Yang Kai cleaned up the cave a bit before picking out the best spot to set up his bedroom.
Soon after, Yang Kai left the cave and walked around the perimeter of Dragon Cave Mountain while thinking about the various arrays used to gather World Energy.
He had come into contact with this type of Spirit Array many times before. Tong Xuan Realm’s Soaring Heaven Sect, Nine Heavens Holy Land, the floating continent’s residence, Zong Ao’s palace on Rainfall Star, all these places had such Spirit Arrays.
Since Yang Kai had decided to stay here, naturally he wanted to create the best cultivation environment possible.
Yang Kai’s understanding of Spirit Arrays was fairly simplistic, with most of the knowledge concentrated around Alchemic Spirit Arrays, but all Spirit Arrays had some similarities between them, using different methods to achieve the same result, and with Yang Kai’s vast experience, designing and setting up a basic World Energy gathering Spirit Array was at least possible.
Creating a decent Spirit Array would require a piece of land with appropriate topology, supplemented by some materials that were connected together by various.
Although the area of Dragon Cave Mountain wasn’t too large, Yang Kai discovered that the natural conditions here were actually quite good. There were several peaks nearby the cave Wu Yi had shown him, and if took them as a foundation, he shouldn’t have any trouble arranging a good Spirit Array.
As Yang Kai walked through the mountains, he kept thinking about some of the things that Great Elder Xu Hui had told him when he was Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, especially about the mysteries of the Nine Peaks Spirit Array.
Soon, Yang Kai had some initial plans.
With these plans in mind, Yang Kai set out directly for Heavenly Fate City which was just fifty kilometres away.
Heavenly Fate City was considered to be an independent force under Shadow Moon Hall’s control. Even if Hai Ke Family was closer to Heavenly Fate City, because the city itself was extremely wealthy, it was not something a small family like theirs could manage.
Hai Ke Family only owned a few shops inside the city which provided jobs for their cultivators to earn some small profits.
Upon entering Heavenly Fate City, Yang Kai found that there were streams of people flowing through the streets and into the shops; the prosperity of this place was no worse than cities on Rainfall Star or Water Moon Star.
Most of the shop owners here belonged to Shadow Moon Hall or forces attached to Shadow Moon Hall. With so many people gathered around, money was also abundant, so every shop was a great money tree.
There were no guards at the gate to collect Saint Crystals. Shadow Moon Hall allowed anyone to enter and exit the city freely.
Yang Kai entered the city in high spirits and began walking around leisurely, browsing the various shops.
Soon, to his surprise, Yang Kai discovered that the value of Saint Crystals here on Shadowed Star was far greater than on other Cultivation Stars.
For example, a bottle of cultivation pills that would cost three hundred Low-Rank Saint Crystals on other Cultivation Stars only cost two hundred here.
Five hundred pieces of Low-Rank Saint Crystal were only worth about four hundred pieces here.
The isolation from the outside world allowed Shadowed Star to develop its own valuation for Saint Crystals, their scarcity making them more valuable, allowing one to purchase things for fewer Saint Crystal.
Yang Kai was quite excited.
Because he had more than 47,000 High-Rank Saint Crystals in his Black Book Space. The conversion between different quality Saint Crystals was roughly one to five, meaning one High-Rank Saint Crystal could be exchanged for five Mid-Rank Saint Crystals, and one Mid-Rank Saint Crystal could be exchanged for five Low-Rank Saint Crystals.
Carrying out the full conversation, Yang Kai had more than one million Low-Rank Saint Crystals and could buy many things he wanted.
He immediately set about buying the ore and materials he needed.
Afterwards, Yang Kai happily strode over to a shop called the Artifact Refining Pavilion.
In any city, there was always a place dedicated to Artifact Refining; whether it was on Tong Xuan Realm or the various Cultivation Stars of the Star Field, as long as there was a city filled with cultivators, such a facility would certainly exist.
Not many cultivators understood Artifact Refining, so they would often need to find skilled Artifact Refiners to help them. By setting up shops like this one, Artifact Refiners not only had an opportunity to practice their craft but also to gain a large sum of money.
Artefact Refining Pavilion in Heavenly Fate City could also be regarded as a subsidiary of Shadow Moon Hall, and of the dozens of Artifact Refiners working here, most of them belonged to Shadow Moon Hall or were hired by them. Those who were hired to work here by Shadow Moon Hall would have to give a portion of their profits to Shadow Moon Hall but had the freedom to come and go as they pleased, not having to answer to Shadow Moon Hall.
When Yang Kai arrived, he was surprised by the lively scene inside.
There were at least two hundred cultivators of varying strength waiting in line, waiting for those Artifact Refiners in Artifact Refining Pavilion to help them refine or adjust their artefacts.
As soon as Yang Kai appeared, many pairs of eyes landed on him, some of them containing a deep sense of vigilance, seemingly worried he would try to cut in line.
This scene couldn’t help reminding him of the crowds that gathered outside the Nine Peaks when Nine Heavens Holy Land had started offering Alchemy services. At that time, many people were willing to wait outside the Nine Peaks for several months to request Alchemy from the Holy Land.
At this moment, remember those scenes, Yang Kai couldn’t help understanding the anxiousness of those people.
Did he have to wait that long? Yang Kai couldn’t help frowning.
A man who was dressed up as a shop-hand walked over to Yang Kai at that moment. This man wasn’t too young and his strength wasn’t too great. Apparently, he had given up on advancing his cultivation and decided to work here in order to earn a livelihood.
Taking out a kind of pamphlet of sorts, he enthusiastically handed it to Yang Kai and smiled, “Take a look and choose for yourself, if there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me.”
Yang Kai accepted this pamphlet and after skimming it, he found that it listed the names of several dozen Artifact Refiners in Artifact Refining Pavilion along with their capabilities, fees, as well as a number.
Yang Kai asked and was informed that the number indicated how many cultivators were waiting in line for that Artifact Refiners’ services.
Yang Kai glanced at this pamphlet and discovered that the most skilled person already had more than thirty cultivators waiting for his services and that he was able to refine Saint King Grade High-Rank artefacts!
It was no wonder so many people were waiting for him. Artefact Refiners, like Alchemists, had their own hierarchies. The higher one’s grade, the higher end artefacts or pills they could refine.
It wasn’t easy for cultivators to find and collect the necessary materials for an artefact than for pills, so when choosing an Artifact Refiner, they would be extremely cautious, preferring to pay more for someone with higher skills than saving money by asking someone less proficient.
The fee of the Artifact Refiner who was capable of refining Saint King Grade High-Rank artefacts wasn’t low, but with such level of skill, there were naturally many cultivators who would be willing to pay.
Yang Kai’s gaze swept the names of the various Artifact Refiners and soon fixed on a certain one named Yang Yan, his brow furrowing as he carefully read their details.
“Which Artifact Refiner does honoured customer want to request refining services from?” The shop-hand asked with a smile.
“Is this information all accurate?” Yang Kai asked.
The shop-hand smiled, “Honoured customer need not be concerned. Our Artifact Refining Pavilion is an industry of Shadow Moon Hall and most of the Artifact Refiners here are Shadow Moon Hall’s disciples. Their means and capabilities have passed through Shadow Moon Hall’s strict evaluation and fair prices have been set. This is an upright business that will never engage in fraud.”
Yang Kai stared at this man deeply before lifting the pamphlet up and pointing to a certain name, “This person named Yang Yan charges so much and claims to be capable of refining Origin Grade artefacts, so why is nobody patronizing him?”
The number behind Yang Yan was clearly zero, which meant that no one was waiting in line for his Artifact Refining services. In contrast to him, the other Artifact Refiners were all crowded and busy.
The shop hand’s smile cramped slightly as he said, “Honoured customer, it’s like this, the quality guarantee of Artifact Refining Pavilion only applies to Artifact Refiners from Shadow Moon Hall, those Artifact Refiners on contract from the outside are not. Their skills and fees are all decided by themselves and we simply don’t have enough time to properly verify their claims. When Grandmaster Yang Yan came to the Artifact Refining Pavilion, we tried to stop her, but Grandmaster insisted that she was capable of refining Origin Grade artefacts. I don’t suggest you choose her, if there are any losses, we won’t pay compensation, and we have many other Artifact Refiners to choose from.”
Listening to this shop-hand, besides his surprise that Yang Yan was a woman, Yang Kai immediately understood that this was a method Shadow Moon Hall used to suppress foreign Artifact Refiners.
The guarantees of Artifact Refining Pavilion did not cover those Artifact Refiners hired on contract, so many cultivators who needed services would have an extra layer of concerns and avoid choose them if possible.
“Other Artifact Refiners…” Yang Kai frowned and slowly shook his head. The schedules of the other Artifact Refiners were quite full and it would take at least ten days for one to be free.
“Is honoured customer in a hurry? If that’s the case, you can leave the materials here and then pick up the finished product later,” The man made a suggestion.
Instead of answering, Yang Kai asked, “Did anyone ask Yang Yan for her services?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
The shop hand’s smile twitched as an awkward look spread across his face, seemingly unwilling to discuss the issue but eventually saying, “Honoured customer, I highly suggest you ask another Grandmaster to refine your artefact. The fee is smaller and also fairer.”
Even the shop-hand himself didn’t seem to have a favourable opinion about this Artifact Refiner called Yang Yan, which made Yang Kai very puzzled, wondering what was so bad about her skills.
As he was just thinking about it, a burly man stormed out of an inner room while cursing viciously, a thick murderous intent pulsing from his body as he held a big war-hammer in his hands. The hammer itself looked quite good but as he stared at it, the burly man couldn’t hide his annoyance.
[Someone actually dares to curse out an Artifact Refiner?] Yang Kai observed this and asked himself.
Artefact Refiners and Alchemists all possessed extremely distinguished status as there were simply not many of them. In general, no cultivator would dare to offend one, because no matter who they were, at some point they would need them to help refining artefacts or pills. Offending an Artifact Refiner or Alchemist was equivalent to cutting off a possible source of help.
However, it seemed that the cultivators waiting in the lobby were already used to such scenes though, as if this was not the first or second time it had happened, none of them speaking up to persuade this burly man to lower his voice and instead just watching with interest.
The burly man cursed virulently as he stormed out, disappearing soon after.
“Ah, Grandmaster Yang Yan was cursed out again,” Someone in the hall, clearly taking pleasure in other’s misfortune, laughed.
“She deserves it, she can’t even properly refine a Saint King Grade artefact yet she claims to be an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner. If all Artifact Refiners were like her, how could we feel comfortable leaving our artefacts to them?”
“En, that’s right, I heard that someone came to Grandmaster Yang Yan with an artefact he had been using for several dozen years and asked her to perform some maintenance on it. It was originally an excellent Saint King Grade High-Rank artefact, but after that routine maintenance, it actually dropped in quality to become a Saint King Grade Mid-Rank artefact. That guy literally left here shedding tears of distress!”
“What does that count for? I heard that someone asked Grandmaster Yang Yan to refine him a sword, but when he came back what he got was a thick machete… Haa, how can one be a qualified Artifact Refiner if they can’t even meet the requests of their clients? She’s probably just boasting shamelessly about her skills. How could Artefact Refining Pavilion hire such a terrible Artefact Refiner?”
“It’s got nothing to do with Artefact Refining Pavilion. Grandmaster Yang Yan only has a temporary contract with them, everyone who seeks her out for Artifact Refining is warned explicitly by Artifact Refining Pavilion’s staff, but those people still choose to use her services, so they can only blame their own stupidity, thinking they can pick up a bargain with that fake Origin Grade Artifact Refiner.”
“I’d rather wait a few extra months rather than look for Artifact Refining from her.”
…..
All kinds of rumours and stories entered Yang Kai’s ears, causing his expression to become stranger and stranger.
The shop-hand also let out a big sigh, “Haa, Grandmaster Yang Yan is really too much, Artifact Refining Pavilion has warned her several times yet she still insists on acting this way, refusing to even apologize for her actions. From the looks of it, she’ll only be here for a few more days before being kicked out.”
“Why is that?” Yang Kai turned to look at him.
“Her acting like this is damaging the reputation of Artifact Refining Pavilion, something the higher-ups naturally cannot tolerate!”
“But from the looks of it, that war-hammer artefact that big guy took out was extremely high quality, and it also seemed to fit perfectly with his Saint Qi attribute, why was he not satisfied?”
The shop-hand laughed awkwardly and explained, “He didn’t order a war-hammer, he wanted a battle-axe…”
Yang Kai’s face went black, immediately understanding why that burly man was so angry. It was just as the others in the lobby had said, an Artefact Refiner that couldn’t meet the requirements of their customers was not qualified to call themselves an Artifact Refiner.
“Honoured customer, have you made your decision?” The shop-hand turned to Yang Kai again asked again.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded and handed the pamphlet back, “I’ll ask Grandmaster Yang Yan.”
The shop-hand was stunned and stared at Yang Kai strangely for a moment before asking, “Are you sure?”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded, “I’m not here for an artefact, just some simple tools, even if she’s not really an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, she should be able to handle my request.”
“If that’s what honoured customer has decided, I won’t say anything more, please come with me!” The man stopped discouraging Yang Kai and led him to one of the rooms in the back of the pavilion, stopping before the door and motioning to Yang Kai to go in by himself, adding in a meaningful tone, “Good luck!”
Yang Kai laughed dumbly and walked in.
The room was quite large, covering at least a thousand square meters. There was a huge Refining Furnace in the centre of the room and Yang Kai could spot the outline of a figure sitting cross-legged behind it, probably the so-called Grandmaster Yang Yan.
The curses of the burly man from just now apparently had no effect on her as her aura showed no signs of disturbance, tranquil as an ancient well, only the sound of her breathing echoing in the room.
Yang Kai walked up to the mat in front of the Refining Furnace and sat down. Immediately after, the voice of Grandmaster Yang Yan called out, “What do you want to refine?”
Hearing this voice, Yang Kai couldn’t help peaking around the Refining Furnace at Yang Yan.
Because despite having been informed about it before, it was still surprising to meet a female Artifact Refiner!
More surprising though was that the sound of Yang Yan’s voice was incredibly melodious and enchanting, arousing Yang Kai’s curiosity about what this woman looked like.
After taking a glance though, Yang Kai felt somewhat disappointed as the only thing he could see was a pair of shimmering eyes staring back at him. Yang Yan had wrapped her figure in a big black robe and even her facial was covered with black wrappings, obscuring her features.
“Why is everyone like this? Did you come here for Artifact Refining or to stare at me?” Yang Yan muttered with dissatisfaction.
Yang Kai wore a dumbstruck look but quickly realized that everyone who had come before him must have reacted with the same curiosity as he did and swiftly apologized, “Sorry, I was just a bit curious about Grandmaster Yang Yan.”
“En,” Yang Yan didn’t seem to mind, asking once more, “What do you want refined?”
Yang Kai got down to business, “A few simple things, not artefacts. Let me show you.”
Saying so, Yang Kai took some pieces of paper that were set out next to the mat he was sitting on and made a few quick sketches.
The cultivators who came here for Artifact Refining services would always have their own ideas and requests, so this pen and paper were prepared ahead of time for them.
After finishing his drawings, Yang Kai passed them over.
Yang Yan accepted them and after flipping through them, seemed to be a bit surprised as she asked, “Do you want to arrange a Spirit Array?”
This time it was Yang Kai’s turn to be surprised, “You can tell that from just these rough sketches?”
Yang Yan laughed, “That’s nothing difficult, other than arranging a Spirit Array, these objects have no other use; if I couldn’t tell what they were needed for I’d be blind. Do you know understand Spirit Arrays?”
“I’m not very proficient,” Yang Kai shook his head and replied honestly. Although he was confident he could arrange a working Spirit Array, he couldn’t guarantee how effective it would be.
“Without a deep understand, fiddling around with these things will just be a waste, the ores and other materials required to refine these things are worth a lot of money after all,” Yang Yan said lightly.
Yang Kai was immediately displeased, “Arranging the Spirit Array is my business, your only job is to refine these things, I’ll pay you regardless of the outcome.”
He finally understood why Yang Yan didn’t have any customers, it seemed she liked to meddle in others’ affairs, such people were destined to be unpopular.
But to Yang Kai ‘s surprise, this woman didn’t make any effort to refute him and instead remained silent for a moment before suddenly saying, “I can help you refine these things, and I can even help you to arrange a good Spirit Array, but what are you prepared to offer as compensation?”
“You’re versed in arranging Spirit Arrays?”
“Can’t I be?”
“You’re not lying, are you?”
“What reason do I have to lie to you?” Yang Yan snorted disdainfully, “You can pay me after you’re satisfied with my arrangement. En, I don’t want much, looking at your strength, you’re probably not very well off, so how about a hundred High-Rank Saint Crystal? If you can take out that much, I’ll leave with you right now.”
“Are you short on Saint Crystals?” Yang Kai became somewhat vigilant, feeling that this woman was a bit too kind and enthusiastic. He had only requested her to refine a few simple tools yet now she was actually offering to come with him to arrange a grand Spirit Array for him, it was hard not to be suspicious.
“I’m an Artifact Refiner, of course I lack Saint Crystals, buying materials requires a lot of Saint Crystals.”
“Aren’t most Artifact Refiners very rich? Why are you lacking Saint Crystals?” Yang Kai was confused. If one were to ask who the richest people in the world were, it would either be Artifact Refiners or Alchemists, these two professions almost never needed to worry about wealth. At the very least, wherever they went, they would never be unable to feed themselves.
“Look at my situation. Do you think I could possibly have spare Saint Crystals?” In the darkness, Yang Yan gave Yang Kai an annoyed look.
Yang Kai immediately understood, since no one was coming to request Artifact Refining services from her, naturally she wasn’t able to acquire Saint Crystals.
The vigilance in Yang Kai’s heart lessened slightly but he still asked cautiously, “If you leave just like that, won’t there be any problems?”
“There won’t be. Artefact Refining Pavilion and I only have a temporary contract, I can leave at any time. En, in fact, they all want me to leave as quickly as possible so I don’t ruin their reputation, a group of ignorant fools!”
After thinking about it for a while, Yang Kai nodded and said, “Good, if you can really arrange a satisfactory Spirit Array for me, I’ll pay you a hundred High-Rank Saint Crystals.”
“Sounds good, let’s go,” Yang Yan said, taking the big Refining Furnace into her space ring and slowly standing up.
Yang Kai swept his eyes up and down her, and although he still couldn’t see her face, he found that this woman was quite petite, the top of her head only reaching his shoulders, but even her thick black robe couldn’t hide her pair of towering peaks.
Not only were these mountains grand in size, they were also exquisitely shaped… Yang Kai couldn’t help stealing a few more glances at them.
Leaving the room, Yang Yan asked Yang Kai to wait outside for a moment while she went somewhere else in Artifact Refining Pavilion. After a short while, Yang Yan walked out calmly and signalled to Yang Kai to lead the way.
Yang Kai didn’t waste any time and summoned out his Star Shuttle, flying off in a certain direction with Yang Yan following close behind.
After the pair left, there seemed to be a burst of cheers from the Artifact Refining Pavilion. Many cultivators were celebrating that Grandmaster Yang Yan had finally left and would no longer ruin their client’s artefacts. As for the misled Yang Kai, no one said anything to dissuade him, even the shop-hand who previously spoken to him stood at the door to Artifact Refining Pavilion and waved furiously at Yang Yan, as if hoping she would fly as far away as possible.
On the way to Dragon Cave Mountain, Yang Kai and Yang Yan moved forward side by side, but strangely, he always felt that this woman’s eyes were deliberately staring at him, an eager look creeping onto her face.
After first Yang Kai didn’t pay this any mind, but after being stared at for quite some time, he couldn’t help feeling a bit uncomfortable and asked, “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Yang Yan lifted her eyes to meet his and pouted, “Who is staring at you!”
“Then what are you looking at?”
“I’m looking at the Star Shuttle you’re riding,” Yang Yan snorted, “A Saint King Grade High-Rank Star Shuttle, not bad. Would you like me to enhance it? I guarantee I can increase its performance by ten perfect. Of course, you’ll need to acquire the right materials, En, and you’ll need to pay me some compensation.”
Yang Kai almost fell off his Star Shuttle upon hearing this, only managing to calm himself down a moment later and direct a suspicious look towards Yang Yan and ask, “You couldn’t really be an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, could you?”
Enhancing an artefact was very different from refining one from scratch, with the former being more difficult. Someone capable of enhancing a Saint Grade High-Rank artefact needed to at least be an Origin Grade Low-Rank Artifact Refiner.
Yang Yan daring to say such words meant she was confident in her ability to accomplish it.
“Of course I am,” As soon as Yang Kai mentioned her Artifact Refiner Grade, Yang Yan puffed up her well-rounded chest and her pretty face filled with an air of pride.
Outside in the bright light of day, Yang Kai discovered that this woman’s looks were just as sweet as her voice. She possessed an innocent and harmless look that could easily make others feel comfortable around her.
Yang Yan’s expression didn’t contain any traces of deception, but as he knew nothing about her, Yang Kai was naturally not going to take her at her word.
“Since you’re an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, why are you so poor and miserable?”
“Because no one believes me,” Yang Yan muttered in distress, “No one has dared ask me to refine high-grade artefacts. Those who came to me for refining all just wanted junk, so the payment I could receive was also quite poor.”
“Back in the lobby of Artifact Refining Pavilion, I heard someone say that you made a Saint King Grade High-Rank artefact drop in quality to a Saint King Grade Mid-Rank one, is that true?” Yang Kai gave her a weird yet inquisitive look.
“That’s right,” To Yang Kai’s surprise though, Yang Yan actually nodded and admitted it was true, continuing on in an unabashed manner, “The cultivation of that guy was only Third Order Saint Realm. With that kind of strength, he can’t fully control a Saint King Grade High-Rank artefact, Saint King Grade Mid-Rank is his bottom line. By lowering the grade of that artefact, I increased the amount of power he can display in battle. When his cultivation improves, he can just come to ask me to enhance the artefact again.”
“I also heard that you have refined a large machete for someone who asked for a sword…”
“What does he know? His cultivation technique, Martial Skills, and even Saint Qi attribute are all designed for broad weapons. A long sword is too elegant of a weapon, he wouldn’t be able to exert his full strength using one, a big machete is his best option. After he uses it for a while, he’ll understand my good intentions and thank me for being so considerate.”
Yang Kai sighed, not knowing whether he should believe what this woman was saying. If everything she said was true, she might really be an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, something incredibly rare considering her age.
From her appearance, it seemed like this Yang Yan was even younger than Yang Kai himself, so it was only natural no one believed she was an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner.
Whether she was lying or not, and Yang Kai couldn’t discern.
“Yang Yan, you can’t act that way. As an Artifact Refiner, your highest priority should be to meet the requirements of your customers, not refine artefacts according to your personal ideas. You aren’t them, how do you know what is best for someone else? You making an arbitrary decision like that will just end up causing problems.”
Yang Yan seemed even more aggrieved when she heard this though and muttered, “But I can’t stand seeing those people waste so many good materials like that.”
Yang Kai shook his head and said no more.
After a short while, the pair arrived at Dragon Cave Mountain and landed in front of the mountain cave. Yang Kai was surprised to find that Yu Feng and a group of familiar faces were actually moving around, seemingly carrying some things into the cave.
Noticing Yang Kai’s arrival, Yu Feng ran over with a big grin on his face and patted Yang Kai’s shoulder affectionately, “I heard Young Lady say you decided to stay, is that true?”
“En.”
“En, very good, in any case, you don’t have any family or acquaintances on Shadowed Star, remaining here and helping out the Young Lady is simply the good luck your ancestors passed down to you. En, Young Lady asked us brothers to help you arrange this cave,” Yu Feng pointed at the cultivators who were walking in and out of the cave, all of whom Yang Kai had seen aboard the Starship.
Taking out a Space Ring, Yu Feng handed it to Yang Kai, “This is the ring you were originally wearing, my brothers and I have put a little welcome gift inside it for you, everyone made some contributions. In the future, we’ll all be one family, so don’t refuse.”
Yang Kai took it and swept the contest with his Divine Sense, discovering a few hundred Low-Rank Saint Crystals and several bottles of commonly used healing pills. There wasn’t much inside this Space Ring, nothing compared to how much it originally contained, but Yang Kai still accepted it seriously and nodded in thanks.
It was only then that Yu Feng seemed to realize the existence of Yang Yan, exclaiming in surprise as he stared straight at her for a moment before grinning ambiguously, “Brother, you’re quite fierce, after such a short time here you’ve actually managed to bring back a woman from the outside? Where did you find her? She’s superb, quickly tell brother so I can look for one myself.”
Yang Yan’s face went cold as she stared gloomily towards Yu Feng.
Yu Feng immediately let out a dissolute laugh.
Yang Kai then explained, “This is Grandmaster Yang Yan.”
“Grandmaster?” Yu Feng’s face froze stiff, “What kind of Grandmaster?”
“I invited her here from Artifact Refining Pavilion, she is proficient in Artifact Refining and is going to help me arrange a Spirit Array.”
“An Artifact Refiner?” Yu Feng immediately put away his frivolous smile and respectfully cupped his fists while bowing deeply to Yang Yan, “This Yu had acted disrespectfully to Grandmaster and humbly asks for forgiveness!”
Although Yu Feng looked like a delinquent and oftentimes seemed unreliable, even he understood how distinguished an Artifact Refiner was, so despite Yang Yan appearing quite young, he didn’t dare treat her casually, because no one could guarantee that this woman wouldn’t one day become an outstanding Artefact Refiners he would need to request help from in the future.
Yang Yan’s complexion was still somewhat bad but she still gently nodded.
Yu Feng quickly added, “Since this Young Lady is an Artefact Refiner, can you help me refine an artefact?”
“Sure.” Yang Yan’s eyes immediately brightened and she quickly agreed, “What type and grade of artefact?”
“You two talk… I’m going to inspect things!” Yang Kai couldn’t bear to look at Yu Feng’s sloppy expression and quickly found an excuse to leave.
Many cultivators moved in and out of the cave, appearing quite busy. After spending a few months aboard that Starship, Yang Kai became acquainted with and made friends with this group. Some people he was familiar with while others he wasn’t, but under Wu Yi’s command, these people had come here to help Yang Kai set up his cave residence. There was no trace of dissatisfaction on anyone’s face; on the contrary, they all seemed quite enthusiastic.
Many people called out to and said hello to Yang Kai, with Yang Kai thanking them in response.
After a brief walk around the cave, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a bit warm.
The cave had been completely transformed. In the stone room, Yang Kai had chosen as his bedroom, a large bed, chairs, benches, and lighting had been put up, giving it a cosy feel. The other places nearby had also been cleaned up and expanded, making the cave more spacious and habitable.
It was clear that these men had worked quite diligently, many of them coming up to Yang Kai, patting him on his shoulder with a smile, and telling him that if he ever felt aggrieved or was bullied in the future, he could come to the Hai Ke Family’s manor to find them and they would help get justice for him.
Yang Kai smiled and accepted their good intentions.
Very satisfied with the renovations inside the cave, Yang Kai came back out.
Yu Feng stood nearby with a somewhat pensive look on his face, but Yang Yan had disappeared.
“Where is that woman?” Yang Kai came up and asked.
“Oh, she said she was going to survey the nearby terrain and that she’d be back in a little while,” Yu Feng responded casually, his expression suddenly becoming bitter as he asked, “Yang Kai, I asked her to help refine me a Spirit Grade artefact, and I even provided all the necessary materials, so why did she still charge me fifty Low-Rank Saint Crystals? Isn’t that price a bit too high?”
“A penny invested is a penny well spent!” Yang Kai patted him on the shoulder and said gravely, “Just accept it, you took the initiative to ask her yourself so it’s too late for regret.”
Yu Feng still felt annoyed, “If I knew earlier I would have gone to Artefact Refining Pavilion in Heavenly Fate City to find someone to refine it, then the cost would have only been half as much. It’s a big loss. That girl seemed poverty-stricken so I felt some pity for her and tried to give her some business but this is how things turned out… I just hope she doesn’t ruin my materials.”
“Ruining the materials isn’t likely, but getting an artefact you want might be a bit tricky…Right, why do you want a Spirit Grade artefact?” Yang Kai asked in confusion. Yu Feng was a First Order Saint King, a Spirit Grade artefact wouldn’t be able to increase his strength in the slightest. Something of that grade would only be used by True Element or Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators.
“It’s a gift for a Junior,” Yu Feng grinned.
After some time, Yang Yan returned.
Without a word, she took out the pen and paper from her Space Ring and then began sketching something, from time to time her brow furrowing as she became lost in thought. Yang Kai and Yu Feng stood to the side and didn’t disturb her.
After the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, Yang Yan looked at the sketches in her hand and nodded with satisfaction before handing them over to Yang Kai and saying, “Modify the nearby terrain according to these diagrams. You seem to have a lot of people here so it should only take you a day or so.”
Yang Kai took the diagram and examined it together with Yu Feng.
Yu Feng wasn’t able to glean anything from this sketch but Yang Kai was actually thoroughly shocked, immediately realizing that Yang Yan possessed impressive skills. Regardless of her true ability in Artifact Refining, she was definitely a Grandmaster in terms of arranging Spirit Arrays.
If the terrain was modified according to this diagram, it would be far simpler to arrange the Spirit Array Yang Kai wanted and the benefits it would provide after being completed would be significantly stronger.
“Understood,” Yang Kai put the diagram away and turned to Yu Feng, “I’ll have to trouble all of you for a bit.”
Yu Feng said with a grin, “No need to act polite, Young Lady has already ordered us to help you in any way necessary, naturally, we’ll put our best into it. Just wait a moment, I’ll gather up some people.”
After Yu Feng left, Yang Yan said, “Did you understand the markings I made?”
Seeing Yang Kai nod, she nodded back and said, “Then you supervise their work, I’ll go refine the other components of the array. Right, give me the necessary materials.”
Yang Kai took out all the materials he had previously purchased and gave them to Yang Yan.
Yu Feng soon led a group of people out of the cave, and after Yang Kai gave them a brief explanation, all of them readily agreed to help.
Dragon Cave Mountain immediately became lively, with several dozen cultivators moving about in groups of three to five, digging up valleys, levelling off hills, or felling extra trees, transforming the surrounding terrain in exact accordance with the drawings of Yang Yan.
No one here was an ordinary mortal so the task of remodelling the terrain was naturally quite easy for them and was completed in less than a day.
When the crowd returned to the cave, Yang Yan had just finished her work as well and ran out carrying several oddly shaped objects, causing some confusion amongst the onlookers.
Ignoring everyone else, she simply nodded to Yang Kai before flying off. Everybody only saw her petite figure shuttle through the mountains, landing here and there from time to time, appearing quite busy.
Yu Feng scratched his head and asked with a puzzled look, “Yang Kai, what kind of Spirit Array are you arranging that requires so much effort?”
“You’ll understand soon enough,” Yang Kai didn’t say anything and simply waited with a smile.
He was now completely confident in the Spirit Array that Yang Yan was arranging.
Yang Yan soon arrived at the last hill and after a brief bit of work, flew up into the sky and stood mid-air, waving towards the crowd with her small hand.
“Finished!” Yang Kai muttered lightly before waving back to Yang Yan, the latter quickly flying back over.
Suddenly, a subtle change in the World Energy aura occurred, with the World Energy within a few dozen kilometres of the six peaks which comprised Dragon Cave Mountain being drawn in by some kind of invisible suction force.
This attraction wasn’t violent but instead quite smooth.
Yu Feng’s complexion changed greatly and couldn’t help shouting out, “You were arranging an Aura Gathering Spirit Array?”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
“Amazing, you can actually arrange an Aura Gathering Spirit Array without the use of Saint Crystals?” Yu Feng asked as he and the other cultivators present directed looks of admiration towards Yang Yan.
There were also some places in the Hai Ke Family manor that were especially rich in World Energy aura which were specifically used by the disciples to cultivate, but those places were all specially arranged after consuming a massive amount of effort and financial resources. On top of that, all of them required a considerable amount of Saint Crystals and other rare treasures to maintain their effect.
On the other hand, when Yang Kai and Yang Yan arranged the Aura Gathering Spirit Array around Dragon Cave Mountain, Yu Feng and his brothers only saw them consume a few materials. As for Saint Crystals, not a single one was used.
“The terrain here is quite good, if not for that point, such a Spirit Array couldn’t have been arranged,” Yang Kai explained casually. “The full effects of it will also only become apparent over time.”
Yang Kai truly didn’t know what kind of effect his newly-arranged Spirit Array would have. It may ultimately be unsatisfactory, but this place was just his initial base on Shadowed Star so he didn’t plan on investing too much effort into it. Even if the effects turned out somewhat disappointing, it wouldn’t bother Yang Kai too much.
“All that’s missing is time… as long as there is enough time, this place will have the densest World Energy aura within a thousand-kilometre radius,” Yang Yan who flew back said with great confidence as she swept her eyes across her masterpiece, “The cultivators who owned this territory before must have been blind, this place is a true Land of Hidden Dragons yet they left it here to fallow.”
“A Land of Hidden Dragons?” Yang Kai looked at her suspiciously.
“It’s the name for a piece of land that has this particular type of topography,” Yang Yan replied casually, “Even if I explained it to you, you wouldn’t understand, you just need to know that it is very suitable for arranging Aura Gathering Spirit Arrays. It’s called Dragon Cave Mountain, right?”
Yu Feng nodded.
“En, it didn’t acquire such a name for no reason, it’s just that no one who could judge its value had come along,” Yang Yan puffed out her chest slightly, as if she was proud she knew about its worth.
Yang Kai and Yu Feng exchanged somewhat bitter glances for a moment before Yang Kai said, “Do you want to tell Wu Yi about this? She said she would give me this mountain, but if she wants to take it back now, I won’t mind.”
“Although I can’t make decisions on behalf of the Young Lady, I doubt very much she would try to take back the gifts she sent out,” Yu Feng grinned, “You can live here with peace of mind, if you need anything, come to the manor. If the World Energy aura here really becomes that rich in the future, we might also come here to live. What that time comes, brother can’t kick us out, alright?”
Yang Kai smiled and agreed, saying they were always welcome.
Yu Feng and his group then returned to the Hai Ke Family manor.
With the Spirit Array completely arranged, Yang Yan’s work had come to an end. In accordance with their previous agreement, Yang Kai took out one hundred pieces of High-Rank Saint Crystal and handed it to her, her payment for having helped set up this Aura Gathering Spirit Array.
Yang Yan unceremoniously accepted it and began counting the Saint Crystals block by block with a joyful look on her face.
Yang Kai shook his head and stopped paying attention to her, turning around and flying into the cave, entering the only stone room, taking out the Seven Coloured Spirit Gathering Flags, and setting them up.
These Seven Coloured Spirit Gathering Flags comprised a single artefact that he had received from the middle-aged female executive of Rainfall Star’s Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce branch and were specially designed to assist one in their cultivation. Their effect was also surprisingly good.
The main reason Yang Kai wasn’t too concerned about the effects of Yang Yan’s Spirit Array was because of the Seven Coloured Spirit Gathering Flags. As long as the Aura Gathering Spirit Array had some effect, he would be able to multiply it with this artefact. Naturally, the better the Aura Gathering Spirit Array was, the happier Yang Kai would be, as this two-pronged approach would be able to concentrate the surrounding World Energy even faster.
Just after Yang Kai finished setting up the Seven Coloured Spirit Gathering Flags, Yang Yan silently appeared, her black robe still covering her from head to toe as she squatted down and stared at one of the flags, her eyes flashing a somewhat scary light.
“Why haven’t you left yet?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“I still have to refine a Spirit Grade artefact for that Yu Feng, I made a deal with him after all,” Yang Yan answered quickly before turning a fiery gaze towards Yang Kai and hurriedly shouting, “An Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact?! Where did you get it? You’re only a Third Order Saint, how could you have possibly acquired such a high-grade artefact?”
Yang Kai frowned slightly and replied, “Someone gifted it to me.”
“Do you want me to further refine it? Aiya, there are really a lot of impurities inside these seven flags! As long as you let me work with it, I can improve their effectiveness by at least fifteen percent!” Yang Yan proclaimed, her eyes now containing an undisguised burning madness.
Yang Kai’s face turned black, and he finally discovered that this woman was simply obsessed. As long as she discovered a high-grade artefact, she would immediately want to refine and enhance it. Whether she was telling the truth or not though, Yang Kai couldn’t tell.
Yang Kai didn’t know what she was capable of, so he wouldn’t take risks. The Seven Coloured Spirit Gathering Flags was the greatest help he cultivated in the future, which would let her refine it casually.
Yang Kai quickly shook his head to refuse.
Yang Yan couldn’t help showing a look of disappointment, her lips pursing as she shouted with dissatisfaction, “Neither you nor anyone else believes what I’m capable of! If you’re not willing to try, how could you possibly know how fierce I am?”
Her tone was quite forlorn and the look she was giving Yang Kai was both pitiful and expectant, seemingly hoping this display would change his mind.
“Do you have nowhere to go?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
“En,” Yang Yan gawked, seemingly confused by the sudden shift in topic.
“If you don’t have any place to go, just stay here. In any case, it’s just me here right now.”
“I can also live here?” Yang Yan was pleasantly surprised.
“Sure, but let me say this first, as long as it’s not something important, don’t bother me,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
Yang Yan immediately ran out and a short moment later, Yang Kai felt a familiar strength aura coming from a different section of the cave.
It was actually Yang Attribute strength!
Did this woman cultivate a Yang Attribute Secret Art? Yang Kai was shocked, but remembering that she was an Artifact Refiner, he soon realized that her cultivation a Yang Attribute Secret Art wasn’t too surprising. This only made him more confused though. Whether it was Artifact Refiners or Alchemists, as long as they had some skill, they wouldn’t have any trouble hiring themselves to a decent force where they would receive great care and status, allowing them to concentrate on the development of their skills and career, but this woman was clearly impoverished to an absurd degree.
She had even readily agreed to refine a Spirit Grade artefact for Yu Feng for a pitiful fifty Low-Rank Saint Crystal reward.
Yang Kai reminded himself to one day ask her if she had committed some kind of taboo that caused her expulsion from her previous force. If that was really the case, having her around would become a liability and his best choice would be to quickly kick her out.
Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai soon discovered that Yang Yan was in a different section of the cave, using her strength to melt the walls and open up a stone room of her own.
Taking back his Divine Sense, Yang Kai ignored Yang Yan and began inspect his current supplies.
After entering the Body Tempering Divine Pond, and being encased in that blood-red crystal, Yang Kai had not had any time to carefully investigate his gains from that strange world. Now that he was idle, he decided to check them out.
Yang Kai took out three Space Rings from his sleeve pocket, the ones belonging to the dead Gui Che, Luo Yao, and Gan Ji.
Inside Gui Che’s Space Ring was the Thunder Wood Bird Wood which was formed after the fall of the Tenth-Order Monster Beast Thunder Luan. Its flesh and blood had crystallized into this tree and streaks of lightly now flashed across its surface. If it was used to refine an artefact, it would definitely result in a powerful Thunder Attribute weapon.
As for the dozens of crystal clear leaves, they were also filled with Thunder Attribute power and could be considered treasures all on their own.
Yang Kai was delighted to see this Bird Wood and quickly stored it inside the Demon Mystic Tome.
Next, he took out the purple carapace from Gui Che’s Space Ring. This hardshell was from the Ninth-Order Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion Monster Beast and was the perfect material to refine a defensive type artefact. Tossing this also into the Demon Mystic Tome, Yang Kai moved on to the next item.
Taking out and packing away various treasures, Yang Kai was filled with joy.
The harvest from that adventure had basically all been obtained by him.
With the exception of one of the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion’s giant pincers, which had been assigned to Ji Peng, its tail, core, and all kinds of other Monster Beast materials had landed in Yang Kai’s pocket.
On top of that, Yang Kai obtained the countless herbs collected by those three people along the way.
The three cultivators had not been very wealthy though, and the artefacts which had originally been placed in their Space Rings weren’t very high-grade. Yang Kai didn’t even spare these things a second glance and simply tossed them into a corner of the Demon Mystic Tome.
His gains were indeed great, but most of them were temporarily useless.
Suddenly, Yang Kai realized that if Yang Yan was truly an Origin Grade Artifact Refiners, he could ask her to handle these materials.
At the very least, the carapace of the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion could be turned into a defensive artefact that Yang Kai currently wanted.
But what the extent of her abilities was remained to be determined.
A day later, Yu Feng came again and received the Spirit Grade artefact he had requested from Yang Yan, leaving quite happy.
Over the following days, Wu Yi’s subordinates would come in groups of three or five, bringing with them various raw materials they had collected or their own artefacts to ask Yang Yan for Artifact Refining services.
All of them came here with high expectations and all of them left with their requirements fully met. Yang Kai didn’t know when Yang Yan had straightened out her attitude, but since moving to Dragon Cave Mountain, she had not once acted arbitrarily to alter any of the artefacts she was handed or request to refine.
Her reputation immediately soared!
Almost everyone in the Hai Ke Family now knew that there was an Artifact Refiners living in Dragon Cave Mountain, and although her fee was quite expensive, her technique was good. Every artefact she refined was of excellent quality while the ones she was given to enhance saw a twenty to thirty percent increase in power.
Yang Kai didn’t pay this any mind, and because he lived deeper inside the cave, those who came to ask Yang Yan for Artifact Refining services never bothered him.
The only thing that annoyed Yang Kai was that this woman would find a chance every day to come and stare at his Seven Coloured Spirit Gathering Flags, constantly nagging him to let her work with them. Although she was always refused, she did not become discouraged or upset, seemingly thinking that her sincerity would one day convince Yang Kai.
I increased the server and all that but it is still hitting a tons in terms of CPU usage during the peak periods so I’ll be segregating the double posting of Martial Peak. 1 in the usual time and the other in the opposite time and see how it goes from there. (Yes. 12 hours difference)
Yang Yan was a strange woman. In addition to being interested in High-Grade’s artefacts, her other passion in life seemed to be Saint Crystals. Every time Yang Kai passed by her stone room, he would see her meticulously counting and polishing her Saint Crystals, piece by piece.
The stains and dust on her Low-Rank Saint Crystals were wiped clean and were now glittering brightly, making Yang Yan seem very satisfied with herself. Every time Yang Kai saw Yang Yan taking care of her Saint Crystals, he would see a sloppy grin on her face, but when she noticed Yang Kai staring at her strangely, she would immediately sweep away and hide her Saint Crystals, lest they be taken away by him.
[This woman is just a money-grubber!] Yang Kai concluded.
As time passed, fewer and fewer people came to seek Artifact Refining from Yang Yan. Having satisfied all prospective customers already, Yang Yan’s business gradually came to a halt.
One day, while Yang Kai was sitting in meditation, he suddenly heard Wu Yi calling out to him from outside.
Yang Kai didn’t know what Wu Yi was up to recently, but presumable she had been busy as she had not shown up for quite some time. After hearing her voice, Yang Kai immediately opened his eyes and walked out to find her slim and graceful figure standing outside his cave.
“How are things here?” Wu Yi asked with a light smile.
“Very good,” Yang Kai nodded, and thoughtfully looked at her face, discovering that she seemed a bit unhappy.
“I heard Yu Feng say that you and that female Artifact Refiner set up an Aura Gathering Spirit Array here, is that true?” Wu Yi turned swept her eyes over the surrounding terrain, sensing the World Energy aura and taking a deep breath, “The effect seems to be pretty good. If I knew this place was so compatible, I would have found someone to arrange such a Spirit Array a long time ago. Yu Feng and the others all need to pay a certain amount of contribution points or Saint Crystal to use the family’s cultivation rooms but they’re only slightly better than this place right now.”
“Having regrets?” Yang Kai asked her with a calm and composed look.
Wu Yi rolled her eyes and snorted, “Do I look like such a narrow-minded person? Since I said I would deliver you this mountain, it is yours now. No matter how much better the environment here becomes, it has nothing to do with me, so you can live here without worries, no one will dare try to seize it from you.”
Yang Kai was about to say something when he suddenly frowned, turning his eyes towards a certain direction where he saw a streak of blue light. It was clearly someone using a Star Shuttle to examine Dragon Cave Mountain.
“Someone from your family?” Yang Kai asked as he continued staring at this figure.
“En, one of my family’s stewards, you don’t need to mind him,” Wu Yi was also a little displeased, “He came this time to find that Artifact Refiner named Yang Yan.”
“What does he want to see her for?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“She is an Artifact Refiners, what do you think he wants to see her for?” Wu Yi smiled, “It’s not easy to cultivate an Artifact Refiner in a small family like ours, yet right now, there is a wandering Artifact Refiner so close by. Although she isn’t old, she is still worth recruiting. Right, according to members of the family, she can at least refine Saint Grade artefacts.”
During this time, the cultivators who had come to seek Artifact Refining services from Yang Yan weren’t very strong, with Yu Feng having the highest cultivation. As a result, the level of artefacts they had asked to be refined were naturally not very high grade, so the people of Hai Ke Family assumed Yang Yan was a Saint Grade Artifact Refiner.
With an unattached Artifact Refiner so nearby, regardless of her true level of skill, the Hai Ke Family felt they should show their sincerity in the hopes they could recruit her and ultimately bring huge benefits to the family. Thinking so, they had sent someone over to negotiate with Yang Yan.
“What’s your relationship with that woman? I remember you saying you didn’t know anyone here, so how were you able to bring back a beauty to your place after such a short time?” Wu Yi stared at Yang Kai, thinking there was some kind of prior or hidden, unspeakable relationship between him and Yang Yan.
“I have no idea about her actually, I just asked her to come back here to help me set up that Spirit Array, then she asked if she could stay here, and I agreed. En, if your family can recruit her, that would be the best, she’s a bit annoying to have around,” Yang Kai said bitterly.
“It’s up to her if she wants to come with us. In any case, I don’t have an opinion, either way, I just came here today to see how you were doing,” Wu Yi pursed her lips and laughed, not dwelling on the subject.
After a while, the steward from Hai Ke Family flew over and nodded to Wu Yi, “The aura around this mountain is not bad. After a year or so, it will probably be quite astonishing. I heard that the Young Lady gave this mountain away. Was it to him?”
Saying so, he intentionally or unintentionally glanced over at Yang Kai, his eyes full of contempt.
Wu Yi frowned and said, “Uncle Zhou isn’t here for this mountain, don’t you have another task to take care of?”
The cultivator surnamed Zhou snickered, “I was just inquiring casually, Young Lady need not pay it any mind.”
Saying so, he shot another look at Yang Kai before disregarding him completely, crossing his arms behind his back in an aloof manner and taking big strides towards the nearby cave.
“How annoying, them coming over sticking their noses into everything. I’ve never seen them take any interest in this place before. Out of all the surrounding ten thousand kilometres of territory my family owns, because I am just a woman, they assigned me this barren hill, but now that they see some possible benefits, they want to snatch it up,” Wu Yi said indignantly.
Yang Kai remained silent. It was truly inconvenient for him to express his views on the internal affairs of another’s family.
Wu Yi also no longer complained, wearing a smile on her pretty face again and talking to Yang Kai about her recent life while asking him if he needed anything.
The two chatted happily with each other and Wu Yi was quite looking forward to having him help her with her future ambitions, her eyes constantly filled with hope and expectation.
After a half cup of tea’s time, the steward surnamed Zhou suddenly stormed out of the cave and muttered in annoyance, “That little girl can’t appreciate kindness, hmph, really thinking she is something great. How could my Hai Ke Family not be capable of cultivating a trivial Saint Grade Artifact Refiner? Such shameless boasting, actually daring to claim she’s an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner!”
The steward was so angry he didn’t even bother saying hello to Wu Yi before summoning out his Star Shuttle and flying off.
Wu Yi’s jaw dropped slightly, seemingly not having through that the Artifact Refiner named Yang Yan would so bluntly refuse her family’s invitation. Before coming here, Wu Yi had also read the contract of employment and felt that the conditions from her family weren’t bad. Although it couldn’t compare to a large force like Shadow Moon Hall, they still had some status among the smaller attached forces.”
“That woman you brought back seems to be very demanding,” Wu Yi looked at Yang Kai, “Steward Zhou said she claimed to be an Origin Grade Artifact Refiners? Wasn’t she only in her twenties?”
“She claims to be Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, but whether that’s true or not I have no idea,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“Interesting,” Wu Yi pursed her lips and laughed, “Forget it, Artifact Refiners have the right to choose their own employers, boasting irresponsibly like that is a bit annoying but it’s her decision. Good, I have some other things to do now, so I’ll see you later.”
After saying goodbye to Wu Yi, Yang Kai sank into contemplation for a moment before walking back into the cave and proceeding to Yang Yan’s stone room.
Yang Yan wore a pitiful look on her face as she turned to Yang Kai and asked, “Why does no one believe I am an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner?”
“What method do you have to make people believe you?” Yang Kai rubbed his forehead.
“They just need to give me a chance to prove myself, as long as they give me some Origin Grade materials, I guarantee I’ll refine an Origin Grade artefact,” Yang Yan shouted, her plump peaks bouncing vigorously, a wronged look appearing on her face.
“Do you think Origin Grade materials are cheap? Those kinds of materials can only be obtained by big forces. Hai Ke Family is just a small force with scarce finances, how do you expect them to suddenly bring out such expensive materials just to verify your skills? What if you destroy those materials? If I told you that I’m a Saint King Grade High-Rank Alchemist, would you believe it?” Yang Kai stared at her earnestly.
Yang Yan batted her eyelashes as she looked him up and down, saying with a sneer, “You? Really?”
Immediately, Yang Yan doubled over and began laughing, as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
Yang Kai’s face went pitch black.
He suddenly understood why no one believed Yang Yan’s words. Just like Yang Yan refused to believe his, both of them seemed far too young to be matched with such distinguished status. Which Saint King Grade Alchemist or Origin Grade Artifact Refiner wasn’t hundreds, if not thousands of years old?
After thinking about this, Yang Kai came to realize that Yang Yan may not be lying or intentionally using false titles to inflate her identity. She may really have such ability!
“I’ll ask you seriously one more time, are you really an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner?” Yang Kai stared at her with a solemn look.
“What point is there asking such a question again? Can’t you just discern the truth after giving me some appropriate materials? You could also let me work on your Star Shuttle or those small seven coloured flags. If I fail, you can do whatever you want with me!”
“You think too highly of your short figure,” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively, “There’s no way you could make up for the loss of my materials or artefacts even if I were to sell you.”
Yang Yan immediately began grinding her teeth audibly.
“What can you make from these things?” Yang Kai waved his hand again and dumped out a pile of materials in front of Yang Yan.
He felt it was time he tested this woman’s true ability.
Yang Yan, who was just grinding her teeth and staring at Yang Kai with pure hatred, suddenly saw these materials and leapt over to them, tossing away her anger and image as she sifted through them with surprise, calling out in rapid succession, “Eighth-Order Monster Beast Thunder Cloud Leopard’s teeth, Blazing Blue Flame Rhinoceros’s horn, Illusionary Cloud Butterfly’s wings, Heavens! A Diamond Dragon Beetle’s antenna…”
Every time she picked up an item, Yang Yan was able to accurately name it and its origins. Instantly entering into a deluded state, Yang Yan became ignorant of everything around her except this pile of materials, hugging them tightly as if they were her babies, pressing them up against her proud peaks, her arms soon overflowing as she continued picking items up from the ground in a seemingly endless cycle.
As Yang Yan picked up and named these treasures, Yang Kai suddenly noticed that her eyes were red and that tears were actually dripping down her cheeks to her chin.
“What are you crying for?” Yang Kai was speechless for a while, only now realizing just now abnormal this woman’s brain really was.
“I haven’t seen so many precious materials for so long…” Yang Yan’s tiny shoulders trembled as she spoke through her sobs, “They all treated me as a fraud, refusing to bring out any materials or artefact above Saint Grade, I’m not a liar!”
“Don’t cry, I’ll give you a chance now to prove yourself. These things are now yours, I don’t care what you make with them just show me your skills.”
“Really?” Yang Yan lifted her head and stared at Yang Kai with puffy eyes.
Yang Kai nodded and said lightly, “I also want to know if you’re just spouting nonsense or not.”
Hearing that Yang Kai was going to give her so many high-grade materials and that she was free to refine them into anything she wanted, Yang Yan’s spirits immediately soared to the Heavens as a terrifying light flashed across her eyes. Wiping away her tears with great difficulty, she took a deep breath and shouted, “I won’t let you down, and no material that enters my hands will ever be wasted!”
“I’ll wait and see.”
“Where did you get all these materials from? Your strength isn’t very high, so it’s impossible for you to have killed many Eighth-Order Monster Beasts,” Yang Yan asked curiously.
“I picked them up,” Yang Kai said casually.
It really could be said that he simply picked these things up. All these materials came from the Monster Beasts Gui Che and his team hunted and originally belonged to them, but after they died, Yang Kai had simply picked up their Space Rings to acquire them.
“Where did you pick these up from? I also want to pick up such things…” Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai with an eager expression.
Holding a list Yang Yan had written up, Yang Kai took another trip to Heavenly Fate City and purchased a number of ores and materials.
After all, Artifact Refining required not just Monster Beast parts but also a variety of metals and crystals.
After receiving these ores, Yang Yan immediately dove into her Artifact Refining, sealing up her stone room to ensure she was not disturbed while she worked.
Yang Kai could clearly feel a strong Yang Attribute energy fluctuation coming from her stone room every day, but he didn’t go to inquire about her specific progress.
As long as she produced some results, he would be able to judge Yang Yan’s ability.
The materials Yang Kai had taken out and given Yang Yan were only some lower grade things he thought he couldn’t use and would just end up selling. If Yang Yan could really refine them into artefacts, their value would definitely increase and he would have some big gains when he took them to be sold. If they ended up being destroyed though, Yang Kai wouldn’t mind too much.
A month passed by peacefully. Without the daily interruption of Yang Yan, Yang Kai’s everyday life was filled with free time, and with the Aura Gathering Spirit Array on Dragon Cave Mountain playing its role, a thin layer of fog had now gathered, symbolizing the buildup of World Energy. Although this fog was by no means dense, it made Dragon Cave Mountain look a bit more like a spirit mountain.
Over time, the aura here would become richer and more abundant.
Wu Yi came to visit him twice, but each time she seemed to wear an unhappy look, as if things in her family weren’t going well. Both times she simply chatted with Yang Kai and relaxed for a while before leaving.
One month later, and as Yang Kai was meditating in his stone room, he suddenly heard the door to Yang Yan’s stone room, where she had been engaging in Artifact Refining, creak open and immediately afterwards, a rapid sound of footsteps entered his ears.
Looking up, Yang Kai saw Yang Yan standing at his door with a flushed look on her face, holding up her long black robes while breathing somewhat raggedly and staring at him with excited eyes. There was a pleased and confident look upon her face.
“Can I come in?” Yang Yan looking around curiously, asking somewhat nervously. One day, Yang Yan had barged in uninvited and Yang Kai had pinched her neck and thrown her out. Ever since that day, Yang Yan had become somewhat afraid to step into this stone room at will.
Yang Kai nodded, asking with some anticipation, “Finished the refinement?”
Yang Yan laughed without saying a word, trying to be mysterious, “Close your eyes first; I’ll give you a surprise!”
[What kind of surprise could there be?] Yang Kai thought with a weird expression on his face, but he still closed her eyes.
The next moment, the look on his face changed, because inside his stone room, a number of energy fluctuations that belonged to Saint King Grade artefacts appeared. Opening his eyes, Yang Kai saw Yang Yan pointing to a row of neatly arranged artefacts in front of him.
“I didn’t waste a single piece of material you provided or ore you bought. These are the results, four Saint King Grade artefacts,” Yang Yan sat down cross-legged and picked up a mace-like artifact and began explaining, “This one was made from the teeth of that Eighth-Order Thunder Cloud Leopard along with some matching ore. I smelted the ore and the Thunder Cloud Leopard’s skull together then used its sturdy teeth for the spikes. A rough artifact like this is suitable for men with brawny builds. En, it’s a powerful weapon, a Saint King Grade Low-Rank artifact!”
After describing her work, Yang Yan handed the mace to Yang Kai.
Accepting it, Yang Kai began carefully examine this mace and soon nodded in approval. He could tell that Yang Yan had efficiently and effectively used these materials to the limit of their ability and that this artefact was well refined, as long as it could find the right owner, it would definitely display great power.
“This dagger was forged with the Blazing Blue Flame Rhinoceros’ horn as its primary material. Although it’s not very sharp, the horn of a Blazing Blue Flame Rhinoceros itself has some special attributes which make it excellent for destroying barriers, so this artifact’s role isn’t designed for fighting but rather for adventuring. I think there should be many people who are willing to buy such an item. En, it’s also a Saint King Grade Low-Rank artefact,” Yang Yan said, handing the light blue dagger over to Yang Kai.
Picking up the next one, Yang Yan continued, “This soft whip was made from the Diamond Dragon Beetle’s antenna, it was the hardest one to refine as the primary materials are quite fragile in an unprocessed form. Fortunately, I was the one who worked on it, if it was handled by another Artifact Refiner, you’d only be able to cry about the loss of materials now. This weapon is suitable for young women. Since you were the one who obtained this antenna, you should understand the true horror of the Diamond Dragon Beetle. Once you get struck with this soft whip, it’s not your flesh that will hurt, but your bones. If you get hit by this whip a few times, your bones might even break. This is a Saint King Grade Mid-Rank artefact!”
Yang Kai took the soft whip from her again and poured his Saint Qi into it before slashing it around the stone room suddenly, causing Yang Yan’s face to go pale for fear she would be struck by accident.
After waiting for Yang Kai to put away the soft whip, Yang Yan excitedly picked up the last artifact, her movements quite slow and cautious, as if she was holding a delicate piece of artwork, her eyes flashing an infatuated light.
“This is the work I’m most proud of this time!”
Yang Kai looked down at her hands and discovered that what Yang Yan was holding was simply a pair of palm-sized wings. These wings sparkled brilliantly and were constantly shifting colours, giving them a truly beautiful appearance.
Needless to say, this artefact was refined from the wings of the Illusionary Cloud Butterfly. It was also the highest grade artifact, Saint King Grade High-Rank!
“Saint King Grade Mid-Rank should have been the limit of the materials you gave me, but with this item I poured in all of my skill and managed to raise its grade by a level. For a long time now, I have wanted to refine an artefact in the shape of a pair of wings; unfortunately, I had never found suitable materials” Yang Yan held the pair of wings carefully as she stared at them, growing more satisfied with every moment, glancing up at Yang Kai every now and then with a look of longing even a blind man would be able to see.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand to her, and Yang Yan unwillingly handed over the pair of wings, emphasizing nervously, “Be careful, don’t break it.”
“Isn’t this thing mine?” Yang Kai looked at her with a smile.
“It’s indeed yours, but it was made by me, so naturally I have a responsibility to keep it safe and make sure you don’t spoil it…”
“Can a Saint King Grade High-Rank artifact be so easily broken?” Yang Kai chuckled.
Yang Yan opened her mouth to object but didn’t know what to say, quickly shaking her head and beginning her description, “Although Star Shuttles are convenient for travelling, in a fight, these wings can increase a cultivators speed and mobility and in a critical moment even provide a boost with some protection. This artefact is worth at least thirty thousand pieces of High-Rank Saint Crystal, but if it were to be put up for auction, it would definitely be sold for much more, perhaps as much as forty thousand. There are too many rich people in the world after all, simply hateful!”
As she said so, Yang Yan waved her fists angrily, as if annoyed that she was so poor.
“Thirty thousand?” Yang Kai frowned, remembering that when he bought his Star Shuttle, which was the same grade, it had only cost him twelve thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals back on Water Moon Star.
Although they were the same grade of artifact, the value of this pair of wings was undoubtedly much greater than a Star Shuttle, so it wasn’t surprising for it to be worth such a price. On top of that, its appearance was incredibly beautiful, so presumably, there would be many men willing to pay a huge fortune for it so they could gift it to their favourite woman.
“Are you willing to buy this for thirty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals? ” Yang Kai looked at Yang Yan and asked.
Yang Yan nodded her head like a chicken pecking rice.
“Then I’ll sell it to you,” Yang Kai threw the pair of wings to her.
Yang Yan caught it in something of a stupor, only a while later saying awkwardly, “I don’t have that many Saint Crystals …”
Saying so, she blushed furiously.
“I know, I didn’t want you to pay up immediately, just consider it a loan. En, I’ll be asking you for Artifact Refining services for a while and will deduct your reward from these thirty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystal, when you finish repaying me, you’ll be debt-free, until then, you’ll be my exclusive Artifact Refiner.”
“Thirty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals worth of commission?” Yang Yan was immediately frightened, “Do you know how much remuneration I should collect from you for the artefacts I refined for you this time?”
“How many?”
“I was going to charge you a thousand pieces of High-Rank Saint Crystal… That’s my reward for a whole month of hard work. Thirty thousand pieces, that would take me at least thirty months, or two and a half years without any rest to pay off, wouldn’t it?” Yang Yan’s face drained of all coloured, suddenly feeling like she had suddenly been abducted to join a gang of evildoers.
“Two and a half years isn’t very long, there’ll always be a time when you finish paying off your debt.”
“If I can’t pay it off?” Yang Yan said while nearly crying, she had never had so many Saint Crystals and couldn’t even imagine what thirty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals looked like.
“You can pay off the balance with your body,” Yang Kai grinned, sweeping his eyes over her luscious curves and nodding, “En, I’m actually quite interested in your type.”
Yang Yan’s face only went paler, staring down at the wing artefact on her palm, wishing she could smash Yang Kai’s evil face with it, but unable to bring herself to do so.
After thinking about it for a while, she said solemnly, “I have to ask you first, do you have enough materials for me to continue refining? Since it’s to pay off your debts to me, you need to continue providing me with a steady stream of materials. If I can’t even refine artefacts, how am I supposed to obtain my freedom?”
[This little girl isn’t stupid!] Yang Kai originally wanted to simply set up his identity as a creditor who could never be paid back, but this foolish Yang Yan had suddenly become sharp.
“You don’t have to worry about the materials. En, take these things for now,” Yang Kai said, dumping out another big pile of materials in front of Yang Yan.
While travelling with Gui Che, they had killed a lot of Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Monster Beasts, so naturally they had obtained a lot of materials. Last time, Yang Kai had only brought out the materials he had no use for, this time he literally dumped out everything that wasn’t extremely valuable.
If Yang Yan’s performance satisfied him again, Yang Kai decided he would allow her to refine an Origin Grade artefact for him.
Looking at this pile of Monster Beast materials, Yang Yan hesitated for a long time before finally compromising.
Wasn’t it just thirty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals? She felt that she would one day make enough money to pay off such a debt!
Sweeping all these materials into her Space Ring, Yang Yan once again wrote up a list and handed it to Yang Kai, “Buy me these ores. I have to rest for a few days before I can start refining again.”
Yang Kai took the list and didn’t even check it before nodding and walking out.
Yang Yan called out nervously to him as he left, “Can I cultivate in your stone room? It has a denser aura than mine.”
“Yeah!”
Leaving Dragon Cave Mountain, Yang Kai flew off towards Heavenly Fate City.
It took half a day for Yang Kai to finish purchasing everything on the list Yang Yan had given him. Yang Yan seemed to know what kind of ores and materials were available in Heavenly Fate City, so Yang Kai didn’t have much trouble finding the things she wanted.
While a clerk at a shop called Trade Company was checking over the quantity and quality of ores before selling them to Yang Kai, a somewhat rotund old man with a short stature walked over with a look of interest on his face and asked, “Young man, are you purchasing all these ores for Artefact Refining?”
Yang Kai raised his head and frowned at this fat man, but the clerk quickly cut in an introduced him, “Honoured customer, this is our Trade Company’s shopkeeper, Qian Tong!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, not saying anything. This fat old man looked harmless to humans and animals, but his strength was definitely not low, probably an Origin Returning Realm master, but due to him concealing his aura, Yang Kai was unable to determine his exact Order.
Qian Tong didn’t mind this display and continued smiling while saying, “You can rest assured that our Trade Company only conducts honest business and offers fair prices, we will never engage in unscrupulous matters. En, we also purchase artefacts, if you have any artefacts to sell, we can sit down and discuss an appropriate price.”
“Why do you think I have artefacts for sale?” Yang Kai glanced over at him with a slightly puzzled look.
Qian Tong laughed, “You are a guest, and this old man says this to every guest.”
“I do happen to have artefacts for sale,” Yang Kai laughed.
This time Yang Kai had come to Heavenly Fate City for two purposes; one, to purchase the ores on Yang Yan’s list, and two, to sell the artefacts she had refined. In any case, he had no use for them. Whether it was the mace, dagger, or whip, none were suitable for him to use, so keeping them in his Space Ring would just be wasting Heaven’s precious gifts.
On top of that, these ores cost him a lot of Saint Crystals to buy.
Originally Yang Kai had wanted to ask Wu Yi for her help regarding this matter; after all, he wasn’t familiar with the market here or what fair prices would be. But Wu Yi’s position was somewhat delicate and she herself wasn’t that strong, so asking her for help would probably lead to some unnecessary trouble.
Now that this smiling fat old man had come up to ask on his own initiative, Yang Kai had no reason to refuse.
Although his opponent wasn’t weak, Yang Kai didn’t have any fear. At worst, he could just tear space and flee. Since he had confidence in preserving his life, he naturally had confidence in negotiating as well.
“Oh? It seems this old man’s vision hasn’t gone bad yet, hahaha, young man, this way, please!” Qian Tong motioned to Yang Kai.
After a short while, the pair came to a private room that was clearly set up for the exclusive purpose of conducting transactions. Many people didn’t like having unnecessary people seeing what items they were buying or selling, which resulted in many people often wearing masks or disguises when they came to do business.
The existence of this private room avoided all those problems though as once the door was closed, leaving only Yang Kai and Qian Tong behind, all outside Divine Senses would be blocked.
Yang Kai glanced around the room for a moment, his expression remaining calm and composed.
Qian Tong maintained his smile while a light flashed across the depths of his eyes, secretly wondering whether this young man either had solid nerves or simply wasn’t afraid at all.
As a businessman though, even if he felt surprised, Qian Tong didn’t ask any unnecessary questions and got straight to the point, “Young man, what kind of artefact do you want to sell? What grade is it?”
Yang Kai quickly took out three artefacts refined by Yang Yan.
Qian Tong swept his eyes over these artefacts then picked them up one by one, examining them carefully, nodding silently after a while, “This old man isn’t proficient in Artifact Refining, but I can see that these items are top quality amongst their grade and were refined by the same Artifact Refiner, what price are you looking for?”
Qian Tong only spoke about business matters and didn’t inquire into any other information, an act that made Yang Kai very satisfied.
“I don’t understand the local prices, how do you normally purchase such items?” Yang Kai asked back.
Qian Tong was stunned, not having expected Yang Kai to completely surrender the initiative in this negotiation. Which person who came to sell treasures didn’t want to hold the initiative? Fearing they would lose money, most people would try to heap praises onto their goods while raising the price as high as possible.
Even after a transaction was completed, people would secretly worry about whether they had been ripped off or not.
On the other hand, this young man seemed completely free and easy, as if he didn’t care about suffering a loss.
With the same friendly smile, Qian Tong said, “The price of Saint King Grade artefacts generally starts at five thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, but that is just our bottom line. Two of these items are Saint King Grade Low-Rank while one is Saint King Grade Mid-Rank, each of which is of superb quality. For the two Low-Ranks, this old man is willing to pay six thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals a piece. As for the Saint King Grade Mid-Rank artefact, how about eight thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals?”
“A total of twenty thousand?” Yang Kai frowned, feeling like the price was a bit lower than he had imagined.
But remembering that Saint Crystals on Shadowed Star were more valuable than other places, he felt relieved. In Yang Kai’s opinion, Qian Tong’s price was fair; after all, he was a businessman, so naturally, he had to purchase these artefacts at a price that would allow him to sell them at a profit.
“If you feel the price is too low, we can discuss it again. Business is not just a matter of just naming a price and paying money,” Qian Tong smiled slightly.
“Throw in the ores I just purchased and this deal is done,” Yang Kai said calmly.
Qian Tong let out a hearty laugh and commented, “Young man, you’re quite astute. The total price of those ores you just bought isn’t low, at least three thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals… But in order to make friends, it’s not a bad deal. Good, if you have other artefacts to sell in the future, please choose our Trade Company first.”
“Deal!” Yang Kai nodded.
Trade Company’s efficiency was very high and it wasn’t long before Yang Kai stuffed twenty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals and all the ores he requested into his Space Ring and left Heavenly Fate City.
After he left, Qian Tong sat and stared in the direction Yang Kai disappeared for a while before muttering, “Interesting.”
“Elder Qian… we suffer a loss in this transaction. Giving him more than three thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals worth of ore means we won’t be able to make much money on these artefacts,” The clerk who received Yang Kai just now came over and complained.
Qian Tong just grinned and said, “Really? I think we actually gained a great deal.”
The clerk wore a bewildered expression as he ran the calculations again, still feeling they hadn’t come out on top after he finished.
“What do you know? There should be a terrifying Artifact Refiner behind that kid. He also bought some ore the last time he visited Heavenly Fate City, just not from this shop. It was only a coincidence that I was at that shop at the time so I have some impression of him. He is actually quite savvy, understanding he has to change shops each time he buys such large amounts of ore, but he probably doesn’t realize that most of the shops in Heavenly Fate City are owned by our Shadow Moon Hall. It was only one month ago… Yet now he’s come here to buy ore again while bringing along three Saint King Grade artefacts. What do you think this means?” Qian Tong was in a good mood so he decided to speak a few words to enlighten this confused clerk while laughing happily.
“He’ll be back. The next time he shows up, inform me right away. If you can’t reach me, process whatever business he has with the highest level of care. It doesn’t matter if we lose some money in the transaction as long as we can satisfy him,” Qian Tong admonished.
“Disciple understands,” The clerk responded quickly, though he still didn’t understand what Elder Qian Tong meant, he had no right to object to these words.
Qian Tong immediately left Trade Company afterwards and rushed to a large palace situated in Heavenly Fate City. Finding another old man in the palace, Qian Ton handed over the three artefacts.
The old man touched the artefacts gently with his eyes tightly closed, as if he perceived something. After a while, this old man’s expression changed, revealing a surprised expression.
After half an hour, the old man put down the last of the three artefacts and opened his eyes.
“Grandmaster Ge Lin, what were you able to see?” Qian Tong asked immediately.
“These three artefacts were refined by an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner!” The old man named Ge Lin took a deep breath and declared.
“Origin Grade…” Qian Tong’s eyes bulged. Although he had inferred through various signs that a powerful Artifact Refiner was behind Yang Kai, he hadn’t expected it to actually be one at the Origin Grade.
“En, and their skill is not worse than this old master. The materials used for these artefacts were all from Eighth-Order Monster Beasts. Who refined them? Is there anyone with such skill near our Heavenly Fate City?” Ge Lin asked curiously.
“I don’t know who refined them, they were simply brought in to sell by a young man today,” Qian Tong shook his head.
“Did you trace his whereabouts?” Ge Lin asked again.
“I didn’t dare act rashly, so as not to cause any misunderstandings with the master behind him.”
Ge Lin nodded, “Good, prudence here is key! Such a master can only be won over, not offended! The ability to kill Eighth-Order Monster Beasts shows that this person’s strength is also not low. Not only in a fight, but with skills in Artifact Refining on par or better than this old master. You should pay more attention to that young man. As long as our sincerity is sufficient, I don’t believe it will be difficult to understand the identity of the master behind him.”
“I also thought so, what’s more, he should return again soon. Today, he bought a lot of Saint King Grade ores, most likely to refine more artefacts.”
“Good job. I am getting old, and probably won’t live for many more years, if you can recruit that master to take over my position, then you won’t have to worry about having someone to repairs your artefacts when they break,” Ge Lin smiled wryly. Artefact Refiners dedicate themselves to their craft and avoid fighting, so their vitalities are often not exuberant and their life expectancy are generally much shorter than other cultivators of the same level.
Looking at Yang Yan, who was sprawled out on the bed in his stone room in a completely sloppy and defenseless manner, Yang Kai shook his head helplessly.
One month of continuous Artifact Refining seemed to thoroughly exhaust her. Lying there, breathing deeply, her incredible figure on full display, regardless of whether Yang Kai wanted to be seduced or not, he couldn’t stop his eyes from fixing on her towering twin peaks.
Yang Kai’s return didn’t wake Yang Yan in the slightest.
Turning around, Yang Kai walked straight out of the cave again and proceeded to hunt down a few animals in the mountain forest before building up a fire near the cave entrance and grilling their meat. Yang Yan’s physical and mental exhaustion was clearly quite serious, so eating something would be good for her restoration.
Yang Kai had only half-finished his cooking when Yang Yan ran out of the cave sniffing the air, folding her arms in front of her as she squatted down next to him with a smile and stared at the golden roasted rabbit, eagerly waiting to eat.
“How was your rest?” Yang Kai glanced over at her.
“Somewhat, It’ll take a few more days for me to completely recover,” Yang Yan replied casually before crying out innocently, “Flip it over quickly, it’s already well roasted. Ah, no, not like that! Here, let me do it!”
Fussing like this, Yang Yan couldn’t stop herself from snatching the meat away from Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t try to stop her and simply sat back and relaxed, directing a somewhat suspicious look towards her. “If you’re really an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, why are you so miserable?”
This was the point that had confused Yang Kai the most about Yang Yan. He had witnessed her ability already, so Yang Kai knew that as long as she was willing to reveal it, she would be able to live a lavish life. Any force on Shadowed Star would be willing to accept her and provide her with the most generous treatment. Many of them would even be willing to fight over her.
Yang Yan pursed her lips, “What do you know. You’re probably thinking I should just hire myself to one of those big forces, right?”
Yang Kai nodded.
“I don’t trust them,” Yang Yan snorted, “None of them are anything good, I won’t refine artefacts for them.”
When she said this, Yang Kai understood.
Without the support of a big force, a woman like Yang Yan couldn’t show her true ability. Because she couldn’t acquire enough high-grade materials to display her abilities, when she entered a place like Artifact Refining Pavilion, everyone would question her skills and only dare allow her to refine some low-grade artefacts.
Even if she continued to declare that she was an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, no one would risk giving her Origin Grade materials to verify her ability.
Under this vicious circle, her not being miserable would be strange.
Even Yang Kai had not believed her and had only given her some materials he was planning to discard as a test.
“Do you have some kind of grudge against them?” Yang Kai asked.
“No, I don’t resent them, I just don’t like them. I heard that no matter which force it is, they’ll have many internal power struggles and external conflicts. I have no interest in being caught up in such troublesome things, I just want to quietly focus on Artifact Refining.”
This was also true. The higher level an Artifact Refiner was, the more forces would try to recruit them, but the inner workings of these forces would not all share the same opinion. Small families like Hai Ke Family were constantly squabbling amongst themselves, and it was only worse for behemoths like Shadow Moon Hall.
Once Yang Yan entered one of these forces, she would likely be caught up in these annoying matters.
As the scent of roasted meat wafted through the air, Yang Yan looked at the barbecue pit with satisfaction, tore off a rabbit leg, and handed it to Yang Kai. Yang Kai slowly shook his head to refuse, leading to Yang Yan unceremoniously stuffing her face with great satisfaction.
“I sold the artefacts you refined,” Yang Kai said casually.
“En, they’re yours in any case, do what you want with them.”
“They sold for twenty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals in total!”
“The price is fair, you didn’t suffer a loss,” Yang Yan nodded casually.
“How many Saint Crystals do you have on you right now?” Yang Kai asked again.
“Why?” Yang Yan immediately became alert and covered her Space Ring, seemingly afraid that Yang Kai was having ideas about her precious Saint Crystals, but after thinking about it for a moment, she felt it was unlikely and haltingly said, “Around two thousand… Low-Rank Saint Crystals.”
“So poor!” Yang Kai was speechless, shaking his head and sighing before taking out some High-Rank Saint Crystals from his Space Ring as well as a few bottles of pills used for restoring Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy and passing them over to her, “Artifact Refining consumed a lot of strength, you can have these.”
Yang Yan wiped the grease from her hands and then snatched the Saint Crystals Yang Kai offered without the slightest hesitation, stuffing them into her Space Ring before opening one of the bottles of pills and sniffing it, a look of surprise soon appearing on her face, “Saint King Grade pills?”
She hadn’t anticipated that Yang Kai would be so generous. A single bottle of Saint King Grade pills was quite a lot. The bottles he had just handed over to her were worth almost half as much as the artefacts she had refined.
“Looks like you’re quite rich,” Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai strangely. Massive amounts of Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Monster Beast materials, several bottles of Saint King Grade pills, a Saint King Grade High-Rank Star Shuttle, an Origin Grade artefact…
Yang Yan found it hard to imagine how a mere Third Order Saint came to possess so many good things.
Comparing him with herself, it was almost like Heaven and Earth. Where had he found all these things? It didn’t look like he had some kind of strong background.
“Don’t bother trying to conserve those pills, if you run out just ask me for more, I have lots,” Yang Kai said casually. He understood Yang Yan’s personality and knew she was the frugal type who would keep track of every last piece of Saint Crystal, so he was worried she would try to not use these pills in order to save up more money.
“You’re a really good person.” Yang Yan declared, feeling quite touched.
After saying so, she picked up another piece of barbecue and continued chomping on it, fragrant oil dripping down from her lips.
A few days later, after Yang Yan completely recovered, she began Artifact Refining again. This time, Yang Kai allowed her to work in his stone room directly. The Seven Coloured Spirit Gathering Flags were set up in his stone room so it would be much easier for her to restore herself here, improving the efficiency of her Artifact Refining.
Blazing hot Yang Attribute strength burst out constantly, but this kind of heat actually made Yang Kai feel quite comfortable.
While Yang Yan was engaged in Artifact Refining, Yang Kai wasn’t idling, moving to the Yang Yan’s stone room and entering secluded retreat to accumulate more Saint Qi.
At least four or five years had passed since he broke through to the Third Order Saint Realm, and although Yang Kai had been sealed in the blood-red crystal for most of those years, unable to feel the passing of time, but with the hundred drops of pure Demon God Golden Blood flowing through his veins, Yang Kai could clearly feel that his strength had improved again.
While he was unconscious, his realm seemed to have solidified and risen substantially.
Yang Kai even faintly felt that the Saint King Realm was within his reach and he had no shortage of insights into the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao. The only thing he was missing now was some accumulation, which conversely meant that as long as he accumulated enough Saint Qi, he would soon reach a critical point and break through.
While accumulating Saint Qi, Yang Kai was also studying the uses of his Golden Blood.
Some time ago, Yang Kai had used a drop of Golden Blood to form a golden spear which he then used to resolve Wu Yi and her crew’s crisis. This incident allowed Yang Kai to realize the power of his Golden Blood.
Now he wanted to know what his Golden Blood could do other than fight.
Thinking carefully about the scene from that time, Yang Kai’s expression changed as a novel idea popped into his head. After thinking of this, he quickly condensed a drop of Golden Blood at his fingertip.
The Golden Blood plunged into The Void and reappeared over a thousand kilometres away in an instant.
At that moment, Yang Kai felt a marvellous sensation. He was clearly still sitting in Yang Yan’s stone room in Dragon Cave Mountain, but he could clearly see the scene around his drop of Golden Blood a thousand kilometres away. It seemed that the Golden Blood had an inseparable connection to him and his consciousness could freely switch between it and his physical body. With this drop of Golden Blood, Yang Kai could easily see a scene a thousand kilometres away.
Yang Kai immediately entered an ethereal state, his mind observing the surroundings of his drop of Golden Blood as he flew forward.
He saw cities, mountains, forests, and rivers as his drop of Golden Blood shot forward at lightning-fast speed, at least a few times faster than his Star Shuttle was capable of. This speed was also a result of Yang Kai’s comprehension of the Dao of Space. This drop of Golden Blood could break through the shackles of space, allowing it to move at speeds even greater than Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was capable of.
The shocking vitality which emanated from this drop of Golden Blood as it flew forward alarmed many masters on Shadowed Star.
Countless masters’ eyes followed the Golden Blood as it passed by them, causing horrified looks to appear on their faces.
They didn’t know who was giving off such a shocking life aura, or how strong one would have to be to move even faster than their Divine Senses could. Often, by the time these masters became aware of the drop of Golden Blood, it had already disappeared from their sight, making it impossible for them to probe it.
The Elders and higher-ups of many forces gathered together in the following days to discuss whether this golden flash was an enemy that threatened their Sect.
Some masters tried to chase after the flash of golden light but all were unsuccessfully and soon forced to give up.
Yang Kai had no idea he had disturbed all of Shadowed Star with his unintentional movements, he was simply immersing himself in the Golden Blood’s miraculous uses.
After just three days, the drop of Golden Blood had made a complete survey of Shadowed Star.
The vitality contained within the drop of Golden Blood had not actually weakened much though; apparently, this journey had not caused it any strain.
Yang Kai was thoroughly shocked. His consciousness had been following this drop of Golden Blood while it toured the entirety of Shadowed Star, so he knew just how massive this Cultivation Star was. If he were to use his Star Shuttle, it would take him at least four months to cover its surface.
But the Golden Blood was able to do this in just three days; it was clear from this alone how terrifying its speed was.
What were its limits? How far apart could it be from his main body while still maintaining contact?
Yang Kai felt the need to figure these two questions out and with a single thought, sent the drop of Golden Blood which had just come back to him straight up into the sky, soon breaking through the cloud layer and heading out into the Star Field!
Yang Kai’s consciousness remained attached to the drop of Golden Blood as he saw one Dead Star after another as well as vast Asteroid Seas and packs of roaming Black Rock Beasts.
This was a rather strange experience, roaming the Starry Sky with just ones consciousness was something even a master at the Origin King Realm couldn’t do after all.
The Golden Blood was truly amazing.
After entering this kind of ethereal state, the speed at which Yang Kai’s physical body was able to absorb the surrounding aura increased sharply, allowing him to accumulate Saint Qi far quicker than before, dramatically improving his cultivation rate.
Yang Kai didn’t relax his vigilance however, as right now it was only him and Yang Yan on Dragon Cave Mountain. Yang Yan was concentrating completely on Artefact Refining, so naturally, Yang Kai could not lower his guard or he would be unable to defend them against unexpected aggressors.
Fortunately, he was able to switch his consciousness between his physical body and the drop of Golden Blood at will, as if his soul was simultaneously inhabiting two different bodies. Yang Kai paid attention to the movements of the drop of Golden Blood from time to time but didn’t monitor it constantly.
Over time, he even lost interest in keeping track of it. Although the drop of Golden Blood had been flying through the Starry Sky for quite some time, the vitality it contained only seemed to have weakened slightly. Yang Kai estimated that it would be able to continue on like this for at least several years before finally disappearing.
This time, Yang Yan took two months to finish her Artifact Refining.
But on the day she exited the stone room, she brought out seven Saint King Grade artefacts, some from each Grade!
Perhaps it was because of the pills and Saint Crystals Yang Kai had given her, but this time, she didn’t seem too tired. After handing over the artefacts to Yang Kai, she even had the mood to calculate how many Saint Crystals she still owed Yang Kai and began counting seriously.
Skilled in Artifact Refining, neither prideful nor arrogant, easy to talk to, beautiful with an outstanding good figure, and most importantly, charged only a modest fee!
Yang Kai felt like he had picked up a treasure and became more and more determined to permanently retain Yang Yan as his dedicated Artifact Refiner.
After giving her a few more bottles of pills and a number of High-Rank Saint Crystals, Yang Yan smiled with joy and stuffed everything into the Space Ring before asking, “What are you going to make me refine next? Let me examine the materials first so I can see what kinds of ores are needed.”
Yang Kai took out the carapace, tail, and pincer of the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion and tossed them over to Yang Yan.
The little girl’s eyes immediately bulged as a fascinated light flashed across their depths. Squatting down, she picked up these items one by one, stroking them with her delicate hands while muttering something under her breath, seemingly lost in her own world.
After a long time, she looked up into Yang Kai’s eyes and asked, “You’re willing to give me these materials to refine?”
Yang Kai nodded seriously, “You’ve proven your ability; I believe that you are indeed an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, so naturally I’m willing to let you work with these things.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll run away with these things?” Yang Yan still couldn’t believe what was happening, “These are the materials of a Ninth-Order Monster Beast, and they can be used to refine Origin Grade artefacts!”
“You can try to run, I’ll just capture you and bring you back though,” Yang Kai grinned.
Yang Yan spat disdainfully, seemingly quite annoyed with Yang Kai’s self-confident attitude, treating it like he had everything in his grasp.
“Rest assured, I’m not someone who breaks their word, I’ll make the best use of these things for you, but the ores you need to purchase this time won’t be the same as before, you’d best be prepared for some massive haemorrhaging,” Yang Yan said solemnly.
“It doesn’t matter, write up the list,” Yang Kai nodded and added, “That’s right, I have a request this time.”
“Ask whatever you’d like.”
“Use this carapace to refine me a defensive artefact, I’ll be using it myself, feel free to do what you want with the rest.”
“Got it, do you have this Monster Beast’s Core? If you have it, give it to me as well, it will be useful for this time’s Artifact Refining.”
As soon as Yang Yan spoke these words, a fist-sized Monster Core that gave of two distinct Energy Attributes was tossed over to her. Catching this core, Yang Yan nodded with satisfaction and began writing up a list of auxiliary materials. A moment later, she handed the list to Yang Kai and anxiously urged, “Hurry up and come back, after a couple of days of rest, I’ll start refining again. Following you was really a good choice, you unexpectedly have so many good materials on you for me to use.”
She seemed a little impatient.
Heavenly Fate City. Inside Trade Company, Qian Tong was sitting in a room on the third floor, sipping a cup of tea lightly as he gazed in the direction Yang Kai had left two months ago, a faintly anxious and helpless look upon his face.
Although he had previously determined that Yang Kai would come here again, he hadn’t expected that two whole months would pass by with no words from him.
Until today, the young man had not shown up again, making Qian Tong somewhat depressed. At the time, he was worried about leaving a bad impression on the powerful master behind the young man, so he had not sent anyone to follow him and did not dare inquire about his identity at will, planning to slowly win his trust by steadily purchasing the final products this master and the young man delivered.
Now however it seemed he had acted too cautiously, and Qian Tong thought he should have at least told the young man he was interested in soliciting his master. So long as that young man was intelligent enough, he would definitely bring those words to his master.
At that time, if the powerful master was willing, he would naturally pay a visit to Shadow Moon Hall, if he wasn’t, it wouldn’t be too late for Qian Tong to make a direct appeal.
The earlier such a Grandmaster Artifact Refiner could be recruited, the earlier Shadow Moon Hall would be able to reap the benefits. If they waited too long and another force discovered this master, they would definitely try to rob him from them. Once the situation developed to that extent, it wouldn’t be a matter of just one or two people dying.
Thinking about it, Qian Tong’s mood became irritable and he unconsciously crushed the teacup in his hand. It wasn’t until the hot tea dripped down his hand that he noticed what he had done.
Looking down the messy tabletop, Qian Tong couldn’t help letting out a dumb laugh.
He wasn’t young anymore, and his cultivation level wasn’t low, it had been many years since he had become so agitated. Even when he was a boy, his emotions had not been as uncontrollable as right now.
Picking up the broken teacup fragments and drying the spilt tea, Qian Tong took a breath and calmed his irritable mood.
Just then, there was a sudden knock at the door, causing Qian Tong to call out in a disgruntled tone, “What is it?”
“Elder Qian, the young man who came to sell artefacts two months ago is here again,” The clerk who had received Yang Kai last time replied respectfully. After waiting for a while, the clerk became somewhat suspicious about not receiving a response when Elder Qian Tong excitedly shouted, “Quickly invite him inside!”
As soon as those words came out though, Qian Tong corrected himself, “No no no, this old master will go welcome him personally!”
A burst of sound rang out, as if the tables, chairs, and tea sets in the room were all blow away and crushed.
The clerk’s face turned black, not understanding what was so special about this young man that Elder Qian Tong would treat him so seriously, even going so far as to smash the furnishings in his room in an effort to rush out and greet him.
The door was flung open and Qian Tong quickly walked downstairs, his face filled with smiles.
The clerk took a peek into the room curiously and sure enough, he discovered that all the furniture inside had been completely tossed about and destroyed.
On the first floor, Yang Kai was becoming impatient.
The last time he had come here, the clerk had received him diligently, showing the utmost consideration and attentiveness. This time, as a repeat customer, he had come here to sell some more artefacts in accordance with his previous agreement, but before he could even say anything, the clerk had asked him to wait and then run off somewhere.
A short time later though, the fat old man named Qian Tong walked over hurriedly, his face aglow and his belly trembling with laughter as he warmly shouted, “Young man, this old man has been waiting two months for you to return, come come, this way, please!”
Saying so, he held Yang Kai’s shoulder warmly and directed him towards the private room they had used last time.
Inside Trade Company’s lobby, the cultivators who were going about their business all froze up in shock as they stared towards Yang Kai’s back, unable to speak for a long time.
Many of them knew Qian Tong and were aware that he was a high-level Elder in Shadow Moon Hall, but this great master was now actually treating a young man like Yang Kai so kindly, causing all of them a great deal of shock. After the pair disappeared, the lobby exploded with chatter, everyone speculating about Yang Kai’s identity.
“What kind of background does that young man have that would compel Elder Qian Tong to come out and greet him personally? Heavens, even if one of the Patriarchs from the nearby families that came here, could they have received such an enthusiastic welcome from Elder Qian Tong?
“I don’t know, I’ve never seen him before, but from how he was dressed he doesn’t seem to be from some kind of big force.”
“His cultivation wasn’t high either, Third Order Saint Realm.”
“I remember that when the Patriarch of the Ke Rui Family came last time to discuss some important business, Elder Qian Tong didn’t even meet with him.”
“Who knows what is happening?”
…..
In the backroom, Qian Tong enthusiastically had Yang Kai sit down before having one of the maids serve tea along with a platter of golden spirit fruits. These spirit fruits were small but contained an astonishing amount of energy. Smiling broadly, Qian Tong explained, “These fruits are my Shadow Moon Hall’s special product that throughout all of Shadowed Star we are in sole possession of. Each fruit tree only produces one batch of matured fruit every ten years, with at most five hundred fruits per harvests. Although they have only provided minimal help increasing one’s cultivation, their taste is exquisite, and can help calm one’s mood, and also rapidly supplement one’s Saint Qi. They are best suited for someone who is about to break through, please feel free to try them.”
Qian Tong could see at a glance that Yang Kai was on the verge of breaking through from the Third Order Saint Realm to the Saint King Realm, so he had immediately offered these fruits.
Yang Kai glanced at him for a moment before reaching out and picking up one of the fruits, eating it without the slightest hesitation or worry, savouring the fragrant flavour and nodding, “The taste is indeed quite good, Elder Qian, if you don’t mind, I’d like to take these back with me.”
These fruits ability to quickly restore Saint Qi would be very useful for Yang Yan’s Artifact Refining.
Qian Tong’s eyes flashed, letting out a hearty laugh as he nodded, “Of course I don’t mind, if you like them, I’ll have someone prepare a few more, unfortunately, there aren’t many of them.”
Qian Tong truly didn’t mind that Yang Kai impolitely asked to bring these fruits back with him, because he was able to discern the meaning of this action.
Why would Yang Kai want to bring these fruits back with him?
Clearly he was going to offer them to his master as filial piety!
This only served to further confirm Qian Tong’s suspicions that there was a profound Artifact Refiner behind this young man.
“Elder Qian mentioned a moment ago that you had been eagerly waiting for my return, yes?” Yang Kai asked while taking out the seven newly refined artefacts from his Space Ring.
Qian Tong stared with wide eyes, his breathing becoming a bit heavier each time Yang Kai took out another artefact.
By the time all seven pieces had been laid on the table, Qian Tong’s look had already become a bit agitated.
He was able to tell that the ores Yang Kai purchased during his previous visit were used to refine these artefacts, yet it had only been a trivial two months and the result was seven Saint King Grade artefacts! This fully demonstrated just how powerful the Grandmaster behind this youth was!
Even if Grandmaster Ge Lin had acted personally, it would have been impossible to refine so many superior artefacts in such a short period of time.
Taking a deep breath, Qian Tong restored the smile to his face and said, “Waiting for these artefacts was just one matter, in fact, this old man was waiting for you personally, en, how should I address you?”
“Yang Kai.”
“This old man is Qian Tong, presumably you already knew that though, if you don’t mind, may this old man address you as Nephew?”
Yang Kai nodded casually, given Qian Tong’s age and status, him addressing Yang Kai as Nephew wasn’t unreasonable.
Qian Tong smiled wider and continued, “Nephew Yang is a young man of great talent, at such an age, nearly reaching the Saint King Realm, such aptitude is worthy of praise…”
Saying so, Qian Tong carefully observed Yang Kai’s reaction.
Young people always enjoy being flattered, so Qian Tong felt that receiving such praise from someone of his position and status would win him some favour with Yang Kai.
But to his surprise, Yang Kai remained indifferent, seemingly thinking such an evaluation was only natural. Not showing the slightest reaction, he just sitting in a relaxed posture in his chair.
Qian Tong coughed lightly, fixing his expression before continuing to ask, “I wonder if Nephew Yang is interested in seeking better opportunities?”
Yang Kai simply grinned. Since coming here just now, Qian Tong had treated him so enthusiastically that Yang Kai was able to faintly guess what he was thinking. Now hearing him ask such a question, Yang Kai was even more certain of his guess, directing a flat look at Qian Tong and asking, “Elder Qian, if you have something to say, you might as well just say it.”
Hearing this, Qian Tong’s collected the smile on his face and replaced it a solemn expression, “Nephew Yang, please do not take offence, this old man has no malicious intentions, it’s simply that when a young man like yourself appears, this old man can’t help wanting to recruit him. En, if you’re interested, this old man would like to invite you to join my Shadow Moon Hall. I can assure you that we will provide you with the most abundant cultivation resources and environment. With Nephew Yang’s aptitude, the Sect will surely spare no effort to cultivate you in the future!”
Qian Tong had quickly discerned that Yang Kai did not like talking in circles so he decided to take a direct approach instead, dropping all subtlety and replacing it with a straightforward appeal.
Qian Tong was a worldly man and naturally understand that if he tried to right away solicit the Grandmaster Artifact Refiner behind Yang Kai, he would fail. An Artifact Refiner of such skill would have their own pride and would not be so easily swayed, so Qian Tong had decided to first rope in Yang Kai.
In Qian Tong’s opinion, as long as Yang Kai was willing to enter Shadow Moon Hall, whether the master behind him could be recruited or not, a connection would still be forged. When everyone became familiar with one another in the future, making an attempt to recruit him would be much easier.
Qian Tong’s scheme was quite well thought out.
After making his proposal, Qian Tong silently observed Yang Kai’s reaction again, but to his disappointment, Yang Kai remained indifferent.
Sighing secretly to himself, Qian Tong felt that this young man indeed worthy of being a retainer of an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner. Although he couldn’t be sure Yang Kai was this Grandmaster’s disciple, year after year of being influenced by the sights and scenes around him had clearly caused his vision to be quite high. Simple empty promises were not enough to move him.
“That’s right, my Shadow Moon Hall is also in possession of a rare treasure known as the Divine Stone. Anyone who touches the Divine stone will have their consciousness led into a strange world where their Soul can receive purification and sublimation, it is quite useful for those seeking to strengthen their foundation in the Martial Dao. When the disciples of my Shadow Moon Hall encounter bottlenecks in their cultivation, they will often request to enter retreat alongside the Divine Stone to assist them in their practice. Such an opportunity though is normally not possible to obtain without first making great contributions to the Sect, but if Nephew Yang is willing join my Shadow Moon Hall, this old man can make an exception and allow you to cultivate with the Divine Stone for a period of time. Nephew Yang will soon break through to the Saint King Realm so I believe such an opportunity would be of great interest, yes?”
As Qian Tong made this offer, he directed an eager look towards Yang Kai, feeling that such a condition would not be one he could refuse!
Because Yang Kai’s cultivation was on the verge of breaking through to the next Great Realm, if such a good opportunity were to be offered to him, he would surely try to seize it.
But soon, Qian Tong’s look dampened, because he found that Yang Kai still showed no signs of interest. Qian Tong couldn’t help feeling shocked, wondering if this kid simply didn’t understand the preciousness of the Divine Stone. As he prepared to explain further though, Yang Kai waved his hand and somewhat impatiently said, “Elder Qian, this Junior appreciates your kind intentions but must politely decline, I am used to being free and am unwilling to join any force, let us put this matter aside and discuss business.”
Qian Tong’s face twitched for a while but soon let out a hollow laugh, “Good, since Nephew Yang is here to discuss business, we shall discuss business, as for this old man being a bit wordy, please do not pay it any mind.”
Although this time’s solicitation was not successful, Qian Tong was a patient man and naturally would not become so easily frustrated, feeling that as long as he showed enough sincerity, he would one day succeed.
The two then began discussing the transaction before them.
Seven Saint King Grade artefacts for a total price of fifty-nine thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals! Qian Tong made an offer, and Yang Kai accepted it.
The matter was open and closed in short order.
“I also want to buy some ore,” Yang Kai pulled out a list from his Space Ring and handed it over.
Qian Tong’s eyes lit up upon hearing this and the slight disappointment he felt in his heart was swiftly swept away, quickly summoning the shop assistant who was on standby outside the door. The man came in a respectfully asked, “What is Elder Qian’s command?”
“Take Nephew Yang’s list here and collect the ores for him. Also, withdraw fifty-nine thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals from the storehouse.”
“Yes!” The shop assistant accepted the list and nodded.
Yang Kai turned to him and said, “The money required to purchase those ores can be deducted from the Saint Crystals directly, just report to me the final cost.”
“Use the most preferential price, understood?” Qian Tong added solemnly.
Sometimes, when showing favour, one needed to make sure the other party was aware of your intentions.
“Understood,” The man nodded and immediately went out.
After he left, Qian Tong looked at Yang Kai with a smile, “Nephew Yang is now a frequent customer here, are you satisfied with our service?”
“Very satisfied,” Yang Kai smiled and nodded. Regardless of what kind of hidden agenda Qian Tong had, he had truly not taken advantage of him during these transactions, greatly satisfying Yang Kai. “Good, I’m certain Elder Qian is busy, please don’t mind me and attend to your own affairs, I’ll just wait here for my order and payment.”
Qian Tong smiled back and did not pester him any further, kindly stating, “Very well, but I hope Nephew Yang can remember to come to my Trade Company first if you ever have any more artefacts for sale.”
“I’ll remember.”
Receiving this pledge, Qian Tong stood up and left.
Yang Kai waited for about half an hour before a shop-assistant came to led him to another back room. Inside this room was a large collection of rare ores as well as a heap of Saint Crystals.
Having already been instructed by Qian Tong repeated about this matter, the shop assistant didn’t dare treat Yang Kai carelessly, respectfully reporting, “These are the ores honoured customer requested. The total price is seventeen thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, but because honoured customer is a VIP, we will sell them to you at a twenty percent discount for a total of thirteen thousand six hundred. Deducting the cost of these ores, honoured customer will receive forty-five thousand four hundred High-Rank Saint Crystal. Would you like to inspect the wares first?”
“No need,” Yang Kai shook his head, feeling a little surprised at the price of these ores.
Last time he had purchased ores here it had only cost him three thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, but this time his order was several times more expensive. No wonder Yang Yan had told him to prepare for some massive haemorrhaging.
Yang Kai trusted that this shop assistant would not try to deceive him as Qian Tong was still clearly intent on forging a connection with the Artifact Refiner behind him.
Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai swept almost everything into his Space Ring, leaving behind one hundred Saint Crystals.
The shop assistant smiled brightly as he gave Yang Kai a grateful look before escorting him away, neither of them mentioning the hundred Saint Crystals.
On the third floor of Trade Company, Qian Tong watched Yang Kai’s back disappear from his sight, his brow furrowing slightly, wondering what kind of method he should use to pull Yang Kai into Shadow Moon Hall. Both his attempts today had failed because he knew nothing about this young man’s preferences, if he at least had some background information on him, things would be easier to handle, but he couldn’t send someone out to spy on him, causing him to be caught in a difficult situation.
Soon, there was another knock at his door.
“Come in!” Qian Tong sat back in his chair.
The same shop assistant walked in and immediately reported, “Elder Qian, when that young man left just now, he left behind a hundred Saint Crystals for this disciple.”
“Oh?” Qian Tong glanced over at him in surprise, “Did you accept them?”
“En, this disciple did not decline. That young man did not say anything explicitly, but disciple naturally understood that he was deliberately leaving them before for me. If Elder Qian doesn’t believe this to be appropriate, I will immediately send them back to him,” The disciples said while carefully watching Qian Tong’s expression, lest this old man become angry.
Qian Tong however just waved his hand and said, “No need! Since he sent them to you, accept them. This young man prefers straight dealings, if you had tried to hypocritically refuse, he would have been displeased. En, if he comes to buy ores again, make sure you attend to him. Treat him as the highest level of guest, understood?”
“Disciple understands.”
“Right, what type of ore did he buy this time? Is it the same as last time?”
The shop assistant immediately shook his head, “He bought ore worth seventeen thousand pieces of High-Rank Saint Crystal this time, I gave him a twenty percent discount, therefore it cost…”
“Seventeen thousand?” Qian Tong’s expression changed dramatically, seemingly realizing something and asking urgently, “He bought Origin Grade ores?”
“Yes.”
A smile blossomed on Qian Tong’s face as he let out a great laugh, “Good good good, it’s really so…”
Qian Tong seemed to be very excited and began pacing back and forth across the room, causing the shop assistant who was still at the door to be quite confused, unable to understand what was happening. If this shop assistant recalled correctly, Elder Qian hadn’t even been this happy when he broke through to the Second Order Origin Returning Realm.
After a while, Qian Tong suddenly took out a piece of jade and filled it with his Spiritual Energy before tossing it over to the shop assistant, “Contact every steward and shopkeeper in our Shadow Moon Hall’s shops in Heavenly Fate City, tell them to remember the appearance of this person. If he visits their stores, they are to receive him with utmost courtesy; however, they are not to act too obviously, just give him preferential treatment and some discounts. If anyone fails to recognize him and ends up offending him, I’ll make them regret being born into this world!”
Qian Tong’s last words were spoken with a frigid seriousness that caused the shop assistant to tremble as he held the jade block. Quietly inspecting its contents, the shop assistant found a portrait of Yang Kai’s appearance which had been created by Elder Qian Tong’s Divine Sense.
Holding onto the jade block extremely carefully, the shop assistant immediately set out to notify all the necessary personnel in Heavenly Fate City, not daring to delay.
After this man left, Qian Tong swept the seven artefacts placed on the table into his Space Ring and hurried over to Grandmaster Ge Lin’s residence.
He had to inform Grandmaster Ge Lin that there truly was an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner behind Yang Kai.
Although the two of them had some speculations before and knew that the artefacts Yang Kai had brought to sell the first time had been refined by an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, they weren’t completely certain this Grandmaster really existed. Perhaps these artefacts were accidentally obtained by Yang Kai somewhere. But now, it was apparent that their speculations were true.
However, it was different now. Since Yang Kai bought Origin Grade ores, it meant that Qian Tong’s previous conjectures were true. He had to discuss this matter with Grandmaster Ge Lin immediately to see if he could make a personal trip to speak with Yang Kai’s master. After all, Artifact Refiners shared a common language amongst themselves. Perhaps Ge Lin would have more success in forming a relationship with that person.
Qian Tong rushed to the palace to speak with Ge Lin, and it wasn’t long before Ge Lin too, became a little excited. The two of them discussed whether Ge Lin should speak to Yang Kai about the Artifact Refiner behind him the next time he came, not just to recruit him but also because Ge Lin himself was interested in having a discussion with a peer.
When Yang Kai arrived back at Dragon Cave Mountain, he found that Yang Yan was not in the cave, which made him feel a bit surprised. Rushing into the cave to investigate, the scene caused Yang Kai’s face to sink and a thick murderous intent to flash across his eyes.
Yang Yan was an innocent woman, so it was impossible for her to have disappeared for no reason, and even more impossible for her to rob his precious materials and escape.
However, there were some clear traces of fighting in the cave, so it was quite obvious that Yang Yan had encountered some kind of danger.
Yang Kai immediately became furious!
Without even mentioning the fact that he had handed over the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion materials to Yang Yan and he had just purchased a lot of rare ores so Yang Yan could refine him an Origin Grade defensive type artefact, Yang Yan was a genuine Original Grade Artifact, she was his dedicated Artifact Refiner, Yang Kai refused to allow her to have any accidents.
Who did it? Was it the Hai Ke Family?
There weren’t many traces of battle left in the cave, so Yang Yan should not have gotten caught up in a struggle with the enemy here. Although she was an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, through his observations over these past few months, Yang Kai discovered that she did not seem to possess much combat power.
If the Hai Ke Family really did this, Yang Kai would not even consider Wu Yi’s face and would definitely charge straight in and create a mess.
Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai swept his surroundings and a moment later, his raging anger subsided greatly. He found that the situation was not as bad as he had thought. Yang Yan was currently safe, but she was seemingly being chased by someone. Right now, she was fleeing through the mountains and rivers a couple dozen kilometres away from the cave.
After discovering Yang Yan’s location, Yang Kai immediately left the cave and quickly rushed towards her, quietly condensing his Saint Qi as a cold look spread across his face.
A moment later, Yang Yan’s cries reached his ears, and Yang Kai’s heart sank.
“Yang Yan!” Yang Kai called out to her and flew over.
Hearing Yang Kai’s voice, Yang Yan, who was fleeing in panic, froze for a moment before a look of pleasant surprise flashed across her eyes and she tightly gripped her black robe and hurried over to his side.
Around her body was a fiery red flowing halo of light that gave off an astonishing heat.
This was clearly a very high-grade defensive artefact, and from the energy fluctuations it gave off, Yang Kai estimated that even if he used his full strength to strike it, he may not necessarily be able to hurt Yang Yan.
Yang Yan’s condition was not bad. In fact, besides being a bit flustered and looking a little pitiful, there wasn’t even a scratch on her, allowing Yang Kai to put down the last of his worries.
“Wu wu wu… Yang Kai save me! Someone is bullying me!” Yang Yan cried as she quickly ran behind Yang Kai and hid.
“Don’t be afraid!” Yang Kai comforted her before turning a cold glare forward.
Several figures quickly flew over towards them, with one of them shouting angrily, “Cheap slut, you dare hurt me? I want you dead!”
Before the words even finished leaving the man’s lips, a huge sword wave flew out, splitting the air and cracking the earth around it, exploding the trees it pass through as if they had been thoroughly rotted.
The sword wave was filled with cold and gloomy murderous intent and obviously wasn’t just meant as a threat but as a true killing blow.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, pulling Yang Yan along with him as he dodged this sword wave.
Five figures landed in the next instant, surrounding Yang Kai and Yang Yan tightly. Yang Yan’s tender body trembled as she clung to Yang Kai’s clothes tightly, an expression of pure fear on her face.
Even if her Artifact Refining skills were astonishing, Yang Yan was still just a little girl less than thirty years old with minimal combat experience; she had never once encountered a life or death fight so it was only natural that this experience frightened her. Although Yang Kai was now beside her, when she saw the fierce look on the faces of the five men surrounding them, Yang Yan couldn’t help feeling scared. She didn’t know if Yang Kai could cope with this situation; after all, he was just a Third Order Saint.
On the other hand, as Yang Kai glanced around at these people, he couldn’t help feeling a bit stunned.
Because he found that while the one being chased, Yang Yan, was completely unharmed, these five men who were doing the chasing all looked quite miserable, especially the young man who seemed to be about the same age as him. This young man had at least a dozen cuts on his face which gave him a particularly terrifying and bloody look.
The other four also had blood stains on them from multiple injuries, the worse off of them having a severe burn on his abdomen and seemed to be in great pain, his forehead dripping with cold sweat. It was obvious he had been hit with some kind of scorching hot flame.
“What’s this all about?” Yang Kai was confused and turned to Yang Yan for an explanation.
Yang Yan’s face was still pale and her teeth were chattering as she cried, “I don’t know… I was just resting inside the cave when they broke in. That guy said he wanted me to accompany him and when I said I didn’t want to, he tried to drag me out so I summoned my Burning Sun Halo then sent out my Frost Bone Nail. After he was injured, those four all shouted angrily and attacked me, so I tossed my Dragon Whisker Whip, Ten Thousand Flame Cover, Coloured Glass Ring, and Profound Golden Cloud Wire at them then ran away. They chased after me so I kept running and running… then… then you came.”
Listening to Yang Yan’s words, the five cultivations standing around the pair wore extremely embarrassed and angry looks.
Yang Kai knit his brow and pondered over the situation for a while, imagining how Yang Yan had been thrown into a panic and kept summoning one high-grade artefact after another inside the cave, smashing these five men with them until they cried for their mothers and begged for their fathers…
Yang Kai almost couldn’t stop himself from laughing.
Worthy of an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner! Yang Kai had never known that Yang Yan actually had so many good things on her. Although her combat effectiveness and courage were quite small, she was not someone who could easily be bullied. With her luxurious collection of artefacts, if she had intended to kill these five people, they would likely have already been pounded to death.
Although it turned out there was nothing to worry about, Yang Kai was still quite annoyed.
It was clear that Yang Yan had a near-endless supply of these artefacts, yet these five had still persisted in pursuing her. If it had just been some kind of minor dispute, they would have long ago withdrawn. Since they continuing to chase her, it either meant they fancied Yang Yan’s beauty or her treasure trove of artefacts.
The latter possibility was much larger.
Considering all this, Yang Kai’s look became even colder.
After realizing that Yang Kai was just a Third Order Saint, the bloody faced young man who had originally worn a frightened look immediately relaxed and became arrogant again, shouting rampantly, “Brat, I don’t care who you are, or what kind of relationship you have with this woman, none of that matters any more, hurry up and scram if you don’t want to die. Otherwise, don’t blame Father here for killing you!”
Yang Kai grinned, “You break into my site, act unruly, attack my friend, yet claim it’s none of my business?”
“Your site?” The young man suddenly showed a look of enlightenment, “Are you from the Hai Ke Family? Good, that makes things easier.”
Suddenly his expression became extremely relaxed as he put on a high and might act and pointed to his face while declaring, “My name is Xu Tian Ze.”
After introducing himself, he proudly waited for Yang Kai’s response, seemingly thinking that his name would be enough of a deterrent on its own.
How could he have imagined that Yang Kai would just stare at him indifferently, without any response?
Xu Tian Ze froze up for a moment before exclaiming in an exaggerated manner, “Hey, don’t you know who I am?”
“Should I know you?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “What the hell do you count for?”
Xu Tian Ze turned to his four subordinates with a stunned look before bursting into laughter, “The quality of Hai Ke Family’s people continues to decline it seems, there’s actually someone among them who doesn’t know the name Xu Tian Ze.”
“Young Master, this kid isn’t very strong and doesn’t seem like someone important from the Hai Ke Family. It’s likely he has never had a chance to hear your name!” One man said.
This explanation allowed Xu Tian Ze’s complexion to improve noticeably. An insignificant nobody from a small force like Hai Ke Family really wasn’t someone he could take seriously, the only one to be feared here was this small-statured, big black robe wearing woman.
This lowly whore’s piles of artefacts had just made him and his guards suffer quite a bit. At first he had no idea she possessed such treasures, but now that he did, Xu Tian Ze wasn’t about to just give up. Those artefacts were really too attractive.
On top of that, this woman didn’t seem to know how to fight. She only knew how to run away. In this case, as soon as he grasped this woman, he would obtain both her body and wealth. This woman was of the highest quality; even her black robe is unable to hide her abundant peaks or full moon.
Xu Tian Ze could already imagine what she would look like after stripping her clothes away, causing him to become even more eager to seize her.
He had never thought that after simply passing through this area, noticing that the aura was quite good, then coming down to investigate, he would be able to obtain such big benefits.
Seeing Xu Tian Ze staring at her with such an obscene look, Yang Yan subconsciously grabbed Yang Kai’s clothes tighter and hiding behind him while whispering softly, “Yang Kai, they have four Saint Kings, we need to run.”
“Are Saint Kings something special? More than one or two Saint Kings have died in my hands,” Yang Kai patted Yang Yan on the shoulder.
“You, kill a Saint King?” Xu Tian Ze seemed to have heard a joke and laughed aloud, “You really doesn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth. Do all people from the Hai Ke Family speak without thinking? Xu Wei, go teach him a lesson, let him understand the difference between him and a real Saint King is.”
“Yes, Young Master,” The cultivator who was named snickered and walked forward step by step, smirking as he cracked his neck and said, “Boy, daring to provoke my Young Master, your end will be very miserable.”
“It’s him who annoyed me, but you won’t get a better end than him. After you die, you can regret it in Hell!” Yang Kai stared at him lightly, and as soon as he spoke, a pitch-black flame suddenly appeared and rushed out towards the cultivator called Xu Wei.
The billowing Demonic Flame that suddenly appeared surged towards the Saint King Realm cultivator called Xu Wei with an imposing momentum that made it seem as if it could burn all things in existence.
Xu Wei stared at this flame for a moment before letting out a laugh, “A Fire Attribute cultivator? What I fear the least is the Fire Attribute!”
Saying so, a faint layer of mist appeared from the surface of his body and began spreading out in a seemingly endless series of ripples, as if a lake had instantly been formed around Xu Wei. These ripples overlapped and merged together to form a flexible mass that contained a gentle yet potent force which Xu Wei fearlessly pushed forward to meet the Demonic Flame. Xu Wei wanted to completely extinguish the Demonic Flame then strangle Yang Kai to death as punishment for running his mouth a moment ago, letting this brat know just how great the gap between the two of them was.
As soon as he saw Xu Wei use his strength, Yang Kai realized that he was facing a Water Attribute cultivator. Yang Kai also understood where Xu Wei extremely self-confidence was coming from. Since ancient times, water and fire had always been incompatible. His strength obviously restrained Yang Kai’s, and with the difference in cultivation, in Xu Wei’s opinion, if he could not win this confrontation, he would have spent his entire life cultivating in vain.
Xu Tian Ze and the remaining Saint Kings clearly understood Xu Wei’s background and bottom line, so they all just stood back with their arms crossed, preparing to watch the good show as they directed looks of disdain towards Yang Kai.
In their opinion, Yang Kai would surely die as it was absolutely impossible for him to escape from Xu Wei’s water field. When this exchange of blows was over, perhaps this kid wouldn’t even be left with a complete corpse.
Xu Wei was sneering, but Yang Kai was doing the same. Both of their eyes were filled with complete confidence, staring at the other as if they were a dead man.
As the water ripples surged forward though, the extremely hot Demonic Flames suddenly underwent a great mutation and became extremely cold. The spreading water ripples were instantly frozen and became completely fixed mid-air.
The sneer on Xu Wei’s face went stiff as he stared blankly at the weird scene in front of him, unable to understand why this strength was actually being restrained by the flames. Although this flame was pitch-black and extremely eerie, in the end, it was being displayed by a mere Third Order Saint.
How could it possibly stop his power from moving forward?
In that moment of absentmindedness, a shattering sound suddenly rang out, nearly frightening Xu Wei out of his wits. The frozen waves of water suddenly burst into flames and were being consumed at an extremely rapid pace as the black flames spread towards him.
The pitch-black fireball that was constantly alternating between hot and cold; Yin and Yang, two auras that absolutely weren’t supposed to coexist, slammed towards Xu Wei.
The Saint Qi barrier Xu Wei surrounding his body with failed to play any protective role, in fact, as he pushed his strength to resist this attack, it was as if he was pouring oil onto the flames, making them burn even more fiercely. Xu Wei was only able to cry out pitifully as his body was engulfed by these black flames.
Xu Wei fluttered about randomly as he displayed his Martial Skills and summoned his artefacts one after another in a panic as he tried to put out these flames. But all of this was to no avail as the black flames clung tenaciously to him, burning more brilliantly with every passing moment.
Xu Wei opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out, as if even his voice was being consumed by the flames.
A mere ten breaths later, Xu Wei fell from the sky like a burning fireball and hit the ground with a thud.
A disturbing stench of burnt flesh filled the air.
The eyes of everyone present bulged. Xu Tian Ze and the remaining three Saint King Realm cultivators had never even dreamed that Yang Kai could be so terrifying, with just a Third Order Saint Realm cultivation, all it had taken was a single move for him to kill a First Order Saint King!
Just what were those black flames? How could they have rendered Xu Wei unable to even fight back?
Only now did everyone realize that Yang Kai had not been idly boasting before when he said that more than one or two Saint Kings had died at his hand. With such astonishing methods at his disposal, killing a few Saint Kings would be absolutely no problem.
Realizing this, the hearts of the two remaining First Order Saint Kings both pounded fiercely as they stared towards Yang Kai in utter horror. Their cultivations were similar to Xu Wei, possibly even worse than his, so if Yang Kai could kill Xu Wei in one move, killing them would be just as easy.
Suddenly facing a life or death crisis, both these men’s legs trembled as their stomachs twisted, neither of them able to move forward or backward for a while, soon turning their eyes to the strongest member of their group for help.
This bald, middle-aged man had the highest cultivation amongst this group, but he was still just a Second-Order Saint King, only a bit stronger than Xu Wei and the others. After witnessing the terrifying might of the Demonic Flames though, this man knew that right now they should be escaping.
Because he had no confidence he could resist these strange black flames; these flames seemed like they were capable of burning all creation, bringing an unimaginable despair to him.
“What are you all standing around gawking for? He killed Xu Wei! Fight! I want his corpse torn into ten thousand pieces! I want him to die like a dog!” Xu Tian Ze, who had the lowest cultivation of his group, suddenly jumped out and scolded. Although Xu Tian Ze was the Xu Family’s Young Master, his aptitude was truly pitiful. The Xu Family had used countless precious treasures over the years purify his body and wash his marrow, but even so, he was still just a Third Order Saint.
Without any aptitude in the Martial Dao, Xu Tian Ze’s personality became twisted and he indulged in all kinds of debauchery. Wantonly abusing his status and the prestige of the Xu Family, no one in the surrounding region dared to provoke him, not to mention he was always escorted by four Saint King Realm guards. Besides colossal forces like Shadow Moon Hall, no one dared to move against him.
Yet suddenly, one of his guards had inexplicably died. Xu Tian Ze had failed to realize how tyrannical Yang Kai’s strength was and only understood that he had lost face, prompting to immediately retaliate.
Listening to Xu Tian Ze’s shouting, all three Saint Kings present shot a difficult look, at this moment praying that their waste of a Young Master would shut his smelly mouth! Could this idiot still not see that the three of them were no more than clay Buddhas crossing the river, unable to even protect themselves?
The bald middle-aged man suddenly yelled at the other two, “You should know what fate awaits you if the Young Master has any kind of accident!”
When they heard these words, the two men both wore looks of pure dread and immediately turned to Yang Kai, summoning all their defensive artefacts without saying a word and flying towards him.
One of them raised his hand and condensed a silver light the filled the surrounding region. This silver light hid a pointed murderous intent and quickly flooded towards Yang Kai.
The other man stealthily appeared behind Yang Kai. A huge phantom tiger appeared above this man’s head and swiftly bit towards Yang Kai’s neck while simultaneously, the man stretched out his hand towards Yang Yan.
As long as they caught this woman, they would be able to use her as a bargaining chip to force Yang Kai to compromise.
Although this woman had a myriad of powerful artefacts, she didn’t understand how to fight at all and shouldn’t be too difficult to catch.
These two men cooperated flawlessly and it was obvious this was not their first time fighting together. Both of them were quite familiar with each other’s strengths and movements.
Yang Kai stood in place, not moving, but just before the silver light engulfed his position, a halo of black flame appeared around him, as if he had been lit on fire. This halo of flame, however, didn’t just surround Yang Kai, but also Yang Yan who was still clinging onto his clothes at this moment.
When the silver light struck the Demonic Flame barrier, it was instantly incinerated. The cultivator who was rushing towards Yang Kai from the front saw this and was stunned, realizing he had greatly underestimated this young man’s ability and hurriedly tried to withdraw.
“You want to run?” Yang Kai sent out a punch that pounded directly onto the man’s chest.
Yang Kai’s punch directly blasted a hole into this Saint King Grade Low-Rank Artifact Armour, as if it was as fragile as paper, then proceeded to crush the man’s torso in.
The man flew out like an arrow from a bow, the black Demonic Flames wrapping around him and his Artifact Armour, burning them all to crisp before his body could even hit the ground.
At the same time Yang Kai’s fist hit his first attacker, a pitiful scream rang out behind him.
The cultivator who wanted to capture Yang Yan to use her as a hostage had only just put his hand on her shoulder when Yang Kai’s Demonic Flame began burning his body.
The man rapidly took back his hand, but the Demonic Flame continued to spread up his arm at a frightening speed. Seeing this, the man decisively took out a sword and cut off his own arm.
He would rather lose an arm than allow the Demonic Flame to reach his body. Both of his companions had been burned to death before his eyes, so he was well aware of how horrifying the Demonic Flame was.
After cutting off his arm, he wanted to immediately run away, but to his despair, another ball of black flame suddenly appeared in front of him and smashed into his face.
Both hot and cold force struck him, making him realize he had been hit. Clawing at his face with his one remaining hand, the man tried to wipe away the black flames but all his attempts proved futile and it wasn’t long until his entire body was on fire and he was sent into convulsions. It was impossible for him to survive.
Yang Kai turned his head towards a spot in the distance where the bald middle-aged man had run away with Xu Tian Ze while his two subordinates had sacrificed themselves. Xu Tian Ze, who was on his shoulder, was still yelling rabidly about making Yang Kai suffer and die.
Just as Yang Kai stepped out and was about to pursue this pair, something behind him held him back. It was only then that he remembered that Yang Yan was still clinging to his clothes, and from the resistance he just felt, it seemed like she was all her force to hold onto him.
Looking back at her, Yang Kai suddenly found that Yang Yan’s face was extremely pale and mind was in chaos. Her tender body was shivering like a quail with nowhere to hide in winter.
“Yang Yan!” Yang Kai was frightened, thinking that Yang Yan had suffered some kind of secretive blow during the fight. Without any time to bother killing the last two, Yang Kai sent out a pulse of Spiritual Energy towards the bald middle-aged man and Xu Tian Ze’s direction before focusing on Yang Yan.
A faint blue light emanated from the waist of Xu Tian Ze, offsetting some of the damage from the Yang Kai Divine Sense attack, but even so, Xu Tian Ze instantly passed out. The bald middle-aged man spit out a mouthful of blood as he felt like his head was being pierced by thousands of needles, the pain so great that he was afraid his Knowledge Sea would collapse and his Soul would be destroyed.
“How is that possible!” The bald middle-aged man cried out in terror.
He hadn’t imagined that not only was Yang Kai’s Saint Qi so frightening, but his Spiritual Energy was just as overbearing. He was two realms higher than Yang Kai, yet he had almost been instantly killed by him. If it wasn’t for Xu Tian Ze’s Soul type artefact which had resisted some of the force of this attack, the two of them might have really died then and there.
Not daring to delay any further, the bald man hurriedly placed Xu Tian Ze on his shoulder and fled as quickly as possible.
“Yang Yan…” Yang Kai nervously held Yang Yan and examined her with his Divine Sense. After a moment though, he calmed down and discovered that things were not what he had imagined. Yang Yan had not suffered some secretive treachery and not even injured, she simply seemed to have been greatly frightened, resulting in a somewhat unstable mental state.
As Yang Kai gently patting her back, Yang Yan looked up at him with difficulty, her face suddenly going white as she struggled free and ran over to the side to repeatedly vomit.
Yang Kai stared at her with a weird expression.
After a long time, Yang Yan whispered softly, “Yang Kai, I feel a bit dizzy…”
As soon as she finished these words, she collapsed to the ground.
[Seriously?] Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and quickly stepped forward to support her, discovering that she had fainted, her face still pale and bloodless, and her body unusually cold.
With a sigh, Yang Kai shook his head, carefully picked Yang Yan up, and carried her towards the cave.
The cave itself hadn’t suffered much damage; after all, the fight here had been too short. Even the Seven Coloured Spirit Gathering Flags set up by Yang Kai had not been taken away. Back inside his stone room, Yang Kai put Yang Yan down on the bed and covered her with the sheets, observing her unconscious face with some pity and amusement.
Yang Kai had planned to finish off Xu Tian Ze, but with Yang Yan in this kind of state, it would not be appropriate for him to leave, so he could only remain by her side.
Yang Kai had only arrived on Shadowed Star a short time ago, and had been doing his best to avoid stirring up trouble, but now, trouble had inexplicably found him. Yang Kai was naturally reluctant to allow any witnesses to remain, but even if Xu Tian Ze returned after finding some helpers, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid.
According to Wu Yi, there were no Origin King Realm masters on Shadowed Star while the strongest master in her Hai Ke Family was only a Third Order Saint King. It was obvious that Xu Tian Ze didn’t belong to a big force, so the chances of him being able to bring forward a strong master were also quite slim.
Yang Yan slept for a few days, every now and then calling out in a panic-stricken voice, clearly having nightmares. Every time this happened, it took Yang Kai quite some time to calm her down.
Three days later, Yang Yan woke up quietly.
Yang Kai sat on the bed and looked at her. Staring at Yang Kai for a while, Yang Yan soon averted her gaze shamefully as her cheeks blushed.
“Eat something first,” Yang Kai tossed her a small package.
Smelling the fruit and seemingly in desperate need to replenish her physical strength, Yang Yan immediately got up, unwrapped the package, and after seeing the golden fruits inside, ate up with a smile, her pale face gradually regaining its colour.
Seeing her looking better, Yang Kai asked curiously, “Have you never seen a dead person before?”
The reason why Yang Yan had fallen into a coma was not that she had been injured, but rather because she had been frightened! Several people dying in such a horrific manner in front of her had clearly overwhelmed Yang Yan. Yang Kai always knew that she was timid, but he hadn’t expected it to be so bad that just seeing three strangers die in front of her had caused her to pass out for three days. If she saw a true bloody battlefield, would she have died directly?
However, Yang Kai also understood that anyone who witnessed death for the first time would react in a similar fashion. The first time he had killed someone, although his performance wasn’t as unbearable as Yang Yan’s, his mood had fluctuated greatly. Fortunately, his mental toughness seemed to be quite good, at least much more so than Yang Yan’s.
Hearing Yang Kai’s few words, Yang Yan, who was eating with great relish, immediately put down the fruit and covered her mouth.
“You haven’t?” Yang Kai was shocked, thinking about how she had fainted for three whole days due to such a minor event and wondering how she had survived so far in this chaotic world? With her level of courage and skill, Yang Kai felt it was nothing less than a miracle she had managed to live for so long.
Yang Yan’s face clearly indicated she was in no condition to speak so she simply waved her hand at Yang Kai while taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.
“It’s not like I haven’t seen people die, but I’ve never seen such gruesome deaths…” Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai, a hint of fear lingering on her face. The scene of those few people screaming as they burned to death was still vivid in her mind, but what was most unbearable to her was the burnt smell that had filled her nostrils.
She never knew that charred flesh would smell so pungent.
“En, next time I kill someone, just close your eyes,” Yang Kai sighed.
“There’ll be a next time?” Yang Yan looked bitter.
“Possibly!” Yang Kai nodded, “Let’s not discuss this anymore, for now just eat up.”
“En,” Yang Yan nodded, picking up the half-eaten fruit and nibbling on it again, a short time later asking curiously, “Where did you get this? It seems to be able to refresh the spirit while restoring strength.”
“It was a gift,” Yang Kai didn’t explain. Although these fruits were relatively rare, they weren’t actually that valuable, otherwise, Qian Tong wouldn’t have given them to him so generously.
“By the way, did you buy the ores?” Yang Yan asked again.
“I bought them, but you need to rest for a few more days, wait until you’ve completely recovered before you start refining again,” Yang Kai did not feel relieved allowing Yang Yan to refine an Original Grade artefact in her current condition. Artefact Refining and Alchemy required an extremely stable state of mind, once there was any external interference, it may cause irreparable losses.
“En.”
Yang Yan rested for several more days before taking the large number of ores Yang Kai had purchased and entering a state of retreat to continue Artifact Refining, seemingly forgetting all about what happened before.
