Chen Shi Tao was already worried that her Space Ring might not be big enough and was wondering whether she should contact the others from her Sect to come here and help them mine this lode. This was an incredible opportunity. Forget about collecting spirit grasses and spirit medicines outside, as long as they had enough Saint Crystals, what fear was there they couldn’t just buy what they wanted?
Considering this, Chen Shi Tao suddenly looked at Yang Kai with a scorching gaze, as if she wanted to see just how much good fortune was hidden in his body. Just by following him, they were able to obtain such immense benefits.
Just in case, everyone went to explore a few other passages to see if there were more Saint Crystal deposits down them, and unsurprisingly, down each tunnel, they found massive chunks of High-Rank Saint Crystal just lying out in plain sight.
“We’ve got plenty of time, everyone can split up and mine on their own. Before the Flowing Flame Sand Field closes, we’ll mine as much as we can, and if we can’t mind this place clean….” After a moment of hesitation and a glance over towards Yang Kai, who didn’t say anything, Chen Shi Tao said, “Then we’ll bring news of this place back to the Sect and wait until next time the Flowing Flame Sand Field opens to let others mine it!”
Her original idea was naturally to contact others from her Sect; after all, the more people that came, the more they could mine, and the more benefits they would obtain. However, besides the Chen Shi Tao’s group of five from Clear Sky Sect, there were also two outsiders, Yang Kai and Chang Qi, so it would not be a good idea for her to call in others lest she creates dissatisfaction between the two groups.
If it was Chang Qi it wouldn’t have mattered, but this young man named Yang Kai was a man of great destiny and Chen Shi Tao wanted to remain on good terms with him so in the future she might possibly gain more benefits from him.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was very satisfied with her decision and immediately nodded in agreement.
The seven people dispersed immediately, each picking a mine shaft to enter then using their own methods to collect Saint Crystals.
Yang Kai naturally chose the tunnel he had been eyeing from the start, walking only a hundred meters in before arriving at a massive block of Saint Crystal. Yang Kai condensed a dagger of Demonic Flame in his hand and using this incredibly sharp tool began cutting parts of this giant Saint Crystal into washbasin size chunks before tossing them into his Space Ring.
Although Yang Kai wasn’t as excited as the others to mine the Saint Crystals here, having more of them was never a bad thing.
Yang Kai worked hard at mining these Saint Crystals while keeping a lookout for the snake-shaped World Spirit Treasure. While he was certain it had entered this passage, and there was no other way out, Yang Kai wasn’t able to locate it immediately, confusing him greatly.
After that World Spirit Treasure entered this place, it had seemingly disappeared!
Aside from it drilling into these Saint Crystals, Yang Kai wasn’t able to find another reasonable answer, but could that World Spirit Treasure really drill into solid Saint Crystal? He didn’t know of any World Spirit Treasure which had such ability.
On top of that, this entire place was somewhat strange. It stands to reason that which such a massive Saint Crystal lode underground, the plain up above should be filled with spirit grasses and spirit medicines, but there was actually nothing on the surface but ordinary weeds.
Unable to think up any explanations for these mysteries, Yang Kai focused on digging and exploring this lode’s depths, tossing one large chunk of Saint Crystal into his Space Ring after another. The Saint Crystals in Yang Kai tunnel were decreasing at a rapid rate.
The dagger condensed of Demonic Flame was extremely sharp, able to easily slice through the raw Saint Crystal, but the Demonic Flame had the inherent property of burning everything it touched, so whenever Yang Kai made a cut, he would also burn away a significant amount of Saint Crystal.
One or two such losses were irrelevant, but as they compounded over time, this loss would be difficult to estimate.
After thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai summoned a drop of Golden Blood from his veins and transformed it into a short sword.
Even a casual swing of this Golden Blood short sword was able to cut through the raw Saint Crystal here like tofu, making mining not only incredibly easy but also far more efficient than before with the added bonus of not suffering any losses. Yang Kai was very satisfied.
A day later, Yang Kai had harvested a large amount of Saint Crystal but was still unable to locate the little snake World Spirit Treasure even though he had dug another ten meters into the channel.
While Yang Kai was mining Saint Crystals, he suddenly heard some light footsteps at the entrance to his tunnel and soon saw Chang Qi’s figure emerge.
Foreign Elder Chang was wearing an excited look while constraining his aura and footsteps. Seeing Yang Kai’s sceptical look, Chang Qi only beckoned to him mysteriously.
As soon as he saw Chang Qi’s expression, Yang Kai knew the former must have found something good and couldn’t help also becoming excited, following after him quietly in the next moment.
As he followed Chang Qi, Yang Kai used his Divine Sense to ask, “Did you find a trace of that World Spirit Treasure?”
“It’s hiding here?” Chang Qi frowned, a bewildered expression filling his face.
“It’s hiding here, I sensed its aura in the tunnel yesterday, but I haven’t found it yet.”
Chang Qi shook his head and replied, “I didn’t come to you because of it, but because I found something incredible. This old man’s vision is too poor though so I don’t recognize what it is, nor do I dare to move it, but you come from the outside world and are well-informed, so perhaps you will know something about it.”
After listening to Chang Qi’s comment, Yang Kai was a little disappointed, but he was still looked forward to whatever it was the former had found, immediately falling silent as he followed Chang Qi to another passage.
The raw Saint Crystal in this channel had been mined by Chang Qi, but not as much had been collected as Yang Kai had. Although Chang Qi had only collected about half of what Yang Kai had thought, it was still an enormous amount of wealth.
“Take a look, do you recognize this?” Chang Qi pointed forward.
Yang Kai looked in the direction he was guiding and his eyes narrowed.
Amongst the raw Saint Crystal in front of him was a small tree-like object inlaid in the wall. It was roughly a meter tall and had nine branches leading out from its trunk as well as a number of leaves. It seemed to be formed from the purest of crystal and was beautiful.
It seemed like it had grown out from the surrounding Saint Crystal but also like a frozen fossil, almost lifelike in nature.
There was no vitality coming from it, but it seemed to exude a wondrous aura from its leaves and branches. Whether it was Chang Qi or Yang Kai, when they were exposed to this aura, they couldn’t help feeling a sense of enlightenment.
Chang Qi had even noticed the bottleneck which had prevented him from break through for many years showing some signs of loosening.
This situation startled him and he quickly suppressed his surging Saint Qi, not daring to have any distracting thoughts.
This was the Flowing Flame Sand Field, and inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, any Origin Returning Realm master would definitely die. Chang Qi was currently at the peak of the Third Order Saint King Realm, and once he broke through, he would reach the Origin Returning Realm. If that were to happen here, he would immediately be killed by the strange World Principles in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
It was after Chang Qi experienced this strange sensation that he hurriedly found Yang Kai.
Firstly, Chang Qi didn’t recognize what this thing was and didn’t know how to deal with it; secondly, he didn’t dare approach it at will, much less touch it. If this thing were to force him to break through, it would be a disaster.
Yang Kai, however, recklessly immersed himself in this wonderful aura, his face revealing a soothed expression.
Soon though, he regained his calm look and stared towards this small tree embedded in Saint Crystal seriously. After a long time, he exhaled softly and said, “This should be a Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree.”
“Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree?” Chang Qi apparently was hearing this name for the first time and couldn’t help but ask, “What is that?”
“A type of unparalleled treasure!” Yang Kai said in a low voice. “It is a higher grade existence than even World Spirit Treasures. I have seen records about it in an ancient book before. It has a slim chance of being formed in extremely rich High-Rank Saint Crystal lodes. After concentrating the essence of all the surrounding Saint Crystal, a tiny seedling can be produced. This Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree has already grown to a meter in height, so it is at least 20,000 to 30,000 years old, possibly even older.”
Chang Qi couldn’t help feeling astonished.
No matter what it was, anything that could reach 20,000 to 30,000 years of age was an extraordinary existence. Even a weed may obtain sentience and evolve into a World Spirit Treasure over such a long period of time.
This Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree was born from the essence of this Saint Crystal lode and was then nourished by the aura of the all the surrounding High-Rank Saint Crystal. Its starting point was already extremely high, so after so long it could be imagined how extraordinary it was.
Yang Kai knowing about this treasure was naturally thanks to Zong Ao. The ancient books stored in Zong Ao’s palace back on Rainfall Star had no discernible filing system, but thanks to browsing them, Yang Kai was able to learn about a great many wondrous things. Those ancient books not only had records about the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, but it also had information about the Soul Warming Lotus and various other treasures.
It could be said that the value of the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree was on par with the Soul Warming Lotus; incomparable to ordinary treasures.
Most cultivators throughout the Star Field had never even heard of the Soul Warming Lotus or the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, much less seen them. Only in records from the distant past was there any information about them, almost as if such things had all disappeared without a trace.
“What wondrous uses does it have? Can it be used in Alchemy?” Chang Qi saw Yang Kai knew something about it and immediately asked.
“Alchemy?” Yang Kai chuckled, “Naturally it can be used for Alchemy, but if you were to do so, it would be the epitome of wasting Heaven’s precious gifts. If any master who knew about the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree were to hear someone used it for Alchemy, they would immediately chop them to pieces then burn their body to ash.”
“Ahem…” Chang Qi face went bright red, knowing he was a bit ignorant here and probably asked a ridiculous question.
“You should have realized its greatest usefulness already. If one cultivates near it, it can help cultivators break through their bottlenecks. That’s why it is a priceless treasure.” Yang Kai said with satisfaction.
Most things that could help a cultivator overcome a bottleneck were special pills, but if one took such a pill and still failed to break through, taking a second pill would have no effect; however, the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree was different. It could help a cultivator to slowly increase their own comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dow, allowing them to overcome their bottleneck completely naturally.
Taking a pill was considered using external forces to help one break through, but the magical aura of the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree fundamentally improved a cultivator’s own comprehension, the effects of the two weren’t even on the same level.
Sure enough, when Chang Qi heard this, his eyes brightened and his body trembled with excitement.
The reason Chang Qi and Hao An were both unable to break through to the Origin Returning Realm was that they couldn’t overcome the bottlenecks they had, and the Hai Ke Family didn’t have the ability to purchase Origin Condensing Pills for them. As such, if they didn’t obtain some kind of special opportunity, they would remain Third Order Saint Kings for the rest of their life, unable to ever grasp the mysteries of the Origin Returning Realm.
The two of them had entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field for two reasons, one was to complete the agreement they had with Yi En, the other was to seek a breakthrough opportunity.
But now, this little tree in front of him could easily help them break through their bottlenecks, so how could Chang Qi not be excited?
Just thinking about being able to take that one last step which had eluded him and Old Hao for so long, Chang Qi couldn’t help shedding some tears.
Yang Kai didn’t tell Chang Qi that the profound aura of the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree wasn’t just useful for cultivators trying to break through their cultivation bottlenecks but also bottlenecks in comprehending Martial Skills, Soul Skills, and so on and so forth. Essentially, as long as a cultivator was having trouble comprehending anything related to their cultivation, the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree could help them, and the higher one’s strength became, the greater the benefits they could obtain.
The higher a cultivator climbed, the harder it became to advance as it not only required the accumulation of strength over time, but also increased comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao. Breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm was already incredibly difficult, so one could only imagine how challenging breaking through to the Origin King Realm was.
However, the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree could help cultivators overcome this problem on a fundamental level.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that it was an unparalleled treasure. Depending on how it was used, it could be considered even more valuable than the Soul Warming Lotus. A Soul Warming Lotus could only be used by one person, but the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree could be used by countless people.
“It finally makes sense why the plains up above only have weeds growing on them with no trace of spirit grasses or spirit medicines,” Yang Kai smiled.
Chang Qi asked reflexively, “Why?”
“Because it is impossible for spirit grasses or spirit medicines to grow in a place where this thing exists, it has exhausted all of the Heavenly Dao within a few hundred kilometers…” Yang Kai suddenly frowned.
Chang Qi obviously remembered something as well quickly asked, “But didn’t that World Spirit Treasure come from this place?”
Yang Kai glanced over at him and conjectured, “That might not have been a World Spirit Treasure.”
In any case, with a Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree appearing here, Yang Kai and Chang Qi had completely disregarded the issue of the World Spirit Treasure for now. Chang Qi was afraid to even move this peerless treasure, fearing he might damage it, but Yang Kai didn’t hesitate to use his golden sword to excavate the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree from the surrounding Saint Crystal and toss it into his Black Book space.
Yang Kai only kept some unimportant things inside his Space Ring while all of his real treasures were stored inside the Black Book space.
“Foreign Elder Chang, I’ll hold onto this thing for now. After we return, I’ll return it to you. It will definitely help you to break through to the Origin Returning Realm.” After all, Chang Qi was the one who found it, so although Yang Kai was a bit envious, he didn’t plan on taking it for himself.
Chang Qi however quickly waved his hands and with a very satisfied expression on his face declared, “You saying so is treating this old man as too much of an outsider. This old man isn’t ignorant of this thing’s true value, it’s just… this old man is well aware that he doesn’t have the qualifications to hold onto such a treasure. If I were to try to keep it to myself, it would only be a curse rather than a blessing. This old man has already lived so many years and his only remaining wish now is to break through to the Origin Returning Realm, but even that seemed all but impossible. It was when this old man and Old Hao were at their lowest and most helpless point that you appeared to help us. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have even had a chance to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field, and this old man would never have been able to arrive here. This Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree is yours now, allowing this old man and Old Hao to cultivate beside it for a while is plenty.”
Hearing him say so, Yang Kai no longer acted polite and immediately said, “Thank you. In the future, when you and Foreign Elder Hao come to live on Dragon Cave Mountain, you will definitely obtain far more benefits than you could in the Hai Ke Family. Breaking through to the Origin King Realm won’t be impossible.”
Chang Qi laughed, “That will be a goal for the future.”
Obviously he didn’t have much hope for such a future. He had yet to break through to the Origin Returning Realm so how could he dream of reaching the Origin King Realm? What’s more, an Origin King Realm master hadn’t appeared on Shadowed Star for countless years, Chang Qi didn’t believe he would be the one to break this pattern.
Yang Kai didn’t say anymore, his target had already been set on the Origin King Realm, so if it was impossible on Shadowed Star, he would simply have to go to a different Cultivation Star. After all, he would not be trapped here for his entire lifetime! At that time, taking others along would be a simple matter.
After collecting the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, Yang Kai returned to his own tunnel and immersed himself in mining again.
The entire underground cave was quite quiet, with only the faint sounds of mining coming from the various passages. Whether it was the five disciples from Clear Sky Sect, Yang Kai, or Chang Qi, all achieved great results.
Time marched on and soon four days had passed.
Yang Kai had dug more than thirty meters into his own passage and he had already obtained the equivalent of three million Saint Crystals; however, there was still no trace of the World Spirit Treasure that looked like a little snake.
A Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree had appeared here, so Yang Kai was even more curious about that little snake-like World Spirit Treasure because he wanted to know if it had grown and evolved here, or it had simply unintentionally hidden here after being chased down.
And so, Yang Kai kept digging deeper.
Two days later, Yang Kai frowned, secretly wondering if he should give up.
His biggest objective in entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field was finding a place to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water. The first layer Flame Area failed to meet his requirements, so he hadn’t stopped there and was instead intending to take his chances on the next Flame Area beyond the Treasure Area. Considering this, it wasn’t worth it for him to continue wasting time here.
Saint Crystals were good, but Yang Kai felt that if he wanted to obtain Saint Crystals it wasn’t difficult, so there was no need for him to keep mining them here.
After pondering for a while, Yang Kai decided to spend two more days digging here. After two days, no matter what the result was, he had to leave this place.
Yang Kai didn’t know if it was his determination paying off or just good luck, but half a day later, after digging out a large piece of Saint Crystal, he suddenly felt a distinctive aura overflowing from the Saint Crystal in front of him.
This aura was very strange. Although it seemed quite thin and weak, it was also incredibly noble and majestic!
Under this aura, Yang Kai even felt a bit fearful and apprehensive, as if a great pair of eyes were staring at him, the owner of which could immediately kill him if it wished.
This sensation startled Yang Kai and he quickly focused himself to resist it.
Suddenly, Yang Kai felt light again, and after carefully inspecting his surroundings again, his expression became weird.
This majestic aura was somewhat familiar to him. It wasn’t the same majesty of the Demon Eye of Annihilation, but instead felt similar to the one the Golden Dragon Tattoo produced when it materialized. Although there were some slight differences, the general feeling was the same.
Sensing the peculiarity of this matter, Yang Kai immediately became excited and accelerated his movements, chucking raw pieces of Saint Crystal into his Space Ring faster and faster.
As he went deeper, the majestic aura became thicker and more and more obvious.
Yang Kai even felt his body grow somewhat hot and the Golden Dragon Tattoo on his back began moving about all on its own, as if it had come alive, even letting out a faint dragon roar once in a while.
Not only that, but the Ice Phoenix Tattoo which had never responded to any kind of stimulus before suddenly grew restless and began letting out piercing phoenix cries.
Whatever it was deeper inside, it had caused a reaction from the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress’ Inheritance.
After proceeding another ten meters or so, after Yang Kai cut apart a big piece of Saint Crystal, a burst of azure light suddenly appeared in front of him before a dark green glow filled the passageway.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and swiftly pushed his Saint Qi to resist the fierce pressure coming from the front. For a moment, breathing became somewhat difficult and it seemed as if he had been caught in a mire, unable to move forward.
Yang Kai’s face changed greatly, but in the next moment, this feeling disappeared without a trace, as if everything was just an illusion. Only the azure ball of light remained, the glow coming from it now even more dazzling than before.
Looking forward curiously, Yang Kai was surprised by what he saw.
In the passage he had excavated, there was an open space. This space wasn’t large, only about three meters in diameter. At this moment, a round bead the size of a pigeon egg was lying quietly on the ground. This bead was colourless, but inside it, there seemed to be a tiny green snake swimming about. This snake seemed to possess its own intelligence, and seeing Yang Kai looking at it, it actually became livelier and swam about faster.
Yang Kai felt the aura of a Soul from this little snake!
It must have been the little snake that Chang Qi had chased before and had mistakenly thought was a World Spirit Treasure; but now, Yang Kai discovered it was actually a soul!
Now it made sense why Chang Qi had found it resting atop a Soul Nourishing Flower. Disembodied souls like this couldn’t exist for a long period of time, so every once in a while, it probably had to visit that Soul Nourishing Flower to absorb some of its medicinal effects in order to maintain its own stability.
Unfortunately for it, it had been accidentally discovered by Chang Qi and then forced to escape, apparently leading its pursuers to its home.
The azure light was being emitted from this little snake, but at this moment it was obviously very weak, so weak that after releasing that burst of majestic aura, it had become dispirited.
This soul was obviously just a remnant and had definitely received grievous wounds, probably damaging its sentience and consciousness greatly. Yang Kai was curious as to what kind of soul it was.
Next to the round bead the little snake inhabited, there was a section of bone a bit more than a meter in length and about as thick as a baby’s arm, resembling a jade crystal pillar. Although it had clearly been here for innumerable years, it actually showed no signs of damage and instead seemed to contain an overwhelming power. It was almost as if it was a great ancient beast that could wake at any moment. Feeling this wild and fierce aura, Yang Kai was quite startled.
This bone did not belong to a human skeleton but instead came from some type of Monster Beast.
[It couldn’t be dragon bone, could it?] Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
Judging from the commotion the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress Inheritances were raising, Yang Kai could only draw such an incredible conclusion.
It was the only way to explain why the Golden Dragon Tattoo and Ice Phoenix Tattoo had become so excited. On top of that, the little snake inside the round bead didn’t appear simple. It had two horns stop its head as well as a set of sharp claws. There was also a beard beneath its chin. It was clearly an extremely tiny version of a legendary ancient dragon.
Yang Kai’s heart pounded with excitement.
Even when he obtained the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree a few days ago, he had not been so thrilled.
Because Yang Kai didn’t experience any bottlenecks while cultivating, the existence of the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree was just an extra flower in a bouquet to him, unnecessary for the most part. The biggest role the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree could provide was to help his friends and relatives in their own breakthroughs.
Although the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree was exceptionally precious, priceless even, it didn’t have much use to Yang Kai personally, so when he discovered it, he had only been slightly excited and soon regained his calm.
However, the thought of the long bone in front of him possibly being a dragon bone belonging to a legendary ancient dragon made it impossible for Yang Kai to suppress the excitement he felt deep inside.
Dragons and phoenixes were two of the strongest beings in existence, born alongside the universe, the natural rulers of the Monster Race; however, whether it was in Tong Xuan Realm or the Star Field, they only existed in legend.
No one had met or even seen a living dragon or phoenix; however, there were many bloodline descendants of these two supreme creatures in this world that proved they once existed.
For example, in the Tong Xuan Realm, the Monster Race’s Thunder Dragon Great Senior had a trace of ancient dragon blood flowing through his veins, and the Tenth-Order Thunder Luan Monster Beast whose corpse, Monster Core, and Spiritual Essence had produced the Thunder Attribute Bird Wood Yang Kai had found in that strange isolated world was a descendant of an ancient phoenix.
The Thunder Attribute Bird Wood was still lying in Yang Kai’s Black Book Space. It had not been used by him yet because it was very precious. Yang Kai wasn’t willing to give it to Yang Yan for Artifact Refining just yet.
The Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress Inheritance obtained by Yang Kai and Su Yan were also related to these two ancient beasts, which was why Thunder Dragon Great Senior had previously said that Yang Kai gave off traces of a Monster Emperor’s aura.
These two supreme existences were immortal and indestructible!
However, the long bone in front of Yang Kai was very similar to the dragon bones of legend, making Yang Kai quite confused, not knowing if his conjecture was correct. Since True Dragons and Phoenixes were immortal, where had this dragon bone come from?
If he was correct, was this pigeon egg-sized crystal a Dragon Bead? And was the little snake which was swimming in this Dragon Bead a remnant of a dragon’s soul?
Whatever the case, collecting them came first; there would be plenty of time for him to study them after he went back. Making up his mind, Yang Kai took a deep breath and reached out to pick up the round bead in front of him.
But before he could grasp the bead, the little snake inside it actually opened its mouth and sent out a blue mist, one that directly penetrated the bead and covered Yang Kai’s hand.
Yang Kai didn’t feel any kind of pain, but his face still changed dramatically.
Because after the blue mist enveloped his hand, Yang Kai found that he had lost all sensation in it and a somewhat grainy texture appeared on his skin, as if his hand was being transformed into a piece of wood.
This phenomenon continued to spread along his hand, seemingly wanting to turn his entire body into a wooden statue.
Yang Kai was shocked and quickly retracted his hand as he pushed his Demonic Flame.
Yang Kai wanted to dispel this weird energy using his Demonic Flame, but what made him panic even more, was that even with the strange and terrifying power of his black flames, he was unable to scatter the blue mist and was only able to stop it from spreading.
The loss of sensation in his hand became even more pronounced, causing Yang Kai’s expression to grow dim. Now, even his Saint Qi was being blocked.
Fortunately, the Demonic Flame was also an unusual existence, incomparable to ordinary cultivator’s Saint Qi. For a time, the black Demonic Flame and the cyan mist fought one another at Yang Kai’s wrist. The cyan mist couldn’t advance but the Demonic Flame was unable to dispel it, leading to a kind of stalemate.
After observing for a while, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief. As long as his Demonic Flame could block this blue mist he could find a solution.
However, after this incident, not only was he not angry or frightened but instead became even more certain his guess was correct.
This little snake’s soul was broken and incomparably weak, otherwise it wouldn’t have been trapped here. The previous chase had also turned it into an arrow at the end of its flight, yet it was still able to wield such great power. If it was in its heyday, Yang Kai estimated it would only need a single breath to reduce him to ash.
This was definitely a remnant soul of an ancient dragon, otherwise, it could not possibly possess such immense power.
After spurting that spray of blue mist, the already weak little snake became even more dispirited, its head drooping as its body became translucent, as if it might dissipate at any time.
Yang Kai saw this and no longer hesitated, quickly picking up the round bead and that bone next to it and threw them into his Black Book Space.
Yang Kai lost all remaining interest he had in mining Saint Crystals. This underground adventure had not only yielded an unparalleled treasure like the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, but also what he suspected were a True Dragon’s Dragon Bead and bone. The harvest of this trip was unimaginable.
Sitting down cross-legged, Yang Kai began to deal with the cyan energy that had invaded his body in earnest.
Pushing his Saint Qi, Yang Kai condensed even more Demonic Flame onto his hand, the raging black fire immediately becoming more intense, burning fiercely enough to warp the surrounding space.
The cyan mist had formerly been able to resist the Demonic Flame but now it was clearly losing ground. Although progress was still slow, there was no doubt it was being forced out of Yang Kai’s body.
Drop after drop of cyan liquid dripped from Yang Kai’s fingertips onto the ground below, creating a slight plopping sound each time.
Two days later, Yang Kai stood up, waved his hand, and found that there were no problems, gently nodding in relief.
Turning his head to look at the Saint Crystal lode that he had been mining, Yang Kai began excavating the ten meters in front of him to avoid leaving any traces of what had transpired here.
After digging up these ten meters worth of raw Saint Crystal, Yang Kai turned around and left decisively.
When he came to another channel, Chang Qi was still earnestly mining. Seemingly feeling that a breakthrough was now no longer impossible, and with such massive wealth in front of him, Chang Qi’s face was practically glowing with glee.
Seeing Yang Kai come in, Chang Qi couldn’t help asking, “Why aren’t you mining Saint Crystals?”
“I’m not interested in mining anymore. Foreign Elder Chang, do you want to stay here?” Yang Kai asked.
“Of course I want to remain here!” Chang Qi nodded without hesitation. “There are so many Saint Crystals here, I’m afraid they can’t all be mined before the Flowing Flame Sand Field closes. Yang Kai, are you leaving?”
“Yeah, I still have some things I need to do so I can’t stay any longer,” Yang Kai replied, but did not try to persuade Chang Qi to lease as well; after all, these Saint Crystals were indeed a huge wealth to him. Yang Kai had only been mining for a few days but had already collected the equivalent of about four million Saint Crystals. Even if Chang Qi was working much slower than him, he should have been able to collect at least half that amount.
Such an amount of wealth was something Chang Qi never even imagined he would one day posses.
After he broke through to the Origin Returning Realm, Chang Qi would need to purchase more powerful artefacts for himself, so naturally, he wanted to store up some capital while he had the opportunity.
Although the Treasure Area was no doubt filled with other opportunities, there was an equal amount of danger present. Not only was there a threat of Monster Beasts, but there was also the threat of other cultivators. If someone was unlucky and encountered people like Qu Chang Feng or Meng Hong Liang, being killed and robbed was possible. By comparison, staying here while slowly collecting wealth was both easier and safer.
Both Chang Qi and Yang Kai knew this so neither of them spoke to persuade the other.
After thinking about it, Yang Kai said, “Take this sword. Using it to collect these Saint Crystals will be much faster.”
Saying so, Yang Kai handed over the short sword formed from his drop of Golden Blood. This extremely sharp weapon was the main reason why Yang Kai was able to mine ore here so much faster than others.
Chang Qi accepted the golden sword and gently wiped its blade with a thoughtful expression on his face, chuckling a moment later, “Last time, in the Starry Sky, when our Starship was surrounded by Black Rock Beasts, it was you who broke their siege, right?”
The first time Yang Kai came over a few days ago, Chang Qi had taken note of the golden sword in his hand because it was exuding an incredibly strong vitality. It looked like a sword, but also resembled a living creature; however, at the time, with his focus on the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, Chang Qi didn’t ask much.
Now that Yang Kai handed him this golden sword and he was able to examine its aura more closely, Chang Qi naturally was able to make some connections.
Chang Qi had felt this strange aura back in the Starry Sky. He still remembered vividly when the Hai Ke Family Starship was in danger of being destroyed, a great golden spear had suddenly appeared and swept away the entire Black Rock Beast pack, saving dozens of cultivators from a brutal death.
The aura emitted by that golden spear was exactly the same as the one given off by this golden sword.
At that time, he and Wu Yi had thought it was some powerful master who happened to be passing by that had helped them, but now Chang Qi understood that there was no such master and it had all been Yang Kai’s doing.
At that time, he was only a Third-Order Saint… Chang Qi thought of this point and couldn’t help feeling shocked, even more feeling that Yang Kai wasn’t ordinary.
After hearing this question, Yang Kai just smiled, silently acknowledging the truth before changing the subject, “Although this golden sword will lose energy every time it’s used, it shouldn’t have any trouble lasting three or four months. With its help, you should be able to collect far more of these Saint Crystals. As for that Chen Shi Tao and the others here… you don’t have to worry about her, she’s not a bad person and shouldn’t have any malicious ideas about you. Even if you decide to leave ahead of time, she won’t try to do anything to you unless she’s willing to face my revenge.”
“I know, you can feel relieved and leave. After the Flowing Flame Sand Field closes, I’ll go to Dragon Cave Mountain with Old Hao to find you,” Chang Qi nodded.
“Good.”
After saying goodbye to Chang Qi, Yang Kai returned to the exit tunnel.
Although the passage was as smooth as jade, it wasn’t a problem for Yang Kai to climb and with a little effort, he was soon back on the surface.
Standing on the weed-filled plain, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and confirmed that there was no one nearby before concealing the entrance to the underground tunnel so that no one would find it again.
He then took out his Yuan Magnetic Compass, confirmed the direction of the third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, then began walking.
This plain was very large, and it took Yang Kai two whole days before he was able to leave.
Along the way, he didn’t meet anyone, nor did he find a single spirit grass or spirit medicine to collect.
Yang Kai’s had put all his hopes on the third-layer Flame Area, so his pace was quick.
Wei Gu Chang had said before that nobody could enter the third layer Flame Area and that everyone who had tried since ancient times had died, causing Qian Tong to warn them sternly to not even try to enter it before they entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of danger there was, but in order to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, he needed an extremely hot environment. The first layer could not meet his requirements, so he could only go to the third layer to try his luck.
If the third layer was really too dangerous, Yang Kai could only try to find another solution.
The journey forward was calm and uneventful. After exiting the plain, Yang Kai walked for more than ten days, but strangely he did not meet anyone along the way.
This situation was quite abnormal and aroused his curiosity.
Whether it was in the Flame Area or the Treasure Area, although he had not encountered many people, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t met anyone. It was as if the cultivators looking for spirit grasses and spirit medicines in the Treasure Area had all disappeared, making Yang Kai feel a sense of alarm in his heart, wondering whether something terrible had occurred here.
He wondered what exactly could have transpired while he had been underground mining Saint Crystals that led to everyone simply vanishing.
Continue to go forward for a few days, Yang Kai could now see the third-layer Flame Area but had still not seen any signs of other people.
Half a day later, Yang Kai reached the edge of the third-layer Flame Area, and staring at the fiery world in front of him, his expression became dignified.
The third-layer Flame Area and the outermost Flame Area looked no different, but Yang Kai could tell that it was far more dangerous. At a minimum, the heat and fire poison here was incomparable to the outermost layer.
However… it also didn’t seem as inaccessible as Qian Tong had said. Yang Kai examined this region for a while and probed its aura carefully, but forget about him, Yang Kai even estimated that some of the other elites from the various great forces should be able to enter this layer as long as they were well prepared.
Was the danger here greater than what he could see on the surface?
While Yang Kai was mulling over this, two figures suddenly appeared a thousand meters away. These two people were wearing the same uniform and should be from the same Sect, both of them Third-Order Saint Kings.
Yang Kai also noticed that the Saint Qi aura they gave off was far richer and purer than ordinary Third Order Saint Kings, so obviously they were elites from their Sect.
The two of them ran forward swiftly, not even sparing Yang Kai a single glance.
When they arrived at the edge of the third-layer Flame Area, they whispered a few words between themselves before a light blue halo rose from one of them, covering him in a cold aura. Obviously this was created by some kind of Ice Attribute artefact. As soon as this blue halo enveloped him, he plunged into the third-layer Flame Area.
Yang Kai was stunned!
Wasn’t it said that no one could enter the third-layer? Was this guy that reckless or simply insane? Why did he just rush in?
Wei Gu Chang wouldn’t have deceived him; Yang Kai was certain of that. At that time, he had warned Yang Kai seriously, but the scene in front of him now was very different from what Wei Gu Chang had told him.
Seeing a cold aura appearing on the second person, just before he could enter the Flame Area, Yang Kai quickly shouted, “This friend, please wait!”
Hearing this shout, the man frowned and looked towards Yang Kai unhappily.
When he arrived here with his fellow Sect Brother, they had noticed Yang Kai’s existence, but seeing how he was just a First Order Saint King, neither of them had considered Yang Kai worthy of any attention.
But now, this First Order Saint King had actually called out to him, so he responded in a cold tone, “What?”
Yang Kai cupped his fists, and knowing the other party was in a bad mood, smiled politely and asked, “Please do not be angry, I was simply curious. Wasn’t the third-layer Flame Area said to be extremely dangerous, a place no one who entered could return from? How come Your Excellency and your fellow disciples are able to enter it?”
“No one who enters can return from?” The man sneered as he squinted towards Yang Kai, “That may have been true for previous openings of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, but this time it seems things are a little different. I don’t know why, but now the third-layer Flame Area can be entered. Of course, someone with your weak cultivation would only be courting death by trying to enter!”
Saying so, he then rushed into the Flame Area impatiently, not bothering to speak any more nonsense with Yang Kai.
After he left, Yang Kai stood in place with a frown.
Was the third-layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field really accessible now? Listening to that person, he didn’t seem to know the reason behind it, but that didn’t change the fact that he had really gone in.
No wonder the Treasure Area seemed devoid of people, most of them must have gone into the third layer.
How exactly this news came out and how it was confirmed, Yang Kai didn’t know, but two or three thousand cultivators had entered the second layer, all of them elites from their respective Sects, so someone noticing something wasn’t that surprising.
Since the Flowing Flame Sand Field first appeared, the third-layer had never been visited; no one could even enter it, so it was hard to imagine how many benefits were waiting inside to be harvested.
The Flowing Flame Sand Field was at least tens of thousands of years old. In a place where no one had set foot for tens of thousands of years, how could there not be treasures?
No wonder everyone seemed desperate to enter. Even if they had to face great risks, as long as they could obtain enough benefits, what did it matter?
Benefits always coexisted with risks. Cultivators had never been afraid of taking risks. The more dangerous the place, the more it would stimulate their desire to explore.
Now that everyone else has gone in, Yang Kai no longer delayed, immediately pushing his Saint Qi to protect himself and diving into the third-layer Flame Area.
The omnipresent heat instantly wrapped Yang Kai from all directions, causing a tingling pain on his skin as if it were being roasted. The fire poison in the air was also far more potent than the outermost layer.
In this kind of environment, besides those well-prepared and powerful Third Order Saint King cultivators, no one else should be able to enter.
Even if there were Second-Order Saint Kings that could enter this place, they wouldn’t be able to remain for more than a few days at a time before exiting. In this damned place, the consumption was just too large to sustain. Without being able to circulate their Secret Arts to supplement their Saint Qi, it would be impossible to maintain their reserves just using Saint Crystals.
There were two or three thousand people who entered the second layer Treasure Area, but Yang Kai estimated that the number of people who could enter the third-layer should be less than five hundred, and as time passed, that number would only continue to decrease. Some of these people would die inside, some would be forced to leave, and eventually only the most elite would remain.
The ambient heat here made Yang Kai very excited. Although such heat still couldn’t meet his requirements for refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, as long as he went deeper, he could naturally find a suitable place.
The situation in the third-layer Flame Area was indeed much more dangerous than that in the first layer. The Fire Spirit Beasts that leapt from the cracks in the ground to launch sneak attacks were no longer Fifth or Sixth-Order but instead were all Seventh or Eighth-Order. On top of that, these Fire Spirit Beasts now appeared in groups rather than individually.
If one wasn’t careful, they would find themselves besieged by a large number of Fire Spirit Beasts.
Less than a day after Yang Kai entered the third layer, he had already encountered three attacks from Fire Spirit Beast groups. He had killed off the first two groups and harvested a lot of Fire Crystal Stones, but the third group had proven too much for him to handle and he could only escape.
Back in first layer Flame Area’s strange mountain valley, Yang Kai had been able to engage in a mass slaughter of Fire Spirit Beast only because they were mostly Fifth or Sixth-Order and easy to kill in large groups.
But it was different in the third layer. Confronting these Fire Spirit Beasts would only force him to consume energy in vain, so Yang Kai made the decision to withdraw.
At one point, Yang Kai stopped somewhere in the third-layer and stared forward.
Not far away, there were two incomplete corpses lying on the ground. These corpses were completely scorched and a faint rotten aura was being emitted from them.
It was a man and a woman, and judging from their clothing, they should be elite disciples from Shadow Moon Hall. Those who could reach this place must have been together with Wei Gu Chang, so Yang Kai figured he had at least met this two before somewhere.
While waiting for the Flowing Flame Sand Field to open, there were several people who had been together with Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er, these two were probably among them.
Now they were dead here, and from the looks of things, Wei Gu Chang didn’t even have the spare capacity to gather their corpses. The situation here must have been very dangerous.
[He and Dong Xuan’er should be fine though, right?] Yang Kai frowned, taking out the communication artefact Wei Gu Chang had given him from his Space Ring and pouring his Divine Sense into it, hoping to get in touch with either Wei Gu Chang or Dong Xuan’er.
Unfortunately, after pouring his Divine Sense into the communication artefact, quite some time passed but Yang Kai still didn’t receive any reply. Yang Kai couldn’t tell if they were simply too far away from him, or they didn’t have time to check their communication artefacts. It was even possible that their communication artefacts were inside their Space Rings.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai sent out two balls of Demonic Flames and burned the bodies of the two Shadow Moon Hall disciples before continuing deeper into the third-layer.
He and these two Shadow Moon Hall disciples hadn’t even exchanged greetings but out of consideration for Qian Tong and Wei Gu Chang’s face, Yang Kai didn’t let their dead bodies simply rot out in the open. He didn’t think it necessary to go so far as collecting them and finding a place to bury them.
The third-layer was filled with crisis, but there were also numerous treasures.
Yang Kai quickly harvested more than a dozen rare and precious Fire Attribute spirit grasses and spirit medicines, each one reaching a high medicinal age incomparable to the ones he had collected in the second layer.
Judging from the potency of their medicinal efficacies, the youngest of these herbs was still three thousand years old, with the oldest ones being so ancient Yang Kai wasn’t even able to estimate their age.
The grades of these herbs were also not low, all of them at least Origin Grade High-Rank with two of them even reaching Origin King Grade.
A ten-thousand-year-old Origin Grade herb was actually no less valuable than an Origin King Grade herb. These herbs had great use to Yang Kai. They were good things that couldn’t be bought in the outside world and if they could be used in Alchemy, they would only produce the best quality of pills and even possibly improve the grade of the pill.
[How many layers does the Flowing Flame Sand Field have?] Yang Kai didn’t know, since the farthest anyone has gotten to was three.
The deeper one went, the smaller the area and the more likely cultivators would run into each other. Yang Kai was a worldly individual and understood that a First Order Saint King like him being able to enter the second layer was astonishing enough, but him being able to move about freely in the third-layer would truly shock others.
So after entering the third-layer, he had been trying to avoid other people. Once he noticed another life aura with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai would immediately make a detour.
Behaving as such, he was able to coexist with others in peace.
Killing Fire Spirit Beast, collecting herbs, looking for a place to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
In short, Yang Kai was having a good time in this treasure hunt.
One day, Yang Kai came to a canyon and stopped, stared at the scene in front of him, and frowned.
This canyon was only about eight or nine metres across but both of its sides were as high as mountains. It was as if someone had used an incredible Divine Ability to split a mountain in half.
Yang Kai hesitated for a long time while standing in place before deciding to make his way through this canyon.
Although the canyon felt a bit ominous, if he wanted to make a detour, Yang Kai would have to waste at least a few days of time. Since he didn’t want to spend the time to go around it, he could only proceed through it. Of course, he was confident in his ability to deal with any dangers that appeared. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have entered such a place to begin with.
In the Flowing Flame Sand Field, where flying was impossible, this kind of terrain was ideal for setting up an ambush. As long as one could block one of the two entrances to the canyon, even if the other party had great skill, they would still find themselves at a huge disadvantage.
However, the cultivators who entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field had all come here to seek out benefits, so although murder and plunder happened often, who would do something as passive as set up a trap in such a location?
Yang Kai estimated that no one other than himself had come this way, so he boldly entered the valley.
This canyon was very long. Looking towards the opposite side, Yang Kai could tell it was at least a dozen kilometres in length. It was truly a strange landscape in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
For the first few kilometres, nothing seemed amiss, but after walking for a while, a number of bright flares flew out from an underground crack. These flares gave off astonishing energy fluctuations and all leapt towards Yang Kai the moment they appeared, transforming into Fire Spirit Beasts of various shapes as they bared their vicious fangs.
Yang Kai’s expression remained indifferent as he condensed a Demonic Flame sword in his hand. His purple shield also gave off a purple halo of light and floated behind his back, blocking the Fire Spirit Beasts who were leaping at him from that direction. Not paying any attention to his rear, Yang Kai confidently rushed towards the Fire Spirit Beasts in front of him and chopped down with his sword.
Yang Kai had anticipated this situation, which was why he had been hesitating about whether to enter this canyon before.
He did not expect anyone to be lying in ambush here, but the existence of Fire Spirit Beasts was basically guaranteed. Yang Kai couldn’t get out of this canyon without killing all of these Fire Spirit Beasts.
Numerous thuds and clangs echoed from the purple shield behind Yang Kai as it blocked the movement and attacks of the Fire Shield Beasts. At the same time, the Demonic Flame sword in Yang Kai’s hand pierced through the eye of a lion-like Fire Spirit Beast. Erupting violently, Demonic Flame poured into this Fire Spirit Beast’s body, immediately dying its red hue pitch black. This black colour rapidly spread throughout the entire beast’s body, seemingly consuming the red colour, a strange sight to behold.
Yang Kai could instantly kill a Seventh-Order Fire Spirit Beast with a single all-out attack, but seeing how there were many Fire Spirit Beasts here, he didn’t want to go all out with every strike. Instead, he used the properties of his Demonic Flame to burn these phantom creatures little by little.
Yang Kai drew his Demonic Flame sword from the lion’s head and then completely disregarded whether it lived or died, chopping towards another Fire Spirit Beast nearby without so much as a pause.
The Demonic Flame immediately contaminated this new Fire Spirit Beast, spreading out not only to the rest of its body, but to other nearby Fire Spirit Beasts as well.
The terrain here limited which abilities Yang Kai could use, but it also was not advantageous for the Fire Spirit Beasts. Because it was only eight or nine metres across, this canyon limited the number of Fire Spirit Beast which could attack Yang Kai at once to at most five or six while all the others were blocked by their own companions.
The strange strength which was simultaneously hot and cold was not something that these Seventh-Order or even Eighth-Order Fire Spirit Beasts could resist. Fire Spirit Beasts that were blocking Yang Kai’s path forward vanished while wailing mournfully, leaving behind Fire Crystal Stones of various sizes.
While Yang Kai killed these Fire Spirit Beasts, he still had the spare capacity to retrieve these valuable Fire Crystal Stones, making a lot of profit in one fell swoop.
There were many Fire Spirit Beasts in this canyon, hundreds at least, but that did not prevent them from falling one by one.
These Fire Spirit Beasts were also not like the ones back in the strange mountain valley. Each one of them had a Fire Crystal Stone in its body, so the effort Yang Kai invested wasn’t without returns.
As time passed, the Fire Spirit Beasts, which were so numerous they could not be seen through, gradually decreased, allowing Yang Kai to push forward almost an entire kilometre.
Another Fire Spirit Beast fell under his sword, and Yang Kai took another step forward, waving his arm to block the attack of another Fire Spirit Beast while reaching out to pick up the freshly produced Fire Crystal Stone.
Yang Kai had repeated this action countless times and was naturally quite familiar with it by now.
But how could he have expected that the instant he stepped forward, he actually encountered something astonishing? An inexplicable pressure suddenly struck him from all directions, causing Yang Kai to feel like the space around his body had solidified.
This caused the hand he was reaching towards the Fire Crystal Stone to become stuck mid-air, unable to advance another millimetre more. Even the Demonic Flame sword that he had swung became frozen in space.
Yang Kai paled and as he stared in shock, the Fire Spirit Beast that was approaching bit towards his neck. A great bestial roar rang out as a flaming aura and thick fire poison burst from its mouth.
Pain radiated from Yang Kai’s neck as fangs sank into his flesh and the fire poison penetrated into his body caused him to feel as if his neck was on fire, blurring his consciousness in an instant.
Just as he was struggling to compose himself, another Fire Spirit Beast in front of him attacked, opening its mouth wide and shooting out a fireball-like energy attack that smashed towards Yang Kai at great speed.
Yang Kai’s face went pale. Although he didn’t know what it was he had encountered, it was too late to retreat at this time, so he hurriedly pushed his Saint Qi to force his body out of this solidified space, causing Demonic Flame to erupt from his body, turning him into a flame man.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
A series of rumblings rang and after a burst of black flame, the Fire Spirit Beasts who were close to Yang Kai’s body let out pitiful howls and were blown away, burning to ashes as they flew out.
After the flames disappeared, Yang Kai’s incomparably distressed figure appeared. At this moment, his face was extremely ugly, his clothes were torn and ragged, his neck, face, arms, and torso were covered in scars and bite marks made by Fire Spirit Beasts. Among those scars, little wisps of black flame remained along with drops of fire poison.
Having been forced out by Yang Kai Saint Qi, all of this fire poison was quickly ejected from his injuries and the powerful restorative power of his Golden Blood soon began closing his wounds.
Yang Kai stared into the space in front of his eyes, his expression becoming more and more solemn by the moment.
Just taking a step into this space had nearly cost him his life. If he hadn’t broken free so quickly, Yang Kai estimated that he would definitely have been seriously injured at least.
However, after retreating one step, everything was restored to normal.
He didn’t have time to think about why the space in front of him was so strange though as he had to focus on coping with the Fire Spirit Beasts that were still surrounding and attacking him.
With this matter now occupying his mind, Yang Kai’s offensive became far more ruthless. A day later, the Fire Spirit Beasts which had once filled the canyon had been swept away cleanly by him, allowing Yang Kai to harvest four or five hundred Fire Crystal Stones in total.
Such a number was astonishing and was likely a greater number than the vast majority of major forces who had stayed in the first layer to hunt Fire Spirit Beasts had collected.
After all, there weren’t that many Fire Spirit Beasts in the first layer Flame Area, and they weren’t very high order to begin with, so the value of their Fire Crystal Stones was not great.
Standing in place to rest for a while, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to examine his surroundings, and after confirming there were no potential dangers, he took a step forward again.
The same experience as the previous day appeared again. After taking this step forward, Yang Kai couldn’t help snorting as his posture sank. It was as if a great mountain was pressing down on him, one which he was unable to shoulder.
Not only that though, the space around him was incredibly viscous, to the point where it was essentially solid, completely different to the space he was just standing in. Yang Kai cultivated the Dao of Space, but while he was confronting the Fire Spirit Beast swarm, he hadn’t had time to investigate this phenomenon carefully, but now that he did, he immediately understood that there was something odd about space itself here.
Yang Kai didn’t know what had happened here but he could now tell that in this canyon, the space in front of him, for several dozen metres, had undergone some kind of strange transformation.
Before this point, it was as if he had been swimming through water, but after entering this strange region, it was like Yang Kai was now trying to swim through ice.
The space here was solidified to the point where it could fetter anyone in place, making them unable to move. If Yang Kai had not been proficient in the Dao of Space, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to figure this out.
This was not some kind of barrier or Spirit Array, but rather a direct manifestation of Space Force.
Yang Kai found it difficult to even breathe here as the air itself had been solidified. It took a lot of effort just to draw air into his lungs.
However, why had the Fire Spirit Beasts not been suppressed by this strange solidified space and instead could move about it freely?
Yang Kai didn’t understand.
The crushing pressure was extremely hard to withstand and Yang Kai’s forehead was already dripping with sweat, his strong physique actually convulsing under the strain. Even though Yang Kai was using all of his strength, he was still unable to take another step forward.
The sweat that left Yang Kai’s forehead didn’t drop to the ground but instead was crushed into oblivion by this strange solidified space.
Yang Kai pushed his Saint Qi harder and harder but was shocked to discover that no matter how he tried, the Demonic Flames which should have erupted from his body was completely suppressed in his meridians, unable to leave his skin in the slightest.
Just relying on his Saint Qi, it would be impossible to walk here.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed suddenly and withdrew his Saint Qi, replacing it with his Space Force.
The huge pressure squeezing his body instantly lightened, and although Yang Kai wasn’t able to restore his complete mobility, slowly moving his body wasn’t a problem now.
Sure enough, specific problems needed specific solutions. Since this phenomenon was related to Space Force, only Space Force could deal with it.
Moreover, after pushing his Space Force, Yang Kai suddenly discovered that this strange space produced a kind of profound resonance with him. A marvellous feeling of enlightenment flooded him, causing Yang Kai’s comprehension of the Dao of Space to rapidly advance.
This made him overjoyed.
As the saying went, opportunity and danger coexisted with one another, and Yang Kai was deeply aware of this truth at this moment.
He hadn’t expected that in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, there would be such a strange spatial phenomenon that would allow him to comprehend the mysteries of the Dao of Space.
Having discovered this place now, Yang Kai didn’t plan on leaving immediately and instead stood still while continually pushing his Space force to resonate with his surroundings, allowing his understanding of it to thoroughly care itself into his soul.
The Dao of Space was extremely difficult to cultivate and because few people ever did, there was no clearly defined method to cultivate it and no one to pass on their attainments in it.
When Yang Kai first started cultivating Space Force, he had relied on tearing space to enter The Void in order to immerse himself in the turbulent space and deepen his comprehension of the Dao of Space, but cultivating like that had only been useful in the beginning. With Yang Kai’s current understanding of the Dao of Space, he could walk freely through The Void as if he were treading on solid ground, so naturally, he couldn’t comprehend anything more by doing so.
Afterwards, he had learned he could absorb Space Force from Space Spirit Crystals to enhance his comprehension, and Yang Kai had actually engaged in such family ruining practice before.
Fortunately, the Space Spirit Crystal lode discovered by the Stone Puppet was incredibly rich and had produced enough Space Spirit Crystals for Yang Kai to consume for a long time, but once those Space Spirit Crystals ran out, finding another source would be all but impossible.
Those who didn’t plan for the future would soon come to suffer. Space Spirit Crystals were a scarce resource anywhere. Because, they were used to create Space Rings, a necessary storage artefact for every cultivator.
Now that he had discovered a place very suitable to comprehend the Dao of Space, Yang Kai naturally wanted to take advantage of it.
On top of that, cultivating here seemed to be more efficient and rewarding than simply absorbing Space Force from Space Spirit Crystals!
After realizing this, Yang Kai immediately made up his mind to remain here for a while. The Flowing Flame Sand Field wouldn’t close for about four months. Such a long time was enough for him to find a suitable place to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water so there was no need to worry about it immediately.
It took a long time for Yang Kai to slowly sit down in this strange space. Even though Yang Kai was well versed in the Dao of Space, he still moved as slow as a turtle here. If someone were to see this scene, they would certainly feel it was very odd, wondering what kind of game Yang Kai was playing. Additionally, because of the strange warping of space here, it was undetectable to Divine Sense, only after one entered this solidified space would they be able to notice anything unusual.
After sitting down, Yang Kai calmed the beating of his heart and as a light flashed across his eyes, he extended his hand forward and waved it gently.
This simple motion consumed a tremendous amount of Yang Kai’s strength as well as a lot of time, but by waving his hand, a dark, hair-like crack suddenly appeared for an instant before disappearing without a trace.
Seeing this, Yang Kai wasn’t surprised and instead grinned with happiness.
Since he decided to use this rare environment to cultivate the Dao of Space, he naturally planed on practising his Space Blade.
Inside his stone room in Dragon Cave Mountain, Yang Kai had developed this Space Force method of attack, Space Blade, but no matter how he cultivated at that time, the power of his Space Blade wasn’t able to reach the point where it could be used to really confront an enemy. Yang Kai did need to use Space Force against weak enemies, but using it against powerful foes also wasn’t practical.
As such, he wanted to create his own Divine Ability, a technique which only belonged to him, but he was suffering from the lack of suitable conditions and environments.
This place, however, was the best place to cultivate such an ability. Yang Kai could foresee that once he was able to completely condense his Space Blade in this kind of place, after leaving, his Space Blade’s might would increase manifold.
After the attempt just now, Yang Kai quickly confirmed his hypothesis. This solidified space was extremely difficult to tear, so by cultivating his Space Blade here, not only could he strengthen his understanding of the Dao of Space and his mastery over Space Force, but he could also rapidly perfect this new attack method.
Dispelling any anxiety or impatience, Yang Kai began tearing space over and over again, displaying his Space Blade repeatedly.
Every time, a void crack as thin as a hair appeared at the tip of Yang Kai’s hand before disappearing without a trace under the huge pressure here.
Yang Kai worked hard for an entire day, consuming a massive amount of his Spiritual Energy, but made almost no progress.
However, he didn’t panic at all, because he could feel that his use of Space Force was becoming smoother and more fluid than before, even the act of tearing space itself had become more natural. Yang Kai believed that as long as he continued to cultivate here, he would definitely make a breakthrough.
With his Spiritual Energy exhausted though, Yang Kai could no longer continue to practice, so he quickly took some pills to supplement his losses and began to meditate to restore himself.
Although Soul Warming Lotus was still in the process of evolving, its restorative and nourishing abilities had not been weakened at all; in fact, they were even stronger than before.
It only took Yang Kai two hours to restore his dried up Knowledge Sea to its peak state again.
After slowly opening his eyes, Yang Kai was about to slash his Space Blade again when suddenly a brilliant red stream of light flew towards him from the horizon. This red stream of light followed the narrow canyon and was approaching Yang Kai like a bolt of lightning.
“Flowing Flame Flying Fire!” Yang Kai exclaimed.
He had previously seen a Flowing Flame Flying Fire in the first layer Flame Area and now he had encountered one again, so naturally, he was able to recognize it at a glance. Last time, when Yang Kai saw the Flowing Flame Flying Fire, it had quickly left the range of his Divine Sense and even after chasing after it at full speed, he was unable to catch up to it.
This Flowing Flame Flying Fire looked seemed to look exactly the same as the last one he saw, and its speed was also just as ridiculous. Faster than he was able to spread his Divine Sense. Immediately after Yang Kai discovered this Flowing Flame Flying Fire, it had crossed the length of the canyon and appeared right in front of him.
Yang Kai instinctively wanted to avoid it as he had no hope of harvesting this Flowing Flame Flying Fire because he simply couldn’t catch up to it with his speed.
However, when he tried to dodge, Yang Kai suddenly remembered he was submerged in the strange solidified space right now and was unable to move about freely.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he focused all of his attention on the Flowing Flame Flying Fire which was rapidly approaching while secretly anticipating.
*Chi…*
With a scraping sound, the red stream of light entered the several dozen metres long solidified space, and as Yang Kai expected, its speed suddenly became countless times slower!
Yang Kai was overjoyed. Just now he had been guessing whether this region of solidified space would be capable of blocking the Flowing Flame Flying Fire, and now, he was able to verify its effect with his own eyes and confirm his previous conjecture correct. Although this solidified space was unable to stop Fire Spirit Beasts from moving about, it was actually able to impede the Flowing Flame Flying Fire’s ridiculous speed.
At the very least, Yang Kai was now able to clearly see what this Flowing Flame Flying Fire looked like.
It had the appearance of a tiny pure red burning charcoal, one that gave of an astonishing red glow, and despite being very small, it clearly contained an amazing amount of energy inside its body.
After plunging into this strange space, the Flowing Flame Flying Fire had not come to halt but was now slowly proceeding forward at a pace equal to that of a normal human’s walking speed.
Yang Kai made a quick estimate and soon determined that if he remained where he was, he would definitely miss this rare opportunity to seize a Flowing Flame Flying Fire because, from what he could infer from its flight trajectory, Yang Kai was certain it would pass by half a metre outside his reach.
How could Yang Kai tolerate this? Hurriedly pushing his Space Force, Yang Kai slowly and arduously began moving towards the path the Flowing Flame Flying Fire would fly through.
Creeping forward, Yang Kai felt like he was moving like an old dying man. Every centimetre he moved consumed a massive amount of Yang Kai’s physical strength and Spiritual Energy and his body was trembling violently from painfully overexerting himself.
On the other hand, the Flowing Flame Flying Fire continued forward at an unhurried pace.
Soon after, it flew past Yang Kai’s side.
Yang Kai let out a shout and stretched his hand tremblingly towards the Flowing Flame Flying Fire, hoping to grab it, but in the end, his fingertips were still a few centimetres away as the red stream flew by.
Yang Kai’s snorted angrily.
He felt that if this Flowing Flame Flying Fire had a consciousness, it must have been mocking his overconfidence just now.
Turning his head arduously, Yang Kai watched as this rare treasure passed him by, filling his face with annoyance.
He had still failed! Now that it had flown past, Yang Kai knew it would be impossible for him to grab it, and sure enough, a moment later, the Flowing Flame Flying Fire broke past the strange space and resumed its previous absurd speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Just a bit more and Yang Kai would have been able to obtain this strange treasure capable of producing a Mutated Knowledge Sea!
It would be a lie to say he didn’t regret it, but Yang Kai quickly adjusted his mentality and stopped thinking about the Flowing Flame Flying Fire, instead focusing on practicing his Space Blade.
Even if he wasn’t able to catch this Flowing Flame Flying Fire, the most important thing right now for Yang Kai was to comprehend the Dao of Space.
Sending out Space Blades again, Yang Kai was surprised to find that its power had seemingly increased. Although the crack he formed was still as thin as a hair and although it disappeared almost immediately after it was formed, it still lasted significantly longer than yesterday.
Yang Kai was so excited that he quickly forgot about the Flowing Flame Flying Fire and began immersing himself in the mysteries of the Dao of Space.
Three days later, Yang Kai watched as a thumbnail width Space Blade flew out half a metre before disappearing, filling his face with excitement and satisfaction.
This strange space was indeed the best environment to comprehend the Dao of Space. After only three days of cultivating here, Yang Kai felt that his understanding of the Dao of Space had sublimated significantly, and as a result, the Space Blade he created had power far great than the one he could produce three days ago.
Whether it was the size of his current Space Blade, the time it could exist inside this solidified space, or the distance it could travel, everything had been greatly improved.
If he could continued advancing at this pace, as long as he had another month, Yang Kai was confident he could use his Space Blade in actual combat, and even if he was facing the Shi of an Origin Returning Realm master, he wouldn’t be helpless anymore.
Although Shi was a power unique to Origin Returning Realm masters, Yang Kai’s Space Blade was virtually impossible to defend against, a killing blow that no one else could use besides him.
The reason why Yang Kai was willing to delay himself here was because the environment was incredibly rare and he didn’t want to miss this opportunity, but also because he was feeling a sense of crisis deep in his heart.
With his current strength, it was no problem to deal with Saint Kings, but it was not the same when he went against an Origin Returning Realm master. Yang Kai wasn’t even certain he could defeat the stern-faced young man he encountered back in the stalactite cave.
On Shadowed Star, in the Star Field, Yang Kai was all alone, with no one to depend on but himself.
Qian Tong treated him well, but that was only because he wanted to forge a connection with the imagined Artefact Refining Grandmaster behind Yang Kai. It was for this reason that Qian Tong was so accommodating towards him. If Qian Tong knew that this so-called master didn’t exist, Yang Kai couldn’t say for sure Qian Tong’s attitude towards him wouldn’t immediately and dramatically change.
Therefore, Yang Kai had to make himself as strong as possible as quickly as possible, so that when dealing with others, he wouldn’t constantly be forced into a passive position.
Even if he was alone in this world, he still had many concerns.
On this day, at the end of the canyon, a red light flashed, and Yang Kai, who was tempering his Space Blade, instantly felt something, looked up, and was stunned by what he saw.
It was another Flowing Flame Flying Fire!
Just like the one he saw three days ago, this Flowing Flame Flying Fire was soaring over from the entrance to the canyon, and by the time Yang Kai spotted it, it had fallen into the strange space.
The speed of this red flash dramatically slowed, and the Flowing Flame Flying Fire slowly began advancing through the several dozen metre long solidified space.
Learning from his experience a few days ago, Yang Kai immediately acted, judging the position where the Flowing Flame Flying Fire would pass through while moving his body with all his might.
This time though, his luck wasn’t very good. The Flowing Flame Flying Fire that appeared just now was on course to fly more than three metres away from him, and Yang Kai would have to rush to that position before it if he were to have any hope of catching the flame.
Although Yang Kai was already familiar with viscous solidification of this weird space, and he had become far more proficient in his application of Space Force, it was still extremely difficult for him to act swiftly here.
By the time he managed to get close to that position, the Flowing Flame Flying Fire had flown past him again.
Yang Kai frowned as he stared thoughtfully towards the direction the treasure he had missed for the third time had flown.
According to Wei Gu Chang, the Flowing Flame Flying Fire was incredibly precious, but also an extremely rare existence in the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Many people who entered wouldn’t even encounter one.
And in fact, this appeared to be true. When Yang Kai was walking through the first layer Flame Area, he had only chanced upon a Flowing Flame Flying Fire once, and if it weren’t for his Divine Sense being abnormally strong, he might have missed it altogether as it passed by him.
However, it seemed Wei Gu Chang’s words only applied to the first layer!
Where Yang Kai was today, was the third layer Flame Area. Were there simply more Flowing Flame Flying Fires here, or were the two Flowing Flame Flying Fires he saw actually the same and were just flying a fixed path?
If it was the same one, its flight path was likely to be fixed. How else would Yang Kai be able to see it again after a mere three days if that weren’t the case?
If it wasn’t the same one though, then was there something about this canyon that was able to attract Flowing Flame Flying Fires to pass through it?
All kinds of questions flooded Yang Kai’s mind, and his expression was constantly changing, distracting him from comprehending the Dao of Space.
Soon though, Yang Kai shook his head. Regardless of whether the two Flowing Flame Flying Fires he saw were the same or there was something in this canyon that drew in Flowing Flame Flying Fires, if he waited a few more days, he would be able to see for himself.
Yang Kai began cultivating his Space Force again, but this time he also paid attention to the movement at the end of the canyon, wondering which of his various guesses was correct.
Time passed by, and three days later, because he was anticipating the appearance of a Flowing Flame Flying Fire, Yang Kai focused his eyes on the end of the canyon ahead of time while still condensing his Space Blade.
But to his surprise, after watching for half a day, nothing appeared at the end of the canyon, much less a Flowing Flame Flying Fire.
This made him quite disappointed.
However, since this was the case, Yang Kai was now certain the two Flowing Flame Flying Fires he saw pass through this place weren’t the same. If they were the same, there wouldn’t have been such an irregularity to its appearances.
Since it appeared randomly, it shouldn’t be the same.
On the fourth day, Yang Kai suddenly felt something and immediately looked towards the end of the canyon, a sight which lifted his spirits appearing before his eyes.
Yang Kai was thrilled that one of his conjectures was correct, that is, this canyon indeed had something which drew in Flowing Flame Flying Fires, because a red flash of light had appeared at the end of the canyon at this moment.
Amazingly, it wasn’t just one red light this time, but two, one right after the other, both of which arrived at that strange space almost at the same time, their speeds dropping sharply, and then beginning to advance towards the other side.
Yang Kai acted immediately, and with his two previous failures giving him some much-needed experience, he was certain he wouldn’t miss this opportunity this time.
However, what made him frown slightly was that the two Flowing Flame Flying Fires that appeared this time were separated by more than three metres, so it would be impossible to catch both of them at the same time.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Kai moved his body towards the closer Flowing Flame Flying Fire and summoned a good jade bottle into his hand.
Wei Gu Chang had told him all about the wonders and dangers of the Flowing Flame Flying Fire, but nothing about how to collect it, probably because he too didn’t know anything about that.
Yang Kai could only try using a jade bottle first, and if that didn’t work, he would think up another method.
After so many days of familiarization and tempering himself with this strange space, Yang Kai was now able to move much faster than before, and before the Flowing Flame Flying Fire arrived, Yang Kai appeared in front of it.
Staring at this Flowing Flame Flying Fire, Yang Kai condensed his Saint Qi and, just as it approached, he pushed his palm forward.
The already slowed Flowing Flame Flying Fire became even slower after taking this blow
Yang Kai was overjoyed and quickly lifted the jade bottle that he had prepared, pointing its mouth towards the approaching Flowing Flame Flying Fire.
The whole process was extremely smooth, and the Flowing Flame Flying Fire easily entered the jade bottle, but in the next instant, the bottle was burned to ash.
Yang Kai frowned but wasn’t surprised. No longer hesitating, he reached out his hand and grabbed the Flowing Flame Flying Fire. Before it could put out any of its intense heat, Yang Kai pushed his Demonic Flame to wrap this Flowing Flame Flying Fire in multiple layers of black flame.
Yang Kai could clearly felt the scorching energy of the Flowing Flame Flying Fire fighting against his Demonic Flame, both forces apparently equal in might with the Flowing Flame Flying Fire stubbornly trying to break through the barrier of Demonic Flame.
But how could Yang Kai give it such an opportunity? Seeing that this method was feasible, Yang Kai immediately pushed his Saint Qi harder and intensified his Demonic Flame, binding the Flowing Flame Flying Fire tightly within it.
After a short while, the Flowing Flame Flying Fire was successfully wrapped in Demonic Flame and settled down, no longer resisting.
Looking at the fist-sized burning ball of black flame, Yang Kai grinned happily.
After much effort, and allowing several of its companions to get away, Yang Kai had finally managed to harvest a Flowing Flame Flying Fire.
Yang Kai wasn’t upset about allowing those previous Flowing Flame Flying Fires to escape though. Since he had determined that this canyon was a location Flowing Flame Flying Fires had to pass through, all he had to do was wait here for gains without pains.
The black fireball formed by Demonic Flame couldn’t be placed in a Space Ring, so Yang Kai could only throw it into the Black Book space. After going back, he could dispel the Demonic Flame and then take advantage of the magical uses of this Flowing Flame Flying Fire.
With his first harvest safely stored away, Yang Kai’s mood was wonderful, making it easier for him to perfect his Space Blade and comprehend the Dao of Space. He also became more adept at using Space Force, decreasing the pressure this strange solidified space could exert upon him.
…..
More than a month later, Yang Kai harvested another Flowing Flame Flying Fire using the same method, but by now he showed no trace of joy.
He had cultivated here for about a month and a half, and received a total of nine Flowing Flame Flying Fires.
This was a considerable number of Flowing Flame Flying Fires, most likely more than anyone else in history, but there was still a touch of regret between Yang Kai’s brows.
Because of his progress in the use of Space Force, the usefulness of this strange space to his cultivation became smaller and smaller, and as he continued to display his Space Blade here, repeatedly tearing space, it seemed that the solidification here would also be destroyed.
Without the strong restraint of this space, after a Flowing Flame Flying Fire entered here, its speed wouldn’t drop as significantly as before. If Yang Kai hadn’t piled up a lot of experience already, the Flowing Flame Flying Fire just now would likely have flown right past him.
Yang Kai estimated that he could only cultivate here for another ten days at most before he would no longer gain any benefits from it.
With that being the case though, he planned on taking advantage of this place until the very last moment.
Making up his mind, Yang Kai no longer wasted any time, tossed the harvested Flowing Flame Flying Fire into the Black Book Space, then immersed himself in his cultivation again.
After waiting for several days, no more Flowing Flame Flying Fires appeared. It was as if Yang Kai’s unscrupulous harvesting had caused all the Flowing Flame Flying Fires that passed through here to disappear.
On this day though, Yang Kai finally sensed the aura of another Flowing Flame Flying Fire.
After rushing into the canyon, the Flowing Flame Flying Fire crashed into the solidified space and Yang Kai stretched out his palm in a practised manner, held the Flowing Flame Flying fire tightly, pushed his Saint Qi, and wrapped it up in layer upon layer of Demonic Flame.
A short moment later, a small black fireball appeared in his hand.
But before Yang Kai could throw it into his Black Book Space, he heard a number of surprised shouts coming from behind him along with the sound of clothes swishing; several cultivators were quickly approaching.
Yang Kai frowned and immediately threw the black fireball into his Black Book Space before turning around to look at these people.
After a single glance, Yang Kai’s expression flashed a look of displeasure, because this group of people were actually cultivators from the Heaven Battling Union.
The cultivators from Heaven Battling Union were very recognizable from the uniforms they wore. Each one of them had golden robes which gave them a noble and arrogant appearance.
On top of that, these cultivators gave people the feeling that their eyes were higher than the top of their heads. Aside from those from Thunder Typhoon Sect, they looked upon all other cultivators with scorn and disdain, regardless of their cultivation.
They seemed to think that Heaven Battling Union was the most extraordinary of Sects and were afraid others wouldn’t know they were its disciples. The golden character for ‘War’ emblazoned on their chests could be clearly seen from far away.
Because of Qu Chang Feng, Yang Kai had a very poor opinion of disciples from Heaven Battling Union, so when he saw that the group approaching him belonged to Heaven Battling Union, he knew that today wouldn’t be peaceful. The scene of him having just collected a Flowing Flame Flying Fire could not have been missed by these people.
He just wasn’t sure how much they had seen.
Soon, the group of four from Heaven Battling Union arrived in front of Yang Kai, all of them looking at him with surprise or joy.
Yang Kai had to admit that Heaven Battling Union possessed a strong heritage. All four of these people were Third-Order Saint Kings, and the Saint Qi each of them possessed was far purer and more vigorous than ordinary cultivators. Their bodies were all shielded by pale blue light halos that were clearly generated by high-quality Ice Attribute artefacts in order to resist the surrounding heat and fire poison.
A middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader of this group swept Yang Kai with his Divine Sense, but after realizing what his cultivation was, he couldn’t help raising a brow and staring in astonishment.
He didn’t understand how Yang Kai, a First-Order Saint King, could survive here in such a harsh environment, and from the look of it, he didn’t even seem to be using a protective artefact, a fact which greatly surprised him. Looking towards Yang Kai, his expression became slightly dignified.
Anyone who didn’t need an artefact here and was only relying on their Saint Qi to resist the heat and fire poison couldn’t simply be written off.
“Was it him who just collect that Flowing Flame Flying Fire?” Another thin man next to this middle-aged man stared at Yang Kai in surprise and asked.
It seemed that they were too far apart just now so they hadn’t seen what happened clearly and were currently just sceptical, so they immediately rushed over to confirm it.
“It can’t be, can a Flowing Flame Flying Fire be caught so casually? Although the third layer seems to have many Flowing Flame Flying Fires, even Fang Tian Zhong failed to catch one, so how could he have accomplished it?” A third cultivator with a monkey-like face slowly shook his head in disbelief.
“Won’t we know if we ask?” The thin man grinned meaningfully, turning to Yang Kai and saying casually, “Little brat, what was it you put away just now, take it out and show me.”
“What does it have to do with you?” Yang Kai looked at the four of them lightly, without any sense of panic or intent to flee.
“Haha…” The thin man laughed and nodding, “En, it really doesn’t have anything to do with us, but little brat, do you know who we are? You must know yet you still dare speak to us like that, interesting.”
Saying so, his expression became cold as he declared, “Little brat, if you want to live, hand over whatever it was you just collected. If you can make this Sir happy, I may spare your life, but if you can’t… heh heh…”
The meaning of threat behind his words was blatantly obvious.
The middle-aged man who had been sizing up Yang Kai all this time frowned even deeper but soon his brow relaxed. Although he saw that Yang Kai was a bit unusual, and far too calm given his situation, in the end, he was still just one person. The middle-aged man didn’t believe that with the strength of his group of four they couldn’t handle this one boy.
There were always some cultivators who were extremely conceited in this world, they possessed a little ability and thought of themselves as great cultivators. This middle-aged man had met many such people because he too was one of them, but after being thoroughly humiliated by Qu Chang Feng many times, he had learned the fact that there were always mountains higher than others.
He subconsciously surmised that Yang Kai was one such person.
Such people were destined to suffer a great deal.
He was lucky because he was from the same Sect as Qu Chang Feng, so he had not lost his life to the latter, but after realizing the reality of this world, this middle-aged man had begun acting much lower-key than before.
“Whatever you want you expect me to give? What do you count for?” Yang Kai stared back at the thin man with equally cold eyes, his expression still indifferent.
“Little brat, since you refuse a toast, you must suffer a loss!” The thin man didn’t expect Yang Kai to be so defiant and immediately lost patience.
He had used these lines to intimidate many others, but when had any cultivator dared to disobey? Even when he set his eyes on another cultivator’s women, the other side would obediently hand her over with a smile. Even knowing he would simply play around with those women for a few days before tossing them away, no one dare refuse his demands.
All because he was born into Heaven Battling Union!
Also, this was the Flowing Flame Sand Field, a deserted and remote place that was excellent for burying dead bodies! At this point, a cold light flickered across the eyes of this cultivator and a thick murderous intent pulsed from his body.
“Wait!” Before the thin man could act though, the middle-aged man who was standing behind him suddenly called out.
The other two men also turned to look at this middle-aged man as he took a few steps forward. Staring at Yang Kai, this middle-aged said in a slightly calmer tone, “Friend, this one’s Junior Brother is a bit irritable, please don’t take offence.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed but his expression remained indifferent.
“Senior Brother…” When the thin man saw his Senior Brother apologize to Yang Kai, he was shocked and exclaimed, “Aren’t you being too cautious? Why bother speaking any nonsense with him?”
The middle-aged man smiled lightly and replied, “There is no such thing as acting too cautiously, didn’t Master teach us that only by acting prudently can you endure the test of time? This friend is no ordinary person. Although Senior Brother can’t see his origin or identity, since he can stand here safe and sound, he must have some skill. On top of that, it’s naturally better if we can resolve this matter peacefully.”
The implied meaning here was that it wouldn’t be too late to solve things by force if a peaceful solution could not be reached.
Hearing this, the thin man thought about it for a moment with a gloomy look upon his face before unexpectedly no longer making a fuss.
The middle-aged man turned back to Yang Kai with a smile and continued, “Friend, we don’t want to stir up trouble; after all, this is the third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, everyone here has to act with caution. That being the case, can friend give this one some face and allow my Junior Brother to check your Space Ring?”
The smile on his face was perfectly natural and carefree, as if he hadn’t just asked to inspect Yang Kai’s Space Ring but instead asked an old friend to borrow something insignificant.
“You want to see my Space Ring?” Yang Kai grinned suddenly.
“En!” The middle-aged man gently nodded, his smile as refreshing as a spring breeze. “This one’s fellow brothers don’t have any malicious intent; we just want to confirm what it was friend just collected. If it wasn’t a Flowing Flame Flying Fire, we won’t covet friend’s belongings and will definitely return your Space Ring, what does friend say?”
“Good!” To his surprise, Yang Kai instantly agreed, causing the middle-aged man’s brow to furrow slightly. He was secretly wondering if he really was being overly careful and the other party really didn’t have any noteworthy ability. If that wasn’t the case, how could he have complied so easily?
While he was in doubt, he saw Yang Kai slip off his Space Ring from his finger and tossed it up and down gently, drawing four pairs of eyes towards it.
“Toss it over!” Seeing Yang Kai act so submissively, the thin man immediately shouted aloud, seemingly eager to check this Space Ring.
“There’s really nothing good in my Space Ring,” Yang Kai smiled at him, his tone a bit sour and distressed, “Only this piece of Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence…”
Suddenly, a melon-sized piece of blood-red stone appeared in Yang Kai’s hand. This stone radiated an incredibly pure and powerful flame aura that pulsed as if it was alive.
“Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence?” The four exclaimed in unison, and even the middle-aged man who had been smiling lightly finally showed a change of expression, his eyes filling with greed.
Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence was an Origin King Grade material, and although the piece in Yang Kai’s hand was only Origin King Grade Low-Rank, it was still an incredibly valuable treasure. This melon-sized piece of Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence was something these four had never even heard of existing before.
If such a piece of material was taken outside, it would fetch an incredible price, at least twenty to thirty million Saint Crystals.
These four had heard that at the most recent Treasure Trove Pavilion auction in Heavenly Fate City, there were a few treasures that sold for tens of millions, even up to a hundred million Saint Crystals. Unfortunately, they weren’t eligible to participate at that time and were unable to witness such a shocking scene in person. They had all been regretting missing the opportunity to attend, but now, a top-level Artefact Refining material had appeared in front of their eyes.
On top of that, it was owned by a mere First-Order Saint King!
If the four of them could snatch this treasure, even if everyone split the profits equally, each of them would obtain millions of Saint Crystals. They wouldn’t need to worry about cultivation resources for the rest of their lives!
The four of them began breathing heavily as their eyes lit up. It seemed that they would leap forward to rob Yang Kai at any time. As for the middle-aged man who said that he would not covet Yang Kai’s belongings, he had already tossed that idea away.
But before the four of them could take action, Yang Kai actually put the melon-sized piece of Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence back into his Space Ring, drawing out angry and desolate glares from the Heaven Battling Union group.
“En, this Fire Crystal Stone is also nothing good,” Yang Kai sighed faintly, as if he didn’t know what it meant to conceal one’s valuables from covetous eyes and took out a plate-sized dark red crystal.
Although this crystal gave off a blazing hot aura like the Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence just now, the two were obviously not the same material.
The former was a type of ore, but the latter emitted an energy fluctuation far more similar to the one given off by the Fire Crystal Stones this group of four had obtained before.
“Impossible!” The thin man shouted as he pointed at the huge piece of Fire Crystal Stone held by Yang Kai, shaking his head rapidly, “It’s not possible for such a big piece of Fire Crystal Stone to exist! No Fire Spirit Beast can produce this kind of thing!”
No one blamed him for being unable to judge what his eyes were seeing because the four members of his group had killed many Fire Spirit Beasts along the way here but the largest piece of Fire Crystal Stone they obtained was only the size of a pigeon egg. Compared to the Fire Crystal Stone in Yang Kai’s hands, it was as different as a towering tree and a small sapling.
Besides, if this was really a Fire Crystal Stone, what Order was the Fire Spirit Beast that condensed it? Also, how massive must it have been?
The thin man didn’t think Yang Kai could kill such Fire Spirit Beast and instead thought Yang Kai was trying to deceive them!
After the group of four from Heaven Battling Union watched Yang Kai successively take out the melon-sized pieces of Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence, then the plate-sized Fire Crystal Stone, they were unable to maintain their calm. Regardless of whether this giant piece of Fire Crystal Stone was real or fake, that piece of Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence was undoubtedly the genuine article. Immediately, greed swelled up in these four and they all regarded Yang Kai as a dead man in their hearts.
This boy had randomly taken out two incredibly valuable treasures, who knew what other good things were in his Space Ring?
Perhaps there really was a Flowing Flame Flying Fire!
Kill him. They had to kill him then snatch his ring and check it carefully. As long as they could grab this kid’s Space ring, they would be able to live the rest of their lives with ease.
“What else do you have?” The middle-aged man’s face twitched slightly as he asked. Although he also desperately wanted to seize Yang Kai’s possessions, he was still able to maintain a trace of rationality, unlike his three Sect Brothers, though his trembling voice betrayed his obvious excitement.
“Oh, just a dozen stalks of Emerald Silk Grass, a piece of ancient black iron, three Scarlet Blood Fruits…” Yang Kai took precious treasures out of his Space Ring one after another, and each time he did, the eyes of the four Heaven Battling Union disciples grew hotter.
Although these spirit grasses and spirit medicines weren’t as precious as the two previous items Yang Kai took out, they were also very valuable, especially the dozen stalks of Emerald Silk Grass, those were spirit medicines that every Sect badly desired, and Heaven Battling Union was no exception. If they could bring back a dozen Emerald Silk Grasses, it would count as an enormous contribution, enough to make several requests to their Sect Elders.
“En, right, there are also nine Flowing Flame Flying Fires, but it’s not convenient for me to take them all out, so I can’t show them to you right now,” Yang Kai chuckled as he fully exposed all his gains after entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
He didn’t hide anything except the colourless crystal cube which had been absorbed by the Soul Warming Lotus.
“You really managed to catch that Flowing Flame Flying Fire?” The monkey-faced man called out in surprise.
“Em, why would I lie to you? Didn’t you see it just now?” Yang Kai grinned.
The expressions of the four people gradually became strange.
All of their faces showed an embarrassed look because the four of them, acting together, had spent three months in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, searching for treasures everywhere and originally thought they had reaped a good harvest, making them quite happy, but compared to the treasures Yang Kai showed them today, the gap was like Heaven and Earth. They hadn’t obtained even one percent of this kid’s harvest.
This obviously made them feel like they had lost face and the eyes they directed at Yang Kai only became hotter.
“You liar!” The thin man’s eyes flashed as he shouted coldly, “Little brat, your courage isn’t small, daring to deceive me and my fellow brothers! Obediently hand over your ring for me to check or we won’t let you leave!”
Saying so, he glanced at the monkey-faced cultivator, the two of them understanding each other’s silent signal and rushing out towards Yang Kai.
In the face of so many good things, he didn’t intend on speaking any nonsense with Yang Kai and simply spurted an excuse before leaping out to rob him. But although these two were arrogant and enjoyed bullying others, they were still elite cultivators from Heaven Battling Union, so despite Yang Kai being a First Order Saint King, they didn’t show any carelessness.
Their group of four had done a lot of killing and robbing in the Flowing Flame Sand Field these past three months, so naturally they were clear that some people’s depths couldn’t be seen from their outward appearance. A lion would kill a rabbit with all its strength, and what’s more, Yang Kai was obviously a bit abnormal seeing how he could maintain a look of indifference from beginning to end.
They vaguely felt that Yang Kai had something to rely on; therefore, the instant they began their attack, the two of them pushed their Saint Qi to guard themselves while also holding back their true trump cards, maintaining a high degree of vigilance so as to prevent Yang Kai from causing them any harm in a desperate final struggle.
The middle-aged man and another obese cultivator stood back without moving. Although they too felt the situation was a little weird, and that Yang Kai seemed to be intentionally baiting them, with so many priceless treasures in front of them, they didn’t try to stop their companions despite the doubts in their hearts.
Anyone who saw so many good things would be willing to take a few risks to obtain them, because these treasures were worth risking their lives.
Besides, no matter how skilled a First-Order Saint King was, could he be stronger than Qu Chang Feng?
Even if Qu Chang Feng was here, it would impossible to deal with all of them by himself, so while they paid attention to Yang Kai’s movements, they prepared themselves to support their comrades who had rushed forward in case Yang Kai had some kind of earth-shaking hidden means.
The thin cultivator and the monkey-faced cultivator were both extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, they had approached to within ten meters of Yang Kai. Yang Kai, on the other hand, put on an expression of shock, as if he had only just noticed them rushing over, quickly packing all the treasures he had taken out back into his Space Ring, putting on a show of panic and confusion that further dispersed his two attacker’s wariness and caused them to raise their speed to the limit.
But just as they closed in, the two cultivators saw Yang Kai reveal a thin smile.
The moment they saw this smile, the two realized that there was something wrong, because the smile Yang Kai was wearing was one filled with mockery, as if he had set up some kind of trap here and was just waiting for them to throw themselves into it.
With their supposed prey’s eyes filled with disdain and ridicule, how could the two cultivators not see that everything up until now had been a ploy?
The next moment, the two rushing towards Yang Kai felt as if they had run into an invisible wall, both of them coming to a halt as they let out grunts at the same time. The two Third Order Saint Kings instantly felt as if they were being pressed down upon by a mountain, their breathing becoming difficult as their bodies struggled to resist, and cracking sounds echoed from their bones.
This strange space had been incredibly difficult for Yang Kai to break free from when he first entered it, and his physique was far stronger than an ordinary cultivator’s. If even Yang Kai was wary of this place, how could these two easily escape?
Although Yang Kai had cultivated his Space Blade here for more than a month, and almost completely destroyed the solidification effect, it was still strong enough to interfere with these two cultivators, and with that momentary opening, Yang Kai could easily kill them.
Therefore, the instant these two entered the strange space, their fates had been sealed.
The two went pale and their eyes were immediately filled with terror, both of them pushing their Saint Qi as hard as they could, finally alleviating the intense pressure weighing them down, but just as they were about to retreat from this strange space, a cry of alarm rang out from the middle-aged man standing behind them.
The two lifted their heads with difficulty just in time to see two palms ruthlessly descending upon them.
This solidified space could hinder the movements of these two, but Yang Kai was like a fish in water here, not affected in the slightest. He had fully adapted to the pressure of this place.
Yang Kai wasn’t afraid to fight any of these four Third-Order Saint Kings one on one. Even one on two, Yang Kai was confident he could emerge victoriously, but facing four at once was different. If he was unable to wipe them all out, and even one escape, it would create endless troubles for him.
That was why he had constantly exposed his gains. He wanted to use the valuable treasures he had on him to goad these four into attacking him.
His plan went smoothly. As the saying goes, men die for wealth just like birds die for food; it was a perfect explanation for the performance of these four.
There wasn’t anyone who wouldn’t be tempted after seeing so many good things.
*Peng Peng…*
Two bursting sounds came out, and the skinny man and the monkey-faced man from Heaven Battling Union who had gotten stuck in the strange solidified space had their heads exploded by Yang Kai’s palm, leaving not even bones behind.
These two Third Order Saint King died filled with unwillingness. They had been killed by Yang Kai without even a chance to fight back. Standing amidst the blood mist, Yang Kai glared coldly at the remaining two, his murderous intent soaring to the Heavens.
It was as if Yang Kai had only now revealed his fangs and was staring towards the remaining two Heaven Battling Union cultivators with clear malicious intentions.
The fat man had approached closer a moment ago, but after seeing his two companions drop dead, he immediately came to a halt and stared at Yang Kai in shock, his face revealing a look of incomprehension and disbelief.
The moment Yang Kai attacked just now, the surge of Saint Qi from his body clearly belonged to a First-Order Saint King, and although it was indeed incredibly potent compared to normal, it wasn’t something Heaven defying. The two palms he had sent out also weren’t very fast, as if he only attacked casually, and it was because of this that the fat man couldn’t understand why his two companions were killed without the slightest resistance.
This obviously didn’t make any sense.
“There’s something strange about the space around him, possibly some kind of barrier or trap!” The middle-aged man’s complexion was gloomy. It had always been them who had been slaughtering others like chickens, but now one such chick had pecked back and actually killed two of his comrades. He was so upset he nearly coughed up blood.
“Who else wants to check my Space Ring?” Yang Kai raised his lips and looked at the two indifferently, asking as he walked straight towards them.
The fat man stepped back instinctually; his expression filled with panic.
The middle-aged man also frowned deeply. He had just determined that Yang Kai was surrounded by some kind of barrier which was why he could so easily kill those two, but now this boy was actually taking the initiative to attack them. What did this mean?
Was he that confident?
The middle-aged man was a cautious person, and after realizing that this situation had gone beyond his ability to understand or control, he didn’t hesitate to immediately retreat, shouting to the fat man hastily, “Run!”
The middle-aged man made a dash for the canyon’s exit without looking back.
Without being able to understand what his enemy was relying on or even his true strength, the middle-aged man was unwilling to stay here and take risks. He just wanted to escape here and pass on the word about this kid’s stash of treasures to his other allies so they could gather and take revenge.
This middle-aged man’s approach couldn’t have been more correct, and his approach was foolproof.
But the fat man wasn’t so savvy. Although the middle-aged man had shouted to him before fleeing, the fat man was very confident in his own strength and was also bewitched by the treasures in Yang Kai’s Space Ring, so when he saw Yang Kai walk towards him, instead of feeling fear, he felt happy. Green light burst from the fat man’s body and surrounding him tightly. Immediately, this man’s obese body deflated like a balloon, drying up at a visible rate, turning him thin in an instant.
Along with the huge change in body shape, the aura of this previously fat man had increased exponentially, and the surging Saint Qi has almost condensed into a physical substance. With a wave of his hands, the green light surrounding him flew out and transformed into a series of vine-like objects that pierced through the air towards Yang Kai. These vines were filled with sharp barbs and once someone was caught by them, these barbs would sink into their body and rapidly absorb their vitality and Saint Qi. Even cultivators in the same realm would have difficulty breaking free and at that time, they would be easily slaughtered.
This fat man couldn’t recall how many enemies he had killed with his unique Saint Qi and unique killing blow. In Heaven Battling Union, although he wasn’t as famous as Qu Chang Feng and the middle-aged men, he was still a prominent figure.
In addition, the vines, which had a Wood Attribute to them, moved extremely fast. As long as he was given three breaths of time, he could turn this entire canyon into a prison cage. At that time, this place would become his world, and no matter what kind of shocking methods this First-Order Saint King possessed, he wouldn’t even be able to dream of escaping.
The fat man’s eyes were filled with confidence.
But in the next instant, a jet black flame that appeared almost like a fire dragon poured cold water on his head.
“A Fire Attribute cultivator?” The fat man looked startled.
He cultivated Wood Attribute Secret Arts and Martial Skills, but those were most restrained by Fire Attribute cultivators, so when he saw Yang Kai’s black flames, his heart naturally sank, and his expression became dignified.
However, an arrow released from its bow could not turn back, and his opponent being a mere First-Order Saint King wasn’t enough to cause him to retreat, so he instead increased the output of his Saint Qi further, causing the green vines to grow even more madly as they tried to fill up the entire canyon.
*Hu…*
The intensity of the black flames increased to match his vines and a scene which truly startled the fat man happened next. On contact, the black flames were burning his green vines into ash, and no matter how hard he pushed his Saint Qi, he wasn’t able to keep up with the rate of loss. In the blink of an eye, the black flames had shattered his attack and were now closing in on him.
“Impossible!” The fat man screamed. Although his Martial Skills were indeed restrained by Fire Attribute attacks, no flame could possibly have such a burning ability strong enough to completely suppress his vine’s growth.
All the green vines were instantly suppressed by the black flames, and the inside of the canyon began taking on an alternating hot and cold atmosphere, causing the fat man to suffer greatly.
Yang Kai then rushed over like a burst of raging flames, throwing a black Heaven Punishing Spear out towards the Heaven Battling Union cultivator, immediately following up with a Heaven Covering Hand.
Yang Kai had to finish this battle quickly because the middle-aged man from the group of four was far more cautious than he had anticipated. After Yang Kai had killed two of this middle-aged man’s companions, his first reaction was not to get angry or seek revenge, but to swiftly withdraw. It was unbelievably decisive.
This middle-aged man was able to suppress his greed towards the treasures in Yang Kai’s Space Ring and instead choose the safest approach.
By now, this man had run out over a hundred meters, and if Yang Kai were to become entangled with this fat cultivator, and the middle-aged man escaped from the canyon, it would become far more difficult to catch up to him.
As such, Yang Kai also acted decisively, using nearly one hundred percent of his power.
The fat cultivator’s reactions weren’t slow, however, and seeing the black Heaven Punishing Spear approaching, he immediately summoned a small round shield. This round shield began rotating slowly and was full of mysterious runes and energy lines with a strange turtle-shaped pattern also appearing, swimming nibbling around the shield. With this small round shield protecting his body, the fat man’s figure flickered as he tried to swiftly retreat.
However, the giant hand above him, which seemed to block out the sky, continued closing in, making the fat man feel as if there was no hope to avoid it.
*Hong…*
With a loud bang, the Heaven Punishing Spear stuck the small round shield, causing a massive burst of energy. The small round shield cracked but surprisingly was not completely crushed. Although it had been contaminated with bits of Demonic Flame, the swimming turtle pattern on the shield quickly opened its mouth and sprayed out a cloud of white energy, extinguishing the Demonic Flame.
After doing this, the turtle pattern returned to the small round shield, but it no longer moved, seemingly greatly weakened.
This artefact had obviously lost its spirituality and could no longer be used unless an excellent Artefact Refiner were to fix it.
The small round shield had blocked Yang Kai’s killing blow and protected the fat cultivator’s life, but the Heaven Covering Hand overtook him at that moment.
The fat cultivator roared and quickly weaved a complicated set of hand signs before pushing both his palms towards the sky.
A green light curtain rose around him like a protective cover, covering him completely.
There was another loud noise, and the earth trembled. The Heaven Covering Hand impacted the green light curtain, shattering it in an instant and disappearing without a trace. Although the fat cultivator was hit by this attack, he didn’t receive much damage, but it was obviously his face had gone pale.
In a short time, he recognized the gap between himself and Yang Kai.
How was this the strength of a First-Order Saint King? It was clear that not even a Third-Order Saint King could be so fierce. If it weren’t for the Saint Qi fluctuations coming from Yang Kai, the fat man would be wondering if he was fighting an Origin Returning Realm master.
No wonder the other party had the confidence to take the initiative to attack. With such a combat power, he had enough capital to compete with Qu Chang Feng, so coping with the fat cultivator was not a problem.
The fat man had already used his best artefacts, but his opponent hadn’t, seemingly still holding back. From beginning to end, he had only used Martial Skills to fight him.
The fat man didn’t know that Yang Kai only had two artefacts on him, one was the purple shield and the other was the Hundred Mountains Picture.
The purple shield was for defence only, and although the power of the Hundred Mountains Picture wasn’t small, the terrain in the canyon was narrow so it wasn’t suitable to use it here. If this weren’t the case, Yang Kai would have already summoned it to kill this fat cultivator.
The fat cultivator didn’t know any of this, so his heart was only more chaotic. After blocking the Heaven Covering Hand, he once again summoned a flying sword-shaped artefact, poured his Saint Qi into it, and hurled it at Yang Kai.
The flying sword transformed into a streak of white light that pierced towards Yang Kai and gave off a thick malevolent aura. At the same time, the fat cultivator turned around and ran out of the canyon without hesitation.
He thought that his flying sword artefact could buy him some time, and as long as he had a little time, perhaps he could escape this calamity, but how could he have known that the moment he turned his back to Yang Kai, the aura of death would descend upon him.
Glancing back in horror, the fat cultivator saw Yang Kai smoothly avoided the attack of the flying sword, and chop towards him with a black sword of his own, one that seemed to fill the canyon with a black light.
The fat cultivator’s heart clenched, but before he could even compose himself, he was struck by over a dozen sword waves at once. Screaming, the fat cultivator fell to the ground, the Demonic Flame burning his body, and no matter how he pushed his Saint Qi, he couldn’t resist. It wasn’t long before he was burnt to a charred corpse.
The canyon itself was only ten meters wide, which made it extremely difficult for the fact cultivator to dodge. If not for this, he could have resisted for a bit longer and wouldn’t have died so quickly.
Even as he died though, this fat man couldn’t understand how a trivial First-Order Saint King could be so terrifying!
After killing this fat cultivator, Yang Kai immediately looked up towards the entrance to the canyon.
The last middle-aged man had managed to escape fast, and in this short time had already managed to escape two thousand meters away.
He seemed to have heard the scream of the fat cultivator, shivered slightly, and increased his speed even more.
At this moment, he understood that his previous caution and concern were not unfounded. The scream of the fat cultivator he heard clearly announced his companion’s death. No matter what kind of method or means this young man had used, or whether there were tricks or plots involved, just the fact that Yang Kai had killed the fat cultivator in just five short breaths told the middle-aged man he was not an opponent he could face.
So, he didn’t dare look back and simply focused on escaping from the canyon as soon as possible. At the same time, his trembling hand reached for his Space Ring and took out his communication artefact. He wanted to inform his other companions about what had happened here, especially Qu Chang Feng.
In his eyes, only someone like Qu Chang Feng could compete with that young man.
Just as he took out his communication artefact though, the middle-aged man suddenly heard thunder and lightning come from behind him and a terrifying Divine Sense lock onto him. The strength of this Divine Sense was no worse than an Origin Returning Realm Master’s.
He didn’t dare hesitate and immediately poured his own Divine Sense into the communication artefact, but before he could send any kind of message, he felt a faint ache on his arm.
This ache only felt like he had been bitten by an ant.
However, when he looked down to investigate, he was horrified to discover that his arm had silently been chopped off, and not far in front of him was a dark crack that seemed capable of devouring everything it touched.
“A Void Crack?” The middle-aged man was also quite knowledgeable and couldn’t help muttering to himself when he saw this, but in his moment of absent-mindedness, the possible Void Crack vanished.
A sharp pain suddenly radiated from the place his arm had been cut off from, causing sweat to ooze from his forehead and soak his clothes.
*Chi…*
A slight, almost imperceptible sound entered his ear in an instant, his intact arm began aching as well.
Thinking of what had happened just now, this middle-aged cultivator’s face went ashen as he glanced down and found that his second arm was also gone, the cut so clean and neat it was as if it had been sliced off by some incredibly sharp weapon.
A figure quickly passed by like a bolt of lightning and blocked his path forward.
The middle-aged man stopped in place and stared at Yang Kai with a look of despair.
He couldn’t spare any attention to the pain coming from his missing arms or prevent his blood from spewing out, all he could do is stare at Yang Kai and the wings seemingly composed of wind and thunder behind him, in a flash understanding why even at his top speed, he was easily overtaken by his opponent.
His opponent actually had such a strange artefact, no wonder his speed was so fast. The middle-aged man just didn’t know what kind of attack Yang Kai had used to cut off his arms. He hadn’t felt any Saint Qi fluctuations just now but his arms had still inexplicably been severed.
In the canyon, Yang Kai and the middle-aged man stared at each other, the former with cold eyes and the latter with despair.
“Haha…” The middle-aged man stopped by Yang Kai smiled softly, but the smile was full of bitterness and unwillingness. He knew that this time he likely wouldn’t be able to escape and regretted it quite deeply.
The Flowing Flame Sand Field was so big, why did he and his three fellow Sect Brothers just have to walk through this canyon? Moreover, they just had to go and provoke this walking calamity. If they had just avoided doing either of these things, the four of them would still be alive. If they could leave this place safely, with the harvest they had gained, they would definitely receive huge benefits from the Sect.
But now, it was too late to say anything. Of their group of four, three had died, the middle-aged man had lost both his arms, and it seemed he would soon follow the path his fellow brothers had walked. His heart was full of annoyance. Now thinking back on what had happened when they first encountered this young man, the middle-aged man realized just how ridiculous his and his Sect Brother’s performance was.
If the other party didn’t have something to rely on, how could he have just stood there indifferently in front of them? If he wasn’t trying to draw them in, how could he have been stupid enough to publicize his treasures one by one?
Looking back now, the expressions and actions of this young man at that time should have created all kinds of doubts, but in the face of great benefits, even a shrewd man like him had let down his vigilance.
“Friend…” The middle-aged man gulped and suddenly said, “Can you tell me, what kind of strength you used just now? If you can tell, I can die without regrets.”
Yang Kai looked at him indifferently and shook his head, “Dead men don’t need to know anything.”
“Fair enough!” The middle-aged man smiled mirthlessly before straightening his back and lifted his head, “Go ahead, I know I’m definitely not your opponent, and I don’t plan on putting up a futile struggle, I only ask Friend to make it quick and painless.”
With these words, Yang Kai’s flicked his wrist and an imposing black sword wave shot out.
The moment the black sword wave appeared though, the eyes of the middle-aged man, who appeared to be waiting for death, flashed brilliantly and he spat out a puff of blood mist. The blood mist was extremely thick and the smell of iron coming from it was quite potent. Clearly, it was his Blood Essence. Amidst this blood mist was a small awl-shaped artefact. This awl shone with a deep yellow glow and rotated rapidly, gathering the surrounding energy from the atmosphere as it pierced towards Yang Kai.
The awl-shaped artefact seemed to be drilling a hole in space, visibly distorting the air as it flew forward and even smashing Yang Kai’s black sword wave.
At the same time, the middle-aged man’s face went pale and he staggered back several steps, staring at Yang Kai through the blood mist with his sharp eyes.
How could he simply wait to die? His face clearly wore the expression of someone extreme desperate to live, but at this moment, he was even more uncertain, wondering if his carefully prepared sneak attack would work.
This sneak attack was what the middle-aged man was placing all his hopes on. In order to promote this attack’s chances of working, he had attempted lower Yang Kai’s guard by putting on an act of non-resistance just now, hoping the former would appreciate such a lofty display and reveal an opening. If his opponent showed some kind of flaw, the middle-aged man would be able to seize the initiative, but he hadn’t expected that this youth would be so decisive and ruthless, remaining completely indifferent and immediately attacking.
With his opponent not exposing any flaws, the middle-aged man could only hope his artefact wouldn’t let him down.
Under his nervous gaze, across the blood mist, the awl-shaped artefact broke apart the black sword wave and immediately flew towards Yang Kai. On top of that, Yang Kai didn’t seem to be able to react and was still standing in place.
The middle-aged man was overjoyed, but the smile that appeared on his face went stiff in the next instant.
Because he saw Yang Kai casually wave his hand and send out a jet black crack like the ones he had seen twice before. This jet black crack cut towards his awl-shaped artefact and soon swallowed the World Energy that was swirling around it, causing it to disappear as if it was being swallowed by a fierce beast. Not only that, after the crack passed through awl-shaped artefact, part of the artefact itself strangely disappeared as well, the remaining part losing all spirituality and falling directly to the ground.
The middle-aged man’s eyes bulged as he stared at Yang Kai with a horrified expression, his voice trembling as he called out in alarm, “It really was a Void Crack?”
When he saw it before, he had only been sceptical, but seeing it again, this middle-aged man immediately affirmed that the method of attack this youth was using really was to send out a thin Void Crack. How else could his awl artefact have silently disappeared?
Obviously, it had been sent to The Void by that crack!
“Was that seriously your last resort?” Yang Kai looked at him with ridicule.
This middle-aged man was a cautious person, Yang Kai had already learned this, so anything he had said just now was treated as hot air by Yang Kai. Since he had decided to kill him, naturally Yang Kai wouldn’t be deceived by such petty tricks. On top of that, Yang Kai didn’t have a habit of underestimating his enemies.
“No, your strength is so low, how could you be so proficient in the Dao of Space? Even Elder Mo can’t use a Void Crack like that!” The middle-aged man growled hysterically, as if he had just witnessed something completely impossible.
“Elder Mo? Does he understand the Dao of Space?” Yang Kai frowned.
So far, besides himself, Yang Kai had never encountered any other cultivators who had comprehended the Dao of Space. Even a shocking master like Gui Zu who had an Origin King cultivation wasn’t proficient in using Space Force, but from the words this middle-aged man just spoke, it seemed this Elder Mo knew something about the Dao of Space.
This surprised Yang Kai.
“Elder Mo is Chief Elder of the Elder Hall and a master who reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm a thousand years ago! His strength is among the highest on Shadowed Star. I am his…” The middle-aged person mistakenly thought that Yang Kai was intimidated and quickly began reporting his relationship with Elder Mo, hoping to make Yang Kai hesitate to kill him.
“When I find an opportunity, I’ll go to Heaven Battling Union to compare notes with him about the Dao of Space then, but you won’t be around for that,” Yang Kai didn’t wait for him to finish his words before sending out another Space Blade.
This Space Blade sliced through the air and under the horrified gaze of a middle-aged man sliced him apart like he was a piece of tofu. The defensive Artefact Armour and Saint Qi he used to protect himself didn’t play any role at all and his cut through cleanly.
The middle-aged man only felt that his body became slightly shorter as his upper body dropped a finger width or so. When he lowered his head to look, all he could see was blood gushing out from a straight line across his chest. Just as he let out a pitiful scream, a shroud of Demonic Flame engulfed him and drowned out his voice. Three breaths later, all that remained was a pile of black ash.
Staring at the spot where this middle-aged man disappeared, Yang Kai frowned slightly, his expression a mix of happiness and concern.
On the upside, after more than a month of tempering, his Space Blade had finally reached a point where it could be used against enemies in combat and its effect was quite good, its lethality extremely high and its use very difficult to detect as there were no Saint Qi’s fluctuations associated with it.
On the downside, it was too easy to avoid and was difficult to aim. Even with Yang Kai focusing all his attention, he couldn’t precisely control the path his Space Blade traced.
The moment the middle-aged man took out his communication artefact, Yang Kai knew he wanted to send out a call for help, so he planned to kill him with a single blow, but instead, he had only managed to chop off one of his arms. Fortunately, the arm Yang Kai hit was the one holding the communication artefact, otherwise, this middle-aged man might have successfully sent out a message.
It was the same for his second attempt, it was only an accident that Yang Kai had cut off the middle-aged man’s other arm.
None of this was intentionally done by Yang Kai, it was all just a coincidence. Killing was the objective, so a single attack was best, Yang Kai didn’t want to waste time and energy.
The third time was better, but the Space Blade still didn’t land exactly where Yang Kai wanted it to.
However, despite all this, the incredibly lethality of his Space Blade more than made up for its flaws. It was capable of sending everything it encountered along its path into The Void, and as long as it was stable enough, theoretically, even an Origin King Realm master’s body wouldn’t be able to withstand an attack from it.
Verifying the power of his Space Blade through a real battle made Yang Kai quite satisfied. As for its accuracy and stability, Yang Kai believed that with the growth of his strength, he could slowly improve these factors. This move would become one of his greatest trump cards.
Bending over, Yang Kai picked up the middle-aged man’s Space Ring before returning to his original position and cleaning the battlefield. He burned the corpses of the others before staring at the strange solidified space for a moment. After letting out a sigh, Yang Kai walked through this strange space and headed straight towards the other side of the canyon.
There was no need to remain here any longer. In Yang Kai’s original plan, he would leave here in two or three days, but after being disturbed by these four from Heaven Battling Union he decided to depart early.
….
Half a day later, Yang Kai stopped under a huge rock.
This rock had been baked in the heat of the Flowing Flame Sand Field for countless years and was now a fiery red colour with all of its internal impurities completely removed. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that it was a good Artefact Refining material. If one could take it to an Artefact Refiner, at the very least, they could use it to refine some Saint Grade artefacts.
Yang Kai wasn’t interested in this thing though and simply wanted to borrow it to shelter himself from the surrounding heat for a while.
There was a recessed pit under the rock that only one person could fit inside. Yang Kai sat down in this pit and began checking through the Space Rings of the four Heaven Battling Union cultivators. After all, this was his spoils of victory.
After inspecting these rings, Yang Kai was secretly shocked.
It wasn’t that these four had some kind of amazing treasure on them, but rather that they had so many spirit grasses, spirit medicines, Fire Crystal Stones, and various ores from the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
It was a huge amount! Almost every one of these rings had the equivalent of seven or eight people’s worth of harvest.
These four couldn’t possibly have had such good luck, they must have killed a great many people to obtain all of this, but now all of it had landed in Yang Kai’s hands.
Each of these things was just a common treasure from the Flowing Flame Sand Field, nothing near as valuable as the huge Fire Crystal Stone or Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence that Yang Kai obtained, but with such a large quantity, it still made Yang Kai quite pleased.
After transferring everything to his Space Ring, Yang Kai sat cross-legged under the boulder to adjust his breathing.
Yang Kai had been cultivating in the canyon for more than a month and had just experienced a battle, so although he had not consumed much of his strength, he still wanted to maintain his peak condition in case he encountered any unexpected problems.
After half an hour, Yang Kai opened his eyes.
Just as he was about to leave the pit under the boulder though, Yang Kai saw a gray figure in front of him. This figure was small, flexible, and extremely fast. Although not as ridiculous as the Flowing Flame Flying Fire, its speed was still substantial.
The moment Yang Kai found this figure, he swept it with his Divine Sense and after confirming what it was, he couldn’t help showing a look of surprise.
It was actually a kind of Monster Beast and looked a bit like a fox. Its eyes were sharp and gave it a sly appearance. Its whole body was surrounded by a Wind Attribute aura, allowing it to move at great speed.
What Yang Kai cared about most though was the fruit which this Monster Beast was carrying in its mouth. This fruit was bright red and gave off a potent hot aura.
Golden Sun Fruit? Yang Kai raised a brow and immediately stood up to quickly chase after this fox-like beast.
The Golden Sun Fruit was an Origin Grade High-Rank Spirit Fruit and the primary ingredient in a number of Origin Grade pills. Since Yang Kai was planning on refining some pills to assist Wu Yi and the others with their cultivation, now that he had suddenly encounter such a spirit fruit, he wasn’t about to let it go.
On top of that, this Monster Beast’s strength didn’t seem very high, only reaching the Sixth-Order, so regardless of how quick it was, Yang Kai was confident he could easily catch up with it.
Robbing a single spirit fruit from a Monster Beast’s mouth was a bit ridiculous, but what Yang Kai cared more about was that since one Golden Sun Fruit had appeared here, there must be a Golden Sun Fruit Tree growing nearby. After catching this Monster Beast, perhaps Yang Kai could get it to lead him back to the fruit tree.
If Yang Kai could transplant this tree back to Dragon Cave Mountain, it would be best. Yang Kai believed that with the vitality contained in his Golden Blood, it wouldn’t be a problem to transplant this Golden Sun Fruit Tree.
This was the third layer Flame Area of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so all of the spirit grasses and spirit medicines were extremely old, their value far higher than anything present in the outside market.
Yang Kai wasn’t slow and had begun his pursuit the moment he noticed the little beast passing by, but he had apparently underestimated this little beast’s ability. By the time he chased after it, it was nearly three kilometers away.
Frowning slightly, Yang Kai summoned his Wind and Thunder Wings and slowly but surely closed in on the little beast.
After half an hour, just as Yang Kai was about to catch up to the little beast, from up ahead, he suddenly heard the sounds of battle, and from the powerful energy fluctuations he felt it appeared to be quite an intense one at that.
Yang Kai wasn’t looking for trouble and wanted to avoid this fight, but the little beast he was chasing was heading straight towards the source of the sound.
Having pursued it for so long, Yang Kai naturally didn’t want to give up halfway, so he simply continued onwards.
However, a moment latter, Yang Kai showed a stunned look, because he saw with his own eyes the beast he had chased all this way dart over to the place where two figures were fighting and leap into a young women’s chest.
Was this little beast someone else’s pet? Yang Kai’s expression became ugly.
If he had known this before, how could he have engaged in such a fruitless pursuit? Since this was a Monster Beast raised by someone else, its owner must have released it to search for spirit grasses and spirit medicines. Yang Kai had only spotted it by coincidence on its way back and chased it all the way here.
This could easily lead to a misunderstanding with others.
However, the little beast really had some impressive skills, able to find a Golden Sun Fruit for its owner. Judging from how smooth its movements were, it also didn’t seem this was the first time it had done this.
The one fighting the owner of this little beast was a man dressed in shining golden robes, and when Yang Kai saw this, he couldn’t help showing a look of disgust.
Heaven Battling Union truly had many cultivators enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field; Yang Kai had encountered them no matter where he went. Back when he collected the Emerald Silk Grasses, two had died, then Yang Kai had killed four back in the long canyon, yet now, only a short time later, he had met another, it was truly some bad luck.
The scene where the little animal burrowing into the woman’s robes with a spirit fruit in its mouth was naturally seen by the Heaven Battling Union disciple and he exclaimed, “Golden Sun Fruit?”
As he spoke, greed flashed across his eyes and his attacks became even more ruthless.
After the arrival of Yang Kai, the woman seemed to become far more vigilant, diverting a part of her focus to monitor this newcomer’s movements. Doing this caused her to fall into a disadvantage immediately as her opponent’s battle-axe began raining down blows upon her, putting her in a perilous position.
As for the Heaven Battling Union disciple, he didn’t put Yang Kai in his eyes at all, shouting out loudly in order to rile up his opponent, “You ugly woman, what did you come out here for? To show other’s your ugly face? Hahaha, since you’re so ugly, why not just stay in your room obediently and never expose yourself? It’s your own fault for running out and disgusting people! What? Don’t like what I’m saying? Bite me then! Or, I’ll say whatever I want!”
Sure enough, facing this man’s poisonous tongue, the woman’s tender body trembled and a cold murderous glint flashed across her eyes. Although she was constantly pushing her Saint Qi to resist and she desperately wanted to rip the foul mouth off of this man, with anger clouding her judgement the strength she was able to display was less than eighty percent of her peak, causing her already bad situation to become even more precarious.
Yang Kai then noticed this woman’s face, and at a glance, felt deeply sorrowful.
Although the words of the cultivator from Heaven Battling Union were truly vile, it was also undeniable that this woman was truly unattractive.
Describing her at simply unattractive was actually a kind evaluation of her. She possessed an exquisite and rich figure, one that would tickle any man’s fantasies, but her face was filled with pock-marks and scars along with a number of yellow pustules that gave off an unpleasant smell. Not only that, her face’s skin tone was extremely sallow and appeared malnourished.
This formed an extraordinarily stark contrast with her fair arms and pink neck.
People with poor mental strength would be frightened if they saw her face.
Without these shortcomings though, her appearance would have been excellent; after all, her underlying facial features were delicate and neat.
Yang Kai frowned slightly, wondering whether this woman was born like this or if there was some other reason, but regardless of the reason, her appearance was obviously her Achilles’ Heel. The cultivator from Heaven Battling Union kept attacking her looks and was successful in stimulating her anger.
If not for this, she could probably have killed this Heaven Battling Union cultivator with her ability.
She used a white silk-like artefact that was incredibly sharp and stealthy. As she danced upon the battlefield, white flashes of light silently appeared in a several dozen meter radiuses around her and sharp cutting noises constantly rang out, but even so, she was barely able to remain undefeated.
Whatever reason these two were fighting for, Yang Kai didn’t plan on getting involved. Although he didn’t like the cultivators from Heaven Battling Union, as long as the other party didn’t provoke him, he wouldn’t take the initiative to provoke them. All those who provoked him though, would die.
On top of that, since this little beast that could find spirit fruits was this woman’s pet, Yang Kai didn’t plan on capturing it anymore.
But contrary to his wishes, the cultivator from Heaven Battling Union for some reason or another, in the middle of his battle with this woman, called out to Yang Kai, “Boy, what do you think of this woman’s appearance? Isn’t she beyond ugly? Say a few good words and your Uncle here will reward you.”
He apparently wanted to use Yang Kai to stimulate his opponent even further.
After hearing what he said though, Yang Kai just frowned, abandoning his plan to simply walk away as he stared towards the cultivator from Heaven Battling Union with a funny look.
The woman also intentionally or unintentionally glanced over towards Yang Kai, and it was apparent that there was some worry in their depths, her red lips becoming a bit pale and colourless as she bit them tightly.
Did she really care so much about her appearance? Obviously. So, she was worried that Yang Kai would echo the words said by this Heaven Battling Union disciple.
Yang Kai didn’t know what this woman was thinking, but to himself, he thought that even if she was ugly… extremely ugly, there was no reason to care so much about it, right?
However, seeing Yang Kai not say anything allowed the woman to breathe a sigh of relief. The white artefact in her hand danced more and more fiercely and she actually wrapped up the other party’s battle-axe. The cultivator from Heaven Battling Union was shocked and hastily tried to take back his artefact but was unable to free it from the bindings of the white silk immediately. Seeing his artefact on the verge of being taken away, he pushed his Saint Qi violently and finally managed to stabilize his situation.
The two sides instantly reached a tenuous stalemate, with the man and woman stopping in place, both desperately pouring their Saint Qi into their respective artefacts as they continued to struggle against one another.
“Boy, are you mute or something? Uncle here asked you a question, why don’t you answer?” Then cultivator from Heaven Battling Union seemed to become angry out of shame as he was being matched evenly by this woman, so he shouted once more to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai maintained his strange smile, paused for a moment, then began walking towards the deadlocked pair.
The woman and the cultivator from Heaven Battling Union both showed stunned expressions as they stared blankly at the approaching Yang Kai, wondering what this small First-Order Saint King wanted to do.
But soon, the cultivator from Heaven Battling Union came up with an idea and shouted to Yang Kai once more, “Kid, I don’t care whether you’re mute or not, hurry up and kill this woman for me, kill her and I will give you some benefits.”
As soon as these words came out, the woman’s look changed drastically. She was currently in a stalemate with her opponent, but once an outsider intervened, this deadlock would instantly be broken.
Although she wasn’t afraid of an attack from Yang Kai as he was just a First-Order Saint King, if he were really to attack her, the man from Heaven Battling Union would take that opportunity to free his battle-axe from her white silk artefact, destroying her hard-won advantage.
As such, she was quite nervous.
Fortunately, Yang Kai didn’t seem to have any intention to attack and simply shook his head, allowing her to calm down. She even flashed a look of gratitude towards him briefly.
13 chapters this week!!!
Seeing Yang Kai actually refuse him, the cultivator from Heaven Battling Union wore a cold look and cursed, “Good good good, a mute and an ugly woman, you two are a perfect match. Do you want this Sir to act as a matchmaker so you can ‘comfort’ one another?”
The woman’s sallow face blushed red then went pale, her finally calm mood becoming angry again. It was as if her entire mood would change greatly when she heard the words ‘ugly woman’.
“There’s no need for that, I have a wife already, there’s no need for you to worry about my business,” Yang Kai suddenly sneered.
The cultivator from Heaven Battling Union was stunned momentarily but soon let out a laugh, “Turns out you’re not a mute. Well whatever, just pretend I hadn’t said anything. Boy, scram, there’s nothing here for you.”
He also saw that Yang Kai looked like he was harbouring ill intent and although he wasn’t afraid of Yang Kai, he still decided to warn him off.
How could he have known that the always indifferent looking Yang Kai would suddenly push his Saint Qi and condense a long sword out of jet black flames? Seeing this, the Heaven Battling Union cultivator couldn’t help wearing a grim look and barking, “What? You want to start something with me? You best think twice, if you dare to act, you’re dead!”
“I certainly don’t want to die, but I’m afraid you are going to. Friend’s mouth is so foul I can smell its stink from ten kilometres away, I really can’t stand it, so I’ll have to take your life to put an end to the stench!” Yang Kai said while slashing his Demonic Flame sword forward.
The Profound Heavenly Sword condensed from Demonic Flame gave off an earth-shaking power as Yang Kai unleashed a dozen slashes, sealing off all avenues of retreats for the Heaven Battling Union cultivator.
The instant Yang Kai attacked, the Heaven Battling Union cultivator’s face changed greatly. How could he not feel that the power behind Yang Kai’s attack was incomparable to what an ordinary First-Order Saint King could produce? No longer having the leisure to entangle with the ugly woman anymore, he took the initiative to withdraw his Saint Qi from his battle-axe and instead condense a shield in front of his body.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
After just two hits, the wave of sword slashes Yang Kai sent out smashed this Saint Qi shield, allowing the remaining attacks to chop down directly towards the Heaven Battling Union cultivator.
The man from Heaven Battling Union called out in alarm and tried to dodge, but the woman nearby used her white silk artefact to bind him in place at that exact moment. The white silk had an outrageous sharpness and after binding this man up, the woman pushed her Saint Qi and the white silk suddenly tightened.
A flash of light erupted from the man as he pushed his Artefact Armour’s protection to its maximum, but that still wasn’t enough to stop the white silk from cutting into him. After a light snapping sound, the Heaven Battling Union cultivator’s body suddenly had dozens of bloody lines appear all over his body.
“No…” The man let out half a scream before his body was cut into a dozen pieces by the white silk.
Before his corpse fell, Yang Kai’s jet black sword swept forward and burned his body to ashes.
A Third-Order Saint King Heaven Battling Union elite disciple had been slaughter by Yang Kai and the woman in less than a breath. Yang Kai wasn’t surprised by this result though, because even if he was alone, he was confident he could have killed this man, much less working together with this woman.
However, the power of the woman’s white silk artefact had surpassed his expectations; if he had known it was so strong, he wouldn’t have sent out so many slashes.
The woman was also quite surprised by the means Yang Kai displayed, and after easily killing the Heaven Battling Union disciples, she shouldn’t help glancing over at him in shock.
Yang Kai noticed now that not only did this woman have an enchanting figure, her eyes also had a brilliant light to them. If she covered her face and only exposed her eyes, she would certainly be able to make many men crazy for her.
But with her face’s appearance… It was truly unfortunate. Yang Kai thought so, but didn’t show anything on his face.
“Many thanks!” After killing her opponent, the woman exhaled heavily, causing her plump chest to bounce exaggeratedly, tracing a thrilling and beautiful arc, bowing her head gently to Yang Kai as she managed to squeeze out a smile. Although this smile was full of sincerity, matched with her visage, it was a difficult sight to behold.
Her voice on the other hand was extremely gentle and sweet, incredibly pleasant to the ear.
“It’s nothing, I just found him unpleasant to the eye,” Yang Kai said lightly.
“You may rest assured, I won’t tell anyone about this, and the one who killed him was me, so it has nothing to do with you. If the people from Heaven Battling Union really want to track down the culprit, you won’t be found responsible,” The woman said, taking all responsibility onto herself. This gave Yang Kai a favourable impression of her and made him feel like that taking action just now had not been in vain.
As they spoke, the woman took the ring that had fallen to the ground after the Heaven Battling Union died and without even glancing at its content tossed it over to Yang Kai, “I’ll give you this.”
Yang Kai didn’t try to act polite and accepted it, tucking it into his sleeve.
The woman thought for a moment, blushed somewhat red again before reaching into her chest and taking out a red fruit and also tossing it over, “You pursued it for this, right?”
Yang Kai caught it and smiled embarrassedly, “I didn’t know it was raised by you.”
The fruit in his hand was warm to the touch, but whether that was because of the fruit’s nature or where the woman had been keeping it, Yang Kai didn’t know. There was however a faint fragrance lingering about it which made one feel refreshed.
“I know,” The woman nodded lightly, “Although my Spirit Fox cannot be used to fight, it has a natural ability to find spirit grasses and spirit medicines, you pursing it after you encountered it is only normal.”
Saying so though, the woman frowned as she suddenly remembered that her Spirit Fox was extremely fast. Outside, cultivators might be able to catch up to it, but in this place, where no one could fly, it should be able to easily shake off anyone who tried to pursue it. How did Yang Kai catch it then?
Despite her suspicions, she chose not to ask anything. Since this young man was able to chase down her Spirit Fox, he certain must have his own methods, and asking about it would only make things awkward. Although her appearance was bad, she was born a beautiful and intelligent woman and knew some things were best left unsaid.
“Spirit Fox?” Yang Kai frowned. It was the first time he had heard of this kind of Monster Beast; however, he did know about some Monster Beasts that specialized in seeking out spirit grasses and spirit medicines. This Spirit Fox was probably one of them. These kinds of Monster Beasts were incredibly precious and were usually raised by Sects specifically to find treasures.
