With the addition of the Firebird Artifact Spirit and giant dark green dragon, the Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect cultivators’ already bad situation immediately worsened.
When Yang Kai first acquired the Firebird, its strength wasn’t too great; however, over the past few years, it had refined three wisps of Sun’s True Fire and two Heaven Scorching Thunder Fires, all of which contributed significantly to its growth.
Today’s Firebird had no trouble defeating a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator on its own.
What’s more, the Firebird possessed a high level of sentience and had its own consciousness, so it understood how to wait for openings and opportunities to defeat its opponents without needing help or commands from Yang Kai.
Although the giant dark green dragon transformed from the Dragon Bone Sword was no match for the Firebird Artifact Spirit in terms of sentience and intelligence, it was refined from the bones and Soul of an Ancient Divine Spirit, so the Dragon Pressure it exuded alone was enough to suppress most opponents. With Yang Kai controlling it, the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword became a fearful opponent.
Moreover, this artifact could grow further. Whether it was an innate or acquired Divine Ability, the Dragon Bone Sword was able to swallow and refine the vitality of any cultivator it killed to increase its power.
Giant fireballs spewed from the Firebird’s mouth and flaming feather blades shot from its wings in all directions while the giant dark green dragon opened its giant maw and spat out a dense poisonous mist. This poisonous mist was so deadly that even Origin Returning Realm Masters did not dare despise it.
Pitiful screams sounded one after another as enemies died in rapid succession under the attacks of the Firebird and Dragon Bone Sword.
“Sect Master Yang, this old master wishes to negotiate!” Liang Yong’s expression changed dramatically as sweat dripped down his face while he desperately urged his artifacts to protect him from three Ninth-Order Cloud Beasts. Seeing his companions die one by one before his eyes, Liang Yong had finally begun to panic as he realised death was approaching.
If it was just Yang Kai, they could have won with ease considering the strength they had brought with them.
But with so many powerful auxiliary methods, this idea was no longer realistic.
Liang Yong did not want to die here.
“What more is there to say now?” Yang Kai’s sneering voice echoed from all around. Liang Yong tried to find traces of him but was unable to achieve anything. Seeing the Firebird Artifact Spirit fly straight towards him after killing one of his companions, Liang Yong trembled and quickly shouted, “Do you think my Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect wanted to deal with you like this? If so, you are completely mistaken.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai was really taken aback.
“Liang Yong, if you dare leak these secrets, you’ll die like a dog!” From a short distance away, Thunder Typhoon Sect’s Vice Sect Master Si Tu Hong quickly shouted.
As soon as these words sounded though, more than a dozen Golden Threads strangely appeared, tangled together, and soon condensed into a giant golden spear that shot towards Si Tu Hong.
Si Tu Hong was already in a desperate situation, trying to resist the torrential attacks of the Cloud Beasts surrounding him, so how could he possibly have the spare capacity to guard against this golden spear now?
With a great roar, Si Tu Hong pushed his Saint Qi as hard as he could to form a protective barrier around his body, hoping to block the blow.
Unfortunately for him, he had greatly underestimated the power of Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Threads. The Golden Blood Threads already possessed unrivaled sharpness, and after Yang Kai gained the ability to transform them into various weapons, this sharpness only increased.
The golden spear quickly struck Si Tu Hong, punctured through his Saint Qi guard with ease, and proceeded to pierce a gaping hole into his body.
Fortunately, at the last moment, Si Tu Hong managed to twist his body and avoid taking a critical hit. Although this blow was extremely powerful, it failed to outright kill him.
But his luck ended here.
The Cloud Beasts that had been besieging him pounced at that moment and completely overwhelmed him.
Screams rang out, causing the few people who remained to drip cold sweat. After only three breaths, the sounds from the Thunder Typhoon Sect’s Vice Sect Master stopped abruptly, and his life aura completely disappeared.
“Now you can talk!” Yang Kai’s voice sounded again.
Liang Yong turned his head and suddenly found that Yang Kai had already appeared, standing not far away, looking at him with a gloomy expression. The Cloud Beasts that had been attacking him seemed to have received some kind of order and ceased for the moment, but they all remained close, baring their fangs as they carefully stared at him.
Two more screams rang out as two more of Liang Yong’s companions fell.
Liang Yong scanned his surroundings and quickly discovered that only two people remained alive in this strange world, him and Yang Kai. Everyone else who accompanied Liang Yong had died a miserable death, not only having their bodies torn to shreds and then consumed, even their Remnant Souls had been consumed.
Their Souls had been extinguished in the truest of senses!
One had to know that a cultivator who reached the Origin Returning Realm would have their Spiritual Energy leak out from their Knowledge Sea and dissipate into the world after death. This dispersion happened quite violently and was easily noticeable, but at this moment, Liang Yong was unable to detect any signs of this natural process occurring.
He had no idea what was going on.
But the strangeness of the situation only caused him greater fear.
Gulping unconsciously, Liang Yong felt a sense of fear he had not experienced in nearly a hundred years.
“Are you going to talk or not?” Yang Kai asked impatiently.
“Things have reached this point, so this old master naturally has no reason to conceal anything. If Sect Master Yang wishes to know something, this old master is willing to divulge everything he knows!” Liang Yong took a deep breath, his expression seemingly calm, but only he knew how much he was suffering on the inside.
“Then tell me what your words meant,” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes.
Liang Yong flashed a wry smile, “If this old master speaks, can Sect Master Yang give this old master a chance to live?”
“What do you think?” Yang Kai grinned.
Liang Yong shook his head, “Whether I live or die is completely up to Sect Master Yang, but since Sect Master Yang wishes to know some secrets that this old master can explain, why should I speak if this old master can’t obtain any kind of advantage?”
Yang Kai squinted slightly as a cold glow flashed across his eyes, only after a long silence nodding, “Good, if the value of the information you tell me is high enough, I can spare your dog life; after all, you’re only acting on orders here and there is no personal grudge between us. However, if you are just trying to stall for time, I’ll deliver you a fate worse than death!”
“Rest assured, what this old master has to say will definitely be of great interest to Sect Master Yang; however, verbal statements aren’t guarantees, how is this old master supposed to trust Sect Master Yang?”
“You have no choice!” Yang Kai snorted coldly and took a step forward.
At the same time, the Cloud Beasts that were gathering around Liang Yong also let out a low growl, as if they were eager to pounce and only waiting for Yang Kai’s order to tear this enemy to pieces.
Liang Yong’s complexion darkened as he quickly raised his hands and said, “I understand… people under the eaves have to bow, this old master will talk.”
“Seems you’re not completely stupid!” Yang Kai sneered.
“This time…” Liang Yong frowned, as if deliberating what words to use before slowly continuing, “This time, Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect were ordered to act.”
“Ordered?” Yang Kai was surprised, “By who?”
“This…” Liang Yong hesitated as a hint of fear flashed across his face, “Even if this old master does not say, it shouldn’t be too difficult for Sect Master Yang to guess with your intelligence, yes?”
Yang Kai looked at him suspiciously but quickly understood, “You mean Star Emperor Mountain?”
Yang Kai was no longer a Saint Realm cultivator who knew nothing about this Cultivation Star; he had been on Shadowed Star for many years now and naturally understood the power and influence Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect wielded. Ordering these two great forces to team up and deal with him was something only Star Emperor Mountain was capable of.
“This old master never said anything, everything is just Sect Master Yang’s own speculations,” Liang Yong quickly drew a line between them, but Yang Kai could tell his guess was correct from his manner and tone.
However, he didn’t have any kind of interaction with Star Emperor Mountain, right?
“Is it because of my Starship?” Yang Kai asked coldly.
“Partially, the other reason is because of a certain person,” Liang Yong was also considered to be a high-level officer of Heaven Battling Union, so naturally he understood some of the deeper reasons behind this time’s action.
“Elder Ye!” Yang Kai immediately thought of Ye Xi Yun.
She was the former Sect Master of Star Emperor Mountain but Yang Kai didn’t know why that was the case. Now, however, it seemed Ye Xi Yun and the current Star Emperor Mountain had some grievances between them.
[Right, she was poisoned before we met, but anyone who could poison her must have extraordinary strength. Could it have been Star Emperor Mountain’s doing?]
Seeing Yang Kai sink into contemplation, Liang Yong stood in place anxiously and waited, only after a long silence tentatively asking, “Sect Master Yang, this old master has already said everything he knows, is it enough to satisfy you?”
“You’re certain you’re not omitting anything?” Yang Kai glared at him coldly, “You must know by now that even if there are more than a dozen people outside, you cannot stop me from leaving. If I later find out that you’ve concealed something from me here, heh heh, I wonder if Elder Liang has any descendents who would be willing to pay him filial piety when he is gone?”
Liang Yong’s face changed as a look of struggle flashed across his eyes, gritting his teeth eventually before saying, “Sect Master Yang should be careful of the old man with grey hair wearing brown robes!”
“Oh?” Yang Kai looked at him with a smile, before nodding his head, “Alright, many thanks for Elder Liang’s warning!”
Liang Yong could not help gasping for breath, this feeling of his life hanging by a thread was simply too terrifying.
“Sect Master Yang, this old master really knows nothing else, so…
“Rest assured, I always mean what I say,” Yang Kai gently nodded. As he said just now, he had no grudge with Liang Yong, so it didn’t matter to him whether he killed him for not.
With a flash of Divine Sense, the surrounding Cloud Beasts once again transformed into white clouds that floated back up into the sky.
The strange Spirit Array world also seemed to distort and blur at that moment and soon shattered.
When Liang Yong regained his composure, he realised he had reappeared outside the palace with his remaining dozen or so companions all looked over in his direction.
In the next moment though, these dozens or so masters showed looks of shock.
There were scattered bones all over the ground, without the slightest trace of flesh, blood, or vitality left on them, as if they had been exposed to the elements for countless years, leaving behind only bleached remains.
The vital essence of each of these fallen cultivators had been swallowed by the Dragon Bone Sword, leaving nothing behind.
Surrounded by these bones, Yang Kai stood with a smug look upon his face, with only Liang Yong still left alive a short distance away.
The remaining people who had fallen into his Spirit Array had all fallen.
Everyone could hardly believe their eyes.
How long had it been? Since Yang Kai took out the Array Plate until now, less than an incense stick of time had passed, yet a dozen Origin Returning Realm masters had actually been killed by Yang Kai in such a short time.
What happened inside that Spirit Array?
No one knew, but none of them dared to underestimate Yang Kai.
“It’s good to see that you’re still alive!” Qu Zheng stared at Yang Kai with red eyes, murderous intent pulsing from his body. Seeing the culprit who had murdered his son, Qu Zhen was unwilling to let him escape and declared, “You really didn’t disappoint this old master, this old master must personally take your life!”
As soon as he spoke these words, Qu Zheng’s body flashed and he shot towards Yang Kai like a charging tiger.
“Union Master must not!” Shouts rang out from all directions. Half of their group had died at Yang Kai’s hands, so it was apparent that this boy’s strength wasn’t trivial. Qu Zheng was enraged right now and charged without thinking about the consequences, but regardless of the outcome of this fight, Qu Zheng would ultimately be the one to suffer.
If he failed to win, he would definitely be injured.
But if Yang Kai was killed, Star Emperor Mountain would definitely hold him accountable.
As such, as soon as Qu Zheng acted, many tried to stop him.
However, their efforts were to no avail. Qu Zheng only wanted to put Yang Kai to death to avenge Qu Chang Feng now, so how could he bother listening to others’ dissuasions?
Halfway to his target, Qu Zheng brought his palms together and condensed so much Saint Qi onto them it became visible before he struck towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai simply looked at him with a sneer, not showing the slightest bit of fear as he too pushed out his palm, condensing a massive palm print that seemed to completely cover the space in front of Qu Zheng, even temporarily obscuring the sun’s light from reaching him.
Heaven Covering Hand!
Qu Zheng’s expression became solemn. Although he was livid right now, as a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, he had experienced countless battles across his life and accumulated a wealth of combat experience, so he immediately noticed the huge danger this palm print posed.
But he still had no intention of withdrawing, instead pushing his Saint Qi even harder.
The two palms collided and a thunderous rumbling resounded as raging energy fluctuations and powerful gusts of wind spread out.
Qu Zheng was sent flying while Yang Kai was also forced back more than a dozen steps.
This confrontation actually resulted in a draw!
Fang Peng saw this and paled.
Being able to repel Qu Zheng’s anger-filled strike meant that Yang Kai’s strength wasn’t inferior to his opponent’s! In other words, the two of them were equally matched.
This boy was a true monster.
“Brother Qu, calm down!” Fang Peng roared, “Those who have died cannot be brought back, losing your temper here will not help matters. If you want the enemy to suffer, there are other ways than simply killing him.”
Qu Zheng heard this and the crimson hue in his eyes dissipated a little, seemingly recovering his composure as he glared coldly towards Yang Kai and inhaled lightly before nodding his head and saying, “What Brother Fang said is right, this Qu acted impulsively.”
Finally responding, it was only now that Qu Zheng remembered that this time’s action was not to simply kill Yang Kai but rather to capture him alive.
As these two talked, Yang Kai looked on indifferently, but out of the corner of his eye, he stole a glance towards an old man with grey hair in a brown robe.
This old man should be the one Liang Yong warned him about.
At first glance, this person seemed inconspicuous as he stood casually among the crowd, but when Yang Kai inspected him carefully, he couldn’t help feeling an uncomfortable aura coming from it.
This aura actually made Yang Kai somewhat anxious.
Not daring to observe too carefully so as not to startle this snake, Yang Kai was unable to figure out what kind of skill this old man possessed that could cause him concern.
However, if his guess was right, this old man should be from Star Emperor Mountain. This time, Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect had teamed up to deal with him because Star Emperor Mountain had ordered them to. As the mastermind behind this operation, Star Emperor Mountain would naturally send someone to observe and participate.
[He has hidden perfectly.] Yang Kai would not have noticed this old man if Liang Yong hadn’t warned him as Qu Zheng and Fang Peng’s presence completely overshadowed him.
“Sect Master Yang is truly a hero among the younger generation, this old master is deeply impressed!” Fang Peng waved his hand lightly, a trace of regret and anger flashing across the depths of his eyes; after all, half of the masters Yang Kai had trapped and killed inside that Spirit Array just now belonged to his Thunder Typhoon Sect, and many of them were Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators.
Having so many top-level masters die for no reason naturally caused Fang Peng’s heart to bleed.
After this battle, although its foundation would not be shaken, Thunder Typhoon Sect’s strength would definitely take a hit. Moreover, if this news were to ever leak out, Thunder Typhoon Sect’s prestige would plummet.
“Sect Master Fang still thinks he can capture me with just the people you have left?” Yang Kai smiled and looked at him lightly.
“Haha, this Fang thought this operation was foolproof before, but after seeing Sect Master Yang’s methods, this Fang doesn’t dare think like that anymore,” Fang Peng slowly shook his head, looking helpless.
“Sect Master Fang thinking so is naturally for the best,” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
“Although this Fang had no intention of being enemies with Sect Master Yang, after you killed so many of my subordinates, I cannot simply let you go like this. En, please wait a moment Sect Master Yang, there are two friends here who would like to see you.”
“Two friends?” Yang Kai frowned and suddenly realized something was wrong.
“Bring them here!” Fang Peng clapped his hands as he shot a triumphant look towards Yang Kai.
Following his order, two streaks of light suddenly appeared not far away and rapidly flew over. After these lights faded and the figures inside revealed themselves, Yang Kai couldn’t help his eyes from shrinking as a stern look appeared on his face.
The figures that appeared were none other than Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu who had been accompanying him just a few days ago!
These two had obviously experienced a difficult battle and were now bloodied and dishevelled. At this moment, the two of them looked quite miserable, with Qian Tong’s left arm twisted and broken while Fei Zhi Tu had several small holes in his chest and abdomen which seemed to be the result of him being stabbed with a bladed weapon.
Being dragged here, both of them smiled bitterly and helplessly towards Yang Kai.
They hadn’t expected to be plotted against here, moreover to be used against Yang Kai! Both Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu had underestimated Qu Zheng and Fang Peng’s courage.
It was known that Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu had high enough status that even Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect would not offend them easily, but being commanded by Star Emperor Mountain, how could Qu Zheng and Fang Peng care what Shadow Moon Hall thought?
“We were ambushed,” Qian Tong pursed his mouth and said dryly.
Although they were sneak attacked, the winner was the king while the loser was the villain, and this was shown by his ugly complexion.
If not for them being caught by surprise, given their strength, how could he and Fei Zhi Tu have been captured alive? Even if they couldn’t win, couldn’t they run away? Both of them were Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, but it was precisely because they weren’t wary of their surroundings that they had been successfully ambushed. After falling into a disadvantage at the start of the fight, they were unable to run away.
Moreover, in order to deal with the two of them, Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect had sent out six masters of their own; facing such odds, the result was obvious.
“I can see that,” Yang Kai gently nodded. “Are you two alright?”
“We won’t die at least, we’ve just had our Saint Qi sealed,” Fei Zhi Tu grinned, seemingly not in terrible shape.
“That’s good!” Yang Kai took a breath before turning his head and squinting towards Fang Peng, “Sect Master Fang, what’s the meaning of this?”
“Nothing much,” Fang Peng chuckled with an amiable expression, “I just heard that Sect Master Yang has some special skills so we decided to take precautions early. I never expected those precautions would actually come in handy. Sect Master Yang seems to have quite a good relationship with Elder Qian and City Lord Fei, yes? I wonder if you would be willing to surrender without a fight for them?”
“You want me to surrender?” Yang Kai sneered, “Is Sect Master Fang sleep talking? If this matter were to spread out, what would the world think of your Thunder Typhoon Sect and Heaven Battling Union?”
Fang Peng shook his head gently, “It doesn’t matter what the world thinks, the key is what Sect Master Yang chooses. Sect Master Yang has also killed a lot of us, so how about we end today’s matter here? As long as you don’t resist, this old master will guarantee no more harm will come to Elder Qian and City Lord Fei. Everyone here is a famous figure on Shadowed Star so this old master would like to avoid completely tearing face between all of us, otherwise, it would become awkward when we meet in the future, don’t you think?”
His words were spoken benignly, as if he was only persuading Yang Kai to give up some unimportant trifles.
“And if I say no?”
“Haha…” Fang Peng laughed and pondered for a moment before saying, “It seems that Sect Master Yang hasn’t figured out the seriousness of this matter yet.”
“Since he doesn’t understand, this old master will make him understand!” Qu Zheng suddenly spoke up.
Saying so, his figure flickered and instantly arrived in front of Fei Zhi Tu. Under Fei Zhi Tu’s stunned gaze, Qu Zhen summoned a short spear-like artifact into his hand and without any hesitation stabbed towards Fei Zhi Tu’s chest.
With a gruesome sound, blood splashed out.
Fei Zhi Tu’s body was pierced through, with the short spear coming out his back covered in red blood.
“Old Fei!” Qian Tong was shocked, never having expected that Qu Zheng would be so decisive and ruthless.
*Cough cough…*
Fei Zhi Tu coughed up a blood mist towards Qu Zheng, but the latter did not even try to evade, letting the blood mist stain him red, causing his already hideous face to look even more hysterical.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes.
Under the investigation of his Divine Sense, Yang Kai could tell that although the blow just now didn’t directly kill Fei Zhi Tu, it had grazed his heart. As long as the blow had been shifted slightly, Fei Zhi Tu would have instantly died.
Such a serious injury, even with the foundation of a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, would not be easy to heal.
“Haha, Union Master Qu has just experienced the pain of losing his son, so although this old master has managed to persuade him not to act rashly, Sect Master Yang should probably avoid irritating him at this moment,” Fang Peng leisurely said. “Sect Master Yang doesn’t want to see Elder Qian and City Lord Fei die here because of you, right? Whether they live or die is entirely up to you to decide.”
“Yang Kai, you have ten breaths, consider carefully. If you can’t provide this Union Master with a satisfactory answer, I will immediately kill them!” Qu Zheng growled.
Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu wore resentful looks as they were being treated as bargaining chips to threaten Yang Kai. Both of them felt terrible, but unfortunately, the seal in their bodies made it so their Saint Qi couldn’t circulate at all, making it impossible for them to help Yang Kai.
“Good, I’ll go with you. Release Elder Qian and City Lord Fei!” To everyone’s surprise, Yang Kai agreed immediately, but his face was extremely ugly.
“Yang Kai, you…” Qian Tong looked at him with bitter guilt, “You don’t have to do this!”
Qian Tong was blaming himself for being careless and falling into his enemy’s hands, but most of all for dragging down Yang Kai in the process.
“Haha, Elder Qian is being too distant. Since this Junior came to Shadowed Star more than ten years ago, he has received much care from both of you. Now that the two Seniors are in trouble, this Junior will not stand idly by, let alone that this matter is mainly my fault. How could I just ignore your plight?” Yang Kai grinned brightly.
“Excellent! Excellent!” Fang Peng laughed while clapping, “Sect Master Yang is a man of deep sentiment, understanding how to show gratitude, this old master is ashamed of his inferiority!”
“Enough nonsense, you’ve obviously been planning this a long time and have even taken such extreme measures all to capture this Sect Master. Let those two go and this Sect Master will go with you!” Yang Kai turned a glare back towards Fang Peng.
“Haha, this old master is grateful for Sect Master Yang’s cooperation. Naturally, we will release these two, but before then, I must ask Sect Master Yang to allow this old master’s subordinates to place some seals to avoid any accidents. This is good for both you and us, what does Sect Master Yang think?” Fang Peng looked at Yang Kai with a smile, a trace of vigilance flashing across the depths of his eyes.
Yang Kai had given up far too easily.
This made Fang Peng suspect something was wrong.
He had ordered the capture of Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu to coerce Yang Kai into surrendering, but he hadn’t really expected this boy to just surrender without a fight. Was this boy so righteous and benevolent? Fang Peng was a little skeptical.
If it was him, he would never do this, his life was more important than anyone else’s, why would he give it up for others?
As long as Yang Kai’s strength wasn’t sealed, Fang Peng wouldn’t be able to relax.
“No problem!” Yang Kai still agreed easily though, “Sect Master Fang can act at will.”
Fang Peng’s brow furrowed before immediately giving a signal. Two Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters then approached Yang Kai from left and right, both of them remaining highly vigilant of Yang Kai suddenly going back on his word, but even when they approached to within half a metre of him, Yang Kai still didn’t move, instead just sneering towards them.
This made the two of them blush from their overly cautious behaviour.
It was truly embarrassing for them to be so on edge when facing a mere Junior.
There was no need for Fang Peng to issue any orders; the two masters both formed a series of hand seals before placing their palms on Yang Kai one after another.
A seal instantly formed inside of Yang Kai’s body, causing his aura to rapidly deflate.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw this. No matter how Heavenly defying Yang Kai’s methods were, he could not make any more waves without the ability to use his Saint Qi.
Fang Peng was overjoyed.
Although he had lost a lot of manpower during this operation, in the end, they had succeeded.
However, at that moment, a mutation suddenly occurred.
A scorching power suddenly rose from where Yang Kai stood, and in the next moment, dark Demonic Flame enveloped Yang Kai, making him look like a burning ball of black fire.
Yang Kai’s aura, which just disappeared, suddenly surged upwards again.
“Impossible!” The two masters who had placed the seals on Yang Kai just now exclaimed in shock, their eyes fully rounded.
When they had applied the seals, they had used their full strength, so even a cultivator in the same realm as them would not be able to break through them in short order, yet the Saint Qi in Yang Kai’s body was actually so pure and vigorous that he was instantly able to free himself.
With horrified gazes, the pair quickly tried to retreat, lest Yang Kai suddenly attack.
However, Yang Kai did not try to stop them at all. Instead, his body flickered, as if he were about to escape.
“You’re not the only one who is proficient in the Dao of Space here! This old master long expected you to try this, halt for this old master!” An angry shout came out and the figure of Heaven Battling Union’s Great Elder Mo Xiao Sheng appeared strangely beside Yang Kai. At the same time, a strange energy fluctuation spread from his body, covering Yang Kai.
Space Force!
While everyone else relaxed, Mo Xiao Sheng still paid close attention to Yang Kai’s movements so he could react to any move the boy made.
He had full confidence he could stop Yang Kai! Although he knew that Yang Kai also cultivated the Dao of Space, he had been immersed in this field for countless years and was certain he would not lose out to a mere brat. His pride could not be so easily trampled.
He wanted to prove to everyone who was superior here.
Space Force swirled around Yang Kai, disturbing The Void, and creating an invisible shackle that forced Yang Kai’s disappearing body to re-materialize.
Mo Xiao Sheng smiled proudly.
But in the next moment, his smile stiffened and was quickly replaced with a dumbfounded expression.
“Showing off meagre skills before an expert!” Yang Kai coldly snorted before his figure disappeared again.
“How?” Mo Xiao Sheng stood there dumbfounded, unable to even understand how Yang Kai had broken through his blockade or even when he had done so. At that moment, a terrifying thought suddenly flashed across his mind, causing him to lose his ability to think calmly.
[Can it be? This little brat’s comprehension of the Dao of Space is greater than my own?]
Frightening energy fluctuations suddenly surged as a short, pitch-black arrow suddenly appeared out of thin air and shot towards Qu Zheng like a bolt of lightning.
No one dared to underestimate the horrific killing power behind this small arrow.
The middle-aged Second-Order Origin Returning Realm woman from Heaven Battling Union had died tragically after being hit by this attack, unable to even put up any resistance, dying in an instant, so Qu Zheng was well aware of how powerful this short arrow was.
Flurried, he didn’t dare resist this arrowhead on and quickly used his movement skill to dodge.
*Xiu…*
The short, pitch-black arrow scratched Qu Zheng’s body as it flew past, but another Origin Returning Realm master not far away was not so lucky. In the next instant, the short arrow pierced his chest and he instantly died.
“Where is he?” Fang Peng yelled, releasing his Divine Sense without reservation. Soon, he found traces of Yang Kai. He did not know when, but Yang Kai had actually rushed over towards Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu and was rapidly approaching them now.
The short arrow just now was just a way to force Qu Zheng to withdraw while Yang Kai’s ultimate goal was clearly to rescue Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu.
“This is bad!” Fang Peng’s face darkened, and he shouted sharply, “Stop him!”
“Those who stand in my way will die!” Yang Kai roared, raising his hands, and releasing two pitch-blade blade-like attacks that instantly cut towards the heads of the two enemies escorting Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu.
These two saw Yang Kai as a tiger descending from the mountain and their hearts filled with panic. The two of them wanted to avoid these two bladelike attacks, but having received Fang Peng’s order, they had to grit their teeth and stand their ground while summoning their artifacts.
A golden light suddenly blossomed and before these two had time to move, they suddenly noticed that Yang Kai’s left eye was covered in a golden halo and was releasing an irresistible majesty.
Within this golden light, there was a faintly lingering multi-coloured glow.
The golden light and multi-coloured glow seemed to possess a magical power that made it seem like their Souls were being pulled into an endless abyss, causing them to freeze up, unable to move or even speak.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation was Great Demon God’s Divine Ability, which Yang Kai had inherited and combined with the Coloured Glass Bead that Dai Yuan had given him. The current Demon Eye of Annihilation combined with Coloured Glass Divine Light was even more powerful than before.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation was capable of suppressing Souls while the Coloured Glass Divine Light had the power to restrain one’s body and Soul, the two naturally complemented and enhanced one another.
Although these two people could quickly break through this kind of suppression and restraint, a short pause was all Yang Kai needed.
The pitch-black Space Blade accurately passed through the two of them and silently left crescent-like cuts on their bodies.
Their flesh, blood, bones, five viscera, and six organs which were touched were all banished to The Void!
Everything happened in a flash, from Yang Kai using his Feather Spirit Arrow to repel Qu Zheng to releasing his Space Blades to kill the two who were escorting Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu all occurring in the blink of an eye.
In the next moment, he was already in front of Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu, grabbing each of them with one hand and pushing his Space Force again to leave this place.
But at that moment, an angry shout rang out.
“Wishful thinking!” From the crowd, an old man with grey hair wearing a brown robe stepped forward as Saint Qi surged from his body and a longan sized bead appeared in his hand.
As soon as this bead appeared, everyone paled.
Because the aura which was pulsing from this bead made everyone tremble with unease. Regardless of the strength of this aura, its feel was all too familiar.
“Emperor Pressure!” Fang Peng’s eyes narrowed as he called out in surprise.
It was indeed Emperor Pressure, the same power which was released by the Emperor Garden; however, this Emperor Pressure was nowhere nearly as strong. Still, this coercive force made any who felt it feel humble and small, as if by the pressure alone was able to grind them down into dust.
The grey-haired old man’s Saint Qi surged as it poured into the bead he was carrying and with a great roar, it transformed into a stream of light that shot towards Yang Kai at phenomenal speed.
Mid-air, this bead split into two, then into four, then into eight…
Soon, the sky was filled with identical beads that all but enveloped the space around Yang Kai. This was not the end though; each of these beads seemed to be real, nothing like an illusion, and each one was releasing terrifying arcs.
The sound of thunder was deafening as these arcs of lighting flew out like silk threads towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed, his expression never looked more solemn.
He felt the touch of death coming from these lightning bolts and instantly understood that if he could not find a way to handle them, he would immediately die.
With his heart pounding violently, Yang Kai did not dare hold back, summoning his Purple Shield and activating its sandstorm ability before releasing his Firebird Artifact Spirit and transforming it into a fiery red light that wrapped around him, Qian Tong, and Fei Zhi Tu.
Next, Yang Kai released nearly a hundred Golden Blood Threads from his hands before weaving them together to form an airtight net around them.
Even after successively deploying three powerful layers of protection, Yang Kai still felt uneasy.
But there was no more time for him to react as the countless lightning arcs had already reached him.
*Kacha…*
The outermost layer of defence, the sandstorm, instantly collapsed and the Purple Shield reappeared, its light halo severely dimmed, obviously having suffered a severe loss of spirituality. On the contrary, the myriad bolts of lightning remained undiminished as they struck towards the net woven of Golden Blood Threads.
Being struck by the lightning arcs, the brilliant golden radiance coming from the Golden Blood Threads suddenly dimmed and Yang Kai couldn’t help coughing up a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale.
His Golden Blood Threads were existences that straddled the line between Secret Techniques and artifacts that were directly connected to his body and Soul. As such, when his Golden Blood Threads took damage, Yang Kai would also suffer. This was the only drawback of his Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique.
Yang Kai suffered a small loss at this moment.
Fortunately, this minor flaw did not detract from the Golden Blood Thread’s power, and as they passed through the golden net, the seemingly unstoppable lighting arcs finally lost some of their power.
Immediately after, the remaining lighting arcs hit the Firebird Artifact Spirit’s light curtain.
Crisp bird cries rang out as the curtain of extremely hot flames distorted greatly, warping space itself within the surrounding thousand metres. The imposing flames and overbearing lightning formed a kind of violent stalemate, clashing fiercely with one another as Yang Kai looked on anxiously.
However, Yang Kai’s face soon became extremely gloomy.
As the owner of the Artifact Spirit, Yang Kai could naturally feel just how much pressure it was under at this moment.
[It can’t stop them!]
If Yang Kai allowed this to continue, the Firebird Artifact Spirit would almost certainly be destroyed entirely, disappearing from this world.
Just what kind of artifact was that bead? How could it possess such power and why was it giving off Emperor Pressure?
Within a short moment, the Artifact Spirit’s light curtain was on the verge of breaking and the intense heat it was giving off was quickly dispersing, as if it was being doused with water. At the same time, the crisp bird cries were rapidly becoming noticeably fainter.
Yang Kai grit his teeth and took back his Firebird Artifact Spirit.
He didn’t want to let the Artifact Spirit fall here.
A crimson-red ray of light flew into Yang Kai’s body, but without the Firebird’s protection, the countless lightning arcs once again charged towards him unhindered like the sharpest of blades.
Yang Kai’s face was pale, but in this moment, he could only push his Saint Qi to its limits to protect himself.
“Yang Kai, this old master will help you!” Fei Zhi Tu’s voice suddenly came from the side. Using some unknown Secret Technique, Fei Zhi Tu had regained the use of his sealed Saint Qi and hurriedly summoned his Blue Jade Bowl.
A faint blue light poured out from the bowl like gently falling moonlight, quickly transforming into a tangible barrier that blocked the path of the incoming lightning.
A series of loud sizzling noises rang out as the lightning arcs hit this faint blue barrier, causing it to rapidly dim.
After only three breaths, Fei Zhi Tu coughed up a mouthful of red blood and his face turned as pale as paper, his aura rapidly diminishing in the process.
The Blue Jade Bowl he relied on the most also let out a loud cracking sound before breaking apart and scattering to the ground.
This powerful Origin Grade High-Rank artifact was actually destroyed by the lightning arcs after a single encounter!
This caused Fei Zhi Tu’s already bad condition to further worsen!
“Old Fei!” Qian Tong’s expression changed drastically as he looked over at him nervously. Fei Zhi Tu just shook his head slowly, not even having the strength to speak. He suffered heavy injuries when they were captured, and was later pierced through by Qu Zheng’s short spear. Now an artifact which was closely connected to his Soul had been destroyed, so it wasn’t an exaggeration to say he was completely drained at this moment.
However, his efforts weren’t in vain. After being blocked by the Blue Jade Bowl, the lightning arcs weren’t nearly as powerful as before, and although they were still quite strong, Yang Kai no longer felt a deadly threat from them.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The charging lightning arcs plunged into Yang Kai’s body like steel needles, causing countless tiny holes to appear on his body and spilling a copious amount of his blood.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and in the next moment his Saint Qi burst out, enveloping Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu, his face extremely gloomy.
Everyone’s eyes bulged when they saw this. All of them asked themselves if they would have been able to survive the violent attack just now, and the answer all of them arrived at was ‘no’, but Yang Kai had managed to accomplish this. Although Fei Zhi Tu’s desperate assistance was also a factor, Yang Kai had taken the entire remaining force of the lightning arcs with his body. But instead of his aura fading, it was madly increasing.
Was this boy even still human? Was he really just a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator?
Fang Peng and Qu Zheng’s faces were filled with shock, and even the grey-haired old man showed a look of dread on his face.
“Yang Kai, we need to leave here first. Old Fei…” Qian Tong shouted anxiously.
Yang Kai’s rapidly swelling aura stagnated abruptly, as if he had suddenly regained his composure and he gently nodded, biting the tip of his tongue before spitting out a drop of Golden Blood from his mouth. This drop of blood flickered slightly before seemingly disappearing into thin air.
Immediately after, a strange wave of power surged in front of Yang Kai and a small black crack suddenly appeared.
Initially, this crack was small and insignificant, but soon it expanded, as if two invisible hands were tearing it open.
Inside this crack was a pitch black chaotic was nothingness, as if anything that fell into it would be swallowed and disappear forever.
“Impossible!” Mo Xiao Sheng’s eyes trembled violently as he exclaimed, “Impossible, this is absolutely impossible, there’s no way! That’s a Void Crack!”
“What?” Fang Peng was shocked, “A Void Crack?”
Everyone was stunned as they stared blankly at the crack which led to The Void, all of them unable to believe their eyes, but when they sent their Divine Senses into the black nothingness, they really couldn’t sense anything.
Only Yang Kai stood calmly in front of the Void Crack, guarding Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu as he swept his eyes around coldly with a vicious expression on his face, “This Sect Master will remember the gracious gift he was bestowed today and will be sure to return it a hundred times over in the future!”
His voice was like the frigid wind of the Nine Nether Purgatory, causing everyone to shiver from head to toe.
As soon as his voice fell, his figure flickered and dove into the Void Crack!
“Stop him!” The grey-haired old man was the first to recover from his shock and shout.
But by that time, there was no trace of Yang Kai left, and the attacks everyone released on instinct simply submerged into The Void like stones sinking into the sea, not even creating any ripples.
After a breath, the Void Crack automatically closed and disappeared.
Everyone’s expressions turned ugly as their faces paled.
“Impossible! That is absolutely impossible!” In front of the silent palace, only Mo Xiao Sheng’s muttering echoed.
Having suffered a thorough defeat in the field he was proudest of, Mo Xiao Sheng’s pride had been ripped to shreds.
Qu Zheng and Fang Peng looked at each other and could only see annoyance and dread in each other’s eyes. Qu Zheng turned to look at Mo Xiao Sheng and quickly asked, “Great Elder, are you certain that was a Void Crack?”
“Haha…” Mo Xiao Sheng’s eyes remained unfocused as he said with a sad smile, “This old master wishes he was mistaken, but that was without a doubt a Void Crack! He can actually tear space. At such a young age he has achieved this kind of mastery over Space Force? It is over, it’s all over, no one on Shadowed Star can capture him. If he wishes to leave, no one can stop him! All this time, he was just toying with us! “
“No one can stop him?” Qu Zheng complexion turned ugly.
Mo Xiao Sheng slowly shook his head with a look of despair, “Union Master, you don’t understand just how difficult it is to deal with someone who cultivates Space Force, but this old master understands… After failing to kill him this time, we will never have a second chance.”
Qu Zheng frowned deeply.
Recalling the threat Yang Kai gave before he left, his heart could not help but clench up.
High Heaven Sect was located deep inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, a land that none could trespass, and Yang Kai himself was so difficult to handle, even capable of tearing space. Having thoroughly offended him this time, it would likely be difficult to sleep peacefully in the future!
“Old Bai, this…” Fang Peng, who had remained silent until now, turned his head to look at the grey-haired old man in brown robes.
The old man’s aura was quite feeble at this moment. It seemed that it cost him a great price to use the bead-like artifact. Hearing someone call out to him, this old man surnamed Bai coldly snorted and said, “Even the Annihilation Thunder Bead couldn’t force him to remain. This is no longer a matter this old master can handle, I must return to the Mountain and report to the Sect Master. Any further action will be coordinated by him, this old master will take his leave.”
After he said this sentence, he did not care what other people thought. He summoned his Star Shuttle and flew off.
Fang Peng wasn’t even able to get a word off and could only watch in annoyance as the old man flew off, cursing under his breath once he was certain the old man was out of hearing range.
The reason why he and Qu Zheng offended Yang Kai this time was because of the orders they received from Star Emperor Mountain, resulting in their two forces suffering heavy losses. Yet now that everything failed miserably, the other side was actually abandoning all responsibility?
What was this? Dismantling a bridge after crossing the river? Disposing of trusted allies after they outlived their usefulness?
Failing to obtain any benefits while provoking a dangerous entity, Fang Peng felt the impulse to cough up blood.
However, when he thought about Qu Zheng, he suddenly felt better. Although Thunder Typhoon Sect had also suffered a loss this time, Fang Tian Zhong was still alive, unlike Heaven Battling Union’s Young Union Master Qu Chang Feng.
“Brother Qu, this matter will end here. This Fang will also take his leave,” Fang Peng said with a light cough.
“Brother Fang wants to leave just like that?” Qu Zheng raised his eyes and glared at him.
Fang Peng snickered, “Brother Qu, you also heard what that boy said before he left, he’s clearly not going to let today’s matter drop. This Fang is going to return as quickly as possible to make some arrangements before entering retreat for a few years. Even if that boy is strong, he won’t dare attack my Thunder Typhoon Sect’s headquarters, right? If he were to do that, he would truly be too arrogant. Brother Qu, I advise you to go back as well. Quickly order your disciples to return to your Sect and not go out unless necessary to avoid them being picked off one by one before the situation calms.”
“Is Brother Fang really such a coward? After being threatened once you actually intend to make like a turtle?” Qu Zheng stared at him contemptuously.
“When did I say anything like that…” Fang Peng spat disdainfully, “This Fang simply wishes to gain the most while losing the least. In any case, this matter is Star Emperor Mountain’s responsibility now, I don’t want to stick my nose into it unnecessarily.”
“Hmph, if I cannot obtain vengeance for the murder of my son, this old master would not be a man! If Brother Fang wishes to act like a turtle and cower, so be it, but this old master and that brat are absolutely irreconcilable. If he dares to attack my headquarters, this old master must make him never return!” Qu Zheng roared, his expression grim.
“Then I hope Brother Qu can fulfil his wish as soon as possible!” Fang Peng cupped his fists slightly before waving his hand and quickly leaving with the rest of the surviving Thunder Typhoon Sect masters.
“Coward!” Qu Zheng looked at Fang Peng’s disappearance and spurned contemptuously, but soon his expression became sad again as he looked towards a certain spot, his heart filling with pain, “Collect the Young Union Master’s corpse, we’re returning!”
“Yes!” Someone walked over and immediately picked up Qu Chang Feng’s headless corpse before the remaining Heaven Battling Union Masters followed after Qu Zheng and left.
How did you guys feel? What are the more memorable fights for you?
A few tens of thousands of kilometres away from the Ancient Sect Ruins, there was a barren mountain with such thin World Energy aura that there was hardly any vegetation, making it look extremely desolate.
In such a place, cultivators could rarely be found because no herbs, treasures, or anything of value could be found here, making it unattractive to explore.
The mountain wasn’t big and only stretched a dozen kilometres or so, similar to the old Dragon Cave Mountain, but it was far worse in terms of scenery and aura.
A streak of light swiftly approached from a distance, and as it passed through this barren mountain, it suddenly came to a halt before flying down and rushing into a natural cave halfway up the cliff.
When the light dispersed, three figures appeared.
Everyone looked quite dishevelled, with blood staining all of their clothes as if they had just experienced a very difficult battle and barely escaped with their lives.
These three were Yang Kai, Qian Tong, and Fei Zhi Tu.
A few tens of thousands of kilometres was a safe enough distance. It wasn’t that Yang Kai didn’t want to travel further; it was just that Fei Zhi Tu’s state wasn’t optimistic now. He didn’t dare delay any longer, and this barren mountain was a decent spot to hide and rest.
After rushing into the cave, Yang Kai immediately put Fei Zhi Tu down, allowing him to lean against the cave wall before placing his fingers on his wrist and using his Saint Qi to examine his injuries.
Fei Zhi Tu’s injuries were by far the most serious among the trio, with his aura extremely weak and chaotic, as if he was a lamp running out of oil.
After a moment, Yang Kai frowned, his face gloomy.
“Yang Kai, Old Fei…” Qian Tong was as anxious as an ant on a hot wok, not even caring to deal with his own injuries as he asked Yang Kai nervously.
“His situation isn’t good,” Yang Kai replied in a deep voice, immediately raising his eyes to stare into Fei Zhi Tu’s as he asked, “City Lord Fei, what kind of Secret Technique did you use to cause such harm?”
“Haha…” Fei Zhi Tu gave a miserable laugh, his face as pale as paper as he slowly shook his head, “It wasn’t a Secret Technique, this old master hasn’t cultivated such a Heaven-defying Secret Technique.”
“If it wasn’t a Secret Technique, could it be…” Qian Tong’s expression changed when he heard this, as if he suddenly remembered something.
“En, when they captured us, this old master took out that Yuan Burst Pill and hid it under his tongue while they weren’t paying attention!”
“A Yuan Burst Pill?” Yang Kai’s expression changed dramatically. As an Alchemist, he had naturally heard about this pill as well as the terrible side-effects it caused. Although a cultivator’s strength would be greatly increased for a short time after taking it, the backlash would cause unimaginable damage to a cultivator once the medicinal efficacies passed.
This pill granted a burst of strength by overdrawing a cultivator’s vitality!
This kind of pill was rarely refined by Alchemists and was even more rarely used because one needed to be prepared to perish after taking it!
It was no wonder Fei Zhi Tu had been able to instantly break through the seals placed on him and restore his strength, it turns out he had hidden such a pill in his mouth in advance.
Yang Kai instantly understood what had transpired.
While the trio spoke, the medicinal efficacies of the Yuan Burst Pill seemed to have completely disappeared and the true backlash began to appear.
Fei Zhi Tu’s black hair turned white at a speed visible to the naked eye and even his skin began to shrivel and dry up, leaving many deep wrinkles on his face.
In mere breaths, it seemed he had aged hundreds of years.
Fei Zhi Tu originally looked like he was only in his early forties, the prime of his life, but now he had the appearance of an old man who was approaching his death.
Even his cultivation gradually began to drop, from Third-Order Origin Returning Realm to Second-Order, then First-Order before teetering on the brink of dropping to the Saint King Realm.
“Old Fei…” Qian Tong was heartbroken. The friendship between him and Fei Zhi Tu was hundreds of years old, so he knew better than anyone where that Yuan Burst Pill had come from.
When the two of them were young, they had gone out together for life experience and had found a single Yuan Burst Pill in some ancient ruins. Qian Tong had scoffed at it but Fei Zhi Tu decided to keep it. Unexpectedly, Fei Zhi Tu had found an opportunity to use it after close to three hundred years.
For a moment, Qian Tong felt deep pain and guilt wrack him.
If it was he who had been the one to keep that Yuan Burst Pill, then he would be the one suffering from its backlash today rather than helplessly watching his old friend pass away before his eyes.
Fei Zhi Tu was already seriously injured, and now that the backlash from using the Yuan Burst Pill surfaced, in addition to the shock his Soul received after the Blue Jade Bowl was destroyed, it was clear he wouldn’t survive long.
“Old Qian, why do you look like your father and mother just died?” Fei Zhi Tu grinned, “I understand my own situation best, this time it was you and I who failed to pay attention to our surroundings and caused such a huge mess. My old bones aren’t worth feeling sad about. Old Qian, listen, Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect actually dared to risk public condemnation by attacking both of us, so there’s a good chance that they have someone backing them they can rely on.”
“Someone to rely on? You mean…” Qian Tong frowned.
“This is just my own guess, but whether it’s true or not, I’m not certain. In any case, don’t rush to take revenge, our Shadow Moon Hall isn’t any stronger than those two forces, and if all of this was plotted by ‘them’, we will be the only ones who suffer in the end.”
“Just leave the matter of revenge to me, City Lord Fei need not worry about this,” Yang Kai reassured.
“Haha, you’re too thoughtful Yang Kai. If that’s the case, this old master won’t say anymore,” Fei Zhi Tu gently nodded before falling silent.
Qian Tong’s eyes became wet as tears appeared at the corners of his eyes.
“Why are the two of you acting like this is a lifelong separation?” Yang Kai couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, “Although the damage to City Lord Fei’s foundation is quite grave, it’s not like all hope is lost.”
Hearing this, Qian Tong’s eyes lit up.
Fei Zhi Tu also looked over at Yang Kai in amazement.
As he said just now, he understood his own situation the best. If he had just been seriously injured this time, it wouldn’t be a major problem, all he would need to do is enter retreat for a few years to recuperate and he would be able to recover, but after taking that Yuan Burst Pill, things were different. His vitality had been severely overdrawn and he could no longer stop his foundation from crumbling. He would definitely die within a few days, possibly even a few hours.
“Yang Kai, please don’t make jokes at a time like this. If you really have a way to pull Old Fei back from the gates of death, please use it quickly. This old master will certainly remember this gratitude for the rest of his life!” Qian Tong said anxiously, as if he was a drowning man grasping at straws.
Fei Zhi Tu also looked at Yang Kai expectantly.
If they could live, who would choose to die? However, did Yang Kai really have a way to save him from this kind of situation or was he just trying to comfort him?
“Junior is naturally not making a joke with two Seniors,” Yang Kai nodded before putting on a serious look, flipping his wrist, and taking out a jade bottle from his Space Ring. Uncapping this bottle, a strong, refreshing aroma instantly diffused.
When this fragrance entered his nose, Fei Zhi Tu’s pale face suddenly became a little ruddy and even his extreme weariness was slightly dispelled.
“What is this?” Qian Tong was an experienced man and at a glance could tell that whatever was inside this jade bottle was something extraordinary, but unfortunately he couldn’t identify it at all.
From its colour, white and flawless, it almost looked like some kind of milk.
“Two Seniors should be familiar with the Three Great Divine Waters, yes?” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“What? The Three Great Divine Waters?” Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu were shocked.
“En, this bottle contains one of them, Life Revitalizing Jade Cream!” Yang Kai said before flicking his wrist and extracting a drop of the pure white Life Revitalizing Jade Cream from the bottle, wrapping it in his Saint Qi, then floating it towards Fei Zhi Tu.
“It’s actually Life Revitalizing Jade Cream!” Qian Tong was ecstatic. If this was really one of the rumoured Three Great Divine Waters, then Old Fei really could be saved.
The biggest reason for his current state was his overdrawn vitality which made it impossible for him to suppress his other injuries. However, if he could restore his vitality, it wouldn’t be a problem to suppress his physical wounds with his cultivation.
The greatest function of Life Revitalizing Jade Cream, one of the Star Field’s Three Great Divine Waters, was to replenish vitality.
It was the perfect medicine for this situation.
Qian Tong was overjoyed!
“City Lord Fei, please accept this!” Yang Kai said seriously.
Fei Zhi Tu’s face twitched slightly with excitement and he didn’t hesitate to open his mouth and swallow the small drop of Life Revitalizing Jade Cream.
As he swallowed this drop of liquid, Fei Zhi Tu felt a stream of warmth flow from his mouth straight down to the abdomen before a wave of vigorous vitality began spreading out inside his body. Feeling this, Fei Zhi Tu was shocked and couldn’t help closing his eyes and circulating his Saint Qi to refine the raging medicinal efficacies.
Seeing Fei Zhi Tu’s aura stabilizing at an extremely rapid pace and that there was no longer any worry about him losing his life, Qian Tong couldn’t help shedding some tears as he celebrated his old friend escaping from the gates of death.
“Yang Kai, the weight of this gift is simply too great!” Qian Tong wiped the corners of his eyes as he looked towards Yang Kai gratefully.
“Elder Qian is too polite, Senior Fei was implicated by me and even forced to take that Yuan Burst Pill to help this Junior resist that last attack. This Junior has nothing but gratitude in his heart, so a trivial drop of Life Revitalizing Jade Cream is not even worth mentioning. Actually, Elder Qian, your injuries…”
“This old master is fine, I can break the seal placed on me on my own, I simply need to meditate for a few days. As for this arm… haha, it’s not an issue, although this old master is getting on in years, he’s still strong and healthy, a mere broken arm won’t be a problem to fix.”
“Alright, if that’s the case, Elder Qian should focus on his own recovery. I have some healing pills here, they should help Elder Qian achieve twice the results in half the time,” Yang Kai said, taking out a few bottles from his Space Ring and pouring out a pill from each before handing them to Qian Tong.
Qian Tong originally wanted to refuse; after all, as a Shadow Moon Hall Elder, how could he not have healing pills on him? But when he saw what kind of pills Yang Kai took out, he swallowed the words which came to his lips back down and accepted them with a smile, “Kid, you really have many good things on you, it would be impolite for this old master to refuse.”
“This is what I should do, this Junior will stand guard for two Seniors, so two Seniors can concentrate on healing!”
“Yeah. You should also deal with your own injuries, don’t allow any hidden dangers to remain behind.”
And so, the three each found a spot in the cave, sat down cross-legged, and began meditating.
Fei Zhi Tu’s injuries were the most serious, but at least he no longer had to worry about losing his life. As for how much of his strength he could restore, that would depend on his own ability. Qian Tong’s injuries weren’t a big problem and neither were Yang Kai’s.
With his Golden Blood, Yang Kai’s restorative ability was many times stronger than average and his physical body was also quite resilient, so even if he was hit by those lightning arcs, he hadn’t suffered much damage. All he needed to do now was restore himself and he would be fine.
Half a month later, three rays of light shot out from the cave and soared towards the horizon, soon disappearing.
After such a long period of recuperation, Qian Tong and Yang Kai had basically recovered but Fei Zhi Tu had not.
Although Yang Kai had managed to save him from the gates of death and essentially negate the backlash from the Yuan Burst Pill, Fei Zhi Tu was still unable to return to his peak. His face was ruddy and his hair, while still white, had a healthy sheen to it, no longer making him appear sickly.
However, his cultivation could only be restored to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm.
It seemed it would be impossible for Fei Zhi Tu to return to his peak in short order, and he estimated that it would be ten or twenty years before he would see hope of breaking through to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm again. While this result was no doubt frustrating, it was still within the realm of acceptable.
Moreover, this kind of increase in cultivation was just restoration, not a real breakthrough, so Fei Zhi Tu would not encounter any kind of bottleneck, all it would take is time.
In time, he will surely be able to fully restore himself.
With all three of their conditions being fine, they travelled together towards the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect had used their full strength to deal with Yang Kai this time and Yang Kai had not concealed anything from Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu. After learning that the entire incident was arranged by Star Emperor Mountain, whether it was Qian Tong or Fei Zhi Tu, they were deeply disturbed.
Neither of them dared return to Shadow Moon Hall, for fear of being found there and captured to threaten Yang Kai again.
Fortunately, only the two of them had some friendship with Yang Kai in Shadow Moon Hall, so as long as they weren’t there, Star Emperor Mountain would obviously not attack Shadow Moon Hall.
Going to the impenetrable Flowing Flame Sand Field was their best choice. Even if Star Emperor Mountain set out in full force, there was no way they could reach them there.
When Yang Kai came here originally, he had flown the entire way, entering one city after another to purchase cultivation materials in bulk, but now he chose not to waste so much time on the road.
Taking advantage of several Space Arrays, it only took Yang Kai’s group ten or so days to reach the periphery of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Over the past ten days, the three of them had also inquired about the news, but unfortunately, they were not able to learn anything of importance.
What had transpired in Fallen Emperor Mountain that day was completely concealed from the rest of Shadowed Star.
On the contrary, news of Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect suddenly increasing the defences around their headquarters to their highest level spread out like wildfire.
No one knew why these two giants suddenly reacted like this, no one other than Yang Kai and the other two beside him that is. Obviously, these two great forces were worried that Yang Kai would seek revenge and were already making preparations.
[But could they do anything to stop me?] Yang Kai thought to himself and sneered.
He didn’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble, and there really hadn’t been much hatred between him and Thunder Typhoon Sect and Heaven Battling Union, but since they took the initiative to attack him this time, Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t just let it go.
Before leaving Shadowed Star for a long voyage, he would need to settle this problem first, otherwise he would not be able to be at ease. After all, this voyage could not be completed in a short time and once he left, only the Heavens knew how long it would be before he returned.
Outside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, in front of the palace where the Space Array that connected the inside and outside was located, Yang Kai wore a gloomy expression.
This could not be helped, as the palace where the Space Array was arranged had been destroyed and was now completely unusable. There was also a lot of dried up blood staining the surrounding area which clearly indicated there had been a battle here.
The High Heaven Sect disciples who generally guarded this place had low strength, so Yang Kai could not say for sure whether they were dead or alive.
Unable to directly use the Space Array to enter High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai could only take out his communication artifact and send a message inside.
Although he could also use one of his Star Emperor Tokens to enter and exit safely, the protection granted by a Star Emperor Token was limited to a single person, which meant he couldn’t bring Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu through the Flame Area with him safely.
After waiting for less than an hour, a small yet exquisitely designed Starship flew out from the Flame Area and stopped in front of Yang Kai’s trio.
It was the Flying Shark Battle Shuttle previously refined by Yang Yan.
When the hatch opened, Wu Yi’s figure appeared.
“Yang Kai, you finally came back,” Wu Yi’s expression was a little anxious, but after seeing Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu, she quickly offered her greetings.
“We’ll talk inside,” Yang Kai gently nodded before ushering Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu into the Flying Shark Battle Shuttle. The shuttle hatch closed a moment later and with a slight shake, returned the way it came at an incredible speed.
“Who destroyed the Space Array? Did the disciples guarding it suffer any casualties?” Yang Kai asked after entering it.
“We’re not clear who it was that attacked, but the disciples who were on guard duty during that time were only slightly injured, so there’s no major problem. A dozen or so days ago, a group of uninvited guests suddenly appeared outside the Flowing Flame Sand Field and attempted to capture the Space Array. Fortunately, the disciples reacted quickly and triggered the self-destructing Spirit Array arranged by Yang Yan before evacuating to the Sect.”
“En, that’s good,” Yang Kai gently nodded, High Heaven Sect had very few disciples, essentially all of them cultivators who had followed Wu Yi to leave the Hai Ke Family. They had supported each other from that day until today, so if there had been casualties among them because of this attack, they would certainly feel forlorn.
“Yang Kai, do you know who tried to attack our High Heaven Sect?” Wu Yi asked angrily.
“Probably Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect,” Yang Kai said lightly.
“Them?” Wu Yi’s pretty face changed slightly, “Why would they suddenly try to attack us? Did we offend them somehow?”
“Little girl, an ordinary man is innocent, but treasures can make him guilty, you should understand such a truth. You really have not offended those two forces, but since they covet your possessions, they would naturally take action. This time, while Yang Kai was out, he was also ambushed by them,” Qian Tong sighed.
“Their courage isn’t small!” Wu Yi shouted, her pretty face turning stern, “My High Heaven Sect simply wishes to reign over our little domain and has no interest in stirring up conflicts with the world, but do they really think we’re so easily bullied? It seems that if we don’t make them suffer, they won’t know what’s good for them.”
Yang Kai and the others all looked at her in amazement.
Fei Zhi Tu even began clapping as he smiled, “You may be young, but your spirit certainly isn’t small, little Girl! Worthy of someone who follows Yang Kai, your courage is commendable!”
Wu Yi’s pretty face blushed slightly upon receiving such praise as she quietly replied, “Junior was just speaking casually, how we act will all depend on Sect Master’s intentions. The two Seniors must not laugh.”
“Naturally, we must teach them a lesson,” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Every grudge must have its revenge, it’s as simple as that.”
Wu Yi’s expression instantly brightened.
After an hour, the battle shuttle arrived atop High Heaven Sect’s Main Square and the group inside exited. Yang Kai asked Wu Yi to arrange a place for Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu to rest while he walked to Hundred Flowers Peak alone.
He wanted to find Ye Xi Yun and ask for advice.
Atop Hundred Flowers Peak, Ye Xi Yun was tending to the various flowers calmly. Her cultivation had reached the apex of this world, so she no longer bothered cultivating. With the suppression of Shadowed Star’s World Principles preventing her from breaking through to the Origin King Realm, no matter how she tried to cultivate, it would not help her in any way.
So usually, she would tend to trivial matters while disciplining her heart and mind, hoping that one day she would obtain a chance to break through to the Origin King Realm.
As a result, her temper has always remained indifferent.
“Sect Master has returned?” Ye Xi Yun called out lightly before Yang Kai even walked over; obviously, she had noticed his presence.
“En.” Yang Kai gently nodded, walking straight over to her as he observed her pruning a certain plant.
“Did your trip go smoothly?”
“Not at all.”
“Oh?” Ye Xi Yun finally turned to face him, “What happened?”
“I was ambushed!” Yang Kai brow twitched slightly as he briefly recounted what happened in Fallen Emperor Mountain.
“You mean Star Emperor Mountain was stirring up things from behind the scenes?” Ye Xi Yun’s elegant face went slightly cold.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t matter. No matter who the enemy is, if they dare to provoke me, I’ll make them regret it.”
“Sect Master naturally understands how to separate gratitude and grievances.”
“I came here this time to ask you if Star Emperor Mountain possesses some kind of bead-like artifact that can split into innumerable copies of itself and release powerful bolts of lightning.”
“Does Sect Master mean the Annihilation Thunder Bead?” Ye Xi Yun frowned slightly, “Were you attacked by this artifact?”
“En, I almost died!” Yang Kai still felt some lingering fear from that incident. When he remembered the power of that artifact, he could not help his heart from pounding. He had never encountered such a powerful artifact before. “Is that so-called Annihilation Thunder Bead an Origin King Grade artifact?”
“It’s not Origin King Grade,” To Yang Kai’s surprise, Ye Xi Yun slowly shook her head before putting down the pruning shears in her hand, straightening herself up, and sinking into contemplation, seemingly digging through her memories. It was a while before she began moving again, walking over towards the nearby stone pavilion while beckoning, “Let’s talk over here, Sect Master.”
Yang Kai followed closely.
Inside the stone pavilion, the two took seats across from one another. Ye Xi Yun personally poured a cup of tea before pushing it gently over to Yang Kai. Brushing her hair back lightly, she finally continued, “Sect Master being able to withdraw even after taking a strike from the Annihilation Thunder Bead is no small accomplishment, this Queen seems to have underestimated you yet again.”
“I was just lucky. That Annihilation Thunder Bead has such great power, how could it not be an Origin King Grade artifact?” Yang Kai took a sip of the tea as he glanced at Ye Xi Yun suspiciously.
“It is one of Star Emperor Mountain’s most precious treasures and has surpassed the Origin King Grade. It is an Emperor Artifact!”
“An Emperor Artifact?” Yang Kai raised his brow, “An artifact used by the Great Emperor?”
“Precisely,” Ye Xi Yun gently nodded.
“How could that be?” Yang Kai was dumbstruck. He had seen an Emperor Artifact before, namely the Three Blazing Flame Rings! Unfortunately, Yang Yan was only capable of collecting a single one of these three flame rings while the remaining two still lay on Shadowed Star, forming the Flowing Flame Sand Field, the strongest shield which protected High Heaven Sect.
“The Annihilation Thunder Bead is indeed an Emperor Artifact, but with the strength of the people from Star Emperor Mountain, they can barely use it at all. Even if I use it personally, I am still unable to draw out even ten percent of its power!”
“Is it really that terrifying?” Yang Kai paled in amazement.
“En, the power of an Emperor Artifact is not something you or I can fathom. Moreover, forcefully activating an Emperor Artifact with such a low cultivation is extremely taxing. Wasn’t the aura of the person who attacked you with the Annihilation Thunder Bead weak and chaotic after the fact?”
“Indeed!”
“En, if he was capable of drawing out the full power of the Annihilation Thunder Bead, let alone Sect Master, even an Origin King could easily be killed.”
Yang Kai was now thoroughly shocked.
If it were not for Fei Zhi Tu sacrificing his Blue Jade Bowl at the critical moment to block those lightning bolts, Yang Kai would have been severely injured. This time, he had managed to escape by luck, but what about the next time?
“Sect Masters doesn’t need to worry too much. Although an Emperor Artifact’s power is unfathomable, because of the limits of the user’s cultivation, it is not as dangerous as you might think. After using it to deliver a single blow, it essentially cannot be used again in quick succession. You have experienced it personally, so you should understand this better than anyone else,” Seeing the anxious look on Yang Kai’s face, Ye Xi Yun comforted him lightly.
“That’s true,” Yang Kai gently nodded, the fear on his face greatly dispersing as he felt relieved.
The power an artifact could display was always linked to its wielder’s strength, so even if the artifact’s grade was high, if the cultivator using it wasn’t strong enough, it wouldn’t be able to display much might.
The Verdant Dragon Bone Sword was like this. Although Yang Kai could use it quite flexibly now, he could tell that it had great untapped potential.
The reason he could not access this potential wasn’t because of the Dragon Bone Sword, but rather because of himself.
His strength was limiting the performance of the Dragon Bone Sword.
“If Sect Master plans on acting, you might as well bring this Queen along. Star Emperor Mountain has already strayed from its proper path, so this Queen cannot just stand idly by, and… I also want to meet with a few old friends and settle our accounts.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brows, suddenly becoming somewhat curious.
He had always wondered why Ye Xi Yun had left Star Emperor Mountain all those years ago; after all, she had been the Sect Master of the greatest power on Shadowed Star, possessing the pinnacle of status and respect. If not for extreme difficulties, she definitely wouldn’t have given such a position up to live in seclusion for a hundred years.
However, this kind of issue was quite difficult to ask about. If Ye Xi Yun was willing to explain, Yang Kai would certainly be willing to listen, but if she didn’t, no good would come of prying.
The only thing Yang Kai could be sure of now was that there was deep grievance between Ye Xi Yun and Star Emperor Mountain.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai didn’t bother dwelling on the subject and instead said in a serious tone, “I have a plan, but I’d like Great Elder to listen and give her input if she notices any errors or deficiencies…”
And so, Yang Kai explained his battle strategy.
After an hour, Yang Kai left Hundred Flowers Peak and returned to First Heavenly Palace.
Inside the silent palace, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged and took out the Feather Spirit Arrow before beginning to pour his Saint Qi into it to recharge it.
This artifact he obtained in Fallen Emperor Mountain was extremely powerful, and although it could only be used a limited number of times in any single battle, that did not detract from its utility. With this artifact’s power, a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator could instantly be killed, while even a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master like Qu Zheng would not dare take its strike head-on.
During the battle in Fallen Emperor Mountain, Yang Kai had exhausted the Feather Spirit Arrow’s energy, so he needed to recharge it now.
Half an hour later, the Feather Spirit Arrow was fully recharged.
Yang Kai carefully put away this strange artifact, but just as he was about to start making some other preparations for the upcoming action, his expression suddenly changed as he turned his gaze towards a certain spot on the ground and grinned, waiting quietly.
A moment later, a small head appeared strangely from the ground, its body filled with rough edges and a bulky build; however, this creature’s two eyes were extremely bright and flexible.
Stone Puppet.
When Yang Kai went out this time, he had not brought the Stone Puppet with him and instead left it in the Sect.
For one thing, Yang Kai hadn’t expected that there would be so many twists and turns on this trip or any kind of great battle; if he had expected a fight, he would have brought the Stone Puppet along to help him.
Secondly, the Stone Puppet currently had another task.
The Stone Puppet was now responsible for caring for the stone embryo of the other Stone Puppet. After leaving the Emperor Garden last time, Yang Kai merged the Blood Essence Stone he found with the stone embryo, hoping to give birth to a second Stone Puppet. He had left Xiao Xiao the duty to watch over the stone embryo at that time.
Now that Yang Kai had returned to Sect, Xiao Xiao noticed his presence and immediately rushed over to First Heavenly Palace.
Not knowing what kind of progress the second Stone Puppet had made, Yang Kai was full of expectations.
However, when he observed the Xiao Xiao closely, Yang Kai could not help frowning and quickly asked, “What happened?”
The Stone Puppet’s originally clear and bright eyes were now showing signs of panic. As soon as he rushed out of the ground, he immediately scrambled over in front of Yang Kai with his hands and feet before reaching out and pulling on his shirt, letting out some incomprehensible sounds as he eagerly tried to drag Yang Kai out.
“What happened?” As Xiao Xiao’s owner, Yang Kai could naturally feel his anxiety and restlessness; however, the Stone Puppet had a low level of sentience to begin with. Yang Kai had only given him a single drop of Golden Blood when it was born, so he couldn’t clearly tell what he was thinking.
“You want me to come with you?” Yang Kai asked again, to which the Stone Puppet nodded repeatedly.
“Lead the way!” Yang Kai gently nodded, letting the Stone Puppet drag him outside.
Soon, the Stone Puppet brought Yang Kai outside High Heaven Sect’s headquarters and to the depths of the continuous mountain range.
High Heaven Sect’s headquarters stood where the ancient Supreme Profound Sect’s ruins were. The Supreme Profound Sect’s ruins covered an extremely wide range though, so High Heaven Sect, with its tiny population, only occupied a small portion of it.
The place the Stone Puppet took Yang Kai could also be regarded as the headquarters of the Supreme Profound Sect, just a different, far away peak.
This peak was extremely tall, towering up into the clouds, and had extremely beautiful scenery.
An hour later, the Stone Puppet led Yang Kai to the top of this mountain, where a spacious platform like a square and a gorgeous palace stood.
Obviously, this palace had been built by Supreme Profound Sect before, but it was now empty.
As soon as they entered the palace, Yang Kai spotted a strange blood-red stone about the size of a washbasin sitting on the floor. There were visible wisps of World Energy being absorbed into this stone.
There were even loud, rhythmic thumping sounds, similar to the beating of a heart, coming from the blood-red stone.
Naturally, it was the second Stone Puppet stone embryo!
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
The stone embryo had been well taken care of by Xiao Xiao, and after integrating the Blood Essence Stone, it now possessed its own life force, but strangely, the creature inside, despite clearly being alive, had yet to break through its shell. From the strength of the aura it was emitting, Yang Kai estimated it should have been born some time ago.
Yang Kai frowned.
With his eyesight, he could naturally see that something was wrong with the stone embryo, it was no wonder Xiao Xiao had become so frantic.
After arriving here, Xiao Xiao rushed over to the stone embryo, circling it anxiously, scratching his ears and cheeks, making him look like a monkey that had an itch he just couldn’t scratch no matter how hard he tried.
“Let me see, don’t worry,” Yang Kai comforted. Hearing these words, Xiao Xiao became obedient and immediately sat aside, watching eagerly.
The birthing process for the stone embryo is the same within its kind, so even if Xiao Xiao’s intelligence was not great, he could still understand how to care for members of his own race.
Yang Kai walked up to the stone embryo and scanned it with his Divine Sense, his face changing slightly as he did.
An unimaginable amount of energy had been condensed inside the stone embryo, and it was actually constantly being strengthened. It seemed like because the World Energy here was so rich that the stone embryo was simply continuing to draw it in without reserve.
The heartbeat sound became more and more obvious as well, but no matter how Yang Kai probed it, the unborn creature inside still showed no signs of trying to emerge from its shell. Yang Kai was not even able to sense any kind of Soul fluctuations.
The absence of Soul fluctuations meant that this life-form had yet to achieve sentience.
Yang Kai was confused.
He did not know how to handle this situation.
It was only because Yang Yan had explained the strange Stone Puppet race to him that Yang Kai even understood this kind of creature existed, but as for how to ensure it could be born safely, he had no clues.
Perhaps if Yang Yan was here, she could provide some assistance.
Unfortunately, Yang Yan had now merged with the Great Emperor’s true body and had fallen into a deep slumber since returning from the Emperor Garden. Even if Yang Kai went to her, he would not be able to get any help.
After thinking about it carefully, Yang Kai reached out and touched the stone embryo.
In any case, the energy stored inside the stone embryo at this moment was simply too immense, to the point where it was dangerous. The stone embryo failing to be born smoothly or produce sentience was likely related to this.
Too much of a good thing was dangerous.
Yang Kai wanted to guide away some of the energy inside so as not to cause any further harm to the fragile stone embryo.
However, when his hand touched the stone embryo, a complicated pattern suddenly appeared on its surface. This pattern began whirling and glowed brilliantly as a terrifying burst of energy began to surge from inside.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed drastically, and he hurriedly withdrew.
With a thunderous bang, the burst of energy erupted and shot directly into the sky.
After a few breaths, a hole appeared in the clouds up above, as if a hole had been pierced through the sky.
Yang Kai was thoroughly shocked and did not dare act rashly anymore.
Xiao Xiao stared at him and began uttering some inexplicable words again, as if begging him to do something, his eyes filled with sadness.
Yang Kai could only shake his head slowly though.
At this point, he was truly helpless, only able to allow nature to take its course.
As if understanding Yang Kai’s thoughts, Xiao Xiao’s expression became despondent as his head drooped down, just sitting there stupidly and staring at the stone embryo in front of him.
As time passed slowly, the energy contained in the stone embryo became greater and greater, and the throbbing heartbeat became more and more rapid, so rapid that it even began to cause Yang Kai’s own heart to throb.
This heartbeat, despite being rapid, was extremely regular, like someone beating a drum in a steady rhythm; however, the light patterns on the stone embryo’s surface were now flickering randomly.
This situation continued for a full five days, only changing on the fifth day.
The blood-red light coming from the stone embryo suddenly increased in intensity and at the same time, a sensational energy fluctuation burst out from the stone embryo.
Yang Kai opened his eyes wide and stared at this strange phenomenon.
In the next moment, the light patterns on its surface began to dim and the rapid heartbeat also fell silent. At the same time, the terrifying energy fluctuations contained inside the stone embryo seemed to instantly disappear.
Yang Kai’s heart sank, and he released his Divine Sense to probe the stone embryo, but doing so only caused his expression to darken.
Even the strong life aura which had been coming from the stone embryo had now vanished, now making it seem like any ordinary rock one would find by the roadside.
Xiao Xiao was also aware of this and quickly rushed over to the stone embryo, patting it gently with both hands, crying out incoherently. Quickly, he picked up the stone embryo and rushed over to Yang Kai, lifting his arms up, obviously begging him to think of something.
Yang Kai opened his mouth to say something, but unable to find any words, he could only let out a deep sigh.
As Xiao Xiao’s owner, Yang Kai could naturally feel his irritability and anxiety, and if he could, he would definitely not refuse Xiao Xiao’s request.
However, Yang Kai knew next to nothing about Stone Puppets and had no idea what had gone wrong at this moment, causing the second Stone Puppet to not only fail to break out of its shell but also lose its vitality.
Even if he wanted to help, there was nothing he could do.
The master and servant were connected, so Xiao Xiao was aware of Yang Kai’s helplessness, causing the light in his eyes to gradually dim.
Sniffling lightly, Xiao Xiao was like an aggrieved child.
After a long time, Xiao Xiao gently placed the stone embryo in front of Yang Kai, treating it extremely carefully, as if he was afraid that acting roughly would cause damage to the stone embryo.
Immediately after, Xiao Xiao rushed to the edge of the cliff that was ten thousand metres high and began banging his chest with his hands, making a drum-like sound, his small body quickly growing bigger, in the blink of an eye becoming a stone giant several tens of metres high.
Like a huge gorilla standing on the top of the peak, straightening up his rickety waist, Xiao Xiao turned his face towards the Heavens.
A long cry, like a billowing dragon roar, came from his mouth.
This howl spread across the sky, containing unimaginable force that stirred up the sea of clouds around the peak.
This howl was filled with indelible pain and sorrow.
Drops of some kind of crystal-clear jade slipped from Xiao Xiao’s eyes and fell to the ground, clinking as they hit the hard earth.
Xiao Xiao wept!
Yang Kai never imagined there would come a day when he would witness a Stone Puppet crying. He could not imagine just how significant this second Stone Puppet’s stone embryo was to Xiao Xiao, but from the sadness the latter showed now, it was obvious just how depressed and lonely he felt.
It was as if he was the only one of his kind in this world, destined to be alone for his entire life.
Yang Kai watched this for a moment before his expression changed suddenly and he swiftly moved to the stone embryo, stretched out his hand, and cut open his wrist with one of his Golden Blood Threads.
A long, bone-deep wound instantly appeared and Yang Kai’s golden blood began leaking out drop by drop onto the stone embryo.
[It should not be like this!] Xiao Xiao’s birth had gone extremely smoothly, but Yang Kai had also been quite stunned and confused at that time. It was Xiao Xiao who had merged with the Blood Essence Stone inside the Black Book Space and then broke out of the shell easily almost entirely on his own.
[Why is the second time so different?] Even at this moment, the life fluctuations inside the stone embryo had disappeared.
Regardless of why, this was one of Xiao Xiao’s own kind, and regarding its birth, Xiao Xiao obviously had a thousand times more expectations than Yang Kai himself.
Yang Kai did not believe that a creature with such strong vitality could really just die like this.
He had to try everything, then leave the rest to fate!
With a dripping sound, drop after drop of pure Golden Blood fell onto the stone embryo.
There was an unimaginable amount of vitality contained in Yang Kai’s Golden Blood, and when Xiao Xiao was born, Yang Kai had only needed to give it one drop to form a connection between them.
But now, Yang Kai did not concern himself about costs.
Perceiving Yang Kai’s movements, Xiao Xiao immediately turned around and ran over, squatting in front of Yang Kai, looking at him with gratitude, often glancing over at the stone embryo, a mixture of anxiety and anticipation filling his face.
As time passed, the stone embryo was completely dyed golden, but to Yang Kai’s disappointment, his Golden Blood did not seem to play any role as the stone embryo showed no signs of absorbing it.
This saddened him.
Xiao Xiao was also as anxious as an ant on a hot wok, fidgeting about unceasingly.
Suddenly, a faint pulse came from the stone embryo. Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly when he felt this, not certain if it were just his imagination, but after carefully using his Divine Sense to investigate, he couldn’t help smiling joyfully.
There was a weak fluctuation coming from the stone embryo.
A fluctuation of life!
Like a single spark setting fire to an entire prairie, this extremely weak fluctuation, which seemed like it would be snuffed out at any time, rapidly began to strengthen and the stone embryo began to absorb the pure Golden Blood dripping on its surface.
*Dong dong…*
A heartbeat-like sound echoed against from the top of the peak, signifying the rhythm of life.
Yang Kai grinned and the sadness in the Stone Puppet’s eyes disappeared, replaced with tension and worry.
*Dong dong…*
The heartbeat grew louder and the interval between each beat grew shorter and shorter. Life fluctuations once again spread from the stone embryo and the faded light patterns glowed brightly once more. However, different from before, instead of a pure blood-red colour, there was now a tinge of golden light mixed into this radiant halo, giving it a more mysterious and profound appearance.
Each of the elaborate patterns on the surface of the stone embryo flashed as if they had a life of their own.
Yang Kai was surprised when he saw this. When Xiao Xiao was born, nothing like this had happened, making him wonder just what differences there were between this second Stone Puppet and Xiao Xiao.
Three days passed by.
Yang Kai had already stopped dripping Golden Blood onto the stone embryo, and after absorbing twenty or thirty drops of pure Golden Blood, the stone embryo regained its original brilliance.
At this moment, Yang Kai and Xiao Xiao were both waiting anxiously next to each other.
A soft cracking sound suddenly rang out, causing Yang Kai’s expression to lift as he quickly stared at the stone embryo.
With just a glance, Yang Kai could not help becoming overjoyed as he saw a small crack appear on the stone embryo.
Not long after this crack appeared, more cracks began to form one after another, and soon the stone embryo was covered with dense, criss-crossing cracks, like a giant cobweb.
*Kacha…*
In the next moment, the stone embryo broke apart, revealing the life-form inside.
The second Stone Puppet!
Just like a chick breaking through its shell, it pushed its way out of the stone embryo with difficulty before glancing around at this new and unfamiliar world.
Its movements were awkward as it had just been born and it took it quite some time before it fully emerged from the stone embryo and sat on the ground.
However… instead of grey, it was actually a golden Stone Puppet, a fact that surprised Yang Kai quite a bit. This Stone Puppet’s body was completely golden in colour, possibly as a result of it absorbing so much of Yang Kai’s Golden Blood.
Just like when Xiao Xiao was born, after this golden Stone Puppet sat upright, the first thing it did was swallow all the fragments of the stone embryo into its belly at a speed so fast it didn’t even look like it was chewing.
After it finished its first meal, it simply sat there foolishly, motionless.
On the contrary, Xiao Xiao jumped up and down, his joy beyond any words.
Quickly, Xiao Xiao rushed up to its new companion, reached out, picked it up, placed it on his shoulders, and then began running around the mountain peak in frantic circles, over and over again, seemingly unaware of the meaning of fatigue.
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter as he watched this scene, but soon his brow slightly furrowed.
Stone Puppets naturally had low levels of sentience and intelligence, even Xiao Xiao was the same. Right now, Xiao Xiao was simply acting happily as a result of the safe birth of his companion, probably joyful he would have company in the future, but Yang Kai faintly felt something was wrong.
There seemed to be something amiss with this new golden Stone Puppet.
After some time, Yang Kai called out for Xiao Xiao to stop frolicking and put down the Stone Puppet.
Xiao Xiao always obeyed Yang Kai’s orders, so he complied immediately.
Yang Kai then began to perform a careful examination.
After a while, his brow furrowed further.
Sure enough, this golden Stone Puppet, although appearing much stronger than Xiao Xiao had when he had first been born, clearly had lower sentience than Xiao Xiao. In fact, saying this golden Stone Puppet’s intelligence was completely chaotic was not an exaggeration.
After Xiao Xiao put it down, it just stood there, far less active than Xiao Xiao.
Yang Kai tried to give it a few orders, but it did not respond at all.
[Incomplete sentience!] Yang Kai’s complexion sank.
Although the sentience of Stone Puppets wasn’t high, it still possessed full awareness of itself, but this golden Stone Puppet essentially had no sentience, possibly as a result of the strange circumstances of its birth.
The current golden Stone Puppet, although a living creature, was all but brain dead.
Realizing this, Yang Kai turned silent.
Fortunately, Xiao Xiao couldn’t perceive such matters, otherwise, Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of grief he would be showing now.
As Yang Kai was deep in thought, Xiao Xiao already opened his mouth and spat up several pieces of rare unrefined ore and eagerly offered them to his new friend.
Although the golden Stone Puppet didn’t have complete sentience, its instincts were apparently still intact, so it did not hesitate to accept these raw ores and began gnawing on them, crunching a few times before swallowing them into its stomach and then continuing to stand still.
Xiao Xiao didn’t seem to understand how he had offended this new companion of his, making it so indifferent to him, so after scratching his head in confusion, he could only take out a few more ores.
The latter did not reject, accepting everything it was given.
Looking at the golden Stone Puppet, Yang Kai sighed. Although this situation was better than when he first arrived, it was far from perfect. Even after giving his all, the end result was that this golden Stone Puppet was born without a conscience, giving Yang Kai a feeling of powerlessness.
After staring at it for a while though, Yang Kai’s expression changed and he suddenly remembered something, his brow furrowing and un-furrowing in rapid succession.
Soon, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he began studying the golden Stone Puppet carefully, a hint of excitement creeping onto his face as he did.
He suddenly remembered how he could make this golden Stone Puppet act on his own.
The golden Stone Puppet was unresponsive now because it had incomplete sentience, so if he could solve this problem, all other problems would be solved as well.
Yang Kai could not repair its incomplete sentience, but he could implant a different one!
This was the perfect situation to use his Soul Fission technique!
Soul Fission was a Divine Ability created by Great Demon God. On Tong Xuan Realm, Great Demon God was a legendary figure, the strongest cultivator to ever emerge.
Back in Nine Heavens Holy Land, when Yang Kai had first entered the Holy Tomb, he had managed to obtain a drop of Great Demon God’s original orthodox Golden Blood, and after refining it, comprehended this Divine Ability from Great Demon God.
Although he cultivated it at that time, Yang Kai had never found a suitable host body, so his Soul Clone had sat idle in his Knowledge Sea.
Later, after entering the Star Field and getting trapped on the floating continent, Yang Kai had been forced by Gui Zu to test his experimental Space Array, and instead of risking his true body, had opted to use his Soul Clone. After sending his Soul Clone into the unstable Space Array, it had been greatly damaged and almost destroyed, but after allowing it to recover for so many years, it had now been fully restored.
Not only that, but it was also many times stronger than before.
This Soul Clone was a very special existence because Yang Kai had cultivated it artificially, meaning it wasn’t tethered to his own Soul. Therefore, it wouldn’t bring any harm to him even if it were destroyed.
When he cultivated Soul Fission, Yang Kai understood that he would be able to create a physical, sentient clone of himself as long as he found a suitable host body for his Soul Clone, one he could send into places that were inconvenient for his true body to go, and do things that were inconvenient for his true body to do.
An example of this was Yang Yan; she was the Great Emperor’s Soul Clone.
Great Demon God was only a Saint King, but he was a true genius that managed to create the Soul Fission Secret Technique that was on par with the Starry Sky Great Emperor’s own Secret Technique. It wasn’t difficult to understand how Great Demon God became a legendary figure whose name lasted through the ages.
The golden Stone Puppet had no sentience, but it had an incredibly powerful physical body, so wasn’t it the most suitable carrier possible?
Yang Kai stroked his chin as he stared at the golden Stone Puppet, silently contemplating this issue.
After a long silence, Yang Kai decided to give it a try. He didn’t know if he could succeed, but it was better than simply leaving the golden Stone Puppet in a brain-dead state.
Ordering Xiao Xiao to stand guard nearby, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged in front of the golden Stone Puppet and released a tidal wave of Spiritual Energy, soon after which a fuzzy figure suddenly shot out of his forehead.
This figure was somewhat illusory and unstable, but if one looked closely, they would find that it was somewhat similar to Yang Kai in appearance.
Naturally, it was the Soul Clone Yang Kai had cultivated inside Knowledge Sea all these years.
The Soul Clone then rushed into the golden Stone Puppet’s forehead and disappeared.
…..
Inside High Heaven Sect’s grand discussion hall, all the Sect’s Origin Returning Realm masters had gathered, headed by Great Elder Ye Xi Yun. Wu Yi and Qian Yue were also present as they held important administrative positions.
Not only that, Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu also sat here.
The hall was all but silent, with cups of tea placed in front of everyone that were frequently replaced by attending disciples when they became cold.
“Where did Sect Master go? Why haven’t we seen him for over a month? We sent some disciples to check up on him but he doesn’t seem to be in First Heavenly Palace either,” Chang Qi turned to Ye Xi Yun and asked with some worry, “Great Elder, do you know where Sect Master is now?”
“He’s still inside the Sect, but this Queen doesn’t know where exactly he’s gone. He seems to be cultivating some kind of Secret Technique, and a powerful one at that, so this Queen doesn’t dare to disturb him. We’ll just have to wait,” Ye Xi Yun replied lightly.
With her powerful cultivation, she had sensed the abnormal movements coming from one of the farther mountain peaks a few days ago, so she was able to determine Yang Kai’s location, but it was also true that he seemed to be immersed in cultivating some kind of Secret Technique, so she had no plans to spy on him.
“I’m certain Sect Master will return shortly. Before he left though, he already discussed the details of our upcoming action with this Queen and I feel there are no issues with the plan. En, all the Elders gathered here will be accompanying us while Deacons Wu Yi and Qian Yue will be left to take care of the Sect.”
“Yes,” Wu Yi and Qian Yue nodded.
“Elder Huang Juan is in the process of breaking through, so you must also look after her to make sure no one disturbs her retreat. Also, that little girl Yun’er has far too much energy, once this Queen leaves, she may not be willing to settle down. The two of you will have to make sure she cultivates properly.”
“Great Elder may rest assured, Elder Sister Qian Yue and I will take care of everything in the Sect, it is all of you who must promise to return safely,” Wu Yi said in a solemn tone.
“En, with the Starship Madam previously refined, I think there shouldn’t be any difficulty with this time’s action. Right, have all the necessary personnel and materials been loaded onto the Starship?”
“Everything is in order!”
“Very good,” Ye Xi Yun nodded lightly before turning to look at Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu, “I’ll have to ask two Junior Brothers to contribute this time as well.”
“Senior Sister Ye is too polite,” Qian Tong chuckled, “Old Fei and I were caught after being sneak attacked last time. If not for Yang Kai turning the tables and rescuing us, we would both likely have been killed to silence any witnesses to that incident! This time, both of us are duty-bound to assist.”
Fei Zhi Tu also nodded in agreement. If Fang Peng and Qu Zheng hadn’t used such insidious means that day, how could he have fallen into his current pitiful state? Not only had his hair gone grey, but his cultivation had also fallen by a Minor realm. Whenever Fei Zhi Tu thought about this, his anger burned fiercely.
“Hm? Sect Master is back,” Ye Xi Yun’s expression suddenly changed as she glanced towards the entrance to the hall.
Hearing this, the others also turned around to look.
Sure enough, a moment later, a streak of light flew over from afar, and when it scattered, Yang Kai’s figure appeared. Although he seemed slightly tired, his eyes were bursting with radiant energy.
“Has Sect Master had some kind of opportunity?” Ye Xi Yun seemed to have noticed something.
“That’s right,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, not explaining anything, his eyes instead sweeping around the hall before he asked solemnly, “Has everything been prepared?”
“Yes!”
“Then let us depart!” Yang Kai smiled brilliantly.
With these words, everyone rose from their seats and walked out.
In the square outside, the Origin King Grade Starship had already docked and its hatch was wide open. A group of people filed inside and, a moment later, the Starship lifted off and then shot out like a bolt of lightning, accompanied by a low hum, disappearing from view in the blink of an eye.
…..
Heaven Battling City was enormous and covered a very wide area with tens of millions of cultivators living inside, tending to and frequenting a great number of shops and other establishments.
This was the headquarters of Heaven Battling Union. As one of the two giants of Shadowed Star, Heaven Battling Union’s illustrious name was enough to attract countless cultivators from far and wide.
Some of these cultivators hoped to join Heaven Battling Union while others were searching for opportunities. Still others came to set up shops in order to earn Saint Crystals.
Heaven Battling City was one of the largest cities on Shadowed Star and was divided into two regions, the Inner City and the Outer City.
The Outer City was where Heaven Battling Union interacted with foreign cultivators. Various shops were also scattered about here. As for the Inner City, only disciples of Heaven Battling Union could enter and exit. Intruders were killed without mercy.
Heaven Battling City had existed on Shadowed Star for thousands of years and had only grown more prosperous with time. This was inseparable from the rising strength of Heaven Battling Union. Every great force had its ebbs and flows, and Heaven Battling Union was no exception. Although its name resounded like thunder, it too had its enemies.
Over the past few thousand years, Heaven Battling City had suffered numerous attacks from powerful enemies, but every time, it had endured. Even when Heaven Battling Union was at its weakest, and the number of masters that it had at its command was at its lowest, it had still managed to survive.
The most dangerous of these events was when the Ancient Yang Sect launched a full-scale assault a few thousand years ago.
At that time, in addition to Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect on Shadowed Star, the Ancient Yang Sect was also on the same level, even somewhat stronger than the other two. It had long been forgotten why, but at that time, the Ancient Yang Sect and Heaven Battling Union were locked in a feud which one day erupted into a full-scale conflict.
At that time, Heaven Battling Union was the weakest of the three great forces, and had the least number of masters, so it had no choice but to pull all its forces back and defend.
The Ancient Yang Sect deployed all of its elites, and when its grand army reached the gates of Heaven Battling City, Heaven Battling Union was at great risk of falling.
However, after a great battle, although Heaven Battling Union suffered heavy losses, it managed to repel the Ancient Yang Sect by employing a strategy of mutual annihilation. In desperation, the Ancient Yang Sect could only retreat.
At that time, Heaven Battling Union relied on its Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array to stubbornly defend its Inner City.
Ordinarily, Sects did not set up their headquarters inside cities, most of them choosing to occupy vast mountain ranges instead; after all, with so many people living inside a city, there would be an excess demand on the ambient World Energy that was not conducive to the cultivation of the Sect’s disciples.
It was rumoured that the reason Heaven Battling Union chose to establish its headquarters in Heaven Battling City was because there was a Frozen Jade Ice Spring in the Inner City. The endless chill which radiated from this Frozen Jade Ice Spring was what allowed Heaven Battling Union to arrange the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array and it also served as its Array Core.
After that battle, the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array became famous, known to all across Shadowed Star.
Later, the Ancient Yang Sect offended Star Emperor Mountain and was wiped out; its original headquarters becoming the now famous Grand Burial Valley.
Yang Kai and Yang Yan had visited that place once and obtained the Sun’s True Essence and Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal, two supreme treasures. The Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art was also obtained from there.
Without the suppression of the Ancient Yang Sect, Heaven Battling Union flourished, otherwise, it was uncertain whether there would even be a Heaven Battling Union today.
Originally, as one of the two giants of Shadowed Star, Heaven Battling Union did not put anyone in its eyes and acted in a blatantly superciliously fashion.
But since two months ago, some rumours had begun spreading through the Outer City.
The rumours said that Heaven Battling Union had offended someone they couldn’t afford to and was now in a horrendous situation, akin to walking on thin ice.
When this news spread, nine out of ten people sneered.
Who could Heaven Battling Union offend that would warrant them worrying? It would be enough for others to not come looking for trouble with them instead, who would dare pluck this tiger’s beard? Besides Star Emperor Mountain, no other force could suppress Heaven Battling Union. Not even Thunder Typhoon Sect had such ability.
However, where there was smoke there was fire, and it wasn’t long before Heaven Battling Union began contracting its forces and limiting traffic in and out of Heaven Battling City, causing much speculation to arise among the common people.
Heaven Battling Union had been a dominant force for countless years and always acted arrogantly and domineeringly. Many Sect families that had been unwilling to submit to their authority had been destroyed in retaliation.
Many even began to wonder if Heaven Battling Union had actually offended Star Emperor Mountain and was going to follow in the footsteps of the Ancient Yang Sect.
If that was the case, it would be quite interesting at least.
In any case, the atmosphere in the city had become different from the past. Heaven Battling Union disciples were constantly rushing about, buying up materials in bulk, as if they were making war preparations.
At this moment, two First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators were flying slowly over the city, both of them wearing Heaven Battling Union uniforms. However, unlike the ordinary disciples, these two had an additional overlapping sword crest on their uniforms and were radiating a potent murderous intent.
Law Enforcers!
Heaven Battling City was a massive city, so naturally, there was a need for some law enforcers to patrol and monitor people’s movements. If anyone was found to be violating the rules and making trouble, they would be punished by the Law Enforcers.
A minor offence would often result in a Saint Crystal fine while a serious offence could result in execution.
As a result, the cultivators in Heaven Battling City were always wary of cultivators wearing this particular uniform and were always cautious to not draw their attention.
At this moment, the two Law Enforcers both had concerned looks upon their faces.
“Brother Huang, do you know what happened? Since Union Master and Great Elder returned last time, they have been constantly issuing inexplicable instructions, and now they are even making the Sect’s disciples buy up supplies like crazy. Could it be that Heaven Battling Union is really going to war?” The short-haired man on the left asked suspiciously.
“Brother Chu is asking the wrong person, this Huang is just a lowly Law Enforcer like you, how could this Huang know something Brother Chu doesn’t know?” The other elderly man on the right shook his head slowly and smiled.
The short-haired man chuckled, “Brother Huang is too modest. Although we’re both Law Enforcers, Brother Huang is different from this Chu who joined the Union from the outside. I’ve long heard that Brother Huang and Great Elder Mo are related, so how could Brother Huang not have heard anything yet?”
The elderly man heard this and smiled proudly as he replied, “Although this Huang and Great Elder Mo have some relationship, it can barely be described as distant relatives, if the relationship really was close, this Huang would have long ago been serving as a Deacon in the Inner City, why would he still be out here as a Law Enforcer having to deal with lowly city merchants and trivial matters all day long?”
“That being said, Brother Huang still has more opportunities to visit the Inner City. With Brother Huang’s aptitude, if he remains in the Inner City for a few years, he will definitely break through to the Second-Order. This Chu is quite envious. One day, if Brother Huang rises to glory, he must not forget to help this Chu out a little.”
“Naturally, naturally. You and I have shared a friendship for several dozen years already and you’ve been quite good to me, so how could I simply forget about you?” The elderly man laughed, seemingly in a good mood. Looking around and seeing nobody else nearby or anyone paying attention to them, he turned his eyes forward unassumingly and lowered his voice to say, “Brother Chu, although this Huang is not sure what happened in the Union, when I went to ask Great Elder about a certain matter a few days ago, I accidentally overheard him talking to Union Master about that boy named Yang Kai.”
“Yang Kai?” The short-haired man frowned, faintly feeling that the name was familiar. After thinking about it carefully, a look of surprise filled his face as he muttered, “That High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master?”
“Exactly. The High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master!” The elderly man nodded lightly.
“Oh, why were Union Master and Great Elder talking about him? Could it be that this matter is related to him?”
“En, it seems that the last time Union Master and Great Elder took a group of the Elders out, it was to deal with him. Unfortunately, that little brat is a cunning fox and managed to escape. Before fleeing though, that boy uttered some kind of threat about retaliating against our Heaven Battling Union.”
“Hmph, a fool who doesn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth!” The short-haired man sneered, “The boy is a mere Junior, yet he dares say such things. He must be courting death.”
“This Huang thinks so too.”
“But… even if he was sure to get revenge, why are Union Master and Great Elder reacting so dramatically? Could it be that our Heaven Battling Union has some reason to fear him?”
“Don’t take the situation too lightly, Brother Chu!” The elderly man said with a solemn expression, “That little brat truly does not have much ability as he’s just a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, the same as you or I. Being able to cultivate to such a degree at such a young age proves he has a good aptitude, but if we were to fight with him, either of us could easily kill him. However, don’t forget that High Heaven Sect has an Origin King Grade Starship!”
Hearing this, the short-haired man’s face darkened and he nodded, “I’ve also heard the rumours saying High Heaven Sect has such a Starship, but whether they are true or not, no one will confirm. Even if he has an Origin King Grade Starship, what does that matter? Our Heaven Battling City is not some weak vegetarian, if he dares bring that Starship here, it will be no different from trying to smash a stone with an egg. The tens of thousands of elites of our Union will ensure he never leaves this place!”
“Haha, what Brother Chu says is true, it’s just a Starship, and it seems that it’s actually quite small as well, nothing worthy of fear. Union Master and Great Elder are simply being too cautious,” The elderly man laughed in a disapproving manner.
Suddenly though, his laughter stopped, and he fell silent.
“What happened?” The short-haired man looked at him suspiciously, not understanding why his demeanour suddenly changed.
The elderly man did not answer though, instead just staring towards the distant horizon, only after a long silence asking, “Brother Chu, look over there, is there something approaching?”
“Something approaching?” The short-haired man looked in the direction his partner was pointing and quickly spotted a small black spot quickly approaching Heaven Battling Union.
This black spot was originally quite inconspicuous, and because the distance between them was too far they were unable to identify what it was.
But soon, a vague outline of the object appeared in the vision of the pair.
It was actually a long, shuttle-shaped, black Starship.
In the blink of an eye, the Starship had arrived fifty kilometres outside Heaven Battling City and, in a flash, came to a halt.
“A Starship!” The short-haired man and the elderly man exclaimed at the same time.
A profound energy fluctuation pulsed from this Starship, and although it was not large, only a hundred metres or so in length, facing this smooth, black Starship, the two of them couldn’t help feeling like they were in the presence of a terrifying beast that caused a feeling of terror to well up in their hearts.
“The Origin King Grade Starship!” The short-haired man exclaimed again, “Could it be…”
He had just been gossiping about the Origin King Grade Starship of High Heaven Sect with his partner, but could it be the same one that now appeared in front of them? After all, with the limited ability of Artifact Refiners on Shadowed Star, no Origin King Grade Starship had ever appeared before. Let alone Origin King Grade, there were not even any Origin Grade Mid-Rank Starships.
Then there was only one explanation.
This was the High Heaven Sect’s Starship.
This Starship could be considered small, and suspended in the sky above Heaven Battling City, it only seemed smaller compared to the massive city; however, its sudden arrival had caused quite a stir.
Countless eyes were now cast towards this Starship, and countless people were now staring at it, wondering what it was and what it was doing here.
The next moment though, the answer to all these questions became clear.
A dazzling light suddenly appeared on the Starship’s hull and gradually brightened until it was as dazzling as the sun.
As the intensity of this light increased, sensational energy fluctuations also began radiating forth.
“A Crystal Cannon!” The short-haired man and the elderly man stared dumbfounded at this scene. Under the pressure of the massive energy buildup, both of them felt their bodies become heavy, their Saint Qi stop circulating properly, and even moving became difficult.
They could feel how much power this Crystal Cannon was building up. Such an attack, not to mention hitting them, even if it grazed them, they would instantly be vaporized, Soul and all.
But… there had never been anyone who used a Starship to attack the headquarters of another great force.
The Starships on Shadowed Star were at best Origin Grade Low-Rank. Such a Starship did not have extraordinarily strong offensive or defensive capabilities, and on top of that, it was massive, making it not ideal to use in a tangled battle between cultivators. If one found its way into a tangled melee, it would only become a massive target that would swiftly be destroyed before being able to play any significant role.
Today though, the tens of millions of cultivators living Heaven Battling City bore witness to this historic event.
A Starship arrived outside of Heaven Battling City and began charging its Crystal Cannon, announcing their malicious intent.
Just as everyone was still stunned, a bright beam of light blazed from the Starship and silently shot forth with a force that seemed to crush everything in its path like dry weeds and rotten wood, transforming a swath of buildings into dust while visibly distorting space in its wake.
*Hong long long…*
A moment later, sounds of explosions resounded inside of Heaven Battling City. The path the Crystal Cannon passed through was now devoid of any structures and violent energy still chaotically rampaged about. It seemed that even the World Principles could not repair the damage caused by Crystal Cannon in short order.
There were no casualties, fortunately, as this Crystal Cannon volley only destroyed a lot of buildings inside Heaven Battling City. Apparently, it was only meant as a demonstration.
“Not good, we need to return to the Inner City and report this to the Elders!” The short-haired man and the elderly man both dripped cold sweat as they shouted, neither of them daring to remain, using their Star Shuttles to rush at full speed to the Inner City.
The extravagant and boastful words the two of them had just been spewing were tossed from their minds completely as, in the face of such a powerful enemy, they could only run away.
There was no need for any kind of reminder from these two as, after the Crystal Cannon strike, all of Heaven Battling City had been thrown into chaos and countless people ran about in panic, some even being injured and trampled in the stampede.
A tender voice suddenly called out from the Starship in the next moment. This voice was not loud, but it was clearly transmitted to everyone’s ears, allowing all to clearly hear it.
“This Queen’s name is Ye Xi Yun and has the honour of serving as Great Elder of High Heaven Sect. On orders from our Sect Master, I have an announcement to everyone in Heaven Battling City. High Heaven Sect has no quarrel with the world and simply wishes to peacefully develop itself, but Heaven Battling Union trampled upon that simple wish with its treacherous means and attempted to bring harm to our Sect. Today, we are here to settle our grievances with Heaven Battling Union and do not wish to involve the innocent. Please withdraw from Heaven Battling City within a quarter of an hour if you have nothing to do with this matter. My honoured Sect and Heaven Battling Union’s battle will commence after that brief grace period, and anyone who remains will be considered an enemy and shown no mercy!”
With these words, the whole city flew into an uproar.
Basically no one had heard of Ye Xi Yun, and only some old Origin Returning Realm masters recognized her name and knew of her incredible strength.
But it did not matter who she was, her desire to attack Heaven Battling Union’s headquarters was incredible enough.
Was Heaven Battling Union a force that was easily bullied? Bringing only a small Starship to attack a behemoth like Heaven Battling City, were the people from this High Heaven Sect all fools?
Such boastful conduct was truly laughable.
Most people present thought that High Heaven Sect was simply overreaching themselves.
However, some well-informed people knew about the mysteries of High Heaven Sect and the tyrannical power of this Starship, so after some slight hesitation, they didn’t dare remain in the city, packing up their belongings and quickly withdrawing.
Regardless of what grievances there were between High Heaven Sect and Heaven Battling Union, and no matter who won or lost in the end, once the two sides fought, it would be a disaster. When the city was on fire, the fish in the moat would also be affected, so if they did not leave now, they would surely get caught up in the chaos.
For a time, Heaven Battling City became a flurry of chaotic activity as many cultivators flew outwards.
Most people chose to remain though; after all, packing up all their valuables was no simple task. Many people who had opened shops in the city had a massive quantity of supplies on hand, how could they just abandon them here?
These people also knew that Heaven Battling Union would not sit back and watch idly, so they took the mentality of waiting and seeing how the situation developed.
If this High Heaven Sect was just an embroidered pillow, imposing to behold but weak in true strength, then there was nothing for them to worry about. If they proved they could really compete with Heaven Battling Union though, it would not be too late to pack up and leave at that point.
Heaven Battling Union truly did not sit back and watch. With High Heaven Sect arriving and smashing their front gate, if Heaven Battling Union did not provide an appropriate response, wouldn’t their prestige take a fatal blow?
Immediately, more than a dozen streaks of light rushed out from the Inner City and arrived at the outskirts of the Outer City, stopping a thousand metres away from the newly arrived Starship.
Among the dozen or so people, the one leading them was red-faced, crooked nosed, cross-eyes, and had messy hair, giving him quite a funny appearance, but the powerful aura that radiated from his body made it impossible to take him lightly.
A peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master!
“It’s Heaven Battling Union’s Second Elder Lu Feng!”
“Even he has been alerted. The people around him are all elites of Heaven Battling Union as well, so it seems there’s going to be a good show.”
“Who the hell is High Heaven Sect? Their courage is so big.”
“Whatever their origins, that short-tempered Lu Feng will definitely make them regret appearing here. Heh heh, just watch.”
The city instantly became abuzz with discussion as everyone looked up into the sky, waiting for the good show to start.
In Heaven Battling Union, there was an enormous number of masters, with no less than ten people having reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm alone. Among these people, the Second Elder, Lu Feng, was quite famous.
Yang Kai had already met Great Elder Mo Xiao Sheng and Third Elder Liang Yong, so he understood their great strength quite well, but compared to Lu Feng, they actually lacked in terms of ruthlessness. As such, Lu Feng held the position of Head of the Law Enforcement Hall! This hall’s purpose was to maintain order and punish disciples who committed mistakes in the Union.
Anyone seized by him ended up crippled as best.
In Heaven Battling Union, the most feared Elder was definitely Lu Feng.
Just now, Lu Feng had been leading his people out to deal with some trivial matters in the Outer City, but suddenly this scene had occurred, so he rushed over immediately.
Glancing around, it was obvious their opponent had used a Crystal Cannon to clear a swath several thousand metres long in Heaven Battling City. Inside the swath, nothing remained, while to its sides hundreds of structures had collapsed into piles of rubble, the mere sight of which infuriated Lu Feng.
Heaven Battling Union had enjoyed the highest level of prestige for so many years and had never encountered such an embarrassment before.
Staring coldly at the hundred-metre long black Starship, Lu Feng roared, “Lowly scum, you dare come to Heaven Battling City and run rampant? Quickly come out and face death!”
This roar was deafening and echoed throughout all of Heaven Battling City, allowing all to feel just how enraged Lu Feng was at this moment.
There was no sound from the Starship, however, no answer, no rebuttal, not the slightest movement at all; it simply hovered mid-air silently, as if there were no living people inside.
However, the inexplicable pressure it radiated still felt like a ten thousand ton boulder weighing down on all who saw it.
“Good, good, good. You dare not place this old master in your eyes? Do you think this old master can’t touch you as long as you hide inside that shell of yours? Watch how this old master smashes your trivial Starship!”
Saying so, Lu Feng’s Saint Qi surged madly and with a flick of his wrist, a giant axe appeared in his hand. This giant axe was nearly two metres tall and had a snow-white blade that radiated an incredibly sharp aura.
As Saint Qi poured into it, the giant axe artifact suddenly burst with dazzling light and Lu Feng lifted it high, swiftly condensing a massive phantom axe composed of pure energy above him.
This phantom axe was several hundred metres long, as if the giant axe Lu Feng had summoned had been enlarged hundreds of times over, and a shocking energy fluctuation pulsed from it.
All onlookers paled at the mere sight.
Lu Feng’s shocking reputation was not undeserved. As Heaven Battling Union’s Second Elder, he was no ordinary Third-Order Origin Returning Realm.
As soon as the Second Elder took action, the others following behind also began to act, summoning their respective artifacts and preparing their own Secret Techniques one after another, filling the sky with a dazzling array of light.
Under Lu Feng’s control, the huge phantom axe fell like a guillotine, slashing towards the Starship fiercely.
The other attacks followed suit.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
A series of violent noises spread out, and fearful energy fluctuations erupted in the spot where the Starship hovered.
However, the Starship didn’t budge, only condensing a thin, delicate-looking light curtain around itself.
All the attacks were blocked by this shield, causing no damage at all.
The eyes of everyone on the scene bulged, and even Lu Feng, who had always been arrogant and domineering couldn’t help gawking, almost thinking he was seeing an illusion as he cried out, “Impossible!”
He was the clearest about how much power had been behind his attack just now. Although it seemed like his strike had been hastily and casually executed, he had actually poured his full strength into it. But even this blow was unable to shake the enemy Starship in the slightest.
Even if it really was an Origin King Grade Starship, it shouldn’t be this powerful!
Did that seemingly fragile light curtain protecting its hull actually have such astonishing defensive strength?
As everyone was staring dumbfounded, a slight humming noise sounded from the Starship, and soon, profound and complicated patterns began appearing around its hull. These patterns visible to the naked eye soon gathered together in the sky above it.
In the blink of an eye, these patterns condensed into a massive Spirit Array.
World Energy poured madly into this Spirit Array.
At the centre of this Spirit Array, something slowly emerged, as if it was being summoned by the Spirit Array from the endless void.
Soon, this object manifested clearly before everyone’s eyes.
It was a spear composed purely of energy, one only as thick as a child’s arm and two metres in length, releasing an extraordinary pressure.
The spear trembled slightly before piercing forward, seemingly ignoring space itself as it blasted towards Lu Feng and the dozen Heaven Battling Union masters.
“Not good!” Lu Feng’s expression changed dramatically as he cried out.
From the time he took action until the Starship counterattacked, only a breath had passed. He hadn’t expected the other party to be so decisive, not even bothering to exchange any words before resorting to such powerful methods. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late for him to try to evade.
As a last resort, he could only summon his defensive artifact, throw it forward, and transform it into a sea blue light curtain to try to protect himself.
The blue light curtain had barely taken shape though before it was shattered.
A ray of light passed through the location where Lu Feng and more than a dozen people were located before continuing forward towards the Inner City of Heaven Battling City. A full breath later, a violent explosion sounded from a remote part of the Inner City.
When everyone looked back into the sky, the place where Lu Feng and the other masters had been standing was now empty, only a faint blood mist falling from the air remained.
The spectating cultivators were dumbfounded as they stared at this scene in disbelief, as if they had just seen something impossible.
The blow just now did not appear as domineering as the previous Crystal Cannon volley, but it was far more terrifying.
Everyone felt a chill shoot up their spines as their hearts were gripped with fear and the looks they directed towards the Starship changed dramatically. No one could ignore the lethality of the Starship’s attack just now.
The same tender voice which had spoken earlier came from the Starship once more, “There is not much time left. If you wish to leave Heaven Battling City, please depart immediately. When the time comes, my High Heaven Sect will immediately attack this place and any who remain will bear the consequences.”
Heaven Battling City fell silent for a short moment before erupting into chaos once more as countless cultivators rushed out of the city, none daring to remain or hold a wait-and-see mentality.
They originally thought that this Starship was nothing to fear and that, it would not take long for Heaven Battling Union to destroy it with their countless masters.
But the tragic death of Lu Feng changed their minds.
Even a master like Lu Feng was unable to shake this Starship, nor survive a single blow from it. Today, it seemed Heaven Battling Union was in great danger.
At this moment, everyone regarded this Starship as a real threat to Heaven Battling Union.
No one wanted to sacrifice their life here meaninglessly, so naturally, they ran as far as possible.
Inside the Starship, aware of the departure of these cultivators, Yang Kai nodded in satisfaction.
According to his previously inquired intelligence, there were tens of millions of cultivators living in Heaven Battling City, but less than one percent of them truly belonged to Heaven Battling Union. Yang Kai was unwilling to kill so many innocents or become the target of public anger.
After all, the Starship couldn’t stop the attacks of tens of millions of people. Any defence had its limits.
As such, the scene in front of him made him happy.
Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu, who had come along to help out, were also stunned, unable to return to their senses for a long time.
Although the two of them came to contribute their strength to this action, they were truly frightened by the power of the Starship.
They had never seen how terrifying an Origin King Grade Starship was, but judging from their experiences, High Heaven Sect’s was clearly of the highest grade even amongst Origin King Grade Starships.
“Sect Master, the Heaven Punishing Divine Lance array is quite powerful,” Ye Xi Yun reported softly, “Even if this Queen was struck by it, it would likely cause severe wounds at least.”
“Naturally, anything Yang Yan refines is always of the highest quality,” Yang Kai grinned.
After the Battle of Dragon Cave Mountain, the world only knew that High Heaven Sect possessed an Origin King Grade Starship and that its Crystal Cannons were extremely powerful, but they had no idea just how many other terrifying devices had been installed into it by Yang Yan.
The previous Heaven Punishing Divine Lance and the protective shield were just the tips of the iceberg.
With this Starship alone, Yang Kai was confident Heaven Battling City could be razed to the ground, otherwise, he would not have taken such an aggressive stance and openly attacked Heaven Battling Union.
“However, the consumption of Saint Crystal Sources is a bit big, more than five times that of a Crystal Cannon shot!” Ye Xi Yun frowned.
“It’s fine, we don’t lack Saint Crystal Sources now,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
The Starship being able to output so much power was directly related to the existence of Saint Crystal Sources. If Saint Crystals had been used as an energy source instead to activate the defensive shield and the Heaven Punishing Divine Lance, the power would have been reduced by about half.
Saint Crystal Sources were different though, they contained a massive amount of pure energy incomparable to Saint Crystals of equal volume.
This treasure could only be produced by the Stone Puppet. After swallowing three or four pieces of High-Rank Saint Crystals, the Stone Puppet could refine a single Saint Crystal Source, so it was easy to imagine how precious they were.
There had only been one Stone Puppet before, but now Yang Kai owned two Stone Puppets, so the speed of manufacturing Saint Crystal Sources had naturally doubled. As long as the supply of Saint Crystals could keep up, producing Saint Crystal Sources was no longer a problem.
“Yang Kai, those Saint Crystal Sources…” Qian Tong coughed dryly to the side, seemingly hesitant to speak up.
“If Elder Qian wants some, please just wait until this matter is settled and I will deliver some to you and City Lord Fei. These things are far better than Saint Crystals for cultivation,” Yang Kai naturally knew what he wanted and openly agreed.
“Great, it would be impolite for this old master to refuse such generosity,” Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu looked at each other and saw the joy in the opposite’s eyes.
Since entering the Starship, what they have seen and heard caused them to call out in alarm over and over again. The space inside the Starship was much larger than it looked from the outside, which was naturally quite astonishing and clearly a result of an application of Space Force. However, everything else inside the Starship also caused them to feel a deep sense of yearning, especially those Saint Crystal Sources which were powering it.
Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu had never seen such a thing before.
After the Starship displayed overwhelming power, cultivators in Heaven Battling City rushed to flee.
Such a huge matter was naturally not missed by Heaven Battling Union.
At this moment, inside the main palace in the Inner City, after Qu Zheng heard the report from a subordinate, he slammed the table with his fist and shouted, “They’re going too far! With just that Starship, that brat actually dares to not put my Heaven Battling Union in his eyes. I must see how that brat plans to raze my Heaven Battling City to the ground!”
Saying so, he hurriedly walked out, as if planning to meet the enemy head-on.
Qu Chang Feng had died tragically at Yang Kai’s hands, angering Qu Zheng so much he was unable to sleep at night. Now that he learned his hated enemy was knocking at his front door, Qu Zheng was, of course, anxious to avenge his son.
Mo Xiao Sheng, on the other hand, frowned but ultimately did not try to stop Qu Zheng. After all, Heaven Battling Union had just been humiliated and if they did not respond to this attack, it would only lead to the world looking down on Heaven Battling Union even more.
But before Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng could leave the palace, another disciple ran up to them in a panic, kneeling hurriedly when he saw them and shouting, “Union Master, Great Elder, it’s terrible!”
“What’s all the fuss about, has High Heaven Sect done something again?” Qu Zheng shouted angrily.
“Union Master is wise, Second Elder has fallen!”
“What?” Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng were both taken aback. From the time news reached them about High Heaven Sect flying their Starship over to attack the city until now, only ten breaths had passed, yet Second Elder Lu Feng had fallen in that short span of time?
This was simply too fast.
Lu Feng being able to become the Second Elder of Heaven Battling Union was proof enough of his great strength. In fact, if not for Mo Xiao Sheng having cultivated the Dao of Space, he would not be Lu Feng’s opponent.
What kind of scheme had the other party used to kill Lu Feng in such a short time?
“How did the Second Elder fall? Give us a detailed report!” Mo Xiao Sheng did not dare to neglect this issue and quickly asked.
The disciple naturally did not dare to conceal anything and relayed everything he knew in a rapid but thorough fashion.
After listening to this report, Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng both exchanged a glance and saw the panic in each other’s eyes.
A single blow from that Starship had vaporized Lu Feng and a dozen Heaven Battling Union elites. Just how terrifying must that attack have been? Was that Origin King Grade Starship really so powerful?
This news completely subverted Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng’s cognition and understanding of Starships.
They had always felt that Starships were too big, sluggish, and fragile to be used in combat. Besides being used to transport supplies and visit nearby Asteroid Seas to mine ore, they had no other use.
Not only that, but the cost to build and operate them was extremely high. Worse, if one wasn’t careful, their Starship would be easily destroyed.
Therefore, even if Heaven Battling Union was one of the two giants of Shadowed Star, it only had a total of five Starships. Over the years, these five Starships had only travelled to nearby Asteroid Seas and Dead Stars to mine ore, never once being used in combat.
But today, High Heaven Sect’s Starship had arrived outside Heaven Battling City and displayed remarkable might.
Was the gap between Origin Grade Low-Rank Starships and Origin King Grade Starships really so vast?
If even Lu Feng could not withstand a single blow from that Starship, neither of them would be able to either.
“Union Master, if what this disciple said is true, we might not be able to go out to meet the enemy, we can only resist them here in the Inner City!” Mo Xiao Sheng frowned deeply.
“I understand what Great Elder is saying, but if we don’t meet the enemy head-on now, Heaven Battling Union will become a joke to everyone on Shadowed Star. They will think we are all cowards and incompetent!” Qu Zheng declared with a stern countenance.
“Union Master must not act rashly, let outsiders say whatever they will. High Heaven Sect daring to openly attack Heaven Battling City is all because they are relying on that Starship. Once that Starship is destroyed, they will be tigers without teeth, unworthy of fearing. However, if we want to destroy that Starship, I’m afraid that it will be impossible relying solely on manpower, we can only take advantage of our Grand Spirit Array!”
“Great Elder means…” Qu Zheng stared at him.
“Exactly that,” Mo Xiao Sheng grinned, “Our Heaven Battling Union has stood tall in this city for thousands of years and never once suffered such humiliation. Since High Heaven Sect intends to attack us though, we can just sit here and wait for them to come to us. Since ancient times, the winner was king while the loser is the villain, so long as we emerge victoriously, what worry would we have about restoring our prestige?”
Qu Zheng took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart, after a long time calming down and nodding, “What Great Elder said is right. Since that’s the case, order for the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array to be opened at full strength. This old master must see whether that little brat’s Starship or my Heaven Battling Union’s Grand Array is stronger!”
….
Inside the Starship, Yang Kai and the others waited for the stated quarter of an hour.
A quarter of an hour later, the entire Outer City of Heaven Battling City was empty with tens of millions of cultivators all having evacuated. The once-bustling streets and shops at this moment were all silent and the dazzling array of goods which had been on sale were all taken away.
It was not an exaggeration to say the current Outer City had been abandoned.
These cultivators, however, did not go too far. Although the Starship had killed Lu Feng with a single blow, and everyone felt that High Heaven Sect could pose a threat to Heaven Battling Union, no one was certain what the outcome of the following battle would be.
If High Heaven Sect won this battle, with the way they had conducted themselves so far, it was unlikely they would then implicate the innocent.
If Heaven Battling Union won, all of them could simply return to continue with their business.
As such, no matter what, nothing would happen to them.
What’s more, this kind of battle was sure to be extremely exciting. No one disliked watching such a good show, so they were determined to remain here and observe.
Suddenly, a massive crowd of cultivators formed ten kilometres outside Heaven Battling City, all of them staring at the Starship and the Inner City.
Many thought that after suffering such a great insult, Heaven Battling Union wouldn’t be able to restrain themselves and would come out to face the enemy head-on, but to their disappointment, even after the Starship slowly began making its way towards the Inner City, there was no movement from Heaven Battling Union.
All of a sudden, boos rang out!
Heaven Battling Union had thrown its strength around for many years now, constantly acting arrogant while exploiting the cultivators operating shops in this city, so not many had a good impression of Heaven Battling Union. At this moment, seeing Heaven Battling Union act so timid, these people couldn’t help ridiculing them.
The cultivators with close ties to Heaven Battling Union immediately retorted, and the two sides quickly began to quarrel, ultimately resulting in a big fight breaking out.
At first, the battle was just a small scuffle, but as time passed, more and more cultivators were drawn in as everyone began venting their grievances and indignations.
The battle between High Heaven Sect and Heaven Battling Union had yet to even begin but the cultivators who had fled from the Outer City in advance had already come to blows, blood flowing and screams resounding with increasing frequency.
At least millions of cultivators got wrapped up in this dispute and the number of casualties was countless.
By this time, the Starship had already set sail for the Inner City.
Although they didn’t meet any kind of obstruction along the way, Yang Kai didn’t attack the Outer City of Heaven Battling City; after all, there was no point in venting anger at empty buildings.
“Sect Master, they seem to have opened their Sect Defending Array!” Ye Xi Yun swept their destination with her Divine Sense and reported.
“I noticed,” Yang Kai grinned. “I’ve heard about the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array which covers the Inner City of Heaven Battling City. Its might is supposed to be praiseworthy.”
“What are your orders then, Sect Master?”
“Simple, we rush in!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
The Starship only paused for a moment before charging straight into the Inner City.
The Inner City was currently covered in a dense layer of what appeared to be mist and fog, but if one looked closely, they would notice that this fog was composed of extremely cold air.
The Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array was arranged using the Frozen Jade Ice Spring inside the Inner City as its Array Core; however, there were three Frozen Jade Ice Springs in total. These three springs had accumulated an enormous amount of Ice Attribute Energy over thousands of years and pulsed with a chill that could instantly freeze any Origin Returning Realm master into an ice sculpture that fell into it.
At this moment, the frigid aura from the three springs was being poured out to cover the entire Inner City in a thick mist, which was both real and illusionary. As soon as the Starship entered deep into it, it disappeared.
“Impressive, the thick cold energy in the air can actually freeze Divine Sense, the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array is worthy of its reputation!” Qian Tong frowned. He had just tried to scan their surroundings, but the instant he released his Divine Sense he was forced to withdraw it otherwise it would have been frozen solid.
Inside the Starship, without being able to use their Divine Senses, everyone was as good as blind.
Of course, there was no way the Starship refined by Yang Yan could not make up for this deficiency.
At this moment, inside the ship’s control centre, a surveillance array was operating and disciples from High Heaven Sect were using them to regularly monitor the Starship’s surroundings.
Soon, there was a reaction from the surveillance array.
“Sect Master, there’s a team of twenty plus people approaching from the left, ten kilometres out.”
“After ten breaths, fire three of our Crystal Cannons in that direction!” Yang Kai grinned.
Qian Tong and the others inside scratched their cheeks and paid silent tribute to the group who were attempting to launch a sneak attack.
After ten breaths, three pure white beams of light silently shot out, wiping out the enemies which were discovered by the surveillance array.
“Overconfident fools,” Ye Xi Yun slowly shook her head. The cultivators on Shadowed Star all severely underestimated the terrifying power of this Origin King Grade Starship, but this couldn’t be helped as even she would likely have disdained it had she not seen the mysteries inside for herself.
After all, no one on Shadowed Star had ever used a Starship in combat.
“Sect Master, another group is approaching,” Another disciple reported.
“En, process them in the same manner,” Yang Kai said lightly.
He had never fought such an easy battle before; by relying on the power of the Starship, he could instantly and silently kill his enemies without even having to lift a finger.
This feeling of being in absolute control was quite enjoyable.
Heaven Battling Union sent three waves of people in total, but none of these groups managed to approach to within a kilometre of the Starship before they were killed.
Three waves of people, a total of sixty to seventy people with no lack of Origin Returning Realm masters, had died so worthlessly. After Qu Zheng learned of this, he almost coughed up blood.
After realizing that it was impossible to launch sneak attacks, Heaven Battling Union was unwilling to sacrifice any more in vain and ceased their attempts.
“Sect Master, they seem to have stopped their attacks,” Ye Xi Yun frowned.
“If they refuse to act, then we will begin levelling the Inner City, we’ll eventually destroy the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array’s Cores as long as we keep firing,” Yang Kai sneered.
As long as the Array Cores were broken, Heaven Battling Union would become a fish on the chopping block.
A moment later, the hull of the Starship hummed lightly and one pillar of white lighter after another blasted out in all directions, each one carrying with it Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power.
The rumbling sounds never ceased from the places which could neither be seen by one’s eyes nor observed by one’s Divine Sense. The entire Inner City of Heaven Battling City was instantly thrown into chaos. Wherever the white beams of light from the Starship’s Crystal Cannons passed, everything was turned into nothingness.
Over twenty percent of Heaven Battling Union’s several-thousand-year foundation was wiped clean in just half a stick of incense’s time.
Everyone was capable of perceiving just how great the loss Heaven Battling Union was suffering due to this scattered bombardment because not only were buildings collapsing everywhere, but the screams of many cultivators also rang out before they died.
It was the terrifying screams that caused the survivors to panic.
Even so, no one from Heaven Battling Union dared to come out and fight.
Yang Kai’s brows gradually furrowed as he realized he had underestimated the patience of Qu Zheng and the other leaders of Heaven Battling Union.
The power of the Starship’s Crystal Cannons was indeed not small, and they did not lack Saint Crystal Sources to power them; however, continuously using them in this fashion would definitely put a huge strain on the Crystal Cannons, and once their limits were reached, they would no longer be able to fire for quite some time.
Even if these things were refined by Yang Yan herself, this was a limitation that could not be overcome.
Heaven Battling Union was determined to outlast them and would only move once the Starship’s attack softened.
Realizing this, Yang Kai simply sneered and began releasing his powerful Divine Sense all around.
The frigid energy in the air could freeze ordinary Divine Sense, but Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was actually able to shuttle about unimpeded.
All thanks to his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea!
Yang Kai’s Mutated Knowledge Sea was filled with extremely hot Spiritual Energy and could restrain the impact of the fierce cold energy. Although he couldn’t say he was unaffected, the hindrance was almost negligible.
Time seemed to pass by extremely slowly as Yang Kai carefully searched through the ice mist.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up and a ferocious grin crept onto his face as he ordered, “Fire a Crystal Cannon shot thirty degrees to the left, fifteen kilometres out!”
The disciple responsible for controlling the left forward quarter Crystal Cannons didn’t understand why Yang Kai issued such an order, but he did not hesitate to immediately adjust one of the Crystal Cannons and fired.
Yang Kai continued to scan the area and soon nodded lightly, “Adjust two degrees left and decrease range by half a kilometre!”
“Yes!”
At the same time, in the direction the Crystal Cannon was firing, somewhere more than a dozen kilometres away, there was a seemingly large ice spring covered by many exquisite Spirit Arrays. These Spirit Arrays not only concealed this spring but also served as a strong defensive shield for it.
From the mouth of this spring, a rich stream of Ice Attribute energy gushed forth, fueling the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array.
A Frozen Jade Ice Spring!
This spring was one of the Array Cores of the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array.
There were currently three Origin Returning Realm masters guarding this place, all of whom were sitting cross-legged beside it, their brows furrowed with anxiety as they glanced around the fog-filled Inner City.
With High Heaven Sect’s Origin King Grade Starship charging into the Inner city, all of Heaven Battling Union’s cultivators were now trembling in fear. Even a powerful master like Lu Feng had been killed in a single blow, so no one dared confront this Starship head-on.
They could only rely on the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array and hope it was powerful enough to stop the enemy Starship.
A white beam of light suddenly shot above their heads, causing the three masters’ eyes to bulge as they nervously began to condense their Saint Qi.
This beam of light was one of the enemy’s Crystal Cannons. Although the three of them knew there were many concealment and defensive Spirit Arrays arranged at their location, none of them were confident these Spirit Arrays could withstand the bombardment of those Crystal Cannons.
If they were unable to resist, the three of them may follow in Elder Lu Feng’s footsteps.
Fortunately, their worries seemed unnecessary. Although the white beam of light was indeed terrifying, it flew past them some distance away, not causing any harm to the three of them or the Array Core.
The three Origin Returning Realm masters were unable to help wiping the sweat from their foreheads and exhaling heavily.
“It’s fine, it was just a coincidence. With the Grand Array covering the entire Inner City, those clumsy fools should not be able to find the location of the Array Core. Union Master said that as soon as their energy supplies are exhausted, we will be able to launch a counterattack,” Among the three masters, a big bearded man spoke up, seemingly comforting his companions and himself.
