Hearing what he said, the lead man frowned and said in a displeased tone, “I don’t want to be too far away from Domain Stone Mountain. What kind of benefits can we gain if we’re too far? We need to secure a position in the innermost layer.”
“Then we’ll need to snatch one!” Cai Feng grinned.
“Do you have a target in mind?”
“I do,” Cai Feng nodded as he glanced over at the location of Yang Kai and his group and laughed lowly, “Their spot looks good.”
The lead man glanced over towards where Yang Kai was sitting and showed a satisfied expression, nodding as he said, “That spot is indeed good, it’s settled then.”
“It doesn’t seem like they’ll give it up willingly though,” Cai Feng chuckled as he had been noticing Yang Kai observing them. Sending a cold glare towards Yang Kai, Cai Feng snorted, “That little brat seems to have been paying attention to us.”
“Since we’ve settled on their spot, they have no choice but to give way. It doesn’t matter if they agree or not!” The lead man declared before meeting Yang Kai’s gaze unhesitatingly and striding forward.
The other five people in this group followed closely behind, making no qualms about their intentions as they wantonly released their auras.
A moment later, this group of six stopped a hundred metres away from Yang Kai and the lead man arrogantly spat, “Boy, where are you from?”
Yang Kai grinned and replied lightly, “Shadowed Star.”
“Shadowed Star?” The leading man frowned for a moment before curling his lips and saying, “Never heard of it. This King has taken a fancy to your place, leave now or don’t blame us for being impolite.”
Continuing to sit on the ground, Yang Kai picked some wax from his ear indifferently before blowing it towards this aggressive group and declaring lightly, “Sorry, I didn’t hear what you said, can you say it again?”
The leading man sneered, “Boy, you should learn to appreciate kindness. This King doubts you’re deaf. This King won’t repeat himself; you should scram now if you don’t want to die!”
The five people behind him grinned mockingly as they released a threatening aura.
“What is this? If you have something to say we can discuss it in a civilized manner, why immediately resort to threats?” Zhao Tian Ze stood up with a helpless expression.
Although Yang Kai had said he would stand guard and allow him and the others to comprehend the mysteries of Domain from Domain Stone Mountain, how could Zhao Tian Ze rest assured leaving his life in Yang Kai’s hands? No matter how much Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao trusted this boy, to Zhao Tian Ze, Yang Kai was still just a stranger.
What’s more, this boy was just a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator! So Zhao Tian Ze had not dared to immerse himself in meditation and naturally immediately noticed this commotion, swiftly jumping out to mediate the situation.
“This one is Green Mountains Star Green Water City’s City Lord, Zhao Tian Ze. Greetings several friends, may I have your honoured names?” Zhao Tian Ze said with a hollow laugh as he bowed in a submissive posture.
The lead man on the opposite side looked at Zhao Tian Ze, completely ignoring Yang Kai as he felt that Zhao Tian Ze was the one truly in charge here. As for Yang Kai with his weak cultivation, this man figured he was just following orders. With a relaxed and confident expression, the lead man said, “This King is Scarlet Wave Star Brilliant Flame Sect’s Zhang Qing, these are my fellow brothers from Scarlet Wave Star!”
“Scarlet Wave Star? Brilliant Flame Sect?” Yang Kai raised his brow slightly, finally understanding why this group’s robes seemed familiar to him.
When he had met Xu Ding Yang, who was killed by the first Domain Vortex Yang Kai came across, the former said he had come from Scarlet Wave Star. At that time, Yang Kai had felt a vague sense of familiarity with this Cultivation Star’s name.
Now hearing this Zhang Qing’s introduction, Yang Kai immediately understood.
In the Emperor Garden, he had met several cultivators from Scarlet Wave Star.
Specifically, he had met two groups of people.
One group was from Brilliant Flame Sect while the other was from Ice Heart Valley. These two groups were fighting over possession of an ancient secluded home that Yang Kai happened to pass by on accident.
At that time, through a series of twists and turns, Yang Kai had gotten himself involved in this dispute and ended up assisting the women from Ice Heart Valley to kill the cultivators from Brilliant Flame Sect.
The True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture and the Purple Origin Furnace were both treasures Yang Kai had obtained from that ancient secluded home.
[No wonder this Cai Feng’s uniform is so familiar, turns out I’ve dealt with his Sect before!] Yang Kai grinned, a slightly playful light flashing across his eyes.
“So several friends are from Brilliant Flame Sect!” Zhao Tian Ze’s face changed slightly and he quickly bowed deeper, “Please pardon my disrespect.”
He had obviously heard the name ‘Brilliant Flame Sect’.
Zhang Qing’s expression grew smugger and he nodded lightly, “Since Friend has heard of my Brilliant Flame Sect, this matter can be settled easily. Tell your partners to clean up and give way. This King won’t be unreasonable, as long as you withdraw, this King can guarantee he won’t harm you.”
“This…” Zhao Tian Ze wore a bitter look and hesitated before saying, “Brother Zhang, forgive me, but I can’t decide this matter alone, please let this Zhao discuss it with his companions.”
“There’s nothing to discuss, this place is off-limits. Find yourselves another one,” Lin Yu Rao’s soft voice sounded.
She and Qian Tong were well aware of what was happening and had been staring over with cold eyes for some time, but when Zhao Tian Ze seemed to be caving to outside pressure, they naturally couldn’t remain silent.
She shared Qian Tong’s deep yearning towards the Origin King Realm!
“Don’t you think you’re going too far here?” Qian Tong’s complexion also sank as he glared at Zhang Qing and his group.
“Going too far?” Zhang Qing sneered, “This King is doing no such thing. This King has given you a way out, but it is up to you whether you can grasp it or not.”
“If you dare talk back again, we’ll just kill you all!” Cai Feng shouted, his expression becoming impatient.
“Everyone, calm down, calm down,” Zhao Tian Ze called out anxiously as he motioned to Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao not to speak before turning to Zhang Qing. “Brother Zhang, please wait a moment, I will explain this matter to them and give you a prompt reply!”
“Fine! Since this is your home star, this King will give you some face, but you do not have much time, I want an answer within half a cup of tea’s time!” Zhang Qing reminded him coldly.
Zhao Tian Ze bitterly nodded before quickly approaching Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao and helplessly said, “Friends, do you really refuse to compromise?”
Qian Tong looked at him faintly, “What’s wrong, does Brother Zhao want to withdraw?”
Zhao Tian Ze slowly shook his head, “If it were possible, how could I be willing to just back down? However, they outnumber us greatly and if we don’t agree to their demands, the end result will not be good.”
Qian Tong frowned slightly before asking in a somewhat surprised tone, “Brother Zhao’s courage isn’t this small, right? Regardless of anything else, you are also a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator who has weathered many great storms before, yes? Is it this Brilliant Flame Sect that you dread? What kind of background do they have to make you so fearful?”
Zhao Tian Ze’s face twitched slightly as he showed a bitter smile, “Elder Qian noticed? Yes, to be honest, I do fear their background somewhat. Brilliant Flame Sect is based on Scarlet Wave Star so it is reasonable to say that as a native of Green Mountains Star, there is no need to be wary of them; however, their Supreme Elder seems to have a close relationship with the Star Master of Green Mountains Star! We can’t afford to offend this group of people!”
“The Star Master of Green Mountains Star!” Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao both narrowed their eyes.
After living on Green Mountains Star for three years now, they naturally knew that there was a powerful Star Master here, one at the Second-Order Origin King Realm.
“If I explain until here, do you two understand?” Zhao Tian Ze looked at them worriedly.
“I understand, but whether we give way or not will be up to Sect Master. If Sect Master chooses to withdraw I will withdraw, if Sect Master tells me to remain, I will remain!” Lin Yu Rao raised her eyes to Yang Kai.
“Up to him…” Zhao Tian Ze’s face sank, never having expected that the final decision would still rest in Yang Kai’s hands.
“Yang Kai, you decide whether we should stay or go!” Qian Tong also looked over, “This old master will follow your lead!”
“Why should we withdraw?” Yang Kai curled his lips, “Naturally we’re staying, how could we miss such a good opportunity? As for those people… rest assured, if they want to court death, I’ll grant their request!”
“If you say so, this old master can rest assured,” Qian Tong grinned fiercely while Lin Yu Rao also flashed an excited look.
“You…” Zhao Tian Ze was truly speechless as he stared at Yang Kai in a daze. “Have you not figured out our situation? If you want to court death, why bother pulling Elder Qian and Elder Lin down with you? They put their lives in your hands so you are responsible for their wellbeing. If you boast so shamelessly, in the end you’ll be the one to suffer.”
Obviously, he had become a little angry and no longer spoke politely to Yang Kai.
“If City Lord Zhao does not wish to remain, you can leave by yourself,” Yang Kai looked at him lightly, “I’m not forcing you to remain and share life and death with us!”
Zhao Tian Ze became enraged and pointed at Yang Kai viciously but was unable to say a word.
Zhang Qing and his group naturally saw this scene and couldn’t help laughing.
They suddenly felt that these four were quite interesting. A disaster was looming over them but not only could they not show unity, they instead had a falling out, truly the height of ignorance and stupidity.
“This old master won’t bother arguing with you!” Zhao Tian Ze was thoroughly irritated with Yang Kai and quickly turned to Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao and said, “Friends, leave this place with me, otherwise they will definitely not be polite.”
Qian Tong, however, just sighed, “Brother Zhao, we have worked together for several years so this Qian understands your character. This Qian understands that you are doing what you believe is for the best, but there is no need. You leave first!”
Lin Yu Rao pursed her lips and smiled, “You shouldn’t leave too far though, perhaps you’ll be back soon.”
Zhao Tian Ze was stunned.
He naturally understood the meaning of Lin Yu Rao’s words, but he simply couldn’t believe it.
Shooting a cold glare at Yang Kai, Zhao Tian Ze sighed, “I don’t know why Elder Qian and Elder Lin are so confident in you, but I hope you know what you are doing.”
After leaving these last words, he flew outwards.
He had given it his best effort but Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao were unwilling to listen to his advice, so he had no other choice.
He didn’t have the confidence to remain and help Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao against this enemy, so he could only choose to leave in low spirits.
Zhang Qing and others looked at him coldly. Without him needing to explain, they already knew the result.
Sure enough, they didn’t try to embarrass Zhao Tian Ze and instead just directed their attention towards Yang Kai’s group of three.
“It looks like you won’t regret it unless you see your coffin?” Zhang Qing sneered, his eyes flashing a cold, sharp light, “Don’t blame this King for not giving you a chance, you brought this on yourselves.”
Saying so, an extremely potent Shi suddenly spread from his body and swiftly engulfed Yang Kai’s group!
Beside Domain Stone Mountain, Brilliant Flame Sect’s Zhang Qing wore a fierce look as he released his Shi to envelop Yang Kai’s group of three.
His Shi seemed to be mixed with a special force that made anyone who fell into it feel as if they had been thrown into a volcanic crater. The ambient heat was astonishing and seemed capable of roasting everyone it touched.
Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao’s faces changed slightly and they quickly released their own Shi to resist.
Yang Kai simply raised his brow and showed a look of interest, however.
This Zhang Qing really had enough capital to back up his arrogance. Obviously, his Shi had reached the minor accomplishment stage!
Shi was a special power that as long as one reached the Origin Returning Realm they could condense. After that, as one’s cultivation increased, the power of their Shi would also grow stronger.
However, if one wanted to cultivate their Shi to the minor accomplishment stage, they needed to integrate their own unique energies into it to strengthen it further.
For example, Yang Kai had integrated his Space Force into his Shi!
As for this Zhang Qing, he had accomplished a similar feat by integrating his understanding of the Flame Attribute into his Shi.
Among all Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, only about twenty percent of cultivators could accomplish this, and Zhang Qing was undoubtedly one such cultivator.
Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao had also made similar achievements in Shi, so they had no trouble resisting the oppression of Zhang Qing’s Shi. This was the fundamental reason why Zhao Tian Ze was not as strong as Qian Tong and the others.
In front of Yang Kai’s group of three, there seemed to be an invisible barrier that was blocking Zhang Qing’s Shi from advancing any further.
Zhang Qing couldn’t help showing a look of shock at this sight.
If it was just Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao who could resist his Shi, he would still be able to accept it; after all, these two had reached the Third-Order Origin realm like him, but what was going on with this boy? Obviously, he was just a Second-Order so why was his Shi also at the minor accomplishment stage? In fact, this boy seemed to have an even easier time resisting his Shi than the two behind him.
This boy was treating his Shi as if it were a light breeze, completely unworthy of attention!
Zhang Qing stared at Yang Kai in amazement as shock filled his heart.
“Minor accomplishment stage Shi!” Yang Kai nodded lightly, a playful smile on his face, “Not bad!”
As he said so, he glanced around casually. Since Zhang Qing and his group approached them, there had been countless eyes looking towards this place, seemingly waiting for a battle to begin. Many of them had sharp eyes and unreadable expressions, as if they were plotting something and just waiting for an opportunity to act.
Yang Kai naturally didn’t miss these hidden intentions and knew that if he didn’t put on a strong enough display this time, even if he could force Zhang Qing’s group to retreat, others would come to provoke them afterwards, creating an endless cycle.
After all, their group having so few people was an obvious weakness.
Sneering to himself, Yang Kai lifted his hand, pointed to a cultivator behind Zhang Qing, and asked, “I heard you say just now that you met an enchantress on the way here, right?”
This cultivator was startled, wondering why Yang Kai was suddenly asking about this, but with a cold expression he replied in a deep voice, “So what?”
“Was that enchantress wearing a red dress?”
“Yes!”
“Did you wound her?” Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous light flashing across her eyes.
“You’re wrong! It was I who managed to wound her, but unfortunately, it was just a single palm so I couldn’t take her life!” The cultivator sneered.
“Very well!” Yang Kai nodded, his figure flickering in the next instant and without any prior signs of moving, disappeared completely.
Although this happened suddenly, Zhang Qing and his group still reacted swiftly. Which master that had cultivated to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm had not experienced countless life or death battles? Hurriedly, their eyes widened as they searched for Yang Kai.
However, there was nothing to find! There was absolutely no trace of Yang Kai anywhere around them.
The next instant though, Yang Kai’s figure appeared in the middle of Zhang Qing and his group like a ghost. With a cold expression, he reached out his hand and grabbed towards the head of the cultivator who had spoken just now.
“Watch out!” Someone nearby shouted.
The cultivator was furious and was about to strike back, but Yang Kai had already clasped his hand around this man’s head and released a burst of Saint Qi into his body. This Saint Qi smashed through this unfortunate man’s defences like they were wet paper and sank into his five viscera and six organs before Yang Kai swung his arm violently.
The man was tossed out by Yang Kai with great force.
As this man flew through the air, he let out a terrible howl, as if he was suffering the most cruel and inhuman torture. A moment later, the man hit the ground with a thud and his body suddenly burst apart.
Blood and hashed meat flew everywhere as a rich smell of iron rose to the sky!
“I should have mentioned this first, that enchantress is my woman!” Yang Kai declared fiercely.
Everyone was stunned.
Looking over at the blood and flesh which was raining down from the sky, everyone suddenly felt they had stumbled into a tiger’s den and stared at Yang Kai fearfully, many even forgetting to breathe at this moment.
With one blow, this boy had instantly killed a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator. No Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator should be able to do this.
Only an Origin King should be capable of such a feat!
However, the one who was responsible for this astonishing display was clearly just a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, a boy who should be the weakest cultivator present!
The gap between this boy’s cultivation realm and the intense visual he had just created had formed an extremely sharp psychological contrast, stunning everyone silent.
Those who had been secretly eyeing Yang Kai and his group before now couldn’t help breaking out into cold sweat, secretly rejoicing that they hadn’t been the first to challenge them otherwise they might have been the ones who ended up in such a miserable state.
“Boy, you dare!” Zhang Qing finally reacted, roared, and threw a rage filled punch towards Yang Kai as he pressed his burning Shi towards him.
Zhang Qing’s fist seemed to burn so hotly that the surrounding space distorted as his punch passed through it, his flame-like attack rushing straight towards Yang Kai’s head.
The moment Zhang Qing took action, his companions also summoned their artifacts and pushed their Saint Qi into them, causing them to light up in a dazzling display of light.
At that moment though, an extraordinary Shi suddenly broke through Zhang Qing’s Shi and suppressed all of them in place.
In an instant, Zhang Qing’s entire group found their Shi fiercely suppressed, to the point where they couldn’t even release it outside their bodies.
Not only that, the space around them solidified greatly, making it difficult for them to even walk while at the same time, the circulation of their Saint Qi inside their bodies was noticeably impeded, causing the brilliance of their artifacts to rapidly dim.
Shi suppression!
They knew better than anyone what the reason was. They had been trapped inside Yang Kai’s Shi, unable to free themselves. They had used this method when dealing with enemies with lower cultivation than themselves many times before as it was extremely effective.
However, now they were the ones being suppressed by someone at a lower cultivation.
If they weren’t personally experiencing it, they would likely have never believed it possible, but their current reality was undeniable!
Their faces pulled taught and their muscles bulged as they desperately pushed their Saint Qi, trying to get rid of Yang Kai’s suppression.
Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao did not give them a chance to breathe though.
Qian Tong roared and summoned a coin-like artifact to his hand, one that exuded a dazzling golden light and had a distinct hole in its centre. As soon as it appeared, Qian Tong tossed it into the air where it split into two, then four, then eight…
In an instant, the sky was filled with golden coins with and at their empty centres a sharp, bolt-like attack formed and shot out towards the enemy in a terrifying barrage.
Lin Yu Rao figure flickered as a coloured ribbon appeared in her hand and lashed towards the frozen Brilliant Flame Sect cultivators, wrapping around one of them and rapidly constricting to the point where the sound of broken bones rang out and blood spewed from his mouth.
By the time the coloured ribbon flew back to Lin Yu Rao’s hands, the enemy she had targeted was already lying limply on the ground, barely alive.
Yang Kai laughed wildly and didn’t pay any attention to any enemies except Zhang Qing. The others could be dealt with by Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao. Neither of them was weaker than Zhang Qing, so when they joined forces, dealing with four enemies who were suppressed by Yang Kai’s Shi wouldn’t be any trouble.
Yang Kai on the other hand was splitting his attention to combat Zhang Qing’s Shi with his own while at the same time sending out a silent order.
Accompanied by the high-pitched cry, the Firebird Artifact Spirit soared out from Yang Kai’s body.
“Kill him!” Yang Kai shouted as he charged towards Zhang Qing. At the same time, the Firebird Artifact Spirit flapped its wings and crashed down like a meteor from Nine Heavens, opening its giant mouth and constantly spitting out scorching hot fireballs towards Zhang Qing’s head.
Zhang Qing’s complexion changed drastically. He hadn’t expected the situation to become like this at all. The miserable screams of his companions filling his ears sent shivers up his spine as he struggled to deal with Yang Kai and the Firebird Artifact Spirit’s joint assault.
In less than three breaths, Zhang Qing was pierced through his lower abdomen by Yang Kai’s Heaven Punishing Spear while the Firebird took advantage of this opening to land a fireball on his forehead.
Zhang Qing’s hair singed, leaving him incredibly dishevelled. Gritting his teeth Zhang Qing glared at Yang Kai with pure hatred as he suddenly released a terrifying aura. At the same time, a sharp sound of thunder rang out as flashes of lightning streaked across his figure.
A golden light suddenly appeared at that moment as Yang Kai sent out a Golden Blood Thread from his fingers that captured Zhang Qing after catching him off guard.
Looking at him mockingly, Yang Kai smiled and said in a low voice, “Do you think I don’t know about your Heaven Scorching Thunder Fire? Did you want to use this Secret Technique to drag me down with me?”
“How did you know?” Zhang Qing’s face changed slightly.
“Because I killed a few of your Brilliant Flame Sect’s people in the Emperor Garden,” Yang Kai snickered before swiftly constricting the Golden Blood Thread that was binding Zhang Qing.
*Snap*
The extremely sharp Golden Blood Thread sliced through Zhang Qing Saint Qi’s defence and cut him into countless pieces, leaving a hashed up pile of meat scattered across the ground.
The battle thus ended…
From start to finish, only ten breaths had passed, causing many who were watching to still not catch up with what had happened.
The group of six headed by Brilliant Flame Sect’s Zhang Qing had been wiped out.
On the other hand, Yang Kai and his group of three were unscathed.
The audience was thoroughly shocked!
All the cultivators present stared at Yang Kai as if he was some kind of monster, astonishment filling their gazes.
They had witnessed the entire course of this battle and naturally understood how important Yang Kai’s role in it was.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he alone suppressed Zhang Qing’s entire group of six. If not for his Shi being so overpowering, Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao would not have been able to kill the enemy like they were chopping up melons and vegetables!
Among this group of six, besides Zhang Qing’s Shi, which he could only release slightly, the other five were unable to use their Shi at all as it was completely suppressed inside their bodies, unable to play any role.
Could an Origin Realm master who couldn’t use their Shi even be called an Origin Returning Realm master?
It was as if Zhang Qing and his group weren’t facing a Second-Order Origin Realm cultivator, but a genuine Origin King…
Around Domain Stone Mountain, all eyes focused towards Yang Kai solemnly.
Everyone realized that this young man was an extremely terrifying opponent!
Many groups closer to Yang Kai retreated backwards, subconsciously distancing themselves from Yang Kai like they were trying to avoid a god of plague.
A mass of purple Thunder Fire floated above Zhang Qing’s corpse. This Thunder Fire not only contained scorching heat but also violent lightning. It was a kind of Secret Technique that Brilliant Flame Sect’s most powerful cultivators could cultivate.
Last time, in the Emperor Garden, the beautiful woman named Tan Ting He from Ice Heart Valley had told Yang Kai that Brilliant Flame Sect had a Heavenly Thunder Fire in their possession that served as the foundation of their Sect and contained astonishing power.
If a cultivator of Brilliant Flame Sect was strong enough, they could use the power of this Heavenly Thunder Fire to cultivate the Heaven Scorching Thunder Fire Secret Technique.
Obviously, Zhang Qing was one such qualified individual.
As soon as this mass of Heaven Scorching Thunder Fire belonging to Zhang Qing appeared, the Firebird Artifact Spirit swooped down as if it smelt a delicious delicacy and swallowed it whole before letting out a satisfied cry.
“Come back,” Yang Kai called out, and the Artifact Spirit immediately turned into a flame that flew into Yang Kai’s body and disappeared.
Turning his head and looking around, Yang Kai found that the crowd had yet to recover from their shock; however, many of them swiftly avoided his gaze when it swept past them, as if they were afraid to meet eyes with him.
Seeing this, Yang Kai just chuckled and shouted loudly, “Rest assured, if others don’t provoke me, I won’t provoke them. I just want to occupy a little space here, as for everyone else, you can do whatever you want.”
Hearing what he said, the vigilant cultivators breathed a sigh of relief and their nervous expressions gradually eased.
With the overwhelming strength Yang Kai just displayed, things would definitely not end well if he were to focus on any of their groups. There were six masters in Zhang Qing’s group, but all of them had died without even being able to put up a fight. On the other hand, the strongest team here only had nine people, so no individual group was confident they could survive Yang Kai’s violent attack or resist his powerful Shi!
“Continue your comprehension, I don’t think anyone will bother us from now on,” Yang Kai motioned to Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao lightly.
The two exchanged a stunned glance and were somewhat at a loss, unable to believe what had just happened.
Just now, they had seen Yang Kai take action and joined in without hesitation, but they had never expected that victory would be so easily achieved. The two of them had thought there would be a bitter battle and perhaps one or all of them would end up falling here.
However, the result was them slaughtering the enemy without any difficulty.
When they killed their opponents, they clearly felt their helplessness.
As a result, once the battle was over, the two of them wound up in a kind of daze.
“Yang Kai, you seem to have grown a lot. Did you make a lot of gains in the Blood Prison already?” Qian Tong looked at him suspiciously.
He had participated in the attack on the three giants of Shadowed Star with Yang Kai, but at that time, Yang Kai had not been this strong. Back then, Qian Tong had felt that Yang Kai had unlimited potential, but had still yet to fully mature and thought that his own strength should be comparable to Yang Kai’s.
But now, it seemed Yang Kai had reached a height he could only look up to.
Yang Kai’s breakthrough in cultivation was only a small part of the reason though, while Yang Kai’s accomplishments in Shi were clearly his strongest capital. Qian Tong vaguely felt that Yang Kai’s trip through the Blood Prison had yielded significant gains.
“Something like that,” Yang Kai nodded lightly, without explaining too much.
Qian Tong gently nodded, calming his mind and no longer thinking about this issue, but just as he was about to sit back down, he suddenly said, “Right, Yang Kai, about Brother Zhao, he…”
“You can decide,” Yang Kai smiled lightly before sitting down cross-legged himself.
Qian Tong nodded, thought about it for a moment, then walked over to a nearby spot where Zhao Tian Ze was standing dumbstruck and talked to the latter in a low voice.
A short time later, Zhao Tian Ze returned with a shameful expression, looked for an open spot, then sat down cross-legged, all the while looking at Yang Kai with a complicated expression.
He was indeed ashamed. Before, he had coveted life and feared death, not daring to remain to share difficulties with Qian Tong and the others, but now that the enemy has been extinguished, he had been allowed to come back and reap benefits without contributing any effort, a situation that made Zhao Tian Ze feel rather embarrassed.
If it were anything else, Zhao Tian Ze would most likely have refused as he still wanted to maintain some of his dignity.
But Domain Stone Mountain’s temptation was simply too great. Even if he felt extremely embarrassed doing so, he still grit his teeth and returned. Now that he was sitting down though, he couldn’t help feeling his old face burning up with shame.
“Brother Zhao, don’t think too much about it, in the situation just now, anyone who didn’t know about Yang Kai’s details would probably have made the same choice. There is nothing for you to apologize for. Brother Zhao, I know your temperament well.” Qian Tong comforted.
Zhao Tian Ze smiled bitterly, glanced over at Yang Kai with dim eyes, but upon seeing the latter just sit motionlessly, not showing any intention to speak, he simply sighed and said sincerely, “This Zhao is deeply grateful!”
He was even embarrassed to speak too many words.
Qian Tong patted him on the shoulder, trying to reassure him that everything was alright.
Around Domain Stone Mountain, hundreds of Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators gathered in large and small groups, each one occupying their own position.
Yang Kai and his group, however, occupied the largest spot, and even though there were only four of them, no one dared to approach. The fresh corpses and blood that still stained the ground were the best evidence of the battle which had happened earlier.
All around Yang Kai’s small group, there was a large open space that no one dared trespass upon.
From time to time, a cultivator who heard about Domain Stone Mountain’s appearance would arrive, and when they saw the open space on both sides of Yang Kai’s group, their eyes always lit up and thoughts of occupying these spots would fill their heads. However, once they saw the broken corpses nearby, their expressions all inevitably darkened and they would eventually give up.
Half a day later, Domain Stone Mountain was surrounded by two full layers with the number of cultivators now reaching as high as two hundred. What’s more, there were still other cultivators constantly arriving from afar.
Conflict inevitably occurred as more people came.
Teams with larger numbers always wanted to seize better positions while the groups that arrived here earlier naturally didn’t want to give up their spot, and if the two sides couldn’t work out some kind of agreement, a fight would naturally break out.
From time to time, dying cries would ring out.
The area around Domain Stone Mountain quickly transformed into a burial ground for Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters. Each of the fallen here was a famous character from a major Cultivation Star, making for an extremely intense scene.
However, no matter how intense the fighting became, Yang Kai’s group of four didn’t encounter any kind of provocation again.
Yang Kai’s group occupying such a good position, with no one around them for quite some distance, was a telling sign. Anyone with a little bit of intelligence would understand that this small group was not to be trifled with and naturally wouldn’t go test their luck.
Qian Tong, Lin Yu Rao, and Zhao Tian Ze seemed to have become completely immersed in the wondrous aura being emitted from Domain Stone Mountain.
Yang Kai, however, didn’t enter a meditative state, instead just sitting cross-legged on the ground, supposedly guarding his group against anyone who dared make trouble for them, but the entire time, there was a strange grin that never left his face as he stared towards Domain Stone Mountain.
It was as if he was staring at something that was already in his pocket!
A day later, many cultivators who were cultivating faintly discovered something wrong.
As more time passed, the miraculous aura emanating from Domain Stone Mountain seemed to be diminishing. In the beginning, everyone felt they were just over-thinking things, but after a closer inspection, they found that this decrease in aura was really happening.
Domain Stone Mountain was slowly losing its effect!
This discovery left everyone at a loss as they wondered why Domain Stone Mountain, which had existed for thousands of years, had suddenly undergone such a change.
After two days, more and more cultivators discovered this phenomenon and soon, everyone became aware.
Whispers sounded one after another.
“What happened? It’s only been a few days, how come Domain Stone Mountain’s aura has weakened so greatly?”
“You noticed as well? I thought I was just imagining things.”
“Could it be that there are too many people here so all the power from Domain Stone Mountain is being absorbed?”
“Nonsense! When has the appearance of Domain Stone Mountain not attracted so many people? In the past, even more people had come to cultivate here but there had never been any kind of problem. Why is it happening this time?
“Could it be that Domain Stone Mountain is losing its function?”
“Stop speculating and take advantage of what little effect is left! If Domain Stone Mountain loses its aura entirely, it will become completely useless.”
The strange change in Domain Stone Mountain made every cultivator who came here feel a sense of crisis and everyone went all out to try to comprehend whatever mysteries from it they could in order to gain the most benefits in the little time they had.
By the third day, the cultivators in the outer periphery of Domain Stone Mountain actually couldn’t feel any kind of aura at all. Only those cultivators who occupied a spot in the inner layer could still gain something.
By the fourth day, however, it became difficult for even those in the inner circle to comprehend anything.
The effect of Domain Stone Mountain seemed to have reduced to a bare minimum. This was something which had never happened before. Domain Stone Mountain was the treasure of the Blood Prison and had existed for over ten thousand years, so no one was able to understand what was happening here.
Only Yang Kai continued to grin wider and wider as time passed.
Suddenly, a soft cracking sound came from a certain position.
Although the noise was extremely slight, it attracted the attention of many people.
Focusing on the source of this sound, in an instant, many cultivators’ eyes bulged in surprise.
“A crack!? There’s a crack in Domain Stone Mountain!” Someone exclaimed, as if something extraordinary had been discovered.
“What? There’s a crack in Domain Stone Mountain? Impossible!” Some people refused to believe it.
What was Domain Stone Mountain? In essence, it was a single, massive Domain Stone, one that had remained undamaged for millennia, so how could it possibly crack all of a sudden?
However, just as some were trying to refuse this claim, more cracks appeared on Domain Stone Mountain. These tiny cracks soon spread out like a spider’s web, leaving a dense, criss-crossing pattern across the mountain’s surface.
*Kacha…*
“Not good, Domain Stone Mountain is going to be destroyed!”
“Is it really going to break apart? Hahaha, such good fortune! Father here was worried he wouldn’t be able to gain anything from this place but now it’s actually going to break apart! The Heavens are helping me.”
All kinds of shouts rang out at that instant as all the cultivators got up one after another, either with solemn or excited expressions as they focused all their attention on Domain Stone Mountain, each of them having different ideas in their hearts.
A tense atmosphere suddenly spread as the many cultivators who had been living in peace with one another now began eyeing everyone around them as if they were enemies.
Everyone was thinking about how to gain the most from Domain Stone Mountain’s collapse.
“Yang Kai, we…” Qian Tong gulped hard as he stared at Domain Stone Mountain with fiery eyes.
But Yang Kai just frowned as he released his Divine Sense all around, his face suddenly changing a moment later as he called out in alarm, “Get back!”
“Withdraw?” Qian Tong was taken aback, wondering why Yang Kai was suddenly so anxious.
“Go now! It will be too late if you don’t,” Yang Kai didn’t explain, letting out one last shout before swiftly retreating, grabbing Lin Yu Rao on his way.
Lin Yu Rao was confused but did not resist, allowing Yang Kai to drag her away as he quickly flew hundreds of metres back.
“Brother Qian…” Zhao Tian Ze turned a bewildered look towards Qian Tong, asking for some clarification.
“Listen to Yang Kai,” Qian Tong turned into a stream of light without hesitation and followed Yang Kai.
Qian Tong did not know why Yang Kai would make such a choice, but he chose to trust Yang Kai unconditionally.
Perhaps Yang Kai had a profound reason!
Seeing that the three of them had already retreated, Zhao Tian Ze hesitated for a moment before slapping his thigh in annoyance and following them.
The scene quickly became chaotic.
As the cracks on Domain Stone Mountain continued to increase, countless cultivators rushed forward, trying to snatch the fragmented Domain Stone.
There were also some among the crowd who were quite shrewd, however, and upon hearing Yang Kai’s shout they noticed that something was wrong and withdrew quietly instead of wading in the muddy waters.
Something inexplicable was happening, and there was no way to tell what would happen when Domain Stone Mountain truly broke apart.
However, there were not many such people, only about a tenth of the total population. Everyone else lost to the temptation in front of them and ignored Yang Kai’s loud warning.
*Kacha…*
The cracking noises continued to grow louder as Domain Stone Mountain seemed to teeter on the verge of collapse. Before everyone’s eyes, the cracks on its surface grew longer and bigger at an increasing rate.
Soon after, Domain Stone Mountain collapsed and broke into innumerable Domain Stones over varying sizes.
What everyone felt was strange, however, was that the broken Domain Stones were not the same as those which appeared in Domain Vortices. Each piece of Domain Stone was as thin as a cicada’s wings.
“Impossible, was Domain Stone Mountain actually hollow the entire time?” Someone yelled in disbelief.
These paper-thin Domain Stones served as proof that Domain Stone Mountain was hollow inside. If not, how could its broken fragments be as thin as a cicada’s wing? The scene before everyone was similar to what would happen if a porcelain pot fell to the ground and broke.
This was an unacceptable reality for many people.
However, even these extremely thin Domain Stones were Domain Stones.
After a few breaths of surprise, the crowd rushed forward madly again as they began trying to seize these pieces of Domain Stone.
The scene instantly became chaotic!
The light from artifacts and Martial Skills was so blinding that an area with a radius of nearly a hundred metres became impossible to see into. Screams sounded; blood splashed…
Suddenly though, a ripple visible to the naked eye surged outwards at an astonishing speed from the centre of where Domain Stone Mountain once stood.
All the cultivators covered by this ripple involuntarily stopped their actions, their expression changing from ones of frenzy to ones of terror.
When this ripple swept across their bodies, they all felt a dangerous but familiar aura, Domain!
On top of that, it was an extremely powerful Domain!
The invisible Domain Stone Mountain’s unique Domain seemed to suddenly reappear at that moment.
“Not good, run!” A somewhat smarter cultivator shouted.
No one bothered trying to snatch the scattered Domain Stones anymore as every cultivator desperately pushed their Saint Qi and tried to flee outwards.
However, it was too late!
After the first wave appeared, a second followed, then a third… each wave propagating faster than the one before it.
In an instant, countless ripples visible to the naked eye filled a nearly one-thousand-metre radius around the ruins of Domain Stone Mountain.
Space distorted as the true power of Domain Stone Mountain’s overbearing Domain finally revealed its hideous appearance, like a wild and ravenous beast, opening its jaws wide as it swallowed nearly two hundred Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators into its belly.
Screams sounded in all directions, causing the skin of those who heard them to crawl. No Origin Returning Realm cultivator could withstand the crushing force of this violent Domain and the vigorous vitality of all those caught inside of it were swiftly extinguished, disappearing in a flash.
After being struck by this series of ripples, everyone caught in their range exploded into beautiful yet ghastly red blossoms.
Yang Kai and his group of four, standing a few thousand metres away from Domain Stone Mountain, instantly turned pale upon witnessing this sight.
Zhao Tian Ze shivered unconsciously as his teeth began to chatter.
He could easily imagine what would have happened to him if he had given in to his greed just now. He would certainly have been caught in that explosion of Domain just like everyone else and died a miserable death. Turning to look at Yang Kai, his heart filled with gratitude.
Had it not been for this young man who stood higher and saw further, this trip to the Blood Prison would have been over for him.
The complexions of Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao were not much better.
So many cultivators at the same realm as them, so many powerful masters who had the qualifications to strive for the Origin King Realm, had fallen here without being able to resist.
These people had been crushed as if they were ants…
Their mood was subtle and complicated.
At the same time, in the stone pavilion outside the Blood Prison, Luo Hai, who had been sitting peacefully, got up quickly, his expression suddenly turning ugly.
“Sir Luo Hai, what happened?” Seeing such a look on Luo Hai’s face, the old woman surnamed Lei asked nervously.
“Yes, Brother Luo Hai, what has happened to make you so anxious?” An old man also asked curiously.
Any master who had reached the Origin King Realm possessed exceptional control over their mental state and it was extremely rare for them to show shock, not to mention that Luo Hai was no ordinary Origin King. He was the Star Master of Green Mountains Star and a Second-Order Origin King. Even considering the entire Star Field, apart from a few old hidden dragons who never showed their faces anymore, not many people could claim to be stronger than him.
Luo Hai’s face suddenly turning so distraught made everyone realize that something terrible must have happened.
“Domain Stone Mountain has been destroyed!” Luo Hai quickly said.
“What? Are you certain?”
“Yes, how could Domain Stone Mountain be destroyed?”
“Who did it? Those little Juniors shouldn’t have such ability, right?”
Everyone began clamouring. If it had not been Luo Hai who was saying this, none of them would have believed it.
Even if Luo Hai said so, they still had doubts.
How could Domain Stone Mountain possibly have been destroyed?
“Sir Luo Hai, is this really true?” The old woman looked at Luo Hai solemnly.
“Why would this King make such a bad joke with you?” Luo Hai frowned, “As for how it was destroyed, this King is not clear, but it was definitely destroyed!”
Everyone looked at each other but didn’t question Luo Hai’s judgment.
He was this place’s Star Master, so since he said it happened, he must be completely certain.
No one present was able to just accept such a result, however.
“Haa, what a pity, Domain Stone Mountain is the treasure of the Blood Prison. It has existed for over ten thousand years but now it has been destroyed,” After a long silence, the old man who had spoken before sighed. Although Domain Stone Mountain existed on Green Mountains Star, it could be said to be a treasure to the entire Star Field. Now that it was ruined, everyone felt some regret.
Perhaps its destruction would result in far few Origin Kings rising in the Star Field!
“Sir Luo Hai, with Domain Stone Mountain being destroyed, what about the people who had been cultivating around it just now?” The old woman suddenly thought of a more serious problem.
When the others heard this, they all focused their attention anxiously.
“There were many deaths! The exact number of auras that vanished is impossible for this King to tell, but this King estimates that at least two hundred died.”
“Two hundred!?” The old woman’s face changed drastically, a bitter smile forming on her face after some time, “It seems all the great forces have suffered heavy losses then.”
The Blood Prison Trial always resulted in high casualties because the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators who entered didn’t fear each other and in order to gain a greater chance to reach the Origin King Realm they would even resort to killing others who stood in their way.
Today, however, the sudden change in Domain Stone Mountain had actually killed around two hundred cultivators who had entered the Blood Prison all at once. It was likely this tragedy had resulted in the participants from various great forces being completely wiped out.
Everyone quickly realized the seriousness of the problem.
“Fortunately, Third Young Master didn’t come this time, otherwise…” The old man from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce suddenly broke out into a cold sweat, a look of fear filling his face.
If Xue Yue Third Young Master had also come to participate in the Blood Prison Trial this time and gone to Domain Stone Mountain…
The old man did not even want to imagine it!