“En, it grew up with me from a young age.” When the woman talked about the Spirit Fox, she wore a smile on her face. It was a much more natural one than the forced one she had shown before. Reaching out, she lightly touched a small head which had popped out from her robes and was now vigilantly looking towards Yang Kai. Suddenly being reminded of something, she asked, “Would you like to go and find the Golden Sun Fruit Tree with me? Since my Spirit Fox found this Golden Sun Fruit, it means that there was a fruit tree and many more fruits. We can split them half and half if you’d like.”
She seemed very reluctant to accept favours from others. Yang Kai had just helped her a moment ago and she had already given him both the Heaven Battling Union cultivator’s Space ring and the Golden Sun Fruit, but it seemed she didn’t feel it was enough so she made this suggestion.
This was exactly Yang Kai’s original intention. He had wanted to find the Golden Sun Fruit Tree but had no clue where to look, so now that this woman had made him such an offer, he quickly nodded, “Yes.”
Yang Kai could also tell that this woman wasn’t bad or he wouldn’t have agreed so easily. If this wasn’t the case, how could she, a Third-Order Saint King, have proposed to split the fruits evenly with him?
Having reached an agreement, the woman released her Spirit Fox, whispered something into its ear, and then she and Yang Kai followed after it as it ran forward.
Yang Kai had been chasing the Spirit Fox for about half an hour before, but it took the Spirit Fox over an hour to lead them to the place where the Golden Sun Fruit Tree grew because the woman’s speed wasn’t that fast.
There was indeed a Golden Sun Fruit tree growing nearby the place Yang Kai had stopped to take a rest, and it was in a very well hidden location. In a small mountain valley surrounded by steep cliffs, behind a large rocky outcropping stood the ten-metre tall Golden Sun Fruit Tree which seemed to bask in the intense heat surrounding it.
Only this Spirit Fox, a Monster Beast that was extremely good at seeking out spirit grasses and spirit medicines, could have found this Golden Sun Fruit Tree. Even if a cultivator has passed by this place, if they hadn’t stopped and done a thorough investigation, they would have missed it.
Yang Kai and the woman walked into the mountain valley peacefully. Neither asked the other’s name or origin because they both knew that they would part ways after this brief cooperation, so naturally there no need to get to know one another.
A moment later, the two stood beneath the Golden Sun Fruit Tree staring up at the large fruits hanging from its bows with shocked faces.
There seemed to be at least thirty fruits on this tree, each one of them a brilliant and eye-catching red while on the ground there were also a dozen or so fully mature fruits which had fallen from the branches.
It was hard to tell how many years this Golden Sun Fruit Tree had been here or how many fruits had gone to waste during that time.
After staring at it for a while, the woman turned to Yang Kai and said, “I’ll have my Spirit Fox pick all the fruits first before we distribute them.”
“Sure!” Yang Kai naturally had no objections.
On the woman’s order, the little fox-like beast quickly climbed up the Golden Sun Fruit tree and as if leapt from branch to branch, the Golden Sun Fruits fell down one by one.
The woman’s face turned bright as she caught the falling fruits.
When there were no more fruits on the tree, she proceeded to pick up the mature fruits which had fallen to the ground before dividing the whole batch up into two and handing one half to Yang Kai, “There are forty-four in total, so we each get twenty-two.”
Yang Kai gently nodded before tossing his half into his Space Ring.
After the fruits were divided, the woman said, “For this time, I offer you my thanks once more. If there’s a chance in the future, I will definitely repay you.”
“No need, these Golden Sun Fruits are enough,” Yang Kai smiled and shook his head. He had only taken action at will, but the other party had actually treated him so generously that Yang Kai was becoming somewhat embarrassed.
The woman thought for a while but did not insist, instead just nodding, “Since that’s the case, I will take my leave first.”
“Okay, I’ll collect this fruit tree first then also leave!” Yang Kai didn’t conceal his plans. This fruit tree was incredibly old so as long as he could transplant it back to Dragon Cave Mountain, perhaps it could once again bloom and bear fruit. There were no spirit grasses or spirit medicines of note on Dragon Cave Mountain, so this fruit tree would be just right to decorate it.
Moreover, the Divine Tree was sleeping in his Black Book Space, so there was a chance its aura would be able to nourish and support this Golden Sun Fruit Tree.
Of course, even if this transplant effort wasn’t successful, there would be no loss.
“What do you want this fruit tree for?” The woman who was just about to leave stopped in place and stared at Yang Kai strangely. “This kind of spirit tree has very strict requirements for its growth environment. If you take it away from here, perhaps it will die. What’s more, a Space Ring isn’t suitable to store it.”
After speaking these few words though, she suddenly realized that she was inadvertently poking into Yang Kai’s business and smiled awkwardly, asking “Would you like me to help?”
“No thanks, your intentions are more than enough, I can handle this myself.” Yang Kai smiled slightly before stretching out a finger and condensing a long, sharp blade of Saint Qi. Stabbing this blade into the ground, Yang Kai traces a wide circle around the Golden Sun Fruit Tree.
The land around the fruit tree wasn’t anything special so Yang Kai was naturally able to cut through it with ease. In order to not damage any of this Golden Sun Fruit Tree’s roots, Yang Kai carefully used his Divine Sense and Saint Qi.
After completing a circle around the Golden Sun Fruit Tree, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and turned it into a big net that completely covered it.
The next moment, a light flashed, and the ten-metre-tall Golden Sun Fruit Tree disappeared from sight. It had been taken into the Black Book Space by Yang Kai and placed beside the Divine Tree, leaving only a huge pit in its place.
The woman’s eyes flashed an unusual light. Although with her cultivation she could also easily bring such a big spirit tree into her Space Ring, a First-Order Saint like Yang Kai accomplishing such a feat without even breaking a sweat was a bit surprising.
After all, collecting such a huge living thing would put a heavy load onto one’s Divine Sense.
Finished collecting the Golden Sun Fruit Tree, Yang Kai smiled slightly to the woman and was about to bid farewell to her when his brow suddenly furrowed. Wiping the Space ring on his finger, Yang Kai took out his communication artefact.
Just now, when his Divine Sense accidentally swept his Space Ring, he suddenly noticed that a message had been sent to him, something that caught his attention.
This communication artefact was given to him by Wei Gu Chang. Not long after entering the third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Yang Kai had found the bodies of two Shadow Moon Hall disciples. At that time, he had tried to contact Wei Gu Chang but had never heard back from him. Yang Kai didn’t know how he or Dong Xuan’er was doing. Now though, after more than a month had passed, Yang Kai had suddenly received a message, which made him very surprised.
Before Yang Kai could even check the content of this message though, the woman standing nearby called out in surprise before asking Yang Kai in a stunned voice, “Are you a disciple of Shadow Moon Hall?”
Yang Kai turned a confused look of his own towards her and asked back, “Why would you think that?”
Although he had some small friendship a few people from Shadow Moon Hall, Yang Kai himself was not from Shadow Moon Hall. Why would this woman suddenly ask him such a question after he took out this communication artefact?
The woman simply smiled lightly and pointed to the communication artefact in Yang Kai’s hand, “The artefact in your hand was made by Shadow Moon Hall’s Grandmaster Ge Lin. It has his unique mark on it. I also have an artefact refined by Grandmaster Ge Lin so I’m quite clear about this. Since you have such a communication artefact, how could you not be related to Shadow Moon Hall? On top of that, only core disciples from Shadow Moon Hall should have this kind of communication artefact.”
For some unknown reason, after suspecting that Yang Kai was a Shadow Moon Hall disciple, the woman’s attitude towards him seemed to improve. Before, she had spoken in a more reserved tone but now her words seemed more natural and relaxed.
Yang Kai gawked for a moment before looking at the spot she was point and noticing a small triangular sign atop the communication artefact.
Grandmaster Ge Lin was a name Yang Kai was familiar with. It was said that he was the only Origin Grade Low-Rank Artefact Refiner in Shadow Moon Hall, one of the few such Grandmasters on all of Shadowed Star. It seemed this small triangle mark was Grandmaster Ge Lin’s personal signature.
This kind of practice was quite normal. Generally, famous Artefact Refiners would possess their own unique mark. After refining an artefact, this mark would be added and not only would it increase the value of an artefact, it would grant the owner of the artefact a lot of face.
This was something Alchemists couldn’t do, because no Alchemist was so idle and bored that he would add a distinctive mark to the pills he refined. Once someone swallowed a pill, it would be gone forever, would anyone show it off before eating it?
This woman was extremely observant; Yang Kai hadn’t even realized this mark existed until she had pointed it out.
Understanding this, Yang Kai nodded and said, “This should have been refined by Grandmaster Ge Lin, but I’m not a disciple of Shadow Moon Hall, this thing was given to me by Wei Gu Chang.”
“Senior Brother Wei gave it to you?” The woman covered her mouth with a look of surprise. She was well aware of Wei Gu Chang’s demeanor; even most of the Core Disciples from Shadow Moon Hall weren’t put in his eyes. Besides Dong Xuan’er, no one else was even able to enter his discernment, yet Wei Gu Chang had actually given Yang Kai this communication artefact. What did that imply?
“Do you know Brother Wei?” Yang Kai was surprised this time. He hadn’t expected a random woman he met to have some kind of friendship with Wei Gu Chang.
“En, I’m know him because I’m familiar with Xuan’er…” The woman smiled sweetly and said, but suddenly realizing something, her expression sank as she hurriedly said, “Did Senior Brother Wei send you a message? Take a look quickly!”
The ones capable of reaching this place were the Core Disciples of Shadow Moon Hall, so it was very likely that Wei Gu Chang was the one who had sent a message. The most likely reason he had sent out a message though would be because he encountered some kind of danger.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er had always been inseparable, so if Wei Gu Chang was in danger, Dong Xuan’er must be as well. Realizing this point, the woman became anxious and quickly urged Yang Kai.
This woman’s sudden anxiety surprised Yang Kai. He didn’t know what kind of background this woman had but it was clear from her sudden reaction just now that she was very close with Dong Xuan’er.
Not wasting any more time, Yang Kai poured his Divine Sense into the communication artefact to investigate as the woman stared towards him nervously.
A moment later, Yang Kai frowned, looked up, and said, “Brother Wei indeed sent out a message, and it seems he’s ran into some trouble.”
“What happened?” The woman asked hurriedly.
“They seem to have fallen into some kind of ancient Spirit Array and can’t escape. They were only able to send out a message calling for help. I sent a message back, but they haven’t replied,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
“An ancient Spirit Array?” The woman turned pale, “Is Little Sister Xuan’er alright?”
“I don’t know,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Only Brother Wei sent out a message, I haven’t heard anything from or about anyone else.”
Upon hearing this, the woman’s complexion improved slightly, and she began muttering to herself under her breath, “Little Sister Xuan’er should be together with Senior Brother Wei, so only Senior Brother Wei sent out a message. Do you know where they are?”
Yang Kai shook his head again, “I didn’t hear anything from Brother Wei, but I should soon. If he really is calling for help, he’ll definitely report his position, and since I can receive a message from him, he shouldn’t be too far from here.”
If they were too far away, Yang Kai wouldn’t have been able to receive a message from him.
“Alright!” The woman gently nodded. Although she understood what Yang Kai said, her two small hands still clenched into fists as she stared at the communication artefact in Yang Kai’s hand with some anxiety.
Yang Kai was now absolutely sure that this woman’s relationship with Dong Xuan’er wasn’t light, otherwise she wouldn’t be acting so tense. Just when Yang Kai looked over at her, the woman’s pair of beautiful eyes also happened to meet his, and seemingly realizing she was acting a bit improper, she couldn’t help smiling awkwardly.
“It’s here!” Yang Kai suddenly exclaimed, and as he expected, Wei Gu Chang had reported his position. After carefully noting the details of this message, Yang Kai looked up towards the woman and asked, “Brother Wei said they were about a hundred kilometres west of a giant piece of Silver Star Ore… Have you seen such a landmark?”
“Silver Star Ore?” The woman smiled, “I know where that is, I came across it once before.”
“Lead the way!” Yang Kai was a decisive person and immediately put away his communication artefact as he motioned to the woman.
The woman nodded and quickly used her movement skill to rush off, following closely by Yang Kai.
Nothing was said along the way, and they also didn’t encounter any danger or other cultivators. About half a day later, a massive piece of ore at least three hundred metres tall appeared in front of the two. Standing erect amidst the fiery red landscape, this piece of ore seemed as if it had been untouched since ancient times, giving it a desolate aura.
When he saw this huge ore, Yang Kai couldn’t help but frown.
He had heard about Silver Star Ore before and could help wanting to take it away. Silver Star Ore was an excellent Artefact Refining material. When refining an artefact, if some Silver Star Ore could be added, it would improve the resilience of an artefact, meaning that it was less likely to be destroyed in combat, as such, it was quite valuable. A fist-sized piece of Silver Star Ore could easily sell for tens of thousands of Saint Crystals; it was a treasure which was difficult to acquire even if one had money.
Now, seeing such a huge piece of Silver Star Ore in front of him, Yang Kai couldn’t help freezing in place.
Something like this couldn’t be put into his Black Book Space as is.
If it were another type of ore, Yang Kai would have broken it down into pieces, but Silver Star Ore was incredibly firm so he would have to first melt it down with his Saint Qi to collect it. Such a task would take more than a day or two.
It would have been perfect if the Stone Puppet was here, but unfortunately, the Stone Puppet had been confiscated by Yang Yan before he departed, so such thoughts were useless. Yang Kai glanced at this huge piece of Silver Star Ore with a look of reluctance before turning his eyes away indifferently.
“This is it,” The woman, who was leading the way, called out.
Yang Kai nodded, “A hundred kilometres to the west!”
Saying so, he took out his Yuan Magnetic Compass, determined his bearings, then rushed off again.
Silavin: Yang Yan!! TT^TT
I wonder if she heard of this, would she be crying? I mean, Yang Kai had seen so many precious ores that if he brought the stone puppet, it would have definitely given her, years of materials to work with.
Fearing for Dong Xuan’er’s safety in her heart, the woman almost used all her strength to raise her speed. At first, she was worried that Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to keep up with her and deliberately slowed down, but when she saw him running beside her with ease, she gradually increased her pace.
Now, Yang Kai was actually leading the way.
This startled her greatly but remembering that he was able to chase down her Spirit Fox in this Flowing Flame Sand Field, she realized Yang Kai had probably not yet reached his limit. He was now the one holding back for her.
Hesitating for a moment, the woman suddenly said, “Junior Brother…”
“Hm?” Yang Kai turned his head and looked at her curiously, not knowing why she was calling out to him. As for being called Junior Brother, seeing how this woman’s cultivation was two Minor Realms higher than his own, Yang Kai didn’t see anything wrong with it.
“If you can move faster, you don’t need to concern yourself with me, just go all out, I can keep up.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a strange light as he realized that this woman had also not used her full strength yet. It seemed that any cultivator who could reach the Third-Order Saint King Realm would have some hidden means.
Not saying anything, Yang Kai simply nodded before directly increasing his speed to its maximum, his figure turning blurry as he darted forward.
Yang Kai didn’t use his Wind and Thunder Wings though because he was certain that once he did, even if this woman had some secret technique, he would instantly throw her off.
A burst of Saint Qi fluctuations suddenly appeared behind Yang Kai as the woman used some unknown method. In any case, Yang Kai could feel that this woman’s strength had also increased greatly, and she was following close behind him.
However, after increasing her speed like this, her breathing ceased, as if she had inhaled deeply then held all the air inside her chest.
A hundred kilometres from the massive Silver Star Ore, there was a huge lake of lava. This lava was extremely hot and seemed capable of melting down anything it touched. The lava was dark and thick, and there were constantly huge bubbles rising to its surface, bursting apart with gurgling sounds, releasing a black mist which contained an incredibly corrosive fire poison.
The lava lake gave off an apocalyptic aura that made anyone who laid eyes upon it shudder.
At the center of the lava lake was a tortoise shell floating on its surface. This tortoise shell was ten metres in diameter and seemed to originally be a yellowish-brown colour. However, after baking in this lava lake, it had become dark red and was exuding a hot aura., it even had spider web of cracks running across its surface.
Through these cracks, the scorching aura of the lava lake seeped upwards, tormenting a group of young men and women who were struggling atop the tortoise shell.
This group of people were the Core Disciples of Shadow Moon Hall let by Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er. In addition to the two of them, there are two other men and one woman for a total of five people.
The area of the tortoiseshell wasn’t very big, just wide enough for five people to stand comfortably together on.
At this moment, all five of them had pale faces and their Saint Qi’s fluctuations were quite faint.
Wei Gu Chang was in the best condition of the five, but he had long lost his heroic bearing, his face filled with bitterness and annoyance. Only when he glanced over at Dong Xuan’er would a flash of tenderness and calm fill in expression. Seeing his beloved woman standing beside him in this harrowing situation, Wei Gu Chang would feel strength return to his body. If not for this emotional support, he would not have been able to endure this torment for so long, and once he fell, the other Shadow Moon Hall disciples would surely be wiped out.
Dong Xuan’er still wore the same gentle and quiet look. Since falling into this formation, she had not uttered a word of complaint, only occasionally cheering up her fellow Sect Brothers and Sisters, encouraging them to hold on, but how could this white-robed, always sweetly smiling woman who seemed as if she would be happy even if the sky were to collapse as long as Wei Gu Chang was beside her, not be a dry oil lamp?
Her calm exterior was just an act she was keeping up through force of will. She had the same mindset as Wei Gu Chang; that was, she couldn’t let her Junior Brothers and Junior Sister see her weakness and discouragement.
Once either of the two of them lost hope, the situation would only get worse.
The situation of the three others Shadow Moon Hall Core Disciples on the other hand was extremely bad. The faces of the two male disciples were filled with gloom, as if covered by dark clouds that blocked out all light of hope. They were constantly muttering to themselves under their breath, the threat of death seemingly having thrown their minds into chaos.
Another tall woman in a red dress was also completely overwhelmed, streaks of tears clearly visible running down her cheeks. She was almost mechanically pouring her Saint Qi into the tortoise shell now to help activate its defensive properties.
But whether it was Wei Gu Chang, Dong Xuan’er, or the other three Shadow Moon Hall disciples, all of them knew that if no one came to rescue them within a day or two, they would definitely die.
They had been trapped here for too long now and had all but completely consumed their Saint Qi reserves. On top of that, in this damned place, they could not use their Secret Arts and could only rely on Saint Crystals and pills to restore themselves.
Their situation had been tolerable when they still had pills, but they have run out a few days ago, no matter how they tried to draw energy from the Saint Crystals they had on hand, they couldn’t keep up with their consumption.
The Artefact Armour each of them wore was now completely dim as they couldn’t spare any Saint Qi to activate them.
If they were merely stranded in the middle of this lava lake atop this tortoiseshell, it wouldn’t be difficult for these five Shadow Moon Hall Core Disciples to escape.
What made them helpless though, was that no matter how they urged the tortoiseshell under their feet, it remained motionless, as if there was some mysterious power coming from the lava lake which firmly held them in place.
To make matters worse, there was some kind of Spirit Array inside this lava lake that would from time to time cause pillars of lava to shoot up towards them from all directions, causing them incredible danger. Fortunately, Wei Gu Chang had so far been able to use his superior strength to avert these crises, allowing the five of them to survive until now.
However, in exchange, his body was now covered with dark red burns and scars that had turned black from the invading fire poison. Wei Gu Chang had no extra strength to expel this fire poison and could only do his best to ignore it as it gradually ate away at his strength and vitality.
Gradually, traces of this black aura began appearing on Wei Gu Chang’s pale face, making him look terribly morbid.
“Senior Brother…” Dong Xuan’er saw this and couldn’t help trembling, almost bursting out into tears as she cried out, “I’m sorry!”
Wei Gu Chang grinned and declared in the most spirited voice he could manage, “Among the two of us, there’s nothing you need to apologize for, so don’t speak such distant words in the future.”
“But if it weren’t for me wanting to explore this place, we wouldn’t have fallen into this trap!” Dong Xuan’er’s beautiful eyes dimmed.
It was precisely because she had noticed that there was something odd about this place that she had begun investigating it. But as soon as the five of them had stepped into this area, the ground had cracked open and sank into the burning hot lava lake, trapping them in place.
Unable to fly here, the five of them could depend upon this tortoise shell to barely maintain their lives, but it was impossible for them to leave this place.
This tortoise shell was left behind after some unknown Tenth-Order Monster Beast that was abnormally strong, so even after it had been baked in this lava lake for more than a month, it still hadn’t broken, but it did have many thin cracks.
After all this time, the tortoise shell wasn’t looking very good and seemed as if it was on the verge of breaking.
“Don’t say that, any place that has benefits also has dangers, and the five of us all agreed to explore here, it has nothing to do with you,” Wei Gu Chang said calmly, “If that weren’t the case, we wouldn’t have found that treasure. After leaving here, we’ll divide that thing up evenly and everyone’s strength will surely increase a lot.”
“Will we be able to leave here?” The tall woman in the red dress looked over at Wei Gu Chang, tears suddenly leaking from her big eyes again, “Senior Brother Gu and Junior Sister Liu died just after we entered the third layer… Are their resentful souls now retaliating against us for failing to save them?”
Hearing this woman’s words, the other two male disciples’ faces changed greatly. Seemingly recalling the situation from more than a month ago, their already pale complexions went even whiter.
Wei Gu Chang shot her a sharp glare and coldly declared, “Junior Brother Gu and Junior Sister Liu were killed by Fire Spirit Beasts, it wasn’t that we didn’t try to save them, it’s that we were too weak to do so. The will of the Heaven’s is inescapable, but our current predicament has nothing to do with them, don’t think about such pointless things.”
The death of their Junior Brother and Junior Sister had left a great psychological shadow on the others, because before entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field, each of them had been extremely self-confident. They were all Core Disciples with superior aptitude and strength, each of them not thinking much of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, only imagining that with their skills, they would obtain enough benefits here and amaze their peers and Elders after leaving.
The first and second layers had indeed not posed a challenge to them and could even be described as free of danger, but just after they entered the third layer, two of their group had died!
Two companions who they had lived and cultivated together with for many years, who they were laughing and joking together with just moments ago, died tragically right before their eyes; weighing heavily in their hearts.
Although Wei Gu Chang was quite put off by such negative thoughts, he could understand what his Juniors were feeling so he did not reprimand them too harshly.
If Wei Gu Chang had not constantly been running around outside and had instead taken the same path as the others here, remaining inside the Sect all the time to cultivate, his mental endurance would not be so strong. Sure enough, flowers raised in a greenhouse that had not experienced great wind and rain were unable to grow up to be truly strong.
These so-called elite Core Disciples all performed magnificently inside the Sect, each of them earning praises as favoured Sons and Daughters of Heaven and the worship of countless Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters. When they compared notes and sparred with one another, each of them acted swift and fierce, but the moment they came out into the real world, all kinds of problems immediately became apparent. If they managed to survive and return home, Wei Gu Chang secretly made up his mind to talk to his Master and Elder Qian about this issue. If all of Shadow Moon Hall’s disciples continued to act like this in the future, the Sect would surely be destroyed in short order.
“Senior Brother, you sent a message to Junior Brother Yang didn’t you? Has he responded?” Dong Xuan’er suddenly looked at Wei Gu Chang and asked.
“No…” Wei Gu Chang smiled bitterly.
“Could Junior Brother Yang have…” Dong Xuan’er said restlessly, a look of worry appearing on her face.
“Do you think he would fall here?” Wei Gu Chang chuckled then shook his head, “He shouldn’t have, with his strength and ability, as long as his luck isn’t as bad as ours and fell into a formation, he would certainly not have fallen.”
“Then why haven’t we heard back from him?” Dong Xuan’er’s beautiful eyes flashed a hint of sadness as she subconsciously thought that Yang Kai had also encountered some kind of misfortune which was why he wasn’t replying to them.
Wei Gu Chang didn’t know how to answer immediately but after hesitating for a moment he sighed and said, “Perhaps Brother Yang hasn’t checked his communication artefact for messages. Before we came in, I felt like he wanted to act alone, so although I sent him a message, if he isn’t checking for messages, how could he know that we’re stuck here and can’t escape? Unfortunately… besides him, there’s no one else we can ask for help from. With his skill, he is certainly in the third layer, so all we can do now is hope our luck hasn’t completely run out.”
“Senior Brother Wei, the lava is about to erupted again!” One of the two male disciples suddenly exclaimed nervously.
Hearing this, the other four all paled and looked out to discover that the lava lake, which had been fairly calm just now, suddenly seemed to be boiling up, with many more bubbles rising to the surface, releasing black plumes of fire poison, the burning, corrosive heat quickly spreading towards their group of five.
Wei Gu Chang coldly snorted and waved his arm in a wide arc, releasing a burst of scarlet light that blocked the fire poison and corrosive heat from reaching them.
However, by just slightly moving, Wei Gu Chang’s body began to shudder slightly. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t fear this fire poison and corrosive heat, but now he was an arrow at the end of its flight so any means he used would put a huge load on him.
“It’s here!” The same male disciple trembled and shouted as he saw the dark red lava surge up from the lake in great pillars before crashing towards them from all directions.
Such a scene had occurred countless times this past month and each time it did, their group of five would work together to keep off these eruptions, but this time things seemed a little different.
“Why are there so many?” The tall woman saw the number of pillars erupting and her beautiful face changed color, almost freezing up completely.
The number of attacks the lava lake was putting out this time seemed far greater than before. Up until now, they had been able to reluctantly cope with these periodic eruptions, but with Wei Gu Chang having suffered multiple injuries and everyone else far from their peak condition, how were they supposed to resist this wave of attacks?
[It is the end!] The tall female disciple and the other two male disciple faces went ashen as they stared blankly at the lava columns shooting towards them, all of them giving up resisting as they stared out helplessly.“Don’t panic!” Wei Gu Chang roared as he and Dong Xuan’er poured all their remaining strength into the tortoiseshell to activate its protective effects.
From the crimson baked tortoiseshell, the layer of blue light suddenly appeared. This light curtain contained a potent Water Attribute aura which enveloped the group of five.
*Chi chi chi…*
The lava columns flew over and all impacted on the light curtain. The blue halo of light trembled greatly and after the first wave of attacks was already teetering on the edge of destruction.
When the second wave of attacks struck the barrier, it shattered completely.
Wei Gu Chang’s blood ran cold, knowing that this time, they were truly doomed. If his three Junior Brothers and Junior Sister hadn’t resigned themselves to death and were supporting them, they would have been able to hold out for a few more breaths, but with just him and Xuan’er, they were unable to maintain the protective halo of this tortoise shell.
So be it! Dying inside this strange ancient Spirit Array was not something to be ashamed of, it was just…
Wei Gu Chang turned his head to look at Dong Xuan’er, their four eyes meeting suddenly, both of them smiling lightly, with no need for any words.
*Shua shua shua…*
A series of strange sounds sudden echoed, as if from a great distance away, bursts of energy were being shot out. Immediately after, around the tortoise shell, many shields condensed from black flames appeared side by side, covering the group of five completely.
The lava pillars continued crashing towards them but all of them were blocked by these shields. Many shields ruptured by this assault but would be replaced as quickly as they were destroyed, forming a firm protective layer around the tortoise shell.
Immediately after, from the direction the original sound came from, a giant black sword cleaved through the air, sweeping across the many lava columns and cutting them in half.
Having survived certain death, all five people on the tortoise shell couldn’t help calling out in surprise and turning their heads towards the location where the black sword had appeared.
“Brother Yang!” Wei Gu Chang saw the person who had rescued them at the critical moment was actually Yang Kai and burst into laughter. At this moment, Yang Kai was standing on the shore of the lava lake, holding a jet black sword as if he was some ancient demon god, constantly slashing and chopping the lava columns in front of him.
“Catch!” While reducing the pressure for Wei Gu Chang and the others, Yang Kai took out his purple shield and tossed it over to them with all his strength.
This shield was his artefact, and only he could display its full power, but even by itself, it was extremely solid as it was refined from the carapace of a Ninth-Order Monster Beast renounced for its defense ability. Wei Gu Chang could use it temporarily to protect himself and the others around him.
The purple shield turned into a purple stream of light and flew towards Wei Gu Chang.
Catching the shield, Wei Gu Chang immediately held it towards the densest grouping of lava columns while yelling out to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, simple thanks are not enough for this kindness, I will find a way to express my gratitude after passing this tribulation.”
“Good, take this as well!” Yang Kai nodded before tossing over a jade bottle.
This time, Dong Xuan’er was the one to catch it. Opening the bottle and looking inside, she called out happily, “Snow and Ice Pills!”
Her Junior Brothers and Junior Sister from Shadow Moon Hall were also overjoyed and quickly said, “Senior Sister Dong, quickly give us one too!”
Their group’s pills had already been consumed clean a while ago, so the arrival of these Snow and Ice Pills could only be described as sending charcoal in the snowy weather. Taking one of these pills would greatly reduce the pressure they felt.
Dong Xuan’er nodded strongly while pouring out the Snow and Ice Pills giving them one by one to her three Juniors, stuffing one into Wei Gu Chang’s mouth, then finally taking one for herself.
As the Snow and Ice Pills entered their stomachs, a cold chill suddenly burst out inside their bodies, dissipating the unbearable heat and fire poison while simultaneously lifting their weary spirits. Having seen hope once more, the three forlorn Shadow Moon Hall disciples were no longer willing to give up on life, each of them displaying their own means to block the lava pillars which were still battering the Grand Heavenly Shields.
On the shore of lava lake, Yang Kai used his Profound Heavenly Sword to help reduce the pressure Wei Gu Chang’s group had to face while also using his Saint Qi to condense new Grand Heavenly Shields to protect them.
The ugly woman who had been following him also arrived at the shore of the lava lake and began gasping for breath.
Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of profound technique she had used, but the entire way here, she had not been breathing and didn’t begin again until they arrived at their destination.
Seeing that the situation was critical, she silently threw out a cloth-like artefact that instantly transformed into a pink coloured cloud and began flying around Wei Gu Chang and the others. Any lava pillar that was covered by this pink cloud was quickly scattered.
“En, isn’t this?” Dong Xuan’er recognized this artefact at a glance and thoughtfully glanced over to the shore. After seeing the figure of the ugly woman, she was pleasantly surprised, “How did Elder Sister Dai Yuan end up together with Senior Brother Yang.”
As far as Dong Xuan’er knew, Dai Yuan always wandered about alone because of her appearance, even unwilling to travel together with those from her Sect. Yang Kai also seemed to be a person who preferred acting independently, so it was weird the two of them had come here together.
“Perhaps they met each other on the road,” Wei Gu Chang laughed and said in high spirits, “No matter the reason, we shouldn’t have a problem overcoming this disaster now; Brother Yang will be able to find a way to get us out of here.”
“En, Elder Sister Dai Yuan’s Snow Silk should be able to resist the lava here,” Dong Xuan’er’s mood was also quite good, and when the three other Shadow Moon Hall disciples heard their Senior Sister and Senior Brother speak so, they too smiled happily, sweeping away their previous gloom and despair.
The lethality of the lava lake’s eruptions wasn’t actually that great, but the force keeping them trapped in its centre was rendering Wei Gu Chang and the others helpless. However, with the help of Yang Kai and the woman named Dai Yuan, Wei Gu Chang and his group of five didn’t need to worry about this anymore and could simply focus on protecting themselves.
After the lava lake calmed down once more, everyone secretly exhaled. The feeling of escaping from death was not something one could experience often.
Wei Gu Chang and the others sat down on the tortoiseshell for a moment to stabilize their breathing. A short time later, Wei Gu Chang stood up and yelled over to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, don’t rush into this lava lake, even my Origin Grade artefact wasn’t able to resist it and was quickly melted down.”
“How do we get you out then?” Yang Kai had already examined this lava lake while Wei Gu Chang’s group was restoring themselves and realized how extraordinary it was. Even with his strength, he didn’t dare to easily enter it. It was as he was wondering what to do that Wei Gu Chang called out to him.
“Just ask Junior Sister Dai Yuan to help,” Wei Gu Chang smiled at the woman beside Yang Kai.
[So her name is Dai Yuan!] Yang Kai actually didn’t know this woman’s name until now.Hearing this, Dai Yuan bit her red lip lightly before saying to Wei Gu Chang, “I don’t know if my Snow Silk can resist this lava. If it gets destroyed, I’ll have to think up another solution.”
“I know, if your Snow Silk is ruined, I promise I will compensate Junior Sister Dai Yuan,” Wei Gu Chang nodded.
“Who cares about your compensation? I just want to rescue Sister Xuan’er,” Dai Yuan snorted, making no effort to hide her dislike of Wei Gu Chang, causing the other side to smile awkwardly.
That being said, she still quickly took out the white silk thread that Yang Kai had previously seen.
Before, when Yang Kai had seen Dai Yuan fighting that Heaven Battling Union disciple, she was using this thing. At that time, Yang Kai hadn’t been able to figure out what it was but now he understood that it was actually the Snow Silk!
Snow silkworms were extremely rare and could only survive in extremely cold environments. Snow silkworm larvae did not spin silk, only after they matured for two to three hundred years would they begin producing silk, and even then, they would only produce a tiny amount once every ten years. To refine an artefact from such a material would take at least several hundred years of accumulation.
This woman named Dai Yuan having an artefact made from Snow Silk was quite surprising for Yang Kai.
Her being acquainted with Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er, and possessing such a treasure meant that her status wasn’t low.
While Yang Kai was pondering her origins, Dai Yuan arrived at the lava lake’s shore, her brow furrowing somewhat as she probed it with her Divine Sense. Only after quite some time did she summon her Snow Silk artefact, a solemn look upon her face as she did.
With a flick of her wrist, a tiny, almost invisible snow-white silk line shot out from her fingertips and flew out a couple of dozen metres.
However, such a length wasn’t nearly long enough as the tortoiseshell that Wei Gu Chang and the others were standing on was at least a hundred metres from the shore. The Snow Silk only shot out halfway before it fell down. Once it entered the lava lake, the icy cold power contained within it and the scorching heat of the lava clashed fiercely, white water vapour bursting out, shrouding almost the entire area in a thick mist.
Dai Yuan’s face expression became more and more dignified as she poured more and more of her Saint Qi into the Snow Silk in order to resist the burning heat of the lava. At the same time, she was doing her best to extend her Snow Silk to Wei Gu Chang and the others.
Everyone was nervously watching her movements, with the five atop the tortoiseshell particularly worried.
Although Dai Yuan’s Snow Silk was a potent Ice Attribute artefact, whether it could resist the scorching heat of the lava lake was unknown. After all, the artefacts of Wei Gu Chang and the others had been damaged severely here, with one or two of them nearly destroyed. Among these artefacts, there were many at Origin Grade.
If even a specialized artefact like the Snow Silk couldn’t overcome the lava lake, then their group could only wait to die.
As water vapour surged, Dai Yuan bit her red lip hard, gripping her hand tightly as she changed the method she was using somehow, causing the cold from the Snow Silk to suddenly surge and instantly suppress the scorching of lava.
A crisp cracking sound soon spread.
A frozen trail suddenly began spreading over the lava lake at a speed visible to the naked eye. This trail was only one finger wide, but it was spreading towards Wei Gu Chang and his group at a very fast speed.
Everyone was overjoyed as they could clearly see that this frozen trail across the lava was being created by the cold energy from the Snow Silk.
In the blink of an eye, the frozen trail stretched about thirty metres forward, but once it reached that point, its speed of extension began to reduce.
Yang Kai, who had been observing Dai Yuan’s movements, also noticed that her face had taken on an abnormal flush, obviously indicating that was reaching her limits.
Sure enough, the frozen trail’s speed of advance continued to slow and eventually came to a halt two-thirds of the way to the tortoiseshell. Not only was it unable to advance any further, but there were also signs of the frozen trail beginning to melt.
When they saw this scene, the faces of the five people who were standing on the tortoiseshell waiting for rescue darkened. Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er were more resilient and their looks soon return to normal, but the other three Shadow Moon Hall disciples’ expressions had once again become distraught.
They thought they could be rescued easily and had full confidence in Dai Yuan, but now it seems that Dai Yuan’s abilities weren’t quite enough, so their moods immediately plummeted.
Across the hundred-metre distance, Dai Yuan and Dong Xuan’er stared at each other. Dong Xuan’er’s eyes were full of worry, not about herself though. She was worried that Dai Yuan would do something reckless and greatly harm herself in order to try to save them.
Sure enough, Dai Yuan grit her teeth and a look of determination flashed across her face. Biting the tip of her tongue, she spat out a mouthful of blood mist onto her Snow Silk, turning it from pure white to bright red. The cold aura coming from the Snow Silk soared and the frozen path that had originally shown signs of melting froze over again with the Snow Silk also advancing forward once more, lengthening the frozen track further.
Yang Kai frowned. He had been paying close attention to Dai Yuan’s actions, and after she spat out her own Blood Essence, he too began to move.
He could see that even if Dai Yuan sacrificed her Blood Essence to drive her Snow Silk, she might not be able to extend it all the way to Wei Gu Chang and the others. Even if she did manage to reach them, in their current state, Wei Gu Chang and the others had no way to use this Snow Silk to save themselves.
This silk thread was extremely cold and sharp, not something Wei Gu Chang and the others could resist.
Therefore, he had to go himself. Fortunately, with the frozen track already spanning most of the distance, Yang Kai was confident he could make it to them.
As the frozen trail continued to spread towards the tortoiseshell, Yang Kai shot out like a thunderbolt, racing across the frozen track towards the centre of the lava lake.
Seeing this scene, Wei Gu Chang’s eyes couldn’t help being moved. How could he not see what Yang Kai wanted to do? Not saying any nonsense, he quickly warned, “Brother Yang, don’t underestimate this Snow Silk artefact, even if Junior Sister Dai Yuan isn’t aiming it at you, its coldness and sharpness cannot be easily resisted.”
“I know!” Yang Kai responded lightly as he reached the end of the frozen trail. At this moment, Yang Kai was only fifteen metres or so from the tortoiseshell. Although it was still spreading forward, its speed had once again begun to drop.
Yang Kai didn’t wait for Dai Yuan to drive her artefact forward and instead condensed a thick layer of Demonic Flame on his hand and grabbed towards the end of the frozen track.
With a crack, a small chunk of the frozen trail was broken off by Yang Kai, and when he lifted his hand back up, it was clearly gripping the red Snow Silk.
Everyone was stunned, and even Dai Yuan was surprised by Yang Kai’s boldness, her eyes filling with shock and astonishment.
For an ordinary cultivator, let alone holding her Snow Silk, even approaching it was enough to cause them to go stiff from the cold aura, but Yang Kai was actually able to hold it in his hand. On top of that, forget about being frozen, his palm was barely even cut, with only a drop of golden blood dripping from the gaps between his five fingers.
However, Dai Yuan was also not an ordinary woman. After a moment of shock, she immediately composed herself and began fully cooperating with Yang Kai to keep extending her Snow Silk.
Just now, when it was in the lava, it had been very difficult for her to extend her Snow Silk. This was only natural because of the scorching heat it gave off, but now that the Snow Silk was being held by Yang Kai, she could much more easily manipulate it.
The Snow Silk immediately began stretching and as Yang Kai held one end it in his hand, he condensed a Grand Heavenly Shield in front of himself atop the lava, leapt off the frozen track, and continued forward.
The moment Yang Kai stepped out, he condensed a second Grand Heavenly Shield further ahead and leapt to it. As Yang Kai jumped, the first Grand Heavenly Shield behind him burst apart as it struck the lava. The situation was extremely nerve-wracking to watch, and all five Shadow Moon Hall disciples were staring in trepidation, praying Yang Kai would not misstep and land in the lava lake.
With just fifteen metres to the tortoiseshell, Yang Kai only needed a dozen steps to arrive. Wei Gu Chang and the others had already opened up a place for him to land.
After arriving on the tortoiseshell, Yang Kai simply nodded to Wei Gu Chang before tying the Snow Silk in his hand to it. After confirming that they were firmly attached, Yang Kai looked to Wei Gu Chang and said, “I should be able to take two back with me at a time, who’s first?”
Wei Gu Chang didn’t even hesitate to point to tall woman and the younger-looking male disciple, “Take them.”
Dong Xuan’er also nodded, agreeing with Wei Gu Chang.
Yang Kai nodded, grabbed the two in question before shooting a glance over towards Dai Yuan on the shore. Seeing this, Dai Yuan’s face became solemn as she poured her Saint Qi into the Snow Silk, causing it to go taut. Yang Kai then leapt off the tortoiseshell onto the Snow Silk and began running back.
Condensing Grand Heavenly Shields and using them as footholds was only a stopgap measure. The temperature of the lava was too high, so even Yang Kai’s Grand Heavenly Shields could only appear for a moment. Any kind of accident would result in him falling into the lava lake. Yang Kai rushing over just how was extremely risky, so now that he was returning, he would rather suffer injuries from stepping on the Snow Silk than using such an unstable method.
The male disciple was sandwiched by Yang Kai under his armpit and had turned pale as his eyes went wide staring straight down at the lava lake below without moving.
The tall female disciple, on the other hand, was doing the exact opposite, grabbing onto Yang Kai tightly, pressing two extremely elastic peaks up against his chest as she closed her beautiful eyes tightly. It was as if she would rather die than face the terrible lava.
Men and women seemed to have very different reactions when facing danger.
Soon though, Yang Kai returned to the shore and put down the two Shadow Moon Hall disciples, allowing them to finally gasp for breath. The female disciple even held her hands over her well-rounded chest as a look of happiness spread across her face having survived this disaster.
After Yang Kai returned, Dai Yuan tried to drag the tortoiseshell back but found that it was completely stuck in the lava lake and would not move. No matter how she pushed her Saint Qi, she couldn’t budge it.
In desperation, she could only turn to Yang Kai, glancing at his blood-stained feet for a moment before wearing a look of entreaty her face.
Among the people present, she needed to control her Snow Silk to form the simple frozen passage while Wei Gu Chang and the other Shadow Moon Hall disciples were all arrows at the end of their flight. It was impossible to make them come ashore themselves, so the only one who could save them now was Yang Kai.
However, Yang Kai had suffered some injuries just now, and Dai Yuan didn’t know if he would be able to make another trip without cutting off his own feet.
Dai Yuan had clearly underestimated Yang Kai’s ability though. Although the Snow Silk’s sharpness had surprised Yang Kai and had even caused some injuries to him, it was quite impossible for it to seriously wound him.
Whether it was the cuts on his palm or his feet, they had all been completely restored at this moment. The Golden Blood’s restorative powers had displayed their power once more, even expelling the Snow Silk’s cold energy which had seeped into his body.
What made Dai Yuan feel relieved was that before she could even ask, Yang Kai took the initiative to return, allowing her to secretly breathe a sigh of relief. She thought that this person’s friendship with Wei Gu Chang must be quite close, otherwise, how could he be willing to take such a great risk to save their lives?
Not long after, the remaining three people were brought ashore.
Strangely enough, after everyone had left the lava lake, the originally roiling lava that had been bubbling and erupting just a moment ago actually began sinking into the ground. Ten breathes later, the lava lake which had trapped Wei Gu Chang and the others for over a month completely disappeared.
All that remained was cracked earth and the roasted red tortoiseshell. The lava had been replaced by the same generic red ground that could be found everywhere, as if everything they had experienced and all the suffering they had gone through had all been an illusion.
This ancient Spirit Array stunned even Yang Kai and he understood now why Wei Gu Chang and the others would have fallen into this inescapable trap. If it had been him, he would certainly have fallen into it as well.
However, Yang Kai was also certain he wouldn’t have been trapped here for long. In terms of Saint Qi density and purity, Wei Gu Chang and the other Shadow Moon Hall disciples here couldn’t match him, and he could have used his Grand Heavenly Shields as supports to escape from the lava lake.
The Saint Qi of Wei Gu Chang and the others weren’t capable of replicating this.
After the lava lake disappeared, the force which had been holding the tortoiseshell in place disappeared and Dai Yuan easily dragged it over to them.
This tortoiseshell was of great interest to Yang Kai. He was profoundly aware of how lethal the lava had been yet this tortoiseshell, which seemed plain and ordinary, was actually able to float atop that same lava for so long. It definitely wasn’t ordinary.
While Wei Gu Chang and the others were adjusting their breathing, Yang Kai studied the tortoiseshell.
The tortoiseshell was full of crisscrossing marks and at first glance, it was obviously something very old. This turtle was definitely a long-lived Monster Beast and should have had a life at least thousands of years old. This tortoiseshell was filled with marks of age.
“This is the tortoiseshell of the Tenth-Order Monster Beast, the Black Water Turtle,” While Yang Kai was studying it, a pleasant voice suddenly called out from beside him. Without needing to turn back, he knew it was Dai Yuan.
“You know about it?” Yang Kai glanced over at her curiously.
“En, I saw records of it in some ancient books,” Dai Yuan squatted down and reached out her jade hand to stroke the patterns on the tortoise shell’s surface, a hint of sadness flashing across her face, “I don’t know why it was killed, but its tortoiseshell had some simple refining done to it. If not for that, Little Sister Xuan’er and them wouldn’t have been able to use their own strength to activate its protective water barrier. I really can’t believe that even a Tenth-Order Monster Beast would appear in this place. It seems we’ll need to be extra cautious in the future.”
A Tenth-Order Monster Beast was equivalent to an Origin King Realm master! Forget about Tenth-Order, even Ninth-Order Monster Beasts were rare existences on Shadowed Star. If a Tenth-Order Monster Beast existed outside, it would definitely be an invincible existence in this world and would bring great calamity to the entire Shadowed Star.
“There probably aren’t any Tenth-Order Monster Beasts here, or rather they were here long ago but are now long gone,” Yang Kai spoke thoughtfully.
“How can you be so sure?” Dai Yuan looked at him strangely.
“Just a hunch,” Yang Kai chuckled without explaining.
He had obtained some Soul Cleansing Divine Water in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so he knew that an Origin King had died here at some point. Since an Origin King Realm master had died here, it wasn’t that unusual for a Tenth-Order Monster Beast to have died here as well.
After experiencing so many things here, Yang Kai faintly felt that there was more to this Flowing Flame Sand Field that me the eye. At the very least, it was no ordinary Forbidden Zone. It must be hiding some great secrets. This time, the danger of the third layer had been greatly weakened, allowing many elites to enter, but it was a mystery as to what had precipitated this change.
Seeing Yang Kai’s unwillingness to say any more, Dai Yuan didn’t continue to ask, instead just smiling and saying to Yang Kai, “Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Dai Yuan, a disciple of Coloured Glass Sect!”
“Coloured Glass Sect?” Yang Kai was taken aback, “Who is Yin Su Die to you?”
Listening to Yang Kai mention Yin Su Die, Dai Yuan’s eyes flashed a faint light of dislike but soon returned to normal as she replied lightly, “She’s my Junior Sister.”
Why her tone had suddenly become desolate was probably because Yang Kai’s first reaction to hearing the name Coloured Glass Sect was to ask about Yin Su Die.
This couldn’t be blamed on Yang Kai though, as the only thing he knew about Coloured Glass Sect was that Yin Su Die came from it. He hadn’t been on Shadowed Star for a long time and wasn’t a native of this place, so how was he supposed to know anything else about Coloured Glass Sect?
“That woman is actually your Junior Sister?” Yang Kai seemed to want to re-examine Dai Yuan, sweeping his eyes up and down her quickly, a strange look upon his face.
Towards Yin Su Die, Yang Kai didn’t have any favourable impression, but he also didn’t have any particularly negative opinion either. All Yang Kai felt was that she was a woman who was innately charming and seemed to be on par with Fang Tian Zhong, Qu Chang Feng, and Wei Gu Chang.
Yang Kai didn’t know what her true strength was like, but her beauty definitely added a lot to her fame.
Now, when he heard Dai Yuan say Yin Su Die was actually her Junior Sister, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling surprised.
Dai Yuan seemed like a genuinely good person and behaved very low-key, quite different from Yin Su Die who seemed to want to be the centre of attention wherever she went. Their appearances were also worlds apart. Two such women being Senior and Junior Sisters naturally felt strange.
After a moment of surprise, Yang Kai quickly realized his gaff and smiled lightly, “No wonder you are so fierce, you’re actually from Coloured Glass Sect.”
“You are also quite good,” Dai Yuan’s beautiful eyes stared at Yang Kai, as if she was trying to look into the depths of his soul. This young First-Order Saint King’s performance during their brief time together had constantly surprised her.
“What’s wrong, did Brother Yang not know Junior Sister Dai Yuan was from Coloured Glass Sect?” Wei Gu Chang came over hand in hand with Dong Xuan’er, the two of them seemingly having recovered quite a bit. This was also thanks to the pills Yang Kai had given them. Those restorative pills were refined by Yang Kai himself and had far better effects than what could be bought in this world.
“I naturally didn’t know, the two of us just met by chance and happened to receive your message then rushed over together,” Yang Kai stood up and smiled at Wei Gu Chang.
“This Wei cannot thank Junior Brother and Junior Sister enough for coming to our rescue!” Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er both approached and bowed deeply and sincerely.
Yang Kai quickly lifted them up but before he could say anything, Wei Gu Chang said straightly, “Brother Yang, if not for you and Junior Sister Dai Yuan arriving so promptly, even if you were a quarter of an hour late, Xuan’er and I would have already set off to the next life together. Regardless of what happens from now on, if you ever have a need for this Wei’s assistance in the future, just say the word and no matter what great danger or difficulties it may involve, this Wei will not hesitate to help.”
It seemed like now, Wei Gu Chang truly wanted to befriend Yang Kai. In the past, the main reasons he had been associating with Yang Kai was because of Qian Tong’s instructions and because he appreciated Yang Kai’s demeanour.
However, after experiencing this life-saving grace, Wei Gu Chang willingly lowered his head in gratitude. If it was only related to his life, it wouldn’t have been enough for him to humble himself, but Yang Kai had also rescued Dong Xuan’er, and she was someone Wei Gu Chang considered more important than his life!
This favour was extremely heavy.
Staring at him for a moment, Yang Kai nodded slightly.
Wei Gu Chang then turned to Dai Yuan again and said, “As for Junior Sister Dai Yuan… Haha, I’ll come together with Xuan’er to visit Coloured Glass Sect in the near future to thank you, I hope at that time Junior Sister Dai Yuan won’t shut me out.”
Dai Yuan scoffed lightly but didn’t make a reply either way, simply taking Dong Xuan’er’s hand and pulling her over to the side to chat.
Wei Gu Chang shook his head with a bitter smile before glancing back at his Junior Brothers and Junior Sister. Seeing them still restoring themselves, he didn’t go to disturb them and instead started a conversation with Yang Kai.
Through his narration, Yang Kai learned about the ordeal the Shadow Moon Hall disciples had endured.
To sum everything up, they were just unlucky!
A total of more than seventy disciples had come from Shadow Moon Hall this time, of which nearly fifty had remained in the first layer Flame Area while the remaining twenty entered the second layer Treasure Area. All of them had split up into smaller squads and begun searching for spirit grasses and spirit medicines, contacting each other via their communication artefacts at regular intervals to ensure they remained safe.
When news of the third layer’s heat and danger weakened came out, Wei Gu Chang immediately gathered together the seven most elite disciples and rushed into the third layer Flame Area. However, not long after they entered the third layer, the group of seven were surrounded by a horde of Fire Spirit Beasts, and after a protracted battle, two of them had fallen. After that, with Wei Gu Chang bringing up the rear, the rest of them managed to escape.
Before they could even recover from the blow of losing their companions though, the remaining five had stepped into the ancient lava lake Spirit Array.
They had been trapped there for more than a month and it wasn’t until just now that they had escaped.
As Wei Gu Chang explained about all this, his face filled with annoyance. Although there was an element of bad luck to it, the unfavourable situation was also a result of insufficient strength. Even if it was an Origin Returning Realm master who had been here, it was likely they would have been unable to detect this ancient Spirit Array and would have fallen into its trap.
However, losing to that horde of Fire Spirit Beasts was due to their lack of strength, resulting in two of their companions dying.
Compared to their encounters, Yang Kai could only describe his luck as astonishing.
The massive Fire Crystal Stone, Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence, ancient map fragment, Soul Cleansing Divine Water, Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, possible dragon bone and dragon bead, Saint Crystal lode, various spirit grasses, spirit fruits, and spirit medicines, the strange solidified space…
Along the path Yang Kai walked, the gains he made were unimaginable.
If he were to explain his story to Wei Gu Chang, Yang Kai expected the former would be so upset he would cough up blood.
In short, since entering the third layer, Wei Gu Chang and his group had gained nothing but a few Fire Crystal Stones after wasting an entire month.
Fortunately, they hadn’t suffered any further losses either. If the five of them had been buried here, it would have been a disaster. If Shadow Moon Hall lost so many elite disciples at once, it would create a huge crack in their younger generation. In the short term, it wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but as time passed and Shadowed Star’s current Saint Kings began to mature, Shadow Moon Hall’s comprehensive strength would undoubtedly weaken, threatening its status as a great Sect.
This was a result no Sect was willing to bear.
“Brother Yang, are you interested in this tortoiseshell?” Wei Gu Chang spoke for a while before suddenly asking this question, “If you are interested in it, feel free to take it. Although I can see that it isn’t ordinary, with so many cracks in it already, I don’t know if it can still play any significant role.”
Wei Gu Chang knew there was a powerful Artefact Refiner behind Yang Kai, and the material of a Tenth-Order Monster Beast like this would be greatly appreciated by such a master.
Even if he took this tortoiseshell back to Shadow Moon Hall, Wei Gu Chang couldn’t think of a suitable person to refine an artefact from it. Grandmaster Ge Lin was nearing the end of his life and hadn’t refined any artefacts for quite a while. Elder Qian had been thinking of ways these past few years to extend the life of Grandmaster Ge Lin but unfortunately hadn’t been very successful.
Moreover, Grandmaster Ge Lin’s skill at Artefact Refining may not be enough to use this tortoiseshell. As such, Wei Gu Chang figured he might as well give this shell to Yang Kai as it could probably play the greatest role in his hands.
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment but didn’t refuse, nodding slightly before storing away the Tenth-Order Monster Beast tortoiseshell.
While the two of them were talking, Dong Xuan’er and Dai Yuan were also whispering amongst themselves a short distance away.
At this moment, Dai Yuan was holding a jade bottle in her hand and a pill was resting on her palm. This pill was perfectly round, with a pale green hue and was exuding bursts of delicate medicinal fragrance that relaxed one’s body and mind when they sniffed it.
As Dai Yuan’s beautiful eyes stared at this pill, a nearly imperceptible hint of excitement and expectation flashed across their depths as her expression filled with admiration.
Dong Xuan’er didn’t say a word, as she knew that when her close friend showed this kind of look it was best to simply remain silent.
This pill wasn’t something rare, it was just an ordinary Saint Qi supplementing pill, but its grade wasn’t low. It was one of the Saint King Grade High-Rank pills Yang Kai had given Dong Xuan’er.
Dong Xuan’er had intentionally saved it in order to ask Dai Yuan to take a closer look at it.
After a long time, Dai Yuan put the pill back into the jade bottle and handed it back to Dong Xuan’er before breathing out gently.
“How is it?” Dong Xuan’er asked.
“Superb. The Alchemy technique used to refine it is better than anything I can do; it has been brought to the extreme in terms of quality and I suspect it is only a step away from forming Pill Veins. The surface of the pill already has some faint traces of Pill Veins. It’s a pity that it fell short in the end,” Dai Yuan said regretfully before noting with shock, “Not only that one, but every pill in that bottle. This Alchemist who refined them has already taken their skills to an astonishing level.”
“Is it really so amazing?” Dong Xuan’er was startled, her delicate mouth opening slightly, “Being able to refine so many Saint King Grade pills which nearly formed Pill Veins; could this master be an Origin Grade Alchemist?”
“En, there’s no doubt they are an Origin Grade Alchemist.” When Dai Yuan said this, she glanced over at Yang Kai, the look of expectation in her eyes growing stronger.
Seeing this look, how could Dong Xuan’er not know what she was thinking and quickly said, “Big Sister Dai Yuan, don’t be anxious, you’ll find a solution in time.”
Dai Yuan lifted her hand and brushed her hair back behind her ear as she said lightly, “I know, I’m not in a hurry, it’s been so many years already anyway. By the way, Sister Xuan’er, that Yang Kai, what were his origins again?”
Suddenly, Dai Yuan seemed to become quite interested in Yang Kai and began asking Dong Xuan’er about him.
Dong Xuan’er didn’t conceal anything, explaining everything she knew about Yang Kai. When she heard that Yang Kai came to Shadowed Star from the outside world, Dai Yuan’s eyes brightened greatly and her tender body couldn’t help trembling, the light of expectation in her eyes became even more obvious.
Since others could come to Shadowed Star from the outside world, what was the say that they couldn’t leave Shadowed Star and go to the outside world?
Like Wu Yi, Dai Yuan dreamed of leaving Shadowed Star, but the starting point of the two was quite different. Wu Yi was simply enchanted by the idea of the outside world’s wonders while Dai Yuan had other reasons.
Although Dai Yuan wanted to ask Yang Kai immediately about which Alchemy Grandmaster had refined this bottle of recovery pills, she forced herself to be patient.
She wasn’t familiar with Yang Kai; in fact, they had essentially just met, so if she now started asking such intrusive questions, it would only cause annoyance in the other party. How could Dai Yuan make such a rash move?
However, she was already considering how she could better her relationship with Yang Kai, and when the time was right, she would naturally ask.
Time flowed by. Dai Yuan and Dong Xuan’er hadn’t seen each other for a long time so naturally, they were not short of words they wanted to exchange. Yang Kai and Wei Gu Chang were also engaged in a lively discussion, and from Wei Gu Chang’s mouth, Yang Kai learned many interesting stories and secrets about Shadowed Star.
Yang Kai didn’t intend to stay and act together with them, but now that they had just escaped from a life or death crisis, simply leaving would seem too cold, so he planned to wait until all of them had at least restored themselves.
Once they were back on their feet, Yang Kai would bid them farewell and continue deeper into the third layer in hopes of finding a suitable place to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
A day later, the remaining three Shadow Moon Hall disciples finally finished restoring themselves and thanked Yang Kai and Dai Yuan profusely.
This time, the three of them no longer dared to belittle Yang Kai.
When the Flowing Flame Sand Field had just opened, these three had lined up behind Wei Gu Chang, and at that time, when Wei Gu Chang asked Yang Kai to act together with them, the three of them were quite reluctant as they thought bringing Yang Kai with them would only be a burden. On top of that, if they found any benefits, they would be forced to apportion him something regardless of whether he helped them or not.
None of them had imagined that this young man, whom they considered to be a burden, would be the one to save their lives in the third layer Flame Area.
Recalling their thoughts from that time, all three of them felt extremely ashamed and wanted to find holes to crawl into and hide.
“The three of you should follow the path we walked back to the second layer. Fortunately, we’re not too deep into the third layer. If you backtrack carefully, with your strength and means, you shouldn’t have any trouble protecting yourselves. Don’t think of remaining and taking risks in this third layer, this isn’t a place you should linger,” Wei Gu Chang waited for the three of them to finish expressing their gratitude to Yang Kai before ordering them directly.
The three Shadow Moon Hall disciples were stunned for a moment but soon understood why Wei Gu Chang had come to this decision.
Just before, on the lava lake, how the three of them had conducted themselves was not befitting their status as elite disciples. Now that Wei Gu Chang was making them return to the second layer, they dared not disobey, all of them nodding in shame before urging their Senior Brother Wei and Senior Sister Dong to be careful.
Wei Gu Chang gently nodded. Although he was a little disappointed with the performance of his two Junior Brothers and Junior Sister, they were still from the same Sect and he was not about to condemn them for their actions, even giving them all the pills he and Dong Xuan’er felt they didn’t need before seeing them off.
The trio said goodbye with tears in their eyes, but before they could depart, the sky of the entire Flowing Flame Sand Field suddenly became much brighter.
Everyone was aware of this anomaly and all of them looked around suspiciously but couldn’t find anything wrong. Just as they were in the depths of confusion, the tall female disciple suddenly pointed in a certain direction and called out in shock, “The sun!”
Looking in the direction she was pointing and witnessing the phenomenon that was occurring, all of them couldn’t help feeling stunned.
In the distance, a round red sun seemed to be rising above the horizon, its crimson rays dying the entire sky a beautiful blood red. It was precisely because of this red sun that everyone felt their surroundings suddenly become brighter.
Of course, no one thought this was really the sun!
It had been a few months since they entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field, and in this strange space, there was no sun, no moon, no stars, or sky. When they raised their heads up, all there was to see was the dark red space while down below was dark red earth, making for an extremely gloomy landscape.
So how could the sun suddenly appear in this Forbidden Zone?
Yang Kai’s first thought was that someone was fighting and had used some kind of astonishing artefact!
However, after thinking about it carefully, he realized that this was impossible. The round red sun was clearly at a very distant location, at least a few hundred kilometres from where they currently were. Across such a vast distance only an Origin King Grade artefact would be able to produce a visible effect.
But which great force would allow their disciples to bring an Origin King Grade artefact into the Flowing Flame Sand Field?
There were many crises here, and no one could guarantee their own survival. Even Wei Gu Chang had almost fallen here, so unless all the Elders of some Sect had lost their minds, they wouldn’t allow their disciples to bring an Origin King Grade artefact into this place.
Each Origin King Grade artefact in existence on Shadowed Star would be carefully locked up in the headquarters of the Sect that owned them as a strategic weapon and would not be easily be used.
What’s more, even if for some reason such an outrageous situation was allowed to happen, no Saint King Realm cultivator here would be able to even use an Origin King Grade artefact, and forcibly trying to would only result in severe backlash.
[Then what was this?] Yang Kai brow wrinkled as he stared at the rising sun with suspicion. He had seen all kinds of incredible things inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field but he couldn’t immediately determine what it was he was currently looking at.Faintly though, he felt that the scene in front of him was somewhat… familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before, but he was also certain he had never witnessed such a strange phenomenon before, making him frown secretly.
“How can there be a sun here? Did the barrier around the Flowing Flame Sand Field collapse?” A male disciple from Shadow Moon Hall cried in surprise.
His guess was reasonable; after all, if the barrier around the Flowing Flame Sand Field collapsed, they would naturally be able to see the outside scenery, and if it happened to be sunrise at this time, it would explain this scene.
However, Wei Gu Chang shook his head, “It’s not the sun.”
His thoughts were the same as Yang Kai.
“What is it then? Senior Brother, have you seen something similar before?” Dong Xuan’er leaned her tender body slightly loser to Wei Gu Chang, a touch of uneasiness and tension apparent in her voice.
“No, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Wei Gu Chang stated before turning his head to Yang Kai, wanting to hear his opinions. But at this moment, Yang Kai was actually wearing a thoughtful expression that said not to disturb him.
As a last resort, Wei Gu Chang turned his sights to Dai Yuan. Although he didn’t think that Dai Yuan’s knowledge was wider than his own, she might know something he didn’t.
To Wei Gu Chang’s surprise, Dai Yuan showed the same expression as Yang Kai.
[What did these two know?] Wei Gu Chang wondered secretly to himself.The rise of a red sun shocked all the cultivators who were present in the third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
On a certain hill, six Saint Kings wearing golden robes stood behind Qu Chang Feng, staring in shock towards the place where the sun had risen from. All of these shocked Saint Kings were muttering to each other, discussing what they thought it might be, but Qu Chang Feng’s face remained extremely bad. During this expedition into the Flowing Flame Sand Field, he had seen many good things, but he was actually unable to acquire any substantial benefits. This was especially true when it came to the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, an incident that was still causing him grief. Naturally, this strange phenomenon appearing all of a sudden had immediately caught his attention.
After hesitating for a moment, he waved his hand and shouted, “Let’s go take a look!”
Saying so, he brought his group and rushed towards the rising position of the red sun.
On a certain plain, four cultivators with incredibly pure Saint Qi were using Martial Skills and artefacts to send out bolts of brilliant lightning, blasting their surroundings away with extraordinary ferocity.
When the red sun rose, this group just happened to be surrounded by a group of Fire Spirit Beasts. After dispatching this group of beasts, one of them collected the scattered Fire Crystal Stones on the ground before returning to the side of his companions who were all assembled around a plain-looking, crudely dressed youth.
“Senior Brother Fang, what is that?” Someone asked.
The crudely dressed young man slowly shook his head and said lightly, “We’ll know once we go check it out. It’s very likely that some kind of extremely precious treasure has appeared for such a scene to appear in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.”
Saying so, he began walking straight towards the direction of the rising sun, his pace seemingly slow but with thunder suddenly appearing around his feet, his body seemed to glide forward and in the blink of an eye, he had already crossed a hundred metres.
Atop a towering rock, a cold-looking man was meditating and adjusting his breathing. At this moment, he also saw the red sun rise, and after a slight hesitation, he got up and set out.
At the deepest part of the third layer Flame Area, a man who appeared to be in his thirties seemed to be struggling to resist ambient heat and fire poison. Seeing his appearance, it seemed he wanted to venture further inside, but when the red sun rose, he couldn’t help glancing back and immediately showed a look of shock and ecstasy, muttering to himself, “Even something like this has matured… Hahaha!”
After saying so, he immediately turned around and ran back in the direction of the rising red sun, as if he was afraid that the benefits would be taken away if he was too late.
Many similar situations were occurring in various places around the third layer and soon, the elite disciples who had entered this layer were all rushing towards the red sun. All of them were guessing what kind of phenomenal treasure was born to cause such a Heavenly Vision to manifest.
However, before they could rush to the site from which the red sun appeared, a fiery red wind suddenly swept out, carrying with it a terrifying heat that caused all the approaching cultivators’ faces to pale and forced them to push their Saint Qi to protect themselves.
To everyone’s surprise though, after this seemingly fierce gale struck, not only did it not cause them any damage, instead, a strange fragrance wafted throughout the entire third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
This strange fragrance which filled was like the fresh scent of fruit, but many, many times more potent. On top of that, it seemed to contain a mysterious power that made one wish to close their eyes and immerse themselves in it, as if it carried with it some kind of enlightenment.
Of course, no one really stopped to meditate. Just this scent had such an effect, so if they could snatch this unknown treasure, how shocking would its effects be?
When this fruity aroma spread, everyone’s expression became even more determined and they pushed themselves to run faster.
By the disappeared lava lake, Yang Kai and the others were also hit by this fiery red wind, and after this magical fruit scent reached the tip of his nose, Yang Kai’s whole body shook as he shouted, “A spirit fruit has matured!”
It was only at that moment that he realized what was happening. The scene of the rising sun was not caused by an artefact, nor the birth of some rare treasure, but rather because a certain spirit fruit had matured.
The omnipresent fruit aroma in the air was the best proof.
In their minds, the name of a certain supposedly extinct spirit fruit came to mind and almost simultaneously, Yang Kai and Dai Yuan exclaimed, “Red Candle Fruit?”
Yang Kai glanced over at Dai Yuan in surprise, not having anticipated that this disciple from Coloured Glass Sect would actually recognize this extraordinary Red Candle Fruit. According to his knowledge, this spirit fruit had vanished thousands of years ago and even in the outside world had not appeared for aeons. It was the same as the Soul Warming Lotus and Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, something that existed only in ancient records and rumours, with no one living having actually seen it before.
However, Dai Yuan was actually able to call out its name, something that truly surprised Yang Kai.
“Red Candle Fruit?” Dong Xuan’er and Dai Yuan had an extremely close relationship, so she didn’t hesitate to ask, “What is that?”
“An Origin King Grade High-Rank spirit fruit!” Dai Yuan clenched her fists and slowly annunciated.
Besides Yang Kai, who was aware of this already, everyone wore a shocked expression.
Shadowed Star had some spirit grasses and spirit medicines that reached the Origin King Grade, but they were extremely rare, only one or two appearing every few decades. Ninety-nine percent of these Origin King Grade herbs which appeared though were Low-Rank, with Mid-Rank being almost unheard of.
But now, in the third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, an authentic Origin King Grade High-Rank spirit fruit had appeared.
“What use does it have?” Although Dong Xuan’er’s had strong self-control, she couldn’t stop her voice from slightly trembling.
The words Origin King Grade High-Rank had struck her heart like a heavy sledgehammer.
“It has many uses. While it is in the final stages of maturing, all cultivators who inhale its scent are able to integrate the mysterious laws it contains to promote their own cultivation. Of course, this is not the main thing… It’s said that any cultivator who consumes it will have a chance to break through to the Origin King Realm!”
“What!?” Wei Gu Chang couldn’t remain calm upon hearing this.
An Origin King Realm master had never appeared on Shadowed Star. If at this time, one of the great forces was able to obtain this Red Candle Fruit and allow an Origin King to rise from their Sect, wouldn’t they be able to rule the entire star?
As the first Core Disciple of his sect, how could Wei Gu Chang not understand what this implied?
If it was something else, after all the losses Shadow Moon Hall had suffered this time, Wei Gu Chang would try to avoid wading into the muddy waters. He originally planned to have his two Junior Brothers and Junior Sister return to the second layer while he and Dong Xuan’er walked around the third layer to see if they could find any opportunities, but if the Red Candle Fruit really had such profound effects, even if he might die, he had to take action!
Moreover, he had to win!
Once such a treasure fell into the hands of others, especially an enemy, it would be a disaster for Shadow Moon Hall. Wei Gu Chang couldn’t just sit back and watch this happen.
“Senior Brother…” Dong Xuan’er bit her red lips, her beautiful eyes staring at Wei Gu Chang with anxiety.
The latter’s expression was cloudy and uncertain, but soon became firm. Turning to his Junior Brothers and Junior Sister he declared, “You three return to the second layer, don’t involve yourselves in this Red Candle Fruit affair. This will definitely be incredibly chaotic!”
“What about you, Senior Brother Wei?” The tall woman asked.
“I’ll take a look together with Xuan’er.” Wei Gu Chang then glanced over at Dai Yuan, the latter chuckling in response, “This is a rare event, naturally I want to take a look. Besides, there are still a few days before it reaches full maturity, it will be an opportunity to fuse some of the profound insights present in its fragrance with our cultivation.”
Wei Gu Chang seemed to have known that she would say so and simply nodded his head before finally turning to Yang Kai and asking, “What are Brother Yang’s plans?”
“I’ll check it out too.” Yang Kai said lightly.
“Good, let’s go!” Wei Gu Chang no longer hesitated. After spending a day restoring himself, he had almost completely recovered. If he continued to restore himself along the way, by the time they reached their destination, he should be able to return to his peak state, then he wouldn’t have to fear fighting others.
Together, the group of four hurried towards the sight of the Red Candle Fruit.
On the way, Yang Kai gave Dai Yuan a thoughtful look, and said with a smile, “Is Ms. Dai Yuan familiar with spirit herbs?”
If she wasn’t perennially immersed in the study of herbs and Alchemy, it would be impossible for her to recognize the Red Candle Fruit so quickly. Moreover, from what Yang Kai could observe about Dai Yuan, it was clear she had studied all kinds of rare and precious herbs.
After hearing Yang Kai’s question, Wei Gu Chang laughed happily, “I’m afraid Brother Yang doesn’t know, along with outstanding strength, Junior Sister Dai Yuan is also a Saint King Grade Alchemist.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai was genuinely surprised this time. He hadn’t realized that Dai Yuan, who he had just randomly met and travelled together with, was actually an Alchemist as well. Of course, he was an Origin Grade Alchemist with the other party was just a Saint King Grade Alchemist, so the difference between them was still quite big.
Dai Yuan said humbly, “I’m just a Saint King Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, nothing too impressive. My aptitude in Alchemy is also not very high. Junior Brother Yang, are there many Origin Grade Alchemists and even Origin King Grade Alchemist in the outside world?”
Yang Kai chuckled, knowing that she should have asked Dong Xuan’er about his details. Not caring about such minor matters, he slowly shook his head, “There are indeed a lot of Origin Grade Alchemists, but Origin King Grade Alchemists… they’re quite rare. I haven’t seen one at least.”
“So Origin King Grade Alchemists are a rare existence outside as well,” Dai Yuan said with surprise.
“Naturally, there aren’t many Origin King Grade masters outside either.”
Hearing this, Dai Yuan opened her mouth, as if she wanted to ask something, but she suddenly hesitated, causing Yang Kai to frown. However, since the other party didn’t ask, he wasn’t going to meddle. It wouldn’t be worth it to get tangled up in some tedious matter by being nosy.
A few hundred kilometres was a distance these four could normally cross in short order, but inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, such a distance actually took some time to traverse.
But the further forward they went, the richer the fruit fragrance became. On top of that, the red sun had also risen quite a lot, and now seemed to have climbed to a several hundred-metre height.
“We should pick up our pace. When the Red Candle Fruit matures, there will be a Three Suns Grand Risings Phenomenon. After the appearance of Three Suns Grand Risings, it will reach full maturity. The time before this happens is extremely precious, the sooner we arrive, the more benefits we can obtain,” Dai Yuan urged softly.
Hearing what Dai Yuan said, the other three couldn’t help speeding up.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er asked about the Three Suns’ Grand Rising Phenomenon while Yang Kai also pretended to be interested and listen carefully.
After Dai Yuan spoke about it for a while, Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er had a fair understanding of what the Three Suns Grand Risings was, but Yang Kai wore a strange expression.
He found that although Dai Yuan recognized the Red Candle Fruit and knew about the Three Suns Grand Risings Phenomenon, she didn’t seem to know everything…
Yang Kai couldn’t be sure that this gap in knowledge was the same for everyone, but what he was certain of was that it wasn’t just Dai Yuan and him who recognized the Red Candle Fruit. All the most elite disciples on Shadowed Star were currently gathered in the third layer, so there must be others who recognized it.
After two full hours, the group of four arrived at their destination, a small mountain valley probably less than a thousand meters in width. Down inside the mountain valley, there was the familiar dark red cracked landscape filled with gullies and ravines, but surprisingly, if one looked carefully, they would find some dried up trees as well. These trees were blood red in colour and didn’t have any trace of vitality, but they were clearly not dead. There was some kind of strange power lingering about that allowed them to survive in this extremely harsh environment.
This mountain valley was surrounded by more than twenty large and larger mountain peaks.
When Yang Kai and his group of four arrived, about half of these mountain peaks were already occupied. Groups from different Sects had taken control of these spots and seemingly settled in.
Most of the cultivators’ eyes were scanning the dead trees in the mountain valley, revealing a look of greed, but what was strange was that there was no one actually inside the mountain valley, as if they had all come to some kind of agreement to restrain themselves.
When Yang Kai and his group arrived, countless eyes swept towards their side, many people openly displaying vigilance and disgust. After all, a Heaven defying spirit fruit was about to mature, the fewer people here the better.
However, everyone knew that such an idea was unrealistic. Before the Red Candle Fruit matured, that rising red sun spectacle had already spread across the entire third layer, so it was likely that everyone was either already here or on their way. Even though they were unwilling to accept more competitors, they had no choice but to shoot Yang Kai and his group a glare before turning their eyes away.
Yang Kai also swept his eyes over the crowd and couldn’t help becoming vigilant as well.
The scene this time was indeed magnificent. Although not many people had come, each one was an elite from a great Sect.
Yang Kai saw people from Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, Coloured Glass Sect, and many others he couldn’t identify. In total, there were at least seventy or eighty present.
The four of them had come relatively late it seemed, but there were certainly more on their way, so presumably things would only become more chaotic.
Yang Kai also saw the stern-faced cultivator that had previously occupied the centre of the Soul Cleansing Divine Water pool. This guy had occupied an entire small hill by himself and was standing there as straight as a sword, his arms folded, his expression as indifferent as ever. No one dared to go up and find trouble with him.
Anyone who could arrive here could more or less guess the identity of this man so none of them would even think about trying to annoy him even if they were upset with his attitude and behaviour.
On Coloured Glass Sect’s side, Yin Su Die’s expression became strange after she caught sight of Dai Yuan, as if she didn’t expect that this Senior Sister of hers would appear here with others, but after recognizing Dong Xuan’er, her face relaxed and she immediately turned her attention away, showing no intention to go greet Dai Yuan.
After a quick glance, Wei Gu Chang pointed to one of the unoccupied hills and said, “Let’s take that one.”
A moment later, the four stood atop the mountain, and, like everyone else, set their sights on the mountain valley down below.
“Where’s the Red Candle Fruit?” Wei Gu Chang swept his eyes around but found no trace of any kind of spirit fruit. As far as he could see, all there was in the mountain valley were half-dead trees so he couldn’t help asking.
“The Red Candle Fruit won’t appear before it fully matures,” Dai Yuan slowly shook her head, “But there’s no doubt it is somewhere inside this mountain valley. When it matures, it will naturally surface.”
“I see!” Wei Gu Chang gently nodded.
“Oh, Senior Brother Li You Nan from Medicine Pill Sect is coming, I wonder what he wants to say,” Dong Xuan’er exclaimed lightly as her eyes landed on a middle-aged scholarly dressed man who seemed to have a gentle atmosphere about him. This man was currently approaching their group and was even smiling and waving to them before he arrived.
Yang Kai had also heard of Medicine Pill Sect.
No matter the place, there were always Sects or forces that specialized in Alchemy. Medicine King’s Valley in the Great Han Dynasty and the Alchemist Guild in Tong Xuan Realm were examples of such Sects. As for Shadowed Star, Medicine Pill Sect was the representative Alchemy Sect.
This kind of existence was one that most people wouldn’t dare to offend because they would inevitably have to seek their services at some point.
Inside Medicine Pill Sect, there were five Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemists, the largest number by far of any force on Shadowed Star. Each of these five was a Grandmaster whose name was widely known on Shadowed Star and anywhere they went they would be treated as honoured guests.
And since this guy named Li You Nan could penetrate into the third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, he must also be an elite from Medicine Pill Sect. It seems that he, Wei Gu Chang, and Dong Xuan’er knew each other, but whether they shared any real friendship was something Yang Kai couldn’t tell yet.
Soon, this middle-aged scholarly man named Li You Nan arrived at the mountain where the group of four were gathered and cupped his fists to Wei Gu Chang before saying, “Brother Wei, you’ve also come.”
Wei Gu Chang returned the courtesy and laughed, “For this kind of matter, naturally I must come join the fun.”
Nearby, Dong Xuan’er and Dai Yuan both greeted Li You Nan, with Li You Nan responding in kind, seemingly behaving very politely. He then asked about Yang Kai’s name and origin but Wei Gu Chang simply interjected and said he had invited him.
Although Li You Nan felt it was somewhat strange that Yang Kai, a First-Order Saint King, could arrive here, since he was brought here by Wei Gu Chang, he didn’t ask much.
“Brother Li, did you perhaps come to find this Wei for something?” Wei Gu Chang narrowed his eyes and got straight to the point.
Li You Nan smiled slightly before answering this question with one of his own, “Brother Wei, since you came here after seeing that vision, do you perhaps know what is here?”
“I heard it was the Red Candle Fruit,” Wei Gu Chang replied.
Li You Nan frowned with surprise, but after glancing over at Dai Yuan, he understood and patted his forehead lightly, “It seems this Li has asked a foolish question. Since Ms. Dai Yuan is here, Brother Wei surely would know. In this world, I’m afraid that there is no rare herb that Ms. Dai Yuan does not know of.”
“Senior Brother Li is too polite, Dai Yuan is only slightly versed in this subject,” Dai Yuan said lightly.
“Haha, Ms. Dai Yuan does not need to act so humble, there are truly few people who can recognize the Red Candle Fruit. Brother Qu from Heaven Battling Union, Brother Fang from Thunder Typhoon Sect, and Sister Yin from Coloured Glass Sect only learned of it after this one explained it to them. If not for this, how could everyone have restrained themselves so? I’m afraid that everyone would already be digging up the mountain valley if not for this Li providing some small insight.”
Hearing this, Wei Gu Chang suddenly understood why everyone was simply standing around the mountain valley waiting, it seems Li You Nan had gone around informing them what was happening.
Obviously he had not done this out of goodwill. With such a precious treasure in front of him, there was no way Li You Nan didn’t want to keep it for himself.
Him informing others was simply because he didn’t want to allow these people to act rashly and interfere with the maturing of the Red Candle Fruit. If someone ignorant of the truth interfered with the Red Candle Fruit and caused it to fail to mature, it would be a great loss to the entire world.
So even though he was reluctant to do so, Li You Nan had worked hard to inform each group of cultivators that arrived about the situation.
“Brother Li’s spirit of generosity is truly deep, working so hard for the benefit of the world. This Wei is truly impressed!” Wei Gu Chang wore a sincere look and cupped his fists once more.
Receiving such great praise, Li You Nan continually tried to downplay his actions before quickly shifting the subject to his true objective, “I wonder if Brother Wei is interested in joining forces with my Medicine Pill Sect?”
“Joining forces?” Wei Gu Chang’s eyes narrowed slightly as a meaningful grin appeared on his face, “Brother Li, although this Wei is not proficient in the study of spirit herbs, I am aware that there should only be a single Red Candle Fruit here, so how do you propose we work together? If we manage to obtain the Red Candle Fruit, how should it be distributed?”
“Please allow this one to finish explaining before making a decision, Brother Wei,” Li You Nan seemed to know that he would react this way so he didn’t show any signs of anxiety, remaining calm and relaxed.
“Please do tell, Brother Li, I am listening intently,” Although Wei Gu Chang knew what the Li You Nan was up to, he couldn’t simply reject him; after all, offending Medicine Pill Sect was never a good idea.
“My meaning is simple. I wish to take the Red Candle Fruit first. Although there is only one spirit fruit, if it is used in Alchemy, it should be able to produce more than one pill,” Li You Nan glanced over at Wei Gu Chang, but not seeing any great response, he continued to explain, “As far as I know, your Shadow Moon Hall only has a single Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemist and that Alchemist only broke through recently and their success rate of refining Origin Grade pills isn’t very high. If Brother Wei obtained the Red Candle Fruit, the only option would be to have one of your Sect’s Elders take it directly, wasting a lot of its medicinal efficacies.”
Pausing for a moment, a proud look appeared on Li You Nan’s face as he declared, “This situation is not only the case for your Shadow Moon Hall, but for all the other great Sects, but my Medicine Pill Sect is different. My Medicine Pill Sect has five Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemists, and although the grade of this Red Candle Fruit is very high, if my Medicine Pill Sect’s Elders all collaborate, refining more than a dozen pills is quite possible.”
Wei Gu Chang finally had a full picture of what the other party wanted to say, narrowing his eyes further as he asked Li You Nan, “What Brother Li means is that if we help your Medicine Pill Sect obtain the Red Candle Fruit, after it is refined into pills, my Shadow Moon Hall will be able to obtain a portion?”
“Good, that is precisely this Li’s meaning!” Li You Nan nodded repeatedly, “I have made this offer not only to Brother Wei, but also to Brother Qu from Heaven Battling Union, Brother Fang of Thunder Typhoon Sect, Sister Yin from Coloured Glass Sect, Brother Qu from Twin Heart Valley, and Brother Tang from Floating Mist Palace.”
“And their response?” Wei Gu Chang raised his eyebrows.
“Haha, although they’ve yet to express an opinion yet, this Li believes he can convince them,” Li You Nan spoke with confidence.
Everyone knew that Li You Nan was talking nonsense. If he really was confident in persuading all these great forces to give up on the Red Candle Fruit and allow Medicine Pill Sect to take sole possession of this Heaven defying treasure, that would truly be strange.
Only the things that were held in one’s own hands really belong to them. Li You Nan’s remarks held no sincerity or weight at all so obviously they couldn’t be believed.
What’s more, how could such an important matter be decided upon by mere Juniors? When Li You Nan brought the Red Candle Fruit back, his Elders would clearly choose death first before recognizing this agreement. Even if all the other Sects at that point jointly destroy Medicine Pill Sect, the Red Candle Fruit would surely already be gone.
Wei Gu Chang understood all this perfectly well and knew that once he agreed he would become the sole target of everyone’s anger, this was precisely why Qu Chang Feng, Fang Tian Zhong, Yin Su Die and Qu Ming Hai, and Tang Yong had not rashly agreed to such an unreasonable proposal.
However, Wei Gu Chang was also not stupid enough to openly offend Medicine Pill Sect, so after pretending to think seriously on the matter for a moment, he nodded slightly and asked, “If Brother Qu, Brother Fang, and everyone else all agrees, then my Shadow Moon Hall will naturally collaborate, but Brother Li… heh, have you spoken to that guy yet?”
Saying so, he quietly motioned towards a nearby mountain.
Li You Nan’s face twitched slightly. Of course, he knew who it was Wei Gu Chang was referring to and smiled shamelessly, “This Li wanted to communicate with everyone else before discussing things carefully with him.”
Wei Gu Chang smiled lightly and shook his head, “This matter cannot be treated so simply. If it were just the few of us here, it would be fine to join forces, but with such a huge variable present, this Wei thinks it best for Brother Li to obtain his agreement first. After achieving that, it won’t be too late to discuss things with everyone else.”
Li You Nan adjusted his expression before cupping his fists and nodding, “What Brother Wei says also makes sense, this Li will take your advice into consideration.”
Saying so, he turned around and returned back to Medicine Pill Sect’s occupied mountain.
After he left, Wei Gu Chang snorted coldly and muttered, “Does he really think I’m an idiot?”
Dai Yuan chuckled to the side and said, “The people from Medicine Pill Sect aren’t ignorant, Senior Brother doesn’t need to pay it any mind. This time, not complying with Li You Nan was the right choice, if you had complied with his request, that would have brought you great trouble.”
“I know that,” Wei Gu Chang nodded seriously, “Enough about that though, this kind of spirit fruit maturing at this time, I don’t know if it is an opportunity or calamity.”
Saying so, he swept his eyes around the surrounding mountains, secretly wondering how many of these people would die in the subsequent fight for the mature Red Candle Fruit.
“Let’s think about that for now. For now, we should cultivate, just breathing the air here feels like it is benefiting me. In any case, there is still some time before the Three Suns Grand Risings Phenomenon Big Sister Dai Yuan told us about finishes, we might as well take advantage of this calm while we can,” Dong Xuan’er proposed.
The other three nodded in agreement before finding spots on the small mountain to sit down cross-legged and immerse themselves in the wondrous fragrance filling the air.
Yang Kai quickly realized that this Red Candle Fruit really was a Heaven defying treasure. It was just as the ancient records described, a few days before it matured, it would exude a rich fruity aroma that could relax one’s mind and body while also promoting a cultivator’s mastery over their power and the comprehension of their realm.
Currently, one a single red sun had risen, yet there was already such a wondrous effect. Once all three red suns finished rising, the effects would surely become several times more potent.
Because he was together with Wei Gu Chang and the others, Yang Kai wasn’t worried about being attacked here, so he only left a small portion of his awareness to monitor surroundings while immersing the rest of his consciousness in this wonderful feeling.
Yang Kai was an Alchemist himself, and Alchemy required a very high degree of control over one’s Saint Qi, so he already had a better starting point than most cultivators present. Now, under the stimulation of the Red Candle Fruit’s fragrance, all kinds of subtle yet novel ideas came to him about how to further enhance his Saint Qi control, something Yang Kai greatly enjoyed. It was as if he had entered a new world, one in which he could perform the most perfect communication with the power in his body and manipulate it with a never before.
While Yang Kai sank into a meditative state to explore this new method of Saint Qi’s control, the other three, Wei Gu Chang, Dong Xuan’er, and Dai Yuan, also fell into different states of enlightenment.
After experiencing the initial wait-and-see period, the cultivators atop the various big and small hills also began sitting down and inhaling the aroma of the Red Candle Fruit, no longer wasting time.
Half a day after Yang Kai’s group arrived, a tense but peaceful situation had developed, with everyone focusing on absorbing the benefits of the Red Candle Fruit’s fragrance.
More people arrived over time, but although most of them were confused when they saw everyone else sitting in meditation, none of them acted rashly and instead quickly found a spot to sit down as well. After inhaling the rich fragrance, the surprise on their faces quickly gave way to a kind of tranquility.
At some point, a young-looking cultivator wearing azure robes arrived here alone. This man was the man who tried to go deeper into the third layer, but having arrived a little late, he found that all the peaks near the mountain valley had been occupied. Glancing around coldly, he secretly considered whether he should try to snatch a spot but he soon dismissed this idea.
He had only taken over this body a short while ago and had yet to even see the blue sky again, he didn’t want to draw too much attention for the time being.
However, when his eyes landed on Yang Kai, who was sitting cross-legged nearby, his eyes suddenly flashed with a look of pleasant surprise. He hadn’t expected to see Yang Kai in this place.
But soon, his expression became cold and gloomy.
He was certain that it was this First-Order Saint King that had taken away his most precious treasure, but even after getting this close, he wasn’t able to feel any of its aura from this boy.
Did he actually manage to absorb it? But that should be impossible. The kind of power hidden inside that thing was something he knew better than anyone. Let alone a cultivator of First-Order Saint King strength, even an Origin King would not be able to refine it within a day or two; moreover, there was a good chance of suffering a massive backlash for even trying.
Such a strange reality was staring him right in the face. This young First-Order Saint King had obtained his treasure, left the stalactite cave, and in less than an hour later, its aura had disappeared without a trace, and no matter how he urged his tracking method, he was unable to find any clues about its location.
But, if he really were to have fused with it, it would be impossible for this boy to still be alive.
This incomprehensible situation frustrated this young-looking man greatly. He simply couldn’t have imagined that it wasn’t Yang Kai himself who had merged with that thing but the Soul Warming Lotus that had swallowed it to evolve from six colours to seven colours.
As he was immersed in his confusion, the young First-Order Saint King suddenly opened his eyes and locked his gaze precisely on him across the distance. After the briefest of glances, this man set aside his eyes casually before searching for a not too far away spot and sitting down in meditation like everyone else.
Atop a nearby mountain, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as a disgruntled look appeared on his face.
He had been deeply immersed in that strange sensibility when suddenly he felt someone’s gaze upon him as well as a hint of hostility and murderous intent. He thought that it was Qu Chang Feng, but after seeing the man’s face, he couldn’t help feeling stunned.
The source of this hostility wasn’t Qu Chang Feng, but it was someone Yang Kai had seen before, a man who had entered the Soul Cleansing Divine Water pool back in the stalactite cave.
Having his meditation interrupted, Yang Kai was naturally a little unhappy.
This man’s strength wasn’t bad, a peak Third-Order Saint King, and Yang Kai vaguely remembered that he came from a Sect called Flowing Cloud Valley.
However, there was an old man and another younger man with him at that time. But now, he appeared to be all alone. It was impossible to tell what had happened to the other two from Flowing Cloud Valley.
Why would this person have hostile and murderous intent towards him though? Yang Kai didn’t remember doing anything to provoke the other party nor had he exposed any of his secrets in front of him. Being stared at for no apparent reason made Yang Kai somewhat annoyed.
“Did Junior Brother Yang discover something?” Dai Yuan seemed to perceive that Yang Kai’s aura had changed and opened her eyes. Seeing his thoughtful expression, she couldn’t help herself from asking.
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head before looking over in a certain direction and asking, “Do you recognize that man?”
Dai Yuan followed his gaze and immediately explained his identity, “He’s a Core Disciple from Flowing Cloud Valley named Lu Ye. Why? Does Brother Yang have some kind of grievance with him?”
[Lu Ye!] Yang Kai silently remembered the name before shaking his head, “No, I only encountered him briefly some time ago, but for some reason, he seems to be hostile towards me. It’s really quite strange.”Dai Yuan’s eyes flashed, also feeling the situation was strange, “This Lu Ye isn’t the type to go around provoking others. Although I have no deep friendship with him, I have spoken a few words with him. His reputation in Flowing Cloud Valley is also quite good, why would he be hostile to you?”
“That’s what I want to know too,” Yang Kai grinned.
Perhaps Dai Yuan misunderstood something, thinking that there really was some kind of grudge between Yang Kai and Lu Ye, frowned, and reminded softly, “Lu Ye is the son of Lu Xiang Dong, the Sect Master of Flow Cloud Valley. Although Flowing Cloud Valley isn’t a top force, it’s strength isn’t bad. If it’s just some minor matter, I can help you to say a few words to Lu Ye, with his temperament, it shouldn’t be difficult to resolve the situation.”
“No need,” Yang Kai shook his head. Without mentioning he really didn’t have any grudge with this Lu Ye, even if he did, he had no need for others to resolve it. If the other party didn’t find trouble with him, Yang Kai wouldn’t find trouble with them, but if he did, Yang Kai didn’t mind solving the issue by cutting weeds and pulling out roots.
Seeing Yang Kai refuse her proposal, Dai Yuan naturally didn’t say anything more and was about to continue her meditation when Yang Kai suddenly gestured with his eyes again and asked, “What about that person?”
Dai Yuan followed his gaze again and saw the lone stern-faced man occupying a nearby small mountain. When she saw this man, Dai Yuan couldn’t help shuddering slightly and immediately retracted her gaze, whispering in a tone filled with the meaning of warning, “Junior Brother Yang shouldn’t inquire about this person too much, I only know that he’s probably from Star Emperor Sect; however, as for his name or details, I have no idea.”
Sure enough, he came from Star Emperor Sect! Since seeing Qu Chang Feng treating this person so carefully back in the stalactite cave, Yang Kai had some suspicions. Only a disciple from Star Emperor Sect could let the arrogant Qu Chang Feng act so humbly. Even after suffering such a great loss, Qu Chang Feng had choked down his anger and dropped the matter, not daring to retaliate.
Dai Yuan seemed to be afraid that Yang Kai didn’t comprehend how powerful Star Emperor Sect was so she continued with a serious tone, “On Shadowed Star, it is publicly known that the three most powerful forces are Star Emperor Sect, Heaven Battling Union, and Thunder Typhoon Sect, but in fact, every great force knows that the difference between Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect and Star Emperor Sect is enormous. It is said that Star Emperor Mountain has over a hundred Peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters. This is a terrifying number incomparable to Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect. It’s also said that the Star Emperor Sect has several powerful Origin King Grade artefacts.”
“Are they really so powerful?” Yang Kai was genuinely startled. A Sect that had over a hundred Peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters was something truly astonishing.
“En. Their total number of cultivators though is relatively low as they never openly recruit disciples, which is why despite their shocking reputation they aren’t all that famous.”
“Then how do they ensure their legacy continued to be passed down?” Yang Kai frowned.
“I’m not completely clear about that, but throughout Shadowed Star’s history, there are rumours about some people who possess great fortune and destiny who are met by masters from Star Emperor Mountain and were taken back to be cultivated; however, the number of such cases is quite small,” Dai Yuan explained, smiling slightly as she continued, “Star Emperor Sect’s people rarely leave Star Emperor Mountain, so although they have many masters, as long as one doesn’t try to provoke them, they won’t use their strength to bully others, but if someone does provoke them…”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he noticed that Dai Yuan’s tender body was shivering slightly.
In his heart, he was stunned, thinking that if someone who really didn’t fear the Heavens provoked such a terrifying existence, their fate must have been extremely miserable.
Dai Yuan lowered her voice even further as she whispered, “In general, every few decades, Star Emperor Sect will have one or two of its young generation’s disciples go out for life experience. These disciples tend to remain very low key and never reveal their status, so there are times when no one even knows their identity until they return to Star Emperor Mountain. However, I have seen in one of Coloured Glass Sect’s ancient records that about two thousand years ago, there was another Sect on Shadowed Star that rivalled Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect in fame and strength called the Ancient Yang Sect. At that time, a young disciple that had come out from Star Emperor Mountain to wander the world accidentally obtained a rare and precious treasure. Some people from the Ancient Yang Sect learned about this and laid an ambush for him, killed him, and stole that treasure. One month later… the Ancient Yang Sect was exterminated and razed to the ground in a single night!”
Yang Kai paled.
There was no need to even think about it to know that the Ancient Yang Sect was destroyed by Star Emperor Sect. Being able to wipe out an existence equal in strength to Heaven Battling Union or Thunder Typhoon Sect overnight fully explained how much power the Star Emperor Sect commanded.
Dai Yuan smiled lightly as she brushed her hair back and said, “But this is something that happened more than two thousand years ago, no one knows whether it is true or false. The Elders from the Sect also consider this matter a taboo and never mention it and forbid anyone from asking about it. However, there is a place on Shadowed Star called Grand Hidden Valley where not even grass grows for a thousand-kilometre radius. It is a barren wasteland filled with thick Yin Qi. Supposedly though, it was the original location of the Ancient Yang Sect. Many cultivators enter Grand Hidden Valley in search of opportunities as there are rumours about the Ancient Yang Sect having hidden stores containing all their rare and precious treasures along with astonishing wealth, but so far no one has been able to find such riches. Instead, many people have died trying.”
“Have you been?” Yang Kai asked Dai Yuan with a smile. Although she used words like ‘rumour’ and ‘hearsay’, Yang Kai could hear from her tone that she was certain these rumours were true, so it was quite likely she had been to see this Grand Hidden Valley for herself.
“Naturally I have been there,” Dai Yuan nodded gently. “But I didn’t have any gains. Instead, I was invaded by a strange chill and only after returning to Coloured Glass Sect and taking up some time could I purge the Yin Qi from my body. If Junior Brother Yang is interested, you should see it for yourself, just be careful if you do.”
“Good, if there is a chance,” Yang Kai nodded carelessly, but he wasn’t truly planning on going. Even if there were any hidden stores in the Ancient Yang Sect, after two thousand years, he didn’t believe they hadn’t been found. Running over now to search for treasure would be like trying to draw water with a bamboo basket, Yang Kai wasn’t willing to waste time and energy on such a pointless pursuit.
“Hehe,” Dai Yuan also saw that Yang Kai was just being perfunctory and didn’t bother continuing to talk about this topic, instead saying, “Those who come out from Star Emperor Sect are generally not noticed, but this time things are different thanks to the Flowing Flame Sand Field having opened. Before coming here, my Master told me to be careful about cultivators who are all alone and have unfamiliar faces, because they might just be disciples from Star Emperor Sect. To be honest, when I first met Junior Brother Yang, I thought you were from Star Emperor Sect…”
Yang Kai was stunned, not having expected that she would have such a misunderstanding. However, it was quite reasonable. Yang Kai wasn’t from Shadowed Star so naturally not many knew his face, and since he was able to reach the third layer with just a First-Order Saint King cultivation, he definitely possessed some powerful methods, so Dai Yuan having such a misunderstanding was all but inevitable.
Considering this, Yang Kai suddenly realized that at that time, Meng Hong Liang from Imperial City Sect and Huang Xi from Extreme Path Sect seemed had probably misunderstood his identity after he showed off some of his means. They obviously suspected that he was from Star Emperor Mountain, which caused Meng Hong Liang to become cautious about acting lest innocents be hurt.
Dai Yuan also had a similar misunderstanding, but after learning that Yang Kai and Wei Gu Chang had ties, she immediately denied this conjecture, because Star Emperor Sect’s people would never try to associate with others.
After arriving here, when she saw this stern-faced man, she instantly knew that he was the real disciple from Star Emperor Sect.
After talking for a while, with nothing else to discuss, both closed their eyes and continued to meditate.
The glowing red sun continued rising higher and higher until it seemingly reached the top of the sky.
The fruit scent in the air became more and more intense over time and the perceptions and insights which could be obtained from inhaling it also became more and more profound, causing each of the cultivators here to be delighted.
Suddenly, the earth seemed to shake, and a shocking energy fluctuation appeared.
Such a change naturally caused all the cultivators present to pale, wake from their deep meditation, and stare towards the mountain valley in shock.
A layer of red mist suddenly began filling the mountain valley, one that seemed to contain a terrifying power.
The appearance of this red mist was completely unexpected as there were no signs of it a moment ago, but when the cultivators looked, it had already welled up and within the blink of an eye had filled the entire mountain valley.
Immediately, an astonishing wave of heat burst forth, creating a hot wind which swept across every corner of the Flowing Flame Sand Field’s third layer.
This kind of scene had been experienced by everyone already, so witnessing it again at this moment, their anxiety quickly faded as they knew that although this wave of heat looked terrifying, it didn’t bring any harm with it.
Sure enough, when the hot wind swept across everyone’s bodies and spread farther away, no one was injured.
In the very centre of the mountain valley, another red sun was born, and it slowly began rising up into the sky!
This red sun didn’t appear very big, only about as large as a plate, but despite being able to see it with their eyes, none of the cultivators present could probe it with their Divine Sense. On top of that, if they stared at it for too long, they would begin to feel dizzy.
A more intense fruity fragrance burst forth, causing the hearts in each cultivator’s chest to pound.
The second red sun had appeared.
This also meant that the Red Candle Fruit was one step closer to true maturity. The disciples from the great forces present who had learned the truth from Medicine Pill Sect’s Li You Nan suddenly grew restless and the atmosphere became filled with tension and hostility. Around the mountain valley, everyone was looking at everyone else as if they were irreconcilable enemies they couldn’t wait to rush over and kill.
The cultivators from Sects who still didn’t know the truth about the mature Red Candle Fruit’s miraculous effects were still affected by this atmosphere. Unwilling to let go of any clues, while carefully watching other people’s movements, they sent some people to forces they were friendly with to inquire about the situation.
Soon, all kinds of secrets about the Red Candle Fruit spread out, causing every cultivator present to understand what was happening and allowing the tense atmosphere to once again calm down.
Since there would be a Three Suns Grand Risings Phenomenon, and only two red suns had appeared so far, there was no need to act hastily; let alone, before it truly matured, the Red Candle Fruit wouldn’t appear before their eyes, so even if someone wanted to try to steal it, they wouldn’t be able to.
After the appearance of the second red sun, there was only a brief moment of commotion around the mountain valley before everyone fell silent again and continued to absorb the fruity aroma, realize its mysteries, and enhance their own cultivation.
Yang Kai also immersed himself in this scent, feeling like his comprehension of Saint Qi control had risen to another level and some vague concepts and ideas began filling his head. But although he had caught a glimpse of something, he was still unable to understand it completely.
This situation was like he was itchy all over but unable to scratch himself, causing Yang Kai to become somewhat restless as he focused even more of his attention on this vague concept, wanting to take advantage of this opportunity before the Red Candle Fruit fully matured. If he could comprehend these new insights, Yang Kai didn’t doubt his combat power would increase significantly.
Time passed by slowly, but just as everyone was immersed in their own meditation, an angry roar suddenly rang out, “Bastard, you dare try to secretly arrange a Spirit Array?!”
This roar awakened a lot of cultivators who were meditating and comprehending, all of them looking over towards the origin of this shout, their eyes landing on a man from Heaven Battling Union waving a huge fan angrily. This fan gave off a potent energy fluctuation and at first glance, which was obviously a high-grade artefact.
The Heaven Battling Union cultivator waved the fan in his hand as he snarled angrily, summoning a dragon phantom condensed of wind from it that rushed out with a loud dragon roar and crashed towards a mountaintop a few hundred meters away where a flustered cultivator stood.
Who this cultivator was or what force he came from wasn’t important at the moment, what was important was that he was doing something sneakily just now. He had thought that with everyone immersed in their own meditation, it would be a good opportunity to secretly arrange a Spirit Array, allowing his group to gain an advantage in the struggle which would surely erupt when the Red Candle Fruit fully matured.
How could he have known that although everyone truly was immersed in their own comprehension, there was still someone close by who were vigilantly observing the surrounding area? This man had just started to arrange his Spirit Array but was immediately noticed by a cultivator from Heaven Battling Union.
The load roar awakened all of the nearby cultivators and in the front of everyone’s eyes, before the cultivator who tried to secretly set up a Spirit Array could justify himself, the huge wind dragon, composed of sharp wind blades, opened its great maw and descended upon him.
This cultivator wasn’t a pushover though, no one who reached the third layer was, so he swiftly raised his hand and condensed a red light which he pushed towards the approaching dragon’s mouth; however his face was still filled with horror and panic.
With a bang, the strange red light exploded directly inside the belly of the wind dragon, erupting with unimaginable power. A red glow splashed around, causing the wind dragon to collapse.
“You dare fight back!?” Heaven Battling Union’s Qu Chang Feng shouted as he rose to his feet, grinned, and grasped towards the man in the distance.
An invisible force suddenly bound this cultivator, making him unable to move a muscle.
The Heaven Battling Union cultivator that originally sent out the wind dragon saw this and grinned meaningfully, waving the big fan in his hand again, sending out another wind dragon, this time successfully swallowing the man who tried to set up the Spirit Array .
A scream came out, and although this man was also a Third Order Saint King, facing both Qu Chang Feng and another elite Heaven Battling Union disciple, he was unable to resist. After struggling for a moment, the countless wind blades in the dragon’s body cut this man to pieces.
A bloody smell rose as chunks of flesh and blood splattered everywhere.
Immediately after Qu Chang Feng and his fellow Sect Brother killed this man, they set their sights on a nearby mountain with cold and gloomy eyes.
Atop this mountain were three Saint Kings with extremely ugly faces. The one who seemed to be the leader of this group stepped forward and shouted, “Qu Chang Feng, what are you doing? Even if my Flame Shield Union disciple acted a bit out of turn, it wasn’t your place to kill him. Could it be you want to stir up a dispute between Heaven Battling Union and Flame Shield Union?”
“Haha, stir up a dispute?” Qu Chang Feng sneered dismissively, “Don’t try to intimidate this Young Master with such bold words, you’re not worthy. Instead, why don’t you ask everyone else here if your Junior Brother sneakily trying to arrange a Spirit Array here is acceptable or not!”
Hearing this, the leader of Flame Shield Union’s group swept his eyes around and quickly discovered that every cultivator present was glaring at him angrily, causing his heart to sink as he knew he had stirred up public anger.
The Red Candle Fruit was about to mature, yet someone had dared tried to set up a Spirit Array to try to gain an advantage, how could this be tolerated?
So even if Qu Chang Feng had a bad reputation and many here did not think well of him, everyone was siding with him at this moment. To put it more simply though, everyone was simply defending their own interests.
After Qu Chang Feng shouted, many cultivators on the nearby mountain tops began to condense their Saint Qi, a sign they were preparing to attack.
The faces of the three remaining Flame Shield Union disciples changed greatly and they didn’t dare to say anything. They knew that they could no longer remain here and secretly hated that Qu Chang Feng had acted so ruthlessly.
Their companion had only gone to arrange that Spirit Array after discussing it with them and obtaining all of their approval. They all felt that it was a good opportunity to arrange such an array, but after being seen through, they had immediately found themselves in a compromised position.
If they didn’t leave now, they would likely be targeted and killed by everyone present.
Having realized this, the leader of Flame Shield Union’s group nodded, “Good, Qu Chang Feng, I’ll remember you. I will surely collect on the debt of killing my Junior Brother in the future. And all of you people helping this tyrant do evil, just know that such treatment will befall you too sooner or later. Haha, at that time, I hope you put your best into it… Let’s go!”
Saying so, he motioned to his two other companions and they quickly left without even looking back.
Seeing the other party act so decisively, Qu Chang Feng was slightly surprised, but he wasn’t stupid enough to chase after them as right now wasn’t a good time to leave. Him and his Junior Brother being able to instantly kill that man was only because they had caught him off guard, but trying to kill three more without any difficulties wasn’t very realistic.
Even if there was a gap in their strengths, three Third Order Saint Kings weren’t soft persimmon that could be casually pinched.
With a sullen expression, Qu Chang Feng swept his eyes around and proudly declared, “Anyone else who dares try to act in secret, do not expect this Qu to act politely. The treasure we all seek is about to born, so I hope everyone here can abide by the rules and compete fairly for it when the time comes, otherwise they best be prepared to face this Qu’s wrath.”
As soon as these words came out, someone shouted, “Young Master Qu, I just saw that guy secretly try to put something out! See, he’s obviously anxious now!”
“Who!” Qu Chang Feng glared coldly as he demanded an answer from the one who spoke.
“It was the people from Myriad Beast Mountain!” The speaker didn’t show any fear and immediately pointed towards a mountain top with five high strength cultivators.
The expressions of these five people changed dramatically as they all shot a hate filled glare towards the person who had just spoke, but this man was clearly intent on currying favour with Qu Chang Feng and didn’t pay any mind to their silent threat, shouting loudly, “Although I was not able to see what it was he put out, it should be some kind of Monster Beast that is good at concealing itself. Heh, everyone knows Myriad Beast Mountain is good at commanding Monster Beasts.”
“So that’s how it is!” Qu Chang Feng nodded naturally before turning to the five Myriad Beast Mountain disciples and coldly asking, “Do you have anything you’d like to say?”
The brawny man who appeared to be this group’s leader frowned and grumbled for a moment before suddenly bursting out into laughter, “Young Master Qu, verbal statements aren’t guarantees, surely you aren’t going to simply take one man’s word as the truth?”
Obviously, he was completely confident that whatever means he had used couldn’t be seen through by others, otherwise he wouldn’t be acting so boldly. As long as there was no evidence, Qu Chang Feng couldn’t just force drive him off.
With things having reached this point, everyone could see that Heaven Battling Union was only trying to expel people in advance.
They couldn’t just rush out and kill others for no reason in this situation and had to provide at least some kind of excuse. The Flame Shield Union disciple who had been killed just now simply got what he deserved. Who made him run out and try to arrange a Spirit Array under watchful eyes? Even after losing his life, he still implicated the remaining Flame Shield Union disciples, causing them to be driven away.
Now, no one knew if these Myriad Beast Mountain disciples were really up to something or not, but no one was going to speak up to support them either.
In this situation, the fewer people around, the better. Most people here were taking an attitude of uninvolved bystanders, allowing Qu Chang Feng to show off his might however he wished, all while secretly hoping he would find a way to expel more people.
The fewer people who remained here, the easier it would be to obtain the Red Candle Fruit.
Hearing what the brawny man said though, Qu Chang Feng’s brow wrinkled; although he really wanted to drive away this group from Myriad Beast Mountain, without solid evidence, it wouldn’t be good to act rashly.
“Does Young Master Qu think that Heaven Battling Union is so powerful it can not place any other force in its eyes? If so, then this Hai must disagree, my Myriad Beast Mountain won’t be so casually bullied.” As the brawny man said so, his expression suddenly became gloomy as he summoned a number of fist-sized jet black bees from inside his body. As these bees spread their wings, a dull buzzing filled the air. There were more than thirty of these bees, each one displaying a pointed stinger that seemed to shimmer with cold light. These stingers dripped a jet black liquid which was clearly extremely poisonous, causing many who saw it to shiver.
In addition to Hai Xing, the other cultivators from Myriad Beast Mountain also released their own Monster Beasts.
These Monster Beasts were all rare breeds, each one an Eight-Order Monster Beast that had deadly inborn killing strikes. Hovering and crawling about, these Monster Beasts gathered around the five Myriad Beast Mountain disciples, their red eyes staring around menacingly, waiting for their masters to issue an order to attack.
“Bitter Monarch Bee!” After seeing these thirty-plus bees, Qu Chang Feng’s expression changed dramatically, a look of dread spreading across his face as he grit his teeth, “Good good good, no wonder you dare act so boldly, it turns out you’ve brought so many of Myriad Beast Mountain’s famed defenders. It seems Myriad Beast Mountain has invested a lot of capital for this time’s Flowing Flame Sand Field expedition.”
The brawny man named Hai Xing grinned and said, “I’ve shown Young Master Qu something embarrassing. We Myriad Beast Mountain disciples only know how to tame and command Monster Beasts, so how could we enter this Flowing Flame Sand Field without some small life-saving measures? This Hai does not want things to become awkward here. If Young Master Qu does not have conclusive evidence, could you stop embarrassing this Hai? This Hai would appreciate it greatly!”
Although these Bitter Monarch Bees gave Hai Xing some confidence, he did not want to have a complete fall out with Qu Chang Feng here. At this time, he wanted to de-escalate the situation, giving both parties a way to back down. Making big things small, and small things nothing would be for the best.
Qu Chang Feng frowned deeply, wondering whether it was time to back down. With the other side possessing more than thirty Bitter Monarch Bees, if they really came to blows, his side would definitely suffer loses.
But before he could speak, pleasant laughter suddenly filled the air, “If you want evidence, it’s a simple matter, just let me take a look.”
Following the sound of this voice, everyone’s eyes turned to the mountain occupied by Coloured Glass Sect where they saw Yin Su Die stand up, her soul-stirring face flashing an enchanting smile as he delicate white hand summoned out a small grey bead the size of a pigeon egg.
This bead looked dull and ordinary and was obviously not something precious.
But when Qu Chang Feng saw this bead, his eyes lit up and he couldn’t help laughing out loud.
Hai Xing, from Myriad Beast Mountain, called out in alarm, “Form Revealing Bead! Yin Su Die, you insane woman, you actually brought that thing here? Were you specifically targeting my Myriad Beast Mountain?!”
Yin Su Die giggled again, her tender body gently trembling, “Why would Brother Hai say such a thing? Your Myriad Beast Mountain and my Coloured Glass Sect are close neighbors and live in harmony with one another like true brothers and sisters, how could I possibly be targeting you? There are many hidden Spirit Arrays and barriers in this Flowing Flame Sand Field, I simply brought this bead in case I encountered one. Why is Brother Hai acting so nervous? Could it be you really did something untoward you wish to conceal from everyone?”
Her voice was sweet and crisp, but when it reached Hai Xing’s ears, it only caused him cold chills.
Yin Su Die didn’t wait for Hai Xing to say anything before pouring her Saint Qi into the bead, causing a light halo to blossom from it. This light seemed to have an incredible ability that made everyone exposed to it feel as if they were unable to conceal anything from it, a truly disturbing feeling.
Down below in the mountain valley filled with dead trees, a meter long centipede suddenly appeared in everyone’s view. It seemed to be lurking a couple dozen meters below the ground and was wriggling unceasingly, causing anyone who saw it to feel their skin crawl.
When the bean’s light shone down into the mountain valley, even this creepy-looking Monster Beast centipede which was perfectly hidden a moment ago became illuminated.
Seeing this, Qu Chang Feng shouted, “Red Lines Iron Centipede! What else do you have to say now?”
Hai Xing knew that the situation had become unfavourable the moment that grey bead appeared in Yin Su Die’s hands. Just now he had tried to retrieve his Red Lines Iron Centipede which he sent underground, but was ultimately too late. His face turned red as he couldn’t answer Qu Chang Feng’s question, instead turning a hate filled glare towards Yin Su Die.
Suddenly, the scenes became tense, as if a fight would erupt at any moment.
*Kacha…*
A brilliant flash of lightning suddenly appeared, one that cut through the tense atmosphere. Looking in the direction of the sound’s source, Hai Xing blood cooled greatly and he dismissed his original idea of relying on the powerful Monster Beasts he and his fellow disciples had brought with them to forcibly remain here.
All because the one who sent out this bolt of lightning was none other than Fang Tian Zhong of Thunder Typhoon Sect. The latter had slowly stood up and was now staring indifferently towards Myriad Beast Mountain. Although he didn’t say anything out loud, everyone understood what he meant.
Obviously Fang Tian Zhong was also very dissatisfied with other’s trying to sneakily gain an advantage here and had decided to ally himself with Qu Chang Feng.
On top of that, Yin Su Die had expressed her attitude, so Hai Xing understood that if he insisted on remaining here, he would have to face all three of these Sect’s elites. Even with the Monster Beasts he brought, it wouldn’t be enough to resist such a force.
His face became gloomy, Hai Xing didn’t say another word and simply heaved a deep sigh, taking back the more than thirty Bitter Monarch Bees flying around him before leading his companions away.
After the people from Flame Shield Union were expelled, the group of five from Myriad Beast Mountain had suffered the same fate. It really was just as the leader from Flame Shield Union had said before leaving!
Neither of these two forces was weak, but they didn’t dare to remain here after provoking public anger. The Red Candle Fruit was indeed rare and precious, but in the end, they valued their lives more.
Having been forced out Myriad Beast Mountain, Yin Su Die was in the best of moods, her enchanting smile blossoming even more brilliantly that normal, tugging on the souls of the surrounding cultivators. Many male cultivators who saw this smile felt a nearly irresistible urge to rush out, embrace her, and taster her wondrous flavour.
Myriad Beast Mountain and Coloured Glass Sect were neighbouring Sects, so naturally there was some friction and even battles between them. Yin Su Die bringing the Form Revealing Bead with her this time was naturally out of concern for Myriad Beast Mountain’s man Monster Beasts which concealment abilities; however, she hadn’t expected it to play such an important role in this situation.
This time, after returning and reporting to the Sect, Yin Su Die was certain she would be able to obtain praise from her Master. Thinking so, she shot a glance over at Dai Yuan, but seeing the other party apparently never having opened her eyes and still immersed in her own meditation, Yin Su Die immediately felt a bit disgruntled.
Just then, Yang Kai coughed and his face went pale, as if he had suffered some kind of trauma.
The mountain valley was essentially silent, with everyone starting around at their neighbours with extreme vigilance. No one even dared to speak and were even trying to breathe quietly, so when Yang Kai’s muffled cough echoed, it immediately caught everyone’s attention.
Wei Gu Chang quickly asked with concern, “Brother Yang, what happened?”
Yang Kai’s pale complexion gradually returned to normal and he sent out a faint smile, “It’s nothing, just a small mistake in my perception and I almost injured myself.”
“Oh,” Wei Gu Chang didn’t ask any more, although he felt this explanation was strange.
Even when one was immersed in a deep state of comprehension, a small mistake wouldn’t normally result in injuries. Not only was Wei Gu Chang suspicious, even Dong Xuan’er and Dai Yuan were puzzled, with both of them opening their eyes to take a look at him.
“Brother Wei, is there something wrong on your side?” Qu Chang Feng asked coldly. He had just been riding high after showing off his strength and prestige, so suddenly being interrupted by Yang Kai’s cough had made him upset. Regardless of whether this First-Order Saint King had done it intentionally or unintentionally, it still displeased Qu Chang Feng so naturally his tone wouldn’t be too good.
What’s more, he didn’t like Yang Kai to begin with. He didn’t know why, but every time he saw this kid, he felt angry. This kid had often run into him, and now Qu Chang Feng was wondering just what kind of skill he possessed that allowed him to reach the third layer with such a weak cultivation.
“It’s nothing, Brother Qu can continue what it was he was doing,” Wei Gu Chang grinned and said meaningfully.
Qu Chang Feng’s face sank further as he stared deeply at Wei Gu Chang but he ultimately didn’t try to find trouble with him. Instead, he stood tall atop his mountain and loudly proclaimed, “Flame Shield Union and Myriad Beast Mountain’s people only have themselves to blame. Just as this Qu said moments ago, I hope everyone will abide by the rules. Before the Red Candle Fruit fully matures, don’t try to engage in any mischief. After the Red Candle Fruit matures, everyone will use their own means to compete for it. Of course, this Qu believes that there are others besides those two who are trying to use underhanded means here. Heh, I’d like to give these friends a chance to leave now, if you don’t and this Qu finds out later, even if you want to leave, I’m afraid you won’t be able to.”
Hearing this, many people’s complexions changed, all of them realizing they had greatly underestimated Qu Chang Feng’s appetite.
Just now, he had expelled both the Flame Shield Union and Myriad Beast Mountain, and although he had some reasons for doing so, and everyone had stood behind him as it could loosely be interpreted as an action taken out of considered for everyone’s benefit, what Qu Chang Feng had just declared was clearly overdoing it a bit. This guy obviously wanted to make a clean sweep of everyone here.
As a result, many of the slightly weaker forces glanced over at the peak where Thunder Typhoon Sect was stationed, wanting to see how Fang Tian Zhong reacted.
Everyone knew that Fang Tian Zhong and Qu Chang Feng were constantly at odds with one another and that each time they met there would inevitably be conflict. A moment ago, Fang Tian Zhong and Qu Chang Feng had joined forces, but that didn’t mean they would do so again now.
Perhaps Fang Tian Zhong would oppose Qu Chang Feng like normal this time, allowing them to fish in troubled waters.
However, with just a glance, these people’s hearts sank.
Fang Tian Zhong was actually sitting there with his eyes closed, completely disregarding Qu Chang Feng show of arrogance!
What did this mean? It clearly meant that Fang Tian Zhong had secretly reached an agreement with Qu Chang Feng and was going to ignore the current situation.
After realizing this, many people shook their heads and laughed bitterly, there were no eternal enemies in the world, only eternal benefits.
For the Red Candle Fruit, even Fang Tian Zhong and Qu Chang Feng could temporarily ally with each other. Since that was the case, how could there be room for any of them?
With the situation set in stone, many smaller forces who only had two or three cultivators present retreated from their respective mountains and left. They believed that even if they persisted, Qu Chang Feng would find an excuse to drive them away, so they figured they might as well depart now before they suffered any further losses.
Naturally, some forces didn’t pick up on Qu Chang Feng’s not so subtle message, thinking they hadn’t done anything untoward, and insisted on staying. However, Qu Chang Feng quickly declared that they were guilty and without even letting them defend themselves projected his murderous intent towards them and attack, successfully expelling several more forces.
He had to look for evidence when dealing with Myriad Beast Mountain because he was concerned about dealing with those Bitter Monarch Bees, but for others, he had nothing to fear. His fist was bigger, so what he said was right.
While Qu Chang Feng was putting on a show, only about a dozen forces remained unconcerned, all of them simply observing the scene in front of them indifferently, showing no intention to interfere either way.
All of them knew that Qu Chang Feng doing this would more or less benefit them, but as long as they didn’t get involved, Heaven Battling Union would bear all the notoriety. In any case, Heaven Battling Union already had so many accumulated grudges, why would they fear having a few more?
Qu Chang Feng was swift and ruthless, successfully driving away at least seventy percent of the gather forces, turning the originally bustling mountain valley into a rather sparse scene.
As for the remaining dozen forces atop their own mountain tops, it wasn’t that Qu Chang Feng didn’t want to drive them away, but that he couldn’t. These dozen or so forces weren’t weak so he didn’t dare to go planting stolen goods to shift blame at will.
After this uproar, the mountain valley quieted down again as the second red sun gradually approached the top of the sky.
As things settled down though, Yang Kai was actually staring back towards the distance, his eyes filled with cold light.
At the end of his gaze was the increasingly estranged cultivator that Dai Yuan just told him was Lu Ye of Flowing Cloud Valley!
Yang Kai had long felt the murderous intent and hostility of this man, but he had never imagined that the other party would dare to attack him in the front of everyone’s eyes. On top of that, the method he used was so ingenious that even Yang Kai had barely been able to detect it.
Just now, when Yin Su Die was displaying the power of the Form Revealing Bead, Yang Kai had opened his eyes because he was curious and wanted to see what kind of special ability it possessed that could cause the brawny man from Myriad Beast Mountain to react so greatly.
Unexpectedly though, when the light from the Form Revealing Bead radiated, Yang Kai actually saw a faint trace of abnormal energy not far away that was slowly spreading towards him.
The source of this strange energy was actually from Lu Ye.
