obviously not realistic.
“Wu Jie, you disappoint me, originally you were colluding with this little brat!” Zhang Ao suddenly roared, “No wonder you didn’t show much enthusiasm two years ago.”
“It seems that Brother Wu doesn’t want his Netherworld Sect to remain in this world any longer,” Cao Guan cynically said.
“Are you threatening this Wu?” Wu Jie glared back at these two coldly.
“So what if we are” Zhang Ao coldly snorted, “There’s still time for you to repent, out of respect for our many years of friendship, as long as you capture that little brat this instant, we will not embarrass you.”
Yang Kai snuck a glance towards Wu Jie, somewhat interested in how he would respond, but the latter simply snickered, “Aren’t you the ones mistaken here? Originally, we didn’t know the true identity of this person, but now that we know she is Demon General Xue Li, you still want to work yourselves to death for her? Did all of your brains melt or something?”
“Now that things have gotten to this point, we have no way back, at worst we’ll just have to migrate to the Demon Land!” Zhang Ao declared, his expression dim and helpless, suddenly turning to look face Xue Li and flatteringly speaking, “I just don’t know if Senior would be willing to accept.”
“Naturally this Queen is willing, there are still some idle places near my Sand City, vast regions that stretch tens of thousands of kilometres in every direction. If you’d like, I can grant those lands to you. Frankly, I quite enjoy watching you Humans fight amongst yourself,” Xue Li laughed.
“Tens of thousands of kilometres…” Zhang Ao and Cao Guan both heard this and suddenly became enthusiastic, a greedy lightly flashing across their eyes.
Governing a territory of several tens of thousands of kilometres, what kind of concept was that? If they could utilize it well, it would greatly benefit the development of their Sects.
Seeing their appearance, Yang Kai couldn’t help but laugh.
These two idiots clearly had no clue about Sand City and its surrounding territory, if they did, they’d realize that Xue Li was obviously talking about the vast, barren dessert!
If Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and their subordinates were really thrown into there, it wouldn’t be long until only a few top masters remained, yet these two were actually looking forward to it, it was the epitome of stupidity.
Having surrounded him, and with Xue Li herself being present, she felt that it would be impossible for Yang Kai to flee, so she wasn’t in any hurry to act and was instead looking forward to watching a good show, pitting the Humans she despised against each other.
Yu Mo, who was standing beside her, seemed to also be acting quite casually, but in fact, he had locked onto Yang Kai with his Divine Sense and would immediately block him if he tried to escape.
This whole situation made Wu Jie, who was standing next to Yang Kai, uncomfortable. He felt as if a sword was being held to his neck.
“Sir Holy Master, this time, this Wu won’t be able to help you. Although I won’t work for that woman, if I remain here, I will definitely die in vain… so when the time comes, this Wu will immediately take his leave,” Wu Jie whispered.
“Good, you don’t need to care about me,” Yang Kai gently nodded, increasing his evaluation of Wu Jie once again after seeing his attitude. In the first place, he wasn’t counting on Wu Jie to help him, as long as he didn’t side with Zhang Ao against him it would be enough.
On top of that, if Yang Kai wanted to leave here, as long as he tore space, it should be possible for him to escape even from a master like Xue Li.
However, whether he could escape successfully or not was still up to chance.
With Wu Jie’s current strength, tearing space would come with huge risks, and once he failed, only death without burial would remain.
On the contrary, Yang Kai, who had grasped the true meaning of tearing space, was actually in a much better situation than Wu Jie.
“Mistress, should we begin?” Yu Mo was evidently becoming somewhat impatient as he quietly asked Xue Li.
“There’s no rush! I still have some things I wish to discuss with him,” Xue Li giggled before calling out to Yang Kai, “Boy, it would be in your best interest to obediently follow this Queen back to Sand City. Do so and I promise not to harm your life,” Saying so, her eyes flashed a cold light, “But if you dare to resist, then you’ll have to suffer a bit. Breaking your arms and legs will be the lightest of punishments while crippling your cultivation is entirely possible!”
“Senior must not underestimate this boy, he is as slippery as a snake, if he finds an opportunity to escape, it will be very difficult to corner him again…” Zhang Ao anxiously called out.
“Yes, Senior, the last time we chased him we were unable to catch up even after a few months. This little brat is the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land and has mastered their Nine Heavens Divine Skills, once we capture him, the method to cultivate the Nine Heavens Divine Skills, as well as their core inheritance, will be ours for the taking,” Cao Guan vigorously added, trying to tempt Xue Li into acting.
The last time they attacked Nine Heavens Holy Land, it was because they didn’t seize the opportunity when it presented itself that Yang Kai had humiliated them and then escaped unscathed.
“Shut up! How Mistress chooses to act is none of your business!” Yu Mo stared at Zhang Ao and coldly reprimanded.
Zhang Ao immediately felt awkward and resentful, his cultivation was higher than Yu Mo’s, but right now he had no choice but to choke down his anger.
“You think this Queen came here for the Nine Heavens Divine Skills and inheritance?” Xue Li glanced over at them with a sneer, “What do those count for?”
Both Zhang Ao and Cao Guan were stunned.
If it wasn’t for the Nine Heavens Hold Land’s inheritance, what did this woman travel hundreds of thousands of kilometres from the Demon Land for?
Yang Kai’s brows also rose as he said, “Senior Xue Li, I don’t believe I’ve done anything to offend you so. Although I can’t say our relationship was pleasant, back in Sand City, I did earn you a great deal of money, so why are you now trying too hard to oppress me?”
This was what Yang Kai most couldn’t understand. If there weren’t enough benefits to doing so, it was impossible for a character like Xue Li to leave the Demon Land so easily, what did he possess that was so attractive to her?
“You want to know why?” Xue Li smiled softly.
Yang Kai wore a serious expression and nodded.
“Good, in any case, since I’ve already found you and you have nowhere to flee, I might as well let you understand,” Xue Li suddenly became talkative, seemingly alright with solving Yang Kai’s confusion, causing everyone else to perk up their ears as well.
But in the next instant, Xue Li waved her hand and used her True Qi to isolate them from the outside, leaving on Yang Kai, Yu Mo, and herself to talk in private.
Yang Kai’s expression also changed as he quickly glanced around but soon discovered that he was unable to see or perceive anything beyond the cyan barrier which had appeared around him; even Wu Jie, who was practically standing shoulder to shoulder with him, had somehow disappeared.
This woman’s means… they were really unfathomable! Yang Kai thought to himself with a hint of dread.
On the other hand, Xue Li’s beautiful face filled with excitement as she waved her jade finger and sent a blade of True Qi towards Yang Kai without the slightest murderous intent.
Yang Kai frowned but did not evade, allowing the light blade to gently brush past his arm.
*Chi…* A light splashing sound rang out.
From his arm, Yang Kai felt a tiny prick after which his dark red blood mixed with a hint of golden radiance began leaking out before his powerful flesh healed itself in the next instant.
“Sure enough!” Xue Li’s eyes filled with a near-fanatical lus,tre as she stared at Yang Kai’s wound.
Yu Mo, who was still standing next to her, furrowed his brow, still not comprehending what was happening.
“Are you curious as to why a great Demon General like myself would personally chase after you for so long?” Xue Li asked.
Yang Kai nodded.
“Hehe…” Xue Li smiled tenderly, “Naturally it’s because you and I have the same power flowing through our blood!”
Saying so, Xue Li suddenly reached out and cut her own jade arm, a trace of blood soon flowing out across her pure white skin.
“Mistress…” Yu Mo exclaimed, but in the next moment freezing in place.
Because the blood trickling down Xue Li’s arm had a faint golden radiance to it as well, though noticeably weaker compared to the one Yang Kai possessed.
Her wound also healed at a visible rate under the influence of some strange force, but it actually closed much slower than the one she inflicted on Yang Kai, there was simply no comparison between the two.
“Demon God Golden Blood!?” Yang Kai called out in alarm.
“You really know!” Xue Li could barely contain her own excitement, her pretty face warping in desire.
“How come you have Demon God Golden Blood?” Yang Kai stared at Xue Li in disbelief.
“I could ask you the same thing!” Xue Li took a step forward, a crushing pressure suddenly descending upon Yang Kai, nearly causing him to collapse as his breathing became laboured.
“Demon God Golden Blood?” Yu Mo’s look also changed greatly, “The blood of the legendary Great Demon God? How can this little brat possess it!? Isn’t the golden hue in his blood because of the Yang Attribute True Qi he cultivates? Does this mean he is a member of our Demon Race?”
Saying so, he stared towards Yang Kai in shock, many subtle changes occurring in his mentality at that moment.
“No, he’s Human,” Xue Li slowly shook her head, “As for where he acquired his Demon God Golden Blood, I’ll have to ask him. The Demon God Golden Blood is truly similar in colour to his Yang Attribute True Qi which is why this Queen was fooled at first; in fact, if I hadn’t watched his last fight in the Death Arena, even I would not have suspected anything!”
“Is that why Mistress suddenly decided against killing him at that time?” Yu Mo suddenly realized.
Back in Sand City, Xue Li truly planned on killing Yang Kai, but after watching his last battle in the Death Arena, Xue Li had suddenly changed her mind and instead ordered Yu Mo to capture and bring Yang Kai back.
Yu Mo had never been able to figure out why Xue Li’s attitude had changed so dramatically at that time; that is, until now.
“Since Mistress has Demon God Golden Blood, does that mean she is a descendent of Great Demon God?” Yu Mo asked excitedly, turning a reverent gaze towards Xue Li.
The Great Demon God was the object of worship for the entire Demon Race. Even if he had passed away countless years ago, his majesty and influence had in no way diminished.
Each new Demon Commander wanted to reproduce the glory of the Great Demon God in this world, but none had ever succeeded.
There was also a legend amongst the Demon Race that although the Great Demon God had passed on, his inheritance still existed, but no one had been able to find it.
Now that Xue Li had Demon God Golden Blood flowing through her veins, it was reasonable to assume she was a descendant of Great Demon God and thus his legitimate successor.
Yu Mo was overjoyed because this meant, in time, Xue Li would at the very least one day become Demon Commander, the supreme ruler of the Demon Race.
Unfortunately, Xue Li slowly shook her head and denied, “This Queen is not a descendant of Great Demon God, I only inadvertently obtained a drop of Demon God Golden Blood many years ago and managed to refine it. It was thanks to that drop of Demon God Golden Blood that this Queen has her current achievements!”
Suddenly gritting her teeth, she continued, “But this little bastard’s body seems to have even richer Demon God Golden Blood than this Queen, and he clearly knows some secrets about Great Demon God. I suspect he even knows where Great Demon God’s inheritance is hidden.”
Yu Mo’s eyes lit up as he turned a fiery gaze towards Yang Kai.
If this was true, and as Xue Li said they were able to obtain the inheritance of Great Demon God from this brat, it was not necessarily impossible to return the Demon Race to the height of its former glory.
Just imaging such a future caused Yu Mo’s heart to pound and his blood to boil.
“Boy, don’t you think it’s about time you should come clean to me?” Xue Li smiled towards Yang Kai, “In front of this Queen, petty tricks won’t be enough to save you, since I have finally found you, you no longer have any hope of escaping.”
“What does Senior wish to know?” Yang Kai still didn’t show any signs of panic and asked indifferently.
“Where did you obtain your Demon God Golden Blood?”
“And if I refuse to say?” Yang Kai sneered.
Xue Li was slightly startled by his defiant attitude but soon gently nodded, “Then you’ll have to suffer a bit, even if I cripple and waste you, you’ll still be able to speak. Moreover… Demon God Golden Blood is a wondrous treasure, even if you don’t cooperate, I can just kill you and then extract the Demon God Golden Blood from your corpse.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have such skill!” Yang Kai coldly snorted. Now he understood that Xue Li had come for the blood in his body while Zhang Ao and Cao Guan wanted to obtain the secrets of the Coffin Carrying Man. Because of this, Xue Li was able to subdue and use Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and the others. Ironically, Xue Li was unaware that the Coffin Carrying Man which was being eyed by Zhang Ao was actually the key to what she most wanted to obtain.
“Bold!” Yu Mo shouted, his aura becoming dangerous, “Last time I let you escape, but this time you shouldn’t even dream of fleeing!”
As he spoke, his Demonic Qi flared up and his entire figure transformed into a thick black mist and pounced towards Yang Kai, like a ferocious black spectre.
Yang Kai’s eyes became sharp as he summoned his Silver Leaf Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact, transforming it into a silver barrier that blocked the black mist.
In the next moment, a wave of silver light burst forth from the black mist and proceeded to tear a hole right through the cyan coloured barrier Xue Li had erected.
Like a Great Peng, Yang Kai spread his wings and soared up into the sky.
Ordinarily, Yang Kai was not willing to use artifacts in battle, but with the enemy in front of him was the Demon General Xue Li so he did not hesitate to summon his Saint Grade Top-Rank Silver Leaf artifact.
If he hadn’t, there would have been no way for him to escape.
In a burst of silver light, the Divine Sense that were locked onto Yang Kai were all dispelled and in Xue Li’s brief moment of shock, Yang Kai had already soared a thousand meters into the sky.
“Such a powerful artifact!” Xue Li also felt the terrible power contained within the Silver Leaf artifact and furrowed her brow, seeming quite disgruntled.
Yu Mo’s figure flickered and chased after Yang Kai, his Demonic Qi roiling as he used an exquisite Martial Skill to block Yang Kai’s path, sneering as he shouted, “You think you can run?”
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to him and simply lifted his hand up high before making a slashing motion towards the empty space in front of him.
The next moment, a dark crack appeared mid-air right in front of Yang Kai.
Yu Mo was suddenly dumbstruck, feeling like he was staring into a bottomless abyss, the threads of Divine Sense he used to probe this crack seemingly sinking into it, never to return.
This dark crack was like the mount of a great beast which could swallow everything, including his Divine Sense, into it.
“Yu Mo, draw back!” Xue Li hurriedly shouted. Although she didn’t know what kind of method Yang Kai had just used, the aura which pulsed from this strange dark tear made even her feel restless.
From what little she could sense, the physical space around the dark crack seemed to be somewhat fragmented.
At the same time she shouted to Yu Mo, Xue Li’s Demonic Qi surged up, transforming into a number of thin threads that flew straight towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was already half-way into the crack but before he could fully dive into The Void, Xue Li’s attack hit his shoulder, instantly dislocating and fracturing it.
The violent burst of energy caused the dark crack to become unstable and as if a slumbering beast which had been awoken, Void Energy flowed out from it.
Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai plunged into The Void, shooting a hate filled glare back towards Xue Li as he did.
The void tear quickly sealed after Yang Kai entered, returning the world to its original calm.
Atop the small snowy mountain, Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and all the other masters stared blankly towards the spot Yang Kai disappeared, each of them visibly shaken.
Yu Mo’s face was also somewhat pale as he landed back on the ground, frowning deeply as he quietly asked, “Mistress, what was that?”
“I don’t know…” Xue Li slowly shook her head, quickly releasing her Divine Sense to scout the surrounding area, her expression dimming greatly a moment later as she spoke, “That boy is already a hundred kilometers away!”
“What?” Yu Mo was shocked. That little human brat was right in front of him only a moment ago yet now he was a hundred kilometers away? How was that even possible?
Even a master like Xue Li wouldn’t be able to travel such a distance in such a short period of time. Could it be that human boy had somehow accessed a hidden Void Corridor?
Gazing carefully at the spot where the dark crack had appeared, Yu Mo was unable to find any clues.
“Where is that other man who was just with that little brat?” Xue Li turned around and asked upon noticing that Wu Jie was not there.
“He escaped!” Zhang Ao hurriedly replied.
“Wastes!” Xue Li gnashed her teeth. This entire group of masters had tightly surrounded those two yet they actually let both of them escape. Yang Kai being able to escape wasn’t too surprising; after all, the method he used was simply too inexplicable, even Xue Li was unable to block it, yet the other man was just an ordinary First Order Saint, how could he too have escaped?
“Mistress, do we pursue them?” Yu Mo asked quietly.
“Of course we pursue them, even if I have to chase him to the ends of the earth, I must catch him! This time he should give up any idea of escaping!” Xue Li snorted before her tender body transformed into a streak of light and shot off towards where Yang Kai had reappeared.
Yu Mo hurriedly kept up.
Zhang Ao and Cao Guan both looked at each other, the latter asking hesitantly, “Brother Zhang, what do we do?”
“What else can we do now but follow them?” Zhang Ao smiled bitterly. He had never imagined the mysterious person who had brought them to this endless Snow Mountain Range would be Demon General Xue Li, but now that he did, there was only one path forward for him to walk.
Otherwise, once news of them colluding with a Demon General spread out, his Shattering Mystical Palace and Cao Guan’s War Spirit Temple would definitely condemned by the entire Human Race and would no longer have any place in the world.
Now, he could only hope Xue Li would keep her word and allow him and Cao Guan to settle in that vast unclaimed territory she governed.
The various Human Saint Realm and Transcendent Realm masters soon began using their movement skills to chase after Xue Li.
A hundred kilometers away, the surrounding space suddenly twisted in on itself and in the next moment, a dark crack appeared and Yang Kai tumbled out, his face as pale as ice.
“The power of a Demon General really lives up to its name!” Lightly coughing a few times, Yang Kai grit his teeth and stood firm.
He had thought that with his ability to tear space, he would easily be able to escape, but in reality he had greatly underestimated Xue Li’s tyrannical strength.
While Xue Li really didn’t understand the Divine Ability Yang Kai had used to tear space, for a master on her level, just by using her instincts and conventional methods, she could still throw his plans to escape into chaos.
However, it was also thanks to his ability to tear space that Yang Kai was even able to escape from such a tight encirclement.
Releasing his Divine Sense to scout his surroundings, Yang Kai’s expression immediately darkened.
He found that Xue Li was actually rapidly approaching his location and was now less than fifty kilometers away. At this rate, it would only be a few tens of breaths before she caught up with him.
Gritting his teeth even harder, Yang Kai once again tore space and dove into The Void.
Xue Li, who was rushing over, suddenly came to a halt and fully released her powerful Divine Sense, a frown soon appearing on her face.
A moment later, Yu Mo caught up and saw her hovering mid-air, quickly approaching and asking curiously, “Mistress, have we already caught up with him?”
Xue Li slowly shook her head, “His aura has disappeared. I don’t know what kind of method he is using but it’s almost as if he can open Void Corridors and use them to instantly move hundreds of kilometers away in an instant…”
“Is there such a magical method in this world?” Yu Mo was stunned.
“In the ancient past, there were many methods that we cannot even begin to comprehend, each one of them is not something we should underestimate,” Xue Li said before waving her hand, “Don’t talk, I have to search for his position… heh, little boy, you think I’ll let you escape so easily? You are looking down far too much on this Queen!”
Yu Mo immediately bowed and stood back, silently waiting for Xue Li’s next order.
Inside the boundless darkness of The Void, Yang Kai gasped for breath as he sat down cross-legged, looking quite helpless.
Xue Li’s pursuit was too fast and tearing space consumed far too much of his strength. At most, he could display it one more time before he became an arrow at the end of its flight, and even if he were to escape a few hundred kilometers in at once, he knew it wouldn’t help things as Xue Li would certainly catch up in short order.
As such, he simply decided not to leave.
By hiding inside The Void, even if Xue Li’s methods were extremely profound, there was no way for her to catch him.
Taking out some good pills, Yang Kai immediately swallowed them down.
As time passed, Yang Kai’s gradually restored himself. Fortunately, the injury he suffered under Xue Li’s attack was not serious and with the assistance of his Demon God Golden Blood, had basically healed.
Just as Yang Kai opened his eyes, his ears caught a faint sound coming from nearby.
His brow furrowing, Yang Kai listened carefully and a moment later, turned an awkward look towards a certain direction and flew off.
As he approached, the sounds became more and more obvious; it seemed like someone was gasping for breath while violently struggling, as if death was upon them.
A short time later, Yang Kai finally arrived at the source of the sound.
Staring forward, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling surprised as he called out, “Sect Master Wu?”
In front of him, submerged in a pocked of void turbulence was Wu Jie who had tightly wrapped himself in his green aura while struggling to free himself. Unfortunately for him, the more he struggled, the deeper he fell.
The void turbulences were like a swamp, constantly sucking his body in, wanting to swallow him whole.
Wu Jie was covered in wounds and his breathing was chaotic, the green aura wrapped around his body was also noticeably dimmer than usual, it seemed he was already a lamp running out of oil.
Yang Kai never expected he would meet Wu Jie here, in The Void.
Wu Jie had also never expected that in this life or death crisis, someone else would appear, but when he suddenly heard Yang Kai’s voice and looked up to see the young man standing not far away. What’s more, the void turbulence which was threatening to consume him whole was actually gently flowing around Yang Kai, not influencing him in the slightest.
Immediately overjoyed, Wu Jie quickly begged, “Sir Holy Master, save me!”
Yang Kai laughed dumbly and with a wave of his hand, released a strange force which smoothed out the void turbulence trapping Wu Jie.
Wu Jie took this opportunity to escape and hurried over to Yang Kai’s side, a big smile forming on his pale face as he said, “Many thanks Sir Holy Master, your life saving grace was really too timely.”
“You’re too polite; Sect Master Wu also used this method to escape?” Yang Kai instantly realized what had happened.
Wu Jie’s presence here meant he had no doubt torn space to escape. Thinking back, Yang Kai hadn’t seen Wu Jie back on that snowy mountain peak, so he had obviously fled before Yang Kai freed himself from Xue Li’s grasp.
“En,” Wu Jie nodded quickly, “But I didn’t expect my luck to be so bad, after escaping from them I nearly died here.”
“En, this place truly is quite dangerous,” Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
Wu Jie turned a thoughtful look towards Yang Kai at that moment, “But from what I can see, Sir Holy Master seems to have already comprehended the mysteries of this place.”
“At least more so than you,” Yang Kai bluntly admitted.
Wu Jie’s face went black, but he didn’t argue.
The method of tearing space was something he had given Yang Kai, yet now the disciple had become the master with Yang Kai’s abilities far surpassing his own in this field.
But regardless, Wu Jie was grateful for Yang Kai’s prompt assistance.
“Xue Li is still chasing me, so we temporarily can’t leave this place. Sect Master Wu should make use of this time to recover,” Yang Kai glanced over at him and declared, “If we exit now, we’ll certainly be caught by that woman.” “
“Restore? Here?” Wu Jie was flabbergasted, his eyes noticeably bulging.
“Is there a problem?”
“No problem! With Sir Holy Master’s asylum there is no problem! Then this Wu will not be polite,” Wu Jie was quick to adapt, not asking for any explanation and instead simply taking out some pills and Crystal Stones before sitting down and circulating a healing art.
Yang Kai didn’t bother him and instead silently observed this endless void.
He hadn’t thought that if two people tore space at the same time they could meet each other in The Void. Originally, Yang Kai thought that The Void was some kind of independent space but now it appeared that it was actually a universal one. That was the only possible explanation that he and Wu Jie would meet.
It seemed like there were still some hidden mysteries here he had yet to comprehend.
In the skies above the endless Snow Mountain Range, Xue Li’s face remained tranquil as she stood, unmoving.
Yu Mo stood nearby, silently waiting.
Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and the other masters had all caught up, all of them standing around as well.
“Brother Zhang, that woman has been standing in that exact spot for so long already, could it be that little brat has already escaped?” Cao Guan whispered in a slight uneasy tone.
Zhang Ao’s expression was also quite gloomy, his Divine Sense constantly scanning the surrounding area as he muttered back, “I don’t know. I can’t find any trace of that little bastard’s aura… but that woman much stronger than me, perhaps she has found some kind of clue and is currently tracing it.”
“The growth of that little brat is too terrifying, the last time we were chasing him it took him months to throw us off, yet this time he immediately managed to evade our sensation, and… his cultivation has actually reached the Third Order Transcendent Realm!”
Zhang Ao let out a soft breath, “Allowing him to remain will only lead to disaster! This time, no matter what, we must kill him, otherwise when he really matures he will certainly exact his revenge.”
“It is exactly as Brother Zhang says… I just hope that woman isn’t just a pretty face.”
The voices of the two men were extremely light so naturally they weren’t worried Xue Li would hear them, otherwise they wouldn’t dare speak so casually about a Demon General.
After a while, Xue Li’s beautiful eyes suddenly shot open, a look of confusion appearing on her face.
Her cultivation was deep and profound so although she didn’t understand what kind of method Yang Kai had used to move hundreds of kilometers in a flash and completely hide his own aura from her senses, she was still able to use her incredibly sharp senses to find some traces of him.
However, what surprised her was that Yang Kai didn’t seem to be in this world, but rather some kind of separate space. On top of that, the space he was in was filled with a strange energy that even caused her to feel somewhat uneasy, so she didn’t dare to recklessly probe it with her Divine Sense.
She felt like she could see Yang Kai standing in the distance, but his figure was blurry and ethereal.
Sneering, she muttered, “You think this Queen has no way to reach you in that strange place?”
Saying so, her hair danced and a large number of them fell from her head, each of them filled with a rich amount of Demonic Qi. A moment later, these fallen hairs transformed into terrifying vipers that quickly shot forward, seemingly baring their fangs towards the empty sky.
Seeing Xue Li suddenly take action, Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and the others immediately took note and focused their attention.
A strange scene then took place right before their eyes.
The space in front of Xue Li seemed to distort and ripple, like it was a calm lake that had been disturbed by a falling stone. The vipers then shot into the centre of those ripples and disappeared.
No one knew where it was going or what it was trying to accomplish.
Even Xue Li wore a pensive look. The Divine Ability she had just used had a superior homing effect. Of course, the premise was that she could grasp some traces of Yang Kai’s location.
Normally, she was unwilling to use this ability; after all, in order to display it she had shed a large number of her beautiful hairs. Although Xue Li was a Demon General, she was also a woman, losing so many hairs all at once was naturally a distressing matter for her, and if she were to use this ability too often, it was possible she would become bald.
How could Xue Li accept such an appearance?
But this time, in order to force Yang Kai out from his hiding place, Xue Li had decided to make this sacrifice.
Even with this Divine Ability though, Xue Li couldn’t accurately determine where Yang Kai was; fortunately, both her Spiritual Energy and Demonic Qi were attached to her hairs, so the attack would be able to find Yang Kai autonomously with no need for her to personally direct it.
Clenching her teeth as she grimaced, her heart filled with bitterness, Xue Li swore that once she forced Yang Kai out, she would teach him a lesson he’d never forget.
Inside The Void, Wu Jie was still restoring himself. Unlike Yang Kai, he didn’t carry with him a massive amount of high grade resources so naturally it took him longer to recover.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, was observing the surrounding space, trying to uncover more of its hidden mysteries.
Suddenly, a feeling of uneasiness hit Yang Kai, causing all of his hairs to stand on end, as if great danger was quietly approaching him.
Yang Kai’s face changed as he quickly released his Divine Sense around himself.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
With a sharp tearing sound, a spot in the distance tore open and hundreds of black serpents appeared and swam towards their position.
Yang Kai was shocked because from these serpents, he detected Xue Li’s aura!
Every one of these snakes contained a substantial amount of power and with hundreds of them swarming towards him, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a sense of impending death.
Also detecting something was wrong, Wu Jie’s eyes shot open as he urgently asked, “What happened?”
Just as he uttered these words though, he saw the approaching snakes and shivered in fright.
“Sect Master Wu, we need to leave!” Yang Kai’s expression was incredibly ugly; he really couldn’t understand how Xue Li’s attack had penetrated The Void and found them. The means of a Third Order Saint were really unpredictable.
However, from this scene Yang Kai judged that Xue Li wasn’t able to personally come here so he relaxed quite a bit.
Waving his hand, Yang Kai opened a new space crack and hurried out.
“Wait for me!” Wu Jie called out and immediately followed.
Immediately after leaving the chaotic void, Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing, “Smelly whore!”
The instant he left The Void, Xue Li’s Divine Sense had firmly locked onto him.
About a hundred kilometers away, Xue Li grinned fiercely, her pretty face distorting with greed as she faced towards Yang Kai’s direction and shouted through her grit teeth, “This Queen thought you’d never show up!”
Her tender body flickered and shot off.
Yu Mo quickly kept up.
Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and the others all exchanged helpless glances before also activating their movement skills and following after them.
Currently, they all felt like puppets on strings, incapable of acting independently or even making their own choices, only able to chase after Yang Kai’s ass while coughing on his dust.
“Is that woman chasing after us still?” Wu Jie saw Yang Kai’s bitter expression and quickly asked.
Yang Kai gave him a faint glance and nodded lightly.
“Then it seems we’re at a dead end!” Wu Jie smiled bitterly.
“Sect Master Wu, there should still be enough time for you to save yourself,” Yang Kai frowned at him.
“Save myself?” Wu Jie asked in confusion.
“Draw a line with me and pledge allegiance to that woman just like Zhang Ao and Cao Guan.”
“Sir Holy Master must be joking, although this Wu admits he is a sinister villain, pledging allegiance to that woman is no different than feeding myself to a tiger. Zhang Ao and Cao Guan are destined to be abandoned by her, why should I try to hire myself to her knowing she’ll just kill me in the end?”
“Oh? Sect Master Wu is really far thinking,” Yang Kai was genuinely surprised.
“This Wu already told Sir Holy Master a few years ago, I have no other strengths other than knowing what must be done…” Wu Jie grinned.
“Good! Then currently you have two options.”
Wu Jie looked confused for a moment but quickly cupped his fists, “This Wu hopes Sir Holy Master will enlighten him.”
“Separate from me, and escape by yourself! Xue Li’s currently goal is me, so she probably won’t care whether you live or die, before she catches me, you may be able to escape!”
Wu Jie knit his brow and didn’t immediately make a decision, instead asking, “What about the second option?”
“Stick with me!”
“I’ll follow you!” Wu Jie said without a moment’s hesitation.
Yang Kai couldn’t help staring at him blankly, to which Wu Jie smiled and said, “Sir Holy Master currently looks annoyed and angry, but in no way panicked, so this Wu figures Sir Holy Master has some way to escape. Although I might be able to escape by separating from you, if Sir Holy Master is indeed caught, I know I won’t be spared. Xue Li may not kill me, but Zhang Ao and Cao Guan definitely will… so I’m still safer with you. Besides, this Wu was just saved by Sir Holy Master, if I abandon you now, wouldn’t that be paying a life saving grace with betrayal?”
Yang Kai stared at him deeply before wearing a grin, “Sect Master Wu is quite clever.”
“Sir Holy Master is too polite.”
“Good, let’s go!” Yang Kai said, waving his hand and tearing space once again, leaping back into The Void along with Wu Jie.
Back in The Void, Yang Kai felt Xue Li’s viper attack lock onto his aura once again.
Not paying any attention to this homing attack, Yang Kai quickly found his bearings before tearing space once more and exiting The Void.
A moment later, Yang Kai and Wu Jie appeared atop the Snow Mountain Range. Without a pause, Yang Kai tore space again.
After tearing space a total of three times within a short ten breath span, Yang Kai and Wu Jie were nearly a thousand kilometers away from where they stared.
Wu Jie couldn’t help but revealing a look of shock; he found that every time they exited The Void, the surrounding environment would become colder. It seemed as if the two were consistently traveling deeper into the Snow Mountain Range.
Thinking about it for a moment, Wu Jie called out in shock, “Can Sir Holy Master navigate accurately from within The Void?”
“More or less!” Yang Kai replied while taking out a pill and restoring his Spiritual Energy consumption.
Wu Jie’s expression became strained; he found that the more he contacted this young Holy Master, the more he couldn’t see through him.
The method to tear space was something he had taught Yang Kai only two or three years ago, yet after such a brief period, not only had he comprehended plenty of The Void’s mysteries, he was also able to find his way within it and even determine where he would emerge from it.
Wu Jie simply couldn’t imagine how he managed to accomplish this.
In order to simply use this Divine Ability, Wu Jie had spent more than ten years of hard effort, and even though he was able to comprehend some things, he still didn’t dare use it at will.
In fact, counting a moment ago, Wu Jie had only used this Divine Ability three times in his entire life.
“Where are we going?” Wu Jie quickly gathered his wits and no longer thought about such things, quickly focusing on the situation at hand.
“You’ll know when we get there,” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, scanning the surroundings to find his way amidst all the snow and ice.
At the same time, Xue Li, who was now nearly a thousand kilometers away, was also rushing forward, her entire body pulsing with powerful Demonic Qi, flying across the snowy terrain at an incredible speed, constantly drawing closer to Yang Kai.
For the Demon God Golden Blood in Yang Kai’s veins, or the inheritance, there was nothing she wouldn’t do!
As long as she could obtain Yang Kai’s Demon God Golden Blood, Xue Li was confident she could even compete with the current Demon Commander.
If she was very lucky, she might even be able to uncover some hidden secrets about the Great Demon God from Yang Kai.
With such a rare opportunity right in front of her, how could Xue Li bare to let it go?
For this matter, she had concealed herself and dove deep into Human territory, bringing along only Yu Mo, leaving Sand City unattended for several years.
From what she could sense, Yang Kai was constantly moving deeper into the Snow Mountain Range, seemingly moving toward some kind of goals, making her even more excited.
Xue Li didn’t know why, but she instinctually felt that wherever Yang Kai was headed, it was somehow related to Great Demon God!
In the skies above the endless Snow Mountain Range, Yang Kai and Wu Jie fled while Xue Li and the others followed, the distance between them slowly growing closer.
By now, Wu Jie was continuously leaking cold sweat. Although Xue Li was still quite far away, just her aura alone was enough to cause him panic.
Suddenly, Yang Kai came to a stop and spread his Divine Sense out, a moment later turning towards a particular direction and shouting, “Here!”
As he shouted, his figure flickered and shot a thousand meters forward.
Wu Jie didn’t dare to delay and hurriedly followed after Yang Kai.
A moment later, a cave that had been completely hidden by snow was dug up by Yang Kai. With a smile on his face, Yang Kai dove inside.
Seeing that Yang Kai seemed quite familiar with this place, Wu Jie couldn’t help revealing a thoughtful look, but he didn’t ask much, and instead just silently kept up.
Inside the cave, the air was so cold it felt as if it could freeze one’s Soul. Upon entering this place, Wu Jie had to circulate his True Qi in order to withstand the chill in his surroundings.
While looking around, he followed close behind Yang Kai.
A short time later, Yang Kai came to a stop again and stared forward.
Following his gaze, Wu Jie’s eyes bulged as he took a few steps backwards and exclaimed, “The Coffin Carrying Man?”
In front of the pair, at the bottom of this cave, a tall figure covered in half-rotting flesh lay with its back against the icy walls, completely still and unmoving.
Wu Jie had never seen the Coffin Carrying Man before, but he recognized him at a glance.
Because there was a large gloomy blood red coffin on his back!
However, what surprised Wu Jie the most was that the Coffin Carrying Man seemed to have perfectly melded into his surroundings, a thin layer of ice even appearing on his skin while not the slightest bit of Death Qi leaked out from his body.
“En, he is who Zhang Ao and Cao Guan are looking for,” Yang Kai chuckled.
“En… it seems like Sir Holy Master really is related to the Coffin Carrying Man,” Wu Jie’s expression fluctuated, faintly feeling like he was witnessing something historic, silently wondering just what hidden secrets lay buried before him, unable to help some excitement from appearing in his heart.
“Good, I indeed have a connection with him!” Yang Kai admitted without hesitation before ignoring Wu Jie’s reactions before walking over and calling out to the Coffin Carrying Man, “Senior, Senior!”
The Coffin Carrying Man offered no response.
Wu Jie’s brow furrowed but he kept his silence. Although he could tell that, just as in the legends, the Coffin Carrying Man in front of him was already dead, since Yang Kai was calling out to him, he must have some kind of plan.
After a few more attempts, the Coffin Carrying Man suddenly showed some reactions.
The Death Qi which had been concealing itself within his body suddenly became active and the icy layer which covered his flesh creaked, as if it would soon break apart.
Wu Jie narrowed his eyes, not even daring to blink.
*Kacha…*
Spider web like cracks soon appeared on the ice and the Death Qi contained with it began spilling out, becoming more and more intense with every passing breath.
Suddenly, the icy layer burst apart, transforming into dust and the Coffin Carrying Man, who should have died many eons ago, actually slowly opened his eyes.
Wu Jie was startled by this sight and couldn’t help retreating a few steps.
When the Coffin Carrying Man’s eyes blinked open, an aura far stronger than his own suddenly pulsed.
A Second Order Saint’s aura!
That is to say, this Coffin Carrying Man was actually a Second Order Saint Realm powerhouse.
Or rather, he had at least been one when he was alive.
His pair of terrifying eyes though were completely blank, like dead fishes, only adding to his fearful appearance.
“Senior, I must enter!” Yang Kai stared at the Coffin Carrying Man, not even sure he could understand his words or not, but given the circumstances, all he could do was try his luck!
Fortunately, the Coffin Carrying Man seemed to somehow understand, his blank eyes brightening for the briefest of moments, clearly conveying a sense of joy and excitement, the next moment, his giant body standing up.
The rich Death Qi and the putrid toxins leaking from his body quickly filling the entire ice cavern, causing it to melt and distort.
Even someone as strong as Wu Jie felt somewhat dizzy after being exposed to these toxins, quickly holding his breath in response.
A touch of red light suddenly bloomed from the blood red coffin behind the Coffin Carrying Man, in the next moment its lid slowly opening.
Yang Kai grinned, “Many thanks, Senior.”
As he spoke, he didn’t hesitate to grab the nervous Wu Jie and leap into the open coffin.
At the same time, Xue Li, who was still rushing over, couldn’t help exclaiming, “Demonic Qi? The aura of Great Demon God?”
Sensing these, Xue Li pushed her speed even higher, seemingly unable to wait to find the source of these auras.
…
Demon God Citadel.
Li Rong, the leader of the Ancient Demon Clan, stood quietly on the highest deck of the castle, staring out at the chaotic sky, her pretty face wearing a wistful expression, as if she was waiting for something.
Light footsteps resounded behind her but Li Rong didn’t have to look back to know it was Han Fei.
Sure enough, a moment later, Han Fei, in a plain light coloured dress appeared and stood beside her, turning her eyes towards the sky.
Two beautiful and graceful women, one as cold as ice the other as pure as jade, the breeze gently blowing through their long hair and dresses, surely this was the most enchanting scene in the entire Mysterious Small World.
Many Ancient Demon Clan disciples who happened to be passing by down below and inadvertently saw this picturesque scene couldn’t help sighing in appreciation.
However, when they remember the tyrannical methods and strength Li Rong and Han Fei possessed, they all quickly averted their eyes and scurried away, not daring to take a second look.
“Haa…” Han Fei suddenly sighed, softly whispering, “Senior Li, do you know how long it has been?”
Li Rong shook her head, “There is no sun, moon or stars here, so I can’t grasp the passage of time, but it should have been at least five or six years.”
“Perhaps even longer!” Han Fei nodded lightly.
“When will we be able to see the outside world?” Li Rong sighed faintly.
“That depends on the growth of that little guy.”
“En, everything will be up to how fast he can mature. When he left here, he was only an Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh or Eighth Stage cultivator and his Alchemy level seemed to be around the peak of the Spirit Grade, wanting him to become capable of refining a Saint Grade Mid-Rank pill should take him a decade or so.”
“Is Senior Li so optimistic about him? With his aptitude in Alchemy, it indeed shouldn’t take him very long to reach an appropriate level of skill, but in order to refine a Saint Pill he will need a corresponding cultivation. He’ll need to raise both his Alchemy proficiency and cultivation greatly. Is it really possible to do so in less than ten years?” Han Fei brushed her windswept hair back behind her ear as she turned to look inquisitively towards Li Rong.
“If ten years isn’t enough then we’ll wait twenty years. If that still isn’t enough then we’ll wait thirty years. No matter how long it takes, one day I believe our clan will be able to leave here,” Li Rong smiled slightly, a look of yearning appearing on her pretty face.
The Ancient Demon Clan had been sealed in this small place for too long. For so many generations, so many millennia they had waiting without ever seeing any hope of leaving, but now, a light had finally appeared in the endless darkness, and the one who brought them this light was none other than the new possessor of the Demon Eye of Annihilation.
Both Li Rong and Han Fei believed that this was all the arrangement of Great Demon God and that Yang Kai was the one destined to free them from this Mysterious Small World.
“We can wait, but outside he has no one to depend on, no one to protect him as he grows. Whether or not he encounters any kind of accident is uncertain,” Han Fei couldn’t help voicing her concerns.
Li Rong’s heart tightened at these words, not daring to think too deeply about them.
This was the very issue she was most worried about.
With Yang Kai’s aptitude, as long as there were no accidents, it was all but guaranteed he would grow to a point where he could fulfill his promise to them, but the outside world was by no means free from danger and accidents were also a normal part of life.
The Ancient Demon Clan was sealed inside this Mysterious Small World though, so even though she wanted to help him, there was simply nothing she could do!
“Even if he hasn’t yet grown to such a point, if he could find some time to come and see us, just to let us know he is safe, it would certainly be good,” Li Rong muttered in complaint.
If Yang Kai wanted to enter this place, he could do so very easily, all he needed to do was find Coffin Slave Senior and ask to enter; then, in order to leave, all he’d need to do would be to ask Li Rong to let him out.
It was because of this that Li Rong didn’t understand why they hadn’t received any word from Yang Kai even after so long.
Han Fei suddenly wore an awkward look as she whispered, “Hua Mo said… he probably won’t be back.”
“What do you think?” Li Rong turned to look at her.
“I think he will come back!” Han Fei replied without any hesitation, “When he set out, he quietly left us with so many Crystal Stones. He also isn’t a cold-hearted person, if he never planned on coming back, he would certainly have not left so much wealth behind for us. I’m sure he thought it would help us strengthen ourselves so that when he did return we would be able to provide him with even greater support.”
Li Rong smiled lightly and nodded, “I think so too. Hua Mo… he didn’t interacted with him much so it is only reasonable for him to have some suspicions.”
Han Fei nodded in agreement, suddenly saying excitedly, “But thanks to the Crystal Stones and Pills he left behind, our clansmen have really experienced an explosion in growth these past few years. Two have even broken through to the Saint Realm. Even Hua Mo and myself have made some small breakthroughs.”
“En, we really should thank him for this,” Li Rong also looked happy.
Before Yang Kai exited this Mysterious Small World, he secretly left behind a large amount of Crystal Stones and finished pills, resources that were urgently needed by the Ancient Demon Clan.
They had been sealed here for countless years so their reserves of Crystal Stones had long been used up and they were unable to refine pills on their own, so the best they could do was directly ingest raw spirit herbs, but now that there were pills they could use, the effects were noticeably better.
“The two newly promoted Commanders, have they managed to consolidate their cultivations yet?” Li Rong asked with concern.
“En, their cultivations are now stable. Hua Mo has been lecturing them on the mysteries of the Saint Realm to speed up their development.”
“That’s good…”
“We should go back inside, the wind is quite cold today.”
“En,” Li Rong glanced back at the sky one last time before walking back inside together with Han Fei.
Just then, however, a bang resounded through the air and the two beautiful women couldn’t help freezing up, turning around in the next instant to stare at the source of the sound, their eyes flashing with shock as their pretty faces overflowed with surprise.
High up in the sky, a bright red light appeared, followed by what seemed like a great bolt of lightning descending from that light and falling a dozen or so kilometers away from Demon God Citadel.
Faintly, Li Rong and Han Fei even saw a vague figure inside that bolt of red light, one that was all too familiar to them.
Exchanging a quick glance, Li Rong and Han Fei both shot out like lightning bolts, soaring towards the figure’s landing point.
At the same time, Hua Mo, who was teaching the two newly promoted Saint Realm Great Commanders inside the citadel, also stood up, and after probing the situation briefly, the expression on his old face lit up as he loudly shouted, “You two, come with this old master!”
Saying so, he too rushed out.
The two new Great Commanders immediately followed Hua Mo.
All of Demon God Citadel was instantly abuzz with activity.
The Ancient Demon Clan clansmen all around the citadel all turned their attention towards the direction of the disturbance and soon saw all their leaders rush out to investigate, initiating a frenzy of discussion.
Every time Coffin Slave Senior caught someone and sent them into this place, a similar scene would occur, so when they saw the red bolt of light, all of them realized that an outsider had entered this Mysterious Small World.
The Great Commanders would obviously handle this matter.
But how fierce must this newcomer have been to have attracted the attention of all five Great Commanders?
The clansmen of the Ancient Demon Clan all had various suspicions. Only a young girl named Guan’er clenched her fists as she began to shout, “He came back! That man actually came back! We’re saved!”
The relationship between Yang Kai and Great Demon God, except for the few Great Commanders, was only known clearly by Guan’er, so she easily concluded that the one who had suddenly entered the Mysterious Small World just now must have been Yang Kai.
Besides him, Coffin Slave Senior should not have allowed anyone else to enter.
A dozen or so kilometres outside Demon God Citadel, Yang Kai and Wu Jie, wrapped in a blood-red light, fell to the ground and stood firm. A moment later, Yang Kai noticed that several tyrannical auras were rapidly approaching here.
Smiling slightly, Yang Kai realized that Li Rong and the others had grown anxious after so long and couldn’t wait to see him.
However, what made Yang Kai feel slightly confused was that there were actually five Saint Realm masters approaching; at the same time, Li Rong and Han Fei’s strengths both seemed to grow significantly.
These tyrannical auras naturally did not escape Wu Jie’s perception and after he quickly confirmed the cultivations of the people approaching, his face couldn’t help paling slight as he asked, “Sir Holy Master, what is this place?”
“A Mysterious Small World!” Yang Kai replied casually, waving lightly to Wu Jie, “Come with me.”
Wu Jie’s expression cramped slightly, but he didn’t ask anything more and simply followed behind Yang Kai.
This place was actually a Mysterious Small World, something he couldn’t quite comprehend because the last thing he remembered was being dragged into that blood-red coffin by Yang Kai.
Could it be that the mystery that had puzzled the world for countless years, the secret hidden inside the blood-red coffin the Coffin Carrying Man carried, was actually a Mysterious Small World?
Also, the aura pervading this Mysterious Small World also caught Wu Jie’s attention. There seemed to be a large number of Demon Race members wandering about and the air contained traces of potent Demonic Qi.
The Demonic Qi pulsing from the five masters who were rushing over was particularly striking.
What exactly was this new Holy Master of the Nine Heavens Holy Land involved in? What exactly was this place he had just stepped into? Wu Jie couldn’t help feeling anxious.
A moment later, two beautiful figures descended from the sky and fell right in front of Yang Kai.
“Master!” Li Rong hurriedly shouted, a brilliant light flashing across her beautiful eyes, seemingly not having expected Yang Kai to suddenly appear.
A moment ago, she had just been complaining to Han Fei that Yang Kai didn’t come back to report his safety from time to time, yet here he was standing right in front of them.
“Han Fei greets Master!” Han Fei’s expression was as chilly as ever, carefully examining Wu Jie as she greeted Yang Kai.
Under her gaze, Wu Jie couldn’t help feeling a sense of tension, the green aura surrounding his body twisting and coiling like a snake.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he shuffled closer to Yang Kai, seemingly looking for a sense of security.
By the time the two ladies had finished giving their greetings, Hua Mo had also rushed over with the two new Saints, tears gathering at his old wrinkled eyes, “Master, you’ve returned! This old master knew you would not abandon my clan.”
Yang Kai chuckled lightly, “Hua Mo Great Commander is too polite, since I gave all of you my word, naturally, I will not renege on it. En, I’ve returned.”
Han Fei glared over at Hua Mo, snorting under her breath, wondering where the old fart who kept clamouring to her all day that Yang Kai wouldn’t be coming back had gone.
“En, are these two newly-promoted Saints?” Yang Kai swept his eyes over the two figures next to Hua Mo. Although he felt that they were familiar, he didn’t know their names.
“Greetings, Master,” The two quickly stepped forward and cupped their fists.
Li Rong smiled and nodded, “It is all thanks to the materials left by Master that these two could have their present accomplishments. Good, this is Great Commander Yin Ya and Great Commander Xue Ji.”
After some quick introductions, Yang Kai somehow remembered the two men’s names.
Suddenly, Han Fei’s beautiful eyes widened as she stared at Yang Kai and shouted, “Master’s growth is truly terrifying, are you now already a Third Order Transcendent? Could it be more years have passed than we thought?”
Hearing these words, Li Rong and Hua Mo also quickly investigated Yang Kai’s cultivation and were shocked by what they discovered.
“It hasn’t been that long, about five or six years,” Yang Kai replied lightly, “Good, there’s no time to waste, let’s talk as we walk.”
Seeing his expression suddenly become dignified, Li Rong and the others also became serious, faintly realizing that something was not quite right.
Li Rong turned her attention to Wu Jie and asked in a quiet voice, “Master, who is this?”
Yang Kai casually replied, “A friend from the outside. Later you can ask him about the specific situation, right now I need to immediately start the Alchemy process.”
“Alchemy?” Li Rong exclaimed, “Do you mean…”
“En, some people outside are seeking Coffin Slave Senior’s position while chasing me down, so I have to bring you all out of here as soon as possible, otherwise things will become quite troublesome.”
“Who dares do this?” Li Rong’s aura suddenly changed, becoming violent and dangerous.
“A Demon General named Xue Li!” Yang Kai frowned, “She seems to have inadvertently obtained some Demon God Golden Blood long ago and is now coveting my blood.”
“A Demon General?” Han Fei narrowed her eyes, “I’d like to see what kind of level today’s Demon Generals are at!”
“You’ll have such an opportunity,” Yang Kai turned to look at her meaningfully.
As the group walked forward, Wu Jie lagged behind slightly and took another close look at the cultivations of these five unknown masters, his shock only deepening the more he observed them.
What surprised him the most was that the strongest of these five Saints, one of the beautiful women, was only a Second-Order Saint, but although that was the case, the pressure he felt from her when her anger had just flared up was in no way inferior to the one Xue Li brought him.
Wu Jie even suspected that this woman was not weaker than Xue Li.
The other four were all First Order Saints, with the second beautiful woman and the old man having reached the limits of the First Order, both of them possessing denser auras than his own.
If he had to fight any of these three, Wu Jie estimated that his only option would be to flee.
The remaining two males seemed to have broken through recently, a point he confirmed from the discussion Yang Kai had with them.
However, Wu Jie didn’t know why, but he still felt a slight pressure from these two as well.
Who were these people, and why was their strength so strange?
Moreover, how these people addressed Yang Kai made a big impression on Wu Jie.
Although his heart was filled with doubts, Wu Jie knew the value of silence and obediently shut his mouth and simply followed behind the crowd.
A few breaths later, the group returned to Demon God Citadel.
Gazing out, Yang Kai saw many Ancient Demon Clan clansmen standing around in front of the citadel, staring curiously.
From amongst the crowd, a young girl waved her hand in excitement and shouted, “Yang Kai, Yang Kai!”
Looking towards the source of the sound, Yang Kai smiled and waved back to her.
The young girl was none other than Guan’er, the one who had been responsible for taking care of him when he first arrived here and also Li Rong’s personal maidservant.
“That foolish little girl!” Li Rong ground her teeth before hurriedly addressing Yang Kai, “Master, there’s no need for you to pay any attention to her, I will certainly teach her a good lesson and let her realize the difference in status between you.”
In response, Yang Kai simply chuckled, “There’s no need for that, all of you should act more relaxed, also, stop calling me Master, it’s quite uncomfortable.”
“… Then how should we address you?” Li Rong asked.
“How did you call me in the beginning?”
The three old Great Commanders glanced around at each other, recalling how they originally called Yang Kai and immediately blushing with shame.
When Yang Kai was first brought before them, the three of them had called him human boy, or despicable Human, or little brat etc…
Now though, how could they dare call him such names?
Once inside Demon God Citadel, Guan’er ran over, bowed perfunctorily, and then proceeded to follow Yang Kai around happily.
It was as if she had not spoken at all since Yang Kai left and was now making up for the lost time.
Seeing how Yang Kai smiled happily, not showing the slightest intent of chastising Guan’er, Li Rong also couldn’t help smiling as she shook her head.
After talking for a while, Guan’er suddenly looked towards Wu Jie and asked, “Who is this silent guy who follows you around like some kind of ghost? Why did you bring him here?”
Wu Jie’s face immediately went black.
Yang Kai shook his head wryly and didn’t answer her question, instead turning to Li Rong and saying, “I want to use that underground secluded room. I’ll come out after a maximum of three days. As for the situation outside, just ask Wu Jie, he’ll be able to answer any questions you have.”
“Good,” Li Rong and the others all nodded quickly.
“Hey, Sir Holy Master…” Wu Jie hurried stepped forward and pulled Yang Kai aside, anxiously whispering, “Staying here alone… will I be in any danger?”
Yang Kai laughed aloud, “No, you can rest assured.”
“But why do these people all seem like members of the Demon Race?” Wu Jie looked around in confusion.
“Because they are Demon Race people, and not ordinary ones at that!” Yang Kai smiled and patted Wu Jie’s shoulder, “Well that’s how it is, time is running out and I have work to do, so until I get back, take care of things.”
Saying so, Yang Kai walked off.
Wu Jie gawked for a moment before helplessly shaking his head.
Li Rong and others also stopped, not following after Yang Kai, digesting the words he had said as looks of anticipation filled their faces.
Three days, in just three days, the long imprisonment of their Ancient Demon Clan would come to an end and their clansmen would finally be able to step into the vast outside world, where the sun, moon, and stars filled a never-ending sky.
The five Great Commanders of the Ancient Demon Clan eagerly looked towards the direction Yang Kai and left and were unable to calm themselves for quite some time.
“Senior Li, we should spread the word to our fellow clansmen,” Hua Mo said quietly.
“En,” Li Rong gently nodded, “It’s time.”
Saying so, she turned her pretty eyes towards Wu Jie and smiled warmly, “Master said your name was Wu Jie, correct?”
“Yes,” Wu Jie’s expression was a little cramped and uneasy. Half an hour before, he and Yang Kai were being chased down by a Demon General and were forced to escape into this Mysterious Small World, yet not there were actually five Demon Race Saints standing in front of him. Wu Jie couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of despair, as if he had escaped from the tiger’s cave only to enter the wolf’s den.
Fortunately, these people didn’t seem to hold any malicious intent towards him and their relationship with Yang Kai also didn’t seem shallow.
“Since you are master’s friend, you are not an outsider. Please come with me, we need to ask you about the outside situation,” Li Rong gently nodded before leading the way into the Citadel’s depths.
“Please!” Han Fei also motioned coldly.
Wu Jie let out a forced laugh before quickly following behind Li Rong.
In truth, he too had many questions he’d like to ask these Demon Race masters.
…..
Deep beneath Demon God Citadel, in a familiar underground chamber, Yang Kai did not immediately begin refining the Saint Pill, and instead sat cross-legged in meditation.
Steadying his breathing, he slowly calmed and adjusted himself.
This secret room was where he had cultivated the Demon God Transformation, so he was quite familiar with the environment.
With Yang Kai’s current Alchemy level, he could be said to have reached the limit of the Saint Grade Low-Rank and was just one step away from the Mid-Rank.
However, that did not mean he was incapable of refining a Saint Grade Mid-Rank pill.
With the appropriate auxiliary Spirit Arrays and his Myriad Drug Liquid, refining a Saint Grade Mid-Rank pill shouldn’t be too difficult.
Emptying his mind and settling his pulse, Yang Kai entered into a state of tranquility, various insights into pill refining flashing across his thoughts as he immersed himself in the Alchemic Way.
The knowledge and experiences he had comprehended from the True Alchemic Way as well as his own personal hardships and achievements in the field of Alchemy all coalesced and crystallized in Yang Kai’s mind.
It was like he was an outsider, silently observing his own growth in the Alchemic Way, from when he first began refining the lowest Common Grade pills, to his experiences with Earth Grade, Heaven Grade, Mysterious Grade, Spirit Grade, then finally Saint Grade pills…
In a flash Yang Kai reviewed his own rapid growth in the field of Alchemy, each pill he had refined seeming like a brand new life, full of vigor and vitality.
Before he knew it, he had grown to the point where he could easily refine Saint Grade Low-Rank pills.
Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly shot open and an unwavering self-confidence pulsed from his body. He was certain that in his current state, he would successfully refine the required Saint Grade Mid-Rank pill.
Pulling out the various Spirit Grade and Saint Grade herbs he had collected over the years, Yang Kai carefully arranged them in front of himself.
Pouring his Spiritual Energy into his small pill furnace, Yang Kai swiftly began portraying an exquisite Spirit Array to promote the chance of successfully refining a pill.
Taking hold of one of the herbs, a burst of golden light erupted as Yang Kai gathered his True Qi into his hand, creating a blazing hot inferno which burned away all of its impurities.
A short time later, a green teardrop sized ball of pure medicinal liquid was all that was left, a potent fragrance and aura wafting from it.
Wrapping this drop of medicinal liquid in his True Qi, Yang Kai suspended it next to his pill furnace before picking up the next spirit herb and repeating the process.
As he continued refining the spirit herbs, Yang Kai also completed the Spirit Array inside his pill furnace.
One spirit herb after another was refined in an orderly manner.
Now, in front of Yang Kai’s eyes, there was only the world of Alchemy, the herbs in front of him, his pill furnace, and nothing else. Yang Kai had even temporarily forgotten the important purpose of the Saint Pill he was refining, not allowing any stray thoughts to affect his current mood, his movements remaining smooth and undisturbed.
Inside the underground chamber, a potent medicinal fragrance began to spread.
……
Inside the main hall of Demon God Citadel, the five Great Commanders of the Ancient Demon Clan all sat with dignified looks upon their faces. After learning about the current situation in detail from Wu Jie, all of them clearly realized why Yang Kai was so eager to return and refine the Saint Pill which would restore their freedom.
To put it simply, time had run out and he now had no choice but to act now.
“Xue Li should have found the Coffin Carrying Man and if my assumptions are correct, she should currently be fighting with him now,” Wu Jie said as he swept his eyes over the five powerhouses before him.
“The Demon General called Xue Li, is she a Third Order Saint?” Li Rong frowned slightly.