Third Young Master Xue Yue was Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s greatest hope for the future.
…..
Inside the Blood Prison, after just a few breaths of time, the chaotic scene calmed down again, but all the cultivators who had not withdrawn ahead of time had been reduced to ash. Only about thirty people survived this catastrophe.
These people had all heard Yang Kai’s warning and retreated immediately, saving their lives.
After recovering from their bout of terror, all of them cupped their fists towards Yang Kai, expressing their gratitude.
Domain Stone Mountain was now gone, so no one would remain here anymore. Everyone began splitting up and flying off in different directions, going deeper into the Blood Prison to continue searching for opportunities.
Soon, only Yang Kai and his group of four were left in this wide-open area.
“Sect Master Yang, this old master is eternally grateful for your life-saving efforts. After leaving the Blood Prison, this Zhao earnestly wishes that Sect Master Yang come to Green Water City so this Zhao can offer his utmost thanks and hospitality!” Zhao Tian Ze said sincerely as he displayed genuine and profound respect for Yang Kai.
Yang Kai smiled faintly and said, “City Lord Zhao is too polite, I didn’t do anything, but I will certainly pass through Green Water City when all of this is over. I hope I won’t be inconveniencing City Lord Zhao then.”
Qian Yue was still searching for information about Su Yan back in Green Water City, so Yang Kai was certainly going to go pick her up.
“Certainly not!” Zhao Tian Ze waved his hand quickly as a smile appeared on his face, “Sect Master Yang visiting is this Zhao’s honour, how could it possibly be any inconvenience?”
Yang Kai gently nodded before turning to Qian Tong and Lin Yu Rao and saying, “Be careful from here on out.”
Hearing these words, Lin Yu Rao flashed a slight look of disappointment, “Sect Master won’t be joining us?”
“No, I still have something I need to do,” Yang Kai shook his head. He had yet to obtain the Origin Essence Crystal Chi Yue requested of him, and with the other half of the Monster Transformation Art in Yu Xiong’s hands, Yang Kai really had no other choice.
The Source strength of the Golden Divine Dragon in his body was something Yang Kai was extremely eager to develop.
“Then you should also be careful out there. I am confident that no one here is your opponent, but you still need to remain wary of the scattered Domains here as they are very powerful. Don’t push yourself too hard,” Qian Tong warned
“I know, I won’t overexert myself,” Yang Kai grinned, “Then let’s separate here. When this is over, we’ll rendezvous in Green Water City.”
Yang Kai cupped his fists briefly after he finished speaking, turned around, and flew off in a streak of light, quickly disappearing from Qian Tong and the other’s sight.
“Let’s go too,” Qian Tong said, “With so many people dying this time, the competition in the Blood Prison will probably be reduced greatly. We can’t miss this chance to look for opportunities.”
“It is just as Brother Qian says!” Zhao Tian Ze’s eyes lit up, his gloomy mood swiftly giving way to excitement and anticipation.
Somewhere, hundreds of kilometres away from Domain Stone Mountain where no one else was around, Yang Kai landed, double-checked his surroundings, then grinned and whispered, “Come out.”
The next moment, a rustling came from the ground in front of him and a small head with two beady eyes popped out. After this creature leapt out of the ground, it rushed over to Yang Kai.
It was the Stone Puppet, Xiao Xiao.
Yang Kai had secretly released his Stone Puppet while fighting against Zhang Qing’s group while everyone was distracted by his shockingly strong Shi.
Everything had gone according to plan.
“How’s the harvest?” Yang Kai asked, looking down at Xiao Xiao.
The Stone Puppet didn’t show any reaction, simply opening its mouth and spitting out a fist-sized Domain Stone from his mouth.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand, grabbed the Domain Stone, and felt it for a moment before bursting into laughter and patting Xiao Xiao’s small head, praising him liberally, “Good job!”
He didn’t know exactly how many Domain Stone’s were resting in Xiao Xiao’s stomach right now, but the quantity was clearly so great it would cause any Origin King to become jealous.
It could be said that the destruction of Domain Stone Mountain was entirely due to Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao had silently snuck below Domain Stone Mountain and then slowly hollowed it out with no one being the wiser. This was the reason the cultivators felt that the effects of Domain Stone Mountain were getting weaker and weaker as time passed, and why Domain Stone Mountain had suddenly collapsed and turned out hollow inside.
Everything was thanks to the Stone Puppet!
Domain Stone Mountain was indeed extremely hard, but the Stone Puppet’s innate talent allowed it to swallow any and all kinds of ores. The Coloured Glass Sect’s treasure, Thousand Illusion Coloured Glass Mountain, had a gaping hole excavated from it, and Domain Stone Mountain wasn’t a problem either.
The first time he saw Domain Stone Mountain, Yang Kai already had such crooked thoughts.
He hadn’t anticipated that allowing the Stone Puppet to do so would destroy Domain Stone Mountain and trigger such a terrifying Domain explosion, however.
This was why, when he noticed something was wrong, he shouted loudly to warn everyone.
Unfortunately, most of the cultivators present were blinded by the treasures in front of them and paid no attention to his reminders. Only a few people retreated with him, but this swift action had saved their lives.
After ordering the Stone Puppet to follow him, Yang Kai took it to a more remote location and let it spit out all the Domain Stones in its stomach.
After checking his haul, Yang Kai was overjoyed.
There were roughly three thousand Domain Stones!
This was an extremely terrifying number, as could be seen from the fact that Yang Kai’s gains since entering the Blood Prison were just three Domain Stones until now. Others may not have even gained that many.
However, at this moment, Yang Kai had managed to obtain three thousand Domain Stones!
This was probably more Domain Stones than had been collected by cultivators since Blood Prison was created!
There was now no need to worry about comprehending Domain in the future. With so many Domain Stones in hand, Yang Kai could unscrupulously absorb the magical energy inside them to gain insight into Domain and spy upon the mysteries of the Origin King Realm.
His future path was looking smoother and brighter!
Yang Kai’s mood was great.
The main purpose of the cultivators who entered the Blood Prison was to use Domain Vortices to polish their Shi, but their secondary objective was to find Domain Stones.
Yang Kai had cleared both goals handily.
Without even mentioning the massive number of Domain Stones he had now, the various Domain Vortices could no longer slow down Yang Kai’s pace either as his understanding of Shi had reached a new height. Even if he had yet to reach the grand accomplishment stage, he wasn’t far off.
Perhaps, one day, when he broke through to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, Yang Kai would be able to instantly achieve the grand accomplishment stage in Shi and possess the capital to break through to the Origin King Realm!
Yang Kai didn’t plan on wasting any more time. He was now going to find the Origin Essence Crystal left behind by the Monster King who died here over ten thousand years ago to complete the task assigned to him by Chi Yue.
On Monster Emperor Star, there were Ten Great Tribal Lords, but no Tribal Lord was qualified to be called a Monster King.
To become a Monster King, one needed to possess a Third-Order Origin King cultivation. Therefore, only a handful of Monster Kings had been born on Monster Emperor Star since ancient times.
There was one over ten thousand years ago, but unfortunately for him, he had gotten involved in the war on Green Mountains Star and wound up falling in the Blood Prison.
The specific location where this Monster King fell had already been given to Yang Kai by Chi Yue. Monster Emperor Star had been secretly sending Monster Race rising stars to the Blood Prison Trial for many years now, so they had already managed to scout out a good deal of information; unfortunately, until now, there had never been an opportunity to retrieve that Origin Essence Crystal.
Yang Kai flew towards his destination without pause.
He wasn’t certain if it was because of the changes in Domain Stone Mountain that killed so many people, but along the way, Yang Kai felt that the number of cultivators in the Blood Prison had indeed decreased a lot. After flying for a few days, he didn’t notice any other auras around him anymore.
There was a bare hill ahead, no more than a thousand metres high, with not even a blade of grass growing upon it, only gravel and mud.
However, this hill exuded a very strange aura, one that made it difficult to approach.
Monster Qi! And a very powerful Monster Qi at that.
Even a cultivator at the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm wouldn’t dare set foot upon this hill easily, because the omnipresent Monster Qi was not something they could bear. If a cultivator stayed for a long time on this hill, the Monster Qi would begin invading their bodies.
The Monster Qi here was naturally a leftover from the fallen Monster King and could not be purged by mere Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators. Eventually, not only would this Monster Qi corrode their meridians and physique, it would trigger a kind of Monster Transformation, creating dissonance in their cultivation.
Therefore, whenever the Blood Prison opened, this strange hill had always been regarded as a Restricted Area that no one dared to enter at will. Most would even go out of their way to avoid it lest they be inadvertently affected by the potent Monster Qi.
“This should be the place!” Yang Kai looked up at the bare hill and muttered to himself softly. The hill in front of him perfectly matched the description given to him by Chi Yue about where that ancient Monster King had fallen.
After scanning the area for a moment, Yang Kai stepped forward towards the hill.
A short time later, Yang Kai came to the foot of the hill and as soon as he stepped onto it, the ambient Monster Qi reacted like a cat smelling fish, rushing towards him from all directions, drilling into his pores and flooding into his meridians.
Yang Kai pushed his Saint Qi to resist the invasion of this Monster Qi.
It was a bit troublesome! Worthy of the Monster Qi left over by a Monster King level master, it couldn’t easily be resisted even after more than ten thousand years.
Fortunately, Yang Kai possessed the power of Golden Divine Dragon Source, so even if the Monster Qi forced its way into his body, it wouldn’t affect him much. If Yang Kai were any other Human Race Origin Returning Realm cultivator, he would likely have to withdraw immediately.
After confirming that there was no serious threat to him here, Yang Kai strode upwards step by step.
Soon, he came to the top of the mountain and looked around. The surroundings were empty, however, which made him frown.
The information Chi Yue gave him only said that the Origin Essence Crystal was somewhere on this barren mountain, but even she didn’t know exactly where it was.
If it wasn’t on top of the mountain though, it should be somewhere nearby. Silently sweeping the area with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai soon detected something and moved towards a certain direction.
After a stick of incense worth of time, Yang Kai arrived at the back of the hill and stood looking into a dark cave.
The cave was pitch black and didn’t seem out of the ordinary, but when Yang Kai’s Divine Sense tried to penetrate into it, it bounced back.
If his guess was correct, the Monster King should have fallen in this cave, because the Monster Qi was densest in this location.
Unafraid, Yang Kai took out a luminous stone from his Space Ring and stepped into the cave.
The deeper he went in, the richer the Monster Qi became, indicating that its source was up ahead!
A short time later, Yang Kai arrived at the deepest part of the cave.
Here, the cave showed signs of being artificially excavated. It was narrow on the outside while wide on the inside, and the innermost cavern was actually several dozen metres across.
Inside this innermost cave, there was a massive object that an amazing Monster Qi was spreading from.
Yang Kai took out a few more luminous stones and with a wave of his hand sent them all into pre-arranged grooves in the surrounding stone walls.
In the blink of an eye, the entire dim cave became bright.
Looking forward again, Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as they shined with shock.
He surprisingly discovered that the massive object lying in front of him was a giant skeleton!
A huge Monster Beast skeleton!
This skeleton was over twenty metres long and had the appearance of a giant ancient crocodile. Even if it was now just bones, it still exuded an amazing level of energy.
This corpse should be the true body of the Monster King level master. It seemed this Monster King had reverted to his Monster Beast form before death, otherwise, his corpse would not have appeared in this manner.
Generally, if a Monster Race cultivator was born in human form, they would also die in human form, but some cultivated Secret Techniques that could stimulate their Monster Beast bloodlines and allow them to resume their Monster Beast forms to gain additional strength.
This giant skeleton appearing must have been a result of the ancient Monster King assuming his Monster Beast form.
This was the most orthodox type of Monster Race master, one that possessed an extremely pure bloodline!
What’s more, this Monster Beast was a Third-Order Origin King! Even after ten thousand years, its bones were still lifelike, each one looking extremely strong. These were definitely excellent Artifact Refining materials.
Yang Kai’s eyes instantly became fiery.
Chi Yue only said that he needed to hand over the Origin Essence Crystal to Yu Xiong, she never mentioned handing over the Monster King’s skeleton. In other words, Yang Kai was free to claim these bones for himself.
High Heaven Sect was currently in its development phase, and there were some highly accomplished Artifact Refiners among its members. These Artifact Refiners had come from Star Emperor Mountain, and although they were incomparable to Yang Yan, they were still second to no one else on Shadowed Star. If these bones were taken back and given to them for Artifact Refining, Yang Kai believed that they could definitely refine a large number of Origin Grade High-Rank artifacts!
Even this, however, was something of a careless waste of Heaven’s treasures as, in principle, the bones of an Origin King Realm Monster Beast were precious materials that could be refined into Origin King Grade artifacts.
As such wild thoughts crossed his mind, Yang Kai cast his gaze towards the chest of the Monster Beast skeleton.
In an instant, his eyes grew hotter.
He clearly saw that there was a dark red round crystal about the size of a melon there.
The Origin Essence Crystal! It could also be called the core of this Monster King!
Two different names, both referring to the same thing.
Only a master at the Third-Order Origin King Realm could condense an Origin Essence Crystal, not even Second-Order Origin Kings had the qualifications.
An Origin Essence Crystal contained its master’s perceptions of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao, as well as their understanding of Domain. Its value was simply inestimable!
The biggest reason Chi Yue wanted to acquire this Origin Essence Crystal was to use it to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm and become a true Monster King.
Looking at the entire Star Field, how many Third-Order Origin Kings were there? Their number could likely be counted on a single hand, and most were hidden dragons who never showed their faces. Hardly anyone knew where these peak level masters resided and meeting one was as difficult as ascending to the Heavens.
Yet now, the remains of such a master were lying in front of Yang Kai, and not only was its skeleton intact, but its Origin Essence Crystal was also present.
Yang Kai’s breathing inevitably became a bit rapid as he stared at the Origin Essence Crystal hotly.
Carefully releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai extended it forward slowly, but before he could touch the Origin Essence Crystal, the dark red circular crystal suddenly flashed brilliantly.
Yang Kai frowned, and quickly retracted his Divine Sense, not daring to spy on it at will.
Chi Yue was right. This Origin Essence Crystal still retained a strand of the Monster King’s Remnant Soul. Any attempt to meddle with it would provoke resistance. If this were not the case, how could this Origin Essence Crystal and skeleton still linger here? It would have been taken away long ago.
The only way to safely obtain the Origin Essence Crystal was to suppress that strand of Remnant Soul.
But the cultivators who entered the Blood Prison had at best reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, so who among them would have the ability to suppress the Remnant Soul of a Monster King?
Only Yang Kai’s Golden Divine Dragon’s Source had such power!
Exhaling lightly, Yang Kai calmed his mind and focused his attention on the Origin Essence Crystal, remaining motionless for a time.
In the darkness, however, an almost imperceptible black shadow cautiously approached Yang Kai. This black shadow clung to the ground, as if it had no substance, not even emitting any aura. Even Yang Kai, with his unusually sharp senses, did not notice it.
The black shadow approached little by little and soon came to a position less than five metres behind him. Slowly, this black shadow condensed into a tiny snake-like object and aimed itself at Yang Kai’s back.
At that moment though, Yang Kai’s body shook slightly and a thunderous dragon roar rang out, filling the cave with an irresistible coercion.
On Yang Kai’s right arm, golden scales suddenly strangely appeared, wrapping his entire right arm. Not only the right arm but even the back of his hand was covered in scales while his five fingers began bursting with golden light, his nails growing longer and releasing a cold glow as they slowly took the form of a claw.
Dragon Transformation!
After cultivating the first half of the Monster Transformation Secret Art, Yang Kai could just barely manipulate the power of the Golden Divine Dragon Source inside his body to transform his right arm into that of a dragon’s.
Swiftly, Yang Kai’s entire right arm transformed beyond recognition, taking on a terrifying aura.
The black shadow that was five metres behind Yang Kai was obviously taken aback by this development and quickly flattened itself to the ground again and retreated.
In a flash, Yang Kai moved, pushing his right arm forward in a thrust that seemed to break through the barrier of space to close in on the Origin Essence Crystal.
Light flashed wildly around the Origin Essence Crystal and a vague restless aura surged from it as if it was about to burst.
Yang Kai snorted coldly and grabbed the Origin Essence Crystal in his hand before squeezing it hard. At the same time, he madly poured his Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy towards the crystal.
A soft noise seemed to echo from the Origin Essence Crystal and the restless aura gradually subsided.
The golden scale armour on Yang Kai’s right arm gradually faded and the terrifying right arm returned to its normal state.
Opening his fist, Yang Kai observed the Origin Essence Crystal in his hand and grinned.
The Remnant Soul wisp which remained in the Origin Essence Crystal had now been wiped away by him. Now, anyone could hold this Origin Essence Crystal in their hand without worrying about it self-destructing.
The entire process was far simpler and easier than Yang Kai had expected.
Chi Yue had warned him repeatedly of the dangers he would encounter so Yang Kai had thought he would encounter at least some hardships, but it actually turned about to be no trouble at all.
“Hm?” Yang Kai looked at this Origin Essence Crystal up close with a strange look on his face.
He vaguely felt that this Origin Essence Crystal seemed a bit familiar, as if he had seen it before.
After thinking about it carefully, Yang Kai suddenly realized that he indeed had encountered an Origin Essence Crystal before.
It was when he first entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field!
Inside the Flowing Flame Sand Field, in the pool filled with Soul Cleansing Divine Water, he managed to obtain a strange crystal-like object. At that time, Yang Kai did not know what it was, only that when he used his Divine Sense to investigate it, the crystal had strangely disappeared and entered his Knowledge Sea.
In the end, the mysterious crystal was completely absorbed by the Six Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, resulting in it successfully evolving into its Seven-Coloured form. Yang Kai also comprehended his Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique at that time.
[So that thing was an Origin Essence Crystal!] Yang Kai finally understood.
No wonder the effect it had on his Soul Warming Lotus was so great it allowed for an evolution. The only pity was he was unable to comprehend anything about Domain from that Origin Essence Crystal. It seems that the master who fell where the Soul Cleansing Divine Water pond was at least a Third-Order Origin King.
Such events happened many years ago though, so Yang Kai didn’t have any plans to investigate it carefully. After understanding all this, he lightly stored the Origin Essence Crystal away.
Although this thing was precious, Yang Kai was more interested in obtaining that Monster Transformation Secret Art!
In the end, he still had to hand it over to Chi Yue.
What’s more, Chi Yue was still Shan Qing Luo’s adoptive mother. If she became stronger, the shelter she could give Shan Qing Luo would be stronger.
Yang Kai understood this well so he never thought about keeping the Origin Essence Crystal for himself. He also believed that, with his own ability, he would one day break through to the Third-Order Origin King realm and reach the peak of the Martial Dao even without relying on this Origin Essence Crystal.
Turning around, Yang Kai stored the Monster King skeleton next. Of course, the Monster King’s Space Ring was not left by Yang Kai either. Although he did not know what was inside of it, the wealth of a Third-Order Origin King would obviously not be small.
This was his biggest gain from this trip.
After checking the cave carefully one last time to confirm he had left nothing behind, Yang Kai left.
The cave wasn’t too deep, so it didn’t take long for Yang Kai to emerge once more.
“You finally came out!”
Just as he stepped out of the cave, however, a somewhat familiar voice sounded from a nearby spot under the ground nearby and a blood-red figure suddenly shot up into the sky, landed in front of Yang Kai, and unleashed a violent storm of attacks.
Yang Kai’s face became cold and Golden Blood Threads shot out from his fingers, dancing through the air as they formed an airtight barrier in front of him.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
There was a violent burst of energy, and all the attacks performed by the blood-red figure were stopped by the Golden Blood Thread barrier.
“Xue Lian!” Yang Kai finally saw who it was that launched this sneak attack and could not help letting out a shout filled with murderous intent.
“That’s right, it’s your grandpa Xue Lian!” Xue Lian roared furiously. He had already used his Flood Dragon Transformation and his entire body was covered in strong looking blood-red scales. Not even pausing for an instant, he desperately bombarded Yang Kai with attacks.
“Seems you’ve come to court death!” Yang Kai sneered, his thoughts flashing as he sent two Golden Blood Threads out that suddenly transformed into Thunder Flame Flying Lizards then proceeded to bare their fangs and pounce towards Xue Lian.
“How could mere lizards compete with my Blood Flood Dragon’s power?” Xue Lian seemed to have completely forgotten the harsh lessons he had received at Chi Yue’s palace and attacked Yang Kai without any fear. His fists, covered in thick scales, threw out two punches, condensing two blood-coloured dragons from his Monster Qi. Shaking their heads and wagging their tails, these two blood-coloured dragons met the two Thunder Flame Flying Lizards head-on and entangled them without losing any momentum.
At the same time, Xue Lian raised his hand and summoned a giant axe to it, which he slashed towards Yang Kai viciously.
An astonishing axe light that seemed capable of smashing anything in its path flew towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he dodged this blow.
At that moment though, another figure flew out from the ground and pushed both his palms forward, condensing a strange, giant flower that resembled an enormous beast’s mouth that bit towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s face became gloomy as he pushed his Space Force and mysteriously disappeared from his position only to reappear a few dozen metres away.
The strange flower failed to play any role and immediately flew back to the hands of the second attacker, its petals opening and closing just like it was breathing, releasing a sweet fragrance into the air.
“Mi Tian!” Yang Kai grinned as he revealed a playful look, “Great! You’re both here! It seems you knew I would come here; were you lying in ambush?”
“Indeed,” Mi Tian smiled lightly, his expression calm and temperate. “You possess a Divine Dragon Source, and the Origin Essence Crystal’s existence here is not a secret amongst my Monster Race. After you suddenly joined the group our Monster Emperor Star sent to the Blood Prison, how could we not know what you were planning? Was it Senior Chi Yue who asked you to come?”
“Not bad, it seems like your intellect isn’t lacking!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“And the Origin Essence Crystal?” Mi Tian’s breathing became a little quick.
“Since I came out, what do you think happened to that Origin Essence Crystal?” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“You really succeeded!” Mi Tian took a breath, the greed on his face obvious to any who looked.
“You want it?” Yang Kai looked at him sarcastically, “With only you two, I’m afraid you don’t have such ability. You’d best be careful not to overestimate yourselves!”
Seeing the naked contempt Yang Kai had for them, neither Xue Lian nor Mi Tian felt comfortable.
Although they did not want to admit it, both of them knew that when it came to a one on one fight, neither of them was Yang Kai’s opponent. Back at Chi Yue’s palace, Yang Kai had already proven his strength.
“Whether we have enough ability, we’ll see after we fight,” Mi Tian coldly snorted.
Yang Kai was about to laugh when he suddenly frowned and fully released his Shi, creating a hundred-metre zone around himself where space began to warp and innumerable tiny Void Cracks swam about like snakes.
In the collapsed and chaotic space, a cold light suddenly appeared. It seemed that this light had originally tried to attack Yang Kai’s back; however, the twisted space affected its accuracy, causing it to miss and become swallowed by The Void.
With a soft thud, a third figure appeared like a ghost, frowning as it leapt back. Wearing a solemn expression, this newcomer shook his head and sighed, “He is truly difficult to deal with!”
Yang Kai stood tall, like a mountain, glanced back coldly, and said with some surprise, “Lie Feng! You’re also here!”
He had not expected that the third person who attacked him would be Lie Feng from Wild Lion Territory.
Three rising stars of the Monster Race from three territories had gathered!
Mi Tian and Xue Lian’s ambush Yang Kai could understand; after all, there was some friction between him and these two so how could they possibly give up such an opportunity? But Lie Feng being involved in this matter was really a surprise. When Yang Kai first entered the Blood Prison, Lie Feng had invited him to act together, but now, only a few days later, he turned into an enemy who launched a sneak attack on him.
On Monster Mountain, the Monster Qi was quite thick, so it was not difficult for these three Monster Race rising stars to hide themselves perfectly. If Yang Kai’s senses had not been unusually sharp, Lie Feng’s sneak attack may really have succeeded.
“Lie Feng, I have no grievances with you, right?” Yang Kai looked at him coldly and asked calmly.
Lie Feng gave a dry laugh and quickly said, “Naturally not.”
“Then why are you doing this?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes.
“Brother Yang, please forgive me,” Lie Feng said slightly apologetically, cupping his fists and saying calmly. “To be honest, I don’t want to be enemies with Brother Yang if possible, but since this matter involves that Origin Essence Crystal, I cannot stay out of it.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Understood.”
“Now that Brother Yang understands, this Lie can relax. Every Tribal Lord is aware of the Origin Essence Crystal here and wants to obtain it; however, there was no way to do so. Now that Brother Yang has achieved this, I cannot simply let you leave with it. If Brother Yang can hand over the Origin Essence Crystal, I think Xue Lian and Mi Tian should let you go safely though.”
“Do you think I’ll hand it over?” Yang Kai sneered softly.
Lie Feng thought about it for a while, then said seriously, “No. If I was in your place, I wouldn’t hand it over either.”
“Why are you bothering with all this nonsense? Let’s just kill him quickly! No matter how strong he is, he is all alone, so why should we fear him when there are three of us joining forces?” Xue Lian was the most hot-tempered here, and seeing Yang Kai and Lie Feng chat idly, he felt extremely worked up. After shouting out loud, Xue Lian put strength into his legs and rushed towards Yang Kai.
Releasing all his strength, Xue Lian condensed a huge Blood Flood Dragon phantom behind his back.
Xue Lian clearly knew Yang Kai’s strength so he went all out right from the start!
Mi Tian did not bother with any nonsense. The moment Xue Lian acted, he also roared and sent the strange flower atop his head into a whirl, its petals flying out, disappearing into thin air as they shot forward.
Lie Feng’s figure also faded away again and disappeared without a trace, his figure completely hidden from view.
The three Monster Race rising stars launched an all-out assault all at once.
“Good! Since all of you are courting death, I’ll satisfy you!” Yang Kai, in a one versus three, not only remained fearless but rather his expression became fierce. Five-coloured rays of light suddenly covered his whole body and scrapings sounds seemed to ring out from his body as tiny, nearly invisible Five Elements Sword Qi emerged from every pore on his skin. This extremely sharp Sword Qi provided an extremely strong barrier, but also greatly enhanced his offensive strength.
Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi was originally for both offence and defence!
With his muscles pulling taut, filled with explosive power, Yang Kai threw out three punches to meet Xue Lian’s wild attack.
A violent explosion broke out between the two parties, causing space itself to tremble.
Yang Kai remained unmoved while Xue Lian’s sturdy body recoiled sharply three times before his arms fell weakly to his sides.
In a head-on collision, he was obviously not Yang Kai’s opponent!
Without giving Xue Lian a chance to react, Yang Kai clenched his fist and gathered a dozen Golden Blood Threads together, condensed them into a golden spear, then thrust it towards Xue Lian at phenomenal speed.
Xue Lian’s complexion changed drastically as his eyes filled with shock.
The instant they clashed, he realized that Yang Kai was now much stronger than when they had fought back at Chi Yue’s palace!
At that time, Yang Kai was only a bit stronger than him, but now, Xue Lian was feeling completely suppressed, unable to think of any way to resist. Yang Kai’s imposing offensive smashed his confidence as if it were rotten wood.
This situation could only be explained two ways. One was that Yang Kai had not used his full strength previously, and the other was that Yang Kai had experienced significant growth in the Blood Prison!
Xue Lian’s courage completely shattered!
Perceiving the terrifying power contained in the golden spear, Xue Lian didn’t dare neglect it and hurriedly summoned a defensive artifact in front of him while at the same time crossing his arms across his chest, gritting his teeth, and roaring fiercely, preparing to meet this attack.
*Guangdang…*
A sound like metal pounding metal echoed throughout Monster Mountain.
The protective artifact that Xue Lian hurriedly summoned failed to play any role and was directly pierced by the golden spear, allowing it to stab towards him without any reduction in momentum.
On Xue Lian’s arms, the blood-coloured scales were easily punctured, leaving behind a bone deep wound that sprayed out blood as his body was sent flying into the dark cave.
A clattering rang out from the depths of the cave that did not stop for some time. No one knew where Xue Lian finally landed or how badly he was wounded.
Yang Kai turned around without stopping and waved his hand, creating a massive crescent-shaped Void Crack behind him that immediately began swallowing everything around it.
Lie Feng’s panicked cry rang out as his embarrassed figure re-appeared and hurriedly retreated. Staring at the crescent-shaped Void Crack with a solemn expression, he did not dare approach and could only avoid it.
He had been forced out by Yang Kai without even being able to launch an attack.
Strange flower petals suddenly appeared around Yang Kai, spinning like sharp blades as they scythed toward him from all directions. While these petals spun, however, they also scattered an intoxicating fragrance that seemed to affect one’s consciousness.
This attack by Mi Tian was timed perfectly to catch Yang Kai off balance after he forced Lie Feng back.
In an instant, the countless petals engulfed Yang Kai and re-formed the strange flower from before.
Yang Kai’s figure disappeared at that moment! It was as if he had been swallowed by this strange flower.
Mi Tian did not celebrate, though, and instead frowned tightly as he looked around nervously.
He could perceive that his attack had no effect and that Yang Kai somehow escaped at the critical moment.
“You want to kill me? The three of you are not enough!” A sarcastic voice came from nearby, causing Mi Tian’s eyes to shrink as he quickly looked up to see Yang Kai mid-air completely unscathed.
His face suddenly became gloomy.
Lie Feng quietly appeared beside Mi Tian and also stared coldly, without saying a word.
Three Monster Race rising stars teaming up may not have been enough to face a genuine Origin King, but at the very least they should have been invincible in the Origin Returning Realm.
None of them were ordinary Origin Returning Realm cultivators, all of them being the top elite from Monster Emperor Star!
But the result of this brief battle caused their blood to turn cold!
Without any significant effort, Yang Kai had managed to resolve all their attacks and even send Xue Lian flying. Even now, there was no sign of Xue Lian moving, or even if he was still alive. Meanwhile, the remaining two rising stars had been completely suppressed.
“Is this bastard really human?” Lie Feng brow twitched, deeply regretting wading into these muddy waters.
He knew that Yang Kai was very powerful, otherwise he would not have been able to teach Xue Lian a lesson at Chi Yue’s palace, so when he first entered the Blood Prison, he had invited Yang Kai to act together.
But after he learned about the Origin Essence Crystal from Mi Tian and Xue Lian, he could not just sit idly by.
The Origin Essence Crystal was simply too valuable, enough so that he had to take some risks if it meant he could obtain it.
He had thought that by working with Xue Lian and Mi Tian, Yang Kai would be outnumbered and overwhelmed, but judging from their brief confrontation now, Lei Feng realized it was their side that was in danger!
This human was simply too Heaven-defying! With only a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, he must be a unique existence across all of history for being able to achieve this degree of strength.
“Lie Feng, stay focused. There’s no medicine in this world for regret, now it is either he dies or we die!” Mi Tian glanced at him with a gloomy expression, his determination to kill Yang Kai not wavering.
Lie Feng slowly shook his head, “There is no turning back an arrow already released from a bow, I naturally understand this. Alright, once Brother Xue Lian returns, we’ll attack all at once, only then will we have a chance!”
Mi Tian did not refute. When facing Yang Kai, he had no choice but to throw away his pride.
The two stood side by side, their eyes wandering between Yang Kai and the cave nearby anxiously.
Xue Lian remained silent, however, as if he had really been killed by Yang Kai with a single move.
But that should have been impossible. No matter how powerful Yang Kai was, Xue Lian had displayed his Flood Dragon Transformation and had extremely solid defence, so how could he have died so easily?
Mi Tian and Lie Feng did not understand what Xue Lian was doing and were silently cursing him for screwing up at such a crucial moment.
Suddenly though, a terrible roar rang out from inside the cave, one that was both thunderous and deafening.
“It’s Xue Lian!” Mi Tian frowned, his expression becoming uncertain. He did not know why Xue Lian was crying out so madly. Even if he were enraged and unwilling, his normal response would have been to rush out and challenge Yang Kai again, so what was he doing?
“Something’s not right!” Lie Feng suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of crisis grip his heart, an instinctual warning telling him to retreat immediately if he wanted to preserve his life.
This feeling made him extremely uncomfortable!
Like Mi Tian and Lie Feng, Yang Kai also looked towards the cave with dignified eyes, faintly aware that something was wrong.
However, he was more curious than concerned. He did not know what Xue Lian was doing, or whether he was about to use some earth-shattering Secret Technique, but he wasn’t afraid either.
After a while, Xue Lian’s roars suddenly subsided, as if someone had pinched his throat and forcibly silenced him.
But while his roars had ceased, the rich Monster Qi surrounding Monster Mountain suddenly became turbulent, as if it had received some kind of summoning and rushed towards the cave.
The cave was like the open maw of a giant beast, sucking in the massive amount of Monster Qi around it. Less than ten breaths later, the rich Monster Qi that had pervaded Monster Mountain for over ten thousand years disappeared.
Yang Kai frowned.
Mi Tian and Lie Feng looked at each other and seemed to be confused about the situation.
Inside the cave, a fierce aura slowly swelled, its strength causing Yang Kai to feel a little uncomfortable.
*Sha sha sha…*
The sound of footsteps came from the cave, and soon after, Xue Lian’s figure emerged from the entrance. At this moment, he no longer looked disheveled or even angry, instead displaying a thoughtful look on his face as he stretched his hands out in front of himself and seemed to be examining them carefully.
In the depths of his eyes, a joyful light flashed.
“Xue Lian, what are you doing?” Mi Tian yelled with an angry look. Right now, while they were facing off against Yang Kai, Xue Lian had suddenly begun acting so unnaturally, upsetting Mi Tian greatly.
Yang Kai was too strong, and even with three of them there was no guarantee they could kill him, so they could not afford to make any mistakes now.
“He seems different from just now,” Lie Feng squinted as he stared at the entrance to the cave.
“We need to kill Yang Kai first! We can talk about other things later!” Mi Tian coldly snorted and once again sent his strange monster flower to attack Yang Kai.
Although Lie Feng felt there was something off about Xue Lian, he also knew that this was not the time to worry about such things, his figure fading away as he quietly approached Yang Kai.
Yang Kai, however, had most of his attention focused on Xue Lian.
The current Xue Lian was completely different from just now, and Yang Kai felt a strong pressure coming from him!
Xue Lian also seemed to come back to his senses at that moment, his two blood-red eyes glancing light towards a certain spot before a strange lustre flashed across them and he called out, “Shadow Eagle lineage? Interesting, I didn’t expect to meet a descendant of my old friend right after I saw the sun again!”
After saying this inexplicable sentence, Xue Lian took a step forward.
Ignoring the barriers of space, he appeared a hundred metres away in an instant. No one saw how he moved, and even Yang Kai, who had been paying close attention to him, only noticed some clues.
It was not that Xue Lian had leapt over space, his speed had simply been too fast, so much so that his Divine Sense was unable to keep up.
Xue Lian stretched out his hand and grabbed towards empty space seemingly at will.
With a grasp, space suddenly solidified.
A flurried figure appeared at that moment: Lie Feng, who had just disappeared.
Lie Feng’s expression was both startled and angry. He never thought that Xue Lian would ruin his good deed and hurriedly tried to withdraw and ask what was going on.
However, Xue Lian did not give him such an opportunity. Inexplicably, his blood-red, scale-clad hand clenched Lie Feng’s neck!
Yang Kai’s face changed, while Mi Tian was equally surprised.
Unable to care about attacking Yang Kai anymore, Mi Tian glared at Xue Lian and shouted sharply, “What are you doing?”
The three of them had joined forces to ambush Yang Kai, but now, while their enemy was unharmed, Xue Lian had targeted one of their own side. This was simply intolerable!
But Xue Lian didn’t pay any attention to Mi Tian’s interrogation and instead lifted Lie Feng up high, as if he was holding a child. Staring at him with indifferent scarlet eyes, he asked, “Who is that old bastard Tian Jiu to you?”
Lie Feng finally noticed that something was terribly wrong and desperately pushed his Monster Qi to free himself from Xue Lian’s control, but no matter how hard he tried, his Monster Qi seemed to be imprisoned inside his body, unable to circulate.
“You’re not Xue Lian!” Lie Feng exclaimed in shock.
It was absolutely impossible for Xue Lian to have the ability to subdue him like this. Combined with the changes in Monster Mountain’s Monster Qi, Lie Feng immediately understood what was going on.
“Soul possession!” Yang Kai and Mi Tian also reacted at the same time, calling out in shock.
“You brats have decent eyesight!” Xue Lian gave a weird laugh, not trying to deny it. Instead, he stared deeply at Yang Kai as a look of greed flashed across his eyes.
Yang Kai felt a shiver up his spine when he saw this, unsure what this gaze meant.
Xue Lian did not pay much attention to him after that though, retracted his gaze, and continued to ask, “Who is Tian Jiu to you?”
“My ancestor!” Lie Feng flushed and answered through clenched teeth.
“Is he still alive?” Xue Lian tilted his head.
“Ancestor fell many years ago, doesn’t Senior know?” Lie Feng asked in a deep voice.
When Tian Jiu was alive, he was a peak-level master on Monster Emperor Star, an extremely powerful Monster King with a Third-Order Origin King cultivation. Unfortunately, he fell thousands of years ago. Lie Feng was currently the strongest of Tian Jiu’s descendants.
“He actually died, such a pity, this King still had some old accounts to settle with him,” Xue Lian seemed a little disappointed, but soon grinned widely. “But that doesn’t matter, it’s all in the past. Since this King has bumped into one of that old dog’s descendants, he can just take his anger out on you.”
“May I ask who Senior is?” Lie Feng asked in a trembling voice. He could feel Xue Lian’s big hand squeezing harder and harder, to the point where he could barely breathe.
“This King and Tian Jiu were born in the same era, and have a lot of grievances between us; who do you think this King is?” Xue Lian laughed lowly.
Lie Feng’s face turned pale as he said, tremblingly, “You are Mad Crocodile King, the one who fell here!”
Lie Feng was naturally familiar with his family’s history. Over ten thousand years ago, when Heavenly Eagle King was still alive, the Shadow Eagle clan was amongst the strongest forces and almost dominated all of Monster Emperor Star. Unfortunately, there was another powerful Monster King who could fight against Heavenly Eagle King.
That was Mad Crocodile Monster King!
Hearing Xue Lian’s words, Lie Feng immediately realized his identity.
The one who had seized Xue Lian’s body was the bloody and brutal Mad Crocodile Monster King!
Rumour had it that his cultivation was earth-shaking, and due to his incredibly brutal nature, the number of Monster and Human Race masters who had died at his hands was uncountable. All of Monster Emperor Star despised him, so they called him Mad Crocodile Monster King.
Tian Jiu had tried to kill him many times, but never succeeded, instead just creating a deeper and deeper enmity between them.
One day, however, Mad Crocodile Monster King suddenly disappeared from Monster Emperor Star, with most not knowing where he had gone.
Chi Yue and the other Tribal Lord level characters knew that Mad Crocodile King had fallen in the Blood Prison, but the younger generation was not privy to such knowledge.
Now that he knew the truth, Lie Feng lost all hope!
Having been caught by such a Monster Race master, how could his end be good?
“Good, this King fell here, but this King can make a comeback starting today! Heh heh, since you are the descendant of Tian Jiu, you can only blame your bad luck for meeting this King,” Xue Lian sneered as he tightened his grip around Lie Feng’s neck viciously. With a crack, Lie Feng’s body went limp and his head fell to the side, the light in his eyes quickly dimming!
Lie Feng died!