This mass of Spiritual Energy was concealed so well that even with Yang Kai’s incredibly powerful Divine Sense, he wasn’t able to notice its approach. If not for the unexpected appearance of the Form Revealing Bead, this attack would surely have succeeded.
The moment he sensed this Spiritual Energy attack, Yang Kai countered.
What surprised him though was that the other party’s Divine Sense was no weaker than his own. After the invisible collision between their two Divine Senses, Yang Kai had actually suffered a slight loss.
After this incident, Lu Ye immediately took back his Divine Sense and pretended he hadn’t done anything while Yang Kai’s cough had actually attracted everyone’s attention.
After Qu Chang Feng began expelling people though, Lu Ye’s expression became gloomy. With many other cultivators being driven away, he also chose to leave; after all, he was the only one from Flowing Cloud Valley to arrive, and since he was alone, Qu Chang Feng would surely not tolerate his presence. If he didn’t leave, it would only cause problems for himself.
[Something is up with that guy!]Yang Kai knew that if not for him fortunately obtaining the Soul Warming Lotus many years ago, he wouldn’t have such a powerful Soul. But how many Soul Warming Lotuses could there be in this world? Even if there was another Soul Warming Lotus, it was impossible for it to be in the hands of a cultivator like Lu Ye.
Yet this Lu Ye’s Soul cultivation was truly no weaker than his own, a very strange phenomenon.
Flowing Cloud Valley wasn’t a very powerful force, only second class by Shadowed Star’s standards. It was impossible for such a Sect to have a Secret Art which could temper one’s Soul so profoundly, so how was Lu Ye able to cultivate his Spiritual Energy to such a degree?
Previously, in the stalactite cave, Yang Kai hadn’t noticed anything special about this Lu Ye. He was just an ordinary Third-Order Saint King cultivator. Later, when everyone was soaking in the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, Lu Ye had entered too, but he definitely did not obtain enough benefits to explain such a dramatic change.
Acquiring such a powerful enemy for no apparent reason made Yang Kai feel extremely depressed, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand how he had offended the other party.
Yang Kai swore to find a chance to kill Lu Ye as quickly as possible. Regardless of whether the other person was misunderstanding something or simply bore a grudge against him, having such an enemy always staring at him made Yang Kai unable to relax.
After mulling over these thoughts in his mind, Yang Kai quickly made his decision. Exhaling softly, he no longer thought about Lu Ye and once again closed his eyes to continue meditating. After the second red sun rose, the fruit aroma in the air had become more intense and its efficacy had also become much stronger. All the remaining cultivators refused to waste this rare opportunity and all focused on silently meditating.
Yang Kai continued immersing himself in his understanding of Saint Qi control. He knew that the Red Candle Fruit’s fragrance would not linger for long, only until it fully matured, so he didn’t intend on using this short time to study the esoteric Dao of Space. As long as he could comprehend how to fully control his Saint Qi in the next two or three days, this little trip would definitely be worthwhile.
Yang Kai didn’t know what other people chose to comprehend, but he felt his choice was for the best.
When the second red sun rose to the mid-day position and no longer moved, the mountain valley filled with another layer of red energy. The cultivators who had witnessed this situation twice already did not panic, but that didn’t mean they weren’t excited, most of them barely able to maintain straight faces.
The emergence of this dark red energy meant that the third red sun was about to rise, and the Three Suns Grand Risings Phenomenon would be completed. This also meant that the Red Candle Fruit was fully mature!
Many cultivators became anxious and this excitement prevented them from continuing to meditate and peacefully comprehend the various profound concepts they were studying. Instead, they opened their eyes and began paying even closer attention to everything in the mountain valley.
The dark red energy began to converge, and the earth trembled lightly. Soon, a great burst of energy erupted. At the same time, the fruity aroma in the air became even richer.
The third red sun then appeared in front of everyone’s eyes and slowly began rising up into the sky.
Rustling sounds echoed all around and Saint Qi fluctuations began appearing as some people seemed eager to rush into the valley.
Li You Nan of Medicine Pill Sect saw this and rubbed his forehead in frustration. Unable to care about keeping up appearances, he shouted loudly, “You must not act rashly! The Three Suns Grand Risings is not finished, and the Red Candle Fruit has yet to surface. No one may fight yet! Once anything interferes with the maturing of the Red Candle Fruit, dying ten thousand times won’t be enough of an apologize!”
He was the most knowledgeable about the Red Candle Fruit’s maturation process, so naturally, he had the responsibility to remind everyone.
At the same time, Li You Nan was cursing in his heart. If he wasn’t worried about these people being unable to hold back and really starting a fight, disturbing the maturing of the Red Candle Fruit, he wouldn’t have said anything. In fact, it would have been best if these people had killed each other off completely. After they all died, his Medicine Pill Sect would be able to monopolize this Heavenly spirit fruit.
After listening to Li You Nan’s words, many people gave him a cold glare; however, they maintained their heightened vigilance and continued to secretly condense their Saint Qi.
Atop Shadow Moon Hall’s hill, Wei Gu Chang observed the situation for a moment and concluded that there was still some time left before closing his eyes again and continuing his meditation, not displaying any outwards signs of anxiety.
With the passage of time, the atmosphere around the small mountain valley became tenser and tenser. By the time the third red sun had risen halfway up into the sky, many cultivators who were still meditating were finally unable to hold back and got up to pay closer attention to the movements of this red sun. Not only ordinary cultivators, but even the famous rising stars like Wei Gu Chang, Qu Chang Feng, Fang Tian Zhong, Yin Su Die, Tang Yong, and Qu Ming Hai were the same…
No one could continue to maintain the same indifference as before, all of them carefully tracking the height of the red sun while whispering quietly to the people around them, solemn and serious expressions upon their faces.
“Junior Brother Yang is still immersed in his comprehension!” Dai Yuan eyes flashed with a look of astonishment as she glanced over at Yang Kai’s still sitting figure and noticed that his Saint Qi was fluctuating fiercely.
Yang Kai appearing like this clearly indicated that he had arrived at a critical juncture in his comprehension and couldn’t even be bothered to pay attention to the maturing of the Red Candle Fruit.
“It seems Brother Yang’s harvest this time hasn’t been small,” Wei Gu Chang smiled bitterly as he felt some envy towards Yang Kai. He had also been immersed in meditation for the past day or two, but because he had been keeping track of the Red Candle Fruit’s situation from time to time, he hadn’t been able to comprehend anything of significance and only managed to obtain some minor insights. Although he still obtained some benefits, it was far from what Yang Kai grasped.
“That person is also still meditating!” Dong Xuan’er cast his eyes onto another mountain top. On the other end of her gaze was the stern-faced man from Star Emperor Sect who, just like Yang Kai, was sitting cross-legged, his look as tranquil as an ancient well with only his Saint Qi tumbling violently.
“Perhaps this is the gap between us and them,” Wei Gu Chang muttered to himself. He had long been acknowledged as a great genius, Shadow Moon Hall’s most dazzling star, on par with Fang Tian Zhong, Qu Chang Feng and the other leaders of the younger generation, so he had never felt he was inferior to any others.
However, after witnessing the various methods Yang Kai had displayed, he became acutely aware of his shortcomings. Now, in addition to Yang Kai, a disciple from Star Emperor Sect had emerged. Wei Gu Chang inexplicably felt a sense of crisis wash over him.
He knew that if he didn’t work hard, the future Shadowed Star might not have a place for him!
All around the mountain valley, dozens of cultivators were standing atop their own hills, paying attention to the third red sun, so the actions of Yang Kai and the Star Emperor Sect disciple were very eye-catching.
None cared much about Yang Kai. No one knew his origins, but a mere First-Order Saint King couldn’t enter these elite’s eyes.
But the stern-faced man from Star Emperor Sect continuing his meditation actually allowed everyone to secretly breathe a sigh of relief, all of them hoping he would continue his comprehension until the ownership of the Red Candle Fruit had been settled.
Everyone here now truly understood the meaning of the saying ‘a day felt like a year’.
Since the third red sun appeared, it seemed to be moving slower than a crawling turtle as it rose into the sky, making everyone wish they could rush forward and help push it up.
This situation continued for a whole day until finally, the third red sun rose to the mid-day position and joined the other two red suns, completing the Three Suns Grand Risings Phenomenon. These three red suns seemed to form some kind of resonance with each other, causing a brilliant red light to burst forth and illuminate the entire third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field. This bright flash blinded all the cultivators who remained in the third layer for a moment and forced them to close their eyes.
A great pulse of energy was released high up in the sky in the next moment, and when the brilliant red light finally dimmed and everyone opened their eyes again, they were shocked by what they saw!
Because the three red suns had actually merged together to form a single giant red sun. This red sun was rapidly rotating and each time it did, it was drawing in an unprecedented amount of energy.
The surrounding World Energy aura became incomparably rich and turbulent all of a sudden.
All of this World Energy gathered together here and was madly pouring into the red sun as if it were a bottomless pit.
Atop Medicine Pill Sect’s mountain, Li You Nan trembled, his eyes going wide as he stared at the scene in front of himself, unable to control his excitement!
It was exactly the same as was recorded in the ancient records, with no differences whatsoever; it truly was a maturing Red Candle Fruit!
After an incense stick worth of time, the World Energy in the entire third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field had been consumed, making the surrounding several hundred kilometres a dead zone!
The giant red sun also seemed to have become more solid, hanging in the sky like a real little sun.
Suddenly, it stopped rotating, going from an extremely fast motion to complete stillness.
“Not good!” Li You Nan saw this and immediately began leaking cold sweat. Li You Nan hurriedly summoned out a shield-type artefact which he transformed into a protective barrier around the mountain occupied by Medicine Pill Sect, covering them in a solid defensive shield.
The moment Li You Nan acted, the other disciples of Medicine Pill Sect also took out their defensive artefacts to protect themselves. Obviously, they had prepared beforehand for this, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to act so swiftly.
Medicine Pill Sect’s actions drew the attention of all the other cultivators present, many of them wondering why they seemed to be in such a panic.
Although they didn’t understand everything, everyone realized the situation wasn’t good. Li You Nan clearly hadn’t told them something about what was about to happen, and whatever was about to occur was clearly dangerous. Why else would Medicine Pill Sect suddenly behave this way?
There was no need to remind anyone as all the cultivators who saw Li You Nan’s actions also began summoning their defensive artefacts.
Atop Shadow Moon Hall’s hill, Wei Gu Chang snorted coldly before pushing his Saint Qi. A black light curtain immediately covered the hill, one that seemed to have streaks of red lightning flashing across its surface.
Dong Xuan’er also took out a token-like object and poured her Saint Qi into it, transforming it into a stream of light that circled their group.
Dai Yuan summoned her cloth-like artefact once more and shrouded the hill in a protective pink cloud.
The only one who didn’t move was Yang Kai as he seemed to still be deeply immersed in his own comprehension. He didn’t need to take any action though as Wei Gu Chang and the others were there to guard him.
The disciple from Star Emperor Sect didn’t have such luxury though. He had been alone on his mountain top from the start, so after he noticed the strange behaviour of everyone around him, he immediately opened his eyes and stared up indifferently towards the red sun in the sky.
At that moment, thousands of crimson light beams shot out from the red sun in all directions.
These crimson light beams were powerful and extremely fast, in the blink of an eye arriving in front of everyone and battering their defences with a seemingly endless barrage.
Everyone immediately understood why the people from Medicine Pill Sect had assumed a strong defensive stance.
As for the stern-faced man from Star Emperor Sect’s expression became even more solemn as he witnessed this outburst and swiftly punched forward. His fist seemed to contain some kind of profound principle that shook the Heavens and Earth, intercepting and destroying all the red light beams which were approaching him.
Seeing this, Wei Gu Chang, who had secretly been paying attention to this man, couldn’t help paling slightly.
Although this punch had seemed calm and relaxed, anyone who witnessed it could tell just how tyrannical this Star Emperor Sect disciple’s strength was.
The tens of thousands of crimson light beams ended as quickly as they began, all of them disappearing in a flash. Because everyone had made some preparations beforehand, all but a few who hadn’t taken action swiftly enough were safe and sound.
Seeing this, Li You Nan couldn’t help showing a look of disappointment, knowing that his actions just now were a bit too overt and had caused everyone else to become vigilant as well. If he had been a bit more discrete, the number of injured wouldn’t be limited to those few people.
But soon, Li You Nan laughed bitterly, because all the cultivators present were currently glaring at him, apparently blaming him for not explaining the situation clearly and trying to take advantage of this situation to plot against them. It was a truly sinister act.
Li You Nan paid them no mind though. He had already explained all sorts of things about the Red Candle Fruit’s maturation process, including the Three Suns Grand Risings Phenomenon, so concealing some things to benefit himself was only natural.
He believed that these people wouldn’t be stupid enough to condemn him for such a trivial matter.
Sure enough, everyone just glared at him and said nothing more. In fact, no one had any time to question him because after the tens of thousands of crimson light beams faded, the great red sun high up in the sky suddenly crashed down towards the mountain valley.
In just ten short breaths, the red sun fell somewhere in the mountain valley and it disappeared without a trace.
“Get ready!” Dai Yuan suddenly whispered as she lifted her hand and collected her pink cloud artefact, her beautiful eyes staring fixedly towards the mountain valley below.
“Should we wake up Senior Brother Yang?” Dong Xuan’er nibbled her red lips as she glanced over at Yang Kai hesitantly.
Yang Kai’s Saint Qi had been in a turbulent state this whole time so none of them had gone to disturb him for fear of interrupting his perception, but now that the Red Candle Fruit was about to appear, Dong Xuan’er didn’t know if they should wake him so he did not miss this great event.
Wei Gu Chang frowned slightly but soon shook his head, “No, Brother Yang definitely knows what’s going on outside. If he is willing to participate in this scramble, he will definitely act. We shouldn’t bother him.”
Dong Xuan’er nodded slightly.
Wei Gu Chang’s words had only just ended when a loud cracking sound suddenly echoed from the mountain valley, as if the earth was splitting apart. Everyone standing on the nearby hills also nearly fell as the ground beneath their feet trembled.
An intense wave of red energy spread out from the cracks below the mountain valley, filling it with a brilliant light that made it impossible to see the situation inside.
But faintly, at the place where the red sun just fell, something seemed to slowly be rising, showing a dark crimson light.
This light was like that of a candle in the wind, seemingly on the verge of being snuffed out, but no matter how the wind howled and rain poured, it remained constant.
A moment later, under the focused gazes of everyone present, this candle-like light finally surfaced.
Naturally, it was a fist-sized dark red crystal-like spirit fruit which looked both delicate and delicious. Its shape was quite strange, almost like the flame of a candle, and it clear there was incredibly pure energy residing within it that seemed to be gently stirring.
“Red Candle Fruit!” Seeing this, Li You Nan couldn’t help but shout.
Before he could even finish his words, a ribbon-like artefact shot out from one of the surrounding mountain tops. This ribbon was incredibly smart and flexible, just like a real woman’s arm. It shot out tens of metres in an instant and was rapidly closing in on the Heaven defying Red Candle Fruit.
Yin Su Die had acted! After waiting for several days, she finally couldn’t hold back anymore and actually made the first attempt to snatch it up.
Almost at the same time, a thunderbolt suddenly struck from a different location and with a crackling sound struck the ribbon artefact, shifting its aim and causing it to grasp nothing but air.
Yin Su Die shouted tenderly as she bit her thin red lips lightly and glared poutingly towards Fang Tian Zhong, stomping her foot in anger, “Senior Brother Fang!”
Fang Tian Zhong’s expression remained indifferent as he continued sending out bolts of lightning, blocking all the other attempts made by the surrounding cultivators to snatch the Red Candle Fruit, ignoring the coquettishness cries of Yin Su Die.
A look of annoyance flashed across this Heaven’s blessed female from Coloured Glass Sect as bitterness filled her heart, but she couldn’t afford to waste any more time on Fang Tian Zhong and instead concentrated on manipulating her ribbon-like artefact to join the scramble.
From a dozen different hills, dozens of cultivators all took action at once as they tried to seize this mature Red Candle Fruit; at this moment, almost all of the rising stars on the Shadowed Star were putting forth their best methods.
In an instant, the light of the Martial Skills and artefact filled the air with a brilliant glow, swiftly turning the mountain valley into a heated battlefield.
However, no matter who it was, they were using a measure of discretion, none of them daring to damage the Red Candle Fruit, all of them trying to avoid their battle affecting it in any way.
On the one hand, they needed to stop others from robbing the Red Candle Fruit, but on the other hand, they needed to work hard to snatch it for themselves. Each force’s cultivators had seemingly divided up these roles beforehand and were now working hard to achieve their objectives.
The forces with smaller numbers undoubtedly had it more difficult, as that was the case with Shadow Moon Hall.
Although Dai Yuan had come here together with Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er, she was acting alone and didn’t have any intention of cooperating with them, because everyone knew that this Heaven defying fruit was not something they could ultimately possess. Even if they were to win ownership of it here, it would eventually be turned over to their Sect who would then determine who it belonged to.
Dai Yuan and Dong Xuan’er had a very good personal relationship, but that still paled in comparison to their respective Sect’s interests. They didn’t dare to assist one another; not interfering with one another was the best they could do.
After removing Dai Yuan, that left just Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er to represent Shadow Moon Hall. One of them blocked while the other tried to snatch.
As for the stern-faced man from Star Emperor Sect, every attack he launched was filled with shocking might that astonished everyone around, forcing them to pay a significant amount of attention to him.
This man had probably only left Star Emperor Mountain for the first time for life experience and did not understand the concept of the tall tree drawing the most wind. Soon, he couldn’t help frowning because whenever he took action, there would be at least ten others from all directions trying to block him while no one else received such treatment.
It seemed that everyone had reached a consensus that he, above all others, must be stopped, while everyone else would compete independently using their respective means.
This cause the pressure Star Emperor Sect’s stern-faced disciple faced to multiply. No matter how amazing his strength was, he couldn’t compete with so many elites on the scene.
Seemingly becoming angry out of shame, this stern-faced man coldly snorted, stamped his foot, and sent out a shocking energy fluctuation that caused the ground all around him to tremble violently.
The cultivators from the dozen or so other forces who were competing for the Red Candle Fruit couldn’t help turning their gazes towards this stern-faced man and staring in shock as they watched him slowly send out a punch which released a massive beam of energy!
“Not good, stop him, he’s gone mad!” Li You Nan yelled again in horror, his clothes instantly becoming drenched in sweat as his face paled.
This stern-faced man’s punch was actually directed straight towards the Red Candle Fruit. If such an attack were to really hit it, this supreme spirit fruit would be smashed into dust and instantly vanish.
How could Li You Nan not panic? As he spoke, he sent out a storm of fists to try to block this Star Emperor Sect disciple’s attack.
The others present didn’t need him to remind them and took swift action.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Violent explosions rang out as the huge energy column was greatly weakened by the various attacks it suffered, but what was more astonishing was the fact that it had not been destroyed and it soon reached the Red Candle Fruit.
With a look of despair upon his face, Li You Nan nearly collapsed to the ground. Thinking the Red Candle Fruit was about to be destroyed felt as if a blade was being pierced through his heart.
Although the power of the energy beam had been significantly weakened, it had still not been completely dispersed, and under everyone’s horrified gaze, it struck the Red Candle Fruit, making everyone feel as if they were the ones being hit.
*Xiu…*
The Red Candle Fruit, which has not been affected by the fighting so far, under the impact of this energy blast, flew straight out of the mountain valley.
To everyone’s surprise, this seemingly fragile, thin, and soft spirit fruit was completely unscathed by this blow.
Everyone was overjoyed and immediately used their movement skills to rush out of the mountain valley, signalling the start of an even more dangerous battle.
Just now, as the Red Candle Fruit sat in the mountain valley and red energy filled the air, everyone had stood atop their individual mountains while trying to snatch it. There had not been any direct confrontation yet, but now that the Red Candle Fruit had left the mountain valley, the situation had become far more chaotic with all the elite disciples from the various Sects struggling against one another.
Atop Shadow Moon Hall’s hill, Wei Gu Chang glanced over at Yang Kai and saw that he still showed no signs of opening his eyes, causing him to feel somewhat distressed.
While wondering if he should let Dong Xuan’er stay here and protect Yang Kai, the latter suddenly said, “You three go, don’t worry about me!”
Hearing this, Wei Gu Chang smiled happily and nodded before rushing off together with Dong Xuan’er and Dai Yuan. As long as Yang Kai wasn’t completely immersed in his meditation, there was no need to worry that he would suffer a sneak attack.
After Wei Gu Chang and the others left, Yang Kai opened his eyes happily, a brilliant and joyful light flashing across their depths.
He had made clear the vague thoughts he was contemplating at the last moment before the Red Candle Fruit matured. Although he felt that his control over Saint Qi had risen to a new level, now was not an appropriate time to verify his gains.
Casting his eyes a few hundred metres away, even Yang Kai, who had experienced many great storms, couldn’t help furrowing his brow at the scene he saw.
Several dozen Third-Order Saint King elite cultivators were desperately unleashing their Martial Skills and pushing their artefacts as they fought in groups of three to five against one another. All of them acted ruthlessly, without the slightest hint of mercy. Although the scene was extremely hot, every force had at least one or two people paying attention to the situation of the Red Candle Fruit.
What was strange was that since the Red Candle Fruit had been blasted away from the mountain valley by the Star Emperor Sect disciple, it hadn’t fallen to the ground. Whenever it seemed it was about to fall into the hands of a certain cultivator, there would always be some subtle energy fluctuations that swept it aside, allowing it to continue flying through the air.
The performance of the stern-faced man from Star Emperor Sect was particularly eye-catching in this scuffle. Fang Tian Zhong, Wei Gu Chang, and Qu Chang Feng had formed a kind of temporary alliance and were cooperating to block him from seizing the Red Candle Fruit, but this stern-faced man was able to display incredible power, confronting three people on his own without falling into a disadvantage. Although this wasn’t quite a life or death fight, it was still amazing to be able to fight against these three rising stars all by himself.
Yang Kai watched secretly and immediately realised that this man who came from Star Emperor Sect was not affable.
After observing the situation for a moment, Yang Kai knew that if nothing unexpected happened, the Red Candle Fruit’s ownership wouldn’t be decided for some time. At least a few people would first need to die before everyone really put forward their best after which there was a chance for things to be decided.
But who would be the ultimate winner was impossible to tell.
Yang Kai wasn’t uninterested in the Red Candle Fruit; after all, this was an Origin King Grade High-Rank spirit fruit, something even he had never encountered before. Using it in Alchemy would definitely be of great benefit to the growth of his Alchemy skills, and after being refined into a pill, it really might be able to help a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator break through to the Origin King Realm, such a spirit fruit in the hands of a suitable master may be able to create four or five Origin Kings.
Unfortunately, this battle was simply too chaotic.
Yang Kai estimated that even if he were to participate, he didn’t have more than a one in ten chance of obtaining the Red Candle Fruit. For such uncertain benefits, it simply wasn’t worth acting.
What’s more, this thing was currently a hot potato that only one of a few true elites could take away. If the Red Candle Fruit fell into his hands, someone without a stronger backer, it would only lead to disaster!
Therefore, he had already made up his mind not to fight for the Red Candle Fruit. It was because of this that he had focused all of his attention on his comprehension just now.
However… Although he didn’t intend to join the competition for the Red Candle Fruit, it didn’t mean Yang Kai had no other plans.
Glancing down at the mountain valley filled with red energy, Yang Kai grinned and while everyone’s attention was attracted by the Red Candle Fruit, silently slipped into the cloud of red mist and disappeared.
The Red Candle Fruit was indeed rare and precious, but the plant which gave birth to it was also a great treasure.
The root of the Red Candle Fruit was called the Red Candle Stalk, and if it was planted in a place with rich World Energy, it could absorb that aura and produce a spirit fruit similar to the Red Candle Fruit.
Of course, the fruit produced this way wasn’t a genuine Red Candle Fruit and did not possess the magical ability to help an Origin Returning Realm cultivator break through to the Origin King Realm, but it did have the ability to help a cultivator temper their body.
What Yang Kai was after was precisely this ability.
The benefits of a more powerful physique were self-evident. Yang Kai’s body was countless times stronger than that of an average cultivator in the same realm. Even ordinary Low-Ranked Origin Realm cultivators couldn’t compare with him in terms of pure physical strength.
With the improvement of his own strength, and as he encountered stronger and stronger cultivators, Yang Kai found that the strength of his physique was now somewhat hindering him. He had suffered a number of injuries in these past few days which was enough to raise some alarm.
Moreover, when tearing space, he needed a strong physical body otherwise he wouldn’t be able to resist the strain of traversing The Void.
If he could obtain the Red Candle Stalk and consume the spirit fruits it produced from time to time to temper his body further, he could solve this issue. As long as he was given enough time, he could raise the intensity of his physique to new heights.
At that time, when fighting against others and tearing space, he would become much more relaxed.
He couldn’t use the Red Candle Fruit for the time being, and he believed that with his own ability, and in conjunction with everything he currently possessed, breaking through to the Origin King Realm shouldn’t be a problem; all that he was lacking was the accumulation of time. However, the Red Candle Stalk was something he needed right now, so instead of participating in the competition for the Red Candle Fruit, he focused on stealthily taking away the Red Candle Stalk.
Yang Kai plans seemed just right, but it turned out that someone else had the same idea and had acted first.
When Yang Kai snuck into the mountain valley in order to search for the Red Candle Stalk amidst this bank of red mist, he immediately discovered a blurry figure happily collecting something into his Space Ring.
Who this person was, Yang Kai didn’t know, but he was certain that what they had just taken away was the Red Candle Stalk.
Staying behind and collecting the Red Candle Stalk at such a time indicated that person had a deep understanding of the Red Candle Fruit. Dai Yuan was currently fighting outside and so was Li You Nan of Medicine Pill Sect, so it was impossible for it to be one of them.
The most likely candidate was one of the other Medicine Pill Sect disciples, most likely instructed by Li You Nan long ago to remain behind in order to obtain this treasure.
Just as Yang Kai found this man, he too found Yang Kai. In shock, this man pushed his Saint Qi violently, but before he could launch an attack, a loud sound rang out and after a short, pitiful scream, the valley fell silent.
As a bloody scent spread, Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed and he immediately summoned his Wind and Thunder Wings as he soared forward towards the figure that had taken away the Red Candle Stalk, snatched his Space Ring, and then swiftly withdrew.
Yang Kai’s actions were extremely fast, but in that brief moment of contact, he saw a creepy scene.
The one who had taken away the Red Candle Stalk was indeed a disciple of Medicine Pill Sect, but at this moment he had an arm through his chest, one that was holding his still beating heart.
Moreover, this arm was very unusual and looked extremely dry, like a piece of dead wood, and it was sucking the blood essence out of this unfortunately Medicine Pill Sect disciple. Before Yang Kai stepped back, he clearly saw the body of this Medicine Pill Sect disciple wither and turn into a dry corpse.
There was a third person here!
No matter who this third person was, any cultivator that could launch such a perfect sneak attack on a Third-Order Saint King and instantly kill them couldn’t only be described as extraordinary.
Almost as soon as he snatched the Space Ring, the other party’s hand also touched it, but they only managed to grab empty space, causing them to call out in surprise.
*Pu…*
The sound of something bursting echoed, and in front of Yang Kai, the body of the Medicine Pill Sect disciple exploded, leaving nothing behind. The third person who had killed him disappeared strangely, seemingly completely blending into the surrounding environment.
In this mountain valley filled with red energy, with vision that has been incredibly limited, one could barely see anything a metre in front of them.
Yang Kai released his Spiritual energy without hesitation, creating a web of Divine Sense threads all around him, without letting off a single spot, but what startled him was that this third person seemed to have truly disappeared. Even with Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense, he couldn’t find a single trace of the other party.
However, Yang Kai knew that this man had not left. Since he had come here, he must have been after the Red Candle Stalk, and since that was now in Yang Kai’s hands, if the other party wanted it, he would certainly come to him.
Suddenly, a single thread of Divine Sense that Yang Kai had spread out sent back some slightly inconsistent sensations. In normal times, Yang Kai would not pay this any mind, but right now, it was enough to cause his hair to stand on end. Quickly turning around, Yang Kai condensed his Demonic Flame onto his fist and sent out a fierce punch towards the seemingly empty space.
*Hong…*
With a loud boom, the Demonic Flames wrapped around Yang Kai’s fist struck something and were instantly scattered, sending Yang Kai flying backwards.
At the same time though, in the originally empty space, a faint figure strangely appeared, and while Yang Kai was forced back, the sound of bones breaking echoed and the figure which revealed itself let out an annoyed grunt.
“It’s you!” Yang Kai shouted as he steadied himself, instantly recognising the man who had just attacked him.
It was Flowing Cloud Valley’s Lu Ye who had left some time ago!
Yang Kai had seen Lu Ye leave the mountain valley and rapidly withdraw from this region but it now seemed the other party had used some profound method to secretly return and had actually gone completely unnoticed by anyone. After the Red Candle Fruit matured, Lu Ye had snuck into the mountain valley to target the Red Candle Stalk just like Yang Kai.
There was no need to even think about who had killed that Medicine Pill Sect disciple.
While Yang Kai shocked by his opponent’s means, Lu Ye also seemed a little puzzled. The faint figure didn’t disappear this time and instead stood within the red mist, observing Yang Kai. After a while, he said, “You’re a bit strange!”
Yang Kai sneered, “You’re also not normal!”
Lu Ye never thought that a First-Order Saint King could survive his sneak attack, much less fight him on even terms without suffering any real harm. Yang Kai also didn’t expect that this Lu Ye had such amazing concealment abilities, it was simply amazing. If not for Yang Kai’s Divine Sense being far stronger than an ordinary cultivator’s, he would definitely have been killed just like that Medicine Pill Sect disciple.
At this moment, both of them became a little wary of the other and also more determined to kill one another.
“I haven’t offended Flowing Cloud Valley or you, so why are you targeting me?” Yang Kai asked the question which had been plaguing him. Although he didn’t fear Lu Ye, such an enemy appearing for no apparent reason greatly confused Yang Kai.
“Hmph, Flowing Cloud Valley indeed!” Lu Ye coldly snorted, a hint of disdain apparent in his tone, only confusing Yang Kai further, but before he could ask anything, Lu Ye simply stated, “You have only yourself to blame for taking that which does not belong to you! If not for that transgression, I wouldn’t mind taking you in, you’re much better material than those wastes outside.”
Yang Kai frowned, feeling that this man’s tone was higher than the Heavens. Lu Ye gave him an impression fundamentally different from the one Dai Yuan previously described, as if they were two completely different people.
Moreover, Yang Kai still couldn’t figure out why this Lu Ye was so fixated on him. In the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Yang Kai had obtained many good things, a few of which weren’t lower in value than the Red Candle Fruit itself, some of them possibly even above it, but this man didn’t even show interest in competing for the Red Candle Fruit. Obviously, he didn’t care about his Heaven defying spirit fruit, so what was it that Yang Kai possessed that would continually draw Lu Ye’s attention?
Regardless of what the truth was, Yang Kai didn’t plan to ask anymore, because even if he did, the other party would not answer him. Now, in this misty red mountain valley, between him and Lu Ye, there could only be a battle.
*Chi Chi…*
A slight sound came from behind him, causing Yang Kai’s hair to stand on end. Even though had been on full alert, with Lu Ye’s nearly undetectable methods, it wasn’t until the layer of Demonic Flame he had put up around him was impacted that Yang Kai realised he was being attacked. The moment he felt the attack, Yang Kai turned his head in the direction of the sound.
However, all he could see was a fuzzy figure which had mysteriously appeared behind him as well as a withered arm that like a sword was being stabbed towards him.
Condensing his Demonic Flames, Yang Kai swung a Profound Heavenly Sword towards the withered arm and shattered it along with the blurry figure it was attached to, his sword collapsing in the process.
“Your Saint Qi is quite interesting. Such power is something really unimaginable for a mere Saint King!” Lu Ye’s voice came from behind again, with a hint of mockery. Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed and turning around again, he saw the same blurry figure from before, as if it hadn’t even moved and the withered arm which had struck him a moment ago was a completely different entity.
[What kind of skill was this?]
Yang Kai was shocked and didn’t dare act carelessly. Just as he was about to take the initiative to launch an attack, in all directions, there suddenly appeared multiple blurry figures. These figures were all identical, as if they had been made from the same mould, and in the next instant, all of them sent out powerful attacks towards Yang Kai.
Each attack felt like a real Martial Skill, none of them seeming like illusions.
Yang Kai’s face changed slightly, and he immediately summoned his purple shield to protect himself while at the same time condensing another Demonic Flame sword and chopping towards his surroundings.
*Chi chi chi…*
Wherever Yang Kai’s sword waves passed, the blurry figures would disappear together with their attacks, but the number of these figures didn’t seem to decrease at all as they struck towards him in an endless stream. This made Yang Kai frustrated.
He had never encountered such a strange method and he wasn’t able to find a way to break through it immediately, but after fighting for a while, Yang Kai noticed something was wrong.
Each of the vague figures possessed Lu Ye’s aura but nothing else, as if they were shadows of his body or some type of indistinct clone.
Cutting down several approaching figures, Yang Kai opened up a gap in this endless wave of attacks, bit his finger, and quickly smeared Golden Blood over his left eye.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation appeared, and an invisible majesty spread out. Yang Kai’s vision in his left eye was no longer hazy and in an instant, he was able to see everything within the red mist, the dim surroundings becoming crystal clear at this moment.
These figures were indeed Lu Ye, there was no doubt about it, but under the Demon Eye of Annihilation’s ability to see through all illusions, these vague figures all gave off a slight red glow.
Only one figure in the distance remained unchanged!
Yang Kai’s eyes instantly fixed at this particular figure. If he wasn’t mistaken, this was Lu Ye’s true body while all the others were some kind of illusion or fabrication.
“Oh, some kind of innate ability?” A look of surprise appeared on Lu Ye’s face as he stared towards Yang Kai’s left eye as if he had discovered something extraordinary, a look of greed soon appearing filling his expression.
Based on his knowledge and experience, it was easy for him to see that the change in Yang Kai’s left eye wasn’t due to some kind of Secret Art or technique, but rather an inborn ability. Such innate Divine Abilities were incredibly rare and even he had never possessed one.
The golden pupil gave off a kind of awe-inspiring air that drew one’s consciousness in, and after staring into it for but a moment, Lu Ye felt that his Soul and Knowledge Sea were becoming turbulent, like they were about to be drawn out from his very body. Startled, he quickly steadied his mind and suppressed the roiling of his Knowledge Sea.
While Lu Ye’s felt a sense of fright from this experience, his greed also became stronger. If he could seize Yang Kai’s left eye, it would increase his own strength greatly.
He really hadn’t expected that this First-Order Saint King could bring him so many surprises.
This boy’s eye seemed to be able to see through all forms of illusion, so there was no way for him to implement his original plan. After considering the situation for a moment, Lu Ye dismissed his remaining shadows and transformed them into a series of streams that flowed back into his body.
The next moment, a potent Spiritual Energy wave burst from Lu Ye’s side, turning into a sharp thorn and piercing directly towards Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai felt a sharp pain the moment his Knowledge Sea’s defences were about to be broken and didn’t dare to have any reservations, fully pushing his Spiritual Energy to block his opponent’s attack.
Although he managed to defend himself, Yang Kai still felt a little dizzy and it was obviously that his Soul had suffered some small wounds.
It seemed that earlier, when the Red Candle Fruit was maturing, Lu Ye had not used his full strength to attack him. On top of that, this guy seemed to have even stronger Soul cultivation than Yang Kai!
Feeling slightly dizzy, Yang Kai knew that his situation had become precarious and quickly slashed out with his sword, sending out a wave of Demonic Flames to break through the red mist and cut through the surrounding air.
Within the red mist, a thick evil Qi and malevolent aura rumbled as Lu Ye let out a wicked laughter that echoed in Yang Kai’s ears. He wanted to take advantage of Yang Kai’s momentary opening to capture him, after which he could slowly dig up all of his secrets.
But obviously, Yang Kai wasn’t going to just sit back and let himself get caught, so he immediately transformed his Demonic Flames into a large number of black light beams and fired them off like arrows from a bow towards a certain spot in the red mist.
“Yuan Control Mastery!” Lu Ye’s face sank as he called out in shock.
Yang Kai’s performance had continuously amazed him. This kid’s natural talent and aptitude were nothing short of astonishing. He possessed innate abilities, Saint Qi, and Spiritual Energy far more powerful than those of ordinary people. Now it seemed he was even able to exhibit Yuan Control Mastery, which greatly shocked Lu Ye.
Although Yang Kai’s Yuan Control Mastery seemed a bit rough, as if he had only just comprehended it, this still wasn’t a skill that Saint Kings should be able to master. Only when one’s cultivation reached the Origin Returning Realm and he or she began to understand Shi would they possibly be able to achieve Yuan Control Mastery.
Even then, Origin Realm cultivators who could transform and manipulate their Saint Qi through Yuan Control Mastery were extremely rare, each one of them a shocking talent that held unlimited potential.
The so-called Yuan Control Mastery Lu Ye spoke of was the result of Yang Kai’s painstaking meditation these past few days.
Previously, his use of Saint Qi was based on Martial Skills he had learned or simply by using his Saint Qi as a blunt instrument, but whether he was able to hit or damage his opponent like this would greatly depend on how his target reacted and how strong their defensive abilities were.
However, in the days before the Red Candle Fruit matured, Yang Kai was able reach a new level of control over his Saint Qi, one that required not only a deep understand of Saint Qi but also a powerful enough Soul to mould it. Without meeting both these criteria, Yuan Control Mastery would be nothing but a dream.
Superb Divine Sense strength, which was one of the foundations of Yuan Control Mastery, was naturally not something difficult for Yang Kai. In this fight against Lu Ye, Yang Kai also had the intention to experiment with what he had comprehended these past few days, and the results had really given him a pleasant surprise.
The black fireballs had transformed into sharp arrows under Yang Kai’s control and pierced straight through the red mist coving the mountain valley, breaking it apart and allowing the thick malevolent aura in his surroundings disperse, reducing the pressure he felt greatly.
Yang Kai grinned as the sound of wind and thunder behind him whirled up and before Lu Ye could react, Yang Kai charged in front of him and chopped down with his Demonic Flame sword.
Lu Ye had already witnessed the terrifying power of these Demonic Flames, and although he was confident he wouldn’t be directly burned to death by them, he still thought it best to avoid contact with them as much as possible. His strange wicked laughter came to an abrupt halt as he swiftly withdrew. At the same time, he formed a series of strange hand signs that and condensed a giant red palm above his head that he smashed down towards Yang Kai.
Lu Ye could also use Yuan Control Mastery, and it was apparent that his proficiency with it wasn’t inferior to that of Yang Kai who had just realised this Divine Ability, perhaps even above it.
The moment the red palm appeared, it was as if the surrounding space had been blocked, making it difficult to breathe and stiffening Yang Kai’s movements significantly.
Yang Kai grunted as he madly pushed the Saint Qi in his body, breaking free of this suppression and sending out a palm of his own.
Another giant hand appeared in the sky. The Nine Heavens Divine Skills Heaven Covering Hand met Lu Ye’s red palm head-on, causing an explosion that made the entire mountain valley tremble.
Taking this opportunity, Yang Kai advanced even further, waving his Demonic Flame long sword through the air as he used his Yuan Control Mastery to transform more of his Demonic Flame s into various attacks that flew towards Lu Ye.
Yang Kai realised that Lu Ye had stronger Soul cultivation than him, but his strength was still limited. As long as Yang Kai remained alert enough, Lu Ye’s Divine Sense wouldn’t pose too much of a threat. On top of that, Lu Ye’s Saint Qi wasn’t as pure or vigorous as Yang Kai’s, while the difference in their physical strengths was even further apart.
That was why Yang Kai chose to enter a melee, as this was his biggest advantage!
The other reason Yang Kai chose this course of action was in order to prevent Lu Ye from escaping. Yang Kai poured his Saint Qi into his purple shield, causing it to emit a brown glow and a moment later create a large-scale sandstorm that engulfed the entire mountain valley!
This was one of the hidden powers of his purple shield, one that Yang Kai was using for the first time.
The purple shield was refined from the carapace of the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion, and Yang Yan had incorporated the Ninth-Order Monster Beast’s Monster Core into it, allowing it to use some of the Scarlet Tailed Purple Armoured Scorpion’s own Divine Abilities from before it died.
This sandstorm was an ability that came with this shield!
Sand and dust whirled about as Yang Kai’s figure drifted from place to place in an impossible to read pattern. Submerged in this violent sandstorm, Lu Ye had to divert part of his focus to resist this strange attack, finding the position of host and guest suddenly reversed by Yang Kai and slowly being suppressed.
Lu Ye quickly became annoyed. He had never expected that, after finally regaining his freedom from a few tens of thousands of years of imprisonment, the first enemy he bumped into would be so strange and powerful, making it impossible for him easily kill.
This made him feel like he had lost a great deal of face and made him become angry out of shame.
The two of them were just about equally proficient in Yuan Control Mastery as well. Yang Kai’s Yuan Control Mastery was rough because he had only just comprehended it while Lu Ye’s was unsteady because the Saint Qi in this current body wasn’t dense and pure enough. On top of that, in a frontal clash, his Saint Qi was falling greatly behind Yang Kai’s Demonic Flame in terms of destructive power.
Inferior in terms of Saint Qi, unable to suppress him in terms of Spiritual Energy, and with a weaker physical body, Lu Ye quickly found himself on the losing end of this battle.
Yang Kai didn’t say a word as he was focusing entirely on suppressing his opponent. The Demonic Flame sword in his hand caused some damage to Lu Ye from time to time, but what made Yang Kai depressed was that even his seemingly unstoppable Demonic Flame was unable to contaminate his opponent. A strange flash of blue light Yang Kai couldn’t identify would appear from Lu Ye’s body and actually extinguish the Demonic Flames which would normally have burnt him, reducing the damage Yang Kai could deal this way to mere flesh wounds.
Since he had made up his mind to kill this inexplicable enemy though, Yang Kai was naturally not planning to hold back.
He hadn’t used his Space Force yet though.
His self-created Space Blade wasn’t perfected yet so the best time to use it would be when he found a decisive opening. If he failed to hit his opponent and as a result caused Lu Ye to become more vigilant, it would severely reduce this trump card’s effectiveness.
Yang Kai was constantly searching for a suitable opportunity to surprise Lu Ye, thinking at as long as he could successfully hit him with his Space Blade, he could seriously injure him if not kill him outright!
Unsurprisingly though, Yang Kai so thoroughly suppressing him aroused great anger from Lu Ye, and after suffering a series of injuries, he roared, “Brat, you court death!”
Saying so, Lu Ye suddenly spat out a puff of black blood. The smell of this blood was extremely pungent, making one want to vomit, but the power it contained was even more terrifying. Obviously it was Lu Ye’s Blood Essence.
This Blood Essence transformed into a blood mist before rapidly condensing into a strange short rod in Lu Ye’s hand.
This short rod was only about two palms in length and could be easily gripped within one’s hand. It looked completely ordinary and inconspicuous, but when it appeared, Yang Kai’s heart clenched and an inexplicable sense of crisis well up inside him.
Yang Kai rarely felt this way, but whenever he did, it meant that he was facing incredible danger.
A fierce grin appeared on Lu Ye’s face as he madly poured his Saint Qi into this black short rod and a moment later, the entire world inexplicably went dark.
It was as if all the surrounding light was being absorbed by this short rod, making it impossible for Yang Kai to see anything around him and even rendering his Demon Eye of Annihilation useless.
The sandstorm which had been filling the mountain valley was suddenly interrupted, the dust drifting down the ground as all the howling winds abruptly came to a stop.
Yang Kai’s face changed greatly. At this moment, he realised that he could barely circulate the Saint Qi in his body regardless of how hard he pushed it. It was also impossible for him to draw out Spiritual Energy from his Knowledge Sea, as if it had been sealed off somehow.
In the darkness, Yang Kai instinctually sensed something approaching him, a kind of death aura that could extinguish anything it touched, sending chills down his spine.
[It can’t be resisted! It can’t be blocked!]At this moment, all kinds of thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind and he quickly determined that neither his Saint Qi nor Spiritual Energy could block this strange attack, not that he could access either of those under his currently suppressed state. He also couldn’t escape as most of his strength was being cut off, much less tear space.
Swiftly making a decision, Yang Kai condensed a drop of Golden Blood at his fingertip, sending out a sensational wave of vitality into the surroundings. He then shot out this drop of Golden Blood towards the deepest part of the darkness.
When the Golden Blood’s surging vitality and black death aura collided with one another, there was surprisingly not a single sound, only an explosion of golden and black light which filled the mountain valley. For a time, these two forces actually perfectly counterbalanced one another.
“How is that possible?” Lu Ye’s face finally changed. Although he had been suppressed by Yang Kai previously, he wasn’t panicked because he had not yet gone all out. But now that he had used such a powerful artefact with complete determination to kill Yang Kai, he firmly believed that this boy wouldn’t be able to resist.
However, to his great surprise, when he sent out this trump card, the scene of hashed meat and splatter blood did not appear and instead, an astonishing explosion of vitality had come out and managed to block his attack.
[This boy has to be killed as soon as possible!] Such thoughts flashed through Lu Ye’s mind as his expression became fierce.With just a First-Order Saint King Realm cultivation, this boy could fight evenly with him. If he were to be allowed to truly mature, wouldn’t he become an invincible existence? Lu Ye’s tens of thousands of years of experience had taught him that such dangers must absolutely be snuffed out while in the cradle.
At this moment, he regarded Yang Kai as a thorn in his side, one that needed to be eliminated as quickly as possible.
A ruthless light flashed across Lu Ye’s eyes as he spat out another mouthful of Blood Essence, causing the black light which was competing against the golden radiance to rapidly grow in intensity. The golden light was quickly suppressed and was on the verge of collapsing, after which the death aura would swiftly engulf Yang Kai.
In response, Yang Kai flicked his wrist and set out another drop of Golden Blood, causing the golden light of vitality to instantly grow strong again and pierce though the darkness.
“Ah…” Lu Ye let out a cry of shock as the dark shroud he had condensed was torn apart and the light of day reappeared.
In the mountain valley, both Yang Kai and Lu Ye stood in place, but at this moment Lu Ye’s body was shivering and his face was extremely pale, seemingly having suffered serious injuries to his foundation.
On the other hand, although Yang Kai’s expression was extremely ugly, it wasn’t hard to see that he was both unharmed and full of energy.
Through the red mist, Yang Kai glared at Lu Ye with eyes as cold as an ancient snow-capped mountain.
Lu Ye couldn’t help feeling startled!
A jet black blade-like attack suddenly flew towards him, and before Lu Ye could react, it was upon him.
Lu Ye panicked and hurriedly twisted his body to avoid his vitals from being hit, but a moment later, a slight stinging sensation came from his left arm.
Turning his head to look, Lu Ye’s soul nearly leapt out of his body as he found that one of his arms had actually be cut off by the attack just now.
What kind of attack was that? Why hadn’t he noticed it sooner? It didn’t seem to ripple with any kind of aura at all, so why was it so powerful?
What frightened Lu Ye even more though was that the wound on his arm and his fallen severed limb obviously didn’t match up. A sliver was missing which made it impossible to simply re-attach his arm. Lu Ye couldn’t understand what had happened.
While Lu Ye was in this state of panic, Yang Kai’s murderous intent soared and he was clearly preparing to take advantage of this opportunity to settle things once and for all, but before he could act, Lu Ye’s figure flickered, transformed into a red light, and quickly vanished.
Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of secret technique Lu Ye used, but by the time he found him again with his Divine Sense, this mysterious enemy was already five kilometres away.
In the Flame Sand Field, where flying was impossible, to traverse five kilometres in an instant was incredible. Whatever secret technique Lu Ye used it was extremely profound, and apparently wasn’t exhausted yet as his aura quickly traversed another three kilometres.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling shocked by the seemingly endless methods Lu Ye displayed while a sense of dread also filled his heart.
He even made use of his Space Blade but still couldn’t cut down this enemy, allowing him to escape. Moreover, Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of artefact that strange black rod was, but just a casual wave of it had forced him to use two drops of Golden Blood to resist.
Origin Grade artefacts didn’t have such power, so the only explanation was that the short black rod Lu Ye used was an Origin King Grade artefact!
Did Flowing Cloud Valley have an Origin King Grade artefact? And how could it possibly have been carried by Lu Ye?
Although Yang Kai didn’t know why Flowing Cloud Valley would make such a decision, he had already made up his mind that he needed to kill Lu Ye while the latter was weakened. If he waited for Lu Ye to recovery, trying to kill him would only become more difficult.
With this in mind, Yang Kai was about to use his Wind and Thunder Wings to pursue Lu Ye when countless yells suddenly reached his ears, each one of them seemingly containing shock and panic.
Naturally these voices were from the elite disciples who were vying for the Red Candle Fruit.
Qu Chang Feng’s voice was filled with wrath while Fang Tian Zhong was shouting for someone or something to stop. Wei Gu Chang was calling out in alarm while Yin Su Die’s sweet voice was filled with shock. Apparently, some kind of serious accident had happened.
Immediately after that, Yang Kai heard a small bang, as if something had broken apart, and a red light actually shot straight from the battlefield towards the spot in the mountain valley where he was standing.
Yang Kai didn’t think much about it and simply reached out to grab whatever it was that was flying towards him because he felt this red streak of light was full of energy but not some kind of attack.
Instantly, Yang Kai felt warmth in his hand and a strong fruity fragrance lingered about his nostrils.
Yang Kai frowned and carefully observed the object he grasped, exclaiming in the next moment, “Red Candle Fruit?”
He hadn’t expected that after giving up any idea of competing for the Red Candle Fruit, this Heaven defying spirit fruit that everyone else was fighting over would simply fall from the sky into his hand.
Of course, the Red Candle Fruit in his hand wasn’t whole and looked as if it had been cut by some kind of weapon. Yang Kai was currently holding about a sixth of the entire Red Candle Fruit.
The tender flesh was exposed to the air and the rich fruity aroma was continuously wafting from it, causing Yang Kai to freeze in place for a while.
A moment later though, Yang Kai returned to his senses and quickly released his Divine Sense to track the movements of the others nearby, but after a quick check, he let out a sigh of relief. He found that these elite disciples were still fighting over the Red Candle Fruit at this moment. Though they weren’t trying to obtain the complete spirit fruit but the scattered pieces of it.
“You dare…” Qu Chang Feng roared angrily, but before he could finish what he was trying to say, he was struck by an attack and closed his mouth. Immediately after, the stern-faced man from Star Emperor Sect withdrew from the battle and in front of everyone’s angry gazes, calmly departed, disappearing soon after.
No one even thought of trying to make him stay. On the one hand, there were still other pieces of the Red Candle Fruit which had not been divided up, and on the other hand, this person was simply too strong, not someone one or two of them could defeat. Now that things had reached this point, who would try to take on such a thankless job? Everyone currently had their eyes set on the cut-up pieces of fruit.
And so, another chaotic scramble began.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai’s heart relaxed. Seeing the Red Candle Fruit’s medicinal efficacy quickly leaking though, Yang Kai once again felt aggrieved and began rummaging through his Space Ring.
This Heaven defying spirit fruit couldn’t be stored in an ordinary jade box, if one wanted to truly maintain its medicinal effects, they needed to use a wooden box.
Fortunately, Yang Kai’s Space Ring had some good Wood Attribute materials and he soon found a piece of Azure Spirit Wood. Using his Saint Qi, Yang Kai fashioned a simple wooden box and then placed the piece of Red Candle Fruit inside it, allowing him to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
If he had known that this would happen, he would have prepared some good quality wooden boxes in advance so he wouldn’t have been so flustered.
Although the wooden box made from Azure Spirit Wood was decent, if the piece of Red Candle Fruit was left in it for too long, its medicinal efficacies would still leak out. Yang Kai needed to find some time to more permanently solve this problem.
But at the moment, he didn’t have time to do so and could only take some stopgap measures.
Unfortunately, after such a delay, his plan to chase down Lu Ye had to be abandoned, because the other party had already escaped from the range of his Divine Sense and it would not be impossible to find where he was hiding.
Outside of the mountain valley, the ownerless pieces of Red Candle Fruit were tossed about in a chaotic fight for some time before they were eventually divided up.
The few who managed to obtain pieces of Red Candle Fruit wore happy smiles while those who didn’t stamped their feet and beat their chests in indignation or sighed constantly as dangerous light flashed across the depths of their eyes. The ones who were worst off, were the eight fresh corpses which littered the battlefield. These corpses were each extremely miserable in appearance and it was impossible to tell just who had killed them in that tangled melee.
The scene had been so chaotic just now, with all kinds of artefact attacks and Martial Skills being tossed about. Everyone was going all out and had no time to pay attention to the situation of others, so although some forces had suffered losses and could still see their dead comrades in front of them, unable to determine who exactly was the one at fault, no one dared take any reckless actions. Those who had suffered losses simply had to choke down their broken teeth while stifling the bitterness in their hearts.
After everyone who had managed to obtain a piece of Red Candle Fruit stuffed it into their Space Ring, as if by prior agreement, they simultaneously rushed over to the mountain valley.
Apparently, they had seen a piece of the Red Candle Fruit fly over to this side and it wasn’t until now that they found time to search for it.
However, the red mist in the mountain valley was quick thick, making it basically impossible to search for anything by sight. As such, everyone began releasing their Divine Sense, but this soon led to one Divine Sense bumping into another, causing muffled snorts to ring out. Soon, everyone began limiting the range they released their over Divine Sense to avoid further conflict.
After searching for half a day, the red mist in the mountain valley had gradually dispersed, but no one was able to find the piece of Red Candle Fruit that had landed here, and everyone was now turning suspicious eyes towards everyone else. They all felt that apart from their own allies, everyone from every other force might have obtained the last piece of Red Candle Fruit and was simply feigning innocence.
Yang Kai couldn’t help cheering. He had still been thinking about how to leave the mountain valley after suddenly obtaining this piece of Red Candle Fruit, but with the red mist steadily clearing up it solved this problem for him. Now that everyone had come down and was searching through the valley, he could easily fish in the muddy waters.
Dai Yuan glanced over at Yang Kai secretly and frowned.
She recalled that Yang Kai was still immersed in his meditation while everyone else was vying for the Red Candle Fruit, so if a piece of it had flown over here, he was the most likely to have obtained it.
However, she didn’t have any conclusive evidence and it was impossible for her to think of betraying Yang Kai now, so she quickly took back her gaze and pretended as if nothing had happened.
Dai Yuan wasn’t the only one to have such doubts about Yang Kai, but no one could determine the truth of the matter, so although some wanted to question Yang Kai, knowing he was together with Wei Gu Chang, no one dared to make rash accusations.
“Ahem, everyone …” Li You Nan of Medicine Pill Sect, with a bitter smile on his face, suddenly stood up, cupped his fists and called out, “Please listen to what I have to say.”
Everyone looked at him. The great forces which had obtained pieces of the Red Candle Fruit wore vigilant expressions while those who hadn’t were completely indifferent; however, all of them wanted to know what Li You Nan was going to say now, so the scene quickly fell silent.
“The Red Candle Fruit is unlike other spirit fruits and cannot be kept in a jade box, and now that it has been cut into several pieces by that bastard, the pieces absolutely cannot be placed into ordinary jade boxes. If they are, the medicinal efficacies of these pieces will quickly leak out and I’m afraid that before you can even leave the Flowing Flame Sand Field, these pieces will have lost all their value and turned into ordinary trash.”
“They can’t be stored in a jade box?” Qu Chang Feng’s face changed slightly as he quickly pulled out a jade box from his Space Ring.
When this jade box appeared, many people suddenly showed greedy looks on their faces as they stared at Qu Chang Feng.
It seemed that being the favoured son of Heaven Battling Union really had good luck. In that chaotic snatching battle, Qu Chang Feng had actually managed to obtain a piece of the Red Candle Fruit.
Fang Tian Zhong, Yin Su Die, and a rough-looking brawny man also wore solemn looks as they all directed their eyes towards Li You Nan intently.
“If it cannot be stored inside a jade box, I assume you know what kind of vessel should be used, correct?” Qu Chang Feng asked politely.
Li You Nan showed a contented expression and nodded lightly, “This Li naturally knows.”
“Please enlighten us, Brother Li!” Fang Tian Zhong slightly cupped his fists.
Li You Nan grinned meaningfully and returned the courtesy, “I wouldn’t dare call it enlightenment, it is only that this Li has studied Alchemy since childhood and knows a little more about pharmacology than average. En, although I don’t mind sharing my knowledge with everyone, in the recent struggle, this Li’s Junior Brothers were seriously injured and some nearly died. As to who’s poisonous hand it was that dealt such blows, this Li has a fairly good idea, but let’s not bring such things up now…”
As he said so, he swept his eyes around, putting on a pompous act.
Everyone present knew what kind of scheme he was up to.
The several elites from Medicine Pill Sect hadn’t obtained anything in this competition, so Li You Nan clearly wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to gain some benefits, otherwise, he wouldn’t be making such a fuss about the injuries his Junior Brothers suffered.
In normal times, no one would dare wound a disciple of Medicine Pill Sect, but just now, in the scramble for the Red Candle Fruit, no one cared which Sect anyone else belonged to. Besides, none of the Medicine Pill Sect disciples had actually died down there and only some of them suffered some small wounds.
What’s more, eight elite disciples had fallen during this struggle, so compared to them, the cultivators from Medicine Pill Sect’s luck was already quite good.
Although they scoffed in their hearts though, no one said anything at this time.
Fang Tian Zhong frowned slightly, but in line with his usual forthright behaviour, he quickly declared, “If Brother Li is willing to inform this Fang of the proper storage method, after the Flowing Flame Sand Field closes, Thunder Typhoon Sect will pay a million Saint Crystals as compensation!”
“A million… heh heh,” Li You Nan chuckled as he turned to look at Fang Tian Zhong and said, “Brother Fang thinks this piece of Red Candle Fruit is only worth one million? If so, then this Li will take his leave!”
“Five million!” Fang Tian Zhong’s look remained unchanged while he directly increased the price he offered by five times.
Li You Nan’s lifted foot dropped as he felt slightly tempted.
This time, his Medicine Pill Sect had failed to snatch the Red Candle Fruit, but if he could collect five million Saint Crystals from each great force that obtained a piece of the Red Candle Fruit, it would still be a great harvest.
What’s more, these cut up pieces of Red Candle Fruit weren’t really Heaven defying treasures anymore.
So at this moment, he was debating whether he should continue trying to raise the price.
While he was thinking though, over on Coloured Glass Sect’s side, Yin Su Die suddenly cast her beautiful eyes towards Dai Yuan and then her red lips wriggled a few times, seemingly saying something to Dai Yuan.
Dai Yuan’s brow furrowed and a look of displeasure appeared on her face, but she still answered back promptly.
The next moment, Yin Su Die’s coquettish face filled with a happy expression as she giggled lightly, “I wish several Senior Brothers good luck in your negotiations, little sister will say goodbye first.”
Saying so, she quickly left together with the other elites from Coloured Glass Sect.
The crowd was stunned, because just now, Yin Su Die had relied on her ribbon-like artefact to snatch a piece of the Red Candle Fruit, yet she had suddenly decided to leave without even obtaining the proper method of preserving it.
But soon, everyone realised what had happened.
Besides Li You Nan, an elite disciple of Medicine Pill Sect, there was also Dai Yuan who was familiar with the handling of spirit herbs! It seemed that Yin Su Die had learned some information from Dai Yuan, allowing her to leave so freely.
Holding such a precious treasure, Yin Su Die naturally didn’t dare to remain in this dangerous place for long.
Immediately, several people began staring at Dai Yuan with burning eyes as they wondered how to obtain the method of preserving the Red Candle Fruit from her.
Seeing this, Li You Nan knew that if he continued to bargain, those five million Saint Crystals would slip through his fingers. In his disgruntled mood just now, he had forgotten about the existence of Dai Yuan, and although this woman was from Coloured Glass Sect, due to some special reasons, she was extremely well versed in spirit herbs and Alchemy so she definitely knew how to properly store the Red Candle Fruit. Pushing down his annoyance, Li You Nan hurriedly nodded to Fang Tian Zhong, “Good, five million. I’ll take Brother Fang at his word!”
Fang Tian Zhong gently nodded, not showing any intention of going back on his word. Li You Nan quickly sent him a few words, after which Fang Tian Zhong thought for a moment before he silently led the rest of Thunder Typhoon Sect’s group away.
On the other side, Qu Chang Feng and the brawny man hesitated for a moment before also communicating with Li You Nan, both of them soon departing with looks of satisfaction on their faces.
“Let’s go too,” Wei Gu Chang grinned. He had also obtained a piece of the Red Candle Fruit. Although Shadow Moon Hall only had two disciples on the scene, him and Dong Xuan’er, their luck had actually been quite good. Originally Wei Gu Chang didn’t have any hope of obtaining anything in this struggle, but when that Star Emperor Sect disciple cut apart the Red Candle Fruit, he was actually close by and had immediately snatched a piece. The entire incident went off smoothly and simply, far easier than everyone else who had to literally kill others to obtain their pieces.
It was as if the bad luck he had been carrying since entering the third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field had suddenly disappeared.
With Dai Yuan and Dong Xuan’er sharing a close relationship, obtaining the method of preserving this piece of fruit wouldn’t be an issue so there was no need for him to bother with Li You Nan.
“Brother Wei, please wait a moment!” Li You Nan saw that Wei Gu Chang intended to leave and hurriedly called out to him.
“What’s wrong? Does Brother Li have some advice?” Wei Gu Chang halted his steps and glanced back with a cold look on his face, secretly condensing his strength as he prepared to take action at any moment.
Seeing Wei Gu Chang look like he was preparing for a fight, Li You Nan immediately realised that the other party had misunderstood his intentions and quickly waved his hands, “Brother Wei doesn’t have to be so nervous. Although this Li and Brother Wei haven’t had many dealings in the past, this Li is not an underhanded person, Brother Wei should know this much.”
Hearing this, Wei Gu Chang slightly relaxed the vigilance on his face and gently nodded, “Brother Li’s manner, this Wei naturally knows, but… heh heh, this place is really not one to remain at for long.”
Saying so, he swept his eyes around seemingly unintentionally. All around, there were cultivators who had gained nothing in this scramble for the Red Candle Fruit, and many of them were staring at Wei Gu Chang, seemingly considering whether or not to act against him.
Seeing this, Li You Nan called out loudly, “Everyone shouldn’t act hastily. If the Red Candle Fruit was still whole, it would be worth fighting over, but now it has been cut into several pieces and Brother Wei has only obtained one portion. Provoking a powerful enemy for something so uncertain is not something anyone here should desire, right?”
Li You Nan speaking up for Wei Gu Chang, dispersing the surrounding danger for him, was something Wei Gu Chang found odd.
“Brother Li, I’ll only ask you this, can that piece of Red Candle Fruit’s medicinal efficacies allow an Origin Returning Realm master to break through to the Origin King Realm?” A young man in a white robe frowned and asked. Atop this youth’s chest was an embroidered white cloud.
This was the sigil of Floating Mist Palace.
“Brother Tang asks a good question,” Li You Nan nodded, “But unfortunately, this Li cannot give a clear answer, because this Red Candle Fruit is something this Li has only ever heard about; this is the first time I have seen it. I believe that even my Sect’s Elders cannot give a precise answer; however, the Red Candle Fruit by itself only provides a possibility to make an Origin Returning Realm master breakthrough, so now that it has been split into several parts, that possibility… I assume this Li doesn’t need to explain any more. Brother Tang should also understand.”
The Floating Mist Palace youth surnamed Tang frowned for a moment before nodding, “I see, goodbye!”
Having said so, he immediately left with the disciples of Floating Mist Palace.
The other cultivators saw Tang Yong of Floating Mist Palace give up on seizing the Red Candle Fruit and after sighing also chose to leave.
Soon, only those from Medicine Pill Sect and Shadow Moon Hall remained in the mountain valley.
Wei Gu Chang looked at Li You Nan with a smile. From beginning to end, he hadn’t said anything, but his expression said enough. He didn’t believe that Li You Nan would help him for no reason, he definitely had some ulterior motive; however, since the other said wasn’t saying anything, Wei Gu Chang wasn’t stupid enough to bring it up himself.
“Now can we have a decent chat, Brother Wei?” Li You Nan looked at Wei Gu Chang with a sense of contentment on his face, seemingly thinking he was quite skilful to be able to send everyone away with just a few words.
“If Brother Li has something to say, please don’t hesitate,” Wei Gu Chang nodded slightly.
“This Li would simply like to ask if Brother Wei has any intention to sell that piece of Red Candle Fruit?” Li You Nan got straight to the point.
“Sell it?” Wei Gu Chang’s eyes narrowed, “Does Brother Li want to buy it?”
“Exactly,” Li You Nan nodded sincerely.
Wei Gu Chang grinned meaningfully, “Didn’t Brother Li just say that this piece of Red Candle Fruit didn’t have nearly as much value as its complete form? I wonder why Brother Li wants to buy such a thing?”
Li You Nan shook his head and said calmly, “Even if the value of this Red Candle Fruit piece is not longer as great as before, it is still part of a Heaven defying spirit fruit that one may not see in ten thousand years. My Medicine Pill Sect has been studying various spirit grasses and spirit medicines for many millennia but now that such a rare opportunity has presented itself, if this Li does not make every effort to seize it, when I return to Medicine Pill Sect, the Elders will surely punish me. If I can buy this piece of Red Candle Fruit from Brother Wei and bring it back to the Sect so the Elders can study it, perhaps it will allow our level of Alchemy to surge. Of course, if Brother Wei is willing to sell this piece of Red Candle Fruit to me, this Li can guarantee that not only will we provide Shadow Moon Hall with enough Saint Crystals as compensation, on behalf of Medicine Pill Sect I can also guarantee that the Elders of the Sect will refine five pills for you for free!”
Wei Gu Chang originally had no intention of agreeing to the transaction, but after hearing the last condition, his expression changed greatly, and he couldn’t immediately refuse.
After all, the effects of the Red Candle Fruit were only rumours, no one knew if they were true. And now, there was even a chance that after being cut apart it was completely useless, but being able to obtain five pills from the Elders of Medicine Pill Sect was a truly valuable opportunity.
These years, the five Elders of Medicine Pill Sect rarely performed Alchemy, and each time they did they charged an enormous price.
Weighing the two options, Wei Gu Chang found it a bit difficult to decide.
But soon, he said, “Brother Li, even if this Wei doesn’t say it, you must know that this is not something I can decide on my own. If you are really intent on buying this piece of Red Candle Fruit for Medicine Pill Sect, I suggest you wait until after the Flowing Flame Sand Field closes to let the Elders of your Medicine Pill Sect come to Shadow Moon Hall to discuss it in person. Anything the two of us say here is irrelevant.”
“Naturally I understand this,” Li You Nan saw that Wei Gu Chang wasn’t flatly refusing and sense that there was room for discussion, so he smiled happily and said, “Since that is the case, after the Flowing Flame Sand Field closes, I’m certain my Sect’s Elders will soon pay your Sect a visit.”
“That would be for the best,” Wei Gu Chang nodded with satisfaction. “If Brother Li doesn’t have anything else to say, this Wei will take his leave first.”
“En, very good!” Li You Nan smiled and withdrew.
After everyone else had left, Li You Nan’s smile gradually receded as he looked towards a certain spot in the mountain valley where a withered body that seemed to have died innumerable years ago lay.
This was, without a doubt, the Junior Brother he had sent to collect the Red Candle Stalk earlier, but now this Junior Brother had clearly suffered a vicious attack and died a miserable death. Worse though, his Space Ring was missing.
Li You Nan’s expression became quite gloomy, but he didn’t mention the matter of this Junior Brother and instead suddenly declared, “Let’s go, we must return to the Sect!”
“Ah? Senior Brother Li, you want to return now? But there’s still two or three months left before the Flowing Flame Sand Field closes,” A female disciple turned to Li You Nan and said with surprise.
“There’s no need for us to remain, the second layer Treasure Area had been completely dug through and the third layer is filled with crisis. I’m afraid that everything good has already been found, so what we must do now report to the Sect about the Red Candle so the Elders can make preparations to visit those Sects to purchase those Red Candle Fruit pieces.”
“En.”
Li You Nan sneered lightly, “Even if the Red Candle Fruit pieces were taken by them, in the end, they will need to ask our Medicine Pill Sect to help them use them. Regarding this kind of treasure, besides our Medicine Pill Sect, no one else knows much about it, so they definitely won’t use it rashly, leaving us an opportunity.”
After hearing what he said, the Medicine Pill Sect disciples who were upset about not being able to seize any benefits here threw away their depressed looks and began smiling broadly again, seemingly rejoicing in their Sect’s power and influence.
A hundred kilometres away from the mountain valley, in a desolate but well-hidden place.
A group of four came to a stop. Naturally, it was Wei Gu Chang, Yang Kai, Dai Yuan, and Dong Xuan’er. After leaving the mountain valley, Wei Gu Chang had been monitoring their surroundings with his Divine Sense constantly, maintaining the highest degree of vigilance he could as they travelled a full hundred kilometres without detecting any signs of pursuit before finally relaxing.
From beginning to end, Dong Xuan’er, Dai Yuan, and Yang Kai had all said nothing and hurried along in silence.
It was only here that Wei Gu Chang stopped, rubbed his Space Ring unconsciously, turned back, and asked, “Brother Yang, what are your plans?”
Instead of Dai Yuan, he first asked Yang Kai, and Yang Kai immediately understood that Wei Gu Chang suspected that he had obtained a piece of the Red Candle Fruit. It was because the two of them were in the same situation now that he was asking.
Of course, Yang Kai didn’t reveal anything in his words or actions. Although he had a favourable impression of Wei Gu Chang, the Red Candle Fruit was too important so acting cautiously was for the best.
Thinking for a while, Yang Kai responded, “I have no definite plans, but I think I’ll try venturing further into the third layer to see if I can find something good.”
“Brother Yang plans to go even deeper?” Wei Gu Chang’s face changed slightly as he felt this idea was quite strange. According to this thought, if Yang Kai really obtained the last piece of the Red Candle Fruit, he would not want to take unnecessary risks like continuing further into the third layer, but Yang Kai actually said he had such intentions.
Not only did Wei Gu Chang find this strange, Dong Xuan’er and Dai Yuan also showed weird expressions.
Yang Kai saw this and knew what they were thinking in their hearts. Maintaining a composed look on his face, he simply said, “No one has ever entered the third layer Flame Area. Even the Heaven defying Red Candle Fruit appeared here, so perhaps further inside there are even better things.”
When Wei Gu Chang heard him say this, most of the suspicions in his heart disappeared and he thought that perhaps Yang Kai hadn’t obtained that last piece of the Red Candle Fruit, allowing him to act so uninhibitedly. Nodding slightly, he said, “Since Brother Yang has made such a decision, this Wei won’t say anymore. I’ll simply wish Brother Yang good luck and fortune! Xuan’er and I won’t remain here any longer, we will be leaving the Flowing Flame Sand Field as soon as possible.”
Wei Gu Chang’s choice didn’t surprise Yang Kai at all. The appearance of the Red Candle Fruit was too big of an incident, and anyone who had a piece of it on them wouldn’t be able to feel relaxed. Wei Gu Chang intended to bring it out from this place quickly and hand it over to the Elders of Shadow Moon Hall. Not only was Wei Gu Chang thinking so, Yang Kai assumed Fang Tian Zhong, Qu Chang Feng, Yin Su Die, and that brawny looking male were also planning on doing so. They wouldn’t even think of entrusting this task to others and would definitely take their pieces of Red Candle Fruit out of the Flowing Flame Sand Field personally.
This was also good news for Yang Kai. With the elites of these Sects leaving, there would naturally be far fewer people left in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, meaning he would face less competition from now on.
“Good, Brother Wei and Sister Xuan’er must surely be careful along the way,” Yang Kai nodded slightly.
Wei Gu Chang nodded before turning to Dai Yuan and asking, “Junior Sister Dai Yuan, how about you?”
“Me?” Dai Yuan smiled, “I didn’t obtain anything good since I came in, so naturally I’m not in a hurry to leave. I want to remain here and see if I can come across some good fortune in the coming days.”
“Since that’s the case, be sure to remain safe,” Wei Gu Chang would certainly not try to persuade Dai Yuan to leave with them.
Dong Xuan’er stepped forward and spoke a few more words to Dai Yuan before leaving together with Wei Gu Chang, both of them hurrying towards the outskirts of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
After the opening of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, one could leave at any point they liked, but ordinarily, no one would do so. After all, even if one’s strength was low, as long as they could find some Fire Spirit Beasts in the first layer Flame Area and kill them, they could harvest some Fire Crystal Stones.
However, the appearance of the Red Candle Fruit this time forced the young geniuses from the most powerful Sects on Shadowed Star to leave in advance, an extremely rare event.
After the figures of Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er disappeared from view, Dai Yuan quietly turned to Yang Kai.
Like Wei Gu Chang, she suspected that Yang Kai had obtained the last piece of the Red Candle Fruit, but now that he had actually chosen to remain here and even travel deeper inside, she wasn’t so sure of her guess.
While thinking about it, she saw Yang Kai suddenly turn to her and say, “Since things here have ended, I’ll be taking my leave. I hope Ms. Dai Yuan is blessed with good fortune in the days to come.”
“Wait!” Dai Yuan called out anxiously; she had never expected that Yang Kai would try to part ways with her so abruptly.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai held no ill will or disgust towards Dai Yuan. Although this woman’s face was unsightly, she was intelligent and pure of heart. During their brief time together, Yang Kai’s impression of her was quite good, but he didn’t know why after he made his intentions to leave so clear she had actually asked for him to stop.
Dai Yuan bit her red lips and a hint of hesitation flashed across her face before she said, “Junior Brother Yang, I also want to continue deeper into the third layer. I wonder if we can go together?”
“You want to travel together with me?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Although he didn’t know much about Dai Yuan, from the first time he met her, he could tell that she was a woman who liked to act alone, possibly as a result of her appearance. As such, Yang Kai had never thought that she would ask to accompany him.
This request made Yang Kai feel a bit awkward.
The reason he wanted to continue deeper into the third layer was to find a suitable place to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, so travelling together with Dai Yuan would interfere with his plans.
Seeing Yang Kai’s hesitant appearance, Dai Yuan also seemed a bit embarrassed, knowing that her proposal had put him in a difficult position; however, her instincts were telling her not to miss this opportunity to travel alone with Yang Kai.
What’s more, she really did want to venture deeper into the third layer. The third layer was very different from the first and second layers, and Dai Yuan wasn’t completely confident she could traverse safely on her own. If she went together with Yang Kai though, the two of them could at least look out for one another, increasing their odds of survival.
Therefore, even if she was embarrassed, Dai Yuan still gazed at Yang Kai with a sincere look while secretly praying that he wouldn’t simply reject her.
She couldn’t even remember the last time she was so anxious, she hadn’t asked anyone for anything in so long, it had always been her making her own decision regarding what she would do or where she would go. She had made up her mind to rely only on herself, but this time, she had to break her own rules.
After a while, Yang Kai’s furrowed brow loosened and with a smile, he nodded, “Alright, sure.”
Hearing this, Dai Yuan also smiled happily as gratitude flashed across her beautiful eyes.
“However, I must make some things clear,” Yang Kai’s expression became serious, “By now, I believe Ms Dai Yuan understands the situation of this third layer. If we really encounter some kind of trap or other danger I cannot handle, the two of us can only try to find our own solutions. If Ms Dai Yuan, unfortunately, falls here, don’t blame me for not helping.”
“Naturally,” Dai Yuan gently nodded, “If we really encounter inescapable fatal danger, it can only be said that this Dai Yuan’s luck is too bad.”
“En,” Seeing her readily agree, Yang Kai was satisfied and said, “One more thing, the reason I want to continue deeper into the third layer is that I have something I must do. When the time comes, I’ll have to separate from you, so we won’t be able to travel together until Flowing Flame Sand Field closes.”
Dai Yuan showed a hint of surprise, but quickly responded, “Does Junior Brother Yang want to use this environment to cultivate some secret technique?”
It was only natural for her to think like this because a similar environment to this place could not be found outside. Yang Kai needing to handle something here was naturally related to cultivation.
“That’s right,” Yang Kai nodded, “If you don’t have any objections, then we can go together.”
“Of course I have no objections,” Dai Yuan agreed. The two points mentioned by Yang Kai weren’t anything unreasonable so there was no reason for her to refuse.
“That being the case, I’ll have to ask Ms Dai Yuan to take care of me in the coming days,” Yang Kai grinned.
“It is this Dai Yuan who must thank Junior Brother Yang for his hospitality.”
After deciding, Yang Kai took out his Yuan Magnetic Compass, checked his directions, then headed deeper into the third layer together with Dai Yuan.
The heat of the third layer was fierce, and Yang Kai needed to constantly push his Saint Qi to resist the invasion of the ambient fire poison. Dai Yuan actually had it easier as her clothes seemed to be some kind of Artefact Armour, so she only needed to slightly activate it in order to create a faint blue halo around her body that would keep the surrounding heat and fire poison away from her.
Along the way, Dai Yuan was continuously shocked. Although from the first time she saw Yang Kai she knew that he had only been using his Saint Qi to resist the surrounding environment and was not wearing any Artefact Armour, witnessing it was still quite startling.
She didn’t know how much Saint Qi Yang Kai had squandered by acting this way, but even after so long he didn’t show the slightest fatigue.
Dai Yuan really wanted to know just how much Saint Qi Yang Kai had stored in his body that could allow him to spend so care-freely.
Fortunately, after walking for a day, Yang Kai proposed that they stop to restore themselves, making Dai Yuan feel he was at least somewhat normal.
Using Saint Qi in this manner yet not requiring a break to restore oneself would have truly been strange. Even though Dai Yuan was only slightly activating her Artefact Armour, she had lost a lot of strength, so even if Yang Kai hadn’t proposed a break, she would have taken the initiative to suggest one.
The two of them quickly found a quiet place and each found a suitable spot to sit in meditation.
Of course, Yang Kai didn’t need to meditate to restore himself. The Saint Qi he was using to resist the heat and fire poison was like a drop in the bucket to him, what he really needed was some time to properly process the Red Candle Fruit piece he had obtained.
Although in the mountain valley he had hastily crafted a Wood Attribute box to preserve the Red Candle Fruit piece, his work at the time had been rushed and somewhat rough so it could not completely ensure that the medicinal efficacies wouldn’t slowly leak. Yang Kai took this opportunity to re-process it.
Two hours later, after handling it properly, Yang Kai left the Red Candle Fruit in his Black Book Space before getting up and walking over towards the spot where Dai Yuan was meditating.
Not long after, Yang Kai arrived in front of Dai Yuan. After this short break to restore herself, Dai Yuan’s condition had improved noticeably. When Yang Kai came over, she opened her eyes as she had detected him. However, instead of saying anything, a hesitant expression appeared on her face, making Yang Kai curious.
“Junior Brother Yang, my restoration pills have been used up, do you have any to spare? I can pay Saint Crystals for them.” As Dai Yuan spoke, a faint twinkle flashed across the depths of her beautiful eyes.
Yang Kai didn’t mind. Although at first, he found it strange that Dai Yuan had used up all her restorative pills, after thinking about it, he realised that she hadn’t anticipated entering the third layer where her consumption had dramatically increased.
Not suspecting anything, Yang Kai immediately took out a bottle of pills from his Space Ring and tossed it over with a light smile, “Don’t bother with the Saint Crystals, it’s just one bottle of pills.”
Dai Yuan caught it and with a look of gratitude nodded, “Then Dai Yuan will thank Junior Brother Yang for his generosity.”
“Alright, let’s continue forward,” Yang Kai said before taking the lead.
After Yang Kai turned around and started walking, Dai Yuan quickly opened the bottle of pills, glanced inside, and after seeing the contents, her tender body couldn’t help trembling as a look of elation filled her face.
When she raised her head and stared at Yang Kai’s back, her beautiful eyes flashed with excitement and enthusiasm. Immediately putting away these pills, without saying a word, she quickly followed after him.
The third layer Flame Area was indeed many times more precarious than the first layer. Although the environments of the two were similar, the dangers lurking in each couldn’t be compared.
When Yang Kai traversed the first layer, with the exception of the strange mountain valley where he was besieged by an unending stream of Fire Spirit Beasts that took some effort to solve, he had basically been able to wander about freely and hadn’t even needed to protect himself with his Saint Qi before he reached the second layer.
However, in the third layer, Yang Kai had to constantly push his Saint Qi to resist the ambient heat and fire poison. Not only that, but the strength of the Fire Spirit Beasts here was also far greater, with Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order ones constantly appearing from the cracks in the ground. Additionally, there were all sorts of strange barriers and Spirit Arrays.
The Fire Spirit Beasts didn’t pose too much threat to Yang Kai and Dai Yuan. As long as their numbers weren’t too large, the two of them could kill these beasts and harvest their Fire Crystal Stones.
However, after witnessing the ancient Spirit Array Wei Gu Chang and his group had fallen into, Yang Kai had been extremely vigilant of any place that seemed dangerous and did not easily dare to enter them. Once Yang Kai discovered such a place, if he could avoid it, he did, if he couldn’t, he would use his Demon Eye of Annihilation secretly to see through its risks.
Along the way, Yang Kai was constantly on guard.
Had it not been for his Divine Eye of Annihilation, this incredible Divine Ability which could see through all illusions, these past few days, he and Dai Yuan would have fallen into at least five ancient Spirit Arrays. These Spirit Arrays were extremely well concealed and were not something Saint King Realm cultivators could handle. If he had fallen into any of these formations, Yang Kai estimated that his fate would be quite miserable.
Because Yang Kai was secretly using his Demon Eye of Annihilation and had brought Dai Yuan safely through these dangerous places, this woman from Coloured Glass Sect hadn’t noticed anything and instead found herself doubting whether this third layer Flame Area was a bit unworthy of its reputation.
Unaware of the surrounding crisis, she simply followed behind Yang Kai in a relaxed manner.
Unfortunately, although the Demon Eye of Annihilation was one of Great Demon God’s supreme Divine Abilities, Yang Kai had only obtained and refined it for his own use after the fact, so it wasn’t omnipotent.
As such, Yang Kai and Dai Yuan fell into an ancient Spirit Array that even Yang Kai failed to notice eventually. When this formation was activated, the surrounding environment changed dramatically, the originally extremely hot area suddenly becoming bitter cold with icy winds howling around them and stinging snow whirling about the sky.
It was the complete opposite of their former environment.
Sharp icicles immediately stabbed towards the pair from all directions and dragons condensed from the harsh winds began appearing in their surroundings, spitting frigid breath filled with wind blades from their mouths. Dealing with this sudden barrage of attacks was quite difficult.
Fortunately, since Yang Kai and Dai Yuan were both Alchemists, one of them originally cultivating a Yang Attribute Secret Art while the other cultivated a Fire Attribute Secret Art, the pair’s Saint Qi was useful in resisting this particular Spirit Array’s attacks.
Even so, it took the two of them three days to break this formation and escape.
In the process, Dai Yuan suffered some injuries, and if Yang Kai had not rescued her at the critical moment, her wounds would have been significantly more serious. In such a place, where just moving about was dangerous, receiving grievous wounds was basically a death sentence.
After this incident, Dai Yuan no longer dared to underestimate the dangers of this third layer and even more carefully followed behind Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had also been injured, but compared with his restorative abilities, such minor wounds weren’t even worth thinking about. After escaping from the ancient Spirit Array, Yang Kai immediately brought Dai Yuan to find a small mountain where he opened up a hidden cave. The two hid inside this cave and, like wounded beasts, silently licked their wounds.
Only three days later did Dai Yuan recover from her injuries and the two set out again.
The various means Yang Kai demonstrated along the way, along with the combat effectiveness he displayed made Dai Yuan thoroughly understand that this First-Order Saint King was completely different from any other she had ever encountered. His true fighting strength wasn’t under hers in the slightest and he possessed many methods that left her in awe, and these were just the methods he was willing to show her.
No wonder the proud Wei Gu Chang was so polite towards him, he likely was aware of just how extraordinary Yang Kai’s abilities were.
Along the way, the pair encountered a number of extremely rare Fire Attribute spirit grasses and spirit medicines.
Whenever they found such a spirit herb, Dai Yuan would volunteer to collect it, displaying excellent harvesting skills and always preserving them in the most optimum way.
He didn’t know why it was so, but Yang Kai discovered that this woman seemed to be very interested in these herbs. After picking each one, she would begin rambling on and on about these spirit herbs’ properties, growing requirements, and uses in pills. She would also talk about condensing medicinal liquids, Alchemy techniques, and auxiliary Spirit Arrays freely, discussing all of these secrets as if she couldn’t wait to share them.
During this time, Yang Kai kept silent and only listened quietly.
Normally, he too would be interested in conversing with Dai Yuan about Alchemy. He could see that this woman was actually knowledgeable in the Alchemic Way, and although she wasn’t on his level, there was no harm in discussing such things with her.
Unfortunately, at this moment, Yang Kai’s mind was entirely focused on refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water and he wasn’t in the mood for idle chatter, so he simply brushed off the opportunity to have an Alchemy exchange with this woman.
Yang Kai’s silence made Dai Yuan feel a little disappointed inside and she even began to doubt whether her previous conjecture was correct. If this wasn’t the case, how could Yang Kai say nothing about these spirit grasses and spirit medicines nor show any excitement?
She even deliberately made some mistakes in her descriptions of these herbs, but Yang Kai never showed any intention to correct her, depressing her further.
Dai Yuan naturally didn’t try to take sole possession of the spirit grasses and spirit medicines she picked. She was well aware that without Yang Kai, it would have been impossible for her to arrive here, so whenever she divided up the harvest, she always took the smaller portion while giving the larger part to Yang Kai.
Regarding this, Yang Kai didn’t try to refuse. He didn’t have a deep relationship with Dai Yuan and was only cooperating with her to penetrate the third layer, so he saw no reason to reject these small benefits.
After the pair travelled ten days into the third layer, Dai Yuan began having difficulty continuing.
The intense heat in the air felt as if someone was constantly launching a Fire Attribute attack towards her tender body. Even with the protection of her Artefact Armour and her pink cloud artefact, Dai Yuan couldn’t help sweating profusely, causing her soaking wet robes to tightly cling to her body, exposing her mesmerising curves.
If not for the pink cloud camouflaging her figure, at this moment, her appearance would be quite indecent. Fortunately, it was only her and Yang Kai in this place, and Yang Kai was always walking in front, never showing any intention of turning his gaze back to her.
Every step forward consumed a tremendous amount of Dai Yuan’s strength and she couldn’t help trembling somewhat as a layer of black Qi lingered about her body.
This black Qi was the fire poison which permeated the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Dai Yuan couldn’t completely resist the fire poison here anymore and was slowly but surely being invaded by it, gradually worsening her situation.
At this point, thoughts of withdrawing began crossing Dai Yuan’s mind and she was beginning to regret travelling this deep into the third layer.
However, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She and Yang Kai had been traversing the third layer for more than ten days already; even if she wanted to retreat now, she wasn’t certain she could do so safely. She was now riding a tiger.
She could only stand firm and continue following behind Yang Kai without saying a word.
Although Yang Kai wasn’t in as poor a state as Dai Yuan, he was also by no means comfortable at this moment. His skin felt as if it was constantly being burned and the waves of heat and fire poison which were constantly pressing down onto him made it feel like he was being crushed by a wave of fire.
If it weren’t for his huge reserves of Saint Qi, Yang Kai would have constantly needed to find a place to restore himself.
As he led the way forward, Yang Kai was constantly using his Divine Sense to monitor Dai Yuan’s movements, so he was well aware of her difficult appearance, but he didn’t rush to help her either.
The environment here was extremely harsh, but by continuing to persist, one could use it to temper the purity and density of their Saint Qi, which was of great benefit to any cultivator.
Helping Dai Yuan to withstand the heat and fire poison here wouldn’t be difficult for Yang Kai, but if by doing so he made her lose an opportunity to become stronger, it would do her more harm than good.
As the pair travelled deeper and deeper, their speed continued to decrease, soon slowing to a virtual crawl as the environment around them became even harsher.
Yang Kai’s eyes gradually showed some excitement though because what he needed now was an extremely hot environment, so the worse things got, the better.
After observing his surrounding carefully, Yang Kai secretly estimated that as long as he continued forward another five days, he would be able to find a place where he could begin refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
The only troublesome thing now was what he should do with the woman following behind him.
Yang Kai hadn’t expected that after travelling this far, he had still not found a suitable place to separate from Dai Yuan and abandoning her now would be tantamount to killing her.
It seemed that now his best option would be to find an appropriate place nearby for Dai Yuan to stay while he refined the Profound Yin Sunflower Water. As long as the place he found was safe enough, it shouldn’t be a problem for Dai Yuan to stay there until the Flowing Flame When Sand Field closed and she was sent out by the World Principles here.
Just as Yang Kai was thinking like this, a weak shout suddenly came from Dai Yuan behind him. Yang Kai swept her with his Divine Sense and his complexion changed greatly, his body flickering to arrive by her side in the next instant.
This woman was truly an arrow at the end of its flight; the Saint Qi in her body had completely dried up to the point where she couldn’t even activate the protective effects of her Artefact Armour. The moment her Artefact Armour’s aura failed, a wave of heat had rushed in and overwhelmed her.
If Yang Kai hadn’t acted swiftly enough just now, Dai Yuan would have been instantly incinerated.
Dai Yuan couldn’t hold out any longer, and after Yang Kai picked her up, her beautiful eyes only blinked weakly before she fainted without a word.
She had overexerted herself to such an extent!
Yang Kai couldn’t help letting out a wry laugh. He hadn’t examined Dai Yuan’s condition too carefully before, thinking that since she was still persisting, she hadn’t been pushed to her limit, so he kept walking forward.
If he had known her situation was this dire, he would have acted a while ago.
Dai Yuan’s body was incredibly soft and had an amazing elasticity to it. A seductive aroma also wafted from her body and, having fainted, the pink cloud artefact she was using to shield herself had also disappeared, exposing her soaking wet figure to Yang Kai’s eyes, causing him to feel a different kind of heat.
If not for the issues with her face, this woman would absolutely be a great source of calamity!
Shaking his head slowly, Yang Kai pushed his Saint Qi to form a defensive cover, protecting Dai Yuan’s body as he carried her and continued deeper into the third layer.
….…
Dai Yuan woke up slowly, but before she had even opened her eyes, she felt an incredible World Energy aura surrounding her body. Her body’s Saint Qi, which had originally been depleted, seemed to have been greatly restored at this moment and there was a fresh, pleasant scent with a hint of medicinal fragrance that was drifting past her nose.
“Purple Fine Jade Fruit!” Dai Yuan’s heart jumped. From this medicinal fragrance alone, she was immediately able to determine the source of the aroma. Opening her eyes quickly, she began taking in her surroundings.
Her beautiful eyes were immediately attracted to a bunch of purple, grape-like spirit fruits that were hanging from a kind of vine wrapped around a nearby tree. On this vine, there were actually several bunches of purple grapes, all of them sending out a rich fragrance.
“They’re not mature yet…” Dai Yuan showed a little disappointment. Purple Fine Jade Fruits were a genuine Origin King Grade Low-Rank spirit fruit. If they were mature, they would be giving off a rich purple light and look like of exquisite pieces of amethyst. Whether they were used in Alchemy or eaten directly, they were of great benefit to cultivators.
The rarest thing about this spirit fruit though was that it grew in clusters just like ordinary grapes.
So the moment she smelled this aroma, Dai Yuan immediately awakened; after all, this was a very rare treasure.
Taking a closer look, Dai Yuan suddenly found that there were traces of some grape clusters having been picked recently. After thinking about it, Dai Yuan immediately understood that it these had been harvest by Yang Kai. Thinking so, she also remembered how she had suddenly passed out.
Turning her head, Dai Yuan found Yang Kai standing not far from herself; however, for some reason she couldn’t understand, his expression seemed a little gloomy. He seemed to be quite disgruntled, and his brow was furrowed deeply, as if he was deep in thought, not even having realised she had woken up.
“Junior Brother Yang!” Dai Yuan slowly got up and called out.
“You’re awake,” Yang Kai turned his head and the gloomy look on his face converged a lot; however, his brow didn’t fully relax.
“Where is this…” Dai Yuan looked around suspiciously at her lush and verdant surroundings while breathing in the beautiful and refreshing spring-like air. In the distance, she could see a seemingly unending mountain range whose peaks towered up into the clouds. These clouds, however, weren’t ordinary clouds but were extremely rich and condensed World Energy. Just looking at it made one thing that they were standing on the site of a great Sect.
Dai Yuan was incredibly startled. The place where her Coloured Glass Sect was based was also a great paradise, but compared to the environment she was now seeing, it was completely inferior.
If a force was really to set up its foundation here, when its disciples cultivated, just how great of an advantage from this land would they acquire?
Was there really such a paradise in this world? Looking at the mountains, there seemed to be no trace of human activity, which meant that this place was essentially untouched.
Only when Dai Yuan looked up did she realised that the sky was still covered with a layer of red light that blocked out the sun, moon, and stars, a fact which made her feel somewhat puzzled.
“There’s no need to suspect, we’re still inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field,” Yang Kai said softly.
Dai Yuan frowned and seemed to understand something, asking, “Did we return back to the second layer?”
“Second layer?” Yang Kai glanced at her for a moment before a smile spread across his face as he shook his head, “No, this is the fourth layer!”
“What?” Dai Yuan called out in alarm, “The fourth layer?”
“Yup, the fourth layer Treasure Area!” Yang Kai’s said in a much more solemn tone.
“Ah…” Dai Yuan couldn’t help covering her delicate mouth. After recovering from her initial shock, her beautiful eyes trembled violently and she unconsciously murmured, “There really is a fourth layer Treasure Area…”
Yang Kai tilted his head and asked, “Did you know there was such a place?”
Dai Yuan gawked before shaking her head, “I didn’t, but I had some suspicions. Since there was a first layer Flame Area and a second layer Treasure Area, then after the third layer Flame Area, perhaps there would be a fourth layer Treasure Area. This situation just confirms my previous thoughts.”
Yang Kai heard her say this and simply nodded lightly.
Not only did Dai Yuan have such suspicions before, he also had them, but when Yang Kai really set foot here, his mood became extremely complicated.
Unlike Dai Yuan’s excitement and joy, as if she had just discovered a brand-new horizon, Yang Kai actually felt disappointed after his initial surprise.
Because he failed to obtain the environment he wanted most!
After Dai Yuan passed out a few days ago, Yang Kai had carried her as he continued forward, but just as the hot environment around him was about to meet his requirements, he stepped straight through the barrier separating the third layer and the fourth layer.
At first, Yang Kai also felt that arriving at such a good place wasn’t such a bad thing and began searching around for treasures; after all, he wasn’t in too much of a rush to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
But he was soon very disappointed because precious treasures and spirit herbs seemed to be extremely rare in the fourth layer; after searching for several days, the only thing of note he found was the Purple Fine Jade Fruit that had two ripe clusters.
This in turn made him feel enraged, as if he had been tricked or deceived.
Failing to find the environment he was looking for and with precious treasures being so sparse here, it would be strange if Yang Kai was feeling happy.
The only thing that pleased him was that after arriving here, he could finally part ways with Dai Yuan. Making up his mind, Yang Kai said, “Ms. Dai Yuan, I’ve checked the surrounding area over the past few days, there doesn’t seem to be any trace of Monster Beasts or Spirit Arrays, so it is quite safe.”
Dai Yuan paused for a moment, took in what he said, then smiled lightly, “Does Junior Brother Yang want to act alone?”
“En,” Having his thoughts seen though, Yang Kai didn’t try to avoid the subject.
“Is that so…” Dai Yuan gently nodded, “Alright, then I’ll stay here and search for spirit herbs. Since this place is so safe, Dai Yuan won’t trouble Junior Brother Yang any further.”
“Don’t mention it. En, then I will part ways with Ms. Dai Yuan here, I hope you find what you’re looking for,” Yang Kai said before walking off.
It wouldn’t be long before the Flowing Flame Sand Field closed, so he had to pick up his pace.
Just after he set out though, Dai Yuan suddenly shouted, “Junior Brother Yang!”
“Is there something else?” Yang Kai asked back.
Dai Yuan bit her lip before saying with a slight smile, “In the future, Dai Yuan would like to pay you a visit to properly express her gratitude, would Junior Brother Yang be willing to welcome me?”
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed for a moment before it relaxed and he calmly nodded, “Naturally, you can ask Wei Gu Chang about how to find me.”
“Good,” Seeing Yang Kai agree, Dai Yuan smiled and seemingly relaxed.
“That’s right.” Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and added, “Although the disciples from the great Sects should have all left already so none of them should be trying to reach this fourth layer, you should still be careful of that guy from Star Emperor Sect, I feel he might come here.”
“That man…” The image of the stern-faced man floated up in Dai Yuan’s mind and she said lightly, “If it’s that person, there’s nothing to worry about. The people from Star Emperor Sect never take the initiative to cause trouble. As long as I don’t disturb him, he shouldn’t concern himself with me.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and said no more, his image flickering for a few moments before disappearing from Dai Yuan’s view as it plunged into the rolling mountains.
“Why does he want to go deeper?” Dai Yuan waited until Yang Kai had left before mumbling to herself thoughtfully, “It seems that the secret technique Junior Brother Yang wants to cultivate is quite extraordinary.”
With her intelligence, Dai Yuan was naturally able to see that Yang Kai wanted to travel deeper to see if there was a fifth layer Flame Area. Even the third layer’s environment had failed to meet his requirements so he could only pin his hopes on there being a fifth layer.
Standing in place for a while, Dai Yuan couldn’t help smiling bitterly.
She had always felt that she was quite talented, and even if she couldn’t quite match up to Fang Tian Zhong, Qu Chang Feng, or the other young rising stars, she was still far stronger than an ordinary Third-Order Saint King. But now, compared with Yang Kai, she finally realised she had been sitting in a well staring up at the sky.
In this world, there actually existed such astonishing geniuses.
There was also the man from Star Emperor Sect who was an extraordinary existence. During the fight to snatch the Red Candle Fruit, Dai Yuan had felt frightened every time that stern-faced man acted, his combat effectiveness was simply terrifying.
Dai Yuan really wondered which one of these two would be stronger if they were to compete.
Across the rolling mountains, Yang Kai raced forward like a bolt of lightning. Although he was still suppressed by an inexplicable World Principle here and could not fly, without Dai Yuan slowing him down, he was able to use his Wind and Thunder Wings to dramatically increase his pace.
He didn’t have any intention to remain in the fourth layer. Although he knew that there might be some rare spirit grasses and spirit medicines here, it would be too time-consuming to find them.
Yang Kai wanted to quickly see if there was a fifth layer Flame Area. If there was, his primary objective for coming here could be achieved.
The mountain range here was enormous, and as Yang Kai raced through them, he could feel that the World Energy aura here was rich to an incredible degree, denser than any other Cultivation Star he had ever visited before, even faintly comparable to that of the hidden floating continent.
Clouds drifted between the mountain peaks like giant snow-white cotton balls.
Comparing this place to Dragon Cave Mountain, it was like the difference between Heaven and Earth.
Yang Kai’s eyes couldn’t help flashing with shock and desire, secretly thinking that if not for the Flowing Flame Sand Field being one of the Forbidden Zones of the Shadowed Star, this mountain range alone would be enough for all the great Sects on the star to fight a bloody war for.
Which of these great Sects wasn’t located on a cultivation paradise? Each of their headquarters would be established above a large-scale Earth Vein. Only such an Earth Vein could ensure a steady stream of World Energy for disciples to rapidly cultivate and allow a Sect to endure for thousands of years.
For example, as far as Yang Kai knew, beneath Nine Heavens Holy Land’s nine peaks in Tong Xuan Realm, there was a large Earth Vein which allowed its ambient World Energy aura to be so rich.
Soaring Heaven Sect was the same. Beneath its one hundred and eight peaks lay a vast Earth Vein.
The Ancestral Founder of any Sect would not choose to set down roots in a place devoid of World Energy. The first condition for choosing where to establish a Sect would be the existence of an Earth Vein, and the higher the quality it was, the better.
The rolling mountains Yang Kai was currently traversing would definitely be an ideal place to establish a Sect. As long as one allowed disciples of their Sect to cultivate in this paradise, they would grow far faster than ordinary cultivators.
Yang Kai was certain there was more than one peak-level Earth Vein running below this mountain range.
Unfortunately, this was inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, a place on accessible once every several hundred years for half a year, no one could establish a Sect here as no one could remain here for an extended period of time.
This reality made Yang Kai sigh with regret.
Although he was currently all alone, he had many friends and relatives back in Tong Xuan Realm. If one day he could go back and bring them out into the Star Field, this mountain range would be an excellent place to settle down. Of course, he would first need to have enough strength to protect this place, otherwise, it would only draw the calamity of extermination to him.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai put aside such thoughts from his mind and concentrated on rushing forward.
The mountains here were pristine and untouched, without even any birds or beasts. It seemed that in this fourth layer, the only living creature was Yang Kai.
Also, as he expected, even if there were spirit grasses and spirit medicines in this place, they were extremely rare, because as he ran forward, he never encountered any spirit herbs or even caught a whiff of medicinal fragrance in the air.
Ten days after Yang Kai entered this mountain range, as he was continuing to hurry along, he suddenly came to a stop, frowned, and listened carefully, his expression changing greatly a moment later.
He actually heard some loud noises coming from somewhere up ahead.
Had someone else arrived here even before him? A certain stern-faced man’s image flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as he secretly guessed whether he had entered this place.
The sounds Yang Kai heard didn’t seem to be a result of battle, but rather someone constantly bombarding something. The violent energy fluctuation which spread out from up ahead carried great momentum with him even across a great distance.
Yang Kai immediately became curious. Since he entered this mountain range ten days ago, he hadn’t encountered anything of note, so someone in front of him making such wild movements naturally drew his attention.
Concealing his aura, Yang Kai quietly proceeded forward to see what was going on.
Although Yang Kai didn’t cultivate any kind of concealment technique, his Divine Sense was extremely powerful so as long as he shielded himself from outside perceptions with it, assuming the cultivation of a different party wasn’t too high, they shouldn’t be able to discover him.
As he quietly crept closer towards the source of the sound, Yang Kai was able to feel how terrifying the strength of this person was.
After advancing about ten kilometres, Yang Kai’s steps came to a halt as he stared towards the front with a look of shock.
A thousand meters in front of him, the disciple from Star Emperor Sect stood straight like a sword with a stern look upon his face. It was without a doubt the man who cut the Red Candle Fruit into several portions in front of everyone’s eye and at this moment, an astonishing Saint Qi aura was pulsing from his body. Yang Kai didn’t know what secret technique he used to do it, but this stern-faced man’s body was currently suspended a meter or so above the ground and his muscular frame was shaking slightly, his face extremely red as he madly poured his Saint Qi into a silver spear that he was stabbing fiercely towards the space in front of him.
However, what surprised Yang Kai weren’t the shocking methods this man was using.
While his methods were truly good, his silver spear seemed to multiply every time he stabbed it forward, each spear image carrying with it the power and momentum of a true flood dragon. If he were to face such a violent storm of attacks, Yang Kai had to admit that he could only try to dodge, otherwise, he would suffer no simple flesh wound.
But the space in front of this man seemed to have an invisible barrier, one that was completely blocking all the giant silver spear strikes. In the air, only faint ripples could be seen as they constantly spread out, neutralising all of these spear attacks with ease.
[Barrier! No, a Sect Defending Array!] Yang Kai heart jumped.
He had once served as the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, and when Nine Heavens Holy Land was being besieged by powerful enemies, he had personally opened the Sect Defending Array which protected the nine peaks, so at this moment it was easy for him to tell what exactly he was looking at.
There was actually a Sect Defending Array in this wild mountain range where there were neither insects nor birds! And this Sect Defending Array was incredibly powerful. No matter how the stern-faced man from Star Emperor Sect attacked it, this barrier remained completely motionless and showed no signs of being damaged.
Yang Kai was startled.
The Flowing Flame Sand Field had existed for at least tens of thousands of years, and since it came into being, no one had stepped into its third layer and lived. The same was obviously true for the fourth layer and fifth layer, which could only mean that this Sect Defending Array had remained here, in this state, for at least a few tens of thousands of years.
If this Sect Defending Array’s defensive capabilities were still this strong after tens of thousands of years, it was difficult to image just how powerful it would have been all those eons ago.
Why was there a Sect Defending Array here though? This kind of thing was generally arranged by a Sect with massive human and financial resources.
Yang Kai’s gaze left the Star Emperor Sect disciple’s back and looked further ahead, his eyes narrowing as soon as they did.
Among the distant mountains, there were even denser white clouds and countless Spirit Mountains that were being shielded by this Sect Defending Array. Although Yang Kai wasn’t able to clearly see these peaks or their surroundings, he could see faint outlines of seemingly grand buildings and magnificent palaces through the rolling fog.
However, after looking more carefully, Yang Kai found that there was nothing there aside from this, only a continuous sea of clouds out of which the corners of some buildings would occasionally peak.
[There really was a Sect here!]
Just as Yang Kai was lamenting that this place could not be used to establish the foundation of a Sect, he discovered a Sect already existed amongst these rolling mountains, filling his heart with amazement.
Who could build a Sect in such a place though? What kind of people lived inside?
However, after thinking about it, Yang Kai vaguely felt something was wrong. This disciple from Star Emperor Sect was raising such a ruckus, so if there were anyone inside, they wouldn’t just stand by and watch.
It seemed that no one was occupying the Sect, it was just a ruin!
After understanding this point, Yang Kai’s heart clenched.
If this was truly an ancient Sect ruin and judging from the vague jade palaces that could occasionally be seen, a fairly intact one, if one could enter, they may be able to find countless treasures.
Anyone who could establish a Sect in this kind of place, and arrange such a profound Sect Defending Array, was not some obscure existence, how could there not be many wondrous treasures left inside?
“Who’s there?” A low shout suddenly rang in Yang Kai’s ears, waking him from his daze and at the same time shaking his Knowledge Sea, as if it had been struck by a sharp sword.
Yang Kai’s expression became cold and he quickly urged his Spiritual Energy to resist this attack that was trying to break open his Knowledge Sea’s defence. At the same time, his figure flickered and he disappeared from where he was standing, appearing again several dozen meters away in the next instant.
“Hmm?” The stern-faced man from Star Emperor Sect had stopped his attacks at some point and fallen to the ground, still holding his silver spear as he stared at Yang Kai in amazement.
Yang Kai laughed bitterly to himself, knowing that because he became a bit excited just now after discovering these Sect ruins, he had revealed himself.
Now that he had been discovered, Yang Kai didn’t bother trying to conceal himself and stepped out boldly. In any case, he didn’t have any malicious intentions towards this guy so there was no need for him to feel embarrassed.
“It’s you!” The Star Emperor Sect disciple called out in surprise. He had seen Yang Kai twice so far, once in the stalactite cave, and once during the Red Candle Fruit incident, but from beginning to end he had not realised just how deeply Yang Kai had hidden his strength. The Divine Sense attack he had just used was resolved by the other party with ease, demonstrating just how strong he was.
This made the stern-faced man re-examine Yang Kai, trying to see if he had hidden his cultivation realm.
However, what shocked the stern-faced man was that no matter how he probed, he couldn’t detect any trace of Yang Kai concealing his cultivation. It seemed that the other party really was just a First-Order Saint King.
After realising this though, he didn’t delve into it any deeper. He came from Star Emperor Sect, and was a rarely seen genius, so even if Yang Kai really was hiding his cultivation, he wouldn’t fear him, not to mention that this person might have cultivated some special concealing technique or be wearing a strange artefact that gave the illusion of him being a First Order Saint King.
He didn’t want to believe that Yang Kai really was just a First Order Saint King.
“Friend shouldn’t misunderstand!” Yang Kai knit his brow, “I simply heard some noise coming from here and came to take a look.”
Yang Kai explaining himself wasn’t because he was afraid of this stern-faced man, but rather because this man seemed like someone not to be provoked easily. Yang Kai was unwilling to get into a fight with him over some small misunderstanding.
To his surprise though, the other party just gently nodded, the vigilance on his face relaxing significantly, without showing any aggressive intent. This man even withdrew his silver spear.
Without asking anything else, the stern-faced man suddenly inquired, “What’s your name?”
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before reporting his name.
“Leng Qing!” The other party responded in kind.
Yang Kai frowned inadvertently. He didn’t believe that the other party would try to learn his name for no reason. This man had never said a word when facing Fang Tian Zhong, Qu Chang Feng, or anyone else, he was the type of Heaven blessed genius that wouldn’t put anyone in his eyes; however, he had actually introduced himself here, causing Yang Kai to become slightly vigilant.
Taking another glance towards the Sect Defending Array as well as the indistinct buildings inside, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed even deeper.
Sure enough, just as he was worried, the man named Leng Qing asked, “Are you interested in joining forces to break this Sect Defending Array?”
“Sorry, I’m not interested!” Yang Kai shook his head without hesitation.
Leng Qing was somewhat startled, seemingly not having thought someone in this world would actually reject his proposal. On top of that, was there really someone who could be so indifferent facing this kind of Sect ruins?
After his thoughts turned for a moment, Leng Qing said lightly, “Do you think the two of us have no chance of breaking this Shield Array?”
“Exactly, I don’t think there’s much hope, so I don’t want to waste my energy,” Yang Kai nodded frankly. When this guy had been attacking earlier, Yang Kai had also observed the Sect Defending Array’s response and fully realised how extraordinary it was. Additionally, this was just the outermost layer of this defensive array. Leng Qing’s fierce attacks just now hadn’t even been able to shake this barrier so Yang Kai didn’t believe him joining the effort would make a difference.
Of course, if he didn’t hesitate to use ten or twenty drops of Golden Blood all at once to create a massive explosion, it might be possible to break this kind of barrier.
But so, what if they could break this first layer?
Yang Kai was well aware that beyond this outer layer there were definitely more, and the further one penetrated, the more dangers they would encounter. Yang Kai wasn’t confident he could overcome all these barriers and even if he could, he didn’t want to spend the time doing so.
A Sect Defending Array that had remained intact for tens of thousands of years was not something to trifle with.
That was why he flatly rejected Leng Qing’s proposal without any hesitation.
“Why do you think I can’t break it?” What surprised Yang Kai though, was that this man who always wore an indifferent expression suddenly seemed to be annoyed when Yang Kai spoke so bluntly, a dangerous aura even slowly welling up from his body.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed, and he said coldly, “If you think you can break it open, feel free to do so. I’ll take my leave.”
Saying so, he turned around and left, a moment later disappearing into the forest.
Leng Qing stared at the disappearing back of Yang Kai, his expression somewhat tight. He didn’t know why, but this cultivator named Yang Kai didn’t seem anxious or fearful in the slightest when facing him. On top of that, Yang Kai gave him a somewhat dangerous feeling. Although this feeling only appeared for a moment, it was enough to put Leng Qing on alert.
This feeling only appeared when he was confronting truly powerful people; did that mean this Yang Kai had the ability to wound him?
Shaking his head, Leng Qing no longer thought about this matter and simply made a note to himself to ask the old monsters back on Star Emperor Mountain about if there was some powerful master in this world that could cultivate such a strange disciple.
After Yang Kai ran out twenty kilometres or so, he heard a loud rumbling sound from behind him. Apparently, the man named Leng Qing was attacking the Sect Defending Array again.
If others were willing to engage in such fruitless activities, Yang Kai wouldn’t stop them; in any case, the two of them had nothing to do with one another.
Originally, Yang Kai had reminded Dai Yuan to be careful if she encountered this cultivator called Leng Qing, but now it seems those worries were superfluous. As long as Leng Qing was attacking the Sect Defending Array here, it would basically consume all his remaining time. Dai Yuan on the other hand, who was searching for spirit herbs, wouldn’t stupidly come over and disturb Leng Qing.
Because of the obstruction of this Sect Defending Array, Yang Kai had to make a long detour. Occasionally glancing inside it, Yang Kai confirmed that all he could see were some blurry traces of buildings among the many Spirit Peaks.
Ten days later, Yang Kai was still able to feel the existence of the Sect Defending Array, filling his heart with shock.
The range cover by this Sect Defending Array had to at least be several thousand kilometres, which meant that this entire region was the extent of this ancient sect. It was conceivable just how astonishing this Sect had been tens of thousands of years ago and just how many disciples belonged to it.”
However, such a massive Sect was now completely empty, an extremely strange matter.
Along the way, Yang Kai didn’t have any gains, but after ten days, he finally managed to circumvent the area covered by the Sect Defending Array.
At the same time, on the horizon, Yang Kai spotted a faint red glow.
When these rays of light reached his eyes, Yang Kai’s spirits lifted greatly, and he couldn’t stop himself from grinning.
His guess had been right, at the deepest depths of this fourth layer there really was a fifty layer!
And that fifth layer was another Flame Area.
Yang Kai really couldn’t figure out what this Flowing Flame Sand Field was. After the passing through the first layer Flame Area, there was a treasure area, then another flame area, and so on and so forth. Thinking about it, if one were to look down from high above, they would probably see the Flowing Flame Sand Field as three broad, distinct, concentric flaming rings someone had tossed onto the ground.
Thinking so, Yang Kai’s heart jumped.
If this was really the case, then there should also be a sixth layer.
After gawking for a moment, Yang Kai couldn’t help chuckling. He hadn’t even reached the fifth layer yet, much less traversed it, yet he was already wondering about a sixth layer.
If possible, Yang Kai wanted to investigate his hypothesis, but the time he had left was somewhat short.
The further one went into the Flowing Flame Sand Field, the less space there was to move around in, and after just two days, Yang Kai found himself standing in front of the bright red barrier to the fifth layer.
Even before he entered it, Yang Kai could feel the oppressive heat in front of him and understood that it was incomparable to that of the third layer.
Yang Kai was delighted and, with a dignified expression, pushed his Saint Qi to form a protective cover over his body before stepping forward.
In just one step, Yang Kai seemed to have stepped into another world. Inside this place, fierce heatwaves crashed towards him from all directions. The Fire Attribute energy here was so dense it actually condensed into a physical substance, winding around Yang Kai’s body like a million tiny snakes.
In an instant, Yang Kai felt a stinging pain all over his skin. His entire body seemed to be on fire, and even the Saint Qi he was using to guard himself seemed to show signs of boiling.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed, and he hurriedly condensed a layer of Demonic Flame around himself.
However, even his Demonic Flames couldn’t completely resist the invasion of the ambient heat and the tiny snake-like fire auras fiercely fought against it, taking Yang Kai’s body as a battlefield, one side trying to invade, the other trying to block. An extremely fierce struggle ensued.
The Saint Qi in his meridians was literally flooding out of his pores, shocking Yang Kai greatly. Quickly pulling out two High-Rank Saint Crystals, Yang Kai held one in each hand and began rapidly absorbing energy from them.
With this rate of consumption, if he didn’t constantly supplement himself, the Saint Qi inside his body would soon run dry, and once it was exhausted, he would have to burst a drop of Golden Blood, transforming it back into Saint Qi.
On this trip to the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Yang Kai had used several drops of Golden Blood, and realising its great power, he naturally didn’t want to waste it if there was another option.
Lifting his foot, Yang Kai stepped forward again, increasing his output of Saint Qi as he proceeded deeper into the fifth layer. The Saint Crystals in his hand were constantly being changed, and in just half a day, he had consumed over ten thousand of them, transforming them all into dust.
Only his intrepid physique could support such unscrupulous absorption of Saint Crystal energy, other cultivators with weaker physical bodies and meridians would have exploded themselves with such reckless actions.
His previously prepared restorative pills finally came in handy at this moment.
Yang Kai even used his Myriad Drug Liquid which had long sat idle in his Black Book Space.
Although this kind of consumption was extremely terrifying, Yang Kai wasn’t panicked at all. Even if he somehow ended up exhausting all of his Golden Blood, he could borrow power from the Divine Tree. The Divine Tree was still sleeping right now though as it was in the process of evolving, so unless absolutely necessary, Yang Kai didn’t want to disturb it.
A day later, Yang Kai was forced to stop.
Although the farther one went, the hotter the environment became and the more helpful it would be for him with refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, he had all but reached his limit. If he ventured any further, even he would be in danger.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow for a while and was just about to find a nearby place to start refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water when he heard a rumbling sound and felt the earth shudder violently.
Yang Kai’s face sank and, standing perfectly still, he ignored the damage he would suffer by doing so and released his Divine Sense to investigate his surroundings.
When Yang Kai extended his Divine Sense beyond his body, it was immediately distorted by the extreme temperatures, and although he only spread it out for a moment, his Divine Sense was still burned slightly.
This made Yang Kai’s expression contort in pain, but fortunately his Divine Sense was extremely powerful and with the Soul Warming Lotus constantly nourishing his Soul, this bit of damage could be ignored.
During his brief investigation, Yang Kai was able to locate a certain landmark several thousand meters away from his current position. Looking over in that direction, all he could see was a horrifying red eruption of heat coming from the ground. This burst of heat soared up into the sky like a soaring dragon and seemed as if it would burst through the red curtain covering the sky, but the Flowing Flame Sand Field’s barrier seemed able to perfectly disperse this wave of heat, scattering it evenly across its surface at the moment of impact.
An extremely pure Fire Attribute energy was being released from the place where the heat wave had appeared, and it wasn’t long before it swept across Yang Kai’s position. At once, the sand and stones in the fifth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field were blown away by this heat shockwave.
Yang Kai’s heart clenched as he stood in place and waited until this eruption finally subsided before arduously heading over towards its source.
After two full hours, Yang Kai managed to traverse the thousand-meter distance and found himself staring at a huge pit, his expression filled with doubt and uncertainty.
This was a massive hole in the ground, and standing at its edge and looking down, all Yang Kai was able to see was dark red lava that seemed to be flowing about like water. At this moment, while still roiling, had no semblance of its previous explosive ferocity. The Fire Attribute aura which escaped from the depths of this hole was quickly mixing with the air of the fifth layer and strengthening its ambient heat little by little.
Occasionally, some gravel would fall into this pit and disintegrate upon contact with the lava, making it clear just how terrifyingly hot it was.
It looked like a volcanic crater, but it was clearly not a volcano, because this giant hole was on flat ground and no magma was erupting from it.
Moreover, Yang Kai was keenly aware that there seemed to be countless tunnels extending out in all directions beneath this pit. Every now and then, one could even hear what sounded like regular breathing coming from down below.
The gears in Yang Kai’s mind started to turn and he soon blurted out a name, “Earth Lung Fire Pond?”
After speaking, Yang Kai was instantly stunned, seemingly unable to believe what he was looking at.
An Earth Lung Fire Pond was an extremely rare subterranean fire vein and it was the most prized geographical formation for Artifact Refiners. When an Artifact Refiner was engaged in their craft, they could take advantage of this underground fire vein’s extreme heat to help them temper and purify materials, saving them a great deal of time and energy.
However, there were very few Sects that could possess an Earth Lung Fire Pond. Yang Kai had not had much contact with many Sects on Shadowed Star and naturally didn’t know much about their secrets or heritage but he was fairly certain that on this star, there were absolutely not more than three Sects which possessed an Earth Lung Fire Pond for Artifact Refining.
One of the most recognizable characteristics of an Earth Lung Fire Pond was the faint breathing sound it gave off, as if it were a pair of lungs contracting and releasing air, making it easy for Yang Kai to recognize it at a glance.
Judging from the purity of the Fire Attribute aura being released from the Earth Lung Fire Pond in front of me, it was definitely of the highest quality. Any Artifact Refiner who worked here would be able to completely display their skills and maximize their efficiency, refining artifacts they wouldn’t usually be able to while greatly enhancing their final product’s might.
Many thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as he stared down in pleasant surprise.
Although he couldn’t take this Earth Lung Fire Pond away with him, it was without a doubt the best place for him to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water. He hadn’t been expecting to come across such a perfectly location. Originally, Yang Kai was planning to simply find a nearby spot where the heat was especially high to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, but now he decided to take at what was down below here first.
Although it was dangerous to dive into such a place, the great the danger, the greater the reward. If a cultivator wanted to advance, they couldn’t fear danger.
Considering all this, Yang Kai’s expression became firm but he also didn’t dare act recklessly. Pushing his Demonic Flames to their maximum, Yang Kai also took out his purple shield and used it to create a purple light halo and a miniature sandstorm around his body.
He didn’t stop here though. Yang Kai freely spend his Saint Qi to condense several dozen Grand Heavenly Shields around his body as well.
Only after completing these preparations did he take a deep breath and jump into the pit.
Mid-air, Yang Kai’s expression turned extremely solemn as he swiftly glanced around. Finding a good foothold in a certain potion, his figure flickered and he quickly descended to reach a rocky outcropping. Identifying another foothold, Yang Kai leapt out, repeating this process again and again as he descended into the giant hole.
*Chi chi chi…*
The lava down below was very unstable, and it bubbled up and burst from time to time, sputtering molten rock across the walls of the pit.
The lava here was much more powerful than the lava in the ancient Spirit Array Wei Gu Chang had previously fallen into.
Several spurts of lava slammed into Yang Kai, shattering his Grand Heavenly Shields on contacted. In the blink of an eye, the several dozen barriers he had put up around himself had been completely destroyed.
The sandstorm which formed the next layer of protection around Yang Kai was somewhat successful in sweeping aside these bits of lava while those that still managed to make it through were blocked by the layer of Demonic Flames around Yang Kai’s body. Seeing this, it allowed him to put down his worries and concentrate on finding appropriate footholds.
As he descended, Yang Kai continuously replenished his destroyed Grand Heavenly Shields.
About thirty breaths of time later, Yang Kai’s eyes brightened, and his figure flickered to the side, leaping directly into a hole in the rock wall.
As soon as he entered this cave, Yang Kai felt the heat around him decrease dramatically, as if it was being blocked by the invisible barrier. This phenomenon immediately drew Yang Kai’s curiosity.
Turning around and looking out, Yang Kai gawked in shock.
Because he saw countless caves on the opposite wall, all of which seemed to be roughly the same as the one he had entered and were obviously not naturally generated because numbers had been engraved at their mouths.
These caves turned out to be artificially opened.
With a little thought, Yang Kai immediately understood what all of this was about and quickly began investigating the cave he had entered.
This cave was quite deep, running at least a hundred meters into the rock. After walking down this long, straight passage, Yang Kai came to a spacious stone room.
The walls were adorned with strange lighting stones that despite having been here for countless years were still emitting soft light, making this stone room quite bright.
With these lights for illumination, Yang Kai began looking around this stone room while putting away his purple shield and dispelling his Demonic Flames.