“Yes, she is one of the top masters of our world, each of the Demon Race’s four Demon Generals are on a similar level!”
“Senior Li, Coffin Slave Senior should have only been a Second Order Saint before he died and his body has obviously degraded after so many years. He won’t be able to hold off that Demon General for long,” Han Fei said, her voice filled with anger, anxious to rush out right now and assist Coffin Slave Senior.
“Coffin Slave Senior indeed shouldn’t be that woman’s opponent, but so long as that woman wants to inquire about Great Demon God’s secrets, she won’t use extreme methods… so we shouldn’t need to be too worried, we also only need to hold out for three days,” Li Rong said softly, a moment later suddenly remembered something, “But according to Master, that woman inadvertently obtained some Demon God Golden Blood a long time ago and successfully refined it. I just hope she won’t display any of Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities; if she does, things will become troublesome.”
“Demon God Divine Abilities?” Wu Jie’s eyes narrowed as he hesitated before finally deciding to ask, “Are you referring to… the legendary Great Demon God?”
“Indeed!” Hua Mo nodded firmly.
Wu Jie’s mouth twitched and he didn’t dare to ask anymore, the matters surrounding the Great Demon God were not things someone of his level could casually inquire about, and the more he knew, the more difficult his life would become.
Just as the few people were speaking, a violent aura suddenly appeared outside and with a creaking sound, the entire Mysterious Small World seemed to be tremble slightly.
Li Rong’s pretty face went cold as she swiftly got up from her chair and moved outside, carefully staring up at the sky.
The rest of the group also rushed out.
“It’s begun…” Li Rong said faintly, “It should be the fallout of that Demon General and Coffin Slave Senior’s fight affecting us.”
“Daring to raise her hand against Coffin Slave Senior, just wait for me to get out of here and I’ll make her pay!” Han Fei coldly snorted.
Wu Jie suddenly remembered that he and Yang Kai had entered this place through the blood red coffin behind the Coffin Carrying Man and couldn’t help worrying, “If Coffin Slave Senior is defeated, and the blood red coffin behind him is destroyed… what will happen to this place?”
Li Rong glanced over at him and grinned, “This Mysterious Small World was forged by Great Demon God himself using one of his most powerful Divine Abilities. That blood red coffin you spoke of acts as both the seal and vessel of this place so if it is destroyed, everything in this Mysterious Small World will be exiled to The Void with no hope of ever escaping.”
Wu Jie’s face went pale as he muttered under his breath, “I hope that Coffin Slave Senior can sustain…”
Everyone present, including the various leaders of the Ancient Demon Clan, had similar worries, but the one who was most unsettled was by far the outsider Wu Jie.
The five Great Commanders apparently had some confidence in Coffin Slave Senior and were also convinced that Xue Li would not rashly destroy the blood red coffin.
That is, unless she gave up on unlocking the secrets of Great Demon God.
The changes inside the Mysterious Small World caused panic to spread amongst the Ancient Demon Clan clansmen so Hua Mo and Yin Ya and Xue Ji all had to appear personally and calm them while simultaneously relaying Li Rong’s proclamation that Yang Kai was currently refining the Saint Pill which would allow them to finally leave this place.
Upon learning this, the Ancient Demon Clan went from panicking to celebrating.
One day passed, two days passed…
As time flow by, the Mysterious Small World became increasingly unsettled until two days later all the shaking stopped and everything became calm once more.
Perceiving this change, Li Rong and the other Great Commanders wore sad expressions.
They know that that either Coffin Slave Senior had managed to repel that Demon General, or Coffin Slave Senior had been defeated by her.
The latter was far more likely as Coffin Slave Senior’s opponent was a top ranked Third Order Saint.
Coffin Slave Senior had guarded this Mysterious Small World for countless years and although none of the Ancient Demon Clan who currently lived here knew what he looked like much less met him, each of them had a profound respect for him in their heart.
It was because of him that every ten years, a candidate who could free their clan from this eternal prison would be sent in, ultimately leading to Yang Kai’s arrival which allowed Li Rong and others to finally see hope of freedom.
But now, before the Ancient Demon Clan could escape from this place, Coffin Slave Senior encountered a powerful enemy, causing Li Rong and the other Great Commanders to become quite on edge, wishing they could leave right now and see just how Coffin Slave Senior was doing.
However, until Yang Kai finished refining the required Saint Pill, none of them could leave, so even if they were incredibly anxious, there was nothing they could do about it.
Just then, the World Energy inside the Mysterious Small World once again became disordered and began rapidly flowing towards a particular direction.
Everyone was shocked by this development and quickly began investigating, further surprised by what they discovered.
The place where they perceived all of this World Energy was flowing towards was actually the underground chamber Yang Kai was currently using for Alchemy.
There was also a vague fresh pill scent wafting towards them from that direction.
Realizing what all this could mean, everyone’s mood became tense.
A short time later, the flow of World Energy subsided and a figure soon appeared before everyone’s eyes; it was none other than Yang Kai.
“Master…” Li Rong called out hesitantly, her voice trembling somewhat.
Yang Kai grinned before stretching out his hand towards her, “Fortunately, I did not fail my mission, and the refinement was successful.”
Atop his palm was a longan sized pill that was exuding dense rays of light.
Several pairs of eyes stared fixedly at this Saint Pill. Hua Mo’s eyes even began watering up.
“As for how this is supposed to be used, I’ll leave that up to you,” Yang Kai frowned and solemnly handed the Saint Pill to Li Rong.
After all, there was only one Saint Pill but thousands of Ancient Demon Clan members, Yang Kai really didn’t know how to distribute the effects of this Saint Pill to all of them.
“Han Fei and I will handle that,” Li Rong carefully clasped the Saint Pill before shooting Han Fei and quick glance, the two of them nodding firmly before flying up to the highest point of the citadel.
“We must convene all of our clansmen,” Hua Mo said, taking Yin Ya and Xue Ji with him to spread the word.
Yang Kai looked up and observed as Li Rong and Han Fei stood mid-air above the citadel, seemingly arranging some kind of Spirit Array, an exquisite and mysterious energy pulsing from their location s they worked.
Heeding the call of Hua Mo and the two new Great Commanders, all of the Ancient Demon Clan quickly began to gather.
Atop Demon God Citadel, Li Rong and Han Fei busied themselves while Hua Mo, Yin Ya, and Xue Ji arranged the still gathering Ancient Demon Clan clansmen.
While all this was happening, Yang Kai silently watched while he restored himself.
Wu Jie, who was standing beside Yang Kai, tried to speak up a few times but always seemed to hesitate and stop at the last moment.
“If Sect Master Wu wishes to ask something, please feel free,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Wu Jie paused for a moment before cupping his fists and saying, “Then this Wu will not be polite… May I ask what Sir Holy Master’s relationship with these Demon Race people is?”
“If I told you they are my subordinates, would Sect Master Wu believe me?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes towards Wu Jie, a playful grin appearing on his face.
Wu Jie expression became serious as he stared at Yang Kai for a moment before firmly nodding, “This Wu believes!”
He had stayed here for the past two days and just from the way the several Saint Realm masters addressed and acted towards Yang Kai, he could infer what the true situation was, so now that Yang Kai had frankly admitted to it, how could Wu Jie still not believe it?
“How did Sir Holy Master manage to subdue these subordinates? After all, they’re from the Demon Race!”
“So what if they’re from the Demon Race?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“Since ancient times, Humans and Demons have been mortal enemies,” Wu Jie stated, as if it was only natural the two races should hate each other.
“If they are willing to be loyal to me and are useful to me, why does it matter if they’re from the Demon Race? Isn’t it the most fundamental truth that all of us were born into this world? What need is there to draw lines between us?”
Wu Jie gawked at Yang Kai, somewhat unable to wrap his head around what the latter just said.
Unlike Yang Kai, he was born and raised in Tong Xuan Realm.
The natives of Tong Xuan Realm all had a strong sense of rejection and distrust towards other races, Wu Jie included, who even now felt that associating with this group of Demons was destined to end in tragedy.
Yang Kai’s open-minded appearance was somewhat unacceptable to him.
Think for a while, Wu Jie quickly said, “But Sir Holy Master, have you ever thought about what would happen if word of this were to spread out? You may never be able to stand tall in the Human Territory ever again, even Nine Heavens Holy Land and Soaring Heaven Sect may be implicated.”
Yang Kai just shook his head and firmly declared, “I don’t care what the world thinks, they can say whatever they want about me, if anyone comes to find trouble with me, I’ll deal with them directly.”
Wu Jie’s mouth twitched, quietly muttering under his breath, “Sir Holy Master is really unusual.”
Shaking his head again, he continued, “There is just one point that this Wu hasn’t been able to figure out though, this group of Demons are quite powerful, five of them having even reached the Saint Realm. How could such a group of Demon Race people, known for having greater pride than even our Human Race, willingly become Sir Holy Master’s subordinates given your cultivation and strength?”
There had never been a case where those of the Demon Race became subordinates to a human, any member of the Demon Race would rather die than suffer such humiliation.
However, Wu Jie could clearly see that not only were Li Rong and the other Demon Race Saints extremely respectful towards Yang Kai, they also seemed almost eager to serve him.
“Because I am the Great Demon God’s successor,” Yang Kai grinned.
Wu Jie’s face twitched even harder as he awkwardly laughed, “Sir Holy Master must be joking…”
Yang Kai didn’t bother explaining any further and simply asked, “What are Sect Master Wu’s plans now?”
“My plans?” Wu Jie frowned, “I haven’t thought much about that, surviving this current crisis has been all that has occupied my thoughts recently, but Sir Holy Master can rest assured that everything this Wu has seen these past few days will never leave my lips.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “I know that Sect Master Wu is not such a person, you don’t need to make any promises to me.”
Wu Jie no longer spoke, turning his attention back towards the top of Demon God Citadel along with Yang Kai.
Over there, Li Rong and Han Fei seemed to have completed whatever it was they were working on and the former reverently held up the Saint Pill Yang Kai had just refined, slowly closing her beautiful eyes.
In the next moment, Demonic Qi began flooding out from both Li Rong and Han Fei.
A brilliant light blossomed at the two beauties’ feet and quickly transformed into a profound Spirit Array.
As the light from the Spirit Array flashed, the Saint Pill in Li Rong’s hands suddenly burst open, transforming into a fine mist that spread out and gently rained down on the Ancient Demon Clan clansmen gathered below.
These Ancient Demon Clan clansmen did not dare to neglect and immediately began circulating their Secret Arts, absorbing the effects of the Saint Pill into their bodies, each of them flashing a happy expression.
*Kacha…*
The sound of bones creaking and flesh squirming rang out.
Yang Kai was surprised to discover that some subtle and bizarre changes were occurring in each of the Ancient Demon Clan’s bodies, as if some kind of invisible shackles that had been binding them were being shattered.
They were slowly being set free.
This scene continued for the better part of an hour before the mist from the Saint Pill finally began dissipating, all of its effects being absorbed by the Ancient Demon Clan’s clansmen.
Li Rong and Han Fei both opened their eyes and stared down at the scene below with warm smiles.
“Senior Li, everything is in order,” Hua Mo shouted up from down below.
“Is everything packed up?” Li Rong asked.
“Everything that must be taken with us has been packed.”
“Good!” Li Rong gently nodded, unable to conceal the excitement on her pretty face, sweeping her eyes over the crowd below and shouting, “Today, our clan will depart from this place. Each of you should take another look around and engrave this sight into your eyes. For thousands of years this has been our family’s home, but we will never return to it again.”
Each of the clansmen of the Ancient Demon Clan gazed around themselves, some complex emotions surfacing on their faces.
Since the moment they were able to think for themselves, they all wished to leave this place and see the outside world, but when the moment finally came, it was inevitable that they felt a slight sense of loss.
After all, this was the place where they were born and raised.
“All Great Commanders, please come up,” Li Rong waved.
Hua Mo, Yin Ya, and Xue Ji all flew up to where Li Rong was standing, the five Saints exchanging a silence glance before nodding, the next moment each of them pushing their strength and tearing open a hole in the Mysterious Small World’s space.
Their approach was not the same as the method Yang Kai used to tear space and was only a unique technique designed to open the exit of this Mysterious Small World to the outside world.
The last time Yang Kai left, Li Rong and the other Saints had used this method to send him out.
“I’ll take the lead, the rest of you should follow after me while protecting our clansmen!” Li Rong said, immediately soaring up into the tear.
After her figure disappeared, Han Fei and the others began arranging groups of their clansmen to leave the Mysterious Small World in an orderly fashion.
……
Atop the endless Snow Mountain Range, Xue Li stared down with a dignified expression while Yu Mo stood nearby wearing a similar look.
Simultaneously, Zhang Ao and Cao Guan, who were not far away, both showed looks of lingering fear.
Down below, several mountain peaks had been razed to the ground as a result of the clash between the Second Order Saint Coffin Carrying Man and the Third Order Saint Demon General Xue Li.
A vast area was now bathed in thick poisonous gas and no one among them dared go down and explore, the once white Snow Mountain Range now dyed a toxic shade of green.
Those whose strength wasn’t quite as good, upon sniffing this poisonous gas, were killed on the spot and soon melted into pools of puss; several Shattering Mystical Palace disciples who had been sent down to investigate had suffered such a fate.
“That damn Coffin Carrying Man, clearly he was a member of our Demon Race yet he actually dares raise his hand to this Queen, he deserves to be damned!” Xue Li’s pretty face warped as she angrily shouted.
A few days ago, she had been pursuing Yang Kai’s aura when it suddenly disappeared in this very location. Upon arriving here, Xue Li quickly discovered the Coffin Carrying Man inside an ice cave but before she could say anything, the Coffin Carrying Man suddenly attacked her.
Facing a living corpse that had reached the Second Order Saint Realm, Xue Li complained constantly.
After a hard two day long struggle, she finally managed to destroy his physical body, but even after doing so, the putrid toxins released upon his destruction had exploded out and blanketed the surrounding area, forcing Xue Li and everyone else to retreat while using various methods to slowly dissipate the poisonous fog.
The blood red coffin being protected by the Coffin Carrying Man had caught Xe Li’s attention though.
From it, Xue Li sensed an aura which greatly excited her, the aura of Great Demon God!
She could all but conclude that this blood red coffin had something to do with the legendary Great Demon God.
Zhang Ao and Cao Guan stood to the side, staring at all of this, feeling particularly helpless in their hearts.
They had come here for the secrets of the Coffin Carrying Man, but now, the fruits of their labour would all be going to Xue Li, but in the face of this Demon General, they really had no other choice but to wait and see while suppressing all their bitterness in their hearts.
The poisonous gas which had enveloped the surrounding region gradually weakened and after some time they could finally begin investigating the situation.
Just as they were about to send in more people though, a red light bloomed and an aura which even made Xue Li feel somewhat uneasy spread out.
Her beautiful face becoming solemn, Xue Li stared towards the red light and soon saw a female figure appear and fly up in the air. Waving her hand to dispel the poisonous gas around her, this female swept her eyes over her surroundings and her expression soon becoming cold.
She was apparently staring at the broken and scattered remains which belonged to the Coffin Carrying Man.
“A Second Order Saint?” Xue Li stared at this beautiful woman who had suddenly appeared and couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
Xue Li had clearly felt that this newly appeared woman’s body contained a rich Demonic Qi, so she was clearly a member of the Demon Race.
But how did such a woman suddenly appear here?
The other party also seemed to have noticed her existence and even though a fair distance separated them, Xue Li could tell that this unknown female was directing a cold and gloomy look towards her, not showing the slightest bit of fear, even giving off a kind of provocative aura.
Xue Li smiled silently back at this woman, being a Minor Realm higher than her, naturally she wasn’t afraid.
*Shua Shua Shua…*
One after another, flashed of red light burst forth and with each one a new Demon Race member appeared, each of them quickly gathering around the woman who had first appeared.
After finding a place to settle down, each of these newly appearing Demon Race members began looking around curiously, their faces filled with clear excitement.
Breathing in the cold air, picking up the snow at their feet, cheering out happily as they seemingly played around.
It was almost as if they were children who had never seen such sights before.
It was currently late at night and cold moonlight poured down. These icy moon beams seemingly caught this group of newcomer’s attention, many of them soon turning their eyes towards the sky, a look of wonderment flashing across their faces.
Xue Li and the others silently observed all of this, not making any sudden moves, their brows all furrowing deeply, none of them understanding where so many Demon Race people had come from.
The Ancient Demon Clan clansmen who had been imprisoned for generations were seeing the outside world for the first time, causing all of them to feel a sense of rebirth, their bodies trembling as they found it difficult to suppress their excitement, many of them even bursting into tears as they roared towards the sky.
The scene was as lively as it was strange.
Xue Li and her group had quickly become spectators that no one paid any attention to.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai and Wu Jie finally came out of the Mysterious Small World with Han Fei that Xue Li’s eyes lit up, a look of greed flashing across their depths.
Deep inside the Snow Mountain Range, nearly a thousand Ancient Demon Clan clansmen had emerged from their Mysterious Small World and were now scattered around a wide area.
Not far away, headed by Xue Li, Yu Mo, Zhang Ao, Cao Guan and many others were on high alert as they stared curiously as this group of people who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
Suddenly, the surrounding World Energy became disturbed and the Ancient Demon clansmen who had just appeared seemed to be drawing vast amounts of it into their bodies.
In an instant, all the World Energy within a dozen kilometer radius was sucked dry.
From even farther away, World Energy quickly flooded in to fill this void only to be quickly consumed by the Ancient Demon clansmen in the next moment.
A storm kicked up and a horrifying pressure soon descended upon all who were present.
Feeling this pressure, everyone’s expression changed greatly.
The Ancient Demon clansmen showed looks of surprise but soon set their confusion aside and opened themselves up to this Heavenly baptism.
Wu Jie narrowed his eyes as he stared around, exclaiming after a moment, “Are they all going to break through?”
The movement of the surrounding World Energy and how it was being drawn in were both clear signs of impending breakthrough, but this breakthrough was not for just one or two individuals; in fact, nearly all one thousand of the Ancient Demon clansmen seemed to suddenly be on the verge of breaking through.
As for those who weren’t, it was still quite apparent that their strength was rapidly improving.
Yang Kai’s expression also changed, recalling the moment he had arrived in Tong Xuan Realm from his previous world and how his strength had also grown in a flash.
After the invisible shackles which were sealing his potential were broken and he received the blessings of this new world, it was only natural for his cultivation to soar.
The clansmen of the Ancient Demon Clan were now facing a similar situation.
Looking around, Yang Kai was surprised to find that among the Ancient Demon clansmen who were about to break through, Han Fei and Hua Mo were also included and were currently causing the biggest disturbances.
The two of them were both masters at the peak of the First Order Saint Realm, breaking through now would allow them to become genuine Second Order Saints.
The breakthrough of any Saint Realm master was a serious matter.
The two of them also understood this and immediately used their movement skills to fly far away in order to avoid the crushing World Energy baptism they were about to receive from affecting the breakthrough of their clansmen.
Yang Kai glanced over at Li Rong expectantly and found that although she wasn’t about to break through, she was still literally glowing as new found strength overflowed from her body. Obviously, when she left the Mysterious Small World, she too had gained tremendous benefits.
The same was true for Yin Ya and Xue Ji.
“Senior Li…” Yang Kai called out to Li Rong, “Shouldn’t the clansmen disperse some more?”
There were too many of them trying to break through here so when the World Energy Baptism truly began, the pressure would multiply in intensity, if they didn’t disperse, there would likely be casualties.
But at this moment, under the watchful eyes of their enemies, it wasn’t a wise idea to spread out.
“No,” Li Rong slowly shook her head, “Has Master forgotten what the speciality of our clan is? Han Fei and Hua Mo have already left to ensure their baptisms won’t disturb the rest of the clan’s breakthroughs, so the other clansmen should be just fine.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai remembered that the greatest strength of the Ancient Demon Clan was their tyrannical physiques.
Among cultivators of the same realm, Ancient Demon Clan clansmen had the most intrepid physical strength.
Moreover, they could also summon their Demon Crests to further enhance their bodies.
In order to bear the World Energy baptism, what was most necessary was to have a sturdy physical form.
Seeing Li Rong not at all concerned, Yang Kai naturally relaxed.
“Also, the biggest problem right now is not the clansmen’s breakthrough. Master.” Li Rong turned her eyes to Xue Li and asked. “is that woman one of the current Demon Generals?”
“Yeah, she’s a Third Order Saint Realm master.”
“En, not bad,” Li Rong chuckled as she looked over Xue Li, “It seems that my Demon Race has not suffered significant decline.”
At the same time, Yu Mo frowned as he whispered to Xue Li, “Mistress, what should we do now? From the looks of it, it seems like many of these people who suddenly appeared are about to break through, should we…”
Xue Li slowly shook her head, “They are my Demon Race’s people, although I don’t know why they associate themselves with that little human boy, but if we act now, it will only provoke their hatred. When they are finished, we can speak and if possible, bring them back to Sand City with us. Four First Order Saints and a Second-Order Saint is a formidable force! If I can subdue them, my Sand City will instantly become superior to those other three’s territories.”
“Mistress is wise!” Yu Mo nodded, saying no more.
The number of Demon Race people who had suddenly emerged wasn’t small, and there was a significant amount of powerful masters amongst them; if this force could really be subdued, it would certainly become a massive boon, allowing Xue Li’s strength to dominate above the other three Demon Generals’ forces.
“They don’t seem to be planning to interfere,” Li Rong looked at Xue Li and grinned.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “That woman probably thinks you are not her opponent so it doesn’t matter if she allows all of you to breakthrough.”
“Then she’s in for a surprise,” Li Rong said meaningfully.
Yang Kai glanced over at Li Rong and to his surprise he could see a thick self-confidence flashing across her eyes, stirring a number of thoughts in his head.
He had never seen Li Rong take action before and only knew that she was a well-established Second-Order Saint, a Minor Realm lower than Xue Li.
But listening to her tone, it seemed like Li Rong didn’t put Xue Li in her eyes.
Yang Kai grinned and said nothing more, but inside was looking forward to the show to come.
He very much wanted to know what kind of scene it would be when these two women began exchanging blows.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Ancient Demon Clan clansmen were beginning their breakthroughs.
The surrounding atmosphere became solemn and dignified.
*Hong long long… kacha…*
A terrifying pressure suddenly descended from the Heavens above and slammed into the crowd of Ancient Demon clansmen.
With an audible snort, a number of the Ancient Demon clansmen who were breaking through suffered injuries and blood began to leak from the sides of their mouths.
If only a single one of them was breaking through, with the quality of their physiques, they wouldn’t have suffered any kind of injury from this level of pressure, but with so many of them gathered together to break through, the power of the World Energy baptism had clearly exceeded such a threshold.
All of them stood close to one another but were still evenly spread out, a number of them soon showing signs of being unable to continue standing.
However, the injured Ancient Demon clansmen not only didn’t panic, but instead began laughing, turning stubborn looks towards the Heavens as their flesh began to distort, waiting for the second round of the World Energy baptism to descend, each of them wearing looks of anticipation, seemingly hoping it would be even more violent than the first.
Wu Jie had already distanced himself from them for fear of being implicated.
Yang Kai also flew over to him at that moment, calmly standing beside him and watching.
“Lunatics…” Wu Jie’s mouth twitched as he muttered, “These people are simply a group of madmen, how can they bear such a fierce Heavenly baptism? They’re simply courting death!”
“That may not be so,” Yang Kai smiled and shook his head.
“Does Sir Holy Master think they can withstand this? Some of them were even injured in the first round of this baptism, it is difficult for this Wu to imagine how they will insist to the end. Right now, it’s obvious they should spread out to increase the chances of all of them successfully breaking through, so why did they choose to huddle together? I really can’t understand.”
“An average Demon Race person probably wouldn’t be able to withstand this, but they are not ordinary Demon Race people,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Wu Jie looked at him with a frown, his confusion only deepening.
The Demon Race was the Demon Race, how was one group of them different from another?
*Hong long long…*
The waves of pressure continued to descend from the Heavens, bombarding the Ancient Demon clansmen, causing all of them to gain fresh injuries and bleed profusely.
But this group of demons seemed to have gone crazy, the more blood they saw, the more excited they became, their voices echoing throughout the night sky as they screamed and howled, creating a terrifying scene.
The disciples of Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple stared at them with horror and even masters like Zhang Ao and Cao Guan couldn’t help shuddering.
Hundreds of people breaking through at once was a spectacular display no one present had ever witnessed or even dreamed of before.
In the distance, two other earth-shaking movements were occurring.
Naturally, this was the fallout from Han Fei and Hua Mo’s breakthroughs, the disturbances they were creating in no way weaker than the one occurring right before everyone’s eyes.
Xue Li’s beautiful eyes flashed with pleasant surprise, her desire to subdue this group of Demon Race people growing even stronger.
Everyone in front of her, no matter how high or low their cultivation and regardless of their age, exuded the purest Demon Race aura from their body, violent, bloodthirsty, and cruel…
Xue Li appreciated their might.
She was secretly thinking to herself that these people were the true Demon Race.
Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Xue Li called out, “You there, woman, what is your name? Where do you come from?”
Li Rong smiled gently and asked back, “Are you talking to me?”
“Yes,” Xue Li nodded sincerely, “This Queen is one of the four current Demon Generals, Xue Li, tell me your name and origin!”
Addressing another member of the Demon Race, one whom she was higher in realm than, it was only natural for Xue Li to speak so authoritatively.
“Since you are a Demon General, could it be that you cannot see through the origins of my clan?” Li Rong waved her sleeves as she questioned Xue Li, her voice filled with a dignified tone.
Xue Li frowned and replied in a disgruntled tone, “Should this Queen have seen such a thing?”
Li Rong chuckled, “This Queen, this Queen… Does a mere Demon General dare call herself so in front of me? It seems my Demon Race has truly forgotten its origins and legacy.”
Hearing these words, with the exception of the Ancient Demon Clan and Yang Kai, the expressions of everyone present became weird.
Xue Li sneered towards Li Rong, her eyes flashing a cold light.
She was obviously irritated.
The reason why she did not stop this group of from breaking through was because they were all from the Demon Race and she wanted to leave a good impression, making it easier for her to subdue them, but never had she expected this female leader of their’s to speak so rampantly.
In this world, the only one who dares speak this way to Xue Li was the Demon Commander herself!
Even the Demon Commander would not casually use such a tone with Xue Li though.
“Do not treat the favour of this Queen as weakness,” Xue Li coldly snorted, “If you were not also a member of my Demon Race, this Queen would have already taken action; then how could your people have so leisurely made their breakthrough? Since you, a trivial Second-Order Saint dares act dissolute in front of this Queen, I must teach you a good lesson!”
“A good lesson indeed must be taught here,” Li Rong’s pretty face became cold, “After several thousand years, it seems my clan’s name has been forgotten by this world’s Demon Race… Today, to mark our return, I will use your death to remind everyone just who we are!”
Xue Li narrowed her eyes and shouted, “Who are you?”
Atop the endless Snow Mountain Range, two powerful and beautiful women faced off against one another, tension rising as sparks flew between them.
Both of these women were apex level characters, both in terms of strength and beauty.
This made everyone present secretly eager, each of them wanting to know what the scene would be like if a fight really happened.
However, what made people feel strange was that the beautiful woman with only a Second-Order Saint Realm cultivation appeared calm and leisurely while the world-famous Demon General Xue Li actually wore a dignified expression.
This caused many to wear confused looks.
Li Rong glanced around at her clansmen who were still in the midst of their breakthroughs and feeling that they were nearly finished, she no longer held back, “Coffin Slave Senior, were you the one who killed him?”
“Do you mean that Coffin Carrying Man?” Xue Li’s expression became sullen, “So what if I did? As a member of my Demon Race, he actually dared raise his hand against this Queen, so he deserves to be damned!”
“Good! So you admit it!” Li Rong took a deep breath, her full peaks heaving once as sorrowful look flashing across her face. She coldly whispered, “Coffin Slave Senior has paid an unimaginable price for my clan for countless years, yet I never imagined that the moment before we regained our freedom, he was killed by you… Demon General Xue Li, you will pay for that!”
Saying so, Demonic Qi suddenly burst forth from her body, engulfing Li Rong in a thick black mist as she rushed straight towards Xue Li.
“I commend your courage!” Xue Li sneered, seeing Li Rong actually take the initiative to attack her, flying forward without hesitation to meet her head-on.
In a flash, the two beautiful and fascinating figures collided and a terrifying clash between two Saint Realm masters erupted.
Everyone’s entire focus was immediately attracted to this rare sight.
“Sir Holy Master, this group of Demon Race people you found are a bit strange,” Wu Jie’s mouth twitched slightly as he whispered to Yang Kai.
The ordinary clansmen had actually gathered together to break through and the beautiful woman who appeared to be their leader actually took the initiative to challenge Demon General Xue Li; it was as if she was trying to smash a rock with an egg.
Although there was only a single Minor Realm separating the Second Order and Third Order Saint Realm, the difference in combat power was actually quite vast.
Wu Jie thought that Li Rong would soon be defeated.
He had already begun sweeping his eyes over the surrounding area to determine which direction he should flee when Xue Li’s attention was no longer upon him.
“Of course they’re a bit abnormal,” Yang Kai chuckled, “It’s probably a result of being imprisoned for too long.”
That being said, Yang Kai could understand Li Rong’s current mood.
Coffin Slave Senior had been destroyed by Xue Li, his flesh and bones crushed and scattered across the barren tundra, how could Li Rong not be enraged?
Upon seeing this tragic scene, Li Rong had not immediately rushed to exact revenge upon Xue Li only because she had to safeguard her clansmen as they broke through, but now that their promotion was nearing its end, she naturally could not wait to get started.
High up in the night sky, two beautiful women viciously fought one another, as if there were sworn enemies, Demonic Qi flying back and forth as it slowly filled the surrounding region, subtle yet powerful energy fluctuation constantly occurring as the two clashed, causing everyone who witnessed them to narrow their eyes and tremble in awe.
Battles between Second Order and Third Order Saint Realm masters rarely happened and were almost impossible to spectate.
Yang Kai, who had been closely watching, couldn’t see which side had the advantage.
However, from the degree of volatility in their auras, it was clear that Li Rong was slowly being suppressed.
The Dark Demonic Qi in the surrounding suddenly condensed together into a giant python and bared its fangs as it flew towards a certain spot on the battlefield.
At the same time, potent Spiritual Energy which belonged to Xue Li shelled a certain place in the sky.
In that exact spot, Li Rong, who had just appeared, seemed to be affected by Xue Li’s Divine Sense attack, freezing up for an instant, causing her to get swallowed by the giant black python.
Gasps resounded as Zhang Ao and Cao Guan, who had been watching the battle closely, were shocked and amazed by Xue Li’s methods.
A Second-Order Saint had only managed to last half the time it would take to burn a stick of incense against her before being defeated. Zhang Ao secretly estimated that if he was the one who had been fighting Xue Li, he would have lost even quicker.
Though, the beautiful woman who had inexplicably appeared had already performed very well.
*Chi chi chi…*
Just as everyone began whispering amongst themselves, a cracking sound resounded from the body of the python and in the next moment, in a great burst of light, it exploded into a million pieces and Li Rong re-emerged, a drop of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. It was obvious that during this confrontation, she had suffered a small loss.
Xue Li stared down at Li Rong from above, a smug look of confidence and disdain flashing across her face as she declared, “Daring to act dissolute in front of this Queen with only such meagre skill? I’ll give you one last chance, submit to me and I will spare your life!”
Li Rong lifted her jade hand and wiped away the blood at the corner of her lips as she stared back at Xue Li indifferently.
A moment later, Li Rong gently closed her beautiful eyes and her aura suddenly underwent an earth-shaking change.
Pitch black Demonic Qi surged out from her tender body and soon condensed into thin lines which spread across her skin, glowing ominously before they all sunk into her physique.
On Li Rong’s gorgeous face, strange black tattoos appeared.
These obsidian tattoos added a sense of wildness to her beauty.
Demon God Transformation!
Li Rong cultivated the most orthodox Demon God Transformation and although it was not comparable to Yang Kai’s, it was still capable of greatly enhancing her combat power and vitality.
Li Rong was only a Second-Order Saint, but after summoning her Demon Crests, her violent aura swelled to the point where it was essentially on par with Xue Li’s.
As if in response to Li Rong’s Demon God Transformation, the Ancient Demon clansmen who were in the final stages of their breakthroughs let out great roars, like a pack of ferocious beasts.
Demonic Qi began leaking from all of them as well, quickly forming varying amounts of Demon Crests on their faces and torsos.
From the Heavens above, the last round of the World Energy baptism descended upon the roaring Ancient Demon clansmen who still faced it without condensing any of their Demonic Qi, resisting it completely with just the strength of their flesh.
From their bodies, the crisp sounds of bones fracturing under this pressure rang out as several hundred people all simultaneously rose a Minor Realm.
Xue Li’s beautiful eyes trembled while Yu Mo’s expression became solemn; shivering ever so slightly.
The moment the two of them saw the Demon Crests appear; they couldn’t help remembering an ancient story.
“You’re…” Xue Li shouted like a crazed woman, seemingly having realized what Li Rong and the other’s origins really were yet not daring to actually speak it aloud, “Are you ‘that’ clan?”
According to legend, in the era when Great Demon God ruled supreme, there was a small clan among the Demon Race who had been his most loyal and dedicated servants
This clan was personally cultivated by Great Demon God and had the noblest lineage of the entire Demon Race with the exception of Great Demon God himself.
In front of that clan, the title Demon General was worthless.
Any Demon Race person who saw anyone from this clan would have to act respectfully to them, for they were the direct servants of Great Demon God, the most glorious members of the entire Demon Race.
At that time, the highest pursuit of all Demon Race cultivators was to join this clan; unfortunately, they never accepted outsiders to avoid diluting their bloodlines. Although this limited their numbers, their incredible individual strength more than made up for it.
Almost every member of this clan could fight and defeat opponents above their realm while the greatest of them were even capable of challenging those more than one Minor Realm above themselves.
This small clan of Demon Race masters followed Great Demon God on his many crusades, making great contributions to his glorious name, even acting as his representatives in ruling the world.
They were Great Demon God’s vanguard and a symbol of his invincibility!
Legend has it that when they fought at full strength, their bodies would be covered in intricate tattoos called Demon Crests. These Demons Crests contained the power of Great Demon God. Once they summoned their Demon Crests, few could challenge them.
However, since the fall of Great Demon God, this clan had disappeared.
That clan was referred to as the Ancient Demon Clan!
After so many years, no one knew if the old legends were true or not, many people even believing that this legendary clan was only a fabrication that people used to increase Great Demon God’s prestige.
But now this legendary clan had actually appeared in front of Xue Li.
The Demon Crests which covered their skin was the best proof of this.
Xue Li felt incredible power flowing through these Demon Crests.
“You finally recognize us?” Li Rong stared at her sarcastically, nodding faintly a moment later, “It seems you’re not completely blind after all.”
“Impossible!” Xue Li roared, no longer showing any of the aloof demeanour a Demon General should possess as she pointed and screamed, “You should have all died thousands of years ago! The ancient records clearly stated that Great Demon God personally crippled all of you because you violated an inviolable command!”
As a Demon General, Xue Li naturally knew some secrets that others weren’t privy to.
She had also read the ancient records regarding the Ancient Demon Clan.
It was said that for some profound yet unexplained reasons, Great Demon God had deliberately destroyed the Ancient Demon Clan before his fall.
So Xue Li had always assumed this clan was long gone.
“If you don’t believe it, you just need to verify it for yourself with your body!” Li Rong coldly snorted, rushing forward for a second time.
Xue Li’s thoughts and emotions were in chaos, allowing Li Rong to appear right in front of her and point her glowing finger towards her, an amazing amount of power condensed at its tip, causing Xue Li to freeze up in shock.
“Mistress!” Yu Mo exclaimed and was just about to rush to assist her when the two newly promoted Great Commanders from the Ancient Demon Clan, Yin Ya and Xue Ji blocked his path.
The two of them snickered as they flanked Yu Mo, causing the latter to immediately fall into a disadvantage.
A pitiful scream suddenly resounded as Xue Li was sent flying like a paper kite, a new bone-deep gash appearing on her slender shoulder that leaked out fresh red blood tinged with a hint of golden radiance.
“You think you’re worthy of possessing Great Demon God’s Golden Blood?” When she saw this faint golden hue, Li Rong’s eyes became even colder as a thick murderous intent pulsed from her body, her attacks suddenly becoming both swifter and sharper.
Xue Li hurriedly regained her composure. The shock she had received a moment ago had caused her reactions to become dull and allowed Li Rong to get in a clean hit. Now that she knew she was facing a master from the Ancient Demon Clan, Xue Li didn’t dare act carelessly.
They were warriors straight out of legends!
It wasn’t until this moment that Xue Li realized that her opponent truly had the capital and strength to fight with her, even though her cultivation was a Minor Realm lower.
“What are you still standing around gawking at!?” Yu Mo, who was being suppressed by Yin Ya and Xue Ji roared, “If you want to live, come up and help, or else all of you will die!”
Obviously, he was shouting towards the still dumbfounded Zhang Ao and Cao Guan.
Hearing this, Zhang Ao, Cao Guan and the other human Saints glanced around at each other with complex looks but soon grit their teeth and summoned their artifacts, preparing to rush up and assist Yu Mo.
The battle between Xue Li and Li Rong was basically a showdown between the peak level cultivators of this world; it was so intense that Zhang Ao and Cao Guan weren’t willing to intervene it at all possible.
So they immediately rushed up and wanted to open a path for Yu Mo.
Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple had a total of four Saints between them, with Zhang Ao being the only Second Order. This kind of strength was not negligible, and after they joined the battle, the situation immediately reversed and Yin Ya and Xue Ji found themselves quickly being suppressed.
Five against two, even if Yin Ya and Xue Ji have both used their Demon God Transformations, they still found themselves in danger.
“Sir Holy Master, do you want my help?” Wu Jie leaned over and asked quietly.
“No need,” Yang Kai shook his head. Wu Jie wouldn’t be able to make much of a difference in this kind of battle. Yang Kai had been planning to take action just now but after sensing something, he realized it wasn’t necessary.
From the distance, two figures were rushing over.
It was none of than the two Great Commanders Han Fei and Hua Mo who had successfully broken through.
The former’s aura was ice cold while the latter’s was overbearing. They had yet to arrive but their auras were already exerting pressure on the enemy cultivators, allowing both Yin Ya and Xue Ji to grin fiercely and counterattack recklessly.
A several kilometre radii of the pure white Snow Mountain Range had now been blanketed in black Demonic Qi.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Ice spikes filled with concentrated destructive power flew over from the horizon towards Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and the other human Saints. Sensing the approaching crisis, Zhang Ao and the others all hurriedly tried to dodge but from the dark shadows down below them, countless strange hands reached up and entangled them.
Like a ghost, Hua Mo had rapidly closed the distance between them and used an exquisite technique to summon these bindings from the shadows, hampering the enemy’s movements.
Suddenly suffering this coordinated attack, Zhang Ao, Cao Guan and the others immediately became distressed. With the exception of Zhang Ao, who had slightly higher strength, the other Human Saint Realm masters were suffered direct hits and were heavily wounded.
“They’re finished,” Yang Kai coldly snorted, no longer paying any attention to that battle and instead focusing on the one high up in the sky.
There, the battle between Li Rong and Xue Li has reached a superheated level, the latter had suffered a small loss because of her lapse in concentration but after focusing herself she was able to hold her own.
The two beautiful women seemed to have reached a stalemate in their contest.
Potent energy fluctuations propagated from these two peak level masters as they fought, causing the world around them to tremble and creak.
Under those fluctuations, Yang Kai felt as if the surrounding space was on the brink of collapsing.
Yang Kai’s heart raced as he watched this top-level battle play out, focusing all his attention on it, trying to extract useful insights from it.
However, to his disappointment, Xue Li no longer seemed to have any motivation and was simply striving to fend off Li Rong’s attacks and defend herself rather than seek victory.
When Xue Li noticed that Han Fei and Hua Mo had arrived, that last remnants of her desire to fight disappeared.
Under the cold moonlight, a great bang erupted and the two females flew apart.
Separated by a thousand meters now, the two beautiful women stared each other down with solemn expressions. Li Rong’s eyes flashed with infinite murderous intent and hatred while Xue Li’s eyes were filled with hesitation.
The Ancient Demon Clan was a legendary existence for all members of the Demon Race.
Li Rong was only a Second-Order Saint yet she could already fight evenly with a Demon General. If she were allowed to reach the Third Order, it was likely that even the current Demon Commander would not be her opponent!
Realizing this, Xue Li’s confidence wavered, wondering whether she should continue treating this legendary clan as her enemy, even secretly regretting killing the Coffin Carrying Man.
If she had not destroyed his corpse, all of them would have been able to sit down and discuss things; after all, they are all from the Demon Race, there was no need for them to kill each other in front of these Humans, allowing them to scoff at them for their lack of unity.
But from the look in Li Rong’s eyes, Xue Li knew there was no way this enmity could be resolved, it had reached a level where there could only be one survivor!
Gritting her teeth, Xue Li muttered, “Ancient Demon Clan… This Queen has experienced your methods today… When the Demon Commander comes to visit you, I hope you can still maintain your arrogance!”
Saying so, Xue Li’s tender body suddenly began squirming like a snake and the sound of bones snapping rang out. In the next moment, Blood Qi burst out from her body.
Li Rong’s beautiful face changed dramatically but it was too late for her to stop Xue Li even though she knew what she was trying to do.
*Peng…*
A muffled bang rang out and Demon General Xue Li’s body burst into a bloody fog, even her bones disintegrating in a crimson flash.
Yang Kai and Wu Jie, who were paying close attention to this battle, saw this scene and were instantly dumbstruck, neither of them even having imagined Xue Li would choose to blow herself up, especially when the fight was nowhere near being decided.
However, faintly, Yang Kai felt that something was off, silently thinking it was impossible for Xue Li to just up and die like this.
“Blood Escape?” Li Rong gnashed her teeth as she stared towards the blood fog in front of her. The fog seemed to contain strange yet powerful energy within it but that soon disappeared and the blood fog then swiftly dissipated, quickly fading into nothingness.
At the same time, just as Han Fei was about to strike down Yu Mo, the latter was shielded by a thin layer of red blood which had a faint golden radiance to it.
This blood layer wrapped Yu Mo up before transforming into a crimson bolt of lightning that soared away towards the horizon.
Li Rong stared sullenly towards the direction this crimson bolt escaped, clenching her fists and grinding her teeth but not making any attempt to pursue.
She had not anticipated that Xue Li would have such a technique up her sleeve. Although this technique consumed a vast amount of True Qi and vitality, it was a perfect method of escape. Once Xue Li displayed it, Li Rong no longer had a way to block her.
Because this was one of the Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities!
It seemed like Xue Li had gotten lucky when she refined the Demon God Golden Blood she inadvertently obtained and managed to comprehend some of the mysterious abilities belonging to Great Demon God.
However, just as everyone thought that Xue Li had successfully escaped, a radiant golden glow suddenly emerged from another point on the horizon and swiftly pursued her.
High up in the sky, a golden chain tore through the sky, as if it was a great dragon with a mind of its own.
This golden chain left behind a long afterimage, like a golden river that divided the Heavens in half, the purest of Yang Attribute auras radiating from it.
As this aura passed by them, all of the Ancient Demon clansmen frowned, showing an uncomfortable expression.
“Demon Sealing Chain?” Yang Kai exclaimed.
At a glance, he recognized this magnificent chain-like artifact as the same one he had obtained back in High Heaven Pavilion. It was thanks to this Demon Sealing Chain that Yang Kai was able to kill Demon General Meng Ge’s Soul Clone as well as the Demon Lord Yang Bai.
After coming to Tong Xuan Realm and entering Soaring Heaven Sect, Yang Kai returned the Demon Sealing Chain to its original owner.
Today, it should be in the hands of Chu Ling Xiao.
“Demon woman, you think you can despise my Human Race so? Coming and going as you please without any consequence?” A mighty bellow rang out, echoing throughout the surrounding world.
There seemed to be a mysterious force contained within this voice, deafening those who heard it and causing their blood to boil.
Everyone present heard this voice and couldn’t help their vitality from tumbling as their faces flushed.
At the same time this voice rang out, the Demon Sealing Chain whipped through the air, drawing a brilliant golden arc that seemed to bypass space itself.
A moment later, Xue Li’s pitiful scream reached everyone’s ears.
The blood-red bolt of lightning burst open, revealing Xue Li’s bloody and distressed figure, but she did not even stop for a second and only fled even faster.
Yang Kai’s expression suddenly became awkward.
He knew the owner of this voice was none of than the Martial ancestor of Soaring Heaven Sect, Chu Ling Xiao!
“Master!” Li Rong quickly arrived beside Yang Kai, her pretty face wearing a dignified expression as she quickly said, “The strength of the one approaching coming is very strong, and his artifact seems to be designed to restrain my Demon Race… Wait a moment, if something happens, Master must clearly draw a line between himself and my clan, after which I will lead the clansmen to hide deeper into this Snow Mountain Range.”
Yang Kai glanced at her before letting out a wry laugh and shaking his head, “No, I’ll handle this.”
Li Rong stared at him blankly for a moment but did not object, simply nodding her head and saying nothing more.
“Did Xue Li decide to flee because she detected this master approaching?” Yang Kai asked thoughtfully.
“Most likely,” Li Rong nodded, “Neither of us was capable of defeating the other, but if someone else on our level were to interfere… Even if she wanted to flee at that time, she wouldn’t be able to.”
“No wonder,” Yang Kai nodded.
No wonder Xue Li had so decisively broke off her fight with Li Rong and displayed such a profound Divine Ability just to escape, originally she was aware of the approaching threat.
It seemed this woman’s sense of smell was quite sharp.
“Right, I believe you just called the method Xue Li used ‘Blood Escape’, are you familiar with it?” Yang Kai asked with a frown.
“If I am not mistaken, that should be one of Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities,” Li Rong gently nodded before quickly comforting, “There is no need to be jealous of her, Master, when the Demon God Golden Blood inside you reaches a certain concentration, you will naturally be able to comprehend it.”
“I’m not jealous, just curious,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Speaking of Divine Abilities… Yang Kai had already obtained one after he refined a drop of Demon God Golden Blood, Soul Fission. Even now, his Soul Clone was being nourished inside his Knowledge Sea, waiting for the day it would become complete and ready to use.
However, it was still a surprise that Xue Li had comprehended this Divine Ability belonging to Great Demon God.
After Xue Li escaped, Zhang Ao and Cao Guan did not dare put up any more resistance, gathering together all of their subordinates in one place as they stared vigilantly towards Han Fei and the other Demon Race Saints around them.
They had followed Xue Li to the endless Snow Mountain Range this time thinking they had found a big backer and would no longer have to worry about Nine Heavens Holy Land seeking revenge, but things had actually developed into this abysmal situation.
Last time they joined forces to attack Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai managed to convince the Monster Race Great Senior to help him, causing serious damage to each of their Sects.
This time, Yang Kai had pulled off an even bigger stunt, somehow recruiting this powerful group of Demon Race people, one of them even capable of fighting on par with a Demon General, each of them a madman, unable to be reasoned or bargained with.
At this moment, Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and the others couldn’t help admiring Wu Jie to some extent, realizing that he was far more forward-looking than them.
Panic-stricken in his heart, Zhang Ao actually showed nothing on his face as he shouted out, “My Human Race’s master is about to arrive. If you Demons don’t run now when will you?”
Just now, when they saw Xue Li injured by the golden chain, Zhang Ao and the others finally saw hope, silently thinking to themselves that as long as this Human Race master arrived, they would be saved.
“That’s right!” Cao Guan echoed, “We don’t wish to be enemies with you, we were simply tricked into coming here by that cheap whore Xue Li. There’s no bitter hatred between us so why not just part ways here and never meet again? It should be the best solution for you too…”
The Ancient Demon Clan however made no response, only turning their attention to Yang Kai while waiting for him to speak.
Zhang Ao and the others quickly realized that this boy they had all once looked down on was now the only one who could determine whether they would live or die. Thinking about the debacle with Nine Heavens Holy Land two or three years ago, where they had hunted Yang Kai for months, fear once again welled up as they stared vigilantly towards him.
Clearly they were afraid that the next words to leave this little brat’s mouth would be an order to kill them.
Fortunately, the Human Race master who had just injured Xue Li was closer than they anticipate and arrived swiftly. After seeing this newcomer, Zhang Ao and the others smiled happily, all the fear and worry leaving their faces as they regained their confidence.
Because they found that it was not just one person who had come, but five!
One Third Order Saint and four First Order Saints instantly appeared in the sky above everyone, each of them wearing a slight frown as they stared down at this unusual gathering.
The one in the lead was a white-haired sage-like old man who despite his seemingly reserved temperament and aura was clearly an extremely powerful master. The other four were also not weak, seemingly having broken through to the Saint Realm for a number of years now.
The five Saints who just arrived, consisting of four males and one female, only glanced around for a moment before all of them turned their gazes towards Yang Kai, looks of incomprehension plastered all over their faces.
The one woman even began glaring at Yang Kai, grinding her teeth as her lips squirmed slightly, seemingly muttering something to herself.
From the way her lips moved though, it seemed as if she was repeatedly cursing.
The arrival of these five people brought great joy to Zhang Ao who immediately rushed over and cupped his fists, “Dare I ask this Brother’s honoured name and which force you hail from?”
The old man at the head of the group glanced towards Zhang Ao and narrowed his eyes slightly, “Soaring Heaven Sect’s… Chu Ling Xiao!”
“Chu Ling Xiao?” Zhang Ao muttered, smiling happily in the next instant as he loudly declared, “So it is Brother Chu. Please forgive this one’s rudeness. This Zhang has long since heard of Brother Chu’s great name, and after witnessing Brother Chu’s might, clearly it is well-deserved, even that evil wench Demon General Xue Li fled at the mere sight of Brother Chu, truly impressive.”
“Who are you?” Chu Ling Xiao swept his eyes over the Ancient Demon Clan before turning back to Zhang Ao and asking, his tone indifferent.
Zhang Ao and Cao Guan quickly reported their names.
“Shattering Mystical Palace, War Spirit Temple?” Chu Ling Xiao thought for a moment before continuing, “What are the two of you doing here, hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from your respective Sects? Moreover, dragging so many people along with you.”
Sensing some blame in Chu Ling Xiao’s tone, Zhang Ao couldn’t help wincing slightly.
Although this place was not close to Soaring Heaven Sect; regardless of how one put it this was still close to Soaring Heaven Sect’s territory. As outsiders passing through and even operating in this region, they should have gone to pay a visit to the overlord of this region, but for this expedition into the Snow Mountain Range, they had only used a lot of money to forcefully invite the nearby Ancient Moon Cave Heaven and Luo Sheng Sect to assist them.
There were no powerful masters in these two forces, which was why Zhang Ao and Cao Guan weren’t worried about them stirring up any trouble.
Zhang Ao quickly tried to explain, “We were simply following clues regarding the legendary Coffin Carrying Man and inadvertently arrived here when suddenly this group of Demons suddenly appeared. It seems that Demon General Xue Li was up to something nefarious here and we unintentionally stumbled upon it. If it weren’t for Brother Chu’s prompt arrival, I’m afraid none of us would have been able to escape from her poisonous grip!”
Zhang Ao spoke these words with a trembling voice and pained look upon his face, as if he was speaking from his heart while suffering great injustice.
Cao Guan also hurriedly echoed his statements.
Li Rong sneered softly, her beautiful face filled with disappointment, “These people are true masters at reversing black and white. Master, may I shut them up forever?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
Li Rong had not bothered concealing her voice so her words quickly reached Zhang Ao’s ears, the latter puffing up his chest and flying into a rage as he shouted, “Slut, in front of one of my Human Race’s top powerhouses, you dare act dissolute? Obediently surrender and we may spare your lives!”
At this moment, Zhang Ao’s attitude had taken a complete turn from just a moment ago.
Before Chu Ling Xiao arrived here, he and Cao Guan only spoke softly, showing deference and asking to resolve the situation peacefully.
But the moment Chu Ling Xiao arrived, their attitudes instantly changed, becoming arrogant and overbearing.
This display only made Li Rong look down on them even further.
“Brother Chu!” Zhang Ao turned back to Chu Ling Xiao, “This group of Demon Race evildoers must be the subordinates that Xue Li brought to our Human Race’s territory. Brother Chu does not need to speak any nonsense with them, it would be best to immediately kill all of them and those two human traitors with them!”
Saying so, he pointed indignantly towards Yang Kai and Wu Jie.
“Is that so?” Chu Ling Xiao glanced at him faintly before shifting his eyes to Yang Kai again, letting out an exasperated sigh.
Right now, all he wanted to know was how this little Martial Grandson of his kept managing to involve himself in such troublesome matters; also, from what Chu Ling Xiao could see, Yang Kai’s relationship with this group of Demons was not superficial.
[This little brat…] Chu Ling Xiao secretly shook his head, his mood quite complicated.
“Master, if that old man and the others take action, you first withdraw together with Han Fei, she will protect you safely,” Li Rong whispered into Yang Kai’s ear as she raised her guard.
Chu Ling Xiao gave her a lot of pressure, as the master who had long reached the Third Order Saint Realm; he was indeed a top level powerhouse of this world.
What concerned Li Rong the most though was the chain-like artifact he had used to injure Xue Li.
The pure Yang Attribute that pulsed from it restrained their Demonic Qi inside their bodies greatly. In the hands of a master like Chu Ling Xiao, the power it could display was not to be underestimated.
After suffering that strike, Li Rong estimated that Xue Li would need at least a month or two to completely heal.
“Old man?” Yang Kai brow rose as he couldn’t stop himself from chuckling, not responding to Li Rong’s concerns and simply stepping forward towards Chu Ling Xiao and cupping his fists, “Disciple Yang Kai greets Ancestral Founder!”
“Ancestral Founder?” Li Rong couldn’t help covering her mouth in surprise, her beautiful pupils shivering slightly, seemingly shocked that Yang Kai actually had such a relationship with this kind of Human Race master.
Zhang Ao and Cao Guan were also both stunned, suddenly recalling a critical piece of information they had discovered before.
Yang Kai was a disciple of Soaring Heaven Sect!
In all the excitement just now, they had temporarily forgotten this point.
“Smelly brat, get over here now!” Fei Yu, who was standing behind Chu Ling Xiao, shouted.
“Coming…” Yang Kai’s shoulders drooped helplessly as he quickly walked over.
Arriving in front of these five, Yang Kai wore a big awkward smile.
Nearby, both the Ancient Demon Clan and Zhang Ao’s group stared over towards them, listening carefully, wondering what these six would say.
Knowing this, Chu Ling Xiao waved his hand and erected a barrier to isolate them from outside probing.
“How did Ancestral Founder and four Martial Seniors know to come here?” Yang Kai’s brow twitched slightly, somewhat restlessly looking around at these familiar faces.
Cang Yan quickly explained, “When that Demon woman arrived here, Ancestral Founder detected her, but not knowing what her purpose was, we decided to observe her quietly first. It wasn’t until today when that great battle broke out that we decided to take action. When that Demon woman fled, she suffered a heavy blow, but it seems she still managed to get away.”
“So that’s it!” Yang Kai suddenly understood.
Although Chu Ling Xiao was in retreat almost all year round in his secluded residence, when a master like Xue Li arrived within a few thousand kilometers of him there was no way she could evade his detection.
In an instant, Yang Kai had a clear and profound understanding of Chu Ling Xiao’s tyrannical strength!
He had long speculated what level this Ancestral Founder of his had reached.
But now Yang Kai was able to confirm that Chu Ling Xiao was indeed a Third Order Saint that stood close or is at the apex of those at his level.
This made sense though as after all, he had killed a Demon General in the past!
“Smelly brat, weren’t you exploring the Alchemy Way with Old Man Du in Grand Boulder City? How come you suddenly rushed out here?” Fei Yu was both angry and confused; some time ago, Mi Na had visited Soaring Heaven Sect to relay Yang Kai’s message to her, saying he would be staying in Grand Boulder City for a while and not to worry about him. Fei Yu believed this and didn’t bother going to Grand Boulder City to find him but now they had suddenly met here, thousands of kilometers away from where Yang Kai was supposedly staying.
“It’s a long story… Where should Martial Nephew begin?” Yang Kai replied seriously.
“Just tell us all that you can. As for what you can’t, there’s no need to force yourself, this old master is also quite curious how this situation came to be,” Chu Ling Xiao smiled as he spoke to Yang Kai, no trace of blame in his tone, seemingly not intending to chastise Yang Kai for being too close to the Ancient Demon Clan.
Yang Kai glanced at him then at his three Martial Uncles and Martial Aunt, discovering curious looks on all of their faces.
Nodding lightly, Yang Kai began, “Then disciple will speak, Ancestral Founder, Martial Seniors, try not to be too surprised.”
“Hmph, who do you think we are? Do you think it’s that easy to surprise us?” Fei Yu spat disdainfully.
“I suppose I must start from the time shortly after I arrived here in Tong Xuan Realm. This will take a while to say…” Yang Kai thought about it and began from the point where he encountered the Coffin Carrying Man in Raging Flame City and how he was captured and thrown into a Mysterious Small World by him. Just as Yang Kai anticipated, it wasn’t long before Chu Ling Xiao and his several Martial Seniors wore shocked looks upon their faces.
Yang Kai didn’t dare mention anything about his Unyielding Golden Skeleton or his relationship with Great Demon God, instead only explaining how in exchange for rescuing the Ancient Demon Clan, they had agreed to serve him.
Although there were holes and inconsistencies all over the place in his story, Chu Ling Xiao and the others didn’t ask any question and just listened to his explanations quietly.
Understanding why this group of Demon Race people were so close to Yang Kai, Chu Ling Xiao thoughtfully asked, “So what you mean to say is, they are completely obedient towards you?”
“En.”
“Is there any chance of them revolting?”
“None!” Yang Kai firmly declared.