Xue Lian was now far stronger than before!
Mi Tian gulped hard as his face paled.
Even facing Yang Kai, he had never felt so powerless, but Mad Crocodile Monster King’s terrifying reputation rendered him incapable of summoning the will to resist.
The moment Lie Feng died, Mi Tian did not hesitate to flee, wanting to escape from this place above all else.
“Without this King’s permission, you think you can leave?” Xue Lian suddenly turned to look at the location of Mi Tian and casually reached out his hand, sending out a burst of strange, ethereal power.
The space in front of Mi Tian seemed to solidify into an iron wall, one Mi Tian slammed into and was stopped by.
Yang Kai’s eyes widened as he watched this scene, a vague sense of understanding suddenly coming to him.
The power Xue Lian used was naturally Domain! Although Xue Lian’s current aura was still just at the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, Mad Crocodile Monster King was a genuine Third-Order Origin King! It was understandable that he could still use Domain to a certain extent.
[So you can use this power in such a manner!] Yang Kai’s eyes shone brilliantly, seeming extremely interested in Xue Lian’s methods.
Mi Tian could not escape this way, so he immediately changed direction, but Xue Lian simply snorted coldly and sent out a phantom Blood Flood Dragon with a wave of his hand, which swiftly transformed into a kind of rope and flew towards Mi Tian.
Mi Tian roared furiously, spun around, and shot his strange flower artifact’s thousands of petals towards Xue Lian.
At the same time, his eyes suddenly flashed a strange brilliance as he stared directly towards Xue Lian.
Xue Lian showed no fear and instead just sneered contemptuously, “Soul Swallowing Evil Eye! You dare use such pathetic means to deal with this King? Boy, your overconfidence is shocking!”
Saying so, his scarlet eyes became deep and dark, like bottomless pits, and pulled in all of Mi Tian’s eye power.
A terrifying wave of Spiritual Energy also burst forth.
Mi Tian screamed, as if he was subjected to intolerable pain, and his entire aura rapidly deflated.
Not only had Mi Tian’s Evil Eye failed to play any role, Xue Lian had counterattacked and greatly damaged his Soul.
The blood-red rope tied around Mi Tian tightly in that instant, preventing him from escaping.
Xue Lian grinned, raised his hand up high, and slowly clenched his fist.
The blood-red rope that bound Mi Tian, following the movement of this fist, slowly tightened around Mi Tian’s body.
“No!” Mi Tian yelled, but to no avail. The blood-red rope quickly began crushing his physique and breaking his bones.
With a resounding crack, Mi Tian’s body was crushed, his flesh and blood spattering out!
With just a few light gestures, he had killed two of the Monster Race’s rising stars. Xue Lian looked down at his hands and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face, “Not bad, the ancient Blood Flood Dragon lineage really has its own uniqueness.”
He seemed to be quite satisfied with his new body.
But soon, he slowly shook his head, raised his eyes, and stared at Yang Kai with a fiercer gaze. His eyes were filled with greed. To him, Yang Kai’s existence seemed even more attractive!
“Aren’t you going to run?” Xue Lian asked in a somewhat stunned voice. He had been paying attention to Yang Kai’s movements when he killed Mi Tian and Lie Feng to ensure Yang Kai did not have a chance to escape.
However, from start to finish, this human boy simply stood there, observing everything indifferently, not showing any intentions to flee, a fact that surprised Xue Lian greatly.
“Why should I run?” Yang Kai stood there with a grin and asked with his brow casually raised.
“You’re not afraid of death? Are you not worried this King will kill you?” Xue Lian showed an expression of interest.
“It is uncertain who will be the victor or deceased. Senior should be careful not to speak too confidently,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Xue Lian narrowed his eyes as he stared at Yang Kai earnestly for a moment before nodding, “Although I don’t want to admit it, you’re much better than those brats from my Monster Race, human. It seems my Monster Race is on the decline now.”
“Senior’s praise is unnecessary,” Yang Kai still remained indifferent. “But Senior does not need to keep up this act. Even if you were a Monster King ten thousand years ago, how much strength can you display right now after just seizing that body? If Senior were to suddenly come up short here, your death will be quite ugly.”
Xue Lian was startled briefly but soon burst into laughter, nodding in approval, “Good good, even if you know this King’s identity, you still don’t show the slightest fear and are even able to talk back in such an arrogant tone. Human boy, I praise you for your confidence. It is to the point that this King feels a little bit reluctant to kill you. Good, this King has just seized this body, and after ten thousand years of decay, cannot display anywhere near his peak strength, but… it’s still more than enough to kill you. What’s more, you must die as this King has taken a liking to the Golden Divine Dragon Source in your body. However, if you obediently hand it over, this King can grant you a swift death!”
“Golden Divine Dragon Source?” Yang Kai frowned, revealing a faint look. “It turns out that Senior wanted to attack me in the cave just now, no wonder I felt that something was wrong.”
“Your senses are sharp too!” Xue Lian snorted coldly, “Enough nonsense, surrender without a fight and this King can show mercy, but if you dare to resist…”
“So what if I resist?” Yang Kai snorted back, his figure flickering the moment he spoke, disappearing strangely from where he stood.
“This is…” Xue Lian frowned, revealing a dignified look. The moment Yang Kai disappeared, he noticed a strange power fluctuation, one that was both familiar and unfamiliar to him, but soon he identified it and exclaimed, “Space Force!”
Xue Lian’s eyes burst with a terrifying blood-red light as his expression twisted into one filled with excitement.
He hadn’t expected that this human boy’s body would contain so many treasures worth coveting.
Without even mentioning the Golden Divine Dragon Source, a treasure any Monster Race master would desire, just this boy’s ability to use Space Force was not something ordinary cultivators could achieve.
As long as he could seize this human boy’s body, whether it was the Golden Divine Dragon Source or his understanding of the Dao of Space, he could claim it all! Although his original body also inherited an ancient bloodline, it was only a diluted Variant bloodline, incomparable to a Golden Divine Dragon’s. Xue Lian felt that if he could seize Yang Kai’s body and occupy all these advantages, he may be able to reach a cultivation even higher than his previous peak!
“Excellent! The Heavens have graced this King!” Xue Lian laughed, his blood-red eyes filled with greed.
A tearing sound suddenly rang out as a half-moon-shaped Void Crack suddenly appeared a dozen or so metres in front of Xue Lian. This Void Crack was ten metres long and as soon as it formed began releasing a chaotic aura, one that made those who felt it extremely uncomfortable, as if an invisible force was trying to draw them in and exile them to the endless Void.
“Your mastery of the Dao of Space Force has actually reached such a level!” Xue Lian exclaimed in excitement.
Still, standing on the spot without moving or even evading, Xue Lian simply stretched his hand forward.
As he clenched his fist, the rapidly advancing crescent-shaped Void Crack suddenly seemed to be restrained by an invisible force and stopped mid-air, unable to advance any further.
Xue Lian frowned at that moment and pushed his Monster Qi madly, roaring angrily, “Break!”
After this shout, the crescent-shaped Void Crack was crushed by him and the surrounding distorted space began to twist and repair itself.
*Huala…*
A slight noise came from the soles of Xue Lian’s feet, and a small grey figure leapt out of the ground before swinging down a jet-black stick it was carrying.
“What’s this?” Xue Lian was taken aback. Even with his sharp senses, he was unable to notice any trace of this creature approaching him. It wasn’t until this figure emerged from the ground that Xue Lian was even aware of its presence.
Looking at this newly appeared figure, it was clear it wasn’t a creature but instead a human-shaped rock.
It was quite small, only about half the size of any ordinary person.
However, the black stick it held in both hands had a force behind its swing that frightened Xue Lian greatly!
If this stick hit him, Xue Lian was certain he would suffer.
His face sank and a cold snort left his throat as Xue Lian released a blood-red mist from his body that seemed to have a mind of its own and rapidly condensed into a protective layer around him.
The pitch-black struck in the next instant.
A loud crack sounded as Xue Lian’s defence was unable to withstand the power of this blow and broke, allowing the black stick to slam down at him unabated.
Xue Lian’s complexion finally changed as he once again displayed his Flood Dragon Transformation to cover his arms in blood-red scales and throw out a fierce punch to meet this stick. This punch not only contained enormous physical power but also a strange aura.
Domain!
*Hong…*
Blood-coloured and black light collided to create a dazzling explosive halo. Xue Lian’s figure was directly smashed into the ground while Xiao Xiao was also sent flying, landing with a thud some distance away. Quickly shaking his head though, Xiao Xiao stood up, as if nothing had happened.
A sharp bird cry rang out at that moment as a strange giant flaming bird manifested high up above.
Flapping its wings, the Firebird Artifact Spirit opened its beak and sprayed out a barrage of burning hot fireballs towards Xue Lian’s position.
Xue Lian’s roar instantly sounded along with the echoes of exploding fireballs!
Yang Kai’s figure appeared like a ghost at this time and dove straight down from the sky. The Verdant Dragon Bone Sword was already in his hand and a giant dark green dragon appeared as he poured his Saint Qi into it, opened its gaping maw, and rushed towards Xue Lian, as if it wanted to swallow him whole!
Yang Kai had used almost all his cards at this moment, not showing any intention of holding back.
His opponent’s strength was unfathomable and Yang Kai would naturally not regard him as a common Origin Returning Realm master.
The giant dark green dragon ferociously hit the ground, sending out a massive shockwave. Yang Kai then ejected hundreds of Golden Blood Threads to madly slice through the surrounding space.
“Boy, you court death!” Xue Lian roared furiously. He never expected he would suffer such a big loss at Yang Kai’s hands just after seeing the sun again after thousands of years.
He thought Yang Kai was no different from Mi Tian or Lie Feng, who he had easily killed just now. He had severely underestimated Yang Kai’s abilities.
Releasing his Domain, Xue Lian stopped all the fireballs dropping towards him ten metres outside his body, causing all of them to burst. At the same time, he punched away the giant dark green dragon, sending it flying. As for Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Threads, they didn’t have much effect, leaving only shallow scars on the surface of Xue Lian’s body.
After being taken over, Xue Lian’s strength had massively increased.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and stretched out his hand, summoning his Purple Shield to defend his body.
The next moment, a blood-red giant fist bombarded the shield.
*Bang…*
After following Yang Kai for many years, the Origin Grade High-Rank defensive artifact that had been repaired and refined several times by Yang Yan was completely shattered.
The destruction of the Purple Shield slowed the destructive power of Xue Lian’s punch, allowing Yang Kai a chance to intercept it with one of his own.
When the two fists collided, Yang Kai only felt an incredible impact he was unable to resist. As hot liquid filled his throat, Yang Kai was sent flying a few thousand metres before managing to stabilize his figure.
After standing firm, Yang Kai spat out a mouthful of blood before staring forward fixedly.
In the direction he stared, with the dust clearing, Yang Kai saw a dishevelled Xue Lian glaring back at him with a hideous and terrifying expression.
He seemed to have become truly enraged.
Yang Kai grinned widely as his nerves settled.
Just now, although he seemed to be going all out, Yang Kai was actually making a careful but forceful probe.
Now that he obtained the desired result, he was naturally happy.
Xue Lian wasn’t invincible!
He was wary of the Heaven Shaking Pillar held by Xiao Xiao, Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Threads, the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword, and the Firebird Artifact Spirit!
All of Yang Kai’s means could cause him harm!
This was enough. Yang Kai had been worried that no matter how hard he tried, Xue Lian would remain unharmed. If that was really the case, he would have immediately fled. If he couldn’t break his opponent’s defences, what point would there be in fighting?
As Yang Kai’s mind turned sharply, Xue Lian’s furious expression abated significantly, as if he became aware of something and a look of dread flashed across his eyes.
He finally understood the situation he was in clearly. Yang Kai was very different from Lie Feng and Mi Tian and not an existence he could kill at will.
This little brat was oddly strong!
Sweeping his eyes solemnly over the Firebird, Stone Puppet, and giant dark green dragon, Xue Lian suddenly shouted, “Boy, you are truly impressive! Since you cultivate Space Force, this King is not confident he can kill you! En, how about we make a deal? Leave behind this King’s Origin Essence Crystal and we can shake hands and make peace, from now on not interfering with one another!”
“You want that Origin Essence Crystal?” Yang Kai grinned.
“Yes, that is this King’s core, this King naturally cannot give it away.”
“In your dreams!” Yang Kai laughed, “The Origin Essence Crystal is mine now, there’s no way I will return it. If you want it, come get it yourself.”
“Boy, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! This King appreciates your talent and does not want to bully the weak, don’t make the mistake of embarrassing yourself here.”
“Really? Why does it sound more like Senior is lacking in confidence? Don’t you want my Golden Divine Dragon Source? If you kill me, everything is yours, why bother wasting so much breath here?”
Xue Lian’s face sank, “Boy, are you really not going to give this King face?”
“What thing are you?” Yang Kai smiled contemptuously.
“Good, you are one of the few who dare talk to this King like this other than that old ghost Tian Jiu, but you will die here today so, it matters not!” Xue Lian roared and released a blood-red mist from his body, enveloping him to the point where his figure disappeared and only a cloud of blood remained.
Immediately, this blood cloud flew forward at an extremely fast speed and enveloped Yang Kai.
Inside this blood mist, a terrifying and astonishing energy fluctuation broke out as blood-red rays shot towards Yang Kai like a living creature, trying to entangle him.
At the same time, a mysterious power surged around him.
Yang Kai suddenly felt that moving became difficult and the Saint Qi in his body was slightly suppressed.
Domain!
Yang Kai released his Shi madly, causing the surrounding space to twist and collapse.
However, his Shi was completely suppressed by Xue Lian’s Domain and could only extend a finger length outside his body.
“Your Shi is close to the grand accomplishment stage!” Xue Lian commented in surprise, “You have the capital to back up your arrogance, boy. A mere Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, yet Shi condensed to such a level, however… you’re still not good enough!”
With a wide grin, Xue Lian released a large amount of Blood Qi filled with malice from his body, transformed it into flood dragons, and sent them hurtling towards Yang Kai from all directions.
This Evil Qi was filled with Mad Crocodile Monster King’s malevolent aura, and an average cultivator that was contaminated with it would immediately become deranged.
Although Yang Kai did not completely understand the mysteries behind this attack, how could he just stand there and allow it to get close?
Hundreds of Golden Blood Threads flew out from his body, like hundreds of tiny arms, waving and shuttling about his figure.
The pressure from Xue Lian’s Domain was instantly reduced!
Golden Blood Threads had the miraculous ability to cut apart Shi. Domain was an evolved form of Shi, so these Golden Blood Threads were able to restrain it somewhat. One or two may not have been enough to make a difference, but with hundreds working together, they could display some positive effects.
Yang Kai’s Shi spread a metre beyond his skin in an instant.
With a wave of his hand, the giant dark-green dragon transformed into a green glow and flew back to his hand, assuming its normal Dragon Bone Sword shape.
A loud dragon roar sounded from the sword as Yang Kai held it in one hand, poured his Saint Qi into it, and swung it forward.
A green sword wave tore through space and ripped the blood-red aura around him in half before soaring towards Xue Lian who was still hidden inside the blood mist.
Xue Lian could not ignore this attack and was forced to dodge, but before he could regain his stance, a burly figure suddenly emerged from the ground.
Stone Puppet!
The Stone Puppet at this moment suddenly transformed into a stone giant while the Heaven Shaking Pillar in its hand also grew to a terrifying size, nearly five metres long. The jet-black stick carried a Heaven destroying and Earth-shattering momentum with it that caught Xue Lian off guard as it smashed towards him.
Xue Lian was stunned and did not dare take a blow from the Heaven Shaking Pillar, so with a flicker of his figure, he dodged once more while simultaneously sending out a fierce punch.
There was a terrifying power contained in the fist that struck the Stone Puppet’s chest.
With a bang, Xiao Xiao was forced back several steps and several stone chips blew off from his chest.
The Stone Puppet was obviously taken aback.
Since its birth, it had never been hurt by anyone; today was the first time!
Even if it was only a few stone chips, it was still an injury.
Xiao Xiao’s round eyes suddenly filled with a ferocious light as it stretched out its free hand and pounded its chest loudly. Immediately after, the Stone Puppet’s body filled with a shocking, blazing hot energy.
A hot aura burst from Xiao Xiao’s body, one seemingly capable of burning all creation.
The body of the Stone Puppet also seemed to melt, and its entire figure turned fiery red!
Yang Kai was dumbfounded, not knowing what happened to Xiao Xiao. He had never seen such a change in the Stone Puppet before and fell back in a flurry to avoid a frontal confrontation with Xue Lian so he could pay close attention to Xiao Xiao’s condition.
He was not sure whether this sudden change was good or bad for the Stone Puppet.
Soon, the Stone Puppet’s body had become covered in a molten magma-like substance.
At a glance, it appeared like Xiao Xiao was now wearing a lava armour! The heat radiating from this lava armour was so intense that even Yang Kai did not dare to approach easily.
“Sun’s True Fire!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
He felt the aura of the Sun’s True Fire coming from this lava armour!
In a flash, Yang Kai suddenly understood.
Xiao Xiao had swallowed the Sun’s True Essence many years ago, but since then, he had never used this power; as a result, even Yang Kai did not know he was capable of this.
But today, Xue Lian’s punch undoubtedly infuriated the Stone Puppet and forced him to utilize his full strength!
Wearing his lava armour, Xiao Xiao suddenly transformed into a lava giant, and while carrying the unbelievably heavy Heaven Shaking Pillar in one hand, he clenched his other into a fist as a fiendish grin appeared on his always simple and honest looking face, a strange sight indeed.
*Deng deng deng…*
Xiao Xiao charged forward into the cloud of blood mist without fear, swinging his huge burning fist towards Xue Lian.
Xue Lian let out a strange roar as the thick blood mist rapidly became thin, as if it was being evaporated by the power of the Sun’s True Fire.
After a couple dozen punches, Xue Lian’s figure was exposed again.
His complexion was blue as he stared at the lava giant that was constantly approaching him with great dread, and his eyes filled with a look of shock.
Even with his vast knowledge, he had never even heard of a creature like the one in front of him now.
The first time it attacked him, it was only half the height of a regular person, looking quite small and delicate. The second time it attacked it had suddenly grown into a mighty giant. Now, it seemed to have transformed again into a giant made from molten lava.
Xue Lian retreated again and again, not daring to meet Xiao Xiao head-on.
The Firebird took advantage of this situation to launch a new barrage of fireballs
These fireballs not only contained scorching heat but also arcs of lightning.
The Firebird had also swallowed several Sun’s True Fire wisps, allowing it to achieve incredible growth. It had also swallowed several Heaven Scorching Thunder Fires, which let its flames take on a violent Thunder Attribute aura.
Its flames were even more terrifying than the Stone Puppet’s, and what it lacked compared to Xiao Xiao’s sheer power, it made up for in agility and flexibility.
Yang Kai’s two great helpers, one on the ground and the other in the sky, joined forces to completely suppress Xue Lian.
Yang Kai could not help grinning.
With the Firebird and Stone Puppet alone, Xue Lian could not act freely. Even if he had been a Monster King ten thousand years ago and could even still use a bit of his Domain, his current body greatly limited his strength in the end.
If he had been at his peak, Xue Lian would have been able to deal with Yang Kai with a wave of his hand.
Any Third-Order Origin King was not to be trifled with.
However, a great dragon trapped in a shallow pond could not create any big waves.
“Scram!” In a distressed state, Xue Lian roared and sent a fierce punch towards the Stone Puppet, the huge force behind it forcing Xiao Xiao back a hundred metres or so.
However, Xue Lian’s fist was also severely burnt as a result.
In the next instant, he charged forward, dodging the Firebird’s bombardment, and leapt straight towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was the key to this battle. So long as Yang Kai was killed, the Stone Puppet and Firebird that listened to his orders wouldn’t be able to cause Xue Lian any trouble. As such, he made up his mind to launch an attack with his full strength in hopes of executing Yang Kai in a single blow.
Domain surged forth, consuming Yang Kai as Xue Lian pounced forth.
Yang Kai pushed his Shi madly to resist this Domain, but it was clearly being overwhelmed and was soon suppressed back into his body.
Xue Lian closed in, a fiendish look upon his face as he roared madly.
This roar was piercing like a sword that sank into the heart of anyone who heard it, penetrating Yang Kai’s Soul and causing his movements to freeze up.
“Boy, you’re dead!” Xue Lian yelled frantically as he reached out to grab Yang Kai.
“Oh really?” A strange smile suddenly appeared on Yang Kai’s face as his body suddenly shook and a low growl erupted from his throat, “Dragon Transformation!”
A glorious golden light burst forth as golden scales suddenly emerged from Yang Kai’s right arm, covering his skin in a kind of impenetrable armour.
Golden light flashed from his hand as it transformed into a giant dragon claw.
The overwhelming aura of a Divine Dragon filled the air.
Xue Lian’s eyes instinctively flashed with fear and his seemingly unstoppable momentum rapidly deflated.
The pressure of an Ancient Divine Spirit had a suppressive effect on any Monster Race, let alone the ruler of those Divine Spirits!
Whether it was Xue Lian’s body or Mad Crocodile Monster King’s Soul, both were distant descendants of Variant Ancient Divine Spirits, incomparable to a Golden Divine Dragon.
Yang Kai struck with his right hand; his five fingers grouped together like a sharp sword he thrust out fiercely.
A splash sounded.
Xue Lian’s body, which seemed as solid as iron, was directly pierced by Yang Kai’s right hand like it was tofu.
A beating sound echoed from Xue Lian’s chest as Yang Kai’s right hand gripped his heart.
Xue Lian froze in place, his big hand which was grabbing towards Yang Kai’s head stopped motionless mid-air, his eyes trembling violently.
“Let me send you on your way!” Yang Kai grinned and squeezed his right hand, directly crushing Xue Lian’s heart.
“Boy, you’re still too naive!” Xue Lian laughed strangely before he died, the light in his eyes fading after his heart was crushed.
Yang Kai’s complexion darkened as he faintly realized that something was wrong. Just as he was about to pull out his arm though, he saw a blood-red light suddenly fly out from Xue Lian’s forehead and without pause, rush directly into his head.
This blood-red light radiated an extremely strange aura, one that broke through Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea defences as easily as crushing dry weeds or smashing rotten wood.
“So that’s what you were plotting!” Yang Kai immediately understood and immediately sent his consciousness into his Knowledge Sea.
Inside his Knowledge Sea, the flames of his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea tumbled.
A strange figure stood mid-air, looking at everything around him in shock and surprise.
He found that his situation was a little different from what he had imagined!
“If you planned on seizing my body, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you,” Yang Kai looked at the strange figure and sneered.
Mad Crocodile Monster King had never regarded Xue Lian’s body as important.
He had pretended to launch a desperation attack on Yang Kai in order to get close enough to break into the latter’s Knowledge Sea with his Soul Avatar the moment Yang Kai relaxed his guard. From there, Mad Crocodile’s plan was to seize Yang Kai’s body.
His plan had succeeded so far!
His Soul Avatar had crashed into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea as he had planned, and now, all he needed to do to occupy Yang Kai’s body and enjoy the many treasures it held was to swallow Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar.
Mad Crocodile was confident he could accomplish this last part. Although his Spiritual Energy had continued to weaken for the past ten thousand years, almost to the point where his Soul was about to dissipate, a thin camel was still bigger than a horse, and his Spiritual Energy was not something an ordinary Origin Returning Realm boy could contend with.
If this wasn’t the case, he would not have been able to possess Xue Lian’s body in such a short time.
After all, Xue Lian was also an elite among Origin Realm cultivators.
However, when he broke into this scorching hot Knowledge Sea, Mad Crocodile immediately had a bad premonition.
“You actually have a Mutated Knowledge Sea!” Mad Crocodile exclaimed.
“Indeed,” Yang Kai looked at him lightly, not rushing to take action, his hands folded and his tone indifferent, as if he was just chatting with a friend.
Mad Crocodile frowned as he looked around, but soon his eyes were attracted to a certain seven coloured island at the centre of Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea. In an instant, his eyes bulged as disbelief filled his face. Pointing his trembling finger, Mad Crocodile hesitantly asked, “Is this the legendary Soul Warming Lotus?”
“Senior knows about the Soul Warming Lotus?” Yang Kai was surprised.
Mad Crocodile’s face sank, “This King has drunk more water than you have crossed over. How could this King not know about a Supreme Treasure like the Soul Warming Lotus?”
This boy actually possessed a Soul Warming Lotus! What’s more it was a fully evolved Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus.
With this kind of Supreme Treasure nurturing it, it wasn’t surprising that this boy’s Soul was unusually strong and that his Spiritual Energy was so rich. It was said that this Supreme Treasure would constantly nourish and strengthen its owner’s Soul. In a short time, it may not yield much effect, but as time passed, its effect would be astonishing.
It could save a cultivator countless years of hard work!
Ten thousand years ago, when Mad Crocodile was still alive, he had naturally heard about the Soul Warming Lotus, but unfortunately he had never seen one. Now, unexpectedly, he was able to witness this treasure with his own eyes after trying to seize Yang Kai’s body.
The only question was whether this boy managed to obtain this Soul Warming Lotus in its seven coloured form, or if he had managed to grow it to this point on his own.
The former possibility seemed more likely though! Evolving a Soul Warming Lotus was said to be extremely difficult, so how could it be possible for such a young boy to cultivate one to its final seven coloured form?
[This boy’s luck is too Heaven-defying!] Mad Crocodile thought to himself.
Mad Crocodile was a Monster King, so his aptitude and bloodline were naturally extraordinary. On top of that, he had many fortuitous encounters across his life and managed to achieve his peak strength after many years of hard work, but when he compared himself to Yang Kai, his own opportunities seemed like complete trash.
After staring at the seven coloured island greedily, he took a deep breath, as if to calm his excitement, turned his head, stared at Yang Kai solemnly, and shouted loudly, “Boy, this King truly looked down upon you. It seems what will follow will be a bitter struggle, all that is uncertain now is in the end, whether you die or I perish!”
The power of this boy’s Soul wasn’t below his own, and with the support of the Soul Warming Lotus, Mad Crocodile Monster King didn’t have complete confidence he could consume Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar.
He now regarded this boy as an equal opponent he needed to confront head-on.
“I think the latter possibility is much higher actually,” hearing this declaration, Yang Kai could only chuckle, his expression calm and relaxed, displaying complete confidence, as if he didn’t even put Mad Crocodile Monster King in his eyes.
“Don’t get too cocky, boy! It’s time you learned a painful lesson, lest you continue to underestimate this world’s heroes.”
“You don’t believe me?” Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at Mad Crocodile with a sneer, “Forget it, I have no time for nonsense with you. The sooner you die, the sooner this will be over.”
Saying so, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and pointed to the sky.
Mad Crocodile didn’t know what Yang Kai was doing and looked up suspiciously.
A strange oval-shaped object with a long slit running horizontally across its centre appeared up above, looking like a closed eye, radiating a profound and mystical aura.
But with a snap of Yang Kai’s finger, this slit slowly began to open.
Soon, a brilliant golden light flashed.
This golden light became more and more intense until finally it formed a beam of light which shot out and covered Mad Crocodile Monster King’s Soul Avatar.
Contained within the golden light there was also a multi-coloured radiance!
As soon as this beam of light enveloped Mad Crocodile Monster King’s Soul Avatar, he was instantly frozen in place, unable to move, as if he was completely restrained.
“What is this?” Mad Crocodile exclaimed in horror.
As soon as he was struck by this golden light, he realized that something was terribly wrong. Instantly, he felt as if his consciousness was melting away, like snowflakes exposed to the scorching sun. This discovery shocked Mad Crocodile, and he fought desperately to resist.
The golden and multi-coloured light began to disperse, seemingly not capable of completely restraining Mad Crocodile Monster King.
Yang Kai raised his brow and revealed a slightly surprised look.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation was one of Great Demon God’s Divine Abilities and was capable of producing a golden ray of light that could completely extinguish an enemy’s Soul. This powerful technique had been used by Yang Kai countless times and never had any difficulty in the past.
Although Great Demon God only reached the Saint King Realm before he died, he was an extraordinary genius and this Divine Ability he created only grew in power as Yang Kai’s cultivation increased.
What’s more, the current Soul destroying golden light had been merged together with the Coloured Glass Divine Light’s power.
Coloured Glass Divine Light was able to suppress an opponent’s Soul, so when combined with the extinguishing power of the golden light, both dramatically increased one another’s power.
Even so, Mad Crocodile Monster King’s Soul apparently couldn’t be wiped out in one fell swoop, showing just how pure and powerful his Spiritual Essence was.
But this was also understandable; after all, Mad Crocodile was a Monster King level master, if he could be so easily killed, that would truly be strange.
Yang Kai grinned wickedly as his thoughts flashed and the tumbling, roaring flames down below swelled up and from all directions and transformed into a massive wave that crashed towards Mad Crocodile’s Soul Avatar .
In an instant, the place where Mad Crocodile was located was enveloped by burning hot Spiritual Energy.
“No!” Mad Crocodile roared as he struggled to resist the sea of flames, releasing one powerful Soul Skill after another.
“Mad Crocodile, I am the master here! You daring to come here was nothing short of digging your own grave!” Yang Kai shouted as he pushed his Spiritual Energy even more ferociously.
The combined assault of Yang Kai’s Golden Light, Coloured Glass Divine Light, and Conflagrated Spiritual Energy caused his Knowledge Sea to tumble violently.
Mad Crocodile’s roars continued to echo, but no matter how hard he struggled to resist, he still couldn’t escape the golden light. Under the golden light, his Soul was being scattered at an extremely terrifying speed and his aura rapidly grew weak.
Soon, Mad Crocodile’s cries weakened and his resistance grew less intense.
Not long after, everything fell silent, and after Yang Kai waved his hand to calm the tumbling Spiritual Energy and take back the power of his Demon Eye of Annihilation, what was left, floating high up in the sky above his Knowledge Sea, was a mass of pure Spiritual Energy where Mad Crocodile’s Soul was completely extinguished!
Looking at the mass of energy, Yang Kai’s eyes burned.
This was what was left after Mad Crocodile’s Soul had been purified, and it contained his understanding of the Heavenly Way and Martial Dao as well as his insight into Domain!
This was a Third-Order Origin King master’s lifetime worth of cultivation experience!
Its value was immeasurable.
If he could cleanly absorb this mass Spiritual Energy, Yang Kai knew he would experience tremendous growth and very possibly save himself many years of hard work.
Thinking so, Yang Kai sent his consciousness back to his body and began sweeping his eyes around. Walking over to the dead Xue Lian and the other dead Monster Race rising stars, Yang Kai collected their Monster Cores and Space Rings, used his Demonic Flames to burn their bodies to ashes, then turned around and flew back into the dark cave.
Xue Lian, Mi Tian, and Lie Feng were all extremely famous and powerful Origin Returning Realm masters on Monster Emperor Star, representing what was essentially the highest combat strength in the Origin Realm.
Their Monster Cores were naturally extremely valuable.
Yang Kai didn’t use their corpses to condense Blood Beasts as, with his current methods, he had no need for such means to confront his enemies.
Three Monster Cores equivalent to those of peak Ninth-Order Monster Beasts, if used well as Pill Spirits, could definitely allow Yang Kai to refine three Origin King Grade Spirit Pills!
He decided to use these three Monster Cores to refine particularly precious pills as Monster Cores of this grade were quite rare.
Inside the cave, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged then began savouring the taste of the mass of Spiritual Energy he had obtained, his expression changing between exhilaration joy, shock, and wonder.
A hundred kilometres outside the Blood Prison, inside a stone pavilion.
Luo Hai sat motionlessly with closed eyes.
Meanwhile, he was focusing his Divine Sense to cover the entire Blood Prison.
Although he couldn’t perceive anything inside too clearly, he could still get a general idea of what was happening.
Right now though, all of his focus was on Monster Mountain.
It seemed he had discovered something amazing and, since half an hour ago, his body had been trembling slightly and a great storm had been surging in the depths of his heart.
Because of the request of the old woman surnamed Lei and the others, he had been paying more attention to Yang Kai’s movements.
When Yang Kai entered Monster Mountain, Luo Hai had naturally noticed it, as well as the changes that followed.
In particular, the disappearance of the aura of the Origin Essence Crystal which was hidden on Monster Mountain caught his attention.
That Origin Essence Crystal had sat there for over ten thousand years, undisturbed, but not long after Yang Kai entered Monster Mountain, its aura had vanished. What this meant, Luo Hai naturally understood immediately.
The Origin Essence Crystal had been taken away by Yang Kai!
That was a treasure that even Luo Hai greatly coveted. He concealed the deep excitement in his heart, without showing the slightest hint of disturbance on his face so as not to alert the others around him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t constantly thinking about this treasure now.
A Monster King master had left that Origin Essence Crystal there after his death, and Luo Hai was not about to let it slip through his fingers as it was the key to him breaking through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
It was not just that Monster King that had dropped Origin Essence Crystals. Two other fallen Third-Order Origin King masters produced Origin Essence Crystals upon their deaths in that great war all those years ago. However, those two Origin Essence Crystals had already been taken, leaving only the Origin Essence Crystal of that Monster King, which was difficult to retrieve.
The rich Monster Qi enveloping Monster Mountain made no Human Race Origin Returning Realm cultivator dare to break in easily.
This time, however, someone had finally succeeded, so how could Luo Hai let him off?
Luo Hai already regarded the Origin Essence Crystal as something in his pocket!
However, he had the capital to back up such self-confidence as he was the Star Master of Green Mountains Star. As long as Yang Kai was still on Green Mountains Star, he could never escape his control.
When the time came, all he had to do was find this boy and ask him to hand over the Origin Essence Crystal; afterwards, he would give him some benefits and everyone would be satisfied.
If this boy wanted, Luo Hai was even prepared to accept him as a disciple!
This was the greatest honour and opportunity that one asked for.
Luo Hai had not been so excited in many years and was almost unable to keep up appearances! If not for him worrying about the other Origin Kings inside the stone pavilion seeing some kind of flaw, he would have already burst into laughter.
“Sir Luo Hai, the Blood Prison will close in ten days, right?” The old woman surnamed Lei suddenly asked.
“En,” Luo Hai nodded, “There is only ten days left, after which, the Domain inside the Blood Prison will erupt and force those little fellows out.”
“Haha, I wonder what kind of gains they’ll have this time. By the way, is that little Second-Order Origin Realm boy safe and sound?”
When Yang Kai was asked about, everyone opened their eyes and looked at Luo Hai, apparently quite concerned with the former’s condition.
“There’s no problem, this King can sense he’s still alive. You don’t have to worry about his safety.”
“Great, as long as he can walk out alive, this old lady will invite him to join Sword Union immediately!” The old woman was overjoyed.
“This boy has a boundless future. Although there are always some Second-Order Origin Returning Realm Juniors who don’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth and enter the Blood Prison, none ever survive while most fall within a few days. If he can emerge safely, his future will certainly be bright!”
“This old master can’t wait to see this little boy and find out what kind of background he has.”
“En, looking at his performance, the Star Field must have a place for him in the future.”
Everyone was speaking extremely highly of Yang Kai while Luo Hai simply smiled without interrupting. Only he understood how much more extraordinary Yang Kai was than everyone had thought.
…..
Inside the cave on Monster Mountain, Yang Kai had completely immersed himself in his comprehension and had lost track of the passage of time.
At a certain point, however, he frowned slightly and opened his eyes.
He noticed a faint change in the atmosphere of the Blood Prison as well as a trace of Domain suddenly appearing where he was on Monster Mountain.
Before coming here, Chi Yue had said that once the aura inside the Blood Prison changes, he must leave immediately, otherwise he would die without burial.
When this kind of change occurred, within five days, the entire Blood Prison would become a Restricted Area that no one could set foot into, filled with chaotic Domains that would not subside again until a thousand years later.
[It is time to leave!]
Slowly getting up and inspecting his gains, Yang Kai grinned widely.
He felt that his understanding of Shi had become much deeper and he was only one step away from the grand accomplishment stage. This step seemed very close but also far away, as if there was some kind of shackle holding him back from reaching it.
However, this wasn’t a big deal. After absorbing the remnant Spiritual Energy of Mad Crocodile Monster King, as long as he thoroughly digested the insights it contained, it wouldn’t be difficult for Yang Kai to reach the grand accomplishment stage in Shi.
Also, as soon as he broke through to the Origin King Realm, forming his own Domain would undoubtedly be easier.
This kind of benefit was something beyond Yang Kai’s reach until now and could only be realized once he reached the Origin King Realm.
Walking out of the cave, Yang Kai took a moment to orient himself before he shot off in a flash of light.
Two days later, in a small valley, Yang Kai appeared leisurely.
“Boy, you’re here!” A figure suddenly flashed from the side and landed in front of Yang Kai, looking at him with a smile.
“Senior Ba He!” Yang Kai turned and nodded to him.
“Brat, I thought you’d died after we didn’t hear from you for so long!” Yu Xiong appeared suddenly and greeted Yang Kai grimly, looking him up and down to see if he was missing any arms or legs.
“Yang Kai!” Shan Qing Luo smiled winningly and landed directly beside him, taking his arm.
Xue Sun appeared immediately after Shan Qing Luo, but only nodded faintly to Yang Kai without much expression.
“Seems like you’re all here,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Did you accomplish that task Adoptive Mother gave you?” Yu Xiong walked over to Yang Kai and asked curiously.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and wiped his Space Ring, taking out a round crystal-like object and tossed it to Yu Xiong.
Yu Xiong caught it nervously and carefully observed it.
In an instant, everyone’s eyes were drawn to this pure crystal, their eyes growing extremely hot.
“This is… an Origin Essence Crystal?” Ba He gulped hard as he stared at the Origin Essence Crystal without blinking. Even the most indifferent Xue Sun had her breathing turn rapid.
“It’s not fake, right?” Yu Xiong looked up at Yang Kai.
“What do you think?” Yang Kai snickered.
“Doesn’t look like it!” Yu Xiong shook his head then hurriedly took out a jade box from his Space Ring before carefully storing the Origin Essence Crystal into it and putting it away. He then turned to look at Yang Kai with a somewhat complex expression and said, “Little brat, you’re certainly decisive enough. En, this is the second half of the Monster Transformation Secret Art that Adoptive Mother gave me to hold onto.”
Saying so, he tossed something that looked like an ancient book towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai caught it then began flipping through it quickly. After confirming that there were no problems with it, he nodded and said, “I’ve completed the task assigned to me by Senior Chi Yue, now that I’ve handed that thing over to you, it has nothing to do with me anymore.”
“Don’t worry,” Yu Xiong grinned, “With so many of us, we aren’t afraid we will lose it.”
Yang Kai didn’t say anymore on this subject and instead turned to look at Shan Qing Luo and whispered, “Come with me, I have something to say to you.”
“Okay,” Shan Qing Luo nodded and walked off a short distance with Yang Kai.
As if realizing what was about to happen, Shan Qing Luo’s mood suddenly became a little depressed.
Everything around her suddenly lost colour and became bleak.
Yang Kai and Shan Qing Luo stared at each other as a reluctant atmosphere filled the space between them.
After a long silence, Yang Kai sighed and asked, “I met some guys before that seemed to have fought with you. One of them even said he hurt you, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, my Saint Qi was only disturbed a bit by his attack, he didn’t even cause a minor wound,” Shan Qing Luo slowly shook her head. “Are they dead?”
After having met Yang Kai, it would be strange if that group was still alive.
“En.”
“You’re much stronger than me now. When we were back in the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land before, I was the one protecting you,” Shan Qing Luo laughed lightly.