“But from how aggressive the other party has acted so far, they must have come prepared for this. What if the Grand Array can’t stall them for long enough?” A woman in fancy robes asked with a worried look.
“Hmph, what’s there to fear? A Starship’s Crystal Cannons may be powerful, but their consumption is also massive, it shouldn’t be long before they run out of energy. Moreover, Crystal Cannons all have a limit on the number of times they can fire, making it impossible to use them too many times in short order. We just have to wait. Those fools from High Heaven Sect are now just headless flies. If this battle goes well, our Union will not only be able to kill those bastards but also capture that Origin King Grade Starship. Just think what kind of advantage that will bring us,” The last old man said quickly, his character seemingly steadier than the other two.
Hearing what he said, the other two’s eyes lit up and they couldn’t help imagining that terrifying Starship being owned by Heaven Battling Union, settling their nerves for a time.
At that moment though, another beam of white light shot past them nearby.
“This…” The bearded man saw this and couldn’t help leaking cold sweat once more.
The Crystal Cannon shot this time seemed to land much closer to them than the previous time.
Before they could even recover though, a third pillar of white light surged straight towards them.
“Not good!” The old man exclaimed, standing up and sternly shouting, “Activate the arrays!”
As soon as the old man shouted, the three of them urged their Saint Qi with all their strength and poured it into the nearby Spirit Array. The next moment, a thick light curtain appeared, covering the trio as well as the Frozen Jade Ice Spring.
*Hong…*
The thick light curtain could not withstand the power of a single Crystal Cannon volley and was broken after resisting for less than three breaths.
The trio’s complexion changed drastically seeing this.
Fortunately, all of them were experienced veterans and summoned their personal defensive artifacts one after another in order to resist the remaining power of the shot.
The Crystal Cannon’s power continued to rain down on them.
Loud grating sounds rang out, but the white beam of light gradually dimmed as well, finally disappearing a few breaths later.
The three protectors staggered unstably, each of their complexions extremely pale. The woman in elegant robes even felt something hot and sweet fill her throat, causing her to cough up blood. All of the trio’s protective artifacts shattered soon after.
“Another volley is coming, three this time!” The bearded man yelled in horror.
The woman and the old man’s faces went ashen as they turned and stared blankly at the three rapidly approaching white beams of light, unable to believe their eyes.
The enemy had actually found the location of the Array Core! But how was that possible? How did they do it?
Resisting a single shot just now had left all three of them severely injured, so there was absolutely no way they could block a triple volley!
The spot where the Frozen Jade Ice Spring sat shook violently and the three Origin Returning Realm masters silently disappeared. All that was left behind when the dust cleared was a massive crater several dozen metres in diameter.
Inside the Starship, Yang Kai snickered before ordering the disciples to redirect their fire.
At the same time, in an extremely fortified palace in the Inner City, Mo Xiao Sheng’s complexion changed dramatically as he turned to Qu Zheng who was sitting at the head of the hall and quickly reported, “Union Master, one of the Array Cores, has been destroyed!”
“What?” Qu Zheng stood up from his chair and stared at Mo Xiao Sheng incredulously, “How could it have been destroyed? Did one of the enemy attacks hit it by chance?”
Mo Xiao Sheng slowly shook his head, “This old man doesn’t know, but the three guards assigned to that spring were killed and the surrounding area was destroyed. Whether it was deliberately done by the enemy or not though, we can’t just sit here waiting for death.”
“What does Great Elder propose?”
“Maximize the Grand Array’s output and freeze the enemy Starship to death!” Mo Xiao Sheng declared.
Qu Zheng heard this and couldn’t help frowning slightly, a look of hesitation appearing on his face, as if he was worried about something.
“Union Master, High Heaven Sect arriving here in their Starship has created a situation where either they die or we die, if we hesitate any longer, we won’t be able to fight back when the two other Array Cores are destroyed. Although activating the Grand Array’s full power will cost an enormous price, it’s better than the alternative.”
“Great Elder is right,” Qu Zheng took a deep breath and his gaze became firm. “Fine, order for the Grand Array’s output to be increased to the maximum. Even if this old master must use up our entire foundation, he will not allow High Heaven Sect to obtain victory!”
“Yes!” Mo Xiao Sheng nodded before quickly pouring his Divine Sense into the communication artifact in his hand to disseminate the appropriate orders.
The next moment, the entire Inner City stirred. The air was already filled with Ice Attribute Energy, but in an instant, the chill in the air became even more terrifying. Even the Starship’s hull became covered with the thick layer of ice.
The freezing of the hull hindered the Starship’s operations, and even those who were inside it began to feel a bone-chilling cold, like their very souls were being frozen.
“What happened? Why did it suddenly become so cold?” Qian Tong asked with an ugly expression.
“The other side must have noticed our movements and taken countermeasures,” Yang Kai frowned. Under his Divine Sense probing, he could see two springs gushing out cold energy even more fiercely than before, like a terrifying volcanic eruption. Even the guards which were standing by next to these Array Cores had hastily evacuated, not daring to remain nearby for long.
*Kacha…*
A crisp creaking sound resounded from outside the Starship, indicating that the hull was beginning to warp.
Not only that, but the rich Ice Attribute Energy outside unexpectedly began condensing into various strange beasts. Each of these beasts was crystal clear, like ice sculptures, and exuded potent energy fluctuations.
It wasn’t long before the Starship was completely surrounded by countless ice beasts.
Seeing this, everyone in Starship furrowed their brows.
Many of them had long heard of the power of Heaven Battling Union’s Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array, and they found that it was deserving of its reputation after seeing it with their own eyes. With such methods at its disposal, Heaven Battling Union could ensure the safety and stability of Heaven Battling City’s Inner City.
As soon as the ice beasts took shape, they charged towards the Starship fiercely, instantly drowning it in a horde of claws and fangs.
Everyone couldn’t help becoming somewhat anxious, fearing the Starship would be destroyed if this continued.
Yang Kai’s face also became extremely gloomy. Standing up, he shouted, “Activate the protective barrier again, ignore the ice beasts, destroy the last two Array Cores at all cost!”
A moment later, the thin film enveloped the Starship. Although this shield looked fragile, no matter how the ice beasts attacked, they were unable to breach it; however, with the clawing and biting of so many ice beasts, the glow of this film was fading at an extremely fast rate.
Even a large number of ants could kill an elephant. Although the Starship was of the highest grade, it could not withstand the onslaught of so many ice beasts and would be destroyed sooner or later.
At that time, more than ten pure white light beams suddenly shot out from the Starship’s hull and struck towards a certain position.
Concerned about the survival of the Starship, Yang Kai did not dare delay and constantly issued targeting corrections to the disciples controlling the Crystal Cannons.
The dozen or so light beams flew out together in a spectacular display of might.
Just ten breaths later, the second Array Core was destroyed.
Then soon after, the third Array Core was broken!
The Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array, which had been shrouding the entire Inner City, instantly stopped working and the ice beasts which had been condensed from the pure, rich Ice Attribute Energy quickly disintegrated into glowing light particles before disappearing altogether.
The crisis had been easily resolved!
However, everyone in the Starship was still sweating heavily.
A strong wind blew through and the lingering ice fog was swiftly dispersed. Without the constant supply of Ice Attribute Energy from the three Array Cores, the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array was useless, and the entire Inner City of Heaven Battling Union’s Heaven Battling City gradually appeared before High Heaven Sect’s eyes.
“Hahaha, that old fart Qu Zheng is probably so mad he’s coughing up blood,” Fei Zhi Tu let out a hearty laugh. On Fallen Emperor Mountain, he had thought he was a dead man, and although Yang Kai had managed to save his life, his cultivation had dropped a Minor Realm so he hated Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect bitterly.
Now seeing that even the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array had no way to fight High Heaven Sect’s Starship, Fei Zhi Tu’s mood was quite good.
Qu Zheng truly did fly into a rage.
He never dreamed that the Grand Array Heaven Battling Union was so proud of would be destroyed so quickly and easily, unable to play any role at all.
Up to now, the enemy had yet to even show their faces, only hiding inside their Starship and using their Crystal Cannons to pound them into submission.
Qu Zheng had never felt so powerless.
“We are going to face the enemy! Even if we have to drown them in our own blood, we must destroy that Starship!” Qu Zheng shouted furiously, his voice spreading out to the Heavens.
Now that their Grand Array had been destroyed, Heaven Battling Union’s only option was to launch a frontal assault and rely on human wave tactics to triumph.
As long as High Heaven Sect lost their Starship, Heaven Battling Union could still turn this defeat into victory!
As soon as this order was given, countless cultivators rushed out of their hiding places and charged towards the Starship menacingly.
Unexpectedly, even when this force rushed to within a thousand metres of the pitch-black Starship, it still showed no signs of movement, simply allowing the Heaven Battling Union cultivators to surround it.
There were at least thousands of cultivators in this encirclement, all of them having at least reached the Saint Realm.
This force represented eighty percent of Heaven Battling Union’s total strength, with the remaining cultivators having a strength that was too low to play any role in this kind of battle.
Surrounded by these thousands of people, the Starship was like a tiny boat adrift in the vast ocean, unable to tell which way was which.
Heaven Battling Union’s cultivators all exuded a fierce murderous intent as they prepared to attack.
But in the next moment, multi-coloured rays of light suddenly blossomed from the ship’s hull, causing the originally black exterior to instantly emit a dazzling radiance.
These multi-coloured rays of light immediately enveloped the surrounding several-thousand-metre radius and flooded the minds of all the cultivators present with a numbing sensation.
In an instant, many of the cultivators with lower strength went stiff, their Saint Qi no longer circulating properly. Screams rang out as these cultivators fell from the sky, as if their strength was being suppressed by some strange force.
Even the cultivators with slightly higher strength could not completely resist the effects of this suppression and felt a sense of terror deep in their Souls.
“Coloured Glass Divine Light! Impossible! This is Coloured Glass Divine Light!” Some slightly knowledgeable cultivators yelled out in shock.
As cultivators of Shadowed Star, they had heard of Coloured Glass Divine Light.
However, Coloured Glass Divine Light was something exclusive to Coloured Glass Sect’s cultivators, and even then, only one or two cultivators per generation could produce it.
And yet, Coloured Glass Divine Light was currently being emitted by High Heaven Sect’s Starship. Looking carefully, it seemed that the entire hull of this Starship was made from Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, which was the source of this overwhelming Coloured Glass Divine Light!
Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu were also stunned, neither able to figure out what was going on.
“Yang Kai, is this really Coloured Glass Divine Light?” Qian Tong asked with a strange expression.
It was not surprising he couldn’t believe his eyes as Coloured Glass Sect protected Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain so tightly that outsiders were never even allowed to approach it. In fact, most cultivators from Coloured Glass Sect were not even allowed to approach Coloured Glass Mountain.
So where did Yang Kai get this Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass?
And how did he acquire so much that he could cover his entire Starship with it? Just how much Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass would be needed to achieve such a feat?
“En, it’s Coloured Glass Divine Light,” Yang Kai nodded lightly before grinning grinned, “Coloured Glass Sect is not the only one with access to Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass.”
“En…” Qian Tong nodded suspiciously. Although he wanted to believe Yang Kai’s words, as far as he knew, the only source of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass on Shadowed Star was owned by Coloured Glass Sect.
[Who would believe such silver-tongued rhetoric? This boy really knows how to spill nonsense. But when did he manage to obtain so much Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass?]
Qian Tong then remembered hearing about Yang Kai visiting Coloured Glass Sect a few years ago as a guest, could it have been at that time?
Qian Tong did not dare think about it anymore. If this kind of news were learned by Coloured Glass Sect, they would never let him off.
As the two talked, panic-stricken screams continued to ring outside. Falling from the height of a few thousand metres was dangerous, even for cultivators with decent cultivation. Saint Kings basically did not need to worry about their lives as their physical bodies would already be strong enough to resist such a fall. Other than ending up a little embarrassed, they would not suffer any negative consequences.
However, the Saints were not so lucky.
One after another, these unfortunate Saint Realm cultivators cried out in pain as their limbs broke. Some with poor physiques even ended up bloodied and crippled.
The number of cultivators gathered around the Starship dropped by seventy percent in an instant.
But this wasn’t over yet. Moments after the Coloured Glass Divine Light shrouded these cultivators, causing their Souls to fill with unease, a fist-sized crystal suddenly appeared above the Starship. Around this crystal, a profound and complex Spirit Array instantly appeared.
Ripples of light began propagating from the crystal in the next moment and were amplified many times over by the surrounding Spirit Array, sending them pulsing out in all directions.
When these ripples swept over them, the eyes of all the Heaven Battling Union cultivators glossed over and their faces filled with confusion.
They suddenly found that all kinds of hallucinations had inexplicably appeared around them, as if they had fallen into a terrifying illusion.
Suddenly, the cultivators of Heaven Battling Union fell into chaos, crying out madly one after another.
Yang Yan had poured all of her skill and effort into refining this Origin King Grade Starship and consumed countless rare materials in the process.
Eighty percent of the wealth and materials Yang Kai had obtained over the years had been invested in this Starship, hence its power had reached such a frightening level.
Needless to say, the Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass was from Yang Kai’s trip to Coloured Glass Sect with Dai Yuan. He had Xiao Xiao steal it directly from Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain at that time.
Coloured Glass Sect truly guarded Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain heavily, making it impossible for ordinary people to even get close enough to try mining any Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass.
However, Xiao Xiao was different.
Devouring ore was its innate talent, a Divine Ability no ordinary person could replicate. Even Origin King Realm masters would have a headache trying to break off a piece of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass from Coloured Glass Mountain, yet to Xiao Xiao it was no different from delicious food.
During his visit to Coloured Glass Sect, Xiao Xiao had performed a great merit.
As for the fist-sized crystal which now floated above the Starship, it was naturally the Illusion Stone brought back by Yang Kai from the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field!
This Illusion Stone was an extremely rare treasure that could innately induce hallucinations. By using it as the core of a profound Illusion Array arranged by Yang Yan, the power it could display was simply unimaginable.
Even Origin Returning Realm masters could not resist the effects of the Illusion Stone, so everyone surrounding the Starship was instantly caught in an inescapable illusion.
“We can begin now.” Inside the Starship, Yang Kai grinned and said with a cold expression.
Hearing this, everyone’s look became inspired.
“Open the hatch!” Yang Kai commanded.
With a slight rumbling, the Starship’s main hatch opened and with Yang Kai in the lead, Ye Xi Yun, Qian Tong, Fei Zhi Tu, Chang Qi, and all the other Origin Realm Elders from High Heaven Sect set out.
As they flew out of the Starship, the sight in front of everyone left them profoundly shocked.
All the Heaven Battling Union cultivators, regardless of their cultivation or strength, now had glossed eyes and their expressions were constantly changing as they had fallen into illusions they were unable to extricate themselves from, many of them seemingly trying to defend themselves from invisible enemies.
Others still calmly in place, as if concentrating on something profound and mysterious they could not understand.
However, no matter who it was, it was obvious they were completely oblivious to the terrible fate which was approaching them.
“Kill!” Yang Kai raised his hand and accompanied by a piercing cry, his Firebird Artifact Spirit flew out and transformed itself into a giant ball of flame that rushed towards the nearest group of enemies, instantly burning them to death.
Ye Xi Yun and the others immediately dispersed, summoned their artifacts, and released their Secret Techniques to slaughter their enemies with little to no resistance.
Yang Kai wandered about the sky as he manipulated dozens of Golden Blood Threads, slicing through the dazed enemies.
Additionally, wherever Yang Kai went, all cultivators at or below the Saint King Realm clutched their heads and screamed, as if they were suffering from unimaginable torture, their Souls being extinguished a moment later.
Tiny insects invisible to the naked eye and even difficult to detect using Divine Sense were viciously rushing towards these Saints and Saint Kings, causing them to inexplicably die.
Soul Devouring Insects!
Now that Yang Kai’s strength had reached such a height, and the enemies he was encountering were growing stronger and stronger, the Soul Devouring Insects he had been nurturing in his Knowledge Sea all these years were no longer able to play a big role in battle, but for massacring weaker enemies at times like this, they were actually an ideal weapon.
Soul Devouring Insects specialized in devouring Spiritual Energy. Once they invaded a cultivator’s Knowledge Sea and drained it dry, that cultivator would inevitably fall.
Yang Kai was like a god of death as he swept over the battlefield, leaving only corpses in his wake.
Heaven Battling Union’s many cultivators had become living targets, unable to put up any kind of resistance at all, allowing even Chang Qi and the other weaker Elders to kill with impunity.
Inside the main palace, Qu Zheng and the other leaders of Heaven Battling Union wore ashen faces as their bodies trembled violently.
None of them had ever imagined High Heaven Sect’s Starship possessed such terrifying means and was equipped with so many unimaginable methods. In the face of these means, their Sect’s prided elites were as vulnerable as three-year-old children.
Qu Zheng’s heart felt like it had been run through with a sword! Heaven Battling Union’s inheritance, built through thousands of years, was going to be destroyed under his watch.
At this moment, he somewhat regretted provoking Yang Kai; even if he had violated Star Emperor Mountain’s instructions, perhaps the result wouldn’t have been this bad.
Defeat was now inevitable!
Qu Zheng knew better than anyone that the moment the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array was destroyed, the battle was already over.
The Grand Array that he was most proud of and relied upon was destroyed by the enemy in no time at all.
Even if he somehow managed to kill Yang Kai now, the losses Heaven Battling Union suffered could simply not be made up.
On top of that, was Yang Kai someone easy to kill? Qu Zheng wasn’t confident he could kill a cultivator proficient in the Dao of Space, who could even tear space and flee!
“Union Master…” Mo Xiao Sheng called out gloomily from the side, his already old face seeming even more withered than before and his expression extremely grave, “We need to go.”
“Go?” Qu Zheng turned his head to look at him and shook his head slowly, “This Qu is Heaven Battling Union’s Union Master, I have pledged to live and die together with the Union. This Qu will not go!”
“Union Master, in the green hills, one need not worry about having firewood. We underestimated the strength of High Heaven Sect and our losses are incalculable, but there is a chance we can avenge our dead companions as long as Union Master survives. If you die here, there will be no one left to seek vengeance!” Mo Xiao Sheng tried his best to persuade him.
Qu Zheng glanced over at him and said sternly, “Even if that is so, in this world, where can we go? This Qu can still fight, and even if this old master dies here, he will drag that little bastard down with him.”
“Union Master, have you forgotten who caused this incident in the first place? We can go there, presumably, they won’t just sit back and watch,” Mo Xiao Sheng quickly said.
Qu Zheng frowned and began pondering carefully.
Liang Yong, who had been standing to the side, hurriedly added, “Yes, Union Master, momentum is on High Heaven Sect’s side now, so we really must consider withdrawing for the time being. We don’t have a way to deal with that Starship, but Star Emperor Mountain may.”
In the hall, seeing the Great Elder and Third Elder trying their best to persuade Qu Zheng, others quickly followed suit.
After all, if there was a way to live, who would choose to die? The other party’s Starship was simply too terrifying, not an existence ordinary cultivators could compete with.
Everyone was afraid that Qu Zheng would order them to go out and meet the enemy, so they wanted to hurry and leave this place.
For a time, everyone talked over each other, creating a chaotic atmosphere.
Qu Zheng seemed to recover his composure after hearing all these voices and swept his gaze across the hall before gently nodding and saying, “Fine, then we will temporarily withdraw to Star Emperor Mountain!”
“Union Master is wise!” The hearts of everyone present immediately relaxed as many breathed sighs of relief.
…..
In the Inner City, the screams had not stopped since they began. One after another, the cultivators who were affected by the Coloured Glass Divine Light then dragged into an illusion by the Illusion Stone died at the hands of High Heaven Sect’s forces.
Out of the thousands of cultivators, ninety percent had already fallen.
As time passed, the influence of the Illusion Stone gradually weakened.
After the hallucinations in front of them disappeared and they saw that the battle was lost, the Heaven Battling Union cultivators still alive were all horrified and did not dare to remain and fight. Using their movement skills and summoning their defensive artifacts, these survivors all fled.
It was an overwhelming defeat!
The entire Inner City seemed to be stained red with blood and the ground was now littered with broken limbs and pieces of meat. A rich bloody atmosphere permeated the huge city, making any who smelt it feel nauseous.
Golden light filled the sky as dozens of Golden Blood Threads cut through any enemies in Yang Kai’s path as his expression remained as tranquil as an ancient well.
Although he had run rampant among the enemy cultivators and beheaded so many of them, his clothes were still clean, not stained by a single drop of blood.
Suddenly, Yang Kai raised his head and looked in a certain direction, frowning slightly.
A familiar power fluctuation came from the direction he was looking, Space Force!
In an instant, he understood what this fluctuation meant and a cold smile appeared on his lips. Reaching out, Yang Kai swiped his hand through the air.
A pitch-black Void Crack appeared strangely and Yang Kai plunged inside, his body disappearing in the next instant.
In the Inner City of Heaven Battling Union, in a chamber deep underground, more than a dozen Elders of Heaven Battling Union and Protectors had assembled.
At this moment, each of these Elders and Protectors was staring at a massive Space Array in front of them with both hope and anxiety.
Heaven Battling Union was one of the two giants of Shadowed Star and had prospered for thousands of years, so it had arranged several emergency escape routes for itself. This large underground Space Array was one such route.
This Space Array had never been used in the several-thousand-year history of Heaven Battling Union because none could force them to use it.
But today, this dust-laden Restricted Area had finally been opened.
Qu Zheng planned to use this Space Array to escape a million kilometres away from Heaven Battling City.
Although it had never been used, this Space Array was still intact, so it only needed to be re-activated and charged with enough Saint Crystals before it could be used.
“This King and Great Elder will go on ahead, Third Elder, you stay behind to bring up the rear,” Qu Zheng casually ordered before stepping onto the Space Array with Mo Xiao Sheng.
Liang Yong opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but he quickly choked these words back down before cupping his fists and nodding, “Yes!”
He was truly afraid of Yang Kai. Last time, in Fallen Emperor Mountain, he had barely managed to escape from Yang Kai’s grasp. Although Yang Kai had kept his word and not killed him, Yang Kai had simply become a nightmare to him.
Naturally, he wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
However, since the Union Master had given orders, Liang Yong had no choice but to obey.
This Space Array could only teleport five people at once, so this withdrawal had to be done in batches.
After Qu Zheng and another four people stood atop it, a burst of light burst out from the Space Array and soon enveloped them.
The figures of these five began to fade, and they were about to leave, but at the last moment, a sudden mutation occurred.
A short distance away from the array, a strange energy fluctuation appeared and space began to warp. A moment later, a long pitch-black tear unexpectedly emerged.
“This is…” Everyone was dazed, some not even understanding what this anomaly was.
“Void Crack!” Qu Zheng shouted. In Fallen Emperor Mountain on that day, he had seen a similar scene, so now that he was seeing it again he was naturally able to identify it.
As soon as his voice fell, a figure shot out from the Void Crack and without pausing for an instance reached out its hand and grasped towards the already activated Space Array.
An obscure and secretive force swept out.
The Space Array, which had originally been shining brightly, suddenly flickered and the dazzling light coming from it dimmed at an extremely fast speed.
“Not good!” Mo Xiao Sheng shouted before grabbing Qu Zheng’s arm instinctually and leaping out like a frightened rabbit.
In a flicker, the two figures disappeared and then reappeared several dozen metres away.
“Yang Kai!” Standing firm, Qu Zheng glared fiercely at the figure that emerged from the Void Crack, a vicious expression filling his face, as if he couldn’t wait to drink this boy’s blood
“Union Master Qu, where do you think you’re going?” Yang Kai gave him a sneer.
Before Qu Zheng could answer this question though, he suddenly heard someone next to him call out in alarm, “Elder Zhou, Protector Qi…”
This voice was filled with panic and seemed to be greatly frightened.
Qu Zheng frowned and glanced over with a sullen expression, but what he saw caused him to shiver from head to toe.
Atop the Space Array, three incomplete corpses were left behind!
Judging from the remnant clothes on these three corpses, it was clear they belonged to Qu Zheng’s subordinates who had been standing beside him just a moment ago, preparing to teleport away. Now, however, their upper bodies had strangely disappeared, leaving behind just their smoothly severed lower halves.
“Great Elder!” The person who spoke just now screamed again as he turned his attention to Mo Xiao Sheng, his eyes trembling violently.
A dripping sound filled the hall.
Qu Zheng turned his head as well and couldn’t help his eyes from shrinking.
Great Elder Mo Xiao Shen, who had helped him escape the Space Array just now, was missing an arm. The wound he suffered was extremely smooth, just like the others.
“You can even interrupt the Space Array’s transmission!” Mo Xiao Sheng’s face went pale, as if he was holding back severe pain. Staring at Yang Kai in disbelief, he grits his teeth and shouted, “You actually managed to comprehend the Dao of Space to such an extent?”
“A minor matter!” Yang Kai looked at him indifferently, not denying the charge.
Qu Zheng’s expression fluctuated. With his experience and eyesight, he could tell how his three subordinates died and how his Great Elder had lost an arm.
It was because the transmission was interrupted!
The Dao of Space was mysterious and difficult to understand, but its power was extremely terrifying. How could one’s end be good if their teleportation was disturbed mid-transmission?
No wonder Great Elder had so hastily taken him out of the Space Array, it turns out he had noticed something wrong ahead of time.
If Mo Xiao Sheng had not acted as swiftly as he did, it was likely Qu Zheng would only have half his body remaining atop the Space Array.
Understanding this, Qu Zheng couldn’t help leaking cold sweat.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, felt a little annoyed. He had noticed the energy fluctuations of the Space Array before, so he had hurriedly rushed to this place. His timing was spot on, but unfortunately, Qu Zheng still managed to escape.
[Dang… this Mo Xiao Sheng has some commendable attainments. If he had not noticed the disturbance, Qu Zheng would definitely have died!]
But it didn’t matter in the end. Since Yang Kai had already arrived here, no one could escape.
Beating the snake to death to avoid future calamity was a truth Yang Kai knew better than anyone!
Yang Kai was alone, but he was not afraid as he swept his eyes over the room.
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Xiao suddenly appeared in front of him, the huge Heaven Shaking Pillar resisting on his shoulders, his eyes glancing around with clear ill intent.
The huge Heaven Shaking Pillar, when contrasted with his small body, looked quite funny.
But no one dared to underestimate Xiao Xiao. Even Qu Zheng frowned as he felt an unimaginable pressure from Xiao Xiao, even greater than the one he felt when facing Yang Kai.
[A strong enemy!] Qu Zheng secretly thought. He had heard about this strange creature and how even a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master could not take a head-on attack from it, but he didn’t know whether this was true or not though.
Before he could finish his thoughts, Yang Kai raised his hand again and the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword appeared. Pouring Saint Qi into the bone sword, a giant dark-green dragon quickly manifested and floated beside Yang Kai, it’s two giant eyes staring down imposingly at the crowd below.
The Dragon Pressure that instantly covered the hall caused everyone to tremble.
Golden Blood Threads appeared next, releasing a dazzling golden radiance.
A loud bird cry rang out as the Firebird Artifact Spirit flew out and spread its wings, raising the temperature in the hall significantly.
Yang Kai was going all out!
Although the people in front of him had already lost their will to fight, Yang Kai didn’t dare to underestimate them. In a one-against-many scenario, Yang Kai could not afford to let his guard down, especially since Qu Zheng was still unharmed.
Yang Kai had never fought Qu Zheng personally, but he had witnessed the latter’s power in Fallen Emperor Mountain.
That Great Sun Radiant Seal had particularly impressed him.
As such, once he decided to take action, Yang Kai had brought out eighty percent of his methods.
“Union Master Qu, when you plotted against this Junior, did you ever think the situation would wind up like this?” Yang Kai looked down at Qu Zheng coldly, “You and I had no meaningful grudge between us, but Union Master Qu insisted on embarrassing me, so he should be prepared to face my revenge. En, I’ll quickly send you to meet with Qu Chang Feng. Fathers and sons should be together, after all, and I think Qu Chang Feng should be quite lonely right now!”
“Arrogant little brat!” Qu Zheng’s expression suddenly became ferocious, like a mad beast.
The death of Qu Chang Feng was the greatest pain his heart had ever had to bear! Naturally, he knew his child best, and although Qu Chang Feng was a little domineering and flippant, his aptitude was first-class and he would surely have become a true hegemon if given time.
Yet before such a bright future could come to pass, Qu Chang Feng had been brutally killed by Yang Kai in Fallen Emperor Mountain.
At this moment, with the murderer casually standing before him, even a stoic man wouldn’t have been able to control their rage, let alone Qu Zheng who had a naturally fiery temperament.
“Good, good, good, you go too far, little brat! If this old master doesn’t kill you today, he would no longer be a man!” Qu Zheng yelled.
Mo Xiao Sheng felt the situation deteriorating. A battle between masters was always extremely dangerous, but now, Union Master Qu had been completely provoked and thrown into a rage with just a few words; how was he going to exert his full strength in such a state? But as things were, the only thing Mo Xiao Sheng could do was endure the severe pain from his wound and shout, “Yang Kai, you look down on my Heaven Battling Union too much! Since you dared to break into this place alone, it shall be your burial place. Everyone, with me! Today, either he dies, or we perish!”
With these words, the rest of the people summoned their artifacts one after another, filling the room with a dazzling glow as the ambient energy began to churn.
Liang Yong’s movements were the fastest, summoning a long, sword-like artifact into his hands and madly pouring his Saint Qi into it. Staring at Yang Kai fiercely, he roared, “Boy, suffer death!”
As he shouted, the long sword in Lian Yong’s hands glowed a cyan light and shot a wave out towards Yang Kai.
At the same time, the others also displayed the power of their artifacts one after another, firing them towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai remained indifferent though, not even attempting to dodge, simply observing coldly as if he didn’t feel any threat at all.
*Peng peng peng…*
Xiao Xiao struck his chest repeatedly, causing a dull sound to ring out as he opened his mouth and growled like a mad gorilla. As he struck his chest, Xiao Xiao’s small figure suddenly grew larger, and a several-dozen-metre tall giant stood before Yang Kai in an instant.
In the next instant, the various artifact attacks landed on Xiao Xiao’s body and burst into dazzling explosions of light, the clanging and clattering sounds constantly echoing, but not only did Xiao Xiao not show any intention to retreat, he even remained essentially uninjured. All that happened under this bombardment was Xiao Xiao being forced to take a single step backwards.
Stone Puppets’ innate Divine Ability was to swallow ore, which they could then smelt and refine into their purest form. However, they could also absorb these essences and use them to strengthen themselves.
Over the years, Xiao Xiao had swallowed countless ores, most of which were extremely rare and high-quality. Not only had he provided great assistance to Yang Yan with her Artifact Refining, but he had also obtained great nourishment and growth.
Although these attacks were terrifying, using them against Xiao Xiao was completely ineffective.
The hardness of Xiao Xiao’s body was as tough as an Origin King Grade defensive artifact.
Suddenly, among the clattering explosions, Qu Zheng’s muffled cough and enraged roar rang out.
Everyone frowned, wondering what happened to Qu Zheng.
Even Yang Kai was at a loss.
As the glow from the explosions dissipated, Yang Kai gazed past Xiao Xiao’s giant body and looked towards Qu Zheng, his expression turning somewhat strange in the next instant.
He found that Qu Zheng’s chest had half a sword sticking out from it, obviously having been run through from behind. Covered in blood, Qu Zheng couldn’t help staggering forward, his face extremely pale.
The sword which pierced him was clearly of extraordinary quality, definitely an artifact at or above Origin Grade Mid-Rank. The blade of the sword was covered in a brilliant cyan light that continuously burst with terrifying power as it destroyed the inside of Qu Zheng’s body, rapidly worsening his condition.
Now far from Qu Zheng, Liang Yong wore a complicated look on his face, as if feeling a little guilty.
“Liang Yong, you dare betray us?” Mo Xiao Sheng turned and stared at Liang Yong in disbelief, shouting out mournfully as he did.
Qu Zheng also turned a sullen look to Liang Yong and coughed as he grit his teeth and asked, “When did he buy you over? Was it back on Fallen Emperor Mountain?”
Liang Yong’s face twitched as he glanced over at Yang Kai for an instant before saying in a bitter voice, “Sect Master Yang never bought This Liang, but… A wise man knows when to submit to the circumstances. Union Master and Great Elder insisting on fighting against the tide has brought disaster to the Union. This Liang, as Third Elder, cannot sit by and watch everything our ancestors worked so hard for be destroyed at your hands!”
“Self-righteous nonsense. Seeking personal gain so shamelessly, this King never knew you were such a person, Liang Yong,” Qu Zheng sneered.
Qu Zheng never imagined that he would actually be stabbed in the back by his own Third Elder at this critical moment. If Liang Yong’s signature long sword artifact had not still been sticking out of his body, Qu Zheng might still not believe this was really happening.
“It doesn’t matter if you didn’t know this before, Union Master should be able to understand it today,” Liang Yong’s face was red with embarrassment, but if he wanted to survive, this was his only option.
The others here might not know how terrifying Yang Kai’s strength was, but he did.
Regardless of how many people were on their side, if they really fought here, it would not be an easy battle, and even if they could defeat Yang Kai, they couldn’t kill him.
The means Yang Kai already showed were appalling enough, so just how much was he still holding back? The last time he experienced Yang Kai’s methods, Liang Yong was lucky enough to survive, but he didn’t want to try his luck again.
“Promising!” Yang Kai grinned suddenly. He hadn’t expected the situation to develop this way either, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t to his liking. Although he was confident he could kill all the people here, it would definitely be difficult and require him to use most of his means and methods. Now that his enemies were actually fighting amongst themselves, the problem became much easier to solve.
“Sect Master Yang is too kind,” Liang Yong cupped his fists with and said with a flattering look covering his face. Immediately after, Liang Yong looked around at the others present and shouted, “Smart birds choose the best trees to roost on, I believe this Liang does not need to teach you all this. As for what you should do now, you should also understand!”
The remaining Heaven Battling Union cultivators wore ugly expressions as they glanced around at each other, temporarily falling into a dilemma.
However, no one treated their life as expendable, so all of them turned their gazes towards Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng in the end while silently condensing their Saint Qi.
“Excellent!” Qu Zheng laughed, “I didn’t expect that my Heaven Battling Union had raised a pack of white wolves. This Qu was blind to have never seen your true colours.”
“Why must Union Master put it like that?” Liang Yong slowly shook his head, “The winner is the king while the loser is the villain. What do you want to do, Great Elder? This Liang has always admired Great Elder’s wisdom and fortitude, if Great Elder is willing to…”
“Do you think this old master is as shameless as you? All of you should not shame this old master,” Mo Xiao Sheng sneered, interrupting Liang Yong before he could even finish speaking.
“In that case, I must ask Great Elder and Union Master to depart together!” Liang Yong’s eyes became sharp as he waved his hand and in the next moment, all the attacks which had originally been targeting Yang Kai were now directed towards Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng.
Without any suspense, after a half cup of tea’s time, the battle was decided.
Mo Xiao Sheng had lost an arm, and although such an injury was not life-threatening, it still had a significant impact on the strength he could display. As for Qu Zheng, he had suffered a sneak attack from Liang Yong, a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, and had only survived this long thanks to his great strength.
Both of them were wounded, so how could they withstand the attacks of Liang Yong and the others?
Yang Kai didn’t even need to take action as Heaven Battling Union’s Union Master and Great Elder were killed before him.
Naturally, Yang Kai didn’t relax his vigilance, keeping the giant dark-green dragon floating beside him with the Firebird Artifact Spirit circling above while the Stone Puppet protected his front.
As soon as the battle was over, Liang Yong sent a signal with his eyes to a certain cultivator who immediately understood and pounced towards another of their companions, a Second-Order Origin Realm Protector, and swiftly killed him.
Yang Kai simply observed with a smile, not showing any intention to intervene.
“Reporting to Sect Master Yang, Protector Liu was a close friend of the Union Master, so although he had outwardly surrendered, he must have been holding a grudge in his heart. No one knows whether he would simply wait for an opportunity to avenge Union Master in the future, so we’ve taken the liberty to deal with him now,” Liang Yong took the initiative to explain.
“Cruel and merciless!” Yang Kai smiled and nodded, “It seems I looked down on you, Elder Liang.”
“Sect Master Yang is too polite,” Liang Yong let out a hollow laugh.
“What about these remaining people?”
“These people should be fine.”
“En,” Yang Kai stared at him deeply, an ambiguous smile creeping onto his lips as he said, “Did Elder Liang not consider that this Sect Master would simply take advantage of this opportunity to rid himself of all of you now that you no longer have any value?”
Liang Yong’s face changed slightly, and even the remaining survivors wore wary expressions.
Squeezing out a smile, Liang Yong said, “Sect Master Yang must be joking. We have already demonstrated our intentions clearly. We simply ask Sect Master Yang to not punish us too severely and spare our lives!”
“Why should I let you keep your lives? You even betrayed and killed Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng. If I let you survive, how can I guarantee that one day you won’t treat me the same way?” Yang Kai looked at him coldly, his tone of voice cold and sharp. Meanwhile, as if affected by his mood, the giant dark-green dragon behind Yang Kai also assumed a threatening posture.
The Dragon Pressure also became heavier!
“We would not dare!” Liang Yong was thoroughly frightened and hurriedly bowed his head, “We can swear an oath to the Heavens that in the future, we will only follow Sect Master Yang’s lead, go through fire or water, never refusing under any circumstances.”
“If such oaths were useful, Union Master Qu and Great Elder Mo wouldn’t have died here. On the day you joined Heaven Battling Union, didn’t you make similar oaths?” Yang Kai spat disdainfully.
Liang Yong’s expression became awkward and he grew noticeably more anxious. Now, he didn’t know how to gain Yang Kai’s trust and let him show mercy.
If Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng were still alive now, the Heaven Battling Union group might still be able to put up a fight, but now they were no different from fish on a chopping block, waiting for Yang Kai’s judgement. Liang Yong and the others didn’t have any ability to resist now.
“I’ll give you a chance to persuade me. If you can convince me of your usefulness, I may be willing to spare you, but if you can’t, don’t blame this Sect Master for not showing mercy. Elder Liang is also a cruel and ruthless person so I’m sure you understand,” Yang Kai’s impatient voice sounded and his eyes gradually became cold.
Liang Yong was startled and couldn’t help shivering as he knew Yang Kai that was not one to make idle threats, so he hurriedly tried to come up with a logical reason they should be spared.
Everyone else also stared towards Liang Yong eagerly, their hearts clenched up tightly.
Yang Kai didn’t urge them any further and simply stood there and waited.
After a while, Liang Yong’s nervous expression calmed down and he seemed to become confident, clearing his throat and cupping his fists before saying, “Let me first say that we neither had nor have any intentions of becoming enemies with Sect Master Yang. We participated in the incident that occurred in Fallen Emperor Mountain last time simply because we were ordered to do so. Now, Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng are dead and the Union’s forces have suffered massive losses. On top of that, the Myriad Ice Spirit Sealing Grand Array has been destroyed, crippling the Union’s core foundation! When we joined Heaven Battling Union, we took oaths simply to express our loyalty, but now we must take them in order to survive; after all, even if Sect Master Yang shows mercy and allows us to live, what awaits us is nothing but hardship. Without an established headquarters, we will all certainly become targets for our enemies. Hitting others when they are down is a truth we cannot avoid.”
“That’s none of my concern,” Yang Kai looked at him with a sneer.
“What this Liang wants to express by saying all this is that if we wish to survive, we must find someone or something which can support us! And Sect Master Yang is the best choice!” Liang Yong looked at Yang Kai solemnly.
Yang Kai gently nodded, grinning as he said, “En, keep talking.”
Hearing this, Liang Yong’s expression became spirited, knowing the other party had taken some interest in his words. “If Sect Master Yang wishes to kill us, it will not take him much effort, but Sect Master Yang doesn’t stand to gain anything from our deaths. However, if Sect Master Yang is willing to spare us, this Liang and his companions will definitely be able to bring many benefits to Sect Master Yang.”
“For example?” Yang Kai squinted at him.
“Haha, now that Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng are dead, and Second Elder Lu Feng has also fallen, this Liang should be the highest-ranking member of the Union. This Liang has no special talents, but he is willing to manage Heaven Battling City for Sect Master Yang, every year turning over all its profits in the form of tribute! As far as this Liang knows, Sect Master Yang’s High Heaven Sect is located inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so while there is no fear of it being attacked, it also likely lacks all kinds of cultivation resources, as it is extremely inconvenient to trade with the outside world. With Heaven Battling City under Sect Master Yang’s control though, the disciples of High Heaven Sect will not have to worry about supplies in the future. Heaven Battling City has been a centre of commerce for thousands of years with tens of millions of cultivators living and passing through here with great frequency. I believe that with Sect Master Yang’s intelligence, he can imagine just how great the profits Heaven Battling City earns a year are.”
After speaking till here, Liang Yong stopped and waited for Yang Kai’s reply.
He was completely confident this argument would convince Yang Kai.
Sure enough, after a moment, Yang Kai nodded, “Elder Liang’s eloquence is exceptional, this Sect Master has indeed been moved by you.”
When these words fell, the Firebird flew back into Yang Kai’s body and the giant dark-green dragon transformed back into the Dragon Bone Sword again. Even the Stone Puppet, which was several dozen metres tall, shrank back down to its original size.
The heavy atmosphere suddenly disappeared.
Liang Yong was overjoyed and quickly bowed, “Many thanks for showing mercy, Sect Master Yang!”
The other survivors quickly followed suit, hoping to show their loyalty lest Yang Kai find them unpleasant to the eye and decide to kill them.
“From now on, there is no more Heaven Battling Union!” Yang Kai declared indifferently, “Heaven Battling City is now the exclusive property of High Heaven Sect. If anyone tries to invade, they will be enemies of High Heaven Sect! Liang Yong, your strength is good, so you will take up the post of City Lord and manage this city for this Sect Master!”
“Yes! Subordinate will definitely live up to Sect Master Yang’s trust!” Liang Yong replied solemnly.
“Alright! I hope you won’t disappoint me. Relay my orders: Tell your people to stand down, if they don’t, they will likely all die,” Yang Kai chuckled, his face filled with amicability, as if all the unpleasantness from a moment ago had never happened. Finishing issuing instructions, Yang Kai took out a communication artifact and poured his Divine Sense into it so he could tell Ye Xi Yun and the others to stop their assault.
After a quarter of an hour, the Inner City of Heaven Battling City became calm, but the dead bodies and blood all over the ground remained as evidence of the fierce battle which had taken place here.
From the underground hall, everyone else departed to calm the remaining Heaven Battling Union disciples and convey Yang Kai’s order, leaving only Liang Yong and Yang Kai.
“Where’s Heaven Battling Union’s storehouse? Take me to have a look,” Yang Kai ordered Liang Yong.
“Yes, please come with me, Sect Master,” Liang Yong did not dare to refuse and quickly led the way.
As a Sect that stood at the peak of Shadowed Star for thousands of years, the accumulated wealth of Heaven Battling Union was naturally unimaginable.
This was especially the case since it controlled Heaven Battling City! The wealth gained from Heaven Battling City every year was nothing short of extraordinary.
But now, all of these resources had become Yang Kai’s property.
It took a full two days for Yang Kai to organize the things in Heaven Battling Union’s storehouse and store them into Space Rings.
In two days, Liang Yong and the other surviving Elders unleashed a startling purge, eliminating all those who dared to oppose them as well as anyone who once strongly supported Qu Zheng and Mo Xiao Sheng, bringing what remained of Heaven Battling Union’s forces under their complete control.
News of the great battle had already spread. The tens of millions of cultivators who had withdrawn from Heaven Battling City had now returned, and although one of Shadowed Star’s great behemoths had fallen, these individuals’ lives didn’t change much.
High Heaven Sect’s Starship did not damage the outer city, so these people only needed to return to their original stores with their goods and they could reopen for business. The only real change was that their taxes would now be turned over to High Heaven Sect rather than Heaven Battling Union.
Not many people had thought that this was how things would end.
Heaven Battling Union had disappeared, and High Heaven Sect only relied on a single Starship to destroy this behemoth.
The tyrannical power of this Origin King Grade Starship was deeply rooted in everyone’s mind now.
Five days later, the pitch-black Starship flew out from Heaven Battling City and shot towards the horizon. In the main square of the Inner City, Liang Yong and the other high-level officials who once belonged to the Heaven Battling Union respectfully sent them off before letting out sighs of relief.
Although they had already surrendered and Yang Kai showed no signs of purging them, each day was one that they could not feel at ease. All of them were worried Yang Kai would go back on his word and kill them, and it wasn’t until this moment that they could finally put down this worry.
Yang Kai had left Ge Qi behind in Heaven Battling City to serve as Vice City Lord!
In name, Ge Qi was there to assist Liang Yong, but everyone knew that his real purpose was to monitor the latter.
Liang Yong had betrayed and stabbed Qu Zheng in the back to save his own life. Yang Kai would not leave such a snake without proper supervision, otherwise, it would be impossible to guarantee that he wouldn’t stir up trouble.
If it was anyone else remaining here, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to rest easy, but Ge Qi was different.
Although Ge Qi only had a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, he was raised by and grew up under Ye Xi Yun’s tutelage.
As long as Ye Xi Yun still lived, Liang Yong wouldn’t dare attack Ge Qi. Leaving Ge Qi behind to remind Liang Yong of his position from time to time should be enough to deter the latter from having crooked thoughts and ensure that the required tribute would be handed over to High Heaven Sect in full each year.
When the Starship left, not only did Liang Yong and his group see them off, the entire Outer City’s population gave them a resounding cheer as they waved towards the Starship with happy expressions.
The destruction of the Heaven Battling Union had made these cultivators, who were usually exploited and humiliated, cry out in happiness. On top of that, Liang Yong had ordered all taxes in the city to be lowered, so the general populace was happy.
From just this action, it was clear Liang Yong had some talent as a leader. Knowing that Heaven Battling City had changed ownership, it was precisely the time to buy people’s favour, therefore he took such action on behalf of Yang Kai to raise both of their images.
Inside the Starship, the Origin Returning Realm masters from High Heaven Sect were immersed in a joyful mood themselves as they counted their own gains, laughing and smiling the whole time.
Everything in Heaven Battling Union storehouse was packed into Yang Kai’s Space Rings, just waiting to be taken back to fill up High Heaven Sect’s reserves.
But the spoils Chang Qi and the others obtained from killing enemy cultivators were left to themselves.
Each of these people had killed countless enemies, so how could their harvest be anything but rich?
Even Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu both sat cross-legged on the ground, constantly pouring things from one Space Ring after another, taking whatever materials they needed while discarding the rest.
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter when he saw this and even Ye Xi Yun couldn’t help smiling to the side.
“Sect Master, since we were delayed for five days in Heaven Battling City, Thunder Typhoon Sect should have already received words of what transpired here. I’m afraid their defences will be far more difficult for us to breach.”
Suddenly, Ye Xi Yun reminded him.
“En.” Yang Kai is gently nodded. In fact, he also knew that speed was of critical importance in war, but he had no choice but to remain in Heaven Battling City for some time; after all, Yang Kai didn’t want to simply abandon such a massive industry. Today’s High Heaven Sect disciples were quite scarce and didn’t require so many materials, but what about in the future?
Yang Kai had to plan for the long-term.
“It’s fine, since Heaven Battling Union couldn’t stop us, Thunder Typhoon Sect shouldn’t be able to either. No matter how tough their defences are, they’ll still be useless as long as they can’t break the defences of our Starship.”
“Nevertheless, Sect Master should act carefully!” Ye Xi Yun cautioned. Although she was much older than Yang Kai and had far greater experience, Yang Kai was still High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master, so the final decisions for important matters would always rest with him. All she could do was advise him.
“En, have the disciples increase our speed a bit, Thunder Typhoon Canyon is a considerable distance away after all!” Yang Kai ordered.
A moment later, the Starship, which was already flying as swiftly as the wind, increased its speed further.
Thunder Typhoon Canyon was situated amongst a lofty mountain valley with an extremely wide area and rich World Energy aura.
It was the headquarters of Thunder Typhoon Sect. Unlike Heaven Battling Union, which made its headquarters inside a city, the headquarters of Thunder Typhoon Sect was situated far away from the crowded hustle and bustle. The World Energy aura here was wonderful and the nearby mountains provided excellent grounds for their disciples to go out for experience. It wasn’t an exaggeration to describe it as a cultivation paradise.
Since the founding of Thunder Typhoon Sect, Thunder Typhoon Canyon has always been its territory.
When Thunder Typhoon Sect was not well-known, many Sects had taken a fancy to this treasured land and tried to capture it, but all of them had failed and instead become stepping stones to Thunder Typhoon Sect’s rise.
As such situations repeated themselves, Thunder Typhoon Sect grew rapidly and eventually became one of the two giants of Shadowed Star.
The perimeter of Thunder Typhoon Canyon was surrounded by a poisonous miasma and was difficult to approach for outsiders. This provided a layer of natural defence for Thunder Typhoon Sect. To cross it, disciples needed to take a special detoxification pill in advance or use the Space Array directly.
Otherwise, even Saint Kings would not be able to withstand the miasma’s corrosion. In the case of light poisoning, one’s limbs would go numb and their Saint Qi would not circulate well, but in severe cases, people were known to fall to the ground and die instantly.
This was the largest reason why Thunder Typhoon Sect was able to maintain control of this land.
In addition to this natural barrier, it was rumoured that there were countless Spirit Arrays arranged inside Thunder Typhoon Canyon that would send any who dare intrude to their death.
Although Yang Kai had his Starship to rely on, he did not take these defences lightly. Thunder Typhoon Canyon was different from Heaven Battling City; after rushing in, it might be difficult to get out.
So after the Starship passed through the poisonous miasma, Yang Kai ordered the ship to slow down significantly while constantly scanning their surroundings and proceeding cautiously.
However, to his surprise, the road they passed through was extremely smooth. Let alone triggering any of the Spirit Arrays, the Starship did not even encounter a single living person.
Under the investigation of his powerful Divine Sense, Yang Kai was able to determine the situation within a radius of a hundred kilometres!
The massive Thunder Typhoon Sect headquarters was empty, seemingly having been evacuated early.
Yang Kai frowned.
Ye Xi Yun was also shocked. Although they had rushed into Heaven Battling City and destroyed Heaven Battling Union with unstoppable force, demonstrating the brilliance of High Heaven Sect, Thunder Typhoon Sect was also a well-known great Sect so there was no reason for them to simply retreat without a fight.
How much courage would it take to give up one’s Ancestral Foundation which they had occupied for almost ten thousand years? What kind of prestige would a leader need to have their entire Sect’s population obey such an order?
Yang Kai could not help feeling that Fang Peng was a more difficult opponent than Qu Zheng.
“Yang Kai, Thunder Typhoon Sect actually withdrew ahead of time, what should we do?” Qian Tong asked, somewhat dumbfounded. He had thought there would be a repeat of previous events, where they fought a difficult battle, but reality had turned out very differently.
“Interesting!” Yang Kai sneered.
The foundation of a Sect lies in its cultivators, not its territory, if the people survived, there would always be a chance to make a comeback; Fang Peng clearly understood this truth.
High Heaven Sect’s punch landing on soft cotton caused everyone inside the Starship to feel somewhat vexed.
“Since we’ve come already, there’s no reason to simply leave empty-handed. Level Thunder Typhoon Canyon,” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Since Fang Peng doesn’t want this ten thousand year legacy, we don’t need to leave it for him.”
“Ruthless!” Qian Tong’s mouth twitched.
After the order was issued, Crystal Cannons began firing, razing everything in the Starship’s path.
The violent rumbling sounds never ceased as the many structures which composed Thunder Typhoon Sect’s headquarters were turned to dust under the Crystal Cannon fire.
As he was observing leisurely though, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed, and a look of surprise came to his face as he sent out his Divine Sense towards a certain direction.
He sensed a not weak energy fluctuation from that direction, not like an artifact, but rather like a large number of Saint Crystals piled up together.
Had Thunder Typhoon Sect evacuated in a hurry and failed to collect this wealth, or was it some kind of trap?
Regardless of which it was, no one disliked having more Saint Crystals, and from the strength of the energy fluctuations he sensed, Yang Kai estimated that there were at least a few hundred million of them at that location. Such a number was a massive amount of wealth even for Thunder Typhoon Sect.
“There’s something interesting over on that side, I’ll go check it out,” Yang Kai stood up and said.
“Sect Master, it may be a plot,” Ye Xi Yun frowned.
“It’s fine,” Yang Kai grinned, “While it’s obviously some kind of trap, I still want to know what tricks Fang Peng is up to. You all remain in the Starship; I’ll be right back.”
Saying so, Yang Kai has rushed out of the Starship before soaring off towards the source of the energy fluctuations.
A short time later, Yang Kai arrived in front of a grand palace and released his Divine Sense to inspect it, not encountering any obstruction to his investigation.
The palace was empty save for some tables and chairs, but there was a secret room which was piled high with a countless number of High-Rank Saint Crystals below it.
There were indeed hundreds of millions.
Yang Kai didn’t want to let go of such a huge amount of wealth, and emboldened by confidence in his strength, he proceeded straight into the palace, fumbled around for a moment to find a secret door, then went straight down to the secret room.
After a while, Yang Kai came to the secret room and when he looked inside, his eyes could not help lighting up. After making sure that there was nothing suspicious around him, he waved his hands and began sweeping the piles of Saint Crystals into his Space Rings.
At the same time, in a different secret room far below Thunder Typhoon Sect headquarters.
At this moment, five elderly cultivators were sitting in the middle of this secret room. Each of these five people had snow-white hair and appeared extremely old, as if they had experienced endless years of wind and rain and no longer had much vitality left in their bodies.
However, each of these five was a master at the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm!
The five elders each sat at the corner of an elaborate Spirit Array which had clearly been arranged far in advance. This Spirit Array was incredibly profound and radiated a dangerous aura.
Silent, with no Saint Qi fluctuations to speak of, these five more closely resembled corpses than people.
But when Yang Kai walked into the secret room above, the five elders seemed to sense his presence and opened their eyes.
“He’s come!” A yellow-faced old man muttered.
“Indeed, a bold young lad,” Another old woman nodded lightly.
“Since he’s come, let us begin!” A third person said lightly, “Heaven Battling Union was unable to resist that Origin King Grade Starship, so my Thunder Typhoon Sect should also be unable to resist, but if that boy wants to seize our ten-thousand-year foundation, he will have to pay for it with his life.”
“Haha, even if he loses his life to this Profound Yin Ten Sides Array, he can still be proud.”
“Enough idle chatter, Junior Brothers, Junior Sisters, it has been this old master’s honour to know you these past few hundred years, but our time of separation has now come. I wish all of you good fortune on the journey ahead!” The first yellow-faced old man spoke again.
It seemed that his prestige among this group was remarkably high, so after he spoke, the others also wore solemn looks.
The old woman to his side glanced over and smiled lightly, “Senior Brother too.”
A trace of remembrance flashed across the yellow-faced old man’s eyes, but soon his expression became resolute and he uttered a soft voice, “Begin!”
As soon as his voice fell, he began to madly pour his Saint Qi into the node of the Spirit Array before him.
The other four followed suit.
The five-cornered array suddenly released a dazzling light and as the intensity of the glow increased, the Spirit Array seemed to come alive and began rotating, turning faster and faster at a rapid pace.
As this Spirit Array activated, the complexions of the five elders turned pale and the last remnants of their vitality faded rapidly.
This Spirit Array not only seemed to absorb their Saint Qi, but also their vitality.
Letting out muffled shouts, the five elders continued exerting their full effort.
Slowly, this Spirit Array began to tremble and as it rapidly rotated and began to rise upwards, soon shooting towards the ceiling of the secret room and then disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this scene, all five of these elders smiled before collapsing limply on the ground, each of them now so emaciated and weak that it became clear they would soon die.
At the same time, in the secret room filled with Saint Crystals, Yang Kai’s movements paused and he frowned deeply.
A sudden sense of unease had swept over him at that moment.
Before he could identify the source of his unease though, a powerful energy fluctuation suddenly appeared beneath his feet and a massive Spirit Array flew out from below, directly enveloping the entire secret room. The Spirit Array’s patterns seemed to be formed from the strongest of metals, instantly transforming the secret room into a solid cage.
Violent energy fluctuations spread from all around and dazzling rays of light blasted out from below the countless Saint Crystals as a fearful aura began to rise.
Yang Kai swiftly realized what was happening and with a sudden wave of his hand, swept away a massive pile of Saint Crystals to reveal a melon-sized crimson-red crystal which had been buried below. At this moment, the red crystal was emitting a dazzling light and an astonishing and unstable energy fluctuation was pulsing from within it.
“A Profound Explosion Crystal!” Yang Kai’s eyes bulged as he cried out, “So that’s what this is all about!”
Thunder Typhoon Sect had used hundreds of millions of Saint Crystals to set up this secret room knowing that even if people understood it was a trap, they would still jump into it.
After all, greed was a universal trait!
However, once anyone entered this secret room, Thunder Typhoon Sect would spring this deadly trap.
The Spirit Array which had just appeared did not have any kind of lethality and was instead just a restraint to imprison people inside this room. The real danger came from the Profound Explosion Crystals hidden below the piles of Saint Crystals!
Profound Explosive Crystals were rare treasures that had extremely unstable energy stored within them and would explode if exposed to some kind of shock. Under normal circumstances, they were not very useful, and because they were rare and expensive, cultivators barely ever used them.
Thunder Typhoon Sect had clearly gone to a lot of trouble to find such a large piece of Profound Explosive Crystal, and more than one at that. Below the piles of Saint Crystals, Yang Kai spotted at least five places which were glowing bright red.
In the face of such a massive explosion, even an Origin King Realm master would not necessarily be able to survive, let alone Yang Kai.
Thunder Typhoon Sect genuinely thought highly of him!
As such thoughts flashed across his mind, the red light became more and more violent, and in the next instant, a thunderous boom rang out, vaporizing the entire palace in an instant.
A red beam of light that pierced the sky shot out from the ground and Thunder Typhoon Sect’s headquarters was completely levelled in the enormous subsequent explosion.
The wave of energy which was released swept out like a great tide, bursting through everything in its path, causing the light from the sun itself to appear dull.
A dozen kilometres away, inside the Starship, everyone was dumbfounded as they stared at this scene in shock.
Even Ye Xi Yun’s beautiful face paled slightly, but fortunately her will was strong, so when she saw the terrifying aftermath approaching, she quickly yelled, “Activate the shield!”
Soon, a thin membrane-like shell appeared around the Starship.
The violent winds and waves of energy hit the Starship in the next instant and sent it hurtling into the canyon side.
Inside the Starship, everyone was thrown off their feet. With faces filled with horror, they all instinctually urged their Saint Qi to protect their bodies while summoning their defensive artifacts.
Inside a deep underground secret room, a Void Crack suddenly appeared, and Yang Kai’s figure fell out, his face still covered in some lingering fear.
It was not that Fang Peng did not know he could tear space, but he had still set up such a destructive trap. Likely, Fang Peng understood that he would not be able to preserve Thunder Typhoon Sect’s headquarters, so instead of allowing Yang Kai to pick through it with impunity, he had decided to take the initiative to destroy it. Additionally, perhaps Fang Peng was hoping that, by some stroke of luck, Yang Kai would not notice the Profound Explosion Crystals until it was too late.
Even if it was uncertain, it was worth a shot!
In any case, Fang Peng’s plan had failed. Now, before the Profound Explosion Crystals burst, Yang Kai had escaped, and following the direction the strange Spirit Array had appeared from, travelled deep underground.
Inside the underground secret room, which was only dimly lit, five people lay on the ground, their breathing clearly somewhat shallow.
Yang Kai could see immediately that these people would die soon so he could not help frowning.
It seemed that the five of them were the ones who had acted just now; after all, in such a big Sect that boasted ten thousand years of history, there would always be some people who were willing to stay and die with the Sect at the most dangerous moment, giving their lives for it.
“You really didn’t die; Fang Peng wasn’t mistaken!” A weak voice came from the side, and when Yang Kai looked over, he saw a skinny yellow-faced old man lying there staring back at him with a look of disbelief and some slight unwillingness, “Space Force truly deserves its reputation!”
“Senior’s praise is unwarranted!” Yang Kai snorted before walking over and stopping about five steps in front of this yellow-faced old man, “Even knowing that this kind of petty plot couldn’t kill me, Fang Peng still made the five of you stay behind just to die? He truly is ruthless!”
The yellow-faced old man simply chuckled in between gasps, “He did not ask us to stay, we asked him to let us stay. Boy, you are going to try to sow discord even in this situation?”
A slightly awkward light flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes before he chose to remain silent.
The yellow-faced old man let out a slight cough before continuing, “The five of us didn’t have long to live, so if we could bury you along with us, it would naturally be a huge gain. This was the last act we could do for our Sect before dying, so even knowing the chances were slim, we had to try.”
“The dying need not speak so much nonsense,” Yang Kai spat disinterestedly, “Tell me where Fang Peng is and I’ll leave your corpse whole!”
“Haha, seems you’re one for straight talk, Little Boy. En, if I had met you a few hundred years earlier, perhaps this old master would have wanted to become friends! Fang Peng said… he said…”
“What did he say?”
“He said you can go to Star Emperor Mountain… to find him!” The yellow-faced old man seemed to have exhausted the last of his strength squeezing out these few words, his vitality completely disappearing once he was done.
The other four in the room had already departed for the next world while Yang Kai and the yellow-faced old man were talking.
Frowning as he glanced around at these five, Yang Kai slowly shook his head. Not having any interest in moving them, he stretched out his hand and swiped the air in front of him, opening up a Void Crack into which he disappeared.
…..
Above Thunder Typhoon Canyon, High Heaven Sect’s Starship hovered mid-air and opened its main hatch wide, allowing Ye Xi Yun and the others to rush outside and scan the area anxiously.
The explosion had subsided, but when they looked around, the originally magnificent Thunder Typhoon Sect headquarters had been reduced to rubble and a giant crater over a thousand kilometres in diameter had appeared.
Yang Kai, however, was nowhere to be seen!
Everyone felt as if their hearts were caught in their throats.
If it were not for the Starship’s protective barrier, the intense explosions just now would likely have killed all of them, let alone Yang Kai who was likely at the centre of the blast.
Everyone was worried about him, worried he had fallen here.
“Are you looking for me?” A voice suddenly came from behind, shocking everyone and causing them all to turn their heads around to discover Yang Kai standing not far away, completely unscathed.
Everyone’s expressions became extremely weird as they did not even notice when Yang Kai appeared, as if he had suddenly materialized out of thin air.
“Yang Kai, are you okay?” Qian Tong asked hurriedly.
“I’m fine, let’s go inside first,” Yang Kai stepped into the Starship, turning around once to beckon the others to follow.
A short time later, the Starship turned around and flew out of Thunder Typhoon Canyon.
Inside the Starship, Yang Kai briefly recounted the results of this trip, drawing a sigh from everyone’s lips.
“Those five should be the Grand Elders of Thunder Typhoon Sect, each of them at least one or two generations older than Old Fei and myself!” Qian Tong whispered, “Actually, all great forces have such characters, there are even a few in Shadow Moon Hall, but they normally don’t involve themselves in worldly affairs and are in seclusion all year round. Unless some major event occurs, like a threat to the Sect’s existence, they will not appear, choosing to die from old age instead!”
“En, although those five were enemies, their actions are still worthy of admiration,” Fei Zhi Tu nodded lightly to the side.
“Regardless of whether they are respectable or not, Fang Peng has now escaped to Star Emperor Mountain, which saves me from wasting time to find him,” Yang Kai snorted softly. If Fang Peng had gone into hiding, it would truly be troublesome to look for him as he could be anywhere on Shadowed Star, but since he had chosen to retreat to Star Emperor Mountain, it made life much easier for Yang Kai.
The Starship’s next destination was Star Emperor Mountain, after all!
Fang Peng had likely guessed this too, so he had chosen to go there to wait.
“Great Elder,” Yang Kai raised his head to look at Ye Xi Yun, “Now that we’ve reached this point, I believe you should have nothing left to hide. I haven’t asked you anything about Star Emperor Mountain before, but now, I have no choice. Please explain its situation to us, the more detailed the better.”
“This Queen never intended to conceal anything, it’s just that Sect Master never asked about it before,” Ye Xi Yun brushed her hair back behind her ear, “Since Sect Master wants to know, this Queen will naturally explain everything she knows.”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction.
“Uh… Yang Kai, should Old Fei and I leave?” Qian Tong hesitated. Understanding that Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun’s discussion would be about the secrets of Star Emperor Mountain, he felt awkward remaining.
“No need, there are no outsiders here,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
“Then… alright,” Qian Tong no longer insisted, sitting back down as he looked towards Ye Xi Yun and Yang Kai, listening intently. He was also quite curious about Star Emperor Mountain; after all, this great force had always been extremely mysterious, but it was still the undisputed strongest force on Shadowed Star.
“Where should I start?” Ye Xi Yun wrinkled her brow slightly, as if trying to find the appropriate words. After a while, she continued, “The outside rumours that say Star Emperor Mountain is related to the Great Emperor are not groundless; in fact, they’re essentially true! Star Emperor Mountain is best described as a branch of the Supreme Profound Sect!”
“A branch of the Supreme Profound Sect?” Yang Kai was dumbfounded.
“Yes!”
“Supreme Profound Sect?” Qian Tong frowned, “What Sect is this? Why haven’t I ever heard of it before?”
Fei Zhi Tu also shook his head slowly, indicating he too had no idea about this force.
Yang Kai grinned and explained, “The site occupied by my High Heaven Sect was the former headquarters of Supreme Profound Sect. It was an ancient Sect which dissolved over ten thousand years ago. You two never having heard of it is understandable.”
“So that’s it!” Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu nodded in understanding.
“Please continue, Great Elder,” Yang Kai motioned.
“Supreme Profound Sect was the place where the Great Emperor resided on Shadowed Star, and it was also the force which was nourished by the Great Emperor. But because a terrible enemy on par with the Great Emperor appeared one day, a catastrophic battle broke out. Although the Great Emperor emerged victoriously, she then fell into a deep sleep after that great battle to heal and the region around Supreme Profound Sect became the Flowing Flame Sand Field. Sect Master should know all these things.”
“En, I’ve heard these details before,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
Yang Kai wore a casual expression as he truly had learned about this history some time ago, allowing him to remain calm. On the other hand, Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu’s eyes were bulging at this moment and their breathing had become quick as astonished expressions filled their faces.
Although Ye Xi Yun had only said a few words, it was enough for them to glean some incredible information.
The rumoured Starry Sky Great Emperor, who could cover the Heavens with one hand, actually had an enemy who could rival her! And during some kind of fierce battle, even though she managed to kill that enemy, the Great Emperor seemed to have been seriously injured.
Did that enemy have the same cultivation as the Great Emperor? This was a frightening thought.
After the two of them fought, the Flowing Flame Sand Field appeared on Shadowed Star…
Moreover, listening to the meaning of Ye Xi Yun’s words, the Great Emperor seemed to still be alive and was only asleep right now!
As a legendary figure, the Starry Sky Great Emperor’s prestige was rooted deeply in the hearts of all cultivators, and her strength was undisputed. According to legend, she could pluck the moon from the sky, destroy whole Cultivation Stars in a single attack, and traverse the entire Star Field in a single day.
There were simply too many legends about the Great Emperor, most of them fantastical and near unbelievable. Although Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu had profound respect for the Great Emperor, they had never thought such a powerful existence was still alive.
At this moment, when they heard such secrets for the first time, the shock in their hearts was beyond describable, and both of them lost their composure and ability to even think for quite some time.
This was also because Ye Xi Yun was the one saying these things, allowing them to somewhat believe them. If someone else had been telling this story, the two of them would likely just sneer.
“Regardless of the outcome of that great battle, Supreme Profound Sect was deeply affected, suffering heavy losses with very few survivors. Those who did survive that calamity could only move elsewhere. They were the founders of Star Emperor Mountain!” Ye Xi Yun began speaking again, pulling Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu attention back to reality.
“On Star Emperor Mountain, there is a portrait of the Great Emperor, so this Queen on that day…” Ye Xi Yun hesitated here, not sure if she should finish her words.
Yang Kai, however, knew what she wanted to say.
The reason she showed such reverence and respect towards Yang Yan when she saw her was because Ye Xi Yun recognized that Yang Yan was the Great Emperor as her image perfectly matched with the portrait which had been passed down in Star Emperor Mountain since ancient times.
Ye Xi Yun had studied the Great Emperor’s portrait countless times over the past few hundred years.
“The ancient founders of Star Emperor Mountain decreed that Star Emperor Mountain only existed to serve the Great Emperor, and that the Great Emperor would awaken again one day. At that time, Star Emperor Mountain was to become the Great Emperor’s right arm! For over ten thousand years, every generation Sect Master of Star Emperor Mountain has abided by these ancient teachings, never involving themselves in the matters of the outside world, nor interfering in external grudges or grievances; only calmly waiting for the day when the Great Emperor would awaken. During the hundreds of years this Queen led Star Emperor Mountain, she too upheld this philosophy and mindset.”
“However, too many years have passed, and the legacy of the Great Emperor has become more the stuff of myth and legend than fact. Not only do outsiders doubt how authentic the existence of the Great Emperor is, but even those from Star Emperor Mountain have begun to believe such ramblings. Those who do not wish to follow our traditions and seek to deny the legacy of the Great Emperor sought to dominate Shadowed Star! A hundred years ago, this Queen was plotted against and ultimately forced out of Star Emperor Mountain and into seclusion.”
“The one who forced you out was unwilling to remain unknown and wanted to reign as a true ruler, right?” Yang Kai sneered. Although Ye Xi Yun had not spoken too clearly, Yang Kai wasn’t a fool and soon understood the twists and turns of the story.
“En, and judging from the reactions of Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect, that usurper had been planning this move for some time. He actually subdued Qu Zheng and Fang Peng secretly and made them serve him using some unknown promise of benefits!” Ye Xi Yun nodded lightly.
“Such things are inevitable.” Yang Kai frowned.
In truth, when Yang Kai first heard rumours about the Starry Sky Great Emperor, he hadn’t taken them too seriously; after all, there were always legends of ancient times and great cultivators, but most of them were simply made up by people who are idle and bored with no link to reality.
He used to think that the Great Emperor’s existence was one such made-up rumour.
However, as Yang Kai came into contact with more and more things in the Star Field and understood more and more about its history, he began to believe that the Great Emperor had indeed existed and was not just a fabricated legend, all the way up until Yang Yan began recovering her memories.
It wasn’t only Yang Kai who thought this way, countless people in the Star Field thought so as well.
Although Star Emperor Mountain was a branch of Supreme Profound Sect, the reason for its founding had lost most of its weight after ten thousand years of waiting.
Having the necessary strength to dominate Shadowed Star, but instead being forced to cultivate in seclusion, dying of old age with no one ever even knowing of one’s existence; such a fate may not have bothered Ye Xi Yun, but it surely tormented those with ambitions.
Nevertheless, Star Emperor Mountain had strict rules, and anyone who violated their ancestral precepts would be killed without pardon.
If one wanted to break these precepts, they first had to gain absolute control.
As a result, Ye Xi Yun was driven away, one day.
“I remember that you were poisoned a few years ago when Ge Qi brought that Star Emperor Token to Heavenly Fate City to trade for a detoxification pill…” Yang Kai looked at Ye Xi Yun thoughtfully.
“En, it was that person’s doing,” Ye Xi Yun nodded, “After all, his position was not earned righteously, so each day this Queen lived on, he would live in fear. It took him a hundred years to find the place where I had secluded myself after he secretly poisoned me. Fortunately, Sect Master possessed the perfect pill for my condition, otherwise, even if this Queen did not die, my cultivation definitely would have dropped. This time, this Queen should settle accounts with that man.”
“Every grudge has its revenge, just as it should be,” Yang Kai grinned.
Ye Xi Yun brushed her hair back and said leisurely, “Actually, it doesn’t matter to this Queen whether she holds the position of Sect Master or not, but that man abandoned the ancestral traditions of Star Emperor Mountain, which is akin to betraying the Great Emperor: An intolerable offence. This Queen must clean up the Sect on behalf of the fallen ancestors.”
When she declared so, Ye Xi Yun’s beautiful eyes filled with murderous intent.
Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu nearby couldn’t help shivering when they felt this aura.
“How many masters does Star Emperor Mountain have?” Yang Kai asked.
Ye Xi Yun laughed, “Actually, Star Emperor Mountain has always had very few members. Although it occupies the best cultivation land on Shadowed Star, the number of people in each generation never exceeds three hundred. When this Queen was in charge of Star Emperor Mountain, there were actually even fewer than that, only a trivial two hundred. The numbers there should be similar now.”
“Two hundred!?” Yang Kai, Qian Tong, and the others present were dumbfounded. Such a small number was unexpected. Everyone knew that there were not many members of Star Emperor Mountain, but no one thought there would be this few.
Could such a force really stand at the top of Shadowed Star’s power pyramid?
“Sect Master must not underestimate these two hundred people. Of these two hundred, at least eighty percent are Origin Returning Realm masters, with around forty or fifty having reached the Third-Order. Moreover, Star Emperor Mountain also has several Origin King Grade artifacts and even some Emperor Artifacts! This level of combat power cannot be belittled,” Ye Xi Yun urged in a deep voice.
“Emperor Artifacts…” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “Like that Annihilation Thunder Bead?”
“En, the Annihilation Thunder Bead is one of them, but while the Annihilation Thunder Bead is powerful, Sect Master has already managed to survive a strike from it, so it shouldn’t be difficult for you to face it again. If one can avoid this first strike, that Emperor Artifact is useless.”
“Alright, since the person using it isn’t strong enough, that Emperor Artifact really can’t play much of a role,” Yang Kai nodded.
He had suffered a great loss because he did not know anything about the Annihilation Thunder Bead last time, but if Yang Kai were to face it again now, he should be able to deal with it calmly.
Although he did not have to worry about himself, whether the Starship could block the Annihilation Thunder Bead’s blow was something Yang Kai was uncertain about.
“In addition to the Annihilation Thunder Bead, there are two other Origin King Grade artifacts that we need to be wary of. Star Emperor Mountain originally had three Origin King Grade artifacts, but the Bone Incinerating Flame Lamp was brought out by this Queen. As for the remaining two…”
A single great force controlling three Origin King Grade artifacts was astonishing on Shadowed Star. For example, Thunder Typhoon Sect and Heaven Battling Union both possessed one Origin King Grade artifact and treated their respective artifact as their Sect’s highest treasure, never daring to use it lightly.
But now, Heaven Battling Union’s Origin King Grade artifact had become one of Yang Kai’s trophies.
Next, Ye Xi Yun described the power and appearance of the two Origin King Grade artifacts that remained on Star Emperor Mountain in detail and about the various aspects Yang Kai needed to be careful of.
Yang Kai listened very seriously.
Frankly speaking, Star Emperor Mountain’s strength was far greater than Heaven Battling Union or Thunder Typhoon Sect. Although the total number of cultivators that belonged to Star Emperor Mountain was small, the proportion of high-level cultivators was completely unbalanced. With fifty Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters alone, it would not be a problem for Star Emperor Mountain to dominate Shadowed Star and sweep away any Sect that opposed them.
Seeing his brow furrow, Ye Xi Yun smiled and said, “Sect Master does not need to worry too much. Although that usurper has been in charge of Star Emperor Mountain for a hundred years, his behaviour and beliefs are incompatible with the philosophy of Star Emperor Mountain, not to mention that he seized his position unjustly, so he likely hasn’t been able to subdue the other masters who reside there. Even if he has won some people over during these years, this Queen also has her own supporters!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he looked at her brightly.
“In the past, many received kindness from this Queen on Star Emperor Mountain, so they likely will not act against me. Moreover, for the past hundred years, they thought that this Queen was dead, which made it easier for them to accept that man’s rule, but now… In all honesty, Sect Master, since the day this Queen reappeared a few years ago, some people have secretly contacted this Queen and asked her to return to Star Emperor Mountain, but this Queen always refused.”
“Such a thing happened?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“At this point, this Queen has no reason to hide anything,” Ye Xi Yun smiled lightly. “Ever since she was a child, this Queen’s Honoured Master instilled the idea into her that the Great Emperor was supreme. Now that this Queen can directly serve the Great Emperor, returning to Star Emperor Mountain just to seize back an empty title is pointless. However, since Sect Master now intends to attack Star Emperor Mountain, this Queen should naturally put in her best effort.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai was extremely pleased.
He had still been debating whether to use the Starship’s great power to conquer Star Emperor Mountain just as he had Heaven Battling Union, but without full assurance of success, he had been hesitating. Now that he heard what Ye Xi Yun said, he could not help but feel overjoyed.
“To that end, this Queen would like to request Sect Master give her a few days so I can visit Star Emperor Mountain in advance. Not everyone there is an enemy of Sect Master.”
“You can act as you see fit, I’ll just wait for good news,” Yang Kai agreed.
“Good, then this Queen will take one step ahead, I hope Sect Master can catch up slowly!” Ye Xi Yun was a decisive woman, so after she finished their discussions, she immediately prepared to depart for Emperor Mountain.
A short time later, a brilliant beam of light shot out from the Starship and flew straight towards the direction of Star Emperor Mountain.
After Ye Xi Yun left, the Starship slowed its pace considerably.
Since he had to wait for Ye Xi Yun to process things ahead of their arrival, Yang Kai did not plan to rush forward and instead decided to enter secluded cultivation.
Yang Kai had many things to attend to; he had yet to even digest all the benefits he obtained from the Emperor Garden last time. Whether it was studying the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture or perfecting his Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique, both required enormous time and effort.
Moreover, Yang Kai needed to spend some time refining the Revitalizing Jade Cream to purify all the blood in his body into pure Golden Blood.
The Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art also needed to be cultivated.
With so many things to do, Yang Kai always found himself lacking time, so now that some had suddenly been freed up, he was not willing to waste it.
On Fallen Emperor Mountain, because Yang Kai had absorbed such a large quantity of Pure Spirit Qi, his cultivation had reached the peak of the First-Order Origin Returning Realm and it was now possible for him to break through any time he wished.
Yang Kai didn’t dare to break through too quickly though, as that would cause his foundation to become unstable, so he kept suppressing this impulse and did not actively try to increase his Saint Qi capacity, instead choosing to focus on cultivating his various Secret Techniques and absorbing Alchemy knowledge.
This way, even without raising his realm, he could still enhance his strength.
Inside a cultivation room aboard the Starship, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged, took out the Sun’s True Essence and the other five elements supreme treasures, laid out a simple Spirit Array, then began absorbing the pure elemental energy within these treasures to temper his body following the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art. At the same time, he used his Soul Avatar inside his Knowledge Sea to comprehend the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture.
Even focusing on two different tasks at once, Yang Kai did not feel troubled and greatly increased his efficiency instead.
Time passed slowly, and ten or so days passed by in what seemed like just a moment.
While Yang Kai was immersed in cultivating the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art and studying the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, he suddenly realized that someone was calling out to him with their Divine Sense.
His brow twitching slightly, Yang Kai returned his consciousness to his body and put away the five supreme treasures before exiting the cultivation room.
In a certain hall of the Starship, a group of powerhouses had gathered.
Ye Xi Yun had also returned, but the atmosphere inside the hall still felt a bit tense as not only was Qian Tong and the others present, but there were also some unfamiliar faces mixed in.
These strangers consisted of a solemn-looking middle-aged man, a dignified looking beauty, and a skinny old man whose eyes appeared particularly energetic.
All three of these new faces were peak level Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, and from the Saint Qi fluctuations emanating from them, it was clear they were a fair bit stronger than ordinary Origin Realm masters.
Even Qian Tong could not help showing some trepidation when facing these three.
When Yang Kai walked into the hall, the three new faces all cast their gazes towards him with a certain degree of scrutiny.
Although they did not deliberately release any of their power, the innate auras these three radiated were not weak. If an ordinary Origin Returning Realm master had been exposed to this kind of display, they would likely have been quite intimidated.
Yang Kai’s steps also paused slightly, but a light expression soon returned to his face as he casually walked in, like he was only exposed to a light breeze.
A hint of surprise flashed across the depths of the eyes of these three.
They had come here with Ye Xi Yun this time all in order to see just who it was that could win her respect and service, and the moment they saw Yang Kai, they immediately determined he was no simple character.
This boy had the makings of a great expert, but that alone was not enough to convince the three of them to support him. There were always young people with aptitude and talent, but whether they could truly mature or not was always questionable.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, just shot Ye Xi Yun a questioning look, wondering what these three people were doing here.
Of course, Yang Kai could guess where they came from.
Since they had accompanied Ye Xi Yun from that place, it seemed her plan was proceeding quite smoothly.
“Please have a seat!” Yang Kai smiled lightly before walking over to the head of the main table and sitting down himself, calmly calling out, “Junior Yang Kai, greets three Seniors, may I ask how to address three Seniors?”
“This old master is Yang Xiu Zhu!”
“This Mistress is called Lin Yu Rao!”
“This one’s name is Chu Han Yi!”
The three all reported their names.
“These three are all pillars of the Sect and have a high degree of prestige and connection amongst the other members,” Ye Xi Yun added.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and his smile became brighter.
If their prestige and connections were strong, it meant that dealing with these three would be equivalent to gaining the support of many of Star Emperor Mountain’s masters. Ye Xi Yun’s words were short but meaningful, a point Yang Kai understood well.
“Senior Yang, Senior and this Junior have the same surname, no wonder Junior felt a sense of familiarity with Senior even though it is our first meeting, like he was meeting a distant relative. Junior will have to ask Senior to show him some care in the future,” Yang Kai glanced over at the old man and smiled.
Yang Xiu Zhu, however, showed no reaction at all. Even the beautiful woman Lin Yu Rao and the middle-aged scholar Chu Han Yi only stared back at him stoically.
Yang Kai could not help feeling extremely embarrassed.
Understanding after this brief exchange that these three could not be won over by flattery or platitudes, Yang Kai immediately put away such thoughts and wore a serious expression, “Since three Seniors came together with Great Elder, you must already know what this Sect Master is planning to do next. What thoughts do the three Seniors have regarding this matter?”
“What Sect Master Yang plans to do next, we three have already heard about from Sect Master Ye, but if I may be so presumptuous, although Sect Master Yang has this tyrannical Starship, it may not be sufficient to defeat Star Emperor Mountain. Does Sect Master Yang believe this Starship can withstand a blow from the Annihilation Thunder Bead?” Yang Xiu Zhu asked in a deep voice.
“Probably not!” Yang Kai shook his head slowly.
Although this old man’s attitude could not be described as friendly, his vision was quite sharp, as were his words.
The Annihilation Thunder Bead was exactly what Yang Kai was worried about. Although he was certain he could personally avoid it, the Starship could not. The Starship’s size was simply too great, and once it was hit by the Annihilation Thunder Bead, it was highly likely to suffer severe damage.
It was even possible it would be destroyed directly.
The Starship was the primary reason Yang Kai had managed to defeat Heaven Battling Union, but it could not display the same effect against Star Emperor Mountain.
Unless Yang Kai could force Star Emperor Mountain to waste the one shot the Annihilation Thunder Bead could produce, the Starship alone would not be able to emerge victorious.
“Since this Starship cannot withstand such a strike, does Sect Master Yang believe that you can capture the Sect with the power of your current forces? Star Emperor Mountain has stood on Shadowed Star for over ten thousand years and is by no means weak. Is Sect Master Yang not underestimating this matter too greatly?” Yang Xiu Zhu coldly snorted, obviously not optimistic about Yang Kai’s ability.
“Haha…” Yang Kai didn’t take offence, instead just laughing lightly and saying in a compatible manner, “Senior prefers straight talk it seems. Very well, then I will be equally direct! This Sect Master just heard Senior call Great Elder Ye Sect Master, but according to what I know, the position of Sect Master on Star Emperor Mountain is held by someone else. It seems that in three Seniors’ hearts, Great Elder Ye is Star Emperor Mountain’s true leader!”
Yang Xiu Zhu nodded, “Indeed! Since that usurper stole the post of Sect Master a hundred years ago, he has been harshly suppressing dissidents and targeting all who dare question him. We three have been quite dissatisfied with him these past few years. Even when it comes to cultivation resources, we are now forced to seek everything on our own, delaying our cultivation greatly. We used to think that Sect Master Ye had fallen, so we were willing to accept such circumstances, but now that we know Sect Master Ye is still alive, we wish for her to return to power.”
“Junior is sincerely impressed with three Seniors’ loyalty and devotion!” Yang Kai said solemnly.
“There’s no need for frivolous flattery. We three have come here today only because of Sect Master Ye’s request, not because of you. Let us be clear upfront, even if you manage to convince us of your cause, we will not provide you with any direct assistance; after all, those you oppose, regardless of their current conduct, are our fellow Brothers and Sisters. We old masters have not taken up arms in many years, and do not wish to be stained in blood once more, particularly if that blood is from our own side.”
Lin Yu Rao and Chu Han Yi nodded in agreement.
“Then what are you doing here?” Yang Kai was stunned and his expression became somewhat unhappy.
“If Sect Master Yang can persuade us three to your cause, then out of respect for Sect Master Ye, we will provide as much help with this matter within our abilities as we can.”
“Within your ability??” Yang Kai frowned.
“For example… convincing our fellow Brothers and Sisters to not be your enemy!”
“How many?” Yang Kai frowned.
“At least half!”
“A reasonable number…” Yang Kai pondered. If half of the masters on Star Emperor Mountain remained uninvolved, his chances for victory would rise dramatically. Moreover, even if just half stood by, presumably those who remained would not dare act easily.
“We all grew up on Star Emperor Mountain since infancy and are as close as true brothers and sisters. Most of us adhere to the same philosophy as Sect Master Ye, with only a few who are truly dissatisfied with our current condition. So, with the three of us acting as advocates, coupled with Sect Master Ye’s past prestige, Sect Master Yang may be able to achieve his wish this time,” Yang Xiu Zhu said again.
“Alright, there is some truth to what you say, but how should I convince you to support me? ” Yang Kai looked at the three of them.
“That will be up to Sect Master Yang himself,” Lin Yu Rao smiled.
“Understood,” Yang Kai gently nodded before furrowing his brow slightly.
From the previous discussion he had with Ye Xi Yun and the brief contact he had now, Yang Kai deeply understood that Star Emperor Mountain’s members were truly aloof from world affairs. Since they had lived their entire lives on Star Emperor Mountain and rarely had contact with the outside world, influenced by the environment they grew up in, they possessed almost no concept of greed or ambition.
As such, if Yang Kai wanted to convince them to support him, wealth was probably useless; instead, he would have to give them something else they desired.
On top of that, whatever he proposed should not bring harm to Star Emperor Mountain itself, otherwise, he would arouse their resentment.
After thinking for a while, Yang Kai smiled confidently.
Perceiving the change in his expression, Yang Xiu Zhu and others could not help frowning, not knowing what Yang Kai had thought of, immediately looking towards him intently.
“Three Seniors have already reached the peak of the Origin Returning Realm, so surely you have thought about going a step further on the Martial Dao, yes?” Yang Kai looked at the three with a smile.
“A step further!” Yang Xiu Zhu’s and the others’ expressions all lit up as they stared towards Yang Kai in amazement, asking eagerly, “Do you have a way?”
No cultivator did not want to climb to the peak of the Martial Dao. Now that they had chosen to tread upon this path, only by continuing to move forward and climb higher could they enjoy better scenery. No one was willing to remain stuck where they were.
“Haha, Junior doesn’t have the ability to break through the shackles of Shadowed Star’s World Principles, but three Seniors have surely seen that Junior possesses an Origin King Grade Starship. To be honest, after settling this matter, Junior was planning to embark on a long-distance voyage,” Yang Kai said without hesitation.
“A long-distance voyage?” Yang Xiu Zhu and others’ eyes sparkled, immediately understanding what he implied, a look of hope flashing across their faces, “You mean…”
“En, since Shadowed Star’s World Principles prohibit us from advancing any further, all we must do is leave. Junior doesn’t mean to boast, but with the quality of this Origin King Grade Starship, a long-distance voyage should not be an issue. En, I previously invited Elder Qian and City Lord Fei from Shadow Moon Hall, as well as members from Clear Sky Sect to accompany me, having three Seniors join us is a simple matter!”
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others all became visibly excited and seemed to be on the verge of agreeing.
[Success!] Yang Kai grinned.
But soon, Yang Kai noticed that something was wrong. The excited looks on Yang Xiu Zhu and others’ faces calmed down extremely rapidly and were replaced with frowns containing what seemed like guilt.
“Are three Seniors not satisfied with this proposal?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
Yang Xiu Zhu glanced at him before shaking his head and smiling bitterly, “Sect Master Yang must be joking, such a good chance, presumably no Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator would refuse. It naturally has an unimaginable attraction to us, but… If we three were to really agree to Sect Master Yang’s request because of this condition, we would be no better than sinners who sold off their Sect for personal glory, so we must ask Sect Master Yang to forgive us, but we cannot agree to your proposal.”
[Damn it, these stubborn old goats!] Yang Kai cursed to himself.
Even currently, these three were actually still thinking about their fellow Sect Brothers and Sisters. To a certain extent, Yang Kai admired them, but because their attitude was hindering his own interests and goals, he could not help finding these three a bit irritating.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had other proposals ready.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai quickly said, “I heard from Great Elder Ye before that Star Emperor Mountain is descended from Supreme Profound Sect! Presumably, three Seniors know that my High Heaven Sect currently occupies Supreme Profound Sect’s ruins!”
Hearing this, Yang Xiu Zhu opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn’t say anything and just sighed heavily.
He could not take back the inheritance of his ancestors and had now even allowed it to be occupied by outsiders. Naturally, he had nothing to say, let alone words to blame Yang Kai.
“Why does Sect Master Yang raise this point?” Chu Han Yi frowned.
“What if I were to say that after this matter has ended, I can allow all of Star Emperor Mountain’s population to return to Supreme Profound Sect?” Yang Kai smiled crookedly, “Since you have all strictly adhered to your ancestral teachings for over ten thousand years, you must want to return to your ancestors’ original home to have a look and seek out the hidden mysteries which remain there, right? I can satisfy this desire; not only that, I can allow all of you to live there in the future, to regain the original foundation and heritage of your ancestors, to breathe the same air and watch the same scenery as they and the Great Emperor once breathed and saw.”
Inside the hall, Yang Kai’s expression remained calm, but Yang Xiu Zhu and the other two masters from Star Emperor Mountain were extremely excited!
Since ten thousand years ago, when their ancestors had been cut off from Supreme Profound Sect by the Flowing Flame Sand Field, every generation of Star Emperor Mountain had dreamed of returning to their ancestral land. But with the impassible flame barriers of the Flowing Flame Sand Field baring their path, there was simply nothing they could do.
Yang Kai’s proposal had scratched the unscratchable itch Yang Xiu Zhu and the others had always felt.
If they belonged to some other great force, perhaps this offer would not have been of much interest to them. Their ancestors’ legacy belonged to their ancestors, ten thousand years had passed, their current Sect had developed well, and even their name had changed, so why worry about reclaiming their ancestral land?
However, for the people from Star Emperor Mountain, the situation was a little different.
Because of their ideals and beliefs, their very doctrine taught them to revere the Great Emperor above all else!
The Supreme Profound Sect was the Sect supported by the Great Emperor ten thousand years ago, the place where the Great Emperor lived. Star Emperor Mountain, which was founded afterwards, was not comparable to the Supreme Profound Sect.
That piece of land not only represented the heritage of their ancestors, but was the ultimate symbol of their devotion to the Great Emperor.
There was no Star Emperor Mountain cultivator who did not wish to return to their ancestral land to pay homage to the former residence of the Great Emperor!
Yang Kai’s proposal went straight to the hearts of Yang Xiu Zhu and the others and could even be said to be more attractive than the first one he made.
The first proposal was only aimed at the three of them, but this one was for all their Sect Brothers and Sisters.
The three of them looked at each other and clearly saw the intentions in the other’s eyes.
“En, now that Senior Ye is also High Heaven Sect’s Great Elder, and considering that you are descendants of Supreme Profound Sect, it is completely appropriate for you to enter and live there,” Yang Kai struck while the iron was hot.
“Are you not afraid that the guests will seize the role of host for themselves?” Yang Xiu Zhu looked at Yang Kai with gleaming eyes and asked straightforwardly.
“Senior jests, without even mentioning the fact that Great Elder is there, knowing the three Seniors’ conduct and character, Junior has great confidence you will not chase after fame and fortune in such a dishonest manner. There is nothing to worry about.”
“You’re certainly confident enough!” Yang Xiu Zhu nodded, “Fine, we old masters can agree to help you if these are your terms! But we must say in advance, if we and our fellow Star Emperor Mountain companions truly return to the ancestral land, we must request Sect Master Yang to divide a separate area for use to reside in. We will not be joining High Heaven Sect, please understand this, Sect Master Yang.”
“You won’t join?” Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he silently cursed this old dog for being so unamiable. Yang Kai had tried so hard to win them over, even bringing their ancestor into the discussion, because he was planning on merging the many masters of Star Emperor Mountain into High Heaven Sect, but his intentions had clearly been seen through and cut off right from the start.
This made Yang Kai somewhat disgruntled.
A mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. Although Yang Kai was not worried about these people really having ill intentions towards High Heaven Sect, there being so many Origin Returning Realm masters from Star Emperor Mountain he could not control was not a scenario Yang Kai wanted to see.
If that were the case, it would be difficult to guarantee that there would be no friction and conflict between the two forces over time.
Thinking so, Yang Kai showed a look of regret, “Fine then, since Senior has made such a request, Junior naturally has no reason to refuse, but… it’s a pity!”
“What’s a pity?” Yang Xiu Zhu knew that Yang Kai was up to some kind of scheme, but he still couldn’t help feeling curious, so he asked suspiciously.
“It’s nothing,” Yang Kai chuckled, “I was just thinking that if you joined High Heaven Sect, in time, you may have an opportunity to see the Great Emperor, but if you insist on remaining separate…”
“What?” Yang Xiu Zhu was thoroughly shocked, while Lin Yu Rao and Chu Han Yi also showed looks of astonishment.
“Sect Master Yang, what do you mean by this?” Lin Yu Rao’s tender body leaned in slightly.
“Didn’t Great Elder tell you?” Yang Kai turned his head to Ye Xi Yun, keeping the three of them in suspense.
Ye Xi Yun slowly shook her head, understanding Yang Kai’s plan but not planning on spoiling it, simply smiling as she said, “This is a matter of utmost importance, this Queen didn’t dare to reveal it lightly.”
“En, fair enough, this kind of secret really cannot be casually divulged. The fewer people who know the better,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“Sect Master Yang, what you said just now… what do you mean?” Yang Xiu Zhu asked eagerly, an anxious expression filling his face, “Why does it sound like… the Great Emperor is now… in High Heaven Sect?”
When he spoke these words, even he found himself taken aback and quickly shook his head in disbelief.
“Senior is correct, the Great Emperor is indeed in High Heaven Sect right now!” Yang Kai grinned.
“How can that be?” Yang Xiu Zhu and the others suddenly jumped out of their chairs, their bodies trembling and looks of pure shock covering their faces.
“Junior has no need to deceive you, but you can just ask Great Elder if you don’t believe me,” Yang Kai motioned.
The three instantly cast their eyes on Ye Xi Yun, who simply nodded lightly.
Yang Xiu Zhu was flabbergasted, the shock of this news hit him like a ten-thousand-ton hammer to his forehead, causing him to completely lose composure and become unresponsive for quite some time.
After all, the Great Emperor was a legendary figure from ancient history. Although Yang Xiu Zhu and the others always believed that the Great Emperor was still alive and sleeping in some secret place, that was just a belief, in the end.
When beliefs become reality, even those who believed in them would have doubts. This was only natural when confronting a situation where all one’s hopes, or fears, could become true.
“Do you have proof?” Lin Yu Rao called out haltingly, “Is there some way we can prove your words are true? Even with Great Elder as a guarantor, this is not a truth we can easily believe. We must ask Sect Master Yang to show us some evidence.”
Yang Xiu Zhu and Chu Han Yi also seemed to recover from their shock and nodded firmly.
“What kind of proof do you want?” Yang Kai laughed.
“Anything is fine. As long as you can prove that this matter is true… This old master and his companions will agree to join High Heaven Sect, without hesitation!” Yang Xiu Zhu burst out with a ferocious expression that declared he would not let Yang Kai go easily if he did not produce sufficient proof of his words.
If the Great Emperor was truly in High Heaven Sect, would there be any shame in joining it?
If this was so, even if Yang Kai was not trying to win them over, they would take the initiative to beg him for the opportunity to join!
“Without even mentioning if I have any proof, even if I do and I took it out, could you recognize it?” Yang Kai smiled contemptuously.
“Whether or not we can recognize and accept is a matter we have the ability to judge, but if Sect Master Yang is simply making wild claims, this old master will not be forgiving!”
Yang Kai brow furrowed slightly, not having expected things to develop in this way, and for a moment he felt somewhat helpless as he did not have anything. He couldn’t think of anything he could use as evidence to back up his claims.
However, in a flash of inspiration, Yang Kai thought of something and let out a laugh, “If that’s the case, then I may be able to satisfy you.”
Saying so, something suddenly appeared in the palm of his hand and he held it high.
A potent Emperor Pressure suddenly filled the hall.
Everyone’s expressions changed dramatically when they saw this object.
After gawking for a moment, Yang Xiu Zhu called out in alarm, “Star Emperor Token! An actual Star Emperor Token!”
It was not that he had never seen a Star Emperor Token before. Star Emperor Mountain possessed two Star Emperor Tokens in the past, one of which was enshrined in Star Emperor Mountain’s grand hall and was treated as a symbol of the Great Emperor for all Star Emperor Mountain cultivators paid homage to.
The other Star Emperor Token served as the status symbol of Star Emperor Mountain’s Sect Master and was passed down from one Sect Master to the next.
Of course, the latter Star Emperor Token was taken away by Ye Xi Yun when she was driven from Star Emperor Mountain and had now fallen into Yang Kai’s hands.
Yang Xiu Zhu had naturally visited the grand hall many times to worship the Great Emperor’s status symbol, so he was no stranger to Star Emperor Tokens.
However, the Star Emperor Tokens he had seen had all lost their power.
The piece in Yang Kai’s hand right now was complete, that is to say, the Divine Ability of the Great Emperor was still sealed within it, a legendary power great enough to easily kill an Origin King Realm master!
Yang Xiu Zhu’s eyes trembled violently.
Even Ye Xi Yun’s expression became solemn.
Both Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu’s eyes bulged as they stared.
None of them had imagined Yang Kai still possessed such a Heaven defying card!
With this token, he could easily wipe out Star Emperor Mountain and unify Shadowed Star.
Along with the shock they felt, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others became extremely frightened, as they could not help imaging what would happen if they had refused to help Yang Kai and forced him to use extreme measures. If he had decided to use this Star Emperor Token to deal with Star Emperor Mountain, it was likely that none of their two hundred Brothers and Sisters would have survived.
“This Star Emperor Token was handed to me personally by the Great Emperor, as for whether you believe me or not, it’s up to you. Yes, besides this thing, there are some secrets the Great Emperor told me that may serve as evidence to support my claim.”
“Please continue, Sect Master Yang!” Yang Xiu Zhu no longer dared to underestimate Yang Kai, even adopting a respectful tone and expression.
“The Great Emperor explained to me that the Flowing Flame Sand Field is nothing more than one of her Emperor Artifacts, the Three Blazing Flame Rings! I’m sure many of you elders have been to the Flowing Flame Sand Field before and know about its details. The three flame rings combined make up a single Emperor Artifact. As for the first Flame Area disappearing some time ago, it was all because the Great Emperor collected it.”
The jaws of everyone in the room dropped.
When had they heard such sensational secrets?
Even Ye Xi Yun did not know that the Flowing Flame Sand Field was actually made up of a single Emperor Artifact, and her eyes couldn’t help lighting up.
The existence of the Three Blazing Flame Rings was mentioned in Star Emperor Mountain’s ancient records and was rumoured to have been the artifact the Great Emperor most relied upon.
With the Great Emperor’s unfathomable abilities, it was not unimaginable that she could transform her artifact into one of Shadowed Star’s Forbidden Zones.
“Sect Master Yang means to say… the disappearance of the first layer Flame Area was because the Great Emperor personally collected that ring flame?” Yang Xiu Zhu asked with a trembling voice.
“En, this Sect Master witnessed it with his own eyes.” Yang Kai nodded.
Gasps sounded throughout the hall.
Everyone present fully understood just how terrifying that Flame Area was. When the Flowing Flame Sand Field closed, anyone who so much as stepped into the Flame Area would die, even if they were a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master.
When the first layer Flame Area disappeared, all of Shadowed Star went into an uproar as no one could understand why the outermost layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field would simply vanish. Almost coincidentally, High Heaven Sect became that region’s master a short time after.
Now, the people here had learned the truth of the matter from Yang Kai.
Despite how sensational this story was, it was difficult not to believe this story!
Even taking the entire Star Field into consideration, who else would have such immeasurable ability besides the Great Emperor?
At this moment, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were about eighty percent convinced Yang Kai was telling the truth, the remaining twenty percent simply being a measure of natural cautious scepticism.
“Dare I ask… the relationship between Sect Master Yang and the Great Emperor…” Lin Yu Rao asked cautiously.
“Would you believe me if I told you she was a close female friend?” Yang Kai laughed.”
“Haha…” Yang Xiu Zhu’s face twitched as he let out a hollow laugh.
Observing the room, Yang Kai knew that he had done enough to prove his point, continuing to bring out more would only cause everyone to lose their minds, so after keeping the Star Emperor Token, he slowly said, “Seniors, I believe I’ve proven myself. It’s time for the three Seniors to make a choice.”
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others glanced at each other for a moment before silently reaching a consensus, cupping their fists as they bowed politely, “Subordinates greet Sect Master!”
Yang Kai had indeed proven himself. Whether it was the Star Emperor Token that retained the Great Emperor’s Divine Ability or the secrets about the Three Blazing Flame Rings and the Flowing Flame Sand Field, none could be obtained by an ordinary person. Aside from the Great Emperor herself, who else could understand so many shocking facts?
There was much here that even Ye Xi Yun didn’t know!
Moreover, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others had great faith in Ye Xi Yun’s character and knew that she would not deceive them, so when she vouched for this matter, they had already more than half believed. All the other motions they went through just now were for the sake of prudence as this matter was of great importance.
Now that they knew that the Great Emperor resided in High Heaven Sect, how could they refuse to join?
Being a part of the Sect that the Great Emperor oversaw and living in the same world was the greatest of honours. They could wish for nothing more!
“Good!” Yang Kai laughed happily, waving his hand sharply as he called out, “Who has some good wine? Bring out a few bottles, this Sect Master wants to share a toast with these three Seniors!”
Yang Xiu Zhu showed a slightly awkward look on his face before waving his hand slightly, “I’m afraid we will have to refuse Sect Master’s kindness as none of us are good with wine. Moreover, this matter is far from settled, so we might as well wait before drinking freely.”
“Sect Master, all three of them are constantly in secluded cultivation so they really are bad at this,” Ye Xi Yun added.
Yang Kai simply nodded in understanding, saying freely, “Since that’s the case, then never mind. Junior deeply admires how three Seniors are not only indifferent to fame and fortune, but also to the temptations of appetite!”
“Sect Master is too polite,” Yang Xiu Zhu smiled modestly.
“This Junior is still confused about something though, so I would like to ask the three of you about it,” Yang Kai’s expression turned serious.
“Please ask, Sect Master. If the three of us know anything, we won’t conceal it,” Yang Xiu Zhu gestured with his hand.
“I want to know why Star Emperor Mountain suddenly decided to act against me, is it really just because of this Starship?” Yang Kai squinted at them, “Since the three of you live on Star Emperor Mountain, surely you must have heard some rumours regarding this issue. If you can dispel this Junior’s doubts, Junior will be very grateful!”
If it was just Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect that attacked him, Yang Kai could still understand; after all, whether it was the previous battle on Dragon Cave Mountain or the events related to the Emperor Garden’s opening, High Heaven Sect and these two Sects had some grievances.
Moreover, the rapid rise of High Heaven Sect was a threat to their status.
If they had chosen to attack him, they would have had some reasons, but why was Star Emperor Mountain the one to initiate hostilities? There was no intersection between himself and Star Emperor Mountain. Yang Kai had thought it over many times and all he could think of was the saying ‘an ordinary man is innocent but treasures make one guilty’.
“Sect Master’s speculations are mostly correct, the root of this conflict is indeed this Starship. This Origin King Grade Starship symbolizes hope, there is no great force that does not wish to possess it, and Star Emperor Mountain is no exception!” Saying so, Yang Xiu Zhu glanced over at Ye Xi Yun and continued, “If Sect Master Ye was still in power, however, I doubt this unfortunate series of events would have happened, but that usurper is different. However,…”
“However?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“This Starship is only one of the reasons!”
“There’s another?”
“According to what this old master has overheard, the other reasons Sect Master Yang was attacked was due to the Great Emperor’s legacy within the ancestral land,” Yang Xiu Zhu said solemnly.
“The Great Emperor’s legacy within the ancestral land?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Indeed. The Supreme Profound Sect’s ruin that is currently occupied by High Heaven Sect is the place where the Great Emperor stayed in the past. As Sect Master said before, perhaps there are other mysteries which remain hidden there! That usurper who holds the position of Sect Master wants to unearth these mysteries, but he had no way to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field; however, since High Heaven Sect can enter it, then you must know a way. That is why that usurper started this plot!”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai showed a look of understanding.
It seemed that these random words he had said only to win them over were the right prescription for the problem. Yang Xiu Zhu and the others agreeing so readily was likely because they also thought that there were hidden mysteries in High Heaven Sect just waiting to be discovered.
Unfortunately,…
There certainly were mysteries to be found, but they were likely located where the Great Emperor currently slept, so besides Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun, no one else could even approach them.
Whether it was the Starship or these hidden mysteries, in the final analysis, it was all because of the desire to reach the Origin King Realm!
The suppression and restraint of the World Principles here only fueled the desire of those who had reached the apex of Shadowed Star to ascend further along the Martial Dao. This Starship and those ethereal mysteries provided hope of doing just that, so Star Emperor Mountain would certainly covet them.
“Now that these old masters are helping Sect Master in this matter though, that usurper won’t be able to cause any stir. However, Sect Master must still be wary of the Annihilation Thunder Bead. Sect Master also cannot count on our traditionalist faction in Star Emperor Mountain in regards to the Bead, as none of us are allowed anywhere near the Annihilation Thunder Bead. If we could simply seize it, Sect Master would not have anything else to worry about,” Yang Xiu Zhu looked ashamed.
“Senior’s consideration is more than enough. It’s just a simple artifact, this Sect Master has my own countermeasures,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Alright,” Yang Xiu Zhu gently nodded before suddenly thinking of something and saying, “Right, there is one more thing Sect Master should keep in mind.”
“Please do tell, Senior!”
“That usurper seems to have been cultivating a certain Secret Technique for several dozen years now. Unfortunately, Subordinate does not know any details about this Secret Technique, but for that usurper to spend so much time on it, it definitely cannot be trivial. If Sect Master encounters that man, you must make self-preservation his top priority,” Yang Xiu Zhu solemnly urged.
“I’ll remember,” Yang Kai agreed solemnly.
“En, if everything here is settled, the three of us will take our leave. We will head back to the Sect first to prepare for Sect Master’s arrival. I hope Sect Master can wait here for news from us; it won’t be too late to act afterwards.”
“Sounds good, I’ll entrust this task to you!” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others returned the courtesy before hurriedly departing.
Inside the hall, Yang Kai smiled quite happily, secretly thinking that with Yang Xiu Zhu and the others assisting from the inside, this trip to Star Emperor Mountain would likely be much smoother than he anticipated. While success seemed to be within his grasp though, Yang Kai didn’t dare relax as he could not tell what other cards Star Emperor Mountain was hiding!
“Sect Master, this Queen will also retire for now,” Ye Xi Yun said goodbye and left.
Only Yang Kai, Qian Tong, and Fei Zhi Tu remained inside the hall.
Elder Qian and City Lord Fei stared at Yang Kai in a daze with cramped expressions upon their faces.
“What do you two want to say?” Yang Kai glanced at them.
“Ahem…” Qian Tong gave a light cough and asked earnestly, “Yang Kai, just now, you said that the Great Emperor… is in High Heaven Sect, is this news true or false?”
Qian Tong still couldn’t believe this earth-shattering news.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Yang Kai, it was just that this news was really too shocking.
“What does Elder Qian think?” Yang Kai didn’t answer the question directly, putting on a mysterious act.
“How should I know? I’m asking you!” Qian Tong grumbled.
“Hahaha,” Yang Kai laughed.
Fei Zhi Tu chimed in at that moment, “If what you say is true, then this old master wants to join High Heaven Sect.”
“Old Fei, you…” Qian Tong looked at him in amazement.
“Me what? In any case, this old master is just idling away as a lowly City Lord. Shadow Moon Hall won’t be affected whether I am there or not. If I can enter the Sect of the Great Emperor, that would be the greatest of honours!” Fei Zhi Tu snorted.
“Please don’t mention this again, City Lord Fei. Otherwise, this Junior is afraid the old Hall Master will want to go all out with me when he finds out!” Yang Kai waved his hand quickly.
Seeing Qian Tong also put on a look of contemplation, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling startled.
Yang Kai wanted to win over Yang Xiu Zhu and the others from Star Emperor Mountain, but he had no intention to snatch people away from Shadow Moon Hall as well.
Not only did High Heaven Sect have only a few disciples, but its high-end combat power was lacking even more!
There were only a few Origin Returning Realm masters in the Sect, most of whom were in the First-Order. Even Yang Kai was in this realm.
Only Ye Xi Yun could act as a true support for the Sect!
However, if Yang Kai could rope in all the members of Star Emperor Mountain, the situation would be very different; High Heaven Sect would become the top force on Shadowed Star in a single bound!
Thunder Typhoon Sect and Heaven Battling Union were now gone, so only Star Emperor Mountain stood above High Heaven Sect. As such, after solving Star Emperor Mountain, High Heaven Sect would naturally become Shadowed Star’s leading force.
This would be of great benefit to future development.
This was also why Yang Kai didn’t hesitate to bring out that Star Emperor Token and expose the existence of the Great Emperor.
He was very enthusiastic about Yang Xiu Zhu and the others. These people were all aloof from the world and free of material desires, possessing pure intentions while lacking an interest in intrigue. Once they joined High Heaven Sect, they could immediately become the hope and support of the entire Sect.
…..
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others worked extremely quickly.
After just two days, Ye Xi Yun received a message from them. Receiving this news, Yang Kai immediately ordered the Starship to proceed to Star Emperor Mountain.
Star Emperor Mountain was situated amidst a grand mountain range that was both majestic and beautiful. These mountains were rich in World Energy and cloaked in mist all year round. Looking from a distance, it seemed like a paradise that was somehow separate from this world.
The survivors of Supreme Profound Sect choosing to establish their new headquarters here certainly had excellent vision.
Members of Star Emperor Mountain rarely left this mountain range and even interfered with worldly affairs even less, instead choosing to remain in isolated self-development. However, no one dared to underestimate this Sect.
Amongst the general populace, perhaps not many even knew of Star Emperor Mountain’s existence, instead more familiar with Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, Coloured Glass Sect, Shadow Moon Hall and other first-class great forces.
However, all first-class forces revered Star Emperor Mountain as supreme!
For ten thousand years, Star Emperor Mountain had been the strongest force on Shadowed Star, with no outsiders ever daring to step within ten thousand kilometres of its territory.
But today, High Heaven Sect’s Starship flew in openly, without any hesitation, and proceeded towards its central domain.
At the same time, a crowd of cultivators that represented almost eighty percent of Star Emperor Mountain’s population had gathered atop Star Emperor Mountain’s main square.
Besides some who were in secluded retreat or others who were at critical points in their cultivation, every cultivator had assembled here.
There still weren’t many though, a mere two hundred or so in total.
However, if one looked closely, this gathering of two hundred people was still quite shocking.
Of these two hundred, more than one hundred and fifty were Origin Realm masters, with a full forty of them having reached the Third-Order! As for those below the Origin Realm, there were only a trivial few dozen.
No other great force would have such a lopsided disparity in population and strength. Although lower-level cultivators didn’t possess as much power, they were the hope of every Sect’s future, so whether it was Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, Shadow Moon Hall, Coloured Glass Sect or any other big Sect, they would always have a massive number of low-level cultivators with a proportionally smaller number of high-level masters.
Star Emperor Mountain’s situation, however, was the exact opposite.
The reason for this was because of the strict requirements to join Star Emperor Mountain.
The threshold to worship Star Emperor Mountain as one’s Sect was so high it was nigh impossible to meet. One needed to have superb aptitude as well as be incredibly young. Most people brought to Star Emperor Mountain from the outside were less than ten years old. This age was the best for indoctrination, which was why through the generations Star Emperor Mountain’s reverence for the Great Emperor had not faded.
Because each new disciple would be instilled with this concept by the older generation as they grew from infancy to maturity.
However, once one joined Star Emperor Mountain, they would be able to enjoy the best cultivation environment and the most abundant cultivation resources on Shadowed Star.
Star Emperor Mountain would use all of its resources to pave the way for its disciple’s cultivation.
In exchange, one needed to break through to the Origin Returning Realm before they turned forty years old!
If one was unable to achieve this, their cultivation would be abolished and they would be expelled from Star Emperor Mountain.
These rules were strict and cruel, but the results they produced were remarkable.
By adhering to this doctrine, the cultivators of Star Emperor Mountain cultivated extremely quickly, allowing Origin Returning Realm masters to appear one after another.
Rising stars like Qu Chang Feng, Fang Tian Zhong, Wei Gu Chang, and other leaders of the younger generation on Shadowed Star all broke through around this age, as did Yang Kai.
However, as a cultivator’s strength advanced, they would age slower, allowing them to retain their youthful appearances.
Yang Kai was thirteen years old when he entered High Heaven Pavilion, and now looking back, it had been about twenty or thirty years since then.
Yet, he was now just a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator!
It was not an exaggeration to say that any randomly chosen cultivator from Star Emperor Mountain was comparable to Qu Chang Feng or Fang Tian Zhong.
Additionally, because Star Emperor Mountain had endured since ancient times, it possessed countless Secret Arts and Secret Techniques of the highest quality, allowing its cultivators to display combat prowess greater than outsiders in their own realm.
Once a Star Emperor Mountain disciple successfully broke through to the Origin Returning Realm before the age of forty, they would be able to descend from the mountain for life experience and to temper themselves; of course, this was done incognito.
The reason why the Ancient Yang Sect was destroyed overnight by Star Emperor Mountain two thousand years ago was because one such wandering disciple had been murdered by them.
For various reasons, the number of mid and high-level cultivators in Star Emperor Mountain was unusually large compared to the lower level disciples.
Among these lower-level disciples, their cultivations were uneven, but each one was quite young and immature. The youngest one, who was just recruited into Star Emperor Mountain a year ago, was only eleven years old, but already had a Separation and Reunion Boundary cultivation, one step away from entering the True Element Boundary.
This was unimaginable in any other Sect. Perhaps Heaven Battling Union or Thunder Typhoon Sect could cultivate such a disciple, but such cases were rare, while in Star Emperor Mountain, it was the norm.
At that age, Yang Kai had yet to even read up on the Martial Dao…
Today, two hundred members of Star Emperor Mountain gathered in the main square, but despite the crowd, there was no sound. All of them seemingly waited quietly for something with solemn expressions.
This crowd was naturally headed by Yang Xiu Zhu, Lin Yu Rao, and Chu Han Yi.
While waiting, the three met eyes and passed Divine Sense Messages between themselves frequently, as if deep in discussion.
After a long time, someone in the crowd could not help asking, “Brother Yang, didn’t you say that Sect Master had something important to announce? Why have we been waiting here for so long, yet not seen any trace of Sect Master? This old master needs to go back and enter seclusion to finish cultivating his Shocking Wave Burst technique, this matter cannot be delayed!”
“Yes, Brother Yang, you said that Sect Master has something important to tell us all, which is why this old woman left her cave mansion. This old woman’s White Dragon Pill is in the final stages of refinement. If something were to happen to it, are you able to compensate this old woman for her losses?” Another old woman yelled impatiently.
As soon as these two spoke up, everyone else began shouting as well.
Most of these people were in retreat in their secluded homes all year round, cultivating Secret Arts or Secret Technique, or practising Artifact Refining or Alchemy. Usually, they refused to go out, so it was quite rare to see so many of them gathered together at once.
Two days ago, Yang Xiu Zhu, Lin Yu Rao, and Chu Han Yi had sent out a joint message saying that the Sect Master was calling for an assembly to discuss an important matter.
Although the three of them weren’t in the current leadership’s favour, their reputations from the past were still apparent, so when all three of them sent out such a message, naturally not many dared to ignore them and arrived one after another.
After waiting for a long time though with the Sect Master nowhere to be seen, it was only natural that complaints would arise.
“Everyone please remain calm and wait a moment longer!” Yang Xiu Zhu shouted, raising his eyes towards the horizon but unfortunately not seeing what he was looking for still.
“Until when do you expect us to wait?” An old woman said with a disgruntled look, coldly snorting as she slammed her cane against the ground, “Let me state this clearly, this old woman will give you face and wait one stick of incense worth of time more. After that, if the Sect Master does not show up, this old woman will leave. Don’t blame this old woman for not telling you in advance.”
“Indeed!” Someone echoed, a slight look of suspicion appearing on his face a moment later, “Brother Yang, since when did your relationship with Sect Master improve so much? Why did he choose you to convey his instructions? Isn’t this kind of announcement normally Elder’s Bai responsibility?”
He vaguely remembered that Yang Xiu Zhu and the Sect Master did not see eye to eye.
“Yang Xiu Zhu, your courage isn’t small!” An angry shout suddenly came from the distance. Along with this shout, a red light shot over and soon landed in front of the crowd, dispersing to reveal three figures.
“Bai Xi!” Yang Xiu Zhu narrowed his eyes as he looked towards the leader of this group, a faint trace of fear flashing across his eyes.
This grey-haired old man wore brown robes and had a stoic look of indifference on his face while the powerful Shi and Saint Qi fluctuations which pulsed around his body demonstrated that he was a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master.
If Yang Kai was here, he would definitely recognize this person.
This old man was the one who had attacked him with the Annihilation Thunder Bead in Fallen Emperor Mountain that day.
“Elder Bai!” Seeing this old man appear, many people in the crowd bowed and saluted.
Bai Xi held the position of Great Elder in Star Emperor Mountain, and although many people here had the same cultivation as him, it was natural to give him some respect due to his position. Additionally, Bai Xi was a crony of the Sect Master, so others had to take the initiative to salute him.
However, seeing Bai Xi’s raging appearance, everyone was puzzled and wondered why he was so angry.
“Yang Xiu Zhu, after not seeing you for just a few months, you’ve gotten much bolder, even daring to fabricate a command from the Sect Master! Tell me, what are you plotting here?” Bai Xi glared fiercely as he shouted at Yang Xiu Zhu.
“What? Faking the Sect Master’s command?” An exclamation came from the crowd and in an instant, countless stunned and suspicious eyes stared towards Yang Xiu Zhu and the others.
Such a matter had never happened before on Star Emperor Mountain. With Star Emperor Mountain having so few members, everyone was as close as blood brothers and sisters, so while they quarrelled, there were rarely any true fights among them.
Why had Yang Xiu Zhu been willing to risk universal condemnation by falsifying a command from the Sect Master?
What did he hope to achieve by doing this?
Bai Xi was a close confidant of the Sect Master, so since he said the order was false, it definitely was.
“You believe this old master faked a command from the Sect Master?” Yang Xiu Zhu stared back angrily at Bai Xi and sneered, “This old master is not so bold as to ignore the ancestor’s decrees. All of Star Emperor Mountain reveres the Sect Master as our leader, this old master is well aware of this credence as well as the punishment which awaits all those who violate it!”
“Good!” Bai Xi also sneered, “This Bai met with Sect Master less than a cup of tea ago and rushed here straight afterwards. If Sect Master had issued any instructions to assemble, how could this Bai not know about them?”
“Because you don’t need to know!” Before Yang Xiu Zhu could answer, a tender yet resolute voice echoed through the air.
Immediately after, in a flash, the figure of a beautiful woman wearing noble and elegant robes strangely appeared and stood proudly mid-air, her pair of phoenix eyes gazing down like icy blades.
Bai Xi turned back abruptly, and when he saw this figure, he was so shocked he could not help calling out hoarsely, “Sect Master Ye!”
“Senior Sister Ye!”
“It’s Senior Sister Ye! Impossible, didn’t Senior Sister Ye already perish? Is this old master getting on in years and seeing things?”
“Is that you, Senior Sister Ye? It’s you isn’t it?” The old woman who had been arguing with Yang Xiu Zhu just now suddenly shot forward, her body trembling as she stared at Ye Xi Yun with a look of surprise and confusion.
Ye Xi Yun turned to this old woman and smiled, “I haven’t seen you in a hundred years, Junior Sister Lan’s heart seems to have matured much!”
Xu Xin Lan was shocked, and tears soon filled her eyes, but she still let out a burst of happy laughter, “Senior Sister Ye’s elegant demeanour has only grown stronger. Junior Sister did not expect that she would be fortunate enough to see Senior Sister once more in this lifetime!”
“Many thanks for Junior Sister’s concerns. Because of the machinations of certain individuals, I’ve had been forced to live in seclusion for the past hundred years.” Ye Xi Yun said softly.
“Someone dared plot against Senior Sister? Who dares!” Xu Xin Lan suddenly roared, her expression becoming cold and vicious. Suddenly thinking of something though, a touch of gloom appeared between her brow as she gloomily asked, “Could it be…”
“En,” Ye Xi Yun gently nodded, “This Queen has returned to settle these old accounts and to clean up the Sect.”
“Good!” Xu Xin Lan grit her teeth and shouted, “Junior Sister will join you. Even if Junior Sister dies here, she must gnaw off a piece of that animal’s life!”
As these two spoke, the two hundred cultivators assembled on the main square all had their minds sharply turned.
Although most of these people were in retreat on Star Emperor Mountain all year round, even ignorant of Ye Xi Yun’s appearance in the outside world, participation in the Battle of Dragon Cave Mountain, and subsequent joining of High Heaven Sect, with just these few words, they were clear about what had transpired. They were aloof of worldly affairs, but not stupid, so with just a little thought, they understood the cause and effects of this matter.
Even if they didn’t know all the details, forming an educated guess which closely approximated the truth wasn’t difficult.
Conspiring against the previous Sect Master, driving her away from Star Emperor Mountain, seeking power to usurp the throne, rebelling against the Sect! These were unforgivable crimes on Star Emperor Mountain.
What’s more, among these two hundred people, many were notified by Yang Xiu Zhu in advance and understood that there would be such a big show today. Now that Ye Xi Yun had returned, these people were naturally overjoyed.
All of them had received some degree of favour from Ye Xi Yun in the past.
When Ye Xi Yun was in charge of Star Emperor Mountain, their cultivation environment was much better than it was now, and since Ye Xi Yun disappeared, their treatment had become noticeably worse.
Comparing the two sides, many naturally hoped that Ye Xi Yun would return to power again.
Moreover, such a return was more than justified!
A hundred years ago, Ye Xi Yun was already the strongest master on Shadowed Star. Now that a hundred years had passed, it was likely that her strength was even greater, so who else was more qualified to assume the position of Sect Master?
Even Yang Xiu Zhu and the other peak Third-Order Origin Realm masters were inferior to Ye Xi Yun in terms of age and strength.
Atop the main square, Ye Xi Yun stood proudly mid-air with more than two hundred Star Emperor Mountain cultivators all looking up at her.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others glanced at each other, and feeling that the time was right, they quickly half-kneeled on the ground and shouted in a loud voice, “Subordinates welcome Sect Master’s return to the mountain!”
“Subordinates welcome Sect Master’s return to the mountain!” The others Yang Xiu Zhu had contacted in advance also followed up, half-kneeling and echoing loudly in unison.
Those who were not informed all witnessed this and, realizing the flow of events, also offered similar greetings.
A large part of these people had no opinion either way as to who should be the Sect Master, not preferring Ye Xi Yun or the current Sect Master. They belonged to the faction which simply wished to not get involved in any trouble, so seeing the trend of events flowing in a particular direction, they simply followed along.
The trio lead by Bai Xi who arrived earlier were now panicking, their faces going from red to blue, looking extremely disturbed and anxious.
“Bai Xi!” Yang Xiu Zhu yelled, “The Sect Master stands before you, why haven’t you kneeled!”
“She is no longer the Sect Master, that position is occupied by another now. Why must this old master bow to her?” Bai Xi coldly snorted. He was a sharp old fox and knew that the situation was hopeless, but what he hadn’t expected was that even after a hundred years of painstaking management, the current Sect Master still hadn’t been able to accumulate enough prestige. On the contrary, Ye Xi Yun only had to re-appear after a hundred years and the current Sect Master’s foundation collapsed to pieces.
The current Sect Master’s status looked quite ridiculous at this moment.
On the one hand, it was only natural for Ye Xi Yun to be held in such high regard considering her noble and fair character. On the other hand, it was also natural for the current Sect Master, who used a plot to usurp his position, violating millennia of traditions passed from by their ancestors, to be despised!
Regardless of righteousness or tradition, the current Sect Master simply couldn’t measure up to Ye Xi Yun.
Bai Xi was certain that even if he surrendered now, it would not help him one bit. After Ye Xi Yun took care of the current Sect Master, the next to be killed would likely be him.
That was why he refused to give in!
“Impudence!” Yang Xiu Zhu slowly got up, his eyes flashing a cold light as he glared at Bai Xi, clear murderous intent pulsing from his body.
Lin Yu Rao and Chu Han Yi also moved at this moment, using profound movement skills to suddenly appear on the left and right sides of Bai Xi, cutting off all avenues of escape.
“Bai Xi, the ancestral precepts state that no Star Emperor Mountain disciple can kill another, but out of respect for our many years of brotherhood, I will give you one chance to cripple your cultivation and commit suicide!” Yang Xiu Zhu declared to Bai Xi indifferently.
“You want this Bai to waste his cultivation?” Bai Xi laughed, “Yang Xiu Zhu, are you perhaps sleep talking? Since the ancestors declared that we cannot kill one another, I’d like to see how you force this Bai to submit!”
He unexpectedly wore a confident and complacent look.
Yang Xiu Zhu frowned, his expression turning frigid.
A few days ago, one of the main caveats they had made when agreeing to help Yang Kai was that none of them would participate in the fighting or contaminate themselves with the blood of their brothers and sisters. The reason for this was precisely because of the restraints of their ancestral traditions. Now though it looked like Bai Xi was going to shamelessly take advantage of this point, making Yang Xiu Zhu feel somewhat awkward.
“Star Emperor Mountain disciples really can’t kill one another, but this Queen is now High Heaven Sect’s Great Elder, so there’s no problem if I take care of you,” Ye Xi Yun snorted coldly before lifting her jade hand, then lightly pressing her palm downwards, as if she was just gently brushing the air.