Chu Ling Xiao stared at him deeply, seemingly trying to see into the depths of his Soul, a moment later his gaze softening as he nodded, “Very good, although you are not old, you act in a calm and composed manner and should not bring any harm to our Human Race. Since they are willing to obey you, they can also be regarded as a force in their hands… but remember, that power is a double-edged sword, if you wield it unskillfully, you will only end up harming yourself.”
Yang Kai wore a thoughtfully look as he nodded, “Disciple will remember.”
“Moreover, you will certainly become the target of countless people’s hostility. If you are not prepared for such a reality, I advise you to give them up now. Once you accept them, your future road will become filled with thorns with many masters you have never even met before declaring you a life and death enemy!” Chu Ling Xiao spoke solemnly.
“Disciple is aware!”
“Good, then this old master will say nothing more,” Chu Ling Xiao smiled, “Soaring Heaven Sect cannot accommodate them, so where do you plan on having them stay? Will you be leading them to the Demon Land?”
If this group of Ancient Demon clansmen were placed in Soaring Heaven Sect, never mind what outsiders would think, even the disciples inside Soaring Heaven Sect would likely find it unacceptable.
Doing so would have a massive negative impact on Soaring Heaven Sect’s reputation.
Outsiders may think that Soaring Heaven Sect was colluding with the Demon Race.
Hearing this from Chu Ling Xiao, Yang Kai knew he couldn’t hide it anymore and said, “Disciple already has a place in mind where they can stay.”
“Oh? Let’s hear it.”
“I’ll take them to Nine Heavens Holy Land, which is on the edge of the Human Territory, bordering the Monster Domain, there should be no problem if they settle down there.”
“Nine Heavens Holy Land?” Cang Yan frowned, “Are you familiar with that place? How could they possibly agree to allow you to place a thousand members of the Demon Race there?”
“I also heard that there was a great upheaval in Nine Heavens Holy Land and that it was currently being occupied by a Great Senior from the Monster Race,” Fei Yu also said with concern, “If you go there now, even if you have some kind of acquaintance, you won’t be able to find them. That Monster Race Great Senior is a top-level Third Order Saint, not someone you’ll be able to negotiate with.”
Yang Kai scratched his head awkwardly as he quietly muttered, “Martial Seniors need not be worried; actually, disciple is the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land…”
The jaws of all four Martial Seniors dropped at that moment as they stared dumbly towards Yang Kai.
Even Chu Ling Xiao gawked at him for a moment.
Only after a long time did Cang Yan hesitantly asked Yang Kai, “Little Martial Nephew, are you joking… or is that really the case?”
“Does it look like I’m cracking a joke?” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders.
“The new Holy Master?” Li Wan’s mouth twitched continuously, seemingly unable to process what he just heard.
Fei Jian thought for a moment before nodding, “Good, I really heard that Nine Heavens Holy Land had a new Holy Master and that he was quite young…” Saying so, he swept his eyes up and down Yang Kai, seemingly contemplating the possibilities.
“Why you smelly little brat!” Fei Yu shouted, “What else are you still hiding from us!? Out with it! All of it!”
“Nothing!” Yang Kai shrank his neck, “I was looking for a chance to tell Martial Uncles and Martial Aunt, but there just hasn’t been an opportunity to so… heh heh.”
“That Monster Race Great Senior… can you handle him?” Chu Ling Xiao looked at Yang Kai somewhat skeptically.
“Ancestral Founder can rest assured, I have an agreement with that Monster Race Great Senior for them to guard Nine Heavens Holy Land. Now I can return there to claim it back though.”
“En, you really have such power in your hands now,” Chu Ling Xiao glanced over towards Li Rong and the others and smiled slightly, “Although this old master does not have any good impressions of the Demon Race, from what I can see, they truly care about you. That woman there was the one who fought against Xue Li, yes?”
“En, Xue Li killed the Coffin Carrying Man, the hatred between them cannot be easily resolved.”
“Very well, this group of Demon Race people… handle them as you see fit. If it were not you standing in front of this old master, it would be absolutely impossible for me to agree to let them go.”
“Many thanks, Ancestral Founder,” Yang Kai said gratefully.
Yang Kai once again felt deeply how much faith and care Chu Ling Xiao and his Martial Seniors gave him.
Just as Chu Ling Xiao had said, if it had been anyone else standing here right now, he would not be willing to give up.
“Martial Ancestor, what about those Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple people?” Cang Yan’s brow wrinkled slightly, a slight glimmer of light flashing across his eyes, “If we just let them go, many of little Martial Nephew’s secrets will soon spread out!”
Chu Ling Xiao’s brow wrinkled for an instant before casually saying, “This old master brought you four here today only to intercept Demon General Xue Li, as for the others… I saw nothing.”
Hearing this, the Four Soaring Heaven Sect Saints were momentarily stunned before they quickly turned meaningful grins towards Yang Kai, chuckling slightly as they did so.
Cang Yan then patted Yang Kai’s shoulder, “Little Martial Nephew, take care of yourself, if you ever encounter any problem you cannot solve alone, feel free to return to the Sect at any time, Soaring Heaven Sect will always be your home.”
“I’ll leave your room in Serene Resplendent Peak free, remember to come back often to visit,” Fei Yu said with a smile.
“If you don’t show up every now and then, we’ll go to Nine Heavens Holy Land instead so we can witness the prestige of the new Holy Master! I heard that there are several Saintesses over there… each of them a great beauty…” Li Wan grinned meaningfully.
Fei Jian remained silent as always, simply nodding lightly towards Yang Kai.
“Martial Uncles, Martial Aunt…” Yang Kai’s lips trembled slightly, not knowing what to say, only feeling warmth in his heart.
“Let’s go, we need to see if we can catch up to that Demon Woman. After suffering a blow from my Demon Sealing Chain, she no doubt suffered serious damage,” Chu Ling Xiao’s eyes suddenly became sharp as he stared towards the horizon, swiftly wrapping his True Qi around the other four before transforming into a bolt of light which shot off into the distance.
“Brother Chu… Brother Chu!” Seeing this, Zhang Ao couldn’t help feeling shocked and calling out in panic.
He never expected that Chu Ling Xiao would simply ask a few questions of them before flying off, not even bothering to put in a word for them much less save them.
“Brother Zhang, we’ve clearly been abandoned. That damn Chu Ling Xiao and this little bastard are no doubt working together!” Cao Guan’s complexion became incomparably cold and gloomy.
Realizing this, their heart sank into a dark abyss.
The thousand or so Ancient Demon clansmen rushed over and surrounded them as Demon Crests appeared on the faces of the five Saint Realm masters, their auras all surging up and filling with fighting intent.
Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and the others could not help but stumble back a few steps as they hurriedly began gathering their strength, gulping in horror as they stared around at the Ancient Demon clansmen.
“Master, how should we deal with these people?” Li Rong asked lightly.
Yang Kai grinned silently.
Seemingly aware of Yang Kai’s murderous intent, Zhang Ao hurriedly called out, “Holy Master Yang, is there a need to act ruthless? This time it was indeed we who were in the wrong, but there is always room to negotiate! When we meet in the future, it isn’t impossible for us to be friends! This Zhang can also swear that nothing that has transpired here today will leave any of our lips!”
“Always room to negotiate?” Yang Kai chuckled, “Is there any need for that? I think that after today, we will never meet again!”
Saying so, his eyes flashed a cold light as he decisively shouted, “Kill!”
Since the crisis at Nine Heavens Holy Land, this group of people had constantly been acting against him, even just now they had been trying to reverse black and white and confuse right and wrong. Leaving such people alive will surely lead to disaster in the future.
Yang Kai was by no means a magnanimous person, rather, he was someone who needed to seek vengeance for even the slightest grievance.
With his character, now that he had them cornered, how could he allow Zhang Ao and Cao Guan to survive?
When Yang Kai gave the order, the thousand Ancient Demon clansmen all cheered excitedly, summoning out all kinds of strange and ancient artifacts as they rushed towards the Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple cultivators.
The Ancient Demon Clan had been imprisoned for too long.
They were the elite of the Demon Race, the epitome of bloodthirst and brutality…
Their innate temperament which had been suppressed deep in their bones for thousands of years, unable to be released, now finally had a chance to re-surface.
Each of them held nothing back, using their full strength right from the start as they crashed down upon the Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple disciples like a tsunami.
The four Saints of these two forces were also being eyed by Han Fei and the other Ancient Demon Clan Saints.
Han Fei and Hua Mo, who had just broken through to the Second Order Saint Realm, were in desperate need of a bloody battle to consolidate their cultivations and improve their understanding of their current realm, so naturally, they showed no mercy.
Although Zhang Ao was also an established Second-Order Saint, facing the Ancient Demon Clan masters using their Demon God Transformations, he was unable to even fight back. Li Rong didn’t even make a move, simply allowing the others to fight to their hearts’ content.
Hot blood splashed and screams echoed through the air as the once pure white Snow Mountain Range was dyed dark red.
As fresh corpses were rapidly created, everyone who witnessed this scene had a look of horror fill their face as fear flashed across their eyes.
The ruthlessness of the Ancient Demon Clan not only frightened the enemy but even Wu Jie, who was spectating nearby, couldn’t help shivering unconsciously.
They way they fought was the very definition of savage. Even if their opponent was already dead, they would continue ripping them apart. No one who died did so with a whole corpse, many of them even shredded into so many pieces they could no longer be identified.
In the midst of this fierce battle, the Ancient Demon clansmen subconsciously licked their lips and glared at their opponents cruelly, seemingly revelling in their wanton slaughter.
Even Guan’er, who usually wore a sweet and cheerful expression, seemed to have transformed into another person entirely, her pretty face filled with ferocious murderous intent as her Demon Crests pulsed with Demonic Qi, often causing her opponents to lose all fighting spirit before she even laid a finger on them.
“Let no chicken or dog remain!”
Li Rong called out, waving her hand and sending out several bolts of blood-red light which flew through the crowd and quickly seized several Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple cultivators. These cultivators desperately tried to escape but were unable to resist and were soon crushed into bloody pulps as they let out tragic screams.
In the next instant, Li Rong’s figure flickered and shot towards Zhang Ao.
Wu Jie’s mouth went dry, his body trembling as he stared out at this bloody purgatory, feeling no small amount of fear.
It was as if all the Ancient Demon clansmen were filled with madness, excitedly swimming through the crowd, killing one enemy after another as they bathed in their blood.
They clearly enjoyed this kind of killing; no need for mercy or restraint, simply slaughtering everything before them.
Wu Jie finally realized just how terrifying this group of Demons was and couldn’t help feeling a chill in his heart.
Compared with the Demon Race people he knew, this group of people were more like real demons!
The cruel madness on display in front of him even began to influence his mind, causing his blood to boil up. Gradually, Wu Jie’s eyes became red and his trembling stopped, a kind of bloodthirst slowly building up inside him, urging him to charge forward and join this savage battle.
This feeling continued to build until Wu Jie almost could not control himself.
“Wu Jie!” Suddenly, Yang Kai’s shout resounded in his ear.
Hearing this call, Wu Jie’s body shivered and clarity returned to his bloodshot eyes, the thirst for slaughter quickly fading.
Swiftly recovering, Wu Jie dripped with cold sweat and hurriedly shielded his consciousness, fearing he would once again be influenced by the aura the Ancient Demon Clan was emitting.
“Many thanks, Sir Holy Master!” Wu Jie quickly thanked Yang Kai, in his heart admiring him even more than before.
This young man’s cultivation was lower than his own yet he could remain completely clear-headed even in this situation. Obviously, Yang Kai’s mental strength had exceeded his own.
Realizing this, Wu Jie was filled with amazement.
Every attack from the Ancient Demon clansmen cut off a limb or head from their enemies, causing blood to spray out.
The black Demonic Qi released by them seemed to take on a life of its own and like a giant beast slammed into the crowd with overwhelming force, destroying what little will to resist the remaining Shattering Mystical Palace and the War Spirit Temple cultivators had, their screams of terror ringing out as they died in despair.
The pure and pristine Snow Mountain Range has become a purgatory filled with blood that flowed like meandering streams, with residual flesh and bones scattered about.
Soon, the disciples of these two forces were all either dead or dying.
Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and the other Saints had become desperate, madly shouting as they tried to resist but in front of Li Rong and the other Ancient Demon Clan Saints, they were helpless, their struggles only serving to prolong their suffering.
The human race Transcendent Realm masters soon fell too.
The four Saints were also gradually losing ground.
Zhang Ao continued to display extraordinary strength, the aftermath of each of his attacks killing several low-level Ancient Demon clansmen, infuriating Li Rong who only intensified her assault.
Yang Kai was indifferent to all of this as he deeply understood the law of the jungle.
Time passed quickly, and soon the battle subsided.
Dead bodies filled the area and the victorious Ancient Demon clansmen howled towards the Heavens, seemingly finding it difficult to accept that the battle was over, their Demonic Qi and thick killing intent clouding the sky, causing the entire region with gloom.
Of Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple’s four Saint Realm master, three had been killed in battle and only Zhang Ao remained.
Li Rong bound him with a thick blood-red energy rope, completely restricting his movements and strength, before dragging him over and tossing him in front of Yang Kai.
Standing at the center of this Shura purgatory, Yang Kai closed his eyes and activated the Demon Eye of Annihilation in his Knowledge Sea, swiftly absorbing all the scattered Soul remnants from the recently deceased cultivators.
Zhang Ao waited with trepidation, wondering what kind of fate he would face, cold sweat dripping down his back as he stared at Yang Kai in horror.
Only after a while did Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and looked down at Zhang Ao in front of him.
“Holy Master Yang… regardless of anything else, this Zhang is still a powerful master. I ask you to show mercy and spare my life, and in exchange, this Zhang is willing to become Holy Master Yang’s servant and faithfully obey any command given to him!” Not waiting for Yang Kai to speak, Zhang Ao hurriedly stated, fearing he would immediately be executed.
Seeing him act so timid and weak, Li Rong and others couldn’t help revealing looks of disdain.
“A powerful master… good, you did manage to pursue me for several months,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “But I apologize, I have no interest in you, I already hold enough strength in my hands. Moreover, keeping you around doesn’t bring me any advantage.”
“Holy Master Yang, please wait, no matter what it is you want…” Noticing Yang Kai’s murderous intent, Zhang Ao was really afraid, hurriedly turning to the nearby Wu Jie and shouting, “Sect Master Wu, out of respect for our many years of friendship, please help me say a few words.”
Wu Jie sighed deeply and shook his head, “Brother Zhang… A single misdeed may be forgiven, but a series of them may not… this Wu advised you two years ago to take a step back, but you insisted on acting ruthlessly. Now that the situation has reversed, what more can this Wu say? Also, it was only thanks to Sir Holy Master’s assistance that this Wu managed to maintain his feeble existence, how could I speak against him now?”
Seeing Wu Jie refuse his request, Zhang Ao was somewhat dejected but hurriedly recovered and said, “Holy Master Yang, I have a secret. As long as you promise not to kill me, I can tell you all about it.”
“A secret?” Yang Kai chuckled, “Who doesn’t have secrets? Does your secret even have any value to me?”
“This secret may be related to the legendary Starry Sky, and I think Holy Master Yang should be interested. You are the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, sooner or later you will reach the peak of the Third Order Saint Realm, the only thing left for such a powerhouse to pursue is the path to the Starry Sky!” Zhang Ao explained.
Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly, truly feeling somewhat interested, bending down slightly as he stared at Zhang Ao, “How do you know your secret is related to the mystery of the Starry Sky?”
“Because this Zhang personally experienced it once, as if I was floating amidst an endless blackness with faint stars far off in the distance, a very unusual scene…”
“Master, this guy is just trying to stall for time by making up wild stories,” Han Fei shouted coldly.
Yang Kai raised his hand to calm her before gesturing to Zhang Ao, “Continue.”
Seeing that Yang Kai really seemed to be interested, Zhang Ao suddenly felt a lot more spirited and quickly said, “There was also a very strange force in the surroundings. Even though this Zhang was already a Second-Order Saint at the time, it was still somewhat difficult to resist that pressure. It felt almost as if my entire body would be crushed to pieces in the next moment. I believe that only a Third Order Saint would be capable of bearing that horrible force with their flesh.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly. What Zhang Ao just said matched almost perfectly with his own experience in the Starry Sky, adding greatly to the latter’s credibility. Only those who had experienced the Starry Sky in person could describe it so accurately.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Kai grinned, “You said you had some secret yes? What does it have to do with the Starry Sky? How do you know that what you experienced was actually the Starry Sky?”
“Speaking truthfully Holy Master Yang, at first this Zhang didn’t pay much attention to all of this, until one day I obtained a very strange stone inside the Sect. That stone didn’t belong to this realm… over the following years, this Zhang often managed to obtain some scattered stones from that place until one day I discovered something far more valuable.”
“Oh? What?” Yang Kai asked dryly.
“That thing is in this Zhang’s Universe Bag, feel free to check for yourself. After seeing it, you will know if this Zhang is making up stories or not,” Zhang Ao said.
Yang Kai glanced over at his Universe Bag and reached out for it but just as he was about to open it, Li Rong quickly stepped forward, “Master, allow me.”
She clearly distrusted Zhang Ao and feared he had left some kind of trap behind in his Universe Bag.
Hearing this, Yang Kai nodded and handed the Universe Bag to Li Rong.
Li Rong accepted the Universe Bag and immediately opened it, but before she could even begin to examine it, a strange burst of energy shot from it and sank into Li Rong’s forehead.
Li Rong’s movements went stiff and her tender body trembled slightly, seemingly suffering a great deal of pain.
“There really was a trap!” Han Fei’s expression became even colder, patting her hand towards Zhang Ao in the next instant, shattering half the bones in his body.
“Don’t kill him yet!” Yang Kai hurriedly stopped her, his expression quite gloomy as he hurried over and examined Li Rong’s injury.
If Li Rong had not suddenly interceded, it was likely he would be the one writhing in pain right now!
“I’m fine… it was just an attack by a wisp of his Divine Sense,” Li Rong held her forehead and whispered, “It contained a kind of enslavement command, I’ve already resolved it.”
As an even more powerful Second-Order Saint, Zhang Ao’s secret arrangements obviously were ineffective against Li Rong.
Zhang Ao immediately looked dispirited and somewhat unwilling.
What he didn’t know was that even if this attack had been taken by Yang Kai, it would not have had any effect.
He had used all his cunning to try to lure Yang Kai into exploring his Universe Bag so he could control him in one fell swoop, but unfortunately for him, he had failed.
After suffering Han Fei’s attack, Zhang Ao could only lie spread out on the ground, his entire body screaming out in pain as he glared around at his captors.
Yang Kai chuckled lightly as he stood up and walked over to Zhang Ao, nodding lightly, “It seems you have more courage than I gave you credit for! Tell me, how do you want to die?”
Zhang Ao’s eyes blazed with hatred and helplessness, refusing to say a word, obviously knowing there was no longer any hope of escape this time.
After watching him for a while, Yang Kai waved his hand impatiently, “Kill him!”
Zhang Ao roared at that moment, “Kill me and you’ll never learn that secret!”
He made his final effort.
The only answer he received though was Han Fei’s fatal strike.
Unnoticed by anyone though, Zhang Ao’s Soul remnant which leaked from his Knowledge Sea was absorbed by Yang Kai.
Sending his Soul Avatar into his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai carefully placed the Spiritual Energy remnant which belonged to Zhang Ao into a separate corner, preparing to examine it later when he had some free time.
Yang Kai was actually quite interested in the secret Zhang Ao was talking about before he died.
Now, there was no one left from Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple, only Wu Jie remained standing, wearing a complicated look upon his face, feeling a tinge of sadness but also a great sense of fortune. Thankfully he had taken the initiative to speak with Yang Kai two years ago and negotiate for peace, otherwise he and his Netherworld Sect’s elite would definitely be amongst the field of corpses spread out before him.
“Wu Jie, are there any dead from your Netherworld Sect?” Yang Kai turned and asked.
Wu Jie slowly shook his head, “Before I made my escape I sent a message to my Vice Sect Master telling him to take our people and leave; Zhang Ao and the others were only interested in chasing you so they didn’t bother with them. The only dead here belong to Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple, even those guys from Ancient Moon Cave Heaven and Luo Sheng Sect seemed to have abandoned them.”
“En, very good,” Yang Kai nodded gently.
“My people haven’t left very far…” Wu Jie sensed, “Sir Holy Master, can I call them over?”
Yang Kai nodded, not preventing him.
“Senior Li…” The newly-promoted Yin Ya and Xue Ji flew over, holding a Universe Bag in their hands and reporting, “What remains of Coffin Slave Senior have been collected.”
Li Rong’s expression became gloomy as she accepted the Universe Bag.
Yang Kai glanced over at her and softly spoke, “Please restrain your grief, Coffin Slave Senior faithfully completed his long mission and can now rest.”
“En, it is as Master says.”
“Tonight, we’ll rest here and allow all of you to adapt to the outside world. We’ll clean up and leave tomorrow morning.”
“Yes!” Li Rong took the lead and began organizing the others.
It was only now that the Demon Crests which covered all of the Ancient Demon Clan gradually dispersed, the thick Demonic Qi which filled the air also dissipating, allowing the surrounding atmosphere to finally relax.
There were some casualties among the thousand Ancient Demon clansmen who fought in this battle, but the number was quite small, somewhere between twenty and thirty in total. Now that it came time to bury them, the living couldn’t help shedding some tears.
All of them had been waiting countless years to experience the outside world and had finally managed to come out from that Mysterious Small World today, but before they could even see any part of it, some of them had lost their lives. Their living companions naturally felt sorry for them.
But soon, the Ancient Demon Clan’s mood lifted, many of them staring up at the moon and stars in the sky, unable to peel their eyes away, a sense of anticipation filling their hearts, imagining just what the rising sun tomorrow would look like.
Late at night, the Snow Mountain Range air felt unusually cold.
However, the Ancient Demon clansmen were completely unaffected, some of them even laid down half naked on the snow to experience this unfamiliar coldness.
At some point, snow had started falling, causing gasps of surprise to ring out as the Ancient Demon clansmen held out their hands to catch the falling flakes.
Everything about the outside world was fresh and new for them.
Yang Kai sat cross-legged off to the side, refining and absorbing the Soul remnants he had absorbed of those who had died in the previous battle just now while comparing and cataloguing their insights into the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way with his own.
“Master,” Li Rong came over and softly called out.
Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked up at her, “What happened?”
“I found something strange.”
“Oh? What?”
Li Rong quickly handed over what was in her hand.
The moment Yang Kai accepted it, he felt an odd sensation pulse through his body. Staring blankly at it, he discovered this object was a dark red stone about the size of a small clenched fist.
Yang Kai’s knowledge at a considerable level. Because of his immersion in Alchemy, he had become quite skilled at identifying or at least evaluating this world’s rare treasures, spirit grasses, and spirit medicines.
However, he was at a complete loss regarding this stone.
It had a reddish colour to it and felt somewhat damp, as if it had just been plucked out of a stream of water, but there was no sign of liquid anywhere on its surface.
What drew Yang Kai’s attention the most though was the huge force of vitality contained inside this stone.
In fact, listening carefully, Yang Kai could even hear a thumping sound coming from it along with the sound of flowing water.
There was also a thick bloody smell that wafted from it.
“Where did you find it?” Yang Kai asked.
“It was inside the Universe Bag of that person.”
She was talking about Zhang Ao but obviously never bothered to remember his name.
Yang Kai looked it over a while longer before shaking his head, “You’re unable to recognize what it is?”
Li Rong slowly shook her head, pondering for a moment before suggesting, “Perhaps Hua Mo will be able to identify it, he is the oldest of my clan…” Saying so, she silently sent him a Divine Sense message.
Hearing her call, the leaders of the Ancient Demon Clan gathered together.
The dark red stone was passed around between the five Saints but each of them only took a moment to observe it before shaking their heads. Like Yang Kai, they also noted the thick bloody smell coming from it, wondering why this strange stone seemed like it was filled with a massive quantity of blood.
“Sir Holy Master… can you let me take a look?” Wu Jie suddenly said.
Yang Kai casually tossed the stone over to him.
Wu Jie grabbed it and examined it carefully before condensing some of his True Qi at his fingertips and injecting it into the stone, causing it to emit a strange force that seemed to disturb the blood inside it.
Seeing this, the Ancient Demon Clan’s Saints couldn’t help staring in surprise.
Wu Jie nodded lightly as he handed the stone back to Yang Kai and said, “If I am not mistaken, this should be a Blood Essence Stone!”
“Blood Essence Stone?” Yang Kai’s brow furrowed while Li Rong and the others also wore confused looks, obviously never having heard of such an item before.
“What Zhang Ao was talking about before he died may be true…” Wu Jie spoke thoughtfully, “I thought he was just trying to lure Sir Holy Master into the trap that was set on his Universe Bag, but perhaps there was more to it than just that.”
“You mean, what he was saying about the Starry Sky?”
“Indeed,” Wu Jie nodded sincerely, “Because this Blood Essence Stone is not a product of Tong Xuan Realm, but something from the Starry Sky!”
Yang Kai’s eyes immediately lit up!
The Starry Sky was a place of legend in Tong Xuan Realm, one no one had ever truly explored.
Yang Kai and Di Yao had visited the Starry Sky through the Thousand Year Demon Flower many years ago and Yang Kai had even spent a year or so in it, but the Starry Sky was simply too vast to explore in such a short time. As such, after breaking through to the Transcendent Realm, Yang Kai had immediately rushed back.
“Sir Holy Master is aware that some unique products from the Starry Sky appear in Tong Xuan Realm from time to time, yes?”
“Naturally,” Yang Kai nodded, “I’ve seen some of them before.”
Back when he was a ‘guest’ of Bright Thunder Spirit Religion, Du Wan had taken out a strange blue stone that originated from the Starry Sky and used it to for a barrier to resist the destructive power of the Wind Eye exploding, after which the stone had shattered.
“Most of these unique products are strange stones which inadvertently land in our World after drifting here from the Starry Sky. Some have no effect and are just ordinary stones, making them worthless, but this Blood Essence Stone is different!”
“How do you know all this?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
Wu Jie shrugged his shoulders, “I had an acquaintance who possessed a similar stone before, but the one he had was much smaller than this one.”
“What is it used for?”
“If Sir Holy Master injects his True Qi into it, you will be quickly come to understand what use it has!” Wu Jie smiled mysteriously.
Yang Kai didn’t ask any more and simply held out the Blood Essence Stone and poured his True Qi into it.
In an instant, the stone went from dark to bright red and released a brilliant crimson light that caused the hearts of everyone nearby to jump.
The Blood Essence Stone then began emitting a strange force that drew in all of the spilt blood from the surroundings, literally pulling it out of the ground it had just soaked into a few hours earlier.
At a speed visible to the naked eye, subtle depressions in the area around Yang Kai began to appear as more and more blood was drawn out of it.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Tens of thousands of tiny blood droplets flew over from the surrounding dozen kilometer radius and sank into the Blood Essence Stone.
The Great Commanders of the Ancient Demon Clan all watched this fantastical scene in amazement.
The blood which flowed towards the Blood Essence Stone and was swallowed up was clearly the blood from the people who had died here before.
The Blood Essence Stone was like a bottomless pit, no matter how much blood it absorbed, it never seemed to be filled.
With the influx of fresh blood, the red radiance of the Blood Essence Stone and the blood smell it gave off became stronger and stronger.
After a while, the streams of blood flowing towards the stone gradually weakened until they finally ceased altogether. The Snow Mountain Range, which had moments ago been stained dark red with blood, had once again becomes pure white, as if it had never been dirtied in the first place.
Yang Kai couldn’t help showing a look of surprise and admiration.
The Blood Essence Stone in his grip now seemed to have taken on a life of its own and was bursting with vitality.
Sending his Spiritual Energy into the Blood Essence Stone, Yang Kai manipulated a wisp of the strange energy contained within it and drew it out, inhaling it into his lungs.
Upon doing so, Yang Kai felt as if his own vitality had surged and noticeably strengthened, his entire physique seemingly rejoicing as it filled with explosive power.
“This is…” Yang Kai quickly revealed a joyful expression as he called out to Li Rong, “Bring over one of your seriously injured clansmen!”
Li Rong gently nodded, and quickly left.
Returning a moment later, she brought an Ancient Demon clansman who had lost his arm.
Even though his arm had been cut off in battle not long ago, the Ancient Demon clansman still wore a leisurely face, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary
“Greetings, Master!” The Ancient Demon clansman hurriedly bowed.
What Yang Kai’s true identity and his relationship with the Ancient Demon Clan was, Li Rong had carefully explained to all her clansmen already.
“Rise, where is your severed arm?” Yang Kai asked.
“I threw it away,” The clansman replied simply, speaking as if he had tossed away a piece of trash rather than his arm, at the same time directing a curious look towards Yang Kai, wondering why he would ask such a question.
“You threw it away?” Yang Kai’s face went black, “Go get it back.”
“En,” The clansman nodded, not asking anything, simply walking off in a certain direction to look for his lost arm.
Han Fei’s brow furrowed slightly as she couldn’t help asking suspicious, “Master, could it be you want to… connect his severed arm?”
“It’s worth a try,” Yang Kai chuckled, “There is an astonishing amount of vitality contained within this thing, it may be possible to use it to reconnect his arm.”
Saying so, he glanced over at Wu Jie and asked, “Is this the use of the Blood Essence Stone you spoke of?”
Wu Jie laughed lightly and replied, “I only know that it has a very powerful healing effect and is also helpful for those who cultivate blood related Secret Arts and Martial Skills. As for whether or not it can be used to reconnect severed limbs, this Wu is unsure.”
“Not only can it serve as an auxiliary support for those who cultivate blood type Secret Arts and Martial Skills, anyone can make use of it,” Yang Kai gently nodded, glancing down at Blood Essence Stone, “The products from the Starry Sky are truly amazing. Just that tiny wisp of its energy allowed my strength to grow. If it was to be used in battle, it may be possible to turn defeat into victory!”
Hearing him say these words, everyone also became interested in the Blood Essence Stone.
A short time later, the Ancient Demon clansman finally found his severed arm.
However, because it had been several hours already, the severed arm had long gone stiff and was even partially frozen.
The wound was quite flat, obviously having been cut off by a sharp weapon, which was actually a stroke of luck as this would make it easier to connect.
Yang Kai instructed the clansman to hold his severed arm up to the place it was cut off and then began willing the energy inside the Blood Essence Stone out.
A faint red mist like a tiny snake leapt out and poured into the wound.
Everyone watched this scene intently; although somewhat doubtful it would succeed, still quite curious what the ultimate result would be.
The Ancient Demon clansman did not show much expression on his face, a severed arm being reconnected was something that even peak Third Order Saints were incapable of whereas he was only an Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage cultivator. Although his physique was strong, what had been cut off was cut off for good, how could it be joined together once again?
He did not have any expectations and only complied because of Yang Kai’s identity.
However, with the influx of energy from the Blood Essence Stone, the casual look on his face gradually gave way to one of shock and ecstasy, his eyes bulging as he stared at his wound, full of anticipation, his body even trembling slightly, unable to restrain the excitement he felt in his heart.
The stiff frozen arm, under the influence of Blood Essence Stone’s energy, gradually became warm and even began to tingle slightly, sensations slowly being restored to it.
Trying his luck, the clansman attempted to move his fingers and actually managed to succeed, his middle finger twitching ever so slightly.
Seeing this, everyone’s eyes lit up as their expectations rose even higher.
Time passed slowly as Yang Kai continued to pour energy out of the Blood Essence Stone onto the arm of the Ancient Demon clansman.
Gradually, the wound began to heal at a speed visible to the eye and after half an hour, only a faint scar remained and the formerly severed arm had been completely re-attached.
After half an hour, Yang Kai took back the Blood Essence Stone and said to the Ancient Demon clansman, “See if there’s anything out of place.”
The clansman quickly clenched his fist and swung his arm around, soon bursting into a joyful shout as his face filled with excitement, “It’s really connected!”
Li Rong and the others all looked on in shock, somewhat unable to believe their eyes.
The severed arm had been reconnected, something that should have been impossible had just happened right before their eyes, making all of them realize just how extraordinary the Blood Essence Stone was.
“The flesh has been fully connected, but your bones will need some time to mend, don’t use too much force in the near future and rest up so you can heal,” Yang Kai ordered.
The Ancient Demon clansman nodded firmly, his face filled with extreme gratitude, “Many thanks Master, many thanks!”
Although he didn’t care much about losing his arm originally, but seeing his body become complete again, naturally he was happy.
“En, go,” Yang Kai smiled and dismissed him.
The man respectfully bowed before excitedly running off.
Yang Kai inspected the Blood Essence Stone in his hand and was keenly aware that the energy contained within it had been noticeably consumed.
This was an amazing treasure, it seemed able to transform ordinary blood into this wondrous energy which had incredible healing and enhancing effects.
The products of the Starry Sky were really extraordinary.
After observing it for a moment, Yang Kai tossed the Blood Essence Stone to Li Rong and said, “See if any of the clansmen need treatment. There’s still a lot of blood energy left inside it so there’s no need to be stingy.”
“Yes,” Li Rong replied quickly before rushing off with the other Great Commanders.
There were only a thousand or so Ancient Demon Clan clansmen, so each one that died was one less, Li Rong, therefore, attached great importance to each and every one of them.
After they left, Wu Jie slowly swept his eyes over the Ancient Demon clansmen and muttered, “They are a very powerful clan.”
Yang Kai glanced at him and nodded gently.
“Sir Holy Master, do you really intend to take them with you?”
“Yes.”
Wu Jie frowned slightly, “Is it that Sir Holy Master is unwilling to give up such power?”
“Why should I give it up?”
“Taking them with you will lead to much trouble, unless Sir Holy Master brings them to the Demon Land or the neutral territory.”
Yang Kai shook his head and said bluntly, “I will bring them back with me to Nine Heavens Holy Land!”
Wu Jie couldn’t help feeling complicated when he thought about Nine Heavens Holy Land and this group of Demons coexisting.
Also, if they really went to Nine Heavens Holy Land, they would become his Netherworld Sect’s neighbours.
“To be honest, this Wu would rather not get involved in any of this, Sir Holy Master,” Wu Jie said with a forced smile.
Yang Kai glanced at him and said leisurely, “I won’t force anyone to be involved with me. You coming forward to reconcile with me has nothing to do with this situation, you are free to make your own decisions. Of course, I also won’t hold this against you, and your Netherworld Sect has no need to worry about itself.”
Wu Jie nodded, suddenly grinning meaningfully as he whispered, “In light of all this, this Wu really should stay far away from Sir Holy Master, but… This Wu’s instincts are telling him that Sir Holy Master won’t fall so easily and instead will become an important figure in the future. I very much want to see what kind of height you will grow to in the future; will it be glory or destruction!”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed, “If I am destroyed, you probably won’t be able to escape either, but if I can reach the peak of this world, Sect Master Wu will also obtain great benefits.”
“This Wu only asks for his Sect to survive!”
“That much I can promise you.”
The two looked at each other and grinned.
“Sir Holy Master should get some rest, there’s still time until dawn when you planned to set out. Nine Heavens Holy Land is not a short distance from here, so there will likely be much trouble for you on the road.”
Saying so, Wu Jie took his leave.
…..
A few thousand meters up, a black cloud could be seen flying forward. Inside this black cloud were figures, about a thousand in total.
These were all the Ancient Demon clansmen.
Leaving the Snow Mountain Range while heading for Nine Heavens Holy Land, they had to pass through the territory of many Human forces; such a large group of Demon Race masters naturally attracted a lot of attention.
Yang Kai didn’t want to have any conflicts with these people and neither did Li Rong, so they could only choose to fly high up in the sky while trying to avoid the sight of outsiders.
In front of the black cloud, Wu Jie scouted the road with the people from Netherworld Sect, searching for uninhabited places to traverse.
In Soaring Heaven Sect, atop Serene Resplendent Peak, Cang Yan and the others gazed towards the rolling black cloud as it flew past, each of them unable to stop themselves from chuckling.
“That little brat…” Cang Yan shook his head slowly.
“I hope his journey is safe,” Fei Yu said worriedly.
“There are so many powerful masters among that group of Demons, how could he possibly be harmed?” Li Wan laughed, “I think the ones we should be worried about are the people who try to get in his way. Little Martial Nephew’s temper isn’t very good, if someone tries to pick a fight with him, they might just end up dead.”
Once he killed anyone though, Yang Kai’s position would become even more difficult.
“Worrying about it is useless. Since Martial Nephew made this choice, he naturally has a plan to handle it. It’s really interesting, as the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, actually leading such a powerful group of Demon Race cultivators… just what is Little Martial Nephew planning on doing?”
The few of them all guessed what Yang Kai was thinking but eventually gave up, shaking their heads helplessly as they watched the black cloud quickly depart.
Inside the dark cloud, Li Rong showed a look of surprise when she learned what their destination was, “So we are heading to Nine Heavens Holy Land and Master is actually the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land? Amazing.”
“Oh? Despite being trapped in that Mysterious Small World you actually know about Nine Heavens Holy Land?” Yang Kai glanced over at her curiously.
“I read about it in the clan’s ancient records,” Li Rong smiled, “It was said to have been a very powerful Sect. In the era when Great Demon God was still alive, Nine Heavens Holy Land was one of the strongest forces in this world and the Holy Master of that time seemed to have also fought with Great Demon God once. The records say that man ultimately lost but he still managed to wound Great Demon God. It was one of the few times Great Demon God had suffered serious injuries in battle.”
Yang Kai expression changed as he nodded slightly.
Li Rong had read about this from the Ancient Demon Clan’s ancient books, but Yang Kai had actually seen some scattered fragments of that earth-shaking battle when he refined the drop of Demon God Golden Blood back in the Holy Tomb.
The thousand or so Ancient Demon clansmen were all quite excited; although they didn’t know where they were headed, for them, simply being able to leave that Mysterious Small World and see the vast world outside was the greatest gift.
As such, each of them was constantly looking around, trying to take in their surroundings.
For a dozen or so days everything went smoothly.
Wu Jie exploring the road ahead saved Yang Kai a great deal of trouble.
After a dozen days though, Li Rong suddenly frowned as she stared down at a spot below.
At the same time, Yang Kai also noticed something. A group of people down below had noticed them and several Transcendents were now following them, seemingly examining them.
“Master, do you want to send someone to deal with them?” Li Rong asked.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before and nodding slightly, “Don’t kill them, just make them stop following us.”
“En, Yin Ya!” Li Rong called out.
Great Commander Yin Ya quickly separated from the group and flew down.
A moment later, a brief battle took place.
Soon, Yin Ya caught up with them and reported, “They aren’t injured but they also won’t be moving around for the next three to five days.”
Li Rong nodded, “En, well done, our clan has just re-entered the world so we should avoid provoking trouble.”
And so the group continued forward.
However, as time passed and the distance they travelled grew, the aura released by the Ancient Demon clansmen alarmed more and more people.
Each time someone got too close, Yin Ya or Xue Ji would go down and handle the situation, making it so these pursuers would be unable to continue following them in short order.
Although they always held back and never hurt much less killed anyone, word of such a large number of Demon Race people passing through the Human Territory still rapidly spread out.
This caused the road ahead of Yang Kai’s group to constantly be filled with waiting parties.
Most of these people were Transcendents who wisely kept their distance. Upon realizing how many powerful masters were among the Ancient Demon Clan, few dared to approach them, most simply following from a distance while observing them.
Of course, there were the occasional few with eyes above the top of their heads who openly intercepted them while shouting impertinent remarks, forcing the masters from the Ancient Demon Clan to shut their mouths.
These people were like flies to honey though and by the time they expelled one batch another had shown up.
Although Yang Kai was quite annoyed by all this, he was powerless to do anything about it.
The hatred between the Human and Demon Races could not be resolved overnight so it was inevitable that some people would show up to monitor the Ancient Demon Clan. It was impossible to simply kill them for doing this as it would only lead to them becoming enemies of the entire Human Race.
After two months, the group arrived just outside Nine Heavens Holy Land’s territory.
By now, the number of pursuers behind them had reached the hundreds, almost all of them Transcendents with more than a dozen of Saints.
This kind of force was not something Yang Kai could simply ignore.
The time had come to have a chat with them.
Instead of rushing forward with the Ancient Demon Clan to Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai had them settle down at the base of a nearby mountain and set up a temporary camp while he took Li Rong with him and flew over to the place where their pursuers had gathered.
A dozen or so kilometres away, after discovering that the Ancient Demon Clan had stopped moving, this group of human masters also came to a halt, all of them releasing their Divine Senses to monitor the other side’s movements.
The face of each of these masters was extremely solemn.
“Old Chu, there seems to be someone coming over from that side…” Someone suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone else nodded as they detected the auras of Yang Kai and Li Rong approaching.
“A Third Order Transcendent and a Second-Order Saint, neither of them trying to conceal their movements… do they want to talk to us?” Someone guessed.
If not, how could only two of them come here?
“Like we can talk to some Demon Race bastards! As soon as they get here we should kill them directly!” An old man shouted, his face filled with hostility.
“En, this would be a perfect opportunity to ambush them.”
p.s- last week of the month so those who are thinking of joining the Patreon, do so after the start of the month.
The hundreds of Human masters had come from some twenty to thirty different forces, and although most of them had never met one another before, having reached their level of strength, they were not nameless and unrecognizable.
In particular, the few Second-Order Saints were quite famous.
The one called Old Chu was one of them.
Ignoring the clamouring of the ones who clearly bore hatred towards Demons, the man called Old Chu sank into contemplation for a moment before nodding slightly, “If they wish to talk, we should talk… this old master is also quite curious about what their objective and destination are, the direction they are headed is not towards the Demon Land but rather the Monster Domain.”
A look of doubt filled his old face.
“I agree, we should at least hear them out. So far, they haven’t killed anyone, obviously, they don’t want to stir up too much trouble,” Another scholarly looking man said. Although this man looked middle-aged, he was actually older than almost everyone present as he too was one of the few Second-Order Saints.
Since these two had spoken their opinions, no one else dared say anything more, everyone simply taking a step back to observe the situation.
These several hundred Human Race masters thus waited silently.
After about the time it would take to burn a stick of incense, two figures appeared and walked towards the crowd.
Seeing the appearance of these two, everyone felt surprised.
Because the one in the lead was actually a young man wearing a common black robe that could be found in any cheap shop.
Behind this young man was a beautiful mature woman with a noble temperament.
The beautiful woman clearly possessed a Second-Order Saint Realm cultivation, but before she even arrived in front of them, every single one of the gathered Human Race masters felt a sense of pressure from her, attracting all of their attentions.
Old Chu, however, was surprised about something else. Although the woman, whether it was in terms of strength, looks, or demeanour, was clearly the most eye-catching, the seemingly ordinary young man had a certain aura about him that made him difficult to ignore.
In fact, this youth’s presence faintly overshadowed that of the beautiful woman.
What’s more, the beautiful woman always remained a half step behind him, following him as if she was a common escort.
This was clearly an action one would take only if they were following their superior.
Old Chu and several of the top masters in the crowd glanced around at each other, each of them noticing the doubts in the other’s hearts, wondering just what the relationship between these two people was.
A moment later, the young man and beautiful woman came to a stop ten or so meters in front of the crowd.
Looking at them from such a close distance, Old Chu and a number of the others quickly discovered that the young man’s eyes shone like stars and contained not the slightest hint of anxiety. Even facing a few hundred powerhouses, this youth was clearly still relaxed without any fear, his clear eyes slowly sweeping over the people in front of him, seemingly examining their respective cultivations.
The beautiful woman stood behind him, motionless, faint ripples of power gently pulsing from her body.
Old Chu and the other leaders secretly took a breath to steady themselves.
As soon as Yang Kai came to a stop, he felt countless Divine Senses land upon him, unscrupulously inspecting his cultivation. Sensing this as well, Li Rong frowned, her pretty face flashing a cold light, but before she could open her mouth to say something Yang Kai waved his hand to stop her.
Grinning, Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Following us across such a great distance must have been quite strenuous. Now that we’ve reached this point though, this Junior wishes to make some things clear. Would it be convenient for us to have a discussion?”
Old Chu and the others frowned slightly as they turned their gazes towards Yang Kai, only now determining that this beautiful woman was really just this youth’s follower, otherwise it would not be possible for him to be the one to speak.
“Good!” The person called Old Chu steadied himself and smiled, “This old master and these many friends had such intentions.”
As he spoke, along with the middle-aged scholar and the belligerent old man who was clamouring to ambush Yang Kai earlier stepped forward.
Yang Kai nodded secretly, knowing that these three were the most powerful amongst this gathering of masters, each of them a genuine Second-Order Saint. These three obviously came from different forces, but standing together they really could represent everyone else here.
Old Chu began by introducing himself, “This old master is Chu Yi of Veiled Heaven Palace.”
Saying so, he pointed to the middle-aged scholar and continued, “This is Fang Yue Bai of Mist Lock Tower.”
Finally, addressing the red-faced old man, “This is Wu Zheng of Free And Unfettered Spirit Temple!”
Yang Kai nodded to each of them in turn, a genial look upon his face.
“How should we address little brother?” Chu Yi looked towards Yang Kai with sharp eyes and asked.
“Some of your group already know my identity. Senior Chu may wish to ask them, obtaining an answer should prove quite simple,” Yang Kai smiled, not answering the question directly and instead glance towards the back of the crowd.
In the direction he was looking stood a few familiar figures, ones he had seen the last time Zhang Ao and Cao Guan had crusaded against Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Of course, Yang Kai didn’t know their names.
After Yang Kai appeared, these people all showed looks of shock which quickly transformed into terror, seemingly recalling the bloody massacre Yang Kai had initiated back at the Nine Peaks two to three years ago.
“Trying to act mysterious? Who do you think you are? Old Chu asked you a question, answer him!” The red-faced Wu Zheng coldly snorted, as if he was quite unhappy with Yang Kai, his eyes filled with disdain.
Yang Kai felt quite puzzled, wondering if he had offended this old man somewhere.
“Might as well!” Chu Yi chuckled, looking back, “Do any of you know this little brother’s identity?”
Several people immediately walked out from the crowd and came over to Chu Yi, whispering a few words to him.
Hearing what these people said, Chu Yi wore a look of surprise as he turned back to Yang Kai and exclaimed, “So little brother is the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land! Please forgive my disrespect.”
Fang Yue Bai and Wu Zheng were also taken aback.
“Senior Chu is too polite,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Chu Yi’s expression suddenly became serious as he narrowed his eyes slightly, “Since you are the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, am I correct in assuming you are human?”
“Naturally.”
“Then why is Holy Master Yang travelling together with so many Demon Race people? And from what this old master can see, your relationship with this lady is not simple!”
“Not simple how?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“It is almost as if you have a master and servant relationship, and… you are the master, while she is the servant!” Chu Yi frowned, boldly speculating.
Thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai simply nodded, “Senior Chu has good eyes, this Junior is impressed. This group of Demon Race people are indeed my subordinates. They obey only me!”
Although he had his speculations, Chu Yi still couldn’t help feeling stunned, a look of disbelief filling his face.
Fang Yue Bai and Wu Zheng also gawked as they turned dumbfounded gazes towards Li Rong, trying to glean some clues from her response, but to their shock, not only did she not refute this claim, she even wore a happy smile as if serving this young man was an honour for her.
Those that saw this found it quite difficult to accept!
Although Second-Order Saints weren’t the very peak of this world, they were still incredibly rare masters.
If she wanted to, this beautiful woman could establish her own Sect and become an overlord who ruled over a vast territory.
She had such qualifications.
But such a master was actually content to be a mere servant of the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land? What kind of shocking and amazing means did this kid named Yang Kai possess that allowed him to subdue a Second-Order Saint and allow her to willingly serve him?
After a moment, a number of people began directing ambiguous stares towards Yang Kai and Li Rong, thinking this youth’s ‘abilities’ must be quite fierce to allow him to conquer a woman like Li Rong.
Their gazes contained both admiration and envy.
Noticing the strange look in the eyes staring towards her, Li Rong’s expression became cold as she released the full force of her Divine Sense onto them, causing all of them to look away while a cold chill ran up their spines.
*Ahem ahem…* Chu Yi coughed twice, his old face looking slightly embarrassed. A moment ago, such a thought had also crossed his mind, but he had quickly denied it.
It was impossible to subdue such a splendid woman so simply.
What’s more, there were nearly a thousand other Demons nearby, with several Saints among them; they couldn’t all have been subdued by Yang Kai through mere personal relations.
Fang Yue Bai suddenly laughed, “Although what Holy Master Yang says is difficult for us to believe, since that lady does not refute, we must take your claim seriously; however… Holy Master Yang appearing before us with just her accompanying you, are you not looking down on all of us too much?”
The way this statement was worded quickly provoked a response from many of the gathered human masters, causing them to glare towards Yang Kai, as if they wanted to immediately attack to show they were not to be underestimated.
In response, Yang Kai remained as calm as ever and simply smiled back at Fang Yue Bai, “It is not that I do not put all of you in my eyes; on the contrary, coming here with just the two of us was to show my sincerity. If I had really brought a large number of masters along with me, it would indeed prove I respected your collective strength, but I’m afraid we wouldn’t have been able to talk like this and would instead have immediately fought.”
Fang Yue Bai was slightly shocked by this response but soon burst into laughter, “Holy Master Yang is really extraordinary, no wonder you were able to become the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land!”
“Now can we talk?” Yang Kai smiled lightly, directing his full attention to the three masters in front of him.
Fang Yue Bai nodded while Chu Yi and Wu Zheng did not express any objections.
Yang Kai then began, “All of you following behind us for so long was all because you were concerned about the sudden appearance of so many Demons in our Human Territory, yes? Because you felt unease about their presence and didn’t understand their intentions, you pursued us just in case, correct? “
“Indeed,” The three nodded, “So many Demons travelling through my Human Race’s land while possessing such incredible strength, it is hard for us not to become suspicious. The friends gathered here today have all come because of such concerns.”
“Then all of you may feel relieved as our destination is right before us, once we arrive there, we will not take any actions which will harm our Human Race.”
“Your destination is close?” Chu Yi frowned and looked ahead, his expression suddenly changing, “Does Holy Master Yang intend to bring this group of Demons to Nine Heavens Holy Land?”
“They are my people now, naturally I plan to arrange a place for them in Nine Heavens Holy Land. Is there any problem?”
“Of course there is a problem!” Wu Zheng shouted, “Although you are now the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, Nine Heavens Holy Land is also part of my Human Race’s domain, placing so many vile Demons there is highly improper!”
“That is my business, not something Senior Wu needs to trouble himself with,” Yang Kai glanced over at him indifferently, “Does Senior Wu always try to meddle in other Sect’s affairs?”
“You will face universal condemnation for this and sooner or later be destroyed!” Wu Zheng sneered.
“If such a day comes, Junior will only have himself to blame,” Yang Kai glanced over at Wu Zheng with a hint of impatience.
This guy seemed to specifically be opposing him, naturally annoying Yang Kai somewhat, wondering why this old man was sticking his nose into his business.
Chu Yi hesitated a moment before saying, “Holy Master Yang, your Nine Heavens Holy Land is one of the leading forces of our Human Race. It has stood and prospered for thousands of years. This old master has even read that when we openly fought the Demon Race many centuries ago, Nine Heavens Holy Land made many meritorious contributions! Great Elder Xu Hui’s reputation is known quite well by this old master. Now, Nine Heavens Holy Land is indeed yours to command but this old master must ask, why are you willing to take in and shelter so many from the Demon Race? Since ancient times, Humans and Demons have been intractable enemies… Surely Holy Master Yang understands this, yes?”
“Naturally I am aware of our two races’ history,” Yang Kai nodded gently, “But these Demon Race subordinates of mine were actually imprisoned inside a Mysterious Small World for thousands of years and it was only by accident that I managed to discover them and then bring them out. They haven’t been in contact with the outside world for millennia and have long forgotten about the hatred which exists between Humans and Demons, about this, I ask that all of you feel relieved. This Junior can guarantee that they will not bring any harm to our Human Race or its interests.”
“A Mysterious Small World?”
“Imprisoned for thousands of years?”
“Is that true?”
A burst of chatter erupted from the crowd, many people directing looks of envy towards Yang Kai, secretly wondering why it had not been them who had found that Mysterious Small World? If they had found it, perhaps they would have been the ones to conquer so many powerful Demons.
Yang Kai turned his eyes to Li Rong who quickly followed up, “Good, our clan had been trapped inside that Mysterious Small World for thousands of years and it was only two months ago that we finally returned to the outside world. At that time we swore a vow in the name of Great Demon God that in this life we would only give our loyalty to Young Master. As for the hatred between you Human and my Demon Race, we have no interest. Now we only seek for a place to live peacefully.”
Hearing these words, Chu Yi’s expression changed noticeable as he stared deeply towards Li Rong.
He knew what kind of status Great Demon God had in the hearts of the Demon Race. No one from the Demon Race would dare swear a vow in the name of Great Demon God lightly.
Li Rong speaking so seriously allowed Chu Yi to feel much more relieved.
“There must be places for you to live in the Demon Land. Is it really necessary to settle down in Nine Heavens Holy Land?” Fang Yue Bai frowned, “Since you are all from the Demon Race, isn’t it obvious that you should return to the Demon Land? In a sense, it is your home.”
“They can’t go there,” Yang Kai chuckled.
“Why?”
“Because a few days ago they got into a fight with Demon General Xue Li, the latter suffering a serious injury and being forced to flee back to the Demon Land. If they try to go to the Demon Land, what difference is that with courting disaster?”
“Demon General Xue Li?”
“She was injured?”
“When did this happen?”
“Who injured her?”
Another round of chatter began as many people were once again left in shock and disbelief.
Yang Kai just shrugged his shoulders, “They have become enemies with Xue Li, so it is impossible for them to return to the Demon Land… Moreover, since they are capable of starting a fight with a Demon General, even though they too are Demons, it means they are enemies with the Demon Race! The enemies of our enemies are our friends, are they not?”
Fang Yue Bai and Chu Yi exchanged a glance with one another before gently nodding.
The latter said, “If things are indeed as you have said, then all of this is understandable. This old master very much wants to believe Holy Master Yang’s words, but I’m afraid I must inquire about the details of those events more carefully before coming to a final decision.”
“If you wish to inquire about what I have told you, I suggest you go to Soaring Heaven Sect. That night, when the fight with Xue Li occurred, Soaring Heaven Sect’s Martial Ancestor, Chu Ling Xiao, was also present, it was he who wounded Xue Li.”
“So Soaring Heaven Sect was involved!” Chu Yi’s eyes lit up, suddenly understanding as he nodded repeatedly, “In that case, this old master will certainly pay a visit to Soaring Heaven Sect!”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Very good. Just one last thing, I have sworn that my Demon Race subordinates will not act in any way to endanger our Human Race, but if anyone comes looking for trouble with them or with me, do not blame this Holy Master for responding in kind.”
Wu Zheng coldly snorted, his face unpleasant, feeling that Yang Kai was acting far too arrogant and was simply unaware of how high the Heavens were.
“En, have I satisfied your doubts? If so, please feel free to disperse, you have been chasing after us for many days now and must be tired. Oh, you may also come to my Nine Heavens Holy Land for some time; in any case, you’ve traveled all the way to our doorstep, you might as well step inside.”
Hearing this, Chu Yi shook his head and smiled wryly, “No, I’ve heard that your Nine Heavens Holy Land is currently being occupied by a Monster Race Great Senior. Holy Master Yang should first think about how to solve your immediate troubles. But Holy Master Yang, this old master must give you one last word of advice!”
“Senior Chu, please speak freely…”
“Those Demon Race subordinates of yours, they may not be as peaceful as they seem. If they stir up any kind of trouble, it will greatly damage your Nine Heavens Holy Land’s reputation!”
“Many thanks for your reminder, I will look after them well.”
“En,” Chu Yi gently nodded, directing a somewhat complicated look towards Yang Kai, then Li Rong before turning around and leaving.
Fang Yue Bai also paused for a moment before bidding his farewells to Yang Kai and following after Chu Yi.
As soon as these two left, more than half of the several hundred Human Race masters also departed.
Only Wu Zheng lingered, staring coldly towards Yang Kai and Li Rong, a look of resentment filling his face; the Human Race masters who stayed behind had similar looks upon their faces.
Yang Kai understood that those like Chu Yi and Fang Yue Bai were reasonable individuals, so after dispelling their fears they would naturally leave.
But Wu Zheng and the others who remained were obviously far less willing to compromise, all of them seemingly unable to accept the idea of Demons residing in a Human Sect.
Even though Nine Heavens Holy Land had nothing to do with them.
Putting it nicely, they were standing up for the world’s common people, putting it crudely, they were acting out of prejudice and spite.
“Boy, I hope you can really restrain them well, otherwise the consequences will be serious,” Unable to stir up any trouble on his own, Wu Zheng simply left behind this thinly veiled threat before angrily storming off.
The rest of the remaining Human masters also drifted off. Yang Kai turned to Li Rong and smiled, “Let’s go back.”
Li Rong nodded and kept up.
Not far away, a group of Human Race masters who still seemed unwilling stared at this scene, one of them walking up to Wu Zheng and whispering, “Senior Wu, are we really going to allow those Demon Race bastards to stay in Nine Heavens Holy Land? They’re nothing but a scourge, if we leave them alone, they’ll sooner or later lead to disaster.”
“What else can we do? Since the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land accepts them, what are we outsiders supposed to say? At most we can call for others to not associate with Nine Heavens Holy Land in the future in order to isolate them somewhat,” Wu Zheng grumbled, knowing that most of those gathered here already had little to no contact with Nine Heavens Holy Land, clenching his teeth as he muttered, “Chu Yi and Fang Yue Bai don’t want to meddle in this, could it be you can’t even see that much?”
“Senior Chu and Senior Fang may not see them for the threat they are, but Senior Wu is obviously different. If you really want to deal with those Demons, this humble one actually has a suggestion, perhaps it will yield some positive results,” One person grinned treacherously.
“Oh?” Wu Zheng raised his brow, “Let’s hear it!”