It had only been a few dozen years, yet the fledgling boy she met that day had already walked ahead of her, and that was even after she obtained the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider’s Source.
“Back then… things were quite good,” Yang Kai’s eyes showed a look of remembrance and his smile became ambiguous.
Shan Qing Luo clearly understood what he was referring to and gave him an amorous look.
“Are you going back to Monster Emperor Star?” Yang Kai asked suddenly.
“Adoptive Mother has been very good to me, I can’t just leave her like this,” Shan Qing Luo’s expression instantly saddened, “Moreover, I don’t want to burden you in the future. I am now a Half-Monster Race, and Monster Emperor Star is the most suitable place for me to cultivate. If I leave with you, I will only become a burden to you later, I don’t want that!”
Yang Kai made her feel a great sense of pressure, and if she wanted to walk beside him from now on, she could not settle for temporary satisfaction. Shan Qing Luo knew this better than anyone else.
Yang Kai nodded slightly to express his understanding.
He had considered all of this long ago, so when Shan Qing Luo said it out loud, he wasn’t surprised at all.
“What about you? Are you leaving?”
“En,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, “I picked up the people from the Central Capital and Tong Xuan Realm and will be taking them to a Cultivation Star called Shadowed Star, which is very remote. If there is a chance, I will come to Monster Emperor Star again to see you.”
Shan Qing Luo bit her red lips and clenched her fist tightly, a layer of mist forming across her eyes as she said faintly, “When we last separated, we didn’t even get to say goodbye and it took thirty years for us to reunite. I don’t even know how long we will be apart this time.”
Yang Kai reached out, took her delicate hand, and placed it over his heart as he brought her into his embrace.
Shan Qing Luo looked up and her beautiful eyes blossomed with an amazing brilliance.
Blushing, she held Yang Kai’s hand and also placed it over her heart.
‘You are in my heart, and I am in yours’, such words were left unspoken because there was no need to say them out loud…
Standing up on her tiptoes, Shan Qing Luo closed her eyes tightly as her long eyelashes quivered and she pressed her red lips towards Yang Kai.
“Ah youth…” Not far away, Ba He waxed nostalgically as he crossed his arms and turned his eyes towards the sky.
“Seems my future brother-in-law has been decided,” Yu Xiong grinned as he winked towards Xue Sun.
Xue Sun’s face and neck blushed red as she quickly lowered her gaze and stared at the ground as if trying to find an ant.
Yang Kai’s blood began to boil and his breathing became rapid as he tasted the sweetness and beauty of Shan Qing Luo. Although the Beguiling Demon Queen had charms which could enchant any living creature, this was actually her first time engaging in such an act. So, naturally, she was not Yang Kai’s opponent.
Soon, Shan Qing Luo felt embarrassed with her defeat. Her whole being felt like she was floating on the clouds while her body seemed to no longer belong to herself.
Suddenly, Yang Kai let out a yelp and pulled his mouth back.
Shan Qing Luo took this opportunity to escape from his wicked clutches and withdrew a few steps back, a half-full expression remaining on her face as she clenched her teeth and stared towards Yang Kai.
“Why did you bite me?” Yang Kai asked, aggrieved.
“To commemorate the occasion, and to make sure you don’t forget about me even when we’re apart!” Shan Qing Luo giggled and smiled as tears fell from her eyes and she whispered, “Go now, if you don’t… I’m afraid I won’t be able to let you leave.”
She seemed to have made an extremely difficult decision, and her tender body was trembling slightly.
Yang Kai licked his lips and nodded, “Take care of yourself!”
Saying so, he took out a Space Ring and handed it to Shan Qing Luo, “Take this as well, but don’t show its content to anyone.”
“What’s inside?” Shan Qing Luo looked at him suspiciously.
“You’ll understand soon enough,” Yang Kai grinned, not making things clear before turning towards where Ba He and the others were waiting and shouting, “You should all depart now, there’s no need to wait for Xue Lian and the rest of them.”
As soon as he left these words, Space Force wrapped Yang Kai and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared.
Shan Qing Luo opened her mouth, but she didn’t say anything in the end.
Ba He and the others stood in place and looked at each other.
Shan Qing Luo seemed to be in a daze as she held the Space Ring in her small hands, feeling Yang Kai’s lingering warmth on it.
Sinking her Divine Sense into it, and after seeing what was in the Space Ring, Shan Qing Luo immediately flashed a shocked expression.
Inside this Space Ring were at least two hundred Domain Stones!
She almost thought that she was seeing things, but after carefully examining these things, Shan Qing Luo confirmed they were really Domain Stones, each one emitting a gentle Domain aura.
[So many!] Shan Qing Luo was astonished, and her tender body couldn’t help shivering slightly.
One had to know that, over the entire time she spent in the Blood Prison, she had only managed to acquire three Domain Stones. She obtained these three after much painstaking effort and thought she had reaped a great harvest.
Yu Xiong only got a single piece while Ba He managed to acquire two.
But Yang Kai had unexpectedly given her two hundred pieces all at once! This number was enough to drive anyone crazy.
But where had he obtained so many Domain Stones?
After recovering from her initial shock, Shan Qing Luo laughed sweetly as she gripped the Space Ring a little tighter.
With so many Domain Stones, she was confident that she could reach the Origin King Realm in a very short time, and that she would not become a burden to Yang Kai in the future.
“Don’t wait for Xue Lian and the others? What does that mean?” Yu Xiong looked confused.
Ba He’s face dimmed as his eyes flashed, clearly understanding what Yang Kai’s last words implied, and simply waved, “Let’s go, there’s no need to wait.”
Xue Sun also flew over and landed beside the still smiling Shan Qing Luo and pulled her towards a well-concealed Void Corridor nearby.
This Void Corridor had existed in this valley since ancient times and led to a place a million kilometres outside Green Mountains Star. The Monster Race cultivator from Monster Emperor Star always left through this Void Corridor after the Blood Prison closed.
With Ba He, Yu Xiong, and the other’s cultivations, after leaving the Void Corridor, they would need to fly through the Starry Sky for three or four months before returning to Monster Emperor Star.
Fortunately, there wasn’t much danger along this road, so they didn’t have anything to worry about on the way.
Two days later, Yang Kai left the Blood Prison and arrived at a vast wilderness.
Sporadic cultivators appeared one after another from inside the Blood Prison, either alone or in groups, but without exception looking both excited and sad.
Excited because they survived the Blood Prison Trial, an achievement that proved they had the qualifications to condense their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage and possibly break through to the Origin King Realm.
Even if they could not break through in the end, they could still become top-level Origin Realm masters after this experience.
They were also sad because many of their companions had died!
Some great forces even had all the cultivators they sent to participate in the Blood Prison Trial annihilated inside, such as Scarlet Wave Star’s Brilliant Flame Sect.
Above the wilderness, countless cultivators were waiting for their fellow Sect companions to emerge, and once they found them, they would smile and greet them enthusiastically with a look of expectation and hope in their eyes.
Naturally, no one came to welcome Yang Kai.
Shan Qing Luo and the others who came with him from Monster Emperor Star had headed back there.
Yang Kai did not care about these people’s excitement and instead released his Divine Sense to start looking for Qian Tong and the others.
He came out late so Qian Tong and the others should have come out long ago!
Soon, he noticed a familiar aura and turned to fly off in a certain direction.
Not far from there, a group of people who seemed to have a strong background were surrounding a beautiful young woman, trying their best to win her over. All of their expressions were extremely sincere, and they were constantly sending out attractive offers.
“Madam, if you don’t have a particular destination in mind, why not come to my Blue Radish Sect? With your cultivation and strength, as long as you join, you can immediately become an Outer Sect Elder, have your own Spirit Peak, and be provided with a generous amount of Saint Crystals and pills every month. My Blue Radish Sect has seventy-two main peaks, one of which is empty as we have not found a suitable owner until today.”
“What does the Blue Radish Sect count for? Madam, come to our Heavenly Dream Palace, we have an Origin King Realm Master who commands Heavenly Dream Palace so you will have an opportunity to receive guidance in the mysteries of Domain every three years if you join us. Madam cannot miss this opportunity.”
“If Madam is willing to join my Imperial Spirit Pavilion, this old master can guarantee that you will become an Inner Sect Elder right away. My Imperial Spirit Pavilion will also do its best to help you cultivate so you can make a breakthrough to the Origin King Realm as soon as possible!”
The beautiful young woman turned a deaf ear to the noise around her and simply stood in place with a frown on her brow, seemingly waiting for someone as she would look around from time to time.
After becoming somewhat annoyed with all the noise around her though, she finally shook her head and said, “I apologize to everyone here, but this Mistress already has a Sect and does not plan to leave it, so please don’t waste your time with me.”
“It doesn’t matter if you already have a Sect,” The old man from Imperial Spirit Pavilion who had previously invited her to join laughed, “This old master won’t insist you leave your current Sect. Madam can simply join my Imperial Spirit Pavilion as you are now without any trouble.”
In order to win over this beautiful young woman, he didn’t mind offering extremely generous conditions, not even minding her already having a Sect she belonged to.
“I’m sorry, but I have no such intentions,” The young woman still shook her head.
“Elder Lin,” Yang Kai walked over suddenly and called out.
Hearing this call, Lin Yu Rao’s beautiful eyes lit up and she quickly turned her gaze towards him and called out cheerfully, “Sect Master, you finally came out.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and looked around, “Why are you alone, where are Qian Tong and the others?”
Lin Yu Rao’s expression turned complicated as she whispered, “It’s not convenient to talk here, let’s talk while walking.”
Seeing this kind of look on her face, Yang Kai did not ask any questions and simply nodded, “Alright.”
“Friend, please wait!” Seeing that Yang Kai was about to take Lin Yu Rao away, the people who had been surrounding her suddenly became anxious and hurriedly stood in front of Yang Kai.
“Do you have something you need to say?” Yang Kai frowned.
The old man who had been speaking happily just now cupped his fists and asked politely, “Friend, are you the Sect Master of this lady here?”
“Yes, what of it?”
“Nothing much, this old master is Imperial Spirit Pavilion’s Great Elder, and would like to invite this lady on behalf of my Sect to join our pavilion as an Inner Sect Elder!” The old man saw that Yang Kai was just a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator and could not help feeling somewhat contemptuous, otherwise, how could he continue trying to poach Lin Yu Rao right before Yang Kai’s eyes?
After all, this kind of thing was a bit improper…
“Do all of you have such intentions?” Yang Kai looked around at the rest of the crowd.
“Indeed,” Those people nodded, their expressions calm.
“And your opinion?” Yang Kai turned to look at Lin Yu Rao.
“Why would Sect Master ask such a question? This Mistress won’t leave High Heaven Sect,” Lin Yu Rao brushed her hair behind her ear and responded lightly.
Yang Kai nodded, “All of you heard her, yes? Since that is settled, let’s leave.”
Saying so, Yang Kai tried to lead Lin Yu Rao off.
“Madam, are you certain you don’t want to think about this matter more carefully? If you feel that this old master’s offer is not sincere enough, we can still discuss it, everything is open to negotiation,” The old man still chattered and followed Lin Yu Rao.
“Scram!” Yang Kai shouted coldly as he glared at the old man.
These people had greeted him with smiles, so Yang Kai did not want to embarrass them directly and instead asked Lin Yu Rao for her opinion. But after the other party got Lin Yu Rao’s answer, he was still reluctant to give up, which was nothing less than a slap in the face.
Facing such naked contempt, Yang Kai was not about to just sit back in silence.
The old man was stunned for a moment before his face immediately turned gloomy and he snickered, “Brat, this is none of your concern, you’d better close your mouth obediently otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?” Yang Kai looked back at him coldly.
“Otherwise, you’ll regret it. Do not think that because you are a so-called ‘Sect Master’ you can act rampantly. What thing are you? As a Sect Master, how can you have a cultivation level inferior to one of your Elders? What kind of Sect Master are you? In my opinion, this madam serving you is a waste of her talents, talents that would be better put to use in my Imperial Spirit Pavilion where she will certainly have a brighter future.”
As the old man spoke, the other cultivators who wanted to invite Lin Yu Rao began calling out as well, belittling Yang Kai’s cultivation and trying to force him to back down and not ruin Lin Yu Rao’s future.
“What are you quarrelling about?” Yang Kai was annoyed and said coldly, “Elder Lin has already rejected you, yet you are still trying to bother her, are you not putting me in your eyes at all?”
“Does this old master need to put you in his eyes? Nonsense!” The old man said coldly snorted.
Everyone else looked at Yang Kai disdainfully, obviously not paying attention to him.
The conflict here had attracted a lot of attention, but seeing how Yang Kai was just a trivial Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator and that he had provoked so many enemies all at once, many began wearing sympathetic looks, feeling that Yang Kai had eyes but failed to see and would certainly suffer a big loss.
“Old man, if you don’t want to die, I would stop provoking him. Don’t just look at his cultivation, he’s not someone you can handle,” An abrupt voice interrupted, causing the old man and the others around him to frown. Turning around, they saw that the source of this sound was an ordinary-looking young man standing nearby with his arms folded across his chest and a mocking grin on his face.
Being so disdained, the old man was naturally angry and his face sank, but just as he was about to retort, he caught sight of a three-petal flower pattern embroidered on the chest of the young man’s clothes. As if thinking of something, his expression changed slightly and he cupped his fists politely and asked, “May I ask this friend, who is Senior Wu Dao to you?”
The young man said lightly, “My Master!”
Gasps resounded all around as everyone present stared at this young man in shock, disbelief, and deep envy.
“Heavens, this person is actually a disciple of Senior Wu Dao.”
“It was rumoured that Senior Wu Dao accepted a disciple fifty years ago but unfortunately no one knows who it was. It turns out to be him.”
“He actually came to participate in the Blood Prison Trial.”
“What did he mean just now then? Does that Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy have some kind of incredible background like him?”
After learning that this young man turned out to be Senior Wu Dao’s disciple, everyone looked at him with awe and envy.
The old man of the Imperial Spirit Pavilion did not dare ignore this young man’s warning just now anymore, frowned, and asked, “This friend, a moment ago, what did you…”
The young man still maintained a relaxed look and just shook his head faintly, “You all heard what I said just now, what more do you want to ask? If you want to die, keep trying to provoke him.”
The old man’s face turned pale as he shot a fear-filled glance towards Yang Kai. Now, it was as if he could see some kind of massive shadow behind Yang Kai, one he didn’t dare act presumptuously before anymore.
Yang Kai was also confused at the moment as he observed this young man curiously.
From the reactions of everyone around, Yang Kai had already figured out that this young man’s background was not trivial. This so-called Senior Wu Dao was obviously an Origin King Realm master.
If this wasn’t the case, the crowd would not have had such an exaggerated reaction.
However, why was this person trying to help him? Moreover, Yang Kai somehow felt that this young man was a bit familiar, as if he had met him somewhere before.
“Friend, I’ve paid back the favour I owe you from the Blood Prison. From now on, we don’t have any debts between us,” The youth grinned at Yang Kai.
Hearing what he said, Yang Kai suddenly remembered!
He really had met this young man before, he was one of the thirty or so people who had retreated from Domain Stone Mountain at that time! Before leaving, he had faintly nodded to express his gratitude to Yang Kai.
There were too many people at that time who had made such a gesture though, so Yang Kai had not paid it much mind.
It seemed the so called favour was referring to this. Yang Kai finally understood.
The other party was obviously thanking him for his warning at that time, which had turned out to be life saving advice.
[This person is rather interesting.] Yang Kai smiled and politely cupped his fists as he reported his name, “Yang Kai!”
“Xu Bin Bai!” The young man replied.
Yang Kai gently nodded while faintly sensing that this young man wasn’t simple. This had nothing to do with him having an Origin King Realm master behind him, more like he himself was special.
This was purely intuition without any basis at all.
But Yang Kai trusted his instincts!
Nevertheless, the two didn’t have any kind of deep friendship or grudge, so Yang Kai didn’t pay him too much mind. Just as he was about to leave with Lin Yu Rao, however, the surrounding World Energy suddenly trembled, as if it was pounded by a giant hammer, sending powerful vibrations out across a vast area and causing everyone’s expressions to change dramatically.
Soon, a mysterious energy emerged from a distant place and pierced everyone’s hearts like a sharp sword.
Yang Kai frowned as he turned to look in the direction this force came from.
Xu Bin Bai also showed a look of surprise, but quickly thinking of something, his expression changed sharply.
“Someone is going to try to break through to the Origin King Realm!” Someone suddenly sounded.
These words immediately broke the surrounding silence.
Everyone turned to look at the speaker in unison with amazement.
“Is that true?”
“En, this is definitely a precursor to someone breaking through to the Origin King Realm. This old master had the honour to witness such a breakthrough before, and although that was many years ago, that memory is still fresh in this old master’s mind. This feeling is exactly the same as the one from that year. There is definitely someone who wants to break through to the Origin King Realm!” The person who spoke explained eloquently.
“It must be some master who emerged from the Blood Prison just now. It seems this person had significant gains in the Blood Prison and decided to make a breakthrough as soon as he came out.”
“The Blood Prison is really a good place and this person’s luck is also quite good.”
“Why are we all just standing around here? We need to hurry up and watch the excitement. The breakthrough of an Origin King isn’t something that can be seen casually. I really want to know who it is that had such good luck.”
The breakthrough of a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master was generally carefully prepared for. The Sect they belonged to would support this breakthrough with everything it had, opening its Sect Defending Array while also deploying all its disciples to stand guard and ensure that the one breaking through was not disturbed.
Those who didn’t have a Sect would invite trusted relatives and friends to protect them while they broke through in a hidden or safe location.
Few people failed to make perfect preparations.
Therefore, the breakthrough of an Origin King was extremely difficult to witness.
But right now, there was a master in the middle of nowhere who was about to try to make a breakthrough.
This person had obviously not made full preparations and acted hastily.
This kind of good show was something one could rarely see even once in thousands of years.
How could the countless cultivators outside the Blood Prison miss such a good opportunity? By observing and emulating the breakthrough of an Origin King Realm master, they could gain a great deal of experience as well as perhaps learning something about Domain, benefits that would last them a lifetime.
As such, after understanding the truth of this matter, the cultivators gathered outside the Blood Prison summoned their Star Shuttles one after another and flew off to seek this unknown master.
“Sect Master!” Lin Yu Rao’s pretty face turned pale as her tender body trembled slightly.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai frowned when he realized that she was not looking right.
“If I’m not mistaken, the one trying to break through… should be Qian Tong!” Lin Yu Rao quickly said.
“What?” Yang Kai was shocked, his expression suddenly turning solemn, “Are you certain it’s really Elder Qian?”
“At least eighty percent!” Lin Yu Rao bit her red lip, “The reason Elder Qian didn’t wait for you here was that he felt his Qi swelling up and showing signs of a breakthrough, so he quickly left hoping to find a secluded place to break through, but now… it seems he was too late.”
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai immediately realized the seriousness of the problem. If the person who was breaking through was indeed Qian Tong, then the current situation was far from ideal.
Outside the Blood Prison, there were at least a thousand cultivators with about seventy or eighty percent of them being Origin Realm masters. At this moment, all of these outside cultivators were rushing towards the place where Qian Tong was trying to break through, and if they were to disturb him in some way, it might cause his breakthrough to fail. At best, Qian Tong would suffer serious wounds while at worst, he would die on the spot.
Yang Kai didn’t know what kind of scene would appear during a breakthrough to the Origin King Realm, but inferring from his breakthrough to the Origin Returning Realm, it would definitely not be simple. The World Energy baptism that was surely to come would be a huge test for Qian Tong, one that others could absolutely not be permitted to interfere with.
Unexpectedly, it was Qian Tong who crossed this threshold first! Yang Kai felt somewhat surprised.
After all, when he separated from them at Domain Stone Mountain, Qian Tong showed no signs of breaking through. It seemed like Qian Tong had another significant opportunity over the past few days.
Yang Kai’s speed was incredible even without using a Star Shuttle. A pair of almost transparent wings appeared behind him and the sound of roaring wind and thunder resounded as he shot forward, overtaking cultivator after cultivator.
Suddenly, Yang Kai sensed something and turned his head to the side.
Not far away, a figure was moving at a pace on par with his own, and noticing Yang Kai’s gaze, this person turned his head and smiled at him.
Xu Bin Bai! This guy really wasn’t simple, not only able to keep up with his speed but doing so in an obviously relaxed manner.
“Brother Yang, your wings are quite impressive,” Xu Bin Bai glanced at the Wind and Thunder Wings behind Yang Kai and a hint of appreciation flashed across his eyes.
Every time these wings flapped, Yang Kai’s body would make a great leap forward, one Xu Bin Bai had to use significant effort to keep up with.
“You as well!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“To each their own,” Xu Bin Bai smiled slightly and asked thoughtfully. “Brother Yang, is the reason you’re acting so anxious because the person trying to break through is related to you?”
“En, that person is indeed related to me!” Yang Kai was in no mood to chat so he simply answered directly.
“Oh? Then this Xu will offer his congratulations to Brother Yang. The addition of an Origin King to a Sect is a very big event. If you have use of this Xu in the coming moments, Brother Yang just needs to ask.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up hearing this and quickly cupped his fists, “Then I shall thank Brother Xu in advance.”
The other party being willing to help was naturally a great boon. Even though Yang Kai did not know how strong an Origin King Wu Dao was, it could be seen from everyone’s attitude towards Xu Bin Bai before that even amongst Origin Kings, his Master Wu Dao was extremely powerful.
Taking advantage of such a fierce tiger’s name would make things far more convenient.
By the time their chat ended, they had already arrived at their destination and Yang Kai fell to the ground with a loud crash like a meteor next to a few people.
The next moment, Xu Bin Bai landed lightly nearby.
“Sect Master, you’re here!” Yang Xiu Zhu and Chu Han Yi saw Yang Kai arrive and their expressions brightened as they quickly saluted.
Mo Yu also nodded lightly while Zhao Tian Ze stepped forward to greet Yang Kai.
Looking around and seeing that everyone he knew was safe, Yang Kai let out a sigh of relief before asking in a deep voice, “Is it Elder Qian?”
“En!” Chu Han Yi frowned, “It happened so suddenly that all of us were caught off guard!”
They obviously also understood the seriousness of the problem. Breaking through here was not a good thing and had turned what should be a happy event into a troublesome one.
Zhao Tian Ze smiled bitterly, “Originally, this old master was going to take Elder Qian to a place five hundred thousand kilometres away. There’s an isolated region there that few travel through and the World Energy is also rich enough, but…”
“It’s not your fault,” Yang Kai frowned, “By the way, City Lord Zhao, what did Elder Qian encounter that allowed him to suddenly achieve a breakthrough?”
“We didn’t encounter anything in particular, it’s just that after separating from you, Elder Qian broke into a few Domain Vortices and seemed to gain a great deal from them,” Zhao Tian Ze replied respectfully.
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded gently.
Everyone who had come with Yang Kai to Green Mountains Star had been stuck at the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm for many years and all had the qualifications to attempt to reach the Origin King Realm. All they were lacking was a greater comprehension of Shi and the appropriate opportunity.
As long as they could condense their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage, they could attempt a breakthrough.
Qian Tong clearly met this requirement.
This was his opportunity and fate!
As Yang Kai’s group was talking, more and more cultivators rushed to this place while around Qian Tong, the World Energy became more and more violent. There was also a mysterious power which was permeating throughout the surroundings. At first this power spread out slowly, but in the blink of an eye it had suddenly expanded greatly.
Qian Tong’s Shi!
Within a range of several thousand metres, winds roared and small tornadoes formed one after another, sealing off the region entirely while creating a violent and shocking display.
Qian Tong’s Shi had indeed reached the grand accomplishment stage and he had successfully integrated his own unique power into it.
“Sure enough, there is someone trying to break through to the Origin King Realm!” A cultivator who arrived here shouted as many stared wide-eyes towards this scene, all of them hoping to get closer and see it more clearly.
Some people actually passed by the location where Yang Kai and his group were standing and approached very closely to try to comprehend the many mysteries which were swirling about.
These were Qian Tong’s insights into the mysteries of the Origin King Realm. When he was breaking through, these insights would diffuse outwards without reservation and were extremely attractive to any Origin Returning Realm master.
Yang Kai’s face sank and he quickly flew up into the air, cupped his fists to those below, and shouted loudly, “Everyone, please don’t get too close so as not to disturb the concentration of this Yang’s Senior!”
The cultivators who had approached closely, however, just snorted disdainfully towards Yang Kai, not caring about him at all.
Being able to observe the breakthrough of an Origin King was a one in ten thousand year event, something rarer than the Blood Prison Trial opening, so how could these people give up this opportunity just because of Yang Kai’s request?
All of them couldn’t wait to get even closer!
“If everyone could give this Yang a little face, this Yang would be extremely grateful!” Yang Kai was extremely annoyed and wanted to use force to deter these people, but out of concern for Qian Tong’s breakthrough, he had to suppress his anger and act politely.
“What the hell do you count for? Us standing here is not interfering with anything, much less making trouble. This isn’t your house, so you have no right to tell us what we can do,” Someone yelled in dissatisfaction.
“That is right, a trivial Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy dares try to tell us what to do? You’d best hope this old master doesn’t come over there and waste you!”
“Young man, you should watch your tongue, this isn’t a place you can speak freely.”
Many people mocked him while the rest simply didn’t take him seriously.
Yang Kai’s face went ashen!
“Everyone, while another is trying to break through, isn’t it inappropriate for you to run over and disturb them? One day, when you are all trying to break through, how would you like it if this Xu ran over to bother you?” Xu Bin Bai grinned meaningfully, his voice not loud but still clearly reaching everyone’s ear.
“Little brat, who do you think you are?”
“Young people nowadays really don’t know how to respect their elders, mouthing off so unscrupulously will only cause you to suffer a big loss sooner or later!”
“You’re courting death, that guy is Senior Wu Dao’s disciple! Do you dare speak to him like that?”
Not everyone knew about Xu Bin Bai’s origins, but someone who had overheard the conversation between Xu Bin Bai and the Imperial Spirit Pavilion Elder outside the Blood Prison earlier and knew his identity quickly warned his companion in a low voice.
“What? Senior Wu Dao’s disciple? Are you sure?”
“It can’t be, it’s said that Senior Wu Dao hasn’t shown up for hundreds of years, when did he take a disciple?”
“Believe what you want, just don’t blame me for not warning you when you suffer the consequences later.”
“Ah… it’s true, look at that pattern on his chest. That’s clearly Senior Wu Dao’s three-petal emblem! Only those closest to Senior Wu Dao are eligible to wear it.”
“Heavens, Senior Wu Dao’s disciple! This young man’s achievements in the future will certainly be limitless.”
“Could it be fake?”
“Who would dare fake such an emblem? Wouldn’t that be asking for death?”
“So he really is Senior Wu Dao’s disciple…”
After learning the identity of Xu Bin Bai, the cultivators who had been acting so arrogantly before and weren’t taking Yang Kai seriously became gloomy, regretting that they had been rude just now and spoken up before confirming their opponent’s background first.
Xu Bin Bai just chuckled lightly, “What’s more, this friend will soon break through to the Origin King Realm. If you dare act presumptuously here, aren’t you worried he will try to find trouble with you after he succeeds?”
As soon as this statement came out, everyone paled greatly!
While Xu Bin Bai’s identity made these people cautious, this sentence truly frightened them.
They just wanted to watch the excitement out of curiosity and to reap some benefits, but they had failed to consider the ramifications until after Xu Bin Bai reminded them.
Someone here would soon break through to the Origin King Realm. If their breakthrough failed, there wouldn’t be anything to worry about as this would likely result in this person’s soul being extinguished under the violent World Energy baptism, but if this person succeeded and became a true Origin King, would he let them off after they caused trouble for him during such a critical moment?
Continuing to remain here to observe and emulate would lead them to a dead end in that case!
At this point, all the cultivators who were cursing Yang Kai earlier turned to Xu Bin Bai and cupped their fists, “Many thanks for this friend’s reminder!”
Saying so, they began to withdraw quickly while wearing awkward smiles and nodding to Yang Kai, “This little brother, this one was simply hot-blooded a moment ago and meant no offence, please don’t mind!”
Others also laughed and apologized.
Yang Kai’s complexion cleared up and he nodded gently, “Everyone is too polite. This Yang was also a bit presumptuous a moment ago. As long as everyone stands a little further away and does not affect the breakthrough of this Yang’s Senior, this Yang will naturally not interfere.”
“Good, good, good, many thanks, Little Brother.”
The tense scene relaxed invisibly as all the cultivators who were standing close backed off on their own initiative.
Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and the others secretly wiped cold sweat from their brows.
Yang Kai landed and nodded lightly to Xu Bin Bai while saying gratefully, “Many thanks Brother Xu for your assistance, this Yang will not forget this favour.”
“It was nothing, Brother Yang doesn’t need to worry,” Xu Bin Bai smiled freely.
At this moment, an uproar suddenly occurred.
“Heavens, Sir Luo Hai has come.”
“The movement here naturally alerted Sir Luo Hai; after all, he is the Star Master of Green Mountains Star.”
“Many other Origin Kings have come as well! Isn’t that Senior Lei from Sword Union?”
“Look, that’s Senior Li Wan Ning from Purple Star.”
“That’s Old Jiu of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce…”
Eight Origin Kings suddenly appeared and were instantly recognized by the crowd; after all, these characters weren’t like Wu Dao who never showed his face. Although these masters were also rarely seen, they still showed up occasionally throughout the Star Field and each had resounding reputations.
These Origin Kings appeared on the distant horizon, but they soon arrived above the crowd under Luo Hai’s lead.
An invisible force surrounded these figures and all those who were close to them involuntarily withdrew a large distance, automatically forming a three hundred metre space around them.
“Ho, an Origin King is about to be born right after the Blood Prison. From the looks of it, this person has obviously touched the threshold of Domain. If he’s lucky enough, he will break through soon!” Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Old Jiu commented as his sharp eyes gazed towards the swirling mass of World Energy around Qian Tong’s location. Frowning slightly, he continued, “This old master hasn’t seen this person before. I wonder what great force he comes from.”
The beautiful woman named Li Wan Ning from Purple Star laughed, “Old Jiu, do you want to win him over as well? If that’s your plan, why not just speak frankly instead of trying to cover your intentions so thinly?”
“How is this old master hiding things? Don’t all of you have the same idea?” Old Jiu snorted lightly.
The others just laughed and said nothing, obviously indicating that Old Jiu was right.
“This person must certainly be won over, but this old lady is more interested in that mysterious little boy. Sir Luo Hai, where is that boy now? Is he around here?” The old woman of Sword Union asked as she clutched her cane and looked around, her eyes stopping for a moment on each Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator she found.
Luo Hai’s expression flickered, but he didn’t try to hide anything, simply nodding and saying, “He’s here, as for who he is, exactly, I think that’s not difficult to tell with your Divine Senses, right?”
“Since Sir Luo Hai has said so, then this old man will not hold back!” A burly looking man grinned meaningfully while releasing his powerful Divine Sense.
The same was true for all the others.
In an instant, seven or eight Divine Senses that belonged to Origin King Realm masters scanned all the surrounding cultivators one after another, shocking everyone and causing them to wonder what these powerful masters wanted.
“It’s him!” Old Jiu suddenly let out a low voice as his eyes fixed on Yang Kai.
Immediately after him, everyone noticed the existence of Yang Kai.
Although there were more than a thousand people present, there weren’t that many Second-Order Origin Realm cultivators, and among these Second-Order Origin Realm cultivators, Yang Kai’s Saint Qi and vitality were by far the strongest.
“This boy is truly exceptional. His Saint Qi is almost twice as dense as an average Third-Order Origin Realm! No wonder he was able to traverse the Blood Prison freely,” Old Jiu smiled and nodded with satisfaction.
“This old lady is also curious what kind of Body Tempering Secret Art he cultivates, his vitality is far stronger than normal,” A curious glint flashed across the old woman surnamed Lei’s eyes.
“This boy is simply incredible.”
“Why waste time standing here evaluating him? It’s best if we just talk to him in person, or are you worried he’ll try to bite?” The beautiful woman named Li Wan Ning smiled before swiftly landing and gracefully stepping towards Yang Kai, her enchanting eyes fixing on his face.
Yang Kai frowned suddenly.
These Origin King Realm masters arriving here suddenly had stunned Yang Kai, but he quickly reasoned that they had detected Qian Tong’s breakthrough and had come to observe. Still, this left him nervous about their intentions.
Origin Kings were peak level masters, so let alone eight of them, even one arriving here would be enough to make people anxious.
Yang Kai immediately became vigilant, but seeing this beautiful woman suddenly focus on him and even walk over towards him, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling confused.
Immediately after this beautiful woman approached, the other Origin Kings also started walking over towards him…
What did they want with him?
Yang Kai instinctually began circulating his Saint Qi, his expression becoming alert.
With his current strength, beneath the Origin King Realm Yang Kai was invincible, but in the face of a genuine Origin King, he would have no choice but to flee, and if he were to make a single mistake, he would certainly die.
The gap between the Origin King Realm and the Origin Returning Realm was simply too big, otherwise throughout the entire Star Field there wouldn’t have been so many cultivators trapped at the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm and there would be far more Origin Kings.
“Brother Yang, don’t be nervous,” Xu Bin Bai’s voice suddenly called out, seemingly aware of Yang Kai’s vigilance. “They shouldn’t have any malicious intent.”
“Why would you say that?” Yang Kai asked in a low voice.
“En, after every Blood Prison Trial, the Origin Kings from various great forces will try to win over some outstanding cultivators. This time is naturally no exception. I think they are all very interested in you, so they are coming over to try to recruit you.”
“Recruit me?” Yang Kai frowned, “I wasn’t the only one who came out of the Blood Prison, so why did they all settle on me?”
Xu Bin Bai smiled brilliantly, “This is naturally due to Brother Yang’s incredible performance in the Blood Prison. To be honest, even I feel great pressure when facing you!”
“My performance… how do they know about my performance in the Blood Prison?” Yang Kai’s face sank.
“They probably don’t know anything in detail, but Senior Luo Hai of Green Mountains Star can sense some things as he is Green Mountains Star’s Star Master,” Xu Bin Bai explained.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed hearing this as he suddenly realized that his situation wasn’t good.
As a Star Master, it was only natural to be able to sense what happens on the Cultivation Star of which one refined the Star Source.
However, this would also consume a great deal of power, and no Star Master was idle enough to simply be spying on others at will. If there was enough time for that, they might as well just cultivate instead.
Yang Kai naturally understood this as Xia Ning Chang was also a Star Master, although her situation was a bit special. With her ability, she was still able to perceive the situation everywhere in Tong Xuan Realm.
As a Second-Order Origin King, Luo Hai was several times stronger than Xia Ning Chang and probably had no difficulties perceiving the situation inside the Blood Prison.
Seeing the dark look on Yang Kai’s face, Xu Bin Bai immediately understood what he was worried about and chuckled, “Brother Yang doesn’t need to be too nervous. The chaotic power of Domain which floods the Blood Prison is so powerful that even Senior Luo Hai shouldn’t be able to perceive what happens inside too clearly.”
“Not too clearly?” Yang Ka’s brow rose.
“Yes, it is said that there is a barrier which was erected by the previous Star Master of Green Mountains Star using the power of its Star Source around the Blood Prison. The previous generation Star Master had a Third-Order Origin King cultivation, which is higher than the current Senior Luo Hai, so until Senior Luo Hai reaches a similar height, it should be difficult for him to overcome this barrier entirely,” Xu Bin Bai explained.
Yang Kai nodded slightly, his nervous expression relaxing somewhat.
However, even if what Xu Bin Bai said was true, Yang Kai remained a little uneasy.
The movement at Domain Stone Mountain wasn’t of concern as it was the Stone Puppet who was secretly acting at the time. As such, Yang Kai was confident that even if Luo Hai was paying attention, he would never have noticed what really happened.
However, the events on Monster Mountain were a different story.
Chi Yue and the other Tribal Lords knew about the existence of the Origin Essence Crystal there, so how could Luo Hai, as Green Mountains Star’s Star Master, not know?
Yang Kai had fought a great battle with Mad Crocodile Monster King on Monster Mountain after which he had taken the Origin Essence Crystal away with him…
[Does Luo Hai know about this?] Yang Kai didn’t dare to make arbitrary judgments, but the Origin Essence Crystal was a treasure that Chi Yue coveted greatly.
Chi Yue had the same cultivation as Luo Hai, so what she wanted, he must want as well!
Many thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind before he took a deep breath and restored his calm while shooting a glance towards the golden-crown-wearing Luo Hai.
The other party was also paying attention to him, and when their four eyes suddenly met, Yang Kai clearly saw Luo Hai’s eyes flash.
Yang Kai’s heart sank!
“Oh… Young Man, what’s the relationship between you and Senior Wu Dao?” The beautiful woman who had walked over to Yang Kai first and was about to ask him about himself suddenly noticed Xu Bin Bai standing beside Yang Kai as well as the three-petal flower pattern on his chest and asked in surprise.
“He is my Master!” Xu Bin Bai replied, neither humbly nor arrogantly.
“Senior Wu Dao is your master?” Li Wan Ning couldn’t help covering her mouth as a look of shock filled her face.
“What, this little guy is Senior Wu Dao’s disciple?” The other Origin Kings who were following behind also exclaimed, as if they had found something extraordinary, all of them turning to look at Xu Bin Bai with interest.
Even Luo Hai, who was the strongest amongst this group and who also possessed the highest status, showed a trace of shock. Obviously, he had not expected that someone with such immense background would participate in this Blood Prison Trial.
“Xu Bin Bai greets several Seniors!” Although Xu Bin Bai was a disciple of Wu Dao, he was still a Junior, so he didn’t dare act aloof when facing so many Origin Kings and politely offered his greetings.
“En, Little Brother need not act so polite.”
“That’s right, there are no outsiders here so there’s no need for such formality. This Zhou was fortunate enough to meet Senior Wu Dao five hundred years ago and suddenly became enlightened thanks to Senior’s advice. Only then was I able to break through to the Origin King Realm. Strictly speaking, Senior Wu Dao is this Zhou’s half-master, so you and I are fellow apprentice brothers.” The burly looking man wore a kind smile as he spoke to Xu Bin Bai. Even as an Origin King, he obviously didn’t care about his identity at all and highly praised Wu Dao.
“Senior Zhou must be joking; this Junior does not have the skill or ability to dare call Senior Zhou a brother!” Xu Bin Bai smiled lightly and said humbly.
“Hahaha. Senior Wu Dao seems to have found a promising successor. Little Boy, work hard so as not to lose face for Senior Wu Dao.”
“Junior will take Senior’s teachings to heart!” Xu Bin Bai replied.
“En, when you see Senior Wu Dao again, please extend him this Luo’s greetings,” Luo Hai exhorted him kindly.
“Junior will certainly deliver Senior Luo’s sentiments!” Xu Bin Bai nodded, “Master once said that if nothing unexpected happens, the next master to break through to the Third-Order Origin King will be Senior Luo Hai.”
When the various Origin Kings heard this, all of them turned a look of admiration towards Luo Hai, obviously treating such an evaluation from Wu Dao as extremely high praise.
“Really?” Luo Hai raised his brows, a look of pride appearing on his face as he laughed loudly. “Then this Luo will certainly do his best to live up to Senior Wu Dao’s high expectations!”
“Junior hopes that Senior achieves this accomplishment soon.”
“En, enough gossip though. All of you should do what you came here to do,” Luo Hai smiled and looked at Yang Kai with interest.