However, Bai Xi instantly went into a panic as his eyes bulged and his Saint Qi madly burst together with his Shi as he lifted both his hands towards the sky.
*Kacha…*
A silent explosion occurred deep in the depths of Bai Xi’s soul and, as if struck by lightning, his body trembled and staggered backwards. Opening his mouth, Bai Xi coughed up a bloody mist before he stared up towards Ye Xi Yun incredulously and shouted, “Your Shi has reached the grand accomplishment stage!?”
As soon as this statement came out, everyone’s eyes bulged as they stared towards Ye Xi Yun in shock.
Only when a cultivator broke through to the Origin Returning Realm would they be able to comprehend Shi, and only when one’s Shi reached the grand accomplishment stage would they be eligible to break through to the Origin King Realm.
This was a necessary condition, otherwise, no matter how much one cultivated as an Origin Returning Realm master, it would be impossible to touch the threshold of the Origin King Realm.
Origin Realm masters on Shadowed Star were as numerous as the hairs on an ox; the main square here actually had more than one hundred and fifty cultivators of this level gathered, but none of them had managed to cultivate their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage, even Yang Xiu Zhu and the others all felt that they had yet to completely master their Shi.
This was a realm they simply could not reach.
But now, they had witnessed a true grand accomplishment stage Shi!
When Ye Xi Yun struck, it had been silent and invisible, but the fluctuations of her Shi were still obvious. Everyone had clearly felt the power which directly destroyed Bai Xi’s defences and seriously wounded him!
As Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, the gap between Ye Xi Yun and Bai Xi was clear.
However, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others present somehow felt that Ye Xi Yun’s Shi seemed to be somewhat qualitatively different from their own.
“Fool, do you think this Queen was using Shi?” Ye Xi Yun snorted softly. After that strike, she had not bothered following up immediately, instead just looking down below coldly with a mocking expression.
“That was not Shi… then…” Bai Xi’s mind turned sharply, and soon his face lost all coloured as he pointed towards Ye Xi Yun in terror, “Could it be that you…”
“Domain!” Yang Xiu Zhu let out a gasp, his eyes suddenly bursting with shock as his body trembled with excitement.
He immediately understood why he felt that Ye Xi Yun’s Shi was a little different from his own.
He recalled some secrets recorded in the Sect’s ancient books at that moment.
It was rumoured that when one cultivated their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage, they would gain some comprehension of the mysteries of a Domain. This was a power that only Origin Kings could master and was many times more powerful than Shi.
Domain!
This was a height that Shadowed Star’s cultivators could never reach.
Could it be said that their Sect Master had reached this state? However, looking again, Ye Xi Yun was clearly still just a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, so there could only be one explanation.
That is, Ye Xi Yun’s cultivation had reached the absolute limit of the Origin Realm and she now had the qualifications to break through to the Origin King Realm, but because of the suppression of Shadowed Star’s World Principles, she has been unable to break through.
[A harrowing reality!] Yang Xiu Zhu sighed.
Although they lived in an isolated place like Shadowed Star, Yang Xiu Zhu knew that even considering the entire Star Field, there were very few Origin King Realm masters, and each one was an extremely prestigious existence. Their Sect Master had the talent and aptitude to reach this level, but she was simply born in the wrong place. Shadowed Star had become a cage that prevented her from truly spreading her wings and soaring!
“Former Sect Master deserves her reputation as a genius only seen once in ten thousand years, this Bai is truly impressed!” Bai Xi clasped his, clenched his teeth and shouted fiercely, “But so what? Although this Bai’s strength is truly inferior to yours, if you wish to kill me, you must be willing to pay the price!”
As soon as he spoke these words, Bai Xi flicked his wrist and summoned a longan sized bead into his hand.
Emperor Pressure immediately filled the air!
Everyone present paled.
“Annihilation Thunder Bead!” Ye Xi Yun narrowed her eyes, “Is this what you’re relying on?”
“So what if it is?” Bai Xi laughed, “This Bai knows what former Sect Master is capable of, but can you block this Emperor Artifact? If This Bai must die here today, he will at least be able to bury you along with him! Now, why don’t we all sit down and have a good talk to come up with a way to resolve this conflict?”
“I refuse!”
An indifferent voice suddenly rang out from a short distance away.
This voice was strange and barely anyone on the scene had heard it before. Turning to look at the source of the sound, everyone saw a young man with a heroic look and a sardonic smile on his face walking over towards them unhurriedly.
“Yang Kai!” Bai Xi narrowed his eyes and shouted.
Many cultivators from Star Emperor Mountain wore strange expressions.
Who Yang Kai was, most of them had no clue; after all, they had not even heard the news of Ye Xi Yun resurfacing, so it was only natural for them to not know about Yang Kai’s existence.
Seeing that this young man was only a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, yet he had dared to rashly intrude upon Star Emperor Mountain, many felt quite puzzled.
However, even in this tense moment, these people did not become confused and simply assumed that this Yang Kai boy must have followed Ye Xi Yun here. Not saying anything, they all just observed Yang Kai curiously, wondering why he did not show any fear towards the Emperor Artifact.
One had to know that this was an artifact that even Ye Xi Yun could not possibly resist head-on.
“Taking that thing out just to scare people again,” Yang Kai curled his lips with a look of disdain, “Old dog, if you’re ready to die, then go ahead and use that Thunder Bead, you will certainly be able to kill me or Great Elder, so you won’t suffer a loss, but… are you prepared?”
Bai Xi’s face sank as he glared towards Yang Kai savagely and shouted, “Little brat, don’t go too far!”
“Am I the one that is going too far?” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully as he quipped, “Old dog, are you really so ignorant of your situation? This Sect Master is standing right in front of you, so all you have to do is use the power of that Thunder Bead. If I can’t avoid it, I will die, but you will die too. If I can avoid it though, I’ll live but you’ll still die. So what choice will you make?”
Bai Xi’s face went from blue to white as he gripped the Emperor Artifact in his hand, not daring to take any rash actions.
No matter what he chose to do, he would definitely die a miserable death, causing him to hesitate.
“Of course, there is a third option,” Yang Kai grinned extremely brightly.
“And what’s that?” Bai Xi became curious.
“Hand over the Emperor Artifact to me, and I’ll spare your life!”
“In your dreams!” Bai Xi exclaimed.
On Shadowed Star, Origin King Grade artifacts were few and far between, each one a hallowed treasure of a powerful Sect, not to mention Emperor Artifacts. After experiencing the power of an Emperor Artifact, how could Bai Xi be willing to just surrender it?
What’s more, he wouldn’t believe Yang Kai’s rhetoric. Likely, the moment he handed over the Emperor Artifact, he would become a fresh corpse.
“In that case, don’t blame this Sect Master for being ruthless!” Yang Kai declared impatiently before shouting, “Come out!”
With this shout, the clouds up above suddenly began to churn and a moment later, a one-hundred-meter-long, pitch-black Starship strangely appeared.
It was as if the Starship had always been there, yet no one had noticed it.
A great uproar spread among the numerous cultivators gathered below, all of them revealing looks of shock and disbelief.
There were many cultivators here, most of whom were Origin Returning Realm masters, yet no one had noticed this Starship hiding so close by, an astonishing revelation. If it had not taken the initiative to show itself, it was likely everyone present would have remained ignorant.
Moreover, this Starship seemed quite unusual, far more powerful than any Starship they had seen before, almost as if… it was an Origin King Grade Starship!
The sight of it made the audience dumbfounded!
As soon as the Origin King Grade Starship appeared, everyone was dumbfounded.
Almost without any pause, a shocking energy fluctuation appeared as the ship’s Crystal Cannons began charging and aimed directly towards Bai Xi.
“Yang Kai, you dare!” Bai Xi paled in shock, never expecting Yang Kai to be so decisive and ruthless.
Without even trying to discuss things with him, Yang Kai went straight for the kill, not leaving him any room to manoeuvre.
Did this boy really not fear perishing together with him?
“Kill him!” Yang Kai coldly shouted.
Bai Xi’s expression became flustered as he saw the Crystal Cannons aimed at him and the energy fluctuations growing stronger by the moment. When a white beam of light faintly formed and ready to fire, Bai Xi could no longer restrain himself and roared, “Little brat, you forced me to do this! Even if this old master dies here, you won’t feel any better!”
Saying so, he madly poured his Saint Qi into the Annihilation Thunder Bead.
The Emperor Pressure radiating from the bead swelled, causing everyone present to tremble.
Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn, as did Ye Xi Yun’s, the two of them staring directly at the Annihilation Thunder Bead in Bai Xi’s hand.
One after another, rice-grain sized runes emerged from the Annihilation Thunder Bead and as Bai Xi’s Saint Qi continued to flood into it, a small lightning arc suddenly appeared from its surface.
Although this arc was small and inconspicuous, it pulsed with an unfathomable power that seemed capable of extinguishing the soul of anyone it touched.
In the next instant, Bai Xi tossed the Annihilation Thunder Bead upwards, where it then split into two, then four, then eight…
In the blink of an eye, the sky was filled with Annihilation Thunder Bead with lightning arcs flickering around each of them, like tiny lightning snakes.
Then, these arcs lased out in unison, shooting towards the Origin King Grade Starship.
Yang Kai could tear space, and Ye Xi Yun had extraordinary strength and experience, so Bai Xi wasn’t confident he could kill either of them with this blow, thus he decided to aim at the Origin King Grade Starship!
If he could destroy this Starship, then his goal would have been achieved. At that time, Yang Kai would likely shed tears of blood!
After using the Annihilation Thunder Bead, Bai Xi’s aura became extremely weak.
Although this Emperor Artifact had unmatched power, a trivial Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator needed to pay an enormous price to use it. Consuming almost all of his Saint Qi at once was the price Bai Xi needed to pay.
Although he knew he was bound to die, he was still laughing wildly at this moment.
Bai Xi’s cackling came to an abrupt halt though when he noticed both Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun directing looks filled with pity at him, neither of them seeming the slightest bit concerned about the Origin King Grade Starship.
[What’s going on?] Bai Xi heart clenched, suddenly realizing something was wrong, glancing up towards the Origin King Grade Starship instinctively.
Lightning arcs filled the sky, each one containing extraordinary destructive power as they crashed towards the Origin King Grade Starship, completely overwhelming it and shattering it in an instant, causing it to disappear without a trace.
Just as it appeared before, it vanished silently.
As if it had never been there in the first place.
Bai Xi was dumbfounded when he saw this and his face suddenly became extremely pale as he called out hoarsely, “An illusion?”
“Seems you’re not a complete idiot, old man!” Yang Kai laughed.
Accompanied by his laughter, another Origin King Grade Starship appeared mid-air. It was the same as the one from before, but this one was completely undamaged, as if the Annihilation Thunder Bead hadn’t left a scratch on it.
Bai Xi’s face filled with shame. At this moment, how could he not understand that he had been fooled by his opponent’s plot?
The attack he had placed all his hopes on had not hit anything, it was only an illusory Starship, which explained why it was destroyed so easily!
Being pressured by Ye Xi Yun and facing Yang Kai’s aggressiveness, Bai Xi’s judgement had become clouded and he was unable to distinguish between reality and an illusion.
But how did they create that illusionary Starship? And such a realistic one at that, capable of even deceiving his Divine Sense. It was simply incredible.
“Old dog, it’s time to send you on the road!” Yang Kai declared coldly as a Golden Blood Thread appeared between his fingers and transformed into a sharp golden arrow.
“Let me do it, it is this Queen’s duty to clean up her own Sect,” Ye Xi Yun suddenly called out.
Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at her for a moment before nodding lightly, no longer insisting.
He knew that Ye Xi Yun was doing this for his benefit. Regardless of whether Bai Xi was helping a tyrant do evil or not, he was still a long-standing member of Star Emperor Mountain. If an outsider killed him, it would inevitably create some dissatisfaction.
But if Ye Xi Yun took action it was different.
She was simply cleaning up the Sect, just as she said.
Without any Saint Qi, Bai Xi was like a venomous snake without fangs, unable to even summon ordinary artifacts, so how could he oppose Ye Xi Yun?
Moments later, Bai Xi died by Ye Xi Yun’s hand.
“Are you two going to cripple your cultivations or do you want this Queen to deal with you personally?” Ye Xi Yun coldly glared towards the two who had arrived with Bai Xi.
The two of them didn’t dare to resist and immediately shouted, “Sect Master, please forgive us! We didn’t know that Sect Master was still alive and were deceived by that usurper. Please show mercy, Sect Master!”
“After reaching this point, do you think this Queen will believe your words?” Ye Xi Yun remained unmoved.
Since the two of them had come here with Bai Xi, they must have been aware of the news from the outside world, proving they had chosen to oppose her, so now they would have to pay the price.
But even though she killed Bai Xi, Ye Xi Yun didn’t want to act ruthlessly if it wasn’t necessary.
“This is the absolute truth, please understand Sect Master!” The two cried out in fear.
“Fine, since you insist on acting stubborn, this Queen will personally send you to reunite with Bai Xi!” Ye Xi Yun declared coldly as her Saint Qi surged up again.
“Wait! We’ll cripple ourselves! We’ll do it!” Seeing that Ye Xi Yun was really going to kill them while refusing to listen to their explanation in the slightest, the two men quickly made a decision.
In any case, it was better to live than to die. Although their fate after crippling their cultivations would surely be miserable, it couldn’t be worse than losing their lives on the spot.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were watching vigilantly from nearby, so these two didn’t dare play any tricks, honestly shattering their dantians and meridians, scattering their Saint Qi, and degenerating into ordinary mortals, forever unable to step onto the Martial Dao again.
“Get out!” Ye Xi Yun commanded coldly.
The two hurriedly helped each other up and scampered away.
After these two left, Ye Xi Yun turned her head to look at the crowd, took a deep breath, and declared firmly, “This Queen knows that some among you may have collaborated with that person in the past, but even so, you have not harmed the honour or foundation of the Sect, so this Queen will not insist on holding you all accountable. Now, this Queen has only returned to this place to clean up the Sect on behalf of the honoured ancestors, so I will only ask all of you to wait here while this Queen deals with that person before we speak any further.”
“Many thanks for Sect Master’s magnanimity! May Sect Master’s victory be swift and decisive!” Yang Xiu Zhu bowed.
“May Sect Master’s victory be swift and decisive!” Everyone followed suit. Now was their only chance to prove their allegiance, so how could anyone dare speak otherwise? Even if some people had indeed been won over by and worked for the current Sect Master of Star Emperor Mountain, none of them had fully submitted like Bai Xi.
The law does not punish the public, and Ye Xi Yun did not want to take things too far, so she gave these people a way out. After all, there weren’t many of them, so there was no way they could resist Ye Xi Yun’s momentum.
“Sect Master, let’s go,” Ye Xi Yun looked over at Yang Kai.
“En,” Yang Kai gently nodded before glancing over at the two hundred gathered cultivators and sighing slightly.
If they were willing to help, this matter wouldn’t be so troublesome. Against so many masters, even if the current Sect Master of Star Emperor Mountain had Heaven-defying strength and abilities, there would be no way for him to resist.
Unfortunately, these people were all Star Emperor Mountain members and were forbidden to kill one another.
This was a law passed down by their ancestors that all of them needed to follow.
Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun drifted away while the Origin King Grade Starship followed behind slowly.
Star Ascendance Peak was the highest summit in Star Emperor Mountain, towering up in the sky where the white clouds lingered, giving it a beautiful and mysterious scenery.
This was where, for generations, the disciples of Star Emperor Mountain would pay homage to the Great Emperor. There was an altar at the top of this peak engraved with the names of each generation’s Sect Master and Elders, atop which sat a Star Emperor Token.
The Divine Ability sealed inside this Star Emperor Token had already been expended.
Now, it was simply a symbol of the Great Emperor!
Every year, on a certain day, everyone in Star Emperor Mountain would gather here to make some offerings.
At this moment, two people stood in the wind on Star Ascendance Peak.
One was a spirited old man that, although appearing old, still had a ruddy complexion and tender skin. The other was a middle-aged man in green robes.
At this moment, the middle-aged man looked anxious while the old man looked relaxed.
Several dozen meters away from the pair was a young man with his head lowered.
If Yang Kai was here, he would definitely recognize two of these three people. The middle-aged man was Thunder Typhoon Sect’s Sect Master Fang Peng. He really came to Star Emperor Mountain to seek refuge.
As for the young man, it was Leng Qing, who was an acquaintance of Yang Kai’s.
In the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, outside the current High Heaven Sect headquarters, the two young men had met once. Both of them had been Saint Kings at the time, but were now Origin Realm cultivators, their respective cultivation speeds only describable as fast.
At this moment, the young man stood there motionless like a fossil, a cold and determined expression adorning his face.
Fang Peng’s anxious voice soon called out, “Brother Tian Che, they seem to have reached Star Emperor Mountain. Don’t we need to do something?”
The old man chuckled, “What does Brother Fang think we should do?”
Fang Peng frowned, “This Fang doesn’t know what Brother Tian Che has planned, but if we don’t act now, I’m afraid that the outcome will be decided before we even begin.”
“Haha, Brother Fang worries too much, the outcome is undecided until it is over. Calm down.”
“This Fang does not understand, please enlighten me, Brother Tian Che.”
“It’s not that Brother Fang is dull, it’s just… Before this King and Senior Sister Ye can determine a winner, nothing else will matter. The decisive factor will be whether she survives or I do, so in the end, this King only needs to fight Senior Sister Ye!”
Fang Peng frowned, thought for a moment, but eventually understood, hesitating briefly before asking “Then what does Brother Tian Che think his odds of winning are?”
The old man simply smiled without saying a word, acting mysteriously.
Seeing his expression, Fang Peng’s eyes brightened as he slowly calmed down. Although he didn’t know what this old man was relying on, it seemed that he was quite certain of his victory.
Star Ascendance Peak was extremely high and had many barriers surrounding it. It was the highest level Restricted Area of Star Emperor Mountain so it was naturally well-protected. If one wanted to arrive here, they could only do so by foot as the powerful Flight Inhibiting Array arranged here was enough to ground any cultivator.
On the trail between the peaks, Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun advanced swiftly and quickly climbed to the top of the peak.
The Origin King Grade Starship parked halfway up the mountain, ready to charge in at any time.
The tens-of-kilometres-long walk was nothing to the two of them, so it only took them about half an hour to reach their destination.
As the winds whipped about, the pair’s robes rustled lightly.
“Great Elder, it seems someone has come to welcome us,” Yang Kai’s eyes instantly focused on the old man and the middle-aged man in front of him, a grin creeping onto his face.
Ye Xi Yun narrowed her phoenix eyes as she stared at the old man with a slightly complicated expression, calling out a low voice, “Qi Tian Che!”
“Senior Sister Ye!” The old man made a light smile which seemed quite refreshing, as if there was no ill will between the two of them at all. “With your temperament, Junior Brother had not expected that there would be a day you would actually return to Star Emperor Mountain.”
“There are a great many things you didn’t expect. Junior Brother Qi, are you prepared?”
“And what is it Junior Brother should be prepared for?” Qi Tian Che maintained his smile.
“Prepared to fall here. I hope you’ve made appropriate funeral arrangements!” Ye Xi Yun coldly snorted.
“Senior Sister does not need to worry, Junior Brother has already made all the necessary arrangements. Today, whether you die or I die, this boy will ensure that a proper burial is held,” Qi Tian Che gestured to the side where the indifferent faced Leng Qing nodded gently.
“In that case, Senior Sister will send Junior Brother on his way,” Ye Xi Yun gently nodded.
“Haha, Junior Brother feels that Senior Sister’s chances of losing are greater.”
The two failed to agree upon a single word. The Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair knew a fight was unavoidable so they were simply launching psychological attacks before they began exchanging blows. After the verbal confrontation, the atmosphere suddenly became solemn, as the expressions of both of them turned extremely serious, staring at one another like they were the greatest of enemies.
Suddenly, the two figures flickered, disappearing from where they stood at the exact same moment.
When they reappeared, the two were only separated by a couple dozen or so metres.
An indescribable force surged from both their bodies and enveloped one another.
In an instant, the space around the pair distorted. The invisible forces which filled the air were so condensed they were nearly tangible and observable to the naked eye as they surged and crashed into each other as the Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair tried to overwhelm one another.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched while Fang Peng’s jaw went slack. Even Leng Qing who was standing in the distance opened his eyes wide.
All three were shocked.
Clearly, both Ye Xi Yun and Qi Tian Che had cultivated their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage and had touched upon the threshold of Domain.
In the first confrontation, the pair were evenly matched!
Whether it was Ye Xi Yun or Qi Tian Che, both showed looks of surprise, the two obviously not having expected that the other party had reached such a level.
But soon, the two of them started to move again. The Bone Incinerating Flame Lamp was summoned by Ye Xi Yun and the Heaven rending flames were gripped with her bare hands as she sent a blast after blast towards Qi Tian Che, occasionally mixing in her own Secret Techniques.
Qi Tian Che naturally didn’t back down, summoning a golden wheel-like artifact above his head, like a small sun. As this wheel rotated, dazzling golden light lased from the artifact, each beam containing might equal to the bone incinerating flames.
Muttering words under his breath as he continued to form complex hands seals, Qi Tian Che launched a fierce assault that matched Ye Xi Yun’s blow for blow.
[Sun and Moon Golden Wheel!] Yang Kai looked at the artifact Qi Tian Che summoned and his eyes lit up.
He could recognize this artifact because Ye Xi Yun had informed him about it beforehand.
This was one of the two Origin King Grade artifacts left on Star Emperor Mountain and was of extremely high grade. It seemed this artifact was refined by the Great Emperor thousands of years ago and could absorb the essence of the sun and the moon, contain it, then release it endlessly when confronting an enemy.
There were two forms to the Sun and Moon Golden Wheel. Currently, it was displaying the first, where it radiated the scorching sun’s divine light.
When it assumed its second form, it would take on the appearance of a crescent moon and the beams it would release were extremely cold, enough to freeze the soul of a person.
In terms of power alone, the Sun and Moon Golden Wheel was actually above the Bone Incinerating Flame Lamp, but as with any artifact, the stronger the power, the more Saint Qi it required to operate.
Ye Xi Yun and Qi Tian Che both stood at the apex of Shadowed Star cultivators, so even if their respective artifacts had a gap in power, a battle between them would not be decided quickly.
As Yang Kai was watching attentively though, he suddenly frowned, stretching out his hand and summoning his Purple Shield to protect himself in the next instant.
*Hong…*
With a loud bang, Yang Kai’s body shook slightly and his expression became gloomy.
Glancing over, he saw Fang Peng standing there sneering at him.
“Sect Master Fang, launching a sneak attack at such a time isn’t in good taste, is it? If you want to fight, just say so, this Sect Master will gladly accompany you to your end!” Yang Kai snorted.
“Enough nonsense, Boy, since you dared come to this Star Emperor Mountain, don’t even dream of leaving alive. Today, this will be your burial place!” Fang Peng roared.
Because of Yang Kai, he was forced to abandon Thunder Typhoon Sect’s ten thousand year foundation, and even use that very foundation to set a trap to try to extinguish this boy. Now, since Yang Kai had appeared here unharmed, it was obvious his previous plot had failed, not only destroying his Sect’s headquarters in Thunder Typhoon Canyon but also wasting the lives of his five Martial Seniors.
If Yang Kai did not die here, today, Thunder Typhoon Sect would never be able to rise again.
Only by killing him could Thunder Typhoon Sect make a comeback.
“Your words are bold, Old Dog. If you want my life, you’ll have to come get it yourself, though I doubt you have the ability!” Yang Kai snorted as he stretched out his hand and summoned his Firebird Artifact Spirit.
A loud dragon roar also rang out as Yang Kai summoned the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword and transformed it into a giant dark green dragon floating above his head.
*Chi chi chi…*
A series of Space Blades appeared beside Yang Kai and flew towards Fang Peng rapidly under the control of his Divine Sense.
Fang Peng’s complexion changed drastically. Although he had spoken both aggressively and confidently, he was by no means underestimating Yang Kai. After witnessing Yang Kai’s many methods, he naturally didn’t dare to be negligent.
His body flashed brilliantly and a majestic looking Artifact Armour appeared.
Defending before attacking showed that Fang Peng was lacking in confidence.
At the same time, his wrist shook and a long whip suddenly appeared, the aura it pulsed with indicating it was an Origin King Grade artifact.
Thunder Typhoon Sect was one of the two giants of Shadowed Star, so it had a hallowed treasure of this grade. This Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was the most precious artifact Thunder Typhoon Sect possessed and had been part of its core inheritance for thousands of years.
Normally, it was never used, but Fang Peng had taken it away with him when he withdrew from Thunder Typhoon Sect. Now that he was confronting Yang Kai, he summoned it without hesitation.
This long whip was discovered by one of Thunder Typhoon Sect’s ancestors in an Ancient Ruin when he was out for life experience. It was said that it was also quite famous in ancient times. Refining it had consumed countless rare materials and there were even the Souls of powerful bird-type Monster Beasts sealed inside it, allowing the whip to transform into the appearance of these monster birds.
Finally, it had been tempered in a Ten Thousand Year Thunder Fire Pool, which allowed it to absorb the power of thunder fire.
Any artifact below Origin King Grade couldn’t withstand its lashing as once it was contaminated by this powerful thunder fire, the spirituality of any lesser artifact would be greatly damaged.
As the long whip lashed, faint sounds of thunder resounded.
At that moment, the Firebird rushed to the top of Fang Peng’s head, opened its beak wide, and shot out a fireball larger than the washbasin towards him.
Holding the Origin King Grade artifact in his hand, Fang Peng was unafraid of this fireball and he simply waved the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip viciously towards the Firebird.
A sad, piercing cry rang out from the Firebird as it failed to evade this blow and its body suddenly dimmed, seemingly suffering some trauma.
Yang Kai’s expression changed greatly when he saw this, but he soon calmed down.
He could sense that the Firebird was injured, but that it wasn’t a major problem and had only ignited its anger.
The series of Space Blades reached Fang Peng at this time. Facing this strange, esoteric force, Fang Peng did not dare confront it head-on, his body flickering as he dodged, reappearing an instant later only a dozen or so metres from where Yang Kai stood.
The Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip traced a beautiful and sinister arc as it lashed towards Yang Kai.
Worthy of being a master at the peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm and the Sect Master of one of Shadowed Star’s greatest Sects, both Fang Peng’s strength and skill were far above that of an average cultivator. His Saint Qi was especially pure and dense, nearly exceeding the normal bounds of the Third-Order.
The opponent’s attack was timed and aimed perfectly, making it impossible to dodge, so Yang Kai could only resort to using his Purple Shield to defend himself.
However, the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip changed direction mid-air, avoiding the position of Purple Shield as if it had its own intelligence. Fang Peng shook his wrist and the long whip stiffened straight and thrust out like a long spear towards Yang Kai’s heart.
At that moment, the long whip transformed into the figure of a demon bird as it let out a faint cry.
This bird somewhat resembling an eagle with sharp claws and a wingspan of several tens of metres which could obscure the sun’s light.
A Heavenly Peng!
Yang Kai stared at this attack indifferently, as if he was unaware that disaster was approaching him, not even showing any intention to dodge.
A lofty dragon roar resounded from above as the dark green dragon shook its head and waved its tail as it intercepted the Heavenly Peng. In the next moment, the two collided together, dragon roars and bird cries filling the air along with violent energy fluctuations that distorted the surrounding space.
The Heavenly Peng’s manifestation dimmed at visible rate while on the contrary the giant dark green dragon only became more and more ferocious.
“Impossible!” Fang Peng was shocked as he stared at the giant dark-green dragon in a daze, unable to believe what he was seeing.
He knew that the Verdant Bone Sword in Yang Kai’s hand was quite powerful, but he never thought that it was an Origin King Grade artifact!
If it weren’t, there was no way it could clash with the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip for so long. Moreover, the thunder fire of the whip, which could corrode the spirituality of an artifact, did not affect the giant dark green dragon. Instead, it was the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip that seemed to be taking damage.
Yang Kai’s giant dark green dragon was actually an extremely poisonous and corrosive existence!
Fang Peng’s face changed drastically as he desperately urged his Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy.
The Heavenly Peng phantom immediately disappeared, transforming back into its long whip form, breaking away from the entanglement of the giant dark-green, dragon-like snake, and returning to Fang Peng’s hand.
Although the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was a high-quality artifact, it was still worse than the Dragon Bone Sword.
The Dragon Bone Sword was refined from a piece of True Dragon bone supplemented with a real Dragon Bead that contained a remnant wisp of a True Dragon’s Soul. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the highest-end materials were used in its refinement. Even if the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was also extremely good, it still wasn’t comparable to the Dragon Bone Sword.
What was limiting the Dragon Bone Sword from displaying its full power was actually Yang Kai’s low cultivation.
Additionally, the Dragon Bone Sword could swallow the physical essence of the enemies it slew to enhance itself, meaning it would only become more powerful in the future.
Yang Kai had great expectations for it, so saying it couldn’t even defeat this Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was a bad joke.
Even after seeing the artifact he was most relying upon being suppressed, Fang Pang was not discouraged. Although the quality of artifacts was a major factor in a struggle between cultivators, Secret Techniques and cultivation realm were still the most important aspects.
Fang Peng believed that with his cultivation being two Minor Realms higher than Yang Kai’s, and with his many years of experience, even if his artifact was being suppressed, he could still emerge victoriously.
Continuing to swing the long whip back and forth, striking from impossible angles with extreme accuracy, Fang Peng managed to launch an assault that made it impossible for both the Firebird and the giant dark green dragon to get close.
Even Yang Kai’s Space Blades were being torn apart by the long whip.
Suddenly, atop Star Ascendance Peak, two great battles erupted into full swing. These were life or death struggles, making them extraordinarily thrilling.
Only Leng Qing, however, standing at a distance, was able to observe this magnificent scene.
He didn’t watch the battle between Ye Xi Yun and Qi Tian Che though, as that fight was of too high a level for him, making it impossible for him to comprehend anything even if he tried to observe and emulate it.
The confrontation he was paying attention to was the one between Yang Kai and Fang Peng!
As an elite of the younger generation on Star Emperor Mountain, Leng Qing had always been quite proud, not even putting Qu Chang Feng in his eyes back in the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
But he didn’t dare to despise Yang Kai.
Ever since he ran into Yang Kai in the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, Leng Qing had regarded him as an opponent on the same level as himself and had secretly been looking forward to the day when he could fight against him in a death-match!
But now, Leng Qing discovered that the young man he considered a potential opponent was actually far stronger than himself.
Yang Kai was able to fight against a character like Fang Peng on even terms, and even if he was relying on various external forces, he was still able to completely suppress Fang Peng’s momentum single-handedly.
Leng Qing was extremely shocked.
He had never imagined someone could achieve this kind of feat with only a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation! He freely admitted that even he had no such ability. Leng Qing was a true genius, but wasn’t Fang Peng one as well?
Those that can be the Sect Master of their sects are those that stood out amongst their peers in the sect, and the Sect Master of Thunder Typhoon Sect is no exception. His skills must be no worse than those that stood at the pinnacle of Shadowed Star.
But such a character couldn’t gain any advantage over Yang Kai in a frontal confrontation, all of his methods being handled easily or suppressed as they fought!
Leng Qing estimated that, if he were in Yang Kai’s place, he wouldn’t even be able to persist for more than half a cup of tea’s worth of time against Fang Peng!
At this moment, Leng Qing felt somewhat depressed, somewhat lost, but more excited than ever!
He had found a target, a goal he could pursue, raising his enthusiasm greatly. Clenching his fists, Leng Qing stared at Yang Kai’s movements fixedly, secretly applauding every time he attacked and counterattacked, often drawing inspiration from even an inadvertent action by the other party.
“Fang Peng, if you had escaped far away earlier, you might not have died today, but since you chose to come to Star Emperor Mountain, you’ve sealed your own fate,” Yang Kai drove the Dragon Bone Sword and his Firebird Artifact Spirit towards Fang Peng as he laughed loudly.
Fang Peng’s expression remained cold as he held his silence.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to refute, but right now, he was truly at a disadvantage and didn’t have the spare capacity to argue with Yang Kai.
Throughout this hard fight, Fang Peng had realized that he couldn’t kill Yang Kai with his strength alone, but that it was also not going to be easy for his opponent to kill him.
As such, he could only pin his hopes on Qi Tian Che.
Fang Peng felt that Qi Tian Che must still have a hidden card to play, otherwise, he wouldn’t have acted so confidently before.
Realizing this, Fang Peng seized an opportunity to glance over at the other battlefield and was surprised to find that they too were engaged in a deep and fierce fight, but unlike his own, they were evenly matched, neither able to overpower the other.
This discovery made his heart jump and a chill shoot up his back.
What if Qi Tian Che couldn’t defeat Ye Xi Yun? What should he do then?
Qi Tian Che’s strength and methods were superb so he could definitely escape from this place if he wanted to, but there was no way for Fang Peng to do so. In front of a cultivator proficient in the Dao of Space, trying to run away was the epitome of stupidity.
While thinking so, Fang Peng’s eyes suddenly shrank.
He found that on the other battlefield, Qi Tian Che made a feint to escape from Ye Xi Yun’s entanglement before transforming into a streak of light that shot towards his direction!
As Qi Tian Che flew through the air, he suddenly extended his hand and grasped forward ruthlessly!
Yang Kai, who was originally moving about freely, suddenly felt great pressure and couldn’t help his movements becoming somewhat sluggish.
Fang Peng was overjoyed and immediately understood what Qi Tian Che was plotting. Clearly, he was only pretending to fight Ye Xi Yun to the death when in fact his goal was to seize Yang Kai.
As long as Yang Kai could be captured, it wouldn’t matter how strong Ye Xi Yun was.
Instantaneously, Fang Peng grasped Qi Tian Che’s plan and now that he and Qi Tian Che were both grasshoppers on the same rope, naturally Fang Peng was going to contribute. Hastily, Fang Pen executed a Secret Technique that further suppressed Yang Kai in place.
“You think that you can suppress me by working together?” Yang Kai’s eyes went cold and sharp, “Seems you won’t show regret unless you see your coffin! Come catch me if you can!”
As he spoke these words, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and swiped forward, immediately opening up a Void Crack before him.
“Space Force is truly mysterious, but in front of this old master, your paltry methods are useless!” Qi Tian Che laughed and with a flick of his wrist threw out a small bead.
The bead looked extremely ordinary and gave off no discernible energy fluctuations, but when it appeared, Ye Xi Yun’s expression changed drastically and she couldn’t help calling out in amazement, “You actually managed to refine it?! Sect Master, dodge!”
Yang Kai’s heart clenched.
Although he didn’t know what kind of mysteries this bead hid, it was definitely no small thing if it could shock Ye Xi Yun this much.
Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai stepped into the Void Crack to escape.
But to his shock, a mysterious fluctuation burst out from the bead at that exact moment and, as this wave propagated forth, it actually destabilized the Void Crack and instantly sealed it.
It was as if it had been wiped away by a giant invisible hand.
Yang Kai only managed to take a step through the air in the end.
In the next moment, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.
By the time Yang Kai recovered, he was already in another space.
Looking around, this space was extremely small, less than three hundred metres in radius, but it was also lush and green.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed with surprise, not immediately able to understand what had happened.
What surprised him even more though was that this space was obviously incomplete! Because at the border of this space he could see partial pieces of vegetation, with the other half clearly somewhere beyond what was visible to him.
It was almost as if there was a barrier partitioning off the space.
Not far in front of him, Qi Tian Che stood wearing a smile while Fang Peng simply looked confused as he glanced left and right but was unable to see any trace of Ye Xi Yun.
The Firebird Artifact Spirit hovered overhead, crying out anxiously. It was also brought inside, but the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword was left outside, and when Yang Kai tried to communicate with it with his Divine Sense, he was actually unable to establish contact, a discovery that caused his heart to sink.
A moment later, Fang Peng frowned and asked, “Brother Tian Che, what is this place?”
He was obviously kept in the dark too, not knowing what Qi Tian Che wanted to do.
“A Small Sealed World!” Qi Tian Che laughed.
“Small Sealed World?” Fang Peng’s eyes widened, almost thinking that he had heard wrong. Yang Kai’s face also couldn’t help becoming gloomy as he glared towards Qi Tian Che.
“Has Brother Fang not seen such a minuscule Small Sealed World before?” Qi Tian Che asked.
“Indeed,” Fang Peng nodded honestly, “I have explored numerous Small Sealed Worlds before, but even the smallest of them was far larger than this place.”
What confused him even more though was how the three of them had suddenly been transported to this Small Sealed World.
Small Sealed Worlds were usually only accessible through a Void Corridor, but just now, Qi Tian Che had only thrown out a small bead which then released a strange burst of energy before the three of them appeared here.
Was it possible that this Small Sealed World was somehow related to that bead? Fang Peng frowned slightly.
Yang Kai was also surprised.
Back on Tong Xuan Realm, he had been to a few Small Sealed Worlds before, but after arriving in the Star Field, he had not encountered any such places again until today.
“Sect Master Yang, I presume?” Qi Tian Che looked at Yang Kai with a smile, his expression completely relaxed, “Come to think of it, you and I have not introduced ourselves have we? This King is Qi Tian Che and currently occupies the position of Star Emperor Mountain’s Sect Master.”
“Sect Master Qi’s name resounds like thunder, this Junior has long heard of it,” Yang Kai grinned, not showing the slightest fear, “But this Junior would like to ask Senior, why did you bring me to this place? Do you want to blackmail Great Elder with me?”
“Sect Master Yang need not use such crass words,” Qi Tian Che slowly shook his head, “This King bringing you here was not to deal with Senior Sister Ye, but rather because this King wished to make friends with you.”
“Heh heh…” Yang Kai laughed, stroking his chin as he said, “Senior must be joking.”
Qi Tian Che shook his head once more and declared solemnly, “This King truly means what he says, this is no joke.”
“But this Junior has no interest in making friends with you!” Yang Kai snickered.
Qi Tian Che failed to stifle his laughter as he continued, “If Sect Master Yang insists so, this old master won’t force the issue; however, this old master still wants to consult with Sect Master Yang about something.”
“You have something you want to consult with me about?” Yang Kai looked surprised.
“Indeed!” Qi Tian Che nodded sincerely.
“And what is that? Seeking power by usurping the throne? Deceiving one’s master and dishonouring one’s ancestors? If it’s about such matters, this Junior has nothing to say, Senior has clearly already reached the peak of such arts,” Yang Kai snapped at Qi Tian Che sarcastically.
The other party didn’t become angry at all though and simply maintained a calm smile, “Naturally, it is not about such trivial things. What this King wants to ask about… is the Dao of Space!”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed hearing this.
“The Dao of Space is extremely esoteric and difficult to cultivate, this King is untalented and has spent many years trying to comprehend it, but despite such effort, his achievements in the field are far inferior to Sect Master Yang, who can even condense a blade of pure Space Force or independently tear space! This King deeply admires Sect Master Yang’s profound methods! I simply wish to ask Sect Master Yang to resolve a few of the many quandaries this King is burdened with.”
“You’ve studied the Dao of Space?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Some trivial accomplishments at most,” Qi Tian Che nodded humbly, “This King has been in retreat for several dozen years just to study the Dao of Space and had some minor gains, but…”
Yang Kai was stunned.
He hadn’t expected that this old man had been in retreat for several dozen years just to study Space Force.
Yang Xiu Zhu had reminded Ye Xi Yun to be wary of Qi Tian Che because the latter had been in retreat to cultivate some kind of Secret Technique for the past several dozen years, but now it turns out he was actually trying to cultivate Space Force.
However, why would he do this?
Yang Kai’s mind turned sharply before suddenly a flash of understanding came to him. Turning a grin towards Qi Tian Che, Yang Kai asked lightly, “Senior, if this Junior is not mistaken, you cultivating the Dao of Space must be related to this Small Sealed World and that strange bead, yes?”
“Oh? Why did you say this?” Qi Tian Che raised his brow as his eyes flashed brightly, seemingly very interested.
“Haha,” Yang Kai laughed, “I did not see a Void Corridor before being inexplicably brought here by Senior, so obviously that bead should be some kind of key to opening and accessing this Small Sealed World, but to use it, one must be capable of using Space Force, which is why you wish to cultivate it. Is this Junior correct?”
“That’s right!” Qi Tian Che looked at Yang Kai approvingly, nodding as he asked, “I wonder what else Sect Master Yang can see?”
“I can see that this Small Sealed World is incomplete, probably because your comprehension of the Dao of Space is lacking. If you wish to complete this Small Sealed World, you must become more proficient in using Space Force…” As he said this though, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as he suddenly became confused, not really able to see a specific relationship between Qi Tian Che’s proficiency in the Dao of Space and this Small Sealed World.
A Small Sealed World was a Small Sealed World, an independent world of its own, it should not have anything to do with anyone.
“Sect Master Yang’s vision is sharp; this old master deeply admires it!” Qi Tian Che nodded slightly, “But although Sect Master Yang is more than half right, he has made one critical mistake.”
“Oh? And what is that?” Yang Kai looked at him suspiciously.
“That bead was not the key to opening this Small Sealed World!” Qi Tian Che smiled meaningfully, “That bead is this Small Sealed World!”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai frowned at him.
“Let me put it another way, a Small Sealed World was sealed inside that bead!” Qi Tian Che explained.
“What?” Yang Kai was shocked, and Fang Peng was also dumbfounded.
“A Small Sealed World contained within a bead? How is that possible?” Yang Kai frowned and shook his head, a look of disbelief filling his face, but soon, his expression became solemn as he stared at Qi Tian Che gloomily, hesitating before asking, “Could it be that bead… is an Emperor Artifact?”
Qi Tian Che laughed and stroked his beard lightly, nodding in confirmation, “Sect Master Yang is truly wise, understanding all the key points so quickly. Indeed, that bead is an Emperor Artifact! Normal artifacts could not possibly have such a profound function, but Emperor Artifacts are different, the secrets of Emperor Artifacts are beyond our comprehension! That bead is indeed one of the two Emperor Artifact beads, the Sealed World Bead!”
“Of the two Emperor Artifact beads!” Yang Kai said coldly snorted, “Then the other one is the Annihilation Thunder Bead?”
“En. These two beads are inheritances passed down personally from the Great Emperor and are the two most important treasures of my Star Emperor Mountain!” Qi Tian Che nodded and admitted, suddenly grinning as he said, “Sect Master Yang should not blame Senior Sister Ye for not warning you about this matter. Senior Sister Ye had no idea this old master was able to refine this Sealed World Bead. This thing has been passed down by my Star Emperor Mountain’s ancestors for ten thousand years, with each generation’s Sect Master attempting to refine it, but none have ever succeeded! As time passed, even the purpose and function of this Sealed World Bead became lost. This old master was only able to refine it and understand its mysteries thanks to a series of opportunities and coincidences.”
Yang Kai’s face was black and his expression was extremely difficult to look at.
If he wasn’t currently inside this incomplete Small Sealed World, he would never have believed that this strange Sealed World Bead, which contained its own independent world, could possibly exist.
Now that he was trapped inside, unable to even contact his Dragon Bone Sword, how was he supposed to fight? This old dog still had his Sun and Moon Golden Wheel Origin King Grade artifact.
“Sect Master Yang should not bother thinking about trying to tear space, this Small Sealed World is an independent space with its own World Principles, it is useless for you to tear space here,” Qi Tian Che also seemed to remind him kindly.
“I’d prefer to confirm that for myself; Senior doesn’t mind, right?” Yang Kai glanced over at Qi Tian Che faintly.
“Sect Master Yang, please, it just so happens that this King also wants to carefully observe how Sect Master Yang’s manipulates Space Force,” Qi Tian Che waved his hand lightly, showing no intention of stopping Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not waste any time, stretched out his hand, and swiped the air in front of him, opening a Void Crack in the next instant.
But before he could step into it, Qi Tian Che suddenly waved his hand and the Void Crack disappeared.
Yang Kai looked at him coldly with an unhappy expression on his face.
Qi Tian Che smiled and said, “The World Principles of this Small Sealed World are now controlled by this old master, Sect Master Yang should give up.”
“Old bastard!” Yang Kai coldly snapped.
“Sect Master Yang is young and vigorous, so this old master won’t care about your lack of decorum. This old master has already honestly explained his purpose and intent, now it is time for Sect Master Yang to make a choice. If you choose to work for this old master, this old master will treat you as a friend in the future, but if Sect Master Yang insists on being stubborn… Well, this old master has other methods to obtain your cooperation. I have given you the opportunity, whether you can grasp it or not depends on your actions.”
Yang Kai grinned, “Do you think you’re in complete control now that you’ve simply trapped me in this place? Cooperate with you? Senior should abandon such wishful thinking, as for cultivating the Dao of Space, you’d best try harder in your next life instead!”
At that moment, the Firebird Artifact Spirit, which had been hovering above Yang Kai’s head, screamed and transformed into a ball of flame that flew towards Qi Tian Che.
“Oh!” Qi Tian Che sighed deeply, “Since Sect Master Yang insists on doing this, then this old master can only press forward as well, please pardon my offence, Sect Master Yang!”
Saying so, he stretched out his hand and pointed a finger towards the approaching Firebird Artifact Spirit.
A bizarre scene appeared next.
A vortex suddenly appeared in the sky, and as it rotated, it seemed to produce an irresistible suction force that pulled in the Firebird regardless of how the Artifact Spirit struggled to resist.
In just three short breaths, the Firebird plunged into the vortex and disappeared.
The connection between Yang Kai and the Firebird’s Soul was also cut off at that moment, causing his complexion to pale slightly.
“Sect Master Yang need not worry, this old master simply banished it outside, so it will not interfere in the fight between us,” Qi Tian Che said lightly before his expression suddenly became extremely solemn and he let out a loud shout as he stomped hard on the ground.
The earth seemed to tremble slightly and the sound of tearing silk rang out as Qi Tian Che’s robes were instantly shattered, blasting apart, revealing his upper body.
Yang Kai looked at him with a look of shock on his face.
This old dog looked old and frail, but his body was actually the exact opposite.
Rippling, clearly defined muscles which seemed to be filled with explosive power covered his frame.
It wouldn’t be a surprise for a young man to possess such a body, but it was a bit strange for an old man with grey hair and a long beard to have such a physique.
His body was nothing short of powerful! The rippling force that was contained in every one of his muscles was obvious to anyone who saw them.
Saint Qi surged wildly and Qi Tian Che’s momentum seemed unstoppable as a glow pulsed from his body.
Yang Kai and Fang Peng both stared blankly.
“Sect Master Yang, this old master will give you one last chance, it’s still not too late to see reason, but if you refuse, this old master will have to take action. If Sect Master Yang is wounded in the process, this old master will certainly feel some regret,” Qi Tian Che said as he stared down Yang Kai majestically.
“Enough nonsense, you brought me into this tiny space because you thought your physical prowess would give you an advantage, right?” Yang Kai smiled weirdly, “Whether you have such ability or not, we shall see!”
Seeing him refusing his kindness twice, Qi Tian Che’s expression also grew dark and he nodded, “Good, since that’s the case, then don’t blame this old master for being impolite.”
Saying so, Qi Tian Che’s figure flickered and he disappeared from where he was standing. When he reappeared, he was already above Yang Kai’s head.
Without using any kind of Secret Technique or summoning any kind of artifact, Qi Tian Chen fiercely threw a punch towards Yang Kai.
Fighting in this extremely small space, any kind of artifact or Secret Technique would be greatly restricted, while those who possessed superior physical capabilities would undoubtedly occupy a major advantage!
There was no sound, but the power contained in this fist was enough to break a mountain.
Yang Kai simply stood in place, however, seemingly unaware of the approaching danger.
Qi Tian Che frowned, wondering what kind of scheme he was up to.
It wasn’t until the fist wind began brushing Yang Kai’s face that he suddenly shouted, “Come out!”
A small and angular figure suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai mysteriously and in an instant grew into a massive stone giant several dozen meters in height.
Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao!
The Dragon Bone Sword had been left outside, and the Firebird Artifact Spirit was banished by Qi Tian Che, but Yang Kai still had Xiao Xiao!
Xiao Xiao hefted the pitch-black Heaven Shaking Pillar on his shoulders, and as he grew, so too did the strange stick-like artifact.
Gripping the Heaven Shaking Pillar tightly, Xiao Xiao swiftly swept it forward.
Qi Tian Che’s eyes shrank and a look of horror filled his face as he hurriedly withdrew.
He felt a fatal threat from this stick and understood that even with his great physical strength, he could not take a blow from it head-on.
*Hong…*
It seemed like even space was smashed and collapsed while Qi Tian Che only felt a numbness in his abdomen.
He had not been hit by the pitch-black stick, instead just being swept by the wind pressure it created, but even so, his blood roiled and his breathing became disordered. It was easy to imagine what kind of fate he would experience if he were struck by it directly.
Qi Tian Che’s expression changed dramatically as he leapt backwards without hesitation while reaching out and pointing his finger towards the Stone Puppet.
He intended to exile the Stone Puppet from this space too!
This was how he dealt with the Firebird Artifact Spirit just now.
To capture Yang Kai alive, Qi Tian Che had expended a great deal of effort and gathered a large amount of information, so he knew that Yang Kai possessed several terrifying helpers.
However, he was also fully confident in the Sealed World Bead.
The Sealed World Bead was one of the two Emperor Artifact beads, and since he had refined it, Qi Tian Che could control the Sealed World Bead’s environment and laws to a certain extent. As long as Yang Kai was isolated, Qi Tian Che wouldn’t have a problem subduing a mere First-Order Origin Returning Realm Junior. Once Yang Kai was captured alive, not only could Qi Tian Che learn the secrets of the Dao of Space from him, but he could also force Ye Xi Yun into a desperate situation and even return to the ancestral land of Supreme Profound Sect.
From the very beginning, he had never intended to fight a life or death battle with Ye Xi Yun, his goal had always been Yang Kai.
The vortex that had appeared once before appeared again, and the terrifying suction force began drawing in the Stone Puppet!
“Wishful thinking!” Yang Kai shouted angrily as he stretched out his hand and grabbed towards the vortex suddenly. Rich Space Force pulsed and collapsed the vortex, allowing Xiao Xiao to break free and regain his freedom of movement.
Yang Kai laughed riotously, “Old Dog, it seems your grasp of this place’s World Principles is too weak.”
Qi Tian Che’s complexion sank, and a faint feelings of ill omen couldn’t help rising in his heart.
He hadn’t expected that Yang Kai would be able to counter him in this place. It seemed that even if he had refined this Sealed World Bead, when it came to manipulating Space Force, he was still not Yang Kai’s opponent.
The Stone Puppet moved swiftly, slamming its stick again the moment broke free from the suction force.
Qi Tian Che didn’t dare face this blow head-on and hurriedly dodged.
The Heaven Shaking Pillar brushed past his body and another dull impact from the wind pressure assailed his waist and ribs.
Before Qi Tian Che could steady himself, a strong wind pressure descended upon him from above as Yang Kai’s shout reached his ears, “Old dog, taste my fist!”
“Very good!” Qi Tian Che’s face filled with surprise and happiness.
He hadn’t summoned any kind of artifact or used any kind of Secret Technique because he wanted to fight Yang Kai hand to hand. Firstly, this battleground was not conducive to any other form of combat, and secondly because he had full confidence in his physical strength. Now seeing Yang Kai actually approach him of his own accord, Qi Tian Che was naturally overjoyed.
He thought Yang Kai had become overconfident and was acting recklessly.
Qi Tian Che deeply feared the power of the stone giant, but that didn’t mean he feared a trivial Yang Kai.
Without even hesitating, he sent out his own punch to meet Yang Kai’s.
Two fists impacted and a loud bang rang out.
Yang Kai’s body flew out like an arrow from the string while Qi Tian Che couldn’t help letting out a grunt as his entire body sank halfway into the ground.
In that instant, Qi Tian Che couldn’t help but turn pale.
Although it was just a simple exchange of fists, with Qi Tian Che’s vast experience it was easy for him to see that Yang Kai’s physique and strength were just as intrepid as his own. In that blow just now, both sides had suffered a small loss with neither having any distinctive advantage over the other.
[How can this be?]
Qi Tian Che had lived for over a thousand years and ever since he first tread upon the Martial Dao, he had always paid special attention to his Body Tempering. Now, his physical body was far stronger than that of an average cultivator in the same realm and was even comparable to an ordinary Origin Grade High-Rank artifact in terms of resilience.
But how old was this little brat? How long had he cultivated for? How could he possibly have such a strong physique?
The astonishing amount of vitality he felt in that moment of contact shocked Qi Tian Che to an incredible degree.
Before he could collect himself though, the Stone Puppet’s Heaven Shaking Pillar swept towards him again.
Qi Tian Che was unable to avoid the blow this time as he was half-sunk into the earth. Seeing that the pitch-black stick swept towards him, Qi Tian Che took a deep breath and the faint glow which had been radiating from his body suddenly increased in intensity several times. In an instant, Qi Tian Che’s body seemed to be covered by a rigid, almost metallic protective barrier.
Clenching his fists, Qian Tian Che lifted both his arms to protect his face.
In the next moment, the Heaven Shaking Pillar arrived.
*Hong…*
Qi Tian Che was knocked over and thrown out by the massive impact force, flying until he hit the edge of the Small Sealed World before smashing into the barrier and then crashing to the ground, his face going pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered, and looked up with solemn expression.
This time, he had suffered a heavy loss. The Heaven Shaking Pillar was forged from Heavenly Crystal Profound Iron in ancient times before it was brought out by Yang Kai from the Emperor Garden.
Heavenly Crystal Profound Iron was a top-level Origin King Grade artifact refining material and even a fist-sized piece weighed over ten thousand kilograms. If one incorporated even a tiny bit of it into an artifact they were refining, it would make said artifact many times more difficult to destroy.
The Heaven Shaking Pillar was completely forged from this peculiar material and was thus extremely heavy.
Yang Kai could barely lift it with all his strength, but he couldn’t swing it around.
Only strange creatures like the Stone Puppet could use this unusual artifact.
Even if Qi Tian Che cultivated a Body Tempering Secret Art for hundreds of years, he was still unable to withstand the violent blow of the Heaven Shaking Pillar.
“How did you like the taste of that attack?” Yang Kai shook his wrist as he stood a short distance away. Just now, he had exchanged a punch with Qi Tian Che so his hand was still stinging.
“Not bad!” Qi Tian Che did not lose his spirit and just gently nodded, “In time, Sect Master Yang would surely become the most dazzling master of Shadowed Star and have no difficulty unifying the entire world. Unfortunately, since you encountered this old Master here, you won’t be getting that chance.”
As the metallic lustre on his body increased, Qi Tian Che rushed towards Yang Kai solemnly.
A round of full sun suddenly appeared above his head, bursting with dazzling light.
The Origin King Grade artifact, Sun and Moon Golden Wheel!
Streams of hot Yang filled light shot from the golden sun, radiating a heat which seemed capable of burning all creation as they lased towards Yang Kai.
At the same time, Qi Tian Che also released his grand accomplishment stage Shi, covering the entire Small Sealed World in it.
The small space suddenly became extremely sticky, giving people the illusion of being stuck deep in the mud, the more they struggled, the deeper they sank.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed, knowing that this old dog was now going all out against him.
Qi Tian Che couldn’t beat the Stone Puppet in strength, so he could choose to target Yang Kai directly.
Not daring to hold back either, Yang Kai also released his Shi.
The space surrounding him suddenly became distorted and even began to collapse as innumerable tiny Void Cracks began to form, as if the world around Yang Kai had been shredded by a million blades. These tiny Void Cracks drifted about randomly for a moment before immediately being repaired by the World Principles of Small Sealed World, only to re-appear elsewhere in the next instant.
Yang Kai had condensed his Shi under the full impact of the Emperor Garden’s Emperor Pressure and incorporated his Space Force into it at the time, allowing his Shi to become far stronger than that of an average cultivator and even able to affect the surrounding space when he released it.
The constantly forming and collapsing Void Cracks around him were the best evidence of this.
Relying on this alone, however, wasn’t enough for Yang Kai to compete with Qi Tian Che’s grand accomplishment stage Shi which had touched upon the threshold of Domain.
A slicing sound rang out in the next moment though.
Hundreds of Golden Blood Threads spread out from Yang Kai’s body and constantly cut through the suppression of Qi Tian Che Shi.
The Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique originally had the effect of destroying Shi, so with Yang Kai using hundreds of them at once, the effect was naturally quite remarkable.
Using this two-pronged approach, the pressure weighing down Yang Kai suddenly disappeared and he was instantly relieved of the grand accomplishment Shi which was restraining him.
Manipulating them with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai sliced through the air with his Golden Blood Threads and intercepted every beam of radiant Yang light coming towards him, resolving the incoming danger without suffering any harm.
Qi Tian Che was deeply shocked!
He couldn’t imagine that the situation would develop to this point. All of the methods and strengths he was so proud of didn’t play any role against Yang Kai.
At this moment, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat nervous.
But now, he was already an arrow in mid-flight, and Ye Xi Yun was waiting for him outside, so if he couldn’t defeat Yang Kai in this Small Sealed World, even if he fled outside, his situation would only get worse.
Only by capturing Yang Kai here could he regain control of the overall situation.
Understanding this, Qi Tian Che flew towards Yang Kai and threw out a fist carrying vast destructive power.
Yang Kai didn’t even try to evade, instead sending out a fist of his own, his Saint Qi pushed to its limits as his muscles flexed, launching into a tangled struggle with Qi Tian Che.
All plots and conspiracies were useless at this moment, only by overwhelming their opponent with pure power could either of them achieve victory. The two were like savages as they recklessly swung their fists, pummeling each other with one blow after another.
This kind of hand to hand combat was simple, direct, savage, and bloody!
Endless explosions rang out as golden and silvery light intersected with one another, mixed with the occasional shout or muffled groan.
In this battle of pure physical strength, the two sides were actually even.
Fang Peng stood to the side, dumbfounded.
He had been brought into this Small Sealed World by Qi Tian Che and thought that they would join forces to easily defeat Yang Kai. He believed that Qi Tian Che had planned this entire scenario out as such, but now, to Fang Peng’s frustration, he discovered he was actually unable to intervene in this fight at all, only able to stand idly by and watch anxiously.
Even Xiao Xiao stood back and waited for an opportunity, not daring to attack rashly.
He too couldn’t interfere!
*Peng peng peng…*
The body Qi Tian Che’s was so proud of suffered blow after blow from Yang Kai’s fists during the battle, each strike producing a metallic thud upon landing, but despite being comparable in durability to an Origin Grade High-Rank artifact, it could actually not withstand his opponent’s brute force. The violent bombardment shocked his physique and damaged his meridians and bones, giving him an almost unbearable ache.
While he hadn’t sustained any major injuries, Qi Tian Che was soon bleeding from his nose and mouth, looking extremely hideous.
The same was true for Yang Kai, but the blood he shed was golden and overflowed with vitality, giving it an astonishing regenerative and restorative property.
The wild battle seemed to arouse the ferocity deep in Yang Kai’s heart, and his eyes became cruel and bloody, like those of a starved beast which had just been set free of its cage and could not wait to feast on its prey.
Time passed by.
The two men were both covered in blood and their skin was cracked and lacerated, but the strength behind Yang Kai’s punches did not diminish, instead becoming heavier and heavier, each blow causing Qi Tian Che’s figure to shake violently.
On the other hand, Qi Tian Che’s momentum was gradually weakening.
The stronger one had been decided!
Perhaps the two were on the same level in terms of body tempering and strength, but Yang Kai had a massive advantage over Qi Tian Che: His Golden Blood!
The injuries Yang Kai suffered could be restored rapidly, but Qi Tian Che’s could not. Under such circumstances, it was natural for Yang Kai to slowly gain the advantage.
Even an insect would struggle against death, let alone Qi Tian Che, a master who had touched the threshold of the Origin King Realm.
Despite falling into a disadvantage, he was not discouraged, he only focused harder on defeating Yang Kai.
“Old dog, choosing to fight with this Sect Master in this place was the biggest mistake of your life. Now, it’s time to pay the price!” Yang Kai was bathed in blood too, but he still roared with incredible fighting intent as a five-coloured radiance from his body.
Gold, green, white, red, and yellow light intermingled and merged to form a brilliant and domineering halo around Yang Kai, creating a ‘Chee’ sound effect.
Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi!
Yang Kai’s already extremely strong momentum skyrocketed once more, and a terrifying, violent force that seemed capable of crushing everything that stood before it filled his aura.
Qi Tian Che was horrified.
Having fought Yang Kai with fist and foot, he was clearer about just how intrepid his body was than anyone else, but when this five-coloured brilliance appeared, the intensity of his physical force increased again by more than thirty percent.
Thirty percent may not seem like much, but it was more than enough to expand the small gap in their positions into a massive one.
*Hong…*
Yang Kai threw out a fierce punch, to which Qi Tian Che raised his hand instinctively to block, but when the latter was struck, he could not resist in the slightest and the blow landed square on his chest.
A sound of bones breaking rang out and Qi Tian Che’s chest sank in while the arm he had raised to protect himself also drooped.
The flesh and bones he had tempered for over a thousand years was unable to withstand this single hit and burst open.
The sound of bones shattering continued to resound one after another from Qi Tian Che’s body as Yang Kai rained down a barrage of fists on him.
Fang Peng’s face twitched as he watched from the side, his eyes bulging wildly!
Qi Tian Che screamed in horror as his organs began to rupture. No longer daring to confront Yang Kai head-on, he subconsciously began to dodge while trying to withdraw.
But how could Yang Kai allow him to get away?
Like a ravenous beast, he continued to pursue Qi Tian Che while landing blow after blow.
Qi Tian Che’s extremely strong body was rapidly beaten into a bloody pulp, with almost no place left intact, his skin completely cracked, and his physique battered with broken bones all over that were visible to the naked eye.
He screamed repeatedly, but could not dodge, coughing up his blood each time Yang Kai struck.
The battlefield Qi Tian Che had carefully chosen to maximize his advantage had become a fatal constraint, making it impossible for him to manoeuvre or execute any of his prided Movement Skills.
*Peng…*
Yang Kai threw another punch, hitting the bridge of Qi Tian Che’s nose.
Under the strong impact force, Qi Tian Che’s nose was beaten crooked, making his already hideous and terrifying face look even more so, and with his eyes bloodshot and stained red, his body flew backwards.
“Xiao Xiao!” Yang Kai shouted.
The Stone Puppet waved the Heaven Shaking Pillar, leapt two steps forward, and slammed the black stick forward.
*Hong…*
The Heaven Shaking Pillar smashed onto Qi Tian Che’s back, seemingly shattering his spine, and sending Qi Tian Che hurtling forward again.
Yang Kai looked on coldly but did not move for the kill. He felt that Xiao Xiao’s blow had almost destroyed Qi Tian Che’s ability to resist.
Like a dead fish, Qi Tian Che fell to the ground, and after rolling a few times, he came to a stop, lying there without even the strength to move.
Yang Kai walked over and looked down at him condescendingly, his eyes flashing like a cold blade.
Qi Tian Che opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
“Don’t rush, take a moment to catch your breath. I have some questions to ask you,” Yang Kai grinned, flashing a ferocious smile dyed in Golden Blood, giving him a particularly menacing look.
Qi Tian Che closed his eyes, as if he had accepted his fate.
Yang Kai raised his head towards Fang Peng who was not far away and grinned fiercely, his eyes filled with malicious intent.
Being stared at like this, Fang Peng trembled as if he had been plunged into a blizzard, his hands and feet shivering as he panicked and hurriedly shouted, “Sect Master Yang, please be merciful. Last time in Fallen Emperor Mountain, this Fang was simply acting on orders, if I have offended you in any way, This Fang can apologize here and now.”
“Apologize?” Yang Kai curled his lips, “What good would your apology do me?”
Saying so, he pointed his finger and shouted in a low voice, “Kill!”
Receiving this order, the Stone Puppet rushed towards Fang Peng.
In the next moment, a shocking fight broke out.
Yang Kai no longer paid any attention to this though. If they were outside, Xiao Xiao may not have been able to kill Fang Peng; after all, the latter was a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, so even if he couldn’t win, he could still run, but in here, things were different. There was nowhere for Fang Peng to escape as this entire world was only three hundred meters in diameter.
Yang Kai turned his gaze back to Qi Tian Che again, and after waiting for a moment, bluntly asked, “How do you want to die?”
Qi Tian Che also seemed quite relaxed, however, even managing to put on a light smile after hearing these words and saying, “If Sect Master Yang really wanted to kill this old master, he wouldn’t ask such a question.”
“You think I won’t kill you?” Yang Kai asked coldly.
“At least before leaving this place, Sect Master Yang won’t kill this old master. You’re clearly worried that if you kill this old master, you won’t be able to leave here.”
“Seems that beating hasn’t made you stupid,” Yang Kai grinned.
“If I could not even realize this, this old master would have lived all these years in vain. Sect Master Yang has something he wants, and this old master wants to survive, so why don’t we have a discussion?”
“What do you propose?” Yang Kai motioned.
“After this old master recuperates here to the point where he can move freely, I will let you out. Of course, Sect Master Yang can no longer find trouble with this old master in the future while this old master will guarantee he will exile himself from the world and no longer be your enemy,” Qi Tian Che panted as he made his proposal.
“This is what you wanted to say?” Yang Kai sneered when he heard these words and said sarcastically, “Aren’t you deeply mistaken about something here, old dog?”
“And what’s that?” Qi Tian Che asked leisurely.
“You’re just a fish on the block while I hold the knife, anything I want you to do now, you must do.”
As he said so, Yang Kai lifted his foot and stomped down hard on Qi Tian Che’s hand.
The sound of bones breaking rang out as this hand immediately changed shape.
Qi Tian Che’s face distorted because of the pain, but he did not make a sound, instead just glaring towards Yang Kai in hatred.
“Let me out and I’ll leave you a whole corpse, that is the biggest concession this Sect Master is willing to make!”
“Haha, if that’s the case, then this old master would rather die here,” Qi Tian Che slowly shook his head and said in a relaxed tone, “This old master also knows what Sect Master Yang is thinking, you believe that because your achievements in the Dao of Space far outstrip this old master’s, you can simply kill this old master then refine this Sealed World Bead and free yourself, yes?”
“Precisely,” Yang Kai nodded.
“If that is the case, Sect Master Yang is free to try. It’s not that this old master is looking down on you, but even if your comprehension of the Dao of Space is great, wanting to refine the Sealed World Bead from here… heh heh,” Qi Tian Che grinned mockingly, “This old master was in retreat for several dozen years but only managed to slightly refine this Sealed World Bead and open this tiny piece of Small Sealed World. But with Sect Master Yang now stuck inside this Sealed World Bead, trying to refine it will be hundreds, if not thousands of times more difficult. If Sect Master Yang is willing to be trapped here for dozens or even hundreds of years, feel free to kill this old master, he had nothing else to say.”
Yang Kai’s face sank.
He was somewhat uncertain whether Qi Tian Che was just trying to intimidate him or was telling the truth.
If he was trapped inside this place for a hundred years because of this, when he finally escaped, the entire world would likely have changed.
“Sect Master Yang needs to consider carefully. This matter is of importance, and there’s no room for mistakes,” Qi Tian Che said again, putting pressure on Yang Kai. Now that his life was hanging by a thread, with Yang Kai in control of whether he lived or died, he did not dare to let up.
Yang Kai stared at him without saying a word for a long time before suddenly grinning, “Senior really wants to do this? There’s no room for discussion?”
Qi Tian Che shook his head and insisted, “If Sect Master Yang refuses to agree, this old master would rather die here.”
“Fine, then you can die!” Yang Kai gently nodded, raising his foot again before stomping down on Qi Tian Che’s head.
With a crash, Qi Tian Che’s head burst to pieces like an exploding melon, blood and brains splashing out across the ground as two eyeballs rolled out, still seeming to contain a shocked light within them.
“Deceitful old bastard!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
He had been hoodwinked by Qi Tian Che just now.
This old dog was easy to deal with. If not for Qi Tian Che getting caught in his own trap this time, it would have been truly difficult for Yang Kai to kill him so easily, so how could he let such an enemy go just like that? Regardless of whether what he said was true or not, Qi Tian Che had to die here.
Since that was the case, there was no reason to hesitate.
Kill first, worry later.
As for being trapped in this Sealed World Bead, it was not that big a deal. Even if what Qi Tian Che said was true, Yang Kai was not worried, with his comprehension of and proficiency in the Dao of Space, there was still a good chance he could find a way out of this place.
When Qi Tian Che died, Fang Peng, who was struggling against the Stone Puppet, became even more desperate. He had no desire to fight here, and after seeing Yang Kai act with such mercilessness and cruelty, the last remnants of his will broke.
As he fought back against the Stone Puppet, Fang Peng continued to beg for mercy.
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to these pleas, not only refusing to grant Fang Peng mercy but instead becoming impatient with the battle and rushing over to join forces with Xiao Xiao to kill him.
Even Qi Tian Che was not Yang Kai’s opponent in this place, so how could Fang Peng put up any meaningful resistance?
After half a cup of tea’s worth of time, Thunder Typhoon Sect’s Sect Master died tragically under the Stone Puppet’s Heaven Shaking Pillar. Fang Peng did not possess a forged body like Qi Tian Che, so the Heaven Shaking Pillar was able to smash him into a pulpy mess, making his death terrible and gruesome.
With the two enemies in this place wiped out, Yang Kai collected his spoils before quickly sitting down cross-legged to meditate and immediately began looking for a way to leave.
The ability to tear space was undoubtedly Yang Kai’s biggest advantage, but Qi Tian Che had interrupted him while he was experimenting with this, so he didn’t know if this method was effective here.
Now that there was no one here to disturb him, Yang Kai was naturally going to experiment thoroughly.
Making up his mind, Yang Kai got up, stretched out his hand and slashed it forward while sending out his Space Force, opening a long and narrow Void Crack before him.
However, compared to when he usually tore space, this Void Crack was much smaller.
The World Principles in this Sealed World Bead seemed to be very firm!
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t dwell on this for long, instead just stretching out his hands and pulling hard at Void Crack’s walls as he poured his Space Force into it, enlarging the long and narrow crack.
After releasing his Divine Sense for a moment, Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised to see that this Void Crack was extremely stable.
[Was that old dog Qi Tian Che just talking nonsense?] Yang Kai thought suspiciously as he dove into the Void Crack.
But when he reappeared and looked around, Yang Kai’s face sank.
He found himself in a small space about three hundred metres in diameter with traces of battle left all over the place, along with two incomplete corpses that had blood and organs spilt across the ground…
The Void Crack he entered led back to this strange Small Sealed World!
Furrowing his brow, Yang Kai tried tearing space again, unwilling to simply give up.
…
After repeating this a dozen times or so, Yang Kai stopped and sat back down on the ground before falling into contemplation.
He could not leave this Small Sealed World even after tearing space a dozen times, only able to move about within the three-hundred-metre range of this place, a result that surprised him greatly.
Apparently, Qi Tian Che’s words weren’t all just posturing, this Sealed World Bead really had its mysteries and even tearing space couldn’t allow Yang Kai to escape it.
Although he had not managed to escape successfully, Yang Kai’s efforts were not in vain. After tearing space more than a dozen times here, Yang Kai vaguely became aware of a barrier surrounding this small space that isolated it from the outside world.
This barrier was somewhat vague and difficult to grasp, but it was precisely because of its existence that this Small Sealed World could remain independent of the outside world, and trap Yang Kai inside of it.
If Yang Kai was not mistaken, this barrier should be comprised of this Small Sealed World’s World Principles!
If he could tear through this barrier, Yang Kai was confident he could leave here.
However, how could it be so easy to break through the World Principles of this Small Sealed World? Qi Tian Che had spent several dozen years just to slightly refine this Sealed World Bead and grasp a tiny portion of its World Principles, allowing him to enter and exit it freely.
Yang Kai could not even guess how much time it would take him to reach that point.
But now, apart from refining this Sealed World Bead, there was no other way out.
How was he supposed to refine this Sealed World Bead though? Refining it was tantamount to refining this world. Yang Kai was at a loss, feeling like a dog trying to bite a hedgehog, uncertain of where to even start.
Sitting on a spot, Yang Kai silently pondered the issue.
After a long silence, Yang Kai’s confused eyes suddenly flashed, and this spark soon turned into a burning flame that cleared the fog from his vision.
He seemed to understand something and could not help showing a look of both shock and inspiration.
He had a severe misunderstanding before, thinking that if he wanted to leave, he would have to refine this world, a prospect that left him at a complete loss.
In the final analysis, this Small Sealed World was just the Sealed World Bead, an Emperor Artifact!
He did not know how to refine a world, but he knew how to refine an artifact.
And since Qi Tian Che had spent several dozen years in retreat refining the Sealed World Bead, his aura must have permeated this Emperor Artifact somewhat. As long as he could trace the ambient aura fluctuations and erase them, he could simply begin refining the Sealed World Bead from the start.
In the end, the simplest method was often the most perfect, Yang Kai suddenly understood.
Standing up, Yang Kai used two balls of Demonic Flame to turn the nearby corpses into ash before releasing his Divine Sense and beginning to carefully scan the surrounding three-hundred-metre space.
The result of his investigation went well, as it did not take long for him to find the remnants of Qi Tian Che’s aura in this space.
Erasing these marks was not difficult.
However, when Yang Kai tried to leave his own aura on this space, he was met with great resistance.
Qi Tian Che wasn’t wrong in saying that it would be extremely difficult to refine the Sealed World Bead from inside, at the very least, it would require far more effort than doing so from the outside, the difference calculated in multiples of a hundred times.
Even if Yang Kai’s attainments in the Dao of Space were countless times greater than Qi Tian Che’s, such refining could not be completed in a short time.
Yang Kai did some calculations, and the results startled him.
With his current strength and attainments in the Dao of Space, it would take him at least a dozen years before he could refine the Sealed World Bead enough to escape.
Yang Kai suddenly regretted that he had killed Fang Peng so quickly.
If he were still alive, Yang Kai could at least vent his stress on him.
After frowning and pondering for some time, Yang Kai calmed his irritability and stopped trying to refine the Sealed World Bead. Instead, he poured out a large number of crystals from his Space Ring in front of him before picking one up in each hand and rapidly absorbing the energy within.
Space Spirit Crystals!
Yang Kai’s comprehension of the Dao of Space far surpassing Mo Xiao Sheng and Qi Tian Che’s was all thanks to these Space Spirit Crystals.
These peculiar crystals had always only been used as material for refining Space Rings, but Yang Kai had a different use for them: Absorbing the energy inside to enhance his Space Force.
Space Spirit Crystals were extremely rare, and even if others have this idea, they would find it incredibly difficult to implement.
But Yang Kai was different. The Space Spirit Crystal lode Xiao Xiao found beneath Dragon Cave Mountain in the past had given Yang Kai enough capital that he could squander Space Spirit Crystals like this without worry.
There were many Space Spirit Crystals that were mined back then, but with Yang Kai refining some of them whenever he was free or in secluded cultivation, he only had about half as many as when he had started.
However, before chopping down a mighty tree, one needed to sharpen their axe.
If Yang Kai wanted to shorten the time he needed to refine the Sealed World Bead, his only option was to increase his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
As such, he planned to cultivate his Space Force first.
Pieces of Space Spirit Crystal turned into dust in Yang Kai’s hands one after, but he was unable to feel the passage of time in this Small Sealed World.
Yang Kai had no idea how much time had passed, but a thick layer of dust from spent and shattered Space Spirit Crystals eventually developed around him, nearly burying him alive.
By absorbing the power inside these Space Spirit Crystal, coupled with his own insights, Yang Kai vaguely felt that his attainments in the Dao of Space had advanced a step, but at the same time, he found that the benefits he obtained from absorbing energy from the Space Spirit Crystals were growing smaller and smaller.
Perhaps one day, no matter how much energy he absorbed from these Space Spirit Crystals, he would not obtain any harvest.
Yang Kai paused temporarily and released his Divine Sense again to try refining this Small Sealed World.
A moment later, a touch of joy flashed across his face.
The refining process was much easier than it was at the beginning, and he could now clearly feel the barrier separating this world from the outside one.
As long as he could break through this barrier, he could escape from this place.
Integrating his Space Force into this Divine Sense, Yang Kai began spreading out his awareness like a tide.
Yang Kai was trying to leave his mark on this world, carving his Soul Brand into it to make it his own.
A scene that completely shocked him soon appeared though. As Yang Kai spread his Divine Sense out, the originally tiny piece of land which was only about three hundred metres across suddenly became slightly bigger, and the scenery that had been completely obscured began to appear.
This result surprised Yang Kai.
But after thinking about it carefully, he understood.
Although Qi Tian Che had refined the Sealed World Bead slightly and could enter and exit it freely, his grasp of the Dao of Space was still very shallow, so he was only capable of opening a space three hundred metres in diameter.
Yang Kai was different. His comprehension of the Dao of Space was far more profound, so he was capable of expanding this sealed space.
Yang Kai suddenly became curious.
He wanted to know just what this Small Sealed World would look like when fully opened, and just how big it would be.
The original intention of refining the Sealed World Bead to escape began to quietly change as Yang Kai fully immersed himself in the process of expanding and exploring this Small Sealed World.
Madly urging his Divine Sense and Space Force, Yang Kai watched as the Small Sealed World emerged from the chaos and expanded little by little, revealing picturesque scenery around him he had not seen before.
During this process, Yang Kai found that all kinds of magical insights poured into his mind and soul, allowing his comprehension of the Dao of Space to grow at a rate vastly superior to absorbing energy from Space Spirit Crystals.
Expanding the Small Sealed World and cultivating the Dao of Space unexpectedly formed a virtuous circle.
Yang Kai was overjoyed and became more and more fixated on this task.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, the borders of the Small Sealed World expanded every day, while Yang Kai also experienced a period of rapid growth.
In terms of cultivation, the shackles of the First-Order Origin Returning Realm were easily broken, and Yang Kai broke through to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm.
After all, he had already reached the peak of the First-Order Origin Returning Realm in Fallen Emperor Mountain, and if not for him deliberately suppressing it, he could have broken through at that time.
Yang Kai continued repeating the same actions over and over again in an endless cycle.
As his strength increased, his Saint Qi became purer, and the power of his Soul soared, causing Yang Kai to obtain a comprehensive improvement!
Even his Soul Clone was strengthened and nourished in this process.
When he was tired, he would rest for a while, but with no one else in this Small Sealed World, Yang Kai brought Xiao Xiao out to talk to for a while.
Xiao Xiao was still very interested in the Golden Stone Puppet, and even though its sentience was incomplete, and it had to rely on Yang Kai’s Soul Clone to move about, it was still the only other member of Xiao Xiao’s race.
Xiao Xiao treated the Golden Stone Puppet with great sincerity, sharing all of his treasures with it.
Time passed little by little.
Yang Kai lost track of how long he had been stuck in this Small Sealed World, but by now, he had consumed all his Space Spirit Crystals and expanded this Small Sealed World from its original three-hundred-metre diameter to one that had a radius of over a hundred kilometres, with new developments still occurring every day.
Within this hundred-kilometre range, there were mountains and rivers, creating beautiful scenery.
However, this was far from the end of the Small Sealed World; it still concealed many secrets that greatly stimulated Yang Kai’s curiosity.
One day, Yang Kai suddenly stood up and he released his Divine Sense outwards. In a flash, everything within a hundred kilometres was open to his investigation.
Grinning lightly, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and slowly, a vortex appeared before him, spinning slowly while exerting a huge suction force.
Yang Kai did not resist this force, allowing the vortex to pull him in, his figure disappearing in the next moment.
Star Emperor Mountain’s Star Ascendance Peak was covered in white clouds from the halfway point up, giving it a calm and serene atmosphere. One day, however, an unusual energy fluctuation suddenly appeared at its summit. The ambient World Energy rapidly converged towards a certain point before a vortex was gradually formed.
Initially, this vortex was very small, but as more and more World Energy poured into it, it steadily grew larger until it was several dozen metres in diameter.
A figure leisurely stepped out of this vortex, as if passing through the Void, and stood proudly mid-air.
Turning his head and looking around, Yang Kai found no trace of anyone nearby, only a lone altar which stood not far away, protected from the elements by a small temple.
Yang Kai’s expression remained calm as he was not surprised by this scene.
Although he didn’t know how long he had been trapped inside that Small Sealed World, it had definitely not been a month or two; at least several years must have passed.
After such a long period, Ye Xi Yun must have determined that it was pointless just waiting for him here and returned to High Heaven Sect.
Trying to sense his Dragon Bone Sword and Firebird Artifact Spirit, Yang Kai was unable to find any trace of them and assumed they were brought back to the Sect by Ye Xi Yun.
Qi Tian Che and Fang Peng were now dead. On Shadowed Star, the three behemoths who had reigned supreme above all other great forces had fallen, so there was now no one who could stop the advancement of High Heaven Sect. With Ye Xi Yun assuming command of the Sect, Yang Kai had nothing to worry about.
After sweeping it with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai found that there were no traces of anyone anywhere on Star Emperor Mountain.
It seemed that all the cultivators from Star Emperor Mountain had left, but whether they had chosen to follow Yang Xiu Zhu and the others back to High Heaven Sect or dispersed separately was unknown.
However, in Yang Kai’s opinion, the former was more likely.
Since there was no one here, Yang Kai naturally didn’t plan to linger any longer.
Turning around, he stretched out his hand towards the vortex behind him, after which it began to shrink and in the blink of an eye disappeared, being replaced by an unremarkable bead.
One of the two Emperor Artifact beads, the Sealed World Bead!
This was an incredible treasure that contained its own sealed world. With it, one of the problems which had been plaguing Yang Kai’s heart for many years had been solved.
Moreover, Yang Kai felt that if he could completely refine this Sealed World Bead and complete its World Principles, he could even allow Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators to break through inside of it to the Origin King Realm!
The cultivators of Shadowed Star were unable to break through to the Origin King Realm because of the suppression of this star’s World Principles.
But the Sealed World Bead contained an independent world of its own, with its own World Principles, which were un-tethered to those of Shadowed Star.
This was definitely a feasible method, but it was far too early to think about this. Although as Yang Kai’s comprehension of the Dao of Space grew, he was able to expand the Small Sealed World inside the Sealed World Bead to a hundred kilometres in radius, he was still a long way from completing it.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai took the Sealed World Bead back into his body before stepping out casually.
One moment, he was standing at the peak of Star Ascendance Peak, but the next moment, he was half-way down its slope.
With another step, Yang Kai reached the base of the mountain…
This kind of speed was simply unimaginable.
The Dao of Space was incredibly mysterious, and during his time trapped inside of the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai’s mastery of it had grown considerably. The rapid movement he was displaying now was almost akin to teleporting without leaving any trace behind, as if he could break through the constraints of space to appear a great distance away in an instant.
Compared to his original method of tearing space, this was actually a much more advanced technique.
There was a certain process required to tear space, one which could easily be disturbed by strong external stimuli like the attack of a powerful master, but now Yang Kai’s movements were as smooth and simple as taking a step, no longer suffering from this kind of restraint like before.
As for shortcomings of this technique, there was indeed one.
Yang Kai couldn’t travel as far in a single step as he did when tearing space.
With Yang Kai’s current strength, tearing space would allow him to instantly traverse two or three thousand kilometres, but this new teleportation method only allowed him to move about a dozen kilometres or so at once.
Between the two methods, each had its own advantages and disadvantages, and it was impossible to say which was superior. However, a common factor they both shared was that they consumed a great deal of Saint Qi.
Yang Kai spent the next while familiarising himself with his new comprehensions regarding the Dao of Space, but after traversing ten thousand kilometres or so, he summoned his Star Shuttle and continued on his way.
Continuously using his Space Force to travel put a heavy load on him, so it was far more economical to use his Star Shuttle to travel long distances.
…..
Inside a lush forest, the roars of a beast continued to ring out loudly. A group of five cultivators, consisting of both young and old, male and female, were working together to besiege a huge, hideous, Monster Beast.
This Monster Beast had a tiger head, elephant legs, and a leopard tail, giving it an imposing image.
The tiger’s head was a reddish copper colour and seemed extremely strong while many strange patterns on its body gave it a mysterious look.
It was a Cracked Copper Head Tiger, an Eighth-Order Monster Beast with thick skin and tough flesh, making it particularly resilient.
As for the group of cultivators present, the leader seemed to be an old man at the Second-Order Saint King realm while the rest were only Saint Realm Juniors. From how these cultivators addressed one another, it was apparent that they all belonged to the same small family and had come to this forest to hunt Monster Beasts to earn Saint Crystals.
An Eighth-Order Monster Beast was equivalent to a Saint King Realm cultivator.
However, this Cracked Copper Head Tiger was at the peak of the Eighth-Order, so even if it was currently besieged, its fierceness did not decrease and it continued to spit balls of extremely powerful energy from its mouth while roaring, making it difficult for these small family cultivators to get close.
But the old man was clearly an experienced veteran, so even though this was a dangerous fight, his Juniors did not seem to be in immediate danger.
With enough time, this group of five seemed to have a good chance to kill this Cracked Copper Head Tiger.
Suddenly, an energy fluctuation appeared at the edge of their perception, causing a young girl in a green dress to look up and shouted, “Second Uncle, someone is coming.”
Hearing this shout, the old man looked up and his eyes narrowed.
As someone with much worldly experience, this old man could tell at a glance that the strength of this newcomer was definitely not low, otherwise, they would never have this kind of speed. As he was considering whether this person was an enemy or a friend, however, his attention wandered and the Cracked Copper Head Tiger managed to break free from his suppression.
The tiger let out a fierce roar. After being besieged for so long, this Eighth-Order Monster Beast was clearly enraged, so once it managed to free itself, it directly rushed towards the young girl in green, opened its bloodstained maw, and bit towards her neck.
The little girl was so scared that her beautiful face went pure white, and in a fluster she tried to summon her defensive artifact, but wasn’t in time to stop the tiger from pouncing towards her.
Seeing the giant fangs rapidly closing in on her, a trace of despair flashed across the girl’s eyes.
Shouts were coming from all of her companions and the girl even saw her Second Uncle desperately race towards her, trying to save her from the tiger’s maw.
But it was obvious he wouldn’t make it in time.
She saw death beckoning to her.
At that moment though, a breeze seemed to pass by her and a figure suddenly appeared right before her eyes.
This figure seemed like a ten thousand-metre high mountain, shielding her from the violent storm, making her inexplicably feel at ease.
*Guangdang!*
A loud noise rang out, accompanied by the whimpers of a Monster Beast. The girl clearly saw the person in front of her simply throw a single punch and the Cracked Copper Head Tiger, which their group of five had been unable to kill even after fighting for so long, was sent flying like a sack.
Its head seemed to be deformed from the blow as well.
Falling to the ground, the tiger only convulsed a few times before no longer moving.
A breeze blew through the trees and the scene fell silent as five pairs of eyes stared straight towards Yang Kai, unable to compose themselves for quite some time, a look of shock covering their faces.
Although this Cracked Copper Head Tiger was only an Eighth-Order Monster Beast, its head was notoriously hard, so even an Origin Returning Realm master shouldn’t be able to deform it with just a punch.
Looking at the sturdy back of this figure, she didn’t know why, but the young girl’s heart beat violently and she couldn’t help drawing in a deep breath.
A pleasant scent wafted from this person, which made her feel extremely comfortable.
Stealing a glance at this person, the young girl quickly realized that the other party didn’t seem very old; in fact, he seemed to be a young man, a discovery which inexplicably made her feel excited.
“Ah, sorry, it seems I’ve ruined your prize,” Yang Kai scratched his cheek, feeling slightly embarrassed.
He also recognized that this Monster Beast was a Cracked Copper Head Tiger. The two most valuable parts of this Monster Beast’s body were its Monster Core and its head, the former was prized by Alchemists while the latter was sought after by Artifact Refiners.
His punch deforming the Monster Beast’s head would clearly decrease its value.
Hearing these words, the old man suddenly came to his senses and his expression turned solemn as he cupped his fists and said, “This old master greets Little Brother. Little Brother is far too modest, if not for little brother’s timely intervention, Fei’er would have died. This old master has only thanks for Little Brother’s assistance.”
“Old Sir is too polite, it was my sudden arrival that disturbed your concentration in the first place,” Yang Kai chuckled, “If we really must assign blame, then it should be me at fault.”
Seeing this young man act so friendly, the old man relaxed greatly; after all, this was the wilderness, and the other party’s strength was clearly very high, so their small group wouldn’t be able to resist if he had any malicious intentions.
Fortunately, the other party didn’t seem to be a wicked person; in fact, he seemed quite compatible and open-minded.
The old man couldn’t help having a good impression of Yang Kai.
“Actually, I simply wanted to ask where this place is,” Yang Kai turned to look at the old man.
“This is Blue Wave Forest,” The old man replied.
“Blue Wave Forest!” Yang Kai frowned; he had never heard of this place so obviously he had no clue where on Shadowed Star he was now.
After leaving Star Emperor Mountain, Yang Kai had been familiarizing himself with his new comprehension in the Dao of Space, but in the process, he had accidentally lost his way…
“Where’s the closest city to this place?” Yang Kai asked again.
“The nearest city to here is Blue Wave City which is fifty thousand kilometres to the west.”
“Is there a Space Array?”
“As far as I know, there is, but the Space Array doesn’t seem to be accessible to outsiders and is for internal use only. If Little Brother wishes to use a Space Array, he might as well start from Blue Wave City and go two hundred thousand kilometres north to Heaven Battling City, where there is a Space Array which is open to the public.”
“Oh? Heaven Battling City?” Yang Kai raised his brow, showing a look of surprise.
He hadn’t expected he would actually be in the vicinity of Heaven Battling City.
“Alright, strictly speaking, Blue Wave City can be regarded as an affiliate of Heaven Battling City and there is some connection between the two,” The old man, as a cultivator from a small local family, naturally knew such basic information very well.
“Heaven Battling City now belongs to High Heaven Sect,” Liu Fei’er suddenly interjected from behind Yang Kai.
She seemed to want to attract Yang Kai’s attention.
Which young girl didn’t have romantic fantasies? Yang Kai had just swooped in and saved her life, and she was at the age where she was most sensitive to stories of heroes saving beauties.
What’s more, when she examined him, Liu Fei’er saw that Yang Kai’s face was handsome, his build was strong, his age wasn’t old, and the aura around him was calm and comfortable, so she wanted to try to highlight her existence to him.
“High Heaven Sect…” Yang Kai smiled as he glanced back at her.
The girl’s face was reddened, but she still happily explained, “En, you must have heard about it, it’s a Sect that has only risen in recent years. I heard that their headquarters is actually inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field and even Star Emperor Mountain, Heaven Battling Union, and Thunder Typhoon Sect were destroyed by them. Now, High Heaven Sect is the most powerful Sect on Shadowed Star.”
She talked on and on, seemingly having endless words to speak, giving her a lively feel and appearance.
“Fei’er,” The old man glared at her, secretly blaming this little girl for being ignorant and rude.
“It’s alright, I’ve heard of High Heaven Sect,” Yang Kai chuckled, “But I didn’t expect it to be so famous. En, you all can carry on, I won’t disturb you any further.”
He had approached them to find out where the nearest city was, so now that he had the information he needed, Yang Kai naturally didn’t plan on remaining.
However, before he could leave, Liu Fei’er suddenly called out, “Wait.”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai gave her a surprised look.
“Second Uncle, we’ve already been out for quite some time, shouldn’t we head back now? If we stay any longer, father and the others will begin to worry, not to mention Third-Brother and the others have all suffered some injuries, so it’s not safe to remain here anymore,” Liu Fei’er turned to the old man and asked.
“En, what you say makes sense. It’s indeed time we head back,” The old man gently nodded.
“Then let’s all go together. That way, we can watch out for each other on the way,” Liu Fei’er suggested.
“Well…” The old man looked at Yang Kai in embarrassment. To be honest, he was hoping to travel together with Yang Kai as well; after all, this young man had just shown he had high strength, and although there shouldn’t be any major danger on the journey back, it was still better to have an extra layer of protection when out in the wild. If Yang Kai could escort them, the return journey would be much safer.
The old man very much agreed with Liu Fei’er’s proposal, but he was uncertain what Yang Kai’s opinion would be.
“Alright, I also don’t know the specific location of Blue Wave City, so I’ll trouble you to lead the way,” Yang Kai smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.
In any case, he wasn’t in a hurry.
“Then this old man will have to thank Little Brother for his care,” The old man was overjoyed.
“I’ll go and collect the materials,” Liu Fei’er cheered before running over to the dead Cracked Copper Head Tiger nearby.
The old man smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying with an apologetic look, “Little Brother, don’t blame Fei’er, it’s in her nature to act this way. Little Brother can rest assured, we will provide the materials to you later.”
“No need, you keep them, they’re of no use to me,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
The materials from an Eighth-Order Monster Beast were truly useless to him.
The wealth that Yang Kai possessed was hard for ordinary people to imagine.
When the old man heard this, his eyes lit up, and after reconfirming that Yang Kai did not need the materials, he repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
The Monster Core and skull of the tiger would yield a good profit for them.
Soon, Liu Fei’er processed the Monster Beast’s body with the assistance of her clansmen. It was clear that these juniors were well versed in this kind of processing as they moved quickly and efficiently.
After taking a moment to clean up, Yang Kai and the group of five departed towards Blue Wave City.
Liu Fei’er’s character was lively, and her curiosity was extremely strong. It was like she never ran out of things to talk about or ask, causing her to chatter on endlessly.
She asked for Yang Kai’s name, his origins, what he was doing out here, and so on. Many questions others would consider taboo to ask, she did so without any hesitation.
Since they were simply travelling at what he considered a leisurely pace, Yang Kai chatted back with her to pass the time.
In the end, however, rather than learning much about Yang Kai, she spent most of the time telling her own story in a thorough and complete manner.
The old man felt extremely awkward listening to this conversation; fortunately, he realized that Yang Kai was not an ill-intentioned person, so he simply let it slide this time. Of course, he secretly decided that when they returned to the family, he would teach this little girl a lesson about how sinister the world was so she would not mindlessly tell strangers all her secrets again in the future.
Occasionally, the group would encounter Monster Beasts blocking the way, but the old man and his juniors didn’t need to worry about them in the slightest as they were all easily dispatched by Yang Kai.
As a result, their group made massive gains.
The several juniors all admired Yang Kai to the extreme after witnessing his performance. All of them seemed to be roughly the same age, but Yang Kai’s strength surpassed theirs by a wide margin.
Worship and respect for true masters was an innate mentality for cultivators, and Yang Kai’s display of skill had completely conquered these youngsters.
If Yang Kai had been travelling alone, the distance of fifty thousand kilometres would only take him an hour or two to cross, but with the old man and his juniors in tow, it took a full day instead.
One day later, a city standing at the edge of an open plain came into view. Everyone walked to the gate, turned over some Saint Crystals, and then entered the city smoothly.
“Many thanks for guiding me this far, it seems we must take our separate paths. Take care!” Yang Kai cupped his fists before his figure flickered and he disappeared into the crowd.
Liu Fei’er called out a few times, but Yang Kai didn’t turn his head back, so she could only purse her lips unhappily.
“Let’s go, we need to sell our harvest first. I don’t know what kind of price we can obtain,” The old man sighed before leading the group away.
Yang Kai walked along the spacious streets of Blue Wave City, observing his surroundings with great interest.
He wasn’t in a hurry to find the Space Array in Blue Wave City.
Since this city was attached to Heaven Battling City, which itself was attached to High Heaven Sect, as the Sect Master, Yang Kai knew there wouldn’t be any problem using the local Space Array, he believed that the City Lord of Blue Wave City wouldn’t even bat an eye to his request.
However, he had been in secluded retreat inside the Small Sealed World for several years now, so Yang Kai wanted to take his time and relax, rather than continue to hurry along.
Along the road, Yang Kai appreciated the local customs of this place while wandering through the shops at will. Yang Kai felt both physically and mentally relaxed, and his mood unconsciously became calm.
Inside the Small Sealed World, his cultivation had broken through to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm, so it was important for him to consolidate both his cultivation and state of mind now.
Half a day later, he entered a restaurant.
On the third floor, he ordered the shop-hand to bring him some good wine and food. Yang Kai sat by the window and looked out at the scenery below.
Not long after, the table was filled with delicacies that Yang Kai tasted at leisure.
Leisurely, he turned his head and glanced lightly at two cultivators sitting at a nearby table, showing an expression of interest.
The third floor of this restaurant did not have many guests, but what these two were talking about just now had piqued Yang Kai’s interest because he heard them mention High Heaven Sect.
The rise of High Heaven Sect was extremely rapid, and although they had some cursory knowledge of High Heaven Sect’s current situation, knowing it was becoming more and more famous with each passing day, how could they possibly know more about it than Yang Kai himself? At that time, listening to someone talking about his Sect, Yang Kai wanted to hear more.
But to his disappointment, these two didn’t seem to have any intention of continuing this topic and instead began chatting about other random news.
Yang Kai secretly shook his head and no longer paid any attention to them.
After a while, the two of them finished eating and the one with fierce facial features shouted, “Shopkeeper!”
This loud voice caused everyone to turn and look at him, but after seeing this person’s face clearly, everyone turned their gazes aside, as if they were afraid to provoke him.
*Deng deng deng…*
Footsteps sounded as an elderly man quickly ran down from upstairs, rushed over to the table the two men were sitting at, smiled, and bowed, “Two Sirs, were you satisfied with the food?”
“It was just so-so,” The fierce-looking man answered casually while picking his teeth.
“Two Sirs, please forgive me,” The shopkeeper said frantically, “Next time, this old man will serve you more delicious food, you will surely be satisfied.”
“Sure, seeing how you’re not completely blind, I’ll let it slide for today, but… what about ‘that’ matter?” The big man squinted at the shopkeeper.
“This old man has brought it, do two Sirs wish to count it?” The shopkeeper said as he placed a package he was carrying onto the table.
The fierce-looking man didn’t hesitate to open this package directly.
A large number of High-Rank Saint Crystals immediately appeared before everyone’s eyes. The Divine Sense of the fierce-looking man scanned the package and he immediately knew the number of Saint Crystals inside, his expression sank in the next moment as he shouted, “Why are there so few? Old Dog, are you looking down on this King? Is this really all you’re going to pay for this month?”
The shopkeeper immediately panicked and frantically wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he cried out pleadingly, “Sir, please understand, this old man’s restaurant has recently not had much business, so the number here is a little lacking. This old man is begging for just a few days of mercy, he will surely collect the rest by then.”
“A few days of mercy?” The fierce man coldly snorted, “If this King forgives you, who will forgive this King? If this King cannot complete his job, it will be me who is punished!”
Saying so, he slammed his fist against the table, immediately shattering it into pieces.
The shopkeeper’s face turned pale with fright and he instantly knelt and shouted, “Sir, please calm yourself. It will only take a few days for this old man to collect the rest, just a few days, please have mercy.”
“Hmph, don’t say that this King bullies the weak; I will give you three days, after which, if you still don’t have the required amount, this King will tear down your restaurant and twist off your head!”
“Yes, yes, this old man will not let Sir down!” The shopkeeper said repeatedly.
“Let’s go!” The fierce-looking man said impatiently, stood up, stuffed the parcel of Saint Crystals into his Space Ring, and walked off.
It wasn’t until after they left that the shopkeeper finally dared to exhale, a sorrowful expression still filling his face as he started to clean up the mess that was left behind.
A shop hand also came over to help.
After finishing with this, the shopkeeper made a round of the guests to apologize for the disturbance before sighing again, looking even older and more haggard than before.
“Shopkeeper, could you come here for a second?” Yang Kai waved at him.
Yang Kai had been watching the whole episode just now with cold eyes, not understanding exactly what was happening, but was eager to find out; after all, High Heaven Sect was somehow related to this incident.
“What is Honoured Guest’s order? Do you want any additional food or wine?” The shopkeeper came over to Yang Kai and asked with a forced smile.
“There’s no need for more food or wine,” Yang Kai smiled lightly before glancing suspiciously towards the stairs, “Who were those two just now? Why did they come into this restaurant, eat and drink, then not pay and also force you to give them Saint Crystals?”
“This…” A stunned look appeared on the shopkeeper’s face before he quickly glanced around to confirm that the other guests were drinking and having fun, not paying attention to him, lowered his voice, and said, “Is Honoured Guest a newcomer to Blue Wave City?”
“Indeed,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
“Then you’d best leave quickly. Blue Wave City is not a place to settle down long-term,” The shopkeeper said solemnly.
“Isn’t a place to stay long-term?” Yang Kai frowned, “Has there been some kind of dangerous incident here?”
He had seen people coming and going in the city, making it seem quite lively and prosperous as well as calm and controlled, completely unlike some kind of tragic event had taken place.
“Haha…” The shopkeeper gave a wry smile, “Honoured guest, please heed this humble old man’s advice. If you want to leave here, you’d best do so quickly. If you remain too long, you won’t be able to leave even if you want to.”
“What do you mean? Please explain more clearly.” Yang Kai stared at him with narrowed eyes, “I heard that this place is attached to Heaven Battling City, and is the property of High Heaven Sect, how could anyone dare stir up trouble in this city?”
“I can’t say it, I can’t say it. Although this humble old man has lived many years, he doesn’t want to die so soon, so please don’t force the issue,” The shopkeeper kept shaking his head, his expression quite ugly, turning around and walking away immediately after.
“I’m from High Heaven Sect!” Yang Kai quickly whispered.
“What?” The shopkeeper’s face changed dramatically as he turned around to stare at Yang Kai in amazement.
“Don’t be nervous,” Yang Kai smiled, “I am a disciple of High Heaven Sect, and am here on orders from the Sect Master to make an unannounced inspection. Old sir, if there is anything you wish to say, you may do so freely. I truly want to know what fool dares not put my High Heaven Sect in their eyes.”
“You’re from High Heaven Sect? Are you really from High Heaven Sect?” The shopkeeper looked excited and a little sceptical, approaching closer and asking in a low voice.
“Yes! Old Sir may rest assured, whatever words you say here today will only enter my ears and never leave my lips,” Yang Kai said in a soft, comforting tone, trying to appear as amicable as possible.
The shopkeeper’s expression changed, as if he was hesitating, but after some internal debate, he grit his teeth and sat down opposite Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and poured him a glass of wine. The shopkeeper took a sip to embolden himself before saying, “Honoured Guest, the reason this old man advised you to leave quickly was not because someone here has ill intentions towards High Heaven Sect, nor because some kind of disaster is approaching Blue Wave City, it’s simply because this city is really not a good place to remain in.”
“Oh? If Old Sir can please tell me in detail what happened, this Junior would be very grateful,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Ha, it’s a long story!” The shopkeeper sighed deeply, “Honoured Guest, you just saw the behaviour of those two people, yes?”
“Yes, who are they?”
“The City Lord’s Mansion’s men.”
“City Lord’s Mansion?” Yang Kai was thoroughly shocked.
“Haha, Honoured Guest is surprised, no? The City Lord’s Mansion is supposed to protect us citizens, so why would they send people here to extort Saint Crystals?” The shopkeeper’s tone remained low, “Because that was the tax collected by the City Lord’s Mansion!”
Yang Kai frowned.
“As long as one opens a shop in Blue Wave City, they must pay at least seventy percent of their earnings to the City Lord’s Mansion in tax. The remaining thirty percent is barely enough for all kinds of expenses, but those people don’t seem to care and always find various reasons to take everything they can. This little shop is too weak to resist, and if we try, the consequences are dire. Just a few days ago, one of my workers was killed because he refused to comply with their demands,” The shopkeeper complained, seemingly becoming bolder and angrier as he sipped more and more of the wine.
“And this was all directed by the City Lord?” Yang Kai asked in a cold voice.
“Yes! How else would those people have the courage to act like this? Just now, those two were here to collect taxes.”
“Since the taxes here are so high, why doesn’t Old Sir leave Blue Wave City and make a living elsewhere?”
The shopkeeper gave a wry smile, “Who can leave? No one can leave! Once the people of the City Lord’s Mansion find that there are escapees, they will kill them without mercy. The heads which line the city walls are a bloody reminder of those who tried to flee. Not only are our small business targeted, but even the small families and cultivators living in the city live under the same restrictions. The various benefits they obtain from their adventures are largely stolen away in the form of tax, and anyone who resists is dealt with ruthlessly. Several small families have already been wiped out.”
Saying so, the shopkeeper looked at Yang Kai cautiously and asked softly, “Little Brother, may this old man dare to ask, is all this not on orders from High Heaven Sect?”
“How could High Heaven Sect give such vile orders?” Yang Kai wore an ugly expression as he coldly snorted, “My High Heaven Sect would never engage in such despicable behaviour. En, what about Heaven Battling City? Has Heaven Battling City not intervened at all?”
“This old man isn’t completely clear, but if Heaven Battling City was managing this situation, things shouldn’t have been like this. However, I do not know whether this situation has something to do with Heaven Battling City or is simply due to Blue Wave City’s City Lord’s Mansion. I have heard that since Heaven Battling City changed ownership, the taxes there have been extremely low, attracting many people to travel there and making it overcrowded. Many people were attracted by the name of High Heaven Sect, but none could find any way to join, and since Heaven Battling City is completely full, they could only choose to settle in places related to High Heaven Sect such as Blue Wave City. Outsiders can’t see the darkness which lingers beneath the surface in Blue Wave City, but this old man is perfectly clear about it, which is why he advised Honoured Guest to depart early. If you remain here and have your name registered with the City Lord’s Mansion, you will not be able to leave again.”
“Interesting!” Yang Kai smiled meaningfully.
“Little Brother, since you are here on orders from High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master to perform a surprise inspection, please send word back quickly. I hope you can quickly remove the festering filth from Blue Wave Cit,y so this old man can spend the rest of his life here in peace!” The shopkeeper looked at Yang Kai with expectation.
“Old sir, you can be assured, I won’t just sit back and watch this matter,” Yang Kai grinned, “In any case, there seem to be many people here using my High Heaven Sect’s name to bully others. If I allowed this to continue, it would ruin my High Heaven Sect’s reputation.”
“Little brother must not act impulsively,” The shopkeeper was startled when he saw the fierce light flashing across Yang Kai’s eyes.
“Relax, I have a sense of discretion,” Yang Kai said coldly.
If it wasn’t for a series of coincidences this time, Yang Kai might never have known that someone was committing such heinous acts under High Heaven Sect’s name.
Yang Kai suddenly recalled that, on the way back from Blue Wave Forest, the young girl named Liu Fei’er always hesitated when talking about the situation in Blue Wave City. Now he understood why.
The rise of High Heaven Sect was too fast, and the number of disciples in the Sect was too low, making its foundation unstable. Now was the time to win over the public’s trust, so the situation in Blue Wave City, which was discrediting High Heaven Sect, made it impossible for Yang Kai to simply stand idly by.
At that moment, a loud noise came from the street below, and immediately, a powerful energy fluctuation burst out, followed by exclamations and screams.
Yang Kai looked down towards the source of the sound and a familiar young girl in a green dress immediately caught his eye, causing him to raise his brow slightly.
“Old sir, here’s the money for the wine and food,” Yang Kai casually dropped a few High-Rank Saint Crystals onto the table before grabbing the wine bottle and leaping out the window.
In the middle of the street, in front of a small storefront, three young people stood with angry expressions, glaring at a pair of men with bloodshot eyes, their Saint Qi condensed, but none of them dared to act.
Behind these three, Liu Fei’er was supporting an old man. The old man seemed to have suffered a serious injury, his face pale, and blood flowing from the corners of his mouth.
Countless people were watching.
“Second Uncle, are you okay?” Liu Fei’er asked nervously, a worried look covering her pretty face.
“I’m fine,” The old man shook his head slowly, uttering these two words with some difficulty.
“How could you just hit someone like that?” Liu Fei’er turned her head and shouted at the two cultivators who had caused this scene.
“Hit someone?” One of the burly men heard this and grinned meaningfully, “So what if I hit someone? Who made this Old Dog unable to appreciate kindness? I didn’t want his life and acted mercifully little girl, yet now you dare not show this King any gratitude and even accuse me of committing a crime? Do you think I won’t dare kill him now!”
“You…” Liu Fei’er pretty face went white; after all, her strength wasn’t high and she was still quite young, so facing the other party’s overbearing intimidation, she didn’t dare argue back, lest these men become enraged and really kill them.
“Hmph, the City Lord has issued an order: Any time Saint Crystals are used in a trade, a portion of the proceeds must be paid to the City Lord’s Mansion. Old Dog, don’t tell me you’re both deaf and blind and dared to trade with others in secret? If not for Father here spotting your crime, he would never have dreamed someone would be so daring!”
“Ignoring the City Lord’s orders, it seems you’re impatient to die, Old Man,” The other man laughed maliciously.
The old man’s face was blue, but he didn’t dare to refute in the slightest. Although many people were watching, none of them dared to speak up in the old man’s defence, all of them simply directing sympathetic looks towards the old man and the young girl.
Blue Wave City’s taxes were so high and extortion was so common that barely anyone could earn enough to feed and clothe themselves properly. Worse, there was no way to escape from this place, so to maintain a living, after obtaining some kind of harvest, everyone would try to find a familiar and reliable source to trade within secret to avoid the harsh taxes.
This phenomenon had become commonplace in Blue Wave City.
This time, however, the old man and his party had bad luck and accidentally ran into the people of the City Lord’s Mansion, causing them to suffer greatly.
Taking a deep breath, the old man cupped his fists solemnly and said, “Two Sirs, it is not that I was trying to disobey the City Lord’s orders. I was going to pay the Saint Crystals after the transaction, but I had just not gotten around to it yet.”
“You, sure know how to speak the right words to us, Old Dog, heh heh, but what you think seems to be different from what you said,” The burly man obviously didn’t believe him.
“Since this old man has run into two Sirs here, he will pay the required taxes directly, please do not refuse these Saint Crystals!” The old man said while signalling to Liu Fei’er.
Liu Fei’er was covering her Space Ring and shaking her head repeatedly, apparently reluctant to hand over the gains from their recent adventure just like that; after all, it was the harvest they worked hard to obtain.
“Bring it out!” The old man ordered.
Under his firm gaze, Liu Fei’er unwillingly took out a package from her Space Ring and handed it to the old man.
The old man squeezed out a smile and said humbly, “These are all the Saint Crystals we gained, please accept them, two Sirs!”
Saying so, he tossed the package over.
The big man on the opposite side stretched out his hand to catch the package, weighing it slightly as his eyes lit up, “A good haul, Old Dog.”
“Haha, our luck was simply good this time,” The old man said bitterly.
In the past, they hadn’t gained much from their hunting trips, but this time, because they followed after Yang Kai, they had a good harvest.
“Two Sirs, we will take our leave first!” The old man cupped his fists slightly, not planning to stay here any longer.
“Wait, before I say you’re free to go, you actually dared to leave?” The big man threw the package to his companion and gave a low shout.
“Do the two Sirs have any further advice?” The old man asked in a panic.
“This time you secretly traded and got caught by Father here! So what happened before? When Father wasn’t around to see, how many Saint Crystals did you steal?” The big man asked with a dark expression.
“Sir must be joking, this old man paid his taxes every time he made a transaction, never once missing a single Saint Crystal, please believe me!” The old man was shocked.
“Heh heh, believe you? I’ll pass my own judgment. Today, either you hand over all the Saint Crystals from your previous illegal trades and I spare your life, or you refuse and this place becomes your grave!” The big man coldly snorted.
“This is a misunderstanding, Sir,” The old man said anxiously, “We have never done such a thing before, how could we possibly have extra Saint Crystals?”
“That’s right, almost all our Saint Crystals have been taken away by you, where are we supposed to find any extra to hand over?” Liu Fei’er also shouted.
“This little girl’s courage isn’t small,” The big man glanced at her, his eyes suddenly lighting up. The more he examined her tender, shapely body, the more obscene his face and laughter grew.
The old man did not miss this, and knowing the situation was deteriorating, he hurriedly stretched out his hand to pull Liu Fei’er behind him before cupping his fists and bowing again, “Sir, please show mercy and spare us.”
“Spare you…” The big man touched his chin, pretending to ponder for a moment before nodding, “Fine, this King is not an unreasonable person. In fact, he’s quite magnanimous, so he won’t pursue this matter any further.”
The old man was overjoyed and quickly bowed, “Many thanks, Sir.”
“Hold on, this King hasn’t finished speaking yet,” The big man chuckled lowly as he pointed his finger at Liu Fei’er behind the old man, “If you don’t have the Saint Crystals, it’s fine if you hand over some other kind of compensation. Leave that little girl behind and the rest of you can scram!”
As soon as these words came out, Liu Fei’er’s pretty face immediately turned white and the old man also began panicking, “Sir, Fei’er is still small…”
“Small? This King doesn’t think she’s small at all!” The big man gave a lewd smile, his meaning obvious. In the next moment, his expression turned fierce and he growled, “I’ll give you one last chance: Leave the girl and scram. If you dare try to argue, I’ll kill you all.”
The old man and the others fell silent; they were completely angered but didn’t dare to express their rage and could only cast their eyes around, praying that someone around them would speak to uphold justice.
But facing these gazes, everyone in the crowd turned their eyes aside.
The old man’s heart filled with despair, never having expected that things would develop to this point.
Liu Fei’er was also desperate.
“Things seem quite lively here, let me have a look!”
An abrupt voice suddenly called out from behind the crowd.
Everyone turned their heads towards the source of this voice only to see a young man in casual robes walking over with confident strides, his figure stalwart, a wine bottle in his hand, and a weird smile on his face.
His expression was arrogant and unruly, seemingly not putting anyone in his eyes. He strode forward while drinking from the bottle and smiling freely, “Did I hear that someone was going to kill?”
“Big Brother Yang!” Liu Fei’er cried out like a drowning girl who was grasping for a life-saving straw, the light of hope flashing across her beautiful eyes.
The old man and the others also wore complicated looks.
The crowd separated voluntarily and Yang Kai walked straight up to the old man and the others, his Divine Sense sweeping them briefly before he gently nodded.
Obviously the other party hadn’t wanted the old man’s life, as the latter’s injuries weren’t too serious, otherwise, the old man would likely already be dead with just a Second-Order Saint King cultivation.
After all, this big man was a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator.
“Little Brother…” The old man opened his mouth and looked at Yang Kai with some gratitude, but still said, “Why did you interfere in this turbid water?”
He sighed and spoke in guilt.
He knew that Yang Kai must have been walking nearby and saw what happened, then out of consideration for their brief association he had decided to show up to help them. He also knew that Yang Kai possessed profound strength.
But this was Blue Wave City, and Yang Kai was just one person, two fists can’t block four strikes, if Yang Kai really intervened here, he would likely not even be able to protect himself.
“Old Sir doesn’t need to worry about me,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Hearing this, the old man couldn’t help smiling bitterly but couldn’t say anything more.
“Boy, who do you think you are?” The big man’s face sank as he glared coldly towards Yang Kai.
“Just someone who wants to watch the fun,” Yang Kai grinned at him.
“Boy, you court death!” The big man shouted angrily. Ever since Blue Wave City became known as an attached city of High Heaven Sect, no one dared to act presumptuously here anymore. As a member of the City Lord’s Mansion, this man had become used to going wherever he pleased and doing whatever he wished, yet today, a little brat had appeared from nowhere and insulted him, so he became furious.
With a shout, the big man charged towards Yang Kai and summoned a hammer-like artifact into his hand which he proceeded to slam down viciously.
Exclamations rang out from the onlookers and even the old man and Liu Fei’er became frightened.
It seemed like this artifact would smash Yang Kai’s head in the next moment.
In response though, Yang Kai simply threw a punch to meet the hammer.
*Guangdang…*
A loud noise rang out, but Yang Kai remained unharmed while on the other hand the hammer artifact was struck by a strong force and sent flying.
Yang Kai swiftly raised the wine bottle in his hand and swung it down fiercely at the big man’s head.
With a crisp sound, the wine bottle shattered and the strong drink inside drenched the big man’s face. Before he could recover from this shock though, a big foot flew towards him and struck his face.
With a pitiful scream, the big man flew out like a paper kite, his face covered with blood, giving him a terrifying look. Yang Kai’s kick had broken the man’s nose and knocked out at least half of his teeth.
The audience was shocked!
Everyone stared at Yang Kai with a weird look, as if looking at some strange monster.
What shocked everyone was not Yang Kai’s strength, but that he dared to attack the people of the City Lord’s Mansion in Blue Wave City!
Feeling severe pain, the big man howled, “How dare you hit me!”
“So what if I hit you? Who made an idiot like you unable to appreciate kindness? I didn’t want your life and acted mercifully, yet now you actually dare accuse me of striking you instead of thanking me? Do you think I won’t kill you here?!” Yang Kai looked at and said in a mocking tone.
These words sounded familiar to everyone as they were the same ones this big man had used to ridicule Liu Fei’er just now…
The big man’s expression went dull.
His companion’s expression also changed as he stared at Yang Kai in horror.
If this young man could bring down his partner in a flash, then it was obvious his opponent’s strength was too high for him to contend with. Even if he wanted to recover his partner’s face, he couldn’t do anything. As soon this thought crossed his mind, his figure flickered and he tried to escape, only wanting to report this matter to the City Lord’s Mansion and call for help as quickly as possible.
“Before I say you can go, to think you dare to leave.” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and waved his hand, sending a Golden Blood Thread over towards the fleeing man.
A flash of golden light appeared for a fleeting moment before the escaping man let out a scream and fell to the ground.
There were no visible scars, but his vitality was rapidly disappearing.
Dead!
Eyes bulged everywhere. Yang Kai daring to attack the people of the City Lord’s Mansion just now was enough to shock the onlookers, but this scene completely exceeded their ability to comprehend!
This youth had killed someone from the City Lord’s Mansion!
Was this really happening?
Over the past few years, no one had dared to oppose the City Lord’s Mansion, and anyone who even had thoughts of rebelling was mercilessly killed, but today, a young man had actually killed a cultivator from the City Lord’s Mansion in full view of the public.
It was clear just what kind of violent retribution the City Lord’s Mansion would exact now.
Even if this young man had outstanding abilities, he wouldn’t be able to escape from Blue Wave City.
He was going to die!
Gasps sounded from the crowd as the looks everyone were giving Yang Kai changed again, becoming frightened and amazed. Many began to unconsciously distance themselves from this boy so as not to be misunderstood as being related to him, lest they become implicated.
“Little Brother, you…” The old man also looked incredulous.
Liu Fei’er and the other juniors stared towards Yang Kai with worshipping eyes, however, as if already regarding him as their idol.
Young people were always passionate and hot-blooded.
“I only took care of some trash, Old Sir doesn’t need to be so nervous,” Yang Kai smiled, his expression indifferent.
“Little brother, you must go quickly, you cannot remain here! Before the news spreads, there’s still a chance you can escape here with your life, but if you linger, I’m afraid it will be too late!” The old man hurriedly shouted at Yang Kai.
“Go? Why must I go?” Yang Kai shook his head.
The old man stared at Yang Kai dully, “You’re not leaving? Do you still want to stay?”
“Yeah.”
The old man looked as anxious as an ant on a hot wok, “Do you know who you killed just now? Do you know what kind of disaster you brought upon yourself? You still want to stay here? Do you not know how to write the word ‘death’?”
“Haha,” Yang Kai laughed lightly, “Don’t worry Old Sir, since I’ve chosen to stay, I’m definitely not afraid of them. If they want to kill me, they’re welcome to try.”
Yang Kai looked as if he didn’t even fear the Heavens, his tone was wild and arrogant.
The old man looked at him with an aghast expression, and after confirming Yang Kai wasn’t just drunk, he couldn’t help shaking his head, “I really don’t understand how you young people think.”
“Rest assured, since I’ve come here today, all the garbage in Blue Wave City will be cleaned up. Just sit back and watch carefully.”
“Haa… I don’t know what you have to rely on, but this matter is still partly my responsibility, so I will accompany Little Brother all the way. As for what happens next… it will be what it is.”
He was obviously not optimistic about Yang Kai, feeling he was too young and impulsive.
Even so, he chose to stay with Yang Kai and not let him fight alone.
“Many thanks, Old Sir,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“Big Brother Yang, we pledge to live and die together with you too!” Liu Fei’er flushed and exclaimed with excitement, the other young members of her clan nodding with her, a type of fearless light flashing across their eyes.
“Alright!” Yang Kai nodded, “En, you all can accompany me into battle this time.”
“Nonsense!” The old man anxiously stamped his foot, “You… you troublemakers!”
He was willing to stay with Yang Kai and face death just to give his juniors a chance to escape, but how could he have anticipated that they would instead make such a reckless choice?
He was furious!
“Old Sir need not worry, I’ll keep them safe and sound,” Yang Kai said with a grin filled with confidence.
“This young man really doesn’t know how high the Heavens are.”
“Is he still ignorant of the disaster he caused? Does he not know who he killed?”
“Heh heh, this is interesting, someone actually dares to oppose the City Lord’s Mansion, there’s bound to be a good show.”
“How could the City Lord’s Mansion let him go? Such a pity that a talented young man will die today in Blue Wave City.”
Whispers from the onlookers came from all around, as many pointed at Yang Kai and talked about him with their friends. More cultivators who heard the disturbance were also arriving all the time, wanting to join in the fun.
Soon, the entire street became crowded, and Yang Kai and the others were surrounded by multiple layers of people.
Meanwhile, the extremely arrogant burly man from before wore a dull expression on his face. When he saw his companion killed by Yang Kai with a wave of his hand, a chill came over him from head to toe and a look of terror filled his face.
He never dreamed that someone would dare to kill people inside Blue Wave City, much less someone from the City Lord’s Mansion.
The sunlight suddenly seemed to get blocked, and when he looked up, he saw Yang Kai standing right in front of him, his arms crossed, looking down at him condescendingly from above, like a proud dragon overlooking an ant.
“Little Brother, mercy!” The big man struggled to get up before suddenly falling to his knees and kowtowing, “Little Brother, forgive me, I was blind and failed to see. I had no intention to offend Little Brother, I only ask Little Brother to be the bigger man and not care about a lowly dog like me.”
Compared with his life, a little shame was nothing to him.
He no longer had the guts to challenge Yang Kai.
“You want to live?” Yang Kai smiled at him.
The big man nodded repeatedly.
Yang Kai nodded back and his expression softened, “Good. Then, I don’t have to kill you.”
“Many thanks, Little Brother, many thanks Little Brother!” The big man cried bitterly, “What is it that Little Brother wants in return?”
He wasn’t stupid, Yang Kai being willing to let him go obviously had some kind of price.
“Is your City Lord currently in his residence?” Yang Kai asked.
“Yes, Sir City Lord is present.”
“Alright, then lead the way!” Yang Kai gestured.
“Uh…” The big man was dumbfounded, his expression turning extremely strange.
“Hurry up!” Yang Kai kicked him and shouted.
“Yes, yes!” The big man quickly got up, no longer daring to delay, and quickly led the way.
“Fei’er, come with me, we’re going to the City Lord’s Mansion to raise a ruckus!” Yang Kai beckoned to Liu Fei’er and the others.
“En,” The several juniors immediately followed.
The old man was dumbfounded and didn’t react until Yang Kai and his family’s juniors disappeared into the crowd, stomping his foot after he recovered and following after hurriedly.
The onlookers were now in an uproar.
This young man really didn’t know how to write the word ‘death’. After killing someone from the City Lord’s Mansion, instead of escaping from Blue Wave City, he wanted to go to the City Lord’s Mansion to make trouble.
There was actually such a fearless and reckless person in this world?!
What were his origins? Did he really have something to rely on, or was he simply tired of living?
Full of curiosity, everyone wanted to know what the fate of this young man would be, so they all followed after him.
It was not long before all of Blue Wave City was whipped into a frenzy, with a massive number of cultivators, led by Yang Kai, rushing towards the City Lord’s Mansion.
However, all of these people were just coming to watch the fun rather than fight with the City Lord’s Mansion because none of them had such guts!
In the centre of Blue Wave City, in front of a magnificent palace, dozens of cultivators were standing guard.
With such a big event happening in the city, it was natural that news made its way back to the City Lord’s Mansion. Blue Wave City’s City Lord was furious and immediately brought his men out to meet the enemy. He wanted to see which bastard had eaten the gall of the bear and the heart of a leopard to dare challenge him!
As a city attached to Heaven Battling City, Blue Wave City also had a large number of cultivators in its City Lord’s Mansion, making it a powerful force unto its own. There were also a large number of cultivators scattered throughout the city to deal with some unexpected events.
The City Lord and his inner circle were all Origin Returning Realm masters, with two of them even having reached the Third-Order.
For a City Lord’s Group, it could still be considered quite a powerful lineup.
At this moment, City Lord Dan Ying was furious as he stood outside the City Lord’s Mansion with his hands behind his back, staring out at the bustling crowd which was approaching from afar, his eyes narrowing as they honed in on a particular young man.
He knew at a glance that this young man was the one who was the source of this trouble.
Additionally, one of Dan Ying’s subordinates, whose face was covered in blood, was walking ahead of the crowd in a hunched-up posture, seemingly leading the way for the young man.
The sound of a few gulping could be heard when the cultivators of the City Lord’s Mansion saw the massive crowd of cultivators following behind this youth, many of them beginning to feel a little uneasy.
“Stop panicking!” Dan Ying roared, “Those people are just following the crowd, they won’t dare pick a fight with the City Lord’s Mansion so boldly. All we have to do is kill the young man leading them and the others will scatter like chickens and dogs!”
“Sir City Lord is right, don’t panic!” One of the Elders agreed.
Hearing this, the other cultivators managed to calm down.
Soon after, Yang Kai and the crowd arrived in front of the City Lord’s Mansion, but aside from him and the few members of the old man’s group, everyone else stopped to watch the fun from a thousand metres away.
This was per the laws of Blue Wave City. Anyone who stepped within a thousand metres of the City Lord’s Mansion without permission would be killed without mercy! Those who wanted to watch the excitement were still fearful of the City Lord’s Mansion, so they dared not step beyond this invisible boundary.
“That man is your City Lord?” Yang Kai cast his gaze towards Dan Ying and asked the man leading them.
The big man’s eyes glanced over quickly before he nodded very slightly.
“Deacon Liu, what happened? Why did you bring so many people to the City Lord’s Mansion to make trouble?!” Dan Ying stared at the big man with an imposing glare and asked.
The big man raised his head towards Dan Ying and his eyes flashed, as if he suddenly made a decision that was to decide his fate. Pushing his Saint Qi, this Deacon Liu shot out like a bolt of lightning.
In an instant, he rushed to Dan Ying’s side.
Seeing this, Yang Kai just smiled meaningfully, not making any attempt to stop him, seemingly having expected this to happen.
“Sir City Lord, please forgive me!” The big man yelled, “It’s not that subordinate wanted to lead these people here to make trouble, I was forced to!”
“Who dares to force you!” Dan Ying shouted coldly.
“It was that little brat!” The big man turned around and pointed straight at Yang Kai. After escaping from Yang Kai’s control, and standing next to Dan Ying, this man seemed to gain a sense of security and no longer had any scruples, grinding his teeth as he continued, “Subordinate was just doing his duty, collecting taxes with Deacon Zhou, but out of nowhere, this arrogant boy used his superior cultivation and attacked us, injuring me and killing Deacon Zhou. He did not put the City Lord’s Mansion in his eyes at all! To survive, this subordinate had to compromise and agree to lead this boy to the City Lord’s Mansion to seek justice from Sir City Lord!”
He had just been kowtowing and begging for his life, but if one had not seen that scene and simply heard him speaking, they would think he was a man of courage who braved great risk to bring Yang Kai to face punishment here.