This woman’s mind was relatively simple. Although she was as timid as a mouse, she wasn’t tiresome to deal with, because she would quickly move past things and was easy to satisfy.
With his stone room and Seven Coloured Spirit Gathering Flags being requisitioned away by Yang Yan, Yang Kai decided to leave the cave and find a clean place to sit down cross-legged nearby and look out at the surrounding mist-covered mountain, nodding with satisfaction.
It had been several months since the Aura Gathering Spirit Array was laid down on this mountain and was beginning to bear fruit. The layer of fog which lingered around the mountain was becoming thicker and thicker, indicating that the World Energy aura was steadily becoming denser.
Although Yang Kai had left the cave, he kept his Divine Sense locked onto it at all times, worried that Yang Yan would have an accident or that Xu Tian Ze would come to find trouble with him again and disturb Yang Yan’s Artefact Refining.
Yang Yan was currently refining the Origin Grade defensive artefact Yang Kai had requested, so he was not about to let any accidents occur.
Time passed day by day, and everything remained calm and steady.
One day, as Yang Kai was meditating, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind, “I’ve recovered.”
Hearing this voice, Yang Kai was overjoyed and immediately realized that the Divine Tree had awoken.
Back on Rainfall Star, in order to dispel the effects of the Profound Yin Sunflower Water from Xue Yue, Yang Kai had exhausted both his and the Divine Tree’s strength, causing the later to fall into a deep sleep. Now, several years later, the Divine Tree had finally woken up.
“How do you feel?” Yang Kai immediately asked.
“I’m alright, but you don’t seem to have changed much. Was I only asleep for a short time?” The Divine Tree was puzzled. Yang Kai was a Second-Order Saint when he borrowed its power, but today he was just a Third Order Saint, such a small improvement was not in line with Yang Kai’s aptitude.
“It’s been a few years, I don’t know exactly how long.”
“Then why are you …”
“There was an accident,” Yang Kai chuckled and briefly explained about the Body Tempering Divine Pond. Yang Kai didn’t hide anything from the Yang Attribute Divine Tree which had obtained sentience as it was extremely closely tied to him and despite being just a tree, was somewhat like a partner to him who was always with him.
Yang Kai also remembered his initial commitment to find a suitable place to let it out and take root.
But all these years Yang Kai had been constantly running around without any stable place to call home. Although he had visited many places, Yang Kai had yet to find a suitable position and the Divine Tree had never urged him, causing Yang Kai to feel a bit ashamed.
“Oh? You mean that although your realm hasn’t changed, you’ve obtained some kind of profound Golden Blood?” The Divine Tree seemed to be interested in his Golden Blood.
“Do you want to try?”
“Yes!”
Yang Kai immediately squeezed out a drop of Golden Blood and sent it into the Demon Mystic Tome to be absorbed by the Divine Tree.
A moment later, Yang Kai wore a startled expression.
Although he didn’t know exactly what happened to the Divine Tree after absorbing a drop of his Golden Blood, he could feel that the close relationship between them had become even firmer and more stable.
Yang Kai could even feel the joy and excitement of the Divine Tree in his heart. The large leaves were constantly shaking as if they had received great nourishment and a feel of extremely satisfaction was transmitted directly to his Soul.
It took a long time but the Divine Tree eventually let out a refreshing sigh and commented, “The vitality contained in that drop of Golden Blood was incredibly and it doesn’t seem to have the same restrictions as your previous Yang Liquid. This kind of Golden Blood can be used to enhance any living creature with any attribute strength. Any World Spirit Treasure that absorbs a drop will have its vitality and maturity greatly enhanced.”
In the past, Yang Kai’s Yang Liquid could only be used on spirit grasses and spirit medicines of the Yang Attribute, but the Golden Blood was different. There were no attribute restrictions because what the Golden Blood contained was pure vitality.
Dozens of small fruits suddenly appeared on the Divine Tree. Similar fruits had been eaten by Yang Kai a long time ago, each one of them containing a lot of Yang Attribute energy.
These small fruits had budded a long time ago, but their growth cycle was very long, only reaching the size of grapes after all these years, but after absorbing a drop of Golden Blood, these fruits began growing at a rate visible to the naked eye, reaching the size of walnuts before stopping.
“Interesting,” Yang Kai laughed, “It looks like I’ll be able to rapidly mature some spirit grasses and spirit medicines in the future.”
Yang Kai had been constantly exploring the uses of his Golden Blood. Last time, he had sent a drop of Golden Blood out into the Starry Sky and even now it was still flying through the Star Field. Yang Kai could always send his consciousness to this drop of Golden Blood to check out its surrounding situation. Now though, he had discovered that the Golden Blood could provide great assistance to the growth of spirit grasses and spirit medicines, a pleasant surprise.
“Since it’s helpful to you, have a few more drops!” Yang Kai said and without hesitation, sent a few more drops of Golden Blood into the Demon Mystic Tome.
The Divine Tree didn’t even have time to stop him. Although it was a World Spirit Treasure, it already had its own consciousness and knew that this Golden Blood was definitely not easy to come by, but since Yang Kai had delivered so many drops to it, naturally it would not waste them and cleanly absorbed them.
If Yang Kai relied solely on meditative cultivation, it would take him twelve months, or a full year to condense four drops of Golden Blood. This meant that four drops of Golden Blood contained a full year’s worth of Saint Qi accumulation.
However, the Divine Tree was able to absorb that much in a single instant.
Just as Yang Kai was about to ask about its situation, the Divine Tree spoke, “I think… I need to sleep again.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai was startled, wondering if the vitality contained in his Golden Blood was too strong for even the Divine Tree to bear.
“This is a good thing. I think I’ll experience some kind of breakthrough after I wake up. Rather than worrying about me, you should spend some time examining those two black stones. Something seems to have changed with them,” The Divine Tree said aloud before falling into a deep sleep and no longer responding no matter how Yang Kai called.
[Could the Divine Tree still grow further?] Yang Kai asked himself with a bewildered look, but since it had told him itself, it shouldn’t be a mistake. Yang Kai was quite looking forward to this development and wondered just what kind of change the Divine Tree would undergo this time.
Now though, he had to concern himself with what the Divine Tree’s said just before falling asleep, shifting his attention to the two black stones.
Yang Kai only now remembered he had not paid any attention to those two strange pitch-black round stones for a long time. Since spending a lot of Saint Crystals on Water Moon Star to buy them countless rare ores, he had forgotten about these two pitch-black round stones.
Immediately, Yang Kai sent his consciousness into the Demon Mystic Tome.
What Yang Kai saw there stunned him.
The mountain of rare ores had all disappeared, with their essences obviously having been completely absorbed by the two pitch-black round stones. Only some impurities were left behind, but amongst all those impurities, there was a fairly obvious life aura that was emitting a strong pulsing sound, like a heartbeat.
What was going on?
Yang Kai swept away the pile of impurities and immediately saw the two pitch-black round stones. However, unlike before, they now have some slight differences. Both stones exuded a vigorous vitality, but one of them was even emitting a heartbeat.
Was this thing alive? Yang Kai found it difficult to believe as he quickly withdrew the two pitch-black round stones and placed them in front of himself.
Looking closely, he was quickly shocked.
The pitch-black round stone that was sending out a heartbeat was wiggling somewhat, as if there was a living creature inside of it that was moving about. The clearly visible lines on the surface of the round stone were as intricate as human meridians.
It was almost like he was looking at a pregnant woman’s belly and the baby inside was kicking just before it was born!
This wasn’t the case for the other stone, however; it gave off an equally strong vitality but had no heartbeat.
Yang Kai stared blankly, not knowing what to do for a while.
Although he had owned these two pitch-black round stones for many years, he still knew next to nothing about their secrets.
Immediately, he remembered what Gui Zu had said to him back on the floating continent.
[‘Take care of them, and one day they will give you a pleasant surprise,’ was it?]
Gui Zu was a master at the Origin King Realm and had lived for over two thousand years. He was very knowledgeable and seemed to know exactly what these two pitch-black round stones were, but at that time, their relationship had not been very harmonious, so Yang Kai had not asked and Gui Zu had not taken the initiative to tell, so until now, Yang Kai was still utterly lost about these two stones.
The two pitch-black round stones were brought by Yang Kai from Tong Xuan Realm, but since Gui Zu recognized them, they should have been products of the Starry Sky that had somehow found their way to Tong Xuan Realm. Was now that time for the pleasant surprise Gui Zu mentioned?
Yang Kai sat cross-legged and circulated his Secret Art while paying attention to the movements of Yang Yan and the two pitch-black round stones.
Ten days passed by in a flash.
The two pitch-black round stones didn’t show any changes, so Yang Kai was beginning to grow impatient. He was very eager to know what mysteries were hidden inside the two stones in front of him, especially if there it was some kind of living creature.
After thinking about it, Yang Kai carefully squeezed out a drop of Golden Blood onto the stone that was giving off a heartbeat.
Since his Golden Blood contained a massive amount of vitality that could put even the Divine Tree into a state of deep sleep to evolve, there was no reason it couldn’t provide some assistance to this pitch-black round stone.
When the drop of Golden Blood landed on it, the heartbeat sound coming from the pitch-black round stone became even louder, and as the drop of blood was absorbed, the entire stone began emitting a brilliant golden radiance.
Some obvious changes quickly appeared on the stone, with the external lines like human meridians becoming agitated and something seemingly trying to break through the shell.
Yang Kai stared without blinking, not willing to miss anything.
*Kacha…*
A crisp cracking sound rang out, causing Yang Kai to unconsciously feel a little nervous.
On the pitch-black round stone, small cracks began to form, and soon those small cracks expanded, covering its entire surface in the blink of an eye and in the next instant, its contents burst out.
Yang Kai stared at this sight and was completely stunned!
Although he had some speculations up until now, when he finally saw what had appeared in front of him, he was still taken by surprise.
Inside the pitch-black round stone, there really was a living creature! It was an egg, one that madly devoured mineral essence! Yang Kai had cultivated it for so many years and the number of rare minerals it had consumed during that time was considerable, but now, finally, it had finally hatched from its shell.
At this moment, a grey thing sat in front of Yang Kai. It looked like a stone sculpture and had a dull grey colour to its body. It had limbs, a head, and clear features on its face.
It was clearly a Stone Man, a Stone Man the size of a palm!
As Yang Kai was observing it, it slowly stood up, seemingly having quite a bit of difficulty, swaying back and forth and nearly falling over.
Yang Kai saw this and quickly reached out to help.
The Stone Man’s arms were strangely long, dragging along the ground even as it stood up, its waist and back were slightly curved, its leg slightly bent, and its body was seemingly composed of a number of pieces of stones. Its looks were angular and highly layered. Although it had clear facial features, its expression was naturally gruff and, in conjunction with its clumsy movement, it appeared a bit silly.
Yang Kai watched it without missing a beat.
It turned its head around blankly for a while but when its grey eyes saw Yang Kai, it stopped for a while.
Because it had absorbed a drop of Golden Blood from Yang Kai, it seemed to be quite curious about him. Similar to the Divine Tree, Yang Kai felt like there was an inseparable connection between him and this Stone Man.
After only looking at him for a while, the Stone Man stopped paying attention to Yang Kai and instead stretched out its two long arms and picked up the black stone shell pieces on the ground, bringing it to its mouth and chewing them.
Seeing it crunch the stone shell with such enthusiasm, Yang Kai was once again astonished.
What the hell was this thing?
Although he had not tested it, Yang Kai was certain the black stone shell was incredibly hard; after all, it had absorbed the essence of so many rare ores over many, many years. With that kind of precipitation, it was likely this shell wasn’t inferior in hardness to an Origin Grade defensive artefact, possibly even stronger.
However, that black stone shell seemed as fragile as tofu in the mouth of this small Stone Man.
After a while, the black stone shell had been eaten clean. After eating the stone shell, the little Stone Man seemed a bit tired and staggered over towards Yang Kai before trying to climb up onto his lap.
Yang Kai figured it was time he tried out its strength and reached out and flicked its forehead.
The small Stone Man immediately tumbled like a bottle gourd and rolled away.
Yang Kai’s face turned black and secretly wondered if this was really the creature he had cultivated for so many years and spent so many precious minerals on. Although it was hard enough, it didn’t seem very strong.
The little Stone Man soon stood up, shook its head, and toddled over to Yang Kai again to continue its climb.
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but this time he didn’t flick it again and simply let it crawl up onto his thigh.
It didn’t seem to have any other intentions, seemingly only wanting to climb up onto Yang Kai. Lying down on its back, it closed its eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Yang Kai looked at it, shook his head, and sighed. He wasn’t repulsed by this little guy just because he appeared useless, it was just that the whole situation was too different from his original expectations. Yang Kai thought he would perhaps obtain two incredibly precious ores which, if he continued to cultivate, would one day be used to refine an Origin King Grade artefact. How could he have anticipated that a tiny Stone Man would pop up?
Frankly, it was a bit disappointing.
Observing it for a while though, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly froze and his eyes fixed on the chest of the little Stone Man where a dark red light pulsed.
Immediately after, Yang Kai sent his consciousness into the Demon Mystic Tome and began searching for something carefully.
A short time later, Yang Kai withdrew his consciousness and frowned.
He finally understood why the two pitch-black round stones weren’t the same. Originally, it was because of the Blood Essence Stone!
The Blood Essence Stone that he had stored inside the Demon Mystic Tome was now implanted in the little Stone Man’s chest, seemingly acting as its heart.
Yang Kai only possessed one Blood Essence Stone, and it was now part of this small Stone Man so obviously the other pitch-black round stone wasn’t able to emit a heartbeat.
Yang Kai firmly believed there was another small Stone Man inside the other pitch-black round stone, but without another Blood Essence Stone to act as its heart, it couldn’t break out of its shell.
Was there some kind of relationship between Blood Essence Stones and these things? Yang Kai became more and more confused, unable to figure out anything even after thinking about it for a while.
Meanwhile, Yang Yan had seemingly reached a critical point in the refining of the Origin Grade defensive artefact Yang Kai requested; he could tell because the energy fluctuations coming from the cave were now much stronger than before. As such, Yang Kai remained outside, not daring to disturb her, feeling a bit bored.
Ever since the small Stone Man appeared, Yang Kai began studying its secrets.
A few days passed but this little guy didn’t seem to experience any kind of growth. He was however quite interested in the place Yang Yan was working. Every time Yang Kai took his eyes off of it, the little Stone Man would run over to the cave, as if it was being drawn in by something. Yang Kai eventually had no choice but to order it to not approach the cave.
After some observation, Yang Kai discovered a problem. Although this little Stone Man had traces of life and was definitely a kind of creature, it didn’t seem to have much of a consciousness. It wasn’t like the Divine Tree that had its own thoughts and wisdom. Instead, it seemed that, aside from Yang Kai’s orders, it was relying solely on its instincts to act.
He didn’t know if it was because it had absorbed a drop of his Golden Blood, but the little Stone Man was absolutely obedient to Yang Kai and would meticulously execute any order he gave it.
However, Yang Kai’s attempts to communicate with it were somewhat fruitless. He had expected it to obtain its own consciousness just like the Divine Tree, but after examining the situation for a while, it appeared that would be impossible. This little Stone Man was closer to a puppet than a sentient creature.
A few days later, Yang Kai discovered that it possessed a very strange ability: Digging holes!
The speed at which it could burrow through the mountain rock was incredible. Yang Kai only learned about this ability by accident. Because of Yang Kai’s order, this little guy didn’t dare to approach the cave where Yang Yan was. Instead, it would constantly drill down into the ground, a breath after disappearing, already travelling hundreds of meters down, moving through the hard mountain rock as easily as if it were air.
Yang Kai also experimented with a particularly firm piece of ore and found that no matter how hard the ore was, the Stone Man could easily drill a large hole through it.
This skill was actually pretty good, but looking at its flat, blockish head, Yang Kai was truly confused as to how it accomplished this.
Originally, Yang Kai thought that there might be some kind of rare ore deposit down below that had attracted it, but after careful investigation, he rejected this conjecture.
Dragon Cave Mountain didn’t possess any rare spirit grasses, spirit medicines, or ores. Before Yang Kai set up the Aura Gathering Spirit Array, this place had simply been a barren mountain with good scenery. Even now, the only noteworthy feature was its slightly richer World Energy aura.
As long as Dragon Cave Mountain didn’t collapse from all this tunnelling though, Yang Kai was too lazy to care about what this little guy did. It was only because Yang Kai had coincidentally owned a Blood Essence Stone that the Stone Man was able to hatch from its shell while the other remained in its original pitch-black round stone state. If Yang Kai wanted to hatch the other Stone Man, he would probably first need to find another Blood Essence Stone.
But this kind of treasure was too rare; Yang Kai had entered the Star Field for some time now but had never come across or even heard of another Blood Essence Stone. It seemed that the Blood Essence Stones were scarce even in the Star Field.
One day, while Yang Kai was meditating, he suddenly felt a shocking energy fluctuation coming from the cave. This fluctuation erupted but quickly settled down, and in the next moment, Yang Yan’s proud laughter rang out.
[She succeeded?] Yang Kai also wore a look of happiness as he got up and rushed over to the cave.
Inside Yang Kai’s stone room, the Refining Furnace that was as tall as a grown man was still emitting an amazing heat and Yang Yan, who was standing nearby, was dripping in sweat. It could be seen at a glance that she had expended a great deal of effort to refine this artefact, her hair wet and dishevelled, making her look somewhat like a lunatic. She had even taken off her trademark black robe at some point and was now only wearing a thin gauze skirt.
Her sweat-drenched clothes tightly clung to her body, and when Yang Kai rushed in, what first caught his eye was not the artefact he had requested, but Yang Yan’s incredibly attractive figure.
Her rounded bottom seemed to float upwards, as if a great pair of hands was holding it up, exaggerating the curve of her waist. Her smooth and flat abdomen was vaguely visible through her wet clothes and Yang Kai could even clearly see the shape and colour of her undergarments.
En, pink panties that were no bigger than the size of a large palm, just enough to cover her most sensitive area while at the same time stimulating one’s basest imagination. There was also an equally small red cloth wrapped around her upper body that was barely able to contain her two massive peaks.
Yang Kai froze for a moment, wondering if he should wait outside for a while.
Before he could make a decision though, Yang Yan ran over in excitement, not even noticing the spring scenery she was putting on display, her delicate hands gripping an oval shield-shaped artefact and shouting, “See, see! An Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact. I didn’t lie to you, I really am an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner!”
Yang Kai took the shield-like artifact, which was much lighter than he imagined it would be, as if it had no weight at all. The surface of the shield was giving off a faint purple glow so Yang Kai was able to tell that it was refined from the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion’s carapace as the two shared the same luster. The shield’s surface wasn’t flat and instead had several sharp barbs on it. As for what the effect was, Yang Kai didn’t know.
However, Yang Kai was acutely aware that two different attribute energies, both of which were extremely potent, were coursing through the interior of this shield.
Seeing Yang Kai observing her work carefully, Yang Yan immediately began explaining its merits, “I integrated the Monster Core of the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion. The primary material for this shield was that Monster Beast’s carapace, so after the core was integrated, it gained the ability to display part of the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion’s abilities from when it was alive. Of course, you’ll have to experiment with it to determine how to bring out this power, because I don’t know what abilities this Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion had during its lifetime.”
“The sandstorm perhaps?” Yang Kai muttered to himself, immediately remembering the time he had been following Gui Che and discover the place where the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion was hiding. Back then, an intense sandstorm several dozen kilometres in radius had been concealing the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion’s figure, making it almost impossible to discover.
“It was able to create a sandstorm?” Yang Yan nodded, “Good good. This shield is the result of my utmost effort, you must make good use of it. Not only can it be used for defence, but the spikes on its surface can also be used as close-range weapons. With this shield, fighting opponents above your realm level shouldn’t be, impossible. No no, definitely won’t be a problem. En, as long as you have this artefact in hand, I guarantee that no Saint King Realm cultivator will be able to hurt you! Unless you stand there dumbly and let them hit you of course!”
Yang Yan struck her chest firmly as she made this vigorous guarantee, completely forgetting the fact that Yang Kai had killed several Saint Kings with his own power just a few days ago.
When her little hand patted her chest, her towering peaks bounced with astonishing force.
Their elasticity was clearly amazing…
Yang Kai couldn’t help staring at this scene, his eyes being drawn into her seemingly bottomless valley.
“If not for you urging me to finish this up quickly, I could have refined something even better, but for now it’s alright. Origin Grade Low-Rank is just its current grade, en, if you can find some better ores in the future, I can continue enhancing it, raising its grade… Hey, I’m talking to you, why do you look like you’re not listening? What are you looking at?” Yang Yan didn’t know why Yang Kai was revealing an absent-minded look on his face but when she directed her eyes towards where he was staring, she immediately understood.
In an instant, Yang Yan’s cheeks, which were already a bit flushed from the heat, became bright crimson red, as if they were being boiled. After three breaths, a high pitched scream echoed throughout the cave as Yang Yan crouched down and covered her chest with her arms, glaring towards Yang Kai with a deeply aggrieved look while cursing loudly, “Shameless bastard! Pervert! I worked so hard to refine a precious artefact for you, yet you actually… you actually…”
She felt incredibly wronged.
Yang Kai just grinned and didn’t make any comments.
After letting her scold him a few more times, Yang Kai cut in and said, “There’s a pool fed from the mountain stream over there, go wash.”
“I already know that!” Yang Yan bit her red lips, hugging her rich capital even tighter as she snarled, “Get out!”
“Good good good, I’m leaving!” Yang Kai nodded quickly but before he could leave, a slight rumbling noise resounded below Yang Yan’s feet and immediately after, a small hole appeared, and a tiny grey head popped up from it. When this little head appeared, its square eyes turned to stare blankly at Yang Yan.
“Yaa!” Yang Yan shouted even louder, sending out a great slap, whacking the little grey head back into the hole before leaping like a frightened rabbit directly into Yang Kai’s arms.
Two warm, soft, elastic mounds pressed up against Yang Kai’s chest strongly as a mind-numbing fragrance filled his nostrils, granting him an incredibly satisfying sensation.
What made him feel the most speechless though was that Yang Yan’s had even wrapped her legs around his waist.
He knew that she was timid, but it appears he had still been overestimating her courage!
She seemed extremely scared, her tender body shivering uncontrollably as she clung tightly to Yang Kai, constantly glancing around, her eyes filled with fear.
Even after discovering that there was nothing in the cave, she still didn’t seem relieved and nervously asked, “What was that, what was that, why did I feel like it was looking at me just now?”
Yang Kai didn’t know how to explain. The little Stone Man, who was normally very obedient, had suddenly ran over to her cave and popped up from the ground. No wonder Yang Yan had been scared to death.
“Did it leave?” Yang Yan asked again.
“It’s gone.”
“Really?” Releasing her Divine Sense, she scanned the cave and found that there really wasn’t anything else there, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Looking back, Yang Yan suddenly discovered that she wrapping her arms around Yang Kai’s neck and literally hanging off of him, their two bodies pressed up against each so tightly that she could feel an astonishing heat pressing up against her lower abdomen.
Yang Yan felt like steam was about to leak from her head.
She had never been so close to a man before, and she didn’t know why, but just being in this position made her blood boil and her heart pound so loud it was like a drum was being beaten. In an instant, she felt as if she was suffocating.
She was anxious to find that small thing, which had appeared and drill down into it, never to emerge again.
The weird smile on Yang Kai’s made her feel particularly ashamed.
“You… you put me down!” Yang Yan almost lowered her head into her chest as she shouted weakly.
“I’m not holding you!” Yang Kai spread his hands lightly.
Yang Yan only became more embarrassed when it was pointed out that she was the one wrapping her arms around Yang Kai’s neck while her legs pressed their hips together.
Quickly unwrapping her arms and legs, Yang Yan directly fell onto her bottom, letting out a small yelp when she hit the ground.
“Are you okay?” Yang Kai looked at her speechlessly, consciously not offering his hand. This woman wasn’t just timid, she was conscious of how she was perceived by those close to her, even if he tried to help her up, she would likely refuse.
“I’m fine,” Yang Yan shrank up into a ball, really not getting up, burying her face in her arms as she whispered, “Can you leave first? I want to dust myself off.”
En,” Yang Kai nodded, smiled, and turned away.
Outside the cave, the little Stone Man wobbly stood, almost as if he was drunk, accidentally tripping over his own feet and falling to the ground.
When he did get up, he raised his head and looked at Yang Kai innocently.
“Good job!” Yang Kai suddenly found that this little guy was quite astute and clever. [To think he made such a plan. Haha. How could I have thought he was simple-minded before?]
Yang Kai waited outside for a while, thinking about how to resolve the embarrassment between him and Yang Yan.
He was a man, being thick-skinned wasn’t a problem, and honestly, he didn’t mind about what just happened, he could simply laugh it off and move on, but Yang Yan was different. She looked like a woman with very little worldly experience and may never have been so close to a man before.
She was the complete opposite of Xue Yue, who could be completely naked in front of him and remain calm and composed, even having the frame of mind to negotiate and plot against him.
What if because of this matter, Yang Yan was too embarrassed to speak with him again, or worse, became angry out of shame and fled?
Losing some materials or treasures wouldn’t faze Yang Kai, but losing Yang Yan was absolutely unacceptable, she was an invaluable talent. It had not been long since Yang Kai came to Shadowed Star, and he didn’t know many people, if he really wanted to use this place as a springboard to spread his name throughout the Star Field, it wouldn’t be enough to use strength alone. He needed to assemble a great force around himself and superb talents would be required for that.
Should he make an apology with some honeyed words? Yang Kai hesitated; Yang Yan was quite innocent, and he felt that a few sweet words would relax her mood significantly, but Yang Kai was worried she would subsequently misunderstand his intentions, which would only end up hurting her in the end.
[Ah! This is so frustrating!] Yang Kai scratched his head and grumbled.
As he struggled with himself, Yang Yan, wearing her usual black robe after having washed her body, suddenly ran out of the cave and flew straight over towards him.
“Yang Kai, Yang Kai… come with me!” Yang Yan’s face showed a seemingly eager and excited expression as she rushed over to Yang Kai, grabbed his hand, and tried to drag him back to the cave.
“What happened?” Yang Kai suddenly couldn’t keep up with the situation. He hadn’t expected Yang Yan wouldn’t even bother with the awkward situation just now and instead seek him out on her own. He had been prepared for Yang Yan to hide in the cave for a few days without seeing him.
“I think I’ve found something, important, come see quickly,” She didn’t explain clearly and simply kept pulling Yang Kai towards the cave, soon arriving at the position where the two had been just now and pointed to the small hole in the ground, asking, “What did you see appear here a moment ago? Did you see clearly what it was that popped up and startled me?”
Seeing her shining eyes as she stared towards the small hole, even releasing her Divine Sense constantly to examine it, a thought occurred to Yang Kai, “Do you know what it was?”
If Yang Yan didn’t know, she wouldn’t have shown such a big reaction.
“I may know what it is!” Yang Yan nodded, “But it may not be what I think it is. Can you trace the position of that creature through this small hole? If we catch it, I can study it properly.”
“What do you think it is?” Yang Kai hurriedly asked.
Yang Yan shook her head, her pretty brow furrowing slightly, “Before I’m certain, I wouldn’t dare make any claims. I only caught a glimpse of it, but after thinking about it carefully, it really did seem quite similar to what I have in mind. Can you trace it?”
“There’s no need for that.”
“There is!” Yang Yan misunderstood Yang Kai and instantly grabbed his arm, shaking it while begging “Help me track it, I’m really curious about it! If you can help me track it down, I… I…” Yang Yan stuttered as her face became red again, seemingly remembering something, gritting her teeth and declaring, “I won’t hold you responsible for the matter just now!”
“I’m not responsible for what happened just now,” Yang Kai said flatly, thinking that women really were unreasonable creatures.
Yang Yan pouted miserably. Although she knew that Yang Kai really wasn’t responsible for what happened just now, and that it was clearly she who leapt into his arms and pressed herself against him, in the end, he was the one who had gained all the benefits, so she couldn’t help feeling she was the one who had been wronged.
“Just help me this once, I’ve done so much Artifact Refining for you already…” Yang Yan could only continue to plead.
“There’s really no need to trace it,” Yang Kai shook his head, “I’ll just call it over.”
“Call… Call it over?” Yang Yan froze up and looked at Yang Kai in a stunned manner, not quite understanding what he meant.
However, a moment later, a burrowing sound came from beneath the ground again. Either Yang Yan’s bravery had grown several times, or she was simply looking forward to it that much, but this time she no longer panicked and instead stared towards the spot where the sound was coming from.
A small hole suddenly appeared on the ground, and the square grey head carefully popped out of it.
Seeing it clearly this time, Yang Yan’s expression was even more excited, her breathing becoming rapid.
The little Stone Man seemed to be a bit scared of Yang Yan who had slapped him just now. Although its intelligence was quite low and it basically just followed its instincts, he could still remember who had hit him.
As soon as he saw this face in front of him, the little Stone Man immediately climbed out of the hole, its actions a bit uncoordinated, and quickly ran over to Yang Kai’s feet before climbing up his clothes.
Yang Yan stared dumbfounded at this, her gaze fixed on the little Stone Man as it climbed all the way up to Yang Kai’s shoulder and hid behind him. In the next instant, she let out a shout, “Stone Race!”
Yang Kai noticed that her pretty face was now quite out of shape, seemingly too excited to maintain any semblance of composure.
After screaming once, Yang Yan seemed to realize that she wasn’t behaving appropriately and immediately covered her mouth, releasing her Divine Sense again to carefully examine the little Stone Man.
“Stone Race?” Yang Kai frowned, taking the little guy off his shoulder and placing it on his palm while asking, “Do you recognize it?”
Yang Yan looked up at Yang Kai and nodded rapidly, suddenly realizing something and asking, “Is this Stone Race yours?”
If it wasn’t Yang Kai’s, how could he have caught it so easily? Why would it take orders to come over to him? Suddenly, Yang Yan felt a little dizzy, thinking she had once again underestimated Yang Kai’s heritage. He had so many precious materials and so many high-grade artefacts. He could easily kill Saint Kings while only being a Saint, and now he even possessed a Stone Race, a Heaven defying existence. Just what kind of a freak was he?
Also, why hadn’t she seen this Stone Race before?
“It’s mine. Now, tell me, what is this Stone Race?” Yang Kai asked with interested. He had been studying the secrets of the little Stone Man these days, but it seemed that rather than doing that, he should have just asked Yang Yan.
“Can you let me take a closer look? I’m still not quite sure!” Yang Yan stared at the little Stone Man expectantly.
Yang Kai nodded and tossed it over; he trusted Yang Yan’s character, and he also was depending on her to explain everything to him.
Yang Yan caught the little Stone Man with both hands and shot Yang Kai a vicious glare, seemingly blaming him for being so rough.
Quickly replacing her scowl with a gentle expression, Yang Yan held the small Stone Man in front of herself and examined him closely.
Facing this woman who had inexplicably slapped him earlier, the small Stone Man seemed a bit afraid and stood up several times wanting to return to Yang Kai’s side. Yang Kai eventually ordered him to stay put.
“It’s a Blood Essence Stone. It’s real! It’s really a Stone Race. Heavens! Didn’t this race go extinct already? Who could have imagined there were actually survivors left in this world?!” Yang Yan observed for a while before excitedly talking to herself, holding on tight to the little Stone Man, seemingly unwilling to let go.
Yang Kai’s face turned black and he quickly snatched it back from her.
“I haven’t observed it enough, let me see it again!” Yang Yan no longer cared about the embarrassing situation which had happened just moments ago between her and Yang Kai, all her thoughts now focused on this little fellow, as if he held some kind of extremely strong appeal to her.
“Since you recognize it, explain its origins to me clearly. After you’ve explained, you can do whatever research on it you want,” Yang Kai stated, still waiting for her to give him an answer.
“It’s yours, but you don’t even know what it is?” Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai in surprise.
“Why should I know about it?” Yang Kai looked at her lightly.
Yang Yan’s lips twitched, not sure if she wanted to laugh or cry, gritting her teeth for a long time before muttering, “The Heavens are unfair, why did they give this little thing to him instead of me?”
After a period of indignation, she finally began explaining, “It is a Stone Race!”
“I’ve heard you say that already, but what is the Stone Race?”
“En,” Yang Yan nodded angrily, “It’s also called a Stone Puppet. Since you own it, you should already know that its thoughts are very simple, right? It can be said that it has almost no sentience and its actions depend entirely on its own instincts and the orders of the one who has subdued it. So even if it is a kind of living creature belonging to its own race, it can still be thought of like a puppet!”
Yang Kai gently nodded, already knowing what Yang Yan was saying was correct as they corresponded perfectly with the observations he had made over the past few days.
“They are born only under very special conditions. Their initial form is a small black sphere that emits not trace of vitality, but as long as it is allowed to absorb enough mineral essence, it can slowly mature. En, you can think of it as a slightly different kind of egg.”
“In order to hatch this egg though, you need a special treasure, a Blood Essence Stone! Blood Essence Stones are the hearts of the Stone Race. Without a Blood Essence Stone, no matter how much mineral essence a Stone Race absorbs, it cannot truly come to life. This red stone on this little fellow’s chest is a Blood Essence Stone, so there’s no doubt it is a genuine Stone Race!”
Sure enough, just like Yang Kai had guessed, the Blood Essence Stone was acting at this little guy’s heart!
“The Stone Race is very few in number, but the role they can play is unimaginable. Long ago, as long as a Stone Race appeared, it would cause countless people to chase after it, wanting to obtain it and make it their exclusive Stone Puppet!”
“What kind of use does it have?” Yang Kai asked quickly.
Yang Yan laughed, “They grow by absorbing mineral essences, so they are extremely sensitive to rare minerals. As long as there is any kind of good mine nearby, they will discover it immediately. Is this use good enough? With a Stone Puppet, you can uncover an unlimited number of mineral lodes, even ones Origin Kings are unable to find.”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened as he took a second look at this little fellow. Originally, he had thought it had no use and was rather dim-witted, but now he realized it actually possessed such an astonishing ability.
Yang Yan added, “Finding mineral lodes is just one of the Stone Puppet’s abilities, there is another one, which all Artifact Refiners can only dream of. It is able to purify and refine mineral essences. As long an Artifact Refiner has its assistance, they no longer need to expend any effort smelting and removing impurities from ore, Stone Puppets can easily and far more effectively accomplish that task.”
Alchemists were required to condense medicinal liquids while Artifact Refiners needed to quench ores, both these processes were for the purpose of removing impurities from raw materials and were absolutely essential to both professions.
The more impurities were removed, the better the refined pill or artefact would be. In many cases, the true calibre of an Alchemist or Artifact Refiner could be judged by how well they could purify their materials.
In this regard, Yang Kai and Yang Yan were leaders in their respective fields.
However, the Stone Puppet was born with the ability to remove impurities and quench ore, and its quenching was far more effective than any Artifact Refiner could hope to be, which was why Yang Yan was so interested in this little fellow.
What Yang Kai didn’t know was that Stone Puppets had another title they were known by, the strongest assistants of Artifact Refiners!
Whether it was their ability to find mineral lodes or their ability to quench ores, both were essential to Artifact Refiners.
Yang Kai, who was not an Artifact Refiner, actually owned a Stone Puppet, causing Yang Yan’s eyes to turn red with envy. This was no different from casting pearls before swine, a complete waste of Heaven’s precious gifts. If this Stone Puppet was hers, how wonderful would that have been?
“Keep going, what else is there,” Yang Kai smiled, the more he looked at this little guy, the more pleasing to the eye he became. Never had Yang Kai expected that the two pitch-black round stones he had brought with him from Tong Xuan Realm would actually contain such Heaven defying existences.
“Since it is a kind of puppet, it can naturally be used for fighting!” Yang Yan sighed, “You know that Artifact Refiners are the same as Alchemists, their combat ability not being very strong. Stone Puppets can make up for this, they perfectly suited for Artifact Refiners.”
Yang Yan wasn’t too interested in fighting, so she didn’t elaborate much on this point.
Yang Kai frowned and looked at the little fellow, wondering how it could possibly be used to fight. This tiny puppet couldn’t even withstand a simple slap, so even if it possessed some combat effectiveness, wouldn’t it be quite limited? Could it be that it fought by digging? Its burrowing skills were actually quite good.
“Big Brother Yang Kai…” Yang Yan blushed and called out in a coaxing voice.
Yang Kai, who was lost in thought, shivered when he heard this voice and shot a cold glare towards here, “Speak properly!”
Yang Yan was not the kind of woman who could act coquettish at all and trying to do so only destroyed her natural charms.
“Your Stone Puppet …”
“No!” Without waiting for her to finish. Yang Kai cut her off.
Yang Yan immediately became distressed, “I haven’t finished talking yet.”
“I know what you want to say. You want it, don’t you?” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “Impossible, I’ve already formed a bond with it. Even if I gave it to you, it would still only obey my orders.”
“You actually subdued it already?” Yang Yan’s eyes widened, somewhat unable to believe it, “How did you subdue it? Stone Puppets are extremely difficult to subdue, unless… unless before it was fully grown, you were the one who raised it.”
“The young lady is both smart and beautiful!” Yang Kai grinned, he had cultivated this little fellow for many years and just before it hatched he had even given it a drop of his Golden Blood, establishing a firm connection between the Stone Puppet and himself.
“Ahhh! This is so unfair!” Yang Yan stomped her foot fiercely. Obviously, she had some ideas about this Stone Puppet, but if Yang Kai had already subdued it, those thoughts were completely useless.
Because Stone Puppets don’t have very high wisdom, once it identifies someone as its master, it cannot be snatched by others, only destroyed.
Seeing Yang Yan’s disappointed expression, Yang Kai lightly coughed before commenting, “But although it only listens to my orders, if you want to use it for Artifact Refining, I can lend it to you. I can’t perform Artifact Refining in any case.”
“Really?” Yang Yan immediately let out a laugh and patted Yang Kai’s shoulder, “Great, with it, I can now temper your shield to raise it to the Original Grade Mid-Rank! The artefacts I refine next will also have even better quality. Big Brother Yang Kai, you’re so kind, being able to follow you makes me really happy!”
It was as if she would die of contentment.
“Yes yes, let me see how it quenches ore,” Yang Kai brushed off her praise and asked, he was curious about this point Yang Yan had just made and naturally wanted to verify it with his own eyes.
“That’s simple, here, watch,” Yang Yan took a piece of raw light blue Origin Grade ore the size of a melon from her Space Ring. It was one of the ores Yang Kai had bought back in Heavenly Fate City last time and was meant to be used to refine an Origin Grade artefact.
“Little guy, come here, Elder Sister has some delicious food for you,” Yang Yan held up the blue stone to the Stone Puppet.
The Stone Puppet immediately jumped out of Yang Kai’s hands and rushed over to the blue stone.
Yang Kai only heard a crunching sound and within a few breaths, the stone the size of a melon had been eaten clean by the Stone Puppet; however, its belly didn’t swell at all, it looked exactly the same as before.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded and exclaimed, “So fast?”
Yang Yan was also very excited. Although she knew about the abilities of Stone Puppets, this was still the first time she had seen a living one. After the Stone Puppet finished eating the blue ore, she set it down on the ground.
“Now what?” Yang Kai asked.
“Just wait a moment.”
The two of them both observed the Stone Puppet closely.
Soon, Yang Kai discovered that the lustre on the surface of the Stone Puppet became dim and it seemed like something was leaking from its body, covering its originally smooth surface.
After a while, the Stone Puppet’s body became dull and grey.
It shuddered lightly and the grey stone covering the surface of its body immediately fell to the ground in countless pieces.
Yang Yan explained, “These are the impurity contained in that blue ore, all the essence has been extracted out of it.”
Afterwards, she turned to the Stone Puppet and said with a cheerful smile, “Spit it out.”
This time the Stone Puppet just stood stupidly though.
Yang Yan knew that it wouldn’t obey her words so she could only turn to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai understood and immediately gave Stone Puppet an order.
The next moment, the Stone Puppet opened its mouth far wider than should be possible and spat out a fist-sized, impurity-free ore. Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and Yang Yan reached out her hand to pick it up.
But before she could, the Stone Puppet spat out another piece of ore, and then another, and another, soon spilling out dozens of pieces at a time, all of the clinking together as they rolled out onto the floor of the cave.
Yang Kai gawked while Yang Yan also froze up.
The scene in front of them was far different from what they had imagined would happen.
After ten breaths, a huge pile of ore appeared before them. The pieces of ore were translucent, like fine crystal, and exuded a halo of light. Only one of them had a different, cyan, colour.
The Stone Puppet staggered, as if it was quite tired, and soon fell onto its butt.
However, Yang Kai and Yang Yan were no longer paying any attention to it and instead were completely focused on the great pile of ore.
“Yang Yan, can a Stone Puppet swallow a single piece of ore then produce many others from nothing?” Yang Kai asked dumbly, thinking his question was quite absurd the moment it left his lips.
“Impossible,” Yang Yan didn’t know how to explain it. She stretched out her hand and picked up the only blue piece of ore, feeling it carefully before stating, “This is the purified essence of the ore I just fed it. There’s now no trace of impurities at all.”
Yang Kai also hurriedly picked up a different piece and observed it silently, a moment later a look of shock filling his face as he exclaimed, “This isn’t that blue ore, it’s Space Spirit Crystal!”
“Space Spirit Crystal?” Yang Yan beautiful face filled paled as she too quickly picked up a piece, trembling as she too called out, “It really is Space Spirit Crystal!”
With the stunning performance of the Stone Puppet just now, she had not gone to inspect what kind of ore it had spat out and was only now able to confirm it.
The pair stared at each other silently while a great storm brewed inside their hearts.
No one could give an answer as to what ore was the most precious in this world, but Space Spirit Crystals were undoubtedly one of them!
The collection of Space Spirit Crystal was very difficult because it did not generally collect in large scale mineral lodes like other ores. Usually, it could only be found as a secondary material in Dark Space Stone mines. The value of Dark Space Stone wasn’t very high. Although it was sometimes used in Artifact Refining, overall it wasn’t a high-grade ore. But the accompanying Space Spirit Crystals were different, their value was extremely high. Space Spirit Crystals were essential in the manufacturing of Space Rings worn by cultivators as well as Space Arrays used for instantaneous travel.
Often, if an entire Dark Space Stone mineral lode could produce a washbasin sized amount of Space Spirit Crystal, it would be considered high density. The most likely outcome was that no appreciable amount of Space Spirit Crystal would exist at all. To find Space Spirit Crystal, one needed luck, sometimes one would obtain some, but often they would not.
Because the demand was immense, and the supply was small, Space Spirit Crystal was always increasing in price.
But at this moment, a great pile of Space Spirit Crystal sat in front of Yang Kai and Yang Yan, each crystal about the size of a fist, with at least three or four hundred pieces in total.
Forget about Yang Yan, such an astonishing amount of wealth was enough to move even Yang Kai. This fist-sized chunk of Space Spirit Crystals could be exchanged for at least fifty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, the value of an Origin Grade artefact.
It doesn’t make sense that the Stone Puppet had magically acquired these Space Spirit Crystals after eating just a single piece of blue Origin Grade ore, so the only explanation was that it had been storing them in its stomach before.
“Yang Kai…” Yang Yan spoke with a trembling voice, “What mineral lode did this little fellow visit before?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It was only born a few days ago, before then it was just a pitch-black round stone; however, over the past few days it kept burrowing into the ground nearby!”
Yang Yan couldn’t help gulping as she hesitantly asked, “You mean…”
Yang Kai took a deep breath and answered her with a solemn nod.
Yang Yan covered her mouth, afraid she might accidentally scream. These hundreds of pieces of fist-sized Space Spirit Crystal were enough to thoroughly astound her, but now she was hearing something far more incredible.
Suddenly, tears began dripping from her eyes as she stared at Yang Kai, “Yang Kai, you’re won’t try to silence the witness to the crime, right?”
In this world, in order to keep some secrets, silencing witnesses or exterminating whole families wasn’t an uncommon practice. Yang Yan had experienced Yang Kai’s strength and murderous intent, even First Order Saint Kings weren’t worthy to be his opponents. She was clear that if Yang Kai really wanted to act against her, with his strange Demonic Flame, even with all her precious artefacts she may not be able to survive.
At this moment, Yang Yan deeply regretted learning about this big secret.
Yang Kai however just glanced over at her and asked, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Yang Yan immediately smiled, “I knew you weren’t like this. Quickly put these Space Spirit Crystals away, it would be bad if anyone else saw them.”
Yang Kai agreed with her and swiftly swept the hundreds of Space Spirit Crystals into his Demon Mystic Tome.
Even now, Yang Kai was feeling somewhat absent-minded. If these Space Spirit Crystals were really found by the Stone Puppet recently, then they could only have come from below Dragon Cave Mountain, because the Stone Puppet was always burrowing beneath this place.
However, what Yang Kai couldn’t understand was that he had clearly and carefully scanned the underground situation with his Divine Sense yet never once discovered anything resembling a mineral lode. If there really was a Dark Space Stone mineral lode here, Wu Yi and her Hai Ke Family should have known about it; after all, they had been rooted here for countless years.
It seemed it was necessary to investigate this matter.
Yang Kai reached out and picked up the Stone Puppet before beckoning to Yang Yan, “Come with me.”
Yang Yan didn’t ask anything, seemingly knowing what Yang Kai wanted to do and simply following after him, her face filled with a look of expectation.
Outside the cave, the pair quickly flew some ten kilometres away and sought a well-hidden spot before Yang Kai lowered the Stone Puppet and told it to start digging.
The Stone Puppet soon disappeared, leaving a small hole behind just big enough for one person to descend through.
Before, the Stone Puppet would only dig holes big enough for itself, but this time Yang Kai had instructed it to make the hole big enough for him and Yang Yan to pass through.
Yang Yan became even more excited, her face flushing as she stood silently, waiting for Yang Kai to head down first.
After half an hour, Yang Kai nodded to Yang Yan and jumped into the hole in front of him.
It had to be said that the Stone Puppet was a natural at digging holes as the passage Yang Kai fell through was perfectly cylindrical and straight, its surfaces completely smooth, as if they had been polished. The whole way down, Yang Kai never felt a single obstruction.
The hole was quite deep, making it hard to imagine it only took half an hour to dig, only further highlighting the Stone Puppet’s ability to Yang Kai.
After about as long as it would take to burn a stick of incense, Yang Kai suddenly noticed that the channel come to an end and he couldn’t help feeling like he was falling from a high altitude. Swiftly stabilizing his body, the next moment Yang Kai’s feet touched ground.
There was a rapid crunching sound ringing in his ears and without even looking, Yang Kai understood it was the Stone Puppet gnawing at some kind of ore. Pulling out a glowing stone for lighting, Yang Kai didn’t have time to examine his surroundings before above his head he heard Yang Yan cry out, “Yang Kai help me! I… I’m stuck!”
Yang Kai looked up and his face quickly turned black.
Yang Yan was indeed stuck, the two towering weapons on her chest lodged tight into the tunnel’s exit as her lower body dangled above his head, constantly pedalling back and forth as she wiggled her upper body.
Yang Kai reached out, grabbed Yang Yan’s ankles, and yanked her down, causing her to let out a great yelp.
“That hurt!” As soon as Yang Yan fell down, she covered her chest with both hands and gently began rubbing them, turning a tear-stained look towards Yang Kai, seemingly blaming him for not showing any delicacy.
Before she could find trouble with Yang Kai though, the glow from the luminous stone in his hand lit up their surroundings, and Yang Yan was stunned silent, her small mouth opening wide as her tender body shuddered, immediately forgetting about the pain she was trying to rub away from her chest.
Yang Kai also seemed to have received a huge shock. He kept turning his head in different directions, so excited he felt his heart just might burst.
The two of them were now standing in an underground cave, one that had probably been mined out by the Stone Puppet over the past few days. The length and width of this mine was only several tens of meters, but all the walls were reflecting a dizzying array of light.
Large and small Space Spirit Crystals were scattered everywhere, as if they were worthless pieces of rock, and among these Space Spirit Crystals were thin veins of Dark Space Stone.
Inside the underground cave, Yang Kai and Yang Yan breathed heavily as the crunching sound of the Stone Puppet echoed in the background.
After a long silence, Yang Yan suddenly let out a yell and rushed over to a plate-sized Space Spirit Crystal and swiftly excavated it from the wall, clutching it with her hands as a look of extreme satisfaction filled her face and silly laughter leaked from her lips.
However, Yang Yan’s reaction wasn’t that strange and Yang Kai’s current mood wasn’t much calmer than hers.
He had never dreamt that a few thousand meters beneath Dragon Cave Mountain, a place seemingly devoid of any valuable spirit grasses or spirit medicines, there would be such a rich Space Spirit Crystal lode!
From a conventional standpoint, this couldn’t be called a Dark Space Stone lode anymore because nearly half of the ore here was actually Space Spirit Crystal. It was now fully qualified to be called a Space Spirit Crystal mine.
Soon, Yang Kai understood why he hadn’t been able to detect this place.
First of all, the location was very deep, and Yang Kai had not checked it too carefully. Secondly, there was just too much Space Spirit Crystal.
This rare ore was the primary material used to create Space Rings, and one of its functions was blocking Divine Sense. If this wasn’t the case, anyone would be able to see what was inside someone else’s Space Ring with their Divine Sense.
The huge amount of Space Spirit Crystals here actually isolating this mine from Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, a near-perfect camouflage.
Something Yang Kai’s extremely powerful Divine Sense couldn’t detect was obviously indetectable to the Hai Ke Family. It was actually quite ridiculous that the owners of this land were completely unaware that they were sitting on such a massive treasure trove and just because Wu Yi was a woman, they had assigned this ‘barren mountain’ to her.
However, if it weren’t for the Stone Puppet’s innate sensitivity to rare ores, this treasure might have gone undetected forever.
Yang Kai hadn’t had any significant dealings with the Hai Ke Family, but because of his relationship with Wu Yi, he didn’t have a very good impression of them.
This mountain had been given to Yang Kai by Wu Yi for him to live on. Now that he had unearthed such an enormous amount of wealth here, Yang Kai naturally wanted to do something to thank her.
Unfortunately, Wu Yi’s strength was too low and she didn’t have the qualifications to occupy such a mineral lode, if he were to hand it over to her, it would only bring disaster to her and her Hai Ke Family.
As such, Yang Kai made up his mind to look for opportunities in the future to compensate her instead.
“Yang Kai, we’re rich!” Yang Yan shouted, having returned to his side at some unknown point, standing cleverly in front of him as her eyes twinkled somewhat madly.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m rich.”
Yang Yan puckered her lips and tugged Yang Kai’s arm, saying coquettishly, “Don’t treat me like such an outsider, with so many Space Spirit Crystals here, can’t you assign me a little?”
“What use do you have for them? All these things are good for is making Space Rings, and if too many Space Rings suddenly flow from your hands into the market, any fool will realize you’ve found a rich deposit of Space Spirit Crystals. That will only cause trouble for us.”
“I don’t want to make Space Rings, what I want these Space Spirit Crystals for is to research Spirit Arrays. I never had sufficient materials before, but with all this here, it will be more than enough. Give me a part of them and I assure you that the Spirit Array I create will be extremely fierce.”
“What kind of Spirit Array are you trying to research?” Yang Kai was startled as he thought of a possibility.
“Have you heard of Space Arrays?” Yang Yan didn’t hide her intentions, stating proudly, “They’re profound Spirit Arrays that can be used to instantly move great distances across a Cultivation Star. En, from the looks of it, you’ve probably never heard of these things before, but you’ll understand in time how important they are as my research progresses.”
“You understand how to arrange Space Arrays?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, staring at Yang Yan with some disbelief, “How could you know that? Weren’t such methods lost to history?”
Last time, on Water Moon Star, Yang Kai had used the Space Array under Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s jurisdiction together with a Monster Race master named Xue Tong. At the time, Xue Tong had said that all the current Space Arrays were just leftover from ancient times and that currently, no one understood how to build one from scratch.
Gui Zu, with his astonishing strength and decent understanding of the Dao of Space, spent nearly a thousand years researching Space Arrays on the floating continent, but in the end he was only able to create a defective product that aside from killing people, really had no other use.
So Yang Yan saying she understood how to arrange Space Arrays greatly surprised Yang Kai.
He had never asked Yang Yan one very important question, why she was already an Original Grade Artifact Refiner despite being so young. Yang Kai himself was a Saint King Grade Alchemist, but Yang Yan was even younger than himself. At such an age, even if her aptitude was shocking, it should be impossible to reach such a level with just her own efforts.
Now that he knew she understood Space Arrays as well, Yang Kai became even more shocked.
Yang Yan muttered a few words but seemingly wasn’t willing to answer clearly.
“Forget it, there’s no need to explain,” Yang Kai didn’t force her. Who doesn’t have their own secrets? Secrets cannot be shared with others and Yang Kai didn’t have a habit of prying into other’s lives.
“Then… won’t give me some?” Yang Yan expression became pained, as if she was afraid Yang Kai was refusing her request, quickly adding, “I can tell you this, if my research into Space Arrays goes well, we’ll not only be able to teleport around Shadowed Star, there’s a chance we can reach other Cultivation Stars as well.”
“What?” This time Yang Kai was really shocked.
“You don’t want to be trapped on the Shadowed Star all your life, right?” Yang Yan was observing carefully and quickly struck while the iron was hot, “There are many wonderful things in the outside world we haven’t seen before, I’ve heard that there are Origin Kings and Origin King Grade materials out among the Star Field. With those materials, I can refine Origin King Grade artefacts! Once I help you refine such an artefact, even if you just stand there and let your enemies hit you, you won’t be injured!”
This little girl might be a bit simple-minded, but she knew how to negotiate!
However, this proposal was undeniably attractive to Yang Kai.
His heart wasn’t moved because of Yang Yan’s claims about artefacts, but rather because of his friends and family back on Tong Xuan Realm!
If Yang Yan could really create a Space Array capable of connecting different Cultivation Stars, after he established himself in the Star Field, he could bring all his family and friends out into this wider world and allow them to enjoy all its splendours.
Despite the great excitement filling his heart at the prospect of being able to return home, Yang Kai didn’t show anything on his face and just asked lightly, “If you successfully complete your Space Array, how far will it be able to transport someone?”
Yang Yan laughed confidently, “Space Arrays themselves are designed to surmount the concept of distance, so as long as the origin and destination can be accurately localized, how far apart they are is irrelevant.”
“So there’d be no distance limit?” Yang Kai’s eyes brightened.
Yang Yan hesitated a moment before saying solemnly, “This is the case in theory, but implementing it will require careful study… Will you give me some?”
“Take what you like!” Yang Kai laughed, waving his hand boldly. In any case, there were so many Space Spirit Crystals here that he couldn’t possibly use them up. When the time came, his only request would be for Yang Yan to refine a Space Ring for all of his friends and family members.
“Thank you! You’re such a good person!” Yang Yan shouted gleefully, wishing she could rush up and kiss Yang Kai but setting that aside to immediately begin mining. Although she couldn’t collect Space Spirit Crystal at nearly as fast as the Stone Puppet, only things that were in her Space Ring could truly be considered hers.
Yang Yan understood this truth better than anyone.
Yang Kai didn’t mind Yang Yan’s behaviour, but after his initial surprise and excitement, his mood slowly calmed down, focusing his attention on the Stone Puppet gnawing at the Space Spirit Crystal lode, seeing the impurities ooze from its body and flake off in a seemingly never-ending cycle.
After so many years cultivating it, feeding it so many precious ores, Yang Kai was finally seeing a return on his investment, and this return was nothing short of astonishing as the first mineral lode the Stone Puppet discovered was actually a Space Spirit Crystal lode!
According to Yang Yan, the Stone Race was inherently sensitive to rare ore, as long as he had it by his side, Yang Kai would be able to find rare ores that others couldn’t.
Unfortunately, he only had one Blood Essence Stone, if there was one more, the other Stone Puppet should have been able to hatch as well.
With a cracking sound, the fragrant sweat covered Yang Yan quickly mined out the immense wealth in front of her while the Stone Puppet also continued chewing its way through the lode. In contrast, Yang Kai appeared somewhat idle.
Half a day later, Yang Yan ran back over to Yang Kai while panting heavily, taking out a piece of Saint Crystal to restore herself. Looking at her anxious appearance, it seemed she wasn’t done mining yet.
“It’s a pity,” Yang Yan suddenly said.
“What’s a pity?” Yang Kai asked in confusion.
“People only know that Space Spirit Crystals are used to manufacture Space Rings and arrange Space Arrays when in fact it has another use.”
“Oh? What is this other use that people don’t know about?” Yang Kai laughed. Although he hadn’t been together with Yang Yan for long, this little girl was always able to amaze him. This had nothing to do with her beautiful appearance or stunning figure, but rather her profound skill and knowledge. By now, Yang Kai had learned to not underestimate her.
“It can also be used to cultivate,” Yang Yan shook his head. “You didn’t know? That’s not surprising though, many people don’t know, en, in fact, only a select few should know.”
“Space Spirit Crystals can be used to cultivate?” Yang Kai was startled, “You’re saying that one can refine them just like Saint Crystals?”
“En, but we can’t, only some special people can, namely cultivators who have comprehended the Dao of Space. For such people, refining Space Spirit Crystals can deepen their understanding,” Yang Yan said casually, not taking notice of the weird expression creeping onto Yang Kai’s face. “The Dao of Space is a very esoteric field that is not only difficult to enter but even more difficult to master. All Space Arrays in existence right now are relics from ancient times that were arranged by cultivators who were proficient in the Dao of Space. En, the method to manufacture Space Rings also stemmed from their hands and was simply picked up by others along the way. I can confidently say that throughout the entire Star Field, cultivators proficient in the Dao of Space won’t exceed twenty, and of those twenty, only a few can actually use it to fight against their enemies… hey, what are you doing?”
Just as Yang Yan turned her head to the side, she discovered that Yang Kai was holding a piece of Space Spirit Crystal the Stone Puppet had refined in his hand and couldn’t stop herself from laughing, “You’re not thinking of trying to absorb the power inside that Space Spirit Crystal, right? Listen, if you don’t understand the Dao of Space, there’s no way for you to absorb. Only by understanding Space Manifestation is that possible. Do you know why so many people who have managed to gain some understanding of the Dao of Space have such poor achievements in it? It’s because they don’t know Space Spirit Crystals can be used for cultivation. On top of that, because the amount of Space Spirit Crystal is too small, even if they did realize this truth, they’d never be able to find enough to properly cultivate. This kind of cultivation is more wasteful than directly burning money, most people couldn’t afford to do it even if they learned about it.”
After giving this lecture though, Yang Yan’s jaw went slack and her eyes widened as she stared at the Space Spirit Crystal in Yang Kai’s hand.
She noticed that an obscure type of energy was flowing out from the Space Spirit Crystal and was being absorbed into Yang Kai’s hand.
At first, she thought she was imagining things and immediately rubbed her eyes before paying even closer attention.
To her shock though, there was indeed energy flowing out of the Space Spirit Crystal, like a trickling stream that was seeping into Yang Kai. It wasn’t an illusion!
“You…” Yang Yan was thoroughly shocked.
“It’s true?” Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised.
In order to study the Dao of Space, Yang Kai had always had to resort to submerging himself into The Void, but cultivating in that chaotic environment was not only extremely dangerous, it was also quite slow. Since escaping from the floating continent, Yang Kai hadn’t even done this once because he found that his comprehension of the Dao of Space had arrived at a kind of bottleneck, so there was no point in doing so.
After listening to Yang Yan’s words just now though, Yang Kai couldn’t help putting them to the test and was overjoyed that the effect was surprisingly good.
Space Spirit Crystals could really be used for cultivation and doing so would enhance his understanding of the Dao of Space.
“Do you understand the Dao of Space?” Yang Yan called out in shock.
“Yes, I’m one of those twenty people you mentioned,” Yang Kai laughed.
“Heavens, just what kind of monster are you?” Yang Yan’s beautiful face paled, never having expected she could meet such a freak. Yang Kai being proficient in the Dao of Space was even more shocking than her being an Origin Grade Artifact Refiners.
“We’ve just met, so it’s natural we have our secrets,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Good, I’m going to cultivate for a while, you can mine the Space Spirit Crystals here at will, whatever you mine is yours, en if you need help refining them, just ask the Stone Puppet.”
Saying so, Yang Kai no longer paid any attention to Yang Yan and focused all of his attention on refining the Space Spirit Crystal in his hand.
Yang Yan was dumbfounded for a while before eventually shaking her head.
The more she interacted with this man, the less she understood him.
However, Yang Kai not shutting her out and even exposing some of his secrets to her let Yang Yan feel relieved and soon, she too didn’t bother with him and instead joined the Stone Puppet to mine the mineral lode.
The energy contained within Space Spirit Crystals was similar to that in Saint Crystals, but just as Yang Yan had said, not everyone could absorb it. Even Yang Kai couldn’t refine this energy without using his own Space Force. As soon as he did apply his own Space Force though, Yang Kai was able to feel a wonderful energy flow out from the Space Spirit Crystal and into his body.
This kind of power wasn’t the same as Saint Qi, and it did not provide any kind of physical enhancement, but as he absorbed more of it, Yang Kai could clearly feel his comprehension of the Dao of Space becoming more profound.
In the past, when Yang Kai was feeling the chaotic flow of space in The Void, it was as if he was sailing in a great storm, making it very difficult for him to comprehend anything. It often took him a lot of time and energy just to grasp a few indistinct clues.
But now it is different. Yang Kai had never experienced such a feeling before, it was as if a door to all the mysteries of the Dao of Space was opened before him, allowing him to step through and spy on all these secrets.
Yang Kai had never known that cultivating the Dao of Space could be so simple and easy. As such, he soon became completely immersed in this world, cultivating without need for rest or sustenance, forgetting everything around him.
But soon, Yang Kai discovered a problem.
It was just as Yang Yan had said before, such cultivation was nothing short of family ruining.
This kind of cultivation consumed Space Spirit Crystal even faster than Saint Crystal. It would take about two hours for Yang Kai to completely refine the energy contained in a piece of High-Rank Saint Crystal.
On the other hand, a fist-sized piece of Space Spirit Crystal that had been perfectly quenched by the Stone Puppet would disappear from his hand in less than an hour.
In one day, he could consume more than a dozen fist-sized pieces of refined Space Spirit Crystal, which would equate to several hundred thousand pieces of High-Rank Saint Crystal!
Who could possibly bear such an outrageous price? Even a behemoth such as Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce may not be able to withstand such consumption. If one cultivated like this, no matter how wealthy they were, it wouldn’t be long before they went bankrupt.
Fortunately, the Stone Puppet had found such a large Space Spirit Crystal lode, and fortunately, Wu Yi had given this mountain to him, causing Yang Kai to be even more grateful than before.
In a flash, ten days passed, and Yang Kai had consumed almost two hundred Space Spirit Crystals, halving the amount the Stone Puppet had originally brought back.
Fortunately, over the past ten days, the Stone Puppet had been continuously mining, and now the underground cave had become several times larger than before.
Feeling the summon of Yang Kai, the Stone Puppet trotted over and spat out several hundred refined pieces of Space Spirit Crystal in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Yan couldn’t bear to watch this, feeling like Yang Kai was an evil slave master who was forcing the poor Stone Puppet to toil away in this mine while he sat back and reaped all the profits.
Stuffing the hundreds of pieces of Space Spirit Crystal into his Demon Mystic Tome, Yang Kai started cultivating again. He felt that his comprehension of the Dao of Space was on the verge of taking a great leap forward, and although he hadn’t done any experiments yet, Yang Kai estimated that if he were to tear space now, he would be able to travel far further than his previous thousand-kilometer limit.
One day, after another piece of Space Spirit Crystal, disappeared from Yang Kai’s hand, he slowly opened his eyes and saw Yang Yan staring at him with a pained look on her face. She was sitting quietly in front of him, her body covered in dirt and grime, resting her cheeks on her hands as if somewhat lost in thought.
“Why aren’t you still mining?” Yang Kai asked.
Yang Yan spat disdainfully, “I found that me going through the process of mining was pointless, letting Xiao Xiao collect the Space Spirit Crystal here, then asking him for some is far more efficient.”
“Xiao Xiao?” Yang Kai frowned.
Yang Yan pointed to Stone Puppet, who was still working hard to excavate the surrounding Space Spirit Crystal, allowing Yang Kai to understand she had given this little fellow a name without his permission.
Smiling, Yang Kai quipped, “Finally realized?”
“You just sit back and enjoy the fruits of others labour with such confidence, so why should I be one of those labourers?” Yang Yan stood up and patted her clothes, “Let’s go up, we’ll leave the Space Spirit Crystals here to Xiao Xiao, I still need to do some Artifact Refining.”
Yang Kai thought about it for a moment before nodding, “Yeah.”
The pair soon emerged from the hidden tunnel and Yang Yan quickly pulled on Yang Kai’s sleeve, “Wait a moment, I’ll arrange a Spirit Array to conceal this place.”
“Alright.”
Yang Yan was not only proficient in Artifact Refining, but also in arranging Spirit Arrays, far more so than Yang Kai in any case. Taking out several materials from her Space Ring, Yang Yan used her strength to refine them into a few strange looking items before setting them down in a specific configuration around the entrance to the hole.
After Yang Yan finished the arrangement, the hole suddenly disappeared, becoming invisible not just to the naked eye, but also to Divine Sense.
Yang Yan clapped her hands with satisfaction, “Remember this position and just jump into the hole next time.”
Yang Kai was also quite satisfied with her arrangements. Although he may not come here in person again, preventing others from accidentally discovering this place was still of vital importance. Once news got out that there was a mountain of Space Spirit Crystals here, all of Shadowed Star would likely be thrown into a frenzy.
Since ancient times, people were moved by profits, there wasn’t anyone who wouldn’t be interested in a deposit of precious Space Spirit Crystal.
The two flew off towards the location of the cave, but before they even arrived, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly as he discovered that Yu Feng was waiting for them and seemed to have a look of anxiety on his face. At this moment, Yu Feng was pacing back and forth in front of the cave, as if he was looking for him.
Yang Kai couldn’t help picking up his pace and soon arrived in front of Yu Feng, calling out, “Brother Yu!”
“Yang Kai!” Yu Feng, who had been flying about like a headless fly, unable to find a trace of Yang Kai, was immediately overjoyed when he heard the latter’s shout, and quickly answered back, “Where did you go? I’ve been scouring all of Dragon Cave Mountain for some time now. I thought you might have left.”
Yang Kai just laughed lightly, “I went out with Yang Yan to take a walk. If I was going to leave, I would have said something to Wu Yi in advance, I wouldn’t just take off without saying goodbye.”
Yu Feng however shook his head and interrupted him with a solemn tone, “You really should leave now.”
Yang Kai frowned, “What do you mean? Did something happen?”
He knew that Wu Yi wouldn’t drive him away from this place, she had big dreams and because of those dreams she had tried her best to make him remain, even gifting him Dragon Cave Mountain as a place to temporarily stay. These days Wu Yi had also come to visit him several times, she wouldn’t do anything to harm him.
But since Yu Feng was here, he must have been entrusted by Wu Yi to deliver some kind of message. If there wasn’t some big accident, Wu Yi wouldn’t have acted this way.
Yang Kai immediately remembered that he had killed several people before. Whatever was happening was likely related to that Xu Tian Ze. Chopping the grass but failing to remove the roots really had consequences!
Yu Feng quickly urged, “I don’t have time to explain much, if you have anything to pack up, do it quick, I’ll tell you what I can once we’re on the road.
“What’s the matter? I’d like to take a bath right now,” Yang Yan’s pretty face was covered in dirt after spending so long in the underground mine.
“Lady Yang Yan, please bear with it, wait until you arrive at a safe place then you can wash yourself… what are you gawking for? If you don’t have anything to pack, we need to go, now,” Yu Feng saw both of them standing around indifferently and couldn’t help scolding.
Yang Kai suddenly let out a big laugh, “Brother Yu, please calm down. Tell me, what happened?”
Yu Feng stomped angrily, wishing he could knock Yang Kai out to avoid him speaking any more nonsense, “I told you I didn’t have time to explain, I’ve been looking for you here for a long time so I’ve already used up all the time Young Lady could delay the family for. If you don’t leave now, it’ll be too late!”
“Well, it’s probably already too late,” Yang Kai expression changed slightly, glancing over towards the distance where a large group of people could be seen flying towards, the blue hues indicative of Star Shuttles impossible to miss.
Yu Feng’s expression became gloomy as a sigh escaped from his lips, realizing that his Young Lady’s efforts had been in vain. Before this group of newcomers could arrive, he quickly asked, “Brother Yang, did you beat the Xu Family’s young Master recently?”
“En.” Yang Kai hadn’t just beat their Young Master, but also killed a number of their people, so why hadn’t Yu Feng mentioned that part?
Yu Feng smiled bitterly and pointed to the distance, “The Xu Family is here for you.”
“How is the Xu Family compared to your Hai Ke Family?” Yang Kai asked.
“About even, we’re both peripheral forces of Shadow Moon Hall; however, our family does quite a bit of business with their Xu Family, so our relationship is quite good. Yang Kai, you’re not a member of our Hai Ke Family, so the family Elders won’t protect you, and the Young Lady can’t protect you. You shouldn’t have acted so reckless,” Yu Feng sighed again.
Although he was chastising Yang Kai, he didn’t make any attempt to draw a line between them and Yang Kai immediately, even going so far as to step in front of Yang Kai and Yang Yan to block the Xu Family from approaching them.
This move made Yang Kai’s opinion of Yu Feng rise sharply. Stepping forward, Yang Kai patted him on the shoulder and comforted, “Brother Yu, don’t worry. They can’t cause me any trouble, and if they try, I don’t mind making sure they remain here forever!”
Yu Feng turned back to look at Yang Kai with some surprise, immediately not knowing whether to laugh or cry, shaking his head and sighing, “Young men, haa…”
He obviously thought that Yang Kai was just spouting crazy words. Although the Xu Family, like the Hai Ke Family, was just a peripheral force of Shadow Moon Hall, it was still a family. Even without an Origin Returning Realm master, they had several Saint Kings. How could Yang Kai, a mere Third Order Saint, even hope to compete against such a force?
Moreover, the Hai Ke Family had no intention to shelter Yang Kai at all. In fact, not only were they not going to shelter him, to preserve the trade relationship with the Xu Family, the Hai Ke Family Elders had forced the Wu Yi to disclose Yang Kai’s whereabouts so the Xu Family could punish him.
If it weren’t for the Young Lady delaying them, Yu Feng wouldn’t have even been able to come here in advance, but now it seemed he had fallen a bit short. Suddenly feeling like he had failed the Young Lady’s expectations, Yu Feng was wracked with guilt.
“Hmph, a young man who can only boast wildly. This old master would like to see just how you make us remain here forever!” A cold snorted rang out as a thin old man fell from the sky and looked towards Yang Kai gloomily.
The words Yang Kai had just spoken weren’t done so quietly, so naturally this old man had heard them.
As this old man’s voice fell, one figure after another landed behind him, numbering twenty in total. Among these twenty people there were young and old, men and women. Their cultivations varied, but the strongest was a Third Order Saint King!
Next to the old man who spoke, a bald middle-aged man stared at Yang Kai with nervous expression, some sweat leaking from his forehead and his complexion pale.
Yang Kai remembered him as he was the bald middle-aged man who had been guarding Xu Tian Ze last time. If it weren’t for this man’s legs being a bit quick, Yang Kai would have been able to eliminate all the witnesses from the previous incident.
Wu Yi also flew over quickly, and after landing, sent an angrily look towards Yang Kai, seemingly blaming him for not leaving in time. She also shot a glare towards Yu Feng, the meaning behind it was obvious to all. Yu Feng lowered his head awkwardly, not daring to meet her eyes.
“Good good good, not trying to flee, very good!” That old Third Order Saint King nodded repeatedly, a malicious look covering his face as he asked coldly, “Chou Yuan, the one who hurt the Young Master last time was him?”
After listening to the old man’s question, the bald middle-aged man standing next to him nodded quickly, “Yes, Elder Zhi Shen, he was the one who injured the Young Master.”
Yang Kai frowned as he stared at the bald middle-aged man named Chou Yuan with surprise.
Last time, Yang Kai had not just injured Xu Tian Ze, but also killed three First Order Saint Kings, but right now it seemed the Xu Family had no idea about this.
Chou Yuan didn’t report everything that happened at that time! Yang Kai instantly understood. Chou Yuan was a Second Order Saint King, and there were three First Order Saint Kings with him, yet he wasn’t even able to protect his Young Master, a severe offence. He probably didn’t dare to report the truth, lest he encounter even more trouble and suffer greater punishment!
Since this matter hadn’t come to light, it meant that Xu Tian Ze either helped conceal it for Chou Yuan, or he had suffered damage to his Soul and wasn’t able to report it. At that time, Yang Kai had hurriedly sent out a Divine Sense attack with enough power to accomplish this.
It was very likely the latter scenario because Xu Tian Ze was the Xu Family’s Young Master and had no need to help Chou Yuan conceal anything.
“Since it’s him, it’s easy to handle. Chou Yuan, I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself! Go cut off this brat’s limbs, I must take him back and stuff him into a medicinal liquid jar so I can torture him until he begs for death!” Xu Zhi Shen yelled furiously, glaring towards Yang Kai with utter outrage.
Many people in the surrounding couldn’t help shivering.
Cutting off ones limbs and soaking them in a vat of medicine meant Yang Kai wouldn’t die for at least half a year. It was very likely that during the next half a year he would suffer the world’s most brutal torture, a fate worse than death.
However, Yang Kai simply stared towards Chou Yuan without the slightest hint of panic.
To everyone’s surprise, Chou Yuan didn’t rush out immediately, but instead wore a grim expression. Although his mouth responded, his feet seemed to be filled with lead, and he didn’t move for quite some time. The look on his face was one of pure terror and beads of sweat continuously rolled down his face and fell to the ground.
Everyone present could see that something was wrong. Chou Yuan seemed to be shaking, but none of them knew whys.
Pain and suffering were filling Chou Yuan’s heart right now. He knew better than anyone else how horrifying the power of this young man was. If someone had told him before that a Saint Realm cultivator could kill three Saint Kings as easily as waving his hand, he would surely have written them off as an idiot, the gap between cultivation realms was absolute, even if someone was capable of fighting above their realm, achieve something of that level was simply impossible.
But Chou Yuan had seen it with his own eyes, the young man in front of them right now had really killed three Saint Kings as easily as if they were ants. At that time, if he hadn’t decisively run away and this youth wasn’t pinned down by that woman, he definitely would not have survived.
The last burst of Spiritual Energy however was what made Chou Yuan truly realize how outrageous Yang Kai was, that kind of power was simply beyond his ability to cope with. Although both he and the Young Master had managed to survive, the latter had degenerated into a vegetable, all day long his eyes unfocused and drool leaking from his lips. Chou Yuan had also suffered severe damage and even now his Soul had yet to recover. His Second Order Saint King cultivation had even regressed as a result.
Chou Yuan thought that with Xu Zhi Shen coming in person, the latter would immediately kill Yang Kai to take revenge for the injured Young Master. How could Chou Yuan have anticipated that he would be forced to step forward?
Staring at the young man who was directing a meaningful grin towards him, Chou Yuan let out a cry of panic before turning around and fleeing before the stunned gazes of the crowd.
He didn’t dare to fight Yang Kai because he knew he would definitely die, so he chose to run.
The eyes of everyone on the scene bulged. Among the more than twenty people who had come, there weren’t just Xu Family cultivators, but also some from Hai Ke Family. Besides Wu Yi, who was looking at Yang Kai with anxiety, wondering how he would resolve this crisis, everyone else had intended to just watch the show.
But now, before the show had even started, this kind of strange scene had taken place, dumbfounding them.
Even Xu Zhi Shen was stunned for a moment, but soon his expression became cold and gloomy. With a wave of his hand, he condensed a rope with his Saint Qi before swiftly sending it out towards the fleeing Chou Yuan and instantly capturing him.
Xu Zhi Shen let out a snort and the rope let out a brilliant glow. Horrifying energy fluctuations broke out and as Chou Yuan let out terrified screams, the rope dug deeply into his flesh.
With a loud crack, the sound of bones breaking echoed through the air and a bloody smell wafted out. The panicking Chou Yuan suddenly seemed to obtain extrication and the fear in his eyes gradually dissipated, his vitality soon dispersing as his body exploded into a heap of rotten meat.
There was no will to fight in Chou Yuan’s heart; with the regression of his realm, he had only wanted to escape as quickly as possible, never had he expected that his own family’s Elder would suddenly send out a killing blow, leaving him no time to resist.
“Timid as a mouse!” Xu Zhi Shen became somewhat angry out of shame and cursed, unable to understand why Chou Yuan had acted so, actually wanting to flee when facing a young man whose strength only reached the Third Order Saint Realm. This was a huge loss of face for the Xu Family that caused the surrounding Hai Ke Family spectators to snicker.
Naturally, Xu Zhi Shen wouldn’t show any mercy.
“Fine, this old master will take action personally!” Xu Zhi Shen took a step forward and he glared at Yang Kai coldly, “This old master must see what gives you the guts to offend my Xu Family!”
The thinly veiled meaning behind is words was clearly felt by the several Hai Ke Family Elders, causing them to frown slightly. Although they weren’t pleased with his tone, none of them spoke out.
If any of them were to try to argue, it would mean that Hai Ke Family was supporting Yang Kai, and that would only fuel resentment between the two families. For a little brat of unknown origin, the Hai Ke Family would obviously not do so.
“Senior Xu, please wait a moment!” The Elders remained indifferent, but Wu Yi was different.
Everyone from Hai Ke Family suddenly turned a look of dissatisfaction towards her as Xu Zhi Shen let out a sneer, “You want to say something?”
“Wu Yi, know your place,” Before Wu Yi could respond, an old man in yellow robes chastised her.
Wu Yi ignored this warning though and simply sent a worried look towards Yang Kai, gathering her courage and shouting clearly, “Senior Xu, Yang Kai is my friend, and I know that he is not a person who likes stirring up trouble, isn’t it possible there is some kind of misunderstanding here?”
“He doesn’t like causing trouble? So are you saying it was my Xu Family’s people who are in the wrong here?” Xu Zhi Shen looked at her menacingly, “Misunderstanding? Is causing Tian Ze such serious injuries that he was rendered an idiot a misunderstanding? Girl, are you telling this old master this is all some kind of misunderstanding? If you are, then even if you are a member of the Hai Ke Family, this old master won’t spare you!”
“Brother Xu, don’t try to involve my Hai Ke Family, this matter has nothing to do with us!” The old man in the yellow robes snorted, becoming increasingly dissatisfied with Wu Yi and Yang Kai.
Wu Yi grit her teeth and continued though, “Senior Xu, as far as I know, Xu Tian Ze came here with several of his people and tried to harass Ms. Yang Yan. Was Yang Kai not supposed to fight back?”
The general process of the matter had already been explained by the Xu Family back at the Hai Ke Family manor, but there were many vague and questionable points. Without even mentioning how Yang Kai, a Third Order Saint, was able to seriously wound Xu Tian Ze who was under the protection of Chou Yuan, why had Chou Yuan not immediately sought revenge for their Young Master and instead fled back to the Xu Family to rally so many powerful helpers?
Wu Yi thought this was some kind of self-directed play by the Xu Family, but for what purpose, she couldn’t tell.
Xu Zhi Shen executing Chou Yuan also confused her.
However, she couldn’t sit idly by and watch Yang Kai be bullied.
“What of it?” Xu Zhi Shen coldly snorted, “Tian Ze is my Xu Family’s Young Master, him having a liking for that little girl is her blessing, yet instead of cherishing this opportunity she actually dared to resist! She insults my Xu Family.”
“What kind of explanation is that? Does any person your Xu Family takes a liking to have to obey you?” Wu Yi immediately became annoyed. Before anything else, Yang Yan was a woman just like her! What Wu Yi hated most was seeing young tyrants relying on their background to bully men and take their women. There were many innocent girls who had been ruined by bastards like Xu Tian Ze.
If Xu Tian Ze had really been made into an idiot by Yang Kai, Wu Yi wouldn’t shed any tears and would instead be happy he was enforcing justice on behalf of Heaven.
Xu Tian Ze’s expression became even colder as he shot a look over towards the old man in yellow, “Brother Ba, does your Hai Ke Family intend on getting involved?”
Ba Qing Yan also looked annoyed and glared at Wu Yan, “Come here, this is not a place where you have the right to speak!”
Wu Yi ground her teeth even harder and said nothing.
Ba Qing Yan then turned to Xu Zhi Shen and said lightly, “Feel free to take action, Brother Xu, this old master will not allow any interference from my side. This matter has nothing to do with my Hai Ke Family, this young man is just some stranger Wu Yi found outside, he is not part of my Hai Ke Family. “
“Good, I don’t want there to be any friction between my Xu Family and your Hai Ke Family. Since Brother Ba has spoken, this old master won’t waste any more time,” Xu Zhi Shen nodded with satisfaction. The two families were about equal in strength, but if Hai Ke Family insisted on protecting this young man, things would become difficult for Xu Zhi Shen. At worst, a battle with the Hai Ke Family might start up, and if that were to happen, the end result would definitely be a mutual loss. Now that Ba Qing Yan had made his stance clear though, Xu Zhi Shen naturally had no more worries.
“Stop!” Wu Yi hurriedly stood in front of Yang Kai and shouted, “He is my friend! I was the one who allowed him to live here, so now that such an incident has taken place, no matter who is right or wrong, my Hai Ke Family has some responsibility. Elder Ba, if you really stand by and ignore this situation and word of its spreads out, the reputation of my Hai Ke Family will definitely suffer, since that’s the case…”
“Impudence!” Ba Qing Yan trembled with anger. He had already declared that this matter had nothing to do with the Hai Ke Family, so he had never expected that Wu Yi, who was a direct descendant of the family, would come forward at such a sensitive moment and say such reckless words. If things went badly, a rift between the two families might be formed, something neither side wanted to see.
“Damn woman, do you think that just because you have half-decent aptitude you can act lawlessly? Have you forgotten what the Family Law was established for? Out of consideration for your inexperience, if you withdraw right now, this old master won’t hold you responsible for your words, refuse and you will be punished to the fullest extent!” Ba Qing Yan shouted furiously.
Hearing the words ‘Family Law’, Wu Yi’s tender body shivered, and a look of fear flashed across her pretty face.
Countries had laws, and so did families, each family or force had their own set of rules that once violated, would result in harsh punishment, some of which were even worse than death.
The Hai Ke Family’s Family Law was like this.
Once one faced its sanction, they would have to surrender half their life.
This look of panic however only lasted a moment before Wu Yi’s expression immediately became firm and she shook her head, “Yang Kai is my friend, I won’t let you treat him like this, at worst… At worst, I will compensate you for your loss!”
Her last words were directed to Xu Zhi Shen.
“Compensate for our loss?” Xu Zhi Shen sneered, “My Xu Family’s Young Master has been crippled, how do you intend to compensate us for that? Brother Ba, is this how your Hai Ke Family educates its family’s disciples? A little girl also dares to meddle in an Elder’s decision, simply outrageous!”
Taking a deep breath, Ba Qing Yan said with cold rage, “How my family handles its affairs is none of your concern! Wait a moment and I will deal with this bitch.”
Saying so, he turned an icy glare to Wu Yi and declared, “I’ll give you two choices, one, shut up and scram back to the family to receive judgement from the Family Law, or two, this old master will drag you back, you choose.”
Wu Yi’s face turned pale, never having expected that things would develop to this extent.
While she was female, among the Hai Ke Family’s younger generation, her aptitude was one of the best; as such, the family had always cultivated her diligently. Having received such great support, Wu Yi had worked diligently to contribute to the family over the years, never once thinking of herself as a woman who would one day marry and leave.
The previous mission away from Shadowed Star to mine ore amongst the Starry Sky, none of the men in the family had dared to go, so in the end, Wu Yi had stepped forward and volunteered for this dangerous task, taking Yu Feng and several others who were loyal to her.
After nearly more than a year, she had returned home with a great harvest.
During this period, there were several times when she nearly died, and of those who set out with her, only half returned! However, the moment they returned to Shadowed Star, the precious ore they had collected was snatched away from them.
At the time, the family didn’t even dare to put out a fart and didn’t even grant the returnees a decent reward. In the end, Wu Yi had to compensate Yu Feng and others out of her own pocket.
Wu Yi thought back on all the contributions she had made to her family, then about the cold attitude Elder Ba was directing at her, as well as the looks on all her peers and cousin’s faces as they took pleasure in her misfortune, Wu Yi suddenly became dejected.
She knew that she really shouldn’t have stepped in and interfered with this matter, but she just couldn’t bring herself to ignore Yang Kai’s plight.
She was the one who brought Yang Kai back with her and arranged for him to live in Dragon Cave Mountain. There was also a precious agreement between them…
At this moment, Wu Yi suddenly understood that her position in the family was not as firm or important as she had originally thought. If she was a man, the family’s Elders would have spoken a few words here, because she was a potential heir to the Hai Ke Family. But because she was a woman and destined to one day marry out of the family, they were willing to stand by and do nothing.
With Elder Ba having spoken these words, regardless of what choice Wu Yi made now, she would definitely face the Family Law’s punishment.
Wu Yi’s future was dark indeed!
Tears involuntarily leaked from her eyes, not because of her grim future, but because she felt she had worked so hard for so many years in vain.
Seeing Wu Yi silently crying, Yu Feng was also enraged and quickly stood beside her, his fists clenched tight and his glare focused directly towards the Elder called Ba Qing Yan.
“Dissolute!” Ba Qing Yan became even angrier. Wu Yi questioning his decision, even openly opposing him, was enough to infuriate him, but since she was a woman and destined to leave the Hai Ke Family sooner or later, he could still bear it, yet now even her subordinates dared defy him, how was this tolerable?
“Little Yi, it seems you haven’t been negligent in your management these past years. Do even your subordinates dare rebel against the family’s Elders?” A man standing to the side, who had not spoken yet, suddenly called out. This man had the appearance of a thirty-year-old and possessed a First Order Saint King cultivation, and from the attire he wore, it was evident his status in the Hai Ke Family wasn’t low. He called out sternly, “Quickly apologize to Elder Ba, you know the Elder has always been true to his word, don’t let a momentary lapse in judgement harm your future. “
This young man wore a righteous look upon his face and seemed to be helping Wu Yi, but as soon as her cousin spoke these words, Wu Yi knew there was no more room for maneuver.
Elder Ba was indeed a man of his word, stubborn and unrelenting, and now her cousin’s words had clearly fanned the flames.
Sure enough, as soon as his words had ended, Ba Qing Yan coldly snorted and declared, “Apologize? This old master only acts in the interest of the family, there’s no need for her to apologize, as soon as she returns to the family, she will receive judgement according to the Family Law!”
Saying so, he then turned to Yu Feng and added, “You will be held accountable too!”
Yu Feng’s face turned pale as he glanced over at Wu Yi with a stunned look, this sudden disaster befalling him had stunned him ignorant.
A hint of concealed joy flashed across the thirty-year-old man, but he still maintained an anxious look upon his face, constantly appealing for Wu Yi’s sake in front of Ba Qing Yan, listing out the various merits she had won over the years.
His words not only didn’t help though, they instead aggravated the situation as many who were listening began to feel that Wu Yi had grown arrogant and was trying to take advantage of her status.
“What wrong did I do?” Wu Yi suddenly wiped the corners of her eyes and stared stubbornly at her cousin and Ba Qing Yan, biting her red lips so hard they bled, “I haven’t done anything wrong, it’s you who are using strength to bully the weak!”
“Good!” Ba Qing Yan smiled instead of becoming angrier, “You dare talk back to this old master like this, it seems you’re impatient to die!”
Wu Yi smiled miserably, “I don’t need this kind of family. From today on, I hereby separate myself from the Hai Ke Family and will have nothing to do with it in the future. As for the Family Law, I need not accept it anymore!”
“You…” Ba Qing Yan never expected this little girl would dare say such outrageous words and for a moment was stunned silent.
All cultivators from the Hai Ke Family were also dumbstruck as the stared at Wu Yi in surprise, none of them having anticipated she would cut off her relationship with the family for a small cultivator of unknown origin. Something like this had never happened before.
It was always the family which cast out disciples, not the disciple who separated from the family. This was a display of pure contempt for the family, an outrageous insult!
Wu Yi’s cousin named Wu Ke was secretly overjoyed in his heart. Although Wu Yi was a woman, she had better aptitude and skill than him. Over these past many years, he had never underestimated Wu Yi, even taking pains to specifically investigate her. He knew that Wu Yi had ambitions of changing the family and also understood that if she really won the favour and affirmation of the Elders, becoming the Matriarch of the Hai Ke Family was possible.
Although the Elders of the family never expected much from Wu Yi because she was a woman, acting cautiously was never a mistake. What if those old fools were misled by Wu Yi and stupidly named her heir of the family?
However, today, Wu Yi had completely fallen out with Elder Ba and even gone so far as to declare she was leaving the family, a matter worth celebrating.
[Excellent!] Wu Ke was ecstatic while he maintained a look of calm on his face, silently sneaking a glance towards Yang Kai, wondering if Wu Yi had fallen in love with this man, making her act so recklessly to protect him. No matter the reason though, Wu Ke gave silent thanks to Yang Kai; if not for this stranger, his cousin might have become his strongest competitor in the future.
“Young Lady…” Yu Feng called out to Wu Yi in shock, also never having expected her to say such words, but quickly he too wore a determined expression and solemnly declared, “Wherever Young Lady goes, this Yu Feng will follow!”
“Thank you, Yu Feng!” Wu Yi glanced at him apologetically and said in low spirits, “I’m sorry.”
She knew that her actions just now had caused Yu Feng to become involved. Now, no matter what she said, Yu Feng would not be able to escape the family’s punishment so his best and only choice was to leave the family with her.
“There’s no need for Young Lady to apologize,” Yu Feng grinned, “If it weren’t for Young Lady rescuing me five years ago, I would have been killed by that Steel Armoured Beast. On that day, I swore I would only follow Young Lady.”
“Good good, such deep loyalty between master and servant!” Xu Zhi Shen suddenly clapped and smiled, turning his head to look at Ba Qing Yan, “Brother Ba, I didn’t expect to see such a good scene from your family today. This grand display has allowed the suffocation in this old master’s heart to ease significantly.”
Since the Hai Ke Family’s internal quarrel broke out, he had not moved and had simply observed with interest.
The Hai Ke Family had roughly the same strength as his Xu Family. The two forces also shared a border so although there was some trade between them, there was also some friction. Xu Zhi Shen naturally enjoyed seeing the Hai Ke Family squabble like this; after returning home, it would provide some good laughs for him and his friends.
Xu Zhi Shen’s blatant sarcasm caused Ba Qing Yan’s face to become very ugly, his eyes filling with murderous intent as they stared towards Wu Yi.
Family members squabbling wasn’t a big deal, there were always internal contradictions, but exposing those contradictions to outsiders and allowing them to laugh at them made Ba Qing Yan very angry, wishing he could waste Wu Yi right now and drag her back to punish her severely.
“Brother Ba, this old master doesn’t care how your family decides to settle your own matters, this time, I only want to kill the little beast that hurt Tian Ze!” After watching this good show, he had also grown somewhat impatient. Stretching out his hand, he pointed at Yang Kai and sneered, “Little beast, do you only know how to hide? Evidently you’re nothing but a piece of trash that can only survive by leeching off women, quickly come out and die!”
From beginning to end, Yang Kai had only watched; even when Wu Yi was being scolded by her own Elder and declared she would leave the Hai Ke Family, he never said anything.
Because this was a matter related to another’s family; although Yang Kai was the cause of this incident, him interjecting at that time would only make the situation worse.
Yang Kai knew that while part of the reason Wu Yi declared she would leave the Hai Ke Family was because of him, the bigger issue was because she had come to realize the coldness of these people towards her.
Regardless, Yang Kai was very grateful to Wu Yi, her taking such a decisive stand was more than he could have asked for.
Yang Kai secretly decided that he would compensate Wu Yi greatly for her actions today and satisfy her wish to see the world outside Shadowed Star.
A woman of her caliber shouldn’t remain chained to such a small family!
Considering all this, Yang Kai stepped forward, patted Wu Yi’s shoulder gently, and pulled her behind him before turning to Xu Zhi Shen with a sneer, “Old dog, you’re quite arrogant.”
Xu Zhi Shen’s eyes flashed a cold light as he nodded, “Good good good! Little brat, you’re certainly wild enough, I just hope your tongue isn’t the only thing that’s sharp!”
Saying so, a gloomy pulse of Spiritual Energy burst from Xu Zhi Shen’s eyes and shot forward like an arrow towards Yang Kai’s head.
Yang Kai had turned Xu Tian Ze into an idiot with a Divine Sense attack. Xu Zhi Shen knew this better than anyone present, so now he planned to return the favour in kind. Seeing that Yang Kai was only a Third Order Saint, an entire Great Realm lower than him, Xu Zhi Shen didn’t even use his full strength, wanting to prolong Yang Kai’s suffering so he could deeply understand the cost of boasting shamelessly.
The cold Spiritual Energy that pierced into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea was instantly incinerated by his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, unable to set off even a rippled, causing a backlash on Xu Zhi Shen’s Soul, turning his face pale.
“You…” Xu Zhi Shen stared at Yang Kai in disbelief. At that moment, he clearly felt a Spiritual Energy stronger than his own burn his thread of Divine Sense. If it weren’t for only using part of his strength, the backlash just now would have seriously injured if not killed him directly.
Xu Zhi Shen’s complexion changed as he quickly swept his eyes around Yang Kai, trying to find something.
He didn’t believe that pulse of Spiritual Energy had come from Yang Kai and instead thought he was wearing some kind of powerful Soul type artefact.
However, after searching for a long time, Xu Zhi Shen was unable to find anything and fear began creeping into his heart
Of everyone present, only the old man named Ba Qing Yan had the same strength as Xu Zhi Shen, the cultivations of the others weren’t very high, most of them just Saints with only a handful of them being First or Second Order Saint Kings, so none of them knew what just happened and all of them simply saw Xu Zhi Shen take action and were just waiting to see Yang Kai’s miserable fate.
But now, Yang Kai wore the same indifferent look on his face while Xu Zhi Shen had actually gone pale, seemingly having suffered some kind of wound, confusing all of them greatly.
Only Ba Qing Yan’s eyes flashed as he focused his attention on Yang Kai, as if he had discovered something, but soon he slowly shook his head, denying his own guess, refusing to believe that with such pitiful strength, Yang Kai could hurt Xu Zhi Shen.
But Xu Zhi Shen’s Soul aura had definitely become weaker, and it didn’t seem he was faking it, causing Ba Qing Yan to also wonder what happened.
“Old dog, are you going to make your move? If not, then I will!” Yang Kai grinned towards Xu Zhi Shen. When he had broken through to the Third Order Saint Realm, Yang Kai was able to kill Second-Order Saint Kings. Now that his body was coursing with pure Golden Blood, and his vitality was far stronger than before. It was rare for someone in the Third-Order Saint King Realm to offer themselves up for a fight, so Yang Kai was eager to take this chance to determine the full extent of his current strength.
Not wasting any more time, Yang Kai swiftly condensed a sword of Demonic Flame in his hand.
As soon as this sword appeared, both the Hai Ke Family and Xu Family members showed panic-stricken looks. Ba Qing Yan and Xu Zhi Shen, who were the strongest masters present, both wore dignified expressions as they stared at the dark Demonic Flames.
Everyone at the scene, regardless of their strength, could feel just how profound and unfathomable the Demonic Flames were. None of them had ever encountered such a strange power. The contradictory nature of the Demonic Flames along made many feel uncomfortable, as they were already being attacked by it. No one could tell what would happen if they were to actually be struck with it.
For a moment, expressions of dread and horror filled the faces of the crowd.
Ba Qing Yan’s sent a signal with his eyes to the other Hai Ke Family cultivators, silently ordering them to withdraw. He had finally noticed that there was something a bit off with Yang Kai; after all, how could a trivial Third-Order Saint stand so arrogantly in front of Xu Zhi Shen if he didn’t have something to rely on?
However, no matter what this youth had to rely on, Ba Qing Yan was disinclined to interfere in this chaos. The dispute between the Xu Family and Yang Kai had nothing to do with him so he was happy to simply stand aside and watch the good show. His only concern now was how he should handle Wu Yi’s treachery!
Daring to leave the family without authorization, no matter who it was, their end would not be good!
Yang Yan had already witnessed Yang Kai’s fight before, but she didn’t know if he could perfectly handle Xu Zhi Shen, so she quickly brought Wu Yi and Yu Feng to her side lest they get caught up in this conflict.
After seeing everyone else withdraw, the other cultivators from the Xu Family also pulled back.
In the blink of an eye, only Yang Kai and Xu Zhi Shen remained facing each other.
“Old dog, my principle has always been if others don’t provoke me, I won’t provoke them. Since you’ve come though, don’t even think about leaving!” Yang Kai wasn’t one to negotiate, not to mention this old dog calling him a little beast had angered him. Yang Kai had decided to teach this old dog a harsh lesson today.
Neither the Hai Ke Family nor the Xu Family could be placed in Yang Kai’s eyes. These two families didn’t even have a single Origin Returning Realm master, so Yang Kai was confident they had no way to restrain him. Even if an Origin Returning Realm master really came, Yang Kai could still escape.
As such, he had no scruples.
“Rampant Brat!” Xu Zhi Shen shouted indignantly, his old face somewhat pale as his Soul had suffered some slight damage just now. He had constantly been searching for the powerful Soul type artefact Yang Kai was wearing, but even until now he couldn’t find one. This alone was enough to shock Xu Zhi Shen and he quickly shelved his contempt. After a shout, he raised his hand and a nearly invisible black line shot towards Yang Kai.
He had hidden this weapon with his own Saint Qi a moment ago to easily kill the cultivator called Chou Yuan. Besides Ba Qing Yan, who knew about this strange weapon, no one else on the scene had noticed, all of them simply thinking it was Xu Zhi Shen’s condensed Saint Qi. However, Yang Kai Divine Sense was incredibly powerful, and he had long ago been on guard against this strange artefact, swiftly intercepting it with his sword.
The dark Demonic Flames were capable of burning everything in existence and was the foundation of Yang Kai’s strength, so he believed that even if this thin thread was an Origin Grade artifact, it could still be incinerated by his Demonic Flame.
A sharp sound rang out as sparks flew from Yang Kai’s Demonic Flame sword when it collided with the thin thread. At the same time, a wave of cold energy suddenly burst from the thin line, sweeping towards Yang Kai from all directions.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed, and his powerful Divine Sense locked onto the thin black thread. He found that this thing was a little different from what he had expected, and that his Demonic Flames didn’t have much effect on them. Although he managed to deflect it, it wasn’t burnt in the slightest.
The corners of Xu Zhi Shen’s mouth rose slightly and a confident look filled his face as he shouted, “Surrender your life!”
As soon as his voice fell, the tiny black thread suddenly split into a giant woven net and threatened to engulf Yang Kai.
Yang Kai quickly evaded while at the same time sending out a huge Heaven Covering Hand, one grand enough to seemingly shroud the entire world. Everyone who was watching the battle couldn’t help feeling like the sky had become dark.
Violent energy fluctuations burst out and the giant net woven from black threads instantly disintegrated. Xu Zhi Shen’s body shook a bit as he turned a look of disbelief towards Yang Kai, never having expected his secret killing blow would be broken so easily.
It was because he feared Yang Kai’s ability to damage his Soul that Xu Zhi Shen had exerted his full strength right from the start. He wanted to kill Yang Kai as fast as possible to save face for the Xu Family, but his efforts have fallen short.
This Third Order Saint Realm youth’s eyesight was incredibly sharp and had apparently long ago seen through Xu Zhi Shen’s hidden artefact. On top of that, this young man’s Saint Qi carried a destructive force comparable to his own; if that weren’t the case, he would never have been able to deflect his Nether Shadow Soul Silk!
The method to repel the Nether Shadow Soul Silk was quite simple actually, but one needed incredible power to accomplish it.
If it was a cultivator in the same realm as him, such as Ba Qing Yan, Xu Zhi Shen could accept such a result, but this kid was clearly just a Saint Realm cultivator.
Did this boy actually have the ability to fight him on even terms? Xu Zhi Shen almost screamed out in surprise. Xu Zhi Shen was suspicious that the injury to his Soul just now was the result of Yang Kai relying on some powerful artifact, but now he didn’t dare think so.
It seemed this young man wasn’t any weaker than himself!
There was something very wrong with this young man! No wonder he had dared to utter such arrogant provocations, it turned out he was playing the pig to eat a tiger. No wonder Chou Yuan had been seriously injured when he returned to the family and no matter how he was asked he refused to explain. No wonder Chou Yuan had turned around and ran the moment Xu Zhi Shen tried to send him forward. It seems that his injuries were caused by this young man, but Chou Yuan hadn’t dared to explain for fear he would be further punished.
Being able to seriously injure a Second-Order Saint King and even inflicting a serious trauma on his heart, such ability was nothing short of terrifying.
At this point, Xu Zhi Shen no longer looked down on Yang Kai and his expression instead became dignified. The thin black thread which had been blocked by the Heaven Covering Hand was taken back by him and a pill was stuffed into his mouth.
After witnessing this exchange, the onlookers couldn’t help gawking.
Whether it was the Hai Ke Family or Xu Family members, all of them had their jaws dropped.
All of them had thought that with Xu Zhi Shen taking action personally, Yang Kai would immediately be captured or killed and that all his shameless boasting would be thoroughly wiped away! This youth daring to utter so many insults had all the cultivators of the Xu Family very much looking forward to how he would be crippled then forced to beg for mercy.
How could they have anticipated that after a single exchange, Yang Kai’s face would remain calm and indifferent with not a scratch on him while their Elder, Xu Zhi Shen was the one wearing a solemn look and being forced to swallow a pill?
As long as one wasn’t blind, they would know that things were quite different from what they had imagined.
“Elder Ba… what… what does this mean?” Wu Yi’s cousin named Wu Ke asked Ba Qing Yan haltingly as he honestly couldn’t understand.
Upon hearing his question, everyone turned their attention to Ba Qing Yan, hoping he could answer it.
“What does this mean?” Ba Qing Yan coldly snorted, “It means the Xu Family has kicked an iron plate this time!”
“Ah!” Even if his brain couldn’t keep up with the rapidly changing situation, Wu Ke could still understand the meaning of Ba Qing Yan’s words, his expression becoming complex as he stared towards Yang Kai and asked, “Elder Ba, he only looks like a Third Order Saint. Even if he can resist for a bit, Senior Xu will soon take him down; after all, the gap in their cultivations is enormous.”
Wu Ke’s words, however, were more to comfort himself than anything else. Wu Yi had left the family because of this young man, so as long as this young man died, Wu Yi’s end would be miserable and, at the time, Wu Ke wouldn’t fail to add insult to injury. Naturally, he didn’t want to see even the possibility of Wu Yi rising up again.
“Who knows,” Ba Qing Yan muttered as a profound light flickered across their depths. He was no longer paying any attention to Xu Zhi Shen and was instead focusing entirely on Yang Kai. When they first arrived, Ba Qing Yan had not cared at all about this youth, but now how could he afford to not care about him?
Just where did Wu Yi find this little brat? He was too extraordinary.
With the cultivators from both families unable to believe their eyes, obviously Wu Yi and Yu Feng couldn’t as well.
They were clearer than anyone else present about Yang Kai’s origins. It was Yu Feng who had brought back Yang Kai who at the time had been trapped inside a blood-red crystal, to their Starship. Although all of them had gotten along well enough, they had only regarded Yang Kai as a young cultivator who had drifted here by accident. Wu Yi giving Dragon Cave Mountain to Yang Kai was because he was familiar with the outside world’s situation and she felt he might be helpful to her later on.
Neither of them had imagined Yang Kai’s strength would be so astonishing.
Yang Yan wore a look of pride as she declared, “Don’t worry, Yang Kai won’t lose. Last time, he killed three First Order Saint King with ease and forced that guy named Chou Yuan to flee. Although that old man seems stronger than Chou Yuan, it shouldn’t be by much.”
“Ah!” Wu Yi couldn’t help covering her mouth, “Did you just say… he killed several Saint Kings? Is that really true?”
Yang Yan smiled helplessly, “He killed them right in front of me. It was so scary that I fell unconscious for three days before waking up.”
Yang Yan proceeded to colourfully describe the events of that time, and she did with a zeal that made it difficult to believe she had been so scared at the time. Wu Yi and Yu Feng listened intently as shock filled their hearts.
“Junior, this old master admits he greatly underestimated you, but what of it? Today, I, Xu Zhi Shen, will kill you. Don’t even dream of living to see the sun tomorrow!” Xu Zhi Shen swallowed a pill and finally the ache in his Soul eased; although he couldn’t repair it right now, with his injury temporarily suppressed, he could finally exert his full strength.
“Is that fine thread not an artefact?” After Yang Kai repelled this killing blow, he did not immediately counter-attack but instead stared towards the old man. Yang Kai faintly felt that the thin black threat wasn’t an artefact, otherwise, his Demonic Flame would have had some effect on it. From the brief confrontation, Yang Kai felt the dark thread was similar to a manifestation of Spiritual Energy, like a physical Divine Sense attack!
Suddenly, he became interested, “A good treasure, en, I want it.”
“Hmph, more shameless boasting. Before you worry about seizing my treasure, you should first worry about keeping your life!” Xu Zhi Shen coldly snorted, a strong aura erupting from his body as the ground beneath his feet suddenly caved in. Xu Zhi Shen’s clothes blew in the wind as his face filled with malicious intent and cold energy began swirling around him, giving everyone nearby the illusion they had been thrown into a winter storm.
Countless Nether Shadow Soul Silks shot out from Xu Zhi Shen’s body like a thick mess of hair. Those Nether Shadow Soul Silk threads were like living creatures and all rushed out towards Yang Kai in the next instant. Halfway to their target, these fine threads merged together to form a great rotating spear before continuing to stab towards Yang Kai’s heart.
The force of the spear’s rotation whipped the surrounding air into a tornado as it barreled towards Yang Kai with stunning momentum.
The Nether Shadow Soul Silk spear pierced forward with extreme speed and in the blink of an eye arrived in front of Yang Kai. What surprised everyone thought, was that in the face of such a horrible attack, Yang Kai didn’t show any intention to dodge and instead reached out his hand to grab the spear.
Demonic Flames tumbled on his palm as a dignified expression filled Yang Kai’s face. Clearly he was also exerting his full strength.
*Ci…*
A harsh screech rang out the moment Yang Kai grabbed the spear as the rotational force kept it spinning in his grip. Struck by this blow, Yang Kai was forced backwards at a frightening speed.
Golden blood splattered from his hand.
But soon, the speed of Yang Kai’s retreat decreased and his blurry figure which had seemingly disappeared became clear once again and eventually came to a halt.
From the tumbling Demonic Flames covering his hand, the smell of charred flesh wafted and it was obvious Yang Kai had suffered some minor injuries.
However, Yang Kai paid this no mind. Xu Zhi Shen’s thin black thread was truly difficult to stop or guard against. Even the Demonic Flame couldn’t burn it, so no matter the cost, Yang Kai was going to snatch it first and worry about the consequences later.
Otherwise, with the threat of this treasure looming over him, Yang Kai would have to divert a significant amount of attention during the fight to protect himself from it.
Yang Kai’s body had just stood still when Xu Zhi Shen flew over. Yang Yan and Wu Yi both let out panicked screams as a violent power condensed on Xu Zhi Shen’s palms then swiftly transformed into all kinds of attacks that rained down on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai tightly held the black spear in one hand as Spiritual Energy burst from his forehead and rushed into it, burning the Soul mark left behind by Xu Zhi Shen, destroying his ability to control it. Simultaneously, Yang Kai used his free hand to send out another Heaven Covering Hand to meet Xu Zhi Shen’s assault.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
As the ground cracked below them, Xu Zhi Shen was sent hurtling back the way he came like a paper kite in a violent storm. As he flew back, Xu Zhi Shen coughed up a mouthful of blood and his face paled again.
Yang Kai also backed up a dozen steps and the arm he had used to meet the enemy temporarily went numb. His vitality tumbling, Yang Kai was also forced to cough up Golden Blood.
However, his condition was obviously much better than Xu Zhi Shen’s and there was also an excited smile on his face as he glanced down at the countless silk threads scattered in his grip and directly stuffed them into his Space Ring.
“You… you were able to erase my Soul mark in an instant?” Xu Zhi Shen’s expression changed drastically as it flickered between anger and disbelief. His body shivered as he stretched out his hand towards Yang Kai while coughing up another mouthful of blood.
“Hahaha!” Yang Kai laughed wildly as he wiped the blood from the corner of his lips and proudly declared, “Old dog, since I said I wanted this thing, I’ll certainly take it!”
Wild! Overbearing! Domineering!
The audience was in an uproar.
Then everyone remembered. Just now, Yang Kai had said something similar, but how could they have known within only ten breaths of time he had actually accomplished such a feat?
A Saint Realm cultivator robbing an artefact from a Saint King, on top of that erasing the Soul mark of that Saint King in an instant, just how powerful did his Spiritual Energy have to be to do this?
“Holy shit!” Yu Feng could not help shouting as his eyes flashed violently.
Not only did Yang Yan and Wu Yi wear relieved looks on their faces, but even the young women from the Hai Ke Family also let out sighs of relief as their eyes lit up and they directed somewhat hot gazes towards Yang Kai.
They had suddenly discovered that all the so-called young talents they had previously encountered weren’t remotely comparable to this man of unknown origin. Those young masters were simply trash.
Even Ba Qing Yan’s pupils shrank as a tinge of fear and panic appeared in the depths of his heart.
What kind of strength Xu Zhi Shen possessed, he knew better than anyone else present. If Ba Qing Yan was to be honest, he wasn’t necessarily a worthy to be Xu Zhi Shen’s opponent, yet this young man in front of him had not only taken two moves from the latter, he had even managed to injure him in the process. Since that was the case, what would happen if this young man was to fight with him?
Suddenly, Ba Qing Yan felt a slight headache as it became difficult to breathe.
Yang Kai laughed happily, not just because he had snatched Xu Zhi Shen’s artefact, but because he found that his current combat power could indeed compete with those in the Third Order Saint King Realm. Although Xu Zhi Shen was clearly not the strongest amongst this realm, he was still a genuine Third Order Saint King.
Moreover, Yang Kai had yet to go all out.
Dao of Space, Golden Blood, Demon Eye of Annihilation… Yang Kai hadn’t used any of his trump cards yet and had only been relying on his baseline strength.
“Elder!” One of the Xu Family’s Saint King Realm cultivators saw Xu Zhi Shen suffer a loss and couldn’t help calling out.
Xu Zhi Shen waved his hand though, stopping anyone else from coming forward, a fierce look of madness quickly filling his face as he shouted hysterically, “Good good good, my respect to the young, this old master never dreamed someone like you existed in this world, but that matters not! Today, if this old master does not kill you, he will no longer be a man!”
Saying so, Xu Zhi Shen suddenly summoned a seemingly plain picture scroll into his hand. From this picture scroll though, a thick and solid momentum burst forth, causing everyone in the surrounding to feel a little breathless, as if they were under some kind of great pressure.
“Hundred Mountains Picture!” Ba Qing Yan clearly recognized this picture scroll and his face changed greatly as he shouted, “Retreat!”
The Hai Ke Family unconditional obeyed these words and immediately withdrew while those from the Xu Family naturally understood what this scroll was and also turned to flee.
When they saw everyone run away, Wu Yi and Yu Feng immediately became uneasy, with Wu Yi hurriedly urging, “We also need to retreat!”
“No need!” Yang Yan waved her hand though and summoned out a few strange looking objects which she tossed out around the trio. In an instant, Yang Yan had finished her arrangements and nodded lightly, “This is a good location, we can see what happens with ease from here.”
Wu Yi looked at her, a little speechless, wondering if she was hare-brained or simply ignorant.
However, it was too late to retreat now. After Xu Zhi Shen summoned the Hundred Mountains Picture, he immediately condensed an illusory mountain image from it. This mountain was over a hundred meters tall and with heaven destroying, earth-shattering momentum, it slammed down towards Yang Kai’s.
An incredible sense of crisis rose from the bottom of Yang Kai’s heart as his expression changed greatly. Not even thinking about it, Yang Kai quickly condensed a number of Grand Heavenly Shields above his head.
“Watch as this old master explodes your corpse into ten thousand pieces!” Xu Zhi Shen roared as the phantom mountain pounded towards the ground.
*Kacha…*
The just condensed Grand Heavenly Shields had no effect at all and were instantly crushed by the illusionary mountain, not slowing its pace in the slightest as it continued to press towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai struggled to move as he silently cursed to himself.
Xu Zhi Shen’s Hundred Mountains Picture artefact was clearly Origin Grade, and although it was clearly just a phantom image, the mountain which was falling towards Yang Kai right now carried with it the weight of the genuine article. If he was really crushed beneath it, Yang Kai estimated that even with his intrepid physique, he would not be able to survive.
With no other choice, Yang Kai could only use his Space Force.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s figure flickered and disappeared.
The mountain directly crushed the afterimage Yang Kai left behind, causing the ground to tremble and split in a giant spider web pattern. Even the distant mountain peaks shook noticeably as countless birds flew up into the sky to scatter in all directions.
After Xu Zhi Shen stared stunned for a moment, he couldn’t help bursting into a mad laughter, “Junior! Now you understand this old master’s power! Daring to fight with me? Naive!”
“Ah!” Wu Yi went pale as she thought Yang Kai had been killed.
“Old dog, is barking all you can do?” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly called out as a Heaven Punishing Spear broke through the limits of space and appeared directly in front of Xu Zhi Shen.
Xu Zhi Shen, who had just been cackling arrogantly, was shocked and immediately leaked cold sweat. With no time to think about it, he desperately pushed his Saint Qi into the Hundred Mountains Picture and summoned another phantom mountain, but this time it was even larger than the last.
The Heaven Punishing Spear was blocked by this illusionary mountain and failed to hit its mark.
Xu Zhi Shen became enraged and waved his hand to send the second mountain smashing towards Yang Kai again.
Yang Kai finally understood why this artefact was called the Hundred Mountains Picture. There were clearly a hundred mountain peaks hidden inside of this scroll. Every time Xu Zhi Shen summoned one, there would be one less inside the picture, moreover, it looks like these mountains were summoned in order from smallest to largest. Yang Kai couldn’t help shivering slightly as he stared at this, realizing that if he were repeatedly smashed by such mountains it wouldn’t be long before even his bones were ground to dust.
Although Yang Kai knew that with Xu Zhi Shen’s strength, there was no way he could summon all one hundred mountains, even part of this artefact’s power was still immense.
The second mountain flew towards Yang Kai at high speed while the first smaller peak flew up from the ground to sandwich him.
The two phantom peaks both sent out an oppressive aura that made it difficult for Yang Kai to move or circulate his Saint Qi.
Xu Zhi Shen seemed to have really been driven to his limits and did not hesitate to summon the third and fourth illusory mountains.
With four peaks now closing in on him, Yang Kai simply had no way to avoid them.
A violent impact sounded and the surrounding space seemed to collapse. A strong burst of energy swept out and ravaged Dragon Cave Mountain, blasting away dirt, stones and trees, smashing everything in its wake to dust.
Looking at this apocalyptic scene, many of the cultivators from the Xu Family and the Hai Ke Family went pale.
They knew that if they had not withdrawn just now and had been caught up in this explosion because even now, the residual waves of energy were cutting into their skin like sharp blades. Those with lower strength were even worse of, many of them being blown far away, their life or death uncertain.
“In front of the Hundred Mountains Picture, even this old master would have no choice but to withdraw. That young man is dead for sure,” Ba Qing Yan exhaled softly, a weird expression on his face, wondering whether he should rejoice or regret.
In the chaotic battlefield, there was only one place that was safe and sound, the spot where Yang Yan, Wu Yi, and Yu Feng were standing. When the powerful explosion swept towards them, Wu Yi and Yu Feng both thought they would soon be dead.
But to their surprise, a light curtain suddenly appeared in front of them and completely blocked out the blast, leaving them completely unaffected.
For the distribution, two will be on the usual timing. When there are three, it will be: 12am, 3pm and 12pm (+8GMT).
“Are you an Array Master?” Wu Yi paused for a moment as she stared at Yang Yan in shock. Although she knew Yang Yan had just arranged some kind of Spirit Array, she hadn’t expected it to be so powerful. This was far beyond Wu Yi’s realm of experience.
Yu Feng also stared at Yang Yan with a look of amazement and worship.
On the other side, Xu Zhi Shen, who had summoned out four peaks, seemed to be a bit dispirited at the moment, but looking down at the shattered domain below him, he couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief.
Even after living for so many years, he had never encountered anyone like Yang Kai. He didn’t even understand how Yang Kai had avoided his first attack as there were simply no signs of him moving, it was as if he ignored the bounds of space and directly moved from one place to another.
But none of that mattered now, this boy was undoubtedly dead. Xu Zhi Shen was both physically and mentally exhausted, but a hearty smile still filled his face, him going all out had not brought shame to the Xu Family’s name.
Suddenly though, a strange sense of crisis rose from his heart. Xu Zhi Shen was a veteran of many battles and didn’t even think about it before sending the four phantom mountains towards the source of this feeling.
Turning his gaze to the side, Xu Zhi Shen almost let out a scream.
The young man who he had assumed had died without a complete corpse was stood there completely unharmed, slashing a giant sword forged from black Demonic Flames and filled with destructive aura down towards him.
Xu Zhi Shen almost swallowed his tongue as he instinctually responded to this attack.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The huge black sword slammed into one of the illusionary mountain peaks and was intercepted, but the contradictory hot and cold auras overflowing from it left cold sweat dripping from Xu Zhi Shen forehead.
Xu Zhi Shen was certain that if he was contaminated by these black flames, he would definitely be unable to repel them and would soon be burnt to a crisp! What kind of freak was this boy?
Not only was Xu Zhi Shen in a state of panic, but even the other cultivators from the Xu and Hai Ke Families were alarmed, Ba Qing Yan’s eyes bulging with confusion.
Even with his level of eyesight, he hadn’t been able to see how Yang Kai had avoided the four peaks just now.
Ba Qing Yan knew that if it was him, if he hadn’t been preparing to flee beforehand, he wouldn’t have been able to escape unharmed from that last attack, but this young man had done just that. Ba Qing Yan was shocked to find that he was still underestimating the strength of this young man. He wasn’t just a freak, he was a complete monster!
Xu Zhi Shen roared and surrounded himself with the four phantom mounts, forming a solid defense barrier.
He was scared, so scared that he refused to expose himself to Yang Kai for fear that if he moved carelessly, he would be struck dead.
A subtle Divine Sense and Saint Qi attack combined with Yang Kai’s comprehension of the Dao of Space flew towards Xu Zhi Shen, but to the former’s surprise, the four phantom mountains not only physically guarded Xu Zhi Shen, but even blocked the surrounding space, preventing Yang Kai’s strike from reaching its target.
The fifth and sixth peaks emerged from the Hundred Mountains Picture, both more majestic than the previous four. Xu Zhi Shen next bit his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of blood onto the Hundred Mountains Picture and his feeble aura rapidly inflated as the light of madness filled with eyes and he drove the two newly summoned peaks towards Yang Kai.
All of Dragon Cave Mountain trembled violently and numerous new craters and pits were added to the ground as wanton destruction was wrought in all directions.
Yang Kai immediately became furious, “Old man, how dare you ruin my home!”
If he continued to pester with Xu Zhi Shen, Dragon Cave Mountain would definitely be destroyed, and once the ground collapsed in, the Space Spirit Crystal lode that was hiding below would likely be exposed.
Yang Kai’s murderous intent soared.
Yang Kai shot out a wave of Demonic Flame towards Xu Zhi Shen, but unlike before, these Demonic Flames did not disappear after reaching their target but instead condensed and rapidly expanded into a burning cloud of fire.
Engulfed by this cloud of Demonic Flame, Xu Zhi Shen and the four peaks guarding him were unceasingly burned down. Yang Kai did not relent and continue to pour in more Demonic Flames to strengthen the power of this cloud.
“No… nooo…” Xu Zhi Shen screamed in horror as the four illusionary mountains protecting him grew dimmer under the burning heat of the cloud of fire, all of them seemingly on the verge of collapsing.
Once these phantom mountains disappeared, Xu Zhi Shen would die.
“What are you still gawking at? Hurry up and help me kill this little beast!” Xu Zhi Shen hurriedly yelled to the other Xu Family Saint Kings who were watching the battle in the distance.
He had been fighting Yang Kai with only his own strength because he wanted to showcase his power and dignity as an Elder, but how could he have known that he was completely not this young man’s opponent? Right now, facing certain death, Xu Zhi Shen couldn’t be concerned about face anymore and ask for help from his family’s other cultivators.
In the distance, the Saint King Realm cultivators who had followed Xu Zhi Shen heard this shout but only two of them rushed over without hesitation. All of the others actually unconsciously retreated a few steps.
Xu Zhi Shen had even brought out the Hundred Mountains Picture but still wasn’t able to match Yang Kai, how could they step forward just to die?
The two Saint Kings who had rushed ahead had yet to understand the situation when two balls of Demonic Flame flew towards them. Both of them foolishly tried to block these flames but in the blink of an eye were engulfed by them. No matter what they tried, these two were unable to extinguish these black flames and soon fell to the ground, completely motionless.
Seeing this, the remaining Saint Kings of the Xu Family were unable to withstand the fear in their hearts anymore and turned around to run away, one of them even shouting, “Elder, hold on, we will return to the family to bring reinforcements!”
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi Shen was so aggrieved he spat another mouthful of blood and his expression became thoroughly dispirited.
Turning to Ba Qing Yan this time, Xu Zhi Shen screamed with all his strength, “Brother Ba, if you help me survive today, I will give you this Hundred Mountains Picture!”
Ba Qing Yan’s eyes narrowed as a covetous light flashed across their depths.
Ba Qing Yan had long ago heard about the might of the Xu Family’s Hundred Mountains Picture and today he had personally witnessed this Origin Grade artefact’s power. He believed that if he could really obtain the Hundred Mountains Picture, he could become the first master of the Hai Ke Family! He might even have the qualifications to trade a few blows against a normal Origin Returning Realm master.
However, the young man in front of him was clearly not an existence he wanted to provoke. Even after observing this fight for so long, Ba Qing Yan had yet to ravel this young man’s bottom line, and so, for a moment, he hesitated.
“Brother Ba!” Xu Zhi Shen anxiously screamed once more; he was already an arrow at the end of its flight and could not hold on any longer.
Ba Qing Yan’s hesitant look suddenly became firm and he was just about to step forward when Yang Kai suddenly shot him a bone-chilling look and shouted, “If you dare to move, whether you’re Wu Yi’s clansmen or not, I’ll slaughter every last one of you!”
Ba Qing Yan’s body immediately went stiff as a cold chill shot up his spine.
At that moment, accompanied by Xu Zhi Shen’s screams, the four phantom mountains finally disintegrated, and the billowing cloud of black flames burned him to ashes.
All that remained was Xu Zhi Shen’s Space Ring and the Hundred Mountains Picture which fluttered down to the ground.
Countless greedy eyes instantly locked onto the Hundred Mountains Picture.
Yang Kai, however, stood in place, a pensive expression filling his face, not reaching out towards this precious artefact and his aura also showing no signs of weakening. On the contrary, the momentum from his body was growing fiercer and more vigorous by the moment.
Yang Yan clenched her wide black robe with both hands and rushed forward with a light steps, picked up the Hundred Mountains Picture and Xu Zhi Shen’s Space Ring, then ran back in a hurry to stand inside the Spirit Array she had laid down.
“Ha…” Ba Qing Yan let out a tired sigh. He hadn’t been able to summon the courage to grab the Hundred Mountains Picture, filling his heart was disappointed.
Dragon Cave Mountain suddenly became deathly silent.
The cultivators from the Hai Ke Family looked around at each other, none of them daring to say a word. They had never expected this battle would have such an end. The Xu Family had even taken out their much vaunted Hundred Mountains Picture but the result was a mere Third Order Saint Realm cultivator had killed Xu Zhi Shen.
None of them would have believed such a story if they hadn’t seen it for themselves.
Wu Yi and Yu Feng were equally shocked and couldn’t find their voices for quite some time.
They had heard of so-called genius cultivators before. There had even seemed to be several of them within Shadow Moon Hall’s younger generation. These people were all capable of fighting opponents above their realm and were quite famous as a result.
However, those so-called geniuses who received countless accolades and praises weren’t worth shit compared to Yang Kai.
This time, Yang Kai had fought an opponent an entire Great Realm above him and managed to win without suffering any injuries.
Could he be a genius among geniuses? Wu Yi and Yu Feng couldn’t help thinking this way, the sadness they felt from leaving their family diluted by their shock.
“Ya…” Yang Yan was playing with the Hundred Mountains Picture when she suddenly turned her attention to Yang Kai and let out a yelp of surprise, a thoughtful look soon spreading across her face as a pleasant light blossomed in her beautiful eyes. After a moment, she grabbed her black robe once more, ran over in front of Yang Kai, and pulled out a number of items from her Space Ring to quickly arrange a Spirit Array around him.
When she ran back, Wu Yi asked curiously, “What happened to Yang Kai?”
“He must break through.”
“Ah?” Wu Yi was startled.
“This…” Yu Feng also wore a speechless expression, one mixed with envy and shame. After a great battle, Yang Kai was about to break through. His current cultivation was Third-Order Saint Realm, so a breakthrough meant he would rise to the First-Order Saint King Realm, the same as both him and Wu Yi. Any trace of superiority Yu Feng felt disappeared at this moment, but when he recalled Yang Kai’s horrific fighting strength, his heart relaxed.
Such a person breaking through at this kind of moment wasn’t strange.
Since Yang Yan could discover this matter, Ba Qing Yan naturally could as well. At this moment, he was staring deeply towards Yang Kai from far away, his expression fluctuating between fear, worry, surprise, shock, and a variety of others.
A middle-aged man next to him whose face was somewhat pale quietly approached and whispered, “Elder Ba, this boy seems like he’s about to break through, should we…”
Yang Kai’s terrifying strength had all but traumatised the Hai Ke Family’s cultivators. Alone, this young man had killed one of the Xu Family’s Elders. Their Hai Ke Family’s strongest master was only about equal in strength to Xu Zhi Shen, so if this young man wanted to deal with their Hai Ke Family, could they resist?
The only solution was to strangle this danger in the cradle, but to everyone’s surprise, Ba Qing Yan just smiled bitterly and slowly shook his head.
“Elder…” The middle-aged man who first made the proposal stared at Ba Qing Yan in shock, wondering what he was thinking. Although Yang Kai’s performance just now was indeed shocking, he was currently breaking through so this was the best moment for them to strike, if they missed this opportunity, the Hai Ke Family would have no way to oppose him in the future.
“Didn’t you see that woman wearing black robes arrange a Spirit Array around him just now?” Ba Qing Yan coldly snorted.
“Do we need to fear some simple Spirit Array?” The middle-aged scoffed lightly.
Ba Qing Yan sneered, “Just now, when Xu Zhi Shen was using the Hundred Mountains Picture, the fallout definitely spread to the spot that woman is standing, yet she, Wu Yi, and Yu Feng weren’t affected in the slightest, so how powerful do you think the Spirit Array she arranged is?”
“Ah!” The middle-aged man exclaimed. Just now, all his focus had been on the battle between Yang Kai and Xu Zhi Shen so he hadn’t really noticed the situation around Yang Yan, but hearing Ba Qing Yan’s words, his eyes immediately shifted to where she was standing. When his eyes landed on Yang Yan, they couldn’t help narrowing as he discovered that she, Wu Yi, and Yu Fend were standing very close to the centre of the battlefield, but at this moment there wasn’t even a speck of dust staining their clothes.
“Is she also a Spirit Array Master?” The middle-aged was startled and murmured, “Wasn’t she just a Saint Grade Artifact Refiner?”
“She’s the Artifact Refiner the family tried to recruit but failed to?” Ba Qing Yan suddenly recalled such an event and shouted, “Zhou Fu, was she the one you tried to solicit last time?”