“How should we address this little brother?” Li Wan Ning was the first to ask, smiling at Yang Kai as a light floral fragrance wafted from her figure.
The others also stared at him with inquisitive eyes.
“Yang Kai!”
“Yang Kai?” Everyone heard this name and frowned, looking around at each other as they shook their heads slowly, indicating they had never heard this name before.
Generally, the rising stars in the Origin Returning Realm would have some fame associated with their names, but this was the first time they had heard of Yang Kai.
“Why does this old master feel like he’s heard someone mention your name before?” Only Old Jiu showed a thoughtful expression.
“Senior is…”
“This is Old Jiu of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce!” The beautiful woman took the initiative to introduce Yang Kai.
“Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce?” Yang Kai’s brow twitched, “Senior may have heard my name from Xue Yue.”
Old Jiu’s eyes lit up and he nodded and said, “That’s right, I heard about you from the Third Young Master. This old master remembers the last Third Young Master came back from the Emperor Garden he mentioned you several times. Is Little Brother familiar with Third Young Master?”
“En,” Yang Kai braced himself and nodded.
Rather than familiar, that woman Xue Yue couldn’t wait to cut him up into tiny little pieces…
“This is really fate!” Old Jiu was overjoyed, “It is no small matter for the Third Young Master to never forget a person. Little Brother, if you are willing to join my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, you can definitely become one of my Chamber of Commerce’s future high-level figures with your aptitude. You should understand just how influential my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce is in the Star Field, right?”
“Hey Old Jiu, this Mistress came here first, didn’t she? Isn’t it a bit unfair for you to suddenly cut in line?” Li Wan Ning saw Old Jiu speaking so straightly that she suddenly felt a little unhappy.
“How can this kind of thing be decided by a first-come-first-served attitude? Clearly, the one who strikes first has the advantage!” Old Jiu laughed loudly while he continued trying to win over Yang Kai, “Little Brother, Xue Yue Third Young Master rarely cares about any young talents, and this old master also knows a little bit about your strength and aptitude, so if you join my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, this old master can take responsibility to offer you this…”
Old Jiu began listing a set of attractive conditions that caused all the nearby cultivators who were listening to gasp and stare at Yang Kai with envy and jealousy, wishing they could rush up and recommend themselves while begging Old Jiu to let them join Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
“Don’t listen to him, what’s so good about Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce?” Li Wan Ning sneered and immediately set her beautiful eyes upon Yang Kai while elegantly saying, “Little brother, as long as you promise to join my Purple Star, I can offer you the same conditions as Old Jiu as well as find you an Origin King Realm master to personally guide your cultivation. Of course, if you would like, this Queen can also personally guide you. What do you say?”
“Don’t go making exaggerated claims without having anything to back your words up with, you two,” The old woman surnamed Lei couldn’t help butting in, tapping her cane on the ground as she turned to Yang Kai and said. “Little brother, you should join my Sword Union instead. En, our Sword Union always welcomes young fresh blood. As long as you agree to join now, this token is yours!”
Saying so, the old woman surnamed Lei suddenly summoned a black token into her hand.
The token was made from neither metal nor jade and had a sword-shaped emblem on it while pulsing with a faint but sharp aura.
“A Sword Union Elder Token!” A rather knowledgeable person called out as he gazed at this token blazingly.
“Impossible, how could it be a Sword Union Elder Token? Can a Second-Order Origin Realm cultivator even become a Sword Union Elder?”
“Senior Lei is truly bold. There should only be ten Great Elders in the entire Sword Union, each one a top-rank character.”
“Tsk tsk, with this Elder Token, one can mobilize a large part of the human and financial resources of Sword Union. With it, there would be no need to worry about one’s cultivation in the future.”
“What is so special about this little brat? Why are so many masters trying to win him over?”
Amongst the onlookers, various reactions like admiration, jealousy, and confusion abounded.
No one understood why these Origin Kings were ignoring all the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators around them and doing their best to invite a mere Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy to join their forces instead.
All of them weren’t any worse than him, right? Many felt indignant and began having competitive thoughts.
With the Star Field’s three super forces all having set out their offers, the other Origin Kings were unwilling to fall behind and instantly began trying to woo Yang Kai one by one, each of them expressing an extremely sincere attitude.
There was only one lone Origin King Realm old man who remained indifferent, as his intentions here were simply to purchase Domain Stones.
“Several Seniors’ intentions, Junior understands well,” Yang Kai waited for them to finish before nodding sincerely.
He never expected that he would receive so much attention just after stepping out of the Blood Prison. These Origin King Realm masters were all trying to win him over with unusual zeal!
Each of them had a friendly attitude and a very sincere look on their face.
However, the more enthusiastic they acted, the more disturbed Yang Kai’s heart became!
These masters inviting him so vigorously must be because they knew about his performance inside the Blood Prison, otherwise, how could they act like this?
And the reason why they could understand this was all because of Luo Hai!
[This place is not suitable to stay for long!] Yang Kai secretly made up his mind to immediately leave Green Mountains Star after Qian Tong finished his breakthrough successfully.
“Since you understand, what is your decision?” Li Wan Ning asked nervously.
From Luo Hai, they deeply understood how excellent Yang Kai was. Throughout the ages, many Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators had entered the Blood Prison, but the number who had come out unscathed was one, Yang Kai being the very first.
This alone was enough for them to want to win the other over, not to mention that they were able to tell that Yang Kai had some incredible ability, with their vision.
He was definitely a genius among geniuses, and no one wanted to miss out on a chance to recruit him.
Above the wilderness, eight Origin Kings looked towards Yang Kai, waiting for his reply.
Over a thousand other cultivators had their eyes focused on Yang Kai as well, and for a moment, Qian Tong’s breakthrough to the Origin King Realm faded into the background.
Xu Bin Bai stood to the side and smiled, seemingly not surprised at all. To him, it was only natural that Yang Kai had attracted the attention of so many people.
“Several Seniors’ intentions, Junior understands very well,” Yang Kai nodded faintly, “But please forgive this Junior for speaking presumptuously. This Junior is flattered and thankful, but I am afraid this Junior is not fated to receive several Seniors’ blessings.”
“Uh…” Old Jiu was stunned, obviously not having anticipated Yang Kai would refuse so many sincere invitations from all of the Origin Kings who were trying to win him over.
“Are you sure you don’t want to take some more to consider this matter?” Li Wan Ning was also quite surprised. All of these Origin Kings had been certain that Yang Kai would not refuse such an invitation and would accept at least one of them.
However, he actually rejected all of them, a truly surprising turn of events.
The cultivators who were watching also flew into an uproar!
“Is this boy an idiot? So many great opportunities were laid out in front of his eyes, yet he plans to actually refuse all of them?”
“There’s definitely something wrong with this brat’s head. Why are all of us even here? Isn’t it to seek opportunities and resources? Now that all these benefits were offered to him, doesn’t he want any of them? Why didn’t I receive this kind of Heaven sent opportunity? The injustice of it all!”
“Senior Jiu, I am willing to join the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, please take me with you.”
“Senior Lei, I have long admired Sword Union, please be sure to accept me.”
“Senior Li…”
The scene descended into chaos as the invitations of all eight Origin King Realm masters were rejected by Yang Kai. The Origin Kings also felt slightly uncomfortable having been rejected like this, and when they saw others yelling towards them suddenly, their expressions sank, and they released some of their strength.
No one present could withstand the anger of an Origin King and realizing that these masters weren’t in a good mood, the clatter abruptly stopped, with no one daring to act presumptuous again.
“Little brother, are you certain?” Li Wan Ning looked at Yang Kai in disbelief. She really did not understand why Yang Kai was so indifferent. The conditions she offered weren’t bad and could even be said to be extremely generous. Moreover, she had even offered to personally guide him in his cultivation.
The personal guidance of an Origin King Realm master was something that all Origin Returning Realm cultivators dreamed of.
Was he not tempted at all?
“That’s right, please think twice about this,” Old Jiu looked at Yang Kai unwillingly.
Yang Kai, however, just slowly shook his head, smiled, and said, “Junior really must decline several Seniors good intentions. Junior simply has no plans to join any great force currently.”
Hearing him say this, everyone showed a look of regret; after all, they had just missed out on such a good seedling and only the Heavens knew when they would run into another in the future.
“Alright, Alright. Since this little brother doesn’t want to join any of you, there’s no need to force the issue. Besides, aren’t there still many good candidates here?” Luo Hai smiled gently.
“En, a forcefully picked melon is not sweet, this old master won’t insist any further. However, little brother, if you ever feel like joining my Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce someday, just go to Water Moon Star to find this old master. The doors of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce will always be open to you and the conditions this old master offered will remain unchanged,” Old Jiu nodded lightly to Yang Kai.
“The same goes for my Sword Union,” The old woman surnamed Lei immediately said.
The other Origin Kings expressed similar opinions, saying that if Yang Kai wanted to join them in the future, he could come look for them directly whenever he wanted.
…..
The Origin Kings gathered around Yang Kai then scattered and began to look for other outstanding candidates to recruit.
They had come to Green Mountains Star this time first to lead some of their own great force’s disciples to participate in the Blood Prison Trial, and second to recruit new talents after the trial ended.
Yang Kai’s performance had simply been too blinding, so he had become their first goal. Now that Yang Kai had refused their offers though, they naturally set their sights on other candidates.
In an instant, many people gathered around the Origin King Realm masters, all of them volunteering to join their forces.
Luo Hai didn’t move though.
Yang Kai turned to him, thought about it for a moment, then cupped his fists politely, “Many thanks Senior for your assistance, this Junior will keep this favour in mind.”
Luo Hai glanced at him and smiled lightly, “You’re welcome, this King is Green Mountains Star’s Star Master, so this is only what this King should do. En, looking at your face, it seems you have some concerns bothering you right now. Could the one breaking through to the Origin King right now be your friend?”
Yang Kai did not try to deny this, as in front of such a master denial served no purpose, simply nodding and saying, “Yes, he is one of my elders.”
“No wonder you aren’t interested in the offers of others, it turns out one of your Elders is going to break through to the Origin King Realm!” Luo Hai seemed to understand something and chuckled, “This King is also a little curious, where are you from? How come each of you seems to be so outstanding?”
While speaking, he glanced around at Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi and Lin Yu Rao who had all been standing beside Yang Kai. With Luo Hai’s eyesight, he was naturally able to see that each of these three had cultivated to the very peak of the Origin Returning Realm, which meant they only needed to achieve a slightly deeper comprehension of Shi in order to break through to the Origin King Realm.
In other words, these three were pinnacle masters in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm.
Yang Kai knit his brow, and although feeling somewhat reluctant in his heart, he still replied, “We are from Shadowed Star.”
“Shadowed Star…” Luo Hai frowned, because despite being quite knowledgeable, he had never heard of Shadowed Star before. Glancing over at Yang Kai for a moment, however, he wore a meaningful smile and said, “It must be a good place!”
He clearly thought Yang Kai had casually fabricated the name of a Cultivation Star to fool him.
Luo Hai did not have any intention to pursue this issue though, as he fell silent and turned to stare outwards indifferently, as if he had sunk into contemplation.
Yang Kai also raised his eyes and focused his attention on Qian Tong’s location.
Over there, Qian Tong’s Shi had now spread out to a radius of a few thousand metres, and the swirling winds inside this range were becoming more and more violent. Small vortices combined to form bigger ones, while bigger ones split apart into several smaller ones in a constant dynamic situation.
The earth within this radius now appeared like it had been haphazardly plowed by an iron hoe, with criss-crossing ravines and ditches dug out in random directions.
What’s more, an astonishing and terrifying amount of World Energy had gathered high up into the sky, gradually forming a thick black cloud that blotted out the sun.
Yang Kai was both shocked and moved.
He noticed just how immense the World Energy hidden inside these dark clouds were and it was enough to frighten even him.
This was also not the end as the surrounding World Energy was still continuing to gather together.
As time passed by, the noisy scene gradually calmed, and the Origin Kings who had been recruiting talents gradually returned. Each of them had apparently gained a lot, but those they had gathered were offered vastly different treatment than what was offered to Yang Kai previously.
Not only did these newly recruited talents have to accept some difficult tests, even if they were to pass these tests and became eligible to join the great forces these Origin Kings represented, they could not enjoy the rich treatment Yang Kai would have.
No one dared to complain though.
Bargaining with an Origin King Realm master was no different than courting death!
All eyes were now staring towards Qian Tong’s location while the several Origin Kings who had once again gathered began whispering amongst themselves.
Soon, these Origin Kings seemed to obtain some information from Luo Hai and all of them turned to look at Yang Kai in astonishment and asked, “Little brother, is the person who is breaking through your Elder?”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded.
“Is his temperament the same as yours?” Old Jiu quipped.
They felt somewhat regretful being unable to win over Yang Kai, but there was another person more worthy of them trying to win over here, Qian Tong!
In the end, Yang Kai was just a good seedling with excellent aptitude, but his future was still uncertain.
The Star Field was vast and had so many geniuses living in it, but most of these geniuses would fall before they truly reached the peak of the Martial Dao. On the other hand, there were some who plodded along slowly but who would eventually have the last laugh as they simply managed to survive to reach a height where others had no choice but to look up to them.
Among the many Origin Kings present, not all of them had started out as top-level geniuses, but they were all now amongst the most powerful cultivators in the Star Field.
In short, Qian Tong and Yang Kai’s worth was vastly different at this moment; after all, once Qian Tong broke through successfully, he would be a genuine Origin King Realm!
There were not many Origin Kings in each great force, so even adding one more would greatly increase their overall strength.
It was obvious these Origin Kings would put in their best effort to win over Qian Tong!
Of course, this was all based on the premise that Qian Tong was able to break through successfully.
“Do several Seniors want to try winning him over?” Yang Kai quickly understood.
“Of course,” Old Jiu nodded.
“If that is the case, several Seniors might as well speak with him when the time comes, if he wishes to join any of you then this Junior will naturally not have any opinion.”
“Why you…” Old Jiu smiled helplessly.
With this matter temporarily settled, everyone fell silent and focused all their attention on Qian Tong’s approaching breakthrough.
At a certain moment, Yang Kai frowned suddenly and turned his eyes towards the thick black clouds high up in the sky, faintly feeling something was wrong.
He didn’t know why, but though this dark cloud had been growing continuously, and had drawn in all the World Energy within a ten thousand kilometre radius, it still hadn’t initiated Qian Tong’s baptism.
Breaking through to a new Great Realm would inevitably be accompanied by a World Energy baptism, after which a cultivator’s cultivation would truly rise.
However, the baptism still refused to begin, leaving only an extremely tense atmosphere.
“Brother Yang, the concentration of World Energy here is insufficient!” Xu Bin Bai suddenly moved to Yang Kai’s side and whispered.
“Is that a problem?” Yang Kai showed a look of surprise.
“En. Because I am at the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, I can break through to the Origin King Realm at any time, but before attempting to do so, my Master had warned me that the most important thing to prepare is a place with sufficient World Energy!” Xu Bin Bai explained.
Yang Kai frowned.
Although the World Energy of Green Mountains Star was indeed quite good, there were naturally some places which were superior to others. The World Energy density in this vast wilderness was not very high and was obviously insufficient to meet the requirements of Qian Tong’s breakthrough.
“Is there a solution?” Yang Kai asked hurriedly.
“Of course, there is,” Before Xu Bin Bai could answer, Old Jiu suddenly laughed and interjected, “If there is not enough World Energy, one simply needs to supplement it. Saint Crystals are the best choice in this kind of situation. Little brother, if you wish to borrow some Saint Crystals from this old master, this old master will naturally oblige. Although this old master does not have much on him, he certainly has enough Saint Crystals to solve this little issue.”
Old Jiu was obviously trying to show good will, taking the initiative to offer to loan Yang Kai some Saint Crystals. If Yang Kai accepted his favour, he would have a significant bargaining chip in hand; after all, eating from another man’s table and not reciprocating was simply bad manners.
“This Queen also has many Saint Crystals here,” Li Wan Ning pursed her lips and smiled.
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched as he directly ignored them. Naturally, he understood what these people were up to.
At this time, if he really borrowed Saint Crystals from them, the favour would be quite heavy as this was related to Qian Tong successfully breaking through to the Origin King Realm.
“How many Saint Crystals do you have?” Yang Kai turned to look at Yang Xiu Zhu and the others.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others exchanged a quick glance before taking out all their Saint Crystals and giving them to Yang Kai.
“That’s all?” Yang Kai did a rough count with his Divine Sense and frowned.
The number of Saint Crystals they had collectively was only about five million.
Such few Saint Crystals weren’t small, more than enough to satisfy each of their individual cultivation needs. Moreover, when they left Shadowed Star, Yang Kai had basically been responsible for bringing along Saint Crystals.
However, those Saint Crystals were already used up on Tong Xuan Realm when Little Senior Sister was refining the Star Source.
As such, Yang Kai did not have many Saint Crystals on hand!
He could not help feeling a little troubled and quickly began rummaging through his Space Ring.
From the Space Rings of Mi Tian, Xue Lian, Lie Feng and a few others, Yang Kai was able to gather a few more Saint Crystals, but only about five million more!
All of these cultivators had come here to participate in the Blood Prison Trial, so how could they have brought a large number of Saint Crystals with them?
“If you don’t have enough, I can lend you some,” Seeing Yang Kai’s expression, Xu Bin Bai took the initiative to speak.
“How could I ask that of you?” Yang Kai sighed, never having anticipated that one day he would be worried about having enough Saint Crystals. In the past, he had always spent Saint Crystals freely without any cares.
“Why not? It’s just Saint Crystals,” Xu Bin Bai grinned, “But I don’t have much, only about twenty million.”
“That should be enough,” Yang Kai nodded. “Many thanks, Brother Xu.”
“You’re welcome. Maybe this Xu will also have a request for Brother Yang one day. When that time comes, please do not refuse,” Xu Bin Bai smiled and handed a Space Ring to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai took it and nodded to him, “This Yang will forever remember Brother Xu’s kindness. If there is ever a day you need this Yang’s assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I hope you and I will meet again then,” Xu Bin Bai smiled lightly.
Thirty million was not a huge number of Saint Crystals, but it also wasn’t small.
However, it should be enough for Qian Tong’s breakthrough. The World Energy in this wilderness was only a little thin, not barren.
Seeing Yang Kai prefer to ask Xu Bin Bai to borrow Saint Crystals than them, the many Origin Kings present exchanged a helpless glance.
Yang Kai knew what they were thinking, so they understood his thought process as well.
Not making a big deal of the situation, Old Jiu just kindly reminded, “Boy, if you want to deliver Saint Crystals to your Elder, you should do so quickly. The dangers of breaking through to the Origin King Realm are beyond your imagination, if you remain too long inside, you will likely get caught up in those dangers.”
“Many thanks for Senior’s reminder!” Yang Kai gently nodded, took a deep breath, then flew upwards.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s figure transformed into a streak of light that rushed straight into the chaotic storm.
Everyone was paying attention to his movements with single-minded focus.
Countless big and small tornadoes swept back and forth, but Yang Kai’s figure was able to flicker between them and approach the centre of the disturbance at extremely fast speed.
The Shi permeating from Qian Tong’s body was actually his biggest obstacle.
Shi which was condensed to the grand accomplishment stage was almost on par with Domain, but fortunately, Yang Kai now had plenty of experience breaking into Domain Vortices inside the Blood Prison. This obstacle could not bar his path, and after integrating his own Shi into the surroundings, Yang Kai didn’t encounter much resistance as he moved forward.
This also allowed Yang Kai to not interfere with Qian Tong’s breakthrough.
“This boy has some impressive skill!” Old Jiu’s eyes flashed.
“He managed to integrate his own Shi into another’s so smoothly. It seems his understanding of Shi has far surpassed that of an ordinary Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator!”
“If given enough time, he will definitely break through to the Origin King Realm!”
After less than ten breaths, Yang Kai arrived nearby Qian Tong.
Qian Tong was sitting cross-legged at this moment, but Yang Kai’s arrival had naturally disturbed him, so he opened his eyes. After seeing that it was Yang Kai, however, Qian Tong closed his eyelids again and remained as motionless as a rock.
Yang Kai did not dare to delay. Using his Divine Sense, Yang Kai took out all the Saint Crystals he had gathered from his Space Ring and piled them up around Qian Tong.
“Elder Qian, take this, it may be of help to you at the critical moment,” Yang Kai suddenly threw a jade bottle over to Qian Tong.
After finishing all this, Yang Kai rushed back out.
A short time later, Yang Kai returned to his original spot.
As soon as he stood firm, a shocking energy fluctuation suddenly emerged.
A white beam of light shot up into the sky, and along with this beam, the thirty million Saint Crystals Yang Kai had just scattered about and burst into dazzling light. It seemed that the energy inside these Saint Crystals had been drawn out and sucked up into the dark clouds up above.
The dark clouds immediately became thicker and more solid.
A shocking clap of thunder suddenly resounded.
*Kacha…*
With a deafening sound, the power of Heaven and Earth fell from above like a great flood dragon and bombarded Qian Tong without warning, pouring into his body in a relentless torrent.
“It has begun!” Luo Hai muttered in a low voice and stared fixedly.
Qian Tong’s breakthrough had finally begun!
A kind of magical aura spread out as soon as the breakthrough began, causing all the cultivators present to involuntarily show a thoughtful expression. Everyone was trying their best to comprehend this mysterious air to benefit from it.
This was the Domain of an Origin King that was breaking through, something that was of great value to the growth of all the Origin Realm cultivators present.
The first wave of World Energy in the baptism caused the entire region to tremble violently, with tremors reaching as far as ten thousand kilometres away. It was a terrifying experience that left all in awe of the power of the world.
Such a display of power left many Origin Realm masters pale.
These masters were imagining themselves in Qian Tong’s place and realizing that for most of them, at their current strength, it would be impossible for them to resist. In all likelihood, a single confrontation would result in them dying!
Was breaking through to the Origin King Realm really this frightening?
Some people felt their confidence suffer a blow while others instead felt inspired as a strong sense of desire filled their eyes.
The Origin Kings present were paying close attention to Qian Tong but were also keeping an eye on the reactions of the surrounding cultivators, identifying which of them were talents that could be cultivated.
The second wave of the baptism pounded down soon after, followed by a third, then a fourth…
Soon, it was as if a torrential downpour was taking place, with not a single break in-between.
Qian Tong’s beast-like roars rang out and it was not difficult for anyone to imagine just how much pressure he was currently facing.
His own Shi was fluctuating wildly as the numerous whirlwinds whipped around him, gradually sublimating, and transforming his Shi in the process.
As time passed slowly, Yang Kai and the others looked on nervously.
From Qian Tong’s roars, Yang Kai could infer some information. The pressure Qian Tong was experiencing seemed to be growing greater and greater, and his aura was simultaneously growing weaker and weaker, his vitality now seeming quite weak.
It was as if he was afloat on a small boat in the middle of a storm, in danger of being swallowed up at any moment.
“The situation isn’t good!” Old Jiu looked worried.
“En, the World Energy baptism that he is bearing seems to be much stronger than the one I experienced,” Li Wan Ning also frowned.
“The stronger the baptism you endure, the higher your achievements will be in the future. Each Origin King experiences a different intensity of baptism when they attempt to break through. If one survives, their horizons expand greatly, but if they fail, even their soul will be extinguished,” Luo Hai sighed softly, “From ancient times to present, how many geniuses have fallen on this threshold? Breakthroughs for the Martial Dao’s first few Great Realms aren’t too troublesome, but after the Saint King Realm, no Great Realm can be crossed casually, each one is a struggle against death!”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Each person present was a seasoned expert, so how could they not understand such simple truths?
Luo Hai was right. When a Saint King broke through to the Origin Returning Realm, they would have to face a life or death challenge, and failure would have only one result, death!
There was no other possibility!
Once the power of Heaven and Earth gathered, either one was reborn under its baptism, or they died trying.
Old Jiu glanced over at Yang Kai, pondered for a moment, then spoke, “Boy, you’d best be mentally prepared, the current situation is not optimistic.”
Yang Kai simply turned his head and glanced at him before chuckling, “Elder Qian will succeed.”
Old Jiu simply shook his head, “Sometimes will is not enough to overcome reality. This old master also hopes that this person can succeed, but…”
He did not continue, apparently feeling Qian Tong’s prospects weren’t optimistic.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others also became nervous.
Five of them had followed Yang Kai to leave Shadowed Star and come to Green Mountains Star. It was mere coincidence that their arrival here coincided with the once-in-a-thousand-year opening of the Blood Prison Trial and Qian Tong’s opportunities had clearly been the best, bringing him to the point where he was finally qualified to touch the threshold of the Origin King Realm. None of them wanted to see him fail at this last moment.
If he succeeded, Qian Tong would become the first Origin King born on Shadowed Star in over ten thousand years.
Although he would be breaking through on a different Cultivation Star, it would be enough to allow Yang Xiu Zhu and the others to see hope for the future.
The power of heaven and earth continued to fall, bombarding Qian Tong constantly while his roars grew increasingly weaker. Soon, Qian Tong’s vitality was akin to candlelight caught in a storm, teetering on the brink of being snuffed out…
“Ha, it looks like he will fall short,” The old woman surnamed Lei shook her head suddenly, a trace of regret appearing on her face.
“En, it’s a pity after reaching such a point,” Old Jiu nodded in agreement.
Under their perception, Qian Tong’s vitality had already dimmed to the point where there was no hope of him surviving.
If nothing changed, this person would undoubtedly die!
A breakthrough to the Origin King Realm was not only dependent on strength, sometimes luck was the deciding factor.
Qian Tong’s luck obviously was not good.
Although his strength surpassed the average for Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators by a large margin, and he had significant gains inside the Blood Prison, the World Energy baptism he encountered while breaking through was incredibly powerful.
He had been able to endure it so far, which already proved his great strength.
However, it seemed that persisting until the last moment would be impossible. The dark clouds up above had only diminished to half their original size, which meant that the World Energy baptism was only halfway through.
No one was optimistic about him! Even Luo Hai looked regretful and stopped paying attention.
Although Yang Kai had spoken confidently just now, he too was secretly worried for Elder Qian.
He had never encountered this kind of scene before, so he was somewhat uncertain.
However, he had faith in Qian Tong as well as the treasure he had given to him at the last moment!
Ordinary people couldn’t appreciate Shadowed Star’s cultivators’ desire to reach the Origin King Realm. Under the suppression and restriction of Shadowed Star’s World Principles, no one had been able to break through to the Origin King Realm for over ten thousand years. So more than any, Shadowed Star’s cultivators yearned for this unreachable peak.
Just in terms of strength of conviction, Qian Tong would not lose to anyone.
*Kacha…*
Another terrifying wave of power washed down and poured into Qian Tong’s body, shredding it from the inside while also cleansing it in a brutal and uncaring manner.
Inside this swirling chaotic energy, Qian Tong’s weak vitality was clearly in danger of being annihilated!
Lin Yu Rao screamed and her beautiful face paled. Unable to help herself, she covered her mouth with her hands.
Yang Xiu Zhu and Chu Han Yi Mo Yu also wore extremely dark faces!
“It’s no good, it’s no good! It seems he really will fall short,” Old Jiu shook his head regretfully. “This person’s luck was simply too poor, otherwise he would have very likely broken through to the Origin King Realm, what a pity… Hm? Wait, what happened?”
Suddenly Old Jiu’s eyes widened as he stared straight ahead, as if he discovered something extraordinary.
The other Origin Kings also showed looks of surprise on their faces and began calling out.
“What? How come this person’s vitality is suddenly rising sharply?”
“Did he take some kind of Heaven-defying Spirit Pill? But what Spirit Pill can achieve such a miraculous effect?”
“Nonsense, how could there be any Spirit Pill that could bring a dead man’s vitality back to its peak in an instant? Not even an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill can accomplish this!”
“Strange, what was it he consumed then?”
The many Origin Kings were all at a loss, none of them understanding how Qian Tong’s vitality, which was about to disappear, suddenly blossomed back to full strength in an instant.
Even through the violent, chaotic energies swirling around, the potent vital aura of the man at its centre could be felt clearly.
Suddenly, from afar, Qian Tong’s loud laughter rang out and his figure could be seen standing straight as a sword, staring arrogantly up at the sky as he shouted, “This old master hasn’t lived enough yet, how could he die in some foreign land? Heavens! If you have anything left you’d best use it now!”
Old Jiu and the others twitched as shock filled their eyes.
This person dared to challenge the power of Heaven and Earth when he was breaking through. Throughout the ages, there had never been such a crazy person.
Didn’t he know that the World Energy Baptism caused by his breakthrough had a level of consciousness?
Making such a provocation was akin to digging one’s own grave!
Sure enough, as soon as Qian Tong’s voice fell, the huge black clouds up in the sky began swirling fast and the booming thunder turned absolutely deafening.
In the blink of an eye, a huge vortex appeared above Qian Tong’s head.
Immediately after, a thick beam of energy shot out from the vortex and directly impacted Qian Tong!
Qian Tong’s miserable howls sounded again and his surging vitality was consumed at a rapid pace.
“This old ghost!” Old Jiu spat, not knowing what to say.
Luo Hai’s eyes also filled with light as he stared forward deeply, his expression somewhat moved.
The World Energy baptism seemed to be pouring down all at once in this giant beam of light and the dark clouds up in the sky were rapidly becoming smaller as a result.
Less than ten breaths of time later, the sky suddenly cleared up and the terrifying pressure and intense World Energy aura disappeared without a trace.
In the distance, only Qian Tong’s figure stood straight, motionless!
From just looking, it was impossible to know whether he was alive or dead.
However, a potent Shi rapidly spread out from Qian Tong in the next instant, covering a radius of several hundred kilometres in the blink of an eye.
Immediately afterwards, this Shi contracted rapidly towards Qian Tong’s body.
As it shrank, it also seemed to undergo a kind of miraculous transformation…
Many Origin Returning Realm masters wrinkled their brows as they couldn’t see through the mysteries involved in this process, but the Origin Kings present all raised their brows and showed looks of surprise.
“Compressing his Shi into Domain, this person… unexpectedly succeeded!” The old woman surnamed Lei whispered.
Yang Kai, who had been paying attention to the movement of these Origin Kings, heard this and couldn’t help letting out a laugh.
He couldn’t infer anything from just the scene of Qian Tong’s breakthrough so he could only take clues from the Origin Kings present. Now hearing the words of the old woman surnamed Lei, he was immediately relieved.
Qian Tong was now a genuine Origin King Realm master!
Of course, compared with Luo Hai and the other established Origin Kings present, Qian Tong was still just a fledgeling; after all, perfecting his Domain would take more than a day or two to achieve.
Amongst the Origin Kings present, the one who had broken through most recently had done so over five hundred years ago. In other words, he had five hundred more years of experience than Qian Tong in tempering his own Domain.
Facing any of these masters, Qian Tong may not be able to last three breaths of time!
After thinking about it for a moment, Yang Kai flew high up into the sky, cupped his fists, and said loudly, “Everyone, although Elder Qian has just broken through to the Origin King Realm, it will take him some time to consolidate his cultivation. This Junior hopes that everyone will disperse now so as not to disturb Elder Qian’s mood. Although this is somewhat presumptuous, this Juniors asks for your understanding!”
Many cultivators glanced around at each blankly, knowing that Yang Kai was trying to drive them away.
However, without any of their previous disdain or disregard, the Origin Returning Realm masters present all turned around and left sensibly, a few of them even pausing to cup their fists to Yang Kai while offering some polite words of congratulations.
Before, they were able to ignore Yang Kai because they had a vast numerical advantage and superior strength, but now that this Qian Tong had become a genuine Origin King, if they were to act provocatively, wouldn’t that just be courting death?
No one dared to do this.
“Several Seniors, this…” Yang Kai next turned to the Origin Kings and asked questioningly.
“It’s fine, you don’t need to shoo us all away, this old master will take his leave here!” Old Jiu snorted, “But when your friend over there wakes up, please bring him to meet with this old master and his companions in the nearby city. He has just broken through and will surely have many questions he wants to ask, if he wishes, he may consult with us freely. We won’t be stingy with our experiences.”
“Yes, if we can be of assistance to him, we will offer it freely,” The old woman surnamed Lei also nodded in agreement.
“Junior will replace Elder Qian in offering his thanks to several Seniors then,” Yang Kai respectfully nodded.
The Origin Kings glanced at each other before their figures flickered and disappeared.
Yang Kai clearly saw Luo Hai glance at him before leaving, however.
This place was really not suitable to remain at for long!
“Brother Yang, I’ll also take my leave here, I hope that one day you and I will have the chance to meet again,” Xu Bin Bai cupped his fists to Yang Kai.
“Take care, Brother Xu!” Yang Kai nodded. Although he felt Xu Bin Bai was a good person and someone worthy of making friends with, now was not the time to be thinking about such things so he did not try to delay him.
Soon, only Yang Kai and his party were left above the once noisy wilderness.
Zhao Tian Ze didn’t leave either. At this moment, he was looking towards Qian Tong in the distance with envy, secretly worrying about whether he would ever reach such a height. He and Qian Tong had entered the Blood Prison together and experienced it together, but Qian Tong had managed to break through while he only felt that he had made some improvements in his Shi and a turning point to reach the Origin King Realm was still far away.
“City Lord Zhao,” Yang Kai walked over to Zhao Tian Ze and spoke.
“Does Sect Master Yang have some kind of instruction?” Zhao Tian Ze asked.
“I wouldn’t dare issue instructions, but… I’m afraid we will have to leave soon.”
“Leave?” Zhao Tian Ze was stunned, “Where will you go?”
“Back to Shadowed Star!” Yang Kai said in a low voice.
“Why are you leaving so hurriedly?” Zhao Tian Ze looked puzzled. Even Yang Xiu Zhu and the others turned curious looks towards Yang Kai, “Didn’t those Seniors just invite Elder Qian to go visit them, why…”
As he spoke, Zhao Tian Ze frowned, seemingly realizing something.
Yang Kai couldn’t easily explain the truth of the situation, so he simply said, “Elder Qian will definitely not join them. If he won’t join, why bother going to see them? Moreover, just now, I also refused their offers, so although they didn’t say anything, they will no doubt have some discomfort in their hearts. If Elder Qian now refuses them again, it is difficult to guarantee that they will not become angered.”
“They wouldn’t….” Zhao Tian Ze broke out into cold sweat.
Although he didn’t believe that those Origin Kings would be so petty, Yang Kai’s words also had some truth to them.
“It is better to act cautiously in these circumstances. As such, after Elder Qian awakens, we will leave Green Mountains Star immediately!”
Zhao Tian Ze nodded lightly and sighed, “That’s a pity, this Zhao also wished to invite Sect Master Yang to visit my Green Water City to rest for a few days.”
“There will be a chance in the future,” Yang Kai chuckled, “For now though, this Junior will have to trouble City Lord Zhao with something.”
“Please name it, Sect Master Yang, this Zhao will definitely live up to your expectations,” Zhao Tian Ze quickly said. In the Blood Prison, Yang Kai had not paid any mind to his previous suspicions and even allowed him to return to study the mysteries of Domain Stone Mountain. After that, he had saved Zhao Tian Ze’s life, so Zhao Tian Ze was eager to repay these favours.
“Can I ask City Lord Zhao to go back to Green Water City and bring Qian Yue to me?”
“Little Qian Yue?”
Zhao Tian Ze was no stranger to Qian Yue. When Yang Kai left Green Mountains Star, Qian Tong and the other Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators had stayed behind, but Qian Yue had also remained, hoping to inquire about news of Su Yan, Qing Ya, and her other companions from Ice Sect.
Now that Yang Kai was going to leave, he couldn’t just leave her behind.
“Not a problem, this Zhao will set off immediately. Within seven days, this Zhao will definitely bring little Qian Yue here!” Zhao Tian Ze promised, and after saying some goodbyes to Yang Xiu Zhu and the others he flew off.
“Sect Master, why are you so anxious?” Yang Xiu Zhu looked at Yang Kai somewhat puzzled. He could feel that Yang Kai was on edge but did not know why.
“If it was just about rejecting those people’s offers, Sect Master wouldn’t be so anxious. This is a matter of personal choice, so even if they felt uncomfortable, they wouldn’t sully their own reputations by acting wickedly.”
“It’s not just about this,” Yang Kai shook his head, “The matter of them trying to win us over isn’t of concern, what I’m worried about is something else.”
“What?” Lin Yu Rao asked.
“I’m afraid someone has set their eyes on us,” Yang Kai’s mouth twitched.
There were various signs that Green Mountains Star’s Star Master, Luo Hai had some understanding of what transpired inside the Blood Prison. This was related to an Origin Essence Crystal, so Yang Kai didn’t dare act carelessly.
If the Origin Essence Crystal was still in his hands, everything would be fine. At worst, he could simply hand it over to Luo Hai to keep everyone safe, but now the Origin Essence Crystal was no longer in his possession, as he had already given it to Yu Xiong.
Having lost this bargaining chip, how could Yang Kai dare to remain here any longer?
If not for Qian Tong still needing some time to emerge from his current state, Yang Kai would have left immediately.
Yang Kai didn’t explain in detail, but from his tone and demeanour, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others could infer that the matter was serious, so they didn’t ask anymore and simply decided to follow Yang Kai.
Qian Tong was still standing in the distance, motionless, most likely immersed in some kind of comprehension.
With nothing else to do for now, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others sat down cross-legged to meditate and digest their harvests from the Blood Prison trip.
Although they did not obtain a chance to break through to the Origin King Realm like Qian Tong, it didn’t mean they gained nothing. On the contrary, everyone had obtained significant benefits, and as long as there were enough opportunities in the future, they still had a chance to be able to reach the Origin King Realm.
Yang Kai’s expression changed constantly as various thoughts flashed across his mind. He kept imagining different situations which might happen in the coming days and was planning out how to cope with them.
Time passed slowly, and three days later, Zhao Tian Ze returned with Qian Yue.
After seeing Yang Kai, Qian Yue was naturally extremely happy, but when she remembered that she had been searching for clues on Green Mountains Star for several years but found nothing related to Su Yan and the other’s whereabouts, Qian Yue couldn’t help feeling depressed.
Zhao Tian Ze did not stay long; after delivering Qian Yue here, he hurried back to Green Water City.
When the Blood Prison opened this time, he had entered together with the Vice City Lord of Green Water City. Unfortunately, the Vice City Lord, who was also a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, fell inside the Blood Prison.
This was a serious matter.
Zhao Tian Ze needed to return to Green Water City promptly to choose a new Vice City Lord.
Time flowed on, and another five days later, Qian Tong’s laughter rang out, prompting all the waiting people to look over in his direction.
In a flicker, Qian Tong appeared in front of everyone with a smile on his face.
“Congratulations Elder Qian,” Yang Xiu Zhu cupped his fists and congratulated.
“Elder Qian has successfully broken through to the Origin King Realm. This is a grand event my Shadowed Star has not witnessed in over ten thousand years! Shadow Moon Hall will definitely rejoice, as will all cultivators on Shadowed Star,” Mo Yu chuckled.
“All of you are too serious,” Qian Tong shook his head. “This time this Qian barely managed to escape death. If not for Yang Kai, I would have fallen long ago rather than broken through.”
Saying so, he turned to look straight at Yang Kai, “Yang Kai, this old master owes you another favour!”
At that time, if it wasn’t for the item inside the jade bottle Yang Kai gave him, which allowed him to rapidly strengthen his vitality and heal his wounds, how could Qian Tong have persisted until the end?
Qian Tong knew that what Yang Kai gave him was Life Revitalizing Jade Cream! He and Fei Zhi Tu had seen it once before after all.