The floor of this stone chamber was smooth and flat, and there was a massive Spirit Array engraved onto its surface. This Spirit Array still seemed to be intact and was conducting heat from outside towards the centre of the room.
In the centre of the stone room stood a huge tripod furnace that was engraved with coiling dragons and soaring phoenixes but otherwise seemed somewhat plain in design. At first glance, it was obvious that this furnace was quite old and after being baked with such intense heat for so many years, was bright red and exuded an extremely hot aura.
Yang Kai inspected it and soon determined that this furnace was actually an Origin Grade Low-Rank Artifact Refining Furnace.
Yang Yan used to use an Artifact Refining Furnace to quench materials, but since the birth of the Stone Puppet, she no longer needed to use it. Only occasionally, while refining high grade artifacts, she would use her furnace for the final shaping and adjustments.
Sure enough, when he saw such an Artifact Refining Furnace, Yang Kai showed a look of comprehension.
When he saw so many openings in the stone walls across from him, Yang Kai had a guess in mind, and now that he had seen the situation inside this stone room, it confirmed his guess.
This Earth Lung Fire Pond was really a place where a great Sect’s Artifact Refiner performed Artifact Refining.
It wasn’t surprising that such a treasure land would be occupied by a Sect’s Artifact Refiners. The caves cut into the walls must have been created for Artifact Refiners to use.
And the unknown ancient Spirit Array drawn on the stone chamber’s floor must have been designed to extract the extreme heat from the Earth Lung Fire Pond for Artifact Refiners to use.
[Amazing!] Yang Kai was speechless. The methods and means needed to create such an elaborate setup inside this Earth Lung Fire Pond was not something ordinary people could achieve. Without a doubt, an Origin King Realm master was involved in setting this up.The only regret Yang Kai had was that the Origin Grade Low-Rank Artifact Refining Furnace here had been damaged quite severely, with many parts of it having melted or warped. It seemed that it was unable to endure being heated so recklessly for so many years.
On the other hand, the reason the Spirit Array here was able to run for tens of thousands of years was definitely because the Earth Lung Fire Pond was constantly supplying it with energy.
Understanding this, Yang Kai turned his head to look around, his eyes soon landing on a stone table of sorts in the corner of the room. Although Yang Kai didn’t know much about Spirit Arrays, after being together with Yang Yan for so long, he had at least gained some general knowledge.
This stone table should be the control center for this stone room’s Spirit Array.
Walking over to the stone table, Yang Kai poured his Saint Qi into it and sure enough, the along with a loud rumbling, the Spirit Array went dim and ceased functioning, no longer drawing in heat from the Earth Lung Fire Pond.
Yang Kai waited until the Artifact Refining Furnace had cooled down a bit before walking up and probing it more carefully.
However, after a quick inspection, Yang Kai was as disappointed as he expected to be.
After it cooled down, this Artifact Refining Furnace actually broke into pieces with just a light tap. Moreover, whatever material that was being quenched inside of it had already become useless slag.
This wasn’t surprising though. After being exposed to such high temperatures for so many years, even the most precious of materials would turn into scrap. If the Origin Grade Low-Rank Artifact Refining Furnace itself had been destroyed, how could the materials it was being used to quench have possibly endured?
But this was just one stone room. There were many others just outside.
Thinking that after stumbling into a treasures trove he couldn’t just walk out empty handed, Yang Kai began investigating the stone chambers one by one.
It took two days to explore at least three hundred stone chambers, but apart from obtaining some Artifact Refining tools and materials which were stored in these stone chambers, Yang Kai actually didn’t obtain much of note as all of the Artifact Refining Furnaces were essentially damaged beyond repair.
Gill: Bet you guys are hungry for more chapters ey.
13 Chapters this week!!!
In terms of Artifact Refining materials, Yang Kai had collected a ton.
Of the hundreds of stone chambers, not all were as empty as the one Yang Kai initially searched. Some of them contained large stacks of ores and materials used in Artifact Refining. There were also some unusual materials which had been preserved all these years without suffering any damage.
And the quantity of all of them was massive.
With hundreds of stone rooms, even if only one-tenth of them contained items, that was not a sum to be underestimated.
Yang Kai was only dissatisfied because the harvest was somewhat different from his expectations, at least, the harvest did not yield anything precious.
However, after searching through these stone chambers, Yang Kai noticed an interesting pattern. The deeper he went, the purer and more intense the fire aura gathered in each room.
This was easy to understand though, as naturally, the further down one went, the closer one would get to the source of the Earth Lung Fire Pond. When Yang Kai began refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, he would obviously need to pick a chamber as far down as possible.
Two days later, Yang Kai finally reached the deepest part of Earth Lung Fire Pond, where only two unexplored chambers remained.
These two artificial caves were built at an impressive depth and at first glance, were clearly meant for the Sect’s finest Artifact Refiners. The two entrances to these caves weren’t opposite of one another but instead, placed side by side. The openings both seemed empty, without significant difference to those above. But after searching through so many of these chambers, Yang Kai knew that without carefully exploring them, he wouldn’t be able to tell if there was something of value inside.
Hoping for some more gains, Yang Kai randomly chose the cave on the left and leapt inside like an arrow released from its string.
The next moment, Yang Kai appeared inside the long straight cave and after stabilizing his stance, began walking inside.
Surprisingly, this tunnel seemed to be a few thousand meters long. Yang Kai walked for quite a while, yet still did not reach the end. While surprised by this development, it also raised his expectations. Sure enough, this cave was built for the best Artifact Refiners in this Sect as it was clearly constructed differently. All that remained was to see if there was anything good left inside.
After walking a couple thousand meters deeper, Yang Kai suddenly saw a touch of soft white light illuminating up ahead. This light couldn’t be described as brilliant but instead gentle. It seemed to have some soul calming effects to it. When Yang Kai saw this white light, he couldn’t help but relaxing.
Picking up his pace again, Yang Kai rushed forward and soon arrived inside a huge stone room.
This stone chamber was more than ten times larger than any of the hundreds of stone chambers he had explored over the past two days and even though he was quite deep underground at the moment, Yang Kai felt the air here was still clean and clear, without the slightest stagnant taste. All in all, it was incomparable to the other stone rooms.
All of the other stone chambers, to varying degrees, had a gloomy, depressing air about them.
Around this stone room were eight fist-sized white orbs that were emitting the soft white light. Just basking in these lights was able to soothe one’s soul and quiet one’s mind.
Yang Kai raised his brow as he glanced around at these eight orbs before scanning the rest of the room.
However, after probing this stone chamber, Yang Kai let out a disappointed sigh. With how grand and magnificent this stone chamber was, Yang Kai had expected there to be many treasures inside.
How could he have known though that this stone room was like most of the others, completely empty. Except for the huge Artifact Refining Furnace at the centre.
The Spirit Array engraved in this stone room was still running, extracting the purest Fire Attribute energy from the Earth Lung Fire Pond to heat this huge furnace unceasingly for tens of thousands of years.
When Yang Kai’s eyes landed on this Artifact Refining Furnace though, they immediately lit up and a grin appeared on his face.
He found that this Artifact Refining Furnace was still intact, completely undamaged!
He had previously found hundreds of Artifact Refining Furnaces in those stone rooms, but every single one of them had been transformed into scrap after being baked for tens of thousands of years.
There were even a number of Origin King Grade furnaces among them, which made Yang Kai particularly distressed.
But now, he had found an intact Artifact Refining Furnace here. No matter how it had survived all these years, what was certain was that this Artifact Refining Furnace’s grade was not low, at least Origin King Grade.
Only this grade of Artifact Refining Furnace had any chance of surviving all these years.
While Yang Kai rejoiced, he quickly began searching for the control panel for the stone room’s Spirit Array.
Unlike other stone chambers though, which only had one stone table serving as a control terminal for this Spirit Array. There were four such tables in this stone chamber. It took Yang Kai some time to completely shut down this Spirit Array completely.
Yang Kai hadn’t cultivated an Ice or Cold Attribute Secret Art, nor did he have an artifact with such an attribute, so he could only wait for the temperature in this Artifact Refining Furnace to naturally fall.
About a day later, the crimson halo surrounding the Artifact Refining Furnace gradually dispersed, and although it still looked hot, with Yang Kai strength, he was not afraid.
Quickly walking over to the Artifact Refining Furnace, Yang Kai swept it with his Divine Sense and found that it was as exactly as he expected. This Artifact Refining Furnace was really Origin King Grade, but the quality was so high he couldn’t judge its exact rank. From what he could see, it shouldn’t be any lower than Origin King Grade Mid-Rank. The Artifact Refining Furnace itself was about five meters tall and had a three leg, two handle design, but unlike all the previous Artifact Refining Furnaces Yang Kai had previously come across, instead of dragon and phoenix patterns, a strange bird was the only design emblazoned on its surface.
Yang Kai stared at this Artifact Refining Furnace for a while but couldn’t identify what this strange bird was. It looked somewhat like a phoenix, but also somewhat like a crane. It had a long beak, powerful claws, and three long tail-feathers that seemed both elegant and beautiful. All of this bird features were exquisitely defined and incredibly lifelike, almost as if it could leap out from the surface of this Artifact Refining Furnace at any moment.
Examining it carefully, Yang Kai reviewed all the information he had read in the ancient books in Zong Ao’s library, trying to identify what strange Monster Beast it was supposed to be, but when his eyes landed on this strange bird’s eyes, his brow furrowed.
For an instant, Yang Kai felt as if this strange bird was staring back at him.
However, when he looked closer, Yang Kai found that this strange bird was exactly the same as before, without a trace of vitality, which confused him.
But having sensed something a moment ago, Yang Kai didn’t dare act sloppily. Who knew if there was something unusual about this Artifact Refining Furnace? Intensifying his Divine Sense output, Yang Kai carefully inspected the interior of this Artifact Refining Furnace and quickly determined that there was nothing else but a pool of burnt materials within it, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.
This Artifact Refining Furnace was an amazing find, not something to be missed. Alchemy couldn’t be performed in such a massive furnace, and since he obtained his Conflagration Knowledge Sea, he rarely used his Saint Qi to perform Alchemy. After his Saint Qi had transformed into Demonic Flame, he had completely ceased using his Qi to perform Alchemy.
However, this thing could be brought back for Yang Yan to use. Although she had the Stone Puppet and didn’t need to worry about quenching materials, the later steps in the refining process such as forging and engraving still required a good Artifact Refining Furnace.
Yang Yan had helped him a lot, going all out to arrange powerful Spirit Arrays and refine artifacts. The two of them also shared secrets like the Stone Puppet and Space Spirit Crystal lode, so even if this Artifact Refining Furnace was of Origin King Grade, Yang Kai would not be stingy with it.
Having made a decision, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to wrap up this huge Artifact Refining Furnace in preparation to move it into his Space Ring.
At that moment though, an unexpected change occurred. The Artifact Refining Furnace, which had almost completely cooled down by now, suddenly began shaking and a mass of astonishingly hot flames burst out from it. These flames immediately began incinerating Yang Kai’s Divine Sense.
Yang Kai was incredibly shocked by this development and hurriedly took back his Divine Sense, but even so, he suffered a loss with almost half of the Divine Sense threads he had released being burnt to ash.
As his face paled, Yang Kai’s heart filled with astonishment!
His Divine Sense was composed of Conflagrated Spiritual Energy and was extremely hot. Even before discovering this Earth Lung Fire Pond, when he was probing the fifth layer, his Divine Sense hadn’t been destroyed this fast. Yet, the flames coming from this furnace were able to instantly incinerate it. Didn’t this mean that the flames coming from this furnace were countless times more powerful than those in the fifth layer?
Moreover, the flames that appeared seem both nimble and agile. After repulsing Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, they instantly vanished, as if everything just now had been some kind of illusion.
Yang Kai naturally knew this wasn’t some kind of hallucination though. With the splitting headache he currently felt, how could everything have simply been an illusion?
Before Yang Kai could even begin trying to figure out what had just happened, the strange bird carved onto the surface of the Artifact Refining Furnace came to life, its elegant body flew out from the Artifact Refining Furnace and transformed into a beautiful Scarlet Firebird. An astonishing heat fiercely radiated from this strange bird and after flying a small circle around the furnace, it dove straight towards Yang Kai.
With an expression that was a mix of shock and pain, Yang Kai exclaimed, “Artifact Spirit!”
Yang Kai immediately understood why the flames just now had seemed so nimble. He also realized that it wasn’t just his imagination that the bird was spying on him a moment ago, it actually was! Yang Kai hadn’t been able to detect it because this Firebird didn’t have a physical form.
It was an Artifact Spirit, an Artifact Spirit born from this Artifact Refining Furnace. Yang Kai didn’t know if it had originally existed together with this furnace or if it had slowly formed after being exposed to the burning heat of the Earth Lung Fire Pond for tens of thousands of years.
But remember that this was an Artifact Spirit of an Origin King Grade artifact, Yang Kai’s heart sank.
Yang Kai had fought many people and had seen various high-end and low-end artifacts, but never had he encountered an artifact with such a powerful Artifact Spirit.
Artifact Spirits were extremely rare existences to begin with.
Firstly, the conditions for them to be born were very harsh and it required a great amount of luck. Secondly, it took a long time for them to form. Any artifact with an Artifact Spirit was at least a thousand years old.
Once an artefact had an Artefact Spirit, the power it could display would dramatically increase.
Because of this, some cultivators had developed amazing methods to artificially create Artefact Spirits with Monster Beast spirits. After hunting down a powerful Monster Beast, they would use a secret method to extract its Soul from its body then seal it into an artefact. Then, with enough time and effort, it was possible to slowly transform this soul into an Artefact Spirit.
This method was extremely bloody and cruel, and the sacrificial process was incredibly inhumane. The Monster Beast spirit sealed inside the artefact would experience unimaginable torture during the process so even if the process ultimately succeeded, the artefact would inevitably become malevolent. However, there was still a massive gap between this kind of artificial Artefact Spirit and one which was created naturally. Although an artificial Artefact Spirit could still enhance the power of an artefact, it wouldn’t be so astonishing.
The success rate for this method was quite low and it consumed a large amount of time and resources, so no one except those who cultivated evil Secret Arts and had immense patience would try to artificially create an Artefact Spirit, not to mention that very few even knew how to.
The Artefact Spirit Yang Kai encountered this time was an orthodox existence, it wasn’t an evil artificial Artefact Spirit created by some cultivator. It lacked a malevolent aura, so it was clear that this Artefact Refining Furnace had given birth to it through a series of chance coincidences.
Although this Artefact Refining Furnace wasn’t an artefact used for battle, it was also not low-grade. The presence from this strange bird Artefact Spirit pressured Yang Kai greatly.
Seeing it dive towards him, Yang Kai’s entire field of vision was filled with fiery red, as if the entire stone chamber had been filled with an incomparably hot fire aura and nothing else could be seen.
Yang Kai could only silently hope that this spirit had only been born a short time ago and had not achieved true sentience.
As he quickly retreated, Yang Kai summoned his purple shield and madly poured his Saint Qi into it, creating a violent sandstorm around his body for protection.
However, as soon as this sandstorm appeared, the Scarlet Firebird spread its wings and whipped up an intense gust mixed with numerous scorching hot blades of flame that immediately broke open the sandstorm barrier.
The fierce wind fanned the intense flames, multiplying its power. This Firebird’s strength was dreadful and caused Yang Kai’s breathing to cease and his heart to clench. A Demonic Flame sword appeared in his hand and he slashed the air in front of him.
*Peng peng peng…*
A series of loud explosions rang out as the red hot blades were struck by the jet black sword, the two mutually annihilating each other, but the number of flame blades was unlimited while the sword waves Yang Kai could send out were not, so he quickly found himself at a disadvantage.
A casual strike from this Scarlet Firebird held such incredible might!
Yang Kai waved his hand and summoned the Hundred Mountains Picture, drawing out one of the peaks from inside it before sending it crashing towards the red storm of blades.
A look of disdain and ridicule flashed across the eyes of the Scarlet Firebird, and it beat its wings once more. The flame blades which had not yet been destroyed transformed into tiny fire snakes that flew around the Hundred Mountains Picture peak before continuing towards Yang Kai.
After seeing this kind of human-like expression, Yang Kai felt his heart sink as he cursed to himself.
This Artefact Spirit had not only achieved sentience, but its intelligence and cognizance had also reached quite a high level. Otherwise, how could it have shown such a look?
What’s more, since this spirit was born from an Artefact Refining Furnace, it was inherently proficient in Fire Attribute laws and methods. It was unwise to fight against it in this small stone chamber.
Yang Kai instantly decided to withdraw.
At the same time as he sent out a bunch of black fireballs, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense moved and he used his Yuan Control Mastery to shape these fireballs into a series of snake-like attacks to counter the Firebird’s onslaught.
The red and black snakes collided with one another, constantly biting and devouring each other, seemingly forming a kind of deadlock.
Taking this opportunity, Yang Kai retreated. He didn’t want to fight in this space against such an Artefact Spirit.
However, the Firebird’s thoughts were extremely sharp and it realized what Yang Kai wanted to do at a glance. Cocking its head back, the Firebird spat out a basin sized fireball and that contained a massive amount of Fire Attribute energy, causing Yang Kai’s heart to jump.
If he were to be hit by this fireball he would be seriously injured, if not dead, so Yang Kai hurriedly dodged.
The strange bird seemed to have known that Yang Kai would take such actions and the look of disdain on its face grew even thicker. The fireball flew past Yang Kai and burst apart at the entrance to the room; however, instead of the Fire Attribute energy dissipating, it transformed into a red-light curtain that sealed up the exit.
Yang Kai’s face sank!
The Scarlet Firebird unexpectedly wanted to trap him here.
Under normal circumstances, this kind of simple barrier wouldn’t be able to bar Yang Kai’s path, and with some slight effort, he could break through it. However, with the Artefact Spirit eyeing him covetously, how could Yang Kai have the time to break through this red light curtain?
Once he tried, it would only leave him vulnerable to the Artefact Spirit’s attacks.
“Damn bird, you brought this on yourself!” Yang Kai’s face filled with wrath, no longer thinking about retreating and instead fiercely pushing the Demonic Flames rumbling outside his body, transforming himself into a giant black fireball. The black flames seemed capable of burning everything in existence, even the light which touched it, making it basically impossible to see Yang Kai’s true face anymore.
Seeing Yang Kai become enraged, the look of mockery on the strange bird’s face disappeared as it seemed to realize it had made a mistake. The person in front of it was not some soft persimmon that could casually be pinched, and forcing him to remain wasn’t a wise choice.
However, it was just an Artefact Spirit. Although it had achieved a high degree of sentience, it wouldn’t think about such things too deeply. With a loud screech, it sent out an invisible attack that tore through Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea defences and directly impacted his Soul.
Inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, the water and flames tumbled chaotically. Yang Kai cursed loudly as he desperately suppressed the abnormal condition of his Knowledge Sea while simultaneously waving his hands to fill the stone chamber with black flames. The Demonic Flames poured out from Yang Kai’s body and soon occupied half of the room as they resisted the pure fire aura coming from the Scarlet Firebird.
The situation inside the stone room suddenly became quite strange, with half of it near the entrance filled with opaque pitch-black darkness while the other half was a sea of blisteringly hot red fire.
The two energies collided fiercely at the urging of Yang Kai and the Scarlet Firebird.
The entire stone chamber shook under the fierce collisions of energy, with the ground, ceiling, and stone walls constantly flickering with light as its defensive arrangements blocked the various explosive shockwaves.
Fortunately, this place was designed for the most outstanding Artefact Refiner of a great Sect to refine, so it had been equipped with numerous protective Spirit Arrays. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for a plain stone room to withstand the fallout from Yang Kai and the Artefact Spirit’s battle.
The black and red light continued to collide, both refusing to yield to the other.
Yang Kai’s expression was dignified, and the elegant body of the Scarlet Firebird was constantly twisting, a series of strange noises constantly escaping from its mouth.
This confrontation lasted an incense stick worth of time before the stone chamber returned to its former appearance. Yang Kai and the Artefact Spirit stared at each other from across the distance, both realizing that a frontal collision like this was pointless.
Yang Kai couldn’t have imagined that a trivial Artefact Spirit could actually fight him evenly! Yang Kai knew his own strength better than anyone; even if he were to encounter a First-Order Origin Returning Realm master, if the opponent was the slightest bit careless, he was confident he could severely injure them. As for whether he could kill such a master, that would depend more on his opponent’s means.
However, this Artefact Spirit was not inferior to him.
This was just an Artefact Spirit without a master, which meant it couldn’t even exert its full strength. If this Artefact Spirit was controlled by a master, Yang Kai was certain he wouldn’t be its opponent.
An Artefact Spirit wasn’t a true entity, it was an existence tied to an artefact and only through it could it display its completely might.
He was struggling so hard to fight a handicapped opponent, if he were to be facing this Firebird’s true power…
Just as Yang Kai was thinking so, his face suddenly changed, and his expression grew far more solemn. Not even hesitating, Yang Kai condensed over a hundred Grand Heavenly Shields in front of himself while at the same time summoning his purple shield.
The Artefact Spirit was showing a wild and violent appearance, and the Artefact Refining Furnace, which had silently been sitting at the centre of the stone chamber, was also humming audibly. Immediately, the Artefact Refining Furnace flew up into the air and began rapidly spinning, shooting out clusters of red hot flames that shot into the Firebird’s body.
Suddenly, the Firebird’s aura increased dramatically, and an oppressive feeling spread out from it.
Yang Kai’s face instantly went pale as he exclaimed, “Shi!”
This Artefact Spirit actually understood how to use Shi that only Origin Returning Realm masters could comprehend.
Didn’t Qian Tong say that Shi couldn’t exist inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field? Once a cultivator who had comprehended Shi entered the Flowing Flame Sand field, they would instantly be incinerated. It was for this reason that no Origin Returning Realm master could enter this place and why for all previous openings of this Forbidden Zone only Saint Kings had entered.
But when this strange bird used Shi, nothing happened to it.
Quickly, however, Yang Kai noticed that this power was only similar to Shi, and wasn’t Shi itself. This Firebird had manipulated the rich fire aura inside this stone room and taken advantage of the surrounding World Energy to display this profound method.
Worthy of a Fire Attribute Artefact Spirit, this Firebird was truly skilled at manipulating Fire Attribute World Principles, shocking Yang Kai greatly.
This was the second time Yang Kai had fallen into this kind of strange field. The last time was when he fought against Xie Hong Wen’s Origin Returning Realm guard outside Dragon Cave Mountain.
However, his opponent’s Shi back then was incomparable to the one he was currently facing. The last time Yang Kai was wrapped in Shi, although his actions became somewhat sluggish, he didn’t feel too much pressure.
Currently, Yang Kai felt extremely heavy and his bones were making creaking sounds as his legs threatened to give out. Even something as simple as moving his fingers was nearly impossible.
There seemed to be an invisible set of chains wrapped around him, locking him firmly in place, rendering him unable to move.
Even his Divine Sense and Saint Qi were locked firmly inside his body, making it impossible for Yang Kai to gather any strength!
Seeing that Yang Kai had been easily trapped, the Firebird once again showed a proud and disdainful expression, opening its mouth to spit out a sharp flame blade that pierced straight towards Yang Kai with unstoppable might.
Evidently it wanted to use this opportunity to take Yang Kai’s life.
*Kacha…*
The hundred-plus Grand Heavenly Shields in front of Yang Kai shattered and the purple shield was only able to block this attacks momentum for a moment before its light faded, its spirituality severely damaged, and it was knocked aside.
In the blink of an eye, the blade of flame arrived in front of Yang Kai and was on the verge of reaping his life.
Just then, a dark blade-like attack flew out of from Yang Kai, one that seemed to be silently tearing space apart without emitting the slightest energy fluctuation, making it all but impossible to detect.
Space Blade!
Yang Kai understood that with just Spiritual Energy and Saint Qi methods, he wouldn’t be able to compete with this Artefact Spirit that actually understood how to use its own Artefact Refining Furnace, something that came as a great shock to him.
The Artefact Spirit by itself was extremely difficult to deal with, but now that it was using the furnace that gave birth to it, it became even fiercer. Fighting with it like this was tantamount to courting death!
So Yang Kai had used his trump card without hesitation.
Yang Kai was quite confident in his Space Blade. Although the Artefact Spirit’s methods were extraordinary, and it was inherently proficient in the use of Fire Attribute principles, Space Force was also a powerful and rarely seen method. Regarding the Dao of Space, Yang Kai knew he had not yet achieved a grand accomplishment in his comprehension, but using it to deal with this Artefact Spirit shouldn’t be an issue.
Sure enough, when the Space Blade met the flame blade, it began to warp and twist as it destabilized under the powerful Fire Attribute aura and it soon disappeared, but before it did, it swallowed the flame blade and exiled it to The Void.
Yang Kai had managed to avert this crisis.
Without waiting for the Artefact Spirit to attack again, Yang Kai sent out several more Space Blades, half of them flying towards the Artefact Spirit while the other half circled around his body. The suppression holding down Yang Kai was instantly cut by this Space Blades and he regained his freedom of movement.
The moment he was able to use his Saint Qi again, Yang Kai leapt back and waved his hands, releasing a long Space Blade towards the red light curtain that was blocking the stone chamber’s entrance, opening a crack in it large enough for him to safely pass through.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s figure flickered and rushed into the several-thousand-metre long tunnel as the angry cries of the Artefact Spirit came from behind him.
His opponent had obviously been forced back by the Space Blade for a moment and had no time to care about the retreating Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t expect his Space Blades to be able to kill the Artefact Spirit. The Fire Attribute energy his opponent was able to control was both pure and dense, not something that could be completely consumed by Yang Kai’s current Space Blade. Being able to take the Firebird by surprise and create an opportunity to escape was enough to satisfy Yang Kai for now.
Yang Kai’s current plan was to leave this Earth Lung Fire Pond as quickly as possible and find another place to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water. Then, after his strength had improved, he could come to settle this score, if there was still time.
Unsurprisingly, Yang Kai had only run less than a thousand metres away before the Firebird overcame all of his Space Blades and a blisteringly hot aura appeared behind him.
Yang Kai increased his pace but when he looked back, his face couldn’t help paling.
At the end of the tunnel, the Artefact Spirit had transformed into a ball of red light and was chasing after him, obviously reluctant to let him escape.
The entire passage filled with extreme heat. The Firebird had yet to even reach Yang Kai yet the walls around him were already beginning to warp under the rich fire aura.
Yang Kai pushed his speed even higher, but compared with this naturally born Artefact Spirit, he still fell a bit short. The exit of this tunnel back into the Earth Lung Fire Pond was getting closer, but the distance between himself and the Artefact Spirit was shrinking too quickly. Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a savage light, but just as he was about to turn around and hit the Artefact Spirit again, a strange cry rang out behind him.
This cry clearly contained unwillingness and anger, and at the same time, the Fire Attribute aura which had permeated the entire passage quickly receded like an ocean wave.
Yang Kai was surprised and quickly turned back, a look of shock soon filling his face. Stopping in place, he stared at the scene behind him with interest.
At a position just over a hundred metres behind him, Yang Kai saw the Firebird struggling in place as a number of energy chains appeared on its body. The engraved runes on these chains were clearly a type of restriction that were tightly wrapped around the Firebird, binding it in place.
The Firebird only let out a few more cries before the chains suddenly shrank around its body.
The unwillingness in the Firebird’s eyes grew more intense but in the next instant, its body exploded and the red glow filling the tunnel disappeared.
[Was it destroyed?] Yang Kai frowned, but thinking about it for a moment, he quickly denied such a possibility before releasing his Divine Sense to investigate the stone room.Sure enough, inside the stone room, the originally hovering Artefact Refining Furnace had fallen to the ground again and returned to the quiet state Yang Kai had first seen it in. The strange bird pattern on this Artefact Refining Furnace’s surface still existed, but unlike before, it now seemed to have become irritable and was constantly swimming about, seemingly trying to escape the Artefact Refining Furnace again but unable to do so.
Yang Kai quickly calmed down and wore a grin.
It turned out that this thing couldn’t get too far from the Artefact Refining Furnace, and once it tried to, it would forcefully be taken back. This wasn’t too surprising though, after all, the Firebird was the Artefact Spirit of this Artefact Refining Furnace, so the two were strongly connected.
After confirming that the Artefact Spirit had no way to pursue him further, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
The battle just now had been one of the most dangerous Yang Kai had fought. Even when facing the Origin Returning Realm master brought by Xie Hong Wen last time, he was able to handle the situation with ease without worry about his life; after all, he had Yang Yan’s Spirit Array to fall back on at the time.
However, this time, forced by that Artefact Spirit to fight in that stone room, Yang Kai had used all of his methods with the exception of his Demon Eye of Annihilation yet was still forced to flee in distress.
Yang Kai had barely been able to escape with his life from this Artefact Spirit, so if it had been another Saint King, they probably would have died on the spot.
Standing in the passage for a while, Yang Kai silently pondered. Since the Artefact Spirit couldn’t chase him outside the stone room, there was no need for him to leave the Earth Lung Fire Pond. This was a rare treasure land. The environment outside in the fifth layer was quite good, but compared to this place, it was completely incomparable.
But there was no way Yang Kai would be able to use this stone room, so he could only try his luck with the other chamber next door.
Yang Kai didn’t believe that there was an Artefact Spirit there too. It was a stroke of Heavenly fortune for such a thing to be born, so it should be absolutely impossible for there to be a second one here.
If by some chance there was a second Artefact Spirit though, Yang Kai would only be able to give up on this bottom level and use one of the stone chambers up above.
Thinking so, Yang Kai turned around and walked back out to the Earth Lung Fire Pond, a moment later diving into the right stone cave.
Just like the previous passageway, this one was a few thousand metres long, and at its end was a magnificent stone chamber.
Although Yang Kai didn’t think there would be a second Artefact Spirit, he also didn’t dare act carelessly. Standing at the entrance to this stone chamber, Yang Kai investigated the inside carefully, only relaxing after he discovered that the Origin King Grade Artefact Refining Furnace located at the centre of the chamber was scrapped.
If even the Artefact Refining Furnace had been ruined, there would naturally be no Artefact Spirit.
When Yang Kai’s gaze swept across some Artefact Refining materials rich in aura stacked to the side of the chamber, his eyes brightened and he rushed inside to carefully check them.
Sure enough, there were blessings after a disaster. Yang Kai hadn’t expected that in this last stone room there would be so many stored Artefact Refining materials.
And the grades of these materials was very high, all of them at least Origin Grade while the majority were actually Origin King Grade. All kinds of rare ores and materials from each of the five elements were present along with numerous Monster Beast materials arranged in a dazzling display.
Of course, although there were many materials here, some of them could no longer be used because they had been stored here for too long.
Yang Kai picked out the materials which were still useful while discarding the ones that couldn’t be used. Smiling with satisfaction, he then continued to examine this stone room.
The layout here was almost identical to the stone room on the left. At the centre of the chamber was an Artefact Refining Furnace that was several metres tall along with a number of white orbs which were exuding the soft soothing light.
However, there were less of these light orbs in this room, only four rather than the eight. It seems that the owner of this stone room wasn’t as highly ranked as the owner of the stone room on the left.
Yang Kai didn’t dwell on this though and quickly walked over to the four stone tables, pouring his Saint Qi into them to close the stone room’s Spirit Array.
After waiting for a long time, the ruined Artefact Refining Furnace finally cooled enough for Yang Kai to stuff it into his Space Ring.
Although this Artefact Refining Furnace was greatly damaged, it was originally Origin King Grade, so if he took it back and let Yang Yan take a look at it, perhaps it could be repaired. Even if it couldn’t, taking it with him wasn’t any extra effort.
Yang Kai had also collected several other damaged Origin King Grade Artefact Refining Furnaces before.
After receiving the Artefact Refining Furnace, an empty space appeared in the centre of the stone room. This empty space was engraved with an independent Spirit Array that, although small, was extremely complex. Yang Kai wasn’t proficient in Spirit Arrays, but after entering and exiting several hundred of these stone chambers and deactivating so many normal arrays, he had gained a basic understanding of how these Spirit Arrays drew in and converted the pure Fire Attribute energy from the Earth Lung Fire Pond and channelled it into the Artefact Refining Furnaces.
Moreover, the four stone tables nearby had an added control effect. Depending on the number of stone tables activated, the rate and intensity of the power being extracted from the Earth Lung Fire Pond would change proportionally.
In other words, activating four of the stone tables at once would have a completely different effect from only activating a single one.
This design made Yang Kai very satisfied and he felt that the master who had arranged these Spirit Arrays really possessed extraordinary methods.
After having delayed things so long, Yang Kai wasn’t going to waste any more time, quickly arriving at the spot originally occupied by the Artefact Refining Furnace and sitting down cross-legged.
A day later, Yang Kai opened his eyes.
Meditating for a day allowed him to adjust his condition to its optimal level. Immediately, he waved his hands and a number of delicate jade bottles and rare herbs appeared around him, all of them possessing rich and vigorous auras.
These things were the auxiliary materials that were required to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water. Zong Ao told Yang Kai about these things, and since his time on Rainfall Star he had managed to collect all of them.
After all, although these materials were also rare and precious, Yang Kai had harvested a lot of herbs on the floating continent and later searched through Rainfall Star’s Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce branch warehouse for the rest, so it hadn’t been any trouble.
Zong Ao had said that it was best to reach the Origin Realm before attempting to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water because only with such cultivation could they withstand the pain from the refining process.
Yang Kai chose to start refining it in the Saint King Realm though, because of his self-confidence.
Whether it was in terms of physique, Soul, or Saint Qi, Yang Kai estimated that he was no worse than any ordinary Origin Returning Realm master, the only shortcoming he might have was being unable to comprehend Shi. On top of that though, his tenacity and endurance weren’t comparable to an average cultivator’s, otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to integrate Great Demon God’s Unyielding Golden Skeleton into his body when he was so weak, or realize the profound Unyielding Will Martial Skill.
As such, Yang Kai wasn’t worried about his cultivation being too low, his only consideration now was how to get the most benefits out of refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
Zong Ao had said that this thing could greatly improve the cultivation of a cultivator without any harmful side-effects. Yang Kai felt that his current First-Order Saint King cultivation was too low, and if he could improve it quickly it would increase his safety and ability to survive.
He wasn’t worried about damaging his foundation, state of mind, or comprehension of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way.
His physique was abnormally strong, so even if his cultivation realm soared this time, it wouldn’t cause him any physical harm or create any difficulties in his later cultivation. There was also no need to worry about his mental stability. After absorbing so many Soul remnants from various cultivators, Yang Kai’s state of mind was no longer on the level of a Saint King Realm cultivator. Similarly, his understanding of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao far exceeded others in his realm.
Now that everything was prepared, Yang Kai naturally wasn’t going to delay any further.
Although he had carefully prepared everything beforehand, Yang Kai still inspected all the materials that were placed around him to make sure one last time there were no omissions before nodding lightly. After thinking about it, he also took out a few Golden Sun Fruits and set them down nearby.
He had obtained these Golden Sun Fruits together with Dai Yuan in the Flowing Flame Sand Field and each of them contained a large quantity of potent Yang Attribute energy, which would be perfectly suited for use at this time.
When everything was ready, Yang Kai’s expression became solemn and he sent his Saint Qi into a nearby stone table. After this stone pier absorbed his Saint Qi, its surface flashed and the Spirit Array engraved in the room, which had been stopped for some time, began rumbling again.
After a while, pure Fire Attribute energy was drawn from the Earth Lung Fire Pond and poured into the spot where Yang Kai was sitting.
The fire and aura condensed into a tangible substance that immediately wrapped around Yang Kai, rushing into his body like a great flood in the next instant. Yang Kai’s expression remained unchanged as he ignored the surge of pain he felt, not only not trying to resist, but instead opening all of his body’s pores and allowing this fire aura easier access.
Soon, all of Yang Kai’s clothes were reduced to ash, exposing his intrepid body and solid muscles. His skin was releasing a golden glow and its surface was beginning to crack, allowing golden blood to flow out. These ruptures were quickly restored under the effects of the Golden Blood before cracking again, forming a cycle of destruction and repair.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and a jade bottle which had been placed on the ground flew into it. Opening the bottle immediately, Yang Kai poured the crimson red pill inside it into his mouth before closing his eyes to refine its efficacies.
After an hour, the effects were fully absorbed and were filling every bit of Yang Kai’s physique. He then took out a dark red spirit grass and stuffed it into his mouth.
Different pills, different herbs, and even the Golden Sun Fruits were ingested by Yang Kai one after another.
The entire process lasted for three days and three nights.
Each time he took one of these materials, the heat pulsing from Yang Kai’s body increased in intensity, quickly reaching a point which would terrify any ordinary person.
Every strain of Yang Kai’s muscles were spasming and his face had become terribly fierce, his eyes completely red as if he wanted to bite someone to death. Although his appearance was miserable, Yang Kai’s powerful Soul cultivation allowed him to maintain his sobriety, which at this point he couldn’t tell if it was a blessing or a curse.
In this lucid state, Yang Kai could clearly felt the efficacies of the pills and herbs he had taken colliding and mixing in his meridians and physique, inducing some incredible changes as they did. It currently felt like millions of ants were rioting about inside his body, creating a kind of torment no Saint King Realm cultivator could possibly bear.
No wonder Zong Ao had repeatedly warned Yang Kai to not act hastily and try to refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water before reaching the Origin Returning Realm. [That old guy really wasn’t spouting nonsense.]
The pain he was experiencing right now would be too much for an ordinary Origin Returning Realm master, and this was just the beginning. If not for his Golden Blood’s incredible restorative ability, at this moment he would have to give up, otherwise, if he continued, his body would literally explode.
All the pills and herbs Yang Kai used were either Yang or Fire Attribute, and coupled with the natural Fire Attribute energy of this place, his body had accumulated an unimaginable amount of burning power and was bearing torment difficult to imagine.
Yang Kai’s eyes opened again, and with a wave of his trembling hand, sent his Saint Qi into a second stone table.
*Hu…*
With a low rumble, the Spirit Array in the stone chamber began operating faster, and the Fire Attribute energy being extracted from the Earth Lung Fire Pond increased exponentially.
This time, Yang Kai couldn’t bear it anymore and had to release a series of miserable howls to help stabilize his mood.
Not daring to delay, Yang Kai pushed his Saint Qi fiercely to forcefully refine and fuse the various medicinal efficacies into every part of his physique.
It was only three days later that Yang Kai finished merging all the violent medicinal efficacies in his body and suppressed them into his meridians.
Immediately, with a dignified expression, Yang Kai took out a special bottle and stared at it for a moment before opening it resolutely and extracting a single drop of crystal-like liquid from it with a light jolt.
The moment this drop of liquid flew out, the stone chamber, which was akin to an extremely hot furnace, was suddenly filled with a deep chill.
It was obvious to the naked eye that the space surrounding this drop of liquid had been completely cleared of all burning aura, the dense Fire Attribute energy unable to even approach it closer than one metre. What was even stranger though was that after being extracted by Yang Kai, this drop of liquid simply floated mid-air in front of him.
Profound Yin Sunflower Water!
This was a treasure that could elicit greed from an Origin King Realm master and Yang Kai actually had twenty drops of it.
Seeing this drop of Profound Yin Sunflower Water, Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking of that enchantress Xue Yue! At that time, that woman had deadly appeal to both men and women, and had been poisoned by this Profound Yin Sunflower Water. It had taken Yang Kai extraordinary effort to awaken her.
However, if it weren’t for the fetters of the Soul Chains, Yang Kai wouldn’t have cared about whether she had lived or died; after all, far from being friends, the two of them could be considered enemies.
When Yang Kai left Rainfall Star, he had also been chased down by people from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Slowly shaking his head to dispel these thoughts, Yang Kai no longer dallied and directly swallowed this drop of Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
A frigid sensation instantly spread from Yang Kai’s mouth, not only showing signs of freezing his physical body but even his Knowledge Sea. At that moment, an extreme heat erupted from Yang Kai’s body to swiftly dispel this icy cold chill.
But the energy contained in this drop of Profound Yin Sunflower Water was truly terrifying. As soon as the initial cold had been dispersed, an even stronger chill began diffusing through Yang Kai’s body.
The next moment, endless scorching power burst out.
These two hot and cold forces took Yang Kai’s body as a battlefield and collided with one another, neither of them dispersing the other but instead undergoing some profound and mysterious changes.
Yang Kai’s solemn expression collapsed immediately and a series of muffled roars escaped from deep in his throat while veins bulged across his skin, giving him a terrifying appearance.
Ha Li Ka, President of Rainfall Star’s Heng Lou Chamber of Commerce’s branch and a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master had been injured by this Profound Yin Sunflower Water and forced to cut off his own arm to save his life. If Yang Kai had not taken so many Yang and Fire Attribute pills and spirit herbs to accumulate a terrifying scorching power inside his body, this drop of Profound Yin Sunflower Water would have killed him the instant he swallowed it.
The first difficulty in refining Profound Yin Sunflower Water was to suppress enough burning power inside one’s body. If one’s physique wasn’t strong enough and their Soul wasn’t tough enough, it would be impossible for them to even temporarily store this kind of hot energy in their meridians, much less move on to the next step of the refining.
The second difficulty was the situation Yang Kai was enduring right now. He had to remain awake and alert to maximize the fusion of the hot and cold powers rampaging inside his body.
If he was unable to pass this hurdle, at best he would suffer crippling injuries, while at worse his body would be completely destroyed.
Inside the stone chamber, Yang Kai’s bestial roars continued to resound and his condition was extremely difficult to even understand. Sometimes his whole body was cold like profound ice, the air around him filled with frost and his skin a dark blue, then in the next moment, his skin would be red hot and releasing steam as if he was a cooked crab.
As he withstood this alternating extreme hot and cold, Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised to find that his cultivation was growing at a horrifying speed. Not only was his cultivation realm increasing, but the Demonic Flame in his body also seemed to be undergoing some subtle changes.
Yang Kai’s Demonic Flames were themselves a strange coexistence of hot and cold forces. It was a unique Saint Qi that only belonged to him. The situation in his body created by refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water actually mimicked the properties of the Demonic Flame perfectly and was gradually causing some changes in the Saint Qi in his body. Not only had Yang Kai not anticipated such a development, Zong Ao likely hadn’t either.
In the fifth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, inside a stone chamber at the bottom of an unoccupied Earth Lung Fire Pond, a pale Yang Kai sat calmly.
Although he was exhausted and about to collapse, Yang Kai’s expression still had traces of joy and excitement mixed into it, and the Saint Qi fluctuations emanating from his body clearly indicated he had obtained a substantial improvement in his cultivation.
It had been more than a month since he began refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, but it was not until yesterday that he finally finished.
He hadn’t expected that it would take such a long time and that there would be so many unexpected developments during the refining process.
The cold power contained in the Profound Yin Sunflower Water was far too powerful, and the spirit grasses and spirit medicines he had taken before, coupled with the Fire Attribute energy drawn in by the stone chamber’s Spirit Array with two stone tables activated, still couldn’t suppress it. As the hot and cold forces in his body became unbalanced, as a last resort, Yang Kai had activated the third stone table control to dramatically increase the amount of Fire Attribute energy being channelled into the stone room.
This attempt to balance the power of the Profound Yin Sunflower Water with the power of the Earth Lung Fire Pond had backfired though. When Yang Kai activated the third control table, the cold power of the Profound Yin Sunflower Water was completely suppressed, and the burning power began running rampant in his body.
Unable to back down, Yang Kai took a second drop of Profound Yin Sunflower Water but was aggrieved to discover that the initial imbalance appeared again.
In the end, Yang Kai had to activate all four of the stone tables allowing the Spirit Array to extract the maximum amount of Fire Attribute energy from the Earth Lung Fire Pond. Fortunately, this just barely managed to balance the cold and hot forces in his body.
However, doing this increased the risk and suffering Yang Kai had to endure exponentially, and during this past month, he had constantly wandered the line between life and death, nearly falling over its edge several times.
His strong body and powerful Soul played crucial roles at the critical moment. Yang Kai had to use his pure Golden Blood several times to repair his wounds, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to survive and been killed by the rampant hot and cold energies.
Although it had been an incredibly dangerous and painful experience, the final result was actually quite different from Yang Kai’s expectations.
Zong Ao had praised the Profound Yin Sunflower Water to Heavens so, naturally, Yang Kai believed it to be extremely powerful and was hoping to use this refining to directly break through to the Third-Order Saint King Realm and possibly even touch the threshold of the Origin Returning Realm, but currently, his cultivation was only Second-Order Saint King.
Two drops of Profound Yin Sunflower Water, so many rare spirit herbs, pills, and all the power of the Earth Lung Fire Pond, yet he had only broken through one Minor Realm.
Nevertheless, despite his cultivation not increasing much, Yang Kai had gained something else.
Pondering for a moment, Yang Kai opened his hand and a dark Demonic Flame appeared atop his palm like a burning fireball. The Demonic Flame looked the same as before, but it was no longer fluctuating between hot and cold, good and evil aura. Anyone who swept it with their Divine Sense would not just think it was a strange, somewhat malevolent looking ball of fire, without even any kind of temperature.
However, with a single thought, Yang Kai transformed this indistinct Demonic Flame into one that emitted a bitter cold aura. With a crackling, the entire stone room filled with frost. The walls of this massive room also began to freeze over with seemingly everlasting ice, causing the protective Spirit Arrays to activate automatically and resist this spreading chill.
Yang Kai’s thoughts changed again, and the icy chill instantly disappeared and was replaced by a blistering heat. The frost that had diffused before disappeared in the blink of an eye and a raging inferno took its place. The protective Spirit Arrays in this stone room couldn’t respond to this dramatic change fast enough and many cracking sounds rang out.
Yang Kai showed a look of satisfaction as he gently clenched his fists, causing the black ball of Demonic Flame to disappear.
He also noticed that after refining two drops of Profound Yin Sunflower Water, the main reason why his cultivation didn’t improve too dramatically was that his Demonic Flame had absorbed most of the energy.
When the Profound Yin Sunflower Water and the various hot forces reached a balance in his body, logically speaking, these two conflicting forces should have led to massive growth in his cultivation, but the strange Demonic Flame, which itself was an amalgamation of hot and cold energy was actually able to accept the efficacies of the Profound Yin Sunflower Water and the Fire Attribute energy to strengthen itself.
The Demonic Flame only recently came into existence, and up until a month ago, it had been a coexistence of cold and hot energy. Although this simultaneously hot and cold energy was unpredictable and incomprehensible, Yang Kai was unable to manipulate its state at all.
But now, Yang Kai could achieve fine control of its properties. The power of his Demonic Flame had greatly improved and his ability to manipulate it had also increased dramatically.
In the future, when Yang Kai faced enemies, if he wanted his Saint Qi to be cold it would be cold, then if he wanted it to be hot it would be hot. This ability to control the properties of his Demonic Flame provided a greater boost in combat efficiency than a simple increase in his own power.
Overall, Yang Kai was very satisfied with this refining. From the moment the Demonic Flame came into existence, Yang Kai knew that this exotic power had great growth potential.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to figure out how to enhance his Demonic Flame and there was no one who could help guide him.
This opportunity was a coincidence that allowed him to find a way forward.
As long as he could create a balance of hot and cold energies, Yang Kai could allow his Demonic Flame to absorb them and promote its growth.
It seemed that the remaining Profound Yin Sunflower Water wasn’t useless after all, Yang Kai thought secretly.
He was still thinking about what he was going to do with so many Profound Yin Sunflower Water drops. Selling them wasn’t an option. Everyone would know he had such a treasure and there would be no end in troubles. But allowing the Profound Yin Sunflower Water to simply collect dust would be nothing short of wasting Heaven’s precious gifts.
Now, Yang Kai had a plan.
As long as he could collect a large number of Yang and Fire Attribute herbs, he could refine the Profound Yin Sunflower Water two or three more times to further strengthen his Demonic Flame.
Of course, this was all just an idea, and Yang Kai didn’t even know whether he could realize it.
If not for the fact that time was running out, Yang Kai would be willing to refine some more Profound Yin Sunflower Water here to experiment. Unfortunately, more than five months had passed since he first entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so there wasn’t much time left until the six-month deadline. He could only put this idea on hold for a while and try to verify it later.
Yang Kai was afraid that he would never again find such a good refining environment like the Earth Lung Fire Pond here; after all, the next time the Flowing Flame Sand Field opened would likely be hundreds of years from now.
After sitting in meditation for a day, Yang Kai had fully restored himself, got up, walked around the room to collect the four soft glowing orbs embedded in the walls, and tossed them into his Space Ring.
These light orbs were not ordinary objects, so Yang Kai planned to take them back and place them around his residence. Not only could these things calm one’s mood, but they could also optimize one’s environment, so he didn’t plan on leaving them behind.
After making sure that he had thoroughly cleaned out anything of value in the stone chamber, Yang Kai left and walked down the long tunnel.
Soon, Yang Kai walked out of the passage and stood at the entrance to the cave. Staring out this entrance, his lips couldn’t help curling into a grin.
More than a month ago, he had suffered a big loss to that Artifact Spirit, and if he hadn’t cultivated Space Force, he would have died on the spot. Now that his cultivation had risen a Minor Realm and he had obtained the ability to manipulate his Demonic Flame’s temperature, he definitely planned on settling the score.
If Yang Kai said he wasn’t interested in owning an Artifact Refining Furnace with an Artifact Spirit, it would be a lie. If possible, he would naturally want to subdue the other party.
But that Artifact Spirit was not an existence to be taken lightly. Even if Yang Kai was more confident now, he knew that it wouldn’t be easy to defeat it. On top of that, he needed to obtain victory swiftly because he had no idea when the Flowing Flame Sand Field would close. It wouldn’t be good if he was heavily engaged with that Artifact Spirit then suddenly transported outside the Flowing Flame Sand Field by the World Principles here.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he rushed directly towards the other cave.
In mid-air, the extreme heat from the Earth Lung Fire Pond below wrapped around Yang Kai and the tangible Fire Attribute energy tried to incinerate his body. Yang Kai immediately condensed a layer of Demonic Flame around his body that emitted a profound chill, and although resisting the ambient heat couldn’t be considered easy, it was also not particularly difficult.
Yang Kai smiled happily as he realized that his Demonic Flame had truly become more powerful. The last time he rushed though the Earth Lung Fire Pond, he had to act extremely carefully, but now he could traverse it with just a bit of effort.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai arrived at the left cave and stepped inside.
The several-thousand-metre-long passage was quickly crossed by Yang Kai and from beginning to end, the Artifact Spirit was completely unresponsive, but when Yang Kai’s figure appeared in the stone room again, the Artifact Refining Furnace in the middle of the chamber suddenly began humming though and its surface glowed bright red. In the next instant, the Scarlet Firebird let out a piercing cry and its lithe body leapt off the surface of the furnace.
The temperature of the entire stone chamber rose sharply, and the air took on a red hue.
This Artifact Spirit was obviously bearing a grudge. The last time it had allowed Yang Kai to escape, which had been frustrating it for the past month, but now that it saw Yang Kai appearing before it again, it immediately felt like it was being provoked and was preparing to teach this impudent human a lesson.
This was also in line with Yang Kai’s intentions. His muscles tightened and the ice-cold Demonic Flame layer around his body welled up to resist his opponent’s hot aura. Waving his hand, Yang Kai condensed a Heaven Punishing Spear and hurled it towards the Scarlet Firebird.
The Scarlet Firebird screamed in anger, seemingly annoyed that it was being underestimated, releasing a large swath of fire from its beak that it sent towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai sneered, not showing any intention to dodge. His Heaven Punishing Spear swiftly broke through the wave of flames while transforming into a black dragon. Opening its mouth, this black dragon spat out a jet of ice-cold black flame, resisting the burning hot aura before it.
After several battles, Yang Kai had gained some experience with his Yuan Control Mastery and could now easily manipulate his Saint Qi and transform it into various kinds of attacks.
Yang Kai had to admit that obtaining enlightenment about Yuan Control Mastery with the help of the Red Candle Fruit was extremely helpful in battle. This alone improved his combat power by at least twenty percent.
Yuan Control Mastery was an excellent method, but it put a significant load on one’s Divine Sense, so not every cultivator could comprehend it or use it, only those with more powerful Souls could become proficient in it.
The transformation of the Heaven Punishing Spear clearly surprised the Firebird and seeing the cold flames from the black dragon withstand its heatwave clearly enraged it. With a flap of its wings, it released a barrage of flames that quickly bypassed the black dragon and struck towards the place where Yang Kai stood.
Wind and thunder force surged behind Yang Kai and a pair of delicate transparent wings manifested. With a flicker of these wings, Yang Kai’s figure disappeared, causing the barrage of flames to hit nothing but air.
Without waiting for the Firebird to launch another attack, Yang Kai released a dozen Space Blades!
Since he was planning to fight a quick and decisive battle, Yang Kai naturally had no intention of probing his enemy and immediately used his trump card.
His Space Blade, which was capable of devouring almost anything, flew out quickly and elicited a look of dread from the human-like eyes of the Firebird. Last time, it had suffered a small loss at the hands of Yang Kai’s Space Blade, and understanding the strangeness of this attack, it naturally didn’t try to face it head-on, beating its wings quickly as it transformed into a streak of light and dodged to the side. Before it could completely rematerialize though, Yang Kai rapidly approached and sent a punch out towards it.
With his cold flames protecting his body, Yang Kai no longer feared the burning heat of the Artifact Spirit; after all, this Artifact Spirit had been born as a result of an accumulation of Fire Attribute energy from the Earth Lung Fire Pond over a few tens of thousands of years. Since Yang Kai didn’t fear its source, naturally he didn’t fear it either.
The Artifact Spirit’s response was also extremely quick. Seemingly aware that its situation wasn’t good, it quickly solidified the air, stopping Yang Kai’s fist in place only half a meter away from it.
The Artifact Spirit had used its supreme mastery of Fire Attribute principles to display a Shi-like power again.
*Pa pa pa…*
There was a burst of explosions in the air, and the intensity of the Fire Attribute aura in the stone chamber instantly rose several levels. Yang Kai instantly pushed his Saint Qi to its maximum, releasing a frigid aura from his body that quickly broke through the imprisonment of the Artifact Spirit and restored his freedom.
The last time he was bound by the Artifact Spirit’s power, Yang Kai had to use his Space Force to cut it off, but this time, just using his cold flames was enough. The reason for this was obviously because the cold energy conflicted greatly with the Fire Attribute principles the Firebird used to immobilize him.
Grinning, Yang Kai flicked his wrist, and before the Firebird could fully manifest its body, a black spear blasted towards it.
The Artifact Spirit’s body had just fully appeared when it was penetrated by the black spear, causing it to release a piercing cry. Its two small eyes immediately filled with anger and panic. It seemed to not understand why, after disappearing for only just over a month, this human it was easily able to defeat suddenly had the ability to fight with it on even ground.
This Artifact Spirit didn’t have a physical body so even if it was penetrated by a Heaven Punishing Spear, its life wasn’t in any danger, but the ice-cold energy contained in this Heaven Punishing Spear made the Artifact Spirit quite uncomfortable and also caused its figure to fluctuate. Only after wriggling about for a while did it finally manage to restore its original appearance.
Yang Kai’s move completely angered the Artifact Spirit. With its body shaking, it condensed a large number of feathers out of pure fire aura and shot them towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s leisurely expression instantly became serious as he realized the horrifying killing power behind these flame feathers. He didn’t dare to hesitate. Condensing numerous Grand Heavenly Shields, Yang Kai also summoned a dozen peaks from the Hundred Mountains Picture to protect himself.
With a thunderous boom, the Grand Heavenly Shields were all crushed and the phantom peaks from the Hundred Mountains Picture were also severely damaged, disappearing in the next instant. Yang Kai hurriedly took back the Hundred Mountains Picture and then used his Wind and Thunder Wings to boost up his speed to evade.
The stone room shook violently under this impact and the surrounding protective Spirit Arrays once again activated, preventing the chamber from being completely destroyed but still suffering significant damage under the bombardment of the flame feathers.
After releasing these flame feathers, the Artifact Spirit’s body shrank and its expression looked a little tired.
Obviously, these flame feathers weren’t an ordinary attack and had most likely been condensed from the Artifact Spirit’s very essence.
The flame feathers which had missed their mark, however, didn’t disappear and instead changed direction and chased after Yang Kai like dazzling crimson daggers, clearly wanting to ruthlessly pierce him through.
When Yang Kai realized he couldn’t escape, a dignified look appeared on his face and he abruptly came to a halt, turned around, and silently stared at the flame feathers rushing towards him.
When these feathers closed to within ten meters of his position, Yang Kai suddenly stretched out his hands, as if he was trying to grab the air itself, and then ripped them left and right like he was tearing something.
A large Void crack was torn open by Yang Kai, like the great maw of a beast, and welcomed the flame feathers.
Seeing this, Artifact Spirit cried out and the flame feathers nimbly returned to their owner.
Apparently, it also knew that it couldn’t let its flame feathers enter this Void crack. Once inside, it would likely never be able to recall them. In the blink of an eye, all the remaining flame feathers had reintegrated into the Artifact Spirit’s body, restoring it to its full size once more.
But at that moment, Yang Kai’s figured flickered, reappearing close by and slamming his palm down. At the same time, in the air, a huge black palm print appeared, one which seemed capable of covering the entire world.
Heaven Covering Hand!
The Artifact Spirit couldn’t evade this strike and, as its two small eyes stared at the giant palm print, it was forced to push the Fire Attribute energy in its body to in an attempt to forcefully withstand this blow.
In the next instant, the Heaven Covering Hand impacted the Artifact Spirit.
A deafening bang resounded as cold and hot forces collided inside the stone room, sending out intense shockwaves that caused the chamber to shake violently. The heatwave and black dragon which were still locked in combat not far away were struck by this shockwave and immediately scattered into light particles, disappearing from existence.
After everything calmed down again, the Artifact Spirit hovered in the air while Yang Kai stood several dozen meters away, staring at it coldly.
The Artifact Spirit’s physical appearance didn’t seem to have changed much, but its red glow was now obviously much dimmer than just now. Clearly it had suffered damage under Yang Kai’s attacks a moment ago.
“I don’t know what level your sentience has reached or if you can understand me, but if you are willing to surrender without a fight, I can spare your life. If you refuse, I can only act ruthlessly. If you choose the latter, you’ll have to suffer a lot and it will likely result in severe damage to your foundation!” Yang Kai said faintly.
This Artifact Spirit had indeed achieved a high degree of sentience, but Yang Kai wasn’t sure if it was capable of understanding his words; after all, this guy had been tethered to an Artifact Refining Furnace for tens of thousands of years and may not have ever interacted with other living things.
What surprised Yang Kai, however, was that after he had said this, rage flashed across the small eyes of the Artifact Spirit.
It really could understand him!
The next moment, an angry cry came from its mouth, and the Artifact Refining Furnace, which had been silently sitting in the centre of the stone room, buzzed loudly. The Artifact Refining Furnace then became red hot in an instant and a wave of heat suddenly shot out from it and poured into the Firebird’s body.
The Artifact Spirit, which had originally been slightly injured, was supplemented by the furnace that gave birth to it and suddenly recovered, it’s body growing even larger than before as it hovered over-top Yang Kai’s head, its wings spread out broadly, covering half of Yang Kai’s vision.
As this was happening, Yang Kai just watched quietly, without any intention of interfering. Not only did he not attempt to stop the Artifact Spirit, a hint of pity flashed across his eyes.
In the end, an Artifact Spirit was just an Artifact Spirit. Although it had achieved sentience, its battle experience was far less than Yang Kai’s.
Yang Kai was waiting for this moment.
After battling the Artifact Spirit last time, Yang Kai understood that this Artifact Refining Furnace was unusual, and relying on it, the Artifact Spirit could instantly supplement and strengthen itself. However, there was definitely a limit to this, and it was impossible for it to supplement the consumption of the Artifact Spirit endlessly.
Therefore, Yang Kai had fought violently at the beginning in an attempt to force the Artifact Spirit to use the reserves stored inside the Artifact Refining Furnace. If it hadn’t resorted to using the Fire Attribute energy stored in the Artifact Refining Furnace, Yang Kai would have no way of carrying out the next part of his strategy.
Now that it was using the Artifact Refining Furnace though, how much Fire Attribute energy would still be left inside it? From the corner of Yang Kai’s eyes, he secretly glanced towards the huge Origin King Grade furnace.
After its body became huge, the Artifact Spirit regained its proud expression and its small eyes filled with disdain.
However, before it could show off its power, Yang Kai disappeared from where he was standing and when his figure reappeared, it was already standing beside the furnace.
Immediately, under the horrified gaze of the Artifact Spirit, a ball of Demonic Flame emerged from Yang Kai’s palm and shot fiercely towards the Artifact Refining Furnace.
In an instant, the Artifact Refining Furnace was wrapped in Demonic Flame, after which Yang Kai ferociously pushed his Saint Qi as he poured his strength into the furnace.
The ice-cold flames exerted their full power at this moment and in the blink of an eye, the massive Artifact Refining Furnace’s surface began to freeze and frigid black energy continuously spread toward its interior.
Up above, the Artifact Spirit seemed to suffer severe damage, its massive red body suddenly trembling violently as a hue of cold, black light emerged from its figure.
It now knew what Yang Kai was trying to do.
The Artifact Refining Furnace was the vessel that gave birth to it. It was the Artifact Spirit of this Artifact Refining Furnace, so once the Artifact Refining Furnace received an attack or was damaged, there was no way it would remain unharmed.
It could be said that Yang Kai didn’t need to confront it at all, he only needed to deal with the Artifact Refining Furnace. This was probably the greatest sadness of an Artifact Spirit. No matter how powerful an existence it was, it could never fully control or display its own strength.
The Artifact Spirit warped and distorted. Yang Kai’s actions had made it enraged, but the chill that spread from inside its body also made it extremely frightened.
Not daring to hesitate, the Firebird opened its mouth and released a powerful heat blast to attack Yang Kai. It didn’t expect this blow to kill Yang Kai, it only wanted to drive him away from the Artifact Refining Furnace so he could no longer attack its vessel.
Yang Kai was also quick shocked at this moment. He discovered that this Artifact Refining Furnace contained an intense Fire Attribute energy that made freezing it quickly impossible.
Even as the heat blast struck towards him, Yang Kai didn’t dare to move; after all, his intentions had been exposed. This Artifact Spirit’s intelligence was quite high, so once he left the Artifact Refining Furnace, it would be extremely difficult to approach it again.
Staring at the blistering-hot blast, Yang Kai’s expression became solemn as he stretched out his other hand and fiercely tore open a Void crack.
This Void crack was twice as large as the previous one Yang Kai had opened.
The heat blast arrived in front of Yang Kai at that moment and poured into The Void, becoming exiled forever and failing to bring any harm to Yang Kai at all.
However, the Void crack Yang Kai opened immediately began to destabilize. Although Yang Kai’s understanding of the Dao of Space and his ability to manipulate Space Force had improved greatly, he was still a fair distance away from reaching the grand accomplishment stage. Forcibly ripping open a Void crack to confront an enemy was a measure of last resort. When this Void crack was struck by the pure fire aura contained in the heatwave fired by the Artifact Spirit, it instantly warped and appeared to be on the verge of collapsing.
Yang Kai’s face sank. Leaving one hand on the Void crack, trying to maintain its stability and stalling for as much time as possible, he used his other hand to desperately pour his ice-cold Saint Qi into the Artifact Refining Furnace.
Like a dam had burst, Yang Kai’s Saint Qi flooded out of his body, causing the black frost on the surface of the Artifact Refining Furnace to rapidly expand.
The Artifact Spirit could see that the Void crack Yang Kai opened was crumbling and a look of joy flashed across its small eyes; however, when it glanced over at Yang Kai desperately trying to seal the Artifact Refining Furnace in ice, panic once again filled its face and it poured even more energy into its heat blast.
It seemed to realize that after this battle, either it would be frozen or Yang Kai would be incinerated, so it held nothing back.
The battle in the stone chamber instantly reached a deadlock. As the heat blast continued pouring out from the Artifact Spirit’s mouth, the surrounding space became extremely hot, but at the spot where Yang Kai stood, the unstable Void crack intercepted and devoured this blast. At the same time, crackling sounds came from the Artifact Refining Furnace behind Yang Kai as a layer of black ice gradually spread across its surface and cold energy seeped into its insides. Although this process wasn’t fast, it wasn’t slow either.
As time passed, the Void crack warped further and became more and more unstable.
Eventually, under the pressure of the Artifact Spirit’s heat blast, the Void crack collapsed, exposing the figure of Yang Kai behind it.
Seeing this, the Artifact Spirit showed a look of pleasant surprise. Without the strange black crack that could devour its heat blast, it had full confidence to incinerate Yang Kai in one shot.
A cruel and violent light flashed across its eyes and the Artifact Spirit opened its mouth wider, concentrating an intense ball of red light that caused shocking waves of heat to spread across the shaking stone room.
Seeing that it was about to shoot this blast, the solemn look on Yang Kai’s face suddenly morphed into a grin as it gave a faint glance towards the Artifact Spirit before letting out a hearty laugh.
Along with his laughter, there was a sudden cracking noise as the huge Artifact Refining Furnace became completely encased in a layer of ice that blocked even the slightest bit of aura from leaking out.
The moment this layer of ice finished forming, the Artifact Spirit acted as if it had been struck by lightning, its huge body seemingly losing all strength. As it fell from the sky, the mass of Fire Attribute energy it had condensed in its mouth exploded, causing a backlash that blasted apart its entire head.
However, this explosion didn’t kill the Artifact Spirit since it did not possess a true physical body. It was inherently proficient in Fire Attribute principles, so such a backlash wasn’t capable of taking its life.
Nevertheless, although it didn’t lose its life, the Artifact Spirit’s massive body quickly shrank down and, after landing, it had returned to its original size. On top of that, its newly reborn head was quite dim and it had difficulty standing up; obviously, it had been severely weakened.
It stood there silently, staring at Yang Kai with hatred and resentment, it’s two small eyes shifting back and forth, its thoughts at this moment a complete mystery.
Suddenly, it spread its wings and transformed into a streak of red light that rushed towards the Artifact Refining Furnace.
It wanted to return to the vessel it was born from.
Naturally, Yang Kai wasn’t about to let it succeed. After carefully plotting against it and finally managing to obtain a decisive advantage over this Artifact Spirit, if he allowed it to return to the vessel, all his efforts would have been in vain.
Jet black Demonic Flames poured out from Yang Kai’s body and swiftly gathered into fireballs that floated around him. Under the guidance of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, these strange black fireballs circled slowly as they released an astonishing cold aura.
Tracking the rushing red light with his eyes, Yang Kai flicked his wrist and sent out one of the ice-cold black fireballs to intercept it.
Whether it was because it hadn’t yet recovered its strength or because its foundation had been damaged, the Artifact Spirit didn’t even attempt to avoid this black fireball and was hit by it directly.
With a loud blast, alternating hot and cold impact waves spread out fiercely and the Artifact Spirit’s body manifested once again, tumbling through the air before directly slamming into the stone walls, its red glow dimming significantly once more.
Struggling back up, the Artifact Spirit transformed into a red streak again and shot out.
Yang Kai coldly snorted and sent out another ball of cold flame.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Inside the stone chamber, the Artifact Spirit suffered almost inhumane torture. Each time it was hit by the cold flames, its body dimmed, and after seven or eight times, it even began having difficulty maintaining its form. Its two wings had shortened dramatically, and its signature three long tail-feathers had also disappeared.
With its container frozen, and having suffered a severe battering, the once-mighty Artifact Spirit’s mood became anxious as it lost all ability to fight back against Yang Kai, degenerating into a sandbag to be beaten.
However, this fellow was remarkably tough. It had been corroded many times by the cold flames but was still intact and its spirituality had not been lost. This secretly startled Yang Kai and also strengthened his idea of subduing it.
This time, if he had not successfully removed the firewood from under the pot by cutting off the Artifact Spirit from the Artifact Refining Furnace, with the strength and resilience this Firebird displayed, Yang Kai knew there would have been no way he could conquer it. But with its vessel now under Yang Kai’s control, if he still couldn’t subdue it, it would be too much of a waste.
After being easily knocked off again, the Artifact Spirit stood up tenaciously and let out a low, miserable sounding chirp from its mouth.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, his expression neither happy nor sad as he indifferently spoke, “Since you’ve achieved sentience, why don’t we talk this over? I don’t want to destroy you, and I’m willing to let you keep your life, but you must submit to me!”
The Artifact Spirit cried out repeatedly, its two small eyes glaring at Yang Kai angrily.
Yang Kai just chuckled, “You’d best think about it carefully. In any case, I don’t need to subdue you, I can just destroy you here and erase your existence. It wasn’t easy for you to be born, as for how long hard you needed to endure to do so, you understand far better than I do, so why not accept my proposal?”
“Naturally, submitting to me isn’t necessarily a bad thing for you. As far as I know, Artifact Spirits like you should have strong growth potential. I’ll bring you out of this place and will even find ways to help you grow.” Yang Kai understood that hard and soft selling went hand in hand. When dealing with highly sentient races, a big stick and candied fruit was the surest way to succeed, let alone dealing with an Artifact Spirit.
Sure enough, the Artifact Spirit, which had been utterly opposed to the idea at first, heard Yang Kai’s last words and it’s small eyes slowly began turning, seemingly thinking over the pros and cons of this deal while trying to evaluate if Yang Kai was just trying to deceive it.
Seeing a chance of success, Yang Kai struck while the iron was hot and said enticingly, “You’ve been stuck here for tens of thousands of years and the Earth Lung Fire Pond is the source of your birth, so presumably it can’t help you grow any further. If you refuse to follow me, you’ll be stuck here for who knows how long. The next time someone comes here though… heh, they may not be as accommodating as I.”
After saying so, Yang Kai’s voice sank, “I’ve made my offer, whether you submit or perish is up to you. Just know that I have little patience and time, so when I get up to leave here, if you haven’t made a decision yet, you won’t have another opportunity.”
Saying so, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged down next to the Artifact Refining Furnace. After delivering such an ultimatum, Yang Kai believed this Artifact Spirit would make the smart choice, all he had to do now was wait.
The Artifact Spirit stood in the corner of the stone room, its eyes shifting back and forth between Yang Kai and the Artifact Refining Furnace which was sealed in black ice, its expression changing constantly as it weighed its options.
The stone room suddenly became quiet. Yang Kai didn’t try to urge the Artifact Spirit further as he believed that after suffering so much and with the damage to its strength, it wouldn’t dare try to overtake him again and would remain where it stood.
Half a day passed by before Yang Kai opened his eyes once more, glanced over at the Artifact Spirit coldly, and stood up.
This time, without waiting for Yang Kai to say anything, the Artifact Spirit let out a crisp cry.
Although Yang Kai couldn’t tell what it meant exactly, he could still figure out its intentions and nodded, “I mean what I say. As long as you are willing to follow me, I will definitely help you grow and evolve. En, right, I forget to tell you, I have another companion like you that, after many years managed to obtain sentience, a Divine Tree, but right now it’s in a deep sleep as it evolves. You’ll be able to meet it in the future and communicate with it, and at that time you’ll be able to know what kind of person I am.”
The Artifact Spirit once again tweeted, but this time it had a docile tone to it.
Yang Kai grinned and said, “Good, since you’re willing, let go of your Soul’s defences so I can place a restriction on you. You can rest assured that this won’t harm you, it’s just a little method to protect against contingencies.”
The Artifact Spirit hesitated for quite some time before finally releasing its Soul’s defences.
Yang Kai immediately sent a burst of Spiritual Energy into its soul.
Great Heavenly Attraction from the Nine Heavens Divine Skills was a special Soul Skill that allowed one to take control of another’s Soul Brand. Although the Nine Heavens Divine Skills were only a set of Martial Skills from Tong Xuan Realm, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was incredibly powerful so he didn’t fear suffering backlash after using it on this Artifact Spirit.
Soon, everything was in order, and Yang Kai retrieved the Artifact Spirit’s Soul Brand and sealed it inside his own Knowledge Sea.
This way, he could control the Artifact Spirit’s life or death, and once it revealed any sign of treachery, Yang Kai could immediately terminate it.
After losing its Soul Brand, the Artifact Spirit wore an unhappy look, flapping its wings and crying out constantly towards Yang Kai. Yang Kai knew it was in a bad mood but he didn’t care. Waving his hand, he melted the layer of ice surrounding the Artifact Refining Furnace. Now that he had subdued the Artifact Spirit, there was naturally no reason to continue freezing this furnace. Although freezing this Artifact Refining Furnace wouldn’t deal any significant damage to the Artifact Spirit, it still had some impact.
Seeing that its vessel was no longer under threat, the Artifact Spirit’s annoyance and anger dulled significantly, but it was still behaving a bit unruly.
Yang Kai thought about it for a moment before stretching out his finger and forcing out a drop of Golden Blood, turning to the Artifact Spirit and asking, “Do you want this?”
Last time, the Divine Tree had swallowed two drops of his Golden Blood and immediately fell into a deep slumber to evolve which it had yet to awaken from. His Golden Blood being helpful to the Divine Tree Yang Kai could understand; after all, each drop of Golden Blood contained a massive amount of vitality.
Whether it would be of interest to the Artifact Spirit though was uncertain. If it did though, it would definitely make things easier in the future.
To Yang Kai’s surprise, the Golden Blood’s rich vitality, which he thought wouldn’t be of much use to the Artifact Spirit was apparently quite attractive to it. After seeing this drop of Golden Blood, the Artifact Spirit’s eyes lit up and it transformed into a streak of red light that immediately rushed over towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai instinctively condensed his Saint Qi, but after realizing that the Artifact Spirit wasn’t emitting any malicious intent, he relaxed his vigilance.
The stream of red light flew past Yang Kai’s hands, taking the drop of Golden Blood along with it. A moment later, the Artifact Spirit reappeared nearby and its dim body which had clearly suffered much damage began restoring itself at a speed visible to the naked eye, soon after seemingly recovering quite significantly.
Yang Kai was stunned!
He had taken out a drop of Golden Blood because it was the most precious treasure he had on him that he was willing to part with. He had only done so as an experiment and hadn’t expected it to really be of great help to the Artifact Spirit.
But thinking about it again, Yang Kai quickly understood. Although this Artifact Spirit didn’t have a physical form and its vessel was an inanimate artifact, since it had obtained sentience, it couldn’t be considered an ordinary Artifact Spirit. As long as the relationship between itself and its vessel could be severed and it could find a suitable body, it could become a true living being.
Since it could obtain true physical existence, of course the Golden Blood would have some effect on it.
However, after swallowing the drop of Golden Blood, the Artifact Spirit didn’t experience much change and showed no signs of becoming stronger, only its foundation and essence recovering somewhat. At this point it tilted its head slightly to Yang Kai, putting on a flattering and begging expression, seemingly wanting to obtain another drop of Golden Blood from Yang Kai.
Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing as he realized that the Artifact Spirit he had subdued this time had indeed achieved a high level of intelligence. However, this wasn’t that surprising as this Artifact Spirit had existed for tens of thousands of years. If it hadn’t, he wouldn’t have struggled with it so much.
“I don’t have any more Golden Blood, but I do have this,” Yang Kai said as he took out a bean-sized Fire Crystal Stone and tossed it over.
His Golden Blood was too precious, so naturally, it was impossible for Yang Kai to satisfy the appetite of this Artifact Spirit, instead deciding to give it a Fire Crystal Stone he obtained from a Sixth-Order Fire Spirit Beast. Currently, Yang Kai’s Space Ring contained many of these things so parting with one or two wasn’t an issue.
When the Artifact Spirit saw the Fire Crystal Stone, it turned into a flare and wrapped up the crimson stone. When it re-materialized, the Fire Crystal Stone was gone.
Smacking its beak a few times, the Artifact Spirit seemed a little dissatisfied.
Anyone who had eaten a great delicacy and then ate some ordinary tea snacks would behave like this.
“Alright. That’s enough for now. Go back to your container, I need to leave this place.” Yang Kai wasn’t going to give it any more benefits right now. He had yet to completely conquer this Artifact Spirit, and it was only because he had control of its Soul Brand that it was obeying him, unlike the Divine Tree which Yang Kai wouldn’t hesitate to help.
Listening to Yang Kai’s instructions, the Artifact Spirit didn’t immediately obey but instead let out a loud cry before turning into a ball of flame and circling around the four stone control tables inside the stone room.
Yang Kai frowned for a moment but quickly understood its meaning through his special connection with the Artifact Spirit, hesitantly asking, “You want me to activate the Spirit Array?”
The Artifact Spirit circled once more before floating down in front of him, seemingly indicating Yang Kai was right.
“Alright,” Yang Kai didn’t hesitate, reaching out and injecting his Saint Qi into the four stone tables and opening up the stone chamber’s aura channelling Spirit Array to its maximum. In the next instant, a steady stream of pure Fire Attribute Energy from the Earth Lung Fire Pond was extracted and poured into the Artifact Refining Furnace.
The Artifact Spirit’s figure flashed and it swiftly dove down into the ground, not explaining what it was trying to do.
Yang Kai wasn’t worried it would run away though. Forget about the fact that he had its Soul Brand, its vessel was still here.
A moment later, Yang Kai’s face changed and he stared intently towards the Artifact Refining Furnace. He didn’t know what the Artifact Spirit had done but the pure Fire Attribute energy suddenly became several times fiercer, causing the various protective Spirit Arrays around the stone room to creak under the pressure.
All of the Fire Attribute energy was drawn into the Artifact Refining Furnace, causing it to shake unsteadily, as if it might explode at any time.
At the same time, ancient runes and energy chains began appearing on the surface of the furnace.
Yang Kai stared fixedly.
He had seen these energy chains once before, they were the shackles which had appeared a month ago when the Artifact Spirit had chased him out of the stone chamber. At that time, these energy chains had shattered and retrieved the Artifact Spirit’s body, which had allowed Yang Kai to escape safely.
Now that they had appeared before his eyes again, Yang Kai immediately understood what was happening.
It turned out that this Artifact Refining Furnace had been locked in place in this stone room with a kind of powerful Spirit Array.
[Does this mean that this Artifact Spirit was born tens of thousands of years ago?] The original owner of this Artifact Refining Furnace locking it in place here must have been so that the Artifact Spirit didn’t try to carry it out from this stone chamber. If this hadn’t been done, with the Artifact Spirit’s ability, it would certainly be able to bring the Artifact Refining Furnace out of this Earth Lung Fire Pond and not been trapped here all alone for tens of thousands of years.After thinking about it, Yang Kai laughed bitterly. It seemed that if he wanted to take this Artifact Refining Furnace with him, he first had to destroy this Spirit Array.
The Artifact Spirit must not have the ability to unlock these chains, otherwise, it would have escaped from here long ago.
Yang Kai silently grumbled that he hadn’t gotten any help from this Artifact Spirit yet and was instead being put to work for it.
A red light flashed from the ground and the Artifact Spirit appeared again, screeching at the chains binding the Artifact Refining Furnace. Yang Kai knew what it wanted to say and didn’t hesitate to use his cold flames to bombard these energy chains.
Although this Spirit Array was exquisitely arranged and was also quite solid, in the end, it was just an inanimate formation.
Half a day later, the energy chains finally broke apart under the constant hammering of Yang Kai’s black flames.
Seeing this, the Artifact Spirit, who had been standing beside him, let out a cry filled with infinite joy before plunging into the Artifact Refining Furnace.
The vessel and the Artifact Spirit merged into one at this time and the intense fire aura it radiated made Yang Kai pale.
Only now did he understand that because of these energy chains, the Artifact Spirit had been unable to display its full strength. If it had, who won and who lost in their last fight might have been different.
Fortunately, this restriction had given him an opportunity to subdue the Artifact Spirit. At this point, Yang Kai said a silent thanks to the original owner of this Artifact Refining Furnace.
Just as he was getting over his initial surprise, Yang Kai watched the massive Artifact Refining Furnace slowly lift up into the air before rapidly revolving and shrinking down.
Soon, the huge Artifact Refining Furnace became small enough to fit in the palm of Yang Kai’s hand.
A light flashed and the Artifact Refining Furnace flew to Yang Kai. Then, from the furnace, a crimson-red figure shot out.
Yang Kai took a soft breath before taking the small furnace in front of him and putting it into his Space Ring.
He did not put the Artifact Refining Furnace into his Black Book Space because there were too many precious things inside it. This Artifact Spirit didn’t look like an obedient fellow so if Yang Kai admitted it into his Black Book Space, he couldn’t be sure if it would stay away from his valuables.
After receiving the Artifact Refining Furnace, Yang Kai also took down the eight light orbs embedded in the stone wall and threw them into his Space Ring before leaving the stone room.
There was no need to remain here anymore. Every stone room in this Earth Lung Fire Pond had been cleaned out by Yang Kai and everything of value now belonged to him.
It would be a waste of time to stay any longer.
Soon, Yang Kai came to the entrance of the cave and looked up, barely able to see the top of the pit.
He was a few thousand metres down from the surface and the molten lava in the Earth Lung Fire Pond would erupt from time to time, so it would be a bit troublesome and possibly dangerous to climb all the way back up.
After thinking about it though, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he took out the Artifact Refining Furnace again.
He remembered that the Artifact Spirit was able to fly just now, and although it had only been flying around the stone room, that should mean it wasn’t bound by the unique World Principles of this place.
After some communication, Yang Kai was overjoyed to learn the Artifact Spirit could fly out directly, so he no longer hesitated and had it carry him out.
A moment later, somewhere amidst the fifth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, a red light burst from the ground, and below this red light was Yang Kai with his hand covered in ice-cold black flame, grasping the Artifact Spirit’s claws.
As soon as it rushed out of the Earth Lung Fire Pond, the Artifact Spirit let out a loud, piercing cry, as if it had just gained a new life, spreading its wings and soaring up into the sky.
But a moment later, after reaching a height of ten metres or so, the Artifact Spirit came to an abrupt halt, staggered, fell to the ground, and face-planted.
Yang Kai saw this and immediately understood that the Artifact Spirit wasn’t free from this place’s World Principle restrictions, but was only less affected by them, allowing it to fly, just not very high.
Yang Kai wanted to take the Artifact Spirit back into his Space Ring, but after it finally gained its freedom, it was unwilling to be restrained any more. Instead, it transformed into a miniature Firebird and stood on Yang Kai’s shoulder, using its pointed beak to comb his hair, putting on a determined display of flattery. No matter how Yang Kai tried to persuade it, it refused to return to the Artifact Refining Furnace.
Yang Kai didn’t want to waste time arguing with it so he simply let it be. He couldn’t put the Artifact Refining Furnace into his Space Ring though, otherwise, the Artifact Spirit would be forced to return to its vessel, so instead, Yang Kai stored it into his sleeve before slowly taking a look at his surroundings.
The fifth layer was still the same as it was a month ago, visible waves of heat and unbearable fire poison everywhere with dark reddish hues as far as the eye could see.
However, Yang Kai found that it was now much easier for him to resist the harsh environment here.
His strength had increased, and his cultivation had improved by a Minor Realm, but the biggest reason Yang Kai was able to resist the environment here was that his control over his Demonic Flame had grown remarkably.
More than a month ago, Yang Kai was unable to manipulate the properties of his Demonic Flame, so although it was both dense and potent, using it to resist the environment of the fifth layer was quite laborious. Today though, Yang Kai could determine whether his Demonic Flame was hot or cold, transforming it with a single thought. With the ice-cold flames protecting his body, he was no longer afraid of the fierce heatwaves and fire poison around him and was able to keep all of it at least half a metre away from himself.
Standing in place, Yang Kai pondered for a while, but after understanding what was happening, he couldn’t help feeling jubilant.
Moreover, his worries about time seemed to be unnecessary. Even after refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, the Flowing Flame Sand Field hadn’t closed. Calculating it though, the closing should be within a few days.
With several days of time left, Yang Kai naturally had no interest in returning to the fourth layer and instead wanted to continue deeper to see if there really was a sixth layer!
If there was, he wondered what kind of scene it would be.
If the power of his Demonic Flame hadn’t improved so dramatically, Yang Kai would definitely not try to reach the sixth layer. Before, when he came here, it had been impossible for him to continue forward, but now that he had his ice-cold flames to guard his body, Yang Kai was confident he could explore further.
No one had explored past the Flowing Flame Sand Field’s third layer barrier for tens of thousands of years, and each subsequent layer had been filled with amazing wealth and opportunities.
The Red Candle Fruit had appeared in the third layer, and the huge ancient Sect ruin had appeared in the fourth layer. Unfortunately, Yang Kai didn’t have the ability to access that Sect ruin so he could only stare at it from afar and sigh. The fifth layer had an Earth Lung Fire Pond as well as an Origin King Grade Artifact Refining Furnace that had formed an Artifact Spirit. If there really was a sixth layer, there would no doubt be some good things there.
Making up his mind, Yang Kai no longer hesitated. Time was precious now as the Flowing Flame Sand Field would soon close. Taking out his Yuan Magnetic Compass from his Space Ring, Yang Kai determined his direction before setting off.
With his cold flames protecting him, it was truly quite easy for Yang Kai to walk through the fifth layer, and the excessive consumption of Saint Qi he experienced before did not happen again.
Yang Kai also constantly used his Demon Eye of Annihilation to avoid invisible barriers and dangerous Spirit Arrays.
Along the way, Yang Kai didn’t encounter any danger at all though, and even the Artifact Spirit remained docile, only occasionally flying out for a moment before quickly returning and squatting on Yang Kai’s shoulder.
It seemed that it also knew that this place had its hazards so it didn’t dare run about freely.
For three days, Yang Kai walked through the fifth layer. If it weren’t for the Yuan Magnetic Compass though, he would have quickly become lost in this scorching world.
On this day, while Yang Kai was walking, the Artifact Spirit crouched on his shoulders suddenly stood up and let out a series of rapid cries, its two small eyes staring forward with extreme alert.
Yang Kai was surprised by this development and quickly stopped before using his Demon Eye of Annihilation to sweep the area. However, upon not discovering anything wrong, his expression couldn’t help but sink.
He knew that in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, there were some Spirit Arrays which were arranged so exquisitely that even his Demon Eye of Annihilation couldn’t see through them. Now, it seems he was in front of one such Spirit Array.
However, this Spirit Array was actually first discovered by the Artifact Spirit, which came as a surprise to Yang Kai.
This Artifact Spirit was born from an Artifact Refining Furnace, so in theory, it shouldn’t know much about barriers or Spirit Arrays, so how had it discovered something was wrong? Yang Kai turned his head and looked at it somewhat suspiciously, but the Artifact Spirit still kept tweeting, seemingly wanting to convey a warning to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai frowned, but after a moment, his expression suddenly dropped, “You mean, we’re already inside the formation?”
The Artifact Spirit no longer spoke, its silence giving Yang Kai his answer.
“That can’t be,” Yang Kai’s face changed. All along the way, he had been extremely cautious and never entered any place that seemed remotely dangerous. He only took routes that he thought were extremely safe, but if what the Artifact Spirit was saying was true, he had most likely stumbled into some kind of Spirit Array completely without knowing it.
Turning around, Yang Kai couldn’t find anything special about his surroundings. This place was like any other, an extremely harsh dark red wasteland.
There wasn’t even a dangerous aura in the air.
This might be a type of Bewildering Array or Illusion Array! Yang Kai didn’t think the Artifact Spirit would be making such a fuss for no reason, so he could only think of such a possibility, but when had he fallen into this Spirit Array?
On top of that, if even the Demon Eye of Annihilation couldn’t see any flaws in this Spirit Array, how was he supposed to escape from it?
If this was really the case, Yang Kai could only wait for the Flowing Flame Sand Field to close and allow the World Principles to teleport him out. Fortunately, that would happen within a few days, so Yang Kai wasn’t particularly worried.
While preparing to sit down cross-legged and wait out the remaining time though, the Artifact Spirit on his shoulder suddenly let out a cry and transformed into a red streak of light that shot out towards a certain direction.
Yang Kai frowned but didn’t force it to return because he was faintly aware that it had discovered something.
So he decided to wait and see.
What was strange though was the Artifact Spirit disappeared from Yang Kai’s sight after about a thousand metres; however, from time to time he could still hear its cries and, judging from them, Yang Kai knew it hadn’t gone far from his current position.
Yang Kai suddenly felt relieved.
A short time later, a fierce burst of Fire Attribute energy occurred and in the next instant, the entire world seemed to distort. After these distortions appeared, Yang Kai was able to see some flaws in this Spirit Array with his Demon Eye of Annihilation.
The Artifact Spirit hadn’t been making a fuss for no reason, they really had stepped into an Illusion Array, but as for when that happened, Yang Kai didn’t know. The various distortions around him were obviously not normal and were obviously the result of some kind of mirage.
As the Fire Attribute energy fluctuations became more and more violent, the distortions also became more obvious. The harsh surroundings began to crack and the earth and the sky took on the appearance of a broken mirror.
Not long after, with a loud cracking sound, the world around Yang Kai suddenly shattered and turned into scattered points of light.
At the same time, the harsh environment Yang Kai was standing in disappeared completely and was replaced by an extremely lush and beautiful landscape filled with rich World Energy aura.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but gawk, subconsciously thinking that this might be another Illusion Array.
But when he looked back, his brow couldn’t help furrowing.
About ten kilometres behind him there was a red light curtain beyond which a dark red scorched landscape filled with swirling fire auras lay.
That was clearly the fifth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field!
Thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai suddenly had a thought.
Had he actually walked out of the fifth layer and arrived in the sixth layer?
The place where he was currently standing was the clearly the sixth layer he had hypothesized existed. Yang Kai could tell because the World Energy aura here was significantly richer than around the rolling mountains of the fourth layer’s Sect ruin.
Yang Kai didn’t know when he set foot into the sixth layer, but he surmised that the moment he did, he had been enveloped in the Illusion Array, making him believe he was still traversing the fifth layer.
The mirages around him having been dispelled indicated that the Illusion Array had been broken.
Yang Kai turned his head again and sure enough, a red flash of light was flying straight towards him. A moment later, the Artifact Spirit’s body reappeared, but now it had a fist-sized, hexagonal crystal in its mouth.
At first glance, Yang Kai realized that this crystal was a bit abnormal, because he couldn’t tell what colour it was. Saying it was completely pure and colourless seemed right, but saying that it was a brilliant purple or red also seemed appropriate, an incredibly strange phenomenon.
Just as he was preparing to probe this crystal more carefully, Yang Kai’s heart suddenly clenched tightly as he witnessed a burst of black Qi erupt from it, transform into innumerable evil spirits, and rush towards him.
Yang Kai was shocked and quickly waved his hand to condense countless balls of Demonic Flame to intercept these terrifying spirits.
Strangely though, these evil spirits, which seemed so imposing actually shattered as easily as the moonlight reflected on a pond. The moment the Demonic Flames passed through this wave of spirits, they all howled miserably and disappeared. At the same time, a series of angry chirps sounded in Yang Kai’s ear.
Yang Kai froze up and stared in front of himself only to see the Artifact Spirit still holding the strange crystal, its wings fluttering greatly as it flew about, constantly chirping as if yelling at Yang Kai.
Just now, Yang Kai suddenly attacking had startled it.
Yang Kai ignored the Firebird and instead knit his brow tightly.
He also noticed at this moment that the evil spirits from just now weren’t real. In other words, everything had been an illusion, because when that swarm had appeared, his Demon Eye of Annihilation had allowed him to perceive their true form.
[Did this strange crystal have the ability to create such realistic illusions?] Yang Kai thought in surprise.Yang Kai’s Soul was extremely powerful, so this crystal that could easily make him fall into an illusion was naturally not something ordinary and it most likely was related to the Illusion Array he had just now been trapped inside.
This thing may very well have been the Array Core of that Spirit Array. With the Artifact Spirit removing it from wherever it had been, the previous Illusion Array had been broken. The more Yang Kai thought about it, the more convinced he became and the greater his interest in this crystal grew. After steadying his mind, he once again began examining it.
However, this time, no black Qi poured out of it. Instead, Yang Kai felt as if his Knowledge Sea became unstable and great dizziness overcame him. For a moment, Yang Kai felt as if his body had become weightless and the Heavens and Earth had been inverted.
Startled, Yang Kai quickly took back his gaze and closed his eyes, taking quite a while to finally re-adjust himself.
No longer daring to spy on this strange crystal at will, Yang Kai beckoned to the Artifact Spirit, let it bring the crystal over, then tossed it into his Space Ring, planning on first going back before studying it further.
The Artifact Spirit saw that Yang Kai had finally returned to normal and no longer made a fuss, flying back and landing on Yang Kai’s shoulder before combing its feathers elegantly.
Yang Kai began examining the sixth layer carefully.
Just a brief glance left him stunned.
This was because he found that this sixth stage was incredibly small, only a few dozen kilometres across. With the barrier to the fifth stage Flame Area surrounding it, Yang Kai was capable of seeing the entire sixth stage at a glance.
In this sixth stage, the World Energy was incredibly thick, and a few kilometres away from where Yang Kai was standing, there was a noticeable green bamboo forest. These bamboos were quite slender and swayed freely in the wind.
There seemed to be a loft of some sort in the very centre of this bamboo forest, one that must have existed for countless years but even now showed no signs of decay.
The entire sixth stage was wrapped around by the fifth stage, but it wasn’t even slightly affected by the blistering heat.
Yang Kai stared at the green bamboo forest and the delicate loft fixedly.
Although he had encountered a huge Sect ruin in the fourth layer and realized that this Flowing Flame Sand Field was inhabited long ago, it was still a surprise for Yang Kai to find such a loft here.
The World Energy here was richer than at the site of that Sect ruin, so the loft which was built here was obviously not the home of someone ordinary. Most likely, it had belonged to a very high-level figure of that Sect.
What’s more, this person was likely female, because the environment here was filled with a sense of elegance that male cultivators wouldn’t care about.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai kept his Demon Eye of Annihilation open and slowly walked over to the loft.
Since he had already arrived here, he wouldn’t hold himself back. Yang Kai wanted to see if there was anything good left inside this loft while also examining this green bamboo forest. Any bamboo that grew here must not be ordinary.
Originally, Yang Kai was worried that there would be barriers everywhere, with powerful Spirit Arrays hidden all over the place, but after easily walking a few laps around the green bamboo forest, he didn’t encounter any such dangers, surprising him greatly. Was he just being paranoid?
Regardless, Yang Kai didn’t dare drop his guard. Standing at the edge of the green bamboo forest, he condensed a Demonic Flame sword in his hand while staring at the thumb-or-so thick, several-metre tall bamboo in front of him, then chopped towards it.
Each of these bamboos was emerald green and gave off a powerful vitality, clearly indicating that they weren’t just ordinary bamboo. All of these bamboos could be regarded as good material for Artifact Refining. There were at least several thousand bamboos in this forest so, naturally, Yang Kai planned on cutting some down and bringing them back for Yang Yan to refine some artifacts from.
After swinging his sword though, something unexpected happened. The place where the bamboo was chopped remained completely unharmed, without even a scratch.
Yang Kai saw this and was startled, quickly realizing that he had greatly underestimated these green bamboos, but at the same time he became overjoyed. Since these green bamboos were so tough, they would obviously be excellent Artifact Refining materials.
Thinking so, Yang Kai began chopping vigorously with his sword.
Half an hour later, Yang Kai stood with a dark look upon his face as he stared at the green bamboo in front of him.
During this half an hour, he had used almost all the means he could think of but still failed to cut down a single bamboo. Even after using a few dozen Space Blades, he had only left a tiny, almost negligible notch in it.
Judging from this rate of progress, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to cut down a single one of these green bamboos without spending at least ten days of effort.
How could Yang Kai waste so much time here? Staring at the bamboo in front of him for a moment, he let out a long sigh and gave up on cutting it down, instead turning and walking towards the loft.
Yang Kai was more interested in seeing if there were any gains to be had in this loft.
A moment later, Yang Kai arrived in front of this loft, but instead of rushing inside, he simply stood there and observed this several tens of thousands of year-old building.
It was indeed of a different construction style from current lofts, but these differences were quite minor. Yang Kai couldn’t figure out what material it was constructed from, but it was extremely well preserved, the front door not even having any dust on it.
This loft had three stories, each one about five metres in height with a dome-shaped roof.
Yang Kai hesitated for a while, before turning to look at the Artifact Spirit standing on his shoulder. The Artifact Spirit was staring at the loft with its small pair of eyes, as if also interested to see what was inside, but upon noticing Yang Kai’s vision land on it, it seeming felt a sense of crisis and its body quickly flickered and disappeared into the Artifact Refining Furnace in his sleeve.
[Damn useless bird!] Yang Kai cursed to himself. He had been planning on letting the Artifact Spirit scout out the situation, but how could he have known that this fellow would realize his intent and immediately hide in its vessel.However, Yang Kai didn’t intend on forcing it; after all, he had completely relied on it to escape the previous Illusion Array and gained the strange crystal with its help.
Shaking his head slowly, Yang Kai stepped forward, reached out, and slowly opened the door to the loft.
With a slight creak, the door opened.
Yang Kai wore a dignified look upon his face as he vigilantly condensed his Saint Qi.
But even when the door was completely opened, Yang Kai didn’t feel the slightest sense of danger. Instead, there was a light, relaxing aroma wafting about this loft, one that seemed to refresh all his senses when he inhaled it.
Looking towards the source of this fragrance, Yang Kai knit his brow and walked over to discover a small incense burner.
This incense burner had a similar appearance to the shrunken Artifact Refining Furnace in his sleeve and its grade was clearly not low. It was sending out a vigorous aura that made it apparent it was an Origin King Grade Low-Rank artifact; however, from how it was refined, it was clear it had no combat power and was just a simple furnishing.
A trivial decoration was actually an Origin King Grade Low-Rank artifact. This loft was indeed amazing.
What surprised Yang Kai wasn’t this small incense burner, but the thumb-sized piece of incense inside it. This purple sandalwood-like incense was clearly extraordinary, and the invisible scent wafting from it was equally so. Yang Kai couldn’t detect the incense in the air, but from the aroma he smelled, he could tell it was very helpful to a cultivator’s cultivation. It should allow any cultivator to quickly enter their most perfect meditative state.
“Ten Thousand Year Incense?” Yang Kai thought for a while before blurting out a name in excitement.
Although he hadn’t recognized what this purple sandalwood incense was at first, after observing it for a while, Yang Kai was able to make an educated guess. If it really was Ten Thousand Year Incense, then it was an incredible treasure.
Ten Thousand Year Incense could literally burn for tens of thousands of years, and clearly this thumb-sized Ten Thousand Year Incense had been burning for such a length of time. Just from this fact alone, it was clear how incredible this it was, probably the highest grade of Ten Thousand Year Incense.
Ten Thousand Year Incense wasn’t naturally generated, but rather something artificially refined. The raw materials required to refine it were astonishing, with parts of over a dozen species of Tenth-Order Monster Beast as the core ingredients. The rarest of all these materials was the heart of a beast called the Seven Coloured Elk.
The Seven Coloured Elk was an extinct ancient Monster Beast. It was born as an Eighth-Order Monster Beast and would grow to become a Tenth-Order as an adult. It was not only rare in quantity but also amazing in strength. The seven-coloured radiance it could emit from its body was capable of penetrating any form of defence, so even if an Origin King Realm master were to meet a Seven Coloured Elk, they would have no choice but to give way.
If one wanted to kill a Seven Coloured Elk, they needed to gather at least five Second-Order Origin Kings.
After removing a Seven Coloured Elk’s heart, one had to use it within ten days, otherwise, its aroma would completely dissipate.
It was for these reasons that Ten Thousand Year Incense was so rare. This thing not only had the effect Yang Kai originally perceived of helping a cultivator enter a perfect meditative state, inhaling it while cultivating also allowed a cultivator’s chance of obtaining enlightenment and could also help clear their mind and eliminate heart demons.
When a cultivator broke through to a new Great Realm, not only would they require a certain degree of comprehension of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, they would also need to face any heart demons they possessed. These heart demons were usually pains or regrets a cultivator hid deep in their heart. While normally these heart demons could be suppressed, during a breakthrough, they would silently emerge and would often affect a cultivator’s chance of breaking through.
It wasn’t uncommon for a cultivator to die tragically or suffer crippling injuries under the influence of a heart demon.
Yang Kai hadn’t encountered any heart demons during his cultivation because he didn’t have many regrets or hidden pains. Only the separation from his beloved woman for so long made him feel some sorrow and guilt, but he also firmly believed that they would one day be reunited, so this didn’t cause him any difficulties when breaking through.
However, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t one day take on such a heart demon, and once he tried to break through to the next Great Realm, the consequences would be dire.
Now that he had obtained such a piece of Ten Thousand Year Incense, this issue could be easily solved.
Yang Kai was able to recognize this Ten Thousand Year Incense because it was a product related to Alchemy, one that needed to be refined by an Alchemist.
Yang Kai was overjoyed, and quickly put this small incense burner and the piece of Ten Thousand Year Incense into his Space Ring, nodding with satisfaction as he did so. This Ten Thousand Year Incense alone was enough to make it worth venturing into this loft.
When he raised his head again, Yang Kai suddenly found that there was a painting of a figure hung on the wall behind the incense burner. This painting only showed its subject’s back, but it was clearly the profile of a woman. This woman had a slender, exquisite figure and was dressed in long white robes, like an inviolable goddess.
Yang Kai only glanced at this figure but couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of reverence, immediately circulating his Secret Art to resist the impulse to kneel down.
Looking more closely, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed.
He found that the back of the woman in this painting seemed vaguely familiar, as if he had seen her before somewhere.
Moreover, after dispelling the impulse to worship this woman, the picture suddenly appeared quite bland, as if it was an ordinary painting without any special features.
Shaking his head slightly, Yang Kai carefully checked the picture with his Divine Sense and determined that there was nothing out of the ordinary with it before taking back his vision.
He was certain that the woman in this picture was either the owner of this loft or had a strong connection with its owner, otherwise, a painting of her back wouldn’t have appeared here.
Yang Kai didn’t plan on taking this picture away though. He had obtained the Ten Thousand Year Incense, so he was already quite satisfied; there was no need for him to also take a picture of a stranger’s back.
Looking around once more, Yang Kai found nothing else of note.
On the first floor of this loft, it seemed only the Ten Thousand Year Incense lit inside the incense burner and the strange picture existed.
Yang Kai quickly found a staircase leading to the second floor and proceeded up it.
After ascending the stairs, Yang Kai easily reached the second floor.
What he saw here though stunned him.
The second floor was actually a woman’s boudoir. Although there wasn’t much inside the room, Yang Kai could still infer from the furnishings that this was indeed where a woman lived.
One bed, one table, one chair, and a meditation mat atop the bed. Other than this, there was nothing else.
Glancing around the room, Yang Kai’s eyes soon landed on the meditation mat. The owner of this loft apparently lived here, and this mat she used was not something ordinary.
Thinking so, Yang Kai stepped forward and reached out to pick up the mat.
But to his surprise, the moment his finger touched it, it disintegrated into a pile of dust.
It turns out it really was just an ordinary mat, one that was unable to withstand the erosion of so many years. Seeing this, Yang Kai gawked for a moment before suddenly letting out wry laughter. After gaining so many good things one after another, it seemed that he’d become a bit greedy, not even willing to let off someone else’s meditation mat.
After searching the second floor for a while, Yang Kai determined that there was really nothing good here before turning around and walking over to the stairway to the third floor.
During his exploration of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, he had already achieved great results, and after experiencing the accident with the meditation mat just now, his mood had also calmed down greatly. Even if there was nothing on the third floor, he wouldn’t care too much.
Thinking so, Yang Kai quickly ascended the stairs to the third floor.
To his surprise, there actually was something on this third floor.
Looking at it, it seemed to be some kind of token floating mid-air!
Yang Kai went stiff the moment he saw this token, quickly searching through his Black Book Space in the next instant.
After a moment, another token appeared in his hand. This token was almost identical to the one floating in front of him. Both tokens were made of some material that was neither metal nor wood and had no designs or embellishments. Only a large ‘Emperor’ character appeared on it.
From the token in his hand, Yang Kai felt a powerful coercion, one that made the heart of anyone who saw it race while simultaneously making one wish to prostrate themselves before it.
“Star Emperor Token!” Yang Kai’s face became solemn as he instantly recognized this token.
Star Emperor Tokens were rumoured to have been created by the Starry Sky Emperor many aeons ago. Gui Zu once told Yang Kai that there were ten Star Emperor Tokens in total, but no one knew where all of them where. Additionally, each Star Emperor Token sealed a Divine Ability of the Starry Sky Emperor, and by using this Divine Ability, one could easily kill an Origin King Realm master.
The Star Emperor Token Yang Kai had on him was given to him by Gui Zu. Yang Kai had brought Gui Zu out from the floating continent, ending his two-thousand-year imprisonment there. At the time, Gui Zu had acted unpredictably, making no distinctions between good and evil, but at the last moment, for some reason Yang Kai still didn’t comprehend, Gui Zu had actually given him this Star Emperor Token.
Perhaps it was Gui Zu’s way of rewarding Yang Kai for saving his life.
At that time, Gui Zu told him that when he encountered true danger, he could infuse his Saint Qi into this token to use the Star Emperor’s sealed Divine Ability.
Of course, even if he were to use the Star Emperor’s Divine Ability to kill a powerful enemy, with Yang Kai’s current cultivation, there was basically no chance he would survive the ensuing backlash; after all, the Divine Ability of the Star Emperor Token was far too powerful, once Yang Kai used it, it would quite possibly destroy him in the process.
Since obtaining this Star Emperor Token, Yang Kai had been hiding it in his Black Book Space, never intending on using it.
On the one hand, it was too dangerous to use. On the other hand, Yang Kai had yet to encounter a calamity he couldn’t resolve, so there was no need to use it.
Yang Kai never imagined that in this loft in the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, he would find a second Star Emperor Token!
However, Yang Kai quickly found that something was wrong, because the Star Emperor Token suspended in mid-air in front of him didn’t seem the same as the one in his hand. The aura coming from it, although majestic, didn’t give off any feeling of danger.
Someone had used the Divine Ability sealed inside this Star Emperor Token! In other words, this token didn’t have the Star Emperor’s killing strike anymore.
Yang Kai figured this must be the case, but the fact that this Star Emperor Token hadn’t been destroyed after it was used was also quite surprising to him.
No matter what, with a Star Emperor Token in front of him, Yang Kai obviously wasn’t going to just ignore it. When he was about to reach out and take it though, a faint layer of light rippled from it.
Yang Kai’s face changed when he noticed the murderous intent contained in this light halo and pushed his Saint Qi hard to retreat. However, although Yang Kai’s speed was great, the light ripples were faster, and they quickly reached him.
Yang Kai face was ashen. Even if this Star Emperor Token had already been used, it seems it couldn’t just be touched at will.
Just when Yang Kai thought he was doomed, the intact Star Emperor Token in his hand also released a faint light ripple that cancelled out the approaching one, causing both to disappear.
The second Star Emperor Token, which had been suspended in the middle of the third floor of the loft, seemed to lose its support and fell to the ground, making a clinking sound as it bounced a few times before coming to a stop.
Still quite frightened, Yang Kai clenched his own token tightly as cold sweat seeped from his forehead.
He hadn’t expected such a change to happen. If he hadn’t happened to be holding his own Star Emperor Token, he would at least have been heavily injured just now. The strange power that was contained in that faint light halo wasn’t something he was currently capable of resisting.
After taking a moment to calm his breathing, Yang Kai walked forward slowly.
At this moment, the world suddenly seemed to shake, and Yang Kai felt that something in the surrounding space had changed. There was a faint repulsive force coming from all directions, seemingly rejecting his very presence.
At the same time, a slim, illusionary jade white hand appearing from the sky and seeming tried to grab Yang Kai.
This jade white hand clearly belonged to a woman, but it was surprisingly large, almost covering the entire floor, and it completely ignored the loft itself as it descended directly on top of Yang Kai’s head.
Yang Kai’s face changed greatly, instantaneously understanding that it was time for the Flowing Flame Sand Field to close, which was why the surrounding space had become turbulent.
Yang Kai figured that this scene was happening in front of all the cultivators still inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field. This jade white hand had clearly appeared to remove all of them from this place.
Yang Kai’s conjecture wasn’t wrong. From the first layer to the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, the same illusionary jade white hand reached out from the void and easily scooped up all the cultivators who were resting, walking, or even fighting, transforming into a brilliant flash of light that soon disappeared together with the cultivators.
The next moment, outside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, figures strangely appeared and the Elders of the major Sects who had been waiting outside joyfully went forward to meet them.
On the third floor of the loft, Yang Kai fiercely pushed his Saint Qi and sent out his own palm to meet this jade white hand.
Naturally, though, his Heaven Covering Hand failed to even stall this illusionary jade white hand. Yang Kai raced forward at that instant, sending out a dozen Space Blades to block this jade white hand for just a moment.
Taking advantage of this hard-won time, Yang Kai quickly grabbed the Star Emperor Token on the ground before calmly standing in place, not intending to resist any further.
However, when the jade white hand grabbed Yang Kai, and space around him began to distort and teleport him out, the two Star Emperor Tokens in his hand glowed, forming a light blue protective cover.
The jade white hand disappeared, but Yang Kai was still standing in the third floor of the loft with a confused look on his face.
Soon, the distorted space returned to normal and even the feeling of rejection disappeared.
It was as if Yang Kai had been forgotten as he stood there alone.
It took him a while to react, but when he did, a happy smile appeared on his face.
Yang Kai was certain that the phenomenon just now was a signal that the Flowing Flame Sand Field had closed, and that the teleportation power just now had somehow been blocked by the two Star Emperor Tokens, meaning he was now the only one left here.
He was happy that he now had a lot more time to use, but what worried him was whether he would face any danger when trying to leave.
After all, when the Flowing Flame Sand Field opened, the danger of the Flame Areas was reduced many times, but now that it was closed, the Flame Areas would become certain death zones. If Yang Kai wanted to leave, he would have to pass through all six layers by himself.
However, there was no point considering such things now, it was a coincidence that he had been left behind so thinking about how to take advantage of the situation at hand was his first priority.
Yang Kai didn’t dare take back the two Star Emperor Tokens as he had no idea what would happen if he did. For now, all he could do was store them in his sleeve.
Inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field first layer Flame Area, Yang Kai took leisurely strides as a pale blue light halo radiating from his chest. This light halo dispelled all threats around him. Even the intense heat and fire poison of the Flame Area was unable to penetrate it, making it possible for Yang Kai to remain safe here even without using Saint Qi to protect his body.
It has been more than half a year since the Flowing Flame Sand Field closed, and during this period, Yang Kai had spent most of his time in the sixth layer.
It wasn’t that he was searching for treasures though, as he had already taken away everything of value from the loft.
The reason he stayed there was just to cut down a few of the green bamboos.
His original plan was to cut a handful of these bamboos and then leave, but they had turned out far more tenacious than he expected. Even using his Space Blade, it had taken him a full twenty days to cut down a thumb thick bamboo.
However, using his Space Blade for twenty days straight wasn’t a waste of time, as Yang Kai quickly discovered that his mastery of the Space Blade had greatly improved, along with its power and stability.
Pleasantly surprised, Yang Kai no longer cared about how much time cutting these bamboos took.
For the next six months, Yang Kai had taken this bamboo forest as his training ground and fought against them with all his might. Still, after all that time, he only managed to cut down twenty bamboo stalks. If not for him worrying that delaying longer would worry Yang Yan and Wu Yi, Yang Kai wouldn’t have minded staying longer though.
And so, one month ago, Yang Kai had set off towards the outside of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
During this period, Yang Kai had kept the two Star Emperor Tokens on his person, not daring to store them away for a moment. After the Flowing Flame Sand Field completely closed, the dangers inside really increased dramatically. The second and fourth layer Treasure Areas didn’t experience much change, but the third and fifth layer Flame Areas had their ambient heat and fire poison concentration increase ten-fold.
Yang Kai quickly concluded that even his cold black flames couldn’t resist such scorching heat. Fortunately, the Star Emperor Tokens created a layer of protection that allowed him to travel about freely.
He didn’t know why the Star Emperor Tokens could restrain the Flame Area environment, but Yang Kai vaguely felt that this Flowing Flame Sand Field should have something to do with the legendary Starry Sky Emperor. Otherwise, a second, used Star Emperor Token wouldn’t have appeared in the loft in the sixth layer.
At this time, if someone were to enter this place, it would indeed be a death sentence, so it was no wonder that cultivators on Shadowed Star would only enter when the heat weakened and conditions became relatively safe.
Currently, not far in front of Yang Kai, there was a kind of dark red energy curtain that contained a sensational heat. Anyone who approached this energy curtain would undoubtedly be burnt to ash in a flash.
When Yang Kai saw this dark red energy curtain though, not only was he not frightened, his expressed filled with joy as he raced towards it, as if he didn’t know how to write the word ‘death’.
However, just as Yang Kai reached the energy curtain, it seemed to sense something and a gap split open, allowing him to pass through it with ease.
After Yang Kai passed through, this gap in the curtain closed.
Outside the red energy curtain, Yang Kai was greeted by a completely different scenery. Although the surrounding aura was still filled with heat and the ground at his feet was still dry and cracked, the overall view was much different from the Flame Area.
He had finally come out. The Flowing Flame Sand Field was truly enormous. Yang Kai had used his Wind and Thunder Wings continuously along the way, but it had still taken him an entire month to travel from the innermost to the outermost layer.
Yang Kai estimated that this Flowing Flame Sand Field was at least a couple hundred thousand kilometres in radius. No one ever knew just how big it was before because no one had ever gone deeper than the second layer, making it impossible to speculate.
As soon as he walked out, Yang Kai put the two Star Emperor Tokens he had kept in his chest pocket back into the Black Book Space.
In the next moment though, Yang Kai frowned as he didn’t know where it was now. Although the Yuan Magnetic Compass could determine which direction he had to walk inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field. It only pointed towards its centre, meaning if one walked in the opposite direction it pointed they could leave.
As such, Yang Kai couldn’t judge where he was using it anymore.
However, thinking that no matter what, he was somewhere on Shadowed Star, Yang Kai calmed down, but just as he was about to use his Divine Sense to explore his surroundings, his brow furrowed again as he glanced over in a certain direction.
Not far from where Yang Kai was standing, he saw a figure flying towards him, and when their eyes met, this stranger showed an expression of shock.
It had been six months since the closing of the Flowing Flame Sand Field and every big and small Sect had long ago departed, so this newcomer hadn’t expected to encounter living people here.
But in the next instant, this man quickly waved his hand, as if he recognized Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was also extremely surprised.
If the other party recognized him, how could he not recognize them?
Although he didn’t know the name of this guy, Yang Kai had indeed seen him once. It was back when the Flowing Flame Sand Field had just opened and Yang Kai first entered. The man who was flying over was actually the same one who had invited him to travel together back then.
At that time, two people had been transported inside nearby Yang Kai, one belonging to Shadow Moon Hall while the other was this cultivator.
Yang Kai had refused his invitation.
Seeing Yang Kai at this moment, this man showed a joyful look and immediately adjusted his heading to rush straight towards Yang Kai, but before he could approach, his expression changed greatly and he abruptly came to a halt.
Another figure quickly crossed this cultivator and stopped in front of him.
Immediately after, another figure appeared behind this man, these two clearly attempting to intercept this person.
The man’s face couldn’t help but sink and he glanced over at Yang Kai seemingly unintentionally, appearing like he wanted to say something but ultimately remaining silent.
The two newcomers saw they had successfully blocked this man and released sighs of relief. They also secretly used their Divine Senses to investigate Yang Kai but upon seeing he was just a Second-Order Saint King, neither of them paid him much mind.
The taller of the two cultivators chuckled as he looked at that man he had intercepted with clear malicious intent and said “Junior Brother Deng, I was wondering why you decided to run towards this Flowing Flame Sand Field. Turns out you had a helper here, but why would you think a mere Second-Order Saint King would be able to help you resist us?”
The other cultivator, who was wearing purple robes, sneered and added, “It seems that Junior Brother Deng Ning has been riding high lately and become somewhat muddled. Otherwise, why would he rush to such an out of the way place? There’s no need for Senior Brother Ye to try to reason with him.”
Deng Ning, who was caught in the middle of these two, wore a dull expression on his face and made no attempt to acknowledge or deny these two’s speculations, instead just asking, “Ye Yang Rong, An Zhi, for a trivial Blood Fusion Pill, are you really willing to discard all our brotherly sentiments from the past and act so ruthlessly?”
The tall cultivator named Ye Yang Rong sneered, “Brotherhood? In Demon Blood Temple, such a thing is nothing but an illusion. Senior Brother here doesn’t expect any such feelings from you either. As for the Blood Fusion Pill… Junior Brother Deng should understand his own situation. Hand over that pill and out of consideration for our relationship as ‘brothers’, I won’t make things too difficult for you.”
“Oh, really?” Deng Ning chuckled sarcastically, “Aren’t you just afraid that I’ll desperately fight back? Don’t think that you two alone can easily kill me. Even if I die, I can still drag at least one of you down with me.”
Hearing this, Ye Yang Rong and An Zhi’s faces both sank, revealing a hint of hesitation, apparently knowing that Deng Ning’s words weren’t an empty threat.
An Zhi frowned and converged some of his murderous intent before attempting persuasion, “Junior Brother Deng, you obtained many good things inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field last time, and because of that harvest the Elders rewarded you with that Blood Fusion Pill, but as far as I know, that wasn’t all you obtained, was it? The Sect also allowed you free access to the skills and technique library and granted you a powerful artifact, so why make such a fuss over a mere pill? We don’t want any of your other treasures, as long as you hand over that pill, it will be enough. Senior Brother Ye and I can even each compensate you thirty thousand Saint Crystals for it.”
He thought that if he gave Deng Ning a way to de-escalate, the other party would compromise; after all, it wasn’t cost-effective to lose one’s life for a pill, but how could he have anticipated that after hearing this offer, Deng Ning would simply scoff, “Thirty thousand? As a Demon Blood Temple disciple could you be ignorant of the value of a Blood Fusion Pill? Do you think a mere thirty thousand Saint Crystals would be enough to make up for my loss? Don’t even think about it.”
An Zhi’s face went cold, and he was about to say something again but Deng Ning cut him off first, “Senior Brother An, don’t blame Junior Brother for not reminding you about just what kind of person Senior Brother Ye is. Everyone here knows there’s only one Blood Fusion Pill, so even if I handed it over to you, how are you going to decide who gets it? If you really believe whatever promises Senior Brother Ye gave you, I think your future is actually more worrying than mine.”
As soon as these words came out, An Zhi’s expression immediately became ugly. Of course he had thought about this, but he was now riding a tiger and could only join forces with Ye Yang Rong to snatch the Blood Fusion Pill first.
How to allocate it after grabbing it could be thought about later.
Seeing An Zhi’s expression change, Ye Yang Rong quickly called out, “Junior Brother An, don’t believe his words, you and I are allies now. Whoever grabs the Blood Fusion Pill is who it will belong to. If Senior Brother here happens to have better luck and obtains it, Senior Brother guarantees he will compensate you appropriately.”
Hearing this, An Zhi’s brow relaxed slightly as he forced out a smile and said, “If Junior Brother has better luck, he will do the same for Senior Brother.”
These two had clear ulterior motives, but at the moment they had still agreed to cooperate.
Seeing that his plan to sow discord among these two had failed, Deng Ning grumbled to himself before reaching out to his Space Ring and extracting a crimson pill containing the amazing Blood Qi from it.
“Blood Fusion Pill!” Upon seeing this pill, Ye Yang Rong and An Zhi both stared at it covetously, as if this pill was a superb treasure for them.
“Good, this is the Blood Fusion Pill the Elders gave me, the one that helps us our Demon Blood Temple disciples purify our blood and assist in breaking through bottlenecks! Do you want it?” Deng Ning asked as a dangerous smile appeared on his face. Immediately after, he wound up and hurled the Blood Fusion Pill towards the Flowing Flame Sand Field while laughing wildly, “If you want it, go pick it up for yourselves! If you can, that is!”
He knew that there was no way he could keep this Blood Fusion Pill facing his two fellow Sect Brothers, so he decided to destroy it instead.
“Stop him!” Ye Yang Rong yelled, seemingly making a move to attack Deng Ning but stopping halfway and chasing after the Blood Fusion Pill.
An Zhi’s pulled a similar move and chased after the Blood Fusion Pill at the same time, the two’s goals at this surprisingly consistent.
However, Deng Ning had used his full strength to throw the Blood Fusion Pill, so it flew out extremely fast and in just a blink entered the dark red energy curtain covering the Flowing Flame Sand Field and disappeared. By the time Ye Yang Rong and An When Zhi began chasing after it, it was already too late.
For a time, both of them wore aggrieved looks on their faces before turning around and glaring angrily at Deng Ning. Murderous intent burst out and any trace of benign demeanour these two had a moment ago disappeared as they both wished to shred Deng Ning’s corpse into ten thousand pieces.
The Blood Fusion Pill had been thrown into the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so it was impossible to obtain it now. Even as Third-Order Saint Kings, neither of them had confidence they could enter this Forbidden Zone and survive. The Flowing Flame Sand Field was nothing less than a certain-death trap right now.
The moment Deng Ning threw the Blood Fusion Pill, he turned around and tried to escape; however, Ye Yang Rong soon let out a fierce shot and his body transformed into a blood cloud that rapidly overtook Deng Ning and engulfed him.
Inside this blood cloud, Evil Qi soared to the Heavens and the smell of blood was stifling.
In the next instant, Deng Ning let out a terrified shout, “Demon Blood Body! Since when did you cultivate this skill?”
He seemed to have been shocked by the method Ye Yang Rong displayed and in the next moment, fierce sounds of battle and Deng Ning’s stuffy snorts could be heard coming from the blood cloud.
Ye Yang Rong’s sneering voice soon sounded, “Senior Brother isn’t very talented, he actually began cultivating this skill over three years ago and only recently managed to master it. Now is actually the first time anyone has seen me use it. Junior Brother Deng, let’s see where you run this time!”
After saying so, he shouted, “Junior Brother An, go kill that other bastard then come help me. The Blood Fusion Pill is gone, but as far as I know, Junior Brother Deng also managed to obtain the Demon Blood Thread technique’s cultivation manual. If you want it, you’d best act quickly.”
Originally, when Ye Yang Rong transformed into a blood cloud and enveloped Deng Ning, An Zhi’s expression became heavy. He had never anticipated that his Senior Brother Ye had hidden his skills so deeply, actually not exposing a technique this powerful for three years. Fear had filled An Zhi’s face.
Now that the Blood Fusion Pill was gone, An Zhi had considered withdrawing; after all, even if he teamed up with Ye Yang Rong to kill Deng Ning, he wouldn’t obtain much benefit.