Yang Kai’s eyes remained calm as he listened, finding this big man somewhat amusing.
“Good, well done!” Dan Ying nodded lightly.
“Idiot, do you think you are safe if you stand next to your City Lord? If I want to kill you, your City Lord can’t protect you!” Yang Kai sneered.
“Impudence!” Dan Ying roared, “Boy, you’re far too arrogant. Don’t think that you have the ability to not put the world in your eyes. This City Lord wants to see how you can kill Deacon Liu while he is here!”
“As you wish!” Yang Kai grinned and a golden light suddenly appeared in his left eye, after which a lotus bud manifested and shot forward, disappearing a moment later.
Screams suddenly rang out, as the big man standing beside Dan Ying put his hands on his head, dropped to the ground, and rolled about frantically.
His cries were miserable, as if he was suffering some kind of unimaginable torture, causing everyone who heard his voice to shiver in fear.
No one knew what had happened to the big man to cause him such pain.
Three breaths later, a dull thud sounded.
The head of the big man burst open like a ripe watermelon, splattering blood and brains all around, completely dying the surrounding area red.
Audible gasps echoed from all directions.
Dan Ying and the leaders of Blue Wave City all shivered when they saw this and their faces turned pale, clear signs of fear flashing across their eyes.
Standing behind Yang Kai, Liu Fei’er was stunned for a moment, as if she hadn’t realized what was going on, but soon, her pretty face turned pale and she rushed to the side to vomit the entire content of her stomach.
“Did you see it clearly?” Yang Kai looked over at Dan Ying contemptuously and chuckled mockingly.
Dan Ying’s face was extremely ugly and gloomy, but he didn’t say a word.
He didn’t know what kind of method Yang Kai used, but with his Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, he at least noticed that this boy had used some kind of powerful Soul Technique to silently kill Deacon Liu.
But just how strong would this boy’s Divine Sense have to be to make Deacon Liu’s head explode!?
Dan Ying quickly determined that he would not have been able to achieve such a feat.
A powerful enemy had appeared!
Dan Ying no longer dared to underestimate Yang Kai, his expression growing extremely solemn.
“Dare I ask who Your Excellency is and why you have come to my Blue Wave City to cause trouble?” Dan Ying asked in a deep, cold tone.
“Is that important?” Yang Kai curled his lips.
Dan Ying frowned, “This City Lord and Your Excellency have never met, but Your Excellency is quite unreasonable. Killing two of my City Lord Mansion’s Deacons is a bit too much for a greeting, is it not?”
He had seen that Yang Kai possessed extraordinary strength, so he didn’t dare confront him easily.
At such an age, with such strength, it was likely this young man had some strong backers, so Dan Ying didn’t want to act too aggressively before figuring out Yang Kai’s details.
“Too much?” Yang Kai grinned, “I don’t think it is too much. I’m here today not only to kill your two Deacons but also to take all your lives. None of you will escape!”
The cultivators of the City Lord’s Mansion felt a chill both physically and mentally.
Dan Ying’s expression went blank, but soon he burst into laughter, “Interesting, interesting, this City Lord hasn’t seen such an interesting young man in so long. Good, since you don’t know how to appreciate kindness, don’t blame this City Lord for not being polite! Kill him!”
Since Yang Kai shamelessly rejected his face-saving offer, Dan Ying decided to act ruthlessly.
Two of his Deacons had died, so if he simply swallowed this insult, it would deeply damage his face and authority in the future.
No matter what backing this young man had, it couldn’t be bigger than the one behind him, so Dan Ying was fearless and no longer bothered to discuss anything with Yang Kai, simply waving his hand and ordering the attack.
Dozens of the City Lord Mansion’s cultivators received this order and with ferocious expressions charged towards Yang Kai.
Although the tragic death of the big man just now had frightened all of them, Yang Kai was still just one person while Liu Fei’er and the other youths behind him weren’t even put in the City Lord Mansion cultivators’ eyes.
With so many of them, they were completely confident they could take down Yang Kai.
From the dozens of approaching figures, Secret Techniques and artifact attacks blossomed and flew towards Yang Kai.
The faces of Liu Fei’er and the others paled as a look of desperation flashed across their eyes when they felt the mass of chaotic energy fluctuations approaching.
They all thought they were about to die.
Yang Kai didn’t move; however, the smile on his lips just grew colder and colder.
Stretching out his hand towards the barrage of attacks, he leisurely summoned his Purple Shield.
The shield was originally about the size of a washbasin, but after it appeared, it suddenly expanded to several dozen metres in radius.
All the attacks landed on the shield.
A series of clanging sounds rang out and brilliant explosions blinded everyone’s eyes, but Yang Kai remained unharmed.
“An Origin Grade High-Rank defensive artifact!” Dan Ying narrowed his eyes as he recognized the shield’s grade, a touch of greed also appearing on his face.
Origin Grade High-Rank artifacts were incredibly rare on Shadowed Star, not to mention this was a defensive artifact which was more valuable than ordinary artifacts! With this artifact, anyone’s strength could be raised dramatically.
Dan Ying was now even more convinced that there was some great backer behind Yang Kai, otherwise, how could he have obtained such a good thing?
Suddenly, a golden light burst out from behind the shield as multiple golden silk threads shot out. A rough count put the total number of golden threads at around a hundred, and the vital aura which pulsed from each one was so shocking it caused many nearby to panic.
It was like these golden threads were alive.
The golden threads flickered back and forth, cutting through the crowd.
None of the cultivators’ protective Saint Qi could withstand the cutting a piercing power of these golden threads, the radiant glow surrounding their bodies no better than paper, unable to withstand a single blow.
Even ordinary defensive artifacts were unable to resist the sharpness of these golden threads, many of them being sliced in half, losing all spirituality and transforming into scraps.
Screams rang out one after another.
Blood splashed, broken limbs and meat scattered across the ground, heads flew up into the air, and corpses began piling up.
The cultivators from the City Lord’s Mansion screamed in horror as all those who were lucky enough to still be alive saw they were outmatched and hurriedly tried to escape from Yang Kai.
“You want to run? Since you’ve come, don’t even dream of leaving,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, a faint sneer appearing at the corner of his lips. Under the control of his Divine Sense, his Golden Blood Threads flew and cut even faster.
He was like a bloodthirsty demon!
The onlookers only saw glimmers of golden light and heard terrified screams. As for what was actually happening on the battlefield, only a few masters could see clearly.
“Quickly send a message to Heaven Battling City. Request City Lord Liang’s assistance!” Dan Ying turned pale and hurriedly yelled to a nearby aide. He faintly felt that even if he went into action personally, he wouldn’t be the opponent of this young man, so he decided to call for help without hesitation.
Hearing this order, the aide turned around and rushed into the City Lord’s Mansion without hesitation.
The tragic screams continued for a time but gradually grew thin until finally falling completely silent.
The golden glow faded and revealed the surrounding area again.
The onlookers looked over, and after seeing the situation, they felt their bodies shiver…
With Yang Kai as the centre, there was a region of almost a hundred metres where no other living person remained, all the enemies who had swarmed up to attack him just now lay dead on the ground.
The scene was extremely bloody and cruel, and a rich smell of iron filled the air, making people want to vomit.
A thousand metres away, the crowd of spectating cultivators were dumbfounded. Some people kept rubbing their eyes, subconsciously rejecting the scene before them.
Behind Yang Kai, the old man, Liu Fei’er, and the other youths gawked as they stared at Yang Kai’s back in a daze, their jaws dropped and unable to close.
Liu Fei’er’s tender body was constantly trembling, half from fear and nausea, half from an inexplicable excitement.
Just now, Yang Kai had told her to follow him to the City Lord’s Mansion to raise a fuss, to which she readily agreed, but how could she have known that their presence would be completely superfluous? Yang Kai alone could destroy the entire City Lord’s Mansion!
The scene was eerily silent for a time as the blowing breeze spread a rich scent of blood across Blue Wave City.
Few people had ever witnessed such a large-scale slaughter, with broken limbs and hashed meat filled with blood scattered all around them in a manner to ghastly it was difficult to describe.
Dan Ying and the other leaders of Blue Wave City nearly collapsed on the spot.
“Kill them!”
“Kill all of them!”
“Good job Little Brother, don’t let these people go. Kill them all!”
Suddenly, the sound of angry roars came from the crowd of onlookers.
A single call led to a hundred responses as more and more people began furiously shouting.
For the past few years, the cultivators of Blue Wave City had lived very unpleasant lives, being exploited and wantonly insulted by the City Lord’s Mansion’s people. Even if they wanted to leave this city, they were unable to find a way out.
Many people had been killed, many small families had been wiped out, and many young and beautiful women were humiliated without even being able to resist.
They have had enough.
A trivial Blue Wave City City Lord’s Mansion wasn’t enough for them to fear.
But none of them dared disobey High Heaven Sect!
Three years ago, Shadowed Star had three top forces, Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, and Star Emperor Mountain, but all three of these great forces were crushed by High Heaven Sect, instantly making the latter the most powerful force on Shadowed Star.
This Sect commanded great awe and fear.
Behind Blue Wave City was the shadow of High Heaven Sect, so even if these cultivators were dissatisfied with their current lives, none of them dared openly resist.
Anger and hatred were like good wine though, the longer it fermented, the stronger it became.
The events of today finally allowed the dissatisfaction in everyone’s hearts to explode. Seeing his overwhelming strength, the onlookers began supporting Yang Kai’s approach and vented their anger, wanting to see Dan Ying and the others’ receive retribution for their evil deeds.
Someone bravely stepped forward, walked over, and stood behind Yang Kai, glaring towards Dan Ying and the other city leaders.
Soon others followed.
The law which stated that ‘any who approached to within a thousand metres of the City Lord’s Mansion without permission would be killed’ was instantly broken.
The crowd swarmed forward, curses spewing from their lips as murderous intent flared up, forcing Dan Ying and the others to repeatedly retreat.
Even if an Origin King Realm master had been the one standing here, they would likely be forced back by this show of force.
Dan Ying had never thought that these people, who were always so obedient to him, would dare show any rebelliousness, causing his legs to shiver.
“Sir City Lord, right? Are you going to committing suicide, or do you want me to act personally? Let me say this first, if you force my hand, you won’t be able to die easily!” Yang Kai looked ahead with a sneer.
Dan Ying’s brow twitched and he tried to put up a strong front, roaring angrily, “Boy, do you know who you’ve offended today? I am Heaven Battling City’s City Lord Liang Yong’s subordinate! My Blue Wave City is under High Heaven Sect’s jurisdiction, so no matter what your background is, no matter where you are from, since you’ve dared to offend my Blue Wave City today, your end will be miserable! If you know what’s best for you, you’ll leave quickly. Do so and this City Lord will forgive your crimes, if not, the consequences will be dire!”
“High Heaven Sect?” Yang Kai snickered, “Don’t try to tarnish the reputation of High Heaven Sect, High Heaven Sect would never allow you to act so lawlessly.”
“You don’t believe me?” Dan Ying grit his teeth.
“Am I just supposed to believe anything you say?” Yang Kai sneered.
“Who dares not give High Heaven Sect face?” An angry shout suddenly came from the City Lord’s Mansion, “This King must see who has not learned the lessons of Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect and dares try to oppose High Heaven Sect!”
Hearing this voice, Dan Ying, who was originally grey-faced, suddenly became overjoyed and quickly turned to look into the City Lord’s Mansion, as if he were a drowning man who had spotted a life-saving straw, the panic and uneasiness he felt just now wiped away entirely.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a vicious light as he too cast his gaze towards the newcomer.
A short moment later, a man left the City Lord’s Mansion and stepped out in an imposing manner.
Behind him, there were many Origin Returning Realm masters who had equally arrogant and aloof looks to them.
“Dan Ying greets City Lord Liang!” Dan Ying hurriedly cupped his fists and saluted.
He had just sent a message to Liang Yong, but hadn’t expected the other party to rush over through the Space Array so soon.
He was saved now.
The masters from Heaven Battling City were far more powerful than those from Blue Wave City, so even if this evil boy had outstanding strength and methods, he would still need to surrender without a fight against City Lord Liang.
“En!” Liang Yong nodded faintly as he glanced over at Dan Ying and coldly snorted, “It seems you’re quite useless as a City Lord, are you unable to even solve a single person causing trouble?”
“City Lord Liang, please forgive me!” Dan Ying said in a cold sweat, “The little brat who came to cause trouble is truly extraordinary, several dozen of this City Lord’s subordinates were brutally killed by him in an instant! Please uphold justice here, City Lord Liang.”
“Since this City Lord is here, naturally he won’t just sit back and watch. Who is the one making trouble and refusing to give my High Heaven Sect face?” Liang Yong coldly snorted.
“It’s that boy!” Hearing Liang Yong’s question, Dan Ying pointed his hand and ground his teeth, “It’s him, he’s the one who doesn’t put our High Heaven Sect in his eyes at all! This Dan told him clearly that Blue Wave City is under the jurisdiction of High Heaven Sect and that this Dan is City Lord Liang’s subordinate, but this little brat arrogantly declared he does not believe me. Please teach him a lesson, City Lord Liang.”
After speaking, Dan Ying turned to stare at Yang Kai triumphantly, his eyes filled with expectation.
He was looking forward to seeing Yang Kai kneeling down and begging for mercy, allowing him to vent the anger he felt.
But to his disappointment, Yang Kai did not show any panic at all. He still stood there calmly, with his hands crossed in front of his chest, an inexplicable sneer on his lips as he stared arrogantly towards Liang Yong.
[This boy’s courage knows no bounds! Even with City Lord Liang here, he still showed no fear.] At this moment, Dan Ying could not help somewhat admiring Yang Kai.
However, this boy acting so defiant would only further anger City Lord Liang, making his ultimate end even worse.
Dan Ying sneered in his heart before sneaking a glance towards Liang Yong only to see the later stride forward towards Yang Kai quickly.
Dan Ying could not stop grinning, secretly looking forward to the good show.
Liu Fei’er and the others also clenched their sweat-filled palms as panic threatened to overwhelm them. The countless cultivators who also stood behind and supported Yang Kai just now saw how angry Liang Yong was and couldn’t help stepping back unconsciously, opening a little distance between them and Yang Kai for fear that the fire at the city gate would affect the fish in the moat.
Some even began to regret acting so impulsively just now.
All of them had heard Liang Yong’s name before.
Since Heaven Battling Union was destroyed, he had become the City Lord of Heaven Battling City which was directly managed by High Heaven Sect.
Although High Heaven Sect had gained a loud reputation in recent years, it continued to act in a very low-key manner. No one had ever heard of any High Heaven Sect disciple appearing in the outside world, so Liang Yong had become the external representative of High Heaven Sect almost by default!
Now that he was here, no matter what his strength was, what he represented was the behemoth High Heaven Sect!
Even if the one here was an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated, no one would dare to attack him, much less Liang Yong who was a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master whose strength far exceeded Dan Ying’s.
This boy was finished!
Many people look at Yang Kai with a hint of sympathy on their faces. No matter what kind of backing this young man had, no one would dare to avenge him if he died tragically today.
The hundred-metre distance was narrowed in an instant as Liang Yong rushed up to Yang Kai; then, without pause, he actually knelt on one knee and lowered his head, “Subordinate Liang Yong greets Sect Master!”
This action was performed smoothly and neatly, as if it had been rehearsed countless times.
Yang Kai’s expression remained cold, however, as he looked down at Liang Yong condescendingly, the same sneer he had before never leaving his face, making his thoughts impossible to read.
Everyone’s eyes bulged.
All the people who saw this scene had their jaws drop, many of them thinking they were seeing things or that they had been caught in some kind of strange illusion.
The scene fell silent as a chill seemed to shroud the front of the City Lord’s Mansion, causing many to shiver unconsciously.
Dan Ying was also shocked as he stared towards Liang Yong in a daze.
He suddenly noticed that fine lines of sweat had appeared on Liang Yong’s forehead and were rapidly condensing into beads that dripped down onto the ground.
*Dida, dida…*
Dan Ying’s body shook and a thought flashed across his mind, suddenly remembering some details he had once heard before.
It was rumoured that Sect Master Yang Kai of High Heaven Sect was a young man, and the description of his appearance was indeed somewhat similar to the troublemaker in front of him…
Then there was what Liang Yong called him just now, so…
Dan Ying felt his heart clench as he nearly fainted from shock.
“Subordinates greet Sect Master. We did not know Sect Master had come, if we did, we would have come to welcome you immediately! Please forgive us, Sect Master!” The cultivators who were brought by Liang Yong shouted after recovering from their initial shock.
Liu Fei’er went sluggish again as he stared at Yang Kai foolishly, only after a long silence seemingly comprehending what was happening, at which point a strange brilliance flashed across her beautiful eyes.
“Liang Yong…” Yang Kai called out faintly.
“Reporting,” Liang Yong replied quickly, his voice trembling somewhat.
“I’ve not seen you for a few years, but it seems life is treating you well,” Yang Kai sneered.
“Certainly not!” Cold sweat on Liang Yong’s forehead kept dripping down, as if his whole body had been dunked into a river, his clothes soaking wet as he heard the clear dissatisfaction in Yang Kai’s voice. Anxiously, he called out, “Subordinate has been negligent in his duties, making Sect Master exhaust himself. Please mete out punishment!”
“Good, your punishment will come soon enough, but before that, this Sect Master has something he is curious about; when did you join High Heaven Sect? This Sect Master did not admit you, so who did?”
Liang Yong’s body shivered as he shot a hate-filled glare over at Dan Ying from the corner of his eye; the anger and rage in his heart were hard to describe in words.
He had just received information in Heaven Battling City about a disturbance here and hurriedly brought a group of people to this place through the Space Array, but how could he have expected that the moment he walked out of the City Lord’s Mansion, he would see the person he feared most in this life.
Liang Yong wanted to chop Dan Ying’s corpse into ten thousand pieces for being so stupid and blind.
“Sect Master please do not misunderstand! Subordinate has witnessed just how powerful the Sect is and earnestly wishes to pledge his life to it; unfortunately, Subordinate has not had an opportunity to realize this wish. Now, Subordinate only hopes to improve his usefulness to Sect Master as the City Lord of Heaven Battling City by gathering enough commodities and supplies. However, Subordinate and his supporters are, in the end, survivors of Heaven Battling Union, making it difficult to convince the public to obey, so outwardly we were forced to declare a different status. Vice City Lord also knows about this matter,” Liang Yong quickly explained after a moment of thought.
“Oh, Xiao Qi, is this true?” Yang Kai raised his head and looked towards a certain buck-toothed cultivator standing amongst the crowd.
The latter nodded.
“Alright, in that case, it’s fine,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
Hearing this, Liang Yong couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
But before he could truly relax, Yang Kai continued, “Now let’s talk about this Blue Wave City again.”
Liang Yong’s heart clenched up again, and an unpleasant premonition came to him.
“I heard that Blue Wave City is attached to Heaven Battling City, yes?” Yang Kai asked as he looked at Liang Yong.
“Reporting to Sect Master, that is the case. Not only Blue Wave City, but all the cities within a radius of a few million kilometres are now attached to Heaven Battling City. There are nine large and small cities in total!”
“Very good,” Yang Kai grinned.
“Many thanks for Sect Master’s praise, it is this one’s honour to serve the Sect.”
“So, all the actions in Blue Wave City are approved of by Heaven Battling City?” Yang Kai looked at Liang Yong with a smile.
Liang Yong wore a somewhat panicked look and quickly refuted, “That is not the case. Subordinate only ordered these attached cities to pay some materials or Saint Crystals every year as a tribute. As for the administration of each city, subordinate does not interfere, everything is decided by their respective City Lord’s Mansion.”
“A smooth answer,” Yang Kai smiled meaningfully.
“Sect Master…” Ge Qi looked at Yang Kai suspiciously, “Was there some kind of accident in this Blue Wave City?”
“I only arrived here today too, so I can’t say I am well informed, but if we wish to know more, we might as well ask these people,” Yang Kai motioned towards the countless onlookers.
Ge Qi’s brow furrowed slightly, vaguely feeling that things were not as simple as they appeared. Hastily walking out, he arrived in front of the crowd and cupped his fists, “Everyone, this one’s name is Ge Qi, Heaven Battling City’s Vice City Lord and High Heaven Sect’s disciple! If you have anything to report, please feel to speak with this Ge. This Ge guarantees by the Sect’s reputation that absolutely no one will embarrass you for stepping forward.”
The scene remained silent, with no one speaking, everyone simply staring at Ge Qi in a daze.
They were wary and afraid of Ge Qi, so they did not dare to expose the misdeeds of Blue Wave City’s City Lord Mansion.
Liu Fei’er opened her mouth, seeming to want to say something, but quickly swallowed them back down again.
“Fei’er, don’t hesitate to speak, with me here, no one will dare cause any harm to you,” Yang Kai saw this and comforted her gently.
Liu Fei’er seemed to receive courage from these words, took a deep breath, and declared loudly, “Fei’er’s Fourth Uncle was killed by the City Lord Mansion’s people two years ago because he was unwilling to pay them off with Saint Crystals!”
“And today, the benefits we obtained from our own hard work were taken away entirely by the City Lord Mansion. Not only that, but they also wanted to take Fei’er! If it were not for Big Brother Yang’s timely arrival, the consequences would have been disastrous,” Another young man stood forward and shouted.
Ge Qi’s expression instantly sank.
“Blue Wave City isn’t a place where people can live! Seventy percent of everything we make has to be turned over to the City Lord’s Mansion, it’s simply unbearable.”
“There is a register of names in the City Lord’s Mansion, and anyone one that has been registered is not allowed to leave Blue Wave City, or else they will suffer a painful death! Many who tried to flee were killed mercilessly.”
Sporadic shouts began emerging from the crowd, but it did not take long before almost everyone was voicing their complaints.
Ge Qi’s face became gloomier and gloomier, as did Yang Kai’s.
After a long while, when the clamours gradually subsided, Yang Kai and Ge Qi exchanged a glance, and both saw the anger in each other’s eyes.
The vile deeds which were committed in Blue Wave City were not the main problem. Shadowed Star was so big, and had so many people living on it, that such matters were bound to happen somewhere; what irritated Yang Kai, however, was that Blue Wave City was doing so by using High Heaven Sect’s name.
If not for this point, the City Lord’s Mansion would already have been razed by these countless cultivators.
The reputation of High Heaven Sect suppressed all the citizens of Blue Wave City, making them too afraid to resist no matter how bad things got.
This was nothing short of smearing mud on High Heaven Sect’s reputation. If things were allowed to go on like this, there would soon be no place for High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star.
There were nine cities under the jurisdiction of Heaven Battling City, so if Blue Wave City was in such poor condition, what were things like in the other cities?
“Xiao Qi, you’ve failed at your job as Vice City Lord!” Yang Kai shot him a sharp glance.
Ge Qi lowered his head in shame.
He also did not expect the situation outside to be like this.
Since Yang Kai asked him to stay in Heaven Battling City as the Vice City Lord three years ago, he had essentially never left Heaven Battling City, often secluding himself in cultivation while only monitoring the situation in Heaven Battling City occasionally.
Over there, measures to win over popular support which were implemented by Yang Kai were strictly adhered to. Taxes were so low they were almost negligible, which attracted many cultivators to move and settle down. Today, Heaven Battling City could be described as overcrowded but thriving.
However, the situation seemed to be quite different for the cities under Heaven Battling City’s jurisdiction.
Under an attractive outward image, some people were secretly committing vicious acts which were causing public outrage.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had discovered this issue now. It could be considered early. Otherwise, if a few more years had passed, the consequences would have been difficult to estimate. When thinking about this, Ge Qi broke out in a cold sweat and at the same time became livid.
“Liang Yong ah, Liang Yong. Don’t tell this Sect Master you knew nothing about this,” Yang Kai smiled maliciously towards Liang Yong.
The latter’s body trembled and a frightened expression filled his face as he said in a panic, “Sect Master, please understand. Subordinate truly didn’t know about this. It is the first time that subordinate has heard about the situation here in Blue Wave City.”
He didn’t dare admit anything. He had seen Yang Kai’s methods before, so he knew if he admitted to everything, this would be his burial place.
Since he couldn’t admit it anyway, Liang Yong decisively rejected.
“So you won’t show regret unless you see your coffin? Good, seems like I must find evidence before you’re willing to give up. In that case, this Sect Master will satisfy you; hand over your Space Ring,” Yang Kai coldly commanded.
Liang Yong broke out in a cold sweat, but he still didn’t agree, trying to talk his way out of this, “Sect Master, please reconsider! Subordinate is truly loyal to Sect Master and has never disobeyed any of Sect Master’s wishes or done anything to tarnish the Sect’s reputation. This Space Ring holds all of Subordinate’s most intimate secrets, so even if it is Sect Master’s request, Subordinate cannot agree to it. Please be reasonable, Sect Master.”
“Enough nonsense,” Yang Kai snorted coldly, reaching out to take the ring from Liang Yong’s hand.
A trace of struggle flashed across Liang Yong’s face before his eyes became determined. Seeing Yang Kai reaching out towards his hand, Liang Yong pushed the Saint Qi in his body and turned around, wanting to escape.
But the moment he took action, the surrounding space suddenly became extremely viscous and a crushing pressure pressed him from all directions, making it difficult for him to even move.
Innumerable crackling sounds rang out as millions of tiny Void Cracks began swimming around him like a school of fish.
Liang Yong’s courage broke completely as he no longer dared to move, for fear that he would be swallowed by these Void Cracks if he did.
A moment later, Liang Yong’s Space Ring had fallen into Yang Kai’s hands, and his face went pure white.
Holding this Space Ring, Yang Kai sneered lightly and swept its content with his Divine Sense, his expression gradually becoming gloomy.
Soon after, Yang Kai waved his hand and a loud clatter rang out.
In front of the City Lord’s Mansion, a hill-like pile of High-Rank Saint Crystals appeared.
The surrounding people looked at the huge number of Saint Crystals and couldn’t help exclaiming in shock while gulping hard.
When had any of them ever seen such a great fortune?
Although no one knew the exact count, this many Saint Crystals would no doubt have to be counted by the hundred million. If one could obtain this treasure mountain, they wouldn’t need to worry about cultivation resources for a dozen lifetimes.
Besides Saint Crystals, there were also various boxes and containers. No one could see what was inside these boxes, but even the containers themselves were made of valuable materials, so the contents were clearly even more precious.
“Where did you get so many good things from then?” Yang Kai looked at Liang Yong with a calm face, “If you can give me a reasonable explanation, I won’t kill you!”
Liang Yong’s face was ashen as he had no way to explain.
The evidence was already in front of him. If he hadn’t lined his pockets with the wealth from the nine cities under Heaven Battling City, how could he possibly have amassed such wealth all on his own?
No one had such ability!
“Mercy, Sect Master, mercy please! Subordinate knows his wrongs! Please give this Subordinate another chance to make up for this mistake! Subordinate will definitely live up to Sect Master’s trust!” Liang Yong shouted.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “Everything deserves a chance or two, but three is asking too much. Liang Yong, this Sect Master spared your life on Fallen Emperor Mountain, and didn’t take your life in Heaven Battling City because you still had some use, but now… you can die content!”
As soon as his voice fell, Yang Kai stretched out his hand towards Liang Yong.
Liang Yong seemed to want to dodge, but for some unknown reason, he was unable to. Yang Kai grabbed his head directly and pushed his Saint Qi strongly; Liang Yong screamed as a bursting sound erupted inside his body.
As his voice faded, Liang Yong’s vitality rapidly disappeared.
After Yang Kai took back his hand, Liang Yong no longer had any life aura and collapsed to the ground, dark red blood flowing out of all his orifices.
Everyone was silent as they stared towards Yang Kai with complicated looks.
What kind of strength Liang Yong possessed, many of them knew well. As a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, even if Liang Yong wasn’t as powerful as the fallen Heaven Battling Union Union Master, he was not far off.
But such a master was pinched to death by Yang Kai with one hand.
Like pinching an ant.
Although most people had long heard about Yang Kai’s extraordinary strength, those were only rumours after all. Seeing that it with their own eyes though, everyone realized that not only were the rumours true, they underestimated how terrifying Yang Kai was.
Dan Ying had already collapsed to the ground, his eyes glossed over.
He had pinned all his hopes on Liang Yong, thinking that City Lord Liang could teach this arrogant youth a good lesson.
But the situation had developed in a way he had never imagined.
First, Liang Yong called this young man Sect Master, which made Dan Ying vaguely guess his true identity, then Liang Yong, whom Dan Ying regarded as his support, was actually pinched to death.
Dan Ying had always relied upon High Heaven Sect as his backer, but how could he have known he would inadvertently offend the Sect Master of this backer!
How was he supposed to survive now?
He saw Yang Kai’s gaze sweep over him but not stop, completely disregarding him, as if he was of no threat or his very existence wasn’t even worth paying attention to.
“Heh heh, I don’t know how many of you are related to this matter, but don’t be too nervous. Liang Yong is dead, and this Sect Master doesn’t feel like slaughtering indiscriminately. This matter will end here then. If you still want to survive, you should know what to do,” Yang Kai looked at the cultivators who followed Liang Yong.
Most of these people were originally Heaven Battling Union cultivators while some were later recruited by Liang Yong, and all of them were Origin Returning Realm masters.
“Subordinates thank Sect Master for showing mercy!” All of them shouted in unison before turning to stare at Dan Ying.
“No!” Dan Ying yelled in horror.
But it was too late; all of these masters rushed forward and swarmed Dan Ying, bombarding him with various Secret Techniques and artifacts, granting him a quick but tragic death.
“Xiao Qi, handle matters here as quickly as possible then report back to me,” Yang Kai turned to Ge Qi and ordered.
“Yes.”
“Who is Blue Wave City’s Vice City Lord?” Yang Kai swept his eyes around again.
“It is I,” A gloomy-looking old man quickly walked out, his legs still trembling slightly as he nodded and bowed to Yang Kai.
“Good, take me to see Blue Wave City’s treasury.”
“This way please, Sect Master!” The old man didn’t dare to neglect and quickly led the way.
A short time later, Yang Kai stood in front of Blue Wave City’s City Lord Mansion’s treasury and saw a dazzling array of materials, as well as a large number of Saint Crystals.
This was the manifestation of the blood and sweat of Blue Wave City’s people.
“Have your subordinates empty out this treasury and hand everything over to Ge Qi, he should know how to process them,” Yang Kai gave an order before turning around and leaving.
The old man nodded and got to work.
Three days later, in the City Lord’s Mansion, Yang Kai sat on a chair and listened to Ge Qi’s report.
“Sect Master, the contents of Liang Yong and Dan Ying’s Space Rings, together with what was stored in Blue Wave City’s treasury, have all been catalogued. Subordinate has arranged for all of Blue Wave City’s cultivators to report the amount of Saint Crystals they were forced to pay over the past three years and, after verification, had the appropriate amount returned. I have also ensured that everyone knows that what happened here was not ordered by High Heaven Sect but was a result of Dan Ying’s unauthorized actions. Everyone who heard this news cheers and praised Sect Master’s righteousness and kindness.”
“Stop with the needless flattery,” Yang Kai glanced at him and didn’t know why, but the more he saw Ge Qi, the more dreadful he seemed. Yang Kai was really curious why Ye Xi Yun had picked this guy up and raised him as a disciple.
Ge Qi laughed embarrassedly.
“Liang Yong is dead, so Heaven Battling City lacks a leader. You’ll assume that role for now, and if you can train a capable and reliable replacement, you can have them take over as City Lord then return to Sect where you won’t need to concern yourself with these trivial matters.”
“Good, that’s what I planned to do,” Ge Qi nodded.
“What about the other cities under the jurisdiction of Heaven Battling City? Was the situation the same as here?” Yang Kai asked.
“Not exactly. The situation was different in each city, some good, some bad, but Blue Wave City was the most severe case.”
“Good, that’s good. Handle things according to your own judgement.”
“Sect Master may rest assured; Xiao Qi will not allow such dishonourable matters to occur again. By the way, Sect Master, I have sent news of your return back to the Sect. Great Elder wishes to know what your current status is.”
“Me? I’m doing well, tell her that I will return soon so she doesn’t have to worry.”
“Yes,” Ge Qi nodded, “There is one more thing, Sect Master.”
“Speak.”
“Outside the City Lord’s Mansion, there are several people who had been asking to see you. They say they know you,” Ge Qi looked at Yang Kai with a strange expression.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before figuring out who these people were and nodded, “Let them come in.”
Ge Qi nodded and left. A short while later, an old man leading several young people nervously entered.
Yang Kai got up and greeted them with a smile.
“This old man greets Sect Master Yang!” The old man hurriedly saluted.
“Old Sir doesn’t need to be so polite,” Yang Kai laughed, his gaze sweeping the youths behind the old man where he saw Liu Fei’er staring at him with a pair of big eyes, her face filled with curiosity.
“What are you doing in a daze, hurry up and bow! Such disrespect.” The old man shouted.
Yang Kai, however, just waved his hand, “No need, it’s fine like this.”
The old man smiled bitterly, “Please don’t blame them, Sect Master Yang, these few young ones are ignorant of how the world works. If they have offended you in any way, I ask you to please forgive them. En, this old man is here today simply to thank Sect Master Yang for upholding justice on behalf of all of Blue Wave City’s residents and for avenging the death of my family’s Fourth Elder. Please accept this old man’s worship.”
“Old Sir, please don’t say such things, if we really examine this matter, the fault lies with my High Heaven Sect for being negligent in its oversight. Fortunately, the situation here came to light before it was too late, and I can only hope to make up for the damage already done in the future.”
“It is our blessing to be able to live in Blue Wave City under the rule of High Heaven Sect,” The old man said solemnly.
Yang Kai gently nodded before turning to Liu Fei’er and smiling, “Why do you keep staring at me, don’t you recognize me?”
Liu Fei’er blushed and spoke hesitantly, “Are you really High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master? You’re not lying, right?”
“Fei’er!” The old man was startled and glared at her quickly.
In response, the young girl couldn’t help pouting.
Yang Kai chuckled, nodded and said, “Yeah, I am High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master. Why were you wondering if I was pretending?”
“I was just asking,” The girl stuck out her tongue. Next, she seemed to gather her courage, bit her lip, and asked, “Since you’re High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master, your word should carry a lot of weight, yes?”
“En, it should be useful!”
“Then can you accept me into High Heaven Sect?”
As soon as this remark came out, the old man was shocked and quickly begged for forgiveness.
He knew that High Heaven Sect never accepted outsiders.
A master like Liang Yong, who was also Heaven Battling City’s City Lord, had not been officially admitted into High Heaven Sect, so how could his Junior, Liu Fei’er, who was just a Saint Realm cultivator, possibly join such a Sect?
Although he was apologizing in a panic, the old man was also feeling somewhat expectant inside.
If Fei’er could really join High Heaven Sect, her future was guaranteed to be bright! Now on Shadowed Star, High Heaven Sect was the dominant force, with no Sect comparable to it in the slightest, how could it be bad to enter such a Sect?
Yang Kai stopped the old man’s apologies before turning a serious look towards Liu Fei’er and asking, “Do you want to enter High Heaven Sect?”
The girl nodded.
“Why?” Yang Kai asked.
“Under a big tree one can enjoy the cool shade!” The girl replied without the slightest hesitation.
The old man’s face twitched when he heard this, and even Yang Kai was startled for a moment before he burst into laughter.
“If I become a High Heaven Sect disciple, no one will dare to bully my family again,” The girl blushed and added.
Yang Kai laughed even more happily as he nodded, “Good, although your motives are a bit selfish, your personality is also reasonable and straightforward. Since you want to enter High Heaven Sect so much, this Sect Master will accept you.”
“Huh?” The girl looked dazed, seemingly not having expected happiness to come to her so suddenly. She had thought she would definitely be rejected and had mentally prepared herself for such an outcome.
“Stupid girl, why haven’t you thanked Sect Master Yang for his kindness yet!” The old man quickly urged.
Only then did Liu Fei’er come back to her senses and hurriedly knelt, giving a formal salute.
The other youths who had accompanied her here all stared at her with envy.
“Alright, get up. I’ll give you one day to deal with any unfinished matters you have at home, after that you will leave for the Sect together with me,” Yang Kai declared.
“Yes!” The girl bit her red lips, flushed, and replied excitedly.
There was no need for Yang Kai to worry about Blue Wave City or Heaven Battling City, so one day later, Yang Kai took Liu Fei’er through the Space Array of Blue Wave City, passed directly through Heaven Battling City, then proceeded to Demon Blood City!
By now, however, Demon Blood City had been renamed High Heaven City.
High Heaven City was High Heaven Sect’s link to the outside world as its headquarters were located deep inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field. High Heaven City was also under the direct jurisdiction of High Heaven Sect.
A few years ago, inside the Emperor Garden, Demon Blood Temple’s Great Elder and Temple Master had both died at Yang Kai’s hand. As a result, Demon Blood Temple had been plunged into a constant state of infighting with numerous Elders dying, causing the Sect to decline greatly in strength, almost to the point of collapse.
Ye Xi Yun had not missed this and taken action to quell the situation. At the same time, she took the opportunity to occupy Demon Blood City, which was the closest major city to High Heaven Sect, and rename it High Heaven City.
Even if Demon Blood Temple hadn’t been on the decline and was still at its peak, with the current strength of High Heaven Sect, if they wanted to occupy Demon Blood City, Demon Blood Temple wouldn’t have dared to resist.
Demon Blood City thus easily became the private industry of High Heaven Sect.
All materials and cultivators that passed through High Heaven City were now subject to fees and taxes levied by High Heaven Sect, so although High Heaven Sect still resided inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, its connection with the outside world was much more pronounced.
As soon as he appeared atop the Space Array, Yang Kai heard a loud roar of voices.
“Subordinates welcome Sect Master’s return to the Sect!”
These voices caused Liu Fei’er to jump in fright, and in a fluster, she quickly hid behind Yang Kai.
Yang Kai swept his eyes around and found that almost all the high-level executives of High Heaven Sect were present, led by Great Elder Ye Xi Yun.
Obviously they had received news he would be arriving today and had been waiting.
Ye Xi Yun couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that Yang Kai wasn’t missing any arms or legs.
During the battle atop Star Ascendance Peak, Yang Kai, Qi Tian Che, and Fang Peng had suddenly disappeared. This disappearance lasted a whole three years, during which all of High Heaven Sect worried constantly about Yang Kai, expending much effort to inquire about his whereabouts and status, but unfortunately learnt nothing.
It was as if Yang Kai had suddenly disappeared from Shadowed Star altogether!
Now that he finally returned safely, Ye Xi Yun was naturally quite happy.
A moment later, her beautiful eyes couldn’t help shrinking as she suddenly realized that Yang Kai’s cultivation had actually reached the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm! Even Ye Xi Yun, who had experienced countless storms, felt shocked by this discovery.
It had only been a few years since he reached the Origin Realm yet he had already taken another step forward. Wasn’t the cultivation speed of this Sect Master of hers a bit too exaggerated?
“Great Elder, it’s been hard on you!” Yang Kai faced Ye Xi Yun and gently nodded, “All of you have worked hard too.”
“Sect Master is too polite, we’ve done nothing worthy of note, it is Sect Master who has been facing difficulties these past few years,” Ye Xi Yun smiled, her beautiful eyes finally turning to Liu Fei’er before turning back to Yang Kai curiously, wondering why he had brought a little Saint Realm girl back with him.
“This girl wants to join High Heaven Sect, and as Sect Master I took the liberty to accept her,” Yang Kai explained casually.
“So that’s how it is,” Ye Xi Yun nodded.
“Come on, don’t hide, greet your new Elders,” Yang Kai fished Liu Fei’er from behind himself.
Liu Fei’er blushed greatly as she swept her eyes across the faces before her, clear excitement and admiration covering her face.
These were the strongest masters of the strongest Sect on Shadowed Star! Anyone here could cause Shadowed Star to tremble with a stamp of their foot.
She had never seen such a grand scene before!
Quickly stabilizing her mood, Liu Fei’er cupped her fists and bowed reverently.
“There’s no need for excessive courtesy, since Sect Master has admitted you already, you are now a disciple of my High Heaven Sect. Cultivate diligently in the Sect. If you perform well enough, you may have an opportunity to worship one of the people you see before you and become their disciple,” Ye Xi Yun looked at her kindly.
“Yes!” Liu Fei’er nodded excitedly.
“En, let’s head back before we talk,” Yang Kai motioned.
Half a day later, inside High Heaven Sect’s main hall, the various Elders gathered together to report to Yang Kai about the Sect’s current condition and the events that had transpired over the past three years.
The best description would be to say that the Sect had grown by leaps and bounds.
Without mentioning anything else, the simple addition of the more than two hundred cultivators from Star Emperor Mountain alone caused the overall strength of High Heaven Sect to reach the number one position on Shadowed Star! This was an undisputed fact; no Sect could compare with today’s High Heaven Sect.
Also, led by Heaven Battling City, the various cities and industries owned by High Heaven Sect generated a massive amount of income every year. Today, High Heaven Sect did not need to worry about cultivation materials in the slightest.
The Sect’s population wasn’t very large, but materials were constantly being delivered to it from all directions. High Heaven Sect currently had three grand storehouses, each one filled with various cultivation resources, but that was still not enough. Ye Xi Yun was even now planning to open up several more.
The Sect also had two close allies, Clear Sky Sect and Shadow Moon Hall.
These two great forces had been on good terms with Yang Kai since long ago, and during the past three years when Yang Kai had disappeared, both great forces had provided great assistance with High Heaven Sect’s development. As such, Ye Xi Yun decided to make a formal alliance between the three Sects.
With strong cooperation, mutually beneficial developments and exchanges could be achieved.
Countless other great forces wanted to ally with High Heaven Sect; however, none of them had any form of prior relationship they could use as an opening, so they could only stare jealously at the opportunities that Shadow Moon Hall and Clear Sky Sect had gained.
Yang Kai listened to these reports and nodded with satisfaction.
[The High Heaven Sect is currently on the right track.] When he founded this Sect, he hadn’t expected it to reach its current scope and scale.
Back then, he had simply brought Wu Yi and the others here in their Starship to settle down.
It could be said that the destruction of Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, and Star Emperor Mountain had provided an unimaginable impetus to the rapid rise of High Heaven Sect. Without the demise of these three great forces, there would absolutely be no High Heaven Sect today.
These three great forces had become stepping stones on High Heaven Sect’s rise.
Half a day later, the other Elders dispersed, leaving only Yang Kai and Ye Xi Yun.
The Great Elder also knew that Yang Kai must have other important questions, but before Yang Kai could speak, she took the initiative to say, “If Sect Master wants to ask about Madam’s situation, Subordinate can only say that all is as it was before!”
“So… nothing has changed, huh…” Yang Kai murmured.
“Yeah, Sect Master need not worry, since Madam said she would need ten or twenty years more, we simply have to wait patiently until that time.”
“Okay,” Yang Kai nodded, not asking any more questions.
“In addition, Sect Master’s Artifact Spirit is currently resting and building up its strength inside the Earth Lung Fire Pond in the fifth layer. As for the Verdant Bone Sword, Subordinate brought it back and placed it inside Sect Master’s First Heavenly Palace.”
“Understood.”
In fact, there was no need for Ye Xi Yun to explain these points as Yang Kai was able to sense his two helpers after he returned to the Flowing Flame Sand Field; after all, whether it was the Firebird or Dragon Bone Sword, both shared a connection with his Soul.
When Qi Tian Che dragged him into the Small Sealed World within the Sealed World Bead, the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword was left outside. Later, the Firebird Artifact Spirit had been expelled during the battle, resulting in Yang Kai being left with only Xiao Xiao.
Ye Xi Yun naturally brought the other two back to the Sect with her.
“What happened back then? Why did Sect Master suddenly disappear? Does it have anything to do with that Emperor Artifact?” Ye Xi Yun pondered for a moment before asking seriously.
She only knew that the Sealed World Bead was an Emperor Artifact, but she didn’t know what kind of powers or abilities it possessed.
No one from Star Emperor Mountain had ever been able to refine the Sealed World Bead, so Ye Xi Yun did not know its details.
“Yup, I was dragged into a Small Sealed World by Qi Tian Che,” Yang Kai replied.
“A Small Sealed World…” Ye Xi Yun’s eyes narrowed.
“Fortunately, it only took me three years to find a way to escape. Great Elder need not worry about it any longer.”
Seeing him not want to explain further, Ye Xi Yun naturally didn’t ask anything more.
After thinking for a while, she suddenly took out something and handed it to Yang Kai, “Madam sent me a message while she was still in a state of deep sleep, asking me to hand this to you to keep.”
“A Star Emperor Token!” Yang Kai looked at what Ye Xi Yun handed over and couldn’t help exclaiming.
Reaching out to take it, Yang Kai gently caressed this Star Emperor Mountain with a solemn expression.
He already had four of these tokens in his hand. The first was given to him by Gui Zu and still had the Great Emperor’s Divine Ability sealed inside, the second piece was something he found in the loft in the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field. The third piece was brought to him by Ge Qi, and this fourth piece was the one currently in his hands.
Yang Yan had also said before that the Great Emperor refined a total of ten Star Emperor Tokens, each of which sealed one Divine Ability belonging to the Great Emperor.
Now, she wanted him to take these tokens for safe-keeping, and it made Yang Kai wonder: Was there some other hidden mystery in these Star Emperor Tokens?
However, no matter what this secret was, it would likely require him to collect all to expose it.
This was by no means an easy task. It has been many years since Yang Kai entered the Star Field and he had managed to collect four through numerous opportunities and coincidences, which meant there were still six remaining.
The only other Star Emperor Token Yang Kai knew of belonged to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce and was stored on Water Moon Star, a detail he had learned accidentally when chatting with Xue Yue long ago.
Yang Kai didn’t spend any more time on this issue, simply storing away the fourth Star Emperor Token before asking Ye Xi Yun to send a message to Qian Tong, Fei Zhi Tu, and Clear Sky Sect, telling them that the time had come. After he finished giving instructions, Yang Kai left the hall.
Three years ago, Yang Kai was planning on taking a long-distance voyage.
If complications had not arisen before, he would likely already be sailing through the Star Field by now.
Because of the provocation of Star Emperor Mountain, these plans had been delayed, but now that these various problems had been resolved, it was time to set sail, find his way home, and look for the beautiful woman he knew was somewhere out amongst the stars.
On his way back to First Heavenly Palace, Yang Kai couldn’t help recalling Su Yan’s face, causing his gaze to soften.
Since he left Tong Xuan Realm, it had already been more than twenty years…
Over the past two decades, through ups and downs, Yang Kai’s cultivation had risen from the Saint Realm to the Origin Returning Realm, and he was more than a hundred times stronger than he was when he first entered the Star Field back then.
However, the Martial Dao had no end, and the higher his cultivation rose, the more Yang Kai realized his own shortcomings.
He desperately wanted to become stronger, to climb to the summit of the Martial Dao, stand at its peak, and look out on all living beings!
Cheers and shouts suddenly reached Yang Kai’s ears, pulling him out of his reverie. Turning his gaze to the source of the sound, Yang Kai saw a group of people gathered together. He couldn’t immediately see what they were doing, but it was very lively.
These people were all former disciples of the Hai Ke Family who had followed Wu Yi, left the family, and joined up with Yang Kai.
Although their cultivations back then were somewhat low and scattered, with the help of various cultivation resources and a good cultivation environment, all of their strengths had improved by leaps and bounds, most of them having now reached the Saint King Realm!
Yu Feng and Wu Yi were both now just one step away from breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm.
In High Heaven Sect, as long as one’s aptitude wasn’t too bad, there was no need to worry about problems breaking through. With various precious pills to assist them, the Ten Thousand Year Incense to soothe heart demons, and the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree to illuminate the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, breaking through had become a simple task.
No disciple felt any difficulty when making breakthroughs, and everything occurred calmly and naturally.
Now though, more than twenty of these disciples had gathered together and were watching a certain battlefield, cheering loudly for the combatants.
It seemed two people were fighting one another, and the sound of punches and kicks being exchanged constantly rang out.
Disciples often sparred with one another as their strength improved to examining their own shortcomings. This was a good thing and Yang Kai simply smiled lightly upon seeing it, not having any intention to join in the fun, but when he inadvertently spotted one of the figures locked in battle, he couldn’t help exclaiming in surprise and walking over quickly.
Everyone was completely focused on the battle, so Yang Kai’s arrival did not alarm anyone.
In the middle of a small arena, two people were competing, but unlike what Yang Kai imagined, they weren’t comparing Secret Techniques or artifacts; in fact, they weren’t even using their Saint Qi, they were simply competing with pure physical strength and reflex, fighting hand to hand!
One of them looked familiar to Yang Kai, but he couldn’t remember his name. He was a burly man with a strong body and thick muscles. At first glance, he was the kind of person who specialized in brute force and his cultivation also wasn’t bad, a First-Order Saint King!
However, what drew Yang Kai’s attention was this burly man’s opponent.
It was actually a little girl!
This little girl looked about ten years old, but her petite body was as agile as a monkey. She flitted about with incredible speed and finesse, constantly engaging the burly man in a rapid close-quarter brawl.
The little girl’s hair had a hint of yellow in it and was tied into twin-tails that hung down to her shoulders and moved about freely as she dashed back and forth. She had delicate features which made her appearance quite cute.
She was the picture of a still maturing beauty.
When avoiding the attack of the burly man, she could often find openings to swing her small fists and score hits on her opponent.
Her punch looked light and fluttering, but it contained astonishing power, enough to cause the burly man to tremble and grimace each time he was hit.
Yang Kai found that both of the burly man’s eyes had dark blue circles around them, obviously the result of him being punched in the face by the little girl.
The burly man wasn’t showing any mercy when he attacked, punching out with all his might, creating howls of wind each time he swung his fists. Just watching caused Yang Kai to feel a little on edge, for fear that the little girl could not bear such a blow and would be beaten to pieces.
But his worries were clearly unnecessary. None of the onlookers were worried about the little girl either, all of them were shouting, some cheering on the little girl while others taunted the burly man. The scene was incredibly raucous.
“Lin Yun’er?” Yang Kai suddenly recognized the little girl.
She was the one Yang Kai had brought back from Sea Side City.
The adopted daughter of Huang Juan.
When he brought her back, this little girl was only seven or eight years old, now three years had passed and she was slowly approaching the age of maturity.
Yang Kai had long known that Lin Yun’er small body contained extremely powerful force, but seeing her today he realized that he had deeply underestimated her potential.
At a mere ten years old, she was able to fight evenly with a fully grown man in the First-Order Saint King Realm in a competition of pure strength, even showing signs of suppressing her opponent.
[What kind of monster is she?] Yang Kai was amazed.
Just as he was observing Lin Yun’er with interest, the little girl’s body flickered and she entered into the big man’s chest before leaping up and delivering a beautiful uppercut, hitting him square in the jaw and knocking him flying.
*Peng…*
The big man fell to the ground, his face flushed, and struggled for quite some time before managing to get back onto his feet.
The onlookers cheered, with Yu Feng laughing the most happily.
After defeating her opponent, Lin Yun’er seemed very happy, jumping up and down excitedly while cheering as well.
Yang Kai looked at her with a pensive expression.
If this was a real life-or-death struggle, she would definitely not be the opponent of this burly man; after all, there was too much of a difference in their cultivations, but in terms of physical flexibility and strength, Lin Yun’er had absolute superiority.
She was only ten years old, but her potential was simply astonishing. If she could be taught in accordance with her aptitude, her future achievements would be limitless!
[Interesting, really interesting!] Yang Kai thought to himself.
“Hey, you’re that uncle!” Lin Yun’er suddenly spotted Yang Kai, pointed her finger at him, and started shouting.
Yang Kai’s face instantly went black.
“Ah, it’s Sect Master!” Yu Feng turned his head, exclaimed, and quickly covered his eyes with his hand, seemingly wanting to hide something.
Yang Kai glanced over and found that most who were gathered here had dark circles around their eyes and looks of embarrassment on their faces.
“You were all brought down?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“Hehe…” Yu Feng felt like dying of shame, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into and never come out.
He was a Third-Order Saint King now, only one step away from breaking through to the Origin Realm, but in his competition with Lin Yun’er, he still took a blow from her by accident, leading to his current embarrassed state.
It was one of the greatest shames of his life…
“Truly disgraceful,” Yang Kai grinned before turning and beckoning to Lin Yun’er, “Yun’er, come here.”
The little girl was very obedient and hurriedly dashed over to Yang Kai. Pausing to think for a moment, she called out crisply, “Disciple Lin Yun’er, greets Sect Master… uncle!”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, showing a harmless smile, “You don’t need to use that last word next time.”
“En!” The little girl nodded.
[Ye Xi Yun had taught her well.] Yang Kai looked at the little girl with great satisfaction. After bringing her back three years ago, Yang Kai had asked Ye Xi Yun to instruct her, so her being so sensible was obviously thanks to the Great Elder’s efforts.
“Do you like this place?” Yang Kai asked lightly.
“I like it!” Lin Yun’er replied immediately, “There is food here, and no one bullies Yun’er. Aunty Ye and the other uncles are also very good to Yun’er.”
“It’s good that you like it,” Yang Kai smiled, “Did your Aunty Ye find a master for you?”
Lin Yun’er shook her head slowly.
“Oh, why?” Yang Kai was astonished.
Lin Yun’er was very young, but it was also obvious she was a rare genius; for her, Yang Kai could imagine that group of Star Emperor Mountain masters coming to blows to be her master.
Although they all had strict criteria to accept a disciple, Lin Yun’er absolutely met those requirements. No one accepting her as a disciple was a bit strange.
“Aunty Ye said none of them can teach me,” Lin Yun’er replied crisply, tilting her head and happily saying, “Yun’er now follows Aunty Ye to cultivate, so there’s no need to worship anyone else as a master.”
“Alright, that’s good. Your Aunty Ye has outstanding strength, following her to cultivate will be good for you!”
“Yes!”
“En, carry on,” Yang Kai waved his hand, turned, and left.
Voices called out to see him off, but Yang Kai was too lost in thought to listen.
Ye Xi Yun saying no one could teach Lin Yun’er was also a bit strange.
Although there were only about two hundred cultivators from Star Emperor Mountain, each of them was proficient in their own field, so it shouldn’t be a problem to find someone from these elites to teach Lin Yun’er.
There was only one possible reason Ye Xi Yun would make such a decision.
She was incredibly optimistic about Lin Yun’er’s future and didn’t want to handle her carelessly. She probably wanted to teach Lin Yun’er only the best.
It seemed he would have to ask Ye Xi Yun about this. Yang Kai was curious how this young little girl possessed such amazing power.
Presumably, after spending three years together with Lin Yun’er, Ye Xi Yun had learned something.
As his thoughts turned, Yang Kai returned to First Heavenly Palace.
Just after stepping inside, a deep dragon roar faintly rang out from the depths of the palace and a green light shot towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai grinned and stretched out his hand, grasping the green light in his palm.
When the light dissipated, a bone sword without any edge appeared.
Dragon Bone Sword, Verdant!
Feeling a connection on both a spiritual and bloodline level, the green dragon’s Remnant Soul, which was swimming inside the sword’s hilt, seemed happy.
After three years, the aura of the Dragon Bone Sword seemed to have become stronger. After all, in the battle three years ago, Yang Kai had killed many people and allowed the Dragon Bone Sword to swallow a large amount of vital essence.
Three years of refinement could indeed allow it to grow somewhat.
After carefully examining it and confirming that he didn’t feel anything wrong, Yang Kai happily put away the Dragon Bone Sword.
Turning his head and looking around, First Heavenly Palace seemed just the same as he left it.
Although Yang Kai had been missing for three years, no one had dared to enter High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master’s private quarters at will. Aside from the disciples Ye Xi Yun had clean the place every day, First Heavenly Palace saw no other visitors.
After a while, Yang Kai nodded to himself and was just about to take a rest when his expression suddenly changed and he shouted sharply, “Who!”
As he spoke, he sent out a burst of Spiritual Energy towards a certain spot nearby.
He had suddenly felt a sense of being spied on at that moment.
As such, he did not hold back.
The space twisted under Yang Kai’s powerful Divine Sense attack, a strike even a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master would find difficult to take.
However, the twisted space calmed down a moment later, as if an invisible hand smoothed it out.
Yang Kai’s attack yielded no effect.
This discovery made his face change and his eyes flash sharply.
Inexplicable energy visible to the naked eye began to emerge next, twisting and changing mysteriously.
“Divine Sense Manifestation!” Yang Kai called out in shock, but at the same time, he relaxed his vigilance because he perceived a familiar feeling from this visible Spiritual Energy.
As soon as Yang Kai called out, the Divine Sense Manifestation condensed into a figure.
Although this figure was slightly fuzzy, Yang Kai could see it wore a long black robe that covered head and face, only revealing a pair of star-like eyes while outlining an extremely graceful body-line.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he stared straight at this figure, his heart pounding slightly.
The other party also stared back at him motionlessly, appearing as tranquil as an ancient well, displaying neither joy, nor anger, nor sorrow of any kind.
After a long silence, Yang Kai took a deep breath and asked in a solemn voice, “Are you Yang Yan… or the Great Emperor?”
The figure which appeared belonged to none other than Yang Yan. Clearly it was the Divine Sense Manifestation of the person sleeping in the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, but Yang Kai wasn’t certain whether she was the Yang Yan he knew or the Starry Sky Great Emperor of legend!
If she was the former, things would be simple.
If she was the latter, Yang Kai would need to tread carefully.
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, the figure frowned for a moment before declaring, “Both!”
“Really…” Yang Kai responded with a sigh, “It looks like you have already begun to merge.”
“En, but it will still take a few years to complete.”
“Then how should I address you?”
“Whether it is the person you know or the so-called Great Emperor, both are named Yang Yan,” The figure replied.
Yang Kai gently nodded, “So why have you sent your Divine Sense here instead of continuing to sleep in your loft?”
“I sense that you brought back something interesting, so I came to take a look.” Yang Yan smiled lightly.
“Something interesting?” Yang Kai frowned.
“This…” Yang Yan said while stretching out her hand, waving it towards Yang Kai. This action seemed light and casual, but under its influence, Yang Kai suddenly felt that something from his body was snatched away.
The speed at which everything happened was so fast that he did not even have time to think of resisting.
In a flash of light, a bead appeared in Yang Yan’s hand.
“The Sealed World Bead!” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he stared at the seemingly inconspicuous bead.
“En, the Sealed World Bead!” Yang Yan gently nodded, closing her beautiful eyes after speaking, as if she was sensing something, a while later opening her eyes again and whispering, “Sure enough, you were able to refine it.”
Yang Yan was well aware that Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space.
The most basic requirement for refining the Sealed World Bead was to comprehend Space Force. Therefore, none of Star Emperor Mountain’s Sect Masters for ten thousand years was able to accomplish this. It was not until Qi Tian Che’s generation that anyone had an opportunity to discover the mysteries inside the Sealed World Bead.
In the end, however, it fell into Yang Kai’s hands.
“You actually managed to open a hundred-kilometre radius space inside, a truly amazing feat considering your current cultivation,” Yang Yan seemed to have discovered something that surprised her and muttered in admiration.
Yang Kai frowned, hesitated for a moment, then spoke, “I know that this bead belongs to you, but in order to escape from inside of it, I had no choice but to refine it. If you want to take it back, I will not object, but could you at least lend it to me for a while? I need it to ferry some people.”
“Lend it to you?” Yang Yan glanced at Yang Kai and smiled, “Why ask if I can lend it to you? You’ve already left your Soul brand on this Sealed World Bead so it belongs to you now, I won’t take it back.”
Saying so, Yang Yan tossed the Sealed World Bead back.
Yang Kai caught it before glancing at Yang Yan suspiciously.
Although he had yet to figure out all the details of this Sealed World Bead artifact, since it was an Emperor Artifact, it obviously had some kind of huge use to the Great Emperor. Yang Kai had not expected to be able to claim the Sealed World Bead for himself, he simply wanted to use it to bring his friends and relatives here from Tong Xuan Realm.
Without the Sealed World Bead, he would not be able to bring so many people over at once.
“You’re mistaken about one point,” Yang Yan said softly.
“Oh?”
“This Sealed World Bead isn’t mine.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“Strictly speaking, I have never refined this Sealed World Bead, I was just holding onto it,” Yang Yan’s Soul body floated down and stood in front of Yang Kai like a real person, “It was something a friend of mine gave me.”
“Your friend?” Yang Kai was shocked.
Yang Yan’s true body was that of the Starry Sky Great Emperor, so would not a friend of the Great Emperor… be an existence on par with a Great Emperor?
“Yup, a friend of mine!” Yang Yan nodded, “My friend and you have something in common, can you guess what?”
Yang Kai fell into deep thought for a moment before his eyes lit up and he asked, “We both cultivate the Dao of Space?”
“Exactly!” Yang Yan looked at Yang Kai approvingly, “He too cultivated the Dao of Space, but he had reached a profound height in his comprehension. This Sealed World Bead was something he used his own Space Force and comprehensions to refine. Although my strength is not inferior to his, I don’t have any attainments in the Dao of Space, so the Sealed World Bead isn’t very useful to me. At the very least, I am unable to fully open and expand the space inside the Sealed World Bead. You are different, however. You have cultivated the Dao of Space, so perhaps you will have the opportunity to reach his height with time.”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched.
Not because Yang Yan spoke highly of him, but because of the origins of the Sealed World Bead.
It was refined from the comprehensions of a cultivator on the same level as the Great Emperor!
This was too sensational.
Yang Kai had never seen an Origin King Realm master act, but according to his estimations, even an Origin King would absolutely not have this kind of ability.
The Great Emperor really was beyond the existence of the Origin King Realm!
Above the Origin King Realm, there actually was a higher realm. Sure enough, the Martial Dao had no end.
“Since you knew the former Yang Yan, it seems we share some common destiny, so with the Sealed World Bead having been refined by you, I have no issue with you keeping it. Expand it well, perhaps one day you will discover something interesting,” Yang Yan smiled mysteriously.
Yang Kai’s interest was piqued as his eyes shined.
From what Yang Yan said, it seemed there was some kind of hidden mystery related to this Sealed World Bead.
Yang Kai did not ask anything though, as he knew that doing so wouldn’t net any results. Pondering for a moment, he began to ask, “Your friend…”
“I don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen him for over ten thousand years, so perhaps he is off wandering or even fallen, there’s no way to tell.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
Expanding the space inside the Sealed World Bead was of great benefit to his comprehension of the Dao of Space, so even if Yang Yan had not mentioned it to him today, Yang Kai would not have slacked off regarding it.
Now that he vaguely knew there was another mystery hidden inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai would certainly spare no effort to refine it.
“Okay, by the way, I’m planning to depart on a long voyage in a few days. You are still sleeping in that loft though so it should be safe. I’ll make sure some people maintain it,” Yang Kai suddenly remembered and said.
Yang Yan opened her mouth, as if she wanted to mention something, but ultimately chose not to, instead just saying lightly, “There are many dangers in the Star Field, I hope your journey goes smoothly.”
Saying so, her figure suddenly disappeared.
Just as suddenly as she came, she left.
Yang Kai frowned and stood in place, only after a long time calming his mood, sitting down cross-legged on his bed, and adjusted his breathing.
…..
The next day, on Hundred Flowers Peak.
Yang Kai found Ye Xi Yun and asked her about Lin Yun’er.
After three years, Ye Xi Yun had indeed done some research on Lin Yun’er’s physique and learned some things.
“Yun’er possesses a Special Constitution.”
“What is it?” Yang Kai nodded, having expected such a result.
Some people in this world were given great innate gifts that were difficult to match by others, often time manifesting as Special Constitutions.
For example, Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang possessed the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, making her proficient in all things related to Alchemy. She could also cultivate by performing Alchemy, meaning the more pills she refined, the higher her strength would grow.
Shan Qing Luo’s Poison Widow Body was also a Special Constitution which caused her entire body to become extremely poisonous once her emotions became overly excited.
Xue Yue’s Dragon Marrow Phoenix Body caused her Primordial Yin Qi to be incredibly rich, allowing the one who claimed it to greatly increase their strength without any hidden dangers.
The effects and benefits of each Special Constitution were different, but one characteristic they all shared was extreme rarity.
At Lin Yun’er’s extremely young age, how could she possess such incredible strength? Yang Kai could only think of one explanation.
She too possessed a Special Constitution.
The answer he obtained from Ye Xi Yun now coincided with his guess.
“Then, what kind of Special Constitution does she have?” Yang Kai asked as he turned his head and glanced at the little girl who was sitting nearby, gnawing on some spirit fruits happily.
“This Queen has searched through many ancient books and if I am not mistaken, Yun’er should possess the Tyrant Strength Body!” Ye Xi Yun quickly said.
“Tyrant Strength Body?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Those who have this kind of physique are born with incredible physical strength, and as their age and cultivation rise, this power will only become stronger. They are truly blessed by the Heavens as, after growing to a certain extent, they are able to compete with other cultivators in the same realm with their physical strength alone, always having the absolute upper hand in combat!”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a light of amazement.
“However…” Ye Xi Yun frowned suddenly, looking at Lin Yun’er worriedly.
“However?” Yang Kai looked over at her.
“However, those who have this Special Constitution are granted physical strength which exceeds the natural ability of their body to tolerate, so they often cannot fully exert their strength when fighting. Yun’er is still young and her cultivation isn’t high, so this drawback has not yet manifested, but when she really matures, this will become a severe constraint on her power.”
The Heavens were fair in everything.
Although those with Special Constitutions possessed amazing advantages in certain fields, most of them had shortcomings that could not be ignored.
Xia Ning Chang’s Sacred Spirit Medicine Body allowed her to easily comprehend Alchemy and enhance her strength by refining pills, but any other method she tried to use to improve her cultivation, like meditation and secluded cultivation, were highly inefficient.
Shan Qing Luo’s Poison Widow Body doomed her to lose her loved ones and live a life of loneliness, forging a deep regret for killing her lover the very day she truly became one with them.
This was an unimaginable torture for anyone.
Although Xue Yue’s Dragon Marrow Phoenix Body gave her astonishing aptitude and strength, those gifts would ultimately benefit another rather than herself.
Lin Yun’er’s Tyrant Strength Body was no exception.
The incredible power contained in her body would eventually grow to the point where Lin Yun’er herself was unable to bear it, and once that happened, the result of trying to use her strength would be self-harm or even death!
“Is there a solution?” Yang Kai asked worriedly.
“Yes!” Ye Xi Yun gently nodded.
“Oh? Let’s hear it then. Since there’s a solution, we just need to implement it,” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up. Lin Yun’er was still young and her potential was unlimited, he did not want her future to be ruined because she was unable to bear her own strength.
“The solution is actually quite simple, but actually achieving it is not…” Ye Xi Yun gave a wry smile. “The drawbacks of a physique like Yun’er’s are obvious, but as long as these drawbacks are dealt with by tempering her body, everything will be fine. In other words, she just needs her body to be able to keep up with her physical strength. However, in order for her to begin Body Tempering, and appropriate Secret Art is necessary, and its grade cannot be low.”
“A Body Tempering Art!” Yang Kai’s expression became strange.
“Exactly. Although Star Emperor Mountain also has a few Body Tempering Arts, none of them come close to meeting Yun’er’s requirements. I have been looking for an appropriate Secret Art for several years now, but so far there have been no gains. None of them have even been as good as the ones Star Emperor Mountain originally possessed,” Ye Xi Yun said a little sadly, “It has only been three years since Yun’er came to Sect, but the growth in her strength has already been so terrifying. I’m afraid that if she is allowed to continue to grow at this pace, in less than ten years…”
“If you need a profound Body Tempering Art… I have one.”
“Sect Master has such a Secret Art?” Ye Xi Yun looked at him in amazement.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded as he took out an ancient book from his Space Ring and handed it to Ye Xi Yun, “Have a look.”
Ye Xi Yun accepted the book while glancing at Yang Kai suspiciously, but she quickly immersed herself in this Secret Art, reading it carefully.
Yang Kai did not disturb her, instead playing with Lin Yun’er. This little girl was still very young. Before, she had been living with Huang Juan in Sea Side City, staying in a house where she could not even see the sun on most days. Only three years ago, was she brought to High Heaven Sect.
She had almost no contact with the outside world, so her innocence still remained and her childlike mannerisms and speech greatly relaxed Yang Kai’s mood.
Two hours later, Ye Xi Yun let out a long breath and put down the ancient book, a look of pleasant surprise flashing across her eyes.
“Does Great Elder think it will be sufficient?” Yang Kai raised his head and asked.
“Indeed!” Ye Xi Yun said excitedly, “It should be possible for Yun’er to cultivate. This Secret Art is quite peculiar. Its grade isn’t actually very high, but its effects aren’t really connected to that grade, but rather the resources used to cultivate it.”
“En, I thought so too. I’ve cultivated this Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art myself, and I’ve found that the higher the grade of materials used, the better the body tempering effects. It has almost nothing to do with the Secret Art itself,” Yang Kai said with a grin, “The rarest part is that the resources used to cultivate it can be replaced.”
If one wanted to cultivate the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, they must look for the supreme treasures from all five elements.
Each treasure must not be lower in quality than the Monster Core of a Tenth-Order Monster Beast.
Yang Kai had spent a great deal of energy and time to collect all the required materials.
Now that High Heaven Sect’s influence had grown so immense though, it should not be difficult for it to collect a set of five-element supreme treasures. Even if the collected treasures were not on par with Yang Kai’s Sun’s True Essence or Divine Nullification Sand, they could at least match the Profound Gold he used.
Once a set of treasures was collected, Lin Yun’er could begin cultivating this Secret Art with them first, then replace them with better materials in the future without any trouble.
Ye Xi Yun noticed this detail too and seemed extremely excited.
“Sect Master may rest assured, this Secret Art will only be cultivated by Yun’er and will not be spread out,” Ye Xi Yun said solemnly.
“It’s fine, even if you were to spread it out, there are probably few people who could cultivate it,” Yang Kai chuckled.
The Monster Core of a Tenth-Order Monster Beast was equivalent to the heart of an Origin King Realm master, how many people could hunt this kind of existence? So, it didn’t matter if this Secret Art leaked out.
“However, one needs a strong Soul to cultivate this art, or else they will be unable to bear the intense pain,” Ye Xi Yun glanced at Lin Yun’er pityingly.
This little girl knew little of the word, or even about herself. She only knew that she possessed great strength but was unaware that this strength was actually like a rope tied around her neck, slowly tightening and threatening her life.
“It will be up to Great Elder to train her,” Yang Kai smiled.
“En, I will arrange Yun’er and to begin cultivating her Soul as soon as possible,” Ye Xi Yun nodded.
“Putting Yun’er’s matter aside for a moment, Great Elder, I have something to ask you,” Yang Kai looked at her solemnly.
“Sect Master, please ask.”
“I will soon set off on a long voyage and will be taking some of the Sect’s disciples with me, otherwise there won’t be enough manpower to operate the Starship. Elders Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and Lin Yu Rao will also be accompanying me. Great Elder, what about you? Will you come with me?”
“Me?” Ye Xi Yun flashed a hint of desire, but soon shook her head, “I appreciate Sect Master’s kindness, but I will be remaining here.”
“As expected…” Yang Kai sighed, as if he had expected this answer.
Ye Xi Yun’s strength and aptitude were superb. It was not an exaggeration to say she was the strongest master on Shadowed Star. Her Shi had reached the grand accomplishment stage and had even touched the threshold of Domain, so she had long obtained the qualification to break through to the Origin King Realm.
In this aspect alone, no one on Shadowed Star could compare with her.
It could be said that as long as she was freed of the shackles of Shadowed Star World Principles, Ye Xi Yun would have at least an eighty percent chance of breaking through to the Origin King Realm!
This was a terrifying probability!
However…
With the Great Emperor still asleep in the secluded loft, Ye Xi Yun could not bring herself to leave.
Yang Kai had already guessed this a long time ago, but he still had to ask. Now that he obtained her answer, he did not try to persuade her again.
“If that’s the case, I will leave the Sect in Great Elder’s care,” Yang Kai said sincerely.
“En, with this Queen here, the Sect will surely be fine.”
“With you here, I can rest fully assured,” Yang Kai nodded before adding, “If you have time, I’d also like you to find someone for me.”
“Who are you looking for?” Ye Xi Yun looked at Yang Kai curiously, wondering who exactly he needed to pay so much attention to.
“Flowing Cloud Valley’s, Lu Ye!” Yang Kai smiled viciously, “If you find him, don’t bother with any nonsense, just kill him immediately.”
“Alright!” Ye Xi Yun nodded.
Although she did not understand why Yang Kai was looking for this person, since it was the Sect Master’s order, she naturally wouldn’t ask any questions.
Yang Kai then got up to leave to make the final preparation.
He wanted Ye Xi Yun to look out for Lu Ye because he had an ominous feeling about him.
Yang Kai vaguely felt that there was something wrong with this Lu Ye, not to mention that the two had repeatedly encountered one another as enemies. It wasn’t that Yang Kai wanted to let Lu Ye off repeatedly, it was that the other party was simply too difficult to kill, but every time they met, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling he was somewhat strange.
It was this feeling that caused Yang Kai to be wary, as if this Lu Ye was somehow extraordinarily dangerous.
…..
Although the chances of successfully using the Starship for a long-distance voyage were very high, it still needed to be fully prepared.
All kinds of materials needed to be loaded aboard and the staffing needed to be just right.
All of High Heaven Sect mobilized to fulfil this task.
Within a few days, everything was ready.
Five days later, Qian Tong, who received the news, rushed to High Heaven Sect.
Fei Zhi Tu did not accompany him though, as after surviving a brush with death in Fallen Emperor Mountain, his cultivation had fallen to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm. Even if City Lord Fei left Shadowed Star with Yang Kai, there was no chance for him to break through, so he was currently in secluded retreat in Heavenly Fate City.
Fei Zhi Tu missing this opportunity caused Qian Tong to sigh.
Mo Yu had come from Clear Sky Sect as well.
Over three years ago, Yang Kai and Clear Sky Sect had already negotiated for a single quota aboard the Starship. Yang Kai did not know what kind of internal negotiations followed, but Sect Master Gu Zhen had not come, and it was Mo Yu who was more familiar with Yang Kai that took this spot instead.
All were old acquaintances, so naturally, they had a friendly chat after meeting.
High Heaven Sect was sending three Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters this time. Naturally, they were Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi and Lin Yu Rao.
These five people carried the hopes and expectations of countless cultivators from Shadowed Star from the past ten thousand years. Whether they could break through to the Origin King Realm now would depend on their efforts and opportunities.
Yang Kai was simply providing them with a chance.
Since ancient times, it had been extremely difficult for Origin Returning Realm masters to break through to the Origin King Realm. Looking at the entire Star Field, there were few Origin Kings, and each one of them was a famous existence that entire Cultivation Stars would hail as supreme masters.
As such, even if these five people were qualified to break through, it was entirely possible things would not go as planned.
Perhaps all of them would fail!
Half a month later, inside First Heavenly Palace, Yang Kai opened his eyes from his meditation, leisurely got up, and walked out.
Outside his palace was a young woman dressed in long white robes waiting for him quietly.
Seeing Yang Kai come out, she took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly as she clenched her fists in excitement and tension.
Qian Yue!
For this long-distance voyage, Yang Kai certainly wouldn’t leave her behind.
As someone from the same Star as Yang Kai, Qian Yue was also looking forward to finding Sect Master Qing Ya, Su Yan, and her other fellow Elders from Ice Sect.
She was so eager to see those familiar faces that she even dreamed about them.
“Is everything prepared?” Yang Kai looked at her.
Qian Yue nodded, “Everything is in order, we are just waiting for you.”
“Then… let’s go,” Yang Kai grinned and strode forward.
In his own clenched fist was a crystal-clear bead which exuded a faint chill.
Su Yan’s Ice Soul Bead! This bead would only break once its creator died.
As long as it remained intact, Yang Kai could be sure that Su Yan was alive in some corner of the Star Field. Yang Kai firmly believed that they could one day reunite.
After half an hour, the pitch-black Starship slowly lifted off into the sky as all the members of High Heaven Sect who stayed behind cheered until it disappeared.
In the endless Star Field, the pitch-black Starship sped along. Its speed was seemingly slow, but it was actually as quick as lightning, travelling several hundred kilometres in a flash.
Looking through the transparent window, everyone gazed at the huge star behind the Starship in amazement.
Many people had never observed Shadowed Star from this perspective, so it was not until this moment that they realized the star they had been born on was so grand and magnificent. Facing such a star, everyone felt a profound sense of respect.
The speed of the Starship was extremely fast, but it was also very stable. Inside the hull, no one could feel the slightest bump or vibration.
There were several meteorites drifting about, with some small Dead Stars without vitality floating like icy giants asleep in the Star Field.
There was a region of the Star Field several million kilometres outside of Shadowed Star that was considered a safe zone.
The great forces with Starships on Shadowed Star would often send them out to find ore deposits in this area. Although the harvest was small, that did not dampen the enthusiasm of these forces as they could occasionally obtain some rare treasures from the meteorites and Dead Stars nearby.
These were products not found on Shadowed Star.
However, beyond ten million kilometres was where a dangerous region began.
There was an Astral Wind of the Star Field beyond this point that constantly swirled about and could easily destroy a low-grade Starship. Big and small Starry Sky storms formed here and shredded almost everything they touched, breaking meteorites caught in them into dust.
It was known as the Dead Zone!
This was the first barrier that isolated Shadowed Star from the outside world, and the strongest one at that!
It was like a protective film, surrounding the Shadowed Star for millions of kilometres and prevented anyone from leaving or entering.
Over the past ten thousand years, it was not that no one wanted to leave Shadowed Star and explore the wider world outside, but no one had been able to succeed as all of them had been stopped by this Dead Zone.
When the Starship sailed into this region, everyone felt their clenched palms sweat.
Yang Kai immediately ordered the disciples to strengthen the Starship’s protective barrier to its maximum, not minding the consumption of Saint Crystal Sources.
The fierce Astral Wind swept over, like an invisible beast, slashing its claws at the Starship, trying to rip it open and drag the people hiding inside of it out.
A sharp grating resounded outside the Starship as the hull creaked, causing everyone’s face to pale slightly.
A huge meteorite which had yet to be broken up by the Astral Wind was flung towards the Starship, causing a loud thud and a violent shaking.
Like a small boat caught in a stormy sea, the Starship flew left and right in the Dead Zone, the disciples unable to control its direction, only able to follow along with the natural flow.
Exclamations of alarm from the disciples were constantly heard.
Yang Kai quickly shouted and, while using his Divine Sense to inspect the outside world, directed the disciples’ actions.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the other peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters also rushed to the power room under Yang Kai’s instructions and sat down to channel their Saint Qi into a special array, using their own strength to help power the Starship.
Everyone was fighting against death.
No errors would be tolerated, as any negligence in this place may lead to the ship’s destruction and everyone’s doom.
In this terrifying place, the power of a single person was far too small. The Dead Zone outside of Shadowed Star was so violent that even Origin Kings would not be able to withstand it, let alone the people inside the Starship.
Only by working together could they overcome this crisis.
It took a while, but the chaotic situation eventually stabilized. After realizing that the Starship was being tossed about but was still undamaged, the panic of everyone gradually calmed and they began performing their duties in an orderly fashion.
While frightening, there was no danger. The Origin King Grade Starship refined by Yang Yan provided a safe refuge for everyone onboard.
A full month later, High Heaven Sect’s Starship broke free of the Dead Zone and rushed out into the vast Star Field.
The grating noises no longer came from outside and the Starship no longer swayed randomly. After the disciples were certain they had successfully left Shadowed Star’s vicinity, a huge cheer broke out inside the Starship, one filled with joy and excitement.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others soon appeared in front of Yang Kai with pale faces, each one of them clearly exhausted, their auras fluctuating unstably.
“You’ve all worked hard,” Yang Kai nodded at them.
“Yang Kai, did you feel it?” Qian Tong asked him with a solemn expression.
Yang Kai gently nodded.
He noticed it the moment the Starship rushed into the Dead Zone, but over the past month, all his focus had been on surviving, so he had not had time to think about it carefully.
Now that they had left the Dead Zone behind, Yang Kai had a moment to contemplate just what he had been sensing.
“So you noticed it too, I thought I was mistaken,” Qian Tong said solemnly.
“Emperor Pressure!” Mo Yu commented, “The Dead Zone was filled with Emperor Pressure, and more than one.”
“En, two distinct Emperor Pressures were flooding that place!” Qian Tong gently nodded, “One is similar to the aura which came from the Emperor Garden, but the other is completely different. What exactly was that?”
“I have a guess, but I can’t be certain…” Mo Yu showed a thoughtful expression.
Everyone turned to look at him.
Mo Yu’s face twitched as his eyes shifted, saying in a dry tone, “If I were to say it, you’d all think I was crazy.”
“Nonsense,” Qian Tong shook his head, “Old Mo, you can relax and tell us anything.”
Yang Kai also nodded, “Yes, let’s hear it, everyone has their own analysis.”
Mo Yu smiled bitterly, “This old master considers himself quite experienced, and knowledgeable, but after passing through the Dead Zone, he realized that he was just a frog sitting in a well, staring up at the sky thinking how wide it is. Alright, this is what I think; however, all of this is just this old master’s speculation, and he has real evidence to back it…”
“Stop stalling and just say it!” Yang Xiu Zhu interrupted him impatiently.
“The Dead Zone is flooded with two different Emperor Pressures, and those two Emperor Pressures seem to be entangled and fighting with each other in an endless struggle. I think the aura we are familiar with belongs to the master of the Emperor Garden, in other words, the Starry Sky Great Emperor! As for the other Emperor Pressure, it should belong to a figure on the same level as the Great Emperor!” Mo Yu declared solemnly, “Perhaps… perhaps the formation of the Dead Zone was a result of a great battle between these two characters.”
After giving his thoughts, Mo Yu turned silent.
Qian Tong’s jaw dropped wide as he stared at Mo Yu with a strange expression on his face.
Yang Kai, Yang Xiu Zhu, and the other Elders from High Heaven Sect, however, exchanged a quiet yet calm glance.
“Haha, that’s impossible, isn’t it? This old master also thinks he is just imagining things,” Mo Yu gave a dry laugh.
The Great Emperor was a legendary figure, one whose existence had not even been confirmed, but now Mo Yu was speculating that another character on the same level had appeared and engaged in a colossal fight with the Great Emperor, a speculating even he found difficult to believe.
“Senior Mo’s theory should be correct,” Yang Kai gently nodded, affirming his guess.
“Huh?” Mo Yu looked at Yang Kai suspiciously, his eyes suddenly lighting him as he asked anxiously, “Yang Kai, do you know something?”
Qian Tong also turned a curious and eager look towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai chuckled, “I don’t know much, but I do know that the Great Emperor had an opponent that was not weaker than her, and that the two of them indeed fought one another.”
Yang Xiu Zhu and the other Elders also knew about this detail, but it was the first time Qian Tong and Mo Yu had heard of it.
Both of them were dumbstruck and stared at Yang Kai with dull eyes, unable to close their hanging jaws.
“It turns out the main culprit behind Shadowed Star’s isolation is her!” Yang Kai murmured.
The situation in the Dead Zone was the best proof, where the two different Emperor Pressures were still fighting against one another, unable to determine an outcome even after ten thousand years.
Perhaps Yang Yan and her unknown enemy had once fought out amongst the Star Field, which led to the formation of a dangerous and desolate region around Shadowed Star.
The Supreme Profound Sect of ancient times should also have been one of their battlefields, but Yang Kai could not determine whether it was the first, or whether the Dead Zone held that position.
Qian Tong and Mo Yu seemed to want to ask something, but Yang Kai didn’t give them a chance, “The past month has been extremely tiring for everyone, let us rest and recuperate for the time being. After passing through the Dead Zone, the rest of the journey will be quite safe, perhaps it will be a few years before we even encounter anything worthy of note, so now is the perfect time to enter retreat and cultivate.”
Hearing Yang Kai say this, Qian Tong and the others could not ask more questions and simply nodded before withdrawing to their own rooms.
Yang Kai stood in place, casting his eyes out towards the Starry Sky. A moment later, he walked over to the main control panel of the Starship and stretched out his hand before immersing his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea.
Above his Knowledge Sea, a vast Starry Sky which had been shrunk down countless times, like a massive model, was quietly suspended.
This was Yang Kai’s Star Chart!
If a cultivator from Shadowed Star wanted to leave and enter the Star Field, the first difficulty they had to pass was the Dead Zone. So far, no one had managed to overcome this barrier.
As for the second hurdle, it was finding a direction to go after escaping the Dead Zone.
There were many dangers in the Star Field, and when any Starship set sail, they would need a master with rich experience to chart its course. This responsibility generally fell on those who held the title of Chart Master.
Chart Masters could draw Star Charts, allowing cultivators or Starships to advance safely and efficiently through the Star Field while avoiding dangerous regions.
Without a Star Chart drawn by a Chart Master, Starships were highly likely to get lost in the Star Field and never arrive at their destinations.
Shadowed Star was too isolated though, so there were no Chart Masters on it, and thus no one who could draw up an effective Star Chart. However, on other Cultivation Stars in the Star Field, Chart Masters were extremely well respected, their status not inferior to that of high-grade Alchemists and Artifact Refiners.
The Star Chart in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea was a type of treasure he had obtained through a series of coincidences from a Chart Master called Wu Suo when he first entered the Star Field.
With this Star Chart, Yang Kai did not need to undergo any kind of training, he was the best natural-born Chart Master! The entire Star Field’s situation could be seen in his mind whenever he wanted, including where Tong Xuan Realm was located.
He had once taken Qian Yue to see it and would often gaze upon it himself when he had idle time.
For so many years, he had not had the opportunity to use this Star Chart to chart his direction.
But now, it finally came in handy.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense flickered back and forth around the massive Star Chart, consuming vast amounts of Spiritual Energy in the process, before quickly locating a specific spot.
This spot was where Qian Yue had been separated from Su Yan and the others.
It was Yang Kai’s first destination.
He wanted to see if he could find Su Yan there!
Thinking this way in his heart, Yang Kai’s took back his consciousness from his Knowledge Sea before pouring his Divine Sense into the control panel in front of them, setting the Starship’s course.
For a long time to come, he wouldn’t need to worry about this anymore, as the Starship would follow the route he drew all the way to its destination, of course, provided that there were no dangers along the way.
Time flew by.
The Starship had been sailing forward steadily and safely following the route drawn by Yang Kai without any mishaps.
Occasionally, a few odd-shaped Star Beasts would spring out from nearby Dead Stars, but they were all killed by the disciples controlling the Starship’s Crystal Cannons.
Inside his private room, Yang Kai was sitting cross-legged, the Purple Origin Furnace he obtained from the Emperor Garden in front of him, and various boxes and bottles lying around him.
Yang Kai skillfully placed herb after herb into the Purple Origin Furnace then poured his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy into it to extract the medicinal essences from the herbs, portray Spirit Arrays, then merge these essences so they fused together.
Precisely controlling the heat and the timing of each step.
Yang Kai was meticulous about every detail, but still enjoyed the process greatly.
At a certain point, however, he frowned and quickly increased his input of Conflagrated Spiritual Energy.
The next moment, a popping sound came from the Purple Origin Furnace, followed by an unpleasant burnt smell.
Yang Kai gawked for a moment before his brow furrowed.
He had failed again!
His expression was dull as he lifted the lid of the Purple Origin Furnace and poured out a mass of blackened ash from inside it.
There was already a large pile of such ashes lying nearby, the result of Yang Kai’s previous failed attempts!
Instead of continuing, Yang Kai sank into contemplation.
It had been two years since the Starship left Shadowed Star, and during these two years, Yang Kai had not slacked one bit, cultivating his various Divine Abilities, comprehending various Secret Techniques, and improving his Alchemy skills, leading an extremely fulfilling life.
Since he first embarked on the Alchemic Way, Yang Kai had failed very few times when refining pills. His success rate was far higher than the average for most Alchemists and the quality of the products he refined was also very high as he was proficient in condensing and utilizing the medicinal efficacies of the herbs he used to the greatest extent.
These achievements could be attributed to his excellent talent in Alchemy, but also his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea which was far superior to Saint Qi in pill refining.
However, during the past two years, he had experienced failure again and again.
He could refine Origin Grade High-Rank pills at will, so what Yang Kai was attempting to refine now was an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill!
But so far, many Origin King Grade herbs had been consumed, but Yang Kai had yet to produce a single Origin King Grade pill from his furnace, everything winding up as burnt waste.
This result made him a little frustrated.
For any profession, it is extremely difficult to reach the peak, and in the Star Field, Origin King Grade was the peak.
There weren’t many Origin King Realm masters out there, but there were countless Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators who had been stuck at this bottleneck and unable to move forward a single step until they died of old age.
In the same way, Origin King Grade Alchemists and Artifact Refiners were also rare, their number actually far less than the number of Origin Kings.
Yang Kai’s Alchemy skills were now stuck at this bottleneck and he was unable to advance any further.
He had gained immense knowledge from the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture he found in the Emperor Garden, but he was still unable to obtain the answer he sought now.
He felt that his techniques and his control were sufficient, but for some reason, he just couldn’t refine an Origin King Grade pill.
‘Only when a pill obtains a spirit can it be called a Spirit Pill!’ There was such a line in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, which was of great concern to Yang Kai.
[But how am I supposed to give a pill a spirit? To enable it to come to life? I just do not understand…]
Although he had collected a lot of Origin King Grade herbs, it still pained him to consume them like this. Yang Kai thought for a while before gathering up and storing away the remaining herbs. Before he could truly understand those words, he felt that no matter how hard he worked, it would all be in vain.
He needed to spend some time pondering this issue.
Taking out the Sun’s True Essence and his other five elements supreme treasures, Yang Kai began cultivating the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art while trying to comprehend the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture’s words.
After another half a year, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes.
He felt that the Starship had come to a stop.
There was a sound of quick footsteps outside his door, as if something had happened.
Yang Kai got up, stretched out his hand, and opened the door, the next moment seeing Qian Yue’s figure appear in front of him.
“We’re here!” Qian Yue shouted with excitement!
“We’ve arrived?” Yang Kai raised his brow and his figure flickered to appear beside Qian Yue.
Reaching out to hold her waist, his figure flickered again as obvious Space Force fluctuations emerged. Qian Yue only saw a flash before her eyes before she found herself and Yang Kai already outside the Starship.
Surrounded by the icy and vast Star Field, an array of large and small Dead Stars came into view.
This scene was extremely familiar to Qian Yue.
She had recalled this place in her mind every time she thought about how she had been separated from Ice Sect’s Sect Master Qing Ya and her fellow Elders, so she could not have mistaken this place.
“It’s here!” Qian Yue muttered again, “It’s here. There was a Void Corridor nearby, and we were separated after entering it!”
For some unknown reason, the Void Corridor had sent Qian Yue to Shadowed Star after she entered it, but sent Qing Ya and Su Yan somewhere else instead.
If it weren’t for Yang Kai chancing upon her, Qian Yue didn’t dare imagine what her fate would be like now.
After entering the Star Field, she deeply realized how small and weak she was.
“A Void Corridor…” Yang Kai murmured, closing his eyes and releasing his Divine Sense outwards to carefully investigate the surrounding area.
A short time later, he opened his eyes and quickly flew out together with Qian Yue in a certain direction.
The High Heaven Sect disciples, who received his orders, hurriedly piloted the Starship after them.
After a moment, Yang Kai came to a stop and stared straight ahead.
In front of him, there was a very obvious Space Force anomaly which swallowed any kind of Divine Sense that touched it in an instant.
This Void Corridor had completely collapsed, however, and could not be used again. In fact, it would likely disappear entirely soon. If Yang Kai hadn’t cultivated the Dao of Space, he would not have been able to so easily find it.
Yang Kai investigated this anomaly carefully while Qian Yue waited nervously nearby, not daring to interrupt.
A while later, Yang Kai let out a sigh.
“How is it?” Qian Yue asked hurriedly.
Yang Kai shook his head, “With this Void Corridor alone, I can’t locate where Su Yan and the others went.”
Qian Yue’s beautiful eyes, which were full of expectation, dimmed instantly.
“However… this Void Corridor isn’t too powerful, so wherever it connects to shouldn’t be too far away. For you to be able to make it all the way to Shadowed Star was probably an accident. As for Su Yan and the others… they should be nearby. Wait a moment, I’ll see which Cultivation Star is closest to this location and then we’ll set out for it.”
Saying so, Yang Kai closed his eyes and immersed his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea to check with his Star Chart.
Yang Kai opened his eyes a short time later and returned to the Starship with Qian Yue. Ordering the disciples to adjust the Starship’s heading, they set off in the direction of a certain Cultivation Star.
A few days later, a light blue star appeared in everyone’s view. Looking at it from afar, this star seemed to be much smaller than Shadowed Star, possibly only a quarter the size.
However, it was very beautiful and possessed an extremely rich World Energy aura.
There was no doubt that this was a bountiful Cultivation Star.
Stopping here, Yang Kai took the Starship into the Sealed World Bead before setting off.
Although Yang Kai didn’t know much about the situation in the Star Field, he at least knew that Origin King Grade Starships were far too conspicuous.
Even extremely rich and powerful forces like Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce would likely only have a few such Starships.
If they really rode the Starship to this star, it would definitely arouse ill intentions from others.
Yang Kai had only come here to search for someone, so he didn’t want to cause any trouble.
The lower strength disciples also entered the Sealed World Bead. With such an Emperor Artifact, Yang Kai found it much more convenient to act.
All of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters and Qian Yue remained outside, using their Star Shuttles together with Yang Kai to approach the star.
Half a day later, a group of seven people set foot on this beautiful star.
The World Energy density here was similar to that on Shadowed Star, with neither having any significant advantage over the other, but Qian Tong and the others couldn’t help breathing the air here exaggeratedly as they stood in place with constantly changing expressions, seeming silently perceiving something.
Suddenly, Qian Tong let out a loud laugh and smiled extremely brightly.
“There’s no suppression here! I feel as if the shackles that had been binding me have suddenly disappeared!” Mo Yu also had an exhilarated expression and a spirited look.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the other High Heaven Sect elders were the same, all of them looking around, seeing the joy in each other’s eyes.
“Congratulations,” Yang Kai naturally knew what they were talking about, grinned, and congratulated.
This Cultivation Star did not have the same World Principle suppression of Shadowed Star, which meant that the powerful invisible shackles which had prevented them from gaining a deeper understanding of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao had disappeared.
This meant there was now hope for them to break through to the Origin King Realm!
The excitement of these five was difficult to describe.
“Yang Kai, this old master will never forget this benevolence!” Qian Tong looked at Yang Kai and declared seriously.
Mo Yu also quickly thanked him.
If not for Yang Kai taking them away from Shadowed Star, they would be like all of their ancestors, dying of old age without ever having an opportunity to reach the Origin King Realm.
This opportunity was given to them by Yang Kai.
“Elder Qian is too polite. It’s alright, let’s find a place to stay first, perhaps we will be here for a while,” Yang Kai turned his gaze towards a city in the distance and said.
“En, although there is no World Principle suppression here, whether it is suitable to break through here or not, we’ll need to investigate first,” Qian Tong nodded in agreement.
Everyone reached a consensus and immediately set off for the distant city.
Inside one of Green Water City’s teahouses, Yang Kai and his group sat around a large table.
The young shop-hand offered a pot of spirit tea and was about to withdraw, but was stopped by Qian Tong.
“What are Senior’s orders?” The shop-hand bowed to Qian Tong, with a smile on his face.
With so many people coming and going from this shop, this shop-hand had long developed a pair of sharp eyes, so although he couldn’t feel what kind of cultivation Qian Tong possessed, he knew that this group was filled with masters, so naturally he dared not show any neglect.
Qian Tong smiled kindly, “Don’t be nervous, young man, this old master stopped you just to ask you a few questions. En, if you answer well, these are yours.”
Saying so, Qian Tong took out a few pieces of High-Rank Saint Crystals and threw them on the table.
The shop hand’s eyes bulged at that moment. By serving tea and water here, he could perhaps earn two or three Low-Rank Saint Crystals per month, so these few High-Rank Saint Crystals on the table were a shocking amount of wealth for him.
By being frugal, he wouldn’t have to worry about eating and drinking for the rest of his life.
He quickly nodded and bowed deeply, “Please ask, Senior, if this little one knows anything, he will surely say it. Although this little one is just an ordinary person who has not cultivated, he is still a native of this place. If Senior wants to know something, this little one will surely not disappoint!”
“Very good.” Qian Tong nodded, satisfied that the shop hand was so cooperative and asking directly, “This old master wants to ask you, are there any Origin King Realm masters on this star?”
“Origin Kings?” The shop hand looked at Yang Kai and the others gathered around the table in amazement before wearing a look of understanding and laughing, “Seniors should not be natives of my Green Mountains Star, yes?”
“You’re quite sharp!” Qian Tong didn’t try to deny it; after all, if he was born on this star, he wouldn’t be ignorant of this kind of thing.
An Origin King was a peak existence on any Cultivation Star, so if such a master lived on Green Mountains Star, they would surely be famous.
The shop hand laughed dryly, “Senior jests, this little one was speculating thoughtlessly. En, but since several Seniors have come to Green Mountains Star at this time, why do you not even know about such things?”
“Why should we know about them?” Qian Tong coldly snorted.
The shop hand didn’t panic nor become anxious, simply answering, “Since several Seniors are here, this little one assumes you have come for the grand event. Although it’s still a bit early, that should not matter much, it’s only another two years or so before it begins. En, regarding whether there are Origin Kings here, heh heh… when did Green Mountains Star lack a master of this level?”
He wore a proud expression, as if Origin Kings could be seen everywhere on this Green Mountains Star.
Everyone exchanged a glance and saw the interest in each other’s eyes, signalling for the shop hand to continue talking.
“Truthfully, there are now two or three Origin Kings on our Green Mountains Star. At its peak, Green Mountains Star had more than ten, two who had reached the peak of the Third-Order Origin King Realm.”
“Two Third-Order Origin Kings?” Qian Tong and the others trembled, their eyes bulging slightly, shocked by the words of the shop hand.
“Is that really true?” Mo Yu asked in a deep voice.
“This little one would not dare to lie, everyone knows about this kind of thing. If Senior wishes to confirm it, it will be as simple as asking around.”
“So this Green Mountains Star is quite suitable for breaking through to the Origin King Realm?” Qian Tong’s eyes brightened as his face filled with excitement.
Although he didn’t feel World Principle shackles here like on Shadowed Star, he still needed to inquire about whether it was suitable to stay here and attempt a breakthrough.
Now that he obtained such information from the shop hand, he was of course quite happy.
“Naturally,” The shop hand nodded his head with a triumphant look, “Did several Seniors not come here for this matter?”
“You can even see this?” Qian Tong was surprised.
“Senior must be joking, although this little one is an ordinary mortal, word of this once-in-a-lifetime event has already spread across all of Green Mountains Star. Even three-year-old children have heard about it now, so how could this little one be ignorant of it?” The shop hand replied seriously.
“Wait, what once-in-a-lifetime event?” Yang Kai looked at him curiously. This shop hand had mentioned something about this before, but Yang Kai hadn’t cared too much. Every Cultivation Star has its own customs and special events. For example, Shadowed Star’s Flowing Flame Sand Field only opened once every few hundred years.
This Green Mountains Star obviously had similar occasions.
However, listening to what the shop hand said, it seemed this particular event was somehow related to Qian Tong and the other’s breakthrough, so Yang Kai immediately took an interest.
Hearing his question, the shop hand was stunned and scratched his head before asking, “Was I mistaken? Did several Seniors not come here to participate in the Blood Prison Trial?”
“Blood Prison Trial?” Qian Tong and others looked at each other with blank expressions.
“Tell us in detail, what is this Blood Prison Trial?” Yang Kai threw a few more pieces of High-Rank Saint Crystals on the table and said lightly.
The shop hand gulped hard as his face filled with joy. Knowing he had run into some rich and powerful masters today, he dared not be negligent, quickly cleared his throat, and said, “The Blood Prison Trial is specifically for powerful masters such as several Seniors.”
“Why do you say that?” Qian Tong raised his brow.
“Because those who participate in the Blood Prison Trial are all top masters at the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm. This little one has heard that these masters participate because they can obtain an opportunity to break through to the Origin King Realm!” The shop hand said enthusiastically.
“Really?” Qian Tong suddenly stood up, his expression extremely excited.
The shop hand was taken aback but quickly nodded, “This little one dares not deceive several Seniors. Everything this little one has said about the Blood Prison Trial is true, but as for the specific situation, this little one is unfortunately ignorant. Several Seniors should also be able to see that this little one is just an ordinary person who has never even cultivated before, so I do not know the details of the Blood Prison Trial.”
“Then what do you know?” Yang Kai signalled Qian Tong to sit down again before turning to the shop hand to ask.
“This little one knows that each of the Lords that managed to achieve their Origin Kings Realm in Green Mountains Star has participated in the Blood Prison Trial. Not only them, but there are also many Origin Kings from other Cultivation Stars who came to this star to participate in the Blood Prison trial.”
“There are cultivators from other Cultivation Stars here right now?” Qian Tong frowned.
“Yes, as early as a few years ago, some cultivators from other Cultivation Stars arrived on Green Mountains Star, but their number isn’t that large. However, as the time approaches for the trial to begin, more and more people will come here, which is why this little one thought that several Seniors…” The shop hand glanced around at Qian Tong and the others anxiously.
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded, “Good, talk about this Blood Prison Trial. Just tell us whatever you know, even if it’s some trivial details or rumours, we won’t mind.”
Qian Tong and others echoed this sentiment as they turned expectant looks towards the shop hand.
The shop hand calmed himself for a moment before he began explaining again.
The Blood Prison Trial was the biggest event on Green Mountains Star, and it only occurred once every thousand years. Every time this trial opened, it would attract a large number of Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, but the trial itself was quite bloody and many cultivators would fall during it.
But just as there were great dangers, great opportunities also existed.
Quite often, new Origin Kings would emerge from this trial!
Sometimes there would be more than one!
So even if it was dangerous, Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters flocked to it.
This trial was no different from bringing thousands of masters together to cross a single-plank bridge. Throughout the Star Field, there were countless Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, but Origin Kings were extremely rare, and even though there were many opportunities to be had inside the Blood Prison Trial, it was still extremely difficult to break through.
Many, if not most of the Third-Order masters who rushed into the Blood Prison Trial would fall, and perhaps none of them would be able to break through when all was said and done, but that was still not enough to extinguish the determination of those masters to pursue great heights.
The reason why the Blood Prison Trial had such a magical effect was because of the existence of Domain.
There were many pockets of incomplete Domain inside the Blood Prison Trial which Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators could absorb, and if they could gain enough comprehension regarding Domain, they would have a chance to break through.
“Why is this Blood Prison flooded with the power of Domain? And why are these Domains incomplete?” Qian Tong asked curiously.
“It is said this was the result from a great war,” The shop hand had an innate gift for storytelling, so his explanations were clear and easy to understand.
According to his description, the Blood Prison was once a battlefield, a battlefield where more than twenty Origin Kings and a large number of their subordinates fought.
In an ancient era, Green Mountains Star had two top masters at the Third-Order Origin King Realm, and even considering the entire Star Field, these two were amongst the strongest.
Each of these Origin Kings led a great force and were bitter enemies with one another, with many grudges and fights between their respective forces.
These grievances piled up for hundreds, even thousands of years, and eventually came to a head where even the two great masters became personally involved.
Not only that, but the two masters also widely invited their friends and allies to come and assist them.
Friends of Origin Kings were naturally other Origin Kings.
And so, a battle which could destroy stars broke out somewhere on Green Mountains Star.
In that battle, not only did more than twenty Origin Kings participate, but innumerable disciples from various Sects and forces were involved.
The casualties were countless!
No one knows what the final result of that great war was, only that when it ended, the land was covered in mountains of bones and rivers of blood.
From the twenty-odd Origin Kings who participated, it seemed like none survived.
From then on, this place had been called the Blood Prison by the people of Green Mountains Star, and it was rumoured that the land inside was still dyed red, as if the blood split during that battle still remained.
This was how the Blood Prison was formed.
Inside the Blood Prison, there were all kinds of broken Domains, their power dangerous and unpredictable. Those below the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm who entered basically could not survive, only those at the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, at certain times, could delve into the Blood Prison to try to gain benefits from the broken Domains.
If one was lucky enough, they may be able to break through to the Origin King Realm.
If this was all though, it may not be enough to attract so many Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters.
However, it was also rumoured that there were still artifacts used by those ancient Origin Kings inside the Blood Prison! Each of those artifacts was Origin King Grade, treasures difficult to find in the outside world.
It seemed that the inheritance of the two top masters was also hidden somewhere inside.
If someone could obtain one of these inheritances, they could undoubtedly break through to the Origin King Realm in the future, and possibly even reach the height those two masters reached in time.
With so many temptations and all kinds of benefits, the Blood Prison had an allure that many found difficult to resist.
Whenever the Blood Prison Trial opened, Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters who heard the news would come from all over the Star Field to participate.
This was also the liveliest time on Green Mountains Star.
It was still two or three years until the next Blood Prison Trial would start, so the shop hand misunderstood Qian Tong’s questions.
He thought Qian Tong and the others had come here to participate in the Blood Prison Trial after hearing the news.
Inside the teahouse, a group of seven people sat quietly.
Qian Tong and the others were understandably excited and unable to calm down for a long time.
The news they heard from the shop hand caused them to be overjoyed.
Originally, as long as they were able to break away from the shackles of the Shadowed Star’s World Principles, they would have been satisfied, but now they knew that their arrival on Green Mountains Star had actually coincided with such a golden opportunity.
For those who had been struggling on Shadowed Star their whole lives to pursue a higher Martial Dao, nothing could have sounded sweeter than this news.
There was no need for discussion, everyone could see the intent in each other’s eyes.
Obviously, they wanted to participate!
“All of you don’t need to be so anxious. If what that shop hand said is true, there will still be some time before the Blood Prison Trial opens. If you are interested in participating, you can spend some time here to inquire about the news before making a final decision,” Yang Kai glanced around at them.
“Yeah, that shop hand was just an ordinary person, so although the Blood Prison Trial is a truly a sensational once-in-a-thousand-year event, he probably doesn’t know too much about it. We should first go confirm this news with other sources,” Yang Xiu Zhu gently nodded, agreeing with Yang Kai’s point of view.
“In that case, let’s stay. It’s still too early anyway. If it’s really that good here, we won’t leave for the time being.” Qian Tong suggested.
“Agreed.” Mo Yu nodded.
After a brief negotiation, they quickly found a good inn in this Green Water City to stay at and reserved a few rooms for an extended time.
Yang Kai, however, did not remain. After entrusting Qian Yue to Qian Tong and the others, he left Green Water City alone and flew off on his Star Shuttle.
He needed to see if Su Yan was here on Green Mountains Star.
Based on the connection between him and Su Yan, if she was living on this Cultivation Star, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to find her. As long as the two of them were within a certain proximity, they would naturally sense one another.
What’s more, Su Yan’s Ice Soul Bead was still in Yang Kai’s hands, and this thing would surely have some reaction if Su Yan was nearby.
Yang Kai acted swiftly, sitting above his Star Shuttle full of anticipation as he flew around Green Mountains Star.
Across lofty mountains and expansive plains, large tracts of land were left in Yang Kai’s wake.
As time passed by, however, he gradually grew disappointed.
Green Mountains Star was the closest Cultivation Star to where Qian Yue and Su Yan had been separated, so there was a great possibility of the latter winding up here.
Still, this Cultivation Star was a few months journey away from that place.
Yang Kai felt that Su Yan shouldn’t have gone any further than that.
But after a long search, there was no trace of Su Yan and no reaction from her Ice Soul Bead, a result that surprised him.
Su Yan wasn’t here.
Six months passed, and Yang Kai had now covered almost all of Green Mountains Star in his search, but the final result disappointed him.
Standing above a lone peak, Yang Kai looked out at the distant scenery, a feeling of loneliness filling his heart.
Having not found Su Yan, his mood was naturally quite sour.
In the jungle behind Yang Kai, a pair of wild eyes stared towards him, and under the cover of the brush, a figure silently approached.
This was the territory of a powerful Monster Beast, and without its permission, no other creatures could set foot on it.
Any who dared to violate this rule had become a meal for this Monster Beast.
This Monster Beast had its own sense of intuition, and as it stared at Yang Kai quietly, it realized that this person’s strength wasn’t too great, so it was preparing to teach him the consequences of infringing on its territory.
With the help of the wind direction, this Monster Beast was able to eliminate its scent as it crept closer to Yang Kai step by step, looking for the best place and time to attack.
Suddenly, it saw Yang Kai turn his head and glanced towards its hiding place.
“Seems your luck is quite bad!” Yang Kai murmured as he grinned menacingly. This smile caused the Monster Beast to shiver down to its bones as an extremely uneasy feeling suddenly spread from the bottom of its heart.
Before it could move though, Yang Kai waved his hand and his three great helpers appeared around him.
Carrying the Heaven Shaking Pillar, the Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao suddenly turned into a stone giant. The Artifact Spirit cried out as it transformed into a giant red Firebird. The Dragon Bone Sword released an amazing pressure and accompanied by a resounding dragon roar morphed into a giant green dragon dozens of metres long.
The Monster Beast’s eyes flashed an almost human-like look of terror as he quickly turned around and hurriedly tried to escape.
It knew at this moment that it had chosen the wrong target.
“Kill it!” Yang Kai ordered bluntly.
The earth trembled immediately as Xiao Xiao chased after the Monster Beast, leaving deep footprints on the earth every time he took a step.
The Firebird turned into a red streak of light that also quickly approached the fleeing Monster Beast, incinerating the trees it passed by in an instant.
The giant dark green dragon followed closely behind.
Yang Kai exhaled lightly, as if he was trying to spit out the depression in his heart before he too tagged along in a leisurely manner.
Right then, his mood was quite low, so when this Monster Beast dared to treat him like prey, it was simply seeking its own death.
Yang Kai needed something to vent his frustrations on.
The roars of the Monster Beast and the dull growls of Xiao Xiao were heard from up ahead, sometimes mixed with the cries of the Firebird and the roars of the Dragon Bone Sword.
The surrounding World Energy aura fluctuated as the massacre in the jungle took place.
Although this Monster Beast wasn’t weak, being at the pinnacle of the Ninth-Order, just one step away from breaking through to the Tenth-Order, how could it possibly be the opponent of the combination of the Stone Puppet, Firebird, and Dragon Bone Sword?
Even escaping was impossible.
There was no suspense about this battle, and by the time Yang Kai strolled over, the Monster Beast that had just been eyeing him as a snack was now lying on the ground dead.
Its waist had been broken, with bone fragments poking out from its flesh, seemingly having been smashed by the Heaven Shaking Pillar. Its fur was also scorched black from the Artifact Spirit’s flames.
The giant dark green dragon, meanwhile, hovered over its corpse, seemingly wanting to swallow its physical essence.
Yang Kai stopped it, however, as he walked up to this Monster Beast’s corpse and unhurriedly sent a Golden Blood Thread into its body.
Under the control of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, the Golden Blood Thread swam through the Monster Beast’s body like a fish through water.
A bizarre scene appeared next as the Monster Beast’s corpse shrivelled at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the energy contained in its body seemed to be swallowed by something!
Yang Kai observed this scene indifferently, as if he had been expecting to see it.
After a while, the Monster Beast’s corpse became a withered husk, with even its Monster Core disappearing.
Yang Kai waved his hand, and a golden red thread flew out from this corpse and like a tiny snake danced between his fingers.
Looking at this threat quietly, Yang Kai showed a look of surprise and joy, his previous depression abating somewhat.
With a single thought, the Golden Blood Thread in his hand suddenly twisted and squirmed before transforming into a Monster Beast.
This Monster Beast looked almost no different from the one which lay dead before him, even its shape and size were nearly identical while its eyes turned about, seemingly possessing great spirituality. The only difference was that it was transformed from Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Thread and had a two-toned gold and red colour.
This was the second type of transformation the Golden Blood Thread could undergo!
This transformation was recorded in the second half of the Demon Blood Thread Secret Technique. Yang Kai had thoroughly comprehended it long ago, but had not had a chance to use it until now.
The first advanced manipulation technique of the Golden Blood Threads was the ability to integrate and condense several different Golden Blood Threads into various shapes to perform different actions.
The second, however, allowed the Golden Blood Thread to absorb a Monster Beast’s physique and spirit, allowing the Golden Blood Thread to transform into a replica of that Monster Beast.
This was one of the miraculous uses of the Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique. Whichever Senior expert created this Secret Technique was a true genius.
Inside the Emperor Garden, Yang Kai had fought against the glamorous Temple Master of Demon Blood Temple and seen her two Demon Blood Threads transform into two life-like snakes. He had been very curious at the time about how she had accomplished this.
Later, he had obtained the second half of the Demon Blood Thread Secret Technique and understood the mystery.
Each Golden Blood Thread was condensed from a drop of Yang Kai’s Golden Blood, and each could absorb and fuse itself with the physical essence of a Monster Beast and the energy in its Monster Core, after which, it could transform into one of these so-called Blood Beasts.
The two bloody snakes the Temple Lord of Demon Blood Temple had used were Blood Beasts transformed from her Demon Blood Threads!
Blood Beasts could inherit a Monster Beast’s abilities from when it was alive, and because it was transformed from Yang Kai Golden Blood, it was directly linked with his Soul, allowing him to manipulate it like he would his own limbs.
Before, on Shadowed Star, Yang Kai had not had time to find a suitable Monster Beast, so he had not cultivated any Blood Beasts.
Now that he had chanced upon a suitable test subject, Yang Kai wasn’t about to just let it go.
With the assistance of all his helpers, he had easily succeeded.
Releasing his Divine Sense and examining this Blood Beast, Yang Kai nodded gently in satisfaction.
As far as aura was concerned, this Blood Beast formed from his Golden Blood Thread should be equivalent to a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. This strength was somewhat lower than the original Monster Beast it was condensed from, but the difference wasn’t too great.
The most important thing, however, was that Yang Kai had more than one Golden Blood Thread!
As long as there were sufficient Monster Beasts, Yang Kai could transform all of his Golden Blood Threads into Blood Beasts. At that time, with hundreds of Blood Beasts being released together, even if he had to face an Origin King, Yang Kai would not be helpless.
However, it wasn’t easy to find appropriate Monster Beasts, so this kind of plan had to be implemented slowly.
As he was thinking about this, Yang Kai lightly reached out towards the Blood Beast.
The Blood Beast immediately shrank and in the blink of an eye became only the size of a pigeon egg, its figure landing lightly on Yang Kai’s palm.
Yang Kai smiled slightly but just as he was about to store it away, he suddenly thought of something and his eyes fixed on the life-like Blood Beast on his palm, a pensive look covering his face.
Seemingly lost in thought, Yang Kai sank into a state of comprehension.
Only after a long time did Yang Kai’s body shiver and his eyes flashed a profound light, muttering out loud, “Only a pill with spirituality can be called a Spirit Pill… So that’s it!”
At this moment, he somewhat understood the meaning of the words that had confounded him for so long in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture.
Although it was just a guess, it was worth a try. If it succeeded, Yang Kai would finally be able to successfully refine Origin King Grade Spirit Pills and officially rise to the rank of Origin King Grade Alchemist!
“Disperse, stand guard for me nearby and don’t let anything disturb me,” Yang Kai commanded.
His three helpers immediately scattered and established a strict perimeter nearby.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged, waved his hand, and summoned out his Purple Origin Furnace along with several boxes containing herbs from his Space Ring.
Yang Kai picked up a jade box, opened its lid, took out an Origin King Grade herb from it, then placed it directly into the Purple Origin Furnace.
Conflagrated Spiritual Energy burst out, and Yang Kai began heating the furnace to condense the herb inside into medicinal liquid.
He went about this task with familiarity and ease.
Yang Kai had lost count of how many times he had repeated this process aboard the Starship, so he was crystal clear about each step.
He felt he had made no mistakes in the timing and temperature he used for each herb, but still hadn’t figured out why he wasn’t able to refine an Origin King Grade pill.
But now, he had an extremely bold conjecture; whether this idea could be realized or not had yet to be verified though, so he still acted extremely cautiously, not daring to show the slightest carelessness.
Each Origin King Grade herb was placed into the Purple Origin Furnace and under the tempering of Yang Kai’s Conflagrated Spiritual Energy, and with the help of various Spirit Arrays, these herbs were transformed into medicinal liquids, merged with each other, and underwent profound and mysterious changes.
Yang Kai’s demeanour became more and more focused, his actions of adding herbs becoming more and more careful. Each Spirit Array was portrayed precisely using his Conflagrated Divine Sense and inserted into the Purple Origin Furnace to assist with the refining of herbs at precisely the right time.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion without the slightest of mistakes.
As time went by little by little, fine beads of sweat began appearing on Yang Kai’s forehead.
Refining an Origin King Grade pill was still a great test for him, not only because of the demands on his Spiritual Energy control but also because of the psychological burden.
He felt a mountain of pressure.
Faint fragrances began diffusing from the Purple Origin Furnace, an indication that the various medicinal liquid had begun to fuse properly, a positive sign; however, Yang Kai did not celebrate yet.
During the two years aboard the Starship, he had smelled medicinal fragrances from the Purple Origin Furnace countless times, but never once had he succeeded in refining a true Spirit Pill, always winding up with burnt failed products.
It was what came next that was the most critical moment in Alchemy.
This was the final step in a thousand step journey, and as Yang Kai gently inhaled the medicinal fragrances, monitoring their development, he looked for a suitable opportunity.
The aroma gradually thickened, and soon, a unique medicinal fragrance filled the surrounding thousand-metre radius, refreshing the sense of all who smelt it.
At a certain moment, when this fragrance reached the height of its potency, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly flashed brilliantly.
It was now!
Stretching out his hand, Yang Kai summoned a ball of gold and red light into his palm. Inside this ball of light was the phantom image of a Monster Beast that had been shrunk down countless times.
Blood Beast!
It was the Blood Beast that Yang Kai had just finished refining with his Golden Blood Thread.
Lifting the lid of the Purple Origin Furnace, Yang Kai tossed the Blood Beast inside.
Silently, under the huge power of his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy, the Blood Beast instantly dissipated and completely merged into the medicinal liquid inside the cauldron.
A faint bloody smell mixed in with the medicinal fragrance, but this did not create any sense of dissonance and instead only made the medicinal fragrance stronger.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, faintly feeling that he had grasped the key point, but still not daring to neglect. Quickly urging his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy, he continued to refine the medicinal liquid.
The knowledge he had gained from comprehending the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture was transformed into the foundation of Yang Kai’s Alchemy skill at this moment, and his movements flowed smoothly without any hint of delay.
The Blood Beast condensed from his Golden Blood Thread and the essence of a Monster Beast completely dissolved and transformed into a part of the medicinal liquid.
The Purple Origin Furnace shook suddenly, as if something unknown had happened inside, but Yang Kai quickly suppressed these tremors with his Conflagrated Divine Sense.
A clattering sound rang out from the Purple Origin Furnace, as if there was some kind of living creature hitting its walls, trying to escape.
Yang Kai remained focused, however.
After a half cup of tea’s time, the movement of the furnace gradually subsided.
Yang Kai retracted his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy and took a deep breath as he stared at the Purple Origin Furnace solemnly and hesitantly.
Whether he succeeded or failed would become clear in the next moment. Yang Kai couldn’t be sure which result he had achieved in his Alchemy this time, but at least, he didn’t smell anything burnt like before, so it was a good start.
After hesitating for a long time, Yang Kai stretched out his hand towards his Purple Origin Furnace.
Whatever the result was, it was better to simply take action and find out.
The lid of the Purple Origin Furnace’s was lifted by Yang Kai, and at that moment, a stream of light flew out, circling only once before trying to flee towards the distance.
“Where are you trying to run!” Yang Kai shouted as he stretched out his hand towards the streak of light, swiftly grasping it.
Although he grabbed hold of this stream of light, Yang Kai still held it gently as he felt it struggling and resisting. Soon, this struggle subsided, as if whatever it was had accepted its fate.
Yang Kai opened his fist and stared at his palm carefully.
A pale, silver pill, about the size of a longan, appeared before his eyes, and although its fragrance was not as strong as when it was being refined, when Yang Kai inhaled this scent it gave him a completely different feeling than previously.
It was significantly more refreshing than before.
An Origin King Grade Spirit Pill! Under the examination of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, he could determine that the medicinal efficacies contained in this Spirit Pill were indeed Origin King Grade, and although it was only a Low-Rank Origin King Grade pill, it was of extremely high quality.
Yang Kai’s face filled with joy as he carefully studied this pill, letting out a hearty laugh after a while.
He finally understood the meaning of the phrase, ‘only if a pill had a spirit could it be called a Spirit Pill’.
This Origin King Grade Spirit Pill was the best proof.
His Golden Blood Thread was rich in spirituality, and the Blood Beast which had been transformed from his Golden Blood Thread was even more so. As such, using that Blood Beast during the refinement process had allowed Yang Kai to produce an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill.
It could be said that before he refined this pill, everything had only been speculation. But now, it had turned into confirmation.
A pill would not obtain spirituality for no reason. Even peak level Origin King Grade herbs could not possibly possess spirituality unless they had mutated to become World Spirit Treasures that had their own sense of sentience.
As such, one needed to use something that had spirituality to refine it.
In other words, a pill spirit! As long as Yang Kai could imbue a pill spirit, he could refine Origin King Grade Spirit Pills!
His Blood Beast has served as the pill spirit of this Spirit Pill.
It was when Yang Kai saw the rich spirituality of his Blood Beast that he suddenly had an epiphany and after trying it out, it worked just as he suspected.
Yang Kai didn’t know how other Origin King Grade Alchemists refined their Origin King Grade pills, but the method he now used was perfectly acceptable. The True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture had not clearly guided him to this result, it was an original method he had developed all on his own.
If one thousand Alchemists studied the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, they would produce one thousand different interpretations.
Yang Kai had now discovered his own Alchemic Way from the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture!
The pill in hand was a Three Spirits Cleansing Pill that could be used to increase one’s cultivation. In terms of Origin King Grade pills, it wasn’t very high grade, and although its value was still quite good, it was by no means a Heaven defying treasure.
At the very least, it was a bit wasteful to use a Blood Beast refined from a Golden Blood Thread as its pill spirit.
Although the method Yang Kai had discovered was feasible, if he were to really use this method for all his Alchemy in the future, it likely wouldn’t be long before Yang Kai exhausted his supply of Golden Blood Threads.
Yang Kai couldn’t afford this kind of consumption.
But how could he improve upon this result?
Yang Kai was not satisfied with this momentary success and instead fell into contemplation.
Soon, he had a new idea.
Since a Blood Beast, which had spirituality, could become a pill spirit, then perhaps a pure Golden Blood Thread or even just a drop of his Golden Blood would suffice.
Additionally… Perhaps the spirit of a Monster Beast could also be used.
As soon as he thought of this, Yang Kai immediately went into action and began verifying his own ideas.
Half a day later, another Three Spirits Cleansing Pill appeared in Yang Kai’s hands. This Spirit Pill had been refined using a drop of Yang Kai’s Golden Blood.
Comparing the two Spirit Pills together, Yang Kai surprisingly discovered that the first batch of Three Spirits Cleansing Pill he had refined actually had a denser medicinal efficacy than the second batch.
Realizing this, Yang Kai adjusted his thinking again.
Instead of continuing with his Alchemy, Yang Kai began searching for appropriate Monster Beasts in the jungle.
One month later, Yang Kai held a jade bottle in his hand. This bottle was filled with Origin King Grade Spirit Pills, each one a pale silver colour.
In order to refine this bottle of Three Spirits Cleansing Pill, Yang Kai had expended a great deal of effort. The number of Monster Beasts above the Eighth-Order he had killed alone numbered several dozen.
After some experiments, he determined that his previous ideas were feasible.
To refine an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill, he didn’t need to use his own Golden Blood as a pill spirit. Any existence that had spirituality and did not conflict with the herbs could become a pill spirit!
For example, the spirit of a Monster Beast.
Yang Kai had his Demon Eye of Annihilation, and it had incorporated the power of the Coloured Glass Divine Light, so it was an easy task for him to suppress and collect the Soul of a Monster Beast. By integrating this Monster Beast spirit with the necessary herbs, he could give the pill spirituality.
However, Origin King Grade Spirit Pills had high requirements for their pill spirits. The spirit of a Seventh-Order Monster Beast was completely insufficient, Eighth-Order was passable, while Ninth-Order was the best choice. If he could use the spirit of a Tenth-Order Monster Beast, Yang Kai felt he could even refine a Spirit Pill that formed Pill Veins!
In addition to Monster Beast spirits, World Spirit Treasures that had formed sentience could also fulfil the role of a pill spirit.
The higher the grade of pill spirit used was directly related to the probability of successfully refining a Spirit Pill. After many experiments and failures, Yang Kai had created a basic framework for success.
He had gained a lot!
One month’s hard work had resulted in a bottle of Origin King Grade Spirit Pills and consumed countless materials, but it also marked his official promotion to Origin King Grade Alchemist, allowing Yang Kai to stand at the pinnacle of the Star Field’s Alchemic Way.
His method of refinement was his own original creation, and only he could use it.
It would be extremely difficult for others to capture the spirit of a dead Monster Beast and integrate during pill refinement, so even if someone were to steal Yang Kai’s Alchemy method, they wouldn’t be able to use it unless they cultivated a special Soul type Secret Technique which allowed them to produce similar results.
The sublimation of Yang Kai’s Alchemy’s skills had also deepened his understanding of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, so although his cultivation realm hadn’t changed much, his mastery of his strength was far superior to a month ago.
After becoming an Origin King Grade Alchemist, the next step Yang Kai needed to take was to study a particular Alchemy technique.
He had always thought that only one pill could be refined from a single batch of herbs.
This was also how he had done things since he began performing Alchemy years.
But the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture had put forward a different and revolutionary opinion.
Supposedly, one batch of herbs could actually be used to refine more than one pill. Using this method, if one’s luck was bad, perhaps they would only be able to refine three to five pills at once, but with good luck and skill, one could refine seven or eight pills at once, while a perfect result would yield a full ten pills.
This theory allowed Yang Kai to peer into a far vaster Alchemy world.
However, to produce such an astonishing result, one needed to utilize a special technique at the exact moment before pills were formed. This required a lot of experience and skill and was not something every Alchemist could accomplish.
This Alchemy technique caused Yang Kai’s excitement to surge.
In the past, the pills he refined weren’t of very high grade, and the materials were easy to find, so there was no problem with only being able to obtain one pill from each set of materials.
Backed by High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai didn’t need to worry about sourcing such materials.
But now that he was an Origin King Grade Alchemist, the materials he needed to refine each Spirit Pill weren’t just extremely valuable, they were also incredibly difficult to find and needed an appropriate pill spirit to successfully produce. Even with High Heaven Sect, there was no way so many materials could be found.
However, if he could refine more than one Spirit Pill from a single set of materials, the profit for him would be enormous.
This matter wasn’t urgent though. Yang Kai had just become an Origin King Grade Alchemist, and he would need to accumulate a vast amount of experience refining Origin King Grade Spirit Pills before he could begin trying to comprehend more profound techniques.
…..