“The reason Senior Chu and Senior Fang don’t want to interfere is because those Demons have not yet caused any trouble, but given the temperament of those Demon Race bastards, they will cause trouble sooner or later. Instead of waiting for that day then, why don’t we help the situation along? As long as they dare to kill some people, will our Human Race’s powerhouses be able to sit back and watch? At that time, not only will Senior Chu and Senior Fang be forced to confront them, even stronger experts will be drawn in as well!”
Wu Zheng’s eyes brightened, thinking that what this man was saying made sense, quickly urging him, “Explain carefully.”
The man eagerly continued, “There are many people who bare hatred towards the Demon Race, as long as we spread the news of so many Demons settling here, will we even need to worry about no one coming to seek trouble with them? They may deal with it patiently once or twice, but that brat surname Yang will probably also try to restrain them somewhat. If it continues to happen, once they find it intolerable… heh heh!”
Someone else chimed in, “Right, Nine Heavens Holy Land is now occupied by a lot of rare Monster Beasts, their skin, blood, claws, and bones are all excellent Artifact Refining materials… I believe there will be many interested in such information.”
Wu Zheng raised his brow as he stared at the two men who had just spoke, a smirk soon filling his face, “You’re certainly treacherous enough!”
“Senior Wu’s praise is too kind,” The two men grinned slyly.
“Good, then spread the news quickly. Also, make sure to conceal how many masters and what their true cultivations are, we don’t want to frighten everyone into not coming,” Wu Zheng sneered.
“Senior Wu is wise!”
…..
Returning to the place where the Ancient Demon Clan was staying, Han Fei, Hua Mo, and the other leaders immediately gathered around and asked about the situation.
“Just a group of people with too much free time, no need to pay them any mind!” Li Rong said indifferently before turning to Yang Kai and asking, “However, Master, that Monster Race Great Senior seems to still be over there. How do you plan to deal with him? Every Monster Race Great Senior is not to be underestimated.”
“En, the rest of you continue to wait here, I’ll go have a chat with that Great Senior,” Yang Kai knit his brow.
Asking them to come and asking them to leave were two very different things. The last time, Yang Kai had no other choice but to invite the Monster Race Great Senior over, but now that he wanted them to get out, things might not go so smoothly.
If things didn’t go well, the situation could become ugly.
Although the power Yang Kai currently had at his disposal allowed him to not fear the Monster Race, he also wasn’t keen on the idea of starting a large scale conflict; after all, when all was said and done, the two of them were neighbours with the Beast Sea Jungle right next door.
After taking a quick rest, Yang Kai brought Li Rong with him and headed for Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Half a day later, inside a great palace in Nine Heavens Holy Land, the Monster Race Great Senior was silently contemplating the Heavenly Way when he suddenly opened his eyes and stared off into the distance.
Soon, as if his eyes were capable of piercing space itself, the Monster Race Great Senior’s gaze landed on Yang Kai and Li Rong.
Yang Kai, who was walking along, paused at that moment and directed a grin towards a certain place in the distance.
Li Rong’s pretty face also became dignified as she too stared off towards the horizon, the Demonic Qi in her body surging up.
After a brief moment, the Great Senior back in the palace hall took back his vision and slowly shook his head.
“Great Senior, what happened?” From one of the nearby rooms, Cai Die walked in and asked.
“That smelly brat is back,” Great Senior grinned, “It looks like he wants to claim Nine Heavens Holy Land back.”
Cai Die’s beautiful brow furrowed slightly, “You mean… Yang Kai?”
“Who else besides him could it be?” Great Senior nodded lightly.
“He’s back so soon? It’s been less than three years,” Cai Die frowned, “This place’s World Energy aura is much denser than in the Beast Sea Jungle, and there are so many pills and Crystal Stones here. These past few years our clan’s strength has grown rapidly. Great Senior, I really don’t want to give up this place.”
Great Senior smiled at her and said, “Then what do you want to do? I made an agreement with him before to temporarily take care of Nine Heavens Holy Land rather than seizing it by force. Now that he’s back, naturally we should return it to its original owner. Not to mention our Monster Race owes him a great graciousness, if not for him, the problem with the Beast Transformation Pond would never have been solved.”
“Is there any other way?”
“You can act shamelessly!” Great Senior laughed, seemingly cracking a joke and waving his hand as he said, “Go greet him.”
Cai Die nodded her head and disappeared.
On the outskirts of one of the nine peaks, a burly figure descended from the sky in front of Yang Kai and Li Rong, the ground shaking from his landing as he shouted, “Who dares approach my Monster Race’s territory? Turn back now or grandpa here won’t act polite!”
Saying so, this figure puffed out his chest and lifted his head, his hair blowing in the wind, putting on the pose of a great and powerful master, but when his eyes landed on Yang Kai and Li Rong, his expression suddenly changed to one of shock and surprise.
“Monster Race territory?” Yang Kai also smiled, “Brother Kuang, I think you’ve made a mistake, this place is my Nine Heavens Holy Land, since when did it become part of your Monster Race’s territory?”
“Yang Kai?” Kuang Shi called out in surprise while rushing over. Li Rong’s eyes narrowed slightly but seeing Yang Kai not give any instructions, she simply stared at this wild-looking man vigilantly without immediately taking action.
As he ran over, Kuang Shi laughed loudly, “Haha, I was wondering what arrogant fellow had wandered over, turns out it was you. Why didn’t you send a message in advance that you were coming?”
“Aren’t I greeting you now? It’s been a few years since we last met but it seems Brother Kuang has grown quite a lot.”
“Thanks to you, thanks to you!” Kuang Shi couldn’t help grinning, “With so many Crystal Stones to mine and pills those Alchemists refined, it’s only natural my strength has grown… but compared to you, it seems that my progress isn’t worth mentioning. How is your cultivation already on par with mine?”
The last time he saw Yang Kai the latter’s cultivation was much lower than his own, but now both of them were Third Order Transcendents.
Kuang Shi thought that his recent progress was fast but seeing Yang Kai now, he couldn’t help feeling envious.
“I say, brother, you coming back so soon wouldn’t be because you’re planning on taking this place back, right?” Kuang Shi asked bitterly.
“Good, it’s already been two or three years since I had to hand it to you guys, I’m sure you’ve already exploited those Crystal Stone lodes a lot by now.”
“More like only two or three years…” Kuang Shi appeared quite dispirited, “Forget it. In any case, it’s not my job to worry about these matters. Are you going to see Great Senior? Great Senior should be in the palace atop the centre peak right now. Unfortunately, I can’t accompany you there, Senior Cai Die sent me here to guard this entrance.”
“No need to accompany me, someone has already come to greet us,” Yang Kai chuckled, turning his eyes towards a seven coloured stream of light which was rapidly approaching.
A moment later, the beautiful sight of Cai Die’s multi-coloured wings appeared in front of Yang Kai.
After casting Yang Kai a faint look, she quickly turned her attention to Li Rong.
Even as a master at the Second Order Saint Realms, Cai Die felt a sense of pressure from Li Rong. This feeling was quite inexplicable, making her faintly sense that this woman’s strength was superior to her own.
“Miss Cai Die!” Yang Kai smiled and cupped his fists.
Cai Die took back her eyes from Li Rong and focused her attention on Yang Kai, directly asking, “What are you doing here?”
Yang Kai heard these words and couldn’t help feeling a bit dumbfounded, quickly recovering though and smiling, “Naturally I am here to see Great Senior and ask him to honour our agreement.”
Cai Die’s brow furrowed slightly as she solemnly asked, “If it’s about these nine peaks… how about allowing my clan to use them for a few more years?”
“Isn’t that somewhat inappropriate?” Yang Kai said somewhat helplessly and gently shook his head, “My people are also waiting to settle down here.”
“Just a few more years… After a few years, we will definitely withdraw from here!”
Yang Kai became slightly disgruntled as a frown appeared on his face, “Is this the meaning of Great Senior or your personal request?”
“Great Senior is not a person who fails to keep his word, this is entirely my own intentions! If you agree, I can give you some benefits.”
“And if I don’t agree?”
“I will make you agree!” Cai Die stared at Yang Kai stubbornly.
Yang Kai sighed and waved his hand in annoyance, “I’m too lazy to deal with you, Li Rong, help me block her!”
“Yes!” Li Rong shouted, her tender body flickering as she charged directly towards Cai Die.
Cai Die ignored her, fluttering her wings as she sent out a seven coloured beam towards Yang Kai. This shroud of light contained a soft yet potent strength that instantly wrapped around Yang Kai, seemingly trying to bind him.
However, in the next instant, Cai Die’s beautiful brow furrowed, because she had actually lost all trace of Yang Kai, her seven coloured light grasping onto nothing but air, Yang Kai seemingly having vanished like a ghost. Swiftly spreading out her Divine Sense, Cai Die found that Yang Kai had at some point bypassed her and was already more than a dozen kilometres behind her.
Cai Die was dumbfounded by this unexpected development, but before she could figure out how Yang Kai had managed to shake off a Second-Order Saint like her, Li Rong had already arrived in front of her and she had no choice but to defend herself.
In front of the main hall, Yang Kai leisurely appeared and walked straight inside.
Upon stepping into the hall, Yang Kai saw the Monster Race Great Senior looking at him with a smile.
“Great Senior, it’s been too long,” Yang Kai offered greetings and walked toward him.
Great Senior simply shook his head, “It hasn’t been long at all. It feels like it was just yesterday when we last met.”
“Great Senior must be joking, it has already been almost three years since we last stood here together. En, good, I’ve come to retrieve my domain,” Yang Kai countered.
“Don’t worry, I won’t try to hold on to this place,” Great Senior laughed somewhat wryly, “Cai Die was acting on her own, I’ll reprimand her for that. However, who is that woman you brought with you? How come her aura is so strange?”
“Hm? Strange how?”
“Like you, although her cultivation realm is apparent at a glance, her true combat potential cannot be judged from that alone, it seems like she’s able to fight across realms!” Great Senior quickly said.
“Heh heh, how much time does Great Senior need?” Yang Kai shook his head, showing no intention of discussing this topic.
“Good, give me half a month, I’ll have my clan withdraw from here by then,” Great Senior’s look suddenly became serious again, “I hope that after this time, we can still be on good terms.”
“Of course, of course. I also hope we can continue to obtain rare herbs and ores from your side, just like when the old Holy Master was alive. We can exchange what we both need from each other.”
“En, very good!” Great Senior nodded with satisfaction.
Yang Kai was also very satisfied. Originally, he had thought things would not be so simple, but Great Senior seemed like he had no desire to bargain back and forth, a true man of his word.
Working with such people made Yang Kai feel relieved.
Great Senior suddenly furrowed his brow and asked, “Kid, there’s one thing that has been bothering me though, can you explain it to me?”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Why do I feel Monster Qi from you? Although it is very weak, there is no doubt a trace of Monster Qi within your body… and this Monster Qi doesn’t seem to be ordinary, it carries with it a noble and majestic aura, even some similar to this King’s!”
Yang Kai expression fluctuated, understanding that what Great Senior was sensing was the Dragon Emperor’s aura within him.
The true body of Great Senior was that of the Scarlet Flame Thunder Dragon, a distant relative of the True Dragons.
He was truly worthy to represent the Monster, in Monster Beast. His senses far surpassed anyone’s expectations.
“The last time I saw you, you didn’t have this kind of aura, what exactly did you encounter these past few years?” Great Senior stared at Yang Kai, sincerely asking.
“I haven’t encountered anything unusual, I just wandered about here and there.”
Great Senior dumbly laughed and shook his head, knowing that Yang Kai didn’t want to say anymore, deciding not to pursue the issue.
After reaching an agreement with Great Senior, Yang Kai departed satisfied. In just half a month he would be able to recover Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Leaving the nine peaks, Yang Kai quickly noticed that Li Rong and Cai Die were still fighting high up in the sky.
Although it wasn’t a life or death struggle, two masters at such a high level fighting was still an earth-shaking scene.
The fluctuations from their battle had attracted many Monster Race masters over, Kuang Shi amongst them.
“Who is fiercer?” Yang Kai landed next to Kuang Shi and asked as he stared up into the sky.
“The woman you brought with you! She seems to still be holding back while Senior Cai Die is already somewhat flustered,” Kuang Shi replied full of enthusiasm, continuing to run is mouth as he sloppily grinned, “Fights between beautiful women are really quite attractive, Senior Cai Die’s torn clothes are really a sight to behold.”
“Be careful what you say, lest Cai Die hear and pull out your tongue!” Yang Kai warned.
“There’s no way, right?” Kuang Shi said with a frightened look, “I spoke very quietly, she couldn’t have heard me.”
“The forest has ears…” Yang Kai grinned as he glanced over towards the side.
Following his gaze, Kuang Shi’s eyes landed on Mao Niang who was standing nearby, her ears perked up, clearly eavesdropping on their conversation.
After discovering she had been discovered, Mao Niang smiled sweetly and stuck out her hand to Kuang Shi, “If you want me to not tell Senior Sister Cai Die, hand over all your Crystal Stones.”
“Great Aunt, mercy! I only have ten Crystal Stones left!” Kuang Shi wore an extremely bitter look and begged, “Please find it in your generous heart to pretend your honourable self never heard anything, this Kuang Shi will surely remember this great graciousness for the rest of his life.”
“Not interested, just give me however many you can, even ten is better than nothing.”
Yang Kai smiled wryly and shook his head. No longer paying attention to these two, he called out towards the sky, “Li Rong, let’s go.”
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s call, Li Rong immediately pulled back and gently brushed her hair back, shooting a relaxed glance towards Cai Die before quickly flying down and accompanying Yang Kai off.
Floating mid-air, Cai Die gasped for breath, her milk-white peaks heaving up and down as a lingering fear gripped her heart.
She had never expected that a fellow Second-Order Saint could actually overpower her so easily. Throughout the entire fight, she had been completely suppressed, never once able to seize the initiative.
On the other hand, her opponent was calm and relaxed the whole time.
[That woman… so fierce!] Cai Die unwillingly admired.
Not making any attempt to pursue, Cai Die silently watched Yang Kai and the mysterious woman leave before turning around and flying back towards the main hall.
Looking at Yang Kai’s appearance, it seemed that he had finished negotiating with Great Senior and had obtained favourable results. Cai Die didn’t want to give up Nine Heavens Holy Land, but she would never do something to damage Great Senior’s face. If it was Great Senior’s order, she would obey it no matter what.
“Master, is everything alright?” Li Rong asked quietly on the way back.
“En, Great Senior was easy to speak to and agreed to honour our previous agreement,” Yang Kai nodded.
“That’s good!” Li Rong also looked relieved. Following behind Yang Kai, she opened her mouth once in a while, seemingly wanting to say something but always hesitating at the last moment.
Perceiving this, Yang Kai smiled and said, “Whatever you want to say, even if it’s just something trivial, feel free to say it.”
Since leaving the Mysterious Small World, Yang Kai had noticed that all of the Ancient Demon Clan’s members had changed their attitude towards him and become extremely respectful and obedient.
Their attitude revealed just how high Yang Kai’s position in the Ancient Demon Clan was.
However, Yang Kai was somewhat unable to adapt to this kind of treatment.
“I just wondered if my clan had brought too much trouble to Master!” Li Rong apologized with a smile, “The hatred between Humans and Demons is very deep. Us following Master will certainly create some unnecessary incidents in the future. That crowd of Human masters following us all the way here is a perfect example. If it had really turned into a fight with them today, whether we won or lost, it would definitely affect Master negatively…”
“Such is the price I must pay in order to obtain your strength. You don’t need to concern yourself about it,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Also, I don’t care about how others view me, those who support me are my friends, those who dare oppose me, are my enemies. Plain and simple. The hatred between Humans and Demons means nothing to me.”
Li Rong’s beautiful eyes flashed as she was secretly taken aback by Yang Kai’s open-mindedness.
Even if they had been sealed inside that Mysterious Small World for thousands of years, the Ancient Demon Clan still had a deep-rooted mentality of rejecting outsiders, unable to accept or approve of those who did not belong to their race.
Yang Kai on the other hand seemed to have no concept of racial discrimination.
Yang Kai openly accepted the Ancient Demon Clan and had friendly dealings with a Monster Race Great Senior, he even address one Monster Race master as brother… It seemed as though he really didn’t care about the differences between them, something Li Rong honestly found amazing.
“Please rest assured Master, after everything is settled, I and the other Great Commanders will ensure our clansmen behave and will make sure they do not have any conflicts with the original inhabitants of Nine Heavens Holy Land. We will definitely not cause any difficulties for Master,” Li Rong solemnly promised.
“You don’t need to feel so restrained, to me, you are my people and Ning Heavens Holy Land’s people are also my people, there are no distinctions between you.”
“Many thanks, Master,” Li Rong said, obviously feeling grateful.
Yang Kai not having any prejudice against them despite being Human made Li Rong secretly feel that the Ancient Demon Clan had chosen to follow a good master.
Returning to the location of the Ancient Demon Clan once more, Yang Kai informed the other Great Commanders that after half a month he would bring them to Nine Heavens Holy Land, then let them make arrangements for the clansmen to live here until the time arrived. Receiving this order, the Great Commanders got to work.
They had no problem living here for half a month. The Ancient Demon Clan had just re-entered this world, so any place was fresh and new to them; they could take this opportunity to explore their surroundings and familiarize themselves with it
After all, from now on they would be living in the nearby nine peaks.
The Ancient Demon clansmen were dispatched in groups of three or four to scout out the local region.
Those who stayed behind began to build some simple accommodations and search for some food, all of them keeping busy.
It was a bustling sight.
A slight sound of footsteps suddenly came from nearby as Yang Kai was relaxing in the shade. Gazing towards the source of the sound, Yang Kai saw Wu Jie wrapped in his familiar black robe walking over towards him.
Arriving, Wu Jie nodded lightly, “Sir Holy Master!”
“Your Netherworld Sect’s disciples?” Yang Kai asked, not seeing anyone else from Netherworld Sect around.
“I had my Vice Sect Master take them back first. En, I also ordered them prepare some living supplies and have them brought here.”
“Many thanks for that.”
“Sir Holy Master is too polite,” Wu Jie smiled, “Everyone here will be neighbours in the future, such minor things are no trouble at all.”
After a pause, Wu Jie asked, “How does Sir Holy Master plan to handle Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple?”
“What are your thoughts?” Yang Kai asked.
Wu Jie hesitated a moment before seriously saying, “Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and the other leaders of their Sects perished back in the Snow Mountain Range, so there are very few Transcendent Realm masters left; however, there are still many disciples around. Each of the two sects should have somewhere between three to four thousand disciples. There aren’t many powerful masters among these three to four thousand but they are still the foundations of their respective Sects.”
“Slaughtering them…” Yang Kai began.
Wu Jie shivered, his face going pale.
Yang Kai smiled and continued, “Isn’t very realistic, but simply driving them away is also not possible. It will be too difficult to ensure they don’t linger around and stir up chaos.”
“It is exactly as Sir Holy Master says,” Wu Jie nodded in agreement, “Moreover, they definitely don’t know that Zhang Ao, Cao Guan, and their other leaders have already lost their lives. Once they learn of this though, there will definitely be turmoil inside the two sects. If we let things progress to that point without interfering, it will be impossible to clean the situation up.”
“Tell me about your idea,” Yang Kai looked deeply at him.
“The best solution is to absorb them! The two Sects have so many disciples between them, so there’s bound to be some with excellent aptitude who with enough cultivation can become masters in the future.”
“Absorb them… good, you can handle that yourself,” Yang Kai waved his hand and nodded
Wu Jie was somewhat stunned, “Does Sir Holy Master not want to participate?”
“I have no interest in those people, and it is well known that I now have a large number of Demon Race subordinates. Making such an aggressive move is not a good idea,” Yang Kai chuckled, continuing meaningfully, “Sect Master Wu can take this opportunity to expand the strength of Netherworld Sect. Absorb what can be absorbed, expel that which cannot! Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple are both strong forces, so they’re bound to have many good things stored away.”
Wu Jie expression changed. Thinking about it for a moment before excitedly cupping his fists, “Many thanks, Sir Holy Master!”
The three forces near Nine Heavens Holy Land had always lived in its shadow. Shattering Mystical Palace was the most powerful thanks to the Second Order Saint Zhang Ao while War Spirit Temple came second. Netherworld Sect was actually the weakest existence.
Now that Wu Jie had been presented with such an incredible opportunity, how could he not feel excited?
There were no masters left in either of these two Sects capable of fighting him. If Wu Jie still could not handle this, he had simply cultivated to the Saint Realm in vain.
Wu Jie seemed to already be able to see his Netherworld Sect rapidly expanding after absorbing all the wealth and talent from these two Sects.
Although excited, Wu Jie also felt a slight sense of guilt.
If not for Zhang Ao and Cao Guan acting so unscrupulously, how could Wu Jie have obtained such great fortune? Wu Jie had only secretly made a deal with Yang Kai because he felt the latter had incredible potential, and he had been proven right in short order. A golden opportunity had landed in front of him without the need for him to even do anything, all thanks to his foresight.
Excited, Wu Jie bowed and said that he would return to his Sect immediately, extending an invitation to Yang Kai to visit Netherworld Sect for a few days.
In any case, it would still be another half a month before the Monster Race Great Senior withdrew, so Wu Jie naturally wanted to take this opportunity to improve his relationship with Yang Kai.
Regretfully, Yang Kai declined his invitation.
“Your Netherworld Sect is only a few hundred kilometers from here. When I have time, I’ll send a message to you about patronizing your Sect,” Yang Kai glanced around at the bustling Ancient Demon clansmen and felt that leaving them right now was not a good choice.
Wu Jie did not insist, simply excusing himself and flying off.
One day later, a number of disciples from Netherworld Sect arrived, bringing with them a batch of living materials, enough for a thousand people to use for half a month.
Li Rong and the others were quite pleased with Wu Jie’s gesture.
Finished building enough temporary huts amidst the jungle, the Ancient Demon clansmen began exploring their surroundings curiously, keeping themselves busy.
Inside the largest hut, Yang Kai sits cross-legged on top of thick piles of furs, his consciousness immersed in his Knowledge Sea as he concentrated on probing the Soul remnant which belonged to Zhang Ao.
Two months ago, after Zhang Ao’s death, Yang Kai had used the Demon Eye of Annihilation to extract this Soul remnant and store it in a corner of his Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai mainly wanted to spy on his memory to see if he could uncover the secret related to the Starry Sky Zhang Ao was speaking about just before his death.
Yang Kai had intentionally not used the Demon Eye of Annihilation to purify this remnant and was instead carefully combing through its content, trying to extract as much information from it as possible.
After a person’s physical body died, their Soul would retain all of their feelings and experiences for a time. If left alone though, all of this would dissipate in short order.
Of course, the Souls of powerful masters could remain behind longer, some of them even powerful enough to retain their sense of self and if they could find an appropriate body, even possible seize control of it in order to revive themselves.
Examining another Soul remnant like this was a complex and dangerous task, even those with incredibly powerful Souls and Spiritual Energy didn’t dare read others’ residual thoughts lightly, because one moment of carelessness could lead to one’s own nature, memories, and even identity becoming distorted, sometimes leading directly to them lose all sense of self and going insane.
It was only thanks to his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea which had some innate resistance to such occurrences that Yang Kai dared act so recklessly.
Still, Yang Kai acted very cautiously while scanning these memories, not letting Zhang Ao’s residual thoughts affect his own. Once he felt any sign of contamination, Yang Kai would immediately stop and purge it.
Slowly, various scenes appeared before Yang Kai’s eyes, all of which were from Zhang Ao’s pre-death memories.
These scenes were intermittent and very inconsistent, most of which Yang Kai only briefly examined before ignoring and moving on.
His Spiritual Energy was being rapidly consumed, forcing Yang Kai to stop and rest every two hours or so.
Only after completely restoring his strength would he continue his examination.
It wasn’t until five days later that Yang Kai finally caught a glimpse of the Starry Sky secret Zhang Ao had mentioned amongst his chaotic memories.
Vaguely, Yang Kai could see a stone forest that had various stone pillars jutting out from a grass filled field. It was here that Zhang Ao had discovered a number of exotic stones.
The Blood Essence Stone was also found here.
From this brief memory, Yang Kai saw Zhang Ao fumble about for a while, taking some indistinct actions before suddenly opening a Void Corridor. Only after hesitating for a long time did Zhang Ao step through it.
The next moment, what appeared before Zhang Ao’s eyes was the vast Starry Sky, with millions of points of light from distant twinkling stars in the background and a terrifying destructive energy brushing against his flesh. All of this was a familiar experience to Yang Kai.
Just as Yang Kai wanted to take a closer look, the scene was suddenly interrupted.
Yang Kai sighed as he took back his consciousness. Although he couldn’t see where the stone forest was, he knew it should be somewhere in Shattering Mystical Palace’s territory, so it wouldn’t take too long for him to find it.
Having found what he was looking for, with a single thought, Yang Kai opened the Demon Eye of Annihilation and used it to completely purify Zhang Ao’s remnant Soul.
After he obtained Zhang Ao’s memories related to the Starry Sky, Yang Kai refined his Soul remnant directly.
In the process, as always, Yang Kai obtained Zhang Ao’s insights and understandings of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
His own comprehension was subtly enhanced, but not significantly improved.
As Yang Kai’s strength grew, the benefits he harvested from refining these Soul remnants were decreasing correspondingly; however, thanks to this particular method, Yang Kai had never had to worry about bottlenecks while he cultivated. As long as he could kill some high-level cultivators from time to time and absorb their sentiments, Yang Kai’s future cultivation path would be free of obstacles. Of course, this was all under the premise that his True Qi and physique could keep up.
With Yang Kai’s current comprehension, he wouldn’t encounter any kind of bottleneck before breaking through to the Third Order Saint Realm.
Collecting his thoughts, Yang Kai returned his consciousness to his physical body and slowly got up, preparing to inquire about current events when suddenly he heard Han Fei’s shout in the distance, “Who goes there?”
In the next instant, a blast of cold air erupted and the sound of something cutting through the air rang out. It seemed that Han Fei was pursuing someone or something.
Yang Kai frowned, walked out of his tent, and saw a lot of Ancient Demon clansmen gathered around, all of them staring off in a certain direction.
“Master!” Li Rong rushed over to ensure Yang Kai’s safety. Her hut had been set up next to Yang Kai’s for this explicit purpose, the two of them living no more than five meters apart.
“What happened?” Yang Kai asked, releasing his Divine Sense into the surroundings to examine the situation.
“It seems that someone has been spying on us for the past few days but we have so far been unable to find them. Han Fei apparently caught a trace of whoever it was and immediately gave chase.”
“Even you haven’t been able to discover their identity?” Yang Kai was amazed.
“En, that person’s ability to hide their aura is very profound, it’s almost as if they can make themselves completely invisible, shielding themselves from all our senses,” Li Rong’s brow furrowed deeply.
“Oh? Interesting,” Yang Kai grinned. Outwardly, Li Rong was only a Second-Order Saint, but her true strength was not inferior to that of a Demon General, yet even she was unable to track down this elusive enemy.
The only one nearby capable of such a feat should be the Monster Race Great Senior!
However, Yang Kai had already reached an agreement with him and it was impossible for that Great Senior to be so bored to run over here to spy on them.
Waiting for a while, Han Fei flew back, her expression dim.
“That person?” Li Rong asked.
Han Fei shook her head, “Their speed is too fast, and their movement skill is quite exquisite. I wasn’t able to catch up with them!”
“Did you manage to see what kind of appearance they had?” Yang Kai asked.
“It was a woman,” Han Fei frowned, “But her appearance was quite strange. All her clothes seemed to be tattered and her hair was a complete mess, almost like she was a lunatic. She never said a word. As soon as she discovered me, she immediately fled. Oh, right, I also didn’t feel any vitality from her, instead… there was Death Qi lingering about her!”
“Death Qi?” This time it was Li Rong’s turn to be shocked.
“En, it was definitely Death Qi, only someone who has already died would have such an aura around them!” Han Fei nodded.
Hearing all this, Yang Kai expression changed as his brow rose, his figure flicking, leaving behind an afterimage where he was previously standing, coming to a stop a moment later and asking, “Did her movement skill look like this?”
Han Fei nodded, “En, her movement skill gave off this kind of feeling, it was quite profound.”
“I know who she is,” Yang Kai stared off into the distance and sighed.
The several Ancient Demon Clan Great Commanders exchanged glances, none of them knowing why Yang Kai showed a low-spirited look.
“Master, is that woman an old acquaintance of yours?” Li Rong asked carefully.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t know her, but she is related to me, she is Nine Heavens Holy Land’s previous generation Saintess!”
Yang Kai then told the Ancient Demon Clan’s leaders the story of Saintess Nan, surprising all of them quite seriously.
“Before death not killing one person, after death slaughtering millions…” Li Rong spoke thoughtfully, “She is somewhat similar to Coffin Slave Senior, but the opposite!”
Coffin Slave and Saintess Nan were both living corpses! It’s just that after death, one of them caused a massive number of casualties while the other never directly killed anyone. Both of them had a powerful obsession in their hearts which allowed their body to continue moving even after death.
Because she was a living corpse, Saintess Nan gave off no life aura, which was why Li Rong and the others had such difficult tracking her.
If they wanted to deal with such a person, the only options were to completely destroy her physical form or somewhat erase her heart’s obsession. Once this last will of hers was crushed, her dead body would naturally stop moving.
“I suppose it’s time to deal with this issue,” Yang Kai stated calmly.
Regardless of what she had become, Saintess Nan was still a member of the Holy Land, if Yang Kai allowed her to continue to roam free; it would only lead to a repeat of the troubles from a few years ago.
Moreover, her lingering presence did nothing for the stability of the Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Her appearing here at this time was obviously because she was tracking him, so as long as Yang Kai acted as bait, Saintess Nan would surely show herself.
Explaining his thoughts to the Great Commanders, Li Rong and the other Ancient Demon Clan Saints made no objections.
In order to ensure things went well, Yang Kai brought both Li Rong and Han Fei with him to a remote location in the jungle.
Saintess Nan was still a powerful Second-Order Saint, even if she was already dead she was not to be underestimated.
A hundred kilometres away, Yang Kai came across a mountain valley and stopped, swiftly sweeping his eyes over the area before nodding lightly.
Li Rong and Han Fei immediately hid and concealed their auras, lying in ambush.
Yang Kai walked leisurely into the mountain valley, picking a few spirit herbs he came across along the way. Unfortunately, he only found a few Heaven Grade and Mysterious Grade herbs, not even a single Spirit Grade item appeared.
It wasn’t until after he circled the entire mountain valley once that Yang Kai felt a sense of inconsistency.
It was as if someone was staring at him from nearby.
Turning his head in the direction he sensed this gaze coming from, Yang Kai saw Saintess Nan appear. Dressed in white, her hair dishevelled, swaying back and forth like an evil spectre, she faintly stared at him while maintaining a short distance between them.
Her white dress had been significantly worn due to the many fights she had been in as she had obviously never changed or washed them these past few years, giving her an even more ghastly look.
Yang Kai didn’t know when she had appeared and wasn’t even clear how long she had been staring at him, all he could tell was that there was a hint of tenderness and nostalgia which flashed across the depths of her eyes as she fixed her gaze on the Holy Master Spirit Ring on his hand.
The Holy Master Spirit Ring was a symbol of every Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land. The old Holy Master had also worn it on his hand before he died. Saintess Nan was the old Holy Master’s life companion, so when she saw this ring, naturally she would show some reaction.
However, the tenderness in her gaze quickly faded and was replaced with endless killing intent as she shot forward towards Yang Kai without so much as a word.
Before Saintess Nan even arrived in front of him, a huge pressure had already descended upon Yang Kai.
A giant sword appeared in the sky and slashed down towards Yang Kai.
Profound Heavenly Sword!
Yang Kai simply stood in place, not making any attempt to evade.
“World of Ice and Snow!” Suddenly, a cold yet melodious voice rang out from the jungle.
In an instant, the entire mountain valley’s temperature plummeted! With a crackling sound, a thin layer of ice quickly covered the lush vegetation while a sky blue barrier appeared above the mountain valley, sealing it off from the outside world.
The dramatic change in climate was accompanied by snowflakes falling from the sky.
These seemingly dainty snowflakes each contained an enormous amount of power and each time one fell it would explode in a burst of light, sending out an uncountable number of tiny attacks towards Saintess Nan.
The Profound Heavenly Sword was instantly crushed.
Saintess Nan, who had been rushing towards Yang Kai, instinctively stopped, leapt back and summoned a Grand Heavenly Shield to protect her body, a great spear then appearing in her hand which she proceeded to throw towards Han Fei’s hiding place.
*Xiu…*
Like it was breaking through space itself, the Heaven Punishing Spear instantly appeared in front of Han Fei, causing her eyes to bulge.
A chill rising from the bottom of her heart, Han Fei’s pretty face was immediately covered in her Demon Crests as she extended her jade hand and grabbed towards the approaching spear.
Red blood dripped from her hand as she somehow managed to block this strike.
At the same time, Li Rong has quietly arrived behind Saintess Nan. A red light blossomed as a huge flower appeared beneath Saintess Nan’s feet.
This blooming flower was quite beautiful, its petals gently rotating almost like a lotus platform as it sent out a strange energy wave that engulfed and drew Saintess Nan towards it.
The petals gradually began to close, trying to wrap up and trap Saintess Nan inside them.
A hoarse, nearly inhuman roar escaped Saintess Nan’s lips as her body flickered, leaving behind a fuzzy afterimage as she seemingly teleported a short distance away.
Standing firm, Saintess Nan directed a murky glare towards Li Rong and Han Fei, like a wounded beast.
Li Rong and Han Fei also gathered together, their eyes flashing with a mix of pity and dread as they looked towards Saintess Nan, both of them realizing just how difficult an opponent they were facing.
“You don’t have to hold back. Try to capture her, but if you can’t… destroy her directly!” Yang Kai faintly said.
“Yes!” Li Rong and Han Fei shouted together, both of them taking action again.
*Chi chi chi…*
Ice blades swirled about.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Bright red flower petals danced through the air.
Two Ancient Demon Clan leaders joining forces to fight against the Second Order Saint Saintess Nan, naturally, there was no suspense.
The mountain valley had been surrounded by Han Fei’s barrier so Saintess Nan could not escape.
If not for them having scruples about her being from Nine Heavens Holy Land, Li Rong and Han Fei would have already beaten her.
Half an hour later, Saintess Nan was finally overpowered and bound by Li Rong’s red flower.
A brilliant red light burst out and when it faded, the flower petals seemed to have sunk into Saintess Nan’s skin, leaving behind petal tattoos all across her body.
Her True Qi had been sealed and her movements had been restricted. Saintess Nan had been caught.
Walking up to get a close-up look at Saintess Nan, Yang Kai, who had been entangled by her for several years couldn’t help feeling somewhat complicated.
The person in front of him, when she was young, was a peerless beauty. Even after she died, her face still retained its youthfulness.
But at this moment, she was now a dishevelled corpse driven only by the desire to slaughter.
If the old Holy Master was still alive and saw this scene, it was difficult to imagine what he might think.
In fact, if Su Yan or Xia Ning Chang ever ended up like this, Yang Kai would have felt more aggrieved than if they had just died.
Wanting to destroy her directly, yet somehow not able to bear doing so, Yang Kai eventually let out a sigh and said, “Take her back with us and watch over her carefully.”
He decided to hand over Saintess Nan to Xu Hui and the others to handle.
Li Rong and Han Fei glanced at each other and nodded gently, the former wrapping Saintess Nan in her Demonic Qi before both of them followed Yang Kai back the way they came.
Time passed by quickly and soon, it had been half a month. It was the date the Monster Race Great Senior had agreed to complete his withdrawal by.
The Ancient Demon Clan was packed and ready to go, just waiting for Yang Kai to give the order to move to the nine peaks.
Because of their relationship with Yang Kai, the Ancient Demon clansmen already saw the nine peaks as their new home, so it was only natural for them to be filled with expectations and curiosity towards what kind of paradise it was.
The crowd of Demons gathered together, pointing towards the nine peaks, whispering amongst themselves.
Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense as he explored the situation of the nine peaks. Starting from last night, many Monster Beasts and Monster Race masters had been streaming out until now there were only a few living auras left.
Those who still stood among the nine peaks were the Alchemists and Artifact Refiners who originally belonged to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
A few years ago, Yang Kai and Great Senior had made an agreement to leave these Alchemists and Artifact Refiners behind to provide Alchemy and Artifact Refining services. Today, when the Monster Race left, Great Senior had kept his word and not tried to take these people away.
Yang Kai nodded, feeling that Great Senior had maintained his upright character.
A ray of coloured light glistened and flew towards Yang Kai, Cai Die’s pretty face and fluttering wings soon appearing before him. Sweeping her eyes over this crowd, her eyes quickly landed on Yang Kai as she spoke coldly, “My entire clan has left, you can return home now. Great Senior wanted me to pass a message to you, thanking you for providing my family with such a good opportunity to develop these past few years and extending you an open invitation to visit the Beast Sea Jungle!”
“Many thanks for your hard work, Ms. Cai Die, please give my regards to Great Senior and tell him I will definitely visit when I have time,” Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
“I’ve said what I needed to, goodbye!” Cai Die snorted, turned around, and flew off.
“That little girl… her temper is quite short,” Yin Ya muttered in a somewhat dissatisfied voice.
“Her strength is good though, higher than our own by a Minor Realm. She’s also quite pretty!” Xue Ji grinned villainously as he stared in Cai Die’s direction.
“Be careful how you speak. Remember that indiscriminate remarks only bring about trouble!” Li Rong reprimanded, “My clan has just reappeared in this world, try not to cause problems.”
Yin Ya and Xue Ji nodded quickly, expressing their understanding.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai waved, leading the way.
The nine peaks were lush and verdant, filled with a beautiful and refreshing spring-like air. The Nine Peaks Spirit Array was also still operating, enhancing the ambient World Energy density.
The Ancient Demon Clan immediately took a liking to this place upon entering it, many of them glancing around excitedly.
The conditions and environment here were infinitely better than the ones back in that Mysterious Small World. Living here would no doubt feel comfortable for both their minds and bodies.
Many clansmen couldn’t help feeling like they were dreaming. Even if they had left that Mysterious Small World almost three months ago, they still found themselves wondering from time to time if they were actually still back in that world without a sun, moon, or stars.
The only way to dismiss these concerns was to immerse themselves in the excitement outside.
At the base of the central mountain peak, in front of the main hall Great Senior had been occupying, stood a few hundred people, silently waiting.
These people were none other than the Holy Land’s Alchemists and Artifact Refiners. These men and women had varying ages while the strongest among them was only a Second-Order Transcendent.
When Yang Kai led the thousand or so Ancient Demon clansmen over, the waiting crowd hurriedly bowed, “Greetings Holy Master. Holy Master has finally returned.”
“You’ve all worked hard,” Yang Kai gently nodded, “Having all of you work for the Monster Race for nearly three years was truly an unavoidable choice, please forgive me.”
“Not at all!” The most powerful and senior figure stepped forward and shook his head, “The Monster Race did not mistreat us; in fact, they were always quite polite. Holy Master need not concern himself over this matter.”
Yang Kai gently nodded, brightly calling out, “Since I have returned today, the Holy Land will also return to its former glory. Furthermore, from this day forward, anyone who dares trample on my Holy Land’s majesty and invade its lands will be swiftly destroyed!”
The group of Alchemists and Artifact Refiners all cheered excitedly.
The leading old man then turned his attention to the Ancient Demon clansmen and furrowed his brow. Although he didn’t understand why Yang Kai had brought this group of Demon Race people here, he knew well enough not to ask any question, setting the matter aside and instead asking, “What about Great Elder Xu Hui and the others? Why have I not seem them return as well?”
“They are already here in the Holy Land,” Yang Kai chuckled, “You wait here first, I’ll go retrieve Great Elder and the others.”
Glancing back, he said to Li Rong, “You all wait here too.”
Li Rong and the others nodded lightly.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered and a few breaths later he arrived in front of the Holy Tomb.
Lifting the Holy Master Spirit Ring on his finger into the slow on the giant stone slab and filling it with his True Qi, Yang Kai opened the hidden Void Corridor and stepped into it.
Inside the Holy Tombs, the thousands of disciples of Nine Heavens Holy Land all sat silently.
After spending a few years inside this dark and desolate space, everyone had gradually become accustomed to it.
Although some would occasionally become frustrated and impatient, the Elders and Saintess would quickly comfort them and settle the situation.
The Elders and Saintess continued to tell the others that the new Holy Master would surely return to bring them out of this place and that their most important task right now was to improve their own strength so that they would never again have to experience the shame of abandoning their home.
Xu Hui and the others regarded their failure three years ago as the greatest disgrace of their lives.
In recent years, all of them had spared no effort in their cultivation.
The Holy Tomb was the place where every generation of Holy Master and his Saintesses would enter secluded retreat to cultivate. Although the environment was harsh to inhabit, the World Energy was very rich.
Also, it was seemingly inexhaustible.
No cultivator who wished to quickly improve their strength would be willing to miss such a great opportunity.
Over the past three years, almost everyone had achieved significant growth, so besides not being able to leave, everything was actually proceeding in a good direction.
Thousands of people meditated silently, drawing the dense, nearly visible World Energy around them into their physiques, creating a spectacular scene.
Although there were so many of them, it was still deathly silent. Even if someone stood up and moved around, they would tread extremely lightly for fear of disturbing others.
In one corner, An Ling’er, who was also closing her eyes and cultivating, suddenly noticed an unusual aura suddenly appear inside the Holy Tomb. Frowning suspiciously for a moment, her eyes suddenly burst open in the next as she stood up and began looking back and forth, a pleasantly surprised expression filled her face.
An Ling’er knew this aura better than anyone because she was the one who first instilled Yang Kai with the knowledge of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
In that instant, she realized that Yang Kai had appeared nearby.
“Ling’er, what happened?” Yu Ying also opened his eyes and asked softly.
“He came in!” An Ling’er continued looking around and shouted.
“Who?” Yu Ying asked, in the next breath covering her mouth in shock and exclaiming, “You mean…”
An Ling’er nodded vigorously.
The dialogue between the two alarmed the other Elders, all of whom hurriedly opened their eyes and also began searching their surroundings.
A moment later, everyone’s eyes fixed on a certain spot.
From the direction they were staring, the all saw a figure approaching and although the lights here were dim and they could not see this person’s exact appearance. Upon feeling this newcomer’s familiar life aura, all of the Elders couldn’t help becoming excited.
“Holy Master?” Xu Hui trembled as this name escaped his lips.
“Is it really Holy Master who came in?” Cheng Yue Tong’s beautiful eyes stared at the approaching figure, not daring to blink.
After a short pause, the young man they had been longing to see appeared in front of them, a light smile upon his face.
“It really is Holy Master!” Xu Hui excitedly shouted, immediately bowing together with the other Elders, “Subordinate greets Holy Master!”
“No need to be so polite,” Yang Kai chuckled.
“You finally came!” An Ling’er looked at Yang Kai faintly, “We’ve been waiting for a few years already…”
As she spoke, her eyes became somewhat watery. During these seemingly endless days of waiting, many had inevitably had thoughts about being trapped inside this place forever. If it weren’t for Xu Hui and the other leaders appeasing them from time to time, the situation could have rapidly deteriorated.
“En, I’ve kept you waiting for too long, I’m truly sorry!” Yang Kai said seriously as he sincerely apologized.
“Holy Master is too serious…” Xu Hui’s leaked a few tears from his wrinkled face, not knowing what to say.
The disciples who were all meditating had also been awakened by the movements here, and as soon as they became aware of Yang Kai’s arrival, cheers broke out and soon spread throughout the entire Holy Tomb.
After letting them indulge for a moment, Xu Hui quickly quieted them down.
However, everyone still gathered around and stared silently, all of them wondering if Yang Kai was here to bring them out.
The several Elders also had similar expectations.
Yu Ying asked, “Holy Master, since you’ve come, does that mean that everything outside has been processed?”
“Yes, everything has been settled. The Monster Race masters have withdrawn already so it’s time to return home.”
Listening to him say so, everyone was overjoyed, all of them extremely eager to leave this place and return to the nine peaks.
“I’ll go open the exit while the Elders arrange the disciples,” Yang Kai said with a smile.
“Good,” Xu Hui nodded quickly and began organizing the others.
As they hurriedly prepared to leave, Yang Kai opened the exit and left with An Ling’er.
From inside the Holy Tomb, one disciple after another came out in an orderly fashion. Upon seeing the sky again after several years, many of them could not contain their joy and began shouting and cheering.
Outside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai silently observed the exiting disciples as he pondering how he should explain about the Ancient Demon Clan to Xu Hui.
Although Yang Kai was nominally in charge of Nine Heavens Holy Land now, he wasn’t sure whether Xu Hui and the others would object to him settling a large group of Demon Race people here.
[If they were to strongly oppose, how would I be able to deal with it?]
“Your strength seems to have improved greatly again,” An Ling’er suddenly said, “What realm is your cultivation at now?”
“Third Order Transcendent Realm,” Yang Kai replied casually.
An Ling’er couldn’t help covering her mouth, her beautiful eyes flashing with shock as she stared at him.
She still remembered that when she first met Yang Kai, he was only a First Order Transcendent drifting atop the endless sea, yet in only four or five years, he had become a Third Order Transcendent, spanning two Minor Realms and now only a step away from the Saint Realm.
At that moment, An Ling’er suddenly believed the bold claim Yang Kai had made to her before.
He had said a long time ago that even if he didn’t become join Nine Heavens Holy Land, as long as he was given thirty years, he would still be able to stand on equal footing with the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
At that time, An Ling’er didn’t believe him, feeling his arrogance was simply higher than the sky, but now, An Ling’er had to believe him.
According to his current momentum, he could indeed achieve what he said he would.
In fact, he might not even need thirty years to reach that height…
After bustling about for half a day, all the disciples had come out from the Holy Tomb.
Confirming that there was no longer anyone inside, Yang Kai once again closed the Holy Tomb and gathered the Elders and An Ling’er together.
Seeming aware that he had something important to discuss with them, everyone remained silent and waited for Yang Kai to speak.
“There is something I must tell you,” Yang Kai brow furrowed, still sorting out exactly how to broach this matter.
“If Holy Master has something to say, please speak freely. We subordinates will certainly listen closely!” Xu Hui chuckled, not sure why Yang Kai was acting so awkwardly.
“As long as you don’t say you wish to leave the Holy Land and give up the position of Holy Master, we can promise you anything else,” Yu Ying interjected with a smile.
“En, en, exactly!” The Elders all nodded, obviously still somewhat concerned that Yang Kai would try to cast off his position just as he had attempted to do a few years ago. At that time, Yang Kai acted like a rouge, not displaying any of the poise a Holy Master should at all.
“I won’t,” Yang Kai laughed dumbly despite trying not to, quickly gathering his thoughts and saying, “Before I met all of you, I actually ran into a group of people. It was back when I was still quite ignorant and weak. That group had been imprisoned in a Mysterious Small World for some special reasons and they pleaded with me to find a way to save them; in exchange for freeing them, they pledged to serve me for the rest of my life.”
“Oh?” Xu Hui’s brow rose, “Making such a promise when Holy Master was still weak, if they weren’t speaking irresponsibly, then they must have recognized Holy Master’s potential, in which case they belong to?”
Xu Hui seemed somewhat uneasy. What lay in the heart of an individual was difficult, much less an entire group of people, so hearing Yang Kai’s words he couldn’t help probing.
“They were not speaking casually. During the years when all of you were hiding inside the Holy Tomb, I happened to save them and brought them out of that place just a few months ago. Since then, they have faithfully honoured their pledge and obeyed my commands.”
“This group of people is quite upstanding then,” Cheng Yue Tong smiled warmly, “Those who keep their word are trustworthy. So does Holy Master want to absorb them into the Holy Land?”
Cheng Yue Tong saying this enlightened the other Elders, all of them thinking this was a case, directing curious and somewhat expectant looks towards Yang Kai.
“They can’t be absorbed into the Holy Land… I just wish to have them settle down on one of the nine peaks. I don’t know if the Elders are willing to comply?”
“Can’t be absorbed?” Xu Hui’s brow furrowed but soon relaxed, “If they can’t be absorbed then so be it. Since they are Holy Master’s subordinates, living in the Holy Land is only a matter of course. The Holy Land is quite large, accommodating a group of people isn’t an issue…”
“En…” Luo Sheng and Meng Tian Fei also nodded, agreeing with Xu Hui’s sentiments.
“Don’t be in such a hurry to agree, I haven’t finished explaining everything yet. You should reserve your decision until after hearing all I have to say!” Yang Kai smiled and continued, “There are about a thousand people in this group.”
“Hm, that is certainly not a small number, but the Holy Land should have more than enough capacity to accommodate them,” Xu Hui nodded lightly, asking casually, “What kind of strength do they possess? How strong are their top masters?”
“There are five Saints!”
“Ah… what?” All of the Elder were instantly dumbfounded, An Ling’er covering her mouth in shock.
This group of people had promised to serve Yang Kai back when he was very weak, so Xu Hui and the others mistakenly thought that the strength of this group wasn’t very high; otherwise how could they have made such a promise?
All of them had assumed that these thousand people were some small Sect or family with a few Transcendents serving as leaders at most.
None of them had expected Yang Kai to tell them that there were actually five Saint Realm masters among this group!
That was only slightly fewer than the number of Saints Nine Heavens Holy Land had…
“Holy Master, are you perhaps kidding?” Xu Hui simply couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Does it look like I’m telling a joke?” Yang Kai’s expression became serious, “Three of them are Second Order Saints while two are First Order!”
Everyone was once against stunned silent.
Three Second Order Saints and two First Orders; although this was one fewer Saints than Nine Heavens Holy Land, if a conflict broke out between the two groups, obviously Nine Heavens Holy Land would be the one to lose!
Xu Hui and the others immediately understood why Yang Kai had unexpected asked for their opinions.
Without knowing for certain what the disposition of this group was, if a conflict occurred inside the Holy Land in the future, Xu Hui and the others wouldn’t be able to fight back.
The joy of leaving the Holy Tomb was suddenly replaced with deep concern.
“On top of that, they are not ordinary people…” As if thinking the Elders weren’t shocked enough already, Yang Kai finally brought up the most important concern, “They’re Demons!”
“Demons?” Yu Ying screamed.
Cheng Yue Tong’s pretty face also went pale.
Xu Hui didn’t say anything immediately, but anyone would be able to see the shock and inner turmoil he was experiencing.
Yang Kai saying all this had left him not knowing what to say.
“If you consider it carefully and decide you cannot accept them in Nine Heavens Holy Land, tell me honestly and I will find another place to settle them,” Yang Kai said faintly, not showing any intention to force them to agree, waving his hand in the next moment, “For now, we should first finish arranging the disciples. My telling all of you about this was simply to give you a chance to mentally prepare yourselves.”
Everyone stared towards Yang Kai, none of them making any moves.
“Don’t concern yourselves too much, even if they can’t stay in Nine Heavens Holy Land, I have a place to put them,” Yang Kai grinned, seeing the complex looks on all of their faces.
This was what he had expected would happen.
At that moment, Xu Hui seemed to wake from his confusion and wore a dignified expression, “Holy Master, I will only ask one question. Has this group of Demons truly submitted to you or could it be that in order to escape that Mysterious Small World they have temporarily deceived you and are just waiting for the right opportunity to escape from your control?”
“You don’t have to worry about this,” Yang Kai smiled confidently, “As long as I live they won’t dare betray me!”
The Elders were stunned by the firmness of Yang Kai’s response.
Xu Hui took a deep breath and nodded, “Then there is no problem. You are the Holy Master of the Holy Land, and you have complete authority over who to admit and settle here. The Elders and I are only here to advise you, we have no decision-making power! Holy Master seeking our council is already giving us enough face…”
Yang Kai grinned, sweeping his eyes over the others.
Luo Sheng, Shi Kun, Meng Tian Fei, Yu Ying, and Cheng Yue Tong all nodded. Although they obviously had some concerns, the looks they directed towards Yang Kai were filled with trust and goodwill.
“Then on their behalf I offer you my thanks,” Yang Kai nodded firmly, “Good, the Holy Land has nine peaks, they only need one. They will prepare their own living materials and will not burden the Holy Land. I will also ensure that they not cause any conflicts with the Holy Land’s disciples.”
“Which peak does Holy Master intend to settle them on?” Xu Hui asked.
“The peak where Reflecting Moon Pond is located.”
Because of the current state of Reflecting Moon Pond, that particular peak was now in a perpetual state of deep winter and everyone who had once lived there had moved away. It was the only one of the nine peaks that was completely devoid of occupants.
However, the Ancient Demon clansmen were all endowed with powerful physiques, so living there wouldn’t be an issue for them as long as they didn’t get too close to Reflecting Moon Pond.
Also, there were already houses and other facilities on that peak so there would be no need to build new ones them.
“They won’t have any complaints? Are you sure you don’t wish to have them settle on a different mountain?” Xu Hui couldn’t help but worry.
“There’s no problem, the environment inside the Mysterious Small World where they used to live was far worse than here, they’ll be more than satisfied,” Yang Kai chuckled.
“En…” Xu Hui didn’t say anymore.
After learning that the group of Demons had already arrived inside the Holy Land, Xu Hui immediately said he wanted to meet with them.
After all, everyone would be neighbours in the future, so even if they didn’t technically belong to the same force, they would be living together. Building a good rapport was essential to ensure future conflicts could be resolved smoothly.
Fortunately, both Nine Heavens Holy Land and this group of Demons were Yang Kai’s subordinates.
With such a common point, Xu Hui felt that as long as there were no major incidents, most issues could be worked through.
Leaving Meng Tian Fei and Shi Kun to see to the disciples, Xu Hui and the others followed Yang Kai back to the main peak.
The hundreds of Alchemists and Artifact Refiners stood around with the Ancient Demon Clan, silently waiting. Although Yang Kai had been gone for half a day now, the Ancient Demon clansmen had not caused any issues, most of them still just looking around curiously.
Acting as a host, Xu Hui immediately came forward and welcomed Li Rong and the others.
Li Rong and the other Great Commanders smiled and returned the courtesy, exchanging greetings for a while. After talking amongst themselves for a while, each of them discovered that the other party wasn’t difficult to get along with.
This was especially true for Xu Hui; he felt that Li Rong was quite reasonable and friendly, nothing at all like the arrogant and brutal Demons he was used to. She was more like a refined lady from some big family or powerful Sect.
Xu Hui’s mood immediately brightened.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong also soon got close to Han Fei. All of them were beautiful women, but Han Fei’s cultivation was higher than their own by a minor Realm and her temperament was both cold and noble. The two of them felt they could learn a thing or two from her.
Having found common topics of interest, the two parties soon immersed themselves in their own discussions.
Yang Kai had essentially been relegated to the background and was now idly watching.
After a while, Li Rong suddenly said, “Right, together with Master we captured a certain person a few days ago, she seems to be your Nine Heaven’s Holy Land’s previous generation’s Saintess. I believe Master called her Saintess Nan!”
“Saintess Nan?” Xu Hui exclaimed as he hurriedly looked around, “Where is she now?”
Li Rong lightly clapped her hands and immediately had a group of Ancient Demon clansmen bring over the bound Saintess Nan.
Seeing the previous generation’s Saintess’ miserable appearance, Xu Hui and the others couldn’t help wearing sad expressions.
An Ling’er was even worse off, tears freely streaming from her eyes as she rushed over and held Saintess Nan.
The previous generation Saintess and the current Saintess had very close ties. Saintess Nan had always treated An Ling’er as her own daughter, but after Saintess Nan died, she had personally killed the other three Saintesses, and if not for a stroke of luck, An Ling’er would have died at her hands too.
Seeing her again now, how could An Ling’er continue to suppress the grief in her heart?
Xu Hui wiped the corner of his eyes and turned his gaze away.
Li Rong and the others seemed infected by the mood and also let out slight sighs.
After a while, Yang Kai stepped forward and gently patted An Ling’er’s shoulder, “However you wish to handle Saintess Nan, I leave up to you.”
An Ling’er nodded as she continued to sob, slowly lifting up Saintess Nan and gradually walking off.
Being bound and sealed by a master like Li Rong, Saintess Nan wouldn’t be able to escape no matter how heaven-defying her abilities were, so there was no need to worry about any harm coming to An Ling’er.
The sun was gradually setting, but all of Nine Heavens Holy Land was still bustling with activity.
The several thousand Holy Land disciples returning from the Holy Tomb all had many things to do.
The Ancient Demon Clan followed Yang Kai and Xu Hui to the mountain where they would later be living.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
Exactly one month later, the flurry of activating inside the Holy Land gradually calmed down.
The mess left behind when the Monster Race withdrew had been processed and Nine Heavens Holy Land once again entered into a steady state of development. On the mountain where the Ancient Demon Clan had settled, rows of new and refurbished houses were neatly lined up, making for an exquisite sight.
As the Ancient Demon Clan was constructing their new residences, Xu Hui had made sure to provide them with any resources and assistance they required, earning him Li Rong’s sincere gratitude.
After spending more than a month getting along together, Xu Hui and the other Elders couldn’t help changing some of their preconceived notions and instinctual repulsion to the Demon Race.
They had found that this group of Demons who had chosen to serve Yang Kai, besides being from a different race with a different kind of energy flowing through their bodies, were, in every other way the same as themselves.
None of them had seen or even heard of any of them running amok or causing trouble and were instead very cordial and law-abiding.
Gradually, a peaceful coexistence formed between the Holy Land disciples and the Ancient Demon Clan.
Yang Kai was very satisfied with the current situation. This past month, he had not had a moment’s rest as he had to deal with a myriad of issues big and small regarding Nine Heavens Holy Land and the Ancient Demon Clan, causing him to feel quite exhausted and wishing he could clone himself to split his workload. He hadn’t even had a spare moment to communicate with the Divine Tree.
Now that he had obtained a stable foothold, Yang Kai wanted to let the Divine Tree out of the Black Book space.
However, considering the difficulty of doing so and the presence of the Ancient Demon Clan, he decided to put off this idea for now.
The Yang Attribute energy aura released by the Divine Tree was so potent that even the Ancient Demon Clan may be adversely affected by it. On top of that, even with Yang Kai’s current strength, trying to remove the Divine Tree from the Black Book space would likely completely exhaust his strength.