But now that he knew Deng Ning actually had Demon Blood Thread cultivation method on him, he became quite excited, but he still hesitated to act.
How could Ye Yang Rong not understand what An Zhi was worried about though? Realizing this, Ye Yang Rong shouted loudly, “Junior Brother An, Senior Brother’s Demon Blood Body consumes a massive amount of Saint Qi but is still only able to deal with Junior Brother Deng reluctantly, so there’s no need for you to worry I will betray you afterwards. I know Junior Brother An’s means, Senior Brother won’t do anything to embarrass himself.”
An Zhi pondered sullenly for a while before finally making a decision, his fluctuation expression becoming firm as he nodded, “Good, then Junior Brother will join forces with Senior Brother once more!”
Saying so, he turned around and stared at Yang Kai coldly.
At that moment, a flash of red light rushed out from the Flowing Flame Sand Field and disappeared into Yang Kai’s robes, causing An Zhi who saw this scene to frown slightly, “What was that?”
“Nothing,” Yang Kai sighed before asking, “If I were to say I have nothing to do with your Junior Brother and am not a helper he asked to meet here, would you believe me?”
“What do you think?” An Zhi snorted coldly.
“If it was me, I wouldn’t believe it,” Yang Kai said helplessly. Forget about Deng Ning showing a happy expression when he first saw him, as if two of them knew each other, although this was the periphery of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, it was still extremely hot and barren, so Yang Kai just appearing here for no reason was incredibly suspicious. If he wasn’t a helper Deng Ning arranged for earlier, would he have appeared in such a remote place?”
No one was willing to get close to the Flowing Flame Sand Field except for when it was open.
This time, if Ye Yang Rong and An Zhi hadn’t been chasing Deng Ning, how could they have come to this place? Deng Ning also had no way out which was why he decided to come here, hoping he could lose his Senior Brothers here. How could he have known that the Blood Fusion Pill was too tempting to them, causing them to be relentless in their pursuit?
Yang Kai getting involved in this dispute was just bad luck.
“Are you going to kill yourself or do you want me to do it?” An Zhi didn’t put Yang Kai in his eyes at all, glancing over at the battle in the blood cloud nearby as he spoke. He wasn’t in a hurry to fight Yang Kai, as the longer he delayed, and the more intense the other battle became, the better things were for him. If possible, An Zhi hoped that Deng Ning and Ye Yang Rong could both cause heavy losses to each other so he could fish all the advantages for himself.
“What’s the difference?” Yang Kai grinned, not showing any fear.
“There’s a big difference. If you do it yourself, you can die happy, but if you ask me to do it… heh heh.”
“I don’t think there’s a difference.” Yang Kai shook his head slowly, a sneer creeping onto his face as he said lightly, “No matter what, you’ll be the one to die!”
An Zhi gawked for a moment, but upon understanding what Yang Kai said, his expression suddenly became sullen as he spat, “You’re tone isn’t small, no wonder Deng Ning asked you for help. Good, let’s see how you make me die!”
As he spoke, blood seemed to flow out from his body and his originally plain aura took on the scent of iron.
Yang Kai frowned slightly. Although he hadn’t dealt with anyone from Demon Blood Temple before, from what he could sense of Ye Yang Rong and this An Zhi’s auras, he could tell they both cultivated evil Secret Arts. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have possessed such malevolent auras.
When one cultivated this kind of aura to the extreme, simply releasing it when facing an enemy would be enough to intimidate them. Those who had weak wills would also be affected by this Evil Qi and malevolent aura, causing their fighting spirit to dampen, giving its user an edge in combat.
But likewise, this kind of Evil Qi was easily restrained. As long as one had powerful enough Yang Attribute Saint Qi, they could suppress it.
The Unyielding Golden Skeleton in Yang Kai’s body previously stored this kind of evil power, so he was naturally quite familiar with it.
After An Zhi released his aura, he didn’t immediately take action but instead stared at Yang Kai with great interest, as if he was hoping to see this boy cower in fear under the influence of his Evil Qi.
The other party’s cultivation was lower than his own by a Minor realm, so naturally An Zhi had full confidence in suppressing Yang Kai, and once the latter lost the will to resist, he could spend his time torturing him.
Unexpectedly though, after releasing his Evil Qi and projecting his malevolent aura towards this youth, far from showing fear, a look of disdain actually appeared on his face. An Zhi had never encountered anything like this before and it greatly stunned him, pulling a nod from him in the next moment, “Good good good, seems you have some skill after all. I underestimated you.”
As he spoke, he took back his imposing manner and transformed the blood which was leaking from all over his body into a kind of crimson mist. This blood mist twisted and morphed into a giant palm which rapidly thrust towards Yang Kai.
Asura Blood Hand!
This was one of Demon Blood Temple’s Secret Techniques and could only be cultivated by Demon Blood Temple cultivators. Although its power wasn’t overwhelming, the evil aura contained within this blood mist was strange and unpredictable, causing an enemy’s blood to boil if they became contaminated with it, an incredibly painful experience.
All the secret techniques of Demon Blood Temple generally had such an effect, so on Shadowed Star, most people who encountered Demon Blood Temple cultivators would try to avoid fighting them because doing so would generally mean having to suffer quite a bit regardless of if they won or lost.
At the same time as the Asura Blood Hand was launched, An Zhi lifted his hands and shot out ten blood red light darts from his fingers that stealthily followed behind the blood hand to act as a sneak attack.
He didn’t believe he could kill Yang Kai with just a casual blow as, judging from the other party’s performance just now, he wasn’t weak. As such, An Zhi was using this attack as a way to probe Yang Kai’s depths.
As the bloody hand flew towards him, Yang Kai simply punched out, sending out a black flame fist that radiated a scorching hot aura.
The instant the two attacks met, the bloody hand melted like snow under the hot sun. The bloody hand was instantly broken by the black flames, and even its crimson light was smothered by darkness. The blood darts which followed behind this Asura Blood Hand suffered the same fate as they harmlessly impacted on several Grand Heavenly Shields Yang Kai had condensed around himself.
Witnessing this, An Zhi wore a dull look of shock and quickly realized that the combat power of this Second-Order Saint King wasn’t inferior to his in the slightest. Not daring to underestimate his opponent again, An Zhi summoned a blood-red axe into his hand. This axe was oddly shaped, appearing like a cross between a hatchet and a machete. Its whole body was blood red in colour and it gave off a potent Evil aura.
Lifting this axe, An Zhi released his aura completely and slashed out ruthlessly.
A blood red ray blasted out from the axe, morphing into a flying blade that rushed towards Yang Kai. Immediately after, An Zhi slashed again, then again, sending out one blood red blade after another. In an instant, a storm of red blades were ferociously descending upon Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he realized that his opponent was going all out. Not intending to underestimate his enemy, Yang Kai directly summoned his purple shield to defend himself.
Although the purple shield’s spirituality had suffered significant damage during his fight with the Artifact Spirit and Yang Kai was unable to summon a sandstorm with it, its defensive strength hadn’t been impacted greatly.
Yang Kai had just summoned his shield when the countless blood blades arrived in front of him, impacting on its surface like a bloody rain, raising an earth-shattering clatter and even forcing Yang Kai to retreat backwards.
When An Zhi saw this though, he didn’t show the slightest joy but instead wore an even more solemn expression. The purple shield his opponent had summoned looked dim and dull, but it was actually capable of blocking his blood blades, so it was obviously a high-quality Origin Grade artifact. Realizing this, An Zhi began swinging his axe even more vigorously.
As he swung his axe, it seemed to have an effect on the already condensed blood blades, causing them to fly in different directions away from the purple shield, spin around mid-air, then head towards Yang Kai from all sides.
“Yuan Control?” Yang Kai frowned, but quickly rejected this idea because it was obvious to him that this An Zhi didn’t understand Yuan Control Mastery. These blood blades being able to change direction should be related to this strange artifact.
Understanding this, Yang Kai let out a light sigh.
He had only been defending himself because he wanted to see what kind of means this Demon Blood Temple disciple would display; after all, he had to continue living on Shadowed Star for the foreseeable future, so the more he knew about the cultivators of the local forces, the better he could prepare himself to face them.
How could he have known that this An Zhi, who was a genuine Third-Order Saint King, would actually have such weak, impure Saint Qi? Although the methods he used were a bit strange, they couldn’t pose any threat to him at all.
Realizing this, Yang Kai lost all interest in probing this enemy and put away his purple shield, exposing his body directly to the countless blood blades.
An Zhi saw this and a pleased expression filled his face. Although he didn’t understand why Yang Kai had given up defending himself, he knew that this was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss. As such, he waved his axe fiercely, driving the countless blood blades around Yang Kai to all impact him at once.
Yang Kai stared at him indifferently. The moment the blood blades were about to hit him, Yang Kai condensed Demonic Flame all over his body. These Demonic Flames were extremely hot, and as soon as they appeared, the temperature in the surrounding hundred-metre range shot up dramatically.
The blood blades barely touched the Demonic Flame before burning to ash, none of them even able to cut into this layer of protection.
An Zhi was greatly shocked by this scene, but before he could make his next move, Yang Kai’s figure flickered and appeared directly in front of him. The moment Yang Kai reappeared, the black Demonic Flames around his body welled up and engulfed An Zhi directly.
Calling out in fright, An Zhi tried to fight back as panic filled his mind and voice.
His opponent’s black flames seemed capable of greatly suppressing his malevolent Saint Qi. The moment he was enveloped by his opponent’s black flames, An Zhi lost the ability to exert the majority of his strength, and if it weren’t for the two defensive artifacts he was currently wearing, he estimated he would already be dead.
Was this young man really a Second-Order Saint King? An Zhi’s thoughts became confused. Could it be he was an Origin Returning Realm master in disguise?
While Yang Kai and An Zhi were fighting, Ye Yang Rong and Deng Ning were also engaged in a life or death battle. Deng Ning was still trapped inside Ye Yang Rong’s blood cloud, and even though he was using every method at his disposal, it was only enough to barely protect himself. Unfortunately, he could keep this up for at most an incense stick worth of time. This Senior Brother of his had clearly cultivated his Demon Blood Body to a very high level; he was unable to resist.
While Deng Ning was feeling terrified in his heart, Ye Yang Rong suddenly received some of the power of his blood cloud, greatly relieving the pressure Deng Ning felt. Overjoyed, Deng Ning pushed his strength even harder to try to regain the initiative.
Ye Yang Rong’s voice suddenly spread from the blood clouds at that moment, “Junior Brother An, what are you doing? Quickly kill that brat and come help me!”
Although he heard An Zhi’s shouts, Ye Yang Rong thought that An Zhi was deliberately stalling so that he and Deng Ning would both end up badly injured, but what he didn’t know was that An Zhi simply had no time to reply to him at the moment because he was being completely suppressed by Yang Kai.
Because Ye Yang Rong was suspicious of An Zhi, he didn’t go all out to deal with Deng Ning, preparing to leave some energy to compete with An Zhi for Deng Ning’s valuables.
For a moment, the two battlefields entered into a strange stage. On one side, Ye Yang Rong was unwilling to use his full strength, while on the other side, An Zhi was being overwhelmed to the point where he couldn’t hit back.
But soon, this strange situation came to an end.
An Zhi fought with Yang Kai for less than half a cup of tea’s time before letting out a blood-curdling scream. At that moment, his figure flew out after suffering a heavy blow, coughing up a mouthful of blood, his face completely ashen and his eyes flashing with horror.
As An Zhi flew through the air, Yang Kai’s figure appeared in front of him and delivered a punch to his chest.
An Zhi cried out pitifully as his chest caved in completely and his eyes gradually lost their light. In the next instant, his body exploded into a bloody fog.
On the other side, Ye Yang Rong heard An Zhi’s pitiful cries and was startled. Turning his head, he was just in time to see the tragic scene of An Zhi’s body exploding, pulling a cry of shock from his lips, “How is that possible?”
The shock he felt caused the blood cloud to tremble and Deng Ning took this opportunity to escape, standing aside in an embarrassing condition as he stared at the blood cloud, gasping for breath. Glancing over to the side a moment later, he saw Yang Kai receive his fist and a look of incomprehension, joy, and fear filled his face.
An Zhi had died without a complete corpse and Deng Ning had escaped from his blood cloud, so Ye Yang Rong knew that the situation had taken a turn for the worse. As such, he withdrew his blood cloud and re-condensed his body, knitting his brow as he stared over at Yang Kai silently.
“If you dare move I’ll kill you!” Yang Kai flicked the blood off his fist before raising his eyes and glancing over at Ye Yang Rong lightly, showing an expression a butcher would use when looking at a helpless lamb, causing Ye Yang Rong to shiver as if he had been thrown into an ice cellar.
Although the other party had only made a verbal threat, Ye Yang Rong somehow felt that he really had this ability, so feeling this fear in his heart, he didn’t dare to move.
Opening his mouth, he tried to say something, but before he could, Deng Ning cut him off, cupping his fists to Yang Kai and saying with a forced smile, “This friend, many thanks for rescuing me!”
His expression was sincere, and he was obviously earnest in his thanks; after all, even if he was a disciple of Demon Blood Temple, he still knew how to be grateful to someone who saved his life.
“It has nothing to do with you!” Yang Kai replied indifferently. He didn’t have a good impression of this Deng Ning. After all, when this guy was being chased by his two Senior Brothers, he still flew towards Yang Kai, so it was clear he planned on dragging him into this mess on purpose.
And before, when Ye Yang Rong and An Zhi suspected that Yang Kai was a helper Deng Ning had arranged to meet here, the latter didn’t make any attempt to deny it. If it were any other Second-Order Saint King, how would they still be alive at this moment? He would have been easily killed long ago.
But thinking about it for a moment, if Yang Kai found himself in the same situation as this Deng Ning, he figured he would have done the same thing, so although he didn’t like this Deng Ning’s approach, he didn’t intend to blame him for it. The other party just wanted to save his life, where would he have the time to debate the finer points of morality?
Choking on Yang Kai’s words, Deng Ning’s face filled with embarrassment, but he tactfully didn’t try to explain himself, instead putting on a serious expression and shouted, “Friend, can I ask you to make a move once more? If you help me kill this person, this Deng will generously compensate you afterwards!”
As soon as this remark came out, Ye Yang Rong’s complexion changed greatly. Only now did he realize that this young-looking Second-Order Saint King was really not a helper arranged by Deng Ning, causing his stomach to turn green in a flash.
If he had only known earlier, how could he have let An Zhi find trouble with Yang Kai? It would have been fine to simply let him leave, but such regret was useless now. An Zhi had been killed by this youth who was now eyeing him dangerously. Clearly, after being inexplicably caught up in this dispute, this young man had become annoyed. On top of that, given that this youth had the strength to kill An Zhi in half a cup of tea’s time, if he really worked together with Deng Ning, how could Ye Yang Rong survive?
Ye Yang Rong’s heart pounded as he stared at Yang Kai nervously, secretly worrying about what answer he would give.
To his surprise though, Yang Kai just rolled his eyes before staring at Deng Ning and shaking his head, “I have no interest in intervening in your grudges.”
Ye Yang Rong’s expression finally loosened, thinking he had just escaped death, but Deng Ning quickly followed up, “Friend, we are the Demon Blood Temple disciples. You killed my Senior Brother, so if you let Ye Yang Rong go back, he will definitely expose what has happened here. Once that happens, it will surely be troublesome for you.”
“So you think I should kill all of you to silence the witnesses to the crime?” Yang Kai grinned as he glanced back and forth between Deng Ning and Ye Yang Rong, making both of their hearts jump as they sweat uneasily.
Ye Yang Rong cursed out Deng Ning in his heart viciously, hating the fact that he couldn’t just shut up, but thinking about what this unknown youth had just said, he quickly thought up a plan and spiritedly asked, “Junior Brother Deng, this friend doesn’t seem to be the affable type, why don’t we put aside our internal grudges temporarily and work together to deal with him?”
Deng Ning simply sneered at this offer and refused without thinking, “Sorry, I’m not interested in joining hands with people like you.”
After rejecting Ye Yang Rong’s offer, he turned back to Yang Kai and said, “Silencing the witness to the crime sounds about right, and if friend kills me too, I won’t utter any complaint; after all, if you had not intervened just now, I would have died anyway. But even if I must die here, I refuse to let this bastard feel any better!”
Saying so, he glanced over at Ye Yang Rong and grinned fiercely. Being forced to abandon that Blood Fusion Pill had made Deng Ning lose all restraint.
“You’re insane!” Ye Yang Rong was shocked and tried to retreat.
However, the moment he took a single step back, an intense Divine Sense pressure descended upon him, instantly breaking through his Knowledge Sea’s defence but stopping just before it did any real damage.
Ye Yang Rong began dripping with sweat, knowing that if he moved again, his Knowledge Sea would be attacked again. The strength of the Divine Sense just now wasn’t inferior to that of a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm master’s and was not something he could possibly resist.
Immediately, Ye Yang Rong didn’t dare to move as he glanced over at Yang Kai with intense fear, trembling uncontrollably as he stood there stiffly. He couldn’t believe that such a powerful Divine Sense attack had been sent out by this person.
After tearing this person’s Knowledge Sea defences to give him a warning, Yang Kai didn’t rush to kill Ye Yang Rong and instead glanced over a Deng Ning with amusement and asked, “It’s not like I can’t help you, but what reward can you give me?”
Yang Kai understood what it meant to cut weeds and pull out roots better than most. At first, he planned to kill Deng Ning as well, but hearing the latter say he didn’t care if he died as long as Ye Yang Rong did as well improved Yang Kai’s opinion of him slightly.
A man who was truly indifferent about whether he lived or died could be believed.
Asking Deng Ning for some kind of reward was really just an excuse. Yang Kai didn’t want to act for no reason and had only killed An Zhi just now because the other party had attacked him.
As for what Deng Ning could pay him, regardless of whether it was valuable or not, Yang Kai didn’t care.
Surprisingly though, after Yang Kai said this, Deng Ning wore a smile and after thinking about it for a moment, said solemnly, “The Demon Blood Thread technique, I don’t know if this friend is interested?”
“Deng Ning!” Yang Kai couldn’t even answer before Ye Yang Rong roared angrily, his face filled with shock and disbelief, “You dare allow an outsider to study our Sect’s Secret Technique? Do you know what kind of end you’ll have if the Elders ever learned of this?”
Deng Ning turned his head leisurely and smiled coldly at him, “It’s just my Soul being extracted and tormented while my body is refined into meat paste, what’s the big deal?”
His completely uncaring expression caused Ye Yang Rong to be speechless for a while.
Deng Ning shook his head again and sneered, “Besides, Senior Brother Ye, as long as you die here, who will know that I leaked this technique?”
Ye Yang Rong’s face suddenly turned pale, only now realizing the extent of Deng Ning’s hatred for him, even willing to violate Demon Blood Temple’s Sect Laws and use the Demon Blood Thread Secret technique to lure this man into helping him. If the other party really agreed to this deal, Ye Yang Rong knew he would die, so he hurriedly called out to Yang Kai, “This friend, don’t believe Deng Ning, the Demon Blood Thread technique is certainly a powerful Divine Ability, one that only Core Disciples of the temple have the right to cultivate, but you don’t cultivate my Demon Blood Temple’s Secret Arts, so the Demon Blood Thread technique is useless to you. Furthermore, if you obtain this top-level technique, it absolutely won’t be ignored by the Sect. Once news of you possessing it reaches the Elders, you will certainly have no way to escape their pursuit!”
Saying so, a thought crossed Ye Yang Rong’s mind and he suddenly seemed to understand something, his face turning much paler as he stared at Deng Ning and tremblingly said, “This was your plan all along!”
Deng Ning grinned meaningfully as he saw Ye Yang Rong finally understand, no longer trying to cover anything up and instead saying to Yang Kai, “Friend, I don’t know your name, nor your origin, but right now I don’t care, I just want this bastard here to die. Giving you the Demon Blood Thread technique has certain risks for you, but the same is true for me. Once this trade is exposed, I will be the one who endures endless torture, so I will never betray you. About this, you can rest assured.”
This Deng Ning’s mind was quite sharp, he seemed to have noticed from the start that Yang Kai wanted to kill both of them off, so he had used the Demon Blood Thread technique as a way to tie their two fates together.
As long as Yang Kai agreed to this trade, Deng Ning would never be able to betray him, because doing so would be the same as sentencing himself to death. This was a thinly veiled display of goodwill on his part. As for whether the Demon Blood Thread technique was useful to Yang Kai, how could Deng Ning care about that?
Seeing Yang Kai’s hesitant look, Deng Ning steeled his heart and prepared to increase his offer, “If friend is not satisfied, I can…”
“No, that Demon Blood Thread technique will do.” Yang Kai interrupted his words, he also saw through Deng Ning’s intentions, but he didn’t care about such trivial means. As for Deng Ning gambling everything on a single throw of the dice, Yang Kai was completely indifferent.
Seeing Yang Kai nod, Ye Yang Rong’s face went ashen while Deng Ning was overjoyed.
“You start.” Yang Kai suddenly urged Deng Ning.
Deng Ning looked stunned, but thinking Yang Kai would help him, he didn’t ask any questions, pushing his Blood Qi madly before biting his tongue and spitting out a blood mist. This blood mist was like a living creature that twisted and morphed, quickly transforming into a short spear. Deng Ning grabbed the short spear in one hand and rushed towards Ye Yang Rong, his expression stern and determined.
What happened next shocked him. He clearly saw Ye Yang Rong try to avoid his attack, but just as he did, a look of pain appeared on the face of this Senior Brother of his. At the same time, Ye Yang Rong’s Saint Qi seemed to seize up and his body froze in place.
Deng Ning’s short spear easily passed through Ye Yang Rong’s heart and came out his back.
Blood splashed out as a horrified look filled Ye Yang Rong’s face. Holding the bloody short spear in his hand, he seemed to want to pull it out, but his strength slipped away far too quickly. In the blink of an eye, his vitality completely dissipated.
Deng Ning was dumbfounded by this sequence of events and it wasn’t until Ye Yang Rong’s body hit the ground with a loud thud that he awoke from his daze.
Deng Ning was certain that the reason his Senior Brother had not had a chance to fight back against his blow just now was because of this mysterious Second-Order Saint King young man.
Did this youth possess such skill?
Deng Ning didn’t think of himself as weak, but he couldn’t even understand what had happened just now or how he had won this battle so easily. All he knew was that if this youth could allow him to easily defeat his Senior Brother, couldn’t he also kill him just as easily?
Thinking so, cold sweat leaked from Deng Ning’s body and, for some reason, he felt somewhat depressed.
When he saw Yang Kai kill An Zhi, he knew that this youth was probably an elite from some great force, but it wasn’t until now that he understood that this person was a true monster.
Various thoughts crossed his mind, and only after a short silence did Deng Ning turn around, a calm look on his face but fear still flashing across the depths of his eyes, flew down, wore as big a smile as he could, and cupped his fists to Yang Kai, “Friend, many thanks! When I saw you in Flowing Flame Sand Field, I thought there was something extraordinary about you, now it seems I was right!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and said nothing.
Unable to read Yang Kai’s mood, Deng Ning’s heart clenched up; after all, he didn’t know what kind of temperament this person had. Fearing he would say something to upset Yang Kai, Deng Ning hurriedly remembered their previous agreement and quickly took out a scroll made from some kind of beast skin from his Space Ring and extremely politely handed it over, “This is the Demon Blood Thread technique’s cultivation manual. Because I did not have enough merits though, this is only the first half of the technique; moreover, it is just a copy of the original. I may have copied it, but I guarantee it is no different from the original…”
As he spoke, Deng Ning carefully observed Yang Kai’s expression.
After all, the remuneration he was giving now wasn’t quite the same as what they had previously agreed upon, so he was naturally a bit worried.
Yang Kai stared at him for a moment before silently accepting the scroll; then, without looking at it, tossed it into his Space Ring. To Yang Kai, half the Demon Blood Thread technique was the same as the complete thing; after all, he had no intention to cultivate it so he didn’t care about Deng Ning’s little concealment.
Seeing Yang Kai put away the scroll and not show any intention to question him, Deng Ning couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief.
“Does your Demon Blood Temple allow disciples to make copies of their secret techniques?” Yang Kai asked, looking at Deng Ning with a smile.
Deng Ning chuckled, “Naturally not, but since I was a kid my memory has always been good, so… friend understands.”
Yang Kai nodded.
“May I know friend’s honoured name?” Deng Ning asked solemnly.
Yang Kai frowned, but still reported his name.
Deng Ning nodded and followed up, “This one is Demon Blood Temple disciple Deng Ning, presumably Brother Yang already knows this though. En, Brother Yang may rest assured, what happened here will never be known to a third person. If this Deng reveals it to anyone, may he suffer from heart demon backlash and never break through to the Origin Returning Realm!”
Hearing such a poisonous oath, Yang Kai gave a surprised look. Although this kind of oath may have just been casually spoken, if he really failed to uphold it, it would create a small, invisible flaw in his heart and very well may lead to him suffering from a heart demon when trying to break through in the future.
As such, it could be believed in.
“I’m not worried about that, but you… two of your Sect Brothers died here, won’t that cause you trouble?” Yang Kai glanced over at the nearby corpses.
When Deng Ning heard this, his expression became slightly strange as he stared at Yang Kai strangely before asking tentatively, “Is this the first time Brother Yang has heard of my Demon Blood Temple?”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai frowned.
Deng Ning didn’t dare act mysterious and quickly said, “It seems this really is the first time Brother Yang has heard about Demon Blood Temple. No wonder. Brother Yang need not worry, it’s nothing important if these two died here. In Demon Blood Temple, brothers killing one another isn’t forbidden; in fact, it’s encouraged. On top of that, there are many disciples in the temple, so no one will notice if one or two die.”
Yang Kai’s eye bulged greatly after hearing this.
Sure enough, the world was wide. Even a Sect that encouraged its disciples to kill one another existed. What’s more, this Sect had actually endured the test of time, which Yang Kai felt was incredible.
Deng Ning seemed to be the chatty type, so even without prompting, he continued, “The Temple basically has a small internal war every five years, and a big one every ten. Each time such a war occurs, rivers of blood flow through the temple and many people die. Because of this, the Sect is quite famous on Shadowed Star.”
“Then why hasn’t your Sect been destroyed?” Yang Kai asked strangely.
“Brother Yang doesn’t mince words…” Deng Ning’s mouth twitched. “Because the Secret Arts of the temple encourage slaughter, these internal fights actually lead to many disciples’ strength increasing. After each war, countless disciples break through to the next realm, so a complete annihilation of the temple’s population has never occurred.”
Smiling reluctantly, Deng Ning patiently explained.
The more Yang Kai heard the harder he found it to believe so he didn’t continue inquiring about it and instead asked, “I assume your Demon Blood Temple is nearby then, yes?”
“Yes.”
“How far is Heavenly Fate City from here?”
“Heavenly Fate City?” Deng Ning heard this name and was quite startled, suddenly realizing something and saying, “It turns out that Brother Yang is a Shadow Moon Hall disciple! No wonder your means are so profound. En, this Ding is deeply impressed.”
Hearing Yang Kai ask about Heavenly Fate City, Deng Ning apparently misunderstood and thought he was a disciple of Shadow Moon Hall. Yang Kai didn’t bother to correct him.
After some small flattery, Deng Ning remarked, “Heavenly Fate City is quite far away from here. If you fly by Star Shuttle, it will take you at least half a year to arrive.”
“So far away!” Yang Kai frowned. He knew that Shadowed Star itself was massive because he had once sent a drop of Golden Blood to circle the star, but even at its ridiculous travel speed it had still taken quite some time. However, taking six months to fly back to Heavenly Fate City from here was something Yang Kai wasn’t willing to do.
Six months was enough time to do many things.
Seeing the expression on Yang Kai’s face, Deng Ning went silent for a moment, but after a brief struggle, he grit his teeth and said, “If you use the Space Array in Demon Blood City about ten thousand kilometres from here, it will save you a lot of time. Demon Blood City’s Space Array isn’t directly connected to Heavenly Fate City’s, but it can teleport you to a place called Bluestone City, which is under the jurisdiction of Grand Fire Temple. From Bluestone City to Heavenly Fate City, it’s only about a month’s journey. Of course, if Brother Yang knows a Core Disciple of Grand Fire Temple who can act as a guarantor, you should be able to use Bluestone City’s Space Array to directly transfer to Heavenly Fate City.”
“Demon Blood City’s Space Array is connected to Bluestone City’s?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“Yes, because Demon Blood Temple does a lot of trade with Grand Fire Temple, the disciples from the two Sects are quite familiar with one another and often cooperate on excursions or in cultivation,” Deng Ning explained with a smile, inquiring right after, “If Brother Yang wants, you can accompany me to Demon Blood City. This Deng is also a Core Disciple of Demon Blood Temple, so it won’t be a problem to allow you to use the Space Array.”
Hearing what he said, Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised and secretly felt that allowing Deng to live was the right choice as he had some use. On his face though, Yang Kai maintained an indifferent expression as he asked, “What’s the cost of using your Space Array?”
Deng Ning quickly waved his hand, “Brother Yang doesn’t need to worry about that. This time, it was thanks to Brother Yang that I was able to survive. This Deng was worried about how to repay Brother Yang for this grace, but now that there’s an opportunity to do so, what does such a small cost count for? Not to mention, using the Space Array only costs some Saint Crystals, it’s really not a problem. If Brother Yang intends to travel through Demon Blood City, this Deng will be glad to cover the expense.”
Deng Ning thumped his chest as he made this guarantee. It seemed that Yang Kai killing An Zhi and helping him kill Ye Yang Rong had made Deng Ning want to establish a friendly relationship with him, so the offer he made just now was without an pretentiousness.
Yang Kai pondered for a while, knowing that if it wasn’t on orders from a Sect Elder or for some kind of mission, disciples of a Sect wouldn’t be able to use their Space Array for just some Saint Crystals. There were definitely other costs involved, but since the other party had already made the offer, Yang Kai saw no reason to refuse, smiling and nodding, “Then I shall trouble Brother Deng.”
“Brother Yang is too polite!” Deng Ning saw Yang Kai’s attitude towards him change, causing his mood to lift greatly. He felt he was not suffering a loss in this deal. Not only was he able to return this life-saving favour, he had even profited a bit.
“Brother Yang, please wait a moment, I’ll go process that shameless bastard’s body first,” Deng Ning said before hurrying off.
After killing, it was natural to destroy the corpse. This kind of thing was something Yang Kai was also familiar with so he didn’t say much; however, after Deng Ning left, Yang Kai reached into his robes stealthily.
Nestled in his chest was the tiny Artifact Refining Furnace, but now, inside of it was a red pill that radiated a potent Blood Qi.
It was the Blood Fusion Pill that Deng Ning threw into the Flowing Flame Sand Field!
Yang Kai was naturally curious about what these three Saint King brothers from Demon Blood Temple were fighting over, so when Deng Ning threw the Blood Fusion Pill away, Yang Kai immediately let the Artifact Spirit quietly go retrieve it.
No one being able to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field when it was closed didn’t mean the Artifact Spirit couldn’t. This Artifact Spirit was born from the pure Fire Attribute energy of the Earth Lung Fire Pond and had been absorbing that very energy for tens of thousands of years, so how could it care about the heat of the Flowing Flame Sand Field?
The red streak An Zhi saw flying into Yang Kai’s chest was naturally the Artifact Spirit returning after it succeeded.
Although he hadn’t checked it carefully, just from the intense Blood Qi this Blood Fusion Pill gave off, refining it must have involved something similar to a blood sacrifice. Yang Kai’s theory was supported by the strong evil aura this pill gave off and it was obviously that only Demon Blood Temple disciples would have much use for it. This malevolent aura wouldn’t harm Demon Blood Temple disciples but instead would be helpful to their cultivation.
Yang Kai asking the Artifact Spirit to retrieve it was simply in accordance with his Alchemic curiosity, he had no others thoughts that pure curiosity.
Just as Yang Kai was pondering over this pill, Deng Ning rushed over to Ye Yang Rong’s body. Rather than directly destroying this corpse like Yang Kai imagined, however, Deng Ning sat down cross-legged with a delighted look upon his face. Beside this corpse, Deng Ning formed a series of hand seal and used some kind of secret technique that caused a series of howls and shrieks to ring out while Blood Qi rose sharply.
About half an hour later, Ye Yang Rong’s body had become nothing more than bleached bones while in Deng Ning’s hand there was a red pill similar to the Blood Fusion Pill. Deng Ning stared at this pill with great satisfaction before storing it away in his Space Ring, smiling happily as if he had obtained a treasure before smashing the leftover bones.
He then collected Ye Yang Rong and An Zhi’s Space Rings before walking back over to Yang Kai.
When he saw the strange look on Yang Kai’s face, Deng Ning smiled and explained, “I’ve shown Brother Yang something embarrassing. I won’t lie, for Demon Blood Temple’s disciples, fellow Sect Brothers are also living cultivation materials. It’s another reason why the internal fights never stop.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin and said, “So I destroyed a potential pill like that?”
He had exploded An Zhi’s body, so obviously Deng Ning couldn’t refine the corpse into a pill.
“It’s not important, this Deng is already very satisfied with his current harvest. Although the Sect encourages internal fighting, killing another disciple in the same realm is extremely difficult and dangerous. There are countless disciples who die when they attempt to kill another, so even if Sect encourages it, most won’t easily try to find trouble with others.” Deng Ning didn’t dare bother Yang Kai with the details so he quickly changed the subject, “These are the Space Rings of my two Senior Brothers; there should be some good things in them, but most are probably useless for Brother Yang. However, there are a few hundred thousand Saint Crystals.”
Yang Kai glanced at him and waved, “No need, you can keep those two Space Rings for yourself. Just consider it payment for helping me use your Demon Blood City’s Space Array.”
With Deng Ning’s intentionally reminding him that the things in these Space Rings were useless to him, how could Yang Kai not know what he was thinking? A couple hundred thousand Saint Crystals were nothing to Yang Kai, so he didn’t mind giving them to Deng Ning.
Sure enough, Deng Ning was overjoyed and, after trying to humbly decline a few times, he eventually agreed, happily wearing the two Space Rings on his hand, seemingly not minding if anyone knew he had killed two of his Sect Brothers.
Finished here, Deng Ning and Yang Kai summoned their Star Shuttles and flew towards Demon Blood City.
Along the way, Deng Ning deliberately talked to Yang Kai, trying to probe what his position in Shadow Moon Hall was, but Yang Kai never let anything slip.
It didn’t take much for Yang Kai to change the subject.
After some conversation, Yang Kai finally understood why when he saw Deng Ning in the Flowing Flame Sand Field he felt like he had heard his voice before.
It turned out that both of them had participated in the Treasure Trove Pavilion auction held in Heavenly Fate City before the opening of the Flowing Flame Sand Field. At that time, Deng Ning had bid on behalf of the Demon Blood Sect Elders several times.
When the topic of the grand auction came up, Deng Ning prattled on endlessly about the rare treasures which had appeared with a longing expression upon his face. Little did he know that most of those treasures were things Yang Kai had brought to auction.
Time passed quickly as the two chatted and soon, a magnificent city appeared in Yang Kai’s vision.
Deng Ning took the initiative to introduce Yang Kai and told him that Demon Blood City was located about a thousand kilometre s away from the mountain range where Demon Blood Temple was situated. Although Demon Blood Temple itself was an evil Sect, cultivators from all over Shadowed Star came and went through Demon Blood City, so it appeared very lively on the surface, not any different from other major cities.
The only noticeable difference was that many cultivators walking in the city had malevolent auras about them.
Sure enough, after entering Demon Blood City, Yang Kai noticed many such people, most of them wearing cold, indifferent looks and emitting gloomy auras from their bodies. When anyone else saw these cultivators, they would busy themselves with their own business, doing their best to avoid them.
In Demon Blood City, there were many shops and prosperous businesses. Many other forces had their own industries here, first to facilitate communication with Demon Blood Temple, and second to inquire about news from this region.
Deng Ning took Yang Kai into Demon Blood City and guided him along the wide streets in a familiar way, constantly introducing him to the local sights and customs in a warm and sociable manner.
After walking for half a day, the two arrived at a massive palace.
“We’re here. Demon Blood City’s Space Array is inside,” Deng Ning stopped and pointed to the front.
Yang Kai looked up and found that the defences around here were far tighter than those around the hall where Heavenly Fate City’s Space Array was located. Around the perimeter, there were seven or eight Demon Blood Temple disciples wearing cyan Artifact Armour standing straight like spears, each one of them a Second or Third-Order Saint King. At the same time, from inside the palace, the unconcealed aura of an Origin Returning Realm master could be felt.
“Brother Yang, please wait a moment while I go inform the Elder in charge. When I’ve finished making the arrangements, I’ll come back to welcome Brother Yang,” Deng Ning said politely.
Yang Kai nodded before walking into the palace’s main hall under the eyes of the surrounding Demon Blood Temple disciples.
The seven or eight Demon Blood Temple disciple guarding this place seemed to be curious about the relationship between Deng Ning and Yang Kai, and after Deng Ning walked further inside, they continually glanced at Yang Kai, speculating about his identity.
However, that was all, none of them came up to question him.
About half an hour later, Deng Ning’s figure appeared from the inner hall, but at this moment there was a clearly pained and bitter look upon his face.
Yang Kai saw this and immediately understood that his previous guess was right. It was definitely not a simple matter to allow an outsider to use the Space Array of this Sect. Deng Ning had obviously paid a great price.
Seeing other party go so far, Yang Kai felt a little guilty; after all, just half a day ago, he had been thinking about whether to kill Deng Ning in order to silence all witnesses. Now though, Deng Ning had gone to great lengths to allow him to use this private Space Array. It seemed that making friends with this person from Demon Blood Temple wasn’t such a bad idea.
Yang Kai thought about such things silently.
Walking out of the inner hall, Deng Ning’s expression quickly returned to normal as he let out a big laugh and called out, “I’ve let Brother Yang wait. Please follow me, everything has been handled properly.”
“Alright!” Yang Kai nodded, his attitude much better than before. Since the other party had done him a favour, he secretly decided that if he met this Deng Ning again in the future, he wouldn’t mind helping him out.
Under Deng Ning’s lead, the two entered the inner hall without obstruction. A large circle-array that was essentially the same as Heavenly Fate City’s Space Array stood quietly in the centre of the inner hall. Several grooves at the base of this circular platform were filled with High-Rank Saint Crystals already, indicating that it was ready to be opened at any time.
Additionally, inside this hall, there were three Origin Returning Realm masters standing guard as well as a dozen or so Saint King Realm masters. The three Origin Returning Realm masters each looked like they had good strength, and two of them sat on opposite sides of the hall in meditation, completely ignoring the arrival of Yang Kai and Deng Ning.
One of the Origin Realm masters though, an old man with silver hair, stood beside the central platform, his falcon-like eyes staring at Yang Kai for a moment before he turned to ask Deng Ning, “Martial Nephew Deng, is this the person you wish to guarantee?”
“Yes, Martial Uncle Liu, this is a friend that Martial Nephew made before,” Deng Ning answered quickly and respectfully.
“A friend… heh!” The old man surnamed Liu wore a fierce grin, as if the word ‘friend’ touched one of his nerves, “You’re from Shadow Moon Hall?”
Yang Kai looked indifferent, knowing that this old man surnamed Liu had probably inquired about his information from Deng Ning already, so he didn’t bother denying and simply cupped his fists, “Greetings Senior Liu.”
Seeing Yang Kai understand proper etiquette, the old man surnamed Liu nodded slightly and said, “Although my Demon Blood Temple and Shadow Moon Hall don’t share any kind of relationship, since Martial Nephew Deng is willing to act as a guarantor, it’s permissible for you to use the temple’s Space Array; however, just what kind of ‘friendship’ do you have with Martial Nephew Deng that would make him willing to pay thirty contribution points to allow you to travel to Bluestone City? Those thirty contribution points aren’t something that can be earned without risking one’s life several times.”
Deng Ning’s complexion changed slightly as he quickly glanced over at Yang Kai, but seeing the other party not show any kind of reaction, Deng Ning just laughed and said, “Martial Uncle Liu’s curiosity is well-founded, but it’s actually quite simple. Martial Nephew owes Brother Yang a life-saving grace, so thirty contribution points aren’t worth mentioning.”
“A life-saving grace?” The old man surnamed Liu’s eyes flashed suddenly, a cold light creeping into them as he scoffed, “A Second-Order Saint King saved your life? Is your Third-Order Saint King’s cultivation fake?”
Deng Ning’s complexion turned white, as a lot of sweat began forming on his forehead.
“And as far as I know, you’ve had no chance to make friends with any Shadow Moon Hall disciples besides when you went to Heavenly Fate City to participate in the auction. Heh, could you have met at that time?” The old man surnamed Liu seemed to have a lot of doubts and asked several questions in succession.
Deng Ning didn’t know how to answer for a while.
Yang Kai saw that Deng Ning was being pressured by his Martial Uncle and couldn’t come up with a good explanation, so he stepped in and said, “Senior should not misunderstand. I did not become acquainted with Brother Deng in Heavenly Fate City but rather in the Flowing Flame Sand Field. While inside, I coincidentally saved him once. It had nothing to do with personal strength, Junior very much admires Brother Deng’s strength actually.”
“Flowing Flame Sand Field! You also entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field? Why didn’t you go back with Qian Tong then and instead stuck around here for so long?” The old man surnamed Liu was surprised.
“There were some small reasons that delayed Junior so he failed to return with Elder Qian,” Yang Kai replied lightly.
“Oh?” The old man surnamed Liu smiled meaningfully, “It seems that you had quite a good harvest in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.”
Yang Kai’s brow rose imperceptibly. Although he was vigilant in his heart, he wasn’t too nervous, thinking about it for a moment before saying, “Junior did have some gains, but I’m afraid they wouldn’t be able to enter Senior’s eyes.”
Saying so though, he waved his hand and took out five pigeon-egg-sized Fire Crystal Stones from his Space Ring before quietly delivering them to the old man, “This is Junior’s first meeting with Senior, but he has failed to prepare any appropriate gifts. In place of that, I hope Senior will accept these few small tokens of goodwill.”
When the old man surnamed Liu saw these Fire Crystal Stones, his eyes lit up and he felt that Yang Kai was truly a promising young man. He was making things difficult here to obtain some benefits from Yang Kai in the first place, so with the opposite party understanding his intentions so quickly, it made everything easier. Waving his sleeve, the old man surnamed Liu accepted the five Fire Crystal Stones and a big smile appeared on his face as he nodded, “Good, good, no wonder Martial Nephew Deng made friends with you. It seems you’re a generous and understanding young man with a promising future. Alright, since you are a disciple of Shadow Moon Hall, this old master won’t say anymore. The reason why I asked so much just now was simply in case you were using a false identity to cause trouble. You can proceed now.”
After receiving five Fire Crystal Stones, this old man’s demeanour instantly changed, as if he had become a different person.
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai cupped his fists politely.
On the other side, Deng Ning saw the old man surnamed Liu finally let go and couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief, carefully reminding in the next moment, “Martial Uncle Liu, make sure to give Brother Yang a temporary token, or else when he arrives in Bluestone City, the disciples of Grand Fire Temple won’t allow him to pass through freely.”
“You think it’s necessary to remind me of this?” The old man surnamed Liu coldly snorted, waving his hand to send out a crimson token to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai caught this token and saw that it had a somewhat gruesome and terrifying head stamped onto it.
The old man surnamed Liu explained, “This is a temporary token of my Demon Blood Temple. It’s proof that you can pass through the Space Array and will allow you to avoid being questioned by Grand Fire Temple. Of course, since it’s just a temporary token, it can only be used for three days, but three days should be enough for you to return to Heavenly Fate City.”
“Junior understands,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Great, step up and I’ll open the array,” The old man surnamed Liu waved at Yang Kai and Yang Kai immediately stood atop the circular platform.
Deng Ning stood aside and cupped his fists with a smile to Yang Kai, “I hope Brother Yang’s journey goes smoothly. If there is an opportunity for Brother Yang to come to Demon Blood City again in the future, don’t hesitate to look for this Deng to share a drink.”
“Sure, if Brother Deng ever comes to Heavenly Fate City, he should come find this Yang. This Yang will definitely do his best to entertain Brother Deng,” Yang Kai replied.
Hearing this, Deng Ning smiled happily, knowing that his efforts had not been in vain. Spending thirty contribution points had really made his heart bleed, but he felt it was all worthwhile to become friends with this person. In the future, he may very well need to seek help from Yang Kai.
After the two finished speaking, the Space Array gave off a dazzling light, and surrounding space immediately warped.
Yang Kai’s vision filled with white light and after a brief moment, he found himself inside another grand hall guarded by several cultivators.
In an instant, several tyrannical Divine Senses landed on Yang Kai and he heard the sound of clothes swishing all around him as several Saint King Realm cultivators vigilantly surrounded him.
Seeing this, Yang Kai didn’t panic and took out the temporary token from Demon Blood Temple and tossed it to the most powerful Origin Returning Realm master present. The man caught it as he remained unmoving.
The Origin Returning Realm master swept his eyes over the token for a moment before knitting his brow, “Someone from Demon Blood Temple!”
Saying so, he tossed the token back and said lightly, “This token is good for three days. If you don’t return here before time is up, this Space Array will not be open to you!”
“Junior understands!” Yang Kai nodded.
The Origin Returning Realm master simply waved his hand and the hostile aura in the room disappeared. The Grand Fire Temple disciples returned to their posts immediately, none of them caring about Yang Kai again.
Yang Kai was pleased with this result and, after leaving the palace, blended into the flowing crowds of Bluestone City.
He had no intention of staying here, and after an hour or so, a blue streak of light flew out from Bluestone City and disappeared across the horizon a moment later.
Yang Kai had gotten directions to Heavenly Fate City from Bluestone City and then set off because he didn’t have any contacts in Grand Fire Temple, so there was no way he could use their Space Array.
Fortunately, it was only one month from Bluestone City to Heavenly Fate City, which was several times closer than from Demon Blood City. This much of a delay was acceptable.
His Star Shuttle was extremely fast, so Yang Kai simply sat cross-legged atop it, controlling its flight easily while starting to inspect his harvest from the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Since entering the Flowing Flame Sand Field, he had encountered many opportunities and obtained many good things, but how he should go about using all of them was something he hadn’t considered yet.
After some inspection, Yang Kai state of mind fluctuated as even he was somewhat startled by his harvest.
Finished with his harvest from the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Yang Kai began inspecting the Blood Fusion Pill he had just obtained.
After some investigation, Yang Kai was surprised.
This Blood Fusion Pill was truly as he expected; although it contained a strong Blood Qi and vitality, it also contained a massive amount of malevolent energy. If an ordinary cultivator took such a thing, it would cause them serious harm. Only a cultivator who came from a Sect like Demon Blood Temple could use this Blood Fusion Pill to enhance their cultivation.
But to Yang Kai, this kind of Evil Qi was not something that could harm him; after all, he had used and still used a similar type of energy.
After carefully checking the materials of this Blood Fusion Pill, Yang Kai was secretly shocked. Although he failed to recognize all the ingredients, he was able to deduce most of them and found that there were many rare spirit herbs involved. It was clear now why Deng Ning and his fellow Sect Brothers, who were all Third-Order Saint Kings, would fight for this Blood Fusion Pill.
Yang Kai figured that in Demon Blood Temple, the number of pills produced wasn’t large and they would only be awarded to a disciple who have made big contributions to the temple. Deng Ning had obviously obtained many benefits in the Flowing Flame Sand Field and given them to the Elders of Demon Blood Temple in exchange for this Blood Fusion Pill.
Then, at some point, news must have leaked out to Ye Yang Rong and An Zhi.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai no longer bothered himself with such matters; instead, he hesitated for a moment before tossing the Blood Fusion Pill into his mouth and swallowing.
Transforming his Demonic Flame into a pure Yang attribute, Yang Kai quickly refined the Blood Fusion Pill’s medicinal efficacies, sending a wave of cold energy coursing through his veins. However, under the scorching heat of his Demonic Flame, this cold energy was forced out of his body as wisps of black smoke, all of which left via his pores and dissipated into the air.
All that remained was the massive amount of vitality contained in the Blood Fusion Pill that circulated through Yang Kai’s body and merged into his physique.
Not paying attention to the effect of this Blood Fusion Pill, Yang Kai turned to investigate the Demon Blood Thread technique given to him by Deng Ning.
Yang Kai was not planning on cultivating this Demon Blood Temple secret technique and instead just wanted to learn about it in preparation for when he ran into high level members of Demon Blood Temple. When fighting against others, understanding how their skills and techniques worked would give him an advantage.
But after beginning to read this scroll, Yang Kai let out a cry of surprise and soon became completely immersed in studying this secret technique, unable to extricate himself. As he continued investigating this technique, Yang Kai’s expression gradually began to change, sometimes surprised, sometimes frowning, sometimes thoughtful.
…..
One month later, in the skies nearby Heavenly Fate City, a blue streak of light dashed forward and rushed towards Dragon Cave Mountain. A moment later, this azure light arrived at its destination and Yang Kai’s figure appeared.
Looking around Dragon Cave Mountain though, Yang Kai was shocked and surprised, completely forgetting to move.
It had only been about a year since he departed for the Flowing Flame Sand Field, but during this short time, Dragon Cave Mountain had changed dramatically.
From the air, the few peaks that had originally existed here had become completely invisible and were replaced by a beautiful picture of rolling fog and clouds. Among the clouds there was a remarkable World Energy aura, and through them Yang Kai was able to vaguely see the original cave he had sat in meditation in along with some small scattered buildings. Although there were not many of these buildings, they seemed well constructed.
There were also some blurry figures shuttling back and forth inside the fog bank.
[Is this really Dragon Cave Mountain?] Yang Kai suspected that he had taken a wrong turn somewhere and arrived outside the Spirit Peak of some Sect; however, this place was indeed fifty kilometres from Heavenly Fate City. Yang Kai was certain of this because as he passed by the city, he had wondered whether he could drop in to see Qian Tong so the latter would know he was alright.
Although the scene in front of him was not on the level of a grand Sect’s headquarters, Yang Kai couldn’t believe such drastic changes had taken place in just one year.
This change was definitely thanks to Yang Yan! The Aura Gathering Spirit Array she had arranged here earlier was playing its role perfectly and under the exploration of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, he could tell that all of Dragon Cave Mountain was surrounded by a powerful Spirit Array. As he used his Divine Sense, he frequently encountered obstructions and there were even some places he was unable to probe at all, including the original mountain cave.
Yang Kai’s current Divine Sense was no weaker than that of a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm master, yet even he could not see through this barrier. Yang Kai estimated that even the strongest masters on Shadowed Star would not be able to do any better than he did.
[Yang Yan has actually done it!] Yang Kai could not help feeling a bit stunned. Before he went to the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Yang Yan told him she intended to arrange an incredible defensive Spirit Array around all of Dragon Cave Mountain, but how could he have known she would complete it to such a degree in such a short period of time.
Yang Kai also didn’t know whether this Spirit Array had been fully arranged. If it weren’t complete yet, that would only be more frightening.
However, how many of the hundred million Saint Crystals he left behind were left? Arranging such a huge Spirit Array must have consumed an extraordinary amount of material and resources. When he thought of this, Yang Kai’s face could not help twitching.
Just as Yang Kai was exploring this barrier from the outside, from inside it, a few weaker Divine Senses emerged, but they withdrew quickly after contacting Yang Kai.
Immediately, a beam of colourful light radiated from inside Dragon Cave Mountain and opened a kind of passageway through the fog bank right in front of Yang Kai. The view down this passageway was still obscured but it should lead to the centre of Dragon Cave Mountain.
Yang Kai smiled as he understood that those inside had discoverer him; so, without hesitation, he flew inside.
Landing a moment later, the surrounding scene changed dramatically.
For a moment, Yang Kai could not help sighing in admiration. The changes to Dragon Cave Mountain were so great that he barely recognized it.
Before long, several figures rushed over, with Yang Yan, who was still wrapped in her customary black robe, in the lead. Because she was running so fast, her great peaks undulated up and down and her head wrappings flapped in the wind. On her face was a big smile and a look of relief, as if she had just put down a heavy load.
Immediately behind Yang Yan were Wu Yi and Yu Feng.
Chang Qi and Hao An were also present.
Yang Kai even saw Shadow Moon Hall’s First-Order Origin Returning Realm disciple Luo Qing.
Everyone smiled broadly and all of them seemed to be breathing sighs of relief from the bottom of their hearts.
It seemed that Yang Kai not returning even half a year after the Flowing Flame Sand Field had closed had worried them greatly.
Yang Yan worrying about Yang Kai was out of a genuine sense of friendship. If not for Yang Kai taking a chance on her, she might still have been sitting in Heavenly Fate City’s Refining Pavilion claiming to be an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner while only being able to help some untrusting cultivators refine trivial items, unable to use any of her amazing talents. It was not an exaggeration to say that Yang Kai gave her the freedom to display her skills while simultaneously providing her unimaginable funds. The same was true of Wu Yi, Yu Feng and the others from the Hai Ke Family. As for Luo Qing, he should have been ordered to come here by Qian Tong to inquire about Yang Kai.
“You’re back!” Yang Yan ran up to Yang Kai with small steps and looking him over from top to bottom, her pair of beautiful eyes were making sure that he was not missing any limbs, patting his shoulder heartily as she nodded in approval.
Next, Wu Yi, Yu Feng and the others all came up one after another and greeted Yang Kai joyfully.
Yang Kai’s heart warmed, and he suddenly felt a sense of trust and belonging. Since he entered the Star Field, his heart had constantly felt empty, because in this vast Star Field, there was no one who would worry for his safety, care about where he was, or even pay any attention to if he was alive or dead. No one would think about him while he was out or ask him if he was well when he returned, completely different from back in Tong Xuan Realm.
But at this moment, he once again felt such feelings. For a time, it was as if he had returned home and was facing Little Senior Sister, Meng Wuya, Ling Tai Xu, Chu Ling Xiao and the rest of his friends and family.
“I’m back!” Yang Kai said lightly, but his empty heart was warmed and filled greatly even so.
“It’s good that you’ve come back, en, particularly good. During these past few months, everyone was so worried not hearing from you, wondering if something had happened to you outside.” Wu Yi stepped forward and smiled lightly, her beautiful eyes glancing over at Luo Qing next and explaining, “You probably don’t know, but after the Flowing Flame Sand Field closed, Elder Qian ordered some people to remain there to wait for you for half a year, unfortunately, they never saw any trace of you. It wasn’t until recently that they returned to Shadow Moon Hall.”
[Half a year?!] Yang Kai’s brow twitched. Most likely, Shadow Moon Hall’s disciples had left just days before he had come out.
Feeling Qian Tong’s concern, Yang Kai quickly cupped his fists to Luo Qing and said, “Greetings Brother Luo, I must trouble you to express my gratitude to Elder Qian for his concern. After the Flowing Flame Sand Field closed, I had a certain matter that needed to immediately be attended to, so I quickly found a place to enter retreat and only recently came out. It seems not sending any messages back made Elder Qian worry.”
Luo Qing laughed, “Brother Yang doesn’t need to act so distantly. Elder Qian will be incredibly happy as long as he knows you’ve returned safely. Since you are safe now… oh, Brother Yang has broken through to the Second-Order Saint King Realm, amazing! Congratulations!”
As Luo Qing exchanged greetings and pleasantries with Yang Kai, he noticed that the latter’s cultivation had risen a Minor Realm and quickly offered his congratulation as a touch of envy flashed across his face.
Because Luo Qing was an Origin Returning Realm cultivator, he could not enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field this time, causing him some small regrets. He had heard that many of the cultivators who returned safely from the Flowing Flame Sand Field had reaped great harvests and many had achieved breakthroughs in their bottlenecks. Seeing Yang Kai now, it seemed these rumors were true.
Hearing Luo Qing’s words, everyone else also showed a sunny expression.
In truth, all of them are gathered because of Yang Kai, so Yang Kai was the real leader here. Now that Yang Kai cultivation had risen, they would naturally be excited.
After a few more casual words, Luo Qing insisted on departing.
Luo Qing was sent here by Qian Tong and had stayed in case there was any news about Yang Kai. Now that Yang Kai had returned safely, he naturally had to send back word to Elder Qian as quickly as possible to put him at ease.
Yang Kai did not try to stop Luo Qing and simply sent him off politely.
After Luo Qing left, Yang Kai said, “Let’s also go back, the changes here are so extensive, you’ll have to explain everything to me, or I may accidentally touch some Spirit Array in the future.”
Yang Yan smirked, “Naturally I’ll tell you about all them, but you can rest assured that none of the arrays will react to you.”
The group chatted happily as they walked back to the centre of Dragon Cave Mountain.
Yang Yan, Wu Yi, Yu Feng, Chang Qi, and Hao An gathered outside the cave where Yang Kai originally used to meditate at a table that had been specially set up. On top of this table was a circular disk that showed a complete picture of Dragon Cave Mountain in astonishing detail. Every tree, every blade of grass was present. On this disk there were also a few dozen bright and dark spots, some of which were moving, some of which were stationary. These spots represented the people moving about inside Dragon Cave Mountain.
This thing was a combination of Yang Yan’s Artifact Refining and Spirit Array techniques. The Heaven’s Eye Plate was a special artifact with no attack and defense capabilities, it could only be used to monitor the movement around Dragon Cave Mountain.
It was by using this Heaven’s Eye Plate that Yang Yan was able to determine Yang Kai had returned.
Yang Kai seemed like a country bumpkin who had just come to the big city for the first time. He was very curious about this Heaven’s Eye Plate and kept pointing at things and asking about how they related to Dragon Cave Mountain’s current condition. Yang Yan and the others explained to him patiently and after about an hour or so, Yang Kai gained a comprehensive understanding of the current Dragon Cave Mountain.
At the same time, he was truly shocked by the huge changes Dragon Cave Mountain had undergone this past year.
Dragon Cave Mountain now had countless offensive and defensive Spirit Arrays arranged around it. Even if an Origin Returning Realm cultivator broke into this place, they would not be able to easily leave. According to Yang Yan, unless several Third Order Origin Realm masters collaborated, it would be impossible to break through Dragon Cave Mountain’s grand Spirit Array.
But how could a Third Order Origin Returning Realm master suddenly run over to attack Dragon Cave Mountain, much less several of them? No one would waste so much effort for so little gain. Moreover, the Dragon Cave Mountain’s grand Spirit Array was still only in its prototype phase and had yet to be perfected. If there was enough financial support, Yang Yan was confident she could enhance it further.
After understanding the changes of Dragon Cave Mountain, Yang Kai sighed to himself as he once again realized bringing Yang Yan back from Heavenly Fate City was one of the best decisions he had ever made.
She was able to turn this small Dragon Cave Mountain into an inviolable fortress, so if Yang Kai was to ever bring his friends and family out from Tong Xuan Realm and establish a proper Sect, would the role she could play be even bigger?
“However, arranging all of this cost quite a few Saint Crystals,” Wu Yi said while frowning and complaining slightly to Yang Kai, “The hundred million Saint Crystals you gave us before you left have been completely spent, and even the thirty million Saint Crystals brought back by Foreign Elder Chang have been used up. After purchasing so many materials from Shadow Moon Hall though, Dragon Cave Mountain has become Shadow Moon Hall’s most valuable customer.”
“Foreign Elder Chang brought back thirty million Saint Crystals?” Yang Kai raised his brow as he turned to look at Chang Qi, but he quickly remember how Chang Qi acquired so many Saint Crystals, he must have mined all of them from the underground lode in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
It seems that after Yang Kai left him there, Chang Qi had been mining non-stop until the Flowing Flame Sand Field closed, otherwise he would not have been able to obtain such an amazing amount.
“Junior will have to borrow these Saint Crystals from Foreign Elder Chang for now, but he will surely repay them in the future.”
Chang Qi put on a frown and pretended to be annoyed, “Yang Kai, you saying such things makes it seem like this Chang is an outsider. If you had not brought this old man to find that Saint Crystal Lode, how could he have ever obtained those thirty million Saint Crystals? At least half of these Saint Crystals should belong to you in the first place, not to mention that without you, this old man and Old Hao would not be homeless. So, what if I had so many Saint Crystals? With my strength, it would only bring disaster to myself. I would have no way to protect such a fortune regardless of the circumstances. In the end, I would have to join some other force to protect myself, at which point I would be forced to hand over those Saint Crystals.”
Hao An also echoed, “Indeed, Yang Kai, you accepted this old man and Old Chang before the opening of Flowing Flame Sand Field, giving us brothers a place we can return to and call home. Extending your hand to us when we were at our lowest point is something, we brothers will always be grateful for; it is more than enough. These Saint Crystals are Old Chang’s way of showing his thanks, so do not try to refuse. In any case, we brothers cannot live much longer and have neither children nor family, so what use would we have for so many Saint Crystals anyways? Now, Dragon Cave Mountain has become a famous treasure land that many cultivators without Sects or families dream of entering, yet Old Chang and I were able to join it without any effort, that much is already enough to satisfy us, there’s no need for you to say anymore.”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly, knowing that if he were to try to refuse again it would only have the opposite effect, so he cupped his fists and nodded, “Then I will offer my thanks for two Foreign Elders’ consideration.”
Chang Qi laughed, “Very good. We brothers being able to live out our last years in peace here, dying in a warm bed, is our final wish.”
To this though, Yang Kai shook his head and said, “I’m afraid that your wish won’t be realized for some time. After you break through to the Origin Returning Realm, your lifespan will naturally increase.”
“Origin Returning Realm…” Chang Qi’s eyes lit up, suddenly remembering about the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, but he soon sighed sadly, “Even if there is that thing, Old Hao and I may not be able to break through.”
“Leave everything up to this Junior. Two Foreign Elders should rest for the next few days and adjust your conditions to their optimum state,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
Chang Qi and Hao An glanced at each other, their hearts unavoidably growing inspired but not saying much as they just silently began looking forward to the future.
With Dragon Cave Mountain’s finances being so tight, Yang Kai naturally would not be stingy, handing over the few million Saint Crystals he had mined in the underground lode to Wu Yi for distribution.
The ordinary Artifact Refining materials he had found in the stone chambers of the Earth Lung Fire Pond were also taken out by Yang Kai and handed over to Yang Yan.
Yang Yan was delighted when she saw these materials and quickly swept all of them into her Space Ring.
With this injection of funds, in the short term, Dragon Cave Mountain would not need to worry about Saint Crystals or materials. If Yang Yan did not continue spending so wantonly, it should be enough to support them for a long time.
Because Yang Kai had just returned from the Flowing Flame Sand Field, even though everyone had much they wanted to discuss, they didn’t want to disturb him for too long so after chatting about Dragon Cave Mountain’s future development issues, everyone departed.
Yang Kai returned to the stone room where he lived.
The original cave of Dragon Cave Mountain had become a Restricted Area now with Yang Yan and the Stone Puppet remodeling it into a massive secluded cave mansion.
There were numerous stone chambers specifically constructed for Yang Kai’s exclusive use. The cultivators from the Hai Ke Family lived in the newly constructed buildings outside, satisfying everyone greatly.
The World Energy aura was naturally strongest inside this cave mansion.
Soon after Yang Kai sat down cross-legged, the nearby ground bulged slightly, and a small head popped out from underground. This head was sharp and angular, and its nose and mouth looked slightly strange. Only its eyes seemed lively and intelligent.
“Stone Puppet!” Yang Kai’s thoughts flashed, and he beckoned to it, causing the Stone Puppet to leap up from its newly dug hole and scramble over, climbing up Yang Kai sit on his shoulder, displaying a kind of innocent affection.
Yang Kai took a closer look at the Stone Puppet and quickly noticed that after not seeing it for a year, this little fellow had also changed a lot.
When it was born, its surface was grey and it looked like an ordinary rock, but now, its surface was a solid crystal-like structure, as if it were wearing an exquisite layer of natural armour.
Yang Kai used his Divine Sense to inspect this armour and was secretly shocked to discover that the Stone Puppet’s skin had become incredibly tough. Even if Yang Kai were to punch this armour with his full strength, it likely wouldn’t break.
Did the Stone Puppet evolve on its own or was this change also thanks to Yang Yan?
Just when Yang Kai was pondering over this matter, the Stone Puppet seemed to remember something, scratched its head before opening its mouth and spitting out a stream of Space Spirit Crystals.
In the blink of an eye, thousands of pieces of Space Spirit Crystal were piled up in a hill in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not know where the Stone Puppet had stored all these things. Yang Yan had said before that Stone Puppets had a natural ability to store minerals in their stomachs so they could continuously devour and refine more. It was an innate ability.
“These are the last of the Space Spirit Crystals produced by that underground Space Spirit Crystal lode.” A pleasant voice came from the side. Yang Yan had appeared inside the stone chamber at some unknown point.
Yang Kai was not bothered or surprised by her presence as he had sensed her arrival a while ago. Nodding, he put these Space Spirit Crystals into the Black Book Space.
“I took about a third of them for myself, hehe,” Yang Yan came over with a grin and sat cross-legged in front of Yang Kai.
“You have some use for Space Spirit Crystals?”
“Naturally, I have a use for them!” Yang Yan smiled sweetly, trying to be mysterious by not answering directly.
Yang Kai does not pursue the issue. In any case, these Space Spirit Crystals should be enough for him to cultivate his Space Force for some time.
“What did you call me over for? Did you obtain some good things that aren’t convenient to show everyone else?” Yang Yan’s eyes showed a hint of cunning as she speculated.
“Exactly. There are some things I prefer not many to know about,” Yang Kai nodded, but instead of taking out his gains, he stared fixedly at Yang Yan for a moment before abruptly saying, “Yang Yan, I have a question to ask you. Please answer honestly.”
This was the first time she had seen Yang Kai act so seriously, so Yang Yan could not help feeling a bit stunned, but after thinking about it for a moment, she nodded, “Alright.”
“Are you the true master of this body?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he stared deeply into Yang Yan’s, as if he was trying to see into her soul.
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, Yang Yan froze up for a moment before suddenly covering her small mouth as her shoulders trembled, leaning backwards as a peal of delightful laughter spread from her lips.
“What’s so funny?” Yang Kai asked in exasperation.
Yang Yan kept waving her hand to indicate it was nothing, but she completely failed to stop her laughter, tears even gathering in the corners of his eyes.
Yang Kai rolled his eyes and asked again, “Then have you mastered some kind of beauty preserving technique so you appear young but are actually an old woman who has lived for thousands of years?”
This time, Yang Yan acted like a cat whose tail was stepped on, her laughter ceasing and her smile disappearing as her beautiful eyes glared fiercely at Yang Kai, grinding her teeth as she spat, “I can answer definitively that I am not some several-thousand-year-old woman!”
“Makes sense…” Yang Kai gently nodded. If Yang Yan really had lived for thousands of years, her worldly experience couldn’t possibly be so poor. The various behaviours Yang Yan exhibited up until now made her seem like a young, naive girl rather than a long-lived master.
Yang Yan’s expression also became serious, her thoughts unreadable but the look on her face somewhat pale. After a long time, she finally asked, “You want to know if I seized this body, right?”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded frankly. Only a forceful take-over by a powerful master could explain why Yang Yan was so young yet so proficient in Artifact Refining and arranging Spirit Arrays.
One person’s time and energy were limited. Although Yang Kai’s attainments in Alchemy were quite good, he couldn’t afford to put any effort into studying another craftsmanship field unless he gave up his cultivation path.
Yang Yan, however, had great attainments in both Artifact Refining and Spirit Arrays. The artifacts she refined and the Spirit Arrays she arranged so far even exceeded Shadowed Star’s level in terms of subtlety and practicality. How did she accomplish this?
There was no shortage of geniuses in this world, but even if Yang Yan was an extraordinary talent, given her age, it was impossible for her to have reached her current height, prompting Yang Kai to ask this question.
“Have you suspected so for a long time?” Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai and asked.
“Since I learned you were an Array Master I had some suspicions. But you can rest assured, whether you seized this body or not means nothing to me. The one I know is you, as for the previous soul of that body, I don’t care,” Yang Kai said lightly.
Yang Yan laughed bitterly and went silent for a while before saying, “It’s not just you who has had such doubts. Sometimes, I can’t understand who I am either… But I don’t believe I seized this body from another because I can clearly remember all of my experiences from childhood up until now. There are no gaps or inconsistencies in my memories, like a second person’s thoughts suddenly took over at some point, so I don’t think a forced possession took place.”
“Then did you worship a supreme master who taught you about Artifact Refining and Spirit Arrays?” Yang Kai continued asking, not showing any doubt about Yang Yan’s words.
Yang Yan shook her head slowly, biting his red lips lightly as her two little hands fiddled anxiously with her black robes. A look of hesitation and fear appeared on her face for a while before she lifted her eyes and whispered, “If I told you the reason I understand Artifact Refining and Spirit Arrays is because I was born with that knowledge, would you believe it?”
“How is that possible?” Yang Kai looked shocked.
Yang Yan smiled bitterly, “I know that it sounds crazy, but it’s the truth. My knowledge really seems to be something I was born with. It’s almost as if my Artifact Refining and Spirit Array skills were sealed into my memories, and as I continue to refine artifacts and arrange Spirit Arrays, those skills are slowly unseal, allowing me to comprehend more profound Artifact Refining techniques and Spirit Arrays. On top of that, sometimes, when I see rare or precious items I have obviously never heard of or encountered before, I am able to recognize them. Do you think it’s strange?”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded.
This wasn’t on the level where it could be merely described as strange. No one was born proficient in Artifact Refining and Spirit Arrays for no reason. There must be some reasons for this, but these reasons may not even be clear to Yang Yan herself.
It was precisely because of these strange circumstances that Yang Yan sometimes felt afraid of herself.
Yang Yan didn’t have any reason to lie to herself, she what she said was probably the truth.
This was something Yang Kai couldn’t help her with. Although he knew that Yang Yan was odd, he had not expected her to be this strange. He did not continue to force this issue though; for Yang Kai, whether Yang Yan’s current self was one that had seized this body, or somehow possessed vast innate knowledge others couldn’t hope to master for a lifetime, that had nothing to do with him. He only knew the current Yang Yan, that was enough for him.
After pondering for a while, Yang Kai asked, “What grade of artifact can you refine now?”
“Origin Grade High-Rank shouldn’t be a problem. As long as I have a lot of materials to practice with, sooner or later I should be able to refine Origin King Grade artifacts.” When speaking about her field of expertise, Yang Yan’s spirits lifted noticeably and a natural look of pride once again filled her face.
“Great, help me enhance this again.” Yang Kai took out the purple shield with a slightly awkward look.
The shields original purple hue had becoming incredibly dim and dull, indicating its spirituality had suffered a great loss.
As soon as Yang Yan saw it, a look of concern appeared on her pretty face. Picking up the shield and stroking it gently, she quickly asked, “Did you run into some kind of intense fire-type Spirit Array? A single strike actually reduced this Origin Grade Mid-Rank defensive artifact to such a state.”
“En, but I was ultimately able to emerge safely.” Yang Kai grinned.
“Good, with the materials you gave me, it should be fine to enhance this to an Origin Grade High-Rank artifact.” Yang Yan said before taking the purple shield into her Space Ring. Brushing her hair behind her ear, she restored her previous cheerful expression as her eyes glowed with joy, asking curiously, “What good things did you obtain on this trip? Please let me see.”
“Alright!” Yang Kai nodded before searching through his Space Ring. There were quite a lot of good things he had obtained from this, and he had called Yang Yan here to show them to her, hoping that she would be able to help him identify some of the things he couldn’t recognize.
Soon, Yang Kai waved his hand and a plate sized fiery red crystal that gave off an intense burning aura appeared between the two.
“This is…” Yang Yan’s two eyes immediately flashed brilliantly as she stared fixedly at this fiery red crystal.
“It should be a Fire Crystal Stone!” Yang Kai stroked his chin. “It’s just that I don’t understand why it’s so big, and the process I went through to obtain it was also quite strange. It wasn’t from a Fire Spirit Beast…”
Yang Kai briefly talked about his experience in that strange mountain valley and how he obtained this huge Fire Crystal Stone, his first big harvest in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Yang Yan had been staring at the Fire Crystal Stone while Yang Kai was talking about these things, gently stroking it with her hand.
After Yang Kai finished speaking, Yang Yan nodded, “It should be a Fire Crystal Stone like you said, but this Fire Crystal Stone has a formed a Natural Spirit Array inside of itself, allowing it to create those Fire Spirit Beasts which blocked your path.”
“A naturally formed Spirit Array?” Yang Kai expression changed. He had not checked at the time.
“Yeah, it’s a naturally generated and very profound Spirit Array.” Yang Yan smiled, “This thing is exceptionally good, but using it for Artifact Refining would be wasting the Heaven ‘s precious gifts. Give it to me, it can be used as an Array Core for a powerful Spirit Array.”
“Okay.” Yang Kai nodded, handing the giant Fire Crystal Stone over to Yang Yan freely. In any case, she would be using it to arrange a Spirit Array to protect Dragon Cave Mountain, so the one to benefit in the end would still be him.
“What else?” Yang Yan put the huge Fire Crystal Stone into her Space Ring before returning her beautiful eyes to Yang Kai, seemingly looking forward to what he would bring out next.
“There’s this!” Yang Kai took out a blood-red bead that looked a bit like a grass seed but exuded a strange bloody aura.
“A Blood Sword Grass seed!” Yang Yan saw this thing and her beautiful face instantly lost colour as she exclaimed.
She was able to recognize this seed at a glance.
“Blood Sword Grass… a fitting name,” Yang Kai nodded thoughtfully, recalling what he had experienced after falling into that strange Bewildering Array. When he broke free of that Spirit Array’s constraints and walked out onto the narrow passage, there were many blood red blades of grass growing on either side of the path that seemed to come to life and attacked him.
Those blood-red blades of grass were incredibly hard and sharp. Even with his intrepid physique, Yang Kai didn’t dare let them cut him at will.
“The Flowing Flame Sand Field actually had this kind of thing?” Yang Yan’s face paled.
“Is this thing quite famous?” Yang Kai saw Yang Yan acting so fearful and couldn’t help feeling curious.
“I don’t know if it’s famous or not, but I do know how terrifying it can be. It can grow infinitely as long as it’s supplied with enough flesh and blood. Its power will also continue to increase and when it reaches its limit, it is even capable of slicing through the body of an Origin King.”
“Is it really so frightening?” Yang Kai a touch of fear washing over him as well as a sense of relief.
If Yang Yan’s words were true, then the Blood Sword Grass he encountered shouldn’t have been fully grown, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to escape unharmed.
“This thing had an ominous reputation in ancient times and many large Sects would plant it around Restricted Areas to protect them,” Yang Yan gently pinched the blood-red seed and examined it carefully.
“Unfortunately there’s only one seed, if there were more…” Yang Kai not only wasn’t concerned but instead felt it was a pity.
“Unfortunately?” Yang Yan snickered, “No such thing, a single Blood Sword Grass seed is more than enough as it can multiply on its own. As long as it’s fed enough blood it can grow without limit.”
Yang Kai heard this and his eyes lit up.
“What do you want to do?” Yang Yan seemed to be aware of the dangerous glint in Yang Kai’s eyes and asked hurriedly.
“Nothing,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully before taking the Blood Sword Grass seed back from Yang Yan and storing it away carefully.
“Let me tell you this first, if you want to plant it, you have to tell me in advance. However, there’s no need to worry too much about it, as long as you don’t feed it fresh blood, it won’t grow bigger or pose any threat.”
“I understand.” Yang Kai nodded before taking out two more things from his Space Ring.
One of the items Yang Kai brought out was a metre-long crystalline bone that was about as thick as a baby’s arm. At first glance it was clear to see that this thing was extraordinary. The second item was a round bead the size of a pigeon egg. This bead was perfectly clear but there seemed to be a tiny green snake swimming about inside it, almost as if it was a living creature.
This little green snake also exuded a Soul fluctuation that while very weak contained an oppressive presence.
As soon as this round bead appeared, a resonant dragon roar came from Yang Kai’s body and at the same time, a different kind of pressure spread out from him.
Yang Yan looked up in amazement as she stared at Yang Kai, but soon her attention was attracted to the bone and round bead in front of her.
Looking closely, her expression changed once more as a series of extremely complex looks flashed across her face; sometimes there was surprise, sometimes there was suspicion, still other times there was shock…
After a long time, she took a deep breath, raised her eyes, and looked straight at Yang Kai.
“Were you able to see what these two things are?” Yang Kai felt that his lips had become a bit dry. Even though these things had been in his Space Ring for quite some time now, after taking them out again, he still could not help feeling a bit excited.
“Your luck is really amazing! You even managed to obtain a piece of Dragon Bone and a Dragon Bead. I really don’t know where you could have found these things inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field,” Yang Yan bit her red lips lightly. It was obvious that she too, was extremely excited, but she was forcefully suppressing her raging emotions.
“It really is a Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead?” Yang Kai looked overjoyed. Although he had suspected as much when he obtained these two things in the underground Saint Crystal lode, when Yang Yan confirmed it, he was still finding it difficult to believe.
“This is indeed a Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead!”
Yang Kai could not help grinning from happiness. Yang Yan also seemed to be happy, as if Yang Kai’s Heaven defying opportunities were her own, accompanying him in his foolish laughter for a time.
A while later, after Yang Yan and Yang Kai calmed down, the former asked, “What are you going to do with them?”
“Can they be refined into an artifact? I happen to be missing an offensive artifact!” Yang Kai already had a plan in mind, so he naturally asked immediately. Yang Kai didn’t care for offensive artifacts, even an Origin Grade High-Rank artifact may not necessarily be able to produce a more powerful attack than he could produce himself; as for Origin King Grade artifacts, with his current strength, he couldn’t properly active them, but now that he had obtained a piece of Dragon Bone and a Dragon Bead, if they could be refined into an offensive artifact, Yang Kai knew his combat effectiveness would rise greatly.
The Hundred Mountains Picture was not bad, but Yang Kai always felt a bit unsatisfied when using it.
“That.. would be difficult…” To Yang Kai’s surprise though, Yang Yan, who always seemed omnipotent in such matters, heard his request, and actually shook her head.
This made Yang Kai, who was looking forward to it, suddenly show a disappointed expression.
“I’m not saying that I can’t refine them into an artifact, but rather that doing so would reduce their value instead of promoting them.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai frowned and asked.
“This piece of Dragon Bone is from a True Dragon and has incredible power already within it. From the colour of the Dragon Soul in this Dragon Bead, it and the piece of bone should come from a Wood Attribute True Dragon. I don’t what kind of innate powers are stored inside these two things, but it can be said that they are already superb artifacts as is. If you let me refine them, it would only contaminate their natural auras and impede the flow of their power, reducing their overall might. Of course, if I were an Origin King Grade High-Rank Artifact Refiner, I would not have such concerns. Unfortunately, with my current level of skill, it would be exceedingly difficult to refine these two things perfectly!”
“So what should I do?” Yang Kai’s burning heat seemed to have been doused with a pot of cold water, calming him down in an instant. “Do I have to wait for you to grow into an Origin King Grade High-Rank Artifact Refiner?”
Yang Yan knit her brow and fell silent, seemingly immersed in thought for a while.
Some time later, she looked at Yang Kai and smiled, “Is the Saint Qi in your body Yang Attribute?”
“Not exactly, but it used to be,” Yang Kai shook his head slowly. Now that his Saint Qi had been transformed into the black Demonic Flame, Yang Kai could not quite tell what its attribute was, so he didn’t quite know how to answer Yang Yan’s question.
“Push your Saint Qi so I can see,” Yang Yan asked as her beautiful eyes stared at him.
Yang Kai quickly pushed his Saint Qi while transforming his Demonic Flame into a pure hot nature.
Yang Yan’s eyes lit up when she saw this and smile, “If it’s like this then there’s no problem. It seems your luck is really good, if this Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead had been obtained by another cultivator, they might have had to wait for me to grow into an Origin King Grade High-Rank Artifact Refiner before they could be processed into something useful, but since your Saint Qi is hot in nature, you can just refine it yourself.”
“Refining it myself?” Yang Kai stunned.
“En, refine it yourself. Doing so will result in great benefits, actually. With your current strength, although you can’t fully refine this thing, nor can you exert all of its power, as time passes and your cultivation grows, the power this Dragon Bone will be able to display will increase proportionally. When the time comes, it can even become an artifact connected directly with your Soul and life,” Yang Yan explained with excitement.
“But I’m not an Artifact Refiner, how am I supposed to refine it?” Yang Kai was still confused.
“There’s no need for you to be an Artifact Refiner because it is already a complete artifact that doesn’t require any enhancement. You only need to warm and nourish it. Here, I’ll give you a set of Secret Arts to use.”
“Just like that?” Yang Kai was overjoyed as his mood rose once more.
“Yeah, and you also have a Dragon Bead with a real Dragon Soul, if you can also refine the Dragon Soul and Dragon Bead into the Dragon Bone, hehe… I really can’t imagine what this Dragon Bone will look like at that time,” Yang Yan’s beautiful eyes shimmered brilliantly as a hint of obsession flashed across them. It seemed that she could not wait to see the scene after the Dragon Bone had been refined.
Finished what she had to explain, Yang Yan quickly passed the refinement method to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai listened and took down what Yang Yan said carefully, asking immediately when there was something he did not understand. Yang Yan explained everything patiently.
This refinement method was not difficult, so it only took Yang Kai two hours to memorize it. Now all he needed to do was spend some time to slowly comprehend it after which he could begin refining the Dragon Bone.
After teaching Yang Kai this Secret Art, Yang Yan thought for a while and said, “If you want to speed up things, I can let you borrow my Artifact Refining Furnace. Although my Artifact Refining Furnace is not very good, it will still be able to assist in the refinement process.”
“Artifact Refining Furnace?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, revealing a weird look, “I have one.”
“You have an Artifact Refining Furnace?” Yang Yan was stunned and quickly asked, “You’re not an Artifact Refiner, so why do you have an Artifact Refining Furnace?”
“En, I obtained it in the Flowing Flame Sand Field; moreover, it’s not an ordinary one,” Yang Kai said while taking out the tiny Artifact Refining Furnace.
When Yang Yan saw this little Artifact Refining Furnace, she did not show too much surprise, only feeling that the strange bird pattern on it was a little unusual. But while she was inspecting the quality of this Artifact Refining Furnace, the strange bird pattern came to life, swam across the surface of the furnace, then leapt off its surface and transformed into the Scarlet Firebird.
Immediately, the temperature in the stone room shot up as a pure Fire Attribute aura filled the air.
“An Artifact Spirit!” Yang Yan called out in alarm, covering her mouth as her beautiful eyes stared fixedly at the Artifact Spirit. Along with great shock, her face also showed nearly obsessive interest.
The Artifact Spirit also seemed to realize Yang Yan’s hot intentions and, after flying a quick circle, landed on Yang Kai’s shoulder. Its three long tail feathers trailed behind its body as it used its pointed beak to comb its wings, occasionally using its small eyes to cautiously observe Yang Yan, excluding its intelligence.
Yang Yan was stunned speechless and her eyes flashed with undisguised longing.
She suddenly realized that it was truly a loss for Yang Kai to not to be an Artifact Refiner.
He had an appropriate Saint Qi attribute and an extremely powerful Soul. On top of that, he had the best assistant in the form of the Stone Puppet and now even possessed an Artifact Refining Furnace with an Artifact Spirit. This Artifact Refining Furnace was also Origin King Grade…
It was so unfair!
When Yang Yan compared her possessions with Yang Kai’s, she suddenly found herself greatly discouraged.
This Artifact Spirit had obviously been conquered by Yang Kai, so even if she wanted this Artifact Refining Furnace, it was out of her reach. Once an Artifact Spirit was subdued, it was impossible for it to surrender to a second person unless the first died.
“With such an Artifact Refining Furnace to assist you, you’ll get twice the results with half the effort when refining the Dragon Bone, Dragon Bead, and Dragon Soul,” Yang Yan said sourly, glaring at Yang Kai with grudge filled eyes.
“Ahem… I actually collected a lot of Artifact Refining Furnaces on this trip, and several of them are even Origin King Grade.”
“Really?” Yang Yan’s spirits immediately lifted.
“En, but they all seem to be a bit damaged,” Yang Kai said while taking out the Artifact Refining Furnaces, he had collected in the Earth Lung Fire Pond, scattering them about the room.
Yang Yan’s jaw dropped and refused to close for quite some time, but after checking these Artifact Refining Furnaces one by one, a look of annoyance filled her face as she shouted, “How is this a ‘bit’ damage? It’s more like they’ve all be scrapped! How could they have been so recklessly burned?”
“Can they still be used?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll try my best to fix them,” Yang Yan waved her hand and put all the Artifact Refining Furnaces into her Space Ring.
Next, Yang Kai took out all his other gains from the Flowing Flame Sand Field one by one and handed all of them over to Yang Yan.
For example, a huge number of Fire Crystal Stones, the Brilliant Fire Crystal Essence, a Flowing Flame Flying Fire, etc.
Yang Kai had collected a total of nine Flowing Flame Flying Fires, so after giving one to Yang Yan, he had eight left. He wanted to know whether refining one of these would enhance the power of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
The ancient map fragment Yang Kai obtained by killing Meng Hong Liang was also given to Yang Yan. As a result, she now had two of these map fragments in her possession, and although this was not enough to form a complete map, putting them together and researching them might yield some results.
The piece of crystal that Yang Kai obtained in the sixth layer which caused him to hallucinate was also recognized by Yang Yan. She said it was a naturally formed treasure called an Illusion Stone. She also received this crystal as it was the best material to arrange an Illusion Array with.
The twenty pieces of bamboo which took Yang Kai half a year to collect were also given to Yang Yan so she could find a way to make use of them.
As for the spirit grasses and spirit medicines Yang Kai collected in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, such as the Emerald Silk Grasses, Purple Fine Jade Fruits, Golden Sun Fruits, and other herbs which could be used for Alchemy. Naturally, he wouldn’t give them to Yang Yan.
Yang Kai kept the Red Candle Fruit, Red Candle Stalk, Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, Golden Sun Fruit Tree, Ten Thousand Year Incense, and a number of other rare items as he had his own plans for them.
After receiving so many materials, Yang Yan happily left. With her talent and skill, along with so many treasures, she could let loose and refine whatever she wanted. Before leaving though, she handed Yang Kai a big token.
On this token were numerous profound seals and patterns.
With the help of this token, Yang Kai could freely enter and exit his cave mansion as well as open the independent barrier around the cave. Once this barrier was opened, no one in Dragon Cave Mountain would be able to access this cave mansion except for Yang Kai. Even Yang Yan wouldn’t be able to come in unless she broke the Spirit Array.
Yang Kai was very satisfied with this. Yang Yan had obviously taken his privacy into account and had used many methods to create a Restricted Area for him.
Yang Kai had no intention to live in one of the newly built houses outside as this stone mansion was much more in line with his preferences. Perhaps this was because he had once dug his own cave mansion into the walls of the Coiling Dragon Stream back in High Heaven Pavilion. For his own dwelling, Yang Kai quite liked this kind of cave mansion; it was quiet and somewhat lonely, but that just made it well suited to sitting in meditation by himself.
Yang Yan had paid great attention to the layout of this cave mansion. This place had the most barriers and Spirit Arrays of any location in Dragon Cave Mountain and also possessed the most rigorous defence. The World Energy aura here was also the strongest. When Yang Kai first returned and tried to explore Dragon Cave Mountain with his Divine Sense, this cave mansion was one of the locations he couldn’t read anything from.
After Yang Yan left, Yang Kai sat cross-legged in place, lost in thought for a while. He had already noticed that not just Yang Yan, but also Wu Yi, Yu Feng, Chang Qi, Hao An, and the several dozen former Hai Ke Family disciples had come to regard this place as their own home and had put in a great amount of care to build it up.
Yang Kai appreciated such sentiments.
After pondering for a while, he took out his Alchemy furnace, the Emerald Silk Grasses, and some other herbs to refine several Origin Condensing Pills. Perhaps because the trip to the Flowing Flame Sand Field had made him grow a lot, this time it was much easier for Yang Kai to refine the Origin Condensing Pills. Among the ones he refined, more than half had formed Pill Veins.
These Origin Condensing Pills were naturally for Chang Qi and Hao An. Both of them had been stuck at the bottleneck of the Third-Order Saint King Realm for so many years, so with an Origin Condensing Pill, they should be able to break through to the Origin Returning Realm.
However, after he finished refining these pills, Yang Kai didn’t rush to deliver them but instead began to arrange his own cave mansion.
In one of the stone rooms, Yang Kai used a large number of Saint Crystals and even his Myriad Drug Liquid to create a place with an extremely dense World Energy. The aura in the cave mansion was already quite good, and with the addition of these Saint Crystals and the Myriad Drug Liquid, it quickly rose to an incredible level.
Inside this stone room, Yang Kai opened a small medicine garden and carefully took out the Red Candle Stalk, planting it in a diluted pool of Myriad Drug Liquid. He believed that with so much spirit water and World Energy, the Red Candle Stalk, with is extremely tenacious vitality, would not wither.
After this was done, Yang Kai took out the small piece of Red Candle Fruit. Although this small piece of Red Candle Fruit had lost much of its value and could not be restored, Yang Kai still carefully placed it atop the Red Candle Stalk, thinking that since the two were connected to one another, the Red Candle Fruit would be able to maintain and possibly even strengthen its medicinal efficacy.
Yang Kai could not use the Red Candle Fruit now, nor could he use it to refine a pill, but that did not mean he could not need it in the future.
After finishing this, Yang Kai used the token Yang Yan gave him to open all the barriers in this particular stone chamber. A light curtain appeared quickly, then began rippling, causing everything inside the stone room to disappear, concealing all trace of the spirit liquid pool made from diluted Myriad Drug Liquid, the Red Candle Stalk, and the Red Candle Fruit. Even using Divine Sense there was no way to tell anything was here.
There was nothing out of the ordinary about this place now except for an abnormally rich World Energy aura.
Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction, and after completely sealing off this stone room, he moved to the next one to make further arrangements.
In the second stone room, he took out the Ten Thousand Year Incense and incense burner from the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field and placed it the centre of the chamber. In a flash, the whole stone room was filled with a faint yet clear fragrance. As soon as this fragrance reached his nose, Yang Kai suddenly felt calm, as if all his troubles and worries had disappeared Even his Knowledge Sea became calm and peaceful, like an ancient well.
The effects of the Ten Thousand Year Incense were worthy of their reputation. Meditating while inhaling this scent for a long time would undoubtedly be extremely helpful to anyone.
Using the token in his hand, Yang Kai sealed off this second stone room completely as well.
The Ten Thousand Year Incense’s scent could drift about inside the cave mansion for now, but Yang Kai was certain Yang Yan could think up some way to let it permeate throughout Dragon Cave Mountain, allowing all the cultivators who lived here to benefit from it at any time.
Keeping this matter in mind, Yang Kai went to the third stone room.
A moment later, he placed the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree inside the third stone room. In this way, as long as someone entered retreat in this stone room, they could use the mysterious aura released by the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree to spy on the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, assisting them in breaking through their bottlenecks.
With the Origin Condensing Pills and the Ten Thousand Year Incense as auxiliaries, Chang Qi and Hao An may not even be able to take advantage of the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree’s effects.
After finishing all this, Yang Kai walked to an isolate stone room where he found a strange rock full of holes.
This strange stone was the Profound Insect Stone that Yang Kai spent many Saint Crystals to win at the last auction.
After purchasing it, Yang Kai had put his Soul Devouring Insects into it. Yang Yan had said that the Profound Insect Stone was perfectly suited to growing Exotic Insects. Before departing for the Flowing Flame Sand field, Yang Kai had told Yang Yan to not let anyone near this Profound Insect Stone, and sure enough, it was lying quietly in the corner he had left it.
Under the investigation of his Divine Sense, Yang Kai found tens of thousands of tiny Soul Devouring Insects, invisible to the naked eye, sleeping peacefully inside the Profound Insect Stone.
The inside of the Profound Insect Stone also seemed to have been hollowed out greatly.
The Soul Devouring Insects were still growing and evolving, so they were temporarily unavailable to Yang Kai. They would only become active again after the Profound Insect Stones disappeared completely.
The Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea was also evolving, so the Soul Devouring Insects didn’t have a place to stay anyways. As such, Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry to wake them up.
Yang Kai had great expectations for the evolution of the Soul Devouring Insects. He didn’t know what kind of change they would undergo after their evolution. After observing for a while, Yang Kai picked up the Profound Insect Stone and placed it in the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree’s stone room.
Leaving his cave mansion, Yang Kai called over Chang Qi and Hao An and handed each of them an Origin Condensing Pill before telling them to pick a free stone chamber to enter retreat.
Yang Kai believed that it wouldn’t be long before Dragon Cave Mountain had its first two Origin Returning Realm masters.
Although they would only be First-Order, they would still be Origin Realm masters. When Yang Kai went out in the future, the two of them could coordinate with all the profound Spirit Arrays here to ensure Dragon Cave Mountain’s safety.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai kept himself busy. No one knew what he was up to, but soon, all of them were surprised to find that a Golden Sun Fruit Tree had suddenly appeared in Dragon Cave Mountain. Although there was no ripe fruit on this tree, it was no doubt a high-grade Spirit Fruit Tree. In addition to brightening the scenery around Dragon Cave Mountain, it also gave everyone something to look forward to in the future.
Regarding the transplanting of the Golden Sun Fruit Tree, Yang Kai was given a long and harsh lecture by Yang Yan. After listening to her scoldings, Yang Kai realized that he had been far too naive before.
The requirements for the Golden Sun Fruit Tree’s growth environment were extremely harsh. If Yang Kai hadn’t possessed a treasure like his Black Book Space, he would definitely not have been able to take it out of the Flowing Flame Sand Field as it would have already died inside any Space Ring he tried to use. Even though it had now been replanted here, the chances this Golden Sun Fruit Tree would survive was less than thirty percent. Yang Yan spent a lot of effort to arrange a number of Spirit Arrays to gather and transform the surrounding World Energy for it to use, but even so, whether it would be able to live or not was questionable.
However, it was the changes the Blood Sword Grass seed underwent that shocked Yang Kai and Yang Yan the most.
Originally, Yang Yan had taken the Blood Sword Grass seed and found a suitable place to casually plant it. Because she didn’t provide it with any fresh blood or flesh, she didn’t expect it to germinate or grow immediately so she hadn’t paid too much attention to it. As long as some overconfident fool dared to attack Dragon Cave Mountain and was injured or died near this Blood Sword Grass seed, it could absorb the vital energy of those people, break through the ground, and hit the enemy by surprise.
On a whim though, Yang Kai dropped a drop of Golden Blood onto the spot where the Blood Sword Grass seed had been planted.
The result was in the blink of an eye, the Blood Sword Grass seed germinated and rapidly grew, reaching nearly thirty metres in height before stopping. This wasn’t the end though, as all around the primary Blood Sword Grass stalk, a great forest of them also began sprouting. These offshoots weren’t as tall as their parent, but many still reached almost ten metres in height.
In less than half an hour, centred on the position where the Blood Sword Grass seed was planted, a thousand-metre radius had been covered in sword-like grasses. Yang Yan screamed and her beautiful face discoloured when she saw this.
What’s more though was that these Blood Sword Grasses weren’t the same as the ones Yang Kai encountered before. They weren’t blood red anymore but instead had a faint reddish-gold colour to them, making them particularly eye-catching.
This change not only left Yang Yan dumbfounded, but Yang Kai as well.
He hadn’t expected that a single drop of his Golden Blood would cause the Blood Sword Grasses to undergo such a big change. The only reason he had fed it a drop like this was because he thought it might have some small effect.
But instead, it had nearly caused several of the cultivators who had been wandering about nearby to fall into grave danger. Fortunately, Yang Kai was able to rescue these helpless Hai Ke Family cultivators before they were cut down by the Blood Sword Grass.
However, perhaps because it had absorbed a drop of his Golden Blood, these Blood Sword Grasses showed no hostility towards Yang Kai. Even if Yang Kai passed through them, they didn’t react at all.
But except for Yang Kai, any living creature that entered this field would instantly be assailed and their bodies sliced apart. The sharp golden blades of grass seemed to give off a cold light that made any who saw it shudder.
After this unexpected development, Yang Yan adjusted her attitude and immediately arranged a Spirit Array around the Blood Sword Grass region, preparing to turn it into a Restricted Area and even using these Blood Sword Grasses to create a huge trap.
With such a field of Blood Sword Grass, even if an Origin Returning Realm master that broke into it did not die, they would surely be severely injured.
Three days after Yang Kai returned, Shadow Moon Hall’s Qian Tong personally brought Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er to Dragon Cave Mountain to confirm that Yang Kai had really returned safely.
Qian Tong also learned from Wei Gu Chang that in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Yang Kai had saved his and Dong Xuan’er’s lives, so now, regardless of any other intentions he had towards Yang Kai, just this grace was enough for Qian Tong to be genuinely grateful towards him.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er were the most talented disciples of Shadow Moon Hall’s younger generation; if the two of them had fallen in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, the loss would have been immeasurable.
No one asked why Yang Kai only returned so long after the Flowing Flame Sand Field had closed, all of them just vaguely guessing that Yang Kai had run into some other kind of opportunity. In this way, Qian Tong was even more optimistic about Yang Kai and his attitude became friendlier.
On top of that, Dragon Cave Mountain and Shadow Moon Hall were cooperating closely now. Yang Yan and the others had continued to purchase a massive amount of materials from Shadow Moon Hall, allowing Shadow Moon Hall to gain a hefty profit. So, for various reasons, Qian Tong now regarded Dragon Cave Mountain as a partner and ally.
As they chatted, Yang Kai learned from Qian Tong that about the gains and losses the major forces on Shadowed Star had after the opening of the Flowing Flame Field.
More than ten thousand cultivators had originally entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field, but less than seventy percent of them had returned safely. The various forces losing thirty to forty percent of their elite disciples was nothing less than tragic.
Although this kind of loss saddened every force greatly, the harvests brought back by their surviving disciples were enough to make up for the loss. Almost everyone had some gains, and this was especially true of those Sects’ disciples who managed to obtain a piece of the Red Candle Fruit and all of them received rich rewards from their respective Sects.
The appearance of the Red Candle Fruit set out a great storm on Shadowed Star. Several Alchemy Grandmasters from Medicine Pill Sect had frequently run out to visit the various forces which had obtained pieces of this Heaven defying spirit fruit, offering vast amounts of money and even free pill refinements to acquire these Red Candle Fruit pieces.
But no one felt relieved handing over this incredible treasure to another, even if the other party were Medicine Pill Sect, so after running about for half a year, the Alchemy Grandmasters of Medicine Pill Sect could only return in defeat.
This was probably the first time that the major forces on Shadowed Star had refused to give face to the Medicine Pill Sect and this incident caused quite a bit of disturbance for half a year.
There were even several traitors in Shadow Moon Hall who attempted to steal the Red Candle Fruit piece, all of whom were exposed and executed.
The situation in the other Sects which obtained a piece of the Red Candle Fruit was roughly the same, but after half a year, these disturbances gradually subsided. As for how the major Sects decided to deal with those Red Candle Fruit pieces, no one knew.
After talking about this, Yang Kai took the opportunity to ask Qian Tong a lot of questions about the Saint King Realm and how one should cultivate. Qian Tong did not conceal anything and freely shared his cultivation experience with Yang Kai as Wei Gu Chang, Dong Xuan’er, and many of the others listened attentively nearby.
Half a day later, Qian Tong and his party left.
Before leaving, Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er told Yang Kai that after they returned to the Sect, they would enter retreat to break through to the Origin Returning Realm. Both had experienced growth in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so now was the best time for them to attempt a breakthrough.
Yang Kai knew in his heart that if they were not waiting for news of his safe return, they would have entered retreat long ago and it was only because of their concern for his wellbeing that they had actually missed their best opportunity to break through.
However, despite being aware of the truth, Yang Kai did not bring it up.
Before Dong Xuan’er left, she suddenly wore a mysterious smile, leaned over to Yang Kai, and whispered, “Senior Brother Yang, Big Sister Dai Yuan repeatedly sent messages to me over the past six months asking about your situation. Unfortunately, you had not shown up all this time so I could not give her any exact news. Now that you have returned safely though, I’m sure Big Sister Dai Yuan will feel more at ease.”
“Dai Yuan…” Yang Kai froze for a moment as an extremely ugly face flashed across his thoughts, his expression suddenly becoming weird.
Why would she be so concerned about him? Although the time they had spent together was not long, Yang Kai could feel that with Dai Yuan’s personality, it would be impossible for her to care so much about his wellbeing for no reason. Moreover, when they separated in the fourth layer, Dai Yuan seemed to want to say something to him but had stopped herself, piquing Yang Kai’s interest.
She had also said at that time that she would come to say her thanks personally, and now it seemed she was not just speaking politely.
While Yang Kai was contemplating this issue, Wei Gu Chang could not help chuckling, apparently misunderstanding what was going on and what had happened between Yang Kai and Dai Yuan in the Flowing Flame Sand Field
Yang Kai did not bother trying to explain.
Forget about the fact that there was really nothing between him and Dai Yuan, even if Dai Yuan was an incredibly beautiful woman, Yang Kai wouldn’t have been moved by her.
He had seen many beauties in his life, and since entering the Star Field, only two had always been on his mind, so he didn’t have any thoughts about womanizing.
Dong Xuan’er suddenly bit her lip and whispered softly, “Actually, Big Sister Dai Yuan isn’t what she seems!”
After leaving this perfectly unclear statement behind, Dong Xuan’er hurriedly caught up with Wei Gu Chang who had gone on ahead.
Only Yang Kai remained standing there, having no clue what Dong Xuan’er wanted to say. After not being able to figure anything out for a while, Yang Kai simply shook his head wryly and returned to his cave mansion. Over the next month, Yang Kai refined a large number of pills before calling Yang Yan and Wu Yi over and informing them that he would be entering retreat for a period of time and if it wasn’t something serious, not to disturb him. All other matters regarding Dragon Cave Mountain would be up to them to decide.
As for the pills he had refined, Yang Kai naturally handed them over to the pair to let them distribute. There were a massive number of pills and many of them were designed to assist with cultivation. With these pills to assist them, everyone in Dragon Cave Mountain should be able to quickly increase their strength.
Yang Yan and Wu Yi quickly nodded.
Immediately after they left, Yang Kai entered his stone room and went into secluded retreat.
He had too many things to do, such as seeing if the Flowing Flame Flying Fires could enhance the power of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, refining the Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead, studying the Demon Blood Thread technique, and consolidating his newly promoted Second-Order Saint King cultivation. Each of these tasks was time-consuming and not something that could be accomplished in just a day or two.
However, in order to refine the Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead, Yang Kai first had to fully refine the Artifact Refining Furnace.
Yang Yan is right, one had to sharpen their tools before going to work. Yang Kai had to thoroughly refine the Origin King Grade Artifact Refining Furnace first, in order to save himself a great deal of time in refining the Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead. Moreover, this Artifact Refining Furnace had an Artifact Spirit, so it could also be used as an offensive artifact.
After carefully sorting out the things he needed to do, Yang Kai got to work.
The first thing he did was to refine the Artifact Refining Furnace.
Although in the Earth Lung Fire Pond, he had subdued the Artifact Spirit, doing so and refining the Artifact Refining Furnace were two different things and could not be confused. However, conquering the Artifact Spirit would help him refine the Artifact Refining Furnace more efficiently.
Taking out the Artifact Refining Furnace and placing it in front of himself, Yang Kai closed his eyes and poured his Saint Qi into it, covering the furnace in his Demonic Flame, allowing his aura to soak into it.
Time passed by slowly, but cultivation knew no years, and in a flash, six months had gone by.
Yang Kai had not once left his stone room since he entered this retreat, and no one knew what he was doing inside.
Even Chang Qi and Hao An, who both successfully broke through to the Origin Realm inside the cave mansion, did not see Yang Kai when they emerged. The two of them had taken an Origin Condensing Pill each, and with the assistance of the Ten Thousand Year Incense and Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, they broke through without any difficulties, emerging from their respective stone rooms only half a month after they entered.
After their breakthrough to the Origin Returning Realm, Shadow Moon Hall actually sent over some information about the Origin Returning Realm to help them cultivate, causing Chang Qi and Hao An to become overjoyed.
Both had originally belonged to a small family force and obviously didn’t have access to such valuable materials, but taking Yang Kai’s face into consideration, Qian Tong had actually taken the initiative to assist them. Naturally, the two of them were extremely grateful and soon returned to their own houses to enter retreat and study the mysteries of Shi that only Origin Returning Realm cultivators could comprehend.
After half a year, everything in Dragon Cave Mountain remained in good order with Wu Yi handling most of the administrative tasks such as the relationship with Shadow Moon Hall while Yang Yan remained in charge of arranging the various Spirit Arrays and barriers that protected Dragon Cave Mountain, improving its defence once again. As for the cultivators originally from the Hai Ke Family, all of them were immersing themselves in their own cultivation.
If not for Yang Yan needed to continuously perform Artifact Refining and arranging Spirit Arrays to unlock the knowledge in her mind, with Dragon Cave Mountain’s current state, there was not really any need for anyone to do anything other than cultivate.
Over the past six months, Yang Kai had also completely consolidated his cultivation. After refining two drops of Profound Yin Sunflower Water, his realm has risen to the peak of the Second-Order Saint King Realm and now that his foundation was stabilized, as long as he could prepare appropriately, he could attempt to break through to the Third-Order Saint King Realm.
The Artifact Refining Furnace had also been completely refined by him. After refining the Artifact Refining Furnace, the Firebird Artifact Spirit could even freely enter and exit Yang Kai’s body and no longer need to perch on his shoulder as it had before.
This little thing and the Stone Puppet seemed to have an inborn dislike of one another and every time they met they would get into a fight.
For the first time, Yang Kai understood that the Stone Puppet’s combat effectiveness was not to be underestimated. Its natural armour was not afraid of the Artifact Spirit’s intense flames and though it looked lumbering and awkward, once it began fighting, its speed was actually quite astonishing. If not for the Artifact Spirit being able to fly, the Stone Puppet would not have been any less nimble. Regardless of this though, every battle the Stone Puppet and Artifact Spirit fought ended with a tie, neither one able to defeat the other.
During this past half a year, the Artifact Spirit and Stone Puppet fought at least a dozen times, and each time ended with a draw. Yang Kai was naturally too lazy to manage them though and never intervened in their fights. These two eventually seemed to form a bond through these battles and would sometimes get together and seemingly discuss something.
In addition to consolidating his Second-Order Saint King cultivation and refining the Artifact Refining Furnace, Yang Kai also began refining the dragon bone and Dragon Bead. Yang Kai had placed the dragon bone and Dragon Bead into the Artifact Refining Furnace, then took the Artifact Refining Furnace into his body. This way, even if Yang Kai didn’t deliberately refine it, the Artifact Spirit could use Yang Kai’s Saint Qi and its own pure Fire Attribute energy to actuate the Artifact Refining Furnace and continuously refine the dragon bone and Dragon Bead.
However, these two treasures were worthy of being materials from a True Dragon. The Artifact Spirit had been refining them for two months already yet there was not much progress, with only a slight bit of Yang Kai’s aura penetrating them. It seemed that if he wanted to completely refine them this way, it would take at least four or five years. Only if Yang Kai consciously mobilized his Saint Qi in combination with the Artifact Refining Furnace would it be possible to speed up the process.
However, Yang Kai was not in a hurry and instead took this opportunity to learn, studying the Demon Blood Thread technique given to him by Deng Ning.
Originally, Yang Kai had simply wanted this technique to have an excuse to deal with Ye Yang Rong while also making sure that Deng Ning wouldn’t betray him. He did not have any expectations for this secret technique at all, but during the month he used to return to Dragon Cave Mountain, Yang Kai discovered that this Demon Blood Thread was actually an amazing technique and suited his cultivation perfectly.
This greatly shocked Yang Kai.
Demon Blood Temple was an extremely evil force, which put it in opposition to many forces on Shadowed Star. On top of that, it had a small internal war every five years and a big one every ten. The only reason why this Sect had yet to be destroyed was actually thanks to this Demon Blood Thread technique. The Elders and Protectors of Demon Blood Temple all cultivated this mysterious technique and when using it to fight others could often display shocking and unpredictable power. As such, most people intentionally avoided finding trouble with Demon Blood Temple and decided that: ‘so long as they didn’t provoke us, we would do the same’, allowing Demon Blood Temple to endure through the years.
But if one wanted to cultivate this secret technique, they needed to use their own Blood Essence as a foundation.
A cultivator’s Blood Essence was extremely precious, and once used in battle it would severely damage their foundation. It could be said that after using a single drop of Blood Essence, a cultivator would need to spend several months to years to restore themselves. But Demon Blood Temple had created this Demon Blood Thread technique which allowed one to use their Blood Essence in combat without seriously harming themselves.
Once cultivated successfully and used against an enemy, an individual’s combat power would soar because the Demon Blood Thread was condensed from one’s own powerful Blood Essence. On top of that, it would be incredibly flexible to use because it was closely tied to one’s life and vitality, making it like an artifact, yet not one at the same time.
Blood Essence was also precious to Yang Kai and he dared not use it easily, but Golden Blood was something he could spare. Additionally, his Golden Blood contained an immense amount of vitality which made it perfectly suited as a base material to cultivate this Demon Blood Thread.
When Yang Kai realized this, he was barely able to contain his joy, and from that point on he had been thinking about the pros and cons of cultivating this Demon Blood Thread constantly. Only recently had he decided to try it out.
With this secret technique, the more Blood Essence one used, the stronger the Demon Blood Thread they would be able to condense, and the more power it would be able to display!
This secret technique was simply tailored for Yang Kai! How could he just give up on it?
Currently, when he found himself against enemies, Yang Kai mainly relied on his Nine Heavens Divine Skills and his own ability to control Saint Qi. This resulted in a certain lack of variety in his combat abilities though. If he could successfully cultivate the Demon Blood Thread technique though, he could greatly broaden the scope of his offensive and defensive skills.
Successfully cultivating this secret technique would give Yang Kai a big boost in strength. On top of that, the Demon Blood Thread he cultivated would undoubtedly be stronger than the Demon Blood Thread a Demon Blood Temple disciple could produce, because the root of this secret technique was Blood Essence, and his Golden Blood was far stronger than any Demon Blood Temple disciple’s Blood Essence.
Yang Kai had actually spent most of his time during this six-month retreat cultivating the Demon Blood Thread technique and was now showing some signs of reaching he minor accomplishment stage.
Inside the stone room, with a single though, Yang Kai condensed a tiny golden filament at the tip of his finger. This golden filament seemed like a radiant silk thread and could stretch to several tens of metres in length. Under the control of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, this golden thread flickered back and forth, making a slicing noise as it seemingly cut through the air, like Yang Kai was whirling around a thin golden whip.
Experimenting with the power of this Demon Blood Thread, Yang Kai was quite satisfied; after all, it was something that cost him a drop of Golden Blood to cultivate. On top of that, it was able to display this much power after only partially comprehending the technique, if Yang Kai were to fully master this technique, its power would increase greatly.
This was a single Demon Blood Thread, if Yang Kai was able to cultivate several dozens of them, he could hardly imagine how difficult it would be for his enemies to contend with.
Yang Kai realized that the master who created this Demon Blood Thread was a true genius, thinking up a way to use his own Blood Essence to create a pseudo-artifact. However, the creator of this technique probably never imagined someone like Yang Kai would exist in this world who would be able to condense Demon Blood Threads using his Golden Blood. If given enough time, Yang Kai would surely be able to bring this Demon Blood Thread to a new height.
However, this thing couldn’t really be called a Demon Blood Thread any longer, it was more appropriate to call it a Golden Blood Thread.
Yang Kai grinned and took back this Golden Blood Thread into his body before continuing to cultivate.
During this period, Yang Kai also refined Space Spirit Crystals to enhance his Space Force.
Three more months passed but Yang Kai still showed no signs of exiting his retreat. Thankfully, Dragon Cave Mountain did not need him to do anything, so there was no problem with him remaining in retreat.
On this day, as Yang Kai was cultivating his Golden Blood Thread technique, his expression suddenly changed, and his eyes opened in surprise. Immediately closing his eyes again, Yang Kai sent his consciousness into the Black Book Space where he quickly manifested his Soul Avatar.
After seeing the scene in front of him, what Yang Kai was about to say was swallowed back down his throat and he instead stared dumbfounded at the tree exuding a potent Yang Attribute aura.
This big tree was none other than the Divine Tree which had been taken into the Black Book Space by Yang Kai many years ago.
Some time ago, it had swallowed two drops of Yang Kai’s Golden Blood before falling into a deep sleep to undergo an evolution. Now, three years later, it had woken up and sent Yang Kai a message, resulting in the latter sending his Soul Avatar into the Black Book Space.
The Divine Tree’s new appearance was a little strange though. Yang Kai remembered that it had been a towering tree before its evolution, with dense leaves atop its crown and rich Yang Attribute energy coursing through its body.
But now, after this most recent evolution was completed, it had become several times smaller, only about twenty metres in height or so. All of its branches and leaves now had a dazzling golden light about them, appearing quite eye catching. Among its leaves, there were also some small longan sized fruits. If these fruits were mature, they would surely be a great supplement for people like Yang Kai, but it was obviously they had only just begun budding.
What surprised Yang Kai the most though were not these changes but rather the face which appeared at the centre of the Divine Tree’s trunk.
It was a very strange face, with eyes, a nose, a mouth, but no eyebrows. On top of that, this face was quite large and appeared somewhat wrinkled, like that of an old man
On both sides of its trunk, there were even two forks like arms with branches sticking out that gave the appearance of fingers.
At first glance though, it was obvious that the Divine Tree’s two arms and two hands contained great power.
The Divine Tree’s roots had also transformed into a large number of tentacles which were supporting its huge body, as if it had grown countless long legs. When Yang Kai came in, the Divine Tree seemed to be adapting to its own changes and its tentacles were moving slowly as it walked about the Black Book Space.
After noticing that Yang Kai had come in, it immediately stood still, turned its two huge eyes towards him, and seemingly smiled.
“You…” Yang Kai looked at it in amazement, not knowing what to say for a while.
“There’s no need for concern…” What made Yang Kai even more surprised was that the Divine Tree spoke to him. However, the voice it used was quite loud and somewhat hoarse. It seemed that this was its first time speaking and it was not quite used to it yet.
In the past, the Divine Tree had communicated with Yang Kai exclusively through Divine Sense Messages. This was the first time Yang Kai heard its voice, causing him to stare blankly again for a moment.
After a long pause, the Divine Tree continued, “Although I do not quite understand why I’ve become like this after my evolution, I can feel that it is a good thing. It seems that your Golden Blood has helped me a lot, helping me grow into something different from what I used to be.”
Yang Kai heard this and finally felt a bit relieved, asking with some concern, “Is nothing wrong?”
“Nothing at all, I feel wonderful actually.” The Divine Tree’s voice gradually became clearer, as if after speaking a few words it had begun to master the trick to communicating verbally. As it spoke, it also began slowly walking about the Black Book Space again, “If there is anything wrong, I feel that this place is no longer suitable for me to remain in. It’s quite empty and no longer conducive to my growth.”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment but immediately understood what was going on.
Before the Divine Tree’s latest evolution, it could only be regarded as a sentient World Spirit Treasure, so there was no problem with it remaining inside the Black Book Space. But now, it had evolved into a kind of living unique life-form, resulting in the Black Book Space no longer being appropriate for it to live in. It may be fine for a while, but if it stayed in this space for too long and was no longer able to adapt to the outside world’s principles, and it may result in some unpleasant consequences. Withering away was also not out of the question. If that were to happen, Yang Kai would be at fault.
Considering all this, Yang Kai apologized, “I’ve wronged you all these years. When I brought you out from that Mysterious Small World, I promised that I would find a place for you to settle down, but after so many years, I’ve constantly been running around and failed to find anywhere for you to roam about freely.”
The Divine Tree heard him say this and waved its giant hands slowly, “I know, don’t worry about it.”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded gently before suddenly grinning, “But things are different now. I finally have a place where you can put down roots. If you want, I can let you out now. If I ever leave this place in the future, I can take you with me again at that time, of course, if that’s what you want.”
The Divine Tree stopped in place and turned to Yang Kai with a look of expectation upon its withered face, “I can go out?”
It seems that it missed the sunshine of the outside world after being stuck in the Black Book Space for so long.
“En.” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
“Then I’d like to go out. If you ever leave this place, of course I’ll go with you.”
After discussing it properly, Yang Kai immediately walked out of his cave mansion and found it was fairly quiet outside. The several dozen former Hai Ke Family disciples seemed to be cultivating independently and even Chang Qi and Hao An were nowhere to be seen.
Seeing Yang Kai emerge from the cave, many people were surprised but they quickly offered polite greetings.
Although they separated from the Hai Ke Family in order to follow Wu Yi, they all knew who the true master of this place was.
“Where’s Yang Yan?” Yang Kai turned his head and looked around but was not able to find any trace of Yang Yan. Even using his Divine Sense, he couldn’t detect her, or Wu Yi’s presence.
“Lady Yang Yan and Young Lady went to Black Sea City together.” One of the sharper cultivators quickly replied.
“Black Sea City? Why did they go there? What force controls that city?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“Black Sea City is under the jurisdiction of Clear Sky Sect. The two Young Ladies went there to participate in Treasure Trove Pavilion’s auction.”
“Another auction?” Yang Kai raised a brow and showed a puzzled look. The cultivator quickly explained, and after listening to his explanation, Yang Kai realized what was going on. The last time there was an auction, Yang Kai had brought many good things to sell, drawing the attention of Treasure Trove Pavilion’s Yan Pei. As such, before this auction, he had sent Qian Tong a personal invitation to deliver to Yang Kai.
Dragon Cave Mountain also happened to be lacking Saint Crystals to purchase materials, so Yang Yan had taken several artifacts she had recently refined to auction in hopes of raising some funds.
After learning this, Yang Kai frowned. Yang Yan spent Saint Crystals far too quickly. He had brought back millions of Saint Crystal and a massive amount of materials less than a year ago, yet that all seemed to have been exhausted by her already. Yang Kai was not upset about this though as Yang Yan wasn’t wasting any of these Saint Crystals or materials, all of it went into enhancing Dragon Cave Mountain’s protection.
What Yang Kai cared about was that auctioning off artifacts like this was not a good long-term way to raise Saint Crystals.
Yang Yan could take the artifacts she refined to auction once or twice in order to raise some funds, but if this continued, it would only bring them problems. In the same sense, Yang Kai could not take out his refined pills to raise Saint Crystals too frequently. After all, Dragon Cave Mountain did not have a stronger background or protector. Although Shadow Moon Hall had a good relationship with them currently, that was almost exclusively because of Qian Tong’s prestige. This did not guarantee that other factions inside Shadow Moon Hall would not start having ideas about them.
If too many high-end artifacts and pills were to flow out from here, it would certainly attract unwanted attention.
Forget about any others, Yang Kai was certain that Xie Hong Wen’s father had Dragon Cave Mountain under surveillance. Xie Hong Wen had died in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, and although Xie Hong Wen’s father did not know who killed his son, he would certainly not give up investigating. Once he had an excuse, he might come to Dragon Cave Mountain to find trouble.
“When did they leave?” Yang Kai asked again.
“Three days ago. They should be returning any time now. Does Young Master Yang need us to find them? If so, we can set out immediately.”
“No.” Yang Kai waved his hand, “Go about your own business.”
“Yes.” The few people gathered around responded and began to disperse, only to have Yang Kai call out suddenly, “Right, after they come back, tell them not to take artifacts to auction again.”
After issuing this order, Yang Kai soared up into the sky and flew around Dragon Cave Mountain. He had the token given to him by Yang Yan, which not only controlled all the Spirit Arrays and barriers in his cave mansion, but also the ones arranged around Dragon Cave Mountain. With this token, there was nowhere on Dragon Cave Mountain Yang Kai could not go.
Yang Kai saw all sorts of amazing Spirit Arrays arranged by Yang Yan, even one that used the Illusion Stone he brought back as its core. If not for the token Yang Yan had given him, Yang Kai would probably still have stumbled into that Illusion Array and gotten trapped.
Also, the area where the Blood Sword Grass was located had also been concealed inside a profound Bewildering Array, hiding it from anyone outside. However, if anyone were to break into this array, they would surely encounter a vicious attack from the Blood Sword Grass.
There was also an area that seemed bland and unremarkable, but Yang Kai quickly discovered that the huge Fire Crystal Stone had been set up as an Array Core of a giant Spirit Array here.
Although he did not know what kind of Spirit Array had been arranged in this area, Yang Kai knew it was not a place one would want to fall into.
There were many other Spirit Arrays and barriers set up all over the place, causing even Yang Kai, the owner of Dragon Cave Mountain, to feel shocked by how many layers of protection and hidden dangers there were here.
Yang Yan had turned this place into a multi-layered impenetrable fortress! However, Yang Kai knew that she was arranging all these Spirit Arrays mainly to unlock the memories sealed in her mind, so even if this seemed a bit extravagant and wasteful, he didn’t have a problem with it.
As long as Yang Yan continued unlocking her memories, her future Spirit Arrays and barriers would only become stronger.
Yang Kai flew for a while around Dragon Cave Mountain before arriving at a relatively open space where there were no signs of any kind of Spirit Arrays being arranged.
After landing, Yang Kai contacted the Divine Tree inside his Black Book Space before releasing his Divine Sense like a tide.
In the next moment, Spiritual Energy rapidly flooded out from Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and in a flash of golden light, the twenty-metre-tall Divine Tree suddenly appeared in front of him.
Yang Kai was secretly startled as surprise filled his expression. He found that he had greatly underestimated the Spiritual Energy required to bring the Divine Tree out.
When he first took the Divine Tree into the Black Book Space, he had completely exhausted his Spiritual Energy, drying up his Knowledge Sea entirely. If it were not for the Five Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, his Soul would have suffered severe damage, but even with it, he had to cultivate for quite some time before his strength returned to normal.
Now that his strength far exceeded what it was back then though, Yang Kai thought it would be an easy task to bring out the Divine Tree, but contrary to his expectations, it took almost half of the Spiritual Energy in his Knowledge Sea to accomplish this feat, frightening him somewhat.
But after thinking about it, Yang Kai smiled lightly. His strength had grown greatly over the years, but hadn’t the Divine Tree grown as well? The Spiritual Energy required to bring it out would naturally be far greater than before.