The man named Zhou Fu walked over while leaking cold sweat and responded quickly, “Yes, Elder Ba, she was the woman I met with last time, but she had refused without the slightest trace of politeness, so I…”
“So you gave up, abandoned your duty, and ruined such a massive opportunity for the family?” Ba Qing Yan glared at him fiercely.
Zhou Fu shuddered and said bitterly, “Please forgive me, Elder Ba, I didn’t know she had such ability at the time, I was only informed she was a Saint Grade Artifact Refiner. If I had known, I…”
“Waste!” Ba Qing Yan scolded.
A Saint Grade Artefact Refiner wasn’t enough for Hai Ke Family to care about, such an Artifact Refiner could be cultivated by them with some effort, but a Grandmaster capable of arranging a Spirit Array capable of blocking the fallout from the Hundred Mountains Picture was someone they couldn’t afford to neglect.
The Hundred Mountains Picture was an Origin Grade artefact, so even if the Spirit Array Yang Yan arranged didn’t have to directly keep off a strike from it, judging from her current unruffled state, it was clear just how high of her attainments in Spirit Arrays was.
Where did Wu Yi find such freaks? One young man was capable of killing Xu Zhi Shen with just a Third Order Saint Realm cultivation and was now about to break through to the Saint King Realm while the other young woman present was not just a Saint Grade Artefact Refiner, but also an extremely skilled Array Master.
Suddenly, Ba Qing Yan felt a tinge of regret, regret that he had shown such a cold attitude towards Wu Yi, even somewhat wishing he could take back his previous words and have Wu Yi return to the family.
If Wu Yi returned to the family, perhaps this young man and woman could also be brought along with her.
If Ba Qing Yan knew that Yang Yan was an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner, perhaps he wouldn’t even hesitate to kneel down and apologize to Wu Yi.
Yang Kai had sunk into a profound state. The reason he dared to break through here was that he did not place the nearby Hai Ke Family cultivators in his eyes. If they understood discretion, they wouldn’t try to cause trouble, but if they dared move against him, Yang Kai didn’t mind educating them about who they could and could not provoke.
Yang Yan setting up a Spirit Array around him and the Hai Ke Family’s impetuous mood did not escape Yang Kai’s eyes, but he ignored all of it to continue immersing in the mysterious sensation that came over him.
Yang Kai’s meridians seemed to swell up and gradually became sore while a powerful vortex suddenly emerged from his body, creating a massive suction that drew all the surrounding World Energy towards him.
Suddenly, the pain in his meridians increased sharply and Yang Kai’s figure twitched, a cry of pain nearly leaking from his lips.
But soon, the pain disappeared and was replaced with an incredibly comfortable sensation. The meridians in his body inflated and became firmer than before as massive amounts of World Energy rushed into his body all on its own.
The wind and clouds suddenly changed and above Dragon Cave Mountain, an unimaginable amount of World Energy crashing down in a rampaging torrent towards Yang Kai, smashing everything within a thousand meters of him to dust.
“Fall back!” Yang Yan’s small face went pale as she swiftly withdrew, not daring to remain in place; Wu Yi and Yu Feng hurriedly followed behind her.
Ba Qing Yan’s jaw dropped as he witnessed the terrifying scene before him. He was secretly rejoicing that he had not allowed anyone from the Hai Ke Family to rush up and try to add insult to injury just now.
If they had done so, even if this young man didn’t attack them, the pressure generated from him breaking through to the next great realm would have been enough to reduce anyone who approached him to ashes.
The other Hai Ke Family cultivators shivered.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that this breakthrough was more shocking than the previous battle.
They never knew that a person’s breakthrough could create such a massive disturbance, even changing the world’s scenery. How was this young man able to withstand such impact?
At that moment, many people even began to secretly curse Yang Kai, hoping his breakthrough would fail and he would die in the process. Comparing themselves with such a person was a big blow to their self-esteem.
The rumbling sounds seemed to pound against people’s hearts as the entire Dragon Cave Mountain shook violently. Every time a torrent of World Energy fell, it was like a sledgehammer struck their chests.
Just watching this scene gave many a sense of unbearable pressure, but the young man who was actually experiencing this breakthrough had nothing but excitement on his face as he opened his mind and body to accept this overwhelming World Baptism.
With each successive wave of World Energy that fell upon him, Yang Kai’s aura grew stronger.
It was like an ancient slumbering deity was awakening, standing proudly against the Heavens and Earth, making it impossible for people to stare directly at him.
Time passed and the gathered power of Heaven, which was obscuring the sky gradually cleared, but the sense of pressure weighing on everyone’s heart did not weaken at all.
Suddenly, the world became clear and bright once more and the momentum from Yang Kai’s body receded, his closed eyes shooting open as they shone with joy.
Saint King Realm!
He had finally arrived at the Saint King Realm, breaking through the limits of Tong Xuan Realm and catching up with the height Great Demon God had once achieved!
It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai felt he had completely integrated into the Star Field.
Power that was far more tyrannical than just a moment ago surged through his body and as Yang Kai gently clenched his fists, he could feel an explosive force gather around them. If he were to fight Xu Zhi Shen now, Yang Kai was confident that the old man wouldn’t be able to injure him in the slightest while he could easily break through his four-mountain defense.
In the distance, the cultivators from the Hai Ke Family stared blankly at Dragon Cave Mountain. It was as if this mountain was ravaged by a great storm and it had now become even more desolate than before. The rich World Energy fog that had been collected by the Aura Gathering Spirit Array had all disappeared and even the aura within a thirty kilometer radius of Dragon Cave Mountain had been drained dry.
Ba Qing Yan gulped silently, not daring to underestimate the current Yang Kai.
Yang Yan, Wu Yi, and Yu Feng rushed over. Yang Yan congratulated him excitedly while Wu Yi and Yu Feng did the same; however, Yang Kai could tell there was a slight sorrow in their tone.
After all, these two had publicly announced they would separate from the Hai Ke Family not long ago.
No matter how unfairly the family had treated them, it was still their family, the place where they had grown up. The bonds and sentiment they held dear could not be dismissed so easily.
“Congratulations, little friend. Today has been an eye-opening experience for this old master. Little friend is truly a dragon among men whose future achievements will certainly be boundless!” Ba Qing Yan led a group of people over and began calling out before they even arrived.
Yang Kai turned his head and gave him a passing glance.
Yang Kai didn’t have a good impression of this old man as he had previously persecuted Wu Yi. He was an Elder of Hai Ke Family, and from that perspective had not said anything inappropriate, but afterwards he had several times shown the intention to act against Yang Kai, such as we Xu Zhi Shen had called out for help or when he was trying to break through. Yang Kai had seen everything, and although Ba Qing Ya had each time managed to hold himself back, it wasn’t out of good intentions but simply because he wasn’t certain he could kill Yang Kai.
If Ba Qing Ya had been certain, he would have attacked long ago.
Seeing that Yang Kai was unwilling to respond to him, Ba Qing Yan’s expression became somewhat unsightly as he awkwardly continued, “Little friend is a friend of Wu Yi, so if you have time in the future, please do visit my Hai Ke Family, we will be sure to offer you a suitable welcome.”
“Wu Yi has left the Hai Ke Family, why should I visit your house?” Yang Kai shot him a cold look.
Ba Qing Yan was immediately struck speechless but quickly glanced over at Wu Yi and put on a forced smile, “Wu Yi is somewhat young and speaks before fully considering the consequences of her words. This old master believes she didn’t mean what she said just now about leaving the family, isn’t that right, Wu Yi?”
Wu Yi’s expression became even more forlorn and chose to remain silent
On the other hand, Yu Feng openly snorted and quipped, “Didn’t Elder Ba just say that Wu Yi must return to the family to accept discipline according to the Family Law? I remember you said you would even act personally to drag her back!”
Ba Qing Yan immediately glared menacingly towards Yu Feng!
In order to become friends with Yang Kai, he had no choice but to show consideration to Wu Yi, but that didn’t mean he had to do the same to Yu Feng. Yang Kai clearly disliked him and Wu Yi was ignoring him, so Ba Qing Ya couldn’t help becoming somewhat angry out of shame; now, with Yu Feng pouring oil on the fire, if not for having scruples about Yang Kai’s opinion, Ba Qing Ya would definitely have taught Yu Feng a lesson.
But to Ba Qing Ya’s surprise, Yu Feng, who had always been as timid as a mouse in front of him before, now actually dared to glare back defiantly.
This made Ba Qing Yan feel great shame.
But after thinking about it for a moment, Ba Qing Yan declared, “Little friend has just broken through a Great Realm and should need some time to consolidate his cultivation. This old master will not disturb little friend any longer. If little friend has any need of my Hai Ke Family’s assistance, please do not hesitate to ask, en since Wu Yi and Yu Feng are your friends, they should stay behind to help with any miscellaneous tasks; after all, this place can also be considered my Hai Ke Family’s territory. Wu Yi, Yu Feng, don’t show any negligence with this little friend, understand?”
After hearing Ba Qing Yan’s words, Wu Yi still didn’t respond while Yu Feng coldly snorted; it was the first time he realized that his own Elder could be so shameless, causing him a bit of embarrassment.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, was just sneering. Ba Qing Yan was indeed an old fox, instantly making it appear that Yang Kai was the guest while his Hai Ke Family was the host, all but directly saying that this was their land, and since he was living here, shouldn’t he give them some face?
Ba Qing Yan also knew that he no longer had any prestige in front of these two, so after finishing what he had to say, he didn’t care about their attitudes and simply cupped his fists to Yang Kai before departing.
The man named Wu Ke also wore a complex look filled with envy as he glanced over at Wu Yi and Yang Kai for a moment. He had never expected that immediately after leaving the family, Wu Yi would find herself a powerful backer with seemingly unlimited prospects.
The young women following behind Ba Qing Yan also directed jealous looks towards Wu Yi, many of them turning their heads several times as they left, sending unambiguous looks towards Yang Kai, as if all he needed to do was nod and they would immediately throw themselves at him.
After a long while, only Yang Kai, Yang Yan, Wu Yi, and Yu Feng remained in the now barren Dragon Cave Mountain where neither birds nor beasts could be seen.
Wu Yi’s eyes were slightly red as she wore a forced smile, “Yang Kai, I’ve shown you something unsightly.”
“How can they be like this?” Yu Feng muttered. In the past, the two of them had felt pride in being members of the Hai Ke Family, but after all the events that transpired today, that sense of belonging had been directly destroyed. Wu Yi had even been forced into a position where she had to announce her separation from the family rather than be unjustly brought back by Ba Qing Yan to suffer sanctions under the Family Law. Even if she were to die here though, she had not wanted to see her Elders acting so pitiful and opportunistic.
Her family’s weakness was completely different from what she had imagined.
Yang Kai seemed to know what she was thinking and said lightly, “This world only respects strength, without it, one can only curry favour from others. Just surviving isn’t easy.”
Wu Yi heard these words and thoughtfully looked over at Yang Kai, but the confusion in her beautiful eyes did not abate.
Yu Feng didn’t think too deeply about the subject and instead asked with some worry, “Yang Kai, the Xu Family will never relent now that you’ve killed Xu Zhi Shen. Before today they didn’t understand how strong you were, so they only sent over a few masters, but those that ran away will certainly report what’s happened here so next time the Xu Family will prepare. Shouldn’t we hurry and leave this place?”
Before Yang Kai could respond, Yang Yan chimed in, “There’s no need to leave, just give me enough materials and I’ll arrange a proper Spirit Array here to repel any intruders.”
Yang Kai also didn’t plan on leaving. Even if he hadn’t implicated Wu Yi and Yu Feng today, with such a large Space Spirit Crystal mine beneath Dragon Cave Mountain, there was no way Yang Kai would abandon this place before the Stone Puppet finished clearing it out.
Yang Kai cultivated the Dao of Space and needed a lot of Space Spirit Crystals. There was nowhere else he would find such a rich deposit.
Yang Kai didn’t have a complete understanding of Yang Yan’s abilities with Spirit Arrays, but seeing her shocking performance today, he was quite confident in her skill.
Not to mention, Yang Kai was now a Saint King, and although he didn’t know if he could compete with Origin Returning Realm cultivators, the Xu Family didn’t have such a master anyway so he didn’t care even if they did come in force.
“What materials do you need?” Yang Kai asked.
“Ores and cultivation materials, basically anything besides spirit herbs for Alchemy will be useful.”
“I have some here,” Wu Yi immediately took some items from her Space Ring.
“Me too, but it’s not much nor is it very high grade,” Yu Feng also contributed.
“It’s no problem, just get Yang Kai to purchase them,” Yang Yan grinned. Others didn’t know how rich Yang Kai was, but she was different. The artefacts she refined for him had already been converted into Saint Crystals by Yang Kai and on top of that, he had so many Space Spirit Crystals that raising several tens of thousands of Saint Crystals was a cinch.
“I just broke through and need to consolidate my cultivation. Yu Feng, I’ll have to trouble you to make a trip to Heavenly Fate City,” Yang Kai said while taking out fifty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals from the Black Book space, storing them in a Universe Bag, and handing it to Yu Feng.
Although he had never seen such a low-grade storage artefact, when Yu Feng swept its content with his Divine Sense, he immediately went pale, “So many Saint Crystals?”
The amount of Saint Crystals he was holding was almost equal to the total income of the entire Hai Ke Family for a year. Yu Feng had never expected Yang Kai to so casually hand him such a shocking amount of wealth and he couldn’t help wondering just where he had acquired all of it in such a short amount of time.
After all, when they picked Yang Kai up, there was only one Space Ring on him and it had already found its way into Wu Yi’s hands.
On the other hand, Yang Kai handing him so many Saint Crystals at once gave Yu Feng a profound sense of responsibility and quickly stated, “Brother Yang can rest assured, I will definitely buy the require materials at the best price available.”
Glancing over at Wu Yi, Yu Feng declared solemnly, “I’ll have to ask you to look after the Young Lady for a while.”
Yang Kai nodded and Yu Feng flew off towards Heavenly Fate City.
Yang Kai felt quite comfortable trusting Yu Feng with this errand. Just a moment ago, he had continuously stood up to his own family’s Elder for Wu Yi. Although his actions could be considered quite simple-minded, they also perfectly showcased the depths of his loyalty.
“Wu Yi, you should first take a rest, your complexion is quite bad,” Yang Kai said to Wu Yi.
Wu Yi nodded gently before walking silently to the cave, accompanied by Yang Yan.
After also returning to the cave, Yang Kai began sorting through his Space Ring and Black Book Space. Everything he could use he handed over to Yang Yan. He had already confirmed her abilities and now that she was about to arrange a grand Spirit Array to protect the cave, the more materials she had the better.
Yang Kai kept the Thunder Attribute Bird Wood that had been formed from the corpse of the Tenth-Order Monster Beast Thunder Luan as he planned to discuss how to best use it with Yang Yan later.
After handling these trivial matters, Yang Kai took out several dozen High-Rank Saint Crystals, placed them around himself, and sat down in the middle of the Seven Coloured Spirit Gathering Flags to consolidate his new Saint King Realm cultivation.
If Yang Kai had only broken through a Minor Realm, consolidating his cultivation wouldn’t be particularly urgent, but breaking through to a new Great Realm was different. Stabilizing his realm was essential for his future cultivation.
And so, the storm surrounding Dragon Cave Mountain came to an end, but a new one was now brewing within the Hai Ke Family.
Wu Yi’s friend surnamed Yang, a Third Order Saint, had killed Xu Zhi Shen, a Third Order Saint King, and robbed him of two high-grade artefacts. On top of that, Wu Yi’s female friend turned out to not only be a Saint Grade Artefact Refiner but also a Spirit Array Grandmaster!
When this news spread to the Hai Ke Family’s leadership, all of them were incredibly shocked.
“Qing Yan, you mean to say that youth named Yang Kai killed that old fox, Xu Zhi Shen? You really saw it with your own eyes?” A long-bearded old man sitting in the middle of the family discussion hall asked with clear disbelief.
This old man was the current Patriarch of Hai Ke Family, Yi En.
It wasn’t that Yi En was unwilling to believe Ba Qing Yan, but the story this time was simply too difficult to imagine. Saying Yang Kai killed a First Order Saint King as a Third Order Saint might have been acceptable, but who was Xu Zhi Shen? He was a Xu Family Elder and one of their most powerful masters. Even if Yi En had taken action personally, he may not have been able to win such a fight, and if he had to face Xu Zhi Shen while the latter was wielding the Hundred Mountains Picture, Yi En would only be able to withdraw.
If it had been anyone else telling such a tale, Yi En would have just laughed it off as a joke, but it was Ba Qing Yan who was speaking.
Not only did Yi En have doubts, all the other Elders and Foreign Elders inside the hall were giving Ba Qing Yan strange looks.
“Old Ba, did you become muddled after cultivating too hard? Convening us here in the middle of the day to talk about such nonsense isn’t funny,” An Elder named Wa Lun sitting nearby chuckled.
“En, Elder Ba, if this is just a joke, I suggest you try something different. This one isn’t funny at all,” A beautiful woman with rich curves said with some dissatisfaction. She was a Hai Ki Family Foreign Elder named Huang Juan.
“Qing Yan, explain the situation carefully. I don’t believe you are one to make up such stories!” Yi En said seriously to Ba Qing Yan.
Ba Qing Yan’s expression remained unchanged. He knew that the words he was speaking sounded ridiculous and if he had been in everyone else’s position and heard them he wouldn’t easily believe them, so he didn’t mind Wa Lun and Huang Juan’s cutting remarks and instead just called out, “Come in.”
More than a dozen people walked into the hall after receiving this summons, most of them from the Hai Ke Family’s younger generation. This group had followed Ba Qing Yan to Dragon Cave Mountain and after entering the hall, bowed respectfully.
The Elders and Foreign Elders present didn’t know what Ba Qing Yan was up to but they held their tongues and waited quietly for whatever was to come next.
“Wu Ke, tell the Patriarch and the Elders present here what you witnessed day. Do not conceal anything, make any slanderous remarks, or add any exaggerations or you will be disciplined in accordance with the Family Law!” Ba Qing Yan said solemnly.
Wu Ke quickly cupped his fists and accepted this task before describing Xu Zhi Shen and the Xu Family’s crusade to Dragon Cave Mountain and the ensuing conflict with Yang Kai. Wu Ke was an eloquent speaker and although none of the Elders besides Ba Qing Yan were present today, from Wu Ke’s speech they had no trouble imagining the scene which had taken place.
When they heard about Wu Yi and Yu Feng choosing to separate from the family in order to protect Yang Kai while openly opposing Ba Qing Yan, the faces of many Elders and Foreign Elders became ugly, many of them calling for the Patriarch to capture them back and subject them to the harshest punishment available under the Family Law to serve as a warning to others.
However, after hearing that Yang Kai had snatched Xu Zhi Shen’s Nether Shadow Soul Silk and instantly erased his Soul Mark from it, forcing the latter to summon six of the Hundred Mountains Picture’s phantom peaks, none of them cared about this minor issue anymore. And when they heard that Yang Kai had managed to burn Xu Zhi Shen to death with his strange black flames even though the latter had the protection of four illusionary mountains and about this young man’s subsequent terrifying breakthrough to the Saint King Realm …
All the Elders and Foreign Elders were dumbfounded, hardly able to believe their ears.
They all already faintly believed this story though, because just now, all of them had felt the disturbance in the local World Energy aura. Dragon Cave Mountain wasn’t too far from here so, naturally, they had noticed this strange phenomenon, but none of them had cared much about it at the time.
Now it seems that disturbance was caused by a single young man breaking through to the Saint King Realm!
Wu Ke finished quickly, and Ba Qing Yan next turned to the other dozen young men and women present and asked, “Did Wu Ke speak even half a lie?”
The dozen people all shook their heads, “No.”
“This matter, did all of you witness it today with your own eyes?”
“Yes, Elder Ba!” The crowd nodded.
“Good, you’re excused,” Ba Qing Yan waved his hand and the dozen or so youths withdrew after saluting.
Many Elders and Foreign Elders in the Hai Ke Family’s discussion hall fell silent.
Any speculations about Ba Qing Yan making all of this up as a joke had now been completely dispelled.
It made no sense for more than a dozen of their clansmen to cooperate with each other to tell such a lie to them, so the only explanation was that they were telling the truth!
“Is there really such a Junior in this world?” Yi En muttered under his breath, clear shock still covering his face as he sighed, “Why was he not born in my Hai Ke Family? If he were…”
Yi En’s thoughts were echoed by many others. If such a powerful young man had been born to the Hai Ke Family, their rise would truly be right around the corner. They wouldn’t have to remain as just a peripheral force attached to Shadow Moon Hall.
Peripheral Force was just a title. It sounded good but carried no real weight. In truth, the Hai Ke Family was simply hanging Shadow Moon Hall’s sign next to their name in exchange for providing them with a certain amount of tribute each year. In return, Shadow Moon Hall didn’t look for trouble with them.
They didn’t receive any benefits from Shadow Moon Hall, and if Shadow Moon Hall wished, they could dissolve this relationship or even the family itself at any time.
“Patriarch, although this Yang Kai wasn’t born into my clan, it’s not necessarily impossible for him to become part of it,” The beautiful woman named Huang Juan who had spoken before suddenly said with a smile.
“Oh? The meaning of Foreign Elder Huang is…” Yi En immediately directed an excited look towards her.
Huang Juan pursed her lips into a smile and said, “Elder Ba just said that in order to shield him, Wu Yi even declared she would leave the family. In my opinion, the relationship between those two may not be so simple. At the very least, Wu Yi seems to have some strong intentions towards that boy.”
Hearing this, everyone’s eyes brightened!
“Foreign Elder Huang is right,” Wa Lun nodded in agreement, a grin appearing on his face, “Wu Yi’s looks are good and her aptitude is one of the best in the family. Regardless of whether that Yang Kai has feelings towards her now, all we have to do is match them together and the situation should progress all on its own. However, before we do anything, we need to find out about the origins of this young man; him being able to kill Xu Zhi Shen with just a Saint Realm cultivation makes it clear he cannot be an unknown person, yes?”
“Do you mean to say he may be the first master of Thunder Typhoon Sect’s younger generation, Fan Tian Zhong? Fan Tian Zhong is said to have the ability to kill enemies above his own realm. En, Wei Gu Chang of Shadow Moon Hall also has such ability along with Heaven Battling Union’s Qu Chang Feng. Could Yang Kai simply be an alias? If it’s not, why haven’t we heard about him before?” Someone asked.
“He is absolutely not any of them! Those geniuses are all already Saint Kings, possibly even having reached the Third Order by now. They are a full Great Realm above this Yang Kai in cultivation, he clearly has nothing to do with them.”
“About his origins, this Elder may know a little something,” An old man with a well-trimmed goatee spoke up, attracting everyone’s attention. After pausing for a moment, he continued, “I heard from one of those little brats that during Wu Yi’s last mining expedition, Yu Feng picked up a stranger from the Starry Sky. Yang Kai should be that person.”
“Picked up?” The group of Elders in the hall were all stunned. Could a young man of such astonishing aptitude simply be picked up?
Yi En expression changed once more as he glanced over towards a certain individual with a smile, “Foreign Elder Chang, when Wu Yi previously set out to mine ore, it was you who accompanied her, correct? What can you tell us about this Yang Kai?”
Chang Qi frowned slightly. He had a good relationship with Wu Yi and often looked out for her as she was growing up. Today, hearing Wu Yi had been forced to leave the family, Chang Qi had become quite disgruntled towards Ba Qing Yan. He didn’t want to comment, but now that the Patriarch had directly asked him, even if he wished to remain silent, he didn’t have a choice.
After all, when Yu Feng picked up Yang Kai, and when Yang Kai emerged from the blood-red crystal, Chang Qi had been present, so he knew better than anyone present about Yang Kai’s origins.
Grumbling to himself for a moment, Chang Qi reluctantly described what had happened at that time.
The looks on the faces present changed once more when they heard about Yang Kai’s bizarre origins, actually emerging from a blood-red crystal.
But soon, Huang Juan let out pleasant laughter, “Since we know his origins, everything is much easier to handle. In the outside world, he may not be an unknown person, but now that he is here on Shadowed Star, it is the same as him not having any family or backing. Although my Hai Ke Family isn’t too strong, it can still be regarded as a sizable force. If we show him favour, he shouldn’t have any reason to refuse, not to mention Dragon Cave Mountain where he lives now belongs to my family.”
“Foreign Elder Huang is right, young people are always reckless and impetuous, but all of them still love beauties. Since he seems to have some ideas about Wu Yi, we just need to push them together,” Immediately, someone else came forward to agree, with many others nodding in approval.
“We cannot!” Suddenly a voice of opposition sounded.
Yi En turned his eyes to the source and asked calmly, “Why does Elder Ba feel this is improper?”
Actually, Yi En had not expected the first one to object would actually be Ba Qing Yan.
However, Ba Qing Yan quickly explained, “First, Yang Kai killed Xu Zhi Shen, and although this clearly demonstrates his great strength and superior combat prowess, if it was not related to the Hundred Mountains Picture, the Xu Family may be able to swallow it, making big things small, and small things nothing, at most demanding some compensation from him so they can save face. But now that the Hundred Mountains Picture has been snatched, even if the Xu Family fears Yang Kai, it is impossible for them to back down. If my family now goes and shows goodwill towards Yang Kai, we will definitely have trouble with the Xu Family.”
“What thing is the Xu Family? My Hai Ke Family has never been afraid of the Xu Family, so what is Elder Ba worrying about?” Elder Wu Lun coldly snorted.
“That’s right, Elder Ba, the Xu Family now doesn’t even have the Hundred Mountains Picture, so we really have no need to fear them, perhaps we can even take this opportunity to annex the Xu Family completely!”
As soon as this remark was made, many people were moved.
The Xu Family’s Hundred Mountains Picture was a huge deterrent, but now that the Xu Family has lost this precious artefact, there was no need to fear them anymore. This was indeed a good chance for the Hai Ke Family to deal with the Xu Family while at the same time pulling Yang Kai closer to themselves.
Instead of rushing to agree though, Yi En frowned slightly and motioned to Ba Qing Yan, “Elder Ba, continue.”
Ba Qing Yan glanced around at the spirited faces of his colleagues who were not itching to immediately crusade against the Xu Family now and sneered, “The Xu Family need not be feared, but what about Shadow Moon Hall?”
Everyone froze up, but upon remembering a certain fact, all of them wore an expression of dread.
“We and the Xu Family are peripheral forces of Shadow Moon Hall. This dispute has nothing to do with Shadow Moon Hall, but that Xie Hong Wen has his eyes on Wu Yi. If we were to arbitrarily match Wu Yi with Yang Kai, do you think Xie Hong Wen will ignore it? A trivial Xie Hong Wen we need not fear, but that little bastard’s father is a genuine Shadow Moon Hall Deacon! A Deacon’s status in Shadow Moon Hall isn’t high, but it is still not a person my Hai Ke Family can provoke.”
“What Elder Ba says is true,” Yi En nodded, “Although that Yang Kai is good, after all, he has no foundation or background, a loner. If trying to befriend him offends Xie Hong Wen, the gains will not make up for the losses. En, this matter needs further consideration. Not only do we need to recruit that Yang Kai, but we need to do so in a way that does not offend Xie Hong Wen. Elder Ba, your methods are meticulous. Return to Dragon Cave Mountain and probe that young man’s intentions and desires and whether we can satisfy them. If he really covets beauty, my Hai Ke Family has many unmarried girls, several of whom are not inferior to Wu Yi. As long as we can gather him, sending him a few unimportant women isn’t an issue.”
“I will carry out Patriarch’s command!” Ba Qing Yan stood up and bowed gently, thinking about something before asking, “Patriarch, what should we do about that Saint Grade Artefact Refiner called Yang Yan? Her Spirit Array accomplishment shouldn’t be bad.”
“Act at your own discretion, Elder Ba. We have need of a good Array Master, but that Yang Yan is still very young, so even if she has some accomplishments in arranging Spirit Arrays, it can’t possibly be too profound. Our main concern now is Yang Kai.”
“Understood.”
Having received the Patriarch’s orders, Ba Qing Yan couldn’t easily object; however, his instincts told him that the Spirit Array arranged by Yang Yan wasn’t so simple and perhaps her value was greater than Yang Kai.
After leaving the discussion hall, Ba Qing Yan didn’t immediately rush to Dragon Cave Mountain. He knew Yang Kai didn’t want to see him right now and if he were to suddenly show up, he would definitely be met with closed doors. Moreover, Yang Kai had just broken through to the Saint King Realm and was probably in secluded retreat to consolidate his cultivation.
[Consolidate his cultivation?] Ba Qing Yan’s eyes brightened as he thought of something. Hurrying to the family’s storeroom, Ba Qing Yan withdrew a jade box from it, and upon opening the jade box, he found a longan sized pill that exuded a soothing fragrance.
Wasn’t what Yang Kai needed the most right now this Saint King Pill? Ba Qing Yan smiled confidently and walked out of the warehouse.
Inside Dragon Cave Mountain, Yang Kai was engaging in meditative cultivation while Yang Yan was organizing her available materials with the help of Wu Yi.
The materials owned by Yang Kai were a real mixed bag with things of varies grades all piled together in massive quantities. When the two women saw this pile, they were both somewhat dumbstruck; however, they were also quite happy, neither of them having imagined Yang Kai had been hoarding so many treasures.
Suddenly, Wu Yi began laughing loudly.
Yang Yan looked over at her with a puzzled expression and asked, “What are you laughing at?”
Wu Yi explained through her giggles, “I’m laughing at how Yang Kai is too sly.”
“Sly? How is he sly?” Yang Yan asked curiously.
“When I picked him up, he only had a single Space Ring on his him, and it was quickly stolen by Yu Feng. When I realized this and saw what a pitiful state he was in, I gave him a few Saint Crystals and pills back, but seeing this now it’s clear he had other Space Rings on him, I just didn’t know where he hid them! If that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t have had so many Saint Crystals and materials left, yet back then, he showed me a sincere look of thanks, making me think I had done a good deed. Turns out he was playing tricks on me the whole time.”
“En, he really is quite cunning,” Yang Yan nodded, “But those Saint Crystals have nothing to do with him, those are all my credit.”
Wu Yi was puzzled but before she had time to clarify what Yang Yan meant, Yu Feng finally returned from purchasing materials.
“How did it go?” Wu Yi asked.
“It was amazing!” Yu Feng grinned from ear to ear, “Young Lady, you can’t even imagine the kind of joy receiving such supreme treatment is. All those stores I bought materials from treated me like I was their grandfather. The feeling of spending so much money is too awesome, there were even a few beautiful girls secretly sending hot looks!”
Seeing Yu Feng’s loose expression, Wu Yi glared at him and shouted, “Shameful! What I want to know about is the materials we sent you to purchase.”
“Oh, that. I bought them, it’s all here,” Yu Feng said, handing the Space Ring in his hand to Yang Yan.
Yang Yan accepted the ring and swept it with her Divine Sense for a moment before nodding, “Good, with these materials, as long as I have a month, I can arrange a Spirit Array to perfectly protect this mountain. When the time comes, we won’t have to fear anyone!”
Wu Yi and Yu Feng both looked at her with some surprise, but soon, Wu Yi shook her head and turned back to Yu Feng to ask, “What are you holding?”
“This? This was something Young Master Wu Ke brought over and told me to hand to Yang Kai,” Yu Feng explained. When he returned just now, he had seen Wu Ke loitering around outside the cave and went up to ask what he was doing here. As soon as Yu Feng asked though, Wu Ke simply shoved this jade box into his hands and said it was something Elder Ba wished to gift to Yang Kai before he quickly flew away.
“Elder Ba ordered my cousin to deliver this?” Wu Yi’s brow furrowed for a moment, but suddenly remembering something, her eyes fixed on the jade box as she said, “Open it and let me see.”
Yu Feng opened the jade box and a refreshing fragrance immediately filled the cave.
“Saint King Pill?” Wu Yi and Yu Feng both exclaimed at the same time, the former secretly shocked that her stingy family had so readily gifted away the last Saint King Pill they had in storage while the latter was constantly gulping as his eyes filled with avarice.
On the other hand, Yang Yan only took a brief look at the Saint King Pill before going back to her own business.
“Was this really what Elder Ba asked my cousin to deliver?” Wu Yi asked in an uncertain tone.
“En, otherwise where would I have obtained it?”
“It looks like the family intends to forge a friendship with Yang Kai…” Wu Yi muttered and before immediately chuckling, “En, it seems they haven’t gone senile from old age yet. They truly should want to create a friendly relationship with him, but seeing how they sent my cousin and not one of the Elders, they should still be having some scruples about something… Forget it, since they have sent this Saint King Pill, just give it to Yang Kai, he should need this right now.”
If it had been something else, Wu Yi would have told Yu Feng to send it back, but this Saint King Pill was different.
“Ok,” Yu Feng carefully closed the jade box before walking deeper into the cave.
Arriving in front of the stone room where Yang Kai lived, before Yu Feng had time to speak, Yang Kai’s voice came over, “Brother Yu, come in.”
Yu Feng grinned and walked inside, handing over the jade box in his hands before explaining where he had obtained it.
“A Saint King Pill…” Yang Kai looked at the longan sized pill inside the jade box with amusement. As an Alchemist, he naturally knew what the Saint King Pill was for.
After breaking through to the Saint King Realm from the Saint Realm, taking a Saint King Pill would help a cultivator consolidate their foundation and mood. Because this pill only had such effects when crossing this particular Great Realm, it was called the Saint King Pill.
The Saint King Pill was a Saint King Grade Mid-Rank pill, not to high in terms of grade, but refining it required a lot of materials.
Basically, a pill to help stabilize one’s cultivation existed for each Great Realm breakthrough; however, because Yang Kai possessed the Demon Eye of Annihilation and had absorbed the insights and sentiments into the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao of many higher realm cultivators, he had never needed such pills to consolidate his foundation.
While Yang Kai didn’t need this thing, others did, and for many cultivators, this pill was incredibly precious.
The Hai Ke Family delivering him a Saint King Pill was clearly their way of showing goodwill. Yang Kai knew this, and if he had been anyone else, it might have had some effect, but to him, pills were what he needed the least.
Yang Kai himself was a high-grade Alchemist, so if he ever needed pills, he would refine them himself as there was more than enough spirit grasses and spirit medicines in his Black Book space.
Seeing Yu Feng literally drooling at the sight of the Saint King Pill in his hands, Yang Kai closed the jade box again and tossed it over to him, “You eat it.”
“Ah?” Yu Feng was shocked and after fumbling to catch the jade box frantically waved his hands, “I can’t! This is something the family gave to you, it’s extremely precious! Our Hai Ke Family had to specially request an Alchemist to refine a few of these many years ago. When Young Lady broke through to the Saint King Realm, she took one, but as far as I know, this is the last.”
“If you want to eat it, just eat it. I have no need of it,” Yang Kai shrugged casually.
“But I broke through to the Saint King Realm over three years ago, taking this now will only give me some minor benefits,” Yu Feng couldn’t bear to waste this precious treasure.
“Then I’ll just give it to you instead. Whether you eat it or sell it is up to you,” Yang Kai smiled.
“Brother Yang, don’t you want it? I won’t be able to explain to the family if you do this.”
“Didn’t you just leave the family along with Wu Yi? Why would you need to explain anything to them?” Yang Kai gave him a wryly laugh.
Yu Feng froze up for a moment before patted his forehead, “Right…”
As if he had only now remembered he had left the family, Yu Feng’s expression became a little gloomy.
Yang Kai spoke a few words of comfort, “It’s not necessarily a bad thing for you to leave the Hai Ke Family. At the very least, you can rest assured that you’ll get better cultivation conditions here than in the Hai Ke Family.”
Yu Feng politely nodded, “Then I’ll express my thanks in advance for Brother Yang’s kindness. Honestly, it doesn’t matter much to me, but Young Lady, she… haa…”
Yu Feng was obviously more concerned about Wu Yi than himself. On top of that, he didn’t take Yang Kai’s words seriously. He acknowledged Yang Kai’s combat power, but to say he could provide better cultivation conditions than the Hai Ke Family wasn’t something Yu Feng could easily believe.
After Yu Feng left, Yang Kai sank into contemplation for a moment before sending out a Divine Sense Message.
A short time later, the Stone Puppet popped up from underground.
After a few days of hard work, the Stone Puppet had collected a lot of Space Spirit Crystals. Yang Kai let it spit out these Space Spirit Crystals before ordering it to open up a few more stone rooms in the cave.
Wu Yi and Yu Feng were now homeless and could only live here temporarily. It was because of Yang Kai that they had fallen into this awkward position so naturally, he wasn’t going to just abandon them.
The Stone Puppet opened up stone rooms incredibly quickly. On top of that, its thoughts were simple so when it received Yang Kai’s orders, it went all out, completely re-modelling the cave.
One stone room after another was neatly arranged on either side of the main cave tunnel, each of them equal in size and dimension, as if they had all been measured and cut by the most precise of tools.
Soon, there were hundreds of rooms in the cave.
A short time later, when Yang Kai swept the cave with his Divine Sense and saw this, he could only grin wryly before letting the Stone Puppet go back to mining Space Spirit Crystals.
While in retreat to consolidate his Saint King Realm cultivation, Yang Kai was also refining the purple shield artefact that Yang Yan had newly forged for him. Xu Zhi Shen’s Hundred Mountains Picture had caused Yang Kai some difficulties with just six of the phantom mountains being summoned. If all one hundred of the illusionary peaks had been summoned, perhaps the surrounding thousand-kilometre region would have been flattened.
Yang Kai desperately needed a defensive artefact.
After Yang Yan and the others sorted through their cache of materials and emerged from their chamber, they were shocked by the changes the cave had undergone. After just two days, there were now hundreds of stone rooms of equal dimension inside the cave, making Wu Yi and Yu Feng feel like they were in some kind of dreamland!
The two of them thought it was Yang Kai’s handiwork, but neither of them had even noticed when all this work had taken place. Only Yang Yan understood that this was all thanks to the Stone Puppet.
Since there were now many stone rooms, Wu Yi and Yu Feng freely chose one for themselves as their own residence. Yang Yan took out some Saint Crystals and materials to arrange small Aura Gathering Spirit Arrays for them inside their stone rooms to improve the cultivation environment before beginning her work on the mountain’s defensive Spirit Array.
Fortunately, Wu Yi cultivated a Fire Attribute Secret Art, and although she wasn’t versed in Artifact Refining, under Yang Yan’s guidance, it was still possible for her to refine some simple items.
The Stone Puppet was the busiest of all. Shortly after it had been sent Yang Kai to mine Space Spirit Crystals, it was called back by Yang Yan and began spending all day quenching different materials. This was the Stone Puppet’s innate ability and it could complete it both faster and with higher quality than any human could, so why wouldn’t Yang Yan use it?
As a result, Yang Yan saved a great amount of time and energy, allowing her to experience a far more relaxed and enjoyable Artifact Refining process. With the Stone Puppet assisting her, all she needed to do was mold the materials and portray the appropriate Spirit Arrays.
Half a month later, Yang Kai exited his retreat.
As soon as he left his stone room, he immediately realized the great changes that had occurred outside.
Originally it was just him and Yang Yan here, Wu Yi and Yu Feng joined them sometime later, bringing the total occupants of Dragon Cave Mountain to four. Now though, there were at least forty cultivators moving about the cave.
Some were cultivating in the stone rooms, others were running errands, the entire Dragon Cave Mountain had become lively.
What was going on?
Yang Kai was suspicious as he walked out, but everyone he met greeted him with great enthusiasm. Yang Kai soon discovered that he recognized all of these people, even if he didn’t know all of their names.
These people were the cultivators who had been aboard Wu Yi’s Starship as well as the ones who had helped set up the cave for Yang Kai under Yu Feng’s leadership.
“Yang Kai!” Wu Yi’s voice suddenly called out and Yang Kai turned a smile towards her.
After not seeing her for half a month, Wu Yi’s complexion had improved a lot, and the sorrow between her brows had disappeared. She now seemed more youthful and beautiful than before, her whole aura filled with happiness.
“These people are…” Yang Kai asked her curiously.
“They all came here to follow me,” Wu Yi looked at Yang Kai apologetically, “They also announced that they will separate from the family.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai was somewhat taken aback, he hadn’t expected Wu Yi to command such respect. If there were one or two men who decided to follow Wu Yi because they adored her, that would have been one thing, but over forty men and women not even hesitating to separate from the Hai Ke Family could only be a result of Wu Yi’s prestige and charisma, there was no other explanation!
It was not a trivial act to separate from one’s family without authorization, especially if so many left all at once. This was no different than slapping the Hai Ke Family’s face dozens of times! Facing this kind of insult, it was unclear if the Hai Ke Family would stand idly by.
“Sorry, I didn’t know things would turn out like this,” Wu Yi said guiltily. The main reason she had announced she would leave the family was not because she wanted to protect Yang Kai, but rather because the family had treated her too coldly. Wu Yi’s decision leading to more than forty others following her had caught her by surprise, but it was a pleasant one this time.
“If you disapprove, I can lead them away!” Wu Yi saw Yang Kai go silent and thought he might be upset, so she quickly apologized while biting her lip.
“And take them where?” Yang Kai smiled, “Since they’ve come already, let them stay. Moreover, this was your land in the first place.”
“But I already gave it to you,” Wu Yi said with embarrassment, “Since I gave it to you, it’s yours now.”
“Don’t think about it too much, so many people willing to follow you is all thanks to your own skill,” Yang Kai smiled slightly. “In any case, there are so many stone rooms in the cave now so it doesn’t matter if there are a few extra people around.”
“Thank you!” Wu Yi said gratefully.
Yang Kai shook his head and said sincerely, “It is I who should thank you.”
If Wu Yi hadn’t given him Dragon Cave Mountain, Yang Kai would never have discovered the giant Space Spirit Crystal lode here. Although it wasn’t convenient for him to explain to Wu Yi right now, this great favour was something Yang Kai fully intended to repay, so allowing a few dozen people who chose to follow Wu Yi settle here wasn’t even an issue for him. Even if Wu Yi encountered real trouble, Yang Kai would happily face it for her.
“Stop thanking each other in circles,” Yang Yan called out. Yang Kai turned around to see her and although she seemed quite tired, her beautiful eyes were filled with excitement. Yang Yan casually tossed something over to Yang Kai upon making eye contact and said, “This artefact isn’t bad. See if you want to refine it, if not, we should sell it quickly. We’re quite poor now.”
Yang Kai caught this artefact and upon sweeping it with his Divine Sense, he discovered it was Xu Zhi Shen’s Hundred Mountains Picture. Immediately tossing it into his Space Ring, Yang Kai declared, “This thing isn’t for sale.”
During the battle with Xu Zhi Shen, Yang Kai had snatched two artefacts, one was the Nether Shadow Soul Silk and the other was the Hundred Mountains Picture. Yang Kai didn’t have time to investigate these two artefacts carefully, but he knew that the Hundred Mountains Picture was a good treasure. Xu Zhi Shen summoning six phantom mountains had boosted his strength significantly, if he could have summoned more, the strength he would have displayed would only have been stronger.
By the time all one hundred illusionary mountains were summoned, it was likely even Origin Returning Realm masters would have to give way. Yang Kai had never been too interested in offensive artefacts, but he really liked this Hundred Mountains Picture.
“Then give me some more Saint Crystals!” Yang Yan simply held out her small hand and demanded.
“Didn’t I give you fifty thousand Saint Crystal last time to buy materials? And they were all High-Rank Saint Crystals at that. Don’t tell me you’ve run out already, have you?” Yang Kai looked at Yang Yan in surprise. This woman was an expert at making money, but it seemed her ability to spend it wasn’t any worse.
“Do you think it’s easy to arrange a large-scale Spirit Array? Those materials were only enough to arrange the defensive Spirit Array. Now that there are so many people here, all of their stone room needs to have a small Aura Gathering Spirit Array arranged. On top of that, daily cultivating consumes many Saint Crystals.”
Wu Yi quickly interjected, “There’s no need for all this. Everyone here has never enjoyed such rich treatment in the family before. Also, Dragon Cave Mountain’s innate World Energy aura isn’t bad.”
During his recent breakthrough, Yang Kai had absorbed every scrap of World Energy within a thirty-kilometre radius of the cave, but after more than half a month, the ambient aura had basically been restored and faint traces of World Energy mist could now be seen lingering about the peaks.
“There’s no need to be polite with him, you can’t even imagine how much wealth he has,” Yang Yan whispered into Wu Yi’s ear.
Yang Yan knew about the countless Space Spirit Crystals Yang Kai possessed so she was well aware that he wouldn’t care about a few trivial Saint Crystals.
Yang Kai shook his head helplessly before stuffing tens of thousands of High-Rank, Mid-Rank, and Low-Rank Saint Crystals into a Space Ring, leaving only a few thousand pieces for his personal use.
“From now on, Wu Yi should be Dragon Cave Mountain’s treasurer, she can handle anything related to resource distribution. I need to focus on arranging Spirit Arrays so I don’t have time for it. I’ll make a list of things that need to be purchased. If you don’t have enough Saint Crystals, just tell Yang Kai, he’ll get more for you,” Yang Yan tossed the Space Ring stuffed full of Saint Crystals over to Wu Yi.
“Ah?” Wu Yi hesitated for a moment, not having expected Yang Yan to so easily transfer all the Saint Crystals Yang Kai had brought out to her. But soon, Wu Yi understood that Yang Yan was trying to give her something to occupy her attention, lest she suddenly become idle and has her thoughts drift to more unpleasant matters. Realizing this, Wu Yi was quite moved and did not shirk this responsibility, quickly declaring, “You can rest assured, I will see to it that every single Saint Crystal in my hand is used appropriately!”
Wu Yi’s dream had been to lead the Hai Ke Family and she had gained much experience managing matters in the family over the past many years, so handling a trivial forty people would not be an issue.
Yang Kai’s eyes glanced back and forth, understanding Yang Yan’s intentions and quietly giving her a thumbs up.
Yang Yan smiled happily, “My defensive Spirit Array is about to be completed, but Yang Kai, you really need to find a way to earn more Saint Crystals if we want to stay here long term. The current Spirit Array is only enough to secure the surrounding ten-kilometre radius.”
Yang Kai naturally understood the deeper meaning behind Yang Yan’s words. The Space Spirit Crystal lode was extremely important. The Stone Puppet had been mining it for so many days, but it showed no signs of slowing down. No one knew just how large this crystal lode was, but Yang Kai was determined to remain here at least until it was completely cleaned out.
What’s more, Yang Kai intended to remain in this place and use it as a springboard to project his name across the Star Field.
Nodding his head, Yang Kai said, “Don’t worry about Saint Crystals, I’ll find a way to collect more.”
Yang Yan sent him a worried look and reminded him, “Act carefully.”
She thought that Yang Kai might be compelled to sell some of the Space Spirit Crystals, but in truth, he had no such plans.
“By the way, Yang Kai, Elder Ba has come to visit here every day for a few days now, saying he wants to discuss something with you, but you’ve been in retreat, so I’ve always sent him back. You’re out now though and he happens to be outside at this moment,” Wu Yi said with a slight frown.
“Ba Qing Yan? What are your thoughts?” Yang Kai asked Wu Yi, “If you want me to meet him, I’ll meet him, if you don’t, I’ll send him away.”
“I don’t know,” Wu Yi shook her head as her fists clenched and a look of struggle appeared on her face.
“Then I’ll ask you something different, do you want to return to the Hai Ke Family?”
“I don’t!” This time, Wu Yi didn’t hesitate, shaking her head decisively and laughing somewhat self-deprecatingly, “I used to think that although the family was weak, we all shared a common goal and it didn’t matter if we had to gives our lives for that goal, but now… I really don’t want to go back. My parents died long ago, and although the family has been nurturing and raising me, I believe I’ve paid them back for all I’ve received.”
“Understood, I’ll see him then and make sure he won’t bother you in the future.”
“Thank you.” Wu Yi gently nodded.
Ba Qing Yan has come four days in a row now. He knew that Yang Kai was in retreat to consolidate his cultivation, so he had been patiently waiting, but he hadn’t thought that each time he came to Dragon Cave Mountain he wouldn’t even be able to see Yang Kai. With the task assigned to him, Ba Qing Yan couldn’t act arrogantly so his only choice was to quietly wait but seeing his family’s disciples walk in and out each day while staring at him curiously, he truly felt he was losing face.
However, today was different, as after a short wait, a familiar figure suddenly appeared from the cave. Ba Qing Yan smiled happily as he immediately recognized this young man as the one who had killed Xu Zhi Shen. With a great laugh, he cupped his fists and shouted, “Congratulations little friend Yang! Little friend Yang’s aura is deep and steady, it seems you have obtained a great harvest during your recent retreat. En, little friend Yang’s talent is truly astonishing, being able to stabilize your foundation so thoroughly in such a short time. This old man is impressed!”
Yang Kai glanced at him lightly, knowing that this old fox was implying this was all thanks to the Saint King Pill he had provided.
Consolidating one’s cultivation after breaking through to a new Great Realm was not a fast process for an average person, but taking certain pills could drastically shorten the necessary time. Ba Qing Yan had not specifically mentioned the Saint King Pill, but he was flagrantly hinting at it to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai, however, wasn’t even willing to give him a nod regarding this. Forget about the fact that he hadn’t eaten that Saint King Pill, even if he had, it was just a trivial Saint King Grade Mid-Rank pill, how would Yang Kai care about such a paltry commodity?
“If you have something to say, say it, out of consideration for your status as Wu Yi’s former Elder, I will give you thirty breaths of time. Don’t squander them!”
Ba Qing Yan nearly choked when he heard Yang Kai’s words!
He hadn’t expected Yang Kai to not even bother inviting him in to sit down and discuss matters in private. After all the warm regards and flattery Ba Qing Yan had sent out, receiving such a cold response was quite discomforting, causing his face to flush. If it weren’t for the fact that he knew he couldn’t beat him, Ba Qing Yan would have already attacked Yang Kai.
As an old fox though, Ba Qing Yan quickly adjusted his mood and suppressed the anger in his heart, replacing the awkward look on his face with a smile and continuing, “The shocking battle half a month ago really opened this old man’s eyes. This old man had never imagined that a genius like little friend Yang existed in this world. Such awe-inspiring might and talent surely places little friend Yang at least on par with Wei Gu Chang of Shadow Moon Hall, Qu Chang Feng of Heaven Battling Union, and Fang Tianzhong of Thunder Typhoon Sect…”
Yang Kai stared at him coldly, without interrupting his words, only stating bluntly after Ba Qing Yan finished, “You have twenty breaths.”
Ba Qing Yan’s face twitched a few times. This Yang Kai was simply incorrigible. Ba Qing Yan had disregarded his own face to praise him, so couldn’t this brat show a hint of modesty? Even if he refused to act humble, Yang Kai should have at least displayed the arrogance of a young man; after all, flattering a Junior was not something easy for an old man like Ba Qing Yan, it had been many years since he needed to utter such false platitudes.
People often say that those who are young are all wild at heart, but that didn’t seem to apply in this case; it was as if Yang Kai simply didn’t have a rampant side.
As if he suddenly understood a bit about Yang Kai’s temperament, Ba Qing Yan’s expression immediately became serious and he didn’t bother with any more nonsense, directly stated, “My Hai Ke Family intends to betroth a few young girls from our clan to little friend Yang, has little friend Yang ever once gotten married?”
“Not interested!” Yang Kai stated flatly.
“Ah… little friend, it’s like this, you killed Xu Zhi Shen of the Xu Family and robbed him of his Hundred Mountains Picture. Considering all this, it is impossible for the Xu Family to relent. My Hai Ke Family is willing to shelter little friend Yang from this disaster as long as little friend Yang is willing to join our family. My family is willing to hire little friend Yang as the Foreign Elder and provide him with the corresponding treatment!”
“Not interested!”
“Little friend Yang, please listen to this old man’s whole story before making a decision,” Ba Qing Yan secretly grieved in his heart, thinking he should not have accepted this kind of task. He had never met a person as difficult to deal with as Yang Kai, no matter what he said, the only responses he got were indifference or flat out silence.
“Little friend Yang, you have offended the Xu Family and killed Xu Zhi Shen. The next time Xu Family comes, they won’t send just one or two people; for the Hundred Mountains Picture, they may turn out in full force. Without my Hai Ke Family’s shelter, how does your tiny mountain top plan on resisting them? Even if you are not afraid of the Xu Family, what about the young lady beside you? If the city gates are on fire, the innocents inside are the ones who suffer, I believe little friend Yang should understand this concept, right? Now is not the time to act defiantly, if you want to protect yourself and that young lady, allying with my Hai Ke Family is your only hope!”
Ba Qing Yan felt quite bitter. He was putting forward his best offer in an incredibly straightforward manner. If it had been anyone else, how could he have spoken so frankly? He was an old fox with a silver tongue and knew what should be said and what should not be said during a negotiation.
But when facing Yang Kai, Ba Qing Yan had no choice but to flatly list all the conditions the Hai Ke Family was willing to offer, because he found that this young man’s temper was short and his patience even shorter. Perhaps it also had something to do with Wu Yi that Yang Kai’s opinion of the Hai Ke Family was so poor. No matter the case, Ba Qing Yan knew if he turned around and left now, he wouldn’t get another chance.
Presenting his offer so sincerely, Ba Qing Yan secretly thought that as long as Yang Kai wasn’t a fool, he would certainly accept the proposal.
As such, he directed a look of anticipation towards Yang Kai.
“You only have five breaths left!” Yang Kai remained indifferent though, not showing the slightest interest whatsoever.
Ba Qing Yan’s expression cramped up as he cursed in his heart while grinding his teeth, “Little friend, my Hai Ke Family and the Xu Family are both peripheral forces of Shadow Moon Hall. Although there is some friction between us, we are still considered allies. There is an agreement between us to go forward and retreat at once, to live and die together. If not for this, small forces like ours may have already been eaten up by Shadow Moon Hall. Has little friend Yang not considered this?”
These words carried a clear threatening undertone to them, implying that if Yang Kai did not accept the Hai Ke Family’s asylum, once the Xu Family decided to act against him, he might have to face aggression from the Hai Ke Family as well.
Yang Kai nodded indifferently, “You’re all welcome to come together, just see if you’re able to leave the same way!”
Saying so, without waiting for Ba Qing Yan to react, Yang Kai turned around and walked back towards the cave.
Ba Qing Yan was trembling with anger. Although his strength wasn’t too high, he was still an Elder of the Hai Ke Family. He had been ordered to recruit Yang Kai, but how could he have known this little brat would be so uncompromising? Arrogant to the point of disregarding him altogether.
Did he really think so highly of himself? Even if his combat power was unreasonably high, as a single trivial Saint King, did this boy really think he could block the entire Xu Family? He was simply overreaching himself!
“Little friend Yang!” Ba Qing Yan had become exasperated with Yang Kai’s attitude and shouted out coldly, “Dragon Cave Mountain is the property of my Hai Ke Family, outsiders are not welcome here, little friend Yang must find somewhere else to live!”
Yang Kai, who had just arrived at the entrance of the cave, heard this and turned back to glare coldly at Ba Qing Yan.
Ba Qing Yan, however, wasn’t afraid and simply sneered, “I know this place was supposedly given to you by Wu Yi before, but now that Wu Yi has announced she is leaving the family, she has no right to this Dragon Cave Mountain unless she returns to the family to receive discipline from the Family Law! Even if she does though, my Hai Ke Family still cannot accept outsiders loitering on our land. Anyone found doing so will be punished accordingly!”
“Scram!” Yang Kai snorted as he sent out a powerful burst of Spiritual Energy.
Ba Qing Yan let out a pitiful scream as he was sent flying backwards, his face going pale as he vomited a mouthful of blood mid-air. By the time he landed, his expression was filled with fright.
He was a Third-Order Saint King master, but in terms of Soul strength, it was apparent he was vastly inferior to Yang Kai, a newly promoted First Order Saint King, as his Knowledge Sea was currently shaking uncontrollably.
If this boy wanted to take his life right now, how easy would it be?
“I won’t kill you this time because I need you to deliver a message to your Hai Ke Family for me. If you dare try to make trouble for me, I’ll slaughter everyone in your Hai Ke Family down to the chickens and dogs! Wu Yi and her followers are my people now, and Dragon Cave Mountain is mine as well. Without my consent, anyone who sets foot within fifty kilometres of here will be considered my enemy and I will handle them as such!”
“You…” Ba Qing Yan pointed at Yang Kai, his finger shaking, extreme rage filling his heart, almost coughing up blood again, but ultimate not daring to say anything more, summoning his Star Shuttle and swiftly flying away.
Outside the cave, when they heard Ba Qing Yan say that everyone here would be punished, the cultivators who had followed Wu Yi here gave her low-spirited looks. All of them were well aware of the punishments meted out under the Family Law and that it was not something most could bear. Of those who had suffered the Family Law’s punishment, seven out of ten had become cripples, two would directly die, and the last would be permanently bed-ridden, unable to even take care of themselves in the future.
But in the blink of an eye, Ba Qing Yan, the Elder they all feared and respected, had been injured so severely he spat blood and fled, not even daring to bring up the Family Law again.
None of them understood what had just happened, but after a moment of stunned silence, they all directed looks filled with admiration and worship towards Yang Kai. They had all left the family because of the unfair treatment Wu Yi had suffered, including Ba Qing Yan’s intentions to punish her with the Family Law, so now they were all quite happy to see the same Ba Qing Yan suffer a loss.
These low-level cultivators only feared Elder Ba, none of them respected him, so naturally, they didn’t care if he lived or died. The only one they cared about was Wu Yi.
Back inside, Yang Kai found a very dispirited Wu Yi and quickly comforted, “Don’t worry, as long as you don’t want to return to the family, they won’t be able to force you back.”
“I’m not worried about myself, it’s you I’m worried about. Yang Kai, you went too far this time. Although Elder Ba’s words weren’t said in good faith, the agreement between the Hai Ke Family and the Xu Family really does exist. Once the Xu Family openly takes action, even if the Hai Ke Family is unwilling, they will have no choice but to ally themselves with them. On top of that, after how you treated Elder Ba today, I’m afraid the family will only pull closer to the Xu Family.”
“I have a sense of discretion. In any case, this place won’t be seized by others and none of you will be harmed as long as you stay here!”
Yang Kai truly didn’t fear these two small families. He still had nearly a hundred drops of Golden Blood, and if he really found himself ganged up on, after summoning a drop of Golden Blood, he could kill as many Saint Kings as he wanted.
Yang Kai had already verified the power of the Golden Blood and was confident than an ordinary Saint King wouldn’t be able to put up any resistance when facing it; after all, a drop of Golden Blood was equal to three months dedicated cultivation. It was just that the Golden Blood was too precious, so Yang Kai was unwilling to use it unless absolutely necessary.
“That’s right, as long as I’m here, forget about the Xu Family, even if a few Origin Returning Realm masters were to come, they’d have no way to take us,” Yang Yan suddenly interjected.
Yang Kai and Wu Yi both turned surprised looks towards her, neither of them having realized when she had appeared.
Yang Yan smiled mysteriously, “Three days, just wait three days and you’ll see!”
Seeing her confident look, Yang Kai also felt a sense of anticipation. He wanted to know just how powerful the defensive Spirit Array Yang Yan arranged would be after consuming all those precious materials.
Seemingly infected Yang Yan’s confidence, the haze between Wu Yi’s brow was swept away and she became cheerful and lively as well.
Although there were only a few people here on Dragon Cave Mountain, everything was quite stable. The money and materials were under Wu Yi’s management and with the help of her forty subordinates and the Stone Puppet, Yang Yan was quickly able to arrange a grand Spirit Array.
Yang Kai returned to his stone room again only to discover that a new stone door had been added to the entrance. This stone door was thin but incredibly solid, so much so that when closed it, Yang Kai was surprised to find that no sound from the outside could reach him. The stone door seemed to have a sound insulation effect as well as a shielding effect that prevented outside Divine Senses from penetrating it. However, his own Divine Sense was able to extend beyond the stone room if he wanted to see what was happening outside.
This stone door was quite a good piece of work and Yang Kai was certain it had stemmed from Yang Yan’s hand. With this stone door, when he wanted to go into seclusion in the future, it would be much simpler. At least people outside wouldn’t be able to disturb himself when they were passing in and out of the cave and no one would be able to see what he was up to either.
Yang Yan had asked him to find a way to earn some more Saint Crystals, not just to arrange the Spirit Array around Dragon Cave Mountain, but also to supply everyone here with cultivation resources. Although these people didn’t really have anything to do with Yang Kai, they had all left their family to support Wu Yi and were currently helping him out with a number of tasks he didn’t have time to attend to. As such, Yang Kai couldn’t treat them poorly. In the future, they would need Saint Crystals for cultivation while pills and artefacts would all cost money to acquire.
If he wanted to accumulate a large amount of Saint Crystals in a short period of time, selling Space Spirit Crystals was the most efficient method, but it was also the stupidest choice he could make, so naturally, Yang Kai wouldn’t do this.
Once a large number of Space Spirit Crystals flowed out from here, it would surely attract others’ attention.
Since he couldn’t sell Space Spirit Crystals, Yang Kai could only rely on Alchemy.
Yang Kai was a high-grade Alchemist, so he never really needed to worry about money.
There were countless spirit grasses and spirit medicines inside his Black Book Space, so of which he had acquired from the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce branch warehouse on Rainfall Star, some of which he had collected on the floating continent, and some of which he had seized from others like Gui Che.
The number of spirit grasses and spirit medicines owned by Yang Kai was almost equivalent to the reserves of a medium-sized force, and they were of very high grade, including Origin and Origin King Grade.
Taking out some herbs and his pill furnace, Yang Kai began performing Alchemy in his stone room.
Now that his strength had improved again, he could break through the current bottleneck in his Alchemy level as well. Yang Kai tried refining several Saint King Grade High-Rank pills and found that he could do so without any difficulty. Although the probability of forming Pill Veins wasn’t too high, it still reached about twenty percent.
And with the passage of time, that percentage chance gradually increased, soon becoming twenty-five, then thirty percent…
Yang Kai estimated that he should now be an Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, that is to say, he could successfully refine Origin Grade Low-Rank pills! However, if he forces himself to refine such a pill now, there was a decent chance he would fail and waste a set of Origin Grade materials.
Yang Kai didn’t need to force himself right now and was performing Alchemy right now mainly to earn money. A Saint King Grade High-Rank pill that formed Pill Veins was even more valuable than the ordinary Origin Grade Low-Rank pill, so he there was no need for him to take risks with the precious Origin Grade materials.
Forgetting about sleeping or eating, Yang Kai totally immersed himself in the world of Alchemy, and by performing Alchemy, he was able to further consolidate his new Saint King Realm cultivation.
Saint King Grade pills were refined in an endless stream, with jade bottles soon pilling up all around his stone room.
For other Alchemists, they would need to take some time to restore themselves after such an intense period of Alchemy, but Yang Kai didn’t need to do so. He had an incredible amount of Spiritual Energy and with the constant nurturing of the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, his Divine Sense intensity was on a completely different level to others in the same realm. The rate at which Yang Kai’s Alchemy consumed his Spiritual Energy was basically equivalent to the rate his Soul Warming Lotus would restore it.
Three days later, Yang Kai was still immersed in Alchemy when he suddenly heard Yang Yan called out excitedly, “Start!”
The next moment, the ground shook and some dust fell from the roof of the stone chamber, but soon, everything stabilized again, and a huge cheer rose from outside.
[What happened?] Bewildered, Yang Kai put away his pill furnace, herbs, and refined pills, and went outside to investigate.
Just outside the cave, Yang Kai saw several dozen people standing around cheering, seemingly having encountered something worth celebrating. Even Wu Yi, who had been somewhat depressed these past few days, had a big smile on her face. As for Yang Yan, she was wearing an even more amazing look, standing there triumphantly as if beneath the Heavens only she was supreme. Yu Feng was standing nearby as flattery flowed from his lips like a river, causing Yang Kai to frown deeply, unable to understand how these two could act so shamelessly.
“What’s going on?” Yang Kai walked over to Wu Yi’s side and asked.
“Oh, Yang Yan just finished arranging the defensive Spirit Array,” Wu Yi replied with a smile.
“Finished?” Yang Kai turned to look around but was unable to discover anything out of the ordinary, it could even be said that nothing was different from half a month ago. Despite that, Yang Kai could somehow sense that this place had undergone some kind of change, but what the change was, he couldn’t say.
Yang Kai’s expression immediately became dignified as he discovered that he had still been underestimating Yang Yan’s accomplishments in Spirit Arrays. The defence Spirit Array she had arranged couldn’t even be detected by him.
“Yang Yan, how powerful is this defensive array?” Yang Kai called out to her.
“Would you like to give it a try?” Yang Yan’s beautiful eyes flashed a sly light as she encouraged Yang Kai, “Go on in, I’ll let you clearly understand.”
Yang Kai stared at her for a moment before shaking his head, “If I go in, wouldn’t I lose a lot of face?”
“That’s not certain. Aren’t you very fierce? Can’t you kill Third Order Saint Kings? Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to easily break my Spirit Array,” Yang Yan shook her head, pretending to be mysterious.
Yang Kai just smiled and observed more intently.
Spirit Arrays couldn’t be judged with conventional knowledge. While Yang Kai was indeed capable of killing Third Order Saint King cultivators, once he fell into a profound Spirit Array, he might still have no way to escape.
Although Yang Yan was speaking ambiguously, anyone would be able to see how confident she was, and Yang Kai was certain that once he entered this Spirit Array, all he would be able to do was embarrass himself.
With so many eyes watching, he wasn’t about to do something so foolish.
Seeing Yang Kai go back to observing, Yang Yan spat disdainfully but didn’t pay it much mind. She had enormous self-confidence in the Spirit Array she had arranged. If someone not proficient in Spirit Arrays were to fall into it, no matter how strong they were, they wouldn’t be able to stir up any trouble.
The only thing Yang Yan felt was a pity was that she was a bit short on time and materials, so the Spirit Array she just finished arranging could only be used for defence and had no lethality to it. If she had enough time and materials though, she was confident she could transform the entire Dragon Cave Mountain into a fortress that would slaughter anyone who tried to enter without her permission like helpless lambs.
Yang Kai obviously didn’t understand this type of Spirit Array, but with his experience, he could obviously see how profound it was, so Yang Yan wasn’t worried in this regard.
Yang Kai truly couldn’t see through this Spirit Array. Every time he sent out his Divine Sense, he would feel like he was tossing rocks into the ocean, unable to create any waves, surprising him greatly. It was as if this space was capable of devouring his Divine Sense!
One had to know that Yang Kai’s Soul was far different from that of an ordinary cultivator. Although in terms of cultivation he was just a newly promoted First Order Saint King, the intensity of his Divine Sense was definitely not lower than an average First Order Origin Returning Realm master. If even his Divine Sense was unable to detect anything here, it was obvious how amazing this Spirit Array was.
His complexion became even more dignified upon realizing this and Yang Kai quickly condensed a drop of blood on his fingertip before wiping it across his left eyelid.
Since completely refining Great Demon God’s Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai had only used it once. It was during the final battle with the Bone Race’s leader back on Tong Xuan Realm. Yang Kai hadn’t expected the next time he would use it would be to spy on Yang Yan’s Spirit Array.
As the Golden Blood dissolved into his pupil, Yang Kai’s left eye suddenly turned a brilliant golden colour and took on a majestic aura which made it seem capable of swallowing Souls. Yang Yan and Wu Yi, who were standing close beside Yang Kai, both shrank back instinctively as they felt a cold chill wash over them.
Using the Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai was finally able to discover some traces of the Spirit Array.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation was one of Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities and was said to be capable of seeing through all forms of illusion. Yang Yan’s Spirit Array arrangement was indeed brilliant and subtle, but it was not completely traceless.
When Yang Kai swept his eyes around, he could see various hidden energy streams forming a barrier roughly a thousand meters outside the cave. These energy ripples weren’t visible to the naked eye or even the Divine Sense, but it could not escape the perception of the Demon Eye of Annihilation.
Yang Kai felt a dangerous aura coming from those hidden energy ripples!
While Yang Kai could now perceive the existence of the Yang Yan’s Spirit Array, he still had no clue how he would go about opening or bypassing it, astonishing him greatly. His evaluation of Yang Yan immediately rose again as he realized he hadn’t just picked up a treasure, but a priceless treasure!
“Yang Kai, are you going in or not? Hurry up and decide, I also want to know how powerful the Spirit Array is,” Yang Yan saw Yang Kai still not moving and couldn’t help urging him.
Yang Kai dismissed the Demon Eye of Annihilation, smiled, and shook his head, “There’s no need for me to go in, some people to test this Spirit Array’s might are about to deliver themselves.”
Saying so, he turned his gaze towards a certain spot on the horizon.
“Who’s come?” Yang Yan asked curiously.
“It’s the Xu Family’s people!” Wu Yi pretty face sank as she too discovered a group of cultivators rapidly approaching from afar. After seeing the appearance of the leaders, she couldn’t help calling out in alarm, “Xu Family Patriarch Xu Zhi Kun, their five Elders, and four Foreign Elders have all come!”
“Quite the luxurious lineup,” Yang Kai sneered.
Yang Kai has essentially stumbled into this dispute with the Xu Family. It all started when he had gone to Heavenly Fate City to buy and sell a few things. While he was away, Yang Yan had caught the eye of the Xu Family’s waste of a Young Master, leading to a series of events that culminated in the current situation.
However, since they were his enemies now, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid to face them.
“Yang Kai, don’t underestimate these people. Although Xu Zhi Shen’s strength in the Xu Family was good, he wasn’t the strongest. I’ve heard that the Xu Family Patriarch, Xu Zhi Kun, is on the brink of breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm, so he is definitely much stronger than Xu Zhi Shen. Those Elders and Foreign Elders are all also Third Order Saint Kings, facing all of them at once…” Wu Yi warned in a worried tone.
Although she knew that Yang Kai was very strong, a lone tiger could not defeat a pack of wolves. The Xu Family had deployed all of their strongest masters, so they were obviously prepared to fight a decisive battle.
“I’m not underestimating them. The Hai Ke Family’s people have also come, interesting!” Yang Kai stared coldly towards a different direction.
From the direction Yang Kai was staring, another group of people were rapidly flying over. This group’s strength was no less than the Xu Family’s, every member a Saint King with several of them having reached the Third Order.
Wu Yi followed his gaze and her face paled as she muttered, “The Patriarch has also come…”
The two families had clearly reached an agreement to come together. The Xu Family clearly had hostile intent towards Yang Kai, but the intentions of the Hai Ke Family weren’t apparent yet.
Last time, Yang Kai had chased away Ba Qing Yan, causing the Hai Ke Family to lose face. When that happened, Ba Qing Yan had threatened him that the Hai Ke Family would ally themselves with the Xu Family.
If this was really the case, then whether they were members of the Wu Yi’s family or not, Yang Kai wouldn’t show mercy. Yang Kai was thankful to Wu Yi, but he did not have any warm feelings towards the Hai Ke Family at all.
The masters from the two families quickly gathered together and began discussing something, but neither side immediately moved forward.
After a moment, it became apparent the two sides were having some kind of disagreement as their discussion was becoming quite heated. The Xu Family Patriarch Xu Zhi Kun eventually waved his sleeve angrily before leading the Xu Family masters towards Yang Kai’s side while the people from the Hai Ke Family stood in place without moving.
Seeing this, Wu Yi couldn’t help letting out a sigh of relief.
She really didn’t know what to do if her former Patriarch and Elders acted against them as well. No matter what had happened, she was once a member of the Hai Ke Family, so seeing her former family’s Elders and Foreign Elders led by the Patriarch arrive here with ill intentions left a bad taste in Wu Yi’s mouth. Fortunately, they seemed to not want to immediately get involved.
This was the best result that Wu Yi could hope for right now.
Even Yu Feng and the couple dozen cultivators visibly relaxed when they saw this scene, as if a great stone had been lifted from their hearts.
“Qing Yan, you know the strength of that Yang Kai the best, what do you think his end will be this time?” Patriarch Yi En of the Hai Ke Family turned to the slightly pale Ba Qing Yan and asked.
A few days ago, Ba Qing Yan had been injured by Yang Kai and returned to the Hai Ke Family. The Elders and Foreign Elder were all surprised when they learned about this. They had been trying to overestimate Yang Kai as much as possible but hadn’t imagined they were actually still underestimating him.
According to Ba Qing Yan’s description, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was no weaker than that of an Origin Returning Realm master. None of them understood how Yang Kai achieved this, but it was just one more example of how this young man wasn’t simple.
Yang Kai’s attitude towards them and their attempt to recruit him had upset the Hai Ke Family greatly, so this time they had joined forces with the Xu Family to find trouble with him. However, Yi En did not make their stance clear and wasn’t willing to immediately send his forces forward. He was content to stand by and watch from the sidelines, allowing the tigers to fight amongst themselves.
Hearing Yi En’s question, Ba Qing Yan looked gloomy and said, “Although he is very strong, I don’t believe he can emerge victorious this time. For the Hundred Mountains Picture, almost all the top masters from the Xu Family have arrived here today. He can probably kill one or two of them, but two fists can’t block four blows. He will definitely die.”
“Good!” Yi En’s eyes flashed, seemingly quite satisfied.
“Patriarch, why don’t we join in now? Since that Yang Kai is certain to die, and his attitude towards my family is extremely bad, there’s no need for us to try to recruit him anymore. Fighting him now will allow us to sell a favour to the Xu Family. We might also have a chance to snatch the Hundred Mountains Picture from Yang Kai when he dies!” Elder Wa Lun asked in a low voice.
“That’s right, Patriarch, the Xu Family has already lost the Hundred Mountains Picture, so if we snatch it now, even if we can’t hold onto it, we can demand a lot of compensation from the Xu Family for it. For the Hundred Mountains Picture, I think the Xu Family will be very generous,” Foreign Elder Huang Juan also added, obviously thinking a good opportunity had been served up to them.
“Patriarch wouldn’t be thinking of waiting for one side to be defeated then reaping the fisherman’s benefits, right?” Someone with more flexible thoughts suddenly asked.
The Hai Ke Family and Xu Family had always been comparable in strength, but with Xu Zhi Shen’s death, and the loss of the Hundred Mountains Picture, the current Xu Family was undoubtedly weaker in compared to the Hai Ke Family.
If Yang Kai could kill a few more of the Xu Family’s Saint King masters, perhaps the Hai Ke Family could wipe them out completely and annex the rest of the Xu Family!
Considering all this, many of the Hai Ke Family’s masters felt their blood begin to boil while at the same time thinking their Patriarch was worthy of his high position, his eyes could clearly see further than their own. They had just wanted to snatch the Hundred Mountains Picture and reap some benefits from the Xu Family, but why bother with that when an even greater opportunity lay before them?
Yi En didn’t pay them any mind though and simply said, “Do all of you only think about immediate benefits?”
“Patriarch means…” Everyone looked at Yi En with suspicion.
Yi En sighed, “Why is my Hai Ke Family just a peripheral force of Shadow Moon Hall? Because we aren’t strong enough and because we don’t have a powerful master of our own, if we had an Origin Returning Realm master, I believe Shadow Moon Hall would have to reconsider our status!”
Many of the Elders and Foreign Elder frowned, wondering what Yi En was implying, but Chang Qi actually wore a thoughtful expression.
“What Patriarch wants to say is, if we recruit this Yang Kai into the family, with his aptitude, we can make him break through to the Origin Returning Realm?”
“Ah? Does Patriarch still want to solicit him? But that little brat is too unruly!” Wa Lun exclaimed, shaking his head, “I think it will be difficult to recruit such a wild junior.”
“That’s right Patriarch, on top of that, he’s only a First Order Saint King now, it will be many decades before he can break through to the Origin Returning Realm, who knows what will happen after such a long time?” Ba Qing Yan also added. He had lost face twice because of Yang Kai, so although he knew he was not Yang Kai’s opponent, he was still unwilling to so easily accept such insults, how could he be in favour of trying to recruit him again?
Yi En shook his head and quickly said, “According to Qing Yan, this time Yang Kai will surely die, but he will definitely be able to pull a few people from the Xu Family down with him. We only need to take action at a critical moment to save his life. If that brat has any common sense, he will understand what he needs to do and submit to family. Once he pledges allegiance to my Hai Ke Family, wouldn’t the Hundred Mountains Picture be ours as well?”
Everyone’s eyes suddenly lit up.
Chang Qi, who had not spoken yet, thought about it for a moment before asking, “Patriarch, what if he refuses to surrender?”
Yi En simply sneered, “He won’t refuse, when forced to choose between life or death, he will definitely pick the former.”
“But Patriarch, by doing that, wouldn’t we heavily offend the Xu Family?” Ba Qing Yan asked with some worry.
“The Xu Family?” Yi En flashed a look of disdain, “So what if we offend the Xu Family? After today, there will be no Xu Family.”
Upon hearing this, everyone Elder Foreign Elder instantly understood what Yi En thought, and couldn’t help taking a breath.
The Patriarch did not just plan to save Yang Kai in his moment of crisis to force him to submit, he also wanted to take this opportunity to destroy the masters of the Xu Family! Yi En wanted Yang Kai, the Hundred Mountains Picture, and the Xu Family.
For a moment, many of the Hai Ke Family masters felt a sense of awe.
“As long as this little brat is willing to surrender, we can dedicate all the clan’s reserves to buy pills for him. With his aptitude, as long as there are enough pills, he should be able to break through to the Origin Returning Realm in less than ten years!” Yi En continued to explain, seemingly able to see a beautiful future stretching out in front of his eyes, his face becoming more youthful and radiant in the process. “Once he breaks through to the Origin Returning Realm, my Hai Ke Family’s status will soar and we will be able to enter Shadow Moon Hall’s inner circle, at that time, how could we not recover our losses?”
Everyone gasped.
They naturally knew the consequences of a cultivator using pills in such a manner. While it would indeed be possible to break through from the Saint King Realm to the Origin Returning Realm within ten years this way, anyone who did so would destroy their foundation, turning even the greatest of geniuses into wastes.
But that didn’t matter to them, Yang Kai was just an outsider, a loner Wu Yi had plucked from the Starry Sky. Even if he was an unparalleled talent, he was not a member of the Hai Ke Family, if he turned into a waste then that was that. As long as he could bring some benefits to their family, what happened to him in the future was of no consequence.
“Patriarch is far-sighted, worthy of our admiration!” Ba Qing Yan bowed deeply. He really admired his Patriarch’s strategy which would kill three birds with one stone. If they succeeded, not only would they be able to preserve their family’s reputation, but also annex the Xu Family and acquiring Yang Kai at the same time. Then, ten years later, their family would rise up and no longer need to struggle for scraps at the bottom of society.
The Elders and Foreign Elders also quickly praised their Patriarch’s wicked scheme. Only Chang Qi and Hao An, who had some interaction with Yang Kai, looked at each other and sighed.
On the other side, under the leadership of Xu Zhi Kun, the Xu Family’s masters had approached to within a couple hundred meters of the cave’s entrance, but as soon as they stepped into the area covered by Yang Array’s Spirit Array, all of them frowned deeply.
At that moment, they collectively felt a sense of anxiety rise in their hearts and began scanning their surroundings, but none of them could detect anything out of the ordinary.
“Patriarch, he’s the one who killed Third Elder!” One of the Saint Kings who had come together with Xu Zhi Kun pointed at Yang Kai distantly.
Xu Zhi Kun’s eyes narrowed as a palpable murderous intent overflowed from his body; sweeping the young man in front of him with his Divine Sense though, Xi Zhi Kun frowned, “Didn’t you say he was just a Third Order Saint? Why does he look like a First Order Saint King then?”
“Ah?” The man who just spoke exclaimed, “But that day…”
“Waste! If you can’t even tell what cultivation your enemy has, what use do you have?” Although Xu Zhi Kun was viciously reproving this man, in his heart he was actually relaxing somewhat.
He had received a report from several of his family’s masters saying that a Third Order Saint Realm boy had killed Xu Zhi Shen and snatched the Hundred Mountains Picture. Obviously, he didn’t believe that to be possible, and now that he found that this little brat was clearly a First Order Saint King, Xu Zhi Shen’s heart calmed greatly.
Because they wanted to take advantage of the conflict between Yang Kai and the Xu Family, Yang Kai’s breakthrough and wounding of Ba Qing Yan had been kept secret by the Hai Ke Family. As a result, Xu Zhi Kun naturally thought that the information he had first received was simply inaccurate.
Although the possibility that this young man had broken through in these past few days existed, the chances of that were too low.
A Third Order Saint killing a Third Order Saint King wasn’t something Xu Zhi Kun was willing to accept, but if Yang Kai had been a First Order Saint King all along, him emerging victorious was barely within the realm of possibility.
Xu Zhi Kun instinctively felt that the cultivators who had escaped at that time and returned to the family has simply been too panicked and failed to notice Yang Kai concealing his cultivation.
“You’re the scoundrel named Yang Kai who hurt my nephew Tian Ze and killed my third brother?” Xu Zhi Kun shouted sharply, “Who gave you the courage to kill my Xu Family’s Elder?”
When Xu Zhi Kun roared, the dozens of cultivators behind Wu Yi wore stern expressions and summoned out their artefacts, raising their vigilance as high as it could go. Even Wu Yi and Yu Feng began to silently condense their Saint Qi, preparing to take action at a moment’s notice.
Yang Kai stepped forward with a sneer on his face and asked back, “Are you the Xu Family’s Patriarch?”
“I am!”
“Before I could go see you, you’ve decided to deliver yourself to me. En, good, since you’ve come, you must be prepared to remain forever.”
The cultivator who had just spoken to Xu Zhi Kun a moment ago shivered and immediately took a few steps back.
He could clearly remember that when Xu Zhi Shen came here last time, this young man had uttered similar words, and the result was that Xu Zhi Shen had really died. These words were enough to bring up that trauma and if it weren’t for his family’s Patriarch, Elders, and Foreign Elders all standing nearby, he would have already run away.
Realizing the unusual behaviour of this man, Xu Zhi Kun glared him coldly and grit his teeth before turning back and shouting, “Bold Junior! Hand over my Xu Family’s Hundred Mountains Picture and cripple your dantian, then this old master will spare your life, otherwise don’t blame this old master for bullying the weak!”
Xu Zhi Kun couldn’t wait to shred Yang Kai’s corpse into ten thousand pieces, so how could he allow him to die so easily? Only after torturing this young man till he begged for death could he comfort his brother’s soul in heaven.
“Enough nonsense, if you want to fight, then fight, father here doesn’t have time to waste on you!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
“Good good good!” Xu Zhi Kun, seeing Yang Kai still bluffing and blustering, smiled angrily and shouted, “As you wish!”
As soon as his words fell, he leapt forward and charged Yang Kai with amazing momentum. The dozen or so Xu Family Elders and Foreign Elders, all of whom were Third Order Saint Kings, followed close behind Xu Zhi Kun, apparently preparing to kill Yang Kai in a single decisive blow.
No matter what Yang Kai’s true cultivation was, him being able to kill Xu Zhi Shen meant his combat strength was astonishing, so how could Xu Zhi Kun dare despise him? The plan had always been to swarm Yang Kai with all their forces, not giving him any chance to resist.
The Hai Ke Family, who were watching from in the distance, saw the Xu Family all act simultaneously and gawked.
“Isn’t this too shameless?” Wa Lun cried out. Just now Xu Zhi Kun had openly declared he didn’t want to bully the weak, yet in the blink of an eye, he was not just bullying the weak in terms of strength but numbers as well. Apparently the Xu Family’s skin was far thicker than they had imagined.
“Like this, that little brat will have no way to preserve his life, Patriarch, what shall we do?” Huang Juan’s brow furrowed, obviously not optimistic about Yang Kai’s future.
Yi En’s expression also became gloomy. To be honest, he had not expected the Xu Family to launch such a fierce offensive right at the onset of the battle. Now it seemed they wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the situation so he could only sigh and console himself, “If Yang Kai can’t escape this calamity, he’s not worthy soliciting, but… let’s just observe for now. Perhaps he won’t immediately die.”
After hearing this, all the Hai Ke Family masters present turned their attention back to the battle with stunned expressions.
Because they found that even as the dozen or so Xu Family Third Order Saint Kings rushed towards him, Yang Kai actually remained motionless with a clear sneer on his face.
In the next moment, everything within three thousand meters of the cave entrance was suddenly submerged in a thick bank of fog, completely concealing the dozen Xu Family masters as well as Yang Kai.
Dozens of Divine Senses from the Hai Ke Family group were simultaneously released to probe this fog bank, but none of them could even penetrate the outer layer of this fog, much less sense anything inside!
“A Spirit Array?” Yi En exclaimed in shock, his body trembling slightly as the other Elders and Foreign Elders all felt a slight chill wash over them.
The existence of a Spirit Array wasn’t they were worried about, it was the fact that this Spirit Array could completely block their Divine Senses that the Hai Ke Family masters found terrifying. The master who arranged this Spirit Array must have incredibly profound attainments in the field of Spirit Arrays.
Did a profound Array Master actually live here?
As soon as Yang Yan Spirit Array activated, Yang Kai knew that the Xu Family was doomed.
The fog bank completely enveloped the surrounding three thousand meter radius and although his own sight was somewhat obstructed and his Divine Sense was unable to probe the inside situation, Yang Kai could at least still see the Xu Family masters.
On the other hand, the dozen or so Xu Family Third Order Saint King masters all wore blank expression. They were all standing near to each other but seemed to be unable to see one another. Soon, looks of horror-filled their faces as some began flying around like headless flies.
“Yang Kai, the current Spirit Array doesn’t have any offensive ability, if you want to kill them, you have to do it yourself,” Yang Yan’s voice suddenly sounded from the side, eliciting a grin from Yang Kai as he nodded, “Got it.”
As soon as he said so, and a dark cloud of fire burst from his figure and condensed into the shape of a roaring fire dragon before soaring towards the closest Xu Family Elder to Yang Kai.
That Xu Family Elder was still in a dazed state, and although he was being extremely vigilant of his surroundings, he was still unable to notice the fire dragon until it was right on top of him, leaving him only enough time to recklessly push his strength in an attempt to protect himself.
Unfortunately for him, the Saint Qi he sent out was like fuel for the black flames, failing to weaken them in the slightest and instead actually increasing their intensity and momentum. In the next instant, the giant Demonic Flame dragon swallowed its prey whole.
“Black flames…” The Xu Family Elder yelled out in horror before he died.
He had heard from the few cultivators who had fled back to the Xu Family that Xu Zhi Shen had been burned to death by these black flames, and that even the Hundred Mountains Picture was unable to resist their might.
His strength wasn’t as high as Xu Zhi Shen, and he didn’t have a powerful artefact like the Hundred Mountains Picture, so how was he supposed to resist?
In less than a single breath, the Xu Family Elder was burnt to cinders, the Saint King Grade Mid-Rank Artefact Armour on his body not providing any protection at all.
“Fifth Elder, what happened?” Just a few meters away, a middle-aged man shouted. He had heard the Fifth Elder’s cry just now, but when he called out, the Fifth Elder didn’t respond.
A thick sense of unease rose in this middle-aged man’s heart and when he turned around, he suddenly saw a young man standing right in front of him, a deep sneer filled with mockery and disdain upon his face.
“It’s you!” He recognized Yang Kai at a glance, and without thinking, immediately summoned a long whip artefact to his hand and sent out countless strikes towards this young man.
Yang Kai lightly stepped back, but to this middle-aged man’s amazement, that was all it took for him to lose sight of Yang Kai. The countless whip strikes also seemed to sink into the fog, all of them failing to connect with their intended target.
He had instantly exerted his full strength but was unable to even scratch his opponent. The middle-aged man suddenly felt his chest heave and a metallic taste filled his mouth. He wasn’t sure if the cause was the backlash from his failed attack or excessive panic in his heart, but before he was able to stabilize himself, he suddenly felt a great hand filled with burning strength grip his neck. Terror filling him, the middle-aged man felt his body being rapidly consumed by the flames and he only had time to let out one panic filled scream before he too died.
Yang Kai released the dead body from his hand and turned to stare at another nearby Xu Family master before casually strolling over to him.
A few breaths later, another blood-curdling scream rang out.
It was easy. Too easy!
Although Yang Kai believed that with his current strength, he could quickly win a battle against an ordinary Third Order Saint King, it would certainly not be as easy as this. The masters trapped inside Yang Yan’s Spirit Array seemed to be unable to even notice him, so all he needed to do was fly up to them and harvest their lives.
Was this the Spirit Array’s true might? The Spirit Array protecting Nine Heavens Holy Land was worse than trash compared to this.
What exactly was Yang Yan? She is so young, so how could she be both an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner and an Array Master of such astonishing ability?
It was always others who were stunned and amazed by Yang Kai’s skill, but this time it was Yang Kai who was shocked by Yang Yan. And according to Yang Yan, this was just a defensive Spirit Array, one that had been hastily arranged and was still incomplete. If she had completely finished it, would there even be a need for Yang Kai to take action? Wouldn’t all the Xu Family people have died inside the Spirit Array without even realizing what had happened?
This little girl was too terrifying. She was a little timid and didn’t understand how to fight, but her other abilities were beyond outrageous.
Yang Yan must have a profound story behind her, but Yang Kai didn’t have any interest in investigating her, if she wanted to explain one day, she would naturally do so.
Inside the Spirit Array which spans a three thousand meter radius area, the screams of the Xu Family masters rang out one after another, each scream representing the death of another person. Yang Kai strolled casually through the Spirit Array and wherever he passed, fog which could blind both sight and Divine Sense would separate on its own accord, guiding him towards the next enemy.
Yang Kai knew that this was due to Yang Yan assisting him.
The Xu Family Patriarch, Xu Zhi Kun, at this moment, had none of the previous confidence and arrogance left in his eyes. His face was incredibly pale as he swung a long staff in his hand around randomly, fiercely bombarding his surroundings while five of the Xu Family masters gathered tightly around him, not daring to separate by even a step.
But no matter how they attacked the fog, it continued enveloping them without scattering in the slightest.
Although this fog didn’t pose any direct threat to them, the Xu Family masters were still like frightened rabbits, each scream they heard in the distance sending chills up their spines.
In the beginning, they could still hear the calls of many masters as they launched attacks or screamed for help.
But over time, such sounds and screams gradually diminished, eventually disappearing.
An Elder following Xu Zhi Kun kept shouting the names of the other Xu Family masters, but he received no responses.
“They’re all dead… they’re all dead…” The man paled and mumbled repeatedly.
The remaining six masters couldn’t restrain the fear in their hearts as they unconsciously shivered in fright.
Death itself wasn’t terrifying, waiting for death to come was what was terrifying! When they came here, they had brought more than a dozen Third Order Saint Kings. They were the strongest elites of the Xu Family, but now more than half of that group had died without being able to put up any resistance.
The few survivors hadn’t even figured out how the enemy was attacking them.
“I can’t take it anymore! I want to leave!” One of the Xu Family masters snapped under the pressure and while waving the giant machete in his hand madly, he dove into the fog in an attempt to escape.
“Foreign Elder Liu, don’t run!” Xu Zhi Kun shouted as he stretched out his hand and grabbed towards Foreign Elder Liu’s back. Unfortunately, his outstretched hand grabbed only air for with a single step, Foreign Elder Liu’s figure disappeared right before everyone’s eyes.
Xu Zhi Kun’s face became even gloomier as he knew Foreign Elder Liu was certain to suffer a disaster
Before he could even complete this thought, Foreign Elder Liu’s scream echoed from nearby for a moment before it was cut off; apparently Foreign Elder Liu had been instantly killed.
Xu Zhi Kun’s eyes filled with unparalleled resentment and powerlessness. Inside this Spirit Array, he was unable to exert any of his strength. If he had fought Yang Kai face to face like his Third Brother had and ultimately suffered defeat, he would have nothing to say, it would simply mean his skill was inferior to his enemy, but to die like this was completely unacceptable to him.
There was another master from the Xu Family who wanted to rush out like Foreign Elder Liu. Although it had only been about half a cup of tea’s worth of time since they had entered this Spirit Array, it felt like a year has passed and he could simply not bear with it any longer.
But when he heard the forlorn scream of Foreign Elder Liu, he was glad he had hesitated just now; otherwise, he would be following in Foreign Elder Liu’s footsteps right now.
“Everyone stay close!” Xu Zhi Kun, as the head of the family, was quicker to analyze the situation, and after passing through the initial turmoil, he immediately realized several important factors. “This Spirit Array can only trap and mislead us, it has no lethality, so we must not separate from one another! Once we become separated, we will fall into that brat’s evil clutches. Everyone follow me, we will definitely find a way out, I don’t believe this Spirit Array can trap us forever!”
The spirits of the few remaining masters rose as they all nodded and followed after Xu Zhi Kun, making sure to not leave his side.
As the remaining five Xu Family masters rushed to and fro inside the Spirit Array, the couple dozen masters from the Hai Ke Family watched from the distance.
A moment ago, they had all been waiting for Yang Kai to fall into a hopeless situation before they went up and offered to save his life in exchange for his servitude, but how could they have anticipated that after less time than it would take to boil a cup of tea, the situation would undergo such dramatic changes.
Although none of them could see the situation inside the fog bank, they were able to infer what was happening from the screams they heard.
The Xu Family was finished!
Of more than a dozen Third Order Saint Kings, the entire elite of the Xu Family, only four or five possibly remained, but whether these four or five could escape was highly questionable.
The strength of the Hai Ke Family and the Xu Family had always been similar. Now, the Xu Family had no way to handle this strange Spirit Array, so didn’t that mean that if the Hai Ke Family were to fall into it, they would find themselves in the same hopeless situation?
Ba Qing Yan had at some point pulled out a handkerchief and was constantly wiping the sweat on his forehead. The handkerchief was already soaking wet, but he was too distracted to even notice and simply continued wiping himself with it.
The expressions of Wa Lun, Huang Juan, and all the other Elders and Foreign Elders weren’t much better and each of them couldn’t stop themselves from shivering.
None of them had ever imagined that their family’s Dragon Cave Mountain, a trivial piece of land no more than ten thousand meters in radius, would one day turn into the burial ground of all the Xu Family’s masters. Xu Zhi Shen had been killed here less than a month ago, and now more than a dozen Third Order Saint Kings from the Xu Family had died one after another in this place. The Xu Family had all but been destroyed.
Patriarch Yi En’s expression also became pale as he secretly rejoiced, he had not acted rashly and agreed to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Xu Family when they launched their attack against Yang Kai. If he had brought all the Hai Ke Family masters into the strange Spirit Array in front of them, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
It was laughable that a moment ago he had still been thinking about how to reap the benefits from this conflict. The roots of the Xu Family had been wiped out without any need for their help, so what benefit could the Hai Ke Family possibly harvest?
This Spirit Array filled Yi En with envy!
No matter who arranged this Spirit Array, if they could arrange a similar one for the Hai Ke Family, wouldn’t their family’s defence now be as solid as gold?
“Patriarch…” Wa Lun called out in a trembling voice, “What should we do now?”
“Just watch, just watch…” Yi En replied wryly. In any case, his Hai Ke Family had not gone to embarrass Yang Kai directly, and Wu Yi, Yu Feng, and several dozen of their disciples were also on the other side. Yi En was certain Yang Kai wouldn’t come to find trouble with them as long as they didn’t make any aggressive moves, so it didn’t matter if they stayed here to watch. Yi En also wanted to know if any of the Xu Family masters would escape today’s tribulation or if they would wind up completely exterminated.
Inside the fog bank created by the Spirit Array, the last five Xu Family masters were panicking.
They all knew that this Spirit Array only encompassed a three thousand meter radius area, but no matter how they ran about or attacked it, they were still unable to escape.
It was obvious they were constantly moving around in circles!
What made them even more desperate though was they couldn’t use their Star Shuttles and there was no way for them to fly too high. There was some kind of mysterious force permeating this fog that suppressed their ability to fly more than ten meters high.
“Coward! Come out and fight this old master! Is your only skill hiding!?” Xu Zhi Kun roared angrily; his eyes completely bloodshot.
Being led around by the nose inside this fog had caused the irritation in his heart to soar to the point where he only wanted to immediately fight with Yang Kai, regardless of whether he lived or died, anything was better than being trapped in this fog.
“Old dog, do you think you’re worthy to fight against me?” Yang Kai laughed while snickering disdainfully.
To be honest, Yang Yan’s Spirit Array had also deeply shocked Yang Kai and right now he was in a wonderful mood. How could he care about Xu Zhi Kun’s taunts?
“Little friend, I surrender, I surrender! I’m not from the Xu Family, I was only hired by them as a Foreign Elder! Please let me go!” An old man with a yellow complexion shouted through his tears.
Stuck inside this Spirit Array for what seemed like forever, his will had long ago collapsed and understood that staying here meant certain death. Although he knew that his actions here would be despised and he would forever be branded as a coward and traitor, with his life on the line, what did any of that matter?
“Foreign Elder Huo, you…” Xu Zhi Kun’s anxious voice called out, “You disappoint me! My Xu Family has treated you well for so many years yet now, in our hour of need, you dare utter such disgraceful words?”
The Foreign Elder surnamed Huo wore an embarrassed look, but despite that, he still shouted loudly, “Starting today, I am no longer a Foreign Elder of the Xu Family and have nothing to do with the Xu Family! Little friend, please let me go, I can serve you in the future. I am also a Third Order Saint King, my strength isn’t bad. “
“Good, let me consider it!” Yang Kai’s voice rang out.
“You court death!” Xu Zhi Kun roared and violently pounding his long staff towards Foreign Elder Huo. Xu Zhi Kun knew that what he most had to avoid now was disunity. If the five remaining masters held fast together, they would still have a chance of surviving, but if they were to fracture, they would only be picked off one by one by Yang Kai.
For someone like Foreign Elder Huo, who coveted life and feared death, Xu Zhi Kun had not the slightest pity and naturally wanted to immediately kill him.
“Patriarch, don’t force me. This Huo has contributed greatly to the Xu Family these years, now I simply want to leave!” Foreign Elder Huo was obviously no pushover though and quickly fought back against Xu Zhi Kun, hoping to express his loyalty to Yang Kai in hopes the latter would let him go.
The remaining three Xu Family masters froze up, uncertain of what they should do in this situation.
Just as they were hesitating though, Yang Kai’s voice called out again, “Whoever kills Xu Zhi Kun, I will let go!”
As soon as this remark was made, two of the three remaining masters wore ruthless looks and leapt forward, “I will help you, Brother Huo!”
The last person remaining masters was a direct Elder of the Xu Family and naturally wouldn’t be led astray by Yang Kai words, immediately jumping into the fray, teaming up with Xu Zhi Kun against the three Foreign Elders.
Suddenly, the Spirit Array’s fog tumbled as the surviving Xu Family masters split into two camps, summoning their respective artefacts and engaging in a desperate life or death battle.
Yang Kai sneered and calmly left the Spirit Array.
A vomiting sound reached his ear as soon as he left though, and when Yang Kai looked over at the source, he was struck speechless.
Yang Yan clearly couldn’t withstand this brutal killing scene. Although the others couldn’t see the situation inside the fog bank, how could Yang Yan, the one controlling the Spirit Array, not see everything clearly?
Yang Kai didn’t know how long she had been vomited, but Yang Yan’s face right now was ghastly pale, and Wu Yi was next to her, gently patting her back to comfort her.
Seeing Yang Kai step out, Wu Yi shot him a wicked glare, “If you must kill people, can’t you do it a bit more cleanly? Is there any need to create such a disgusting scene?”
“Even this is called disgusting…” Yang Kai didn’t know what to say. He had only swiftly burned a few people to death. What was he supposed to have done? Cut them apart and have their broken limbs and internal organs splash out on the ground? If Yang Yan were to see such a scene, would she even still be able to retain her soul?
“You’re really quite insidious, actually manufacturing an internal conflict between them,” Wu Yi suddenly smiled, revealing an enchanting look that all the nearby men couldn’t help staring at.
Wu Yi didn’t have any affection for the Xu Family, so whether they lived or died didn’t matter to her.
“Those who provoke me never have good ends,” Yang Kai coldly snorted before turning to look at Yang Yan’s face, taking out a pill, and shoving it into her mouth.
“I… don’t care…” Yang Yan swallowed the pill before looking over at Yang Kai weakly, “Hurry up and collect enough materials for me so I can arrange a killing array. I don’t want to control the Spirit Array anymore while you kill people…”
“Got it, Wu Yi, help her inside so she can rest, there’s nothing more for her to do here.”
“En,” Wu Yi nodded, helping Yang Yan walk back towards the cave.
“Brother Yang, how many of them are left inside?” Yu Feng rushed over and asked with excitement while the several dozen cultivators who originally belonging to the Hai Ke Family also turned expectant eyes towards him.
This time, the Xu Family had turned out in full force, so everyone here had thought they would have to fight a desperate battle and all of them had prepared themselves to die here today.
How could they have imagined that before they even had a chance to fight, almost all of the Xu Family’s masters would die? All of them were very excited and profoundly felt that staying here was far more promising than staying in the Hai Ke Family. They were all rejoicing that they had boldly decided to abandon the family and follow Wu Yi.
How could living in the family even be compared to here?
In the family, they all had to pay a certain amount of Saint Crystals to enter cultivation rooms. If they didn’t have enough Saint Crystals, they needed to pay contribution points. Those contribution points could only be obtained by completing tasks for the family.
But here, there were hundreds of stone chambers, each with its own small Aura Gathering Spirit Array. In each of these Aura Gathering Spirit Arrays, there were many Saint Crystals allowing them to cultivate in their own private chambers without any need to worry about resources.
Whether it was in terms of efficiency or speed, these stone rooms were far better than the family’s cultivation rooms.
Each stone room was also equipped with a brilliant isolation Spirit Array that guaranteed that as long as the stone door was closed, no noise or Divine Sense would be able to disturb them.
The future was bright!
On top of everything, there was a large scale Aura Gathering Spirit Array arranged around Dragon Cave Mountain, so as long as enough time passed, the World energy aura here would become richer and more abundant. The several dozen cultivators’ hearts were filled with joy and the lingering fear and regret they had about having to leave the family had completely disappeared, the treatment here was incomparably better than what they could receive in the family.
Now, even if they were driven away, none of them would be willing to leave. All of them were even more determined to stay here and follow Wu Yi for the rest of their lives.
They also understood that Wu Yi had chosen to follow Yang Kai, so them following Wu Yi was equivalent to following Yang Kai.
Of all these people, Yu Feng was the proudest, because it was he who had fished Yang Kai out from the Starry Sky. If he hadn’t accidentally found that blood-red crystal, how could there have been such a scene today?
Hearing Yu Feng’s question, Yang Kai replied casually, “Five.”
As soon as he said this though, a scream rang out from inside the fog.
“Make that four,” Yang Kai corrected.
With the Xu Family’s Patriarch Xu Zhi Kun and the only remaining Xu Family Elder confronting the three former Foreign Elders, neither side could afford to hold back, and soon after the battle began, one of the Foreign Elders, the one surnamed Huo who had first tried to escape, was beheaded.
Such traitorous cowards were exactly the kind of people Yang Kai hated the most, so he felt no pity for him after he died.
However, the strength of this Xu Zhi Kun was truly quite good, much higher than Xu Zhi Shen at least, it was clear that what Wu Yi said about him soon breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm was true. From the looks of it, if Xu Zhi Kun were given another couple of years, he might really make such a breakthrough.
Unfortunately, he would never get that chance.
A moment later, another scream came out. It was the last Xu Family Elder. Although Xu Zhi Kun was strong, he had not yet reached the Origin Returning Realm after all. This last Elder was killed under the combined pressure of the two Foreign Elders.
Xu Zhi Kun was furious and spat a mouthful of Blood Essence from his mouth, causing his strength to rapidly increase and his momentum to soar. Waving his staff wildly, he repeatedly forced back the two Foreign Elders.
Without Yang Yan’s control, the battle inside the fog couldn’t be seen clearly even by Yang Kai and its progress could only be judged by the sounds that rang out. Although his Demon Eye of Annihilation could see through this Spirit Array, Yang Kai did not use it because he didn’t find it necessary.
Moreover, after Yang Yan entered the cave to rest, the fog covering the surrounding three-thousand-meter radius gradually dissipated.
A moment later, when the fog had completely disappeared, Yang Kai, Yu Feng, and the others just happened to witness Xu Zhi Kun knocking down the last remaining Foreign Elder with his staff.
Corpses were spread all around. The Xu Family had brought more than a dozen Third Order Saint Kings, but in the end, only Xu Zhi Kun was left, standing proudly amidst all the blood and gore, one of his arms missing, looking extremely miserable.
Only after a short silence did Xu Zhi Kun realize that the Spirit Array that had been tormenting him this entire time had disappeared. Looking around at the corpses around him, Xu Zhi Kun eyes went red. Turning to Yang Kai, he rushed out and shouted hysterically, “Little bastard, surrender your life!”
A ferocious aura erupted from Xu Zhi Kun, causing Yu Feng, who was standing next to Yang Kai, to pale and stumble backwards a few steps.
Yang Kai remained motionless, pushing his own imposing manner forward to meet Xu Zhi Kun’s. When these two auras collided, it was as if an invisible storm had been stirred up as crackling noises spread through the air. Xu Zhi Kun’s rushing figure suddenly came to a halt, but after spitting another mouthful of Blood Essence, his stagnant figure rushed towards Yang Kai at even greater speed.
“Hmph!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, sending out a burst of Spiritual Energy that instantly tore through Xu Zhi Kun’s Knowledge Sea defences. At the same time, he stepped out and threw a heavy punch.
With a massive eruption of energy, Yang Kai’s punch flew out and struck Xu Zhi Kun’s flying body. The Xu Family’s Patriarch’s figure came to halt mid-air, as if he was blocked by an invisible wall and could no longer move forward.
His face pale, Xu Zhi Kun stared at Yang Kai with wide eyes and growled, “Shadow Moon Hall will not let you off!”
After those words left his lips, Xu Zhi Kun’s body burst open, his blood and flesh scattering through the air in a great explosion.
Outside the cave, stunned silence resounded!
The several dozen cultivators who had followed Wu Yi and the masters from the Hai Ke Family all stared at this terrifying scene.
Although the last time Yang Kai had killed Xu Zhi Shen, they had also watched the whole process and knew Yang Kai was powerful, but now they all discovered that he had become significantly stronger since then.
Even if Xu Zhi Kun had been injured, he was a cultivator close to breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm, but in the end, after overdrawing his vitality and burning his Blood Essence, he was still unable to take a single punch from Yang Kai.
Was this guy a real monster? Yu Feng stared towards Yang Kai’s back and shivered slightly.
Or was it perhaps that cultivators from the outside world were all this incredible? If all cultivators from the outside were like Yang Kai, what had their Shadowed Star cultivators been wasting their time for?
As the crowd stood in shock, Yang Kai walked out calmly and collected the artefacts and Space Rings of the dozen or so fallen masters that were scattered on the ground. Sweeping these rings with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai scoffed disdainfully before tossing them all over to Yu Feng.
“Turn the Saint Crystals and raw materials over to Wu Yi then divide the rest amongst yourselves.”
“Ah?” Yu Feng was startled, “What about you?”
“I don’t need anything.”
Yang Kai really didn’t have any interest in the Xu Family masters’ treasures. Only the Hundred Mountains Picture and artefacts on that level could draw Yang Kai’s attention, but such things were clearly few and far between.
“Many thanks, Brother Yang,” Although Yu Feng was quite startled, he still nodded politely while expressing his gratitude before running back cheerfully to sort through the dozen or so Space Rings with a big grin. The others quickly gathered around and soon began shouting and cheering.
The Xu Family wasn’t very strong, but it was still an established force. Among the dozen or so Space Rings, Patriarch Xu Zhi Kun’s had the most artefacts, pills, and other valuables. There were also around twenty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, more than forty thousand Mid-Rank Saint Crystals, and a hundred thousand or so Low-Rank Saint Crystal.
Seeing such wealth, Yu Feng’s eyes went red.
Although he had long known that killing others and plundering their wealth was the fastest way to make money, their Hai Ke Family was among the lowest-level forces, so who could they annoy or kill freely? Seeing this scene today though, Yu Feng immediately realized that this saying was true.
Yu Feng and over a hundred of his brothers had risked their lives out in the Starry Sky for nearly two years to collect a Starship full of ore, but when they returned to the family, they had only received about ten thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals. On top of that, those Saint Crystals had been given to them by Wu Yi from her own pocket.
But today, Yang Kai had spent less than half an hour to kill a dozen or so people and harvested more than their several dozen brother could hope to gain in a lifetime. This huge gap made all of them feel both excited and bitter.
The artifacts and pills weren’t of very high level, mainly Saint Grade while a handful were Saint King Grade; however, these were perfectly suitable for these dozens of people who had chosen to follow Wu Yi.
Most of them were only in the Saint Realm, with just four of five of them having reached the First Order Saint King Realm. Saint Grade artefacts and pills were just right for them.
“King Transformation Pills, ten of them at that!” Yu Feng screamed suddenly, his big hands trembling as he held up a jade bottle.
Upon hearing these words, many people wore excited looks.
Although Yang Kai had never refined a King Transformation Pill, he knew what its function was. Saint King Pills could help consolidate one’s cultivation after they broke through to the Saint King Realm, but King Transformation Pills could increase the chance of one successfully breaking through from the Third Order Saint Realm to the Saint King Realm, thus this Saint King Grade Low-Rank pill was always in high demand.
Many cultivators would become stuck at the peak of a Great Realm and find themselves unable to break through to the next realm. The Third Order Saint Realm was a huge bottleneck, and it could be said that nine and a half out of ten cultivators would encounter difficulties crossing this Great Realm. People like Yang Kai who never encountered bottlenecks were extremely rare.
Yang Kai, however, managed to achieve this with the help of the Demon Eye of Annihilation. Without the Demon Eye of Annihilation, he would have been like any other cultivator that needed to refine certain pills when preparing to break through to a new Great Realm.
This King Transformation Pill could increase the chance of breaking through to the Saint King Realm by thirty percent. It could be said that as long as their aptitude wasn’t terrible, with the help of this pill, a cultivator would have a ninety percent chance of reaching the Saint King Realm.
Of the dozens of people who had chosen to followed Wu Yi, nearly twenty were Third Order Saints, so the value of these King Transformation Pills was self-evident.
The Hai Ke Family also had King Transformation Pills, but those were all reserved for disciples who had good aptitude and were closely tied to the family. The few dozen people who had followed Wu Yi weren’t qualified to even sniff such pills. The nearly twenty cultivators on the edge of a breakthrough had all become stuck at this bottleneck, but if they could refine a King Transformation Pill, becoming Saint King Realm cultivators was almost guaranteed.
Seeing the fierce look his brothers and sisters eyes, Yu Feng’s expression immediately became serious as he stored the jade bottle into his sleeve and quickly shouted, “This will be given to Young Lady; she will come up with a reasonable distribution plan!”
The crowd nodded together without objection.
Seeing this, Yang Kai suddenly felt that he should refine some pills for this group’s cultivation. He had never used pills to assist him with breaking through, but that didn’t mean such pills weren’t useful for others. On top of that, with his current level of skill, refining King Transformation Pills was quite easy.
After having decided so, Yang Kai shot a cold glare towards the distance.
He naturally knew that the people from Hai Ke Family had been standing there without moving. The Hai Ke Family masters had arrived together with the Xu Family forces, but unlike the latter, they had not made any aggressive moves, so Yang Kai didn’t see a reason to deal with them right now.
Perceiving Yang Kai’s eyes landing on them, Ba Qing Yan suddenly trembled and anxiously said, “Patriarch, I forgot to report something. Last time I was here, Yang Kai said that anyone who approaches to within fifty kilometres of the cave will be regarded as an enemy.”
When Yang Kai said this last time, Ba Qing Yan hadn’t taken him seriously; after all, Dragon Cave Mountain belonged to the Hai Ke Family, so wasn’t it Yang Kai who was occupying their land, not the other way around? But now, with the dead Xu Family master as an example, Ba Qing Yan didn’t dare to dismiss Yang Kai’s warning.
If Yang Kai used this as an excuse to attack them, it wasn’t certain if the Hai Ke Family could resist.
“What?” Yi En panicked, “Fifty kilometres?”
Forget fifty kilometres, where they were standing right now was not even five kilometres from the cave.
“Fall back!” Yi En didn’t dare to remain and immediately shouted before hurriedly retreating, the other Elders and Foreign Elders swiftly following behind him.
After retreating to outside the fifty-kilometre zone, the Hai Ke Family masters noticed that Yang Kai didn’t show any intent to pursue them. The group all stopped and stared at each other, all of them feeling somewhat embarrassed that they had panicked and fled like stray dogs from a youth far younger than them.
But now was not the time to think about such things. After seeing the dozen-plus Saint Kings of the Xu Family annihilated, all of them had come to realize how huge Yang Kai’s value was.
Yi En gave Ba Qing Yan a vicious look.
Ba Qing Yan obviously understood that Yi En was blaming him and he quickly took a step forward, cupped his fists, and said, “Patriarch, this time I failed to clearly understand the situation, I never expected Yang Kai to possess such enormous potential or for that woman to have such profound accomplishments in the field of Spirit Arrays. If I had known earlier, I would have stopped Xu Zhi Shen from coming here to seek trouble with them and of course never allowed Wu Yi to separate from the family, leading to this…”
“Enough, it’s useless to say this now,” Yi En waved his hand impatiently.
“Patriarch, are we going to earnestly try to earn his favour now?” Huang Juan asked anxiously, “His potential is too terrifying, and that woman’s skill in arranging Spirit Arrays is too profound, being on good terms with them will be very beneficial to us.”
“En, what Foreign Elder Huang says is right, we should really try to become friends with those two talents while trying to win them over,” Wa Lun nodded in agreement.
“We cannot become friends with them now!” To everyone’s surprise, however, Yi En decisively shook his head.
“Why?” Huang Juan didn’t understand. If they hadn’t witnessed the abilities of this young man and the woman, there really would be no need to become friends with them, but now that they had seen their true skills, how could they be willing to pass up such a good opportunity? Had the Patriarch become muddled?
“Have you all forgotten what Xu Zhi Kun shouted before he died?” Yi En coldly snorted.
Everyone thought back carefully, but before long, they all showed grim expressions.
“Patriarch means Shadow Moon Hall will…” Huang Juan asked hesitantly.
Yi En sneered, “Although my Hai Ke Family and the Xu Family are just the lowest level of attached force and mean nothing to Shadow Moon Hall, since we officially hang Shadow Moon Hall’s name next to ours, this matter concerns their honour. Killing so many masters from the Xu Family, including their Patriarch, is nothing short of slapping Shadow Moon Hall’s face. If they don’t come to manage the situation, how could any family like ours rely on them in the future? Shadow Moon Hall will definitely act. We also must report everything we saw here today to them, otherwise things will become troublesome when they come to investigate.”
“It is as Patriarch says, but by doing so, aren’t we going to offend that young man? Weren’t we trying to recruit him?” Wa Lun asked in a confused tone.
“Recruit him?” Yi En sneered, “Even if we managed to do that, could we make him submit to us? Since we can’t subdue him, what use is there in recruiting him? With his potential and aptitude, plus that woman’s accomplishments in Spirit Arrays, once they are allowed to mature, what room will there be here for my Hai Ke Family? By that time, this place will be surnamed Yang.”
Previously, Yi En had been very interested in Yang Kai and wanted to subdue him, but that was before he had witnessed this young man’s strength and ability and thought with his own years of experience and the power of the Hai Ke Family he could control this youth.
But after seeing the last moment of today’s battle, where Yang Kai had exploded Xu Zhi Kun apart with a single punch, Yi En realized he didn’t have the ability to tame such a person. Since he couldn’t control Yang Kai, there was no need to even think about soliciting him, doing that would only be inviting in a ravenous wolf that would sooner or later swallow the Hai Ke Family, bones and all.
Although Yi En’s attitude towards Yang Kai had changed extremely quickly, becoming completely opposite what it was a moment ago, no one present felt uncomfortable with this and instead admired Yi En’s decisiveness.
The thoughts of one who became Patriarch really weren’t comparable to those of ordinary people.
The Hai Ke Family masters swiftly returned to their manor and immediately sent someone to Heavenly Fate City to report the events of today to the City Lord’s Mansion.
Heavenly Fate City was located within Shadow Moon Hall’s sphere of influence. The city itself was owned by Shadow Moon Hall, so naturally the City Lord’s Mansion was occupied by a master from Shadow Moon Hall.
The one who was sent by the Hai Ke Family to report was Huang Juan.
However, she hadn’t expected that after arriving outside the City Lord’s Mansion, she would be firmly stopped by the guards. These guards all grinned and directed obscene and unscrupulous gazes towards her, making Huang Juan very uncomfortable.
Although Huang Juan wasn’t young anymore, she retained her beauty and now looked like she was only in her thirties. She gave off a mature aura and her figure was equally ripe, with tall twin peaks, a full rounded bottom, long straight legs, a slender and graceful waist, and skin that while jade white had a constant pink hue to it. Such a beautiful woman naturally aroused the guards’ attention.
“Big Brothers, I am an Elder of Hai Ke Family and have something important to report to City Lord Fei Zhi Tu,” Huang Juan forced a smile out while she scolded Yi En like a dog in her mind.
Yi En had sent her here alone to deliver this message precisely because she was a woman. He apparently thought that a beautiful woman would have an easier time dealing with the City Lord.
However, before she even entered the City Lord’s Mansion, she had caught the attention of these Saint Realm guards, causing her to feel both angry and helpless. If this was anywhere else, with Huang Juan’s Third Order Saint King cultivation, she could easily butcher these rude men, but this was the City Lord’s Mansion under Shadow Moon Hall, so unless she didn’t want to live any longer, she couldn’t act out.
“Hai Ke Family?” One man with a face as long as a horse wore a sneer and shook his head, “Never heard of it, do any of you know it?”
Immediately, another guard chimed in, “It’s a small peripheral family under the Sect.”
“A peripheral family,” The horse-faced cultivator nodded casually, “No wonder I’ve never heard of it. So, what does someone from a mere peripheral family need here?”
His attitude couldn’t be any clearer, he didn’t even place Hai Ke Family in his eyes at all, making Huang Juan secretly grit her teeth. But regardless of how she really felt, all she could do was smile and says, “Big brothers, I really need to meet City Lord Fei Zhi Tu, if you could please pass on this request on my behalf, I would be very grateful.”
The horse-faced guard coldly snorted and said, “Sir City Lord is busy with many things, how could he have time to see someone like you? Go back to wherever you came from.”
Shadow Moon Hall had many peripherally attached forces, each one of them was extremely weak and unimportant. Although these guards were only Saint Realm cultivators, they could use their status as Shadow Moon Hall disciples to bluff and bluster about while having eyes higher than the top of their heads, so even if Huang Juan’s cultivation was far higher than their own, they didn’t give her the slightest bit of respect.
Listening to the horse-faced guard say this, Huang Juan grit her teeth even harder for a moment but suddenly flashed an enchanting smile and beckoned to him, “Big brother, can you come a little closer so we can speak?”
Huang Juan could still be regarded as a worldly woman who was proficient in human affairs, how could she not understand how to handle a little brat like this?
“Oh?” The horse-faced guard chuckled indifferently, “Is there something little sister wants to say that’s difficult to discuss in public?”
As he laughed, he shook his head and stepped towards Huang Juan.
After he approached close enough, Huang Juan took a couple Saint Crystals out of her Space Ring and quietly shoved them into his hand, whispering softly, “Big Brother, I hope you can be a bit accommodating.”
The horse-faced guard didn’t even glance down as he silently stuffed the Saint Crystals into his own Space Ring before suddenly grabbing Huang Juan’s small tender hand and rubbing it wantonly, as if he had never held a woman before, an obscene look appearing on his face as he whispered back, “Little sister, it’s not that I don’t want to be accommodating, it’s really just that Sir City Lord has no time to spare…”
Being touched so roughly by this man, Huang Juan’s tender body suddenly trembled and goosebumps popped up all over her skin. She wished she could tear this man’s corpse into ten thousand pieces right now, but she had no choice but to hold back her anger as she took out a big handful of Saint Crystals and gave them to him while continuing to beg, “Please go in and notify Sir City Master, if he refuses to see me, I will have no complaints.”
After receiving so many Saint Crystals, the horse-faced guard finally showed a satisfied smile as he continuing rubbing Huang Juan hand and said, “Good, it seems coming here hasn’t been easy for you, so I’ll especially pass a message along for you, but you shouldn’t get your hopes up, Sir City Lord is very busy.”
“En, I know, many thanks, Big Brother,” Huang Juan exhaled secretly. She was afraid that this bastard would continue taking advantage of her.
Seeing the horse-faced guard walk into the City Lord’s Mansion, Huang Juan stood outside and waited anxiously.
After a short while, the horse-faced guard came out again, this time with a gloomy expression. When Huang Juan saw this, her heart sank as she knew the situation wasn’t good and hurriedly asked, “What did Sir City Lord say?”
The guard, having obtained some benefits from Huang Juan, didn’t shout angrily but just said, “He won’t see you, not only that, he reproved me for wasting his time.”
“En…” Huang Juan sighed, feeling a sense of powerlessness deep in her heart. She had no true relatives in this world and had relied on her own effort to cultivate till the Third Order Saint King realm. It was only a dozen or so years ago that she entered the Hai Ke Family and obtained the status of Foreign Elder. Huang Juan had wanted to use the Hai Ke Family as a springboard to join Shadow Moon Hall. She had been looking forward to one day joining Shadow Moon Hall, but now she realized that in Shadow Moon Hall’s eyes, the Hau Ke Family was nothing. A Foreign Elder like her coming here couldn’t even see the City Lord.
Deep down, she scolded Yi En who had sent her here to the City Lord’s Mansion thousands of times.
Inside the Hai Ke Family, there were several Elders who had ideas about her, and coming here to the City Lord’s Mansion, she had been taken advantage of by someone far weaker than herself. Lacking strength backing made living in this world truly difficult.
Suddenly, Huang Juan felt discouraged and wondered if it was time for her to leave the Hai Ke Family. This family had no future at all, continuing to stay with them would only waste her time.
“Little sister, why don’t you wait here for a few days and if a chance comes up, I can pass a message along for you again?” The horse-faced guard didn’t seem to be satisfied with the advantages he’d gained so far and asked with a grin.
“No need,” Huang Juan’s expression became cold as she turned around and left.
“Can’t appreciate kindness!” The horse-faced guard coldly snorted.
After Huang Juan returned to the Hai Ke Family and Yi En learned she was unable to complete this seemingly simple task, he became furious and scolded her severely before preparing several precious gifts and hurrying off to Heavenly Fate City in person.
Huang Juan felt incredibly aggrieved as she became increasingly disappointed with the Hai Ke Family.
Yang Kai stepped out of his stone room and immediately heard a commotion coming from outside. Walking towards the source of the noise, he soon came to a huge stone room.
This stone room should have been excavated by the Stone Puppet on Yang Yan’s request at some point to be used as a conference room of sorts. At this moment, nearly twenty people were gathered inside, many of them with bloodshot eyes and looks of indignation on their faces as they shouted over one another.
Yu Feng was the loudest of the bunch as he stood on a stone table in the centre of the room and shouted while pointing at one cultivator after another, scolding them viciously as spittle flew from his mouth.
Yang Kai frowned and suddenly felt a little displeased.
He thought that those who followed Wu Yi were making a fuss because of an uneven distribution of resources. If that was the case, Yang Kai wouldn’t want them to remain here any longer. Even if they had followed Wu Yi here, he would still need to expel them. Those who didn’t understand how to compromise and share with their fellow Brothers and Sisters and simply cared about how many benefits they could snatch would only cause instability in the future. But after listening to the shouting for a while, Yang Kai discovered that things weren’t as he had initially thought.
Although this really was an argument about distributing materials, it wasn’t about Saint Crystals or artefacts, but pills.
Specifically, the ten King Transformation Pills that would improve the chances of breaking through to the Saint King Realm!
Most importantly though, no one here was making a fuss because they couldn’t obtain one of the King Transformation Pills, but instead were trying to push these precious King Transformation Pills onto others.
It had been three days since this argument began yet they still weren’t able to come up with a reasonable distribution plan yet. Wu Yi was also standing in the stone room, her pretty face full helplessness but also happiness.
“Damn it, Liu Ping, I remember that you broke through to the Third-Order Saint nine years ago, and now you’ve reached the Peak of this realm, why don’t you want to take one of these King Transformation Pills? Are trying to not give the Young Lady any face? Is that it? If you don’t give the Young Lady and this Yu Feng face, don’t blame father here for punching your face!”
The cultivator named Liu Ping cracked into a grin and said calmly, “Yu Feng, this Liu Ping is almost sixty years old this year, and my aptitude is quite low, what point would there be for me to take a King Transformation Pill? There’s a great possibility that me taking one would simply waste it and still not be able to break through to the Saint King Realm. Instead of wasting this treasure on me, it would be better to give it to Ge Wu Sheng. His aptitude is much better than mine and he’s also a Third-Order Saint. If he obtains one, he can definitely break through.”
Ge Wu Sheng, a middle-aged man in a blue shirt, heard this and shook his head immediately, “I don’t want one, just give me another two years and I’ll be able to break through on my own. There’s no need to waste a King Transformation Pill. Yu Feng, give it to Xiao Ya instead.”
A young woman wearing a beautiful dress quickly waved her hands, “I don’t want it either, I can break through on my own.”
Yu Feng’s forehead filled with blue veins as let fly another flurry of curses, but after some time, still unable to find a solution, he could only look to Wu Yi for help while complaining, “Young Lady, I can’t do this job. All of these bastards keep stubbornly refusing, how am I supposed to divide up these pills like this?”
Wu Yi sighed and was about to say something when she spotted Yang Kai standing at the door with a smile on his face and hurriedly walked over to him.
“These people are very good,” Yang Kai said with sincere admiration. He had wandered about outside for many years and had become accustomed to men and women mistrusting and using each other. Men die for wealth as birds die for food, yet in front of these King Transformation Pills which could help them break through to the Saint King Realm, saving at least one or two years of hard work, none of these people were willing to accept them, all of them insisting their fellow Brothers or Sisters take them. Such a harmonious atmosphere was something Yang Kai had not seen for a long time and if gave him a sense of warmth.
“I’ve let Big Brother Yang see something embarrassing,” Wu Yi blushed, “They’re just a group of people who haven’t seen the world; ten King Transformation Pills actually let them quarrel for three whole days yet we still haven’t been able to decide how to distribute them. Did we disturb Big Brother Yang?”
Having witnessed Yang Kai’s abilities, Wu Yi had changed how she addressed him; on top of that, it was clear she had matured greatly after having made the decision to separate from her family.
“It didn’t disturb me, the Spirit Arrays arranged by Yang Yan are excellent, I didn’t even hear anything until I left my room,” Yang Kai smiled and asked curiously, “Is it difficult to obtain King Transformation Pills?”
Wu Yi nodded, “King Transformation Pills are Saint-King Grade Low-Rank pills and their price isn’t low, at least two thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals per pill. It’s not something an ordinary cultivator can afford. The price is only secondary though, the key is that no one sells them. There are too many people who need this kind of pill and not many Alchemists are capable of refining them. Shadowed Star’s Artefact Refining and Alchemy standard is far below the rest of the Star Field; apparently, the most powerful Artifact Refiner sand Alchemists are only Origin Grade Low-Rank.”
“So low?” Yang Kai was taken aback. If that was the case, wouldn’t it mean that he and Yang Yan stood at the pinnacle of Shadowed Star in their respective fields?
Yang Yan may have even exceeded that peak as last time she had said that with the help of the Stone Puppet, she would be able to raise his purple shield to the Origin Grade Mid-Rank. This meant she was at least an Origin Grade Mid-Rank Artifact Refiner.
“En, it’s that low, as for why that’s the case, I don’t know why. In any case, Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, and even Chart Master and Array Masters grow much slower here on Shadowed Star,” Wu Yi laughed helplessly. She knew Yang Kai came from outside and from his tone, she could infer that this was not the case out there.
After listening to Wu Yi’s words, Yang Kai felt that using Alchemy to earn Saint Crystals was a good idea.
His Alchemy had already reached the pinnacle of Shadowed Star, so what worry would he have about raising enough Saint Crystals? He could even look for those great forces to directly trade pills for precious materials.