Half a month later, Yang Kai returned to Green Water City.
He had not found Su Yan here, so he wasn’t prepared to continue idling on this Cultivation Star. He still needed to return to Tong Xuan Realm as soon as possible so he could migrate his relatives and friends to Shadowed Star so they could have a better cultivation environment and resources.
When he arrived at the inn where Qian Tong and the others had been staying, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to find them but was immediately shocked.
Qian Tong and the others weren’t here.
This unexpected discovery caused his heart to clench as he wondered if Qian Tong and the others had some kind of accident; after all, when he had left that day, he had told them he would meet them back here around this time.
Where had they gone?
Yang Kai frowned, took out a communication artifact, and poured his Divine Sense into it.
A moment later, the artifact lit up as a new Spiritual Energy fluctuation appeared inside of it. Yang Kai quickly sank his mind into it.
After hearing the message Qian Tong sent to him, Yang Kai was astonished.
Rather than an accident, Qian Tong and the others were living quite well right now and became High Ranking Guest Elders of Green Water City through a series of events.
This result surprised Yang Kai greatly.
Putting away the communication artifact, Yang Kai left the inn and walked towards a building at the centre of Green Water City.
When he got there, Qian Tong and the others were already waiting outside for him.
Even though they hadn’t seen each other for several months, none of them asked what Yang Kai had been doing, instead just enthusiastically welcoming him into the building. After having a few maids serve tea, they began explaining the situation to Yang Kai.
Soon after Yang Kai left that day, the City Lord of Green Water City personally came to visit Qian Tong and the others.
This was not a surprise, however, as a group of five peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters could not be ignored, even on this Green Mountains Star. What’s more, Green Water City was just a small city, and besides the City Lord and Vice City Lord, there were no other cultivators in this city who had reached the Third-Order Origin Realm.
Qian Tong and the others arriving so suddenly had obviously put Green Water City’s City Lord on edge, not knowing what this group’s intentions were. Worried, he came to inquire about Qian Tong and the others’ purpose.
After learning that Qian Tong and the others weren’t from Green Mountains Star and had only come here to participate in the Blood Prison Trial, Green Water City’s City Lord finally relaxed.
Immediately, he invited Qian Tong and the others to serve as the Elders of Green Water City!
Qian Tong and the others didn’t intend to agree at first, as Green Mountains Star was just a place for them to attempt to break through and they would sooner or later return to Shadowed Star.
Rashly agreeing to serve as an Elder of a city here would be too irresponsible.
However, after hearing out Green Water City’s City Lord’s entire proposal, learning that he too intended to participate in the Blood Prison Trial and that he wished for them to assist him in exchange for some inside information, Qian Tong and the others thought about it for a while and agreed.
However, they refused to become official Elders and instead decided to accept roles as Guest Elders.
They had also informed Green Water City’s City Lord that they would be leaving Green Mountains Star after the Blood Prison Trial.
Green Water City’s City Lord readily agreed.
This was why they no longer lived at the inn and had settled in a residence arranged for them by Green Water City’s City Lord.
“In the end, we’re outsiders, so this City Lord being wary of us is only natural. As is his desire to win us over, and since he is a native cultivator of Green Mountains Star, he clearly knows a lot more about the Blood Prison Trial than we do, so joining him is beneficial to us as well. It’s essentially an alliance of mutual interests,” Qian Tong said lightly.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “That’s reasonable. Having a local on our side at least means we don’t need to bother inquiring about intelligence on our own. Several Seniors can manage affairs as you see fit, just… be careful not to get deceived or used by this Green Water City’s City Lord; after all, it’s difficult to know the true nature of people from just their appearance.”
Qian Tong and the others laughed.
Mo Yu nodded, “Sect Master Yang may rest assured, although Green Water City’s City Lord is shrewd, from our contact with him, his character doesn’t seem to be bad and he should understand propriety in this situation. However, even if he tried to use some sort of scheme, we do not need to fear him.”
“En, this Junior was worrying too much,” Yang Kai nodded. “Good, since several Seniors are all well here, then I can rest assured and leave.”
“How long will it take you to come back?” Qian Tong looked at him solemnly.
“I don’t know, it could be as short as one or two years, possibly as long as three or four years. Hopefully, I can make it back before the Blood Prison Trial so I can join you to see the excitement inside,” Yang Kai grinned.
“That would be for the best. If you are with us, this trial will be much safer,” Qian Tong’s spirit was roused, obviously extremely confident in Yang Kai’s strength.
The others also looked at Yang Kai and smiled, as if wishing him to go and return quickly.
Yang Kai smiled back before turning to Qian Yue and asking, “Do you want to come back to Tong Xuan Realm with me, or will you remain here?”
“Me?” Qian Yue showed a look of hesitation on her face.
She really didn’t know what choice to make.
Tong Xuan Realm was her and Yang Kai’s homeland, so she missed it quite a bit. She had been forced to leave in the past, but now she had an opportunity to return to see the land where she grew up.
However…
While the scenery might have remained the same, the people she wished to see were no longer there.
Everything related to Ice Sect should no longer exist, wiped away to the point where others might not even know Ice Sect once stood there.
“I’ll stay,” Qian Yue’s beautiful eyes gradually became firm and she made a decision, “Everyone I wish to see should be out here in the Star Field already, so going back will only sadden me. Rather, if I remain here, perhaps… perhaps I can inquire about some useful news.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, not trying to persuade her otherwise.
She had made this choice for clear reasons.
“Then I shall be entrusting Qian Yue to several Seniors,” Yang Kai turned to Qian Tong and the others.
“You can rest assured, no harm will come to her as long as we old masters are here; after all, it seems Origin Kings are rare everywhere,” Qian Tong gave a low laugh. Beneath the Origin King Realm, they were the strongest, and with the five of them joining forces, it was highly unlikely anyone would dare find trouble with them.
“This Mo won’t be wordy then. We wish Sect Master Yang a good journey and a swift return!” Mo Yu said solemnly.
“Sect Master must act carefully along the way,” Yang Xiu Zhu also said to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded.
After knowing that Qian Tong and the others were safe and sound, Yang Kai didn’t delay in Green Water City anymore, setting off the next day for home.
Using his Star Shuttle, Yang Kai left Green Mountains Star and only took out the Starship from the Sealed World Bead once he was a day’s distance away. After setting the course, the Starship quickly sailed off into the Starry Sky.
In the past, Yang Kai boldly ventured into the Star Field with just a Saint Realm cultivation; now, several dozen years had passed, and he could not help wondering what kind of changes had occurred in his homeland.
Yang Kai’s heart pounded as he suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia and anticipation while nearing his home.
This mood only became more obvious over time.
He made the Starship return along the path he had travelled back then, feeling the changes in his mood, allowing all the sweetness and bitterness in his heart to condense and settle.
His state of mind was consolidated without him even realizing it.
Suddenly looking back, he was no longer the little boy he used to be.
Now, he was a powerful Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, an invincible existence under the Origin King Realm, and the Sect Master of High Heaven Sect. On Shadowed Star, his position was akin to beneath one, but above ten million!
Straightening himself up, like a tall spear, Yang Kai wore a proud and resolute expression.
Suddenly, as if he had sensed something, Yang Kai turned his head and looked in a certain direction, releasing his Divine Sense at the same time.
A beautiful scene appeared in his observation.
Several massive stars, each emitting different attributes of energy, were gathered closely together at a certain place in the Starry Sky.
And at the centre of this cluster was a void where something seemed to be calling out to Yang Kai faintly.
Even tens of millions of kilometres away, he could still feel this faint signal.
The Chaotic Abyss!
He had already reached this place. Yang Kai quickly returned to his senses, only then realizing he had lost track of time as he contemplated his old memories.
This place was the first stop Yang Kai made after entering the Star Field.
This was also the most dangerous and unpredictable region of the entire Star Field. In this seemingly peaceful and beautiful area, there was a hidden danger that no one could resist.
Domain Eruptions countless times more terrifying than ordinary Starry Sky Storms could swallow up and shred Starships with ease in this place.
Yang Kai had been swallowed up by one such Domain Eruption and been dragged down to the strange floating continent where he had met Gui Zu and learned all about the excitement and dangers of the Star Field from various masters.
Back then, he hadn’t been able to understand the mysteries of this place, but now that his strength had dramatically improved and his vision and insight had become sharper, he was able to comprehend some things he wasn’t able to before.
The massive amount of energy here was actually able to compress a section of space at its centre, making it impossible to detect under normal circumstances, but every time a Domain Eruption occurred, a door to that compressed space would open.
In the very centre of the Chaotic Abyss was where that small world was hidden!
The floating continent.
Before Yang Kai left the floating continent with Gui Zu and the others, he had left a thread of his Divine Sense behind in a hidden underground chamber.
There was a giant mass of energy in that chamber, and Yang Kai even suspected that it was the floating continent’s Star Source.
At that time, his strength was too low so he didn’t dare to touch it rashly.
Passing by here now, that thread of Divine Sense immediately formed a connection with him, as if calling him to it.
Yang Kai did not respond, however.
Although his current strength was completely different from when he originally came here, he wasn’t arrogant enough to believe he could refine that mass of energy. If a Star Source was so easy to refine, Gui Zu would not have been trapped in that place for two thousand years.
Yang Kai still needed to wait until his strength grew stronger before he could attempt such a feat.
The Starship did not even slow down and soon left the Chaotic Abyss behind as it flew straight towards Tong Xuan Realm.
The days aboard the Starship were quite uneventful.
Time passed by as Yang Kai quietly cultivated in seclusion.
One day though, a disciple came to knock on the door and reported, “Sect Master, we’ve arrived!”
“We’ve arrived?” Yang Kai opened his eyes, a hint of excitement flashing across them, and his figure flickered, leaving his room and entering the hall.
At this time, the Starship was quietly moored a million or so kilometres outside a Cultivation Star.
When the disciples in charge of controlling the Starship saw Yang Kai appear, they all turned to him, waiting for his orders.
Without Yang Kai’s order, they didn’t dare act rashly.
However… was this Cultivation Star really the Sect Master’s homeland? Why did it seem so… desolate?
When the disciples looked at Tong Xuan Realm, they all felt puzzled.
When Yang Kai’s eyes landed on Tong Xuan Realm, however, his expression dimmed slightly.
In the past, his vision had not been profound enough, and he had never witnessed the wonders of the Star Field, so he wasn’t able to judge Tong Xuan Realm accurately. On the contrary, he used to think Tong Xuan Realm was a rich cultivation land.
But now that he had returned from the Star Field after several dozen years of cultivation and exploration, he could see what was wrong with Tong Xuan Realm at a glance.
It was old!
An aged, desolate, and somewhat melancholic air lingered about this star, with a hint of grey in its aura, showing that it was clearly weakening.
Yang Kai’s heart clenched.
He never knew his homeland was in such a state before, or perhaps he just never realized it was a problem until now.
It seemed that on Tong Xuan Realm, the Saint Realm being the peak of the Martial Dao was not without cause.
This was different from Shadowed Star. Shadowed Star’s World Energy was abundant, but cultivators were unable to comprehend the mysteries of the Origin King Realm due to the invisible suppression of its World Principles.
Tong Xuan Realm, on the other hand, didn’t have this kind of World Principles suppression, but… the World Energy here was so thin that it simply couldn’t meet the requirements for cultivators to advance to higher realms.
The Saint Realm was its limit.
At this moment, Yang Kai gained insight into the source of Tong Xuan Realm’s deficiencies.
“Sect Master, shall we…” The disciple to his side turned to him and respectfully asked his opinion.
“Take us down,” Yang Kai waved lightly.
Receiving these orders, the disciples controlling the Starship prepared to descend to the surface.
The hundred-metre-long Starship passed through a grey layer into the atmosphere of Tong Xuan Realm, loudly arriving on this seemingly backwards Cultivation Star.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense expanded like a tide and instantly enveloped the surrounding hundred-kilometre radius to determine their current position.
The aura here was weak, but it was filled with Demonic Qi.
[The Demon Land?] Yang Kai’s brow rose.
Tong Xuan Realm was divided into three separate domains, the Human Territory, Demon Land and Monster Domain, each ruled over by one of the Three Clans. Among these three regions, the Human Territory had the largest area, occupying almost seventy percent of Tong Xuan Realm, followed by the Demon Land, and then the Monster Domain.
Unexpectedly, upon his return to Tong Xuan Realm, Yang Kai actually came directly to the Demon Land, a somewhat surprising result.
Leisurely, Yang Kai raised his head and looked in a certain direction.
When he sent out his Divine Sense, he had detected several life auras at the edge of his perception, one of which had a Third-Order Saint Realm cultivation and also seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t immediately remember who it was.
Few were capable of possessing a Third-Order Saint Realm cultivation in the Demon Land, the most likely candidate being one of the Demon Generals.
The Demon Race originally had four Demon Generals, all of whom were Third-Order Saints.
The other party had apparently noticed the Starship’s arrival and were hurrying over to investigate.
Thinking it would be best to simply ask this party for information, Yang Kai lightly ordered, “Wait here. I’ll go meet them.”
Saying so, his figure flickered and he arrived outside the Starship to wait for the approaching party’s arrival.
A distance of a hundred kilometres could be crossed in an instant by the current Yang Kai. After having cultivated the Dao of Space for so many years, Yang Kai could ignore space and cross The Void with ease.
However, for a Third-Order Saint Demon General who did not have a suitable flight type artifact, even if they went all out, it still took a cup of tea worth of time to cross this distance.
A short time later, a large mass of black Qi appeared in Yang Kai’s vision. This black Qi was filled with a violent and bloody aura and several figures were hidden inside of it.
The black Qi billowed and soon came to a halt about a thousand metres in front of Yang Kai.
As this black Qi dispersed, the figures inside were finally revealed; a sturdy-looking man with a stern look on his face, holding a spear-like artifact, stood at their fore.
At this moment, this man was staring forward in trepidation, his red eyes filled with shock.
He wasn’t looking at Yang Kai, but rather at the Starship behind Yang Kai. As a Demon General, he naturally knew that there was a similar existence buried deep beneath the Demon Capital.
That was a vessel that the Bone Race had used to arrive on Tong Xuan Realm many millennia ago, a special flight type artifact which seemed to be called a Starship.
Unfortunately, that Starship had been thoroughly destroyed by Great Demon God, leaving only a pile of broken metal behind. Even so, its very existence was a top secret and it had been sealed tens of thousands of metres below the Demon Capital.
Could someone from beyond Tong Xuan Realm have arrived here again? Thinking so, this Demon General was taken aback.
The last time this happened, Great Demon God had sacrificed himself to save Tong Xuan Realm, a fact that the Demon Race took immense pride in.
But now, who would be there to hold up the sky and save Tong Xuan Realm?
Perhaps that Human Race boy from back then might have this ability; after all, when the Bone Race reappeared, Tong Xuan Realm’s Three Clans had united under his leadership to defeat them.
But it was said that he had left Tong Xuan Realm more than thirty years ago, and so far there had been no news from him. Whether he was even alive or dead was unknown.
A lot of distracting thoughts flashed through this Demon General’s mind, but having faced many great storms before he quickly composed himself, displayed the warlike nature inherent to the Demon Race, and shifted his eyes solemnly towards Yang Kai.
The next moment, however, he showed a dumbfounded expression, as if he had seen a ghost, opened his mouth wide, and pointed to Yang Kai, “You…you…”
He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Demon General Meng Ge, haha, it’s been many years. How is Brother Meng doing?” Yang Kai grinned at him.
“Are you Holy Master Yang?” Meng Ge’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He had never expected that the person who came here aboard this Starship would be the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
This boy was none other than the Human Race youth who had disappeared more than thirty years ago.
When the Bone Race resurfaced, the Three Clans had joined forces, and Meng Ge had fought side by side with Yang Kai, so he remembered his face, and now hearing Yang Kai’s voice, he immediately became certain of his guess.
There was no doubt this person was that boy.
This was nothing short of shocking. This boy hadn’t been heard from for several dozen years, yet now he appeared here, owning a Starship like this. Where did he go all these years? It was rumoured he left Tong Xuan Realm to enter the Star Field. Did he succeed?
Thinking so, Meng Ge could barely contain his shock as he trembled slightly and his eyes glazed over.
“Yeah, it is this Yang. Does Brother Meng not recognize me?” Yang Kai chuckled.
“How could that be?” Meng Ge shook his head, “Although I’ve not seen you for many years, this Meng will never forget Holy Master Yang’s face.”
“Good, how has Zhang Yuan been doing in recent years?” Yang Kai asked again.
“You mean Sir Demon Commander?” Meng Ge frowned, a trace of dissatisfaction appearing on his face. Zhang Yuan was the Demon Commander of the Demon Race and a top master on Tong Xuan Realm. Even though Yang Kai was strong, and the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, in the end, that would only put him on par with Sir Demon Commander in terms of status. Proper etiquette would be to refer to Zhang Yuan by his title, rather than just his name.
This boy’s tone was simply too rampant, speaking as if he was an Elder addressing a Junior, naturally causing Meng Ge some discomfort.
Replying in a flat tone, “Sect Master Yang need not worry, Sir Demon Commander has been in good health and has been in retreat in the Demon Capital in recent years.”
While speaking, he released his Divine Sense to probe Yang Kai, wanting to know how much the cultivation of this human youth had grown after several dozen years.
If he remembered correctly, this boy should have been a First-Order Saint when he left, so after several dozen years, it was likely he had reached the Third-Order Saint Realm at most.
However, after a brief sweep with his Divine Sense, Meng Ge’s expression changed drastically.
He discovered that he could not sense Yang Kai’s depths at all, and the moment his Divine Sense swept across him it was like throwing a stone into the sea, unable to create the slightest ripple.
[How is that possible?] Meng Ge’s expression immediately became dumbfounded as his eyes bulged once more.
With his Third-Order Saint Realm cultivation, even if Yang Kai had also reached this height, he wouldn’t be able to hide his cultivation from his Divine Sense exploration.
Not even a Saint King, the realm Great Demon God had reached, could achieve this.
Could it be that… this boy had reached this level, or possibly even higher?
When this thought crossed his mind, Meng Ge’s shivered from head to toe and his eyes filled with horror, hoarsely asking, “Holy Master Yang… what realm are you now?”
“What realm?” Yang Kai raised his brows. Meng Ge’s movements were not missed by him, but Yang Kai didn’t mind. The Demon Race were all like this, straightforward and rebellious by nature. Pondering for a moment, Yang Kai replied, “What realm I’ve reached would mean nothing to you right now, but you’ll find out soon enough. En, I’ll have to trouble you to go to the Demon Capital and ask Zhang Yuan to come to Nine Heavens Holy Land to see me. I just came back, so I need to hurry back to Nine Heavens Holy Land.”
Meng Ge gulped hard, the confusion and fear on his face gradually receding, like a cornered beast that was surrendering.
This time, he didn’t care about Yang Kai’s arrogance, faintly guessing that Yang Kai had reached a height beyond his imagination. This speculation made him shocked and terrified, and at the same time also some excited.
“Holy Master Yang may rest assured, I will return to the Demon Capital immediately and inform Sir Demon Command of this news,” Meng Ge quickly said.
“En. Right, one more thing,” Yang Kai scratched his cheek awkwardly, “Which direction is Nine Heavens Holy Land?”
Meng Ge was stunned for a moment before pointing a certain direction.
“Thanks,” Yang Kai smiled lightly before his figure flickered and disappeared. A moment later, the pitch-black Starship slightly trembled before shooting off and disappearing from Meng Ge’s vision.
“Sir, who was that little human brat? He was so arrogant he never even put Sir into his eyes,” A Demon Race man who followed Meng Ge called out in dissatisfaction.
Although the relationship between the Three Clans had become more harmonious after they joined forces to defeat the resurgent Bone Race, that didn’t mean there were no disputes between them, especially when it came to cultivation resources.
Now, however, there wasn’t an atmosphere of life or death enemies when different races met.
Still, no one from the Human Race would dare trespass into the Demon Land at will.
But now a human boy had appeared here, not putting Sir Meng Ge in his eyes, and even fearlessly called the Demon Commander by his name, causing this group of Demon Race members to feel quite dissatisfied.
If it weren’t for Meng Ge holding them back, these Demon Race members would likely have charged forward to teach that human boy a harsh lesson.
“Shut up!” Meng Ge shouted, “That person… is someone you cannot provoke, I cannot provoke, even… even Sir Demon Command cannot provoke him. Don’t even discuss him behind his back!”
“What? Even Sir Demon Command cannot afford to provoke him?” The several Demon Race members were shocked and their eyes bulged, “Who is he?”
“His name, you’ve all heard before,” Meng Ge frowned, “He is the Lord of Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai!”
The faces of the several Demon Race members immediately became stern as they quickly held their tongues.
Today, Nine Heavens Holy Land held a dominant position on Tong Xuan Realm, standing atop all of the Three Clans with countless Saint Realm masters at their disposal. No great force could be compared with it.
However, although Nine Heavens Holy Land had reached the height of fame over these past few decades, their Holy Master had seemingly disappeared.
Unexpectedly, the young man they just met was the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
“A great change is approaching,” Meng Ge murmured while looking up at the grey sky. Soon after, he turned around and hurried back to the Demon Capital.
He needed to bring news of Yang Kai’s return to Demon Commander Zhang Yuan as soon as possible.
…..
Nine Heavens Holy Land was situated on nine tall peaks that formed a powerful Spirit Array. On Tong Xuan Realm, Nine Heavens Holy Land enjoyed the highest reputation. There were innumerable masters in the Holy Land, and although it had not recruited any new disciples in recent years, its population was still quite large and had no shortage of wealth.
The reason for this was not only because of the great power Nine Heavens Holy Land possessed, or the close ties it had to great forces of the Human Race, but rather because of the famous Alchemist who resided here.
Several top Alchemists were living here all year round.
Cultivators who came here to request Alchemy basically always obtained the pill they desired. As long as one could pay enough remuneration and materials, they would leave with their requested pill after a few days.
Relying on the income from Alchemy services alone, Nine Heavens Holy Land never needed to worry about having enough cultivation resources.
Outside the Holy Land’s Nine Peaks, a line several kilometres in length, composed of at least a thousand cultivators, snaked back and forth. These cultivators were all waiting here to request Alchemy services from Nine Heavens Holy Land, and as some left satisfied, others would join the line.
Although the line was long, it was extremely orderly. Everyone kept their place, and any newcomer obediently joined the end of the line, with no one daring to try to jump the queue.
Anyone who dared to do otherwise had already been taught a harsh lesson.
Of the cultivators waiting in line, the ones who had been here the longest had been waiting for a month, but even they showed no impatience, simply standing there expectantly, waiting for the people from Nine Heavens Holy Land to greet them and accept their materials.
To pass the time, these cultivators would talk amongst themselves, whispering rumours to one another or exchanging information.
On this day, however, a young man suddenly walked towards the Nine Peaks. His figure was heroic, and his eyes shone a profound light, but him looking around constantly made him look like someone from the countryside who had never seen the world. There also seemed to be a kind of nostalgia in his expression.
After seeing the long queue, this sense of nostalgia only became more obvious.
“Looks like some things haven’t changed,” Yang Kai grinned, and while walking forward, he looked at the cultivators who came to request Alchemy with interest.
When he still lived in Nine Heavens Holy Land, such a scene outside the Holy Land was common.
Unexpectedly, nothing had changed several dozen years later other than the fact that even more people were here to request Alchemy services.
“Hey brat, what do you think you’re doing?” Suddenly an angry shout came from the crowd.
Yang Kai turned his head and found a burly man glaring at him.
“Where are you from boy? You want to jump the line?”
“Young man, if you want to survive, just go to the back and wait obediently. Don’t think you’re anything special, everyone who comes here must follow the rules.”
“Hmph, if he dares to jump in the line, I’ll twist his head!”
“Young man, go to the back and line up. If you’re found by someone from Nine Heavens Holy Land you’ll only receive a harsh lesson, but if you provoke these people, your end will be miserable.”
Before Yang Kai could even say anything, many from the crowd began calling out, one after another discouraging him from acting rashly, many of them casting him pitiful or derisive looks.
As if Yang Kai’s end would truly be ugly if he didn’t follow their advice.
“I didn’t come here to ask for Alchemy,” Yang Kai touched his nose.
“Everyone who wants to jump in the line says that. Boy, it seems that you won’t regret unless you see your coffin. Do you want Father here to teach you a lesson?” The big man who yelled at Yang Kai first coldly snorted and clenched his fists as he stared at him menacingly.
“I really didn’t come here to ask for Alchemy though,” Yang Kai said helplessly.
“Then what are you here for?” The big man asked reluctantly, his eyes filled with aggression, as if he wouldn’t let Yang Kai off without first getting an explanation.
“I’m just going home, I’m from Nine Heavens Holy Land,” Yang Kai scratched his cheek.
“You’re what?” The big man scanned Yang Kai up and down, a clear look of disbelief on his face. Suddenly, he waved to the side and shouted, “Brother, please come over here.”
The one he called out to seemed to be a cultivator on patrol, and hearing this shout, the latter rushed over, took in the scene, frowned, and asked, “What is it? Is there someone trying to break the rules again?”
“Heh heh, Fellow Brother, take a look at this guy, he said he’s from your Holy Land but I say he’s just trying to jump in the line. Brother, take a look and see if he is from your Holy Land,” The big man pointed to Yang Kai and said to the disciple of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
The disciple heard this and nodded before taking a careful look at Yang Kai, a moment later shaking his head and saying, “I’ve never seen this person before; moreover, he doesn’t have our Holy Land’s robes or symbol anywhere on him.”
Saying so, he gestured to a mark on his own robes.
“Sure enough, this little brat is spewing nonsense,” The big man looked at Yang Kai mockingly, taking pleasure in his misfortune, “Pretending to be a Holy Land disciple, you’re dead.”
“You don’t know me?” Yang Kai asked the disciple.
“Should I know you?” The other party snorted.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before nodding, “Looking at your age, you probably joined the Holy Land not long ago. It’s fine, which Elder is on duty here today?”
Hearing his question, the disciple’s expression immediately became suspicious, uncertain if Yang Kai was just talking nonsense or really had some relation to the Holy Land.
Although he had grown up in the Holy Land since he was a child, he was now just twenty-five years old. When Yang Kai was in the Holy Land, he hadn’t even been born yet, so naturally he had never seen Yang Kai’s face.
Surprised but not daring to be negligent, the disciple hesitantly said, “It is Elder Shi who is on duty today.”
“Elder Shi?” Yang Kai frowned, but soon a figure emerged from the depths of his memory and a slight smile appeared on his face, “Shi Kun?”
“En,” The disciple was shocked, really not understanding who Yang Kai thought he was, even daring to call Elder Shi directly by his name; and from listening to his tone, it seemed this stranger was quite familiar with Elder Shi.
“Take me to see him, he’ll recognize me,” Yang Kai said casually, but soon changed his mind, “Forget it, I’ll go myself.”
Saying so, his figure suddenly disappeared.
The group who were watching all had their eyes bulge as shock filled their hearts.
“What? Where did that guy go?” The burly man from just now looked around but he couldn’t see any trace of Yang Kai, a faint trace of sweat appearing on his brow.
He thought he had provoked some kind of hidden master.
Everyone else also had similar expressions on their faces and for a time they felt a chill down their backs.
Inside a pavilion not far away, at this moment, Shi Kun was sitting cross-legged in meditation, seemingly comprehending something.
Suddenly, Shi Kun opened his eyes, as if sensing something, and shouted, “Bold!”
He noticed at that moment that someone had broken into the pavilion.
As one of the Holy Land’s Elders, his job here was to maintain order, but not even the disciples on guard duty could dare to disturb him without first asking for permission, yet now some bold fool had actually rashly intruded while he was in the middle of comprehending a Secret Technique.
Shi Kun was naturally furious.
Fortunately, he had not been at a critical moment in his comprehension, otherwise it was very likely he would have experienced cultivation deviation from being disturbed.
He shouted sharply as he gazed towards the direction of the intruder.
However, the next moment, Shi Kun’s jaw dropped and he froze in place.
Yang Kai looked at him with a smile and called out, “It’s been many years since we last met, but it seems Elder Shi’s temper has grown shorter!”
“Holy… Holy Master?” Shi Kun exclaimed in shock, never having expected the one who had disturbed his meditation was Holy Master Yang Kai who had been gone for several dozen years.
At first, Shi Kun could hardly believe his eyes and rubbed them vigorously, but even after doing so, the person in front of him was still the Holy Master.
Although Shi Kun hadn’t seen him in several decades, and the Holy Master was still quite young when he left, it seemed like the years had left no trace on him.
Shi Kun became so excited his body began trembling.
“Not bad, not bad at all. You’ve also reached the Second-Order Saint Realm, it seems you haven’t been idling these years,” Yang Kai gently nodded, seeing through Shi Kun’s realm at a glance.
“Subordinate Shi Kun greets Holy Master. Welcome back to the Sect, Holy Master!” Shi Kun hurriedly half-kneeled on the ground, shouting in an excited voice.
“Get up,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
Shi Kun quickly got to his feet as he continued staring at Yang Kai in disbelief, as if he was having a dream, pursing his lips for a moment and hesitating before asking, “Holy Master, have you really returned?”
“En, I’m back. How is the Holy Land now?”
“Everything is in order, Holy Master need not worry,” Shi Kun quickly replied, because of the ups and downs of his mood, his blood seemed to be surging, causing his face to flush.
“Very good!”
“Holy Master, please hurry back to the Holy Land, since you left, Great Elder and the others have been worrying day and night. Once they learn you’ve returned safely, they will certainly be very happy,” Shi Kun cupped his fists.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “Come with me.”
Saying so, he stretched out your hand and wrapped Shi Kun in his Saint Qi.
The next moment, both of them disappeared from the pavilion, and when Shi Kun looked around, he suddenly found that he and Yang Kai had reached the inner sanctum of the Holy Land’s nine peaks.
“This is great, nothing has changed,” Yang Kai stood mid-air as his Divine Sense swept across the Holy Land, nodding in satisfaction.
Shi Kun was in something of a daze, not understanding how he had arrived at the inner peaks, but soon he realized that this was Yang Kai’s doing.
But what exactly had he done? It was all too bizarre. Shi Kun felt both reverence and awe.
Suddenly, he seemed to think of something, took a step forward, heaved a deep breath, and shouted out to the Nine Peaks, “Holy Master has returned to the Sect!”
This shout echoed throughout the Nine Peaks.
All movement in the Nine Peaks seemed to be overwhelmed by this shout, and a strange atmosphere suddenly filled the Holy Land, along with complete silence.
However, a moment later, the Nine Peaks seemed to burst into a frenzy, with streaks of light shooting up from each of the peaks and rushing over at full speed.
Inside the Pill Room, the Saint Grade Alchemist Du Wan was refining a Clear Snow Pill, a Saint Grade Low-Rank pill. The person who requested this pill was also waiting outside the Nine Peaks at the moment, and their status was not low, so Du Wan had taken action personally.
It had been more than a day since Du Wan began, and at this moment the Pill Room was filled with a strong fragrance and a faint chill. Carefully controlling the heat, Du Wan was staring at his pill furnace, preparing for the final moment where he would condense the pill.
To the side, Chang Bao sat with his great belly and rotund face, squinting his eyes as he observed and studied Du Wan’s refining techniques.
The expressions of the two Saint Grade Alchemists were both solemn and excited.
These two had been the managers of Alchemist Guild branches in Grand Boulder City and Lightning Flash City respectively, holding great status, but after studying Alchemy together in Nine Heavens Holy Land, they had both promoted to the level of Saint Grade Alchemist. So, they both resigned from their previous post and had joined Nine Heavens Holy Land.
In addition to the two of them, there was also Hong Fang, He Feng, and Kong Ruo Yu who were all now Saint Grade Alchemists as well.
The Alchemy level of Tong Xuan Realm had undergone explosive growth since Yang Kai had left, with all the credit being given to the Old Man of Heaven’s Keep Li Rui’s generous teachings, and the inspiration of Xia Ning Chang.
Previously, only Li Rui had been a Saint Grade High-Rank Alchemist.
The pill refining was now at a critical juncture, and Chang Bao’s small eyes narrowed tighter, filled with light as he sweat just as much as Du Wan.
Even they could not guarantee a one hundred percent success rate when refining Saint Grade pills. Du Wan’s refinement being so smooth this time was a combination of his own skill as well as luck.
At this most critical moment, there was no room for negligence or disturbance.
However, right then, a loud shout suddenly came from outside, penetrating even the barriers around the Pill Room, reaching straight to the ears of the two Saint Grade Alchemists.
Du Wan’s old hands shook, and his Saint Qi became slightly disordered.
Immediately after, a bang resounded from the pill furnace in front of him.
A burnt smell soon filled the air.
Du Wan was stunned, and his expression contorted into a truly ugly one.
Chang Bao also frowned deeply.
They had fallen short!
[That idiot Shi Kun! His life is over! Du Wan will certainly hold him responsible for this failure.]
Chang Bao immediately took pleasure in Shi Kun’s misfortune in his heart.
“Old Chang, what did that boy Shi Kun just say?” But contrary to Chang Bao’s expectation, Du Wan did not get angry right away, instead turning a strange look towards him and asking.
“I didn’t hear clearly,” Chang Bao shook his head.
Although both of them had heard Shi Kun yelling something just now, Chang Bao hadn’t cared about its content because all his focus had been on the pill refinement.
“Did I hear him say something about the Holy Master?” Du Wan frowned.
“Holy Master?” Chang Bao was stunned, but soon seemed to think of something, and like a cat that’s tail had been stepped on, his plump body showed unimaginable lightness as he leapt up from the ground and shouted, “You mean that Holy Master?”
Nine Heavens Holy Land had only one Holy Master, and that was Yang Kai.
Since Yang Kai had left, the position of Holy Master had remained vacant, but in the eyes of the cultivators of Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai was and always would be their Holy Master.
“I could have sworn I heard Shi Kun saying something about the Holy Master returning to the Sect,” Du Wan knit his brow.
“Are you sure?” Chang Bao yelled.
“I’m not certain.”
The two looked at each other for a moment before both of them rushed out towards the door of the Pill Room where they were greeted by the equally flustered He Feng, Hong Fang, and Kong Ruo Yu. Dashing out of the Pill Room all together, all of them showed spiritedness not inferior to youths hundreds of years their junior.
“Old ghosts, wait for this old master!” Chang Bao struggled to move his fat body as he yelled from behind.
Of course, no one answered him, all of them only rushing out even faster.
Atop another of the Nine Peaks, inside a mountainside secret room, a rich Demonic Qi swirled.
Inside this secret room, two beautiful women with closed eyes were synchronizing their breathing, one possessed a dignified and elegant air while the other was cold and aloof, two vastly different temperaments.
The former had a peak cultivation at the Third-Order Saint Realm while the latter was a Second-Order Saint.
Both were wrapped in a thick swirling Demonic Qi, apparently cultivating some kind of Secret Technique.
When Shi Kun’s voice reached them, however, the two women opened their eyes involuntarily, with the dignified beauty turning to her companion, frowning, and asking, “Han Fei, did Shi Kun just say… the Holy Master had returned to the Sect?”
The cold beauty heard these words and her tender body trembled, carefully thinking for a moment before she gently nodded.
Four eyes suddenly met, before an amazing brilliance flashed across them. No longer giving any thought to the Secret Technique they were cultivating, two tender bodies wrapped in black Qi rushed out of the secret room and soared up into the sky.
Similar scenes were happening all over the Nine Peaks.
This was no doubt the liveliest the Nine Peaks had been in the past several decades. At this moment, the masters here who were worshipped and admired by countless cultivators across Tong Xuan Realm all suddenly seemed to lose all sense of dignity and turned into hot-blooded youths.
When Holy Land Great Elder Xu Hui ran out, he couldn’t even be bothered using the doors and smashed his way through the walls of his palace directly, nearly causing it to collapse.
Elder Yu Ying knocked over and broke a set of vases she had treasured for over a hundred years in her hurry.
Saintess An Ling’er had been bathing at the time but still leapt from her bathroom after hurriedly throwing on her clothes, not even bothering to dry herself.
…..
All of this was happening because of the words which had just echoed across the Nine Peaks.
The Holy Master had returned!
Everyone wanted to know whether this news was true or not. Everyone wanted to see the face of the young man they had not seen in over thirty years. As such, everyone rushed out of the places they were staying and soared towards the source of the voice from just now.
Streams of light swiftly came and gathered in front of Yang Kai.
After seeing Yang Kai’s face clearly, everyone showed a look of pleasant surprise; some were so joyful they were unable to stop themselves from weeping.
All the Elders of the Holy Land, Du Wan, Chang Bao and the other Alchemy Grandmasters, as well as the leaders of the Ancient Demon Clan, gathered together.
Just in terms of Saints, more than ten were present.
This was a force capable of sweeping the entire Tong Xuan Realm, an existence no one dared to underestimate. It was precisely because of these peoples’ existence that Nine Heavens Holy Land had become famous across Tong Xuan Realm.
Yang Kai’s eyes swept across these familiar faces and his heart could not help warming as a brilliant smile blossomed on his face.
After not seeing them for several dozen years, all his old friends were still well, there could be no better news.
“It’s really Holy Master!”
“Holy Master is back, he’s really back.”
Shouts of joy rang out from the crowd as everyone celebrated with excitement in their eyes.
“Subordinate Xu Hui, together with all the Holy Land’s Elders, greets Holy Master. Welcome back to the Sect, Holy Master!” Xu Hui had always been attentive to etiquette and despite his own excitement did not forget courtesy and hastily shouted.
The other Holy Land Elders also hurriedly saluted.
“There’s no need for such formalities, I’ve simply come home,” Yang Kai waved, an invisible force lifting everyone up.
“Master…” On a different side, Li Rong, the leader of the Ancient Demon Clan, called out through her tears.
Han Fei, who was standing beside her, also had red puffy eyes.
Yang Kai had inherited the mantle of Great Demon God, so for the Ancient Demon Clan who had served Great Demon God for generations, Yang Kai was their Lord and Master, a position not even the current Demon Commander Zhang Yuan could compare to.
So even if Yang Kai was not in Nine Heavens Holy Land, they had chosen to remain here to wait for him.
In fact, for the Ancient Demon Clan, the Demon Land was the ideal place for them to live, but out of respect for Yang Kai, Li Rong had eventually decided to let the Ancient Demon Clan settle in Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Looking at Yang Kai’s face, Li Rong’s heart trembled.
When Yang Kai left, she had asked to follow him, to use her own life to protect him, but Yang Kai was completely uncertain about his future at that point so he didn’t dare to bring Li Rong, making her stay behind.
Over the past several decades, Li Rong had spent countless days and nights worrying. Whenever she thought about Yang Kai being all alone in the vast outside world, she would have trouble sleeping and eating. She hated that she had not insisted on following him at that time and allowed her Master to wander alone.
She blamed herself greatly and felt truly tortured over the years.
Now seeing Yang Kai return safely, she could not help weeping with joy.
“Don’t cry, this is a happy occasion, I’ve returned, haven’t I?” Yang Kai laughed and comforted her.
“Yes!” Li Rong pursed her red lips and nodded in response.
She would meet any of Yang Kai’s requests unconditionally.
“Little brat, you came back?” At this moment, a cry of pleasant surprise suddenly came from the side.
Yang Kai turned his head and soon spotted Meng Wu Ya flying over.
Even after not seeing him for several dozen years, Meng Wu Ya was still the same, dressing in extremely plain robes with his somewhat dishevelled hair and beard. If he were to walk amongst a crowd, many would only think of him as a dirty old man, never realizing he was a peak Third-Order Saint Realm master.
“Treasurer Meng, I trust you’ve been well since we last met!” Yang Kai smiled brightly.
“Of course I have been good, seems you’ve been living well yourself, you little brat. This old master can finally feel relieved,” Meng Wu Ya nodded heavily, a pleased smile on his face.
Meng Wu Ya could be said to have watched over Yang Kai’s growth from the very start. Back then, he had been hiding his identity and staying in High Heaven Pavilion as the treasurer of the Contribution Hall. He had first met Yang Kai and became close because of his treasured apprentice Xia Ning Chang.
So, after seeing Yang Kai returning to this place several decades later, it was as if a big rock was lifted from Meng Wu Ya’s heart.
His concern for Yang Kai was not inferior to anyone else’s.
Yang Kai instantly began looking around, and noticing this, Meng Wu Ya seemed to know who he was looking for, grinned meaningfully, and took the initiative to speak, “Ning Chang is at a critical moment of her retreat, so it’s not convenient for her to see you, but I’m sure she will the moment she exits her seclusion. En, as for your Grand Master, he does not live in Nine Heavens Holy Land but instead over at War Spirit Temple’s former grounds together with your Yang Family and the others from that side.”
“En, I’ll visit them later,” Yang Kai took a deep breath, calming his mood a little.
Back then, he had brought his relatives and friends from the Great Han Dynasty to Tong Xuan Realm, but since Nine Heavens Holy Land didn’t have enough space to house them all, Yang Kai decided to have them stay in the former War Spirit Temple and Shattering Mystical Palace ruins a thousand or so kilometres away. These two great forces used to be enemies with Yang Kai but were both wiped out by him in the end. However, their Sect foundations were left behind, so it was the perfect ready-made place to settle the cultivators from the Great Han Dynasty.
After several dozen years, his friends and relatives from the Great Han Dynasty had also settled down and developed steadily. Protected by Nine Heavens Holy Land, they lived a safe and worry-free life, as if they had come to a paradise.
With so many old acquaintances meeting each other, the atmosphere was naturally quite lively.
The Holy Master returning to the Sect was a grand, joyous event for Nine Heavens Holy Land. After everyone welcomed Yang Kai back to the main peak, Great Elder Xu Hui ordered a big banquet to be arranged immediately.
Anyone with even the slightest status in the Holy Land attended.
No one asked Yang Kai where he had been and what he had done these past few decades, all of them simply happy he had returned safely and was now sitting and chatting with them just as before.
The atmosphere of the banquet was noisy, as everybody raised their glasses over and over again. Even women like Li Rong and Han Fei got drunk.
This night was doomed to be sleepless.
The banquet started at sunset and continued into the early morning.
Most of the people present had already drunk several rounds, with only Xu Hui remaining perfectly sober.
At a certain point, Yang Kai called out to him.
“Holy Master, what are your orders?” Xu Hui asked respectfully.
“How have the Hu Sisters been all these years?” Yang Kai asked casually as he watched the sunrise over Tong Xuan Realm he had not seen in so long.
“Reporting to Holy Master, the Hu Sisters have been very well these past few years. The two of them have been cultivating diligently in Twin Spirit Pavilion, and with Wu Fa and Wu Tian’s careful guidance, their growth has been quite astonishing. A few years ago, the two sisters broke through to the Saint Realm and took up the mantle of Tong Xuan Realm’s most glorious rising stars!”
“En,” Yang Kai lightly nodded.
His relatives and friends from the Great Han Dynasty had all basically been settled in the ruins of War Spirit Temple and Shattering Mystical Palace, but the Hu Sisters, who had inherited the Twin Qi Shared Spirit Divine Art, the foundational inheritance of Twin Spirit Pavilion, had chosen to live and cultivate there instead.
With the aptitude of the two sisters and the magical Secret Art they cultivated, it was only natural for them to reach the Saint Realm after several dozen years.
However, this was only the expected result on Tong Xuan Realm’s with its extremely thin World Energy. If the two sisters had instead lived on Shadowed Star, their achievements would be far greater than this.
They would definitely be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Qu Chang Feng and Fang Tian Zhong.
“Contact Hu Jiao’er and Hu Mei’er and tell them to come to Nine Heavens Holy Land,” Yang Kai ordered.
“Right away!” Xu Hui hurriedly responded, a sly expression suddenly appearing on his face. “If they hear Holy Master has returned to the Sect, they will likely hurry over on their own even without an invitation.”
Yang Kai glanced over at him sideways, to which Xu Hui just smiled dryly.
“Also, send a message to the Great Seniors of the Monster Race asking them to come to Nine Heavens Holy Land. I have something I wish to discuss with them.”
“Yes, Subordinate will see to it immediately. Does Holy Master have any other instructions?”
“No, go on.”
Xu Hui bowed and withdrew, not bothering to ask anything, simply going about the tasks he had been assigned.
Looking back at the messy palace, Yang Kai grinned before his figure flickered and he disappeared to somewhere else on the Nine Peaks.
The place he arrived at was none other than the room where Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang was currently in retreat. Standing outside this cultivation room, Yang Kai could smell Xia Ning Chang’s gentle scent and could not help feeling refreshed.
He did not know what Xia Ning Chang was in retreat to cultivate, but he didn’t intend to bother her, instead just quietly releasing his Divine Sense to check on her a bit.
With his current tyrannical cultivation, this kind of silent investigation would be impossible for Xia Ning Chang to detect.
He only wanted to see if everything was well with his Little Senior Sister, but when his Divine Sense swept over where Xia Ning Chang was, he could not help frowning as a look of shock filled his face.
Xia Ning Chang’s cultivation… had reached the Second-Order Saint King Realm!
[How is that possible?] Yang Kai almost thought something was wrong with his senses.
He quickly and carefully investigated the situation, but no matter how he saw it, his previous thoughts seemed to be correct.
Little Senior Sister Xia Ning Chang really was a Second-Order Saint King!
Yang Kai was thoroughly astonished.
Although he was now a Second-Order Origin Realm master, a full Great Realm higher than Little Senior Sister, that was because he had been in the Star Field for several dozen years. Only with the nourishment of abundant World Energy and many opportunities was he able to possess his current cultivation.
Even if Little Senior Sister was an astonishing talent, in Tong Xuan Realm, a place where the World Energy aura was so thin, it should have been absolutely impossible for her to reach the Second-Order Saint King Realm. The aura here simply could not meet the requirements to break through to such a realm.
It was not an exaggeration to say that with this kind of cultivation, Xia Ning Chang already stood far above the peak of all of Tong Xuan Realm. If she was willing to, she could subdue the entire star on her own.
In the past, Great Demon God was able to reach the First-Order Saint King Realm, yet Little Senior Sister had managed to go a step further than even him.
But how did she do it?
Yang Kai was startled and uncertain. Sometimes, such an accident was not a good thing.
He began to investigate Xia Ning Chang’s status more carefully.
But at that moment, the Saint Qi in Xia Ning Chang’s body seemed to become disordered and there were signs of it roiling through her meridians. Little Senior Sister unconsciously groaned as a look of pain appeared on her pretty face. Obviously, she was suffering greatly.
“Cultivation deviation!” Yang Kai’s complexion darkened, his figure flickering and arriving beside Xia Ning Chang in the next instant.
Stretching out his hand to her back, Yang Kai’s powerful Saint Qi burst forth.
Cultivation deviation was an extremely dangerous situation, and if he had been a cultivator in the same realm, there would have been nothing he could have done to help. In fact, external interference in such a situation would likely just make the situation worse.
Ordinarily, cultivation deviation could only be resolved by the party in question through great effort and perseverance.
But Yang Kai was currently an entire Great Realm higher than Xia Ning Chang in terms of cultivation, so it was not a problem for him to assist her.
Under Yang Kai’s guidance, the Saint Qi in Xia Ning Chang’s body gradually stabilized, and the pained look on her pretty face subsided.
Yang Kai finally felt relieved.
As the disordered Saint Qi in her body was smoothed, Xia Ning Chang seemed to feel that someone was helping her, her long eyelashes trembling a few times before her beautiful eyes opened.
The next moment, a mixed look of joy and loss flashed across her face.
She smiled sweetly, stretched out her delicate jade white hand, and touched Yang Kai’s cheek, whispering under her breath, “I can only see you in my dreams, so I hope… this is a long one, so I won’t have to wake up alone again.”
She obviously thought she was dreaming.
Yang Kai felt a deep pain in his heart, as if someone had grabbed hold of it and clenched tightly, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Although he opened his mouth, Yang Kai found no words.
Back then, he had hot-bloodedly left Tong Xuan Realm, and although his goal was to look for Su Yan, doing so had clearly caused Xia Ning Chang deep pain.
But at that time, she had not tried to stop him in the slightest, instead supporting Yang Kai’s decision completely.
She had shown incredible kindness when she asked Yang Kai to find Su Yan and bring her home.
After more than thirty years though, Yang Kai still had not found Su Yan but had forced Little Senior Sister to spend more than thirty years in loneliness.
He felt deeply ashamed of himself for wronging this gentle and innocent woman and blamed himself entirely.
“Rest, rest well, everything is fine now,” Yang Kai embraced Xia Ning Chang and gently poured his Saint Qi into her body, causing her to fall asleep.
Xia Ning Chang blinked as a trace of nostalgia flashed across her beautiful eyes. She seemed unwilling to just fall asleep and she wanted to keep her eyes open to continue gazing upon the man in front of her.
But in the end, she could not resist Yang Kai’s methods and her eyelids eventually grew heavy, sealing shut as she breathed smoothly.
Yang Kai stared at her with a gentleness in his eyes that could melt the coldest of hearts. Next, however, as he gently cradled her, his Divine Sense locked onto a certain position in Xia Ning Chang’s body.
His face suddenly becoming menacing, he shouted sharply, “Get out!”
As he shouted, Yang Kai pressed his hand towards Xia Ning Chang’s abdomen and sent out a majestic pulse of Saint Qi.
All at once, he grasped and pulled out a grey mass of energy from Xia Ning Chang’s body.
As soon as this grey aura left Xia Ning Chang, it began screaming and struggling, as if it possessed its own sentience and was desperately trying to escape from Yang Kai’s clutches.
Yang Kai’s face sank as he quickly increased his Saint Qi output. At the same time, several dozen Golden Blood Threads shot out and fused together in a dazzling golden light. After the radiance faded, the several dozen Golden Blood Threads had woven together to form a net around the grey aura.
Yang Kai stared at this strange object coldly as he continued using his Divine Sense to scan it, wanting to figure out what it was.
When he had sent his Saint Qi into Xia Ning Chang’s meridians just now, he accidentally discovered this grey Qi hidden in her body.
He had not taken action immediately, instead choosing to let Little Senior Sister fall asleep peacefully before dealing with it.
He did not know if Xia Ning Chang’s cultivation deviation was related to this grey aura, but he could tell it was not something she had cultivated herself and was instead some kind of foreign object. What he could not tell, however, was why it was attached to her.
It did not seem to be some type of Soul, because Xia Ning Chang showed no trace of being taken over.
[If so, what is it?] Yang Kai frowned deeply as even with his knowledge and experience; he couldn’t identify what this mass of grey Qi was.
The battering sounds continued as the grey aura flickered back and forth inside the golden net, like a beast trapped in a cage, unable to escape.
Suddenly, Yang Kai raised his brow as he showed a look of surprise.
He felt traces of Xia Ning Chang’s life and Soul Brand inside this mass of grey Qi.
Which meant Xia Ning Chang knew about its existence and had refined it.
However, Yang Kai still felt like this was not anything good as it seemed to have a kind of invisible connection with Little Senior Sister, and this connection caused Little Senior Sister’s vital aura to also turn somewhat grey!
This discovery made Yang Kai’s heart sink even further.
If his judgment was not wrong, then this mass of grey Qi and Little Senior Sister shared a symbiotic relationship. If one suffered, both suffered, if one prospered, both prospered. If he rashly destroyed it, Little Senior Sister would likely die as well.
This mass of grey Qi gave off an extremely uncomfortable feeling and gave off an aura like that of a senile, dying old man.
With Xia Ning Chang having a symbiotic relationship with it, how could it be good for her future?
Yang Kai could not help wearing a deep and profound look.
Although he wanted to immediately free Little Senior Sister from this worry, Yang Kai had no idea how to even start and did not dare do so before he fully understood the essence of this grey Qi.
Moreover, he vaguely felt a profoundness from this grey Qi that he could not completely fathom, and as he examined it, he felt like he was on the verge of comprehending something deep in his heart.
Even after further investigation though, he still could not learn anything of note.
This mass of grey Qi seemed to be able to exclude Yang Kai’s Divine Sense.
Xia Ning Chang breaking through to the Saint King Realm in a place like Tong Xuan Realm was no doubt linked in some way to this strange grey Qi.
This thing probably allowed her to comprehend a more profound level of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao and provided her with the energy she needed to break through while also tightly binding itself to her.
But Yang Kai could not tell whether this was a blessing or a curse.
Just as Yang Kai was at a loss, the grey Qi bound by the golden net suddenly began struggling much more intensely; however, this time, instead of pointlessly trying to break free, it instead directly burst into millions of tiny pieces of grey Qi and slipped through its bindings.
Yang Kai did not have any time to react, and the mass of grey Qi managed to escape.
Immediately after, it flew downwards at remarkable speed and sank into the ground, disappearing from Yang Kai’s sight.
Yang Kai swiftly sent his Divine Sense into the ground but was unable to sense its existence anymore.
It had simply vanished.
Standing in place, Yang Kai wore a solemn look with a deep frown on his face.
It seemed that he would have to wait for Little Senior Sister to wake up before he could get some answers from her.
He did have a guess in his mind, but he could not be sure.
Looking at the peacefully sleeping Xia Ning Chang, Yang Kai gently picked her up by her waist, placed her on the bed, leaned over and kissed her on her forehead, and gently brushed her hair back before leaving silently.
A few breaths later, a thousand kilometres away, above the former site of War Spirit Temple.
Yang Kai stood mid-air, looking down as he spread his Divine Sense out like a tide.
Familiar auras appeared everywhere under his investigation, appearing like bright stars in the night sky.
Grinning widely, Yang Kai felt warmth in his heart that he had missed these past several dozen years. Immediately, he used his Divine Sense to send a simple message to all his relatives and friends, ‘I’m back’!
A scene just like what happened yesterday at Nine Heavens Holy Land appeared next.
The former War Spirit Temple site immediately erupted as rays of light shot up into the air from various places of retreat and rushed towards the place where Yang Kai was.
Everyone was so excited that as they met each other halfway they could not help asking one another to confirm whether they too had heard about Yang Kai’s return.
Only after arriving high up in the sky and seeing Yang Kai standing there did everyone dare to believe the authenticity of this news.
Tu Feng, Tang Yu Xian, Qu Gao Yi, Ying Jiu… All the Blood Warriors who fought alongside Yang Kai in the Inheritance War arrived in the first batch, each of them trembling with excitement as they called out to their Young Master and bowed deeply.
The Yang Family’s First Brother Yang Wei, Second Brother Yang Zhao, Third Brother Yang Tie, Fourth Brother Yang Xin Wu… All the brothers gathered as they hugged Yang Kai for the first time in decades.
“Haha, you bastard! You’ve been away for so many years, it’s like you wouldn’t return until after I died,” The Huo Family current Patriarch, Huo Xing Chen, laughed and appeared nearby.
After several decades, the suave Central Capital Wolf had become a middle-aged man, but rather than looking old, he instead just seemed more mature and his hot temper had been smoothed by time, making him even more handsome than before.
Next to Huo Xing Chen was Qiu Yi Meng, with tears in her beautiful eyes as she bit her red lips and stared at Yang Kai in disbelief, seemingly wanting to say something but too scared to open her mouth, worried that if she were to speak she would wake from this beautiful dream.
“Brother Huo, Sister Qiu!” Yang Kai turned to the two of them and gently nodded.
Huo Xing Chen chuckled before glancing over at Qiu Yi Meng, sighed to himself silently.
He realised something from the way Yang Kai addressed Qiu Yi Meng; by only using her surname.
Dong Qing Han and Dong Qing Yan also came, calling out to their cousin, livening up the atmosphere even more.
Yang Kai’s gaze suddenly turned to a certain spot next, however, as three streaks of light hurriedly rushed over towards him.
When these lights dispersed, three figures appeared.
The first was a man with a sage-like temperament who was dressed in clean scholarly robes, followed by a man with a tall stature and a woman who seemed quite cute and petite.
Yang Kai stood before these three and bowed lightly, “Grand Master!”
Ling Tai Xu nodded repeatedly, laughing heartily, “Good, good, it’s good that you’re back.”
“Father, mother!” Yang Kai next turned to the pair standing behind Ling Tai Xu and bowed again.
The Yang Family Fourth Master was a man of iron, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn’t find the right words to say and could only wipe the corners of his eyes quietly and nod, “Your Mother… missed you very much.”
There was no need to say this, though, as Dong Su Zhu was already crying like a child suffering from unimaginable grievances. Hurriedly, she flew forward and hugged Yang Kai tightly, weeping uncontrollable, unable to form any words at all.
Seeing her like this, Yang Kai could only smile.
Several dozen years had passed, but his mother’s childish character had not changed in the slightest, a fact that allowed him to relax unconsciously.
“Why you, what kind of cultivation do you have now? Why can’t I sense anything from you at all?” Huo Xing Chen walked up carelessly and circled Yang Kai as he asked in surprise.
Everyone else was also taken aback and released their Divine Senses to scan Yang Kai’s body.
However, none of them achieved anything, feeling like their Divine Senses were simply sinking into the ocean, unable to create the slightest ripple.
This discovery shocked everyone and made them subconsciously feel that Yang Kai’s current cultivation had already surpassed the level of Tong Xuan Realm.
“The Origin Returning Realm,” Yang Kai let go of Dong Su Zhu and patted her on the shoulder to comfort her. He did not know how to explain to everyone what the Origin Realm was, so after a moment he simply said, “En, two Great Realms above the Saint Realm.”
Gasps resounded from all around.
The Saint Realm was the pinnacle of Tong Xuan Realm, and above it was the Saint King Realm, but throughout the ages, only the Great Demon God had reached that realm.
But now, Yang Kai had surpassed this legendary realm, taking a further step on the Martial Dao.
Qiu Yi Meng’s beautiful eyes dimmed suddenly as bitterness flooded her heart.
She suddenly felt as if there were a thousand mountains and rivers between herself and Yang Kai. He now stood high up amongst the clouds while she was still stuck on the ground looking up, unable to reach him at all.
Huo Xing Chen pursed his dry lips as he gave a wry smile while glancing over at Qiu Yi Meng, not knowing how he should comfort her.
Although the Qiu Family’s Young Matriarch had an outstanding aptitude and hadn’t needed to worry about cultivation resources after she came to Tong Xuan Realm, she was still just a Third-Order Transcendent now, not even reaching the point of True Qi Sanctification yet.
The gap was simply too big…
“The outside world is filled with so many unimaginable and exciting things, I’ll tell you all about them, but let’s go back first,” Yang Kai chuckled.
“En, en, let’s return first!” Yang Ying Feng nodded and yelled spiritedly.
This group of people then rushed back down to War Spirit Temple’s grounds.
Inside a grand hall, everyone sat together watching Yang Kai and listening to him talk about the strange and wonderful Star Field.
“Kai’er, are there really countless Cultivation Stars in the vast Star Field?” Ling Tai Xu asked in disbelief.
“En, I alone have visited around six or seven Cultivation Stars. In addition, there are Ore Stars and Medicine Stars suitable for mining ore and cultivating herbs,” Yang Kai nodded gently.
“Incredible,” Huo Xing Chen’s jaw dropped so far, he could nearly fit his fist inside.
“In the Star Field, are Saints weak?” Dong Qing Han asked timidly. After several dozen years, Fatty Dong was chubbier than ever.
“Very weak,” Yang Kai nodded solemnly, “In the Star Field, most cultivators can reach the Saint Realm, and those with good aptitude can do so by their twenties or thirties.”
Everyone looked at each other with a look of shame.
There was only one person sitting here who was a Saint, Ling Tai Xu, the Sect Master of High Heaven Pavilion. Others who had astounding aptitude, like Qiu Yi Meng, had only reached the Third-Order Transcendent Realm, while Fatty Dong and Huo Xing Chen had both just broken through to become Transcendents.
The younger generation here was nearly fifty years old and used to think highly of their own achievements, but now when Yang Kai talked about the situation in the Star Field, they couldn’t help feeling ashamed, wishing they could find holes to crawl into and hide.
“The frog at the bottom of the well is unaware of how vast the sky truly is!” Ling Tai Xu sighed deeply.
“Grand Master need not belittle himself so improperly. The cultivators in the Star Field can achieve this kind of feat because the World Energy of their Cultivation Stars is extraordinarily rich. Tong Xuan Realm, on the other hand… is not suitable for cultivators to grow on. If given the same cultivation conditions, everyone here would have no trouble breaking through to the Saint Realm,” Yang Kai said seriously.
“Even if that is so, isn’t it extremely difficult to enter the Star Field?” Ling Tai Xu slowly shook his head as he laughed at himself, “Truthfully, your Grand Master and Brother Meng joined forces to try to enter the Star Field ten years ago, but the two of us barely got a hundred thousand kilometres from Tong Xuan Realm before we were forced to retreat. There seems to be a kind of magical power flooding the Star Field that pressures one from all directions. If one’s physique is not strong enough, it seems they cannot even survive for long in that environment much less explore it.”
“The power of the Starry Sky,” Yang Kai gently nodded, but soon grinned and said, “But Grand Master need not worry about this. I’ve returned this time to take all of you to the Star Field, to a better Cultivation Star.”
Inside the hall, the expressions of everyone turned excited as they looked to Yang Kai in surprise.
“Really?”
“How are you going to do that?”
“There’s so many of us, can you really take all of us?”
Everyone asked in a rush, obviously interested, and extremely excited about what Yang Kai just told them. They could not wait to leave this backward place and travel to a star with far richer World Energy where they, just like Yang Kai, could see a wider and more wondrous world.
Although everyone was excited, they also understood that leaving Tong Xuan Realm and entering the Star Field would not be a simple matter.
Ling Tai Xu and Meng Wu Ya had been unsuccessful even after teaming up, so the difficulty could easily be imagined.
But now that Yang Kai had issued such a statement, everyone’s hopes were roused.
“Settle down, settle down!” Ling Tai Xu waved his hand and called for order, “Since Little Yang Kai has made such an announcement, he surely has a solution to this problem, yes?”
Saying so, he looked towards Yang Kai with a smile.
“Grand Master understands well, it truly won’t be a problem to bring all of you to the Star Field. En, in fact, not just everyone here, but also all your clansmen and even all of Nine Heavens Holy Land. It will just take a little time to organize everyone but we can all go at once.”
“All at once?” This time Ling Tai Xu was also shocked.
War Spirit Temple and Shattering Mystical Palace currently housed three or four thousand people from the Central Capital while Nine Heavens Holy Land had more than two thousand disciples.
Adding these two groups together yielded as many as six thousand people. How was Yang Kai going to take away such a massive group with him? The power of the Starry Sky was extremely oppressive, and even if he was an Origin Returning Realm master, Yang Kai couldn’t possibly shelter so many people.
“En, I have my methods, Grand Master need not worry,” Yang Kai grinned, “The key is whether you are willing to go.”
“Of course we’re willing!” Huo Xing Chen called out immediately and eagerly, “When will we be leaving?”
“Haha, Brother Huo doesn’t need to be in such a rush. Although you are the Patriarch of a family, this kind of important matter still needs to be discussed with your clansmen. Perhaps there will be some who don’t wish to leave here. If you are willing to come with me, you’re more than welcome, if not, I won’t force you. En, this goes for the Qiu Family, Yang Family, Dong Family, and everyone else. Sister Qiu, Big Brother, Cousin, you are now all leaders of your various families, so you should discuss this matter carefully with your respective Elders.”
“We know,” Yang Wei and Dong Qing Han nodded.
Qiu Yi Meng also nodded in agreement, her previously dim eyes showing a glowing lustre again after hearing this news.
If she was able to enter the Star Field, she would be able to reach a higher level, and although she didn’t believe she could stand shoulder to shoulder with Yang Kai, narrowing the distance between them should be possible. Perhaps one day, she would be able to touch him…
She saw a faint hope, but that was enough to restore her radiant look.
“Does that mean we won’t be separated from each for so long again?” Dong Su Zhu looked at Yang Kai excitedly.
Yang Kai was her only child, but since he turned thirteen years old, she had barely spent any time with him. It was not so bad at first as, although she couldn’t see Yang Kai, she at least knew he was in High Heaven Pavilion and living well while, during the Inheritance War, Yang Kai was only a hundred kilometres away from her.
But since Yang Kai left Tong Xuan Realm and journeyed to the Star Field, not only had she not been able to see him for thirty years, she wasn’t even able to hear a single bit of news about him.
Had it not been for Yang Ying Feng’s painstaking efforts to soothe her mood these years, Dong Su Zhu would have already collapsed.
Today, learning that she could also go to the Star Field with her son, Dong Su Zhu was incredibly elated.
Yang Kai looked at her and gently nodded.
Dong Su Zhu laughed joyfully as she smiled from the bottom of her heart.
“This matter can’t be delayed, I’m going right now to convince those old fogies.” Huo Xing Chen couldn’t sit still and quickly got up and left, a look on his face saying he wouldn’t allow anyone to dare disagree with him.
“I’ll go too,” Yang Zhao also got up and left.
Qiu Yi Meng followed close behind.
None of them were willing to waste any time.
All of them longed to see a higher level of the Martial Dao and experience the mysteries of the Star Field.
Soon, only Ling Tai Xu and Yang Kai’s parents were left in the hall.
Their family had at last reunited.
There were endless words and endless thoughts to exchange.
After learning that Yang Kai still couldn’t find Su Yan’s whereabouts, Dong Su Zhu sighed and comforted him.
She liked her daughter-in-law Su Yan very much.
“Little brat, you worrying whole-heartedly about Su Yan is fine and all, but have you ever given any thought about how to deal with the ones you’ve left behind here?” Yang Ying Feng suddenly looked at Yang Kai and asked pointedly.
“Little Senior Sister?” Yang Kai chuckled, “I’ve already gone to see her, but there seems to be a little something wrong with her so I’ll have to speak with her carefully when she wakes up.”
“Don’t play dumb!” Yang Ying Feng glared at him, “There’s more than Xia Ning Chang here, there are several others.”
“Since when were there so many?” Yang Kai asked back with a wronged look.
“Hmph, there’s one here in War Spirit Temple and two over at Twin Spirit Pavilion! You think your Father is blind?” Yang Ying Feng snickered, “You may not have said anything to your Father, but he is clearer about this than anyone.”
Yang Kai instantly blushed awkwardly.
Dong Su Zhu simply giggled to the side while quietly raising her thumb up to Yang Kai. Yang Ying Feng had been deeply in love with her his entire life and she was his only wife, a fact she was quite satisfied with; however, when it came to her son, she hoped he would be accompanied by many beauties. The best case would be for him to quickly give her one or two… no, ten grandchildren so that she and his father would not be bored in the future.
Even if Yang Kai wasn’t there to attend to them, they could busy themselves raising their grandchildren.
“Good, good, let’s not interfere in the matters of the young. Yang Kai is not an unreasonable boy anymore, he will obviously treat those little girls appropriately,” Ling Tai Xu interjected.
With his Master speaking, Yang Ying Feng immediately shrank his head before nodding.
All of War Spirit Temple and Shattering Mystical Palace were abuzz with activity as the big families who had come here with Yang Kai held high-level meetings, everyone seemingly discussing something of great importance.
Everyone soon learned that Yang Kai had returned and also that they were being given an opportunity to travel to the Star Field.
No one would be forced, though. Everything was voluntary.
Nine Heavens Holy Land also received a message from Yang Kai and reacted in a similar fashion to War Spirit Temple’s side. In addition, Yang Kai sent a message to Soaring Heaven Sect.
Two days later, Yang Kai returned to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
He went directly to the cultivation room where Xia Ning Chang was in seclusion.
Little Senior Sister was still asleep, however. It seemed like her recent cultivation deviation had exhausted her quite a bit.
Yang Kai came up to her, held her jade white hand, and poured some Saint Qi into her body gently.
After a while, Xia Ning Chang’s long eyelashes fluttered and Yang Kai sat down on the edge of her bed, facing her with a warm smile.
Soon after, Xia Ning Chang opened her beautiful eyes, and when she saw Yang Kai’s face, she instantly fixated on him.
Four eyes suddenly met, just like they had accidentally back in the Nine Yin Mountain Valley all those years ago.
There was warmth as well as a slight hint of panic.
Soon though, Xia Ning Chang pursed her lips and tittered lightly.
“Why are you laughing?” Yang Kai asked while looking at her with a smile.
“Because this dream has lasted so long!” Xia Ning Chang held Yang Kai’s big hand tightly, as if she was unwilling to let go.
Yang Kai grinned, leaning down, and kissed her jewel-like red lips affectionately.
Little Senior Sister instantly found it difficult to breathe.
As their lips overlapped and pressed against one another, her temperature rose and her beautiful eyes became blurred.
“In your dreams, do you do these kinds of things with me?” Yang Kai looked at her meaningfully.
Xia Ning Chang’s pretty face immediately blushed as she shifted her body to bury her head in Yang Kai’s clothes, seemingly afraid to meet eyes with him again.
Yang Kai got the answer he was looking for and laughed happily.
Suddenly, Xia Ning Chang’s tender body trembled and she hurriedly sat up before freezing in place. Her beautiful eyes focused on Yang Kai’s face as surprised and doubt flashed across them.
“Junior Brother, you…” Xia Ning Chang opened her mouth, her brows furrowed cutely, seemingly still somewhat confused.
“I’m back,” Yang Kai said softly.
Little Senior Sister immediately covered her delicate mouth with her hands as her limpid eyes filled with mist.
Tears began sliding down her cheek as her eyes quickly turned red.
She finally realized that everything was real, that she wasn’t dreaming.
The man who she had been thinking about every day for the past several decades was now here, sitting on her bed, looking at her affectionately. Xia Ning Chang’s heart nearly melted from the tender affection she felt at this moment.
She couldn’t believe it!
“I’m really back,” Yang Kai stretched out his hands and embraced her tightly, pressing their bodies together as if he wanted them to become one.
A light whimper came from Xia Ning Chang as she hugged Yang Kai back just as tightly, cries leaking from her lips.
These cries pierced Yang Kai’s heart.
Straightening himself up, Yang Kai forcefully blocked her cries.
Soon, clothing was scattered, and a spring-like atmosphere filled the room.
All lovesickness and longing that had been fermenting over the past few decades all burst forth at this moment, transforming into a pure happiness and passion that made Xia Ning Chang lose herself in bliss.
Love between men and women had always been this way.
After an hour, a completely energized and rejuvenated Yang Kai took big strides out from the cultivation room.
By his side, Xia Ning Chang wore a veil and followed with her head down in embarrassment.
Her exquisite earlobes and slender neck were still a light shade of pink.
Like a withered flower which had just been watered by the spring rain, Xia Ning Chang at this moment had an unimaginably sensuous aura around her which was enough to drive even the most sage-like men mad with fervour.
The pair’s hands were closely linked, just like their hearts.
From nearby, a flash of light quickly approached, seemingly looking to discuss something with Yang Kai, but after seeing this scene, this figure immediately turned around and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
“Master…” Xia Ning Chang whispered, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into and hide herself.
Naturally, she saw that the person who had escaped just now was Meng Wu Ya.
Yang Kai grinned and laughed foolishly, resulting in Xia Ning Chang biting her red lips and stomping her foot in annoyance.
“Forget it, it must not have been important otherwise Treasurer Meng wouldn’t have just left,” Yang Kai comforted, “Right, Little Senior Sister, I have something to ask you.”
“What’s the matter?” Xia Ning Chang looked up at him timidly, met Yang Kai’s gaze, then quickly turned aside shyly.
This shy appearance caused Yang Kai’s blood to boil and he very much wanted to turn around right then and there to return to that secluded room…
Circulating his Saint Qi to suppress these urges with great difficulty, Yang Kai wore a solemn look and asked, “When I helped you smooth the flow of your Saint Qi, I discovered a strange grey Qi in your body; what was it?”
“That thing…” Xia Ning Chang heard this and frowned slightly as she replied, “Actually, I don’t know either.”
“You don’t know?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“En, it followed me all by itself, oh, where did it go?” Xia Ning Chang suddenly found that something was wrong. The mysterious grey Qi that had always existed in her body had disappeared at this moment.
After asking Xia Ning Chang carefully about the issue, Yang Kai realized that it was a coincidence that she managed to obtain that grey Qi.
It was just after Yang Kai had left Tong Xuan Realm, and Xia Ning Chang was feeling incredibly lonely. In order to pass the time, she could only sit in Nine Heavens Holy Land and refine pills every day.
She possessed the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, so performing Alchemy was the same as cultivation to her.
While a large number of pills were refined, Xia Ning Chang’s own cultivation increased at a terrifying speed, without any kind of bottleneck at all.
After only a few years of hard work, she had become a Saint, catching up to Yang Kai’s cultivation when he had left.
Then one day, bored, she secretly ran out to travel alone and encountered this grey Qi in a hidden underground cave.
Since she collected that grey Qi, her cultivation pace became even more astonishing. Within just ten years, she broke through from the Saint Realm to the Saint King Realm, and another ten years later reached the Second-Order Saint King Realm.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded.
Such a terrifying cultivation speed was something that ordinary disciples of great forces on Shadowed Star may not be able to achieve it.
But in this barren Tong Xuan Realm, Little Senior Sister had accomplished such a feat.
The reason Xia Ning Chang had her current achievements was inseparable from that mass of grey Qi.
“After you obtained it, did you feel any discomfort?” Yang Kai asked seriously.
“There wasn’t any kind of discomfort per se,” Xia Ning Chang thought carefully, “It’s just that sometimes I would suddenly feel tired and become lethargic, not even wanting to think. Hehe, it was almost as if I suddenly became old.”
Yang Kai gently nodded.
“Junior Brother, is there some kind of issue with that thing?” Xia Ning Chang asked.
“I can’t say for certain whether it is a blessing or a curse,” Yang Kai shook his head slowly, a little worried.
“Then what is it?”
“I’m not certain, but I have a guess. If this guess is correct… Then, this is an astonishing opportunity for Little Senior Sister!” Yang Kai looked at Xia Ning Chang with scorching eyes and an excited expression.
This vague guess was enough to make his blood boil!
“Right, where did you obtain it, do you remember?”
“En,” Xia Ning Chang nodded.
“Take me there!” Yang Kai said, reaching out to embrace Xia Ning Chang’s slender waist, summoning his Star Shuttle, and shooting out like a bolt of lightning from Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Following the route Little Senior Sister laid out, Yang Kai flew through the air with her at great speed.
Only a day later, the pair arrived in the sky above a certain mountain range tens of thousands of kilometres long.
Xia Ning Chang’s memory was excellent, so even after more than twenty years, she still clearly remembered the exact spot she found the grey Qi that day.
Soon, the two landed in a secluded mountain valley and Yang Kai put away his Star Shuttle. Xia Ning Chang then led the way forward on foot.
Not long after, a deep and dark cave appeared before the pair, Xia Ning Chang pointed to it, and said, “Junior Brother, I was exploring this cave and found that thing at the deepest level.”
“Then let’s go in and take a look,” Yang Kai smiled. Emboldened by his strength, he took Xia Ning Chang’s hand and dove into the cave.
It was extremely dark inside, and the air was still, but not damp.
As soon as he entered the cave, Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly.
He felt the World Energy aura was incredibly rich in this cave!
Of course, it was only rich compared to other places on Tong Xuan Realm and could not be compared to other famous Cultivation Stars like Shadowed Star in the Star Field.
Nevertheless, this was still quite a rare find.
Moreover, the deeper they dove, the richer the aura became.
Yang Kai’s expression grew brighter as he became more and more certain his guess was correct. Otherwise, there would be no other explanation for the increasingly dense World Energy aura here.
This really was a Heaven-sent opportunity for Little Senior Sister! If that grey Qi was handled well enough, it would bring Xia Ning Chang unimaginable benefits, akin to allowing her to emerge from a cocoon and transform into a butterfly.
The two held hands as they descended step by step.
Suddenly, Yang Kai seemed to feel something and quickly paused.
At the same time, Little Senior Sister cheered happily, “It’s here, I can feel it!”
A mass of mysterious energy was approaching from the front at an extremely rapid speed. Yang Kai Divine Sense swept out and confirmed that the approaching energy was the same one he had extracted from Little Senior Sister a few days ago.
The grey Qi had sunk into the ground that day and returned to where it was originally located, but now that it felt Xia Ning Chang’s aura, it had come out on its own to meet her.
A moment later, the grey Qi arrived in front of them.
However, it did not dare leap out towards Xia Ning Chang directly and instead stopped about ten metres away from Yang Kai.
It felt threatened by Yang Kai!
“Junior Brother…” Xia Ning Chang looked at him and asked for his opinion.
“Let it come. I didn’t want to startle it that day, I just wanted to see what it was,” Yang Kai backed off and gave way.
Xia Ning Chang called out immediately, and as if it sensed her beckoning, the grey Qi flew past Yang Kai and sank directly into Xia Ning Chang’s chest, disappearing in the next instant.
Xia Ning Chang’s tender body shivered slightly as she let out a slight gasp.
A flash of golden light suddenly burst from Yang Kai’s left eye as a narrow and majestic golden pupil appeared, staring towards Xia Ning Chang.
Demon Eye of Annihilation!
Under his penetrating gaze, Yang Kai saw Little Senior Sister receive the mass of grey Qi into her body, after which a grey aura that was invisible to the naked eye emerged around her.
This kind of aura was generally only possessed by extremely long-lived elders, and once it appeared it would signify that its owner did not have long to live.
Little Senior Sister was still at the height of her youth, so the only reason she would possess such an aura was because of the grey Qi!
Yang Kai was not surprised by this, however, seemingly having expected it all along, so he didn’t become anxious and instead just beckoned to Little Senior Sister and said, “Come with me!”
Xia Ning Chang gently nodded and followed behind Yang Kai step by step.
The two continued deeper for quite some time and distance. Along the way, Yang Kai felt the surrounding World Energy aura grow denser and denser, but despite the aura being so rich, it didn’t give Yang Kai any sense of comfort; on the contrary, it gave him a slightly depressed feeling.
When the surrounding World Energy density reached nearly the same level as Shadowed Star’s average, Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang came to a huge underground cave.
A faint source of light seemed to be shining from the ground up ahead and seemed to be sending out some kind of inaudible message, beckoning the two of them to come forward.
Receiving this call, Xia Ning Chang’s beautiful eyes became dazed and her body began to step forward unconsciously, like a moth to the flame.
Yang Kai’s face sank, and he let out a low grunt while sending a pulse of his Divine Sense straight into Xia Ning Chang’s Knowledge Sea.
Little Senior Sister’s tender body shuddered, and her face turned pale as the blankness in her eyes disappeared. After recovering her senses, a look of fear filled her face.
“Junior Brother, I…” Xia Ning Chang was a little at a loss. She did not know what was wrong just now, but it felt as if some external force had overridden her will and was forcing her to act without her consent.
“En, look over there!” Yang Kai pointed in a certain direction.
Xia Ning Chang looked in the direction he pointed and her beautiful eyes trembled.
There was a large pile of corpses, all of them extremely dried up, some of which had changed completely into ashes, but from the traces that could be seen on some of the bleached bones, it was clear that these people had all of their strength and vitality rapidly drained away, leading to their deaths.
“Who are these people, why did they all die here?” Xia Ning Chang leaned against Yang Kai, seemingly trying to find some sense of security.
“If my guess is correct, they all had similar experiences to yours.”
“The same as me?” Xia Ning Chang frowned in confusion for a moment, but she was both beautiful and intelligent so after some quick contemplation she understood, “You mean, they all obtained that grey Qi before?”
“Probably,” Yang Kai nodded.
“But why…” Xia Ning Chang only felt cold all over as the scene from just now appeared in her mind again. If not for Yang Kai promptly waking her up, her fate would likely have been the same as these unfortunate souls.
“Because the main body of that grey Qi wanted to supplement its strength. It chose you and nurtured you to make you stronger because the stronger you became, the more benefits it could obtain.”
“Why would it want to do this?” Xia Ning Chang looked puzzled.
“Because it’s about to die!” Yang Kai replied with a shrug of his shoulders, “These are all my guesses, but we should be able to tell if they’re correct soon enough.”
Saying so, Yang Kai held Xia Ning Chang’s hand and walked forward.
As the pair stepped through the sea of bones, a horrifying crackling sound occasionally rang out, sending shivers up their spines.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he observed the faint light up ahead.
Not long after, the pair arrived at the source of this light.
A deep underground chasm appeared in front of the pair, one that was so deep that it was impossible to see the bottom, but if one looked down, they could see a faint grey light deep into the abyss, like a massive burning lamp.
This light was extremely dim, and its colour was exactly the same as the grey Qi obtained by Xia Ning Chang.
“As expected!” Yang Kai took a deep breath. After seeing the huge, gloomy lamp-like light, he immediately affirmed his previous guesses.
“Junior Brother, what is this?” Xia Ning Chang looked at the grey fire suspiciously, faintly feeling that the grey Qi in her body was closely related to it, as if the two were one existence.
“The Star Source!” Yang Kai muttered as his expression suddenly filled with excitement.
“Star Source?” Xia Ning Chang was confused.
“Any Cultivation Star will have a source of power, akin to the star’s life made manifest. This source is the key to the survival of this star, like a heart!” Yang Kai calmly explained. “Because there is a Star Source, a star will have vitality. Without it, the star will become a Dead Star. There are countless such stars in the Star Field, perhaps all of them at one point supported life, but over time, and the weakening and eventual death of their Star Sources, this vitality also ceased to exist. Humans fade out just like lamps, but so do stars. Once the Star Source in front of you disappears, Tong Xuan Realm will also die and become a Dead Star.”
Xia Ning Chang looked at Yang Kai in total surprise.
She had never thought that even stars were born, aged, weakened, then eventually died. Yang Kai’s words undoubtedly gave her a great shock.
However, since it was her Junior Brother, she naturally believed him.
Thinking of Tong Xuan Realm completely losing its vitality and collapsing into a silent wasteland, Xia Ning Chang’s tender body couldn’t help shiver. She couldn’t imagine just how many would suffer and die if Tong Xuan Realm were really to suffer such a fate.
She suddenly felt extremely forlorn.
“Junior Brother, do you have a way to reinvigorate it?” Xia Ning Chang suddenly asked.
Yang Kai turned his head to her and gently nodded.
“How? Junior Brother, please teach me!” Xia Ning Chang bit her red lips and said eagerly.
“You are the key,” Yang Kai took a deep breath, “Although a Star Source has its own life, it does not possess sentience and is instead a kind of massive gathering of profundities. It choosing you was originally to absorb you, after which Tong Xuan Realm could replenish itself somewhat and delay its approaching death, but if this is handled well, not only will we be able to fully rejuvenate Tong Xuan Realm, but Little Senior Sister will also gain enormous benefits.”
Xia Ning Chang was again shocked.
Yang Kai turned his head away from her and towards the massive grey flames down below.
A Star Source! Since he entered the Star Field, he had often heard about such things, but he had never truly witnessed one before.
Whether the mass of energy in the depths of the floating continent was its Star Source or not remained to be verified.
It could be said that the massive grey fireball in front of him was the first Star Source he had seen!
This was a Heaven-sent opportunity!
The power of a Star Source was extremely terrifying, and anyone who wanted to even approach it had to take a huge risk. It was for this reason that even Origin Kings didn’t dare get close to a Cultivation Star’s Source at will.
Star Sources were also incredibly difficult to refine, and if one was not careful in the process, they would suffer backlash from the full power of a star and instantly die.
Throughout the ages, many Origin King Realm masters had been born in the Star Field who later died while trying to refine a Star Source.
In the current Star Field, there were countless Cultivation Stars; however, there were only a handful of masters who had refined a Star Source and become a true Star Master.
There was no Origin King who treated their own life casually. Many would rather spend their lives cultivating desperately rather than rushing to refine a Star Source.
But now, such an opportunity lay in front of Xia Ning Chang.
Compared with other Cultivation Star Sources, Tong Xuan Realm’s was undoubtedly old and dying.
Because of this, when Xia Ning Chang was possessed by this Source, she would occasionally feel lethargic, lazy, and aged.
It wasn’t because she had become old, but rather that the Star Source was approaching its death!
This Star Source itself had chosen Xia Ning Chang and allowed her to partially refine it.
Although Xia Ning Chang was only a Second-Order Saint King and lacked in terms of cultivation, if she had enough perseverance and courage, she may be able to fully refine this ageing Star Source.
Even Yang Kai was a little envious of this opportunity!
Although there were no doubt some dangers, the arrow had already been shot from its bow so there was no turning back.
The Star Source was already closely connected with Xia Ning Chang, and if it were to perish, Xia Ning Chang would inevitably follow it to the grave. Only by completely refining it would both have a chance to survive.
In the future, as Xia Ning Chang grew and became stronger, this mass of grey flames would also have an opportunity to re-ignite and rejuvenate Tong Xuan Realm with vitality.
Of course, the premise was that Xia Ning Chang became strong enough!
After Yang Kai explained the truth of the matter and what was at stake, Xia Ning Chang nodded without hesitation, “I’m willing to refine it!”
Yang Kai was slightly taken aback at first, but soon smiled and nodded, “Alright, in fact, Little Senior Sister doesn’t need to worry too much. Since it has already chosen you, it must have already decided that you were compatible. Little Senior Sister only needs to work hard to let it fully accept and integrate with you. Once you succeed, you will no longer be separable, and you will become the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm, the supreme ruler of this star, its destiny and glory will be yours to determine!”
“En,” Xia Ning Chang is nodded heavily, not overwhelmed by the glorious prospects described by Yang Kai but instead asking seriously, “But how exactly should I refine it?”
“Come here, I’ll pass you a special Secret Art for refining Star Sources,” Yang Kai smiled lightly before pulling Xia Ning Chang to sit down nearby.
After Xia Ning Chang let go of her Knowledge Sea defences, Yang Kai sent his Soul Avatar into her Knowledge Sea and began to teach her a profound and mysterious Secret Art.
Star Refining Art!
This was something Yang Kai obtained from the Emperor Garden.
Yang Kai had thought he would have to wait until he needed to refine a Star Source before using this particular Secret Art, but now it had unexpectedly benefited Xia Ning Chang.
This Secret Art had been hidden inside a Stone Monument.
That day, Yang Kai and Shan Qing Luo had encountered Xue Yue in the Emperor Garden and, as a result of their battle, the Stone Monument was destroyed. A stone tablet had emerged from the debris of the Stone Monument with three ancient words inscribed on it.
Xue Yue seemed to value this stone tablet greatly and practically begged Yang Kai to give it to her.
Yang Kai had almost complied.
But in the end, Xue Yue had missed the opportunity to obtain the stone tablet because the Emperor Garden had suddenly closed.
After returning to High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai had studied this stone tablet carefully and realized that it contained a Secret Art called the Star Refining Art. The three ancient words on the stone tablet were the name of this Secret Art.
This Secret Art only had one use: to refine Star Sources. It had been passed down by the Starry Sky Great Emperor and was incredibly profound and mysterious.
Xia Ning Chang using it to refine this Star Source would absolutely yield twice the result with half the effort.
Passing this Secret Art to Xia Ning Chang was simple and only took Yang Kai about half a cup of tea’s time to complete. Not only had he given her the Secret Art itself, he had also passed her all of his own relevant experiences and enlightenments.
Withdrawing his Soul Avatar from her Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai waited quietly.
Xia Ning Chang needed time to understand this Star Refining Art.
The sun set and the moon rose as time silently passed by inside the cave.
After a full month, Xia Ning Chang suddenly opened her beautiful eyes and exhaled gently, her pretty face seeming a little tired but a glow of excitement still filling her expression.
“Junior Brother, I’m ready.”
“Let’s start then,” Yang Kai looked at her with firm eyes.
Xia Ning Chang nodded slightly, got up, and walked towards the crevice.
When she came to the edge of the abyss, she stared down at the mass of grey flames which leapt up from below and her mouth began moving slightly, seemingly communicating with the Star Source, “If by giving you my life, I could reignite you and save the star from death, I would be willing, but if not, please accept me, merge with me, and allow me to stand together with you. I will work hard to cultivate, become stronger as soon as possible, and restore your vitality!”
The huge grey flame below remained motionless, seemingly not reacting at all.
But soon, there was a loud sizzling as the grey flame flickered from side to side, as if it were a giant flower bud that was slowly blooming, allowing Xia Ning Chang inside.
A smile appeared on Xia Ning Chang’s face and she called out softly, “Thank you!”
As soon as these words fell, she jumped down.
Yang Kai’s face changed dramatically.
The situation had developed far faster than he had expected. He hadn’t realized that Little Senior Sister would act so decisively.
By the time he reacted, it was already too late to stop her.
Rushing to the edge of the abyss and looking down, Yang Kai saw that the massive grey flame had actually closed up again, sealing Little Senior Sister inside.
An indescribable force suddenly rushed up from below and threw Yang Kai out towards the distant rock face.
Even if this Star Source was waning and severely weakened, it was still not something Yang Kai could approach easily.
It obviously did not want Yang Kai to interfere with the process.
Yang Kai got up from the ground, his face gloomy, but fortunately he could still feel Little Senior Sister’s aura down below.
And so, he began an extremely nervous wait.
There was nothing he could do to interfere now; he could only wait for the results to appear.
Suddenly, a mystical aura began to defuse through the underground abyss, one that soothed Yang Kai’s irritable mood.
Frowning slightly, he immersed himself in sensing this aura.
Faintly, he seemed to be able to comprehend something.
Hastily closing his eyes, Yang Kai began to investigate carefully.
In the vast Star Field, amidst the endless darkness, there was nothing, not even light. This seemed to be an extremely ancient age, one that was impossible to trace.
Yang Kai looked around but could not see anything, not even himself.
Time passed little by little in this desolate loneliness.
He didn’t know how many hundreds of thousands of years passed, but all of a sudden, one day, amidst the dark and boundless Star Field, a little light suddenly appeared. This light was small at first, but it soon spread out like fire across a prairie.
The entire Star Field became turbulent from this massive shockwave of energy.
Millions of large or small meteorites flew about before gathering together and merging under the influence of some kind of magical force.
Many grains of sand would eventually build a tower, and gradually, a star appeared in the Star Field.
This was a newly born star, without any energy fluctuations, and still engulfed in darkness. It drifted along like a helpless child wandering the vast Star Field without any destination, even forgetting where it originally came from.
Millions of years passed, and finally, this wandering star arrived at a massive Sun Star and for the first time felt a gentle light full of warmth.
It stopped here and began to orbit around this Sun Star.
Gradually, life began to sprout on its surface as green plants and flowers pushed up from the ground.
After millions of years of evolution, finally, sentient creatures began to appear on this star. They were ancient creatures belonging to the oldest of races.
They eagerly learnt, grew, and became stronger as they lived.
They branched out and soon split into different races.
Human Race, Monster Race, Demon Race, and many other strange races.
No longer satisfied with the life they currently had, these races began to fight for various resources, discovered ways to make themselves stronger, and eventually began to cultivate.
Some races perished while others rose and became stronger.
Silavin: Hey guys, I just read a few comments and this has been coming up over and over again.
‘What happened to Yang Kai’s Demonic Transformation?’
It has merged with his Yang Qi to form the Demonic Black Flame.
To be fair, it is logical to think he is still able to use it. But, then again, he also does not use Yang Qi anymore. So, we could think of it that the two Qis within his body has fully merged, which created the Demonic Black Flame.
As time passed, and as the evolution of the various races continued, this star gradually became colourful and filled with energy. As the major races grew prosperous, the star itself also prospered.
All living beings drew energy from the star unrestrainedly, obtaining various things that were beneficial to themselves.
At some point, however, the star began to grow old.
It no longer had as much energy for the beings to cultivate with, and it no longer had excess energy to give birth to precious and rare cultivation materials.
It began to become barren. It was strong in will but weak in strength, and looking at the countless creatures living on it, it felt helpless.
The prosperity of ancient times gradually faded away and the World Energy aura became thinner and thinner. At the same time, the cultivation realms of cultivators became lower and lower.
No one could sense higher levels of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
It had grown old, like a kind father, a kind mother, who took pains to raise its children, raising them with unconditional love, granting them every request it could without complaint.
However, it could no longer provide any more help to its children.
It had once been youthful and full of vitality, but now, it could barely manage to maintain its feeble existence.
Its children call it Tong Xuan Realm!
…..
Yang Kai woke up from that mysterious state, and his eyes flashed with the vicissitudes of life.
He had witnessed the birth of a Cultivation Star, watched it prosper, weaken, and gradually tread upon the path to death. Like this Cultivation Star, he had seemingly experienced hundreds of millions of years, giving him an indescribable feeling.
Yang Kai’s state of mind and mood received an unprecedented consolidation. At this moment, his understanding of the world had reached an incredible height, just like a wise man who had lived countless years, his eyes flashing with wisdom.
He felt that even if he broke through to the Origin King Realm right now, his mental state would not have a single flaw!
His perception of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way had now far surpassed his own cultivation!
The improvement of one’s mental state normally required a great accumulation of time and for one to experience the world around them, which happened to coincide with the strange experience Yang Kai just had.
The cultivation of one’s mood and state of mind was ethereal and unexplainable, but it was no doubt real, something each individual had to sense and evaluate independently. Yang Kai had not expected that Little Senior Sister refining the Star Source would let him benefit in such a way.
He wanted to immerse himself in that wonderful atmosphere again, but no matter how he tried, he could not find a way to enter that mysterious state.
This made him sigh a little.
Suddenly, Yang Kai seemed to have noticed something, and his expression sank. Quickly getting up, he rushed over to the edge of the crevice.
He could hear Little Senior Sister’s pained groans coming from down below, as if she was experiencing extreme hardship!
Reaching the edge, Yang Kai only saw the massive swaying grey flames, with Little Senior Sister nowhere to be seen. However, he could still feel that Xia Ning Chang was wrapped in the grey fire, tossing about somewhat violently.
The surrounding World Energy had gathered madly towards the underground cave from the surrounding several hundred-kilometre radii, possibly even further.
It seemed like all of Tong Xuan Realm’s World Energy had become a bit chaotic as a result.
Little Senior Sister’s cultivation realm was increasing at a terrifying speed at this moment.
Originally, she had only been a Second-Order Saint King, but at this moment, she had already reached the peak of the Second-Order Saint King Realm.
A moment later, she directly broke through to the Third-Order Saint King Realm!
This was just the beginning though and her cultivation continued to rise.
Soon it reached the peak Third-Order Saint King Realm and seemed to touch upon the threshold of the Origin Returning Realm!
Yang Kai was thoroughly shocked.
Such unrestrained breakthroughs in one’s cultivation would put a tremendous load on the body of a cultivator, but with Little Senior Sister’s aptitude, this should still be tolerable.
What worried Yang Kai was not this though, but rather it was the surrounding World Energy which… seemed to no longer be rushing towards this place.
The massive amount of World Energy which had gathered before had been consumed by Xia Ning Chang’s breakthrough to the Third-Order Saint King Realm and her attempt to reach the Origin Returning Realm.
Xia Ning Chang’s aura could also now faintly be felt from the massive grey flames, which showed that her fusion with the Star Source was proceeding very smoothly, but it was precisely because of this smoothness that Little Senior Sister was now facing difficulties.
There was no more World Energy for her to break through to the Origin Returning Realm, nor enough aura to receive her World Energy baptism once she did.
This was a breakthrough to a new Great Realm, and there was no room for any mistakes. If this breakthrough failed, with Xia Ning Chang’s current state of integration with Tong Xuan Realm’s Star Source, her fate would likely be miserable.
Yang Kai began worrying silently.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he thought up a solution.
If there was not enough World Energy, he could just use Saint Crystals instead! Yang Kai had not used Saint Crystals before when making breakthroughs because Shadowed Star’s World Energy aura was enough to fully meet his needs.
Now that the ambient World Energy of Tong Xuan Realm could not satisfy Little Senior Sister, however, he could simply use Saint Crystals to make up for the shortfall.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and his ring flashed, after which a massive number of white, shimmering Saint Crystals poured down like rain.
Before these Saint Crystals could reach the bottom of the abyss, they all exploded into dust and released an enormous amount of pure energy which then gathered toward the location of Xia Ning Chang and the huge grey flame.
Xia Ning Chang’s pained moans faded, and the chaotic aura down below began to calm. Even the swaying of the grey flames stabilized noticeably.
Yang Kai smiled happily and poured out more Saint Crystals.
For this long-distance voyage, he had brought a lot of Saint Crystals with him, including all that he had plundered from Thunder Typhoon Sect’s headquarters that day, as well as some of what was in High Heaven Sect’s reserves.
At this moment, these hundreds of millions of Saint Crystals were all thrown into the crevice by Yang Kai.
The World Energy gradually grew richer, and the huge grey flame became vigorous. Little Senior Sister’s aura stabilized, and everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.
Yang Kai felt Xia Ning Chang’s aura rising rapidly and soon it broke through the shackles of the Third-Order Saint King Realm.
A stunning World Energy baptism followed!
The World Energy transformed from all the Saint Crystals Yang Kai had poured out converged into waves of fiercely surging aura that crashed towards Little Senior Sister like mighty ancient dragons.
A pair of small hands weaved back and forth inside the grey flame, forming a series of profound seals to guide the rush of World Energy from the baptism of breaking through to a new Great Realm to temper her body and spirit.
The whole process was shocking, but without much danger.
After the surging World Energy calmed down, the huge grey flame in the abyss down below suddenly disappeared.
The cave returned to a state of darkness.
However, from the tender body of Little Senior Sister, there was now a faint glow, like that of a goddess descending to the earth, solemn and inviolable.
Yang Kai stood above the abyss, looking at her quietly, dazzled by her in every way.
Little Senior Sister was now a genuine Origin Returning Realm master, and although she was just a First-Order, with Tong Xuan Realm’s Star Source and her Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, her potential was surely unlimited.
Such terrifying potential even eclipsed Yang Kai’s.
He did not feel any sense of inferiority though, he just felt that he needed to work even harder in the future.
Otherwise, it would certainly be embarrassing if one day he was overtaken by his woman.
Little Senior Sister did not move, simply standing mid-air, her eyes closed eyes tightly, a profound look upon her pretty face, seemingly silently comprehending something.
Only after a long time did Xia Ning Chang suddenly open her beautiful eyes, a look of joy at her great harvest flashing across her face as she flew upwards.
Yang Kai smiled, stretched out his hand to hold her, and brought her into his embrace.
“Junior Brother, I seem to have surpassed the Saint King Realm,” Xia Ning Chang said excitedly.
“En, you have indeed,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
“What is this realm called? It gives me a strange but marvellous feeling.”
“The Origin Returning Realm, I too am currently in this realm. When one reaches this realm, their first priority is to condense their Shi. I will explain the process to you a little later when we have more time.”
“En.”
“Let’s head back first. I don’t know how much time has passed, but I’m afraid the people in the Holy Land should be growing somewhat restless by now,” Yang Kai suggested as he tried to lead Xia Ning Chang outside.
“Allow me,” Xia Ning Chang stopped him, with an eager expression on her face.
Yang Kai glanced at her before quickly understanding and gently nodding.
Xia Ning Chang stretched out a finger and tapped the air in front of her.
This gesture was made smoothly and innocently, as if it was simply gently caressing the air.
A vortex suddenly appeared as a result, however.
As soon as this vortex formed, Xia Ning Chang pulled Yang Kai into it.
When the two reappeared, Yang Kai suddenly found that he was already standing in Nine Heavens Holy Land, in front of the cultivation room Xia Ning Chang had been using for her retreat.
In one step, the two of them had crossed nearly a million kilometres!
Even Yang Kai who cultivated the Dao of Space could not achieve something of this level.
“Junior Brother was right, with this Star Source, I feel like I have become the master of this star. With a single thought, I can go to any place and even mobilize the energy of the entire star as I see fit,” Xia Ning Chang explained softly.
“This is the power of a Star Master,” Yang Kai smiled softly, “That’s why those Origin King Realm masters always want to refine Star Sources, because they can gain unimaginable benefits and insights from it. Little Senior Sister, Tong Xuan Realm and you are now inseparable. You are also the first person in history to refine a Star Source at the Saint King Realm. The prosperity or decline of this star in the future is now closely tied to your cultivation. Whether you can rejuvenate our homeland will depend completely on your efforts.”
When Yang Kai said so, Xia Ning Chang suddenly felt a heavy pressure.
It was as if the future of hundreds of millions of creatures on this star were now placed on her delicate shoulders.
But soon, Xia Ning Chang composed herself and nodded firmly, “I will definitely work hard to not let it die.”
“En, let’s go. Many people are waiting for us,” Yang Kai smiled lightly before pulling Xia Ning Chang towards a certain palace.
Yang Kai could sense countless familiar auras from this palace who seemed to be waiting for his arrival.
Inside Nine Heavens Holy Land’s largest meeting hall, the scene was quite crowded.
Representatives from the Human, Demon, and Monster Races had all assembled.
Almost all those of great status from the star were present.
This was an extremely terrifying force.
Although the number of people was large, the scene was actually extremely quiet as many would glance towards the hall’s entrance from time to time, seemingly anticipating someone’s arrival.
There was only one person in Tong Xuan Realm who could gather the masters of the Three Clans together like this and have them wait patiently for him for so many days.
Nine Heavens Holy Land’s Holy Master!
“Simply shameless!” Meng Wu Ya ground his teeth, feeling bitter in his heart as he pounded the arm of his chair angrily.
He thought that Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang had been spending the recent time lost in the throes of passion and completely forgotten about time.
It had been more than a month since the two of them last appeared, causing the masters from the Human, Demon, and Monster Races to wait for them idly, naturally causing Meng Wu Ya a great deal of embarrassment.
He had raised Xia Ning Chang for so many years and taught her diligently all that time. He was Xia Ning Chang’s only relative in this world.
But now, the moment Yang Kai returned, he had snatched up his treasured apprentice and taken her away from him!
Meng Wu Ya knew that this time there was no turning back. In Xia Ning Chang’s mind in the future, her master would always come second, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
The only consolation Meng Wu Ya took in all of this was that his precious disciple’s thirty years of waiting had not been in vain. That little bastard Yang Kai had finally returned.
The whole situation was really quite astonishing, and Meng Wu Ya couldn’t help shaking his head as he reflected upon it, a strange mix of emotions filling his heart.
The Great Seniors of the Monster Race and the Demon Generals of the Demon Race, on the other hand, were currently both occupied with each other. The masters from these two races were sitting opposite one another, their eyes glaring back and forth, making the atmosphere in the hall quite tense and strained.
Although the Three Clans had joined forces once thirty years ago, there had been many small scale conflicts between them over cultivation resources over the past few decades, and the friction between the Monster Race and Demon Race had been the most serious.
Fortunately, both the Monster Race Great Seniors and the Demon Generals understood how to exercise restraint and had not acted personally, otherwise, the conflict would definitely have escalated greatly.
Since it was just the younger generation and lower-level subordinates who were competing with one another, there was still some room for compromise.
The situation could remain calm when the masters from these two races were separated by millions of kilometres, but now that they were all here together in Nine Heavens Holy Land, and after spending many days in boredom, everyone was beginning to feel irritable, and Meng Wu Ya was beginning to have trouble suppressing the tensions between the two groups.
If it were not for him, Ling Tai Xu, and Chu Ling Xiao being present, three top-level Saint Realm masters from the Human Race, these two groups would likely already have begun to fight.
[Such a headache! That bastard boy has completely fallen into a land of tenderness and forgotten about the suffering of us old masters!]
At this moment, Meng Wu Ya scolded Yang Kai in his heart for his impropriety.
It was unknown which Great Senior from the Monster Race or which Demon General from the Demon Race that finally struck the other party’s nerves, but a quarrel eventually broke out. Initially, it was just two people competing with one another, but as the situation intensified, all of the Great Seniors and Demon Generals were drawn in to support their own side.
The situation soon became a bit chaotic.
Finally, Thunder Dragon Great Senior and Demon Commander Zhang Yuan also had to wade into the muddy waters.
“Thunder Dragon, this Senior has been in retreat in recent years, but has not been able to find a suitable opportunity to verify his results, why don’t the two of us take advantage of this rare meeting to compare notes?” Zhang Yuan looked at Thunder Dragon Great Senior with a smile, his eyes filled with an aggressive fighting spirit.
“Sounds good, this King also happened to have some gains over the years and happens to need an opponent to test them on. I’ve long heard that Brother Zhang Yuan’s Profound Heavenly Seal has unparalleled might. Even Brother Meng had suffered a lot as a result of it back then. This King is eager to experience it,” Thunder Dragon grinned back, unafraid.
“Don’t pull this old master into this!” Meng Wu Ya suddenly became disgruntled.
After being hit by Demon Commander Zhang Yuan’s Profound Heavenly Seal, most of Meng Wu Ya’s cultivation had been sealed, and he had to escape to the Great Han Dynasty to avoid calamity. It was the greatest shame of his life.
Although Zhang Yuan had used a powerful Spirit Array back then to help him to defeat Meng Wu Ya, this incident was still the one Meng Wu Ya disliked discussing the most.
Immediately, Thunder Dragon Great Senior and Demon Commander Zhang Yuan became locked in a confrontation. The two of them did not make any big movements, instead choosing to release their Divine Senses to silently compete with one another.
However, this kind of battle was actually far more dangerous than one where fists were being exchanged. One moment of carelessness and both of them could end up seriously wounded, their Souls possibly even being instantly extinguished.
Everyone in the hall understood this and grew solemn, the previous noise gradually subsiding as no one dared to disturb these two, all staring nervously at the master of their respective clan, fearing they might have an accident.
The powerful Divine Senses of two Third-Order Saints soon filled the entire hall, eliciting shock from the surrounding crowd with each violent exchange.
The battle quickly reached a fever pitch, with Thunder Dragon and Zhang Yuan both giving it their all but neither being able to obtain a decisive advantage.
The faces of the masters gradually turned pale as fine sweat began leaking from their foreheads, their Divine Sense conflict growing ever more dangerous.
Meng Wu Ya and the other masters present all wore solemn, ugly expressions.
None of them could intervene anymore and could only wait quietly for the outcome of the battle between Thunder Dragon and Zhang Yuan to be decided, but from the current situation, the most likely outcome would be both of them suffering a loss.
Once that happened, however, the tensions between the two races would only escalate, a result the Human masters here wanted to see the least.
“Where is Yang Kai?” Ling Tai Xu asked anxiously.
Meng Wu Ya shook his head as he truly didn’t know. He had gone to the cultivation room Xia Ning Chang was using a few days ago, but did not find any trace of Yang Kai or his Treasured Apprentice. No one knew where these two had gone now.
“The situation is deteriorating,” Soaring Heaven Sect’s Sect Master Chu Ling Xiao frowned. Things developing like this was somewhat unexpected.
At that moment though, a hearty laugh rang out from the entrance.
“It’s so lively here, when did the fighting start?”
As soon as this voice rang out, a pair of silhouettes appeared outside the door and Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang, in her customary veil, walked in together.
Everyone was attracted by this voice and when they looked over they couldn’t help feeling a bit startled.
Many here had heard of Yang Kai’s return, but they were still doubtful until they saw him at this moment.
Meng Wu Ya’s eyes were attracted to Xia Ning Chang instantly as he narrowed them somewhat suspiciously. He felt that after this past month, his Treasured Apprentice had undergone some kind of intangible change, making her seem innately loftier and extra-mundane…
“Little Martial Nephew!” A soft voice called out as a pretty shadow rushed out from the hall and landed directly in front of Yang Kai. Smiling as she looked him up and down, she began nodding in approval and said, “Good, I’ve not seen you in a few dozen years but you’ve already become much more attractive as a man. Even Martial Aunt’s heart is fluttering a bit.”
Yang Kai’s face turned pitch-black as he subconsciously glanced over at Xia Ning Chang before coughing and saying with some embarrassment, “Martial Aunt, can’t you act a bit more dignified?”
His Martial Aunt, Fei Yu, heard this and immediately did the opposite, casting him a flirtatious and amorous gaze.
She had come here together with Chu Ling Xiao after receiving the news from Nine Heavens Holy Land that Yang Kai had returned.
Now that they had just met, Fei Yu had instantly begun toying with him.
Although feeling somewhat awkward, Yang Kai more-so felt warm-hearted. When he lived with his Martial Aunt Fei Yu in Soaring Heaven Sect, she had always acted free-spiritedly, often lying on the ground with her clothing in chaos after getting dead drunk, not putting up the slightest guard against him.
After several dozen years, seeing his Martial Aunt still acting the same, Yang Kai suddenly felt like he had gone back in time.
“Your Martial Aunt is still a full flower at the height of her youth!” Fei Yu snorted before smiling brightly and saying, “Cang Yan, Li Wan and Fei Jian are all here too together with Martial Ancestor!”
Saying so, she gestured towards the hall.
Yang Kai gently nodded, stepped forward, and said a few words with Cang Yan and his other Martial Uncles before arriving in front of Chu Ling Xiao and solemnly bowing, “Disciple Yang Kai, greets Martial Ancestor. Disciple apologizes for having made Martial Ancestor wait.”
“It’s okay, no need to be so polite,” Chu Ling Xiao nodded happily, releasing his Divine Sense to sweep Yang Kai but quickly discovering that just as Ling Tai Xu and the others had said, Yang Kai’s current cultivation had become unfathomable to the point that he could not sense anything about it.
Perceiving this, Chu Ling Xiao only smiled more heartily, “Yes, very good, very good! Sure enough, you’ve broken through the limits of this world. This old master is proud of you, in the future, it seems the important task of promoting the Sect must be handed over to you!”
“Martial Ancestor is too kind, disciple still has many shortcomings and will need more guidance from Martial Ancestor and Grand Master.”
“Good boy,” Chu Ling Xiao laughed happily as he and Ling Tai Xu exchanged a glance, both of them feeling heartened.
“Martial Ancestor, please wait a moment, it seems these two friends have gotten a bit hot-tempered. Disciple will first act as a peacemaker for them,” Yang Kai grinned and turned to look at Thunder Dragon Great Senior and Demon Commander Zhang Yuan who were still competing with their Divine Senses.
“Be careful not to injure them,” Ling Tai Xu urged quickly.
“Rest assured Grand Master, no harm will come to them,” Yang Kai said confidently before releasing his own Divine Sense into the air.
The others in the hall didn’t dare interfere in the Divine Sense competition of two Third-Order Saints, but to Yang Kai, this kind of fight was no different from a pair of children playing with one another.
A slight whoosh sounded from mid-air before Thunder Dragon and Zhang Yuan’s figures both trembled. At that moment, they felt that their entangled Divine Senses had just been separated by a pair of giant invisible hands.
This kind of force made them feel extremely powerless as they were unable to put up the slightest resistance!
*Hong…*
A burst of light appeared and Thunder Dragon and Zhang Yuan were both forced back several steps before they could stabilize their posture, after which both of them turned extremely shocked looks towards Yang Kai.
He had separated them with complete ease.
“You two, while it was wrong of me to keep you waiting, en, I encountered something unexpected and it took longer to resolve than expected, but you don’t need to become so aggressive every time you meet, do you?” Yang Kai looked at the two with a smile.
Thunder Dragon took a deep breath, as if he hadn’t yet calmed his fluctuating mood, hesitated for a moment, then cupped his fists and said, “Excuse me.”
Zhang Yuan was not a hot-tempered youth, so seeing Thunder Dragon take the lead, he immediately laughed and followed up, “Many thanks, Holy Master Yang. If I have caused any offence, please forgive me.”
“En, that’s better, we all live under the same blue sky, so why always fight whenever we meet?” Yang Kai gently nodded, very satisfied with the attitude of the two. Turning around and seeing so many people standing in place, staring at him strangely, Yang Kai waved his hand and, “Please have a seat. I’ve called all of you here today because I have something I wish to discuss with you.”
“Haha, after hearing that Holy Master Yang had returned, this Senior travelled night and day to reach the Holy Land from the Demon Capital as quickly as possible, but I wonder what kind of important matter Holy Master Yang has summoned all of us here to discuss? Since the masters from all three races are here, presumably whatever Holy Master Yang wants to say is not trivial, yes?” Zhang Yuan seemed to ask casually, but there was a deep dread lingering the depths of his eyes.
Just now, when Yang Kai separated him and Thunder Dragon, although Zhang Yuan was not able to sense much, he could tell that the current Yang Kai was not someone he could compare with.
Did this boy want to unify the whole realm and make the Demon Race and Monster Race submit to him?
Just thinking so, Zhang Yuan’s expression became stern.
It wasn’t that he was particularly small-minded. On the contrary, Zhang Yuan had a heroic spirit, similar to most Demon Race and Monster Race masters, but as the Demon Commander, he had to consider this possibility.
Thunder Dragon was also thinking so. If this was the case, even if the Demon and Monster Races joined forces, they wouldn’t be able to resist, so they could only allow matters to take their course or face disaster.
Hearing his question, Yang Kai glanced at him thoughtfully then smiled, “Demon Commander Zhang doesn’t need to worry, I won’t be staying long. In fact, I’m afraid I will be departing quite soon.”
“You’ll be leaving soon?” Zhang Yuan was taken aback, exchanging a glance with Thunder Dragon, both of them extremely surprised.
Yang Kai didn’t seem to have any ambitions of conquest…
“Yes, the wonders of the Star Field are quite unforgettable, so I don’t plan to remain here for long,” Yang Kai laughed.
Thunder Dragon’s eyes lit up, and he asked quickly, “Is the Star Field truly filled with such excitement? If so, can Holy Master Yang tell us about it?”
The other masters from the Three Clans also perked up their ears as they stared towards Yang Kai, listening carefully.
“Yes, please talk about it, this old master is also very curious,” Chu Ling Xiao smiled and said. Although he had heard much about the Star Field from Ling Tai Xu after he came here, this was still second-hand knowledge and lacked a certain flavour of realism. What Yang Kai had seen and heard with his own eyes and ears would naturally have a more profound weight, so now that Yang Kai was here, Chu Ling Xiao would naturally want to ask him about it.
“Since Martial Ancestor has asked, Disciple will naturally not refuse,” Yang Kai chuckled. After pondering for a while, he began speaking, “There are indeed many wonders in the Star Field, many things we have never even dreamed of before…”
Inside the hall, everyone listened with the utmost concentration.
Time passed little by little, but no one’s enthusiasm faded. On the contrary, their expressions only became more excited.
The vastness of the Star Field amazed them again and again, and the talk of wondrous sceneries and abundant cultivation materials made them yearn greatly. Above the Saint Realm was the Saint King Real, then the Origin Returning Realm, then the Origin King Realm, knowledge that made them blush with embarrassment.
They fully understood the meaning of the words frog at the bottom of the well.
According to Yang Kai, the World Energy of most Cultivation Stars in the Star Field was extremely rich, and Saints were nothing in such places. Only when one reached the Origin Returning Realm could they barely be counted as master, and only Origin Kings could be considered true powerhouses.
Everyone’s blood was burning as their eyes flashed with desire and hope.
They longed to have such a cultivation environment and abundant cultivation materials. They were eager to go further on the Martial Dao and become legendary Saint Kings, Origin Returning Realm masters, and even Origin Kings…
Yang Kai did not make any kind of embellishment or exaggeration in his descriptions, instead just calmly explaining what he had learned about the Star Field and what he had seen and heard over the decades.
However, this was enough. After he finished speaking, everyone’s mood had become chaotic and they were unable to calm themselves down for a long time.
Yang Kai had seen all kinds of wonderful and magical things, but they had been stuck on Tong Xuan Realm, a place most Star Field cultivators would be completely indifferent to, using materials those cultivators would treat as garbage.
This discovery made everyone depressed, ashamed, and even deeply embarrassed!
Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon, who had just been at each other’s throats before, now couldn’t help exchanging a glance and laughing bitterly. Suddenly, they felt that their previous fight was naive and pointless…
“En, the Star Field is truly filled with wonders! This old master wishes he could take a look. If this old master could experience this kind of magical scene in his lifetime, he would be able to die without regrets!” Chu Ling Xiao took a deep breath and declared.
Thunder Dragon and Zhang Yuan also opened their mouths, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, they were unable to.
Silence filled the hall for some time before Zhang Yuan sighed and asked in a somewhat depressed tone, “Then dare I ask, Holy Master Yang, for what reason have you called the masters of the Three Clans here this time?”
Hearing his question, Thunder Dragon quickly turned his gaze to Yang Kai, also quite curious.
Yang Kai smiled and responded, “To lead you to the Star Field!”
A single stone thrown had sent out a thousand waves. Everyone was clearly shaken by these words, and their eyes filled with excitement as they looked towards Yang Kai, as they had never expected him to say such a thing.
It was undeniable that the previous descriptions Yang Kai had given them had aroused their yearning and curiosity towards the Star Field, and everyone present earnestly wished to experience it for themselves.
But… Was the Star Field that easy to enter? They could not reach the Star Field, so they could only dream about it while envying Yang Kai’s opportunity and admiring his courage and strength.
But now, Yang Kai had actually extended an open invitation to them.
Everyone was stunned.
“Of course, I won’t force any of you, this is only a proposition. I will be leaving after some time, and those who are willing to follow me can. As for those who are unwilling, they can remain. I came back specially for this purpose,” Yang Kai added.
“Is that true?” Zhang Yuan stood up abruptly as he stared at Yang Kai with scorching eyes.
“Holy Master Yang, you’re not joking, right?” Thunder Dragon also asked incredulously.
Although they didn’t know exactly how difficult it was to bring someone into the Star Field, it definitely wouldn’t be easy. If Yang Kai had such ability, he would give priority to his relatives and friends from the Human Race, but now he was making an offer to the Demon and Monster Races as well. Both Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon couldn’t believe what they were hearing and were more than a little confused in their excitement.
“I’m not joking,” Yang Kai replied seriously.
After receiving an affirmative answer, Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon were both stunned.
After a long, stunned silence, Zhang Yuan asked solemnly, “Dare I ask Holy Master Yang, what kind of price do we need to pay? Pledge our loyalty and submit to you?”
“Haha…” Yang Kai smiled, a trace of disdain appearing on his face as he said lightly, “Why would I need you to submit to me or give me your loyalty? En, to be perfectly blunt, with a single finger I can force all of Tong Xuan Realm to bow down to me. If I wanted you to submit and swear your allegiance to me, there would be no need for any nonsense, I could just use force to suppress you directly.”
Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon both began sweating…
Neither of them thought Yang Kai was blustering. From Yang Kai’s previous explanation, with his current tyrannical cultivation, none of them could put up any resistance against him.
This young man had already surpassed the legendary Great Demon God of the Demon Race! He had travelled further and stood at a higher peak.
Even if Great Demon God resurrected and appeared here now, he would likely only be able to look up to him.
“Then why is Holy Master Yang…” Thunder Dragon looked at Yang Kai hesitantly.
“Everyone here is an old friend, if I can offer you a helping hand, why wouldn’t I? I have no other motives,” Yang Kai said lightly.
Both Zhang Yuan and Thunder Dragon instantly felt ashamed, wishing they could find holes to crawl into and never come out of again.
Swiftly, Zhang Yuan cupped his fists and said in a dignified tone, “Holy Master Yang is a man of high character and integrity. It was this Zhang Yuan who was overly suspicious and pessimistic. If this Zhang has offended Holy Master Yang in any way, please forgive me!”
Thunder Dragon quickly expressed his sincere apologies as well.
“It’s fine, you two are leaders of your respective clans, you should be considering things more critically,” Yang Kai waved his hand lightly, indicating he didn’t mind their suspicions. If he was in their place, he would be behaving the same way.
The two masters both relaxed hearing this.
“While there are many wonders in the Star Field, there should also be many dangers too, correct? If Holy Master Yang brings so many people into the Star Field, will you be able to shelter them?” Thunder Dragon asked with some worry.
“There are dangers, so whether you follow me or not is completely up to you. Of course, you can also choose to remain here. Perhaps Tong Xuan Realm will be rejuvenated one day and become like other Cultivation Stars in the Star Field where you can sense a higher level of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao; however, I don’t know how long that will take.” Yang Kai smiled lightly as he glanced over at Xia Ning Chang meaningfully.
After refining the Star Source, becoming a Star Master, and breaking through to the Origin Returning Realm, Xia Ning Chang’s aura had become considerably stronger, and the grey aura which had lingered about her had also become much lighter.
As long as she could continue to break through at this speed, one day she would be able to stand at the top of the Star Field, and at that time, all of Tong Xuan Realm would benefit.
“This matter is of great significance, so please allow me a few days, Holy Master Yang. I need to discuss this carefully with my clansmen,” Zhang Yuan said.
“Naturally,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
Immediately, Yang Kai ordered some of the disciples to show the Demon and Monster Race masters to their accommodations so they could have some private conversations.
There was no need for negotiations on the Human Race side. Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai’s relatives and friends from the Great Han Dynasty and even Soaring Heaven Sect immediately decided to follow Yang Kai to the Star Field. Of course, some disciples were unwilling to leave their native home and wanted to remain in their original Sect, so the various Human Race masters simply granted them their permission.
Not everyone had a fearless spirit and thirst for adventure; in order to gamble one’s life for as of yet unseen wonders, great courage and a strong yearning for a higher Martial Dao were necessary.
However, there weren’t many people who refused, only about thirty percent of each Sect.
Everyone dispersed, as there was much they needed to handle.
Soon, after the hall emptied, Yang Kai smiled and walked over to a pair of women who appeared to be twin sisters.
As Yang Kai approached, the breathing of the two women seemed to quicken slightly, as if they were very excited.
“Jiao’er, Mei’er, long time no see,” Yang Kai smiled and greeted.
There had been too many people just now, so he hadn’t had time to personally greet the Hu Sisters, but now that he was free, he naturally wanted to speak with them a bit.
Moreover, they seemed to be waiting here for him for that purpose.
The two women opposite him smiled and spoke in unison, “It has been a long time, have you been doing well?”
“I have indeed!” Yang Kai nodded before he frowned slightly awkwardly.
His eyes kept glancing between these two, but he still could not tell who was Hu Jiao’er and who was Hu Mei’er.
This discovery made him scratch his head in confusion.
The two sisters had cultivated the Twin Qi Shared Spirit Divine Art, so not only had their appearances become exactly the same, even their temperaments and the life auras coming from their bodies were identical.
It was as if they were one person standing here!
Moreover, their cultivation had actually reached the Second-Order Saint Realm rather than the First-Order that Great Elder Xu Hui had reported to him earlier.
This rate of cultivation was quite astonishing, leaving Yang Kai somewhat speechless.
Although Little Senior Sister had reached the Origin Returning Realm, far higher than the Hu Sisters’ current cultivation, she had obtained the greatest of opportunities, refining a Star Source to do so.
The Hu Sisters certainly didn’t have such a Heaven defying opportunity, but in this barren land with thin World Energy aura, they had managed to reach their current level through their own efforts. This demonstrated that their aptitude was indeed extraordinary.
Seeing Yang Kai’s face full of confusion, the woman on the left smiled and said, “I’m Jiao’er!”
“I’m Mei’er!” The woman on the right added.
Their voices were soft and pleasant to the ear. Their two temperaments from before seemed to have completely changed, becoming a fusion of the elder sister’s boldness and the shyness of the younger sister, making them even more attractive.
“If you didn’t tell me, I really wouldn’t have been able to tell,” Yang Kai scratched his head.
This somewhat naive gesture made the two women laugh.
“Very few people can tell us apart,” Hu Jiao’er curled her lips into a smiling, “Even father often confuses us.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly. If even Hu Man couldn’t distinguish which of his two daughters was which, it wasn’t surprising for Yang Kai to be unable to tell them apart either. “By the way, you two heard about the discussion just now. Do you plan to stay, or…”
“We’re coming with you!” Before Yang Kai could finish speaking, the two women replied in unison, as if they shared the same heart and had no need to discuss anything beforehand.
“If that’s the case, then you should quickly prepare, I don’t plan to wait too long, I’ll be leaving in half a month.”
“Alright, we’ll meet with father first and then send a message to our two Masters,” Hu Jiao’er said without delay before immediately leaving with Hu Mei’er.
However, the two seemed a bit reluctant.
After not seeing him for so many years, they really wanted to talk to Yang Kai more, but when they thought about how they would be able to meet each other frequently in the future, they didn’t feel as rushed.
When passing by Xia Ning Chang, the two girls were gently nodded to her, their beautiful eyes flashing with envy.
Xia Ning Chang could accompany Yang Kai freely, but they couldn’t…
“Little Senior Sister, during this next half a month, I have something I need to teach you.” After all the people in the hall left, Yang Kai quickly walked towards Xia Ning Chang and dragged her towards her cultivation room.
What Yang Kai wanted to teach to Xia Ning Chang was naturally how to condense her Shi.
He had condensed his Shi with the help of the Emperor Pressure from the Emperor Garden, a rather unique method that, although it produced amazing effects, was clearly not suitable for Xia Ning Chang.
However, the basic insights and comprehensions about how to condense Shi were more or less universal. What’s more, he had learned many valuable experiences from Qian Tong and the other masters he was close with.
Now, he was going to teach everything to Xia Ning Chang.
Additionally, Yang Kai taught Little Senior Sister what he had learned from the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture.
Little Senior Sister had a Special Constitution, the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, so she possessed innate ability and talent when it came to refining pills, not needing anyone to teach her in order for her to advance. However, the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture was filled with profound knowledge that would be of great help to Xia Ning Chang when it came to raising her Alchemy skills.
Half a month was neither long nor short.
Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang did not leave their cultivation room during that time.
Naturally, they took some time out to spend together. Yang Kai would enjoy the company of this gentle beauty and, on occasion, suddenly make love to her.
Since setting foot into the Star Field, Yang Kai had essentially had no intimate contact with any woman, so now that he had been reunited with Little Senior Sister, who he didn’t need to restrain himself around, he was like a freed beast that had just found its favourite prey and pounced without reserve.
Xia Ning Chang’s complexion also grew better and better, her already jade-like skin gaining a shimmering lustre to it.
She was like a beautiful flower that had just been moistened by the morning dew…
After half a month, Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang exited their retreat together.
Xia Ning Chang was naturally unable to condense her Shi after only half a month, but receiving Yang Kai’s dedicated teaching, she now at least understood what Shi was and had gained some slight experience with this magical power; now, all she needed was enough time to cultivate it properly.
The True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture was also effortlessly learned by her, the various techniques and Spirit Arrays recorded in it often causing her eyes to shimmer and glow.
Nine Heavens Holy Land was now completely crowded with about ten thousand members of the Human, Demon, and Monster Races now gathered here.
Among these ten thousand, about two thousand were from the Holy Land, four thousand were from the Great Han Dynasty, one thousand were from the Monster Race, and two thousand were from the Demon Race.
Even with so many gathered, however, the scene was extremely quiet, with no one even whispering. Everyone was simply waiting silently for Yang Kai’s arrival.
Everyone was eager to know what method Yang Kai would be using to bring so many people into the Star Field at once.
In a brilliant flash of light, Yang Kai appeared, and ten thousand pairs of eyes fixed on him.
Looking out across the crowd, Yang Kai gently nodded, “Now that everyone is here, let’s begin!”
“Yang Kai, what do we need to do? Just give the order!” Thunder Dragon called out.
“Exactly. We will cooperate fully,” Zhang Yuan nodded in agreement.
“You don’t need to do anything, just relax and don’t resist!” Yang Kai smiled slightly before taking out a seemingly inconspicuous bead and suspending it in front of him, attracting everyone’s attention.
They didn’t know what mysteries this bead held, or why Yang Kai had brought it out at this time.
The answer was quickly revealed, however. Yang Kai stretched out his hand and with a flick of his wrist, the bead flew out like an arrow from the string and arrived atop the place where the thousands of people were gathered.
With a soft pop, a magical power emerged from the bead and as it swept outwards, everyone felt as if they were being held by a strange force.