Together with Soul Cleansing Divine Water and Immortal Source Liquid, these treasures were known as the Star Field’s Three Great Divine Waters, and every drop was incredibly precious.
The bottle Yang Kai gave him, however, had at least twenty drops inside of it.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that his breakthrough being successful was due in large part to Yang Kai’s assistance.
“Elder Qian is too polite,” Yang Kai chuckled, “Good, this isn’t a place to stay and talk, it’s important we leave quickly.”
“Leave now?” Qian Tong frowned.
“Now!”
“Okay!” Qian Tong didn’t raise any objections and simply followed Yang Kai’s lead.
“There are too many of us to move quickly, come in first!” Yang Kai said, summoning the Sealed World Bead.
Everyone knew what Yang Kai meant and they naturally cooperated, relaxing their guards and not resisting.
Yang Kai opened the Sealed World Bead and in a flash of light, almost everyone was pulled into it.
“You don’t need to bring this old master in,” Qian Tong smiled lightly, “I just made a breakthrough, so this old master would like to feel the surrounding World Principles for a while longer.”
Hearing what he said, Yang Kai didn’t want to force him, simply nodding and reminding, “Sure… But if there is any danger…”
“This old master is now an Origin King, what possible danger could there be?” Qian Tong laughed, not paying it much mind.
A trace of anxiety appeared between Yang Kai’s brow, but he didn’t try to explain, instead just signalling to Qian Tong, summoning his Star Shuttle, and setting out towards the Starry Sky.
While they were still on Green Mountains Star, Yang Kai didn’t dare to summon the Starship casually. Once an Origin King Grade Starship appeared, Luo Hai would immediately be alarmed.
The speed of the two was extremely fast, and while Yang Kai was filled with worries, Qian Tong was feeling quite spirited, feeling everything around him and even showing a thoughtful expression now and then.
The moment they set out, in a city thousands of kilometres away, inside the City Lord’s Mansion, Old Jiu and the other Origin Kings were chatting amongst themselves, exchanging their cultivation experiences while passing the time.
They had all remained here because they wanted to meet with Qian Tong!
Qian Tong was a newly promoted Origin King, and they all thought that the other party would come to find them; after all, each Origin King would have many things they did not understand after they broke through, and if someone was willing to answer their questions, they would naturally not want to miss the opportunity.
None of them had expected Yang Kai to act so decisively and immediately leave Green Mountains Star.
Luo Hai was sitting at the head of the room, occasionally speaking a few words which would garner him the admiration of Old Jiu and the others present.
Suddenly, Luo Hai frowned and revealed a look of surprise.
“Sir Luo Hai, what happened?” The old woman surnamed Lei looked at him and asked curiously.
“This King has something he must deal with, excuse me!” Luo Hai said before his figure flickered and disappeared without a trace.
“What matter would require Brother Luo Hai to suddenly just disappear?” Old Jiu and the others looked at each other at a loss.
“From the look on his face, it seems something major has happened. Could some kind of accident have occurred here?”
“It couldn’t be. Brother Luo Hai is Green Mountains Star’s Star Master, so who would dare act presumptuously here, on his home turf!?”
“That’s right, haha, it seems I am overthinking things. On the other hand, why hasn’t that newly promoted Origin King arrived yet? “We’ve been waiting here for several days now, he couldn’t have run away, right?”
“Why would he try to run? We have no malicious intent towards him and can even teach him some of our experiences for free. As long as he is not a fool, he would not reject such a good offer.”
“Then let’s continue waiting.”
…..
Above Green Mountains Star, Yang Kai and Qian Tong flew out as swift as the wind, trying to escape from the star’s radius.
Suddenly, however, Qian Tong frowned and shouted, “Yang Kai!”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai turned to look at him.
“I feel as if I‘m being watched!” Qian Tong frowned, expanding his Divine Sense like a tide but failing to notice anything, making him even more puzzled.
He had just made a breakthrough and was feeling quite proud of himself, so suddenly feeling like this was quite uncomfortable.
“Pretend like you haven’t noticed anything!” Yang Kai used his Divine Sense to silently tell him.
“Yang Kai, do you know something?” Qian Tong also replied with his Divine Sense.
“I have a fair idea!” Yang Kai’s face turned ugly, “If I’m not mistaken, it is Green Mountains Star’s Star Master Luo Hai who is staring at us!”
“Him!?” Qian Tong’s face changed drastically, “Why would he be looking for us?”
“Not us, me!” Yang Kai smiled bitterly, “He thinks I have something he needs.”
“What should we do then?” Qian Tong asked in surprise.
Being stared at by such a master caused even Qian Tong to start panicking. While he was now an Origin King, he had only broken through a few days ago. As for Luo Hai though, he was a master at the Second-Order Origin King Realm as well as the Star Master of Green Mountains Star.
Qian Tong had no doubt that on Green Mountains Star, if this opponent wanted to take his life, he could do so with a wave of his hand.
“We need to quickly leave this damned place. As long as we escape from the constraints of Green Mountains Star’s World Principles, Luo Hai will be nothing but an ordinary Second-Order Origin King! Only then will we have a chance to survive,” Yang Kai declared clearly.
Qian Tong heard this and nodded lightly.
As long as they were beyond the reach of Green Mountains Star’s World Principles, Luo Hai would not be so terrifying and they may be able to escape from him.
Thinking so, the pair increased their speed greatly.
“You want to leave Green Mountains Star?” In the distance, Luo Hai seemed to be aware of their intentions and grinned faintly, “A good idea, but you are far too naive.”
As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and gently grabbed forward, causing a strange change in the atmosphere as he did.
Yang Kai and Qian Tong, who were tens of thousands of kilometres away, suddenly had their faces go pale and their bodies come to a halt, like they had been struck by lightning.
Looking out towards the endless Starry Sky, Yang Kai grit his teeth secretly and desperately pushed his Saint Qi and Shi, trying to get rid of the invisible shackles binding him, but to his shock, he was still completely incapable of moving.
It was as if the surrounding space had been frozen solid.
This was the power of a Star Master!
[Just a bit further!]
Yang Kai could feel that he and Qian Tong only needed to travel a bit further to escape Green Mountains Star’s World Principles, but at this last moment, they were actually blocked.
Qian Tong seemed to be in a better condition than Yang Kai, at least he could still circulate his Saint Qi properly and glance around while shouting, “Who’s there!”
A figure appeared silently not far in front of Yang Kai and Qian Tong, with a golden crown on his head and a golden robe covering his body. Naturally, it was Luo Hai.
Shooting a glance towards Qian Tong indifferently, a hint of approval flashed across his eyes.
As a freshly broken through Origin King, even though Qian Tong’s realm was not yet stabilized, being able to remain even somewhat mobile was quite a feat. If given enough time, Qian Tong would surely reach the Second-Order Origin King Realm.
However, he didn’t pay too much attention to Qian Tong and quickly turned his gaze back towards Yang Kai.
His main purpose for coming here was Yang Kai!
Above that patch of wilderness, there were too many people around and it would not have been appropriate for him to act against Yang Kai, but now that these two had left Green Mountains Star and come to the edge of the Starry Sky, Luo Hai could act without restraint.
“So it is Senior Luo Hai!” Yang Kai looked towards Luo Hai with some difficulty and frowned, “I wonder what Senior’s intentions are?”
A faint smile appeared on Luo Hai’s face and instead of answering, he asked, “The two of you seem to be in a hurry, where do you plan on going?”
“Naturally we wish to leave here and return to Shadowed Star, does Senior have some kind of objection?”
“Of course not,” Luo Hai slowly shook his head, “But Old Jiu, Sister Lei and the others are all waiting to discuss with this friend. The two of you leaving without even saying goodbye is not very appropriate, is it?”
“It is somewhat impolite,” Yang Kai gently nodded. “But we truly must rush back to Shadowed Star as soon as possible. Since we’ve seen Senior here by chance, we will have to bother Senior to relay our apologies for not being able to bid our farewells in person.”
“That won’t do!” Luo Hai obviously didn’t intend to compromise, “They have all been waiting for quite some time now, so you two must come back with this King.”
“Sir Luo Hai’s words are somewhat unreasonable,” Qian Tong took a deep breath and spoke, “Whether we go or stay is our decision to make, why does Sir Luo Hai insist on forcing us to remain?”
He had learned from Yang Kai that Luo Hai had ill intentions towards them, so he didn’t bother acting polite. Having just broken through to the Origin King Realm, Qian Tong was in very high spirits, so even facing Luo Hai, he didn’t intend to flinch.
Luo Hai glanced over at Qian Tong and his eyes flashed.
Qian Tong immediately felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his entire body shivering as his face went pale and his eyes bulged, immediately realizing the immense gap between him and Luo Hai.
After giving Qian Tong a small lesson, Luo Hai smiled happily towards Yang Kai, “You should consider well before replying to this King. En, I’ll give you ten breaths.”
His attitude was completely inflexible.
Yang Kai’s face sank as he never expected a master of this level to be so shameless.
Qian Tong and Yang Kai’s eyes met and they could both see each other’s helplessness. When facing Luo Hai on Green Mountains Star, even a Third-Order Origin King might not be able to defeat him, not to mention Yang Kai and Qian Tong.
Ten breaths of time passed in the blink of an eye and Luo Hai asked faintly, “Have you considered?”
As he spoke, the solidification of the surrounding space became stronger and stronger, making it more and more difficult for Qian Tong and Yang Kai to move.
Qian Tong looked at Yang Kai and signalled that he would follow his lead.
Yang Kai took a deep breath, and said solemnly, “I have.”
“Oh? And what is your answer?”
“To comply!”
Luo Hai showed a satisfied smile on his face.
“Is impossible!” Yang Kai shouted.
As soon as his voice fell, Qian Tong’s body emitted a weak Domain, one that allowed them to contend with the Star Force of Green Mountains Star, bit his tongue, then sprayed out a mouthful of blood.
Qian Tong’s life essence was hidden in this blood fog and quickly transformed into an arrow that shot towards Luo Hai at lightning speed.
“Impudence!” Luo Hai was furious. No one had dared challenge him before on Green Mountains Star. Yang Kai and Qian Tong were the first.
Glaring sullenly at Qian Tong, Luo Hai simply waved his hand and the blood arrow that was shot at him shattered. At the same time, Qian Tong was sent flying, his chest caving in as more blood sprayed from his mouth.
His face instantly went as pale as paper.
“Die!” Luo Hai’s eyes flashed coldly, not intending to let off Qian Tong for this insult.
Having already torn face, Luo Hai had no intention of showing mercy. In any case, they were at the edge of the Starry Sky, almost beyond the range of Green Mountains Star’s World Principles, no one could perceive their battle here.
His biggest goal was Yang Kai. As for Qian Tong, his life or death didn’t matter.
Stretching out his hand, Luo Hai condensed a ball of white light at his fingertip before suddenly sending out a beam towards Qian Tong.
*Kacha…*
At that moment, however, a booming sound of thunder and lightning appeared above Luo Hai’s head, along with an aura that caused him to pale greatly.
Luo Hai’s expression changed dramatically and as he looked up, his eyes shrank fiercely.
Above his head, a black cloud had appeared, and in that cloud, countless tiny arcs of lightning shuttled back and forth.
Although these lightning arcs were small, each one contained a Heaven destroying and earth-shattering power.
Even Luo Hai was deeply shocked.
Suddenly realizing something, he turned to look at Yang Kai and found that this boy was now holding a dark blue bead in his hand which he was madly pouring his Saint Qi into. There were lightning arcs on the surface of this bead which greatly resembled the ones currently above his head.
What was this little boy plotting? What was this strange bead?
Luo Hai’s thoughts turned sharply, but before he could see through the mysteries of this inexplicable blue bead, the countless tiny lightning arcs above his head rained down and shrouded his figure.
Intense crackling sounds rang out!
Luo Hai’s angry roar instantly resounded through the sky and directly impacted the surrounding Star Field.
Green Mountains Star shook in response to its Star Master’s anger.
At this moment, the entire Green Mountains Star seemed to tremble, with the earth trembling and tsunamis forming, as if it was the advent of Armageddon.
Green Mountains Star’s trillions of inhabitants all paled.
Old Jiu and the others leapt to their feet as well, their faces filled with shock.
“It’s Sir Luo Hai!” A hint of panic appeared on the face of the old woman surnamed Lei.
“Who made him so angry?”
“Who could make him so angry?”
Everyone raised their heads to look towards the sky, their eyes seemingly penetrating through the barriers of space as they detected something unusual.
“Emperor Pressure!” Li Wan Ning exclaimed, her pretty face draining of all colour.
The others trembled as well.
They were Origin Kings, able to stand atop the clouds and overlook all living beings, but in front of the legendary Starry Sky Great Emperor, they were still nothing but ants! The moment they felt this Emperor Pressure, all of them were astonished.
However, why would Emperor Pressure suddenly appear in the Starry Sky above Green Mountains Star? And why did this Emperor Pressure carry a rich murderous intent with it?
What had happened to Luo Hai?
Everyone looked around at each other, wanting to take a closer look, but none of them daring to do so. Without even mentioning the fact that they could not resist the intense Emperor Pressure, if they were to accidentally spy on something Luo Hai did not wish them to see, they would certainly suffer for it.
All they could do was stand in place with dignified expressions, waiting quietly while silently feeling the changes around them.
At the edge of the Starry Sky, a ten thousand kilometre sphere radius was filled with countless tiny arcs of lightning that flashed back and forth.
It was akin to a world of thunder and lightning!
Luo Hai’s expression was extremely gloomy as he stared towards a certain direction, gritting his teeth as he shouted, “Emperor Artifact! You actually have an Emperor Artifact! Little brat, you’ve forced this King’s hand! Now, even if you don’t want to die, you must!”
He never expected that Yang Kai possessed a Heaven-defying Emperor Artifact.
Only an Emperor Artifact could tear through the shackles he had placed on Yang Kai and Qian Tong and allow them to depart safely.
Naturally, Luo Hai had heard of Emperor Artifacts.
These were artifacts used by the Great Emperor and had been marked with the Great Emperor’s aura, hence the term Emperor Artifact.
But throughout the Star Field, although Emperor Artifacts were famous, no one had personally seen one in over ten thousand years. No one even knew what the Emperor Artifacts looked like or what kind of amazing powers they had.
Luo Hai was experiencing all of this firsthand this time.
If not for Yang Kai’s low cultivation, and for him being within the range of Green Mountains Star’s Star Force, the blow just now would probably have been enough to hurt him.
A Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy hurting a Second-Order Origin King was nothing but a fantasy, but this little brat named Yang Kai almost managed to achieve just that.
Many thoughts flashed through his mind before Luo Hai’s eyes lit up and he muttered aloud, “Annihilation Thunder Bead, that should be the legendary Annihilation Thunder Bead!”
Every artifact used by the Great Emperor was famous, and while ordinary cultivators may not have heard much about them, Luo Hai, as a Star Master and a Second-Order Origin King, had naturally heard about the Annihilation Thunder Bead.
After feeling the power of this Emperor Artifact for himself, Luo Hai immediately judged that it was the Annihilation Thunder Bead!
Luo Hai grinned and let out a burst of fierce laughter.
If he could obtain the Annihilation Thunder Bead, he would definitely be able to exert most of the Emperor Artifact’s power. At that time, even if he were to face a Third-Order Origin King, he would have the confidence to win.
He, Luo Hai, would instantly become the strongest in the Star Field!
The lightning arcs gradually weakened and then disappeared.
The Starry Sky once again regained its calm!
“You want to run?” Luo Hai flicked his sleeve, and with his hands behind his back, like he was taking a leisurely stroll through his courtyard, he flew out hundreds of kilometres, chasing after Yang Kai.
Without even mentioning the Origin Essence Crystal in Yang Kai’s hands, just the Annihilation Thunder Bead was enough for Luo Hai to never let Yang Kai escape.
He wanted the Annihilation Thunder Bead as well as that Origin Essence Crystal!
What surprised him though, was that right now he could only feel Yang Kai’s aura in the distance, while Qian Tong seemed to have vanished entirely.
Not only that, but Yang Kai also seemed to have disappeared inexplicably for a time, to the point where even Luo Hai was unable to sense how he had moved.
A distance of ten thousand kilometres from Luo Hai, Yang Kai was desperately pushing his Saint Qi and adjusting his breathing while running away, his face extremely solemn.
Although he had escaped from Luo Hai’s suppression with the help of the Annihilation Thunder Bead and left the bounds of Green Mountains Star, even without Green Mountains Star’s Star Support, Luo Hai was still a genuine Second-Order Origin King.
Escaping from him would be incredibly difficult!
What’s more, using the Annihilation Thunder Bead had almost emptied all the Saint Qi in Yang Kai’s body. He had no choice but to explode a drop of pure Golden Blood to restore himself.
The more Saint Qi poured into the Annihilation Thunder Bead, the greater the power it could display. Even if it was used by a Third-Order Origin King, it would definitely not be able to exert its full might.
Yang Kai estimated that he could only bring out ten percent of the Thunder Bead’s power.
There was also a stinging pain in his head as his Knowledge Sea rolled and cracked, a clear sign he had overused his Spiritual Energy.
This kind of wound wasn’t too serious, and in normal times, Yang Kai would not even pay it much mind. All he would need to do was rest for a few days, then with the help of the Soul Warming Lotus, his Knowledge Sea would be completely restored.
But how could he spare any time to recuperate in his current predicament?
Throwing a number of pills into his mouth, Yang Kai tried his best to accumulate some Spiritual Energy as quickly as possible. Only by doing so would he have a chance to escape.
Fortunately, these pills were hand-made by Yang Kai, so each of them was of extremely high grade and quality. When the pills entered his stomach, they instantly turned into a stream of heat which flooded his body and began supplementing the Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy he had lost.
He had taken Qian Tong into the Sealed World Bead after the latter took a blow from Luo Hai. Qian Tong had suffered some injuries, and although they weren’t too serious, it was undoubtedly better for him to not fight again at this moment.
In the unlikely event that Luo Hai’s assault caused Qian Tong’s realm to fall, it would become a lifelong regret!
Qian Tong had just broken through to the Origin King Realm after all, and his realm had not stabilized yet.
In terms of cultivation, Yang Kai was far below the current Qian Tong, but in terms of being able to escape, Yang Kai was confident he would not lose to anyone.
His speed was already extremely fast, and with his Wind and Thunder Wings spread out behind him, he was able to soar through the Star Field like a bolt of lightning.
However, Luo Hai’s speed was still superior, and the ten thousand kilometre gap between was noticeably shortened in just a cup of tea’s worth of time.
Feeling a strong pressure coming from behind him, Yang Kai immediately understood that Luo Hai was closing in.
“Boy, cooperate with this King obediently and this King may spare you! If you continue to defy this King, don’t blame me for being merciless!” Luo Hai’s threatening voice clearly reached Yang Kai’s ears.
Yang Kai naturally ignored him and continued to flee. Facing such an opponent, he did not have any intention to fight, only by running as fast as possible was there a chance he could survive.
“You court death!” Luo Hai was furious when he saw Yang Kai disregard him. Now, just a thousand kilometres away from Yang Kai, he stretched out his hand and condensed a ball of energy at his fingertip and in the next instant, shot it out at a terrifying speed towards Yang Kai.
Feeling the murderous aura approaching from behind, Yang Kai grit his teeth and pushed his Space Force, stretching out his hands, grabbing the space in front of him, and tore it apart.
A Void Crack immediately appeared in front of him.
Yang Kai flew into the Void Crack and disappeared in the blink of an eye, a moment after which Luo Hai’s attack pierced through his afterimage.
“A Void Crack!” Luo Hai called out in surprise, and with a flicker, he arrived at the position where Yang Kai disappeared. He wanted to follow Yang Kai and rush into the chaotic void.
But Yang Kai obviously didn’t give him this opportunity and sealed the Void Crack behind him.
“This boy is proficient in the Dao of Space!” Luo Hai muttered in shock.
After reaching such a height in his cultivation, Luo Hai had seldom been surprised by anything, but Yang Kai had repeatedly shocked him.
First summoning the Emperor Artifact, then casually tearing space, how extraordinary was this little brat?
Possessing an Emperor Artifact could be written off as Yang Kai simply having had an extremely profound opportunity in some unknown place in the past. However, even Luo Hai had never heard of someone possessing the ability to tear space freely.
Among the Star Field’s trillions of cultivators, there were indeed a few who cultivated the Dao of Space, but the few people Luo Hai knew about had only dabbled in this field and could at best patch slightly damaged Space Arrays.
How could that even compare to the ability to tear space?
“Is this your trump card? No wonder you dared display such impudence in front of this King!” Luo Hai said gloomily before chuckling lightly, “But if you think this is enough for you to escape from this King’s palm, you are gravely mistaken.”
As soon as his words fell, he released his terrifying Divine Sense outwards.
After only three breaths, his eyes flashed and he turned his head to look in a certain direction, “Oh, seems you’re quite quick, little boy. You unexpectedly managed to flee five thousand kilometres!”
Taking a deep breath, Saint Qi exploded from Luo Hai’s body and he shot forward like a comet, rapidly approaching Yang Kai’s position.
Five thousand kilometres away, Yang Kai had only managed to take a few breaths before he felt a powerful Divine Sense lock onto his position, one he could not throw off.
Looking back, in the distant Starry Sky, a stream of light was rapidly approaching him.
Yang Kai grit his teeth, reached out his hands and tore space once more.
A moment later, Luo Hai arrived and came to a halt. After expanding his Divine Sense for the second time and searching for Yang Kai’s location, he set off in pursuit again.
One escaped, one pursued, the distance sometimes narrowing and sometimes expanding, but the atmosphere was always extremely tense.
Yang Kai knew that he must not fall into Luo Hai’s hands, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.
Time flew by and half a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
Luo Hai’s originally calm and relaxed mood, as if victory was in his hand, had long ago disappeared and been replaced by fierce anger.
He thought that even if Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, he would never be able to escape his palm.
The Dao of Space was extremely mysterious, and any cultivator who was proficient in it was extremely difficult to kill, but compared to Luo Hai, Yang Kai’s cultivation was simply too low!
How much Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy was required to tear space even once, Luo Hai did not know, but he estimated that the cost was not small. He only needed to follow after Yang Kai, and once his prey grew weak, he would be able to easily capture him.
This was his plan all along!
But what surprised Luo Hai was that during this past half a month, Yang Kai had torn space at least two hundred times, and every time, he was able to escape a distance of two to three thousand kilometres. What’s more, as time passed, the distance he escaped seemed to be increasing, likely a result of Yang Kai’s mastery of the Dao of Space increasing due to the intense pressure he was under.
Worse yet, the little brat showed no signs of exhaustion!
How could he have so much Saint Qi to splurge? Where was he getting all his Spiritual Energy from? Even taking high-grade pills constantly would not allow him to escape for such a long time.
Luo Hai was completely baffled!
Nevertheless, he didn’t give up. He firmly believed that his guess was correct, and that Yang Kai would eventually have no choice but to stop from exhaustion.
Luo Hai’s assumptions were indeed correct, Yang Kai needed to consume a huge amount of Saint Qi and Spiritual Energy to tear space, and after two months of fleeing like this, he was akin to a lamp without oil!
Fortunately, he still had more than enough Saint Qi to spare as all he needed to do was explode a drop of pure Golden Blood to refill his reserves.
Spiritual Energy was another matter, however. Yang Kai was consuming Spiritual Energy at a terrifying rate, faster than he could restore it. If it weren’t for him possessing a supreme treasure like the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, Yang Kai would have already been rendered powerless.
Even so, he was now an arrow at the end of its flight!
He had taken a lot of pills already and almost exhausted the ones which were capable of restoring his Spiritual Energy!
With no other choice, Yang Kai could only swallow raw herbs that helped restore Spiritual Energy now.
Although swallowing such herbs was nothing short of wasting Heaven’s precious gifts and was extremely inefficient, in the middle of this desperate escape how could Yang Kai care about such things?
As a side effect though, pushing his limits again and again was unconsciously expanding Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea as well as strengthening his Spiritual Energy.
His mastery of the Dao of Space was also increasing with time.
But Yang Kai didn’t notice this as all his energy was focused on escaping from Luo Hai’s tracking!
After thinking about it for so long, Yang Kai knew there was only one option.
He had to hide inside the Sealed World Bead! However, this method was far too risky, and once Luo Hai found where he was hiding, he would become akin to a turtle hiding in its shell.
He didn’t dare to do this unless he had no other choice!
Five more days passed.
The pursuer and pursued had now crossed an unknowable part of the Star Field, but Luo Hai was relentless, remaining not far behind Yang Kai the entire time, forcing the latter to tear space to open up some distance only to have it closed in short order.
Origin Kings were truly not to be underestimated!
With his Knowledge Sea almost completely dried up, even swallowing raw herbs couldn’t replenish Yang Kai’s waning Spiritual Energy. Right now, he could tear space three more times at most before he was completely exhausted.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Kai tore space and leapt into the Void Crack. The next moment he appeared a few thousand kilometres away.
Without pause, Yang Kai tore space a second time…
Then a third time…
In a single breath, he had put ten thousand kilometres between himself and Luo Hai.
Yang Kai’s face was as pale as paper, and as he looked around, his sight immediately landed on a massive nearby asteroid.
This asteroid was about a hundred kilometres wide, as big as a mountain.
After arriving at the asteroid, Yang Kai looked for an extremely well-concealed location and immediately took out the Sealed World Bead, hid it in the crevice, then with a flicker entered the Small Sealed World.
This Small Sealed World was incredibly peaceful.
The relatives and friends Yang Kai had brought from Tong Xuan Realm had lived here for some time now.
There was no competition in this world and the World Energy aura was quite strong. Apart from the incomplete World Principles, this place was simply a paradise.
Inside the Small Sealed World, there were many recently constructed lofts scattered in a roughly hundred-kilometre radius. Inside each of these lofts were cultivators meditating in seclusion.
They were built by the cultivators from Tong Xuan Realm. Inside the Small Sealed World, there were mountains, rivers, plains, and forests, so it was very convenient for them to collect basic construction materials.
The Three Clans, Human, Demon, and Monster, lived in harmony without disputes.
Everyone treasured their current life greatly.
The cultivation conditions and environment here were many times better than those on Tong Xuan Realm. Almost ninety-nine percent of the people had already made some kind of breakthrough in recent years.
Meng Wu Ya, Chu Ling Xiao, Ling Tai Xu, Demon Commander Zhang Yuan, the Monster Race Great Seniors…
All of these veteran Third-Order Saints had successively broken through to the Saint King Realm.
Although the World Principles of this Small Sealed World were incomplete, they were still able to meet the breakthrough requirements for these people; after all, the Saint King Realm did not require that much.
When Yang Kai appeared, the entire Small Sealed World remained silent.
No one noticed his arrival.
Relying solely on willpower to endure the pain in his head, Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense to investigate.
Quickly, he found the location of Xia Ning Chang and his figure flickered, immediately arriving on the second floor of her loft.
Xia Ning Chang was still wearing her black veil as she performed Alchemy silently. When she was focused on Alchemy, she seemed to exude the faint halo that gave her a mysterious and dignified atmosphere, and although one could not see her face clearly, just the outline of her figure was enough to make any man lose his soul.
Yang Kai’s appearance greatly surprised her, but after she noticed his weak aura, her beautiful face paled immediately and she rushed over to support him, anxiously asking, “Junior Brother, what happened? Who hurt you?”
“It’s nothing, I just met a strong enemy who is currently chasing me,” Yang Kai wanted to laugh to relieve Xia Ning Chang’s worries, but he was too weak to even do that.
Xia Ning Chang’s expression changed noticeably but she didn’t ask anything. She knew that anyone who could force Yang Kai into such a state must at least be an Origin King!
She understood Yang Kai’s strength very well. Back at Chi Yue’s palace, even a master like Xue Lian was not Yang Kai’s opponent. So with him being in such a miserable state now, who else besides an Origin King could be responsible?
Xia Ning Chang grit her teeth and a pained look flashed across her wet eyes.
“I’ll be fine if I rest for a while, it’s not a big problem,” Yang Kai saw her crying, and knowing she was worried about him, he quickly tried to comfort her.
Xia Ning Chang nodded slightly as her eyes reddened.
“Do you have pills for restoring Spiritual Energy? Give me as many as you can!” Yang Kai reached out to her.
Xia Ning Chang quickly searched her Space Ring and took out several dozen jade bottles!
She had been concentrating on refining pills in the Small Sealed World almost the whole time she was here. Furthermore, with no shortage of materials, the results were remarkable. The pills in these jade bottles were all used to restore Spiritual Energy and ranged from Saint King Grade to Origin Grade High-Rank.
So many pills, if put outside and sold, would definitely be worth a fortune.
“This Clear Mind Restoration Pill is the best I have, there are also a few with Pill Veins. Use them first,” Xia Ning Chang picked out a jade bottle, opened it, and poured out the pills onto Yang Kai’s hand.
Yang Kai took them without saying a word and stuffed them into his mouth.
Stretching out his hand, he then swept all the other jade bottles into his Space Ring before sitting down cross-legged to meditate.
Little Senior Sister held her breath and quietly moved away from Yang Kai so as not to disturb him, her long eyelashes trembling lightly as she paid close attention to his condition.
Yang Kai’s complexion began to recover at a visible rate, allowing Xia Ning Chang to confirm he really was fine and had simply overdrawn his Spiritual Energy.
As long as Yang Kai was well, she could feel relieved.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai meditated to restore himself, but he still maintained his Divine Sense outside to monitor the surroundings and prevent any accidents.
As the owner of the Sealed World Bead, this was not a difficult task.
Yang Kai was not certain if he could escape from Luo Hai with this method. This was a Second-Order Origin King, the most powerful enemy Yang Kai had ever encountered!
If Luo Hai discovered the existence of the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai would truly become a turtle hiding in its shell.
A figure flew past the huge asteroid where the Sealed World Bead was hiding a moment later and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Luo Hai!
He really did not manage to find the Sealed World Bead and instead continued in the direction Yang Kai had been fleeing.
Yang Kai calmed down but didn’t dare become careless. While desperately refining the pills’ medicinal efficacies to restore his Spiritual Energy, he continued to pay attention to the outside world.
After a short while, Luo Hai returned and came to a stop roughly fifty kilometres away from the asteroid.
The terrifying Divine Sense of a Second-Order Origin King spread out like a tide, sweeping the surrounding several ten thousand kilometre radius, not overlooking a single spot.
His eyes flashed a sharp light like a predatory eagle, seemingly able to see across vast distances at a glance.
Suddenly, his gaze was cast towards the massive asteroid where the Sealed World Bead was located.
Yang Kai could not help holding his breath as he secretly became nervous.
Fortunately, Luo Hai quickly shifted his sight and continued to search elsewhere, obviously not discovering anything out of the ordinary.
However, he was still an Origin King Realm master, and having lost Yang Kai suddenly in this area obviously did not make sense to Luo Hai. He didn’t think Yang Kai could escape from the range of his Divine Sense in an instant and was certain Yang Kai was hidden nearby, but it was a mystery what kind of method this boy had used to obscure his aura from him.
“Interesting!” Luo Hai muttered to himself as he continued shuttling back and forth in the surrounding several tens of thousands of kilometres range, searching for any suspicious place while shouting, “Boy, this King knows you are hiding here, but do you think this is enough for you to escape this King? Nonsense! Come out obediently now, hand over the Emperor Artifact and Origin Essence Crystal to this King, and this King can spare your life, if you force this King to find you, hmph…”
Yang Kai ignored these threats entirely.
Since Luo Hai had severed any form of reconciliation with him, there was no chance he would let Yang Kai go. Otherwise, if today’s events were spread, it would be a serious blow to his reputation.
Also, the mere existence of an Emperor Artifact and the Origin Essence Crystal was extremely sensitive, so how could Luo Hai allow a witness like Yang Kai live?
As long as he could obtain these two treasures, Luo Hai would certainly burn down bridges after crossing them.
Yang Kai secretly scolded Luo Hai for being so shameless.
While on Green Mountains Star, Luo Hai’s impression was still quite good. As a Star Master and a Second-Order Origin King, he did not display any pretentiousness and was quite approachable, but now, without any witnesses, he had revealed his true face.
If it had been a different Origin Realm cultivator, they may have buckled under Luo Hai’s pressure and staked everything on the remote chance the other party would show mercy.
But Yang Kai knew admitting defeat would only result in a quick death.
A day passed by, and Luo Hai had traversed the surrounding ten thousand kilometre region several times, carefully searching it again and again but never finding anything.
This made him extremely annoyed.
He was even beginning to doubt whether Yang Kai was really hiding here. Perhaps this little brat had actually already managed to escape!
Suddenly coming to a stop, Luo Hai’s expression became gloomy, as if he had made some kind of decision. He grits his teeth and shouted, “Boy, you’ve forced this King’s hand! I hope you won’t regret it when you arrive in the next life!”
Saying so, Luo Hai suddenly stretched out his hands and faced his palms towards one another.
A terrifying Saint Qi erupted from his figure as a ball of light appeared between his palms.
The Saint Qi in his body seemed to have found an exit and began gathering in this glowing ball of white light.
In the blink of an eye, a white energy ball the size of a fist appeared in front of Luo Hai.
Although this ball was not very big, it contained a terrifying amount of power capable of shattering worlds.
And as Luo Hai continued infusing more of his Saint Qi, the energy inside this light ball only grew more intense.
The Divine Sense Yang Kai left outside the Sealed World Bead sensed this scene and he realized that the situation was deteriorating. Knowing what Luo Hai was planning to do, for a moment, Yang Kai did not know how to respond and could only force himself to calm down and watch.
Ten breaths later, the white ball of light between Luo Hai’s hands had expanded to the size of a washbasin.
Luo Hai gave a slight grin and pushed his hands forward.
The white ball of light floated forward lightly, flying out a hundred kilometres in no time at all.
The next moment, a dazzling white light blossomed from that location, and the surrounding ten thousand kilometres were instantly flooded with a blinding brilliance. With the white light as its centre, within a radius of a few ten thousand kilometres, everything was disintegrated into dust.
Countless asteroids suspended in the Starry Sky were vaporized and even a small Dead Star nearby cracked apart and disappeared.
The full-powered blow of a Second-Order Origin King produced such terrifying effects!
Luo Hai did not move, simply expanding his Divine Sense while paying attention to any movement in his surroundings.
He believed that as long as Yang Kai was still hiding nearby, he would definitely die!
With a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, it was simply impossible for him to resist such a violent attack.
As for the Origin Essence Crystal and Emperor Artifact, neither was an ordinary treasure and they couldn’t be destroyed in such an energy blast.
Luo Hai doesn’t need to catch Yang Kai alive; he only needed those two treasures!
Everything within a few ten thousand kilometres disappeared, leaving an empty void. What shocked Luo Hai, however, was that there was no trace of Yang Kai at all, nor any sign of the Origin Essence Crystal or Emperor Artifact.
“Did he really escape?” Luo Hai’s face sank and his mood immediately became extremely gloomy.
Suddenly, he turned his head to look towards a certain direction.
In that position, there seemed to be something being driven by the violent energy impact and flying away quickly!
Luo Hai frowned and became a little suspicious.
The attack he just used had already destroyed everything in the vicinity, so what was this object that had survived?
No matter what it is, it was something extraordinary.
With his curiosity stimulated, Luo Hai planned to give chase.
When Luo Hai cast his eyes on the location of the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai knew the situation had become bad.
Hurriedly warning Xia Ning Chang, he put a pill into his mouth and rushed out of the Sealed World Bead.
The next moment, Yang Kai appeared in the Starry Sky, collected the Sealed World Bead, then tore space and rushed into the newly formed Void Crack.
“You are still here!” Luo Hai snorted sharply before transforming into a flash of light and hurriedly pursuing.
This time, though, when Luo Hai locked onto Yang Kai’s aura again, he was shocked to discover this boy was five thousand kilometres away!
“Did his use of Space Force become more refined?” Luo Hai changed countenance and, not daring to neglect, chased after Yang Kai.
Yang Kai also quickly discovered this point.
Just now, he had escaped five thousand kilometres in one leap, and… this didn’t seem to be his limit as he had accomplished this feat with ease just now.
Being chased after by Luo Hai and forced to constantly tear space to escape seemed to have helped him cultivate his Space Force!
Yang Kai suddenly felt an epiphany strike him.
Pushing his Space Force fiercely, he stretched out his hands again, tore space, and stepped into The Void.
When he appeared again, he silently calculated the distance moved this time.
Five thousand five hundred kilometres!
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed brilliantly, and he couldn’t help letting out a joyous laugh.
He suddenly discovered that this was an opportunity, an opportunity to squeeze out his own potential by overcoming this life or death crisis.
Standing in place, Yang Kai waited for Luo Hai to close to within a certain distance before leisurely tearing space to escape.
Six thousand kilometres!
Six thousand five hundred kilometres!
Seven thousand kilometres!
…..
“This little bastard!” What kind of character was Luo Hai? He could easily guess what Yang Kai’s actions meant. This brat was using him to cultivate his understanding of the Dao of Space.
To Luo Hai, this was an immense shame!
Cultivators who were proficient in the Dao of Space were terribly difficult to deal with. If it were any other Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, they would have long ago been killed.
But Yang Kai could even play a game of cat and mouse with a master like Luo Hai.
Luo Hai’s face was blue, and his fists clenched tightly, his bones creaking under the strain.
When had he ever suffered such an insult?
In the Star Field, apart from those old ghosts and hidden dragons who never showed their faces, Luo Hai was amongst the strongest. Senior Wu Dao had even commented that he was the most promising candidate to break through to the Third-Order Origin King realm in the Star Field.
This was an unparalleled honour!
Yet now, such a master had been rendered powerless to take an unknown little brat, a reality that nearly drove Luo Hai seething with rage.
Seeing Yang Kai once again disappear cockily from a position not far away, Luo Hai suddenly stopped in place, a terrifying calm spreading across his face, a sign a great storm was coming.
Releasing his Divine Sense, he locked onto the position where Yang Kai re-appeared, his deep gaze piercing space as he took a deep breath and roared furiously, “Green Mountains Star, hear your Star Master and obey his command, send me your Star Force!”
As soon as these words fell, on Green Mountains Star, which was billions of kilometres away, suddenly shook and an unfathomable beam of energy shot out from it, leaping across space as it raced towards Luo Hai.
Luo Hai’s already extremely powerful aura soared, nearly breaking through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm!
At the same time, in the main hall of a certain City Lord’s Mansion, Old Jiu and the other Origin Kings paled in shock as they leapt to their feet.
“Star Force Support!” The withered body of the old woman surnamed Lei trembled as her turbid eyes flashed an amazing light.
“It’s truly Star Force Support! Sir Luo Hai actually used the source strength of Green Mountains Star!”
“As a Star Master, no matter where they are, as long as they are still within the Starry Sky, they can summon the power of their star’s Star Source. What danger has Brother Luo Hai encountered that could force him into such a situation?”
“Who is he fighting against?”
The seven Origin Kings looked around blankly, with none of them able to understand what kind of crisis had befallen Luo Hai that required him to borrow the power of Green Mountains Star’s Star Source.
One had to know, even as a Star Master, it was not easy to use the power of their Star Source.
Star Master and Cultivation Star were closely related, sharing honour and disgrace. Once a portion of the Star Source’s power was used up, it could not be restored in short order. This was more serious than the Star Master himself suffering a grievous wound. Whether he won or lost the subsequent battle, Green Mountains Star’s loss could not be made up for within a thousand years unless Luo Hai broke through again with that time and reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
If Luo Hai had not been forced into a desperate situation, he would never have done this, but just how many people in this world could threaten Luo Hai so?