Yang Yan’s arrangement of Spirit Arrays was similar to him cultivating the Dao of Space, both burned money at an astonishing rate. Without enough Saint Crystals and supplies, they simply couldn’t continue advancing.
“Why does the Xu Family have ten King Transformation Pills then?” Yang Kai asked. Logically speaking, there shouldn’t be a Saint King Grade Alchemist working for the Xu Family, but without such an Alchemist, King Transformation Pills couldn’t be refined.
“They should have obtained them from Shadow Moon Hall,” Wu Yi explained, “The small families attached to Shadow Moon Hall all have the opportunity to purchase some more precious pills and artefacts from the Sect, but they have to pay an enormous price to do so. The Hai Ke Family acquired some King Transformation Pills this way; en, the Saint King Pill they sent last time was also purchased from Shadow Moon Hall.”
“I see, Yang Kai nodded before tossing two jade bottles over to Wu Yi, “Give them these and tell them not to quarrel.”
“What are these?” Wu Yi asked curiously.
“See for yourself,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Wu Yi opened one of the bottles suspiciously and peered inside. In the next instant, her beautiful face changed colour as she exclaimed, “King Transformation Pills? More than twenty of them? And so many of them have formed Pill Veins?”
She was really shocked.
The ten King Transformation Pills obtained from Xu Zhi Kun’s Space Ring were just ordinary pills, but the ones Yang Kai had just given her had a large number which had formed Pill Veins. Wu Yi couldn’t even imagine where Yang Kai was able to obtain these pills.
Ordinary King Transformation Pills could increase the chance of a cultivator being able to break through to the Saint King Realm by thirty percent, so King Transformation Pill that formed Pill Veins would improve upon that even further!
“Big Brother Yang, where did you get these?” When Wu Yi lifted her head and asked, only to realize that Yang Kai was already gone. Immediately, Wu Yi felt a bit dizzy. A single King Transformation Pill was worth more than two thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, so this bottle along was worth more than forty thousand!
Wu Yi only now realized just how generous Yang Kai was.
Her delicate hands trembling slightly, Wu Yi opened the other jade bottle and once again called out in alarm, “Saint King Pills!”
And many of these Saint King Pills had formed Pill Veins. Wu Yi was absolutely certain that these two bottles of pills were refined by the same Alchemist, but… the percentage which had formed Pill Veins was too astonishing.
From infancy till now, Wu Yi had only ever seen a single pill which formed Pill Veins, and it was just a Spirit Grade High-Rank pill.
Even if Wu Yi had some worldly experience, she still felt like these two jade bottles were as heavy as mountains. King Transformation Pills would allow her brothers and sisters to easily break through to the Saint King Realm while Saint King Pills would help them quickly consolidate their cultivations. Yang Kai had prepared everything for them, all they needed to do now was take these pills.
“Thank you, Big Brother Yang!” Wu Yi shouted loudly before turning around and walking back into the noisy stone room, raising the two jade bottles and happily announcing, “Don’t quarrel, there are enough King Transformation Pills for everyone. Not only that, everyone will receive a Saint King Pill as well!”
The noisy stone room immediately calmed down as nearly twenty pairs of eyes simultaneously stared towards Wu Yi.
Outside the cave, Yang Yan was arranging a new Spirit Array. Aside from a few necessary for cultivation, all the Saint Crystals that Yang Kai handed over to Wu Yi last time had been exchanged for various materials. In her large black robe, Yang Yan busied herself arranging a Killing Array.
“Help me!” Yang Yan called out and Yang Kai immediately walked over to assist her according to her instructions.
After some time, Yang Kai suddenly asked, “Yang Yan, will the Spirit Array you arranged previously have any effect if Origin Returning Realm masters come?”
“Yes!” Yang Yan replied affirmatively, “But it won’t be like last time. Origin Realm cultivators are far more powerful than Saint Kings after all. If a Third Order Origin Returning Realm master comes, the Spirit Array will only be able to trap them for ten breaths.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding.
Yang Yan’s action suddenly stopped as she turned and looked at Yang Kai seriously, “What are your plans for the future?”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai asked in confusion.
“Do you plan to stay here long term or leave after the mineral lode down below is mined clean?”
“Of course I plan to stay long term,” Yang Kai replied immediately. He was not familiar with Shadowed Star at all, and now that he had a place to stay, he wouldn’t leave easily.
“That’s good, I also like it here. If we want to stay here long term, I will put my best into arranging powerful Spirit Arrays,” Yang Yan smiled faintly, “If you give me more advanced materials in the future, I can arrange a formation that will completely trap Third Order Origin Returning Realm masters!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and his evaluation of Yang Yan rose even higher.
While the two were talking, Wu Yi rushed out of the cave suddenly, her face somewhat flushed, obviously very excited.
“Finished?” Yang Kai smiled at her.
“En, all of them have now entered secluded retreat. It won’t be long before they can become Saint Kings. Thank you, Big Brother Yang,” Wu Yi nodded, and then said, “I just forgot to tell you something a moment ago.”
“What?”
“Foreign Elder Chang and Foreign Elder Hao sent a messenger over to say that the Patriarch brought a lot of gifts to the City Lord’s Mansion in Heavenly Fate City three days ago.”
“Foreign Elder Chang, Foreign Elder Hao?” Yang Kai frowned but soon recalled these two. Foreign Elder Chang naturally referred to Chang Qi, the one Yang Kai had met back on the Starship. Foreign Elder Hao should refer to Hao An, the one who had come to greet them when the Starship returned to Shadowed Star.
Apparently, the relationship between these two Foreign Elders and Wu Yi was quite good, otherwise, they would not have sent someone to deliver such a letter.
“Foreign Elder Huang Juan also sent someone to deliver a letter say9ing the same thing,” Wu Yi frowned, obviously not understanding why Huang Juan had suddenly decided to help her this time. Also, from what she wrote in the letter, it seemed like Huang Juan planned on leaving the Hai Ke Family and was advising her to leave Dragon Cave Mountain as soon as possible.
Yang Kai wasn’t familiar with Huang Juan, but he didn’t care either way, simply asking, “Did your former Patriarch go to Heavenly Fate City to seek assistance from Shadow Moon Hall?”
“En. Big Brother Yang, what should we do now? Once Shadow Moon Hall learns that you have killed so many of the Xu Family’s masters, they definitely won’t sit idly by and will likely send out Origin Returning Realm masters.”
“Origin Returning Realm!” Yang Kai frowned, to be honest, he didn’t know how his current strength compared to Origin Returning Realm cultivators, but with each new Great Realm crossed, the strength of a cultivator would change dramatically. Right now, Yang Kai could easily kill Third Order Saint Kings, but that didn’t mean he could face a First Order Origin Returning Realm master.
However, Yang Kai soon knit his brow and became suspicious, “Strange, why is your family the one rushing to report this situation, shouldn’t it be the Xu Family doing so?”
Wu Yi thought for a moment before biting her lower lip and saying, “It may be that the Patriarch feels since he can’t control you or drive you away, he needs to rely on the power of Shadow Moon Hall.”
It had to be said that Wu Yi mind was quite sharp; taking what she knew about Yi En’s character, she was quickly able to arrive at the truth of the matter.
Yang Kai nodded, “No need for concern, just continue going about your day like normal, if an Origin Returning Realm master really comes, we can still block them.”
“En,” Wu Yi nodded lightly; although didn’t have much confidence in this matter, since Yang Kai had said so, she wouldn’t raise any objections.
After Wu Yi left, Yang Yan said lightly, “Don’t expect my Spirit Array to kill an Origin Realm masters, without higher-grade materials, the Killing Array I’m arranging won’t have that kind of power.”
“I wasn’t planning on relying on your Spirit Array for that,” Yang Kai grinned. As long as Yang Yan’s Spirit Array could keep an Origin Returning Realm master trapped for a while, and as long as it wasn’t a Third Order Origin Returning Realm master who came, Yang Kai felt he could handle the situation.
Since this concerned the giant Space Spirit Crystal lode, forget about Origin Returning Realm masters, even if an Origin King was to arrive, Yang Kai would still choose to fight. This treasure must not be given away.
Instead of helping Yang Yan continuing arranging the Spirit Array, Yang Kai immediately returned to his stone room to enter retreat. Holding a Space Spirit Crystal in his hand, and drawing energy from it, he began adding to his own Space Force.
The Dao of Space was very esoteric, but also extremely powerful. Yang Kai felt that if he had to fight against Origin Realm masters, using Space Force was his best option.
Previously, Yang Kai had used his comprehension of the Dao of Space to enhance or manipulate his Saint Qi attacks, allowing them to leap across space and strike from otherwise impossible directions, making them difficult to predict or block. This approach could strengthen the power of a Saint Qi attack, but wasn’t really making use of the Dao of Space’s full potential.
If he could use his Space Force directly to attack, Yang Kai believed his combat power would increase greatly and become even more difficult to counter.
Yang Kai didn’t know when people from Shadow Moon Hall would come for him, but it was safe to say that it would be sooner rather than later. As such, Yang Kai dedicated himself to comprehending the Dao of Space while trying to develop his new method of attack.
After refining so many Space Spirit Crystals, Yang Kai’s understanding of the Dao of Space had reached new heights and he could no longer be considered someone with only superficial knowledge of it.
Yang Kai believed that with his current level of comprehension, if he was back on the floating continent, he could easily find his way out.
Tearing Space was a means of escape and couldn’t be used to kill an enemy, but from all his experienced tearing space, Yang Kai was able to conceptualize a method to use this principle to attack. Running many simulations in his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai refined his hypothesis over and over again until he came up with an initial prototype, his eyes shooting open in the next instant.
Lifting his right hand, Yang Kai made a slicing motion and created a finger-length long thumbnail-sized space crack in front of himself. This space crack overflowed with the aura of The Void and seemed akin to a bottomless hole in space.
However, unlike before when Yang Kai tore space, after this crack appeared, it didn’t remain in place but began slowly moving forward.
Wherever this tear in space passed, everything from air to World Energy was completely swallowed up.
After moving forward about a meter, the tear suddenly closed and disappeared.
Inside his stone room, Yang Kai looked happy.
He didn’t expect that the idea he had come up with on something of a whim, a small moving tear in space, could actually be realized so easily.
Although the space crack was only a finger long, a thumbnail wide, disappeared after travelling less than a meter, and moved quite slowly, Yang Kai believed that as long as he practised hard and strengthened his own ability to manipulate Space Force, he would definitely be able to use this method in combat.
Once the speed of this space crack increased, who could stop it? The tear in space could devour everything, it was not something ordinary cultivators could resist.
His heart roused, Yang Kai immediately began experimenting, creating one finger long space crack after another and pushing them forward. Gradually, the speed of these space cracks increased, along with the distance they could travel before disappearing.
Yang Kai soon forgot the passing of time, completely immersing himself in the study of this new attack method.
Finally, the travelling space cracks managed to reach the stone room’s wall, silently erasing a narrow strip of rock from existence, as if someone had carefully dug out a small strip of the rock wall.
Yang Kai knew, however, that this stone hadn’t really vanished, but had been sent to The Void.
Examining the traces on the stone wall, Yang Kai nodded slightly. This attack could inflict serious injuries if it hit, but it moved far too slowly and could easily be avoided. Also, it wasn’t powerful enough, probably due to the space crack itself being unstable. Yang Kai believed if he could stabilize this space crack enough, he would be able to open a hole straight through the stone wall.
This moving tear in space couldn’t be used in combat in its current form. Any cultivator at the Saint King Realm would be able to use their Saint Qi to interfere with its stability and disperse it, rendering it useless. However, this didn’t dim Yang Kai’s enthusiasm.
Its shape was similar to a wind blade, so after some slight though, Yang Kai decided to name this new method of attack the Space Blade!
Yang Kai could almost foresee that once his Space Blade reached a high level of proficiency, it would be even easier for him to fight and kill opponents above his own realm. The might of this esoteric strength was extremely difficult to block.
Yang Kai studied Space Blade in his stone room for three days straight, and its power greatly increased over that time, but as he was deeply immersed in his work, his brow suddenly frowned, and his face became cold.
He noticed a large number of masters were rapidly approaching the cave, and he was quite familiar with many of their auras; they were the masters from the Hai Ke Family.
Releasing his powerful Divine Sense to probe the situation, Yang Kai’s expression became somewhat dignified. He found that these visitors weren’t just the Hai Ke Family masters, there were even two First-Order Origin Returning Realm masters.
Recalling what Wu Yi said before, Yang Kai immediately realized that these two Origin Returning Realm masters were helpers that Yi En had managed to invite from Shadow Moon Hall.
This old bastard was really ruthless! There wasn’t any kind of irreconcilable grudge between him and the Hai Ke Family; at most, there were some bad feelings about Wu Yi and the others having separated from the family. There wasn’t any spilt blood between them. Yet, the Hai Ke Family had actually moved even faster than the Xu Family to try to oppress him.
At this moment, Yang Kai was already certain Wu Yi’s guess was correct.
His performance had been too intimidating, and with him occupying Dragon Cave Mountain, it made the Hai Ke Family unable to sleep peacefully. Dragon Cave Mountain was part of the Ke Family’s territory and wasn’t far from their main manor, so clearly, they feared Yang Kai would continue to rise up and one day threaten their existence.
Just because of this though, they had decided to exterminate him and everyone else here. Realizing this, Yang Kai coldly snorted and silently decided to not show the Hai Ke Family any kind of mercy regardless of whether they were Wu Yi’s former family. If they dared to challenge him, he would ensure they never leave.
Standing up, Yang Kai opened the stone door to his room and immediately spotted Wu Yi and Yu Feng standing there with nervous expressions.
“Big Brother Yang…” Wu Yi called out, her face somewhat pale.
“I know, make sure no one leaves the cave. These past few days, Yang Yan has improved the Spirit Array greatly, so as long as you don’t go out, they won’t be able to touch you.”
“No, I must face them together with you.” What Yang Kai didn’t expect was that Wu Yi would flatly reject his suggestion. She probably wanted to take this opportunity to make a clean break with the Hai Ke Family.
Yang Kai glanced at her for a moment before nodding gently, “Then don’t act rashly. Even if the situation becomes critical, don’t leave the cave entrance.”
“En,” Wu Yi responded quickly.
Yang Kai then led them to the entrance of the cave where he found Yang Yan was still furiously working on the Spirit Array, apparently not willing to withdraw until the very last moment.
After discovering that Yang Kai had come out, Yang Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and her movements became even faster and more fluid.
Inside the cave, the cultivators who had chosen to follow Wu Yi also realized what was happening and ran out one by one to stand solemnly behind Yang Kai and Wu Yi.
“Hmm… how did that little dwarf come? He really sticks out no matter where he goes,” Yang Kai suddenly said with some surprise. Among the group approaching them, like a crane among chickens, was the one Yang Kai had met when he first arrived on Shadowed Star, the incredibly short and equally arrogant, Xie Hong Wen.
At that time, Xie Hong Wen had shown up just after Wu Yi and the others had returned to Shadowed Star and confiscated the precious ore they had mined. Yang Kai also knew that this little dwarf, Xie Hong Wen was interested in Wu Yi and last time had even boldly declared that one day her surname would be Xie. His presence here now should be related to Wu Yi.
Xie Hong Wen may have been short, but he was actually the one leading this group, all the Elders and Foreign Elders of the Hai Ke Family following behind him along with the two First-Order Origin Returning Realm masters who were presumably from Heavenly Fate City’s City Lord’s Mansion.
Listening to Yang Kai’s comments, Wu Yi couldn’t help giggling, but she quickly composed herself, knowing that this was no time to laugh. The masters from the City Lord’s Mansion had come, Xie Hong Wen had also come, it looked like her former family were dead set on eliminating Yang Kai today, causing Wu Yi’s expression to become gloomy.
Just like Yang Kai discovered Xie Hong Wen, Xie Hong Wen discovered him. Glancing over and seeing Wu Yi standing so close to Yang Kai, Xie Hong Wen’s eyes nearly shot flames as he clenched his fists and cursed, “Bitch, always acting like an innocent maiden. Turns out you’re just another slut!”
Knowing Xie Hong Wen was growing irritated, Yi En quickly reminded, “Young Lord Xie, that young man named Yang Kai cannot be underestimated. Although his realm isn’t high, his combat strength is unimaginable, the Xu Family…”
“Enough! Father’s ears will soon go deaf from hearing you say that nonsense over and over again! Now that this Young Lord has come forward though, he will die without a doubt, just stand there and watch!” Xie Hong Wen waved his hand impatiently, interrupting Yi En’s words.
The two Origin Returning Realm masters that were following behind Xie Hong Wen shot disdainful looks towards Yi En, in their minds thinking that small families were really small families. Whenever they encountered a cultivator who could fight above their realm, they were instantly astounded.
Inside Shadow Moon Hall, there were many disciples who could fight above their own realm, any Second-Order Saint Realm disciple there could beat an ordinary Third-Order Saint Elder or Foreign Elder of a small family.
Let alone, this time two Origin Returning Realm masters had come out, so it was certain that this place would soon be razed to the ground.
Yi En let out a sigh but didn’t dare to say anymore, lest he annoy Xie Hong Wen further, but in his heart, he felt quite bitter.
He hadn’t expected to bring Xie Hong Wen here. A few days ago, Yi En had taken a lot of gifts to the City Lord’s Mansion. He had actually managed to see City Lord Fei Zhi Tu and reported what had happened with the Xu Family; however, Fei Zhi Tu didn’t seem to take the matter seriously. If not for Yi En accidentally meeting Xie Hong Wen at that time, he would likely still be waiting for an official response from the City Lord’s Mansion.
Moreover, Xie Hong Wen hadn’t come here to support the Hai Ke Family, nor to uphold justice for the Xu Family, he was simply here for Wu Yi.
Listening to Yi En saying that the woman he had his eye on was now mingling with a man of unknown origins who was just a First-Order Saint King, Xie Hong Wen flew into a rage and immediately brought two masters with him to kill Yang Kai.
Regardless of the process, he had managed to invite some powerhouses to handle the situation, which gave Yi En some psychological balance. Unfortunately, today, Wu Yi was going to die. One shouldn’t look just as the lewd look in Xie Hong Wen’s eyes, it was his personality that was truly twisted and deformed like his figure. Once he found a woman he wanted, he would stop at nothing to obtain her, and anyone who got in his way would suffer unspeakable consequences.
He once spotted the Young Lady of a small family and stated clearly that the next day he would come to her home to bring the bridegroom’s gifts to the family. But in order to escape this fate, this Young Lady went and slept with her favourite man to lose her innocence.
The Young Lady thought that by doing this, she could escape Xie Hong Wen’s poisonous hands, but Xie Hong Wen instead killed that man then brought the Young Lady back to his home, tortured and humiliated her for a month, then stripped her naked and tossed her out into the crowded streets of Heavenly Face City.
The Young Lady could not bear the humiliation and immediately committed suicide, but afraid of what would happen to them, no one dared to remove her body until her corpse had thoroughly rotted.
One month later, the family of that Young Lady was inexplicably destroyed. Although there were no clues to the perpetrators, as long as one had any sense, they would understand that it was Xie Hong Wen’s doing.
It could be said that Xie Hong Wen’s personality had been distorted to an incurable degree.
Yi En didn’t know what kind of fate was waiting for his Hai Ke Family and could only pray that Wu Yi had kept her innocence, unlike that other Young Lady. If she still had her innocence, there might be room to bargain, but if not, Yi En couldn’t even imagine what kind of storm the Hai Ke Family would have to face.
The Elders and Foreign Elders of the Hai Ke Family also didn’t have very good looks on their faces, all of them trembling as they clearly recalled all of Xie Hong Wen’s previous crimes, worrying that they would be implicated because of Wu Yi’s actions.
With the gloomy look on Xie Hong Wen’s face, no one dared breathe loudly.
After arriving in front of the cave though, Xie Hong Wen’s gloomy complexion suddenly dissipated as he stared towards Yang Yan who was still arranging her Spirit Array, his eyes flashing with slight surprise as he let out a wild laugh, “Amazing, there’s another beauty here. Seems taking this trip was the right call.”
Although Yang Yan was wearing a large black robe, her incredible curves were still clearly visible. On top of that, her small, exquisite face perfectly matched Xie Hong Wen’s appetite. His eyes fixed on Yang Yan as his blood began to boil. He wished he could immediately grab Yang Yan and Wu Yi now and leave to have his way with them.
With this in mind, Xie Hong Wen actually rushed out to snatch these two, but he only managed to take a few steps before he was stopped by one of the two Origin Returning Realm masters.
“Young Master, there’s something strange in front of us, it should be a powerful Spirit Array,” The cultivator frowned as he stared at the large open space in front of the cave, his Divine Sense sweeping it repeatedly.
On their way here, Yi En had explained to them how the Xu Family’s dozen Third-Order Saint Kings had been annihilated, but they hadn’t taken his words seriously, thinking that even if a Spirit Array existed, it would have limited power and be unable to stop an Origin Returning Realm master. However, after arriving here, these masters discovered that this Spirit Array was not to be underestimated.
“Something strange?” Xie Hong Wen wasn’t stupid and quickly nodded, “I see. Then this Young Lord won’t rush matters.”
At this moment, Yang Yan had finished her task and swiftly returned to the cave. Hiding behind Yang Kai, her tender body shivered slightly, causing Wu Yi to take her hand and pat it gently.
Xie Hong Wen withdrew his eyes which had been following Yang Yan and instead squinted towards Wu Yi, smiling deviously as he wore a ruthless look upon his face and shouted, “Wu Yi, don’t say this Young Lord didn’t give you a chance. As long as you know your limits and obediently come back with me, this Young Lord won’t haggle over your past indiscretions. If you refuse my kindness though, don’t blame this Young Lord for being ruthless.
Although Wu Yi’s complexion was quite pale, she still managed to shout, “Stop dreaming! If you want me to follow you, you’ll have to kill me first!”
“Good!” Instead of becoming angry, Xie Hong Wen laughed. When he first learned that Wu Yi had gotten together with Yang Kai, he had truly been enraged, but now that he discovered the even more beautiful Yang Yan here, his gloomy mood dissipated greatly. This time, not only could he obtain Wu Yi, he could also acquire this, curvaceous beauty, killing two birds with one stone; naturally Xie Hong Wen was overjoyed.
No longer caring about Wu Yi, he instead turned to Yang Kai and snorted, “Little brat, your courage isn’t small, daring to have ideas about this Young Lord’s woman. No matter who you are, or what backer you have, you must die here today! Obediently kowtow and apologize to your Grandpa a few times and perhaps I will make your death painless. If you can give me that woman too, heh heh, this Young Lord may even spare your worthless life!”
Yang Kai frowned. He had seen plenty of rich second generations, but never had he encountered one as arrogant as Xie Hong Wen. It was almost as if this midget thought that so long as he spoke, others would have to obey him. First, he wanted Wu Yi to surrender to him, then he wanted Yang Kai to kowtow and beg for his life? Who did he think he was?
“Does this idiot only know how to talk big?” Yang Kai turned to ask Wu Yi.
Wu Yi sneered, “His brain is rotten.”
“En, seems so, his brain really must be rotten. It’s probably a mental condition caused by his physical deformity,” Yang Kai nodded seriously.
Seeing his calm and relaxed look, the tension Wu Yi and the rest of the crowd were feeling seemed to abate.
On the other side, when he heard Xie Hong Wen saying he might let Yang Kai off, Yi En hurriedly called out, “Young Lord Xie, this person has no background but still forcefully seized Dragon Cave Mountain from my Hai Ke Family, usurping the roll of host while being just a guest! Please uphold just and put this man to death, Young Lord Xie!”
Since he had decided to strangle Yang Kai to death in the cradle, lest he grow up and threaten the interests of the Hai Ke Family, Yi En would not easily let Yang Kai off. As for Wu Yi, she had already left the family, so whatever fate was in store for her after Xie Hong Wen carried her off was no concern of his.
“Do you want to interfere in this Young Lord’s business?” Xie Hong Wen glanced over at Yi En, causing the latter to flinch and shut his mouth.
Immediately after, Xie Hong Wen yelled towards the cave, “Little brat, your courage isn’t small, not only having ideas about Father’s woman, but daring to occupy another’s territory. It seems you don’t put my Shadow Moon Hall in your eyes! Could it be you don’t know this Hai Ke Family is attached to my Shadow Moon Hall?”
“If you want to fight, just fight, stop spewing nonsense!” Yang Kai was too lazy to talk with him anymore. This dwarf’s head wasn’t normal, so trying to talk to him was just a waste of breath, the result would be the same no matter what.
“Good, this Young Lord will let you understand the consequences of offending are today! You can rest assured; I won’t kill you immediately. That woman is yours, right?” Xie Hong Wen pointed to Yang Yan, “Since you’ve dared lay your hands on this Young Lord’s woman, this Young Lord will seize yours instead! I’ll let you watch as I satisfy her so you know just how inferior you are!”
Saying so, he lightly ordered, “Hong Zhen, capture that boy for me. Fuck, daring to offend me, I must make him suffer.”
The First Order Origin Returning Realm master called Hong Zhen frowned, hesitating for a moment before saying, “Young Lord, there’s a Spirit Array over there!”
“So what if there’s a Spirit Array? Is a trivial Spirit Array enough to stop you? If that’s the case, what use are you?” Xie Hong Wen shouted, “If you’re not enough then both of you go, I don’t believe it some trash Spirit Array can block both of you. Hurry up and grab him, Father here needs to step on his head and piss on his face.”
Hong Zhen’s expression drooped and became gloomy.
A First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator was considered a powerful master on Shadowed Star; after all, the highest realm achievable here was Third Order Origin Returning Realm. But since Hong Zhen’s orders were to protect Xie Hong Wen, so he could not refuse his orders.
The other Origin Realm master glanced over at him and seemed to want to say something, but Hong Zhen waved his hand first and said, “I’ll test it, if I can’t break it, we’ll do it together.”
“Good,” The man nodded.
Hong Zhen walked step by step towards the cave, fully releasing his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings, but the more he searched, the more frightened he became. The space around him was like a quagmire; as soon as his Divine Sense fell into it, it seemingly disappeared. Immediately, Hong Zhen realized he had underestimated the power of this Spirit Array.
It was too late to retreat though as he had clearly entered the Spirit Array’s range, but what stunned him was it seemed the other party had no intention of activating it, making him wonder if it could be opened at all.
It was then that the young First Order Saint King actually started walking over towards him, surprising and delighting Hong Zhen.
“Sister Yang Yan, start the Array,” Wu Yi grabbed Yang Yan’s small hand nervously. Last time, more than a dozen people from the Xu Family were easily killed by Yang Kai because they fell into the Spirit Array, but now he was facing an Origin Returning Realm master, so naturally, Wu Yi was worried.
First Order Origin Returning Realm and First Order Saint King Realm were an entire Great Realm apart. Even if Wu Yi had great confidence in Yang Kai’s strength, she didn’t think he could defeat this Hong Zhen in a head-on confrontation.
Yang Yan shook her head though, “Yang Kai said not to open the Spirit Array right away.”
“Why not?”
“I do not know either.”
However, Yang Yan soon learned why Yang Kai didn’t want her to open the Spirit Array immediately, because Yang Kai actually made the first move, condensing a jet-black Demonic Flame sword and slashing it down towards Hong Zhen.
Yang Kai clearly wanted to test the limits of his combat effectiveness.
“Overconfident brat!” Hong Zhen sneered, pushing his fist forward. However, this seemingly casually thrown punch actually caused the space within a several hundred meters of him to undergo a strange mutation, as if something had been added to it.
Yang Kai’s expression changed greatly. Although he knew there was a huge gap between Third-Order Saint King Realm and First Order Origin Returning Realm, he hadn’t expected the attack of an Origin Returning Realm master to be so weird.
The power behind this fist wasn’t too strong, but when Hong Zhen punched out, Yang Kai felt a strange sensation, as if he was wrapped in an invisible force, causing the speed at which he could circulate his Saint Qi to drop noticeably. At the same time, Yang Kai felt his physical body become more difficult to move and the speed at which his black sword was falling also dropped precipitously.
His strength was instantly suppressed.
What kind of power was this? Yang Kai was startled. He had met a lot of Origin Returning Realm masters, but he had never once fought against one of them. This was the first time.
Yang Kai suddenly discovered that Origin Returning Realm cultivators seemed to posses some special type of power that could suppress those in lower realms, what he didn’t know was whether this power was unique to Hong Zhen or was something all Origin Realm masters could use.
He was eager to know what this power was.
Back in Tong Xuan Realm, if Yang Kai ever encountered some problem with his cultivation, he could speak to Meng Wu Ya or one of the other masters to help him, but out here, there was no one Yang Kai could rely on. If he wanted to comprehend this strange strength, he had to kill an Origin Returning Realm cultivator and absorb their sensibilities about the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
While his thoughts churned about quickly, a great wind blade burst forth from Hong Zhen’s fists, shattering Yang Kai’s Demonic Flame sword in an instant.
If his strength wasn’t suppressed, Yang Kai would still be able to dodge this blow, but now that his movements were much slower than usual, he wasn’t able to dodge the approaching wind blade.
There was an extremely violent power contained with this wind blade, and Yang Kai believed that even if his physique was strong, he would definitely be injured if he was hit.
Wu Yi called out in alarm as worry filled her eyes.
“Cheap slut!” Xie Hong Wen scolded once again. Wu Yi’s worrying about Yang Kai upset him greatly and he secretly decided that he would tear off her clothes and devastate her ruthlessly in front of everyone here before tossing her away like a piece of trash so she would know the price for offending him.
On the other hand, Yang Yan expression remained indifferent and she didn’t show any intention of opening the Spirit Array.
*Hong…*
The huge wind blade hit Yang Kai, forcing him back several meters.
“Eh?” Hong Zhen thought Yang Kai was dead for sure, but he quickly found that at some point, this young man had summoned a purple shield in front of him. A purple hue surrounded this shield and the aura it released was quite astonishing. At first glance, it was obviously a very high-grade defensive artefact; his wind blade hadn’t even left a scratch on it.
“An Origin Grade artefact?” Hong Zhen’s eyes lit up, and a look of greed appeared on his face.
With his eyesight, it was easy for him to tell what grade this artefact was, and he also could tell that this artefact hadn’t been completely refined so it shouldn’t have been long since this young man obtained it.
If he could snatch this Origin Grade artefact, his strength would definitely increase.
“Fierce!” Yang Kai glanced at his purple shield before shaking his body a bit and calming the rolling blood in his chest, praising Hong Zhen without hesitation.
“You’re not bad yourself, boy!” Hong Zhen sneered, but on the inside, he was actually quite surprised, because if it was an ordinary First-Order Saint King cultivator, even if they had such a powerful defensive artefact, they would have at least been injured just now. However, it was clear that this young man wasn’t the slightest bit affected; no wonder he was able to fight opponents above his realm and even kill Third Order Saint Kings. From his performance in this exchange, it was clear he had such ability.
In front of the cave, Yang Kai waved his arms a few time and quickly discovered that there seemed to be some kind of invisible threads entangling him, restraining his actions, not only making it difficult to move about, but also impeding the flow of his Saint Qi. This was a very disconcerting feeling that kept him from exerting his full strength and forcing him to summon his purple shield to defend himself against Hong Zhen punch.
Although the purple shield had not been fully refined and couldn’t display all its functions, it was made from the carapace and Monster Core of a Ninth-Order Monster Beast along with various Origin Grade ores, so it was extremely strong and easily able to withstand Hong Zhen’s attack.
“What kind of power is this?” Yang Kai couldn’t detect the power that was suppressing him so he could only ask Hong Zhen.
Hong Zhen laughed, “Ignorant child, you don’t even know what Shi is, yet you dare act so wild?”
“Shi?” Yang Kai frowned, “As in fighting spirit? I have that too.”
Saying so, Yang Kai released his aura and killing intent, but to his disappointment, his Shi is seemed completely different from Hong Zhen. It wasn’t that his will to fight was weak, on the contrary, to objective observers, Yang Kai’s imposing manner was simply earth-shattering. On the contrary, Hong Zhen’s Shi seemed inferior.
But Yang Kai could tell that the Shi Hong Zhen was referring to was something completely different from mere fighting spirit. The two things seemed to have nothing to do with each other. The fighting spirit Yang Kai just sent out couldn’t directly interfere with his opponent, while Hong Zhen’s Shi was able to greatly suppress Yang Kai’s strength.
Was this what it meant to be an Origin Returning Realm master? It was indeed impressive and caused Yang Kai’s eyes to burn, instead of becoming discouraged it only caused his fighting intent to soar.
Shaking his head to dispel his excitement, Yang Kai held up his purple shield towards Hong Zhen and shouted, “Come, let me see what this Shi you speak of is all about!”
Yang Kai dismissed his Demonic Flame sword and put everything he had into his defence.
Although he had only traded blows once, Yang Kai already understood that as it was currently impossible to kill an Origin Returning Realm master. Even if he brought out his Golden Blood it might not necessarily be possible. This power called Shi was too mysterious, but on the other hand, it was absolutely impossible for Hong Zhen to kill him. With his purple shield and ability to tear space, even Third Order Origin Returning Realm masters couldn’t kill Yang Kai.
Looking at Yang Kai’s stance, Hong Zhen immediately understood what this young man wanted to do, infuriating him greatly.
Origin Returning Realm cultivators had the ability to completely suppress those in the Saint King Realm, but this young man who was just a First Order Saint King wanted to use him to study Shi. This was nothing less than a huge insult to Hong Zhen, causing murderous intent to burst from his body as he began mercilessly attacking. Sending wave after wave of wind blades, enough to blot out the sky, Hong Zhen acted as if he wanted to rip apart space itself.
“Ahahaha! shred him to tiny little pieces!” Xie Hong clapped and laughed, completely forgetting about his earlier clamouring of stepping on Yang Kai and urinating on his face.
Wu Yi’s face turned pale, and she could not help screaming, but this only made Xie Hong feel even more excited.
Many cultivators who had followed Wu Yi couldn’t bear to watch so they turned their heads away, thinking that Yang Kai would die for sure under this attack.
Only Yang Yan spat disdainfully while muttering under her breath, “If the artefact I refined can’t even block the attack of a First-Order Origin Realm, after today I won’t ever refine artefacts again.”
The voice was so low that no one heard her, even Wu Yi who was standing right beside her.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
A series of violent explosions rang out and the spot where Yang Kai was standing was immediately filled with flying dirt and stones, blocking him from everyone’s view. Yang Kai was pushed backwards again, smashing into and blowing apart a giant stone, causing him to cough out a mouthful of blood.
The power of the wind blades hadn’t injured Yang Kai at all, but the huge impact had still caused his organs to shift.
Hong Zhen’s eyes narrowed, seemingly not having expected this shield’s defensive ability would be so outstanding. Not waiting for Yang Kai to steady himself, Hong Zhen’s figure flickered and in the blink of an eye arrived in front of Yang Kai, sending out a fist towards the young man’s forehead.
Hong Zhen’s Shi, which was already fettering Yang Kai’s strength, suddenly became stronger, prohibiting Yang Kai from taking any kind of defensive action before Hong Zhen’s attack landed.
Out of desperation, Yang Kai attacked with his half-finished Space Blade.
A space crack swiftly flew towards Hong Zhen’s chest, and although Hong Zhen didn’t know what this attack was, he instinctually perceived danger from them and immediately condensed a thick layer of Saint Qi around himself for protection while still pushing his fist forward.
However, Hong Zhen’s short delay allowed Yang Kai to raise his purple shield once more.
A loud bang rang out and Yang Kai was sent flying again like a paper kite whose strings had been cut.
Hong Zhen’s brow furrowed deeply as he stared down at the spot on his body which had just been attacked. But try as he might, he couldn’t discover anything, and there was no trace of him being injured, so he simply shook his head and wondered why he had suddenly felt danger just now.
Looking back towards Yang Kai, Hong Zhen was speechless.
Although this First Order Saint King youth seemed quite battered, in reality, he hadn’t suffered much damage. All of Hong Zhen’s attacks had been blocked by the purple shield and Yang Kai’s injuries were only some minor traumas caused by being thrown about.
Also, at this moment, not only did this young man not show any signs of fear or intention to escape, he instead wore a look full of interest with a happy smile on his face as he beckoned to Hong Zhen.
“You court death!” Hong Zhen was furious. As an Origin Returning Realm master, being unable to kill a mere Saint King in short order while also suffering provocations again and again made Hong Zhen feel like he was being treated like some kind of entertainment; or a sideshow, further enraging him.
Hong Zhen pushed his Shi out once more to cover Yang Kai, but in the next instant, he showed a look of shock, because, from this young man’s body, an aura similar to his own Shi appeared, and although it was very incredibly light and weak, Hong Zhen was certain this was an embryonic form of Shi. As long as this kid was given enough time, he could definitely form his own Shi!
How could that be? A couple dozen breaths ago this kid was still asking him what Shi was, so how could he achieve such a feat now?
Did he figure all this out from just their brief fight? Considering this, Hong Zhen felt some cold sweat on his back. If this was really the case, then this kid was nothing less than a monster. Even Hong Zhen had taken ten years after breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm to gradually understand the mysteries of Shi, and that was with the guidance and assistance of his Sect Elders. In terms of Shi, Hong Zhen was still just a novice, far from reaching the Minor Accomplishment Stage.
More importantly though, only those who reached the Origin Returning Realm could touch the threshold of Shi. Without reaching the Origin Returning Realm, there was no such thing as Shi.
How did he do it? How did this little brat achieve even a vague understanding of what Shi was?
“Come again!” Yang Kai saw Hong Zhen’s expression fluctuate wildly as he just stood there, so he couldn’t help calling out and urging, “What are you gawking at? Weren’t we going to fight?”
Not only was Yang Kai egging him on, Xie Hong Wen was also constantly clamoring for Hong Zhen to kill Yang Kai.
How could Yang Kai care about him now though? All Yang Kai wanted right now was to have an all-out fight with Hong Zhen now.
If he could figure out this Shi thing, what did it matter if he was beaten up a bit?
Hong Zhen let out a light breath and didn’t rush to attack Yang Kai, instead suddenly turning his head and shouting, “Senior Brother, let’s do this together. His artefact is too powerful, I can’t break his defence alone.”
He didn’t feel the slightest bit embarrassed. If it was anyone else, Hong Zhen wouldn’t have asked his Senior Brother for help, but Yang Kai was just too frightening. If this boy wasn’t beheaded today, once he grows up, he would become a true nightmare.
As such, he didn’t hesitate to ask his Senior Brother for help.
The other Origin Returning Realm who was protecting Xie Hong Wen heard this and couldn’t help showing a look surprise, but he didn’t ask anything and just nodded, “Sure!”
Saying so, he too went forward.
Everyone was stunned!
A First-Order Origin Realm master, while facing a First-Order Saint King, actually asked for help, and the one he asked was also a First Order Origin Realm master…
Yi En felt the world spinning around him. Although he didn’t understand the situation, he was at least able to tell that Yang Kai was truly dangerous and suddenly developed began feeling anxious. He didn’t know whether thoroughly offending Yang Kai this time was a blessing or a curse.
Seeing both Origin Returning Realm masters come towards him, Yang Kai frowned as a hint of disappointment flashed across his face before he swiftly returned to the cave entrance.
He could dance around with One Origin Returning Realm Master, but two of them? Once the fight began, unless he tore space and escaped, Yang Kai was certain he would be killed.
“Start it!” Yang Kai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, put away his purple shield, and called out to Yang Yan.
“Finally!” Yang Yan nodded, forming a few strange hand seals that quickly activated the Spirit Array outside the cave. Suddenly, the surrounding space rippled slightly before becoming calm once again.
Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother’s faces both became restless, releasing their Divine Senses all around them but to their surprise, were unable to discover anything. Before the Spirit Array was started, they could feel a vague sense of danger, but now that it was active, they couldn’t sense anything, their Divine Senses moving about seemingly unobstructed, but despite all this, they knew that if they fell into the Spirit Array’s range, they were bound to suffer.
“What are you standing around staring at, quickly break this Spirit Array and grab those two women for me!” Xie Hong Wen shouted.
The two Origin Realm masters were helpless, so they summoned their artefacts and began fiercely attacking the open space in front of the cave.
The artefacts these two carried weren’t low quality, both of them Origin Grade Low-Rank. A set of twelve flying knives was used by Hong Zhen, each one of them a Saint King Grade High-Rank artefact on their own, but combined together, their grade was promoted. Forming a straight line, these twelve knives constantly bombarded a specific location of the Spirit Array.
The artefact used by Hong Zhen’s Senior Brother was even more imposing, a great war-hammer that shook the Spirit Array every time it struck.
Ordinarily, the Spirit Array arranged by Yang Yan couldn’t even be detected, but once it was attacked it would reveal some traces. Those who weren’t proficient in Spirit Arrays could only use brute force to break them. About ninety-nine percent of people fell into this category. When such cultivators encountered a Spirit Array, they would attack it until it broke. This method of breaking through an array was both laborious and time-consuming. Sometimes, even if one broke a Spirit Array by force, they would still encounter backlash upon its destruction. Only a few people who understood Spirit Arrays would search for weaknesses and steadily unravel them.
Outside Dragon Cave Mountain, the two First-Order Origin Realm masters fiercely pushed their Saint Qi to bombard the surrounding space in an effort to wear down Yang Yan’s Spirit Array.
Wu Yi clenched her fists nervously as she shouted, “Yang Yan, stop them, quickly.”
Last time, Yang Yan operated the Spirit Array in order to assist Yang Kai in killing the Xu Family’s Saint King Realm masters, and as a result, none of the Xu Family managed to survive. Wu Yi naturally thought Yang Yan could do the same here again.
However, Yang Yan shook her head and said, “If they enter the Spirit Array, I can guarantee they won’t escape, but if they don’t go in, there’s nothing I can do.”
Spirit Arrays had such a disadvantage. Although they were profound and powerful, if others were careful and avoided entering their scope, Spirit Arrays had no way of displaying their might.
“Then what do we do?” Wu Yi panicked.
Yang Yan smiled lightly, “Don’t worry, that Spirit Array is for them to break.”
Yang Kai glanced over at her in surprise, but immediately understood that there was far more to the Spirit Array than meets the eye. Yang Kai was certain that if Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother broke the Spirit Array they were currently attacking, they would immediately charge forward, after which they would find themselves trapped in an even more powerful Spirit Array.
The timidest of them all, Yang Yan, was perfectly at ease at this moment, so how couldn’t Yang Kai see that she had something up her sleeve? What was truly ridiculous was that the two Origin Returning Realm masters had no idea about this and thought they were successfully breaking the Spirit Array apart.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Hong Zhen’s twelve flying knives and the other Origin Realm master’s war-hammer constantly bombarded the Spirit Array, soon resulting in cracks forming, an indication it was on the verge of collapse.
Xie Hong Wen seemed to be tired of shouting and had decided to just wait expectantly, his eyes moving back and forth between Yang Yan and Wu Yi, the obscene look causing both of them to feel uncomfortable.
Patriarch Yi En and the other Hai Ke Family Elders and Foreign Elders stood side by side, sneering with derision, causing Wu Yi’s stomach to turn.
While the Spirit Array was being attacked, more than a dozen kilometres away, another group was rapidly approaching.
“Hm? Why do I hear sounds of combat?” Among this group, an Origin Realm master muttered in confusion. Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother attacking the Spirit Array had raised quite a ruckus, so even more than a dozen kilometres away others could easily hear the fallout.
“It must have been that boy provoking someone he should not have,” A middle-aged man following behind glanced in the direction of the cave and secretly rejoiced, whiling continuing to maintain a desolate look upon his face as he cried out, “Senior Luo, that little bastard is simply insane, a few days ago he murdered more than ten of my Xu Family’s masters, including our Patriarch and Young Master. My Xu Family has suffered unbearable losses. I beg Senior Luo to seek justice for my Xu Family!”
Luo Qing nodded lightly, “I know, Xu Family’s Patriarch also helped me with some small matters in the past. This time I will help settle this matter for your Xu Family. If that boy understands his limits then so be it, if he does not, I will teach them to him.”
Luo Qing emphasized the words ‘small matters’ to remind everyone here that he would not go all out to help them this time.
“Many thanks, Senior Luo, many thanks, Senior Luo!” Under the leadership of the middle-aged man, a group of people continued to thank Luo Qing.
This group of people were cultivator from Xu Family, who when they heard about the annihilation of their Patriarch, Elders, and Foreign Elders, feared the Xu Family would soon be destroyed. They immediately knew that there was no way for them to seek revenge with their paltry strength, so they instead rushed to Heavenly Fate City for help.
The middle-aged man in the lead was Xu Zhi Bing, the cousin of the Xu Family Patriarch Xu Zhi Kun, and was just a Second-Order Saint King, yet he had managed to invite Luo Qing, an Origin Realm master, to help them this time.
Xu Zhi Bing understood his own worth and knew that with his strength and wealth, it would be impossible to move City Lord Fei Zhi Tu to support them, and the facts had proved him right. Even Patriarch Yi En of the Hai Ke Family, who brought extremely generous gifts with him, could not get Fei Zhi Tu to take him seriously.
How could such a great man bother to meddle in the grievances between small families? If Yi En didn’t happen to meet Xie Hong Wen, he would still be waiting for news from the City Lord’s Mansion.
Xu Zhi Bing didn’t even go to the City Lord’s Mansion, but instead went directly to Luo Qing, because he knew Luo Qing owed Xu Zhi Kun a small favour and wouldn’t be able to just stand idly by.
Sure enough, when Xu Zhi Bing invited Luo Qing, the latter had agreed and quickly led a righteous crusade towards Dragon Cave Mountain, but before they had even arrived, they heard sounds of fighting.
The group sped up and soon reached the cave, looking but forward, Luo Qing was quite startled and immediately flew over to Xie Hong Wen and saluted, “Greetings, Young Lord Xie.”
Xie Hong Wen was busy urging Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother to break through the Spirit Array quickly, so when he heard Luo Qing, he too was quite surprised, “Aren’t you one of Treasure Trove Pavilion’s guards? What are you doing here?”
Luo Qing quickly replied, “Young Lord Xie, I had some friendship with the Xu Family Patriarch who died here, so I have come here today to seek justice from his killer.
Xie Hong Wen nodded, “So you’ve also come here to enforce justice. Nice. You’ve come at just the right time, go over and help Hong Zhen and I’ll see to it your rewarded appropriately. Hmph, those two wastes are really useless, taking so long to break through a simple Spirit Array.”
Although Luo Qing was a guard at Treasure Trove Pavilion, he was also a Shadow Moon Hall disciple, so naturally, he didn’t dare disobey Xie Hong Wen’s words and immediately nodded, “I will respectfully obey Young Lord Xie’s command.”
Saying so, Luo Qing also summoned his own artefact and walked over to join forces with Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother who were still attacking the Spirit Array.
On the other side, Yi En saw Xu Zhi Bing had also brought an Origin Realm helper so he walked over and greeted him with a smile. Xu Zhi Bing greeted him with a few words but was more puzzled about why the Hai Ke Family had brought masters here to deal with Yang Kai. On top of that, Yi En had apparently arrived here even before Xu Zhi Bing had. Although Xu Zhi Bing didn’t understand what was happening, he didn’t ask any questions. The Xu Family was no longer what it used to be. Under the watchful eye of Shadow Moon Hall, the Hai Ke Family would not openly annex the Xu Family. However, slowly encroaching upon their territory and demanding some benefits from them was inevitable. Facing such a neighbour, Xu Zhi Bing could only show humility and hope that Yi En would show some restraint.
Yi En was naturally very happy. Although he felt a little uneasy before, with Xu Zhi Bing bringing another Origin Returning Realm master, Yang Kai’s death was no assured.
This time, Yi En could eliminate Yang Kai while satisfying Xie Hong’s obscene desires, possibly even allowing the Hai Ke Family to soar upwards in the near future. If Xie Hong Wen brought Wu Yi back with him, so long as Yi En used her appropriately, the Hai Ke Family’s status would naturally rise and joining Shadow Moon Hall’s inner circle wouldn’t be just a dream. Yi En just preyed that Xie Hong wouldn’t kill Wu Yi in anger.
While thinking about this bright future though, Hong Zhen’s dissatisfied voice rang out, “What are you doing?”
Hearing this angry shout, everyone turned their heads to the source and suddenly saw a strange scene.
Luo Qing, the Origin Realm master Xu Zhi Bing brought with him, was actually staring dumbly towards the cave entrance, holding his artefact in his hand but not pouring any of his Saint Qi into it. Seeing his appearance, it seemed that he had not attacked the Spirit Array.
Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother both looked disgruntled and immediately rebuked, “If you aren’t going to help then step aside, the two of us will be enough. Hmph, this Spirit Array will soon be broken anyways, whether you help or not is irrelevant!”
Just now, Xie Hong Wen disparaging their strength had caused Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother to feel indignant. At this moment, when the Spirit Array was about to break, they were naturally not willing to share credit with Luo Qing.
“Wait, wait!” Luo Qing suddenly shouted as if he had just discovered something important and with a hint of dread flashing across the depths of his eyes, he quickly went forward to prevent Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother from continuing their attack.
“Luo Qing, we just told you to back down and now what? What are you trying to do?” Hong Zhen shouted furiously.
“What happened?” Xie Hong Wen’s face also darkened.
“Young Lord, this guy not only didn’t help but is actually obstructing us now. His brain must be damaged!” Hong Zhen shouted, “I suspect he’s on the same side as this youth.”
“Is that true?” Xie Hong looked sternly at Luo Qing.
“Young Lord Xie, please listen to me,” Luo Qing was shocked and quickly waved his hands, swiftly walking over to Xie Hong Wen and whispering something in his ear.
No one knew what was said, but Xie Hong Wen’s face expression changed dramatically when he heard it and swiftly asked, “Really?”
“It’s true,” Luo Qing nodded repeatedly before saying in a low voice, “Young Lord Xie, please be patient, I will notify Elder Qian immediately.”
Having said so, without waiting for Xie Hong Wen to react, Luo Qing swiftly took out his communication type artefact and poured his Divine Sense into it.
“Bastard!” Xie Hong knocked Luo Qing’s communication artefact to the ground while sending a gloomy look towards him before shooting a glare towards Yang Kai in the distance.
Hong Zhen and the other Origin Realm master didn’t know what was happening and just looked at each other blankly.
“What are they doing?” Yang Yan tilted her head curiously, muttering somewhat anxiously, “I have to wait for them to break in.”
“They seem to be having some kind of disagreement.” Yang Kai also couldn’t figure out what was happening. He only knew that Luo Qing had been staring at him a moment ago and seemed to recognize him. However, Yang Kai was sure he had never met this person before.
Yang Kai’s memory was quite good, so if he had met this person before, he would definitely have some kind of impression of him.
This sudden change not only confused Yang Kai, but also Yi En. The feeling of crisis in his heart that had all but disappeared a moment ago was now roaring back stronger than ever. Yi En shot a glance over at Xie Hong Wen and actually discovered an extremely ugly look on this reckless evildoer Young Lord’s face, as if he was struggling with a very difficult decision.
Yi En was incredibly frightened. Could it be that this young man named Yang Kai had some kind of incredibly strong background? If that wasn’t the case, how could Xie Hong Wen show such a distressed look? If Yang Kai didn’t have some kind of powerful backer, with Xie Hong Wen’s temper and character, he would definitely not relent, but Yang Kai didn’t seem like someone with any background.
Yi En’s heart was in turmoil.
But soon, Xie Hong Wen made his decision and sternly yelled at Hong Zhen, “Why are you stopping? Did this Young Lord tell you to stop? Continue!”
“Yes!” Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother responded immediately and once again attacked the Spirit Array.
“Young Lord Xie must not!” Luo Qing was shocked and hurriedly tried to intervene.
Xie Hong Wen however just ignored Luo Qing’s words and even kicked him rudely, “Get away!”
Xie Hong Weng’s strength wasn’t high, but in the face of his kick, Luo Qing didn’t dare to evade, allowing himself to be struck before taking a few steps backwards, standing firmly, and hurriedly said, “Young Lord Xie, Elder Qian is on his way. Please wait a moment Young Lord Xie, otherwise, if Elder Qian becomes angry, this disciple will not be able to withstand it!”
“Impudence!” Xie Hong Wen was completely irritated by Luo Qing and glared at him with a sullen expression, “What this Young Lord wants to do cannot be dictated by you, if you dare spout any more nonsense, I’ll have you die too!”
Luo Qing’s expression went cold and he really didn’t open his mouth to speak again. Although he was a Shadow Moon Hall master at the Origin Returning Realm, he didn’t have much of a background, so he opposes fight against Xie Hong Wen.
He could only turn around and yell to Yang Kai, “Friend, hold on for a while, as long as you can resist for a short time everything will be fine.”
Yang Kai frowned, unable to understand what this man was thinking, and soon shouting, “Do we know each other?”
Luo Qing shook his head, “No.”
Yang Kai sneered, “Since we don’t know each other, why would you help me?”
Luo Qing’s expression became awkward, knowing that his actions only made Yang Kai feel suspicious, thinking about it for a moment before saying, “Friend has not met me before, but I have seen you. Elder Qian Tong spread your image throughout Heavenly Fate City to all the shops which are associated with Shadow Moon Hall, we were told that if we meet you, we must treat you well. I am Luo Qing, a guard assigned to Treasure Trove Pavilion, so I have seen friend’s image.”
“Qian Tong?” Yang Kai gawked for a moment, then soon realized what was going on. Qian Tong must have taken notice of him due to his last two transactions. Both times Yang Kai had purchased a large amount of materials while at the same time selling a number of high-quality Saint King Grade artifacts, making him a high priority client.
After all, the highest-level Artifact Refiners on Shadowed Star were just Origin Grade Low-Rank. Saint King Grade High-Rank artefacts were incredibly valuable and there was no need to worry about finding buyers for them.
However, that wasn’t enough to explain this situation. Qian Tong didn’t need to act so prudently if this was all he was concerned about. Yang Kai even felt that these actions had signs of flattery behind them! Qian Tong had even gone so far as to deliberately spread his image throughout Heavenly Fate City to all shops owned by Shadow Moon Hall and instructed them to treat him as a VIP. If this wasn’t flattery, what was?
Yang Kai was a loner, a mere Third-Order Saint, so why would someone of Qian Tong’s status feel the need to flatter him?
Yang Kai wasn’t stupid, and though his mind wasn’t the sharpest out there, after thinking about it for a moment, he understood that Qian Tong wasn’t trying to flatter him, but rather the one who was refining those artefacts.
In other words, he was actually trying to flatter Yang Yan!
However, Qian Tong shouldn’t know about the existence of Yang Yan and probably just assumed there was a powerful Artifact Refining Grandmaster standing behind Yang Kai.
Considering all this, Yang Kai nodded slightly before cupping his fists to Luo Qing and saying, “I appreciate friend’s kind intentions, but there is no need to trouble Senior Qian Tong over this matter, we can handle it ourselves.”
Yang Kai didn’t like owing other favours, even if Qian Tong didn’t have any malicious intentions, if he were to own him a favour, in the future, it would be difficult for Yang Kai to refuse a request. This was especially true since Qian Tong seemed to want to recruit him.
The conversation between these two people was not done in secret so it naturally entered everyone else’s ears. When he heard these words, Xu Zhi Bing fell to the ground limply while the other Xu Family members went pale and began trembling.
Xu Zhi Bing hadn’t expected that taking advantage of a past grace to invite Luo Qing here would result in such a situation. With Yang Kai being related to Elder Qian Tong, what did his trivial Xu Family count for? If Xu Zhi Bing had known this beforehand, he wouldn’t have invited Luo Qing here at all. Although the Patriarch, Elder, and Foreign Elders had all died, the Xu Family still had a lot of members left in it, including many direct descendants, so there was still a chance for them to stage a comeback, but now, that chance had been thoroughly destroyed by him.
It was simply laughable; the other party hadn’t come to destroy them while he could while they had sought revenge when they weren’t capable of doing so! At this moment, Xu Zhi Bing wished to simply commit suicide here on Dragon Cave Mountain.
After learning that Yang Kai and Elder Qian Tong were acquainted, it wasn’t just the Xu Family people who began panicking, everyone from the Hai Ke Family wore equally forlorn looks, with Ba Qing Yan once again wiping his forehead with his soaking wet handkerchief. Yi En’s face was ashen as both his heart and body were spasming non-stop.
He finally understood why he had been feeling so uneasy this whole time, it turns out it was because of this.
He thought that when he boarded Xie Hong Wen’s ship, the Hai Ke Family would experience nothing but smooth sailing, but what was Xie Hong Wen in front of Qian Tong?
The former was just a second-generation ancestor, relying on his father being a Deacon of Shadow Moon Hall to bluff and bluster all day long, but Qian Tong was a genuine Elder of Shadow Moon Hall! Even Xie Hong Wen’s father wouldn’t dare speak loudly in front of Qian Tong, let alone Xie Hong Wen.
[It’s over, it’s all over!] Yi En’s eyes filled with gloom as he struggled to remain standing, his face going from white to blue.
If he had only known, how could he have possibly offended Yang Kai, even having thoughts of killing him as soon as possible? The Hai Ke Family had countless chances to make friends with Yang Kai, but they rejected them at every turn, none of them capable of seeing the bigger picture. Only Wu Yi and Yu Feng were able to make the right choice in this situation.
But those two had already chosen to separate from the Hai Ke Family!
“What are all of you wastes doing? It’s like your parents just died or something,” Xie Hong Wen spat angrily, trampling Yi En and Xu Zhi Bing with his fat feet before stepping on them ruthlessly.
*Kacha…*
At that moment, the Spirit Array outside the cave finally broke.
Xie Hong Wen smiled happily and shouted, “Kill that little brat for me at any cost!”
Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother were stunned for a moment, but soon understood Xie Hong Wen’s idea. In for a penny, in for a pound, he wanted to kill Yang Kai before Elder Qian Tong arrived.
If Yang Kai was alive, they would definitely be punished by Elder Qian Tong and even possibly be expelled from Shadow Moon Hall, but if Yang Kai died, even if they were punished, the consequences wouldn’t be too bad.
After all, the dead had no value, Elder Qian Tong wouldn’t kill two Origin Realm masters for a dead boy, not to mention, if the sky really fell, Xie Hong Wen and his father would be there to hold it up, they were just following orders.
Considering all this, Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother didn’t hesitate to unleash their killing intent and rush towards the cave, staring at Yang Kai as if he was already a dead man.
“You dare!” Luo Qing was shocked. He never expected Xie Hong Wen to be so ruthless and by the time he realized it was too late for him to do anything about it, he could only watch as Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother short forward.
With a sneer on his face, Xie Hong Wen coldly snorted said, “Want to fight with me? Naive!”
Yi En also felt like he had just gotten a second lease on life and showed a pleasant expression. Xie Hong Wen’s approach really surprised him, but it was definitely the result he most wanted to see.
Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother were as fast as lightning, and before they even reached the cave, their powerful Shi burst forth and covered the entire region, obviously intending to kill Yang Kai in one shot!
Yang Kai however just showed them a cold, meaningful grin, causing Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother’s hearts to clench tight.
“Not good, there’s another Spirit Array!” Hong Zhen suddenly saw the woman in black robes form another set of seals and suddenly realized that he and his Senior Brother had fallen into a trap. The two of them tried to retreat, but they were a step too late as a sound rang out that caused his courage to completely break.
“Start!” Yang Yan shouted aloud, and the scenery in front of the cave suddenly changed dramatically. A thick fog bank appeared, blocking everyone’s vision and engulfing Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother in an instant.
Yang Yan next formed a new set of hand seals while sending out her Saint Qi. Shouts and violent energy fluctuations soon erupted from the fog.
The last time the Xu Family came here, Yang Yan’s Spirit Array could only be used for defence, but now, she had added a Killing Array as well.
These Spirit Arrays alone however wouldn’t be able to kill two Origin Returning Realm masters, but if Yang Kai were to enter as well, Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother would definitely suffer.
Luo Qing saw this and suddenly understood why Yang Kai had said such words before. It turned out that he really didn’t need help from him, this profound Spirit Array could completely trap Origin Realm Masters and even wound them.
As for killing these two Origin Returning Realm masters, Luo Qing wasn’t optimistic about Yang Kai’s chances. The Origin Returning Realm and Saint King Realm couldn’t be put on the same level. Even if they were a true genius, it would be impossible for a Saint King to kill an Origin Realm master.
“You can start.” Yang Yan said lightly.
Yang Kai nodded, condensing a new Demonic Flame sword.
But before he could rush into the Spirit Array, a loud voice shouted, “Everyone stop!”
Hearing this voice, Xie Hong Wen shuddered and a look of panic appeared on his face.
Qian Tong had arrived!
Yang Kai also frowned; he hadn’t expected Qian Tong to arrive so quickly. Not even hesitating, Yang Kai dove into the Spirit Array.
The moment his body entered the fog, Yang Kai dispersed the Demonic Flame sword in his hand and replaced it with a drop of Golden Blood. This drop of Golden Blood exuded a shocking vitality that even Yang Yan’s Spirit Array was not able to completely conceal.
Before Qian Tong arrived, Yang Kai had to quickly end this battle. Originally, he did not have such plans because the power Origin Returning Realm masters called Shi had piqued Yang Kai’s interest greatly. Now that there were two Origin Realm masters trapped in this Spirit Array. So long as he could kill them, he would be able to absorb their insights into the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao and perhaps learn about this Shi thing.
Once he was able to comprehend this mysterious force, Yang Kai’s strength would definitely increase. How could he let such a rare opportunity slip through his fingers?
As for how Qian Tong would react, Yang Kai didn’t care, as long as Qian Tong wanted to forge a relationship with the Artifact Refining Grandmaster behind him, he wouldn’t fall out with Yang Kai, not to mention, this time Yang Kai was the one forced to fight back, it wasn’t like he killed these two masters for no reason.
For these reasons, Yang Kai immediately used a drop of Golden Blood, transforming it into a thousand golden blades that he launched towards where Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother were.
These golden blades shot out at extreme speed, but in the next instant, as if they had sunk into a quagmire, their advance rapidly slowed.
Yang Kai knew that this was the two masters’ Shi affecting his attack.
Yang Kai hadn’t expected that the Shi of these two Origin Realm masters would be so difficult to deal with. Although Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother had fallen into Yang Yan’s Spirit Array, that did not prevent their Shi from hindering Yang Kai’s Golden Blood powered attack.
However, this only strengthened Yang Kai’s determination to kill both of them.
Dashing after the storm of golden blades, Yang Kai condensed another Demonic Flame sword and prepared to strike.
Those outside the Spirit Array were shocked when they saw Yang Kai dive into the fog bank, but soon, they heard the screams of Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother and immediately after, a powerful energy fluctuation burst forth, sending a figure flying out from inside the fog.
The one who had been thrown out was, of course, Yang Kai. Currently, he was spitting blood and his body was covered in a number of dazzling golden wounds. His face was extremely pale and the Demonic Flame sword in his hand was greatly distorted as if it would collapse at any moment.
Everyone could see that his chest had sunk in deeply.
“Yang Kai!” Wu Yi’s face turned white as she rushed over to catch Yang Kai. The force of their collision forced her back a dozen steps before she barely managed to stand firm.
Yang Kai spat another mouthful of Golden Blood as he staggered unsteadily. Waving to Wu Yi to indicate he was fine, Yang Kai took out a healing pill and stuffed it into his mouth before sitting down cross-legged and restoring his injuries at a rate visible to the naked eye.
The scene went quiet, with the only sounds coming from the fog bank where Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother were moaning in pain. The two of them hadn’t died! But besides Yang Yan, no one could see their current condition.
“Who dares disobey this old master’s command!?” A figure soon fell from the sky, exuding a terrifying pressure. As this old man’s eyes swept his surroundings, all who fell into his line of sight couldn’t help shivering; even Xie Hong Wen was trembling violently, unable to even speak.
“Elder Qian!” Luo Qing hurried forward and cupped his fists to Qian Tong.
“En, Nephew Yang?” After Qian Tong landed, the first thing he inquired about was Yang Kai’s condition, but before Luo Qing could answer, Qian Tong found Yang Kai who was currently healing. Sweeping him with his Divine Sense, Qian Tong immediately understood that Yang Kai had suffered serious injuries and his old face became even more ferocious, as if he was a volcano about to erupt.
Behind Yang Kai was an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner. Grandmaster Ge Lin of Shadow Moon Hall didn’t have much time left to live, and if a suitable replacement couldn’t be found before his death, Shadow Moon Hall would lose its ability to refine or maintain Origin Grade artefacts, forcing them to request services from other great forces instead.
This wasn’t just about a single Origin Grade Artifact Refiner; it was related to Shadow Moon Hall’s ability to stand in line with other top tier forces. If they needed to depend on others for all their Origin Grade Artifact Refining and maintenance, Shadow Moon Hall would have to pay an unimaginable price.
As such, as soon as Qian Tong received word from Luo Qing about this incident, he had immediately rushed over to see who dared stir up trouble for Yang Kai. He had clearly distributed Yang Kai’s image to everyone of importance in Heavenly Fate City, yet someone still brought people to attack him, what kind of bear hearts and leopard galls these people eat?
Now, seeing Yang Kai injured, he had to step forward, but before he could move more than a single pace, Qian Tong paused once more and stared towards the still active Spirit Array in shock, his eyes narrowing as he called out hoarsely, “A Grandmaster level Spirit Array?”
Qian Tong’s strength was higher than that of Hong Zhen and the other Origin Realm masters present, and his knowledge and experience were also far greater, so at a glance, he was able to see that this Spirit Array could not have been arranged by an ordinary master. Even with his Divine Sense and cultivation, Qian Tong wasn’t able to peer through it.
There were many people surrounding Yang Kai at the cave entrance, all of them staring vigilantly towards Qian Tong. Seeing this, Qian Tong immediately realized that they were very wary of him and understood that now may not be the best time to approach. Considering all this, he quickly shouted, “Nephew Yang, this old master has a Wild Rose Pill on him, its healing effects are quite good. If you’d like, please take it!”
Saying so, Qian Tong tossed a jade bottle over.
He understood that Yang Kai couldn’t answer him, or even respond at the moment, but Qian Tong had to do this in order to make his position clear to everyone.
Sure enough, after listening to his words, Wu Yi, Yang Yan, and the others all relaxed noticeably, with Wu Yi reaching out and taking the jade bottle while saying politely, “Many thanks, Senior.”
As Wu Yi spoke, she showed no emotion on her face, but in her heart great storms were raging.
The Wild Rose Pill was a Saint King Grade High-Rank pill whose main ingredient was the Saint King Grade High-Rank Scarlet Wild Rose. This material wasn’t difficult to find, but it was extremely difficult to refine. An ordinary Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemist who refined ten furnaces of Wild Rose Pills would be lucky to succeed three times.
The difficulty of refining this healing pill was no less than that of an Origin Grade Low-Rank pill.
How could Qian Tong treat Yang Kai so attentively? What was the relationship between them that even a Wild Rose Pill could be freely gifted? If she hadn’t brought back Yang Kai from Starry Sky personally, and knew that he came from the outside world, Wu Yi would definitely think Yang Kai was the son of some Shadow Moon Hall Elder.
Just as she was about to take out the Wild Rose Pill and feed it to Yang Kai, Yang Kai’s weak voice called out, “No need.”
Naturally Yang Kai wouldn’t use Qian Tong’s pill. Firstly, the healing pill he had just taken was one he had personally refined, and although the grade was slightly worse than the Wild Rose Pill, it was still quite good. On top of that, even without any auxiliary pills to help him, with his incredibly resilient physique, Yang Kai would still be able to quickly recover after a short period of cultivation.
The second, and main reason Yang Kai didn’t take this pill though, was that he wasn’t sure what side Qian Tong would stand on. If he stood in opposition to him, he would soon have to fight again.
Fortunately, Qian Tong had shown goodwill towards him the moment he arrived, raising Yang Kai’s opinion of him. Regardless of his true purpose for showing him favour, Yang Kai didn’t feel any malicious intent from Qian Tong at least.
“What happened, explain everything to me carefully,” Qian Tong’s face became gloomy again as his eyes went from the still trembling Xie Hong Wen to the still active Spirit Array as he asked Luo Qing.
Luo Qing didn’t dare to conceal anything and immediately explained what had happened before Qian Tong arrived.
After hearing that Xie Hong Wen had dared try to kill Yang Kai after being informed of his order, Qian Tong became enraged and immediately slapped Xie Hong Wen in front of everyone’s eyes, sending him tumbling through the air several dozen meters before smashing into the ground.
“Elder Qian…” Xie Hong Wen’s courage completely broke. Several of his teeth fell from this mouth and his cheek swelled up fat, but he didn’t dare issue a single complained and just called out pitifully.
“If your father wasn’t a Deacon, you’d be dead already!” Qian Tong glared over at him coldly.
Hearing this, hatred flashed across the depths of Xie Hong Wen’s eyes but he still quickly kowtowed, “Many thanks, Elder Qian, for showing mercy!”
Since Qian Tong’s words indicated he didn’t intend on killing him, Xie Hong Wen was able to regain his composure and quickly discovered that his clothes were soaked with sweat.
“Don’t hurry to thank me. I won’t kill you, but that doesn’t mean others won’t. Whether you live or die will be up to Nephew Yang!” Qian Tong coldly snorted.
Xie Hong Wen froze up once more. He had never imagined that this little brat he had been looking down upon so arrogantly just a moment ago would now be in control of his life. When he thought about his attitude and approach just before, Xie Hong Wen desperately wanted to cry but was unable to shed any tears.
If his fate landed in the hands of this little brat, was there any way he could survive? Just what kind of origin did he have that would cause Elder Qian Tong to show such favouritism towards him?
Not only was Xie Hong Wen unable to figure this out, everyone from the Xu Family and Hai Ke Family were just as lost. Wu Yi, Yu Feng and all the others on their side were also confused, but although they didn’t understand everything, they did know that they had passed through this crisis and all wore excited smiles.
“Xu Family?” Qian Tong set his sights on Xu Zhi Bing, who had collapsed on the ground, and declared firmly, “From now on, there is no more Xu Family!”
Xu Zhi Bing completely fainted while the other Xu Family cultivators went deathly pale.
They were originally a small family attached to Shadow Moon Hall, so let alone an Elder like Qian Tong, even Xie Hong Wen would be able to destroy their Xu Family if he wanted to.
The Xu Family’s hearts were filled with regret. If they hadn’t tried to seek revenge, they could have at least preserved the last remnants of their foundation and possibly even made a comeback in the future, but after Qian Tong made this declaration, they knew there would not be a Xu Family here ever again.
“Yes, Disciple will see to it!” Luo Qing nodded before turning to the remaining Xu Family cultivators and saying, “Follow me.”
The Xu Family cultivators knew their future would be bleak, but none of them dared to disobey, two of them going forward and picking up the unconscious Xu Zhi Bing before all of them followed behind Luo Qing.
“Hai Ke Family?” Qian Tong turned his head to look at Yi En.
Yi En’s whole body shivered as he hurried went forward and shouted, “Yi En greets Elder Qian. Please show mercy, Elder Qian, Yi En was muddled before, mercy, Elder Qian!”
Qian Tong smiled coldly, “You’ll keep your life for a little while longer. As for how to process you, that will be up to Nephew Yang.”
Revenge was best exacted by oneself. With a single sentence, Qian Tong had destroyed the Xu Family, so if he were to completely destroy the Hai Ke Family now, where would Yang Kai vent his anger? If Yang Kai didn’t have somewhere to vent his anger, how could Qian Tong discuss anything else with him?
Listening to Qian Tong’s words, Yi En’s face went pale, he felt that falling into Yang Kai’s hands would definitely not end well for him.
At this moment, Yang Kai stood up, and although his face was still pale, his Saint Qi aura was at least somewhat stable.
“Stop the Spirit Array,” Yang Kai called out to Yang Yan.
Yang Yan nodded, and in the next moment, the thick fog dispersed, revealing the empty space in front of the cave to everyone’s eyes. After seeing the tragic state of Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother, everyone drew a sharp breath.
Just now, when Yang Kai had been blown out of the fog bank, he had looked seriously injured, so everyone thought that Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother would be fine, but now it was obvious that these two’s injuries were far more serious than Yang Kai’s.
Their bodies were covered with blood, and it could be said that there wasn’t an unscarred placed on them. Hong Zhen had lost and arm while his Senior Brother had lost a leg. The two sat together, their faces pale and filled with dread as they kept glancing around.
With a sigh, Yang Kai knew that he had still underestimated these Origin Returning Realm cultivators. He had thought that by using his Golden Blood and Yang Yan’s Spirit Array, he would be able to kill them, but the moment he launched his attack, he realized that he was wrong.
The power of their Shi was amazing and with their two Shis overlapping, they were able to interfere with Yang Kai’s movements, slow down his attack, and even sense what direction he was attacking from.
Without using his Golden Blood, Yang Kai wouldn’t have even been able to injure them.
Yang Kai had used a drop of Golden Blood, but thanks to their Shis, he was only able to cut off one of their arms and one of their legs; this poor return on investment filled him with annoyance.
A drop of Golden Blood was equivalent to three months of dedicated cultivation, not something he could casually waste.
Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother shouldn’t have much fighting strength at this moment, to the point where any Saint Realm cultivator could easily kill them, but with Qian Tong here, it was naturally impossible for Yang Kai to kill them as, regardless of the circumstances, they all belonged to Shadow Moon Hall.
Shooting Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother a glance laced with regret, Yang Kai walked towards Qian Tong.
“Nephew Yang, this old man is ashamed he arrived late and allowed you to experience something frightening,” Qian Tong welcomed him and said with a look of fear.
While speaking, he was quietly glancing over towards the cave, worried the Origin Grade Artefact Refiner behind Yang Kai would be dissatisfied with his attitude. Qian Tong was extremely annoyed with himself right now, he had tried so many ways to forge a friendly relationship between Yang Kai and Shadow Moon Hall, but this waste, Xie Hong Wen had actually ruined all his previous efforts.
Fortunately, Yang Kai didn’t seem to have suffered any mortal wounds or even too serious injuries. On top of that, the Origin Grade Artifact Refiner behind him had still yet to show themselves, allowing Qian Tong to slightly relax. If the Artifact Refining Grandmaster really became angry with Shadow Moon Hall, he would surely appear personally to speak, but since he hadn’t shown up yet, it was obvious he was incredibly confident in Yang Kai’s ability to handle this situation.
This all only made Qian Tong more certain of his previous conjectures and caused him to act with greater prudence.
It wasn’t surprising that Qian Tong couldn’t see through the truth of this matter though, Yang Yan’s existence was simply too unbelievable. Qian Tong would never be able to imagine that she was the Origin Grade Artifact Refiner he wanted to win over.
“Elder Qian is too serious, Junior wasn’t affected in any major way,” Yang Kai cupped his fists and replied. Qian Tong gave him a good impression, so even if he was showing goodwill with some selfish intentions, that was simply the way of the world. Qian Tong hadn’t plotted against him or used dishonest means to entrap him, and since Yang Kai had to establish a presence on Shadowed Star, forging a friendship with this Shadow Moon Hall Elder wasn’t a bad idea. As such, Yang Kai lowered his posture greatly and assumed the stance of a Junior in front of him, allowing Qian Tong’s heart to calm down further.
“Good, very good,” Qian Tong nodded.
“I’ll return Elder Qian’s Wild Rose Pill back; Junior has some healing pills on him already so I temporarily have no need of it. Elder Qian’s intentions are enough,” Yang Kai said before handing back the Wild Rose Pill.
Qian Tong’s eyes flashed and he immediately understood that Yang Kai was unwilling to owe him a favour, so he didn’t press the issue, retrieving the Wild Rose Pill with a big laugh. In Qian Tong’s opinion, Yang Kai had an Artifact Refining Grandmaster behind him, so he obviously wouldn’t lack good things. How could he care about a trivial healing pill?
“Nephew Yang, I have already settled the issue of the Xu Family, Luo Qing will handle the matter in a way that will surely satisfy you. As for the Hai Ke Family, seeing how they seem to have some relationship with you, I’ll let Nephew Yang deal with them personally,” Qian Tong was an old fox so he naturally knew how to handle such situations. He hadn’t acted too forcefully just now because he had seen many cultivators of the Hai Ke Family standing beside Yang Kai. While he didn’t recognize most of them, Qian Tong had some slight impressions of Wu Yi as she was one of the best disciples of the Hai Ke Family.
Yang Kai nodded to express his thanks before glancing over at Yi En, the latter going pale and unsteadily walked forward and bowed, “My family and I had eyes but failed to see. When Your Excellency arrived, not only did my Hai Ke Family fail to show hospitality, but also committed several serious offences, I request Your Excellency mete out an appropriate punishment!”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, thinking this Yi En was only harming himself by trying to act clever. If he had apologized sincerely and begged for mercy, out of consideration for Wu Yi and her follower’s faces, Yang Kai may have not tried to hold him accountable, but Yi En claiming he had failed to show hospitality was obviously him implying that Yang Kai was a guest on Dragon Cave Mountain while the Hai Ke Family was his host, and a guest embarrassing the host in his home was never appropriate.
Qian Tong could also read the hidden meaning of this old man’s words and couldn’t help sneering before closing his eyes, apparently disinterested in watching this cheep performance.
“Although your Hai Ke Family never acted directly against me, those who dare to threaten and annoy me are not worthy of me showing mercy,” Yang Kai looked at Yi En coldly, causing the latter’s knees to weaken and nearly give out.
“However…” Yang Kai continued, “Your lives mean nothing to me either way, so if you want to survive, ask Wu Yi yourself.”
Yi En gawked for a moment before a surge of joy welled up inside him as he kneeled down and kowtowed, “Many thanks, Your Excellency, for sparing our lives!”
Yi En immediately understood that the Hai Ke Family would not perish today as no one knew Wu Yi’s temperament better than him. As long as he asked, Wu Yi would definitely not kill them; after all, she still had attachments to the family.
“Go away!” Yang Kai shouted impatiently.
“Yes yes yes!” Yi En quickly got up and walked over to Wu Yi’s side, trying to come up with the best way to speak to her.
“Nephew Yang’s forgiving heart is admirable! En, if it was this Elder, he would directly kill them all, death ends all troubles,” Qian Tong commented.
Yang Kai smiled slightly but didn’t say anymore.
It was impossible for him to really kill Yi En in front of Wu Yi. If it was during a battle, then that was another story, but with Yi En not able to put up any resistance, killing him became unimportant. No matter how clever Yi En tried to be, with his current strength, Yang Kai had no reason to fear him.
“Nephew Yang, how do you want to handle this little bastard? No matter what decision you make, this old master will support you unconditionally,” Qian Tong stretched out one of his hands and grabbed the swollen faced Xie Hong Wen before tossing him in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stared down at Xie Hong Wen with an indifferent look.
However, Qian Tong was keenly aware that there was a thick murderous intent flashing in the depths of Yang Kai’s eyes, causing the former to feel somewhat startled. Yang Kai had not revealed any murderous intent towards Yi En just now, but facing Xie Hong Wen, it seemed he really wanted to murder him.
Xie Hong Wen dying wasn’t a big deal, but with his father being a Deacon in Shadow Moon Hall, once Yang Kai killed him, there would still be some trouble.
The subtle expression on Qian Tong’s face was not missed by Yang Kai. If Qian Tong was truly indifferent, Yang Kai wouldn’t hesitate to kill Xie Hong Wen here and now; after all, one should beat a snake to death to avoid future calamity. The performance of the Xu Family these past few days perfectly illustrated this point. But reading the meaning behind Qian Tong’s words and expressions, Yang Kai understood that killing Xie Hong Wen would cause problems even for him.
How powerful could a Deacon be though? Could he even cause problems for an Elder?
Yang Kai quickly realized that Qian Tong wasn’t afraid of Xie Hong Wen’s father, but rather the person behind Xie Hong Wen’s father, similar to how he didn’t want to become friends with Yang Kai, but the powerful Grandmaster Artifact Refiner behind him.
Understanding this, Yang Kai fell into a dilemma.
Xie Hong Wen had brought two Origin Realm masters here to cause trouble, and if not for Yang Yan’s Spirit Array, even if Yang Kai was confident he could still escape, Wu Yi and Yang Yan would have ended up in a terrible situation, this matter couldn’t just be brushed aside.
Seeing Yang Kai’s murderous intent growing stronger by the moment, as if he would strike in the next instant, Qian Tong kicked Xie Hong Wen’s stomach and sent with a rolling while cursing, “You little animal, tarnishing my Shadow Moon Hall’s face wherever you go, do you think just because your father is a Deacon you can act however you please? Do you think this old master doesn’t dare to clean up Shadow Moon Hall’s mess by killing you right now?”
Xie Hong Wen’s face changed greatly as he hurriedly crawled back, latching onto Qian Tong’s thigh and crying, “Elder Qian, please show mercy, disciple knows his wrong! Disciple won’t dare commit such acts again. After today I will certainly return to Shadow Moon Hall to enter secluded penance, please spare my life, Elder Qian!”
Qian Tong quietly glanced over at Yang Kai’s face and found that his murderous intent had not diminished at all, causing him to sigh in his heart knowing that if he couldn’t satisfy him quickly, Xie Hong Wen would definitely die, raising his voice in anger and shouting, “A mere Saint King dares to act so wantonly, thinking himself invincible in the world? It was clearly a mistake to allow you to have two Origin Realm masters as guards, it was definitely them who gave you the courage to dare oppose this old master’s words! Since that’s the case, I’ll kill those two bastards first!”
Saying so, Qian Tong raised his hand and sent out two Saint Qi blades towards Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother who were even now unable to catch their breath.
Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother had managed to escape from the clutches of death just now, and although one had lost an arm, and one had lost a leg, they were simply glad to be alive, but when Qian Tong’s words rang out, by the time they reacted, the former’s strike had already arrived in front of them.
“Elder Qian, mercy!” Hong Zhen was terrified and called out in panic, but by the time his words ended, there was a new hole in his forehead and the forehead of his Senior Brother. As their eyes quickly grew dim, the two Origin Realm masters died.
Xie Hong Wen froze up, a foul smell overflowing from the ground beneath him, his face as pale as paper.
Yang Kai was also dumbfounded.
He hadn’t expected Qian Tong to actually kill these two Origin Realm masters. From Qian Tong’s words just now, Yang Kai had at first thought he was subtly reminding him that Xie Hong Wen’s background was strong and that he should show mercy where possible. Yang Kai had also made up his mind to take a step back and extract some compensation out of Xie Hong Wen in exchange for not killing him, but in the blink of an eye, two Origin Returning Realm masters had actually been killed.
After gawking for a moment, Yang Kai became overjoyed, and quickly used the power of his Demon Eye of Annihilation to stealthily absorb the two remnant Souls into his Knowledge Sea then using the golden light to purify them.
Even after using a drop of Golden Blood and Yang Yan’s profound Spirit Array, Yang Kai had been unable to kill these two, causing him a lot of annoyance as it meant losing a great opportunity to learn about Shi, but now Qian Tong had finished them off for him.
However, Yang Kai soon understood why Qian Tong had acted so decisively. Both Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother had been crippled, so even though they hadn’t died, their futures were incredibly bleak. There was no pill in this world that could completely regenerate broken limbs. By sacrificing these two essentially worthless Origin Realm cultivators, Qian Tong could calm Yang Kai’s anger and save Xie Hong Wen.
And sure enough, after the death of Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother, the haze clouding Yang Kai’s face finally eased, allowing Qian Tong to breathe a sigh of relief. What he didn’t know was that Yang Kai’s expression had relaxed only because he was able to obtain the two remnant Souls of these Origin Realm masters, allowing him to finally learn about Shi.
Lightly coughing while suppressing the joy and excitement in his heart, Yang Kai said lightly, “Since the culprit has suffered a grave punishment already, I’ll let this matter end here. I’ll only advice Young Lord Xie to consider his actions more carefully in the future.”
“Yes yes yes, many thanks Elder Brother, many thanks Elder Qian,” Xie Hong Wen wept as he continued offering his thanks.
“Why haven’t you scrammed yet?” Qian Tong shouted angrily, resulting in Xie Hong Wen quickly standing up and flying off unsteadily, not daring to stay here any longer, afraid he might lose the life he had barely managed to hang onto just now.
After the dispute was resolved, everyone was satisfied.
Yang Kai obtained the Soul remnants from two Origin Returning Realm masters, allowing him to absorb their sentiments of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao while studying Shi. Naturally, he was quite happy. As for Xie Hong Wen, Yang Kai had no choice but to give Qian Tong face. If he had really insisted on killing Xie Hong Wen, Qian Tong would probably have become disgruntled with him, the cost wasn’t worth it.
On the other hand, Qian Tong managed to save Xie Hong Wen and was very satisfied. Although Yang Kai was young, he at least understood how to advance and retreat, an admirable quality.
All in all, it ended with a win-win situation.
“Elder Qian, many thanks for your efforts here. Junior will not forget this,” Yang Kai thanked him with cupped fists. He knew that if Qian Tong hadn’t arrived so quickly, he would definitely have killed everyone here, including Xie Hong Wen, and if Xie Hong Wen died, he wouldn’t have been able to remain here any longer. There was still a lot of Space Spirit Crystals beneath Dragon Cave Mountain, so if for nothing else, Yang Kai had to thank Qian Tong for giving him more time to mine it clean.
“Nephew Yang is too polite,” Qian Tong laughed, “This old master didn’t do anything. On the other hand, Nephew Yang is a true dragon among men, severely wounding Hong Zhen with just a First Order Saint Realm cultivation, Nephew Yang’s future achievements will certainly be limitless.”
“I cannot take credit for this, I was simply relying on the power of this Spirit Array,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Qian Tong had a clear understanding of the situation as he had taken quite a few looks at the Spirit Array already. However, because the Spirit Array was currently inactive, Qian Tong couldn’t examine its mysteries at all, shocking him greatly. Now, he guessed that the master behind Yang Kai was not only an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner but also a powerful Array Master.
His guess was, of course, correct, but Qian Tong was completely off about this master’s identity. The artefacts were refined by Yang Yan, and the Spirit Array here was also arranged by her. The master he was looking for was right in front of his eyes, but unfortunately, Qian Tong had no way of knowing this.
“Does Nephew Yang have a place to settle down?” Qian Tong asked, “If not, this old master can recommend you to Shadow Moon Hall. With Nephew Yang’s aptitude, after entering Shadow Moon Hall, you will surely become a Core Disciple. Is Nephew Yang interested?”
Yang Kai, of course, knew what Qian Tong was thinking and immediately shook his head, “No thank you, I quite enjoy living here. Junior is used to living freely and doesn’t understand proper etiquette. If I were to really enter a Sect, I’m afraid I would just end up embarrassing myself.”
Qian Tong smiled faintly and immediately put aside this issue. He knew if he were to continue pestering here, the efforts he just made would be squandered. Instead, Qian Tong made several glances towards the cave while remaining in place, waiting for Yang Kai to invite him inside to sit.
The Origin Grade Artefact Refiner and Array Master behind Yang Kai must currently be resting in the cave, so if Qian Tong could get invited in, he might be lucky enough to meet this man.
Qian Tong didn’t speak, but Yang Kai also remained silent. Right now, Yang Kai was anxious to enter retreat to research this strange thing called Shi, so how could he have to mood to say anything further. The problem was he also didn’t make it clear he wanted Qian Tong to leave.
The two of them both glanced back and forth at one another, the situation quickly growing somewhat awkward.
“Wu Yi greets Elder Qian,” At the critical moment, Wu Yi arrived with Yang Yan and politely offered her greetings, breaking the awkward air.
“Good good good,” Qian Tong smiled and nodded, “Are you a disciple of the Hai Ke Family?”
“Yes, but I have separated from the family and now only follow Senior Brother Yang,” Wu Yi replied softly.
“Very good. Following Nephew Yang will definitely give you a more promising future than remaining in the Hai Ke Family. You have good vision little girl, work hard; it would be best if you can tie down Nephew Yang in body and mind.”
[This damn old fart, spouting off unnecessary nonsense!] Yang Kai cursed to himself.
Wu Yi’s face turned red as she pursed her lips and smiled helplessly, “This Wu Yi’s future is quite limited, not worthy of being joined to Senior Brother Yang.”
She didn’t mean to belittle herself, but after seeing Yang Kai’s abilities, she truly felt that very few women would be worthy of Yang Kai, and she was definitely not one of them. Moreover, she currently wasn’t interested in pursuing matters between men and women. Qian Tong had spoke casually just now, so she responded in kind.
“This is…” Qian Tong then set his sights on Yang Yan. Since she could follow Wu Yi here, her position in Yang Kai’s circle was certainly not low, so Qian Tong would not neglect her.
“This is my Junior Sister,” Yang Kai did not wait for Yang Yan to speak and took the initiative to introduce her as such.
Wu Yi and Yang Yan both turned looks of surprise to him.
“Oh, so she’s Nephew’s Junior Sister, very good.”
“She is a Saint Grade Artefact Refiner,” Yang Kai added specifically.
Qian Tong’s eyes brightened, seemingly very happy, letting out a big laugh as he nodded, “So young yet already a Saint Grade Artefact Refiner, en, it seems Nephew’s Junior Sister’s achievements won’t be lower than your own in the future.”
“Naturally, Junior Sister is truly amazing,” Yang Kai nodded quickly.
“This old master thought the disciples in my Sect were already quite good but seeing your Senior Brother and Junior Sister’s talents today, my eyes have been opened. It’s unfortunate that Nephew Yang and your Junior Sister don’t want to join my Shadow Moon Hall.”
“Afterwards, if we must join a Sect, Shadow Moon Hall will be our first choice.”
Qian Tong laughed and nodded with satisfaction, “Good, this old master will wait for good news from Nephew Yang then!”
Seeing that Yang Kai didn’t intend to welcome him inside, Qian Tong didn’t press the issue, talking about a few other minor things before saying goodbye and flying off.
Before he could go far though, Qian Tong suddenly turned back.
“What else does Elder Qian wish to discuss?” Yang Kai looked at him curiously.
Qian Tong quickly asked, “Does Nephew Yang want to attend the Treasure Trove Pavilion’s upcoming auction?”
“Auction?” Yang Kai frowned. He had never participated in auctions before and currently he didn’t have any interest in doing so. What he wanted to do right now was study Shi. Just as he was about to refuse though, Yang Kai saw Wu Yi and Yang Yan wearing looks of anticipation, so he quickly changed what he was about to say, “When will the auction take place?”
Qian Tong took out a golden invitation from his Space Ring and handed it to Yang Kai, “The time and place are written above. If Nephew Yang has the time to go and see, even if you don’t purchase anything, it will still be a nice way to relax. Naturally, if Nephew Yang has anything good to sell, it will be a good opportunity to earn some Saint Crystals, things often sell for more at auctions after all.”
Yang Kai accepted the invitation but didn’t look at it, simply handing it over to Wu Yi before saying, “If I have time, I’ll attend.”
“Good, when the time comes, this old master will also attend. Nephew Yang can simply report this old master’s name at the event if you need anything,” Qian Tong said before leaving once more.
After Qian Tong had truly left, Yang Kai glanced around and discovered that the Hai Ke Family had disappeared. Yang Kai didn’t know what happened to them, but it was obvious Wu Yi had not embarrassed them.
“Yang Kai, why did you say I was your Junior Sister?” Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai with a puzzled look.
“Let’s go back first,” Yang Kai beckoned to her, not explaining right away.
Outside the cave, Yu Feng and the former Hai Ke Family disciples all stared at Yang Kai with admiration and worship.
Seriously wounding two Origin Realm masters, even with the assistance of a powerful Spirit Array, was not something any ordinary man could accomplish. There were too many outsiders around just now, so all of them could only behave calmly, but now, they were free to reveal their shock and reverence.
“Go back and cultivate,” Yang Kai waved at them before leading Wu Yi and Yang Yan to his own stone room and closing the doors behind him.
Seeing Yang Kai’s solemn appearance, Wu Yi and Yang Yan couldn’t help becoming serious themselves, understanding he had something important to say, otherwise he wouldn’t be showing such a face.
“Aren’t you wondering why Qian Tong is so partial to me?” Yang Kai asked the biggest question the two of them had.
“Yes,” Wu Yi nodded.
“He naturally has a reason for it,” Yang Kai turned his eyes to Yang Yan, “That reason is you!”
Wu Yi asked thoughtfully, “Because of Yang Yan’s Spirit Array abilities?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Because Yang Yan is an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner!”
“What?” Wu Yi called out in fright. After Wu Yi came here, Yang Yan had never refined any artefacts, spending all her time arranging the Spirit Arrays around the cave, so she was completely unaware that Yang Yan possessed such ability. But now that Yang Kai had explained the situation, Wu Yi immediately understood why Qian Tong showed such an attitude towards Yang Kai.
“Qian Tong knows that there is an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner behind me, but he doesn’t know that person is Yang Yan. He also probably thinks that this imaginary Artifact Refiner is my master!” Yang Kai spoke his guess.
“I see, him treating you favourably is because he wants to forge a friendship with that imaginary master,” Wu Yi nodded.
“Right. I didn’t know that the best Artefact Refiners on Shadowed Star were just Origin Grade Low-Rank. If I had known, I would not have sold those artefacts before. Now it’s too late to try to conceal all of this. Fortunately, Qian Tong doesn’t dare to offend an Artefact Refiner of this level and can only try to win them over, so we’re not in any immediate danger,” Yang Kai said before staring deeply at Yang Yan and saying, “From now on, you can’t publicize the fact that you’re an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner. Your strength is too low, once you’re found out, others will definitely try to capture you!”
Yang Yan muttered, “Even if I tell everyone, none of them will believe me.”
She had worked at the Artefact Refining Pavilion in Heavenly Fate City for a time and was constantly advertising her true Artefact Refiner grade, but no one had ever believed her or provided her with Origin Grade materials to perform Artifact Refining.
“In any case, you can’t say that anymore, otherwise it will be a disaster for us,” Yang Kai said solemnly, “Understood?”
“I understand,” Yang Yan nodded.
Yang Kai was helpless, thinking that he and Yang Yan were total opposites. He wished to conceal his Alchemy skill from the world and looked forward to others underestimating him. Yang Yan, on the other hand, seemed to want everyone to know about her abilities, but in the end, she too was still perfectly fine. The world was a strange place.
“No wonder you specifically told Qian Tong that Yang Yan was a Saint Grade Artifact Refiner and that she was your Junior Sister. So it was like this,” Wu Yi said thoughtfully, understanding Yang Kai’s intentions.
“Yes, with Qian Tong thinking there’s an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner behind me, it’s only normal I have a Junior Sister who is a Saint Grade Artifact Refiner.”
Yang Kai believed that Qian Tong would believe the words he said, and as long as Qian Tong didn’t doubt him, he would be absolutely safe here. With Qian Tong’s protection, incidents like with the Xu Family wouldn’t occur again.
“I see!” Wu Yi nodded.
“If you understand then go about your own business, I must enter retreat,” Yang Kai waved to them.
“Big Brother Yang, about the Treasure Trove Pavilion’s auction…” Wu Yi bit her lip and asked.
“You want to go?” Yang Kai knit his brow.
He hadn’t expected that not only Wu Yi, but even Yang Yan would nod, the two of them seemingly quite looking forward to this event.
“If you want to go then just go.” There was no need for Yang Kai to stop them. In his opinion, this auction would be an eye-opening experience for these two, a chance for them to see the broader world. Wu Yi came from a small family, so even if she had some worldly wisdom, she couldn’t compare to those disciples with great backgrounds. As for Yang Yan, she had seemingly been quite miserable and poor her whole life, so what she had seen was definitely not much, it was only natural for her to take interest in this auction.
“What about you?” Wu Yi asked.
“If I haven’t exited my retreat then I won’t attend, just be careful by yourselves.”
“En,” Wu Yi nodded before leaving with Yang Yan.
Yang Kai closed the stone room, sat down cross-legged, and sank his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea.
Inside his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar appeared before two masses of pure Spiritual Energy and stared at them excitedly.
This was the first time Yang Kai had managed to collect the remnant Soul of an Origin Returning Realm master. Never before had any Origin Returning Realm master died close enough to him for Yang Kai to do this. As such, Yang Kai had never been able to refine an Origin Realm master’s perceptions of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, causing him to not know much about this new realm or the power called Shi. If it wasn’t for his battle with Hong Zhen today, Yang Kai likely wouldn’t have had an opportunity to learn about Shi for a long time. This mysterious strength held great attraction for him.
Facing an Origin Realm expert had caused Yang Kai some alarm. He had always been fighting against opponents in higher realms than his own. He was able to defeat Immortal Ascension masters when in the True Element Boundary, Saints in the Immortal Ascension Boundary, and Saint Kings in the Saint Realm. Now that he had reached the Saint King Realm, Yang Kai had assumed he would be able to defeat First Order Origin Realm cultivators, but reality turned out far different from how he expected.
The Origin Returning Realm and Saint King Realm were fundamentally different, and it was all due to Shi!
Sitting down cross-legged, Yang Kai drew these two Soul remnants towards himself and carefully began to absorb the insights into the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao contained within them. If the way he absorbed Souls remnants before was like stuffing his face, Yang Kai’s current behaviour was more akin to slowly savouring these two Souls’ taste. This was a rare opportunity, and if he didn’t take full advantage of it, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to comprehend what this Shi thing was and the next time he faced an Origin Realm masters, he would be unable to resist it.
Time passed by as Yang Kai slowly but steadily absorbed these two Souls, delicately squeezing every essence out of them.
Two days later, when he had finished consuming the two pure Soul remnants, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes.
He now vaguely understood what Shi was, but due to the strength of Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother not being very high, only First Order Origin Returning Realm, they only had a basic comprehension of Shi and its application. Since Yang Kai’s understanding of Shi was based on these two people’s, naturally it too wasn’t in any way complete.
An Origin Realm Master’s Shi wasn’t something intangible like fighting spirit, imposing manner, or killing intent, things masters honed and developed over years of cultivation and killing and would erupt almost involuntarily during the battle.
However, these invisible auras were a component of Shi.
The Shi of an Origin Realm master was a combination of their fighting intent, Saint Qi, and Spiritual Energy, woven together into a physical phenomenon which could be used directly in combat. A cultivator’s understanding of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way had to reach a certain height before they could condense Shi.
Shi was invisible, but it had physical presence as well as formidable suppression ability and lethality. Why could Origin Realm masters easily kill Saint Kings? It was because of the absolute suppressive strength of Shi. The reason Yang Kai wasn’t able to kill Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother with a drop of Golden Blood wasn’t because that drop was lacking strength, but rather because the overlapping Shis of those two had greatly impeded the speed of the Golden Blood’s attack. With the Golden Blood blades greatly slowed, the two Origin Realm masters were able to perceive where they would be struck and move to avoid suffering fatal wounds.
If not for this, they would have died.
Comprehending Shi was very difficult. Hong Zhen had broken through to the Origin Returning Realm more than ten years ago but had only just begun to condense his own Shi. His Senior Brother was slightly stronger than him, but not by much.
On top of this, Yang Kai also learned a certain truth. Only after one’s Shi reached the grand accomplishment stage could they attempt to break through to the Origin King Realm!
Even though Qian Tong was already a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, Yang Kai estimated that his comprehension of Shi had not reached the grand accomplishment stage. This meant that no matter how hard he cultivated or how much he managed to enhance his Saint Qi by, before he completely condensed his own Shi, it would be impossible to advance his cultivation realm again. This was the biggest obstacle obstructing his path and once that could not be crossed easily.
This was probably an important reason why the number of Origin King Realm masters was so low throughout the Heng Luo Star Field. Achieving such a cultivation not only required great strength but a comprehensive improvement in all aspects.
After understanding this, Yang Kai immediately started his own research on Shi. He discarded the dregs in Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother’s comprehension of Shi while inserting his own insights and opinions, doing his best to coalesce his will, Saint Qi, and Spirit Energy.
During his battle against Hong Zhen, Yang Kai had faintly touched upon the mysteries of Shi, but that touch was fleeting and light. Now, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t recall or replicate the sensation he felt at that time, causing Yang Kai to feel a little annoyed.
Yang Kai tried again and again but always felt something was wrong. Ten days later, Yang Kai gave up his current attempt to study Shi.
He feels that his strength was still a bit too low. If he reached the Second or Third-Order Saint King Realm, the process should become much smoother. After all, this profound force belonged to the Origin Returning Realm. Being able to superficially understand it already was already quite remarkable.
Yang Kai wasn’t one to plow the air, so after considering all this, he immediately got up and decided to wait for his cultivation to improve before trying again. If he could absorb a few more Origin Returning Realm Soul remnants during this time, Yang Kai was sure he could achieve twice the results with half the effort.
Just after opening his stone door, Yang Kai saw Wu Yi run over while shouting happily, “Big Brother Yang, you came out just in time.”
“Why do you seem so excited?” Yang Kai looked at her curiously.
“It’s time for the Treasure Trove Pavilion auction,” Wu Yi answered quickly.
“It’s today?” Yang Kai was surprised, thinking it was a bit too coincidental.
“En,” Wu Yi nodded and leaned closer to Yang Kai, whispering in his ear, “Yang Yan refined an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact and an Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact to sell at the auction.”
“Is she insane?” Yang Kai was frightened and exclaimed, “Where is she?”
“I’m here,” Yang Yan’s figure appeared behind him.
“What are you thinking?” Yang Kai looked at her with a stern face, “Didn’t I just tell you not to go around showing off? Are you really worried others won’t have their eyes on you? How could you have forgotten so quickly?”
Yang Yan just grinned though and said, “As long as the three of us don’t say anything, who will know I was the one who refined these artefacts?”
“It will still attract too much attention,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Shadow Star’s best Artefact Refiners are only Origin Grade Low-Rank, how are you going to explain the sudden appearance of an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact?”
“Big Brother Yang doesn’t need to worry about that,” Wu Yi smiled slightly, “Although the Artefact Refiners on Shadowed Star don’t have such skill, there are still a number of Origin Grade Mid-Rank and even High-Rank artefacts present, so the appearance of an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact won’t cause too much trouble.”
Yang Kai frowned for a moment but soon understood that while the current levels of the Artifact Refiners and Alchemists on Shadowed Star were low, that didn’t mean it was always so. Good artefacts could be kept in storage for thousands or even tens of thousands of years without degrading, and Shadowed Star definitely had such legacy items. There may even be Origin King Grade artefacts somewhere on this Cultivation Star, but if there were, they would definitely be treated as foundational pillars of great Sects, things not easily taken out and used.
Considering all this, Yang Kai’s expression relaxed greatly and nodded, “Although that may be the case, there’s no need to sell artefacts of this grade. Why not keep them for our own use?”
“Where are we going to get Saint Crystals to buy material to enhance the Spirit Array without selling artefacts?” Yang Yan snorted, “We’re dirt poor now; this auction is a rare opportunity to earn some money.”
Yang Kai also suddenly recalled this point. Yang Yan arranging Spirit Arrays was indeed equivalent to burning money, but thanks to her Spirit Array, Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother had been blocked last time, so this matter couldn’t be treated haphazardly, rather it was of utmost priority.
“What artefacts did you refine? Let me see!”
Seeing Yang Kai no longer object, Wu Yi was very excited to quickly took out two offensive artefacts, one was a soft whip while the other was a pair of twin daggers. Yang Kai knew at a glance that these two artefacts were refined using the Ninth-Order Monster Beast Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion’s stinger and pincers. Both sent of potent energy fluctuations and had extremely beautiful designs, ones that were particularly suited for women to use.
Yang Yan was really black-bellied, deliberately refining artefacts like this was almost like asking men to bleed money, wasn’t it? Yang Kai secretly shook his head.
“More importantly, Big Brother Yang, the reason why I support Yang Yan selling these two items is to completely convince Elder Qian Tong that your non-existent master exists! Others won’t know where these artefacts came from, but Elder Qian Tong will definitely think they were refined by your master. Once he thinks so, he will only treat us better in the future,” Wu Yi explained.
Yang Kai nodded slightly, applauding, “Your thoughts are quite meticulous. En, since that’s the case, let’s go.”
Seeing Yang Kai agree, Wu Yi and Yang Yan smiled at each other.
“How long before the auction starts?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
“Three hours, but that’s okay. I went to Heavenly Fate City to deliver a message to Elder Qian Tong, saying that we will have something to auction, so we only need to deliver the items and Elder Qian will take care of the rest.”
“En, good. Right, Wu Yi, do you know what pill is the most expensive on Shadowed Star?” Yang Kai suddenly asked
Yang Kai asked this question out of nowhere, but Wu Yi still responded promptly with the names of a few precious pills.
“The Strong Cloud Pill which can repair one’s meridians, the Soul Returning Pill that can patch a wounded Soul, and Wild Rose Pill that Elder Qian Tong brought out last time are all quite valuable, but if I had to name the most expensive pills on Shadowed Star, then it would have to be the Origin Condensing Pill and Origin Nirvana Pill. The latter can be said to be nearly priceless because it can help increase the chances a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master breaks through to the Origin King Realm. On Shadowed Star, there is no such master, but there are many stuck at the Third-Order Origin Realm. Those big forces wouldn’t hesitate to exchange several cities for a single Origin Nirvana Pill,” Wu Yi replied, her breath quickening slightly.
“No need to even consider it then,” Yang Kai shook his head decisively.
The Origin Nirvana Pill was an Origin King Low-Rank pill, forget about Yang Kai not having the appropriate materials, even if had the required ingredients, he couldn’t refine such a high-grade pill. The Origin Condensing Pill, on the other hand, could be refined because it was just an Origin Grade Low-Rank pill.
“Big Brother Yang, why do you ask?” Wu Yi looked at Yang Kai curiously.
“It’s nothing, wait here a moment, I’ll be right back,” Yang Kai said before turning around and returning to his stone room.
Although Yang Yan and Wu Yi were confused, they waited patiently, and roughly half an hour later, Yang Kai emerged once more and nodded, “Let’s go.”
The three of them then flew off towards Heavenly Fate City.
After the previous incident where Qian Tong came over and openly displayed his attitude, Yang Kai believed that no one would come to find trouble with Dragon Cave Mountain, so he could go out with peace of mind.
On the other hand, letting Wu Yi and Yang Yan take two Origin Grade artefacts to participate in the auction worried Yang Kai deeply, naturally, he needed to escort them there and back.
Yang Kai also wanted to know what price these two artefacts would sell for. Saint King Grade High-Rank artefacts were worth between thirty thousand and fifty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, so an Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact should be sold for between two hundred thousand and three hundred thousand, right? Yang Kai vaguely estimated that after selling these two artefacts, they would be able to purchase enough materials to furnish the cave’s Spirit Array.
Along the way, after listening to Wu Yi and Yang Yan talking non-stop, Yang Kai learned that Treasure Trove Pavilion didn’t belong to Shadow Moon Hall at all.
Treasure Trove Pavilion was its own force, one even more powerful than Shadow Moon Hall!
Treasure Trove Pavilion was similar to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce in that it focused on conducting business. It had branches all across Shadowed Star and everyone once in a while, it would gather together treasures from all over the world and hold a grand auction.
The location of this auction wasn’t fixed and was instead held in turns all over Shadowed Star. This time, Treasure Trove Pavilion was hosting its auction in Heavenly Fate City.
The Treasure Trove Pavilion auction could be considered a grand event for all of Shadowed Star because, before every auction, Treasure Trove Pavilion would widely publicize a number of the precious objects to be auctioned, sending out pamphlets with exquisite illustrations to draw in expectant crowds.
The Treasure Trove Pavilion auction was attended by all the major powers on Shadowed Star and was a pseudo battle of financial resources and heritage. It was a lively occasion each time it was held, and many Heaven defying treasures had appeared over the years. Once, there was even a defensive artefact of Origin King Grade!
Rumour had it that this artefact was auctioned for over five hundred million High-Rank Saint Crystals plus fifteen flourishing cities!
Even the always calm Yang Kai was shocked by this number. Shadowed Star was too backwater so there were very few artefacts above Origin Grade Low-Rank, resulting in such an outrageous price being possible.
Yang Kai believed that on other Cultivation Stars, even if Origin King Grade artefacts were expensive, it was impossible for them to be sold for such a price.
“An Origin Nirvana Pill also appeared once and was apparently bought by a great Senior from Thunder Typhoon Sect. Unfortunately, after taking that Origin Nirvana Pill, that Senior failed to break through to the Origin King Realm and even had his cultivation realm fall as a result of some kind of backlash. I don’t know if that’s true or not though,” Wu Yi sighed softly.
Yang Kai’s expression remained indifferent. Although he didn’t say anything, he was basically sure that what Wu Yi said was true.
After all, such pills were only auxiliary means. While such pills could help promote the chances of a cultivator breaking through to the next Great realm, and they were thus extremely expensive, they weren’t guarantees of success. If one’s understanding of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way hadn’t reached the appropriate level, no pill would be able to make them take another step forward.
Conversely, if one’s comprehension of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way were enough to exceed the bottleneck a cultivator was facing, even if they didn’t take an auxiliary pill, when the time came, they could still break through.
Yang Kai fell into the latter category as his understanding of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao always greatly exceeded his current realm. As such, he had never used pills that helped with breaking through to the next realm, saving him a lot of expense.
That Senior from Sir of Thunder Typhoon Sect had definitely not reached the grand accomplishment stage in the use and comprehension of Shi, as such, that precious Origin Nirvana Pill had essentially gone to waste.
Such a treasure wasn’t something that could be refined on Shadowed Star, so obviously it had been obtained through some other means.
After a cultivator fails to break through a bottleneck, they would inevitably suffer some type of backlash; this could range from strength regression like with that Thunder Typhoon Sect Senior, or in more serious cases, even death was possible.
As such, if a cultivator didn’t have enough confidence in their ability to overcome it, even if they reached a bottleneck, they wouldn’t dare attempt to break through to the next realm.
This kind of result was more difficult to see when a cultivator’s strength was low, which was why such cases basically didn’t exist in Tong Xuan Realm. Even in rare cases where failed breakthroughs occurred, the backlash was generally not strong. However, once one’s strength was high enough, such situations were more common.
In fact, it wasn’t until Yang Kai entered the Star Field that he slowly understood this information.
The group of three, while talking and laughing, quickly arrived at the Treasure Trove Pavilion branch in Heavenly Fate City.
Standing in front of the towering palace, Yang Kai realized just how prestigious this place really was! Treasure Trove Pavilion occupied almost half the street of the most prominent area in Heavenly Fate City. There were people coming and going in front of the building in an endless flow, but that could not distract from the giant plague emblazoned with three golden words that was hung above Treasure Trove Pavilion’s doors.
A vigorous and tyrannical aura overflowed from Treasure Trove Pavilion, secretly stunning Yang Kai.
There were at least a hundred Origin Returning Realm masters inside this building. Fortunately, these people were all here to participate in the auction and were not deliberately targeting anyone, allowing Yang Kai to feel less uncomfortable.
In front of Treasure Trove Pavilion, two First Order Origin Returning Realm masters stood tall, their eyes as sharp as eagles as they observed the passing crowds. Yang Kai and his group of three had only just arrived when one of the guards, wearing a light cyan robe, stepped forward and raised his hand, “Guest, please halt, Treasure Trove Pavilion is about to hold its auction, it will not be open for normal business for the time being. If you wish to buy or sell something, please come back tomorrow!”
“We’re here to attend the auction,” Yang Kai said lightly before turning to Wu Yi.
Yang Kai knew that in order to participate in this level of auction, invitations were necessary. The invitation Qian Tong passed them last time was obviously for this and should currently be in Wu Yi’s hands.
Wu Yi seemed to be immersed in the magnificent of Treasure Trove Pavilion though, never before having had the opportunity to participate in this grade of auction. Her heart was filled with excitement and her face flushed a light shade of red. It wasn’t until Yang Kai looked at her that she suddenly remembered about the invitation and began scrambling to find it in her Space Ring.
“Haha, you think a cat or dog can attend Treasure Trove Pavilion’s auction?” A laugh rang out nearby, one filled with scorn and derision.
Yang Kai frowned and looked towards the source of this voice, wanting to see who it was that was acting so arrogantly. Being ridiculed as stray cats or dogs for no reason naturally made him unhappy.
A young man in white robes soon walked over, his eyes sharp and seemingly possessed a brilliant light. Although his face was smiling, anyone could see the disdain in his eyes. He had a sturdy, handsome figure that perfectly complemented his shimmering eyes, a young man capable of fascinating thousands of women.
What stunned Yang Kai though wasn’t any of this, but the fact that this young man actually had a Third Order Saint King cultivation and that in front of him, Yang Kai felt a faint sense of oppression. This youth’s aura was no less imposing than Xue Yue of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Behind this young man were two masters who despite perfectly restraining their auras, were obviously of higher strength than the Hong Zhen Yang Kai faced before. These two masters wore black robes embroidered with soaring dragons and dancing phoenixes as well as a single large character.
War!
“Heaven Battling Union!” Wu Yi exclaimed, and quickly gave way.
[So he’s from Heaven Battling Union, no wonder he can have such strength despite not being very old,] Yang Kai thought to himself. He wasn’t to Shadowed Star anymore and had naturally heard about Heaven Battling Union as it was one of the biggest forces.
Among the younger generation of Heaven Battling Union, there was one extremely high aptitude genius named Qu Chang Feng. It was also said that he possessed incredibly piercing eyes.
If Yang Kai wasn’t mistaken, this young man should be that Qu Chang Feng, a talent famous across all of Shadowed Star.
Sure enough, after the guard who had stopped Yang Kai saw this young man, he respectfully cupped his fists and greeted, “Young Lord Qu, please enter!”
“En,” Qu Chang Feng nodded faintly then glancing over at Wu Yi and Yang Yan, pausing for a moment before smiling, “Do you two young ladies want to enter Treasure Trove Pavilion?”
Neither Wu Yi nor Yang Yan answered.
Qu Chang Feng continued talking though, “Entry right now is restricted because the auction is about to take place, these two guards won’t allow anyone inside without an invitation, but if you really want to go in, you can come with me, what do you two young ladies think?”
The smile he wore while offering this invitation seemed innocent and harmless, but Yang Yan and Wu Yi weren’t the types of women who would be fooled by such false humility; they naturally understood Qu Chang Feng’s intentions.
“Qu Chang Feng, I haven’t seen you for a few years but you still like showing off your superiority in front of the weak it seems. Do you really think being able to attend this auction is something noteworthy, or is it your Heaven Battling Union that is so great?” A deep voice sounded, and when Qu Chang Feng, who was still offering an invitation to Wu Yi and Yang Yan heard this voice, he couldn’t help frowning bitterly, as if he’d just swallowed a fly, the spring-like smile on his face disappearing in a flash as he turned his sharp eyes in the direction of this voice.
A short distance away, a young man in simple grey robes was walking over. He wasn’t putting on airs like Qu Chang Feng and instead appeared rather plain and unimpressive, but Qu Chang Feng didn’t dare despise him as a serious light flashed across his sharp eyes.
Yang Kai also turned his head to look at this newcomer, wondering who dared act so arrogant in front of Qu Chang Feng.
At first glance, Yang Kai was a little surprised. The clothes this young man wore weren’t anything special, and could even be described as crude, but the aura he gave off was even stronger and forceful than Qu Chang Feng’s; on top of that, this aura was filled with sharpness. Yang Kai even faintly felt a surge of lightning coming from him.
This young man obviously cultivated some kind of Thunder Attribute Secret Art and had already achieved high accomplishments in it. He wasn’t a robust figure, but he was definitely a master. This was because, like Qu Chang Feng, he was also Third Order Saint King!
This young man was also followed by two Origin Returning Realm masters, both dressed in azure robes with a distinctive lightning bolt emblazoned on their chests. This lightning bolt was quite lifelike and radiated a shocking presence.
“I was wondering who it was, turns out it was Brother Fang of Thunder Typhoon Sect. Long time no see! I see you still dress so shabbily, aren’t you afraid your appearance will damage Thunder Typhoon Sect’s face?” Qu Chang Feng chuckled without a smile.
Yang Kai’s brow rose as he immediately understood who this simply-dressed man was.
Fang Tian Zhong of Thunder Typhoon Sect! Like Qu Chang Feng, he was also one of Shadowed Star’s famous young talents, the first genius of Thunder Typhoon Sect’s younger generation.
Geniuses always had extremely high pride and refused to sit on par with others. These two young men were the greatest talents of their respective Sects, so naturally, there was friction between them. Once they encountered one another it would always result in a tit-for-tat mockery match.
The two guards of Treasure Trove Pavilion stood helplessly next to each other. If ordinary people dared act so wildly in front of Treasure Trove Pavilion, they would have already taught them a lesson, but Qu Chang Feng and Fang Tian Zhong weren’t characters they dared to offend.
Even Yang Kai, who was standing nearby, became nothing but a foil.
“What I cultivate is the Martial Dao, what I study is the Heavenly Way. I’m not like you who worries about dressing up and showing off all day long,” Fang Tian Zhong said coldly.
Qu Chang Feng also let out a snort as he pushed his fighting intent towards Fang Tian Zhong. Fang Tian Zhong naturally refused to back down and also released his aura.
As if two storms had suddenly appeared and collided with one another, the atmosphere in front of Treasure Trove Pavilion suddenly descended into chaos and many masters already inside the building who noticed this released their Divine Senses to probe the situation. However, after learning that this was a conflict between Qu Chang Feng and Fang Tian Zhong, all of them quickly took back their Divine Senses and no longer interfered.
Seeing these two geniuses confront each other with no regard to their surroundings, Yang Kai’s eyes grew cold, and his originally good opinion of Fang Tian Zhong shattered. Yang Kai had felt that this guy wasn’t pretentious like Qu Chang Feng, but now that trace of goodwill had completely disappeared.
If the one standing here had been an ordinary First-Order Saint King, they would definitely have gotten caught up in this invisible conflict and even if they hadn’t been injured, they would certainly be quite uncomfortable.
These two obviously didn’t care about him or Wu Yi and Yang Yan, all they wanted was to put the other one down.
When their two imposing manners reached a peak, Yang Kai let out a cold snort and waved his hand casually.
A sound as if something was torn apart resounded and Yang Kai stood in place like a mountain, not a single ruffle apparent on his clothes or hair. Yang Yan and Wu Yi hiding behind him also felt nothing.
“Em?” Qu Chang Feng and Fang Tian Zhong converged their own imposing manners at the same time and turned to look at Yang Kai, both of them showing a tinge of surprise.
Although they had not been aiming their fighting intent towards Yang Kai just now, it was still not something a First-Order Saint King should have been able to resist, but now, this unknown youth had actually easily broken apart their conflict, shocking them slightly.
However, it was just a bit of surprise; in their opinions, Yang Kai’s current cultivation wasn’t worthy of their attention.
“Two Senior Brothers have such a good relationship, whenever you meet you get along so well, it’s really quite enviable,” A clear and sweet laughter like the sound of a silver bell rang out as a young woman stepped forward. Her creamy white skin and tender features, paired with her aura that seemed delicate, caused anyone who laid eyes on her to give birth to the desire to protect and care for her. The woman’s figure, however, was enchanting and her lavender dress perfectly outlined her luscious curves, contrasting and amplifying her graceful bearing.
When she approached, a fragrant scent wafted about, making people feel refreshed while at the same time causing their pulses to race.
Although her words were clearly mockery, neither Fang Tian Zhong nor Qu Chang Feng showed any anger, with the latter even smiling happily as he stared at this young woman with a burning look.
“Su Die greets two Senior Brothers,” The woman elegantly greeted, her face filled with a light blush that made her cheeks seem so soft one couldn’t help wanting to reach out and caress them.
“So it is Junior Sister Yin, it’s been too long since we last met, it makes Elder Brother here sad,” Qu Chang Feng no longer had any interest in Fang Tian Zhong and said with a laugh.
Fang Tian Zhong also nodded slightly to this young woman, offering his greetings.
These three were all geniuses on Shadowed Star, so naturally they knew each other.
“I didn’t expect Junior Sister Yin to come to this auction, it looks like my coming this time was the right decision. Would Junior Sister care to accompany me today? We can sit down and have a nice chat; Senior Brother isn’t talented but recently I have been diligently studying Shi and obtained some slight insights,” Qu Chang Feng enthusiastically invited, an obvious flavour of pride apparent in his last words.
Yang Kai secretly curled his lips when he heard this; he knew how difficult it was to comprehend Shi, and even after absorbing the insights of two Origin Returning Realm masters, he hadn’t been able to grasp anything about this profound type of strength. Qu Chang Feng may have a higher cultivation than Yang Kai, but it was still impossible for him to have comprehended anything of significance about Shi before entering the Origin Returning Realm. Qu Chang Feng saying all this was obviously just an excuse to get close to Yin Su Die.
Yin Su Die was naturally clearer about this than Yang Kai and simply flashed an enchanting smile while saying, “Although Junior Sister also wishes to talk more with Senior Brother Qu, Junior Sister came today as a representative of her Honoured Master. With such an important task at hand, Junior Sister must politely decline Senior Brother Qu’s invitation.”
“Of course. Of course, we both have long futures ahead of us, there’ll be plenty of other opportunities to chat,” Qu Chang Feng smiled freely, not showing any signs of annoyance at Yin Su Die’s rejection. It was clear he had bumped into such resistance from her more than once or twice already and built up a tolerance for it.
The three young talents stood in front of the door for some time, gathering the attention of many people who had come to attend the auction, but with them not entering, all the other Young Masters and Ladies could only stand by and wait.
Compared with these people, Yang Kai found that he, Wu Yi, and Yang Yan all seemed quite shabby. These Young Masters and Ladies were all dressed in exquisite robes, dazzling dresses, or powerful Artifact Armours.
Yang Kai on the other hand just wore plain clothes while Yang Yan was even more out of place, wearing her signature black robe with which she was trying to cover her face, seemingly feeling embarrassed. Wu Yi wasn’t as bad as these two, but she was still just wearing ordinary clothes, unable to compare with the high fashion of those around her.
These three stuck out like chickens among cranes and were obviously also drawing attention from the crowd.
Fortunately, the three talents didn’t continue chatting for long as the auction was about to start. They also wanted to go in early. After the Young Masters and Ladies offered greetings to Fang Tian Zhong’s trio, they quickly filed inside and quickly disappeared.
Before leaving, Fang Tian Zhong shot a brief glance over towards Yang Kai, but didn’t say anything.
It wasn’t until Treasure Trove Pavilion’s calmed down once more that Wu Yi was able to let out a sigh of relief and whispered to Yang Kai, “That woman just now was Yin Su Die of the Coloured Glass Sect. She is a famous character and also the first beauty of Shadowed Star, countless young men are pursuing her.”
“The first beauty?” Yang Kai laughed, “You two aren’t any worse than her, her title is clearly undeserved.”
“How can I compare with her?” Wu Yi blushed. Regardless of whether Yang Kai was behind honest or not, such praise still made her very happy. No woman didn’t care about her appearance, but Wu Yi knew there was a huge difference between her and Yin Su Die, their backgrounds alone weren’t comparable.
“Let’s go in too,” Yang Kai said lightly. He came to the auction today to protect Wu Yi and Yang Yan, but he hadn’t expected to run into so many young geniuses here as well.
Whether it was Qu Chang Feng, Fang Tian Zhong, or Yin Su Die, none of them could be despised. Yang Kai realized he still had a long way to go and that he was far from invincible in this world.
The appearance of these three people reminded Yang Kai that even opponents in the same realm as him mustn’t be underestimated. They were the representatives of their respective Sects, so who knows what kind of profound skills or astonishing treasures they had on them? If they were to fight, who would win and who would lose wasn’t a certainty.
Wu Yi finally found the invitation in her Space Ring and handed it to the guard outside. The guard seemingly didn’t expect that three people like Yang Kai could actually obtain this invitation, but although he was surprised, he didn’t try to embarrass them and quickly ushered them inside.
Entering Treasure Trove Pavilion, the loud bustle of the crowd immediately washed over the trio as countless people gathered in groups, discussing various different topics.
“So this Treasure Trove Pavilion?” Wu Yi’s pretty face was filled with shock as her eyes darted back and forth, filled with curiosity and wonder. It was the first time she had ever entered this place.
The sight which greeted them was a huge circular half-arc hall with a dome roof lined with the most brilliant of light stones, all of which were emitting a soft glow that made the entire interior of Treasure Trove Pavilion no less bright than the outside.
At the lowest level of the hall, rows of seats were neatly arranged. Nearly eighty percent of these seats were already filled while the higher floors still had a large number of people walking back and forth.
At the front centre of the main floor was a high platform at least two meters above ground; it was clearly the stage on which the auctioning items would be presented.
This design allowed everyone participating in the auction to clearly see the items being auctioned.
When Yang Kai arrived here, he first tried to find where Qian Tong was, but he soon discovered that in this place it was very difficult to find a particular individual. If he was a Third Order Origin Returning Realm master, he wouldn’t need to have any scruples and could just search the premises with the help of his Divine Sense. However, in this place where so many masters had gathered, Yang Kai didn’t dare use his Divine Sense at will, lest he cause misunderstandings and draw unnecessary trouble to himself.
Just as Yang Kai was wondering what to do, a figure ran over to him and bowed politely, “Luo Qing greets Young Master Yang, greets the Young Ladies.”
Yang Kai looked over at this newcomer and discovered that he was the same Origin Realm master who had been invited by the Xu Family to deal with him but had recognized Yang Kai in time and reported to Qian Tong.
Grateful to Luo Qing for his efforts back then, Yang Kai politely greeted, “So it is Brother Luo. Where is Elder Qian now?”
“Elder Qian is currently attending to some matters and cannot step away, so he ordered this disciple to wait here for Young Master Yang. Young Master Yang may rest assured that Elder Qian has made all necessary arrangements for you, if you will just follow me.”
“Understood. Lead the way,” Yang Kai nodded.
Since Treasure Trove Pavilion was holding an auction in Heavenly Fate City, and Qian Tong was one of the senior Elders in charge of in Heavenly Fate City, it was normal for him to have many things to deal with, so Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t think much about this.
Follow Luo Qing, the trio went straight up to the third floor. Pushing open the door to a certain room, Luo Qing walked inside and explained, “Young Master Yang, this is the private room Elder Qian arranged for you, is it to your satisfaction?”
Yang Kai entered the room and found that although it was a bit small, it was well furnished with comfortable chairs to sit on and good-quality spirit fruits laid out on a decorative table. A pot of hot spirit tea was brewing and there were two beautiful maidservants standing by. These two maids had bright eyes and slender figures and upon seeing Yang Kai and the two young women enter, they immediately welcomed them.
Yang Kai didn’t know if other private rooms came with maidservants, but he was certain these two had been specially arranged by Qian Tong, because both were wearing Shadow Moon Hall uniforms, indicating their status as disciples.
“Elder Qian’s arrangements are quite attentive, I’m very satisfied,” Yang Kai nodded with a smile.
“Young Master Yang being satisfied is good,” Luo Qing seemed relieved. He had heard about Qian Tong killing Hong Zhen and his Senior Brother in order to become maintain a friendly relationship with Yang Kai, so although he still didn’t know what made Yang Kai worthy of such efforts, having received Qian Tong’s orders Luo Qing dared not show any neglect.
“I beg your pardon Young Master Yang, but Elder Qian instructed this disciple to bring the items you wish to auction off today to him as soon as possible so that Treasure Trove Pavilion can evaluate their starting price and where to position them in today’s lineup.”
“En, understood,” Yang Kai sent a wink to Wu Yi, who immediately took out two beautifully packaged jade boxes from her Space Ring and handed them to Luo Qing. These two jade boxes naturally held the two Origin Grade artifacts Yang Yan had refined.
“This as well,” Yang Kai said as he took out a jade bottle and handed it to Luo Qing.
“Thank you. Please feel free to relax here for the moment, Young Master Yang, the auction should start in about half an hour, this Luo Qing will take his leave first,” Luo Qing bowed and turned around to leave, ordering the two female Shadow Moon Hall disciples to attentively entertain Yang Kai, to which the two girls nodded respectfully.
“Seems we’re in room C13,” Wu Yi walked over and closed the door, instantly blocking out all the noise from outside.
“The Spirit Arrays here are well arranged,” Yang Yan walked around, examining a few places, seemingly quite interested in the Spirit Arrays inside the room. “Others’ Divine Senses won’t be able to penetrate this room, the only downside is that it’s a little far from the auction stage.”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “This is Treasure Trove Pavilion after all. It probably took Elder Qian a great deal of effort to even get us this private room. Looking at the people who came here today, all of them seem to be powerful characters with famous names.”