As soon as the Divine Tree appeared, the face on the trunk showed a happy expression, its two eyes slowly sweeping over its new surroundings. After feeling the richness of the World Energy here, it showed a look of comfort on its wrinkled face and seemingly let out a happy sigh, “Wow, amazing. This place is simply amazing.”
Yang Kai knew that this was the Divine Tree’s first contact with the World Energy aura of the Star Field, so naturally it would be happy. Compared to the Mysterious Small World where it had lived before, the difference in aura was like a person on the ground gazing up at the Heavens.
“I’m glad you like it,” Yang Kai chuckled, “I don’t have a specific place for you to stay so you can just walk around by yourself, feel free to go wherever you like, but I have to tell you in advance, there are many places here that are covered in barriers and Spirit Arrays. If you rush into one of those areas, it will likely be dangerous, so be careful where you step.”
“Alright. Don’t worry, I can feel traces of those Spirit Arrays you mentioned and won’t intrude into any of them,” The Divine Tree promised, using its tentacle-like roots to burrow into the ground and, in the blink of an eye, actually took root. Letting out another comfortable sigh, the Divine Tree’s eyes lazily half-squinted.
Yang Kai did not disturb it, simply allowing it to enjoy the feeling of the outside world again.
After a while, Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and asked, “Right, the two drops of Golden Blood I gave you allowed you to evolve. What if you had more?”
The Divine Tree opened its eyes wide and revealed a look of longing, but it quickly said, “Your Golden Blood should be extremely valuable, and although it has helped my growth significantly, I had only just evolved, so swallowing any more of it would only serve to increase my strength somewhat, but I’m not in a hurry to do that. After you have an abundance of Golden Blood, you can spare me a few drops.”
Yang Kai grinned, “Although I don’t have much, it’s not problem to give you a drop right now.”
Saying so, Yang Kai extracted a drop of Golden Blood before flicking his wrist and sending it slowly over to the Divine Tree. The Divine Tree swallowed this drop of Golden Blood and its mouth made a wriggling motion, as if it was savouring the taste.
After a while, the Divine Tree opened its eyes and said, “Okay! I’ll need a few days to adapt to this new environment, you don’t need to wait here with me.”
“Alright.” Yang Kai nodded, told the Divine Tree a few things to watch out for, then departed.
Calling the cultivators of the Hai Ke Family, Yang Kai told them to take good care of the Divine Tree and to inform Yang Yan and Wu Yi about it when they came back so they could make any further arrangements necessary.
After completing all this, Yang Kai entered retreat again.
Whether it was luck or coincidence, a month after the Divine Tree awoke from its slumber, a sound came from the Profound Insect Stone in the stone room next to Yang Kai’s. This big piece of Profound Insect Stone had finally been used up and disappeared, causing the Soul Devouring Insects to awaken. After this long hibernation, the Soul Devouring Insects seemed to have experienced great growth as well. It was nothing less than two blessings descending upon the house.
Inside the cave mansion, Yang Kai sat cross-legged within a stone room, his eyes opened but seemingly empty, his body’s aura tumbling violently as a riotous storm seemingly raged around him.
Not far away, from a hole in the ground, the Stone Puppet stuck its small head out, an uncertain look upon his face. It seemingly did not understand what was happening to Yang Kai. As for the Artifact Spirit, it had already snuck into Yang Kai’s body and disappeared.
After meeting Yang Kai’s two empty eyes, the Stone Puppet seemed to be frightened and shrank back into its hole, fleeing several dozen metres into the ground.
At this moment, if someone were standing in front of Yang Kai and staring into his eyes, they would see seven coloured light flashing across their depths, and if one observed carefully enough, they would discover that this seven coloured light actually took on the form of a lotus bud.
Yang Kai sat perfectly still as time passed by, the seven-coloured glow in the depths of his dull eyes slowly growing stronger.
Gradually, above Yang Kai’s head, a beautiful phantasmal lotus flower appeared, one that emitted dazzling seven coloured light. This lotus rotated slowly while releasing an astonishing Spiritual Energy fluctuation.
As the illusionary lotus continued releasing Spiritual Energy, its multicoloured petals began to gently blossom, as if it was a shy lady ever so slowly removing her robes to reveal her pure self.
The whole process was extremely slow, but Yang Kai himself was unaware of it as his consciousness was completely immersed in his Knowledge Sea, comprehending the profound mysteries that arose from the Soul Warming Lotus’ blossoming.
Yang Kai did not know how much time had passed, but by the time the phantom seven coloured lotus fully bloomed atop his head, it had expanded to almost fill the entire stone room. The moment it finished blossoming, this illusionary lotus shattered into tiny points of light that filled the air like fireflies before immediately being drawn into Yang Kai’s body by some unseen force and disappearing.
Yang Kai’s body shook, and his eyes regained their clarity, but his expression remained tight as he continued sitting in meditation.
When the Soul Devouring Insects finished their evolution half a month ago, Yang Kai had immediately tested out their power and had been greatly satisfied with their performance. Soon after though, the Soul Warming Lotus also completed its evolution to its final seven coloured form!
However, Yang Kai had not imagined that after his Soul Warming Lotus evolved, he would comprehend a mysterious Soul Skill from it!
Although the Soul Warming Lotus was an unparalleled treasure and could infinitely nourish one’s Soul, according to the records Yang Kai had read, it did not allow a cultivator that possessed it to comprehend any kind of Soul Skills. But Yang Kai did not have time to think too much about this as he immediately began comprehending this newly acquired technique.
Now that the Soul Warming Lotus had completed its evolution and he had thoroughly comprehended this new Soul Skill, Yang Kai had a moment to puzzle over this unexpected development.
If it was not the credit of the Soul Warming Lotus, it most likely had something to do with the colourless crystal cube he had acquired in the pool of Soul Cleansing Divine Water. Yang Kai had inadvertently obtained that crystal, after which his Soul Warming Lotus quickly swallowed it, allowing it to begin its process of evolution. Now, that colourless crystal had completely disappeared, and his Soul Warming Lotus had successfully evolved into its seven coloured form.
Yang Kai hypothesised that the Soul Skill he had obtained this time was somehow related to that colourless crystal. Perhaps there was some kind of mysterious force that allowed Yang Kai to acquire this new Divine Ability by chance.
Although he had no way to experiment with this new Soul Skill, Yang Kai could understand that it was an extraordinary ability, one worthy of being called a certain kill strike.
Recently there had been too many happy events. The Divine Tree had woken from its deep sleep, the Soul Devouring Insects had finished their evolution, and now the Soul Warming Lotus had transformed into its ultimate seven coloured form. It was as if all these good things had decided to spring themselves on Yang Kai at once.
Yang Kai had been worrying about where to place the evolved Soul Devouring Insects a few days ago, but now this problem had been solved.
Considering all this, Yang Kai waved his hand and summoned a mass of gray fog to it. This fog twisted about randomly, appearing extremely strange.
Although this fog was difficult to notice, if one observed it closely, they would notice that it was a cloud of small insects that were almost invisible to the naked eye!
Yang Kai’s Soul Devouring Insects were originally invisible to the eye, but after their recent evolution, once they gathered in one place, they formed this gray fog. The lethality of each Soul Devouring Insect had greatly increased, and Yang Kai estimated that they could not easily kill ordinary Saint Kings, and even an Origin Realm master that was infested with them would have trouble quickly purging them.
Yang Kai was naturally not afraid of them at all, however, and after releasing his Divine Sense, he simply wrapped them up and moved them into his Knowledge Sea
The swarm of Soul Devouring Insects traveled straight to island the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus had transformed into in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and quickly settled into their new home.
After such a long retreat, Yang Kai had accomplished everything he intended to.
He had refined the Artifact Refining Furnace, begun refining the dragon bone and Dragon Bead, refined the Flowing Flame Flying Fires to enhance the power of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, and comprehended the Demon Blood Thread technique…
The dragon bone and Dragon Bead refinement was something Yang Kai knew he could not rush and was resigned to wait for it to finish on its own so he could make use of them. As for the Golden Blood Thread he had adapted from Demon Blood Temple’s Demon Blood Thread technique, while he had successfully comprehended it, he was still in the process of cultivating it. Although he had not used it against an enemy yet, Yang Kai knew it was a very powerful technique as the pseudo-artifacts he could refine using his Golden Blood were far more flexible and handier than any weapon.
Of the eight Flowing Flame Flying Fires, Yang Kai refined six. As he had guessed, these Flowing Flame Flying Fires could allow a cultivator to obtain a Mutated Knowledge Sea and enhance the power of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.
However, after refining the fifth Flowing Flame Flying Fire, the enhancement Yang Kai received was no longer obvious, so Yang Kai left two, thinking they might come in handy for something else later.
After a year in secluded retreat, Yang Kai’s cultivation realm hadn’t actually changed much, but his combat effectiveness had actually improved significantly, now all he needed was an opportunity to verify the power of his Golden Blood Thread and newly realized Soul Skill.
It was time to go out. Cultivation could not be done by completely cutting oneself off from the outside world. Although doing this could help one quickly enhance their realm, their fighting power would not be able to keep up with their cultivation. Yang Kai’s cultivation path had been filled with fighting, so naturally he understood this simple truth.
Moreover, he now had to exit his retreat because a guest had come to Dragon Cave Mountain a month ago and was currently waiting for him outside. The only reason he had not gone to see them yet was because the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus had just completed its evolution and he needed to spend some time to comprehend the Soul Skill he obtained in the process.
Thinking of who this guest was, Yang Kai frowned slightly, wondering why she had specifically come here looking for him. From the level of friendship they shared, it was strange for her to care so much about his wellbeing.
Even so, Yang Kai got up and left his cave mansion.
A short time later, Yang Kai appeared outside and unscrupulously released his Divine Sense, quickly locating Yang Yan and Wu Yi and sending them a message before flying straight over to one of the open lofts.
A moment later, while Yang Kai was sitting in this loft sipping a spirit tea that Yang Yan and the others had obtained from somewhere, two beautiful young ladies appeared at the entrance. Naturally it was Yang Yan in her signature black robe and Wu Yi in a green dress
The two women were both smiling broadly, as if something good had happened, and after spotting Yang Kai, they hurried over.
“You’ve finally come out,” Yang Yan swept his eyes over Yang Kai but upon not finding any signs that he had become stronger, furrowed her brow slightly.
“En, what happened? Why do both of you seem so happy?” Yang Kai asked again while sipping his tea.
Wu Yi smiled and explained, “Our Dragon Cave Mountain is becoming more and more famous. Many cultivators without Sects or families have been asking to join us. Earlier, not many people would even pass by this place, but over the past few months, more than a dozen would show up every day asking. One day there were as many as thirty people requesting to join us, including one who was an Origin Returning Realm master. Elder Sister Yang Yan and I were discussing whether to found a small Sect here.”
“A small Sect?” Yang Kai shot her a disapproving look, “You’re thinking is too simple. We do not have any powerful masters here, so how could be found a Sect? On top of that, we can only stay here safely because of Qian Tong. If one day Qian Tong were to lose power or fall in battle, do you think Shadow Moon Hall would just sit by and watch us grow stronger right on their doorstep?”
Listening to Yang Kai’s words, the smile on Wu Yi’s face retreated and after hesitating for a while argued, “That shouldn’t be, Elder Qian has an incredibly high position in Shadow Moon Hall, second only to the Sect master.”
“Anything is possible, especially in such a big force. Although things usually proceed in a predictable manner, once something does happen, the fallout is generally quite large, and those who are in power may lose their influence or unexpectedly fall. On top of that, although Qian Tong is good to us, I do not want to constantly depend upon his prestige and shelter behind him, otherwise we’ll find ourselves constantly lacking the initiative. If there is no Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master to assume command, don’t even think about trying to found a Sect here.”
Wu Yi frowned, thought for a moment, but soon nodded, “What you said makes sense, I really wasn’t thinking far enough ahead.”
Yang Kai also had the idea to found a Sect because he wanted to pave the way for his friends and family back on Tong Xuan Realm, but he had no intention to do so any time soon. This idea was proposed by Wu Yi. Yang Yan only thought about Artifact Refining or arranging Spirit Arrays and would not consider such things, but Wu Yi had managed many things for the Hai Ke Family before now and would have such ambitions. However, as someone who had only experienced things in a small family force, her way of thinking was too simple. She had thought that so long as they had Qian Tong’s shelter, Dragon Cave Mountain could be worry free.
“Did you refuse those who came?” Yang Kai asked somewhat nervously.
“Naturally I refused them. You were in retreat, so we didn’t dare make such a big decision,” Wu Yi nodded.
“That’s good,” Yang Kai touched his chin, suddenly raising his head and asking, “Did that Dai Yuan from Coloured Glass Sect say why she wanted to see me?”
After listening to Yang Kai’s question, Wu Yi smiled and gave him an ambiguous look, “I don’t know. She has not spoken much since she arrived here, it seems she does not like communicating with others. I’ve visited her a few times, but she hardly speaks, aside from inquiring about you, that is, hehe…”
Like Wei Gu Chang, it seems Wu Yi had some kind of misunderstanding.
Yang Kai was too lazy to explain and instead just said, “Forget it, I’ll go and see her. If it isn’t something important, she wouldn’t have come here in such a hurry.”
Saying so, Yang Kai went straight out.
Yang Kai wanted to get some information from Wu Yi and Yang Yan so he could prepare himself in advance, but he had not expected that after an entire month, Dai Yuan hadn’t even disclosed her purpose in coming here.
Yang Kai secretly felt a headache coming on. Dai Yuan was not the kind of person to simply visit someone on a whim. Since she had come here, she must have something she wanted to ask of him. If it was just another stranger here to ask him a favour, Yang Kai would refuse to even meet them, but this woman was very close to Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er, and Yang Kai had spent time fighting by her side in the Flowing Flame Sand Field. To simply refuse her outright would be too boorish.
He could only ask her what she wanted and then take things from there.
A moment later, Yang Kai arrived at another exquisite loft about a thousand meters away from the one he had been sitting in. He had checked with his Divine Sense in advance and naturally knew that Dai Yuan was currently staying here. At this moment, Dai Yuan’s aura seemed quite tranquil, probably indicating she was in meditative cultivation.
Yang Kai could only call out, “Sister Dai Yuan, it’s Yang Kai.”
There was a momentary fluctuation in the tranquil aura and then Dai Yuan’s surprised voice called out from the loft, “Junior Brother Yang, please come in. I was just meditating so it is a bit inconvenient for me to welcome you right now. I’ll be down after I finish this last cycle.”
Yang Kai gently nodded and strode in.
This loft was divided into two floors. When Wu Yi and the others built it, they had taken into consideration that anyone who lived here might need to receive guests, so the first floor was set up for entertainment purposes while the second floor was for the owner to cultivate.
Yang Kai entered the first floor of the loft and found a chair to sit down on. If one were to really think about it, this was his site, making Dai Yuan the guest, therefore Yang Kai saw no need to act overly polite.
After waiting quietly for a short time, the sound of footsteps came from the stairs and Dai Yuan walked down from above in a light blue dress, a smile upon her face.
Her dress vividly outlined her perfect figure, emphasizing her rich peaks and slender waist. Looking at her though, Yang Kai could not help a look of pity flashing across his face, because if not for her disfigured face, this woman would definitely be a great beauty. Unfortunately, this one shortcoming destroyed her charms.
Although this look only flashed across the depths of Yang Kai’s eyes for an instant, it was still noticed by Dai Yuan. This woman was both beautiful and intelligent, so how could she not understand what Yang Kai was regretting? In her heart, she felt hurt, but on her face she maintained her warm smile, offering a light apology for making him wait before sitting down on a chair across from Yang Kai. Next, with a wave of her jade white hand, she summoned a plate of delicate spirit fruits and placed them onto the table between them.
“This is the Purple Mist Fruit I picked from Purple Mist Mountain in Coloured Glass Sect. No place on Shadowed Star grows this spirit fruit other than my Coloured Glass Sect. Although it is not comparable to the spirit fruits and spirit medicines which grow in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, this Purple Mist Fruit is of great help to cultivators who wish to purify their Saint Qi. Please have a taste, Junior Brother Yang,” Dai Yuan introduced it with a smile as she wore a look of anticipation.
Yang Kai grinned, “Since Sister Dai Yuan has offered, this Yang will not refuse.”
Although he was muttering to himself that this woman was looking for a favour from him, Yang Kai still picked up one of the small purple fruits and observed it slightly.
This was the first time he had heard of the Purple Mist Fruit, but from its crystal-like appearance and the sweet fragrance it gave off, Yang Kai could tell that this was not something ordinary disciples of Coloured Glass Sect could ever taste. Since Dai Yuan had specially brought it here though, naturally Yang Kai would sample it.
Tossing the little purple fruit into his mouth, he chewed it a few times, releasing a sweet juice which caused his brow to rise.
The taste of this fruit was excellent, and the sweetness seemed to penetrate directly into one’s mind, making anyone who consumed it feel very comfortable.
After swallowing this Purple Mist Fruit into his belly, Yang Kai felt heat spread from his abdomen and spread out to his limbs. Although the purification effect on his Saint Qi was not great, it also wasn’t insignificant.
Yang Kai said nothing as he picked up another Purple Mist Fruit and ate it, eating a third after that before offering some words of praise.
Dai Yuan was very pleased seeing this.
Next, Yang Kai talked happily with Dai Yuan about what happened after they separated in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
However, what frustrated Yang Kai was that Dai Yuan really seemed intent on just chatting with him, never once mentioning her true purpose in coming here. Regardless of what Yang Kai said, she would have some kind of follow up, allowing the conversation to continue on harmoniously, as if the two were old friends who had not seen each other in years and were now revelling in their long life experiences. Dai Yuan’s pleasant laughter that rang out from time to time made the time pass by quickly.
After two hours, Yang Kai finally could not help it any longer, coughed, and asked, “Did Sister Dai Yuan come to Dragon Cave Mountain for something specific? If you have something you need my help with, please speak clearly. As long as I am able to, I will definitely not refuse.”
Yang Kai did not make too grand of a promise. If it were just some minor matter that wouldn’t cost him much time, he was willing to help her, but if Dai Yuan wanted to ask him to do something dangerous, Yang Kai wasn’t prepared to accept.
He did not want to make too many enemies on Shadowed Star, that Lu Ye from Flowing Cloud Valley was more than enough to give him a headache.
Yang Kai really could not figure out why Lu Ye seemed to have a grudge against him, even going so far as to secretly then openly attack him back in the third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Although Yang Kai cut off one of Lu Ye’s arms with his Space Blade, without killing this strange enemy, Yang Kai could not rest easy.
When Yang Kai asked this question, Dai Yuan immediately fell silent, nibbling her red lips as if hesitating.
Yang Kai did not urge her, instead just sitting and waiting quietly while at the same time raising his wariness. Dai Yuan hesitating like this obviously meant the favour she wanted to ask was not something small.
In fact, Yang Kai was already thinking about what to say to reject her.
Finally, Dai Yuan raised her head, stared into Yang Kai’s eyes with her own, and asked a shocking question, “Junior Brother Yang, are you an Origin Grade Alchemist?”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as sharp light flashed across their depths, but he quickly let out a laugh, “Why would Sister Dai Yuan ask such a thing?”
Him being an Origin Grade Alchemist was something that no one on Shadowed Star knew. Even Yang Yan and Wu Yi did not know about it. Yang Kai had told them once, but neither of them had taken him seriously and simply wrote it off as a bad joke.
So how could Dai Yuan know?
There was an Origin Grade Artifact Refiner on Dragon Cave Mountain, which was enough to draw people’s attention, so if not for there being a profound protective Spirit Array here and Qian Tong sheltering them so doggedly, how could Dragon Cave Mountain have remained so tranquil? If news that an Origin Grade Alchemist also resided here were to leak out, it would cause a massive uproar.
“Junior Brother Yang does not need to deny it. Since I’ve made such an assertion, I naturally have enough confidence to back it up.” Dai Yuan smiled slightly, reaching out and brushing her hair loose back behind her ear as she stared at Yang Kai confidently, “But Junior Brother Yang may rest assured, no one other than me knows about this. If Junior Brother Yang does not feel at ease though, you can kill me to silence me. En, I didn’t tell anyone where I was going before I left Coloured Glass Sect and tried my best to conceal my movements along the way, so even if I die here, no one other than the few people here will know anything so you don’t have to worry about Coloured Glass Sect coming to seek revenge.”
Silencing her by killing her was obviously impossible for Yang Kai. If Dai Yuan was an enemy, he wouldn’t care about such things, but there was neither enmity nor resentment between them, so how could he kill her simply for finding out that he was an Origin Grade Alchemist?
Moreover, since she had brought this up on her own, and even proposed silencing the witness to the crime, Dai Yuan had shown enough sincerity.
Yang Kai’s expression became indifferent as he pondered for a while before knitting his brow and asking, “How did you find out?”
“You really are?” Dai Yuan’s eyes remained calm, but a flash of surprise still appeared in their depths as she stared at Yang Kai for a moment.
Yang Kai gawked for a moment before smiling bitterly and cupping his fists, “Sister Dai Yuan is sinister enough, this Yang admits defeat!”
How could he have not understood what had just happened? Dai Yuan’s words had all been a trap! Seeing her act so confidently, Yang Kai thought he had really been exposed and had not imagined that she was simply just suspicious.
Yang Kai estimated that if he had vigorously denied the charge and refused to admit it, Dai Yuan would not have suspected him.
Dai Yuan smiled awkwardly, stood up, and bowed to Yang Kai elegantly before offering an apology, “Forgive me, Junior Brother Yang, I could only use this small deception to confirm my theory. If you feel that to be intolerable, feel free to curse me.”
“There’s no need for that,” Yang Kai shook his head, knowing that Dai Yuan wanted to resolve his grievances, but he was the one who had walked into a trap because he let his guard down, so how could he scold her?
“Many thanks for your magnanimity, Junior Brother Yang,” Dai Yuan expressed her deep gratitude before sitting down once more.
“How did you come to suspect I was an Origin Grade Alchemist?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“I only knew that you were an Alchemist, but as for what grade you were, I couldn’t be certain,” Dai Yuan looked her head slightly and smiled, seemingly in a good mood.
“That alone is quite strange, though,” Yang Kai looked at her, hoping she could explain further.
“It’s quite simple actually. Because of some special reasons, I am overly sensitive to the medicinal fragrances of pills, and Junior Brother Yang always had a variety of pill fragrances about him, so I knew you were an Alchemist. Even now, you have a light pill fragrance on you. If I were to guess, I would say you refined an Origin Condensing Pill and Jasmine Blood Pill correct? And the refinement should have been about half a year ago or so.”
This time, Yang Kai was truly shocked!
Yang Kai had heard of other people being able to smell the scent of a woman on a man, but he had never heard of someone being capable of smelling a medicinal or pill fragrance on another person. What’s more, Dai Yuan had just said was incredibly accurate. Half a year ago, he really had refined some Origin Condensing Pills and Blood Jasmine Pills. Of course, there were other pills he had refined before then, but perhaps because it was too long ago or the scent had dissipated, Dai Yuan didn’t smell them or didn’t bother mentioning them.
This special ability greatly surprised Yang Kai.
“Of course, if that was all the evidence I had, I wouldn’t have suspected that Junior Brother Yang was an Origin Grade Alchemist. There may have simply been a powerful master here that Junior Brother Yang was around frequently and picked up those pill fragrances from, but…” Dai Yuan smiled mysteriously, “Since I came here one month ago, I didn’t discover any such powerful master. On top of that, the last time you gave the Shadow Moon Hall disciples a few healing pills in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, I noticed that they had only been recently refined so I made a bold guess that Junior Brother Yang was an Alchemist. Those pills were all also of extraordinary quality, so the level of the one who refined them was obviously not low.”
Yang Kai did not try to make any denials.
With Dai Yuan possessing such a peculiar ability, even if he were to deny it, it would be useless. However, at the same time, Yang Kai felt relieved; after all, this ability was probably unique to Dai Yuan so it was impossible for other to use such a method to infer that Yang Kai was an Origin Grade Alchemist.
Dai Yuan also seemed like a trustworthy person, so Yang Kai was not worried she would betray him.
Taking all this into consideration, Yang Kai calmed down and smiled gently, “Does Sister Dai Yuan first confirming my identity as an Alchemist mean you want my help with Alchemy?”
He could only make such a conjecture, as it was the only way to explain everything.
How could he have anticipated that Dai Yuan would shake her head though, “It’s not about Alchemy, but it is related to Alchemy, otherwise I wouldn’t have come here.”
Yang Kai showed a faint smile, “Although I don’t know what it is you want me to do, but there should be others who can help you on Shadowed Star. I will not conceal it from Sister Dai Yuan, I am currently just an Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemist. Your status in Coloured Glass Sect should not be low; isn’t there an Origin Grade Alchemist in your Sect? Even if Coloured Glass Sect does not have one, couldn’t you ask the Grandmasters from Medicine Pill Sect to take action? I cannot match any of them in terms of Alchemy accomplishments.”
Last time Yang Kai had also learned that there were five Origin Grade Alchemists in Medicine Pill Sect, each of whom was a highly respected master. Besides, Coloured Glass Sect was one of Shadowed Star’s most powerful sects, it was impossible for them to now have at least one Alchemist of this level.
Dai Yuan running over to Dragon Cave Mountain to find him was like going around the sun to reach the moon, raising Yang Kai’s curiosity.
“If that were possible, why would I embarrass myself in front of Junior Brother Yang?” Dai Yuan had a bitter smile on her face, “There is indeed a Grandmaster Xiao in my Sect who is an Origin Grade Alchemist, but there are inconvenient issues with me asking for Grandmaster Xiao’s help.”
“Grandmaster Xiao…” Yang Kai raised his brow as the old kind face of Medicine King’s Valley Xiao Fu Sheng surfaced in his mind. He did not expect that the Grandmaster Alchemist of Coloured Glass Sect would also be surnamed Xiao.
“As for the Grandmasters from Medicine Pill Sect…” Dai Yuan frowned, “Four of them are difficult to ask for the same reason as Grandmaster Xiao. The last one is actually a suitable candidate, but the price to hire them is too high, I don’t have the ability to pay it.”
Yang Kai gave her a stunned look.
This woman’s cultivation and strength were not low, and her means were quite good, so he thought that she must hold a high position in Coloured Glass Sect, but from her words, Yang Kai sensed that things were more complicated than that.
She probably did not have the ability to summon the wind and rain in Coloured Glass Sect as he had previously suspected.
Thinking back on what happened at the mountain valley in the third layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field while waiting for the Red Candle Fruit to mature, the nearby Coloured Glass Sect disciples all clearly saw Dai Yuan, but none of them had gone to greet her. From beginning to end, she had been acting alone while all the other Coloured Glass Sect disciples stuck together with Yin Su Die, their treatment as different as Heaven and Earth… Yang Kai suddenly felt like he had understood something.
“Therefore, I could only look for Junior Brother Yang for help,” Dai Yuan suddenly said while staring at Yang Kai earnestly, her star-like eyes showing a pleading intention.
Yang Kai brow furrowed as he pondered for a while before asking, “Can you tell me what it is you want me to do for you?”
Dai Yuan bit her red lips and embarrassedly said, “Before Junior Brother Yang agrees, telling you is somewhat inconvenient.”
Yang Kai’s face sank as a touch of annoyance filled his expression. This woman came here to ask for his help but refused to tell him what it was she wanted him to do, so even though Yang Kai had a good impression of her, he would not just stupidly agree.
Just as he was about to refuse though, Dai Yuan hurriedly said, “But I can guarantee that it is something Junior Brother Yang can do, and it will not take very much time or effort. If everything goes well, just three days of time will be enough. After it is finished, I will also be sure to compensate Junior Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai naturally didn’t care about whatever compensation she could offer. Dai Yuan already admitted she could not afford to move one of the Grandmasters from Medicine Pill Sect, so how could she have anything good to offer him as payment? However, if whatever it was would only take three days, he could still consider it.
“But…” Dai Yuan looked at Yang Kai cautiously, as if even she didn’t have confidence in persuading him, and weakly said, “If Junior Brother Yang agrees, he will need to accompany me back to Coloured Glass Sect.”
Yang Kai raised his eyes and stared at Dai Yuan, who fell silent and bit her lip, waiting for his reply.
After a moment, Yang Kai smiled calmly and said, “Let me consider this matter. Dragon Cave Mountain has some nice scenery, so if Sister Dai Yuan wishes, she can take a walk around and enjoy it. As for your request, I will give you a reply three days from now.”
Dai Yuan’s eyes dimmed, knowing that Yang Kai had not directly refused her purely out of politeness. How could she have missed the perfunctory tone in his voice though?
Him saying he would reply three days from now was almost as good as him saying no.
Sighing faintly, although she felt quite forlorn, Dai Yuan still squeezed out a smile, “Then Dai Yuan will wait for good news from Junior Brother Yang.”
Having finished their discussion, Yang Kai said goodbye and left.
After Yang Kai left, Dai Yuan turned around and walked back up to the second floor with an anxious look upon her face. She knew that she was acting unreasonably here. Since she had come to ask for a favour, naturally she should make the details of her request clear, but some things were not easy to discuss, making her feel quite troubled.
Dai Yuan even thought about quietly leaving, so as not to make things difficult for Yang Kai; after all, sticking around for three days just to get rejected would only make things awkward for both of them, but strangely, Dai Yuan couldn’t bring herself to leave and decided to wait out these three days.
Perhaps she was still holding out some faint hope in her heart.
Yang Kai left the loft and walked back to the original building he had come from, a slight frown upon his face. Yang Kai had not rejected Dai Yuan on the spot to avoid embarrassing her; if it had been someone else, he would not have bothered acting polite.
Returning to the original loft he had tea in, Yang Kai was surprised to find that Wu Yi and Yang Yan had not left yet, the two of them smiling at the entranceway, seemingly having waited for him to return.
Yang Kai thought that the two women would immediately ask him what had happened, but to his surprise, they simply watched him pass between them silently.
After Yang Kai entered the loft, Yang Yan and Wu Yi followed him inside. Immediately, Yang Yan took out a token identical the one she had given Yang Kai, and after pouring her Saint Qi into it, a ray of light shot out from it and in the next moment, the entire loft seemed to be wrapped by the invisible barrier which not only cut off the sound and sight from the outside, even Divine Sense was blocked.
“What are you doing?” Yang Kai asked in amazement.
Yang Yan walked over with a big grin on her face, sitting in a chair nearby, exchanging a glance with Wu Yi before asking him, “Are you going to agree to her request?”
Yang Kai’s expression now turned to shock. He looked at Yang Yan, then at Wu Yi, then back again. After noticing the twinkle in the eyes of these two women, he immediately understood, “Were you eavesdropping?”
Wu Yi’s face turned red and did not deny the charge, silently admitting her guilt.
Yang Yan, on the other hand, said frankly, “Eavesdropping? Nonsense, I was just testing out the power of a newly researched Spirit Array.”
“What kind of effects does this new Spirit Array of yours have?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
When he was talking with Dai Yuan just now, he had not noticed anyone trying to eavesdrop on them, but now it seems their entire conversation had been heard by these two. The Spirit Arrays arranged by Yang Yan were simply too mysterious.
“You wouldn’t understand if I explained it to you, it’s better for you to see for yourself,” Yang Yan said before taking a large plate side disc. This disc was made from some unidentifiable black material, but when Yang Kai used his Divine Sense to examine it, he could not help calling out in surprise as he was able to hear Dai Yuan’s sighing coming from it.
However, besides this, there was no other information coming from this disc, so obviously it was connected to a Spirit Array that was monitoring the sounds inside Dai Yuan’s loft.
Yang Kai really didn’t know when Yang Yan had arranged this, but he could guess that she had set it up a long time ago and was simply waiting for some foreign guests to arrive before experimenting with this Spirit Array.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s complexion changed as he stared at Yang Yan and asked, “Is there something like this in my cave mansion?”
“No!” Yang Yan denied flatly, her small head shaking like a rattle, “Why would I need to arrange something like this in your cave mansion?”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodding in satisfaction before his expression suddenly became strict, “Highly improper! Don’t do this kind of vulgar matter again, if it were to be noticed, it would be a great disgrace!”
Yang Yan and Wu Yi looked at each other before sticking out their tongues playfully.
Yang Kai saw this, rubbed his forehead, and moved the conversation forward, “But since you overheard, you should understand why I didn’t agree to her request, so why does it look like you have a different opinion?”
Yang Kai was full of doubts. According to Wu Yi, since Dai Yuan came here, even if Wu Yi took the initiative to visit her several times, they hadn’t conversed much, but after this brief chat he had, Yang Yan seemed to have taken a deep interest in this matter and was eager for him to agree.
Yang Kai could tell that Yang Yan wanted him to go to Coloured Glass Sect with Dai Yuan, but the two women in front of him didn’t have any kind of friendship with Dai Yuan so there was no need for them to lobby on her behalf.
Yang Yan hearing this, nodded without hesitation, “If it is possible, I want you to agree to her request.”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Yang Yan fixedly. After a while, he asked, “This isn’t about being sympathetic to her, you must have some reason for this. What are you scheming?”
Yang Yan smiled mysteriously, “It’s not an exaggeration to say that I’m scheming something, but let us talk about the pros and cons of you agreeing to her request first. She said that it would only take three days to complete this matter and that it was within your ability. If what she said is true, then no matter what this matter is, it should not be difficult for you. The only troublesome part will be you needing to take a trip to Coloured Glass Sect.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, without interrupting, motioning her to continue.
Seeing that Yang Kai was still disinterested, Yang Yan wasn’t discouraged and continued, “She said that afterwards, she would compensate you, but with your current net worth, I doubt anything she could offer would be of interest to you.”
“That’s right, therefore there’s no benefit in me doing her a favour, and it’s also not appropriate to run over to someone else’s Sect. If Dai Yuan’s status there was the same as that of Yin Su Die’s, it would not be an issue, but I somehow get the impression that she isn’t very popular within Coloured Glass Sect,” Yang Kai frowned slightly.
Yang Yan smiled, “About her, I was curious, so Wu Yi and I did some digging. Guess what we found?”
“What?” Yang Kai looked at them faintly.
Wu Yi was the one to speak this time, “Just as you guessed, Dai Yuan doesn’t seem to be very popular in Coloured Glass Sect, but that only became the case about ten years ago. Back then, do you know which disciple had the most resounding reputation in Coloured Glass Sect?”
“Dai Yuan?”
“Indeed! Previously, in Coloured Glass Sect, Dai Yuan’s fame exceeded Yin Su Die’s, but for some unknown reason, Dai Yuan suddenly faded from the sight of Coloured Glass Sect’s leaders. Yin Su Die replaced her in that position, allowing her to become the representative of Coloured Glass Sect’s younger generation and enjoy worldwide fame. As for what transpired, we were not able to find out, but the Elders of Coloured Glass Sect seem to have a strange love-hate relationship with Dai Yuan. The cultivation resources and residence she is given aren’t inferior to Yin Su Die’s, but she isn’t being deliberately cultivated by them either, a very strange situation.”
“That really is strange!” Yang Kai was also puzzled. He had not fought with Yin Su Die, but he had seen Dai Yuan fight and felt that she was an elite among Saint Kings. Although she had been oppressed by a disciple from Heaven Battling Union in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, that was because her heart had been disturbed and she was unable to display her full strength. If she were to have fought calmly, Dai Yuan would not have been afraid of that man.
However, there was still a certain gap between her and Qu Chang Feng, Fang Tian Zhong, Wei Gu Chang, and the other geniuses of Shadowed Star, something Yang Kai was able to see clearly.
“If I help her, what do I have to gain or lose? I don’t seem like I’ll lose anything, but it also doesn’t seem like there’s anything to gain,” Yang Kai gave Yang Yan a strange look.
Wu Yi grinned, “It would be enough to not lose anything, but as for what you can gain… Hehe, having someone owe you a favour is a harvest on its own. After all, even if she is not looked upon favourably right now, that doesn’t mean she won’t be in the future, by that time, having the gratitude of a woman like her would be helpful to our future development. On top of that, Big Sister Yang Yan seems to have her own plans.”
Yang Kai could not help turning his eyes to Yang Yan.
Yang Yan gently nodded and asked, “Have you heard of the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain of Coloured Glass Sect?”
Yang Kai shook his head. He was not too familiar with the major forces on Shadowed Star nor their special backgrounds or heritages, but since Yang Yan had specifically mentioned this Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain, it seemed it was a big deal.
“The Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain is treasure naturally formed from Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass and is in the heart of Coloured Glass Sect. Coloured Glass Sect was established because of the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain. Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass is a rare and valuable Artifact Refining material that has self-repairing properties. I need this material, and lots of it!” Yang Yan said seriously.
Yang Kai couldn’t help letting out a hearty laugh, “Even if that’s the case, I can’t help you. Since Coloured Glass Sect was established there because of this Coloured Glass Mountain, it would be impossible for its Elders to give me some of that Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, right?”
“Naturally, that’s impossible. On top of that, we can’t afford it!” Yang Yan snorted. “You don’t know, Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain is an existence that is famous all over Shadowed Star. Coloured Glass Sect uses it as an Array Core to release Coloured Glass Divine Light which actually as an innate ability to restrain others’ Souls. I have heard that several crises that befell Coloured Glass Sect were resolved by them using Coloured Glass Mountain. Moreover, this mountain is a single massive block, so cutting a piece of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass from it is extremely difficult. Even Coloured Glass Sect is only able to harvest a tiny bit of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass per year, most of which it uses for itself while the rest is sold out for an astonishing price. Even so, all the other great forces go all out to purchase this tiny portion, pushing the price to an outrageous height. We’re currently completely broke, so obviously we can’t afford to buy any from them!”
“We’re completely broke again?” Yang Kai was shocked. He remembered that when he came out last time, he heard from the former Hai Ke Family cultivators that Yang Yan and Wu Yi had gone to auction off some artifacts. Although Yang Kai didn’t know how many Saint Crystals they raised at that time, he was certain it wasn’t a small number. How could they now be broke?
Yang Yan suddenly wore a look of embarrassment on her face as she admitted, “The amount of materials used to arrange Spirit Arrays is too large. You forbid us from continuing to sell artifacts, so we have no source of income.”
“Even if we’re poor, you can’t sell artifacts anymore,” Yang Kai said seriously before letting long sigh, “At least before we become strong enough.”
“I know,” Yang Yan said with a disgruntled and unwillingly look. She had actually refined a hundred and eighty high-grade artifacts and was planning on holding an auction of her own to sell all of them to alleviate their current poverty-stricken situation, but with Yang Kai’s order and Wu Yi’s persuasion, she eventually gave up implementing this crazy plan.
“Tell me more about this Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass.” Yang Kai looked at her with a smile, “What do you actually want to do? How do you want me to ‘acquire’ that Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass right under Coloured Glass Sect’s eyes?”
Yang Yan grinned meaningfully, clapped her hands, and called out, “Xiao Xiao!”
As soon as she called it, a grey figure popped up from underground and stood motionlessly in front of the trio, it’s long hands drooping down as it stared up at Yang Yan innocently.
Naturally, it was Yang Kai’s Stone Puppet!
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and immediately understood what Yang Yan was thinking.
“Xiao Xiao can see through all the barriers and Spirit Arrays I’ve arranged, so it should easily be able to break into Coloured Glass Sect’s Restricted Areas, I don’t believe that the Spirit Arrays arranged by Coloured Glass Sect could be better than mine. If you bring it into Coloured Glass Sect with you, hehe, carving out Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain will be a cinch.”
When Yang Kai heard Yang Yan’s plan, he could not help feeling a bit of cold sweat drip down his back.
Coloured Glass Sect was doomed! They just had to have a treasure like the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain. They probably thought that Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain was safe under their multiple barriers, and that not even a fly could slip past their watch.
But how could they have anticipated a creature like the stone puppet existed in this world?
As the saying goes, those who do not fear thieves stealing from them should still fear thieves thinking about their treasure. The Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain was constantly being eyed by Yang Yan.
The Stone Puppet had an innate ability to devour rare minerals, and since Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass could be used for Artifact Refining, it would definitely be a delicacy to it. The Stone Puppet could come and go without leaving any trace and it did not give off any life aura, so presumably even a Third Order Origin Returning Realm master wouldn’t be aware of its existence. Wouldn’t it be easy then to release the Stone Puppet and have it harvest some Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass?
Yang Kai could probably leave Coloured Glass Sect with the Stone Puppet without the Elders of Coloured Glass Sect ever even noticing that Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain had been hollowed out.
“I’ve wanted to acquire Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass since long ago, but unfortunately I’ve never had a chance, but now someone has actually come and invited you in. This is simply the best opportunity.” Yang Yan concluded as she stared into Yang Kai’s eyes.
“What do you want to refine with that Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass?” Yang Kai was still hesitant as he frowned and asked. After all, this was nothing short of running over to another person’s Sect and stealing their most precious treasure. Once this incident came to light, an irresolvable grudge would be formed. If what Yang Yan wanted to refine was not something important, Yang Kai didn’t want to take on such a risk.
“I want to refine a very special treasure!” Yang Yan smiled mysteriously but didn’t clarify her intent, simply saying, “It’s inconvenient to say it now, because I’ve not yet fully finished its design, mainly because I don’t have enough Artifact Refining and Spirit Array knowledge, but I can tell you that this thing is also of great use to you and will certainly not disappoint you. When it’s finished, you will definitely be thankful for your choice now.”
“Inconvenient to say, is it?” Yang Kai shook his head bitterly. Today, it seemed all the women around him had contracted an illness which made them refuse to tell him anything, causing him some non-negligible annoyance.
“You have to go to Coloured Glass Sect!”
“I’ll think about it again,” Although Yang Kai was also somewhat eager to give it a try, this was not some trivial matter so careful consideration was still necessary.
“Please please please.” Yang Yan pleaded while pulling out something from her Space Ring and shaking it in front of Yang Kai, “We can also make a stop on our way to look for this. If we are lucky, it might be able to ease our current financial crisis!”
Seeing what she was holding in her hand, Yang Kai couldn’t lean towards agreeing.
“Big Brother Yang, you should agree to Big Sister Yang Yan’s proposal. This time you’ve been in retreat for quite a while, so it would be best to go out and move about to relax. Perhaps you will gain something unexpected from this trip,” Wu Yi also persuaded, but her approach was far more ingenious, emphasising how this would benefit Yang Kai’s cultivation rather than directly pleading like Yang Yan.
In a loft in Dragon Cave Mountain, Dai Yuan sat by the second-floor window and gazed out across the scenery, resting her head on her hand as she breathed lightly.
Dragon Cave Mountain was always quiet and peaceful because there were not many cultivators living here, only a few dozen people. Although each of their cultivations was not very high, they were all extremely hard working and spent most of their time in secluded retreat. Only those who were responsible for maintaining and guarding Dragon Cave Mountain could be seen walking around from time to time.
Today was the day Yang Kai had agreed to give her a response, so Dai Yuan had woken up from her meditation at dawn and sat here uneasily, hoping to see Yang Kai’s figure.
Although she knew that this would likely not turn out how she hoped, she could not bring herself to give up.
The sun had risen, and the warm sunshine had made Dragon Cave Mountain look even more beautiful than normal. This place was indeed a paradise for secluded cultivation, not much worse than Dai Yuan’s Thousand Illusion Peak back in Coloured Glass Sect.
She really could not figure out how these few people had changed a barren mountain into something like this. Dai Yuan had heard that there was no one interested in this land before but now it had become famous as a local cultivation holy land with many people clamouring to join it.
However, the cultivators here did not accept outsiders, nor did they show any intention to grow or develop their forces, they all simply live and cultivated here.
This was a wise approach. After all, this place was inside Shadow Moon Hall’s jurisdiction. If they really tried to establish a force here, Shadow Moon Hall would not just sit back and ignore them.
Considering all this, Dai Yuan laughed lightly. With Yang Kai in charge here, given his intelligence and means, he would certainly not engage in this kind of self-destructive practice, making her worries superfluous.
After indulging in some flights of fancy for a while, Dai Yuan found her mood much calmer, raising her head up to observe the early morning sky. Bringing her gaze back down though, she still saw no trace of the figure she was waiting for.
Dai Yuan sighed, knowing that she was waiting here for nothing; however, she did not have any feelings of resentment or unwillingness and only a slight bitter smile crept onto her face while her heart filled with helplessness. Just as she was preparing to leave though, her expression suddenly changed, and she looked back out the window again.
In that instant, Dai Yuan’s eyes brightened, shock and joy flashing across their depths as she stared down below at the approaching figure.
“Sister Dai Yuan, good morning!” Yang Kai stood outside with a smile on his face and waved up at her.
Dai Yuan was stunned for a while but soon adjusted her expression and gently nodded to Yang Kai, “Good morning to you as well, Junior Brother Yang. Please wait a moment, I’ll be right down!”
Saying so, she quickly turned around and walked down to the first floor of the loft. Although her expression was calm and steady, her swift gait showed her inner tension.
She did not know what kind of answer Yang Kai would give her, but if he was simply planning on rejecting, was it necessary to show up so early in the morning? On the other hand, his perfunctory manner the other day was obvious, so even if Yang Kai refused her, Dai Yuan wouldn’t be surprised.
But if he was here to agree to her request, what had changed? Dai Yuan did not believe she had done anything to convince him at all.
As conflicting thoughts filled her heart, Dai Yuan soon reached the first floor of the loft but after meeting eyes with Yang Kai, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
“Sister Dai Yuan, do you have anything to clean up? If not, we should set off!” Yang Kai smiled to her warmly.
“Ah?” Dai Yuan froze for a moment, too startled to respond.
Yang Kai chuckled and continued, “What’s wrong? Didn’t Sister Dai Yuan want me to accompany you back to Coloured Glass Sect? Perhaps Dragon Cave Mountain’s scenery has captivated you and you do not want to leave right away? If so, why not stay a few days longer.”
“No no, it’s not that!” Dai Yuan responded hastily while waving her hands, her eyes filled surprise, “Although the scenery here is quite beautiful and I admire it greatly, it’s just…”
“It’s just that Sister Dai Yuan is wondering why I’m agreeing to go with you?” Yang Kai looked at Dai Yuan with a smile, laying bare her doubts.
Dai Yuan couldn’t help looking a little embarrassed. She originally asked Yang Kai to go with her to Coloured Glass Sect, but now that he had agreed, she was acting suspicious which came off as a bit rude.
“It’s simple actually,” Yang Kai had already prepared an excuse and fluidly said, “After returning from the Flowing Flame Sand Field, I’ve been in secluded and I felt that now was a good time to go out and move around. I have reached a bottleneck in my progress so just remaining in seclusion won’t be of help to me. You are also clear about my origins, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m curious about the various great Sects on Shadowed Star. Now that I have such an opportunity to observe one up close, naturally I don’t want to miss it.”
Hearing this, Dai Yuan’s doubts were easily dispelled, and she smiled warmly, “I understand. My Coloured Glass Sect is not weak on Shadowed Star, but it is also not comparable to Heaven Battling Union or Thunder Typhoon Sect. Another day, when Junior Brother Yang has an opportunity to look at Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect, you will understand that my Coloured Glass Sect is still a bit lacking. However, Junior Brother Yang having reached a bottleneck in his cultivation really emphasizes your amazing aptitude.”
Dai Yuan’s words were completely heartfelt. When she and Yang Kai had traveled together in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, he was just a First-Order Saint King. Although she did not know what happened to him after they separated, obviously Yang Kai had been able to break through. It wasn’t too surprise for him to have reached the Second-Order Saint King Realm, but now, apparently, he had reached the peak of the Second Order.
It seemed that the opportunities Yang Kai obtained in the Flowing Flame Sand Field were not small. How else could his cultivation have grown so fast? Dai Yuan thought secretly.
But when one reached a bottleneck, going out for a walk was the right course of action.
Understanding all this, Dai Yuan smiled and said, “I have nothing to clean up, so we can set out immediately. Coloured Glass Sect isn’t close so even if we make use of a Space Array, the journey will take about a month.”
“That is fine, my main objective for going out is to relax, so time isn’t a problem. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, I’m not the only one who will be going with you, Yang Yan will also be joining me. That won’t be a problem, will it?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
“Sister Yang Yan? Naturally, there’s no problem for her to come.” Dai Yuan heard this and immediately agreed, turning her head, and seeing the black robed Yang Yan standing nearby like a dark yet delicate flower.
Yang Kai took the initiative to explain, “My Junior Sister is very interested in Spirit Arrays so she was hoping to come with me to see some of the grand Spirit Arrays of your noble Sect and try to learn something from them. You understand don’t you, woman are… ahem, I couldn’t convince her otherwise so I can only take her with me.”
Yang Kai originally wanted to say that women never stopped nagging, but just as the words were leaving his mouth he realized he had made a critical mistake and hastily choked them back down, causing Dai Yuan to give him a somewhat accusatory look.
He had forgotten for a moment that Dai Yuan was also a woman.
Yang Yan’s external identity was Yang Kai’s Junior Sister, which Yang Kai had previously mentioned to Qian Tong.
With Dai Yuan easily agreeing, Yang Kai did not hesitate and beckoned to Yang Yan, all three of them summoning their own Star Shuttles and rushing out of Dragon Cave Mountain soon after.
With both Yang Kai and Yang Yan out of Dragon Kai Mountain, Wu Yi was left in charge, but with the token to control all the Spirit Array’s Yang Yan had arranged in advance, Wu Yi shouldn’t have a problem defending this place unless a truly powerful enemy came to attack. But this was unlikely, as Dragon Cave Mountain simply had no great enemies.
Soon, the trio arrived in Heavenly Fate City.
When Dai Yuan came here, she had flown directly from Coloured Glass Sect without using any Space Arrays. Her saying to Yang Kai three days ago that no one knew she had come here was not a lie. In fact, not even Wei Gu Chang or Dong Xuan’er who were in retreat had any idea Dai Yuan had come to Dragon Cave Mountain.
It was because she had flown all the way from Coloured Glass Sect that it took her so long to arrive.
Fortunately, Shadow Moon Hall had good relations with Coloured Glass Sect and Dai Yuan held a certain amount of status, so it was not too difficult for the three of them to use Heavenly Fate City’s Space Array. After paying a certain amount of Saint Crystals, the Space Array was opened to the three of them.
After passing through the Space Array of several cities in succession, Dai Yuan lead Yang Kai and Yang Yan the rest of the way via Star Shuttle.
The trio’s pace was as swift as lightning, but the journey itself was quite dull.
Dai Yuan was not one for conversation in the first place. If she had not been seeking help from Yang Kai, she would not have tried to make friends with him in the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Yang Yan, on the other hand, seemed to be innately timid, afraid of being seen or talking to others, so as a result, these two women remained silent most of the time, only speaking a few words to Yang Kai now and again as they rushed forward.
Realizing this, Yang Kai also turned silent and focused on continuing to cultivate his Golden Blood Threads while secretly urging the power of the Artifact Spirit and the Origin Grade Artifact Refining Furnace to speed up the process of refining the dragon bone and Dragon Bead.
Along the way, he did not waste any time, making full use of every moment.
The more he refined his Golden Blood Threads, the more interested Yang Kai became in Demon Blood Temple’s Demon Blood Thread technique. This Divine Ability seemed to be tailored specifically for him, so it was a shame he had only managed to obtain the first half of it.
However, he had established a relationship with the Demon Blood Temple disciple Deng Ning before, so in the future, he might have an opportunity to obtain the second half of this technique, but that was something to consider only after he became much stronger.
A month quickly passed by as the trio hurried along with their journey being smooth and unremarkable.
On this day, while Yang Kai was sitting on his Star Shuttle, silently refining his Golden Blood Threads, and urging the power of the Artifact Refining Furnace, Dai Yuan, who was leading the way, slowed her Star Shuttle to a stop.
Seeing this, Yang Kai stopped what he was doing and brought his Star Shuttle to a halt as well with Yang Yan following suit. The two of them hovered shoulder to shoulder as they stared towards the distance where they saw the vague outline of a vast mountain range. Yang Kai’s anticipation rose as he knew that Coloured Glass Sect should be situated amongst these mountains.
“We’re almost there, the main entrance to Coloured Glass Sect is just a thousand kilometres ahead. Please follow me,” Dai Yuan turned around and urged, immediately flying her Star Shuttle forward, but instead of travelling in a straight path, Dai Yuan would change directions from time to time, seemingly to avoid some kind of barrier.
Yang Kai wasn’t surprised by this; after all, Coloured Glass Sect was a great force, so it was natural for them to arrange a grand Spirit Array within the surrounding thousand-kilometre radius of their Sect. Only a great Sect would have the financial resources and strength to arrange such a Sect Protecting Array, but when Yang Kai glanced back at Yang Yan, he noticed a trace of disdain on her face. Obviously, she didn’t take this barrier seriously.
Of course, this was only the case for Yang Yan. Although Yang Kai could also notice some subtle energy fluctuations around him, he was not able to see any of this Spirit Array’s finer details, meaning that if he wanted to break it, he could only use brute force.
A thousand kilometres was not far, and after half an incense stick worth of time, the trio arrived at the rolling mountain range Yang Kai had seen before.
Having arrived here, Dai Yuan seemed to become a lot more enthusiastic and began treating Yang Kai as a guest, flying side by side with him, and actively explaining, “This is the Grand Crystal Mountain Range controlled by my Coloured Glass Sect. It stretches across more than a hundred thousand kilometres and has no less than a thousand big and small Spirit Peaks. The various peaks are assigned to Sect Elders and disciples based on their strength and status. Naturally, some of the mountains here are vacant or for other purposes. The heart of Grand Crystal Mountain Range is where the greatest number of Coloured Glass Sect’s disciples congregate to trade or exchange cultivation experiences. It is also there that the Sect or its disciples put up tasks for the others to take on like searching for materials or forming groups to travel together with. It’s normally a lively scene.”
When Dai Yuan talked about these things, a look of longing appeared on her face.
Yang Kai did not show anything on the surface, but from the strange behaviour Dai Yuan was exhibiting, he realized that this woman seemed to have difficulties communicating with others, and was even somewhat envious of their community life.
Perhaps in Coloured Glass Sect, she felt isolated.
Yang Kai felt somewhat sorry for her, but he wisely held his tongue.
Dai Yuan quickly composed herself and smiled, “I live on Thousand Illusion Peak. Although it’s a rather remote peak, it’s calm and peaceful. Thousand Illusion Peak is not very big, but it’s more than large enough for me to live on by myself. On top of that, the World Energy aura is not thin, so it can be regarded as quite a high-grade mountain in the Sect.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. As Dai Yuan flew forward, he swept his eyes left and right to get a broader view of Coloured Glass Sect’s scenery. Many of the mountains they passed over had traces of activity with Coloured Glass Sect disciples moving to and fro or practising various Martial Skills or techniques. There were many people socializing with one another or comparing notes, bringing a sense of vitality to the mountains, with grand buildings standing proudly among all the peaks, exuding a noble and magnificent atmosphere.
Yang Kai couldn’t help sighing to himself as he felt this scene was worthy of one of Shadowed Star’s great forces. The kind of power and prestige that permeated the air was incomparable to that of Dragon Cave Mountain. Although Dragon Cave Mountain was not bad right now and could be considered a prosperous land, compared to this Grand Crystal Mountain Range it seemed a bit quaint.
If even Coloured Glass Sect had this kind of atmosphere, what would the other, more powerful Sects on Shadowed Star be like?
Yang Kai had not seen Shadow Moon Hall’s headquarters, but he estimated that it wouldn’t be worse than this place.
“I heard that your noble Sect has a famous landmark called the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain and that it is an amazing sight to behold. Where would it be?” Yang Kai asked seemingly casually. Since he was targeting Coloured Glass Mountain, naturally he had to determine its location first. Yang Kai had been observing his surroundings since they arrived, but he had yet to discover anything special about the mountains he had seen, so he concluded that none of them could be Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain.
“Junior Brother Yang actually knows about our Coloured Glass Mountain?” A look of surprise flashed across Dai Yuan’s eyes.
“Sister Dai Yuan must be joking, although this Yang is a newcomer to this place, I’m not completely ignorant. Your noble Sect’s Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain’s reputation is quite resounding, so I have naturally heard a bit about it. I heard that the entire mountain is made from Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, is that really true?”
Listening to Yang Kai ask about Coloured Glass Mountain, Dai Yuan’s eyes seemed to take on a somewhat complex look but she quickly adjusted her expression and after pondering for a moment, gently nodded and said, “En, my Sect’s Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain is indeed a single giant piece of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass. Its weight and value are simply inestimable. Although Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass is extremely valuable, and everyone knows that my Coloured Glass Sect has such a treasure mountain, all of them find us quite laughable as we cannot even make use of a tiny fraction of its might. On top of that, it is impossible to collect large quantities of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass. Only a small amount of it can be harvested through a special method every dozen year or so.”
This information was basically the same as what Yang Yan had previously told Yang Kai, so Yang Kai was not surprised.
“There’s some kind of special method necessary to collect it?” Yang Kai asked seemingly unintentionally.
An awkward look appeared on Dai Yuan’s face when she heard this question.
Yang Kai laughed and waved his hand, “It seems that I’ve asked something I should not have. En, Sister Dai Yuan can pretend like you never heard me.”
Dai Yuan smiled apologetically, “It’s not that I don’t want to explain, but this method is listed as one of the core secrets of the Sect, so no one can disclose it to outsiders. Once someone leaks this information, they will suffer unimaginable punishment, so I can only ask for Junior Brother Yang’s understanding.”
“It’s fine, it was I who was being indiscreet.”
It seemed that because of this incident, Dai Yuan felt a sense of guilt and after thinking about it, she proposed, “Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain isn’t nearby, but if we take a longer route, we can see it from a distance. If Junior Brother Yang does not mind, how about we make a slight detour?”
Apparently, she wanted to use this as a kind of apology, and Yang Kai actually couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, but on the surface, he maintained a hesitant look and asked, “Is that alright? Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain is the most precious treasure of your noble Sect, if this will cause any trouble for Sister Dai Yuan, then there is no need for us to go. In any case, I was simply curious and felt it would be an eye-opening experience… heh heh.”
As Yang Kai let out a hollow laugh, Yang Yan, who was quietly standing behind him, reached out and pinched his waist, clearly blaming him.
Naturally, this small gesture was not missed by Dai Yuan and after a bit of thought, she turned her beautiful eyes to Yang Yan and said with a smile, “There’s nothing wrong with it, we’ll just be taking a glance at it from a distance. Naturally, my Martial Uncles standing guard there won’t blame us for something so minor. This way, Brother Yang.”
Saying so, Dai Yuan immediately changed direction.
Yang Kai turned his head, glared at Yang Yan, then hurried to keep up. Yang Yan curled her lips meaningfully as an aloof expression appeared on her face.
The group of three had only flown a short distance though before several azure streaks of light soared up to intercept them.
A moment later, these blue lights arrived in front of Yang Kai and the others. Three of them were men while two were woman, all of them with somewhat low cultivations, two Saints and three Transcendents.
This kind of cultivation would be second to none in Tong Xuan Realm, but on Shadowed Star it really did not count for anything.
After seeing Dai Yuan’s face clearly, the five people could not help revealing a trace of surprise before hurriedly cupping their fists and offering polite greetings, “So it is Martial Aunt Dai Yuan, Juniors greet Martial Aunt!”
Martial Aunt… Hearing the way they addressed Dai Yuan, Yang Kai could not help his brow from rising slightly.
But after thinking about it for a bit, he understood.
Although Dai Yuan was a disciple in the younger generation of Coloured Glass Sect, that was only compared with the top masters at the Origin Returning Realm. With her cultivation and status, she was indeed qualified to be addressed as Martial Aunt by these five.
After offering their greetings, the young man who spoke first turned his attention to Yang Kai and Yang Yan. Seeing Yang Yan did not elicit much of a reaction, but Yang Kai’s presence cause a look of surprise to surface on this young man’s face.
“En, are the five of you responsible for guarding this area?” Dai Yuan nodded and asked faintly.
“Reporting to Martial Aunt, the surrounding fifty-kilometre region is our five’s responsibility,” The young man in the lead continued to answer, hesitating for a moment before asking cautiously, “May I ask Martial Aunt, these two are…”
“They are my guests, you don’t need to concern yourselves about them. If the Elders ask, just answer them so.”
“Yes!” The lead young man did not dare to ask anything more and immediately made way.
Dai Yuan also did not say another word and simply lead Yang Kai and Yang Yan away.
After the figures of Dai Yuan, Yang Kai, and Yang Yan disappeared, the five young cultivators exchanged looks of surprise and uncertainty.
“Was that Martial Aunt Dai Yuan who lives on Thousand Illusion Peak?” Asked one of the women who looked around twenty years old and was wearing a light-yellow dress.
“Yes, that was her.”
“I’d heard that she was an astonishing beauty, so how could…”
“Hush!” The lead young man suddenly shot a harsh glare at this young woman before quickly glancing around nervously. After not finding anyone around though, he scolded harshly, “You dare comment on this matter? Are you in a rush to die?”
The woman’s face went pale, as if she suddenly remembered something, fear gripping her heart.
The lead young man let out a forlorn sigh, “All of you only entered the Sect recently so you’ve only heard rumours about certain things, but you need to remember that not everything you hear is true, and that some things cannot be spoken about rashly. Make sure you don’t commit any taboos, otherwise you’ll never be able to lift your head inside the Sect again, understand?”
“En,” All four of the others nodded, their expressions serious.
“However, for Martial Aunt Dai Yuan to actually invite guests here, it certainly is quite unusual,” The young man seemed to say to himself as he shook his head.
Those who occupied Thousand Illusion Peak seldom left the Sect and rarely interacted with others, there were not even rumours about Dai Yuan being close to any of the Sect’s female disciples, much less any males!
Yet now, she had brought back a male friend; naturally, it was suspicious.
Of course, this young man only thought about this matter for a moment before putting it aside. This was not an issue he could stick his nose into. If the Elders were to ask him anything, all he could do was report the truth and leave any follow-up to them.
Thinking so, he waved his hand and continued to lead the other four members of his team on their patrol.
It was a two-hundred-metre-tall hill that was completely grey and barren, with not a single blade of grass or tree on it, as if it was completely composed of dull rocks.
This hill was in a mountain valley, surrounded by several other taller peaks. At first glance, there was nothing noteworthy about it, but when Yang Kai swept it with his Divine Sense, he was shocked to discover that it was like peering into a bottomless sea. The hill which was clearly in front of him seemingly did not exist and could not be probed or detected at all with Divine Sense.
Not only that though, but there was also a strange power that pulsed from this hill that seemed to pull on one’s Soul, giving a frightening feeling that it was being drawn out and swallowed.
As such, after only slightly using his Divine Sense, Yang Kai immediately withdrew it.
Right now, the trio was standing nearly ten kilometres away from this hill, gazing at this most precious treasured mountain of Coloured Glass Sect.
“Is that your noble Sect’s famed Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain?” Yang Kai asked with a slightly puzzled look upon his face.
“En, this is Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain. Hehe, I have shown Brother Yang something embarrassing. Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain is indeed famous across all Shadowed Star, but most of the time it has this appearance and looks completely unremarkable, totally different from in the rumours. As such, whenever someone from outside the Sect sees it, they find themselves disappointed,” Dai Yuan smiled and explained softly.
“It appears like this ‘most of the time’?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes.
“Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass has many unpredictable and mysterious abilities, so what we see right now is probably just one of the forms of this Coloured Glass Mountain,” Yang Yan, who had almost not spoken since the trio left Dragon Cave Mount, suddenly spoke up here.
Dai Yuan gave her a surprised look and nodded, “It seems that Sister Yang Yan knows a lot about our Coloured Glass Mountain. En, this humble state is just one of its forms. There are times when it will spontaneously emit thousands of dazzling rays of light, making it seem like an exceptionally beautiful object not from this world. Other times, it can change its own size. It’s all very strange.”
“Such things actually happen!?” Yang Kai suddenly became interested.
Yang Yan’s lips curled slightly and didn’t explain further, instead asking casually, “The Spirit Array arranged here is quite amazing. Does it have some kind of suppressive effect?”
Dai Yuan heard this and gently nodded, “Yeah, one of the effects of the Spirit Array here is to suppress Coloured Glass Mountain. While it truly is our Sect’s greatest treasure, we actually cannot completely control it, so our only option is to suppress it here, otherwise, if it underwent some strange change it might just disappear, resulting in us losing it forever.”
Explaining until here, Dai Yuan smiled and said, “En, we can’t stay here any longer. The several Seniors who are responsible for guarding Coloured Glass Mountain have already noticed us, if continue to linger, they may come to question us. It’s best we leave now.”
Yang Kai had also felt that since the three of them stopped here, several Divine Senses belonging to Origin Returning Realm masters had been sweeping them from various directions. However, these Divine Senses were only monitoring them and did not show any signs of acting.
As such, he was not surprised by Dai Yuan’s suggestion.
Dai Yuan turned around and flew off in a different direction than they had come. Yang Kai and Yang Yan followed her, the two of them exchanging a glance with Yang Yan nodding lightly.
It seems she had determined that the Spirit Arrays here would not pose a problem to the Stone Puppet. All they needed to do now was go to Thousand Illusion Peak with Dai Yuan, then find an opportunity to release the Stone Puppet and wait to collect their harvest.
Although Yang Kai didn’t know what Yang Yan wanted to refine with this Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, or what was so great about this Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass in the first place, seeing Coloured Glass Sect treat that strange hill so seriously, how could he not at least understand that it was incredibly valuable?
Along the way, the trio met a lot of Coloured Glass Sect disciples, but Yang Kai soon noticed something strange. Whenever these Coloured Glass Sect disciples saw Dai Yuan, they would show a myriad of complicated expressions.
Some people showed looks of dread, while others showed looks of panic, still others showed looks of sympathy, and so on…
On top of that, almost every one of these Coloured Glass Sect disciples recognized Dai Yuan.
This point was one that Yang Kai cared about in particular. After all, according to Dai Yuan’s character, she should rarely interact with others, yet her name seemed to resound quite loudly though Coloured Glass Sect and it was obvious that she was well known by these people. From all of this, Yang Kai secretly felt that Dai Yuan’s position in Coloured Glass Sect was much more complicated than he first imagined.
Following Dai Yuan, the trio flew over the Grand Crystal Mountain Range for about half an hour before arriving at a relatively remote peak.
Seeing this three-hundred-metre-tall mountain from afar, Dai Yuan’s tense expression finally relaxed, as if she had returned home after a difficult journey. Pointing to the peak, she enthusiastically introduced it to Yang Kai and Yang Yan, “This is Thousand Illusion Peak, where I live. It’s a bit crude, but I hope Junior Brother Yang and Sister Yang Yan won’t mind.”
“Sister Dai Yuan is too polite,” Yang Kai laughed heartily before following her towards the mountain.
Before arriving at this peak, Yang Kai used his Divine Sense to scan it and quickly discovered that there was no one else present. It seemed that only Dai Yuan lived on this Thousand Illusion Peak, without even any maidservants to help her.
Not long after, the trio landed on a kind of boardwalk that was built on the mountainside of Thousand Illusion Peak. This boardwalk was extremely narrow, allowing only one person to pass through at a time and seemed quite unsteady, the planks it was made from wobbling as if it might collapse at any point.
Yang Kai and Yang Yan obviously would not care about such minor details though and simply enjoyed the scenery as they walked this path.
While this Thousand Illusion Peak was indeed somewhat remote, the scenery here was eye-catching. Beautiful and refreshing like a spring day with lush verdant greenery and moderate temperatures. The World Energy aura was also not thin, even better than Dragon Cave Mountain.
Such a place was only considered a high-grade Spirit Peak in Coloured Glass Sect, so what would the best quality peaks be like?
Yang Kai suddenly couldn’t help remembering the ruins of the ancient sect in the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Shouldn’t the World Energy aura there be even denser?
The boardwalk was not very long and after a few twists and turns, the trio came to its end and found themselves facing a stone wall. This stone wall was perfectly smooth, as if someone had used a sharp weapon to cleanly slice it.
Arriving here, Dai Yuan suddenly came to a halt.
Yang Kai looked around suspiciously.
Yang Yan, however, was actually able to see something more and whispered, “There’s a Spirit Array here. You can enter this stone wall by opening the Spirit Array. The layout is quite exquisite so it must have been arranged by a true Array Master.”
Yang Yan didn’t try to conceal her voice so after Dai Yuan heard her, she turned back and smiled, “Sister Yang Yan seems to be very proficient in Spirit Arrays, if you want to, you can study this Spirit Array at will. In any case, my Thousand Illusion Peak doesn’t usually have any visitors, so you need not worry about being disturbed.”
Throughout their journey together, Yang Yan had only taken the initiative to speak twice, and both times it had been related to Spirit Arrays. Naturally, Dai Yuan could tell that Yang Yan was quite interested in this profession, so she allowed Yang Yan to freely study the Spirit Arrays here, which was akin to selling Yang Kai a favour.
Yang Yan did not show anything on her face or make a reply, but Dai Yuan was not bothered by this. Summoning a jade token into her hand in the next moment, Dai Yuan poured her Saint Qi into it before tossing it forward.
A strange scene took place next as the jade token turned into a green light, shot into the smooth stone wall, and disappeared. Immediately, a slight buzzing sound rang out and a platform extended from the smooth stone wall. Beyond this platform a tunnel had appeared leading into the interior of the mountain. This tunnel was lined with glowing stones, so it didn’t appear even the slightest bit dim.
“Junior Brother Yang, Sister Yang Yan, please come inside,” Dai Yuan smiled slightly before flying up and landing on the stone platform.
Seeing this, Yang Kai jumped up as well and peered into the tunnel before him, wondering to himself if he should get Yang Yan to arrange such a Spirit Array for his own cave mansion, but thinking about it a bit, he felt doing so was a bit superfluous and shook his head.
Just as Dai Yuan was about to lead Yang Kai and Yang Yan into the belly of the mountain, she suddenly stopped and looked off into the distance, her expression growing cold, gloomy, and displeased in the next instant.
Seeing this, Yang Kai also looked over to where she was staring and saw an azure streak of light rapidly approaching. Clearly someone was flying over on a Star Shuttle.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was incredibly powerful so after a slight investigation, he was able to learn who the owner of this Star Shuttle was, but this only caused a strange expression to appear on his face.
“Junior Brother Yang, Sister Yang Yan, please wait a moment, it seems someone has come looking for me,” Dai Yuan smiled reluctantly while standing in place and quietly waited.
A moment later, the azure streak arrived directly to the front of the stone platform and the person standing atop this Star Shuttle let out a silver bell-like laughter. The one who appeared was an incredibly beautiful young woman with a graceful figure and a pair of beautiful eyes that seemed capable of drawing out the souls of any who gazed into them. She exuded a kind of infinite charm that coupled with her pleasant laughter made it impossible for others not to admire her.
Yin Su Die! The one who had suddenly rushed over had turned out to be the most famous disciple of Coloured Glass Sect, Yin Su Die.
Yang Kai had met this woman a few times, so naturally, he was able to recognize her. Also, inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, he had noticed that there was unpleasantness between her and Dai Yuan. What she had suddenly come here to do though was a complete mystery to him.
Moreover, her timing was too perfect to be a coincidence. Dai Yuan had only just returned to Thousand Illusion Peak when Yin Su Die rushed over.
Yin Su Die’s beautiful eyes glanced around lightly and seemed to contain a kind of innate attraction, causing men to be instinctually drawn to her. After sweeping Yang Kai and Yang Yan for a moment, she turned her attention to Dai Yuan, “Senior Sister, you’ve returned?”
Dai Yuan did not give her any face and bluntly asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Can I not come here?” Yin Su Die covered his mouth and smiled tenderly, “Although this Thousand Illusion Peak is Senior Sister’s residence, it is also part of the Sect’s territory. I am the first Core Disciple of the Sect’s younger generation, so besides a few Restricted Areas, I can naturally go wherever I please. Moreover, Little Sister heard that Senior Sister had just come back so I immediately rushed over to welcome you home. I did not want to delay as that might upset Senior Sister. Could it be Senior Sister does not welcome Little Sister?”
As she spoke like this, a forlorn look appeared on her face, one that could elicit great pity from any who saw it. It was to the point where even if she had committed some great wrong, others would find it impossible to blame her.
[A Beguiling Technique!] Light flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes. It was the first time he learned that this Yin Su Die actually used Beguiling Techniques, and from what he could tell she was quite proficient in them. No wonder she seemed to exude an unusually powerful charm every time he saw her. It turns out it was because she cultivated Beguiling Techniques.
Listening to Yin Su Die saying this, Dai Yuan’s expression sank as she shouted, “You were monitoring me?”
Yin Su Die brushed her hair carelessly and said with a laugh, “How could Senior Sister ask such a thing? Little Sister was only worried about Senior Sister. Last time, Senior Sister went out without saying anything or telling anyone, not even Honoured Master knew about it, so it’s only natural that Little Sister had some people pay attention to Senior Sister’s whereabouts. When I received word that Senior Sister had returned safely a moment ago, I was naturally overjoyed. Not just Little Sister though, Honoured Master was also very happy to hear Senior Sister had returned and even said she wanted to see you as soon as possible.”
“Honoured Master…” Dai Yuan’s face flashed a complex look and seemingly became uninterested in arguing with Yin Su Die anymore, simply asking, “Instead of staying on Hundred Butterfly Peak you actually ran all the way over here for some idle chatter?”
“Must I have some other reason to visit?” Yin Su Die replied lightly, her eyes then suddenly lighting up, as if she remembered something, and quickly said, “That’s right, there is something good I need to share with Senior Sister! Honoured Master has asked Grandmaster Xiao to refine an Origin Condensing Pill, and although the first two furnaces were, unfortunately, failures, Grandmaster Xiao said that the next refinement should have an eighty percent certainty of success. At that time, Little Sister will have to enter retreat to break through to the Origin Returning Realm so I won’t have time to come chat with Senior Sister anymore. If Senior Sister feels lonely, how about letting Little Sister arrange a few maids to accompany you?”
The innocent smile on her face seemed to imply that she was simply thinking about Dai Yuan’s feelings while trying to be a good sister.
But anyone could hear the self-satisfaction and pride in her words.
“An Origin Condensing Pill…” Dai Yuan nodded indifferently, “I must congratulate Junior Sister then.”
“En, it was all thanks to Senior Sister who retrieved several stalks of Emerald Silk Grass from the Flowing Flame Sand Field. If not for those, no Origin Condensing Pills could be refined. Unfortunately, Little Sister wasn’t as lucky and didn’t manage to find a single Emerald Silk Grass!” Saying so, she shook her head and sighed, seemingly quite distraught.
Dai Yuan’s lips suddenly curled into a sneer, not caring at all that the Emerald Silk Grass she worked so hard to find had actually been used on Yin Su Die and instead just said, “Is that all? If so, then Junior Sister should return. Since you are preparing to break through to the Origin Returning Realm, you should, of course, make appropriate preparations, otherwise, if you were to fail, it would surely disappoint Honoured Master’s efforts.”
The smile on Yin Su Die’s face disappeared and was replaced by a cold glower.
She hadn’t even attempted to break through yet but Dai Yuan was actually implying she would fail. Although it was only a few casual words, it was still a rather uncomfortable barb.
“Senior Sister has guests to entertain, so I won’t see you off!” Dai Yuan ignored Yin Su Die’s glare and directly asked her to leave.
However, Yin Su Die didn’t have any intention of just letting things go. Seeing how her nettling of Dai Yuan had no effect, she swept her beautiful eyes around and actually stared at Yang Kai, asking with a smile, “This little brother seems familiar, have we met before?”
Yang Kai wore a startled expression upon being spoken to. He hadn’t expected that just after arriving in Coloured Glass Sect he would actually be dragged into this Senior Sister, Junior Sister dispute, but not caring either way, he grinned and replied, “Yes, I’ve met Sister Yin several times now. This one has long admired Sister Yin, but unfortunately, I am just an unknown man. Sister Yin should not mind me.”
Yin Su Die heard him say this and a smile blossomed on her face as a light giggle escaped her lips, apparently quite satisfied with Yang Kai’s flattery.
Dai Yuan, on the other hand, frowned as she looked at Yang Kai strangely. As for Yang Yan, she simply stood to the side without saying or doing anything, as if she didn’t even exist.
“En, I remember now, you were the one together with Wei Gu Chang at that time. Since when did you come to know Senior Sister though?” Yin Su Die’s voice suddenly became soft and melodious. Others might not have noticed anything, but when Yang Kai heard these words, he felt like the blood in his veins began flowing faster, as if Yin Su Die’s sweet voice was whispering directly into his ear and invisible hands were gently caressing his cheeks.
“I met her in the Flowing Flame Sand Field,” Yang Kai nodded and answered very cooperatively.
“I see, but since Senior Sister invited you here as a guest, it seems your relationship is not simple,” Yin Su Die made a thinly veiled probe, but before Yang Kai even had a chance to respond, she smiled even more charmingly and a strange light flashed across her eyes, one that seemed to penetrate into Yang Kai’s mind. Exhaling an orchid scent, Yin Su Die continued to ask, “If Little Brother doesn’t mind, how about coming to visit my Hundred Butterfly Peak? Although my Hundred Butterfly Peak is not near here, it’s scenery will surely not disappoint.”
Yang Kai’s eyes glazed over for a moment before his face flushed abnormally and he began nodding vigorously, “Sounds amazing, I couldn’t ask for anything more!”
As he spoke these words, the corner of his mouth seemed to leak some drool and a lustful look appeared on his face.
“Yin Su Die!” Dai Yuan suddenly snarled, knowing that Yang Kai should have been affected by her Junior Sister’s Beguiling Technique. Pushing her Saint Qi fiercely, Dai Yuan glared dangerously at Yin Su Die, as if she would attack if the latter didn’t immediately withdraw her technique.
“What’s the matter?” Yin Su Die glanced over innocently at Dai Yuan while continuing to send out an invisible aura filled with ten thousand kinds of charm towards Yang Kai.
At that moment, two jets of hot air spewed from Yang Kai’s nostrils and he dashed forward, arriving in front of Yin Su Die in the blink of an eye. Immediately, both Yin Su Die and Dai Yuan were stunned, and under their astonish gazes, Yang Kai grabbed Yin Su Die’s two jade white hands.
In that instant, Yang Kai gripped these two delicate hands violently.
Seemingly grasping the most important treasure in his life, Yang Kai refused to let go, his eyes exuding a terrible fiery colour as the temperature of his body rose significantly.
Yin Su Die froze up and Dai Yuan was equally dumbfounded!
When Yang Kai rushed over, Dai Yuan and Yin Su Die both wanted to block him, but neither of them were able to, and by the time they had recovered from their initial surprise, Yang Kai had already caught Yin Su Die hands.
Feeling sharp pain from her hands and seeing the madness in the eyes of the boorish man standing in front of her, Yin Su Die became furious and rapidly began condensing her Saint Qi, but in the next moment, she calmed down and with watery eyes, she leaned into Yang Kai and whimpered, “You’re hurting me…”
“Ah?” Yang Kai was shocked, and a look of extreme guilt appeared on his face, but his hands still continued to stubbornly grasp Yin Su Die’s, and no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t free herself. Kneading her delicate and soft hands with an obsessed expression, Yang Kai continued to call out, “There there, it doesn’t hurt anymore, does it? I happen to have time now. How about we go to your Hundred Butterfly Peak now? Your Senior Sister is fine in any case, there’s no need to stay here!”
“Hehe…” Yin Su Die let out a hollow laugh. Although she wished to slap Yang Kai away, she actually strongly suppressed the anger in her heart, the strange light in her eyes growing even stronger as she tried to withdraw from Yang Kai’s eyes.
“Didn’t you just invite me over? What are we waiting for?” Unexpectedly, Yang Kai began urging her even more forcefully, seemingly unable to wait to go back to Hundred Butterfly Peak with her.
Seeing this, Yin Su Die’s complexion changed and she was no longer willing to act patiently, circulating her Saint Qi through her hands, she finally broke free from Yang Kai’s grasp and took advantage of this opportunity to flutter a dozen meters away, hiding her two small hands in her sleeves so others couldn’t see them, but having been clenched in Yang Kai’s grasp for so long, they certainly weren’t in good shape.
Glaring at Yang Kai, who still seemed to be caught in her Beguiling Technique, a cold light flickered across Yin Su Die’s eyes.
However, in a flash, Dai Yuan came between her and Yang Kai and said coldly, “Junior Sister, please leave.”
Yin Su Die clenched her teeth and took a deep breath, her rich capital heaving mesmerizingly before she snorted lightly, “Senior Sister, don’t forget to go pay your respects to Honoured Master, she has been thinking about you since you left. Little Sister will take her leave.”
After she finished speaking, she narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, glared coldly at Yang Kai for a moment, as if to engrave his appearance into the depths of her soul before stomping her foot and departing atop her Star Shuttle.
Only once she was a good distance away from Thousand Illusion Peak did Yin Su Die take her hands out of her sleeves to check them, a single look causing her beautiful face to grow icy.
Her two beautiful two jade white hands which had just moments ago could be described as flawless now had large ugly bruises on them! She didn’t know where that smelly man had come from, but it was obvious he didn’t know the first thing about showing tender affection. He had actually used so much strength against her. This time she had gone to steal wool but ended up being shorn, even unable to launch a counterattack. It really made Yin Su Die want to scream. Bearing a grudge against Yang Kai in her heart now, she was already thinking about how to seek revenge.
Atop the stone platform on Thousand Illusion Peak, a group of three people stood silently. Yang Yan and Dai Yuan staring at Yang Kai’s back while Yang Kai himself stared in the direction where Yin Su Die disappeared, a look of regret upon his face.
After a while, Yang Kai sighed leisurely and slowly shook his head. Turning around though, he saw the two women staring curiously at him and asked, “What? Are there flowers growing on my face?”
“Weren’t you affected by her Beguiling Technique?” If Dai Yuan couldn’t see through what happened by now, she would have lived in vain all these years. How was Yang Kai’s expression now the slightest bit confused? His eyes couldn’t have been clearer.
“Beguiling Technique?” Yang Kai’s mouth curled into a sneer, “She picked the wrong person to target.”
“Then you…” Dai Yuan’s eyes flashed as she smiled and shook her head, “Your courage isn’t small, actually taking the opportunity to take advantage of her. If she had seen through you, she would definitely not have let you off.”
“Did she see through me though?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“Thank you!” Dai Yuan suddenly expressed her gratitude and sincerely thanked him. She knew that Yang Kai wouldn’t do such a thing if he hadn’t noticed the disagreement between them.
Yang Kai waved his hand and snorted lightly, “There’s no need for you to thank me. She was the one who acted first, I simply fought back!”
Yang Kai wasn’t interested in intervening in the grievances between these two apprentice sisters. This trip was mainly for the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain, helping Dai Yuan was only because Yin Su Die had dared to use her Beguiling Technique on him. If they weren’t in Coloured Glass Sect, Yang Kai also wouldn’t have let her off so easily.
Dai Yuan smiled meaningfully next as she asked, “How was the taste?”
Yang Kai’s cheeks blushed slightly red as he said with a laugh, “Not bad, not bad at all, worthy of Shadowed Star’s famous beauty, her skin was excellently maintained, soft and delicate to the touch.”
Seeing Yang Kai offer a frank admission, Dai Yuan could not stand it for long, snorting dismissively before turning around and leading Yang Kai and Yang Yan into the tunnel.
Once inside, Dai Yuan put out her hand and injected her Saint Qi into a panel on the wall, causing the jade token that had previously disappeared to reappear. Immediately after, the flat stone wall that had opened silently closed.
“Please come with me,” Dai Yuan said lightly as she led Yang Kai and Yang Yan deeper into the mountain.
After moving forward roughly a thousand metres, a large cave appeared, one that was several thousand metres in diameter. It was as if the entire Thousand Illusion Peak had been hollowed out, but what was odd was that this cave didn’t show any signs of artificial excavation. Yang Kai looked around and was surprised to discover that this cave really was naturally formed, and high up above, there were many thick and thin dark red columns that looked like pointed cones. These cones appeared quite threatening and would be quite dangerous should they ever fall.
On the cave floor though, there were similar pointed red columns going up from the ground, making it look as if this cavern was a complex and chaotic stone forest.
“A Natural Spirit Array!” Yang Yan suddenly called out in surprise after she swept her gaze over these red columns, her eyes shining brightly as she began to fidget anxiously.
“Sister Yang Yan’s eyes are truly sharp,” Dai Yuan also stopped and looked back at Yang Yan with admiration, explaining a moment later, “Yes, there is indeed a Natural Spirit Array inside this cave of Thousand Illusion Peak, but it only has some weak bewildering and illusionary effects.”
Yang Yan continued to look around for a while before asking, “Did someone modify this place’s Natural Spirit Array?”
“En, it was the person who previously lived on Thousand Illusion Peak…” As soon as Dai Yuan said this, her eyes became somewhat dull, but this quickly passed and she continued, “That person knew a little bit about Spirit Arrays, so they were able to slightly modify this Natural Spirit Array to not only have a hallucinogenic effect but also some power to resist enemy intrusions.”
“Can I examine it?” Yang Yan asked, seemingly interested in this Natural Spirit Array.
“Nonsense!” Yang Kai shouted immediately, scolding Yang Yan.
This place was Dai Yuan’s private sanctuary, her home, so how could the protective Spirit Array here be examined by an outsider? This was a great taboo.
However, Dai Yuan just smiled lightly and said, “Junior Brother Yang doesn’t need to worry. Since Sister Yang Yan is versed in Spirit Arrays, it is normal for her to be interested in this thing; after all, there aren’t many naturally formed Spirit Arrays. Sister Yang Yan can examine this Spirit Array all she likes. It just so happens that I am not very proficient in Spirit Arrays so since the Senior who lived here passed away, although I lived here later, I am actually unable to control this Spirit Array and only know a safe way to enter and exit it. If Sister Yang Yan can decipher how this Spirit Array functions and teach it to me, I would actually be quite thankful.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai’s expression cleared up. Since Dai Yuan intended to draw support from Yang Yan’s strength, he did not try to stop her anymore, simply turning to Yang Yan and asking, “Is it possible?”
Yang Yan snorted disdainfully and did not answer, instead just grabbing the edges of her black robe and dashing off into the red columns, her figure soon disappearing.
Yang Kai could only smile bitterly, knowing that his questioning of Yang Yan’s ability had made her angry.
On the other hand, when Dai Yuan saw Yang Yan act with such confidence, she secretly began looking forward to the future.
“Let’s go, don’t worry about her, in any case, we’re already inside your domain, when she’s finished studying this Spirit Array she’ll naturally come out on her own,” Yang Kai smiled helplessly at Dai Yuan.
“Good,” Dai Yuan did not have any objections and continued to lead Yang Kai through the red columns.
Not long after, the two crossed this large cave and entered another passageway through the mountain. Walking a short distance, the pair arrived at a stone chamber.
As soon as he entered this stone room, Yang Kai was shocked by the strong pill and medicinal fragrance in the air. There were also six large and small Alchemy Furnaces placed in various locations.
Seeing this, he suddenly remembered that Dai Yuan was also an Alchemist!
While traversing the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Wei Gu Chang had told him about it and it was also the reason why Dai Yuan recognized the Red Candle Fruit.
However, since she had asked Yang Kai to come here, her Alchemy grade should not be too high. Yang Kai was aware of this, but he knew not to mention it.
“I’ve shown Junior Brother Yang something embarrassing. The things here must not be able to enter Junior Brother’s eyes,” Dai Yuan said with a smile.
“Nonsense, Sister Dai Yuan’s cave mansion is quite spectacular, Dragon Cave Mountain doesn’t have anything comparable,” Yang Kai said with a laugh.
“Junior Brother Yang…” Dai Yuan suddenly called out softly as she stared into his eyes, “Does the outside world really have Origin King Grade Alchemists?”
Yang Kai glanced over at her with some surprise, suddenly discovering that many people on Shadowed Star seemed to be interested in the outside world. He had been asked such questions more than once or twice since arriving on this star.
After thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai nodded, “En, the outside world does have Origin King Grade Alchemists. Although I have never met one myself, I have heard about them. There are also Origin King Grade Artifact Refiners, Origin King Realm masters, and even Star Master powerhouses.”
“Star Masters!” Dai Yuan eyes twinkled, “The legendary cultivators who managed to refine a Star Source and become the master of an entire star?”
“Yeah, but there should be very few of such people. I’ve heard that refining a Star Source is extremely dangerous and most Origin Kings don’t dare attempt it easily as there is a risk they could perish in the attempt.”
“So it’s like that…” Dai Yuan smiled and immediately said cheerfully, “If there is a chance, Dai Yuan would like to ask Junior Brother Yang about the wonders of the outside world. At that time, I hope Junior Brother Yang will not refuse.”
“Sure, when there is time, I will certainly not conceal anything!” Yang Kai agreed refreshed. Although he didn’t know much about the Star Field, he had still spent some time in the outside world, so he knew far more than the natives of Shadowed Star. Speaking about some minor issues would not be a problem.
Dai Yuan did not ask anything more immediately and instead quickly arranged a room for Yang Kai to rest in before asking him to adjust his condition for a few days while she went to see her Honoured Master.
After all, when Dai Yuan left Coloured Glass Sect last time, she didn’t tell anyone, and Yin Su Die had just run over to tell her that her Honoured Master wanted to see her, so naturally Dai Yuan couldn’t keep her waiting for long.
Yang Kai simply waved his hand and let her go.
A short time later, Dai Yuan left Thousand Illusion Peak and disappeared into Grand Crystal Mountain Range.
When he was certain Dai Yuan had left, Yang Kai opened his eyes from his meditation and a sly light flashed across them. Waving his hand, a short figure appeared in front of him.
Naturally, it was the Stone Puppet, who stood there looking at Yang Kai with a stern look, as if waiting for instructions.
“Do you know what to do?” Yang Kai asked.
The Stone Puppet tilted its head for a moment before nodding.
“Good, I’ll tell you the location. Remember, if there is any danger, or any possibility you’ll be discovered, return immediately, don’t alarm anyone!” Yang Kai told him carefully before extending his finger to touch the Stone Puppet’s forehead.
A faint green point of light appeared at Yang Kai’s fingertip which was resting on the Stone Puppet’s head. This green pint of light was formed from Yang Kai’s Divine Sense contained the exact position of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain.
Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain was Coloured Glass Sect’s most precious treasure, so the protective Spirit Arrays around it would undoubtedly be strong, so although Yang Kai was quite confident in the Stone Puppet’s ability to sneak in, there was still a change something would go wrong so he warned it seriously.
He did not want to lose a partner like the Stone Puppet just to steal little Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass.
Since it was born, the Stone Puppet had worked diligently and tirelessly, where else would Yang Kai find such a good assistant?
The green light filled with Yang Kai’s Divine Sense quickly slipped into the Stone Puppet’s head and disappeared. The Stone Puppet stood there innocently for a moment, seemingly digesting the information contained in this Divine Sense package. A short time later, the Stone Puppet’s eyes circled once before its body shook and it burrowed into the ground and silently vanished.
By the time Yang Kai noticed it was gone, the Stone Puppet had already burrowed a thousand metres into the ground, and after a short pause it dashed off in the direction of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain.
The Stone Puppet had an innate talent to move through the earth, so underground there was nothing that could hinder its movements.
After releasing the Stone Puppet, Yang Kai immediately reached out closed the small hole in the ground, erasing any trace of it before continuing to silently meditate.
Thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai still had no idea what Dai Yuan wanted him to do, but with her personality, it should not be something too difficult for him. Even if it was something troublesome, Yang Kai could always refuse. In any case, his primary objective for coming here had already been achieved; all he needed to do was wait for the Stone Puppet to return. After understanding all this, Yang Kai immediately felt at ease.
Three days passed but Yang Kai did not see a trace of Dai Yuan.
Yang Yan, on the other hand, popped up, her eyes glowing with excitement. It seemed that she had profited greatly from studying the Natural Spirit Array in the grand cave. Yang Kai did not ask anything though because he wouldn’t understand even if he did.
With Dai Yuan still not back, Yang Yan simply occupied the room next to Yang Kai’s to rest in.
After waiting for another two days, Dai Yuan finally returned to Thousand Illusion Peak.
However, what Yang Kai found strange was that Dai Yuan seemed exhausted, and the expression on her face was quite dispirited. Her eyes were also slightly puffy and red, making it obvious she had been crying. Even though she forced herself to appear cheerful, it could not completely erase the gloominess between her brows.
Yang Kai did not know what happened to Dai Yuan for her to end up in such a state, but it apparently had something to do with her Honoured Master. After all, Dai Yuan had gone to see her Honoured Master before, only to return five days later in this miserable condition. It was incomprehensible.
After Dai Yuan returned, she first went to Yang Yan to talk. A short time later, she obtained a token from Yang Yan and her mood instantly improved.
Yang Yan had not only deciphered the Natural Spirit Array outside Dai Yuan’s secluded home, but she had also improved its power by thirty percent, increased its functionality, and added a control mechanism. All of this made Dai Yuan extremely happy while at the same time she was shocked by Yang Yan’s prowess with Spirit Arrays. After this incident, her relationship with Yang Yan seemed to become extremely close, as if they were real sisters.
This confused Yang Kai greatly and made him realize that a woman’s thoughts would forever be beyond his understanding. On the road here, the two of them had been like old bottle gourds, not speaking a word to each other for an entire month, but now, because of a single Spirit Array, they were suddenly behaving in an incredibly friendly manner.
Men could not act this way.
After Dai Yuan returned, Yang Kai naturally began to ask her about she wanted his help with, but Dai Yuan still seemed to have some reservations, only asking Yang Kai to wait a few days while she made some preparations. After she finished getting everything ready, she would tell him everything.
Listening to her saying this, Yang Kai no longer forced the issue and waited quietly.
A few days later, Yang Kai was sitting in meditation, cultivating his Golden Blood Threads and using his Saint Qi in conjunction with the Artifact Refining Furnace and Scarlet Firebird in front of him to refine the dragon bone and Dragon Bead.
Although he knew refining the dragon bone and Dragon Bead required a long period of time, if Yang Kai had a spare moment, he would actively urge the power of the Artifact Refining Furnace to speed up the process.
He was very much looking forward to what the dragon bone and Dragon Bead would look like when the refining was finished.
As he was urging his Saint Qi, however, Yang Kai heard a knock at his door. Opening his eyes, Yang Kai slowly retracted his Saint Qi before taking a deep breath to calm his strength. A moment later, he reached out and took the Artifact Refining Furnace back into his body before standing up and walking over to open the stone room’s door.
Dai Yuan stood outside the room, and for some reason seemed to be fidgeting somewhat nervously.
When she felt a residual heat inside the room, she gave Yang Kai a surprised look, instinctively thinking that he was performing Alchemy, but there was no pill or medicinal fragrance in the air, making her somewhat confused.
Setting this puzzle aside, Dai Yuan asked softly, “Can I come in?”
Yang Kai nodded and stepped aside. After Dai Yuan walked in, he closed the door then sat down at the stone table across from Dai Yuan and asked, “Are your preparations complete?”
“En,” Dai Yuan bit her lower lip lightly and nodded.
“Then we should start,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, “But before that, isn’t it about time Sister Dai Yuan tells me what exactly she wants me to help her with?”
“I’ve come here this time to tell you that,” Dai Yuan glanced at him, her eyes exuding a clear and bright light but her cheeks blushing slightly.
This surprised Yang Kai somewhat, making him wonder just what kind of difficulties Dai Yuan wanted to discuss that would cause her to behave this way.
Dai Yuan sat on the edge of her seat, fidgeting nervously as her small hands clenched unconsciously. Only after a long silence did she git her teeth and say, “Actually, I asked Junior Brother Yang to come here to help perform a detoxification on me.”
“Detoxify?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, a look of surprise appeared on his face, “Is Sister Dai Yuan poisoned? I really could not tell. What kind of poison has Sister Dai Yuan been exposed to, please tell me, perhaps I will know how to refine the appropriate detoxifying pill?”
“There is no pill to detoxify the poison I am suffering from,” Dai Yuan hearing this, shook her head bitterly.
“Oh?” Yang Kai immediately became interested. When Dai Yuan asked him back in Dragon Cave Mountain, she did say that her request was related to Alchemy, and detoxification certainly fell into such a category; however, Dai Yuan had now said that there was no appropriate detoxifying pill for her condition, indicating that whatever poison she afflicted with was quite extraordinary. Naturally, this would raise Yang Kai’s curiosity.
Perhaps because he was an Alchemist, Yang Kai was always interested in learning more about herbs and pills.
“What I am suffering from is Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Toxin!” Dai Yuan admitted with a completely solemn and serious look.
“Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Toxin…” Yang Kai was stunned, “Isn’t Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass your noble Sect’s greatest treasure? I heard that is a profound Artifact Refining material, but I’ve never heard about it being toxic. How did you become poisoned by such a thing?”
Yang Kai was now very curious because what Dai Yuan had just told him was too incredible.
Although he did not know much about Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, he was certain that this Artifact Refining material itself wasn’t toxic.
“Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass is indeed not toxic,” Dai Yuan smiled bitterly, brushing her hair behind her ear before continuing in a low voice, “But what if someone were to ingest it?”
Yang Kai’s face changed slightly as he stared straight at Dai Yuan, his eyes narrowing.
“Junior Brother Yang does not need to suspect; I have indeed swallowed unprocessed Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass for some time now. Ever since I reached the Saint Realm, I have been taking small amounts of it!” Dai Yuan smiled mirthlessly.
“How could that be?” Yang Kai gawked. This woman had been ingesting an Artifact Refining material for many years, how was that different from courting death? Why would anyone do such a thing? And over such a long period of time at that.
“Naturally there is a reason for this,” Dai Yuan seems to have anticipated Yang Kai would react like this so she didn’t show any surprise and simply continued to explain, “Because my Secret Art is the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art. This cultivation technique was created by the Ancestral Founder of my Coloured Glass Sect explicitly because of the existence of Coloured Glass Mountain. In almost every generation of Coloured Glass Sect’s disciple, there will be someone who cultivates this Secret Art, and for the current generation, that disciple is me. In order to cultivate this Secret Art, one needs to regularly ingest Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass. “
“Heh, such a strange Secret Art, it doesn’t seem like a good thing,” Yang Kai smiled with a facade.
“En, but for the Sect, it is indispensable. Thousand Illusion Peak has always been used as the place where those who cultivate this Secret Art live, hence its name.”
“The last person who lived here also cultivated this Secret Art?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“Exactly. I grew up beside her since childhood, and this Secret Art was also taught to me by her. She should be regarded as my true master.”
“And her ending?” Yang Kai sneered, “I assume it wasn’t good, right?”
Seemingly because of Yang Kai’s question, Dai Yuan recalled something, and her expression immediately dimmed.
Realizing he had been insensitive, Yang Kai wanted to apologize, but just as he was thinking about how he should comfort her, Dai Yuan smiled and said, “That was her fate. Since she chose this path for herself, she should not have any complaints about It. However, before achieving at least the minor accomplishment stage of this Secret Art, no one can unleash its full power, and over time they will build up toxicity in their body. Eventually, it will reach a point where it can no longer be expelled and advancing further will become precarious. This is knowledge I have acquired from my predecessor and my own life experience. Now, if I want to break through to the Origin Returning Realm, I first need Junior Brother Yang’s help to resolve the Coloured Glass Toxin accumulated in my body over the years, otherwise, I will die!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, somewhat understanding now why she had run millions of kilometres to Dragon Cave Mountain to ask for his help.
However, Dai Yuan had said that before achieving minor accomplishment in this Secret Art, no one could display its full might, something that made Yang Kai realize that the last time he saw Dai Yuan take action, she was not actually using her full strength.
As a number of thoughts flashed across his mind, Yang Kai suddenly seemed to realize something and turned a surprised gaze towards Dai Yuan, “Is your cultivation using this Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art related to the collection of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass?”
Coloured Glass Sect requiring someone from every generation cultivate such a dangerous Secret Art must be for an exceptionally important reason, otherwise it would be too much of a waste.
As for what was most important for Coloured Glass Sect, Yang Kai could only think of collecting the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass!
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, Dai Yuan’s complexion changed, and she quickly waved her hands, “Junior Brother Yang, such things cannot be discussed!”
“Ah, I’m right?” Yang Kai’s expression became strange.
Dai Yuan smiled bitterly but didn’t try to deny it again, nodding dispiritedly as she said, “En, I cultivate Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art precisely because it is a requirement to harvest Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass. I won’t lie to Junior Brother Yang, since the last Senior who lived here passed away, no one from Coloured Glass Sect has been capable of harvesting Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, and only when I reach the Origin Returning Realm will I be able to. This is one of the Sect’s most closely guarded secrets. What we are discussing here absolutely cannot be said to another soul, otherwise the consequences will be dire.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded hurriedly. His unintentional words had touched upon a great Sect’s core secrets, causing a little cold sweat to drip down his back.
But… Since Dai Yuan was so important to Coloured Glass Sect, why was she essentially ostracized? Shouldn’t she be given the best cultivation resources, cultivation environment, and guidance from the Sect’s Elders?
It seems that there was more to this that he did not know! Yang Kai secretly guessed.
“The last Senior who lived here was a Heaven defying genius. She collected and studied all the experiences and insights the many Seniors who cultivated the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art before her and finally developed a safe way to expel the Coloured Glass Toxin. Once successful, one will not need to fear Coloured Glass Toxin anymore. Reaping the benefits of her efforts, I am extremely grateful to her. Unfortunately, by the time she developed this method, the poison had already permeated her body completely and she could no longer resolve it.
“And this solution, it requires someone like me?” Yang Kai asked.
“En, it must be performed by an Origin Grade Alchemist, and this Alchemist must also posses exquisite skills with the control and fusion of various medicinal efficacies. One of the reasons I looked for Junior Brother Yang was because the pills you refined were all incredibly high-quality products, with a number of them nearly forming Pill Veins. The requirement for skill is absolutely not a problem for you.”
Although he had been praised as so by Dai Yuan, Yang Kai still felt a bit puzzled. Although his control of medicinal efficacies was indeed quite good, the five Origin Grade Alchemists from Medicine Pill Sect could not possibly be bad; after all, they had been practising this craft for hundreds of years at least. So, for Dai Yuan to come seek his help instead of that of Medicine Pill Sect, there must be some other reasons.
He did not rush to ask though because he knew that Dai Yuan would definitely explain to him.
Seeing Yang Kai’s intently listening appearance, Dai Yuan smiled and continued, “If it were simply about finding a qualified Alchemist, it wouldn’t be too difficult. The true problem was with gathering the materials needed for this detoxifying method.”
“Oh? What kind of materials are required?” Yang Kai asked.
“There are many, but the previous Senior who lived here spent many years on this and managed to gather ninety percent of what was required, including the most difficult to find, the Yin Pond. My Senior spent a lot of energy to move this Yin Pond back to Thousand Illusion Peak from the place she discovered it. This was the reason I needed Junior Brother Yang to come here with me, because this Yin Pond cannot be moved again, otherwise, I wouldn’t have troubled you so.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, finally understanding why Dai Yuan had insisted he come with her to Coloured Glass Sect. Yin Ponds were an extremely rare treasure. They only formed in places where there was a high density of Yin Qi gathers, which almost always meant that they formed in dark, gloomy locations. Even if a Yin Pond formed, it was useless for most cultivators, but for those who cultivated cold, evil Secret Arts, Yin Ponds were a cultivation treasure, because the pure Yin Qi contained within it could allow such a cultivator to rapidly increase their strength.
Yang Kai had heard of Yin Ponds before but had never seen one with his own eyes.
“Because Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass cannot be suppressed by any of the five main elements, if one wants to expel Coloured Glass Toxin from their body, they need to use a medium like a Yin Pond. By mixing the medicinal efficacies of a number of precious spirit herbs with the water of a Yin Pond, then pouring that medicinal liquid into my body, I will theoretically be able to expel all the Coloured Glass Toxin,” Dai Yuan explained softly.
Yang Kai nodded while listening. With his Alchemy skills and knowledge, although he did not understand the exact process, he felt that this method should be feasible.
After pondering for a moment, he asked, “Since that Senior had found the necessary materials and even managed to move a Yin Pond back to Thousand Illusion Peak, why did she not try to detoxify herself in the end?”
“Because she still lacks one vital component,” Dai Yuan smiled bitterly, “She was unable to obtain a Blood Invigorating Mushroom!”
“A Blood Invigorating Mushroom?” Yang Kai was shocked, “The Blood Invigorating Mushroom, which is used to refine the Blood Mushroom Pill, which is said to be able to bring one back to life from the brink of death?”
Shock filled Yang Kai’s face, as if he had heard something incredible.
“Yes, the Blood Invigorating Mushroom which is used to refine the Blood Mushroom Pill!” Dai Yuan gently nodded, extending her hand and summoning a delicate wooden box onto her palm. Opening the wooden box, a baby fist sized spirit mushroom appeared before Yang Kai’s eyes. This mushroom was quite misshapen and had a multitude of dark red veins on its surface, like there was fresh blood flowing through them. It exuded a pungent scent which bristled one’s nose.
Yang Kai took it solemnly and gently stroked it with his hand, probing it carefully for a while before nodding, “En, it is indeed a Blood Invigorating Mushroom, and its medicinal age is at least three thousand years, moreover… it seems to have been picked recently. Is it from the Flowing Flame Sand Field?”
“Sure enough, Junior Brother Yang was able to see all its details,” Dai Yuan smiled slightly, “I must give my thanks to Junior Brother Yang for this too. This Blood Invigorating Mushroom was something I obtained in the Flowing Flame Sand Field’s fourth layer.”
Yang Kai expression changed as he thought that Dai Yuan’s luck was quite good. Precious treasures and spirit herbs were incredibly sparse in the fourth layer. Yang Kai had travelled across it twice yet the only things of note he managed to harvest were a few strings of Purple Fine Jade Fruit. On the other hand, Dai Yuan had found this Blood Invigorating Mushroom, and it just so happened to be something she desperately needed. It seemed that after he left, Dai Yuan had spent a lot of effort to find this Blood Invigorating Mushroom. Perhaps searching for this Blood Invigorating Mushroom was the main reason she wanted to travel with him to the fourth layer.
After all, with it, she could finally achieve her greatest wish.
“What are you going to do with this Blood Invigorating Mushroom?” Yang Kai closed the box and returned it to her as he asked.
Dai Yuan silently stroked the wooden box in her hand a few times before sighing, “I won’t lie to Junior Brother Yang. Although this detoxifying method was created by the last Senior who lived here, even she was not certain it would succeed because the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Toxin has already penetrated my entire body. Expelling all of it would damage my foundation and dying in the process is not impossible. This Blood Invigorating Mushroom is meant to guarantee that I can at least survive.”
Yang Kai frowned, “If so, wouldn’t it be better to refine it into the Blood Mushroom Pill?”
“The Blood Mushroom Pill…” Dai Yuan laughed bitterly, “Since Junior Brother Yang is an Alchemist, you should be clear that the Blood Mushroom Pill is an Origin Grade High-Rank pill. Can the Alchemists on Shadowed Star even refine such a thing? If we were in the outside world, Junior Brother Yang’s proposal might be reasonable, unfortunately… or, is Junior Brother Yang an Origin Grade High-Rank Alchemist? “
“No!” Yang Kai shook his head. Right now he was an Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemist, but if he put all his effort into refining a pill and was not concerned about the loss of herbs, there was some small chance could refine an Origin Grade Mid-Rank pill. Refining an Origin Grade High-Rank pill, however, was impossible, so after pondering the issue for a while, he said, “What I mean is, if you aren’t in a hurry, you may wish to wait for some time. Acting hastily might not be for the best, you may be able to find a safer method in the future or find someone capable of refining the Blood Mushroom Pill!”
He did not dare to say that he would refine it himself. Although Yang Kai felt that within a few years he should be able to become an Origin Grade High-Rank Alchemist, he could not go around making irresponsible guarantees like that.
“I can’t wait,” Dai Yuan shook her head bitterly, “If I could wait, I wouldn’t have sought out Junior Brother Yang so anxiously. Because I cultivate the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art, when the concentration of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Realm in my body reaches a certain point, my cultivation must increase to match it. At most, I can only delay for another six months. Half a year from now, whether I am willing to or not, I must attempt to break through to the Origin Returning Realm. If I succeed, I will have a chance to survive, but if I fail, with my current cultivation, I will not be able to suppress the Coloured Glass Toxin in my body and will die. Although taking the Blood Invigorating Mushroom directly will dramatically reduce its effectiveness and is truly a waste of Heaven’s precious gifts, at present, it is my only option.”
“There’s really no other way?” Yang Kai frowned.
“None!” Dai Yuan smiled gently, “Many thanks for your concern, Junior Brother Yang, but since I have decided to do this, I have already prepared myself. No matter whether this detoxification will succeed or not, I must try. All the Seniors who cultivated the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art before me did not even have such a chance, so I cannot complain.”
Yang Kai sighed softly and ceased tried to dissuade her, instead just nodding, “Since you have already decided, then so be it. Just tell me what you need my help with, I will definitely go all out.”
When Dai Yuan heard this, she was filled with joy and gratitude, “Then I will offer my thanks in advance to Junior Brother Yang. I’ll inform you now about the detoxifying process. Please listen carefully. After we begin, I won’t have the spare energy to respond to any questions you might have.”
“En.”
Then, Dai Yuan began describing the detoxification method to Yang Kai. Of course, this method and its details were formulated by Dai Yuan’s Senior from the Coloured Glass Sect and they improved upon until she died. As Yang Kai listened, he could not help feeling a sense of admiration towards this Coloured Glass Sect Senior as this method was quite ingenious.
However, as she was explaining the various steps involved in this detoxifying method, Dai Yuan’s face was constantly blushing bright red and her eyes would often shift uncomfortably, her voice going from high to low, highlighting her restlessness. Even though she knew that this was not the time to be feeling shy, she couldn’t stop herself, and the innocent yet flustered look that filled her eyes added a unique charm to them.
Yang Kai finally understood why Dai Yuan had been reluctant to tell him the details of her request before now. It turned out that this detoxifying method required quite a bit of intimate physical contact.
Dai Yuan blushing constantly was understandable considering all this. Any woman would have such an expression when facing a man and telling him how to press and inject various medicinal liquids into her body.
After all, if they went through with this, it was inevitable that some awkward moments would occur.
Although Yang Kai had not met Coloured Glass Sect’s Grandmaster Xiao, he was fairly certain that the other party was an old man, otherwise, Dai Yuan wouldn’t have said that asking him was inconvenient.
Among the five Grandmasters of Medicine Pill Sect, four of them were also old men; only one was an old woman.
Compared to having to ask these old men, Dai Yuan would rather choose Yang Kai. Fortunately, Yang Kai was an extraordinary talent that could reluctantly be considered a brave and heroic-looking young man, so Dai Yuan’s feelings of rejection were somewhat weaker. Of course, if it were possible, she would have preferred to ask the female Grandmaster from Medicine Pill Sect; after all, between two females, things would obviously be less troublesome.
However, she could not afford to pay such a big price.
Yang Kai’s musings on the subject almost completely matched with Dai Yuan’s worries. Her becoming an Alchemist in the first place was probably because she wanted to carry out this detoxifying herself.
Unfortunately, she did not have time to raise her Alchemy level high enough. She was currently just a Saint King Grade Alchemist, and that would not be of any use in this situation.
While Dai Yuan’s face showed much embarrassment as she explained, Yang Kai’s face remained indifferent. He did not show any superfluous emotion and simply listened attentively, refusing to miss the slightest detail. Seeing Yang Kai’s performance, Dai Yuan also gradually relaxed and began seeing him as a professional. Currently, her relationship with Yang Kai was somewhat similar to that between a doctor and patient.
With such thinking, Dai Yuan’s expression gradually became tranquil.
Over the next day or so, Yang Kai actively asked questions whenever they came to key points in the process. Dai Yuan naturally understood this and would answer him in detail.
One night later, Dai Yuan finished her explanation and Yang Kai had completely committed the detoxification method to memory and understood what needed to be done.
“Has Junior Brother Yang remembered everything?” Dai Yuan looked at him and asked. Although she hadn’t rested for an entire night, she didn’t show any signs of sleepiness, instead seeming even more energetic than when they had started, probably because she felt some excitement about approaching what would be the most important moment in her entire life so far.
“I’ve remembered it all!” Yang Kai nodded lightly before casting a thoughtful glance at Dai Yuan, pausing for a moment before saying, “Your mood is a bit unstable right now, you should rest and adjust yourself for a bit. How about we begin two days from now?”
Although Dai Yuan couldn’t wait to start right away, since Yang Kai had said so, she was not in a position to object. Nodding her head, she mentioned a few small details with Yang Kai before getting up and returning to her room.
After Dai Yuan left, Yang Kai sat on the stone bed in the room and rubbed his chin for a while. A short time later, he waved his hand and brought out a number of herbs from his Space Ring.
Immediately after, Yang Kai summoned his Alchemy furnace and pushed his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy, wrapping up the different spirit herbs and rapidly condensing the medicinal liquid inside them.
Two days passed by rapidly and when Yang Kai opened his eyes from his meditation and swept his surroundings with his Divine Sense, he discovered Dai Yuan standing outside. After two days of restoration and adjustment, her mood had become tranquil and all traces of joy and sadness had disappeared from her face. There was no urgency in her aura as she stood outside, waiting patiently for Yang Kai to come out.
Yang Kai smiled lightly when he saw that Dai Yuan had adjusted herself appropriately and quickly got up, walked over, and opened the door.
Dai Yuan noticed this movement and raised her eyes to meet Yang Kai’s, smiling lightly as they did.
“Let’s begin!” Yang Kai gestured. Dai Yuan nodded and led the way.
Passing through the massive stone chamber with the Natural Spirit Array, Dai Yuan led Yang Kai to separate tunnel. This tunnel gently spiralled down into the depths of the mountain; stairs were cut into the ground though so it wasn’t difficult to descend. On both sides of this tunnel were numerous luminous stones that gave off a soft radiance.
As Dai Yuan descended these stairs Yang Kai said nothing, but he did release his Divine Sense to investigate down below.
After descending to a certain depth, Yang Kai suddenly felt a cold chill in the air. This kind of cold wasn’t solely the result of low temperatures, but rather a spiritual chill that caused one’s skin to crawl. This phenomenon was a result of highly concentrated Yin Qi.
It seemed that the Yin Pond Dai Yuan mentioned was at the bottom of this tunnel Yang Kai thought to himself.
Naturally, this kind of coldness couldn’t cause any trouble to Yang Kai; even without pushing his Saint Qi, he could easily resist it with his flesh body alone. The same was also true of Dai Yuan. Although her physique wasn’t as powerful as Yang Kai’s, her Third-Order Saint King cultivation wasn’t for show. On top of that, the Yin Pond had been here for many years so presumably Dai Yuan had visited it countless times in preparation for the detoxification and gradually adapted to it.
The further down the pair went, the stronger the feeling of coldness became.
After half an incense stick worth of time, Dai Yuan finally had to circulate her Saint Qi to protect her body, releasing a faint light barrier that surrounded her figure.
Sometime later, bright light appeared before Yang Kai and Dai Yuan and the pair arrived at a large stone room. This stone room was completely empty, but if one looked around, they would notice that a thick, cold aura permeated the air as eerie white wisps floated about randomly.
The stone walls of this chamber were covered in white frost and the temperature here could only be described as frigid.
In the middle of the stone chamber, there is a small pool less than ten metres in diametre out of which plumes of visible Yin Qi wisps were escaping.
Yang Kai’s face changed slightly, “Sister Dai Yuan, is this Yin Pond a thousand-year Yin Pond or a ten-thousand-year Yin Pond?”
Dai Yuan seemed to know what Yang Kai wanted to ask and replied with a smile, “According to my Senior, this Yin Pond is somewhere between five and six thousand years old.”
Yang Kai frowned, “The innate chill in a Yin Pond this old is not something you can withstand, are you sure you want to continue?”
Yin Ponds were categorized by their age. Yang Kai hadn’t heard Dai Yuan describe this Yin Pond in detail, but assuming it wouldn’t be too dangerous for her to immerse herself in it, he hadn’t asked anything. However, such an old Yin Pond would likely turn Dai Yuan into a frozen sculpture the moment she entered it.
Dai Yuan smiled slightly, “Please don’t worry, Junior Brother Yang, I have done plenty of preparations and merged the essence of many Fire Attribute and Yang Attribute herbs into this Yin Pond’s water to temper its cold power. On top of that, I am an Alchemist myself and have cultivated a set of Fire Attribute Secret Arts, so as long I am careful, there shouldn’t be any problems, not to mention… if I don’t continue now, I can only sit waiting for death. If it Junior Brother Yang in my situation, what choice would you make?”
Yang Kai fell silent, knowing that Dai Yuan had been forced into this situation and had no other choice, so he no longer tried to dissuade her.
“Junior Brother Yang may rest assured; I have left a letter in the room where I normally meditate. If something unexpected happens this time and I fall, you can take the letter to my Honoured Master. The letter explains everything we have discussed and are about to attempt. After seeing it, she will not embarrass you. My Honoured Master is Great Elder Gong Ao Fu, if you go to Myriad Crystal Peak, you will be able to find her!”
This conversation which sounded like a last will made Yang Kai feel a little bit uncomfortable, but he still nodded and said, “Understood!”
Dai Yuan smiled and nodded before motioning, “Please follow me.”
A moment later, the two arrived beside the Yin Pond. Yang Kai looked inside and discovered that the water in this pool wasn’t very deep, only about a metre or so in total, but what was noticeable was that it didn’t have the slightest impurity in it and was completely still, allowing one to peer through it as if it didn’t even exist. It seemed like pure, ordinary water, but if someone who cultivated a Yin Attribute Secret Art were to see this stagnant pool, they would undoubtedly be ecstatic and try to obtain it at any cost.
This Yin Pond’s effects on such a cultivator would simply be too great, no less than some top-class precious treasures or rare elixirs.
Looking closer, Yang Kai noticed traces of a Spirit Array arranged around this Yin Pond. It was probably a Spirit Array left by the Senior who moved this Yin Pond here to bind and stabilize it.
Dai Yuan pointed to a place nearby and said, “Please sit here, Junior Brother Yang. This will be the optimum location for us to cooperate.”
“Alright!” Yang Kai nodded, immediately moved to the indicated position, and sat down cross-legged.
“Is there anything left to prepare?” Dai Yuan asked, but seemed to be talking to herself as she turned to stare at the Yin Pond with a somewhat complex look. After a moment, she smiled again and said, “Junior Brother Yang, no matter what happens next, Dai Yuan would like to sincerely thank you. You are the only one who has been willing to help me these past two decades and the only friend I have made during that time.”
Saying so, with a serious look upon her face, she cupped her fists and bowed elegantly to Yang Kai.
Twenty years…
Yang Kai brow twitched slightly. It seems that Dai Yuan’s situation in Coloured Glass Sect was a bit different from what Wu Yi’s previously managed to inquire about. The outward changes may have only happened ten years ago, but they clearly started more than ten years before that.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er must have become friends with her before that point so they couldn’t be counted.
Yang Kai waved his hand lightly, “Sister Dai Yuan is too polite. This matter is only a slight effort for me. En, take this bottle of medicinal liquid.”
Saying so, Yang Kai handed her a jade bottle.
“This is…” Dai Yuan took the Jade Bottle and looked at Yang Kai curiously.
“This is a medicinal liquid I concocted myself. Although I can’t refine the Blood Mushroom Pill, if you take this bottle of medicinal liquid together with the Blood Invigorating Mushroom, it can stimulate its efficacies an additional ten or twenty percent. It should have some use for you. At my current Alchemy level, this is the best I can do,” Yang Kai said with some slight regret.
The Blood Invigorating Mushroom was extremely rare, and the Blood Mushroom Pill was very difficult to refine. The value of a Blood Mushroom Pill was definitely not under that of an ordinary Origin King Grade pill, possibly even more so than some, because a Blood Mushroom Pill could bring a cultivator back from the brink of death. This kind of life-saving pill was the most valuable treasure for cultivators who constantly risked their lives.
It was truly a pity he was unable to refine such a pill at his current level and could only use this kind of shoddy method to somewhat stimulate the medicinal effects of the Blood Invigorating Mushroom.
Over the previous two days, Yang Kai had spent much of his time preparing this medicinal liquid.
When Dai Yuan heard his explanation, she wore a look of surprise and unconsciously tightened her grip on the jade bottle. Without even checking its content, she joyfully thanked Yang Kai, “Many thanks for Junior Brother Yang’s efforts. Dai Yuan will certainly live up to your expectations.”
At this moment, she felt that asking Yang Kai for his help was the best decision she could have made, because even if she went to Grandmaster Xiao of her Sect or invited one of the Medicine Pill Sect Elders, they would definitely not have taken the initiative to concoct this bottle of medicinal liquid to help her.
With this bottle of medicinal liquid, her chance of success had instantly increased by at least ten percent, how could Dai Yuan not be happy?
“I’ll be troubling Junior Brother Yang!” Dai Yuan put away the bottle of medical liquid and said solemnly to Yang Kai and before waiting for his response, she spun around and dropped her robes, leaving her in only her undergarments.
Seemingly having prepared for this moment as well, her undergarments were all black and although they outlined her exquisite figure, they were as unrevealing and plain as possible.
That said, a crimson glow still adorned her face. Not willing to remain in such an embarrassing state for a moment longer than necessary, Dai Yuan’s figure flickered as she jumped directly into the Yin Pond.
Without the slightest splash of water, the moment Dai Yuan entered the Yin Pond, she let out a groan as a look of pain flashed across her face. The Yin Pond water also seemed to be stimulated by the invasion of a foreign body and immediately began to roil up, creating a white mist that seemed to come to life and spread towards Dai Yuan.
*Kacha…*
With a crisp crackling sound, a thin layer of ice quickly began forming on Dai Yuan’s tender body; however, Dai Yuan quickly circulated her Secret Art and began releasing a blazing heat from her skin, dispersing this layer of ice.
The white fog, however, did not retreat and instead began spread more and more fiercely towards her. Dai Yuan finally could not bear it any longer and let out a pitiful cry as a multi-coloured light erupted from her body.
This light was incredibly strange. Rather than saying it was a single light halo, it appeared more like tens of thousands of individual rays all being released simultaneously. Yang Kai head suddenly ached and he felt as if his soul had been shaken. His Knowledge Sea also trembled slightly and a kind of invisible pressure descended upon him, making his thoughts become slightly sluggish.
Coloured Glass Divine Light!
Yang Kai was shocked by this but quickly steadied himself and focused his attention on Dai Yuan’s body.
Although he had long heard Yang Yan say that the Coloured Glass Divine Light from Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain had the effect of suppressing Souls, he had never expected that it would actually be so mysterious. This suppression was virtually impossible to guard against.