Out of trust in Yang Kai, no one circulated their strength or tried to resist this force.
A burst of light blinded them in the next moment, and after their sight was restored, everyone suddenly realized that they had come to a completely strange place.
This was not Nine Heavens Holy Land, but the scenery was still extremely beautiful.
Moreover, the World Energy here seemed to be extremely rich, more than a hundred times higher than the average on Tong Xuan Realm. This discovery shocked everyone greatly!
“Huh, what’s this?” A Demon Race man suddenly discovered something in this new world and shouted as he pointed towards a certain place.
Following his gaze, everyone immediately spotted a roughly one-hundred-metre long pitch-black ship quietly suspended in the air.
“A Starship!” Demon Commander Zhang Yuan called out in shock.
Although he had received a report from Demon General Meng Ge that Yang Kai had a powerful Starship in his possession, he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes yet, so he wasn’t sure whether this was true or false. Now that this Starship had appeared in front of him, he immediately understood that this news was real.
There was a Starship buried beneath the Demon Capital, but that Starship was in tatters… and, in terms of grade, it seemed like it wasn’t even worthy of carrying shoes for the ship in front of him.
Zhang Yuan had keen eyesight and could naturally see how extraordinary this Starship was at a glance.
What made him even more surprised, however, were the people standing around the Starship. When these people saw a massive crowd of people suddenly appear, they all directed curious looks towards them.
Out of habit, Zhang Yuan released his Divine Sense to sweep these unknown cultivators, but expression changed dramatically in the next instant!
He discovered that the cultivation of each of these people was much higher than his own, and although they didn’t give him the same feeling of oppression as Yang Kai, Zhang Yuan was certain each of these cultivators was a legendary Saint King!
Had they already entered the Star Field?
Were these people cultivators from the Star Field?
All sorts of suspicions flashed across Zhang Yuan’s mind, as well as many of the others gathered here.
“Don’t be nervous!” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly came from a certain place and his figure quickly appeared in front of the Saint King Realm cultivators as he explained, “These are disciples from my Sect.”
“Disciples greet Sect Master!” Immediately, this group of cultivators, who gave everyone from Tong Xuan Realm an unattainable feeling, saluted Yang Kai.
“En,” Yang Kai gently nodded before turning to the one who seemed to be in charge and saying, “Liu Ping, these are my relatives and friends from my homeland, I will be taking them back to Shadowed Star with us so they will need to remain here for the time being. Take good care of them. “
“Yes!” The disciple named Liu Ping quickly nodded.
Yang Kai next came over to Chu Ling Xiao and Ling Tai Xu and bowed, “Martial Ancestor, Grand Master, this is a Small Sealed World. Although it’s not very big, it is more than enough to accommodate a trivial ten thousand people. It is safe here, and I will let you out when we reach our destination. Disciple lacks talent but in a place called Shadowed Star, he has founded High Heaven Sect. Until we reach there, I will need the two of you to take charge here. En, the journey will probably take quite some time, at least several years. If you have any questions, you can ask these disciples of mine, they will give you their full cooperation.”
“Sure. Go on, you don’t need to worry about us here,” Chu Ling Xiao smiled kindly.
Chu Ling Xiao had no idea how precious and Heaven-defying the Sealed World Bead and Origin King Grade Starship were; if he did, he wouldn’t be acting so calmly.
“Disciple will head out first, when I am free, I will come to visit you,” Yang Kai said before leaving the Small Sealed World.
After Yang Kai left, the disciple named Liu Ping ran over immediately and greeted Ling Tai Xu and Chu Ling Xiao.
He had heard clearly just now how Yang Kai addressed these two old men as Martial Ancestor and Grand Master, so although his cultivation was much higher than these two, he didn’t dare show any negligence, bowing respectfully as any Junior would.
Seeing this boy behaving like this, Chu Ling Xiao and Ling Tai Xu did not have any scruples and immediately began inquiring about Shadowed Star and High Heaven Sect to Liu Ping. After learning that High Heaven Sect was now the greatest Sect on Shadowed Star, basically having dominated the entire star, the two of them couldn’t help feeling a sense of pride.
In just a trivial thirty years, Yang Kai had used his own power to subdue an entire Cultivation Star. This was not something an ordinary man could accomplish and they were left in awe of Yang Kai’s abilities.
Quickly, they began to ask more questions.
Having settled things in the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai put it away before sweeping his Divine Sense across the now empty Nine Heavens Holy Land. Putting away the slight nostalgia in his eyes, he turned to Xia Ning Chang, who was standing next to him patiently, he said, “Little Senior Sister, can you help me find someone?”
Xia Ning Chang did not enter the Sealed World Bead; she was now in the First-Order Origin Returning Realm, and would not hinder Yang Kai. As she had just made a breakthrough, there were a lot of things to learn, so Yang Kai allowed her to follow him. It was convenient to teach while they travelled.
What’s more, travelling with a beauty was very pleasing to the eye.
Listening to Yang Kai, she immediately asked, “Who are you looking for?”
“Old Man Li!” Yang Kai looked at her.
Xia Ning Chang suddenly came over, gently nodded, closed her beautiful eyes, and started to search.
Now that she was the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm, having refined the Star Source, she could travel back and forth anywhere in the mainland with a single thought. On Tong Xuan Realm, she was the master!
It was a simple task for her to find someone.
She communicated with the Star Source of Tong Xuan Realm with her mind and sensed the messages sent by the flowers and trees on the mainland, distinguishing the traces of the person she was looking for. In less than half a day, she opened her beautiful eyes and whispered softly, “Found him!”
Yang Kai was shocked and stepped forward and grabbed Xia Ning Chang’s little hand, “Take me to him.”
Xia Ning Chang gave a gentle nod and aimed the index finger of her jade white hand in front of her. From the void, a dark whirlpool appeared immediately, as if to swallow everything. The two stepped into it and disappeared.
Atop an unnamed barren and desolate mountain, there stood several thatched huts.
No one would have thought that this was where the reclusive Old Man of Heaven’s Keep, Li Rui, who was famous throughout the continent, lived.
Yang Kai held great respect for Old Man Li, not only because he was the longest-lived wise man in the entire continent, having lived for thousands of years under the cultivation of Saint Realm, but also because of how Old Man Li had generously taught Yang Kai.
Old Man Li once came to Nine Heavens Holy Land and helped Yang Kai greatly. At the time when the Bone Race recovered, Old Man Li managed to call on the whole human race to unite with his great reputation.
Upon returning to Nine Heavens Holy Land this time, Yang Kai had not found Old Man Li and his Disciple Di Yao.
Obviously, with Old Man Li and Di Yao’s personalities, it was probably impossible for them to stay in one place for a long time, so they left Nine Heavens Holy Land.
Now that Yang Kai was going to return to the Star Field, of course he wanted to take Old Man Li with him.
“It’s here?” Xia Ning Chang had brought Yang Kai to this barren mountain that was less than a thousand feet high, and Yang Kai could not help but frown.
“En.” Xia Ning Chang nodded gently. “But I didn’t sense Old Man Li’s aura. Only Senior Brother Di’s…”
After hearing what she had said, Yang Kai had a bad feeling. He looked up and saw the simple thatched houses. In front of the thatched houses were a few medicine fields. However, what was planted was not the spirit grasses used for cultivation, but simple ordinary medicinal herbs.
These herbs were effective for treating ordinary people, but they were of no use in cultivation.
There was one person. He was taking care of the herbs in the middle of the Medicine Garden, watering, and fertilizing, repeating the monotonous movements with a meticulous expression.
Yang Kai stepped towards him.
“Here to see a doctor?” The man who was watering heard movement and asked casually without raising his head.
“Brother Di, it’s been a long time!” Yang Kai looked at him with a smile as he greeted him.
Di Yao’s movements paused, as if he realized something. He slowly straightened up and looked at Yang Kai. After seeing Yang Kai’s face clearly, he could not help grinning.
A smile filled with flawless white teeth, coupled with his jade, flowery face that almost made any women jealous. The round sunset behind him poured on him, giving off an afterglow, a sputtering golden halo.
[This brat is still as handsome as ever…]
Di Yao took two steps forward and gave Yang Kai a strong hug.
“Brother Yang, when did you come back?” He did not seem surprised at all, as if he knew Yang Kai would return safely.
“It’s been almost two months.”
Di Yao gently nodded, shook off the dirt on his hands, and greeted enthusiastically, “Come on, today we drink to celebrate!”
“Yeah!” Yang Kai responded readily.
In front of the thatched hut, the two sat on the ground. There was no food, only the shining stars in the sky and the oncoming breeze as dishes to go with the drink. Xia Ning Chang sat to the side, holding a jug in her hand, and poured wine for Yang Kai and Di Yao.
The sky was full of stars, and in front of a thatched house, friends had finally gathered after a long parting. It was a happy occasion.
“Master, he passed away more than 20 years ago.” Di Yao suddenly blurted out.
Although he had guessed as much, when Yang Kai heard the news, the hand with which he held the wine glass slightly shook.
Di Yao grinned and said, “His last moments were very peaceful. After all, Master was already so old. It was time.”
With the cultivation of Saint Realm, living for thousands of years was simply not something others could do. Old Man Li had been proficient in pharmacology and used elixirs to regulate his body to live so long.
“Brother Di!” Yang Kai thought for a while but didn’t know what to say.
Di Yao smiled and said, “Master is still here. He continues to live in my heart.”
Yang Kai looked at him, and laughed, relieved.
“Brother Yang, for you to come all this way. Did you have something to ask Master?” Di Yao asked.
“It’s nothing, it’s just that I’m leaving again and wanted Old Man Li and Brother Di to join me.”
“Into the Star Field?” Di Yao narrowed his eyes.
“Yup.” Yang Kai nodded.
Di Yao fell silent for a long time before shaking his head and saying, “The master raised me and taught me, treating me with kindness as great as that of the mountains. I can’t let him be here alone.”
Yang Kai opened his mouth, but before he could persuade him, Di Yao smiled and said, “Brother Yang doesn’t need to say more, I have decided!”
Seeing him so insistent, Yang Kai could only sigh.
They continued to drink, binge, and get drunk!
When dawn came, Di Yao lay on the ground, slumbering. Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang found a simple tomb at the top of the mountain and worshipped it devoutly. After leaving some cultivation resources for Di Yao, he left silently.
“Are you really going to leave Senior Brother Di there alone?” Xia Ning Chang asked with a little unease.
“It’s his own decision.” Yang Kai responded lightly.
“But…” Xia Ning Chang seemed to want to say something.
“It is not necessarily a bad thing. Once your cultivation enters a higher realm, you will be rejuvenating the mainland. At that stage, it would be inconsequential for Brother Di to leave.”
Xia Ning Chang nodded, indicating that she understood. After thinking about it, she asked, “Where are we going now?”
“There should be a shortcut to Star Field from our original world. We are looking to find someone we both know!” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
After a while, the two came to the site of the Free and Unfettered Spirit Temple, and through the Void Corridor, they entered a place not far from the High Heaven Pavilion.
After the seal set by the Great Demon God was lifted, Tong Xuan Realm and their original world were connected.
This was the starting point of his life.
After arriving, when Yang Kai swept his Divine Sense through, he immediately noticed that there were many more people in the original High Heaven Pavilion, and he did not know which family or Sect occupied it. However, it felt quite prosperous.
Yang Kai chose not to bother them. The cultivators here were as weak as children to him.
He did not go to Central Capital either. The original Central Capital was Eight Great Families. The three families close to him were all in the Sealed World Bead, and the only remaining five families were now thriving there. Yang Kai was too lazy to bother with them.
He took Little Senior Sister and flew directly towards Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land.
Although Little Senior Sister was the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm, in this world, which had its own World Principles, she could not travel thousands of kilometres in a flash.
Yang Kai did not know how this world was formed, but after witnessing Tong Xuan Realm’s process from birth to prosperity to decline, he vaguely felt that this world should be related to the ancient powerful cultivator.
It might have been created by someone who cultivated to a Heaven defying level. After all, the one who created this place does not necessarily mean that they are the same ones who develop it.
Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land was as chaotic as ever. In the past, several Evil Kings ruled and suppressed it. Although this land had bred filth and evil, there were still some rules to follow.
But since the death and disappearance of the Evil Kings, Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land has become an even more chaotic and evil land.
Everyone understands innately what it means to be a decent person. Nonetheless, they burn, murder and pillage. Anything can happen here, and there was no reason to anything. Only one law existed: the one with the bigger fist makes the law.
The two of them continued to walk without stopping, what they saw and heard was nothing but horrible.
Yang Kai could maintain his indifference, his heart was unmoved by their actions, as though it was still water. However, Little Senior Sister was different. She could not help but teach a lesson to those who only knew to bully the weak.
Fragrance City, originally a city under the jurisdiction of Beguiling Demon Queen Shan Qing Luo, and the last piece of pure land in Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land.
Unfortunately, ever since Shan Qing Luo’s disappearance, this last piece of pure land had also been corrupted, and the city has been dark and chaotic.
When passing by, Yang Kai could not help but miss it.
Back then, he had known the devilish woman of this land, but after Yang Kai returned from Tong Xuan Realm, he could not find her.
He had thought it would be impossible to find Shan Qing Luo ever again.
He would have never thought that he would meet her in the Emperor Garden, learn about her current whereabouts and fight together with her.
Yang Kai felt that he could not forget about this extremely charming devilish woman…
The place he was going to on this trip was Spider Mother’s Den. According to Shan Qing Luo’s maidservant, Bi Luo, she and Shan Qing Luo had been taken to the Monster Emperor Star when they accidentally activated the altar in Spider Mother’s Den.
So, Yang Kai also wanted to use the altar. If he succeeded, not only could he stop by to see how the devilish woman was doing, but also save a lot of time.
He did not want to spend years on Starship; he just wanted to hurry.
Spider Mother’s Den was not too far from Fragrance City, only a few tens of thousands of kilometres. At Yang Kai’s current speed, it would only take half a cup of tea’s time to arrive.
Spider Mother’s Den, was in tatters; after it collapsed that year, no one had cared about this place.
Upon arriving, Yang Kai walked into the huge spider statue with ease and found a strange altar.
The altar was only about the size of a person but had many mysterious and complicated patterns carved on it. Some of these seemed to form a wonderful Spirit Array, and others were like ancient characters.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense but did not notice anything abnormal from it.
On the altar, there were still some dark black stains.
These were, naturally, the blood Shan Qing Luo shed that day!
“Junior Brother, what is this?” Xia Ning Chang tilted her head and asked doubtfully.
“This is the shortcut,” Yang Kai smiled lightly and began explaining in detail.
Hearing that Shan Qing Luo and Bi Luo had entered the Star Field directly from here, Xia Ning Chang immediately became curious.
She finally learned who it was Yang Kai said they were going to meet, and after doing so, she couldn’t help giggling as she glanced over at Yang Kai meaningfully.
“En, it’s not what you think…” Yang Kai argued weakly, “Forget it, I will study this thing, feel free to do as you please.”
“En,” Xia Ning Chang nodded, sat down in a clean place nearby, and began comprehending the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture while trying to condense her Shi.
Yang Kai reached out and touched the strange runes and patterns engraved on the altar in front of him, releasing his Divine Sense as he studied them carefully.
Since Shan Qing Luo and Bi Luo could reach Monster Emperor Star from this place, it meant that this altar was able to open a portal between the two places. In other words, as long as the conditions were met, this altar could form a stable Void Corridor.
This was far more profound than even the most powerful Space Arrays Yang Kai had seen.
Yang Kai knew that some of the most ancient Space Arrays in the Star Field were capable of transporting cultivators from one Cultivation Star to another, spanning billions of kilometres in an instant, but this kind of Space Array was extremely rare. On top of that, most of these ancient Space Arrays were heavily damaged and using them was extremely risky.
Perhaps someone like Heaven Battling Union’s Mo Xiao Sheng could repair an ordinary Space Array, but he would be absolutely helpless in front of these super long distance Space Arrays.
In general, even if a great force was in possession of this kind of special Space Array, they would only use it as a last resort, instead preferring to spend a large amount of time using a Starship to sail from one point to another rather than risking their lives.
The orthodox method to activate this altar was to make use of Shan Qing Luo’s bloodline. Back then, she and Bi Luo had accidentally activated this altar with her blood.
Yang Kai naturally couldn’t use this method. Although his Golden Blood was powerful, it obviously didn’t have the same composition as Shan Qing Luo’s blood.
He could only rely on his own profound comprehension of the Dao of Space.
One by one, Yang Kai investigated the ancient runes on the altar, but he obtained no reaction from it at all. Not becoming anxious, Yang Kai continued immersing his consciousness into these patterns.
Progressively, Yang Kai uncovered their mysteries.
These ancient characters almost behaved as if they had a mind of their own and were subtly interlinked with one another.
Yang Kai gradually began comprehending them.
Trying repeatedly, Yang Kai studied the altar and he felt that he had some gains as time progressed, but even after many careful investigations, he achieved nothing…
Time passed by. Little Senior Sister sat quietly to the side, not bothering Yang Kai at all. Right now, she was immersed in the process of condensing her Shi and comprehending the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture and had lost track of her surroundings.
One day, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and a light flashed across them, as if he had had a significant gain.
Injecting his Space Force into the ancient altar, Yang Kai began connecting the various complicated patterns and runes together in a specific sequence.
It was like threading a needle, tying the runes and patterns closer together one by one until they formed a single inseparable whole.
When his Space Force penetrated the last rune, the patterns on the altar suddenly burst with light, as if given new life, and floated up into the air.
These runes and patterns swam about like fish, rearranging and combining until finally they formed a closed illusionary gate in front of Yang Kai!
“Little Senior Sister!” Yang Kai shouted.
Xia Ning Chang quickly opened her eyes and with a flicker, arrived next to Yang Kai and held his hand.
She knew the time had come!
Yang Kai paused a moment as he stared at the illusionary gate with an extremely dignified look on his face.
Although he had successfully used his comprehension of the Dao of Space to inject his Space Force into the altar and activated it to form this gateway, he didn’t have the key to open it.
Shan Qing Luo’s blood was that key, something he naturally lacked.
However, Yang Kai had his own methods.
Condensing his Space Force at the tip of his finger, he stabbed it forward and then slashed it down fiercely!
Space trembled and a small crack soon appeared on the closed door. Initially, this crack was very small, almost imperceptible, but it was expanding at a very rapid rate.
In the blink of an eye, it swallowed the entire gate, revealing a pitch-black passage.
This was a fully formed Void Corridor that connected two points many billions of kilometres apart!
Inside, there was nothingness and chaos, like the giant mouth of a beast that was capable of swallowing the entire world.
Xia Ning Chang’s tender body couldn’t help growing slightly tense as she held onto Yang Kai’s big hand a bit tighter.
Yang Kai didn’t hesitate, however, pulling Xia Ning Chang along with him into the vortex. When the two of them were gone, the black corridor closed again and disappeared.
Everything around them had gone silent and dark, with nothing but darkness behind or ahead of Xia Ning Chang and Yang Kai.
However, from within this darkness, Xia Ning Chang could feel a kind of mysterious power flowing, like a rushing river that was trying to drag her under.
Yang Kai quickly protected her!
This was the Void, a mysterious and indescribable place that was all but impossible for ordinary people to reach, and a forbidden area where it was difficult for anything to survive.
Any master that became lost in this mysterious place would eventually become engulfed by the darkness, never able to emerge from it again.
Even Yang Kai, when traversing this place, raised his vigilance to its highest level, using his Divine Sense to constantly and carefully survey their surroundings so he could bring Xia Ning Chang to avoid the deadly currents of the Void.
This strange place also seemed to affect one’s senses, even how they perceived the passing of time.
Yang Kai could only push his Space Force desperately to resist this outside interference.
When Shan Qing Luo and Bi Luo had used the altar to travel to Monster Emperor Star back then, it would not have been dangerous at all because Shan Qing Luo’s bloodline had properly activated it. Alternatively, Yang Kai had used a special method to forcefully open the altar, so the risks he was taking by using it were many times greater.
Fortunately, his accomplishments in the Dao of Space were quite profound, so even if he currently felt like he was treading on thin ice, he could still barely manage it.
Yang Kai wasn’t sure how much time passed before he suddenly led Xia Ning Chang towards a certain spot. After arriving, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and swiped forward again, tearing space, and bringing Xia Ning Chang out from the Void into an unknown place.
Little Senior Sister didn’t recover her senses until this moment, and the confusion in her beautiful eyes gradually cleared up.
To her, only a moment had passed, but what she didn’t know was that Yang Kai had been struggling for many days in the Void to bring them here.
That mysterious place had greatly affected Xia Ning Chang’s judgment of the passage of time.
Currently, the pair was in some kind of damp, dark, underground cave that had a pile of white bones scattered around it. Judging from the scale of these bones however, whatever creature they belonged to must have been enormous when it was still alive.
“This is…” Xia Ning Chang looked around curiously.
Yang Kai walked forward, reached out his hand, picked up one of the bones, and examined it carefully before grinning, “We’ve arrived, this is Monster Emperor Star!”
“Monster Emperor Star?” Xia Ning Chang murmured, “The star where Elder Sister Qing Luo is?”
“En!” Yang Kai nodded, he was able to make this judgment thanks to the white bones around them.
If he guessed correctly, these white bones should be the remains of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider.
All those years ago, when Shan Qing Luo and Bi Luo arrived here, the first thing they encountered was the corpse of a Heavenly Moon Demon Spider. Shan Qing Luo had absorbed the Source of this Variant Ancient Divine Spirit and was taken in by the Red Moon Tribal Lord as her adopted daughter, allowing her to integrate into Monster Emperor Star.
If not for this series of events, with her identity as a human, how could Shan Qing Luo have gained a foothold on this Monster Race star? It would have been even more impossible for her to have reached the terrifying height of Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master in just a few dozen years without such support.
The Heavenly Moon Demon Spider’s Source had helped Shan Qing Luo a lot. Her bloodline originally had some traces of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider’s, which was why she could activate the altar in the first place and obtain this opportunity!
Opportunities like this were truly quite mysterious. Yang Kai had worked so hard over the years and his luck was indeed good, but he had only broken through to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm while Shan Qing Luo was still one step ahead of him.
Yang Kai pondered as he recalled all the information Bi Luo had revealed to him in the Emperor Garden that day.
He didn’t know much about Monster Emperor Star, only that it was a Cultivation Star dominated by the Monster Race. Although there were also Humans on Monster Emperor Star, they were all subjects to the Monster Race’s rule.
The Human Race had its own set of advantages and uses, so despite the Monster Race being in a dominant position here, they did not seek to exterminate all humans and instead just let matters drift. Only if some kind of master that threatened the Monster Race’s dominance emerged from the human population would the Monster Race’s masters step in to kill them.
On Monster Emperor Star, the Human Race essentially had no status.
The Ten Great Tribal Lords were the masters of Monster Emperor Star, and each one had reached the Origin King Realm.
The Red Moon Tribal Lord, who received Shan Qing Luo as her adopted daughter, was one of them.
Yang Kai thought for a moment, but quickly concluded that this really was all he knew, leaving quite a lot to be desired.
“Let’s go outside first,” Yang Kai said to Xia Ning Chang before leading her out of the underground cave.
When they came outside, Yang Kai suddenly discovered that he was actually part-way up a lofty and majestic mountain with a rich ambient World Energy aura. However, there was also a thick Monster Qi lingering in the air.
From the surrounding mountains, the roars of ferocious Monster Beasts could be heard from time to time.
Yang Kai really wondered how Shan Qing Luo had left this place safely; obviously she had experienced a lot of hardship.
Collecting himself, Yang Kai summoned his Star Shuttle and led Xia Ning Chang swiftly across the jungle.
This place may be extremely dangerous for others, but to Yang Kai it was nothing. Beneath the Origin King Realm, he didn’t fear anyone, and he could even calmly face an ordinary Origin King.
Since he had cultivated the Dao of Space, few people could compel him into a hopeless situation, unless they trapped him inside a small enclosed space like how Star Emperor Mountain’s Sect Master Qi Tian Che had done.
However, even trapping Yang Kai wasn’t sufficient as his opponent would need enough strength to completely suppress him as well.
Qi Tian Che didn’t have such strength, which resulted in his death…
What Yang Kai needed most right now was information.
It should be easy for him to find where Shan Qing Luo was; after all, she was the adopted daughter of the Red Moon Tribal Lord, so she would be wherever the Red Moon Tribal Lord was.
Shan Qing Luo’s heart-piercing cries from when the Emperor Garden closed still echoed in Yang Kai’s ears.
Now that he had come to Monster Emperor Star, naturally, he needed to see for himself if that enchantress was living well.
A few days later, Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang flew out from the deep mountains and lush forests. Along the way, Yang Kai had encountered a lot of Monster Beasts, but all of them were feral so he could not glean any useful information from them, making him feel quite helpless.
He could only pin his hopes on meeting someone in the future.
While speeding along aimlessly with Xia Ning Chang, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to scan their surroundings.
Suddenly, he noticed something, turned towards a certain direction, and said, “There’s movement over there, let’s go take a look.”
“En,” Xia Ning Chang naturally had no objections.
The pair landed and walked side by side in the direction Yang Kai pointed out just now, a short time later encountering a team of about a dozen cultivators.
These cultivators exuded a wild aura quite different from the aura a human cultivator possessed. Additionally, each of them had some physical characteristics that resembled a Monster Beast.
The dozen or so cultivators in this team obviously belonged to the Monster Race!
Each of these Monster Race cultivators was riding a wolf-shaped Monster Beast and wore matching golden armour, giving them an imposing appearance. Even though there were only a dozen or so of them, as they rode forward, they appeared akin to a torrent of fine steel and created quite a loud disturbance.
Sweeping them with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai found that the strongest cultivator from the Monster Race cultivator was just a Second-Order Saint King, so he had nothing to fear.
Taking Xia Ning Chang with him, Yang Kai walked out openly to greet this group.
“Excuse me,” When he got closer, Yang Kai smiled and cupped his fists to the Monster Race cultivator who seemed to be the team’s leader.
The other party had obviously spotted him a long time ago and rode his wolf-shaped Monster Beast mount over to Yang Kai while looking down at him condescendingly, a natural air of contempt and scrutiny flashing across his eyes.
The Monster Beast mount also projected a malicious aura towards Yang Kai’s face, as if it could not wait to stretch out its mouth and see if Yang Kai tasted delicious or not…
Yang Kai just smiled lightly to all of this.
This was Monster Emperor Star, a world dominated by the Monster Race, so it was only natural for Monster Race cultivators to have a natural sense of superiority when facing those from other races. They felt that no race could compare to their supreme Monster Race and that none were more powerful than them. In front of the Monster Race, all others could only bow their heads and serve them!
“Humans?” The lead Monster Race cultivator squinted at Yang Kai, recognizing his origins immediately.
The wolf-shaped Monster Beast mount also growled, seemingly perceiving its master’s dislike for these two and began circling around Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang.
After returning to his previous position, the Monster Race cultivator coldly snorted and said, “What are you two humans doing out here?”
“Haha, we accidentally lost our way, if you would not mind, could you tell us where this place is?”
“This is the Red Moon Territory!” The Monster Race cultivator replied proudly, “It is the region under the jurisdiction of the great Red Moon Tribal Lord. Don’t you know even this?”
“En, I know this is the territory of Red Moon Tribal Lord,” Yang Kai chuckled, “What I want to ask is, where is the nearest city? If it is convenient, can you tell me where Red Moon Tribal Lord’s palace is located?”
“Why do you want to know where Lady Tribal Lord’s palace is located?” The Monster Race cultivator suddenly wore a cold expression after hearing this as he glared at Yang Kai more and more unkindly, “What are your intentions here?”
“Nothing serious, I just happen to have a friend who lives in Red Moon Tribal Lord’s palace. I was hoping to see her,” Yang Kai replied casually.
“A friend…” The Monster Race cultivator was taken aback for a moment but soon burst into laughter filled with mockery; even the other Monster Race cultivators began laughing.
“Human, I advise you to give up, no one is allowed to approach Lady Tribal Lord’s palace without being summoned, not even my Monster Race, let alone you humans! However, you may rest assured, Lady Tribal Lord has always been kind to you humans. If your friend is a servant in the palace, he or she should be living well.”
He subconsciously thought that the friend Yang Kai was referring to was just an insignificant person in the palace.
This was normal though, the humans in Lady Tribal Lord’s palace were all either beautiful women or handsome men who served as nothing more than servants.
In the territory of the Monster Race, humans always had low status.
“En, many thanks for this friend’s reminder; however, I still wish to know where the palace is,” Yang Kai insisted.
“Humans are always as arrogant as you, that’s why I can’t stand you all!” The Monster Race cultivator snorted coldly as he declared arrogantly, “I can tell you, but why should I? Give me a reason.”
“Here!” Yang Kai nodded before throwing out a bag of Saint Crystals.
The Monster Race cultivator caught this bag, opened it, and suddenly became ecstatic as he exclaimed, “High-Rank Saint Crystals!”
As soon as these words came out, the other Monster Race cultivators showed a greedy look as they stared back and forth between the package and Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang.
Malicious glints were mixed in with their gazes.
“Can you tell me now?” Yang Kai looked at the other party with a smile.
“Of course, you’re quite tactful for a human so I’ll tell you,” The Monster Race cultivator hesitated for a moment before his expression settled and he began telling Yang Kai what he wanted to know.
A short time later, Yang Kai cupped his fists to the Monster Race man before taking Xia Ning Chang away.
“Leader, those humans were obviously quite rich, why did you let them go?” A Monster Race cultivator who seemed to be relatively young approached and asked indignantly.
“Hmph, you think I can’t see how rich he is?”
“Then why didn’t we bury them here? This is the wilderness, so even if Lady Chi Yue doesn’t allow us to kill humans at will, no one will know if they die here.”
“Idiot! If we really tried that, the ones who would be buried here wouldn’t be them but us!”
“Huh… that’s not possible, is it?” The Monster Race youth was not convinced.
“Of course it’s possible, even though he was so rich, when he was facing so many of us, did you ever see him show the slightest bit of fear? Even the human woman next to him was completely calm. What does this mean? It means that neither of them puts us in their eyes! You idiots were blinded by those Saint Crystals and completely ignored their strength. Because this is the wilderness, I don’t dare to act rashly, otherwise…”
Hearing what his team leader said, the Monster Race youth couldn’t help leaking cold sweat as he glanced reluctantly in the direction Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang left while sighing, “That woman looked tender and delicate, if I could have just a bite…”
Some cultivators from the Monster Race were transformed from Monster Beasts, so they still maintained their habits of eating other creatures raw.
But in general, there were not many such cultivators. Most Monster Race cultivators were born in human form and just retained some traces of their Monster Beast heritage.
Clearly, this Monster Race was born a Monster Beast and had achieved human form later, which was why he had no interest in Xia Ning Chang’s face, which was hidden behind her black veil, but instead coveted her fair skin and delicate physique.
Soft and tender humans were always delicious, especially young human women…
“Enough nonsense, Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord’s son should already be on his way here, we need to find his whereabouts and then send word back to so that Lady Tribal Lord can send out a proper escort. We cannot afford a single mistake in this mission,” The lead Monster Race cultivator quickly said, but soon, a layer of haze appeared on his face as he ground his teeth, “I don’t know how many women from our territory will be ruined at the Young Lord’s hand.”
Hearing him mention this Young Lord of Lord Qian Yan, all the Monster Race cultivators fell silent, as if they deeply dreaded him.
…..
“Junior Brother, what should we do now?” Xia Ning Chang followed behind Yang Kai and asked softly.
“Let’s go to the nearest city first,” Yang Kai sighed. Although he had easily learned the location of the Red Moon Tribal Lord’s palace from the Monster Race cultivator, it was impossible for him to just go there to find Shan Qing Luo.
The Monster Race man he spoke to had said very clearly that no one was allowed to approach the Tribal Lord’s palace without being summoned.
Even those from the Monster Race did not dare violate this rule, not to mention that Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang were just humans.
Chi Yue, one of the Ten Great Tribal Lords on Monster Emperor Star, was inside that palace, so even if Yang Kai was confident in his strength, he wouldn’t dare act carelessly around an Origin King Realm master like her. On top of that, from what Bi Luo had told him, Chi Yue seemed to be a Second-Order Origin King.
If he were to try to force his way in, he would likely die!
He had to think of a better way. It would be best if he could send a message to Shan Qing Luo and let her come out to see him herself.
Yang Kai was lost in thought.
One day later, he and Xia Ning Chang arrived in front of a Monster Race city.
Shimmering Moon City was a little different from the cities Yang Kai had previously been to. The buildings in this city were filled with a rough and wild style that matched with the Monster Race, and while not exquisite, it still had a grand and imposing feeling.
Naturally, it was not just the Monster Race that lived in this city, there were also humans who were coming and going.
Red Moon Tribal Lord was better in this regard compared to other Tribal Lords. In her territory, no Monster Race could kill innocent humans without cause. Although humans still had low status, they had their own talents, and it was these talents Chi Yue fancied, which was why she created a space for humans to survive in.
The other nine Tribal Lords did not share Chi Yue’s level of foresight.
This was especially true for Wild Lion Tribal Lord who was the most addicted to killing and slaughter. In his territory, if there were traces of any humans, his children would follow his doctrine and kill all humans on sight, partaking of their flesh and blood.
As a result, the humans that originally lived in his territory had all scattered and fled, most rushing to Red Moon Territory, a relatively safe region for Humans.
Generally speaking, the two races lived in harmony in Shimmering Moon City. Of course, humans always had inferior status.
When entering Shimmering Moon City, Monster Race cultivators only needed to pay three Mid-Rank Saint Crystals, but Yang Kai needed to pay one High-Rank Saint Crystal.
Regarding this, Yang Kai had no complaints. After paying two High-Rank Saint Crystals, he entered the city together with Xia Ning Chang.
The extremely spacious street was large enough to accommodate several carts driving side by side, and on both sides of the street was a wide variety of shops that had dazzling wears on display. Human and Monster Race cultivators went to and fro, creating a bustling atmosphere.
The owners of these shops also attended to their customers with great zeal, actively soliciting business for their stores.
Yang Kai walked around the streets and soon discovered that most of these stores were opened by humans, with stores run by Monster Race cultivators being the minority.
In terms of business, humans obviously had more talent than the Monster Race.
Observing the wares along the road, Yang Kai’s eyes gradually brightened.
He found many cultivation materials on this Monster Emperor Star that were not available on Shadowed Star. This was normal though, as every star had its own unique products.
Monster Emperor Star was a Cultivation Star that was dominated by the Monster Race, so here, the most common goods on the market were naturally Monster Beast parts and Monster Cores.
When he discovered this, Yang Kai could not help feeling shocked.
He had not expected that everyone was openly selling Monster Beast parts in a city ruled by the Monster Race.
This was genuinely surprising; after all, many Monster Race cultivators were born as Monster Beasts, so didn’t they feel disgusted by such businesses?
It would be the equivalent of someone in a city on Shadowed Star selling human limbs or organs… no one would patronize such a shop.
However, after thinking about it carefully, Yang Kai relaxed and found this practice quite reasonable. Since the business of selling Monster Beast parts was thriving, everyone had become accustomed to it. What’s more, not all of the Monster Race were transformed from Monster Beasts, and even those who were would have plenty of experience killing other, weaker Monster Beasts when they too were Monster Beasts in order to consume their flesh and swallow their cores to strengthen themselves.
Yang Kai began simply observing with interest.
“Junior Brother, there are so many high-end materials here,” Xia Ning Chang’s eyes also shined brightly.
On Tong Xuan Realm, she was restricted by the level of materials available and could not refine higher grade pills, but after arriving here on Monster Emperor Star, it was like she had just entered a giant treasure trove. The dazzling array of high-end materials made her wish she could buy them all then go back and refine pills immediately.
Now that she had refined its Star Source, the prosperity or decline of Tong Xuan Realm was closely related to her cultivation, so Xia Ning Chang could not wait to improve her strength.
To her, performing Alchemy was the same as cultivating, and by doing so she could rapidly improve her strength.
“En, it’s a pity that we don’t have that many Saint Crystals left,” Yang Kai also felt the situation was a bit troublesome.
Since Xia Ning Chang took a fancy to these materials, how could he not? However, most of the Saint Crystals he had brought with him had been used up when Xia Ning Chang refined the Star Source. What he had left was only some reserves and were not enough to purchase these materials in large quantities.
Seeing the disappointment in Xia Ning Chang’s eyes, however, Yang Kai smiled lightly and said, “But, buying a few ingredients should not be a problem.”
Little Senior Sister smiled immediately as her eyes bent into happy crescents.
The two quickly walked into a nearby shop and began checking out its wares while bargaining with the owner.
Half a day later, Xia Ning Chang’s Space Ring was filled with many Alchemy materials.
There were also many valuable treasures in Yang Kai’s Space Ring. There were herbs he obtained from the floating continent and Emperor Garden in the past, along with others he had brought with him from Shadowed Star. If these herbs were paired with the right Monster Beast parts and Monster Cores, Yang Kai would be able to use many of the ancient pill recipes in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture.
Yang Kai had not been able to acquire the materials needed for these ancient pill recipes so far because most of them required specific Monster Beast parts or Monster Cores, and on Shadowed Star, the number of powerful Monster Beasts was quite low. Even the cleverest woman could not cook a meal without rice.
But on Monster Emperor Star, many things satisfied his requirements. If nothing else, the amount of Monster Beast materials here was enormous.
Yang Kai was already considering whether he should stay in this place for a while and search through it carefully.
In addition to Alchemy materials, cultivating Blood Beasts as well as refining Origin King Grade Spirit Pills required Monster Beasts.
However… not having enough Saint Crystals was a big problem.
After buying these materials, Yang Kai brought Xia Ning Chang to the nearest inn and asked for a good courtyard.
Although the architectural style of Shimmering Moon City was quite wild and rough, the rooms in the courtyard Yang Kai booked were quite delicate. Besides having an excellent environment, this courtyard also had barriers around each of its rooms which could block the Divine Senses of others.
This was to ensure the privacy of guests.
The owner of this inn was a Monster Race cultivator, but he was not as domineering as others of the Monster Race. On the contrary, this old man was quite amiable and he warmly received Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang, changing the pair’s impressions of the Monster Race, somewhat.
After settling Xia Ning Chang in, Yang Kai left the inn and began to search for information in Shimmering Moon City.
He hadn’t forgotten that his main purpose in coming here was to look for Shan Qing Luo. Currently, the biggest problem he had was finding a way to approach the Red Moon Tribal Lord’s palace.
After staying in Shimmering Moon City for several days, Yang Kai was no closer to finding a solution to this problem.
Instead, he had bought some precious Monster Beast materials using the limited Saint Crystals he had left.
“Young man, you seem to have something on your mind.”
On a certain day, while Yang Kai was drinking at the inn, lost in thought, the owner walked over with a smile, set down a plate of snacks, then sat down opposite him.
“These past few days it seems you’ve been looking for people to inquire about how to visit Lady Tribal Lord’s palace, but why do you want to see Lady Tribal Lord?” The old man from the Monster Race, who appeared about sixty years old, had a rickety waist and amicable smile. In recent days, he had taken care of Yang Kai well and done his best to satisfy any requests the latter had.
Seeing the owner sitting down on his own initiative, Yang Kai chuckled and replied, “To tell you the truth, Old Man, I’m not asking about Lady Tribal Lord’s palace because I wish to see her.”
“Oh?” The owner of the inn looked at him with interest, “Then what do you want to do? Do you realize that your inquiries had begun to attract the attention of many people? The Monster Race isn’t too friendly to humans here.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai gently nodded. He had indeed noticed how over the past few days, whenever he asked about this topic, the Monster Race cultivators he spoke with either mocked him or dismissed him. Some even spoke ill of and threatened him.
If it were not for the laws Chi Yue had instated, it was likely the Monster Race cultivators would have attacked him already.
A trivial human daring to inquire about Lady Tribal Lord’s palace really did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth.
“You don’t want to see Lady Tribal Lord? Then what do you want?” The inn owner asked.
“Actually, I have a friend who should be in Lady Tribal Lord’s palace, one who I haven’t seen in several dozen years. The last time we met we were forced to make an abrupt farewell, without even enough time to say a proper goodbye, so this time I wanted to meet with them and have a good chat,” Yang Kai answered honestly.
“A friend… heh heh, a woman, right?” The owner of the inn smiled meaningfully with an expression that said he knew everything already.
Yang Kai gave a dry laugh.
“Does that woman like you?” The inn owner asked again.
“Old Sir must enjoy gossiping,” Yang Kai flushed slightly.
The old man just smiled lightly in response, not pressing the subject anymore and instead just saying with some emotion, “Young man, you’re quite fortunate. That woman you came here with is also a good girl, simple and pure, yet outside there is another woman who keeps you in her heart. En, this old man is somewhat envious.”
Shifting the subject, the old man continued, “Actually, if you want to know what is happening in the palace, it’s actually quite simple.”
“Oh? Please enlighten me, Old Sir,” Yang Kai immediately became energetic and asked humbly.
“Every month, some people will leave the palace to purchase supplies from the surrounding towns. Shimmering Moon City is not too far from the palace, and it is also quite prosperous, so it is generally regarded as one of the primary destinations for such trips. You only need to wait a few days in order to see some of the maidservants from the palace here; if you’re lucky, it might even be the woman you wish to meet.”
He obviously thought the same as the previous Monster Race cultivator, that Yang Kai’s friend was a maidservant in the palace.
After all, most humans who were able to enter the palace of Lady Tribal Lord had such statuses.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
Although the owner of the inn had misunderstood the identity of Shan Qing Luo, this wasn’t a problem.
If one of the maidservants that came out from the palace could pass Shan Qing Luo a message from him, then everything would be solved.
“Many thanks, Old Sir!” Yang Kai cupped his fists happily.
“It’s fine, this old man didn’t do anything worthy of thanks.”
“Old Sir,” Yang Kai looked at him curiously and asked, “I feel that your attitude towards humans is very different from others of the Monster Race, do you not discriminate against humans?”
“Discriminate? Why should I?” The owner of the inn looked at Yang Kai with a smile, “You humans are fine the way you are. This old man once knew a very special human when he was young…”
Yang Kai clearly saw a strong, almost inexhaustible tenderness flash across the old man’s eyes at that moment.
Yang Kai suddenly understood something then.
“Never mind, just pretend I didn’t say anything. Young Man, take your time, this old man is getting on in years and needs to lie down for a while,” The owner of the inn suddenly became somewhat disinterested and saying so, stood up to leave, his waist seemingly even more rickety than before.
Yang Kai sighed at this sight.
It seemed that when this inn owner was young, he was in love with a human woman.
Love across races was something that was the subject of disgust in any place, not to mention this was Monster Emperor Star, where the Monster Race ruled supreme and humans had no status whatsoever.
It was precisely because such love was forbidden in many places that inter-racial couples were often split apart and eventually forced into committing suicide, inspiring many an epic story.
Yang Kai did not think too much about this issue, however, simply drinking a few glasses of wine before returning to his courtyard. After updating Xia Ning Chang, who was still studying Alchemy, Yang Kai went straight to the city gate.
According to the owner of the inn, it would be a few days before the maidservants from the palace came here to purchase supplies, but Yang Kai intended to get there ahead of time and come up with a way to send a message to Shan Qing Luo.
Not far from Shimmering Moon City gate, in a certain teahouse.
The location of this shop was good; one could see all the cultivators coming and going from the city gate. Yang Kai had already spent several days at this teahouse without seeing any trace of the maidservants from the palace.
On this day, just as he was sipping tea to pass the time, a commotion suddenly arose at the gate.
The cultivators who were waiting in line to enter the city suddenly separated to the sides of the road, as if they were giving way to some important figure. There were also shouts coming from the crowd and Yang Kai vaguely heard someone yelling, ‘They are here”.
[Have the maidservants from the palace finally arrived?] Yang Kai immediately thought.
The commotion at the city gate also reached the teahouse and the cultivators inside quickly began walking out and gathering on the street. It didn’t take long before the spacious street was filled with people, all of them staring towards the city gate.
Although there were many people, they were all practically silent.
Yang Kai also walked out of the teahouse, mixed into the crowd, and stared towards the city gate with a look of expectation, hoping he would find a suitable candidate to accept his request to deliver a message.
The earth trembled slightly due to vibrations conveyed from afar, as if thousands of troops were marching towards here.
Yang Kai frowned at this as he realized that things seemed a little different from what he thought; After all, if it was just a group of maidservants coming out to purchase supplies, there wouldn’t be this much of a commotion.
What’s more, since these maidservants came once every month, the residents of Shimmering Moon City shouldn’t be surprised by their arrival or be gathering around out of curiosity.
Realizing this, Yang Kai felt a little disappointed. It seemed that the maidservant group wasn’t coming today.
However, he was still quite curious about who it was that had come to Shimmering Moon City to attract so many onlookers.
A short while later, a majestic wolf-shaped Monster Beast charged in from outside. Atop this Monster Beast, there was a Monster Race cultivator that Yang Kai was familiar with.
“Make way, make way!” The Monster Race cultivator rode into Shimmering Moon City and yelled loudly, waving a long whip in his hand to disperse the crowd on the streets further.
Following closely behind him, more than a dozen wolf-shaped Monster Beasts appeared. Each of these Monster Beasts was mounted by a Monster Race cultivator and all of them quickly began clearing out the crowds together with their leader.
[Aren’t they the Monster Race team I asked for directions a few days ago?] Yang Kai looked at the lead cultivator and quickly recalled.
“Friend, which Great Sir has come to Shimmering Moon City? Why is such a fuss being raised?” A questioning voice suddenly came from the side. Obviously, the owner of this voice was also confused and was asking others for information.
“I don’t know,” The person being questioned answered faintly, apparently also in the dark.
“You don’t know who is coming yet you still came out here to see them?” The questioner asked unhappily.
“I just came to take a look without knowing, aren’t you the same?”
“Ah, en…”
Just as everyone was feeling confused and whispering amongst themselves, two giant heads suddenly entered the city gate. These two heads had large, single horns atop their head and were covered in dark coloured scales which looked particularly hard. Snake-like eyes exuding cold light glanced around the crowd, causing many to shudder in fear.
“Those are…” A knowledgeable person immediately exclaimed as he saw through the origins of these two Monster Beasts.
The full picture of these two Monster Beasts quickly appeared before everyone’s eyes. Aside from their giant heads, these two Monster Beasts also had large wings on their backs and their bodies were covered in large dragon-like scales. Long tails flicked about behind them, seemingly containing explosive power.
“Ninth-Order Thunder Flame Flying Lizard Monster Beasts!”
Not all Monster Beasts had the ability to assume human form. Some Monster Beasts would maintain a beast form throughout their lives, and this Ninth-Order Thunder Flame Flying Lizard was obviously one of them. Amongst Ninth-Order Monster Beasts, it was a famous existence. Born proficient in both Thunder and Fire Attributes, with a violent and cruel temper, even Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators who encountered them would have no choice but to flee.
There weren’t many masters who were capable of subduing this type of Monster Beast.
But now, these two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards had been reduced to beasts of burden. They were bound by their necks and their reins extended behind them to a luxuriously decorated carriage that was slowly entering Shimmering Moon City.
This carriage was very extremely ornate, and as its wheels turned, a faint jingle could be heard coming from it that was quite pleasing to the ear.
The carriage had an open top with no doors or windows, only some pink curtains hung around it. It seemed that the owner of this carriage enjoyed being seen and noticed by onlookers.
There were three people in this carriage, but almost everyone’s eyes focused on a single one at this moment.
A man in white robes and a face like a jade carving sat on the soft couch of the carriage, the casual yet luxurious and majestic air around him unconsciously made those who saw him feel inferior.
At first glance, most would only think that this man was particularly handsome, but the more one stared, the more they became transfixed.
His eyes had a divine light to them that seemed to exude a peculiar power. Any woman who met eyes with him would begin to lose herself in them, like moths to a flickering flame, anxious to recklessly throw themselves at him.
A stunning woman was laying her head on the man’s lap as he used his delicate hand to stroke her luscious black hair. The woman’s eyes were slightly squinted, revealing a look of extreme enjoyment, as if she were a pet that was basking in its owner’s caress.
Another woman was lying in the arms of the man, with the same dazzled look on her pretty face, a faint pink hue radiating from her skin as she panted slightly, her red lips shining with an amorous light.
Although he was being watched by countless people, the man still smiled lightly, his eyes filled with a kind of wicked light that was capable of bewitching any woman he gazed upon, setting their heart aflame and drawing them in to offer their entire beings to him.
“I know who he is, he’s Young Master Wicked Eyes! It’s Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord’s Young Lord Mi Tian!” An exclamation came from the crowd, revealing the lofty identity of the man sitting on the carriage.
Many people recognized him in fact.
The complexions of all the men present changed drastically as the look in their eyes as they stared towards Mi Tian quickly went from curiosity to dread.
This couldn’t be helped, Young Master Wicked Eyes Mi Tian’s reputation on Monster Emperor Star was really too terrifying. It was rumoured that even if the number of women who had died at his hands wasn’t a thousand, it was at least eight hundred. Worse, these women weren’t taken by force but offered their lives to him willingly.
It was said that Mi Tian had cultivated some kind of Secret Technique that resembled gathering Yin to supplement Yang, and that any woman who spent the evening with him, no matter how outstanding, would be dead by morning.
Even so, there was still no lack of women who rushed to accept Mi Tian’s embrace.
The most hateful thing about this Mi Tian was that whether they were Human or Monster Race women, he accepted them all.
With so many women having fallen prey to him, generally, no matter where Mi Tian went, men would not allow their women to come out and show their faces and would try their best to avoid having their lovers and relatives meet him.
No one had heard that Mi Tian would be coming to Shimmering Moon City though, so no one had taken precautions. If they had known earlier, they would have avoided him like a viper rather than gathering around to greet him.
But now, with these two Ninth-Order Thunder Flame Flying Lizards present, and Mi Tian already before their eyes, how could they do that?
It was all over! Many cultivators looked towards their women and saw looks of admiration and desire as they stared at Mi Tian. Seeing this, these men wished they could rush up and shred Mi Tian’s corpse into ten thousand pieces.
But these were just their secret desires.
Without even mentioning that Mi Tian was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, with few worthy to be his opponent, his two Ninth-Order Monster Beasts were also not to be provoked easily.
Most importantly, there was a huge backer behind Mi Tian.
Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord!
With the father being a true Origin King Realm master, who would dare attack his son? Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord doted upon his son greatly, there was no other explanation for him giving Mi Tian two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards just to pull his carriage.
Standing in the crowd, Yang Kai also learned the identity of this man from the exclamations and discussions of the people around him; however, he couldn’t help feeling the situation was a bit strange. Why would the Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord’s favoured son come to Red Moon Territory?
As far as Yang Kai knew, the relationship between the Ten Great Tribal Lords on Monster Emperor Star was not very harmonious.
However, Yang Kai merely found this curious and didn’t think too deeply about it. After learning that the person who caused the commotion was not the group of maidservants he was waiting for, Yang Kai’s interest in watching faded completely.
The look on Young Master Wicked Eyes also annoyed Yang Kai, it was a natural kind of arrogance that seemed to proclaim that all women in the world belonged to him.
Yang Kai wanted to turn around and leave, but after emerging from his own thoughts, he was immediately stunned.
All the cultivators, who were originally standing on both sides of the street, were now down on one knee at the moment in order to respectfully welcome Mi Tian into the city.
When Yang Kai turned his head and looked around, his brows furrowed.
He suddenly discovered that he was like a crane amongst chickens…
There were countless onlookers present, but all of them were half kneeling on the ground right now, with only Yang Kai standing around in a daze.
Mi Tian glanced over and tilted his head up slightly at this sight. Even though he was just sitting on his carriage, staring down disdainfully at Yang Kai from above, his eyes seemed to emit an oppressive aura.
“Bold!” An angry shout came from the side as one of the Monster Race cultivators who was riding a wolf-shaped Monster Beast that had led Mi Tian into the city brought his mount in front of Yang Kai and waved his long riding whip as he reproved, “Why have you not kneeled yet!”
Saying so, he advanced towards Yang Kai, as if he wanted to teach him a lesson.
Yang Kai just stared back at him indifferently though.
The Monster Race cultivator was stunned as he suddenly recognized Yang Kai’s face. [Wasn’t this the human who had asked me for directions the other day?]
At that time, he had felt this human was somewhat unfathomable…
Thinking so, the Monster Race cultivator slightly shook his wrist and the whip he originally sent straight towards Yang Kai deviated slightly, hitting the air and making a loud cracking sound.
Since he could not figure out Yang Kai’s depths, he didn’t dare to act rashly. On the other hand, he needed to maintain Young Lord Mi Tian’s face; after all, all the Monster Race masters here had knelt down to salute Mi Tian, but a trivial human actually remained standing. This was unacceptable.
This was a naked display of contempt towards Mi Tian as well as an insult to the Monster Race as a whole.
As such, this Monster Race cultivator was at a loss for a moment, not knowing what to do, quickly turning his eyes to Mi Tian for help.
“Human, you’re quite bold. You dare refuse to kneel in the presence of this Young Lord?” Mi Tian smiled softly, seemingly harmless to humans and animals alike, but everyone could clearly hear the contempt in his words.
Mi Tian’s distinguished status and superb strength gave him the qualifications to act this way though.
[This human boy’s fate would surely be miserable!] Many cultivators thought so and some could not help directing looks of sympathy towards Yang Kai.
Most in the crowd, however, were just taking pleasure in another’s misfortune. With Yang Kai attracting Mi Tian’s attention, perhaps even the notorious Young Master Wicked Eyes would not have any extra energy to pay attention to the various beautiful women in Shimmering Moon City.
Thinking so, many people felt grateful to Yang Kai and quietly pressed down the heads of the beautiful women next to them to prevent them from revealing their faces.
“Kneel?” Yang Kai chuckled, undauntedly meeting eyes with Mi Tian and asking, “Why?”
[This shameless Monster Race boy actually wants me to kneel?] Yang Kai had rarely heard such wild words.
In all honesty, Yang Kai didn’t want to stir up trouble on Monster Emperor Star, so if Mi Tian pretended not to see him and simply let this incident pass, things would have been fine, but now that conflict seemed inevitable, Yang Kai was naturally not going to back down.
“Because you’re human!” Mi Tian sneered, releasing an aggressive air, “Humans must kneel down when they see this Young Lord!”
As if feeling their master’s anger, the Thunder Flame Flying Lizards pulling the carriage became violent and turned their gazes towards Yang Kai while spraying hot air from their nostrils, their eyes filling with a bloodthirsty and cruel light.
The complexions of the people around Yang Kai changed drastically, and without hesitation, all of them scattered away, not daring to remain close to him, fearing that after the city gate caught fire, the fish in the moat would be affected.
In an instant, with Yang Kai as its centre, a hundred-metre radius had become free of all others.
Yang Kai became more and more conspicuous.
“Human, on Monster Emperor Star, you’d better not act so presumptuous, otherwise you’ll pay a heavy price!” Mi Tian looked at Yang Kai indifferently. Even the two stunning women who were fawning on Mi Tian glared at Yang Kai, as if blaming him for his rudeness.
“Monster Emperor Star is my Monster Race’s territory, as for you humans… En, it’s best if you humans keep your heads lowered and remain obedient. However, this Young Lord is not a petty man. Since this is your first offence, I can treat it as if I never saw anything. Kneel down and this Young Lord will spare your life!” Mi Tian pointed his finger downwards and declared in an imposing manner.
“And if I don’t?” Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a cold light as he stared back at Mi Tian with a smile.
“You have no choice!” Mi Tian coldly snorted.
As soon as he spoke these words, the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard on the left suddenly opened its jaw and a ball of flames wrapped in arcs of lightning shot out towards Yang Kai.
Feeling the horrific killing power of this thunder-fireball, many cultivators were shocked.
Although most of them had heard about the terrible power of Thunder Flame Flying Lizards before, few had seen one with their own eyes. Today was an eye-opening experience for them.
No wonder Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators had no choice but to flee when they encountered a Thunder Flame Flying Lizard. This thunder-fireball alone could not be resisted by ordinary Origin Returning Realm masters.
As the terrifying thunder-fireball rushed towards his face, Yang Kai simply stood in place, as if unaware of the approaching danger. It was not until the thunder-fireball was right in front of him that he lifted his hand and grabbed towards it.
[Courting death!] Many cultivators who saw this scene had such thoughts in their hearts.
The attack of a Thunder Flame Flying Lizard was not so easily dealt with. It seemed there was something wrong with this boy’s head, trying to take this attack head-on with nothing but his body. No wonder he dared challenge Mi Tian.
A shocking scene appeared next, however.
When Yang Kai hand grasped the thunder-fireball, instead of him being directly burned to ashes as everyone expected, the thunder-fireball froze in place.
An extremely mysterious force burst forth at that instant, and in a flash, as if it was somehow being deflated, the terrifying thunder-fireball shrank at an extremely rapid pace until it finally disappeared.
Yang Kai stood in place, completely unharmed.
Gasps sounded from all around.
Mi Tian also finally sat up, pushing the woman who was half lying on his lap out of the way as a look of interest flashed across his eyes.
“Not bad, a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm!” Mi Tian grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, “No wonder you dare act so rampant, it turns out you have some small skill!”
The moment Yang Kai acted, Mi Tian was able to detect Yang Kai’s cultivation.
The Second-Order Origin Returning Realm was not weak on Monster Emperor Star, not to mention that this boy was a human!
Monster Emperor Star was dominated by the Monster Race, and although there were abundant materials and World Energy here, Origin Realm masters rarely emerged among humans, as those with high aptitude were generally strangled in the cradle.
The Monster Race wouldn’t allow Human Race masters to rise up. They allow humans to survive because they fancied the unique talents of the Human Race, but how could they permit the Human Race an opportunity to oppose the Monster Race’s hegemony?
So, after realizing that Yang Kai was a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, Mi Tian suddenly became interested. Standing up on his carriage, he waved his hand and coldly ordered, “Kill him!”
The two Ninth-Order Monster Beasts immediately became violent as they stood upright, opened their mouths, and gathered flame and lightning in preparation to attack.
A panic ensued at the city gates as most of the cultivators gathered quickly fled.
Yang Kai let out a defiant laugh as he shouted, “Two mere beasts dare act wild before me!”
Golden light flashed, and under the control of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, two Golden Blood Threads shot out like arrows towards the Thunder Flame Flying Lizards.
Two pillars of fire spurted from the mouths of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizards, greeting the Golden Blood Threads head-on; however, these flame jets were unable to even impede the speed of the Golden Blood Thread’s charge. The flames which caused everyone else to pale in fright were actually unable to even damage the Golden Blood Threads.
In the blink of an eye, the Golden Blood Threads shot into the Thunder Flame Flying Lizards’ mouths.
The next moment, the two Ninth-Order Monster Beasts roared as their massive bodies swayed from side to side, colliding with and collapsing all the nearby buildings.
The Golden Blood Threads which had rushed into their abdomens were still under Yang Kai’s control and were now wantonly cutting into these two beasts’ bodies, causing unimaginable damage and pain to them.
Yang Kai did not remain idle either as his figure flickered and rushed out, instantly arriving in the air above one of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard’s heads and sending out a punch.
This punch seemed like a casual strike without any hidden power and mystery behind it.
But when this fist hit the head of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard, it was as if the huge Monster Beast had been struck by a ten-ton hammer. First, its skull distorted from the blow, then it crashed to the ground like a falling meteor.
The entire city felt as if it shook from the impact!
A big crater immediately appeared in the ground as the head of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard sunk into it.
Worthy of a Ninth-Order Monster Beast, however, even after its insides were torn up by a Golden Blood Thread and its head was smashed by Yang Kai, it still had not died. On the contrary, it only grew fiercer, and with a thunderous roar, it spread its large wings and flapped hard, trying to escape from Yang Kai’s range.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered again and arrived directly in front of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard, planting his feet on its lower jaws while lifting his hands up towards the sky, holding up the upper palate of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard’s giant maw.
“What is he doing?” The onlookers were all stunned as they gawked at Yang Kai in shock.
From his posture, it looked as if he wanted to rip this Ninth-Order Monster Beast in half, but the tiny body of a human formed a sharp contrast with the giant mouth of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard.
No one doubted this Thunder Flame Flying Lizard could swallow down this human boy whole.
Yang Kai’s body was bent like a shrimp, and his exposed muscles were clearly bulging out, as if exerting an unimaginable strength.
He and Thunder Flame Flying Lizard were now having a simple competition of strength.
Everyone thought Yang Kai was crazy.
It was well known that in terms of physical strength, the Monster Race was born with a decisive advantage, not to mention a huge Ninth-Order Monster Beast such as this Thunder Flame Flying Lizard. In particular, the bite force of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard was truly astonishing.
Yang Kai taking the initiative to enter this Monster Beast’s mouth was nothing short of challenging the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard’s greatest strength.
Was there something wrong with this guy’s head? Many people could not help wondering to themselves.
However, the results of this contest came quickly and were completely beyond everyone’s predictions.
Just as the crowd was suspecting if Yang Kai had some kind of mental issues, his bent body suddenly straightened up.
In an astonishing burst of strength, the giant mouth of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard failed to stop Yang Kai’s body from uncurling.
The huge jaw curved unnaturally before suddenly its upper half flew up while its lower half crashed to the ground.
*Ci la…*
With blood splattering through the air, the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard’s head split in two, its muscles and tendons pulled apart by an unstoppable force right before everyone’s eyes.
The audience went silent as they all stared sluggishly at Yang Kai, as if their heads could not keep up with what their eyes were seeing.
If someone said that Yang Kai was a Monster Race master renowned for his physical strength, this scene might be explainable, but… he was just a human!
Can humans really have such terrifying power?
*Hong…*
With a loud thud, the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard’s huge body fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Yang Kai stood mid-air, covered in blood, an astonishing murderous aura pulsing from his body, like a god of slaughter from ancient times, causing all who saw him to shudder.
Turning his head to the other Thunder Flame Flying Lizard that was currently rushing over towards him, Yang Kai grinned menacingly.
Although this Thunder Flame Flying Lizard was unable to assume human form, its sentience wasn’t low, so when it saw its companion killed by this human in such a brutal and unbelievable way, how could it dare get any closer?
With a low growl from its throat, this beast beat its wings violently, trying to stop itself from advancing.
It was too late, however. Yang Kai dashed forward and arrived in front of the second Thunder Flame Flying Lizard, twisted his body, and dove straight into its open mouth.
In the next moment, a terrifying sound came from inside the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard, causing those who heard it to shiver uncontrollably. Visible to the naked eye, a surge of energy burst from the beast’s neck before sliding down to its abdomen.
*Hong…*
A giant hole suddenly exploded in the abdomen of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard, and Yang Kai’s figure sprang from it.
The second Thunder Flame Flying Lizard crashed to the ground, its life aura extinguished.
Everything happened too fast. From the point Mi Tian ordered Yang Kai’s death, to the time Yang Kai killed the two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards, only three breaths passed.
This change happened so fast the crowd was not even able to keep up with what was happening.
It was not until Yang Kai burst out of the abdomen of the second Thunder Flame Flying Lizard that they suddenly recovered.
Two extremely powerful Ninth-Order Monster Beasts… had died just like that.
[Were those really Thunder Flame Flying Lizards? They were not some kind of weak Monster Beast that just looked like Thunder Flame Flying Lizards, right? Right?] This kind of thought flashed across everyone’s mind as they stared blankly at Yang Kai.
The violent and brutal fighting style he displayed dazzled and terrified everyone present.
Battles between Monster Race cultivators were known for being wild and violent, something most Monster Race cultivators took pride in.
They felt that battles between the Monster Race were real battles. As for fights between humans… they were just fancy shows.
However, the human in front of them, confronting Young Lord Mi Tian, had shocked the crowd with a true display of ruthless violence!
The audience was stunned silent.
Even Mi Tian now stared at Yang Kai solemnly.
He found that this human was… not affable.
Although the two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards used to pull his carriage had lost of their innate ferocity because they had been domesticated since childhood and weren’t comparable to Monster Beasts of the same species who were born and raised in the wild, they weren’t creatures a mere Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator could kill at will.
In front of Mi Tian’s eyes, the two Monster Beasts who had pulled his carriage had both died without even being able to put up the slightest resistance.
Mi Tian thought for a moment and concluded that even he could not replicate this feat! Releasing his Divine Sense suspiciously, he probed Yang Kai but still found that this human had a Second-Order Origin Realm cultivation and was not hiding his strength at all.
Mi Tian narrowed his eyes as a cold light flashed across them, his blood starting to boil slightly as he did.
The Monster Race was militant, and Mi Tian, as the Young Master of Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord, still had bloodthirsty and violent impulses ingrained in his bones. Due to his noble status, he was simply better at controlling them than others of his race.
However, at this moment, he felt Yang Kai would be a good opponent, one he could fight without holding back.
*Kacha…*
A slight noise suddenly rang out from Mi Tian’s body, one that was nearly imperceptible, but almost like every part of his body was shaking very subtly.
This was a sign of excitement!
“What’s going on here!” At that moment, several rays of light flew over from afar, and before these people arrived, an angry shout rang out.
Immediately, these rays of light fell in front of the crowd, and after seeing the Monster Beast bodies as well as the tense atmosphere in front of the city gate, these newcomers could not help gawking momentarily.
“Sir Ma Ge Na!” The Monster Race cultivator, who was riding the wolf-shaped mount, hurriedly got down and respectfully saluted these new arrivals.
The City Lord of Shimmering Moon City was a Monster Race master named Ma Ge Na. As the master of such a prosperous city, he naturally had a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation.
However, even though he was the City Lord of Shimmering Moon City, he knew nothing about what had transpired here, or even about the arrival of Mi Tian.
It was not that Ma Ge Na was particularly ignorant of his surroundings, it was just that Mi Tian had acted too unreasonably. Originally, the team of cultivators riding wolf-shaped Monster Beasts were only responsible for finding Mi Tian’s whereabouts and then reporting back. Afterwards, a proper reception would be sent out to escort him directly to the City Lord’s Mansion.
But Mi Tian had refused to allow these Monster Race cultivators to send word back to Ma Ge Na, and after meeting them, coerced them into bringing him directly to Shimmering Moon City.
Obviously, he was well aware of his poor reputation and that everyone would try to avoid him wherever he went, so in order to not have news leak, giving the residents of Shimmering Moon City time to hide their beauties, he did not allow anyone to inform Shimmering Moon City’s City Lord of his location.
Mi Tian planned to first patronize Shimmering Moon City and pick out some new ‘toys’ before heading to Red Moon Tribal Lord’s palace.
His plan was quite good, but unexpectedly he had run into and provoked Yang Kai the moment he entered the city, resulting in his two Ninth-Order Monster Beasts being killed.
“Young Lord Mi Tian?” Ma Ge Na recognized Mi Tian’s identity immediately and his complexion became gloomy. Obviously, he too didn’t want to invite Mi Tian into his city to cause trouble.
“Haha, Mi Tian greets Senior Ma Ge Na, Mi Tian has arrived here uninvited and hopes Senior won’t take offence,” Mi Tian cupped his fists, his seemingly harmless, bright smile causing countless women to swoon.
“What’s all this about?” Ma Ge Na calmly looked at the Monster Race cultivator who had been riding his wolf-shaped mount.
The Monster Race cultivator leaked cold sweat as he could tell the City Lord was very upset and didn’t dare to conceal anything, quickly and succinctly explaining everything that had transpired.
“Impudence!” After hearing that Yang Kai had killed Mi Tian’s Monster Beasts, Ma Ge Na suddenly roared as he glared sharply at Yang Kai.
Although he did not like the idea of Mi Tian womanizing in his territory, a human daring to challenge a noble of the Monster Race was definitely not something he could tolerate. Comparing the two issues, his displeasure with Mi Tian showing up uninvited was nothing of concern.
However, who exactly was this young human, who was capable of killing two Ninth-Order Monster Beasts in such a short time? The strength required for such a feat was quite extraordinary.
Staring at Yang Kai suspiciously, Ma Ge Na was unable to remember when such an expert appeared amongst the Human Race.
Yang Kai straight-up ignored him, however, and instead silently stood for a moment before waving his hand and retrieving two golden lights from the dead Thunder Flame Flying Lizards. These two golden lights danced around Yang Kai’s fingertips, as if they had spirituality.
Looking at these two Golden Blood Threads, which now had a hint of red in them too, Yang Kai smiled with satisfaction.
He had been unable to find suitable Monster Beasts to condense Blood Beast from, but suddenly ran into two perfect specimens, so when Mi Tian picked a fight, Yang Kai had not hesitated to respond.
The Blood Beast Secret Technique, which was condensed from the essence of a Ninth-Order Monster Beast, was not bad.
After he took the Golden Blood Threads back, the corpses of the two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards on the ground suddenly shrivelled, as if wilting away, their vitality and essence all drained clean in an instant.
“Hm!” Mi Tian’s eyes lit up, “What Secret Technique is this!?”
He seemed to be quite interested as he directed a look of surprise towards the two Golden Blood Threads dancing between Yang Kai’s fingers, his eyes not even blinking.
Although he was a noble amongst the Monster Race, Mi Tian was quite interested in the various Secret Techniques humans used. Humans were not comparable to the Monster Race in terms of physical strength, but when it came to the creation and use of Secret Techniques, the Monster Race was clearly inferior.
Both races had their own advantages.
Mi Tian understood this well, and was different from many Monster Race masters in that he did not reject or despise the Secret Techniques used by humans; he did not think they were merely flashy with no substance and instead was willing to calmly study and comprehend them.
With the powerful body of the Monster Race, combined with the Human Race’s ever-changing and mysterious Secret Techniques, Mi Tian believed that one day, he could create his own unique style of fighting and reach greater heights than even his father Qian Yan to stand atop Monster Emperor Star’s Ten Great Tribal Lords!
This position had been vacant for a long time.
Now, he was quite interested in Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Thread Secret Technique.
He had studied the Secret Techniques of many humans before so his vision was quite sharp and he was able to tell how extraordinary these two Golden Blood Threads were at a glance, moreover… after emerging from the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard corpses, these two Golden Blood Threads seemed to have gained spirituality!
[He had to obtain them!] This overbearing thought flashed across Mi Tian’s mind and he quickly pointed at Yang Kai and said, “Human, give this Young Lord those things in your hand and this Young Lord will forgive your previous transgressions.”
Yang Kai raised his eyes and looked at him, curled his lips and grinned, a moment later taking back the two Golden Blood Threads as he said concisely, “No!”
Mi Tian frowned and stared at him strangely for a moment before chuckling lowly, “Human, is there something wrong with your head? Do you think that after killing this Young Lord’s two Monster Beasts you can just walk away? Do you think you can leave Shimmering Moon City alive? If you want to survive, obediently cooperate with this Young Lord and I can spare your life, don’t you refuse a toast just to drink a loss!”
As he spoke, Shimmering Moon City’s City Lord Ma Ge Na and several Origin Returning Realm masters nearly turned dangerous glares towards Yang Kai, preparing to take action at any moment.
Regarding Yang Kai, Ma Ge Na unconditionally supported Mi Tian.
As such, he stared at Yang Kai with an unkind look and said coldly, “Boy, you should learn to appreciate kindness, in my Shimmering Moon City, you can’t act so presumptuous.”
“Presumptuous?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes at him, not giving him the slightest face as he declared arrogantly and aggressively, “So what if I act presumptuously? Are you going to bite me?”
“Bold!” Ma Ge Na flew into a rage. He had lived for so many years but had never met such an audacious human before. Even taking all of Monster Emperor Star into account, which other human was so ignorant of the immensity of Heaven and Earth? No matter how powerful a human was, they would have to show deference to any Monster Race, let alone a City Lord like him.
Ma Ge Na glanced over at Mi Tian, and Mi Tian happened to look over at the same time.
When their eyes met, they both understood each other’s thoughts.
They needed to join forces to capture or kill this human, otherwise, the entire Monster Race would lose all face here today.
But before they could act, a strange energy fluctuation suddenly erupted from somewhere in Shimmering Moon City. Mi Tian and Ma Ge Na were both Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters so naturally they immediately detected this disturbance.
What puzzled them, however, was they could not identify what had caused this strange energy fluctuation.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes as he raised his head and glanced in the direction the energy fluctuations had appeared, frowning as he pondered for a moment before thinking of something and dashing off.
His speed was nothing less than quick!
“Stop right here!” Ma Ge Na roared furiously, throwing out a punch the moment Yang Kai moved in an attempt to intercept him.
A gleam of purple light suddenly appeared as Yang Kai summoned his Purple Shield and easily blocked the blow, not even slowing down as he rushed off.
He had a bad premonition about this situation, so how could he waste any time here?
As his figure flickered, Space Force fluctuations wrapped around his body and in the blink of an eye, Yang Kai disappeared.
Ma Ge Na and Mi Tian were left stunned!
Neither of them had seen how Yang Kai left just now. Their eyes and Divine Senses were obviously locked onto him, but the other party had somehow easily thrown them off.
The two Monster Race masters couldn’t help showing solemn looks, and after exchanging another glance, they both rushed off towards the source of the strange energy fluctuations.
They too wanted to know what had happened and why such a strange phenomenon had appeared.
In front of a certain inn inside Shimmering Moon City, a large number of cultivators had gathered. These cultivators were all attracted here by the strange occurrence that was happening. There were Human and Monster Race cultivators, males and females. At this moment, everyone was standing around in the street in front of the inn, pointing and whispering amongst themselves.
When Yang Kai arrived here, he looked up into the sky and immediately showed a helpless, wry smile.
His premonition was right.
The owner of the inn was also standing in front of the inn, his waist as rickety as always as his arms were folded across his chest. Like most people, he was looking up into the sky with a complicated expression flashing across his face and a glint in his eyes as if he was trying to discern something.
When Yang Kai arrived, the old owner immediately noticed him and he hurriedly beckoned, “Come here, Young Man.”
Yang Kai glanced over at him and quickly rushed to his side, a somewhat apologetic look on his face as he said, “Old sir, I’m afraid I’ve caused you some trouble.”
The old man chuckled and shook his head, “This old man’s troubles aren’t worth mentioning, it’s your troubles that seem somewhat big.”
Saying so, the old man glanced lightly over at the two Monster Race masters, Ma Ge Na and Mi Tian, who had arrived at some point. The corners of the old man’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch as he added, “Your troubles don’t seem to be limited to what’s happening in the inn either.”
“Haha…” Yang Kai laughed dryly, not knowing what to say.
If it was just about Ma Ge Na and Mi Tian targeting him, Yang Kai wouldn’t care. All he would need to do is take Little Senior Sister with him and tear space to escape them completely. Monster Emperor Star was so big that there would always be a place for them to hide.
What’s more, if it was someone below the Origin King Realm, Yang Kai didn’t need to fear. If they really fought, Yang Kai wouldn’t mind turning all of Shimmering Moon City upside down.
But now, the vision in front of him gave him a headache.
After coming here, he could see at a glance that this phenomenon was caused by Little Senior Sister.
Xia Ning Chang had been living in the inn these days, leading a simple life of refining pills from various materials and improving her cultivation.
Yang Kai didn’t disturb her either.
He had never expected that in this place, Little Senior Sister would actually refine such an incredible pill.
Yang Kai had a similar experience before, so he could tell that this startling phenomenon was a precursor to the refinement of a pill that formed Pill Clouds!
When Yang Kai was back on Rainfall Star, he had refined a Fire Attribute pill that formed Pill Clouds in order to treat Xue Yue who had been poisoned by the Profound Yin Sunflower Water, and a very similar phenomenon had appeared at that time.
Of all the pills Yang Kai had refined so far, only that particular one had formed Pill Clouds and it was after that experience he deeply learned that Pill Clouds weren’t something one can seek but can only encounter by luck! This was different from Pill Veins as with Yang Kai’s Alchemy skills he could easily refine a pill that formed Pill Veins.
However, the exact method to consistently refine pills that formed Pill Clouds was still a mystery to him.
With Little Senior Sister’s Special Constitution and her Heaven-defying talent in the Alchemic Way, reaching this point was almost a given.
But this was Monster Emperor Star, and they were currently inside Shimmering Moon City! Once this pill was refined, it would definitely attract the attention of countless masters, especially Ma Ge Na and Mi Tian who were just quarrelling with Yang Kai; these two would definitely not let go of this pill.
They also wouldn’t let Xia Ning Chang go free!
An Alchemist who could refine a pill that formed Pill Clouds had obviously reached an astonishing height in the Alchemic Way and was well deserving of the title of ‘Grandmaster’! How could the Monster Race not try to possess such a Heaven defying talent?
Yang Kai’s expression fluctuated as various thoughts flashed across his mind, considering the stakes of the situation at hand.
He couldn’t stop Xia Ning Chang now. Chance and opportunities were extremely important in Alchemy, and Little Senior Sister being able to complete this refinement would have enormous benefits to her growth. To stop her now would be tantamount to denying her all the enlightenments this opportunity would bring and may even negatively affect her future achievements.
No matter what, she had to finish refining this pill successfully.
It seems… what came next would truly be troublesome.
After making up his mind, Yang Kai’s eyes became as cold and sharp as a blade.
Both Ma Ge Na and Mi Tian were staring blankly at the sky as right above the inn, a massive amount of World Energy was gathering, as if attracted by something, and it wasn’t long before a small vortex appeared, rotating slowly as it absorbed and drew in more World Energy to strengthen itself.
“Senior Ma Ge Na, what is this? Is some kind of rare treasure about to form?” Although Mi Tian had sharp eyesight, he had never witnessed the refinement of a pill that formed Pill Clouds, so he was completely lost at this moment and had to defer to an elder like Ma Ge Na.
Ma Ge Na frowned as he continued staring up into the sky, trying to determine what had caused this phenomenon, but after some time he slowly shook his head slowly, “This City Lord also does not know.”
“Even Senior is unable to recognize what is happening?” Mi Tian was surprised.
“The world is vast and filled with innumerable strange phenomena, so it is not surprising this City Lord does not recognize this particular one. En, can anyone here identify what is happening?” Ma Ge Na turned to the other Origin Returning Realm masters and asked.
Everyone shook their heads one after another, all of them never having witnessed something like this before.
“Interesting,” Mi Tian smiled brightly, flashing his flawless teeth just the right amount to emphasize his handsome face, his somewhat wicked appearance dazzling many of them women present who were secretly casting him glances, “From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like someone is breaking through or cultivating some kind of Secret Technique. It also doesn’t look like the birth of some rare treasure, so what could be the cause?”
“The solution is simple, we just need to take a look,” One of Ma Ge Na’s Second-Order Origin Returning Realm subordinates declared as he unscrupulously released his Divine Sense towards the inn.
But before his Divine Sense could reach the outer walls, this master suddenly noticed a dangerous aura strike towards him and, in the next instant, he felt his Divine Sense being scorched by a kind of burning heat.
With a scream, this Monster Race master couldn’t help stumbling backwards a few steps as he clutched his head, a splitting headache causing his face to pale!
Instantly, all eyes turned to Yang Kai.
Everyone had felt that it was Yang Kai who just released that Divine Sense attack and forced this man back, causing him to suffer greatly!
Ma Ge Na’s expression turned incredibly gloomy as Mi Tian flashed a playful grin.
“That was just a warning. If anyone dares try to spy on what’s happening inside, don’t blame me for being impolite,” Yang Kai stood alone in front of everyone, his voice cold and callus.
Right now was a critical moment for Little Senior Sister, one that even he dared not peek on, so how could Yang Kai allow these Monster Race cultivators to use their Divine Sense to pry? What if they interfered with Xia Ning Chang’s Alchemy?
Yang Kai and the Monster Race master were both Second-Order Origin Realm cultivators, but when it came to a competition of Divine Sense, the Monster Race man was vastly inferior. Realizing this, Ma Ge Na and Mi Tian’s already high evaluation of Yang Kai rose significantly once more.
“Boy!” Ma Ge Na’s deep voice boomed, “Are you really so determined to oppose my Monster Race?”
“You have courage and strength, but you’re too overconfident,” Mi Tian chuckled lightly as he sneered.
Yang Kai didn’t speak and instead just stared at them coldly. No one doubted Yang Kai’s determination and the Monster Race masters who had just now wanted to use their Divine Senses to spy on what was happening in the inn quickly dismissed such thoughts, a faint trace of fear flashing across their eyes.
Obviously, this human did not have a build comparable to those from the Monster Race, but with him standing there, all the Monster Races cultivators felt as if they were staring at a tall and solid mountain, blocking all wind and rain from reaching the inn behind him.
While some Monster Race cultivators felt fear towards Yang Kai, others actually felt a hint of admiration.
Not every human was so bold, daring to use their strength to face so many Monster Race masters without backing down.
“Good, good, good! Boy, you don’t put this City Lord or the Monster Race in your eyes and you even dared oppose Young Lord Mi Tian, so today this place will be your burial ground. I hope you are prepared!” Ma Ge Na could no longer bear it. He was already dissatisfied with Yang Kai, and now seeing him take such a domineering stance, how could Ma Ge Na compromise?
Right now, his priority was to kill this human boy. As for what mysteries were hidden in the inn, it wouldn’t be too late to investigate afterwards!
“Boy, your death has come!” Mi Tian snickered towards Yang Kai as murderous intent flashed across his eyes.
He seemed to be calm and carefree, but how could he not be angry with Yang Kai for killing his two Ninth-Order Monster Beasts? Now that he had an opportunity to team up with Ma Ge Na against this enemy, Mi Tian was naturally going to take it.
All the other Origin Returning Realm masters began condensing their energy in preparation to attack Yang Kai as well.
“You want my life? Let’s see if you have the ability!” Yang Kai coldly snorted as an invisible force centred around him suddenly spread out. All the cultivators who were wrapped up in this force felt themselves being suppressed and their bodies becoming sluggish, as if they had fallen into a pit of mud. Even the Saint Qi in their meridians was no longer flowing smoothly.
Shi!
As soon as Yang Kai released his Shi, Ma Ge Na couldn’t help paling slightly.
He was shocked to discover that even his own attainments in Shi were inferior to this human youth.
How was that possible though?
He was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master while this human boy had only reached the Second-Order. Although it was only one Minor Realm of difference, this should have been an insurmountable gap, so why was this boy’s Shi stronger than his own?
Many Monster Race cultivators already released their own Shi to resist Yang Kai’s, but even so, none of them could completely counter the invisible suppression they were facing.
On top of that, every Monster Race cultivator had noticed that in the Shi of this human boy, there was a special power mixed in. This power sent chills down their spines, as if they would be cut down so long as they moved.
Yang Kai’s Space Force had been integrated into his Shi and was one of the strongest cards in his hand that he would not expose unless absolutely necessary; even so, the Monster Race masters who were enveloped by Yang Kai’s Shi could still feel a strange, invisible murderous intent swirling around them.
Ma Ge Na’s complexion had gone pale while Mi Tian’s expression was also solemn.
The two Monster Race masters had not expected Yang Kai’s comprehension of Shi to be so profound, and recalling how great his physical strength and Divine Sense were as well, for a while, they didn’t dare to act rashly.
On the contrary, it was the owner of the inn whose eyes were originally somewhat dispirited that suddenly lit up as he stared at Yang Kai in surprise.
Immediately, he raised his head again and carefully studied the phenomenon occurring in the sky while sniffing the air lightly.
Soon, he seemed to have discovered something and amazement flashed across the depths of his eyes!
“Stop!” He shouted, “Everyone calm down.”
Yang Kai glanced over at him with a strange expression.
Ma Ge Na frowned deeply, as a look of anger appeared on his face. He was the City Lord of Shimmering Moon City and in this place, none should be able to posture before him or order him around, much less an old innkeeper.
When his Divine Sense swept over this old man and found no trace of cultivation, Ma Ge Na became even more unhappy.
“Old man, you have no right to speak here, step aside!” Mi Tian snorted coldly.
“Haha…” The innkeeper did not show the slightest fear, instead just chuckling lightly as he glanced over at Mi Tian profoundly.
Mi Tian frowned in that instant as he instinctively felt something was wrong. Staring at the innkeeper suspiciously, he hesitated before asking, “Where has this Young Lord met you before? Why does your face seem somewhat familiar?”
“Being able to see some clues so quickly. Worthy of Sir Qian Yan’s son, your eyesight is indeed extraordinary!” The owner of the inn applauded, taking a tone of an Elder complimenting a Junior.
This caused Mi Tian’s expression to sink as he demanded in a low voice, “Who are you?”
Ma Ge Na was also stunned. He had never thought about the owner of a little-known inn in his city possessing some kind of shocking background. If this old man did not possess extraordinary status, there was no way he would address Mi Tian in such a manner.
Observing this situation, Yang Kai could not help grinning slightly.
This old innkeeper attracting everyone’s attention was something Yang Kai more than welcomed in this situation. Of course, Yang Kai was also quite curious about the origins of this innkeeper who obviously gave off no energy fluctuations from his body. However, since he could speak freely in front of Ma Ge Na and Mi Tian without any fear, it was clear this old man was no ordinary Monster Race master.
The old man smiled faintly and then, in front of everyone’s eyes, underwent a jaw-dropping transformation.
His rickety waist slowly straightened up, and his short body grew taller. His dry, wrinkled skin became rosy with a healthy complexion and the creases on his face all smoothed out.
He seemed to become several dozen years younger at that moment, going from an old man to a middle-aged one.
What’s more, as his body shape changed, his aura also changed drastically.
Originally, when anyone swept this man with their Divine Sense, they would detect no energy fluctuations and would assume he was just an old Monster Race man that had never cultivated, but at this moment, a powerful aura radiated from his body and continued to increase in intensity until it reached the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm!
Even compared with Ma Ge Na or Mi Tian, this middle-aged man was clearly superior.
Yang Kai stared at the innkeeper in a daze, almost unable to believe his eyes.
Ma Ge Na and Mi Tian were also stunned, never having expected that someone in this world would be capable of concealing themselves this deeply.
If not for the innkeeper taking the initiative to expose himself, no one present would have ever seen through his depth.
“You… are you Sir Ba He?” Ma Ge Na took a closer look at the face of the innkeeper before calling out in shock.
After the innkeeper’s face changed, Ma Ge Na recognized him almost immediately and his voice could not help shaking as a terrified expression filled his face.
“What? He’s actually Sir Ba He?”
“Impossible, wasn’t Sir Ba He killed by the Lady Tribal Lord herself? Why is he still living?”
“No, it’s true, he is Sir Ba He! When Sir City Lord and I went to the palace to see Lady Tribal Lord two hundred years ago, we were fortunate enough to greet him once. At that time, he was still Lady Tribal Lord’s first general!”
“To think this is Sir Ba He! Things have become too interesting.”
All kinds of shouts came from all around, causing Yang Kai’s brow to furrow slightly when he heard them.
He could clearly see that this innkeeper had quite a reputation and even Ma Ge Na was respectful towards him.
Who was this guy? Why was everyone saying he was Red Moon Tribal Lord’s strongest general but also saying he was killed by her? What was the truth?
Yang Kai was both confused and puzzled.
“So, it is Senior Ba He!” Mi Tian took a deep breath, “No wonder Senior looked familiar. Mi Tian greets Senior Ba He!”
Although they were both Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, Ba He seniority and status was higher than any other Monster Race cultivator present, even the Young Tribal Lord Mi Tian didn’t dare neglect etiquette.
“Haha, Young Lord Mi Tian need not be so polite. You are a rising star of my Monster Race and have a great chance of breaking through to the Origin King Realm in the future,” Ba He praised.
Mi Tian smiled faintly and replied, “Senior Ba He’s words are slightly mistaken; this Young Lord does not have a great chance of breaking through but will certainly break through. It is just a matter of time.”
[This boy was certainly arrogant!] Yang Kai glanced at him and chuckled to himself.
However, it was undeniable that Mi Tian had the capital to back up his confidence.
Ba He just gently nodded, “En, then I wish you the best in achieving your lofty goals.”
“Sir Ba He…” Ma Ge Na leaked some cold sweat from his forehead as he stared at this man who had disappeared for almost two hundred years then at the strange phenomenon up in the sky, “What exactly is happening inside?”
“What’s happening?” Ba He hesitated for a moment before saying, “I don’t know the exact situation, but it’s best everyone be patient for now and not cause any disturbance. This old master is the owner of this inn, so he has a responsibility to protect it and its guests, so I must ask all of you to give this old master some face.”
“Ah… Since Sir Ba He has said so, let us wait,” Ma Ge Na nodded.
In front of Ba He, he did not dare act presumptuously.
“What about this human?” Mi Tian suddenly turned to Yang Kai and sneered, “Does Senior Ba He also wish to protect his safety?”
“Naturally, this young man is also my guest,” Ba He replied lightly.
“Haha, then Mi Tian will give the Senior face, but that is limited to right here, right now. He killed my two Monster Beasts, so sooner or later that account must be settled,” Mi Tian laughed as he aggressively stared at Yang Kai and declared, “Human, don’t let this Young Lord find an opportunity, otherwise…”
Yang Kai snorted disdainfully, not caring about Mi Tian’s threat at all. Right now, making sure no one disturbed Xia Ning Chang was his top priority, everything else came second. If they could calm the surrounding storm, no matter who it was, Yang Kai could not hope for more.
But… what exactly was Ba He’s objective here?
Yang Kai pondered as he observed this innkeeper. From the onlookers just now, Yang Kai had vaguely heard some secrets and knew that this Ba He had been in hiding for the past two hundred years, but now he had suddenly revealed his identity and was intentionally shielding him and Xia Ning Chang.
What were his intentions for doing so?
Yang Kai obviously did not believe Ba He was doing this just to protect his inn’s guests!
The older people become, the wilier they behave; no one holds up such righteous principles.
“Hey, what’s this fragrance!” Suddenly, an exclamation came from the crowd.
“It smells so refreshing, almost like the scent of a pill.”
“Is an extremely high-quality pill being refined?”
“Could it be that this phenomenon was caused by Alchemy?”
A single comment stirred up a thousand waves as everyone clamoured to give their opinion.
Xia Ning Chang’s Alchemy had created an incredibly conspicuous and magnificent phenomenon, but in its early stages, not many were capable of identifying it. Even masters with extensive knowledge such as Ma Ge Na and Mi Tian couldn’t recognize the cause, but as time passed, and a strong medicinal fragrance began to diffuse, what was happening inside the inn could no longer be concealed.
As the intensity of the pill fragrance increased, almost everyone began casting fiery eyes towards the inn.
Everyone had already discerned that this fragrance was originating from this seemingly simple inn.
Almost every cultivator present had an infatuated and intoxicated look on their face. Just smelling this medicinal fragrance was enough to give people a feeling of enlightenment, so what kind of effect would eating such a pill have?
Also, just what kind of pill could produce such a potent fragrance and create such an astonishing vision!
The eyes of many cultivators gradually become fiery and filled with greed…
If it weren’t for Ba He, Ma Ge Na, and the other masters standing in front of the inn, it was likely it would already have been destroyed by a rush of onlookers trying to get their hands on this pill.
“Young Lord Mi Tian…” After judging that the vision in front of him was indeed caused by Alchemy, Ma Ge Na quietly glanced over at Mi Tian and sent him a message with his Divine Sense.
“This old dog Ba He seems to want to monopolize this pill. No wonder he did not hesitate to reveal his identity today after concealing himself for over two hundred years! Obviously, the pill about to form is no trivial thing, but I don’t know which human Alchemist is responsible for refining it,” Mi Tian responded coldly.
“Then we…”
“If he wants to monopolize it, he needs to have the ability! Two hundred years ago, he fell out of favour with Red Moon Tribal Lord but somehow managed to escape with his life and conceal himself. Since he has exposed himself today, his good days are over. Presumably, even if we kill him, Lady Chi Yue will not blame us.”
“Ah… good, we’ll act according to Young Lord Mi Tian’s intentions,” Ma Ge Na replied. Although he didn’t like Mi Tian’s style, it was undeniable that joining hands with him now was his best choice; after all, Ba He’s prestige was too strong, and if he were to remain alone, Ma Ge Na wouldn’t have the guts to fight against Ba He. As for who would ultimately obtain this pill… this was Shimmering Moon City was his territory, so how could Mi Tian compete with him for it?
The two Monster Race masters had decided to wait until the pill was finished being refined before taking action. How could a pill coveted by a master like Ba He not be valuable? No matter what, they had to snatch it. Perhaps after consuming this pill they would be able to break through the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm in one fell swoop and reach the Origin King Realm.
After all, Ba He had reached the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm more than two hundred years ago and was well known as the most likely on Monster Emperor Star to break through and reach the status of Tribal Lord.
As Ma Ge Na and Mi Tian were communicating secretly, Ba He glanced over at them seemingly unintentionally and flashed a faint smile.
“Young man, don’t you want to go to the palace to visit your old friend?” Ba He suddenly sent a Divine Sense message to Yang Kai.
“En, Old Sir… rather, what advice does Senior Ba He have?” Yang Kai looked at him suspiciously, wondering why the other party had suddenly mentioned this.
“I don’t have anything as exaggerated as advice, but… this old master does have a way to ensure that you enter the palace safely!”
“Really?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
“Indeed! But this method has some risks to it. If you believe this old master, this old master will act immediately, if not, just pretend I hadn’t said anything.”
“Haha, Junior and Senior only just met, believing or not believing in one another need not be mentioned,” Yang Kai was no longer a hot-blooded young man who would easily believe an unfamiliar person.
“Having such concerns is natural, but honestly… This method also has certain risks for this old master. If you can cooperate with this old master, this old master can promise that as long as he still lives, no harm will come to you.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly, but after pondering for a moment, he said, “Can Senior explain his plan first?”
“Certainly,” Ba He agreed easily, not trying to bargain back and forth, and bluntly explained his plan to Yang Kai.
After Yang Kai finished listening, his brow furrowed even deeper, “There are indeed some risks, but… Senior has apparently thought this matter through quite thoroughly. However, if we act according to Senior’s plan, will we, Senior Sister and Junior Brother, be able to maintain our freedom?”
“Then you’re refusing?” Ba He asked disappointedly.
“No, I accept. Senior can act freely,” Yang Kai grinned.
Ba He glanced at him in amazement, seemingly not having expected that Yang Kai would act so rashly. Although Ba He wasn’t worried about failure and was certain he could gain Yang Kai access to Red Moon Tribal Lord’s palace with his plan, to Yang Kai and the woman performing Alchemy in the inn, it was not necessarily a good deed.
Ba He had been prepared to be rejected.
But unexpectedly, Yang Kai had easily agreed.
Ba He stared at Yang Kai with a weird expression, secretly feeling that this human boy was simply too fearless, but since he had already agreed, that really wasn’t his concern anymore.
Thinking so, Ba He smiled lightly and opened his mouth to say out loud, “This pill is clearly still being refined, yet the phenomenon it inspired is already so magnificent, so there is no doubt it will be a supreme pill. Also, judging from the richness of this fragrance, this pill must at least be Origin Grade.”
“What Sir Ba He said makes sense,” Ma Ge Na agreed casually, not understanding what Ba He was plotting.
“I believe only Lady Tribal Lord is qualified to possess such a pill. What does City Lord Ma Ge Na think?” Ba He smiled as he glanced over.
“Indeed!” Ma Ge Na frowned more deeply, faintly feeling something was wrong.
“The Alchemist who refined this pill must also be a Grandmaster level figure.”
“En,” Ma Ge Na nodded, a bad premonition welling up in his heart as he suddenly understood what Ba He was implying.
“Lady Tribal Lord has always regarded such talents extremely highly and the palace has spared no efforts to recruit them over the years. It seems you’ve received a stroke of good fortune now that such a talent has appeared in Shimmering Moon City, Ma Ge Na. With your savvy, surely you must know what to do next,” Ba He looked at Ma Ge Na with a smile.
The latter wore a solemn expression as he said loudly, “Many thanks for your advice, Sir, this Ma Ge Na understands. After this Grandmaster finishes refining this pill, I will escort him to the Lady Tribal Lord’s palace personally!”
“En, as long as you please Lady Tribal Lord, the reward you receive will not be small,” Ba He chuckled.
Upon hearing this, Ma Ge Na’s eyes lit up and he smiled more naturally, quickly cupping his fists and saying, “Fortunately, Sir has such far-sighted vision!”
After saying so, he shouted loudly, “Come!”
A group of Monster Race masters immediately rushed over.
“Disperse all the miscellaneous people here and kill anyone who dares to approach within a hundred-metre radius of this inn. No one is to disturb the Alchemy Grandmaster inside!”
“Yes!”
To the side, Mi Tian froze up in a dumbfounded state.
The agreement he had just secretly reached with Ma Ge Na had been destroyed by a few words from Ba He. Not only that, but Ma Ge Na had also thoroughly changed to Ba He’s side and even took the initiative to provide guards to protect the Alchemist inside the inn.
Ba He had no intention to covet the pill being refined, and on the contrary, seemed intent on delivering this Alchemy Grandmaster to the palace!
The Monster Race was not proficient in Alchemy, this was a well-known fact; however, while humans might be suppressed on Monster Emperor Star, masters who were skilled in Alchemy would frequently appear. Red Moon Tribal Lord protected humans within her territory and allowed them some space to develop because she wanted to obtain these humans with special talents.
Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, etc…
Every ten years, Alchemy and Artifact Refining competitions were held in Red Moon Territory, and those humans who stood out were able to shed their lowly status, move into the palace, and serve the Tribal Lord.
Chi Yue’s palace had constantly been recruiting such talents over the years, and an Alchemy Grandmaster capable of refining a pill which caused such a startling phenomenon would, needless to say, be extremely favoured by Red Moon Tribal Lord.
In other words, it was as if the Grandmaster in the inn had obtained Red Moon Tribal Lord’s protection. Even if Mi Tian was bold, in Red Moon Territory, he did not dare oppose Red Moon Tribal Lord as that would be equal to opposing all the masters in Red Moon Territory.
Instantly, he had been reduced to a spectator…
Mi Tian felt as if he had just been made to swallow a fly.
Watching the numerous Monster Race masters of Shimmering Moon City surrounding the inn, Yang Kai chuckled.
He wasn’t afraid of going to the palace. Even if the Red Moon Tribal Lord was an Origin King Realm master, as long as he found a chance, with his abilities in the Dao of Space, he could leave whenever he pleased, not to mention he was also an Alchemy Grandmaster!
His current Alchemy skills were even higher than Xia Ning Chang’s, and he could refine Origin King Grade Spirit Pills! If his skill was to be exposed, Red Moon Tribal Lord would likely treat him as a guest of honour!
After all, Origin King Grade Alchemists were incredibly rare even when the entire Star Field was taken into account. As for Monster Emperor Star, such an Alchemy Grandmaster had never before appeared.
“Young man, this old master can only help you until here, as for what happens once you’re inside the palace, that will be up to your own means. However, this old master will warn you in advance, if you want to survive, it would be best to not act too impudently once there,” Ba He glanced at Yang Kai and whispered.
Yang Kai didn’t comment but instead asked with interest, “Senior Ba He not hesitating to reveal his identity at this time was not just to help our Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair, so what is your real purpose? If it is convenient, could you tell me?”
“Naturally it was not just to help you. En, I just wanted to take this opportunity to return to the palace and ask Lady Tribal Lord for forgiveness,” A desolate look flashed across Ba He’s face.
Yang Kai raised his brow as he suddenly remembered the stories the Monster Race onlookers had been talking about, saying that Ba He was supposed to have been killed by the Lady Tribal Lord herself two hundred years ago.
Now, however, it seemed he was alive and well.
Obviously, something had happened between Ba He and Red Moon Tribal Lord. At least, the rumours were wrong and Ba He had not been killed by Red Moon Tribal Lord. Perhaps Chi Yue had let him go at that time.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t interested in digging up other people’s histories and simply nodded, “If that’s the case, then this is just us temporarily cooperating, each obtaining what we need.
“Ah… Besides returning to the palace, this old master wants to ask for your help with one more thing,” Ba He suddenly said with some embarrassment.
“What?”
“I want to request aid from your Senior Sister to create a pill!” Ba He said bluntly, quickly adding, “You may rest assured, I have collected all the necessary materials and only need them to be refined into the appropriate pill, after which I will offer a generous remuneration!”
“Let’s talk about this when the time comes. Depending on how Senior Sister’s mood is, perhaps she will be willing to help you,” Yang Kai grinned.
[This bastard boy… he’s trying to break bridges after crossing the river,] Ba He couldn’t help rolling his eyes.
The phenomenon grew ever stronger as time passed and it was not long before a giant vortex seemed to cover the entire sky, gathering a terrifying amount of World Energy towards itself in the process.
Such a vision was no less intense than the World Energy baptism a cultivator would undergo when breaking through to the Origin Realm; possibly even more intense than that.
No matter who it was, none of them could believe that a trivial pill refinement could cause such a startling sight.
Everyone only became more curious, wondering what kind of pill the Grandmaster inside was refining.
However, the rich medicinal fragrance allowed them to understand that this unrefined pill was at least Origin Grade!
Origin Grade Alchemists on Monster Emperor Star numbered only about a dozen or so, with the most skilled having reached the Origin Grade High-Rank. Even on Monster Emperor Star, despite this Grandmaster being only human, no Monster Race cultivator dared not show him respect.
Humans truly had low status on this Cultivation Star, but the truly talented were able to obtain extremely high prestige; the polarization was quite shocking.
All this was due to the wise leadership of Red Moon Tribal Lord though. If she had not dedicatedly recruited talents from the Human Race, Red Moon Territory would not be as powerful as it was today. Among the ten territories on Monster Emperor Star, Red Moon Territory was definitely ranked amongst the top three.
One had to understand, a thousand years ago, Red Moon Territory was the weakest territory on Monster Emperor Star.
Red Moon Tribal Lord had been able to overturn this status in only a thousand years, and it was believed that, in time, Red Moon Territory would become the most powerful territory on all of Monster Emperor Star.
Unlike the Monster Race cultivators who were just watching the show, Yang Kai was also an Alchemist, and from the medicinal fragrance in the air as well as the phenomenon up in the sky was able to judge Little Senior Sister’s progress in her pill refinement. He was currently paying close attention to the changes in the vortex as well as the intensity of the medicinal fragrance as he secretly felt anxious for Xia Ning Chang.
This was the first time that Xia Ning Chang had refined a pill which formed Pill Clouds. If she was successful, her Alchemy skills would grow by leaps and bounds, and with her Special Constitution, this time’s Alchemy would no doubt provide her with some special insights that would allow her to make great strides in her comprehension of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way.
The insights and experience she would gain this time were of great significance to Little Senior Sister.
Yang Kai attached more importance to this than anything else, so he had spread his Divine Sense out to cover the entire inn and prevent anyone from engaging in mischief.
Fortunately, with masters like Ba He and Ma Ge Na presiding over the situation, and with so many Monster Race Origin Realm cultivators standing guard, no one dared stir up trouble.
“The medicinal fragrance is growing even richer, it seems the refinement is about to finish!”
“Just what kind of pill is being refined? How could just sniffing this medicinal fragrance loosen my bottleneck slightly?”
The surrounding cultivators were still discussing amongst themselves, but no one was able to guess just what kind of pill was being refined.
At this moment, the swirling vortex high up in the sky suddenly changed again, as if an inexplicable attraction came from the inn, madly pulling in the condensed World Energy.
The huge vortex spun rapidly as it stretched downwards into the shape of a funnel.
Just half a cup of tea’s worth of time later, the whirlpool disappeared and the World Energy which had gathered disappeared without a trace. Even the medicinal fragrance that had lingered in the air rapidly faded away.
Inside the inn, everything was silent.
Was it a success? Or was it a failure?
Countless cultivators craned their necks and stared around, wanting to know what the final result was of the Alchemy the Grandmaster inside the inn had just completed.
They didn’t know if this Grandmaster was old or young, male or female, but inexplicably, everyone in the crowd was looking forward to the Alchemy being successful and couldn’t help feeling somewhat nervous.
Not only were the ordinary cultivators feeling so, Ma Ge Na, Ba He, and Mi Tian were too. Even if they behaved calmly, the light in their eyes gave away their true thoughts.
Only Yang Kai, after a moment of silently probing, smiled lightly.
The refinement was successful!
With Little Senior Sister’s talent in Alchemy, under the condition that she was not disturbed, it was only natural she would succeed; however, now she would need some time to sort through all the insights and perceptions she had gained.
Yang Kai did not clarify the situation to the crowd and instead just focused on standing guard while waiting.
One day passed, two days passed…
Many cultivators who had come to simply watch the excitement couldn’t bear the boredom that ensued while waiting for the results, so they quietly dispersed, leaving behind only the masters who were somehow, somewhat related to this matter.
Ba He turned his gaze to Yang Kai from time to time, as if hoping to glean some clues from his manner, but to his disappointment, Yang Kai’s expression remained unreadable. Unable to infer anything, Ba He could only wait patiently.
In a flash, five days went by.
There was still no movement inside the inn.
No matter who it was, they would become impatient after waiting for so long.
“Enough!” Mi Tian shouted suddenly, “It seems the Alchemist inside the inn failed and no longer dares to come out to meet us. Senior Ma Ge Na, order your men to capture this person immediately.”
“Capture? Capture who?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes at him and sternly declared, “Who dares!”
Mi Tian sneered and said, “Human, where do you think you are? Do you still think you can decide what happens here? Senior Ma Ge Na, this person is so presumptuous, not even putting you in his eyes at all, if you don’t take action, this Young Lord will take this opportunity to settle his previous grievances with him.”
Ma Ge Na frowned, not knowing what he should do in this situation, unconsciously glancing towards Ba He for advice.
Seeing this, Ba He just faintly said, “Even if this Grandmaster failed this refinement, being able to create such a grand disturbance by simply performing Alchemy clearly demonstrates incredible skill. Lady Tribal Lord appreciates such talents the most.”
Hearing this, Ma Ge Na suddenly came back to his senses and nodded firmly, “What Sir Ba He said is right. This City Lord has never met anyone who can cause such a phenomenon by performing Alchemy. This talent must be brought to Lady Tribal Lord unharmed.”
Just as everyone was conversing, however, the light sound of footsteps suddenly came from the inn.
Everyone’s expression changed as they quickly cast their gazes towards the source of this sound.
A smile came to Yang Kai’s face as he walked over quickly.
A moment later, a beautiful form with a graceful figure stepped out of the inn. This woman had a slender waist and flawless jade-white skin that was both delicate and supple.
Mi Tian originally had a lot of hostility towards the so-called Grandmaster in the inn, even wishing he could kill him quickly and be done with it, but when he saw this figure, he was startled and his eyes instantly began scrutinizing her.
As the Young Lord of Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord, he was born with a lofty status and because of his special cultivation art, Mi Tian had no shortage of women and beauties around him from both the Monster and Human Race.
However, when he saw this figure, his eyes couldn’t help lighting up.
Just her figure was this enchanting, so Mi Tian really wanted to know what her face would look like.
Moving his gaze up, Mi Tian couldn’t help but frown.
This woman actually covered her face with a black veil, making him unable to see her true continence; however, her clear and flawless eyes, like the purest gems in the world, instantly drew his attention.
This woman’s white forehead was also dotted with a small sapphire which further emphasized her beauty.
[Pure!] This was Mi Tian’s first impression of Xia Ning Chang.
Her purity was like that of a clear mountain stream, igniting a fire in Mi Tian’s heart and making him strongly desire to tarnish her, dyeing her in his colours.
Examining it again, Mi Tian suddenly discovered that the black veil covering her face no longer looked objectionable, but instead added a layer of cleanness to her already pure air, taking it to an even higher level.
Without this veil to obscure her face, this pure beauty would actually have less appeal. It was precisely because they could not see her true appearance that she could make those who gazed upon her even more interested.
Mi Tian’s interest was aroused and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips while a wicked light flashed across his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Junior Brother!” Xia Ning Chang looked a little nervous and apologized softly.
When she was performing Alchemy, she had noticed some movement outside the inn, but with her attention completely focused on her refinement she did not pay any attention to this commotion. It wasn’t until she had finished her Alchemy that she realized what had happened.
Refining this pill had created such a massive disturbance so it was only natural for so many people to have gathered around out of curiosity.
Now, seeing so many people outside, and Yang Kai standing before all of them, she immediately understood how much pressure he had endured for her during her Alchemy.
“Don’t say such things, it’s thanks to Senior Sister that we will soon be able to enter the palace,” Yang Kai grinned, taking her little hand and leading her over to Ba He.
The corner of Mi Tian’s eyes twitched as the gaze he directed at Yang Kai became more and more hostile.
It was as if something he decided was his had been touched by someone else!
“A woman?” Ma Ge Na was dumbfounded.
When Xia Ning Chang appeared, the Monster Race masters standing guard were stunned.
None of them had expected that the Alchemy Grandmaster in the inn was actually a woman, and such a beautiful, pure, and young woman at that!
In their imagination, anyone who can become a respected Alchemy Grandmaster would be an old man with grey hair. How could they not be stunned when reality turned out so different from their imagination?
Ma Ge Na could hardly believe his eyes and unconsciously turned to Ba He for confirmation.
“There’s no need for doubt, she is the Grandmaster, en, she came here together with this human boy,” Ba He said lightly.
Hearing this, Ma Ge Na became convinced and quickly took two steps forward, cupped his fists, and said, “Shimmering Moon City’s City Lord, Ma Ge Na, greets Grandmaster! Grandmaster has laboured diligently!”
On his face, he wore the friendliest smile he could manage.
Xia Ning Chang was slightly flurried at first but soon calmed down and replied with an elegant bow, “Sir City Lord is too polite, the title of Grandmaster is something this young woman is unworthy of!”
The sound of her voice was clear and sweet, dazzling countless Monster Race cultivators.
So pure, with such a pleasant voice, and highly proficient in Alchemy, such a human… regardless of the differences in status between the two races, such a woman was worthy of pursuing with reckless abandon.
Unfortunately… looking at Yang Kai holding Xia Ning Chang’s little hand, every Monster Race male couldn’t help spraying jealous light from their eyes, like sharp arrows they hoped could riddle Yang Kai full of holes to soothe the hatred in their hearts.
Xia Ning Chang’s humility made Ma Ge Na laugh and hurriedly say, “Right, young lady, let me introduce to you the first master of my Monster Race below the Origin King Realm… En, he was also once the first general under Red Moon Tribal, Sir Ba He!”
“Greetings, Senior Ba He,” Xia Ning Chang bowed once more.
Ba He chuckled and said, “Young lady need not be so deferent, it was this old master’s honour to witness such a grand event.”
He still needed to ask Xia Ning Chang for help, so he didn’t dare assume too arrogant a tone.
“This is the Young Master of Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord, Young Lord Mi Tian,” Ma Ge Na next pointed to Mi Tian and offered introductions.
Mi Tian took a step forward and put on a harmless smile as he politely said, “Mi Tian being able to bear witness to this young lady’s presence is truly his good fortune.”
Xia Ning Chang gently nodded, not giving more of a reply.
She didn’t know why, but she felt that although this Mi Tian acted perfectly in front of her, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat vigilant of him.
Yang Kai simply sneered to the side.
“Young lady, the pill you refined a few days ago, was the refinement…” Ma Ge Na looked at Xia Ning Chang with a look of expectation, wondering if she had been successful or not.
Ba He also focused his attention on her.
Xia Ning Chang frowned and turned to Yang Kai for guidance.
She didn’t want to show the results of her labour to everyone here.
“Show them, whether we can enter the palace or not depends on that pill,” Yang Kai whispered in her ear, his affectionate behaviour causing Little Senior Sister’s tender body to tremble slightly as a pink hue dyed her delicate earlobes.
However, since Yang Kai had said so, she did not try to conceal it anymore, lifting her little hand and summoning a jade bottle into her palm.
Yang Kai picked up the jade bottle, didn’t even look at it, and threw it to Ba He directly, “The pill is inside, please have a look for yourself, Senior.”
Ba He’s expression turned serious as he carefully held the jade bottle, slowly opened it, and poured out the pill inside.
When the pill appeared, Ba He couldn’t help but exclaim, “Pill Clouds!”
These two small words shook everyone who heard them to their core.
Ma Ge Na’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he stared straight at the pill.
On the surface of this pill, there was a thick layer of clouds which seemed to be rich in aura.
These were indeed Pill Clouds, there was no need to doubt it. Although none of the Monster Race masters present had ever seen a pill that formed Pill Clouds before, the moment they laid eyes on this pill, they immediately recognized that it possessed the legendary Pill Clouds!
The surrounding World Energy was slowly and steadily gathering towards this pill as well, providing further proof.
If given enough time, the medicinal efficacies contained in this pill would reach an extremely terrifying height; of course, that would take an extraordinary number of years to achieve.
Even so, such a pill’s value was already inestimable.
“Sir Ba He, is this an Origin Grade pill?” Ma Ge Na leaned forward and asked with a trembling voice.
“En, it is indeed an Origin Grade pill!” Ba He nodded the shock on his face not having diminished at all.
The higher the grade of the pill, the harder it was for it to form things like Pill Veins and Pill Clouds. If an excellent Alchemist was lucky enough, they might be able to rarely refine Low-Grade pills, such as Earth-Grade, that formed Pill Veins or Pill Clouds.
However, Ba He had never heard of any Alchemist who could refine an Origin Grade pill that formed Pill Veins, let alone Pill Clouds which were superior to Pill Veins.
This was a feat that not even the best human Alchemist on Monster Emperor Star could achieve, and that Grandmaster was an Origin Grade High-Rank Alchemist!
How high must this woman’s attainments in Alchemy be? Was this just a lucky coincidence or was it a reflection of her true skill that she was able to refine an Origin Grade pill that formed Pill Clouds!
Ba He was shocked to the extreme.
It was only now that he finally understood that the previous phenomenon which had appeared was not due to some extremely high-grade pill being refined, but rather because a pill that formed Pill Clouds had been refined. This was far more valuable than a mere High-Grade pill!
It could be said that because she was capable of refining such a pill, this human woman had the capital to look down upon all of Monster Emperor Star.
She was more than deserved the title of Grandmaster!
Ba He looked in awe towards Xia Ning Chang for a while before solemnly saying to Ma Ge Na, “Moreover, this is an Origin Condensing Pill!”
Ma Ge Na drew a sharp breath.
The Origin Condensing Pill was only an Origin Grade Low-Rank pill, but the difficulty of refining it exceeded even some Origin Grade Mid-Rank pills because this pill could help a cultivator break through their bottleneck to reach the Origin Returning Realm.
With such an Origin Condensing Pill, it could be said that any Third-Order Saint King could break through to the Origin Returning Realm without any hindrance or worrying about failure.
“So this Grandmaster is at least an Origin Grade Mid-Rank Alchemist?” Ma Ge Na asked breathlessly.
“I cannot judge…” Ba He didn’t dare to make any assumptions as he carefully put the pill back into the jade bottle and then into his Space Ring, “No matter what, this Grandmaster must be escorted to the palace safely, you should understand what to do!”
“Sir Ba He may rest assured; I understand what must be done!” Ma Ge Na nodded solemnly.
Lady Tribal Lord had been actively recruiting special talents from the Human Race for so many years and this woman was her absolute favourite type, so how could Ma Ge Na not pay special attention to her?
After confirming the grade and value of this pill, Ma Ge Na’s attitude towards Xia Ning Chang became even more respectful and he strongly invited Xia Ning Chang to rest in the City Lord’s Mansion.
Xia Ning Chang felt quite aggrieved at this moment.
The first pill she had ever refined that formed Pill Clouds had been silently taken away by this Monster Race master.
Yang Kai had to comfort her for a while before her mood finally improved.
Yang Kai naturally understood the intentions behind Ma Ge Na inviting them to the City Lord’s Mansion, so he stepped up and agreed in Xia Ning Chang’s place.
Ma Ge Na realized from this that Yang Kai was the one who spoke for Xia Ning Chang, so out of respect for her, his attitude towards Yang Kai also changed dramatically, completely glossing over all the trouble he had caused previously in Shimmering Moon City and enthusiastically inviting the Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair to his residence so he could properly entertain them.
Mi Tian also naturally entered the City Lord’s Mansion together with them.
As the Young Lord of Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord, he should have been the focus of everyone’s attention no matter where he went, but for this trip to Shimmering Moon City, his limelight was completely stolen by Xia Ning Chang.
Regarding this though, Mi Tian was neither jealous nor angry; after all, this beautiful woman would sooner or later be his, so he wouldn’t care about the small things now.
He took it for granted!
Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang spent the next two days at the City Lord’s Mansion.
Over the past two days, Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang stayed in their courtyard and discussed the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture together.
After refining an Origin Condensing Pill that formed Pill Clouds, Xia Ning Chang’s insights on the Alchemic Way had truly improved by leaps and bounds, even allowing Yang Kai to benefit greatly from their discussion.
Two days later, Ma Ge Na personally came to inform Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang that everything had been prepared and they were only waiting for the two of them before setting off to the palace of Lady Tribal Lord.
Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang didn’t delay and happily followed Ma Ge Na out of the City Lord’s Mansion.
Outside, more than thirty Origin Returning Realm masters were waiting in formation, all of them wearing solemn expressions, as if they would soon be headed to some great battle.
In truth, they were only responsible for escorting Xia Ning Chang safely to the palace.
For a talent like Xia Ning Chang, Ma Ge Na had spared no effort and directly assigned most of the masters in Shimmering Moon City to her escort.
Together with masters like Ba He and Mi Tian, it was highly unlikely anyone would be blind enough to provoke this group.
Ma Ge Na had prepared a gorgeous carriage for Xia Ning Chang as well, and although the two Monster Beasts pulling it weren’t on par with Mi Tian’s two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards, they were still powerful Eighth-Order Monster Beasts.
Facing Ma Ge Na’s fervent requests, Xia Ning Chang reluctantly boarded this carriage. A group of a dozen wolf-riding guards cleared the way forward, followed by more than a dozen Origin Returning Realm masters while the rest were arranged to the sides of the carriage. More guards were responsible for patrolling around and keeping miscellaneous people away as this grand procession departed from Shimmering Moon City.
Although with the cultivation level of these people, it would have been faster to use Star Shuttles, in order to emphasize Xia Ning Chang’s importance, Ma Ge Na had still put on such a big show.
Borrowing her limelight, Yang Kai sat on the carriage together with Xia Ning Chang.
It wasn’t that he wanted to show off, but Little Senior Sister seemed quite uncomfortable by herself as she was not used to receiving such opulent treatment.
In the end, Yang Kai could only accompany her to keep her calm.
Mi Tian rode a wolf-shaped Monster Beast behind the carriage, with his eyes almost spitting fire.
Such an outstanding woman could only be matched with him, and while this human called Yang Kai had good combat strength, he was still just a lowly human.
The intimacy of the two on the carriage almost blinded Mi Tian’s eyes…
[Just you wait, sooner or later this Young Lord will settle accounts with you for killing his two Monster Beasts!] Mi Tian spat in his heart.
The whole journey was calm and uneventful. This was Red Moon Territory, and Shimmering Moon City’s City Lord had personally brought a large number of Origin Returning Realm masters to escort a human Alchemy Grandmaster to the palace. After this news spread out, no Monster Race cultivator dared come make trouble.
The speed of the carriage was extremely fast, almost comparable to flying.
After just five days of travel, a large group of majestic buildings appeared in the distance.
There were many palaces and pavilions with the main palace of the Red Moon Tribal Lord being constructed atop a grand mountain. From the bottom of the mountain all the way up, one could see smaller, neatly arranged palaces and facilities linked by wide passageways.
This was Half-Moon Mountain, the residence of Red Moon Tribal Lord!
In the eyes of all Monster Race cultivators who lived in Red Moon Territory, this was a holy land where their glorious leader, Lady Chi Yue, lived year-round.
Yang Kai stood on the carriage as he stared ahead profoundly.
“Is Sister Qing Luo over there?” Xia Ning Chang asked softly.
“She should be,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
“I wonder how she is now, she must be even more beautiful than before,” Xia Ning Chang murmured.
She had naturally met Shan Qing Luo many times before, and although that was back in the Central Capital many years ago, this seductive woman had still left a deep impression on her.
Xia Ning Chang had never met such an enchanting woman before and even she couldn’t help finding herself attracted by her charms.
It was as if Shan Qing Luo was born to mesmerize, and Xia Ning Chang doubted if there was any man in this world who would not be bewitched by her.
“You’ll know soon enough,” Yang Kai patted the back of Xia Ning Chang’s hand as he embraced her waist and lightly flew down from the carriage.
“Lady Chi Yue’s palace is truly extraordinary, this Young Lord has long wished to lay eyes upon it and it certainly does not disappoint,” Mi Tian avoided looking at the intimacy between Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang so as not to fill his heart with anger and instead chose to focus on the palace before them.
“Let’s go, we’ll have to walk from here. Lady Tribal Lord should have already received news of our arrival so someone will definitely come to meet us,” Ma Ge Na waved his hand and ordered the other Monster Race masters to remain here and wait before leading Yang Kai and the others forward.
Red Moon Tribal Lord had indeed received the news long ago and there was a group of people waiting at the foot of the mountain.
When Ma Ge Na and the others arrived here, the lead Monster Race cultivator who was waiting gave Xia Ning Chang a faint glance before gently nodding, “Many thanks for your hard work. Lady Tribal Lord has commanded that for the merit of escorting this Grandmaster to the palace, Ma Ge Na will receive a rich reward in the future. For now, however, please rest at the palace’s guest accommodations.”
Ma Ge Na smiled widely and quickly offered his thanks.
The lead cultivator nodded lightly before suddenly turning his gaze to Ba He and shouting, “Seize him!”
Suddenly, several Monster Race cultivators appeared from all directions and rushed towards Ba He. Ba He just stood there and did not put up any resistance, allowing the Monster Race masters to shackle him and seal his Saint Qi.
“It’s been so long, Dong Shi, but I see you’re still as merciless as always!” Ba He smiled.
“You, on the other hand, have become far more shameless, this time you won’t walk out of Half-Moon Mountain alive again!” The Monster Race cultivator called Dong Shi coldly snorted.
“Whether I can live or not will be up to Lady Tribal Lord to decide. Dong Shi, you and I have known each other for so many years, so I’ll be counting on you to put in a good word for me later.”
“In your dreams!” Dong Shi snorted at him, “But you can rest assured, as long as Lady Tribal Lord orders your death, I will personally send you on the road.”
“You really are ruthless.”
Ba He had been detained! This result stunned Yang Kai, but seeing Ba He’s confident look, Yang Kai estimated that he didn’t have to worry about his life.
Mi Tian was also warmly entertained while Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang were escorted into Half-Moon Mountain by a Monster Race woman, walking along a well-maintained mountain road towards the summit.
It was impossible to tell what lineage of Monster Beast the Monster Race woman walking in the front descended from, but despite her petite frame, she seemed to possess incredible vigour and strength. She had a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation and her two ears were cat-like, short, and delicate.
Yang Kai was not surprised by such sights and instead focused on taking in the scenery of Red Moon Territory’s holy land.
The surrounding World Energy was extremely rich, indicating that a high-quality Earth Vein should be running beneath Half-Moon Mountain, otherwise it would not be able to satisfy the large number of Monster Race cultivators living here.
“Miss, are we going to see Lady Chi Yue now?” Yang Kai asked after some time.
“Lady Tribal Lord has many important matters to attend to, so she won’t be receiving you immediately, that responsibility has been given to someone else,” The Monster Race woman in front didn’t look back as she replied lightly.
“Understood,” Yang Kai nodded, not asking any more questions.
Although Xia Ning Chang’s performance in Shimmering Moon City was shocking, Chi Yue was one of the Ten Great Tribal Lords and an Origin King Realm master, so not welcoming Xia Ning Chang personally was only to be expected.
However, Chi Yue would not show any disrespect to Xia Ning Chang either, so she should have arranged for someone of high status and competence to receive Xia Ning Chang.
Yang Kai only wanted to look for that Enchantress, Shan Qing Luo, so whether he could meet Chi Yue or not did not matter to him. In fact, not seeing Chi Yue might even be better. After all, facing an Origin King still meant a great deal of pressure for Yang Kai.
Hearing the Monster Race woman escorting them say that someone else would be greeting them allowed Yang Kai to relax.
As they followed this woman, Yang Kai was considering how he should find and contact Shan Qing Luo.
In this kind of place, he did not dare to use his Divine Sense too presumptuously as doing so would most likely cause trouble.
After walking for about half an hour, the Monster Race woman brought Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang to a magnificent palace and walked straight in.
Inside the palace, within a spacious and brightly lit hall, many Monster Race cultivators were lined up on both sides as they curiously looked towards the door.
They had all received news about a human who refined a pill that formed Pill Clouds in Shimmering Moon City and that City Lord Ma Ge Na would soon be escorting her to the palace to enter Lady Tribal Lord’s service.
Everyone was naturally curious about what kind of human possessed such amazing Alchemy skills.
Sitting at the head of the hall were two Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters.
The one on the left was a burly man that had an imposing and terrifying look to him.
The one on the right had beautiful features and seemed to exude an infinite charm. She was naturally gorgeous, but sitting next to this gruff man only increased her appeal.
Many of the Monster Race cultivators waiting down below would glance towards this woman from time to time, but all would soon turn away as they were afraid of being caught in her charms and staring unconsciously.
Currently, the brawny iron tower of a man on the left was fidgeting noticeably, looking slightly uncomfortable, obviously somewhat impatient with the current situation.
On the contrary, the woman on the right had a slightly furrowed brow as a look of confusion filled her face. Her beautiful eyes were cast towards the outside of the hall, as if she was trying to peer through space.
As time passed, the woman’s expression began to change, gradually filling with delight and excitement. Her originally lazily sitting figure straightened up and her tender body could not help trembling slightly.
Her beautiful eyes flashed with amazing brilliance and she bit her luscious red lips lightly as an expectant look appeared on her pretty face accompanied by a slight smile.
The many Monster Race masters below were instantly captivated by this scene and felt their hearts begin to pound as their mouths dried up.
They had never seen this woman smile like this before and it instantly caused all the colour in the world to drain away. For a moment, none of them could resist the temptation brought out by this smile and all of them couldn’t wait to lose themselves in it, even if that meant never being able to emerge from the darkness and see light again, they would not hesitate.
A series of loud snorts echoed in the hall in the next instant as many of the Monster Race masters noticed something was wrong and hurriedly circulated their Saint Qi to stabilize their minds, some even causing themselves harm to quickly extricate themselves from their daze.
If they were to lose themselves any further, they would really be unable to save themselves!
A walking disaster! The adopted daughter of Lady Tribal Lord was an immense source of trouble! Even the most famous fox-race woman from the Monster Race was not as enrapturing as this woman.
She was just a human, so why were her charms so overwhelming? Many Monster Race masters could not understand no matter how they puzzle over this issue.
Not even the greatest of the Monster Race’s younger generation were worthy of her.
“Why haven’t they come yet? Uncle here can’t stand all this waiting!” A thunderous shout suddenly sounded inside the hall, completely shaking free the hearts of the still somewhat dazzled Monster Race cultivators, all of whom raised their heads to look at the burly man seated next to the charming woman.
This big man seemed to be sitting on pins and needles, rubbing his palms together as he turned his head to the coquettish woman next to him, putting on a flattering appearance, then asking with an ugly smile, “Little sister, how about you wait here and let big brother go attend to some other business?”