For now, the best he could do was to occasionally send his Soul Avatar into the Black Book space and spend some time with the Divine Tree to appease its loneliness.
During one of these visits, Yang Kai also learned from the Divine Tree that the two pitch-black round stones were still absorbing the essence from the rare ores he had piled up. By now, almost all the minerals and ores in the Black Book space had been consumed, leaving behind only a large pile of dust and impurities.
After such a long time, the meridian like traces on the surface of the pitch-black round stones had become far more prominent.
Yang Kai faintly thought there was something unusual about these two stones and couldn’t help wondering just what kind of change they would undergo after absorbing so much mineral essence.
One day, as Yang Kai was discussing some matters with Li Rong and Xu Hui, a Holy Land disciples suddenly entered the hall and reported, “Holy Master, there is someone outside the Sect who requests an audience.”
“What person?” Yang Kai knit his brow.
“Netherworld Sect’s Sect Master, Wu Jie!” The disciple responded.
“Wu Jie?” Hearing this name, Xu Hui pounded the table with his fist and shouted, “The nerve! This old master hasn’t gone to settle accounts with him for his previous offence yet now he dares to show up outside my Holy Land’s nine peaks? This time there will be no road to Heaven or path to Hell for him to escape! How many people has he brought with him?”
The disciple quickly answered, “Sect Master Wu is alone, but he seems to have caught two unfamiliar people and is currently holding on to them.”
Xu Hui coldly snorted, “He actually dares come here alone? Does that green bastard really think he can not place my Holy Land in his eyes? Holy Master, please permit this old master to teach him a harsh lesson!”
Yang Kai just smiled wryly, “No need, Wu Jie is an ally.”
Xu Hui was stunned, unable to understand why Yang Kai would say such a thing.
Three years ago, that hateful fellow had followed Zhang Ao and Cao Guan to crusade against the Holy Land. Naturally, Xu Hui still bore a deep grudge for this and couldn’t wait to peel Wu Jie’s skin, tear his flesh, and drink his blood to vent the hatred in his heart.
Yang Kai did not hurry to explain and simply said to the waiting disciple, “Go invite him here.”
The disciple bowed politely before leaving to complete his task while Yang Kai slowly explained the situation to Xu Hui.
After learning that Wu Jie had taken the initiative to make peace with Yang Kai three years ago and, in recent times, had actually followed him around and offered his assistance, Xu Hui couldn’t help furrowing his brow and muttering, “I had heard that Wu Jie’s forte was building and managing interpersonal relationships while accurately analysing the overall situation. It seems his reputation is well-deserved.”
“Him being able to show goodwill towards Master a few years ago proves his vision is better than most,” Li Rong smiled, “Not everyone can see the potential of Master, like that Zhang Ao and Cao Guan. They had only their own lack of foresight to blame for their deaths.”
“Zhang Ao and Cao Guan are dead?” Xu Hui was extremely surprised.
“Ah right, I have forgotten to tell you about that,” Yang Kai nodded offhandedly, “The leadership of Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple have both basically been destroyed. By now, Wu Jie has probably finished handling their dismantlement.”
“Hmph, they got what they deserve!” Xu Hui still seemed somewhat angered and aggrieved, “This old master was still thinking about when to settle accounts with them, but now it seems there is no need for that. They got lucky, if they had fallen into this old master’s hands, I would surely have let them know what a life worse than death tastes like!”
Xu Hui cursed as he ground his teeth and clenched his fists.
Li Rong pursed her lips as she glanced over at Yang Kai, doing her best not to laugh.
A short while later, Wu Jie came in from the outside, still dressed in his trademark black robe, carrying with him two unconscious cultivators just like the messenger disciple had reported earlier.
Both these cultivators didn’t have a single scratch on them and simply seemed to be sleeping, their auras uniform and undisturbed, quite the mysterious sight.
Walking over, Wu Jie dropped the two unconscious men onto the floor and cupped his fists, “Greetings Sir Holy Master, greetings Senior Li… En, Great Elder as well.”
Yang Kai and Li Rong smiled and nodded while Xu Hui wore a gloomy look on his face and coldly snorted, obviously not happy to see Wu Jie, secretly thinking to himself that this person lacked honour and simply went where the wind blew, a sinister villain who was only concerned with benefits.
However, Wu Jie did not mind this reaction one bit.
“Have a seat!” Yang Kai gestured.
Wu Jie gently nodded and sat down at the table.
A pretty female disciple immediately served tea.
After sipping the tea for a moment, Yang Kai asked, “Sect Master Wu appearing here must mean you have finished processing those two Sects, yes?”
Hearing this question, Wu Jie couldn’t help grinning happily as he said, “I must thank Sir Holy Master for that. After a month or so of work, this Wu managed to absorb two thousand talented new disciples. The rest who only had average aptitude were given some cultivation resources and then dismissed. Now, within the surrounding thousand-kilometre radius, besides Nine Heavens Holy Land, only Netherworld Sect is left.”
“How much did it end up costing you?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“It didn’t cost much at all; after killing a few recalcitrant leaders, everything else was easy to handle,” Wu Jie replied casually.
“En, that’s certainly encouraging. It seems it is only a matter of time before your Sect rises. All that’s left is for Sect Master Wu to break through to the Second Order Saint Realm.
Wu Jie immediately looked awkward upon hearing this, smiling bitterly, “Sir Holy Master must not make fun of this Wu too much. What my aptitude is, this Wu is crystal clear, in this life, without some great opportunity, I’m afraid my current cultivation is my limit. “
“Seems you still have some self-knowledge!” Xu Hui snickered, his eyes filled with disdain.
Wu Jie let out a hollow laugh, knowing that Xu Hui was just venting his anger, quickly getting back to the discussion, “So my hopes will instead be placed on the next generation. In the future, Netherworld Sect will follow only Nine Heavens Holy Land’s lead, I only hope Sir Holy Master and Great Elder will show my Netherworld Sect some consideration in exchange for our loyalty!”
“We’re all one family, no need to act so humble!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Xu Hui’s expression softened somewhat hearing this. Wu Jie, being able to utter such words as a Sect Master, had largely dispelled Xu Hui’s remaining grievances.
“Right, these are the cultivation materials collected from Shattering Mystical Palace and the War Spirit Temple. This Wu left behind thirty percent for himself while the remaining seventy percent have been brought over. Please feel free to inspect it, Sir Holy Master,” Wu Jie said as he took out a few Universe Bags and handed them over respectfully.
Xu Hui looked over questioningly towards Yang Kai and received a slight nod.
Standing up, Xu Hui walked over and accepted the Universe Bags Wu Jie had brought. Sweeping them with his Divine Sense, a joyful expression soon filled his old face.
The Universe Bags sent by Wu Jie were all full of valuable materials, and from the amount, it was easy to tell he had really only kept about thirty percent for himself.
The treasury of Nine Heavens Holy Land was currently empty, and just when they were in need of resources, Wu Jie had delivered them, giving Xu Hui the impression of receiving charcoal in a snowstorm.
Xu Hui was very satisfied and finally smiled, “Sect Master Wu is too polite, I hope that our two Sects will be good friends in the future and never again experience such unpleasant misunderstandings.”
“No no, Great Elder may rest assured that this Wu is not as short-sighted or petty as Zhang Ao and Cao Guan.”
“Very good!” Xu Hui nodded firmly, his attitude finally easing.
“En, there is one more thing I must report to Sir Holy Master!” Wu Jie’s expression suddenly became serious again.
“About these two people?” Yang Kai asked.
“Indeed,” Wu Jie nodded, “When this Wu came to the Holy Land today, I accidentally discovered a rather large number of people wandering around outside your nine peaks… they all seemed to be searching for something so this Wu conveniently grabbed two of them to inquire about their motives.”
“Could they be disciples that were expelled from Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple?” Yang Kai asked suspiciously.
“No,” Wu Jie shook his head firmly, “These two are both First Order Transcendents. If they belonged to Shattering Mystical Palace or War Spirit Temple, this Wu would definitely have some kind of impression of them, but I have never seen either of them before.”
“Hmm… wake them up and ask them what they came here for,” Yang Kai suddenly felt a bit disgruntled. At this time, so many foreign cultivators linger around outside the Holy Land was definitely something he had to investigate.
Yang Kai smelled a conspiracy behind all of this, making him feel uncomfortable.
Wu Jie got up, walked over to the two sleeping cultivators, and gently tapped their heads. A moment later, the two people who were soundly sleeping leapt up, their True Qi surging as they swept their eyes around at Wu Jie, Yang Kai, and the others in the hall.
Seeing these two’s reaction, Wu Jie simply snickered and without even moving, pressed his aura down on them, causing the two men to instantly go pale as they realized the massive gap in power between themselves and Wu Jie. All thoughts of resistance disappeared and only fear and panic remained in their eyes.
One of them trembled as he managed to ask, “Who are you and why did you capture us?”
Wu Jie didn’t answer, his green glowing eyes staring menacingly towards the pair of now terrified cultivators.
It was only after thoroughly intimidating them that Wu Jie coldly spoke, “I have something to ask you, your free to answer or not to answer, but if you fail to satisfy me, I’ll strip your Souls from your bodies and search your memories myself. If you’d prefer to not suffer the pain of having your Souls torn apart, I suggest you cooperate honestly.”
“Strip our Souls….” The two Transcendent Realm cultivators shivered uncontrollably, all colour draining from their faces.
Their strength was not too low, so they naturally understood what kind of pain and suffering would accompany their Souls being forcefully searched. Such inhuman torture almost always resulted in one first going insane from the pain and then dying a miserable death. Generally, only the vilest of cultivators would use such means.
However, the man in front of them with his eerie green aura and ghastly eyes seemed to perfectly fit the description of an evil master…
The pair hastily nodded, “Please ask, whatever you wish to know, we will definitely answer.”
Wu Jie grinned wickedly, nodding in satisfaction before beginning, “Do you know where this is?”
The two cultivators both glanced at each other and nodded, one of them replying, “This should be somewhere inside Nine Heavens Holy Land, yes?”
“Correct, this is indeed Nine Heavens Holy Land; yet knowing that, you still dared wander around outside?” Wu Jie eyebrow slightly lifted, “Explain yourselves, what are you doing here?”
The other man quickly replied, “We came here to search for artifacts.”
“Search for artifacts?” Wu Jie frowned, “On the ground outside?”
“Yes.”
“Who told you there were artifacts out there?”
“A lot of people have been discussing rumours like that…” One of the men hurriedly explained. Listening to his story, Yang Kai quickly understood that some unknown party was spreading false information that after the war that was fought around Nine Heavens Holy Land three years ago, countless powerful cultivators had died and left behind many artifacts. This rumour had attracted a great many people who wanted to try their luck to see if they could pick up a treasure or two.
“There are a lot of people outside, are you all looking for artifacts?” Wu Jie asked.
“There are some who are looking for artifacts, others seem to be hunting for Monster Beasts… We heard that many Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Monster Beasts had run over here from the Beast Sea Jungle. Those Monster Beasts are good sources of refining materials.”
The other man quickly added, “It seems that there are also some people who have come here to kill Demons. Word is the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land has accepted a group of Demons as subordinates and settled them in the nine peaks. Those people came here to clean up those vile Demons!”
“Depending on just you?” Wu Jie looked at this pair with utter contempt and no small amount of pity, “Since you have heard there are Demons here, did you not hear about what kind of strength the posses?”
“It’s said that there were only a few masters among that group of Demons, a small number of Transcendents at most…”
“Hahaha…” Wu Jie cackled wryly, nodding repeatedly, “Indeed, there aren’t many masters among them… En, only five or so.”
Naturally, he was referring to five Saint Realm masters, three of whom had reached the Second Order!
Wu Jie had seen with his own eyes Li Rong fight Demon General Xue Li to a standstill and well understood how incredible the Ancient Demon Clan’s combat strength was. They were not a force one or two big Sects could take on.
If someone really wanted to exterminate them, they would need to gather together at least three or four forces on the same level as Soaring Heaven Sect to do so, and that was only if they were willing to suffer massive losses in the process.
Relying on these pitiful weaklings to clean up the Ancient Demon Clan was akin to hoping a bunch of ants cold shake a mighty tree.
After questioning them for a bit longer and determining they knew nothing else of importance, Wu Jie knocked the two foreign cultivators out again.
Turning his attention back to Yang Kai, Wu Jie frowned, “Sir Holy Master, it seems like someone is deliberately spreading some unfavourable rumours about you while guiding these hapless cultivators towards Nine Heavens Holy Land.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, not knowing why but suddenly recalling the Human Race powerhouse called Wu Zheng he had met recently.
If there weren’t some high-level Human Race masters working behind the scenes, there was no way these false rumours would have spread out so quickly across the Human Territory and deceived so many people. Only someone with a certain amount of prestige could do this otherwise no one would believe such obvious lies.
Wu Zheng obviously had such capabilities.
“What is the mastermind behind all this hoping to achieve? He must know that these riff-raff can’t possibly bring any harm to the Holy Land,” Xu Hui asked curiously.
“Some people don’t want Li Rong and her clan to remain in Nine Heavens Holy Land,” Yang Kai snorted, “They don’t want to see us getting close to the Demon Race as they consider such actions a great shame for the Human Race.”
Wu Jie’s eyes narrowed, seemingly thinking of something, a moment later conjecturing, “What Sir Holy Master means to say is that the one inciting these cultivators to come to Nine Heavens Holy Land is hoping to force a conflict to arise?”
“Something to that effect,” Yang Kai nodded, “Once we take action, no matter who moves, they can shift all the blame onto Li Rong. At that time, the person behind all of this will use that as an excuse to lead the Human Race’s forces against Li Rong and her clan. If they attack Li Rong, naturally I will not be able to sit back and watch, but once I step in, it will mean involving the Holy Land. When that happens, the Holy Land will become enemies with the entire Human Race and will have no chance of survival.”
“Are they so sinister?” Xu Hui expression changed.
“En, truly a bunch of despicable villains…” Wu Jie pondered, “If it was any other force, having so many foreign cultivators wandering around right outside their door, they would definitely choose to immediately drive them off. This Wu believes that the ones behind all this have hidden some pawns amongst these people who will be responsible for fanning the flames the moment Sir Holy Master tries to expel them.”
Yang Kai glanced over at him and couldn’t help grinning, his thoughts aligning perfectly with the latter.
“Holy Master, how should we deal with this?” Xu Hui asked, seemingly understand that although the situation was current not so bad, if they waited too long, more cultivators who were deceived would swarm to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
This situation needed to be resolved as swiftly as possible.
Nine Heavens Holy Land had just managed to return to a steady-state of development, if a conflict with many external forces were to suddenly occur, it would definitely have a large negative impact on its future.
Especially now that Yang Kai had not yet fully matured.
“What does Great Elder think?” Yang Kai looked at him and asked for his opinion.
Xu Hui respectfully replied, “Subordinate thinks that we should first announce the truth of this matter to the cultivators who have been deceived so they can withdraw of their own accord. The rumours of artifacts being leftover from that battle are completely ridiculous. If such things really existed, how could my Holy Land have not already collected them? As long as they can’t find anything they will eventually leave. As for the Monster Race and Monster Beasts, they have already returned to the Beast Sea Jungle, if those people have the courage to hunt Monster Beats, they might as well go to the Monster Domain, there’s no need for them to idle around outside the Holy Land… As for the cultivators who came here to fight Demons, we can just deny the existence of Senior Li and the others, they can’t enter and inspect the nine peaks anyways. As long as Senior Li and her clan remain inside the nine peaks and waits for this storm to pass, everything should be fine.”
Xu Hui was reluctant to go to war right now, that much was obvious to Yang Kai.
After thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai nodded and agreed, “Then we will first act in accordance with Great Elder’s plan, bring some people and tell those foreign cultivators who are idling outside the Holy Land to disperse; however… do not appear too accommodating or amenable, lest they think they can make like of our Holy Land. En, we must let the world know what fate awaits those who offend us! Entering our Holy Land’s territory without permission is more than enough reason for us to kill!”
“It is exactly as Holy Master says!” Xu Hui nodded firmly.
In the past, if these people had dared to wander freely outside Nine Heavens Holy Land, Xu Hui would have already sent them packing, how could he waste time speaking with them? Anyone who refused to obey would be immediately killed, but the current Holy Land was no longer the same as before, so Xu Hui had to act more prudently.
“Good, give them three days to withdraw a hundred kilometres from the Holy Land, anyone who dares to remain past that deadline is surely a placed agitator here to stir up trouble. Such people need not be reasoned with, execute them on the spot!” Yang Kai ordered.
“Yes, subordinate will handle this matter!” Xu Hui said and immediately retired, bringing along with him the two cultivators Wu Jie had brought over.
Li Rong’s beautiful eyes flashed brightly as she stared at Yang Kai, a slight smile forming on her lips.
She suddenly found that after only a few years, Yang Kai had finally shown the temperament of a leader.
Back when he had first been sent to Demon God Citadel by Coffin Slave Senior, he was just a wary young man, but now he was able to make appropriate judgements and issue decisive orders based on the overall situation.
This was something Li Rong was very happy to see, secretly feeling once more that the Ancient Demon Clan’s future would be bright under his leadership.
“Sir Holy Master, this Wu will also take his leave, there are still a great many things to attend to in the Sect. If Sir Holy Master ever has free time, know that you are welcome to visit my Netherworld Sect at any time!” Wu Jie asked to be excused.
“One moment, Sect Master Wu,” Yang Kai stood up.
“Is there something else, Sir Holy Master?” Wu Jie asked curiously.
“I want to take a look around Shattering Mystical Palace and War Spirit Temple and would like to request Sect Master Wu to lead the way.”
“Of course of course!” Wu Jie smiled.
“Li Rong, come with me,” Yang Kai called out.
“En,” Li Rong gently nodded, also standing up.
After leaving the palace, the trio transformed into streaks of light that flew out of Nine Heavens Holy Land like bolts of lightning.
There had originally been four forces which had occupied this region but now only Nine Heavens Holy Land and Netherworld Sect remained.
These four forces weren’t located very far apart, each one only two or three hundred kilometres from its neighbours.
Such a distance would only take a moment for the current Yang Kai to cross, let alone now with Li Rong using her Demonic Qi to carry him along.
Soon, the three arrived above a group of mountains that had a large number of palatial structures arranged around it.
“This is the War Spirit Temple. Among the three forces, it was the closest to the nine peaks which resulted in them receiving the most benefits from the Holy Land; unfortunately, Cao Guan was far too short-sighted and brought ruin to his Sect,” Wu Jie explained.
Yang Kai nodded as he swept his eyes over the scene down below. The buildings were all neatly arranged, like pieces on a chessboard, but many of them had actually collapsed and there were some places where dark red bloodstains remained.
This should be a result of when Wu Jie’s came here to absorb War Spirit Temple’s disciples and resources.
After watching this scene for a while, Yang Kai suddenly asked, “Are there still people here?”
Among the buildings of War Spirit Temple, a small number of cultivators were wandering around, seemingly looking for something.
“Oh, those are the disciple of my Netherworld Sect along with some disciples originally from War Spirit Temple, they are searching for anything of value we may have missed,” Wu Jie explained with a smile.
Yang Kai nodded before pointing down, “I want this place. After Sect Master Wu goes back, inform your disciples and subordinates to pay attention not to destroy it.”
“Yes,” Wu Jie nodded. Although he didn’t know what Yang Kai wanted to do with this abandoned Sect, he knew well enough not to ask.
Speaking less and observing more was the reason Wu Jie better understood the reality of his situation than Zhang Ao and Cao Guan.
“Let’s head to Shattering Mystical Palace.” Since there was nothing special of note here, Yang Kai immediately decided to leave.
Wu Jie once again led the way.
A moment later, nearly three hundred kilometres away, the three came to Shattering Mystical Palace.
“This was Zhang Ao’s site,” Wu Jie pointed to the ground below, “It is a better location than both War Spirit Temple and my Netherworld Sect.”
Yang Kai observed calmly and discovered that this place was truly quite good. Although nothing compared to the Holy Land’s nine peaks, it was still a rare cultivation paradise.
Shattering Mystical Palace establishing itself here was understandable.
“Sir Holy Master, this Wu still has many things to attend to, so I will take my leave now,” Wu Jie suddenly said after a moment of silence.
“En, feel free, Sect Master Wu,” Yang Kai nodded.
Bidding farewell, Wu Jie quickly left.
Looking at his disappearing back, Li Rong grinned, “Although this fellow looks a bit gloomy and evil, he’s actually quite good. But why was he so anxious to leave? It almost looked like he was trying to escape.”
“Because he knows what I want to do next…” Yang Kai chuckled, “If he wants to avoid learning too many secrets, naturally he has to leave.”
Li Rong was stunned.
“Let’s go have a look!” Yang Kai said casually before flying down.
Shattering Mystical Palace was spread out across a large area. Yang Kai and Li Rong landed in a stone forest in a slightly remote corner of the grounds. There were many stone pillars here, some high, some low, all of them scattered about seemingly randomly.
“Li Rong, where is that Blood Essence Stone?” Yang Kai turned and asked.
“I have it here,” Li Rong quickly took out the Blood Essence Stone and handed it over.
Previously, the Blood Essence Stone had absorbed a large amount of fresh blood, converting it into a kind of Blood Qi, but after healing all of the severely injured Ancient Demon clansmen, this Blood Qi had been exhausted so the Blood Essence Stone was no longer giving off any discernible energy fluctuations.
Holding this Blood Essence Stone, Yang Kai began looking around.
“Master, what are you looking for?” Li Rong observed for a while as well before thoughtfully asking.
“I’m looking for the gateway to the Starry Sky!” Yang Kai replied seriously.
“The gateway to the Starry Sky?” Li Rong gawked for a moment before quickly recalling the words Zhang Ao had said a few months ago just before he died, immediately understanding, “Does Master mean to say, there is a gateway to the Starry Sky hidden here?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “I managed to spy on a few of Zhang Ao’s memories. He found this Blood Essence Stone in this stone forest, but I don’t know specifically where. Help me search this place and see if there is anything out of the ordinary, pay special attention to anywhere exotic ores appears.”
“Does Master really believe it is possible to enter the Starry Sky? Isn’t it just a legend…?”
“What do you think?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“I don’t know,” Li Rong slowly shook her head, “I was born and have spent my entire life inside that Mysterious Small World and until a few months ago had never even seen the sun, moon, or stars, but even so, I’ve always thought that the Starry Sky’s existence was a bit unrealistic.”
“Oh? Why?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“Because even the most powerful masters can only fly to around a height of fifty kilometres before an invisible force stops them from proceeding and pulls them back down towards the ground. Since no one can leave this realm, how would they get to the Starry Sky? Shouldn’t all the stories about travelling the Starry Sky just be legends?”
Yang Kai didn’t offer any objections to her argument, just grinning as he said, “Help me take a look. If we can find the door, I’ll take you to see that so-called legend.”
Li Rong’s eyes flashed, feeling like Yang Kai wasn’t cracking a joke and immediately nodded, “En!”
The two split up and began carefully combing through the stone forest.
This stone forest should have been regarded as a restricted area in Shattering Mystical Palace because Yang Kai was aware of many concealed arrays and barriers. These arrays were actually traps which, when triggered, would cause anyone caught in their radius a lot of trouble.
These Spirit Arrays should have all been arranged here by Zhang Ao.
However, with his extremely powerful Divine Sense, Yang Kai was easily able to find these hidden barriers, allowing him to move around unhindered.
After about the time it would take to burn a stick of incense, Yang Kai, who had so far not had any gains, knit his brow as he glanced around again; but just as he was coming to his wit’s end, he heard Li Rong call out from somewhere nearby.
His spirits arousing, Yang Kai quickly rushed over.
A moment later, he appeared next to Li Rong.
“Master, there’s something a bit strange about this place!” Li Rong pointed to a particularly large stone pillar which stood out from the rest, “I also found these things close by!”
Saying so, she handed over some loose gravel she was holding.
Yang Kai took these rocks and carefully observed them for a moment before smiling brightly and nodding, “It should be here.”
The gravel that Li Rong had found resembled something from the Starry Sky, and the shape and arrangement of the pillars in this place also looked somewhat similar to the blurry images Yang Kai had observed in Zhang Ao’s memory.
“However, there doesn’t seem to be anything special here,” Li Rong knit her brow in confusion.
“If it was so easy to see through, Zhang Ao wouldn’t have only inadvertently noticed the mystery here,” Yang Kai said as he walked up and began examining the largest stone pillar.
At first glance, aside from its larger size, this pillar looked no different from the others around it, but if one observed carefully, this particular stone pillar was much more solid than the ones in its surroundings. It was difficult to tell what material it was made of but it definitely not just ordinary stone.
After carefully recalling the scenes he had seen in Zhang Ao’s memory, Yang Kai reached out, placed his hand on the large stone pillar, and began pouring his True Qi into it.
Yang Kai’s True Qi disappeared as quickly as he poured it out, seemingly being swallowed up by the large stone pillar.
Yang Kai continued what he was doing for a while but the stone pillar remained unresponsive. Just as he was beginning to get impatient though, a faint humming sound rang out.
Yang Kai immediately leapt backwards and stood beside Li Rong, paying close attention to the scene in front of him.
*Weng weng weng…*
The large stone pillar trembled as if some invisible force was rocking it back and forth, soon causing the surrounding ground to rumble unstably.
A series of ripples visible to the naked eye began propagating across the surface of the large pillar.
These ripples intensified for and eventually concentrated at the centre of the large pillar, causing some unexpected changes to occur.
A glossy sheen which resembled a mirror began to spread out from the centre of the pillar as these ripples intensified.
When this mirror-like surface expanded to a certain limit, it shattered and a jet black hole, like the entrance to a deep cave, appeared in front of Yang Kai and Li Rong. It was like some giant beast had opened its maw, threatening to swallow them whole.
Li Rong couldn’t help feeling her hair stand on end.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, was very excited. He could feel the unique aura belonging to the Starry Sky from this cave!
“Let’s go!” Without hesitation, Yang Kai pulled Li Rong and leapt into the black portal.
In the next instant, a huge pressure like a surging tide appeared from every direction, causing Yang Kai’s bones to creak and his physique to tense up as he hastily resisted this destructive force.
Li Rong also exclaimed upon feeling the intensity of this pressure and immediately used her Demon God Transformation.
Demon Crests surfaced on her pretty face, giving her a kind of wild beauty.
“Don’t be anxious!” Yang Kai chuckled, comforting her.
Li Rong’s pretty face blushed red as she gradually relaxed, her beautiful eyes only now sweeping around her surroundings, a look of utter shock filling her face as she did so.
Around here, there was only a vast black emptiness illuminated by distant twinkling stars. Even when she looked down, there was no ground beneath her feet, and all she could see was the same starry scene.
It was obvious that she was no longer in Tong Xuan Realm.
“Is this the Starry Sky?” Li Rong exclaimed.
“En, wonderful, isn’t it?” Yang Kai nodded lightly, withstanding the oppressive power of the Starry Sky in an extremely relaxed manner.
“From your current look, Master, it seems you have been to the Starry Sky before, yes?”
“I have been here once before. It was in the Starry Sky that I broke through to the Transcendent Realm!”
Li Rong’s eyes couldn’t help widening.
From the words Yang Kai had just casually spoken, she realized something important.
When her Master had come here, he had only been a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator, so how was he able to withstand this strange Starry Sky force?
Li Rong estimated that without using her Demon God Transformation, under the ambient pressure of this place, even she would have difficulty supporting herself, while an ordinary Peak Immortal Ascension cultivator would be instantly ground into dust.
“However, the place I came last time seems to not be here,” Yang Kai looked around and concluded.
The last time he came to the Starry Sky, beneath his feet was a small blue sphere that, according to Di Yao, was actually Tong Xuan Realm.
But this time there was no such sphere. Without it as a reference, Yang Kai couldn’t tell where the portal in the stone forest had sent them.
Looking back, the Void Corridor to the Stone Forest was still there and from the aura fluctuations Yang Kai felt from it, he estimated it should be able to remain for a few days.
Relaxing upon confirming this, Yang Kai waved to Li Rong, “Follow me!”
Li Rong quickly kept up while maintaining her Demon God Transformation, inspecting her surroundings.
The legendary Starry Sky was a place only a few could set foot on, so Li Rong was naturally very curious.
Both of them were constantly releasing their Divine Senses, investigating everything in the hundred-kilometre radius around them.
“What is it that Master is searching for?” Li Rong asked after following behind Yang Kai’s aimless for a while.
“I’m looking for some asteroids,” Yang Kai explained, “The asteroids in the Starry Sky sometimes contain precious and exotic minerals and ores. This is a rare opportunity, so I want to see if we can reap some unexpected gains. Perhaps we might even find something as precious as that Blood Essence Stone.”
“Oh!” After knowing the goal of this trip, Li Rong also became quite enthusiastic.
We have hit the goal and there will be 17 Chapters this week. :O
Among the Starry Sky, there were many asteroids flying about. Where they came from and where they were headed, no one knew. They seemed to have existed since before ancient times, drifting through Starry Sky, waiting to be discovered.
Yang Kai even suspected that Tong Xuan Realm itself was nothing more an incredibly enormous asteroid.
After searching around the Starry Sky for an hour or two, Yang Kai and Li Rong had already found several asteroids of different sizes.
Some were as small as washbasins while others were as big as mountains.
After finding and shattering these asteroids, Yang Kai had naturally managed to harvest some rare ores, but the quantity and grade were not that high.
This time he had come to the Starry Sky first and foremost to verify whether the information in Zhang Ao’s memory was accurate or not.
However, since he was already here, naturally he didn’t want to return empty-handed.
Since the ores in the Black Book space had been exhausted, this was the perfect opportunity to collect some more.
Yang Kai was really quite curious about what would happen to the two pitch-black round stones after they absorbed enough mineral essence.
“Master, there seems to be a large asteroid flying over there!” Li Rong said via a Divine Sense message as she indicated a certain spot in the distance.
“I’ll be right over!” Yang Kai immediately flew in the direction she indicated.
Not long after, a house-sized asteroid came into view, its surface filled with scars and craters, seemingly having been worn and battered for many, many years.
Li Rong nodded to greet him before sending a light palm thrust towards the asteroid.
Her lush jade-white hand burst with a sensational power and instantly caused the huge asteroid to disintegrate into a cloud of dust, sending countless pieces of debris scattering in all directions.
Yang Kai’s eyes darted around quickly and soon caught sight of one piece of debris that was dark in colour than the others. Rushing over, Yang Kai caught this dark stone and after a quick investigation, sent it into the Black Book space, placing it next to the two pitch-black round stones.
Inside these asteroids there were many rare ores, all of which were incredibly hard and wouldn’t be destroyed even if some force was applied to them.
As such, breaking an asteroid was undoubtedly the most convenient and efficient way of finding treasures inside them.
Li Rong also collected one or two pieces of ore before flying over and handing them to Yang Kai.
“Is master collecting these in order to refine some artifacts?” Li Rong asked with a smile.
Although they couldn’t identify most of the ores they collected from the Starry Sky, simply judging from their innate properties, it was obvious none of them were below Spirit Grade, while many of them had reached the Saint Grade.
Any artifact refined with such materials would be excellent.
Li Rong seeing Yang Kai work so hard to collect so many of these ores naturally led her to believe he wanted to refine some powerful artifacts.
“En,” Yang Kai didn’t bother explaining, observing the surrounding area with his Divine Sense for a moment before his expression suddenly changed and he turned to squint in a certain direction.
In the tinkling starlight, Yang Kai vaguely made out a number of small black spots floating about a few dozen kilometers away in the direction he was staring.
“An Asteroid Sea?” After observing for a while, Yang Kai became overjoyed and quickly motioned to Li Rong to follow him over.
A moment later, a massive number of asteroids appeared before the two of them.
These asteroids appeared like a giant flowing river that stretched from one side of the vast Starry Sky to the other.
The number of asteroids in this Asteroid Sea was simply uncountable and varied in size from as small as a fist to as large as ten mountains.
Drifting through the Starry Sky silently, it was an impressive sight to behold.
“So many asteroids?” Li Rong was also stunned by this scene.
Yang Kai let out a great laugh, “Now there’s no need for us to search aimlessly.”
Saying so, he immediately flew into the Asteroid Sea while Li Rong smiled lightly and hurriedly kept up.
The two of them did not restrain themselves and quickly began breaking apart one asteroid after another. A strange fact about the Starry Sky was that there was no way to produce sound, so all communication had to be done via Divine Sense transmission. Therefore, even though they were wantonly destroying these asteroids, not a single noise was actually made.
Ores of all different shapes and sizes were collected by Yang Kai and stuffed into the Black Book space, each one of them an extremely rare and precious treasure that would be almost impossible to come across in Tong Xuan Realm.
If an Artifact Refiners were to be here to witness this scene, they would likely have already gone insane from excitement.
In order to find rare ores likes these ones, outstanding Artifact Refiners would sometimes travel all over the world simply to seek out a single piece.
Yet here, in the Starry Sky, there were so many of these rare ores just waiting to be harvested.
This kind of phenomenal wealth was now only made available to Yang Kai.
Li Rong was also seemingly infected by Yang Kai’s enthusiasm, a big smile appearing on her pretty face as she busied herself.
Most of the asteroids contained nothing of value, and after being broken simply dispersed in a cloud of dust, but with so many asteroids in this Asteroid Sea, even if the chances any individual one contained a rare ore was small, Yang Kai and Li Rong were still able to gain a large number in short order.
Amidst the dense sea of asteroids, Yang Kai and Li Rong flew back and forth leisurely.
Eventually, after an unknown amount of time, the pair arrived at the end of the Asteroid Sea.
“That should be enough for now,” Yang Kai said, preparing to head back.
In any case, the Void Corridor to the Starry Sky was inside Shattering Mystical Palace, so Yang Kai could return here any time he wanted to. There was no need to only harvest these materials only once.
“En,” Li Rong nodded, flying over and handing Yang Kai the last piece of ore she had just obtained.
At that moment, Yang Kai suddenly felt a faint energy fluctuations come from somewhere nearby inside the Asteroid Sea.
This energy fluctuation was quite unlike that of some ore and immediately caught Yang Kai’s attention.
Glancing over in the direction he sensed these fluctuations coming from, Yang Kai saw a dim flicker of light.
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as his body flickered and disappeared, a moment later appearing next to where he saw the strange light. After seeing what the source of this faint glow was though, his expression couldn’t help becoming confused.
Reaching out and grabbing the object in front of him, Yang Kai quickly returned to where Li Rong was waiting.
“What did you find, Master?” Li Rong asked.
“This…” Yang Kai handed over what was found in the Asteroid Sea.
Li Rong took it and after carefully examining it, also revealed a look of amazement as she muttered, “Is this… an artifact?”
The object Yang Kai found amidst the Asteroid Sea was only about the size of a palm, its overall shape smooth, just like a long shuttle. It resembled a miniature boat and gave of a mysterious energy fluctuation.
Possibly because it had been left idle for so long, the energy fluctuations were both faint and intermittent, almost as if whatever was powering them had been nearly completely drained.
“I also think it is an artifact,” Yang Kai said with a serious expression, casting his eyes back towards the drifting Asteroid Sea, his brow furrowing deeply.
“But… how can there be an artifact here?” Li Rong asked, unable to understand what was going on.
The Starry Sky was a legendary domain that no one had ever been able to set foot into much less explore.
If not for the Void Corridor in the Shattering Mystical Palace, she and Yang Kai would never have been able to arrive here.
However, an artifact like this one appearing in a Starry Sky Asteroid Sea, and the implications that came with such a reality, were really quite thought provoking!
“The presence of artifacts means that there were once cultivators here… Which means it’s possible that there are people who have already explored the Starry Sky,” Yang Kai solemnly said.
“Is that even possible?” Li Rong shouted, “Even Great Demon God only yearned to achieve such a feat, he never actually accomplished it.”
“What if there are cultivators out there stronger than Great Demon God?” Yang Kai said faintly.
Li Rong beautiful face changed dramatically, filling with a look of shock, rendering her totally speechless.
Since ancient times, Great Demon God had been hailed as the world’s greatest master, never once surpassed! A character stronger than Great Demon God was something Li Rong really couldn’t even imagine.
Yang Kai gently let out a sigh, “I just spoke thoughtlessly, you don’t need to think too much about it; however, from the energy fluctuations inside this artifact, it’s quite obvious it is very old. Even if that supreme powerhouse existed, I’m sure he or she died long ago.”
“En,” Li Rong relaxed noticeably, letting out a sigh as she handed the long shuttle-like artifact back to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai continued examining this strange artifact for a while but was unable to determine much about it, “Can you see what grade it is?”
Li Rong shook her head, “I can’t, there is some strange energy inside it that, although seems like it will disappear at any moment, is actually blocking my attempts to investigate it. Master might as well take it back and study it; that should be the best way to figure out what exactly its function is.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded and stored the long shuttle-like artifact away, preparing to refine it once they returned.
The only artifact Yang Kai had currently refined and had some form of use left was the Silver Leaf artifact!
This Silver Leaf had been owned by Nine Heavens Holy Land’s previous generation Holy Master and was actually a genuine Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact. It was extremely useful for both attacking and defending. Refining this strange long shuttle wouldn’t be excessive.
An average cultivator would have at least two or three artifacts on them, with those possessing high status, wealth, and strength often possessing more.
Speaking of artifacts, Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and asked, “Do you and Han Fei have any artifacts?”
Li Rong smiled lightly, “Our Ancient Demon Clan originally had some artifacts, and their grades were not low, but over the years they have degraded quite severely. In any case, our clan’s biggest advantage is our physical strength, so we normally don’t use artifacts when fighting.”
“That said, having good artifacts is better than not; there’s always a possibility they may come in handy,” Saying so, Yang Kai took out several different artifacts from the Black Book space and handed them over to Li Rong, “Take these with you and have Han Fei, Hua Mo, and yourself refine whatever ones you find useful.”
“So many? And all of them are Saint Grade?” Li Rong was amazed.
Saint Grade artifacts were incredibly rare, each one worth more than an average city.
All of Tong Xuan Realm’s Saint Realm masters wished to possess a Saint Grade artifact, but only a minority of them actually did.
Most Saints still used Spirit Grade artifacts.
Saint Grade artifacts were similar to Saint Pills, the materials required to forge one were quite difficult to obtain.
However, the biggest challenge was finding an Artifact Refiner who was capable of refining Saint Grade artifact! On top of that, even if such an Artifact Refiner could be found, there was still a chance of failure.
Saint Grade Artifact Refiners were all famous figures in Tong Xuan Realm, each one highly respected and admired, but each of their schedules was also always full because there was a never ending stream of people begging them to refine Saint Grade artifacts.
Why did the First Under Heaven Alchemist, The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep, always conceal his movements and wander about aimlessly?
It was because there were too many people trying to find him in order to request Alchemy of him. If he didn’t hide his whereabouts, he would never have a moment of peace from these annoying people. If that was a case, how could he spend any time teaching his young disciple?
However, Yang Kai had just casually taken out a few of these Saint Grade artifacts, each one capable of starting wars, and haphazardly handed them over to Li Rong, causing the latter to calm up in shock.
Li Rong couldn’t help wondering if Yang Kai had looted the Treasuries of several great Sects…
How else could he have collected so many Saint Grade artifacts?
Recovering from her shock a moment later, Li Rong did not stand on ceremony and accepted the artifacts from Yang Kai, carefully storing them away.
She knew better than anyone that the stronger the Ancient Demon Clan was, the more help they could provide to Yang Kai! These artifacts would greatly enhance her and the other Great Commander’s combat power.
“En, let’s head back!” Yang Kai quickly determined his bearings and began flying back the way they had come.
Although there was nothing to use as a reference in the Starry Sky, Yang Kai’s senses were very keen so he did not become lost.
After some unknown length of time, the pair once again arrived at the entrance to the Void Corridor and dove in. In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai and Li Rong reappeared in the stone forest inside Shattering Mystical Palace.
The surrounding pillars still pulsed with mysterious energy and the ripples on the large pillar were still pulsing regularly around the entrance to the Starry Sky.
Reaching out his hand, Yang Kai disrupted the ripples of energy and the Void Corridor quickly faded, sealing the entrance to the Starry Sky once more.
The world around them was once again restored to silence!
“Master, this place is very important, should we put up some kind of barrier around it to avoid others accidentally discovering or damaging it?” Li Rong asked.
“You’re skilled in setting up Spirit Arrays?” Yang Kai looked at her with surprise.
Li Rong smiled lightly, “I have some small knowledge of the field, although it won’t compare to a Grandmaster’s work, I can at least arrange something better than the original barrier which was placed here.”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded. A moment ago, he was debating whether to send some people to guard this place, so Li Rong’s proposal was just what he needed.
Receiving Yang Kai’s permission, Li Rong immediately got to work arranging a Spirit Array around this place.
Aside from those related to Alchemy, Yang Kai had next to no experience with arranging Spirit Arrays or barriers. The most he knew about them was how to break them open by force.
Li Rong setting up this kind of Spirit Array was an opportunity for him to learn something new, so Yang Kai paid special attention to her as she worked.
Noticing this, Li Rong made no attempt to hide what she was doing and even spent some time explaining to Yang Kai the steps she was taking, allowing him to benefit greatly.
A few hours later, a concealing and barrier type Spirit Array had been arranged around the stone pillar formation, hiding it so well that even standing right in front of it, Yang Kai was unable to sense anything with his powerful Divine Sense.
“Fierce! If you have time, I’d like to learn some more from you about this field,” Yang Kai praised liberally.
Receiving such praise, Li Rong seemed to smile more radiantly than before as she nodded, “Master is too polite, this is just some trivial skill.”
“Let’s go back first,” Yang Kai chuckled. He was quite curious about the strange long shuttle-like artifact and was eager to refine it as soon as possible so he could discover its purpose.
The pair immediately flew off in the direction of the Holy Land.
Yang Kai and Li Rong returned to the nine peaks from Shattering Mystical Palace in short order, but before they could enter the Holy Land, Yang Kai noticed a large gathering of cultivators who were making a lot of noise in a certain nearby location.
Frowning, Yang Kai let Li Rong over to see what was going on.
As the pair approached closer, the voices became clearer.
It seemed like a crowd of people were shouting, an obvious tone of resentment apparent in their voices.
All of them seemed to be accusing Nine Heavens Holy Land of bullying and oppressing with the occasional personal insult being hurled towards Holy Land Elder Shi Kun.
Realizing what was going on, Yang Kai picked up his pace, arriving beside the disturbance a moment later, his brow furrowing as he called out, “What’s going on here?”
When he heard Yang Kai’s voice, Shi Kun quickly turned around and saw Yang Kai walking over together with Li Rong. Shi Kun’s expression immediately became serious as he cupped his fists shouted, “Greeting, Holy Master!”
“Holy Master?” The cultivators who were making noise just now suddenly went silent, all of them turning their eyes towards Yang Kai, wanting to see just what this new Holy Master of the Nine Heavens Holy Land looked like.
However, the instant they turned their heads around, all of their eyes were immediately drawn towards Li Rong.
Excellent style, noble aura, a true beauty with not only a majestic air but also an enchanting figure.
Her skin as white as snow, like the purest of jade, exuded a porcelain-like lustre; when these people saw Li Rong, all of them couldn’t help staring.
Suddenly, they weren’t interested in making noise or complaining, simply standing there dumbly as if their souls had been stolen.
Li Rong’s brow furrowed slightly as she coldly swept her eyes over this crowd of boorish men and let out a snort.
An invisible pressure was released along with the noise Li Rong made, causing everyone to pale as they suddenly felt like the beautiful woman in front of their eyes had suddenly transformed into a terrifying beast baring its fangs towards them.
All of these cultivators involuntarily averted their eyes and trembled as cold sweat began dripping down their backs.
Yang Kai glanced over at Li Rong and chuckled wryly.
If she always took such great offence to such looks being directed towards her, her future would likely be extremely tiring.
All the world’s people, whether they were male or female, were naturally drawn towards beauty. Stealing a few glances towards a beautiful woman couldn’t be more natural a reaction.
Li Rong had lived her entire life in Demon God Citadel where all her clansmen treated her with the highest level of respect, never daring to reveal any kind of impropriety; however, now that she had come to the outside world, she was bound to experience situations similar to the one just now more and more frequently.
“You should try to get used to it,” Yang Kai quietly comforted, Li Rong’s face blushing slightly as she too realized she had acted a bit over the top, gently nodding her understanding.
With her cultivation and identity, it really wasn’t appropriate for her to lower herself to deal with such a group of people.
“What’s the situation here?” Yang Kai asked Shi Kun again.
Quickly composing himself, Shi Kun replied, “Reporting to Holy Master, these people are cultivators who have been loitering outside our Holy Land’s nine peaks recently. I had informed them of the three-day reprieve Great Elder had granted them to withdraw from our territory and had just come to remind them that the deadline was fast approaching; however, they have so far refused to leave and have instead been accusing us of abusing our strength to bully them. Subordinate tried reasoning with them otherwise but was helpless to convince them.”
Yang Kai nodded and asked, “What about Xu Hui?”
“Great Elder has something to attend to and left this matter to me to process.”
As the two of them talked, the group of foreign cultivators gradually recovered from the terror Li Rong had inflicted upon them and one man in a yellow robe suddenly called out, “So you are the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land?”
Follow his voice, Yang Kai did not show any great reaction, nodding lightly as he replied, “Yes, what advice do you have?”
“I wouldn’t dare offer advice!” The yellow-robed man snickered sullenly and continued, “It’s just that we are only here to search for treasure and have no done anything to provoke your Nine Heavens Holy Land, so why must insist on driving us away?”
“Why?” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “This is my Holy Land’s nine peaks, and you want to know why I want to drive you away?”
“We have not entered the nine peaks yet and have clearly remained outside your territory yet you still claim this land as your own? Aren’t you being too unreasonable?” The yellow-robed man sneered, “Although our cultivations are not high, do you think you can just bully us at will? I’ll tell you right now, no matter how lowly we may seem to you, we will not be intimidated by anyone!”
Saying so, the yellow robe man stepped forward and puffed up his chest, as if trying to make a grand display of his bravery.
His words provoked a lot of the surrounding people as well, causing the once quieted crowd to once again become rowdy, all of them denouncing Nine Heavens Holy Land’s tyranny and oppression.
Shi Kun shouted angrily, “If you don’t want to die, shut your mouths! How dare you act dissolute in front of the Holy Master?”
His words, unfortunately, were just like oil being poured onto a fire, causing the man in the yellow to shout even louder, “Do you see? This Elder of Nine Heavens Holy Land wants to kill us! Since ancient times, Nine Heavens Holy Land has always been a pillar of my Human Race’s forces. All the stories tell of the generosity and righteousness of Nine Heavens Holy Land, but now it seems those stories are nothing but lies! Unlike the recently passed old Holy Master, this new generation’s Holy Master’s disposition is cruel and unreasonable! If the upper beam is crooked, how could the lower beam not be too?”
“That’s right, I heard the new Holy Master colludes with Demons and has even brought a flock of those evil creatures into the nine peaks!”
These words caused another uproar as everyone began calling out and criticising Nine Heavens Holy Land, the looks they were directing towards Yang Kai turning more and more hostile.
The yellow robe man stood amongst the crowd and stared towards Yang Kai with a triumphant smirk upon his face.
Li Rong pretty face slowly filled with anger as she softly whispered, “Master, he seems to be challenging you!”
“Then he’s made a terrible miscalculation,” Yang Kai snickered before asking Shi Kun, “How long until the deadline Great Elder gave them?”
Shi Kun looked up at the sky and quickly said, “At most the time it would take to brew a cup of tea.”
Yang Kai nodded slightly before addressing the crowd, “I won’t speak any nonsense with you. If you don’t leave before the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, you die!”
See Yang Kai’s smiling face which didn’t look like he was cracking a joke, many people became afraid and couldn’t help retreating a few steps.
“What are you afraid of?” The yellow robed man shouted again, “They won’t dare to kill us! We haven’t done anything to harm their Nine Heavens Holy Land. Just because we’re nearby their territory they’ll kill us? If they really dare act so overbearing, the world will surely seek justice for us!”
“Good, this world is governed by principals and righteousness is on our side. How could they dare to kill us?” Someone echoed.
“If we retreat now, we will forever miss the opportunity to obtain those treasures! Clearly they want to drive us away so they can swallow all those treasures for themselves!”
…..
Yang Kai really didn’t speak any more nonsense and simply stood there with a calm smile upon his face, letting these people shout whatever they wanted to.
The cultivators who had originally intended to leave immediately fell into confusion, many of them halting in their tracks, preparing to wait and see what would happen before deciding their next course of action.
Subconsciously, many of them didn’t believe that a great force like Nine Heavens Holy Land would kill people without any justifiable reason, especially with the new Holy Master present.
“Holy Master, time is up!” Shi Kun suddenly said.
Yang Kai nodded and turned a teasing look towards the yellow-robed man as if he was staring at an imbecile.
Being stared at like this, the man in yellow robes couldn’t help feeling a chill shoot up his spine, feeling like he was under the gaze of a poisonous snake. Although fear was now creeping into his heart, he still tried to act strong and shouted, “What are you looking as you little brat? Don’t think that just because you are the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land you can do whatever you want, the only thing you have going for you is your luck! If father here had been taken a liking to by those Saintesses, he would no doubt be better than you!”
“Is that so?” Yang Kai’s mouth curled into a strange smile as she continued to observe this man for a moment before asking, “You seem to be quite certain I won’t kill you. I wonder, just who gave you such confidence that was the case?”
The man in yellow robes face changed as he shouted, “If you kill us here, what difference is that between those Demons of yours killing us? Once that happens, will there even be a place for you Nine Heavens Holy Land in this world?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “That person told you that and you, like an idiot, just believed them?”
Saying so, Yang Kai suddenly showed an impatient expression as a cold chill flashed across his eyes, “A trivial First Order Transcendent, so what if you die? Do you think anyone will seek justice for a piece of trash like you?”
Yang Kai’s anger rang in his ear like booming thunder, causing the yellow-robed man’s body to tremble and making him hurriedly try to hide among the crowd as if instinctively seeking some sense of security.
But wherever he hid, the feeling that a sword was hanging above his neck and the aura of death followed him.
“If you dare attack me, you will regret it in the future!”
The yellow-robed man shouted hysterically.
“Are you threatening me?” Yang Kai grinned disdainfully, “Those who dare threaten me all have miserable ends!”
*Chi…*
The sound of something piercing through the air rang out and the yellow-robed man who was still trying to hide amongst the crowd suddenly felt like some strange force had drilled into his body. In the next instant, his body began to swell up like a balloon, his entire figure quickly inflating to an unnatural size.
His face dyed a bright shade of red, the yellow-robed man could clearly feel his five viscera, six organs, flesh, and bones all being crushed because of this strange force.
Unimaginable pain filled his entire body as blood overflowed from every one of his orifices.
In a state of pure panic, the yellow robed man had never felt more clearly that he was on the verge of death.
“Save… save me…” The man in yellow robes managed to squeeze out just those words before his eyes rolled back and became pure white as his figure twitched uncontrollably.
*Peng…*
A muffled sound rang out as the man in the yellow robe suddenly burst in an explosion of blood.
His flesh and organs flew out and dyed the cultivators nearby him a deep shade of crimson.
Having just witnessed this terrifying scene, all the foreign cultivators present shivered in fear, terror gripping their hearts.
The cultivators who had been loudly screaming just a moment ago now no longer opened their mouths or even looked towards Yang Kai, for fear that he would suddenly kill them too.
“This is the fate of those who dare to threaten me!” Yang Kai smiled lightly, as if his actions just now were not even worth mentioning.
Suddenly, Yang Kai expression became cold and gloomy, “If you came here solely to play, my Nine Heavens Holy Land will warmly welcome you, but if you’ve come here with ulterior, nefarious motives, don’t blame me for not showing any mercy.”
*Chi chi chi…*
Golden streaks of True Qi suddenly flew out, darting through the crowd and piercing several cultivators, sinking into the bodies in the blink of an eye.
Just like the yellow-robed man, these cultivators all began inflating, and when they reached their limit they burst, absolute fear penetrating all the way to their souls as they died miserably.
Seeing Yang Kai so decisively kill people, and seeing no signs of him planning to stop, none of the foreign cultivators who had gathered here dared to remain, all of them screaming in panic as they went all out to flee.
None of them wanted to remain anywhere near the nine peaks anymore.
Yang Kai waved his hand and a chain comprised of True Qi flew out, wrapping around a middle-aged man who was also doing his best to escape, quickly dragging him back.
The middle-aged man was shuddering uncontrollably and his face had long ago drained of all colour. He watched helplessly as everyone else besides him made their escape and immediately began kowtowing and begging for mercy.
“Just now, you were calling out quite loudly,” Yang Kai stared at him with an evil smirk.
“Sir Holy Master, forgive me! I won’t dare do this again, I’ll never disturb Nine Heavens Holy Land again! I beg of you, forgive me, Sir Holy Master!”
Yang Kai stared down at him disdainful and snorted, “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you this time, but you must help me deliver a message!”
Hearing this, the man rapidly nodded, “Please say it, Sir Holy Master!”
“No matter who it was that incited you to do all this, go back and tell him, if he dares use such despicable means to irritate me again, I will definitely pay his Sect a visit and extinguish his entire family. No chicken or dog will be spared!”
The man’s expression became dull, immediately realizing that Yang Kai had long ago seen through their little play and quickly nodded, “I will definitely deliver Sir Holy Master’s message!”
“Get out!” Yang Kai scoffed.
The middle-aged man kowtowed once more before fleeing as quickly as he could.
Looking at the figure that the man fleeing, Shi Kun’s expression became somewhat dignified, “Holy Master, will this cause any trouble?”
“Don’t worry, it’s just a few clumsy mischief-doers. If they die, they die,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Next time you discover someone harbouring ill intentions towards the Holy Land outside our borders, once you’ve verified their purpose, kill them directly. There’s no need to act reasonable with them.”
“Yes!” Shi Kun quickly responded, his eyes gradually filling with excitement as he looked towards Yang Kai.
Shi Kun suddenly discovered that this Holy Master and the old Holy Master had very different personalities. The old Holy Master always acted prudently, taking the big picture into consideration before anything else, never doing anything that might bring the slightest harm to the Holy Land.
But this new Holy Master was different. He acted decisively and ruthlessly.
This kind of temperament very much suited Shi Kun’s appetite!
Sure enough, young people were more hot blooded; Shi Kun only hoped the Holy Land would also become full of vigor like this new Holy Master in the future.
The cultivators that were wandering around outside the nine peaks were just a bunch of rabble; Yang Kai didn’t even put them in his eyes. If he hadn’t coincidentally come across this scene, he would have even intervened.
After leaving instructions for Shi Kun, Yang Kai returned to the nine peaks.
Li Rong also asked to be excused, saying she had to distribute the Saint Grade artifacts Yang Kai had given her to her clansmen, allowing them to enhance their strength.
Holy Master Court!
This was the residence where the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land lived.
All previous Holy Masters had lived in this exquisite and magnificent palace complex, enjoying the best scenery and richest World Energy aura among the nine peaks.
Now that Yang Kai had assumed command of the Nine Heavens Holy Land, this place naturally became his residence.
In addition to him, there was only one other person who lived here, the Saintess An Ling’er.
According to the traditions of Nine Heavens Holy Land, the Saintesses would live together with the Holy Master. Everything about each Saintess was prepared for the Holy Master, even their strength and lives were all fostered for the Holy Master’s benefit.
Every Saintess was instilled with such thoughts from early childhood.
When Yang Kai came back here, he saw An Ling’er sitting outside in her private courtyard, her head resting listlessly on her hands, her eyes slightly red as they gazed off absentmindedly.
Yang Kai looked at her for a while but she didn’t seem to notice his presence.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai sat down across from her that An Ling’er awoke and quickly bowed, “Has Holy Master just returned?”
“Can you not act so politely?” Yang Kai smiled and poured a cup of tea for himself before looking at her, “Saintess Nan… how is she?”
Hearing Yang Kai mention this topic, An Ling’er seemed to become more low-spirited as she whispered, “There’s been no change…”
“What do you plan to do?”
“I want to try to resolve the obsession in her heart, but I have no idea how to go about doing so!”
Saintess Nan was a living corpse. The only reason she was still moving about was because of the powerful obsession she held; once this was resolved though, her body would naturally stop acting and she could finally be laid to rest.
According to what Yang Kai knew, the easiest solution to this issue was to directly destroy Saintess Nan’s body ending all troubles, but An Ling’er had deep feelings towards Saintess Nan so obviously she was unwilling to do this.
“Is there any precedent for that in the Holy Land’s history?” Yang Kai asked with a frown.
“There are!” An Ling’er dried her eyes, “The Holy Land’s ancient records have examples of it being done before.”
“Then have some patience. If you persist you should be able to find a solution.” Yang Kai comforted.
An Ling’er gently nodded, “I think so too…”
After a while, Yang Kai suddenly noticed that An Ling’er’s expression had become somewhat strained, as if there was something else she wanted to say but was hesitating.
Smiling, Yang Kai said, “You don’t have to act reserved around me. If there’s something you want to say, feel free, I’ll do my best to help you.”
An Ling’er’s face blushed slightly as she pursed her lips and whispered, “It’s just, the Elders, they’ve been asking…”
“Asking about what?”
“About… us,” An Ling’er’s face blushed even brighter as she managed to squeeze these words out, her eyes becoming somewhat watery as she wore a look of helplessness.
Yang Kai was stunned and took a moment to recover, soon putting on a bitter smile, “Why are they so concerned about that?”
“Naturally because they’re anxious…” An Ling’er laughed wryly, “You are the Holy Master of the Holy Land. All of them hope you can mature as quickly as possible to become a true peak powerhouse.”
Each generation’s Holy Master matured at an incredible speed by cultivating together with his Saintesses.
On top of that, every Holy Master eventually became a peak Third Order Saint.
The reason Nine Heavens Holy Land was able to endure for so many years and had such a resounding reputation in Tong Xuan Realm was closely tied to this fact.