As Yang Kai spoke, the two female Shadow Moon Hall disciples couldn’t help smiling even more brightly, as if they were pleased to hear Elder Qian receive such high praise.
“You two don’t need to act restrained, just sit down. We’re not wealthy or influential people, we’re just here to watch the fun this time,” Yang Kai said to the two maids as he saw them acting slightly nervously.
The two women quickly waved their hands frantically, saying they didn’t dare.
Yang Kai did not force them after seeing them refuse, instead sitting down on one of the chairs and pouring himself a cup of tea, tasting it slowly as he waited.
Wu Yi still couldn’t believe what was happening here. She had never imagined she would one day be able to participate in this grade of auction. Let alone her, even Patriarch Yi En of the Hai Ke Family wouldn’t be eligible to attend this auction or even enter Treasure Trove Pavilion at such a time.
But now, she was actually sitting in a private room, enjoying treatment reserved for powerful masters from first-class Sects, making her feel quite complicated in her heart. The gap between people was really too big. Her biggest wish before was to work hard make Yi En look at her with high esteem so that she may later inherit the position of Matriarch and take command of the Hai Ke Family; but now, she no longer had such thoughts.
So what if she became Matriarch? The Matriarch of such a small family wasn’t even worth as much as a common disciple of Shadow Moon Hall. Take for instance the two maids who were current standing nearby, waiting to serve them. Although these two only had Third Order Saint Realm cultivation, if they had arrived at the Hai Ke Family, Yi En would still have to treat them with the utmost respect and courtesy.
This was the insurmountable gap between the great forces and small families.
A few days ago, when Yang Kai was still in retreat, Yi En had come to the cave once more along with many of the family’s Elders and Foreign Elders to request Wu Yi return and assume the position of Patriarch, but Wu Yi had immediately declined. Since she had chosen to separate from the family, she would not go back.
Suddenly feeling something flying towards her, Wu Yi’s eyes quickly shifted to the side and she lifted her hand to catch this object. Upon grasping it, she noticed that it was one of the spirit fruits from the table.
Yang Kai laughed, “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing,” Wu Yi shook her head, picking up another spirit fruit before standing up and giving them to the female disciples of Shadow Moon Hall.
The two girls didn’t refuse this time, thanking Wu Yi politely as they received the fruits in a graceful manner.
The auction wouldn’t start for some time but the atmosphere in the private room was already quite harmonious. The two female disciples of Shadow Moon Hall also seemed to understand that Yang Kai, Wu Yi, and Yang Yan didn’t possess great backgrounds and were quite kind to others; Yang Yan even chatted with them like they were little sisters. Yang Kai couldn’t even get in a word, so he simply picked up the illustrated catalogue on the table and browsed through the items being auctioned today.
At the same time, in a back room of Treasure Trove Pavilion, a black-faced old man with a short goatee spat at Qian Tong with dissatisfaction, “Old Qian, things are about to start, when are those things you want to sell going to arrive?”
Qian Tong glanced towards the door and said hesitantly, “They should be delivered soon, just wait a moment.”
“Wait a moment? Treasure Trove Pavilion has its own rules. If not for the two of us sharing some friendship, do you think I would break those rules and allow you to insert items just moments before the auction starts?”
“Not at all, not at all,” Qian Tong met this rebuke with a smile, but in his heart, he was muttering uncomfortably. Wu Yi had come to him a few days ago and said that they would be bringing some items to auction, but she had not said what these items would be, only that they were artefacts. Out of consideration for Yang Kai’s face, Qian Tong had assured Wu Yi that as long as the items were delivered before the auction he would take care of the rest, but how could he have anticipated the items to not be delivered even now? With no other choice, he could only eloquently persuade, “Brother Yan Pei, just a bit longer, the items will definitely come.”
Yan Pei’s black face became even darker, like the bottom of a pot, and he grumbled for a moment before nodding, “Don’t say that this brother didn’t show you any consideration. Half an incense stick, if your items aren’t delivered in the next half an incense stick, no matter how precious they are, I won’t include them in the auction.”
“I know, I know, I’ll have to trouble Brother Yan Pei with this,” Qian Tong smiled helplessly, Treasure Trove Pavilion really had its own rules so he couldn’t argue any further. Just after he’d reached this agreement though, Qian Tong’s communication artefact vibrated and a Divine Sense Message reached him. It was from Luo Qing, causing Qian Tong to smile and say, “They’re here.”
Saying so, he immediately left the room.
A moment later, holding a jade bottle and two jade boxes, Qian Tong returned.
Yan Pei spat unhappily, “Are these the things you want to auction?”
“They should be,” Qian Tong hadn’t opened the boxes to see what was inside as time was short. He had simply accepted them from Luo Qing and brought them inside.
“Open them so we can have appraise their value and see if they’re even worthy auctioning,” Yan Pei said coldly, waving his hand and summoning in a number of Origin Realm masters who proceeded to circle around the jade boxes and jade bottle which were now laid out on a nearby table.
Seeing Qian Tong still somewhat on edge, Yan Pei sneered, “Brother Qian, don’t tell me you’ve brought some worthless items to be auctioned? If that’s the case, you’d best take them back now.”
“How could that be,” Qian Tong sneered, “Are Saint King Grade High-Rank artefacts not worthy of being auctioned?”
Because it was Wu Yi who had spoken to him earlier, Qian Tong was somewhat lacking in confidence. If Yang Kai had met with him personally, Qian Tong won’t be worrying about anything. Behind Yang Kai was an Artifact Refining Grandmaster, protecting him from the shadows, that was also the reason Qian Tong thought Saint King Grade High-Rank artifacts would be sent because he couldn’t imagine a powerful Artifact Refining Grandmaster intentionally damaging his own face by putting out anything less.
“Saint King Grade High-Rank artefacts…” Yan Pei’s complexion immediately became better but he still said solemnly, “Naturally such items are worth auctioning; but Brother Qian, this is not a precedent, if items arrive this late again even I won’t be able to take responsibility for adding them to the auction, if such things were discovered by others it wouldn’t be easy to explain.”
Although Saint King Grade High-Rank artefacts weren’t too valuable, they could still be considered the most mainstream high even artefacts on Shadowed Star. There weren’t many Origin Grade Artifact Refiners so most Saint Kings and even Origin Realm cultivators would use this grade of artefact. As such, Saint King Grade High-Rank artefacts were easy to sell. Treasure Trove Pavilion had also prepared many such artefacts for this time’s auction, so having two more wouldn’t change things much.
While the two old men were talking though, a cry of surprise rang out from the side.
“What happened?” Yan Pei turned his head and looked over.
“Sir, this is an Origin Grade Low-Rank offensive type artefact!” An Origin Returning Realm master immediately came over and showed the twin daggers inside the jade box to Qian Tong and Yan Pei.
Qian Tong’s eyes narrowed and suddenly felt his heart clench slightly.
Although he had long guessed that the master behind Yang Kai was an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, he hadn’t expected him to actually bring out this grade of artefact to the auction. If Qian Tong had known, he would have directly bought it from Yang Kai. He had already bought artefacts from Yang Kai twice before, and each time both sides had left happy, but now that this precious Origin Grade artefact was in Treasure Trove Pavilion’s hands, if Qian Tong wanted it, he could only participate in the auction.
Buying this artefact in the auction would obviously be much more expensive than directly purchasing it from Yang Kai, and it wasn’t even a certainty he could obtain it. Those who attended this Treasure Trove Pavilion auction didn’t lack wealth or influence, so it would be a bloody battle to acquire such a good treasure.
Yan Pei grabbed the twin daggers out of the jade box and pushed his Saint Qi through them to examine them, raising his brow in the next moment as he liberally praised, “Excellent… Excellent! this artefact has almost reached the Origin Grade Mid-Rank! The Grandmaster who refined it was incredibly attentive and the craftsmanship is simply exquisite. What’s more, these daggers are perfectly suited for women, hahaha, this time, those Young Lords will bleed profusely!”
Yan Pei’s eyes were simply aglow. How could he not see the great value of these twin daggers? Without even mentioning their grade, their beautiful appearance meant specifically for women was enough to make all the Young Masters present break their heads while bidding to gift them to their favourite woman.
Qian Tong opened his mouth, wishing he could take back this artefact, but he knew that since it was already in Yan Pei’s hands, that was impossible, so he simply let out a long sigh and resigned himself, wondering if he should try to win back these twin daggers in the auction. Shadow Moon Hall had a number of female disciples with extremely good aptitude, so giving them this artefact would definitely increase their strength.
Just as this sigh of helplessness finished though, another of the appraisal masters suddenly shouted, this time sounding even more excited than before.
“This, this… this is…”
“What?” Yan Pei flew over and pushed his way through the crowd gathered around the other jade box, and upon seeing what lay inside it, his eyes narrowed, immediately reaching out and picking up a long red whip before pushing his Saint Qi through it, calling out in alarm, “An Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact?”
“Ah?” Qian Tong was thoroughly shocked, his old face distorting noticeably.
“Hahaha! Excellent! This auction finally has something good for the finale! This old master was originally a little worried about this, after all this auction was put together in a bit of a hurry so Treasure Trove Pavilion wasn’t able to collect too many good treasures. This long whip will more than make up for that though. Hahaha, it’s really the blessings of Heaven!” Yan Pei laughed and happily while turning to Qian Tong and saying, “Brother Qian, this time you’ve helped me greatly! Brother will not forget this favour!”
Qian Tong’s mouth was filled with bitterness as he somehow forced out a smile and said, “Brother Yan Pei is too polite, you and I have known each other for many years and worked together on many occasions, helping out is only natural, haha …”
Even while saying so, Qian Tong was cursing out Luo Qing in his heart. A single Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact alone had nearly caused him to spit blood, but now an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact had actually appeared. Why hadn’t that damned Luo Qing explained everything carefully to him? If Qian Tong had known that Yang Kai was going to auction off two Origin Grade artefacts, he wouldn’t have brought these items anywhere near Yan Pei. No matter how much it would cost, Qian Tong would have bought these two artefacts for Shadow Moon Hall’s disciples.
But now, it was far too late to say anything. If Qian Tong wanted to obtain these precious treasures, he could only participate in the auction. How many Saint Crystals would he have to spend? He was worried he wouldn’t have enough.
Poor Luo Qing didn’t know that he was being blamed for all this by Elder Qian. How was he supposed to know Yang Kai would suddenly bring out two Origin Grade artefacts, one of them even Mid-Rank?
The twin daggers were one thing; after all, with the level of the Artifact Refiners on Shadowed Star, such artefacts could still be forged, but the grade of the long red whip had already surpassed the level of Shadowed Star’s Artifact Refiners. Artefacts of this grade could only be obtained through special means.
This reality had led to the price of high-grade pills and artefacts reaching sky-high prices on Shadowed Star.
“Hahaha! Excellent!” Yan Pei’s black face blossomed like a field of spring flowers, without the slightest trace of its former sullenness. Once again, praise flowed out from his lips, “It’s another artefact very suitable for women. This time the auction will be very exciting. This old master can’t wait to see the scenes of those people scrambling to bid for these treasures!”
“Ah… ah… Elder Yan…” A trembling voice suddenly called out, “Please look at this…”
The man said haltingly while handing a jade bottle to Yan Pei.
Yan Pei accepted and opened the bottle, glancing inside only to have his eyes bulge, his hands also shaking, nearly causing him to drop the jade bottle while shouting, “Origin Condensing Pill!”
These three words were like a sledgehammer hitting the heart of Qian Tong, and without even thinking he rushed forward and grabbed towards the jade bottle.
Yan Pei’s response was equally swift, sending out a palm strike to intercept the incoming hand, the resulting clash forcing both Yan Pei and Qian Tong back a few steps.
“What’s the meaning of this?!” Yan Pei shouted furiously as he glared towards Qian Tong menacingly.
Qian Tong’s expression was incredibly solemn as he quickly said, “Brother Yan Pei, I’ve thought about it carefully and decided I won’t be participating in this auction. Please return my items to me.”
If he hadn’t seen the Origin Condensing Pill inside the jade bottle, Qian Tong would have opened one eye while closing the other, but from the quick glance he got, he immediately understood that this Origin Condensing Pill was far more valuable than a simple Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact.
“You want to back out now? Too late!” Yan Pei coldly snorted, “Do you want me to spit out the foods I’ve already eaten? Brother Qian, this isn’t the first time you’ve met this Yan, is it?”
“Nonsense Brother Yan, didn’t you just say that no matter how valuable the items were, if they broke the rules, you wouldn’t enter them into the auction?” Qian Tong spat this line without any consideration for his own face; for those two Origin Grade artefacts and that Origin Condensing Pill, what did face matter?
“This Yan clearly said that if I don’t see the items within half an incense stick of time I wouldn’t allow them to be sold, are you deaf?” Yan Pei humphed, seeing Qian Tong still wearing a shamelessly determined look, just waiting for an opening to pounce, Yang Pei quickly backed away while stuffing the two jade boxes and jade bottle into his Space Ring before waving his hand, “All of you stare at Elder Qian. If he dares take one step forward, beat him ruthlessly!”
“Yes!” Five Origin Returning Realm masters all shouted as they began eying Qian Tong, meticulously following Yan Pei’s order. Once Qian Tong moved, they would surely launch an all-out attack.
“Damn it…” Qian Tong couldn’t help cursing. Since hard methods had failed, he could only try soft ones now, “Old Yan, out of consideration for our many years of friendship, can’t you return my items to me? Can’t you just pretend you didn’t see these things? This grace will be remembered by this Qian Tong for the rest of his life…”
“The rest of your life? Your neck is already half-buried in the ground! You’ve got a few good years left at best, there’s no need for you to remember my affection,” Yan Pei smiled and waved.
“Can you not speak with such a poisonous tongue!? This old master is hale and hearty, living a few hundred more years won’t be a problem!” Qian Tong rolled his eyes.
Yan Pei snorted, “If I were you, I’d send someone out immediately to begin collecting Saint Crystals, but instead you actually choose to stay here and grumble with this old master, impressive indeed! Only you and I know such treasures have appeared now, so you still have the advantage.”
As soon as Qian Tong heard this, his eyes lit up and he quickly cupped his fists to Yan Pei before turning around and rushing off. Qian Tong knew better than anyone that no matter what kind of extravagant and colourful words he spoke, it was impossible to get those things back.
“Old Qian, who brought these things to auction?” Yan Pei shouted out, but naturally received no response. Of course, Yan Pei knew his old friend was holding a grudge but he didn’t care one bit and just grinned happily, “Whoever it is has shockingly good luck. Not only did they manage to find two Origin Grade artefacts but also two Origin Condensing Pills.”
Qian Tong came out from the underground secret room and Luo Qing quickly went up to greet him, but before Luo Qing could say a word, Qian Tong slapped him across the face twice.
Although he hadn’t used any Saint Qi, Qian Tong’s two slaps weren’t weak by any means, causing Luo Qing to grimace in pain.
Qian Tong’s expression was gloomy, like a volcano that was ready to erupt, causing Luo Qing to exclaim, “Elder, what mistake did disciple make?”
“You scoundrel, why did you move so quickly? Couldn’t you have been just half an incense stick later?!” Qian Tong reprimanded.
“Yes… no… ah?” Luo Qing was dumbfounded.
Obviously, it had been the Elder’s own orders to immediately bring the items Yang Kai brought to auction to him, and that was exactly what Luo Qing had done, so why was Elder Qian suddenly blaming him for doing just that? Elder Qian Tong was normally kind and treated others temperately, never giving out such contradictory orders and never beating a disciple for no reason. It was because of his personality and demeanour that Elder Qian commanded high prestige and admiration from Shadow Moon hall’s disciples.
Although there was doubt in his heart, Luo Qing did not dare to speak. Even a blind man could see that Elder Qian was in a terrible mood, so at this time silence was Luo Qing’s best option, lest he make another mistake without realizing it.
“I’ll let you make up for your crimes through good work,” Qian Tong stared at him coldly.
“Disciple will obey Elder’s commands!” Luo Qing hurriedly wore a sincere expression and shouted loudly.
“Within one hour, go to all the stores in Heavenly Fate City under our control and raise twenty million… No, no, raise fifty million Saint Crystals!”
“Fifty… fifty million?” Luo Qing was startled.
“Yes!”
“Understood!” Luo Qing responded quickly, disappearing like lightning. Collecting fifty million Saint Crystals in an hour would be no easy task.
Seeing Luo Qing’s figure disappeared, Qian Tong secretly exhaled. Fortunately, this time the auction was being held in Heavenly Fate City. Heavenly Fate City basically belonged to Shadow Moon Hall, so he could still freely raise Saint Crystals.
If this auction was being held at one of the other great force’s sites, Qian Tong would only be able to helplessly watch from the sidelines.
At the same time, in the basement of Treasure Trove Pavilion, Yan Pei sat in his chair for a moment to think, a strange grin soon creeping onto his face. Beckoning to one of the Origin Realm masters who was involved in the appraisal just now, he whispered a few instructions.
This man quickly nodded and left.
A short time later, a number of people left the A-Block Private Rooms, their expression dignified. These people quickly left Treasure Trove Pavilion and headed straight to the hall where the Space Array of Heavenly Fate City was located.
Soon after, people from the B-Block Private Rooms also began leaving.
The reason why Treasure Trove Pavilion chose to hold this auction in Heavenly Fate City this time was because its Space Array was connected to many other cities on Shadowed Star, helping to facilitate the attendance of the various great forces.
Space Arrays were extremely precious and not open to ordinary people, but these people all belonged to great forces, so the Shadow Moon Hall disciples who were responsible for guarding the Space Array didn’t dare to stop them, simply collecting the required fee before allowing them to pass.
For a time, the space around Heavenly Fate City fluctuated as the Space Array was used at a frequency higher than at any point in history.
When the first spatial fluctuations appeared, Qian Tong didn’t pay it much mind, only thinking about seeing Yang Kai to say a few words about not bringing such precious treasures out to auction again in the future. No matter what they were, Qian Tong was fully capable of buying them all.
However, after another three or four consecutive spatial fluctuations propagated through the air, Qian Tong’s expression slowly solidified, and a certain thought came to him. His face changing greatly, Qian Tong quickly disappeared from Treasure Trove Pavilion and rushed to the palace where the Space Array was housed.
Inside the palace, the Shadow Moon Hall disciples who were responsible for guarding the Space Array all wore looks of shock. They didn’t understand why so many people all of a sudden needed to use the Space Array. Wasn’t it just about time for the auction to start? What were these people doing returning to their Sects instead of participating?
On top of that, those here were all from great forces like Thunder Typhoon Sect, Heaven Battling Union, Coloured Glass Sect, Twin Heart Valley, Grand Fire Temple… Each of these Sects was no less powerful than Shadow Moon Hall, some of them even exceeding them in strength.
Moreover, these people all seemed to be on guard against one another, their eyes darting about vigilantly, resulting in a very tense atmosphere inside the palace.
The few Shadow Moon Hall disciples here were afraid a fight would all of a sudden, break out here so none of them dared to ask any question, just quickly collecting the appropriate fee before sending people on their way.
Even though this was the case, everyone here was still urging these poor disciples to hurry things along.
In total, there were several dozen individuals representing several dozen powerful forces, so even if the Shadow Moon Hall disciples acted with all haste, it was still taking some time. Opening the Space Array, supplying enough Saint Crystals, and setting the appropriate destination wasn’t a process that could be completed in just a breath or two.
Just as the several Shadow Moon Hall disciples were about to shed tears from this sudden intense workload, another powerful aura rushed in from outside, causing the several dozen masters inside to frown. After seeing who this newcomer was though, all of them greeted him with cupped fists, “Elder Qian!”
Qian Tong’s face was filled with gloom as he strode inside quickly. Originally, he had just been suspicious and rushed over to investigate the situation, but after seeing so many people waiting to use the Space Array, how could he not know what happened?
“Old dog Yan, this old master will remember this! This Qian must sever his friendship with you!” Qian Tong snarled.
Just now, Yan Pei had told Qian Tong that he held the absolute advantage right now because he was the only one knew about the rare treasures which had appeared, but in a flash, that advantage had disappeared. If Yan Pei hadn’t intentionally leaked the news, how could these people have gathered here?
Everyone heard Qian Tong’s words and wanted to laugh, but none of them dared show any signs of doing so on their faces. Elder Qian was clearly unhappy right now, so no one was eager to find trouble with him.
“Elder Qian!” The busy Shadow Moon Hall disciples finally breathed a sigh of relief when their Elder suddenly appeared.
They really couldn’t handle this situation.
“How many already went through?” Qian Tong took a deep breath, calming his anger while trying to ask in a calm tone.
“Six have left so far,” A Shadow Moon Hall disciple replied quickly.
“En,” Qian Tong nodded. Since only six departed already he hadn’t come too late. Turning around, Qian Tong saw between sixty to seventy people in the hall. Snorting loudly, he asked, “Do all of you want to return to your respective Sects to gather Saint Crystals? Did you receive news from that old dog Yan?”
The sixty or seventy people in the hall wore embarrassed looks, some of them scratching their ears while others scratched their cheeks, some looked up at the dome of the hall silently while some looked down and whispered under their breath …
No one answered Qian Tong’s question though.
“Good, if you want to go back to raise Saint Crystals, this old master won’t try to stop you, but such frequent use of Heavenly Fate City’s Space Array will put a huge load on it, resulting in great damage, possibly even its complete destruction! As such, this old master must raise the usage fee.”
The sixty or seventy masters in the hall immediately shot incredulous looks towards Qian Tong. Everyone here knew he was spouting nonsense. Each Space Array was an ancient relic that had been used for many years without any issue. Even if it was used far more frequently than normal, it wouldn’t be in any danger of being destroyed. This was all just an excuse for Qian Tong to raise prices.
Everyone understood this truth in their heart, but no one dared to question Qian Tong. After all, this was Heavenly Fate City, a city under Shadow Moon Hall’s jurisdiction. The Space Array here also belonged to Shadow Moon Hall, so unless they didn’t want to use it, they would not offend Qian Tong. All of them had been entrusted with an important mission so none wanted to return empty-handed.
Qian Tong grinned meaningfully before saying, “It’s just a small additional charge, five hundred thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals a person!”
“Elder Qian, please be reasonable!” Someone immediately shouted, “The price to use a Space Array is usually just ten thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, how could you suddenly raise the price fifty times, isn’t that excessive?”
“Yes yes, five hundred thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals is too much, isn’t it?”
“Elder Qian, how can you collect such black-hearted money?”
…
The large group of people began shouting and clamouring. If a single use of a Space Array cost five hundred thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, who would ever use it?
When the few Shadow Moon Hall disciples saw the situation spiralling out of control, they couldn’t help feeling terrified. This was nothing less than provoking public anger, how could Elder Qian say such a thing? All of them thought their Elder had made some kind of mistake.
“You don’t have to use it, this old master won’t force you either way,” Qian Tong said, unperturbed, “But this old master must remind you that the auction will start soon. If you fail to raise enough Saint Crystals and return before those few items appear, heh…”
“I’ll use it, this is half a million Saint Crystals!” Before Qian Tong even finished his words, a burly man walked up and tossed over a Space Ring to a Shadow Moon Hall disciple guarding the Space Array.
The disciple caught the Space Ring, swept it with his Divine Sense, confirmed the amount was correct, then nodded to Qian Tong.
“Open the array!” Qian Tong waved his hand and a white light flashed, causing the burly man’s figure to quickly disappear.
Even now, the several disciples of Shadow Moon Hall were still completely baffled about what was happening. None of them could figure out why they had suddenly obtained five hundred thousand Saint Crystals so easily.
The maintenance and use of a Space Array were simply to facilitate the communication between the major cities and Sects on Shadowed Star. No one had ever used it as a tool to make money, but today, it seemed Elder Qian Tong was about to set a new precedent.
A single use of the Space Array for half a million Saint Crystals, sixty or seventy people waiting to use the Space Array, other people still rushing over…
How many Saint Crystals were they going to earn? The Shadow Moon Hall disciples soon began trembling with excitement. If this worked, in the future Shadow Moon Hall wouldn’t need to operate any shops or stores, the fee collected for using the Space Array along would be enough to make Shadow Moon Hall the wealthiest Sect on Shadowed Star.
Everything was easier once someone went first. After the burly man left, everyone who had been hesitating immediately charged forward, handed over the five hundred thousand Saint Crystals, then quickly departed via the Space Array.
The disciples from Shadow Moon Hall smiled from ear to ear, assigning one person specifically to take inventory of the Saint Crystals. Each time they received the appropriate fee, the other disciples would open the Space Array and send the one who had paid to their intended destination before continuing to collect the next fee.
“Elder Qian, if you ever come to my Vast City, my Floating Mist Palace will be sure to entertain you appropriately!” A middle-aged man who was clearly angered by Qian Tong charging so many Saint Crystals stared at him and declared. Clearly, he meant that if Qian Tong wanted to use the Space Array in Vast city, it would cost him five hundred thousand Saint Crystals.
Qian Tong simply grinned happily and retorted, “This old master intends to die of old age in Heavenly Fate City and won’t be going anywhere.”
Hearing those words, the middle-aged man was so mad he nearly couldn’t contain himself, the Space Array flashing in the next instant, delivering him to Vast City.
The scene inside the hall was very lively. Watching one person after another pay Saint Crystals then being transported away, the bitterness in Qian Tong’s heart finally dissipated.
Yan Pei had just eaten meat so he could not blame him for drinking some soup! In any case, since things had gotten to this point, Qian Tong could only make money first and think about everything else after.
Never before had there been an auction like this one, where all the great Sects scrambled to raise as many Saint Crystals as possible just moments before it began. There was a surge of activity in Heavenly Fate City.
No auction had ever brought such a huge gain to its host site either.
This time, though simply tolls on the Space Array, Shadow Moon Hall was able to raise over thirty million High-Rank Saint Crystals. There were other forces present that didn’t have sufficient financial resources or simply felt they had no chance of winning and gave up using the Space Array. Otherwise, Shadow Moon Hall would definitely have gained even more wealth.
Even though the Space Array was constantly being opened, Treasure Trove Pavilion’s auction started on time.
Yan Pei was quite sinister and deliberately let some people spread rumours that the bidding for the finale items would be far more intense than normal. In fact, he did it, but this did not prevent the auction from being held, nor did he deliberately postpone its start time.
The most valuable items would naturally be sold at the end of the auction, which was at least seven hours away. With that much time, it wouldn’t be hard for those great forces to collect a large number of Saint Crystals.
Yan Pei was looking forward to the progress of this auction more than ever, sipping tea in his A-Block private room, calmly waiting for the finale to arrive.
Wind instruments played as drums were beaten, causing the noisy auction hall to suddenly quiet down. Atop the platform, more than a dozen young girls floated down from above, scattering flower petals from the baskets they were carrying as the bright lights further illuminated the centre stage, drawing everyone’s attention.
The fragrance of the flowers filled the auction hall as the dozen young girls smiled dazzlingly, like graceful goddesses descending from the heavens.
The girls waved their long sleeves in an enchanting dance, each of them displaying different yet equally intoxicating expressions that fascinated the hearts of all who were watching before gently landing and drawing back.
A beautiful woman with a voluptuous figure then walked up onto the high platform, her skin was as white as snow and her tight-fitting dress accentuating her astonishing curves while leaving her two jade arms bare. The low cut around her neck revealed a deep, seemingly bottomless valley that sucked in the eyes of the audience members.
Her hair was pulled up into an exquisite bun that exposed delicate nape of her neck, adding a touch of nobility and grace to her appearance.
When this beautiful woman appeared, she immediately drew in more attention than the young girls who came before her with her rich, mature charm, exuding an exotic flavour that enticed the appetites of everyone around.
The beautiful woman stood on the high platform and bowed elegantly, her glossy red lips curled into the most attractive of smiles as a pleasant voice leaked from them, “Honoured Guests from far away, thank you all for participating in my Treasure Trove Pavilion’s auction. I would also like to say a special thank you to Shadow Moon Hall’s Elder Qian Tong for his strong support. This auction was only able to proceed so smoothly thanks to Elder Qian’s contributions.”
As soon as these words were said, several dozen people in the A Block and B private rooms immediately muttered curses. They had all received messages from their disciples just now and knew that Qian Tong had extorted five hundred thousand Saint Crystals from each of them in exchange for a single use of Heavenly Fate City’s Space Array. Knowing this, who would thank him at this time? Not shouting profanities at him right now was already giving Qian Tong a huge amount of face, but thanking him? In his dreams!
Yang Kai, in room C-13, observed this beautiful woman with interest. Although he had never participated in such an auction before, that didn’t mean he knew nothing about them.
The auctioneer played an important part in any auction. A good auctioneer could control the atmosphere of the room, heating it up to the point where prices also rose.
With this woman’s beauty alone, even if she didn’t say a word, she could increase the various bidders’ enthusiasm by several grades. Treasure Trove Pavilion was really sinister.
The beautiful woman on the stage reported her name, then humbly spoke about the hospitality offered by Treasure Trove Pavilion, apologizing for any shortcomings the guests may have experienced. Her words were smooth and sincere, so no one could find fault with her. She kept a fresh, spring-like smile on her face, causing everyone to feel warm and comfortable, as if they were relaxing in their own home. Her elegant eyes also moved about lightly but deliberately, making everyone mistakenly think that she was looking at them, hoping to see them display their valour, and wealth of course.
After speaking for a while, the beautiful woman let out a silver bell-like laughter before saying, “But enough idle talk, let the auction begin! The first item we are auctioning today is a Saint King Grade High-Rank Artefact Armour!”
While the auctioneer spoke, a woman donning an elegant dress slowly walked up on stage holding a large jade plate in her hands. Atop this jade plate was a five coloured Saint King Grade High-Rank Artifact Armour, one that was radiating powerful energy fluctuations and was exquisitely designed, it was no doubt a high-quality defensive artefact.
The beautiful woman paused for a moment, and after everyone had a chance to admire this Artifact Armour, she continued, “This five coloured Artifact Armour is a recent work of my Treasure Trove Pavilion’s Grandmaster Artifact Refiner, Grandmaster Gong. Grandmaster Gong’s reputation precedes himself so I will not elaborate on his skills. This Artifact Armour not only possesses excellent defensive strength, but it can also change size at will so it can be easily used by a man or a woman. The starting price is set at thirty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, each new bid must raise the price no less than two thousand Saint Crystals. Everyone, please!”
When this beautiful woman reported the starting price, Yang Kai frowned slightly before glancing over at Yang Yan.
If he remembered correctly, among the first batch of artefacts Yang Yan had refined for him, there was a single Saint King Grade High-Rank auxiliary artefact. That artefact was refined from the wings of an Illusionary Cloud Butterfly and according to Yang Yan was worth about thirty thousand Saint Crystals.
Although they were both Saint King Grade High-Rank artefacts, Yang Kai felt that Yang Yan’s wings were far better than this five coloured armour. Not only was it rarer and more beautiful, it also had better functionality.
If those wings were only worth thirty thousand Saint Crystals, could this Artifact Armour also be worth just as much? And this was just the starting price!
While he was thinking so though, someone had already started bidding, the price they offered causing Yang Kai’s eyes to twitch.
“Fifty thousand!”
The person who bid actually raised the price by twenty thousand Saint Crystals right off the bat.
The beautiful woman on the stage smiled and said, “This friend in seat one six nine is indeed a man who knows the quality of goods, he bids fifty thousand for this Artifact Armour, is there any…”
Before she could finish what she was saying though, someone shouted, “Fifty-two thousand!”
“Fifty-five thousand!”
“Fifty-eight thousand!”
The beautiful woman no longer spoke and simply stood atop the high stage while flashing the same enchanting smile she had worn since she appeared. She knew that she didn’t need to say anything more as those who wanted this Artifact Armour would definitely raise the price all on their own.
As the price rose, the cultivators sitting on the auction’s main floor scrambled to bid, none of them willing to show weakness, but the guests in the private rooms remained silent, none of them showing any intention to participate.
Those who could sit in the private rooms belonged to famous great forces on Shadowed Star. Although this Artifact Armour was good, it wasn’t worthy of them lowering themselves to compete with the people in the hall.
In Room C-13, Wu Yi stared at the five coloured armour with envy, her beautiful eyes filled with excitement, but the starting price already being thirty thousand, she could only sigh.
Yang Yan coldly snorted and spat disdainfully, “This kind of thing can also be sold for such a high price? There are too many blind people here.”
Yang Kai also felt the same. The cultivation resources on Shadowed Star were relatively scarce, especially Saint Crystals, so the value of a single piece of Saint Crystal here was much higher than in the outside world. Seeing this kind of defensive artefact still rising in price really made Yang Kai wonder what these people were thinking.
One of the Shadow Moon Hall female disciples who had been waiting by the side chuckled lightly and explained, “They are competing over this artefact due to Grandmaster Gong’s fame. If this Artifact Armour had been refined by an unknown person, it would be impossible for it to have such a high price.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, understanding that fame had an effect no matter where one went. Gong Tai Hong was apparently an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner, so even if the product he produced wasn’t the highest of quality, others would still compete to own it. As such, it was only natural for his artefacts to sell for more than other Artifact Refiners’.
However, after the price of the five coloured armour reached eighty thousand, the rate of new bids slowed down noticeably. It seemed those who were interested in this Artifact Armour were running out of Saint Crystals.
A short time later, this Artifact Armour was purchased for eighty-four thousand Saint Crystals by a young man in the hall.
The Treasure Trove Pavilion female disciple holding the Artifact Armour stepped off the high platform and delivered it to the young man while accepting his payment.
The young man who received the Artifact Armour immediately handed it to the beautiful woman nestled next to him, winning him a kiss his cheek. The young man laughed heartily as if he were the biggest winner in the world.
The second item auctioned was a set of ten King Transformation Pills with a starting price of ten thousand Saint Crystals. These pills eventually sold for twenty-seven thousand Saint Crystals and were similarly purchased by someone on the main floor. From the winner’s appearance, they were obviously here to represent some small family and had purchased them to bring back home with them.
The next items were a variety of pills, artefacts, Secret Arts, Martial Skills, etc. There were even some precious raw materials with high and low starting prices.
The atmosphere in the auction house gradually became hot and as one precious item after another was brought out, countless people rushed to bid. The most expensive item selling for two hundred thousand Saint Crystals, shocking Yang Kai speechless.
He felt that he had greatly underestimated the capital of Shadowed Star’s forces. Most of his understanding of Shadowed Star came from Wu Yi, but Wu Yi came from a relatively small background and didn’t understand the true strength of those great forces or what kind of wealth they possessed.
Apparently there was no lack of rich people on Shadowed Star.
Soon, Yang Kai was infected by the atmosphere of the room and even had the urge to shout out a bid for some items, even knowing they weren’t useful to him.
Fortunately, he was completely broke and had no ability to participate in this auction; however, even if he could participate, he had enough self-control to not do so.
Secretly though, Yang Kai marvelled at these things called auctions. An item worth only ten thousand Saint Crystal could be sold for several times more once it was put up in a good auction, it seemed auctions were definitely a great way to gather money.
Yang Kai was a bit calmer and sensible, but Yang Yan and Wu Yi were completely different. They had become completely caught up in the heat of the auction and even though neither of them were qualified to bid, that didn’t prevent them from standing up, pointing at others, and cheering them on, celebrating when the ones they were rooting for won and sighing forlornly when they failed.
Where had their poised ladylike looks disappear to?
With a slightly blushing face, Yang Kai grabbed two spirit fruits and shoved them into Wu Yi and Yang Yan’s mouths, finally settling them down a bit.
The two female Shadow Moon Hall disciples stood behind them pursing their lips as their shoulders trembled, doing their best to not laugh.
The auction was in full swing, and as time passed, the value of the items Treasure Trove Pavilion brought out was getting higher and higher. For the first hour or two, the auctioned items were basically for the cultivators sitting on the ground floor. Those in the private rooms up above had barely participated up to this point, but after the two-hour mark, voices from the private rooms began calling out with much higher frequency.
The beautiful woman on the stage has been standing there for so long yet the pretty smile on her face never wavered and she didn’t seem the least bit fatigued, her words still ringing out crisp and sweet. At the most appropriate times, she would raise the enthusiasm of those people who were bidding so that every item was sold for a high price.
“The next item to be auctioned is a very special one…” The beautiful woman opened her lips again, her charming voice seemingly drawing Saint Crystals out of the crowd’s pockets, “The reason why this thing is special is that its value may be high or may be low.”
While saying so, the elegantly dressed woman responsible for displaying the auction items stepped out onto the high platform holding a jade plate in her hands. Almost everyone’s eyes were fixed on that jade plate, wanting to know what was being sold as the beautiful woman’s description had been so ambiguous.
Atop the high platform, the woman set down the jade plate and picked up its contents, pinching its corners with her hands and slowly rotating around so that everyone could get a good look at it. Countless Divine Senses swept the stage immediately, and after waiting for everyone to see this item, it was placed back down on the jade plate.
The beautiful female auctioneer giggled and proceeded, “Everyone should have seen it clearly. This is an ancient map! The origin of this ancient map is very special. When one of my Treasure Trove Pavilion’s disciples was out collecting items to be auctioned, he coincidentally saved someone’s life, and in return for his actions, he was given this ancient map. The saved individual said that this was an ancestral relic of his family and according to the research of many experts in my Treasure Trove Pavilion, this ancient map is only a fragment of a much larger map. We don’t know the specific fraction this map is of the complete map, but it is at least several thousand years old. The location pointed to by this ancient map isn’t clear and no one knows what treasures it is hiding. Perhaps there is nothing special at its end, but perhaps… there is amazing wealth, profound inheritance, or high-grade artefacts and Secret Arts just waiting to be discovered!”
As the beautiful woman’s voice rang out, and the map’s description left her lips, the atmosphere inside the auction heated up even more.
Shocking wealth, profound Secret Arts, mysterious inheritances, these words drew the attention of everyone in the private rooms and on the floor.
Of course, everyone knew that despite this woman’s extravagant and coloured description, her words were very unreliable. This was just a fragment of a map, who knew it would be of any use or if what it led to was of any worth?
Moreover, if this ancient map had great value, it would not have been put up for auction. Treasure Trove Pavilion was an incredibly powerful force in its own right and would naturally send its own people out to dig up this treasure if they felt it was worth doing so.
The beautiful woman, however, could see that excitement in the room had risen so she knew she had achieved her objective, no longer wasting any time and simply saying, “The starting price for this ancient map is ten thousand Saint Crystals!”
She didn’t even mention any restrictions on increasing the bid, obviously intending for people to act freely.
“Ten thousand!” Although it was just a fragment of a map, that didn’t lower the value of obtaining it. The fact that no other map fragment had been found so far didn’t mean one wouldn’t be found in the future. For a mere ten thousand Saint Crystals, one may be able to purchase a priceless opportunity, so when the beautiful woman’s voice fell, countless people shouted bid the minimum price.
The beautiful woman smiled lightly as she looked at one of the people on the main floor, “This friend in seat eighty-seven was the first to bid, if other friends wish to win this treasure, please raise your bids!”
“Twelve thousand!”
“Fifteen thousand!”
The bids from the main floor rose rapidly and even those from the private rooms entered the fray, but each time someone made a new bid, they would at most raise the price by two or three thousand Saint Crystals.
Soon, the ancient map fragment with a base price of ten thousand climbed to fifty thousand, then seventy thousand, then eighty thousand…
After reaching eighty thousand, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly solidified and no one continued to bid.
Eighty thousand Saint Crystals for this ancient map fragment was quite a high price and no one was willing to increase it further; after all, its current value wasn’t even that high.
Yang Kai shook his head and was about to say a few words to Wu Yi about an unrelated matter when he suddenly discovered that Yang Yan’s expression was a little weird, prompting him to ask, “What’s wrong?”
Yang Yan glanced back at him and replied in a whisper, “I have a similar map fragment!”
“What?” Yang Kai was startled, asking again to confirm, “Are you sure?”
Yang Yan nodded sincerely.
“Eighty-two thousand!” Yang Kai didn’t even think about it and directly entered a bid, but in the next moment, his face cramped as he remembered he didn’t actually have that many Saint Crystals on him, making him feel incredibly awkward.
But since he had already sent out a bid, it was naturally impossible for Yang Kai to take it back. If he were to try, he would definitely be thrown out by Treasure Trove Pavilion’s people, resulting in a great disgrace.
The atmosphere that had cooled down suddenly became hot again with Yang Kai’s offer, and the beautiful auctioneer smiled brilliantly towards the private room and said in a loud voice, “This friend from room C-13 has bid for eighty-two thousand, is there any higher bid?”
Just when Yang Kai was about to panic about what to do, a new voice called out from down on the main floor, solving this embarrassing problem for him.
“One hundred thousand!”
Yang Kai clearly felt that after this person called out this price, countless Divine Senses gathered on him. There were only two possibilities for this man to make such a determined effort to acquire this ancient map fragment, either he didn’t care about spending a hundred thousand Saint Crystals for this uncertain opportunity, or he had another fragment of this map.
The man who called out this last bid also seemed to detect that something was wrong and immediately lowered his head, but his appearance has long been remembered by the interested parties, hiding now was useless.
Yang Kai also took note of this person’s appearance. He was a middle-aged man with low strength, only a First Order Saint King. He was wearing ordinary clothes and didn’t seem to be very well off.
Did this person also have a map fragment? Yang Kai thought secretly.
Yang Kai was fairly certain this was the case, and not only was he, but several others in the hall were also convinced as well. Once this man left Treasure Trove Pavilion, he would likely be stared at by countless people. Buying this ancient map fragment had brought disaster down upon him.
Thinking so, Yang Kai was secretly startled and felt fortunate that this person had solved this danger for him, otherwise, he would be the one everyone would be paying attention to.
However, Yang Yan possessing another fragment of this map was something completely unexpected for Yang Kai. If these two map fragments were pieced together, perhaps he would be able to find some clue about what it led to. Yang Kai was secretly debating what to do about this second map fragment. If he wanted to take it, he would need to choose an appropriate method and act quickly before others could.
What if what the beautiful woman said was true and this ancient map fragment led to some kind of amazing treasure….
On the high stage, the voice of the beautiful female auctioneer sounded again, “One hundred thousand, is there any higher bid? One hundred thousand once… one hundred thousand twice…”
After a slow three count during which no other bids were made, the ancient map fragment was won by the middle-aged man for one hundred thousand Saint Crystal. The Treasure Trove Pavilion disciple holding the map fragment then delivered it to the man and accepted his hundred thousand Saint Crystal payment, completing the transaction.
As soon as he got hold of this map fragment though, the middle-aged man felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He definitely wanted to get up right away and leave, but he didn’t dare to act so rashly, forcing himself to sit in his chair and wait.
His performance only made everyone else more certain he had another piece of this ancient map.
The auction proceeded, but suddenly, one of the two Shadow Moon Hall female disciples took out her communication artefact and after reviewing the message sent to her, smiled widely, “Young Master Yang, Elder Qian has come to see you.”
“Please have him come in,” Yang Kai happened to be looking for Qian Tong, but he hadn’t expected him to come over on his own accord.
The female disciple nodded and immediately went to open the private room’s door only to see Qian Tong waited outside with a big smile.
Anyone who had suddenly obtained thirty million Saint Crystals without any effort would also be laughing stupidly like Qian Tong. As for Yan Pei leaking out news causing Qian Tong to lose this rare opportunity, Qian Tong no longer cared.
With an additional thirty million Saint Crystals, if Shadow Moon Hall couldn’t outbid the competition, Qian Tong would have nothing to say.
“Nephew Yang, this Qian had some matters to attend to and was unable to get away until now, please forgive me!” Qian Tong cupped his hand and said politely.
“Elder Qian is too serious, we wouldn’t be eligible to sit here without Elder Qian’s help,” Yang Kai chuckled while inviting Qian Tong in to sit down.
Qian Tong however just waved his hand and said, “This Qian must represent Shadow Moon Hall in this auction so I cannot remain here for long. I merely came here to thank Nephew Yang.”
“Thank me?” Yang Kai was confused, not knowing what he was talking about.
“Indeed, I must thank Nephew Yang for bringing such huge benefits to my Shadow Moon Hall. En, this is just a small token of appreciation from my Shadow Moon Hall, I hope Nephew Yang won’t refuse,” Qian Tong said as he passed over a Space Ring.
Yang Kai didn’t respond for a moment, simply staring back at Qian Tong for a while before asking, “Elder Qian, can you explain the situation clearly? I really don’t know what I have done to warrant such a gift from Shadow Moon Hall.”
Qian Tong’s words were quite meaningful. He had said that this was a show of appreciation from Shadow Moon Hall, not himself. Accepting a gift from such a powerful force for no apparent reason made Yang Kai quite uncomfortable.
This couldn’t be related to the few items he had brought to the auction either, as the ultimate beneficiary of those items was Treasure Trove Pavilion, they brought no advantage at all to Shadow Moon Hall.
Seemingly understanding that Yang Kai didn’t want to owe others any favours, like when he had tried to give him that Wild Rose Pill, Qian Tong knew that if he didn’t make the situation clear this time, Yang Kai would certainly not accept this Space Ring.
Thinking about it briefly, Qian Tong explained, “It’s like this: The several items Nephew Yang delivered just now to be auctioned were valued extremely highly, catching the great forces that came to participate in this auction unprepared. As such, all of them needed to use by Heavenly Fate City’s Space Array to return to their respective Sects to collect additional Saint Crystals. Seeing this, this old master decided to charge them a small additional toll to make use of it. Ahem, en, so the large part of this toll is Nephew’s credit, but after all, those assets belong to Shadow Moon Hall so this Elder doesn’t dare give you too much of it. This is just a small gift; Nephew Yang has no reason to refuse.”
Yang Kai was stunned, not having expect Qian Tong to do this kind of business, admiring his boldness as he thought about just how many people Qian Tong must have offended. No wonder he had seen so many people leaving the private rooms in A Block and B Block just before the auction started, it was all to raise more Saint Crystals.
Yang Kai knew very well what the value of the treasures he had brought to auction were, and with Qian Tong’s explanation just now, he immediately understand that this really was his own credit.
No longer seeing a reason to refuse, Yang Kai happily accepted the Space Ring and laughed, “Since that’s the case, this Junior won’t be polite. I originally wanted to find Elder Qian to borrow a few Saint Crystals in the interim, but now that seems unnecessary.”
Yang Kai truly wanted to see Qian Tong to borrow some Saint Crystals just now. Originally, he had no intention of participating in this auction; however, the appearance of the ancient map fragment had made Yang Kai realize that perhaps something he truly needed would appear. If such an item appeared but he didn’t have any Saint Crystals to bid with, how sad would it be? Moreover, seeing Wu Yi and Yang Yan cheer so enthusiastically for others, how could Yang Kai not realize they too wanted to join in the fun?
Unexpectedly, as if he had predicted such the future, Qian Tong came over and gifted him some Saint Crystals.
This delighted Yang Kai.
Qian Tong also laughed, “As long as Nephew Yang doesn’t bid on something too expensive, these Saint Crystals should be enough.”
He didn’t say how many Saint Crystals he had given and Yang Kai didn’t ask. Such things weren’t meant to be discussed openly by civilized gentlemen. Qian tong had also said that this was just a small show of appreciation from Shadow Moon Hall and couldn’t be used to make Yang Kai owe him a favour personally.
Just then, the beautiful woman on the auction floor said loudly, “I believe everyone will be very interested in the next item, so please prepare your bids!”
With this remark, Yang Kai clearly felt that the atmosphere in each of the private rooms sudden become tense. Obviously they had gotten some small advanced warning about what this item might be and while the cultivators on the main floor were in the dark, that didn’t hinder their expectations from rising as well.
The woman in charge of presenting the auction items walked out onto the stage with a beautiful jade bottle placed atop a fine jade plate. The beautiful female auctioneer picked up the jade bottle and opened the cap while excitedly saying, “What will be auctioned next is an Origin Condensing Pill!”
Sure enough, as soon as the beautiful woman’s words fell, the audience burst into a ruckus, causing her to smile even more brightly, satisfied with everyone’s response.
After the beautiful female auctioneer’s remarks, everyone in the auction hall began clamouring. In room C-13, Qian Tong hurriedly cupped his fists to Yang Kai and said, “Nephew Yang, if you have time after this auction, this old master would still like to have a word with you, but right now this old master must snatch this Origin Condensing Pill, so please excuse me.”
Yang Kai did not try to detain him and simply nodded, “Elder Qian, please carry on.”
Qian Tong left in a hurry. The beautiful woman waiting a moment before lifting her hand and quieting the audience; after the noise subsided, she continued, “Everyone knows the effects of this Origin Condensing Pill. It can improve the chances a Third Order Saint King cultivator can break through to the Origin Returning Realm. Shadowed Star is severely lacking in resources so there are no Origin King Realm masters, the Origin Returning Realm are the greatest powerhouses of our respective forces, but each year the number of cultivators who reach the Origin Returning Realm is very small, the biggest reason for this because we do not have many Alchemists capable of refining Origin Condensing Pills. Although this pill is just a Saint King Grade High-Rank pill, the difficulty in refining it is no less than a common Origin Grade Low-Rank pill with a success rate of less than thirty percent. It took great effort and resources to even acquire this single pill. The base price is one hundred thousand Saint Crystals, each bid must increase the price no less than two thousand Saint Crystals, please!”
When the words of this beautiful woman reached his ears, Yang Kai was startled.
This Origin Condensing Pill was obviously brought to the auction by him, and it wasn’t just one but two, so what was all this about Treasure Trove Pavilion expending great effort to collect it? This woman really knew how to spin out a tale, but in the auction hall, except for a few people who knew the truth, everyone else was obviously oblivious to the origins of this Origin Condensing Pill. The beautiful woman was doing all this just to raise the Origin Condensing Pill’s price.
Buying an Origin Condensing Pill was almost equivalent to buying an Origin Returning Realm master, any great force would desperately want to acquire it.
However, Yang Kai had clearly brought two Origin Condensing Pills, but Treasure Trove Pavilion was now only auctioning off one. Apparently, they wanted to raise a big fuss over this Origin Condensing Pill as a warm-up, but even if someone snatched it up, the competition probably wouldn’t be too intense.
Most cultivators didn’t want to rely on such pills to break through as they were just supplementary means.
Yang Kai’s guess was soon proved right. The competition over this Origin Condensing Pill was truly hot, but none of the honoured guests in the private rooms joined in. Instead, it was the cultivators sitting on the main floor who were posting all the bids, raising the price in a short time from one hundred thousand to two hundred and eighty thousand.
The forces behind these cultivators weren’t nearly as powerful as the ones behind those sitting in the private rooms, so the number of Origin Returning Realm masters they possessed was quite small. A single Origin Condensing Pill wouldn’t bring too many benefits to a great force, after all, it could only be used by one cultivator, but for these small forces, a single Origin Returning Realm master could increase their strength and status significantly.
If a force like the Hai Ke Family or Xu Family, that had a number of Third Order Saint Kings but no Origin Returning Realm master, could acquire this Origin Condensing Pill, they would be able to soar upwards and enter the inner circle of Shadow Moon Hall, enjoying completely different treatment that what they were currently receiving.
That was why these smaller forces went all out to win this Origin Condensing Pill.
After the price reached two hundred and eighty thousand, the bidding gradually weakened. Two hundred and eighty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals were the bottom line for most of these people, so no matter how much they wanted to increase the bid, they were not unable to.
“The guest in seat three two one has bid two hundred and eighty thousand, is there any higher bid?” The beautiful female auctioneer called out repeatedly, her smile as elegant as before.
The man who called the price of two hundred and eighty thousand stood up in excitement, looking around with equal parts nervousness and eagerness on his face, lest someone now outbid him, so anxious he couldn’t bear to wait for the beautiful woman to make her customary appeals, “Hurry up, no one is going to increase the price, hurry up.”
The beautiful woman also seemed to have reached such a conclusion and smiled slightly upon hearing these words, calling out loudly, “Two hundred and eighty thousand going…”
“Three hundred thousand!” A low voice suddenly echoed from one of the private rooms, interrupting the beautiful woman’s words.
The beautiful auctioneer froze as her dazzling eyes went towards the private room where the voice originated from.
The cultivator who was just about to win heard the three hundred thousand come from one of the A Block private rooms and immediately sat down dejectedly.
Forget about the other party making a higher bid than him, the simple fact that this person was sitting in the A Block private rooms meant he was not someone who could be provoked. This person not bidding before was obviously because they disdained to participate in a shouting match with the cats and dogs on the main floor and was only intended to speak the final word.
It could be said that this person’s methods were commendable. He had allowed the lower level cultivators in the hall to heat up the atmosphere before jumping in at the last moment and showing off his wealth.
His approach was quite successful as no one on the main floor made another bid.
The beautiful woman’s lips curled upwards slightly as she prepared to start the countdown again. Although an Origin Condensing Pill was quite rare and precious, three hundred thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals fell within her expected sale price.
But before she could speak, someone made a new bid, and an outrageous one at that.
“Four hundred thousand!” After quoting this price, the person behind the bid let out a great laugh and quipped, “An Origin Condensing Pill is such a valuable treasure, it deserves better bids than this. It’s insulting to simply raise the price a few thousand Saint Crystals at a time.”
These words were no doubt mocking the A Block private room guest who had just bid three hundred thousand, but no one thought there was a problem with that, because the one who made this new bid was also sitting in the A Block private rooms. Clearly, this person’s status was not lower than the previous bidder.
On Shadowed Star, the great forces didn’t share a harmonious relationship. There were many open fights between them, and some were even blood enemies. The smarter individuals in the hall had already guessed that there was some kind of grudge between these two people, or the forces behind them; otherwise, why would they be picking such an obvious fight?
“Elder Qian…” Wu Yi whispered in private room C-13. The voice that just called out the four hundred thousand bid was actually Qian Tong’s. This old fogey left only a moment ago yet in the blink of an eye he had thrown out so much money. It really made her wonder where he had gotten so many Saint Crystals.
Yang Kai also frowned, wondering what game Qian Tong was playing. He clearly knew that this Origin Condensing Pill was brought here by him, so why was he raising the price so high? If Qian Tong really won it, wouldn’t he just be losing money? Or did he really want this pill for some reason?
Perhaps he was deliberately raising the price in order to buy it back at a high price and sell Yang Kai a favour, but But Qian Tong no doubt knew there was a better Origin Condensing Pill to come in this auction so there was no need to go all out here. If Qian Tong really wanted to sell Yang Kai a favour, it would be better to raise the price of the other Origin Condensing Pill instead.
Yang Kai could only assume that Qian Tong had some kind of grudge with the person who made the previous bid.
“Hmph, four hundred and ten thousand!” The previous bidder outright ignored the ridicule behind Qian Tong’s words and with a cold snort raise the price by a mere ten thousand again.
“Five hundred thousand!” In contrast, Qian Tong put on the air of a filthy rich man and immediately bid a price that drew shock and admiration from many cultivators in the hall.
“Five hundred and ten thousand!”
“Six hundred thousand!”
…..
The situation devolved into a fight between these two people with on Qian Tong and the other man now shouting out successive bids in the hall. The price of this Origin Condensing Pill soared, making Yang Kai feel like he was dreaming, hardly able to believe the pill he had casually refined would sell for such a high price.
He had asked Wu Yi what pill was the most expensive on Shadowed Star. Wu Yi had named the Origin Condensing Pill and Origin Nirvana Pill. Yang Kai wasn’t able to refine the Origin Nirvana Pill so he instead refined two Origin Condensing Pills. He was originally afraid that Yang Yan ‘s two Origin Grade artefacts wouldn’t be able to see for a high enough price so he wanted to contribute something, but he had never thought that the price of an Origin Condensing Pill would reach such heights.
With six hundred thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, Yang Kai could purchase a large number of precious materials, enough for Yang Yan to expand and enhance the Spirit Array around Dragon Cave Mountain significantly.
What’s more, the bidding war between Qian Tong and the other man was still ongoing, causing the price to soar to seven hundred thousand in a flash!
Countless gasps and sighs rang out from the private rooms, all of them feeling like these two had gone crazy, actually raising the price of an Origin Condensing Pill to such a height. Even if there was a deep hatred between these two, that alone shouldn’t have been enough to create such a debacle. What if this set a precedent for future Origin Condensing Pills that appeared for auction? Would they all need to be bought at such an outrageous price? If that was the case, only fools would buy them.
“So many Saint Crystals, these rich people are really too terrifying,” Wu Yi smiled bitterly, thinking about how the Hai Ke Family would struggle desperately just to earn a few tens of thousands of Saint Crystals while here in Treasure Trove Pavilion’s auction, this kind of money could be freely squandered.
“Just wait a bit and those Saint Crystal will be ours,” Yang Kai scratched his cheek lightly.
“Why?” Wu Yi stared at him blankly.
“That Origin Condensing Pill being auctioned is mine.”
“What?” Wu Yi and Yang Yan both stared at Yang Kai in disbelief, and even the two female disciples from Shadow Moon Hall covered their mouths in shock, neither of them having imagined that the young man they had been assigned to serve was actually so wealthy. With just these seven hundred thousand Saint Crystals, his status in their minds had immediately soared.
“Eight hundred thousand!” Qian Tong called out, his voice still unhurriedly, as if eight hundred thousand Saint Crystals weren’t even worth him worrying about.
“Nine hundred thousand!” The man competing with Qian Tong had also been driven to the limits of forbearance and abandoned his previous stance of only increasing his bid by ten thousand, directly adding a hundred thousand Saint Crystals before angrily shouting, “Qian Tong old dog, if you want to fight, this old master will accompany you! A trivial hundred thousand Saint Crystal is nothing for my Sea Temple!”
“Hahaha!” Qian Tong laughed wantonly, “Jiang Huai An, what do you mean? Is this your first-time participating Treasure Trove Pavilion’s auction? No matter the treasure, whoever bids the highest price wins it, do you not even understand such a simple truth? This old master has a liking for this Origin Condensing Pill, so naturally he will bid freely. If you can’t afford to compete with this old master, then accept defeat graciously. En, this old master recently picked up a few tens of millions of Saint Crystals but has no idea what to do with them. If I don’t even buy something I want, what am I supposed to do with them? Bury them with me?”
As soon as these words came out, angry grumbling leaked from many private rooms while the master from Sea Temple called Jiang Huai An was so mad he nearly coughed up blood.
The Saint Crystals Qian Tong had ‘picked up’ were from nearly everyone in the auction hall’s private rooms. Naturally, Sea Temple had also made a generous contribution. Using others’ Saint Crystals to snatch a treasure that person wanted, Qian Tong’s approach was simply too wicked.
Although everyone was spurning Qian Tong in their hearts, in truth they were all quite envious. Why did such a great opportunity to collect money land in Qian Tong’s lap? The Treasure Trove Pavilion auction was held every two or three years and at cities controlled by various different great forces, but being able to turn this into an opportunity to reap a huge profit required both cunning and ingenuity.
No one spoke up to support Jiang Huai An. Forget about Qian Tong’s words really being how auctions worked, all of them were more than happy to see the atmosphere become livelier. On top of that, it was known that there were some grudges between Shadow Moon Hall and the Sea Temple, so Qian Tong targeting Jiang Huai An in this way was actually a veiled conflict between these two great forces. No one wanted to meddle in this matter.
“So that’s how it is,” Wu Yi whispered suddenly.
“What did you figure out?” Yang Kai looked at her and asked.
“I know why that Jiang Huai An is so determined to buy that Origin Condensing Pill,” Wu Yi smiled, “He is one of the three Temple Masters of Sea Temple. I heard that his favourite son, Jiang Zhi Ren, was born with only average aptitude. Jiang Huai An has used countless precious treasures to promote his son’s cultivation to the Third Order Saint King Realm, but unfortunately, Third Order Saint King is Jiang Zhi Ren’s natural limit. If there is no Origin Condensing Pill, he will forever be unable to break through to the Origin Returning Realm. I heard that Jiang Huai An has travelled widely to buy an Origin Condensing Pill and has also collected several batches of materials to refine an Origin Condensing Pill but has so far been unsuccessful in both respects.”
“So he is willing to go all out to buy this Origin Condensing Pill?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, finally understand why Qian Tong would raise the price so brazenly. He was taking advantage of Jiang Huai An’s weakness and knew that the latter would buy it no matter what.
“It should be so. This Sea Temple Temple Master being willing to pay such a high price is definitely because he wants to bring it back for Jiang Zhi Ren.”
“But there is a limit to everything, this Jiang Huai An may be hot-headed but he’s not a fool. I suspect that if Elder Qian raises the price again, that Origin Condensing Pill will land in his hands,” Yang Kai was slightly worried. Qian Tong was quite good to him so Yang Kai naturally didn’t want Qian Tong to suffer a loss at his own hands.
Wu Yi however just smiled, “What’s there to worry about? Didn’t you just hear what Elder Qian said? He said he just picked up tens of millions of Saint Crystals. Although that’s surely an exaggeration, Elder Qian is no doubt a wealthy man. En, that’s right, how many Saint Crystals did he give you just now?”
“I don’t know,” Yang Kai suddenly remembered that he still had a Space Ring in his hand. Just now, Qian Tong had handed him this ring and then hurriedly left. The auction for the Origin Condensing Pill had started immediately, drawing Yang Kai attention, and in the rush of the bidding, he had forgotten to check just how many Saint Crystals he had been gifted.
Sweeping the Space Ring with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai’s expression instantly froze up.
“How many?” Wu Yi saw Yang Kai’s face cramp and asked nervously, not knowing why her heart was suddenly pounding slightly. Even Yang Yan craned her neck slightly while eagerly waiting for Yang Kai’s reply.
Yang Kai took a deep breath before to calm himself before handing the Space Ring to them, “See for yourself.”
Wu Yi accepted it doubtfully, but after using her Divine Sense to check the amount of Saint Crystals inside the Space Ring, she couldn’t help yelping as she covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock.
Seeing this, Yang Yan seized the Space Ring and also examined it, her reaction not differing much from Wu Yi’s a moment later.
Three million High-Rank Saint Crystals were in the Space Ring sent by Qian Tong. There were actually three million High-Rank Saint Crystals inside this Space Ring! Let alone Wu Yi and Yang Yan, even Yang Kai was dumbstruck by this shocking and unexpected amount.
Yang Kai had thought that Qian Tong was simply sending him a ‘small gift’ of perhaps two or three hundred thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals, how was he supposed to know it would actually be ten times that amount? No wonder Qian Tong said that as long as he didn’t try to buy anything too expensive, these Saint Crystals should be enough for him to spend.
With three million Saint Crystals, how many things could he buy?
“Looks like, Elder Qian wasn’t exaggerating at all. He really did pick up tens of millions of Saint Crystals.” Yang Kai wore a strange expression. He knew that these Saint Crystals were all road tolls collected by Qian Tong, but he hadn’t expected Qian Tong to be so black-hearted. Tens of millions worth of road tolls meant that these three million were less than a tenth of the total amount.
Wu Yi shot a wary glance over to the two female Shadow Moon Hall disciples before whispering to Yang Kai, “We need to act cautiously here…”
Yang Kai however just snorted, “Why should I act cautiously? Those road tolls were mostly my credit. Without me, Elder Qian wouldn’t have been able to charge those forces so many Saint Crystals. We can accept these three million Saint Crystals boldly.”
“Alright…” Wu Yi nodded, still a little worried.
While Yang Kai’s trio were talking amongst themselves, Qian Tong and Jiang Huai An had been trading insults back and forth. Inside his A Block private room, Yan Pei, who had been sipping his tea calmly, had gradually grown annoyed, coldly snorted, and said, “Cease your bickering, everyone here is waiting to continue the auction. If you two really find the other not pleasing to the eye, go outside and fight it out, what point is there in simply exchanging words? Don’t delay my Treasure Trove Pavilion’s business!”
With Treasure Trove Pavilion’s chief steward’s intervention, Qian Tong and Jiang Huai An finally settled down. Even if they didn’t give each other any face, they had to give face to Treasure Trove Pavilion; otherwise, if they were banned from participate in the auction in the future, the ones who would lose would be them. Many of the most precious and valuable treasures on Shadowed Star were auctioned through Treasure Trove Pavilion.
Qian Tong grinned meaningfully and said, “This old master just can’t get used to the stinginess of some people. Forget it, there’s no point in arguing over something so trivial. Whoever wins this wins it. En, girl, what was the last bid for this Origin Condensing Pill?”
The beautiful female auctioneer smiled and replied, “Elder Qian, Temple Master Jiang just bid nine hundred thousand.”
“Nine hundred thousand, such a high price, heh. That’s enough to buy three Origin Condensing Pills.”
As soon as Qian Tong’s words came out, the sound of a chair being crushed could clearly be heard from the private room of Jiang Huai An. This Sea Temple Temple Master obviously wished he could skin Qian Tong alive right now. The price had been raised by Qian Tong himself, yet he now had the audacity to make sarcastic remarks about it. It was like he had vowed not to rest until he annoyed Jiang Huai An to death.
Qian Tong soon shouted again, “One million!”
The audience gasped once more. The auction had been going on for three hours now, and finally a million crystal item had appeared. Although everyone knew that this price was drastically higher than the market price, this was an auction after all, pricing being higher than normal was only natural.
The sound of something being crushed rang out again from the private room occupied by Sea Temple.
Qian Tong however just laughed, “Jiang Huai An, don’t say this old master doesn’t know how to be considerate. You and I have known each other for many years after all. En, it’s a bit inappropriate for us to make a scene here and have others laugh at us for a mere Origin Condensing Pill. If you can outbid this old master once more, this old master will let you have this Origin Condensing Pill, what do you say?”
“One million ten thousand!” Even if he knew perfectly well that Qian Tong was ridiculing him still, Jiang Huai An had to increase the price.
After coming this far, this competition was no longer about this Origin Condensing Pill, but rather about reputation. In addition, these past few years, Jiang Huai An had expended great pains to acquire an Origin Condensing Pill, the herbs he had collected alone costing him over a million Saint Crystals, yet every time he sought an Alchemist, these herbs had ended up being destroyed. Now that there was a ready-made pill in front of him, there was no way he wouldn’t grab hold of it.
What made Jiang Huai An truly want to cough up blood though was that clearly he was the one who bought this Origin Condensing Pill, but for those who were uninformed, it looked like Qian Tong had sold him a favour by allowing him to win it. If it wasn’t for this being Treasure Trove Pavilion’s auction house inside Heavenly Fate City, Jiang Huai An would definitely attack Qian Tong here and now.
He had simply gone too far!
After the one million ten thousand Saint Crystal price was called, no one else spoke, not even Qian Tong. The beautiful female auctioneer quickly stepped forward and called the count, delivering the Origin Condensing Pill to Jiang Huai An. Yet, a moment later.
With the three million Saint Crystals Qian Tong had delivered him, and this additional one million crystals, Yang Kai was very happy, but after receiving the first three million Saint Crystals, acquiring one million more didn’t affect the trio as strongly. After obtaining a certain amount of money, everything just became mere numbers.
However, this didn’t prevent the trio from looking forward to their other items being auctioned. Even Yang Kai wanted to know what kind of price his other Origin Condensing Pill would sell for, as well as how valuable Yang Yan’s Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact would be.
The auction now entered its second half.
With the appearance of the Origin Condensing Pill serving as a transition point, the following items Treasure Trove Pavilion brought out were truly of a different grade. Whether it was in terms of rarity or quality, all of the items in the second half of the auction were much higher than before, and so too were their prices.
By this point, the cultivators sitting on the main floor had basically lost the qualifications to participate in the auction. Now, the bidders were all people in the private rooms with the rest of the audience just watching the fun.
The winning bid for almost every auctioned item now was not less than two hundred thousand Saint Crystals, with a few items breaking through the one million Saint Crystal mark. This display made Yang Kai once again realize that there were many rich people on Shadowed Star, it was just that ordinary people were not as aware of them. The auction of Treasure Trove Pavilion was what brought these rich people together.
With three million Saint Crystals in hand, and one million waiting to be collected, Yang Yan and Wu Yi also wanted to participate in the auction. Yang Yan was an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner, so naturally they wouldn’t bid on any artefacts, and when the pair wanted to buy some pills, they were stopped by Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was an Alchemist, so how could he let them waste money unnecessarily?
In the end, Yang Yan only bought some precious raw materials for arranging Spirit Arrays and Artifact Refining.
A piece of Star Iron the size of a melon for two hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals, ten pieces of high-quality Azure Spirit Wood worth three hundred and seventy thousand Saint Crystals, and some Ninth-Order Monster Beast parts plus its Monster Core for around one million crystals. The three million Saint Crystals in their hands rapidly shrank.
Yang Kai never called a bid because he didn’t see anything he wanted.
It wasn’t until a strange, unidentified stone about the size of a washbasin appeared that Yang Kai bought it for its starting price of one hundred and fifty thousand.
According to the beautiful female auctioneer, this strange stone could not be identified even by Treasure Trove Pavilion’s appraisal Grandmasters and even their Artifact Refiners had failed to melt it down.
Numerous masters in the auction hall also investigated this stone with their Divine Senses, but none were able to discover anything about it and it became the first item to be sold at the base price.
Because no one knew what it was, and Artifact Refiners were unable to melt it, it was clearly not ordinary, so the base price set by Treasure Trove Pavilion wasn’t too low.
It was only at the last moment that Yang Kai lazily quoted the reserved price and easily purchased it.
Others only thought Yang Kai was eager to burn his money and had decided to buy this strange item to add to his collection, but Wu Yi and Yang Yan knew Yang Kai had not acted for such a shallow reason, because while waiting for the Treasure Trove Pavilion disciple to send the stone over, Yang Kai’s expression was clearly quite excited but also somewhat uncertain.
After a moment, a woman from Treasure Trove Pavilion brought the strange stone to private room C-13 and Yang Kai handed over the hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals. Happily playing with the strange stone for a while, Yang Kai soon threw it into his Space Ring.
Yang Yan walked over and asked softly, “Do you know what that thing is?”
“I don’t,” Yang Kai shook his head.
“You don’t know what it is but you still bought it?” Yang Yan was struck speechless and rolled her eyes.
“I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s useful to me,” Yang Kai said defiantly. If he didn’t know it would be useful to him, how could he have spent a hundred and fifty thousand High-Rank Saint Crystals to buy it? Even if that much money wasn’t much compared to his current worth, it wasn’t an amount he would simply waste either.
“It’s useful to you?” Yang Yan frowned, leaning in further as she whispered, “Do you have some kind of Exotic Insects?”
“Exotic Insects?” Yang Kai looked at her in confusion, his brow slowly rising as he asked, “Do you know what this stone is for?”
Yang Yan nodded.
This time it was Yang Kai’s turn to be amazed. Even the Grandmaster appraisers of Treasure Trove Pavilion didn’t know what this strange stone was, nor did any of the powerful masters in the auction hall, yet the seemingly incredibly young Yang Yan actually knew what it was.
On top of that, she was also an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner and a powerful Array Master. This little girl was one big mystery.
Yang Kai had long suspected that Yang Yan had an incredible story behind her, but now it seemed it really was so.
“What is that stone?” Yang Kai whispered while Wu Yi also leaned in to hear.
“A Profound Insect Stone!” Yang Yan said confidently, “It has no effect on human cultivators and can only be used to cultivate some Exotic Insects. It’s quite rare and contains a strange type of energy that is useless for Artefact Refining and cannot be absorbed by cultivators, but once Exotic Insects settle on it, they can grow rapidly, that’s why I asked if you have Exotic Insects.”
Hearing this explanation, Yang Kai suddenly understood why then Soul Devouring Insects that were living on the six coloured island floating in his Knowledge Sea suddenly became excited when this stone appeared.
The Soul Devouring Insects were Exotic Ancient Insects, which were naturally a type of Exotic Insects. These Soul Devouring Insects were originally obtained by Yang Kai on Tong Xuan Realm and had been living on his Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus ever since.
When he first acquired them, they weren’t very strong, only effective on cultivators below the Saint Realm, but if a cultivator at or below the Transcendent Realm had their Knowledge Sea infested with them, they would instantly die.
After a number of mutations and many years living on the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus though, Yang Kai’s Soul Devouring Insects had become much stronger, but they were still only able to cause harm to Saint Realm cultivators. Saint Kings would easily be able to destroy them and with the growth of Yang Kai’s strength, these Soul Devouring Insects had gradually lost their usefulness.
Yang Kai, however, didn’t abandon them and simply allowed them to multiply and develop by themselves.
If it weren’t for the appearance of this Profound Insect Stone today, and the Soul Devouring Insects’ vivid response to it, Yang Kai might have even forgotten about their existence entirely.
It was because of the excitement of the Soul Devouring Insects that Yang Kai had not hesitated to buy this Profound Insect Stone.
Now listening to Yang Yan’s explanation, Yang Kai immediately knew that he had bought a real treasure. Those hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals had not been spent in vain. If this Profound Insect Stone could allow his Soul Devouring Insects to evolve to the point where they could cause harm to Saint Kings or even Origin Realm masters, it would be a huge boost to his strength.
“What Exotic Insects do you have?” Yang Yan asked curiously.
“I’ll tell you after we return home,” Yang Kai smiled mysteriously.
Yang Yan looked at him strangely but didn’t press the issue.
“Look at that pair of twin daggers are up for auction!” Wu Yi suddenly called out in excitement. She knew that she couldn’t reveal that these daggers were refined by Yang Yan, so she could only speak in a roundabout manner.
Yang Kai and Yang Yan both turned to look at the auction platform where they saw the twin daggers being brought out alongside a number of other Origin Grade artifacts.
A process of twelve women dressed in fine robes each holding a jade plate walked out onto the high stage. Atop each jade plate was an Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact, all of them emitting a brilliant halo and rich aura that attracted everyone’s attention.
The beautiful female auctioneer smiled and said, “Everyone should know what is going to be auctioned this round. Yes, these are exactly twelve Original Grade Low-Rank artefacts. I think everyone here also knows that it won’t be long until the Flowing Flame Sand Field, one of Shadowed Star’s Three Great Forbidden Zones, opens. This is a great opportunity that can only be encountered once ever few hundred years. To enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field, one must have sufficient strength, but also excellent equipment. These twelve Original Grade Low-Rank artefacts were specially prepared by my Treasure Trove Pavilion for the upcoming opening of the Flowing Flame Sand Field and can add some life-saving strength to those who will be treasure hunting. There are not many Origin Grade artefacts on Shadowed Star, so my Treasure Trove Pavilion had to exert great effort to collect these twelve artefacts, even suffering many casualties and injuries amongst our disciples…”
While the beautiful woman continued her high spirited introduction, Yang Kai frowned and turned to ask Wu Yi, “What are these Three Great Forbidden Zones?”
Wu Yi smiled, “You haven’t been on Shadowed Star for long, so it’s only natural to not have heard of them. The Three Great Forbidden Zones are famous ominous places on Shadowed Star, everyone’s face will pale when thinking about them. The first of these zones is as she said, the Flowing Flame Sand Field. No one knows how vast it truly is, but it is a place that is perennially covered in blazing heat. Even the outermost region’s heat cannot be resisted by us cultivators. Once, an Origin Returning Realm master, relying on his great strength, tried to dive into the Flowing Flame Sand Field to treasure hunt, but even though his cultivation was truly high and he had made ample preparations, the moment he entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field, his body was incinerated and even his artefacts were melted away.”
“Seriously?” Yang Kai was startled.
“Yes, and that was just the heat in the outermost outskirts. It is said that if one penetrates further inside, even an Origin King master wouldn’t be able to resist the blazing heat. However, that’s just the rumour, there are no Origin Kings on Shadowed Star so no one knows it’s true or not,” Wu Yi smiled sweetly.
“Then why did that woman say the Flowing Flame Sand Field is about to open?” Yang Kai frowned. If the Flowing Flame Sand Field really was a place that no one could enter without dying, who would be stupid enough to rush into it? No one disliked their life being long.
“Because there is a period of time when the heat of the Flowing Flame Sand Field greatly reduces. This time isn’t fixed and may occur after several dozen years or several hundred years. Once the heat weakens, cultivators can enter it. From what I saw in the family records, the last time the Flowing Flame Sand Field opened was four hundred years ago; since then, no one has entered it.”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened. If no one had entered that place for four hundred years, how many good things would have appeared? No wonder the beautiful auctioneer had said it was a huge opportunity.
Yang Kai knew there were many precious treasures that only grew in extremely hot environments, and the hotter it got, the stronger these treasures would grow. There may be many such treasures just waiting to be found in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
However, it wasn’t the precious treasures which most attracted Yang Kai at the moment, but the high temperature itself. This would be a perfect chance for him to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
Back on Rainfall Star, Zong Ao once said that if he wanted to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, he first needed to find a place with extremely high heat.
Yang Kai had more than twenty drops of Profound Yin Sunflower Water on him and had collected all the required materials for refining it, so now all he needed was to find a suitable place to do so. The Flowing Flame Sand Field undoubtedly met his requirements.
As long as he could refine even one drop, Yang Kai’s strength will definitely improve again.
Wu Yi continued, “The second Forbidden Zone is the Emperor Garden, which is said to have been the back garden of the Starry Sky Great Emperor.”
Yang Kai was startled, “The Starry Sky Great Emperor?”
“En, that legendary Senior! It is said that many, many years ago, the entire Heng Luo Star Field was controlled by the Starry Sky Great Emperor. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the Star Emperor one day disappeared and no one knows where he went.”
Yang Kai heart pounded. He had heard rumors about the Star Emperor going back as far as the floating continent. At that time, he hadn’t cared too much though as he thought this so-called Star Emperor was just a myth. But now, it seemed that this person may really have existed at one point, because even on a remote, isolated Cultivation Star like Shadowed Star, he was still a legendary figure. Such a widely known character couldn’t be just an empty rumour.”
The Star Emperor that ruled the entire Star Field, just how powerful would he have had to be?
Both forget about the Star Emperor, Yang Kai had yet to even meet a true Star Master. All Yang Kai knew was that in order to become a Star Master, one had to at least reach the Origin King Realm, after which they needed to take a great risk to refine a Star Source. If they failed though, that Origin King Realm master would die.
“The Flowing Flame Sand Field has always existed, but no one can enter it at will. The Emperor Garden, on the other hand, is nowhere to be found. No one knows where it is, and only occasionally, for a fleeting moment, can some people enter it, but no one can return alive. Only at certain special times will the Emperor Garden stabilize and become a massive opportunity!”
Yang Kai heard this with some excitement. The back garden of the Star Emperor, anyone who heard of such a place would be able to imagine just how many priceless treasures it held.
“The third Forbidden Zone is Shadowed Soul Island, which is out at sea and also extremely dangerous. If the Flowing Flame Sand Field has always existed, and the Emperor Garden has occasional appears, then Shadowed Soul Island is really nowhere to be found. All those who have found it died before they could tell anyone of it,” Wu Yi said in a chilly voice, causing Yang Yan nearby to tremble in fright. Though, this trembling did not mean much because this little girls courage had always been a little too small.
“Since no one as seen it and lived to tell the tale, why is everyone sure this Shadowed Soul Island even exists?” Yang Kai frowned, of the Three Great Forbidden Zones, he felt this last one was a little unrealistic.
Wu Yi smiled slightly, “It’s reasonable to say it exists. Since everyone knows about Shadowed Soul Island, it must exist.”
Yang Kai didn’t try to dwell on the issue. On the other hand, with the Flowing Flame Sand Field about to open, he was actually quite excited. There was definitely no better place for him to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
Zong Ao had said that when refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, as long as it was within one’s own tolerance range, the higher the temperature of the environment, the better, as the great heat would further stimulate the power of the Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
[I wonder how I can go in when the time is right?] Yang Kai thought to himself.
As Yang Kai’s expectations soared upwards, atop the auction stage, the beautiful female auctioneer began the bidding for the first Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact.
Because the Flowing Flame Sand Field was about to open, and due to the scarcity of Origin Grade artefacts, even if Treasure Trove Pavilion had brought out twelve artefacts for this auction, the enthusiasm of the masters in the private rooms did not fade; if anything, it was even higher than normal.
There was no doubt all twelve of these Origin Grade Low-Rank artefacts would be sold at high prices.
Yang Kai heard Thunder Typhoon Sect’s Fang Tian Zhong call out a high bid, soon followed by Heaven Battling Union’s Qu Chang Feng. He also heard the silver bell-like voice of Coloured Glass Sect’s Yin Su Die. All these young geniuses seemed to be scrambling to acquire these Origin Grade Low-Rank artefacts to enhance their strength in preparation to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
The starting price of one hundred thousand Saint Crystal’s for the first Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact quickly rose to six hundred thousand and showed no signs of slowing down.
Yang Kai realized as he listened that he had still been underestimating the purchasing power of these great forces as well as the preciousness of Origin Grade artefact on Shadowed Star. He had thought that since Saint King Grade High-Rank artefact sold for between thirty and fifty thousand Saint Crystals, an Origin Grade Low-Rank should sell for around two or three hundred thousand.
But this was not the case at all.
Although Origin Grade Low-Rank and Saint King Grade High-Rank were only separated by a single rank, their prices of each differed immensely.
But after thinking about it, Yang Kai soon understood. These great forces did not lack wealthy as years of accumulation had given them huge reserves of Saint Crystals. What they lacked was the opportunities to purchase good treasures, so once such items did appear, they wouldn’t hesitate to spend more Saint Crystals to acquire them.
Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact were such treasures. On Shadowed Star, the highest level of artefact Refiner was Origin Grade Low-Rank, but not all of them could successfully refine every artefact they attempted to make like Yang Yan.
Like in Alchemy, Artefact Refining also carried with it a great chance failure, and once an artefact was damaged during the refinement process, not only could it not be completed, even the raw materials would be lost.
The probability of destroying the raw materials was quite high, naturally causing the prices of Origin Grade artefacts to rise dramatically.
The first Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact quickly broke through the million Saint Crystal mark and although the number of bidders had gradually decreased, many people were still continuing to increase the price.
Yang Kai very much wanted to see how much this artefact would sell for, but suddenly, his expression changed and he whispered to Yang Yan and Wu Yi, “I’m going out for a bit, I’ll be back soon.”
The two women gave him a stunned glance but didn’t ask any questions, simply nodding while seeing him off.
Yang Kai quickly left private room C-13 and walked straight out of Treasure Trove Pavilion. He lingered around the Treasure Trove Pavilion for a while before diving into the crowd and disappearing.
Although he had been paying attention to the progress of the auction, Yang Kai had not relaxed his observation of the cultivator who had bought the ancient map fragment earlier. The appearance of the twelve Original Grade artefacts had raised the tension in the auction hall greatly, and when everyone’s attention had been drawn to the twelve Origin Grade artefacts, the First Order Saint King cultivator who bought the map fragment actually tried to sneak out.
Obviously he thought it was a good opportunity to escape unnoticed!
Before, when this man had unhesitantly spent a hundred thousand Saint Crystals to snatch up this ancient map fragment, he had attracted many people’s attention, so he was now trying to get away while most people were distracted.
However, it was now too late for any of that. A cultivator like him should never have tried to win this map fragment.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was comparable to that of an Origin Returning Realm master, so it was naturally quite easy for him to monitor this man. Moreover, Yang Kai had found that many others had the same plan as him as, after he left Treasure Trove Pavilion, a number of others also quietly exited, all of them trailing behind the new owner of the map fragment.
Yang Kai was struck speechless for a while. He had thought that not many people would be paying such close attention to this cultivator besides him, but now it appeared the exact opposite was true.
The great forces behind these people obviously thought that this First-Order Saint King had more than one piece of this ancient map, and once they were able to acquire them, they might be able to uncover some useful clues.
Yang Kai’s face went black. Although he no longer had any good way to grab this map fragment, it was impossible for him to simply give up just like that; after all, Yang Yan definitely had another piece of this ancient map, so for the time being, he decided to take one step at a time, staring by tailing this man out of Heavenly Fate City.
Although the owner of the map fragment deliberately concealed his aura and tried his best to be mindful of his surroundings, how was a mere First Order Saint King supposed to escape the eyes of so many experts?
After less than an incense stick worth of time, this man left Heavenly Fate City with a series of silhouettes following close behind.
Yang Kai was the furthest back of this group, and although many people’s Divine Senses had already found him, including some belonging to Origin Returning Realm masters, no one paid a minor character like Yang Kai any mind.
Fifty kilometres west of Heavenly Fate City.
A desolate clearing with some small rocky outcroppings standing at the edge of a chaotic, messy stone forest. It was definitely a good place to rob and kill someone.
Ge Xiong had long ago noticed that some people were following him, but even if he knew this, he had no way to get rid of them as he clearly knew why they had him in their sights.
His legs were shaking and his face was pale, wishing he could slap himself a few times.
For the Treasure Trove Pavilion auction in Heavenly Fate City this time, he had managed to buy an admission ticket from his friend and brought along all the Saint Crystal he had accumulated over the years, hoping to buy something good to improve his strength.
But instead of buying something that could immediately bring him benefits, in a fit of what must have been insanity, he had actually bought this map fragment for an absurd hundred thousand Saint Crystals.
That wasn’t just all of his savings, but also the savings of several generations of his family.
If he was given another chance, Ge Xiong swore he would never have waded into these muddy waters. Whoever wanted this ancient map fragment could buy it, as long as it wasn’t him.
Unfortunately for him, it was too late to regret it now, and as he continued flying forward, Ge Xiong could feel the countless cold stares piercing his back.
He didn’t even dare to summon his Star Shuttle for he was certain the moment he did that, he would be greeted by a storm of attacks.
Looking at the messy stone forest roughly ten kilometres in front of him, Ge Xiong came to a halt, not daring to go any further, for if he did, he would definitely die!
A cold wind blew past him, causing Ge Xiong’s shirt which was filled with sweat to flap wildly. Unable to bear the stress any longer, Ge Xiong collapsed to the ground, knelt down and shouted loudly, “Seniors, please spare this Junior’s life! This Junior should never have bought this map fragment! I just broke through to the Saint King Realm, I don’t want to die!”
The wind’s howled slightly, carrying the sound of Ge Xiong’s wailing, causing this deserted place to seem even eerier.
There was no movement from anywhere, but Ge Xiong knew that these people weren’t afraid of him, but rather each other!
Truly unable to withstand his own anxiety any longer, Ge Xiong took out the map fragment from his Space Ring, held it up high, and along with the wind continued to shout, “The map fragment is here, if several Seniors want it, please take it, just spare this insignificant Junior’s life!
Although no one appeared, Ge Xiong noticed an invisible pressure well up from all directions, as if a dozen great hands stretched out towards this map fragment but in the next moment drew back.
Ge Xiong continued crying and begging for mercy, a short time later shouting once more, “Seniors, I’ll leave the map fragment here, whoever wants to take it may do so freely. May this Junior withdraw now?”
Still, no one answered.
Ge Xiong shouted the same request three times before speaking as if trying to deceive himself, “Since Seniors have no objection, this Junior will take his leave.”
Saying so, he set the ancient map fragment down on the ground, placing a stone on top of it to ensure it didn’t blow away, then slowly stood up.
As soon as this man turned around though, he saw a young man standing behind him, scaring Ge Xiong so greatly he collapsed to his knees again. This young man wore a powerful artefact Armour and at first glance was clearly not an ordinary person. What surprised Ge Xiong the most wasn’t this youth though, but the two masters who wore grim expressions standing behind him. From the aura these two revealed, it was easy to infer that they were both Origin Realm Masters.
”Do you think this place is the same as an auction? You shout three times and everything is settled?” The young man sneered.
Ge Xiong quickly waved his hand, “I dare not! I’ve shown this Young Master something disgraceful, but no matter how long I shouted here, no one here bothers with me. Young Master, I’ve left the map fragment here, if you want it, please take it, I only ask you not to kill me!”
“You’re not qualified to bargain with me!” The young man remained unmoved, motioning to the master behind him to pick up the map fragment.
He didn’t want to come out so early, because there were at least thirty people here waiting to pounce, but seeing this timid Saint King Realm cultivator try to leave, this Young Master couldn’t restrain himself any longer and stepped forward.
One of the Origin Returning Realm masters behind this young man lifted his hand and drew the map fragment over towards him, opening it and inspecting it for a moment before nodding, “It is the one that appeared at the auction.”
Saying so, he handed the map fragment to the young man.
The young man took it and tossed it into his Space Ring before turning to stare at Ge Xiong and demanding, “Show me your Space Ring!”
“Ah?” Ge Xiong hesitated for a moment. Apparently this was his first time being robbed, but even though he was unwilling, he didn’t dare to resist, obediently removing his Space Ring and handing it to the young man.
The young man used his Divine Sense to sweep the inside of the Space Ring, his face immediately becoming gloomy afterwards as he questioned angrily, “You don’t have any other map fragments?”
“I never said I did…” Ge Xiong replied weakly.
“Bastard!” The young man was furious and viciously kicked Ge Xiong’s stomach, grinding his teeth as he shouted, “If you didn’t have any other fragments of this map, why did you bid on it?”
“Didn’t that beautiful woman say this map fragment led to amazing wealth, powerful Secret Arts and high-grade artefacts?” Ge Xiong asked in an aggrieved voice. It was only because he had listed to the beautiful female auctioneer’s words that he had gotten all riled up and spent a hundred thousand Saint Crystals to win this map fragment.
“Since she said it, you believed it?” The young man’s face sank even further as he shouted, “Did you think you’d be able to find any clues with just this tiny piece of a map?”
Ge Xiong nodded awkwardly, as though it was a given he would.
The young man was speechless, and the murderous intent in his eyes flared up. He wished he could immediately kill this idiot Ge Xiong, because he increased the price foolishly, riled everyone up, but in the end didn’t even have another piece of the map. This young man felt as if he had been played for a fool and the murderous intent coming from his body grew stronger with every breath. Slowly raising his hand, the young man condensed his Saint Qi into the shape of a sword.
Ge Xiong shed bitter tears as he kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy.
Before the young man could kill him though, one of the Origin Realm masters behind him suddenly whispered, “Young Master, you cannot kill him.”
The young man froze up and asked coldly, “Why not?”
“If you kill him, without everyone else first checking his Space Ring, they will all think we obtained two map fragments. Having one is not an issue, but acquiring two will cause us many problems!”
When the young man heard this, he couldn’t help thinking it over, and after a short time, he realized he had no choice right now, kicking and cursing Ge Xiong a few more times before tossing the Space Ring back at his face and flying off.
Surprisingly, no one tried to stop him.
Soon after the young man and the two Origin Realm masters left, another person came out from hiding and walked over to Ge Xiong, knitting his brow as he asked a few questions.
Ge Xiong answered truthfully.
The man then picked up the Space Ring on the ground and examined it before slowly shaking his head with a look of disappointment, dropping it to the ground, and also departing.
A third person came out and did exactly the same thing as the second person, followed by a fourth, then a fifth…
After experiencing the gap between life to death several times, Ge Xiong’s emotions seemed to have calmed down significantly, but being continuously asked the same set of questions by masters with much higher strength and status than his own, he still remained a bit apprehensive. However, each of them just asked a few questions, checked his Space Ring, then let him go, none of them trying to take his life or rob him of his possession.
After half an hour, it was finally the last person, Yang Kai’s turn.
By now, Ge Xiong was familiar with this process and before Yang Kai could even open his mouth, Ge Xiong quickly said, “I don’t have a second map fragment. I just listened to that beautiful woman and thought that if I obtained this map fragment I would be able to find amazing wealth, exquisite Martial Skills, or other treasures. My Space Ring is on the ground, if you’d like to inspect it, please feel free to, just don’t kill me!”
Yang Kai let out a long sigh and didn’t even bother to check the Space Ring.
With so many people already having inspected it, if there really had been a second map fragment inside, it was impossible for it to still be there.
“Next time, be careful what you buy,” Yang Kai said in exasperation.
Of the dozens of individuals who had tailed Ge Xiong, none of them had any kind of deep-seated grudge against him, they were all simply fooled by him. That wasn’t to say that Ge Xiong had prodigious acting talent, it was just that none of them thought he would be so easily conned by the words of that beautiful female auctioneer.
Ge Xiong nodded incessantly, “I’ll never buy anything at auction again.”
“Just leave!” Yang Kai waved at him, “No one killing you this time was pure luck, there’s no guarantee you’ll be so fortunate next time.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Ge Xiong kowtowed gratefully before grabbing his Space Ring and running off. He was so scared he didn’t even realize that Yang Kai had the same cultivation as him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so polite to him.
After running a ways away, Ge Xiong summoned his Star Shuttle and flew off. Vaguely, Yang Kai seemed to hear tearful sobs coming from his direction.
The map fragment that appeared at the auction had been taken away by the first youth who appeared, causing Yang Kai some frustration. His strength was too low right now, so it was impossible for him to snatch that map fragment.
The reason others didn’t try to rob that young man of that map fragment was that they knew doing so was pointless. If that wasn’t the case, they would have already tried to win it back at the auction. How could they have anticipated that someone like Ge Xiong would snatch it up? Moreover, the first young man who had come out seemed to have a powerful background, so none of the people here were willing to offend the force behind him for a useless map fragment.
It seemed like the map fragment would really have been better off staying in Ge Xiong’s hands. Now that it had been taken away by that Young Master, Yang Kai had no way to retrieve it in the short term. Fortunately, he had already memorized the young man’s face so he could try to ‘acquire’ the map fragment sometime in the future.
After grumbling for a moment, Yang Kai returned to Heavenly Fate City and walked straight back to Treasure Trove Pavilion.
Arriving at room C-13, Yang Kai pushed open the door, walked inside, and sat down on his chair, taking a sip of spirit tea as he saw Wu Yi and Yang Yan both immersed in the excitement. Curious, he asked, “What artefact is up for auction now?”
“You’re back?” Wu Yi and Yang Yan only seemed to realize Yang Kai was back after he spoke, with Wu Yi smiling broadly as she explained, “The prices here are all so unexpected, all of the artefacts sold for over a million crystals so far. They’re auctioning off the last artefact now, the twin daggers!”
“Oh?” Yang Kai looked out and sure enough, he saw the twin daggers being displayed by the beautiful female auctioneer. To his surprise though, no one was bidding.
“What’s the price so far?” Yang Kai thought that it was impossible for such an artefact to sell for a low price.
“2.1 million!” Wu Yi replied joyfully, not even waiting for Yang Kai to ask anything before taking the initiative to explain, “The grade of the twin daggers is close to Origin Grade Mid-Rank, much better than the previous eleven. Therefore, its price is naturally higher. It seems many people here have good eyes.”
At that moment, the beautiful female auctioneer shouted, “2.1 million going once, 2.1 million going twice, 2.1 million going three times… sold! Congratulations to the honoured guest in private room B-3. This mistress wishes this friend good fortune in the Flowing Flame Sand Field and a triumphant return with a rich harvest!”
The beautiful woman uttered a few words with a smile before directing the female Treasure Trove Pavilion disciple to carry the exquisite twin daggers to private room B-3.
“Em? Room B-3? Not Coloured Glass Sect?” Yang Kai was somewhat surprised. He had thought these twin daggers would surely be snatched up by Yin Su Die of Coloured Glass Sect. After all, it was an artefact suitable for women, but he quickly recalled that Coloured Glass Sect’s delegation would be sitting somewhere in the A Block private rooms.
“Coloured Glass Sect?” Wu Yi asked back in confusion.
“Never mind,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
While Yang Kai had been out, the twelve Origin Grade Low-Rank artefacts had all been auctioned off, and the next items to be sold were actually pills, Origin Grade Low-Rank pills!
Treasure Trove Pavilion had fully prepared for this auction, and knowing that the Flowing Flame Sand Field was about to open, they knew that the various great forces would not be stingy with their Saint Crystals. As long as there were good things, they would sell at high prices, so after the Origin Grade Low-Rank artefacts, Origin Grade Low-Rank pills were immediately brought out on stage, once again heating up the atmosphere in the auction hall.
Yang Kai soon witnessed just how expensive Origin Grade pills on Shadowed Star could be. Pills that could quickly supplement Saint Qi were sold for as high as six hundred thousand Saint Crystals a bottle; that was sixty thousand Saint Crystals a pill!
Wild Rose Pills, which were excellent healing pills, also sold in sets of ten, but for an even higher price, averaging 703 thousand Saint Crystals a bottle.
A bottle of five pills capable of repairing meridians was sold for 800 thousand.
The most expensive, though, was a bottle of ten Snow And Ice Pills that could scatter heat from a cultivator’s body, going for an astonishing 1.1 million!
The Flowing Flame Sand Field was a zone filled with intense heat, so Snow And Ice Pills would be extremely useful there as they greatly restrained the outside heat from entering a cultivator’s body. As such, when these five bottles of these pills appeared, the great forces went all out to purchase them.
Pills were different from artefacts. As long as an artefact wasn’t critically damaged, it could be repaired and used countless times, but once one swallowed a pill, it was gone forever. It could be said that these great forces were sparing no expense in preparation for the Flowing Flame Sand Field. In normal times, although Origin Grade pills would be precious, they would never have sold for such high prices.
However, understanding the demands of the market, Treasure Trove Pavilion was able to sell these pills for three to four times higher than usual.
The beautiful female auctioneer stood on the stage and smiled widely, a light blush even appearing on her face.
It took more than an hour for all the Origin Grade Low-Rank pills to be sold off, with each great force occupying the private rooms having some gains, satisfying them all.
Just when many people thought that this auction would come to an end, the beautiful female auctioneer once smiled coquettishly and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, the next item to be auctioned is something my Treasure Trove Pavilion specially prepared as a finale…”
As soon as these words came out, the entire auction hall fell silent, with only the sound of heavy breathing lingering in the air. Countless eyes focused on the beautiful female auctioneer and a few keener cultivators even noticed that her voice was trembling lightly, making them realize that this finale was something truly extraordinary.
“Because of its importance, this auction’s finale will be presided over by my Treasure Trove Pavilion’s Chief Manager Yan Pei. Manager Yan, please!” After the beautiful woman finished, she stood to the side with a smile and looked in a certain direction.
Yan Pei, with a solemn and serious face, strode out from that direction.
“Yan Pei is actually going to be auctioning this item personally!” Not only were many on the ground floor chattering at this development, but even the private rooms were abuzz with whispers.
Old Black Face Yang Pei was a sly old fox known as Treasure Trove Pavilion’s most ruthless, black-hearted auctioneer. Every time he presided over an auction, he wouldn’t rest until he shaved several kilos of meat from the bidders. Thankfully, as the years went by and Yan Pei’s status rose, he rarely showed up on the auction stage.
Many were shocked that Yan Pei, who hadn’t hosted an auction for many years, had actually stepped forward at this time.
Everyone also knew that since he had appeared, the following auction would become a blood bath. For a time, the masters sitting in the private rooms all wore bitter looks as they unconsciously rubbed their Space Rings, sighing to themselves as they worried for the Saint Crystals they had stored inside.
“That thing actually became the auction’s final item!” In Room C-13, Wu Yi and Yang Yan both looked at each other with such excitement they wanted to jump up and down.
Without even mentioning the grade of the artefact, just the word ‘finale’ was enough to cause its price to soar. The two women could already see themselves becoming rich women after this auction ended.
Yang Yan was already figuring out how many precious materials she should buy.
In private room A-5, in the private room which belonged to Shadow Moon Hall, Qian Tong was sitting together with six youths, each of them a rising star of Shadow Moon Hall.
However, there was only one man and one woman who were qualified to sit beside Qian Tong. The young man was a Third-Order Saint King with a brave and heroic look about him and deep, piercing eyes. The young woman was delicate and beautiful, with a sweet air around her. Although she too was a Third-Order Saint King, her aura was not as restrained as the young man’s so it was apparent she had only recently broken through.
This young man and young woman’s status in Shadow Moon Hall was obviously not low. Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to sit beside Qian Tong.
The other young disciples standing nearby all shot vaguely envious looks towards these two.
“Elder Qian, you have a good relationship with Manager Yan. Do you know what this finale is?” One of the female disciples standing nearby asked curiously.
Qian Tong kept a serious look upon his face, seemingly not even hearing the words of this female disciple. Seeing his appearance, everyone couldn’t help holding their breath, more and more feeling that this final item was extraordinary. Their Elder must have some inside information, otherwise, he would not be showing such a solemn look.
“Luo Qing!” Qian Tong suddenly shouted.
“Disciple is here,” Luo Qing, who had always been standing to the side, hurried forward.
“How many Saint Crystals were you able to collect?”
Luo Qing quickly and respectfully replied, “Disciple did not fail Elder’s orders and managed to collect fifty million Saint Crystals, but the larger part of this was transferred directly from the Sect.”
“Fifty million…” Qian Tong narrowed his eyes, “I have nearly thirty million here as well, so altogether we have almost eighty million Saint Crystals…”
Inside the private room, everyone was shocked. Even if they came from Shadow Moon Hall and knew their Sect wasn’t poor, a figure like eighty million Saint Crystals was still terrifying to them.
However, what stunned them even more was Qian Tong muttering to himself, “I don’t know if it’s enough!”
The beautiful young woman sitting next to Qian Tong couldn’t help but ask, “Master, what is this finale? Can we not even win it with eighty million Saint Crystals?”
Not only was she curious, even the brave and heroic-looking young man who also turned an inquisitive gaze towards Qian Tong, hoping he could explain.
Since the auction began until now, the most expensive item to be sold was the exquisite twin daggers from just a moment ago, but that had only gone for 2.1 million Saint Crystals. Could this final item be an Origin King Grade artefact?
If it truly was an Origin King Grade artefact, eighty million really might not be enough, but how would Treasure Trove Pavilion have collected such a treasure?
“You don’t understand!” Qian Tong smiled bitterly, “Eighty million may look like a lot, but others may have more. I can say with confidence that Shadow Moon Hall is a great force on Shadowed Star, but there is still some disparity between us and the top three: Thunder Typhoon Sect, Star Emperor Sect, and Heaven Battling Union. Even Coloured Glass Sect, Grand Fire Temple, Twin Heart Valley, and Floating Mist Palace have a somewhat stronger influence than us. I’m afraid they have all raised more Saint Crystals than us.”
“Master, what exactly is being auctioned?” The delicate female asked again.
“See for yourself,” Qian Tong said, not showing any intention to answer because even if he did, these juniors may not be able to realize the value of that thing. When the time came and a blood struggle ensued, they would naturally understand.
All the private rooms fell silent as their occupants stared towards the auction stage.
Old Black Face Yan Pei stood on the stage, his pair of piercing eyes sweeping the crowd as he said loudly, “This Yan Pei thanks all of you for participating in my Treasure Trove Pavilion’s auction today. The progress of the auction until this point has been satisfactory for this old master, but if there is one thing that I must say is not to my liking, it is that all of you are still holding your wallets too tightly. This old master has come forward in hopes of seeing all your great forces put forward some true spirit! You don’t have to give others face, or even give my Treasure Trove Pavilion face, all you must do is bid for the items you fancy. So, what if it costs you your house and home? So long as you win what you’re after, what else matters?”
The frank words of Yan Pei pulled a sharp breath from the various masters’ seat in their private rooms.
This Old Black Face’s ill intentions were obvious to all of them, he was quite literally asking them to lose the very shirts of their backs in the upcoming bidding. He was simply too vicious and many even felt like getting up and leaving immediately would be the best course of action. If they remained here, they might really everything they had.
But of course, Yan Pei didn’t give them a chance to escape and quickly continued, “Enough said. Let me introduce to you the finale of this auction!”
With a big wave of his hand, a woman in an exquisite dress immediately walked out onto the stage holding the jade plate. This jade plate was covered with a red cloth, obstructing everyone’s view, and only further enticing them to see what lay beneath it.
The woman walked up and stood in front of Yan Pei, the latter soon exclaiming, “Open your eyes wide and see…”
Saying so, the red cloth was lifted, and a red whip appeared atop the jade plate. The whip was sectioned yet smooth in shape, just like a scorpion tail, each piece seamlessly connected to the next, and at its tip, was a sharp spike that was flashing green light. At a glance, everyone could tell this spike contained a potent poison.
“The Dragon Striker Whip!” Yan Pei shouted.
In room C-13, Yang Kai, who had just taken a sip of tea, heard Yan Pei call out this name, and nearly spat out what was in his mouth.
The last twin daggers had been sold off as is by Treasure Trove Pavilion without any extra fancy descriptions, treating it just like any other item that had been auctioned.
But this long red whip had now actually been given the name ‘Dragon Striker Whip’ by Yan Pei. It was domineering enough, but what was more impressive was how thick Old Black Face’s skin was, even daring to make up such a name on the spot.
From all directions, burning hot looks could be felt as countless Divine Senses swept this red whip, the sound of discussion in the private rooms and the main hall instantly erupting.
Yan Pei continued, “This is a genuine Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifact. According to my Treasure Trove Pavilion’s Grandmaster appraisers, the primary material of this whip is the tail of the Ninth-Order Monster Beast Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion, which has been supplemented with many Origin Grade ores. What an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifact represent need not be said by this old master as everyone understands this well. This is already a work beyond my Shadowed Star’s Artifact Refining level, no Grandmaster on Shadowed Star can refine such an artifact. This whip is five meters in length, but as long as one fills it with Saint Qi, its length can be transformed at will. What is most rare though is that the Grandmaster who refined this Dragon Striker Whip was able to perfectly incorporate the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion’s poisonous stinger into its tip! Although this is somewhat sinister and ruthless, it no doubt greatly increases the power of the Dragon Striker Whip.”
As Yan Pei spoke, he picked up the Dragon Striker Whip from the jade plate before striking the air above the high platform with it, allowing everyone to feel the power of this Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifact!
Sure enough, countless people’s breaths became heavy when they saw the might of the Dragon Striker Whip.
After a short demonstration, Yan Pei placed the Dragon Striker Whip back onto the jade plate.
At this time, a person’s voice suddenly called out from a private room in the A Block, “Manager Yan, is this the item you said would make us homeless? Although an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artifact is rare, it’s not nearly enough for us to lose everything over. Hmph, I thought Treasure Trove Pavilion had collected an Origin King Grade artifact this time.”
“That’s right, raising our expectations so much for just a mere Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact.”
Yan Pei just stood in place though, as if he hadn’t heard this commentary, a sneer upon his face.
Everyone in the private rooms had gotten some advanced warning that an unbelievable item would appear, causing all of them to send out representatives to raise Saint Crystals, but what Treasure Trove Pavilion was going to auction was not disclosed to them. Yan Pei wasn’t going to spread word about this after all and he believed with Qian Tong’s astuteness it was equally impossible for the latter to let slip what this finale was.
Each of the great forces present had collected a large amount of Saint Crystals, but now what was presented to them was just an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact, so naturally, they felt disappointed, thinking a big deal had been made out of nothing.
Of course, they all still intended to snatch up this artefact. For an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact, even if they couldn’t win it themselves, pushing the price up to make others suffer was still a necessity.
For a moment, everyone began secret plotting to harm their competition while protecting themselves.
Yan Pei however soon put out words that made many men in the auction hall cough up blood, “This artefact is most suitable for women, so even if you don’t have any use for it yourselves, buying it for your favourite woman is a splendid idea. This old master can guarantee that any man who delivers such a gift to their woman will surely bring her home tonight!”
“This old dog!” Yin Su Die ground her teeth in the private room of Coloured Glass Sect.
The reason she hadn’t tried to buy the twin daggers from before was because she had anticipated something better to appear after it. Sure enough, this Dragon Striker Whip had appeared, and she had secretly decided to snatch it up at any cost. She also believed that with her fame and popularity, once she made a bid for it, many people here would simply give way and not try to rob it from her, but with Yan Pei making such a comment, wasn’t that no different from drawing out many more competitors for her?
A middle-aged woman next to Yin Su Die patted her hand gently and comforted, “Rest assured, we’ll win it.”
“Thank you, Second Aunt!” Yin Su Die smiled sweetly.
“For the Dragon Striker Whip, the starting price is one million Saint Crystals. Each new offer may not add less than one hundred thousand. Everyone, please bid!” Yan Pei had said everything he that should be said and as everyone’s enthusiasm reached an apex, he declared the start of the auction prepared to watch the fight.
This was the scene he liked to see the most. Every time he saw people competing for these rare treasures, Yan Pei felt as if he had become many years younger.
As soon as his words fell, bids began flying from the private rooms.
“1.1 million!”
“1.3 million!”
“1.5 million!”
“2 million!”
…..
The masters who had just now been disdaining the appearance of the Dragon Striker Whip all seemed to have forgotten their previous words and rushed to enter their bids. Not only did the Seniors from the great forces call out, even some of the younger generation’s rising stars joined the fray.
“I’ll bid 2.1 million!” Qu Chang Feng of Heaven Battling Union said in a confident tone, as if a powerful Young Master from a top tier Sect should not bid any less than this.
“Hmph! 2.3 million!” The one forever in opposition to Qu Chang Feng, Fang Tian Zhong of Thunder Typhoon Sect, called out next. The strength of their two sects were essentially equal, and their individual reputations and strength were also similar, so neither would fear the other nor be willing to back down.
“Brother Fang, why are you trying to buy this Dragon Striker Whip? It’s completely unsuited to you, so wouldn’t it just be a waste of money for you?” Qu Chang Feng grinned meaningfully, calmly continuing to increase the price, “2.5 million!”
“I can’t use it? Can you? 2.8 million!” Fang Tian Zhong didn’t withdraw.
“Naturally, I’m buying it as a gift. I heard that Junior Sister Yin of the Coloured Glass Sect currently lacks a good artefact, so this Qu wants to offer her some beautiful flowers. 3 million!”
This was a blatant declaration of love, and it was made in front of all the great forces of Shadowed Star, drawing a number of sharp breaths from the audience.
In the private room of Coloured Glass Sect, the lead middle-aged woman’s face went cold while Yin Su Die’s expression also became gloomy. She didn’t want to be caught up in any uncouth rumors because of today’s event, so she softly declared, “Senior Brother Qu’s kindness, this Su Die must politely decline. If I want this Dragon Striker Whip, naturally I will bid for it myself! 3.2 million!”
Yin Su Die didn’t want to bid so early, because she really wanted this Dragon Striker Whip. She had never owned an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact, and with the opening of the Flowing Flame Sand Field approaching, and knowing what dangers she would encounter inside, such an artefact would increase her own security significantly.
But this damn Qu Chang Feng had actually pulled her directly into this maelstrom, annoying Yin Su Die to no end. Even if she didn’t want to bid, she had to now.
Although Coloured Glass Sect wasn’t as powerful as Heaven Battling Union, it still had the financial ability to buy an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact. There was no need for Qu Chang Feng to put on such a pretentious act and ruin her and her Sect’s reputation.
When Yin Su Die made a bid, everyone understood what she was thinking. She clearly wasn’t willing to accept Qu Chang Feng’s affection. For a time, many people directed meaningful looks towards the private room of Heaven Battling Union, all of them taking pleasure in his misfortune.
Qu Chang Feng, however, wasn’t bothered by this and simply declared, “Since Junior Sister Yin wants to bid herself, this Qu will withdraw. More than anything else I hope Junior Sister Yin can win this treasure, so I ask everyone else to show some consideration. Junior Sister Yin rarely bids on anything, I don’t want her to be disappointed.”
Although he spoke in a light, almost half-hearted tone, his mix of eloquent and threatening words made many people unhappy. But no matter how unhappy they were, no one dared say anything; after all, the only forces comparable to Heaven Battling Union on Shadowed Star were Thunder Typhoon Sect and Star Emperor Sect.
Sure enough, after Qu Chang Feng finished speaking, the auction hall fell silent and the price failed to rise any further. Even Fang Tian Zhong, who would always oppose him didn’t say a word.
In the private room of Shadow Moon Hall, the beautiful young woman looked at Dragon Striker Whip with some clear yearning. Qian Tong glanced over at her and asked, “Xuan’er, do you want this artefact?”
The beautiful young woman called Xuan’er blinked before shaking her head and replying, “Xuan’er does not want it.”
“You really don’t want it?” Qian Tong asked once more, “If you want it, we’ll bid for it now!”
The young woman just smiled lightly, “It’s true, Master. If it was just an ordinary Origin Grade Mid-Rank whip, I would still want it, but the poison spike at its tip is too sinister. Xuan’er does not want it.”
The brave and heroic youth who had never spoken grinned and said proudly, “Junior Sister Xuan’er is kind-hearted. When she encounters small injured animals, she will insist on bringing them back to treat them. The poisonous spike on this whip does not conform to Junior Sister’s way. I most like this about Junior Sister Xuan’er!”
Listening to the young man so boldly speak such words in front of so many people, the pretty young woman couldn’t help blushing brightly.
Qian Tong sighed softly as he glanced over at the young woman with some slight guilt.
How could he not know his Disciple was just making an excuse? The poison spike at the tip of the whip was indeed somewhat malicious, but wouldn’t it be fine to simply not use it? His Disciple speaking so was simply because she didn’t want Shadow Moon Hall to offend Coloured Glass Sect and Heaven Battling Union.
After all, once Yin Su Die started bidding, it was clear Qu Chang Feng was trying to help her.
These two juniors playing this game wasn’t even placed in Qian Tong’s eyes. He believed that even if he bid for this long whip himself, it wouldn’t be considered an offence by Coloured Glass Sect and Heaven Battling Union, but… what if by spending Saint Crystals now, he wound up not having enough for the true final item?
It was precisely because Qian Tong knew of the preciousness of the last item that during this time’s Treasure Trove Pavilion auction, Shadow Moon Hall had never bid on anything, he was saving all his resources for the final fight.
His Disciple consideration made Qian Tong feel both warm and bitter. He was an Elder of Shadow Moon Hall, since when did he need to hesitate so much over buying an artefact for his Disciple?
Just as Qian Tong was struggling with himself, the brave and heroic young man suddenly shouted, “3.5 million!”
When this price was called, the silent auction hall filled with noise again.
“I told you it was impossible for an Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact to sell for just 3.2 million. Someone finally increased the price.”
“Who has so much courage? Isn’t he afraid of being targeted by Qu Chang Feng?”
“That bid also came from one of the A Block private rooms. He must be from a great force that doesn’t need to worry about such things.”
“It came from the private room of Shadow Moon Hall. I remember Elder Qian Tong Elder’s voice coming inside a while ago. The one who made the bid was Shadow Moon Hall’s most talented disciple, Wei Gu Chang. His personal strength isn’t lower than Fang Tian Zhong or Qu Chang Feng’s.”
“It’s him! Then he must be bidding on it for Dong Xuan’er. I heard that those two grew up together and had long been secretly in love with one another. I wonder if that’s true!”
Inside Shadow Moon Hall’s private room, Dong Xuan’er looked over at Wei Gu Chang in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected him to suddenly make a bid.
Wei Gu Chang let out a confident laugh, “If you want it, we’ll compete for it, there’s no need to care about what others think!”
With that said, he turned to Qian Tong and asked, “Elder Qian, can I take responsibility for these Saint Crystals?”
Qian Tong smiled slightly and nodded, “Go ahead.”
His heart truly felt more comfortable hearing this. Dong Xuan’er was his disciple, and although Wei Gu Chang had no Master-Disciple status with him, for so many years ,Qian Tong had been teaching him to cultivate, so their relationship was no different from a true Master and Disciple. Both of these two youths had excellent aptitude and Qian Tong deeply felt that if they had not been born on Shadowed Star, but somewhere in the outside world, they would definitely have even greater achievements in the future.
What Qian Tong was most satisfied with Wei Gu Chang about though was that he always looked after Dong Xuan’er, like an older brother who wanted to protect and spoil her in every possible way. He was also able to push Dong Xuan’er forward as she was normally quite a shy and quiet girl, lacking all the usual shortcomings star disciples of other great forces possessed.
These two were without a doubt the best disciples in Shadow Moon Hall’s younger generation and were regarded by Qian Tong as the Sect’s greatest hope for the future.
Now that Wei Gu Chang was participating in the auction on Dong Xuan’er’s behalf, Qian Tong would naturally support him.
“4 million!” From the private room of Coloured Glass Sect, Yin Su Die’s voice called out again.
Although her tone was flat, Yin Su Die was secretly gritted her teeth. If Wei Gu Chang hadn’t made a bid, she might have been able to buy the Dragon Striker Whip for just 3.2 million, but with him suddenly jumping out and bidding, the price had instantly risen greatly.
This was tantamount to spending money unnecessarily.
Atop the high platform, Yan Pei stood calmly, like an unmoving mountain, the corner of his mouth curling into a faint sneer for just a moment before such an expression disappeared.
[An Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact for just 3 or 4 million Saint Crystals? Pure nonsense! If this old master doesn’t pull at least 10 million today, he won’t be worthy of his name as chief auctioneer of Treasure Trove Pavilion!] Even if Wei Gu Chang hadn’t pushed the price higher, someone else would have, so Old Black Face Yan Pei wasn’t the slightest bit worried this Dragon Striker Whip would sell at a low price.
“4.2 million!” In the private room of Shadow Moon Hall, Wei Gu Chang raised the price again without hesitation.
“4.5 million!” Yin Su Die also bid, and although her voice was still soft and pleasant to the ear, she spoke with noticeably more force and speed.
Wei Gu Chang was just about to raise prices again when Qian Tong suddenly shook his head and said, “Don’t.”
Wei Gu Chang looked at Qian Tong and asked in confusion, “May I ask why? This Dragon Striker Whip isn’t something that can be bought for so few million Saint Crystals.”
“Indeed, but if we win it, we will lose the qualification to bid on the last item, and… Do you think that the Yan Pei is a vegetarian? He can bleed Coloured Glass Sect dry without our help.”
“There are more items to be auctioned?” Wei Gu Chang was startled, and Dong Xuan’er asked, “Didn’t Senior Yan just say that this was the auction’s finale?”
“Can’t there be two items in the finale?” Qian Tong grinned meaningfully before turning to Wei Gu Chang, “Xuan’er already understands your intentions, that is enough. There’s no need to bid again.”
“I understand,” Wei Gu Chang wasn’t like Qu Chang Feng, who carelessly chased after beauties. With Qian Tong saying so, he immediately understood and no longer tried to raise the price.
When Wei Gu Chang stopped bidding, everyone felt somewhat disappointed that he had withdrawn from the competition.
Old Black Face Yan Pei rolled his eyes as he glanced over at Shadow Moon Hall’s private room, grinning as he muttered under his breath, “Old fart, still as cunning as ever!”
He seemed to know that Qian Tong was like him, not someone easy to handle. One of them had leaked out news of special treasures appearing to maximize their benefits in the auction while the other had massively increased the fee to use Heavenly Fate City’s Space Array in order to collect more Saint Crystals in preparation for the upcoming fight. Both of them forced the various great forces into many grievances while simultaneously giving them nowhere to complain about them.
Glancing around the auction hall, there were only some scattered discussions with no one in the private rooms showing any intention to bid. Yan Pei was secretly annoyed and was preparing to signal one of the black hands he had arranged in the hall to raise the price of the Dragon Striker Whip when someone finally called out, “Pardon my offense, 4.6 million!”
This voice came from one of the B Block private rooms. No one knew who he was apologizing to, Yin Su Die or Qu Chang Feng, but by doing so his momentum was already quite depressed.
The person in this private room was probably very interested in bidding for the Dragon Striker Whip but was somewhat uneasy as well. Therefore, he first showed deference in the hopes that others wouldn’t look to settle accounts with him afterwards.
Sure enough, as soon as this bid was made, Qu Chang Feng’s cold snort from the private room of Heaven Battling Union echoed, the threatening tone extremely obvious for all to hear.
Although he was discontented with Wei Gu Chang suddenly participating in the auction just now, Qu Chang Feng didn’t raise any objections; after all, Shadow Moon Hall wasn’t weak and Wei Gu Chang was also bidding for Dong Xuan’er, so it was a reasonable competition, but now, someone from the B Block wanted to join in, an act akin to questioning his prestige, naturally annoying Qu Chang Feng to no end.
He had clearly said that Junior Sister Yin wanted this Dragon Striker Whip and politely asked others to show due respect for her feelings, yet now there were so many people without eyes who were stirring up trouble.
Just Qu Chang Feng wanted to say a few words to demonstrate his authority, Yin Su Die’s somewhat angry voice called out from Coloured Glass Sect’s room, “5 million!”
From this display, Yin Su Die was making it know she was determined to win this Dragon Striker Whip. She hadn’t bid for the other Origin Grade Low-Rank artifacts that appeared before, so it was impossible for her to back down now.
As soon as the price of five million was called, no more sound came from that B Block private room. It wasn’t known if this person had run out of Saint Crystals or had been frightened into submission by Qu Chang Feng’s threat.
However, it was more likely the latter.
The auction hall once again fell silent after the price of five million was called, no one trying to increase the price.
Inside private room C-13 though, Yang Kai frowned deeply, thinking it over for a moment as his expression flickered back and forth before he suddenly shouted out a shocking price, “6 million!”
Anyways, 13 Chapters this week!
The Dragon Striker Whip’s auction has been relatively calm so far, and although the price was indeed rising, everyone’s bid had been incremental and sensible.
But Yang Kai had actually sent out a bid of 6 million, a million more than Yin Su Die’s previous offer!
The audience went into an uproar again.
Atop the auction stage, the beautiful woman who had previously been hosting the auction shot a questioning glance towards Old Yan Pei. She thought that this was all arranged by this Old Black Face, but a reckless bid wasn’t very professional and would easily draw suspicion.
However, Yan Pei actually shook his head slightly, indicating that the bidder he had arranged was not in that private room, causing the beautiful woman a certain degree of surprise.
In room C-13, when Yang Kai shouted the sky high price of 6 million Saint Crystals, Wu Yi and Yang Yan both covered their mouths and stared at him in shock, wondering what he was trying to do.
That was six million Saint Crystals; if this bid were to win the Dragon Striker Whip, wouldn’t there be no place for them to cry?
Yang Kai simply showed a look of absolute confidence.
He firmly believed that the price of the Dragon Striker Whip would be higher than 6 million!
After participating in this auction, Yang Kai had gained a general understanding of the values of artefacts of different grades, and this estimation of his was very different from his initial expectations. Originally he had thought that an Origin Grade Low-Rank artefact could sell for between 2 and 3 hundred thousand, while a Mid-Rank artefact would sell for around one million. But the twin daggers refined by Yang Yan had actually sold for the shocking price of 2.1 million Saint Crystals.
The Dragon Striker Whip was a genuine Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact, so how could it sell for just a few million Saint Crystals? 10 million was far more likely.
If it weren’t for Qu Chang Feng’s previous remarks, this Dragon Striker Whip would surely have countless people bidding for it and the price would have already soared the Heavens. But because of Qu Chang Feng’s veiled threats, very few people were willing to bid for fear of offending him and Yin Su Die of Coloured Glass Sect.
Yang Kai didn’t have the slightest good impression of Qu Chang Feng, and he has no friendship with Yin Su Die, so naturally he wouldn’t allow his items to be sold at such a low price. Since no one was willing to bid, he just had to raise the price himself. At worst he would rather buy back the Dragon Striker Whip than let others take advantage of it.
“Hmph, this friend seems to like showing off, but can you even take out 6 million Saint Crystals?” The cold voice of Qu Chang Feng called out from his private room, obviously thinking Yang Kai didn’t have that many Saint Crystals.
“What business of yours is it if he can take out that many Saint Crystals or not? If he can’t, Treasure Trove Pavilion will handle him. If you want to bid, just bid, quit spouting nonsense,” Fang Tian Zhong said.
“Brother Fang, what business of yours is this? Do you just want to run your mouth?” Qu Chang Feng’s voice became even colder. Normally he and Fang Tian Zhong would trade taunts back and forth, but at this time he was feeling like his face was being spit at, driving Qu Chang Feng to the limits of his patience.
“I just can’t get used to some people putting on airs.”
“Two Juniors, mind what you say. If you dare to show improper decorum again, you will be expelled from Treasure Trove Pavilion and never allowed to participate in our auctions again!” Yan Pei coldly snorted.
With Old Yan Pe’s word, they dared not go overboard again. Qu Chang Feng and Fang Tian Zhong both admitted their wrong and apologizing immediately.
Yan Pei nodded lightly before saying in a strong voice, “The guest from room C-13 bids 6 million Saint Crystals, is there any higher offer?”
“6.5 million!” Qu Chang Feng immediately increased the price.
Before Yang Kai could open his mouth, Fang Tian Zhong’s voice came out, “7 million!”
Not waiting for Qu Chang Feng to bid again, Yang Kai ruthlessly called, “8 million!”
“Hahaha! I can’t let you younglings take all the fame! This old master will bid 8.5 million!” Qian Tong laughed and shouted.
Yang Kai gawked, but after thinking about it for a moment, he smiled slightly, lifted his cup of tea, and sipped it gently before turning to Wu Yi and Yang Yan and saying, “It’s just about over, get ready to collect our money.”
Qian Tong had already bid 8.5 million, but that wasn’t because he was intending to win this item but rather because he wanted to direct the audience’s attention and ire towards himself, which was why he had immediately increased the price after Yang Kai.
Qian Tong’s thoughts were quite sharp, earning him Yang Kai’s appreciation.
In the private room of Shadow Moon Hall, Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er looked at Qian Tong in puzzlement, both of them wondering why their Elder had suddenly decided to participate in this auction again; however, neither of them asked anything, figuring Qian Tong had his reasons.
The Dragon Striker Whip’s auction had turned out quite dramatic. Almost from the start, this Origin Grade Mid-Rank artefact had very few willing to bid on it, the entire hall falling silent a number of times, but no one could have imagined that in the last possible moment the price had soared upwards. After Qian Tong’s bid of 8.5 million, Yin Su Die immediately followed up with a 9 million Saint Crystal bid which ended up being the final selling price.
Although the Dragon Striker Whip didn’t end up reaching 10 million, such a price was still enough to thrill and amaze most people.
9 million Saint Crystals, just how many great forces on all of Shadowed Star could take out such an amount?
In private room C-13, Wu Yi and Yang Yan both stared wide eyed with faces flushed red with excitement, their hands clasped tightly together as they directed looks of pure admiration towards Yang Kai.
If it weren’t for Yang Kai’s intervention a moment ago, the Dragon Striker Whip could likely have sold for just 5 million, yet now it sold for nearly twice as much.
Counting the profits from the Origin Condensing Pill and twin daggers earlier, this time, the three of them had reaped a huge harvest.
Obtaining more than ten million High-Rank Saint Crystals so easily was something they had never before imagined, and Wu Yi and Yang Yan even began to wonder if they were dreaming right now.
“You think that 10 million is a lot?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“Isn’t ten million a lot?” Wu Yi was stunned, “How much do you want?”
“Just watch, something more terrifying is about to appear,” Yang Kai took another sip of his tea as he stared at the platform slightly excitedly. He could already vaguely tell that the true last item would sell for more than the Dragon Striker Whip. Although he didn’t know what price it would fetch in the end, since Treasure Trove Pavilion decided to put it up for auction after the Dragon Striker Whip, Yang Kai didn’t doubt its value was higher.
Atop the platform, Yan Pei lightly coughed before announcing, “The last item of the auction will be present now…”
As he spoke, the beautiful female auctioneer personally held a jade plate and walked over to Yan Pei. Everyone could clearly see the tender body of this woman trembling as she held this item.
This scene made the masters in the private rooms curious. This beautiful woman was an auctioneer of Treasure Trove Pavilion so she wasn’t someone ignorant of the world. On the contrary, she should be used to handling rare and precious items, so just what kind of treasure could make her so excited that even the smile on her pretty face had become a bit tight.
“Please see for yourselves!” Yan Pei lifted the red cloth covering the jade plate and the last auction item immediately appeared in front of everyone’s eyes.
It was a transparent bottle, made from neither gold nor jade. It wasn’t clear what material this bottle was made from, but it was obviously quite valuable in and of itself; however, it was not the bottle which attracted everyone’s attention, but the pill which was quietly laying inside it!
This pill was perfectly round with a smooth surface filled with clearly visible lines which crisscrossed over each other, just like the human meridians.
“Pill Veins!”
“An Origin Condensing Pill that formed Pill Veins!”
Countless shouts rang out from all directions, and from many of the private rooms the sound of shattering chairs, overturned tables, and broken tea cups resounded…
At this moment, the representatives of Shadowed Star’s great forces could no longer retain their calm. Each of these figures was normally so calm and stalwart that even if a mountain collapsed in front of them, they wouldn’t bat an eye, but now they were all behaving like country bumpkins who had never seen the world, all of them displaying disgraceful and frantic performances.
The cultivators in the auction hall were all thrown into an uproar.