Had he provoked some hidden top master?
The faces of Old Jiu and the others turned pale!
Although they were all Origin Kings themselves, they were just First-Orders. The Second-Order was completely out of reach for them, not to mention the illusory Third-Order.
Everyone realized the situation had become grave.
Just after Luo Hai summoned the Star Source power of Green Mountains Star to him, the World Energy aura of Green Mountains Star weakened.
This subtle difference was not too obvious, but it was real.
This was the direct consequence of drawing the power of the Star Source!
It was rumoured that in ancient times, there was a battle between two Star Masters who wantonly used the power of their respective Star Sources, and in the end, both of them died and their Cultivation Stars degraded from extremely prosperous lands to ones that were barren, forever unable to recover.
Out in the Star Field, with the aid of the Star Force Support, Luo Hai’s aura rose wildly as he stared at the location of Yang Kai from afar. Opening his mouth, Luo Hai condensed a white beam of light that he then spat out like a flying sword.
Ten thousand kilometres away, Yang Kai’s hair all stood on end as a feeling of crisis gripped his heart.
Although he did not know what happened to Luo Hai, he knew that his opponent had become truly enraged. Not daring to neglect, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and slashed the space in front of him.
This time, however, his attempt to tear space did not go smoothly. The space where Yang Kai stood seemed to be sealed by something, and no matter how he tried to tear it open, he could only create a half meter long Void Crack and was unable to expand it any larger.
*Chi chi chi…*
Violent scraping sounds resounded all around as the white light approached. Even before this attack arrived, Yang Kai felt as if he had fallen into a blizzard from the potent murderous intent it contained. It was as if he was stuck atop a snowy mountain and the sharp wind was cutting into his skin.
[Not good!] Yang Kai’s complexion changed drastically as he saw the sword light getting closer and closer. Not daring to remain, he desperately pushed his Saint Qi and flew out.
But, as soon as he began moving, the white sword light slashed through the spot he was previously.
Space seemed to be torn in half as a massive Void Crack appeared!
Luo Hai did not understand anything about the Dao of Space, but his attack was so powerful it was actually able to affect the stability of space around him.
The remaining power of this attack exploded outwards, some of it landing on Yang Kai and releasing a terrifying sound.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s clothes were dyed golden by his blood and hundreds of tiny holes appeared in his intrepid flesh! From each hole, a fierce Qi penetrated Yang Kai’s body and tried to destroy his meridians and physique.
The fallout from this attack was already so strong, it made Yang Kai realize that if he had been struck head-on, he would likely have been vaporized instantly.
His face was slightly pale, but he didn’t have time to check his injuries as he desperately pushed his Saint Qi to suppress the sharp Qi which had penetrated his wounds and used his Space Force to again tear open a Void Crack.
The moment Yang Kai stepped into the Void Crack, Luo Hai arrived behind him!
“Let’s see you escape this time!” Luo Hai shouted as his face became gloomy, seemingly stunned that even after using his Star Force Support, he could not kill Yang Kai. His already dark mood instantly became worse and his body flickered as he continued to pursue Yang Kai.
One escaped while the other pursued, but different from before, Yang Kai was going all out this time.
Seeing Luo Hai’s strength soar inexplicably, Yang Kai guessed that it had something to do with the beam of light he had seen a moment ago which was in all likelihood the legendary Star Force Support!
[To think this old dog was willing to use such extreme measures to deal with me!] Yang Kai could not help cursing as he too knew the consequences of using the power of the Star Source like this.
After narrowly escaping from death again, Yang Kai’s face was extremely gloomy.
Luo Hai, with his Star Force Support, was completely different from earlier. Yang Kai estimated that once he ran out of Spiritual Energy again, he would be powerless to resist.
The Sealed World Bead had already been exposed once, so it was impossible to deceive Luo Hai with it again, making it dangerous to use while still out in the Starry Sky.
He could only go to a Cultivation Star!
With countless lives on a Cultivation Star, even Green Mountains Star’s Star Master Luo Hai could not act too presumptuously. Only by arriving at the nearest Cultivation Star would Yang Kai have an opportunity to use the Sealed World Bead to hide again!
Yang Kai’s eyes became firm as he sank his consciousness inward, transforming into a Soul Avatar above his Knowledge Sea.
Looking up at the sky, Yang Kai found his current position in the vast Star Chart hanging there and then looked for the nearest Cultivation Star!
With this Star Chart, he could see a miniature version of the Star Field anytime he wanted, so it was not difficult to find a Cultivation Star.
A moment later, his eyes lit up and his Soul Avatar escaped from his Knowledge Sea. Changing directions, he then continued to flee!
There was a great Starry Sky Storm ahead of him, but Yang Kai was not afraid. Directly breaking into it, Yang Kai used his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi to protect himself.
Luo Hai, who was right behind him, naturally did not fear this Starry Sky Storm. Exhaling another burst of white Sword Qi from his mouth, he flew straight into the storm.
Wherever he went, the Starry Sky Storm seemed to be disturbed and even took the initiative to separate to the sides to make way for him.
After only a quarter of an hour, Luo Hai emerged from the Starry Sky Storm safely.
But looking around, where was Yang Kai?
The little brat had somehow managed to disappear again, only leaving behind a residual Space Force fluctuation.
“So troublesome!” Luo Hai was in a bad mood as he turned his head towards a huge, vibrant Cultivation Star a few hundred thousand kilometres away. Narrowing his eyes, he muttered, “So you want to hide there? Good, this King wants to see how long you can hide!”
He quickly inferred Yang Kai’s intentions and judged that he was definitely hiding on this Cultivation Star.
Because once he hid there, it would be impossible to find him easily.
Cultivation Stars were different from Dead Stars in the Starry Sky. Dead Stars could be destroyed at will and no one would care, but if a Cultivation Star was destroyed, it would likely lead to the entire Star Field becoming his enemy. Even if Luo Hai hid back on Green Mountains Star, he would probably still die.
Without destroying this Cultivation Star, however, looking for someone who was deliberately hiding was undoubtedly like looking for a needle in a haystack. Even Luo Hai was powerless here; after all, this was not Green Mountains Star where he could use his connection to the Star Source to spy on everything at once.
“Is this Scarlet Wave Star?” Luo Hai quickly came to the place a hundred thousand kilometres above the Cultivation Star, and after scanning it with his eyes, he realized that he had been here before and coldly snorted, “Fine, I’ll go see that old ghost Chi Huo first. I haven’t seen him for a thousand years now; I wonder if that old ghost’s cultivation has made any progress since then!”
Saying so, he flew off in a certain direction.
At the base of a barren mountain, in a river that flowed from north to south of, under a layer of silt, the Sealed World Bead lay quietly.
This was simply named Blue Mountain, and the river was called the Blue River.
Yang Kai passed through the Starry Sky Storm and successfully escaped Luo Hai’s Divine Sense tracking. After flying down to the surface of this Cultivation Star, he quickly found a deserted place to hide the Sealed World Bead then entered it himself.
He believed that Luo Hai would not dare act recklessly on this Cultivation Star, so he was safe for the time being.
On the second level of a loft in the Sealed World Bead, Xia Ning Chang’s tears dripped down as she saw Yang Kai’s situation this time was much worse than before.
Last time, he had only exhausted his Spiritual Energy and was slightly tired, but this time, he was covered in wounds. These wounds were like tiny pinholes which were not visible to the naked eye, but Xia Ning Chang keenly felt that a sharp Qi was festering in these wounds, destroying Yang Kai’s body from the inside out.
Yang Kai’s face was also as pale as paper.
“Don’t worry, I just need to enter retreat for a while!” Yang Kai comforted Xia Ning Chang once before he sat down cross-legged down and began trying to resolve the foreign Qi in his body.
Xia Ning Chang walked out of the attic silently, glancing back anxiously as she silently guarded him.
Quickly, however, she seemed to come to some kind of conclusion, took out a large number of herbs and other ingredients, sat cross-legged there, calmed her mood, and began performing Alchemy!
She felt that she was too weak and hated that she could not help Yang Kai.
On Tong Xuan Realm, she did not feel a sense of crisis, because as long as she wanted, she could suppress the entire realm by herself.
But since Yang Kai brought her out from that small world, she was able to understand the true splendours and dangers of the Star Field.
She now knew how weak she was.
If she was strong enough to fight alongside her Junior Brother, maybe he wouldn’t have been injured!
With such thoughts filling her head, Xia Ning Chang started desperately performing Alchemy!
Yang Kai’s arrival did not cause any kind of disturbance as, inside the Small Sealed World, nine out of ten cultivators were currently in secluded retreat.
In the loft, Yang Kai sat cross-legged and took out some pills to help him physically recover before he began using his Saint Qi to resolve the sharp Qi in his body.
These tiny strands of Qi contained the Domain of an Origin King Realm master and were filled with killing intent. If Yang Kai’s physical body had not been strong enough, these threads of Qi would have been enough to shred his body to pieces.
The methods of a Second-Order Origin King could not be judged by common sense.
Pushing his Saint Qi, Yang Kai began trying to purge these tiny threads of Qi from his meridians and physique.
But soon, Yang Kai’s complexion changed and became extremely ugly.
His own dense Saint Qi, which was powerful enough to show disdain for any other Origin Realm cultivator, was helpless to dissolve these foreign Qi threads. No matter how much Saint Qi Yang Kai condensed, the moment he tried to use it against these Qi threads, it would be ripped apart and scattered.
Not becoming discouraged, Yang Kai continued condensing his Saint Qi again and again, trying to slowly wear down the foreign Qi.
Ten days passed in a flash.
Inside the loft, rather than recovering, Yang Kai’s aura had instead become fainter.
After ten days of hard work, he had obtained no results. Not only had he not managed to expel Luo Hai’s Qi, but he had also wasted a massive amount of his own Saint Qi in the process.
With a difference of an entire Great Realm between them, Yang Kai’s Saint Qi was simply not a match for Luo Hai’s.
Yang Kai opened his eyes and stopped this pointless exercise. Although his expression was sluggish, his eyes were still bright.
This Qi was dead while he was alive, so he was still confident he could rid himself of it, but he had not found the right method yet.
Since Saint Qi was useless, what about the other forces Yang Kai had in his body?
Namely, there was his Space Force and his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi…
Thinking so, Yang Kai began to experiment.
Condensing his Space Force, Yang Kai tried to wrap up the small threads of Qi in his body. Seemingly aware of his Space Force, the Qi threads immediately began to counterattack. The extremely sharp Domain stabbed towards Yang Kai’s concentrated Space Force, and although it was still able to tear it apart, it seemed to be having a more difficult time than with Yang Kai’s Saint Qi.
[This could work!] Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he began pushing his Space Force more carefully.
A short time later, Yang Kai successfully wrapped his Space Force around one of the tiny threads of foreign Qi, and no matter how the thread struggled back and forth, it was unable to escape.
The next moment, Yang Kai pushed his Divine Sense and in conjunction with his Space Force instantly shifted the thread of Qi outside of his body.
Yang Kai’s Space Force dissipated, and the invisible Qi thread sputtered about before shooting off, leaving behind a pin-hole in the loft before dissipating entirely.
Seeing this scene, Yang Kai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had now determined that Space Force could be used to get rid of Luo Hai’s Qi in his body, the only problem was it was quite cumbersome and inefficient.
While he was escaping, Yang Kai had been hit by several tens of thousands of Qi threads. If he were to try to drive them all out with this method, he would need at least three years to finish!
Naturally, this was far too long!
Yang Kai frowned and next tried his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi.
The Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art was a profound Body Tempering Secret Art. Cultivators who cultivate it would be able to form Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi, and each of the five different elements had their own specialty. Metal and Fire were specialized in attacking, Wood specialized in recovery, and Earth and Water specialized in defence. The five elements mutually constrained one another and when cultivated to the extreme, allowed one to obtain an immortal and indestructible body.
Yang Kai’s Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art was barely at the minor accomplishment stage. It could be used in battle, but it was far from the legendary immortal and indestructible body.
Activating his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi, Yang Kai extracted the Metal and Fire Sword Qis, the two specialized in attacking, and began using them to disperse Luo Hai’s Qi.
Inside his body, golden and red rays of light bloomed and shuttled through Yang Kai’s wounds, attacking the foreign Qi.
Although Luo Hai’s Qi had no form of sentience, it instinctively responded to a threat and began counterattacking the two Sword Qis.
However, this was in vain as the Metal and Fire Sword Qi only took three breaths to disperse one of the invisible Qi threads!
Yang Kai raised his brow and showed a joyful look.
He had not expected that the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi would be so effective at resolving Luo Hai Qi, making his Space Force seem somewhat lacking in comparison.
However, this was also understandable. Although the Dao of Space was broad and profound, Luo Hai’s Qi was a variant of Sword Qi, so with the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi also being a form of Sword Qi, it naturally had some ability to restrain the former.
Seeing hope, Yang Kai spared no effort to push his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi. Not only did he use the two offensive elements, but also the Water, Wood, and Earth Sword Qis as well. Doing so, Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised to find that his efficiency increased once more.
No longer thinking about it, Yang Kai didn’t waste any time, took out his Five Elements supreme treasures, arranged the appropriate Spirit Array around himself, then began cultivating his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art while simultaneously driving out Luo Hai’s Qi.
Time flew by and soon, three months had passed.
Yang Kai’s body had finally been purged of Luo Hai’s Qi, and Yang Kai also felt that the power of his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi had increased greatly as a result.
He guessed that it had something to do with dissolving Luo Hai’s Qi and absorbing it with his own Sword Qi!
As for the Five Elements supreme treasures, the Sun’s True Essence, Profound Yin Sunflower Water, Divine Nullification Sand, Profound Gold, and Thunder Wood were all in different states of depletion.
There was no need to worry about the Sun’s True Essence. As the core of a sun star, even after Yang Kai had used it to cultivate for so long, it had basically not shown any change while about half of his Profound Yin Sunflower Water and Divine Nullification Sand were left. On the other hand, the Profound Gold had shrunk to the size of a baby’s palm while the Thunder Wood also did not seem like it would last much longer.
Cultivating the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art consumed too much of the energy from these Five Elements supreme treasures.
Most people could not afford to cultivate this Body Tempering Art.
It seemed that besides the Sun’s True Essence, the other four treasures would soon need to be replaced. Otherwise, once Yang Kai finished consuming even one of them, he would no longer be able to continue cultivating.
Thinking so, Yang Kai ended his cultivation.
He next began to examine his body carefully.
Luo Hai’s Qi had been completely expelled, and all the injuries he suffered had basically been healed. Moreover, after experiencing a life or death crisis while escaping from Luo Hai, Yang Kai faintly felt that his cultivation had made a lot of progress.
It seemed he was on the verge of breaking through to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm!
This was not too surprising, as Yang Kai had also gained a lot inside the Blood Prison. However, because it had not been too long since he last broke through, Yang Kai didn’t want to rush ahead and risk destabilizing his foundation. If this was not the case, Yang Kai felt that he could have broken through to the Third-Order inside the Blood Prison.
He did not feel rushed and simply decided to let things happen naturally.
Releasing his Divine Sense, Yang Kai soon spotted Xia Ning Chang who was still immersed in her Alchemy with a firmness to her beautiful, somewhat bloodshot eyes. It was difficult to tell just when she had last rested seeing her like this.
Yang Kai sighed slightly before sending her a Divine Sense Message telling her he had fully recovered, eliciting a smile from her.
However, Yang Kai did not rush to exit his seclusion and instead continued to remain in the loft.
During his escape from Luo Hai, Yang Kai had constantly used his Space Force which in turn gave him great inspiration and caused his comprehension of the Dao of Space to deepen.
His situation was too dire at the time, so he didn’t have any freedom to carefully digest these insights.
Now that the crisis had passed, he would certainly not miss this opportunity. Staying inside the loft, Yang Kai continued cultivating his Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art while enhancing his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
……
Pure Ice Island was a famous spot on Scarlet Wave Star.
It was the headquarters of one of the two most powerful Sects on Scarlet Wave Star, Ice Heart Valley.
Pure Ice Island was surrounded by the sea on all sides and had ice flows around it that never melted thanks to the extremely low temperatures. The disciples of Ice Heart Valley all cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts and Martial Skills while the artifacts they used were also Ice Attribute.
The reason Ice Heart Valley was one of the two most powerful Sects on Scarlet Wave Star was because of its Supreme Elder, an Origin King Realm master!
In addition to the Supreme Elder, however, the Valley Master and several of the Elders were peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, only one step away from breaking through to the Origin King Realm.
Purely in terms of Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, Ice Heart Valley had over a hundred.
Such a number was extremely frightening. No great force on Shadowed Star was comparable. The once most powerful force, Star Emperor Mountain, only had thirty Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, all of whom now belonged to High Heaven Sect.
On par with Ice Heart Valley was the equally famous Brilliant Flame Sect.
These two Sects had held the title of Scarlet Wave Star’s strongest Sects for over ten thousand years, but whether because of the nature of their Secret Arts, or because there was simply no way for a mountain to have two tigers, many grievances and grudges had formed between the two Sects and they were now in a perpetual state of conflict.
With grievances forged over thousands of years, there was now no longer any no possibility of resolving them peacefully.
At this moment, at the centre of Pure Ice Island, inside a magnificent ice palace, a dozen or so women with unique styles and features, each a great beauty in her own right, sat in two rows facing one another.
At the head of the hall was a woman wearing a long white dress. While this woman’s beauty was not country destroying, her eyes radiated a kind of cold purity that could entrance anyone who stared into them.
Ice Heart Valley’s Valley Master: Bing Long! A master at the very peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm with Shi that had reached the grand accomplishment stage. She was the strongest master beneath Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder.
The disciples of Ice Heart Valley were all female, and there had never been a precedent for males being accepted here.
However, no one dared to look down upon them just because they were women as anyone who tried to would die a swift death.
The atmosphere in the ice palace was a bit solemn, with the leadership of Ice Heart Valley seemingly discussing some particularly important matters.
“Valley Master, Brilliant Flame Sect’s recent movements are a bit strange, the pressure they are putting on our Ice Heart Valley has become much weaker while many of their disciples seem to frequently be out of the Sect, searching for someone.” The woman sitting in the first seat on the left said. She had the appearance of a thirty-year-old woman and seemed quite youthful, but her expression was extremely cold.
She was Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder, Ran Yun Ting, and had a cultivation equivalent to that of Valley Master Bing Long; however, her strength was slightly inferior to the latter, so she could only take the position of Great Elder.
“Looking for someone? Why?” Ice Heart Valley’s Valley Master Bing Long raised her brow, her voice extremely soft and melodious. “What information did our disciples gather?”
Ran Yun Ting shook her head, “The disciples of Brilliant Flame Sect themselves don’t seem to understand much, only that they are looking for a young man. I have a portrait of him here, please have a look, Valley Master!”
Bing Long nodded, stretched out her hand, and accepted the portrait. Looking at it, the person on the portrait seemed to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a stoic and resolute expression. His appearance was not particularly handsome or ugly, and there did not seem to be anything special about him that would make Brilliant Flame Sect try so hard to find him.
“All of you have a look,” Bing Long tossed the portrait casually to another Elder, “Remember what this person looks like. If you find him, be sure to bring him back to Pure Ice Island! Brilliant Flame Sect has been pressuring our Ice Heart Valley for some time now, yet suddenly pulled back because of this person. This person seems to be of great importance to them. Otherwise, Brilliant Flame Sect would not act this way. Perhaps the best way for Ice Heart Valley to weather our current crisis is to find him.”
“If that’s the case, should we also actively search for this person?” Ran Yun Ting asked.
Bing Long nodded and replied, “Naturally, but we don’t have to dedicate too much attention to it. After this meeting, be sure to pass this portrait to the disciples and have them keep their eyes open for him when they go out.”
“Yes, Valley Master is wise!” All the Elders responded in unison.
The portrait was passed from one Elder to the next then. All of them were Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, so their memories were naturally excellent, and they were able to remember this person’s appearance with just a glance.
Bing Long then continued, “A few years ago, the Supreme Elder suffered backlash from dissonance in her cultivation and has yet to recover. Do we have any clues regarding the herbs we require for the pill to heal her?”
Hearing this, the dozen women present all shook their heads sadly, one of them saying out loud, “The other herbs have been purchased at great expense, but the Profound Scarlet Ginseng is too rare. Perhaps the only place to find one is… Brilliant Flame Sect’s Extreme Thunder Mountain.”
“Extreme Thunder Mountain!” Bing Long’s face sank, “That is one of Brilliant Flame Sect’s Restricted Areas and only a few people from their Sect are allowed to enter. Keep searching, no matter what price we need to pay, we must find that Profound Scarlet Ginseng.”
“Yes!”
“Hateful!” Ran Yun Ting gritted her teeth, “If it were not for Supreme Elder’s cultivation dissonance, how could my Ice Heart Valley have been so badly suppressed by Brilliant Flame Sect! For thousands of years, the strength of the two Sects has always been equal, but now…”
Hearing what she said, all the Elders present wore resentful expression.
“Great Elder, enough nonsense. Are you trying to blame Supreme Elder for having a cultivation dissonance?” Bing Long glared at her and shouted.
Ran Yun Ting’s tender body trembled lightly as she hurriedly said, “Naturally not, I did not mean to imply so.”
Bing Long’s complexion cleared up as she nodded and said, “This Queen knows you don’t have such intentions; this is all of our Ice Heart Valley’s disaster, and although Supreme Elder cannot move easily now, it won’t be so easy for Brilliant Flame Sect to harm us either. En, enough about this matter, this Queen has something else of concern to discuss. Great Elder, how is your disciple now?”
Ran Yun Ting smiled lightly, “She is very good, she has recently reached the First-Order Origin Returning Realm.”
As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the room was moved.
“First-Order Origin Returning Realm, so soon?”
“Is her aptitude really that good? When Great Elder brought her to the Sect, she was only a Third-Order Saint, right? How many years have passed since then?”
“Even with abundant cultivation resources, isn’t her rate of advancement too fast?”
Bing Long seemed to be extremely pleased and said joyfully, “Great Elder, I heard that your disciple has an Ice Crystal Jade Body Special Constitution. Is that true?”
“Indeed!” Ran Yun Ting nodded, “She does possess an Ice Crystal Jade Body, but it is not an innate Special Constitution, it’s an acquired one. I do not know what kind of fortuitous encounter she had in the past, but she is now perfectly compatible with our Ice Heart Valley’s core Secret Art and her cultivation is now advancing extremely rapidly. In truth, Valley Master, my disciple is currently preparing to break through to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm!”
Inside the ice palace, many Elder’s expressions became even more excited, their faces filled with astonishment and shock.
Bing Long was also extremely happy, “Innate or acquired, it makes no difference, her Ice Crystal Jade Body is the key to the future of Ice Heart Valley. It seems the Heavens have not abandoned our Valley! If there are no surprises, she is highly likely to reach the same level as Supreme Elder in the future. At that time, our Ice Heart Valley’s rise will depend on her.”
Ran Yun Ting said modestly, “Valley Master should not praise her too much, that little girl’s cultivation is still quite low and she still needs much guidance from Valley Master.”
“Do everything possible to satisfy her cultivation needs!” Bing Long declared.
“Yes!” Ran Yun Ting respectfully nodded.
“Great Elder, I heard that the reason Brilliant Flame Sect is targeting our Ice Heart Valley this time is because of your disciple?” Someone suddenly asked with a chuckle.
“En, I have heard about it. It is said that Wei Feng, the son of Brilliant Flame Sect’s Sect Master, met that girl while out for life experience and instantly lost his soul to her. After returning, he urged Wei Qing to come to my Ice Heart Valley to propose marriage!”
“I haven’t actually met her yet. After coming to Pure Ice Island, she rarely goes out and is often in secluded retreat.”
“I saw her once and she is indeed a stunning beauty. It is no wonder that little bastard Wei Feng was never able to forget her. If I were a man, I’m afraid I would also have become fascinated by her.”
All the Elders present laughed, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.
“It’s all nothing but a flimsy excuse,” Ran Yun Ting gave a wry smile.
Bing Long nodded, “All of you are Elders of my Ice Heart Valley, so how could you not understand the truth of this matter? Brilliant Flame Sect is just using this as an excuse to embarrass us while taking the opportunity to probe the condition the Supreme Elder is in! Once they are sure that Supreme Elder is injured, I am afraid they will begin moving far more aggressively.”
“We’ll see if Brilliant Flame Sect’s teeth or my Ice Heart Valley’s defences are stronger!”
“They won’t dare act too aggressively unless they’ve stopped caring about the lives of their disciples.”
“If they dare to come, we’ll make sure they never return!”
The group of women shouted as their anger flared.
An old woman on the left who looked like she was about sixty years old, suddenly frowned as some concern appeared between her brow. After the others had finished speaking, she said, “Reporting to Valley Master, I heard a disturbing bit of news a few days ago.”
“What news could make Elder Wu so concerned?” Bing Long turned her eyes to the old woman and asked as everyone else also looked towards her.
“I heard that Luo Hai has arrived at Brilliant Flame Sect!” Elder Wu quickly said.
“Luo Hai?” Inside the ice palace, everyone frowned. It was as if they didn’t remember who Luo Hai was immediately, but soon, someone exclaimed, “Green Mountains Star’s Star Master, Sir Luo Hai?”
“Him?”
“It can’t be, why would he leave Green Mountains Star suddenly to come to our Scarlet Wave Star?”
Luo Hai was the Star Master of Green Mountains Star and a Second-Order Origin King, a famous character across the entire Star Field. As such, even the Elders from Ice Heart Valley who normally secluded themselves on Pure Ice Island had heard his name long ago.
Now hearing that such a character had arrived on Scarlet Wave Star and was staying in Brilliant Flame Sect, their beautiful faces could not help darkening.
“Is this news reliable?” Bing Long tender body leaned forward slightly, and her jade white hands squeezed the armrest of her chair, causing them to creak under the strain, clearly showing that her mood was fluctuating greatly.
“It is!” Elder Wu nodded solemnly, “This old woman has spies placed in Brilliant Flame Sect and they reported seeing Sir Luo Hai with their own eyes.”
The ice palace immediately fell silent as everyone’s face seemed to be covered with a layer of fog, their expressions becoming gloomy.
“All of you may also know that although Sir Luo Hai is Green Mountains Star’s Star Master, he has a close relationship with Chi Huo of Brilliant Flame Sect. His coming to Brilliant Flame Sect at this time…” Elder Wu did not finish her words, but everyone present could understand what she was implying.
“Impossible!” Bing Long shook her head, “While he may have some friendship with Chi Huo, it is only a casual acquaintance. There is no way he came all the way from Green Mountains Star to deal with us, Chi Huo doesn’t have such influence.”
“But Valley Master, our situation right now is quite sensitive, and we must guard against such a possibility no matter how remote. If Luo Hai and Chi Huo were to join forces, then the future of Ice Heart Valley would become dire.”
Bing Long’s pretty face paled at the thought!
If this was really the case, then Ice Heart Valley would truly be in danger. Just Luo Hai alone was more than Ice Heart Valley could possibly resist as he was a master a whole Minor Realm higher in cultivation than Chi Huo and their own Supreme Elder.
“I think that Sir Luo Hai’s arrival on Scarlet Wave Star at this time may have something to do with the person Brilliant Flame Sect is looking for,” One of the Elders suddenly guessed.
“Why do you think that?”
“Because of the timing. Brilliant Flame Sect began searching for this person only recently, and they even let up on the pressure they were exerting on us to do so. Sir Luo Hai’s arrival on Scarlet Wave Star is also a recent event and the place he is currently staying is Brilliant Flame Sect. If Sir Luo Hai was the one who asked Brilliant Flame Sect to help him find this person, doesn’t everything make sense?”
Everyone’s eyes lit up!
“The possibility is indeed great! If this is the case, then we must find this person before Brilliant Flame Sect!” Bing Long’s eyes flashed with a strange brilliance. “As long as we find him and hand him over to Sir Luo Hai, then the current crisis of my Ice Heart Valley can be resolved. After Supreme Elder has completely recovered, Brilliant Flame Sect definitely won’t cause any more trouble!”
“Valley Master is right,” Ran Yun Ting nodded in agreement.
“Order all the disciples that can be dispatched to go out and seek this person as soon as possible!” Bing Long said decisively, gritting her teeth as she shouted.
“Yes!” All the Elders nodded before leaving the ice palace together.
On that day, thousands of Ice Heart Valley disciples left from Pure Ice Island to traverse Scarlet Wave Star, each of them bringing with them a portrait of Yang Kai’s face.
That night, near the centre of Pure Ice Island, inside a certain ice room, Ran Yun Ting sat down cross-legged while cultivating.
The temperature in this ice room was extremely low and even a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator would feel extremely uncomfortable inside and need to circulate their Saint Qi to resist the omnipresent chill, but for Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder, this was the best kind of cultivation environment.
The pervasive chill in the air seemed to be drawn into her body and was resonating with her Saint Qi, strengthening her slowly.
A slight sound of footsteps appeared outside the door at a certain point and soon after a voice called out, “Disciple has come to see Honoured Master!”
“Come in!” Ran Yun Ting smiled slightly and opened her eyes.
The next moment, the door was opened, and a beautiful figure walked inside.
A young woman wearing spotless white robes walked in. She had long silky black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, a pair of exceptionally bright phoenix eyes, a beautiful, delicate nose, crystal clear jade white skin, and a slender yet supple figure.
She was like an ice fairy carefully crafted by the Heavens, without a single flaw.
Ran Yun Ting swept her eyes over this young woman and a hint of approval flashed across her face, “En, it seems you’ve made progress in your Ice Jade Secret Art once again. You have not disappointed your Master’s expectations.”
The young woman’s expression showed no change at all, her whole body still just radiating a deep chill, as if she was truly carved from ice.
Hearing these words of praise, however, the woman still spoke, “Disciple dares not neglect Honored Master’s care.”
“Very good, sit down!” Ran Yun Ting nodded lightly before pointing to an ice jade cushion in front of herself.
Once every month, this young woman would come to Ran Yun Ting’s residence to consult with her about any questions or doubts she had in her cultivation, and today was that day.
Both Master and Disciple had obviously experienced this kind of meeting several times so the young woman did not hesitate to sit down obediently.
“Have you encountered any difficulties in your cultivation recently?” Ran Yun Ting asked lightly.
Although Ran Yun Ting’s current cultivation was two Minor Realms higher than this disciple of hers, with the latter’s cultivation speed, it would likely only be a few more years before the two were on equal footing. A few years after that, her disciple may even reach the same height as the Supreme Elder. Ran Yun Ting had high hopes for her disciple, so she did not hold back when cultivating her.
The young woman nodded lightly and was just about to speak when her beautiful eyes suddenly caught sight of a portrait hanging on the ice wall behind Ran Yun Ting.
The young woman’s tender body shivered suddenly and her always calm demeanour and expressionless face filled with shock and amazement as she stared fixedly at this portrait.
The look on the young woman’s face was an extremely complex mix of pleasant surprise, disbelief, and loss… changing several times in an instant.
However, in just the blink of an eye, she once again regained her composure.
“Do you know this person?” Although the young woman’s expression had calmed down quickly, her sudden change had not been missed by Ran Yun Ting, causing the latter to ask doubtfully.
The young woman shook her head slowly, “I don’t.”
Ran Yun Ting frowned, as if she did not quite believe her.
The young woman explained, “Honoured Master’s house has always been sparse, with only a bed, chair, and table inside, so when disciple suddenly saw the portrait of a man hanging on the wall, she was a little surprised.”
Hearing her explanation, Ran Yun Ting narrowed her eyes and simply said, “En, I have never met the person in this painting, but apparently Brilliant Flame Sect is searching for him. Valley Master has ordered all the disciples who go out to search for him as well since he may be the key to resolving our Ice Heart Valley’s crisis!”
“So that’s how it is!” The woman tried her best to control her emotions and nodded lightly.
Ran Yun Ting carefully observed the young woman’s reaction but was unable to see anything suspicious in her expression. At this point, she was about eighty percent confident her disciple was telling her the truth, so she simply smiled lightly, “This matter is for others to worry about. Your only concern right now is to cultivate and strive to reach the same realm as your Master as soon as possible. Once you reach this height, Ice Heart Valley will be your world. Do not disappoint these expectations.”
“Disciple will do her best!” The young woman quickly said.
“Very good, en, tell me about the problems you have encountered in your cultivation recently,” Ran Yun Ting gestured kindly.
The young woman immediately opened her mouth and asked a few questions that had been confounding her. Ran Yun Ting listened and answered her carefully. The Master and Disciple pair continued this session for some time.
In a blink of an eye, it was dawn, and the young woman stood up and bid her Master farewell.
After leaving the ice room, the young woman walked outwards without any haste. A while later, she left the inner section of Pure Ice Island and arrived at the outer region.
Pure Ice Island was divided into an Inner Island and Outer Island. The Inner Island was tightly protected, and ordinary disciples weren’t allowed to enter unless they were summoned. Only those direct disciples of the Sect’s Elder and the core personnel of Ice Heart Valley could enter the Inner Island freely.
The Outer Island was where common disciples lived and cultivated.
The Outer Island was vast, but the young woman flew straight towards a certain peak in its southeast without stopping.
On that ice peak, there were hundreds of artificially excavated ice caves, and on the Outer Island, there were hundreds of similar ice peaks!
These ice caves were naturally caved mansions for Ice Heart Valley’s disciples, and depending on their cultivation and their contributions to the Sect, disciples could occupy different grades of ice cave mansions.
The young woman came to an icehouse near the foot of the mountain, stretched out her hand, and poured a bit of her Saint Qi into the barrier around it before waiting quietly.
After a long time passed, however, there was no response.
The young woman frowned, took out a token from her Space Ring, and placed it on the barrier around the cave mansion. The next moment, the barrier split apart, revealing a passage that led inwards.
The woman stepped through this opening quickly.
Soon, she came to the innermost area of the cave mansion but after looking around, she couldn’t find any trace of its inhabitant. Only a letter left on the desk which read ‘For Su Yan!’ caught her eye.
With her hands shaking lightly, the young woman picked up the letter, unsealed it, and pulled out a piece of paper from inside before reading it carefully.
“Su Yan, the Elder Council has issued orders for me and the other disciples to go out and perform a task for the Sect. The orders came so quickly that I was unable to send word to you before we departed. If you have come here to find me, you will definitely see this letter. The task we were assigned is to look for someone. But, to think that person turned out to actually be Yang Kai! He is here on Scarlet Wave Star! I do not know why, but Brilliant Flame Sect is looking for him as well! Remember, don’t act rashly, wait for me to return first so we can discuss this!”
Then the letter was signed by Qing Ya!
Ice Sect’s Sect Master Qing Ya, a former peak-level master on Tong Xuan Realm!
Su Yan read this short letter several times from beginning to end as her tender body trembled, making sure she understood it correctly.
Yang Kai was here!
Seeing the portrait of Yang Kai in the room of her Honoured Master, Su Yan could hardly believe her eyes. For a variety of reasons, it was difficult for her to ask Ran Yun Ting anything about it, so early this morning, she had hurriedly came to see Qing Ya and see if the latter had heard anything.
Qing Ya had come to Ice Heart Valley with her back then; after all, Qing Ya also cultivated an Ice Attribute Secret Art. The reason for her low cultivation, however, was because of Tong Xuan Realm’s insufficient World Energy aura, so when Ran Yun Ting brought Su Yan back to Ice Heart Valley, she had brought Qing Ya as well.
Although Qing Ya also had a good aptitude, she was incomparable to Su Yan, so she could only live in the Outer Island and become a common disciple of Ice Heart Valley. Now, Qing Ya was a Second-Order Saint King and would soon break through to the Third-Order.
Su Yan would often take time to visit Qing Ya as the two were both from Tong Xuan Realm and naturally had a close relationship.
But this time, it seemed Su Yan had arrived a bit too late.
Yesterday, after the Elder Council’s meeting, it was immediately decided that disciples be sent out to look for Yang Kai, and upon receiving this order, Qing Ya left Pure Ice Island with countless others from the Sect.
Qing Ya could not go to the Inner Island to send a letter to Su Yan, but she knew that Su Yan would definitely come to visit her, so she left behind this note before she left.
Holding the letter in her hand, Su Yan’s mood fluctuated rapidly, and her eyes became slightly moist.
If Ran Yun Ting saw this scene, she would be stunned.
She always thought that her disciple’s heart was as firm as ice and that she had no worldly attachments, so how could she be this moved by a simple letter?
Several dozen years of longing were now being released all at once, and these emotions were enough to overwhelm Su Yan!
Suddenly, her blood boiled and Su Yan’s face paled as she coughed up a mouthful of blood. Her Saint Qi also fluctuated wildly and became unstable.
Su Yan’s beautiful face filled with fright. Not daring to neglect, she quickly sat cross-legged and began to calm the chaotic fluctuations in her cultivation.
After quite some time, her chaotic aura gradually calmed down. Getting up, Su Yan carefully collected the letter and quickly left Qing Ya’s icehouse!
The two top forces on Scarlet Wave Star frequently sent out a large portion of their disciples, causing the entire Cultivation Star to stir for a time.
The smaller Sects and families that had close ties with the two great forces also began cooperating with Brilliant Flame Sect and Ice Heart Valley to search for Yang Kai.
Scarlet Wave Star was almost turned upside down!
However, Yang Kai seemed to have disappeared into thin air, with no one even catching a glimpse of him.
….
Inside the Small Sealed World, Yang Kai devoted himself to cultivating.
He did not rush outside the first chance he got. He had finally escaped from Luo Hai, so how could he rashly show himself now?
It was likely that Luo Hai was still looking everywhere for him. If Yang Kai rushed out and fell into a trap, he would be forced to escape in distress again.
This was a good opportunity to take some time and consolidate his most recent gains.
An invisible power permeated from the loft where Xia Ning Chang lived; naturally, it was Space Force.
The Small Sealed World was originally only about a hundred kilometers in radius, and with ten thousand people from the Three Clans living here, although it was not crowded, it wasn’t exactly spacious either.
But today, with the spread of these invisible Space Force fluctuations, the area of the Small Sealed World began expanding outwards at an incredibly rapid rate. Soon, some previously unseen sceneries appeared in front of the Small Sealed World’s inhabitants.
Two hundred kilometers, five hundred, one thousand…
Two thousand…
Three thousand…
Soon, the masters from the Three Clans who were in retreat sensed something was changing in the environment around them and began exiting their seclusions. One after another, they released their Divine Senses to investigate their surroundings and immediately discovered the Small Sealed World was expanding.
“Brother Ling, this Small Sealed World is expanding, right?” Standing mid-air, Meng Wu Ya observed the bizarre scenes in the distance with a shocked expression.
“En,” Ling Tai Xu nodded his head slightly, “It’s really expanding.”
“Hahaha!” A loud laugh rang out as the Monster Race Great Senior Thunder Dragon appeared beside Meng Wu Ya and said, “This is wonderful. Now, we don’t have to squish up against Zhang Yuan’s group anymore. This King has had more than enough of that cold Demonic Qi of theirs!”
“Thunder Dragon, this Senior isn’t deaf!” A cold snort sounded as Demon Commander Zhang Yuan appeared.
“So what if you heard me? This Thunder Dragon wasn’t speaking behind your back, he was just telling the truth,” Thunder Dragon curled his lips into a grin.
Zhang Yuan snorted in response, “You think this Senior likes living next to you? Your Monster Qi isn’t anything good either.”
Thunder Dragon grinned freely, not seeming to care.