“What are your thoughts?” Yang Kai stared at An Ling’er seriously
An Ling’er lowered her head, her hands gently clenching her dress as she whispered somewhat awkwardly, “We Saintesses were taught from young to obey all commands of the Holy Master, and to dedicate our everything to him. So, regarding these matters… whatever you decide, I’ll accept.”
An Ling’er’s reserved and obedient appearance was quite difficult for Yang Kai to simply brush off.
Each Saintess was a rare, one in a million beauty, and now that she was putting on such an expression and saying such words, it would be odd for any man’s heart not to be moved.
Even Yang Kai felt that in this moment, An Ling’er was quite charming.
Sighing slightly, Yang Kai quickly adjusted his face and said, “You told me before that we’re friends, right?”
An Ling’er nodded lightly.
“Then because we are friends, I will tell you the truth…” Yang Kai’s expression became solemn as he continued, “From the various encounters I had inside the Holy Tomb, I learned the secret behind why all the Holy Masters of the Holy Land were able to improve strength so rapidly.”
“What is it?” An Ling’er couldn’t help but become somewhat curious, although she was a Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land, this was one secret she really knew very little about.
“Each Holy Master can improve so quickly and always reach the peak of the Third Order Saint Realm by consuming his and his Saintesses’ vitality in exchange.”
“Consume their vitality?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded and explained carefully, “Everyone has a different degree of vitality or life essence. Those with strong vitality can live longer than those with weak vitality. Additionally, as one’s cultivation improves, so too does their vitality. The Holy Master’s core cultivation method, however, sacrifices that vitality and the vitality of his life companions in exchange for enhanced cultivation speed. That’s why every Holy Master, despite having amazing strength, is always short lived!”
An Ling’er couldn’t help covering her mouth in shock after hearing this secret.
“I’m not going to cultivate such a detrimental Secret Art. Neither will I allow you to cultivate it!” Yang Kai looked at her seriously, “Because I want to live a long life and because you are one of my friends, I don’t want to see you die young.”
An Ling’er’s beautiful eyes shimmered, seemingly quite moved.
“I don’t have many friends here, but you are definitely one of them, so I hope that in the future our relationships can remain the same. Holy Master and Saintess are just our external identities, but in private, I hope we can still interact freely like this. How about it?”
An Ling’er didn’t hesitate to nod.
Yang Kai truly wasn’t interested in the Secret Art the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land cultivated.
Enhancing one’s strength at the expense of their own lifespan was a complete mismatch of priorities. This was not how Yang Kai intended to pursue the peak of the Martial Dao.
As such, he had never planned to follow in the footsteps of the previous Holy Masters.
He had his own goals to pursue and methods to pursue them with.
However, in order to accomplish this, he had to obtain An Ling’er’s cooperation, so seeing her nod to his proposal, Yang Kai genuinely felt happy and relieved.
“But… what if the Elders ask about it?” An Ling’er couldn’t help worrying, “They seem quite anxious.”
“That old fogey really likes sticking his nose into other people’s business…” Yang Kai muttered without restraint. There was no need for him to even ask to know that it was that old fart, Xu Hui, was the source of this issue. Most likely he had been subtly urging An Ling’er to quickly begin cultivating with Yang Kai.
Listening to him say this, An Ling’er couldn’t stop herself from letting out a burst of laughter, brightening the serious atmosphere.
“There’s nothing else to do about it, if they ask, just tell them we’ve already begun cultivating together.”
“I’m fine with that… but we won’t be able to conceal the truth forever!” An Ling’er narrowed her eyes slightly, “You won’t have any problems. With your aptitude, even if you don’t cultivate that Secret Art, your growth will still be extremely rapid, but if I don’t break through for a long time, the Elders will begin to have doubts…”
“I can help with that!” Yang Kai grinned.
“How can you help me?” An Ling’er asked in confusion.
Yang Kai flipped his hand and summoned out a delicate jade bottle which he handed to An Ling’er as he explained, “Inside this is some special Spirit Liquid. Taking a drop of it every day will improve your constitution and allow your aptitude and strength to gradually increase.”
An Ling’er accepted the bottle somewhat suspiciously but upon opening the bottle and sniffing its contents, she suddenly felt as if her entire body was being refreshed, shocking her greatly as she stared brightly towards Yang Kai, “Is this really useful?”
“Of course it’s useful,” Yang Kai nodded, quickly adding, “Once you’ve used it all up, just find me and I’ll give you more.”
“Then I’ll gratefully try it. Thank you,” An Ling’er smiled, her short talk with Yang Kai lifting her spirits greatly.
After a little more idle chatter, An Ling’er left.
Yang Kai sent a Divine Sense message to Xu Hui and Li Rong saying that he was going to enter retreat for a while and not to disturb him.
After receiving their replies, Yang Kai left the Holy Master Court and went to the Holy Tomb.
The Holy Tomb was an excellent place to enter secluded cultivation. Besides Yang Kai, who possessed the Holy Master Spirit Ring, no one else could enter it so he wouldn’t need to worry about others disturbing him.
Arriving in front of the giant stone slab, Yang Kai pressed the Holy Master Spirit Ring into its specific slot, opened the Holy Tomb, and stepped inside.
The Holy Tomb was as dark and gloomy as always, with traces of the Nine Heavens Holy Land disciples still scattered about here and there. Although the environment wasn’t very good, the World Energy aura here was incomparably rich.
Looking around for a moment, Yang Kai soon chose a spot and sat down cross-legged.
Taking out the long shuttle artifact he obtained back in the Starry Sky, Yang Kai began examining it carefully.
He could feel that there was a mysterious power inside this artifact and that there were many intricate Spirit Arrays carved inside it, but without refining it, he wouldn’t be able to tell what this artifact’s purpose really was.
Focusing his attention, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and began proving the surface of the long shuttle artifact, studying its structure and composition, looking for a place to break through its shell and begin refining it.
In order to refine an artifact, the first step was to leave one’s Soul mark on it, only after accomplishing this could one begin to refine it.
After leaving behind a Soul mark on an artifact, a cultivator would be able to take it into their body and begin nourishing it with their own True Qi and Spiritual Energy.
Once it had received enough moisturizing, the artifact would begin to resonate with its user and would then become usable.
Even after taking an artifact into one’s body, it would still take some time before they could use its full power.
The reason cultivators would not easily change the artifacts they used was not only because of the long time it took to refine one but also because, over a long period of nourishing an artifact, a subtle connection between it and its user would form. Artifacts that had this kind of connection to their user could display more power in battle, promoting a cultivator’s overall combat strength.
Switching to a new, unfamiliar artifact, would eliminate this effect.
Therefore, unless their strength grew far beyond the level of artifacts they had refined, a cultivator would not choose to replace them.
Even if they chose to replace them, most cultivators would look for artifacts that matched well with their Secret Art and Martial Skills to refine.
Many cultivators would even look for materials and ask an Artifact Refiners to tailor-make an artifact for them.
Excellent Artifact Refiners could refine artifacts that perfectly complimented a cultivator’s unique characteristics.
Yang Kai had never concerned himself much with these matters though, mainly because he did not rely on the power of artifacts, only refining anything which he conveniently came across. He had never looked for materials to custom refine one from scratch to suit him.
This long shuttle artifact obviously had a master a long time ago, but that master most likely lost his way among the Starry Sky or had some kind of accident and perished, leaving it to drift aimlessly for who knows how long until it eventually found its way into the Asteroid Sea Yang Kai inadvertently discovered it in.
Sweeping his Divine Sense over it meticulously, Yang Kai soon found a very faint Soul aura inside the long shuttle artifact.
This was the Soul mark left behind by its previous owner.
Yang Kai first had to erase this in order to engrave his own Soul mark.
Examining this Soul aura for a moment, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling some slight amazement.
Although after so many years, the Soul aura inside the long shuttle artifact had become quite faint, Yang Kai could tell that its signature was actually still quite powerful.
The original owner of this artifact was no doubt at least a Third Order Saint Realm master.
Such a powerhouse actually falling in the Starry Sky caused Yang Kai to sigh.
Yang Kai once again realized just how terrifying the Starry Sky was. He had visited the Starry Sky twice now, but what he had seen was only equivalent to a grain of sand in a vast desert. He likely had not seen any of its real dangers at all.
Those dangers obviously included disasters even Third Order Saints were unable to withstand.
Focusing his thoughts, Yang Kai sent out a burst of Conflagrated Spiritual Energy into the long shuttle artifact..
*Chi…*
The faint Soul mark which remained inside the artifact was instantly erased.
Yang Kai then pushed his True Qi and Spiritual Energy, injecting them into the long shuttle.
This process was very time consuming and could not be rushed, so Yang Kai simply sat in place and steadily released his True Qi and Spiritual Energy to allow the long shuttle to become familiar with his own aura.
Gradually, Yang Kai’s True Qi and Spiritual Energy began to seep into the long shuttle, a sign it was starting to accept him.
Yang Kai felt a weight lift from his heart now that he knew this artifact was compatible with his True Qi. If it had instead repelled his aura, there was no way he would be able to refine it, no matter how hard he tried.
Yang Kai slowly took back his attention from the long shuttle artifact, allowing his True Qi and Spiritual Energy to continue automatically refining it while he sent his consciousness into the Black Book space.
Aware of Yang Kai’s arrival, the Divine Tree sent him a faint greeting, its mood seemingly somewhat gloomy.
“What happened?” Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling some concern and quickly asked.
“It’s nothing, I just feel somewhat lonely,” the Divine Tree responded, “It is just me here all the time, so when you’re not here I find myself spending my time in a daze.”
“Lonely…” Yang Kai’s face went black, suddenly realizing that the Divine Tree’s consciousness had grown to an extent he had not anticipated.
Before now, it would never say something like this.
“Sorry,” Yang Kai apologized, “I can’t bring anything with flesh and blood into this place or I would find a few companions for you… En, there actually used to be a Yin Yang Monster Ginseng here but it disappeared many years ago.”
“Yin Yang Monster Ginseng? What’s that?”
“A kind of World Spirit Treasure!” Yang Kai explained, his eyes lighting up as he said so, “Right, World Spirit Treasures have their own consciousnesses, I can look for some to accompany you.”
The Divine Tree was overjoyed hearing this and hurriedly said, “What are you waiting for? Please help me find a few.”
“Don’t be so anxious,” Yang Kai chuckled, “I have a small matter to handle right now and am currently in retreat, but I promise you that when I exit I’ll look for some companions for you. I’ll warn you now though; World Spirit Treasures are quite rare so it may take some time to find some.”
“Oh,” the Divine Tree couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed, but quickly recovered and cheerfully said, “I can wait.”
Yang Kai nodded and sincerely said, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely find a few for you.”
“I trust you!”
“Have there been any changes in those two stones?” Yang Kai asked.
“No, they’re still the same, just absorbing the essence from the other ores, although their appetites seem to have grown quite a bit recently!”
“Oh?” Yang Kai was surprised and quickly arrived in front of the two pitch-black round stones and found that, as the Divine Tree said, since Li Rong and he found a large number of ores in the Starry Sky and placed them here the two pitch-black round stones had indeed increased the rate at which they were extracting mineral essences.
In just a few days, the pair of stones had already consumed as much as they had in the previous month.
Nearby there was a lot of gravel and dust impurities scattered about.
Examining them, Yang Kai could clearly see the mineral essences flowing out of the ores and into the two pitch-black round stones before disappearing.
As they absorbed these ore essences, the hue the two pitch-black round stones gave off grew in intensity and the meridian like lines on their surface became clearer and more coherent with a great deal more energy flowing through them.
“What are they? Why do they eat stones?” The Divine Tree asked curiously.
“Even if you ask me, I don’t know.” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, “However, there’ll always come a day when we find out. Continue watching over them. If you notice any changes, remember to inform me promptly.”
“En,”
After chatting with the Divine Tree for a while longer, Yang Kai took back his consciousness from the Black Book space.
Time flew by and soon half a month had passed.
During this half a month, Yang Kai had been constantly sending his True Qi and Spiritual Energy into the Long Shuttle artifact, branding it with his own Soul mark. Slowly but surely, he making progress.
Yang Kai couldn’t tell what grade of artifact this long shuttle was but he knew it was not ordinary since it was taking longer for him to mark it than when he refined the Silver Leaf Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact.
However, after half a month, Yang Kai finally succeeded in portraying his Soul mark onto it, and with a single thought he took it into his body.
The next step was the long nourishing phase.
Only after he managed to produce a resonance with this long shuttle artifact would Yang Kai be able to figure out its purpose and utilize it in combat.
Fortunately, this nourishing process didn’t require Yang Kai to consciously act, all he needed to do was wait and after some time, the long shuttle would naturally resonate with him.
After taking the long shuttle artifact into his body, Yang Kai exited the Holy Tomb to see what the Holy Land’s situation was, soon finding everything just as he left it.
The Holy Land’s disciple, after the last incident, had all been working hard on their cultivation and even some of the Elders had made great progress.
The Ancient Demon clansmen were also coexisting peacefully with the original Nine Heavens Holy Land’s inhabitants under the constraints of Li Rong and the other Great Commanders.
The only thing that was of concern was cultivation materials.
Although Wu Jie had delivered a massive amount of supplies the last time he came, the thousands of cultivators in the Holy Land were consuming them at a rate faster than they could be replenished, so it was inevitable that at some point their supplies would be exhausted.
In the past, Nine Heavens Holy Land’s cultivation materials were all sought out by its disciples or given as tribute from the three nearby forces. The old Holy Master would also obtain some from the Monster Domain in exchange for Crystal Stones.
But now that the Crystal Stone mineral lodes had been unscrupulously mined by the Monster Race for three years, they had almost been exhausted and could no longer even supply the Holy Land’s own needs, so how could they take them to exchange for other necessary commodities?
Yang Kai took out everything he had no use for from the Black Book space but that would only ease the situation temporarily.
The Holy Land’s Elders spent every day recently worrying about this issue.
Seeing their appearances, Yang Kai couldn’t bring himself to ask them to help him seek out World Spirit Treasure.
All World Spirit Treasures, regardless of whether they had any use or not, were incredibly rare and valuable. With the dire state of their finances, how could the Holy Land purchase such items?
Yang Kai couldn’t come up with any good ideas so he simply tossed this issue to Xu Hui and the other Elders and secluded himself in the Holy Tomb again to cultivate.
Inside the Holy Tomb, the days flew by as Yang Kai immersed himself in studying the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
Occasionally, when he grew weary of cultivating, Yang Kai would refine some pills to ease his mind and body.
Yang Kai’s original purpose in studying Alchemy was simply to cultivate his Spiritual Energy.
Because the True Alchemic Way, which contained an enormous amount of information, had been branded into Yang Kai’s consciousness, in order to study and decipher it, he had to consume massive amounts of Spiritual Energy.
Gradually though, after absorbing a great deal of Alchemy knowledge and experience, he also embarked on this path.
Yang Kai never expected to travel far down this path but through numerous twists of fate, he was now a genuine Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist, one of the most powerful in the entire world.
All of this was thanks to the True Alchemic Way!
However, the deciding factor in why Yang Kai continued to pursue Alchemy was because as he comprehended the Alchemic Way, it also helped him deeper his understanding of the Martial Dao as well as assisted him in developing his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai had managed to use Alchemy as an auxiliary to comprehend the Martial Dao!
Therefore, while improving his cultivation and comprehension, Yang Kai also spared no effort to improve his Alchemy proficiency as well.
Unfortunately, after refining the Saint Grade Mid-Rank pill to release the Ancient Demon Clan, Yang Kai didn’t have many Saint Grade materials left to use.
At his current level, without refining Saint Grade pills, it was impossible for Yang Kai to improve his Alchemy technical and attainments.
After refining a few Saint Pills inside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai used up all his remaining Saint Grade herbs, leaving him helpless.
Cultivation knew no years and when Yang Kai once again exited his retreat, three months had already passed.
The air around the nine peaks had undergone some subtle changes in this time though.
Inside the main hall, the Elders were holding a serious discussion, the atmosphere in the room quite solemn, so it wasn’t until Yang Kai physically entered the room that they noticed his presence, all of them quickly standing up and saluting.
“Please sit, I just exited today to have a look around, there’s no need for all these formalities,” Yang Kai gestured.
Everyone nodded lightly and sat down again.
“Holy Master has come at just the right time actually,” Xu Hui began, “We were debating whether to sell some of the valuables the Holy Land isn’t currently using and would like to get Holy Master’s opinion.”
“What are you trying to sell?” Yang Kai was surprised by this sudden proposal.
“There are some artifacts that are not being used as well as some Secret Arts and Martial Skills that belong to our Nine Heavens Holy Land,” Xu Hui replied.
“Why do you want to sell those?” Yang Kai swept his eyes around.
The Elders all blushed with embarrassment, none of them speaking up.
Yang Kai knit his brows, even more puzzled by their reaction.
Xu Hui smiled bitterly and explained, “The main reason is that many of the disciples who cultivated inside the Holy Tomb some time ago obtained various harvests and breakthroughs. In order to consolidate their current cultivations, they require a large number of resources. Unfortunately, the Holy Land’s foundation and heritage have taken a great deal of damage, so… There is currently a lack of materials. If we sell some of the treasures we are not actively using, we can alleviate the Holy Land’s financial situation greatly.”
“Holy Master, you must help us persuade Great Elder to stop, he actually wants to sell the Saint Grade Low-Rank artifact the old Holy Master bestowed him!” Yu Ying called out.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded, “Is the Holy Land’s situation actually that critical?”
“It is we subordinates’ incompetence!” Xu Hui said awkwardly, “However, as long as we can weather these difficult times, the situation will slowly improve.”
“No, this isn’t your fault,” Yang Kai shook his head and thoughtfully said, “A big part of this is related to the Demons I brought back with me. You’ve given them a lot of cultivation resources, haven’t you?”
Although Xu Hui never said anything about this, Yang Kai wasn’t blind.
Since the Ancient Demon Clan arrived in the Holy Land, they had never once lacked for supplies. Obviously, they had obtained them from Xu Hui.
The Holy Land could be self-sufficient, but the Ancient Demon Clan couldn’t.
They were unable to leave the nine peaks at all. Once they were discovered, it would cause a great deal of trouble. A thousand Demons, many of whom were incredibly powerful masters, obviously consumed a lot of the Holy Land’s resources.
Hearing Yang Kai say this, Xu Hui did not make any attempt to deny it and simply nodded silently.
“This is ultimately my responsibility.” Yang Kai gently nodded, admitting his fault in the matter, “I had not considered this issue clearly enough.”
After sinking into thought for a while, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly flashed as he asked, “Great Elder, I have something I need to ask you. After you and the other Elders reached the Saint Realm, did you acquire a habit of collecting various Saint Grade materials?”
Though slightly confused by this sudden question, Xu Hui nodded, “En, ever since entering the late stages of the Transcendent Realm, subordinate has been purposefully collecting some materials for refining pills and artifacts… All of that was in preparation for the day when I had gathered enough materials to request an Alchemist or Artifact Refiners to refine them into something useful.”
“I also have some collected materials,” Cheng Yue Tong nodded.
All of the other Elders gathered in the main hall nodded as well.
Because acquiring enough Saint Grade materials to refine something useful was not easy and generally took a very long time, most Transcendents would have a habit of collecting materials they needed whenever an opportunity arose.
“The materials all of us had collected over the years have been consumed already though… Unfortunately, even the full set of materials that took Elder Yu Ying ten whole years to collect in order to refine an Azure Cloud Pill were sold recently,” Xu Hui said.
“What’s the point in dwelling on that?” Yu Ying smiled lightly, “Which one of you hasn’t sold items from your collections?”
“It’s different for us….” Luo Sheng sighed, “None of us had a full set of materials collect, but you only needed to find an excellent Alchemist and as long as your luck wasn’t too bad you’d be able to obtain that Azure Cloud Pill which could have greatly enhanced your strength.”
“Exactly!”
“Don’t discuss such things in front of the Holy Master,” Yu Ying smiled wryly and said, “It only sounds like we’re whining about how poor we’ve become.”
The other Elders let out hollow laughs hearing her say this.
“Holy Master, why do you ask this?” Xu Hui asked curiously.
Yang Kai eyes shimmered brilliantly as he confidently said, “That is to say, most Transcendent Realm and above cultivators of this world have the habit of collecting materials, yes?”
“You could say that,” Xu Hui nodded lightly, still not understanding what this had to do with the Holy Land’s current situation, pausing briefly before saying, “However, it is useless to simply collect the appropriate materials since it is also necessary to find someone capable of refining them into a useful product. Elder Yu Ying hadn’t used up her set of materials because she had yet to find an appropriate master to refine that Azure Cloud Pill. High-grade Alchemists and Artifact Refiners are not easy to find and even if one does find one, there is always a risk of failure.”
“Very good,” Yang Kai grinned and declared confidently, “Since that’s the case, I have a way to alleviate the Holy Land’s current predicament…”
“Ah?” All of the Elder couldn’t help showing looks of surprise as they stared in confusion towards Yang Kai.
“Elder Yu Ying, I’ll be sure to get you that Azure Cloud Pill one day!” Yang Kai looked at her and smiled.
Yu Ying shivered slightly, her beautiful eyes filling with a look of anticipating.
Yang Kai suddenly announced, “Great Elder, use all the channels and relationships our Holy Land possesses to distribute an announcement saying that my Holy Land will be providing Alchemy services to anyone who needs to refine Spirit Grade Top-Rank and above pills. En, Saint Grade Top-Rank pills aren’t possible though, be sure to clearly state this point. Remuneration for every successfully refined pill must be Crystal Stones or spirit herbs of equal value to the refined pill. If the refining is a failure though, my Holy Land will provide compensation equal in value to the pill’s materials!”
Inside the main hall, all the Elders stared at Yang Kai with dropped jaws, all of them wondering what the Holy Master was talking about.
Seeing the reaction of Xu Hui and the others, Yang Kai couldn’t help but frown, “Is the cost too high?”
Xu Hui hastily recovered and smiled bitterly, “If you can guarantee the pill is refined successfully, such a price is not high at all! Many people spend a lot of time, energy, and money to collect a full set of materials only to have the person they ask to refine them fail once or twice. As such, it is not unreasonable to ask for Crystal Stones or herbs of the same value as the requested pill; on the contrary, such a price would be quite easy to accept for most.”
“Then why do all of you have such dumbfounded faces?” Yang Kai glanced around at the crowd.
“Holy Master…” Xu Hui’s face twitched slightly, “Our Holy Land does not have a Saint Grade Alchemist…”
Xu Hui even began to suspect that after spending so much time in retreat recently; Yang Kai had become somewhat confused, even forgetting such a basic fact.
Although Nine Heavens Holy Land was by no means a weak force in Tong Xuan Realm, it still didn’t have a dedicated Saint Grade Alchemist.
The main reasons were that such characters were simply too rare and that the Alchemist Guild generally did not allow such high-grade Alchemists formally join a single Sect.
Unless it was an Alchemist that the force themselves cultivated, only then would such an Alchemist not fall under the Alchemist Guild’s jurisdiction!
Unfortunately, Nine Heavens Holy Land had not been able to cultivate a Saint Grade Alchemist for many years.
“Just because we didn’t before, doesn’t mean we don’t now! Just begin spreading the word!” Yang Kai chuckled, not bothering to explain any further.
Xu Hui’s body shivered, seemingly thinking of something, “Does Holy Master mean that among those Demons…”
But soon he frowned, the Demon Race were not proficient in Alchemy because of the Demonic Qi in their bodies.
“The identity of the Alchemist isn’t something you need to concern yourselves with, just follow my orders.”
“Yes!” Seeing Yang Kai act so confidently, Xu Hui no longer asked anything and began making arrangements with the other Elders.
The last time Nine Heavens Holy Land fell into a crisis, no one stepped forward to help. Even now, they were the target of public criticism for colluding with Demons. However, neither of these points hindered them from disseminating information to the outside.
Each of the Elders had their own personal connections they had built up over the many years. Though they were not necessarily allies, spreading a simple message was nothing short of a breeze.
In the Holy Master Courtyard, Yang Kai was quietly feeling the various designs of the internal structure of the long shuttle artifact, trying to determine its function and purpose.
This artifact was quite unusual. Not only had it been quite difficult to refine and nourish, but it was also taking a long time to produce a resonance with.
It had already been four months since Yang Kai had become capable of taking it into his body, and since that day he had not stopped nourishing it with his True Qi and Spiritual Energy yet there was still not the slightest response from it.
The artifact itself had now been dyed with Yang Kai’s aura but it still refused to resonate with him, leaving him quite helpless.
Yang Kai suddenly sensed someone approaching and a moment later, Xu Hui’s voice came over, “Holy Master, subordinate seeks an audience!”
“Come in!” Yang Kai called out.
With hurried footsteps, Xu Hui quickly walked inside, a slightly strained look upon his face as he cupped his fists and reported, “Holy Master, there is someone here to request Alchemy from our Holy Land…”
“Oh?” Yang Kai’s lips curled into a grin, “Someone finally came?”
“En… finally indeed,” Xu Hui smiled bitterly.
Since the day Yang Kai made the Elders use their various relationships and communication channels to release the news, an entire month had actually passed, yet today was the first time anyone had actually come seeking Alchemy from the Holy Land.
The main cause of all this was that, although Nine Heavens Holy Land was truly world-famous, no news about them possessing a Saint Grade Alchemist had previous existed, so when people heard Yang Kai’s bold announcement no one believed it. To make matters worse, Xu Hui and the others had done as Yang Kai asked and announced that even Saint Grade Mid- Rank pills could be refined, making the whole thing sound even more questionable.
Such a proclamation was basically the same as saying there was at least one Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist in Nine Heavens Holy Land!
Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemists were incredibly rare in Tong Xuan Realm, their number countable with one hand. Each of these Grandmasters had world-shaking fame and it was well known that none of them had anything to do with Nine Heavens Holy Land.
To put it simply, no one believed an Alchemist capable of refining such high-grade pills exited in the Holy Land.
After an entire month, only one person had even shown up.
“Where is our first guest then?” Yang Kai rolled up his sleeves, appearing unusually motivated.
“We have brought him to the main palace’s reception room,” Xu Hui replied quickly.
“Good. Since it’s our first customer, I’ll handle the matter personally,” Yang Kai said, getting up and flying off together with Xu Hui towards the mentioned reception room.
“Did that person say what pill he wants refined?” Yang Kai asked along the way
“A Spirit Grade Top-Rank Soul Solidifying Pill…”
“Spirit Grade Top-Rank?” Yang Kai was slightly stunned, he had thought someone coming here specifically to ask for Alchemy services would at least want to refine a Saint Grade pill, but it turns out they only wanted a Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill.
Yang Kai was inevitably somewhat disappointed.
However, when he thought about it, the Holy Land had yet to establish any kind of reputation in the field of Alchemy, so having someone come to make a request at all was a good sign. Immediately cheering up, Yang Kai prepared to welcome this first guest with the best hospitality possible.
One month ago, when Yang Kai learned of the financial predicament the Holy Land found itself in, he had this flash of inspiration.
If this was handled properly, not only would he be able to alleviate the Holy Land’s resource crisis, he would also be able to sweep away all the negative rumours about Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Most importantly though, Yang Kai could make use of this situation to help improve his Alchemy level!
This was his true goal!
It was truly too difficult to find and collect Saint Grade materials. By just relying on his own efforts, who knows how long it would take him to further improve his Alchemy skills.
However, most of the high-level cultivators of the world had a habit of collecting various herbs to refine high-grade pills they wanted. Inviting these masters to the Holy Land by offering Alchemy services was simply a win-win situation.
Since he had begun studying the Alchemic Way, with the exception of when he first started out, Yang Kai had almost never failed to refine a pill, which was why he made Xu Hui and the others release the bold statement that if the refining failed, the Holy Land would offer full compensation for the wasted materials. All of this was to attract customers to the Holy Land.
“A Soul Solidifying Pill…” Yang Kai muttered thoughtfully, “This customer must have a friend or loved one whose Soul suffered a severe wound.”
“Has Holy Master also studied about various pills?” Xu Hui looked at him in amazement. Determining the purpose of a pill after only hearing its name was not something Xu Hui could do.
“Just a little,” Yang Kai chuckled.
A moment later, the pair arrived at the reception room.
Inside the room sat a middle-aged man wearing a grey robe, seemingly somewhat nervous as he maintained a somewhat rigid posture.
To the side of the room, several pretty maids stood by.
The man had already been served a fragrant cup of tea, but it was obvious he had not touched it, his face conveying some anxiety as his brow furrowed with concern.
Yang Kai swept his eyes over the middle-aged man and quickly determined he was only a First Order Transcendent, immediately understanding why he had come to Nine Heavens Holy Land for Alchemy.
This cultivator’s strength was not too high and he did not wear any high-end artifacts on his body, it seems he was from some small family or Sect.
Such a cultivator wanting to collect the materials for a Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill must have experienced a great deal of frustration and trouble as well as expended a great deal of his wealth.
If he were to use an unreliable Alchemist to refine the pill he wanted, once it failed, he would have to start this arduous process all over again.
However, Nine Heavens Holy Land was different. Xu Hui had already announced that even if the refinement failed, a full compensation would be offered, so there was much less to worry about.
It was mainly this promise of full compensation after a failure that attracted this man to the Holy Land.
Upon hearing the sound of footsteps, the middle-aged man quickly got up and turned towards the approaching Yang Kai and Xu Hui, releasing an awkward laugh as he cupped his fists and bowed, “It is an honour to meet you, Great Elder Xu Hui.”
“En, there’s no need to act so politely. Please, sit,” Xu Hui behaved quite approachably. As a Second-Order Saint Realm master, speaking to a First Order Transcendent in such a manner was already extremely flattering.
His face flushing slightly with excitement, the man quickly sat back down before turning a curious glance towards the young Yang Kai.
Xu Hui hurriedly spoke, “All me to introduce you: This is the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai!”
The middle-aged man jumped back off the chair he had just stat on and with a look of shock and awe hastily exclaimed, “So it is Holy Master Yang… this one has heard so much about you.”
“All of it bad, yes?” Yang Kai joking spoke.
Some time ago, a lot of rumours about the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land colluding with the Demon Race and Monster Race had been maliciously spread out, so the Holy Land’s current reputation in the Human Territory was actually quite poor, with Yang Kai’s personal image being even worse.
The middle-aged man never dreamed Yang Kai would speak such words, a stunned look appearing on his face for a moment before he waved his hands in a flurry, “This one wouldn’t dare to…”
“It’s fine, I know well what kind of rumours are circulating outside… Good, let’s not discuss such things, we’re here to talk about Alchemy! How should I address this friend?”
“This humble one’s name is Lu Qing!”
“I heard that you want to refine a Soul Solidifying Pill. Have you brought all the required herbs?”
“Yes,” Lu Qing replied quickly, pulling out a small package from his bag and placing it on the table.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai was even surer of his previous guess, this man was truly not very well off.
It was easy to tell because he didn’t even have a Universe Bag, the herbs were actually carried on his person.
Yang Kai motioned to Xu Hui who quickly picked up the package and delivered it to Yang Kai.
Opening the package and carefully checking the herbs inside, Yang Kai nodded lightly, “These spirit herbs are not bad. They’ve obviously been handled carefully so their medical efficacies have not deteriorated too seriously; using them for Alchemy is possible. However, in the future, they should not be stored like this; at the very least some separate containers used to preserve their freshness should be prepared.”
Lu Qing smiled awkwardly, “What Holy Master Yang said is quite right, this Lu will pay more attention to this in the future.”
“However… the set of herbs you’ve brought is not complete…” Yang Kai calmly smiled, “There is no Solidifying Soul Grass, so if you rely solely on these materials, the Alchemy success rate will be greatly reduced. At most, there is only a thirty percent chance a usable pill can be refined.”
“Ah?” Lu Qing was shocked and looked confused, “That’s can’t be…”
“The person who gave you the list of herbs required for this pill must not have a very high Alchemy level,” Yang Kai said unceremoniously.
Lu Qing nodded, “It was a Spirit Grade Low-Rank Alchemist…”
“No wonder. Refining with these materials, even if you are lucky enough to acquire a usable pill, its efficacy may not be enough to cure your loved one or friend.”
“How did Holy Master Yang know…” Lu Qing directed a stunned look towards Yang Kai, shivering slightly as he stared.
“This pill has the effect of stabilizing and repairing one’s Soul,” Yang Kai said lightly, “Anyone who is familiar with such a pill will know what it is intended for. If I am not mistaken, one of your family members or close friends suffered severe trauma during a battle and is still unconscious, yes?”
A look of admiration and respect filled Lu Qing’s face as he nodded, “It is as Holy Master Yang said, the one who was injured was my son…. It has been almost half a year yet he remains in a coma. This Lu has spent every moment since then collecting these herbs and only recently managed to acquire them all. I was looking for an Alchemist to help refine them when I heard rumours about Nine Heavens Holy Land offering Alchemy services so I rushed over.”
“En, if you had sought out any other Alchemist, forget about success of failure in refining, he would most likely not even accept your request until you sought out a stalk of Solidifying Soul Grass…”
Lu Qing looked at Yang Kai nervously, for fear that he too would say this.
After all, it would only be a matter of course.
An Alchemist was only responsible for performing Alchemy, searching for the required ingredients was the responsibility of the one requesting for Alchemy.
“My Holy Land has Solidifying Soul Grass, there’s no need for you to search for one.”
Hearing this, Lu Qing was overjoyed and bowed his head once more, “Many thanks, Holy Master Yang, many thanks, Holy Master Yang!”
“A minor matter. Good, wait here for a moment, I will help you refine the pill you need. If there is no accident, half an hour to an hour will be enough,” Yang Kai declared before holding the package of herbs and leaving the reception room.
Now, there was only Lu Qing, Xu Hui and the maids who were standing off the side left in the room.
Xu Hui wore a doubtful expression.
Although he didn’t know much about Alchemy as he had never studied this particular field, he was experienced enough to know how hard refining a Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill was.
Was it really possible to finish refining one in half an hour to an hour?
Where did the Holy Master find such a fierce Alchemist? On top of that, the Holy Master had declared with full confidence that there was no chance of failure. Was there really an Alchemist who had a 100% success rate of refining pills?
Xu Hui simply couldn’t understand.
As for Lu Qing, he was even more restless. He sat right at the edge of his chair as if he wanted to stand up and pace to ease the anxiety in his heart, but in front of Xu Hui he didn’t dare act so loosely.
Seeing his appearance, Xu Hui smiled and said, “There’s no need to be so nervous. Since my Holy Land released such a statement, even if the refining fails, we will certainly compensate for your loss so you can ask another Alchemist to help you. My Holy Land won’t go back on its word for a few spirit herbs.”
“No, Great Elder, this Lu didn’t mean…” Lu Qing quickly waved his hand to deny having such thoughts but he still failed to conceal the relief that appeared on his face after hearing Xu Hui’s words.
Knowing that even if this refining failed, he wouldn’t suffer any loss, he not so secretly felt that his decision to come to Nine Heavens Holy Land was indeed right.
Anxiously waiting, Lu Qing did his best to steady himself as he snuck a peek towards the room’s entrance every now and then.
Xu Hui no longer said anything and just silently sat.
Just over half an hour later, Yang Kai strode back into the reception room, an air of confidence swirling about him.
Seeing this appearance, Lu Qing and Xu Hui both wore excited looks, knowing that the Soul Solidifying Pill had been refined successfully.
“Holy Master Yang…” Lu Qing respectfully stood up and spoke, his voice still quavering slightly.
Yang Kai chuckled and calmly said, “No need to worry, the refining was successful, although there was a small surprise in the process.”
“A surprise?” Lu Qing’s expression immediately tightened, wondering just what this surprise Yang Kai was talking about was.
“Have a look yourself, I believe you’ll be quite satisfied,” Yang Kai handed over a jade bottle.
Respectfully accepting the bottle, Lu Qing opened it and instantly caught a whiff of an incredibly refreshing fragrance, his body and mind unconsciously relaxing somewhat.
“Hm?” Xu Hui was also surprised as he came over to take a look. He felt that this Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill seemed to be somewhat out of the ordinary.
For one, the fragrance it gave off was far richer than any Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill he had smelt before…
Looking inside the bottle, Lu Qing’s eyes suddenly bulged as his hands began trembling, gasping as he exclaimed, “This… this is…”
“Pill Veins!?” Xu Hui shouted, the pitch of his voice significantly higher than normal.
The two of them both lifted their eyes and exchanged a glance, each of them seeing the shock in the other’s gaze.
A Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill which had Pill Veins was no less valuable than a Saint Pill!
Still unable to believe his eyes, Lu Qing hastily poured out the pill from the jade bottle and placed it on top of his palm.
It was easy to tell that this Soul Solidifying Pill contained a medicinal efficacy that was extremely potent and all across its glossy, perfectly round surface were delicate, human like meridians, genuine Pill Veins which gave off a faint fluorescence.
On top of that, it was still warm, so Lu Qing was certain this pill had just been refined.
“Holy Master Yang, I… this… but… wha… ” Lu Qing flapped his mouth and spoke incoherently. He thought that simply being able to successfully obtain the Soul Solidifying Pill would be a stroke of good fortune, but now he had actually obtained such a pill with Pill Veins!
This result had greatly exceeded his expectations, causing him to be so excited he was unable to speak properly.
“It was just good luck that Pill Veins appeared,” Yang Kai chuckled, casually waving his hand.
“My son can certainly be saved!” Lu Qing shouted, tears leaking from his eyes.
“En, not only can your son be saved, as long as you get him to carefully refine this pill, in addition to his wounded Soul being healed, it’s quite possible he will experience some promotion in strength as well… En, if your son’s cultivation isn’t high though you must assist him in refining this pill as it contains the same amount of medicinal efficacy as a pill bordering a Saint Pill, so its effects will be quite potent!”
“This Lu will certainly take Holy Master Yang’s advice to heart!” Lu Qing beamed radiantly, seemingly already able to see his son recover while simultaneously strengthening his Spiritual Energy.
“Congratulations Brother Lu,” Xu Hui also offered his congratulations.
“Many thanks, Great Elder, many thanks, Holy Master Yang…” Lu Qing bowed deeply as he shouted.
A moment later though, Lu Qing’s expression became cramped as he stuttered, “This Lu only brought with him enough remuneration for a Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill, I never anticipated that this pill would give birth to Pill Veins…”
His expression turning serious, he quickly followed up, “Holy Master Yang, Great Elder Xu Hui, this Lu swears to you that after curing my son, I will quickly gather the appropriate amount of compensation for this pill and return here!”
As he spoke, he took out the payment he had originally prepared.
Unsurprisingly, it was just some Crystal Stones.
Xu Hui shot a glance towards Yang Kai, deferring to his opinion.
Yang Kai smiled heartily and shook his head, “You are the very first guest to request Alchemy services of my Nine Heavens Holy Land. Instead of additional compensation, how about we strike a little deal?”
Lu Qing wore a respectful look and replied firmly, “If Holy Master Yang has anything to ask of this Lu, please feel free to speak, as long as it is within this humble one’s power, I will not hesitate to agree.”
“Relax, it’s nothing so serious. En, in fact, you don’t need to pay us anything, you can just take this pill…”
“Ah?” Lu Qing was dumbstruck.
Xu Hui also didn’t quite understand why Yang Kai was being so generous all of a sudden, but after thinking of something, a slight, knowing smile crept onto his face.
“Instead of payment, I have a favour to ask of you,” Yang Kai did not keep Lu Qing guessing, “After you leave my Nine Heavens Holy Land, I hope you can spread the news that my Holy Land’s Alchemy Grandmaster helped you refine a Spirit Grade pill with Pill Veins. How about it?”
“Is that all?”
“That’s all!”
Lu Qing quickly adjusted his shocked expression and wore a serious look, “It would be my honour! Please rest assured Holy Master Yang, Great Elder, this Lu will do his utmost to spread word of this!”
“Very good, you should return quickly then so you can heal your son,” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction.
Lu Qing was ecstatic, bowing deeply once more before swiftly departing.
Watching him leave, Xu Hui also nodded strongly, “A good start!”
“En, although a month late, it’s not a bad start,” Yang Kai agreed.
“However this time we’ve taken quite a loss. A Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill with Pill Veins… It’s a rare treasure. If we could have sold it instead, it would have been worth a lot more Crystal Stones,” Xu Hui said somewhat remorsefully.
A Soul Solidifying Pill was a relatively high-end Soul healing pill, many cultivators would be eager to obtain one because in battle, accidental damage to one’s Soul was not uncommon. If suffered such a wound, they would need such a pill to heal themselves.
There would have been no trouble selling such a pill; in fact, various cultivators would compete just for a chance to obtain it.
“Don’t be so short-sighted…” Yang Kai chuckled, “Once word of this spreads out, it will attract a lot of people here.”
“That’s also true. Holy Master is far-sighted, this subordinate is deeply impressed.”
“No need to flatter!” Yang Kai grinned.
Xu Hui also grinned meaningfully, his voice lowering in the next instant as he asked, “Holy Master… those Pill Veins, was it really just luck that they were born?”
“What do you think?” Yang Kai shot him a meaningful glance.
“Since Holy Master says it was, then it was,” Xu Hui knew not to ask any further, but that did not stop him from growing even more curious about the identity of the Alchemy Grandmaster hidden inside the Holy Land.
Actually only taking half an hour to refine such a pill, such attainments in the Alchemic Way were simply astonishing.
Xu Hui knew and had dealt with a great many skilled Alchemists, some of them even Saint Grade, but he still felt that none of these so-called famous Alchemists could achieve such a feat.
[Who exactly is this Grandmaster?]
Xu Hui wondered.
Five days later, another man came to Holy Land to ask for Alchemy services. Xu Hui learned from him that after hearing about Lu Qing’s experience, this man had come to the Holy Land to try his luck.
Surprisingly, his Alchemy request was quite consistent with Lu Qing’s, hoping to obtain a Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill.
However, this time it was not a Soul Solidifying Pill but a life-saving Scarlet Blood Pill instead.
Xu Hui showed him to the same reception room in the Holy Land before sending the spirit herbs to Yang Kai.
Once again, after just half an hour, the pill was successfully refined.
The man departed in high spirits.
Yang Kai did not accept any compensation from him again this time, instead giving it to him with the same conditions as Lu Qing.
Three days later, a third person came to request Alchemy services from the Holy Land.
After refining the pill this man requested, one that gave birth to Pill Veins once more, Yang Kai offered him the same deal as the two who came before him, causing this customer to shout excitedly, claiming he had never even heard of such a high-quality pill with Pill Veins before.
Once again, another happy customer departed and began advertising for Nine Heavens Holy Land.
…..
A few days later, Yang Kai was sitting in a hall on the peak where the Ancient Demon Clan had settled, discussing some matters with Li Rong.
Suddenly, the sound of flapping clothes resounded and after turning to look in the direction of the noise, Yang Kai saw Great Elder Xu Hui rushing over. Before he even arrived, Xu Hui excitedly shouted, “Holy Master, some people have come to request Alchemy services!”
“Is that enough of a reason for you to act so excited?” Yang Kai was speechless.
Li Rong, who was next to him, also couldn’t help giggling lightly.
“Many people have come this time, five altogether and… there are actually two Saints among them. Those two seem to be here to request for Saint Pills,” Xu Hui hurriedly reported.
“Oh? Is there finally someone asking to refine a Saint Pill?” Yang Kai grinned.
The three pills he had previously refined for free, were all Spirit Grade Top-Rank. Two of those three pills had also given birth to Pill Veins, so his reputation was also quite resounding right now.
“Have they all been brought to the reception room?”
“Yes,” Xu Hui nodded.
“Good, let’s go see them,” Yang Kai smiled before bidding farewell to Li Rong and flying off with Xu Hui.
Inside the reception room, five cultivators were sitting on prepared chairs, each of them with a fragrant cup of tea placed on the table in front of them.
There were both men and women among this group of people, their strengths varying greatly as well. Two of them were First Order Saints, one was a Third Order Transcendent, and the final two were First Order Transcendents.
As they waited, the five people exchanged glances with one another, most of them seemingly strangers. Only the two First Order Saints seemed to recognize one another and exchanged greetings.
One of the two said, “Why did Brother Wen decide to come to this Nine Heavens Holy Land?”
The man addressed as Brother Wen smiled lightly and replied, “Naturally for the same reason as Brother Shang Guan.”
“So Brother Wen also heard those rumours and decided to come try his luck?”
“Of course! It is said that three people who needed to refine Spirit Grade Top-Ranks pill came here and that two of them actually obtained pills that gave birth to Pill Veins, while the other man obtained a pill of extremely high quality. Even the man who’s pill did not have Pill Veins apparently claimed that it had greater efficacy than one an ordinary Alchemist could refine! If such news is true, perhaps the Alchemist here can meet my requirements!”
“That news is certainly not fake…” Among the three people off to the side who were listening, a middle-aged woman suddenly spoke up.
The two Saint Realm masters turned their eyes to her and asked curiously, “How do you know?”
“Because the third person who came to ask for Alchemy services was my Senior Brother…” The woman grinned, “I even got to see the pill with Pill Veins he had obtained.”
The faces of the other four people in the room instantly filled with interest as they quickly asked for more details.
The middle-aged woman did not conceal anything and told them everything she could.
After listening to her, the two Saint Realm masters looked at each other, the one surnamed Wen thoughtfully muttering, “Then, is there really an extremely powerful Alchemy Grandmaster hidden here?”
“Three pills, two of them giving birth to Pill Veins. If it’s not just good luck, then it must be high skill, I just don’t know which it is. I wonder if this hidden Grandmaster will be capable of refining the Saint Pill I want…”
Yang Kai and Xu Hui soon arrived at the reception room where the five people were waiting.
The five people hurriedly got up, the two Saint Realm masters constantly looking towards Yang Kai, apparently not having expected the new, world-famous Holy Master, would be such a young man, a slight look of contempt flashing across their eyes; however, when they saw Xu Hui, their expression tightened up.
Xu Hui’s cultivation was higher than their own by a Minor Realm, a seemingly small gap but one they might never be able to cross in their lives; naturally they dared not act dissolute.
All five of them quickly offered greetings.
Yang Kai returned the gesture and motioned for them to sit back down before asking, “Are several friends here to request Alchemy services?”
The five nodded in unison.
“Good, kindly hand over the herbs you’ve prepared and report the name of the pill you need refined. The refinement will take a few hours.”
Seeing Yang Kai’s oh so casual expression, the five people couldn’t help narrowing their eyes slightly, none of them willing to make the first move.
Yang Kai glanced around at them and smiled, “What’s wrong? Since all of you have come here to request Alchemy, it can’t be that you haven’t even prepared the necessary herbs, right?”
“Naturally we have prepared the required ingredients, but… dare I ask Holy Master Yang, what kind of success rate does your honoured Sect’s Alchemy Grandmaster have when it comes to refining Saint Pills?” One of the Saints frowned.
“Would you believe me if I promise you a 100% success rate?” Yang Kai grinned.
The five people’s expression cramped up slightly, apparently not convinced. Even the middle-aged woman who had seen one of the Pill Vein pills was so.
No Alchemist in this world could guarantee a 100% chance of successfully refining a pill, regardless of how skilled they were.
This was simply the natural risk that came with Alchemy.
Unless these words came from the Old Man of Heaven’s Keep’s mouth, no one would dare believe them.
Was this new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land… just too young and frivolous? Believing so, several of the five guests present began to have second thoughts.
“What?” Xu Hui could see the looks of distrust and hesitation on the faces of these five and was inevitably somewhat dissatisfied, “Do you doubt the Alchemist of my Holy Land can refine the Saint Pill you wish to request?”
“I wouldn’t dare!” The man’s face changed, quickly forming into a frown, “It is just that gathering these Saint Grade materials was a long and difficult process, so if the refining were to fail, collecting them again will not be simple! Acting cautiously is only reasonable; please don’t take offence, Holy Master Yang, Great Elder.”
Yang Kai faintly nodded, “Acting cautiously is indeed understandable, but when you request an Alchemist to refine a Saint Pill, there is always a risk of failure. Naturally, that is true even here. However, I can assure you, asking my Holy Land for Alchemy carries the lowest amount of risk, and there is even a chance you may acquire some unexpected gains.”
“Pill Veins?” Hearing him, the five people’s eyes flashed brilliantly.
The middle-aged woman was the most decisive and quickly stood up, “Since no one else is willing to go first, I will. I’m not here to request a Saint Pill, just a Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill, even if it fails, collecting the necessary materials isn’t too difficult. On top of that, since compensation for losses has been promised, there truly is no risk.”
Saying so, she took out the spirit herbs she brought.
The other four still seemed to be hesitating, apparently wishing to see what kind of skill this Nine Heavens Holy Land Alchemist possessed before making a decision.
Understanding their thoughts, Yang Kai didn’t pay them any mind, simply nodding and leaving together with Xu Hui.
The five people continued to wait in the reception room.
After half an hour, Xu Hui reappeared with an obvious look of pride on his face.
Seeing this look, the five prospective customers all quickly stood up and stared at him, wondering what the outcome was.
Xu Hui immediately tossed out a jade bottle and haughtily said, “See for yourself just what kind of level my Holy Land’s Alchemist possesses!”
Catching the bottle, the middle-aged woman hurriedly opened it and poured out a small navy blue pill.
In the next instant, exclamations sounded all around.
“Pill Veins!”
Pill Veins again!
This Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill really had Pill Veins, instantly increasing its value several-fold.
The middle-aged woman couldn’t help breaking out into a wide grin as she tightly held the pill in her hand.
The two Saint Realm masters also exchanged a glance, the look of shock apparent in each other’s eyes.
If the rumours were all true, then including this pill, the Alchemy Grandmaster hidden in Nine Heavens Holy Land had only publicly refined four pills.
All four of them were Spirit Grade Top-Rank.
Most importantly though, three of them had given birth to Pill Veins, something that was supposedly only obtainable by luck.
That meant that the chance of Pill Veins appearing here was almost eighty percent!
Ordinarily, even those world-famous Saint Grade Alchemists would have to spend a decade constantly refining pills for even one such pill to appear.
Yet here, in Nine Heavens Holy Land, pills with Pill Veins actually seemed to be the norm; how was this not a sensational matter?
“Hmph, Holy Master said that today the Grandmaster is in a good mood so if you’d like to request pills from him you should hurry. After a few hours, if the Grandmaster’s mood sours, he may not be inclined to refine anything,” Xu Hui ambiguously explained, a trace of smugness apparent in his voice.
“Great Elder, please ask your Sect’s honoured Grandmaster to help this humble one!” The four men no longer hesitated, each of them scrambling to hand over the herbs in their possession, fearful that the mysterious Grandmaster really would have a change of mood and suddenly refuse to refine any pills.
If this Grandmaster could so quickly and easily refine Spirit Grade Top-Rank pills that gave birth to Pill Veins, surely he could refine Saint Pills as well.
Xu Hui did not bother needling them anymore and simply accepted their herbs and the reward the middle-aged woman had prepared before calmly leaving the room again.
The Holy Land couldn’t continue working for free; now that they had advertised enough, it was time to begin collecting some compensation.
The middle-aged woman had honestly prepared an appropriate amount of remuneration, just enough to equal the value of the pill she had requested.
After an hour, Xu Hui returned again, this time bringing back two jade bottles with him and handing them over to the two Transcendents.
Although neither of these two pills had Pill Veins, the quality was still superb, so despite some slight regrets, the two Transcendents were both satisfied and paid the required rewards before taking their leave.
Only the two Saint Realm masters remained inside the room, both of them waiting anxiously. The two currently felt like they were sitting on pins and needles, each of them unable to help themselves from getting up and pacing back and forth from time to time, praying silently for Xu Hui to return quickly with the Saint Pills they requested.
However, they understood that refining Saint Pills was fundamentally different from refining Spirit Grade pills. There was a magnitude of difference in time and energy consumed to refine such pills, so acting anxiously was useless.
Still, restlessness was not something so easily dismissed.
A while later, inside the Holy Master Court, Yang Kai summoned in Xu Hui who had been waiting outside.
Walking into Yang Kai’s palace, Xu Hui immediately smelled a rich pill fragrance and couldn’t help looking around curiously.
He too wanted to know the identity of this mysterious Alchemy Grandmaster who was helping the Holy Land.
Unfortunately, no matter how he searched, he couldn’t find a third person anywhere.
“The pills have been refined, take them with you for now; however, don’t be in a rush to hand them over. Wait until tomorrow morning at least.”
Hearing this, Xu Hui paused to think for a moment before nodding lightly, picking up the two jade bottles while he asked, “Does Holy Master wants them to know refining Saint Pills is not so simple?”
Yang Kai just glanced over at him and grinned meaningfully, “I just want to let them know that doubting the level of my Holy Land’s Alchemist has consequences!”
Xu Hui couldn’t help smiling wryly but said nothing more, his eyes still darting back and forth across the room.
Seeing him not immediately leave but instead glance around as if searching for something, Yang Kai smiled and said, “Are you looking for the Alchemy Grandmaster?”
Xu Hui grinned sheepishly and replied, “If I may ask, Holy Master, since when did my Holy Land come to possess such a Grandmaster? Why is it that he is putting in so much effort to help my Holy Land tide over these troubled times? Regardless of anything else, as the Great Elder of the Holy Land, the least I should do is offer him my thanks.”
“Do you want to know who he is?” Yang Kai looked at him with a smile.
Xu Hui nodded firmly.
“Would you believe me if I told you the one who refined those pills was me?”
“Please do not joke like this, Holy Master…” Xu Hui said with a firm look of disbelief, “Holy Master is so young yet already a Third Order Transcendent, a true dragon among men with limitless future potential. Of this, this old master is thoroughly convinced. But if Holy Master says he is also proficient in Alchemy… Heh, this old master will certainly not believe. Every Grandmaster who is capable of refining Saint Pills has immersed his or herself in the Alchemic Way for at least a hundred years. Holy Master is far too young; even if you began studying Alchemy in your mother’s womb, it would be impossible for you to possess such Heaven defying means.”
“If you don’t believe me then get out!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully, not bothering to explain.
“Eh… ah, en,” Xu Hui was stunned, becoming even more curious about the identity of this hidden Alchemy Grandmaster, but seeing Yang Kai not want to explain, he did not push his luck and simply left.
The following morning, Xu Hui strode into the reception room.
The two First Order Saints who, from their red eyes, had obviously spent the entire night worrying, saw Xu Hui and immediately rushed up to him, eagerly asking, “Great Elder… how is it?”
As they spoke haltingly, looks of fear and nervousness filled their faces, deeply afraid that Xu Hui would deliver bad news.
Masters at their level of strength and status were generally well-off so they didn’t care so much about mere Crystal Stones.
But as one of them had said before, collecting so many Saint Grade materials was no easy task. Some of them weren’t purchasable no matter how much money one had and had required them to trek through mountains and rivers, combing the wilderness to find.
In fact, being able to collect a full set of materials was in no small part due to good luck.
If the refining failed, the Holy Land would compensate them, but that didn’t mean they’d give them an exact copy of the herbs they brought. The compensation spoken of would no doubt be in the form of Crystal Stones.
If they wanted to try again, they’d have to personally collect a new set of herbs first.
Seeing the looks of these two’s faces, Xu Hui inexplicably felt a hint of pleasure as he smugly declared, “My Holy Land Grandmaster’s took action personally, how could it possibly be anything but a success? I really don’t know what you two were so worried about.”
“That means……”
“Take it!” Xu Hui handed over the two jade bottles before brushing off his hands in an aloof manner, “If you ever need any other Saint Pills refined, come straight to my Holy Land, I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!”
The two Saint Realm masters hurriedly opened the jade bottles and poured out the pills inside, a look of shock and awe appearing on their faces as they liberally praised, “Your honourable Sect’s Grandmaster’s means are astonishing! The next time I require Alchemy services, I will definitely come here! Right, I have a number of friends who are currently in need of an Alchemy Grandmaster’s services, I wonder if it would be possible for the Holy Land to assist them?”
The other Saint also chimed in, saying he would recommend Nine Heavens Holy Land to all his friends and relatives.
Saint Grade Alchemists were too rare, and almost every one of them was the Manager of an Alchemist Guild branch in some major city. There were simply too many people who wanted to request such Alchemy services, so it was quite normal to have to wait several years before even being seen by one of these Grandmasters.
However, the situation around Nine Heavens Holy Land was completely different. Because the mysterious Grandmaster in the Holy Land was essentially unknown to the world, very few people had actually come to request Alchemy services from him, so as long as one did come, there was basically no need to wait at all.
Hearing that these two Saint Realm masters would recommend all their friends and family to come to the Holy Land to request Alchemy services, Xu Hui suddenly felt they were much more pleasing to the eye; putting on a hearty smile, he nodded, “Good, as long as they bring enough compensation, my Holy Land’s Grandmaster will happily accept their requests.”
“We will certainly spread the word,” The two men nodded, both of them carefully stowing away their respective Saint Pills before hurriedly flying off to tell the good news to their loved ones about this wondrous place.
Time flew by and one month had already passed.
Outside the nine peaks, a large crowded bustled about, creating a lively atmosphere.
All these Transcendent and Saint Realm cultivators lined up in a long queue, anxiously awaiting their turn as they curiously stared at the nine peaks, various different expressions filling their faces.
These cultivators had all heard about the mysterious Grandmasters in Nine Heavens Holy Land and had come here to request Alchemy from him.
Over the past month, more and more people had rushed to the nine peaks. In the beginning, only a few scattered groups of cultivators came to try their luck, perhaps only one or two people every three to five days showing up, but as these cultivators left with high-quality Spirit Grade and Saint Grade pills in hand, more and more people were drawn in.
Gradually, people began showing up every day, sometimes alone, sometimes in small groups.
The frequency of people arriving only increased after that until it finally became the current situation.
Now, outside the nine peaks, there were a few dozen Transcendent and Saint Realm masters waiting in line, forcing Elders Luo Sheng and Meng Tian Fei to lead a group of Holy Land disciples out in order to maintain order.
The Holy Land’s disciples were as courteous and welcoming as possible, setting up places for these guests from afar to sit and rest and providing some simple refreshments while they waited for their turn to receive Alchemy services inside the Holy Land.