The Origin Condensing Pill that had been sold at the mid-point of the auction had been won by Jiang Huai An, one of the Temple Masters of Sea Temple, for a price of one million ten thousand Saint Crystals, so now that another Origin Condensing Pill had appeared, everyone could naturally recognize it.
However, this Origin Condensing Pill was obviously different from the previous one; it was an Origin Condensing Pill that formed Pill Veins!
The Origin Condensing Pill was a Saint King Grade High-Rank pill, but refining it was extremely difficult and generally required an Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemist to act. But an Origin Condensing Pill with Pill Veins wasn’t necessarily even able to be refined by an Origin King Grade Alchemist.
Yet at this moment, such a pill had actually appeared on the auction stage!
*Shua Shua Shua…*
Suddenly, a group of people flew out, their auras surging as their eyes swept over the crowd fiercely. These people were all Origin Returning Realm masters of Treasure Trove Pavilion, and after they appeared, they formed a water-tight circle around the Origin Condensing Pill, the solemn expressions on their faces saying they would kill anyone who dared to approach. The thick murderous intent emanating from these masters caused all the clamouring in the auction hall to immediately cease.
Seeing this scene, the representatives of the great forces in their private rooms gradually calmed down and slowly took their seats; however, their faces were still filled with shock and determination flashed across their eyes.
They finally understood why Yan Pei had leaked out a message for them to raise more Saint Crystals.
It turned out that the real finale was not the Dragon Striker Whip, but this Origin Condensing Pill with Pill Veins. This pill was absolutely worth them losing everything in order to win.
Yan Pei observed his surroundings silently, and after everyone had finally calmed down and the noisy auction hall fell silent, he proudly declared, “Have you all seen clearly now? Good, since that is the case, let’s not waste time. The starting price for this Origin Condensing Pill is 5 million, each new bid must increase the price by at least 5 hundred thousand!”
Yan Pei’s words had barely ended before numerous calls were made from all over, the intensity of the bidding far outstripping any previous auction.
Moreover, everyone who made a bid did so with great vigor.
The representatives of all the great forces were personally participating in this auction.
There were far too many bids all at once, as almost every private room was calling out, but Yan Pei didn’t pay this any mind, simply directing his attention towards the one who made the highest offer.
6 million, 8 million, 10 million, 15 million, 20 million…
After less than ten breaths of time, this Origin Condensing Pill’s price had risen to 30 million, and the bidding was not slowing down in the slightest; in fact, the competition was becoming even fiercer, with every successive bid adding millions more to the last.
Yan Pei didn’t even need to say anything, or deliberately try to heat up the atmosphere, he simply needed sweep his eyes around and others would automatically increase the price.
35 million, 40 million… the price soared upwards with unstoppably momentum, reaching 50 million, then 60 million…
Treasure Trove Pavilion held an auction every two or three years, but few auctions were ever as competitive as today.
Many of the cultivators who sat on the main floor had their jaws dropped and were unable to close them for a long time. The numbers called out from the private rooms made all of them unable to believe their ears.
Had they not happened to participate in this auction, they would never have known just how deep the heritage of these great forces really was.
After 60 million was called though, many sighs could be heard from the private rooms as the masters inside had to bow out of the competition.
This number was like a watershed. After which, 80 percent of the forces on Shadowed Star lost the qualification to participate.
In the private room of Coloured Glass Sect, Yin Su Die’s pretty face was filled with absolute shock. Coloured Glass Sect had already been forced to withdraw when the price exceeded 50 million, causing the middle-aged woman sitting next to Yin Su Die to sigh heavily and smile bitterly, “Let’s just watch the liveliness.”
“Second Aunt… has everyone gone insane? Even if an Origin Condensing Pill that formed Pill Veins is valuable, isn’t it impossible to be worth so much? Why is everyone competing so crazily for it?” Yin Su Die turned her head towards the middle-aged woman and asked.
Not just Yin Su Die was wondering about this though; most of the talents from the young generation who were sitting in the private rooms were asking the same question, none of them understanding why their Elders were willing to spend so much money to win this Origin Condensing Pill.
An Origin Condensing Pill could only increase the chance of a Third Order Saint King Realm cultivator breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm, it wasn’t an Origin Nirvana Pill. If it was an Origin Nirvana Pill, that could increase the chances a Third Order Origin Returning Realm master could break through to the Origin King Realm, was what was being auctioned, all of them could understand such a price being shouted, but this was clearly just an Origin Condensing Pill!
Fang Tian Zhong, Qu Chang Feng, Wei Gu Chang, and Dong Xuan’er, all stared curiously towards their respective Elders, hoping that they could dispel their doubts.
In Shadow Moon Hall’s private room, after Qian Tong bid 65 million, he solemnly said, “Do you think everyone is bidding for this Origin Condensing Pill? You’re wrong; this Origin Condensing Pill that has formed Pill Veins can guarantee a Third Order Saint King cultivator breaks through to Origin Returning Realm, but if that was its only value, it wouldn’t be worth such a price. Perhaps 2 or 3 million Saint Crystals would be enough. This pill’s true value is that it is rumoured to assist a cultivator to fully condense their own Shi. If you think about it carefully, if a cultivator who takes this Origin Condensing Pill is able to smoothly condense their Shi, perhaps when they reach the Third Order Origin Returning Realm, they will be able to break through Shadowed Star’s shackles and reach the Origin King Realm!”
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er both trembling in shock, the former anxiously asking, “What Elder means is, they aren’t bidding for a pill that can allow the birth of an Origin Returning Realm, but they are bidding for an opportunity to break through to the Origin King Realm?”
“Exactly!” Qian Tong nodded, “You younger generations have yet to understand the real value of this pill, but that’s not your fault. On the other hand, we old masters, and the Seniors who came before us, have spent hundreds, if not thousands of years studying methods to reach the Origin King Realm. Taking an Origin Condensing Pill that has formed Pill Veins is one of the methods that was discovered. Whether this method can yield success is still unknown, but even if it is just a glimmer of hope, we must grab hold of it!”
There was no Origin King on Shadowed Star, but once one appeared, they would be able to dominate all of Shadowed Star! For such a possibility, what did a few tens of millions of Saint Crystals matter? As long as one could become the supreme leader of Shadowed Star, these Saint Crystals could be made back at any time.
“Disciple understands,” Wei Gu Chang nodded.
Qian Tong glanced over at him and smiled, “An Origin Condensing Pill can only be used by a Third Order Saint King, we old masters are now bidding for the young disciples of our Sects. In Shadow Moon Hall, you and Xuan’er are the most qualified to take it, but your aptitude is slightly better than Xuan’er, so if we can win it, this Origin Condensing Pill will be yours.”
Wei Gu Chang however just grinned, “Disciple was not concerned about this. If it can be won, it doesn’t matter whether Xuan’er or I take it.”
He spoke in a calm and carefree manner, without the slightest pretence, only exchanging a glance with Dong Xuan’er, both of them smiling lightly.
Qian Tong nodded with satisfaction. He was very satisfied with these two disciples. He believed that even if he won this Origin Condensing Pill, these two would only try to push the other to take it. It was impossible for this Senior Brother and Junior Sister pair to have a falling out over a pill.
[That being said… is it possible for us to even win it?] Qian Tong wasn’t confident.
There were only five Sects left in the bidding, Star Emperor Sect, Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, Sea Temple, and Shadow Moon Hall, all others had dropped out.
If Qian Tong had not collected so many road tolls just now, Shadow Moon Hall would have exited long ago, but even with these extra Saint Crystals, he wasn’t sure how long they could persist. The price of this Origin Condensing Pill had already reached 68 million, and Qian Tong only had 80 million available to him, so it wouldn’t be long before he too reached his limit.
Qian Tong frowned deeply, and as he glanced over at Luo Qing who was standing nearby, he felt a deep urge to beat this bastard again.
Feeling his Elder’s malevolent gaze, Luo Qing couldn’t help shrinking his neck. He didn’t know where he had offended Elder Qian, but it was like the latter found him particularly unpleasant to the eye today.
“70 million!” A loud voice from the private room of Heaven Battling Union called out. It belonged to one of the Sect Elders as, at this level of bidding, juniors like Qu Chang Feng weren’t eligible to participate.
“75 million!” Heaven Battling Union’s bid was immediately followed by one private room A-1, without the slightest of hesitation or unease.
In private room C-13, Yang Kai was completely stunned, even if he had mentally prepared himself for this somewhat, he was still shocked by the price.
Like Wei Gu Chang, Dong Xuan’er, and the other young talents in the hall, he didn’t understand why these people were bidding so frantically, almost to the point where he questioned their sanity. Since Treasure Trove Pavilion used this Origin Condensing Pill as the final auction item, Yang Kai was certain it would sell for a higher price than the Dragon Striker Whip, but this was far too high.
Yang Kai realized once again he had miscalculated the value of the items he had entered into this auction.
However, facing such an exaggerated situation, Yang Kai didn’t believe the problem lay with him, but rather that there was some hidden story behind this that he didn’t understand.
How could he have known that the cultivators on Shadowed Star had theorized that an Origin Condensing Pill that formed Pill Veins would help them pursue the Origin King Realm by fully condensing their Shi?
At this moment, Yang Kai was secretly rejoicing that he had not refined two Origin Condensing Pills with Pill Veins. At that time, for the purposes of this auction, he had deliberately refined an ordinary Origin Condensing Pill and one with Pill Veins.
His original intentions were to acquire a few Saint Crystals to allow Yang Yan to purchase enough materials to slightly enhance the Spirit Array around Dragon Cave Mountain, but now it had actually acquired a massive sum of money.
“Yang Kai, don’t tell me this Origin Condensing Pill was brought to auction by you…” Wu Yi bit her red lips and whispered to Yang Kai.
“Haha…” Yang Kai let out a hollow laugh and didn’t respond directly.
Wu Yi and Yang Yan covered their little mouths as their beautiful eyes filled with shock. Compared to the price of this Origin Condensing Pill, the ten million or so Saint Crystals they had previously obtained were truly not worth mentioning.
The price was still rising, causing Yan Pei’s face to show a rare ruddy complexion, standing atop the auction state with a big smile.
There were only five Sects still bidding, each of them unwilling to yield, but after reaching a price of 80 million, Sea Temple and Shadow Moon Hall had no choice but to withdraw, deep sighs coming from their respective private rooms.
Such a price had exceeded their bottom lines.
After these two great forces bowed out, only Shadowed Star’s top tree Sects, Star Emperor Sect, Heaven Battling Union, and Thunder Typhoon Sect remained, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall.
The amount these three Sects increased the price now was considerably smaller than before, with the representatives from Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect often hesitating for a long period of time before making a new bid.
However, the A-1 private room which belonged to Star Emperor Sect always increased the price decisively, fully demonstrating their boldness and wealth.
Yang Kai has long ago taken note of this private room, as from beginning to end, its occupants had only bought some Origin Grade artefacts and pills.
After asking Wu Yi, he naturally learned that this private room belonged to Star Emperor Sect.
According to Wu Yi, although Star Emperor Sect was the greatest force on Shadowed Star, their people rarely showed up outside. It also seemed that there were very few people who belonged to Star Emperor Sect, and almost all of them remained on Star Emperor Mountain in secluded cultivation.
The founder of Star Emperor Sect apparently obtained some inheritance from the Starry Sky Great Emperor himself and claimed to be a disciple of the Star Emperor.
Under normal circumstances, Star Emperor Sect was aloof to any conflicts on Shadowed Star, maintaining a relatively peaceful appearance.
But no one dared to underestimate them, because it was rumored that there were many top level Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters in this Sect.
After a stick of incense worth of time, the price of Origin Condensing Pill climbed to 90 million Saint Crystal, the price quoted by Thunder Typhoon Sect.
“100 million!” The voice from private room A-1 then directly raised the price by ten million, showing its great determination to win this pill.
Inside the private room of Thunder Typhoon Sect, the master who had quote the 90 million price grinned bitterly, knowing that even if he increased his bid again, Star Emperor Sect would still snatch this Origin Condensing Pill from them, so he simply declared, “Thunder Typhoon Sect withdraws from this competition!”
As soon as this master had made this announcement, Heaven Battling Union also declared it was giving up.
Spending a hundred million Saint Crystals on the uncertain possibility of being able to reach the Origin King Realm wasn’t something these two Sects could afford. On top of that, even if it were successful, it would be a hundred, or possibly several hundred years before any results could be seen. Who knows what could happen over the course of a few hundred years? Perhaps a more effective method would appear by then.
Considering all this, Thunder Typhoon Sect and Heaven Battling Union no longer tried to bid.
Yan Pei also knew that no one was wealthier than Star Emperor Sect, so he immediately started the three count and the auction soon ended with Star Emperor Sect winning the final victory.
From the other private rooms, congratulations were spoken aloud to Star Emperor Sect for winning the finale and soon after, the people from Treasure Trove Pavilion delivered the price to room A-1.
Yan Pei stood atop the stage and announced the end of the auction, once again thanking the great forces for their support, drawing loud cheers and applause from the audience.
The people sitting on the main floor of the auction hall rose and left one after another, with the masters from the private rooms also getting up and leaving.
Yang Kai however didn’t move. Qian Tong had asked to speak with him after the auction was over, so he wasn’t in a rush to leave. Yang Kai also happened to have something he wanted to discuss with Qian Tong, so naturally he remained.
In the private room of Shadow Moon Hall, Qian Tong remained motionless for a long time, a slight annoyance apparent between his brow. If he had known that even after collecting 30 million worth of road tolls, he still wouldn’t have been able to win that Origin Condensing Pill, he would have gone all out to buy that Dragon Striker Whip for his Disciple.
Now he had obtained nothing, so naturally, he was regretting it.
After waiting a stick of incense worth of time, Qian Tong turned to the Shadow Moon Hall disciples standing next to him and said, “You go back first. The Flowing Flame Sand Field will soon open, so cultivate diligently when you return to the Sect.”
The disciples all nodded before filing out of the room, leaving only Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er from the younger generation. Qian Tong then stood up and said, “You two come with me, I want to introduce you to someone.”
“Yes,” Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er followed him obediently.
Inside private room C-13, Wu Yi took some Saint Crystals out and gave them to the two Shadow Moon Hall female disciples who had been attending to them. After accepting their cheerful thanks, Wu Yi sent them away.
Yang Kai’s group of three then waited for Qian Tong to arrive.
Just as he was becoming somewhat bored, Yang Kai heard a knock at the door. Wu Yi immediately got up to open the door, and a moment later Qian Tong walked in accompanied by a young man and woman.
“Nephew Yang, I’ve kept you waiting,” Qian Tong cupped his fists and politely greeted.
“Senior is too polite, this Junior was not in any rush,” Yang Kai stood up to welcome him inside.
Hearing the change in how Yang Kai addressed him, Qian Tong’s eyes brightened, and his smile widened. Yang Kai had always called him Elder Qian, but now he had suddenly become ‘Senior’, which was obviously a bit more respectful. How could Qian Tong not understand that Yang Kai was expressing gratitude for his help during the auction?
Without drawing attention to this point, Qian Tong simply sat down at Yang Kai’s invitation.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er, who had been following Qian Tong, both had somewhat strange expressions on their faces. Originally, when Qian Tong said he was going to introduce them to someone, they had thought it would be a Senior from somewhere, but the one in front of them now was just a Junior like them. On top of that, this Junior’s cultivation wasn’t high, just First-Order Saint King.
What was so special about this young man that he warranted such polite treatment from their Elder? The two of them had been together with Qian Tong for a long time and could tell from his words and expressions that there wasn’t just politeness in his demeanour, but even a hint of caution.
However, this young man definitely didn’t belong to any of the top three Sects, so who exactly was he?
“These two are…” Yang Kai turned his eyes inquisitively towards Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er. Although he had already guessed the identities of this man and the woman, he still pretended not to know them.
Why would Qian Tong bring them with him? However, after a little thought, Yang Kai understood Qian Tong’s intentions.
Seemingly just remembering their presence, Qian Tong laughed and said, “Haha, I forgot to introduce them, Nephew.”
Waving his hand towards the brave and heroic man, Qian Tong said, “This the most talented disciple my Shadow Moon Hall has produced in the past several hundred years, Wei Gu Chang.” Next, he pointed to the woman, “And this is Dong Xuan’er, this old master’s best Disciple. You two, this is Yang Kai, hurry up and greet him.”
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er heard Qian Tong’s introduction and were secretly startled. As members of the younger generation, they were accustomed to greeting Seniors on first meeting, but among their peers, they would only offer the first greeting when the other’s status or cultivation exceeded their own. This young man named Yang Kai, however, was a stranger, and his cultivation was much lower than their own, so why was their Elder pushing them to greet him politely?
With such thoughts in their hearts, both of them hesitated, not immediately following up on Qian Tong’s words.
Seeing this, how could Qian Tong not know what they were confused about? Although these two disciples had good hearts and personalities, without the common negative traits top-level disciples of great forces generally had, they had their own sense of pride. It could be said that even if Fang Tian Zhong or Qu Chang Feng were the ones standing here, they wouldn’t have the qualifications to make them offer polite greetings.
Qian Tong secretly became a bit anxious, worried the attitude of these two would make Yang Kai dissatisfied. If Yang Kai became displeased, all of Qian Tong’s previous efforts would be wasted. Qian Tong grumbled to himself that if he had just made things clear to these two before they came, things would not have become so embarrassing.
Yang Kai, however, didn’t mind such things and just laughed it off while cupping his fists, “So it is Brother Wei; Brother’s name truly resounds like thunder! I’ve heard so much about you.”
Yang Kai had first heard Wei Gu Chang’s name today, so this praise was wholly insincere, but selling Qian Tong some face wasn’t an issue.
Wei Gu Chang gently nodded, also cupping his fists but did not speak.
Yang Kai then turned to Dong Xuan’er and said, “Greetings, Sister Dong.”
Dong Xuan’er elegantly returned the greeting, but just like Wei Gu Chang, she did not say anything.
Qian Tong quickly laughed and said, “This Qian is old, but you are all around the same age, so you should become closer in the future.”
Yang Kai neither agreed nor disagree with this sentiment while Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er were equally aloof as neither of them felt any need to become closer with Yang Kai. Although their Elder seemed to fancy this person, only true masters and elite could win their respect. If this young man only had some kind of great status, no matter how high it was, it would not be enough for them to act humbly before him.
Qian Tong also realized he had somewhat mishandled this matter. He had originally brought Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er to meet Yang Kai because he felt they were all part of the same generation and would be able to get along with one another. As long as they managed to become friends with Yang Kai, there would be no need to worry about benefiting in the future, but Qian Tong had apparently underestimated the arrogance of his two disciples.
After determining no further good would come from having them remain, Qian Tong asked the two youths to wait outside.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er bowed politely before excusing themselves, for the most part, ignoring Yang Kai’s existence.
After they left, Qian Tong smiled bitterly, “I’ve shown Nephew Yang something embarrassing, this old master has apparently been lax in his education.”
Yang Kai just shook his head, “Today I was able to see many of the young talents from Shadowed Star, and honestly, the two of them left a far better impression than any of the others.”
Qu Chang Feng was the type of arrogant and prideful character Yang Kai hated the most. When Fang Tian Zhong confronted Qu Chang Feng in front of Treasure Trove Pavilion, he had not cared about anyone else in the vicinity, and if not for Yang Kai possessing far greater strength than an average First Order Saint King, he would have been forced into an ugly situation. This, of course, didn’t leave a good impression on Yang Kai. As for Yin Su Die, she came off as a somewhat manipulative woman; young, but already deceitful and conniving.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er at least did not possess such shortcoming, it was just that their characters were quite straightforward, otherwise they wouldn’t have caused Qian Tong so much embarrassment.
Of course, Yang Kai was only speaking such words to smooth over the situation. Despite Qian Tong’s words, he had no intentions to make friends with these two. They had their pride, but Yang Kai also had his.
No one was perfect.
Sure enough, though, Yang Kai’s words reassured Qian Tong and he instead began chatting with a smile.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yang Kai asked, “Senior, before the auction started, you indicated that there was something you wished to discuss with me, may I ask what that was?”
Hearing this, Qian Tong’s expression became serious as he asked back, “Has Nephew heard of the Flowing Flame Sand Field?”
Yang Kai stared at him in surprise, wondering if the two of them were actually wanted to discuss the same matter. Gently nodding, Yang Kai replied, “I’ve heard of it and know a little about its strange characteristics.”
“En, since you’ve heard of it, that will make things easier,” Qian Tong sipped his tea before continuing to ask, “Would Nephew Yang like to explore the Flowing Flame Sand Field?”
“What does Senior mean?” Although Yang Kai indeed wished for such an opportunity, he didn’t immediately reveal his own thoughts, wanting to know exactly what Qian Tong was here to discuss with him first.
“Please don’t misunderstand, Nephew Yang,” Qian Tong smiled, “Originally, this old master didn’t intend to recommend you visit the Flowing Flame Sand Field; after all, it is an extremely dangerous place. Every time it opens, heavy losses occur among those who enter; if 60 percent are able to return alive, it is already quite good. However, I heard that Nephew Yang once killed a cultivator at the Third Order Saint King Realm in single combat, is that true? “
“Yeah.”
Although Qian Tong had heard such a story from Luo Qing before, hearing Yang Kai openly acknowledge it still surprised him. From this alone, Qian Tong immediately understood that Yang Kai’s personal combat strength was exceptional, otherwise it would not have been possible for him to kill an enemy two minor realms above his own.
“In that case, Nephew Yang is qualified to go! I just don’t know if Nephew is interested or not. If you want to, this old master can arrange for it.”
Yang Kai knit his brow and asked, “Are there any restrictions on entering that place?”
He had originally thought that once the Flowing Flame Sand Field opened, he could enter it at will, so he wanted to check with Qian Tong about its location and opening time.
“Naturally there are restrictions,” Qian Tong looked at him in surprise, “Did Nephew Yang think that anyone is allowed to enter it?”
“All I know is that it can only be entered at special times.”
Qian Tong grinned, “It seems Nephew Yang doesn’t know much about Flowing Flame Sand Field.”
“Please enlighten me, Senior,” Yang Kai immediately asked.
“The Flowing Flame Sand Field is truly only accessible at a certain time, but even then, not everyone can enter it. Firstly, those in the Origin Returning Realm cannot enter, if they do, they will die without doubt!” Qian Tong declared seriously.
“Why?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
“Because of their Shi! Shi is a power unique to Origin Returning Realm cultivators, but the Flowing Flame Sand Field does not allow Shi to exist within its borders. Once an Origin Returning Realm enters, whether they push their Shi or not, they will immediately be burned to death!”
Yang Kai’s face paled slightly and couldn’t help secretly rejoicing that he had failed to comprehend anything about Shi during his retreat some time ago. If he had, he would have missed this opportunity. It seems there were gains and losses to every situation.
Wu Yi and Yang Yan were also stunned, apparently never having heard this information before either.
“This discovery was made at the cost of many of Shadowed Star’s Seniors,” Qian Tong sighed slightly. “Also, those whose strength is too low cannot enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field. When it opens, the great blazing heat indeed weakens significantly, but it is still not something a Saint Realm cultivator can withstand. As such, those who enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field are all Saint Kings. Nephew Yang is only a First Order Saint King, and if this old master didn’t know you had the strength to fight well above your own realm, I would not dare mention this to you. However, since Nephew Yang has such ability, I will leave it to you to decide for yourself whether to go or not.”
“Naturally I’ll go. Not taking advantage of such a rare opportunity would simply be a waste, would it not?” Yang Kai grinned. The Flowing Flame Sand field was the perfect place for him to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
Qian Tong looked at him approvingly, “I knew it. Nephew Yang would not be content to live the life of a mediocre person. Since you have decided to go, this old master will reserve one of Shadow Moon Hall’s spots for you. In any case, my Shadow Moon Hall does not lack such spots.”
“Quota?” Yang Kai frowned, looking at Qian Tong and asked, “Is there a limit to the number of people who can enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field?”
“En, that is something this old man intended to tell you,” Qian Tong nodded. “In fact, when the Flowing Flame Sand Field first opened, there was no limit on the number of people who could enter, but Nephew must also know that cultivation resources on Shadowed Star are extremely scarce, especially the higher-grade ones. As one of the Three Great Forbidden Zones, the Flowing Flame Sand Field naturally has many good things inside it, enough to make all the great forces covet it, which was the root of the problem. A long time ago, when the Flowing Flame Sand Field opened, all Saint Kings were eligible to enter, and indeed a great many would, but with such a large number of people searching for treasures, everyone was only able to harvest a small amount while still plucking the Flowing Flame Sand Field clean, leaving next to nothing for those who entered the following time.”
“Excessive harvesting leads to damaging the environment!” Yang Kai nodded.
“It is exactly as Nephew says. As such, the great forces on Shadowed Star came together and set some restrictions on the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Each Sect from that point on was only allowed a certain number to answer. The Three biggest sects, Star Emperor Sect, Heaven Battling Union, and Thunder Typhoon Sect, were each given sixty quotas, while first-class Sects like my Shadow Moon Hall were granted fifty. As the size and power of one’s force decreased, the number of quotas they were given also decreased. Small families and Sects are only granted two or three quotas each. By establishing a system like this, it not only reduced the loss of Shadowed Star’s Saint King Realm cultivators, but also allowed the Flowing Flame Sand Field to maintain a certain concentration of precious treasures. After thousands of years of following this tradition, all the forces on Shadowed Star had adapted to this quota system and each time the Flowing Flame Sand Field opens, they all select the appropriate number of disciples to send.”
Yang Kai nodded slightly, indicating he understood.
Qian Tong added, “Even so, after each opening of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, there are no less than ten thousand people who enter it! However, the Flowing Flame Sand Field is very, very large, so even if ten thousand people enter, it does not matter.”
Having listened to Qian Tong’s explanation up till here, Yang Kai immediately understood the meaning of his previous words.
If he wanted to go in, he really had to acquire a quota from Shadow Moon Hall, but since Shadow Moon Hall could send fifty people, a single quota wouldn’t be a big deal to them.
“Additionally, it is not possible to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field from any random place on its perimeter, it can only be entered through some special locations. The Flowing Flame Sand Field is truly quite strange, and many great Seniors suspected that it is actually a massive Spirit Array that had been arranged by some great ancient expert. However, we have no way to break this Spirit Array. Only when the blazing heat weakens will some access points appear around its edge. Those who want to enter must pass through these access points.”
Hearing this information, Yang Kai realized his thoughts on this matter had been too simple.
One needed a quota to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field, and one could only enter it through specific points and specific times. It wasn’t like he had thought that once the Flowing Flame Sand Field opened, anyone could enter at will.
Realizing all this, Yang Kai quickly said, “Senior, this Junior really wishes to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so I’m afraid I will have to trouble Senior with this matter.”
Qian Tong laughed, “Nephew is too polite, if this old master thought of you as a mere outsider, he would not have spoken so much today. Since Nephew wishes to enter, you can leave everything up to this Old man. I will make sure you’re satisfied.”
Qian Tong was actually worried Yang Kai wouldn’t ask him for help with this matter. Although he felt that Qian Tong felt he had displayed enough sincerity in wanting to befriend Yang Kai, he was still concerned that as a young man Yang Kai would act aloof and supercilious, disdaining to interact with an old man like him.
Now that Yang Kai had upfront asked for his assistance, Qian Tong was naturally happy.
Steering the conversation in a different direction, Qian Tong said, “Nephew Yang must prepare appropriately for this excursion though.”
“What do I need to prepare?” Yang Kai humbly asked.
“A few artefacts that can withstand the extreme heat are a must. If Nephew does not have appropriate artefacts, I can provide you with some Ice Attribute materials from Monster Beasts. Artefacts refined from such materials are the most suitable for resisting the Flowing Flame Sand Field’s intense temperatures. I have prepared many such materials for use here.”
Yang Kai was about to refuse, when suddenly something dawned on him and he thoughtfully asked, “Brother Wei and Sister Dong are also going to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field, aren’t they?”
Qian Tong nodded and acknowledged, “Naturally they will be going. Although that place is dangerous, those two are the best disciples in Shadow Moon Hall’s younger generation, how can they mature if they don’t experience a few great storms?”
“The artefacts for those two…”
Qian Tong smiled awkwardly, “Some have been purchased, but most are just Saint King Grade High-Rank, so how much effect they can display is questionable. En, my Shadow Moon Hall’s Origin Grade Artefact Refiner is growing old and is no longer capable of strenuous Artefact Refining.”
Yang Kai raised his brow and offered, “If Senior is willing to, you can leave the Ice Attribute Monster Beast materials with me and I will have two Origin Grade artefacts refined for Brother Wei and Sister Dong to protect themselves!”
Qian Tong had already determined that there was an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner behind him, so Yang Kai didn’t need to hide this anymore. On top of that, Qian Tong had just said he had many materials on him. Obviously, he was hoping to ask the imaginary Artefact Refiner behind him for this matter. Qian Tong had helped Yang Kai out a great deal recently and was even providing him with a quota to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field as well as a great deal of information. Yang Kai didn’t mind returning the favour.
Those who respect me one point, I respect ten.
Sure enough, after seeing Yang Kai offer this all on his own, Qian Tong was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, “Willing, naturally I am willing. En, this Old man couldn’t feel more relieved with anyone else, hahaha. Then I shall have to trouble Nephew Yang with this.”
Qian Tong had still been thinking about what to do if Yang Kai couldn’t understand the subtle message he was trying to convey. If that were the case, for the future of Shadow Moon Hall, he could only resign himself to losing face and ask frankly, but he hadn’t expected that after only some slight roundabout hints, Yang Kai had actually understood his meaning.
Having reached an understanding, Qian Tong directly took out a Space Ring and handed it to Yang Kai.
He had prepared these materials long ago and was just waiting for an opportunity to present itself. Qian Tong had also brought Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er here before on the one hand to let them meet Yang Kai while on the other to try to find a way to ask Yang Kai to help refine artifacts for them.
Unfortunately, his two Juniors had eyes but failed to see, wasting Qian Tong’s hard work.
Yang Kai accepted the ring and casually checked its contents, quickly discovering a large amount of Monster Beast materials exuding ice-cold auras. From the strength of these auras, it was obvious these materials came from Ninth-Order Monster Beasts. There were even a number of highly valuable Monster Cores inside.
There was no shortage of raw materials for Alchemy and Artefact Refining on Shadowed Star, what was lacking was high-grade Alchemist and Artefact Refiners to process them.
With so many materials, refining four or five artefacts wouldn’t be an issue.
“Nephew Yang, for this favour, this old man is very grateful.”
“Senior has helped me a lot recently, there’s no need to be so polite. If Senior has any other needs in the future, feel free to let me know.”
Qian Tong nodded repeatedly. Although he knew Yang Kai was simply speaking politely here, it was still pleasant to his hear.
“Right, when will the Flowing Flame Sand Field open exactly?” Yang Kai returned to the main topic.
Qian Tong paused for a moment before saying, “That can’t be determined precisely. It may be as soon as a month from now, or as long as four months from now, it all depends on when the blazing heat weakens. But Nephew can rest assured, all the great forces are monitoring the Flowing Flame Sand Field day and night, so once it opens, we will immediately receive the news. It won’t be too late to start off then. Nephew Yang can take advantage of this period of time to make preparations. Once this old man hears anything, I will inform you.”
Saying so, Qian Tong handed Yang Kai a communication artefact.
Yang Kai took it and stored it into his Space Ring.
At this time, there was a knock at the door again and Wu Yi walked over to open it. Luo Qing walked inside a moment later with a solemn look upon his face.
Qian Tong laughed, “It must be that old dog Yan Pei who sent Luo Qing to deliver Nephew’s Saint Crystals.”
Yang Kai’s spirit shook as Wu Yi and Yang Yan’s beautiful eyes lit up.
During the auction, the four items they had brought had all sold for extraordinary prices, and it was only now that the Saint Crystals they had earned were sent over. Yang Kai waiting here was for two reasons: One, to speak with Qian Tong, and two, to accept these Saint Crystals.
Thinking about the over one hundred million Saint Crystals he was about to receive, even Yang Kai couldn’t hold back his excitement.
Luo Qing stepped forward and respectfully placed a Space Ring on the table before quickly saying, “Manager Yan said the total amount of Young Master Yang’s earnings are one hundred and six million, five hundred thousand and forty-five Saint Crystals, but because of the huge auction amount, it has been rounded up to one hundred and seven million Saint Crystal. Please inspect it at your leisure, Young Master Yang.”
“One hundred and seven million…” Yang Kai frowned; this number was slightly off from his expectations.
Qian Tong saw his reaction and explained with a smile, “Treasure Trove Pavilion charges a fee for every item which is auctioned. Generally speaking, they take ten percent of the auction proceeds, so for a hundred million Saint Crystals, they would normally take ten million.”
“So greedy!” Wu Yi and Yang Yan shouted indignantly. Losing ten million Saint Crystals hurt their hearts greatly.
Qian Tong added, “But Yan Pei seems to have only collected five percent this time. Seems he still has a bit of a conscience left. He also probably wants to keep cooperating with you in the future, which was why he was willing to lower his usual fee.”
Yang Kai smiled and shook his head, “There won’t be such good things in the future, those Origin Condensing Pills were something my Master acquired accidentally a long time ago, there are no more. On that note, Senior, why was there such intense competition for that Origin Condensing Pill which formed Pill Veins?”
Seeing Yang Kai’s confused look, Qian Tong couldn’t help chuckling, “Gu Chang and Xuan’er also asked this old master about this point before.”
After hearing the explanation from Qian Tong, Yang Kai realized that it was not that these people had gone insane, but rather that there were too obsessed with pursuing the Origin King Realm, to the point where they didn’t care how many Saint Crystals they had to pay in order to obtain even a chance of reaching it.
After knowing this, Yang Kai relaxed.
An Origin Condensing Pill which forms Pill Veins could be refined at any time by him with his current achievements in Alchemy, but he was lacking the primary materials for refining Origin Condensing Pills.
Inside his Black Book space, there were countless precious treasures, thousands of Origin Grade herbs, and even two or three hundred Origin King Grade herbs, but there had only been two stalks of Emerald Silk Grass which was the main ingredient in Origin Condensing Pills. Now that these two stalks had been used up, Yang Kai could not refine any more Origin Condensing Pills, so naturally, there was no way he could cooperate with Treasure Trove Pavilion again.
What’s more, he currently had over a hundred million Saint Crystals, so there was no need for him to do anything like that in the near future. One hundred million Saint Crystals was more than even Shadow Moon Hall could take out immediately.
Having obtained Saint Crystals, it was naturally time to start shopping. Yang Yan quickly made a long list of materials she wanted to order from Shadow Moon Hall.
Qian Tong took this list and glanced over it, his expression changing dramatically in the next instant.
Each of these materials was extremely precious, and the quantity asked for was massive. If all these materials were purchased, it would cost at least forty or fifty million Saint Crystals. Qian Tong wasn’t worried about being paid; after all, Yang Kai had just collected more than a hundred million Saint Crystals, Qian Tong was simply wondering why Yang Kai wanted to buy so many raw materials.
Although he didn’t understand, he didn’t ask either, simply nodding and saying, “My Shadow Moon Hall does not have all of these materials on hand, but Nephew Yang can rest assured, within one month we will be able to collect everything you have requested.”
“Then I shall trouble Senior with this,” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
With everything that should be said having been said, Qian Tong asked Yang Kai to return to Dragon Cave Mountain and await word of the Flowing Flame Sand Field opening.
Qian Tong personally saw Yang Kai off from Treasure Trove Pavilion before handing the list of materials to Luo Qing, “Quickly collect all of these materials. If there isn’t enough in our inventory, contact the forces in the surrounding region and acquire them. Make sure the price you pay is as favourable as possible within the time limit.”
“Yes!” Luo Qing left immediately.
Only after all this was finished did Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er come over to see a somewhat excited looking Qian Tong. Seeing her Master in such a good mood, Dong Xuan’er couldn’t help asking curiously, “Master, is that person really so amazing? Why are you so interested in him?”
“He truly is amazing!” Qian Tong nodded heavily before glancing over at the two youths and letting out a sigh, “Don’t underestimate him, he may be a First Order Saint King, but he can kill cultivators in the Third-Order Saint King Realm.”
Wei Gu Chang’s eyes flashed and a look of surprise appeared on his face, but he soon calmed down.
Because he too was capable of killing an ordinary Third-Order Saint King when he was in the First Order Saint King realm, so he didn’t think this was anything too amazing.
“If that’s the case, he really does have some ability,” Dong Xuan’er said thoughtfully, but she soon smiled and said, “Even so, that’s not enough for Master to want to be on friendly terms with him. Is Master intending to recruit him into Shadow Moon Hall? “
“Recruit him into Shadow Moon Hall?” Qian Tong laughed wryly and mused, “I’m afraid he wouldn’t even consider joining Shadow Moon Hall.”
“What? My Shadow Moon Hall may not compare to Star Emperor Sect and the other top forces on Shadowed Star, but we’re certainly not weak,” Dong Xuan’er exclaimed.
“Do you know who is behind him? What his origins are?” Qian Tong slowly shook his head, “If you knew, you wouldn’t look down on him.”
“Can Elder explain clearly? Hearing you speak this way has suddenly made me interested in him,” Wei Gu Chang grinned. Anyone who could be regarded so highly by Elder Qian must not be a simple character.
“I’ll explain on our way back,” Qian Tong waved to the two; this was still Treasure Trove Pavilion, after all. Blocking their entrance wasn’t appropriate.
As the three walked towards the largest palace in Heavenly Fate City, Qian Tong said, “Can you guess who brought that Dragon Striker Whip and those Origin Condensing Pills for today’s auction?”
Dong Xuan’er was slightly startled and asked, “Does master mean…”
“En, he was the one who brought them to auction,” Qian Tong nodded slightly. “The Origin Condensing Pill need not be thought about too much, it is an incredibly rare and precious treasure, perhaps one of a kind, and should have been obtained through some kind of fortuitous encounter, but the Dragon Striker Whip was actually refined by his master.”
“What?” Wei Gu Chang was also shocked, “Elder means the master of that young man is an Origin Grade Mid-Rank Artefact Refiner? When did such a powerful master appear on Shadowed Star?”
“This is the greatest reason I wish to be on good terms with him. Shadowed Star truly does not have such a profound Artefact Refining Grandmaster, but he actually came from the outside.”
“The outside…” Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er both exchanged a startled glance, the look of longing obvious in their eyes.
“En, he comes from the outside. Our Shadowed Star is almost completely isolated from the outside world, even the nearest Cultivation Star is far, far from here. The level of Artefact Refiners on Shadowed Star is not high enough for us to refine powerful enough Starships that can connect us with the greater Star Field, so we can only imagine what kind of wonders exist out there. We only know that there are Origin King Realm masters, Origin King Grade Alchemists and Origin King Grade Artefact Refiners, but such heights are forever out of our reach.”
“We can’t reach the outside world, so how did he reach here?” Dong Xuan’er asked suspiciously.
“Chance coincidence,” Qian Tong smiled, “When I first met him, this old master didn’t dare inquire about his background for fear of offending him, but some time ago, I made Luo Qing investigate this matter and learned that he was found out in the Starry Sky by a Starship belonging to the Hai Ke Family. When he was brought aboard by them at the time, he admitted he came from a place called Rainfall Star. This old master has read some information about this Rainfall Star in the ancient records so there is no doubt it really exists.”
“Since only he was brought here, why is Master so certain he has an Origin Grade Mid-Rank Artefact Refiner behind him?”
“I don’t know what the intentions of the master behind him are, but I speculate he is simply protecting him in secret. When the Hai Ke Family’s Starship was about to return to Shadowed Star, they were attacked by a large pack of Black Rock Beasts. At that time, the Hai Ke Family Starship was in dire straits and about to be destroyed when suddenly, a golden spear appeared and swept away the entire Black Rock Beast pack, rescuing their lives. Afterwards, the Hai Ke Family disciples couldn’t find the master who rescued them as that person refused to show themselves,” Qian Tong explained, “This information was obtained directly by Luo Qing, and many of the Hai Ke Family’s disciples saw it with their own eyes, so this old master is certain someone was there protecting Yang Kai from the shadows, quite likely his master.”
Qian Tong’s inference was quite reasonable. Whoever obtained such information, combined with the fact that Yang Kai had sold various high-grade artefacts, would reach a similar conclusion.
However, he had underestimated Yang Kai’s true strength as well as the level of Yang Yan’s extraordinary abilities, causing him to imagine the existence of some kind of profoundly hidden master behind them.
“No wonder, if he really comes from the outside, he might really have an Origin Grade Mid-Rank Artefact Refiner behind him!” Wei Gu Chang gently nodded.
“You two know the weight of such matters. What I’m telling you today is not to chastise you, but to let you recognize that others have their own strengths, so you must not immediately judge or underestimate anyone. You should also know that what I have told you is not to be repeated to anyone else.”
“Disciple understands,” Both the two youths nodded firmly.
“This old master even suspects that the master behind Yang Kai is more than just an Origin Grade Mid-Rank Artefact Refiner, but regardless of the truth, what is important is that we not find ourselves on bad terms with them. He has also agreed to help refine two Origin Grade defensive type artefacts for you two. He will be entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field together with you two this time, so you will have a chance to become familiar with one another. Don’t be negligent!”
“Disciple will remember,” Both Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er nodded in unison, feeling a bit regretful on the inside. When Elder Qian had brought them to that private room, they really shouldn’t have put on such an arrogant display. The two of them thus decided secretly that after the Flowing Flame Sand Field opened, they would make an effort to befriend Yang Kai.
In front of the entrance to Dragon Cave Mountain, Yang Kai leapt off his Star Shuttle and landed.
Wu Yi and Yang Yan were both observing him with a strange look. On their way back, these two had been shooting him bewildered looks quite frequently.
“What do you want to ask?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Do you actually have a master?” Wu Yi couldn’t help but ask.
“Why do you say that?”
“You asked me what kind of pill was the most valuable before. I said Origin Condensing Pills and Origin Nirvana Pills. Then you took out two Origin Condensing Pills. Did your Master give them to you?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “What do you think?”
“I don’t know,” Wu Yi shook her head honestly.
“If I had a Master, don’t you think you’d have seen him by now?”
“What about that Origin Condensing Pill …”
“If I said I refined it myself, would you believe me?”
The two women unhesitantly shook their heads.
Seeing them not believe him at all, Yang Kai finally understood what Yang Yan must have felt like when she was proclaiming that she was an Origin Grade Artefact Refiner everywhere, but no one believed her.
Instead of dwelling on the issue though, Yang Kai tossed the Space Ring given to him by Qian Tong over to Yang Yan, “Refine two defensive artefacts for them but don’t make them too strong, Origin Grade Low-Rank will do.”
“Got it,” Yang Yan nodded. Two Origin Grade Low-Rank defensive artefacts wouldn’t be difficult for her to refine. Now that she had the Stone Puppet’s help, she could refine artefacts many times faster than before.
The most time-consuming process of Artefact Refining was quenching the raw materials. Ordinarily, the quenching process needed to be carried out several times to remove impurities. This not only used up a lot of time, but also consumed a great deal of strength, but the Stone Puppet could complete this process in a very short time and to an exceptionally high standard. No wonder Yang Yan had said that Stone Puppets were the best assistants for Artefact Refiners, they truly were.
Yang Yan used to take one or two months to refine an Origin Grade artefact, but now she could do so in just three or four days. The reduction in time spent was nothing less than extraordinary.
“I’m going to enter secluded cultivation to prepare to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field. I’m leaving you in charge of the cave’s matters,” Yang Kai said before entering his own stone room, closing the stone door and entering retreat.
The opening time of the Flowing Flame Sand Field was uncertain, but he should have at least a month or two before then.
Yang Kai needed to improve his combat power during this time.
In terms of artefacts, he needed to finish establishing a connection with the purple shield and Hundred Mountains Picture as soon as possible. He had finished refining both artefacts and now all that was needed was to warm and nourish them with his Saint Qi so he could flexibly use them in battle.
In terms of pills, Yang Kai planned to refine a couple of bottles of Snow and Ice Pills.
The Snow and Ice Pills that appeared at the auction were Origin Grade Low-Rank, so he would have no trouble refining some with his current Alchemy proficiency. There was also no shortage of materials in his Black Book Space.
As for things like healing pills, Yang Kai already had many on him, so there was no need to refine more. On top of that, he had great confidence in the restorative abilities of his body. If worst came to worst, Yang Kai could directly burst a drop of Golden Blood. As long as his foundation wasn’t hurt, with the massive amount of vitality contained within a drop of Golden Blood, restoring himself should be a simple task.
The only other matter of importance to Yang Kai was to increase the power of his Space Blade as soon as possible.
Space Blade was a visual manifestation of Space Force. It was an attack method that could only be used by Yang Kai and was virtually impossible to defend against. Once he perfected this method, it would add a life-saving card to his arsenal.
Yang Kai obviously hadn’t been to the Flowing Flame Sand Field and as a result, didn’t know much about it, but from the brief introduction Qian Tong gave him, he knew it was an extremely dangerous place. Yang Kai didn’t dare to act carelessly and was intent on making comprehensive preparations.
Sitting down cross-legged, Yang Kai first took out the Profound Insect Stone he obtained at the auction.
Yang Yan had said that this stone contained very strange energy that wasn’t usable for cultivation or Artefact Refining but could be used to raise Exotic Insects. Soul Devouring Insects were one such Exotic Insect.
At the auction, it was only because of the abnormal response of the Soul Devouring Insects that Yang Kai had bought this Profound Insect Stone, otherwise, he would surely have ignored it.
As soon as he took out the Profound Insect Stone, Yang Kai felt the swarm of Soul Devouring Insects resting on the six coloured island in his Knowledge Sea begin to stir, as if they were anxious to fly out and migrate to this Profound Insect Stone.
However, without Yang Kai’s consent, they were unable to separate themselves from the six coloured island, so they simply became more and more anxious.
Yang Kai didn’t restrain them for long, lowering his Knowledge Sea’s defences and allowing the countless Soul Devouring Insects to fly out towards the Profound Insect Stone.
As soon as the Soul Devouring Insects entered the Profound Insect Stone, they immediately became irritable, their blood seemingly boiling as they gave off a dangerous aura.
Yang Kai listened carefully and soon heard rustling, crunching sounds.
Under his Divine Sense’s probing, Yang Kai found that the Soul Devouring Insects had actually started to devour one another as a great struggle for supremacy seemed to have broken out on the Profound Insect Stone.
The weak Soul Devouring Insects were unable to survive long as they were swiftly devoured by their more powerful peers. After cleaning up their weak companions, the more powerful Soul Devouring Insects began brutally fighting amongst themselves, rapidly reducing their total population.
Yang Kai was overjoyed!
It had been a long time since his Soul Devouring Insects devoured one another, but after that incident, their power had noticeably increased. Seeing this process repeat itself, Yang Kai was confident that once they settled down, their power would soar once again!
He was greatly looking forward to this!
If his Soul Devouring Insects could evolve to the point where they could threaten Origin Returning Realm masters, Yang Kai could be invincible on Shadowed Star. At that time, there would be no need for Yang Yan to continue arranging a powerful Spirit Array as no one would dare to offend them anymore out of fear of his Soul Devouring Insects.
After observing for a while, Yang Kai noticed that the Soul Devouring Insects would take quite a long time to finish their little civil war, so he no longer paid any attention to them. Placing the Profound Insect Stone in a corner of his room, Yang Kai simply allowed them to evolve independently.
Taking out some spirit grasses and spirit medicines, as well as his pill furnace, Yang Kai began refining Snow And Ice Pills.
Yang Kai didn’t have much difficulty refining Origin Grade Low-Rank pills, so in just over a day, he had two bottles with ten Snow And Ice Pills each, eight of which had formed Pill Veins.
After completing this, Yang Kai began nourishing his artefacts while cultivating his own Space Force.
In a flash, three months passed.
Inside the stone room, Yang Kai closed his eyes while holding a Space Spirit Crystal in his left hand, constantly using his own Space Force to absorb the energy inside it. Simultaneously, he was waving his right hand in an almost unconscious manner. Each time he waved his hand, a thin tear in space would form and fly out.
The entire stone room was a mess, with his Space Blades cutting through and destroying almost everything inside.
After three months of retreat, Yang Kai’s Space Blade had undoubtedly become much more powerful than when he first conceptualized it. Whether it was in terms of speed or stability, it was simply incomparable to his early attempts.
Speed and stability were the key factors in the lethality of Yang Kai’s Space Blade, especially the latter. This was not like other attack methods where the more Saint Qi used to condense it, the greater its power. In fact, the amount of Saint Qi Yang Kai used was nearly irrelevant as what mattered the most was the blades ability to swallow objects it came into contact with!
As such, as long as the blade was stable enough, it would be capable of devouring everything it passed through, sending it into The Void. Even other people’s attacks could be swallowed up. If others’ attacks or artefacts could be swallowed up by his Space Blade, Yang Kai would no longer need to come up with defensive measures as offense would be his best defence.
However, the stability of Yang Kai’s Space Blade could be affected by the attacks of other cultivators, and once this interference reached a certain critical point, the Space Blade would collapse and become useless.
So during this retreat, Yang Kai had primarily been focusing on maintaining his Space Blade’s stability, resulting in its speed not having improved much.
By consuming a lot of Space Spirit Crystals, a truly money-burning cultivation method, Yang Kai gradually gained some competency in the use of his Space Blade.
When in cultivation, one could not feel the passage of time, so it was not until Yang Kai felt a Divine Sense fluctuation coming from the communication artefact he had set aside nearby that he finally awoke.
Qian Tong had sent him a message.
After quickly picking up the communication artefact and pouring his Divine Sense into it, Yang Kai stood up and walked out of his stone room.
This three-month retreat was still too short to allow him to thoroughly complete his Space Blade, and at this stage, it could not be used in combat, but the Flowing Flame Sand Field had already begun to open, so Yang Kai had to set it aside for the time being.
Fortunately, after three months of being nourished by his Saint Qi, both the purple shield and the Hundred Mountains Picture had become usable.
The two bottles of Snow and Ice Pills Yang Kai had refined should be sufficient for his use.
As soon as he left the cave, Yang Kai froze for a moment as he discovered that Dragon Cave Mountain had undergone many changes. Not only was the World Energy Aura here now extremely rich, with a lingering mist shrouding each and every peak, there were now also many exquisite houses and other unidentifiable objects that had been built in the surroundings.
The several dozen cultivators who had followed Wu Yi were bustling about while Wu Yi and Yang Yan were both intently studying something, both of them looking very excited.
Seeing Yang Kai go out, the two women gawked for a moment but soon understood, putting down what they were working on and greeting him.
“Leaving?” Wu Yi asked.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded before warning them, “After I leave, don’t let anyone enter my stone room, and especially do not go near the Profound Insect Stone inside. There are some very dangerous creatures inhabiting it right now.”
“Understood,” Wu Yi responded quickly.
“Have the two Origin Grade artefacts Elder Qian asked for already been delivered?” Yang Kai turned to Yang Yan next.
“They were delivered long ago, about ten days after you entered retreat. Elder Qian personally delivered a lot of the materials we purchased when I handed him the two artefacts.”
“That’s good.”
“You can go, but Xiao Xiao has to stay. Without him, it’s far too much exhausting to refine things,” Yang Yan added.
Xiao Xiao was the Stone Puppet; Yang Yan had given him this name without asking for permission, but Yang Kai didn’t mind. In any case, for the expedition into the Flowing Flame Sand Field, he probably wouldn’t have any need for the Stone Puppet, so Yang Kai readily agreed to Yang Yan’s request. After leaving behind a few instructions, Yang Kai hurried off to Heavenly Fate City.
Only halfway there, Yang Kai spotted a blue light flying in his direction from the horizon. As it came closer, Yang Kai discovered that it was actually Luo Qing.
“Young Master Yang!” Luo Qing halted his Star Shuttle, stood up, and cupped his fists to Yang Kai, “Elder Qian instructed me to bring you to the city’s Space Array as quickly as possible. Everyone else is waiting there, only you are left.”
“Then I’ll trouble you to do so,” Yang Kai returned the greeting before following Luo Qing towards Heavenly Fate City.
On the way, Yang Kai asked Luo Qing about the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Unfortunately, Luo Qing didn’t know much, only that this Forbidden Zone was about to open and that all the great forces on Shadowed Star were rushing to the different entrances so that the moment it opened fully they could immediately enter.
Passing over Heavenly Fate City, the pair flew directly to the large palace which they subsequently entered. Upon arrival, Yang Kai realized that there were almost two hundred people gathered, and among them over ninety percent were Saint Kings with the majority of them in the Second or Third Order. There were some First Order Saint Kings, but not many. The Flowing Flame Sand Field was extremely dangerous so First Order Saint Kings wouldn’t be of much use inside.
Yang Kai frowned. Hadn’t Qian Tong said that Shadow Moon Hall only had fifty entry spots? Why were there so many people here then?
Moreover, from the looks of the people here, it was obvious they were all going to the Flowing Flame Sand Field through the Space Array.
As soon as Yang Kai walked inside, countless eyes landed on him, with Qian Tong even letting out a great laugh and extremely enthusiastically welcoming him, “Nephew Yang has arrived just in time. We’ve just finished gathering everyone and the Space Array is just about ready to open. All of you follow this Old Master.”
Last time they met, Yang Kai had promised to help Qian Tong refine two Origin Grade artefacts, and only ten days later he had delivered. Although the two artefacts were just Origin Grade Low-Rank, both were infinitely close to reaching Origin Grade Mid-Rank standard. Today, those two defensive artefacts were in Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er’s hands.
If these two items had been put up for auction, they would be worth at least four million Saint Crystals, and with both of them being Ice Attribute, perfect for resisting the heat of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, their prices might have been even higher.
All of Qian Tong’s investments in showing Yang Kai goodwill early on had already been repaid many times over with just this.
As such, Qian Tong was natural very polite to Yang Kai. Even this time, he had ordered everyone else to gather first before sending a message to Yang Kai so the latter would not have to stand around waiting.
Seeing Qian Tong personally greet this newcomer, many cultivators in the hall turned their eyes to examine Yang Kai and were secretly surprised, wondering what was so special about this First-Order Saint King to warrant such polite treatment from their Elder.
“Senior Brother Wei, who is that guy? We’ve been waiting here for so long, could it be it was actually for him?” A pretty-looking young woman took the opportunity to come up to Wei Gu Chang and ask softly.
“En, he doesn’t look like someone with a great background, and his strength is so low, just a First-Order Saint King,” Someone immediately agreed.
Wei Gu Chang shot them a flat look before distancing himself from the woman and saying bluntly, “You don’t need to worry about who he is, just make sure you don’t annoy him.”
After receiving a cold shoulder from Wei Gu Chang, the young woman smiled awkwardly and also stepped back, her heart full of bitterness.
Wei Gu Chang was the most talented disciple of Shadow Moon Hall. On top of that, he was handsome and straightforward, so naturally, there were many female disciples in Shadow Moon Hall who secretly admired him. Unfortunately for them, he seemed to only have eyes for Dong Xuan’er.
Inside the palace, there were nearly fifty people wearing the disciple uniforms of Shadow Moon Hall, each of them looking neat and dignified. The other hundred were wearing other assorted dress.
Seemingly understanding Yang Kai’s doubts, Qian Tong took the initiative to explain, “My Shadow Moon Hall has a total of fifty quotas to use as we see fit, but the other families and Sects attached to Shadow Moon Hall also have their own quotas as well, although not nearly as many per force. On top of that, there are some forces and families here who have no relationship with Shadow Moon Hall but because they are located near Heavenly Fate City, they will be travelling together with us.”
Yang Kai suddenly realized that this was the reason why so many people had gathered inside this hall.
The great forces on Shadowed Star had apparently managed this situation quite fairly, not even trying to swallow all the benefits by themselves. They had allocated some entry quotas to the smaller Sects and families, but whether they could obtain anything would be up to their own effort and means.
It was no wonder last time Qian Tong had said that each time the Flowing Flame Sand Field opened, the number of people who entered was no less than ten thousand.
Shadowed Star was simply too big, and even if each force wasn’t granted many quotas, after adding them all together, reaching ten thousand wouldn’t be a problem.
As Qian Tong walked inside, Yang Kai suddenly turned his head and looked in a certain direction as he felt a sharp, hate-filled glare being directed towards him.
Yang Kai was very sensitive to this kind of gaze and could easily notice it.
When the two people’s eyes met, the opposite party’s face twitched slightly before quickly turning away.
Xie Hong Wen!
[He’s going too?] Last time, when Xie Hong Wen went to Dragon Cave Mountain to find trouble with Yang Kai, if it wasn’t for Qian Tong’s prompt arrival, Xie Hong Wen would have died. This delinquent Young Master was nothing but a mud wall unable to hold water. Although he had a First Order Saint King cultivation, he clearly had very poor combat strength, so how could he dare go on this dangerous expedition?
What surprised Yang Kai even more though was that Xie Hong Wen wasn’t wearing a Shadow Moon Hall uniform. Behind him were two Third-Order Saint Kings who were similarly dressed and seemed to be responsible for protecting him.
“Senior, can people be killed inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field?” Yang Kai suddenly asked lightly.
Seeing Yang Kai staring towards Xie Hong Wen, Qian Tong was naturally clear about his intentions and nodded with a sneer, “Yes, so Nephew Yang should be careful not to contract any enmity with others. However, if someone dares to bully you, there’s no need to act leniently. Whatever the consequences, this old master will handle it for you.”
“Then I will thank Senior in advance,” Yang Kai also sneered, if Xie Hong Wen restrained himself in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, ignoring him wouldn’t be a problem, but if he dared seek vengeance, Yang Kai would not show mercy a second time, not killing him last time was simply out of consideration for Qian Tong’s face.
Qian Tong also seemed a little annoyed. After all, he had spent quite a lot of effort last time to save Xie Hong Wen’s life, yet this idiot not only did not appreciate it but instead had bore a grudge.
If he insisted on bringing destruction down upon himself, Qian Tong was disinclined to care about him.
“That fool isn’t eligible to enter Flowing Flame Sand Field, my Shadow Moon Hall wouldn’t give a quota to such a waste.” For some unknown reason, Qian Tong continued whispering to Yang Kai, “But his father spent a high price to purchase three quotas from a small family affiliated with Shadow Moon Hall, to allow him to enter. Those two Third Order Saint Kings are just disciples of their Xie Family, they have no relationship with my Shadow Moon Hall.”
Naturally, Qian Tong meant there was no issue with killing them.
What surprised Yang Kai, however, was that the quotas to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field could be bought and sold, something he immediately asked about.
Qian Tong simply laughed, “Naturally they are transferable, the allocation of quotas is determined in advance by all the great forces, and they are then distributed to the qualified forces, but how they handle them is their business.”
“Doesn’t that mean that as long as there is a force with enough courage and means, they can send in a far larger number of people than their assigned quota?” Yang Kai immediately thought of something.
“Indeed, but that being said, the Flowing Flame Sand Field is too dangerous, so how could those smaller forces dare to send in too many of their elites? Once their losses reach a certain point, their very foundation will become damaged which will be extremely detrimental to their development. But Nephew Yang thinking is correct, in addition to the fifty quotas my Shadow Moon Hall is assigned, we also purchased twenty more from smaller families. In other words, there are a total of seventy disciples from my Shadow Moon Hall participating this time.”
“I see,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“There are many things to pay attention to in the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Last time Nephew Yang was in a hurry so this old man did not have time to explain all of them to you, so I suggest you travel together with Gu Chang and Xuan’er so they can pass this information along to you. If there is anything Nephew Yang is uncertain about, don’t hesitate to ask them,” Qian Tong exhorted.
“Okay,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, knowing that this was done intentionally by Qian Tong to create an opportunity for Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er to establish a good relationship with him, so naturally he wouldn’t refuse.
As the two were talking, they arrived in front of the Space Array where Qian Tong beckoned to Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er.
“You two head out first with Yang Kai. You don’t have to wait for the rest of us in Calm River City, just proceed to the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Your Martial Uncle Wang and Martial Uncle Yan are already waiting there for you. When you arrive, they will give you further instructions. This old master will lead the rest of our group to meet up with you later.”
“Yes,” Wei Gu Chang nodded respectfully before smiling towards Yang Kai, “Greeting, Brother Yang.”
His attitude this time was many times better than previously; obviously he had been carefully advised by Qian Tong. Dong Xuan’er also gave an elegant greeting.
Yang Kai returned the greeting in kind before the three of them stepped onto the Space Array.
The Space Array had already been prepared and was simply waiting for its passengers to board before activating.
The Shadow Moon Hall disciple who was managing the Space Array saw the three youths stand ready and quickly activated the Spirit Array. A white light flashed and the three disappeared. Qian Tong then began arranging for the others to use the Space Array.
This Space Array could only transmit up to five people at once, so transmitting nearly two hundred people would take an hour or two.
On the other side, Yang Kai only felt a slight bit of vertigo before he recovered, finding himself in another hall.
There was also a Space Array in this hall. Yang Kai couldn’t identify which force the disciple guarding this Space Array was from, but after seeing the three of them appearing, this disciple quickly asked, “Are you from Shadow Moon Hall?”
Wei Gu Chang nodded and took out a token from his sleeve, handing it over to the man. The man briefly examined this token before nodding and returning it.
Outside the hall, Wei Gu Chang said, “Brother Yang, please follow us. This is Calm River City is about a million kilometres away from Heavenly Fate City, but we’ll still need to fly for a day or two to reach the Flowing. Edge of Flame Sand Field.”
“Please lead the way, Brother Wei,” Yang Kai nodded, he wasn’t familiar with the geography of Shadowed Star, so he naturally allowed Wei Gu Chang to take the lead.
Wei Gu Chang nodded before quickly summoning his Star Shuttle, hopping aboard, then stretching out his hand towards Dong Xuan’er.
Dong Xuan’er’s face flushed slightly, shooting him a slightly angry look, as if blaming him for acting so boldly in front of others.
Wei Gu Chang simply laughed though, “Brother Yang is not an outsider, what is there to be shy about?”
Dong Xuan’er knew she couldn’t dissuade him, so stretched out her hand and allowed Wei Gu Chang to pull her up onto the Star Shuttle.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a bit impressed. This kind of scene made him feel a little warm and his perception of Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er changed quite a bit. Immediately after, he too summoned his Star Shuttle.
Two blue lights flashed and the trio flew off, quickly leaving Calm River City.
Like Yang Kai, Wei Gu Chang’s Star Shuttle was Saint King Grade High-Rank, so even if it was carrying an additional person, its speed didn’t drop much.
Wei Gu Chang had only just left Calm River City when he began to speak, “Elder Qian said that Brother Yang doesn’t know much about Flowing Flame Sand Field. If Brother Yang has anything he wishes to ask, this Wei will be happy to answer.”
Yang Kai truly had some things to ask, and since Wei Gu Chang had offered, he would certainly not hold back, “I only know that we need to pass through some special places to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field, as for what the situation inside is like, and what needs to be paid attention to, I’m afraid I know nothing, so I must ask Brother Wei for advice.”
Seeing how polite Yang Kai was acting, Wei Gu Chang also smiled, “I don’t dare offer advice, but this Wei has indeed been given some information from his Elders so I know slightly more than Brother Yang. It’s not much, but if Brother Yang asks, I can provide at least some answers.”
He had learned from Qian Tong that Yang Kai came from the outside world, so thinking that Yang Kai probably knew nothing about the Flowing Flame Sand Field, he patiently began explaining what he knew.
Dong Xuan’er chimed in every now and then to supplement any information Wei Gu Chang missed.
Together, the Senior Brother and Junior Sister duo quickly gave Yang Kai a comprehensive briefing on the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
The Flowing Flame Sand Field was shrouded in blistering heat all year round, Origin Returning Realm masters couldn’t enter it at all and it was only at specific times that Saint Kings were able to enter.
However, the Flowing Flame Sand Field wasn’t completely covered in heat. It was actually a set of large circular rings divided into several layers.
The outermost ring was a Flame Area that was constantly shrouded in blistering heat, and the deeper one went, the hotter and more dangerous it became.
In this Flame Area, there were some precious treasures, but what was more common was precious ores. These ores had been baked by heat for many years and were extremely pure, some of them even directly useable for Artifact Refining. The quality of these ores was also extremely high, several times better than those mined outside.
The greatest danger inside the Flame Area wasn’t the unbearable heat though, but the Fire Spirit Beasts and Flowing Flame Flying Fires; these were the real threats.
Fire Spirit Beasts were a type of Fire Attribute Energy amalgamation. Once the ambient aura reached a certain concentration, it would take on a physical form that normally mirrored the appearance of Monster Beasts. Their bodies seemed both real and illusory all at once. The more solid the body was, the more powerful it would be, but regardless of the height of their strength, all of them lacked sentience. Physical and Divine Sense attacks were basically ineffective against these creatures and only Saint Qi-based attacks could destroy them.
It was best to use Ice Attribute attacks or artefacts against them. Almost everyone who entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field would prepare such artefacts.
Within the body of a Fire Spirit Beast was a valuable treasure called a Fire Crystal Stone. Fire Crystal Stones were used to refine some special pills and artefacts and when used could greatly improve the quality of the refined pill or artefact.
The Alchemy and Artifact Refining levels on Shadowed Star were stuck at Origin Grade Low-Rank, so if one wanted to refine an Origin Grade Mid-Rank pill and artefact, Fire Crystal Stones were essential.
Because of the preciousness of Fire Crystal Stones, many of the disciples sent into the Flowing Flame Sand Field by the various great forces would specifically hut Fire Spirit Beasts. Some other cultivators from small families and small forces also entered with similar thoughts, planning to reap great profits from selling Fire Crystal Stones. This kind of treasure was only available inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field and was greatly sought after by Alchemists and Artifact Refiners alike.
“If Brother Yang comes across a fully manifested Fire Spirit Beast, don’t fight against it. A completely solid Fire Spirit Beast is almost equivalent to a Ninth-Order Monster Beast, not something easy to handle,” Wei Gu Chang warned seriously.
Ninth-Order Monster Beasts were equivalent to human race Origin Returning Realm masters, Saint King naturally wouldn’t be their opponent and one accident may result in being killed.
After saying so though, Wei Gu Chang grinned and said, “But that kind of Fire Spirit Beast is incredibly rare, basically impossible to encounter.”
Yang Kai gently nodded and asked, “I understand about Fire Spirit Beasts now, but what was that Flowing Flame Flying Fire you mentioned?”
Wei Gu Chang’s expression immediately became serious again as he solemnly said, “Flowing Flame Flying Fires are far more dangerous than Fire Spirit Beasts. Fortunately, there are very few of them compared to the number of Fire Spirit Beast. Flowing Flame Flying Fires are extremely rare, and most people who enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field will never even encounter one and those who do, normally just catch a glimpse of one from a distance. But Brother Yang should not underestimate Flowing Flame Flying Fires. This strange thing is extremely fast, even faster than the speed one can spread their Divine Sense, making it extremely difficult to detect. It’s even possible for one to fly past you and you do not even notice it.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help wearing a stern expression upon hear this. Something that could move faster than one could spread their Divine Sense was worthy of attention.
“The danger isn’t just related to its incredible speed though, but rather the damage it can do! If one isn’t prepared or their strength is insufficient, once they are hit by a Flowing Flame Flying Fire their Soul will be immediately incinerated. Elder Qian told me that every time the Flowing Flame Sand Field opens, some unlucky fellows are killed by Flowing Flame Flying Fires.”
“Isn’t that simply an unavoidable disaster?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
Wei Gu Chang laughed, “Brother Yang is right, it’s truly a misfortune impossible to guard against, but those who dare to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field all must be psychologically prepared to bear a certain amount of risk, so if one is hit by a Flowing Flame Flying Fire and dies, they can only blame themselves.”
Suddenly, Dong Xuan’er pursed her lips and laughed, “Senior Brother, you’ve only been talking about the dangers of the Flowing Flame Flying Fire, but you’ve yet to tell Senior Brother Yang about its benefits.”
Yang Kai glanced at her in surprise, wondering what kind of benefits this Flowing Flame Flying Fire could possibly have.
Wei Gu Chang laughed and nodded, “I was just about to explain that part. Flowing Flame Flying Fires are truly frightening existences, but they are also extremely precious treasures. Brother Yang should know that some people possess Spiritual Energy with different attributes, yes?”
“Brother Wei means, cultivators with Mutated Knowledge Seas?” Yang Kai expression changed.
“Precisely. Some cultivators possess special Knowledge Seas that are filled with peculiar properties, such as the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, the Toxic Knowledge Sea, and Frost Knowledge Sea. These Mutated Knowledge Seas differ greatly from the Knowledge Seas of ordinary cultivators and every one of them grants its possessor extraordinary powers. Needless to say, the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea is the most sought after Mutated Knowledge Sea for Alchemist and Artifact Refiners while Frost and Toxic Knowledge Seas are able to unleash incredibly potent Divine Sense attacks. Of course, Mutated Knowledge Seas are extremely rare. Some people innately posses them while others are able to acquire them by cultivating specific Secret Arts. Such Secret Arts are incredibly rare though, even my Shadow Moon Hall does not possess such a Secret Art. There are also some who are able to obtain a Mutated Knowledge Sea through some kind of fortuitous encounter.”
Yang Kai understood this point well as his own Conflagrated Knowledge Sea was obtained by accident. At that time, he had simply wanted to refine the Jade True Spirit which had been born inside a large piece of Yang Crystal Jade to enhance his strength, but through a series of coincidences he wound up with a Mutated Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai was more aware of the wonders of a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea than anyone.
“The Flowing Flame Flying Fire is considered a precious treasure because by refining it there is a chance one can obtain a Mutated Knowledge Sea, specifically a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea,” Wei Gu Chang eyes lit up, “Brother Yang, you should know that all Alchemists and Artifact Refiners dream about obtaining a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, so if you can capture a Flowing Flame Flying Fire, those Artifact Refiners and Alchemists would be willing to pay any price to obtain it,” Saying so, Wei Gu Chang observed Yang Kai stealthily.
Because of Qian Tong, Wei Gu Chang believed there was an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner behind Yang Kai. Since his master was a Grandmaster Artifact Refiner, there was no reason for him to not desire a Flowing Flame Flying Fire and as a disciple, Yang Kai should naturally be thinking about obtaining one to present to his master.
To his disappointment though, Yang Kai’s expression remained unchanged, as if he didn’t care about this in the slightest.
Wei Gu Chang quickly added, “Of course, trying to obtain a Mutated Knowledge Sea is not without risks. It is very likely that before one’s Knowledge Sea can mutate it will instead be burnt to ash by the Flowing Flame Flying Fire. In any case, Brother Yang should simply keep this information in the back of his head, it’s essentially impossible to encounter a Flowing Flame Flying Fire in the first place, but if you do, avoiding it should be your first priority.”
Yang Kai nodded, his face showing nothing but calm, but actually thinking to himself that if he encountered one of these things, he should try to snatch it.
A Flowing Flame Flying Fire could allow an ordinary cultivator’s Knowledge Sea to mutate into a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea but might also incinerate their Soul; however, since he already had a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai probably didn’t need to worry about such negative possibilities.
“That about covers the essential information about the Flame Area. In addition to resisting the heat, one only needs to pay attention to the Fire Spirit Beasts and Flowing Flame Flying Fires. Also, the heat at the very perimeter of the Flame Area is not the same as the deeper regions. As one walks further, the heat grows more intense and more difficult to resist. However, if one can pass through the outermost Flame Area and enter the second layer, they’ll arrive at a true paradise.”
“Why do you say that?” Yang Kai suddenly became interested.
“Because the second layer is a Treasure Area, devoid of the blistering heat of the Flame Area and instead filled with precious treasures and Monster Beasts. After entering second layer, as long as one can protecting themselves from other cultivators and the few powerful Monster Beasts, they will be able to obtain a rich harvest!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, “There’s also such an area?”
“Of course, otherwise the Flowing Flame Sand Field would not have such great appeal. Although there are some types of treasures which can only be found in high-temperature regions, there aren’t many of them. Without the Treasure Area, the appeal of the Flowing Flame Sand Field would be reduced by at least half,” Wei Gu Chang looked at Yang Kai with a smile, very satisfied with Yang Kai’s excited expression.
“We Senior Brother and Junior Sister pair are aiming for the Treasure Area this time, there are others from the Sect who are tasked with hunting Fire Spirit Beasts this time so there’s no need for us to spend time on that.”
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er had extremely high status in Shadow Moon Hall, so they naturally would not be assigned these mundane hunting and killing tasks. While their Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters took care of that, the two of them were responsible for obtaining as much as possible from the Treasure Area.
This was the case not only in Shadow Moon Hall, but also among the other great forces. Disciples from these Sects would split up with more than half assigned to hunt Fire Spirit Beasts in the Flame Area for Flame Crystal Stones while the elites would head for the Treasure Area to look for precious treasures and search for their own opportunities.
“So the Flowing Flame Sand Field is divided into two layers?” Yang Kai was surprised by this news.
“More than two actually,” Wei Gu Chang shook his head, “If one continued deeper into the Treasure Area, they will come across a second Flame Area. The second Flame Area is far more dangerous than the outermost Flame Area though and Elder Qian has strictly prohibited us from entering it.”
“Since there is a second Flame Area, is there a second Treasure Area?” Yang Kai expression changed.
“That’s not clear as no one from my Shadow Moon Hall has ever made it through the second Flame Area, many elite disciple have tried but all of them died; even other great forces like Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, and Star Emperor Sect probably don’t know what the situation inside is like.”
“So that means everyone is concentrated in the two outermost layers?”
“You could say that, but Brother Yang does not need to worry, that damned place is enormous and without using some special communication methods, it’s even possible to not encounter anyone the half a year period.”
“Why half a year?”
“Right, I forgot to tell Brother Yang that each time the Flowing Flame Sand Field will only open for half a year. Once the half-year deadline is reached, everyone will be sent out, no one can stay inside any longer. In addition, it’s impossible to use Star Shuttles or even fly inside. If we want to move around, we have to depend on our respective movement skills to increase our speed, this is actually the most frustrating point,” Wei Gu Chang shook his head and said, looking slightly dissatisfied.
If it weren’t for the inexplicable power which made it impossible to fly, those who entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field would be able to reap many more times the benefits.
Hearing this though, Yang Kai was secretly pleased.
He didn’t know about what methods others had to boost their speed, but he actually had his Wind and Thunder Wings. Although the Wind and Thunder Wings were mainly used for flying, they would dramatically increase his speed even if he was simply running.
The only question now was whether he would be able to use his Wind and Thunder Wings inside. It wasn’t a flight type artefact so its use shouldn’t be restricted, but Yang Kai would have to wait until he entered to test them out.
“Also, Brother Yang should know that although we will enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field from the same entrance, the place we will be sent to is somewhat random, which is why each of us must bring a special communication artefact if we wish to find one another inside.”
When Wei Gu Chang said these words, Dong Xuan’er immediately took out a communication artefact from her Space Ring and handed it to Yang Kai.
Communication artefacts were refined in sets and generally speaking, there would only be seven or eight such artefacts in a set. Of course, there was no upper limit, but why would any Artifact Refiner go through the trouble of making so many copies?
Each communication artefact could only pass messages to another communication artefact of the same set, so there was no need to worry about an outsider secretly eavesdropping on one’s communications.
Qian Tong had given Yang Kai a communication artefact last time, but that was only useful for sending messages between the two of them. The one Dong Xuan’er had just handed him was different. Yang Kai also had a communication artefact he could use to contact Wu Yi and Yang Yan. There were several such artefacts in Yang Kai’s Space Ring.
Although Yang Kai had no intention to act together with Wei Gu Chang and the others, he still accepted the communication artefact and stuffed it into his Space Ring.
“Junior Sister, did I miss anything?” Wei Gu Chang asked Dong Xuan’er, worried he might have overlooked something that would cause Yang Kai to run into danger inside.
“I don’t believe so,” Dong Xuan’er shook her head lightly.
“Then that’s that for now. If Brother Yang thinks up anything else to ask, don’t hesitate to,” Wei Gu Chang smiled.
“Of course.”
Wei Gu Chang was actually quite a talkative person and after gradually getting acquainted with Yang Kai, the topics he brought up also increased. From the distribution of the great forces on Shadowed Star to the well-known talents of the younger generation, Wei Gu Chang clearly and eloquently described them all, allowing Yang Kai to benefit a lot.
He also intentionally or unintentionally tried to bring up the topic of the outside world, but whenever he did, Yang Kai would subtly steer the conversation away from it.
After failing two or three times in this approach, Wei Gu Chang no longer mentioned it.
He thought Yang Kai didn’t want to discuss the greater wonders of the outside world, but the truth was that Yang Kai simply didn’t know much about it in the first place. Since entering the Star Field, he had only ever been to Water Moon Star and Rainfall Star, both of which belonged to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, so he had no knowledge of the Star Field’s other locations or great forces.
Dong Xuan’er, on the other hand, had a quiet demeanour. Most of the time she was quietly meditating, occasionally revealing the look of a happy young woman, as if being embraced by Wei Gu Chang like this was all that mattered to her.
One day later, Yang Kai clearly felt that the temperature in the air rise and the landscape down below also became more barren, the forests giving way to a reddish-brown dessert that became hotter and more desolate the further they flew.
The Flowing Flame Sand Field had existed on Shadowed Star for innumerable years and the scorching temperatures it gave off had already affected the surrounding environment.
At a certain moment, Yang Kai lifted his eyes and stared off into the distance to see a glowing red region on the horizon that was giving off such intense heat that the air around it had become distorted.
“That’s the edge of the Flowing Flame Sand Field,” Wei Gu Chang pointed to the dark red energy curtain up ahead and said in a dignified tone, “From the looks of it, it should be a few more days until the Flowing Flame Sand Field officially opens.”
“Is there any way to tell?” Yang Kai asked.
“The changing colour of the energy curtain is the most obvious way. When it turns into a light shade of red, we can enter through the entrances. But now, anyone who tries to enter will die!” Wei Gu Chang breathed in lightly as a look of dread flashed across his face.
After flying for a while longer, the trio finally arrived roughly fifty kilometer outside the Flowing Flame Sand Field. At this time, there were already around five hundred people gathered. These people were divided up into groups of different sizes and were occupying good spots to sit in meditation and save up their strength. It seemed that they had all arrived here early to wait for the Flowing Flame Sand Field to open. When these people noticed Yang Kai and his group arriving, many of them couldn’t help turning to check them out.
The people here were mostly Saint Kings, with a few Origin Returning Realm masters scattered amongst them, likely Elders here leading their respective forces’ teams.
However, at the forward-most position there was a distinct group of Origin Realm masters standing at the edge of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, seemingly observing the changes in the energy curtain diligently.
This group of masters were representatives from Shadowed Star’s most powerful Sects and many of them were in the Third Order Origin Realm. Many of them had been here for months or even half a year so they could pass information about the Flowing Flame Sand Field back to their respective Sects as quickly as possible, allowing their forces to prepare early.
Shadow Moon Hall was located quite far from here, so naturally, it had come later than others. After the trio landed, they simply found an empty place to occupy.
Wei Gu Chang glanced around for a moment before saying, “Brother Yang, you wait here, Junior Sister and I need to go greet the Martial Uncles from our Sect, lest they complain about us being ill-mannered.”
“Brother Wei doesn’t need to concern himself with me,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er summoned their Star Shuttles again before flying off in a certain direction, disappearing a moment later.
Yang Kai didn’t pay them any mind and instead began looking around at his surroundings. The cultivators who had come here were all in groups, the smallest of which only had twenty members while others were similar to Shadow Moon Hall and had around fifty gathered in one place.
Many of the people here were also looking at Yang Kai with curiosity, but the majority of these people’s faces were filled with disdain.
Yang Kai’s cultivation was too low, and he had arrived here with only Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er, so it was easy for others to mistakenly think they were from a small family force only capable of sending out three people, similar to the small forces attached to Shadow Moon Hall.
Yang Kai had only just sat down when a pair of people leisurely walked over and stood in front of him, looking down at him condescendingly.
Yang Kai saw that these two had come from a group that had around thirty people in it. Being able to have thirty entry quotas for the Flowing Flame Sand Field meant that, while incomparable to Shadow Moon Hall, the force these two came from was not small.
And it wasn’t just these two, many people from other groups had also stood up and were clearly planning to approach him, but these two young men just happened to be the fastest, so the others could only temporarily stand where they were and observe.
[Why are they looking for me?] Yang Kai was puzzled.
The two men in front of him were both young, probably in their thirties or forties, with one of them having reached the Third Order Saint King Realm while the other was just a First Order Saint King. Neither of them seemed to be particularly wicked, but the Third Order Saint King had a number of scars on his face, giving him a somewhat fierce impression.
“Friend,” The man with scars on his face bluntly called out, “Are you also planning to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field?”
Although there was nothing wrong with what this young man asked, Yang Kai could clearly hear the snide disdain in his tone.
The other man behind the one who spoke was staring at Yang Kai fixedly, as if Yang Kai had something he very much wanted.
Yang Kai didn’t want to talk to these two, but this time he had come here together with Shadow Moon Hall, so if any kind of conflict started, it might make things difficult for Qian Tong, so after thinking about it for a moment, he patiently nodded and replied, “Yes.”
The man grinned, “You’re not very strong, entering will be quite dangerous.”
“That’s for me to worry about,” Yang Kai vaguely guessed what these two wanted; after all, Qian Tong had said that quotas to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field could be transferred.
The others who had stood up just now probably had similar intentions, but this scarred man had managed to act faster than any of them could.
Sure enough, the man with the scars shook his head and said, “I’m telling you this for your own good. I saw there was only three of you, and that man and the woman seem to be a couple, so after going inside they probably won’t care about you and there’s a good chance you’ll die a miserable death.”
He was speaking in hyperbole and wore an exaggerated look of concern on his face, as if he was truly worried about Yang Kai’s safety; however, when he saw Yang Kai’s expression remain completely indifferent and unafraid, the scarred man couldn’t help annoyed and got straight to the point, “I have a business proposition for you, are you interested?”
“No,” Yang Kai refused decisively. Now that he knew what they wanted to do, Yang Kai was too lazy to talk to them anymore.
“Don’t be in a hurry to refuse,” The scarred man grinned as he squatted down and whispering, “Friend, you see, just entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field will put your life at risk. In the end, you want to go in to obtains some benefits right? I have a proposition that will let you obtain some benefits without worry about your life.”
Saying so, he retrieved an artefact from his Space Ring and handed it to Yang Kai, “This is a Saint King Grade Low-Rank artefact, its quality is quite good. I’ll give it to you, I believe that after friend refines it, your strength will definitely rise a lot. En, of course, I’m not giving it away for free, I want your entry pass in exchange.”
“What’s an entry pass?” Yang Kai asked in confusion.
“It’s the pass that lets you enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field, don’t try to act dumb!” The First Order Saint King who had been staring at Yang Kai with scorching eyes suddenly shouted.
“There’s such a thing?” Yang Kai frowned. He really hadn’t heard anything about this from Wei Gu Chang and Qian Tong hadn’t mentioned it either.
Seeing Yang Kai’s dazed look, the scarred man thought he was feigning ignorance and couldn’t help sneering, “Friend should not reject this face-saving offer. My Junior Brother just wants to join our Flowing Flame Sand Field expedition, unfortunately, my Blue Sparrow Sect doesn’t have enough quotas. Your quota, however, can solve this problem for us. Besides, it’s not like I’m trying to take your entry pass for nothing, haven’t I already given you a precious artefact?”
“You want to buy my entry pass for a mere Saint King Grade Low-Rank artefact?” Yang Kai sneered, “Forget about whether I have this entry pass thing you’re talking about or not, even if I did, I wouldn’t sell it to you.”
“Does friend intend to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit? Can you show me your Space Ring?” The scar-faced man also gloomily.
“You want to see my Space Ring? Do you have the ability?” Yang Kai expression went cold.
Each cultivator’s Space Ring was their most private of possessions. In general, it would be impossible for others to make such a rude request. The words of this scarred man-made Yang Kai enraged, it was no different from having directly slapped his face.
“Senior Brother, don’t talk nonsense with him, just snatch it, he wouldn’t dare try to fight back,” The First Order Saint King cultivator seemed incredibly keen on entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field and couldn’t help urging the scarred man on.
Seeing the scarred man still looking a little hesitant, this First Order Saint King actually stepped forward and grabbed towards Yang Kai’s Space Ring.
Yang Kai’s patience had already reached its limit. These two men had been saying whatever they wanted in front of him while trying to rob him under the guise of doing business, it was truly repugnant. So, seeing the First Order Saint King try to grab him, Yang Kai didn’t evade and instead seized the other party’s outstretched hand.
How could a trivial First Order Saint King avoid Yang Kai’s attack? Caught completely off guard, this man soon found his hand inexplicably grasped by the opponent he had been looking down on a moment ago.
Before this man could even figure out what was happening, a startling cracking sound rang out. Looking down, this man saw that his arm had been twisted into an impossible angle by the other party. Severe pain suddenly hit him and he let out a terrible scream as great beads of sweat began dripping from his forehead.
“You dare!” The scarred man didn’t react until he heard this scream, but seeing his Junior Brother suffer such a big loss, he immediately pushed his Saint Qi and punched towards Yang Kai’s face.
This fist was filled with vigorous strength and from the spot he was targeting, it was obvious he wanted to kill Yang Kai.
Before this punch could reach him though, Yang Kai directly dragged the scarred man’s Junior Brother into its path.
The scarred man saw this, panicked, and tried to withdraw his strength but was only able to take back about half of it.
With a muffled thud, that Junior Brother was knocked to the ground twitching, his body curled up and his face paled.
Before the scarred man could recover his stance, Yang Kai sent a punch straight into his face.
With another muffled thud, the scarred man was sent flying through the air, tumbling a few times before cratering heavily, throwing up a cloud of dust.
This man was a Third Order Saint King, so if not for his Junior Brother being injured just now, disrupting his focus greatly, he would not have so easily been beaten by Yang Kai, at the very least he would have been able to exchange a few moves.
However, his negligence allowed Yang Kai’s plan to succeed.
This incident happened far too rapidly, with less than a breath of time passing between when the First Order Saint King cultivator was caught by Yang Kai to the time the scarred man hit the ground.
This made the other cultivators who had been secretly paying attention to the movement here gasp as they stared with dumbstruck looks.
Had this First Order Saint King defeated a Third Order Saint King in a single move? Even if the latter had been somewhat careless, wasn’t something like this still impossible?
“Which family does that boy come from? How is he so fierce?”
“Fortunately, I wasn’t the one to jump out just now, otherwise I’m afraid I’d be the one lying there instead of Yin Jian.”
“It’s over for this kid though. Although his strength clearly isn’t normal, he must be brain dead to hit Yin Jian in front of so many Blue Sparrow Sect disciples. Even his family won’t survive this!”
Whispers spread amongst the surrounding crowd instantly.
The nearly thirty disciples from Blue Sparrow Sect all wore cold expressions as they stood up together and glared towards Yang Kai, rapidly moving to surround him.
From the Blue Sparrow Sect group, only an old man at the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm remained in place as he glanced over grimly towards this scene. Although he would not lower his own status to deal with this matter personally, he also didn’t stop his disciples from seeking vengeance.
Obviously, he intended to let his disciples teach Yang Kai a lesson.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai had been surrounded by thirty people. These people all stared at him menacingly, many of them laughing lowly, their voices sounding quite gloomy.
The scarred man named Yin Jian climbed up from the ground with difficulty, his expression still filled with a look of shock. He hadn’t imagined he would suffer such a big loss at Yang Kai’s hand, so after getting to his feet, his face couldn’t help going from blue to white.
The other First Order Saint King whose arm had been broken by Yang Kai was in a far worse condition though, still howling in pain as he kneeled nearby.
“Stop!” Yin Jian shouted angrily, stopping his fellow disciples from attacking Yang Kai, his eyes blurring with aggressive light as murderous intent pulsed from his body.
Naturally he had to wash this shame away himself in order to recover his face.
“Boy, you really have guts! Father here only wanted to do some honest business with you, but rather than discussing things like a honest man you actually dared to launch a sneak attack,” Yin Jian cracked his neck and shouted, treating his loss just now as a result of his own carelessness and Yang Kai’s deviousness rather than him being weaker than his opponent.
Sure enough, after he said these words, many people who were watching showed looks of comprehension, thinking that Yin Jian had suffered a loss just now only because he had been sneak attacked.
“Business?” Yang Kai sneered, his expression growing cold as he shouted loudly, “Buying and selling by compulsion is your idea of ‘honest business’?”
An unnatural expression flashed on Yin Jian’s face and he decided to no longer continue arguing over this issue, instead just coldly snorting and declaring, “Don’t talk nonsense boy! You dared to hurt me and my Junior Brother, so today I will surely cripple you!”
Saying so, Yin Jian pushed his Saint Qi fully and summoned out a broadsword artifact.
Having taken Yang Kai’s fist just now, Yin Jian understood that there was something off about this First Order Saint King, so he had immediately summoned his artefact, hoping to end this battle as quickly as possible to avoid suffering another embarrassment at Yang Kai’s hands. If he were to suffer another loss, no amount of words would be enough to cover his incompetence.
This kid was a trivial disciple from some unknown small family, without any Elders present to lead or protect him, so even if Yin Jian killed him here, at most Blue Sparrow Sect would have to pay some Saint Crystals to settle the matter. It might even be possible to brush this matter off entirely if this kid’s background was small enough.
Yin Jian had not placed the force behind Yang Kai in his eyes at all.
But before Yin Jian could launch his attack, a burst of laughter came from afar, “Interesting, this Wei had only left for a moment, yet someone actually came over and is now trying to ride atop my Shadow Moon Hall’s head?”
“Shadow Moon Hall?” Yin Jian was startled and quickly swept Yang Kai up and down, a flurried look appearing on his face.
The thirty or so disciples of Blue Sparrow Sects surrounding Yang Kai also went pale.
Not far away, Wei Gu Chang, who was surrounded by a dark mist, strode forward, a pitch-black ball of energy casually being tossed about with his hand like some kind of toy. This black ball of energy clearly contained a fearful amount of power though.
A suffocating amount of pressure emanated from him, causing the faces of the disciples from Blue Sparrow Sect to all turn incomparably ugly.
Dong Xuan’er followed closely behind him and also seemed to have a kind of inexplicable energy flowing about her, a faint wind caressing her tender body adding a hint of radiance to her beautiful appearance.
“Are you from Shadow Moon Hall?” Yin Jian no longer dared to underestimate Yang Kai as he asked quickly.
“Although it has nothing to do with you, I’ll still tell you. I’m not from Shadow Moon Hall,” Yang Kai stared at him mockingly, “If you want to fight, just fight, you don’t need to worry about Shadow Moon Hall retaliating.”
A moment ago, Yin Jian was behaving extremely domineeringly, but as soon as Wei Gu Chang said the words ‘Shadow Moon Hall’, he immediately became like a mouse who saw a cat.
Listening to the ridicule in Yang Kai’s words, Yin Jian’s complexion became ugly. Although he was incredibly angry on the inside, he didn’t dare to openly display hostility towards Yang Kai anymore.
Wei Gu Chang brought Dong Xuan’er together with him and the Blue Sparrow Sect disciple in front of him involuntarily parted, allowing him to easily walk over to Yang Kai.
“Brother Yang, are you okay?” Wei Gu Chang looked at Yang Kai and found him unharmed, allowing him to feel relieved.
Although Qian Tong had said Yang Kai had killed a cultivator at the Third Order Saint King, that was nothing but hearsay, seeing was believing. Wei Gu Chang didn’t know the true extent of Yang Kai’s strength, but seeing him here surrounding by thirty people yet not showing the slightest sign of anxiety, Wei Gu Chang was secretly surprised.
Without real ability, it would be impossible to remain so indifferent; was Yang Kai confident he could escape from the siege of thirty Saint Kings?
“Brother Wei arrived a little early,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
Wei Gu Chang was surprised once more, suddenly discovering that Yang Kai was not the peaceful type. In fact, he still seemed eager to fight it out with these disciples from Blue Sparrow Sect.
“Wei Gu Chang, he’s Wei Gu Chang!” Among the Blue Sparrow Sect disciples in the surrounding, someone who recognized Wei Gu Chang couldn’t help shouting.
Although none of these Blue Sparrow Sect disciples had ever met him, Wei Gu Chang had openly declared he was from Shadow Moon Hall while announcing his surname as Wei. Coupled with his Saint King Realm cultivation and incredible imposing manner, he could only be Wei Gu Chang.
On top of that, it was well known that Wei Gu Chang from Shadow Moon Hall was always together with a woman named Dong Xuan’er, so seeing the beautiful yet equally powerful woman beside him, if the people from Blue Sparrow Sect couldn’t guess Wei Gu Chang’s identity, then they’d really be blind.
Among Shadowed Star’s young generation, Fang Tian Zhong, Qu Chang Feng, Yin Su Die, Wei Gu Chang, Dong Xuan’er, and a few other outstanding talents had world-shaking reputations. However, Wei Gu Chang wasn’t like Qu Chang Feng who liked to show off and was usually very low-key, so many even among Shadow Moon Hall’s disciples had only heard his name but never met him.
This did nothing to hinder the deterrence his name carried though.
After knowing that this person was Wei Gu Chang, Yin Jian’s expression fluctuated wildly as his mouth filled with bitterness.
If he had known this information earlier, how could he have brought his Junior Brother over to Yang Kai to try to buy his entry pass? He would have avoided him at mere sight. How could he deliver himself up to be humiliated?
Unlike the annoyance and bitterness Yin Jian was feeling, the other cultivators who had previously been thinking of trying to buy Yang Kai’s entry pass were currently rejoicing. All of them were grateful Yin Jian had acted so swiftly; otherwise the ones suffering this embarrassment would not be Blue Sparrow Sect but themselves.
“Brother Yang, what happened?” Wei Gu Chang asked curiously. He really had just left with Dong Xuan’er a moment ago to greet their Martial Uncles Wang and Yan, but the moment they returned they saw Yang Kai surrounded.
Yang Kai didn’t seem like the type to look for trouble, so how did this situation come to be?
“It’s nothing much, this guy just brought his Junior Brother over to buy my entry pass for the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Brother Wei, what is this entry pass thing, why didn’t you mention it before?” Yang Kai looked at Wei Gu Chang curiously.
“Ah… Sorry, I forgot about that,” Wei Gu Chang scratched his head and apologized, “But you can’t blame me, I hadn’t gotten the entry passes yet, they’re being kept by Elder Qian right now. When he comes here, he will distribute them to everyone. When the Flowing Flame Sand Field opens, anyone who wants to enter through the entrances will need to present an entry pass otherwise the Seniors on guard won’t allow them though. These entry passes were specially manufactured by masters from the various great forces so they’re impossible to counterfeit or copy. Right, in addition to the entry pass that Elder Qian will later distribute, he will also give each of us something called a Yuan Magnetic Compass. After entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field, we’ll need to depend on that thing to determine our direction.”
“I see,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Something Wei Gu Chang wasn’t responsible for wasn’t something Yang Kai would expect him to tell him about. Additionally, it didn’t seem to be something important in the short term, so he didn’t think much of this. After Qian Tong arrived Yang Kai would have naturally understood.
As the two of them were chatting, the disciples of Blue Sparrow Sect felt incredibly uncomfortable.
These few obviously didn’t put them in their eyes, otherwise, how could they casually be discussing entry passes and Yuan Magnetic Compasses while ignoring them?
Waiting for Wei Gu Chang and Yang Kai to finish talking, Yin Jian struggled to cup his fists and politely said, “Originally, it was Brother Gu Chang from Shadow Moon Hall…”
“Did I allow you to call me Brother Gu Chang?” Wei Gu Chang interrupted him immediately, displaying an overbearing arrogance that caused Yin Jian’s face to twitch and flush red, but even so, the latter didn’t dare to complain.
Although both of them were Third Order Saint Kings, Yin Jian knew that if he really fought Wei Gu Chang, he would only last a few moves before being defeated. All of these famous young talents possessed such extraordinary ability.
So, Yin Jian also had some self-knowledge.
Yin Jian was the top disciple among Blue Sparrow Sect’s younger generation, and although his reputation wasn’t as prominent as that of Wei Gu Chang, he was indeed qualified to call him Brother Gu Chang. Every time he had dealt with geniuses from other great forces he had addressed them as such, and no one had raised a fuss.
However, Wei Gu Chang didn’t give him the slightest bit of face this time, causing Yin Jian to feel quite embarrassed. Gritting his teeth he tried again, “Brother Wei…”
“Were you the one who just said you would surely cripple Brother Yang?” Wei Gu Chang stared at Yin Jian coldly, the accusatory tone in his voice clear to any who heard it.
Qian Tong had made him travel ahead with Yang Kai in order to give him a chance to form a good relationship, but Wei Gu Chang had never expected that the moment he let Yang Kai out of his sight, trouble would find him, annoying him greatly. Naturally, Wei Gu Chang had no intention of simply letting this matter drop, if he couldn’t even handle such a minor incident, he wouldn’t be eligible to associate with Yang Kai.
“It was just a misunderstanding. If I had known this friend was from Shadow Moon Hall…”
“I said I’m not from Shadow Moon Hall,” Yang Kai interrupted him again.
Yin Jian’s face turned red, really not knowing what to say. In front of thirty of his Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, humbling himself in front of Wei Gu Chang was already a massive loss of face, but how could he have anticipated that these people would actually be so relentless? Yin Jian quickly understood that if he couldn’t show enough sincerity here, he wouldn’t be able to resolve this situation peacefully.
Choking down his anger and depression, Yin Jian declared, “This time, it was this Yin’s mistake. This Yin had eyes but failed to see, I ask Brother Wei and this friend to not haggle over this matter!”
Saying so, he cupped his fists quickly before turning around and trying to lead his Sect Brothers and Sisters far away from this troublesome place.
“You think you can just swagger over then waltz off as you please?” Wei Gu Chang coldly snorted, he most despised this kind of man who could bully the weak but feared the strong. If Yin Jian had dared to fight against him, perhaps he would have been willing to let him off, but this fellow who only knew how to bluff and bluster could only elicit disdain from Wei Gu Chang.
In comparison, Yang Kai who was able to calmly stand his ground even when surrounded by thirty people was worthy of his admiration.
Yin Jian froze in place, his fists clenched tightly as blue veins popped up on his forehead, gritting his teeth as he squeezed out his voice, “What more does Brother Wei want? My Junior Brother’s arm was already broken by this friend here and I took a punch to my face while your friend hasn’t suffered any loss, no?”
“Hasn’t suffered any loss? I doubt that; after all, you were all surrounding him by the time I arrived. Even if Brother Yang didn’t suffer any physical harm, what about the psychological trauma and fear he must have suffered?”
Yang Kai maintained an indifferent face as he nodded slightly.
The several dozen disciples from Blue Sparrow Sect all gawked when they heard this.
This person was frightened? Clearly he was completely fearless, the type to not even blink if a blade was resting on his neck, so how could he now claim to have been afraid? Obviously, Wei Gu Chang was shamelessly speaking nonsense.
However, even if they knew Wei Gu Chang and Yang Kai were acting out a bad play, no one dared question them. Knowing these two were deliberately looking for trouble, who would be stupid enough to jump into the fiery pit they opened?
“Brother Yang, it must have been terrifying,” Wei Gu Chang turned to Yang Kai with a serious look and said in a forlorn tone.
“Brother Wei, just name a price, this Yin will not decline,” Yin Jian sighed helplessly, his left eye completely bloodshot, possibly from rage or possibly because of Yang Kai’s punch just now.
“One million Saint Crystals!” Wei Gu Chang didn’t beat around the bush any further and immediately sent out a number.
“Brother Wei, don’t go too far!” Yin Jian grimaced and gritted his teeth, “Do you really expected me to just be able to take out a million Saint Crystals?”
Blue Sparrow Sect was indeed a powerful force, but it was impossible for Yin Jian to be carrying so many Saint Crystals on him all the time.
“You don’t even have a trivial million Saint Crystals, yet you wanted to buy Brother Yang’s entry pass? Is the space between your ears filled with nothing but hot air?”
Yang Kai shot a glance over at Wei Gu Chang in surprise, suddenly discovering that this guy wasn’t as calm and straightforward as his appearance portrayed. In fact, he was quite ruthless and sinister, with a tricky, forked tongue. It reminded Yang Kai to not rush to judge a person by their face.
Yang Kai began wondering what Wei Gu Chang was like when he was alone with Dong Xuan’er. From how quiet and temperate she seemed; Yang Kai estimated Dong Xuan’er had eaten quite a few losses at his hands.
Yin Jian felt like flames are about to spout from his nostrils and from his exasperated expression it was clear he wanted to simply fight it out with Wei Gu Chang.
Some of the other Blue Sparrow Sect disciples turned their attention towards a different direction, seeking help from the Second Order Origin Returning Realm Elder who had escorted them here. However, this old man remained where he was with an ugly look on his face; although he noticed his Sect’s disciples silently begging for rescue, he didn’t show any intention of meddling.
Blue Sparrow Sect was truly in the wrong here, but fortunately, it had simply been a conflict between the younger generation up until now; however, if an old man like him was to step in, that would go against the unwritten customs of such situations. Blue Sparrow Sect had Origin Returning Realm masters here, but Shadow Moon Hall also had some.
If he really dared to step forward, it would only make the situation worse.
Therefore, even if he felt deep anger in his heart, he could only stand there and watch from a distance. This was not a matter he could easily intervene in.
“Then how many Saint Crystals do you have?” Wei Gu Chang hurried the conversation along.
Yin Jian glanced around at his Junior Brothers and Sisters, quickly exchanging a few words with them before dejectedly saying, “Five hundred thousand!”
Wei Gu Chang glanced over at Yang Kai, with the latter indifferently saying, “Fine then, half a million, it should barely be enough to make up for the wounds on my heart.”
Naturally, Yang Kai wouldn’t care about a trivial five hundred thousand Saint Crystals, but since these people from Blue Sparrow Sect dared to provoke him, they had to pay a certain price. Him not immediately slaughtering these people was already the best result possible, as for these people’s loss of face, since Wei Gu Chang didn’t pay it any mind, neither would Yang Kai.
When Yin Jian brought his Junior Brother to buy his entry pass by compulsion, did he give a single thought to Yang Kai’s face? Fortunately, his skill could not be judged by common sense; had Yang Kai been an ordinary cultivator from a small family, Yin Jian would have robbed him of his pass already.
“Half a million then, hurry up!” Wei Gu Chang shouted, snorting with discontent, “You’d best be thankful for Brother Yang’s magnanimity, letting you off for a trivial half-million Saint Crystals. If it were me, if I didn’t leave here with all your underpants, I would no longer be called Wei Gu Chang!”
Immediately after he spoke these words, Wei Gu Chang’s face cramped up noticeably.
Before anyone had noticed, Dong Xuan’er had appeared by his side and ruthlessly pinched the soft meat around his waist, her face blushing bright red as she scolded, “Can you not speak more properly? There are many female disciples among them.”
Not only was Dong Xuan’er blushing, the dozen or so female disciples from Blue Sparrow Sect were also blushing, many of them shooting glares filled with resentment towards Wei Gu Chang.
Blue Sparrow Sect’s thirty disciples took quite a while to collect the required five hundred thousand Saint Crystals; after all, all of them had come here to explore the Flowing Flame Sand Field which was filled with danger and crisis, naturally, they wouldn’t be carrying too many Saint Crystals on them. The Saint Crystals they were carrying were only meant to for restoring themselves inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
After delivering the half-million Saint Crystals to Yang Kai, Yin Jian and the others hurriedly left.
“A pack of gutless rats!” Wei Gu Chang looked at the backs of this group of people and shook his head dismissively.
“Hmm… well, this matter is settled, there’s no need to bother with them anymore,” Dong Xuan’er said softly, deftly changing the topic, “Didn’t you bring your favourite Fine Jade Wine to entertain Senior Brother Yang this time? Since we’ve arrived here so early, you might as well take it out.”
“Right, if Junior Sister hadn’t mentioned it, I might have completely forgotten,” Wei Gu Chang laughed while patting his head once, the ring of his hand flashing in the next instant as he took out a table and some chairs before inviting Yang Kai to sit down. “Martial Uncle Wang and Martial Uncle Yan just now told us that it should be three days before the Flowing Flame Sand Field officially opens. Elder Qian will also not arrive for a while, so while we wait, we might as well drink.”
“Sounds great,” Yang Kai smiled and nodded, naturally having no reason to refuse.
The so-called Fine Jade Wine was taken out by Wei Gu Chang, and as soon as the two small bottles were delicately unpacked, a rich fragrance immediately filled the air, stimulating Yang Kai’s nostrils greatly.
Dong Xuan’er took out two plates of glistening spirit fruits from her Space Ring. Just from looking, it was clear these fruits weren’t common treasures.
Yang Kai wasn’t versed in the ways of wine, so after Wei Gu Chang handed the bottle to him, he unceremoniously took a sip. After drinking this Fine Jade Wine though, Yang Kai discovered that it was actually a Spirit Wine that could provide some benefits to a cultivator’s physique and cultivation, similar to his Fei Yu Martial Aunt’s Thousand Safflower Wine.
However, this Fine Jade Wine was clearly far higher grade than his Martial Aunt’s Thousand Safflower Wine; after all, this was the Star Field, and the materials that were available were also higher end.
With just a sip of wine, Yang Kai immediately felt that his Saint Qi was circulating a little faster. This liquor seemed to swiftly penetrate into every part of his body, hiding in his physique, seemingly waiting to burst out at any moment.
Wei Gu Chang drank a big mouthful before wearing a pleasant expression on his face, explaining to Yang Kai, “This Fine Jade Wine is something I brewed myself after collecting the ingredients on many different adventures. It can be said that no one other than I can brew it on Shadowed Star. Yang Kai, don’t underestimate this spirit wine, although it’s not particularly potent, it actually has a long-term restorative effect. Drinking this bottle alone will help Brother Yang more rapidly restore his Saint Qi for the next half a month.”
After listening to these words, Yang Kai immediately understood that what he had sensed just now was accurate. This liquor had really seeped into his body and was simply waiting to display its effects. Thinking so, he quickly said, “I don’t understand much about wine, so me drinking such a good thing seems a bit like wasting Heaven’s precious gifts.”
Wei Gu Chang however just let out a big laugh, “No matter how good it is, if there is no one to share it with, it still just tastes mediocre. Xuan’er does not like to drink, and this Wei has no like-minded friends in Shadow Moon Hall, so meeting Brother Yang now is really a pleasant surprise. Brother Yang shouldn’t try to act modest, saying such words is the same as not giving me any face.”
Yang Kai didn’t know if these words were truly heartfelt or the result of Qian Tong’s orders, but regardless of the case, Wei Gu Chang seemed intent on getting along with him.
“Then I won’t be polite,” Yang Kai laughed, learning from Wei Gu Chang’s example and taking a big swig of the wine after which, he offered liberal praise.
Dong Xuan’er sat quietly to the side, a happy smile adorning her face as she glanced between Wei Gu Chang and Yang Kai, her quiet demeanour making her seem all the more beautiful.
Whether it was the atmosphere or the alcohol, Yang Kai couldn’t help being moved by the scenery around him and recalling some fond memories. If Su Yan or Xia Ning Chang were here at the moment, would they be the same as Dong Xuan’er? Sitting peacefully beside him.
For these women, as long as they could be with the man they loved, even if the Heavens collapsed, they wouldn’t show the slightest frown.
After about half a day, Qian Tong led a group of two hundred people to the vicinity of the Flowing Flame Sand Field. He hurriedly said a few words to his Sect’s disciples and the cultivators who had followed him here, then went to discuss something with the other two Origin Returning Realm masters from Shadow Moon Hall.
As if they had reached some kind of agreement beforehand, a large number of cultivators began appearing after Shadow Moon Hall made an appearance, all of them scattering about, searching for open spaces to sit down and wait.
Many groups of three to five arrived one after another, each of them from small families and Sects, quickly filling up the periphery of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
In less than a day, the number of cultivators gathered has reached more than two thousand, and it was clear that some were still on their way. After all, the numbers right now were too small to hail it as a legendary event.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er were also surrounded by a crowd of around seventy disciples from Shadow Moon Hall. He was urging his fellow disciples about what they ought to do inside and these Saint King Realm men and women just bobbed their head.
Yang Kai didn’t see any disciples from Thunder Typhoon Sect, Heaven Battling Union, or Coloured Glass Sect here. Apparently, they would be entering from a different entrance. The Flowing Flame Sand Field didn’t have just one access point; according to Wei Gu Chang, there were actually four entrances, one for each cardinal direction, and the various great forces would naturally select the one closest to them to enter, so there was no one place where everyone would be gathering.
Compared with the excitement of the others, Yang Kai sat cross-legged alone in a remote location, seemingly content to remain by himself. However, no one came to find trouble with him anymore. Many here knew he had a close relationship with Wei Gu Chang so none dared to come over and disturb him.
On the other hand, the cultivators from the small family forces were constantly surrounded by disciples from more powerful Sects, their purpose was self-evident. These people all wanted to buy the entry passes from these small family cultivators.
However, as more and more people arrived, the disciples from these big Sects no longer tried to use strong-arm tactics like Yin Jian and instead were going all out to persuade and bargain. Their efforts weren’t in vain as some small family cultivators really were willing to sell their entry passes to the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
There were also some who were absolutely determined to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field to seek out opportunities, making these big Sect disciples waste a great deal of breath and saliva trying to convince them, frustrating them greatly.
When Yang Kai’s eyes swept over a certain location, he couldn’t help raising his brow, standing up, and slowly walking over.
In that direction, there were two elderly men, both of whom were wearing bitter smiles as they stood in place. There were several other people, apparently also from small family forces, who were standing around trying to persuade these two to sell their entry passes.
“A hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals, not a crystal more, such a price is fair! A hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals isn’t a small amount, what do two Seniors think? If you agree, we can close the deal immediately,” A middle-aged man did his best to convince them. Although his cultivation realm was the same as these two-elderly men, all of them Third Order Saint Kings, but it was clear that these two were far older so it wasn’t inappropriate for this middle-aged man to address them as Seniors.
One of the two elderly men cupped his fists and with a forced smile said, “Several friends, it is not that we don’t want to give you face, it’s just that we do not have entry passes on us. Our entry passes are currently being held onto by Shadow Moon Hall’s Elder Qian.”
“It doesn’t matter,” The middle-aged man smiled heartily, “Even if you don’t have them right now, you will shortly. You can just hand over your passes after you receive them; I can even give you the Saint Crystals in advance!”
The middle-aged man spoke with full sincerity and immediately reached for his Space ring, as if he planned on bringing out the Saint Crystals right now.
The two elderly men looked at each other helplessly. A hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals was indeed a huge sum for them, but they were still more interested in entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Although they may die if they entered, there was also a chance they could gain massive benefits, even find an opportunity to break through to the Origin Returning Realm!
Both of them were old and had no descendants or family, so their greatest wish in this life was to break through to the Origin Returning Realm before they died. What did it matter if they were to die while striving to achieve this wish?
The two of them really did not want to sell their entry passes. Obtaining an opportunity to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field was rare, and the two of them had only obtained this chance through a series of coincidences. If they couldn’t hold onto it, even if they delayed their time of death, they wouldn’t be satisfied.
But with the middle-aged man in front of them already counting Saint Crystals, if they were to refuse now, it would only irritate the other party. Although the two of them had come here with Shadow Moon Hall, they had no friendship with the Sect. On the contrary, Elder Qian clearly felt they weren’t pleasing to the eye so there was no way he would step forward to assist them. It was already extremely gracious of Elder Qian to even grant them two entry passes to the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so how could they possibly hope for more?
Just as the anxiety in their hearts was reaching a breaking point, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in their ears, “What’s this? Is someone also trying to buy and sell by compulsion again?”
This voice contained a hint of ridicule, causing the middle-aged man counting Saint Crystals to suddenly wear a cold expression and turn towards its source. However, after seeing who was speaking, this man immediately cupped his fists with a smile and cautiously spoke, “Friend, I’m not like those arrogant disciples of Blue Sparrow Sect and am certainly not trying to buy and sell by compulsion. While it’s true I want to buy these two Seniors’ entry passes, I’ve offered them a hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals as a price. If you ask around you’ll understand that this is a fair price.”
Although this man was smiling as he explained, he was feeling incredibly bitter in his heart, wondering why this guy had suddenly run over and interfered in his business. Did he have some kind of connection with these two old men?
One day ago, this man had witnessed the entire scene of Yang Kai and Wei Gu Chang dealing with Yin Jian. This First Order Saint King wasn’t someone he could afford to offend, if he were to inadvertently anger him, forget about a hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals, it would be at least half a million to simply appease him!
Half a million Saint Crystals… just thinking about it frightened him.
“Yang Kai?” After seeing this familiar youth, the two old men couldn’t help calling out in surprise, a hint of embarrassment on their faces.
“Foreign Elder Chang, Foreign Elder Hao!” Yang Kai cupped his fists and greeted them.
Yang Kai naturally knew these two, otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered coming over to talk to them. One of them was Chang Qi while the other was Hao An, and both of them were Foreign Elders of Hai Ke Family. Yang Kai had spent several months with the former one out in the Starry Sky while the later was often spoken highly of by Wu Yi. In the Hai Ke Family, these two Foreign Elders were the ones who treated her the best. Besides them, only one of the female Foreign Elders named Huang Juan had a good relationship with Wu Yi.
Time had proven Wu Yi right. When the Hai Ke Family’s Patriarch Yi En went to the City Lord’s Mansion to invite masters to deal with Yang Kai, all three of these Foreign Elders had sent messages to Wu Yi in different ways to let her leave Dragon Cave Mountain as early as possible to avoid suffering calamity.
Although it was ultimately the Hai Ke Family which suffered a calamity, Wu Yi was still deeply grateful to these three. These days, Wu Yi would occasionally mention these three. Unfortunately, since leaving the Hai Ke Family, Huang Juan had disappeared without telling anyone where she was going. Chang Qi and Hao An had remained with the Hai Ke Family and occasionally had some contact with Wu Yi.
Their current embarrassed expressions were obviously due to their identities.
Yang Kai and the Hai Ke Family were quite at odds with each other, and they were still Hai Ke Family Foreign Elders in name, so they were worried Yang Kai was here to find trouble with them.
Therefore, when they saw Yang Kai back at Heavenly Fate City’s Space Array hall, they didn’t dare to come up and say hello, half due to fear, half due to shame.
But now that Yang Kai actually took the initiative to politely greet them, the two of them realized they had actually been overly suspicious and pessimistic. Obviously, Yang Kai had not borne a grudge against them.
Naturally Yang Kai had no hatred towards them, the entire Hai Ke Family incident was due to its Patriarch, Yi En, having eyes but failing to see. On the contrary, Yang Kai’s impression of Chang Qi and Hao An was quite good, and considering Wu Yi’s worries, he felt it might be worth him looking after these two.
“He wants to buy your entry passes?” Yang Kai asked.
“Yes,” Chang Qi nodded naturally.
“And he offered you a hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals?” Yang Kai asked again.
They nodded again.
The middle-aged man laughed wryly, “Friend, as you can see, I didn’t lie. On top of that, a hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals is not a low offer.”
“What do you want to do?” Yang Kai ignored the middle-aged man and looked straight at Chang Qi and Hao An. If the two of them intended to sell their entry passes, Yang Kai wouldn’t intervene; after all, it was truly quite dangerous to enter the Flowing Flame Sand field, but if they weren’t willing to sell, then Yang Kai would make sure this middle-aged man didn’t pressure them any further.
Yang Kai actually thought it might be better for these two to sell their passes. Although a hundred and fifty thousand Saint Crystals were nothing to him, it would be a great deal of wealth to Chang Qi and Hao An. There was no need for them to risk their lives and they could obtain a large amount of Saint Crystal, so why not sell?
To his surprise though, Chang Qi and Hao An only exchanged a brief glance before resolutely shaking their heads and declaring, “We don’t want to sell, we want to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field!”
Yang Kai was slightly taken aback, but soon recovered and said to the middle-aged man, “Friend, I believe you heard them, my two Seniors don’t want to sell their entry passes.”
“I heard, I heard,” The middle-aged man nodded quickly, wearing a big forced smile before nodding, “Then I won’t bother you any further, goodbye!”
Saying so, he left with his colleagues.
After they left, Chang Qi and Hao An let out a sigh of relief and looked at Yang Kai with astonishment.
They had arrived too late to witness the Blue Sparrow Sect incident, so naturally, they didn’t know why this middle-aged man was so afraid of Yang Kai, actually backing off with just like that.
“Two Foreign Elders, this place is a bit too crowded here for us to talk,” Yang Kai beckoned to them as he walked over to the place he had been sitting before.
Chang Qi and Hao An both had complicated feelings at the moment, grateful yet also awkward; however, they still followed after Yang Kai.
A short time later, the trio left the noisy crowds behind and arrived at a relatively quiet place.
There was nothing particularly special about this place, but it was at least empty, so all of them quickly sat down cross-legged.
Chang Qi had spent far more time together with Yang Kai, so he was the first to adapt to this new situation, smiling as he asked, “You must have some questions, right?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “Why did the Hai Ke Family send the two of you?”
It was also because he was curious about the situation that Yang Kai had brought these two over to chat.
Entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field was a rare opportunity that had not appeared for over four hundred years. The Hai Ke Family was a small family force so it should have been granted at most three quotas, so it would only make sense for such an opportunity to land in the hands of the family’s Elders or possibly even the Patriarch himself. Yet now, Chang Qi and Hao An, two Foreign Elders, had actually appeared here.
Chang Qi let out a sigh and said, “No one wanted to come! Otherwise, how could two old fogeys like us have picked up such a bargain.”
“How come no one wanted to come?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Hao An grinned and explained, “After the previous incident, the Hai Ke Family has become something of an eyesore to Shadow Moon Hall. Everyone, from the Patriarch to the common disciples is constantly on edge while all of the other Foreign Elders have fled, leaving just the two of us. Now, all of those direct family Elders are in secluded cultivation, not daring to go out easily and meet people.”
“Are they afraid of me?” Yang Kai suddenly understood.
“Essentially,” Chang Qi nodded, “Naturally they are afraid you’re just biding your time while plotting your revenge. Many of the Hai Ke Family’s industries have already been abandoned and Yi En is still working hard to shrink and consolidate the family’s strength. All disciples have been ordered to enter retreat. In addition, Shadow Moon Hall now finds us quite repugnant so life has only been getting harder for the family. Now, beside myself and Brother Hao, no one from the Hai Ke Family dares show their face in public.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help letting out a laugh.
He hadn’t expected Patriarch Yi En to act so timidly.
Even if Yi En had provoked him several times in the past, out of consideration for Wu Yi’s face, Yang Kai had dropped the matter entirely. Yang Kai had no plans to seek revenge on the Hai Ke Family, but it seems the opposite party still felt it was walking on thin ice and had decided to curl up and hide.
Ultimately, they were just getting what they deserved, so although Yang Kai wasn’t going to haggle over them, he also didn’t sympathize with them.
“Elder Qian was still kind enough to give two quotas to the Hai Ke Family to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so Brother Hao and I rushed over,” Chang Qi continued, “If Brother Hao and I don’t break through this time, both of us will only have a few years left to live. The two of us are hoping to find some kind of opportunity in the Flowing Flame Sand Field to break through while at the same time complete the agreement we made with the Patriarch.”
“Agreement?” Yang Kai frowned.
“En, the Patriarch has decided to seclude the entire family, and there is no need for us Foreign Elders to remain, so as long as we can turn over half the benefits we obtain in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, he’ll allow us to leave the Hai Ke Family.”
Yang Kai’s expression immediately became cold, “He’s still trying to take bully you two?”
When all the other Foreign Elders had left, Yi En had not said a word, but when it was Chang Qi and Hao An’s turn, he actually demanded they hand over half their harvest from the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Yi En was really a crafty old miser.
Without having to risk any of his own people, he could potentially obtain many good supplies and precious treasures, a perfect example of taking advantage of honest men.
Yang Kai opinion of Yi En fell even further.
Chang Qi and Hao An were also somewhat strange. The other Foreign Elders had already left, so why had they stuck around? On top of that, they had actually agreed to Yi En’s unreasonable request.
Seemingly aware of Yang Kai’s doubts, Chang Qi explained with a hint of weariness, “Brother Hao and I have been Foreign Elders of the Hai Ke Family for many years, after all. We’ve received many benefits during that time so just abandoning the family now made us feel uneasy, that’s why both of us agreed to the Patriarch’s request.”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head. Although he didn’t agree with how they thought, the loyalty these two showed was worthy of admiration. If not for their sense of honour and duty, they would never have agreed to such conditions.
Considering all this, Yang Kai asked, “If the two of you can safely return from the Flowing Flame Sand Field this time, what do you plan to do?”
Chang Qi and Hao An glanced at each for a moment before slowly shaking their heads, “We’ve spent most of our lives in the Hai Ke Family, so after leaving it we really don’t know where to go. A Third Order Saint King cultivation isn’t too low, but the problem is that both of us are quite old, so it’s unlikely anywhere will be willing to accept us.”
Neither of them had children or relatives, so naturally, they had no place to turn for help.
Yang Kai smiled, “If the two of you don’t mind, how about coming to Dragon Cave Mountain to settle down? Wu Yi and Yu Feng often mention you and the disciples there all originally belonged to the Hai Ke Family. If the two of you were present to manage them, I’m sure those brats would settle down.”
Chang Qi and Hao An’s eyes brightened, the former calling out in disbelief, “Can we really?”
“Of course, it’s not like Dragon Cave Mountain is some Forbidden Zone. This Junior would be more than happy to welcome you,” Yang Kai laughed.
Both Foreign Elders’ faces flushed as their beards trembled, Chang Qi replying incoherently, “How… how would that be acceptable?”
From the looks of it, these two very much wanted to go to Dragon Cave Mountain. Today’s Dragon Cave Mountain was no longer what it used to be, its peaks were shrouded in mist and the World Energy aura rich enough to establish a small school or Sect. Best of all, as time went on, that aura would only become denser.
“There’s no need to feel embarrassed, none of us here are outsiders. I’d feel relieved if you two would come and help guide those young disciples in their cultivation.”
The two Foreign Elders exchanged a knowing look before simultaneously getting up and bowing deeply, “If that is the case, the two of us will not stand on ceremony.”
Chang Qi added, “If we can return safely this time, what’s left of our short lives will be entrusted to little brother.”
“Senior is too serious, the two of you staying alive is what’s most important,” Yang Kai quickly asked them to sit down before continuing, “Are two Seniors fully prepared to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field?”
“We’ve made some preparations, but whether they’ll be enough is questionable,” Hao An sighed. “Brother Chang and I spent our entire life’s savings to purchase two Saint King Grade High-Rank Ice Attribute defensive artefacts along with some healing pills, but that was all we could afford in the end.”
This was the difference between people. A Saint King Grade High-Rank artifact ordinarily cost between thirty and forty thousand Saint Crystals, but because of the current situation, Ice Attribute defensive type artefacts had risen sharply in price, costing around fifty or sixty thousand now.
For these two Foreign Elders, that represented their entire fortune.
But to Yang Kai, such a small amount of Saint Crystals weren’t even worth mentioning!
After thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai pulled out eight jade bottles from his Space Ring and handed them over, dividing them up evenly as he explained, “One bottle has healing pills while two have pills for restoring Saint Qi. The last one is to drive out the heat. Take them.”
The pills that could resist heat were the same Snow And Ice Pills he had refined, so after Yang Kai gave Chang Qi and Hao An these two bottles he had none left for himself.
The two of them were about to refuse when Yang Kai added, “I have a lot of these things, so don’t hold back.”
Chang Qi and Hao An glanced at each other before gratefully accepting the pill bottles, tears were even threatening to form at the corners of their old eyes.
At this moment, they couldn’t help feeling a little emotional. Both of them had served the Hai Ke Family for most of their lives and contributed much during that time, yet now, Yi En was intent on driving them away while at the same time forcing them to offer up compensation. In contrast, they had only just agreed to join Yang Kai yet the latter had handed them eight bottles of pills without even blinking.
The gap in treatment was as far apart as Heaven and Earth.
Chang Qi and Hao An suddenly felt that leaving the Hai Ke Family and following Yang Kai might not be a bad thing, the sadness and loneliness they had been feeling these days fading away greatly.
“Also, take these Saint Crystals, I heard that no one can circulate their Secret Art in the Flame Area to absorb World Energy as the heat itself is like poison; if one absorbs it, it will cause great harm. In order to restore one’s strength they can only rely on Saint Crystals and pills,” Yang Kai took out another Space Ring and tossed it over.
This time they didn’t try to refuse, but when Chang Qi accepted this ring and swept the contents with his Divine Sense, he immediately called out in alarm, “This is too much.”
The Space Ring that Yang Kai gave them was the one that was handed to him by Yin Jian a day ago, the one that had half a million Saint Crystals inside!
Chang Qi had never even seen so many Saint Crystals in his life and was so frightened he nearly dropped the ring.
Yang Kai however just waved his hand, “I still have more Saint Crystals. Hold onto those for now, consider whatever you don’t use up inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field as your hiring fee for agreeing to join Dragon Cave Mountain.”
An idea had suddenly emerged in Yang Kai’s heart a moment ago. Now with Qian Tong on his side, and Yang Yan arranging a grand Spirit Array, Dragon Cave Mountain could be considered extremely safe, but in terms of available combat strength, it was actually quite lacking.
Among all the people living there, besides Yang Kai himself who had abnormal combat ability, the others weren’t worth mentioning. Although Wu Yi and Yu Feng’s were both First Order Saint Kings, and their aptitudes weren’t bad, it would still take a long time for them to fully mature.
Chang Qi and Hao An, on the other hand, were both Third-Order Saint Kings, and if they could break through to the Origin Returning Realm, Dragon Cave Mountain would be able to add another strong layer of protection.
Any Origin Returning Realm cultivator was capable of using Shi, a power that could give even Yang Kai trouble.
Asking these two to join Dragon Cave Mountain, on the one hand, was because Wu Yi had a good relationship with them, as well as their upright and loyal characters; but that was not all. He also wanted to add some powerful cultivators under him.
These two Foreign Elders had remained in the Third Order Saint King for many years but had not been able to break through due to insufficient aptitude and resources. If Yang Kai provided them with an Origin Condensing Pill though, breaking through shouldn’t be an issue.
However, the Emerald Silk Grass required to refine Origin Condensing Pills was quite rare and Yang Kai had already used up his only two stalks.
It seemed that this time, Yang Kai would have to visit the Treasure Area of the Flowing Flame Sand Field to see if he could find some Emerald Silk Grass. If there was some, that would be best, but if there weren’t any, he could always just buy them. In any case, Yang Kai wasn’t lacking Saint Crystals.
After arguing back and forth for a while, Yang Kai finally convinced Chang Qi and Hao An to accept the Space Ring.
Yang Kai then began to explain to them everything he had heard about the Flowing Flame Sand Field from Wei Gu Chang.
Although Chang Qi and Hao An had also obtained some information beforehand, it was not as complete as what Yang Kai knew, so both of them listened attentively, not daring to miss a word.
Since there are a ton of people who are new, I wish to clarify that the number of chapter have been consistent with the goals set on Patreon. That’s why it fluctuates.
Yang Kai was now thinking about whether Chang Qi and Hao An could follow the Shadow Moon Hall disciples and act together with them; after all, if they all moved together, their safety factor would improve significantly.
Making two old fogeys follow a crowd of young men and women might seem a little awkward, but age was also synonymous with wisdom and experience. Chang Qi and Hao An weren’t weak and it wasn’t impossible for them to provide assistance to Shadow Moon Hall’s disciples.
However, when he mentioned this idea, both Chang Qi and Hao An shook their heads and refused.
This wasn’t because they were concerned about their ages being too far apart from those of Shadow Moon Hall’s disciples, but rather because their whole purpose in entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field was to seek out their own opportunities. Acting together with others wouldn’t be ideal as if they did, any benefits they obtained would have to be shared with the others in their group. The two of them didn’t even plan on travelling together, having already decided to split up after entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Yang Kai thought about it and figured their plans had merit, so he didn’t insist.
Two days later, Qian Tong gathered everyone around and distributed entry passes and the small Yuan Magnetic Compass artefacts.