According to Dai Yuan, Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass could not be suppressed by any of the five elements, and now Yang Kai was experiencing this firsthand. The light emanating from Dai Yuan’s body directly penetrated his Knowledge Sea defenses and was even able to somewhat suppress his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy.
Fortunately, Dai Yuan had not deliberately been targeting Yang Kai and Yang Kai himself was not an ordinary cultivator. So, although he was a little shocked initially, he was immediately able to resist the influence of this Coloured Glass Divine Light and subsequently release his Conflagrated Divine Sense to envelop Dai Yuan.
Currently, Dai Yuan was experiencing severe pain, causing her already disfigured face to warp into an even more unsightly appearance. However, what Yang Kai found surprising was that her entire body was covered in pockmarks and pustules, completely opposite to an ordinary beautiful woman’s smooth and delicate skin.
Even after disrobing, Dai Yuan’s black undergarments had concealed much of her bare skin from Yang Kai’s sight, but after she entered the Yin Pond, these thing coverings became soaked and clung tightly to her figure. At the same time, Yang Kai was covering her with his powerful Divine Sense, so he immediately discovered this issue.
It seemed that besides her two exposed hands, which seemed to be carved from the finest jade, the rest of Dai Yuan’s body was just like her face, nothing short of unsightly.
The side-effects of this Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art were simply too great! Yang Kai immediately understood that it was Dai Yuan’s special Secret Art that had caused her to become like this.
“Junior Brother Yang…” Just as Yang Kai was slightly distracted, Dai Yuan grit her teeth and shouted tremblingly.
Yang Kai came back to his senses when he heard her voice and nodded, “Let’s begin!”
In the next instant, Dai Yuan completely opened an acupuncture point on her chest and madly began drawing the Yin Pond’s water into her body. When the frigid cold water poured inside her chest, Dai Yuan shuddered uncontrollably, but she still clenched her teeth tightly as her lips went purple and gazed fixedly towards Yang Kai with her beautiful eyes.
Yang Kai did not say a word, poured his Conflagrated Divine Sense into Dai Yuan’s open acupuncture point, and immediately began forming several sets of Alchemy Spirit Arrays inside her body.
“Conflagrated Divine Sense!” Dai Yuan’s eyes bulged in surprise. She had not expected Yang Kai to possess a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea. According to her original plan, Yang Kai would need to press his hands onto her chest to carefully infuse his Saint Qi into her body, treating it like an Alchemy furnace and using the various medicinal efficacies contained in the Yin Pond’s water to refine then expel the Coloured Glass Toxin.
When discussing the details of this method before, Yang Kai had not disclosed that he possessed a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, but at this moment, Dai Yuan wasn’t the slightest bit dissatisfied, because since this was the case, Yang Kai wouldn’t need to have any intimate contact with her body.
This shocked her and also put her at bit more at ease; after all, she was an unmarried, innocent young woman. Being touched all over by a young man she wasn’t in love with was naturally not something she wished for.
Just as such thoughts were flashing across Dai Yuan’s mind, centred on her chest’s open acupuncture point, a six-centimetre-wide circle of her skin was flooded with a swirl of the Yin Pond’s water. Under the control of Yang Kai Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, the medicinal efficacies contained in this water were incorporated into Dai Yuan’s flesh, causing an uncomfortable ache to spread from her chest. Dai Yuan’s breathing instantly became laboured as it felt like something had suddenly blocked the flow of her strength in that spot.
Under the effects of the Spirit Arrays Yang Kai had portrayed, however, the various conflicting medicinal efficacies in the Yin Pond’s water blended, then forced a thread of strange glowing material out of Dai Yuan’s chest.
This glowing thread-like object did not dissipate in the Yin Pond though and instead began swirling about without the slightest hindrance.
Soon, another similar thread was forced out, and as time passed, more and more filaments were driven from Dai Yuan’s body, causing the entire Yin Pond to take on a strange luminescence.
After half an hour, Dai Yuan felt the feeling of suffocation in her chest suddenly disappear and her blocked Saint Qi began circulating again. The frigid chill which had originally been difficult for her to resist also no longer caused her any discomfort.
Dai Yuan was overjoyed and could not care about anything else, quickly releasing her Divine Sense to examine her chest.
There was no more Coloured Glass Toxin in the parts of her physique, which was centred on the previously open acupuncture point and her skin had finally been restored to its normal state, taking on a rosy, jade white complexion with none of the previous ugly, pitted areas remaining.
Because she was still soaking in the Yin Pond though, there was a bluish tint to her flesh from the cold, but that could not cover the stark contrast this portion of her body had with the rest of her figure.
Dai Yuan’s eyes nearly teared up and under the trembling of her emotions she almost allowed the Yin Pond’s water to pour into her body unchecked.
“Stabilize your mind and don’t get distracted, you can inspect yourself all you want after everything is finished!” Yang Kai’s firm shout entered Dai Yuan’s ears in the next instant, waking her from her surprise. Glancing over and seeing Yang Kai sitting cross-legged nearby, still pushing his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy into her body to blend the medicinal efficacies for the procedure, his expression calm and steady, not showing the slightest trace of embarrassment, Dai Yuan calmed down, nodded, and opened another of her acupuncture points to draw in the Yin Pond’s water.
Yang Kai immediately coordinated with her, not daring to hesitate!
Under the intense scrutiny of his Divine Sense, although Yang Kai was able to see every part of Dai Yuan’s body, equivalent to her standing in front of him completely naked, at this moment he had not the slightest stray thought, instead focusing all of his attention on meticulously urging the efficacies of the Yin Pond.
Dai Yuan had mixed a large number of herbs into this Yin Pond over the years so it was not difficult to resolve the Coloured Glass Toxin in her body, the tricky part was fusing these medicinal efficacies into Dai Yuan’s physique at a rate she was able to bear.
Fusing the medicinal efficacies into Dai Yuan’s body was not too troublesome as she was an Alchemist as well. So, when Yang Kai used his Conflagrated Divine Sense, she only needed to cooperate with him.
However, Yang Kai could do nothing about the speed at which they proceeded as that was completely dependent on Dai Yuan’s own willpower.
The Coloured Glass Toxin had penetrated deep into her body, so every time a part of it was is expelled, not only were the toxins removed, but part of her vital energy was as well. Doing this once or twice was not an issue, but as it was done more and more, Dai Yuan’s life would increasingly be at risk.
The reality of the situation was unfortunately as brutal as they had expected. Every time the toxin was forced out of a section of Dai Yuan’s body, it would take at least a stick of incense worth of time, so after half a day, less than one-fifth of her body had been purified, but Dai Yuan’s aura had already begun to fluctuate and her complexion had grown as pale as paper.
Fortunately, Dai Yuan had fully prepared for this. Taking out some pills from her Space Ring, she tossed them into her mouth and was able to restore some colour to her face.
Seeing this, Yang Kai also slightly slowed down the movement of his hands, giving her enough time to refine these pills.
However, Yang Kai and Dai Yuan did not dare to waste too much time; after all, Dai Yuan experienced enormous consumption for every moment she remained immersed in the Yin Pond. As such, after just a short break, the two began the detoxifying process again.
As time passed by, more and more of the Coloured Glass Toxin in Dai Yuan’s body was expelled, but Yang Kai’s expression only became graver.
He could not see whether Dai Yuan could overcome this challenge, because even now, she was beginning to overdraw her vitality and was barely maintaining her bodily functions and cooperating with Yang Kai on the detoxification. This was not a sustainable situation, and once she could no longer endure, Dai Yuan would definitely die.
Even if she managed to insist, Dai Yuan would end up a convalescent for a long time afterwards.
However, there was no turning back now; whether it was Yang Kai or Dai Yuan, they had no choice but to finish the detoxification one way or the other.
Seemingly feeling the concern in Yang Kai’s gaze, Dai Yuan, who was even now struggling to support herself, suddenly opened her eyes and forced out a smile that was uglier than a grimace and said, “I can handle it, so Junior Brother Yang does not need to have any scruples, please act fully!”
Yang Kai look became solemn, and after feeling her determination, he nodded silently and pushed his Conflagrated Divine Sense even more forcefully, forming a new set of Spirit Arrays inside Dai Yuan’s unguarded body, drawing in the Yin Pond’s water, and cleansing her physique with the medicinal efficacies.
Dai Yuan released pitiful screams again and again, her voice extremely bleak, as if she was suffering inhuman torture.
Another day passed by, and most of Dai Yuan’s body had been restored to its original state. Under the investigation of his Divine Sense, Yang Kai confirmed that she had the capital ordinary women could only dream of. Her skin was jade white and had a mesmerising tenderness to it, while her figure was nothing short of astonishing with rich curves in all the right places, even her pockmarked face had transformed into an alluring vision. Besides her complexion being slightly blue, there was no trace of her former, unbearable appearance and all that remained was a stunning beauty that could ignite a fire in any man’s heart.
Combined with her severely weakened and fragile state, Dai Yuan currently appeared incredibly charming.
Yang Kai had long expected this though, so he was not surprised and continued to focus on the task at hand.
At a certain moment, Yang Kai took back his Conflagrated Divine Sense and shouted vigorously, “Quickly swallow the Blood Invigorating Mushroom!”
Dai Yuan was barely conscious now, her pair of beautiful eyes dull and glazed over. Currently, she only knew how to unconsciously cooperate with Yang Kai’s movements and was relying solely on the obsession in her heart to persist.
Nevertheless, after hearing Yang Kai’s shout, a touch of clarity returned to Dai Yuan’s eyes and she swiftly took out the wooden box containing the Blood Invigorating Mushroom from her Space Ring, opened it, and swallowed the contents. Immediately after, she took out the jade bottle Yang Kai had handed her and drank down the medical liquid it contained.
When these precious medicines entered her abdomen, Dai Yuan’s conditional finally began to improve, the paleness on her face was quickly replaced with a strong crimson blush as the blood in her veins began to rapidly circulate. The massive amount of vitality contained in the Blood Invigorating Mushroom began coursing through her body, rapidly restoring the vital energy she had lost.
Yang Kai did not wait for her to completely refine the Blood Invigorating Mushroom’s medicinal efficacies before wrapping her in his Conflagrated Divine Sense again.
Success or failure would depend on these final moments. If Dai Yuan’s will was strong enough, she should have a thirty percent chance of making it; if not, she would exhaust her vitality completely and fall.
Dai Yuan understood this better than anyone else and immediately began fully cooperating with Yang Kai.
In an instant, the entire Yin Pond became turbulent as its water madly flooded into Dai Yuan’s body, causing her figure to be enveloped in layers of thick white mist while strange glowing filaments were constantly forced out of her physique.
Thousands of metres below Thousand Illusion Peak’s summit, beside a ten-metre-wide Yin Pond, Yang Kai sat cross-legged, his brow slightly furrowed as he stared at an unremarkable looking grey bead he was playing with in his hand.
Dai Yuan’s detoxification had been completed, and by the Heaven’s grace, she was able to survive and purge all the Coloured Glass Toxin from her body. Currently, she was in a comatose state, but before she fell completely unconscious, she had suddenly opened her mouth and spat out this small bead and told Yang Kai it was a Coloured Glass Bead, then passed out.
Yang Kai brought her out of the Yin Pond, used his Saint Qi to dry the frigid water from her body, then draped his robes over her before settling down nearby.
If possible, Yang Kai wanted to carry her back to her room to rest, but with Dai Yuan currently only wearing tight fitting undergarments, picking her up and holding her close was a bit inconvenient.
There didn’t seem to be anything special about the bead in his hand, and could have been written off as worthless by those who only casually saw it, but as Yang Kai carefully observed this bead, he discovered to his amazement that its interior contained thousands of rays of multi-coloured light that perfectly matched the Coloured Glass Divine Light he had seen before. These rays of light were even capable of suppressing his Divine Sense and penetrating his Knowledge Sea defenses to shake his Soul.
Yang Kai immediately understood that this seemingly ordinary bead was an extraordinary treasure.
Although Yang Kai had not personally seen Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass before, he could tell that the formation of this bead must have something to do with the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass that Dai Yuan had been ingesting to cultivate her Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art. However, after thoroughly inspecting it, Yang Kai discovered something quite strange. While this bead was somewhat like an Alchemy pill, it also had properties resembling an Artifact Refining material. It seemed to be an existence that was situated somewhere between these two, making it difficult to classify.
As he was holding this Coloured Glass Bead appreciatively, Yang Kai expression suddenly changed, and he quickly glanced over towards Dai Yuan who was still lying nearby.
Dai Yuan’s long eyelashes had just fluttered slightly, and her delicate jade fingers seemed to have flexed. Obvious signs that she was about to wake up.
Looking at her completely unrecognizable face, Yang Kai could not help letting out a sigh of admiration. Before purging the Coloured Glass Toxin, Dai Yuan’s appearance had been quite unsightly, but now she had become an extraordinary beauty, even slightly superior to Yin Su Die.
Yang Kai was not confident that if she had such an appearance before she entered the Yin Pond, he would have been able to maintain a completely calm state. Thinking about it carefully, he felt that his heart would have been at least a bit unsteady; after all, what man would be able to remain completely indifferent when facing such an alluring woman when she was nearly naked.
A short time later, Dai Yuan opened her eyes and began to stir, quickly discovering that she was currently very weak.
“Since you’re awake, quickly adjust your breathing, your current state is quite frail,” Yang Kai lightly encouraged.
Hearing this, Dai Yuan moved her gaze and quickly found Yang Kai sitting close to her, looking at her with a smile. Seeing him, she tried to say something, but did not have the strength to form the words.
After discovering that the robes Yang Kai had previously been wearing were missing and that there was something covering her, Dai Yuan’s beautiful eyes flashed a trace of gratitude and security, immediately closing her eyes again and silently circulating a healing art.
Two hours later, Dai Yuan slowly sat up, and after properly dressing herself, she took out many restorative pills she had prepared in advance from her Space Ring and began swallowing them while continuing to meditate.
Another day later, Dai Yuan exhaled deeply and opened her eyes again. This time, her beautiful eyes were full of vitality, and it even seemed that her cultivation had grown. Although her face was still pale, it was no longer moribund; if she continued to meditate, it would only be a matter of time before she completely recovered.
Getting up lithely, Dai Yuan walked over to Yang Kai and bowed deeply, “Dai Yuan thanks Junior Brother Yang. If I had not had Junior Brother Yang’s help this time, I am afraid I would have already fallen. Dai Yuan will never forget Junior Brother Yang’s life saving grace.”
Yang Kai also stood up and shook his head with a smile and said lightly, “It was thanks to your own efforts that you managed to pass through this ordeal, I did not do anything.”
Dai Yuan shook her head slowly, “Junior Brother Yang thinks too highly of me, I know that if I had not sought out Junior Brother Yang but instead asked Grandmaster Xiao or one of the Elders from Medicine Pill Sect, I would definitely not be standing here now. If nothing else, the bottle of medicinal liquid Junior Brother Yang gave me must have been refined from many precious herbs, yes? Without that bottle of medicinal liquid, I would not have been able to endure the last few hours of the detoxification.”
Dai Yuan had clearly felt that after taking the Blood Invigorating Mushroom and the bottle of medicinal liquid, her lost vital energy had been greatly restored, and as time passed, it continued to be supplemented.
It was precisely because of this that she was able to persist until the end. Otherwise, she would have fallen halfway through.
Taking the Blood Invigorating Mushroom directly would not have produced such an effect. If it had been the Blood Mushroom Pill Dai Yuan had taken, such a result would not be unexpected, but simply consuming the Blood Invigorating Mushroom without refining it at all could not achieve this. As such, it was obvious that this long-lasting effect was due to the unknown bottle of medicinal liquid!
Although Dai Yuan did not know what the medicinal liquid Yang Kai gave her had cost him, she was clear that it wasn’t something ordinary. Yang Kai did not even mention this though, showing the depths of his generosity, but how could Dai Yuan not be concerned about it?
Hearing her say this, Yang Kai did not try to deny or confirm anything.
What Dai Yuan did not know was that although the bottle of medicinal liquid had indeed cost Yang Kai a lot of precious spirit herbs, the most important ingredient was actually a drop of his Golden Blood. Yang Kai’s Golden Blood contained an enormous amount of vital energy, which was naturally the best supplement for Dai Yuan’s damaged vitality.
“Regardless of the process, Sister Dai Yuan ultimately succeeded, something worth celebrating! En, congratulations!” Yang Kai let out a laugh as he changed the subject.
A charming smile blossomed on Dai Yuan’s face as she turned around and gazed at her peerless appearance reflected in the calm Yin Pond water, her beautiful eyes flashing a clear and vibrant light.
Yang Kai stood to the side without disturbing her, allowing Dai Yuan to savour the joy of regaining her original beauty.
After a while, Dai Yuan suddenly reached out and waved her sleeve, causing her mesmerizing reflection in the Yin Pond to ripple and disappear.
Immediately, Dai Yuan circulated her Saint Qi and under Yang Kai’s stunned gaze, the beautiful appearance she had just regained reverted back to the ugly pockmarked one she had just rid herself of!
Seeing this, Yang Kai could not help frowning slightly.
All women wished to be beautiful, and Dai Yuan was no exception. If that were not the case, she wouldn’t have lost her calm when the Heaven Battling Union disciple had taunted her so back in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, nor would she have revealed such a strong look of nostalgia just now.
However, since she had done this, she must have her own reasons. Yang Kai did not ask anything, but feeling a bit curious, he used his Divine Sense to sweep her face and was amazed to discover that he couldn’t see any flaws in this disguise. It was as if Dai Yuan’s face had really reverted to its former ugly appearance.
This surprised Yang Kai quite a bit; after all, he had seen Dai Yuan’s true face just now with his own eyes.
Although Yang Kai had not asked anything, Dai Yuan took the initiative to explain, “Junior Brother Yang may laugh if he likes. I simply think that now is not a good time to reveal this matter, so I can only conceal it for the time being. It won’t be too late to inform my Honoured Master about this after I break through to the Origin Returning Realm.”
“Sister Dai Yuan has clearly considered this matter carefully,” Yang Kai nodded in agreement before immediately asking, “May I ask Sister Dai Yuan what the use of this bead is?”
Saying so, he took out the Coloured Glass Bead and held it up.
Dai Yuan looked at the Coloured Glass Bead and smiled lightly, “Right, I was only able to take out this bead and didn’t inform Junior Brother Yang about its uses. En, in a sense, to me, this bead is somewhat similar to a Monster Core from a Monster Beast!”
“A Monster Core?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“En, because the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art was created based on how Monster Beast’s cultivate. Junior Brother Yang should know that some Monster Beasts have an innate ability to devour various minerals, extract mineral essence, and then store them in their Monster Core, right? Cultivating the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art imitates this process by taking Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass into my body and producing this bead.”
Yang Kai was truly surprised by this revelation, but quickly realizing a certain point, he hastily asked, “If that is the case, now that you’ve lost this bead, won’t it have a negative effect on you?”
“There is indeed some negative impact, but it’s nothing serious. While it is analogous to a Monster Core, it is not as vital to me as a core would be to a Monster Beast. As long as I have enough time and enough Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, I can continuously produce such beads.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai felt relieved while secretly thinking to himself that the master who created this Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art was really a Heaven defying genius. A Secret Art that actually allowed a cultivator to produce a bead similar to a Monster Beast’s Core in their own body. It was no wonder when he was investigating it, Yang Kai had felt it was like an Alchemy pill while also resembling an Artifact Refining material.
Dai Yuan looked at Yang Kai with a smile and exhaled an orchid scent as she continued, “Although this Coloured Glass Bead is important to me, having it or not will not affect me greatly. On the other hand, it will be extremely useful for Junior Brother Yang.”
“Oh? I hope Sister Dai Yuan can explain clearly!” Yang Kai looked at her curiously. He had been investigating this Coloured Glass Bead for quite some time but had yet to figure out what exactly he was supposed to do with it. He had planned on asking Yang Yan, but now that he heard Dai Yuan say this, it would obviously be easier to get an explanation from her.
“If Junior Brother Yang can refine this Coloured Glass Bead, perhaps you will be able to comprehend some of its mysteries; after all, it is formed from concentrated Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass essence. If Junior Brother Yang can comprehend the mysterious of the Coloured Glass Divine Light, it will allow you to obtain a powerful technique to use in battle. With Junior Brother Yang’s aptitude, and the assistance of this Coloured Glass Bead, I would estimate you have an eighty percent chance of success.”
“Coloured Glass Divine Light!” Yang Kai expression brightened. Before, when he was helping Dai Yuan with her detoxification, he had suffered a small loss from this Coloured Glass Divine Light, clearly illustrating the power of this strange multi-coloured light. Ordinarily, without cultivating the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art, no other cultivator had any chance of comprehending how to use Coloured Glass Divine Light, but with the help of this Coloured Glass Bead, such a feat might be possible. Yang Kai was naturally overjoyed to learn this.
Gill: 13 chapters this week!!!
(forgot to add this as I was feeling a tad sick soz)
If this was really the case, this gift from Dai Yuan could not be underestimated!
“Junior Brother Yang need not worry, this Coloured Glass Bead is different from the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass I took, it has no toxic side effects. If Junior Brother Yang carefully refines it, there should be no problems. This is the compensation I promised Junior Brother Yang before. Dai Yuan has no other things of real value as all my resources have been spent on preparing for this detoxification. I hope Junior Brother Yang will not refuse.” What Dai Yuan did not tell Yang Kai was that this one Coloured Glass Bead was the result of her diligently cultivating the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art for more than twenty years. Although she had now reached the minor accomplishment stage in this Secret Art and could condense another Coloured Glass Bead, doing so would take several years of effort.
Yang Kai grinned, “I am very satisfied with this reward, Sister Dai Yuan is too considerate.”
Saying so, he put away the Coloured Glass Bead before turning to look at the nearly drained Yin Pond and said, “Since this matter has been settled, we should head back up.”
“En, after so many days of delay, Sister Yang Yan must have grown anxious,” Dai Yuan smiled lightly and led Yang Kai back up to the main cave. It seemed that because she had restored her original appearance, every movement Dai Yuan made now contained a kind of innate charm, completely different from her indifferent aura from before, a fact that secretly surprised Yang Kai.
Not long after, the two returned to the upper cave where they separated and returned to their respective rooms.
After taking out the Coloured Glass Bead and playing with it for a while, Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he had just thought up something, a grin slowly appearing on his face. At that moment though, the door to his stone room was pushed open and Yang Yan, wrapped in her trademark black robe, walked inside.
“Is everything done?” Yang Yan asked.
“En.”
“Good, then we should leave,” Yang Yan seemed a little anxious but did not ask about what Dai Yuan had wanted Yang Kai to help her with.
“What happened?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Nothing happened, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to remain here for too long. Xiao Xiao has been gone for seven or eight days now so it’s about time for him to come back. Being too greedy may cause unnecessary troubles.
Yang Kai thought about it for a moment and felt what Yang Yan said made sense, nodding in agreement, “Alright. Then, we’ll leave in the morning.”
Although they were still inside Thousand Illusion Peak, Yang Kai could investigate the situation outside with his Divine Sense. It was the middle of the night right now so leaving would be inconvenient so he could only wait for dawn before setting out.
After reaching an agreement, Yang Yan also returned to her room to rest.
After a peaceful night, Yang Kai immediately informed Dai Yuan about his intention to leave. Although Dai Yuan enthusiastically invited Yang Kai to stay a few more days, hoping to discuss their shared interest in Alchemy, with Yang Kai having a guilty conscience at the moment, how could he continue to linger? Seeing that there was no way to persuade him, Dai Yuan reluctantly agreed and personally saw Yang Kai and Yang Yan out of Grand Crystal Mountain Range.
On the way, Dai Yuan told Yang Kai that after taking a few months to fully recover, she would enter retreat to break through to the Origin Returning Realm. Once she succeeded, she would visit Dragon Cave Mountain again to thank him in person!
Yang Kai naturally agreed.
While the two were talking, a thunderous sound suddenly spread across the entire Grand Crystal Mountain Range and immediately after, a beam of multicoloured light shot up into the sky. Even though they were thousands of kilometres away, the group of three were still able to see this beam of light clearly.
“Coloured Glass Mountain!” Dai Yuan’s expression changed dramatically as she stared towards the beam of multi-coloured light and exclaimed. The spot where this beam originated from was obviously where Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain was situated. Seeing this situation, it seemed that the grand Spirit Array arranged around Coloured Glass Mountain had become unstable, allowing Coloured Glass Mountain’s Coloured Glass Divine Light to break through.
Yang Kai’s face also changed slightly as he and Yang Yan exchanged a knowing glance, the two of them having a myriad of thoughts flash across their minds. But soon, Yang Kai restored a calm expression and asked, “Did something happen with your noble Sect’s Coloured Glass Mountain?”
“En, I don’t know exactly what’s happened, but it seems that the barrier surrounding it was somewhat triggered. Junior Brother Yang, I originally wanted to send you all the way, but it appears I will not be able to accompany you any further. Since I cultivate the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art, I must immediately head out. I will have to say goodbye to you and Sister Yang Yan here!”
“Since such a big event has occurred in your noble Sect, Sister Dai Yuan truly should respond promptly. We’ve already arrived at the edge of Grand Crystal Mountain Range, so as long as Yang Yan and I follow the path, we shouldn’t have any problems leaving,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
“Thank you. One day, I will surely patronize your Dragon Cave Mountain. At that time, I hope we can have a long discussion,” Dai Yuan smiled apologetically before her tender body flickered and transformed into a stream of light, returning along the path they had just flown at a very fast speed.
After her figure disappeared, Yang Kai pulled Yang Yan’s hand and shouted, “Let’s go!”
The two also summoned their Star Shuttles and quickly took off. Although they did not know what had happened, Yang Kai was certain it was related to the Stone Puppet, so how could they foolishly remain any longer?
After all, there was an accident when he had retrieved the Stone Puppet last night.
Fortunately, they had decided to leave today, otherwise with such a development happening right now, Yang Kai and Yang Yan would have had a hard time trying to leave Coloured Glass Sect. With Dai Yuan acting as a guarantor, he wasn’t worried that any harm would come to them inside Coloured Glass Sect; however, if any kind of clue had been left behind that could trace back to them, the Coloured Glass Sect would definitely not let them go, no matter how Dai Yuan advocated for them.
At the same time, beside Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain that Yang Kai had seen from afar before, dozens of Origin Returning Realm masters were on high alert. Among them, there were at least ten Third-Order Origin Realm masters, all of them releasing an incredible momentum.
Half of these masters were shuttling back and forth around Coloured Glass Mountain, constantly pouring streams of pure Saint Qi into a translucent energy barrier. Receiving so much Saint Qi, this great barrier fluctuated visibly and released a series of big and small ripples that gave off a strong suppressive power. These ripples were gradually suppressing the Coloured Glass Divine Light that was shooting up into the sky back into the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain. As for the remaining Origin Realm masters, they all had their Saint Qi condensed as they stared solemnly at the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain, preparing to act at a moment’s notice.
“What happened!” A booming voice suddenly resounded as an old man with a thin figure, silver hair, and a long beard appeared beside Coloured Glass Mountain.
Many Origin Returning Realm masters saw this old man and immediately cupped their fists, “Greetings, Sect Master!”
This old man was the Sect Master of Coloured Glass Sect, Gong Xing He.
Gong Xing He just waved his hand, motioning for everyone to dispense with the formalities as he turned his gaze towards a pair of Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters who were rapidly flying over.
The man appeared middle-aged and had an imposing stature. Although it was impossible to tell his exact age, the vicissitudes which permeated his eyes clearly indicated he was not young. As for the woman, she had the appearance of a beautiful middle-aged woman with a slender figure that while a bit older was still quite charming.
The pair arrived in front of Gong Xing He and respectfully greeted him.
“Elder Ma, Elder Du, the two of you have been defending this place for years, what happened just now?” Gong Xing He looked at them and asked with a solemn expression.
The middle-aged man surnamed Ma and the beautiful woman surnamed Du exchanged a quick glance before the man cupped his fists and replied, “Reporting to Sect Master, the situation is like this. Last night, for some unknown reason, Elder Du suddenly felt that the grand barrier below Coloured Glass Mountain seemed to show some signs of loosening. I immediately sent the Mountain Quarrying Beast to investigate, but soon after I unexpectedly lost contact with it. Even now, it has still not responded to my attempts to communicate with it or returned on its own. Then, just now, the Coloured Glass Divine Light suddenly erupted. The two of us believe that a section of the barrier underground has been damaged, otherwise this kind of matter could not have occurred.”
“The barrier has been damaged?” Gong Xing He frowned, quickly asking, “This has not happened in hundreds of years. Every few years we stabilize the Spirit Array and barrier, so how could it suddenly have become damaged?”
“This…” The man surnamed Ma hesitated for a while, unable to offer an explanation.
Seeing him behave like this, Gong Xing He naturally knew that inquiring further would be pointless and instead turned to the beautiful woman and asked, “Elder Du, do we only have one Mountain Quarrying Beast available?”
The beautiful middle-aged woman smiled bitterly, “We indeed have more than one Mountain Quarrying Beast, but only one is capable of withstanding the intensity of the Coloured Glass Divine Light close to the Coloured Glass Mountain’s barrier, the others aren’t mature enough yet. These beasts were purchased specially from Myriad Beast Sect for the purpose of guarding Coloured Glass Mountain but Myriad Beast Sect has not given us the complete method to cultivate and control them.”
“So, we have no way of finding out what happened to the barrier below Coloured Glass Mountain in its current condition?” Gong Xing He immediately looked displeased.
The man surnamed Ma and the beautiful woman surnamed Du hung their heads down without saying a word.
“Do we have any idea what could have caused this?” Gong Xing He asked again.
The two Elders’ expressions became even more awkward.
Seeing this situation, another Elder nearby said, “Although we don’t know if the barrier was damaged as a result of some natural phenomenon or if it was damaged artificially, the most important thing right now is to suppress the outbreak of the Coloured Glass Divine Light. If we allow things to continue like this, the entire Spirit Array might collapse, and we might lose this treasure mountain. While we suppress the outbreak here though, we must thoroughly investigate all the outsiders who entered Coloured Glass Sect recently. If this was not some kind of accident, it may be related to one of these outsiders.”
“Yes!” A number of others immediately agreed.
Gong Xing He pondered for a moment before turning to look at the Elder who had spoken just now and nodded, “I leave it to you to investigate the outsiders in the Sect right now, don’t allow any of them to leave Coloured Glass Sect but also don’t embarrass them. If it really was one of them, they must have been after the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass. Good! I want to see just who has the guts to try something so audacious!”
“Yes!” The Elder received this order and immediately went to work.
Not far away, when Yin Su Die overheard all this, she suddenly smiled and quickly chased after this Elder, seemingly wanting to report something.
At the same time, another graceful young woman wearing a gorgeous dress walked up to Gong Xing He and said, “Sect Master, please restrain your anger. In fact, there is another method besides the Mountain Quarrying Beast to investigate what has happened with the barrier down below.”
Seeing this young woman speak, Gong Xing He squinted slightly before nodding, “Fu’er, explain. What other solution do you have?”
The young woman smiled and said, “Did father forget? Among my disciples, there is one who has cultivated the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art.”
The young woman and Gong Xing He shared a father-daughter relationship, but both were Third Order Origin Returning Realm masters. This situation was not uncommon on Shadowed Star though, because the Third Order Origin Returning Realm was the limit a cultivator could achieve here. As such, within many great Sects, multiple generations of the same family, as well as many Masters and Disciples could have the same cultivation.
From the way Gong Xing He addressed this young woman and from the words she spoke, it was apparent that she was the one Dai Yuan mentioned to Yang Kai, Gong Ao Fu of Myriad Crystal Peak.
“Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art…” Gong Xing He heard these words and could not help a trace of fear from flashing across his eyes. The other Elders present were also the same, all of them seemingly remembering something with complex expressions.
“You mean the Junior who currently lives on Thousand Illusion Peak?” Gong Xing He’s eyes quickly returned to normal and he asked lightly.
“Yes.” Gong Ao Fu nodded.
“Where is she?” Gong Xing He asked.
“It seems that she’s already on her way here, probably because she noticed the situation,” Gong Ao Fu turned her head towards a certain direction where an azure streak of light was quickly approaching.
After waiting for a moment, the azure light arrived in front of everyone and a graceful figure revealed itself.
However, when everyone saw the face of this figure, many strange expressions appeared.
The one who had arrived was naturally Dai Yuan, but obviously having anticipated that many of the Sect’s Elders would already be here, she didn’t show any signs of panic and greeted Gong Xing He with a calm expression, “Thousand Illusion Peak disciple Dai Yuan greets Sect Master!”
Gong Xing He gently nodded but did not say anything.
Dai Yuan next saluted Gong Ao Fu and the other Elders who had gathered.
Gong Ao Fu Dai frowned slightly as she used her Divine Sense to sweep Dai Yuan, suspiciously asking, “Yuan’er, what have you been up to these past few days? Why does it look like your vitality is slightly damaged?”
Dai Yuan bowed her head and replied, “Disciple had a slight accident while cultivating, but it has not caused any lasting harm. Many thanks for Honoured Master’s concern.”
Although her words were polite, Dai Yuan’s expression was completely indifferent, as if she was only making the appropriate replies without any emotion behind them.
Seeing this, Gong Xing He knit his brow slightly, but not caring about her attitude, he quickly asked, “Your Honoured Master said that you have a way to investigate the situation below Coloured Glass Mountain, is this the case?”
“Investigate below Coloured Glass Mountain?”
“Yes, we suspect that the underground barrier has been damaged, but we are unable to tell if it was some kind of natural occurrence or if it was done intentionally, so we need to check it. Is there any problem?”
“The Sect raised and nurtured me, so now that I can be of use to it, Dai Yuan will naturally cooperate!” Dai Yuan replied faintly.
Hearing this, Gong Ao Fu opened her mouth and seemed to want to say something, but thinking twice, she simply said, “Since that is the case, investigate the situation and report back to us.”
“Disciple understands!” Dai Yuan did not hesitate, immediately closing her eyes and circulating her Secret Art. Soon, Coloured Glass Divine Light identical to the one bursting from Coloured Glass Mountain burst from Dai Yuan’s body, the only difference was the light from her was less than a millionth in intensity. This halo of Coloured Glass Light surrounded Dai Yuan for a moment before suddenly condensing into a ray that shot into the ground below Coloured Glass Mountain.
Seeing this situation, many Elders who had never witnessed the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art in action showed looks of interest. Because Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain could not be suppressed by the five elements and also had the effect of restraining Spiritual Energy, even if their cultivation realms were much higher than Dai Yuan’s, they were unable to use their Divine Senses to investigate the situation below Coloured Glass Mountain.
But now, Dai Yuan, who was just a Third Order Saint King, was easily able to accomplish this feat, stimulating their curiosity.
Naturally, they understood the dangers of cultivating the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art, so while they were curious about its effects, none of them had any intent to practice it, most of them soon just waiting for Dai Yuan to finish her investigation.
Sometime later, a ray of light shot up from below Coloured Glass Mountain and rushed into Dai Yuan’s tender body.
Seeing this situation, the gathered Elders of Coloured Glass Sect looked to Dai Yuan and waited for her answer.
However, Dai Yuan kept her eyes closed tightly, as if she was perceiving something. It was only after quite a while passed that she opened her eyes and bowed, “Reporting to Sect Master, Honoured Master, the barrier beneath Coloured Glass Mountain has indeed been damaged, and nearby where the damage is there seems to be the corpse of a Monster Beast. It looks as if this Monster Beast touched the barrier and was killed by it, damaging it in the process.”
“A Monster Beast?” The beautiful woman surnamed Du was shocked and could not help asking, “Could it be the Mountain Quarrying Beast?”
“It can’t be,” The man surnamed Ma also looked puzzled, “The Mountain Quarrying Beast shouldn’t have damaged the barrier. It has already performed many investigations around the mountain and never once had any trouble, why would it suddenly make such a grave mistake?”
The beautiful woman surnamed Du looked at Dai Yuan and asked with a faint smile, “Martial Niece, could you have been mistaken? The Mountain Quarrying Beast was specially purchased from Myriad Beast Sect to be used here and should not have broken the barrier.”
“I can’t be certain what happened, I only reported what I was able to see. If Elder Du does not believe me, you should find some other ways to investigate the situation.” After Dai Yuan said a few words, her face became quite pale. Using the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art just now had exhausted her greatly.
The beautiful woman surnamed Du smiled with embarrassment and did not say anything more. If they had a way to check the situation carefully, how could they have needed to use Dai Yuan’s ability? It was more so that since she and Elder Ma had been guarding Coloured Glass Mountain when this problem had occurred, they would inevitably have to bear some responsibility.
“Since it was the fault of the Mountain Quarrying Beast, this issue isn’t complicated. What we need to do now is patch the Spirit Array. Since the barrier underground has been damaged, we need to find some way to repair it remotely or compensate for the breakage,” Gong Xing He flashed a thoughtful look on his face but did not ask Dai Yuan any further questions.
“Father… Since this problem was caused by the Mountain Quarrying Beast, should we still investigate the outsiders currently inside the Sect?” Gong Ao Fu glanced over at Dai Yuan when she asked this question, apparently having heard from Yin Su Die a few days ago that Dai Yuan had brought guests back with her.
“I’ll leave responsibility for this matter to you!” Gong Xing He waved his hand before turning around and flying off, his figure quickly disappearing.
After the Sect Master left, many Elders could not help secretly breathing a sigh of relief. Elder Ma and Elder Du soon exchanged a glance, the former saying, “Although according to the investigation by Martial Niece Dai Yuan, the barrier was not damaged by an outsider, something about this situation feels slightly off. Elder Du has been cultivating that Mountain Quarrying Beast for more than thirty years and has never made any mistakes, yet this time there was an accident. Perhaps there is something more to this incident we are not aware of yet.”
Everyone who heard this naturally understood that these two were trying to deflect responsibility. If this incident was the result of an outsider’s meddling, the responsibility borne by Elder Ma and Elder Du would naturally be lighter. As such, Elder Du immediately took the initiative to launch a thorough investigation.
Elder Ma could not feign lack of involvement and naturally cooperated fully with Elder Du to check all the outsiders who had recently arrived in the Sect.
On the other side, Dai Yuan came over to Gong Ao Fu with a pale face and bowed politely, “Honoured Master, disciple will take her leave now.”
“En, good, you’ve worked hard. The damage to your vitality this time has not been light; Before you reach the minor accomplishment stage in the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art, you must avoid using the Coloured Glass Divine Light as much as possible. Return to Thousand Illusion Peak and take a good rest for the next few months. Take this bottle of Hundred Gauze Pills, it should be able to help you restore some of your lost strength.” Saying so, Gong Ao Fu threw a bottle of pills to Dai Yuan.
Dai Yuan took it, expressed her gratitude, then departed respectfully. Gong Ao Fu asking her to take a few months to recuperate was exactly what Dai Yuan wished for. She originally intended to spend several months recovering her strength before attempting to break through to the Origin Returning Realm.
While the Coloured Glass Sect Elders busied themselves repairing the grand Spirit Array around Coloured Glass Mountain, Dai Yuan returned to Thousand Illusion Peak. Once there, she headed straight to the room where Yang Kai had been living.
Standing inside this room and looking around, Dai Yuan’s beautiful eyes flashed a touch of uncertainty.
After a brief hesitation, Dai Yuan pushed her Saint Qi and released the Coloured Glass Divine Light from her body again, condensing it into a ball she then sent underground. Closing her eyes, Dai Yuan carefully investigated the situation down below before suddenly shivering slightly as a look of shock appeared on her face, murmuring under her breath in the next month, “It really was you!”
She had noticed earlier when she was exploring the situation with Coloured Glass Mountain that a small tunnel had been dug beneath it. On top of that, the interior of Coloured Glass Mountain seemed to have been hollowed out somewhat and a great deal of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass was missing.
However, while following this small underground tunnel, Dai Yuan was shocked to discover that it actually led off towards Thousand Illusion Peak!
Although the entire tunnel had been deliberately covered up, there were still some slight traces left behind. Under the Coloured Glass Divine Light’s investigation, these traces became quite noticeable.
Shocked at the time, Dai Yuan did not dare to report everything she had seen because she vaguely felt that this matter might have something to do with Yang Kai. At that time, it was just a hunch, but to make sure there were no accidents she pushed the blame for the incident onto the Mountain Quarrying Beast. However, Dai Yuan could tell that the Mountain Quarrying Beast had not been killed by the barrier at all. Instead, it looked as if it had been patted to death by some kind of blunt object.
Now that she had returned to Thousand Illusion Peak and investigated, Dai Yuan was immediately able to verify her suspicions.
Beneath the room where Yang Kai had been staying, there were identical traces of a small tunnel leading towards Coloured Glass Mountain.
In recent years, Dai Yuan had only received two guests on Thousand Illusion Peak, Yang Kai and Yang Yan, so it only made sense that this was their doing.
Dai Yuan did not know what kind of magical method Yang Kai had used to dig a tunnel from here to Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain then extract a large amount of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass completely undetected, however, she knew if this matter ever came to light, Yang Kai would be hunted down Coloured Glass Sect. His method of collecting Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass without using the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art was something the Elders of the Sect would not be willing to let go of.
Fortunately, only Dai Yuan cultivated the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art, so even the Sect Master wouldn’t be able to discover anything was amiss unless the entire Coloured Glass Mountain was moved. Having pushed the blame onto the Mountain Quarrying Beast, Dai Yuan was confident that Yang Kai wouldn’t be subject to any doubt.
At this point, Dai Yuan felt strangely calm in her heart as she decided to bury this matter permanently and not tell another soul about it. She even took some time to completely erase all traces of the small tunnel deep underground leading to the room where Yang Kai had lived.
Yang Kai hadn’t thought that Dai Yuan would actually have a method to uncover his little scheme. He thought everything had gone smoothly with no one being the wiser.
Before he and Yang Yan left, Yang Kai made the Stone Puppet destroy the underground tunnel, but both of them had apparently underestimated the power of the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Art and the Coloured Glass Divine Light.
At this moment, Yang Kai and Yang Yan were already a hundred thousand kilometres away from Grand Crystal Mountain Range and were flying towards a certain destination.
But Yang Kai still felt a slight sense of discomfort so with a solemn look he released his Divine Sense to investigate the situation nearby.
“Why do you seem on edge?” Yang Yan asked with a frown.
“En, when the Stone Puppet returned, it mentioned it encountered a strange Monster Beast. Although it was only a Sixth-Order Monster Beast and the Stone Puppet instantly patted it to death, the change in Coloured Glass Mountain must be related to this. I don’t know if that Monster Beast was able to pass any information back to its master. If it did, we need to pick up our pace.”
“Xiao Xiao killed a Monster Beast?” Yang Yan exclaimed; she had only just learned about this matter.
“It should be a Monster Beast specially raised by Coloured Glass Sect. I don’t know what species it was, only that it was able to ignore the barriers under Coloured Glass Mountain. It was probably released by the Elders of Coloured Glass Sect to investigate the underground situation. Fortunately, the Stone Puppet acted swiftly and killed it before it had time to react; otherwise, I’m afraid things would have become troublesome…”Just as he said these words, Yang Kai raised his head and stared up ahead, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“What happened?”
“Someone is coming this way,” Yang Kai squinted as he continued to stare forward, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.
Yang Yan also looked in the direction Yang Kai was staring, but she was unable to discover anything. However, knowing that Yang Kai was different from ordinary people, she wasn’t surprised that he sensed something she couldn’t and simply asked lightly, “Are they after us?”
If someone was pursing them from Coloured Glass Sect, they should have appeared behind them, so why were they coming from the front?
“It’s Yin Su Die! It seems they really are targeting us,” Yang Kai smiled bitterly.
Yang Yan thought about it for a moment before suddenly saying, “Coloured Glass Sect must have a Space Array that is connected to the nearby city, otherwise this situation would be impossible. What should we do?”
“What else can we do? If we try to avoid them it would be like admitting we’re guilty,” Yang Kai shook his head; he decided to pretend he hadn’t discovered that some people were approaching and prepared to openly meet them.
Because he found that Yin Su Die, while not alone, wasn’t accompanied by an Origin Returning Realm master, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid to meet her.
At a position a few hundred kilometres ahead, Yin Su Die and two other Third-Order Saint King cultivators were flying towards Yang Kai with a faint trace of satisfaction apparent on her face. Before, when she heard the Sect Master order a thorough investigation of all the visitors to the Sect, Yin Su Die rejoiced; after all, she had suffered a small loss when she used her Beguiling Technique on Yang Kai a few days ago, allowing him to take advantage of her and stirring up a great deal of resentment in her heart.
Without even mentioning this though, Yang Kai being a guest of Dai Yuan alone was enough to stimulate Yin Su Die. She had been worried that she would be able to find an opportunity to make trouble for Yang Kai, but such an opportunity had actually presented itself much faster than she anticipated.
She was quite interested in what kind of relationship Dai Yuan and Yang Kai shared and what purpose she had for inviting Yang Kai back to Thousand Illusion Peak this time.
However, how could Yin Su Die have imagined that this so-called thorough investigation of all outsiders was just loud thunder with light rain? When she had reported to the Elder in charge of this investigation that Yang Kai was just a Second-Order Saint King, they had immediately lost any interest and didn’t have any intention of sending out a pursuit team. However, the Elder also seemed to understand Yin Su Die had her own motives for this so they didn’t prevent her from taking some people to chase after Yang Kai.
As such, Yin Su Die recruited two relatively strong helpers then used Coloured Glass Sect’s Space Array to travel to a city roughly one hundred thousand kilometres away.
Of the two cultivators Yin Su Die brought with her, one of them had a burly figure and bulging muscles which he exposed with his sleeveless robes named Hou Jian. This man looked like a great bear that possessed immense physical strength and constantly had a malevolent look upon his face, giving him a cruel impression.
But when this menacing man looked at Yin Su Die, his face filled with tenderness, and when he spoke to her, he also deliberately lowered his voice, seemingly afraid he would frighten this beautiful woman.
The other man Yin Su Die recruited, named Luo Min, wore refined robes and had a dignified face, giving him an intelligent and handsome appearance. At this moment, a light seemed to flash across the depths of his eyes as he continuously scanned his surroundings searching for something. With his pair of eyes, nothing within a radius of a hundred kilometres could escape his vision.
“Junior Brother Luo, have you found them yet?” The burly man suddenly glanced over at the other person and asked, “You’ve been looking for so long yet haven’t discovered any clues yet, are you even trying?”
“What are you implying?” Luo Min heard his burly companion’s question and immediately wore a displeased look upon his face, “They left Grand Crystal Mountain Range some time ago, and although we managed to get in front of them, who knows which direction they went? If Senior Brother Hou doesn’t feel relieved, you can try searching for them yourself. I heard that Senior Brother has recently put a lot of effort into cultivating his Divine Sense, this is a good opportunity to see the results of your training! It seems Master even rewarded Senior Brother with a bottle of Clear Spirit Pills, so presumably Senior Brother’s Divine Sense is much stronger than before, yes?”
Listening to the ridicule in this Junior Brother Luo’s voice, Hou Jian’s face immediately became gloomy. His Secret Art didn’t pay much attention to the growth of his Soul and it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that it was his biggest shortcoming. As his strength had grown, this shortcoming had become more and more obvious and some time ago, he had been forced to start single-mindedly cultivating his Spiritual Energy.
Now that this sore spot had been pointed out by his Junior Brother, and in front of the beauty he was pursing no less, Hou Jian couldn’t help feeling annoyed. The two of them, as fellow brothers, usually didn’t have any kind of friction between them, but now, in front of Yin Su Die, a kind of rivalry inevitably arose.
Seeing the face of the burly Hou Jian became dark, as if his anger was about to erupt, Yin Su Die quickly said, “Two Senior Brothers, please don’t quarrel. This time, I asked both of you to come out because I needed to borrow both of your strengths. Senior Brother Lou cultivates the Farsight Spirit Eye Technique which is necessary to find the people we’re looking for, but after finding them, Senior Brother Hou’s strength is necessary to capture them. Two Senior Brothers both know about the incident with the Sect’s most precious treasure, the Coloured Glass Mountain, and understand that the Elders suspect that it may have been caused by an outsider, yes? That man surnamed Yang leaving right at this moment is clearly suspicious, so we absolutely cannot let him escape.”
Yin Su Die didn’t show any annoyance at being competed over by these two men, even seemingly enjoying them clamouring for her attention, but right now, tracking down Yang Kai was her top priority, so she spoke to persuade them.
Hearing this, Hou Jian expression became somewhat more serious, seemingly taking Yin Su Die at her word and asking, “Then, was that incident really some kind of plot that brat set up?”
“I don’t know,” Yin Su Die smiled and shook her head. “But this matter is of great importance. Anyone who is even slightly suspicious can’t be let off. We must capture him and bring him back to the Sect Elders. Afterwards, it will be up the Elders to decide if he is guilty or innocent!”
By saying it was all the Elders’ orders, how could these two men refuse? However, Yin Su Die’s rhetoric was only able to confuse the muscle headed Hou Jian while the Luo Min thought otherwise. He clearly knew there was more going on here but he didn’t dare expose this truth.
For him, looking for someone was just a trifling matter; the important thing was that doing so allowed him to please Yin Su Die.
“Good good good, Junior Brother Luo, look again carefully, once you find that little brat, Senior Brother will make sure to capture him. Hmph, daring to have ideas about our Coloured Glass Mountain, I must see if this brat has the guts!” Declaring so, Hou Jian flashed a terrifying grin.
Just as Luo Min was about to make another snide comment, he suddenly glanced in a certain direction and shouted, “I found them!”
“Where?” Yin Su Die wore a look of happiness and hurriedly asked.
“That way, they’re coming towards us!” Luo Min pointed his finger and said with confidence, “It’s exactly as Junior Sister described, a young man and a woman with the woman wearing all black robes. It’s definitely them.”
“So it seems.” Yin Su Die smirked.
“Interesting, they’re actually coming right to us!” Hou Jian struck his chest and shouted, “Senior Brother will go on ahead, Junior Brother Luo, you protect Junior Sister. This won’t take long!”
When Luo Min heard this, he knew that his Senior Brother was trying to grab some credit; after all, he had been the one to discover them, so if he went forward to capture them now, Hou Jian would have come along for nothing. Nevertheless, Luo Min felt it was a good opportunity to enjoy some time alone with Yin Su Die so he didn’t bother objecting, smiling and saying, “Senior Brother Hou is still so impatient. Good, Junior Sister, let’s take our time. Presumably, by the time we arrive, Senior Brother Hou will have finished up everything; after all, how could a trivial Second-Order Saint King raise any fuss?”
Yin Su Die eyes flashed slightly, seemingly thinking of something, but quickly nodded as if nothing happened and said, “That’s true. Fortunately, I asked Senior Brother Luo to come along this time, otherwise, it would have been quite troublesome to find these two.”
“Junior Sister is far too polite, if you ever have a need for Senior Brother’s help in the future, all you need to do is ask and Senior Brother will surely not refuse. Junior Sister’s Myriad Crystal Peak is also not far from our Swift Bird Peak, so if another day Junior Sister has time, it would be Senior Brother’s honour to receive her. Senior Brother promises to provide the finest of entertainment should Junior Sister decide to visit.” Luo Min took this chance to send out an invitation, expressing as much admiration and affection as he dared to.
Hearing this, Yin Su Die let out a giggle and gave him a perfunctory answer. Although Luo Min understood this, just seeing Yin Su Die smile at him and being able to listen to her silver-bell-like laughter was enough for him to become somewhat absentminded. In the next instant, he shook his head slightly and focused his blurry vision as he felt a chill in his heart, understanding that this Junior Sister of his had once again made progress in her Beguiling Technique. He had also heard that as long as Grandmaster Xiao finished refining an Origin Condensing Pill for her, Yin Su Die would be able to break through to the Origin Returning Realm. Now, it seemed those rumours were true.
Yang Kai wore a strange look as he stared at the burly man with an indifferent expression who had flown over and intercepted them.
This burly figured was naturally Hou Jian who had been recruited by Yin Su Die, but what Yang Kai didn’t understand was why this man had rushed over all alone while Yin Su Die and another cultivator seemed to be taking their time catching up.
Hou Jian looked Yang Kai up and down, and after confirming that the aura fluctuations coming from him were indeed those of a Second-Order Saint King, the corners of his mouth curled upwards, revealing a look of disdain. However, when his eyes glanced over at Yang Yan, he could not help showing some surprise.
Hou Jian had not expected this woman wrapped in black robes to actually have such an extraordinary appearance. What was stranger though was that after being stopped by him, this man and woman did not show any signs of panic, both of them actually remaining perfectly calm.
What was most confusing for Hou Jain though was that he could not see Yang Yan’s true cultivation. When he tried to use his Divine Sense, it seemed to pass right through her body, as if she did not even exist.
This made Hou Jian’s expression become somewhat serious as he subconsciously regarded Yang Yan as a more powerful cultivator than Yang Kai.
Hou Jian had mainly come here targeting Yang Kai and naturally had no interest in Yang Yan, so after a brief investigation, he withdrew his gaze and focused his attention on Yang Kai.
“Greetings, friend!” Yang Kai took a step forward and cupped his fists, “Is there some reason you have blocked my Senior Sister’s and my path?”
“Some reason? Heh…” The burly man let out a chuckle, “Are you surnamed Yang?”
“I am.”
“Did you just leave Grand Crystal Mountain Range?”
“Yes!”
“Very good, this Hou is looking for you, little brat!” Hou Jian’s face went cold, and he shouted firmly, “Daring to have ideas about my Sect’s Coloured Glass Mountain, even damaging the barrier protecting it, I’d like to see how you try to escape!”
Hearing what Hou Jian said, Yang Kai was completely shocked, subconsciously thinking that his good deeds had been exposed, but after thinking about it for a moment, he felt that something was wrong. If he had really been exposed, there would not have just been three Saint Kings chasing after him. Coloured Glass Sect would have at least sent out a few Origin Realm Masters to ensure he was captured.
But if he hadn’t been exposed, why did this guy sound so sure he was guilty?
How could Yang Kai have known that this burly man surnamed Hou had just listened to Yin Su Die and assumed she had told him the truth?
Not showing any anxiety on his face, Yang Kai let out a laugh, “This friend must be joking. I came to Grand Crystal Mountain Range at the invitation of your noble Sect’s Dai Yuan and was her guest for only a few days. How could I have had any ideas about Coloured Glass Mountain?”
“Dai Yuan?” Hou Jian immediately gawked and he asked in surprise, “Do you know Dai Yuan? And she actually invited you to be a guest?”
He wore a dumbstruck expression on his face as he asked this question, as if he had just heard something completely unbelievable.
“Of course! I have no reason to lie about this. You can go back to Thousand Illusion Peak and ask Sister Dai Yuan, she will surly confirm what I’ve said.”
“Ask Dai Yuan…” Hou Jian’s face flashed a fearful expression for a moment, but he quickly waved his hand in the next moment and declare unreasonably, “Don’t spout nonsense brat! No matter what you say now, you will not be able to escape. This Hou has been entrusted to capture you so that is what I will do. As for what you’ve done or whether you’re guilty, that has nothing to do with me, I’m only responsible for bringing you back to face judgement!”
Hearing this, Yang Kai grinned widely, “So what this friend is saying is that you’ve no intention of allowing me to pass?”
“Hmph!” Hou Jian coldly snorted, “That’s how it is!”
As soon as he spoke these words, Hou Jian condensed a dazzling light on his fist as a fierce aura burst from his body. Leaping up into the sky in the next moment, Hou Jian soared like an eagle before abruptly turning around and swooping down, his right hand taking on a cold, metallic appearance as he palmed towards Yang Kai’s head.
Suddenly, with Yang Kai as the centre, everything within a hundred metres seemed to freeze, and as this palm approached, it was like the entire sky was collapsing downward. The atmosphere became heavy, making it difficult to breathe or even stand. Yang Yan, who was standing behind Yang Kai, even let out a gasp as her tender body slightly trembled.
However, a light burst from Yang Yan’s body in the next instant and freed her of this suppression. At the same time, her figure quickly retreated a thousand metres, escaping the range of Hou Jian’s attack.
Seeing this, Hou Jian was quite surprised, obviously not having expected Yang Yan to break free of his technique so easily. Although he did not know what that flash of light just now was, it was no doubt created by some kind of powerful artifact.
Although the power of this artifact was clearly quite good, Hou Jian still didn’t put it in his eyes, so after only a slight hesitation, he put more strength into his palm and continued to press it down towards Yang Kai while roaring fiercely, “Kneel down!”
He wanted to suppress Yang Kai with a single blow so that Yin Su Die, who was watching, could witness his strength.
This was a rare performance opportunity, so how could Hou Jian miss it?
When this palm was just ten metres away from Yang Kai though, a sneer appeared on the latter’s face as he stared straight back at this unreasonable man indifferently.
As soon as Hou Jian acted, Yang Kai was able to see that he wanted to use his great physical strength and vigorous Saint Qi to end this battle decisively. If it had been any other Second-Order Saint King Realm cultivator facing such an attack, they would certainly be panicking right now, but how could Yang Kai even place this fool in his eyes?
The pressure from Hou Jian’s technique alone would be able to crush any ordinary cultivator, but against Yang Kai it had no effect at all. Waving his hand casually, Yang Kai easily disrupted the heavy pressure, causing it to rapidly distort and then shatter like fragile glass.
In an instant, the mountain like pressure disappeared.
At the same time, Yang Kai figure, which had been shrouded in the shadow of his opponent’s palm, suddenly blurred, and vanished from sight.
Hou Jian’s face changed dramatically when he saw this, never having expected that a mere Second-Order Saint King would be able to escape the control of his pressure field. What’s more, after breaking free of the pressure field, his opponent had actually disappeared, with Hou Jian unable to even detect a trace of his aura.
Hou Jian became frightened as he immediately understood he had kicked an iron plate. While searching for some trace of Yang Kai, he suddenly felt an oppressive and dangerous aura coming from above him.
“Not good!” Hou Jian shouted to himself as he whipped around sharply to discover that Yang Kai had reappeared above his position and was now looking down upon him coldly, like a dragon flying over Nine Heavens overlooking an ant, causing Hou Jian to shudder unconsciously. Yang Kai immediately sent out what looked like a casual palm strike, but in Hou Jian’s eyes this palm appeared to cover the entire sky, making him feel like it was impossible to avoid.
Hou Jian did not dare hold back, hurriedly condensing as much of his strength as he could in that moment and lifting both his hands up high, as if he was trying to hold up the Heavens themselves. At the same time, a bright light shone from his body as he summoned out a metallic Artifact Armour.
Simultaneously, from the centre of his forehead, Hou Jian released a spinning cone of black light that shot out to intercept the world covering palm Yang Kai had released.
Hou Jian was an elite disciple of Coloured Glass Sect so even caught off guard, he was still able to make this many moves, fully demonstrating his great strength.
But even after all this, the unease in Hou Jian’s heart did not decrease, nor did he feel the slightest sense of security.
Under Hou Jian’s astonished gaze, the black cone-like weapon he had shot out struck the giant palm print and immediately grew dim, revealing its original shape.
It turned out to be a powerful spindle-like offensive artifact, but as soon as it was struck by Yang Kai’s Heaven Covering Hand, it was blown away and appeared to have suffered catastrophic damage.
Immediately after, the Heaven Covering Hand fell onto Hou Jian without further hindrance, causing his arms to buckle and his metallic Artifact Armour to crack. A single breath of time later, this Artifact Armour completely shattered.
Hou Jian grit his teeth hard and released a ferocious shout, pouring all the Saint Qi he could into his arms and punching out countless fist shadows to intercept the still approaching palm print.
Yang Kai saw this and simply snorted coldly, pushing his Saint Qi harder as he increased the power of his Heaven Covering Hand by another thirty percent.
The innumerable fist shadows rushed into the Heaven Covering Hand and disappeared like clay oxen wading into the sea, not even causing any waves before they were devoured without a trace.
Hou Jian complexion paled. Although they had only fought for a mere three breaths, he already understood that he was completely not worthy to be the opponent of this man his Junior Sister Yin was looking for!
While he understood this in his heart, Hou Jian only showed a look of unwillingness on his face.
Before Hou Jian could take any further action though, the giant palm broke through is resistance and impacted him directly.
With a thunderous bang, Hou Jian’s body plummeted through the air and slammed into the ground, opening a giant pit upon impact. The Heaven Covering Hand did not just disappear though and instead continued to ruthlessly press down towards Hou Jian.
The earth shook once more and a giant palm print spanning a nearly thousand-metre area was carved into the ground. At the very centre of this palm print, Hou Jian knelt on one knee, his hands still lifted upwards as his entire body convulsed.
Hou Jian’s thick arms were covered in blood, giving them a horrifying appearance, and his clothes had been almost completely shredded, revealing most of his burly body. With both his arms bent into unnatural shapes, it was clear the injuries he had received were not light.
Even in such a state though, Hou Jian continued to stare stubbornly at the slowly descending Yang Kai, a mixture of panic and hatred flashing across his eyes.
On the other hand, there was a trace of surprise on Yang Kai’s face. He had not thought that this man could withstand his Heaven Covering Hand. It seemed this man’s burly body was not just for show, his physique was clearly quite intrepid.
Seeing Hou Jian’s hate-filled eyes, Yang Kai’s brow lifted slightly. Landing in front of his opponent, Yang Kai lifted his foot and pressed it onto the opposite party’s shoulder while flashing a dangerous grin.
Hou Jian’s face went pale. Although he knew what Yang Kai was going to do, he was too gravely injured right now to even move much less resist, so all he could do was wait for the inevitable.
Under the uneasy gaze of the Hou Jian, a powerful force suddenly impacted his shoulder. This force instantly overcame any resistance he could muster and pressed Hou Jian into the ground. His face being shoved into the dirt, Hou Jian was embarrassed, but no matter how he struggled, Yang Kai’s foot pressing on his shoulder remained as heavy as a mountain, rendering him unable to move at all. Even covered in dust, the crimson glow on his face from indignation was apparent.
A thousand metres or so away, Yin Su Die and Luo Min who had finally arrived witnessed this unbelievable scene and could not help doubting their eyes.
The two of them had followed behind Hou Jian at a leisurely pace, and although they seemed to be chatting casually, both had witnessed the entire conflict between Yang Kai and Hou Jian.
Of course, this short exchange of blows could barely even be called a fight.
Hou Jian had charged forward in an imposing manner, sent out a powerful strike, and shouted arrogantly for Yang Kai to kneel. Yin Su Die and Luo Min had clearly heard all this but instead of Yang Kai being the one on the ground now, it was their companion who was having his face pressed into the dirt.
Yin Su Die and Luo Min were naturally clear that among Coloured Glass Sect’s Saint Kings, Hou Jian’s strength ranked among the top ten; but such an elite disciple had actually been defeated in a single blow by Yang Kai and was being suppressed to the point where he was unable to even fight back. How could Yin Su Die and Luo Min not be shocked?
None of the Saint Kings in Coloured Glass Sect could achieve such a feat.
Didn’t that mean that this Yang Kai was far more powerful than all the elites in their Sect? Luo Min’s complexion went slightly pale as he nervously swallowed. He considered his own strength and imagined if he had been the one to go forward instead of his Senior Brother Hou, quickly estimating that his end would not have been much better.
Being defeated was one thing, but the key point here was that this loss had happened in front of Yin Su Die. Worse, Hou Jian had been arrogantly boasting just moments ago so the embarrassment he was suffering right now was even greater. Presumably, Hou Jian would not have any face to continue pursuing Yin Su Die in the future. Realising this, Luo Min secretly took some pleasure in Hou Jian’s misfortune.
Yin Su Die was also learning for the first time how powerful Yang Kai truly was. Although she had met Yang Kai a few times before, she did not have any kind of deep relationship with him, so how could she have known that a small unknown character like him would possess such strength?
Perhaps even Fang Tian Zhong and Qu Chang Feng would not be Yang Kai’s match. Moreover, he seemed to have a close relationship with her Senior Sister Dai Yuan.
Thinking so, Yin Su Die was not discouraged in the slightest and instead had a different kind of light flash across her eyes. As she stared at Yang Kai, she covertly whispered to Luo Min, “Senior Brother Luo, you see that woman in black robes over there?”
“En, what is Junior Sister thinking?” Luo Min Zhe Yan glanced over at Yang Yan
“Can you quietly capture her?” Yin Su Die smiled lightly, as if she was asking about some trivial matter.
Luo Min’s face changed slightly. Although he wanted to strike his chest and agree right away, seeing the scene in front of him, he hesitantly said, “Junior Sister can see the current situation, even Senior Brother Hou isn’t that surnamed Yang’s opponent, so how am I supposed to capture that woman right in front of his eyes? Also, he does not seem like an affable fellow, if attacking that woman enrages him, the gains won’t be worth the cost.”
“Senior Brother Luo may rest assured. Since Junior Sister has proposed this, naturally I have my own arrangements,” Yin Su Die smiled slightly, “While I keep him occupied, Senior Brother Luo just needs to take the opportunity to seize that woman.”
Even hearing this, Luo Min still hesitated to agree.
Seeing this, Yin Su Die pretty face sank slightly, but light soon flashed across her beautiful eyes as she thought of something and said, “Senior Brother Luo, I know what you’re worried about but I only need you to capture that woman. So long as you don’t hurt her, that man won’t have any reason to find trouble with you later. Not to mention, Senior Brother Luo, although you are not his opponent, with your Flowing Light Escaping Shadow, even if he attacks could he catch you? Can Senior Brother Luo really not satisfy Junior Sister’s little request?”
Contemplating Yin Su Die’s words, Luo Min pondered for a moment before nodding, “Fine. Since Junior Sister thinks so highly of Senior Brother, just leave that woman to me. However, Junior Sister, you must be careful. That surnamed Yang does not seem to be an ordinary person, you must make sure to not suffer a loss at his hand.”
Luo Min seemed to be greatly confident in his Flowing Light Escaping Shadow, so even after witnessing Yang Kai instantly force Hou Jian onto the ground in defeat, he still agreed to Yin Su Die’s request.
Yin Su Die let out a peal of enchanting laughter and nodded, “If Junior Sister fought him head-on, I would surely lose within ten moves, but how could I give him such a chance?”
Luo Min turned his head and glanced at Yin Su Die upon hearing this only to discover that a faint halo of light was being emitted from his Junior Sister. This halo of light didn’t have any kind of aura to it, but the moment Luo Min saw it, his mind shook and it seemed as if his Junior Sister’s body was now exuding an overwhelming attraction, pulling directly on his soul, making him unwilling to move his eyes away from her, as if he couldn’t wait to be drawn in and submit his entire being to her.
Luo Min was dazed for a moment but quickly bit his tongue to extricate himself from this attraction, cold sweat dripping from his forehead in the next moment as he turned his eyes away. He didn’t dare gaze at Yin Su Die again as he realized that his Junior Sister’s Beguiling Technique had improved far more than he earlier estimated, to the point where he had no confidence in resisting it should he be targeted by her. This boosted Luo Min’s confidence in Yin Su Die greatly.
At that moment, Yang Kai, who was still stepping on Hou Jian’s shoulder, suddenly looked over towards Yin Su Die and Luo Min, as if he had only just now noticed them. Smiling widely, he called out, “Sister Yin, what a coincidence! To actually meet you here, it seems we share a bond of fate.”
“Bond of fate, hehe…” Yin Su Die covered her mouth and smiled, a bewitching light flashing across her beautiful eyes as she exuded a seemingly infinite charm and said, “We do seem to share some fate, but this time is not a coincidence. I deliberately used Coloured Glass Sect’s Space Array to travel to the nearby city in order to find you.”
“You came to look for me?” Yang Kai raised his brow slightly, feigning surprise, “What for? Does Sister Yin have something she needs from me?”
The smile on Yin Su Die’s face faded and was replaced with a sad one, “It’s nothing so important, I just wondered if Little Brother forgot about the agreement with me from the other day? Didn’t you say that you would come to visit my Myriad Crystal Peak when you have time? Now you have suddenly decided to leave without even saying goodbye… could it be that Senior Sister Dai Yuan didn’t provide you with an appropriate reception? If so, please allow Junior Sister here to make up for it. Senior Sister Dai Yuan is not fond of communicating with others and can be somewhat difficult to get along with. I hope Little Brother can be forgiving and not haggle over such small matters.”
Saying so, Yin Su Die really bowed in apology, cleverly displaying just enough of her astonishing assets in the process as she also cast her eyes towards Yang Kai elegantly, exuding a kind of charm that seemed to pull directly on one’s soul.
In response though, Yang Kai put on a flattered appearance and quickly waved his hand, “Sister Yin is far too serious. Sister Dai Yuan’s entertainment wasn’t lacking in any way, it is just that Junior Brother has some important matters to attend to, so it is inconvenient to remain in Coloured Glass Sect for a long time. That is why I departed so anxiously.”
While appearing completely at ease on the surface, Yang Kai was silently sighing with relief. As soon as Hou Jian appeared, he had charged Yang Kai with breaking the barrier around Coloured Glass Mountain, but now Yin Su Die was not even mentioning it. It seems the Stone Puppet had not been exposed, so Yang Kai no longer had anything to worry about.
“So that’s how it is!” Yin Su Die nodded her delicate chin lightly before lifting her jade white hand and gently brushing her hair behind her ear, exposing her dainty pink earlobe and saying with a smile, “Little Brother, before we speak any further if you don’t mind, could you release my foolish Senior Brother? It seems that there was a misunderstanding between him and you just now, but Little Brother has given him an appropriate punishment already, so can you let him off with just that?”
“He is your Senior Brother?” Yang Kai wore a startled look before putting on an apologetic look, “So he is also a disciple from Coloured Glass Sect. I was wondering who this blind fellow who suddenly appeared and started looking for trouble with me was, even attacking without asking anything. Since he is Sister Yin’s Senior Brother, naturally I will return him to you!”
Saying so, as if he was just casually sweeping his foot, Yang Kai kicked Hou Jian’s abdomen.
A cracking sound rang out and Hou Jian’s complexion, which had been bright red with embarrassment, suddenly went white as he flew through the air towards Yin Su Die.
Yin Su Die pretty face changed slightly, apparently not having thought Yang Kai would act so ruthlessly. Although that kick seemed to have been delivered lightly, judging from the sound just now, it was likely that more than half of her Senior Brother Hou’s ribs had been broken by it. This kind of injury, while not heavy, was certainly not light either and would take at least three of four months of bed-rest to completely recover from.
Yin Su Die’s eyes flashed with a trace of irritation, secretly annoyed that Yang Kai did not sell her any face at all. Waving her jade white hand lightly, she condensed a kind of pink cloud in front of herself.
When Hou Jian’s body hit this pink cloud, it was as if he had sunk into a ball of cotton and all the force from Yang Kai’s blow was resolved, allowing him to land without suffering any further injuries.
Yin Su Die raised her hand once more, placing it on Hou Jian’s shoulder and spinning him about. After everything was over, Hou Jian was calmly standing beside her, but his complexion was pale white, and he could not wait to find a hole to crawl into and disappear.
What made him most uncomfortable was that Yin Su Die did not even spare him a glance, completely ignoring him after helping him land, leaving him to stand there awkwardly, unable to utter a single word.
On the other side, when Yang Kai saw this scene, he could not help feeling a bit of surprise. A moment ago, he had poured a significant amount of Saint Qi into Hou Jian’s body, but Yin Su Die was able to resolve it without any difficulty. It seems that this woman was not as simple as she appeared; since she was able to become the leader of Coloured Glass Sect’s younger generation though, it was natural for her to have some means.
“If there’s nothing else Sister Yin has to say, this Yang will take his leave,” Yang Kai decided not to tangle with this woman; after all, she was the head disciple of Coloured Glass Sect, so there was no way he could kill her. If Yang Kai continued to engage with her, he was the one who would inevitably suffer a loss, so he decided to leave immediately.
Listening to Yang Kai say this, Yin Su Die giggled coquettishly before saying, “Please don’t be in such a rush Little Brother! Junior Sister came here this time especially to invite Little Brother to visit Myriad Crystal Peak. Junior Sister is quite curious about Little Brother’s relationship with Senior Sister Dai Yuan. If possible, I’d very much appreciate it if Little Brother can come back with me. Little Brother must know that Senior Sister Dai Yuan does not communicate with others in the Sect, even Junior Sister has difficulty having a good conversation with her. On the other hand, Little Brother is the first guest she brought back in the past two decades. Not only am I curious about this matter, even my Honoured Master has taken an interest in it. Junior Sister has actually come here to request Little Brother come back on my Honoured Master’s orders.”
“On your Honoured Master’s orders?” Yang Kai looked at Yin Su Die with a smile, seemingly pondering for a moment before replying, “It is not that I wish to refuse Senior Gong’s invitation, but this Yang truly has some important matters to attend to that cannot wait. Would it be acceptable for this Yang to pay his respects to Sister Yin’s Honoured Master when he visits Coloured Glass Sect in the future?”
“In the future… who knows when that future date will be. Junior Sister thinks that instead of waiting, it would be best for Junior Brother to accompany me back today,” Yin Su Die did not back down and instead became much more forceful in her words to Yang Kai, seemingly implying she would not relent no matter what.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly; the other party pestering so incessantly had naturally made him a bit disgruntled. It seemed that this matter could not be settled so easily, but thinking about it carefully again, Yang Kai realized he was being naive. Since Yin Su Die had chased him all this way, it was naturally impossible for her to simply give up and retreat.
Letting out a light sigh, Yang Kai asked solemnly, “If I insist on not following you back?”
“You want to refuse?” Yin Su Die giggled as she looked at Yang Kai with interest, exhaling an orchid scent as she said, “I’m afraid that decision is not one Little Brother can make.”
As soon as her voice fell, Yang Yan, who was standing about a thousand metres from Yang Kai, suddenly let out a shout, as if she had encountered a sneak attack.
Yang Kai eyes instantly became cold as he quickly turned around to look.
He didn’t know when it had happened, but a male cultivator wrapped in a bright white light had at some point moved to capture Yang Yan, but he had clearly failed in his initial attempt and was instead repelled by one of Yang Yan’s defensive artifacts. At this moment, this male cultivator stood in place with a deep frown on his face, his hand still stretching out in a grasping position, seemingly competing with a fiery red light being emitted from Yang Yan’s body.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he immediately recognized that this male cultivator was the one that had been following Yin Su Die.
Hurriedly turning his head back to look behind Yin Su Die, the figure that had been standing there a moment ago had mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind only a white glow that was rapidly dissipating.
Yang Kai was genuinely shocked!
He had no idea when this man had left Yin Su Die’s side and gone off to sneak attack Yang Yan. The secret technique cultivated by this man was obviously quite unusual and was even capable of deceiving Yang Kai’s sharp senses.
It was conceivable that if Yang Yan had not been wearing so many artifacts she had personally refined, this man’s sneak attack would have succeeded. If Yang Yan had been captured, Yang Kai would have immediately fallen into an extremely passive situation, and even if he did not want to, he would have had to follow Yin Su Die back to Coloured Glass Sect.
After realizing he had fallen for the other party’s scheme, Yang Kai became furious. Ignoring Yang Yan’s situation, his eyes flashed a sharp light as he glared coldly towards Yin Su Die.
The artifacts Yang Yan had on her were all outstanding, and although Yang Kai did not know the exact number she was wearing, he was confident that no Third-Order Saint King would be capable of even touching her.
Even an ordinary Origin Returning Realm cultivator may not be able to seize Yang Yan, that was how outstanding her self-protection ability was.
The moment Luo Min attacked Yang Yan, Yin Su Die also acted against Yang Kai. With the sweet, crisp, silver bell-like laughter, the pink cloud she had summoned once before appeared again, this time transforming into a large pink mist barrier that completely enveloped Yang Kai.
In the next moment, Yin Su Die exhaled a fragrant breath into this pink mist barrier. The pink mist barrier immediately tumbled as if it had come alive while the sounds of delightful music and tender laughter echoed throughout it.
As soon as these voices came out, the originally pale Hou Jian who was standing behind Yin Su Die immediately blushed red as his blood boiled and his eyes filled with burning fire as he stared into Yin Su Die’s Beguiling Technique obsessively.
Seemingly feeling his fiery gaze, Yin Su Die frowned, turned around, and smacked Hou Jian’s head, causing his glazed over eyes to once again restore their clarity.
“Compose yourself! Disgraceful!” Yin Su Die snorted disapprovingly, causing Hou Jian’s face to turn even redder.
He had embarrassed himself twice today so, in the future, he would not have the face to lift his head in front of Yin Su Die. This Beguiling Technique had not been aimed at Hou Jian, so with his strength and cultivation, it shouldn’t have been difficult to resist, but having been injured by Yang Kai, causing his Saint Qi flow to become unsteady and his mood to swing wildly, Hou Jian had actually failed to maintain a clear state of mind.
Hearing Yin Su Die’s harsh rebuke just now, Hou Jian felt his heart sink and his only thought now was to return to Coloured Glass Sect and enter an extended retreat.
“There will be a place where Senior Brother Hou’s strength is needed later, so focus on recovering for now!” Yin Su Die saw Hou Jian’s embarrassed look and quickly offered some words.
After hearing this, Hou Jian’s eyes flashed, and a stern look returned to his face as he restrained his embarrassment. Nodding once, he sat down cross-legged and took out a few bottles of pill from his Space Ring, pouring them into his mouth and swallowing them before taking out two High -Rank Saint Crystals, holding them in his palms, and circulating his Secret Art.
Seeing this, Yin Su Die showed a slight look of satisfaction on her face while continuing to manipulate the pink mist barrier in front of her, enhancing the power of her Beguiling Technique.
Inside the pink mist barrier, Yang Kai stood still and observed his surroundings. The place he was standing had changed dramatically. Originally, it had been a vast wilderness, but now Yang Kai actually found himself standing inside a grand palace.
In front of him right now was a huge pool filled with crystal clear water that carried strong scent of wine that seemed to penetrate directly into Yang Kai’s nose.
Beside the pool, there were more than twenty young girls in revealing dresses who were dancing playfully. Each of these young girls had a soft waist, graceful figure, overall outstanding appearance, but none of them were the same, all of them having their own particular charm. Some of them boldly sent Yang Kai’s passionate gazes while others shyly avoided making eye contact.
Some of them had chilly auras, making them appear like cold, inviolable goddesses.
Others were bold and flirtatious, showing off the amazing fullness and elasticity of their twin peaks and milk white bottoms as they twirled about enticingly.
Still others wore shy, innocent looks that would elicit feelings of pity from even the coldest of men.
A soft, melodious music filled the air which in conjunction with the dancing poses of these beautiful young girls gave people the illusion that they had arrived at the most glorious flower garden, involuntarily pulling on their hearts as they were drawn in by these alluring sights and sounds. It made one wish to immerse themselves in this paradise and never leave.
Yang Kai, however, just stood on the spot and looked at everything around him indifferently, not showing even the slightest interest in the young dancing girls.
After suffering such a big loss using her Beguiling Technique to deal with Yang Kai last time, Yin Su Die apparently had not learned her lesson and was attempting to use the same strategy again. It was hard to imagine what she was thinking.
However, this Beguiling Technique did have some impressive features to it. If it was an ordinary Saint King Realm cultivator standing here, they would definitely have their mind thrown into chaos. But Yang Kai’s Soul and Divine Sense were astonishingly powerful and this was not the first or second time he had dealt with Beguiling Techniques, he could even be called an experienced expert in this field, so looking around at this scene filled with flaws, how could his mind be shaken?
Yin Su Die also seemed to realize that Yang Kai had not fallen into confusion and after a while, she changed her tactics. The pink mist barrier suddenly roiled and the expressions on the more than twenty young girls who had been singing and dancing gleefully just now all changed and became filled with sorrow and sadness, the music filling the air also slowing and becoming more somber.
With this sad music in the background, these young girls seemed to transform from enchantresses to abandoned young women filled with sorrow and dissatisfaction.
Their originally neatly arranged clothes also instantly became thinner and clung to their tender bodies more tightly, emphasizing their full curves and flat abdomens, even causing the fragrant grasslands between their long delicate legs to become partly visible. If Yang Kai was willing, obtaining them would be as easy as lifting his hand.
The temptation of this situation, compared to the previous happy revelry, immediately rose to a whole new level!
Yang Kai frowned for a moment but soon grinned widely. He was planning on taking decisive action just now but after thinking about it briefly he actually withdrew his Saint Qi and folded his arms, assuming the position of an amused observer, preparing to appreciate Yin Su Die’s Beguiling Technique as if it were some kind of show.
After half a cup of tea’s worth of time, the pink mist barrier transformed again, and Yin Su Die increased the power of her Beguiling Technique for a second time.
When the fog settled, the previously grieving girls had become completely naked and were now entangled with one another like water snakes, exposing their beauty to the air in pairs or groups of three or five. Each one of them was exhaling a rich orchid sent as they brushed against their partner’s lips and bodies, wrapping them arms and legs around one another as they explored every inch of each other, leaving nothing to Yang Kai’s imagination.
Yang Kai’s eyes bulged slightly as he watched with great interest.
This was the first time he had witnessed such a scene, and although he knew it was all just an illusion, that did not diminish the impact it made. At the very least, Yang Kai had some reaction to it, his blood flow accelerating quite a lot.
“Not bad. Not bad at all!” Yang Kai nodded lightly, seemingly quite satisfied.
He did not have any intention to immediately break this Beguiling Technique and instead was actually enjoying it leisurely; after all, it wasn’t a scene one could usually appreciate.
A cold snort suddenly rang out as it seemed Yin Su Die became somewhat angry out of shame. In the next instant, all the entangled young girls overflowing with erotic auras had their expression warp into ones filled with hatred. It was as if all of them had transformed into poisonous vipers who were glaring at Yang Kai maliciously, their beautiful eyes all exuding an icy light.
When Yin Su Die coldly snorted, the young dancing girls all directed undisguised hatred towards Yang Kai and charged him while, at the same time, the pink mist barrier welled up and engulfed him.
Inside the concealing mists, these girls fluttered back and forth like butterflies, their bodies gradually blurring until they disappeared without a trace while the melodious music also became dissonant filled with murderous intent. This assault on Yang Kai’s senses was specially aimed at shaking his heart and disturbing his mind.
At the same time, the pink mist seemed to come alive and tried to silently penetrate Yang Kai’s body through his pores, affecting his judgment and the circulate of his Saint Qi.
Yin Su Die realized that her attempts to confuse Yang Kai were futile and immediately changed to a more aggressive approach.
She didn’t expect to be able to defeat Yang Kai like this and was only planning on delaying him long enough for her Senior Brother Luo to catch Yang Yan.
Inside the pink mist, Yang Kai’s expression became solemn as black flames burst from his body, covering him in a scorching hot aura. The pink mist that had been trying to invade his body was incinerated the moment it came in contact with these flames.
However, this pink mist seemed to be able to regenerate infinitely, so no matter how much of it was burned away by the Demon Flame, it continued to flow towards Yang Kai.
From inside this pink mist, vague figures continuously launched sneak attacks towards Yang Kai. Naturally, these vague figures were the beautiful young girls who had disappeared a moment ago. They would appear from Yang Kai’s blind spots, making them impossible to guard against, and send out pink ribbons that wrapped around him tightly.
Yang Kai remained unharmed for the moment, but the pink ribbons which were binding him were quite strange, completely unaffected by his Demonic Flames.
This point caught Yang Kai’s attention, and upon observing these ribbons closely, he discovered that these pink ribbons were not actually illusions created from the fog but rather an Origin Grade Artifact Yin Su Die had summoned at some point. It was just that the colour and shape of this artifact matched perfectly with her Beguiling Technique, making it difficult for Yang Kai to tell immediately tell what was real and what was fake.
On top of that, these pink ribbons were able to restrain the circulation of Yang Kai’s Saint Qi, causing the layer of Demonic Flame protecting his body to rapidly weaken.
A tender laughter echoed from in all directions, making it impossible to distinguish where the source was, and immediately after, the pink ribbon tightened greatly, seemingly wanting to completely wrap up Yang Kai like a giant dumpling.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, grabbed one of the ribbons wrapped around his arm, and fiercely yanked on it, instantly dragging a beautiful figure out of the pink mist bank.
Without even waiting for this figure to get close, Yang Kai’s other hand clenched into a fist and punched out towards this tender body.
A pitiful scream filled the air as the tender body of a young girl exploded into a blood flower which rapidly disappeared from Yang Kai’s vision and merged into the pink mist, causing its colour to become slightly thicker.
Seeing the effectiveness of this method, Yang Kai instantly spun like a top, exerting all his might on each ribbon, dragging all the young girls at the other ends screaming towards him.
Demonic Flames burst from Yang Kai’s hands and smashed towards these illusionary figures, raising a series of ghastly screams as these young girls burst into blood mists and instantly disappeared.
The moment all these illusionary girls were destroyed, Yang Kai seemed to hear Yin Su Die snort.
It seemed that his actions just now had caused some damage to Yin Su Die, who was the source of this Beguiling Technique.
Yin Su Die had indeed received a bit of backlash from her Beguiling Technique being forcefully broken like this. She had not expected Yang Kai to be so ruthless and not show the slightest hint of tender affection.
For other men trapped in this Beguiling Technique Bewildering Array, even if they knew that these young girls were fake, they would find it difficult to ruthlessly slaughter them, allowing Yin Su Die to gain some time to exhibit the next step to her technique. This next step not only had the function of restraining an enemy, but also had an extraordinarily strong killing power. Yin Su Die had figured she could stall Yang Kai for at least as long as it took to boil a cup of tea.
But Yin Su Die had not anticipated that Yang Kai would completely disregard the beautiful young girls who had been created by her Beguiling Technique and cleanly slaughter them, disrupting her plans while also causing her to suffer some backlash.
Although the backlash was not strong and wouldn’t affect her combat capability, Yin Su Die’s beautiful eyes still filled with a ruthless colour as she called out sharply, “Senior Brother Hou!”
“Yes!” Hou Jian, who had been meditating behind Yin Su Die to restore himself, heard her call and immediately got up, his figure flickering as he charged into the pink mist.
At the same time, Yin Su Die’s Divine Sense moved, and a number of graceful figures once again appeared in the large mist bank surrounding Yang Kai. These figures however were different from the last ones as each of them was holding a different weapon, each of which were exuding a not weak energy fluctuation. There were even some figures wearing glowing Artifact Armour.
Yang Kai could not help but feel stunned for a moment.
Although he looked down on Yin Su Die for twice trying to use her Beguiling Technique to deal with him, he also knew that this woman would not be stupid enough to keep repeating the same mistake again and again. He had just smashed these figures with ease a moment ago, so why had she suddenly summoned more of them?
What drew Yang Kai’s attention most though were the weapons these newly emerged figures held in their hands.
Just as he was feeling some doubt, one of the young girls next to him waved a small fan in her hand towards Yang Kai.
This little fan wasn’t very eye-catching, only having some birds and beasts embroidered on it.
But when this fan was waved, the sound of beast roars immediately rang out and a black light suddenly flew out from its surface, transforming into several large and small Monster Beasts.
These Monster Beasts were the same as the embroidered pictures on the small fan, and after they appeared, the fan itself became completely empty.
There were more than thirty of these Monster Beasts, some of them as big as buildings while others were as small as ordinary snakes, and as soon as they appeared, they all rushed directly to Yang Kai.
“An illusion?” Yang Kai’s brow furrowed but his expression soon took on a look of shock as he condensed a Demonic Flame sword in his hand and released a series of slashes.
In an instant, the more than half of the thirty Monster Beasts descending upon Yang Kai were splint into halves by the sword waves, but some of them were more flexible than the others and avoided this attack and pounced onto their prey. As for the Monster Beasts that had been split apart transformed into clouds of Black Qi, gathered together, and actually reappeared, seemingly unharmed.
However, if one looked closely, they would notice that the colour of these reconstituted Monster Beasts was significantly dimmer than before.
In a blink of an eye, Yang Kai was surrounded by a dozen Monster Beasts and one of them, which was the size of a small building and modeled after a Qilin, lifted its giant front claws and pressed them down towards Yang Kai.
Before these claws even fell, a suffocating pressure enveloped Yang Kai, seemingly trying to press him into a meat patty.
Yang Kai didn’t dodge though, and in order to verify his guess, he actually punched upwards to meet this attack head on.
A fist wrapped in Demonic Flame impacted the claw of this giant Monster Beast and knocked it flying, but at the same time, Yang Kai was forced back a few steps. The other Monster Beasts took advantage of this opening and pounced upon Yang Kai.
Seeing this from the outside, Yin Su Die wore a smug smile on her lips, but this smile went stiff just as fast as it blossomed.
Inside the pink mist, this group of Monster Beasts which had piled onto Yang Kai were themselves enveloped in a black light, releasing pitiful wails as they were blasted out in all directions.
“They’re not illusions! Amazing, it seems the top disciple of Coloured Glass Sect has some good methods!” Yang Kai’s appraising voice called out.
Only now was he able to determine that the fan and these Monster Beasts were not mere illusions. The fan was an artifact, and the Monster Beasts it released were a part of its power, both of which were tangible existences. Not only this fan though, it seemed all the weapons the girls were holding were real artifacts.
Inside this pink mist, only the young girls themselves were created by Yin Su Die’s Beguiling Technique, existences that straddled the line between real and illusionary.
“Little Brother should stop struggling pointlessly and obediently come with me!” Yin Su Die saw Yang Kai was more difficult to deal with than she anticipated and shouted coldly.
“If you want me to follow you, you first need to have prove you have the skill!” Yang Kai sneered, and as soon as his voice fell, his figure flickering, disappearing from its original position in a crack of thunder.
The instant Yang Kai’s figure reappeared though; a flash of light pierced towards him. Although this flash of light was extremely fast, Yang Kai could still clearly see its true appearance. It was a dagger-like artifact that had been thrown by one of the illusionary girls towards him with near perfect timing.
Yang Kai roared angrily as he stretched out a hand covered in burning hot Demonic Flame and grabbed this dagger.
With a cold snort, Yang Kai pushed his Saint Qi fiercely, causing his Demonic Flames to completely envelop the dagger.
At a speed visible to the naked eye, this dagger, which was a genuine Saint King Grade High-Rank artifact, melted like a snowflake under the sun.
In a flash, this dagger had been reduced to a molten metal and slipped through Yang Kai’s fingertips.
Now that he had determined that these artifacts were all real, Yang Kai naturally knew what to do. Yin Su Die pestering him endlessly like this had annoyed him greatly, so he was planning on teaching her what fate awaited those who crossed him.
When they saw this Saint King Grade artifact so easily destroyed, the expressions on the faces of the remaining young girls changed to shock. Perhaps they were connected to Yin Su Die’s mind so they would reflect her expression at the moment.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yang Kai grinned and struck towards these girls.
In the next instant, cries of surprise sounded out, and the girls all spread out, urging the power of the artifacts in their hands to simultaneously attack Yang Kai.
It had to be said that Yin Su Die’s Beguiling Technique was unique and powerful. With this strange technique, she could easily defeat cultivators in the same realm without ever facing them directly.
Unfortunately, the one she was now trying to use this Beguiling Technique on was Yang Kai.
Firstly, Yang Kai’s Soul was far stronger than average cultivators in the same realm, so he would not easily be manipulated, and secondly, Yang Kai had cultivated the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art so he had a natural resistance to Beguiling Techniques.
A burst of screams rang out as the girls inside the pink mist barrier were slaughtered by Yang Kai.
Yang Kai wasn’t actually targeting them directly as they were all simply illusions manifested by Yin Su Die, so even if he did kill them it would achieve nothing. Instead, Yang Kai was targeting the artifacts these illusionary girls were carrying.
There were more than twenty Saint King Grade High-Rank artifacts in total. The fact that Yin Su Die could collect this many high-rank artifacts and even use all of them at once was quite surprising because although it appeared that this illusionary girls were the ones manipulating them, Yin Su Die would have first had to refine these artifacts before that was possible.
Collecting and refining more than twenty artifacts must have taken Yin Su Die a great deal of time and effort, so if they were all destroyed, she would undoubtedly be distressed.
Sure enough, after seeing five or six of the precious Saint King Grade artifacts she had painstakingly refined being melted into slag by Yang Kai’s Demonic Flame, Yin Su Die’s anger soared as she ground her teeth and screamed, “If you destroy any more of my artifacts, I’ll make you pay!”
Hearing her frustrated scream, Yang Kai’s mood became more carefree as he spun around to face another of the young girls standing next to the wine pool. This illusionary girl was holding a long whip that let out a flash of lightning each time it was cracked. Among the more than twenty artifacts, it could be ranked in the top three in terms of power and value.
The price of such an artifact was certainly not low, and if it were to be destroyed, Yin Su Die’s mood would surely worsen.
Yang Kai rushed towards this girl immediately, his figure flickering a few times before suddenly appearing in front of her. This illusionary girl’s senses were connected with Yin Su Die, so she immediately noticed Yang Kai’s attack and her pretty face was filled with panic. The long whip cracked as it struck towards Yang Kai, releasing a blue flash of lightning.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, and made a sweeping motion with his hand, releasing a wave of Demonic Flame that neutralized all the lightning, causing it to disappear without a trace.
Yang Kai then reached out his other hand and grasped towards the air ruthlessly.
The series of whip shadows that had just been blotting out the sky instantly solidified as it was caught by Yang Kai. The Demonic Flames on his palm burst forth and the long whip’s glow quickly grew dim. At the rate it was losing its spirituality, it wouldn’t be long before this whip was destroyed like the other artifacts before it.
At that moment, a dream-like whisper brushed Yang Kai’s ear. This whisper seemed to contain an infinite charm and it swiftly slipped into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai’s Saint Qi circulation was instantly disrupted and the intensity of the Demonic Flames covering his hand rapidly weakened.
Simultaneously, an extremely burly figure suddenly emerged from the wine pool. This figure was abnormally tall, with muscles as strong as forged iron, and two eyes like those of a fierce beast that were glaring hatefully towards Yang Kai. In this figure’s hand was a kind of broken blade, one that was obviously cutting into its wielder’s hand. Strangely though, there was no blood dripping from the wound opened by this broken blade, instead, it seemed the blood which should have been leaking out was being absorbed by the broken blade, dying it a crimson colour.
A bloody smell thick enough to make others nauseous quickly filled the air.
This burly man was none other than Hou Jian who was previously injured by Yang Kai.
At some point he had obviously snuck into the pink fog barrier and hidden himself in the wine pond. With Yin Su Die coordinating with Hou Jian, even Yang Kai wasn’t able to notice him until he attacked.
While Yang Kai’s attention was attracted to the long whip artifact, Hou Jian saw an opportunity and immediately launched a sneak attack.
The broken blade Hou Jian held, released a crimson sword wave as he swung it ruthlessly towards Yang Kai’s waist. At that moment, Hou Jian was releasing a thick murderous intent as a cold grin crept onto his face.
Hou Jian had suffered a big loss at Yang Kai’s hand and understood that this young man was extremely powerful, but since he dared to rush out at this time, Hou Jian was naturally completely confident in his ability to win. His source of confidence was the broken Origin Grade High-Rank artifact he was wielding. It was an evil artifact that Hou Jian had picked up during one of his trips outside for life experience and was twenty or thirty percent more powerful than an average artifact.
Normally, which his current cultivation, Hou Jian didn’t dare to use this artifact; after all, if it were used too many times, the evil aura inside it would likely begin to affect his personality.
But today he had been humiliated again and again and all that was on Hou Jian mind right now was saving face in front of Yin Su Die, so how could he care about such trivial consequences now? As such, he had immediately summoned this artifact in order to kill Yang Kai.
His timing was quite good. Yang Kai’s concentration had just been disturbed by Yin Su Die and also had his attention focused on trying to destroy the long whip artifact. So even if Yang Kai’s strength was outstanding, he wouldn’t be able to easily avoid this sneak attack.
As long as he was hit by this sword wave, he would definitely die!
Yang Kai was naturally able to notice the strangeness of this broken blade and for the first time showed a dignified expression. Just as he was about to dodge though, the girl who was standing in front of him manipulated the long whip in her hand to entangle Yang Kai.
Before Yang Kai could escape, he was bound in place while at the same time, lightning flashed from the long whip as the power of this artifact was stimulated to the fullest.
Bolts of lightning crackled and flooded Yang Kai’s body. Facing this situation, Yang Kai’s face grew cold and gloomy as he pushed his Saint Qi fiercely, releasing a surge of flames from his body that burned down the long whip.
In an instant, the long whip was destroyed and broken into countless pieces that fell to the ground, but this momentary delay was enough for the blood-red sword wave to arrive in front of Yang Kai, making it impossible for him to evade!
Facing this blood-red sword wave that was about to cut his body, Yang Kai calmly summoned his Purple Shield and injected his Saint Qi into it. A purple halo flashed from the shield as a series of runes lit up on its face. These runes rotated rapidly and soon leapt out from the shield, transforming into a giant illusionary shield that blocked the path of the approaching sword wave.
*Hong…*
With a loud bang, the blood-coloured sword wave landed on the light shield, causing it to explode, but at the same time the blood-coloured blade was repelled.
Seeing this, Hou Jian’s expression was dumbfounded, as if he hadn’t anticipated Yang Kai would actually possess such an excellent defensive artifact, one that was even capable of resisting his killing blow!
He had greatly underestimated Yang Kai’s depths.
When the Purple Shield was first refined, it was just an Origin Grade Low-Rank artifact, but after being enhanced once by Yang Yan, it had been upgraded to the Origin Grade Mid-Rank. Later, inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Yang Kai had used the Purple Shield to fight against the Artifact Spirit, resulting in its spirituality being greatly damaged. After bringing it back, Yang Kai had Yang Yan enhance it a second time, resulting in today’s Purple Shield already being an Origin Grade High-Rank artifact.
Its defensive capability was even more outstanding than before.
Being an Origin Grade High-Rank artifact as well, the Purple Shield was naturally able to block the strike of Hou Jian’s broken blade. If this hadn’t been the case, Yang Kai wouldn’t have summoned it out with such confidence.
After blocking the bloody blade, Yang Kai took back his Purple Shield and stared straight at Hou Jian with a stern look, a sneer soon creeping onto his face.
How could Yang Kai have missed the strong murderous intent the other party had released during that strike just now.
This man had already decided to kill him!
If they just wanted to bring him back to Coloured Glass Sect, Yang Kai wouldn’t have taken things too far, but now…
Waving his hand, a scroll-like object appeared in front of Yang Kai who wore a fierce grin. In an instant, the illusionary shadows of several mountains rushed out from this scroll. When these shadows rushed out, they immediately expanded to the point where they covered the sky before pounding down towards Hou Jian with incredible force.
Hou Jian’s face changed drastically and he could no longer care about anything else, hurriedly pouring all his strength into the broken blade, allowing it to wantonly consume his blood as he lifted it up high and slashed out.
A blood-red sword wave impacted the bottom of the approaching phantom mountain and split it in half, causing the broken pieces to fall away from Hou Jian. The earth trembled on this series of impacts as several giant pits were created.
However, Yang Kai had used dozens of phantom peaks this time, each successive one bigger than the last, so how could Hou Jian defend against all of them?
Hou Jian only managed to defend himself for three breaths before his strength was completely consumed and he powerlessly watched the approaching mountain peak press down on him. Hou Jian’s face became ashen as his gaze became hollow.
He was certain that he would die in the next moment! Instantly, he regretted following Yin Su Die out here.
At that moment though, the pink mist in the surrounding as well as the grand palace and wine pool all suddenly twisted and disappeared. The figure of Yin Su Die appeared in front of the Hou Jian like a ghost, her usual charming expression replaced with solemn on as she lifted up a white bead that released a soft light in to the surrounding.
When he was hit by the light from this bead, Yang Kai suddenly felt his murderous intent decrease and his mood become tranquil. Even his desire to ruthlessly kill Hou Jian faltered.
However, in an instant, Yang Kai dispelled this hesitation as he stared at Yin Su Die coldly.
He knew that the reason why his will had suddenly weakened was related to the strange bead in her hand.
Yin Su Die on the other hand stared at the bead in her hand for a moment, seemingly looking for something, but she soon wore a happy smile as she called out to Yang Kai tenderly, “Do you really want to do this? You won’t regret it?”
When she spoke these words, she stood in front of Hou Jian, completely disregarding the illusionary mountain peaks above her, seemingly unafraid of death.
After Yin Su Die asked this, she showed no further signs of resistance, her tender body seemingly delicately blowing in the wind.
But the look on Yang Kai’s face changed greatly as he stared at her, immediately waving his hand and retrieving the phantom mountain peaks that had been smashing down towards her. Even the Hundred Mountains Picture was tightly grasped in his hand.
He gazed incredulously in the direction of Yin Su Die, his eyes filled with tenderness as his lips trembled a few times before finally whispering, “Su Yan?”
At this moment, the one standing in front of Hou Jian was no longer Yin Su Die but rather the woman that Yang Kai longed for deep in his heart, the beauty who appeared in his dreams every night and had enchanted his heart and soul.
His expression immediately solidified as infinite longing filled his mind and tenderness that could melt even the coldest ice flashed across his eyes.
The opposite Su Yan also looked at him with the same kind of infinite tenderness, but imperceptibly, the corner of her mouth twitched slightly, as if he she had just heard a stranger’s name, changing her appearance ever so slightly.
Just when she thought that Yang Kai had been thoroughly confused by herself, his expression suddenly became ice cold and all the tenderness in his eyes disappeared, replaced with a thick disgust and anger.
Seeing Yang Kai’s look change, Yin Su Die realized that the situation had taken a turn for the worse, immediately reached out to grab the pale and bloody Hou Jian in an attempted to escape.
But before she could even move a step, Yang Kai’s low voice suddenly sounded, “Blossoming Lotus!”
Yin Su Die’s tender body, which was still facing Yang Kai, suddenly stiffened as she saw the vague vision of a lotus bud appear in his eyes. This vision was incredibly beautiful and exuded a soft seven coloured light, instantly attracting her completely attention, making it impossible for her to look away.
In the next instant, this lotus vision suddenly disappeared from Yang Kai’s eyes and strangely appeared in Yin Su Die’s Knowledge Sea.
[Soul Skill!] Yin Su Die’s face changed dramatically as she comprehended what had just happened, but as she tried to raise her defences, she noticed that the Spiritual Energy in her Knowledge Sea was rapidly being drained towards a certain location. It seemed that a huge vortex had appeared and was absorbing her Spiritual Energy. At the source of this attraction though was the ethereal lotus bud she had just seen.
Yin Su Die groaned as her vision was completely covered by the slowly blooming seven coloured lotus. For every petal that unfurled, the Spiritual Energy in her Knowledge Sea decreased, as if it were the nutrient required for it to blossom.
Yin Su Die was terrified and hurriedly tried to defend her Soul, but no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to slow the speed at which her Spiritual Energy was being swallowed.
In the blink of an eye, the greater part of her Knowledge Sea had dried up! But the lotus blood had only slightly blossomed.
If blossoming only a tiny bit had consumed so much of her Spiritual Energy, would her Knowledge Sea be completely drained once it fully bloomed? At that point, even if she did not die, her Soul would surely suffer a grievous wound, something that couldn’t easily be healed.
At this point, Yin Su Die’s face suddenly paled. She had not expected that Yang Kai would really dare to kill her, and for a time, her beautiful eyes flashed a deep regret and pleading, becoming incredibly pitiful.
*Peng…*
Yin Su Die fell to the ground, her tender body covered with dust, no longer exuding any of her previous charm. At this moment, her face was pale white and she behaved as if there was a vice gripping her head, causing laboured gasps to escape her lips and large drops of sweat to drip from her body, soaking her clothes in the blink of an eye.
She could not even beg for mercy!
The pain she felt from having her Soul drained out was harder to bear than any pain she had suffered before, but all Yin Su Die could do was grit her teeth and stubbornly defend the last vestiges of her Knowledge Sea.
Even so, she knew that once the seven coloured lotus fully bloomed, she would meet her end.
*Sha sha…*
The sound of footsteps leisurely approaching reached Yin Su Die’s ear. Barely managing to turn her head in the direction of the sound, she saw Yang Kai’s gloomy staring down at her coldly, no trace of emotion in his eyes at all.
Yin Su Die opened her mouth and tried to say something but failed to vocalize any words.
Yang Kai then snapped his fingers.
The seven coloured lotus blooming slowly in Yin Su Die’s mind suddenly stopped opening and soon disappeared into a scattering of light.
Seeing this, Yin Su Die’s expression relaxed as she quickly examined the situation in her Knowledge Sea. A brief glance was all it took though to fill her with terror again. Her Knowledge Sea was almost completely dried up. If Yang Kai had not stopped his secret technique just now, the consequences would have been dreadful. Even so, if Yin Su Die wanted to completely recover, it would cost her a significant amount of time and resources.
From beginning to end, Yang Kai had only used his Blossoming Lotus for three breaths.
During these three breaths, the burly man who had originally been protected by Yin Su Die was unable to understand what had happened, only further realizing that this time the three of them had really kicked an iron plate.
Seeing Yang Kai not paying any attention to him, Hou Jian glanced over at the extremely disheveled Yin Su Die and steeled his heart, condensing his Saint Qi as he prepared to flee.
He did not have the ability to care about Yin Su Die.
But the moment his body move, a figure flashed in front of him, and an indifferent Yang Kai blocked his path.
Hou Jian’s mouth went dry as he stared at the figure in front of him, his eyes overflowed with horror, not daring to move.
Yang Kai simply pointed his finger at Hou Jian and sent out a blast of Demonic Flame that punched a hole directly through his left chest. The burly man couldn’t even muster the will to resist, stumbling backwards a few steps while covering the hole where heart once was. A look of utter disbelief flashed across his face before his eyes grew dim and he collapsed to the ground, the black Demonic Flames wrapping up his body and quickly burning his corpse to ash.
After finishing this, Yang Kai figure blurred and returned to Yin Su Die.
Yin Su Die was still gripping her head with both her hands and panting heavily. It seemed that the Blossoming Lotus Yang Kai used on her had caused her such a heavy injury she was unable to even move.
Beside her, a delicate white bead had fallen to the ground.
Yang Kai glanced over at this bead, reached out, and pulled it into his hand. Although he didn’t know what this bead was, he was certain that Yin Su Die had used it just now to probe his mind, allowing her to use her Beguiling Technique to make it appear like Su Yan was standing in front of him.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Kai tightened his grip and condensed a rich Demonic Flame to melt this bead down, completely destroying it.
Regardless of what this bead was, or how precious it might be, Yang Kai was not willing to let it remain.
After incinerating this bead, Yang Kai stared coldly at Yin Su Die and said indifferently, “Did you think I wouldn’t dare to kill?”
Fright flashed across Yin Su Die’s eyes and she did not dare to respond.
The scene just now of Yang Kai killing Hou Jian was seen clearly by her. She realized that what she had done just now had touched her opponent’s psychological bottom line, otherwise Yang Kai would not have acted so ruthless. Given his strength, the first time Hou Jian attacked him, Yang Kai could have killed him if he wished.
The woman named Su Yan must be especially important to him, otherwise how could things have become so serious so quickly?
Realizing all of this, Yin Su Die felt a deep sense of regret. If she had known Yang Kai’s strength was this tyrannical, how could she have run out here to embarrass herself?
“Do you think I won’t dare kill you?” Yang Kai asked again.
“You can’t kill me…” Yin Su Die said haltingly, “My Senior Brother should have succeeded by now, you need to consider the safety of your companion.”
“Succeeded?” Yang Kai’s mouth curled into a sneer as he waved his hand, releasing an extremely slender ray of light just like a golden silk thread that shot off towards the distance.
A moment later, the panic-stricken shout of a male cultivator rang out and a flash of light appeared mid-air, revealing Luo Min’s figure.
After Yin Su Die inexplicably collapsed and Hou Jian had been killed, it seemed Luo Min realized the situation was beyond saving and immediately used his Flowing Light Escaping Shadow secret technique to escape. But before he could get far, a strange golden thread chased after and swiftly broke his technique. No matter how he tried, Luo Min could not escape from the pursuit of this gold thread and in the blink of an eye, was captured by it.
This golden thread was naturally the Golden Blood Thread Yang Kai had been cultivating for the past year or so, an existence similar to an artifact.
Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Thread was derived from Demon Blood Temple’s Demon Blood Thread secret technique. Yang Kai had been wanting to test the power of his Golden Blood Thread, so he had quickly displayed it here. Now seeing how the Golden Blood Thread had easily captured Luo Min and rendered him unable to escape, Yang Kai felt that all his effort was worth it.
Waving his hand once more, the Golden Blood Thread that bound Luo Min dragged him back over to Yang Kai.
Yin Su Die’s expression became extremely gloomy upon seeing this.
Just now, she had engaged in a battle with Yang Kai even though she knew she would lose because she was confident that her Senior Brother Luo would be successful, so she hadn’t paid any attention to the situation with Yang Yan, only instinctively thinking the latter had been captured.
But looking at it now, Yin Su Die immediately realized her thinking had been too naive.
When Luo Min was captured, Yang Yan in her black robe also walked over. Looking at her appearance, besides being a bit frightened, she was completely unscathed, even her black robe did not have any wrinkles. It was a mystery how she had resisted Luo Min for so long without suffering the slightest loss.
“Succeeded was it? Have you woken up yet?” Yang Kai sneered.
Yin Su Die’s face went from blue to red, wishing she could find a find a hole to crawl into and hide. At the same time, she glared coldly at Luo Min, secretly blaming him for being useless.
Luo Min was also full of bitterness. He had not expected Yang Yan to have so many artifacts on her, each of which possessed great power. While he was attempting to capture her, the other party had not fought back at all and just passively defended herself. But no matter how he attacked, he was unable to break through Yang Yan’s defenses, so now, after being captured by Yang Kai, he really did not have the face to look at Yin Su Die.
Seeing Yin Su Die fall silent, Yang Kai coldly snorted and launched a palm strike towards Luo Min, pounding him into the ground and breaking many of his bones. This single blow had caused Luo Min very heavy injuries.
But even in this condition, Luo Min was feeling quite lucky, because it seemed Yang Kai did not intend to kill him.
Acting together with her two Senior Brothers, Yin Su Die had thought it would be easy to bring Yang Kai back to Coloured Glass Sect, but the result was actually one of them dying here while the other two had suffered grievous wounds. Seeing Yang Kai still staring down at her coldly, Yin Su Die suddenly realized that she had made a big mistake.
“Even if I fought against the entire world, she would willingly stand behind me, never barring my path or asking if I will regret,” Yang Kai suddenly said some inexplicable words to Yin Su Die, the corners of his mouth rising into a sneer as he snorted, “A cheap woman like you actually daring to transform into her likeness, you really court death!”
As soon as these words fell, a jet black ray shot into Yin Su Die’s tender body from Yang Kai’s hand.
Yin Su Die beautiful face lost all colour as she felt the hand of death reach out for her, two tears involuntarily falling from the corners of her eyes.
These black Demonic Flames had just now easily burned her Senior Brother Hou’s body to ashes, and now they had actually been shot into her body; how was she supposed to survive? What surprised Yin Su Die though was that these Demonic Flames weren’t hot like she imagined, but extremely cold. As soon as they entered her body, she shivered involuntarily and the Saint Qi in her body began to freeze, a layer of frost soon appearing on her pale skin.
“I won’t kill you this time! But if you dare act against me again, I’ll give you a fate worse than death!” Yang Kai coldly snorted before waving his hand and retrieving the golden thread which had bound Luo Min.
Under the complex gaze of Yin Su Die, Yang Kai turned around and led Yang Yan away.
Only after the figures of Yang Kai and Yang Yan had disappeared for a long time did Yin Su Die and Luo Min dare to move. Although both of them had suffered greatly, neither had fatal injuries. Luo Min had many broken bones in his body, but overall he was still able to move; on the other hand, Yin Su Die’s injuries were more severe. The damage to her Soul and the frigid chill permeating her body made her feel very uncomfortable.
“Junior Sister Yin… are you okay?” Luo Min stood forced himself to his feet and asked with concern, reaching out his hand as he spoke, seemingly wanting to help Yin Su Die up.
“Do I look like I’m fine?” Yin Su Die’s pretty face twisted in anger as she swatted away Luo Min’s hand and staggered to her feet. Her hair and clothes were in a state of chaos and she was covered in dirt, her beforehand exquisite image completely destroyed.
Luo Min knew that she was blaming him for his incompetence, but even if he was angry about this inside, he didn’t dare to say anymore.
However, if he had known that surnamed Yang was so powerful, he would never have agreed to accompany Yin Su Die to intercept him. How was that any different from seeking destruction? Fortunately, that surnamed Yang did not seem intent on killing him, otherwise, he would currently be accompanying his Senior Brother Hou to the next life.
Luo Min hadn’t figure out why Yang Kai had only killed his Senior Brother Hou though, was it simply punishing one to warn the others?
“Junior Sister, shouldn’t we find a hidden place to rest first? We’re not too far from Myriad Beast Mountain so their disciples should pass by here quite often. If they were to see us in this state, it would become troublesome,” Luo Min asked Yin Su Die gently as she fixed her clothes. Although Yin Su Die was currently quite angry with him, he did not dare ignore her wellbeing. After all, if he were to really abandon her, after going back, he was the one who would suffer.
Hearing this, Yin Su Die’s expression lightened somewhat as she nodded, “Yeah, let’s find a place to heal first. Moreover, we need to discuss how to explain what has transpired here to the Sect Elders before returning.”
Luo Min was startled for a moment but soon nodded, “It is as Junior Sister says.”
The two of them then supported each other as they dragged their injured bodies to a well-concealed spot nearby to meditate and heal.
…..
Several thousand kilometres away, Yang Yan followed behind Yang Kai without saying a word, both of them using their respective Star Shuttles to fly towards a certain direction. As she stared at Yang Kai’s back, Yang Yan didn’t know why, but she felt as if it was revealing a desolate and lonely air. Since separating from Yin Su Die and her group, Yang Yan had noticed a change in Yang Kai’s mood. He now seemed to be in quite low spirits and his mind was obviously elsewhere.
Yang Yan didn’t step forward to disturb him though, instead just following behind him quietly.
She knew that Yang Kai becoming like this was somehow related to the last secret technique Yin Su Die had displayed and the woman whose name he had called out.
After a whole day and night, Yang Kai, who had been rushing ahead, suddenly came to a stop and landed on a nearby hill. At this moment, the lonely aura coming from his back suddenly disappeared.
Yang Yan controlled her Star Shuttle to land beside Yang Kai and observing his profile, she found that he had indeed returned to normal. Secretly breathing a sigh of relief, she shifted her eyes slightly and asked, “Who’s Su Yan?”
“Why do you ask?” Yang Kai turned his head to her and asked back.
“Just curious,” Yang Yan smiled, immediately understanding that Yang Kai was reluctant to say more; but even if she didn’t ask this question or get any kind of response, she could still guess that this Su Yan must be the most important woman in Yang Kai’s life.
While Yang Yan did not ask anything more, Yang Kai actually wore a smile and began talking, “She is my real Senior Sister, different from the fake Senior Sister you are.”
“Then you’re…” Yang Yan’s smile faded, as if she had just learned something serious, a curious look appearing on her face.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded calmly, “But I don’t know where in the Star Field she is now.”
“She’s not on Shadowed Star?” Yang Yan was startled.
“No, arriving here was a complete accident for me. As for her, she entered the Star Field earlier than me, but I don’t know where she went.”
“Is that so… are you worried about her?” Yang Yan asked softly.
“I am worried, therefore I want to find her as soon as possible, but I don’t even know when I’ll be able to leave Shadowed Star,” Yang Kai sighed sadly, “For now, all I can do is cultivate as quickly as possible. When I grow strong enough, I’ll have a chance to leave Shadowed Star and enter the outside world to search for her.”
Yang Yan’s eyes turned, as if she wanted to say something, but after thinking carefully, she swallowed the words back down and waved her hand, “Let’s not discuss this anymore, you seem quite sad when you do. En, I was meaning to ask actually, why didn’t you kill those two just now? Could it be you couldn’t bring yourself to kill her because she was a woman?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “If I could, I would naturally have killed them, but Yin Su Die’s status in Coloured Glass Sect makes things difficult. If I was to really kill her, Coloured Glass Sect would definitely not let me off. More importantly, before pursuing us, those three definitely informed others about their intentions; without such worries, I wouldn’t have minded silencing them all.”
“If that’s the case, you shouldn’t have killed any of them then,” Yang Yan frowned secretly. She had witnessed all of Yang Kai’s battles with Hou Jian and Yin Su Die and felt that there were only two appropriate choices, either kill none of them or kill all of them. Killing just one person obviously didn’t have any benefit.
Yang Kai smiled, “I killed him because he wanted to kill me, nothing more!”
As for Coloured Glass Sect’s reaction, Yang Kai didn’t care too much, at worse he would become enemies with them; after all, one of their disciples died at his hand. However, Hou Jian’s status was obviously not as high as Yin Su Die’s, so even if this incident created some trouble for Yang Kai, it would not be on the level of all Coloured Glass Sect’s Elders would be after his head. If Coloured Glass Sect really wanted to seek revenge, they would only send a small number of people after him. With the current defensive strength of Dragon Cave Mountain, Yang Kai didn’t fear a small raid.
In any case, he already had a grudge with the Xie Family, so adding one or two more enemies wouldn’t change his situation much.
Besides, which great Sect didn’t have a number of disciples encounter accidents or even die each year? If these Sects always sought trouble with others because their disciples died, they would not be able to develop themselves.
As such, Yang Kai didn’t worry about killing Hou Jian much.
During this battle, Yang Kai not only got to test out his Golden Blood Threads, but also the power of the Soul Skill derived from his Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus.
The Blossoming Lotus was a Soul Skill Yang Kai comprehended after the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus evolved.
The first time he used it, Yang Kai was able to instantly incapacitate Yin Su Die.
However, although the power of this Blossoming Lotus technique was extremely powerful, the load it placed on him was also great and the amount of Spiritual Energy it consumed was also significant. Yang Kai thought about the pros and cons for a moment and decided that this Soul Skill should be reserved for critical situations.
Currently, Yang Kai had his Space Blade, Blossoming Lotus, Golden Blood Thread, Demon Eye of Annihilation, and hot and cold Demonic Flame along with the Hundred Mountains Picture, Purple Shield, Origin King Grade Artifact Refining Furnace and Artifact Spirit, so even if he was just a Second-Order Saint King, he was confident he could compete with an ordinary Origin Returning Realm master.
As for whether he would be able to win such a battle, that would mainly depend on his opponent’s cultivation.
There was also Leng Qing of Star Emperor Mountain and Lu Ye of Flowing Cloud Valley that Yang Kai wasn’t certain he could kill in a head-on confrontation, especially the former who gave him quite a strong feeling of danger.
Naturally, this kind of matter was just a feeling as the two hadn’t actually fought yet.
After sifting through some of these thoughts, Yang Kai suddenly asked, “Where are we now?”
“You’re only asking that now?” Yang Yan snorted, “Why didn’t you think about that yesterday when you were rushing around all depressed?”
A trace of embarrassment appeared on Yang Kai’s face. After being affected by Yin Su Die’s mysterious technique yesterday, although there was nothing physically or mentally wrong with him, it had still sunk him into a kind of dazed, nostalgic state, and it was only after a day of adjustment that his mood had recovered.
Yang Yan saw this and simply laughed lightly, “Fortunately we didn’t deviate too much from our original route; we probably added three or four hours to our journey at most.”
“That’s good,” Yang Kai gently nodded. For this trip, he and Yang Yan had not only wanted to visit the Coloured Glass Sect, but also take care of another matter. If this wasn’t the case, it wouldn’t have been necessary for Yang Yan to come along in the first place.
“But before that, should you release Xiao Xiao and see how much Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass he swallowed?” Yang Yan suddenly proposed excitedly.
Although Yang Kai summoned the Stone Puppet back the night before, for the sake of safety, neither of them dared to check the results of their heist. Now that they finally had the time and opportunity, Yang Yan naturally couldn’t wait to see how much Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass they’d obtained.
Seeing this, Yang Kai nodded slightly before releasing his Divine Sense and investigating their surroundings. After confirming that there was no one within a few-dozen-kilometre radius, he summoned out the Stone Puppet with a wave of his hand.
In the sky above a huge mountain valley that seemed to span several hundred thousand kilometres, Yang Kai and Yang Yan stood observing the thick, rolling clouds down below and frowned as they felt the abnormal chill in the air.
Even without delving into it, Yang Kai could tell that this chill would not be easy to resist, and from time to time he could hear something similar to howling or shrieking that was not just the wind. It was enough to make normal people shudder.
“Are you sure this is the place?” Yang Kai watched for a while before turning his head to look at Yang Yan.
“En, although I don’t know the specific location, if these two map fragments are pieced together, the path they create definitely leads to this place,” Yang Yan looked at the two map fragments she was holding before examining the surroundings and nodding once more.
“This will be bit troublesome then,” Yang Kai frowned.
The reason why he had brought Yang Yan out on this trip was precisely because of these two map fragments, one of which was originally owned by Yang Yan. How she obtained it, Yang Kai never asked. As for the other fragment, it had once appeared in the Treasure Trove Pavilion auction in Heavenly Fate City and was later obtained by Yang Kai after he killed an Imperial City Sect disciple called Meng Hong Liang in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
When these two map fragments were pieced together, although it was still impossible to obtain any precise coordinates, one could still make out some vague clues.
These map fragments obviously had a long history and should hide some valuable secrets, so once one could figure out where it led, they may be able to obtain great benefits. Dragon Cave Mountain’s resources were essentially depleted, and Yang Kai refused to allow Yang Yan to continue auctioning off artifacts, so she decided to take this opportunity when Yang Kai was going to visit Coloured Glass Sect to search for the location pointed to by these map fragments in the hope that she could find a way to resolve their poverty stricken situation.
After checking the amount of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass swallowed by the Stone Puppet, the pair had rushed to this place. It had taken a full ten days before they finally arrived at this massive mountain valley. Yang Kai called it a mountain valley because he could see some mountains at its edge, but such a massive valley was something Yang Kai had never witnessed before.
At first glance, it almost looked as if some powerful expert had split the ground apart to create this valley. The coldness of the air inside was also quite uncomfortable. This was already the case at the periphery, so it was easy to imagine that inside the environment and danger would only be worse.
“Do you know where this place is?” Yang Kai asked. If he was alone, he wouldn’t be worried about anything, but Yang Yan was currently accompanying him, and although she had superior self-protection ability, if they really encountered great danger, Yang Kai wasn’t confident he could keep her safe, causing him to hesitate somewhat now.
“I don’t know. Shadowed Star is too big so how am I supposed to recognize every single area? However, it does not look like there is any kind of settlement in the surrounding region,” Yang Yan shook her head.
Yang Kai felt quite exasperated hearing this comment. It was easy to see this place was not suited to live in, why would Yang Yan need to point it out?