The coquettish woman glanced over at him, pursed her lips and chuckled as she said, “Yu Xiong, this duty was given to us directly by Adoptive Mother. The one coming here is an Alchemy Grandmaster, so our etiquette cannot be lacking. If you escape now, once Adoptive Mother finds out, Little Sister won’t put in a good word for you.”
“Ahem…” Yu Xiong smiled awkwardly, a chill running up his back as he thought about how terrifying his adoptive mother was when she was angry, his tall and sturdy body seemingly shrinking a bit as he waved his hand, “I was just making a casual suggestion, don’t take it seriously, okay!?”
As soon as Yu Xiong’s words fell, a Monster Race woman walked in from outside and gave an elegant bow before lightly saying, “Masters, I’ve brought our honoured guests!”
“Finally!” Yu Xiong snorted coldly, an unhappy look on his face, “Father here must see if this Alchemy Grandmaster is really capable or if she’s like the previous ones who are just after fame and status. Don’t blame father here for tearing her to pieces if so.”
Because Chi Yue attached great importance to humans with special talents, many humans in Red Moon Territory dreamed of entering Lady Tribal Lord’s service and living on Half-Moon Mountain.
However, most of these people were obviously not capable and only knew how to boast about their skills while trying to hide their incompetence. Without exception, these people were brutally killed by Yu Xiong.
So this time, Yu Xiong didn’t have much hope there was really a human who was capable of refining an Origin Grade pill that formed Pill Clouds. He figured it was just Shimmering Moon City’s City Lord wanting to reap some profits by making up an elaborate story.
“Show them in!” The bewitching woman next to Yu Xiong suppressed her excitement as best as possible as she ordered.
“Yes!” The Monster Race woman nodded before turning to look back at the door to the hall and beckoning.
A man and a woman, walking side by side, entered immediately after. The man was stalwart, and the woman was delicate and petite, the two of them gazing around the hall randomly but soon fixing on the beautiful woman.
Yang Kai grinned at this sight while Xia Ning Chang also pursed her lips and giggled.
The tender body of the enchanting woman sitting up ahead also trembled slightly as a faint trace of mist began covering her beautiful eyes. Fortunately, she had impeccable temperament and managed to not lose control in front of this crowd.
After taking a few deep breaths, she calmed down her pounding heart and lifted her delicate chin slightly, directing her mesmerizing eyes towards Yang Kai, a complicated mix of love and hate flashing across their depths unbeknownst to anyone else in the hall as she ground her teeth slightly.
“Masters, these are the two guests,” The Monster Race woman reported back.
“Hey, wasn’t there only supposed to be a woman Alchemy Grandmaster? Why is he here?” Yu Xiong looked at Yang Kai curiously.
The Monster Race woman replied, “These two seem to be Senior Sister and Junior Brother, so they came here together.”
“So he’s just a boy toy!” Yu Xiong sneered, “Father here despises this kind of person the most.”
He subconsciously regarded Yang Kai as a useless man who had latched onto and was leeching off Xia Ning Chang.
Yang Kai did not care about Yu Xiong’s evaluation as all his focus was directed towards the beauty in front of him, a playful smile filling his face. As if she could not stand the aggressive and unflinching gaze of Yang Kai, the enchantress shot him a wicked look, her beautiful eyes filling with the meaning of rebuke.
This scene was not missed by the massive crowd…
“Bold human, why are you not bowing down?” From both sides of the hall, many Monster Race masters began angrily shouting.
Red Moon Territory had sent out so many people and even had two highly respected masters receive this pair which was more than enough face for an unproven Alchemy Grandmaster, but upon first meeting, these two humans actually just refused to show the slightest hint of humility.
These two standing in the hall motionlessly seemed to say they did not take anyone here seriously.
Without Lady Tribal Lord’s recognition, all humans were just trash! Only the Monster Race reigned supreme here.
What angered the Monster Race masters the most though was that since the hall, the boy toy had been staring at their Young Lady without blinking, as if he wanted to eat her alive.
The audacity!
Even if their Young Lady was incredibly charming, a trivial human could not be allowed to act so presumptuously and blaspheme her so.
Many Monster Race masters were glaring at Yang Kai at this moment.
“Hey, you little shit. Where do you think you’re staring at!?” Yu Xiong also found that something was wrong, got up immediately, and glared at Yang Kai viciously, “You think Father here won’t dig out your eyes if you keep staring?”
“Human, there are some in this world you cannot lay eyes on lightly, especially when you’re just a boy toy!” A Monster Race master ridiculed from the side.
This human boy was simply too much! Although the woman next to him had her face covered, it was obvious just from her figure and the tone of her skin that she was a rare beauty, yet this boy toy wasn’t satisfied with her and actually dared to covet their Young Lady, it was simply unacceptable!
This human race woman must also be blind, choosing such a loose man to accompany her. Such an excellent Alchemy Grandmaster could only be paired with the young elites of the Monster Race.
“Human, Sir Yu Xiong’s temper is short, if you want to survive, you should admit your mistakes and apologize by kowtowing and you might just get to keep your life!” A Monster Race master yelled, as if trying to give instructions to Yang Kai. The charm of their Young Lady was obvious to all so no one thought it was entirely this human boy’s mistake.
“Acknowledge my mistakes and apologize by kowtowing…” Yang Kai touched his chin, as if he didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth as he continued staring at the enchanting woman with scorching eyes, a playful smile appearing on his face as he asked, “Beautiful, do you want me to do so?”
The audience was shocked by these words.
Everyone looked at Yang Kai in disbelief.
This Human… actually dared call their Young Lady ‘Beautiful?’ This was not just rudeness, but blatant sexual harassment!
Although the Young Lady was originally human, she had been accepted as the adopted daughter of Lady Tribal Lord for special reasons and had been instructed in cultivation personally by Chi Yue over the years. The Young Lady’s talent was world famous and even if the elite of the Monster Race stood before her they had to act politely and respectfully.
Yet now, a human actually tried to flirt with her in front of so many onlookers? Did he have a death wish?
“Bold!” A Monster Race master roared angrily.
To harass the Young Lady was an insult to the Monster Race and to Red Moon Tribal Lord!
No Monster Race cultivator could tolerate Yang Kai’s presumptuousness and immediately everyone in the hall became indignant and began releasing murderous intent.
Yu Xiong also froze for a moment, but after quickly recovering from his shock, he actually burst into laughter, pointed at Yang Kai, and said to the bewitching woman next to him, “Little Sister, this boy toy actually address you so loosely, only calling you by ‘beautiful’!”
“Am I not?” The enchantress glanced over at Yu Xiong lightly, her enrapturing eyes narrowing slightly.
Yu Xiong’s laughter immediately got stuck in his throat as he shrank his neck and quickly denied, “Brother naturally didn’t mean that, it’s just… I’ve never heard anyone call you that way, so I was surprised for a moment. En, this boy toy is too shameless, Big Brother will teach him a lesson for you!”
Saying so, he looked viciously towards Yang Kai.
In Red Moon Territory, Yu Xiong’s position was under one person while above ten thousand. He was the adopted son of the Red Moon Tribal Lord and his strength and status were incomparable to those of ordinary Monster Race masters.
His demeanor was also straightforward, courageous, and bold, so there were just two people who could make him back down.
One was naturally Red Moon Tribal Lord, while the other was this beautiful woman sitting to his right.
If what Yu Xiong felt towards Red Moon Tribal Lord was a sense of awe, then what he felt for this little sister of his was deep admiration. In terms of aptitude and cultivation speed, his little sister’s talent vastly exceeded his own.
His adoptive mother had once said to him that his little sister was the most promising talent in Red Moon Territory besides Ba He and would definitely break through to the Origin King Realm! He was unable to match this.
“No need!” The beauty rejected Yu Xiong’s proposal.
“You’re letting him off? Isn’t that too lenient? He has to pay for his frivolousness!” Yu Xiong shook his head, somewhat unhappy.
The enchanting woman just smiled lightly, however, got up from her chair, and walked forward while saying with a laugh, “Let him off? Naturally, there’s no way that’s possible. Such a shameless man who clearly goes around loosely plucking flowers everywhere cannot go unpunished. I’ll personally put him in his place!”
“Uh… alright then,” Yu Xiong nodded, glancing towards Yang Kai while clearly taking pleasure in his misfortune, grinning as he said, “Boy toy, you’re finished now. If Father here was the one to make a move, you’d at least have a swift end, but with little sister taking action, heh heh heh…”
As soon as the Monster Race masters lined up on both sides of the hall heard that their Young Lady was going to handle this boy toy herself, all of them grinned as they began looking forward to the coming show.
On the other hand, this boy toy being able to receive their Young Lady’s lesson personally… it was also a kind of blessing, one many of the Monster Race masters were envious of.
A moment later, the enchantress arrived in front of Yang Kai and lifted her smooth, jade-like chin up slightly, giving her a noble and inviolable air while slightly revealing her slender neck-line, a dazzling sight to behold.
Yang Kai showed no fear as he continued smiling at her.
The woman grit her teeth as she slowly stretched out her hand, extending her jade finger as she poked Yang Kai’s chest.
Yu Xiong observed mockingly, expecting his little sister to use some cruel and inhuman ways to torture this shameless boy…
Numerous Monster Race masters also craned their necks as they watched expectantly…
Poking her jade finger onto Yang Kai’s chest, the coquettish woman said lightly, “You decide, should I dig out your heart, pull out your liver, or… split open your chest and take a look whether your insides are black or white!”
“Do you hate me so much?” Yang Kai touched his nose.
“Absolutely!” The woman lifted her chin slightly more, “I hate you to the bone… I wish I could tear your corpse into ten thousand pieces then burn your remains to ashes…”
“Haha…” Yang Kai smiled dryly.
While the enchantress was talking, her jade finger continued tracing over Yang Kai’s chest as she ground her teeth, as if she truly had a deep hatred for Yang Kai.
Yu Xiong’s face flushed with excitement, secretly paying attention to Yang Kai’s reaction.
This little sister of his never seemed to use particularly harsh methods, but with her ability, it should be a simple task for her to make this boy toy suffer.
He was just waiting for this boy toy’s five viscera and six organs to be melted into a pool of pus after being poked by his little sister.
However… why did it seem like his little sister’s tone carried so much sadness with it? Yu Xiong scratched his head, somewhat puzzled.
“Don’t make trouble!” Yang Kai showed a helpless look before grabbing the enchantress’ little hand. The other party tried to shake him off but failed to escape his grip.
The assembled Monster Race masters were immediately filled with righteous indignation as their eyes nearly spat fire.
Impudence! This boy toy not only dared to sexually harass their Young Lady, now he had even gone so far as to frivolously touch her hand; how could this be tolerated?
All of them were about to rush out to teach Yang Kai an unforgettable lesson, but then they saw a shy look on their Young Lady’s face as well as a hint of blush on her delicate cheeks and slender neck. Even her raised chin drooped down, making her arrogant air instantly turn docile…
What exactly just happened? Why was their Young Lady reacting like this?
The gathered Monster Race cultivators were all dumbfounded.
“You bastard!” The enchanting woman cursed under her breath as an aggrieved look filled her beautiful eyes, “Didn’t I tell you that I’m on Monster Emperor Star? Why didn’t you come see me until now?”
“I couldn’t help it, I had no way to carry out a long-distance voyage through the Star Field so I was unable to reach you,” Yang Kai explained helplessly, “Even this time, arriving here was a lucky stroke, but in the end, didn’t I still come? Qing Luo, don’t be angry, it will just create a scene here for everyone to see.”
“They’ve been watching this scene the whole time already,” Shan Qing Luo glared at Yang Kai, “Didn’t you want things to turn out like this? Are you satisfied now?”
“Haha,” Yang Kai grinned, “Actually, I didn’t expect that it would be you meeting me and Little Senior Sister here, so if anyone was caught off guard it should be me.”
“If that’s really the case, then I won’t hold it against you,” Shan Qing Luo snorted softly.
The two of them affectionately and sweetly interacting with one another caused many of the Monster Race masters in the hall to stare dumbly.
By now, all of them had obviously figured out that their Young Lady and this boy toy knew each other from a long time ago, and their relationship was also very close, otherwise they would not have put on such a flirtatious scene.
This only made it harder for everyone to accept though.
Yu Xiong also gawked as his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
He had never seen his little sister act so tenderly, and when she spoke with this boy toy, she flashed a look of complete satisfaction and happiness!
Yu Xiong had seen his little sister pining in loneliness for many years, but now, her contentment stood in sharp contrast to her solitary figure.
“Your position here seems to be very high,” Yang Kai commented lightly.
To be honest, seeing Shan Qing Luo sitting at the head of this hall had really surprised him. Even though he had known that Shan Qing Luo was accepted as an adopted daughter by Red Moon Tribal Lord, she was still from a different race so Yang Kai had originally thought that Shan Qing Luo would be having a difficult time here. After seeing her though, he realized he was completely wrong.
“En, Adoptive Mother regards me very highly, so no one from the Monster Race dares to disrespect me,” Shan Qing Luo replied softly.
“Who is he then? He seems to hold the same status as you,” Yang Kai raised his head to look at Yu Xiong.
“He’s the same as me, taken in by Adoptive Mothers. In name, he is my big brother, but he is an orthodox Monster Race,” Shan Qing Luo explained softly, after which she saw the slight trace of hostility in Yang Kai’s eyes disappear.
This discovery made her heart leap for joy.
What it meant for a man to be jealous of his woman, Shan Qing Luo knew better than anyone else.
“Brother-in-law, nice to meet you!” Yang Kai suddenly raised his head and smiled at Yu Xiong, calling out loudly.
Yu Xiong nearly fell backwards on the spot!
If Yu Xiong had a guess about their relationship after seeing his little sister and this boy toy act so intimately just now, the title Yang Kai had just addressed him by, confirmed it.
His little sister and this boy toy… actually had that kind of relationship!
How was that possible though? Yu Xiong stared at Shan Qing Luo in disbelief, but he could clearly see that she had no intention of denying it, instead just smiling shyly.
Yu Xiong suddenly heard from cracking sounds and couldn’t help glancing around at the other Monster Race males in the hall, quickly discovering many of them wearing looks of grief and anguish, as if they just had a knife driven through their hearts. Many were also glaring hatefully at Yang Kai, as if they wished to turn their gazes into sharp arrows that could piece and kill this boy toy immediately.
“Uh…” Yu Xiong found himself somewhat unable to keep up with the situation and also at a loss for what to say Yang Kai, but when his eyes landed on Xia Ning Chang, who had been standing quietly beside Yang Kai the whole time, he couldn’t help asking, “Then what is your relationship with this young lady?”
“Little Senior Sister is my woman!” Yang Kai smiled as he stretched out a hand to wrap around Xia Ning Chang’s waist while using his other to embrace Shan Qing Luo.
Shan Qing Luo struggled slightly but soon complied with Yang Kai’s meaning, nestling her blushing face into his arms.
Yu Xiong’s jaw dropped as he stared at the confidently smiling boy in front of him, a feeling of admiration spontaneously welled up inside of him as he gave a big thumbs-up.
This was a real winner in life! The true role model for all boy toys!
Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang smoothly entered the palace.
After such an overt display back in the main hall, everyone knew about the close relationship between Yang Kai and Shan Qing Luo, causing a great deal of jealousy amongst the Monster Race masters who were cursing Yang Kai for his luck in love.
Inside a luxurious guest room, Shan Qing Luo brought Bi Luo to visit Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang.
Just now, there had been too many people around so Shan Qing Luo had not said very much, but now that she had an opportunity, she would naturally speak with him at length.
Although Yang Kai already learned a lot from Bi Luo inside the Emperor Garden, there were plenty of details he wasn’t clear about. After talking with Shan Qing Luo, however, Yang Kai understood that after this enchantress arrived on Monster Emperor Star, she had experienced a lot of hardship.
From the start, she was extremely beautiful and naturally charming, and when she came to Monster Emperor Star, her strength was not high, so she became the target of many unscrupulous men.
If not for her bumping into Red Moon Tribal Lord coincidentally and being accepted as the latter’s adopted daughter, Shan Qing Luo did not even want to think about what her fate would have been.
Therefore, she was very grateful to Red Moon Tribal Lord. Moreover, since accepting her as an adopted daughter, Chi Yue had treated her very well, a fact which was obvious just by looking at Shang Qing Luo’s status in Red Moon Territory. For those who did not already know the truth, they would most likely assume she was a pure-blood Monster Race.
A human being able to hold such a position in Red Moon Territory was a testament to Red Moon Tribal Lord’s vision.
After hearing what Shan Qing Luo said, Yang Kai also felt some admiration towards this Red Moon Tribal Lord he had never met before.
“In short, Adoptive Mother is very good to me. Also, because I refined the Source of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, I can no longer be considered purely human, but I’m not a member of the Monster Race either,” Shan Qing Luo said with a light smile.
“What are you then?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
“En, I’m what is known as a Half-Monster. There is a special group on Monster Emperor Star that are considered Half-Monsters, but their status is only slightly higher than humans.”
“Half-Monsters…” Yang Kai was stunned.
“En, these Half-Monsters were born from the union of the Monster and Human Race and are not recognized by humans or accepted by the Monster Race, so their status is quite awkward,” Shan Qing Luo casually explained.
“A union between Human and Monster Race? Is such a thing allowed on Monster Emperor Star?”
“Of course it’s not allowed. Monster Emperor Star is different from other Cultivation Stars in that the Monster Race is supreme, so how could they tolerate their blood being contaminated by humans? However, sometimes love between two people does not follow the common sense of the world around them or care about its disdain. That’s why a special group like Half-Monsters exists,” Shan Qing Luo said lightly, “To be honest, I quite admire those people. For example, Senior Ba He who came with you… he experienced such matters.”
“Do you know about Ba He?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
“En, I didn’t know about it originally, but I heard some things from Yu Xiong recently.”
“Do tell, I’m also quite curious about the old man,” Yang Kai asked quickly. He had heard a lot of rumours about Ba He back in Shimmering Moon City and the strength he had displayed was indeed extraordinary, so Yang Kai had some interest in him.
Shan Qing Luo didn’t know much, but the reason why Ba He had remained hidden in Shimmering Moon City for two hundred years, even changing his appearance and concealing his cultivation, was truly related to a human woman.
Ba He had been the strongest general under Red Moon Tribal Lord for several hundred years and his aptitude was extremely high. He had long reached the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, and with his attainments in Shi, no other Origin Returning Realm master was his match.
For a time, he was known as the first master under the Origin King Realm on Monster Emperor Star.
He was also the most likely candidate on all of Monster Emperor Star to break through to the Origin King Realm! Once he reached that realm, it would mean that he could stand on equal footing with Chi Yue and become a powerful existence at the level of the other Tribal Lords.
But Ba He suddenly fell deeply in love with a human woman at first sight…
The Monster Race rejected the union between ordinary Humans and Monsters, so how could a future star like Ba He be allowed to engage in such behaviour? The resistance he encountered was naturally far greater than normal, especially from Red Moon Tribal Lord, a fact that made Ba He even more miserable.
If things really continued to develop like this, with Ba He’s arrogant temperament back then, it was highly likely he would turn his back on the whole Monster Race! At that point, he would definitely become the target of public scorn across all of Monster Emperor Star.
Red Moon Tribal Lord also had a terrible headache about this problem. Naturally, she did not want to see her most powerful general be forced into such a desperate situation.
Out of respect for his talent, she was even prepared to accept the fact Ba He wanted to be together with that human woman.
After all, although the two races could not openly fraternize with one another, it was perfectly normal for some Monster Race masters to keep a few human beauties. Which Monster Race master’s mansion didn’t have some beautiful human toys? Everyone was well aware of this reality but also made sure not to mention it in public.
As long as Ba He could really break through to the Origin King Realm, him being together with a human woman wasn’t a matter of consequence.
However, before Chi Yue could clearly explain her position to Ba He, a tragedy occurred.
The Human Race woman Ba He was in love with actually experienced a deviation in her cultivation when attempting to break through a Minor Realm and died…
Ba He, who learned the news, was both deeply saddened and infuriated.
He could not help thinking that the reason why his beloved woman inexplicably experienced deviation in her cultivation was because Red Moon Tribal Lord had secretly meddled with her somehow.
In a rage, Ba He ran amok on Half-Moon Mountain before storming into Chi Yue’s private chambers to confront her.
No one knew what happened that day, but when Lady Chi Yue came out, she announced that for his crimes of disrespect and disobedience, Ba He had been executed by her.
For the next two hundred years, there were no news of Ba He.
Only recently had he taken the initiative to show himself in Shimmering Moon City.
“So… Red Moon Tribal Lord didn’t kill Ba He but let him go?” Yang Kai postulated.
“Most likely,” Shan Qing Luo nodded lightly, “Adoptive Mother is a master at the Second-Order Origin King Realm, if she really wanted to kill Ba He, he would definitely be dead. There is no way he could have escaped with his life.”
Yang Kai nodded gently.
“Yang Kai…” Shan Qing Luo suddenly called out softly.
“Hm?”
“Do you think… that human woman’s cultivation deviation and death were really related to Adoptive Mother?”
“How would I know? I’m afraid that no one but those who were directly involved know what happened more than two hundred years ago,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, but upon seeing the worried look on Shan Qing Luo’s face, his brow furrowed and he couldn’t help asking, “What are you worried about?”
Shan Qing Luo slowly shook her head and with a forced smile said, “Nothing. Right, you must be careful of that Mi Tian, I heard that you had a little conflict with him in Shimmering Moon City. Mi Tian is incredibly prideful so after offending him, he will never forgive you.”
“Don’t worry, he can’t do anything to me,” Yang Kai smiled proudly.
The two continued chatting for some time before Shan Qing Luo got up and left.
“Junior Brother, what are we going to do next?” Xia Ning Chang asked softly after Shan Qing Luo was gone.
“I haven’t figured that out yet,” Yang Kai smiled awkwardly. He had been trying his best to enter the palace to see how Shan Qing Luo was doing, so now that he was certain she was doing well and learned just how high her status was, he naturally relaxed.
“Then do you want to take Elder Sister Qing Luo away?” Xia Ning Chang asked.
“I don’t know, but I think it’s best if we see what she wants first. In fact, I think it would be best for her to remain here; after all, Monster Emperor Star’s environment is extremely beneficial to her cultivation and future development!”
“En,” Xia Ning Chang gently nodded.
After hearing about Ba He, she immediately understood that if Yang Kai really insisted on taking Shan Qing Luo away, it would be difficult. No one knew whether the death of that human woman who Ba He fell in love with had anything to do with Red Moon Tribal Lord, but if it really was the result of Red Moon Tribal Lord’s secret machinations…
Xia Ning Chang understood why Shan Qing Luo showed a worried look just now, she was clearly afraid that history would repeat itself but with Yang Kai as the victim this time.
For the future of her adopted daughter, Red Moon Tribal Lord would not mind the death of a single human man.
“However, since we’re already here, we should do our best to acquire as many unique materials as possible,” Yang Kai said while looking towards Xia Ning Chang with a smile, “We’ll need to rely on you for this, Little Senior Sister.”
…..
Shan Qing Luo left the guest room before taking Bi Luo straight to Chi Yue’s private palace.
Shan Qing Luo was highly regarded by Chi Yue and was being cultivated as her future successor, so no one would dare to stop her from walking around in the palace. All the Monster Race cultivators who saw her bowed to show their respect when she passed by them.
Arriving outside Chi Yue’s chambers, Shan Qing Luo found a man with a bear-like waist and strong, burly back, giving him an impressive stature like an iron tower. This man was standing outside the Chi Yue’s palace with a furrowed brow as he leaned forward slightly, as if listening to something stealthily.
“Yu Xiong!” Shan Qing Luo walked up and shouted.
Hearing the shout, Yu Xiong quickly turned around and put a finger to his lips.
“What are you doing acting all sneaky in front of Adoptive Mother’s residence? You’d best be careful not to get caught or Adoptive Mother will certainly punish you,” Shan Qing Luo frowned, staring at him as she reprimanded him.
“Senior Ba He is being tortured inside, listen!” Yu Xiong pointed inside and gossiped with an interested expression on his face.
Shan Qing Luo was surprised at first, but after listening carefully, she could hear a series of terrible cries from inside the palace.
Shan Qing Luo couldn’t help paling slightly as she asked in surprise, “Does that mean Adoptive Mother refuses to forgive Senior Ba He?”
Although she had never met Ba He, Ba He and her situation were somewhat similar, so if Red Moon Tribal Lord refused to let off Ba He, then her and Yang Kai’s future prospects would certainly be dim.
Ba He’s experience and situation were something Shan Qing Luo could learn from to help predict her own future, so it was only natural for her to become nervous when she heard the screams Ba He was making from being tortured inside.
It was as if Shan Qing Luo could see Yang Kai being tortured by her Adoptive Mother…
“I don’t know, Adoptive Mother has always been amiable and seldom gets angry. Most of the time she will only warn, instruct, or reprimand when someone makes a mistake, rather than punishing them severely. Senior Ba He being tortured so miserably this time must be because Adoptive Mother is truly enraged,” Yu Xiong quickly waxed as he continued to perk up his ears to spy on what was happening inside.
Shan Qing Luo’s expression, of course, darkened even more upon hearing this as the worries in her heart grew slightly stronger and she began thinking hard about what she should say when she met with her Adoptive Mother.
Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong listened to the sounds inside the palace for more than an hour before the screams gradually subsided.
Even a Monster Race master with steel nerves like Yu Xiong could not help feeling somewhat anxious at this moment.
The door of the palace opened suddenly, and a figure staggered out from it. This man was covered in blood and his aura was quite chaotic, seemingly not far from death.
Shan Qing Luo’s eyes shrank…
She could see at a glance that this man should be Ba He; after all, the powerful aura of a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master still lingered around his body.
It seemed that her adoptive mother had been extremely angry this time, and it wasn’t yet clear whether she had forgiven Senior Ba He.
“Senior, are you okay?” Yu Xiong walked over and supported Ba He.
“Ah… I’m fine, at least I won’t die,” Ba He waved his hand slowly, as if he didn’t even have the strength to speak.
Yu Xiong opened his mouth but did not know how to comfort him.
Ba He suddenly raised his head and looked at Shan Qing Luo. As an old master with vast experience reading others, the moment he saw her, his eyes could not help lighting up. Even his sluggish aura seemed to recover somewhat at that moment.
Gently nodding, Ba He asked, “You should be Young Lady Shan, right?”
“Qing Luo greets Senior,” Shan Qing Luo elegantly bowed.
“Young Lady Shan is too polite. Good, the Monster Race has finally found a decent talent,” Ba He said with a light smile, “This old master acted too willfully in the past and failed to live up to the expectations of Lady Tribal Lord, I hope you will not disappoint her as well.”
“Junior will remember Senior’s teachings…” Shan Qing Luo said softly, with a complex expression.
“En, go in. Lady Tribal Lord is waiting for you,” Ba He waved his hand before forcing his weak body forward step by step at a slow pace.
Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong stared at the fading figure of Ba He and could not help sighing. This future star of the Monster Race, the First Master under the Origin King Realm, had been punished so severely by their adoptive mother.
“Is that Qing Luo? Come in,” From inside the palace, Chi Yue’s voice called out.
Shan Qing Luo could not help feeling anxious hearing this call, but quickly bit her red lip to brace herself and walked inside.
“Uh, I’ll head back first…” Yu Xiong seemingly thought out loud before turning around to flee.
“Yu Xiong, you get in here too!” Chi Yue’s tender shout rang out.
Yu Xiong’s neck shrank as he put down his already lifted foot, an expression like his father and mother had just died filling his face as he reluctantly followed Shan Qing Luo.
[I should have run away sooner…] Yu Xiong regretted deeply to himself.
Inside the spacious and brightly lit palace, a beautiful woman in a long dress stood quietly, her expression calm and composed.
This beautiful woman had a mature proud figure and a slender waist. There were no energy fluctuations around her at all, as if she was an ordinary mortal that had never cultivated before.
She seemed to have been born extremely beautiful, with red lips like the most glamorous of rubies that flashed a seductive luster and frost-white skin that gave off a cool glow.
In terms of attractiveness to men, she wasn’t inferior to Shan Qing Luo at all; however, she lacked the kind of innate charm Shan Qing Luo naturally radiated, instead possessing a noble aura that was many times greater.
It was hard to imagine that such a beautiful woman was one of Monster Emperor Star’s Ten Great Tribal Lords and the adoptive mother of Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong, Chi Yue!
After the siblings came in, they first greeted Chi Yue, and after receiving Chi Yue’s nod, they sat down cautiously.
“Have you made appropriate arrangements for the Alchemy Grandmaster that arrived here from Shimmering Moon City?” Chi Yue asked casually.
“Reporting to Adoptive Mother, everything has been arranged. Does Adoptive Mother wish to see her immediately?” Shan Qing Luo looked at Chi Yue and asked.
“There’s no hurry. Since she can refine an Origin Grade pill that formed Pill Clouds, she is indeed somewhat extraordinary, but compared to her, I am more interested in the human man who came with her; I’ve been hearing some incredible rumours about him. Qing Luo, is there anything you want to tell me?” Chi Yue turned to look at Shan Qing Luo elegantly.
Shan Qing Luo’s tender body trembled as she hurriedly got up, knelt down on the ground, grit her teeth, and pleaded, “Adoptive Mother, please show mercy, that man…”
“Why are you acting so nervously? Adoptive Mother will not eat him. Get up first and then we’ll talk,” Chi Yue stretched out her hand and brought Shan Qing Luo to her feet.
Seeing that Chi Yue didn’t seem to be angry; Shan Qing Luo couldn’t help feeling relieved and her nervous mood gradually calmed down.
“Tell me, are the rumours I heard true or false?” Chi Yue continued to ask.
“They’re true,” Shan Qing Luo replied through gritted teeth.
“Oh? So that human is really the object of your affection?” Chi Yue laughed softly.
“Yes.”
“What’s so great about him? Why does even a woman like you seem so deeply in love with him? Yu Xiong said that he is just a boy toy that depends on women for food.”
“What’s wrong, Yu Xiong is just spouting nonsense,” Shan Qing Luo shot Yu Xiong a vicious look, to which the latter shrank his head, touched his chin, and looked up at the sky…
“Tell me about him then, what is it about him that causes you to never be able to forget him?” Chi Yue seemed to be interested and asked carefully.
“Adoptive Daughter can’t explain well…” Shan Qing Luo smiled shyly. In front of a powerful existence like Red Moon Tribal Lord, her Demon Queen aura was completely suppressed, “We met when he was very weak. At that time, Adoptive Daughter was just an Immortal Ascension Boundary Ninth Stage cultivator while he had only reached the True Element Boundary.”
“That is quite a big gap,” Chi Yue raised her brow, “But he seems to have arrived at the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm now. Does that mean he’s able to match your cultivation speed?”
Knowing this, Chi Yue finally showed a hint of surprise.
Shan Qing Luo’s cultivation pace was extremely fast, so Chi Yue seeing this human man not inferior to her adopted daughter in this regard came as a bit of a shock.
“En, I don’t know where he has been over the years or what he has done, but after accidentally crossing paths in the Emperor Garden recently, he seems to have made a special trip to Monster Emperor Star to find me.”
“He has also been to the Emperor Garden?” Chi Yue became more interested.
“En, at that time, Adoptive Daughter joined forces with him and fought a group of people from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, but before we had time to talk, the Emperor Garden closed.”
“Hmph, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce!” Chi Yue snorted coldly, a trace of disdain flashing across her pretty face, “Since you collaborated with him in battle, tell me, how strong is he?”
“This…” Shan Qing Luo looked embarrassed.
“You don’t know?” Chi Yue’s face sank.
“Please forgive me, Adoptive Mother. The battle did not last long, and Adoptive Daughter was not able to observe much, but Adoptive Daughter is certain he is not weak.”
Chi Yue laughed softly and declared, “Since you are so certain, I can give him a chance. Although it is admirable that he came to Monster Emperor Star to find you, he is still just a human after all. Moreover, he seems to have another woman! How can this Chi Yue’s daughter share a man with other women? Compose yourself for now; as for his worth, I will test it. If he really has the skill to win my approval, then I will not oppose your relationship with him, but if he is nothing but an embroidered pillow, I will personally kill him!”
After speaking, Chi Yue looked at Shan Qing Luo, thinking she could see this Adoptive Daughter of hers panic and plead for mercy, but instead all she saw was a look of joy on Shan Qing Luo’s face.
“You have that much confidence in him?” Chi Yue was surprised.
“Although I have not seen him in several dozen years, he is a man who is able to create miracles, so Adoptive Daughter believes he will not let me down and will win Adoptive Mother’s approval!” Shan Qing Luo quickly said.
“Sure, since you think so, I will act freely,” Chi Yue nodded slightly, satisfied with Shan Qing Luo’s attitude as she shouted in a low voice, “Yu Xiong!”
“Yes!” Yu Xiong quickly got up.
“I leave this task to you. Test that little bastard’s depths. If he is just an ordinary human, kill him quickly so he does not become an eyesore,” Chi Yue waved her hand.
“Yes!” Yu Xiong replied in a deep voice as his eyes flashed fiercely.
“You may leave.”
The brother and sister pair then left Chi Yue’s palace. After exiting, Yu Xiong wore a look of excitement as he rolled up his sleeves, looking like he was going to start a fight immediately.
Although he thought Yang Kai was an interesting guy, even daring to call him Older Brother, he was still a human. While having another woman, this boy toy was still coveting his little sister; a toad lusting after swan meat if Yu Xiong ever saw one.
Now that he obtained Chi Yue’s instructions, he wanted to immediately test out Yang Kai. In any case, he could think about more complicated things after first beating him up.
“Yu Xiong!” Shan Qing Luo suddenly shouted.
“Hm?” Yu Xiong quickly glanced over at her.
Shan Qing Luo’s beautiful eyes flashed a cold light as she glared at him and declared, “If you dare act against him personally, I’ll make you suffer for it!”
“Uh…” Yu Xiong was dumbfounded, a gloomy look filling his face, “Little sister, older brother was assigned this task by Adoptive Mother, I cannot disobey Adoptive Mother’s instructions!”
“I don’t care, you can’t act yourself! If you do, you won’t have a little sister in the future!” After saying so, she did not give Yu Xiong a chance to speak and flew off immediately.
“Little sister… Great-Aunt…” Yu Xiong called from behind, but no matter how he shouted, he could not get any response.
He suddenly felt he had received a very awkward assignment.
…..
After staying at the palace for three days, Red Moon Tribal Lord finally summoned Xia Ning Chang. As an Alchemy Grandmaster who refined a pill that formed Pill Clouds, Xia Ning Chang was worthy of such an audience.
As for Yang Kai, Chi Yue did not take him to heart and had no plans to meet with him.
Chi Yue’s impression of Xia Ning Chang was particularly good. This human woman was docile and kind, with pure, limpid eyes. Not only did she have a good cultivation level, she also had a profound knowledge in Alchemy.
When she summoned Xia Ning Chang, Chi Yue specially asked several well-known Alchemists in the palace to come test Xia Ning Chang’s skills.
The result greatly satisfied Chi Yue. With regards to Alchemy, Xia Ning Chang had the demeanour and style of a master that was not inferior to the old white-haired men who had devoted their entire lives to Alchemy.
The Alchemy competition held on the spot was also won by Xia Ning Chang overwhelmingly!
Chi Yue was incredibly pleased with this talent and offered extremely favourable terms to hire Xia Ning Chang, allowing her to live comfortably in the palace while providing Alchemy services for her.
If not for Xia Ning Chang’s young age and lack of reputation, the identity of the palace’s Chief Alchemist would likely have immediately changed hands.
Xia Ning Chang’s living conditions improved dramatically as she was granted her own independent palace as well as several young and beautiful maidservants to take care of her daily needs. All she needed to do was relax and perform Alchemy for Chi Yue.
All of this was in line with Yang Kai’s expectation.
“Grandmaster Xia, these materials have been allocated to you by Lady Tribal Lord. Master hopes to see the finished pills within a month,” Outside Xia Ning Chang’s private chambers, a maidservant in green handed her a Space Ring.
“I’ll take it,” Yang Kai smiled as he stuck out his hand.
The green clothed maid frowned slightly, seemingly displeased, but she did not refuse and gently placed the Space Ring into Yang Kai’s hand.
Yang Kai Divine Sense swept the contents of the Space Ring before snorting lightly, “Why are there so few materials?”
“So few? There are enough materials for forty Origin Grade pills inside,” The green clothed maid frowned.
“En, truly too few, can you bring more materials?” Yang Kai asked.
“I can, but… the other Grandmasters in the palace only use so many materials per month, if any more are brought, there won’t be enough time to completely refine them.”
“How can those people compare to my Little Senior Sister!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully, “Go bring more materials! The more the better!”
The green clothed maid looked over at Xia Ning Chang awkwardly. Honestly, she did not like Yang Kai very much. The rumour was that Yang Kai was a boy toy who only relied on women for food. His poor reputation had already propagated throughout the entire palace.
No woman would hold a good impression of such a man.
Worse, while he had already deceived this female Alchemy Grandmaster, he wasn’t satisfied and was now stretching out his claws towards Young Lady Shan Qing Luo. Sadly, Lady Qing Luo’s eyes seemed to have been blinded somehow and she was unable to see through the true shameless nature and corrupt soul of this man.
Inside the palace, almost everyone was sighing for Shan Qing Luo, feeling like a beautiful flower was willingly being planted in cow dung, eliciting strong feelings of indignation.
Now, listening to Yang Kai boast so shamelessly, the green clothed maid’s already poor impression of him dropped further.
However, Lady Tribal Lord seemed quite taken with this new Alchemy Grand Master, so it wasn’t easy for the maid to refuse. As a last resort, the green clothed maid sought Xia Ning Chang’s opinion on the matter.
“Do as Junior Brother says,” Xia Ning Chang said softly, “If Lady Tribal Lord asks, you can just say I requested the materials, she won’t disagree.”
“Yes!” The green clothed maid nodded helplessly.
“By the way, those Grandmasters in the palace, what is their average probability of success in Alchemy?” Yang Kai asked suddenly.
“Twenty percent!” The green clothed maid replied indifferently, “For every ten sets of materials, they succeed in refining pills twice!”
“Understood, many thanks!” Yang Kai smiled and cupped his fists.
The green clothed maid looked at him seriously, as if she wanted to say something, but after hesitating for a while, she couldn’t vocalize her thoughts. Nodding to Xia Ning Chang, she simply turned and left.
“That girl doesn’t seem to like me very much,” Yang Kai looked at her back and laughed dryly. He understood why the other party was giving him such a disgusted look, but he didn’t take it to heart.
“Junior Brother, isn’t this a little improper?” Xia Ning Chang looked at Yang Kai worriedly.
“How is it improper?”
“These are Origin Grade materials in the end, their value isn’t low. If we do this, isn’t it equivalent to stealing materials from Red Moon Tribal Lord…” Xia Ning Chang felt a little uneasy and guilty.
“That’s not right,” Yang Kai shook his head, “Think about it, Little Senior Sister, that girl just now said that when the other Grandmasters in the palace refine Origin Grade pills, the probability of them succeeding is only about twenty percent. That means that eighty percent of the materials they use will be wasted. But Little Senior Sister, you’re different. If you put in your best effort, even if you cannot reach a one hundred percent success rate, you will at least reach eighty to ninety percent. Even if you occasionally fail, it would be inconsequential. In the end, as long as you turn over thirty percent of the finished pills, Red Moon Tribal Lord will already make a massive profit. At the same time, we’ll gain some benefits as well. This is a good deal for everyone involved.”
“Although I understand what Junior Brother is saying, I still feel like there’s something wrong with acting like this,” Xia Ning Chang pursed her red lips lightly.
Right now, she felt like she and her Junior Brother were behaving like thieves, but since Yang Kai had asked her to do this, Xia Ning Chang would not refuse.
The two quickly dedicated their full effort to Alchemy.
To Xia Ning Chang, Alchemy was cultivation. To her, Alchemy was a kind of enjoyment rather than laborious work. On top of that, she was now a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, and after studying the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture, her attainments in Alchemy had grown significantly.
In addition, the last time she successfully refined a pill with Pill Clouds in Shimmering Moon City, she had gained a much deeper understanding of the Alchemic Way. Yang Kai couldn’t help admiring her talent in the field of Alchemy.
Raw materials were transformed into finished products in her hands at an extremely efficient rate.
Yang Kai didn’t remain idle either as he focused on experimenting with the refining method left in the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture that would lead to one set of materials producing more than one pill.
It was conceivable that if he succeeded in this experiment, it would have a profound impact on the entire Star Field’s Alchemic Way.
This would no doubt be a groundbreaking development.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai didn’t have any clues as to how to succeed yet and could only continue refining pills while studying and comprehending the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture.
The Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair working together consumed the trivial forty sets of materials in just a few days.
A few days later, when the green clothed maid came over again and received a bottle with twelve pills inside of it, her eyes filled with shock.
It had only been a few days yet this young, beautiful Alchemy Grandmaster had really finished refining all the materials she had been given. On top of that, the number of pills she had refined was ten percent higher than the other Grandmasters in the palace!
The green clothed maid could hardly believe her eyes.
If it weren’t for the pills actually matching the previously delivered materials, she would have suspected that Xia Ning Chang had simply handed her previously refined pills.
No wonder Lady Tribal Lord valued her so much, she was worthy of it!
Thinking about this, the maid even more felt that Yang Kai was an eyesore. This boy toy was truly thick-skinned, sitting around all day doing nothing, forcing this innocent girl to let him remain by her side, as if he was afraid that someone would try to snatch her away from him!
However, this couldn’t be blamed on him entirely; after all, with no real ability of his own, and a need to rely on a woman just to feed himself, of course this boy toy would constantly be on guard, as a woman like Grandmaster Xia would surely have many suitors.
“Grandmaster Xia, there are a hundred sets of Origin Grade pill materials inside this Space Ring. Lady Tribal Lord has also said that if you want more materials, just ask any of the maids and the palace will supply herbs to you unconditionally,” The green clothed maid respectfully handed over the new set of materials.
“Thank you!” Xia Ning Chang smiled gently.
“Just place them down over there somewhere,” Yang Kai gestured lightly.
The green clothed maid shot him a ferocious look, put down the Space Ring in her hands, hesitated for a moment, then suddenly shouted, “Please be nicer to Master Xia, you shameless boy toy!”
After saying so, she left angrily.
Yang Kai wore a bewildered look as he knit his brow, “Why did she feel the need to scold me? I didn’t do anything to her!”
Xia Ning Chang giggled pleasantly before saying lightly, “Don’t worry about what others think, they just don’t know how good you are, Junior Brother. It’s fine as long as I know.”
Yang Kai’s heart warmed.
Xia Ning Chang lowered her head and whispered softly, “In fact, it’s better like this, I’m really afraid that more women will come to know how good you are!”
“Since Little Senior Sister has said so, then I’ll have to trouble you to take care of this boy toy,” Yang Kai laughed.
Xia Ning Chang’s face reddened as the words boy toy always reminded her of some embarrassing memories…
Red Moon Territory was among the strongest three of the ten territories on Monster Emperor Star and was rich in natural wealth. What’s more, since this was Monster Emperor Star, there were countless Monster Beasts, so the palace did not lack for herbs and other alchemy materials, including Monster Beast parts and Monster Cores.
No matter how many materials Xia Ning Chang asked for, the palace was able to satisfy her.
In order to gain as many benefits as possible from this place, Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang spared no effort to refine pills. After receiving a batch of materials, they would refine thirty percent of them into pills that were handed over the green clothed maid when she came to deliver the next batch.
The remaining seventy percent, went straight to Yang Kai’s pockets.
There were not many opportunities to freely obtain so many high-grade Alchemy materials, so how could Yang Kai let this one pass?
In truth, the amount didn’t matter too much to Yang Kai as he was already an Origin King Grade Alchemist. Unless he used Origin King Grade materials, there was no way for him to increase his Alchemy level. No matter how many pills he refined, the only thing that would improve was his refining proficiency.
But Xia Ning Chang was different. She needed a huge base of materials to perform Alchemy in order to improve her cultivation.
As the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm, Little Senior Sister was extremely eager to improve her cultivation so she could restore vitality to her homeland.
These materials obtained from the palace would become the stepping stones for Xia Ning Chang’s growth.
Xia Ning Chang’s outstanding performance also made Chi Yue very happy.
Although there were several other Origin Grade Alchemists in the palace, none of them were anywhere near as fast or efficient as Xia Ning Chang. It could be said that all the rest of the Origin Grade Alchemists in the palace put together were less useful than Xia Ning Chang.
Chi Yue felt that if Xia Ning Chang could work for the palace for ten years, Red Moon Territory would be able to create another hundred Origin Returning Realm masters!
This wasn’t an exaggeration; if, over ten years, the pills refined by Xia Ning Chang were given to talented Monster Race cultivators, those talents would definitely grow at a remarkable pace.
Chi Yue favoured Xia Ning Chang greatly, almost granting any request she made without the slightest delay, which naturally made it easier for Yang Kai to plunder materials.
He was already considering whether he should begin asking for Origin King Grade materials from Chi Yue.
An Origin King Grade Alchemist had never appeared on Monster Emperor Star!
This also meant that there must be a large amount of Origin King Grade herbs stored in the palace.
Yang Kai had discretely asked Shan Qing Luo about this matter and learned that Chi Yue had a special storehouse where many precious materials were preserved, including those at the Origin King Grade, a fact that excited Yang Kai greatly.
Inside their residence, Xia Ning Chang was focusing on Alchemy while Yang Kai was thinking about how to obtain the Origin King Grade herbs from Chi Yue’s storehouse.
Obviously, there was only one option.
To use the Stone Puppet!
The Stone Puppet could move silently through the earth, and because of its unique physiology, it was extremely difficult for people to detect any trace of it. When Yang Kai was a guest at Shadowed Star’s Coloured Glass Sect, he had used the Stone Puppet to steal a large amount of Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass, which was subsequently used as a primary material for refining the Origin King Grade Starship.
However, this situation was somewhat different from the one back then.
Although Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain was tightly protected by Coloured Glass Sect, Yang Kai still had an opportunity to pilfer it as the masters of Coloured Glass Sect never imagined such a strange creature existed, which could extract Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass right under their noses.
But the level of defence around Chi Yue’s storehouse would obviously vastly exceed anything protecting Coloured Glass Mountain.
Although the Stone Puppet had many useful abilities, its intelligence wasn’t very high, and if Yang Kai sent it out rashly, it would very likely alert others to its presence.
He had to do this himself!
Concluding so, Yang Kai didn’t hesitate anymore, stretched out his hand, and summoned out the Golden Stone Puppet. This Stone Puppet was Xiao Xiao’s only kin, but when it was born, its Soul failed to form properly for some reason, making the originally low sentience creature completely brain dead.
However, as a result, it became the perfect vessel for Yang Kai to use as an Avatar.
It had absorbed a lot of pure Golden Blood from Yang Kai, so its colour had turned pale gold.
Looking at the Golden Stone Puppet in front of him, Yang Kai gently nodded before extracting his Soul Clone from his Knowledge Sea and sending it into it.
In the next moment, the sluggish eyes of the Golden Stone Puppet regained some of their light, becoming animated and intelligent.
Yang Kai closed his eyes and his expression changed slightly.
No matter how many times he experienced this, it still felt extremely mysterious. By inserting his Soul Clone into the Golden Stone Puppet, he transformed it into a physical Avatar, making Yang Kai feel as if he had been split in two.
Not only could he feel all the emotions and sensations of his own body, but he could also see and hear everything the Golden Stone Puppet did at the same time.
It was a strange and inexplicable feeling.
Yang Kai didn’t rush to act, but instead tried to control the movements of the Golden Stone Puppet with his Soul Clone. Only after familiarizing himself with this peculiar body did he suddenly burrow into the ground.
The seemingly solid earth was no more a barrier to the Golden Stone Puppet than air was, like a fish in water. Additionally, its peculiar body was able to perfectly camouflage itself inside the ground.
No one inside the palace noticed its presence.
Regarding the location of the storehouse, Yang Kai had also asked Shan Qing Luo, so there was no need for him to search randomly.
Estimating the distance and location, it only took a moment for the Golden Stone Puppet to arrive beneath the storehouse.
Yang Kai quietly released his Divine Sense then and spied upward.
Unsurprisingly, even deep below the storehouse, there seemed to be a barrier protecting it. When Yang Kai’s Avatar’s Divine Sense swept the area, it quickly encountered an invisible resistance that impeded it from advancing any further.
This invisible resistance didn’t seem to be very strong, so with a furrow of his brow, Yang Kai slightly increased the output of his Divine Sense, condensing his Spiritual Energy and shelling the space in front of him.
This was just a simple test and Yang Kai was doing his best to control both the power he used and the area he targeted, not daring to act too forcefully. He thought such a small test wouldn’t attract anyone’s attention.
However, when his pulse of Divine Sense came into contact with the invisible barrier, a terrifying aura suddenly spread out from somewhere in the palace.
The strength of this aura caused everyone in the palace to tremble.
From the void, a pair of invisible eyes seemed to open and look down at the entire palace, observing everyone’s movements. No one dared to act rashly under the gaze of these eyes.
The powerful aura swept forth, but soon after it scanned the entire palace, it receded and disappeared.
Many people fell to the ground as sweat dripped from their foreheads. Even the Origin Returning Realm masters inside the palace felt their bodies go weak and limp at this moment.
“What was Lady Tribal Lord looking for?”
“I don’t know, could it be someone did something to anger her inside the palace?”
Confusion and discussion abounded.
Everyone knew that the powerful aura belonged to Red Moon Tribal Lord as only she could silence the entire palace with a single thought.
Yang Kai was also taken aback. He never expected Chi Yue’s reaction to be so fast. If it weren’t for the unique physique of the Stone Puppet, which allowed it to perfectly blend in with the surrounding land, his Avatar would definitely have been exposed.
After such an experience, Yang Kai didn’t dare have any ideas about the storehouse and quickly and quietly withdrew his Avatar.
Inside Chi Yue’s chambers, her brow furrowed lightly as a look of suspicion covered her face, “Strange, the barrier of the storehouse was obviously just touched, so why couldn’t I find anything?”
She also didn’t understand.
No one could act presumptuous in her domain, and no one could avoid her sight, so she simply concluded that the barrier around the storehouse had fallen into disrepair after such a long time and some kind of fault had caused the reaction just now.
Thinking so, she no longer tried to investigate, instead flashing an interested smile as she muttered to herself softly, “Yu Xiong seems to have used his head this time, using a borrowed knife to do the deed. This Queen must have a look at what kind of skill this human boy has!”
Saying so, she quietly released her Divine Sense towards the palace where Xia Ning Chang was staying to observe the movements there.
Inside the palace, Yang Kai had just taken the Golden Stone Puppet back into his Black Book Space when suddenly he turned to stare towards a certain spot with a frown.
At this moment, he actually felt like someone was spying on him, but even after inspecting with Divine Sense carefully, he found nothing.
Could it be that he was exposed somehow in the incident just now and Chi Yue was now monitoring him?
Yang Kai’s face instantly turned black.
“Oh… this little boy actually sensed something?” Chi Yue said in surprise.
With her powerful Second-Order Origin King cultivation, it should have been a simple task for her to observe a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy without his knowledge, but Yang Kai’s glance towards the void just now clearly indicated he had noticed her prying eyes.
However, that was his limit as it was certainly impossible for him to really perceive her Divine Sense.
He should only be suspicious right now! Chi Yue could infer this from Yang Kai’s reactions.
[Things have become interesting!] Chi Yue suddenly thought to herself.
Yang Kai frowned as he sat in place, secretly feeling the situation become complicated.
After a moment though, his expression calmed down and he pretended that nothing had happened, closed his eyes, and began adjusting his breathing.
Soon after, Yang Kai heard voices coming from outside.
“I’m sorry, two Young Lords, but you cannot go in. This is the private residence of Grandmaster Xia. Lady Tribal Lord has ordered that no one may disturb Grandmaster Xia while she is performing Alchemy!”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he heard this voice. He instantly recognized that the speaker was the same green clothed maid that came to deliver herbs to Xia Ning Chang; however, at this moment, she seemed to be trying to prevent someone from approaching the palace.
“This Young Lord knows this is the palace of Alchemy Grandmaster Xia, that’s why he has come. If not for this, do you think this Young Lord would come to this remote place? Stand aside, this Young Lord has something to discuss with that Grandmaster Xia!” A rough voice sounded loudly.
“Two Young Lords, please reconsider! Lady Tribal Lord has already issued strict orders, please do not embarrass this servant!” The green clothed maid begged while again mentioning Chi Yue’s name, using both soft and hard methods.
“Scram!” The previous speaker shouted angrily, “Don’t try to use Senior Chi Yue’s name to suppress this Young Lord! If Senior Chi Yue has a problem, this Young Lord will explain himself to her, not you! How dare a mere servant try to block this Young Lord’s way!”
“Little lady, you should give way. This Young Lord came here with Brother Xue Lian this time to request Grandmaster Xia refine a pill, not to intrude upon her privacy; however, Brother Xue Lian’s temper is a bit bad, so if we’ve offended you, this Young Lord will apologize on his behalf,” Another voice sounded.
Yang Kai suddenly sneered.
The owner of this voice was someone he was familiar with, Young Master Wicked Eyes Mi Tian!
Since entering the palace, Yang Kai had not seen him again, but a person with such high pride would definitely not let the matter in Shimmering Moon City drop. Shan Qing Luo had also reminded him to be wary of Mi Tian’s revenge.
His intentions for showing up at this time were clearly not good.
But who was the other person? Hearing Mi Tian calling him Brother Xue Lian, it seemed the other party’s status was not low.
Yang Kai instantly became curious.
“Request Alchemy from Grandmaster Xia?” The green clothed maid froze for a moment before quickly shaking her head, “That would be inappropriate, Grandmaster Xia is a talent Lady Tribal Lord highly favours. Without the permission of Lady Tribal Lord, she cannot perform Alchemy for others.”
“Not appropriate?” The Monster Race master named Xue Lian sneered, “Inappropriate, how? She’s just a trivial human woman; This Young Lord asking her to perform Alchemy is her honour, how could she refuse? If she dares say no, this Young Lord will immediately kill her!”
The green clothed maid turned pale in fright. Although she was afraid of the ferocity of the Monster Race master named Xue Lian, she still stood firmly in front of him and prevented him from entering the palace.
“I’ll give you three breaths time, if you don’t give way by then, be prepared to die! Even if this Young Lord kills a trivial maidservant, Senior Chi Yue won’t care, think carefully before you decide,” Xue Lian glared coldly at the green-clothed maid, a fierce and violent light flashing across his eyes.
“Little lady, you’d best step aside, your delicate skin and tender flesh will certainly not look good if it’s ripped apart,” Mi Tian still maintained a gentle smile as he persuaded the green-clothed maid, his eyes flashing a wicked and enchanting light.
When she made contact with these eyes, the green-clothed maid’s vision blurred and the look of struggle on her face gradually smoothed, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks as she gently and shyly nodded before backing downs.
With a cold snort, Xue Lian stretched out his hand and shoved the maid further away before taking a big step forward towards the palace.
Mi Tian smiled and followed behind him.
When the two were less than ten metres from the palace, however, the front door suddenly opened and Yang Kai walked out, closing the door behind him before sweeping his eyes across Xue Lian and Mi Tian indifferently.
Xue Lian and Mi Tian both stopped at the same time, the former staring at Yang Kai disdainfully.
The latter’s eyes narrowed, however, as a look of hatred and dread flashed across their depths.
He would never forget Yang Kai’s terrifying performance back in Shimmering Moon City; this was an opponent he had no choice but to take seriously.
“Brother Xue Lian, be careful, he’s the human I mentioned to you before,” Mi Tian looked at Yang Kai coldly and muttered.
The Monster Race cultivator named Xue Lian frowned slightly as he took another look at Yang Kai for grinning widely, “So this is the Human that killed your two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards? He doesn’t look like much.”
From his contemptuous expression, it was clear he did not put Yang Kai in his eyes.
Mi Tian chuckled, “If Brother Xue Lian underestimates him simply because he is a human, that would be a big mistake, he’s… somewhat different from the other humans on Monster Emperor Star.”
“Hmph, I haven’t seen you in more than ten years, Mi Tian, but it seems you’ve lost all your spirit in that time, even cowering before a mere human now. If my carriage’s Monster Beasts were killed by this boy, he would have never lived to see the next sunrise! Mi Tian, it seems this is as far as you’ll rise, from now on, this Monster Emperor Star will be my, Xue Lian’s world!” Xue Lian did not seem to take Mi Tian seriously, even ridiculing him for his timidity.
Mi Tian did not get angry, however, and simply smiled, “I was only advising you, whether you listen or not… heh heh!”
These two Monster Race masters did not even try to lower their voices, so Yang Kai naturally heard every word they said.
Yang Kai could not help observing the cultivator called Xue Lian with some interest and curiosity.
This Xue Lian must really have a powerful background, otherwise, he would not dare speak to Mi Tian like this. Yang Kai knew Mi Tian was the Young Lord of Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord, a figure famous across all of Monster Emperor Star, but this Xue Lian actually stood on equal footing with him and even criticized and mocked him mercilessly, so what were Xue Lian’s origins?
Regardless, this Xue Lian’s cultivation was not weaker than Mi Tian’s, having also reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm!
“Do you two have business here?” Yang Kai’s face was full of smiles but the light in his eyes was slightly cold as he asked faintly.
“Of course we have business here,” Xue Lian grinned and stared at Yang Kai disdainfully, “But you’re not qualified to talk to this Young Lord. Get that human woman surnamed Xia to come out and see me.”
“You want to see Little Senior Sister?” Yang Kai chuckled and shook his head, “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Little Senior Sister is currently in the middle of performing Alchemy and won’t see anyone.”
“She won’t?” Xue Lian said with a sharp expression before coldly snorting, “That’s not up to her to decide! Since this Young Lord is here, she must see me, she has no say in the matter.
Mi Tian, who was standing behind Xue Lian, smiled and added, “Brother Xue Lian came this time to find that young lady to help him with Alchemy. En, we’ve heard that her Alchemy skills are quite good. Brother Xue Lian has prepared the necessary herbs, as long as she agrees to refine them, this matter can be settled.”
“Help with Alchemy?” Yang Kai nodded, “Such a small matter isn’t worth disturbing Little Senior Sister over, I can agree on her behalf, just give the herbs to me then go back and wait.”
Mi Tian raised his brow while Xue Lian sneered, “Give you the herbs? What thing are you? This Young Lord heard that you’re just a boy toy that relies on women to survive. Go back and tell that woman to get out here and see me! Hmph, a trivial human slut dares put on airs in front of this Young Lord, she’d best be careful I don’t tear off her limbs as punishment!”
The smile on Yang Kai’s face receded immediately as his eyes narrowed, suddenly showing a cold and callous expression, “Did you just insult my Senior Sister?”
“Are you deaf? So what if I insulted her?”
“Then you’ll have to pay for it!”
Yang Kai declared coldly and then, before anyone even saw him move, his figure flickered and mysteriously appeared directly in front of Xue Lian, his arm already extending outwards as he sent a punch towards the latter’s face, his Saint Qi bursting out with incredible intensity.
The other party was obviously here to make trouble, so Yang Kai had no interest in continuing to talk with him.
Xue Lian was startled. He had not seen how Yang Kai moved just now, but feeling a sharp murderous intent approaching him, he roared and threw out a punch of his own.
His eyes were filled with anger, but also with disdain.
Yang Kai suddenly attacking him had truly been a surprise. No human had ever dared initiate an attack on him.
However, this human boy was clearly much too overconfident, actually trying to compete with him with pure physical strength! Even considering all of Monster Emperor Star, Xue Lian’s lineage was renowned for its physical strength with few Monster Race masters being his equal, much less a mere human.
Xue Lian responded with his full strength, thinking he would easily crush Yang Kai.
*Hong…*
The fists collided and space seemed to collapse as an invisible shockwave exploded outwards from the point of impact.
Yang Kai’s body shook slightly as he raised his brow in surprise.
Xue Lian’s eyes bulged as a look of disbelief appeared on his face.
When their fists met, both were able to feel the full ferocity of the other’s blow and instantly realized their opponent was not one that could be casually dealt with.
The tremendous strength of the impact pushed both of them back a few steps before they could stabilize their stances.
“Fierce!” Mi Tian praised without hesitation. The moment Yang Kai made a move, he had lightly retreated, and after standing firm, he was able to see the exchange of blows between these two.
Mi Tian was quite surprised.
Although he had always felt that he was no worse than Xue Lian in terms of overall strength, if it was a contest of physical power, Mi Tian had no choice but to admit his inferiority; after all, Xue Lian’s bloodline was famous for its resilience and brute strength.
If he were to fight Xue Lian one on one, Mi Tian would do his best to avoid meeting him head on as much as possible and attack using his own strengths.
But this human named Yang Kai chose to clash directly with Xue Lian! On top of that, in their first exchange of blows, no one seemed to have a clear advantage…
Mi Tian’s expression became solemn as he immediately understood that Yang Kai being able to kill his two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards in Shimmering Moon City was not just a lucky eruption of strength but his real ability!
There was going to be a good show here! Mi Tian suddenly became excited, his eyes glancing over towards a certain position a few thousand metres away.
Over there, Yu Xiong was standing atop the palace’s roof with folded arms, looking down from on high with a triumphant expression. Noticing Mi Tian’s gaze, he raised his hand and waved, as if to say hello before turning back to continue watching the battle.
“Interesting, very interesting, human!” Xue Lian scanned Yang Kai up and down, re-examining him for a moment before shouting, “Again!”
As his words fell, a bloody glow suddenly appeared around his body, one that was filled with a malevolent and violent aura, causing Xue Lian’s aura to soar.
Stamping his foot, Xue Lian rushed out towards Yang Kai.
With every step he took, the ground shook and deep footprints were left behind. With these footprints as an origin, the ground split and cracked into a dense web-like pattern.
Yang Kai was instantly enveloped by a potent murderous intent.
This murderous intent was almost tangible and it felt like a cold blade was trying to slice into his skin. It was a disturbing feeling most would try to avoid.
But Yang Kai had no intention of backing down.
With a low, guttural roar, like that of a raging beast, Yang Kai’s muscles swelled up and his bones creaked as his aura also rapidly rose, shattering the murderous intent which was pressuring him.
Xue Lian rushed in front of Yang Kai and sent out a hail of fists, each one containing Heaven destroying and earth shattering power.
Yang Kai did not even try to dodge, allowing his opponent’s attack to land on him while he sent out his own iron fists towards Xue Lian’s vitals.
*Peng peng peng…*
Constant explosive impact sounds erupted together with loud shouts and roars, causing the skin of those who heard them to crawl.
Yang Kai showed no sign of being defeated and instead was meeting Xue Lian blow for blow.
Mi Tian was stunned while Yu Xiong’s jaw dropped. Even the green-clothed maid had lost the ability to think as her beautiful eyes shivered while watching this raw display.
She had always thought that Yang Kai was nothing more than a leech who clung to women for support, a shameless waste. She had secretly been pitying Xia Ning Chang, thinking this innocent Grandmaster must have problems with her vision. There were so many outstanding suitors in this world, but she had somehow chosen such a man.
But now, she finally understood that this man who she regarded as worthless had his own strong points.
For his woman, daring to fight head-on with Young Lord Xue Lian was already an astonishing feat…
At this moment, he seemed far more handsome than before!
The physical strength Xue Lian was so proud of failed to play any role in suppressing Yang Kai as it was clear the other party’s accomplishments in this field were comparable to his own.
With cold and ferocious glints in their eyes, like an enraged bloodthirsty Monster Beasts, Yang Kai and Xue Lian punched and kicked one another with reckless abandon, each blow delivering a shocking amount of power.
Between Yang Kai and Xue Lian, a wild strength surged about. This was a manifestation of the pure physical power these two were releasing.
Even masters like Mi Tian and Yu Xiong couldn’t tell the specific situation on the battlefield as they could only see the two figures flicker back and forth, hear the thunderous explosions, and feel the terrifying shockwaves coming from it.
A truly bloody battle!
Xue Lian roared, his voice filled with rage, while Yang Kai was in a similar state. Although it was the first time these two had met one another, they already seemed to see each other as life or death enemies, red light flashing from their eyes that was terrifying to behold.
The two figures were entangled together, bombarding each other violently. Just like reckless men who had never cultivated before, not using anything other than the raw power in their bodies, each trying to suppress the other.
Bursts of light constantly appeared, like meteors flying by, painting a gorgeous and intoxicating scene.
This kind of rough and simple fighting method was always looked down on by cultivators, but at this moment, this kind of brutal contest was mesmerizing to see.
Any kind of strength, when cultivated to the extreme, could not be despised.
Xue Lian became more and more startled as they fought.
He had never thought that a mere human could fight him head on with only physical power. Each time his fists landed on Yang Kai, it felt as if he was punching the hardest of rocks and the sound that rang out was like that of hammering metal.
The toughness of Yang Kai’s physical body made Xue Lian feel like it was forged from the strongest steel rather than flesh and blood.
But how was that possible? Even among the Monster Race, which was known for its physical strength, none could compare with his lineage in this domain, so how did this human accomplish this?
Was he really human?
What was most terrifying about Yang Kai, however, was as the battle continued, his momentum only grew stronger and stronger along with the power behind each of his fists. At this point, in the heat of the battle, Xue Lian felt as if he was losing the initiative.
Initially, their strengths were even, but after engaging in a fierce battle for a cup of tea worth of time, Xue Lian was beginning to feel somewhat suppressed.
[What was happening here? Could it be that this human had been holding back his full strength?]
Xue Lian’s expression became more and more solemn as his face twisted in rage.
He was a Heaven-sent genius, a dazzling, rising star on Monster Emperor Star! He did not fear facing strong enemies, instead his blood drove him to fight even more fiercely. Only by killing powerful masters could he prove his own strength!
He finally became interested in Yang Kai!
“Yu Xiong, what happened?” A few thousand metres away from the battlefield, on the roof of the palace, Shan Qing Luo suddenly appeared, her brow furrowed deeply as she asked anxiously while looking at the battle down below.
With such a loud disturbance, how could she have not noticed? Realizing that the fluctuations of a battle were emanating from Xia Ning Chang’s palace, she immediately flew over, and the scene she was greeted with was Yang Kai and Xue Lian engaging in a bloody struggle.
“Why is Yang Kai fighting Xue Lian? Didn’t Xue Lian just arrive a few days ago?” Shan Qing Luo asked suspiciously. If Yang Kai were fighting Mi Tian, she could still understand; after all, there was already a grudge between the two of them. Yang Kai had killed Mi Tian’s two Ninth-Order Monster Beasts, and with Mi Tian’s personality, how could he simply let such an insult pass?
But Yang Kai and Xue Lian had clearly never met before and there was no deep hatred between them, so how did they suddenly end up in a life or death battle?
“I don’t know,” Yu Xiong shrank his head and waved his hand quickly, indicating that this matter had nothing to do with him, but his shifting eyes were not missed by Shan Qing Luo.
“You really don’t know anything?” Shan Qing Luo squinted at Yu Xiong, a cold light flashing across her eyes.
“En, en…I really don’t know…”
“I’ll ask you one last time, what’s this all about!” Shan Qing Luo grit her teeth and shouted.
Yu Xiong’s face turned bitter as he looked at Shan Qing Luo mournfully, a sad expression on his face as he kept his mouth shut.
“It really is your fault!” Shan Qing Luo was furious, her chest heaving up and down. Xue Lian was no ordinary Monster Race master, and whether Yang Kai won or lost against him, the end result would be bad.
After realizing that all of this was planned out by Yu Xiong, Shan Qing Luo could not wait to dismember this cheap older brother of hers to vent her anger.
“I really didn’t do anything…” Yu Xiong scratched his head awkwardly, “Xue Lian came to the palace three days ago and I was just bragging about the Alchemy skills of Grandmaster Xia in front of him and Mi Tian. It just happened to be that Xue Lian wanted a certain pill refined, so…”
Shan Qing Luo did not say a word and just grit her teeth as he glared at Yu Xiong.
“It’s not Big Brother’s fault! Big Brother originally wanted to push Mi Tian to take action, but that hateful guy was too cunning and somehow manipulated Xue Lian into being the one to attack. En, if we really want to get to the bottom of this, it’s little sister’s fault.”
“My fault?” Shan Qing Luo screamed, her anger growing even more intense.
Yu Xiong felt like he was sitting on pins and needles as he anxious said, “You said that big brother couldn’t take action personally, but figuring out this little brat’s depths was a order from Adoptive Mother, so Big Brother spend three days and three nights wracking his brain before finally coming up with this plan! If you had just let Big Brother take care of this himself, I would definitely hold back to not hurt him; after all, nominally, he’s my brother-in-law, hahahaha!”
“So this is all my fault?” Shan Qing Luo flashed a smile that was in no way a smile.
“No no, it’s all Big Brother’s fault,” Yu Xiong readily admitted his mistake. He knew that if he pushed his luck any further, he would not have a good end, so he simply decided to play hoodlum while asking for his little sister’s forgiveness.
“If anything happens to my man, you’re dead!” Shan Qing Luo ground her teeth as she shouted.
“No need to be so anxious, Lady Qing Luo!” At that moment, a voice suddenly called out from the side.
Both Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong were shocked and quickly turned their heads to look at the source of the sound only to discover that at some point Ba He had arrived beside them.
As expected from the strongest master below the Origin King Realm on Monster Emperor Star! It seemed that after concealing himself for two hundred years, not only had his cultivation not regressed, but it had instead grown stronger!
Yu Xiong and Shan Qing Luo were both in awe and hurriedly saluted.
“Senior, what you said just now… Are you optimistic about Yang Kai’s chances?” Shan Qing Luo stared at Ba He with her beautiful eyes and asked with an excited expression.
Although she too had reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, which was the same as Ba He, when it came to vision and insight, she had no way to compare with the other party, so Ba He’s assurances just now had allowed her to calm down significantly.
Ba He chuckled and shook his head, “I didn’t say that, but… he’s not someone easy to deal with. Xue Lian probably has no way to defeat him. En, in his current state that is!”
After saying so, Ba He let out a sigh, “Truly incredible, the present younger generation is really amazing. This boy is only a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator but he is actually able to fight Xue Lian to a draw. When he breaks through to the Third-Order, Xue Lian will certainly not be his opponent!”
Shan Qing Luo immediately beamed as she felt a deep sense of pride.
This was the man she had chosen! He was truly extraordinary!
Back then in the Central Capital, even with his weak cultivation, he had managed to kick up a storm. At that time, he often created miracles, and after several dozen years had passed, it seemed he had only grown more amazing!
Xue Lian was no ordinary Monster Race master. He had a powerful record and was a top-notch presence in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm.
Shan Qing Luo’s beautiful eyes flashed brilliantly as her heart filled with pride, as if there was nothing Yang Kai could not do.
“Senior, did you just say that Xue Lian can’t defeat him in his current state?” Yu Xiong however paid more attention to the other meaning behind Ba He’s words.
“En, Xue Lian hasn’t used his full strength yet as he hasn’t stimulated the power of his Blood Flood Dragon lineage,” Ba He explained with a smile.
Hearing what he said, Shan Qing Luo could not stop her pretty face from darkening again, suddenly realizing this problem.
Yu Xiong glanced over at Shan Qing Luo cautiously before asking, “Then Senior, if Xue Lian goes all out, can my brother-in-law resist him?”
“I don’t know,” Ba He smiled faintly, “I don’t know the details of this boy. If this is the extent of his abilities, then he should be unable to stop Xue Lian, but if he has other cards to play then the end results of this battle will be difficult to determine. En, in my opinion though, in terms of pure physical strength, Xue Lian should be able to emerge victorious.”
“En, Junior agrees,” Yu Xiong nodded in agreement.
However, a human who was a Minor Realm lower in cultivation being able to compete with Xue Lian like this was more than enough to be proud of.
The assignment Yu Xiong and Shan Qing Luo’s adoptive mother had given him could be completed perfectly like this. After such a performance, Chi Yue should have no problem accepting Yang Kai. However, this little brat having other women was something their adoptive mother would absolutely not allow; how could his little sister possibly share her man with other women?
“Little Sister, rest assured. If things get dangerous, Big Brother will intervene to separate them,” Yu Xiong said comfortingly.
Shan Qing Luo just shot him a vicious look, however, causing Yu Xiong to laugh dryly.
“Hm, golden blood?” Ba He suddenly cried out in surprise as he stared at Yang Kai fixedly, a look of shock flashing across his face.
He discovered that the blood flowing from Yang Kai’s wounds was a pale gold in colour…
This was not a colour of blood a human should have. Did that mean he carried some kind of incredible bloodline that allowed him to compete with Xue Lian in physical strength?
But… what kind of bloodline could produce golden blood?
This blood that exuded a pale golden shimmer seemed to contain a potent vitality that would rapidly heal any wound on Yang Kai’s body, restoring his cracked skin and bruised physique in the blink of an eye.
[How could he have such powerful restorative ability?] Ba He was dumbfounded and involuntarily leaned forward a little, as if waiting to see the situation more clearly.
A few thousand metres away, the bloody battle continued.
Yang Kai and Xue Lian were both covered in light gold and red blood as they continued to entangle with one another.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
An intensive thundering suddenly erupted from the spot where the two were fighting and after a shockwave spread out, Yang Kai and Xue Lian separated.
The eyes of these two remained as sharp as ever, neither caring about their injuries as they stared at one another coldly.
“Human, you’re extraordinary, I take back my boasts from before, you’re a good opponent!” Xue Lian took a deep breath and shouted in a deep voice.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai grinned, “You on the other hand don’t seem to be worth much.”
Xue Lian laughed, “You’re arrogant enough, I’ll give you that. This Young Lord hasn’t met a human like you for a long time. The last human who dared talk to me like this was torn limb from limb by me. I hope you can hold on a bit longer than he did so we can have some more fun!”
As his words fell, Xue Lian’s exposed skin suddenly oozed drops of red blood, and as soon as these droplets appeared, they exploded into a blood mist which quickly enveloped Xue Lian.
Xue Lian’s aura, which was already incredibly violent, suddenly surged upwards.
In an instant, Xue Lian turned into a blood man, his entire body dyed red, giving him an incredibly terrifying appearance.
The blood mist swirled around him before suddenly condensing into scales which covered his skin.
At the same time, on Xue Lian’s forehead, two majestic crimson horns sprouted.
“Flood Dragon Transformation!” Ba He muttered in a low voice, his expression growing serious.
Shan Qing Luo’s expression also became tense while Yu Xiong’s grew solemn.
Xue Lian was the son of the Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord and possessed the bloodline of the Blood Flood Dragon, the most powerful Monster Race lineage on Monster Emperor Star, a fact that was acknowledged by all Monster Race cultivators.
After displaying his Flood Dragon Transformation, Xue Lian’s strength increased by about thirty percent; it was a core Secret Technique of the Blood Flood Dragon clan.
This kind of Secret Technique was one many powerful Monster Race masters possessed, but the increase in strength it could grant when used heavily depended on one’s bloodline.
The current Xue Lian’s momentum was completely different compared to just a moment ago. As a fierce and invisible aura spread outwards from him, it caused the world itself to tremble.
The blood all over his body seemed to be boiling and burning as a bright red aura enveloped him. The remaining red mist twisted and changed its form, rising into the sky like a flame, making him look like a burning fireball.
Xue Lian was going all out!
“This little boy Xue Lian’s Flood Dragon Transformation has already reached the grand accomplishment level,” In Chi Yue’s chambers, she muttered to herself softly while observing the situation more and more intently.
As one of the Ten Great Tribal Lords, she would not run over to watch the excitement like Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong; such behaviour was beneath her status. However, with her powerful Divine Sense, secretly watching from afar was not a problem.
In all honesty, she had greatly appreciated the battle between Yang Kai and Xue Lian.
Xue Lian was the son of Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord, a successor personally cultivated by Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord, and the future master of the Blood Flood Dragon Territory, yet even with his powerful Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, Xue Lian had failed to defeat Yang Kai.
If Yang Kai had been able to match an ordinary Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, he would already be a Heaven-sent genius, but his opponent was actually Xue Lian.
Chi Yue hadn’t expected that Yang Kai, as a human, could actually force Xue Lian to use his Flood Dragon Transformation in order to win a contest of raw physical power.
Even amongst the masters of the Monster Race, few people could accomplish this.
But Yang Kai was able to do so as a human!
This was unprecedented in Monster Emperor Star’s history. The Human Race cultivators on Monster Emperor Star were always suppressed by the Monster Race, especially when it came to cultivation resources, so humans even reaching the Origin Realm was extremely rare, let alone someone who could fight Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord’s favoured son head-on!
A look of shock filled Chi Yue’s face as she felt she had been mistaken before, and was unable to see Yang Kai’s true strength.
All that was left… was to determine what his accomplishments in other fields were like. If his overall strength was also as impressive, he would make a good enough match for Shan Qing Luo and Chi Yue wouldn’t have any reason to stand in the way of them becoming a couple.
If this was the case, not only would Shan Qing Luo feel relieved staying with her, but Chi Yue could also add another powerful supporter, achieving two goals with one stone.
After the incident with Ba He two hundred years ago, Chi Yue no longer dared object too forcefully, as she was afraid of pushing Shan Qing Luo away or even causing a repeat of that year’s mistakes.
“I hope you won’t disappoint this Queen!”
Thinking so, Chi Yue continued monitoring the battlefield with her Divine Sense, paying close attention to how the situation developed.
Outside the palace, Yang Kai frowned as he looked at Xue Lian strangely.
At this moment, Xue Lian gave off a terrifying aura and had an even more terrifying appearance, his skin covered in blood-red scales and his body radiating an ominous red light. With renewed fighting spirit, Xue Lian cast Yang Kai an indifferent look and laughed triumphantly, “Human, are you afraid now? If you are, it’s not too late to beg for mercy!”
“Do you only know how to talk big?” Yang Kai curled his lips as the strange expression on his face became stronger.
The moment Xue Lian used his Flood Dragon Transformation, Yang Kai felt a certain force in his body stir as if wanting to escape his control and rush out into the open.
This surprised him greatly.
After figuring out what exactly it was that was making him restless though, Yang Kai immediately relaxed.
Yang Kai didn’t allow this mysterious power to erupt, but instead suppressed it while simultaneously emitting a five coloured light, which seemed to possess its own spirituality, from his figure.
Yang Kai’s already powerful momentum soared upwards once more!
“What is this?” Ba He was shocked and quickly craned his neck towards Yang Kai.
“Damn, he really hasn’t been using his full strength! Isn’t he a bit too much of a freak?” Yu Xiong’s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets as a look of astonishment filled his face.
Mi Tian, who had been watching from a distance, was also stunned. He thought that after Xue Lian showed his Flood Dragon Transformation, Yang Kai would immediately lose, but on the contrary, in the blink of an eye, Yang Kai also used a magical Secret Technique to increase his strength.
[The Human Race’s Secret Techniques are truly broad and profound!] Mi Tian was excited as he stared at Yang Kai without blinking, as if trying to figure out just what effect this strange five-coloured light possessed.
Streams of yellow, blue, white, red, and golden light wove together around Yang Kai, each one giving off a distinct aura; however, these five auras did not conflict with one another but instead were perfectly blended together.
Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi!
Yang Kai having such extremely high attainments in physical strength was first because he had a strong foundation and second he had refined a large amount of Life Revitalizing Jade Cream to replace most of his original blood with pure Golden Blood which had astonishing vitality.
Now, after cultivating the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, his physical strength had risen to a new height.
This was a heaven defying Body Tempering Secret Art.
When Yang Kai cultivated it, the five supreme elemental treasures he used were all of extremely high grade, so the effect was naturally remarkable.
Yang Kai had reached the minor accomplishment stage in the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art now, so he could use it in battle!
Seeing Yang Kai shrouded in this five coloured light, Xue Lian was stunned for a moment, but soon he grinned fiercely, “Amazing! Human, it seems that you also have a trump card left to play; now, let’s see whose is stronger, yours or mine!”
As soon as his words fell, his figure flickered and transformed into a blood-red streak of light that blasted towards Yang Kai.
This red light, like a cloud of blood, descended directly on top of Yang Kai’s head, then split apart like a giant mouth that tried to engulf Yang Kai, swallowing him whole. A thick blood mist filled with a violent and malevolent aura filled the air and stimulated the base instincts in Yang Kai’s heart, causing his eyes to turn bloodshot.
Yang Kai gave a long exhale as he transformed the five-coloured rays of light around him into a kind of energy armour before concentrating a dazzling golden radiance onto his fists. In an instant, Yang Kai’s hands seemed to be covered with countless tiny golden needles. Clenching his fists, Yang Kai sent out a barrage of punches towards the approaching blood mist.
Of the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qis, the Metal Attribute was the sharpest and possessed the strongest lethality.
The dense blood-red scale armour on Xue Lian’s body appeared very strong at first glance, so Yang Kai naturally intended to use his Metal Attribute Indestructible Sword Qi to counter-attack.
The masters who were paying attention to this battle overtly and secretly held their breaths at this moment, wondering who would emerge victorious between Yang Kai and Xue Lian after they had both used their Secret Techniques.
The result was shocking!
Instead of the intense struggle between two evenly matched opponents that had occurred before, this time, after Yang Kai and Xue Lian collided, Xue Lian immediately suffered a clear loss.
From inside the bloody light, Xue Lian roared fiercely while Yang Kai remained silent; however, everyone could detect that he was launching an intense and merciless assault.
Blood splashed out as broken scale-like objects were sent flying. Naturally these were Xue Lian’s blood scales.
Ba He’s eyes shrank.
It wasn’t until this moment that he finally realized he had been greatly mistaken before. Yang Kai’s accomplishments in Body Tempering and physical strength had surpassed the Blood Flood Dragon lineage which was famous for its tenacity and intrepidity.
In his mind, Ba He placed himself in Xue Lian’s position and tried to think of a way to resolve this immediate crisis if he was the latter.
The result of his analysis caused him to pale.
Helpless! He was absolutely helpless!
The true strength of this Second-Order Origin Returning Realm human wasn’t inferior to any master at the Third-Order; in fact, this body was fiercer than most Third-Orders! Even if Ba He were the one fighting him, he was likely the one who would be defeated in the end.
A fine sweat oozed from Ba He’s forehead as he groaned in his heart, completely dumbfounded as he wondered just where Yang Kai had come from.
Even if one searched the entire Star Field, they would likely not find a second genius of this level!
“Little Sister, which Cultivation Star did you say my brother-in-law came from?” Yu Xiong asked blankly.
“A backwards low-level star,” Shan Qing Luo smiled, “You wouldn’t know it even if I told you.”
[A low-level star…] Yu Xiong felt like he had lost the ability to think.
Could a human who emerged from a low-level star have such frightening strength? This monster was strong enough to make all the so-called geniuses of the Star Field commit suicide with grief.
“En, now can you make a report to Adoptive Mother? I believe Adoptive Mother will be very satisfied with this result,” Shan Qing Luo glanced at Yu Xiong, with a smile that could enthrall any living creature.
“I can…” Yu Xiong nodded repeatedly. If such a human was unable to satisfy their adoptive mother, then it was likely no one would ever be able to.
In this battle, this newfound brother-in-law of his had proven his strength to everyone.
Shan Qing Luo stopped talking and instead focused all her attention on the battle, immersing herself in Yang Kai’s overwhelming display of strength, unable to extricate herself.
After confirming that Yang Kai had the upper hand, she was no longer worried about him and instead began to appreciate the fight.
A fierce roar rang out suddenly as Xue Lian retreated from the engagement, his eyes flashing with horror as he stared at Yang Kai tremblingly.
His aura was sluggish, and many of his blood-red scales had been destroyed. Even the two horns on his forehead seemed to have become a little dim, no longer emitting the dazzling luster from before.
Shame! He was showing such a shameful display!
Being forced into this state by a human cultivator a Minor Realm lower than him was a stain Xue Lian would never be able to remove from his life!
He could not accept such a result.
On Monster Emperor Star, Xue Lian was famous and feared no cultivator beneath the Origin King Realm; he had not even put Mi Tian in his eyes, but now this human, with an unknown background, had forced him to suffer such a big loss. It was nothing short of a humiliation to him and his entire bloodline.
How could he accept it? How could he be willing to give up?
“Human, you’ve forced me to do this!” Xue Lian roared, and after speaking, a decisive expression appeared on his face as he spat out a round, blood-red bead from his mouth.
This round bead was about the size of a baby’s fist, and it contained a terrifying power. Vaguely, one could even see a tiny snake-like creature swimming about inside this blood read bead.
“Has Xue Lian gone mad!?” Yu Xiong was shocked as he screamed in disbelief, “He actually brought out his Monster Core!”
“Not good, Xue Lian is going all out!” A look of horror flashed across Ba He’s face and he hurriedly shouted, “Stop him!”
Saying so, he rushed towards the battlefield.
Shan Qing Luo seemed to have finally recovered as well and hurriedly followed after Ba He.
Monster Race cultivators, whether they were Monster Beasts that assumed human form, or were born in human form, each had a Monster Core in their body. A Monster Core was the most important treasure of a Monster Race and was tied directly to their life.
In battle, unless a Monster Race cultivator had no other recourse, would never summon their Monster Core, because once it was even slightly damaged, the consequences would be disastrous.
The risk was great, but by using their Monster Core, the strength a Monster Race cultivator could display would greatly increase.
Xue Lian spitting out his Monster Core at this time showed just how blinded by rage he had become, so it was no wonder Ba He and the others became panic-stricken.
Xue Lian’s identity was extraordinary, so if he used his Monster Core and still lost to Yang Kai, Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord would never let this matter drop. The anger of a top master no less powerful than Chi Yue could affect all of Monster Emperor Star!
On the other hand, if Xue Lian won in his crazed state, how could Yang Kai’s end be good?
How could Ba He, Yu Xiong, and Shan Qing Luo simply stand by?
No matter what, they had to stop Xue Lian before he could display the power contained in his Monster Core! Only by doing this could they possibly make big things small and make small things nothing.
The movements of the trio were swift. They were only a few thousand metres from the battlefield to begin with, and with their strength, such a distance could be covered in a flash.
Ba He opened his mouth and was just about to try to act as a peacemaker, persuading the two to stop, but before he could say anything, a deafening roar resounded from Yang Kai’s body while simultaneously an overwhelming force spread out.
Even with his great strength, Ba He couldn’t stop his heart from trembling at that moment.
The words he wanted to say caught in his throat as his eyes stared towards Yang Kai in utter shock.
If he wasn’t mistaken, the roar just now was…
“A dragon roar!” Inside her chamber, Chi Yue’s beautiful face paled as she instantly got to her feet and her beautiful eyes glowed with a strange brilliance, as if she had discovered something extraordinary.
Even with her Second-Order Origin King cultivation, when this roar resounded, she still felt a chill run up her spine. She was struck with an instinctive awe that had nothing to do with strength.
Chi Yue had a trace of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider’s bloodline in her, which was what allowed her to cultivate to the Origin King Realm. This was also the reason she was so optimistic about Shan Qing Luo who had actually absorbed the Source of a true Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, accepted her as an adopted daughter, and cultivated her vigorously.
Chi Yue was looking forward to the day when Shan Qing Luo could bring out the full power of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider and revive its long lost ancient glory.
The Heavenly Moon Demon Spider was a Variant Ancient Divine Spirit, one of the most terrifying Monster Beasts to have ever lived.
However, compared to true legendary Ancient Divine Spirits, there was still somewhat of a gap.
Amongst Ancient Divine Spirits though, the dragon and the phoenix were hailed as sovereigns!
Unfortunately, all powerful Divine Spirits had long ago disappeared, with only obscure references in the oldest ancient books aggrandizing their might remaining today.
The Ancient Divine Spirits were thought to only exist in legends, and although they technically belonged to the Monster Race… they were born as emperors and were existences that every Monster Race would have to bow before and worship.
Chi Yue also thought that the Ancient Divine Spirits had long ago disappeared.
But now, in her palace, she actually heard a genuine dragon roar.
As this deafening roar rang out, shaking the Heavens, the faint trace of Heavenly Moon Demon Spider blood in Chi Yue’s veins trembled in fear.
Not daring to hesitate, Chi Yue’s figure flickered as she shot out from her chambers and rushed towards the battlefield.
She knew that Xue Lian was in terrible trouble this time!
Outside the palace, Yang Kai wore a cold look as he took a deep breath and gave up suppressing the rampaging mysterious power in his body and allowed it to fully erupt.
The dragon roar shook the sky as golden light exploded outwards then condensed into a massive golden figure that swam about Yang Kai’s body. Its figure was obscuring the heavens as an imposing majesty pulsed from its form. Its two eyes, which were bigger than houses, also flashed with the purest golden light, awing all those who saw them.
Shaking its head and waving its tail, as soon as it appeared, it rushed towards Xue Lian without pause.
Xue Lian was dumbfounded and the rampaging, flame-like aura around his body seemed to instantly be doused with a basin of cold water and was all but annihilated.
In the instant Xue Lian fell absent-minded, the golden dragon’s figure opened its mouth wide, chomped down on his Monster Core, then swallowed it into its abdomen before immediately returning to the top of Yang Kai’s head to stare down at everyone below.
“Impossible!” Mi Tian screamed out as he stared at the golden dragon blankly, unable to contain his shock at its sudden appearance.
“A Divine Dragon!” Yu Xiong almost bit his tongue as he shivered violently.
Ba He simply stared at the astonishing scene in front of him speechlessly, as if he had lost the ability to even form coherent thoughts.
Shan Qing Luo’s beautiful eyes flashed with a brilliant splendor as a giant silver spider phantom with a crescent moon pattern on its head manifested behind her to resist the thick Dragon Pressure. This spider was bigger than a house and was so lifelike it could easily have been mistaken for a living creature.
Heavenly Moon Demon Spider!
Of all those who were present, only Shan Qing Luo’s situation wasn’t so embarrassing.
Firstly, she was born a human, so the Dragon Pressure brought the least amount of suppression to her. Secondly, she had absorbed the Source of a Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, so she was able to partially resist the powerful Dragon Pressure.
Even so, she too was thoroughly shocked by the Golden Dragon that suddenly emerged from Yang Kai’s body.
The entire audience felt silent as the bloody battle came to an abrupt end, leaving only the laboured breathing of one of the fighters to fill the void.
Yang Kai glanced upwards as a strange look flashed across his face before turning to Xue Lian and saying faintly, “Sorry, this guy seems to be very interested in your Monster Core, I couldn’t suppress him anymore!”
Xue Lian’s expression had become extremely dispirited and the once thick pride that covered his eyes had seemingly been crushed to dust.
In this battle, from beginning to end, Yang Kai had thoroughly wounded him both inside and out, leaving him in a battered and broken state!
Under the terrifying Dragon Pressure, Xue Lian failed to even think about taking back his Monster Core.
“Enough!” A shout suddenly rang out as a beautiful woman suddenly appeared and swept a fierce glance around the audience before finally fixing her sight on the giant Golden Dragon. Taking a deep breath, her rich peaks heaved exaggeratedly.
“Adoptive Mother!” Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong shouted quickly.
“Milady!” Ba He saluted respectfully.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he swept his Divine Sense across this beautiful woman but was shocked to discover he was unable to sense her depths at all.
An Origin King!
The identity of the other party was easy to guess, this was undoubtedly the master of this palace: Chi Yue!
This was not the first time Yang Kai had seen an Origin King as he had been around Gui Zu for some time, but the pressure he felt from Chi Yue was much stronger than the one he felt from Gui Zu.
After all, Gui Zu was only a First-Order Origin King while Chi Yue had reached the Second-Order.
The gap between one Minor Realm and the next at the Origin King Realm was like the difference between Heaven and Earth.
“Junior Yang Kai, greets Senior Chi Yue!” Yang Kai cupped his fists and shouted loudly.
Only then did Chi Yue cast her eyes towards him and gently nodded, “You are also a guest in my palace, no need to be overly polite.”
Yang Kai grinned and said freely, “Junior has long admired Senior’s resounding reputation and should have taken the initiative to visit to pay his respects, but Junior’s status is low so he did not have the face to disturb Senior. Please forgive this Junior as he meant no disrespect.”
“It doesn’t matter, this Queen also had not planned to see you,” Chi Yue replied lightly.
“Adoptive Mother, this time…” Seeing that Chi Yue’s attitude towards Yang Kai seemed lukewarm, Shan Qing Luo couldn’t help panicking, thinking that she was blaming him and hurriedly tried to defend him.
“There’s no need to say anything, I know,” Chi Yue interrupted her with a wave, not giving her a chance to speak. With her phoenix eyes narrowed, Chi Yue looked down at Yang Kai before opening her lips lightly and said, “The battle has been concluded, shouldn’t you return his Monster Core now?”
“You want me to give it back?” Yang Kai raised his brow as he showed a look of surprise.
“You’re not thinking of killing ruthlessly are you?” Chi Yue slowly shook her head, “You’re a smart man, you should know what the consequences will be if you do this.”
“Junior is truly ignorant and hopes Senior Chi Yue will enlighten him!” Yang Kai stared back at Chi Yue leisurely, not showing the slightest fear.
Ba He was sweating all over while Mi Tian felt like the soles of his feet were cramping. Yu Xiong was simply shivering to the side…
Someone actually dared speak to Lady Chi Yue like this! This little brat really didn’t know how high the Heavens were or how thick the Earth was!
What good would enraging a Monster Race Tribal Lord do for him? Didn’t he understand the concept of sparing those who you could afford to spare?
“Little bastard!” Even if Chi Yue’s temperament was quite good, she couldn’t help feeling exasperated by Yang Kai’s nonsense, but after thinking about it for a moment, her expression became gentle and she said, “This Queen is giving you face, so you should give this Queen some as well. Suffice it to say, I am many years your elder, saying too much is tiresome for me.”
“Is Senior old? Junior feels that Senior is still a full flower not inferior in any way to a young maiden,” Yang Kai said with astonishment.
Ba He and the Monster Race master present immediately gawked…
Everyone stared at Yang Kai like he was some kind of freak.
Did this brat just sexually harass Lady Tribal Lord? He did, didn’t he?
In this world, someone actually dared sexually harass Lady Tribal Lord?
Looking at Chi Yue cautiously, Ba He and others discovered to their further astonishment that Lady Tribal Lord didn’t show the slightest anger, instead flashing a strange smile as if she was simply enjoying the compliment. A moment later, however, she coldly snorted and said, “You’re quite glib even for a human, no wonder Qing Luo is so deeply in love with you. You must have deceived her like this, right?”
“Senior has spoken incorrectly, Junior conquered Qing Luo with his personal charm, not some honeyed words,” Yang Kai shook his head with a serious face.
“Wild!” Chi Yue pursed her lips and smiled, but she quickly calmed herself and put on a serious expression, “Regardless, you may not act too presumptuous in my palace. If Xue Lian has some kind of accident here, this Queen won’t have a way to explain to Xue Jiao. Return his Monster Core and treat it as this Queen owing you a favour.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly as he glanced over at the pale Xue Lian, a slight look of reluctance on his face.
“He doesn’t need to do anything!” Xue Lian suddenly shouted, “A trivial Divine Dragon remnant image can’t restrain this Young Lord’s Monster Core!”
Saying so, he opened his mouth and inhaled sharply.
A soaring dragon roar sounded again as a blood-red light suddenly shot out of the Golden Dragon’s body and was swallowed by Xue Lian.
He had easily taken back his Monster Core!
The Golden Dragon was furious at its snack being stolen and bared its fangs in anger for a time.
“Human, this Young Lord acted carelessly just now, allowing you to seize the advantage, but do you really think you can beat this Young Lord with this kind of faded afterimage? You look down on me too much!” Xue Lian said with a competitive look on his face, but all of his prior contempt was now gone and a trace of dread still flashed across his eyes.
Whether he admitted it or not, Yang Kai’s strength was not inferior to his at all.
“Enough. Xue Lian, since you are here in this Queen’s palace, you will have to abide by this Queen’s rules. Do you think you’re still in Blood Flood Dragon Territory? Before you came here, did Xue Jiao not teach you how you should conduct yourself?” Chi Yue scolded, “This Queen will forgive you this once, but if anything similar happens again, you know the consequences!”
Xue Lian’s face filled with a look of struggle but eventually he cupped his fists and said, “Xue Lian was disrespectful and hopes Senior Chi Yue will not take offence.”
“Mi Tian, take him back with you to rest, there aren’t many days left before you Juniors have to set off. Make sure you watch him well, if he tries to stir up trouble again, this Queen will hold you responsible!” Chi Yue turned her gaze towards Mi Tian, who had been keeping his distance the whole time, and declared coldly.
“Yes!” Mi Tian replied obediently. No matter how arrogant or rampant he was, he knew he had to act cautiously in front of Chi Yue.
None of the Monster Race’s Ten Great Tribal Lords could be provoked carelessly, let alone Chi Yue who ranked amongst the strongest.
He quickly flew over to Xue Lian, wanting to bring him away.
“Human, you’d best remember this. This matter isn’t settled!” Xue Lian looked at Yang Kai hatefully and left some threatening words before flying off.
Yang Kai simply sneered and watched these two fly off for a while before withdrawing the Golden Dragon into his body.
“You also go back,” Chi Yue casually waved to Yu Xiong and the others before turning her eyes back to Yang Kai and ordering, “As for you, come with this Queen!”
Saying so, she swiftly stretched out her hand towards Yang Kai and exerted a gentle force that instantly enveloped him.
Perceiving that Chi Yue had no malicious intent, Yang Kai did not try to resist and simply allowed her to do as she willed.
The next moment, the pair disappeared.
“Adoptive Mother!” Shan Qing Luo exclaimed.
“Rest assured, Little Sister. Adoptive Mother shouldn’t want to harm him. With Adoptive Mother’s great strength, if she really had ill intentions, he would not be able to resist,” Yu Xiong comforted
Shan Qing Luo hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth and hurrying towards Chi Yue’s private palace.
Inside her chambers, Chi Yue and Yang Kai’s figures appeared.
Yang Kai looked around and found that the decor here was quite simple, but it had a noble aura to it despite its sparseness.
[This should be where Chi Yue lives.] He speculated.
After bringing Yang Kai here, Chi Yue stared straight at him, her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, not showing any further movement.
Yang Kai was an island of calm, however, staring back at her without fear.
After a while, Chi Yue gently nodded and then spoke in a tone that made it impossible to tell if she was complimenting or ridiculing him, “Your courage is indeed not small, there likely isn’t a second human who dares to stare at this Queen. Do you really believe this Queen won’t act against you?”
“Probably not,” Yang Kai chuckled, “Senior doesn’t look like a person who bullies the weak.”
“If you really think so, then you greatly underestimate the value of your Divine Dragon Source!” Chi Yue took a deep breath and put on a solemn expression, “To tell you the truth, I am also quite interested in the Divine Dragon Source in your body, so much so that even now I am thinking about killing you and seizing it. With it, this Queen may be able to spy into greater depths of the Heavenly Way and break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm. Do you have any idea how many years this Queen has waited for such an opportunity? I can barely resist such temptation!”
Yang Kai still didn’t show any fear after hearing this however, simply nodding lightly and saying, “If Senior says so, it means that you don’t want to kill me. En, may I know the reason?”
“Seems you’re not stupid!” Chi Yue snorted coldly before turning around and taking a seat, not trying to conceal her intentions at all as she explained, “There are three reasons. First, this Queen cannot guarantee that after killing you she can seize that Divine Dragon Source. Since it chose you, it means it has recognized you as well, and this Queen is not certain she can make it recognize her. Second, even if it does accept me, I still may not have an opportunity to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, “And the third reason?”
“You are the one Qing Luo loves, if this Queen really killed you, I would lose Qing Luo. The gains do not outweigh the losses. Her future potential is far greater than this Queen’s!”
“Junior admires Senior’s straightforward and upright talk!” Yang Kai grinned.
“Cease your flattery, this Queen cares not for it,” Chi Yue’s expression remained solemn. “Although this Queen does not want to kill you, do you know how much trouble you’ve caused this time?”
Yang Kai frowned for a moment before thoughtfully asking, “Is Senior referring to Xue Lian?”
“What trouble is he?” Chi Yue snorted, “The trouble this Queen refers to is naturally the other Tribal Lords on Monster Emperor Star!”
Yang Kai was stunned briefly but soon understood what Chi Yue was implying.
“You still underestimate the attraction of your Divine Dragon Source to us. If a Human Origin King learned you possess a Divine Dragon Source, they may be surprised, even amazed, and possibly find a way to strangle you before you fully mature, but to us Monster Race cultivators, the Divine Dragon… the Divine Dragon is a supreme sovereign, an existence that the hundreds of millions of my Monster Race’s clansmen worship. Who wouldn’t want to have such a treasure for their own?” Chi Yue said gravely, “What do you think will happen once news of this leaks out to the other nine Tribal Lords? At that time, all of them will not hesitate to travel to this Red Moon Territory to target you! When that happens, do you think this Queen will speak to protect you or not? This Queen does not belittle her strength, but two fists cannot block four strikes. Do you now understand how much trouble you’ve caused for this Queen?”
“En…” Yang Kai was surprised, “Junior never thought about this, but Senior, is this time’s matter really Junior’s fault? In the end, doesn’t Senior carry some responsibility for allowing things to reach this point?”
The time he was fighting Xue Lian was not short, and Yang Kai was certain Chi Yue had noticed it; however, since she had not moved, she had obviously tacitly consented to it. There was even a chance she was the one who had secretly arranged for this fight to happen.
Chi Yue glared at Yang Kai ferociously, naturally refusing to admit she played any part in this.
“To put it bluntly, this Queen has nothing to do with you, any trouble you caused, you’ll have to solve yourself. This Queen won’t interfere,” Chi Yue declared, almost as if she were trying to sweep Yang Kai out completely.
“Heh heh, Junior had no intention to ask Senior for shelter,” Yang Kai touched his nose, “If they want the Divine Dragon Source in my body, they must have the ability to take it!”
Chi Yue frowned and looked at him blankly, taking quite some time to recover from her shock before sneering, “Just how rampant are you? Even not putting the Tribal Lords of my Monster Race into your eyes. This Queen always knew that humans were arrogant, but never has she encountered one as wild as you.”
“Those who have the ability can act however they please!” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly, “Though it may displease Senior to hear this, even if you wanted to kill this Junior, you may not be able to succeed.”
Chi Yue narrowed her phoenix eyes and questioned in an icy tone, “Are you provoking this Queen?”
Yang Kai just shook his head slowly, “Junior has no such intentions, he is simply speaking the truth.”
Chi Yue stared at him seriously, as if wanting to see if he was trying to act mysterious while in reality was bluffing, but all she could see was the steadfast expression on Yang Kai’s face that showed no sign of guilt from telling a lie. She really did not know where Yang Kai got his confidence from.
She was a Second-Order Origin King while he was a mere Second-Order Origin Realm brat. There was a gap of an entire Great Realm between them, so even if his performance in his battle with Xue Lian was impressive, Chi Yue was confident it would only take her one strike to kill him.
Having lived for so many years, she had never met such a wild and aggressive boy like Yang Kai!
However, it was undeniable that although this brat was a little arrogant, he had his own unique charm. No wonder Qing Luo had fallen inextricably in love with him.
“You still have a trump card to use!” Chi Yue’s pretty face finally showed a hint of surprise.
She thought that Yang Kai had been going all out in his fight against Xue Lian, but after hearing him just now, she realized that Yang Kai had still been holding back!
Xue Lian’s defeat was not undeserved! Compared to this human boy, all the rising stars of the Monster Race like Mi Tian and Xue Lian were simply mediocre…
“Indeed!” Yang Kai readily admitted.
Chi Yue sighed softly, looking at Yang Kai as if seeing a true monster. After a long time, she waved her hand languidly, “Forget it, it’s useless to investigate these things now! Right now, you can be considered a member of the Half-Monster Race, and as your elder, this Queen will naturally not embarrass you too much. Good, I will not try to prevent or interfere in the relationship between you and Qing Luo anymore, we can just… let nature take its course.”
“Since when did I become a member of the Half-Monster Race?” Yang Kai yelled with a blank face. Chi Yue’s comment had made him very unhappy.
He was clearly one hundred percent human, guaranteed exchange if not genuine!
“Huh! Do you think that’s an insult to you?” Chi Yue looked at Yang Kai coldly, “This is an opportunity that others cannot even dream of possessing! Boy, you should be doing your best to show a look of satisfaction!”
“An opportunity…” Yang Kai’s brow twitched, hesitating for a moment before asking, “Is Senior referring to that so-called Divine Dragon Source?”
“Indeed! Your current situation is somewhat similar to Qing Luo’s. As a human, you have inherited the Source of a powerful Monster Race, so you can now be considered a Half-Monster!” Chi Yue nodded.
“Regarding this Divine Dragon Source matter, can Senior explain about it to Junior?” Yang Kai asked.
“What do you want to know?” Chi Yue asked back.
“Junior would like to know everything about it…” Yang Kai looked at Chi Yue with a mischievous smile.
Chi Yue frowned, but didn’t get angry, instead deciding to explain patiently, “You should have heard the term ‘Ancient Divine Spirit’ already, yes? In ancient times, Ancient Divine Spirits were powerful creatures that were born at the dawn of the Heavens and Earth. They were the predecessors of my Monster Race and the strongest of existences! My Monster Race nowadays has tens of millions of races that were derived from the blood of these Ancient Divine Spirit, but most have only inherited faint traces of those bloodlines, so they are relatively small and weak. Others, however, have inherited stronger bloodlines which make them more formidable. En, that Xue Lian who you fought carries the bloodline of the Blood Flood Dragon, a descendant of the True Dragons. His bloodline is also quite strong, which is why he was instantly suppressed when the Divine Dragon Source in your body revealed itself, and why that Divine Dragon Source was so interested in Xue Lian’s Monster Core. If it had been allowed to swallow Xue Lian’s Monster Core, it would be able to strengthen itself.”
Yang Kai listened carefully, nodding his head from time to time. This was information straight from the Monster Race’s Red Moon Tribal Lord so undoubtedly it carried great authority.
“However, even though you have the power of a Divine Dragon Source, you don’t seem to know how to use it, you’re completely squandering this huge opportunity,” Chi Yue looked at Yang Kai mockingly, “That’s also why Xue Lian could easily take back his Monster Core from you. If that weren’t the case, how could he still be alive?”
A trace of embarrassment appeared on Yang Kai’s face.
This so-called Divine Dragon Source was something he obtained from the Inheritance Heaven Cave with Su Yan back when he was in High Heaven Pavilion.
Many years later, Yang Kai had learned that this inheritance had actually been left behind by the founders of Tong Xuan Realm’s Dragon Phoenix Palace.
However, during the following decades, Yang Kai had almost never used it for anything. Only when he dual cultivated with Su Yan would the Golden Dragon Tattoo engraved on his body become more active.
Chi Yue saying he was squandering this huge opportunity was not wrong.
“Let’s set that aside for now. Each of the Ancient Divine Spirits from antiquity possessed extraordinary strength and were Emperors of the Monster Race. Among them, the dragon and the phoenix were hailed as the strongest! However, for some unknown reason, at some point, these Ancient Divine Spirits all vanished. There are rumours saying that after a great battle, ninety-nine percent of all Ancient Divine Spirits fell. There are also rumours that these Divine Spirits have simply gone into hiding. As for the truth, no one knows.”
“After the disappearance of the Ancient Divine Spirits, some other powerful Monster Races took the lead. These Monster Races were called Variant Ancient Divine Spirits! The Blood Flood Dragon, Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, Nine Silent Winged Tiger, and many others belong to this category. Although these Variant Divine Spirits appeared later, some were so powerful they were not inferior to orthodox Divine Spirits. Some were even stronger than their predecessors. Moreover, some Variant Divine Spirits have survived until now. Naturally, after countless generations, these bloodlines have become quite thin and are incomparable to their ancient ancestors.”
“Xue Lian’s bloodline and the Source Qing Luo possesses belong to Variants, correct?” Yang Kai asked humbly.
“Indeed,” Chi Yue nodded, “That’s why this Queen said that Qing Luo’s future achievements will be brighter than this Queen’s! What she has is a complete Source, unlike this Queen who simply inherited a thin bloodline. In a sense, she and I can be considered one family. You should understand from this just how much Qing Luo means to this Queen.”
“Junior understands,” Yang Kai nodded sincerely.
“Good, back to Divine Spirits then,” Chi Yue was very satisfied with Yang Kai’s attitude. “Just now, this Queen said that among Divine Spirit’s, the dragon and phoenix were rulers, but among the Dragon Clan, the Golden Divine Dragons were considered emperors! What you inherited is the Source of a Golden Divine Dragon!”
“Golden Divine Dragon!” Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed.
“Simply put, the power you inherited, even among Divine Spirits, is the strongest! Now, you should understand just how attractive it is to the Tribal Lords of the Monster Race, right?”
Yang Kai gently nodded before suddenly grinning, “Junior admires Senior deeply for being able to resist such temptation.”
“Without Qing Luo, do you think this Queen would be speaking any nonsense with you?” Chi Yue’s elegant demeanor turned cold as she grumbled unwillingly, “Without Qing Luo, this Queen would have already caught you and refined your Soul.”
“Haha!” Yang Kai smiled dryly.
“However, this Queen is also very curious just how much of the Divine Dragon Source you inherited…” Chi Yue looked at Yang Kai with great interest, her Divine Sense scanning him carefully.
“I don’t know,” Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders.
“Hm, that’s strange,” Suddenly Chi Yue seemed to have discovered something, the look on her pretty face becoming even more curious. “Why… do I sense the power of two different Divine Spirits in your body? One is the previous Divine Dragon, but there is another as well…”
“Does Senior mean this?” Yang Kai frowned, and without hesitating, summoned the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword and poured his Saint Qi into it. With a loud dragon roar, a green dragon appeared above Yang Kai’s head and stared down at Chi Yue condescendingly.
Chi Yue’s phoenix eyes suddenly shrank as she cried out, “Impossible, you even have something like this!”
With her eyesight, it was easy for her to see that this was an artifact refined from a piece of Dragon Bone as well as what seemed to be a Dragon Bead! On top of that, there was even a faint Dragon Soul inside the Dragon Bead.
Chi Yue was shocked as her eyes turned red with envy at the opportunities Yang Kai had.
He was just a human, so why did he have so many opportunities that could drive any Monster Race master insane with jealousy?
“Is this your trump card?” Chi Yue gasped as she felt the rush of Dragon Pressure which caused her thin Heavenly Moon Demon Spider bloodline to tremble slightly. After some time, however, the excitement on her face calmed down and was replaced with a complicated expression, “If this is what you are depending on, then this Queen would advise you not to think too highly of yourself. With the power of this artifact, you might be invincible against another Origin King Realm Cultivator… that is, if you were in the same realm as them. Origin King Realm is something that an Origin Returning Realm cannot resist against.”
Yang Kai simply smiled nonchalantly.
[This little brat still has other cards to play!] Chi Yue was truly shocked. What kind of freak was he?
Yang Kai looked at Chi Yue lightly.
He knew that what Chi Yue just felt was not the Dragon Bone Sword but the Ice Phoenix Remnant Soul!
However, the Ice Phoenix Remnant Soul was not owned by him and was only temporarily using him as a vessel. It belonged to Su Yan!
Yang Kai had chosen to expose the Dragon Bone Sword rather than let Chi Yue detect the existence of the Ice Phoenix.
If Chi Yue learned of it, Yang Kai was not sure how she would react.
“Forget it, put it away, if you keep bringing such things out like this, this Queen may not be able to resist taking you,” Chi Yue said sternly.
Yang Kai responded by storing the Dragon Bone Sword into his body.
Chi Yue sat silently for some time, as if her mood was still fluctuating. Yang Kai also remained silent, simply standing and waiting, not daring to disturb her rashly.
After a full cup of tea worth of time, Chi Yue raised her head again and stared at Yang Kai, a strange smiling creeping onto her face as she asked, “Boy, do you want to unearth the power of the Divine Dragon Source in your body?”
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, “Senior has a way?”
“Haha, why would this Queen not have such a method?” Chi Yue smiled slyly, “Just now, this Queen witnessed your battle with Xue Lian from beginning to end. En, although your level of Body Tempering far exceeds that of Xue Lian’s, and this Queen doesn’t know exactly how you managed to achieve it, it must have something to do with that five coloured ability you showed! However, if you were able to use the power of the Golden Divine Dragon, your physical strength would rise to an entirely new level, one comparable to a true Golden Divine Dragon!”
Yang Kai’s eyes became brighter.
“Such a level can only be described as immortal and indestructible!” Chi Yue’s words were filled with strong temptation.
The look of desire on Yang Kai’s face instantly faded away, however, and he instead looked at Chi Yue vigilantly, hesitating for a moment before saying, “If Senior has something to say, it would be best to get straight to the point. Junior admits he is very interested in what Senior has to offer but is also well aware there must be a price to pay for it. Since that is the case, Senior might as well explain clearly what she wants from Junior. If the price is too steep, then we may as well forget the issue ever came up.”
“Straightforward!” Chi Yue nodded, “Talking to smart people is much simpler. En, this Queen does need your help with something, but you can choose to agree or refuse, everything is voluntary.”
“Senior, please speak!”
“Have you heard of the Blood Prison Trial on Green Mountains Star?”
“I’ve heard of it,” Yang Kai’s expression turned weird. He had naturally heard of the Blood Prison Trial as he had just left Qian Tong and the others on Green Mountains Star to wait for it to begin.
Why would Chi Yue bring this topic up though?
Although the Blood Prison Trial was indeed famous and attracted Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters from across the entire Star Field to participate, the masters from Monster Emperor Star all belonged to the Monster Race, so wouldn’t it be impossible for them to flagrantly appear on Green Mountains Star?
If they were really to do this, they would definitely suffer. Just like the Monster Race on Monster Emperor Star suppressed the Human Race, humans elsewhere would suppress the Monster Race.
“If you’ve heard of it then this will be easy to explain,” Chi Yue smiled with satisfaction, “This Queen needs you to go to Green Mountains Star, enter the Blood Prison, find something, and return it to this Queen!”
“What are you looking for?”
“An Origin Essence Crystal!” Chi Yue declared firmly.
“A what?” Yang Kai frowned.
“A treasure only Third-Order Origin Kings are qualified to condense. You can think of it as the crystallization of that master’s Spiritual Essence. After the death of a master of this level, their Origin Essence Crystal will be left behind. Of course, what I want you to find is an Origin Essence Crystal left over from one of the top masters of my Monster Emperor Star. Essentially, it is his body’s Core!”
“Core?”
“Yeah, you should have heard about the origins of the Blood Prison Trial; that was a battlefield that twenty Origin King Realm masters fought and died on. The battlefield is littered with the remnant Domains of those Origin Kings, which is why it has such attraction to Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators. Back then, a powerful Tribal Lord from my Monster Race participated in that battle. Unfortunately, he fell inside the Blood Prison. I want you to retrieve his Origin Essence Crystal!”
“You want me to retrieve it?” Yang Kai frowned, “Right, Mi Tian and Xue Lian arriving at your palace at this time must be because they are going to participate in the Blood Prison Trial, right?”
Yang Kai suddenly understood this point, and counting the days, the Blood Prison Trial was not far away. The Young Lord of Thousand Eyes Tribal Lord and the son of Blood Flood Dragon Tribal Lord arriving at Chi Yue’s palace together and Chi Yue mentioning the Blood Prison Trial now, allowed Yang Kai to understand the situation.
“Yes, they will participate, that’s why they came to this Queen’s palace! Because only this Queen can safely deliver them to the Blood Prison. Not only them, Qing Luo, Yu Xiong, and Ba He will also be participating together with two other Monster Race Juniors you’ve not met yet but who should arrive soon!”
“Since so many people are going to participate, why do you need me to retrieve it?” Yang Kai squinted at Chi Yue, sneering as he asked, “There isn’t some kind of insurmountable danger, right?”
“Participating in the Blood Prison Trial is extremely dangerous in and of itself. Haven’t you heard that at least half of the masters who enter the Blood Prison never leave? As for that Origin Essence Crystal… there is certainly some danger related to obtaining it, but with your rampancy, are you going to tell this Queen you’re afraid of a little danger?”
“Junior only has one life, so naturally he should cherish it, so Junior must ask Senior to answer his question from just now,” Yang Kai said as he stared at Chi Yue stubbornly.
[This smelly brat is really troublesome to deal with.] Chi Yue cursed to herself.
However, she hadn’t expected Yang Kai to easily agree; after all, how could this shrewd brat not ask about such details?
“Fine,” Chi Yue sighed, “The reason why this Queen needs you to take it is because only you can. Although that top master from my Monster Race fell long ago, his Origin Essence Crystal is not something that can easily be obtained. Any attempt to interfere with it will cause it to resist, likely leading it to self-destruct, leaving nothing behind.”
“It has sentience?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“No, it only possesses a trace of the Remnant Soul of that Monster Race master,” Chi Yue slowly shook her head, “I need it in order to comprehend the mysteries of the Third-Order Origin King Realm, and only you can suppress it the moment you encounter it with the power of your Golden Divine Dragon Source. Do you understand?
“En, Junior understands…” Yang Kai nodded, “But Junior is curious, since Senior wants to obtain it so badly, why not go retrieve it yourself? With your means, suppressing it should be easy, right?”
“You must be joking!” Chi Yue snorted angrily, “Don’t you know that Green Mountains Star has a Star Master? It’s fine sneaking a few Monster Race Juniors into the Blood Prison, but if this Queen were to go to Green Mountains Star in person, how could that old dog just stand by? This Queen isn’t foolish enough to fight with him inside his territory!”
“Ah, Green Mountains Star actually has a Star Master?” Yang Kai was stunned, “So, you’re saying that Green Mountains Star has a Third-Order Origin King Realm master?”
“Who knows how that old dog obtained such good fortune? With just a Second-Order Origin King cultivation, he dared to refine Green Mountains Star’s Star Source and managed to succeed by some annoying miracle!” Chi Yue pretty face distorted somewhat, as if she was familiar with that Star Master.
Yang Kai gently nodded. If this was the case, then everything made sense.
With a Star Master guarding Green Mountains Star, Chi Yue really wouldn’t dare go there easily. With both of them having Second-Order Origin King cultivation, if they were to fight somewhere else, they might be tied, but on Green Mountains Star, Chi Yue definitely would not be that Star Masters’ opponent!
On top of that, since the core left-over from that Monster Race master, also known as an Origin Essence Crystal, was extremely sensitive, any attempt to interfere with it would lead to unpredictable consequences; however, the power of the Golden Divine Dragon’s Dragon Pressure would have an incredible suppressive effect on it!
It would be similar to how Yang Kai suppressed Xue Lian before.
“That is the proposal of this Queen, whether you want to agree or not, you can take some time to consider. In any case, there is still quite some time before the Blood Prison Trial starts! This Queen can wait!” Chi Yue looked at Yang Kai with a smile, as if she was absolutely assured he would comply.
“There’s no need to consider. I agree,” To Chi Yue’s surprise, however, Yang Kai accepted very readily.
“But I also have a condition!” Yang Kai grinned.
“What?”
“Teach me the method to tap into the power of the Divine Dragon Source first.”
“Do you take this Queen for some three-year-old child?” Chi Yue asked in exasperation, “You’ll only get your reward after you succeed! How could this Queen possibly pay you in advance?”
Yang Kai just faintly shook his head, “Senior’s thinking is flawed. According to what Senior said before, whether or not Junior can succeed depends on being able to use the Golden Divine Dragon Source’s suppression. Junior knows nothing about how to utilize the strength of the Golden Divine Dragon Source, so if something goes wrong at that time, how is he supposed to stop the Origin Essence Crystal from self-destructing? Presumably Senior doesn’t want to see such a result, right?”
Chi Yue’s pretty face sank as her brow furrowed.
She was well aware that Yang Kai was simply speaking irresponsibly, but in this situation, even these small worries had to be taken into consideration by her.
“To be on the safe side, Junior thinks Senior should teach that method to me first. Senior may rest assured that since this Junior has agreed to this matter, he will not go back on his word and exert his utmost effort to retrieve that Origin Essence Crystal!”
[This Queen would be a fool to believe you!] Chi Yue coldly snorted to herself.
After some hesitation, however, Chi Yue suddenly smiled, “It’s not impossible to give it to you first, this Queen can even instruct you personally in it and share with you her personal experiences!”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow, “It would be impolite for Junior to refuse Senior’s kindness.”
“However, this Queen will only teach you half of it, you will only obtain the other half after you succeed.”
“Deal!” Yang Kai nodded lightly, but after speaking, he seemed to think of something and added, “En, can Senior teach me the first half of this method then give the second half to Yu Xiong for safekeeping? That way, after going to Green Mountains Star, once Junior obtains that Origin Essence Crystal, he can exchange it for the second half immediately.”
Chi Yue frowned slightly as she stared at him suspiciously.
“Hehe, Junior is very impatient to obtain such a good Secret Art,” Yang Kai showed a harmless smile.
Chi Yue stared at him for a long time before gently nodding, “Fine! But this Queen must warn you, don’t get any crooked thoughts! Otherwise, don’t blame this Queen for not taking Qing Luo’s feelings into account.”
“Of course, of course! I always act in an upright manner,” Yang Kai patted his chest and affirmed.
Having finished the negotiations, Chi Yue immediately took Yang Kai to a cultivation room and taught him half of the Secret Art that would allow him to unlock the potential of the Golden Divine Dragon Source inside him.
In order to ensure that Yang Kai’s chances of successfully retrieving the Origin Essence Crystal were as high as possible, Chi Yue did not conceal anything and imparted all of her own experiences and insights into this Secret Art.
This Monster Transformation Secret Art was designed to tap into the strength hidden inside one’s bloodline and had remarkable effects when it came to Sources on the Divine Spirit level.
Since Yang Kai obtained the Golden Dragon Tattoo, he hadn’t been able to tap into this source of strength at all, but now, with Chi Yue’s help, he was finally able to draw out the incredible power of the Golden Divine Dragon.
Although his cultivation did not see any kind of increase, if he were to use the Golden Divine Dragon Source strength now, Yang Kai’s combat power would increase significantly!
Time flew by, and soon half a month had passed.
Yang Kai walked out of Chi Yue’s palace with excitement as well as a somewhat half-full expression on his face.
Now he truly realized the value of the Source he was bearing, but unfortunately, Chi Yue had only taught him half of the Secret Art rather than the complete article, causing him some small regrets.
“Just what kind of mischief is this little brat up to?” Inside her chambers, Chi Yue muttered to herself. Although Yang Kai asking her to give the second half of the Secret Art to Yu Xiong made her feel that something was wrong, after much contemplation, she was unable to understand what Yang Kai was plotting.
Was he not planning to return to Monster Emperor Star? That was the only way his proposal made any sense.
However, as long as his Little Senior Sister was still here, how could he not return? Judging from his appearance and actions, he didn’t seem like a man who wouldn’t care about his Senior Sister’s safety. If that was really the case, Qing Luo would definitely have long ago become disgusted, and parted ways, with him.
This was a result Chi Yue very much hoped to see actually.
After some more thought though, Chi Yue still couldn’t figure anything out and decided to just watch how the situation played out for now.
As long as Xia Ning Chang was still in the palm of her hand, she didn’t need to fear Yang Kai stirring up any trouble.
Meanwhile, inside Xia Ning Chang’s room, she and Shan Qing Luo were both waiting anxiously.
It had been half a month since Yang Kai and Xue Lian clashed and Yang Kai was taken away by Chi Yue, but until now, he had yet to return, a fact that made the two women extremely worried.
Shan Qing Luo had visited Chi Yue’s private chambers many times to ask for a meeting, but had never gotten a response.
“Ning Chang, don’t worry, Adoptive Mother won’t do anything to him,” Shan Qing Luo herself was as anxious as an ant on the hot wok, but still tried to comfort Ning Chang.
“Elder Sister Qing Luo, are you sure Red Moon Tribal Lord won’t do anything bad to Junior Brother?” Xia Ning Chang looked at her eagerly, as if pinning all her hopes on her.
Shan Qing Luo felt immense pressure being asked this so innocently. Although she didn’t dare to guarantee anything even to herself, she quickly nodded with a look of confidence.
At that moment, there was a slight sound of footsteps outside, and the two women released their Divine Senses at the same time, the next moment showing joyful looks on their faces as they hurriedly jumped to their feet.
Soon after, Yang Kai opened the door and stepped inside, completely unharmed and seemingly in very good spirits.
“Were you waiting for me?” Yang Kai glanced at the two women, walked over to the table, and poured himself a glass of water.
“Are you okay?” Shan Qing Luo asked nervously.
“Me? I’m very good,” Yang Kai chuckled, “Don’t worry, Senior Chi Yue didn’t do anything to me, she just wanted to make a deal.”
“A deal?” Shan Qing Luo frowned, “What kind of deal?”
“Hm, it’s difficult to explain all the specifics, but in short, I’ll be travelling to Green Mountains Star with you!”
“You’re also going to Green Mountains Star? Are you going to participate in the Blood Prison Trial?” Shan Qing Luo covered her small mouth.
“En!”
“But you’re only at the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm!” Shan Qing Luo’s beautiful eyes trembled, “Those who go there are all Third-Order.”
“There’s no problem with that,” Yang Kai chuckled, “No one stipulated that you must be a Third-Order to enter. In any case, I’ve already promised Senior Chi Yue so it’s too late for regrets now.”
“Maybe so, but…”
“Don’t worry,” Yang Kai shook his head. “However, there’s still something I’m confused about. By my count, the Blood Prison Trial should be starting in just a month or two. If we don’t set out now, how are we supposed to make it there in time?”
Shan Qing Luo smiled lightly, “We don’t need to spend any time traveling there. There’s an Ultra-Long Distance Space Array inside the palace which can send us directly to the Blood Prison, so we just need to wait for the Blood Prison to open.”
Yang Kai’s eyes immediately lit up, “There’s an Ultra-Long Distance Space Array here?”
“En,” Shan Qing Luo nodded, “Supposedly, it’s a relic from over ten thousand years ago. The Blood Prison Trial is a famous event that many of Monster Emperor Star’s Monster Race masters wanted to participate in, but it is inconvenient for us to go to Green Mountains Star, so a previous Red Moon Tribal Lord gathered a group of Array Masters and Artifact Refining Grandmasters to construct an Ultra-Long Distance Space Array thousands of years ago. Basically, every time the Blood Prison Trial is opened, Monster Emperor Star will secretly send a group of rising stars to participate.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai suddenly understood, “No wonder time is so tight yet Senior Chi Yue didn’t seem to be in any hurry. It turns out she had such a method in hand the whole time.”
“En, why else do you think Mi Tian and those other Young Lords came here? They all need to set out for the Blood Prison from here,” Shan Qing Luo explained with a smile.
Listening to what Shan Qing Luo said, Yang Kai understood why the Monster Race masters from other territories would rush to Red Moon Palace. It turned out they wanted to borrow the Ultra-Long Distance Space Array.
“By the way, Qing Luo, this Blood Prison Trial likely won’t be easy. Take this.” Yang Kai suddenly thought of something, took an item out of his Space Ring and handed it to Shan Qing Luo. “Although there’s not a lot of time left, try to refine it as much as possible. Maybe it will help you!”
“This is…” Shan Qing Luo looked over sceptically at the thing Yang Kai was handing her. Her beautiful eyes then brightened, and she whispered, “Origin King Grade artifact?”
She immediately noticed the strong and restrained energy fluctuations emanating from this thing. This kind of special energy fluctuations could only be possessed by an Origin King Grade artifact!