However, if anyone dared act rowdy or fail to follow the rules the Holy Land had set out, no matter what kind of exalted status they possessed, they would be driven off without exception.
This was the policy Yang Kai had personally set and was one the two Holy Land Elders did their best to implement.
“How can it not be our turn yet,” One of the cultivators near the head of the line couldn’t help grumbling.
“Relax, we’ll be up next,” One of the man’s companion comforted, a look of anticipation on his face.
“En, don’t be so anxious! It’s just a few days wait here. If you went anywhere else, you may have to wait for several years!” A third person added.
“Fair enough,” The man who first called out nodded, his mood visibly improving as he chatted with a few people nearby, “I heard that Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Alchemy Grandmaster has not failed once since he began offering Alchemy services! Whether it was a Spirit Grade or Saint Grade pill, it would be refined successfully. Everyone who has come here has left greatly satisfied.”
“That’s not all, there were many who came here for Alchemy services that left with Pill Vein pills.”
“Is that true? Have some people really obtained pills that gave birth to Pill Veins here?”
“I also heard that there were many pills that gave birth to Pill Veins refined by this Grandmaster.”
“What about the payment then… did they ask for more when Pill Veins appeared?”
“Nine Heavens Holy Land seems to only ask for remuneration equal to the value of an ordinary pill, but if you offer them more, they won’t refuse!”
“Naturally we should offer more compensation to leave a good impression! That way, next time we come to ask for Alchemy services this will be smoother. Heh heh, I’ve specially prepared some extra Crystal Stones just in case my luck is good and I get a pill with Pill Veins.”
“This mysterious grandmaster is a true powerhouse… in order to achieve all this, he must at least be a Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist, right? I’d reckon that besides the Old Man of Heaven’s Keep, he is this world’s greatest Alchemist.”
“I’d say there’s actually more than one Saint Grade Alchemist here…”
“Why do you say that?”
“Haven’t you noticed that the pace of Alchemy here is too fast? In a single day there are always at least ten pills which are refined, all of which are at least Spirit Grade Top-Rank with many of them actually being Saint Grade… can a single Alchemy Grandmaster really do that?”
“Do you mean to say that there are several such Grandmasters in this Nine Heavens Holy Land?”
When they thought about what this statement meant, everyone couldn’t help feeling shocked.
Saint Grade Alchemists were extremely rare, and every force in this world was desperate to have even one in their employ; however, very few forces were capable of cultivating such a Grandmaster. Even for these few forces though, their Saint Grade Alchemists normally had venerated statuses and would only work for their own Sect, never offering services to outsiders. What’s more, such Grandmasters would normally only take action once every few months, sometimes even going a year or two without refining a single pill, spending most of their time indulging in their own interests and studies.
On the other hand, for the past month, the Alchemy Grandmaster of Nine Heavens Holy Land probably didn’t even have enough time to have a sip of water much less enjoy the beauties of nature; it would not be an exaggeration to say he was a supreme benefactor to the world’s common people, worthy of worship and respect.
Such discussions actually happened frequently amongst the cultivators waiting outside the nine peaks, causing all of them to be thoroughly shocked by the immense heritage of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
The only thing that was regrettable was that the Grandmaster of Nine Heavens Holy Land would only refine a single pill per person.
However, it was ordinary for such Grandmasters to have some strange personality quirks so such a small thing wasn’t of much concern to most.
After a few more hours passed, a group of people suddenly emerged from the nine peaks. They weren’t many in number, exactly ten in total. These ten had varying cultivations, ages, and genders, but without exception, all of them wore bright, satisfied expressions on their faces.
“They came out, the group who went in yesterday came out!” Someone near the head of the line shouted.
Another man quickly called out to this group and asked, “How was it? How are the pills you asked for?”
Among the ten people who came out, one old man let out a hearty laugh unsuited for his age and proclaimed, “The Grandmaster of Nine Heavens Holy Land is truly worthy of his name! All ten of my friends here obtained the pills they asked for; there was not one failure! On top of that, the Saint Grade Low-Rank pill this old master requested actually gave birth to Pill Veins, hahahaha!”
Throwing his balding head back, the old man laughed riotously towards the Heavens without any trace of embarrassment.
The other nine people in the old man’s group couldn’t help directing envious looks towards him.
The ones waiting in line were all stunned by the old man’s words and after a brief moment of shock, all of them wished they could rush up to him and snatch this Saint Pill from him.
A Saint Pill which had given birth to Pill Veins was an extremely rare treasure that might not be seen once in a hundred years, its value was simply immeasurable.
However, upon noticing the old man’s cultivation standard, all these hot-headed ideas were instantly dispelled.
This old man was at least a Second-Order Saint Realm powerhouse.
“Good good, I wish all of you the same good fortune. This old master will take his leave now!” The old man was clearly in a very good mood as he called out to the crowd in a warm and friendly manner. Ordinarily, a master like him would not even spare the cultivators here a glance, much less speak to them, but today, it was as if he couldn’t help chattering on and on.
Saying so, the old man politely cupped his fists to Luo Sheng and Meng Tian Fei who were frantically trying to maintain the crowd’s order before quickly departing.
After the old man left, the people waiting in line seemed to wake from their daze, an even greater enthusiasm soon filling their faces.
“Elders, can you let us go in now? We have been waiting here for a few days for it to finally be our turn,” The man at the front of the line anxiously yet politely called out.
Luo Sheng and Meng Tian Fei exchanged a glance before nodding lightly, Luo Sheng quickly announcing in a serious tone, “The ten friends at the front of the line, please follow my Holy Land’s disciples to the reception room inside my Holy Land. When you get there, someone will be there to accept your Alchemy request as well as provide you with some small hospitality. The next ten, please move up and continue waiting!”
“This way please!” A Holy Land disciple at the front of the line politely gestured.
The ten cultivators at the head of the line suddenly felt their pulses race as blood rushed to their heads, pushing and shoving each other in their rush to enter the Holy Land, all of them disappearing into the nine peaks a moment later.
As for the rest of the people outside, they could only continue to wait anxiously.
The two Holy Land Elders also stood side by side, overlooking this exciting scene with great happiness.
“Brother Meng, do you have any idea where Holy Master found such an astonishing Alchemy Grandmaster? Also, don’t you think his level somewhat unbelievable?”
Meng Tian Fei shook his head wryly, “If you ask me, who am I supposed to ask? I also discussed this matter with Great Elder but even he has no idea where this mysterious Grandmaster came from or what he even looks like. The only thing we know is that he was a friend Holy Master made while wandering around outside.”
“Fierce… even able to make such a profound Grandmaster work for our Holy Land, the Holy Master’s methods are truly extraordinary!”
“Yes, thanks to the remuneration the Holy Land receives in exchange for Alchemy services, our finances have also been steadily improving; the disciples no longer have to worry about having enough cultivation materials. Heh, if the Grandmaster could help you and I refine some Saint Pills, it would be even better.”
“We shouldn’t worry about that, when the time comes, all we need to do is speak to Holy Master and I’m sure there won’t be any problems.”
“That said, from the looks of things here, I really don’t know when the Grandmaster will have time to spare for us…”
As they spoke, the two Elders turned their eyes towards the horizon, where they saw yet another batch of people flying towards Nine Heavens Holy Land.
There was no doubt in their minds that this group had also come to request Alchemy services.
After this group appeared, another would soon follow, and so on and so forth, causing the number of people waiting in line to increase faster than it decreased…
While the two Elders were both happy to see this, they also couldn’t help feeling a bit of distress as well.
There were a lot of people in this latest group, five people in total, but before they could even arrive, Luo Sheng had come forward to inform them of the rules and politely had them line up at the end of the queue.
Every day now, Luo Sheng and Meng Tian Fei, both of whom were genuine Saint Realm Elders, had actually had to personally welcome two or three waves of guests each, and as time passed by, this number only increased.
Just after they finished arranging this new group of arrivals, from the nine peaks, the two Elders saw Great Elder Xu Hui fly out.
Immediately, the two of them turned and greeted him.
A moment later, Great Elder Xu Hui arrived in front of the two Elders and cast his eyes towards the ever-growing lineup of people, a touch of amazement apparent in his voice as he muttered, “So many have come?”
“Yes, Great Elder, the Holy Land’s Alchemy Grandmaster’s reputation resounds louder with each passing day,” Luo Sheng said with a slightly tired smile.
“That is a matter of course! A 100% refinement success rate is on the level of a legendary tale! In this world, besides my Holy Land’s Grandmaster, no one can boast of such a feat!” Xu Hui’s boasted proudly.
“What matter does Great Elder have to announce?” Meng Tian Fei asked.
“Good, I’m here to deliver a message from Holy Master!” Xu Hui nodded before turning and yelling towards the gathered crowd, “Friends, this old master is Nine Heavens Holy Land Great Elder Xu Hui. I offer you all kind greetings!”
Everyone quickly returned the courtesy, none daring to act the slightest bit dissolute.
Seeing the crowd’s reaction, Xu Hui’s expression brightened even further; never before had he felt so high-spirited as today, not even when the old Holy Master was alive.
Continuing on, Xu Hui announced, “In accordance with the command of the Holy Master, dare I ask if any of you possess World Spirit Treasures?”
Most people in line shook their heads, indicating they did not own such treasures, some of them soon whispering to each other, wondering why the new Holy Master was asking such a question.
World Spirit Treasures were extremely rare and difficult to come across. Many cultivators would live their entire lives never seeing one.
Because these strange treasures already possessed a certain amount of sentience, they were closer to living creatures than mere plants or objects, which allowed them to understand how to avoid danger by running or hiding.
As he observed the crowd’s reaction, Xu Hui chuckled and said, “You can rest assured that my Holy Land will not force any of you to hand over your valuable treasures for free. The Holy Master has said that no matter what grade of World Spirit Treasure it is, as long as anyone is willing to part with it, the Holy Land’s Alchemy Grandmaster will refine three pills for them for free. Additionally, for those who choose to sell their World Spirit Treasures, they will be allowed to skip the line and have their pills refined immediately, and the Holy Land will also guarantee a successful refinement.”
Following this announcement, the crowd fell silent for a moment before a great uproar began.
In exchange of Alchemy services, the reward demanded by the Grandmaster of Nine Heavens Holy Land, while not excessive, was also not cheap. One had to prepare enough Crystal Stones or herbs to match the value of the materials used to refine the pill they requested.
This kind of price was something that could be afforded by most people.
Although Saint Grade materials were difficult to find, most masters who need them in the first place were not lacking Crystal Stones.
However, three pills worth of reward was indeed a great sum of money and more than enough to attract the attention of the crowd.
Someone in the line soon called out, “Great Elder, are there any limits on the grades of those three free refinements?”
Xu Hui smiled and shook his head, “There are no limits, it is even possible to request for three Saint Grade Mid-Rank pills!”
“Your noble Sect’s Grandmaster is indeed bold!” The man exclaimed, everyone else around him sharing his shock.
Although until now no one had actually asked to refine a Saint Grade Mid-Rank pill, it could be inferred from how Xu Hui was speaking that the Holy Land’s Alchemy Grandmaster had full confidence in refining this level of pill.
“So, if you possess any World Spirit Treasures, please don’t conceal them; after all, this is a rare opportunity!” Xu Hui grinned and persuaded.
He didn’t know if there was anyone among this group that had a World Spirit Treasure, or even why Yang Kai wanted with such objects, but none of that really mattered. Since it was an order from the Holy Master, all Xu Hui had to do was carry it out.
At the end of the line, among a group of newly arrived customers, after hesitating for a moment, someone finally called out, “Great Elder, is there no limit on what kind of World Spirit Treasure it is?”
“Yes,” Xu Hui nodded , turning his attention to the man who just spoke.
The man wore a half awkward half-serious look and asked, “What if I only need to refine a single pill?”
“The two remaining opportunities will be recorded by my Holy Land so that whenever you wish to use them, you only need to come here in order to redeem them.”
“In that case…” The man’s expression became slightly anxious as he carefully took out a jade box from his Universe Bag and handed it over to Xu Hui, “Will this do, Great Elder?”
As he asked, a nervous and excited look filled his face.
This man was no more than thirty years old and his strength was quite low, only reaching the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary. With such a cultivation, the pill this man came here to request was definitely Spirit Grade Top-Rank.
Such a cultivator would normally not even be able to speak with a famous figure like Xu Hui, so it was only natural he would be somewhat excited.
Xu Hui raised his brow and accepted the jade box.
The man quickly said, “Great Elder must be careful, this thing runs quite fast. If you relax your guard it will definitely try to slip away. This humble one only managed to obtain it by chance a number of years ago, and to my embarrassment, I still do not even know what it is.”
“It’s fine!” Xu Hui smiled confidently, his powerful Divine Sense wrapping up the jade box, leaving no gap for whatever was contained within to escape through.
Many people stretched their necks to see exactly what this World Spirit Treasure was.
Even Luo Sheng and Meng Tian Fei both couldn’t help leaning in slightly.
The moment the jade box was opened, a faint yet soothing glow, similar to the gentle rays of the moon, blossomed.
As if detecting that the box had been opened, whatever was inside darted out, leaving behind a streak of pale white light.
Xu Hui chuckled lightly as he saw this.
With Xu Hui’s Divine Sense surrounding it, the light was only able to flit about inside a small range, appearing as though it was quite anxious.
After a while, the gentle light gradually condensed and a three-leafed spirit grass appeared.
This spirit grass exuded a weak energy fluctuation as well as a faint vitality. Its body seemed to be comprised of a kind of white jade, giving it a delicate, almost crystal-like appearance.
The three leaves looked supple and fresh, as if they had only recently been moistened by the morning dew.
“It really is a World Spirit Treasure!” Xu Hui’s eyes lit up as he gently nodded.
Xu Hui could tell at a glance that this spirit grass was indeed a World Spirit Treasure because it already possessed a faint consciousness.
“Does anyone know what World Spirit Treasure this is?” Xu Hui asked the crowd.
Most people shook their heads but one man let out a chuckle and replied, “Great Elder, this is a stalk of Shimmering Moon Grass. By absorbing the essence of the moon over many years it managed to give birth to a consciousness. Although it is classified as a World Spirit Treasure, it is apparently not mature. With only three leaves, I’m afraid it has no practical use. If it was allowed to grow for another hundred years or so, to the point where it had five leaves, its value would increase many folds.”
“Oh? This friend appears to be quite familiar with this,” Xu Hui turned a smile towards the man who spoke.
“Not at all! This humble one was quite interested in spirit grasses and spirit medicines and thirty years ago even aimed to become an Alchemist. Unfortunately, my aptitude was lacking and I was unable to step onto that path, instead choosing to pursue the Martial Dao.”
“I see!” Xu Hui nodded. An Alchemist’s understanding of spirit grasses spirit medicines was indeed deeper than most, so although this man failed to become an Alchemist in the end, his knowledge of herbs would not be comparable to that of ordinary people.
“Then… is this acceptable?” The owner of the Shimmering Moon Grass scratched his head nervously.
With someone coming out and declaring that this Shimmering Moon Grass did not have much practical value, he couldn’t help growing more anxious.
The promised reward was actually refining three pills! Could this Shimmering Moon Grass possibly be worth that much?
“Yes!” To his surprise though, Xu Hui smiled and nodded, “This old master said that no matter what grade or value it has, as long as it is a genuine World Spirit Treasure, we will exchange for it! Good, this old master will accept this Shimmering Moon Grass. Little brother, please come with me so the Grandmaster can help fulfil your Alchemy request!”
“Yes!” The man shouted, overjoyed.
He had only arrived here today. If he was forced to wait, it would be at least six or seven days before his turn arrived and he would have to pay an amount of Crystal Stones equal to the worth of the pill he wanted to refine upon receiving it.
Yet now, for a trivial Shimmering Moon Grass that he had absolutely no use for, he not only got to skip the queue, the Grandmaster would also refine three pills of any grade for him for free!
This meant that as long as he found the appropriate materials in the future, all he had to do was come to Nine Heavens Holy Land and he would be able to instantly acquire two Saint Pills.
If his luck was particularly good, the pills he requested might even be formed with Pill Veins. Taking such pills could even have a life-altering effect on his future.
Fantasizing about such things, this young man couldn’t help feeling that glorious tomorrow had opened up before him.
“Wait!” Suddenly, someone from the lineup of customers called out.
Xu Hui frowned as he turned his eyes towards the speaker, discovering that the other party was actually a Saint Realm master and unavoidably asking, “What advice does this friend have?”
“This one wouldn’t dare!” The Saint Realm master laughed, “I’d simply like Great Elder to wait a moment while I have a word with this little brother.”
Xu Hui looked at him for a moment before nodding lightly, “Please make it quick, the Holy Master is still waiting for this old master to report.”
“Many thanks, Great Elder!” The man quickly thanked him before walking over to the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator and speaking to him.
This Saint Realm master deliberately lowered his voice, causing everyone else around him to become suspicious, wondering just what was being discussed.
The owner of the Shimmering Moon Grass was quite nervous being called out to by such a powerhouse at first, but after hearing what this Saint Realm master said, he immediately became excited and began nodding repeatedly.
Seeing this, many among the spectating crowd quickly guessed what the two men were talking about.
A moment later, the Saint Realm master and the owner of the Shimmering Moon Grass finished speaking, seemingly having reached an agreement both of them were happy with.
Before Xu Hui could even ask the young man to follow him into Nine Heavens Holy Land, several other Saints rushed out and began speaking to him.
The scene immediately became noisy.
The owner of the Shimmering Moon Grass was now facing a dilemma. None of these Saints was a character he could afford to offend so, in a bout of desperation, he simply shouted, “Several Seniors, please make a bid, the spots will go to the highest offers!”
Hearing this, the few Saints gathered around immediately began making offers, none of them willing to let the others snatch up such a good opportunity.
Xu Hui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, suddenly understanding what the owner of the Shimmering Moon Grass was doing.
The Holy Land had promised to help him refine three pills of any grade for free.
Inspired by the first Saint who spoke to him, the young man decided to simply sell all three of these opportunities.
Three opportunities meant three different rewards, far more benefits than he could acquire by simply asking for his own pill to be refined.
Slowly shaking his head, Xu Hui did not intervene. The Holy Land had given him this opportunity, so how he used it was up to him.
A moment later, the Shimmering Moon Grass’s owner ran over and said with a big smile, “I apologise for making Great Elder wait so long, let’s go in.”
Xu Hui smiled back at him, “Were the benefits they offered you to your satisfaction?”
The man nodded vigorously, “Very much so! But… is this also alright?”
“Of course there’s no problem. The Holy Land only gave you these three chances. How you choose to use them is your own business.”
“Great! I’m so glad!” So many great benefits falling from the sky into his lap had made this young man somewhat dizzy.
These Saint Realm masters were reluctant to wait in line outside with everyone else, and the benefits they offered to the young man were not worth more than the Saint Pill they wanted to refine.
This was the same as giving the owner of the Shimmering Moon Grass the reward they had prepared for the Holy Land in exchange for that low level World Spirit Treasure.
For the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator, this was simply the biggest opportunity of his life.
After leading this young man to the reception room and collecting the three sets of materials he had brought with him, Xu Hui immediately flew over to the Holy Master Court.
Inside one of the palace rooms filled with a rich pill fragrance, Yang Kai was sitting in meditation in front of a small pill furnace.
Xu Hui entered and explained the story.
Yang Kai gently nodded, accepting the herbs as well as the Shimmering Moon Grass before saying, “I’ll call for you when the refining is complete.”
“Yes!”
After Xu Hui left, Yang Kai put the Shimmering Moon Grass into the Black Book space before sinking his own consciousness inside it too.
A wisp of moonlight appeared inside the Black Book space and began acting somewhat panic-stricken, trying to find a safe haven to take refuge.
The Divine Tree looked at this newcomer curiously, its Divine Sense locked onto it as it observed carefully.
The Divine Tree’s actions only agitated the Shimmering Moon Grass even more, and after a moment, it plunged into the small pond of Myriad Drug Liquid trying to hide.
However, the instant the Shimmering Moon Grass entered the pool of Myriad Drug Liquid, it relaxed greatly and began absorbing it at a rate visible to the naked eye, its three leaves releasing a brilliant glow as it did so.
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s face went black and was just about to viciously pluck the Shimmering Moon Grass out of the Myriad Drug Liquid pond, but the Divine Tree somehow managed to beat him to it.
Wrapping the three-leaved grass up in an invisible Spiritual Energy, the Divine Tree hurriedly pulled it from the pond.
Immediately after, Yang Kai felt that the Divine Tree was using its divine Sense to communicating with the Shimmering Moon Grass.
Calming down, Yang Kai slowly wore a light smile.
After a short silence, the Divine Tree spoke, “I’ve already reprimanded it and will carefully watch over it to make sure it doesn’t misbehave again. However, this little fellow’s consciousness is similar to mine was before I met you and hasn’t fully formed yet, so communicating with it is somewhat difficult. Is this one of the World Spirit Treasures you told me about before?”
“En,” Yang Kai chuckled, “Take your time, as long as you persist you’ll one day be able to communicate with it smoothly. If I have an opportunity, I’ll try to find some more World Spirit Treasures for you so you can have more companions.”
“Yay!” The Divine Tree responded happily.
When Yang Kai recalled about the promise he made with the Divine Tree to look for some World Spirit Treasures to keep it company, he asked Xu Hui to make an announcement saying that anyone willing to part with such a treasure would be granted three free pill refinements, thinking he might get lucky and one day come across someone with a World Spirit Treasure.
What Yang Kai hadn’t expected was that one of the customers outside the Holy Land really had a World Spirit Treasure on him and was willing to part with it, a stroke of good luck.
After observing for a while and confirming that there were no problems, Yang Kai took back his consciousness from the Black Book space and began practising Alchemy again.
For the past month, he had been performing Alchemy, not taking even half a step outside this room.
Countless Spirit Grade Top-Rank and Saint Grade Low-Rank pills had been refined by him since then, none of which had ever failed.
The biggest reason for this phenomenal success rate was his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea which allowed him to have much greater control over the Alchemic Spirit Arrays inside his pill furnace. Using his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy also greatly accelerated the speed at which he could perform Alchemy.
With his current accomplishments in the Alchemic Way, Yang Kai was capable of refining a Spirit Grade Top-Rank pill within a quarter of an hour and a Saint Grade Low-Rank pill within only half an hour.
With such speed, finishing ten pills a day was actually remarkably relaxed.
The rest of his time was spent restoring himself while meditating over the insights he obtained during the repeated Alchemy refinements.
In short, he was having fun!
There was not the slightest bit of annoyance or agitation in Yang Kai’s mood at all.
He now had an abundant supply of high-grade herbs to practice with, which allowed him to rapidly explore, test and prove his previous conjectures about the promotion of forming Pill Veins.
Yang Kai had now concluded that Pill Veins could indeed be artificially produced, but the process was by no means simple or easy. At the moment the pill was about to be successfully refined, numerous complex Spirit Arrays had to be portrayed, merged, and infused into the pill.
Once this process succeeded, Pill Veins would form and the pill would no longer lose any of its medicinal efficacies over time as long as it was stored properly.
Yang Kai could not produce Spirit Grade Top-Rank pills with Pill Veins at will, while, because the difficulty in executing this technique increased exponentially with each grade, an element of luck was still required to produce Saint Pills with Pill Veins.
In the process of Alchemy, Yang Kai was constantly using his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea but after an entire month of this, not only was he not feeling tired, Yang Kai even faintly felt that his Spiritual Energy had increased in both density and purity.
The sentiments he obtained from immersing himself in the Alchemic way also boosted his comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, allowing Yang Kai to further consolidate his foundation and improve his strength.
The Alchemic Way and Martial Dao complimented one another; making progress in either of these fields would lead to progress in the other, a truly gratifying experience.
Even without deliberately cultivating, Yang Kai felt his cultivation steadily making progress and if this kind of momentum was kept up, he felt it would not be long before he touched the threshold of the Saint Realm.
If he managed to come across some kind of opportunity, this process could be even further shortened.
The Third Order Transcendent was just a stone’s throw away from the Saint Realm.
Different from a True Element Boundary breaking through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary or stepping from the Immortal Ascension Boundary into the Transcendent Realm, entering the Saint Realm required crossing an even greater watershed.
The Thousand-Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid could assist a Transcendent in achieving this breakthrough, and Yang Kai still had two drops of it left from when he first visited the Starry Sky.
At that time, Yang Kai had condensed a total of six drops of this precious medicinal liquid, four of which were given to Cang Yan for his Martial Seniors back in Soaring Heaven Sect. The remaining two were still inside the Black Book space.
The Thousand-Year Demon Flower’s medicinal liquid did not have any side effects either, so Cang Yan and Fei Yu using it to break through to the First Order Saint Realm would not cause any flaws to appear in their foundation which may affect their future cultivation.
However, Yang Kai did not intend to use any kind of outside boosts to help him as he always felt that only by using his own strength to achieve each breakthrough would he gain the maximum amount of benefits.
Alchemy was the best auxiliary cultivation method. Yang Kai had obtained many insights and unexpected gains while studying the Alchemic Way, allowing his body and soul to obtain a kind of profound sublimation.
The days passed by.
Thanks to the astonishing Alchemy results it produced, Nine Heavens Holy Land’s name now echoed loudly throughout all of Tong Xuan Realm.
Some cultivators would spend months travelling tens of thousands of kilometres just to ask the mysterious Alchemy Grandmaster of the Holy Land to refine pills for them.
Outside the nine peaks, the lineup of cultivators seeking Alchemy services now stretched for miles with no less than a hundred people arriving every single day to join the queue.
The mysterious Grandmaster of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Alchemy achievements were nothing short of astonishing. From the first time he took action until now, he had not once failed a single refinement and had even produced many pills that formed Pill Veins.
Gradually, some people began comparing this hidden Grandmaster to The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep, wondering who would win if the two were to compete.
However, The Old Man of Heaven’s Keep was a legendary figure, one that even those of the Demon Race and Monster Race would treat with the utmost respect, a figure revered by every sentient being in Tong Xuan Realm.
With just this alone the Grandmaster of Nine Heavens Holy Land could not be compared.
As the Holy Land’s Grandmaster’s reputation spread, not just Spirit Grade Top-Rank and Saint Grade Low-Rank pills, but even Saint Grade Mid-Rank pills were confirmed to have been refined by him.
Each guest that visited Nine Heavens Holy Land to ask for Alchemy services left with a big smile of satisfaction on their face.
Every time a pill was refined successfully, the Holy Land would receive remuneration equal to that pill’s value.
These days, Xu Hui and the other Elders would always have big grins on their faces, as if all their previous worries and misfortune were nothing but a distant memory.
The Treasury of Nine Heavens Holy Land was now almost overflowing with Crystal Stones and a wide variety of cultivation materials.
This trend only accelerated after the mysterious Grandmaster changed his policy of only refining ten pills a day to refining twenty pills a day.
Many who came to ask for Alchemy services would not only provide compensation equal to the value of the pill they requested but would leave additional gifts as thanks.
Xu Hui now also began to wonder whether there was more than one Alchemy Grandmaster hidden in the Holy Land.
If that wasn’t the case, how could a single person refine twenty pills in a single day?
To accomplish such a feat, there had to be three Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemy Grandmasters at the very least! Xu Hui secretly speculated.
The Great Commanders of the Ancient Demon Clan were quite clear that the current prosperity of the Holy Land was Yang Kai’s handiwork; however, without Yang Kai’s permission, they didn’t reveal such secrets to Xu Hui and the others.
Now that the Holy Land had an abundance of resources, the Ancient Demon Clan had no need to run outside the nine peaks to seek for cultivation supplies, so naturally, they did not cause any trouble with the public.
Regarding the cultivation supplies provided to the Ancient Demon Clan, Xu Hui showed no ill-treatment at all; on the contrary, what was portioned for them was extremely generous. Whatever the Ancient Demon Clan needed, he would freely provide, earning him Li Rong’s gratitude.
……
Outside the nine peaks, there is a newly built stone pavilion.
There were several exquisite stone benches and stone tables inside this new building with a fresh pot of tea steeping nearby.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong sat inside the stone pavilion, watching the crowds lined up in the long queue, sipping tea while chatting quietly.
With so many guests coming each day to request Alchemy services, it was necessary to have at least two Saint Realm Elders posted to maintain order. Today was Elders Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong’s turn.
These two women had vastly different temperaments, but their graceful figures, full peaks, thin waists, long slender legs, and well-rounded bottoms were undeniably charming and added a splash of colour to the otherwise dull jungle scenery outside the Holy Land.
The customers who had come here and were now idly standing in line, extremely bored from all the waiting, couldn’t help directing stares towards the two beautiful female Elders in order to comfort their souls.
Noticing the strangeness of the various gazes upon them, though Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong weren’t exactly pleased, they were helpless to stop it. The most they could do was order the Holy Land disciples to circle the stone pavilion to somewhat block these prying eyes.
Although their job was supposedly to maintain order, in fact, there was rarely a need for them to do anything.
Most people who came here behaved extremely prudent and didn’t dare cut in line or stir up trouble.
Occasionally, when someone with an overinflated ego that wanted to take advantage of their own status or strength to try to act out, before the Holy Land’s disciple could even take action, the various masters who were patiently waiting in line would clean them up.
Most of the people who came to request Alchemy services here were Transcendents, but there was no shortage of Saints among them.
Provoking all of these powerhouses by trying to cut in line naturally never led to good results.
As such, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong only had to drink tea and relax in the stone pavilion while chatting, as if they were taking a leisurely break.
Near the end of the snaking line, a group consisting of two young women and a middle-aged man were.
The middle-aged man looked slightly impatient as he shot glances towards the front of the line from time to time and let out a slight sigh.
There were currently hundreds of people waiting in front of him, and the Grandmasters of the Holy Land would only refine twenty pills a day, so it would be at least a month before his turn came.
One of the two young women was also glancing towards the nine peaks, a complicated look upon her face.
After waiting in line for quite some time, the middle-aged man suddenly whispered, “Xuan’er, aren’t you acquainted with that new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land? Couldn’t you ask a favour of him so your father can have his pill refined faster? That Grandmaster belongs to Nine Heavens Holy Land so shouldn’t he obey the Holy Master’s orders?”
“I was only casually acquainted with him, there’s no deep friendship between us. How could I shamelessly ask him for a favour now? Perhaps he has even completely forgotten about me,” The young woman said with a forced, bitter smile.
Just after she spoke these words though, the other woman next to her couldn’t help snorting loudly as she muttered, “There’s not much friendship between you? Did I hear that wrong? Didn’t you and him…”
“Xin Yu!” The first young woman glared over at her companion, the latter raising her hands in surrender, “Fine fine, pretend I didn’t say anything, it’s your own destiny, you have the right to choose. Just don’t regret it in the future!”
The middle-aged man, seeing this, couldn’t help chuckling awkwardly, “Xuan’er, no matter what how brief your friendship was, there’s no harm in trying right? Regardless of anything else, that Holy Master used to be part of my Bold Independent Union, right? Surely he hasn’t completely forgotten his roots.”
“I told you before he was only visiting Bold Independent Union, why do you keep trying to say he was a Bold Independent Union disciple?” The young woman stamped her foot angrily, “It’s fine if you want to say such things in private but don’t make such claims in public or people will begin thinking we’re just shamelessly boasting.”
Listening to his daughter’s words, the middle-aged man couldn’t help smiling wryly.
Bold Independent Union was not a very strong force, with him actually being its top master, a mere Third Order Transcendent.
In Tong Xuan Realm, a force without a Saint Realm powerhouse assuming command couldn’t be taken seriously.
Therefore, this middle-aged man had struggled for years to break through into the Saint Realm; recently, he had an epiphany and at last saw hope of achieving this life-long dream, but because of a lack of aptitude, he was unable to fully grasp the mysteries of the Saint Realm. As such, he decided to find an Alchemy Grandmaster to help him refine a Heaven Spying Pill to see if that would be enough to allow him to take that final step into the Saint Realm.
After using up a great deal of money and manpower, he had finally gathered together the required materials but was unable to find a suitable Alchemist.
All of the well-known Alchemy Grandmasters were extremely difficult to contact, and each of their schedules fully booked for the next few years at most, so the middle-aged man found himself stuck in a dilemma, unable to even meet with an appropriate Grandmaster.
It was at that time that the reputation of Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Alchemy Grandmaster reached the man’s ear and he couldn’t help feeling like it was a Heaven-sent opportunity.
He knew his daughter had some friendship with the new Holy Master and he even suspected their relationship wasn’t so simple.
Unfortunately, no matter how he proper her, his daughter would firmly deny it.
As a last resort, he could only bring her along with him to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
The long snaking lineup outside the nines peaks came as quite a shock to the man, as he had not anticipated so many others would already be waiting for Alchemy services from the Holy Land.
After failing to persuade his daughter to use her connections again, he could only resign himself to wait in line.
At worst he just needed to wait for a month.
All things considered, it wasn’t too long, so he said no more.
Just then though, two people flew over, a young woman accompanied by a Third Order Transcendent master who seemed to be her escort.
As the young woman approached, a look of shock appeared on her face as she stared in front of her, covering her mouth slightly as she muttered, “So many people, are they all here to ask for Alchemy?”
The Third Order Transcendent beside her also swept his eyes over this lineup and nodded slightly, “Young Lady, on the way over, I heard many rumours about the supreme skill of the Alchemy Grandmaster here. Supposedly, he has not failed to refine a requested pill even once, and each product he produced is of superior quality. It is only natural that many people have been attracted here.”
“Fierce, just what did that bastard do to manage to recruit such an outstanding Alchemy Grandmaster?” The young woman grinned as she glanced towards the nine peaks.
“Young Lady, should we also line up?” The escort asked softly.
“Hmph, nonsense, we go in right now and find him. I’d like to see if he dares pretend to not recognize me!” The young woman snorted, puffing out her chest arrogantly as she continued walking forward, showing absolutely no intention of obediently waiting in line.
However, after only a few steps, she suddenly wrinkled her brow and turned her eyes towards the end of the line, a look of surprise flashing across her face before she wore a happy smile and walked over, “Yun Xuan, you’re here too?”
Yun Xuan, who was lost in her own thoughts, hadn’t even noticed this newcomer until she was called out to, but hearing her name, she quickly snapped out of her daze and turned her gaze towards the young woman who was approaching her.
“Shui Ling?” Yun Xuan called out in surprise, a happy smile appearing on her pretty face in the next instant, “How come you’re here?”
“I came to see that little bastard! I heard that he is now the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land. After not seeing him for only a few years, it seems that monkey has leapt from the branches and become a true dragon. Forget about informing me of something so important, he didn’t even send me a single message to tell me he’s still alive! He really knows how to make others worry about him; hmph, this time I’ll make sure he compensates me in full for all the anxiety he’s caused me!”
Hearing Shui Ling speak so freely and casually, Yun Xuan couldn’t help but grin, her mood improving noticeably.
“Are you here to request Alchemy services from the Holy Land’s mysterious Grandmaster?” Shui Ling’s thoughts turned, quickly guessing what Yun Xuan’s intentions in coming here were.
“En.”
“Since that’s the case, why are you just standing in line? Just go in,” Shui Ling said with a puzzled look on her face.
“No, but… everyone else is waiting in line, and…” Yun Xuan said, her voice growing smaller as embarrassment filled her face.
“What are you afraid of? Others might have to wait around but you… you’re not a stranger to him.”
“No, it’s alright, we’ll just wait here,” Yun Xuan hesitated.
Seeing her appearance, Shui Ling’s expression grew cold as she suddenly said, “Could it be that he just ate up and refused to pay? Even if he is the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, he couldn’t possibly be that shameless?”
“Don’t say that so loud!” Yun Xuan turned bright red and hurriedly tried to stop Shui Ling.
Several of the nearby disciples of Nine Heavens Holy Land who overheard her shot gloomy looks towards them, causing Shui Ling to spit out the tongue playfully, not daring to speak so rashly again.
In front of Yang Kai, she could indeed act unscrupulously, but demeaning the Holy Master in front of these Holy Land disciples would obviously earn her their ire.
“Xuan’er, this girl is…” The middle-aged man who stood behind Yun Xuan stepped forward and asked.
“Oh, this is the Little Princess of Water Spirit Temple, Shui Ling, I told you about her before.”
“So it is Young Lady Shui Ling!” The middle-aged man exclaimed, quickly cupping his fists politely, “This humble one is Bold Independent Union’s Union Master, Yun Cheng!”
“Nice to meet you, Uncle Yun!” Shui Ling smiled sweetly and returned the gesture.
“Water Spirit Temple’s Little Princess truly deserves her name. At such a young age you are already a First Order Transcendent, your future achievements will surely be astonishing,” Yun Cheng said after quickly sweeping his eyes over Shui Ling and noticing her true cultivation, secretly admiring Water Spirit Temple’s deep heritage.
Yun Xuan was older than Shui Ling, but her cultivation was actually lower. This was largely due to the difference in the strength of their respective forces. Without good resources, the growth rate of the younger generation would naturally be slower.
“Uncle Yun is too polite, I only just broke through and have yet to even stabilize my cultivation,” Shui Ling replied in a well-behaved manner, her long, silky, light blue hair gently blowing in the wind, attracting more than a few of the surrounding eyes.
“This is Ruan Xin Yu, my friend,” Yun Xuan introduced Shui Ling to the other young woman beside her.
Shui Ling nodded lightly, exchanging greetings with Xin Yu.
“Was I correct in hearing that Ms. Shui Ling intends to directly enter the nine peaks to find the new Holy Master?” Yun Cheng lowered his voice and asked.
“Yes, I’m an old friend of his. I haven’t seen him for several years and now he’s suddenly become the Holy Master… En, while I’m here, I intend to have him help me refine a couple of pills…. Does Uncle Yun want to join me? Yun Xuan is almost my friend.”
“Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” Yun Cheng replied somewhat hesitant.
“Nonsense, unlike everyone else in line, I’m mainly here just to see him,” Shui Ling smiled.
“Then… this Yun will not be polite. Many thanks for allowing us to share Ms. Shui Ling’s good fortune!” Yun Cheng no longer declined, smiling broadly.
“Uncle Yun is too serious.”
Saying so, Shui Ling turned and walked in the direction of the stone pavilion, Yun Cheng hurrying to keep up.
Yun Xuan was still hesitating but with Ruan Xin Yu pushing her back, she had to obediently follow along.
Among the people who were still in line, many of them shot vigilant and even unfriendly gazes towards Shui Ling’s group.
The people waiting in line were all here to ask for Alchemy services and were naturally disgruntled towards anyone trying to bend the rules; however, without knowing the intentions of Shui Ling and her group, no one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out, all of them preparing to observe first before deciding how to proceed.
Shui Ling calmly entered the stone pavilion and explained her identity and purpose to Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong, causing the two Elders to knit their brows slightly.
Since Yang Kai assumed the role of Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, no one had come looking for him, so the Elders really knew nothing about his friends.
However, since someone had appeared claiming to be an old acquaintance of Yang Kai’s, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong did not display any intolerance, simply saying, “We have to ask the Holy Master about this first, would you mind waiting here a moment?”
“That’s fine,” Shui Ling gently nodded, secretly deciding to teach Yang Kai a good lesson for actually daring to make her wait outside after she travelled ten thousand kilometres to see him.
If this wasn’t bullying a person, what was?!
As she made plans to exact her revenge, a Holy Land disciple was sent into the nine peaks to relay the message.
A short while later, before the messenger disciple had even returned, another group of people arrived outside the nine peaks, and similar to Shui Ling and her group, these people did not line up at the end of the queue and instead came over directly to the stone pavilion.
This group of people was truly eye-catching, each one of them old with white hair, but the fineness of their robes indicated that none of them was an ordinary individual.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong both glanced at each other with surprise, wondering just who these people were.
The cultivations of these people was not high, each of them only a Second or Third Order Transcendent, without even a single Saint amongst them, but from the way they carried themselves and their innate demeanor, it was clear they didn’t put any of the masters standing in line in their eyes.
Arriving in front of the stone pavilion, one of the old men walked up and smiled to Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong, calmly asking, “Two young ladies, may I ask, is this place Nine Heavens Holy Land?”
The two Elders immediately frowned.
Though they were still youthful, it still could not disguise their level of strength as Saint Realm Masters
No one whose strength was lower than their own had ever dared address them so casually, even calling them young ladies, it gave them the unfavourable impression that this old man was simply trying to take advantage of his seniority to talk down to them.
However, from the way this old man spoke and the tone of his voice, it was clear that he was speaking naturally, without the slightest intention of disrespect.
Realizing this, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong did not dare act rashly, quickly standing up and nodding, “Yes!”
“And the master of this place is called Yang Kai?”
“En!”
“Then we’ve come to the right place, hah, thank goodness. Wandering across so many mountains and rivers is not good for these old bones!” The old man let out a relieved breath before calling out to his colleagues, “We’ve arrived! Take a rest for now!”
The other four old seniors wore smiles upon hearing this and relaxed.
“May I ask for your honoured names and what relationship you have with my Holy Land’s Holy Master?” Yu Ying asked softly.
“Hoho, just inform your Holy Master that a few old friends who share his profession have come to see him,” The old man did not report his name, appearing somewhat inscrutable.
Yu Ying’s brow wrinkled slightly further but after exchanging a glance with Cheng Yue Tong decided to not ask anything more, sending another disciple to relay this message to Yang Kai.
In their hearts, they were all curious. It had already been quite some time since the Holy Master arrived in the nine peaks yet he never had any guests, yet now, old acquaintances of his seemed to be appearing one after another.
[These people best not be lying to try to obtain Alchemy services!] The two Elders both thought to themselves, secretly observing these two groups of people who were claiming to be Yang Kai’s old friends.
Inside the stone pavilion, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong observed the two groups of people who had just arrived, claiming to be friends of Yang Kai. Secretly, they felt that it was possible for the first group, which had several beautiful young women in it, to have some kind of special relationship with the Holy Master, especially one of the young women who had a mature beauty to her yet also a kind of melancholy surrounding her. From time to time, this young woman would glance towards the nine peaks with a complex look upon her face, as if she had some kind of unresolved romance with the Holy Master.
The Holy Master was a young man after all, which young man didn’t have a few romantic encounters?
Thinking so, Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong both couldn’t help chuckling.
As for the second group which was comprised of nothing but old folks, although their strength wasn’t high, the aloof, superior temperament they gave off was not something that could be faked.
These old people were definitely prominent characters.
A short while later, the two Holy Land disciples who had been dispatched as messengers returned, bringing with them the command of the Holy Master.
Invite them inside quickly!
“Hmph, seems he still knows his limits!” Shui Ling was quite satisfied, bowing to Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong politely before she and the trio from Bold Independent Union set forth.
The several old folks also gently nodded to the two Elders before following after Shui Ling’s group.
However, before they could go far, the cultivators who were waiting in line for Alchemy began making a fuss, one of them clearly unable to endure this and loudly calling out, “Two Elders, what are these people doing? Why is it that they can enter the nine peaks after only arriving here today? If it’s convenient, could two Elders please explain this to us?”
“That’s right!” Someone else immediately followed up, “We’ve all been patiently waiting in line here for many days, but they can actually enter the nine peaks right away. Isn’t that somewhat unfair?”
“Your Nine Heavens Holy Land’s name resounds loudly throughout the world, so bullying us Immortal Ascension Boundary and Transcendent Realm cultivators may not matter much. We clearly aren’t able to argue back, but in this lineup, there are quite a few Saint Realm Seniors. Even these Seniors are willing to abide by the rules set out by your Holy Land, yet now you intend to destroy those customs yourself? If so, even if we hold our tongues, do you think these honoured Seniors will agree?”
These words seemed to resonate with many people who were standing in line and the various Saint Realm masters in line all indeed wore displeased looks upon their faces at this moment as they stared towards Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong.
After coming here, they had all put down their own lofty statuses and obediently followed the rules set out by Nine Heavens Holy Land, waiting in line like simple guests.
Naturally, this scene of people skipping the queue made these masters feel a little uncomfortable.
This group of line skippers did not have a single Saint amongst them, yet they seemed to be receiving preferential treatment, it was nothing short of offensive.
Hearing these shouts, Shui Ling’s and the old folks’ group halted their steps and looked back.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong also realized the seriousness of the issue and knew if they couldn’t handle it properly, it was highly likely that the prestige and goodwill the Holy Land had finally managed to build up these past few months would be ruined, causing many here to have an unnecessary misunderstanding.
Wearing a gentle smile, Yu Ying stepped forward and announced, “Friends, please allow me to explain. These people are old friends of my Holy Land’s Holy Master, this time they have come here only to visit the Holy Master, not to request Alchemy.”
“Really?”
“Do I have a reason to lie to you?” Yu Ying replied with a forced smile.
In truth, even Yu Ying suspected these two groups were here to request Alchemy services from the Holy Land’s Grandmaster, but since the Holy Master had said to let them in, it was impossible that they were just casual acquaintances. Still, it had now become a troublesome situation with the Holy Land’s reputation at stake.
“If you say those few women are friends of your Holy Master, I can understand, they are similar in age to the Holy Master after all and him having friends in the outside world is only natural! But what about those old farts? How could it be possible they are friends with your Holy Master?” Someone amongst the crowd shouted.
This group of old folks were, first off, old, and second, low in strength. Each of them looked like they were struggling to pursue the Martial Dao but were restricted by their own poor aptitude.
There were many such people in this world.
Those who were in such a situation often sought out good pills in order to help them break through their current realms and prolong their lives.
Most people waiting in line thought this was the case.
Everyone turned their attention to the group of old people, and even Yun Cheng couldn’t help wrinkling his brow ever so slightly.
“Don’t you think you all are meddling too much in other people’s business? You should just wait patiently in line. Since Yang Kai invited this group of Seniors inside, naturally he has his reasons! Or what, are you just looking to stir up trouble? If I were you I’d think twice about shouting out accusations outside the Holy Land like this, lest you anger someone you shouldn’t and lose the chance to request for Alchemy services,” Shui Ling shouted out in an unrestrained tone.
Amongst the crowd, those who had just been shouting the most fiercely all shrank back upon hearing these words, trying to hide behind others, afraid their faces might be spotted and remembered by Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong.
Calling out just now was their way of venting their frustrations and had been done without thinking too much about it.
They also thought that Nine Heavens Holy Land was being unfair and that if they didn’t raise any objections right now, in the future, anyone who claimed to be Yang Kai’s friends could skip the line which would force them to wait even longer for their turn.
They felt all of this was unfair to those who obediently followed the rules.
“You little girl, you’ve courage is not small…” Among the group of old people, the one with a great rotund belly looked towards Shui Ling with a big smile, “Aren’t you afraid they’ll try to find trouble with you later?”
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Shui Ling smiled fearlessly, “Since you’re friends of Yang Kai that makes you this Young Lady’s friends too. Although you’re all much older than me, I can promise you that so long as I’m here, no one will are bully you! Otherwise, I’ll let Yang Kai clean them up.”
“Oh? You seem to have quite a good relationship with Yang Kai,” Another old man smiled meaningfully towards Shui Ling as he gently stroked his long beard.
“Well, something like that,” Shui Ling furrowed her brow, “Although that guy can be a bit of a bastard at times, the affection he has towards his friend and family is very strong, en, he’s still quite good in this Young Lady’s opinion.”
“En, you’re also quite good in this old master’s opinion!” The old man with the round belly smiled before turning to his fellow travel companions and said, “Old friends, what do you say, these people seem to think that we’ve come to Nine Heavens Holy Land to abuse some personal connections. If we don’t give them an explanation, it won’t be very good for Yang Kai’s reputation.”
“Then we’ll leave it to you,” The several old folks waved their hands casually, telling him to do as he pleases.
The fat man nodded lightly before turning to the crowd and shouting loudly, “Which one of you blind bastards dared call this old master an old fart? Show your face!”
Obviously no one came forward.
The fat old man seemed to have expected this and did not continue seeking any one person to pick a fight with, instead just pointing to himself and firmly declaring, “This old master’s surname is Chang, you’d best remember me!”
His appearance was arrogant and his tone without the slightest hint of politeness, as if he thought himself above everyone else here.
This caused many people to secretly sneer.
A mere Second-Order Transcendent cultivator facing this crowd of masters outside the nine peaks was really nothing much.
However, among those waiting in line, some of the more knowledgeable masters couldn’t help narrowing their eyes upon hearing this fat old man’s surname, the image of another rotund old man surnamed Chang appearing in their minds.
“Lightning Flash City’s Alchemist Guild branch manager, Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemy Grandmaster Chang Bao?” Someone suddenly exclaimed.
“No wonder! No wonder he looked so familiar, it turns out he is the Alchemy Grandmaster from Lightning Flash City!”
“Why did he come here? Did he just say he knows the Holy Master here?”
“Who are those people travelling with him?”
……
The crowd which had a moment ago been silent suddenly began chattering loudly, many of those who had just been looking towards Chang Bao disdainfully hurriedly adjusting their expressions, putting on a respectful look.
No one dared despise a Saint Grade Alchemist!
Of the cultivators waiting in line, there were several who had visited Lightning Flash City before, hoping to meet Grandmaster Chang in order to ask him for Alchemy services; unfortunately, most of them had never even had the opportunity to speak with him.
Before the crowd could recover from their shock, the other old people around Chang Bao also reported their names.
“This old master’s name is Hong Fang!”
“Du Wan!”
“He Feng!”
“Kong Ruo Yu!” The only old woman gently shouted.
After all of these famous names came out, everyone present fell mute, too stunned to speak.
Shattered Star City, Three River City, Broken Moon City, Grand Boulder City. Lightning Flash City…
The managers from each of these five big cities’ Alchemist Guild branches had actually gathered together here.
Five Saint Grade Alchemists! This lineup was beyond luxurious.
No one dared let out a peep now, all of them staring dumbfounded towards these five people.
Everyone couldn’t help thinking for a moment that instead of Nine Heavens Holy Land, they were actually standing outside the Alchemist Guild’s headquarters!
After all, if that weren’t the case, how could there be five such Grandmasters all together in one place?
Du Wan smiled and stepped forward, “My fellow companions and I have come here today to visit with this place’s master, an old friend of ours. We hadn’t expected to create a misunderstanding, for that, please excuse us.”
“No no no, Old Man Du need not apologise!” Someone from the crowd immediately humbled himself and said.
The various Saint Realm masters here didn’t dare act dissolute in front of these five Grandmasters, all of them instead doing their best to show them the utmost respect.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong’s beautiful eyes also flashed brilliantly, finally understanding why these five, despite their lower cultivation, treated them like mere Juniors.
On top of that, the two Elders were extremely shocked by the words they just heard.
These five famous figures had actually come here to visit the Holy Master! Just the words ‘come to visit’ implied a great many things.
Only those of the younger generations who were seeking to meet their seniors would speak such words, but if that were indeed the case here, then…
Yu Ying and Cheng Yue Tong both felt their hearts jump into their throats.
“Yu Ying had eyes but failed to recognize five Grandmasters! Five Grandmasters, please forgive this one’s lack of courtesy!” Yu Ying quickly bowed her head in apology.
“Think nothing of it, your honoured Sect’s Holy Master won’t mind,” Du Wan chuckled, “We are not strangers to him.”
“Then please at least allow Yu Ying to personally escort five Grandmasters to see the Holy Master.”
“Elder Yu Ying is too polite.”
“Five Grandmasters, please!”
Du Wan and the others exchanged a glance before ignoring the still stunned crowd of cultivators waiting in line and following after Yu Ying.
When they walked over past Shui Ling and her group, Chang Bao couldn’t help smiling towards her and saying, “Little Miss, what are you still staring at? If you don’t start moving, we are going to leave without you.”
“Eh? Ah… en,” Shui Ling responded awkwardly as if her mind couldn’t keep up with the current situation.
Remembering how she had just shamelessly boasted about how since they were Yang Kai’s friends, that made them her friends, Shui Ling couldn’t wait to find a hole to crawl into and hide.
Such disgrace!
Fortunately, the five Grandmasters were magnanimous and didn’t show any intention of teasing her; otherwise, she really wouldn’t have any face to show the world for the rest of her life.
Following behind the five Grandmasters, Shui Ling felt as if she was drifting through the clouds, her feet was somewhat unsteady as she walked. Maybe it was due to her head trying to understand just how Yang Kai had actually become friends with these famous figures.
How great an honour that was?
A short time later, the two groups of people arrived at the Holy Master Court.
Yu Ying did not take them to the reception room but instead brought them directly here.
An Ling’er and Xu Hui immediately came out to welcome them, and after exchanging a few greetings, brought them to a grand hall and had several maids serve tea. Xu Hui quickly said, “Holy Master has said he will come as soon as possible. Please wait here a moment.”
“Good, if he’s busy we’ll just relax here for now!” Chang Bao waved his hand, looking for a reliable chair to sit down on as he gasped for breath.
Chang Bao was more than a bit plump, so he usually never left the Alchemist Guild branch of Lightning Flash City. If not for him wanting to find Yang Kai this time, he would never have travelled so far to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
After escorting these honoured guests to this place, Yu Ying bowed politely and took her leave.
Five Saint Grade Alchemists arriving all at once was nothing short of sensational, so when An Ling’er and Xu Hui learned of their statuses they did not dare show any neglect, acting incredibly humble and reserved.
However, the five Grandmasters were all easygoing and did display even the slightest aloofness, soon drawing both Xu Hui and An Ling’er into casual conversation.
Of course, Shui Ling and Yun Xuan’s groups both couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable.
Shui Ling hadn’t expected that the old folks she casually met outside were actually five Saint Grade Alchemy Grandmasters, but after learning their true identities, she didn’t dare speak casually to them.
Yun Xuan and her group were even more on edge.
Bold Independent Union was not a big force. Them being able to even enter Nine Heavens Holy Land like this was all thanks to Shui Ling. In front of these five Grandmasters, Bold Independent Union’s Union Master Yun Cheng felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
Tightly sealing his lips, he did he best not to interrupt.
Everyone here had a status that could be described as glorified, but what about him?
Being able to meet any one of them in person would ordinarily be a great honour, yet now there were actually so many of them gathered around him. Yun Cheng felt his stomach churn from the stress, not knowing what he should do or say.
Seemingly noticing their embarrassment, An Ling’er smiled and beckoned towards Shui Ling and Yun Xuan, bringing them to the side to ask them about their relationship with Yang Kai.
Facing this Nine Heavens Holy Land Saintess, Shui Ling and Yun Xuan both couldn’t help lowering their eyes slightly while cautiously choosing their words.
However, under the gentle guidance of An Ling’er, the atmosphere between them gradually relaxed and as they shared their stories about Yang Kai, light giggles soon came out.
After waiting half an hour or so, a heroic figure walked into the hall from outside.
Everyone immediately turned their eyes and smiled.
“Junior Yang Kai greets the several Grandmasters! Junior is greatly flattered that the several Grandmasters have come to visit!” Yang Kai quickly greeted him.
The five Grandmasters smiled and nodded, Du Wan calling out, “Don’t be so polite. In the past you called us Grandmasters, but now… times have changed!”
He didn’t say too much, but the meaning behind his words was apparent, at least between the concerned parties.
Yang Kai smiled and shook his head, “Old Man Du need not act so, Junior only has his current accomplishments thanks to the guidance of the several Grandmasters.”
Seeing his honest modesty, the five old Grandmasters exchanged glances amongst each other and couldn’t help smiling, feeling relieved that Yang Kai had not changed despite his great achievements.
“Hey, there are other people here as well. Aren’t you going to greet us too?” Shui Ling snorted.
As soon as Yang Kai arrived, Shui Ling relaxed because, of all the people here, she was the only one who truly knew him.
She had arrived in Tong Xuan Realm from Central Capital together with Yang Kai after having participated in the Yang Family Inheritance War and the desperate struggle against the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land.
Although Yang Kai was now the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, Shui Ling still regarded him as a close friend.
Yang Kai chuckled before turning towards her, “After not seeing you for a few years, each of you has become even more beautiful.”
“Hmph, your tongue is as glib as ever!” Shui Ling snorted, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.
Yun Xuan couldn’t help looking terribly embarrassed, her beautiful eyes unconsciously glancing towards and away from Yang Kai. Ruan Xin Yu by her side quietly whispered, “This is probably your last chance. If you don’t grab hold of him now, there won’t be a next time.”
Yun Xuan just continued glancing towards Yang Kai though, not saying anything, causing Ruan Xin Yu’s brow to twitch in frustration.
Silently thinking to herself that, if she was in Yun Xuan’s position, she would definitely not let go of Yang Kai. Now, he was very different from when they first met; back then, he was no different from a lost little kid from the countryside who had never seen the city, but now he was the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land. Noble status, great strength… okay looks, after finding such a rich marriage partner, how could she just shrug him off?
As long as she grasped on to him tightly, she would have no worries for the rest of her life!
However, this idiot Yun Xuan had absolutely no intention of even trying, annoying Ruan Xin Yu to no end.
“Junior greets Union Master Yun!” Yang Kai cupped his fists to Yun Cheng.
Yun Cheng’s body shivered greatly as wore a flattered expression, hurriedly getting up and returning the gesture, “Holy Master Yang is too polite, this one doesn’t dare accept such courtesy.”
His face becoming awkward, he quickly followed up, “Last time, my Bold Independent Union was led astray by the lies of those nefarious thieves and behaved somewhat impudently. I hope Holy Master Yang will forgive that transgression.”
“A minor matter, don’t mention it,” Yang Kai laughed, his expression relaxed.
Hearing this, Yun Cheng felt a great weight lift from his heart. He was really afraid that Yang Kai would hold a grudge against him for the previous matter. If that was the case, he wouldn’t have any face to remain here.
After exchanging greetings with everyone, Yang Kai found a seat and sat down.
“How come all of you came together to visit my Holy Land? Do you all know each other?” Yang Kai looked suspiciously around the crowd.
“Just a coincidence!” Chang Bao laughed, “We did not travel here together, we simply met outside the nine peaks.”
“En, I saw Yun Xuan outside and called out to her,” Shui Ling nodded.
“This really is a great coincidence. No wonder I had a feeling something good would happen today, it turns out that several Grandmasters and a few old friends were coming over to visit,” Yang Kai laughed, appearing quite happy.