The Flowing Flame Sand Field was too large, and the sun, moon, and stars weren’t visible from the inside. Once someone entered, it was almost impossible to maintain one’s sense of direction. This Yuan Magnetic Compass was used to solve this problem.
Wei Gu Chang had mentioned this to Yang Kai before, and after receiving it and fiddling around with it for a bit, he immediately understood how it worked.
This compass was exquisitely refined so that no matter which way it or its owner turned, it would always point towards a specific location. With the help of such a guide, there was no need to worry about getting lost in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Yang Kai carefully stored the Yuan Magnetic Compass in his Space ring before sitting down cross-legged with Chang Qi and Hao An to meditate.
Over time, the dark red energy curtain covering the Flowing Flame Sand Field became less opaque while a number of unstable energy fluctuations burst out from inside its boundaries.
Sensing this, everyone stood up as they understood that this Forbidden Zone was about to open. Full of enthusiasm and eagerness, many people turned to stare at the Flowing Flame Sand Field with anticipation, wondering to themselves just what benefits hid inside.
Only the Origin Returning Realm masters who had led their disciples here showed worried looks.
Because they knew the dangers of the Flowing Flame Sand Field better than anyone! Most of these Origin Realm masters had entered this place four hundred years ago, and only after overcoming many dangers, did they manage to return alive. Those Origin Realm masters who had not entered this place though had at least seen records about it in the records of their respective Sects.
Although they were worried, none of these Origin Realm masters revealed much more than a slight frown.
They knew that if one wanted to obtain benefits, they had to pay a certain price, so even if it cost thousands of human lives, as long as the Core Disciples from their forces survived, they wouldn’t care.
Origin Returning Realm masters constantly flew over the heads of the crowd, shouting loudly to the Saint Kings who were about to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Aside from encouragement, these masters were also warning them to remain cautious and to avoid conflict with others once inside.
How many people would actually listen to these warnings was unknown as, where there were benefits, there would be conflicts. Each time the Flowing Flame Sand Field opened, twenty to thirty percent of those who entered died as a direct result of competing for treasures with others.
Half a day later, the unstable energy fluctuations from the Flowing Flame Sand Field suddenly subsided and the energy curtain went from dark to pale red, also becoming somewhat stable.
There was also a section of the energy curtain that took the shape of a gate that was clearly lighter in colour than the rest.
The Flowing Flame Sand Field had officially opened!
The Elders from the various Sects swiftly brought their disciples towards the entrance and within moments, nearly three thousand people had crammed together, pushing shoulders as they tried to be first the enter.
More than a dozen Third Order Origin Returning Realm masters who were standing at the entrance saw these Saint Kings rush up and immediately released their Shi.
The whole world seemed to freeze over, with all the jostling Saint Kings going stiff, some of those with weaker strength even going pale as their clothes filled with sweat.
The sensation of being suppressed by the layers of Shi was quite uncomfortable, it was akin to feeling like one was no longer in control of their own life or death.
“What are you all so anxious about?” A ruddy-faced old man flew up into the sky and swept his eyes over the crowd in a majestic manner, shouting loudly in the next instant, “Line up for this old master! You’ll all enter one by one, anyone who dares try to rush ahead will immediately have the entry rights taken away!”
After listening to these words, all the Saint Kings started to line up honestly. Fortunately, the entrance was not small and could accommodate five lines with ease. Following the instructions of the old master, everyone who entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field displayed their entry pass so the many Origin Realm masters could inspect them. Anyone who did not have a pass was denied entry.
“Brother Yang, Brother Yang!”
As soon as Yang Kai brought Chang Qi and Hao An to the end of a line, he heard Wei Gu Chang call out to him.
Looking over, Yang Kai saw Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er standing in a separate line nearby, all the disciples of Shadow Moon Hall lined up behind them.
“Brother Wei,” Yang Kai smiled at him.
“Brother Yang, I’ll be sending out a general message through the communication artefact once everyone has entered. If you receive my message, it would be best if we could gather together. I also have a few Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters who will be accompanying me on this exploration. If we work together we should be able to break through the Flame Area in short order,” Wei Gu Chang said while pointing to a few people around him.
The young men and women he pointed to were clearly also Core Disciples of Shadow Moon Hall, and even if they weren’t as good as Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er, they shouldn’t have lagged too far behind. After hearing Wei Gu Chang’s words though, many of these people wore puzzled and uncertain looks.
Obviously they thought that if Yang Kai, a mere First-Order Saint King, was really to act together with them, he would be nothing but a burden. They were all the elites of Shadow Moon Hall, naturally, they didn’t want to bring a stranger like Yang Kai along for free.
Yang Kai simply nodded and replied, “Sure!”
Wei Gu Chang could tell he was just being perfunctory, but he didn’t raise any fuss. He had noticed when chatting with Yang Kai the other day that the latter seemed intent on acting alone.
The speed at which people entered was quite fast; after all, there were more than a dozen Third Order Origin Returning Realm masters standing around checking entry passes. After a Divine Sense swept their credentials, a cultivator could proceed to the entrance, and so the three thousand Saint Kings were reducing at a rapid rate.
Soon, it was Yang Kai’s turn.
Holding his entry pass, Yang Kai allowed the surrounding Origin Returning Realm master to inspect it with their Divine Senses, after which he heard Qian Tong’s voice, “Nephew Yang, please be careful inside, no matter what, you must return safely!”
Yang Kai nodded slightly towards Qian Tong before walking straight through the entrance.
A slight sense of dizziness then came over him and by the time Yang Kai recovered, he found himself submerged in a stiflingly hot environment.
All around him, waves of heat washed back and forth. The ground beneath his feet was also a kind of reddish-brown dirt that as a result of being baked at high temperatures for years on end had developed in a cracked crust. Spider-web like cracks spread out in all dictions; some were as small as shallow gullies while others were as large as canyons. As far as the eye could see, there were no signs of vegetation, only chaotic stone hills and piles of earth hindered one’s line of sight.
[Is this the Flame Area?]
Not using his Saint Qi to shield his body, Yang Kai felt a slight tingling sensation on his skin.
Even with his incredibly tough physique, he could still feel some pain just from standing here, so other Saint Kings who entered this place would likely have to use their Saint Qi to protect themselves from the omnipresent heat.
The World Energy here contained a strange type of fire attribute energy that was akin to poison if one tried to absorb it. As such, cultivators could only use Saint Crystals or pills to restore themselves. If one couldn’t at least restore themselves as fast as they expended energy here, they would soon become exhausted and fall into danger.
However, this slight tingling sensation didn’t hinder Yang Kai at all. He could weather Void Storms with his bare skin so this little bit of heat was not an issue.
This was only the outer periphery though, so Yang Kai believed if he travelled deeper into the Flowing Flame Sand field it would become progressively hotter.
There was no way to find one’s bearings in this place, and none of the cultivators who had walked through the entrance before him were anywhere to be seen. Obviously they had been sent to different locations than Yang Kai.
While others may not have been able to tell, Yang Kai noticed that the space in his surrounding was a bit unstable. It was likely because of this instability that cultivators who passed through the same entrance appeared in different locations inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
In front of him, a pale red flame-like aura was drifting about slowly. Yang Kai glanced around and found that there were actually many of these auras floating nearby, almost like tiny spirits flying through the air, providing a somewhat interesting scenery.
While observing his surroundings, Yang Kai felt a slight spatial fluctuation nearby and two figures soon appeared.
Clearly, they were cultivators who had passed through the entrance after him.
Both of these two were men and before they had time to take in the sights around them, their faces changed dramatically as they felt the blistering heat.
One of these two immediately pushed his Saint Qi to protect his body while the other, whose strength seemed higher, had not done so right away. However, the latter man quickly began sweating as a result.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly when he noticed that the cultivator who was using Saint Qi to shield himself was actually wearing a Shadow Moon Hall disciple uniform.
After these two managed to stabilize themselves, they began looking around. Discovering that there were actually two others here, the look on the face of the disciple from Shadow Moon Hall changed slightly, especially when he saw Yang Kai, a strange light flashing across his eyes.
This man didn’t even try to greet Yang Kai though and simply identified a direction and ran off.
On the other hand, the other man looked at Yang Kai thoughtfully, grinned, and called out sincerely, “Friend, are you interested moving together with me?”
“No. I’m not interested!” Yang Kai said indifferently.
He didn’t even want to move together with Wei Gu Chang, much less this man of unknown origin.
The man didn’t seem to think that Yang Kai would refuse him so flatly, rubbed his nose awkwardly but didn’t push the issue, cupping his fists before also walking off.
After walking far away, the man who invited Yang Kai to accompany him looked back, a strange expression upon his face as he muttered to himself, “A First-Order Saint King can stand the heat here without using his Saint Qi? How strange…”
Even he, a Third-Order Saint King, was having some difficulty coping with this environment, his clothes quickly become soaked in sweat. When he saw Yang Kai looking perfectly fine, on the other hand, he had sent out an invitation.
Because he subconsciously felt that Yang Kai wasn’t as simple as he seemed.
However, the other party seemed a bit impersonal, simply declaring he wasn’t interested before refusing to say anymore. In this kind of place, a casual slip of the tongue could lead to one’s death, so acting cautiously was for the best. Who knew what kind of character that First Order Saint King had? If he were to say something to annoy the other party, it might have even turned into a fight. The Flowing Flame Sand Field had last opened over four hundred years ago, so it could be said that treasures were everywhere, what was most important right now was to search for benefits.
After this man left, Yang Kai stood in place for a while, thinking that the voice of the cultivator who had just invited him sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before, but Yang Kai was sure he hadn’t met this person until now.
How could he know the voice of someone he had never met?
Thinking about it for a while but unable to come up with anything, Yang Kai put this issue aside and took out the Yuan Magnetic Compass from his Space Ring.
There seemed to also be some Divine Sense fluctuations coming from the communication artefact. It should be Wei Gu Chang’s message. Yang Kai examined this message and confirmed his suspicions. In fact, not only had Wei Gu Chang sent out a message, Dong Xuan’er and several other Shadow Moon Hall disciples were also exchanging messages, seemingly trying to determine each other’s whereabouts and where to meet up.
Yang Kai directly ignored these messages and threw the communication artefact into his Space Ring. Then he confirmed which way led deeper into the Flowing Flame Sand Field with the Yuan Magnetic Compass before departing.
About three hundred kilometres away from Yang Kai, Wei Gu Chang stood below a large mountain. This mountain was very conspicuous, and even if one was far away, they would be able to see a trace of its outline. He and several Core Disciples from Shadow Moon Hall had agreed to rendezvous here, believing that as long they weren’t idiots they would be able to quickly find this place.
Dong Xuan’er actually appeared the closest to him so after a half cup of tea’s time, she arrived first.
“Senior Brother!” Dong Xuan’er shouted happily as she landed, a pale blue halo surrounding her body. This halo was emitting a faint cold aura completely isolating her from the surrounding heat. It was obviously created by the Origin Grade Low-Rank defensive artefact Yang Yan had refined for her.
Wei Gu Chang, like Yang Kai, did not immediately use any artefacts or Saint Qi to protect himself, standing tall in the hot air, even seemingly enjoying the temperature. After seeing Dong Xuan’er arrive, he immediately smiled mildly.
“Senior Brother, the few Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters who were supposed to accompany us to the Treasure Area all responded quickly, but Senior Brother Yang hasn’t sent any reply. Could he have appeared too far away, outside the range of our communication artefacts?” Dong Xuan’er asked with some worry.
“Probably not,” Wei Gu Chang shook his head, “Our communication artefacts were refined by Grandmaster Ge Lin himself, the distance they can relay messages across is over five hundred kilometres. There wasn’t much time between when we and he entered, so even if we were all scattered, he should still be nearby. Brother Yang not responding… is probably intentional.”
“Senior Brother, do you mean Senior Brother Yang wants to act alone? He’s not willing to join us?” Dong Xuan’er was also a beautiful and intelligent woman. Listening to Wei Gu Chang’s words, she immediately understood Yang Kai’s plan.
“Those who are skilled like to adventure alone!” Wei Gu Chang grinned.
“Does Senior Brother want to act on his own as well? To wander about freely?” Dong Xuan’er asked faintly.
Wei Gu Chang laughed, “Senior Brother naturally wants to travel together with you! The two of us love and understand one another, so spending time with each other even in this Forbidden Zone naturally makes me happy!”
Hearing what he said, Dong Xuan’er couldn’t help spitting out her tongue cutely, but even that couldn’t hide the happiness on her face.
However, Wei Gu Chang soon snorted coldly, “Of course, if it were possible, I’d rather it just be the two of us, but there’s no way we can do that. Martial Uncle Wang and Martial Uncle Yan specifically ordered me to take good care of those Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters so I can’t just leave them behind. It’s truly ridiculous, when I invited Brother Yang before, all of them were obviously dissatisfied. How could they understand Brother Yang’s true strength? I would rather go travel together with Brother Yang than have to look after those burdens.”
“When you belong to a Sect, there are always some unsatisfactory responsibilities one needs to deal with, Senior Brother shouldn’t let it bother him!” Dong Xuan’er comforted softly.
This was Dong Xuan’er’s greatest strength, and what Wei Gu Chang liked most about her. She could always find the right words and the right timing to soothe his heart. Every time he fell into a foul mood, she only needed to say a few words to calm him down immediately.
“Of course I understand. Forget it, let’s not discuss it any further, they should be arriving soon, it’ll be bad if they heard,” Wei Gu Chang smiled and shook his head, instead discussing what course and direction they should take next with Dong Xuan’er.
At this moment, Yang Kai was encountering his first Fire Spirit Beast.
He had thought that Fire Spirit Beasts would be the same as Monster Beasts, easy to discover, so he had been searching around ever since he entered, eager to see what kind of strange being this creature unique to Flowing Flame Sand Field was like. On top of that, he was interested to learn what was so special about that Fire Crystal Stones these creatures carried.
With no clue where to find Fire Spirit Beasts, Yang Kai had simply been searching randomly when suddenly a burst of fire came from the ground beneath his feet and a fiery tiger-like Fire Spirit Beast appeared in front of him.
Yang Kai didn’t rush to attack and observed it carefully.
Just as Wei Gu Chang had said before, this Fire Spirit Beast’s body seemed illusionary and ethereal, its aura perfectly matched with the atmosphere inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so even though Yang Kai had been incredibly vigilant, he hadn’t detected it until it leapt from the crack beneath him.
This tiger-like Fire Spirit Beast looked weak and fragile though, probably as strong as a Fifth-Order Monster Beast at best. Fifth-Order Monster Beasts were equivalent to human race Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators. In fact, this creature didn’t even have a complete body, only a majestic tiger head and half a body while the rest was only a ball of fire.
Yang Kai was immediately disappointed. Seeing this tiger-like Fire Spirit Beast take the initiative to attack, Yang Kai simply threw out a casual punch, Saint Qi spewing from his fist.
In a burst of flame, the tiger-like Fire Spirit Beast disappeared and a dark red grain of sand replaced it.
Yang Kai reached out and grabbed it.
Was this the Fire Crystal Stone he had heard about? Even if Yang Kai was seeing it for the first time, he was able to recognize it at a glance as Wei Gu Chang had enthusiastically described it to him.
However, this thing was too small, and while the aura contained in it was pure enough, the amount it had stored was quite pitiful. Yang Kai casually circulated his Saint Qi and absorbed the energy inside it clean.
Shaking his head with dissatisfaction. Yang Kai estimated that the size of the Fire Crystal Stone should be directly related to the level of the Fire Spirit Beast.
The higher the level of Fire Spirit Beast, the larger the Fire Crystal Stone would be. This sand sized Fire Crystal Stone was just the crystal of a Fifth-Order Fire Spirit Beast. Sixth-Order Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order First Crystal Stones may be different.
The outermost region of the Flame Area posed no challenge to him, so Yang Kai quickly lost interest in carefully investigating it. Concentrating for a moment, a burst of wind and thunder manifested and a pair of beautiful wings suddenly opened behind Yang Kai. These wings were somewhat transparent and faint arcs of lightning rippled across them. It was the Wind and Thunder Wings that Yang Kai had not used for a long time.
Back on Tong Xuan Realm, the Wind and Thunder Wings had helped him many times, but after obtaining the Star Shuttle flight type artefact, the usefulness of the Wind and Thunder Wings had gradually decreased.
After arriving in the Star Field, he had never used his Wind and Thunder Wings again.
Yang Kai hadn’t expected they would come in handy in such a place.
Injecting Saint Qi into his Wind and Thunder Wings, the intensity of the wind and thunder increased, allowing Yang Kai’s speed to soar as he transformed into a streak of light, disappearing from where he once stood.
Yang Kai looked pleased. He found that his conjecture was actually correct. Although Star Shuttles couldn’t be used and cultivators couldn’t fly inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, his Wind and Thunder Wings were usable. As long as he didn’t leave the ground, he wouldn’t receive any kind of suppression.
However, once Yang Kai tried to fly, an incredible pressure would force him back down.
After a few fruitless attempts, Yang Kai gave up and simply relied on the Wind and Thunder Wings to improve his running speed.
This Forbidden Zone was quite strange. Yang Kai couldn’t tell what kind of profound laws of Heaven and Earth were at work here, but the number of restrictions they applied wasn’t small.
Along the way, Yang Kai didn’t meet anyone, as if he was the only one exploring this huge Flowing Flame Sand Field. Of course, he knew that this was just an illusion. The Flowing Flame Sand Field was simply too large. As a giant circular boundary, the outermost layer was obviously broader, meaning there was less of a chance of running into people, but as he dove further inside, the chances of him encountering other cultivators would naturally increase. After all the elites gradually migrated towards the centre regions, meetings with others would become commonplace and conflicts would also start occurring.
Fire Spirit Beasts were indeed a common existence in this Flame Area. As Yang Kai hurried along, from time to time, one or two Fire Spirit Beasts of varying strength would pop up from the cracks in the ground. Some of these beasts tried to hinder his progress while others were simply wandering about.
Yang Kai didn’t have any interest in killing these Fifth or Sixth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts so for the most part he ignored them.
The further he went, the higher the ambient temperature became. Not only was did the temperature rise though, causing the stinging sensation on Yang Kai’s skin to become stronger, but even the fire poison contained in the air also became more potent. Through Yang Kai’s pores, this poison slowly began seeping into his body, hindering his physical functions and the circulation of his Saint Qi.
This fire poison was incredibly resilient and even if Yang Kai circulated his Secret Art, he couldn’t refine it. If he continued allowing it to accumulate, it would pose a significant danger, so Yang Kai could only force it out of his body.
As the temperature and heat increased, Yang Kai was forced to use his Saint Qi to protect his body while simultaneously resisting the intrusion of the fire poison.
Three days later, Yang Kai arrived at the mouth of a mountain valley-like area. During these three days, he had been hurrying along, and with the help of his Wind and Thunder Wings, his speed was much faster than others. Besides spending some effort to kill an Eighth-Order Fire Spirit Beast, nothing else of note had happened.
That Eighth-Order’s Fire Spirit Beast had solidified to a certain extent, and when it suddenly emerged from the cracks in the ground, it really surprised Yang Kai. If it wasn’t for his rapid response, and the speed boost his Wind and Thunder Wings provided him, this sneak attack might have injured him.
It was at that point that Yang Kai realized the real threat of Fire Spirit Beasts weren’t their strength, but their ability to perfectly integrate into the environment of the Flowing Flame Sand Field. As long as they did not appear of their own accord, cultivators wouldn’t be able to find them.
However, when one did appear, they would immediately launch a deadly sneak attack.
Eighth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts were equivalent to Saint Kings, and if it had been any other cultivator, that sneak attack would have claimed their life.
Fortunately, Yang Kai managed to kill it and acquired a Fire Crystal Stone the size of a pigeon egg for his efforts.
This piece of Fire Crystal Stone was far larger than the one he first obtained and its value was certainly not low. As long as an Alchemist or Artifact Refiner perfectly integrated the pure fire aura contained inside this Fire Crystal Stone into the pill or artifact they were refining, they could improve the grade and quality of that pill or artefact.
This small harvest pleased Yang Kai, and he couldn’t help wanting to search for other Eighth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts to kill; after all, he was an Alchemist, this thing was quite useful to him.
Inside the mountain valley, Yang Kai used his Divine Sense to cover a three hundred meter radius around him to guard against sneak attacks from powerful Fire Spirit Beasts.
The terrain here was strange. In all directions, there were bare mountains, and the whole mountain valley itself looked like a giant pit. This valley was also quite large, and from the entrance, one could not see the end, only an endless expanse of crisscrossed gullies and cracked crevices, almost like a deep abyss that made one shudder at the mere sight.
Yang Kai, however, didn’t care and promptly used his Wind and Thunder Wings to continue deeper into the valley.
He and Wei Gu Chang had the same idea, to rush to the Treasure Area as soon as possible and collect some spirit grasses and spirit medicines before others arrived en masse. Once the elites from all the great Sects made their way over, there would be fewer chances to obtain good things.
Everyone should be hurrying right now, but with his Wind and Thunder Wings, Yang Kai had a big advantage.
Half a day later, Yang Kai reached the interior of the mountain valley, but surprisingly, he had not encountered a single Fire Spirit Beast along the way. Earlier, no matter how good his luck was, Yang Kai would run into at least one or two Fire Spirit Beasts every hour, but now half a day has passed without any Fire Spirit Beasts appearing, making him feel quite puzzled.
It was as if this mountain valley was some kind of restricted area that Fire Spirit Beasts wouldn’t enter.
Yang Kai was pleased with this development though and simply continued onwards.
But all of a sudden, Yang Kai’s face changed as he instantaneously dodged to the side.
Just now, his Divine Sense had detected traces of abnormal energy fluctuations. This type of energy fluctuation was something he was now quite familiar with as it was a sign that Fire Spirit Beasts underground were about to launch an attack.
Sure enough, the instant after he dodged, the place Yang Kai had originally been standing was set upon by a number of different shaped and different levelled Fire Spirit Beasts.
Yang Kai didn’t want to bother with them, he just wanted to keep moving, but before he could even come to a halt, more abnormal energy fluctuations appeared beneath his feet.
Yang Kai frowned and changed position again.
A third set of energy fluctuations appeared…
At the same time, in all directions, the whole mountain valley seemed to boil as chaotic flows of energy burst forth and streams of fire erupted from the cracked ground, transforming into various strange and grotesque Fire Spirit Beasts.
The number of flames which leapt from the earth were innumerable and more were appearing in the distance with every breath.
Yang Kai’s face finally changed.
There was something off about this mountain valley!
He never thought that so many Fire Spirit Beasts would appear in a single location. This place was completely different from what he had imagined. Rather than a restricted area for Fire Spirit Beasts, it was clearly their paradise.
Who knew how many Fire Spirit Beasts had gathered here? In just a few breaths, Yang Kai found himself completely surrounded by Fire Spirit Beasts, all of them eyeing him menacingly.
Sweeping his surroundings with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai’s face sank.
Tens of thousands of Fire Spirit Beasts had filled the surrounding thousand-meter radius around him alone. Although the majority of these Fire Spirit Beasts were Fifth or Sixth-Order, there were some Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order ones mixed in. On top of that, more Fire Spirit Beasts were arriving with every passing moment.
Yang Kai felt like he had accidentally broken a bee-hive and the look on his face became extremely ugly.
Since he couldn’t fly, he could only kill his way out of this encirclement, but against so many Fire Spirit Beasts, could he really do that?
As Yang Kai stood in a daze though, a beastly roar rang out and the Fire Spirit Beasts surrounding him began their assault, all of them swarming towards him in large groups, baring their fangs and flashing their claws as some even launched Fire Attribute energy attacks from a distance. Fireballs spewed from a number of Fire Spirit Beasts’ mouths while others materialized arrows of flame that they shot towards Yang Kai at speeds that split the air apart.
Thankfully, these energy attacks could only be sent out by the Seventh-Order Fire Spirit Beasts.
Yang Kai also let out a war cry as he pushed his Saint Qi to its limits, condensing a giant Demonic Flame sword in his hand and swept it around fiercely, sending out a shocking sword wave that sliced apart any Fifth or Sixth-Order Fire Spirit Beast it touched.
Yang Kai waved his hands again and sent out a dozen Demonic Flame spears in all directions, each one piercing the bodies of countless Fire Spirit Beasts before gradually disappearing.
Yang Kai repeatedly displayed the Profound Heavenly Sword and Heaven Punishing Spear, using these two Nine Heavens Divine Skills to slaughter the Fire Spirit Beasts around him.
If others had come across so many Fire Spirit Beasts, even if they were in a large group, they would likely resign themselves to death immediately, because there were simply too many of them. Even if most of these Fire Spirit Beasts collapsed in a single blow, the amount of energy it would take to kill all of them was simply unfathomable.
Before a cultivator could kill them all, they would likely run out of strength and simply be drowned in the sea of Fire Spirit Beasts.
Yang Kai was different though, he never worried about how much strength was stored in his body. Before, he stored Yang Liquid in his dantian, but now that his Saint Qi had taken on the form of Demonic Flames, he directly stored it in his body.
The amount of Saint Qi Yang Kai possessed was hundreds or even thousands of times greater than any Saint King. Even Origin Returning Realm masters couldn’t compare to him in this aspect.
Recklessly releasing his own Saint Qi let these Fire Spirit Beasts who were coming for his life understand that he wasn’t some easily had prey.
Soon, however, Yang Kai frowned.
When such a massive number of Fire Spirit Beasts appeared just now, he had truly been startled for a while, but soon he actually became excited.
Because with so many Fire Spirit Beasts, he could harvest an enormous amount of Fire Crystal Stones. Even if the Fire Crystal Stones from Fifth-Order or Sixth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts weren’t very useful, the ones from those at the Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order were different, each one of these Fire Crystal Stones could definitely be useful for Alchemy or Artifact Refining.
But now, Yang Kai noticed a strange phenomenon. After these Fire Spirit Beasts were destroyed by him, he discovered a fundamental difference between them and the Fire Spirit Beasts outside the strange valley: They didn’t have Fire Crystal Stones in their bodies.
After the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, Yang Kai killed at least three hundred Fifth and Sixth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts. He had even killed a dozen or so at the Seventh-Order but strangely, no matter Order they were, after their bodies dissipated, not a single Fire Crystal Stone appeared
Something was drastically wrong here! Yang Kai only became more confused as he continued killing, but suddenly he set his sights on an Eighth-Order Fire Spirit Beast not far away.
He wondered if the same thing would happen with this guy!
The Demonic Flame sword in his had traced a wide arc, contaminating the Fire Spirit Beasts around him with Demonic Flames, causing them to instantly collapse and dissipate. He then dashed out through the gap he had created and went straight towards the Eighth-Order Fire Spirit Beast.
Before he even arrived, Yang Kai hurled a Heaven Punishing Spear.
This Eighth-Order Fire Spirit Beast actually possessed some skill and swiftly retreated into the herd, using the bodies of more than a dozen companions to resist the Heaven Punishing Spear, sending out a blast of flames from its mouth before Yang Kai could launch another attack.
Yang Kai didn’t even try to evade, condensing his Saint Qi in front of him and diving straight into this blast of flame, emerging on the other side a moment later and swinging down the Demonic Flame long sword in his hand.
The Eighth-Order Fire Spirit Beast could not avoid this strike and was instantly decapitated. After suffering this blow, the Eighth-Order Fire Spirit Beast fizzled out of existence.
Yang Kai searched carefully but quickly found that no Fire Crystal Stone had appeared.
Seeing this, Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing out loud. There were countless Fire Spirit Beasts trapping him here, but even after killing them, he didn’t obtain a single thing; it was simply intolerable.
If he could harvest a large number of Fire Crystal Stones here, Yang Kai would still feel that killing these Fire Spirit Beasts was worthwhile, but with no prospective benefits, how could he retain any interest in slaughtering these creatures.
After letting out an angry cry, a hundred-meter long dragon suddenly leapt out of Yang Kai’s body. It was the Golden Dragon Tattoo on his back.
However, after Yang Kai poured his own unique Saint Qi into it, this Golden Dragon had become jet black, the Demonic Flame composing its body surging about as its giant pair of eyes swept over the herd of beasts.
This black dragon shook its head and waved his tail as it rushed into the crowd of Fire Spirit Beasts, rampaging as it destroyed wide swaths of them in short order.
At the same time, Yang Kai took out the purple shield refined for him by Yang Yan and used it to resist the attacks of the Fire Spirit Beasts behind him. He also took out the Hundred Mountains Picture which originally belonged to the Xu Family and used one the phantom mountains contained within to smash the Fire Spirit Beasts in front of him.
Yang Kai’s strength was much higher than Xu Zhi Shen’s was at that time, so while Xu Zhi Shen was only able to reluctantly summon six mountain peaks, Yang Kai was easily able to bring out eight in an instant.
While the Hundred Mountains Picture was a good artefact overall, it was most suited to mass killing.
The eight huge mountain phantoms look illusory and misty, but each one possessed the weight a mountain should. There was no need to add any additional force to them, simply allowing them to fall from the sky was impactful enough. Being madly stimulated by Yang Kai’s Saint Qi, these giant mountains had already begun to give off traces of Demonic Flame. Soon, the entire mountain valley was shaking from the falling mountain peaks, with countless Fire Spirit Beasts being smashed and dissipating with every breath.
This was the first time Yang Kai has used the Hundred Mountains Picture in battle, and he was quite satisfied with its killing power. At the very least, it was much faster at clearing out these Fire Spirit Beasts than him using Profound Heavenly Swords and Heaven Punishing Spears. Dismissing his Demonic Flame sword, Yang Kai began focusing on releasing the power of the Hundred Mountains Picture.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Thunderous noises echoed through the mountain valley as the very ground around it trembled.
At the same time, from the direction Yang Kai had come, a group of three people appeared at the mouth of the mountain valley. Two of these three were Third Order Saint Kings while the last was a First Order Saint King. The two Third Order Saint Kings stood in front and behind the First Order Saint King cultivator, seemingly protecting him.
When they came to the mountain valley, the cultivator who was walking in front suddenly stopped, a look of suspicion appearing on his face as he examined the scene in front of him.
With him coming to stop, the two behind him naturally stopped as well, the cultivator in the rear immediately becoming vigilant, but the young man in the centre, who was at least a head shorter than the other two, still wore a loose and aloof expression, as if he wasn’t exploring the dangerous Flowing Flame Sand Field but was instead out for a casual stroll.
After the lead cultivator spent a cup of tea worth of time examining the mountain valley, not showing any intention to continue forward, the short young man couldn’t help shouting in annoyance, “Xie Yong, what are you gawking at, hurry up and move.”
The cultivator called Xie Yong looked back at the young man and said, “Young Master, please wait a moment, there’s something off about this mountain valley.”
Saying so, he beckoned to the other Third Order Saint King and the two of them both went forward to investigate their surroundings more carefully, whispering to each other from time to time.
Even after seeing them acting in such a serious manner, the young man just coldly snorted with dissatisfaction, “Aren’t you two making too much of a fuss over nothing? This entire way we have not encountered anything slightly dangerous. Weren’t all the Fire Spirit Beasts that jumped out easily killed by this Young Master? It seems the rumours about the Flowing Flame Sand Field are all nothing but nonsense, all that talk about it being dangerous instead must have been spread to frighten away those ignorant fools. Hmph, unfortunately those fools can’t scare this Young Master!”
This young man was none other than the Xie Hong Wen who had grievances with Yang Kai. The other two Third Order Saint King cultivators were naturally disciples the Xie Family had sent to protect him.
Qian Tong had previously told Yang Kai specifically that these two cultivators weren’t from Shadow Moon Hall.
After hearing Xie Hong Wen’s words, Xie Yong and the other cultivator looked at each other and shook their heads secretly. They also knew that Xie Hong Wen had been used to riding roughshod, never encountering the slightest inconvenience, so naturally he didn’t understand the dangers of the outside world. On top of that, they truly hadn’t encountered anything too dangerous these past few days, so Xie Hong Wen was now underestimating this place.
Although the two of them had also never entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field before, since this was one of Shadowed Star’s Three Great Forbidden Zones, it was undoubtedly dangerous.
If someone else had said these words, these two wouldn’t even bother to pay attention to them, if because they let their guard down they died, then that would be that. Unfortunately, the two of them were responsible for protecting Xie Hong Wen’s safety, and if he were to die because of his own carelessness, even if they survived and returned to the Xie Family, they would certainly have grim futures.
The other square-faced cultivator felt that it was necessary to explain to Xie Hong Wen and said seriously, “Young Master, this is still the outermost edge of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, and we were lucky to have only met some Fifth or Sixth-Order Fire Spirit Beats. With Young Master’s divine might, killing them was naturally easily.”
Listening to this praise, Xie Hong Wen’s look of impatience eased a lot, puffing out his chest and holding his head high as if to say that beneath the Heavens only I am supreme.
The cultivator then continued, “But Young Master, you must not take this place too lightly, it’s still fine if we just encounter Fifth or Sixth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts, but there are also Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order ones out there…”
After hearing this, Xie Hong Wen narrowed his eyes and stared at the square face cultivator, sneering, “Xie Yun, it is you who is underestimating this Young Master, with all the artefacts on this young master, as well as his exquisite Divine abilities, let alone Seventh -Order or Eighth-Order, who cares if even Ninth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts appear? This Young Master can still easily kill them! This young master is most afraid he will not be able to meet those so call High-Order Fire Spirit Beasts. En, quickly find a few of them for this Young Master so you can bear witness to this Young Master’s might!”
He couldn’t wait to prove himself.
Xie Yong and Xie Yun were calm on the surface, but in their heads they were cursing out Xie Hong Wen with all they could.
The two of them had heard that Xie Hong Wen was an idiot, but it wasn’t until now that they realized the rumors were drastically understating the stupidity of this Young Master.
He was a trivial First Order Saint King, let alone kill a Ninth-Order Fire Spirit Beast, even a Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order could easily kill him, yet he still insisted on so shameless boasting.
There was no way to reason with such a fool, so Xie Yun and Xie Yong stopped even trying. They just wanted to make Xie Hong Wen satisfied, and not hold them accountable for staying here. While nodding repeatedly, “You may rest assured, as long as this Young Master can get his revenge this time, when we return, I will have my father report your great deeds to the Patriarch. The benefits you receive won’t be small.”
Xie Yun and Xie Yong’s eyes brightened as they both nodded.
They had only taken this job because Xie Hong Wen’s father, Xie Li, had promised them a huge reward of three hundred thousand Saint Crystals per person after they succeed. If not for such generous compensation, why would they have accompanied Xie Hong Wen to the Flowing Flame Sand Field?
What’s more, the family wouldn’t ask them to turn over the gains they made in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, as for how much they could harvest, that was up to them.
A few months ago, when the Xie Family first announced this mission, countless Xie Family disciples boiled with enthusiasm with Xie Yong and Xie Yun eventually becoming the ones to win the right to participate.
They also knew that the one Xie Hong Wen wanted to seek revenge upon was just a First Order Saint King cultivator named Yang Kai.
According to Xie Hong Wen, Yang Kai was nothing more than an uncivilized, arrogant, weakling who wasn’t even capable of beating him in a fair fight and had only forced him to withdraw with the help of Elder Qian Tong.
Xie Yong and Xie Yun certainly didn’t believe such nonsense. There was no such thing in this world as a Saint King Xie Hong Wen could defeat, even if it was only one who had just broken through. Defeating trash like Xie Hong Wen for such a person would still be child’s play.
The two of them had learned the truth from Xie Li.
The young man called Yang Kai, despite his low cultivation, was capable of killing Third-Order Saint Kings, a so-called genius cultivator, an elite who could fight and defeat others far above his own realm.
However, Xie Yong and Xie Yun were also elites, among the best disciples in the entire Xie Family. They had absolute confidence in killing cultivators like Yang Kai.
“Are you sure that waste went this way?” Xie Hong Wen suddenly asked, “Why is it that after chasing him for a few days we haven’t seen him? Is this the wrong direction?”
Xie Yong grinned and proudly said, “Young Master need not worry, this is definitely the path he took. No one can escape from my pursuit.”
It was precisely because Xie Yong was good at tracking, along with his high combat abilities, that he was able to stand out from all the other Xie Family disciples and win this assignment.
After determining the location where Yang Kai entered, the three of them had gathered with the help of their communication artefacts and begun tracking Yang Kai’s footsteps.
“Why haven’t we found him yet then?” Xie Hong Wen asked, puzzled.
“Because he entered this mountain valley,” Xie Yong pointed forward.
Xie Hong Wen immediately looked pleased, “Really?”
“I’m certain.”
“What are you waiting for then? Hurry up and follow him, I want him dead!” Xie Hong Wen shouted before quickly shaking his head, “No no, first we need to capture him so this Young Master can torture him well. Simply killing him would be letting him off too easy, I’ll make him experience a life worse than death!”
“Young Master, perhaps there’s no need for us to even act anymore,” Xie Yong said was a strange expression.
“What do you mean?” Xie Hong Wen squinted at him.
Xie Yong smiled faintly, “Since he entered this mountain valley, even if he has ten lives he would still have died! There’s no need for us to follow him any further, he can never walk out of this mountain valley alive. In fact, he’s probably dead already.”
“Why? How do you know?” Xie Hong Wen became even more confused.
Xie Yun also smiled and explained, “Before we came here, the Patriarch gave us some information about the Flowing Flame Sand Field, and this mountain valley was also mentioned. It seems that the last time the Flow Flame Sand Field opened, one of our Xie Family Seniors also arrived here, but less than an hour after entering this mountain valley, he suddenly noticed that there were countless Fire Spirit Beasts gathered inside, surrounding and killing a group of people. That group was completely composed of elite cultivators from a great force and their number was no less than thirty. At that time, the situation was incredibly dangerous, so the Senior of our Xie Family did not want to get involved and quietly exited the mountain valley. Afterwards, when the Flowing Flame Sand Field closed, he asked around and learned that no more than thirty cultivators he saw trapped in this mountain valley survived, none of them even reached the Treasure Area.”
“They all fell in this mountain valley?” Xie Hong Wen’s face changed slightly. Unlike when he was bragging just a moment ago, when he thought about facing countless Fire Spirit Beasts, he couldn’t help going pale.
“It’s true, those cultivators all perished in this mountain valley, and the reason they fell was only known to that Senior of our Xie Family. In other words, besides our Xie Family, no one else has any information about this mountain valley. Since that Yang Kai entered, naturally it is impossible for him to survive. I stopped just now because I had some doubts about this place, and after confirming with Xie Yong, we’ve determined that the terrain here is exactly the same as the information left by our Xie Family Senior. That is to say, this is the exact mountain valley he entered four hundred years ago.”
After hearing this, Xie Hong Wen stomped his foot fiercely and sighed, “Damn it, why did he die like this? This Young Master wanted to capture him alive.”
Being unable to kill Yang Kai personally made him sigh with regret.
As soon as Xie Hong Wen’s words came to an end, the three of them suddenly heard a booming sound coming from inside the mountain valley.
The source of the sound seemed to be quite far away, but it was still extremely clear in their ears. On top of that, the ground beneath their feet seemed to shake slightly with each sound.
Xie Yun and Xie Yong looked at each other and couldn’t help showing slightly surprised looks. Although they didn’t see for themselves what was happening, being able the feel the fallout this far away showed just how terrifying the battle taking place in the depths of the mountain valley was.
Xie Hong Wen, on the other hand, thought about it for a moment before letting out a cry of joy, “Could it be that piece of trash?”
Xie Yong frowned and answered hesitantly, “It should be, after all, he was the only person who walked this way. He should be surrounded by Fire Spirit Beasts right now.”
“Good good good, hahaha, the Heavens are helping this Young Master!” Xie Hong Wen laughed wildly and waved his hand, “Let’s go in and see, this Young Master must see that bastard die without burial, otherwise, I won’t be able to soothe the hatred in my heart!”
“Young Master…” The faces of Xie Yong and Xie Yun changed greatly, the former hurriedly urging, “This mountain valley is definitely a Restricted Area inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, one can enter but not leave. Since that person has already waked inside, he will die without doubt, why should we take on any unnecessary risk? It doesn’t matter if something happens to us two, but if any harm were to come to Young Master…”
Xie Yong knew that Xie Hong Wen most liked listening to flattery, so he tried to persuade him this way instead of trying to forcefully stop him as doing so would definitely just lead to Xie Hong Wen resenting him.
Sure enough, Xie Hong Wen also felt there was some truth in these words, but a look of unwillingness still filled his face. Compared to those invisible dangers, he was more interested in seeing how Yang Kai died.
All his life, no one had dared to shame him like Yang Kai, much less threaten his life. Xie Hong Wen often felt like he was sleeping on pins and needles, filled with grief and indignation towards that old bastard Qian Tong. At that time, instead of avenging him, he was clearly favouring that damn outsider Yang Kai, even acting all polite to him.
Xie Hong Wen swore that sooner or later he would make Qian Tong pay for this insult!
Xie Hong Wen’s way of thinking was truly warped. Last time, Qian Tong had saved his life from Yang Kai, yet not only was he not grateful, but he was even holding a grudge against Qian Tong.
Remembering all this, the anger in Xie Hong Wen’s heart flared up and his desire to see Yang Kai die a miserable death could not be suppressed. His expression became firm as asked, “If we just watch from afar, there should be no problem right?”
Xie Yong was shocked and was just about to persuade him again, but Xie Hong Wen quickly cut him off, “Since my Xie Family’s Senior was able to retreat without suffering any harm, there’s no reason we can’t as well, or do you two not have any confidence in yourselves? If that’s the case, you can stay here, this Young Master will go in alone, just don’t expect to collect those three hundred thousand Saint Crystals when this is all over.”
Was this even a choice? Xie Yong and Xie Yun immediately became anxious. The only reasons they had accepted the task of protecting Xie Hong Wen were those three hundred thousand Saint Crystals and the benefits they could obtain inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field. If they couldn’t obtain those three hundred thousand Saint Crystals, their gains from this trip would be cut in half!
For a moment, Xie Yong and Xie Yun hesitated. The danger of this mountain valley was something they knew better than anyone. Before coming here, Xie Li had told them clearly that they must not enter this mountain valley. Xie Li naturally wasn’t worried about their safety, but rather that they wouldn’t be able to protect Xie Hong Wen.
If something were to happen to Xie Hong Wen, neither of them would be able to survive.
But now, with Xie Hong Wen acting so obstinate, they couldn’t refuse.
Seeing the two of them still look hesitant, Xie Hong Wen snorted and added, “As long as you can take me in and allow me to watch that bastard die from afar, after going back, I will personally give you some benefits. En, the two of you shouldn’t be qualified to learn the Xie Family’s Asura Palm, right? About this Martial Skill, this Young Master knows a thing or two.”
Hearing the words ‘Asura Palm’, Xie Yun and Xie Yong hesitation disappeared; looking at each other, their intentions were clear.
Xie Hong Wen continued struck while the iron was hot, “You need not worry, we just need to watch from a distance, this Young Master doesn’t want you to go up and kill him. After he dies, we will immediately leave the mountain valley!”
Xie Yong sighed heavily and looked at Xie Yun and asked, “What do you think?”
Xie Yun frowned for a moment before helplessly replying, “What else can we do?”
They had no other choice but to do as Xie Hong Wen’s words. Although listening to him would mean taking a risk, the benefits they would obtain would be greater. There was no other way than accepting Xie Hong Wen’s proposal, unless they didn’t want any benefits at all.
The two reached an agreement and Xie Yong nodded, “Good, Young Master, we will take you there, but you must promise not to act recklessly. If we notice anything wrong, we will immediately take you away. Please agree to this, Young Master.”
“Fine. I agree. Now enough nonsense, hurry up, if we delay any longer that bastard will die before we get there,” Xie Hong Wen urged impatiently.
With no other choice, the two Xie Family cultivators could only continue to protect Xie Hong Wen as they headed deeper into the mountain valley.
As they moved forward, the shaking of the mountain valley grew more and more intense. In the beginning, Xie Yong was still acting cautiously and moving slowly, but with Xie Hong Wen constantly pestering him, plus there not seeming to be any danger around them, he couldn’t help speeding up.
After half a day, the trio saw a reddish glow from a distance.
These fiery red lights were clearly different from the ambient colour of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, and all seemed to be gathered into a single large fire-filled area.
Taking a closer look, they realized this wasn’t the light of a fire at all, clearly, it was a massive amount of Fire Spirit Beasts which had gathered together to seemingly attack someone they had surrounded.
From time to time, huge illusionary mountain peaks flew up from the centre of this horde of Fire Spirit Beasts before pounding down fiercely. Each time one of these mountains fell, the earth would tremble fiercely.
Xie Yong and Xie Yun were both shocked!
Although the two of them had received information from Xie Li that there were countless Fire Spirit Beasts in this mountain valley, they didn’t realize just how exaggerated this matter was until they saw it with their own eyes.
No wonder four hundred years ago more than thirty elites from that great force had been annihilated here. With so many Fire Spirit Beasts swarming about, even if an Origin Returning Realm master were to rush in, they wouldn’t be able to survive, not to mention only Saint Kings were able to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Xie Hong Wen’s performance was even more unbearable. He was used to running his mouth and acting superior to others, but after seeing the sea of Fire Spirit Beasts, he couldn’t help feeling faint, his face paling as his legs froze up, refusing to move.
“Hide!” Xie Yong’s swiftly caught Xie Hong Wen and pulled him behind towards a few several dozen meters tall hills nearby. At the same time, he summoned an artefact that created an invisible barrier around the trio, isolating their auras.
Climbing up one of the hills, the trio carefully looked over towards the battle and were astonished by what they witnessed.
There must have been tens of thousands of Fire Spirit Beasts in front of them, and both Xie Yong and Xie Yun were certain that if they were the ones surrounded by this horde, they would be dead within a cup of tea worth of time.
But this cultivator named Yang Kai, even surrounded like this, was still engaged in a fierce battle.
If had been more than half a day since the three of them first heard the violent rumblings and rushed to this place. After such a long time, how much Saint Qi would be consumed to use the artefact which was creating those giant mountain shadows? How was he restoring himself? How many Fire Spirit Beasts had he killed?
As soon as one of the illusory mountains fell, all the Fire Spirit Beasts beneath it disappeared.
What shocked them even more though was that after the three of them spent another two or three hours hiding behind this hill, such reckless slaughter had continued without the slightest signs of abating. Yang Kai was still surrounded by Fire Spirit Beasts, but he showed no signs of exhaustion. Odder still though, was that the number of Fire Spirit Beasts surrounding Yang Kai did not seem to decrease no matter how many he killed, always maintaining a strange kind of balance.
This strange battle seemed as if it would until the end of the world.
“Why isn’t he dead yet?” Xie Hong Wen muttered impatiently. The person in front of him surrounded by Fire Spirit Beast was no doubt the Yang Kai he hated so much. After arriving here, Xie Hong Wen had thought Yang Kai would immediately die, but even now this bastard was alive and well, frustrating Xie Hong Wen greatly.
“He’s amazing!” Xie Yong praised sincerely. Although they knew that Yang Kai was an elite, they had thought that because his realm wasn’t high, even if he was some kind of genius, his true combat power would be limited.
But now, Xie Yong discovered that he had completely underestimated this young man. If he were to fight him alone, Xie Yong had no confidence he would win.
“Xie Yun, kill him for me now. This Young Master can’t wait anymore!” Suddenly, Xie Hong Wen shouted loudly.
Both Xie Yong and Xie Yun were chosen by Xie Li for this task because of their unique abilities. The former was proficient in tracking; as long as it was not an Origin Realm master, he could find some clues to trace them, almost no one could escape his pursuit. His ability to find someone in a place like the Flowing Flame Sand Field was essential.
Xie Yun, on the other hand, had a different kind of ability, a certain death strike!
Against an elite like Yang Kai, sneak attacks were undoubtedly the best option, and this was Xie Yun’s strongest point, which was why he was also selected.
After hearing Xie Hong Wen’s words, Xie Yun shook his head and lowered his voice, “No, Young Master. There is no problem hitting him from this distance, but that guy is surrounded by too many Fire Spirit Beasts; moreover, that purple shield behind him is a powerful defensive artefact, I can’t guarantee a one-hit kill under these circumstances.”
Even if he were to attack now, he would only be able to wound Yang Kai at best. If they couldn’t kill him in a single blow, rather than alerting him to their presence, it would be best to wait. Xie Yun was also concerned about disturbing the horde of Fire Spirit Beasts, causing them to be the next ones surrounded.
He and Xie Yong didn’t have the ability to kill tens of thousands of Fire Spirit Beasts.
“Then what are we supposed to do?” Xie Hong Wen asked in an aggravated tone. His hated enemy was alive and well in front of him, yet he couldn’t find an opportunity to exact his much-sought revenge. This fact obviously annoyed him to no end.
“Please be patient Young Master,” Xie Yong smiled lightly, “He has been fighting for so long, so even if he has some special method to restore himself in combat, it’s impossible for him to continue maintaining his peak form. If those Fire Spirit Beasts can kill him, that would be best, but even if he manages to kill his way through these Fire Spirit Beasts, he will definitely wind up like an arrow at the end of its flight. At that time, it won’t be too late for Xie Yun to take his shot. Presumably, he won’t even be able to put up any resistance at that time. For now, why doesn’t Young Master just sit back and watch him desperately struggle?”
“En, it is indeed as you say!” Xie Hong Wen immediately showed a satisfied look as he stared towards Yang Kai, doing just as Xie Yong had said, revelling in Yang Kai desperately cling to life.
When Xie Yong and Xie Yun looked at each other, they saw the helplessness and ridicule in each other’s eyes. Only an idiot like Xie Hong Wen could be deceived so easily, if it were anyone else, they wouldn’t have been fooled by such simple words.
While the three of them continued to lie in ambush, Yang Kai, who was surrounded by the Fire Spirit Beasts, was feeling extremely gloomy.
He had actually not discovered he had been followed all the way to this mountain valley and that his pursuers were quietly lying in wait for him atop a nearby hill, ready to attack at any moment.
All of his energy at this moment was focused on this swarm of Fire Spirit Beasts; he didn’t have the spare energy to care about anything else.
After nearly a full day of killing, he had still only managed to push forward about ten kilometres. At this rate, if he wanted to kill his way out of this mountain valley, Yang Kai estimated it would take at least half a month!
After half a month, the elites from the various big Sects and families would have already broken through the Flame Area and entered the Treasure Area to collect spirit grasses and spirit medicines. At that point, what good things would he be able to obtain?
However, he also understood that becoming anxious was useless now. Even though the strangeness of this mountain valley had far exceeded his expectations.
The Fire Spirit Beasts in this place were endless, and no matter how many he killed, none of them dropped any Fire Crystal Stones.
However, after such a long time, Yang Kai had finally noticed something amiss with these Fire Spirit Beasts’ behaviour. Although they seemed to emerge from the cracks in the earth in all directions, they all seemed to be originating from one specific direction.
It was as if something from that direction was able to endlessly produce new Fire Spirit Beasts.
Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense in that direction. If this were anywhere else, with his proficiency in the Dao of Space, he could easily locate this unseen source, but inside this Flowing Flame Sand Field, his Divine Sense was so severely suppressed that it took quite some effort to try to find it.
Fortunately, after half a day of investigation and observation, Yang Kai finally determined the location of the Fire Spirit Beast source.
It was a huge crevice. Using his Divine Sense, Yang Kai saw how flame-like snakes were constantly springing from this crevice and quickly making their way over towards Yang Kai along the other cracks in the ground, transforming into Fire Spirit Beasts when they got close enough and proceeding to attack him.
Having found the root of the problem, Yang Kai no longer entangled himself with the Fire Spirit Beasts and in a flash, recalled all eight illusionary mountain peaks, gathering them together before smashing them forward fiercely while the purple shield continued guarding his back. Black Demonic Flames surged in Yang Kai’s palm, condensing into a giant sword that he viciously thrust forward.
The Fire Spirit Beasts in front of him were hit hard, and although it was difficult to tell, Yang Kai’s strike just now had killed a large number of Fire Spirit Beasts; the problem was that there were simply too many of them. Immediately after Yang Kai released this focused attack, a number of Sixth and Seventh-Order Fire Spirit Beasts rushed in to claw at him, ripping his clothes to shreds with some even managing to leave shallow scars on his body.
As soon as they saw Yang Kai suddenly dart in the direction of the massive crevice, all the Fire Spirit Beasts suddenly became even more frenzied and violent, the Seventh and Eighth-Order Fire Spirits Beasts recklessly throwing themselves at him to block his path.
Yang Kai put more strength into his charge, pushing the eight illusionary mountain peaks in front of him while using his purple shield to guard his back, he did not need to worry about his defence. The Demonic Flame sword in his hand slashed through all the Fire Spirit Beasts who were in his way, cutting them down as easily as crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood.
After finally arriving at the huge crevice, Yang Kai saw the same scene as he had previously with his Divine Sense investigation. From somewhere down inside this crevice, all the flame auras were flying upwards, each one of them soon transforming into a Spirit Beast to block his advance.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he leapt into the crevice, tens of thousands of Fire Spirit Beasts chasing after him.
This scene was not missed by Xie Hong Wen’s group, who were secretly observing from the nearby hill.
They didn’t know why Yang Kai suddenly jumped into a crevice and could only watch as the entire mountain valley turned quiet. The swarm of Fire Spirit Beast from before all disappearing and the only roars now coming from that large crevice.
“What is he doing?” Xie Hong Wen frowned.
“I don’t know, but he should come out soon. If he doesn’t, it means he is dead!” Xie Yun thought for a while before pointing to a hill which was closer to the crevice Yang Kai had disappeared into and saying, “Let’s set up an ambush there, if he doesn’t come out, it’s fine. If he does, we can just kill him. From that position, even if it was an Origin Returning Realm master, he wouldn’t be able to avoid my certain kill strike!”
“Good!” Xie Hong Wen saw Xie Yun being so proactive and quickly agreed, the group of three then quietly moving to the designated hill.
Below ground, Yang Kai descended several thousand meters. His goal was simple, he just needed to search for the position where the streams of fire aura were originating from. He was quite interested in unravelling the mystery of this mountain valley and how it could actually continuously spawn Fire Spirit Beasts that did not have Fire Crystal Stones!
He had wasted an entire day here while consuming a massive amount of Saint Qi, so wouldn’t it be too much of a waste if he didn’t manage to fish some kind of benefit from this place?
Whatever it was that was allowing these Fire Spirit Beasts to continuously be created, it would certainly be rare and valuable.
After descending quite a distance, killing numerous Fire Spirit Beasts along the way, Yang Kai’s eyes flashed.
He found that he had finally reached the source, because, from a cave-like location, he found saw many snake-like auras emerge, the same ones that were taking on the form of Fire Spirit Beasts.
Landing on a rocky outcropping, Yang Kai prepared to dive into this cave.
At that moment though, an unusual flame suddenly flew out from the cave. This flame aura was far richer and substantial than any Yang Kai had previously seen.
This fire aura flickered and transformed mid-air, in the blink of an eye becoming a python-like Fire Spirit Beast.
“Ninth-Order!” Yang Kai’s face changed as he discovered to his amazement that this Fire Spirit Beast was actually a complete physical entity, completely different from those at the Seventh or Eighth-Order, it was like a living python!
This python materialized in an instant, attached itself to the rock wall, then opened its great maw towards Yang Kai and spat out a red beam of light. Even before this beam of light reached him, Yang Kai felt an incredible and unstoppable heat, forcing him to hurriedly defend himself with his Saint Qi.
At the same time, a loud dragon roar rang out and the black dragon appeared once again.
The Golden Dragon Tattoo on Yang Kai’s back contained the aura of an ancient True Dragon, so how could a trivial python compared to it? Above snakes were Flood Dragons, and above Flood Dragons were True Dragons! There was an insurmountable gap between the two.
The black dragon and the python Fire Spirit Beast immediately clashed, causing the rock walls of the crevice to crack and collapse, sending them both falling further into the abyss.
Yang Kai took this opportunity to leap into the cave, but what he saw inside caused his expression to drop once more.
There were two other abnormal flame auras in front of him, both of them undergoing a metamorphosis that would seemingly transform them into Ninth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts.
Yang Kai cursed in his heart. His black dragon could entangle one of them, but there was absolutely no way he could deal with three of them at the same time. If these two flame auras fully materialized, Yang Kai knew his only option would be to flee.
Once he was forced to escape, all the hard work he had put into this little expedition would be wasted. Worse, he couldn’t fly in this damned place, so even reaching the surface to escape might not be possible.
Just as he was growing anxious, Yang Kai suddenly spotted a huge dark red stone.
At that moment, Yang Kai’s eyes were widened. This dark red stone exuded an aura exactly the same as that of the Fire Crystal Stones he had collected before, but purity and density were on a completely different scale. The Eight-Order Fire Crystal Stone that Yang Kai obtained earlier was only the size of a pigeon egg, incomparable to the one in front of him. Comparing the two, that Eight-Order Fire Crystal Stone was simply trash.
This dark red Fire Crystal Stone was as big as a plate, and was simply sitting there not far from Yang Kai.
Almost as if it were a conditioned reflex, Yang Kai sprang forward, grabbed this giant Fire Crystal Stone, stuffed it into his Space Ring, then withdrew. He wanted to take advantage of the fact that these two Ninth- Order Fire Spirit Beasts had yet to form to escape from the cave.
However, just before he left the cave, Yang Kai suddenly noticed that the two Ninth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts which were about to materialize had suddenly begun dissipating and soon disappeared altogether.
A thought occurred to him at that moment and Yang Kai quickly became overjoyed.
The python which was being tied down by his black dragon had also disappeared.
Even the tens of thousands of Fire Spirit Beasts which had been chasing him down were gone.
Yang Kai suddenly understood what was going on.
These Fire Spirit Beasts were clearly generated from this plate-sized Fire Crystal Stone, so no matter how many Yang Kai killed, he wouldn’t be able to obtain any Fire Crystal Stones, because their true core was inside this cave.
Now that Yang Kai had thrown the plate-sized Fire Crystal Stone into his Space Ring though, the Fire Spirit Beasts it had spawned lost their source of power and naturally dissipated.
After understand this, Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing.
This day’s worth of work and delay had finally proven worthwhile. This massive Fire Crystal Stone was enough to make this entire trip worthwhile. In fact, even if he was unable to obtain anything else, this expedition could already be considered a success.
What’s more, the Flowing Flame Sand Field had only opened a few days earlier and everyone was still rushing about inside, who could guarantee that there wouldn’t be even better treasures to be had?
Immensely satisfied, Yang Kai put away his Hundred Mountains Picture and recalled his black dragon before taking a breath.
Today’s long battle had caused him a great amount of consumption. Fortunately, the Saint Qi reserves in his body were incredibly large, so this kind of loss was still acceptable for Yang Kai.
After resting in the cave just long enough to restore a bit of his physical strength and Spiritual Energy, Yang Kai began the long climb back up to the surface.
It was extremely frustrating being unable to fly. Having descended several thousand meters, even if Yang Kai climbed as fast as possible, it would still take him about half an hour to reach the surface. Fortunately, he had the benefit of being in a good mood at the moment.
After half an hour, Yang Kai finally returned to the ground again. Standing in place, he took a light breath before pulling the Yuan Magnetic Compass out from his Space Ring to determine which direction led deeper into the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
But before he could move forward again, an incredible sense of crisis suddenly gripped his heart.
This feeling was like death was upon him.
Hurriedly, Yang Kai pushed his Saint Qi and tried to leap to the side.
An astonishingly quick bolt of red light suddenly shot out from a nearby location and pierced through the right side of Yang Kai’s chest.
The huge force behind this blow sent Yang Kai flying as every bone in his chest cried out in pain. Suffering this unexpected attack, Yang Kai discovered that he had actually been injured, and seriously at that!
Before his body even landed, Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense spread out madly and instantly locked onto the source of the attack.
The moment he saw who his attackers were, Yang Kai’s killing intent erupted!
It was that idiot Xie Hong Wen and his two Third-Order Saint King guards Yang Kai had seen earlier. These two had obviously been sent by the Xie Family to protect this delinquent Young Master but at this moment, one of them was kneeling on the ground exhausted as he held a crossbow-shaped artefact. This artefact gave off a strange aura and seemed to be madly absorbing the man’s Saint Qi, causing his aura to become more and more unstable. Yang Kai also clearly saw that the cultivator holding this strange crossbow artefact was leaking blood from his hands and lips, blood that was actually flowing down into the crossbow. This strange crossbow was like a fierce beast and was actually swallowing all of this fresh blood, giving it a blood-red colour.
The other Third-Order Saint King saw this and quickly took out several pills from his Space Ring before shoving them into the mouth of the weakened cultivator.
As for Xie Hong Wen, seemingly thinking Yang Kai had been killed, he leapt to his feet and stood atop the hidden hill in excitement, looked towards the site of the deed while joyfully dancing and applauding loudly.
However, after seeing Yang Kai hit the ground but not actually fall down, Xie Hong Wen froze up.
Yang Kai didn’t immediately try to counterattack. Xie Hong Wen wasn’t worth worrying about and the cultivator that had used that powerful crossbow artefact to launch a sneak attack on him was clearly an arrow at the end of its flight, possibly unable to even move. In Yang Kai’s eyes, these two were already dead. As for the remaining Third Order Saint King, Yang Kai believed that he wouldn’t have any difficulty killing him.
Right now, it was more important for him to check his injuries.
Right now, in his right chest, there was a small but sharp arrow that gave off a powerful aura. This sharp arrow had sunk ten centimetres into his chest and probably punctured his lung, making it feel like he was breathing fire every time he inhaled.
In his heart, Yang Kai was secretly shocked while at the same time thankful. He was shocked that the other party actually possessed such a strange artefact that could send out such a powerful attack, but thankful as well that he had sensed danger in advance and managed to avoid a fatal blow.
It was obvious to Yang Kai that his enemy had aimed at his heart, but because he had dodged at the last instant, this arrow had only managed to hit his right chest and injure his lungs.
It was mainly thanks to his tough physical body that Yang Kai was able to resist this attack. If not for his physique being so intrepid, such a blow would have blown a hole straight through his chest!
Yang Kai’s face became gloomy as murderous intent permeated the air around him. He stretched out his hand wanting to remove the arrow inserted into his right chest, but before he could, it actually disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a gaping wound out of which his Golden Blood flowed. The incredibly vitality contained in his Golden Blood soon began to repair the wounded at a rate visible to the naked eye.
He then turned his eyes towards the nearby hilltop and walked step by step towards it.
Xie Hong Wen fell to the ground as his legs gave out, his face completely pale as he called out, “Xie… Xie…”
Even after all this time, he actually didn’t know the names of either of these two cultivators who had been sent to protect him.
Xie Yun thought he was worried about his weakened appearance and reluctantly smiled, “Young Master does not need to concern himself about it, I’ll be fine after a month or two of rest and recuperation. This is simply the price I must pay to use this artefact!”
It was because of this strange artefact that he had absolute confidence in assassinating Yang Kai.
As soon as Xie Yun finished these words, the strange crossbow artefact that had been pulling blood from his wounds finally stopped and fell from his hands.
Hearing this, Xie Hong Wen wanted to curse Xie Yun out. [How could this Young Master care about you, even if you died? What difference did it make to this Young Master?]
Filled with anxiety, he turned his head back and called out in fright, “He’s here.”
“What?” Xie Yun and Xie Yong’s looks both changed greatly as they too turned to look in the direction Xie Hong Wen was staring. The moment they did so though, they saw Yang Kai slowly walking towards them, a malevolent aura radiating from his form. With every step he trod, it felt like he was stepping on their hearts, causing the trio’s frail nerves to all but break.
“Impossible!” Xie Yun’s eyes stared in horror and disbelief, “He couldn’t possibly have survived that!”
He knew better than anyone about the power of his artefact’s attack.
Moreover, he had timed his attack perfectly. Although he didn’t quite understand how Yang Kai was able to escape from that crevice alive, the other party had been fighting non-stop for more than a day so his Saint Qi should have been completely exhausted. On top of that, Yang Kai’s clothes were tattered and his body scarred all over, looking thoroughly dishevelled, so Xie Yun had launched his attack without hesitation.
Facing such a powerful blow, Xie Yun was confident no one below the Origin Returning Realm could resist! Even if it was an Origin Realm master, if they weren’t skilled enough in the use of Shi, they would also die to such a sneak attack. The only thing that could resist this crossbow’s strike was the condensed Shi of a powerful Origin Returning Realm master!
However, no matter how much he didn’t believe what he was seeing, the facts in front of him wouldn’t change. Yang Kai was indeed alive, and the wound he suffered didn’t even seem that significant.
This made Xie Yun, who was already so weak, suddenly lose all strength and collapse to the ground.
[What kind of existence had this stupid pig Xie Hong Wen provoked? Xie Hong Wen had wanted to exact revenge upon a monster that even my certain kill strike couldn’t defeat? Even if Xie Hong Wen wanted revenge, why did he have to drag me down with him?]
“Xie Yong… what are you doing?” Xie Hong Wen suddenly called again.
Xie Yun turned his head weakly to the side and smiled miserably.
Xie Yong had actually escaped without a word. It seemed that he also understands that this guy named Yang Kai wasn’t someone he should be messing with, so he had decisively fled. When one’s strength reached a certain height, their ability to sense crisis became quite strong. Xie Yong must have realized this and taken off.
“Xie Yong, you get back here!” Xie Hong Wen didn’t dare to face Yang Kai, but he had no reason to act polite to Xie Yong, he just wanted to get him to stay behind so he could seek some sense of security, thus he shouted vigorously, “If you dare to escape, when this Young Master gets back he will tell his father and you will face the Family Law’s punishment!”
Xie Yong ignored him and ran even faster.
“Don’t waste your energy. If you want to survive, run away quickly, if you can that is,” Xie Yun said lightly. He knew he would die here no matter what, so he immediately calmed down greatly and even began to snicker, “En, I’d say it’s impossible for you to run away actually. You’ll die here without a doubt. Hahaha, I didn’t expect that I, Xie Yun, would have to accompany a stupid pig like you to the Underworld. It’s really a shame!”
In the original plan, after Xie Yun used his certain kill strike, he would depend on Xie Yong’s protection to survive, but now that Xie Yong had fled, even if by some miracle Yang Kai didn’t kill him, there was no way he could survive alone in such a state in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Naturally, he didn’t expect Xie Hong Wen to take care of him.
Xie Hong Wen froze up upon hearing this before turning to look at Xie Yun in a rage, “What do you call me? You dare call this Young Master a stupid pig? You…”
Suddenly, Xie Hong Wen couldn’t say anything more, because he saw this Xie Family disciple, who had always been deferential and obedient toward him was at this moment, staring at him with a look filled with mockery and disdain, it was almost like… he was looking at an ant crawling around the ground, unworthy of even a passing glance.
A whistling sound suddenly rang out, causing Xie Hong Wen to scream and fall to the ground. When he looked up, he suddenly found Yang Kai standing quietly in front of himself, the pressure coming from him as heavy as a mountain.
The atmosphere in the Flowing Flame Sand Field was incredibly hot, but right now, all Xie Hong Wen could feel was an infinite chill, as if he had fallen into a frozen hell that could even freeze his soul, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.
A loud dragon roar suddenly filled the air and Xie Hong Wen’s eyes widened as he saw a black dragon leap out from Yang Kai body and soar off in the direction of the escaping Xie Yong.
A short while later, Xie Yong’s shouts and the sounds of battle reached Xie Hong Wen’s ears.
Gradually, the fallout from this battle became smaller and Xie Yong’s shouts grew weaker, eventually disappearing.
The black dragon then swiftly returned and disappeared inside Yang Kai’s body.
There was no need to even think about it, Xie Hong Wen knew that Xie Yong was gone. Xie Hong Wen suddenly began weeping as he stared at Yang Kai with an imploring look. His lips wriggled a few times, seemingly wanting to beg for mercy but unable to make any sound.
His courage had been completely drained at this moment.
Yang Kai stared back at Xie Hong Wen, his eyes ice-cold, like he was staring at a disgusting piece of garbage, angry this kind of waste had actually brought people to ambush him and had even managed to wound him.
“You managed to survive last time only because of Qian Tong’s mercy, but unfortunately you didn’t cherish that gift. Since you court death, I’ll help deliver it to you!” Yang Kai was too lazy to continue staring at Xie Hong Wen’s disgusting face and simply sent out a burst of Demonic Flame to engulf him, burning him to ashes in the blink of an eye.
From the beginning to the end, Xie Hong Wen had never thought about putting up some kind resistance, it was really a wonder why he had even bothered cultivating all these years.
The Demonic Flames were capable of burning everything in existence, so even Xie Hong Wen’s Soul was burnt down, literally destroying him in body and soul.
Yang Kai then turned to Xie Yun. This person was actually a bit interesting. Even knowing he would die, he didn’t show the slightest bit of fear, only some slight shock when Xie Yong had died.
He hadn’t expected that Yang Kai would be able to kill Xie Yong without even having to make a move personally.
The difference in strength between them was even bigger than he had imagined!
Inside the mountain valley, Yang Kai looked down indifferently at Xie Yun. Instead of killing him immediately though, he said, “Tell me, how did you know I was here? It’s impossible you found me by chance. The Flowing Flame Sand Field is so big that if you didn’t use some special method, there’s no way you could have traced my location. If you can give me a satisfactory answer, I’ll leave you a whole corpse.”
His expression then turned frigid as he continued coldly, “But if you dare try to conceal anything, I’ll let you know what it means to beg for death. Believe me, I can ensure you recover and torture you slowly!”
Xie Yun smiled bitterly as he panted for breath before replying, “It’s quite simple actually, we just had one of the Shadow Moon Hall disciples inform us about where you entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Everyone here follows the guidance of their Yuan Magnetic Compass as they proceed further, as long as we could determine where you entered, it wasn’t difficult to track your movements. Xie Yong who you killed was a master in this field!”
Yang Kai nodded slightly, thinking this explanation matched with his expectations.
After discovering that Xie Hong Wen was the one who had attacked him, Yang Kai had some speculations.
He had entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field by himself, and so far, had only encountered two other people, the pair he had met when he first came in. One of those two was wearing the uniform of Shadow Moon Hall while the other was a disciple from some other Sect. Yang Kai didn’t know who that other person was but his voice was somewhat familiar.
In order to pursue Yang Kai so quickly and accurately, Xie Hong Wen had to have received word from someone about his position, and that person must have been one of the two he had met when he first entered this place.
Now it turns out that it was really the case. No wonder that Shadow Moon Hall disciple, after noticing Yang Kai, had immediately shown a weird expression. It must have been that Xie Hong Wen had sent word to him in advance, which was also why he so anxiously left. Obviously, he had reported to Xie Hong Wen at that time.
Yang Kai was also certain that Xie Hong Wen had not only sent word to that person. There were seventy disciples from Shadow Moon Hall who had entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so there were definitely a lot of people who could be tempted with money.
Since ancient times, money was what had moved people.
“Let me die in peace.” After Xie Yun finished speaking, he lay on the ground indifferently without moving.
Yang Kai nodded and, using a precise burst of strength, puncture Xie Yun’s forehead.
Yang Kai was a man of his word. Since he said he would leave the other side a whole corpse, he naturally wouldn’t burn him down with his Demonic Flame.
Yang Kai stooped and picked up the strange crossbow artefact. After probing it for a moment, he couldn’t help raising a brow. This artefact was really quite powerful, it had even managed to directly wound him, but it definitely had drawbacks as well. Just seeing Xie Yun’s state after using it once, Yang Kai could infer that this crossbow not only consumed a massive amount of Saint Qi from its user but also a large quantity of their blood.
This was no doubt an evil artefact.
Yang Kai wasn’t interested in it as using it was nothing less than harming oneself to kill another. This artefact could only be used when there were others around to protect them after the fact.
Tossing it into his Space Ring, Yang Kai then picked up Xie Hong Wen and Xie Yun’s Space Rings. After some investigation, he couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
The two of them had nothing but a few pills and Saint Crystals use to restore strength.
However, that was only to be expected. Unlike Yang Kai, who had brought along all of his valuables, other cultivators who entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field would leave their precious items outside, otherwise, once something happened, the loss suffered would be overwhelming.
Among the pills, the only thing that made Yang Kai a bit happy was a single bottle with five Snow And Ice Pills.
All of his Snow And Ice Pills had been given to Chang Qi and Hao An, and there had been no time since he entered this place to refine more, so picking some up now was actually quite handy. Perhaps he would have a use for them at some point.
After seeing how poor Xie Hong Wen and Xie Yun were, Yang Kai didn’t even have the heart to find Xie Yong’s Space Ring, so he simply turned and walked deeper into the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Without the obstruction of the Fire Spirit Beasts, Yang Kai took advantage of the speed boost his Wind and Thunder Wings provided to leave the mountain valley completely in just over two days.
The further forward he went, the greater the ambient heat of the Flame Area became. Yang Kai physique was different from ordinary cultivators, and his Saint Qi was incredibly pure and dense; additionally, he had formerly cultivated a Yang Attribute Secret Art and now the powerful and abstruse Demonic Flames coursed through his body, so he only had to slightly circulate his Saint Qi to resist the invasion of the fire poison.
He didn’t know how vast the Flame Area was, so Yang Kai simply continued forward, not once encountering even a shadow of another person. His harvest along the way was also quite desolate. After half a month, all he had managed to collect was a few Seventh-Order Fire Spirit Beast’s Fire Crystal Stone and ten or so Fire Attribute spirit herbs.
Only now did Yang Kai realize the preciousness and scarcity of Fire Crystal Stones. He happened to have killed an Eighth-Order Fire Spirit Beast before and harvested a Fire Crystal Stone the size of a pigeon egg, and in the strange mountain valley, he had obtained one the size of a plate. It could be said that in terms of Fire Crystal Stones, Yang Kai’s harvest had already outstripped all others who had ever entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field before.
Because of the scarcity of Fire Spirit Beasts above Seventh-Order, Fire Crystal Stones were incredibly valuable.
The Fire Crystal Stones from Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts were too small to serve any kind of Alchemy or Artifact Refining purpose, so they could only be absorbed by cultivators to cultivate.
Those dozen or so Fire Attribute spirit herbs also weren’t too precious, most of them Saint King Grade with one or two reaching the Origin Grade. There were so few of them mainly because very few types of herbs could even grow in the Flame Area. The only thing that made Yang Kai somewhat satisfied was that their medicinal properties were quite potent. No one had entered this place for over four hundred years, so naturally, these herbs had plenty of time to grow and mature.
One day, as Yang Kai was hurrying along, a flash of light suddenly rushed past him, like a shooting star soaring across the sky. It moved at such phenomenal speed that even though Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense the instant he noticed it, he still failed to capture its movement.
In the blink of an eye, it disappeared entirely from Yang Kai’s field of vision.
“Flowing Flame Flying Fire?” Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he instantly understood what it was.
Wei Gu Chang had mentioned to him about the oddity of Flowing Flame Flying Fires. Yang Kai also wanted to capture one of these Flowing Flame Flying Fires in order to strengthen his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, but Wei Gu Chang had told him that these things were extremely rare. Even with over ten thousand people entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field, most would never even catch a glimpse of a Flowing Flame Flying Fire for the entire half a year they were inside. Some people who encountered them wouldn’t even be able to realize it.
Yang Kai didn’t think Wei Gu Chang had been exaggerating at the time, but now he discovered that he was still greatly underestimating the speed of these Flowing Flame Flying Fires.
Almost instantly, Yang Kai chased after it, the sound of wind and thunder echoing behind him as he pushed his Saint Qi to the limit, promoting his running speed so high it was as if he had transformed into lightning.
He wanted to see if he could catch up to that Flowing Flame Flying Fire.
Yang Kai was quickly disappointed though, after chasing it for half an hour, he discovered that the Flowing Flame Flying Fire had completely vanished, causing him to stop and stand on the spot with a bitter smile.
With such speed, who could possibly capture one of them?
Yang Kai didn’t know how the cultivators on Shadowed Star came to know that a Flowing Flame Flying Fire could allow one’s Knowledge Sea to mutate, but since such information had become widespread, someone must have tried it before, that is to say, someone had managed to catch a Flowing Flame Flying Fire.
How did they do it? Yang Kai couldn’t think of any other way than some accident or opportunity.
Yang Kai didn’t believe that anyone else in this Flowing Flame Sand Field could match his speed, so if he couldn’t catch up with a Flowing Flame Flying Fire, it was certainly impossible for others as well.
Standing there dejected for a while, Yang Kai reluctantly took out his Yuan Magnetic Compass, found his bearings, then continued deeper into the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Six days later, Yang Kai stood in a certain position, looking at a few red weeds in front of him with a strange look upon his face.
He then went up and reached out to touch these weeds and found that they were indeed hard and sharp, just like blades.
He had seen this kind of weed once three days ago, and they were extremely similar in appearance to the ones in front of him now, practically identical in fact. Even if they were weeds, the fact that they could survive in the Flowing Flame Sand Field at all indicated that they weren’t a simple as they appeared. Previously, Yang Kai had wondered what spirit grass or spirit medicine he had run into, but after investigating them for a while, he discovered they really were just weeds with no Alchemy value at all, so he simply moved on.
However, their sharpness and toughness surprised Yang Kai.
He had seen them three days ago and now he was seeing them again.
Did he get lost? Yang Kai frowned and took out his Yuan Magnetic Compass again and confirmed he was heading in the right direction; he had taken out his Yuan Magnetic Compass every now and then to check his direction these past few days, so becoming lost would have been quite a feat.
Chuckling to himself as he shook his head, Yang Kai continued to move forward.
Before he left though, he made a mark next to these strange weeds just in case.
Three days later, Yang Kai stood in front of the same patch of weeds again with a gloomy complexion, his expression extremely ugly.
Only now did he understand that it had not just been his imagination a few days ago, he really was lost!
The mark next to the weeds was untouched, just as he had left them before on the remote possibility his hunch back then was right.
However… how did he become lost? Wei Gu Chang had said that as long as he followed the direction indicated by the Yuan Magnetic Compass, he would be able to arrive at the Treasure Area.
Was this Yuan Magnetic Compass broken?
Yang Kai didn’t believe such an artefact could be so easily damaged. There had to be some other reason why he was continuing to wander around in a giant circle, wasting nine days of time already.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed as he was filled with confusion, standing still while contemplating what was happening.
Suddenly, he thought of a possibility and brought his thumb to his mouth, bit it, then wiped it across his left eye.
The golden blood dripped into his left eye and instantly, it became a brilliant golden colour and was filled with a sense of immense majesty, making anyone who saw it shudder in fear.
Demon Eye of Annihilation!
Yang Kai looked around and immediately found a flaw. The world seen by his two eyes now showed some subtle differences. His right eye saw the same scenery as before, but his left eye now saw an almost imperceptible flow of energy in the air. Some of the hills and soil banks in the distance also became illusory and indistinct.
A Spirit Array?
Yang Kai was quite frightened when he saw this and his heart clenched up tightly.
His Demon Eye of Annihilation can see through all illusions in this world, and although Great Demon God only managed to cultivate to the Saint King Realm, this Divine Ability of his obviously far exceeded the level of Saint Kings.
As soon as Yang Kai used his Demon Eye of Annihilation, he immediately understood what was going on. He had accidentally stepped into the range of a Spirit Array, most likely a naturally formed Bewildering Array.
Yang Yan was extremely proficient in arranging Spirit Arrays, and Yang Kai had been around her for some time now, so he had learned some knowledge about them.
The only Spirit Array that could lead him around in circles like this was a Bewildering Array. On top of that, a Spirit Array appearing in this kind of place could not have been artificially arranged.
This Bewildering Array was incredibly large; the Saint King Realm cultivators who entered this place didn’t have the ability to arrange such a vast and profound Spirit Array, so it being naturally formed was the only possibility.
After understanding this, Yang Kai secretly felt bitter.
Yang Yan had said that artificially arranged Spirit Arrays were very different from naturally-formed Spirit Arrays. Those that were artificially arranged would always have traces one could follow and exploit while naturally-formed Spirit Arrays were like solid walls without vulnerabilities, that is, they did not have things like cores, nodes, or flaws. It was basically impossible to break a naturally-formed array by searching for its core.
Not to mention, Yang Kai wasn’t very familiar with Spirit Arrays in the first place.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation could illuminate all falsehoods and help him see through the essence of this place, but it didn’t provide him with any help breaking it.
If he wanted to break through this array, he could only rely on himself!
This was the reason why Yang Kai was feeling bitter. If Yang Yan was here, based on her understanding of Spirit Arrays, it would be easy for her to break free from this one, but by himself, Yang Kai would find this exercise far more difficult.
After a short bout of frustration, Yang Kai calmed down. Since he had stumbled into this place, his only option was to find a way out.
The most effective and appropriate way to do this was of course to tear space!
Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, so tearing space would be the best way for him to escape.
Thinking of this, Yang Kai tore a crack in space and leapt inside. Immediately after Yang Kai disappeared, the Void Crack disappeared.
A moment later, in the exact same location, another Void Crack appeared and Yang Kai emerged.
Glancing around at his surroundings, Yang Kai’s face turned black.
After tearing space and entering The Void, Yang Kai knew something was wrong, because the normally turbulent Void was actually incredibly calm and quiet. And sure enough, after tearing space to return from The Void, he found himself back where he started.
This Bewildering Array not only had the effect of misleading the senses of those who fell into it, it was even capable of blocking space! In other words, Yang Kai could not escape by tearing space.
Thinking it over for a while, Yang Kai came to the conclusion that the only way for him to escape this array now was through brute force. Since there is no other suitable method, he could only break this array forcibly; Yang Kai only hoped he had enough strength to do so otherwise he might be trapped here forever.
Making up his mind, Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked around carefully. Half an hour later, he settled on a specific location where the scenery looked a bit more illusionary than the everywhere else, hoping it was a weak spot in this Spirit Array where he could successfully break out.
Taking out the Hundred Mountains Picture, Yang Kai summoned ten peaks in one breath and smashed them against that position.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
A fierce rumbling echoed as the entire world seemed to shake.
Yang Kai paid close attention to the place he attacked with the Hundred Mountains Picture, and after a short while, he wore a pleased look. He found that under the attack of the Hundred Mountains Picture, the scenery there became even more distorted and seemed to be on the verge of collapsing.
[It’s possible!] Yang Kai thought to himself as he condensed more of his Saint Qi.
But before he could attack again, his expression stiffened before filling with disappointment.
Because the illusory region had been restored to its original state almost instantly, rendering his previous attack useless.
This Bewildering Array could even repair places which were broken all on its own! This was simply a deathtrap for anyone who fell inside it.
Yang Kai grit his teeth and pushed the power of the Hundred Mountains Picture to the limit, gathering together twenty phantom mountain peaks and smashing them down all at once.
……
Half a day later, Yang Kai stared at the scenery in front of himself in dismay, clear resentment flashing across his eyes.
The resilience of this Bewildering Array far exceeded his original expectations. No matter how much strength he used or what kind of attack he launched, it would immediately repair itself. The Hundred Mountains Picture had already been taken back into his body. Twenty phantom mountain peaks were his current limit, so there was no need to try using it any further, doing so would just waste his energy.
If he couldn’t put out a single decisive attack, there was no way Yang Kai could break open this weak spot. In other words, he needed to unleash a single powerful blow, like the one Xie Yun’s launched from his evil artifact, to tear through this weak point in the Bewildering Array with absolute strength.
Yang Kai didn’t have the time to sit and refine that strange crossbow artifact, nor did he even want to refine it. Not to mention, Yang Kai estimated that even with that artifact, it would be impossible to break the Spirit Array in front of him.
He could only use his Golden Blood.
Yang Kai sighed deeply. A drop of Golden Blood was the sum total of three months of cultivation, so he was unwilling to use it unless it was absolutely necessary.
After being encased in the blood-red crystal and spending several years in deep sleep while drifting through the Starry Sky, Yang Kai had amassed a total of nearly a hundred drops of Golden Blood. Now, after having used those drops intermittently several times, and without consciously trying to replenish them, Yang Kai had about ninety drops left.
However, now was not the time to care about such things.
With a dignified expression, Yang Kai held out a finger and slowly condensed a drop of pure Golden Blood at its tip.
Suddenly, a terrifying surge of vitality from this drop of Golden Blood was revealed.
This Golden Blood was far more pure and gave off a more brilliant light than the ordinary golden blood which flowed through Yang Kai’s veins. It quietly condensed at Yang Kai’s fingertip, trembling slightly like a small golden bean.
Yang Kai thoughts flashed, and this drop of Golden Blood swiftly transformed into a small, sharp arrow that without any pause, shot out, seemingly breaking through the constraints of space, and rushed towards the weak spot in the Bewildering Array.
A golden radiance erupted; one so bright Yang Kai could barely keep his eyes open.
He was forced to close his right eye and squint his left while nervously watching the scene in front of him.
The sound of something being torn apart rang out as Yang Kai clearly saw the weak spot in the Bewildering Array pierced directly by the small golden arrow. The drop of Golden Blood then exploded and torn open this small crack, rapidly expanding it.
At the same time, the illusory scenery around Yang Kai violently twisted, the many hills and mounds of earth flickering before disappearing.
The entire Bewildering Array seemed to have been greatly affected.
Yang Kai’s face was full of joy and he was just about the rush forward when a fiery red light suddenly rushed towards him from all directions, covering up the golden radiance. On top of that, this fiery red light was rapidly repairing the tear in the Bewildering Array and it was showing signs of closing completely. It seemed this red light was specifically repairing the damage to this natural Spirit Arary.
Yang Kai immediately became anxious, he had already used a drop of Golden Blood to get this far, so how could he just stand back and allow the Bewildering Array to repair itself again?
Acting decisively, he forced out another drop of Golden Blood.
With the additional explosion of a second drop of Golden Blood, the red light was finally pushed back and melted like snowflakes under the sun, soon disappearing altogether.
Where the weak spot in the Bewildering Array once stood, a golden entrance took shape.
Yang Kai didn’t hesitate anymore and leapt through it.
After he left, the golden light gradually weakened, and the Bewildering Array repaired itself again.
Leaving his original position, Yang Kai found that he had suddenly set foot on a straight pathway. This pathway was paved with small, smooth, stone blocks. Both sides of this pathway were filled with the same fiery red weeds that Yang Kai had encountered before, but these weeds were a little different from the ones he had previously come across. The ones inside the Bewildering array seemed somewhat ill, as if they were near death, but the ones surrounding Yang Kai now had more vibrant colour and seemed to have a slight bloody air to them. Yang Kai scanned his surroundings and soon noticed many bones among these weeds.
Startled, Yang Kai immediately understood that these bones should have belonged to cultivators who had previously entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field, accidentally stumbled upon this place, became trapped and eventually died.
As for why these bones had appeared here and not inside the Bewildering Array, Yang Kai didn’t know.
While he was immersed in his shock, Yang Kai suddenly saw the weeds on both sides of the passage actually grow at a rapid pace, in the blink of an eye going from less than a meter tall to several dozen meters in height…
These long, blade-like leaves appeared soft and flexible, like long whips, and all of them swiftly struck towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was startled. He didn’t expect these weeds could exhibit such behaviour. A few days ago, he had taken note of the hardness and sharpness of these weeds, so even he didn’t dare block these blades of grass head on as doing so would inevitably leave scars on his body. On top of that, these blades of grass were incredibly elastic and difficult to sever, making them even more difficult to deal with.
If not for the difficulty of handling them, Yang Kai would have liked to take some of these weeds back for Yang Yan to see. Yang Yan was a strange woman who seemed to have an infinite fountain of knowledge, perhaps she would be able to recognize what these weeds were.
But now, the countless weeds on both sides of the passage had transformed into ten thousand sharp whips, setting off alarms in Yang Kai’s head.
However, before Yang Kai could even put up his defenses, a strange energy film appeared on both sides of the path and blocked all the sweeping grass blades from reaching him.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai’s expression became strange.
He had thought that the Bewildering Array he was trapped inside of was naturally formed, and if not for his current encounter, he would still be thinking so; after all, that Bewildering Array was far too profound, to the point where even his Demon Eye of Annihilation couldn’t discover its core.
The scene in front of him though had shaken his original conjecture. It was impossible for an energy barrier that only protected this small paved channel to be naturally formed.
This was definitely artificially arranged. It was even possible that Bewildering Array was artificially arranged!
Who possessed such great ability though?
Only Saint King Realm cultivators could enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Was there a cultivator of such realm capable of arranging such a profound Spirit Array? Only someone with knowledge and skill comparable to Yang Yan could accomplish that!
But what reason would someone have for arranging such Spirit Arrays here?
While Yang Kai walked forward at a leisurely pace, he contemplated this mystery, ignoring the weeds which were still trying to attack him as if they weren’t even there.
It didn’t take long for Yang Kai to reach the end of the path where he discovered a small house.
Figuring that since he had come all this way he might as well see things through to the end, Yang Kai stepped into the small stone house.
Now he is certain that this path and everything he had encountered before was artificially arranged because it was clear that they were here to protect this stone house.
When he entered, Yang Kai raised his vigilance, condensing his strength in case he needed to quickly react, or in case he countered someone or something inside the stone house that was against him. But soon, Yang Kai found that this stone house was actually empty, and there weren’t any decorations much less treasure, besides a stone table in the centre of the house, there was literally nothing else.
Yang Kai frowned slightly and searched the stone house carefully a few times but ultimately failed to discover anything worthy of note. It was as if after breaking the Bewildering Array and walking through the stone path, one’s only option was to enter this stone house and wait for death.
Using his Demon Eye of Annihilation again still yielded nothing.
In the end, all Yang Kai found inside the house was a small seed which was laid upon the stone table.
Reaching out and picking it up to have a closer look, Yang Kai found that this seed was blood red and contained a strange aura inside it. This aura was quite similar to the one possessed by the rioting weeds outside.
He didn’t know how many years this thing had sat here, but Yang Kai could still clearly feel a rich vitality coming from it. If he were to plant it somewhere, it should be able to sprout and thrive.
After thinking about it, Yang Kai tossed it into his Space Ring. Having paid the price of two drops of Golden Blood to break through the weak spot in the Bewildering Array to arrive here, he couldn’t just leave empty-handed.
This seed provided a modicum of comfort in that respect.
Next, Yang Kai checked once more around the stone house before finally determining there was no way out.
Was it necessary for him to go back the way he came and delve deeper into the Bewildering Array to find another way out? When thinking about the self-restoring function of the Bewildering Array, Yang Kai wanted to curse.
Although reluctant, Yang Kai had to accept this cruel reality and dejectedly walked out of the stone house.
But as soon as he stepped out of the stone house, a flash of light appeared in front of his eyes and the weeds and stone pavement disappeared, leaving behind only an empty red expanse.
In the air, there was a constant flow of flame auras and nothing but reddish-brown dirt stretched out beneath his feet.
Flame Area!
Yang Kai was shocked and, out of fear he had fallen into another illusionary Spirit Array, he quickly used his Demon Eye of Annihilation for the third time. After confirming that he hadn’t been sent into another Bewildering Array, Yang Kai scanned his surroundings carefully but was unable to find any trace of the stone house. All he could see were barren hills and plains, as if everything he had encountered before was just an illusion.
However, Yang Kai knew that it was not an illusion, because that fiery red seed was still inside his Space Ring.
In any case, after finally coming out of that damned place, Yang Kai secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
If he had been trapped back in that Bewildering Array again, his only option would be to find another weak link and blow it open. If it had been any other Saint King, once they fell into that trap, only if they were extremely proficient in Spirit Arrays would they stand a chance of survival, otherwise their only option would be to sit there and wait for death.
Word about this Bewildering Array had never spread out, probably because anyone who fell into it didn’t have the ability to escape and died inside. If that was the case, it made sense why no one knew about it, and since this Bewildering Array could even isolate space, blocking messages from being sent out wouldn’t be a problem.
Therefore, Yang Kai estimates that the great forces on Shadowed Star were completely unaware of this Bewildering Array’s existence.
Yang Kai hoped Wei Gu Chang, Dong Xuan’er, Chang Qi and Hao An hadn’t travelled the same way as he had, otherwise they would undoubtedly fall into this death trap.
Just as Yang Kai was secretly feeling thankful, he suddenly discovered a few figures travelling at great speed a few kilometres away from his position. It seemed these people were in a rush to get somewhere.
Yang Kai gawked for a moment before suddenly remembering that he had been trapped by the Bewildering Array for a number of days, so the lead he had managed to obtain with his Wind and Thunder Wings may have already disappeared and elites like Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er should have already overtaken him.
Taking out his Yuan Magnetic Compass and checking it, Yang Kai found that the direction this group of people was travelling wasn’t towards the Treasure Area.
Now, there was no meaning in rushing ahead. Yang Kai had been planning to arrive at the Treasure Area first so he could search for treasures before anyone else arrived, but after being delayed for so long by the Bewildering Array that was no longer possible.
This group of people must have found something good, otherwise, they wouldn’t be in such a hurry.
Yang Kai thought about it for a while before deciding to follow after this group of people.
Following others inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field was quite easy because there wasn’t much vegetation here. Except for barren hills and cracked earth, there really was nothing else, so although Divine Sense was greatly suppressed here, the distance one could see with their eyes was quite far, so there was no need to worry about losing sight of someone.
The further he went, the more cultivators Yang Kai discovered travelling in the same direction as him. It was as if everyone had gotten news about something and were converging towards a certain place.
Yang Kai became more curious. If something valuable hadn’t been discovered, it would be impossible for some many cultivators to gather together; after all, when many people came together, there would naturally be conflicts.
Not far away from where Yang Kai currently was, there were two cultivators at the Second Order Saint King Realm. These two wore matching uniforms, but Yang Kai didn’t recognize which force they belonged to. Thinking these two didn’t look particularly vicious or wicked, Yang Kai immediately turned towards them with the hope of inquiring about what was happening. If there wasn’t something good up ahead, he wouldn’t bother going.
This pair noticed Yang Kai’s actions and quickly raised their vigilance, a middle-aged man among them frowning as he swept his eyes over Yang Kai, but after discovering he was just a First Order Saint King, he relaxed.
There was no need to fear a single First Order Saint King so the vigilance on his face quickly converged.
“Two friends,” Yang Kai rushed to them, cupped his fists, and smiled, trying to look as friendly as possible.
The pair didn’t turn Yang Kai away, simply nodding lightly as they continued running forward, the middle-aged man asking, “Is there something wrong?”
“I just wanted to ask why everyone is running this direction. Have you found something good?” Yang Kai asked bluntly.
The middle-aged man was slightly surprised but still smiled and replied, “We’re not completely clear about the situation up ahead and only heard some rumours, but those rumours say that someone found some Brilliant Fire Crystal. Whether it’s true or false we can’t say.”
“Origin Grade High-Rank Brilliant Fire Crystal?” Yang Kai’s eyes brightened.
“Right, it seems that friend has a clear understanding of the grade of this material,” The middle-aged man looked at Yang Kai with some surprise.
“En, I heard about it from a Senior before,” Yang Kai replied casually. Brilliant Fire Crystal was indeed a good material, not only could it be used for Artefact Refining, it could also be used by those who cultivated Fire Attribute Secret Arts and even as a material in some special types of Spirit Arrays.
Yang Yan should be interested in these things. Yang Kai himself didn’t care either way, but since he was already here, it was fine to take a look. If there really was some Brilliant Fire Crystal, he wouldn’t mind collecting some; after all, Origin Grade High-Rank materials were hard to find and often couldn’t be purchased even if you had money.
Yang Yan had often complained that the grade of materials she had to arrange Spirit Arrays was too low and although the materials sent by Qian Tong were all Origin Grade, there were too few at the High-Rank. As for Origin King Grade materials, there were even fewer.
“Although there may be good things up ahead, one must have the skill to obtain them,” The middle-aged man spoke somewhat ambiguously before stating clearly, “There are many people rushing over to that side now, so its likely conflicts will start occurring soon. Friend, are you sure you want to go?”
He seemed to think that Yang Kai’s cultivation realm was too low so he was trying to persuade him against taking such risks.
This man spoke without any malice or ill intent, he was simply acting out of goodwill.
This middle-aged person had an upright character, Yang Kai thought secretly, but without stopping he simply chuckled, “Naturally I must go take a look, even if I can’t obtain anything in the end, gaining some experience shouldn’t be too hard.”
Seeing Yang Kai insist on this, the other party didn’t say anything anymore. He had simply met Yang Kai by chance and spoke to persuade him out of good intentions, but since the other side paid it no heed, why would he waste his breath?
None of the three gave their names, seemingly not planning on associating with each other for long.
Within a short time, the trio finally arrived at the place they were searching for and began looking around.
In front of them was a giant hill, at least a hundred meters tall and several thousand meters in diameter. At this moment, there were at least thirty cultivators scattered across the hill, all of them seemingly have received word of there being treasure here. These cultivators were all digging around the hill currently.
Every now and then, someone would let out a laugh after digging up a chunk of red crystal.
Yang Kai could clearly see that it was indeed Brilliant Fire Crystal.
This hill was quite inconspicuous, but it actually contained a deposit of Brilliant Fire Crystal. It was really a wonder who the first person to discover this place was and also how word about it leaked out.
However, it was clear that the excavation work had been going on here for more than a few hours. The hill was already full of pits and caves, with the figures of cultivators moving in and out of them.
Some people wore happy expression while others wore sad ones. Some cultivators found nothing in the spots they were looking and would change location frequently.
Although the scene was lively, there were no conflicts. Everyone coexisted in peace. They each found a place to look for Brilliant Fire Crystal and went about their task in a relaxed manner. The great fight Yang Kai had imagined occurring over these Brilliant Fire Crystals was nowhere to be seen.
“Let’s go to that side!” The middle-aged man who arrived with Yang Kai suddenly pointed to an empty spot and quickly moved towards it with his fellow Sect Brother, the two of them summoning out their artefacts and actually using them like shovels to dig through the dirt.
Yang Kai sighed slightly and walked over as well, looking for a place that was empty to try his luck.
If the Stone Puppet was here, Yang Kai wouldn’t need to do anything, he could simply release it and all the Brilliant Fire Crystal hidden in this hill would surely fall into his hands.
However, Yang Yan needed the Stone Puppet for various important tasks so Yang Kai had not brought it with him.
After searching around for less than an incense stick worth of time, Yang Kai leapt out of the hole he had been digging with a frown on his face.
He had determined that finding Brilliant Fire Crystal here was all a matter of luck.
Because the Fire Attribute energy was too rich here, the aura given off by Brilliant Fire Crystals were completely covered up. It was impossible to search for them using one’s Divine Sense, so one could only dig blindly and hope for the best. This reality greatly reduced Yang Kai’s interest.
While other cultivators would be enthusiastic about an Origin Grade High-Rank material, Yang Kai wasn’t. There was no need for him to waste time here for a few pieces of Brilliant Fire Crystal.
It would be better for him to head straight for the Treasure Area. Considering all this, Yang Kai didn’t bother digging anymore.
Before leaving, Yang Kai took a casual look over at the middle-aged man he had arrived with and discovered that he had actually struck it lucky, both he and his fellow Sect Brother were celebrating that they had some gains.
Not thinking of disturbing them, Yang Kai left the hill alone. As he walked further, he would occasionally run into cultivators who had obtained word of the Brilliant Fire Crystals, many of whom would call out to him and ask if the news was true, annoying him somewhat.
These people clearly saw that Yang Kai was and his cultivation wasn’t high, so they didn’t consider him a threat; otherwise, how could so many have pulled him aside?
However, these people were just asking him a few questions, so Yang Kai didn’t feel it was right to kill them. The best he could do was try to avoid others while continuing forward.
Yang Kai didn’t use his Wind and Thunder Wings at this time because they were too conspicuous, if they were seen by other people, it might cause him some unnecessary trouble. Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of trouble, but he didn’t want to be delayed by it either, so he used his own two feet to hurry along.
Two days later, Yang Kai was still walking along when suddenly he heard the sound of clothes swishing behind him. It seemed as if someone was running at full speed towards him.
On top of that, from what Yang Kai could tell, this person was coming from the direction he just left, causing him to frown, look back to check.
Turning around, Yang Kai saw a figure jumping down from the undulating hills he had just passed and land right in front of him.
When their four eyes met, Yang Kai immediately recognized this person. It was actually the middle-aged Second-Order Saint King who had a jade pendant hanging from his hat he had met a few days ago. This middle-aged man had given Yang Kai a fairly good impression; after all, the other party had tried to persuade him to not take risks purely out of goodwill when they met.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but chuckle and was about to say hello, but suddenly his face sank.
He found that there was something wrong with the other party. This middle-aged man’s Saint Qi was chaotic and he wore a tense look upon his face. He also seemed to be injured heavily on his shoulder, his wound still bleeding, staining his clothes red.
On top of that, this man’s eyes were bloodshot and full of anger and unwillingness.
After seeing Yang Kai, the middle-aged man froze slightly, as if he hadn’t expected to run into someone here. A hint of guilt and annoyance flashed across his eyes as he stomped his foot and hurriedly said, “Hurry up and run if you don’t want to die!”
Having said this, he dashed off in a different direction.
Yang Kai was confused, but soon he understood what was going on. Thirty breaths after the middle-aged man ran off, a group of six cultivators wearing dark green robes appeared behind Yang Kai.
The one leading this group was a young man who looked almost the same age as Yang Kai; however, his true age wasn’t clear. This young man’s complexion was cold and he made no attempt to conceal his Third Order Saint King cultivation. The men and women following this young man were all Second-Order Saint Kings.
As soon as he saw this young man, Yang Kai found that the other party seemed very familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.
Just as he was wondering about this, the young man arrogantly called out, “Tell me which way that man went.”
Yang Kai’s face went cold. This person’s impolite way of questioning made him quite upset. Forget about Yang Kai having a good impression of that middle-aged man, even if it was a complete stranger, being asked so rudely about their whereabouts, Yang Kai wouldn’t have answered.
“Senior Brother Meng, that way!” A young woman among the group suddenly pointed to one side, the direction in which the middle-aged man had escaped. It was easy to tell because there were a few conspicuous drops of blood leading off in that direction.
“Hmph!” The young man called Senior Brother Meng coldly snorted before leading everyone off to chase after that man. Before he left though, he waved his hands and a golden radiance suddenly shot towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was furious, lifting his hand and condensing a Grand Heavenly Shield in front of himself to block this attack.
However, the Grand Heavenly Shield Yang Kai condensed actually failed to completely resist the golden radiance, cracking and nearly shattering on impact.
Yang Kai was shocked, but by the time he had recovered, the other party had already run off. As for Senior Brother Meng, he too seemed surprised he had failed to kill Yang Kai, a mere First Order Saint King, turning a cold glare back toward him as if he was trying to remember his appearance.
However, chasing after that middle-aged man right now seemed to take precedence in his mind so he didn’t bother with Yang Kai any further.
Within moments, the group of six had disappeared in the direction the middle-aged people fled.
Yang Kai stood in place, thinking back carefully. He was certain he had met that young man somewhere before, otherwise, he wouldn’t have felt such a strong sense of familiarity. After a while, he finally remembered, and couldn’t help raising his brow before quickly chasing after this group.
Whether it was because of that young man’s actions, or his slight relationship with that middle-aged man, Yang Kai wasn’t prepared to simply let things end like this.
The middle-aged man was truly a righteous character. Earlier, he had persuaded Yang Kai to not take risks with his life, and just a moment ago, when he met Yang Kai again, he had again warned him to quickly flee. The look of guilt in his eyes at that time was clearly because he had run into Yang Kai and involved him accidentally. If that had not been the case, he wouldn’t have changed the direction he was escaping.
Having been shown such goodwill, Yang Kai naturally wanted to reciprocate.
Chasing after them for a short time, Yang Kai was easily able to catch up.
The middle-aged man was already an arrow at the end of its flight, so he wasn’t able to run far. At this moment, that Senior Brother Meng and his several Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters had gathered around this man and were attacking him. The middle-aged man’s cultivation wasn’t high, but the defensive Artifact Armour he was wearing was actually quite good and was prevented him from suffering any fatal injuries so far.
Unfortunately, this Artifact Armour had also reached its limit and its aura was now quite dull, its protective effects had diminished severely.
Senior Brother Meng was acting aloof, not even participating in this battle and instead standing aside with his arms crossed and a sullen look of ridicule on his face as he watched.
It was fortunate he hadn’t taken action personally, otherwise the middle-aged man would already have fallen.
“Meng Hong Liang, you will die like a dog!” The middle-aged man spat blood and roared in anger as he suffered a blow from the young woman who had spoken a moment ago.
These words made the young man named Meng Hong Liang wear an even colder look as he commanded, “Don’t rush to kill him, play with him until he’s completely broken so he understands the fate those who dare offend my Imperial City Sect must suffer.”
“Yes!” The Imperial City Sect cultivators besieging the middle-aged man heard this and immediately lightened their attacks, intentionally adding wounds to this middle-aged man like cats playing with a corner mouse. Each of their attacks was designed to cause him the maximum amount of pain while not fatally wounding him.
“Meng Hong Liang, I already surrendered that Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence to you, why must you act so ruthlessly? What need is there to kill me and my Junior Brother?” The middle-aged man was doing his best to avoid these attacks but the number of wounds he suffered was still gradually increasing. His face was also growing pale from excessive blood loss.
“Hmph!” Meng Hong Liang coldly snorted, “Do you have the qualifications to possess a treasure as valuable as that Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence? As for why you must die, the fewer people who know about such a treasure the better, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself and your Junior Brother for having the good fortune to dig up such a good thing and the misfortunate of having me learn of it. Haha, this Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence can only be owned by me, but don’t worry, you and your Junior Brother can accompany each other on the road to the next world, so that he isn’t lonely.”
“Even if I must become a ghost I won’t let you off!” The middle-aged man roared as the last ray of light from his Artifact Armour faded and crumbled.
This Artefact Armour had been thoroughly destroyed and could no longer be repaired.
“Kill him, any delays now would only leads to more problems!” Meng Hong Liang wasn’t in the mood to play with this middle-aged man anymore and ruthlessly commanded.
The other Imperial City Sect disciples surrounding the middle-aged man simultaneously pushed their Saint Qi and unleashed killing blows upon hearing this.
The middle-aged man also seemed to feel he could no longer escape this calamity and did not put up any pointless resistance. Before dying, he simply stared at Meng Hong Liang with bloodshot eyes, seemingly wanting to engrave his figure into his soul so that after he reincarnated he could find him to seek revenge!
Just when the middle-aged man was about to die though, a number of shields formed from jet black flames appeared all around him, blocking all of the fatal strikes.
One of the Imperial City Sect disciples saw this and was unwilling to relent and slammed his palm onto the black flame shield. The shield remained unscathed under this attack while the cultivator leapt back like a frightened rabbit and as he shrieked loudly.
The crowd all stared dumbstruck at this scene, their eyes immediately filling with fear and terror.
The black flames were rapidly spreading from this man’s palm up to his arm and towards his body. Wherever this flame passed, everything was reduced to ash, and it was obvious that as soon as it reached his chest, he wouldn’t be able to survive.
“Senior Brother Meng, save me!” The cultivator realized that he wasn’t strong enough to resist these black flames and immediately begged for rescue from Meng Hong Liang, hoping the latter had some method that could save him.
But how could Meng Hong Liang allow this man to get any closer to him? Those black flames were simply too frightening.
Seeing his fellow Sect disciples rushing over towards him, Meng Hong Liang’s expression became cold as a ruthless light flashed across his eyes. Retreating a few steps, he raised his hand and shot a golden ray of light towards the head of the approaching cultivator. This cultivator immediately fell to the ground after having his brow pierced by this golden light, a look of complete shock covering his face, seemingly never having imagined his Senior Brother would act so callously towards him.
In the blink of an eye, this man’s body was completely devoured by the Demonic Flames.
The remaining young men and women paled, partly because of the incredible power of Demonic Flame, and partly because they had witnessed Meng Hong Liang coldly killing a fellow member of their sect. For a moment, all of them stared at this Senior Brother of theirs in shock and disbelief.
“Cruel and merciless, friend has some good methods,” Yang Kai stepped forward with a smirk as he stared coldly at Meng Hong Liang. He too had not expected this person to turn such a poisonous hand against his fellow Sect Brother. Clearly, he wasn’t anything good.
When Yang Kai came up to the middle-aged man, he simply nodded to him lightly.
The middle-aged man was dumbstruck. Just when he thought he would die without a doubt, someone had unexpectedly run out to save him.
On top of that, the person who had saved him was actually Yang Kai, a stranger he had only met twice, making the whole situation seem even more surreal.
“You stand aside and heal yourself first,” Yang Kai said as he looked at the miserable state this man was in, tossing him a healing pill and saying casually.
“But you…” The middle-aged man caught the pill and looked hesitant. Yang Kai’s cultivation was too low, so he was afraid that this young man who rushed out to save his life would suffer disaster; after all, Meng Hong Liang wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
But when he remembered about the power of the black flames and upon seeing Yang Kai’s calm look, the middle-aged man suddenly nodded, “Understood!”
Saying so, he stepped back, swallowed the pill, and began meditating silently.
He didn’t know what Yang Kai was relying on to face so many people from the Imperial City Sect, but since the other party had dared to reveal himself, he must not put Meng Hong Liang and the others in his eyes.
Subconsciously, he thought Yang Kai was the son of some important Elder from a great Sect or force. If this was the case, he only needed to report his name and Meng Hong Liang wouldn’t dare to provoke him.
Although Imperial City Sect wasn’t bad, it wasn’t even a first-class force on Shadowed Star, barely in the high second-class level actually. Meng Hong Liang was the type who only knew how to bully the weak and naturally wouldn’t dare provoke strong opponents.
Sure enough, Meng Hong Liang’s look became uncertain as he stared at Yang Kai carefully. Comparing this young man’s face and demeanour to the well-known young talents on Shadowed Star in his heart, he still couldn’t find a matching figure. In addition, his fellow Sect disciples were also wearing uncertain looks, so Meng Hong Liang quickly shouted, “What intentions does Your Excellency have by suddenly killing my Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai sneered and slowly shook his head, “I think you’re mistaken there. I didn’t kill him, you did… En, well, even if you didn’t kill him, he would still have died, but regardless of what might have happened, the truth was he died at your hand, it has nothing to do with me.”
Meng Hong Liang’s face went from blue to red as he ground his teeth and shouted, “If you had not used such despicable methods to sneak attack him how could I have been forced to act so?”
After saying this, his expression calmed down and he nodded, “That’s right, I killed Junior Brother Qi, but only because I couldn’t bear to see him slowly burn to death. I simply ended his suffering.”
Having unexpectedly found a justification for his actions, Meng Hong Liang did not hesitate to make use of it, causing the remaining men and women from Imperial City Sect to secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Although all of them still felt it wasn’t appropriate to kill someone from their Sect, as soon as this reason was spoken, they felt a lot better in their hearts. All of them had witnessed their Junior Brother Qi’s condition with their own eyes and knew that even if Meng Hong Liang hadn’t acted, he would have died without a doubt. Having settled their disturbed hearts, they all gathered towards Meng Hong Liang.
Meng Hong Liang secretly sneered as he had managed to escape from the crime of killing his fellow Sect Brother so easily. Although it was mere sophistry, he could now overlook Yang Kai from a superior position and coldly declare, “Which Sect does this friend come from, can you tell me if it’s convenient? Although my Imperial City Sect isn’t a great force, many of the Sect’s Elders have a wide range of friends. If your Sect is a friend of mine, I hope you can not involve yourself in this matter.”
“Senior Brother Meng, I know who this person is,” The same young woman from before called out with a slight frown between her brow. Moving closer to Meng Hong Liang, her beautiful eyes remained focused on Yang Kai with a slight look of dread.
After hearing what she said, Meng Hong Liang immediately asked her in a low voice.
The young woman did not conceal anything, explaining how before the Flowing Flame Sand Field had officially opened, there was a conflict between Yang Kai and Blue Sparrow Sect’s Yin Jian. At that time, this young woman had been nearby and observed the entire matter, so after a moment she was able to recognize Yang Kai.
“Shadow Moon Hall?” Meng Hong Liang was startled, his brows wrinkling slightly, an ugly look appearing on his face.
Although Shadow Moon Hall wasn’t a true top power, it was still far superior to Imperial City Sect. There were many Third Order Origin Returning Realm masters in Shadow Moon Hall, something Imperial City Sect could not hope to match.
The two Sects were separated by hundreds of thousands of kilometres, and usually had no interactions, but when the young woman said that the first genius of Shadow Moon Hall, Wei Gu Chang, had stood up personally for Yang Kai, Meng Hong Liang suddenly had to consider acting cautiously lest he stir up unwanted trouble.
If he were to anger Wei Gu Chang and the latter ran over to Imperial City Sect to seek retribution, he wouldn’t get off easy.
However, now that things had reached this point, and his Junior Brother had died by his own hand, Meng Hong Liang couldn’t just withdraw, not to mention he didn’t want news of the Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence leaking out. It was for this reason that even after obtaining this treasure he had decided to kill both this middle-aged man and the latter’s Junior Brother.
Dead people don’t reveal secrets!
“But at the time he said he wasn’t from Shadow Moon Hall,” The young woman’s expression became puzzled as she murmured.
“Not from Shadow Moon Hall?” Meng Hong Liang’s expression lightened.
“That’s right, I’m not from Shadow Moon Hall,” Yang Kai stood there defiantly, as if he was unafraid of death. He hadn’t interrupted Meng Hong Liang and the young woman’s conversation until now but decided to speak up at last, “I only have some small friendship with Wei Gu Chang, so you don’t have to worry about him seeking trouble with you when this is all over.”
Meng Hong Liang’s thoughts being seen through so easily by Yang Kai caused his eyes to grow cold, but he was still hesitating whether to act or not.
As for the middle-aged man who was meditating to restore his wounds, he nearly spat blood when he heard Yang Kai speak these words!
The situation had been all but resolved, and the middle-aged man was secretly rejoicing that his guess had been right. The young man who had come to save him really had a powerful background. If this young man didn’t say anything more, with Meng Hong Liang’s personality, he would definitely become more cautious in his actions and likely withdraw in the end.
If that was the case, he and this young man who came to save him would be able to escape safely. As for seeking revenge, that would naturally have to wait for later.
But now, in one breath, this young man had actually gone and destroyed his cover. How could Meng Hong Liang let him go now? Without a strong backer, and with just a First Order Saint King cultivation, there was no doubt Yang Kai would have died here.
For a moment, the middle-aged man became anxious and angry, he really didn’t know why he had to run into such a stupid kid.
However, the other party had indeed come to save him, he had been dragged into this by him, so the middle-aged man could only sigh and secretly decided to restore as much of his strength as soon as possible. Once Meng Hong Liang decided to act, he would do his best to delay him to let Yang Kai escape.
On the other side, Meng Hong Liang, whose ace had been constantly changing, finally made a decision, and his expression gradually became firm, staring at Yang Kai coldly he declared, “So what if you have a connection to Shadow Moon Hall, so what if you know Wei Gu Chang? Today, I must kill you, so you won’t live to see tomorrow! “
As soon as these words fell, he waved his hand and shouted, “Be careful of his black flame, don’t give him a chance to send out a message!”
Meng Hong Liang had decided to dispense will all pretence and silence the witness to the crime. It had to be said that he was a cautious man, so when he ordered his Junior Brothers and Junior Sister to attack, a golden light also appeared in his hand.
Meng Hong Liang was extremely fearful of the Demonic Flame and was planning on using his Junior Brothers and Junior Sister to draw Yang Kai’s attention while he stood back and shot him while denying him an opportunity to take out his communication type artefact. If he couldn’t accomplish this, all his previous efforts would go to waste.
Receiving Meng Hong Liang’s order, the four Second-Order Saint Kings rushed towards Yang Kai aggressively, pushing their Saint Qi as the summoned their defensive artefacts to guard their bodies.
Of those who dared to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field, most wore Artefact Armour, and these Artefact Armours were naturally designed to resist the ambient fire poison while also having a strong defensive strength. At the very least, while fighting cultivators of the same level, they could rely on these Artefact Armours to prevent some injuries.
The black flames were too terrifying though, so although all four of these cultivators rushed forward, none of them dared to approach Yang Kai too closely, the young woman among them summoning a long whip artefact and cracking it, sending it out a cyan light towards Yang Kai, a ruthless expression filling her pretty face.
The other three also used long-range attack artefacts or Martial Skills to bombard Yang Kai’s location.
At the same time these four attacked, the golden light which had been brilliantly shining in Meng Hong Liang’s hand vanished. It was impossible to tell what kind of trick he had used, but the moment he released the golden shot, it had stealthily concealed itself.
Four Second-Order Saint Kings and one Third Order Saint King attacked a First Order Saint King together. How it would turn out, anyone would be able to tell.
After releasing his attack, Meng Hong Liang’s mouth curled into a grin.
But in the next instant, the smile on his face stiffened.
He saw a sword condensed from black flame appear in the hands of the besieged young man chop forward and seemingly devour all light in its path. Not only did this sword swing destroy two of his Junior Brother’s attacks as easily as crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood, it also cleanly sliced through them as well.
Their Artefact Armour seemed as fragile as paper and the Saint Qi they had been using to protect their bodies weren’t able to play the slightest defence role.
The bodies of his two Junior Brothers were cut in half instantly.
It wasn’t over yet though as a black spear then appeared in this young man’s hand and was immediately tossed out, piercing through the whip of the young woman without even slowing down before puncturing a hole through her abdomen.
From start to finish, the young woman didn’t even have time to react.
Simultaneously, a purple shield appeared next to Yang Kai and with a metallic ping and a series of sparks, the golden light bounced off the shield without even leaving a scratch on it. The golden light faded greatly as it flew back to Meng Hong Liang’s location.
Yang Kai frowned seeing this, realizing that the artefact Meng Hong Liang was using was really quite extraordinary. He had been attacked by this golden light before and almost had his Grand Heavenly Shield broken as a result. Yang Kai naturally didn’t dare underestimate this artefact and had immediately used his purple shield to defend himself.
Glancing over leisurely at it, Yang Kai realized that this golden light was actually a flying needle artefact as thin as a cow’s hair.
This type of artefact was quite rare because flying needles generally had very little power. An Artefact Refiner needed to continuously refine and enhance one in order for it to have any killing potential, and this series of refinements made them difficult to produce.
Flying needle artefacts were rare, but it was undeniable that they were the best choice for breaking through defensive artefacts and cultivators’ Saint Qi protections.
Yang Kai realized why this golden light had almost broken through his Grand Heavenly Shield upon seeing its true form.
This brief moment of shock was enough to allow the only Imperial City Sect disciple that had not been killed to react. Four of them had attacked Yang Kai, but three of them had been instantly killed, and if it wasn’t for Senior Brother Meng’s sneak attack, the one survivor knew he too would be dead.
How could this man dare to remain? Immediately, he withdrew a hundred meters bit before he was able to breathe a sigh of relief, a black rope suddenly descended upon him, sealing off all avenues of retreat, rendering him unable to flee.
In the blink of any eye, the black rope had entangled him and he could finally clearly tell that rather than some kind of physical material, this rope was actually condensed from pure black flame. Suddenly remembering the fate of his Junior Brother Qi, this man’s face went pale.
Opening his mouth to scream, the man was unable to make a sound before the Demonic Flame burned his body into slag along with his Soul.
The Imprisoning Heaven Chain from the Nine Heavens Divine Skills already had the ability to restrain one’s Soul, it was a skill specially used to capture fleeing enemies. When it was displayed with Yang Kai’s unique Saint Qi though, the Imprisoning Heaven Chain’s power rose to a whole new level.
In a flash, without exception, the four who had besieged Yang Kai had been wiped out.
Meng Hong Liang’s eyes shrank violently as an expression of disbelief and panic filled his face.
The middle-aged man who had been meditating to restore his injuries had rushed over to Yang Kai at this time.
The moment the four Imperial City Sect disciples launched their attack, this man had also taken action in hopes of saving Yang Kai, but how could he have known there was simply no place for him in this battle? By the time he ran over, all four attackers were dead and even Meng Hong Liang’s sneak attack had been dealt with.
The expression of the middle-aged man wasn’t much better than Meng Hong Liang’s, the only difference being he wasn’t afraid of Yang Kai; however, that didn’t stop him from staring at this young man as if he was some kind of monster.
Only now did he understand that Yang Kai wasn’t acting thoughtlessly, nor did he need to rely on Shadow Moon Hall’s name to protect himself, from the beginning, he had the ability to kill everyone present.
“You… could you be…” Meng Hong Liang suddenly went completely white, half forming a sentence before failing to complete it. Yang Kai didn’t know what he wanted to say, but after saying these few words, Meng Hong Liang hurriedly cupped his fists and bowed deeply, “This Meng has offended this friend greatly but begs Friend to not take offence. What happened today, no one else will ever come to know, this Meng swears to not disclose it to another person! I only ask that friend be willing to spare this Meng’s pour life!”
Saying so, he didn’t even wait for Yang Kai to reply before immediately turning around and running off, avoiding Yang Kai like a viper, his face still filled with terror.
“You think you can just leave?” Yang Kai sneered as he thrust out his palm. With things having gotten to this point, how could he simply allow Meng Hong Liang to walk away? Whether it was because of his previous attitude and murderous intent towards him, or because he wanted to silence the witness to the crime afterwards, Yang Kai had already marked Meng Hong Liang for death.
Meng Hong Liang was the one who provoked him, he had only himself to blame.
A huge palm print fell from the sky, seemingly covering the Heavens themselves as it threatened to engulf Meng Hong Liang.
This palm contained Heaven Destroying and Earth Shattering power, causing Meng Hong Liang to go absent-minded for a moment, but as the aura of death approached, he let out a desperate cry and shot the golden light from his hand once more.
Countless thin flying needles as thin as an ox’s hair were summon, each releasing a grating sound.
Immediately after the golden light was released, the numerous flying needles converged and condensed into a long sword, its tip vibrating violently as it stabbed towards Yang Kai’s Heaven Covering Hand.
*Hong…*
An eruption of golden light occurred and the Heaven Covering Hand was seemingly punctured by the radiance, the irresistible pressure it was exerting suddenly dispersing, allowing Meng Hong Liang to free himself from its restraint and quickly escape.
He had only gone ten steps however, before scalding hot yet simultaneously frigid cold aura suddenly appeared behind him. Turning his head, Meng Hong Liang was shocked to discover that before he knew it, the enemy had closed the distance between them and had already stabbed a sword condensed of black flame through his chest.
His body felt like it was invaded by a scalding heat and a icy cold all at once, and Meng Hong Liang finally realized why his Junior Brother Qi had panicked so much before dying.
Looking down, he could only see the tip of the black flame sword emerge from his chest, but centring on that position, the black flames were rapidly spreading out across his body…
Before Meng Hong Liang’s body was completely incinerated, Yang Kai snatched his Space Ring and impatiently searched it with his Divine Sense, immediately letting out a great laugh, seemingly very happy.
Similar to the ones Yang Kai had taken from the Xie Family trio before, there weren’t many good things in Meng Hong Liang’s ring, only some pills and Saint Crystals as well as a dozen or so Fire Crystal Stones of varying size.
However, Meng Hong Liang’s ring also contained a different kind of crystal that was emitting scorching hot flames.
This wasn’t a Fire Crystal Stone from a Fire Spirit Beast, but rather a piece of Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence, an Origin King Grade material. Brilliant Fire Crystal was only an Origin Grade material, and depending on its innate quality, it could be High, Mid, or Low-Rank.
Beneath the hill Yang Kai visited before, there should be a Brilliant Fire Crystal lode.
That Brilliant Fire Crystal lode should have had a very small chance to produce Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence, a material an entire grade higher.
From the aura this Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence gave off, it should only be Origin King Grade Low-Rank, but even so, such a treasure was rarely seen on Shadowed Star. No wonder Meng Hong Liang had decided to snatch it from this middle-aged man and even silence the witness to the crime.
Yang Kai threw this piece of Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence into his own Space Ring before next taking out an old map fragment.
This was what really made Yang Kai happy as it was the same ancient map fragment that had appeared in the Treasure Trove Pavilion auction!
At that time, this map fragment had been won by a random Second-Order Saint King who before the auction ended had tried to quietly slip away. Unfortunately for him, he was followed by a large number of people and was eventually robbed of this fragment by a young man. That young man was none other than Meng Hong Liang.
When Yang Kai saw Meng Hong Liang a short time ago, he hadn’t remembered where he had seen him before, only feeling that he was familiar, but Yang Kai soon remembered what had happened outside Heavenly Fate City that day.
At that time, after the map fragment was taken away by Meng Hong Liang, Yang Kai did not make any attempts to search for it; after all, could whatever this ancient map led to be found with just a fragment or two? It was impossible to know if this map even led to anything good at all. With so many unknowns, Yang Kai felt there wasn’t any need to waste energy and effort to retrieve it.
He hadn’t expected though that this map fragment would eventually land in his hands.
Yang Yan had another fragment of this map, so if Yang Kai put the two pieces together, he might be able to find some clues about where it led. If he found some free time in the future, he could follow those clues and perhaps obtain some kind of opportunity.
While Yang Kai was searching through the Space Ring, on the side, the middle-aged man couldn’t hide his surprise, as the young man in front of him was completely behaving like an experienced bandit.
However, this middle-aged man also didn’t see anything wrong with this. It was all too normal for people to kill others and take their treasures in this world. After Yang Kai finished his pillaging, the middle-aged man walked up to him weakly and cupped his fists, “Extreme Path Sect Huang Xi Ran thanks this friend for rescuing him. If it weren’t for this friend, this Huang would not have been able to escape death today, please accept my deepest gratitude.”
Saying so, he bowed deeply to Yang Kai.
“Brother Huang is too polite,” Yang Kai waved his hand with a smile.
Although Huang Xi Ran’s face showed some hints of joyfulness, the large majority of his expression was bleak as he said in a dull tone, “It is only how I should be, if this friend had not taken action, my Junior Brother would never have obtain revenge and perhaps no one in this world would have known Meng Hong Liang killed my brother and I.”
Yang Kai gently nodded, “How could you be so careless to reveal the existence of that piece of Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence?”
Speaking of this matter, Huang Xi Ran’s face grew darker as he smiled bitterly, “It is not that we weren’t careful enough. My Junior Brother and I had good luck as the place we started digging happened to have a lot of Brilliant Fire Crystals, and shortly after Friend left, we even managed to obtain a piece of Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence. Naturally we hid is carefully and my Junior Brother and I immediately left, but how could we have expected to encounter Meng Hong Liang along the way? He had seen many people digging through the hill and decided to stop and rob people who tried to leave. He demanded we hand over our Space Rings, but with the Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence in his ring, my Junior Brother naturally refused. Once he refused though, Meng Hong Liang immediately killed my Junior Brother and the Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence fell into his hands. This Huang knew he was not their opponent and could only shamefully escape.”
“I see!”
This is the kind of thing was beyond anyone’s ability to predict, it was just a matter of bad luck for Huang Xi Ran and his Junior Brother really.
“I haven’t asked for this friend’s honoured name!” Huang Xi Ran cupped his fists once more and said. Yang Kai had rescued him and allowed him to exact his revenge, so Huang Xi Ran was naturally grateful. On top of that, it was obvious Yang Kai was no ordinary cultivator so Huang Xi Ran wanted to make friends with him.
“Yang Kai.”
“So it is Brother Yang! En, is Brother Yang…” Huang Xi Ran suddenly paused before letting out a laugh, “Haha, no, this Huang was too disrespectful, Brother Yang doesn’t need to pay it any mind.”
Yang Kai looked at him strangely, completely confused.
Meng Hong Liang had also started to say something a moment ago, and now Huang Xi Ran was also hesitating over something. Did the two of them have the same misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding was it?
Whatever misunderstanding it was, Yang Kai wasn’t interested, so he simply said, “Does Brother Huang have any plans now?”
Huang Xi Ran thought about it seriously before replying, “I need to find a place to heal my wounds first, in my current state, I cannot proceed deeper into the Flame Area, going forward recklessly will only worsen my injuries. I’ll decide what to do next after recovering, Brother Yang doesn’t need to mind about me. I can also contact some of my other Sect members, perhaps some of them are nearby.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded before cupping his fists and saying, “If that’s the case, I’ll be going on ahead.”
“Please do so, Brother Yang! If there is a chance in the future, Brother Yang should visit Extreme Path Sect, this Huang will surely welcome you!”
With a slight smile, Yang Kai turned around and walked towards the Treasure Area.