“En.” Yang Kai smiled lightly, “It’s called Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip; I think it should suit you well.”
Shan Qing Luo’s smile reached her beautiful eyes. She didn’t act politely with Yang Kai, but enthusiastically took the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip and poured Saint Qi into it. Immediately, a buzz was heard from the long whip. The buzzing sound seemed to resonate with her Saint Qi.
“This seems to really suit me…” A thoughtful look appeared on Shan Qing Luo’s face, “Its previous owner was Human, right? The Soul Brand left in the whip is a bit incompatible with it… Well, it seems that it must be operated with Monster Qi to exert all its power.”
“Really?” Yang Kai was stunned.
He really did not know this.
Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip was originally the treasure of Thunder Typhoon Sect. After Yang Kai killed Fang Peng inside the Sealed World Bead, this Origin King Grade artifact became his trophy, but he had not studied it carefully. He just vaguely felt that this long-whip shaped artifact was very much in line with Shan Qing Luo’s temperament, so he gifted it to her.
After some thought, the enchanting and charming Shan Qing Luo swung her whip. With her long hair flying and her clothes fluttering, it made onlookers blood boil, and caused them to desire to be conquered.
“It’s called Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip?” Shan Qing Luo was joyfully playing with the long whip, clearly in love with it.
“Yeah.”
“I see. This may have been an artifact owned by a master of my Monster Race that fell into the hands of Humans. I can feel the aura of its original owner!”
“Now that you mention it, that might have been the case.” Yang Kai frowned slightly, “When I was fighting with the former master of this artifact, I had a feeling that this artifact was not very powerful. If it is as you said, then its power was just not being fully utilized. But now that it’s yours, it would be in good hands.”
“I will definitely not let it down. Yang Kai, thank you!” Shan Qing Luo’s eyes blurred as she looked at Yang Kai, her pretty face blushing slightly.
She had never owned an Origin King Grade artifact.
Those who possessed artifacts of this level were all Tribal Lords of the Monster Race!
She knew the value of such an artifact better than anyone.
But now, such an invaluable artifact had been given to her by Yang Kai without even blinking.
She clearly felt her weight in Yang Kai’s eyes…
She was jubilant. She felt all those years of waiting had finally bore fruit. Filling her heart with joy and love.
“… should I leave?” Xia Ning Chang asked weakly from the side.
Shan Qing Luo was taken aback and immediately giggled. She stood up and walked to Xia Ning Chang, stretched out a lush jade white hand, raised her chin, and immediately leaned down. Her red lips were pressed towards Xia Ning Chang’s.
“Elder Sister Qing Luo, what are you doing…”
Before Xia Ning Chang could finish speaking, her mouth was blocked by Shan Qing Luo, and their lips met through the veil. Xia Ning Chang even felt something poking into her little mouth.
Her eyes widened in an instant, and she was at a loss.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded.
After a while, Shan Qing Luo straightened up. She ran the tip of her scarlet tongue over her upper lip, sensually bit her lower lip, and glanced at Yang Kai charmingly, letting out a silver bell-like laugh. She then turned around and strutted out the door.
Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang were left breathing heavily.
“Did Qing Luo give this as a thank you gift to the wrong person?” Yang Kai looked straight out of the door, swallowing his saliva and asking dryly. Before she left, Shan Qing Luo’s glamorous eyes almost hooked his soul away.
“En…” Xia Ning Chang lowered her head, looking like she would never dare to look at anyone again, her delicate earlobes bright red.
Yang Kai looked at her and immediately became erratic. He didn’t know why… but, although Shan Qing Luo’s thank you gift was definitely given to the wrong person, and even though there had been a veil in the way, it made his blood boil and it seemed to have stirred his deepest desires.
He stood up, walked to Xia Ning Chang’s side, and held her.
Yang Kai could feel that Xia Ning Chang’s tender body was hot.
…
On the Monster Emperor Star side, it was originally planned that six Monster Race rookies would go to Green Mountains Star to participate in the Blood Prison Trial.
Red Moon Territory naturally nominated two, Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong.
In addition to them, there were Mi Tian and Xue Lian from the Thousand Eyes Tribe and Blood Flood Dragon Tribe. There were also two more Monster Race Masters, all of whom were Third-Order Origin Returning Realm!
But now that Ba He had returned, this Blood Prison Trial was naturally crucial for him.
Ba He had chosen to admit his mistakes to Chi Yue and return to the palace. He also wanted to take the opportunity to participate in the Blood Prison Trial as he hoped to break through his current bottleneck and reach the next realm.
With the addition of Yang Kai, Monster Emperor Star was sending eight people to Green Mountains Star.
Some would not come back alive. No one could guarantee their life as the Blood Prison Trial was renown to be extremely dangerous. It was expected that at least half of the masters who entered it would fall within.
The danger in the Blood Prison came not only from the power of the Domain that pervaded the terrifying battlefield but also from the competitors of different cultivation stars.
It could be said that most masters fell due to the struggle between them.
But no matter how dangerous the Blood Prison was, it still could not erase the enthusiasm and determination of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters to enter the Blood Prison as the breakthrough towards Origin King Realm was extremely difficult. Out of one hundred Third-Order Origin Returning Realm who could cultivate their own Shi to the grand accomplishment stage, there were no more than two or three people who were eligible to break through to the Origin King Realm. Among these two or three people, there may not be one who could really succeed.
Therefore, Origin King Realm masters were extremely rare in the entire Star Field. Every cultivator who reached this level was considered to be a powerful entity.
By entering the Blood Prison, not only could one perceive the power of Domain in the battlefield left tens of thousands of years ago, but one might even find something special in it.
Domain Stone!
The formation of the Domain Stone had a great relationship with the fallen Origin King Realm masters. The Domain power that erupted after their deaths allowed some of the peculiar jade in the Blood Prison to absorb it. After countless years of accumulation and precipitation, it formed a special object called a Domain Stone.
The mystery of the Domain contained in the Domain Stone allowed cultivators to feel it anytime, anywhere.
Most Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators entered the Blood Prison Trial in order to obtain the Domain Stone.
They did not expect that they would be able to break through to the Origin King Realm in the Blood Prison. They just wanted to find some Domain Stones and come back to understand the mystery carefully, so as to improve their Martial Dao.
This was the ultimate goal for most cultivators who entered, and it was also the source of most conflicts. If there was no such thing, perhaps 90% of masters would maintain their senses and not fight others so readily.
After all, no one wanted to fall after cultivating to such an extent.
But it was precisely because of the temptation of the Domain Stone that the chance of falling in the Blood Prison Trial was extremely high.
Shan Qing Luo’s understanding of the Blood Prison Trial was undoubtedly more profound than Yang Kai’s, and she gave him this information. After learning that there was something as special as the Domain Stone in the Blood Prison Trial, he suddenly became interested.
Although he only had the cultivation realm of Second-Order Origin Returning Realm, he would also become a Third-Order master one day and would need to face the same trial to reach a greater height in the Martial Dao.
The Domain Stone could undoubtedly be of great help to him.
He rolled up his sleeves and waited for the day when the Blood Prison Trial would start.
During this period, Xia Ning Chang had been refining pills and Yang Kai was comprehending the skill that Chi Yue taught him, trying his best to develop the original power of the Divine Spirit in his body.
This period was uneventful.
A month and a half later, Yang Kai was in the attic urging the original power of the Golden Divine Dragon in his body. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he looked out.
After a while, there was a knock on the door, Yang Kai got up, opened it, and saw Shan Qing Luo standing outside.
“Is it time?” Yang Kai asked.
“En.” Shan Qing Luo gently nodded, “Adoptive Mother asked us to gather now.”
“Okay!” Yang Kai nodded, “Wait a moment, I’ll be right back.”
He turned around and walked into the attic again. After a while, he reappeared in front of Shan Qing Luo and let her lead the way.
In the palace, a terrifying force had gathered. Not only were the rookie masters of the Monster Race there, but also several Origin King Realm masters.
However, everyone was silent and seemed to be waiting for something.
….
From time to time, a Monster Race master came, bowed to the three Tribal Lords directly above, and then found a place to sit down, closing his eyes and resting.
Yang Kai and Shan Qing Luo finally arrived, and as soon as they stepped into the palace, Yang Kai’s eyes shrank, and his Saint Qi started cycling involuntarily.
He was shocked to discover that there were three Origin King Realm masters sitting in this palace. In addition to Chi Yue, there were two others that he had never met.
The sharp gazes of the two Monster Race masters made his scalp numb.
“Hey, Chi Yue, why is there a Human here?” On the left-hand side, an old man with red hair buzzed and looked at Yang Kai suspiciously.
“Yeah, Chi Yue, you never told us about this. What is the meaning of this?” The other brawny man with bronzed skin on his right hand was also puzzled.
Chi Yue chuckled sweetly, and said lightly, “Why bother making such a fuss, it’s just a trivial Human.”
The red-haired old man coldly snorted and said with a displeased expression, “A trivial human really isn’t worth making a fuss over, but Chi Yue, aren’t you making a mistake here? We’ve gathered here to deliver our Monster Race’s young talents to the Blood Prison. Is him being here because he’s going to enter the Blood Prison as well?”
“That’s right,” Chi Yue gently nodded.
The red-haired old man’s face sank as a look of anger flashed across his eyes while the burly man coldly and sternly asked, “Why haven’t Brother Kuang Shi and I heard about this before?”
“For such a small matter, this Queen thought it wasn’t necessary to inform anyone, so she didn’t,” Chi Yue said casually before putting on a disgruntled look, “This boy and my Qing Luo are old acquaintances, they are simply using this Queen’s Space Array to go to Green Mountains Star, you two don’t need to interfere!”
The burly man frowned and stared at Chi Yue deeply before asking in a low tone, “Chi Yue, what are you plotting?”
“Since when was this Queen plotting anything? Can’t the two of you see that this boy is only a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm brat? This boy is so arrogant and overconfident that he wants to rely on his old friendship with my Qing Luo to try to taste swan meat as a mere toad. This Queen spared his life and agreed to allow him to pursue Qing Luo if he can live through the Blood Prison Trial. Since he wants to die, this Queen won’t try to stop him. I’m sure this is enough of an explanation to satisfy the two of you.”
The red-haired old man and the burly man exchanged a glance, neither of them daring to believe all of Chi Yue’s words, but also feeling like pressing the matter further was inappropriate.
The Space Array leading to the Blood Prison was created by a previous Red Moon Tribal Lord ten thousand years ago and belonged exclusively to Red Moon Territory, so only Chi Yue could open it to allow the rising stars from the other territories through.
Chi Yue had complete control over this Space Array!
If they became stubborn here, the gains wouldn’t be worth the loss. If Chi Yue became angry and refused to allow their descendants and disciples to use this Space Array next time, they wouldn’t be able to enter the Blood Prison Trial.
“This brat is certainly crazy enough!” The red-haired old man looked at Yang Kai disdainfully, “Such shameless boasting! Since he wants to die, naturally this old master has no objections, but Chi Yue, next time, if something like this is to happen again, please inform this old master in advance!”
“Indeed!” The burly man nodded in agreement.
Chi Yue smiled winningly and said, “This Queen acted somewhat rashly this time. Fine, this Queen promises that there won’t be a second instance.”
With Chi Yue saying these words, the red-haired old man and the brawny man couldn’t say anymore, they could only open one eye while closing the other, pretending they saw nothing.
“Qing Luo, come greet Senior Kuang Shi and Senior Nu Xie, these two are prestigious figures on my Monster Emperor Star,” Chi Yue beckoned to Shan Qing Luo.
Shan Qing Luo responded immediately and swiftly stepped forward to offer her greetings.
Yang Kai’s expression moved slightly as he immediately understood that these two Origin King Realm masters should be the Wild Lion Tribal Lord and Fierce Crab Tribal Lord, but he was still confused as to why they had appeared here.
Just as he was contemplating this, however, Yang Kai suddenly felt a hate-filled glare coming from nearby. When he turned to take a look at the source of this glare, Yang Kai saw Xue Lian staring at him. Yang Kai simply grinned at this sight, causing Xue Lian’s face to twitch, as if he was recalling the fight he had with Yang Kai the other day, bringing unpleasant memories up in his mind.
In that battle, his pride had been completely shredded.
“Yang Kai, over here!” Ba He greeted him enthusiastically.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and walked over to the chair beside him and sat down.
A few days ago, Ba He had come to Little Senior Sister’s palace to request Alchemy and left happily. The herbs he had worked hard to gather had not gone to waste and were successfully refined by Xia Ning Chang’s masterful hands.
As such, Ba He was very grateful to Xia Ning Chang and behaved even friendlier with Yang Kai in turn.
“Yang Kai, you must be careful during this trip to the Blood Prison. Everyone there will be a Minor Realm higher than you in cultivation. Don’t become overconfident,” Ba He whispered.
“Junior has always been very low-key,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Ba He couldn’t help rolling his eyes.
“By the way, Senior, who are those two?” Yang Kai cast his eyes towards a pair of Monster Race rising stars he had never met before and asked.
Ba He naturally wouldn’t conceal something so simple so he immediately introduced these two in a quiet voice.
One of the two was a well-endowed woman named Xue Sun who hailed from Fierce Crab Territory and was the most powerful subordinate of Fierce Crab Tribal Lord. The other was a sunny-looking young man named Lie Feng who came from Wild Lion Territory and was similarly one of Wild Lion Tribal Lord’s best subordinates.
Fierce Crab Tribal Lord and Wild Lion Tribal Lord apparently didn’t have satisfactory heirs, so they could only send their best subordinates to participate in the Blood Prison Trial. Of course, both Xue Sun and Lie Feng were talents in their respective territories.
Yang Kai gently nodded and kept them in mind.
The two Monster Race masters also seemed to be very interested in Yang Kai, glancing over at him from time to time with Lie Feng even sending Yang Kai a friendly smile.
[This guy should not be difficult to get along with!] Yang Kai secretly mused.
The hall remained relatively silent as time passed by. Everyone had their eyes closed and seemed to be in a meditative state.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense constantly probed the Ultra-Long Distance Space Array in the main hall, prying into its hidden subtleties. After some time, he discovered that the layout of this array was actually quite similar to the one which connected Monster Emperor Star and the Spider Mother’s Den, making him wonder if they had some kind of connection.
One day later, Chi Yue and the other Tribal Lords suddenly opened their eyes together and energy pulsed from their forms.
“It’s time!” Wild Lion Tribal Lord gave a low shout.
The eight Origin Returning Realm masters who were waiting to depart all stood up together.
Without seeing how they acted, the three Monster Race Tribal Lords all suddenly arrived at the edge of the Ultra-Long Distance Space Array and stood in a triangular pattern with solemn expressions.
“Begin!” Chi Yue yelled softly as she suddenly formed a complicated series of signs with her hands.
The same was true for Nu Xie and Kuang Shi. As these three Monster Race Tribal lords continued their actions, shocking and powerful waves of energy began condensing around their bodies.
The Origin Returning Realm cultivators in the hall all stared at this dazzling display while secretly dreaming about when they would be able to reach such a phenomenon height.
Chi Yue, Nu Xie, and Kuang Shi’s Saint Qi surged suddenly as they began pouring it madly into the Space Array, seeming going all out.
The array buzzed and the Saint Crystals set in it long ago burst into radiant light, filling the hall with a brightness not inferior to the mid-day sun, blinding everyone in the hall.
“All of you, Green Mountains Star is far from Monster Emperor Star, and although this Ultra-Long Distance Space Array can guarantee that you arrive safely inside the Blood Prison, it cannot guarantee where you will appear, so you must exercise extreme caution,” Chi Yue’s voice rang out, “All those who can enter the Blood Prison are masters with high strength. In there, try to avoid conflicts, your main objective is to comprehend the mysteries of Domain and obtain Domain Stones. This Queen hopes that all of you leaving today will arrive back together!”
“Is that clear?” Kuang Shi couldn’t help roaring when the crowd didn’t react much.
“Yes!” The Monster Race Juniors replied in unison.
Kuang Shi finally showed a satisfied look.
“This King doesn’t have any more advice for you,” Nu Xie chuckled, concisely stating, “As long as you return alive, Monster Emperor Star will have a place for you in the future!”
“We will obey three Seniors’ teachings!”
At this moment, the entire palace seemed to tremble and the Ultra-Long Distance Space Array released a terrifying roar as a white beam of light shot out from it into the sky.
Even from thousands of kilometres away, one could clearly see this white beam of light.
The trembling gradually subsided and the white light beam gradually disappeared before finally, atop the Ultra-Long Distance Space Array, an oval-shaped gateway comprised of pure energy appeared in front of everyone’s eyes.
“Go!” Chi Yue solemnly shouted.
Ba He took the lead, nodding to Chi Yue lightly before rushing into the gate without a single glance backwards, disappearing in a flash.
One figure after another followed Ba He through the light gate.
Yang Kai didn’t bother fighting with the others, simply waiting until there was no one left. When he stepped onto the Space Array and was about to disappear, however, he suddenly grinned towards Chi Yue and waved his hand, “Senior Chi Yue, if there’s a chance, let us meet again!”
Chi Yue’s pretty face sank and her brow furrowed when she heard this.
But without waiting for her to ask anything, Yang Kai also disappeared.
“This human boy is really rampant!” Kuang Shi coldly snorted.
“Close the gateway first,” Nu Xie hurriedly said, “We need to avoid causing too much of a disturbance lest that old dog from Green Mountains Star notices something.”
Chi Yue did not respond, however, her expression suddenly changing. As if she had realized something, she released her Divine Sense like a flood towards the palace where Xia Ning Chang had been staying.
The next moment, Chi Yue’s pretty face twisted as she ground her teeth and muttered under her breath, “Little bastard, you dare play tricks with this Queen!”
When she realized that Xia Ning Chang was not in the palace, Chi Yue immediately understood what Yang Kai had been plotting.
He never planned to return to Monster Emperor Star because there was no need for him to do so!
Chi Yue had thought that by retaining Grandmaster Xia, she could manipulate this little human brat at will, but it turned out the other side was one step ahead of her.
However, no matter how she thought about it, Chi Yue couldn’t figure out how Yang Kai made Xia Ning Chang disappear or where he had hidden her.
Obviously, that woman surnamed Xia was still in the palace a day ago, so how had she suddenly disappeared?
“Chi Yue, what are you doing?” Nu Xie and Kuang Shi both looked at her with puzzled faces, not understanding why she suddenly became so angry.
“Nothing,” Chi Yue shook her head and took a deep breath, “Close the gateway first.”
Being outwitted by a mere human brat at the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm was not something Chi Yue would advertise. If she really told them, the only result would be Nu Xie and Kuang Shi laughing at her in derision.
She would not admit such a shameful truth.
[But this little brat really had some good methods; no wonder he wanted me to hand over the second half of the Monster Transformation Secret Art to Yu Xiong for safekeeping.]
What about Qing Luo though? Would she leave with him? Thinking so, Chi Yue’s thoughts became somewhat distressed and her expression turned ugly.
Even if she was tricked by Yang Kai, as long as he obtained that Origin Essence Crystal and exchanged it with Yu Xiong, she wouldn’t lose anything, but if that little bastard managed to lure Qing Luo with some sweet nothings, how would she find them in this vast Star Field?
[If you dare do so, even if this Queen needs to search until the end of time, she will take your head!] Chi Yue secretly decided.
A feeling of vertigo, as if space had been distorted and collapsed in on itself, overcame Yang Kai.
This was a clear sign of tearing space!
For Yang Kai, short-distance jumps did not affect him, but this kind of ultra-long-distance transmission from one Cultivation Star to another Cultivation Star was still a burden to him.
Fortunately, with his proficiency in the Dao of Space, he was able to dispel most of these negative effects after circulating his Saint Qi slightly.
After the flash of light around him faded, Yang Kai found himself in a strange land.
Before he had time to look around, he noticed that there was a life of aura not far away.
Turning his head vigilantly, Yang Kai found that the man was actually Lie Feng of Wild Lion Territory, who had appeared about a thousand metres away from him.
The other party had entered the Space Array before him, but was clearly in worse shape, seemingly still trying to stabilize himself after the transmission.
Lie Feng did not cultivate the Dao of Space like Yang Kai did, so the negative side-effects of this kind of long-range teleportation naturally took longer to recover from. However, Lie Feng was a rising star of the Monster Race with a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, so after about three breaths, he opened his eyes having fully recovered. Like Yang Kai, he vigilantly began scanning his surroundings while silently condensing his Saint Qi in preparation to deal with any crises that might arise.
In the next moment, he saw Yang Kai.
“Oh…” Lie Feng showed a look of surprise and stood in place for a moment before walking over to Yang Kai with a smile on his face and asking, “I heard your name is Yang Kai, yes?”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded lightly, his attitude neither warm nor cold.
“I also heard that you taught Xue Lian a harsh lesson?” Lie Feng seemed very interested in him.
Yang Kai didn’t answer.
Lie Feng simply shrugged, “I heard from Yu Xiong. It is a pity that I hadn’t arrived earlier in Red Moon Territory, otherwise I would have been able to watch such a lively event. Heh heh, to tell you the truth, I’ve never liked Xue Lian either. However, it’s really surprising that you were able to beat Xue Lian. Seems the Human Race cannot be underestimated. En, I’d like to offer you an invitation.”
“An invitation to do what?” Yang Kai looked at him curiously.
The other had a friendly attitude from start to finish, so Yang Kai’s impression of him wasn’t bad.
“To act together,” Lie Feng smiled, “Brother Yang, as you know, this is Green Mountains Star. We Monster Race cultivators snuck in here and obviously won’t receive any good treatment, and from the looks of it, it seems that only you and I appeared in this area. If Brother Yang and I can join forces, our security will definitely increase a lot.”
“Sorry, but I’m not interested!” Yang Kai shook his head and refused.
“Why?” Lie Feng frowned.
“Because I’m human! I won’t be discriminated against here,” Yang Kai pointed to himself, then pointed to Lie Feng and said, “You belong to the Monster Race, so what do you think would happen if someone who hates the Monster Race saw me with you? Would they also attack me? I don’t want to ask for extra trouble.”
“Uh…” Lie Feng was stunned, then scratched his head and said, “That’s reasonable. Since Brother Yang thinks so, then forget it, this Lie hadn’t considered the situation completely.”
Yang Kai nodded.
“Then I’ll simply wish Brother Yang good luck and head off first!” Lie Feng didn’t look irritated because Yang Kai refused his invitation, instead just laughing heartily before picking a direction at will and flying off.
He was very straightforward.
After he left, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings more carefully.
A moment later, his face changed slightly and he quickly took back his Divine Sense.
What Shan Qing Luo had told him wasn’t wrong. Inside the Blood Prison, it wasn’t a good idea to casually release one’s Divine Sense.
Although there were no restrictions or suppression of Divine Sense in this place, there were countless Domain Vortices all across this ancient battlefield.
These Domain Vortices were all remnants from the great battle between Origin King Realm masters over ten thousand years ago. Some had dissipated while others had undergone strange transformations and become more terrifying over time.
These Domain Vortices were capable of swallowing anything, including Divine Sense!
Yang Kai had suffered a small loss just now, and if he hadn’t withdrawn his Divine Sense in time, it was likely he would have suffered severe damage to his Soul. Even so, there was a stinging pain in his head at this moment, like a needle pricking his brain.
This was a sign that his Divine Sense had taken damage, but with the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus nourishing his Soul, Yang Kai didn’t need to care too much about this damage.
“It looks like this really is the Blood Prison,” Yang Kai looked around and muttered to himself.
Only in the Blood Prison would such strange Domain Vortices exist.
The former Red Moon Tribal Lord was indeed a Heaven sent genius, able to create an Ultra-Long Distance Space Array that connected to the Blood Prison from Monster Emperor Star.
Unfortunately, because the distance was too far, it was unable to select a precise destination. Yang Kai only discovered Lie Feng nearby while the other Monster Race rising stars had clearly been sent somewhere else.
Yang Kai was fairly confident in Shan Qing Luo’s strength as she had inherited the power of a Heavenly Moon Demon Spider’s Source, making her more than a match for ordinary cultivators in the same realm as her.
Coupled with the Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip that he had given her, Shan Qing Luo’s current combat strength was truly impressive.
The only troublesome thing was her enchanting appearance, which was likely to become the main reason for others to target her.
[No man is capable of resisting her charms…]
After thinking about it for a while though, Yang Kai just shook his head slowly and set the matter aside.
[Qing Luo has her own path to follow.] Yang Kai felt that it was impossible for him to take care of her all the time; what’s more, they had been separated for dozens of years yet she was still alive and well, so Yang Kai believed she wouldn’t have a problem moving forward smoothly in the future.
Randomly picking a direction, Yang Kai slowly flew off.
He didn’t dare to move too quickly. He had only heard about the dangers of the Blood Prison and never personally experienced them, but this place being the burial ground for innumerable Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters was a fact.
Yang Kai was confident he was invincible beneath the Origin King Realm, but he still needed to act cautiously when facing the power of an Origin King’s Domain. He didn’t want to die here from acting recklessly.
There were no major incidents along Yang Kai’s way as he moved forward, but a few of the Domain Vortices which were scattered about did draw Yang Kai’s interest.
Unfortunately, these Domain Vortices weren’t too strong and the mysteries they hid were quite vague, so even though Yang Kai tried to penetrate them with his Divine Sense and spent a fair amount of time trying to comprehend something from them, his gains were very limited and he was forced to give up.
He didn’t relax his vigilance as he knew there was murderous intent hidden everywhere in this place. He definitely couldn’t underestimate the Blood Prison simply because the first Domain Vortices he came across were small and weak.
Along the way, he also felt several life auras and even saw another Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation pass by a few thousand metres away from him.
Fortunately, the Blood Prison had only just opened and no one was willing to stir up trouble yet. Everyone was still doing their best to avoid conflict while searching for opportunities; therefore, as soon as the unknown cultivator noticed Yang Kai, they changed direction to avoid him.
One day later, Yang Kai stood solemnly at a certain spot while staring straight ahead at a place a thousand metres away.
In that direction was a middle-aged man in blue robes covered in blood. Bursts of Saint Qi flickered from this man’s body and it seemed his situation was quite distressed. Outside his body was a defensive artifact that resembled a water curtain which was shielding him.
This man was constantly releasing his Shi and using various Secret Techniques in an attempt to escape from the place he was trapped.
Unfortunately, his efforts failed to yield any noticeable results. The space around him seemed calm, but also somewhat solidified, confining him in place and making it impossible for him to move forward or backwards at all.
All around this middle-aged man were flowing streaks of light, like sharp swords, cutting into his defensive artifact and draining its power.
This man had accidentally rushed into a Domain Vortex!
What’s more, this was a very powerful Domain Vortex that could easily imprison a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master.
This man’s expression was ugly to the extreme and, as he felt the grip of death closing in around him, he only urged his Saint Qi harder and harder.
Suddenly, he saw Yang Kai who was staring at him from nearby, and his eyes lit up, as if he had caught a life-saving straw. Shouting loudly, “Friend, please help! I was accidentally caught in this Domain Vortex and am unable to escape, please show mercy and lend me your aid!”
Yang Kai frowned and did not respond.
Although he wasn’t afraid of this middle-aged man, the Domain Vortex that was currently trapping this man caused Yang Kai some anxiety. For a stranger, Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t put himself in danger.
The reason Yang Kai even remained here was to comprehend the mysteries of this Domain Vortex.
Seeing that Yang Kai was not replying, the middle-aged man couldn’t help growing anxious, thinking that the other party was cold-blooded and refused to save him. Hurriedly, he shouted once more, “Friend, this one is Scarlet Wave Star Blue Feather Sect’s Sect Master Xu Ding Yang. Please assist me. If you can save me, this Xu will surely offer generous thanks and Blue Feather Sect will also be eternally grateful.”
“Scarlet Wave Star?” Yang Kai brow rose slightly, thinking he had heard this name before but was unable to put his finger on it at the moment. However, he still slowly shook his head, “Friend, it’s not that I don’t want to save you, but the power of this Domain Vortex is a bit too daunting.”
Xu Ding Yang’s complexion darkened. Although he showed an unwilling look, he knew that Yang Kai was telling the truth.
For a while, he fell speechless.
“Hold on, let me see if I can find a solution,” Yang Kai said lightly.
Yang Kai wasn’t acting out of kindness here. He knew nothing about this Xu Ding Yang’s true temperament, but even if he was really a righteous soul, he must have been mentally prepared to fall since he had entered the Blood Prison.
This Xu Ding Yang couldn’t blame anyone if he died here.
Yang Kai only offered to help because he wanted to enter the Domain Vortex to study it.
He wanted to learn more about the unique power of Origin Kings, Domain.
Xu Ding Yang obviously misunderstood Yang Kai’s intentions though and was immediately overjoyed, “Please allow this Xu to offer his thanks in advance! Friend, please be careful, this vortex seems to be a fusion of many different Domains which is why it is so difficult to deal with!”
Yang Kai just nodded lightly and took a step forward.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s face paled. At this moment, he felt that the surrounding space seemed to freeze and that many powerful, contradictory forces were overlapping here, causing him to push his Saint Qi unconsciously to resist.
With a ripping sound, several noticeable cuts appeared on Yang Kai’s clothes. The invisible Domain here seemed capable of killing any creature that dared to enter it, with even a single step creating an enormous difference in intensity.
Not daring to hesitate, Yang Kai hurriedly resisted this force and summoned his Purple Shield at the same time, transforming it into a light curtain which enveloped his body.
In an instant, the sound of scraping metal rang out from the Purple Shield as a terrifying invisible force constantly grated against Yang Kai’s defensive artifact.
The purple light curtain covering his body faded at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Yang Kai’s face sank seeing this and he quickly took back his Purple Shield.
Although this defensive artifact was Origin Grade High-Rank and was incredibly strong, it wasn’t sufficient to compete with the Domain here. If this Domain were allowed to destroy the light curtain, the Purple Shield’s spirituality would suffer a massive loss.
Yang Kai was forced to push his Saint Qi with all his strength to resist the invisible and terrifying pressure around him as he was stuck in place struggling against the tide.
“Only Second-Order Origin Realm…” Xu Ding Yang stared dumbfounded at Yang Kai, a look of astonishment on his face.
As soon as Yang Kai pushed his Saint Qi, Xu Ding Yang naturally perceived Yang Kai’s true cultivation and was inevitably disappointed.
Although the Second and Third-Order were only one Minor Realm apart, the gap in strength between the two was immense. Moreover, this was the Blood Prison, where normally only Third-Order Origin Realm cultivators entered to seek opportunities.
Xu Ding Yang felt that with Yang Kai’s strength, forget about saving him, even preserving his own life would be impossible.
“Friend, forgive me!” Xu Ding Yang worked hard to resist while kindly warning Yang Kai, “This Xu didn’t know you were only a Second-Order Origin Realm cultivator, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked for help. Friend has not yet entered too far, so you should hurry up and withdraw before it’s too late and you no longer can.”
Yang Kai ignored him however and simply continued to strengthen the output of his Saint Qi, probing the mysteries of the Domain Vortex.
What shocked Yang Kai, however, was that this Domain Vortex seemed completely unaffected by his efforts. No matter how hard Yang Kai tried, the suppression he felt remained the same, making it difficult to even move a single step.
Several strange and mysterious powers wrapped around his body, making it impossible for Yang Kai to comprehend anything.
[So this is the power of Domain! Worthy of the unique power possessed by Origin King Realm masters.]
“Friend, use your Shi to resist it, you can’t rely on brute force to deal with Domain, otherwise you’ll only get pulled deeper and deeper into it!” Seeing Yang Kai’s difficult situation, Xu Ding Yang quickly warned.
Yang Kai’s expression changed and he quickly released his Shi as suggested.
In an instant, he noticed that the solidified space around him seemed to loosen somewhat as his Shi cut into the Domain Vortex like an invisible blade, allowing him to resist its influence.
“Many thanks for the advice!” Yang Kai raised his head, glanced over at Xu Ding Yang, and said his thanks.
“A minor matter!” Xu Ding Yang squeezed out an ugly smile as sweat dripped from his forehead and the Saint Qi glow around his body faded even more rapidly.
After talking to Yang Kai for a moment, Xu Ding Yang’s situation became even more unbearable and he immediately focused all of his attention on resisting the terrifying pressure of the Domain Vortex.
Yang Kai’s demeanor also became solemn as he tried his best to expand his Shi.
With him as the centre, a circle with a ten metre radius began to form where space slowly distorted and faint, almost invisible Void Cracks appeared and disappeared.
Once this zone was established, the pressure Yang Kai felt suddenly eased greatly.
The Domain of an Origin King Realm master was an evolved form of Shi, a mysterious power a level higher than Shi.
As such, using Shi to resist Domain was naturally effective.
If this Domain was being displayed by a living Origin King Realm master, Yang Kai’s Shi wouldn’t be able to put up any resistance even if he had cultivated it to the grand accomplishment stage, but this Domain Vortex was simply a remnant from over ten thousand years ago, so even if it had strengthened and condensed over a long span of time, it wasn’t nearly as dangerous without anyone controlling it.
Yang Kai was barely able to deal with it.
It was no wonder so many Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters flocked to the Blood Prison despite it being extremely dangerous, the benefits here were simply that attractive to Third-Order masters.
The Domain Vortices that existed here were simply the best auxiliary aide for Third-Order Origin Realm masters to condense their Shi.
A cultivator could condense their Shi here, enhancing their control over it, while at the same time comprehend the mysteries of Domain, so once they cultivated their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage, they would have the capital necessary to attempt a breakthrough to the Origin King Realm!
This was a height that most Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters would never be able to reach.
Yang Kai wholeheartedly used his Shi to resist the surrounding invisible Domain while some faint, stray thoughts inexplicably poured into his mind. Sometimes he frowned and thought while sometimes his face was filled with joy, his expression constantly changing.
Unconsciously, he began stepping forward, and although his speed was extremely slow, Yang Kai was undoubtedly moving towards the centre of Domain Vortex, seeking more powerful mysteries of Domain.
Yang Kai’s control over his Shi also became more flexible and the original ten metre radius around himself began to expand at a subtle speed. Although this change wasn’t conspicuous, it was definite and steady.
Yang Kai was completely immersed in his comprehension, unable to extricate himself.
The man named Xu Ding Yang was in a dire situation, but he still made some time to observe Yang Kai’s movements.
When he saw Yang Kai walking towards him step by step, resisting the terrifying Domain power with only a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, Xu Ding Yang was completely shocked.
He knew better than anyone the intensity of this Domain Vortex and had figured that, with Yang Kai weak cultivation, he would definitely be forced to withdraw immediately, otherwise he would undoubtedly die.
However, this young man who he had never met before not only didn’t withdraw, he instead began steadily moving towards the centre of the Domain Vortex.
[The world must be going crazy,] Xu Ding Yang thought as he could hardly believe his eyes.
Any cultivator who reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm was a master that had both extreme pride and superb methods to back it up. Xu Ding Yang was also the Sect master of a small Sect who had been cultivated diligently since childhood as a genius.
But compared to this young man in front of him, Xu Ding Yang couldn’t help feeling ashamed!
He felt his self-confidence take a hard hit.
Just as he momentarily lost focus, a sharp noise suddenly rang in his ears.
Xu Ding Yang’s expression changed and he quickly looked towards the source of this sound, his face turning pale in the next moment.
The defensive artifact that was protecting his body had finally reached its limit and the water curtain-like halo began to rapidly crack apart.
“Friend! This Xu is afraid that disaster is now inevitable. If it is convenient, please visit Scarlet Wave Star’s Blue Feather Sect and inform the Sect Elders that this Xu fell here. You may take everything in this Xu’s Space Ring as a thank you gift!” Xu Ding Yang shouted anxiously.
Hearing his shout, Yang Kai awoke from his comprehension and turned his eyes towards Xu Ding Yang.
Yang Kai’s eyes opened just in time to see the water curtain surrounding Xu Ding Yang’s body crumble into dust and the little Saint Qi which he had left erupt from his body as he desperately rushed outwards with all his strength.
Although he had told Yang Kai he could not escape this disaster, Xu Ding Yang obviously didn’t want to just sit and wait for the end; he was determined to put up a final struggle.
The rays of light surrounding his body alternated between light and dark as a fierce expression filled his face and a roar similar to that of an angry beast escaped from this throat.
A crackling sound rang out in the next instant as the invisible Domain crashed towards Xu Ding Yang from all directions.
After making it less than three steps, Xu Ding Yang suddenly shivered and stopped in place, his skin becoming red as blood leaked out from all his pores.
*Peng…*
With a dull thud, Xu Ding Yang’s whole body burst apart, his physique being shredded until not even his bones remained.
Yang Kai’s eyes shrunk slightly as his face filled with shock.
A master at the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm had died so tragically in front of him, making him deeply understand the horrors of this Domain Vortex. At the same time, he couldn’t help feeling some inexplicable sadness at this untimely death.
But soon, Yang Kai dispelled these distracting thoughts and closed his eyes once more to continue his slow trek towards the centre of the Domain Vortex step by step.
He and Xu Ding Yang were complete strangers, so Yang Kai wasn’t deeply affected by the latter’s death.
The Domain Vortex which had consigned Xu Ding Yang to his doom would not do the same to him! Yang Kai was completely confident of this.
Yang Kai’s Shi shuttled back and forth in the surrounding space, allowing Yang Kai to sense the mysterious power that flooded this place, absorb it, remove what was useless to him and turn what was useful to him into nutrients for his own growth.
The killing power surrounding Yang Kai could not stop him from continuing his exploration as he slowly but surely advanced further.
Without using any kind of defensive artifact, and only circulating his Saint Qi to the minimum required level, Yang Kai used his flesh and blood body as well as his Shi to resist this Domain Vortex, allowing him to feel its mysteries in the most unobstructed manner possible.
As he continued to gain from this experience, Yang Kai gradually became immersed in it.
The benefits of Yang Kai’s intrepid physique manifested once again. Perhaps no other Origin Returning Realm master dared do this, only able to use their Shi to resist the Domain here to gain benefits.
This indirect method was vastly inferior to Yang Kai’s reckless method.
Yang Kai not only used his Shi, but also his own flesh and blood.
He was able to gain benefits at a much more rapid rate than other Origin Realm cultivators this way.
As time passed, at a certain moment, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes, his body shivered, and his Shi suddenly expanded outward.
The Domain Vortex, which made it difficult for any who entered it to even walk, didn’t put up the slightest resistance and Yang Kai was able to take large strides forward and arrive at its centre in short order.
This was the spot where the Domain Vortex’s pressure was most intense, as well as the spot where Xu Ding Yang had died. There were still residual bits of hashed meat from what was once Xu Ding Yang’s corpse as well as a thick smell of blood lingering in the air.
Yang Kai stood there, silently, gradually retracting his Shi, allowing the surrounding Domain to press down on him.
The terrifying power in this location caused Yang Kai’s bones to creak, as if they were about to snap. The power of the Domain Vortex at this point seemed to want to grind him into dust.
Five-coloured light suddenly burst from Yang Kai’s figure as his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi filled every muscle in his body, augmenting his physical strength enormously, allowing him to compete with the power of this Domain.
Yang Kai’s face flushed and his blood boiled, as if he would explode and die at any moment.
However, his harvest grew even bigger at this moment.
From this extreme experience, Yang Kai was able to deeply realize the mysteries of Domain and his understanding of Shi simultaneously became far more profound.
Unsatisfied with just this, after confirming that his life was in no danger, Yang Kai fell into a deeper level of meditative cultivation.
Yang Kai had a premonition that participating in this Blood Prison Trial would grant him unimaginable growth.
Originally, Yang Kai was not very interested in this Blood Prison Trial; after all, this place was almost exclusively for Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators to temper themselves and seek opportunities.
Yang Kai was only at the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm, and even though he could fight opponents above his realm and wasn’t afraid of anyone below the Origin King Realm, his lack of cultivation was a fact. Yang Kai thought he wouldn’t be able to gain much from the Blood Prison so he hadn’t hesitated to leave Qian Tong and the others on Green Mountains Star while he went to Tong Xuan Realm to find his relatives and friends.
However, since Shan Qing Luo told him about the Domain Stones that formed inside the Blood Prison, he became interested.
Now that he was here, Yang Kai fully understood that even without any Domain Stones, he could gain unimaginable benefits simply by relying on the Domain Vortices which filled the Blood Prison.
As long as one’s ability was sufficient, any Origin Returning Realm cultivator could further condense their Shi with assistance from these Domain Vortices, pushing them closer to the grand accomplishment stage! This had nothing to do with one’s cultivation.
Having said that, there were probably very few that could really do this.
Thankfully, Yang Kai was one such individual.
Meanwhile, a hundred kilometres outside the Blood Prison, atop a high mountain, there was an elegant stone pavilion.
At this moment, seven cultivators sat inside this stone pavilion, some who looked old, some who looked young, some who were male, while others were female, but without exception, all these cultivators were Origin Kings.
Anyone who saw such a terrifying lineup would be shocked.
This was definitely a tyrannical gathering.
These masters sat in various positions inside the stone pavilion, some with their eyes closed in meditation while others discussed the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao or even just casually observed their surroundings.
These top masters had come from various Cultivation Stars from across the entire Star Field!
Naturally, these masters hadn’t rushed here for the Blood Prison Trial to seek entertainment, but rather to recruit top talents.
All of them were waiting for the day when the cultivators that entered the Blood Prison emerged.
Entering the Blood Prison and being able to leave safely meant that a cultivator had great potential. Even if they couldn’t ultimately break through to the Origin King Realm in the future, they would still no doubt become a top master in the Origin Returning Realm.
Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce naturally welcomed such experts, as did Purple Star, Sword Union, etc.
It could be said that these seven Origin King Realm masters represented the several great forces that reigned supreme over the Star Field.
Every time the Blood Prison Trial opened, representatives would come to Green Mountains Star to seek talents for their great force to cultivate.
Of course, some also came here for the Domain Stones exclusively produced inside the Blood Prison.
These Origin King Realm cultivators obviously had no use for Domain Stones personally, but they had descendants and disciples who needed them. In short, every Domain Stone brought out from the Blood Prison could sell for an incredible price.
Among these seven Origin Kings, there was one man who wore golden robes and had a purple gold crown atop his head who was the most conspicuous. When the other masters present looked at him, they all wore dignified expressions.
This man looked like he was only about thirty or so years old and had sharp, sword-like brows. His expression was stern and dignified, as if he had been born into a high position, giving him a noble air.
At this moment, this man had his eyes closed and seemed to be resting.
Suddenly, his eyes opened and he mumbled under his breath in a soft voice, seemingly surprised.
All the other Origin Kings in the surrounding area looked towards him one after another.
An old woman frowned pensively for a moment before asking with a chuckle, “Sir Luo Hai, did you find something interesting? If it’s convenient, could you tell us about it? We are well aware that on Green Mountains Star, only you, the Star Master, can sense some things inside the Blood Prison.”
Another master nodded and said, “Yes, although this place is very close to the Blood Prison, only you can truly sense anything inside of it. Our Divine Senses simply cannot penetrate the barrier surrounding this place, so we can only ask you. What is happening inside now?”
The man named Luo Hai smiled, stood up, and said unhurriedly, “This King did find something interesting, but it’s not a big deal. You don’t have to make such a fuss. En, it seems that for this time’s Blood Prison Trial, a little fellow at the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm went in.”
“Oh? A Second-Order Origin Returning Realm?” The old woman looked surprised.
The others were also surprised.
“A Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator entering the Blood Prison isn’t without precedent, but there are very few instances of it happening and their fates have always been quite tragic. Essentially all who tried died after only a day or two. Most of them were just small characters with eyes that failed to see. I’m afraid it’s the same for this person,” The old woman shook her head slowly with a hint of contempt.
“En, such hot-headed youths won’t settle down unless they suffer a bit. The Blood Prison Trial has always been for Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators, and although there are no explicit rules forbidding others to enter, ten thousand years of experience has proved that such ideas are not wise!”
“Brother Luo Hai, what’s the situation of that little guy now? You being interested in him must mean he has done something extraordinary, yes?” A beautiful woman smiled and looked at Luo Hai. This beautiful woman had an enchanting visage and a First-Order Origin King cultivation, but she still acted cautiously when facing Luo Hai.
This was not just because Luo Hai’s cultivation was higher than her own by a Minor Realm, but because this was Green Mountains Star, Luo Hai’s territory!
No one was stupid enough to oppose a Star Master on their Cultivation Star!
To put it bluntly, even if a top master at the Third-Order Origin King Realm came here, they might not be able to kill Luo Hai on Green Mountains Star.
Here, he was the master.
When Luo Hai broke through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm, any master who came to Green Mountains Star would need to give him face, and Luo Hai, who had refined a Star Source, definitely had such potential!
Therefore, the Origin King Realm masters present, while afraid of Luo Hai, also took a flattering attitude towards him.
“He didn’t have any kind of impressive performance,” Luo Hai smiled slightly, “It’s just that this King hasn’t seen such an interesting little fellow in quite a long time, so I was simply a bit curious. En, he seems to have rushed into a Domain Vortex now though, but the specific situation is something even this King cannot investigate; after all, even though this King is the Star Master of Green Mountains Star, his Divine Sense is greatly restricted inside the Blood Prison.”
“He rushed into a Domain Vortex?” The old woman sighed lightly, “It looks like he’ll be dead soon. There are always youngsters who don’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth.”
“He’s only getting what he deserves!”
“Forget it, there’s no need to pay any attention to him, he won’t live long. What I’m more interested in is if any good seedlings will survive this trial.”
“En, all of us have come to Green Mountains Star for this once in a millennium opportunity, right?”
Hearing everyone chattering amongst themselves, Luo Hai smiled and interjected, “Everyone, this King knows your purpose in coming here, but let this King warn you: If you see any good seedlings this time, you must not use force to bring them back with you, everything must be voluntary. This King, as the Star Master of Green Mountains Star, has an obligation and responsibility to protect these youngsters and ensure they receive fair treatment.”
“Brother Luo Hai need not worry, over all these years, which one of us has ever tried to use force? Of course, everything will be up to these Juniors’ will,” the beautiful woman pursed her lips and smiled.
“I don’t want to recruit anyone; this old master came here this time simply to buy Domain Stones. Heh heh, after all, these little brats will surely be able to collect a few,” A pale-haired old man grinned meaningfully, his expression turning somewhat unwillingly as he pined, “If it weren’t for Brother Luo Hai forbidding it, this old master would have preferred to enter the Blood Prison himself to search for Domain Stones.”
“Brother Zhou is mistaken,” Luo Hai shook his head, “It’s not that this King refuses to allow it, it’s simply that the Blood Prison has a barrier around it which was erected by Green Mountains Star’s previous Star Master before his death, one that shuts out any Origin King. While this King is now the new Star Master of Green Mountains Star, he still cannot do anything about this. It may be several thousand years before this King breaks through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm and is finally able ignore this barrier.”
“The previous generation’s Star Master put up a barrier?” Everyone was shocked, as if they had never heard such information.
“Yes, this King has never publicized it but this is a fact. Why else do you think that during that great war thousands of years ago, no one fled from the Blood Prison?”
“It was because of that barrier?” Someone showed a thoughtful look.
“En, this barrier was created using the power of Green Mountains Star itself and not only blocked the entry of an Origin King from the outside, but also stopped everyone already inside from leaving,” Luo Hai gently nodded.
“No wonder, no wonder more than twenty masters with such cultivation died inside. It turns out there was such a reason,” Someone muttered in understanding.
Many questions surrounded that war all those years ago, but the biggest was no doubt why there had been no survivors.
Even if that battle had been unprecedented in scale and intensity, involving a massive number of Origin Kings, logically speaking, it was impossible for absolutely no one to survive since entire Sects were involved.
However, the ancient records clearly stated that there had been no survivors.
Now listening to Luo Hai’s explanation, everyone understood.
With a barrier created using the power of Green Mountains Star, without the Star Master’s permission, no other Origin King could possibly escape. The final result may have been that the previous generation’s Star Master was greatly outnumbered and decided to take all his enemies down together with him.
Knowing the truth about the formation of the Blood Prison, everyone couldn’t help sighing and falling silent.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed by.
Suddenly Luo Hai let out another cry of surprise.
“Sir Luo Hai, have you discovered something else of interest?” The old woman frowned and asked.
“Interesting, truly interesting,” Luo Hai raised his brow, a look of pure surprise filling his face as he quickly said. “That little boy managed to emerge from that Domain Vortex!”
“What?” The old woman was shocked.
“Brother Luo Hai, you mean that little Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy you mentioned before?” The beautiful woman was also shocked.
“Indeed! Curious, how did he manage to survive?” Luo Hai wore a suspicious look. Even though he was the Star Master of Green Mountains Star, he could not monitor the exact situation inside the Blood Prison, so Yang Kai managing to survive truly came as a surprise to him.
“Could it be that the Domain Vortex he entered was very weak?” Someone speculated, “The Domain Vortices in Blood Prison are endless, but some are so weak they aren’t even worth mentioning. He should have encountered such a Domain Vortex, right?”
“No! Not long before, a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm died in that same Domain Vortex, so it was definitely not weak,” Luo Hai slowly shook his head, denying that person’s guess.
When they learned that a cultivator at the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm could escape from such a Domain Vortex, the Origin King Realm masters in the stone pavilion suddenly went into a flurry.
They all immediately realized that this Origin Realm boy had unimaginable potential.
“Heh heh, this little guy, this old lady wants to reserve for Sword Union,” The old woman chuckled lightly, “If he can emerge from the Blood Prison alive, this old lady will take him back to the Home Star of Sword Union and cultivate him vigorously.”
“Senior Sister Lei, are you sleep talking?” A scholarly dressed middle-aged sneered, “You think a few words are enough to lay claim? Shouldn’t you ask all your friends here if they agree first? Such a good seedling, my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce naturally doesn’t want to give up either.”
“Count my Purple Star in as well,” The beautiful woman called out.
“This old lady doesn’t care! If he can come out alive, this old lady only wants him, everyone else will be up to you all to decide,” The old woman declared in a resolute tone.
“Senior Sister Lei, you can’t act arbitrarily here. None of us knows who this boy is, where he comes from, or whether he has some kind of backer behind him. Even if he does not have some strong background though, are you sure he will willingly follow you, Senior Sister Lei? Perhaps he will be more optimistic about my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce; after all, in the Star Field, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is more famous than Sword Union,” The middle-aged man, not wanting to be outdone, said in a somewhat smug tone.
“As far as fame is concerned, our three forces aren’t much different, right?” The beautiful woman pursed her lips and giggled in disagreement, “Perhaps he will be more interested in my Purple Star.”
The old woman gave a cold snort and said with an unkind expression, “Do you two really intend to fight with this old lady for that little boy?”
“It’s not that we wish to fight with Senior Sister Lei, it’s just that you are being unreasonable,” The middle-aged man slowly shook his head.
“Enough, don’t quarrel!” Luo Hai frowned and interrupted the trio, “It’s still not even certain whether this boy will make it out alive, so why are you three bickering here like this? Perhaps he was only lucky to escape that Domain Vortex and will not be able to hold out until the end. If he were to die mid-way after all of you made such a fuss, wouldn’t it just end up turning into an embarrassment for you?”
When Luo Hai spoke, the three of them winced slightly before nodding in agreement.
The old woman added, “Sir Luo Hai, please pay attention to that little boy’s movements. If he dies inside, please inform us so we don’t continue waiting in vain.”
“This King will do his best,” Luo Hai gently nodded.
“Many thanks, Sir Luo Hai,” The old woman quickly thanked.
Calm was then restored to the stone pavilion.
Meanwhile, inside the Blood Prison, Yang Kai picked up the Space Ring on the ground, shrouded himself in his Shi, then walked outwards leisurely.
The terrifying Domain Vortex could not suppress him at all, and Yang Kai traversed it as easily as he would flat open ground, exiting its area of influence in short order.
After a few days of resisting and silently feeling this Domain Vortex, Yang Kai felt that his Shi had grown significantly and his understanding and control over it had deepened a level.
This was something meditation alone could not achieve.
The Blood Prison really was a treasure trove!
Standing in place, Yang Kai used his Divine Sense to seep into Xu Ding Yang’s Space Ring before quietly putting it away.
There was nothing in Xu Ding Yang’s Space Ring that was of great interest to him. Although Xu Ding Yang’s wealth was quite substantial compared to other Origin Returning Realm masters, Yang Kai’s standards were incredibly high, so he would not be moved by such meagre gains.
As for Xu Ding Yang’s request before he died, Yang Kai did not care.
The two had met by chance and shared no friendship, nor had Yang Kai ever agreed to his request. He wouldn’t make a trip all the way to Scarlet Wave Star to deliver a message to Blue Feather Sect for a stranger.
If there was a chance, he would not mind doing so, but Yang Kai simply left things up to destiny.
Raising his head and picking a direction, Yang Kai began moving forward again.
The Blood Prison was different from other places Yang Kai had gone to explore in the past. Whether it was the Flowing Flame Sand Field on Shadowed Star or the Emperor Garden, they were extremely wide and there were many entry restrictions. So, even if a lot of people entered, there would be few opportunities to meet others.
The Blood Prison was different.
Although the Blood Prison covered a wide area, it had also existed for over ten thousand years and was famous across the Star Field, attracting countless Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters to it each time it opened, allowing Yang Kai to often encounter strangers along his way.
Most people didn’t want to make trouble, and as soon as they noticed the aura of a stranger, they would change direction to avoid conflict.
However, when others realized that Yang Kai was only a Second-Order Origin Realm cultivation, all of them showed stunned expressions which quickly turned to scorn or sympathy, as if he was about to die.
Naturally, Yang Kai paid no attention to these people.
He encountered several life or death struggles among cultivators as well.
The great forces of the Star Field certainly did not live in harmony. Many great forces had grievances between them, and when their members encountered one another inside the Blood Prison, it was obvious that fights would break out.
Yang Kai did not try to involve himself in such matters and instead focused on searching for Domain Vortices, hoping to gain more benefits from them and further condense his Shi.
This cautious approach worked well for him, and half a month after entering the Blood Prison, Yang Kai had yet to get involved in any kind of fight. He had encountered three powerful Domain Vortices and entered them without hesitation, leaving each one a few days later safe and sound after reaping a great harvest.
His Shi raced past the minor accomplishment stage and was now steadily advancing towards the grand accomplishment stage.
However, to his disappointment, Yang Kai was unable to find the special product of the Blood Prison: Domain Stones.
The formation of Domain Stones was inseparable from the existence of Domain. The Domains which had survived for countless years in Blood Prison had been absorbed by some peculiar jades that formed into Domain Stones after constant condensation.
Therefore, Domain Stones generally existed inside Domain Vortices. In short, if one wanted to obtain Domain Stones, they needed to enter Domain Vortices.
Yang Kai felt that his luck was not very good.
One day, as he was looking for Domain Vortices, Yang Kai suddenly heard a series of loud sounds that seemed to be approaching him.
Yang Kai frowned as he immediately recognized the sounds of battle.
He subconsciously wanted to avoid it, but when his Divine Sense swept forward to investigate, he suddenly paused in place and stared suspiciously.
He noticed that one of the approaching auras was somewhat familiar.
The cultivator who was rushing towards this place obviously also discovered the existence of Yang Kai and increased their speed dramatically, rushing straight towards him.
After a short while, a streak of light appeared in Yang Kai’s eyes and ten breaths later, a graceful yet somewhat disheveled figure landed in front of him.
“You?” Yang Kai frowned, showing a look of surprise.
It was actually Xue Sun of Fierce Crab Territory, one of the Monster Race masters who had accompanied him here from Monster Emperor Star.
At this moment, her aura was somewhat unsteady, and it was obvious that she had some injuries on her body. Her green dress was dyed red, but it was unclear whether it was her blood or her enemies’. After landing in front of Yang Kai, she gasped for breath while staring at him with a complicated gaze.
She also did not seem to expect that the one standing here would actually be this human boy.
She had only sensed a somewhat familiar aura here and wanted to ask for help.
“You look quite distressed, are you hurt?” Yang Kai looked her up and down.
“Enough with the sarcasm, obviously I’m being pursued,” Xue Sun replied coldly, her attitude quite unfriendly as she declared bluntly, “Help me.”
Yang Kai raised his eyes and looked behind her, seeing two figures rushing over towards them with clear murderous intent leaking from them.
“Why should I? This is none of my business, right?” Yang Kai frowned. If he had known that it was Xue Sun approaching, he would have left long ago.
Xue Sun’s eyes flashed a little helplessly as she bit her red lips lightly and said, “Believe it or not, I have a good relationship with Sister Qing Luo.”
“That still has nothing to do with me,” Yang Kai chuckled lightly. Did she think that by saying she was close with Shan Qing Luo, it would be enough for him to support her unconditionally? Shaking his head, Yang Kai declared, “I think you’ve made some kind of mistake here, I’m just a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. You’d best run away quickly, those two are about to catch up, if you don’t leave now, it’ll be too late.”
“Even if you are only at the Second-Order, you can’t be taken lightly. I know what happened back at the palace, you defeated Xue Lian easily, so you’re not weaker than me!” Xue Sun was obviously unwilling to give up the reinforcements she had luckily found.
Yang Kai still shook his head, “Girl, your current situation isn’t that bad, is it? With your strength, even if you cannot beat those two, there shouldn’t be a problem for you to run away, why try to drag me into this mess?”
Clearly seeing this, Yang Kai did not want to intervene.
Xue Sun’s persistence annoyed him as it felt like she was trying to use him.
“Of course I can escape,” Xue Sun replied proudly, “But have you ever thought about it? I belong to the Monster Race. If I flee so openly through the Blood Prison, once other Human Race masters notice me, how do you think they will react? Won’t they try to hunt me down? Fleeing will only make my situation worse!”
“True enough,” Yang Kai admitted, not having thought of this before.
“Help me kill one of them, I’ll solve the other myself,” Xue Sun stared straight at Yang Kai and quickly said. “If you do, I’ll owe you a favour.”
“Who cares about a favour, what real benefits can you offer me?” Yang Kai asked casually, sweeping his eyes up and down her, and pausing for a moment on her rich, heaving peaks.
A look of disgust flashed across Xue Sun’s beautiful eyes, squirming slightly to hide her figure as she asked lightly, “What benefits do you want?”
“It’s not about what I want, but what you can offer,” Yang Kai raised his brow.
Xue Sun frowned, a trace of hesitation appearing on her pretty face, but as she glanced back and saw her pursuers closing in, she grit her teeth and said, “I found a Domain Stone but didn’t have enough time to collect it. I can lead you to its location.”
“A Domain Stone?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and nodded immediately, “Deal!”
Seeing him only care about profits like this, the disgust in Xue Sun’s eyes became even stronger.
She really could not understand why Shan Qing Luo, who was always so prideful and arrogant, had taken a liking for such a man. After this trip, she had to make an effort to persuade her Sister Qing Luo to avoid this bastard, so he would not ruin her bright future.
Just as Xue Sun was considering her options, the two people who were chasing her suddenly landed a hundred metres away.
The pair consisted of one man and one woman. The man had skin so white that most women would be jealous of him, but the aura pulsing from his body was so strong it could not be ignored.
The female had a bewitching appearance with thick makeup and clothes with high exposure, her white thighs and arms completely exposed to the air, drawing in man’s attention unconsciously. Her eyes were both limpid and filled with seductive appeal.
When she landed, the woman glanced towards Yang Kai and her beautiful eyes lit up as interest flashed across her face. Giggling eagerly, said to the man next to her, “Senior Brother, this boy has a good figure.”
“Junior Sister fancies him?” The man didn’t seem the least bit surprised, instead just inspecting Yang Kai with interest for a moment before nodding, “His physique is quite good, exactly the type you like.”
While saying so, he squeezed the seductive woman’s plump bottom right in front of Yang Kai and Xue Sun as he grinned wickedly, “Junior Sister, are you tempted?”
“Senior Brother…” The woman blushed pink as she whispered back, “Junior Sister just wants to have a little fun with this boy, it’s you who she truly loves.”
“Senior Brother knows.” The man grinned meaningfully.
Yang Kai and Xue Sun were dumbfounded watching this display.
Although Xue Sun was a Monster Race cultivator and inherited some of the Monster Race’s bold temperament, she couldn’t bear watching this kind of scene. The loose aura that seemed to radiate from this pair made her sick.
“Two good-for-nothings!” Yang Kai glanced over at Xue Sun, frowned and asked, “Is this guy chasing after you because of your beauty?”
Xue Sun heard these words and glared at Yang Kai fiercely, grinding her teeth as she spat, “Keep your sarcasm to yourself.”
Yang Kai just chuckled lightly.
Seeing them look confident and indifferent, the man and woman who had been chasing after Xue Sun were a little surprised. The man looked at Yang Kai seriously for a moment but soon couldn’t help laughing, “A Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy actually dares enter the Blood Prison? Interesting, Junior Sister, this boy seems quite bold.”
“I like men who are bold,” The seductive woman stuck out her tongue and licked her red lips, her interest in Yang Kai growing as her expression became more and more enchanting and she shifted her posture to further emphasize her luscious curves.
“Alright, then this boy belongs to you,” The man nodded before pointing to Xue Sun and declaring, “This enchanting woman belongs to me. Senior Brother has lived for so many years but this is the first chance he has had to play with such a high-quality Monster Race. This will definitely be enjoyable! Enchantress, could it be that you rushed here counting on this brat to save your life? I advise you to surrender without a fight. This Li always shows tender affection to beauties, and as long as you cooperate, I won’t make things too difficult for you, even allowing you to experience physical and spiritual bliss. How about it?”
He spoke as if he didn’t consider Xue Sun or Yang Kai any threat at all.
“A dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory,” Xue Sun coldly snorted before shouting, “I’ll leave that woman to you, this bastard is mine.”
“Can we trade? I don’t like killing women…” Yang Kai glanced over at her, but before he could finish speaking, Xue Sun had already rushed out, her Monster Qi exploding fiercely and violently as it crashed towards her opponent.
In an instant, Xue Sun was locked in combat with the man, leaving Yang Kai and the seductive woman alone and staring at each other.
“Little brother, did you just say you want to kill me?” The seductive woman didn’t show any concern for her Senior Brother and instead focused her attention on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai grinned and replied, “How could I be willing to kill a woman like you?”
The woman was surprised for an instant but soon let out pleasant laughter as she directed an amorous gaze towards Yang Kai and said, “Since that’s the case, why don’t we find a quiet place to sit down and talk instead? Little brother looks quite young, so Elder Sister here is also reluctant to embarrass you.”
As she spoke, she exhaled an orchid scent, and a sweet fragrance suddenly filled the air, lingering at the tip of Yang Kai’s nose.
This sweet aroma was like an invisible little hand that stroked the depths of Yang Kai’s heart, causing his blood to boil and his heartbeat to race.
Stepping forward, the woman extended her delicate, jade white hand to stroke Yang Kai’s cheek, her eyes filled with tender affection, her movements enough to make any man lower their vigilance and allow her to do whatever she pleased.
“Sure,” Yang Kai smiled brilliantly, but before the woman’s hand could touch him, a cold light suddenly appeared in his eyes and he ruthlessly grabbed her wrist.
Caught off guard, the woman’s wrist was easily captured by Yang Kai.
The charming woman’s beautiful face changed slightly and she couldn’t help letting out a light moan as she looked at Yang Kai aggrievedly and said, “Little brother, you’re hurting me.”
Saying so, she shook her arm slightly, twisting it like a snake as she tried to free herself from Yang Kai’s control.
Yang Kai grinned fiercely as he tightened his grip on her wrist and forcefully yanked her towards him.
Realizing that she could not resist Yang Kai’s wild strength, the woman’s face finally changed and silently, a pair of long, needle-shaped artifacts appeared in her free hand which she swiftly thrust towards her captor’s waist and abdomen.
Relaxing her jade arms as she settled in close to Yang Kai, the woman’s breathing suddenly became heavy and a watery mist appeared in her beautiful eyes as she gently exhaled onto his face, giggling as she said, “These Seven Emotions and Six Desires Needles are Elder Sister’s exclusive artifacts. Little brother, be obedient now and Elder Sister will satisfy you.”
“Seven Emotions and Six Desires Needles was it?” Yang Kai grinned mockingly, “They’re a bit lacking in my opinion.”
The charming woman’s smile immediately stiffened on her face and as she glanced downwards she was shocked to discover that Yang Kai’s waist and abdomen had a purple light curtain protecting them. Her needle-shaped artifacts were completely blocked by this purple light.
Immediately, she let out a shout and pushed her Saint Qi fiercely, delivering a palm to Yang Kai’s chest.
Yang Kai coldly snorted and sent a fist covered in black Demonic Flames towards her palm.
*Hong…*
When the two Saint Qis collided, the woman’s jade hand was unable to withstand Yang Kai’s violent strength and she was easily deflected, the residual force of his punch landing squarely on her well-rounded peaks with a loud, bone-snapping sound.
A scream rang out as the woman was sent flying like a paper kite with a broken string.
The black Demonic Flames burned the clothes on her chest, revealing an alluring white spring scenery that could infatuate any man who saw it; however, this picturesque scene was soon scorched by the intense Demonic Flames.
Red blood dripped down her chest and flowed onto her thighs, forming a sharp contrast with her fair skin, adding a touch of scarlet to her beauty.
The woman staggered as she desperately pushed her Saint Qi, but upon finally stabilizing herself and standing mid-air, when she lowered her gaze and saw what had become of her chest, her face immediately distorted and she screamed at Yang Kai in hysterical hatred, “I’ll kill you!”
Yang Kai’s expression turned cold and stern. A golden light flashed in front of him as two Golden Blood Threads appeared, transformed into arrows, and shot mercilessly towards the woman.
The woman was shocked. She never expected that this boy with only a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation would be so powerful.
She thought she would be able to easily deal with him, making him bow down and beg to become her slave.
It was only now that she realized how wrong she was.
This Second-Order boy wasn’t inferior to any Third-Order master, possibly even stronger.
As the two golden lights shot towards her, the woman did not dare to neglect them, her tender body flickering as a light blue Artifact Armour immediately appeared, wrapping around her while at the same time she waved her hands and sent out a series of needle-shaped artifacts once more.
With a clinking sound, the two Golden Blood Threads were blocked by her strike.
But before the woman could breathe a sigh of relief, the two Golden Blood Threads suddenly transformed into two red and gold lizard Monster Beasts with giant wings on their backs.
“Thunder Flame Flying Lizards!” The woman’s expression filled with shock as she was unable to understand anything about the strange Secret Technique which was used against her.
The two massive Thunder Flame Flying Lizards rushed towards her from her left and right, their giant maws wide open, seemingly wanting to swallow her whole.
The woman’s expression became flurried and her beautiful eyes filled with terror as she couldn’t stop her tender body from shivering.
Before this woman could use any kind of Secret Technique, the huge claws of the right Thunder Flame Flying Lizard descended upon her and sent her flying with a muffled thud straight towards the jaws of the other Thunder Flame Flying Lizard.
Her light blue Artifact Armour flickered as it resisted the terrifying bite of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard.
Yang Kai flew up at that moment, and right before the desperate gaze of the woman, summoned a short arrow-like artifact into his hand.
Feather Spirit Arrow! After charging this strange artifact, it could be used twice to display an incredible lethal attack that even a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator couldn’t ignore.
With a flick of his wrist, Yang Kai sent out an energy arrow towards the woman.
Feeling death rapidly approaching her, the woman cried out in panic, “Senior Brother, save me!”
Her cries for help ceased abruptly, however, when the Feather Spirit Arrow smashed her defensive Artifact Armour to pieces, and without the protection of this Artifact Armour, the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard was able to snap her in two.
It wasn’t that her body was fragile by any means, but there was no way she could resist the ominous force of the Thunder Flame Flying Lizard’s jaw.
A fresh corpse fell from the sky as the smell of blood rose to the sky.
The two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards distorted and transformed back into Golden Blood Threads again before swiftly returning to Yang Kai’s body.
Standing in place, Yang Kai pondered for a moment before showing a satisfied look.
Last time in Shimmering Moon City, Yang Kai had killed Mi Tian’s two Monster Beasts and used two of his Golden Blood Threads to absorb the Blood Essence of each Thunder Flame Flying Lizard and refine them into Blood Beasts. This was the first chance he had to use them in battle.
Their power was quite good! The most commendable thing was that once they were refined into Blood Beasts, there was no need for Yang Kai to manipulate them directly. Blood Beasts had the ability to independently confront the enemy.
This made Yang Kai extremely satisfied.
Casting his gaze towards the other battlefield, Yang Kai observed for a moment before relaxing.
The arrogant man from before seemed to not be Xue Sun’s opponent at all. Monster Qi soared, completely suppressing the man’s aura, indicating that Xue Sun had the absolute upper hand.
It wasn’t that this man’s strength wasn’t equal to Xue Sun’s, however; if the two were to fight at their full power, they would likely be well-matched opponents.
Even if Xue Sun was somewhat stronger, the difference wasn’t great, at least not to the point where she could easily kill her opponent one on one.
The deciding factor in their battle was the great shock Yang Kai’s lightning-fast victory had brought to the man.
The cry for help from the seductive woman before her death had greatly disturbed his concentration, making him unable to face his opponent with all his strength.
What’s more, Yang Kai was still standing nearby, eying him covetously, causing the man to only grow more and more unnerved.
He couldn’t figure out how his Junior Sister had died after just a few breaths of time!
He was very familiar with his Junior Sister’s strength and knew that she was no weaker than him, so how was this possible? In such a short time, she had actually died at the hands of a Second-Order Origin Realm cultivator!
The man was thoroughly shocked and had no idea what happened between his Junior Sister and the strange young man.
Fear of the unknown disturbed his concentration greatly, so how could he display his full strength? Naturally, Xue Sun didn’t miss this opportunity to vent her anger and used various artifacts and Secret Techniques that belonged to the Monster Race to pummel her opponent.
The man was completely suppressed, and the battle quickly became one-sided.
Obviously unwilling to just sit and wait for death, the man suddenly bit his tongue and spat out a mist of Blood Essence, displayed the powerful Secret Technique to repel Xue Sun for a moment, then flickered as he shot off into the distance.
He had decided to flee, not daring to continue entangling with Xue Sun.
Before leaving though, this man glanced over at Yang Kai and found that this unfathomable youth was just standing there, seemingly not intending to stop him, a fact which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.
Just when he thought he thought he had escaped from death, however, the space around him suddenly became viscous.
His figure stalled in place involuntarily and his eyes narrowed as he screamed in horror, “Shi!”
He was also a master at the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, so he naturally understood the mysteries of Shi, so when he fell into this sticky space, he knew he had been trapped inside a powerful Shi.
This Shi was far stronger than his own, to the point where it frightened him. Moreover, this Shi seemed to have some kind of strange force integrated into it.
Not daring to neglect, he quickly released his own Shi to resist, but this only allowed him to regain a bit of freedom. He couldn’t get rid of this Shi’s suppression in short order.
Suddenly, a person appeared in front of his eyes, and when he looked up, he couldn’t help exclaiming, “How is that possible? How are you here?”
At this moment, he was shocked to discover that Yang Kai, who should have been watching him from afar, was now right in front of him. However, he hadn’t even noticed the other party’s movements.
“Why can’t I be here?” Yang Kai grinned as he gradually increased his Shi’s power.
The man caught in this Shi began to sweat as he struggled violently.
*Chi Chi…*
A tearing noise sounded from all directions, and when the man looked around he suddenly found that the surrounding space seemed to be collapsing, with ting, pitch-black cracks constantly appearing and disappearing around him…
His courage broke entirely upon seeing this! He never knew that someone’s Shi could have such an incredible effect on space.
At this moment, he finally understood that it was no accident that his Junior Sister had died so quickly. This Second-Order Origin Returning Realm youth was an incredibly terrifying enemy.
Without giving him a chance to resist, Yang Kai flicked his wrist and sent out a dozen pitch-black Space Blades one after another. These black blades easily cut through the man’s protective Saint Qi and defensive artifacts before slicing him into dozens of pieces while banishing the bulk of his physique to The Void.
What was left of the man’s corpse fell in the next moment and scattered about in a bloody mess.
Xue Sun’s beautiful eyes shrank as she witnessed this incredible scene, her tender body shivering unconsciously.
Although she knew that Yang Kai’s victory just now was partially due to him launching a sneak attack, his strength was beyond doubt.
No wonder Xue Lian had suffered a loss at his hands and Mi Tian dreaded him greatly, there was a good reason behind it.
Judging from his performance just now, when he dealt with Mi Tian and Xue Lian, he must have been holding back. Otherwise, how could those two still be alive?
Xue Sun had always thought that in the Origin Realm, Xue Lian and Mi Tian were already peak figures. Those two were existences that she looked up to and admired, but today, she learned she had simply been sitting in a well, staring up at the sky, thinking how vast it must be.
Origin Returning Realm masters could actually be this powerful!
The arrogance and disdain in her eyes quickly abated and she began to re-examine Yang Kai.
[Perhaps… Sister Qing Luo’s choice wasn’t wrong.] She thought in her heart.
When Yang Kai turned his eyes to stare at her, Xue Sun quickly averted her gaze, almost not daring to look at him. She didn’t know why she did this, but deep in her heart, a trace of fear of this young man had budded.
Since he could easily kill the two people who had been chasing her down in such a short time, killing her would simply be effortless!
Xue Sun’s figure flickered as she rushed to pick up the two ownerless Space Rings before flying over to Yang Kai and handing them to him.
“Thanks,” Yang Kai chuckled, not refusing, putting away the two Space Rings without even inspecting them before asking, “Alright, where is that Domain Stone you mentioned?”
“I’ll take you there!” Xue Sun immediately volunteered before using her movement skill to fly off in a certain direction.
“How are your injuries?” Yang Kai followed her behind and asked casually.
“They’re just minor wounds, no big deal,” Xue Sun replied lightly.
Yang Kai nodded then stopped talking as he followed her through the Blood Prison.
The place Xue Sun found the Domain Stone wasn’t too far away from their previous position, so it only took her and Yang Kai an hour to reach it.
“I have to tell you one thing,” Halfway, Xue Sun’s beautiful eyes flickered, as if feeling a little guilty.
“What?” Yang Kai looked at her suspiciously.
“Actually, the two people you killed have companions,” Xue Sun turned her head and looked at Yang Kai.
“They do? Where?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“Where the Domain Stone is…” Xue Sun became more anxious, gritted her teeth as she told the truth, “I found the Domain Stone first and wanted to take it, but before I could I met a group of five who all seemed to come from the same Cultivation Star. Two of them chased after me while the other three stayed behind. I don’t know if they successfully obtained the Domain Stone now, but if they have…”
“That’s fine, we’ll just snatch it,” Yang Kai grinned.
Xue Sun frowned slightly and looked at him seriously, “Aren’t you angry? I hid this from you, lied to you.”
“A little bit,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
Xue Sun’s face paled slightly.
“But it doesn’t make any difference to me, so I don’t really care,” Yang Kai smiled slightly. “Lead the way.”
“Okay,” Xue Sun sighed softly, finally feeling relieved.
Soon after, Yang Kai raised his brow as a look of joy appeared on his face and he asked, “Is it right up ahead? I can already feel a powerful Domain fluctuation.”
“En,” Xue Sun nodded, speeding up as she did.
Before long, Yang Kai and Xue Sun came to the edge of a Domain Vortex.
This Domain Vortex was nearly two thousand metres across and was giving off a daunting energy fluctuation. In the centre of this Domain Vortex were several fist-sized stones with an indescribable lustre.
Domain Stones! Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he stared hotly towards these few Domain Stones.
It was the first time he saw a Domain Stone, so he was naturally curious, but because of the surrounding Domain Vortex, he couldn’t release his Divine Sense to investigate them carefully, nor could he tell exactly how many of them there were.
However, it was undeniable that any piece of Domain Stone had immense value. If one could successfully obtain one, they could exchange it for a lot of precious cultivation resources or simply absorb the power inside of it to promote their comprehension of the mysteries of Domain.
Inside the two thousand metre Domain Vortex, there were three people, each of them occupying a different position. These three were all sitting down cross-legged, releasing their Shi, seemingly trying to comprehend the mysteries of this Domain Vortex so they could dive deeper and obtain the Domain Stones.
The great value of Domain Stones was not only because of the power of Domain contained within it but also because of the risk of obtaining it.
Whenever something was rare, it became precious; this logic applied perfectly to Domain Stones.
Domain Stones only ever formed in Domain Vortices. If one wanted to obtain a Domain Stone, they needed to first understand the mysteries of the Domain Vortex surrounding them before they could reach the deepest point and obtain them safely.
Countless Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters had fallen inside Domain Vortices, their lives adding value to each Domain Stone.
To obtain Domain Stones, many risked their lives, some of them ultimately losing them in the process.
Now, it appeared several Domain Stones had formed inside the Domain Vortex in front of him, a fact that naturally made Yang Kai very excited.
He just casually glanced at the three strangers who had penetrated into the vortex before paying no more attention to them.
The Domain Vortex in front of him felt neither strong nor weak; however, it was definitely less powerful than the one that had shredded Xu Ding Yang, otherwise these three strangers would not have been able to remain inside of it safely.
The arrival of Yang Kai and Xue Sun naturally disturbed the three people who were sitting cross-legged inside the Domain Vortex. These three people opened their eyes and turned to look at Yang Kai and Xue Sun, at which point a white-haired old man couldn’t help calling out in surprise, “Slut, why are you still alive?”
Xue Sun coldly snorted, “Old dog, are you disappointed I’m still alive?”
“Where are Brother Li and Junior Sister Chu?” A different one-eyed man frowned and asked coldly.
Xue Sun sneered, “Since I’ve come back alive, what do you think happened to them?”
“Impossible!” The one-eyed man’s expression changed, stunned by the words Xue Sun said and unwilling to believe her.
“How could a mere slut like you kill Brother Li and Sister Chu? There should be a limit to shameless boasting,” The third person sneered, apparently thinking Xue Sun was talking nonsense.
“Believe what you want,” Xue Sun didn’t bother explaining, clenching her teeth as she swept her eyes across them and declared, “Those two died, and all of you are next!”
The white-haired old man was startled for a moment, but immediately burst into laughter, “Slut, you’re certain rampant enough! Good! this old master is busy with this Domain Vortex right now so he cannot deal with you immediately. Feel free to run your mouth however you like, but if you really have the courage, just wait for this old master to get out of here then he will settle our dispute once and for all.”
After the white-haired old man made this declaration, he glanced over at Yang Kai curiously and asked with a light smile, “Little brother, aren’t you human? Why are you colluding with this slut?”
“Colluding with her?” Yang Kai frowned, “Old man, aren’t you being a bit arbitrary?”
The old man shook his head, “Humans are humans, monsters are monsters, humans hunt monsters, monsters hunt humans. The two races are wholly incompatible, but now you’re serving this slut, what else besides colluding could you be doing?”
He subconsciously thought that Xue Sun, who had the stronger cultivation, was taking the lead while Yang Kai followed.
“This old master only wants to ask, is what this slut said about her killing Brother Li and Sister Chu true?” The old man’s expression suddenly turned solemn as he interrogated Yang Kai in a low voice.
“Yes, I saw them die with my own eyes,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
“Were you involved?” The old man narrowed his eyes as a murderous intent flashed across them.
“Indeed.”
“Why?”
“On the road, I saw an injustice and drew my sword to assist!” Yang Kai replied firmly.
Hearing these words, Xue Sun snickered to herself.
“Good, good, good!” The old man nodding as his tone grew icy, “Daring to do and daring to admit! Boy, your courage is not small! This old master has memorized your appearance. Know that this Blood Prison will definitely be your grave.”
Yang Kai smiled brilliantly, “Old Sir, before boasting, you should measure your own ability first, lest you stick out your tongue only to have the wind cut it off.”
The old man grinned viciously, “Whether this old master can back his words, he knows best. This old master does not have time to argue with you now, we will settle this after this old master takes these Domain Stones.”
“Take the Domain Stones?” Yang Kai raised his brow and said in an arrogant tone, “The Domain Stones belong to me, don’t even dream of touching them.”
The old man was startled, and his two companions were stunned, but soon they broke out into laughter.
The one-eyed man said with a sneer, “A little brat who hasn’t even grown hair down there wants to take these Domain Stones? You should go back to cultivate for a hundred more years first. A mere Second-Order Origin Returning Realm brat dares enter the Blood Prison.”
“I won’t waste any more time on you idiots, I have Domain Stones to obtain,” Yang Kai spat disdainfully before stepping towards the Domain Vortex.
“Be careful!” Xue Sun’s beautiful face paled as she quickly warned him.
She had experienced the terrifying power of this Domain Vortex already and knew just how dangerous it was.
The white-haired old man and his companions also gawked in amazement. They never expected Yang Kai would rush into the Domain Vortex so haphazardly. Was he courting death?
The old man could not help sneering as a mocking smile appeared on his face and he waited for the show to begin.
He was certain that Yang Kai would be crushed to death by the Domain Vortex!
However, in the next moment, the smile on his face went stiff.
The Domain Vortex which caused him and his companions so much dread was unable to stop this arrogant boy in the slightest as Yang Kai stepped forward lightly, as if he was out for a stroll.
The old man could not help drawing a sharp breath as his eyes flashed with shock and he focused his full attention on Yang Kai’s movements.
He could clearly see that the Shi which was radiating from Yang Kai’s figure was not inferior in power to his own, possibly even stronger. This invisible Shi was like a perfect armour that protected Yang Kai and allowed him to walk inward without hindrance.
Fortunately, this situation did not last very long. The strange young man only managed to move two hundred metres forward before his pace slowed, then after another hundred, he came to a halt.
Having stopped in place, Yang Kai closed his eyes and felt the strange fluctuations around him while comprehending the mysteries of this Domain.
Seeing this scene, the old man finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If Yang Kai really walked straight to the centre of the Domain Vortex and snatched the Domain Stones without stopping, the old man would probably have coughed up blood.
Luckily, although this little brat was quite unusual, it seemed he was not able to completely ignore this Domain Vortex and had to spend time studying it before he could reach its depths.
[I still have a chance!] The old man’s eyes burst brightly as he got to his feet and then, ignoring the massive load on his body, advanced a short distance.
Seeing this, the other two were unwilling to show weakness and moved slightly deeper.
The closer one moved to the centre of a Domain Vortex, the stronger the pressure they would be subjected to. If one was unable to shoulder such pressure, the result would be them being shredded by the Domain.
Therefore, when cultivators studied the mysteries contained in a Domain Vortex, they would generally do so extremely carefully, not daring to exceed their limits lest they make a deadly miscalculation.
Before Yang Kai arrived, the old man and his two companions were advancing slowly, step by step, planning to steadily approach the Domain Stones before taking them.
But Yang Kai’s arrival and astonishing performance had made them feel a sense of crisis. They realized that if they did not speed up, they wouldn’t be able to obtain any of the Domain Stones they were after.
The chaotic flow around this Domain Vortex made it extremely dangerous for anyone to try to attack anyone else, otherwise, it would be very likely to trigger a strong backlash from the surrounding Domain.
If not for this, the old man and his companions would have struck to kill Yang Kai first. Now, however, whoever reached the centre of the vortex first and took the Domain Stones away would be the winner.
With treasures in front of them, no one would show weakness.
Outside the vortex, Xue Sun’s beautiful eyes glowed with brilliance as she stared at Yang Kai’s back in deep shock.
This strange man had walked three hundred metres straight into the Domain Vortex without stopping! It was like a ten-ton sledgehammer had pounded directly onto Xue Sun’s heart, causing her to become dazed and somewhat short of breath.
Her being sent by Fierce Crab Tribal Lord to participate in the Blood Prison Trial meant she was the strongest Origin Returning Realm master in Fierce Crab Territory.
The attention she received from Fierce Crab Tribal Lord and the respect and admiration of those in the same realm were enough for her to take pride in! She had never felt inferior to other Origin Returning Realm masters.
But today, the arrogance in her heart had taken a serious blow.
Yang Kai’s performance made her realize that even in the Origin Realm, she had not reached the peak. In this realm, there were still people who towered over her.
After gritting her teeth, Xue Sun also pushed her Shi and stepped into the Domain Vortex.
As soon as she entered the vortex, Xue Sun’s tender body trembled slightly. From all directions, a terrifying, invisible power descended upon her, forcing her to push her Monster Qi madly in order to protect herself while she did her best to follow after Yang Kai!
After only advancing fifty metres, however, Xue Sun was unable to move forward again.
Looking up at Yang Kai at that moment, Xue Sun suddenly realized that in this very short time, he had actually moved forward again.
How did he do it? Xue Sun completely could not understand.
It had been less than half a day since she came across Yang Kai inside the Blood Prison, but her pride and self-confidence had been completely shaken. She felt she was simply incomparable with this human…
Xue Lian and Mi Tian were not any better either.
On Monster Emperor Star, all the Tribal Lords evaluated Xue Lian and Mi Tian extremely highly and believed that these two Juniors would likely break through to the Origin King Realm and become new Tribal Lords.
But if Xue Lian and Mi Tian were highly likely to become Origin Kings, Xue Sun was certain Yang Kai would become one.
Just his outstanding performance right now proved that his mastery of Shi had reached a level that surpassed nearly all Origin Realm masters. He may have even touched upon the threshold of Domain.
Xue Sun was awed by another Origin Returning Realm master for the first time in her life, and the back of the figure in front of her now looked like an unattainable mountain she could only gaze up upon.
“Impossible, that’s impossible!” The one-eyed man screamed out loud as he stared in the direction of Yang Kai and watched the latter steadily advance towards the centre of the vortex. Even if Yang Kai paused once in a while, those breaks were extremely short, and he would soon begin moving again.
This powerful Domain Vortex seemed incapable of barring his path at all!
The one-eyed man’s eyes were blank, and his face was dull as he was repeatedly shocked by Yang Kai’s actions.
“Calm down!” The white-haired old man suddenly yelled, “This little brat is indeed a bit weird, but we started earlier than him and he is slightly behind us, so we still have a chance. Focus now, we cannot allow this boy to succeed!”
Hearing what he said, the one-eyed man seemed to recover his calm and took a deep breath before nodding heavily, “I know.”
“Really?” Yang Kai grinned suddenly as he glanced over at the white-haired old man, “Am I still behind you? I think you should check again, Old Dog.”
As these words fell, Yang Kai, who had been standing in place for some time now, suddenly moved forward lightly.
One step, two steps, three steps… Yang Kai showed no signs of stopping at all, like a flowing river that could not be stopped, approaching the centre of the vortex where the Domain Stones laid at a rapid pace.
The old man was stunned, the one-eyed man was stunned, the third man was stunned.
Xue Sun also could not help crying out in shock as her hands covered her red lips, staring blankly in Yang Kai’s direction.
Yang Kai seemed to have suddenly comprehended something and as his Shi enveloped him, it repelled all the Domain’s powers, leaving no obstacles in his way.
In this manner, he easily reached the centre of the vortex.
The three men stared at this scene helplessly.
At this moment, they did not know what to do. If they were nearby, they would definitely go all out to block Yang Kai, but inside this Domain Vortex, they could only stand and watch.
Their faces became dark and bitter.
Suddenly, however, the old man’s eyes lit up as he discovered something extraordinary.
At the centre of the whirlpool, Yang Kai had stopped his foot midair, seemingly unable to tread the final step, his brow furrowed as a thoughtful look filled his face.
This little brat had encountered some kind of problem! The old man was overjoyed and secretly prayed that this boy would be halted where he was, or better yet, strangled to death by the Domain Vortex.
The old man felt that some strange movements were occurring within this Domain Vortex now and that most of its power was now being focused on Yang Kai, putting increasing pressure on him!
Yang Kai’s complexion gradually became dignified and sweat oozed from his forehead as the invisible Domain continued to crash towards his body.
The pressure the old man and his companions were under suddenly eased, and after exchanging a glance, their eyes glowed red and they rushed forward recklessly.
No one had expected such a situation, and no one had ever encountered anything similar. In fact, none had even heard of such an occurrence before.
There were five people inside the same Domain Vortex, but most of the power of Domain was being directed towards a single person. It was as if the Domain Vortex had begun to target that person to prevent him from reaching its core.
The pressure of the old man and his group felt was greatly reduced, so they saw a glimmer of hope and were unwilling to just give up on the Domain Stones.
The three men rapidly moved towards the centre of the Domain Vortex with fierce expressions on their faces, staring at Yang Kai wickedly as they released a thick murderous aura, their intentions clearly unfriendly.
Xue Sun’s beautiful face changed dramatically seeing this, and after yelling to remind Yang Kai, she also tried to rush forward.
“Stay put if you don’t want to die!” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly rang in her ears.
Xue Sun’s raised foot paused mid-air as she stared at Yang Kai’s back with a fluctuating expression, her brow furrowed, not understanding what he was trying to do.
However, she only hesitated for a moment before deciding to believe in Yang Kai and putting her foot down.
Yang Kai’s situation seemed very dangerous as the intense Domain flowing towards him was not something an Origin Returning Realm master could bear. It was a miracle that he was even still standing.
Xue Sun clearly felt that Yang Kai’s Shi could not compete with this rampaging Domain and was being suppressed back into his body.
Xue Sun couldn’t help getting nervous, unable to imagine what Yang Kai’s end would be like once his Shi was completely suppressed.
Most likely, he would die on the spot!
If that really happened, her sister Qing Luo would definitely be sad. Xue Sun had heard that the relationship between these two was very good…
As she worried, Yang Kai’s Shi collided with the swirling Domain, like two clashing armies in the midst of a desperate struggle, but clearly, Yang Kai’s Shi was on the losing side.
The range of Yang Kai’s Shi was shrinking little by little, and soon only covered his body.
The fluctuations in the Domain Vortex were becoming even more chaotic and violent, as if all of its power was being drawn towards Yang Kai. Suddenly, a fierce and merciless wave crashed towards him, completely destroying his Shi and submerging him in Domain.
Xue Sun unconsciously let out a scream and turned her eyes away, somewhat unable to bear seeing Yang Kai explode and die.
However, the sounds of flesh and blood being torn asunder and flying out never came, stunning Xue Sun. Then, a moment later, despite his seemingly desperate situation, Yang Kai let out a joy-filled burst of laughter.
Xue Sun turned her head back rapidly to look at Yang Kai, and to her immense surprise, found him standing there, completely submerged in the swirling Domain, completely unscathed.
“How is that possible?” Xue Sun was stunned.
She clearly didn’t feel Yang Kai releasing any Shi, yet he was standing at the very centre of the Domain Vortex perfectly safe!
There was a kind of mysterious force lingering around Yang Kai, allowing him to merge with the Domain Vortex. Without looking at him with her eyes, Xue Sun would definitely not be able to notice his existence. It was as if he had integrated with the Domain Vortex and become a part of it.
Yang Kai’s foot, which had still been lifted, slammed down at that moment and he truly arrived at the most central position of the Domain Vortex.
With the fall of his foot, the Domain Vortex which had been chaotically flowing towards him was suddenly restored to its normal state, and its terrifying pressure which had vanished re-appeared, causing Xue Sun to let out a moan as she was once again forced to resist it.
The old man and his companions weren’t so lucky though.
When the pressure had lightened earlier, they had rushed forward greatly and were now only a hundred metres away from Yang Kai’s position.
But now that the Domain Vortex’s pressure had returned, how could they possibly bear it?
The sudden reappearance of the Domain horrified the trio and with panicked yells, they desperately pushed their Saint Qi and summoned various artifacts to protect their bodies as they attempted to draw back.
This wasn’t a place where they could remain. If Yang Kai hadn’t pulled most of Domain Vortex’s pressure towards himself, these three would not have been able to reach their current position.
However, it was undoubtedly too late to retreat now.
The trio couldn’t compete with the intense Domain pressure and it wasn’t long before their defensive artifacts exploded into dust. With terror-filled screams, the three men exploded one after another, painting the ground around them with hashed meat and blood…
Xue Sun stared at this scene in a daze. Three Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters dying in such a gruesome manner in less than three breaths caused her to shiver from head to toe.
At that moment, she recalled the warning Yang Kai had quietly passed her just now.
‘Stay put if you don’t want to die!’
She was now certain that if she had not listened to Yang Kai’s warning, she would have shared the same fate as those three men, dying filled with regrets.
Feeling like she had just escaped from death, Xue Sun’s heart pounded and her face turned pale.
[Did he… did he plan this all along? Was he trying to integrate himself into the Domain Vortex so it no longer affected him? Where did he get the confidence to even attempt such a feat? Just how deep is his understanding of Shi?]
[Has he really comprehended the mysteries of Domain?]
Xue Sun had countless questions filling her head, but she found it difficult to ask any of them. She only knew that the height this human had reached on the Martial Dao was something she could only look up towards.
Truthfully, although this Domain Vortex was indeed quite powerful, if the old man and his companions had gradually studied its mysteries and advanced at a slow and steady pace, there was a chance they could have eventually made it to the centre rather than die a miserable death.
Unfortunately for them, they didn’t have such an opportunity. Yang Kai gave them hope, then just as they were about to seize it, he sank them into despair…
Without any effort, he had used the power of the Domain Vortex to kill all three of them!
If Yang Kai had been planning this all along, he was far too devious…
[It must have been a coincidence, right?] Xue Sun’s expression turned extremely complicated.
“What are you doing? Let’s go,” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly called out, startling Xue Sun slightly. When she recovered, she found that Yang Kai had at some point arrived in front of her and had two strange, lustrous stones in his hand: Domain Stones.
Seeing he had gotten her attention, Yang Kai tossed one of the Domain Stones to her.
Xue Sun caught it by reflex before turning a suspicious look towards him and frowning, “Why are you giving me one? I didn’t do anything.”
Yang Kai just smiled lightly and said, “You brought me here. You also discovered these Domain Stones first, so I figured I’d share. What? If you don’t want it, you can give it back.”
Xue Sun stuffed the Domain Stone into her Space Ring in an instant.
A small advantage gained by doing nothing shouldn’t be given up easily!
Yang Kai grinned, “I’ll divide the Domain Stones with you, but I’m keeping those three’s Space Rings. There’s nothing good inside them, but gains are gains.”
“I don’t have any interest in their Space Rings,” Xue Sun replied faintly, pausing for a moment before saying, “Let’s say our goodbyes here, good luck out there.”
“You’re not going out?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“I want to stay here and continue cultivating!”
Yang Kai nodded, not trying to force her and simply saying, “Then I’ll wish you good luck, I’ll be going on ahead.”
Saying so, he walked past her and strode towards the outsider.
“Yang Kai!” Xue Sun suddenly shouted from behind.
“Hm?” Yang Kai turned his head and looked at her.
“Can I ask, how did you integrate yourself into the Domain Vortex?” Xue Sun looked at him curiously.
Yang Kai touched his chin, pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, “I just followed the path my Shi flowed.”
“Follow your Shi?” Xue Sun frowned, carefully savouring the meaning of this sentence for a moment before suddenly her beautiful eyes lit up. Showing a grateful expression, she nodded sincerely, “Thank you!”
“A minor matter,” Yang Kai waved his hand gently, and walked forward without looking back, soon drifting away.
…..
Over the next few days, Yang Kai continued wandering around the Blood Prison. Once he found a Domain Vortex that met his requirements, he would enter it to study its mysteries.
By continuously comprehending the mysteries contained in these Domain Vortices, Yang Kai’s Shi grew at a terrifying speed.
No Domain Vortex could pull him into a deep state of meditation anymore. In fact, Yang Kai could enter and exit most Domain Vortices at will. Even if he occasionally encountered some powerful ones and it took him some time to navigate them, he was still able to integrate himself into them and move about unimpeded without too much difficulty.
He found that the method Xu Ding Yang taught him before was slightly mistaken.
To comprehend the mysteries of Domain, using one’s Shi to fight against it was one way, but integrating one’s Shi into it could garner far deeper insights.
That’s why he gave such advice to Xue Sun.
However, if one wanted to do this, they needed to have extremely good control over their own Shi, otherwise the results would be terrible.
Yang Kai didn’t find many Domain Stones as they were extremely rare, even inside the Blood Prison. Half a month after separating from Xue Sun, Yang Kai had entered dozens of big and small Domain Vortices but had only obtained two more Domain Stones.
As he was travelling, Yang Kai spent some time studying these peculiar products.
These Domain Stones contained the power of Domain inside them, making them similar to the Domain Vortices inside the Blood Prison.
But the power of Domain contained in these Domain Stones was extremely gentle, not violent and difficult to resist like Domain Vortices.
This kind of gentle force could easily and safely be absorbed by any Origin Returning Realm master to improve their understanding of Shi and to comprehend the mysteries of Domain.
This was one of the reasons why Domain Stones were so valuable.
Besides Xue Sun, Yang Kai didn’t encounter any other acquaintances, whether it was the Monster Race masters who came here from Monster Emperor Star together or Qian Tong and the others who he had left on Green Mountains Star, he did not meet a single one.
Yang Kai didn’t know if Qian Tong and the others had even entered the Blood Prison, but the main reason they stayed on Green Mountains Star at the time was for this, so they obviously wouldn’t have missed this event if at all possible.
They should have come in; it was just that he didn’t know where they were.
Occasionally, Yang Kai would take out his communication artifacts and pour his Divine Sense into them to try to contact Qian Tong and the others.
Unfortunately, even after so many days, there was no response from anyone.
One day, as Yang Kai was sitting cross-legged in mediation in a secluded place to recover his stamina, he took out his communication artifact to check it.
He didn’t really expect anything, but when he poured his Divine Sense into it, Yang Kai couldn’t help showing a happy look and quickly began scanning it carefully.
Qian Tong had actually responded!
What’s more, he had even asked for him to come to a certain rendezvous point.
It seemed he had found something incredible!
A hundred kilometres outside the Blood Prison, atop a certain peak inside a certain stone pavilion, Luo Hai had his eyes closed tightly, as if he was silently sensing something.
The other Origin King Realm masters were all paying attention to his movements.
They couldn’t tell anything that was happening inside the Blood Prison, only Luo Hai, the Star Master, could somewhat probe the situation. Naturally, Luo Hai became the focus and centre of attention for everyone here.
After a long time, Luo Hai opened his eyes with a smile on his face.
“Sir Luo Hai, did you find something worthy of attention? Why do you seem so happy?” The old woman from Sword Union asked quickly.
“A fortuitous event has happened!” Luo Hai gently nodded.
“A fortuitous event?” The beautiful woman from Purple Star raised her brow and glanced at Luo Hai thoughtfully, showing a sudden look, “Does Brother Luo Hai mean…”
“Haha, yes. There is only one fortuitous event that happens inside the Blood Prison; it is exactly as you think,” Luo Hai gently nodded, quickly declaring. “The Domain Stone Mountain has appeared!”
“The Domain Stone Mountain has appeared?” Everyone was moved.
“En.”
“This truly is a fortuitous event!” The old woman’s wrinkled face smiled brightly, “Those little fellows who entered the Blood Prison this time are quite lucky it seems, at least more so than most.”
“Senior Sister Lei, why are you acting so envious? When you entered the Blood Prison two thousand years ago, didn’t you also encounter similar good fortune?” The beautiful woman pursed her lips and smiled.
“Hehe, en, two thousand years have passed in a flash,” A look of remembrance appeared on the old woman’s face. “If it hadn’t been for the Domain Stone Mountain back then, this old lady would probably not have been able to spy on the mysteries of Domain and break through to the Origin King Realm. It could be said that the Domain Stone Mountain is the foundation for this old lady’s current achievements!”
“Senior Sister Lei encountered the Domain Stone Mountain back then?” Many people showed a surprised expression, with some of them complaining, “Why didn’t I encounter such good fortune? When I entered the Blood Prison, the Domain Stone Mountain remained hidden behind such a powerful Domain field that it was impossible to even catch a glimpse of it.”
“This is all a matter of luck,” Luo Hai chuckled, “The Domain Stone Mountain is the treasure of the Blood Prison and is extremely strong. Even an Origin King may not necessarily be able to damage it at all. It’s also so massive that no one can take it away. It is the best place for Origin Realm Juniors to spy on the mysteries of Domain. Unfortunately, it is usually surrounded by chaotic Domains all year round that only weaken briefly at random intervals to reveal its true appearance. The Blood Prison only opens once every thousand years, and when it does, the Domain Stone Mountain does not always appear. It is normal for you to not have encountered it. But don’t envy Sister Lei’s luck, aren’t you all Origin Kings now?”
“That said, if I had encountered the Domain Stone Mountain back then, I would not have had to spend an additional three hundred years in cultivation to break through to my current realm.” The one who spoke earlier grumbled, sighing over how his luck was not as good as the old woman’s.
The old woman simply smiled and said, “Why are you sighing? This old lady’s luck was all used up at that moment. After encountering the Domain Stone Mountain and reaching the Origin King realm, this old lady has barely made any progress in her cultivation. I’m afraid that this old lady’s path will end here.”
“Senior Sister Lei need not belittle herself. Who can tell what will happen in one’s future cultivation? Perhaps Senior Sister Lei will receive a flash of enlightenment and breakthrough to the Second-Order Origin King Realm one day?” The beautiful woman comforted.
Although there was a lot of friction between the great forces in the Star Field, as Origin Kings who stood above the mundane, everyone here had some friendship between them, so offering some casual comfort was not difficult.
“I hope so,” The old woman smiled reluctantly before frowning again with a worried expression on her face. “But although the appearance of the Domain Stone Mountain is a fortuitous event, it also increases the difficulty of this trial greatly. Back then, when this old lady was fighting for a good position near the Domain Stone Mountain, she nearly died. This time, I’m afraid many will die in the competition.”
“It may be a blessing or a curse, it all depends on one’s own good fortune. In any case, it is useless for us to worry about it here,” The old man from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce shook his head slowly.
“Fair enough. By the way, Sir Luo Hai, what’s the situation of that little Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy like now? Is he still alive?” The old woman suddenly thought of Yang Kai and asked.
Everyone looked at Luo Hai intently, all of them seemingly very interested in Yang Kai.
Luo Hai smiled slightly and said, “He’s still alive, this King can feel his vitality.”
“Still alive?!” The old woman was overjoyed, “Amazing! This old lady was worried his luck would turn bad and he would be killed by someone. It seems that his luck is better than this old lady expected. En, I look forward to the day when he emerges from the Blood Prison. This old lady wants to see if he has three heads and six arms.”
“He certainly doesn’t have three heads and six arms, he’s just unusually bold. He…” Luo Hai was speaking when suddenly he paused, a frown forming on his face which was soon replaced by a look of surprise.
“Sir Luo Hai, has that boy encountered some kind of terrible trouble?” Purple Star’s beautiful representative asked nervously.
No one wanted to see Yang Kai encounter trouble or fall inside the Blood Prison as they all regarded him as a potential rising star for them to recruit. All of these masters were just waiting for him to leave the Blood Prison so they could offer him extremely generous terms to win him over.
“He hasn’t encountered any trouble, but this King thinks he’s looking for some!” Luo Hai said in a strange tone.
“What do you mean?” The old woman asked nervously.
“He’s actually travelling in the direction of the Domain Stone Mountain!” Luo Hai’s expression turned sour.
“Huh?” Everyone was shocked.
“Why would he go in the direction of Domain Stone Mountain?” The old woman ground her teeth in frustration. “This little brat is simply courting death! Is that a place he’s capable of going? If he were to be caught up in some kind of dispute…”
“En, this little boy really knows how to cause worry,” The beautiful woman from Purple Star sighed with a helpless expression.
Yang Kai was inside the Blood Prison, so they could not interfere, they could only watch as he tread into one dangerous situation after another.
Several of the Origin King Realm masters present wished they could break into the Blood Prison right now, fish out Yang Kai from there, and teach him a severe lesson.
“This is becoming more and more interesting; this little boy is truly bold.” Luo Hai smiled softly.
“Sir Luo Hai, please pay some attention to that little boy to see if he can…” The old woman asked anxiously.
“Of course. Although I can’t investigate too carefully, this King can still perceive whether that boy lives or dies. If there is any change in his status, this King will tell you,” Luo Hai nodded, not rejecting this simple request.
He too was quite interested in Yang Kai.
“Then I shall trouble you with this, Sir Luo Hai.”
….
Inside the Blood Prison, there was a hill at a certain location.
Although it was a hill, it was really quite small.
No more than a hundred metres high and a hundred or so metres across, this entire hill was glowing with a peculiar lustre and a subtle Domain pulsed from it to fill its immediate surrounding.
Domain Stone Mountain! The treasure of the Blood Prison!
This hill was actually one, massive Domain Stone. No one knew how it was formed, but since it came into existence, it had become a permanent feature of the Blood Prison.
Shrouded by a terrifying Domain all year round, no one could approach it to get a glimpse of what Domain Stone Mountain truly looked like.
The Domain around Domain Stone Mountain was recognized as the most powerful Domain in the Blood Prison. No Origin Returning Realm master cultivator dared to challenge it as anyone who did would die without doubt.
Although it was constantly shrouded by a powerful Domain, there were times when this Domain would weaken somewhat and Domain Stone Mountain would be exposed.
There was no rule to this weakening, but in the past, when the Blood Prison opened, the Domain Stone Mountain had revealed itself only a handful of times. During those times, all Origin Returning Realm masters who heard the news were like cats smelling fish, gathering from all directions towards Domain Stone Mountain to look for a suitable location to experience the Domain emanating from Domain Stone Mountain.
This was far safer and more effective than trying to wade into Domain Vortices as the profound aura which pulsed from Domain Stone Mountain could be easily studied by cultivators to spy on the mysteries of Domain.
Some cultivators who had never had an opportunity to break through to the Origin King Realm were able to break through because they encountered the Domain Stone Mountain.
The old woman surnamed Lei from Sword Union was one such case.
For over ten thousand years, although Domain Stone Mountain had only appeared a couple of times, that did not dampen enthusiasm cultivators had towards it.
At this moment, over a hundred Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters had gathered around Domain Stone Mountain. These people came from all corners of the Star Field and were groups as small as three or four, to as big as seven or eight, each of them occupying different positions nearby.
These groups were all noticeably separated from each other.
Among these groups, the few with the largest number occupied the best positions and were currently releasing an imposing aura as they held their artifacts in their hands and stared around with cold eyes.
No one dared to provoke them, not only because of their large number but also because of their background.
The remaining groups, following their strength, also occupied different spots.
With nearly a hundred people, Domain Stone Mountain was almost entirely surrounded, and although there were still some open spaces, a steady stream of cultivators who had heard the news were still arriving.
It was conceivable that the open spaces would all eventually be occupied by cultivators.
The cultivators who came late and did not get a good position would often challenge weaker groups to seize their spots.
On one side of Domain Stone Mountain, in a spot that was neither good nor bad, three Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators gathered.
Among these three, two were familiar with Yang Kai, Qian Tong and the beautiful woman Lin Yu Rao from Star Emperor Mountain, while the last was someone Yang Kai had never met before.
At this moment, all three of them are silently condensing their Saint Qi, holding their most powerful artifacts, and observing their surroundings vigilantly.
These three had arrived here quite early, so the position they occupied wasn’t bad; however, as the number of cultivators who came here continued to increase, some people were already looking at them unkindly, seemingly considering whether they could drive them away.
If the three of them did not show enough deterrence, they would definitely not be able to keep this spot.
However, continuing to remain so vigilant was also not an appropriate solution. Domain Stone Mountain had already appeared and the larger, more powerful groups had begun to comprehend the mysteries of Domain from it while the three of them could only continue to delay, resulting in them not gaining anything.
The three of them understood this clearly, but they didn’t dare relax their vigilance, frustrating them greatly.
“Elder Qian, have Elder Yang or Elder Mo responded?” Among the three, an elderly man wearing a brown robe looked around from time to time and continued to ask Qian Tong in a low voice.
“No,” Qian Tong slowly shook his head and replied anxiously, “I don’t know where they are, but the communication artifacts can’t reach them at all. What about Vice City Lord Ning? Have you been able to reach him yet?”
The elderly man sighed, “I can’t get in touch with him either. I don’t know where Brother Ning has gone.”
The two looked at each other and both saw the anxiety and helplessness in each other’s eyes.
The elderly man was Green Mountains Star’s Green Water City’s City Lord. When Yang Kai left Green Mountains Star and returned to Tong Xuan Realm, Qian Tong and his group of five stayed in the City Lord’s Mansion to prepare for the Blood Prison Trial, which would open a few years later.
The City Lord of Green Water City had an astute character, and after learning about Qian Tong and the others’ arrival, he had strongly invited them to serve as Honoured Guest Elders of Green Water City. Not wanting to cause any misunderstandings and in need of a good place to stay, Qian Tong and the others agreed.
Over the past few years, everyone had got along fairly well and there were no gaps or friction between them now.
As soon as the Blood Prison Trial started, they entered the Blood Prison with this elderly City Lord and Vice City Lord Ning.
All of them were Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters and entered the Blood Prison to comprehend the mysteries of Domain in order to touch upon the threshold of the Origin King Realm, so of course, it was impossible for all seven of them to travel together.
As such, everyone dispersed.
A few days ago, the elderly man heard about the appearance of the Domain Stone Mountain and immediately used his communication artifact to contact his companions, but only Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao had arrived so far while Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi and Mo Yu from Clear Sky Sect were nowhere to be seen, nor was there any contact from Green Water City’s Vice City Lord Ning.
Seeing more and more people arrive here, Qian Tong and the others present naturally grew anxious.
Without an absolute advantage in strength and number, it would be impossible for them to keep the spot they currently occupied.
There was already a group of cultivators not far away who could not obtain a good position and were now eyeing them maliciously; however, because there were only two of them, they didn’t dare act rashly.
However, this pair was constantly sending their Divine Senses into their communication artifacts, seemingly contacting someone.
Once this pair’s reinforcements arrived, Qian Tong and their group’s situation would become precarious.
“Elder Lin, have you had any responses?” The elderly man turned his eyes to Lin Yu Rao next.
Lin Yu Rao slowly shook her head as a look of worry flashed across her beautiful eyes, “No.”
“What should we do?” The elderly man muttered anxiously and uneasily. Such a great opportunity lay in front of him but didn’t have the time or ability to take advantage of it, only able to stand in place vigilantly. This was nothing short of torturous.
“We’ll wait for another half a day, and after half a day. If Elder Yang and the others don’t come, we… we’ll leave!” The elderly man grit his teeth and decided.
Although the appearance of Domain Stone Mountain was a Heaven-sent opportunity, he did not want to lose his life here. The area around Domain Stone Mountain had been relatively calm so far, but it clearly would not be long before chaos ensued as many cultivators fought for better positions!
“To leave…” Qian Tong’s expression became cloudy and uncertain, filled with unwillingness.
Those from Shadowed Star, like him, had an incredible desire to spy on the mysteries of the Origin King Realm.
If it weren’t for Yang Kai bringing them away from Shadowed Star to this place, Qian Tong most likely never would have been able to shake off the World Principles shackles there his entire life, leaving him forever unable to seek higher levels of the Martial Dao.
Yang Kai had given him this chance, and now an incredible opportunity lay before him, so taking the initiative to leave it behind was naturally something Qian Tong was not reconciled to.
“Hm…” While in the throes of frustration, Qian Tong’s expression suddenly changed, and he poured his Divine Sense into his communication artifact once more.
“Did someone respond?” Green Water City’s City Lord asked Qian Tong joyfully when he saw this change in expression.
Lin Yu Rao’s beautiful eyes also glanced towards Qian Tong expectantly.
Qian Tong did not respond, however, as he was focused on the communication artifact. Only after some time did he laugh heartily, “Oh, someone has arrived.”
“Who is it? Elder Yang, Elder Chu, or Elder Mo?”
“None of them,” Qian Tong shook his head slowly.
“None of them? Could it be Brother Ning then?” Green Water City’s City Lord’s expression changed, nodding in approval. “Brother Ning is also good, his strength isn’t weak.”
“It’s not Brother Ning either.”
“Then who is it?” Green Water City’s City Lord was confused. Qian Tong and his party consisted of five people, two of whom were currently here while three were not. If none of them had responded, who had?
Lin Yu Rao also looked puzzled as she stared at Qian Tong curiously, not knowing what he meant.
Qian Tong chuckled, turned to Lin Yu Rao and said, “Yang Kai came!”
Lin Yu Rao’s beautiful eyes lit up as she asked with pleasant surprise, “Sect Master is here? Why is he here? Didn’t he return to his homeland?”
“I’m also confused,” Qian Tong smiled as a look of relief filled his face, “Perhaps he rushed back in time. When he left Green Mountains Star that year, didn’t he say that if there was enough time, he would return?”
“Elder Qian, are you certain? Are you sure the response you got was from Sect Master?”
“How could I be mistaken about such a thing?” Qian Tong shook his head repeatedly, “Although this old master is getting on in years, he hasn’t lost his faculties yet.”
“This is wonderful,” Lin Yu Rao nearly jumped for joy, “If Sect Master is here, things will be much easier.”
The two of them spoke in harmony, their words filled with admiration for Yang Kai. Although Green Water City’s City Lord did not know who this Yang Kai was, it was clear from Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao’s expressions that an amazing helper was on his way.
His nervous mood loosened, and he laughed, turning to Lin Yu Rao and saying, “Elder Lin, can you tell this City Lord a little bit about your Sect Master? This old master has never met him before and would prefer to not appear rude when he does.”
What Lin Yu Rao’s strength was, this elderly man knew very well. She was definitely stronger than himself.
Not only Lin Yu Rao, everyone from her group of five were far stronger than ordinary Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters! Their understanding of Shi was very profound, and their Saint Qi was extremely pure and dense.
At first, the elderly man didn’t quite understand why this was, but after associating with them for so long, he eventually learned that the Cultivation Star Qian Tong and the others came from had a kind of constraint which was related to its World Principles that prevented cultivators from breaking through to the Origin King Realm, forcing them to polish their Origin Returning Realm strength continuously.
It was for this reason that they had pushed their strength to the very peak of the Origin Returning Realm, surpassing the Origin Returning Realm masters of other Cultivation Stars.
Repeated tempering would lead to such results.
A man called Sect Master by a master like Lin Yu Rao should obviously be stronger than Lin Yu Rao, right? It was likely that this Yang Kai was already half a step into the Origin King Realm!
Green Water City’s City Lord took this as a given.
With the arrival of such a powerful helper, Green Water City’s City Lord was naturally overjoyed.
“How should I describe him…” Lin Yu Rao could not help showing a look of embarrassment on her face, seemingly finding it difficult to express herself clearly.
“Haha, I can’t tell you clearly, but after you meet him, Brother Zhao will understand,” Qian Tong smiled from the side, also feeling that any kind of explanation would be useless as Yang Kai couldn’t be described using common sense.
“En, very well!” The elderly man nodded lightly, not forcing the issue. In any case, he would soon be meeting this mysterious master, so there was not much point in asking about him now.
“However, Brother Zhao, this Qian will tell you in advance: Sect Master Yang cannot be judged by his appearance!” Qian Tong seemed to warn casually.
“Cannot be judged by his appearance?” Green Water City’s City Lord frowned slightly, wondering what Qian Tong meant.
“He’s here!” Qian Tong’s expression suddenly changed as he turned to look in a certain direction.
When the Green Water City’s City Lord heard this, he immediately refreshed his spirits and prepared to meet this powerful helper with full courtesy.
A figure flew over from that direction at extreme speed.
When Qian Tong first called out, this figure was still far away, a mere black spot that could barely be seen, but after three breaths, a brave and heroic youth appeared in front of Domain Stone Mountain.
“Yang Kai, over here!” Qian Tong shouted.
Around Domain Stone Mountain, countless cultivators glared at him.
Qian Tong could not help laughing awkwardly, realizing that he had acted a bit too eye-catching in his exuberance and quickly became low-key.
Yang Kai, who rushed to this place, first glanced at the huge Domain Stone Mountain, surprise flashing across his eyes as he did, before he turned and flew down to the spot where Qian Tong and the others were gathered and greeted them enthusiastically, “Elder Qian, Elder Lin!”
“Greetings, Sect Master!” Lin Yu Rao hurriedly saluted.
Yang Kai waved his hand, signaling for her to not be so polite, before asking in curiously, “Why are you two here? Where are the others?”
“We can’t contact them, so we don’t know where they are right now,” Qian Tong smiled helplessly. “Have you returned from your homeland?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Just in time, just in time. I was worried that you wouldn’t make it for this Blood Prison Trial,” Qian Tong laughed.
“It was just a stroke of luck,” Yang Kai replied casually, not explaining anything.
It was indeed a lucky break for him to have made it here. He had gone to Monster Emperor Star to meet Shan Qing Luo but somehow wound up coming to the Blood Prison from there.
After exchanging greetings, Yang Kai turned to the unfamiliar elderly man and asked, “This is…”
“Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is Green Water City’s City Lord Zhao Tian Ze. Brother Zhao, this is the Yang Kai I told you about.”
Zhao Tian Ze stared at Yang Kai blankly, his expression extremely weird.
Since Yang Kai appeared, Zhao Tian Ze had been examining him.
After all, from the previous conversation between Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao that praised Yang Kai’s strength and status, Zhao Tian Ze’s expectations of him had been set quite high.
He had expected a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master!
He thought that the help who was coming would be stronger than Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao.
But as soon as they met, Zhao Tian Ze discovered that something was wrong.
The one who had come was a seemingly young man, which in and of itself was not a problem, but the aura fluctuations coming from this boy actually indicated that he was only a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator!
Zhao Tian Ze almost thought he had made a mistake and kept examining Yang Kai with his Divine Sense, but after three times, he was certain this boy really was just a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator…
Realizing this, Zhao Tian Ze nearly coughed up blood.
The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.
At this moment, Zhao Tian Ze finally understood why Qian Tong had said before that seeing he was someone who cannot be judged by his appearance, he was clearly referring to this!
However, what could a mere Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy do? Even if he could fight others above his realm, he couldn’t change their current situation. His arrival wouldn’t help them at all! At most, he could barely be considered another helper.
Zhao Tian Ze’s mood suddenly deflated.
But at any rate, he was a City Lord, and he had a good relationship with Qian Tong, Lin Yu Rao, and the others, so he wouldn’t allow his disappointment to show through too obviously. With a forced smile on his face, he cupped his fists and said, “This Zhao greets Sect Master Yang, Sect Master Yang… en, is a young and promising man.”
The insincerity of this compliment was apparent to everyone.
Yang Kai replied politely as well, not taking any offence. Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao looked at each other and also didn’t bother to explain.
They clearly knew how powerful Yang Kai was. It could be said that Yang Kai being here was the same as having a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master to assist them! This gave them enough confidence to remain here.
“Hah, it’s just a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm brat!”
“This boy actually managed to survive inside the Blood Prison for so long, his luck must be quite good.”
“However, his luck has just run out, I’ll bet he won’t survive the day.”
“Hmph, an ignorant boy who doesn’t know how to spell ‘death’, actually daring to come to Domain Stone Mountain!”
“This little brat must be an idiot. His arrival not only doesn’t help his companions but actually adds a weakness instead, they’re finished.”
Whispers suddenly sounded all around as countless cultivators focused their attention on Yang Kai, most of them wearing disdainful or mocking expressions while some just felt it strange.
Around Domain Stone Mountain, there were more than a hundred Origin Returning Realm masters, all of them at the Third-Orders.
Yang Kai was the only Second-Order present, making him stand out like a crane amongst chickens, so he became the topic of everyone’s attention and discussion.
Yang Kai remained perfectly calm, not caring about everyone else discussing him at all. Zhao Tian Ze’s expression, however, became more and more uneasy.
Originally, with just him, Qian Tong, and Lin Yu Rao here, even if some people were eyeing them with ill intent, they still had enough strength to maintain the status quo for a while, but the moment Yang Kai showed up, their location immediately became the focus of attention. Divine Senses swept toward them constantly as strong auras began pressuring them, causing Zhao Tian Ze to grow nervous.
The arrival of this young man named Yang Kai seemed to have made their situation more difficult.
Glancing around at their surroundings, Zhao Tian Ze began leaking sweat from his forehead.
“Yang Kai, those two over there have been eyeing us for a while now,” Qian Tong moved to Yang Kai’s side and whispered, gesturing towards a nearby spot as he spoke.
Following his gaze, Yang Kai quickly noticed two Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators who were constantly observing them. Seeing Yang Kai’s gaze, one of these two stared back and grinned maliciously.
The other person, holding a communication artifact in his hand, was still communicating with someone.
“I see,” Yang Kai nodded slightly, a trace of suspicion flashing across his face.
He vaguely felt that the robes worn by these two people were familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before.
However, he had been living on Shadowed Star almost the entire time he had been in the Star Field and had rarely interacted with cultivators from other Cultivation Stars, so he couldn’t recall where he had seen such uniforms before.
[Was it in the Emperor Garden?] Yang Kai thought to himself as the Emperor Garden was the only place where he had frequently dealt with cultivators from other Cultivation Stars.
“By the way, what is this place and what is that huge Domain Stone? How come so many people have gathered here?” Yang Kai withdrew his gaze and asked the questions which had been bothering him since he arrived.
He had hurried over to this place after receiving a message from Qian Tong, but he still knew nothing about Domain Stone Mountain.
“This is Domain Stone Mountain,” Qian Tong replied, “We only know that this thing has always existed inside the Blood Prison, as for the specifics, you’d best ask Brother Zhao instead, he knows much more about it.”
“Then I’ll have to bother City Lord Zhao,” Yang Kai cupped his fists and bowed to Zhao Tian Ze.
“Sect Master Yang is too polite,” Zhao Tian Ze laughed dryly. Although he was still a little uneasy, it wasn’t a problem to explain about Domain Stone Mountain to Yang Kai.
Hearing what he said, Yang Kai suddenly became interested.
“So, the chances of Domain Stone Mountain appearing are very small?”
“Naturally, it has only appeared a handful of times when the Blood Prison Trial has opened in the past. Normally, it is surrounded by a terrifying Domain, making it impossible to approach,” Zhao Tian Ze nodded.
“And no one has ever thought of trying to take it away?” Yang Kai stared at the huge Domain Stone with scorching eyes.
Even Origin Kings would go all out to acquire such a large piece of Domain Stone, right? As long as they placed it in their Sect, it would become a core treasure that could produce many Origin Kings!
The gentle Domain aura it exuded was an incredible cultivation treasure.
“Sect Master Yang surely jests.” Zhao Tian Ze said as the corner of his brow twitched, “Without even mentioning how heavy this Domain Stone is, making it impossible to move, even if someone had the strength to carry it off, none would dare touch it arbitrarily.”
“Why not?” Yang Kai was startled.
“If one triggered a powerful wave of Domain, who could possibly resist?” Zhao Tian Ze spoke solemnly as he stared at Yang Kai with a strange expression.
He wanted to scold Yang Kai for asking such an ignorant question, but was too embarrassed to actually speak such words.
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai gently nodded, finally understanding the peculiarities of this Domain Stone Mountain. Staring at it earnestly for a moment, Yang Kai suddenly grinned, “But this is indeed a Heaven-sent opportunity! Since we’re here and occupy a good place, let’s not waste any time. We need to hurry up and cultivate, there are already many doing so apparently.”
“Uh, relying on just the few of us?” Zhao Tian Ze was astonished.
“Are we waiting for someone else?”
“We’re not expecting anyone else, but with so few of us, if we were all to sit in meditation and were suddenly sneak attacked while we were in the midst of some critical comprehension, the consequences would be disastrous…” Zhao Tian Ze worried, pointing to the group with the largest number of people in the distance, “Sect Master Yang, look over there. There are many of them so they can separate into two different groups, one to stand guard while the other meditates, but with just the four of us…”
“I’ll stand guard then, the three of you meditate,” Yang Kai said freely.
“This…” Zhao Tian Ze was stunned and showed a trace of gratitude. Although he was a little disappointed with Yang Kai’s arrival, Yang Kai offering to stand guard for them while they benefited was still a touching gesture.
Regardless of his strength, this young man had an upstanding character.
“Sect Master, I can stand guard,” Lin Yu Rao took the initiative to ask.
“No need, since I’ve said you can cultivate, just cultivate. Don’t waste time,” Yang Kai waved his hand and urged. “The earlier you begin, the more benefits you will get!”
“Alright,” Qian Tong pondered for a moment before nodding, “Since that’s your decision Yang Kai, we’ll go along with it. Also, we won’t sink completely into a meditative state, if there is any movement, we will be able to react immediately. When I’ve reached a good point to stop my comprehension, I’ll change places with you.”
“En.”
Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao exchanged a glance before sitting down cross-legged.
Zhao Tian Ze hesitated, however, and quickly approached Qian Tong to ask in a low voice, “Elder Qian, can we really do this?”
He did not feel assured leaving his safety in Yang Kai’s hands. He would rather Qian Tong or Lin Yu Rao stand guard as that would at least put him more at ease.
“When Yang Kai acts, you can rest at ease,” Qian Tong stretched out his hand and patted him on the shoulder, speaking seriously.
Zhao Tian Ze smiled bitterly. He really didn’t know why Qian Tong had so much confidence in Yang Kai, but seeing both him and Lin Yu Rao close their eyes to seek enlightenment, he too couldn’t help giving in to the temptation of Domain Stone Mountain, grit his teeth, and sat down cross-legged to meditate.
However, he didn’t dare to fully immerse himself in his comprehension, making sure he could still react to any sudden changes around him.
Seeing that all three of them had entered a state of comprehension, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged as well and observed Domain Stone Mountain with interest.
Earlier, he couldn’t have imagined that there was such a large piece of Domain Stone in the Blood Prison. He had entered several dozen Domain Vortices already but only managed to obtain four Domain Stones, all of which were only the size of a fist, and one of them he had given to Xue Sun.
If such a large piece of Domain Stone could be taken away…
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling excited, his eyes sparkling as he grinned deviously.
Just as he was about to put his plan into action, however, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed and he turned his head to the side.
From a certain direction, a group of four people were flying over towards their position, and after a short while, these four people landed nearby, and paused to stare at Domain Stone Mountain with scorching eyes and looks of joy on their faces.
The appearance of Domain Stone Mountain was a rare opportunity for any cultivator!
“You’ve finally arrived!” Someone greeted these four while also complaining slightly.
Yang Kai looked over and found that this man was the one who had been eyeing him maliciously earlier. He and his other companion had been in contact with someone while paying attention to Qian Tong and the others since before Yang Kai arrived.
It seemed that these four who had just arrived were the ones this man’s companion had contacted before.
“We had some trouble on the road thanks to an enchantress!” The leading man replied in a deep voice.
“An enchantress?” The questioner’s brow rose.
“En, I don’t know where she’s from, but she was incredibly strong. If it weren’t for there being four of us, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have been able to repel her. Fortunately, with all of us working together, we managed to wound her, but unfortunately, she managed to escape after that,” The leading man replied angrily.
“That enchantress was so beautiful, Brother Cai. You didn’t see her, but if you did, I’m afraid you’d have trouble even walking straight,” Someone else from the newcomers commented.
“Aren’t you exaggerating a bit too much?” The man surnamed Cai curled his lips, obviously not believing them.
“It’s no exaggeration. That enchantress was definitely the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life, but the aura she gave off was a bit strange. She seemed to have Monster Qi and Saint Qi mixed together.”
“Forget it, don’t mention that enchantress anymore,” The leading man waved his hand and interrupted the chatter, “Brother Cai Feng, what’s the situation here?”
“Nothing serious,” Cai Feng shrugged, “You should be able to see that there’s only so much space around this Domain Stone Mountain. The innermost section has already been occupied by those who got here first, but in the outer region, there are still a few good spots.”