Wanting to find someone to ask about the situation here was likely impossible as the last time the two of them had seen people was six days ago when they passed through a small city.
“Since we are already here, let’s just go in and see. The final position marked on the map fragments is still uncertain, but I don’t want to let them go to waste completely,” Yang Yan saw Yang Kai’s hesitant appearance and couldn’t help urging him.
Yang Kai glanced at her and pondered again for a moment before nodding, “Okay! But you must follow closely, don’t get further than ten metres from me.”
“I know!” Yang Yan spat out her tongue before pulling her black robes tightly.
The two no longer hesitated and dove straight into the mountain valley.
The moment they entered, a thick cold air came at them from all directions, causing Yang Yan to shiver subconsciously. However, in the next instant, hot Fire Attribute Saint Qi burst from her body, dispersing the chill and allowing her to return to normal.
Yang Kai naturally would not care about the cold as his physique was powerful enough to passively resist it.
Looking around, it was obvious that this place was incredibly barren and desolate. It was difficult to see any trees and there were only occasionally some patches of grass growing here and there. The entire mountain valley was filled with a cold, dark aura, and the eerie sounds of howling constantly flooded one’s ears. Gusty winds blew back and forth, brushing against Yang Kai and Yang Yan’s bodies, sending a chill straight into their Souls, making it somewhat difficult to resist.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai shouted lightly as he led Yang Yan forward, passing along the road. However, besides the uncomfortable environment and the occasional strong winds, there did not seem to be any real danger here, offering Yang Kai a pleasant surprise.
One day later, the pair had already advanced three thousand kilometres and were currently standing in front of some scattered ruins, feeling a bit confused.
Obviously there had been a building here at some point, but it had long ago collapsed. The years had also not been kind and much of this ruin had been completely flattened and worn down, some of the stone surfaces even having been polished to a mirror finish by the high winds.
“Oh!” Yang Yan suddenly noticed something and hurriedly ran over to a nearby broken wall, slowly walking around and examining it after she arrived.
Yang Kai did not stop her because under the investigation of his Divine Sense, he couldn’t find any signs of danger nearby.
After a while, Yang Yan walked back with a thoughtful look upon her face.
“What did you find?”
“A barrier,” Yang Yan quickly said, “This seems to have been the site of a long-lost Sect. There are traces of Spirit Arrays and barriers here, but they’ve all been destroyed. It seems that we’ll have to be more careful as we advance. Generally, the protective Spirit Arrays of a Sect become stronger as one proceeds further. We probably didn’t encounter anything up until now because we were still outside the borders of this ancient Sect.”
Listening to her saying this, Yang Kai nodded immediately and asked, “Where do we go now?”
Yang Yan took out the two map fragments and examined them for a moment before point in a certain direction, “That way!”
Yang Kai continued leading the way immediately and just as Yang Yan had suspected, along the road, the pair really encountered some remnant barriers and Spirit Arrays. However, these Spirit Arrays were not even worth mentioning in Yang Yan’s eyes. With her reminder, Yang Kai was able to easily avoid most of these barriers while the ones that could not be avoided were broken by Yang Yan.
None of these barriers or Spirit Arrays could last longer than three breaths in front of Yang Yan’s skill.
But Yang Kai didn’t show a single look of joy, his expression only growing more solemn the longer that passed. This was obviously the site of an ancient Sect, but even so many years after it had been destroyed, these barriers and Spirit Arrays were still functioning. It wasn’t difficult to imagine how powerful this Sect had been at its height, and such a Sect would not have arranged poor quality protective Spirit Arrays to defend itself.
Whenever Yang Yan was breaking a barrier and Spirit Array, Yang Kai would protect her from the side; then, after she broke a barrier, Yang Kai would lead the way again. The two of them worked together and cooperated exceptionally well.
At this moment, Yang Yan finished dismantling a small Illusion Array and clapped her hands happily. Just as she was about to say something to Yang Kai though, his face went cold, and he rushed over to her side. Grabbing her by the shoulder, Yang Kai placed Yang Yan behind himself as he pushed his free hand forward.
A scorching black flame was released from his palm.
This palm seemed to hit thin air but strangely, a howling scream suddenly rang out, one that contained a mysterious power, similar to a Soul Skill, that rushed towards Yang Kai and Yang Yan’s Knowledge Seas. However, this attack was quite weak and couldn’t even breach the pair’s Knowledge Sea defenses so they easily repelled it.
Even so, Yang Yan’s complexion went pale. She had not noticed any danger until the attack hit her, so naturally she was quite terrified.
When she peeked around Yang Kai to see what had happened, Yang Yan saw that some kind of illusory figure had actually been caught in his grasp. At this moment, Yang Kai’s Demonic Flames were illuminating the blurred features this figure which showed a very painful look, squirming as if it was being burnt alive.
“Yin Soul!” Yang Kai and Yang Yan blurted out almost at the same time, both of them exchanging a glance with each other as they felt the temperature around them drop slightly.
Yin Souls were incredibly special existences that were formed when the Soul of a creature of cultivator did not dissipate after its warm body died.
Generally speaking, such Souls wouldn’t be able to exist for long periods of time as without a body to contain them, they would soon dissipate and become part of the ambient World Energy. Only if a Soul were preserved inside a suitable artifact could it find a suitable physical body in short order could it survive.
However, could it be so easy to refine such a Soul artifact? Seizing another’s body was also extremely dangerous, if one was careless, they might instead be swallowed by the body’s original host. For example, when Old Demon wanted to seize Yang Kai’s body, he had wound up being controlled instead and forced to obey Yang Kai’s orders.
But there was another situation where a Soul would not quickly dissipate, and that was when their host body died in a special environment.
This giant mountain valley was one such environment. The chill and Yin Qi which permeated this place was incredibly rich, so Souls that were released here would dissipate at greatly reduced speed, and if there was enough opportunity, a disembodied Soul could actually transform into a Yin Soul.
Of course, after being transformed into a Yin Soul, this Soul would lose all be sentience and become a malicious ghost that could only act on instinct to survive.
Yin Souls formed like this were incredibly aggressive and would see any living creature as an enemy. They also straddled the line between the corporeal and incorporeal, making them exceedingly difficult to eliminate if one didn’t have a suitable Secret Art or artifact.
After Yang Kai’s Demonic Flame transformed into a pure Hot Attribute, it was equivalent to the burning rays of the sun, making it the perfect nemesis to this Yin Soul, allowing him to easily grasp and kill it. Had it been another cultivator here, they would not have had such an easy time.
In fact, Yang Kai had dealt with these kinds of creatures before. Many years ago, when he dove into the Evil Cavern in the Ash Grey Cloud Evil Land, the Evil Spirits he encountered were similar existences to Yin Souls. At that time, he was able to collect a lot of Evil Spirit Essences after killing them, but unfortunately, no such thing remained after he destroyed this Yin Soul.
After entering the giant mountain valley, Yang Kai had wondered whether Yin Souls would exist here, but until now he and Yang Yan hadn’t encountered any, so he didn’t think much about it.
What caused Yang Kai to frown though was that since there was one Yin Soul here, it meant there would undoubtedly be a second, third, and so on.
Looking at Yang Yan’s complexion, she apparently thought of this as well, and her expression became uncertain.
As if to verify the pair’s conjecture, as soon as Yang Kai eliminated this first Yin Soul, from beneath the ground in all directions, wisps of frigid aura visible to the naked eye began sprouting up, seeming to have been roused by the death scream of the Yin Soul Yang Kai had killed.
These frigid auras varied in opacity, from almost invisible to as thick as fog, but no matter their density, all of them squirmed momentarily before transforming into a Yin Soul. Without exception, these Yin Souls lacked clear features and some were even missing limbs, all of them appearing extremely strange.
Seeing this, Yang Yan immediately activated her Artifact Armour and in a flash, a fiery glow enveloped her body. On the other hand, Yang Kai just lifted his hands and released ten jets of Demonic Flame that swiftly penetrated the surrounding Yin Souls.
Although there was quite an intimidating number of Yin Souls, all of them were apparently weak and simply collapsed after a single blow. Every Yin Soul touched by Yang Kai’s Demonic Flame quickly evaporated, leaving no trace behind.
Yang Yan was quite relieved when she saw this and after composing herself, she took out a disc-shaped artifact and activated it with her Saint Qi.
In the next moment, a large halo of red light was formed, centred on the disc-shaped artifact. As this light halo expanded, it actually dispelled the ambient chill in the air and the Yin Souls caught in its radius were quickly destroyed, all of them screaming pitifully as they melted.
The red light halo spread out a thousand metres before it ran out of energy and faded; however, the dense swarm of Yin Souls within this radius had all been vanquished.
Yang Kai was stunned, quickly turning to stare at Yang Yan in amazement.
“Hehe, my newly refined artifact isn’t bad, right?” Yang Yan smiled back at Yang Kai happily.
“En, it’s very suitable for this kind of situation, but if you were facing a single opponent that is stronger, its strength would be insufficient,” Yang Kai’s vision was quite sharp and immediately saw the shortcoming of this artifact.
Hearing Yang Kai say this, Yang Yan pouted, “I have other artifacts that can be used against single opponents, it’s just that I’m disinclined to fight with others, hmph!”
Having the flaw in her artifact pointed out by Yang Kai seemed to make her unhappy.
Yang Kai scratched his cheek and said lightly, “Let’s go. Although these Yin Souls are quite weak, there may be stronger ones as we proceed further. We can’t be careless.”
And so, the two immediately continued forward.
This Sect ruin was quite strange. There were many Spirit Arrays still functioning as well as many Yin Souls that had spawned. On the following road, Yang Kai and Yang Yan encountered barriers and attacks from Yin Souls several times, but all these were solved by Yang Kai and Yang Yan easily, so they didn’t encounter any real danger.
The pair explored the mountain valley for several days, with Yang Yan checking the map fragments more and more frequently as time passed. It seemed that as they approached their destination it became more difficult for her to determine the correct position.
One day, while Yang Yan was checking the map fragment, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed and he released his Divine Sense in a certain direction. After a while, a look of surprise appeared on his face as he muttered, “There are other people here.”
“Other people, like who?” Yang Yan asked, startled.
“I’m not clear, but there are only four of them, two Third-Order Saint Kings and two Second-Order Saint Kings. It seems that they’ve been trapped in some kind of barrier.”
“Do you want to check it out? Perhaps they’ll be able to tell us where this place is,” Yang Yan suggested.
According to Yang Kai’s original idea, since the two of them had come here to treasure hunt, naturally, he wasn’t willing to complicate the situation. Regardless of who these people were, or what danger they had encountered, Yang Kai had no intention of interfering, but just now, under his Divine Sense’s investigation, two of the life auras from this group gave him a familiar feeling, as if he had encountered them before.
This unavoidably made him curious, and hearing Yang Yan’s proposal, he nodded and said, “Ok, let’s quietly take a look without exposing ourselves.”
“En,” Yang Yan naturally had no opinion.
The pair rushed quietly towards the unknown group’s location. Yang Kai Soul was incredibly powerful, so as long as he suppressed his aura by wrapping himself in his Divine Sense, he wasn’t worried about being discovered by cultivators in the same realm.
As for Yang Yan, she activated a necklace artifact she was wearing and was instantly shrouded in a thin energy barrier that appeared like flowing water. In the blink of an eye, her figure faded from Yang Kai’s vision and nearly disappeared, leaving only a faint outline behind. Even when he used his Divine Sense, Yang Kai was unable to detect her aura, so unless someone stood extremely close to Yang Yan and saw her with their own eyes, it would basically be impossible to discover her.
Realizing this, Yang Kai nodded lightly.
The unknown group of four were at least thirty kilometres away from Yang Kai and Yang Yan’s position and were only detected by Yang Kai because he dared to release his Divine Sense indiscriminately in this kind of place.
After an incense stick worth of time, Yang Kai and Yang Yan arrived atop a small hill and looked curiously towards this group of four.
The pair saw an empty field with a dome-shaped light curtain covering a range of about three hundred metres down below. From afar it almost looked like a giant overturned transparent bowl was lying on the ground with four cultivators trapped inside. Each of these four was facing a different direction and was on high alert. Light flashed around these four as each of them used their Saint Qi to operate artifacts they were holding. Two of them were focused on attacking the light curtain.
Although each attack these two launched could shake the light curtain, a moment later, this barrier would actually rebound their attacks towards the four trapped cultivators.
The remaining two from this group needed to use their defensive artifacts to resist the rebounded energy after their companions attacked so that they didn’t wind up injuring themselves.
This team of four was quite skilful actually and it was obvious at a glance that they were familiar with one another, but no matter how hard they tried, it seemed they were unable to break this hemispherical light curtain in short order. It was impossible to tell how long they had been trapped here, but from the unsteady fluctuations of their Saint Qi, it was apparent they had consumed a great deal of their strength.
“Oh, it’s actually a barrier with reflective properties, interesting,” Yang Yan’s eyes lit up as she seemed to take an interest in the dome-shaped barrier.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was frowning slightly as he stared at an enchanting young woman among the group of, muttering with a strange expression, “It’s her!”
Previously, Yang Kai had felt that two of the life auras here were familiar, which was why he agreed to come take a closer look, but he never expected it to actually be this woman.
The young woman he was seeing now was none other than Chen Shi Tao of the Clear Sky Sect. Yang Kai couldn’t say he had a deep relationship with this woman; in fact, they could barely be considered acquaintances, having interacted only briefly in the Flowing Flame Sand Field. However, this woman seemed to have identified him as a person of great destiny. At that time, she had extended an invitation to him to act together, but before Yang Kai could refuse, they had encountered Chang Qi who had been chasing down the Dragon Soul. As a result, she had gotten lucky and followed Yang Kai to an underground Saint Crystal lode.
Later, Yang Kai departed from the underground Saint Crystal lode in advance, leaving only the small group from Clear Sky Sect and Chang Qi to mine Saint Crystals there.
However, judging from the gains Chang Qi made, the group lead by Chen Shi Tao must have also reaped significant benefits. With several people working together, they had to have harvested at least a hundred million Saint Crystals while not taking any risks.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had obtained his Dragon Bone, Dragon Bead, and Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree from that Saint Crystal Lode, so it wasn’t impossible that Chen Shi Tao and her group obtained other treasures there as well.
From a certain perspective, she really had benefited from Yang Kai’s luck at that time, allowing her to have such great gains.
Yang Kai never expected to encounter Chen Shi Tao in this kind of place though. Of the two familiar auras he felt just now, one belonged to her while the other belonged to another beautiful woman who had been part of Chen Shi Tao’s group at that time. This young woman was a Second-Order Saint King and was currently one of the two responsible for defence.
“You know them?” Yang Yan tilted her head and asked softly.
“Barely,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Do you want to help them?”
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head decisively, “This woman is somewhat troublesome, so I don’t want to get involved with them. The situation they’re in also doesn’t seem to be that dangerous; judging from the state of that barrier, they should be able to break free in a day or two.”
“But I want to study…” Before Yang Yan could finish her words, her eyes suddenly narrowed as she turned away from Yang Kai and stared in a certain direction.
Yang Kai turned his head back at this moment and a helpless expression filled his face.
Because in the direction he was looking, there were several Yin Souls flying over, seemingly attracted by the disturbance here. Worse, if they continued on their current course, these Yin Souls would pass right by the hill where Yang Kai and Yang Yan were hiding.
Yang Kai immediately became annoyed and quietly pulled Yang Yan’s hand to retreat.
But the moment Yang Kai tried to withdraw, the group of Yin Souls seemed to sense his movements and all turned to look in his direction before wailing loudly and rushing over menacingly.
Although the concealment techniques Yang Kai and Yang Yan were using made them all but impossible to discover by Saint King Realm cultivators, as far as these Yin Souls were concerned, as long as it was a living creature, no concealment technique mattered.
Seeing this, murderous intent flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes as he reached out and seized the nearest Yin Soul before releasing a wave of Demonic Flames to incinerate the others.
These few Yin Souls were not powerful, and their attack was easily repelled by Yang Kai, but as a result of having to defend himself, Yang Kai’s figure was exposed and noticed by the group of four nearby.
This group of four was startled and quickly directed a vigilant look towards Yang Kai, only to see him standing there with a helpless and awkward expression.
Of those four, the two males naturally had grim looks upon their faces because they were currently trapped inside a barrier and there was a separate pair of cultivators sneakily watching them from the outside. Such a situation would naturally cause suspicion as suspecting Yang Kai had some kind of nefarious purpose here wasn’t unreasonable. As such, both of them stopped their movements and directed wary glares towards Yang Kai.
On the other hand, the two women, after seeing Yang Kai, just gawked, but soon, Chen Shi Tao and the other beautiful young woman recalled who this familiar looking young man was.
Although it had been almost two years since they separated, how could Chen Shi Tao forget this man who had brought her such great benefits? Immediately revealing a look of joy, she waved her jade white hand and shouted, “So it’s you.”
The other beautiful young woman smiled lightly at Yang Kai, a look of delight filling her face.
Yang Kai felt a headache as he decided to feign ignorance, showing a surprised look and asking, “You are…”
Chen Shi Tao covered her mouth and smiled coquettishly, fluttering her lashes as she asked, “Could it be Little Brother Yang doesn’t recognize me? This Young Lady is Chen Shi Tao of Clear Sky Sect, we met each other in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.”
“Flowing Flame Sand Field?” When the two men beside Chen Shi Tao heard this, they could not help frowning slightly as they re-examined Yang Kai.
After all, anyone who could survive the Flowing Flame Sand Field could not be taken lightly. The two of them had missed the opportunity to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field for various reasons and after learning about the massive harvest Chen Shi Tao and her team had reaped, they had felt a deep sense of regret. Their understanding of the Flowing Flame Sand Field also came from stories Chen Shi Tao had told them, so both felt that any cultivator that could return safely from it was worthy of their attention.
However, after realizing that Yang Kai was just a Second-Order Saint King, one of the two men spat disdainfully and promptly began ignoring him. He figured that the reason Yang Kai was able to return alive was because he had only wandered about the first layer.
The other male’s cultivation was lower, but he appeared quite full of spirit and was even staring at Yang Kai with interest.
He was the same as Yang Kai, a Second-Order Saint King, so naturally felt a bit of competitiveness.
Seeing Chen Shi Tao showing such a familiar look, Yang Kai felt the situation become more troublesome. When he last encountered this woman, Yang Kai deeply realized that she was a source of stress, but he had underestimated her sense of familiarity. Seeing her greet him so enthusiastically, Yang Kai really had no choice but to smile and nod, “So it’s you, I remember now.”
“So you’ve finally remembered me, for a moment I thought Little Brother Yang hadn’t put me in his eyes and really forgotten about me, hehe…” Chen Shi Tao seemed very happy and smiled charmingly despite still being trapped inside a barrier, her playful laughter stunning the other three in her group greatly.
Hearing her say this, Yang Kai could only laugh along with her.
After giggling for a while, Chen Shi Tao suddenly looked at Yang Kai elegantly and asked, “Right, Little Brother Yang, why have you come here?”
“We stumbled upon this place by accident and felt it was a little strange so we decided to come in and explore. We sensed some movement from this place a moment ago and came to investigate; however, we didn’t know what was happening, so we concealed ourselves. Please don’t blame us for acting cautiously!” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
“Stumbled upon this place…” Chen Shi Tao smiled as she looked at Yang Kai deeply. Although she naturally did not believe Yang Kai’s words, she didn’t ask anything more, her eye rotating slightly as she changed the subject, “Since you’ve come here, could I ask Little Brother Yang for a favour?”
“What kind of favour?” Yang Kai felt his brow twitch as he knew he could not avoid the coming trouble.
“Could you attack this barrier with your companion from the outside? This barrier has the ability to reflect attacks so it is quite troublesome for us to break from the inside, but if you attack from the outside, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment as he turned silently to Yang Yan; the latter gently nodded to him.
Yang Kai then nodded, “Of course.”
Chen Shi Tao pretty face filled with happiness as she said, “Many thanks, Little Brother Yang. After we get out of trouble, I will be sure to express my gratitude.”
“It’s just a minor matter, Sister Chen need not be so polite!” Yang Kai waved his hand before asking the group of four to stand back a bit and taking out his Hundred Mountains Picture, summoning several phantom peaks and smashing them towards the barrier.
Yang Kai did not use his own Saint Qi because he didn’t want to expose too much in front of outsiders. The Hundred Mountains Picture was just an artifact, so others would not be able to judge much from him using it.
The phantom peaks smashed down violently, and just as Chen Shi Tao had expected, the rebound effect of the barrier did not activate. It seems that only those trapped inside would have their attacks reflected back at them while those attacking from the outside wouldn’t encounter such a situation.
Under the attack of Yang Kai, the dome-shaped barrier soon became creaky and its glow dimmed. Judging from the rate at which it was weakening, it would likely break in about a cup of tea’s worth of time.
Seeing this, Chen Shi Tao and the other beautiful young woman could not help feeling cheerful. The four of them had been trapped here for two days already, and although they could forcibly break this barrier in another day or two, it was naturally much easier if they had help from someone on the outside, allowing them to escape from this damned place.
It was at this time that the male Third-Order Saint King suddenly whispered, “Sister Chen, are you familiar with this person?”
Chen Shi Tao heard this and after considering how to respond for a moment, honestly nodded and said, “I am not too familiar with him, I just met him twice in the Flowing Flame Sand Field; however, he’s quite an interesting person.”
“Interesting?” The male cultivator was shocked, wondering what the meaning of Chen Shi Tao’s evaluation was. Just when he was about to inquire more carefully though, the other young man spiritedly asked, “Sister Tao, just now you said he was also in the Flowing Flame Sand Field, right?”
“En, I met him in the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Oh… he is actually a Second-Order Saint King now. The last time I saw him, he was just a First-Order Saint King. It looks like he had some good opportunities inside,” Chen Shi Tao’s eyes brightened as if she had discovered something surprising.
“A First-Order Saint King actually dared to enter Flowing Flame Sand Field, he really must not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth!” The male cultivator who had spoken first snorted coldly and scornfully said, “Him being able to live must all be due to luck, I bet he only wandered around the periphery of the first layer.”
For some unknown reason, this person seemed to look down on Yang Kai greatly, and although this was only their first meeting, he was intentionally disparaging him in front of Chen Shi Tao.
Chen Shi Tao however just smiled and shook her head, “He didn’t just wander around the periphery of the first layer, he at least reached the second layer as that’s where I met him.”
“He broke through the first layer?” The male cultivator looked surprised. After all, he heard many people say that crossing the Flowing Flame Sand Field’s first layer Flame Area was not too difficult, but there were still many dangers. Those with weaker or impure Saint Qi, such as poorly prepared Second-Order Saint Kings, wouldn’t be able to overcome these dangers and reach the second layer, so how could this brat, who was just a First-Order Saint King at the time, have the ability to break through?
He did not believe it.
“Naturally. Junior Sister Lu Ying was also present at the time, so if you do not believe me, you can ask her,” Chen Shi Tao pointed to the other beautiful young woman standing beside her.
The beauty called Lu Ying’ nodded repeatedly, confirming that Chen Shi Tao wasn’t lying.
“But… Senior Brother Wang is right about one thing, his luck is really quite good,” Chen Shi Tao smiled deeply.
“His luck?” The cultivator surnamed Wang heard this and slowly shook his head, “Luck is not strength, Junior Sister Chen. Haven’t you heard that counting on luck only leads to disaster? If everything in life was decided by luck, there would be no need to cultivate at all.”
Chen Shi Tao immediately showed a disapproving look, and seeing this, the cultivator surnamed Wang turned to the other male and asked, “Junior Brother Chen, do you think your Senior Brother’s words are unreasonable?”
“No, Senior Brother’s words makes sense,” The man with the same surname as Chen Shi Tao, and who even looked a bit similar to her, didn’t hesitate to agree with his Senior Brother’s words; however, he still looked at Yang Kai with a smile and asked Chen Shi Tao, “Sister Tao, could he be the guy you mentioned last time?”
“En!” Chen Shi Tao gently nodded.
“So it’s him! In that case, we should really become friends with him.”
He had clearly obtained information about Yang Kai from Chen Shi Tao and just like her, he had become interested in Yang Kai.
Seeing the appearance of these two people, the cultivator surnamed Wang snorted softly but no longer said anything.
Outside, Yang Kai’s brow twitched slightly but his expression remained indifferent.
Although the voices of the people inside were extremely low, with the strength of his Divine Sense, how could he not have heard them? Listening to the content of the conversation this group of four caused him to secretly complain to himself and made him feel like being curious was not always a good thing. He had come here just to quietly investigate but had wound up doing free labour while also drawing the ire of a complete stranger.
However, since these four people had appeared here, Yang Kai estimated that they had some important reason, otherwise they would not have come to such a strange place. Perhaps after escaping from this barrier, they would not want to become entangled with him and would look forward to him leaving as quickly as possible.
Hoping so, Yang Kai immediately relaxed a lot and increased the power he put into his Hundred Mountains Picture.
After the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, the giant phantom peaks finally overwhelmed the barrier trapping Chen Shi Tao’s group and with a crisp sound, it began to shatter.
Seeing this, Yang Kai took back the phantom peaks, stowed away the Hundred Mountains Picture, and stood waiting in place.
A moment later, Chen Shi Tao’s group emerged from the broken barrier with smiles on their faces and walked over to Yang Kai.
A delicate fragrance reached Yang Kai’s nostrils as Chen Shi Tao arrived in front of him, smiled happily, and said, “Many thanks for your assistance, Little Brother Yang, this Young Lady is extremely grateful.”
“Sister Chen is too polite, such a trivial matter isn’t worth mentioning,” Yang Kai quickly waved his hands and was just about to take his leave when out of the corner of his eye he spotted Yang Yan silently rushing out to examine the broken barrier, as if she was seeking something.
Seeing this, Yang Kai smiled bitterly; knowing that Yang Yan wanted to study this Spirit Array, his plan to quickly leave had been foiled and he could only resign himself to talking with Chen Shi Tao with a smile while waiting for Yang Yan to finish.
During the conversation, Chen Shi Tao naturally introduced her companions to Yang Kai with great enthusiasm.
The other young woman was someone Yang Kai had bet before as she had been part of Chen Shi Tao’s group in the Flowing Flame Sand field, Clear Sky Sect’s Lu Ying.
As for the other two, the male with bright eyes but lower cultivation was called Chen Fan Lei and was Chen Shi Tao’s younger brother. After listening to her introduction, Yang Kai suddenly understood why there were some subtle similarities between the two, it turned out they were blood siblings.
The last Third-Order Saint King cultivator was called Wang Yu Han.
To Yang Kai’s surprise, this Wang Yu Han and Chen Fan Lei were not disciples of Clear Sky Sect. The two of them belonged to Extreme Path Sect, which was a different force from Chen Shi Tao and Lu Ying.
However, cultivators who had friendships or familial ties would commonly travel together even if they did not belong to the same force, so Yang Kai wasn’t too shocked after learning this information.
However, the name ‘Extreme Path Sect’ sounded familiar to Yang Kai, as if he had heard about it somewhere before.
After some brief introductions, Chen Shi Tao smiled and asked, “Little Brother Yang, why are you here in Grand Burial Valley?”
Her voice was sweet and soothing, and combined with a mature temperament and outstanding looks, her natural appeal almost made her more attractive than Yin Su Die when she was using her Beguiling Technique. Yang Kai quickly noticed that the man named Wang Yu Han had some intentions towards Chen Shi Tao.
But when Yang Kai heard the words ‘Grand Burial Valley’, his face changed slightly as he asked hesitantly, “This is Grand Burial Valley?”
Chen Shi Tao was surprised by this reaction and immediately covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, smiling as she asked in amazement, “Little Brother Yang, you couldn’t have really inadvertently stumbled into this place without knowing what it was, could you?”
When Yang Kai had explained his presence before, Chen Shi Tao had naturally not believed his excuse; after all, this place was several days away from the outermost edge of Grand Burial Valley, so even if someone had wandered inside accidentally, they shouldn’t have arrived at such a deep place. However, Yang Kai’s reaction and expression didn’t seem fake, making her wonder if he had actually been telling her the truth earlier.
“Haha,” Yang Kai’s lips twitched, “I really didn’t know what this place was.”
After thinking for a while, he asked, “This is the Grand Burial Valley that was left behind after the Ancient Yang Sect was destroyed?”
“Yup,” Chen Shi Tao nodded lightly, pursing her lips as she smiled, “It seems that you’re not ignorant about this much at least.”
“En, I’ve heard some rumours about this place before.”
The reason why Yang Kai knew about Grand Burial Valley was that Dai Yuan had told him about it in the Flowing Flame Sand Field. At that time, while waiting for the Red Candle Fruit to mature, he had asked Dai Yuan about the disciple of the Star Emperor Sect, which had eventually led to this topic.
According to Dai Yuan, Grand Burial Valley was originally the site of a great Sect with power equal to Thunder Typhoon Sect and Heaven Battling Union called the Ancient Yang Sect, but over two thousand years ago, this Ancient Yang Sect had killed a disciple from Star Emperor Sect that had left Star Emperor Mount for life experience, thoroughly offending this behemoth. As a result, one month later, Ancient Yang Sect had been razed to the ground and its headquarters became this strange place known as Grand Burial Valley.
Moreover, Dai Yuan also said that since then, many cultivators liked to come here to look for opportunities, because it was rumoured that although Ancient Yang Sect had been destroyed, there is still a Secret Cave left behind where most of this former great Sect’s accumulated wealth was hidden. Such rumours were enough to draw in treasure hunters from all over the world.
However, there are many still active Spirit Arrays in this place and the Yin Qi was incredibly thick, so many who came here seeking wealth actually lost their lives instead and the so-called Secret Cave had never been found. Over time, fewer and fewer people came here to try their luck.
Whether the Ancient Yang Sect had truly been wiped out by Star Emperor Sect was true or false, there was no conclusive proof.
Dai Yuan had personally visited this place but hadn’t gained anything. Instead, her body had suffered the invasion of an unusual cold aura that took much time and effort for her to resolve after returning to Coloured Glass Sect.
Yang Kai recalled what Dai Yuan said at the time as his expression fluctuated.
If this was really the Grand Burial Valley, then he would need to increase his vigilance. The people who came here in the past were not just Saint Kings, there were even Origin Realm Masters who had explored this place and fallen as a result. Yang Kai did not dare act carelessly even if he was confident in his own strength.
Could it be that ancient map fragments Yang Yan possessed was leading them to the location of Ancient Yang Sect’s Secret Cave? Considering this possibility, Yang Kai’s heart jumped, and he couldn’t help feeling a bit excited.
If this was really the case, they would really be able to solve the current poverty-stricken situation of Dragon Cave Mountain. After all, the treasury of a large Sect would undoubtedly contain amazing wealth.
While thinking so in his heart, Yang Kai maintained a calm look on his face.
Chen Shi Tao and others seemed to see that Yang Kai was thinking about something but didn’t interrupt his thoughts. Only after a long pause did Yang Kai take a deep breath and cup his fists to Chen Shi Tao, “Many thanks, Sister Chen. If I had not met Sister Chen this time, my companion and I might still be ignorant of where we were.”
Chen Shi Tao giggled, “You’re really quite carefree aren’t you, not even inquiring about where you before diving in to explore? Fortunately, your luck is quite good. Entering this place is quite dangerous, even for an Origin Returning Realm masters.”
A look of rebuke flashed across her face as if she was blaming Yang Kai for not cherishing his life.
Yang Kai could only let out a hollow laugh.
Seemingly just remembering something, Chen Shi Tao asked Yang Kai with utmost seriousness, “Little Brother Yang, don’t judge this place by the dangers you’ve encountered up until now. This place was once the site of the Ancient Yang Sect, and these grounds are just the outer periphery, so the Spirit Arrays here aren’t too powerful, but if you go deeper inside, the barriers will become far more powerful and won’t be so forgiving like the one which trapped my group of four.”
“Sister Chen,” Wang Yu Han suddenly cut in, “This friend just inadvertently broke into this place, so how could he intend to go deeper? Telling him these things is useless.”
Chen Shi Tao’s brow furrowed slightly, not even turning to address him as she continued looking at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “Since I now know that this is Grand Burial Valley, I will naturally not delve any deeper. En, I assume that you’ve come here for something important, so this Yang won’t delay you any further, goodbye!”
“Take care, Brother Yang!” Wang Yu Han smiled at Yang Kai, changing the way he addressed him to a friendlier one immediately, seemingly quite eager for him to depart.
Yang Kai shot him a glance out of the corner of his eye before curling his lips upwards slightly and calling out to Yang Yan and setting off together with her, his figure gradually fading away into the mist.
Looking at his increasingly estranged back, Chen Shi Tao opened her mouth and seemed to want to say something, but she eventually held her tongue, only letting out a sigh after he completely disappeared.
“Em, this Brother Yang indeed has some good luck,” Wang Yu Han nodded with a sneer, “Without knowing anything at all, he actually wandered into Grand Burial Valley. Fortunately, he ran into Sister Chen, otherwise, he wouldn’t even know how he died.”
“Senior Brother, you don’t seem to like him very much,” Chen Fan Lei asked in an almost naively honest tone.
Wang Yu Han chuckled, “It has nothing to do with like or dislike, I just can’t help looking down on people who rely solely on luck to survive. Senior Brother said before, luck can only get a person so far, next time, his luck might not be so good and result in his death.”
Saying so, he glanced over at Chen Shi Tao seemingly unintentionally, wanting to persuade her to agree with him, but Chen Shi Tao currently had an obviously unhappy look on her face, making Wang Yu Han feel extremely helpless.
Chen Shi Tao was naturally upset. It was quite rare to encounter a person like Yang Kai who carried a great destiny, so she had wanted to try inviting him to accompany them. After all, although the reason the four of them had come to Grand Burial Valley this time should not be too dangerous, there was always the chance of an accident happening. If Yang Kai was with them, they might able to rely on his luck to reduce this risk to a minimum.
How could she have known though that before she could ask, Yang Kai would depart. Wang Yu Han’s follow up only made her feel more annoyed.
“Ah, Senior Sister Chen,” Lu Ying, who hadn’t spoken until now, suddenly called out, “You forgot to ask where he came from again.”
When Chen Shi Tao heard this, her nose cramped and her rich peaks heaved up and down in exasperation.
Last time, she had wanted to ask Yang Kai about his origins, hoping it would give her more opportunities to become friends with him; however, after she had collected enough Saint Crystals, she found that Yang Kai had disappeared at some point and asking Chang Qi hadn’t produced any results. Chang Qi knew better than to disclose Yang Kai’s background clearly.
This was something Chen Shi Tao regretted deeply.
Now, after a rare coincidence had allowed her to meet him again, Chen Shi Tao should have asked Yang Kai clearly about his origins so she could pay him a visit later. If Wang Yu Han had not interrupted and distracted her, she definitely wouldn’t have missed this opportunity.
If she knew where Yang Kai lived at least, the next time Chen Shi Tao wanted to go out, she could have invited him to accompany her.
Rather than acting with others, she was more willing to work with Yang Kai, who was lucky.
Wang Yu Han constantly interrupting her conversation with Yang Kai and making her forget about this matter, annoyed her greatly, causing Chen Shi Tao to shoot him a harsh glare. However, the other side simply welcomed her gaze, and even put on a somewhat flattering appearance, causing Chen Shi Tao to quickly lose interest and wave her hand, “Let’s go, we need to find that Thunder Pond as soon as possible so Fan Lei can break through his bottleneck.”
Saying so, she set out again. Lu Ying naturally understood why Chen Shi Tao was so disgruntled right now and shot Wang Yu Han a disapproving glance before hurriedly following her Senior Sister.
Chen Fan Lei seemed a bit airheaded and did not notice anything wrong, just following after his sister happily while Wang Yu Han stood in place and glared in the direction Yang Kai had departed.
Although the Extreme Path Sect he and Chen Fan Lei came from was not a small force, compared to Clear Sky Sect it was still somewhat dwarfed, that was why he had long been interested in the sister of his Junior Brother. Chen Shi Tao had outstanding looks, especially her watery, enchanting eyes which seemed capable of capturing one’s soul. Every time Chen Fan Lei returned to his family home; Wang Yu Han would find an excuse to tag along so he could meet Chen Shi Tao. He wanted to appeal to her in hopes of moving her heart.
If he could really obtain this woman, Wang Yu Han would not only have a beautiful flower to accompany him in the future, perhaps he could even use her to enter Clear Sky Sect.
However, after meeting several times, and making clear his intentions towards her, Chen Shi Tao still did not show any favour towards him. Gradually, Wang Yu Han lost heart and no longer planned to get entangled with her again, lest he truly annoy her.
But the last time he chatted with his Junior Brother Chen Fan Lei, he accidentally heard some shocking news from him.
Chen Shi Tao now had a net worth in the millions of Saint Crystals and also possessed several high-quality Origin Grade High-Rank artifacts!
It seemed that she obtained these riches when she entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field. According to Chen Fan Lei, his sister had gotten extremely lucky and discovered a Saint Crystal lode, allowing her to collect a massive quantity of Saint Crystals. Later, although she had to turn over the vast majority to her Sect, she still managed to retain a hefty sum and the Clear Sky Sect Elders also rewarded her for her contribution with many artifacts and pills.
In particular, the Origin Grade High-Rank artifacts were given to Chen Shi Tao by the Great Elder of Clear Sky Sect personally!
Chen Fan Lei was not one to have hidden intentions and was seemingly born carefree. His relationship with Wang Yu Han was good, so he had not had any reservations speaking about this subject with him; however, the latter was a different story, and after hearing about her sudden rise in status and wealth, Wang Yu Han once again decided to aim for Chen Shi Tao.
The purpose of this trip was actually for Chen Fan Lei to use a Thunder Pond to help him break through a bottleneck he was facing in his cultivation, but when Wang Yu Han heard about this, he urged his Junior Brother to invite Chen Shi Tao along. Everything had gone smoothly; hearing that her little brother needed help breaking through his bottleneck, Chen Shi Tao, as a supportive older sister, naturally agreed to help, even bringing along Lu Ying from Clear Sky Sect as backup. All four of them met up outside Grand Burial Valley before entering this place together.
Initially, things were going well, but then their group had accidentally fallen into the reflecting barrier and been trapped for two days. It was then that the little brat named Yang Kai had appeared and seeing Chen Shi Tao pay so much attention to him, Wang Yu Han naturally became vigilant and even targeted him slightly.
But now it seems that his way of doing things had irritating Chen Shi Tao, so Wang Yu Han stood in place somberly for a moment before helplessly shaking his head and following after the other three towards the Thunder Pond while secretly pondering what method he should use to impress Chen Shi Tao and win her affection.
After a moment, he indeed came up with an idea, and one that he thought would go well, immediately smiling while he began looking for an opportunity to implement his new plan.
On the other side, after separating from Chen Shi Tao and her group, Yang Kai took Yang Yan back along the route they had travelled and only stopped after withdrawing a couple of dozen kilometres.
“This is Grand Burial Valley?” After listening to Yang Kai’s explanation, Yang Yan not only did not panic but instead showed a joyful, eager look.
“What do you want to do?” Yang Kai asked with a frown, suddenly having a bad premonition.
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking that if this is really the former site of a great Sect, it must be covered with many powerful barriers and Spirit Arrays!” Yang Yan’s beautiful eyes lit up with a strange light as she shot a look of excitement towards Yang Kai.
Gently rubbing his forehead, Yang Kai said, “Since we’re already here, I don’t have any intentions of just leaving, but what about the directions on those two map fragments? If it doesn’t point to the inner recesses, then there’s no need for us to take unnecessary risks.”
“Hehe, then I’ll have to disappoint you, the direction these fragments indicate really is towards the depths of this place, but you can rest assured that there is no barrier or Spirit Array in this world I cannot break. If there were people still living here tending to these Spirit Arrays, I wouldn’t be able to make any guarantees, but only dilapidated barriers that cannot display their full might remain now, so how could they pose any problems?” Yang Yan said with great confidence.
Seeing this, Yang Kai also felt somewhat inspire and nodded, “Fine. Since you’re so confident, let’s continued deeper and see if the place marked on the map fragments is the so-called Secret Cave of the Ancient Yang Sect. If it is, then we should be able to find enough riches to allow you to purchase any Artifact Refining and Spirit Array materials you want!”
Yang Yan’s eyes lit up and immediately began urging Yang Kai to lead the way.
The pair took a long detour so they would not run into Chen Shi Tao’s groups before continuing deeper into the ruins.
Chen Shi Tao was right about one thing though. Around the periphery, the barriers and Spirit Arrays they encountered were not very powerful; in fact, the strongest Spirit Array in the vicinity was likely the one that had trapped their group of four. However, all of these Spirit Arrays were easily dismantled by Yang Yan, taking anywhere from a dozen breaths to the time it would take to burn a stick of incense.
Yang Kai and Yang Yan could basically walk about unimpeded.
Five days later, the pair seemed to enter the inner reaches of Ancient Yang Sect, because here, broken walls and ruins could be seen everywhere. It seemed that there were once many, many buildings here but at some point, all of them had been destroyed.
The barriers and Spirit Arrays here were also much more powerful than before, so Yang Yan had to spend some time to carefully crack them.
On top of that, these Spirit Arrays were quite old, and some had become very unstable, causing Yang Yan to run into some unexpected situations when taking them apart. Yang Kai was responsible for her safety during this time.
Yang Kai originally wanted to search through these ruins to see if there was anything of value left, but he soon gave up on this unrealistic idea.
Grand Burial Valley had existed for over two thousand years and, during this time, countless cultivators had searched through this place, so even if there had been treasures left here at one point, anything good must have already fallen into other’s hands.
On this day, Yang Yan stared at a huge open space in front of her for a moment before suddenly raising her hands and taking out two strange-looking artifacts which quickly flew forward and seemingly disappeared into thin air.
Yang Kai didn’t find this strange though as he had witnessed similar scenes multiple times already. Standing behind Yang Yan, he quietly circulated his Saint Qi and prepared to act at a moment’s notice.
Yang Yan closed her eyes for a while but soon a smile appeared at the corner of her lips and she turned around to Yang Kai and said, “There’s a big Spirit Array here, I’m afraid it will take some time to crack.”
“Can we go around it?”
“No!” Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai imploringly, “Well, yes, we can go around it, but this is a rare type of Spirit Array and I really want to study and crack it. I told you before that as long as I keep arranging Spirit Arrays and Artifact Refining, I will be able to unlock more and more knowledge about these subjects from my memories, yes? This is a good opportunity then, because breaking through these Spirit Arrays benefits me just as much as refining my own Artifacts or arranging Spirit Arrays. Doing it this way will save us a lot of money and materials don’t you think?”
Yang Kai shook his head helplessly and asked cautiously, “Will there be any danger?”
“Absolutely not!” Yang Yan swung her head like a rattle.
“Alright… how long will it take you to crack it?” Yang Kai asked
“Two or three days. You can do whatever you like during that time,” Yang Yan spat out her tongue before immediately ignoring Yang Kai and immersing herself in studying the big Spirit Array in front of her.
Seeing her like this, Yang Kai didn’t go to disturb her and after thinking about what to do for a moment, he took out the Origin King Grade High-Rank Artifact Refining Furnace and in a flash made it expand to three metres or so in diameter.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged in front of this furnace and sent his Divine Sense into it. Soon after, a high-pitched cry rang out and the Firebird Artifact Spirit flew out of the Artifact Refining Furnace, circled it a few times, then came to a hover just above it and began spraying out pure Fire Attribute energy from its mouth in order to assist with refining the Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead inside.
Yang Kai did not remain idle either and actively poured his Saint Qi into the Artifact Refining Furnace to enhance its power while at the same time he split his attention to continue cultivating his Golden Blood Threads.
Whether it was cultivating his Golden Blood Thread technique or refining the Dragon Bone and Dragon Bead, both were incredibly time-consuming processes so having found a spare moment now, Yang Kai was not about to waste it.
So, he didn’t object to Yang Yan cracking the Spirit Array here, if he didn’t have anything to do, he wouldn’t have agreed.
Time passed by, yet Yang Kai barely noticed. At some point though, while immersed in cultivating his Golden Blood Threads, a slight noise suddenly came from beside him, causing him to look up and see some fluctuating rays of light and a disturbance in the ambient World Energy. Yang Yan was smiling as she stood nearby, putting away the tools she had been using until now one by one.
A short time later, all the lights faded, and Yang Kai felt that something had disappeared from the open space nearby, immediately understanding that the large Spirit Array arranged here had been cracked by Yang Yan.
With a thought, he received his Artifact Refining Furnace and Artifact Spirit, got up, and asked, “Done?”
“En, let’s move on. I’m beginning to like this place more and more. Last time, I should have entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field with you. I heard that there were many Spirit Arrays there.”
“If you had come in with me, you would probably be disappointed. Although there were some barriers there, there weren’t many… En, I did see a giant ruin of an ancient Sect though, one that seemed nearly completely intact at that. It probably would have met your requirements.”
Yang Yan sighed, “Unfortunately I didn’t have an opportunity, and there’s no telling how many years it will be until the next time the Flowing Flame Sand Field opens.”
The two continued walking while talking.
As they continued deeper into the ruins, the Spirit Arrays and barriers they encountered really became much stronger and the time it took Yang Yan to crack them also grew longer, unlike in the periphery where she could dismantle them with ease.
Even so, Yang Kai could not help feeling quite shocked. Although they had been left unattended for many years, these Spirit Arrays were still the crystallization of a great Sect’s knowledge and resources, yet they were continuously being broken by Yang Yan. Yang Kai really wondered what the people who had arranged these barriers would think if they were to learn about this.
On top of that, Yang Kai noticed that each time Yang Yan deciphered one of these Spirit Arrays, she would wear a giant smile; obviously, she was gaining many benefits from this process.
This point alone made the trip they had taken worthwhile; after all, Yang Yan cracked these Spirit Arrays not only allowed her to unlock more of her memories, it also saved Dragon Cave Mountain a lot of money.
Although Yang Kai did not obtain anything, he also didn’t lose anything, and he could even take advantage of this opportunity to work on his own projects.
Yang Kai even secretly thought that if they weren’t able to earn enough Saint Crystals to buy materials for her in the future, he could always take Yang Yan out to look for similar places to let her crack Spirit Arrays.
With Shadowed Star being so enormous, there should be many places like this Grand Burial Valley.
Inside Grand Burial Valley, Yang Yan stood on the spot, looking at the two map fragments in her hands, her expression flickering, because these two map fragments had led her here but there were no further instructions beyond that.
Relying on just these two map fragments to reach this point was all thanks to Yang Yan incredible analytical abilities, but now she was unable to determine the final position they were guiding her towards, only that their destination was somewhere within the surrounding thousand-kilometre radius.
A thousand-kilometre range was neither big nor small, but it would be very time-consuming to find some kind of hidden location.
While the Spirit Arrays they encountered as they moved deeper did not bother Yang Yan, the Yin Qi had become extremely rich and resisting it was constantly consuming her Saint Qi. Thankfully, Yang Kai had huge reserves of Saint Qi in his body so he could cover for Yang Yan when she became exhausted. If this weren’t the case, the two would have had to retreat long ago.
“What should we do?” Yang Yan turned her head to look at Yang Kai. They had come so far already so she was naturally unwilling to just give up. If she tried diligently, perhaps she could find the ultimate destination marked on these map fragments, but everything would depend on Yang Kai’s opinion.
Yang Kai frowned and grumbled to himself. Although they hadn’t encountered much danger along the way, since two days ago, the Yin Souls that had attacked them had strength equivalent to ordinary Saint Kings, and some of those that had been absorbing the Yin Qi of this place for countless years had even begun to achieve a slight degree of sentience, making them far more difficult to deal with as they would immediately retreat if they felt they were in danger, then, after recuperating, would come back to attack again. Thankfully, Yang Kai’s strength was still far greater, allowing him to thoroughly destroy most of these Yin Souls otherwise the situation would have been far more troublesome.
Yang Kai was also beginning to vaguely sense that there were more dangers to this Grand Burial Valley than could be seen on the surface. After all, if there weren’t, there wouldn’t be rumours about Origin Returning Realm masters falling here.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Kai asked, “If I say we need to go back now, would you feel unwilling?”
Yang Yan nodded honestly.
Yang Kai grinned and nodded back, “I am also unwilling, and since that is the case, let’s keep looking. In any case, it’s just a five-hundred-kilometre search radius, at worst we can just dig up the entire thousand-kilometre region.”
Hearing this, Yang Yan’s spirit immediately rose, and the pair immediately began scouring the nearby area.
One day later, Yang Kai paused suddenly and looked around in surprise. Yang Yan saw this and naturally knew that he had discovered something, so she immediately fell silent and waited. Only after some time did Yang Kai show a strange look and ask, “Do you smell something strange?”
“En, it’s like there’s a faint rotten odor in the air,” Yang Yan responded, obviously also having noticed this.
“So, it wasn’t just my imagination,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, a black fireball suddenly appearing in his palm and unleashing such intense heat that the surrounding space began to warp.
Swiftly, Yang Kai waved his hand and threw this black fireball towards a nearby dead tree.
This fireball was not very fast, but just as it was about to hit the seemingly unremarkable dead tree, a low roar suddenly rang out from it. Along with this bestial roar, and rich malevolent aura also erupted.
With a loud bang, the dead tree exploded into dust under the strong force erupting from inside it and a tall, abnormal figure suddenly appeared in its place.
A big hand suddenly stretched forward, covered in a light-yellow aura, and instantly intercepted the black fireball.
There was a loud sizzling sound the moment the pale yellow aura made contact with the black fireball, as if a handful of salt was sprinkled into a hot pan of oil. The yellow aura rapidly faded, but the Demonic Flame also grew weaker as a result.
A short time later, the pale yellow aura and the black fireball completely disappeared, leaving behind the strange tall figure in front of Yang Kai and Yang Yan.
After seeing the face of this person, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed as a look of shock filled his face while Yang Yan exclaimed loudly, “A Corpse Soldier!”
“Corpse Soldier?” Yang Kai turned his head to look at her curiously as this was the first time he had heard of such an existence. The tall, abnormal figure opposite him was clearly not a living person. Its face was shriveled and seemed devoid of any kind of moisture and its skin had sunk in, exposing the outlines of its bones. Two green eyes flickered like flames and its face was abnormally thin. Its appearance was quite terrifying and would cause anyone who saw it to shudder.
Most importantly though, Yang Kai was unable to feel any vitality from it, only a thick Death Qi and Corpse Qi. If not for this odd body emitting aura fluctuations on par with those of an average Third-Order Saint King, Yang Kai would really have thought it was just a corpse.
However, this corpse-like figure in front of him had just neutralized his Demonic Flame fireball with a single blow without taking any apparent damage.
The rancid smell that Yang Kai and Yang Yan had smelt was clearly being emitted by this figure but because it was hidden inside the dead tree a moment ago, it wasn’t so obvious.
“What is this?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
“You can think of him as a special kind of life-form!”
“A life-form?” Yang Kai’s brow rose, and he wanted to ask more, but the Corpse Soldier opposite them suddenly showed a strange expression, one that seemed similar to a grin but because of its shrivelled face looked particularly strange and ugly. Immediately, a hoarse voice came from its throat, “Ah, excellent. Two big supplements delivered themselves to me. En, and one is a fresh little girl with tender flesh, her flavour will certainly be scrumptious.”
Hearing this, Yang Yan shivered involuntarily and quickly hid behind Yang Kai.
The look of surprise on Yang Kai’s face quickly disappeared. Since Yang Yan said that this Corpse Soldier was a lifeform, then naturally it would possess sentience and it would not be surprising for it to speak. It was his first time encountering such a strange creature, but when Yang Kai thought about all the Yin Souls here, he was no longer surprising that this Corpse Soldier had appeared.
Also grinning, Yang Kai looked at him and asked, “You want to eat my companion?”
“Do you have any objections?” The Corpse Soldier looked at Yang Kai coldly, a dangerous light flashing across its green eyes, “Rest assured, you also won’t escape, I’ll be eating both of you.”
“You want to eat me too?” Yang Kai seemed to hear something funny, his face turning cold as he snorted, “I’m afraid your teeth will break!”
As soon as his voice fell, with the wave of his hand, Yang Kai condensed a black sword and immediately slashed forward, sending out an imposing black sword wave that sliced cleanly through the air.
The Corpse Soldier didn’t show any fear at all, instead releasing a hoarse laughter as he crossed its arms in front of its chest. The pale yellow aura from just before enveloped it once again as it met the sword wave head on.
Yang Kai’s gaze become colder but he didn’t make any follow-up actions, simply observing for the moment.
Yang Kai saw his sword wave strike his opponent’s arms head on, but this only resulted in the Corpse Solider being forced back a few steps and the pale yellow aura guarding him fade slightly. There was also a burst of crisp scraping noises, like metal clashing against metal.
“Corpse Soldiers have extremely strong physical bodies incomparable to cultivators in the same realm, not much different from defensive artifacts of the same level,” Yang Yan’s reminder came from behind.
“I see!” Yang Kai gently nodded.
“Little girl, you seem to know a lot about us. Kaka, boy you will be the first. I’ll take my time to enjoy her later!” The Corpse Soldier cackled again before rushing out, the jet black nails on its big shriveled hand extending and releasing a cold light as it clawed towards Yang Kai.
As it reached out, the sound of air being split rang out and it seemed as though it wanted to twist off Yang Kai’s head.
Yang Kai raised his hand and sent out a punch to greet this big open hand.
“Overconfidence!” The Corpse Soldier saw Yang Kai wanted to face him with just his fist and sneered, grasping with its claw-like hand as if it wanted to crush Yang Kai’s outstretched fist.
But to the Corpse Soldier’s shock, when it tried to crush Yang Kai’s seemingly frail fist, he discovered that it was actually incomparably firm, and even though he used at least seventy percent of his strength, he was unable to even cut into his opponent’s skin.
On the contrary, a huge force came from his opponent’s fist, causing his green eyes to shrink, and with a strange cry, the Corpse Soldier’s body flew out like a paper kite as a look of shock filled his face.
Yang Kai was also shocked as he was forced back a few steps. He felt an icy coldness on his fist and when he looked down, he actually saw five black finger prints on the back of his hand which were exuding a thick Black Qi. This Black Qi seemed to be alive and was constantly wriggling back and forth, trying to dig into his flesh.
“Be careful of his Corpse Qi, it’s extremely virulent. Once it invades your body it’s extremely difficult to get rid of,” Yang Yan’s timely reminder sounded.
Yang Kai’s face went cold as he changed the Demonic Flames in his body into a pure hot existence.
The squirming Black Qi seemed to meet its nemesis and after a burst of what sounded like wailing was ejected from Yang Kai’s hand and dissipated into the air.
Seeing this, Yang Yan finally calmed down. What made Corpse Soldiers difficult to deal with were their solid bodies and strange Corpse Qi, but since Yang Kai was not affected by either, there was nothing she needed to worry about.
Sure enough, seeing Yang Kai easily expel his Corpse Qi, the eyes of the Corpse Soldier who hit the ground rolling became somewhat hesitant.
Originally, in his mind, the Second-Order Saint King Yang Kai and Yang Yan were not his opponents at all. He would quickly defeat these two then devour their bodies to enhance his own strength.
This was not the first or second time he had done this, but this time’s Second-Order Saint King was different from those he had encountered before and seemed quite difficult to kill.
This made him wonder if he should continue struggling here.
While he was hesitant though, Yang Kai had no intention of letting him off. With a flick of his wrist, Yang Kai silently sent a golden silk thread flying over that swiftly struck towards the Corpse Soldier. This Corpse Soldier did not notice this golden thread until it was already upon him and with a loud roar it sprayed out a thick Corpse Qi from his mouth to intercept it.
In an instant, the thick Corpse Qi shrouded the golden silk thread, but what surprised the Corpse Soldier was that his normally formidable Corpse Qi simply had no effect on this thin golden thread. The golden silk thread also seemed to have spirituality and contained an astonishing amount of vitality. With a quick flick, it shook off the Corpse Qi and then proceeded to pierce straight through the Corpse Soldier’s abnormally sturdy body as if it was tofu.
The golden thread then coiled around the Corpse Solider a few times and bound him tightly.
This Corpse Soldier instantly became terrified, but before he could take any kind of defensive action, Yang Kai released a pitch-black blade-like attack towards him. This blade did not give off any kind of energy fluctuation but upon seeing it, the green flame like eyes of the Corpse Soldier bulged as he sensed great danger from it.
In a flurry, he twisted his figure and managed to avoid a hit to his vitals, allowing the black blade-like attack to instead land on one of his arms.
An incredibly strange scene appeared next though, as his arm silently fell from his body. There was also a small portion of his arm missing where the cut had taken place, so the wound on his body and the fallen arm did not match exactly.
Naturally, it was Yang Kai’s Space Blade.
Although the Corpse Soldier’s physical body was unusually strong, Yang Kai’s Space Blade was also incredibly powerful as it could swallow anything it cut into The Void. The small missing section of the Corpse Soldier’s arm had been forever exiled to The Void.
When Yang Kai observed this cut though, there was only a light green liquid that was leaking out and no trace of blood at all, appearing quite strange.
Even so, the Corpse Soldier seemed to have suffered serious harm and a mournful wail escaped from its mouth, Corpse Qi erupting from its body and quickly engulfing it.
Yang Kai was just about to finish it off, but a look of horror suddenly came over his face and with a hurried wave of his hand, the golden thread which was binding the Corpse Soldier flew back to him.
The Corpse Soldier had regained his freedom and from within his shroud of Corpse Qi, he glared at Yang Kai fiercely before grabbing the fallen segment of his arm and transformed into a yellow streak of light, escaping at a surprisingly fast speed.
Yang Kai stood somberly in place as he stared down at his Golden Blood Thread and noticed that it had been horribly contaminated with Black Qi.
Because he had only been cultivating his Golden Thread technique for a short time, Yang Kai was unable to display its full power; if he had been skillfully use it, this kind of contamination would never have occurred. Having been bound by the Golden Blood Thread, despite having incredible strength, the Corpse Soldier should have been easily killed by Yang Kai.
Flicking his wrist, Yang Kai withdrew the Golden Thread into his body and condensed his Saint Qi around it to purge the residual Corpse Qi. At the same time, he grabbed Yang Yan by her shoulder and chased after the Corpse Soldier as quick as lightning.
The confrontation between Yang Kai and Corpse Soldier was over in the blink of an eye, so Yang Yan had yet to even react before this enemy she regarded as quite dangerous escaped in a panic. Only after they were already pursing it did she come to her sense and begin explaining the origins of this Corpse Soldier to Yang Kai.
Through her remarks, Yang Kai realized that this Corpse Soldier was just a classification in a hierarchy of similar creatures.
Just like Yin Souls, Corpse Soldiers could only be born in environments rich in Yin Qi. When a living cultivator or creature died here, under a combination of chance and opportunity, its Soul and flesh would not just wither away but instead transform into a different kind of existence. This is what a Corpse Soldier was.
Of course, some Corpse Soldiers were not formed this way but were instead the result of a Yin Soul reaching a certain degree of strength and sentience and then seizing the body of a living creature. This would result in a Corpse Soldier-like existence.
Corpse Soldiers could also artificially be created through evil Secret Arts. On Shadowed Star, there were many Sects that possessed these kinds of evil arts.
However, in general, the formation of a Corpse Soldier was far more difficult than that of a Yin Soul. If the conditions were right, any disembodied Soul that didn’t disperse could transform into a Yin Soul. On the other hand, Corpse Soldiers required both the Soul and flesh body to endure after death and re-integrate with one another. This significantly increased the difficulty of a Corpse Soldier forming.
These creatures could roughly be divided into three levels, Hundred-Year Corpse Soldiers, Thousand-Year Corpse Generals, and Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Kings!
Needless to say, Hundred-Year Corpse Soldiers had an extremely difficult time cultivating because they were essentially undead and could not easily absorb World Qi. As such, they cultivated many times slower than living creatures on average. It was not unusual for a Corpse Soldier that cultivated for a few hundred years to be inferior to an ordinary Saint King Realm cultivator.
However, the strength of a Corpse Soldier was far superior to others in the same equivalent realm. This was true all the way from the Initial Element Stage all the way to the Saint King Realm.
The Corpse Soldier Yang Kai encountered just now was an existence equivalent to the peak of the Saint King Realm. It had probably taken seven or eight hundred years of cultivation for it to reach this kind of level.
Once a Corpse Soldier was promoted to a Thousand-Year Corpse General, it would have power on par with an Origin Returning Realm master. As for a legendary Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse King, it would be comparable to an Origin King Realm master. It could even be said that a Ten Thousand Year Corpse King was far more powerful than an ordinary Origin King because the flesh body of a ten-thousand-year-old Corpse King was almost indestructible.
As Yang Yan explained all of this in detail, Yang Kai was secretly shocked.
He had never contacted such strange creatures before and had never even heard about them from anyone. He had honestly never expected that there would be such a weird form a life in this world.
However, Yang Kai was not an ordinary person and had seen many types of strange creatures before, so although he was a little interested in the indestructible body of a Ten Thousand Year Corpse King, after calming down, he didn’t show much surprise.
Along the way, Yang Kai did not know what strange means the Corpse Soldier used, but in a place some fifty kilometres ahead of them, it suddenly disappeared.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense but could not find any clues besides a faint trace of Corpse Qi that had been leaking from the damaged body of the Corpse Soldier.
Following this trail of Corpse Qi, Yang Kai and Yang Yan arrived in front of a collapsed ruin and upon looking around, they discovered that within a range of a dozen kilometres or so, there were many crumbled buildings. Obviously, this place had been a core region of this Sect, otherwise there wouldn’t have been so many buildings.
“There are traces of Spirit Arrays here,” Yang Yan’s eyes stared at what appeared to be an open square nearby with bright eyes, a smile soon creeping onto her face, “But it’s just a simple Illusion Array, nothing difficult to crack.”
Yang Kai gently nodded and motioned for her to do her thing.
Yang Yan once again took out her strange tools, filled them with her Saint Qi, and threw them out, causing them to disappear in the next moment.
After a stick of incense worth of time, the scene in front of Yang Yan distorted and soon transformed from an open square to a completely different set of ruins.
Before Yang Yan could even put down her hands though, a strange blast of energy rushed towards her and Yang Kai from all directions, blocking all paths of retreat.
“A Nested Array!” Yang Yan called out in alarm. Yang Kai responded very quickly, pulling Yang Yan behind him and summoning his Purple Shield, madly pouring his Saint Qi into it and immediately creating a wall of yellow sand and wind around them.
It was the sandstorm ability of the Purple Shield.
The waves of energy attacks hit the sandstorm and were blocked by the wind and sand. Although these attacks did not completely disappear, their power was greatly reduced, making them far less ferocious than before.
Yang Kai constantly waved his hands, releasing multiple black fireballs to resist the remnants of these energy attacks.
Seeing this, Yang Yan calm down and hurriedly began surveying their surroundings. She had not expected that there would be a Nested Array here; after all, arranging such a series of concentric Spirit Arrays was quite difficult and also consumed a massive amount of materials. Even great Sects would not easily arrange this type of Spirit Array.
However, there was indeed such a Nested Array here, something which surprised Yang Yan and caused her vigilance to increase.
The attacks from the second Spirit Array were endless, and although they were not Heaven Destroying or Earth Shattering in power, they were enough to put Yang Kai completely on the defensive and even showed signs of overwhelming him in short order.
After a moment though, Yang Yan suddenly pointed to a small bronze gate in the ground smirked, “Hit that!”
Hearing this, Yang Kai did not hesitate to release his Space Blade.
In an instant, the Space Blade cut this bronze gate in half. A buzzing sound resounded all around and the attacks all quickly ceased.
After waiting for a while to confirm that no more attacks were coming, Yang Kai withdrew his Purple Shield and looked around.
He thought that the Corpse Soldier that had fled before would be hiding somewhere nearby, but there was nothing in sight, causing him a great deal of doubt.
“This doesn’t make sense. This Spirit Array would be very troublesome even for me to crack, but the Corpse Soldier disappeared as soon as it entered here. It’s impossible for him to be the master of this Spirit Array,” Yang Yan frowned deeply, obviously unable to understand what had just happened.
Yang Kai’s wore an uncertain expression as well as he hypothesized, “Could he have simply known a safe route through this Spirit Array?”
“Impossible,” Yang Yan shook her head decisively, “Unless he was an Array Grandmaster before his death, he wouldn’t be able to accomplish that even if he was far stronger. Of course, if he was a disciple of this Sect before he died, he might be able to control the Spirit Array here, but he is just a Corpse Soldier that cultivated for a few hundred years while the Ancient Yang Sect was destroyed over two thousand years ago, so it’s impossible for him to be one of their disciples.”
“Whatever the case, he must still be here,” Yang Kai grinned, “Not to mention, with this place being so well hidden, don’t you think it might be the place we’ve been looking for?”
“You mean, as long as we can find where he’s hiding, we’ll also complete our original objective?” Yang Yan suddenly remembered their purpose in coming here and asked excitedly.
“Maybe,” Yang Kai replied.
The two exchanged a glance before immediately beginning to search their surroundings.
After half an hour, the pair stood in front of a certain ruin. This place appeared unremarkable at first glance, but if one looked carefully, they would notice that unlike everywhere else, there were some slight distortions in space here.
There was another barrier here, but this one only had some concealment ability and no offensive power. Fortunately, Yang Yan had profound attainments in Spirit Arrays, otherwise, they might not have discovered it.
The more hidden the barrier was, the more Yang Kai affirmed his previous guess was correct.
After staring at this barrier for some time, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed and he waved his hand, summoning out the Origin King Grade Artifact Refining Furnace, tapping it with his finger, and lightning saying, “Go in and take a look around!”
With a light cry, the Firebird Artifact Spirit flew out of the Artifact Refining Furnace and plunged towards the barrier without the slightest hesitation. When the Artifact Spirit touched the barrier, the surrounding space shook for an instant before the Firebird disappeared entirely.
Yang Kai frowned for a moment, but after confirming that his connection with the Artifact Spirit still existed, he relaxed.
Standing on the spot, Yang Kai carefully reviewed the information passed back to him from the Artifact Spirit, his expression uncertain. Only after some time did he say, “It looks like we were right, this is definitely a Cave Heaven, and the World Energy aura inside is quite astonishing. It’s likely the place we are looking for.”
“Really?” Yang Yan was overjoyed.
“But… the Corpse Qi inside is also quite dense. It seems that more than one Corpse Soldier lives here,” Yang Kai said, solemnly dignified.
Yang Yan was dumbfounded and a look of hesitation appeared on her face. If there was only one Corpse Soldier, with Yang Kai’s strength, there would not be anything to fear, but if there were many of them, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to handle them all on his own. This situation required some careful consideration.
It took a while for Yang Yan to finally say, “Since this is the site of the Ancient Yang Sect, it means that these Corpse Soldiers appeared after its destruction. It is very likely that many of them were disciples of the Ancient Yang Sect and only because of some coincidences they became like this after they died. In other words, the most powerful existence here would be a two-thousand-year-old Corpse General, equivalent to a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm at best.”
“A Second-Order Origin Returning Realm master,” Yang Kai murmured with a look of contemplation.
If this was the case, he didn’t need to worry. He didn’t have the strength necessary to fight such a powerful Corpse General, but escaping together with Yang Yan wouldn’t be a problem.
After a moment of contemplation, Yang Kai made a decision and gently nodded, “Then let’s go in.”
If the only thing he noticed inside this place was the thick Corpse Qi, Yang Kai would surely have turned around and left. Although he wasn’t afraid of a Thousand-Year Corpse General, avoiding an unnecessary fight would still be for the best. However, in addition to the thick Corpse Qi, the World Energy inside was also extremely rich, so clearly there were some good things hidden inside.
He and Yang Yan had come all this way, so with their goal now right in front of them, naturally they were unwilling to just give up.
Saying so, Yang Kai released his Saint Qi and wrapped himself and Yang Yan within it before leading her forward.
After stepping into past the Concealment Array, the world seemed to spin for a moment and the scene in front of them changed dramatically. Yang Kai and Yang Yan now found themselves inside a cave-like place that seemed to have a faint wailing sound echoing through the air, causing one to shudder unconsciously.
Along the cave walls, there were many green fluorescent stones, emitting a somewhat ghastly light.
Inside this cave though, the World Energy aura was incredibly rich, and Yang Kai could even smell a subtle medicinal fragrance. His heart trembled as he realized that he and Yang Yan had really found the right place, those two ancient map fragments had really led to the Secret Cave of the Ancient Yang Sect.
Although the light in this cave wasn’t very bright, with Yang Kai’s cultivation, as soon as he concentrated some Saint Qi into his eyes, he could still see everything in front of him perfectly. At the same time, he quietly released his Divine Sense to monitor their surroundings. Yang Kai soon found that this cave had traces of artifact excavation. It seemed that it was a naturally formed several thousand-metre deep cave that was later processed to make it more spacious.
In the deepest depths of this cave, there were also many channels extending in multiple directions, but where each of these channels lead, Yang Kai didn’t know. Yang Kai traced one of these tunnels with a thread of his Divine Sense for about thirty kilometres before his face suddenly changed, a look of horror filling his expression.
“What did you find?” Yang Yan asked softly.
“Shh!” Yang Kai quickly raised his finger to his lips as he quietly withdrew his thread of Divine Sense, whispering to Yang Yan a moment later, “Corpse Soldiers, lots of them.”
Yang Yan beautiful face paled.
Yang Kai quickly added, “But they seem to be in a state of hibernation. We should be fine as long as we’re careful not to disturb them.”
“How many are there?” Yang Yan asked nervously with a pale face.
“I’m not sure, I only probed one of the channels down below and found seven or eight Corpse Soldiers, but there were at least a hundred channels down there. If every channel is the same as the one I probed, then…”
“This place is probably a Corpse Cave!” Yang Yan seemed to remember something and declared.
“A Corpse Cave?” Yang Kai frowned.
“En, there rumours of some special places that are able to easily give rise to Corpse Soldiers, and if Corpse Soldiers slumber in such places, they can more easily merge their Soul and flesh body to obtain sentience. If this is really a Corpse Cave, it’s a very dangerous place.”
“I don’t know if this place is a Corpse Cave, but the Corpse Qi deeper inside is indeed quite rich and the chill in the air is also extremely potent. Those sleeping Corpse Soldiers were also absorbing the Yin Qi in the air from what I could see.”
“If that’s so, this is definitely a Corpse Cave,” Yang Yan was startled and quickly muttered, “With so many Corpse Soldiers here, it’s likely that only part of them were disciples of the Ancient Yang Sect while another part were cultivators that were later killed and entombed here. It seems we’ve come to quite a terrible place.”
“Since we’re already here, there’s no point in thinking too much about it,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, and with a quick thought, a streak of flame flew over from afar and soon dove into Yang Kai’s body, disappearing in the next instant. Obviously it was the Artifact Spirit he had released to scout the situation before.
Seeing this, Yang Yan clenched her teeth and once again activated her necklace artifact. This time though, the concealment halo of this necklace not only wrapped around her, but also around Yang Kai as well.
In an instant, both of their auras disappeared.
The two exchanged a glance and nodded before quietly moving forward.
Since the Corpse Soldiers down below were in a deep sleep, they weren’t a cause for concern. The only thing that made Yang Kai a little worried was the Saint King Grade Corpse Soldier he had wounded before that was still hidden somewhere. Yang Kai also didn’t dare to freely investigate this place, so he was unable to find this wounded Corpse Soldier immediately.
As the pair passed by some of the tunnel offshoots, they clearly noticed a burgeoning Corpse Qi as well as some non-negligible noises coming from the inside, but these noises were orderly and rhythmic so it was obvious that without some great external shock, the slumbering Corpse Soldiers wouldn’t awaken.
Whenever passing by these tunnels, Yang Yan couldn’t help moving closer to Yang Kai, as if she was subconsciously looking for some sense of security.
Fortunately, Yang Yan’s artifacts were all superb and the two had plenty of preparation, so no trace of their auras leaked out.
While the two of them were continuing their exploration though, deep inside the Corpse Cave three skinny Corpse Soldiers were sitting cross-legged on the ground, circulating some kind of strange Secret Art that allowed them to inhale the surrounding white gas and strengthen their bodies.
These three Corpse Soldiers all emitted auras equivalent to peak Third-Order Saint Kings.
In a flash, another Corpse Soldier suddenly entered this passageway looking extremely disheveled. One of his arms had been cut off at the elbow, making him appear quite miserable.
As soon as he appeared, he was noticed by the other three Corpse Soldiers who opened their eyes to look at him. In an instant, six ghostly green eyes flashed.
“Oh, Brother Nie, how did you become like this?” One of the Corpse Soldiers saw his companion’s broken arm and asked in surprise, “Did you encounter some kind of danger outside?”
The eyes of the wounded Corpse Soldier flashed with anger as he grits his teeth and said, “I truly encounter some danger, and in a moment of carelessness, my arm was cut off!”
“Such a thing actually happened!?” The Corpse Soldier who had spoken just now called out in surprised, “After so many years, did an Origin Realm cultivator enter Grand Burial Valley? Did you run into such a master?”
“It wasn’t an Origin Returning Realm master, it was just a Second-Order Saint King,” The wounded Corpse Soldier said, seemingly a little ashamed, “This Nie let his guard down and was unexpectedly injured heavily.”
“Haha, Brother Nie must be joking. If we were still humans, such an injury would be very difficult to heal, but in our current state, a cut off arm isn’t even worth worrying about. As long as you use a bit of time and circulate your Corpse Qi you should be able to re-attach it in short order.”
“I’m afraid that Brother Nie’s injury can’t be healed so simply,” Another Corpse Soldier with long hair said in an unexpectedly pleasant to the ear voice after seemingly noticing something. This Corpse Soldier actually turned out to be a woman, and although her figure was somewhat distorted now, it was conceivable that before she died she was quite a beauty.
“Why so?” The Corpse Soldier who spoke previously asked suspiciously.
“If I’m not mistaken, part of Brother Nie’s severed arm is missing, right?” The female Corpse Soldier’s eyes flashed.
Hearing what she said, the other two sitting Corpse Soldiers took a second look and discovered that this was indeed the case. The broken arm brought back by the wounded Corpse Soldier was indeed missing a segment, almost as if his arm had been cut twice by some kind of extremely sharp blade.
“Could a Second-Order Saint King really be so powerful? Brother Nie, did you underestimate your opponent?” The female Corpse Soldier said with some meaning of blame.
“It’s not that this Nie underestimated him, it’s just that the power he used was too strange. I’ve never encountered a technique like that before,” The wounded Corpse Soldier recalled that black blade-like attack and even though he was already a corpse, he couldn’t stop himself from shivering slightly. If he hadn’t reacted quickly enough, he would likely have died again. After his last death, he had been brought back by the Corpse Soldiers inside this Corpse Cave and had to cultivate for a hundred years before regaining his sentience; he then spent centuries to achieve his current strength. If he died again, he would forever disappear.
“What kind of power?” The other three Corpse Soldiers felt surprised and quickly asked.
The wounded Corpse Soldier hurriedly talked about his previous encounter with Yang Kai, relaying every detail he could remember without any omission or exaggerations.
After listening, the female Corpse Soldier’s body shuddered slightly as she asked, “You mean, he cut your arm off with a black blade-like attack? And the attack gave off no energy fluctuations but was able to easily slice through your body?”
“En. After getting hit by that strange attack, a part of my arm simply disappeared,” The Corpse Soldier nodded repeatedly, his green eyes staring expectantly at the female Corpse Soldier as he asked, “Do you know anything?”
The female Corpse Soldier pondered and hesitated for a while before answering, “From what you’ve described, it sounds like your opponent was using Space Force.”
“What?” The other three Corpse Soldiers showed looks of shock, “Space Force? Are you serious?”
The female Corpse Soldier coldly snorted, “Did you all forget where I came from originally?”
The wounded Corpse Soldier was startled but quickly remembered and nodded, “I see!”
The female Corpse Soldier nodded lightly and continued, “Among Heaven Battling Union’s Elders, there has always been one who cultivates Space Force. I had the honour of seeing Elder Mo Xiao Sheng display such a Divine Ability once before, so I know more about Space Force than you, but…”
“But what?”
“If what Brother Nie said was accurate, this intruder’s attainments in the Dao of Space are too high. Even Elder Mo was not capable using Space Force to create a blade that could cut through an opponent’s body, so how did a mere Second-Order Saint King achieve this? That is why I said it sounded like he was using Space Force, but I can’t say for certain.”
“Hmm… I’ve also heard much about Mo Xiao Sheng, but all of that was from a few hundred years ago. I don’t even know if he’s still alive for that matter. If that little brat was really able to form a blade from Space Force though, it would be quite terrifying no matter the circumstances.”
“Is there any point in wondering about such things? Did you forget what kind of existences we are now? Sister Lan, I know you have some connection with Elder Mo, but if the current you were to appear in front of him, do you think he’d let you leave alive?”
The female Corpse Solider called Sister Lan heard this and her ghastly green eyes flashed, her mood becoming a bit unstable.
“Right, Brother Nie, when you returned, did properly cover your tracks?” The Corpse Soldier who spoke first asked cautiously.
“Naturally, and even if that person finds this place, he won’t be able to break the barrier protecting it. The defensive Spirit Array around this place was arranged by the Ancient Yang Sect. If we did not know the way to enter and exit it, we would never have been able to break through it. He’s just a trivial Second-Order Saint King, how could he possibly have such skill.”
“Fair enough.” The first Corpse Soldier nodded in agreement, sighing a moment later as if he remembered something, “I really don’t know whether I should be thankful towards the Ancient Yang Sect or if I should hate them. If not for them, I would not have died back then, but without them, perhaps I would have long ago passed on. Now that I have ended up like this, it’s… heh heh!”
Hearing these remarks, the other three Corpse Soldiers remained silent, but obviously, they felt the same way.
After a long silence, the female Corpse Soldier said, “Alright, let’s not think about such things anymore, it’s our four’s turn to guard this place for this decade, so just in case, let’s go take a look so that the Seniors don’t wake up and punish us for acting negligent.”
“Alright, I’ll go and check the situation out with Sister Lan, Brother Nie, you should use the Yin Qi here to quickly connect your severed arm. Although it will not be a perfect match, it is still better than nothing.” Saying so, this Corpse Soldier stood up and walked out with the female Corpse Soldier.
At the same time, inside another huge cave Yang Kai and Yang Yan had just snuck into, they were observing several empty wooden shelves in front of them along with various boxes that had been scattered on the floor. Yang Kai’s expression was horrendous right now and he was having trouble not cursing out loud.
He and Yang Yan had followed a faint medicinal fragrance all the way here and after carefully determining that there were no Corpse Soldiers sleeping inside, had rushed inside.
But how could they have known they would be greeted by such a scene?
This was the place where Ancient Yang Sect had stored its spirit herbs. There were at least several hundred rows of wooden shelves, each one with at least three levels that could hold a minimum of five or six boxes next to each other, but now, all these boxes were scattered about in an unorganized manner.
All of the boxes had been opened and whatever contents they once held were missing.
It was exceedingly difficult to find this place, and just when he was looking forward to reaping a huge harvest, this travesty had appeared in front of him; it could be imagined what Yang Kai’s current mood was.
There was no need to guess, these spirit grasses and spirit medicines must have been eaten by the Corpse Soldiers sleeping here.
Although consuming these spirit herbs like this was a great waste of their medicinal efficacies, it was impossible for Corpse Soldiers to perform Alchemy, so this was really the only option. In a sense, a Corpse Soldier’s cultivation method was similar to that of a Monster Beast.
However, after a careful search, Yang Kai still found the remains of some Fire Attribute and Yang Attribute spirit herbs. Such herbs were akin to poison to Corpse Soldiers who thrived on cold Yin Qi so naturally they had not swallowed them.
Unfortunately, all the boxes had been opened, and after so long, these spirit herbs had completely withered and became useless. This made Yang Kai furious and he even had the impulse to rush out and chop up all the Corpse Soldiers to bits to relieve his anger.
After a long, unfruitful search, Yang Kai and Yang Yan both sighed.
The spirit herb storage of a great Sect going completely to waste was enough to make anyone who saw it feel distressed.
Fortunately, in addition to this place, this Secret Cave had deeper levels, so the pair didn’t hesitate to continue exploring.
Shortly after the two left, the female Corpse Soldier and her companion stealthily appeared. Both Corpse Soldiers sniffed the air lightly before exchanging a surprised glance.
“It’s the aura of a living person!” The male Corpse Soldier whispered.
The female Corpse Soldier nodded in agreement, “Two of them at that. It seems the people Brother Nie met really managed to intrude.”
“Oh no, they must be headed for the ore and artifact storage, that place is where the Seniors are storing a vital material for their future plans!” The male Corpse Soldier glanced at the direction where Yang Kai and Yang Yan disappeared and whispered nervously.
The female Corpse Soldier’s eyes flashed and said, “Let’s follow them for now. If you and I can solve this ourselves, we should avoid alarming the Seniors, otherwise, once they learn we allowed intruders to get this far, we’ll be punished.”
Hearing her say so, the male Corpse Soldier shivered slightly, seemingly quite frightened. In the next moment, he nodded in agreement, “Okay!”
The two Corpse Soldiers circulated their strength to conceal their auras and quietly followed their prey.
Deeper inside the Secret Cave, Yang Kai and Yang Yan walked between another set of wooden shelves. As they waved their hands, various thick and thin ancient books on these shelves disappeared.
This was the storage place for Ancient Yang Sect’s Secret Arts, cultivation techniques, and Martial Skills.
Yang Kai did not have time right now to examine these ancient books closely and simply decided to collect all of them first.
However, from the titles of some of these ancient books, Yang Kai saw that there were a large amount related to Corpse Refinement, allowing him to understand why there were so many Corpse Soldiers here. The Ancient Yang Sect was a great Sect not inferior to Heaven Battling Union or Thunder Typhoon Sect, so it was normal that they had such secret books. Presumably, some Ancient Yang Sect disciples or Elders had cultivated these techniques which had allowed so many Corpse Soldiers to appear here two thousand years later.
There were many secret books and Secret Arts in this storage area, but they were still quickly collected by Yang Kai and Yang Yan.
After making sure they had not missed anything, the two of them continued deeper into the Secret Cave.
After a while, the two entered another Secret Cave and were greeted by a dazzling array of artifacts. Even with his rich net worth, Yang Kai could help but feel excited seeing this kind of wealth.
There were thousands of artifacts of all shapes and sized stored here. Weapons represented about ten percent of the total while the rest were discs, beads, various types of jewellery, flags, and other assorted designs. There were also many sets of Artifact Armour.
On the floor of this Secret Cave, there was a massive Spirit Array that seemed to be gathering the surrounding World Energy to maintain these artifacts.
The effects of this Spirit Array were quite good. Although more than two thousand years have passed, most of the artifacts stored here were still shimmering, so it was obvious that they had not lost their spirituality. Most were not at their peak, but they had been preserved well so as long as they were repaired slightly, there would be no issue using them.
Most of the artifacts here were Saint King Grade, with about twenty percent being Origin Grade.
The number of artifacts had Yang Kai in awe.
Exchanging a glance with Yang Yan, the two separated and began collecting with no trace of politeness.
In less than half an incense stick worth of time, this massive storage became empty.
“There’s still another Secret Cave.” After Yang Kai received these artifacts, his eyes drifted towards another passageway, a look of pleasant surprise filling his face.
He and Yang Yan had already passed through the Ancient Yang Sect’s herb storage, secret book archive, and artifact armoury, so what was left was a mystery, but obviously whatever lay beyond this passageway would not be of low value.
Not hesitating in the slightest, Yang Kai and Yang Yan continued deeper.
The two Corpse Soldiers who had been following them waited until they left before quietly appearing while glancing towards the direction they departed with gloomy eyes.
“What should we do? They’ve already entered that place. Even the Seniors can’t enter that place!” The male Corpse Soldier asked.
“What else can we do?” The female Corpse Soldier sighed, “Since the Seniors can’t enter there, naturally we can’t either. We can only wait here for now. The Ancient Yang Sect’s most precious treasure, the Sun’s True Essence, which is housed inside that room has a strong suppressive effect on us, otherwise, the Seniors wouldn’t be helpless to enter that place.”
“En, I’ve heard about that Sun’s True Essence. It is said that it is refined from the core of a Sun-Star. I really wonder what kind of master possessed such Heaven defying means to refine such a thing and how it then fell into the hands of the Ancient Yang Sect.”
“There’s no need for us to think about such matters. Moreover, although they’ve entered that place, with their cultivations, there’s no way they can take the Sun’s True Essence out with them, so we don’t need to worry,” The female Corpse Soldier sneered.
“Yeah,” The male Corpse Soldier also chuckled, “That Sun’s True Essence is not something that can be handled easily, perhaps those two will suffer a big loss and fall without us even needing to do any work. We should just sit back and watch the show.”
Thinking so, the two Corpse Soldiers relaxed and, after concealing their auras, quietly crept forward while waiting to see what would happen next.
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Yang Kai looked at the scene in front of him and almost couldn’t help laughing.
This place was actually a storehouse for Saint Crystals and various rare ores!
High-Rank Saint Crystals were piled up in several hills, each one several metres in height. Even a single one of these hills had at least three or four million Saint Crystal in it.
In other words, there were tens of millions of Saint Crystal stored here!
Yang Kai had been secretly praying that this trip would be able to solve the poverty-stricken situation of Dragon Cave Mountain, but now that wish had actually come true.
He and Yang Yan looked at each other and both saw the deep surprise in each other’s eyes.
Not rushing out to collect these hills of Saint Crystals, the two of them instead turned their attention to a certain jade pillar. This jade pillar was a pure snow-white colour and was exuding a profound chill that made this entire Secret Cave quite cold. It was clear at a glance that this jade pillar was an extraordinary treasure.
On top of this jade pillar were four Space Rings and a strange ore that was surrounded by a thin energy barrier.
Walking up to this jade pillar and examining it carefully, Yang Yan whispered in a solemn manner, “This is… It is! It really is a Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade!”
“Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade!” Yang Kai’s eyes bulged as he anxiously asked, “Are you certain?”
“This is no doubt about it. It’s a Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade, I wouldn’t mistake it for something else.” Seeing her confident expression, Yang Kai was naturally convinced, but for a time his eyes still flashed with surprise and astonishment.
Ice Jade was rare treasure, and Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade was extremely rare even among Ice Jade. If an Ice Attribute cultivation used Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade to refine a personal artifact, it would allow them to more efficiently transform World Energy and increase their cultivation efficiency.
But Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade’s uses didn’t end there. If an Ice Attribute artifact had some Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade added to it, it could increase its power by at least thirty percent and could even allow such an artifact to release a frigid aura that could freeze an opponent’s body and Soul. It was a supreme Ice Attribute treasure.
Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade was known as one of the Three Great Profound Jades, and a fist-sized piece of it would sell for a fortune.
With such a big piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade in front of him, how could Yang Kai not be surprised? But what truly shocked him was that this Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade was actually just a pedestal for the four Space Rings and the strange piece of ore placed above it.
The four Space Rings were unremarkable, and were probably just placed atop this pillar randomly, but the strange looking melon-sized ore was definitely a valuable treasure, otherwise it wouldn’t have been protected by its own barrier.
Yang Kai glanced at Yang Yan quietly and found that she really was wearing a dignified expression. While observing this piece of ore, she never spoke, as if even she didn’t know what it was, surprising Yang Kai greatly.
“Let’s take a look at these four Space Rings first,” Yang Kai waited for a long time but still didn’t see any reaction from Yang Yan so he made such a proposal and reached out to pick up the rings.
After sweeping the contest with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai gently nodded.
Unsurprisingly, these four Space Rings were half filled with Saint Crystals and half filled with rare ores. Needless to say, the amount of Saint Crystals was enormous while the ores were actually rarer and more precious than the ones stored outside.
Yang Kai tossed the rings to Yang Yan, who swept them herself and nodded happily, “Great, with these things, I can refine the treasure I’ve been planning to.”
“What treasure?” Yang Kai asked curiously, wondering just what kind of treasure Yang Yan was so focused on refining.
“It’s a secret for now, but when the time comes I may need to borrow your strength,” Yang Yan grinned and returned the Space Rings.
Yang Kai glanced at her but didn’t ask anymore. After putting away the rings, he turned his attention back to the jade pillar’s barrier and asked, “Can you open this?”
“I can!” Yang Yan gently nodded, “But are you sure you want to open it? I don’t know why, but I feel a dangerous aura coming from this thing.”
“You also feel it?” Yang Kai was surprised. He had thought it was just an illusion, but now Yang Yan’s intuition was telling her the same thing as his. Immediately, Yang Kai’s expression became solemn, anything that could make him feel a sense of unease just sitting in front of him was no doubt very dangerous, but at the same time it was obviously incredibly valuable.
Yang Yan didn’t speak as she continued staring at the melon-sized stone in front of them intently, only after some time nodding, “Let’s open it. I believe that even if it is dangerous, we should be able to defend ourselves. If we were to just give up after coming this far, it would be too much of a waste.”
Saying so, she took out her array breaking tools and got to work.
Seeing this, Yang Kai immediately became vigilant and condensed his Saint Qi, preparing to act at a moment’s notice.
After thinking for a while, Yang Kai released the Stone Puppet as well and sent it a command with his Divine Sense. The Stone Puppet immediately rushed to the Saint Crystals and other rare ores and began inhaling them.
The structure of the Stone Puppet’s body was truly mysterious. Although the Stone Puppet looked quite small, its stomach seemed to contain infinite space, and in the blink of an eye it had already swallowed half a hill of Saint Crystals.
Yang Kai had asked Yang Yan about this before, and from her learned that the Stone Puppet itself had an innate ability to devour ores and evolve. Most of the ore swallowed would be spit back out, but it would absorb part of them and their essence to enhance itself.
Additionally, the Stone Puppet would take on some of the characteristics of the ore it swallowed after absorbing them.
Coincidentally, among the first ores the Stone Puppet devoured after it was born were Space Spirit Crystals that contained large amounts of Space Force. It was probably because of this that the Stone Puppet’s stomach capacity had increased exponentially, otherwise, even if an average Stone Puppet had the innate ability to devour large quantities of ore, it would not have been so exaggerated.
The Stone Puppet devoured the Saint Crystals and ores extremely quickly so Yang Kai didn’t need to pay any attention to it, instead focusing his attention on Yang Yan’s actions.
The barrier covering the strange ore seemed quite complicated, and even though it was Yang Yan, it was taking her quite some time to crack it. Yang Kai was naturally concerned that something unexpected would happen, so he quietly released his Divine Sense to monitor their surroundings.
After an initial investigation though, he was quite surprised.
Just outside, in the Secret Cave that the two had swept clean a moment before, there were two faint Corpse Qi auras hiding themselves. Although they were concealed quite well, with Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense he was still able to detect them.
What comforted Yang Kai was that these two Corpse Soldiers were only equivalent to Third-Order Saint Kings, and they didn’t show any signs of aggression. In fact, these two were just staying in place, motionless.
As long as they didn’t interfere, Yang Kai was disinclined to manage them, so he simply pretended not to notice anything while silently monitoring their movements as Yang Yan continued her work.
For Yang Kai, as long as they could sweep away everything here, this trip would be a success. At that time, he could just take Yang Yan away with him by tearing space, so even if he alarmed the countless Corpse Soldiers here, he could escape with ease.
Before arriving on Shadowed Star, Yang Kai hadn’t dared to bring along another person as he tore space; after all, The Void was an extremely unstable and hostile environment, and accidents were likely to occur when transitioning to and traveling through it. He could cope with these dangers if he was alone, but he couldn’t guarantee he could keep another person safe if he took them with him.
But now, his understanding and comprehension of the Dao of Space had improved dramatically, so taking another person with him across a thousand kilometres wasn’t a problem anymore.
With such confidence, Yang Kai naturally was not afraid of anything.
The barrier that surrounded the strange ore atop the jade pillar remained radiant even as Yang Yan worked on it, but if one looked closely, they would notice that slight ripples were now occurring across its surface. At the same time, the barrier began stretching and contracting, sometimes expanding and sometimes shrinking, making for quite an odd sight.
This time, unlike with all the previous Spirit Arrays she had cracked along the way, Yang Yan’s expression was particularly solemn and a touch of red filled her cheeks, indicating she was somewhat strained.
As time passed, the light barrier began to distort more obviously, and even Yang Kai could tell that it was on the verge of breaking.
Suddenly, Yang Yan muttered seriously, “Be careful.”
As soon as she spoke these words, the barrier broke, and at the same time, a pure Fire Attribute aura that shocked both Yang Kai and Yang Yan greatly burst from the strange ore.
In an instant, the entire Secret Cave became blisteringly hot as the mass of Fire Attribute energy seemed to transform into a Fire Dragon and charged out.
Yang Yan’s face suddenly turned pale. Although she had somewhat anticipated things would quickly become dangerous, she hadn’t expected it would happen the instant the barrier broke. The Fire Dragon hadn’t even reached her yet but she already felt as if she was being melted.
Several defensive artifacts on her body automatically activated just as Yang Yan sensed danger, and several layers of defensive barriers appeared in front of her.
These artifacts were all Origin Grade Low-Rank and were tailor-made for her, so the protection they offered wasn’t worse than an ordinary Origin Grade High-Rank artifact.
However, the Fire Dragon approaching her seemed unstoppable, and the instant its pure Fire Attribute energy impacted the light shields in front of Yang Yan, they all evaporated and with a crisp crack, the two earring she was wearing shattered, along with a bracelet on her wrist while at the same time, the glow from the Artifact Armour she was wearing went dull.
These three layers of protection were unable to stop the approach of the heat wave and had all been burnt through as if they were paper. Some of her prided artifacts were even destroyed in the process.
The moment the three defensive artifacts Yang Yan had tailor made for herself were destroyed, she couldn’t help letting out a panicked scream.
At that moment, a huge hand grasped her shoulder and dragged her back. Simultaneously, a figure moved in front of her wearing a dignified expression. Solemnly, Yang Kai waved his hand and sent out two giant black fireballs to intercept the Fire Dragon.
Yang Kai had already changed the nature of his Demonic Flame from pure hot to pure cold, but the instant these fireballs impacted the Fire Dragon, they were annihilated.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed, and while he hurriedly retreated, a crisp cry rang out from his body. In a flash of light, the Firebird Artifact Spirit leapt out and grandly spread its wings, growing to nearly ten metres in width as it sprayed out a fiery red blast of light towards the approaching Fire Dragon. Unfortunately, even this intense attack was unable to halt the advance of the Fire Dragon, causing it not even the slightest of hindrances.
The Fire Dragon seemed like an unstoppable force, and every type of defence Yang Kai put up would be torn through easily.
The Firebird Artifact Spirit’s eyes flashed an almost human-like light as a look of horror filled its face, but immediately after, a violent determination filled its aura as it shrank back down and transformed its entire body into a ray of light that shot out to meet the Fire Dragon.
The dragon roared and the Artifact Spirit cried as the two clashed inside the Secret Cave in a blazing exchange.
After the Artifact Spirit rushed into the Fire Dragon’s body, it finally slowed its advance, but only a moment later, the Artifact Spirit let out a pained cry and fled back out of the Fire Dragon, swiftly disappearing into Yang Kai’s body.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed greatly.
He had already refined the Origin King Grade Artifact Refining Furnace so he could naturally sense the state of the Artifact Spirit. This Origin King Grade Artifact Refining Furnace had been heated inside the Earth Lung Fire Pond for tens of thousands of years in order to form the Artifact Spirit, yet it had been severely damaged by the Fire Attribute Energy of this Fire Dragon. How could Yang Kai not be shocked?
The Fire Attribute energy the Artifact Spirit formed from was already extremely rich and pure, so what had this Fire Dragon been born from that it could cause severe trauma to the Artifact Spirit, which was of the same attribute?
However, although the Artifact Spirit was injured, the Fire Dragon seemed to have also been weakened greatly. Its colour had not only dimmed considerably but its size had also been greatly reduced. Even so, with a shake of its head, it once again rushed towards Yang Kai, as if vowing to never give up until it burnt him and Yang Yan to ashes.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s expression became calm and a mysterious wave of power pulsed from his body. Reaching out with both his hands, Yang Kai seemingly grabbed the space in front of him and as he grits his teeth hard ripped it apart.
Instantly, a bottomless black hole that seemed capable of swallowing everything in existence appeared, and as Yang Kai continued pulling on it, this Void Tear continued to expand.
As soon as this Void Tear took shape, the Fire Dragon plunged inside it.
Space distorted greatly as the Void Tear became extremely unstable, as if it would collapse at any moment. Yang Kai snorted and, using all the Space Force he could generate, he reinforced this Void Tear so it would not instantly be destroyed.
After three breaths, the Fire Dragon completely vanished into The Void, and at the same time, this Void Tear fractured like the surface of a cracked mirror and broke apart.
Standing in place, Yang Kai gasped for breath while Yang Yan, who he had been shielding, shivered in fright.
But after the disaster had passed, Yang Yan seemed to think of something and as she stared towards the strange stone, her beautiful eyes trembling violently as she covered her mouth and uttered hoarsely, “Sun’s True Essence?”
Yang Kai’s face twitched, as if he had heard something unbelievable while his eyes flashed brilliantly.
What was strange, however, was that after the Fire Dragon was swallowed up by The Void, this thing that Yang Yan called Sun’s True Essence once again became plain and unremarkable. Yang Kai couldn’t even feel any burning power from it, as if it had become an ordinary stone people would flat out ignore if they saw it on the roadside.
However, there was no time to think about such things at the moment. Yang Kai and Yang Yan had snuck into this place secretly, and although they had been followed by two Corpse Soldiers, those two seemed to have no intention of blocking them.
But now, the violent exchange must have woken up the slumbering Corpse Soldiers.
Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai’s face sank as he easily confirmed his guess. The Corpse Soldiers hibernating in the forked caves had mostly woken up, and many different Corpse Qi fluctuations were now rapidly approaching.
At the same time, a dull roar came from further underground. This roar was like that of a fierce beast and contained a potent, angry, malevolent aura. Just this roar alone caused Yang Kai’s Soul to vibrate and his eyes to go bloodshot as violent impulses welled up in his heart.
The Corpse Soldiers who were rushing over heard this low roar and, as if they had received some kind of order, returned a low roar of their own that echoed throughout the entire cave network. Immediately after, these Corpse Soldiers began racing over even faster than before.
In an instant, cries and howls that made one’s skin crawl rang out from all directions.
The Corpse Soldiers that had been secretly following behind Yang Kai and Yang Yan no longer hid themselves and stood openly at the entrance to the Secret Cave, glaring as they bared their cold, gleaming fangs.
Yang Yan saw all this and her heart sank, her face going completely white.
However, these two Corpse Soldiers didn’t seem to have any immediate intention to rush inside. Instead, they were just glaring at Yang Kai and Yang Yan while secretly observing the piece of Sun’s True Essence, their eyes filling with fear each time they glanced at it.
The originally peaceful Sun’s True Essence suddenly began emitting a terrifying fire aura the moment the Corpse Soldiers appeared; however, it didn’t release this Fire Attribute energy in any way, as if so long as the Corpse Soldiers didn’t approach, it wouldn’t act.
Seeing this, Yang Kai was overjoyed and quickly reached out to grab this piece of Sun’s True Essence. Releasing a massive amount of his Saint Qi, Yang Kai wanted to wrap up the Sun’s True Essence to put it into his Space Ring when Yang Yan hurriedly shouted, “Don’t!”
Yang Kai was stunned, but he immediately realized what was wrong. In the instant that his Divine Sense and Saint Qi contacted the Sun’s True Essence, they were incinerated, causing Yang Kai to stumble backwards several steps as he stared at this melon-sized object in terror.
He wasn’t able to move this Sun’s True Essence into his Space Ring at all.
Seeing this, the two Corpse Soldiers standing at the door unscrupulously showed a grin, the female Corpse Soldier even shouting, “Daring to break into our Corpse Cave and even having ideas about our Sun’s True Essence, just wait for the Seniors to come and see what fate awaits you.”
The male Corpse Soldier also taunted, “Now now, these two will soon become our companions! Sister Lan should speak a little more kindly; after all, we’ll all be family in the future.”
The female Corpse Soldier coldly snorted, “Why do I need to treat them politely? Transforming into Corpse Soldiers and obtaining sentience will take them at least a hundred years, if they’re even successful. If they fail to become one of us, they’ll just turn into our food.”
The male Corpse Soldier pondered a little and nodded, “Fair enough, there really isn’t any need for us to be polite with them.”
These two were openly mocking Yang Kai and Yang Yan, Yang Kai didn’t have any intention to respond to them. Since the other party didn’t dare to enter this place, he didn’t need to waste time killing them. On top of that, the fight just now had already alarmed the entire Corpse Cave and from these two Corpse Soldier’s conversation, it was clear that Corpse General level existences were on their way. The most important thing right now was to find a way to take away this Sun’s True Essence.
Yang Kai couldn’t help turning his eyes to Yang Yan, but seeing that Yang Yan was also in a state of utter frustration, he couldn’t help feeling his heart sink.
Yang Yan naturally knew a method of taking away this Sun’s True Essence, but it would require quite a bit of time and effort to implement. Wanting to use a Space Ring to carry this treasure was impossible, but as Yang Yan was trying to find another option, the same deep roar which had emanated from down below once again resounded and a terrifying coercion and pressure enveloped the Secret Cave.
“Third-Order Origin Returning Realm!” Yang Kai felt the force of this pressure and his face changed dramatically.
The situation here was quite different from what he and Yang Yan had expected. Previously, he and Yang Yan estimated that even if a Corpse General was present, it would at most be two thousand years old. Based on the difficulty of using Corpse Qi to cultivate, over two millennia, it would already be quite impressive if a weak Second-Order Origin Realm Corpse General had emerged.
So now that Corpse General equivalent to a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, only one step away from becoming a Corpse King, had appeared, how could Yang Kai not be shocked?
Thinking about it for a moment though, Yang Kai realized that the existence of this Corpse Cave had likely accelerated the cultivation of this Corpse General.
Even if Yang Kai used all of his means, it would be impossible for him to oppose such a powerful opponent, much less protect Yang Yan in the process.
[Was the only option to immediately flee?] Yang Kai looked at Sun’s True Essence and his face filled with unwillingness!
This was one of the most valuable treasures he had ever seen, and to him, it was even more important than the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree, second only to his Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus.
Because he still had a number of drops of Profound Yin Sunflower Water, if Yang Kai was able to obtain this Sun’s True Essence and draw out the astonishing Fire Attribute Energy inside it, he could continue refining the Profound Yin Sunflower Water. The benefits of this were difficult to even estimate.
After refining Profound Yin Sunflower Water in the Earth Lung Fire Pond last time, Yang Kai discovered that doing so not only enhanced his physical strength and cultivation, but also the power of his Demonic Flame.
Right now, he could only pin his hopes on Yang Yan. If even Yang Yan couldn’t think of a solution, he could only withdraw temporarily.
Yang Kai was confident that even if this Corpse General possessed astonishing strength, it had no way to take away or use this Sun’s True Essence, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been left idle here for so many years.
As Yang Yan continued to wear a strained expression, seemingly unable to find a solution to this problem, the source of the malevolent pressure rapidly closed in. Soon, the approaching enemy closed to within a couple of kilometres and Yang Kai could now even hear its hurried footfalls.
Yang Kai sighed as he realized it would be too late if he didn’t immediately leave. Although ordinary Corpse Soldiers wouldn’t dare to get close with the Sun’s True Essence here, there was no way to know if this Corpse General that had cultivated for two thousand years would be subject to the same restrictions. If he and Yang Yan continued to linger, they would only be putting themselves in grave danger.
But before Yang Kai could speak up to suggest they withdraw, Yang Yan’s eyes suddenly brightened as if she just remembered something and hurriedly called out, “Xiao Xiao!”
Hearing her call, the Stone Puppet which had been devouring the piles of Saint Crystals and ores rushed over without hesitation. At this moment, of the dozen or so hill like piles of ores, the Stone Puppet had swallowed more than half.
After the Stone Puppet arrived, Yang Yan pointed at the Sun’s True Essence in front of them and asked softly, “Can you swallow it?”
The Stone Puppet’s seemingly always indifferent face showed a hint of hesitation and fear as its eyes flashed a dignified light.
The Stone Puppet had an innate ability to devour all kinds of ore and absorb their essence. Even Space Spirit Crystals could be swallowed effortlessly, but in front of this melon-sized Sun’s True Essence, the Stone Puppet hesitated.
Obviously, even for it, this thing was extremely dangerous.
Seeing this, Yang Yan showed a look of helplessness and didn’t try to force it. After all, for Yang Yan, although the Sun’s True Essence was truly invaluable, the Stone Puppet was equally irreplaceable. This little thing had repeatedly cooperated with Yang Yan to temper Artifact Refining materials, and she had already developed a deep affection for it. It was impossible for her to treat it like a simple tool now.
However, to Yang Yan’s surprise, after hesitating for an instant, the Stone Puppet suddenly let out a great roar and its body shone brightly as a series of mysterious glowing ruins flowed across its rocky Battle Armour.
The Stone Puppet’s aura underwent a rapid and dramatic change, suddenly giving off an incredibly sturdy feeling, as if nothing in this world could harm it.
Both Yang Kai and Yang Yan were dumbfounded, neither of them having expected the Stone Puppet to possess such an ability.
The mysterious runes only appeared for a moment before sinking into the Stone Puppet’s body. At the same time, its Battle-Armour-like skin now shimmered brilliantly and looked extremely powerful.
A crackling sound came from all the joints of the Stone Puppet, and under the stunned gazes of Yang Kai and Yang Yan, its tiny body grew to ten metres in height.
In a few giant steps, the Stone Puppet arrived in front of the Sun’s True Essence and stretched out its big hand, grabbing the rock with a dignified expression.
A terrifying ray of fire leapt out from inside the Sun’s True Essence and transformed into a fire snake that struck towards the Stone Puppet’s approaching hand. The Stone Puppet flashed a strange grin and used its giant hand to grasp this fire snake and seemingly easily crush it, scattering a dazzling light in all directions.
Even so, Yang Kai noticed that the Stone Puppet’s big hand had slightly melted, shocking him greatly.
Without the hindrance of the fire snake, the Stone Puppet directly grabbed the melon-sized Sun’s True Essence, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed it. In the next moment, a dull roar burst from Stone Puppet’s throat, as if it was suffering from unimaginable torture, and the surface of its body glowed a bright red light. The runes surfaced on its mighty Battle Armour again and rapidly began bursting, changing into a mysterious kind of strength that poured back into its body and suppressed the terrifying heat.
Completing all this, the Stone Puppet’s body shrank down again, and in a flash, it returned to its original look.
Without any hesitation, Yang Kai took the Stone Puppet into his Black Book Space.
He had previously experienced the horrifying power of the Sun’s True Essence so he hadn’t dared to put it into his Black Book Space at will, but now that the Stone Puppet had swallowed it, this was the natural choice.
What happened here was not missed by the two Corpse Soldiers standing at the door who had been constantly observing Yang Kai and Yang Yan.
Seeing this pair that had invaded the Corpse Cave actually possessed a method to take away the Sun’s True Essence, these two Corpse Soldiers could no longer stand idly by, so with a great roar, they charged into the Secret Cave.
The female Corpse Soldier’s fingernails released a dark glow as they extended and her hair shot out like snakes to grab Yang Kai.
At the same time, the male Corpse Soldier inhaled deeply before spewing out a cloud of Corpse Qi that flew over to engulf Yang Kai and Yang Yan.
Yang Kai just coldly snorted and with a flick of his wrist, a golden thread flew out towards the female Corpse Soldier while he simultaneously waved his other hand to release a black blade-like attack towards the male Corpse Soldier.
“A Space Force blade!” The male Corpse Soldier had already learned about some of Yang Kai’s methods from his companion, so the moment he saw this black blade which emitted no discernible aura, he was naturally terrified and frantically dodged. The female Corpse Soldier wasn’t as lucky and was directly penetrated by Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Thread which instantly restrained her in place.
With a single thought, Yang Kai transformed this single Golden Blood Thread into a golden net which quickly wrapped up the female Corpse Soldier in a blinding golden radiance.
“Impossible!” The female Corpse Soldier screamed out in shock, as if she had just witnessed something impossible. After the golden light faded, this female Corpse Soldier’s body had actually be cut into hundreds of pieces and scattered about across the floor.
After the male Corpse Soldier witnessed how his companion, who was equal in strength to him, was instantly killed by the other party, a terrified light flashed across his ghastly green eyes. He didn’t dare confront Yang Kai any longer and hastily fled towards the exit to this Secret Cave.
At that moment though, a tall and majestic figure wearing a blood red robe suddenly appeared in the entrance to the Secret Cave. Although this figure was still a bit thin, he resembled a living person quite closely. With a relatively normal looking face and the typical black and white eye colour, were it not for the intense Corpse Qi coming from him, this man could likely have passed for an ordinary cultivator.
As soon as he appeared, he eyes landed on Yang Kai who was currently taking away the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal. Noticing its escaping subordinate, this figure waved its fist towards him and the male Corpse Soldier who had just barely managed to escape Yang Kai Space Blade burst apart and was smashed into dust.
Yang Kai’s eyes shrank as he witnessed this scene and shouted, “Corpse General!”
This figure was obviously the powerful Corpse General Yang Kai had sensed approaching, but the moment it appeared, it had instantly killed one of its subordinates, so it was clear to see it was quite enraged.
On the other hand, the Corpse General saw the Ice Jade Pedestal disappear and was unable to sense any trace of the Sun’s True Essence, so how could he not know what had happened?
Immediately, a low roar burst from his mouth.
Yang Kai trembled involuntarily and he suddenly felt as if he was being torn in two. At the same time, his Knowledge Sea tumbled violently, like it was on the verge of boiling over.
Yang Yan was in even worse shape. A halo of light appeared around her but shattered instantly, after which her small face went white and she coughed up a mouthful of blood. Obviously she had received a serious injury.
“Return what you stole!” The Corpse General snorted and took a big step towards Yang Kai.
With no time to hesitate, Yang Kai flung out a dozen Space Blades and at the same time ripped open a Void Tear. Taking advantage of the Corpse General’s surprise, Yang Kai grabbed Yang Yan and rushed directly into The Void.
It wasn’t until that moment that the approaching Corpse General seemed to realize that something was wrong, and with a terrifying roar, he shot out a giant yellow Corpse Qi hand towards the Void Tear.
However, he was too late. By the time his Corpse Qi hand reached the tear, Yang Kai and Yang Yan’s figures had completely disappeared, and although this attack managed to affect the stability of this Void Tear, it still couldn’t stop them from escaping.
[Space Force!] The Corpse General was stunned, but in the next moment became furious, sending out an enrage howl as his face filled with unwillingness.
If it wasn’t for the other party having cultivated Space Force, how could he have allowed them to escape with such a massive gap in their strength? As long as he was given three breaths, he was confident he could grind these two intruders into patties and retrieve what they had stolen.
Shortly after, other figures appeared in Secret Cave, all of them looking around the now half empty room somberly. Each of these figures exuded an aura not inferior to the first Corpse General who had arrived here. They were all peak Origin Returning Realm masters, four of them in total.
Other Corpse Generals who were equal to Second-Order Origin Returning Realm masters also soon arrived, making the entire Secret Cave quite a bustling scene.
“Where’s the Sun’s True Essence?” One of the Corpse Generals dressed in azure robes glanced at the spot where the jade pedestal originally stood and asked.
“It was taken away,” The first red-clothed Corpse General who rushed here replied angrily.
“What? The Sun’s True Essence was taken away?” The other two peak-level Corpse Generals shouted in disbelief, “Was the person who came a peak Origin Returning Realm master? But just a moment ago I only detected a Second-Order Saint King.”
“It really was just a Second-Order Saint King. As for how he took away the Sun’s True Essence, I don’t know,” The red robed Corpse General replied.
“You couldn’t stop a trivial Second-Order Saint King? Junior Brother Long, did you rot after sleeping for so long?” The azure robed Corpse General looked at the former with a sneer.
The red robed Corpse General simply glanced over at this man and replied indifferently, “The other party cultivated the Dao of Space, and it seems his attainments in it are extremely high, allowing him to directly tear space and flee. Does Senior Brother Mo think he could have stopped him if he were here?”
“The Dao of Space?”
“Tore space?”
“Impossible!”
The other three Corpse Generals exclaimed, their eyes overflowing with shock.
“There are still some residual distortions in the space here. Whether I am telling the truth or not, you should be able to tell for yourselves.” The red robed Corpse General didn’t seem to want to explain any further and simply stopped talking.
The other Corpse Generals heard this and all released their Divine Senses to investigate. After a while, their expressions turning ugly. They were indeed able to sense a slight Space Force fluctuation, so it was obvious the red-robed Corpse General wasn’t lying.
The Secret Cave was quiet for a while as the four Corpse Generals whose strength was comparable to peak Origin Returning Realm masters did not know what to say. They did not immediately pursue Yang Kai; after all, this thief was capable of tearing space. Even if they possessed great strength, they might not be able to catch him. Only if they possessed a similar method to instantly cross great distances would they have a chance.
“The Sun’s True Essence was the key to our promotion to Corpse Kings, but now that it has been taken away, what are we supposed to do?” A white-robed Corpse General frowned and asked in annoyance.
“En, without the Sun’s True Essence, how are we supposed to continue our Corpse Refinement Art and reach the Corpse King stage, achieving immortal and indestructible bodies?” The final black-robed Corpse General asked, a fierce light flashing across his eyes, seemingly unwilling to just let Yang Kai escape.
“Indeed, even if he is proficient in Space Force, we can’t just let him go. I’ll go now and capture him,” The azure-robed Corpse General clenched his teeth, stomped his feet, and turned around, as if he really intended to pursue Yang Kai.
“Senior Brother Mo, could it be you’ve forgotten about Star Emperor Mountain? Although two thousand years have passed, if we leave this place at this time, it will draw those monsters’ attention. Furthermore, since that person is proficient in Space Force, will we even be able to catch up to him now?” The white-robed Corpse General quickly stopped him.
Hearing the name Star Emperor Mountain, the other three Corpse Generals couldn’t help narrowing their eyes, a mixture of fear and hatred flashing across their faces. The azure-robed Corpse General also stopped in place.
The white-robed Corpse General suddenly chuckled at that moment, “Although the Sun’s True Essence has been lost, that might not necessarily be a bad thing.”
“What?” The azure-robed Corpse General looked at him in amazement.
“Do Senior Brothers know why our Ancient Yang Sect put this piece of Sun’s True Essence here?” The white-robed Corpse General smiled meaningfully and asked.
“Does Junior Brother Kang know?”
The white-robed Corpse General didn’t explain right away but instead glanced over at the location where the Ice Jade Pedestal had stood and said, “I was never quite certain about this matter, but now I am at least eighty percent sure. Senior Brothers should take a look over there to see if they can feel anything.”
Hearing this, the other three Corpse Generals exchanged a glance before releasing their Divine Senses to carefully investigate.
A moment later, the three Corpse Generals all wore shocked looks, the azure-robed Corpse General even exclaiming, “Such rich Yin Qi! It looks like it has been sealed off somehow and is now only slightly revealing itself, but even so, the Corpse Qi here is far denser than anywhere else in the Corpse Cave.”
The red-robed and black-robed Corpse Generals did not speak but showed equally surprised expressions on their faces. Obviously, this rich Yin Qi was extremely important to them.
The three Corpse Generals quickly turned their attention back to the white-robed Corpse General, the azure-robed one asking, “Junior Brother Kang, you are the only direct descendant of our Honoured Master, do you know something? If so, don’t keep your Senior Brothers in suspense.”
“Yes, yes. Junior Brother Kang, although the three of us are older than you, how could we compare with your understanding of the Sect’s secrets? When the Sect was destroyed, all of us were mere Saint Realm cultivators. If not for Junior Brother bringing us here to hide, I’m afraid we would have long ago perished.”
Even the red-robed Corpse General, who seemed to be the most recalcitrant, turned to the white-robed Corpse General with a softened look, showing an expectant expression.
The white-robed Corpse General just chuckled lightly, “The matters of the past should be left in the past, the several Senior Brothers don’t need to care about them so much. The reason why I brought all of you here was because it was the Sect Master’s orders, a last-ditch attempt to preserve some of the Ancient Yang Sect’s heritage.”
When these words came out, the expressions of the four Corpse Generals all dimmed.
Although they had indeed managed to preserve the last remnants of the Ancient Yang Sect, the four handsome and heroic Sect Brothers had degenerated into such a state, so they couldn’t help questioning if they had actually fulfilled the hopes of their Sect Master.
After a moment of silence, the white-robed Corpse General composed himself and continued, “At that time, my strength wasn’t very high, and although my father was the Sect Master, I was not qualified to know many of the Sect’s core secrets. However, I once heard my father and mother talking about this Secret Cave, and at that time, they said that there was an Underworld Well Spring sealed here. “
“An Underworld Well Spring!” The three Corpse General heard this and could not help calling out in alarm.
“Indeed!” The white-robed Corpse General nodded solemnly, “In the past, we obviously wouldn’t have known what an Underworld Well Spring was, but I assume Senior Brothers all understand now, right?”
“Naturally!” The azure-robed Corpse General nodded with a dignified expression, “Underworld Well Springs are rumoured to be entrances to the underworld and are the most coveted Holy Lands for existences like us.”
“No wonder, no wonder a Corpse Cave formed here, it turns out there was actually an Underworld Well Spring!” The black-robed Corpse General murmured thoughtfully.
“In order to seal this Underworld Well Spring, one of our Ancient Yang Sect’s former Sect Masters somehow obtained a piece of Sun’s True Essence and used its scorching Sun’s True Fire to suppress it. This method on its own could be considered quite good, but in order to store the Sun’s True Essence absolutely safely, some later generation’s Sect Master spent a huge price to refine that Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal and placed it here! It could be said that this matter is one of the Sect’s biggest secrets that only the Sect Master and a few select Elders were eligible to know.” After the white-robed Corpse General finished, he smiled and said, “Although I heard a few words about this many years ago, I didn’t understand much about them. On top of that, with the Sun’s True Essence sealing this place, we were unable to even get close to it, so I never bothered telling Senior Brothers. I hope Senior Brothers won’t blame me!”
“Hahaha!” The azure-robed Corpse General laughed heartily before patting the white-robed Corpse General’s shoulder heavily, “How could Junior Brother ask such a thing? We four brothers are already family, how could we blame you? Not to mention, even if you had told us about this matter, there wouldn’t have been anything we could have done about it. En, but now it seems there really is an Underworld Well Spring here!”
“Indeed, just the Yin Qi which is leaking from the seal is already so strong, so if we were to completely open it, wouldn’t we be able to obtain endless benefits? With the help of this Underworld Well Spring, it should not be impossible for us to reach the Corpse King level, and this method is far safer than the Corpse Refinement Art we were originally planning to use.”
“Exactly. None of us have attempted to cultivate the last part of the Corpse Refinement Art, but having to rely on an item as dangerous as that Sun’s True Essence is really quite daunting. Originally, I didn’t approve of us continuing to try to advance our cultivation, but now, all our problems are solved. It seems we should be thanking that kid who took away the Sun’s True Essence.”
The red-robed Corpse General, who had been silent for a long, suddenly said thoughtfully, “I always wondered why the Sect practiced Corpse Refinement and why Elder Liu possessed several extremely powerful Corpse Puppets, but now it makes sense. It seems it was all because of this place.”
The several Corpse Generals pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
The azure-robed Corpse General soon waved his hand, “Good, now that we know there is an Underworld Well Spring here, our first priority should be to find a way to break its seal. Presumably, without the Sun’s True Essence suppression, with our current strength, it should not be difficult to break this thing. Before we begin though, we need to make we are not disturbed by outsiders again, otherwise, if someone becomes aware of our Sect’s survival, word may reach Star Emperor Mountain’s ears.”
“That’s easy enough to solve, just let them go clean up the area. In any case, the outside world’s powerhouses don’t know anything about the situation here, as long as we don’t act too overtly there shouldn’t be any big problems,” The red-robed Corpse General sneered before turning his head to look at the large number of Corpse Soldiers and Corpse Generals that had at some point arrived here and were standing around in a dense formation. Each of these Corpse Soldiers and Corpse Generals had a rich malevolent aura and their green eyes, though eerie, were still filled with a sharp light, clearly indicating that they possessed a substantial level of sentience.
Several top-ranking Corpse Generals immediately issued a series of orders, after which the Corpse Soldiers and Corpse Generals began flooding out of the Corpse Cave in groups of three to five, all of them headed to clean up various important locations inside Grand Burial Valley.
While the four Corpse Generals were talking, however, a thousand kilometres away, a black crack in space appeared. This rough and crooked crack was clearly quite unstable. A moment later, a figure emerged from it, quickly followed by another.
Almost at the same time the second figure emerged, the Void Tear suddenly disappeared.
Yang Kai turned his head back to the closed Void Tear with a look of lingering fear.
Although he was able to successfully bring Yang Yan and flee a thousand kilometres away by tearing space at the last moment, the attack of the Corpse General in red still affected the stability of the Void Tear, nearly causing him and Yang Yan to become forever lost in The Void. If it were not for his comprehension of the Dao of Space having improved dramatically in recent years, even if he had been able to escape, Yang Yan would certainly have died.
Yang Yan was unaware of the danger she had just been in, but Yang Kai had a cold sweat dripping down his back as he secretly decided that the next time he wanted to bring someone else along with him using this method, he had to first reach a position where the enemy wouldn’t be able to interfere, otherwise the risk would be far too great.
Additionally, Yang Kai was not sure if it was his imagination or not, but before leaving the Corpse Cave, he felt an unusual aura coming from the place where the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal had stood.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai did not think too deeply about it. Escaping from a peak level Origin Returning Realm master was fortunate enough, and this trip had also resulted in a huge harvest.
There was not enough time to take inventory of his gains here though, so Yang Kai just checked on the Stone Puppet’s situation inside the Black Book Space for now. After confirming that it would be fine in the short term, Yang Kai wrapped Yang Yan in his Saint Qi, confirmed his bearings, and began heading for the outskirts of the Grand Burial Valley.
Yang Yan seemed to still be quite frightened by what had happened in the Corpse Cave, so along the way she did not say anything, just shivering slightly as she clung tightly to Yang Kai.
It was expected as she was naturally timid.
There was no danger along the way, only a few Yin Souls who were disturbed by the movement of Yang Kai’s Saint Qi; however, because Yang Kai was quite eager to leave and was travelling at great speed, no Yin Soul was able to pursue them for long and before he knew it, the two of them had already crossed half the distance to the valley’s exit.