Looking at the back of Yang Kai, Huang Xi Ran was inexplicably excited. Like Meng Hong Liang, he had determined that Yang Kai was a person from that place. Besides that place, who could cultivate a First Order Saint King capable of easily killing five cultivators who had higher cultivations than his own?
This kind of monstrous talent could only have come from that place, which was why Meng Hong Liang had panicked so much at the last moment.
It was rumoured that people from that place always acted indifferently towards everyone else, but now it seemed that it is not the case, at least this guy named Yang Kai was quite approachable.
It seems that rumours were just rumours after all.
Regarding the Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence, Yang Kai didn’t mention it, and Huang Xi Ran didn’t ask, both of them silently reaching an agreement.
For Huang Xi Ran, it was enough to be able to get revenge, how could he then reach out for a yard after taking an inch and ask Yang Kai for the Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence? After all, he had already lost it to someone else, so he had no right to it anymore.
When Yang Kai’s figure disappeared, Huang Xi Ran hurriedly picked up the few Space Rings scattered around, stuffed all the Saint Crystals and pills inside into his own, then quickly left this place, preparing to find a hidden place to heal himself. Along the way, he also tried to contact his fellow Sect members to help guard him.
Five days later, Yang Kai passed through the Flame Area and arrived at a place where World Energy was extremely rich. There was no omnipresent heat like in the Flame Area, and there was no fire poison which threatened to invade his body at all this time. Instead, the scenery here was beautiful and refreshing like a spring day, the air was clean and crisp, it was nothing short of a paradise.
Treasure Area!
Yang Kai was somewhat shocked as he stepped from the First-Layer Flame Area and into the First-Layer Treasure Area.
The Flowing Flame Sand Field was truly strange, the boundary between the first Flame Area and the first Treasure Area was clearly defined and the environments were extremely different. None of the heat or fire poison from the Flame Area spilled into the Treasure Area at all.
After separating from Huang Xi Ran of Extreme Path Sect, Yang Kai had constantly moving for five days.
As he advanced inward, he had encountered several cultivators from, most of them in small groups who were searching for Fire Spirit Beasts in the Flame Area or Fire Attribute spirit grasses and spirit medicines. Of course, if they were able to find something precious like the Brilliant Fire Crystal, these people would be extremely happy.
Basically, most of the cultivators who entered would remain in the Flame Area to carry out this kind of task while the rest would enter the Treasure Area to search for spirit grasses and spirit medicines. Those who were eligible to enter the Treasure Area were elites from big Sects.
It didn’t seem fair on the surface, with those possessing low aptitude and poor strength forced to fight outside while those with high aptitude and good strength treasure hunted in the Treasure Area, but that was simply the way things were. Those with high aptitude and high strength always received better treatment than their cohorts.
The rich became richer while the poor became poorer for this exact reason.
To obtain good resources, one needed to first improve their strength.
Yang Kai had nothing to do along the way as he didn’t run into anyone like Meng Hong Liang who was looking for trouble with him. Everything was fine with the exception of the strange looks all the other cultivators kept giving him.
Those cultivators could all see Yang Kai’s low cultivation and the fact that he was walking around alone in the Flame Area and could only conclude he was a reckless kid who didn’t know how to write the word death. Most people simply took the attitude of aloof observers or interest spectators; however, there was one young woman who actually ran over to Yang Kai and tried to persuade him to turn back and stop courting destruction.
In fact, due to this person’s kindness, Yang Kai simply gave a few perfunctory replies. The young woman soon saw that Yang Kai was determined to continue forward and no longer wasted her breathe, simply shaking her head and sighing as she thought this world really had a lot of fools in it.
The Flame Area, which he should have been able to cross in about ten days, had taken Yang Kai a month to traverse thanks to the delays he suffered in the strange mountain valley and the Bewildering Array.
There were certainly quite a few people already inside the Treasure Area by now, so Yang Kai didn’t act impatiently, releasing his Divine Sense all around him as he began searching for spirit grasses and spirit medicines.
Wei Gu Chang had said that although there were no Fire Spirit Beasts in this Treasure Area, there were many Monster Beasts here so he had to remain vigilant.
For the first few days, Yang Kai did not meet anyone.
His harvest was also not great, possibly because others had rushed here ahead of him. Whatever the case was, over the past few days, Yang Kai’s expectations for this place have gradually diminished; after all, he had already experienced the great bounty of the floating continent.
The floating continent was a place where materials incredibly abundant, with spirit grasses and spirit medicines everywhere one looked, many of them Origin Grade or even Origin King Grade.
The herbs Yang Kai harvested in the Treasure Area were mostly Saint King Grade High-Rank with a few being Origin Grade. Such a harvest would be huge for anyone else, but Yang Kai was indifferent to it.
Worst of all, he couldn’t find the herbs he wanted.
After the Flowing Flame Sand Field closed this time, he planned to refine some pills for Wu Yi, Yu Feng, and the others because their strength was simply too weak.
On this day though, Yang Kai was walking when he suddenly stopped and sniffed the air.
He smelled a familiar aroma that while fresh and a hint of bitterness to it.
Emerald Silk Grass! Yang Kai’s eyes brightened.
Obtaining Emerald Silk Grass was one of Yang Kai’s objectives for this trip. It wasn’t that Emerald Silk Grass wasn’t found elsewhere on Shadowed Star, but once it appears, it would be snatched up by the major forces because it was the primary ingredient required to refine Origin Condensing Pills.
Although the highest level of Alchemist on Shadowed Star was only Origin Grade Low-Rank, these people could still attempt to refine Origin Condensing Pills, possibly even succeeding once or twice out of ten attempts. Any success, however, represented a great chance of producing an Origin Returning Realm master.
Because of this, Emerald Silk Grass simply wasn’t available on the market at all as it was one of the most sought-after herbs.
Yang Kai could only place his hopes on this trip to the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
However, he didn’t expect he would actually find some.
This faint bitterness could only be emitted by Emerald Silk Grass, and judging from the richness of this scent, there seemed to be quite a few stalks, otherwise, it would have been impossible for the fragrance to travel so far.
Yang Kai didn’t even need to use his Divine Sense, all he had to do was breathe in to quickly determine where the medicinal fragrance was coming from, dashing off in that direction as soon as he had.
About half an hour later, Yang Kai finally arrived, but instead of rushing out to collect the Emerald Silk Grass, he concealed his aura and scanned his surroundings.
Because he knew that where there was Emerald Silk Grass, there was likely one or more special of Monster Beasts lurking nearby.
He decided to see if there were any traces of such Monster Beasts here.
Looking around though, Yang Kai’s heart leapt wildly, and he was barely able to contain his joy.
Because in front of him were more than a dozen green stalks, each with seven small leaves, spread out across a wide area.
When an Emerald Silk Grass grew seven leaves, it meant they were fully mature and had medicinal ages of at least five hundred years. In Yang Kai’s hands, that means it could make more than a dozen Origin Condensing Pills.
Not far from the dozen or so Emerald Silk Grasses though, there was a large cave that had a foul odour wafting from it as well as some traces of sticky looking slime around a wide entrance.
Seeing this, Yang Kai understood exactly what type of Monster Beast was guarding these Emerald Silk Grasses.
Silver Horned Lightning Python!
The Silver Horned Lightning Python was a Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order Monster Beast. When it reached its peak, it could evolve further into a species of Flood Dragon which was a Ninth-Order Monster Beast. Silver Horned Lightning Pythons liked the bitter aura given off by Emerald Silk Grass so it wasn’t a surprise one had chosen to live here.
Yang Kai knew this information because he had seen it in the ancient books Zong Ao had given him back on Rainfall Star, otherwise, he wouldn’t have known so much about herbs in the Star Field.
Whether it was a Seventh-Order Monster Beast or an Eighth-Order Monster Beast though, Yang Kai didn’t care much. He believed that with his speed, he could quickly leave here after collecting those Emerald Silk Grasses.
Using his Divine Sense to sweep the cave, Yang Kai immediately noticed that there were two Silver Horned Lightning Pythons inside, both of them were Eighth-Order!
These two Monster Beasts had clearly lived here for many, many years, so them reaching the Eighth-Order wasn’t unexpected.
However, what made Yang Kai a little bit concerned was that there were actually two other cultivators here as well.
Obviously, the other two knew the Monster Beasts inside the cave weren’t to be trifled with so even though they had arrived here earlier than Yang Kai, they hadn’t dared to act rashly and were even now seemingly discussing how to collect those Emerald Silk Grasses.
The best way would naturally be for one person to lead the pythons out from the cave, pulling the tiger away from the mountain, while the other person collected the spirit herbs.
But these two were both just Second-Order Saint Kings. Even if they couldn’t defeat a single Silver Horned Lightning Python, running away wouldn’t be a problem, but if either of them had to deal with two of these beasts, they would face great danger, therefore they were still debating.
However, before these two could resolve their discussion, they saw a man in black robes walk straight out from nowhere and quickly approach the dozen or so Emerald Silk Grass stalks.
The two of them gawked slightly but soon realized that someone was trying to snatch their prize.
The man in black robes seemed to now be aware of the danger he was in and simply rushed out with a happy smile on his face.
After a short pause, the two hiding cultivators couldn’t hold back anymore. Whether this person could collect the Emerald Silk Grass or not, once he stepped forward and alerted the two pythons, all hope they had of succeeding would disappear.
As such, both of them swiftly rushed out.
Yang Kai frowned after he noticed the movements of these two men, and he too raced out, faster than anyone else, and immediately arrived at the Emerald Silk Grasses.
Quickly plucking the dozen or so stalks of Emerald Silk Grass, Yang Kai tossed them directly into his Space Ring.
Only then did the two Silver Horned Lightning Pythons seem to realize something was wrong and two faint blue bolts of lightning shot out from the cave directly towards Yang Kai.
At the same time, a washbasin size python head emerged from the cave and two triangular snake eyes stared towards Yang Kai coldly, crackling lightning dancing around a single silver horn atop its head.
With a rumble, this Silver Horned Lightning Python’s huge and imposing body slithered out from the cave. Yang Kai plucking the Emerald Silk Grass had obviously enraged it.
The other Silver Horned Lightning Python swiftly followed suit.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he avoided the first bolts of lightning and was about to run away when he suddenly heard a rage-filled voice shout, “Leave the Emerald Silk Grass if you don’t want to die!”
As soon as these words rang out, Saint Qi erupted, condensed into a majestic tiger head, and bit towards Yang Kai.
How could something he had snatched for himself be so easily given away? Yang Kai knew that these two were quite anxious, otherwise, they would not have rushed out so suddenly, but Yang Kai’s response was simply to casually dodge this tiger head attack.
The tiger’s head coincidentally continued forward and attacked the second Silver Horned Lightning Python which was crawling out of the cave. Lightning flashed atop this Silver Horned Lightning Python’s horn, and although it hadn’t been injured, suffering this attack had angered it further.
With a crackling sound, a dark ball of lightning appeared atop the horn of the angered Silver Horned Lightning Python. With a flourish of its head, the python sent out this black ball of lightning towards the cultivators at a speed barely visible to the eye.
One of them paled and hurriedly dodged while the other seemed to have all his attention focused on Yang Kai who was about to run away, but in his distracted state, he was unable to avoid the lightning sphere and was instantly enveloped by it.
Lighting flashed about as this unfortunate cultivator twitched, his hair standing on end. In a panic, he pushed his Saint Qi to resist the current from invading his body.
However, a massive whip-like object suddenly struck him, nearly knocking the soul from his body.
Having been struck by the lightning ball, this man had already been paralyzed and had no way to avoid this blow, so he was struck dead on and flung out several dozen meters.
The sound of bones shattering rang out as this man was sent flying, his chest caving in and blood spurting from his mouth as his face became unnaturally pale. Only now was he able to tell what it was that had struck him, it was the Silver Horned Lightning Python’s tail!
After hitting the ground, he convulsed a few times but somehow managed to get to his feet before staggering and falling over again, this time not getting up.
Suffering a direct hit from an Eighth-Order Monster Beast’s lightning attack, followed by a heavy tail whip, this Second Order Saint King cultivator only had death to look forward to.
The remaining cultivator’s face changed greatly as he had never imagined the situation would end up like this. In his head, after his first attack killed Yang Kai, he would snatch his Space ring then take advantage of the Silver Horned Lightning Pythons attacking Yang Kai to escape with his companion, allowing them to reap all the gains without facing any of the danger.
However, the course of events deviated greatly from his expectations.
Yang Kai remained unharmed while his companion had suffered calamity and died on the spot.
Now he had no thoughts of finding trouble with Yang Kai because he was in the same boat. Both of them were being entangled by one of the Silver Horned Lightning Pythons, and with only a Second-Order Saint King cultivation, facing an Eight-Order Monster Beast, he was barely able to protect himself. He didn’t dare to remain and fight, so he decisively chose to withdraw, drawing one of the Silver Horned Lightning Python’s out of Yang Kai’s sight.
Before leaving, however, the glare filled with resentment he shot towards Yang Kai let the latter know he had contracted an inexplicable and irresolvable grudge.
The other side had attacked first, attempting to kill him and steal his treasures, yet now Yang Kai was the one being blamed for everything. Naturally, Yang Kai had no plans to let this situation end so simply. Besides settling this grudge, Yang Kai also needed to silence this man otherwise once word of these Emerald Silk Grasses spread, he would only have more trouble to deal with.
Here wasn’t a good place to silence witnesses to the crime though as the Silver Horned Lightning Python was quite difficult to deal with. Yang Kai found that his Demonic Flame didn’t actually cause this python much damage because its scales were as hard as armour and were resistant to the elements.
This Monster Beast was clearly at the peak of the Eighth-Order, on the verge of evolving to the Ninth-Order and becoming a Flood Dragon.
If it were given a dozen years or so, it would definitely succeed.
On top of that, this Silver Horned Lightning Python seemed to have undergone some kind of mutation and was not only capable of using Thunder Attribute Divine Abilities like shooting lightning bolts from its horn, it was also able to spit a green poisonous mist from its mouth which caused Yang Kai much headache.
Yang Kai would have to expend a lot of effort to kill it!
Contemplating it for a moment, Yang Kai gave up the idea of killing it. Even if he killed such a Monster Beast, all he would get was an Eighth-Order Monster Core plus some low-grade Artefact Refining materials, it really wasn’t worth it.
Eliminating the fleeing source of trouble took precedent.
Thinking so, Yang Kai immediately withdrew from the fight and dashed off in the direction the other cultivator escaped, soon losing the Silver Horned Lightning Python far behind.
Along the way, Yang Kai saw the other Silver Horned Lightning Python which had gone to chase the fleeing cultivator returning to the cave. Seeing this, Yang Kai understood that his target had, like him, managed to shake off this difficult opponent.
In the jungle, a certain Second-Order Saint King leaned against a huge tree, his Divine Sense spread out around himself, panting heavily as he guarded against anyone or anything that tried to approach, cursing under his breath the whole time.
More than a dozen Emerald Silk Grasses had been within his grasp, but it seemed the Heavens had other plans; not only had he failed to pick those precious spirit herbs, his companion had also died.
He directed all his hate towards Yang Kai, feeling that if it weren’t for Yang Kai, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a miserable state. If it weren’t for Yang Kai suddenly jumping out and snatching his things, how could he have acted so hastily?
That was a dozen Emerald Silk Grasses! If he could have handed them over to the Elders of his Sect, he would have received a massive reward, but now he had less than nothing.
He simply couldn’t let this matter stand, no matter what, he needed to snatch those Emerald Silk Grasses from that bastard.
Taking out his communication artefact from his Space Ring and pouring his Divine Sense into it, this man wanted to notify his fellow Sect Brothers and Sister of what had just happened when suddenly a hot and cold, good and evil aura descended upon him from above.
Looking up blankly, all this man could see was a giant black palm that was patting towards him ruthlessly.
With a scream, he immediately summoned his defensive artefact while at the same time forcing his body to retreat a dozen meters, trying to avoid the attack of this huge palm print.
Someone was attacking him!
This man was astonished, he had spread out his Divine Sense but still failed to notice any trace of this person’s approach, which showed that the other party’s cultivation realm was far higher than his own. However, if that was the case, why would he suddenly be attacking him?
The next moment though, as a black flame enveloped him, he understood. Staring at Yang Kai who appeared not far from him, he couldn’t help calling out in shock, “You…”
He didn’t have the hard skin of the Silver Horned Lightning Python, so after being contaminated with the Demonic Flame, he was unable to put up any meaningful resistance and a moment later was reduced to a pile of ashes.
His Space Ring and communication artefact both dropped to the ground.
Yang Kai secretly breathed a sigh of relief after seeing this communication artefact as he knew his previous assumptions had been correct. This man really was planning on contacting his friends as soon as he escaped from the Silver Horned Lightning Python. Fortunately, Yang Kai had arrived in time, otherwise, he would have been in for a lot of hassle.
Bending down, Yang Kai picked up the Space Ring and checked its content. Unsurprisingly, there were some Saint Crystals and pills, but in addition to this, there were several Saint King Grade High-Rank herbs and a few bean-sized Fire Crystal Stones, obviously things this man had acquired along the way.
Indifferent to these things, Yang Kai stored them away in his own Space Ring before picking up the communication artefact.
While preparing to also throw this into his Space Ring, Yang Kai sensed a pulse of Divine Sense from this communication artefact.
Someone was sending a message!
Yang Kai was startled, wondering if he had been one step too late. Had the other party managed to contact someone before he arrived?
Frowning, Yang Kai sent his Divine Sense into the artefact, his expression turning strange in the next instant.
While it was true that someone had sent a message, it had nothing to do with Yang Kai or what had just happened now. Instead, it seemed whoever was sending the message was trying to gather together all of his companions as he had seemingly found something extraordinary.
Yang Kai didn’t want to meddle in this affair; after all, he had just killed someone from the Sect which was now gathering together, so avoiding this group was the sensible choice, but the four words ‘Soul Cleansing Divine Water’ were actually mentioned in this Divine Sense Message!
This startled Yang Kai.
He had read many of Zong Ao’s ancient books back on Rainfall Star and learned about many different treasures, not just information about herbs and pill recipes.
Soul Cleansing Divine Water was one of the treasures he had learned of.
This treasure wasn’t a natural product but was instead formed through a series of chance coincidences.
Three conditions had to be met for Soul Cleansing Divine Water to be created. First, the location where it was formed needed to be extremely rich in World Energy, preferably an Earth Vein or Spirit Spring. Second, an Origin King Realm master had to have died there. Third, after the death of this Origin King Realm master, their Spiritual Energy must not have dissipated and instead perfectly integrated with the Earth Vein or Spirit Spring. If all these conditions were met, there was a slim chance Soul Cleansing Divine Water would be formed.
Of these conditions, the third condition was without a doubt the most difficult to achieve, because no matter how powerful a cultivator was, once they died, their Spiritual Energy would escape from their body and soon dissipate into the surrounding atmosphere. This was essentially unavoidable.
However, there were some exceptions.
For example, a Soul Warming Lotus had the ability to completely preserve a cultivator’s Spiritual Energy. When Yang Kai found the Soul Warming Lotus, it had been surrounded by a massive amount of Spiritual Energy.
If Yang Kai accidentally died, his Spiritual Energy would also likely not dissipate but instead be preserved by the Soul Warming Lotus.
The birth of Soul Cleansing Divine Water was another such exception.
A person’s Soul contained their entire life’s experiences and memory, something no one dared to absorb at will. Yang Kai was only able to refine remnant Souls after purifying them with his Demon Eye of Annihilation.
However, Soul Cleansing Divine Water was different, it was actually a mixture of Spiritual Energy and a massive amount of World Energy. Because of the special conditions required for its formation, all of the dead cultivator’s memories and life experiences were washed away, leaving behind only a pure form of energy.
Soul Cleansing Divine Water could not only quickly improve a cultivator’s Soul cultivation, but if one was lucky enough, one would even be able to gain some of the insights in the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao of the fallen Origin King Realm cultivator.
Of course, the chance of this was even smaller than the chance of Soul Cleansing Divine Water being formed.
Zong Ao’s ancient books had recorded all of this, but Soul Cleansing Divine Water was too scarce. Origin King Realm cultivators already stood at the pinnacle of the Star Field, each of them possessing long life spans, so how could any of them die casually, much less die in a land where there was abundant World Energy?
As such, Zong Ao had only heard about this treasure and hadn’t actually seen it before.
What truly surprised Yang Kai about this Soul Cleansing Divine Water though was the fact that it had appeared here given the conditions required for its formation!
If it was really was the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, wouldn’t that mean that at one point, an Origin King Realm master died on Shadowed Star? Since there was an Origin King herein the past, why weren’t there any now? Also, why was the overall level of Alchemy and Artefact Refining on Shadowed Star so low?
While Yang Kai was contemplating all this, many more Divine Sense messages reached the communication artefact in his hand as people asked questions in amazement and also tried to determine where they would rendezvous.
[Should I take a look?] Yang Kai frowned. If it really was Soul Cleansing Divine Water, it was worth the risk. Even if it turned out to be something else, he wouldn’t suffer any loss other than wasting a bit of time.
Considering all this, Yang Kai no longer hesitated and while secretly paying attention to the information coming into the communication artefact, he ran towards the gathering point indicated.
It took Yang Kai some time to determine his exact destination. Fortunately, the location where the Soul Cleansing Divine Water had been found wasn’t too far away, otherwise, this communication artefact would not have even connected.
When Yang Kai finally arrived, he discovered that it was actually a stalactite cave. The inside of this cave was quite dark and seemed to be filled with a layer of mist, making it difficult to see ahead. Even Divine Sense seemed to be suppressed quite severely here.
Was the Soul Cleansing Divine Water in this place?
Moments after Yang Kai arrived, a team of three people quickly approached from a different direction.
Yang Kai glanced over at them casually to discover that these three wore the same robes as the two men who had tried to rob the Emerald Silk Grass from him. This could only mean that these three belonged to the same great force as those two.
Yang Kai secretly paid attention to them and soon came to know which force they came from.
They were actually from Heaven Battling Union!
This fact became apparent to Yang Kai when he saw that the one leading this group of three was actually Qu Chang Feng!
The entrance Heaven Battling Union used to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field was not the same one as Shadow Moon Hall. As Yang Kai crossed the Flame Area, he had not met anyone from Heaven Battling Union, but now that he had reached the Treasure Area, it seemed that the chances of meeting cultivators from various forces had increased. This made sense as the further one travelled into the Flowing Flame Sand Field, the less space there was.
At this moment, Qu Chang Feng’s face was filled with excitement as he led his two Sect Brothers over with great momentum. Obviously, he too had received that Divine Sense Message and was eager to investigate.
Soul Cleansing Divine Water had a huge appeal to all cultivators. This wasn’t something good for just Saint Kings, even Origin Realm and Origin King Realm masters could benefit from it. Fortunately, only Saint Kings could enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field, otherwise, none of them would have been able to enjoy this grade of treasure.
With his complete attention focused on the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, Qu Chang Feng didn’t seem interested in Yang Kai at all, simply shooting him a passing glance before rushing into the Stalactite Cave.
After his figure disappeared, two or three other cultivators also raced over from different directions.
Seeing this, Yang Kai no longer hesitated and dove after behind Qu Chang Feng into the stalactite cave.
The treasure was right in front of him, those with fast hands would grab some while those who were slow would get nothing, so Yang Kai naturally couldn’t fall behind.
Drops of milky white liquid dripped from the hanging stalactites, giving the entire cave a fresh aura that was rich in World Energy. This place truly had incredibly dense World Energy, as if a spring of it was hidden deeper inside.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai nodded to himself. One of the conditions for the formation of Soul Cleansing Divine Water was satisfied by this place. The World Energy aura here was indeed strong, and this was just the periphery. If one went in further, the aura would only become richer.
Inside the cave, only the sound of water droplets falling to the ground resounded.
Yang Kai made his way inside, and the further he went, the more potent the World Energy aura became. After walking for around a stick of incense worth of time, he arrived at a large stone cavern.
Looking around, Yang Kai couldn’t help staring for a moment.
There were actually a lot of people gathered here in this stone cavern, twenty at least. Qu Chang Feng was also here and was currently staring greedily at a certain place. Besides him, there were five other Saint Kings, surrounding him like stars around a bright moon. These people were naturally Heaven Battling Union disciples.
Besides the six from Heaven Battling Union, the other dozen or so cultivators were split up into four groups, each group with three to five people in it.
On top of that, there was a stern-faced man who, like Yang Kai, stood all alone, his aura extremely calm and reserved.
However, when Yang Kai saw this person, he instinctually felt a sense of danger. This fellow wasn’t weak, a Third-Order Saint King without a doubt.
Yang Kai was used to killing enemies in higher realms than his own, and he had even killed a number of Third-Order Saint Kings. An ordinary Third-Order Saint King wouldn’t give him such a feeling of danger, so that could only mean that this person was incredibly powerful.
Even facing Qu Chang Feng and Fang Tian Zhong, Yang Kai didn’t feel this way; who was he?
Sure enough, when Qu Chang Feng took back his greedy gaze and glanced towards this man, he frowned slightly, a tinge of dread and annoyance flashing across the depths of his eyes.
Yang Kai was surprised once more.
He had already experienced just how arrogant and unruly Qu Chang Feng was, he never put anyone in his eyes, not even Fang Tian Zhong, yet when he faced this stern-looking young man, Qu Chang Feng actually revealed such a timid appearance.
Just as Yang Kai was thinking like this, Qu Chang Feng suddenly shot him a glare, his eyes flashing with anger and ridicule, silently implying Yang Kai was in over his head, actually daring to come here all alone with just a First-Order Saint King cultivation. According to Qu Chang Feng’s nature, right now he would normally be clearing everyone unrelated to him out of this place, and Yang Kai had become his primary target; after all, who didn’t want to have sole possession of good things. However, for whatever reason, despite his anger and unwillingness, he gradually restrained himself.
Seeing Qu Chang Feng not try to seek trouble with him, Yang Kai turned his eyes forward, wanting to see if the Soul Cleansing Divine Water really existed.
Everyone eyes were currently fixed on a pool of water roughly fifty meters in diameter; however, the water in this pool was golden in colour. The aura wafting from this pool of water was incredibly thick and had a calming effect on one’s soul. All the cultivators who stood nearby were affected by this aura and couldn’t help feeling spirited and refreshed, as if their Souls were already being nourished.
Was this really Soul Cleansing Divine Water? Yang Kai frowned.
Feeling the aura coming from this pool of water, Yang Kai immediately confirmed it was the legendary Soul Cleansing Divine Water, but what made him somewhat confused was that this Soul Cleansing Divine Water was golden.
According to Zong Ao’s ancient books, Soul Cleansing Divine Water was milky white, and if its quality was high enough and it condensed for long enough, it may become a pure silver colour.
Golden Soul Cleansing Divine Water hadn’t been recorded in those ancient books, and it seemed no one had ever seen such a phenomenon before. Did that mean this Soul Cleansing Divine Water was of even higher quality than the silver one?
Was there something wrong with it? Yang Kai frowned deeper as he contemplated this issue, from time to time glancing around at the others in the cavern, hoping to discover some clues from their faces.
But soon, Yang Kai was disappointed. The cultivators standing here only showed two expressions, either a deep desire for this Soul Cleansing Divine Water or fear of Qu Chang Feng. Only the stern-faced Third-Order Saint King who stood alone maintained a look of completely indifferent.
These people obviously didn’t know much about Soul Cleansing Divine Water so there was no use trying to pry information from them.
With such a treasure right in front of them, no one wouldn’t be tempted, but the reason no one had tried to jump straight into this pool of water to cleanse and purify their Soul was because of a thin, golden, hemispherical dome which was covering it.
Obviously, some of the people here had tested the power of this barrier before and determined that no one could enter the pool before it was broken.
On the other side of the pool, there was a cross-legged skeleton sitting on the ground. It was impossible to tell just how many years had passed since this master passed away, but it must have been incredibly long as even the Artefact Armour worn on his body had become faded and tattered.
He didn’t have a Space Ring on his hand, but whether he never had one or it had simply been taken away a long time ago could not be determined.
This person must have been an Origin King before he died. Only when an Origin King Realm master died could their Spiritual Energy combine with the rich Spirit Spring here to give birth to a pool of Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
Everyone wore a sad look when they glanced at this skeleton because the Artefact Armour worn by an Origin King would definitely not be low-grade, perhaps being even higher-end than any artefact on Shadowed Star.
However, this Artefact Armour was clearly damaged beyond repair. It was really quite a mystery how many aeons ago this Origin King Realm master had died.
After Yang Kai arrived, more than ten others followed one after another, all of them clearly having gotten word of this place and quickly come to investigate. With each new person who came, Qu Chang Feng’s expression grew gloomier and gloomier; clearly, he was dissatisfied that so many people had come here to snatch his treasure.
However, there was nothing he could do about hid dissatisfaction. There were already cultivators here from eight forces, so even if Heaven Battling Union was among the most powerful Sects on Shadowed Star, Qu Chang Feng wouldn’t be able to withstand the public anger were he to try to monopolize this place. On top of that, there were only eight cultivators from Heaven Battling Union here with him, they couldn’t afford to become hostile with everyone present.
“Why haven’t Junior Brother Fu and Junior Brother Liu come yet? They should have been around here and couldn’t have missed the message we sent out,” A thin man next to Qu Chang Feng mutter softly as he glanced towards the entrance to the stone cavern, obviously hoping this Junior Brother Fu and Junior Brother Liu would quickly appear. Although the strength of those two wasn’t very high, if they came, they could still add some power to Heaven Battling Union’s lineup, so when it came time to divide up this treasure, they would be able to snatch more advantages. Now though, not only had they not come, they hadn’t even sent a reply to the original message.
“If they haven’t shown up yet, they probably never will,” Qu Chang Feng coldly snorted.
The skinny man’s face changed when he heard Qu Chang Feng’s words. Indeed, if those two could come, they would have, but since they hadn’t, it could only mean they had suffered something unexpected.
The Treasure Area wasn’t a safe zone, it still contained many dangers.
However, none of the disciples from Heaven Battling Union could have thought that one of their Junior Brothers had died under the lightning attack and tail whip of a Silver Horned Lightning Python and the other hand been burnt to ash by Yang Kai. Naturally, it was impossible for them to appear here.
Seeing more and more people showing up, the cultivators who had already come here couldn’t sit still any longer. If they continued waiting, they would only be decreasing the number of benefits they could obtain.
A scholarly looking man from one of the teams with five members suddenly walked out and cupped his fists to Qu Chang Feng, “Young Master Qu, what should we do now? Shouldn’t we begin?”
His words and demeanour were polite and respectful. He had asked Qu Chang Feng because he knew that in terms of status, Qu Chang Feng was higher than everyone else present. Not only was Qu Chang Feng the number one talent of Heaven Battling Union’s younger generation, of all the people here, he was likely also the strongest. His opinion was essential in determining how they would handle this Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
Acting rashly here would only draw everyone else’s hostility.
Given the current situation, the only option was to reach a compromise and then distribute the benefits.
“Yes, Young Master Qu. More and more people keep arriving, a long night of sleep brings about many dreams.” Immediately after the first man spoke, his sentiments were echoed by the other teams gathered around. People quickly expressed their support and agreed to let Qu Chang Feng come up with a plan.
Qu Chang Feng himself seemed to enjoy this feeling of being respected, so after hearing all of this, his gloomy complexion finally eased and he put on a serious look and said, “Naturally we must take action. As long as everyone works together to break this barrier, the Soul Cleansing Divine Water will be within our reach.”
“I agree. When we first found this place, my Junior Brother and I tried to break this barrier but soon discovered it was incredibly hard, I’m afraid it can’t be broken with just two or three people. Our only option is for everyone to work together!” A beautiful young woman nodded with a smile.
“Then what are we waiting for? As long as Young Master Qu coordinates all of us to attack together, I don’t believe so many of us will fail to break this damn barrier,” A man with a large beard snorted as he took out a hammer artefact, clenching it tightly as he waited for Qu Chang Feng to speak, as if he was a loyal soldier waiting to be commanded.
Qu Chang Feng smiled slightly, giving everyone present the impression a light spring breeze had just blow through. At this moment, he finally restored his usual flamboyant temperament and spoke, “Breaking this barrier won’t be a problem, it’s only a matter of time until we can obtain this Soul Cleansing Divine Water, but before we act, this Qu feels we should first discuss how to allocate it.”
When he said this, many people frowned secretly.
Before they even broke the barrier, Qu Chang Feng wanted to distribute the benefits. This clearly made many feel uneasy.
However, no one raised any objections. If Qu Chang Feng became angry out of shame, the consequences weren’t something any of them could bear. Heaven Battling Union looking for trouble with people who had done less wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, and everyone they targeted ended up quite miserable.
“Then… how does Young Master Qu think we should allocate this Soul Cleansing Divine Water?” The beautiful woman who spoke before smiled sweetly, batting her eyes slightly as she asked, displaying a fresh and charming appearance.
She didn’t want to seduce Qu Chang Feng as she knew that she could not win over this Heaven Battling Union Young Master with her skills. She just wanted to show as much goodwill towards Qu Chang Feng in hopes he would be more generous to her when dividing up the spoils.
Unfortunately for her, Qu Chang Feng turned a blind eye to this before speaking in a smooth tone that illustrated he had already come up with a distribution plan, “There are eight forces represented here, so this Qu suggest we divide this pool into four parts.”
“Four parts?” The beautiful woman frowned slightly but quickly resumed smiling, “If we divide this pool in four, how do we distribute it?”
Qu Chang Feng proudly declared, “My Heaven Battling Union is not unreasonable, we only want one portion!”
Hearing this, everyone secretly let out a sigh of relief while also feeling a little surprised. Qu Chang Feng being this generous was far beyond their expectations; all of them had thought Qu Chang Feng would demand half of it, so him asking for a quarter was a pleasant surprise.
This proposal had to be accepted! No one here was stupid enough to refuse.
Everyone nodded strongly, not raising any objections.
Seeing that everyone agreed to his proposal, Qu Chang Feng was satisfied, his smiling and laughter growing gentler.
“Young Master Qu, how do you suggest we divide up the remaining three parts? I hope you can provide us with your guidance so that after we break this barrier, everyone will have a set of rules to abide by. All of us live together on Shadowed Star and none of us should act shamelessly about such matters, inviting public anger upon us,” Another person said. This person was head of the force with the smallest number of members, three in total. That was also why he allowed Qu Chang Feng to decide the allocation of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water; otherwise, if it turned into a free-for-all, his team would undoubtedly obtain less.
As soon as this person’s words came to an end, many people stared at him fiercely.
However, Qu Chang Feng just nodded politely, “This is also true. If no one has any opinion, how about this Qu decides how the remaining three parts are divided?”
Although some people were reluctant, who would be stupid enough to stand up and question Qu Chang Feng’s status at this time?
All of them could only hold their noses and accept the situation while hoping Qu Chang Feng wouldn’t be too partial to anyone. After all, some forces here had good relationships with Heaven Battling Union.
Disregarding how everyone else was thinking, Qu Chang Feng laughed and said, “That being the case, this Qu won’t be polite. En, of the remaining three parts, this friend can take one. Do you have any complaints?”
To everyone’s surprise, Qu Chang Feng first addressed the lone, stern-faced male cultivator who was standing to the side.
“Ah…” Exclamations sounded as everyone was filled with surprised, staring at Qu Chang Feng in shock before turning to look at the stern-faced man, wondering what Qu Chang Feng was thinking.
To them, it was obvious Heaven Battling Union could acquire one quarter of this Soul Cleansing Divine Water, but the stern-faced man and Yang Kai were both all alone and clearly didn’t have the ability or qualification to acquire any of this treasure.
They had long ago subconsciously excluded these two people entirely!
How could they have imagined that Qu Chang Feng would suddenly give an entire quarter of this pool to a lone man; that was how much his entire Heaven Battling Union took.
Was there some kind of trick behind this?
Many people had doubts in their hearts whether Qu Chang Feng was planning to let this person take away a quarter of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water and then rob him of it later, but if that was really his plan, why not give it to that lone First-Order Saint King instead? Why would Qu Chang Feng choose this Third-Order Saint King?
Wasn’t that just asking for trouble?
Despite all the confusion around him, the stern-faced man didn’t show any surprise at all, as if he had expected this situation from the beginning, simply nodding as he bluntly said, “Sure!”
He spoke calmly and confidently, without the slightest hint of thanks or apology.
This made the leaders of the other forces gathered here change slightly and frown slightly as if they had just thought of something, none of them raising any objections to Qu Chang Feng’s distribution plan anymore and instead readily agreeing.
At that moment, the look everyone gave to this stern-faced man changed, fear and dread flashing across their eyes.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed as well as he guessed the origins of this man. However, he wasn’t sure of his guess; after all, he hadn’t been on Shadowed Star for very long and didn’t know much about its customs and local conditions.
Next, Qu Chang Feng went on to distribute the remaining half of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water among the assembled forces on the scene. The distribution was based on the number of people each force had, with those having more people obtaining more of the pool while those who had less receiving less. This distribution was fair and simple, not showing favour to anyone, not even the beautiful young woman who had flirted with him. This naturally caused her to frown as a layer of frost seemed to cover her expression.
Out of everyone present, the only one who wasn’t assigned anything was Yang Kai.
No one was surprised by this though because they had long ago excluded him. It would be strange if Qu Chang Feng really assigned anything to Yang Kai.
After the distribution of benefits was decided, many cultivators glanced towards Yang Kai. Some people showed ridicule and disdain while others showed sympathy. Everyone had different opinions on the matter, but no one spoke a single word for him.
Yang Kai just stood there indifferently without saying anything.
He actually found this whole situation somewhat amusing. He wasn’t even sure this golden pool of water was Soul Cleansing Divine Water and putting hope on others to understand this was no different than hoping a pig could explain it to him.
These people didn’t know anything at all about Soul Cleansing Divine Water yet before the barrier was even broken, they had decided how to divide it up.
Yang Kai really wanted to see how they were going to take away this Soul Cleansing Divine Water!
Once this treasure left the pool where it had been formed, it’s purifying, and cleansing properties would immediately disappear. If the Soul Cleansing Divine Water was taken out of the pool, all they would get is a pile of rich spirit liquid rather than Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
So, no matter what kind of extravagant and colourful words Qu Chang Feng spoke, and no matter how everyone was staring at him, Yang Kai didn’t show a flustered look.
Since nothing could be brought out from this pool, what good was a distribution plan? In the end, it would be necessary to absorb this Soul Cleansing Divine Water here and now, so their distribution scheme was meaningless, and once everyone realised this, Yang Kai was confident he would be able to fish some benefits in the ensuing chaos.
Immediately after the discussion about the distribution of benefits concluded, under Qu Chang Feng’s call, everyone began attacking the golden barrier covering the pool.
For a time, various artefacts and Martial Skills bombarded the golden dome above the pool, causing numerous ripples. To ensure that no complications arose due to delay, everyone put forward all of their strength.
As soon as everyone began attacking, individual strengths and weakness were revealed. The cultivators at the Third-Order Saint King realm all had relatively similar strength, but Qu Chang Feng’s performance stood out. The fact that he was using an Original Grade High-Rank artefact, a long bronze axe, also increased the difference between him and the others present. Although with his Third Order Saint King cultivation he could not display the full strength of this artefact, every strike he made would cause the golden dome to tremble fiercely.
It came as no surprise that Qu Chang Feng had such skill though; after all, he was the first talent of Heaven Battling Union and his reputation had spread across Shadowed Star. It was also normal for him to possess such a powerful artefact.
What was surprising though was the stern-faced man didn’t seem to have any powerful artefacts at all, only wearing a pair of plain black gloves on his fists as he repeatedly punched the barrier.
However, this calm and relaxed attack actually carried no less power than Qu Chang Feng’s.
Seeing this, the crowd confirmed their previous conjectures and understood why Qu Chang Feng had willingly given this person a quarter of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
After understanding this, everyone focused on exerting the power of their artefact and Martial Skills and avoided paying attention to this person.
Qu Chang Feng, on the other hand, seemed to want to compete with this stern-faced man, and knowing an outright confrontation was out of the question, he had settled on who could make a bigger impact on this barrier instead. As such, Qu Chang Feng pushed his Saint Qi even harder, increasing the ferocity and effect of his attacks with each blow.
But no matter how Qu Chang Feng urged his Saint Qi, the stern-faced man’s attacks remained unchanged and he showed no intention to strengthen them at all, as if he didn’t place Qu Chang Feng in his eyes at all, making Heaven Battling Union’s genius disciple so frustrated he nearly spat blood.
It was incredibly vexing to Qu Chang Feng, like he had struck a blow with all his might but only hit cotton.
While the crowd was breaking the barrier, Yang Kai did not idle, he also participated by adding his strength; after all, he was still planning to fish for advantages after this. If he was to stand by and do nothing while the barrier was being broken, he would only be giving people an excuse to expel him, so despite everyone else’s amazement, he condensed his Saint Qi into a sword, not daring to expose his Demonic Flame, and chopped towards the golden barrier without any signs of anxiety or panic.
The strength he displayed was neither weak nor strong, only what an average of First-Order Saint King should have.
Everyone else was stunned at first but soon became disinterested and began ignoring Yang Kai, some of them secretly sighing and wondering why he would bother putting in any effort despite knowing he wouldn’t be apportioned any of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
If he really tried to snatch any of this treasure, anyone here would be able to kill him on the spot.
The same beautiful young woman who had spoken earlier was standing next to Yang Kai, swinging her artefact, transforming it into countless flaming birds that crashed towards the barrier, slowly but surely wearing it down. Seemingly unable to bear watching Yang Kai do such a thankless job, she spoke up to persuade him, “Little Brother, don’t bother, it’s no use. Instead of doing this, you might as well leave this place and look outside to see if you can find your own opportunities. It must not have been easy to reach this Treasure Area with your cultivation; you shouldn’t waste your time here.”
She obviously thought that Yang Kai had simply gotten lucky and somehow managed to cross the Flame Area to reach this Treasure Area. Since he managed to reach here, she felt Yang Kai should grasp onto this luck and not waste time here.
Seeing someone try to kindly persuade him, Yang Kai didn’t tell this woman to mind her own business and instead smile to her slightly with a silly look.
The beautiful young woman saw him insist and couldn’t help feeling a little disgruntled, thinking he didn’t know how to appreciate kindness and no longer cared about him.
Just then, a cultivator suddenly exclaimed excitedly, “The barrier is about to break, everybody put in more strength!”
With the fall of his voice, the entire golden dome began shaking even more as even greater ripples spread across its surface, like a lake which had countless stones being thrown into it.
There was no need for this man to remind them as everyone had noticed the change in the barrier. This barrier was truly quite powerful, able to withstand the concentrated attacks of forty or so elite Saint Kings for an incense stick worth of time yet still not completely break. On top of that, this barrier was incredibly ancient, with no one here able to tell just how many years it had existed.
If this barrier had been at its peak strength, it was likely no one here would be able to break it.
As the barrier began to break, everyone’s eyes glowed with joy and they all increased the output of their Saint Qi.
After half a cup of tea’s time, following a cracking sound, the dome-shaped barrier above the pool finally shattered and disappeared without any trace. At the moment the barrier broke, an invisible energy escaped from the pool and swept across everyone present.
At that moment, everyone was shocked and immediately overjoyed.
Because after inhaling this invisible energy, all of them became aware of some subtle changes in their Souls, their Spiritual Energy seemingly becoming slightly stronger.
Soul Cleansing Divine Water truly lived up to its reputation!
Excitement and anticipation filled the faces of everyone present. Under usual circumstances, everyone here would have swarmed up to snatch this treasure, but since they had all reached an agreement beforehand, no matter how much they all wanted to rush up, they suppressed this urge and turned to Qu Chang Feng.
Qu Chang Feng saw this and smiled lightly, “Good work everyone, we’ve finally broken this damn barrier. En, good, I hope everyone will collect this Soul Cleansing Divine Water in an orderly manner. If anyone dares to violate our previous agreement, don’t blame this Qu for acting ruthlessly!”
As he finished saying this, he shot a cold look around the cavern.
Everyone nodded, declaring they wouldn’t dare. Qu Chang Feng was actually looking forward to someone refusing to comply with the previous agreement, giving him an excuse to kill them and take their share, but everyone present was an elite from their force, so they all understood this and naturally wouldn’t do as he wished.
A tinge of regret flashed across Qu Chang Feng’s eyes but he quickly hid it before gruffly waving to a nearby male cultivator and saying, “Begin!”
This cultivator nodded with excitement and rushed up to the pool, condensing Saint Qi in his hands to form a bowl-like shape, scooped up some of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, then prepared to put it into a vessel inside his Space Ring.
Seeing this, Yang Kai’s eyes twitched as he felt distressed in his heart.
Sure enough, the Soul Cleansing Divine Water this cultivator scooped up immediately underwent a drastic transformation in front of everyone’s eyes. As soon as it left the pool the originally golden liquid immediately began leaking golden threads of light which rapidly began to dissipate into the air, three seconds later disappearing altogether.
This scene surprised everyone.
“Senior Brother Qu, something is wrong!” The cultivator responsible for scooping the Soul Cleansing Divine Water exclaimed.
“What happened?”
“After extracting it, it seems the Soul Cleansing Divine Water’s special properties disappear,” The cultivator wailed, pointing to the large bowl he had condensed from his Saint Qi.
“What?” Qu Chang Feng was startled and quickly took a look. Inside the bowl which originally contained the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, there was now no trace of golden radiance and instead just a clear spirit liquid.
Although this spirit liquid was also a good treasure, much higher in quality than even High-Rank Saint Crystal, how could it even compare to Soul Cleansing Divine Water?
“How can this be?” Qu Chang Feng’s face became cloudy and uncertain as he quickly reached out and extract a drop of the spirit liquid from the Saint Qi bowl and put it into his mouth, confirming that it was just plain spirit liquid with no Soul purifying effect.
Unwilling to believe what he was seeing, Qu Chang Feng went up the pool personally and scooped out a handful of the golden liquid, only to see the previous process repeat itself, all the golden radiance of the fluid scattering into the air.
“Young Master Qu, could it be this Soul Cleansing Divine Water can’t be taken away from this place?” Someone guessed.
“It’s possible. Otherwise, why would the Soul Cleansing Divine Water be perfectly fine inside this pool but completely dissipate once removed?”
“How is that possible?”
“I’m not quite sure about this either. I have only heard that Soul Cleansing Divine Water is one of the Three Great Divine Liquids, but I don’t know if there is some special method required to collect it.”
“I don’t know either.”
[Three Great Divine Liquids?] Yang Kai’s brow twitched, he didn’t know what these Three Great Divine Liquids referred to, but apparently this Soul Cleansing Divine Water was one of them.
Qu Chang Feng’s face turned incredibly ugly at this moment, and with the clamouring of the crowd all around him, he was no longer able to maintain his elegant demeanor and sullenly shouted, “If we can’t take this Soul Cleansing Divine Water away, how are we supposed to gather it?”
This group of people all became dumbfounded. Qu Chang Feng had been responsible for the distribution of benefits and everyone had agreed to give him face, but now that they couldn’t even take away this Soul Cleansing Divine Water, the previous agreement had obviously degenerated into a joke. Qu Chang Feng had obviously become angry out of shame because of this matter so no one dared to suggest that all of them should simply enter the pool together now.
Qu Chang Feng wasn’t stupid and had certainly realized this point, he was simply unwilling to say it.
The reason for not saying anything was obviously because he wanted to draw up a new allocation scheme.
But while others didn’t dare to say anything, the stern-faced man who had remained indifferent to everything this whole time took the initiative to speak for the first time and declared, “It’s easy, everyone enters the pool and absorbs the effects of this Soul Cleansing Divine Water.”
With that said, he no longer paid any attention to anyone else and jumped into the middle of the pool.
This pool of water that seemed impervious the probing of Divine Sense and couldn’t be seen through by the eye was apparently not very deep, because as soon as the stern-faced man entered and sat down cross-legged, his chest still remained above its surface.
Everyone was stunned by this and turned to look at Qu Chang Feng. The cultivators who had followed Qu Chang Feng were even more furious, but no matter how angry they were they didn’t dare to reprimand the stern faced man.
Qu Chang Feng’s face was as black as a kettle and the aura around him had clearly become extremely gloomy.
When he was dividing up the Soul Cleansing Divine Water just now, he had given this stern faced man an entire quarter of it, but now, this man had not given him the slightest face and simply done whatever he pleased, making Qu Chang Feng very angry.
Even Fang Tian Zhong didn’t dare disregard him so.
Qu Chang Feng stared grimly at this man, but the other side didn’t pay him any mind, instead just closing his eyes as he sat there, his expression seemingly becoming a bit lighter, even a bit happy; obviously he was obtaining great benefits from absorbing the Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
Seeing someone seize the initiative, all the other cultivators grew even more anxious, so how could they bother waiting for Qu Chang Feng to speak? On top of that, although it was clear Qu Chang Feng was furious, he also didn’t seem to dare to raise any objections.
After not so secretly exchanging glances with one another, many began jumping into the pool.
With someone taking the lead, naturally, others would follow the trend, all of them afraid of falling behind, so the scene immediately became chaotic. Except for the few cultivators from Heaven Battling Union, the others all leapt into the water.
This pool wasn’t small, more than large enough to accommodate several dozen people, but although it looked like there was plenty of Soul Cleansing Divine Water, just how much efficacy this pool contained was unknown, so everyone who jumped in jostled to occupy a favourable position.
The most advantageous spot was naturally the centre of the pool.
Among the dozen or so people who jumped in first, five or six of them fell into the centre.
However, the stern-faced man suddenly opened his eyes and swiftly wielded his fists twice, filling the entire cavern with a fierce wind pressure as he sent those five or six individuals flying through the air while coughing up blood. When these people finally hit the ground, all of them looked weak and horrified.
They all knew this man wasn’t someone they could trifle with, but they hadn’t expected him to be so powerful!
Even one against six, with just two punches, this stern-faced man had easily defeated all of them. Even if this was partly due to him catching them off guard, it was also apparent to everyone he had shown mercy, otherwise, those five or six cultivators would be half dead right now.
“I’ll kill anyone who gets within approaches to within five meters of me!” After sending out these two punches, he made this declaration then closed his eyes again.
He wanted an entire five-meter radius to himself.
The stern-faced man wanting to dominate the centre five-metre radius of the pool was extremely overbearing.
But no one felt that there was anything wrong with this; even Qu Chang Feng, after seeing the other party’s strength, couldn’t help feeling startled.
Yang Kai trembled slightly, not because he was frightened, but because he was inexplicable excitement.
He had met many of Shadowed Star’s young geniuses, but no matter who it was, none of them could draw out fighting intent from him like this stern-faced man, because Yang Kai didn’t know if he could win against this person. It was this kind of uncertainty that made him want to verify it personally.
However, now was not the time to pick a fight with this person, refining the Soul Cleansing Divine Water was the priority right now.
Yang Kai would be active on Shadowed Star in the future, and sooner or later would have the opportunity to compete with this person, so after a moment, Yang Kai restored his usual calm demeanour. At the same time, he was secretly thankful that he had not acted rashly when he first entered this place.
The moment he entered this stone cavern, Yang Kai had thought of driving everyone away and enjoying the power of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water all by himself. If he had acted at that time though, he might not have even been able to defeat this stern-faced man, and in the process he would definitely expose his true strength while allowing Qu Chang Feng and the others to take advantage of his mistakes.
The world was truly big, and there were indeed many geniuses! This stern-faced man was the strongest Saint King Yang Kai had met so far, even Xue Yue of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would probably not be his opponent. This made Yang Kai secretly realize he could no longer casually despise cultivators in the same realm as him.
Inside the stone cavern, besides the few people from Heaven Battling Union who were standing around, everyone else had found a spot in the pool and sat down cross-legged to absorb the effects of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water. Everyone’s face showed a joyful expression, some of them even let out gasps of pleasure, seemingly extremely comfortable.
“Enter!” Qu Chang Feng no longer wasted any time, waving his hand somberly.
The Heaven Battling Union disciples, who had been waiting for his word, heard this and all rushed into the pool, occupying free spots, and sitting down cross-legged.
Qu Chang Feng’s face was incredibly dark, and he could barely contain his anger, but even if he had twice as much courage, he didn’t dare look for trouble with the stern-faced man. Forget about whether he was this person’s opponent, just the behemoth that stood behind him was something even Heaven Battling Union had to fear.
With a heart full of rage but nowhere to vent, Qu Chang Feng was incredibly unhappy and in a fit of anger he actually rushed over to Yang Kai and coldly shouted, “Scram, I want this spot!”
Yang Kai’s spot wasn’t too good, nor too bad, just barely okay in fact.
He had entered along with the rest of the crowd just now and wasn’t too particular about what spot he chose, just occupying any place he could find, so how could he have anticipated Qu Chang Feng would come eyeing it?
Yang Kai understood that Qu Chang Feng was simply venting his anger and that he didn’t really want to occupy this position because there were still some better spots open elsewhere.
Qu Chang Feng was deliberately looking for trouble.
Because Yang Kai had the lowest strength, and he was all alone, Qu Chang Feng had decided to pick on him. The only reason he had not directly attacked was obviously because he was worried about disturbing the stern-faced man.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a cold light, but after thinking about it for a moment, he didn’t put up a fight. Instead, he just stood up and moved to another free spot.
Qu Chang Feng coldly snorted and was seemingly very satisfied with Yang Kai’s performance. Having found a little face for himself, Qu Chang Feng’s expression gradually eased up. After sitting down cross-legged and starting to absorb the effects of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, he immediately showed a happy look, all of his previous dissatisfaction being swept away.
“Little brother, your luck is really good.” The beautiful woman who had tried to persuade Yang Kai to not to waste time a moment ago was actually sitting nearby, and upon seeing him get driven off by Qu Chang Feng, she smiled and comforted, “It seems that you were right to stick around, you really were able to fish some advantages. Compared with this opportunity in front of you, you don’t need to care about other things. Elder Sister has only sat here for a while but already feels like the bottleneck in her Soul cultivation has loosened. You should quickly focus on refining this pool’s effect, perhaps you’ll be able to comprehend something in the process.”
“En,” Yang Kai didn’t want to say anything more to her, simply nodding once before starting to absorb the effects of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
The reason why the Soul Cleansing Divine Water had such amazing effects was that it was condensed from the Soul of an Origin King Realm master. After an Origin King Realm master died here, their Spiritual Energy perfectly blended with the spirit liquid in this place and after undergoing countless years of transformation gave birth to this pool of Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
Although Yang Kai didn’t know why the Soul Cleansing Divine Water here was golden, after a brief attempt at absorbing it just now, he determined that it was indeed Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
Naturally he didn’t want to waste any time.
The beautiful woman was right, by cultivating here, not only could one enhance their Soul cultivation, purifying and condensing their Spiritual Energy, if one was lucky enough, they may be able to realize that some of the dead Origin King Realm master’s insights into the Soul.
How could the methods of an Origin King Realm master’s be bad? As long as one was able to understand any bit of their Divine Abilities, it would be enough to enjoy for a lifetime.
So far, the only Origin King Yang Kai had met was Gui Zu! Remembering his Heaven shaking methods made Yang Kai deeply envious, and presumably, other Origin Kings would not be worse than him.
Opening all his body’s pores, Yang Kai’s physique trembled as a trace of the golden energy poured into his five viscera and six organs before flowing straight to the top of his head and entering his Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai felt this rush carefully, he split half of his conscious to maintain his vigilance of the outside world. Maintaining his guard up to prevent any attacks. Meanwhile, he focused the other half of his conscious to plunge into his Knowledge Sea to observe the magical effects of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
Yang Kai could clearly see strands of golden silk blend with the burning flames throughout his Knowledge Sea, and although these threads of golden silk weren’t numerous, their radiance was very clear. The sea of crimson flames seemed particularly eye-catching at this moment, as if golden fish were freely swimming among them.
Half of the golden silk threads soon fused with the seawater on its own, enhancing the strength of Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea while also tempering his Spiritual Energy; although this improvement was somewhat negligible, seeing such instantaneous results was already quite amazing.
In essence, cultivation revolved around four key aspects.
Strengthening physique, accumulating Saint Qi, increasing Spiritual Energy, and improving insight into the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
The simplest of these principles was the accumulation of Saint Qi, because this accumulation could be accomplished with the aid of many foreign resources such as pills and Saint Crystals. When a cultivator cultivated, they use these types of auxiliary resources whenever possible.
On the other hand, the most difficult aspect was enhancing one’s comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao!
Many cultivators would reach a point in the other three aspects of cultivation which would satisfy the requirements to break through to the next realm but would find themselves unable to because of bottlenecks in their understanding of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao. Essentially all Third Order Origin Returning Realm masters on Shadowed Star couldn’t raise their comprehension of this key aspect to the require height to allow them to break through and had thus become unable to take that last step forward.
The strengthening of one’s physical body was relatively easy in the early stages and could be aided by external forces, but as one’s cultivation improved, it became more and more difficult to continue enhancing their physique and was almost impossible to bring to a true peak. Yang Kai’s powerful physical body was the result of countless opportunities but was still far from reaching the apex, thus he could still be wounded by powerful attacks.
However, it was also true that Yang Kai’s physique was countless times stronger than average cultivators in his own realm and even Origin Returning Realm masters. On top of that, the huge vitality contained in his Golden Blood granted Yang Kai terrifying restorative abilities, allowing any injury he received to heal just like new in short order.
The cultivation of one’s Soul, their Spiritual Energy, was infinitely more difficult than the accumulation of Saint Qi though, and was even more difficult than strengthening one’s body, only less difficult than comprehending the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
Many cultivators would enter a period of retreat after breaking through to a new realm specifically to strengthen their Soul and Spiritual Energy. Taking pills wasn’t a very effective method of enhancing one’s Spiritual Energy and Secret Arts that improved the rate of Spiritual Energy growth were extremely rare and precious.
This was true in Tong Xuan Realm, and was the same in the Star Field.
The method eighty percent of cultivators used to strengthen their Souls was to cultivate Soul Skills. By continuously using Soul Skills, draining their Spiritual Energy, and then restore themselves, a cultivator would create a cycle that would slowly increase their Spiritual Energy.
This was a stupid and ineffective method, but it was also the easiest and most practical.
Yang Kai didn’t need to use such a method to enhance his Spiritual Energy because he had his Soul Warming Lotus. This treasure negated the need for him to devote time in retreat to cultivate Spiritual Energy while still allowing his Soul to be far stronger than average cultivators in his realm. Yang Kai’s current Soul and Divine Sense was comparable to those of an Origin Returning Realm master.
The reason for this was almost entirely due to the Soul Warming Lotus!
This most precious Soul nourishing treasure had been acquired by Yang Kai when he was still very weak and had co-existed with him for more than two decades. His own Soul and the Soul Warming Lotus were now complementary, so while his Soul grew, the Soul Warming Lotus would also grow.
But now, with only a small amount of Soul Cleansing Divine Water, Yang Kai had seen great gains, his Spiritual Energy growing stronger by an amount equal to a few days of dedicated cultivation in only a few breathes, something that made him very happy.
As Yang Kai observed this process, some of the golden threads which had not fused with his Knowledge Sea were led by some inexplicable attractive force towards the six-coloured island at the centre of the sea, entering it and disappearing.
This phenomenon did not surprise Yang Kai.
The Soul Warming Lotus originally had such characteristics. Whenever Yang Kai swallowed some kind of pill that enhanced Spiritual Energy, the Soul Warming Lotus would absorb most of these efficacies for its own use and grow. Although in the short term, it looks like Yang Kai was losing benefits to the Soul Warming Lotus, since his Soul and the Soul Warming Lotus shared a symbiotic relationship, over the years, the benefits the Soul Warming Lotus gave him far outweighed the nutrients he provided it.
Soul Cleansing Divine Water could be used to wash and purify one’s Soul, but it also had great nourishing effects for the Soul Warming Lotus.
However, what surprised Yang Kai was that after the Soul Warming Lotus absorbed a tiny part of these golden threads, it actually took the initiative to radiate a powerful attractive force that drew the golden energy from the Soul Cleaning Divine Water pool into Yang Kai’s body and to his Knowledge Sea at dozens of times the previous rate.
The golden threads that were pulled in by the Soul Warming Lotus soon flooded Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, but Yang Kai was only able to absorb about one percent of them while the rest were taken away by the Soul Warming Lotus, causing its colours to become even more vibrant.
Yang Kai was startled and quickly controlled the attraction force of the Soul Warming Lotus as he didn’t dare to create such a big stir.
If he were alone, Yang Kai would only be pleasantly surprised and wouldn’t try to suppress this phenomenon.
But right now there were more than thirty other cultivators here. Once Yang Kai allowed this kind of movement, he would immediately draw everyone’s attention and would no doubt be expelled! If he were to so crazily absorb the effects of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, what would be left for everyone else?
Although Yang Kai acted quickly to suppress this attraction, he still disturbed the beautiful woman who was talking to him before.
The beautiful young woman opened her eyes and turned a suspicious look towards Yang Kai. A moment ago, she had clearly noticed an abnormal suction force coming from this First-Order Saint King youth, but when she examined him carefully, she failed to discover anything.
Shaking her head and thinking it was just her imagining, she quickly closed her eyes and continued to absorb the benefits contained in the Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
Yang Kai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t expected the Soul Warming Lotus would be so eager to absorb the Soul Cleansing Divine Water. If he had known early, he would have found a more remote corner so he could take in a little more without being noticed.
Although it was still possible for him to do this, Yang Kai had to be extremely careful not to arouse suspicions, especially from the young beauty sitting nearby.
After a few seconds of thought, Yang Kai gradually lifted the suppression of the Soul Warming Lotus, stopping when it reached a certain degree.
In an instant, about ten times more gold threads than before began pouring into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, one percent of them being absorbed by him directly while the rest poured into the six-coloured island.
This speed of absorption was just about right so he wouldn’t be discovered, allowing Yang Kai to gain roughly ten times the benefits of anyone else from this pool of Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t too content and instead even somewhat anxious.
There was only so much Soul Cleansing Divine Water in this pool, and everyone was desperately snatching as much as they could for themselves, so now was the time to absorb as much as possible rather than hold back.
Compared to the others who were wholeheartedly focused on absorbing the Soul Cleansing Divine Water’s efficacies, Yang Kai’s Soul was inherently more powerful, so he was able to split his attention and handle multiple tasks at once.
Yang Kai was monitoring the others in the pool, hoping they would fall into a meditative state they were unable to extricate themselves from. If this happened, he would increase his speed of absorption again; as long as he was careful, he shouldn’t be discovered.
Additionally, he needed to distance himself from the beautiful young woman next to him. Her strength wasn’t too high, only Third-Order Saint King, but she was a bit too perceptive.
Considering all this, Yang Kai waded towards a remote corner of the pool.
Although his actions alarmed a few cultivators, causing them to open their eyes, after shooting Yang Kai a look of dissatisfaction, no one thought he was up to anything or spared any effort to blame him and instead just closed their eyes again as they were all in a race against time.
After a moment, Yang Kai arrived at a corner of the pool which was quite far apart from anyone else and nodded with satisfaction.
Sitting down cross-legged, Yang Kai prepared to loosen his suppression on the Soul Warming Lotus again when he suddenly felt something beneath him.
Quickly reaching down and grabbing this objected, Yang Kai felt it was slightly warm to the touch, but before he had time to figure out what exactly it was, a strange energy began pouring into his body from his fingertips and flow straight up towards his head.
Wherever this energy passed, Yang Kai’s body shivered and he couldn’t help feeling an instinctual sense of crisis.
Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai hurriedly condensed his Saint Qi to resist this strange energy.
As Demonic Flame ignited inside his meridians, the cold energy halted its advance and Yang Kai swore he could hear something like a miserable howl echo in his ears. Seemingly aware of the terrifying might of the Demonic Flame, the strange energy quickly withdrew and soon disappeared into the pool of water.
Yang Kai’s face changed greatly!
Yang Kai’s eyes shot open as he scanned the others inside the pool, but he soon realized that no one else was even aware of what had just taken place, as if he was the only one who had heard that miserable cry just now.
Not only that, but the strange object Yang Kai was holding in his hand no longer had a sense of warmth to it and instead because as dull as a rock.
No matter what this object was though, since it appeared in this pool of Soul Cleansing Divine Water, it definitely wasn’t ordinary. Yang Kai didn’t even think about it and threw it directly into his Space Ring.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed next as he scanned the golden pool of water, looking for the cold energy that had just rushed into his body, but this pool was both opaque and impermeable to Divine Sense, so no matter how he searched, Yang Kai was unable to find anything.
However, since that energy seemed afraid of his Demonic Flame, Yang Kai didn’t have to worry about any negative consequences for himself.
What made Yang Kai concerned though was that this strange cold energy actually existed in this place.
With nothing he could do about it at the moment, Yang Kai soon shook his head and put this issue aside while quietly withdrawing the suppression on his Soul Warming Lotus further, allowing it to draw in the golden threads faster.
The stone cavern was extremely quiet for a while as everyone madly tempered their Souls in the pool. Their luck also seemed to be quite good as after all of them jumped into the pool, no one else arrived at this stalactite cave.
Most likely, everyone who had received news about this place had already come.
Half an hour or so later though, a change suddenly occurred.
A huge pulse of Spiritual Energy, equivalent to what an ordinary First-Order Origin Returning Realm master could put out, swept across the stone cavern and all the cultivators sitting in the pool opened their eyes in shock as they turned towards the source of this pulse.
As all eyes landed on a certain spot, everyone in the pool felt both shocked and envious…
The source of this disturbance was none other than the stern-faced man sitting in the middle of the pool. At this moment, his body was trembling slightly and the look on his face was undergoing a series of changes, sometimes frowning, sometimes joyful, sometimes pensive…
On top of that, all around his body, a conspicuous golden halo appeared and then, as if he had suddenly transformed into a bottomless pit, countless golden threads began madly flowing towards him, causing the entire pool to become turbulent.
“He really managed to comprehend something!” The beautiful young woman called out in alarm as her jaw dropped and she stared at this stern-faced man in shock.
After hearing the words of this beautiful woman, everyone realized that this stern-faced man had not only gained the benefit of tempering his Soul, allowing his Spiritual Energy to reach the level of a First-Order Origin Returning Realm master, he had also obtained insight into one of the Soul Skills the Origin King Realm master who died here had cultivated.
This discovery made everyone’s eyes turn red.
Compared with insights into an Origin King’s Soul Skill, the tiny benefits they received were insignificant!
All of a sudden, everyone forgot to continue absorbing the effects of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water and stared at this man.
Among everyone, Qu Chang Feng’s face was the ugliest. After venting his anger on Yang Kai, he had finally managed to calm down. No matter what, he would be able to obtain some benefits here, so he didn’t need to care too much about it.
But now, while he was only able to slightly temper his Soul, someone else was able to comprehend an Origin King’s Soul Skill, the difference between the two was like Heaven and Earth.
How was he able to gain insight into that Soul Skill? Why couldn’t it have been him instead? He was also a world-shaking talent, the greatest genius of Heaven Battling Union’s younger generation, worshipped and admired by all, so why?
Was it because he had occupied the best position in the centre of the pool?
Qu Chang Feng was so angry he nearly spat blood! But regardless of how he felt, he could only jealously stare at this man; he didn’t dare try to interfere.
Although this moment was the best time to disturb this stern-faced man’s epiphany, who knows what kind of terrifying counterattack he would have to endure afterwards?
Therefore, Qu Chang Feng could only glare at this man with intense resentment, extremely depressed.
While everyone else was shocked, Yang Kai, on the other hand, was overjoyed.
He had been suppressing the attractive force coming from the Soul Warming Lotus out of concern it would attract other’s attention; but now, this stern-faced man was drawing everyone’s focus and the pool had become incredibly turbulent.
At this moment, even if Yang Kai were to create a big ruckus, no one would take notice.
Not hesitating, Yang Kai immediately released all suppression from the Soul Warming Lotus and allowed it to wantonly absorb the golden energy here.
Instantly, a massive amount of golden light poured into Yang Kai’s fiery red Knowledge Sea. This brilliant golden radiance almost covered up the original crimson colour. The energy contained in these golden threads was sensational but even with Yang Kai’s absorption abilities, he was barely able to snatch any of it, the vast majority being drawn in by the Soul Warming Lotus. The Soul Warming Lotus was even more terrifying than the stern-faced man’s body when it came to drawing in the golden silk threads.
The pool of Soul Cleansing Divine Water, which had originally been dazzling gold in colour, began fading at a speed visible to the naked eye, but immersed in their fit of shock and jealousy, no one noticed this change.
So Yang Kai became even more unscrupulous.
Although he too was a bit envious of this stern-faced man’s opportunity, he knew better than anyone that a Soul Skill was just a clever method of using Spiritual Energy, like how Martial Skills were applications of Saint Qi. No matter how profound it was, it was the force behind it that determined its ultimate strength.
Who cares if it was an Origin King’s Soul Skill? When he became stronger in the future, Yang Kai was confident he could create his own powerful Soul Skills.
But the benefits he was obtaining right now would affect his very foundation! Although the Soul Skill realized by this stern-faced man was obviously incredible, compared with the benefits Yang Kai was reaping, it was still worth less.
While he ate meat, others drank the soup. Everyone had their own opportunities. Being envious was useless.
“How did the colour of the pool become so pale?” Someone suddenly exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention back to reality.
When everyone looked down, their complexions became pale. Only about an incense stick worth of time had passed since they entered the pool, but the golden liquid had already become very dim, with only a tinge of golden light still flowing through it. The pool water was no longer even opaque and one could clearly see its bottom with their eyes and penetrated it with their Divine Sense.
The thick and opaque golden light in the pool water had now grown incredibly dim. Everyone rushed to try and absorb this power but discovered that the potency of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water contained in the pool had also become weak.
Everyone became shocked and angered.
“It’s him!” Qu Chang Feng ground his teeth and glared at the stern-faced man, unable to stop himself from muttering.
Suddenly, several dozen pairs of eyes landed on the stern-faced man, all of them flashing a deep sense of dissatisfaction. Yang Kai also began gritting his teeth, as if his benefits were being snatched away, all while suppressing the attraction of the Soul Warming Lotus again.
In this short period of time, almost ninety percent of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water’s efficacies had been drawn into his Knowledge Sea and subsequently absorbed by the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus. Half of the remaining ten percent was absorbed by everyone before then while five percent now was left in the pool.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai didn’t want to continue absorbing this last bit of efficacy, but the cultivators around him had now become extremely disgruntled and vigilant. If he continued to do as he had just now, there was a chance someone would notice and at that time, he wouldn’t be able to avoid becoming a target of criticism.
Instead, Yang Kai allowed the stern-faced man to carry this black pot for him. In any case, not only was this man’s personal strength tyrannical, but the power behind him was also extraordinary, so even if everyone here was angry, none would dare try to make trouble for him.
Sure enough, although the more than thirty cultivators looked like they were anxious to kill this man, no one took any aggressive action, not even Qu Chang Feng.
After a moment, everyone closed their eyes again and raced against each other to absorb the remaining efficacies of in the pool of Soul Cleansing Divine Water.
Now that there was only a tiny bit left, if they didn’t compete for it, it would only end up in other’s grasp.
As for the stern-faced man, he seemed to have reached a critical point in his epiphany and was completely unaware of what was happening around him, not even realizing he was being made to carry this huge black pot for Yang Kai. Immersed in his comprehension of the Origin King Realm master’s Soul Skill, the last remnants of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water’s efficacies continued flowing towards him madly.
About a day later, the thirty or so cultivators sitting cross-legged in the pool all began opening their eyes and, while a look of pleasant surprise flashed across many of their faces, there was far more regret and indignation than happiness.
Everyone who had been soaking here had their Soul cultivation greatly improved. In one day, the growth of their Spiritual Energy was equivalent to several years of painstaking cultivation.
On top of that, after being baptized by the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, some cultivators, who had received wounds on their Souls many years ago had the lingering effects washed away. Now, everyone found it easier to manipulate and condense their Spiritual Energy than ever before.
Having obtained some fundamental benefits, everyone was quite happy. A comprehensive enhancement of their Soul also meant that it would be easier for them to cultivate their Spiritual Energy in the future.
All these changes occurred after just one day, so what would have happened if they had been able to soak in this pool for longer?
If not for someone occupying the vast majority of the benefits here, all of them would have been able to soak in this pool for at least ten days here. How much would their Soul cultivation improve after ten days? No one dared to imagine it.
Everyone’s eyes landed on the stern-faced man again, and there was clear hostility in their gazes.
At this moment, the stern-faced man had finished comprehending the Soul Skill which belonged to the fallen Origin King Realm master and his expression for once showed a hint of satisfaction, but when he discovered that everyone was glaring towards him angrily, he suddenly found himself at a loss, wondering what he had done to incite everyone’s wrath.
But soon, he determined that this hostility was simply the result of jealousy. Although the effects of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water had disappeared, causing him some shock, when he remembered the rapid growth of his Soul, he somewhat understood what had happened.
Did he absorb a greater part of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water’s effects, causing everyone to become angry with him?
The stern-faced man wasn’t certain about the situation, but in the end, he also didn’t care, so he just coldly snorted, stood up, leapt out of the pool, dried himself with his Saint Qi, then walked off without so much as a single glance back.
The greatest benefits of this place were gone, so naturally, he didn’t want to remain here under the hostile glares of the crowd.
The remaining thirty people exchanged looks of blank dismay, seemingly not having expected this person to act so aloof.
“I’ll let him get away with it this time!” Qu Chang Feng ground his teeth resentfully before slamming his fist on the edge of the pool with an ominous expression.
No one else dared to be wordy, and after a short while, they too stood up from the pool dispiritedly and left.
After leaving the water, some turned back and stared greedily at this spirit liquid.
If it had been under any other circumstances, everyone would have been ecstatic to have encountered such a large pool of rich spirit liquid; after all, this liquid was also a rare treasure. It had taken many years to form and contained an even higher concentration of Saint Qi than High-Rank Saint Crystals, so whether it was used for cultivation or restoration, it was an ideal resource.
However, after experiencing the magical effects of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, this spirit liquid suddenly seemed a bit mediocre. It was just the leftovers with no special Soul purifying benefits.
Even so, not gathering this treasure before their eyes would be ridiculous, causing the mood in the cavern to become a bit tense.
“Young Master Qu, how should we distribute this spirit liquid?” The beautiful young woman looked at Qu Chang Feng carefully and asked for his opinion, a hint of sorrow colouring her charming face as she said, “Our small forces don’t have great industries, so while others may not put this pool of spirit liquid in their eyes, to us it is still a good treasure.”
“Yes, Young Master Qu, all of us will listen to your instructions, anyone who dares disagree we will all kill together,” Immediately, a cultivator belonging to a force that had good relationships with Heaven Battling followed up. Earlier, when he was deciding the distribution of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, Qu Chang Feng had taken care of him somewhat, so although that distribution plan had ultimately become a joke, now was still an excellent opportunity to curry favour.
Listening to these people though, Qu Chang Feng just angrily declared, “Since that’s the case, my Heaven Battling Union will take half of this spirit liquid!”
His anger had not been soothed because of the flattery coming from the crowd. Just remembering how the greatest benefits of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water had been snatched by that stern-faced man was enough to enrage Qu Chang Feng.
When everyone heard this, their faces changed slightly, with some people murmuring quietly, “Wasn’t it a quarter before?”
“What, do you have any objections?” Qu Chang Feng glared coldly at the man who spoke, clearly murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
“Young Master Qu misunderstands, this one’s Junior Brother did not mean what he said, how could we dare have any objections? Young Master Qu does not need to lower himself to deal with him.” Immediately, a man dressed in scholarly robes came forward and addressed Qu Chang Feng cautiously before turning to yell at the speaker again, “Even if you keep your mouth shut no one will mistake you for a mute! Hurry up, why haven’t you apologized to Young Master Qu yet?!”
Everyone knew that Qu Chang Feng could not be provoked at this time. He was clearly angry and was looking for an excuse to vent; only a fool would run up and give one to him.
If this scholarly man did not reprimand his Junior Brother strongly now and get him to apologize, Qu Chang Feng would begin slaughtering them. Whether Qu Chang Feng would be willing to let this matter drop with just an apology, the scholarly man didn’t know, but he had to make an effort to try to save his Junior Brother’s life.
The one who spoke just now also came to his senses at that moment, realizing he had said something he shouldn’t have and quickly stepped forward to apologize respectfully.
Qu Chang Feng coldly snorted, “I’ll let this pass only this time, the next time you dare utter such nonsense I’ll immediately take your life! So what if I want half of this spirit liquid? Even if this Young Master claims all of it do you dare to complain?”
“We wouldn’t dare!” The crowd nodded, looking incredibly awkward.
The biggest benefits had already been taken away by the stern-faced man, so if Qu Chang Feng really claimed all of this spirit liquid, they would all have nothing to gain.
“Take it!” Qu Chang Feng ordered one of the other disciples from his Sect, prompting that man to step forward and collect the liquid.
Everyone stood and waited quietly, hoping Qu Chang Feng meant what he said and would really only take half.
Qu Chang Feng’s suddenly turned his gaze towards Yang Kai, his eyes flashing a cold light.
The moment their eyes met; Yang Kai knew what Qu Chang Feng wanted to do.
This guy was still looking for somewhere to vent his anger. Everyone else was in a group of three to five, and the forces behind them weren’t weak, so slaughtering them wasn’t ideal. Instead, Qu Chang Feng had decided to target Yang Kai, someone who didn’t seem to have any background.
Grinning back at him stupidly, Yang Kai leapt backwards and rushed out of the stone cavern.
Yang Kai didn’t want to start anything with Qu Chang Feng. Although Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of him, if he were to kill Qu Chang Feng by accident, he would only provoke Heaven Battling Union. There were too many people here and unless Yang Kai killed all of them, the news would leak out.
Yang Kai didn’t want to face a behemoth like Heaven Battling Union yet.
On top of that, Qu Chang Feng’s strength was good, and Yang Kai estimated he wouldn’t be able to kill him quickly, not to mention the Origin Grade High-Rank artefact he used before was extraordinary.
Yang Kai didn’t need this spirit liquid either. It may be better than High-Rank Saint Crystals, but it wasn’t anything too precious; therefore, Yang Kai left without any hesitation.
“You’re lucky you ran quickly!” Qu Chang Feng stared for a moment, seemingly not having thought Yang Kai would act so decisively, but eventually decided not to chase after him.
This pool of spirit liquid looked quite plentiful but being divided up between eight different forces, it soon emptied.
Even the little bit of milky white crystal that had condensed at the bottom of the pool was swept away by the crowd; then, after searching the cavern and determining there were no others benefits around, everyone left, albeit somewhat reluctantly.
Outside, the crowd bid farewell to Qu Chang Feng before splitting up in different directions.
After about an incense stick worth of time, a group of three people stopped in a mountainous area ten kilometres away from the stalactite cave. These three people were from the smallest and weakest force to be represented back in the stone cavern.
Two of these three were Third-Order Saint Kings while the last was just a Second-Order Saint King.
At this moment, the Second-Order Saint King was cursing out Qu Chang Feng’s arrogance and domineering behaviour. When the Soul Cleansing Divine Water was previously being divided up, they had been assigned the smallest portion and afterwards, they had received the smallest amount of spirit liquid. The reason was simple, they had the fewest members and lowest strength.
Among the three in this group, an elderly man, who was apparently their leader, had listened to this Second Order Saint King complain the entire way and finally couldn’t help but persuade him, “Forget it, the force behind him is too powerful, not something our Flowing Cloud Valley can afford to provoke. That’s just how life is. You also know that Heaven Battling Union is like this, so why keep complaining about it?”
“I just can’t stand it,” The man was still unsettled. “Who cares about Heaven Battling Union? Qu Chang Feng thinks too highly of himself, if it weren’t for Heaven Battling Union behind him, would he be able to act so arrogantly? I say he’s not worthy of his reputation, he definitely wouldn’t be either of two Senior Brothers’ opponent if there was a fight.”
The elderly man’s expression sank as he reprimanded, “You must not speak so irresponsibly! Although Qu Chang Feng is an arrogant playboy, there’s no question about his true strength. If it weren’t, relying solely on Heaven Battling Union’s authority, how could his name be known across all of Shadowed Star? You’ve heard of Fang Tian Zhong from Thunder Typhoon Sect, haven’t you? I heard that he and Qu Chang Feng have fought no less than ten times, but each time their battle would end in a tie. Since he can fight Fang Tian Zhong to a draw, your Senior Brother and I are definitely not his opponents. You must never despise those who have great reputations. Since they can become famous, they definitely have corresponding strength.”
“Even Fang Tian Zhong can’t beat him?” The Junior Brother was startled as he realized he had been greatly underestimating Qu Chang Feng’s ability.
“Indeed, that’s why each time the two of them meet, they are always at each other’s throats. Your Senior Brother Lu Ye knows this clearly.” When the elderly man spoke, he glanced over at the third person.
“Why would Senior Brother Lu Ye know about such matters?”
The elderly man explained, “Because once, while he was out wandering, your Senior Brother Lu Ye came across the two of them fighting. Junior Brother Lu Ye, tell him about the situation at that time so he knows not to belittle the world’s heroes in the future and lose his life without realizing why.”
At that moment, the Second Order Saint King turned a curious look towards the Senior Brother named Lu Ye.
However, Lu Ye’s brow was currently deeply wrinkled and seemed to be thinking deeply about something, his expression cloudy, as if he hadn’t heard the words of the elderly man.
“Junior Brother Lu, what’s on your mind?” The elderly man asked suspiciously. Since coming out of the stone cavern, Lu Ye seemed as if he had been lost in thought, unaware of the outside world, and even until now he had not recovered.
“Heh heh…” Lu Ye suddenly laughed lowly. They didn’t know why, but when this laughter reached their ears, the elderly man and the Second Order Saint King cultivator couldn’t help shivering as goosebumps formed on their skin.
The elderly man looked startled and thought that something had happened to Lu Ye in the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, hurriedly asking, “Junior Brother Lu, are you all right?”
“Me? Of course I’m fine, I’m very good, hahaha! I’m better than ever before!” As he spoke these words, Lu Ye’s eyes suddenly flashed an eerie green light. Lu Ye’s originally gentle face also distorted and became extremely fierce at that moment and in the next instant, his Saint Qi surged as he stuck out his hand and plunged it directly into the chest of that Second Order Saint King cultivator.
How could that cultivator think that his Senior Brother Lu Ye, who was usually kind and courteous, would suddenly try to kill him? Only after he felt the pain in his chest and looked down did he see and realize that Lu Ye’s hand had been inserted into his heart.
After spasming slightly, this man saw Lu Ye withdraw his hand from his chest, blood dripping from his fingers as his still-beating heart rested in his palm.
[Is that my heart?] Such a thought flickered across this cultivator’s mind with a trace of doubt before he fell backwards, the large hole in his chest spurting out a lot of blood.
“Lu Ye, what are you doing!?” The elderly man’s complexion changed greatly. His fellow Sect Brother had killed one of their juniors right before his eyes, never had he imagined he would witness such a scene.
As he angrily shouted, the elderly man condensed his Saint Qi and prepared to attack this murderer.
But how could he have guessed that a spike of Spiritual Energy would suddenly burst into his mind and instantly break through his Knowledge Sea’s defences, causing his consciousness to shake?
The elderly man groaned as his Knowledge Sea received serious damage in that instant, the Saint Qi he had just gathered dissipating without a trace.
Immediately, this old man saw Lu Ye maliciously grin towards him, the green fluorescence in his eyes becoming both brighter and stranger.
“You’re not…” The elderly man opened his mouth to exclaim, but before he could finish his sentence, his head was severed from his body by Lu Ye’s hand. Blood splashed out from the headless corpse and soon covered the surrounding several meter radius.
Lu Ye stood firm, flicking the blood from his hand before coldly snorting and declaring, “Of course I’m not!”
Even if he seemingly easily killed two Saint King Realm cultivators, Lu Ye still showed a look of dissatisfaction at this moment. This body’s aptitude was good, and quite suitable to cultivate his Secret Art, but his realm was simply too weak; compared to his peak, he was currently as vulnerable as an ant.
However, Lu Ye was still satisfied because he had finally managed to escape from that damned place. How many years had it been? Five thousand? Ten thousand? Twenty thousand?
He no longer remembered as it had been far too long. If no one had found that stone cavern for another thousand years, his Soul may really have disappeared from this world.
In order to break through some of the barriers surrounding that cavern so that someone could discover it, he had even shaved off portions of his Soul’s essence; if he hadn’t done so though, that stone cavern may have remained hidden forever. Fortunately, all his efforts had been worth it. Someone had really discovered that place, fulfilling the wish he had for so many aeons.
Lu Ye’s complexion turned pale for a moment, but he quickly suppressed that. Using such a powerful Soul Attack with this body had put a heavy load on him; worse, he had not yet completely adapted to this body he had recently seized.
It seemed he wouldn’t be able to use any other powerful techniques for a while.
Looking up and seeing the red hue of the Flame Area blotting out the sky, Lu Ye sneered, “The Three Suns Flame Rings! How much area does this take up?”
After saying such inexplicable words, he searched the Space Ring of the elderly man and the Second Order Saint King before burning their bodies, turning around, and running back towards the stalactite cave.
It didn’t take him long to return.
The stone cavern was now empty, and the pool of water had been scraped dry. Even the skeleton which was sitting nearby had been attacked by someone before they left, scattering its bones across the ground.
Seeing this scene, Lu Ye’s eyes flashed in annoyance before walking over to the scattered bones, bending down, and carefully arranging them, picking them up, and depositing them into his Space Ring.
While he did this, he wore a complicated expression filled with both sadness and reminiscence.
After collecting the bones, he walked into the empty pool and stood there for a while to think before tracing an irregular path at a specific pace. Every time he took a step, he would pour a certain amount of Saint Qi into the ground from his feet. Lu Ye’s expression was extremely serious, as if he was completing some extremely important task.
After walking for about a cup of tea worth of time, a light of anticipation gradually appeared in Lu Ye’s eyes.
Soon, he took one final step while pouring out just the right amount of Saint Qi.
*Kacha…*
At the center of the bottom of the pool, a gap suddenly split open revealing a hidden compartment.
Seeing this, Lu Ye smiled happily and quickly stepped forward, picked up a Space Ring which was hidden in this compartment, placed it on his hand, then breathed a sigh of relief.
With this ring, he could easily make a comeback.
The only thing that made him a bit annoyed was that his most important treasure had been taken away by that First-Order Saint King. The power flowing through that boy’s body, those black flames, was too strange. When he had previously entered that kid’s body to try to seize it, those black flames had nearly incinerated his Soul!
He had never seen a black flame like that before, one that seemed to blend both extreme heat and cold, good and evil. Its existence was an extreme contradiction in and of itself.
Lu Ye panicked at that time, and if he had remained inside that body for just three more breaths, he didn’t doubt his Soul would have been completely burnt into slag.
It was such a good body too. Being unable to seize that body inevitably made Lu Ye somewhat regretful.
“How could I allow you to also carry off my property?” Lu Ye sneered before releasing his Divine Sense. He firmly believed that even if Yang Kai took that thing and hid it in his Space Ring, he would easily be able to sense it.
Because that thing was his.
However, a moment later, Lu Ye couldn’t help feeling shocked because, no matter how he tried, he couldn’t sense that thing’s aura, as if it had disappeared into thin air.
“Impossible!” Lu Ye roared, his face twisted hysterically. He simply couldn’t believe it. Since that thing’s aura had disappeared, the only possibility was that kid had managed to refine it.
But that kid was just a trivial First-Order Saint King; even if he possessed incredible talent and skill, trying to fuse with that thing would only result in his immediate violent death!
That treasure was the most important thing for Lu Ye. As long as he had that, he could set off a new reign of terror throughout the entire Star Field, so now that it had disappeared, how could he not be infuriated? Without it, if Lu Ye wanted to restore his Soul cultivation, it would take him at least two or three thousand years.
At this point, Yang Kai was fifty kilometres away from the stalactite cave.
When he noticed Qu Chang Feng’s murderous intent, he had immediately left there, but now, without any specific goal in mind, he was just moving about at will.
When the Flowing Flame Sand Field first opened, his plan was to plunder the Treasure Area, but now that he had arrived, he felt deeply disappointed by the spirit grasses and spirit medicines produced here.
Besides the dozen or so stalks of Emerald Silk Grass, Yang Kai didn’t have any other harvests worth mentioning. Everything else he picked up was available in the outside world, and although they weren’t cheap, he was not short of money right now, so there was no need for him to waste time collecting them.
His biggest gain was naturally the benefits he obtained in the stalactite cave.
As his Soul was already far stronger than other cultivators in his realm, Yang Kai hadn’t personally benefitted much from the efficacies of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, his Spiritual Energy only showing some slight improvements. However, the nourishment his Soul Warming Lotus had obtained was difficult to describe and more than made up for it.
After the Soul Warming Lotus absorbed so much of the golden energy, its six-coloured light kept flickering, and it seemed that if it were allowed to swallow even a bit more, it would evolve.
This sight made Yang Kai quite depressed. He knew how difficult it was for the Soul Warming Lotus to continue evolving.
When he first obtained this unparalleled treasure, the Soul Warming Lotus was only five-coloured, but after taking so many pills that enhanced Spiritual Energy, it didn’t show any signs of change. Only after Yang Kai consumed a Saint Grade High-Rank pill that had formed Pill Clouds and was several thousand years old did the Soul Warming Lotus evolve from five-coloured to six-coloured.
Previously, Yang Kai had suspected that trying to make it evolve into its final seven coloured form was all but hopeless and it had become a goal he would be satisfied completing before his life ended.
But now, this seemingly impossible goal actually seemed to be within his reach, both exciting and depressing him greatly.
Yang Kai was already contemplating about refine some pills specifically meant for Soul cultivation to see if they could help the Soul Warming Lotus evolve after the Flowing Flame Sand Field closes.
How much benefit he could obtain from wantonly taking such pills didn’t matter, as long as they could help the Soul Warming Lotus, even if he had to spend an enormous amount of Saint Crystals and waste numerous pills, it would be worth it.
Letting his imagination run wild for a moment, Yang Kai’s mood lifted significantly.
He was looking forward to what kind of benefit the Soul Warming Lotus would bring him in its final form. Before, when his strength had been low, although he could feel the effects of the Soul Warming Lotus somewhat, he wasn’t able to understand its benefits thoroughly, but as his realm had improved, Yang Kai became increasingly aware of the importance of the Soul Warming Lotus.
He had never deliberately cultivated his Soul, but his Divine Sense and Spiritual Energy were both far stronger than cultivators in his own realm. Eighty percent of the credit for this was owed to the Soul Warming Lotus while the rest was thanks to the Demon Eye of Annihilation.
Without his Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai wouldn’t have been able to swallow others’ perceptions of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao so smoothly, nor would he have been able to continue cultivating without any bottlenecks or obstacles or allow his Soul cultivation to far exceed his Saint Qi cultivation.
Putting aside these thoughts for a while, Yang Kai next took a certain object out of his Space Ring.
This thing was the unknown object he had found in the pool. At the time, Yang Kai wasn’t able to investigate it and simply stuffed it into his Space Ring. It was only now that he was able to examine it. Taking a look, Yang Kai discovered that it was actually a glittering, translucent cube about the size of an egg.
It seemed to be crafted from the finest jade.
However, aside from being pretty, there didn’t seem to be anything special about it. When Yang Kai touched it in the pool, it had first felt slightly warm, and then a cold energy had leaked out of it and poured into his body.
Now though it seemed completely ordinary; Yang Kai also didn’t feel any energy inside of it. Frowning as he observed this cube, Yang Kai tried burning its surface with his Demonic Flame, but no matter how hard he tried, the cube didn’t show any signs of change at all.
This actually surprised Yang Kai quite a bit. His current Demonic Flame could even melt ordinary Origin Grade artefacts, let alone a seemingly ordinary decorative stone.
He couldn’t feel any energy fluctuations, nor could he burn it with his Demonic Flame, so Yang Kai next tried to probe it with his Divine Sense.
Who could have guessed that the moment his Divine Sense touched it, the colorless crystal cube would suddenly disappear from his hand.
At the same time, a refreshing feeling spread from his mind.
Yang Kai’s face changed slightly and he quickly sent his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea.
Inside his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai saw the fiery red flames and brilliant ocean water roil, and the six-coloured glow of from the giant lotus island had increased in intensity manifold. In the sky above Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, the colourless crystal cube had suddenly appeared.
Yang Kai’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
As far as he knew, Knowledge Seas were intangible, so even if one was to open up a cultivator’s skull, they wouldn’t be able to see their Knowledge Sea. Except for some special Soul type artifacts, no external object should be able to enter this ethereal ocean.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation barely counted as a of Soul type artifact, and the Soul Warming Lotus was also a Soul type treasure, so them existing inside his Knowledge Sea wasn’t a problem.
But what was this colourless crystal cube? Why had it entered his Knowledge Sea the moment his Divine Sense touched it?
However, after observing it for a moment, Yang Kai found that nothing seemed to be wrong; in fact, it wasn’t just harmless, it actually brought him an unimaginably refreshing sensation.
Yang Kai wanted to carefully examine the cube; after all, anyone who had something inexplicable enter their Knowledge Sea would need to take precautions.
But before he could take any action, the six-coloured island suddenly transformed into a six-coloured beam of light, shot out like a great rainbow, wrapped up the colourless crystal cube. Then, under Yang Kai’s dumbfounded gaze, dragged it back to the island.
The six-coloured mass of light flickered and shivered for a moment before returning to its original Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus form, the brilliant light it was emitting also returning to normal.
Yang Kai’s thoughts flashed and his Soul Avatar immediately appeared above the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus. Looking down, as he expected, the colourless crystal cube was now quietly lying on the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, surrounded in a halo of multi-coloured light.
Immediately after, the petals of that Soul Warming Lotus closed up towards its centre, clenching like a fist into a bud-like state, seemingly returning to a point before it had blossomed.
Yang Kai’s expression filled with shock as his Soul Avatar trembled excitedly.
Although he didn’t quite understand what was going on, as the owner of the Soul Warming Lotus, he was able to tell that the Soul Warming Lotus had begun its evolution into its final form!
He no longer needed to enact his plan of refining pills to nourish the Soul Warming Lotus.
And the cause of all this was that strange colourless crystal cube!
The last time the Soul Warming Lotus evolved, it hadn’t happened like this. At that time, after absorbing a massive amount of energy, its colours had gradually changed.
This time, as it evolved, it actually transformed into a flower bud. Yang Kai could almost foresee that when this flower bud fully blossomed again, it would be reborn as a full-fledged Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus.
Whatever that crystal cube was, it seemed to contain even more powerful energy than even the golden threads in the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, otherwise, how could it have allowed the Soul Warming Lotus to evolve in one fell swoop?
Yang Kai’s mood soared and his Soul Avatar’s face was filled with an indelible smile. The jubilant emotions he was feeling made the fiery Knowledge Sea surge about and waves dozens of meters high splashed up into the air, like a series of great volcanic eruptions.
Only after a long time was Yang Kai able to suppress his excitement and fix his eyes on the Soul Warming Lotus bud. Quickly, he discovered that brilliant light hallows were pulsing from it, spreading out across his Knowledge Sea. These pulses were very regularly, like a kind of heartbeat.
Also, with each pulse of light, Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea was experiencing some subtle changes. The fiery red flames and blue sea water became both deeper and purer, both seemingly increasing in power and intensity. The golden threads from the Soul Cleansing Divine Water Yang Kai had yet to properly refine began melting away at this moment and soon fully integrated into his Knowledge Sea, strengthening Yang Kai’s Soul and Spiritual Energy once more.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. The Soul Warming Lotus was still in the process of evolving, but he had already begun to reap some benefits. This only made Yang Kai more and more eager to see what would happen when it finished its evolution.
Although Yang Kai wanted to stay here for a little longer, he couldn’t help frowning, his face a bit unhappy, because the part of his consciousness he had left outside to keep watch had noticed that several people were approaching him.
With no other choice, Yang Kai could only move his consciousness from his Knowledge Sea back to his body.
After quietly releasing his Divine Sense, and discovering who it was that was approaching him, Yang Kai was somewhat stunned.
The people on their way turned out to be the same beautiful young woman who had spoken to him back at the stone cavern and her companions.
There were five people in total, all of them Second or Third-Order Saint Kings. Yang Kai wasn’t clear which force they came from, but to be able to gather together so many people so quickly, it was definitely not a small family or Sect.
Why was she following him? Could it be that since he was alone, and had a low cultivation, she thought he would be an easy target?
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a cold light and he paid even greater attention to this group’s movements.
Throughout the entire Flowing Flame Sand Field, Divine Sense was suppressed greatly, but because Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was far more powerful than others, even with this suppression he could easily monitor other people’s movements undetected.
Yang Kai was even able to eavesdrop on this group’s conversation.
“Senior Sister Chen, why are we chasing after that guy? He’s just a First-Order Saint King. With such poor strength, letting him join us wouldn’t provide us with any benefits and would instead hinder our movements,” A burly looking youth asked with an unwilling expression on his face.
“That’s right Senior Sister Chen. That guy didn’t look very strong and probably comes from some small family force. Him even obtaining the qualifications to enter this place with such low strength must mean his family doesn’t have any stronger cultivators to send.”
“Furthermore, if you let him join us, once we find something good, we’ll have to give him a share. I don’t think it’s worth it.”
The four men and women behind this beautiful young woman didn’t understand why she wanted to recruit Yang Kai and assumed she was acting out of a sense of kindness, wanting to help him, but this was the Flowing Flame Sand Field. In this place, there was a crisis around every corner, and if one wasn’t careful, they could easily lose their life, how could they spare any effort to take care of others?
After the four men and women finished speaking, the beautiful woman sighed lightly before asking, “You all think that his strength is low and that he has no useful skills, right?
“En, isn’t that obvious? Could it be he’s playing the pig to eat a tiger?” The burly man’s eyes narrowed slightly as he thought up a possibility.
“He shouldn’t be,” The beautiful young woman shook her head.
“Since that’s the case, why take him along?”
“Hehe, you all know he doesn’t have much skill, so why was he able to come here? Why was he able to break through the Flame Area?”
When the beautiful woman asked this, her four companions were stunned silent. All of them had experienced for themselves how unbearable the Flame Area was. At that time, the five of them had to work hard together to traverse it and arrive at the Treasure Area, so how did a weak First-Order Saint King manage to make it here all on his own?
“Senior Sister Chen, do you know why?” The four turned to the beautiful young woman curiously.
Shaking her head slightly, the beautiful woman replied, “I don’t know exactly, but I think he is a man of great destiny!”
“A man of great destiny…” The four men and women behind her all exchanged strange looks.
The beautiful woman surnamed Chen giggled as she smiled, “You may think it sounds ridiculous; but personally, I believe in such things. Some people are born blessed with good fortune while others are fated to have bad luck. This affects how many opportunities they encounter in life compared to others with similar aptitude, allowing them to develop at a different pace than their peers. Over the years, I’ve met a few people who carry such great destinies and by associating with them, I’ve been able to obtain some small benefits.”
The burly youth couldn’t help his face from twitching slightly before hesitantly asking, “Senior Sister Chen, you mean, if we allow him to come with us, we may get some unexpected benefits?”
“Exactly. If you think about it, it’s already a miracle that a First-Order Saint King was able to pass through the Flame Area all on his own. I don’t think he relied on his own strength to do that but instead was able to find a safe path to travel on all the way to the Treasure Area. If this wasn’t the case, just depending on his own cultivation, it would be impossible for him to cross the last section of the Flame Area. What he relied on should be his great luck,” The beautiful woman explained gently, and although her words weren’t enough to make her fellow Sect Brothers and Sisters believe here completely, they were still thought-provoking enough. “Of course, this alone isn’t enough to determine he carries a great destiny; however, what happened in the stone cavern just now you all saw with your own eyes.”
“In the stone cavern…” Everyone thought back for a while and naturally recalled bits and pieces of Yang Kai’s performance at that time, all of them soon feeling everything about him had been a bit strange.
“Do you remember? At that time, I thought that after Qu Chang Feng finished dividing up the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, it would be impossible for him to gain anything, so I urged him to not waste his time and leave as quickly as possible. But through a series of twists and turns, everyone ended up soaking in that pool. No matter how small the benefits he managed to obtain there, it was still far more than he should have been able to acquire. Far more than ten thousand cultivators entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field, yet only three or four thousand managed to reach the Treasure Area, but the ones who managed to obtain benefits from that stone cavern only numbered thirty. Among those thirty though, he was the only First-Order Saint King!”
“When Senior Sister Chen puts it that way, his luck really seems to be extraordinarily good,” The burly youth felt the stubble on his chin and gently nodded, seemingly thinking what this beautiful young woman had said was reasonable.
Fated luck and destiny were vague concepts, difficult to see or understand, but no matter how one looked at it, the luck of that First Order Saint King was strangely good.
“Senior Sister, there’s a saying that the night is darkest before dawn. If his destiny was all used up just now…” Another female cultivator in the group was secretly worried, there was no such thing as endless wealth or endless luck in this world.
“It doesn’t matter. It won’t hurt us to bring him along either way. If we can really find something good because of him, giving him a share isn’t a problem. If we can’t, it just means our luck was too bad to begin with,” The beautiful young woman smiled freely.
“Since Senior Sister has decided, let’s take him with us,” The burly youth saw that the beautiful young woman was insistent and didn’t raise any more objections. It was indeed as she had said, there wasn’t any loss in allowing him to join them, at worst, they would need to give him some small benefits, but as a trivial First-Order Saint King, even if they only gave the leftovers of their harvest, would he dare to complain?
If they were to encounter any danger, they would simply let him fend for himself. In any case, if it was true what Senior Sister Chen said and he was a man of great destiny, he shouldn’t die easily.
As soon as the burly youth agreed, everyone stopped talking and simply followed the beautiful young woman’s lead.
Yang Kai took back his Divine Sense and wore a strange look upon his face.
A man of great destiny? He couldn’t help chuckling to himself.
Being able to find that stone cavern indeed had a little bit to do with luck, but it was more so because Yang Kai had confidence in his own abilities. He wasn’t afraid of Qu Chang Feng in the first place, so he had stuck around, if it had another First-Order Saint King, they would likely have left at the first chance they could without obtaining any benefits at all.
As for crossing the Flame Area… did that even count as difficult? What did that have to do with luck?
Now that he had figured out their intentions though, the hostility on Yang Kai’s face dispersed. They didn’t have any malicious intent and could even be considered good-natured.
However, that didn’t mean Yang Kai was willing to act together with this group. While they felt he would only be a hindrance, Yang Kai also felt the same about them. Moving on his own was both easier and more convenient for Yang Kai, on top of which, anything he found belonged solely to him.
The beautiful young woman and her group weren’t far from Yang Kai; perhaps they had begun chasing after him immediately after the spirit liquid had been divided up. As such, it wasn’t long before the group of five appeared in Yang Kai’s field of vision.
In order to avoid Yang Kai’s misunderstanding their intentions, when they were still quite far away, the beautiful young woman surnamed Chen shouted enthusiastically, “Little brother!”
Pretending he had only just discovered them, Yang Kai put on a look of vigilance as he assumed a defensive stance.
“Little brother doesn’t need to be startled!” The beautiful young woman seemed to have expected this and flashed a charming yet kind smile, her eyes crystal clear as she said in as genuine a tone as possible, “We have no malicious intent.”
Saying so, she led the other four behind her over towards Yang Kai quickly.
After they closed the gap between them, Yang Kai asked flatly, “What intentions do you have then?”
“Hehe, it’s nothing much, we just saw that little brother was all alone, so we wanted to ask you a few questions,” The beautiful woman replied with a smile, “Did you come here alone?”
“That’s right,” Yang Kai nodded slightly.
“Impressive,” The beautiful woman remarked enthusiastically in a crisp and clear voice, nodding her head in approval. According to her previous conjectures, Yang Kai should be from a small family that had sent at most three disciples into the Flowing Flame Sand. Field’. The other two probably hadn’t been able to cross the Flame Area, but Yang Kai had actually managed to reach the second layer, it was an amazing accomplishment.
“Girl, if you have something to say, just say it.” Since he knew their purpose, Yang Kai was disinclined to waste time with them and was just waiting for this young woman to say it out loud so he could refuse.
“Your temper isn’t small!” The burly youth couldn’t help smirking. In his opinion, Senior Sister Chen’s willingness to accept him into their group was also a direct manifestation of his so-called ‘great destiny’, but he hadn’t expected this kid to act so rudely in return.
“Girl…” The beautiful young woman heard Yang Kai call her this and couldn’t help smiling. She hadn’t heard anyone call her like this for a long time, so she kindly explained, “Alright. We’re from the Clear Sky Sect…”
After reporting her Sect, the beautiful young woman looked at Yang Kai elegantly, seemingly believing her Sect’s strength wasn’t bad and should have some impact on him, but to her surprise, Yang Kai remained completely indifferent, making her feel somewhat embarrassed. Lightly coughing, she quickly continued, “My name is Chen Shi Tao and these are my Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters. Seeing how you are all alone here, Little Brother might not be aware of the dangers on this Treasure Area, yes? Not only are there many Monster Beasts, but there are also many inexplicable arrays and traps. It’s dangerous for someone with cultivation like yours to wander here all by yourself, if you’re not careful, it’s possible you might even die.”
At this point, according to the expectations of the beautiful woman, the other party should become panic-stricken and fearful, then she would say a few words of comfort before smoothly recruiting him into her team, but she hadn’t anticipated that Yang Kai would still wear a dull, uninterested look upon his face.
Chen Shi Tao groaned to herself, even more thinking that this guy came from a very small family and was thus completely ignorant about the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
With no other recourse, she could only get straight to the point, “If you want, you might as well act together with us. Although the five of us aren’t the strongest around, it’s still better to work together as a group than take risks all on your own. Of course, if we find something good, we won’t treat you unjustly. Outside, my Clear Sky Sect’s disciples have always maintained an upright and honourable reputation, never using our strength to bully others. Is little brother interested?”
Outright rejecting her wasn’t a good idea, so Yang Kai pretended to think it over for a moment but just as he was about to decline, his brow furrowed, and he turned towards a certain direction.
Not far away, in the direction he was staring, a fiery red light was rapidly approaching, and a moment later is zipped right past their group.
[A Flowing Flame Flying Fire?] Yang Kai’s first thought was that this thing was another Flowing Flame Flying Fire.
But soon, he thought otherwise, because this fiery red light wasn’t the same as the Flowing Flame Flying Fire he had seen before. Although its speed wasn’t slow, it definitely wasn’t as fast as that Flowing Flame Flying Fire. Yang Kai Divine Sense was even able to catch a trace of it.
What’s more, this was the Treasure Area, how could there be Flowing Flame Flying Fires here?
Wei Gu Chang had said that Flowing Flame Flying Fires only existed in the Flame Area and it was impossible to see them in the Treasure Area.
At the same time, Yang Kai discovered this fiery red light, Chen Shi Tao’s group also took notice of it.
The burly youth stared in the direction the red light disappeared, thought about it for a moment, then quickly exclaimed, “A World Spirit Treasure?”
The others in Chen Shi Tao’s group also changed countenance upon hearing this.
Yang Kai had also concluded that it was a World Spirit Treasure, but as to what kind it was, he couldn’t tell. All he knew was that a moment ago, when that red light flashed in front of him, Yang Kai had clearly noticed a trace of vitality from it, so what else besides a World Spirit Treasure could it be?
Before Yang Kai could start chasing it, from the direction the red light flew, a figure came rushing over.
“Oh?” Yang Kai couldn’t help grinning when he saw this man’s appearance and stayed in place to wait for his arrival.
The man quickly arrived in front of the crowd with a vigilant look upon his face; after all, he was chasing after a treasure when suddenly six people appeared in his path. This man was feeling quite anxious, but when he saw that one of these six people was actually Yang Kai, he immediately relaxed and walked over.
“Foreign Elder Chang!” Yang Kai hurriedly greeted him. The one who had come was none other than Chang Qi of Hai Ke Family.
“Yang Kai, you’re here too,” Chang Qi said excitedly, laughing happily as if he had just reunited with a long-separated family member.
Yang Kai being able to reach the Treasure Area wasn’t a surprise to Chang Qi. Others might now know of Yang Kai’s strength, but Chang Qi was very clear about it. Yang Kai had fought and killed several Third-Order Saint Kings, a spectacle Chang Qi had seen from beginning to end, if such a person couldn’t break through the Flame Area, it would be too strange.
Chang Qi was happy that the two of them had a chance to meet here.
“Where’s Foreign Elder Hao?” Yang Kai asked as he looked behind him but didn’t see any trace of Hao An.
“Old Hao didn’t come with me. In fact, we haven’t met after we came in, but don’t worry. Although Old Hao isn’t young anymore, crossing the first layer Flame Area is still within his ability,” Chang Qi said with a smile, only now turning his attention to Chen Shi Tao and her group and asking, “These are…”
“We are disciples from Clear Sky Sect,” Chen Shi Tao smiled, thinking that this old man should be a cultivator from the same family as this young man. It seems that they really came from a small family, otherwise they wouldn’t have sent someone so old like Chang Qi.
“Clear Sky Sect!” Unlike Yang Kai, when Chang Qi heard these three words his face immediately became dignified, quickly cupping his fists and saying, “So Young Lady and her companions are from Clear Sky Sect, forgive my disrespect!”
He then turned a curious look towards Yang Kai, unable to figure out how he was related to these Clear Sky Sect disciples. Clear Sky Sect’s strength wasn’t any lower than Shadow Moon Hall’s, and although they had not managed to produce true genius disciples in recent years, their foundation, accumulated inheritance, and reputation were still highly regarded.
So when he heard Chen Shi Tao say that she was from Clear Sky Sect, of course he didn’t dare show any neglect.
This was the kind of response a person from a small family should have when they heard the name Clear Sky Sect… Chen Shi Tao secretly thought that the embarrassment she felt from Yang Kai’s indifferent response had suddenly been swept away.
“Foreign Elder Chang, were you chasing that World Spirit Treasure?” Yang Kai hurriedly asked.
“Right!” Chang Qi palmed his fist, his face full of annoyance, “That thing is too slippery. Originally, I thought it was just an ordinary little snake, but when I approached it, it suddenly transformed into a flaming light and flew off. I never expected to see anything capable of flying in this Flowing Flame Sand Field.”
Everyone was dumbstruck when they heard him say this.
That World Spirit Treasure had passed by them too quickly and brought them too much excitement, completely making them forgot that the World Principles here restrained all forms of flight. Now thinking about it, just that along was incredible enough.
That treasure was surely something extraordinary! When they thought of this, the eyes of all five Clear Sky Sect disciples immediately became hot.
“Quickly follow it!” Yang Kai said before rushing off in the direction the red light disappeared. Chang Qi hesitated for a moment before hurriedly following after Yang Kai.
“Senior Sister Chen…” The burly youth licked his dry lips and murmured, “It seems he really is a man of great destiny!”
Chen Shi Tao had said that this young man possessed extraordinary luck due to his great destiny, but all of them had been quite doubtful about this. But the moment they met him, a precious World Spirit Treasure just happened to pass by! Such things were incredibly rare and every one of them was extremely valuable. With this reality shoved in front of them, they couldn’t help believing Chen Shi Tao, all of them directing looks full of admiration towards her, feeling she had far greater vision than them.
“What should we do?” Asked another female cultivator.
“Follow them!” Chen Shi Tao kicked off the ground, causing her tender body to shoot forward. The other four also hurriedly used their movement skills and pushed their Saint Qi to bring their speed up to its limit.
“Yang Kai, those disciples from Clear Sky Sect…” Chang Qi glanced back anxiously at the five people following them.
“I’m not familiar with them, we just happened to meet here,” Yang Kai replied with a smile, “But you don’t need to care about them, if we can catch up to that World Spirit Treasure, go ahead and seize it. It belongs to whoever can capture it. If they dare try to rob us, we don’t need to be polite!”
“Sounds good. Since you’ve said so, I feel relieved,” Chang Qi visibly relaxed and excitement returned to his face.
Chang Qi originally came to the Flowing Flame Sand Field to look for opportunities. Now an opportunity was right in front of him, so let alone disciples of Clear Sky Sect, even if cultivators from Heaven Battling Union or Thunder Typhoon Sect were in front of him, he would still have to fight. After living for so many years, if he died in pursuit of the Martial Dao, he wouldn’t have died in vain.
Although the two groups both pushed their speed to the limit, the inability to fly here caused them a great deal of delay. Because Yang Kai had waited for Chang Qi for a few minutes, the flying red light had left the range of their Divine Senses, so they had no choice but to follow the remnants of its vitality and aura to track it.
While they couldn’t sense its position exactly with this method of tacking, they were at least certain they were going the right way.
“Foreign Elder Chang, do you know what kind of World Spirit Treasure that thing is?” Yang Kai took a moment to ask as they ran forward.
“I wasn’t able to see it clearly, all I know is that it looked like a little green snake and when I first discovered it, it was resting atop a Soul Nourishing Flower. I actually only noticed it because I was trying to collect that Soul Nourishing Flower.”
“A Soul Nourishing Flower?” Yang Kai couldn’t help frowning. As an Alchemist, Yang Kai naturally knew what about this spirit flower. The Soul Nourishing Flower was a Saint King Grade herb and the fragrance it gave off was able to calm one’s mood while nourishing their Soul, it was a key ingredient in the refinement of several Soul cultivation pills.
However, World Spirit Treasures were generally spirit grasses or spirit medicines to begin with, why would it need to absorb the medicinal fragrance of a Soul Nourishing Flower?
Could this snake-shaped World Spirit Treasure have already formed its own Soul and achieved sentience? However, even if that was the case, it still shouldn’t be interested in a Soul Nourishing Flower.
It was a real mystery.
While Yang Kai and Chang Qi were talking, Chen Shi Tao and her group were somewhat surprised.
Because they discovered that the speed of the First-Order Saint King Yang Kai wasn’t slower than any of them; in fact, no matter how they chased him, they couldn’t catch up.
Chen Shi Tao was the most surprised, realizing now that she didn’t completely understand this First-Order Saint King cultivator.
Not long after, Yang Kai and Chang Qi stopped at the edge of a plain.
This plain was filled with grass that was about six or seven meters tall and looked very dense, but after sweeping it with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai was surprised to find that there wasn’t a single spirit grass or spirit medicine here. It seems that this fertile plot of land was only suitable for growing weeds.
This situation was quite unusual.
The faint aura traces of the flying red light Yang Kai was following also disappeared here, but he didn’t know if it was because it was hiding or some other reason.
However, Yang Kai was certain that the snake-shaped World Spirit Treasure was here somewhere.
“Let’s split up, looking for it in all these tall weeds will probably be difficult. Pay attention to any unusual energy fluctuations, there might be something like a barrier here,” Yang Kai said lightly.
“Good.” Chang Qi nodded and immediately separated from Yang Kai.
A moment later, Chen Shi Tao and her group arrived just in time to see Yang Kai and Chang Qi disappear into the weeds. Her four Junior disciples turned their eyes to Chen Shi Tao for instructions.
“Let’s also split up and search!” Chen Shi Tao made an immediate decision; she too was interested in that World Spirit Treasure.
The five disciples from Clear Sky Sect, like Yang Kai and Chang Qi, scattered in all directions to begin their search.
Searching for something in this place really gave one a headache. Even though Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was far more powerful and could cover a much wider range than anyone else present, how could he find a World Spirit Treasure that could perfectly conceal itself in such a broad thicket?
After searching for two full hours, Yang Kai was considering whether he should give up, as he was essentially just wasting time now; however, at that moment, he suddenly noticed an energy fluctuation that came from a spot about ten kilometres away.
[Someone found something?] Yang Kai looked happy and rushed towards the signal.
After a while, Yang Kai arrived at the source of the energy fluctuation and found that the five disciples from Clear Sky Sect had already gathered and were currently standing around a hole in the ground. All of them wore excited looks as they stared curiously down this hole, but none of them dared to enter it easily.
The burly man was talking to Chen Shi Tao and, listening to what he was saying, it seemed he had accidentally felt something unusual from this place and had struck the ground, revealing this hole.
However, whether this hole led to danger or fortune was something he couldn’t tell, so he had sent up a signal for Chen Shi Tao and his fellow disciples to gather so they could discuss carefully what to do next.
When Yang Kai arrived here, the five of them glanced at him, they didn’t show any intentions to drive him off and simply continued their discussion.
A few moments later, Chang Qi also came over, apparently attracted by the energy fluctuation like Yang Kai.
“Did someone find it?” Chang Qi stared at the hole.
“I don’t know,” Yang Kai shook his head. He didn’t find anything noteworthy from this hole, but its mere existence here was intriguing, so he still felt it necessary to explore it.
But this was discovered by others first, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for Yang Kai to dive in first as it would only cause the Clear Sky Sect disciples to become hostile towards him. For now, all he could do was wait.
While Chen Shi Tao and the others were discussing what to do, they glanced over at Yang Kai from time to time, some of them shaking their heads, some of them nodding, seemingly having a dispute about something.
After Chen Shi Tao said something though, the ones who were shaking their heads could only nod in agreement.
Having reached a consensus, Chen Shi Tao walked over to Yang Kai with a smile.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly; although he didn’t understand what Chen Shi Tao wanted, he didn’t feel any malicious intent from her, so he decided to hear her out.
“Little brother, do you want to explore this cave together with this Senior?” Chen Shi Tao asked.
“You’re willing to let us join you?” Yang Kai raised his brow in surprise.
“Naturally we’re willing, although this cave was discovered by my Junior Brother, we only arrived here because we were pursuing that World Spirit Treasure together, so you have some credit in finding this cave too,” Chen Shi Tao smiled lightly.
“That can’t be all there is to it, right? What kind of conditions are you proposing,” Yang Kai smiled thoughtfully?
Chen Shi Tao was a bit startled, but quickly smiled and nodded, “Little Brother is truly an understanding person. Good, then I’ll also be straightforward. No one knows what the situation is inside this cave, there may be opportunities, or there may be danger, you also know that there are many crises hidden in this Flowing Flame Sand Field. Although this cave looks normal, who knows what lies down below, no one from my group dares to go down haphazardly…”
Yang Kai gently nodded, not interrupting as he motioned for her to continue.
Chen Shi Tao quickly said, “Little brother’s luck seems to be quite good, so I was thinking it would be best for you to explore the road first. With little brother’s luck, you should be able to avoid any big risks. Of course, you should consider this matter carefully yourself first, if you don’t want to, we won’t force you.”
It turned out they wanted to let him scout ahead! Yang Kai suddenly realized.
Naturally he was going to agree. Even if they didn’t make such a request, Yang Kai would have proposed letting him go down first himself, them inviting him to do so would have worked out better for Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t say anything immediately and instead pretended to hesitate, rubbing his chin for as he put on a contemplative look for quite a while. Just as Chen Shi Tao was secretly beginning to worry about Yang Kai refusing, the latter finally said, “I can agree to explore the way, but if there are any benefits down below, how do you plan to distribute them?”
“Little brother can rest assured, we are not overbearing like Heaven Battling Union. However many benefits there are down there, we will divide equally according to our numbers. There are seven of us here in total, so whatever is down there will be divided into seven, is that acceptable?”
This distribution method seemed to favour Clear Sky Sect’s people; after all, there were many more of them, so in the end, they would obtain the bulk of the benefits, but it was actually quite fair!
After all, they were a group of five Second and Third-Order Saint Kings. If they had instead been disciples from Heaven Battling Union, forget about anything, Yang Kai and Chang Qi would only be driven away or killed on the spot. Chen Shi Tao being able to propose such an arrangement was extremely even-handed.
Naturally, those from the Clear Sky Sect didn’t know that if they really dared try to expel Yang Kai and Chang Qi, it would be them that suffered.
“What if whatever’s down there can’t be split into seven?” Yang Kai asked pointedly.
“That’s easy enough to handle. If the benefits can’t be divided into seven parts, then everyone will bid on them, the one who offers the highest price will get it. This way, if you have the money, you can obtain the treasure while everyone else will obtain some Saint Crystals. This is how I always settle such matters when outside the Sect.” Chen Shi Tao had apparently experienced similar situations more than once or twice and immediately came up with a solution that satisfied Yang Kai.
Facing such sincerity, Yang Kai naturally didn’t have any objections and immediately nodded, “Alright, then we’ll follow your plan. I’ll take the lead. I’m young and my body is strong, so I’m not afraid of any danger, so it doesn’t matter if I scout the way for everyone, but Foreign Elder Chang is old so…”
“I’ll bring up the rear. How would this old sir like to walk in front of this Young Lady?” Chen Shi Tao smiled slightly and proposed. She knew what Yang Kai was worried about and took the initiative to take a certain amount of risk upon herself as well.
“Okay.” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction. He had to admit, this beautiful young woman called Chen Shi Tao truly knew how to handle matters. She was the kind of person who could consider the risks of a situation and the concerns of others around her very well while seeing things from multiple perspectives and making sound proposals that benefited everyone. It was no wonder the other four men and women looked to her as their leader.
This gave Yang Kai a favourable impression of her despite the short time they had interacted with one another.
He also figured that Chen Shi Tao was quite famous in Clear Sky Sect, likely a Core Disciple or character of similar status.
After the negotiations concluded successfully, Yang Kai didn’t waste any time and swiftly leapt down the hole.
This sight made Chen Shi Tao, who had wanted to speak a few words of warning to Yang Kai first, gawk in surprise. Before she could even get a word out, Yang Kai was gone.
“This…” All five of the Clear Sky Sect disciples looked around at each with cramped expressions.
All of them were more and more certain that Yang Kai was a man of great destiny. This guy acted so haphazardly and rashly, actually jumping into an unexplored cave without taking out any kind of defensive artefacts to protect himself. Even if he didn’t use any artefacts, he should have at least used his Saint Qi to protect himself, right?
However, he had simply jumped right in.
If it weren’t for him possessing great destiny, with this kind of behaviour, how could he have survived so long? He should have died many times over by now.
“Ahem, we should follow him.” Chang Qi saw the five people gawking and couldn’t help reminding them. If Yang Kai really encountered some kind of danger down below, them standing around here would not be of any help to him.
“En, follow him…” Chen Shi Tao nodded helplessly. The other four men and women from Clear Sky Sect immediately pushed their Saint Qi and jumped into the hole. After they jumped in, Chang Qi followed, with Chen Shi Tao bringing up the rear.
This hole was very deep, and after Yang Kai jumped in, he kept dropping down for quite some time at a very fast rate. This hole should have been naturally generated, but its walls were actually as smooth as jade.
Although Yang Kai didn’t use any defensive artefacts or push his Saint Qi to protect himself, his Divine Sense was pushed to its limits and if any kind of danger were to pop up, he would instantly be able to defend himself.
To his surprise though, there was no aura of danger from this hole at all. After falling for half an incense stick of time, Yang Kai estimated that he had descended at least a thousand metres or so yet he still felt perfectly safe.
Suddenly, an extremely pure energy rushed up from below, causing Yang Kai spirit to shake as he revealed a look of shock.
The richness of this energy aura was even purer and denser than the one back in the stalactite cave. Anything which could produce such a rich aura was clearly a very precious treasure.
After dropping another few hundred meters, Yang Kai finally landed on the ground and quickly stepped out to make room for the people who were following behind him. Taking out a luminous stone from his Space Ring, he then began looking around.
As soft beams of light filled his surroundings, Yang Kai was able to see he was currently in an underground cavern. There was also a crystal clear underground river flowing nearby.
The area of this cavern wasn’t too large, only a hundred meters or so in diameter, but Yang Kai could see numerous channels around him leading off in every direction.
From each of these channels, and incredibly rich World Energy aura could be felt.
As Yang Kai swept his eyes around, they brightened when they landed on a certain passageway.
From the mouth of this particular passageway, he felt the aura of the little snake-shaped World Spirit Treasure. Although this aura was very faint and was quickly dissipating, there was no doubt about its origin.
That little snake was actually hiding here.
Yang Kai didn’t rush out to find it though and instead stood still and waited.
A few moments later, the five members of Clear Sky Sect and Chang Qi arrived, and after discovering the strangeness of the cavern and the incredibly rich aura contained within it, all of them showed looks of anticipation.
“Senior Sister Chen, what is this place, what kind of good things are there?” Another female cultivator in the team couldn’t hold back her joy and hurriedly asked Chen Shi Tao.
“How am I supposed to know? Little brother, you came down first, did you find anything special?” Chen Shi Tao turned to ask Yang Kai.
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head, “After I arrived here I decided to wait for all of you.”
Chang Qi, on the other hand, frowned, seemingly remembering something, the look on his face going from anticipation to excitement.
Chen Shi Tao didn’t miss this and couldn’t help glancing over to him and asking, “Old sir, did you find something? If you have, please enlighten us.”
Chang Qi chuckled, “Young Lady is too serious. If this old man is correct, this place should be a mineral lode!”
“Mineral lode?” Chen Shi Tao and others were surprised.
“En, a Saint Crystal lode!” Chang Qi said in a solemn tone, his words causing the others present a good deal of shock. He then added, “Moreover, it should be a High-Rank one!”
“Is this place really a Saint Crystal lode?” Chen Shi Tao’s beautiful eyes flashed with deep astonishment, and the expressions of the other four men and women weren’t much better.
“This old man doesn’t dare make any guarantees, but I am at least eighty percent certain,” Chang Qi smiled lightly. “Because this old man once mined some Saint Crystals from a Saint Crystal lode owned by Shadow Moon Hall, this place is a bit familiar. And if we want to confirm my assumptions, all we need to do is head over to that tunnel over there.”
Everyone agreed with this sentiment and immediately decided to investigate. There were many passages leading out from this cavern, so taking the lead once more, Yang Kai picked a tunnel at will and walked into it.
After walking three hundred meters or so, Yang Kai came to a halt and stared at the sight in front of him. Even if he had witnessed great storms before and currently had a net worth of over a hundred million Saint Crystals, the scene before him still shocked him.
In front of him was a massive piece of completely intact Saint Crystal. This Saint Crystal had not yet been cut and was actually as big as a house, completely blocking the way forward. Judging from the colour and amount of impurities contained inside this huge Saint Crystal, plus the aura it gave off, it was easy for Yang Kai to determine this was High-Rank Saint Crystal!
This was just the edge of one tunnel, who knows how many Saint Crystals of such size were present in this place?
The sound of people pounding hearts and gulping came from behind Yang Kai.
On Shadowed Star, Saint Crystal lodes were scarce. One shouldn’t take the behaviour of the great forces at the Treasure Trove Pavilion’s auction as normal. Naturally, these Sects had massive accumulations of wealth of countless years, and with the opening of the Flowing Flame Sand Field at that time, all of them hadn’t been distressed about spending more Saint Crystals to buy themselves treasures for their disciples to equip so they could reap even greater benefits from the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
To these great forces, this was an investment; as long as these disciples could effectively make use of the things they bought, the benefits they obtained in the Flowing Flame Sand Field would more than make up for the Saint Crystals spent.
However, no matter how rich they appeared, it was an undeniable truth that Saint Crystals were scarce on the Cultivation Star.
Clear Sky Sect was also a great Sect no worse than Shadow Moon Hall, and Chen Shi Tao had heard that her Sect controlled more than a dozen large and small mineral lodes, but only two of those were High-Rank Saint Crystal lodes while the others were all Mid-Rank or Low-Rank.
Moreover, she knew that those two High-Rank lodes weren’t nearly as rich as the one she was currently standing in.
What was a true High-Rank lode? The Saint Crystal lode in front of her was! Any casually mined Saint Crystal here was High-Rank!
So when she saw this massive High-Rank Saint Crystal lying in front of her, even Chen Shi Tao felt it difficult to contain her excitement.
If they could mine this entire lode, it would definitely allow Clear Sky Sect’s financial resources to improve by several grades.
Why hadn’t anyone ever discovered such an incredible mineral lode hidden in the Flowing Flame Sand Field before?
“Do we need to come up with distribution for this too?” Yang Kai suddenly turned around and asked, pulling Chen Shi Tao out of her daze.
“No need no need! Although we haven’t checked the other channels, their situation is obviously similar to this one. Let’s split up and mine it separately. However much anyone mines, they can keep,” Chen Shi Tao waved her hand hastily.
It had only been a bit more than a month since the Flowing Flame Sand Field opened, which meant there were almost five months before it closed. If they stayed here that long and continued mining these Saint Crystals…