During the conversation, Yun Xuan kept catching herself staring towards Yang Kai, only to hurriedly turn her eyes away in the next breath, her heart now pounding very hard.
As time passed, she felt that the distance between her and Yang Kai was getting bigger and bigger. When she last saw him, although he seemed to stand amongst the clouds, she could still at least see him if she looked up.
But now, Yun Xuan found that the young man in front of her had already ascended to a place she couldn’t even hope to reach.
Realizing this, her heart grieved, for she knew that in her lifetime there was no way she could ever catch up to Yang Kai.
Such a man was not someone a woman like her was worthy of standing by…
“Several Grandmasters coming to my Holy Land, is it simply to play or is there something you’d like to request?” Yang Kai lightly coughed, quickly asking about the purpose of everyone’s visit.
The five Grandmasters glanced around at each other and soon four pairs of eyes landed on Du Wan, obviously intending to have him answer.
Four against one, Old Man Du was helpless and with a bitter smile replied, “It’s like this… En, we heard that there is a skilled Alchemy Grandmaster here, so we decided to come here to visit.”
Yang Kai let out a somewhat strained laugh, his mouth twitching slightly.
The others here didn’t know who the mysterious Alchemy Grandmaster of Nine Heavens Holy Land was, but Du Wan and the other Grandmasters were different; after all, they had seen Yang Kai refine a Saint Grade Low-Rank pill which formed Pill Veins right in front of them.
At this moment, seeing Du Wan take such a humble stance cause Yang Kai to feel quite awkward, unsure of how to handle this situation.
“Good, if it is convenient, we would like to observe this Grandmaster’s skills and, if possible, study Alchemy with him…” Hong Fang followed up.
Yang Kai’s whole face was now twitching.
“If it is inconvenient then it matters not,” Du Wan saw Yang Kai’s strange expression and thought he was reluctant to agree, waving his hand as he said, “We do not covet the secrets of others, it is just that, in terms of Alchemy technique, very few are capable of teaching us anything, but now that one such Grandmaster has appeared, we thought we might as well try our luck. Yang Kai, although we’d like you to discuss our request with that Grandmaster. There’s no great rush, we can wait for an answer.”
“En, if that Grandmaster is willing to offer us a few pointers, naturally we will be happy, but if he does not, it is also fine; after all, us old guys are truly acting a bit brazen, seemingly trying to force someone to do something against his will,” Chang Bao comforted.
All five pairs of their eyes were now staring towards Yang Kai, wondering what answer he would give.
Even Shui Ling and Yun Cheng were nervously watching, not sure why but feeling that the atmosphere in the room had suddenly become a bit tense.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and adjusted his expression, “Several Grandmasters are too serious, my Holy Land’s Alchemist happens to be in need of someone to exchange with. The arrival of you Grandmasters is nothing but a boon to him. On behalf of my Holy Land’s Alchemist, I can accept your request, I only hope that, instead of a lecture, a mutual exchange can be had that will benefit everyone!”
“Really?” Chang Bao was so excited he couldn’t help shouting somewhat.
“Is that alright?” Du Wan also stared towards Yang Kai.
“Why not? There’s no disadvantage to accepting such a request,” Yang Kai laughed.
The five Grandmasters glanced at each other excitedly before turning a grateful look towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai agreeing to their request so easily was beyond their expectations.
On the way here, the five of them had all been quite apprehensive, thinking that this request of theirs was too bold, yet unable to resist the temptation of learning new and mysterious Alchemy knowledge, so they had all been psychologically prepared to be rejected by the time they arrived at the Holy Land.
Unexpectedly though, they had easily achieved their goal.
Naturally the five Grandmasters were pleasantly surprised.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go see the Grandmaster now,” He Feng said and stood up.
“There’s no need to rush!” Yang Kai laughed dumbly despite trying not to, “Several Grandmasters, please wait a moment.”
Saying so, Yang Kai turned to Shui Ling and the others, “What about you? Did you come here just to visit me or to request Alchemy?”
“If I said I came here just to see you, would you believe it or not?” Shui Ling asked with a big smile.
Yang Kai simply curled his lips.
“Good, I came here for Alchemy, hehe,” Saying so, Shui Ling took out a Universe Bag and tossed it directly to Yang Kai, stating her request without the slightest hint of politeness, “I want to refine three Azure Sky Pills, all the materials have been prepared, you can see if your yourself.”
Yang Kai caught the Universe Bag and quickly swept its content with his Divine Senes, nodding lightly, “Azure Sky Pills… How long has it been since you broke through to the Transcendent Realm?”
“Only about four months ago! That’s why I need these pills to help stabilize my cultivation realm,” Shui Ling replied, appearing somewhat distressed.
Shui Ling had broken through to the Transcendent Realm only four months ago, so she was still needed to consolidate her cultivation.
If she didn’t want to spend a long time meditating to comprehend the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, her only option was to use pills.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, sinking into thought for a moment before saying, “If you want to solidify your cultivation, one Azure Sky Pill should suffice. As for the rest of the herbs in your Universe Bag, they can be used to refine a couple of Soul Nourishing Pills to help enhance your Spiritual Energy, the materials for the two pills are similar.”
“Have you also studied the Alchemy Way?” Shui Ling was shocked.
“A little… I’ve been spending a great deal of time around the Grandmaster, so I’ve picked up a thing or two.”
“Then I’ll leave it up to you. In any case, I know you won’t mistreat me,” Shui Ling said, waving her hand casually towards Yang Kai as if him treating her was only to be expected, causing Yang Kai to go speechless.
“Why you… ” Yang Kai slowly shook his head before turning to Yun Xuan, his tone softening noticeably as he asked, “What about you?”
Yun Xuan seemed to be lost in thought so when she was suddenly called out to her tender body couldn’t help trembling slightly, immediately focusing herself and replying, “It’s my father who wants to refine a Heaven Spying Pill!”
“Heaven Spying Pill?” Yang Kai raised his brow before glancing over at Yun Cheng, a smile soon forming on his face, “So Senior Yun is going to break through to the Saint Realm?”
Yun Cheng smiled awkwardly and said, “I’ve caught a glimpse of those mysteries but am unable to fully comprehend them, so I wanted to come here and ask for a Heaven Spying Pill to see if it could assist me with that last step.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Because it is related to Senior Yun’s breakthrough to the Saint Realm, I will personally ask the Grandmaster to put in his best to refine the highest quality Heaven Spying Pill!”
Hearing this, Yun Cheng’s eyes shivered as a look of joy filled his face, “Then I must thank Holy Master Yang in advance.”
Saying so, he quickly shot a meaningful glance towards Yun Xuan.
Yun Xuan obviously understood and elegantly bowed, “Many thanks, Yang… Holy Master!”
Yang Kai faintly nodded, his expression becoming a bit complicated.
The others in the hall all seemed to notice the subtle atmosphere between these two and immediately became thoughtful.
Yun Cheng gave a forced cough before quickly handing over the required herbs.
Yang Kai received them before calling out, “An Ling’er, please keep these friends of mine company for a while. I’ll deliver these materials first.”
“En,” An Ling’er nodded smartly.
“Several Grandmasters, please come with me,” Yang Kai beckoned to Du Wan and the others.
Inside a separate building, a pill furnace was placed in the centre of a large room with various herbs laid out nearby, waiting to be refined.
After coming here, Yang Kai said, “Several Grandmasters feel free to sit where you like, Junior usually only engages in Alchemy here so there is nothing I can entertain you with.”
“No problem, you focus on your Alchemy, there’s no need to mind us, we just wish to observe your process. However much we can learn will depend on our own skills, there’s no need for you to intentionally teach!” Chang Bao quickly found a good spot and plunked himself down.
“Good, we all discussed on the way here that so long as you agree to our request, we would only observe and emulate!” Du Wan nodded lightly.
“Very well,” Yang Kai nodded. Performing Alchemy required all of his attention, so he really couldn’t spare any time to explain anything to the others. On top of that, Yang Kai had no experience lecturing others and had no qualifications to teach. Each of these five people was a powerful master who had been immersed in the Alchemic Way for over a hundred years and possessed their own unique knowledge and understanding of Alchemy. Rather than clumsily trying to explain the technical aspects of his Alchemy process, Yang Kai might as well just let them observe.
“Kid, do you have a history with that girl named Yun Xuan? Why did it look like she was staring at you so awkwardly?” Chang Bao suddenly asked with a grin, his eyes narrowing into thin slits.
“What are you saying? Do you have no shame at all you old fatty?” Kong Ruo Yu immediately shot him a stern glance.
“Heh heh, I was just asking…” Chang Bao teased.
Yang Kai just wore a bitter smile and nodded, “There was a little something… No, let’s not discuss this, I’m beginning.”
Saying so, Yang Kai took out the herbs brought by Shui Ling and prepared to refine the Azure Sky Pill and Soul Nourishing Pill she needed.
These two pills weren’t high in terms of level, only Spirit Grade Top-Rank, so Yang Kai was preparing to use them as a warm-up in preparation to refine the Heaven Spying Pill.
The five Grandmasters immediately stopped chatting and wore bright expressions as they began fixedly staring at Yang Kai’s movements, afraid if they blinked they might miss something.
Time passed by slowly.
Back inside the Holy Master Court’s hall, An Ling’er continued to chat with Shui Ling and Yun Xuan, the three of them emitting a harmonious atmosphere.
Just before the sun went down, Yang Kai returned.
The nervous Yun Cheng quickly got up and turned a stepped forward, his body trembling slightly as he was unable to hide his anxiety.
When he arrived in front of Yang Kai, the latter handed him a jade bottle and said, “This is the Heaven Spying Pill that Senior Yun requested.”
Yang Kai then tossed a jade bottle over to Shui Ling, “And this is your Azure Sky Pill and Soul Nourishing Pill.”
Shui Ling caught the bottle with a smile and opened it to look inside, crying out in surprise a moment later, “There really are Pill Veins! I thought the rumors outside were just wild exaggerations but it turns out they’re actually true!”
Among the three pills inside the bottle, the Azure Sky Pill which was used to stabilize one’s cultivation foundation had formed Pill Veins, making it far more potent and valuable than an average pill.
Shui Ling’s eyes lit up, full of excitement, obviously quite happy.
“The next time you need any kind of pill just come here directly, you’re always welcome,” Yang Kai said with a smile.
“Then I won’t be polite with you,” Shui Ling grinned, carefully placing the jade bottle into her Universe Bag before turning to look at Yun Cheng and asking, “What’s wrong? Why does Senior Yun look of out of sorts?”
At that moment, Yun Xuan and Ruan Xin Yu also turned to look at Yun Cheng only to see his hands shaking as his voice seemed caught in his throat. He wasn’t speaking and his face was constantly changing colour so it was understandable for everyone to be concerned.
“Pill… Pill Veins!” After a long time, Yun Cheng finally managed to squeeze out those two words, “A Saint Pill that formed Pill Veins!”
“Seriously?” Shui Ling was also stunned and quickly rushed over to have a look, soon laying her eyes upon the Saint Grade Low-Rank pill with tiny human-like meridians running across its surface.
Shui Ling was immediately dumbstruck.
The value of a Saint Pill which had formed Pill Veins was immeasurable.
For a moment she couldn’t help directing a look of envy towards Yun Cheng, thinking to herself she should have also brought along some materials to refine a Saint Pill.
In any case, she didn’t need to pay Yang Kai anything for these refinements and her father was also in need for Saint Pills.
“Congratulations Senior Yun, it seems your wish is within reach!” Shui Ling composed herself and said.
“Congratulations Union Master, on reaching the Saint Realm,” Ruan Xin Yu also quickly added.
“That’s not a certainty yet. Although such a pill is a rare and powerful boost, breaking through to the Saint Realm will still depend on this Yun’s efforts and luck… but regardless of what the end result may be, Holy Master Yang has my sincerest thanks.”
“Senior Yun is too polite,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, his eyes glancing over to Yun Xuan unconsciously, the latter nodding to him gratefully.
In her heart she was clear that Yang Kai must have put in a personal request for the Grandmaster to go all out, otherwise, how could it be so coincidental to refine a Saint Pill with Pill Veins?
With the pill of his dreams in hand, Yun Cheng had no intention of lingering as he could not wait to return to Bold Independent City, take this pill, and spy on the mysteries of the Saint Realm, so he immediately asked to be excused.
Yang Kai did not retain him.
“Then I’ll take my leave too, looking at you bustling about, it seems you don’t have time to accompany me so there’s no point in my hanging around,” Shui Ling thought about it and also said her goodbyes.
“I’ll see you out!” Yang Kai said.
“No no, there’s no need, this Yun cannot afford such…” Yun Cheng was shocked but before he could finish what he was saying, Ruan Xin Yu pushed him along and whispered, “What happens next is none of your business, let’s go.”
Hearing this, Yun Cheng immediately woke up, gave a big farewell to Yang Kai, and flew out of the nine peaks.
Shui Ling also shot a profound look towards Yang Kai before waving her hand casually, “If you have time, come to Water Spirit Temple and see me, don’t let another few years pass by before at least sending me a message.”
“Got it,” Yang Kai smiled and said.
In an instant, there was only Yang Kai and Yun Xuan left in the hall. Even Xu Hui and An Ling’er had at some point quietly slipped away.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai gestured.
Yun Xuan gently nodded, walking out side by side with Yang Kai.
The entire way, no words were said. Yang Kai was racking his brain trying to think of what to say; although he indeed had intimate contact with this woman at one point, it really was only an unavoidable accident.
However, after taking her purity, wiping his hands of the matter and pretending he had done nothing wrong would make him no better than an animal, so for the moment he could only remain silent.
“I heard from the Saintess of your Holy Land that you haven’t taken her yet,” Seeing Yang Kai not say anything, Yun Xuan decided to strike first.
“She told you that?” Yang Kai was gobsmacked.
“There are many things that are easier to discuss between women,” Yun Xuan smiled, “Why? You are the Holy Master and she is a Saintess, isn’t it only natural for you to be together? Could it be you can’t take a liking to her?”
“Not taking a liking…” Yang Kai shook his head, not sure how to explain himself.
“In your heart there is already another woman!” Yun Xuan stated categorically.
Yang Kai could only admire this woman’s keen insight and made no effort to deny her charge, “Indeed.”
“Is she that splendid?” Yun Xuan asked quietly.
Images of Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang flashed across Yang Kai’s thoughts at that moment as a look of recollection appeared on his face.
Seeing this appearance, Yun Xuan smiled miserably and said, “Forget it, you don’t have to say anything… I already know the answer. Good, the matters between you and I, you don’t need to concern yourself with. In that situation it truly was unavoidable. From now on, I’ll just consider it a wonderful memory that I can cherish in my heart.”
Yang Kai opened his mouth and tried to speak but couldn’t help hesitating.
“Can you not show that kind of expression?” Yun Xuan muttered, the corners of her eyes becoming slightly damp as her voice trembled, “After taking me like that, did you think you had to take full responsibility? I never cared about that… so why must you?”
“Yun Xuan…” Yang Kai’s expression dimmed greatly as he stared at her, feeling quite helpless in his heart.
Yun Xuan wiped her eyes continuously but the tears refused to stop, dripping out like a string of pearls without end. Suddenly, after seemingly coming to some kind of resolution, she turned to the side, grabbed Yang Kai’s hand and bit it.
Her white teeth sinking into his flesh immediately caused blood to flow.
Yang Kai didn’t resist and simply staring at her silently.
Removing her teeth, Yun Xuan stared back at Yang Kai with a firm look upon her face.
“You hurt me once and I’ve hurt you once, now we’re even!” Suddenly, Yun Xuan released Yang Kai’s hand, swallowed the blood she had taken into her mouth and wiped what was left from her face before turning and walking away.
Her tears were still gently falling.
Her voice gradually floated back from afar, “You are a man with a heart of stone, so it’s best if you maintain your aloof status so that you remain as someone I can only look up to. If one day you fall from the clouds, I won’t let you off easily!”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly.
“You’re really heartless…” An Ling’er had at some point appeared and said as she stared towards the direction Yun Xuan left, “With her like that, even if both of you could not accept each other, couldn’t you have at least said a few sweet words to her?”
“That would only make things worse,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“I get that… but…”
Yang Kai glanced over at her, “That’s why I don’t talk to you about love, or else you’ll just end up like this in the future!”
“I, I won’t…,” An Ling’er turned bright red before hurriedly running off.
Turning around, Yang Kai headed back to the Holy Master Court to continue his Alchemy.
The five Grandmasters were keenly aware that Yang Kai’s mood seemed to have undergone some subtle changes and he was even making more mistakes as he was practising Alchemy, nearly ruining several batches of good materials and causing cold sweat to leak from their brows.
However, his dampened mood was soon swept away and Yang Kai regained his focus, flawlessly performing Alchemy and raising each of the Grandmasters’ expectations.
The sun rose and the moon set, in a blink of an eye, a few months had passed.
Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Alchemy Grandmaster’s reputation had now spread throughout the entire mainland, riding a seemingly unstoppable wave of popularity and worship.
Every day outside the nine peaks was incredibly lively, with a now seemingly endless river of people waiting in line for Alchemy services.
The Holy Land had gained an unimaginable amount of wealth and rare cultivation materials, enough to make even the richest of merchants jealous.
Xu Hui and the other Elders spent all day long laughing raucously.
Yang Kai and the five Grandmasters had now been sitting inside the Holy Court’s pill room for a few months without once leaving.
Every day, Yang Kai would refine exactly twenty pills, allowing the Grandmasters to observe everything from start to finish.
Shocked by the speed at which Yang Kai performed Alchemy, the five of them soon became obsessed with his exquisite techniques.
Refining twenty pills in a single day wasn’t a feat any of the Grandmasters here could achieve.
If it was just Spirit Grade Top Rank pills, each of the Grandmasters present could perhaps refine seven or eight in a day.
But refining Saint Pills consumed far more Spiritual Energy and True Qi, as well as mental and physical stamina, so each of the Grandmasters here estimated that even if they went all out, two would be the maximum they could produce before collapsing from exhaustion!
Yang Kai, however, only needed to spend seven or eight hours each day, to refine all twenty pills, sometimes even less.
The rest of the time was used by him to digest his accumulated insights as well as restore the strength he consumed in the Alchemy process.
The Grandmasters were now acutely aware of just how astonishing a role a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea could play in Alchemy.
When Yang Kai performed Alchemy, they observed and emulated, and when he was resting, they would gather around and discuss their various harvests, often getting into heated debates about the optimal use of different techniques or Spirit Arrays, nearly coming to blows at times.
Yang Kai did not interfere with them or even express his own opinions.
The entire reason he could perform Alchemy so quickly was because of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, so many of the methods and insights he obtained and implemented were not suitable for the Grandmasters to use.
After many days of noisy discussion, each of the Grandmasters felt their understanding of the Alchemic Way and their Alchemy skills had undergone a significant improvement.
There were even times when the Grandmasters couldn’t endure just sitting idle and would ‘borrow’ materials from some of Yang Kai’s clients to practice with.
With the assistance of the five Grandmasters, Yang Kai’s job became even easier.
Now, Yang Kai basically did not ever need to personally condense medicinal liquid, as the five Grandmasters were constantly doing so in order to verify their new insights, all he had to do was combine the various purified medicinal liquids and form them into pills.
It was almost as if these Grandmasters had become Yang Kai’s assistants, but the Grandmasters themselves showed no signs of displeasure and were instead more than happy to repeat these menial tasks day after day.
Being able to have five Saint Grade Alchemists as assistants, in this world, it was likely no one had even imagined such a possibility.
As the reputation of its Alchemy Grandmaster rose, so did the reputation of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Coming here allowed any cultivator to obtain a high-quality pill at a reasonable price, creating an immense amount of gratitude towards Nine Heavens Holy Land, especially because the time one had to wait for their pill as incredibly short.
By coming to Nine Heavens Holy Land, at most one would need to wait a month or two to obtain the pill they wanted; if they went anywhere else, the wait time would be at least ten times as long.
Once the news that five Saint Grade Alchemists, such as the famous Du Wan, had come to visit the Holy Land’s Grandmaster and had yet to emerge from the nine peaks, many people mistakenly began to believe that the mysterious Grandmasters in Nine Heavens Holy Land was the legendary Old Man of Heaven’s Keep himself.
Such rumours only further fueled Nine Heavens Holy Land’s rise.
It could be said that the current Nine Heavens Holy Land, besides not having a Third Order Saint Realm master to assume command, had become the most prestigious force in the land.
The name of Yang Kai, the Holy Master of the Holy Land, had also become world renown.
The Holy Land being revitalized and rising to even greater heights filled Xu Hui and the other Elders with an indescribable sense of pride. Just a few years ago, Nine Heavens Holy Land had been on the verge of collapse. The old Holy Master had passed away while the new Holy Master had yet to be found, and at the same time, Saintess Nan was causing great trouble outside, drawing the anger of countless masters towards the nine peaks.
At that time, Xu Hui thought that the Holy Land’s foundation would be destroyed in his generation and was thus feeling incredibly depressed as well as ashamed, ashamed to have ruined the tireless efforts of his ancestors.
Yet in less than half a decade, Nine Heavens Holy Land had risen to become the centre of attention for the entire world!
The cultivators of Nine Heavens Holy Land, from the Great Elder all the way down to the most common disciple, now held their heads up with pride.
This kind of pride in turn brought about a positive feedback, causing many disciples to cultivate even more assiduously, for fear that if their cultivations appeared weak, it would damage the Holy Land’s face.
Seeing the Holy Land thriving, Xu Hui felt that even if he died right this instant, he would do so without regret.
…..
One day, as Yang Kai was immersed in Alchemy, his expression suddenly twitched, as if he had noticed something odd, hastily stopping the motion of his hands.
Du Wan did not miss this change and quickly asked, “What happened?”
Hearing this, the other four Grandmasters also hurriedly cast their attention towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai smiled and shook his head, “Nothing. A few months ago I refined an artifact, but it wasn’t until just now that it produced a resonance. I was just a bit anxious to explore the mysteries of that artifact a moment ago.”
“I see!” Chang Bao nodded in agreement, “Then examine it all you want, the rest of us will help you finish up the pill refining here!”
“Is that okay?” Yang Kai was stunned. He had wanted to wait until he had finished the day’s pill refining quota before carrying out a thorough investigation of the artifact, but unexpectedly Chang Bao had made such a proposal.
“Of course it is,” Chang Bao grinned meaningfully, “We’re all Saint Grade Alchemists as well, or what, do you no longer have any interest in seeing our skills, little boy?”
“Nonsense, several Grandmasters offering their assistance is something I only feel grateful for, I was never concerned about the lack of you Grandmasters’ skills,” Yang Kai smiled.
Although during this time these five Grandmasters would occasionally refine a pill or two, they had never overstepped their roles as guests and actively provided Alchemy services for Nine Heavens Holy Land. Most of the time they would simply be observing, meditating, and discussing amongst themselves while refraining from actually performing Alchemy as much as possible.
Today’s Alchemy work had just begun, and in addition to the few pills Yang Kai had already refined, there were still more than a dozen left to finish. Even splitting them evenly amongst the five of them, each of the Grandmasters would need to refine at least three pieces.
Most of which were Saint Pills.
If they were to each refine three such pills, the five Grandmasters would likely thoroughly exhaust themselves.
“Seems you still know how to speak right, kid!” Chang Bao laughed, apparently quite satisfied.
“Good, we’ve been observing and studying for many days now, it’s time we truly test out what we’ve learned, always squabbling with these old fogies about what the correct path forward isn’t going to bring us any conclusions, so we might as well just start refining pills to see who among us is right and who is wrong,” He Feng also agreed with Chang Bao’s proposal.
“And that’s how it is, Yang Kai, just leave these dozen or so pills to us. We’ll help you refine them, just take your time and carefully examine that artifact of yours,” Du Wan waved to Yang Kai lightly.
“Good, then I’ll have to trouble several Grandmasters with this!” Yang Kai no longer objected and passed the task of refining the day’s pills to the several Grandmasters. Although the possibility of failure would go up like this, with the Holy Land’s current wealth, providing compensation was a simple matter.
After cleaning up what he was currently working on, Yang Kai stood up and went to another room.
Sitting down cross-legged, with a single thought, Yang Kai summoned out the small, long, shuttle-shaped artifact he had found in the Starry Sky and sank his consciousness into it, preparing to perform a thorough investigation.
It was this long shuttle artifact that just resonated with him.
Since he finished refining and taking it into his body, an entire half a year had passed. During that long time, with his mind immersed in Alchemy, Yang Kai had no longer paid any attention to this long shuttle artifact, but that did not mean his True Qi and Spiritual Energy had ever stopped nourishing it.
Taking so long to produce a resonance with this artifact greatly surprised Yang Kai.
Yang Kai still remembered how it took him only three months to refine, nourish, and examine the various uses of the Silver Leaf artifact.
The Silver Leaf artifact was a Saint Grade Top-Rank artifact though.
From this point alone, it was obvious that this long shuttle artifact was either far more complex in structure and function than the Silver Leaf artifact, or was of an even higher grade.
If that was not the case, it would not have taken so long to finish nourishing.
Today, if it had not produced a resonance with him, Yang Kai would likely have completely forgotten about it altogether.
Probing with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai immediately became clear about the internal structure of the long shuttle artifact.
Yang Kai’s expression soon became strange.
He found that the inside of this artifact was very different from what he had imagined. The Spirit Arrays portrayed inside it were not only not complicated, but actually appeared quite simplistic, even somewhat crude.
Even with the traces of erosion caused by the long passage of time, Yang Kai could still make out these Spirit Arrays fairly clearly but was unable to recognize them or what they were for.
After all, he didn’t know much about Artifact Refining.
The Spirit Arrays used for Artifact Refining and the Spirit Arrays used for Alchemy were completely different.
Vaguely, Yang Kai could guess the use of this artifact, but he could not be certain of anything without actually using it.
Pouring his True Qi into it, the long shuttle artifact, which was currently resting on his palm, suddenly emitted a golden glow, floated up from Yang Kai’s hand, and flew to the other side of the room.
Yang Kai’s expression immediately filled with excitement.
In that instant, he had nearly lost track of the long shuttle’s position.
This artifact already had Yang Kai’s Soul mark engraved inside it and had formed a connection with him, so in theory, he should be clearly aware of any of its movements like it was a part of his body.
But just now, he still felt like it had nearly disappeared.
The only explanation was that this artifact was incredibly fast, so fast, that Yang Kai’s senses were simply unable to completely follow its movements.
Looking at the long shuttle artifact which was hovering on the other side of the room, Yang Kai wrinkled his brow and tried using his Divine Sense to command it to move.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The sound of something slicing through the air rang out as the long shuttle seemed to break through the constraints of space and instantly move from one position to another.
After experimenting with it a few times, Yang Kai’s eyes gradually filled with light as he felt he had uncovered the mystery of this artifact.
Reaching out, the long shuttle returned to his hand again.
Yang Kai once again carefully examined it.
His Divine Sense wandering back and forth inside the long shuttle, Yang Kai carefully examined every minute detail of it.
The long shuttle was quite small, but when Yang Kai sent his Divine Sense into it, it felt as if he was probing a vast space with no end in sight.
As he probed around, some basic information flowed back from the long shuttle into Yang Kai’s mind.
Flying Heavens Shuttle…
This was apparently the name of this artifact. Simply inferring from its name, Yang Kai had basically confirmed that this long shuttle’s purpose was transportation.
In order words, this was a special flight type artifact.
There were many different types of artifacts which came in all kinds of varieties, but in general, artifacts could mainly be divided into three categories: Offensive, defensive, and auxiliary. Of course, there were some artifacts that fit into more than one of these categories; for example, Yang Kai’s Silver Leaf was both an offensive and defensive artifact.
Depending on what kind of energy was required to drive them, artifacts could also be divided into ordinary artifacts which consumed True Qi, or Soul type artifacts which were powered by one’s Spiritual Energy.
The latter’s value was generally much larger than the former’s and was also significantly more difficult to refine.
Amongst auxiliary type artifacts, there was a special classification which was dedicated to transportation: Flight type artifacts. In general, a flight type artifact could reach speeds much greater than an ordinary cultivator of the same grade.
Yang Kai had also encountered a lot of different flight type artifacts, some shaped like swords, some like birds, some like carriages, etc…
However, this was the first time he had encountered one shaped like a long shuttle.
At first glance, this long shuttle looked like a miniature boat.
Inside the Flying Heavens Shuttle, there was no trace of any offensive type Spirit Arrays, which meant it had no attack power, and while there was a defence type Spirit Array, its strength was difficult to determine just by observing.
Yang Kai continued to probe inside the shuttle.
After reaching a certain depth, Yang Kai discovered something unusual.
Deep inside the Flying Heavens Shuttle, there was an empty space surrounded by many twinkling points of light. When his consciousness floated at the centre of this space, Yang Kai almost felt like he had returned to the vast Starry Sky.
This empty space was like a miniaturized model of the Starry Sky that had been placed inside the Flying Heavens Shuttle.
There were also a number of small thin lines connecting various different points of light together.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly, not sure what this strange space was for.
Following along one of these connecting lines, Yang Kai felt more and more that the Flying Heavens Shuttle contained a small model of the Starry Sky inside it.
However, what made him feel unsatisfied was that the line he was tracing broke at a certain point. Apparently, after drifting through the Starry Sky for so long, the lines in this model had become damaged, so Yang Kai could not figure out what the endpoint of this path was.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai continued investigating the Flying Heavens Shuttle until he determined there was nothing else to discover inside it before taking back his Divine Sense.
Although this artifact had lost a great deal of its internal information, it was still able to play its most basic role after being nourished for so long.
Driven by his curiosity, Yang Kai immediately got up and left the Holy Master Court.
Pouring his True Qi into it, the Flying Heavens Shuttle expanded rapidly, eventually becoming several meters in length and quietly floating in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded his head in satisfaction upon seeing this.
Since flight type artifacts were meant to carry people, it was impossible its true size was only as big as his palm. Yang Kai didn’t know which Artifact Refiner had created this artifact but it was clear they had included a profound Spirit Array that allowed its size to be manipulated.
However, several meters seemed to be the upper limit. Eyeballing it, Yang Kai estimated that this Flying Heavens Shuttle was capable of carrying seven or eight people max.
Sending a command with his Divine Sense, the Flying Heavens Shuttle shrank back down to about two meters in length and a transparent blue hue emerged to cover it, forming a kind of protective barrier.
Yang Kai leapt up onto the shuttle and sat down, the blue light screen expanding to just cover him, leaving no gaps, as if it was tailor-made for him.
Excitement filling his heart, Yang Kai fully pushed his True Qi.
A blue light flashed and in the next moment, Yang Kai and the Flying Heavens Shuttle disappeared.
Atop one of the nine peaks, the Great Commanders of the Ancient Demon Clan were in meditative cultivation. Recently, Yang Kai didn’t have anything for them to do, so after obtaining a lot of cultivation resources from Xu Hui, all of the leaders spent their time tirelessly trying to improve their strength.
Suddenly, Li Rong’s brow furrowed and she awoke from her meditation, her tender body flickering and in the next instant reappeared high up in the sky, her beautiful eyes staring suspiciously towards a distant point on the horizon.
Immediately, Han Fei and Hua Mo also appeared beside her.
“Was that Master’s aura just now?” Han Fei also stared towards the horizon and muttered.
“En, it seems Master has gone out,” Li Rong nodded lightly, “But this speed… it’s too fast.”
Just as she finished speaking these words, Li Rong’s brow furrowed, “He’s already left the range of my senses.”
Li Rong was a Second-Order Saint Realm master, so the range of her Divine Sense was several hundred kilometers, but from the time she detected Yang Kai’s aura until now, only three breaths of time had elapsed, yet in that short a time, he had already left the scope of her sensation.
Such speed was simply astonishing, far beyond anything she had ever even heard of before.
“What do you think Master is going out to do this time?” Hua Mo asked in confusion.
“I don’t know.”
“Should we follow and escort him…” Hua Mo asked hesitantly.
“We don’t even know where he is anymore, how are we supposed to follow him?” Li Rong smiled wryly, “Forget it, at that speed, I’m afraid no one in this world could catch up to him anyways.”
Listening to her say this, Han Fei and Hua Mo also relaxed. If no one could catch up to Yang Kai, naturally he wouldn’t be in any danger.
Just as the three Great Commanders noticed Yang Kai’s sudden departure, outside the nine peaks, a large number of the cultivators who had come to request Alchemy services from the Holy Land also noticed something and looked towards the sky.
A moment ago, a faint pale blue streak had passed over their heads but by the time they released their Divine Senses to investigate this phenomenon, the streak of light had already disappeared.
This discovery stunned everyone.
Among the cultivators present, there were a number of very powerful masters, yet in front of this strange blue streak, all of them were rendered helpless.
Their faces paling slightly, many of them wondered just which great powerhouse had used such a profound method to fly passed them.
However, none of them could find any clues.
Midair, Yang Kai’s face was filled with joy as he could hardly believe what he was currently experiencing.
The scenery beneath him was flowing past him like a raging river, receding behind him rapidly. The speed he was currently travelling at was simply indescribable; it was exaggerated to the point where even his eyes could not keep up with the changing landscape. Every time he tried to focus on some landmark or landform, it would disappear behind him in the next instant.
The speed of the Flying Heavens Shuttle greatly exceeded his expectations.
Yang Kai’s personal speed was not slow, and if he used his Wind and Thunder Wings, even a Second Order Saint may not be able to catch up to him.
But the speed he was traveling at right now far, far exceeded that, surpassing the limits of this world, almost as if he was constantly tearing space.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai crossed hundreds of kilometres.
What was most unbelievable to Yang Kai though, was that the True Qi he consumed in order to activate and operate the Heavens Flying Shuttle was very small, and because of the protection of the blue light screen, he was essentially unaffected by the wind, allowing him to sit, lie down, or even stand up without the slightest discomfort.
Feeling a great sense of joy in his heart, Yang Kai not only didn’t stop but instead continued pushing the Flying Heavens Shuttle faster and faster.
Gradually, as he became more and more familiar with this artifact, Yang Kai was able to manoeuvre it freely even while soaring forward at lightning-fast speeds.
Yang Kai was ecstatic.
Watching the world flow backwards beneath his feet filled him with a sense of unparalleled freedom.
It was only after about half a day that this sense of excitement gradually calmed down and Yang Kai slowed his flight speed.
Scanning his surroundings, Yang Kai saw a land of ice and snow off in the distance, a scenery that felt oddly familiar to him.
Staring at this landscape for a while, his brow began to furrow slightly.
A moment later, as he continued moving forward, a huge city appeared before him.
Seeing this city, Yang Kai’s expression became even more amazed.
Arriving at the city after an incense stick worth of time, Yang Kai saw many streets and buildings he was familiar with.
Grand Boulder City!
He had actually travelled all the way to Grand Boulder City, which was a few hundred thousand kilometres away from Nine Heavens Holy Land!
Yang Kai’s expression fluctuated between disbelief and shock.
When he had last left this place in order to bring the Ancient Demon Clan to Nine Heavens Holy Land, it had taken him two whole months to complete the journey.
Of course, with the large number of Ancient Demon clansmen, it was impossible to travel too quickly, but even if Yang Kai was alone and moved at maximum speed, it would still have taken him around twenty or thirty days to reach the nine peaks from here.
But now, it had only taken him less than a day to return from there!
Strictly speaking, about ten hours had passed since Yang Kai left the Holy Land.
There was absolutely no comparison between the two.
At this moment, Yang Kai recognized just how terrifying the speed of the Flying Heavens Shuttle was and just how precious this flight type artifact really was.
With this artifact, it would be extremely convenient for him to go anywhere he wanted to.
Taking the artifact back into his body, Yang Kai landed nearby the city gates and walked to the Alchemist Guild branch.
Du Wan was obviously still back in Nine Heavens Holy Land right now, so only Ye Xiong, Mi Na, and Wu’er were left here in Grand Boulder City.
All of them were quite surprised by Yang Kai’s sudden arrival but they still happily welcomed him.
Yang Kai didn’t spend much time in the Alchemist Guild, spending only about a day lecturing Wu’er and Mi Na about Alchemy before gifting them a few basic Spirit Arrays and taking his leave.
Next, he went to Soaring Heaven Sect.
Currently, Yang Kai was the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, so he had very little time for leisure, or to travel long distances. Since he had accidentally arrived here now though, naturally he had to pay a visit to his Martial Seniors and Ancestral Founder.
When Yang Kai arrived at Serene Resplendent Peak and walked inside, he immediately came across his Martial Aunt Fei Yu, sprawled out across a stone table, her face dyed red, her clothes in disarray, exposing a great deal of her smooth jade white skin, with several empty bottles scattered about.
Fei Yu’s cultivated a Water Attribute Secret Art, so she was not just drinking alcohol for fun but was actually refining the alcohol into her body to enhance the potency of her True Qi.
Yang Kai had long ago noticed this, but he still couldn’t help feeling a sense of helplessness about her alcoholism.
Fei Yu was the same as always, showing no restraint with her words, causing Yang Kai to feel exasperated and embarrassed all at once, yet helpless to hit back while she sat back and laughed at him.
Cang Yan and the others also rushed over to meet Yang Kai when they heard he was back, eager to inquire about the group of Demons he had led away and to once again caution him not to be deceived or taken advantage of by them.
Once more feeling the care and concern his Martial Aunt and Martial Uncles had for him, Yang Kai felt his heart warm up.
From Cang Yan and the others, Yang Kai also learned that a lot of masters had come to Soaring Heaven Sect some time ago to ask Chu Ling Xiao about the Ancient Demon clan, many of them angrily clamouring for him to clean up his Sect by executing Yang Kai for colluding with the enemy.
Chu Ling Xiao didn’t even want to bother answering them and simply entered secluded retreat, refusing to meet any outsiders.
The masters who had come to Soaring Heaven Sect stayed for a while but seeing no hope of moving Chu Ling Xiao, after a while, they could only resentfully leave.
However, as Nine Heavens Holy Land’s reputation began to spread, no one came to bother Soaring Heaven Sect again, none of them daring to offend Nine Heavens Holy Land anymore, or else they might lose the chance to obtain Alchemy services from the mysterious Grandmaster.
Later, Yang Kai went to visit the Ancestral Founder, Chu Ling Xiao.
Knowing that Li Rong and her people were conducting themselves prudently, almost always remaining inside the nine peaks, Chu Ling Xiao nodded with satisfaction, but even so, he still warned Yang Kai against becoming lax with them, the same as his other Martial Seniors.
After spending three days in Soaring Heaven Sect, alleviating the fatigue he had accumulated from constantly performing Alchemy and cultivating, Yang Kai set off for the nine peaks again.
Over the past year, Yang Kai had almost always been improving his Alchemy proficiency, refining numerous pills every day without rest.
This time, after a coincidence brought him out of the nine peaks and allowed him to take a break, Yang Kai suddenly felt that his cultivation had improved and consolidated.
It was at this moment that Yang Kai realized just how important occasionally relaxing was; his accumulated sentiments and insights had only fully blossomed and allowed his strength to grow after this brief period of rest.
Less than a day later, Yang Kai returned to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Just as he entered the nine peaks, Li Rong called out to him with her Divine Sense, “Master, that Monster Race woman wishes to see you!”
“Monster Race woman?” Yang Kai came to a halt, frowning for a moment before passing a message back, “You mean Cai Die?”
“Yes, her!”
“What is she doing here?” Yang Kai asked, confused.
“She didn’t say. If Master doesn’t want to see her, I can send her away,” Li Rong responded quickly.
“No need, I’m on my way.”
A moment later, Yang Kai appeared on the peak the Ancient Demon Clan was occupying.
Walking into the biggest palace, Yang Kai saw Cai Die, with her seven coloured wings on full display, sitting there silently like a statue, a cold and unfriendly look upon her face as if everyone here owed her a great deal of money.
Yin Ya and Xue Ji, who were also sitting in the hall, appeared somewhat awkward as they felt great pressure from her.
This ice-cold Monster Race master, although possessing an incredibly beautiful appearance perfectly highlighted by her seven coloured wings, was beyond Yin Ya and Xue Ji’s skills to conquer, and they knew it.
Simply sitting close to her sent chills up their spines…
Seeing Yang Kai enter the hall, Cai Die’s beautiful eyes finally moved, quickly settling on him.
Li Rong quickly nodded her head in greeting before whispering into Yang Kai’s ear, “She has been here for three days already yet she hasn’t moved from that spot at all. Even when we spoke or greeted her she would ignore us. She only spoke once when she arrived, saying she would wait here until you come back.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “It’s been hard on you.”
Saying so, Yang Kai stepped forward, smiled and cupped his fists, “Ms. Cai Die.”
Cai Die nodded back, returning his greeting while maintaining her cold and unfriendly expression as she continued, “I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time.”
Yang Kai laughed awkwardly, silently grumbling that he hadn’t forced her to sit here like this. Keeping such thoughts to himself, he adjusted his expression and asked, “Is there something Great Senior needs of me?”
Cai Die bluntly stated, “Yes, Great Senior requests that you come to Thunder Tree Palace.”
“Has something gone wrong with your Beast Transformation Pond?” Yang Kai frowned; this was the only reason he could think of for why Great Senior would be looking for him.
“There’s no problem with the Beast Transformation Pond… Stop asking so much. Once you arrive at Thunder Tree Palace, Great Senior will naturally explain the situation to you.”
Yang Kai was dumbstruck, unable to respond for a moment as the Ancient Demon Clan’s nearby leaders all rolled their eyes.
Rather than Cai Die coming here to invite him, it was more like she was giving him an order.
Han Fei’s expression quickly became gloomy.
Both of them were cold beauties with similar temperaments while also possessing Second-Order Saint realm cultivations, so naturally, they repelled one another somewhat. Since long ago, Han Fei had not had a good impression of Cai Die and was just waiting for an opportunity to teach this little girl a lesson so she would learn to show proper respect towards Yang Kai.
Perceiving the rising tension in the air, Yang Kai quickly said, “Since Great Senior is specifically looking for me, it must be for something important. I should at least meet with him. Alright, Ms. Cai Die, please wait here a moment, I’ve just returned from the outside so there are some things I need to arrange first before we leave.”
Cai Die nodded slightly before no longer speaking.
“Master, allow me to accompany you,” Li Rong said immediately.
Yang Kai glanced over at her and although he felt that it was impossible for Great Senior to act against him, he quickly nodded and said, “En. Prepare whatever you need.”
Leaving the mountain, Yang Kai immediately rushed to the Holy Master Court.
When he last left here, Yang Kai hadn’t expected to actually be gone for several days so he was quite anxious to see how Du Wan and the other Grandmasters were doing.
For the past few days, all the pills coming out from the Holy Land had been refined by them.
Just after entering the pill room, Yang Kai saw the five Grandmasters sitting in front of their respective pill furnaces, a set of herbs placed next to each of them.
The five Grandmasters were all staring at a freshly refined pill in their hands, a silent and dignified aura surrounding them.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling worried and quickly asked, “Several Grandmaster, what happened?”
Hearing Yang Kai’s voice, Du Wan and the other Grandmasters all seemed to wake from their meditation and turned smiling faces towards him.
Yang Kai was stunned.
“Nothing happened. Us old fogies just discovered that our Alchemy skills have improved noticeably…” Du Wan smiled and explained.
“En, a truly significant promotion,” Chang Bao echoed.
“As such, every time we finish refining a pill, we take a moment to reflect on our various gains and mistakes,” Kong Ruo Yu said with a chuckle, “It was what we were doing a moment ago.”
“So that’s it…” Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that after several days of intense Alchemy the Grandmasters had been overwhelmed.
“Little brat, you may not be the best master, but we are some of the best disciples…” Hong Fang laughed, “Before now, whenever we refined a Saint Pill, we would need to invest at least two hours of time and would use up a great deal of True Qi and Spiritual Energy; but now, we can all refine Saint Pills in half the time while consuming far less of our strength. This is all thanks to the insights we’ve obtained from observing and imitating your Alchemy process.”
The other four Grandmasters smiled and nodded in agreement.
During these past few months, although they would occasionally engage in Alchemy, they had never engaged in a continuous round of pill refining, so none of them had understood how much progress they had made, but for these past few days when Yang Kai was out, they had taken responsibility to refine all the materials which were delivered to them.
After refining a few pills, they managed to confirm many of the gains they obtained from observing and emulating Yang Kai’s methods, and everyone discovered that their skills had noticeably improved.
Whether it was in the speed of refinement or the quality of the end product, both had seen a significant promotion.
Du Wan was even confident that he could now refine a Saint Grade Mid-Rank pill!
If he really was able to achieve this, it would mean he had ascended to the rank of Saint Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist.
Observing and emulating Yang Kai’s Alchemy process for a few months had brought them greater gains than decades of self-study, causing all five of the Grandmasters to be jubilant. These days they had spared no effort in Alchemy, maintaining a steady pace of refining twenty pills a day.
However, it took five of them working together to refine twenty pills each day whereas Yang Kai was able to refine twenty all by himself.
In regards to this point, the five Grandmasters had no choice but to admit their inferiority as well as marvel at the amazing boost an Alchemist would receive just by having a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
“Unfortunately, during these days, we have each had a few failures and wasted lot of good materials,” Du Wan commented, somewhat apologetically.
Alchemist not only took refining pills as their life’s calling but also saw medicinal herbs as true treasures that were not to be wasted if at all possible, so every failed refining was quite distressing to them.
On top of that, they had not once witnessed Yang Kai fail a refinement.
“It’s fine, the Holy Land is now so rich in materials that paying some small compensation here and there is not an issue,” Yang Kai smiled, “Several Grandmasters seem to have each harvested much.”
“Good, you’ve come back at just the right time, we were hoping to discuss something with you,” Du Wan smiled.
“If Grandmasters have anything to ask, please feel free to speak.”
“Could you increase the number of pills to be refined each day? You can still refine the original twenty pills while giving us the rest to use to refine. We’d like to continue observing your techniques here while also using some of the materials coming in to verify our findings.”
“En,” He Feng nodded repeatedly, “Such a chance is simply too rare, us old folks really would like to spend some more time here.”
“We were just worried you’d grown tired of us old fogies hanging around…” Chang Bao smiled.
“Nothing of the sort…” Yang Kai immediately shook his head and said, “It just so happens that I have something I need to attend to outside so I will be gone for a while. If it is alright with several Grandmasters, the daily twenty pills can be handed over to you to refine.”
“Oh?” Du Wan brow rose, “Going out again? Where are you headed this time?”
“The Monster Domain, the nearby Monster Race Great Senior has something he wants to speak with me about,” Yang Kai answered truthfully.
The five Grandmasters all exchanged slightly shocked looks, not quite knowing what to make of this but still quite pleased that Yang Kai had felt confident enough to tell them the truth.
“Then you should set out and come back quickly. We only came here to observe and emulate your Alchemy techniques, you can’t be thinking of just letting us work for free right?” Chang Bao joked.
“What nonsense are you spouting, after several months of observing and learning, this is a perfect opportunity to consolidate our gains,” Kong Ruo Yu smiled, “I’m quite looking forward to this actually. Boy, you don’t need to pay him any mind, just go take care of your business, it won’t be too late to return after you finish it.”
“En, but be careful, the Monster Race is still the Monster Race after all!” Du Wan warned.
“Good, then I’ll have to trouble several Grandmasters,” Yang Kai cupped his fists and bowed before quickly departing.
On his way over, Yang Kai had been wracking his brain about what to do with the Alchemy requests when he left. If he couldn’t convince the five Grandmasters to help him, he could only stop accepting Alchemy requests until he got back.
The five Grandmasters volunteering to help him was a big pleasant surprise for Yang Kai.
After finding Xu Hui and leaving a few instructions with him, Yang Kai returned to the Ancient Demon Clan’s peak and, under the leadership of Cai Die, he and Li Rong departed for Thunder Tree Palace.
Beast Sea Jungle, it was Yang Kai’s second time coming here.
Cai Die led the way without saying a word, her seven coloured wings fluttered softly yet her speed lightning quick.
However, Yang Kai was still able to easily follow her, not even seeming out of breath.
This fact surprised Cai Die. She was a Second-Order Saint so out of consideration for Yang Kai, who was still just a Transcendent Realm cultivator, she had initially flown slowly.
Seeing how he had no trouble keeping up though, Cai Die gradually increased her speed, hoping to get back to Thunder Tree Palace earlier so as not to keep Great Senior waiting.
But now, even though she was flying at nearly her top speed, Yang Kai was still able to keep up.
Cai Die was surprised, but due to her naturally cold disposition, she showed nothing on her face and simply continued flying forward.
[This little brat… he’s really quite strange!] Cai Die secretly thought to herself as she knew that no ordinary Third-Order Transcendent could possess speed nearly equal to her own.
No wonder he could become the new Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land and subdue so many Demon Race masters.
Originally Cai Die had thought Yang Kai had just gotten lucky, but now it seemed he possessed some real skill.
Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled slightly as he constantly looked around.
His movements naturally did not escape Li Rong’s notice so she quickly asked, “Master, did you discover something suspicious?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “The aura here is a bit weird!”
“If something is concerning Master, we can turn back,” Li Rong couldn’t help proposing nervously.
Yang Kai lightly chuckled and shook his head, “It’s not that the aura here feels ominous, it’s just that it is somewhat different from the last time I came to the Beast Sea Jungle, as for how it is different, I can’t say specifically…”
There was indeed something different about the ambient aura here, but even as he continued examining it, Yang Kai couldn’t determine exactly what had changed since before.
“Don’t worry too much, Great Senior is quite easy to get along with and a man of his word. The change in this place’s aura is probably related to why he suddenly wants to see me. As long as we see him, we should be able to get the answers we’re looking for.”
“En,” Li Rong didn’t say much but still urged, “If any danger appears, Master must not leave my side.”
“En en,” Yang Kai replied in a nonchalant tone.
He had many life-saving methods now: the ability to tear space, the Flying Heavens Shuttle, his Wind and Thunder Wings, his Saint Grade Top Rank artifact, even his dragon transformation and Demon God Transformation as well. If someone wanted to harm him, unless they could instantly disable him in one shot and rendering him powerless, Yang Kai was confident that no matter what level of master he was facing, he could at least escape.
Therefore he didn’t concern himself as much as Li Rong.
Flying forward all the way, after just two days, the trio arrived at the base of Thunder Tree Palace.
After arriving here, Yang Kai discovered that, as usual, countless Monster Race masters had gathered around, some of them in their beast forms, lying amongst the great tree’s roots while others in their human form were sitting atop the lower branches, closing their eyes in meditation.
“This is Thunder Tree Palace?” Li Rong raised her head towards the sky as she stared at the massive ancient tree before her, a clear look of awe apparent in her beautiful eyes.
Just like Yang Kai when he first came here, she was stunned by this ancient tree.
In order to grow to such a height, this ancient tree had to be at least ten thousand years old, in other words, it was from an era that even pre-dated the Ancient Demon Clan’s imprisonment.
This ancient tree seemed to naturally contain Lighting Qi, and from time to time a white arc of extremely pure lightning would leap from its trunk. The Monster Race masters who were meditating in the lower canopy were unaffected by this though and simply turned their eyes to Yang Kai and Li Rong.
Many of them nodded, indicating their goodwill.
When Yang Kai came here last time, he had resolved the problem with the Beast Transformation Pond, winning him their unanimous approval.
“Come with me,” Cai Die said before soaring up.
Yang Kai and Li Rong hurried to keep up.
Inside a treehouse standing atop the clouds, Yang Kai met the Great Senior again.
Great Senior grinned and welcomed Yang Kai’s arrival, motioning to him to sit down so they could talk.
At the same small table as before, Yang Kai sat opposite Great Senior while Cai Die and Li Rong both stood behind their respective leaders.
“You didn’t bring my Monster Race any practical commodities this time?” Great Senior asked with a smile.
“Do you need any? The Crystal Stone mineral lodes in the nine peaks were almost mined dry by you,” Yang Kai rolled his eyes. During the three years or so the Monster Race were occupying the Holy Land, they had unscrupulously mined the Crystal Stone lodes, all but killing the geese that laid golden eggs.
This was something Yang Kai was still quite annoyed about, like he had lifted a stone only to drop it on his foot.
“We don’t need them right now, but that doesn’t mean we won’t need them in the future. Crystal Stones are good things you can never have enough of. Also, my Monster Race’s territory doesn’t have any natural deposits, that’s why we have to obtain them from your Human Territory,” Great Senior slowly shook his head, “In any case, I heard that your Holy Land has recently acquired a massive amount of wealth, so much that you couldn’t possibly use it all up!”
“You even know about that,” Yang Kai was speechless, “That was all from refining pills… Forget it, next time I come I’ll bring some Crystal Stones and pills.”
“Good, I’m looking forward to it,” Great Senior grinned, thinking it was quite refreshing to speak with someone so straightforward like Yang Kai.
“What important matter does Great Senior have to discuss that required me to specifically come here?” Yang Kai suddenly wore a serious expression and asked.
“There really is something important I need to discuss with you,” Great Senior’s expression also became dignified. After taking a moment to arrange his thoughts, he first asked, “Kid, have you ever heard of Void Corridors?”
Yang Kai’s face went black, “Great Senior, are you messing with me?”
Great Senior’s mouth twitched slightly but still maintained his light grin, “I had to ask; then, have you encountered one before?”
Yang Kai nodded. Although he didn’t know about how it was for others, Yang Kai felt that he actually encountered Void Corridors quite frequently.
“Then this will be easier to explain,” Great Senior nodded and continued, “Recently, my Beast Sea Jungle has experienced a strange change, and that change is related to a certain Void Corridor!”
Yang Kai stared at him, not planning to interject.
“About three to five days journey from my Thunder Tree Palace, an unstable Void Corridor entrance has appeared! In fact, I have also encountered a Void Corridor before when I was young, it was connected to a Mysterious Small World that I spent some time exploring; however, the Void Corridor that appeared in my Beast Sea Jungle is very different from the one I previously saw…”
“How is it different?” Yang Kai asked.
“It’s very big, and it also gives off a strange aura,” Great Senior’s brow furrowed, “After its appearance, the aura of the entire Beast Sea Jungle changed. Did you notice it on the way here?”
“I noticed, I just didn’t know why this change occurred.”
“It’s all because of that Void Corridor!” Great Senior nodded, “Generally speaking, Void Corridors remain hidden and are difficult to find. Even if someone manages to find one and open it, it normally closes after some time. However, this particular Void Corridor’s entrance is very different. It suddenly appeared all on its own, and although it seems quite unstable, there are no signs of it closing.”
“Oh? That really is quite strange.”
“That Void Corridor is located on the border of this King and another Monster Race Great Senior, Earth Splitting Divine Ox’s, territories, so after it appeared the two of us investigated it together…”
“Earth Splitting Divine Ox?” Yang Kai called out in a slightly strange tone.
“What’s wrong, do you know him?” Great Senior asked.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t know him, but I once studied a Martial Skill related to him.”
Saying so, Yang Kai used the Beast Soul Skill he hadn’t displayed in quite some time.
Along with a tiger roar and ox bellow, a glowing golden tiger seal and ox seal appeared.
With these two beast phantom’s appearance, the treehouse instantly filled with sweltering heat.
The two beast phantoms were completely condensed of Yang Kai’s pure True Yang Yuan Qi but seemed incredibly lifelike, their eyes containing a light of intelligence as if they were truly alive.
Great Senior was shocked and quickly waved his hand to put up a field to isolate this hot aura lest it burn down his treehouse.
“Heaven Shaking White Tiger, Earth Splitting Divine Ox?” Cai Die exclaimed in shock as she and Great Senior stared dumbfounded towards Yang Kai.
“This is a Beast Soul Skill I cultivated a long time ago,” Yang Kai explained.
“This isn’t just a simple Martial Skill… These are really Beast Souls!” Great Senior whispered, thinking for a moment before asking, “Did you encounter the remains of these two Monster Beasts?”
“En, they seemed to have fought a great battle and in the end mutually killed one another, the only thing left behind was their Beast Cores. When I absorbed and refined the power remaining in those cores, I was shown the scene of their battle. It was from that remnant memory that I managed to comprehend this Martial Skill.”
“Is that so,” Great Senior nodded in agreement, muttering, “There are true Souls contained within your Beast Soul Skill. There are some extremely powerful Monster Beasts who, when facing their death, condense their essence, Soul, and will into their cores. It seems like the two you encountered were my Monster Race’s Seniors. It’s a pity… The Heaven Shaking White Tiger and Earth Splitting Divine Ox have extremely noble pedigree amongst my Monster Race, even more so than this King’s. The White Tiger family seems to have become extinct while Old Ox is the last of his family, similar to This King.”
After listening to Great Senior’s remarks, Yang Kai understood just how rare and unusual his Beast Soul Skill was. Because he had not used it much recently, Yang Kai hadn’t discovered that the beast phantoms summoned by his Beast Soul Skill actually possessed their own unique strength and killing intent.
“Let’s set this matter aside and get back to the main topic,” Great Senior said, putting his expression back in order, “The Void Corridor is quite strange, so Old Ox and myself went in to investigate, hoping to find some benefits, but after we entered, we realized that it was actually far more dangerous than expected and a number of our subordinates were quickly killed… In the end, Old Ox and I decided to collaborate. But even with the two of us working together, we were unable to explain the mysteries hidden inside.”
“Was it so difficult?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“More than you can imagine. We did find some ancient writings inside, but you should know that my Monster Race does not use written words.”
“Were they Human characters?”
Great Senior shook his head and said, “They were Demon characters!”
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed while Li Rong, who was standing behind him, couldn’t help revealing a look of interest.
“Neither Old Ox or I could read those characters so we didn’t dare act rashly; right now, he is guarding the entrance while I came here to find reinforcements.”
“So you came looking for me?” Yang Kai grinned, “Or rather, you were looking for Li Rong?”
“It’s good you catch on quick kid. The strange power that surrounds that place even causes Old Ox and I to feel nervous, what could you, with your strength and cultivation, add on? The lady behind you, though, may be the key to unravelling this mystery.”
Saying so, Great Senior directed his gaze towards Li Rong.