Although the Three Clans were all living in the Small Sealed World now and there were no major disputes between them, their competitive natures had not been dulled. Yang Kai had given them this opportunity and all of them were determined to pursue greater heights in the Martial Dao with all their might.
As such, when these masters occasionally met one another, they would naturally bicker and quarrel amongst themselves.
“But why is this place expanding? Could there have been some kind of accident?” Chu Ling Xiao was a little worried.
“It should be related to Sect Master, you don’t have to worry about it,” A voice suddenly came from behind. The masters from the Three Clans turned around and saw Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, Mo Yu, and Lin Yu Rao. All of these peak Origin Returning Realm masters had come together.
The Three Clans’ masters did not dare show any neglect and politely offered their greetings.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others responded in kind.
Everyone was familiar with one another and knew what their respective identities were.
Although Yang Xiu Zhu and the other Origin Realm masters were far stronger and older than the master from the Three Clans, Ling Tai Xu and those from Tong Xuan Realm had a very close relationship with Yang Kai, so they all treated each other as equal peers.
“This is related to Yang Kai?” Ling Tai Xu was intrigued, “Brother Yang, could you explain a little more?”
Everyone turned to look at Yang Xiu Zhu curiously.
Yang Xiu Zhu pondered for a moment before replying, “The higher Sect Master’s cultivation becomes, and the more profound his attainments in the Dao of Space are, the broader this world will become.”
He did not know much about doesn’t know much about Sealed World Bead. As one of the former Elders of Star Emperor Mountain, he only knew that it was a kind of storage artifact and an Emperor Artifact, but he could still explain roughly what was happening.
Hearing what he said, everyone nodded.
“So, this was all caused by Yang Kai somehow? Is he here?” Zhang Yuan showed a suspicious expression, releasing his Divine Sense and a moment later saying, “He’s really here! It seems he is in Xia Girl’s loft. There is also a strange energy fluctuation coming from his location. Is this Space Force?”
“It should be!”
While everyone was chatting, the expansion of the Small Sealed World did not stop.
From the original hundred-kilometre radius, it expanded all the way to ten thousand kilometres in diameter before finally stopping.
At the edge of the Small Sealed World, there still seemed to be a strange force which was blocking Yang Kai’s Space Force from advancing, indicating that there was still more to this place but also making it impossible for anyone inside to see it yet.
“Hey, there seem to be some buildings over there!” Thunder Dragon’s eyes were sharp and could see that in the distance there was a new set of building. These buildings were not too densely constructed and although they seemed a bit scattered and disorderly, their arrangement also seemed to contain some kind of hidden mystery as well.
“Should we go have a look?” Everyone was curious and eager to explore.
“Haha, this old master will be going on ahead!” A loud laugh came out as Old Demon turned into a stream of light and rushed towards that side fearlessly.
The others shook their heads slowly and followed close behind.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the other Origin Realm masters exchanged a wry look before also keeping up.
A short time later, everyone arrived at the location of the buildings and were shocked as soon as they did.
Because the World Energy here was more than three times richer than their original position, which meant that cultivating here would be three times as efficient as before!
“This place is good. My Monster Race will take this section!” Thunder Dragon held out his hand and motioned towards a large area.
“Then my Demon Race will occupy this piece.” Zhang Yuan followed suit.
Ling Tai Xu and Meng Wu Ya looked at each other, the former looking calm and relaxed as he said, “Then the rest will be occupied by my Human Race.”
With a few words, the masters from the Three Clans divided up this newly emerged building complex, each of them claiming a large swath of land for their respective race.
“It seems that this new stretch of the world has richer aura than before, but does that mean if Yang Kai continued to expand this place in the future, there will be even better places to occupy?” Chu Ling Xiao pondered thoughtfully.
“That should be the case.”
“It’s just a question of how big this place will eventually be then. If it is big enough, this Senior is willing to remain here for the rest of his life,” Zhang Yuan laughed.
He reaffirmed at this moment that his decision to leave Tong Xuan Realm with the Demon Race elite and follow Yang Kai was the right one.
If he had remained on Tong Xuan Realm, how could he have a chance to break through to the Saint King Realm or spy on a higher Martial Dao?
Perhaps he would have died of old age, never being able to surpass the achievements of Great Demon God.
But now, the legend of Great Demon God had been broken by countless people.
Since Zhang Yuan has such thoughts, so how could Thunder Dragon be different?
Both were extremely grateful to Yang Kai.
Over the next few days, the Three Clans collectively relocated, abandoning their previously built lofts and flooding into the newly emerged region.
Time flew by and soon another three months had passed.
Yang Kai finally exited his secluded retreat.
Xia Ning Chang had been standing guarding in front of the loft all this time, and when Yang Kai called her to ask about the situation in the Small Sealed World, he was surprised to learn just how huge the changes here had been.
The expansion of the Small Sealed World was a matter of course. As his cultivation and understanding of the Dao of Space increased, this world would surely continue to grow and gradually reveal all its hidden mysteries.
Yang Kai was also very curious about how big this place was.
The appearance of a new set of buildings also surprised Yang Kai greatly.
None of this was bad, however, and after finishing his retreat, Yang Kai brought Xia Ning Chang around to confirm that there were no dangers in this Small Seal world. Discovering nothing harmful and realizing that the new cultivation environment was two to three times better than before, Yang Kai felt happy and relieved.
Finished with these necessities, Yang Kai next went to see Qian Tong.
Qian Tong was fine. Although he had been slightly injured by Luo Hai at the periphery of Green Mountains Star, in the end, he was still an Origin King. Qian Tong had recovered quickly and was now working hard to consolidate his cultivation.
Seeing everything going well, Yang Kai put down the last of his worries and then picked out an excellent palace for him and Xia Ning Chang to stay in inside the Small Sealed World.
Yang Kai wanted to take this opportunity to cultivate his Monster Transformation and develop the Golden Divine Dragon Source in his body.
Living together with Little Senior Sister, he naturally enjoyed the time shared with his precious lover.
Out of the several years that he lived, it was during times like these that Yang Kai felt the most comfortable.
Pure Ice Island, inside the ice room of Ran Yun Ting.
Su Yan stood like a white flower blossoming in a world of ice and snow, her aura cold and her white clothes untainted by the mundane.
“You want to go out for life experience?” Ran Yun Ting frowned.
Su Yan came here to look for her today to make such a request, surprising Ran Yun Ting quite a bit.
“Yes!” Su Yan nodded.
“Why do you suddenly want to go out for life experience?” Ran Yun Ting smiled, “Right now is a critical moment for you to break through to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm. It is also not a good time for you to be outside as Scarlet Wave Star’s situation is quite tense. Although you have lived in the Inner Island all this time, you have probably heard some rumours about what is happening in the outside world. If you were to meet someone from Brilliant Flame Sect now, it would do you no good. You should know that little bastard Wei Feng is still thinking about you and that Brilliant Flame Sect is using this as an excuse to suppress Ice Heart Valley into handing you over to them.”
“Disciple understands clearly,” Su Yan lightly spoke. “But it is also for this reason that disciple wishes to go out for life experience. Perhaps, after taking a walk outside, Disciple will receive some kind of inspiration, which will allow her cultivation to improve.”
“En, a reasonable proposition,” Ran Yun Ting nodded but still felt things were a bit difficult. If Su Yan had asked to go out at any other point, she certainly would not have tried to stop her. Although her disciple only had a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, her combat power was not inferior to an average Third-Order cultivator.
She was the type of genius who could fight above her realm, an elite among elites!
With her Ice Crystal Jade Body’s Special Constitution and Ice Heart Valley’s Ice Jade Secret Art, Su Yan had few rivals below the Origin King Realm.
Cultivation was not just a matter of cultivating in secluded retreat, going out for experience had always been an essential part of one’s growth.
But now, Scarlet Wave Star was in a state of upheaval, so how could Ran Yun Ting feel safe allowing Su Yan to wander outside?
Just as she was considering what kind of excuse she could use to persuade Su Yan to remain in the Sect, Ran Yun Ting suddenly noticed something and stared at Su Yan firmly, her brow gradually furrowing.
Immediately, she released her Divine Sense and scanned Su Yan.
“What kind of problem did you encounter in your cultivation? Why is your Pure Jade Ice Heart suddenly unstable? Why has your cultivation regressed?” Ran Yun Ting’s beautiful face paled.
She suddenly realized that Su Yan’s cultivation had not risen since the last time she saw her, but had fallen instead.
Although this decline was quite small, as Su Yan’s Master, Ran Yun Ting was naturally able to notice.
This development stunned Ran Yun Ting.
Even if Su Yan’s own aptitude was not the highest, her Special Constitution and its unprecedented compatibility with Pure Ice Island’s core Secret Art was enough to make up for any slight deficiencies in talent.
What’s more, Su Yan’s aptitude was exceptional, perhaps there were few people in the entire Star Field comparable to her.
Her cultivation had always progressed at a rapid yet steady pace, but now this kind of strange situation had occurred.
Ran Yun Ting’s expression fluctuated for a time before she realized something, “You have actually been affected by the Secret Art’s backlash due to unstable emotions? Who was it that moved your heart!?”
At this moment, Ran Yun Ting’s expression had turned fierce and her Saint Qi was pulsing madly from her figure.
Cultivating the Ice Jade Secret Art required Su Yan to maintain a Pure Jade Ice Heart. As long as her Pure Jade Ice Heart was calm and serene, her cultivation would advance rapidly!
On the other hand, she would suffer from increasingly intense backlash the more disturbed her Pure Jade Ice Heart became.
The greatest disturbance to a Pure Jade Ice Heart was passion!
This was something that any cultivator who cultivated the Ice Jade Secret Art must avoid at all cost.
The Pure Jade Ice Heart must not be dyed with emotion, and love was by far the blackest of inks which would pollute it the fastest.
Ran Yun Ting understood the truth of the matter almost immediately.
“No, you’ve lived in the Inner Island all year round and have not had any chance to contact men from the outside world!” Ran Yun Ting shook his head in confusion, but soon recalled a certain incident, grit her teeth, and questioned, “Su Yan, tell your Master honestly, is this related to that portrait you saw the other day? Do you know that man?”
Ran Yun Ting was a sharp person and, after considering countless possibilities in a very short period of time, she felt this was the most likely!
When Su Yan saw the portrait that day, a strange expression had appeared on her face, a fact that strengthened Ran Yun Ting’s suspicions.
Facing her Honoured Master’s questioning, Su Yan bit her red lips lightly as a trace of guilt flashed across her face, but that soon disappeared and she replied softly, “Disciple knows him.”
Ran Yun Ting turned pale and she asked in a trembling voice, “What is your relationship with him…?”
“He is my Junior Brother and my man!”
When she said this, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Su Yan’s mouth, one that made her look extremely happy.
Ran Yun Ting was stunned.
Since she brought Su Yan back to Pure Ice Island nearly thirty years ago, she had never seen her smile. Today was a first.
This sudden blooming smile formed a diametrically opposite contrast to Su Yan’s cold aloofness, and combined with her flawless beauty, Ran Yun Ting was slightly dumbstruck for a moment.
In her heart, a sense of inferiority welled up uncontrollably.
Unfortunately, Ran Yun Ting soon dispelled these distracting thoughts and asked with a gloomy face, “You actually had a man? Since when?”
“Since a long time before I met Honoured Master.”
“Has your relationship with him ever been intimate?” Ran Yun Ting continued to ask.
Su Yan’s cheeks blushed slightly as she nodded.
Ran Yun Ting’s body trembled and she nearly lost her ability to stand, stumbling backwards a few steps as an obvious look of disappointment flashed across her eyes and she said in a pained voice, “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”
“Honoured Master never asked,” Su Yan bit her red lips lightly.
Ran Yun Ting snapped back, “I didn’t ask because your aura was completely pure, so I assumed you still had your innocence! But since you have had intimate relations with a man, why is there no impurities in your aura?”
Once a woman experienced intimacy with a man, some Yang Essence which belonged to that man would inevitably remain in her body. This aura was more than enough to indicate a loss of innocence.
Su Yan’s aura, however, was still pure, so Ran Yun Ting never even dreamed she was no longer a virgin.
[Is it because of her Special Constitution?] It was also possible that Su Yan’s physique was not innate but one she acquired, and perhaps when this happened her aura had been purified.
“Such impropriety!” Ran Yun Ting grit her teeth and shouted.
“Disciple has disappointed Honoured Master,” Su Yan lowered her eyes.
“If I knew about this, I would never have allowed you to cultivate the Ice Jade Secret Art!” Ran Yun Ting was heartbroken as all her expectations for Su Yan turned into disappointment and she said with red eyes, “Do you know that after cultivating the Ice Jade Secret Art, once you encounter an emotional backlash, things will only get worse? Your current situation isn’t too serious, but if things are left as they are, you will eventually lose your entire cultivation and degenerate into a waste!”
“Disciple did not know!” Su Yan shook her head but showed no trace of fear.
When she came to Pure Ice Island and worshipped Ran Yun Ting as her Master, she had simply followed Ran Yun Ting’s instructions and cultivated whatever Secret Art she was given. How could she have raised any objections? It was only a few days ago, when she noticed a problem with her Secret Art, that any doubts came to her mind.
Ran Yun Ting’s expression darkened as she was aware of the seriousness of this problem, and although she was greatly disappointed in Su Yan’s concealment of her romantic history, in the end, she was still very optimistic about her Disciple. Anxiously, she said, “Su Yan, it’s not too late. Cut off your emotional ties immediately, otherwise, your cultivation will continue to regress, and you will eventually become an ordinary mortal. Once that happens, no one will be able to save you.”
“Cut my emotional ties?” Su Yan raised her head and looked at Ran Yun Ting, a strange light flashing across her beautiful eyes before she slowly but firmly shook her head. “Honoured Master, forgive me, but Disciple is unable to do this.”
“You…” Ran Yun Ting was infuriated as she pointing to Su Yan, unable to say a word.
Su Yan simply smiled again, “If I can see him again, even if Disciple degenerates into an ordinary mortal, she is willing.”
Ran Yun Ting became dazed as she stared at Su Yan blankly, “Are these your true feelings? Are you certain you won’t regret it?”
Su Yan nodded.
“Have you not realized that this is just you seeking temporary happiness at the expense of your future? If you really become an ordinary mortal, your life span will become less than a hundred years and it won’t be long before you become a withered old woman. When that happens, will that man of yours still have any interest in you? When that happens, it’s likely he will simply abandon you!”
Su Yan’s tender body trembled as a hint of fear flashed across her beautiful eyes.
When Ran Yun Ting saw this, she knew she had a chance and was just about to strike while the iron was hot, but before she could, that trace of fear in Su Yan’s eyes disappeared. Su Yan stretched out her hand, brushed her hair back behind her ear, and whispered, “If I can be together with him again, Disciple is still willing. When the time comes, Disciple will simply leave before she grows old, so she does not have to show him such an unsightly appearance.”
“Madness!” Ran Yun Ting’s chest heaved up and down violently.
She had never known that her disciple has such a stubborn, unreasonable side.
“Honoured Master, disciple wants to go out!” Su Yan quickly said.
“Do you want to go out to look for that man?” Ran Yun Ting looked at her coldly. Before, she thought Su Yan wanted to go out to seek for an opportunity to break through her current bottleneck, but now, how could she not understand her Disciple’s true intentions?
Obviously, Su Yan wanted to leave to seek out the person from that painting.
“Yes, please permit me, Honoured Master!” Su Yan did not try to deny it.
“In your dreams!” Ran Yun Ting coldly snorted, “From now on, you will remain in the Inner Island and not take one step outside. Master will find a way to solve your current difficulties for you, I hope you will not disappoint me any further.”
“Honoured Master!” Su Yan objected anxiously.
Ran Yun Ting just snorted and yelled sharply, “Come in!”
Two women with First-Order Origin Realm cultivations walked in immediately and politely cupped their fists, “What are Great Elder’s orders!”
“Bring Su Yan back to her residence and watch her carefully. If she dares to take a single step outside without my permission, I will hold both of you responsible!”
The two women looked at each other with stunned expressions, neither of them understanding what Su Yan could have done to anger Great Elder so greatly.
One had to know that Great Elder Ran had always been extremely proud of Su Yan and even bragged outside countless times that accepting Su Yan as her Disciple was the best decision she had ever made in her life.
Su Yan was definitely the greatest candidate to become the future pillar of Ice Heart Valley.
But now, Ran Yun Ting had obviously become infuriated with Su Yan, to the point of putting her under house arrest.
What exactly had happened?
The two women did not dare to ask more and just glanced at Su Yan thoughtfully and said, “Junior Sister Su, please.”
“Honoured Master…” Su Yan looked at Ran Yun Ting beggingly, hoping she would change her mind.
“Take her!” Ran Yun Ting turned her back to Su Yan and screamed, as if she never wanted to see her again.
“Junior Sister Su, please don’t make things difficult for us,” Among the two girls, the taller woman frowned and urged impatiently.
Su Yan stared at Ran Yun Ting’s back and sighed softly, knowing that nothing would work. Bowing slightly, she turned around and walked out.
Soon, only Ran Yun Ting was left inside the ice room.
Staring at the portrait hanging on the ice wall with fiery eyes, she wanted nothing more than to cut up this man into a thousand pieces. Lifting her hand, she palmed forward mercilessly.
With a bang, the portrait instantly turned into dust.
“Little brat, you best not fall into the hands of this Queen, otherwise, I will definitely tear your corpse into ten thousand pieces!” Ran Yun Ting declared viciously.
As long as there was still a chance to rectify Su Yan’s situation, Ran Yun Ting wouldn’t hesitate to kill Yang Kai to dispel her disciple’s heart demon.
If Su Yan was unwilling to cut off her emotions, her Honoured Master would do it for her!
As long as this man died, Su Yan’s path forward would no longer be hindered, and she would not continue to suffer backlash from the Ice Jade Secret Art.
Perhaps she would be sad and disappointed for a while, but Ran Yun Ting believed that as time passed, Su Yan would only feel grateful and not resent her.
After thinking so, Ran Yun Ting quickly left her ice room and headed towards the ice peak where the Supreme Elder was in seclusion. She had to ask the Supreme Elder about this matter as she was not actually certain if this method would be effective. So long as Ran Yun Ting could get a nod from the Supreme Elder, she wouldn’t have any worries left.
The Inner Island of Pure Ice Island had many cross-crossing paths that lead in all directions.
Many female disciples of Ice Heart Valley were walking about the unique buildings carved from pure, crystal ice.
Su Yan walked along a certain ice road in despair, making her way back to her room step by step.
The two female responsible for guarding her followed closely behind while exchanging Divine Sense Messages with each other.
“Senior Sister Zhou, what mistake do you think Su Yan made to enrage Great Elder to this extent?” The shorter woman asked suspiciously.
The taller Senior Sister Zhou just coldly snorted, “Great Elder didn’t say, so how would I know? But no matter what happened, it certainly is no trivial matter. Otherwise, Great Elder would not put Su Yan under house arrest. Hmph, this little girl truly does not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth; since entering Ice Heart Valley, she has always had eyes atop her head, never putting us Senior Sisters in her eyes. Even if we met by chance, she would never offer greetings or display any kind of courtesy at all.”
“En, she’s relied completely on Great Elder’s favour to do as she pleases,” The petite woman snickered, “Now that she has offended Great Elder and fallen out of favour, let’s see if she dares act arrogant again in the future.”
“As her Senior Sisters, it’s time we teach her how to behave.”
The two looked at each other and smiled knowingly. They felt extremely happy right now, as if the sky had become brighter today.
As she was walking along though, Su Yan suddenly stopped, and her eyes brightened. Turning towards a certain direction, her figure flickered and flew off.
The expressions of the two women who had been following her changed dramatically as they thought Su Yan was trying to escape, but in the next moment, they saw her arrive in front of a few other Ice Heart Valley disciples.
“What now?” The woman surnamed Zhou showed an unhappy expression as she hurried over.
Nearby, a few Ice Heart Valley disciples who were talking in low voices wore confused looks on their faces. They did not understand why Su Yan had suddenly run over to them. The leader of this group, a woman with a powerful Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, frowned slightly as she observed Sun Yan and asked, “Aren’t you Great Elder Ran’s Disciple, Su Yan?”
“She’s Su Yan?”
“I heard that she was only a Third-Order Saint when she first arrived here, but now, in less than thirty years, she’s almost reached the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm.”
“I also heard those rumours, so this is what she looks like.”
The several women walked up to and began looking towards Su Yan, as if this was the first time they had ever seen her.
“Yes,” Su Yan nodded. “Greetings, Senior Sisters!”
“En, do you have some business with us?” The lead woman asked.
“I just heard several Senior Sisters discussing… discussing the person in that portrait. Have you met him before?” Su Yan pointed to the portrait held by the leading woman.
“You mean this fellow?” The lead woman raised the portrait and laughed lightly. “I’ve indeed met him before.”
Su Yan’s eyes lit up and she asked urgently, “When did Senior Sister meet him, is he… is he well?”
The woman frowned and asked back doubtfully, “Does Junior Sister know this person too?”
When she asked, Su Yan realized that she had made a mistake.
When she was walking just now, she suddenly heard someone talking about Yang Kai and rushed over immediately.
Su Yan took a gentle breath and restrained her swirling emotions before nodding lightly, “En, I know him. Senior Sister, can you tell me when you met him and how he was? If you can, Junior Sister will be incredibly grateful.”
“The relationship between Junior Sister and him seems to be quite good,” The lead woman giggled lightly but did not dig any deeper into the subject. “Telling you is naturally not an issue; however, this was a matter from several years ago.”
“A few years ago?” Su Yan frowned.
“Yeah, Junior Sister, you also know that the Emperor Garden opened a few years ago and that I and several others from the Sect entered to explore it, right? It was there that I met him. If it were not for his help at that time, we Senior Sisters would likely have suffered heavy casualties at the hands of Brilliant Flame Sect’s Kong Wen Dong! He even helped us kill that Kong Wen Dong.”
“He killed Kong Wen Dong?”
“Kong Wen Dong is a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, being able to kill him must mean that man is very powerful, yes?”
The group of women who had gathered previously all chatted in amazement.
If Yang Kai was here, he would recognize this woman leading the group.
During his expedition to the Emperor Garden, the first real fight Yang Kai had encountered was between this woman and Kong Wen Dong over an ancient cave mansion.
Yang Kai’s True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture and Purple Origin Alchemy Furnace were obtained at that time.
“Could you tell me more about that encounter?” Su Yan’s beautiful eyes flashed as she looked towards the woman expectantly.
The woman looked back at Su Yan thoughtfully, seemingly becoming aware of something, and nodded, “Sure.”
The lead woman began telling the story of what happened to her in the Emperor Garden a few years ago, entrancing the group of disciples from Ice Heart Valley, but Su Yan had long ago fallen into a daze.
[He’s already so strong.]
She did not know who this Kong Wen Dong was, but from the reactions of her fellow disciples, Su Yan was able to infer some information.
Kong Wen Dong was definitely a peak level master in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, and Yang Kai was already able to kill him a few years ago when he was just a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator!
Several years had passed now, so what realm had Yang Kai reached? Just how powerful was he now?
Her Junior Brother, her man, was already so outstanding.
A light smile filled Su Yan’s face, one that seemed to brighten the entire Pure Ice Island.
“Junior Sister Su, please come with us now. Don’t make things more difficult than they need to be!” The tall woman in charge of guarding Su Yan urged impatiently as the happy look on the latter’s face somehow annoyed her.
“Yes, if we are delayed here and Great Elder finds out, we will be the ones who are punished, or is Junior Sister Su saying you are willing to take responsibility for us?” The shorter woman snapped.
The others all looked at them in surprise, then at Su Yan, not understanding what was going on.
Su Yan thanked the Senior Sister who told her about Yang Kai before quickly saying goodbye and continuing to walk towards her ice mansion, walking briskly as she tried to sweep away her previous sorrows.
…..
At the bottom of a blue river, the Sealed World Bead sat silently covered in silt for almost an entire year.
One day, however, a school of fish swam by, close enough to disturb the silt covering the Sealed World Bead, exposing it from its hiding spot.
One curious fish from this school spotted the Sealed World Bead, opened its mouth, and swallowed it down. Twisting about a bit uncomfortably for a moment, the fish then casually caught up with the rest of its school.
Ten days later, these fish swam into a vast lake, and as soon as they entered this place, a huge black shadow appeared from the depths. This black shadow opened its mouth wide, like a whale, and inhaled deeply, swallowing almost eighty percent of the school of river fish.
A short time later, this black shadow belched and left contentedly.
A few days later, ten thousand kilometres away from the entrance of the lake, an iron ship was sailing along slowly. Aboard this iron ship, a group of cultivators were pushing their Saint Qi to use Secret Technique and artifacts in combat with a huge black shadow below the water’s surface.
Half an hour later, the shadow was killed, and the cultivators happily fished up the shadow from the lake.
This strange fish was nearly twenty metres in length and had large, bulging red eyes. Its mouth was filled with jagged fangs, giving it a truly terrifying appearance. Most notable however was its tail, which was ball-shaped and filled with spikes.
Many of the cultivators aboard the ship were injured while fighting this strange fish, but at this moment, they all had joyful looks upon their faces as they examined their spoils.
“Uncle Wang, this Flowing Star Fish is enormous! From the struggle it put up just now, it’s likely a peak Eight-Order Monster Beast,” A young man at the First-Order Saint King Realm stood next to the strange fish and kicked its belly lightly with his foot, smiling as he called out to an old man in green robes nearby.
The old man smiled and stroked his beard as he nodded, “En. This is a Flowing Star Fish that has grown to its limit, a genuine peak Eighth-Order Monster Beast.”
“Hahaha, we’ve struck it rich this time. The Flowing Star Fish’s Monster Core is extremely rare and worth at least 200,000 Saint Crystals, much more than the Monster Core of other Monster Beasts of this level,” The young man laughed.
“Yes, with this Flowing Star Fish, our trip this time has already been worthwhile! Selling the Monster Core will provide our Wang Family’s cultivators six months worth of cultivation resources.”
“Uncle Wang, should I process it, or do you want to do it yourself?” The young man looked at the old man.
“You do it, of course! This old master is too old to do such bloody work!” The old man said, drawing a laugh from everyone on the boat.
The young man did not complain and immediately took out a small silver dagger before pouring his Saint Qi into it to form a long blade which he stabbed into the fish’s body. A moment later, the young man extracted a fist-sized Monster Core from the fish’s head.
The young man then respectfully handed the Monster Core to the old man. The old man took a closer look and nodded, “En, this is an excellent Monster Core, one that contains an extremely rich Water Attribute energy. If this is used by a cultivator who cultivates a Water Attribute Secret Art, they will be able to rapidly improve their strength. Alright, this old master will look after this Monster Core for the time being and hand it over to the Patriarch when we return. Everyone here will be rewarded well for this merit!”
Hearing this, the cultivators who participated in the battle just now cheered in excitement.
“This Flowing Star Fish is quite rare, and its flesh is also a delicacy that cannot be wasted. Call someone over to process it,” After the old man gave the order, he turned around and entered his cabin.
The young man standing next to the fish then called over a few of the younger disciples to handle it.
This young man was naturally unwilling to handle such menial work and assigned the disciples with the lowest cultivation onboard to handle it. Generally, these low-level disciples wouldn’t participate in the battle and were only responsible for doing chores to earn some Saint Crystals for their cultivation.
Although the Flowing Star Fish was quite big, it was not too much trouble to handle.
A short time later, everything was processed, and the fish meat was specially preserved to not lose its freshness while its organs which were of no use were thrown overboard.
Somewhere at the bottom of the boat, in a rather crude room, a young girl about sixteen or seventeen years old closed her door tightly and sat on her bed. Looking left and right, with a guilty expression her face, she carefully reached into her pocket and pulled out an unremarkable-looking bead.
This bead was only about the size of a longan and did not seem to be anything special.
But this did not stop the young girl’s heart from pounding.
“Is this a Monster Core?” The girl muttered to herself, her face flushing with excitement as she bit her thin lip and looked at the bead in her hand anxiously.
Just now, she was one of the lower base disciples who had processed the fish and at the time she had accidentally found this bead in its belly, after which she quickly hid it from the others.
She thought it might be the Flowing Star Fish’s Monster Core!
Now, thinking about what she had just done, however, she couldn’t help feeling fearful.
Since she came out with her family’s iron ship, everything she obtained should technically belong to the family. She did not know what came over her at the time to actually try to pocket this bead for herself.
It was obviously impossible for her to turn it in now; if she tried to, she would likely be punished by the Family Law for theft.
“This isn’t a Monster Core,” The girl was not able to calm herself, so she instead tried to convince herself that she hadn’t done anything wrong to ease her guilt.
The Monster Core had been taken away by her Uncle Wang, and she had never heard about a Monster Beast that formed two Monster Cores. Moreover, this bead had no energy fluctuations, so 0bviously it could not be a Monster Core.
But since it wasn’t a Monster Core, what was it? Why was it in the belly of that fish?
The girl tilted her head to the side and kept staring at the bead in her hand in confusion.
Suddenly, the bead flashed and mysteriously disappeared from her hand.
At the same time, strangely, a person appeared in front of her.
The girl turned pale when she witnessed this and quickly lifted her head to examine this stranger.
Standing in front of her was a young man who seemed to be around twenty-five or sixty years old. His expression was also slightly confused, seemingly puzzled by his current situation.
Four eyes suddenly met, and the girl’s beautiful eyes flashed with terror as she opened her small mouth to try to shout.
Yang Kai moved faster though and quickly managed to cover her mouth.
The girl struggled, punching and kicking Yang Kai as her face filled with panic, obviously thinking Yang Kai was some kind of heinous criminal.
“Don’t shout and don’t move!” Yang Kai frowned as shouted in a low tone.
He still does not quite understand what had happened, but he quickly discerned that after coming out he had appeared on an iron ship that was carrying several cultivators. Although the strongest cultivator aboard was only at the First-Order Origin Returning Realm, nothing he needed to worry about, Yang Kai did not want to stir up trouble unnecessarily.
As such, he would first need to deal with this girl, albeit, a bit roughly.
The girl remained undeterred however and continued struggling.
Yang Kai saw that any attempt at gentle persuasion here would be ineffective and instead wore a vicious grin and as he swept his eyes over the girl’s figure and whispered maliciously, “If you don’t cooperate obediently, this King will have his way with you first then feed everyone else on this ship to the fishes!”
The young girl’s tender body shivered as a pleading look appeared in her beautiful eyes. She kept shaking her head as tears flowed out, obviously uneasy.
But despite being terribly frightened, she really calmed down and stopped struggling.
“Everything will be fine as long as you remain obedient!” Yang Kai showed a faint smile, pausing for a moment before following up, “I will warn you now, I could crush this boat and everyone on it to dust with a snap of my fingers; after all, the old fogey with the highest strength here is nothing but a First-Order Origin Returning Realm weakling. However, I am merciful and do not enjoy slaughtering the innocent. So, if you care for your family and friends, you’d best not annoy me. Lest you suffer the consequences.”
The girl’s beautiful eyes trembled as she nodded repeatedly.
Yang Kai casually stating the realm of the strongest person on board had made the young girl realise just how scary the young man in front of her was.
Naturally, she wasn’t going to act carelessly with her and her clansmen’s lives.
Yang Kai released her a moment later, and sure enough, the young girl no longer tried to scream, instead just choosing to stare at him apprehensively without saying a word.
“Okay. There is no need to be afraid. Although I will not claim to be a good person, I am also not someone wicked either, as long as you cooperate, there will be some benefits for you,” Yang Kai finally comforted.
This young girl’s courage apparently wasn’t small, and after recovering from her initial fright, and seeing the amiable look on Yang Kai’s face, she truly calmed down, but she still didn’t dare to speak at will and just stood there uneasily.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense next to carefully scan his surroundings before formulating a hypothesis for why he had appeared here.
Originally, he had hidden the Sealed World Bead at the bottom of a river, but now, it seemed it had somehow found its way into this little girl’s hands.
The exact chain of events was of course still a mystery to Yang Kai, but that did not really matter.
The other party’s cultivation only reached the Third-Order Transcendent Realm, meaning she was not even a Saint yet. She was slender and looked a bit delicate.
“Where is this place and who are you?” Yang Kai focused his attention, found a chair to sit down in, and asked the girl.
The girl gulped before suppressing the panic in her heart and replied with a trembling voice, “Reporting to Senior, this is Thorn Lake, and we are from the Wang Family.”
[Thorn Lake, Wang Family!] Yang Kai naturally hadn’t heard these names before, but he figured it was the territory of some family on this Cultivation Star.
Once again, this did not really matter to Yang Kai. Now that he had exited the Sealed World Bead, his first task was to find out if Luo Hai was still on Scarlet Wave Star.
Although Yang Kai figured he had been here for more than a year now, and Luo Hai had probably given up searching for him, he could not act carelessly or act too overtly. This was why he had forced this young girl to cooperate with him; he needed to gather some intelligence from her.
It was unlikely that this little girl would know much, but seeing how Luo Hai was a Second-Order Origin King, his every move would be very eye-catching, so there was a chance this girl had at least heard some useful rumours.
“En, what Cultivation Star is this?” Yang Kai asked again.
“Scarlet Wave Star!” The girl looked at Yang Kai in amazement, her beautiful eyes full of curiosity.
“Scarlet Wave Star?” Yang Kai frowned for a moment but quickly recalled the many dealings he had with cultivators from this Cultivation Star. Without even mentioning Brilliant Flame Sect and Ice Heart Valley, just Xu Ding Yang he had met in the Blood Prison seemed to be from Scarlet Wave Star.
Before Xu Ding Yang died, he had asked Yang Kai to go to Blue Feather Sect to inform them of his death.
Coincidentally, Yang Kai had come to this very Cultivation Star.
“Is the Scarlet Wave Star occupied by Brilliant Flame Sect and Ice Heart Valley?”
“Yes,” The girl nodded, “Brilliant Flame Sect and Ice Heart Valley are the two most powerful Sects on Scarlet Wave Star and both have an Origin King Realm master who commands them.”
After answering several of Yang Kai’s questions, the girl’s mood settled greatly and she became bolder, even taking the initiative to come forward and pour Yang Kai a glass of water.
She could tell now that Yang Kai was not some kind of villain.
“Both have Origin Kings overseeing them!” Yang Kai was surprised. He didn’t know much about these two Sects but judging from the strength of the people he had come into contact with, it wasn’t too much of a shock that they possessed masters of such level.
“Then is there a force called Blue Feather Sect here?” Yang Kai asked next.
The girl’s beautiful eyes brightened for a moment, “Does Senior have some friendship with Blue Feather Sect?”
“Not exactly, answer my question!”
The girl’s expression changed slightly as she nodded and quickly replied, “En, our Wang Family is attached to Blue Feather Sect.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow, “Is that true?”
“Junior dares not deceive Senior,” The girl bit her red lips.
“Then tell me, what is the name of Blue Feather Sect’s Sect Master?”
“Sect Master Xu Ding Yang!”
Yang Kai gently nodded. Observing this young girl’s words and expressions, he could tell that she was not deceiving him. After confirming that the other party was not lying to him, Yang Kai thought about it for a moment before he took out a Space Ring and handed it to her.
“Senior, this is…”
“Your Blue Feather Sect’s Sect Master died in the Blood Prison. This is his Space Ring. I only met him by chance right before the end, at that point, he requested I inform Blue Feather Sect about his death if I ever visited Scarlet Wave Star. Now that I have met you here though, I shall hand this task over to you. If you bring this Space Ring to Blue Feather Sect, they will naturally be able to confirm its authenticity.”
“Sect Master died?” The girl was shocked.
In her opinion, the cultivation of Blue Feather Sect’s Sect Master was extremely profound, higher than she would ever be able to reach. Yet, now, she was hearing that such a powerful master had actually fallen.
The young could not help feeling a bit dazed!
Yang Kai gave her some time to digest this news before he asked, “What is your name?”
“Junior is called Wang Ying!”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “Wang Ying, what important matters have happened on Scarlet Wave Star recently? Has some powerful foreign master arrived here?”
“A powerful master?” Wang Ying was at a loss and shook her head, “Junior doesn’t know, but if it is about important matters, there really has been something occurring recently.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Wang Ying proceeded to tell him about how Brilliant Flame Sect and Ice Heart Valley were both searching for someone.
Although Wang Ying didn’t know what person Brilliant Flame Sect and Ice Heart Valley were looking for, or even what they looked like exactly, she had heard rumours that it was a young man in his twenties or thirties.
Hearing this, Yang Kai realized the situation was not optimistic.
[Could the one they were looking for be me? The timing at least matched when I arrived on Scarlet Wave Star.]
Brilliant Flame Sect looking for him, Yang Kai could understand; after all, in the Blood Prison, Yang Kai had heard that the Supreme Elder of Brilliant Flame Sect had some friendship with Luo Hai. If Luo Hai was still on Scarlet Wave Star, he would definitely seek assistance from Brilliant Flame Sect.
But why was Ice Heart Valley looking for him as well?
Yang Kai had some intersection with the people from Ice Heart Valley, but that was only a small incident back in the Emperor Garden. There were no grievances between him and Ice Heart Valley, so why were they interested in finding him?
Word of the Emperor Artifact and Origin Essence Crystal would never have been leaked. Luo Hai’s entire purpose was to obtain these two treasures, so how could he possibly tell anyone else about them?
Yang Kai thought about it but couldn’t figure out the whole story.
“Senior…” Wang Ying could not help calling out when Yang Kai stopped talking for some time.
“En, I’m very satisfied with your answers, this is for you,” Yang Kai said as he placed a small package on a nearby desk before casually getting up and with a flicker, disappearing from the room.
Wang Ying did not even see how he moved.
Stunned for a moment, Wang Ying soon took a deep breath as she felt a great pressure suddenly lift from her shoulders.
Stepping forward slowly, she walked over to the desk and opened the package. The next instant, her beautiful eyes brightened.
Inside were at least twenty exquisite jade bottles, each one filled with precious pills.
…..
No one noticed Yang Kai leaving the iron ship. After Yang Kai was outside, he casually picked a direction and flew forward.
Scarlet Wave Star was not safe as Luo Hai was still searching for him with the assistance of one the biggest Sects on the star. Yang Kai wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Otherwise, once Luo Hai found some trace of him, things would become troublesome.
Now that his control over Space Force had increased dramatically, Yang Kai was not worried he would die at Luo Hai’s hands, but being chased around by such a master was still an unpleasant experience.
How to leave safely was his biggest problem though.
The Divine Sense of an Origin King Realm master was incredible and there was no way to tell if Luo Hai or Brilliant Flame Sect were paying attention to the movements of cultivators leaving Scarlet Wave Star. If someone noticed him, Yang Kai would be right back where he started. For now, it was probably safest for him to remain in hiding on Scarlet Wave Star.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai considered his options.
This was the first time he had been hunted down by an Origin King Realm master, and a Star Master at that.
It was a stressful experience!
The atmosphere on Scarlet Wave Star was quite tense right now. Although Brilliant Flame Sect and Ice Heart Valley had always been at odds, there had never been a time when they were openly attacking one another like now.
The small families and Sects attached to the two great forces had also been mobilized.
Throughout Scarlet Wave Star, battles could be seen almost everywhere, and many cultivators died every day.
As Yang Kai flew along, he witnessed countless small skirmishes. Some fights were between two opponents while others involved hundreds or even thousands all at once, making for an extremely lively scene.
One day, as he flew high up in the sky, Yang Kai heard a shout come from below.
Yang Kai looked down and found that there were at least six hundred people gathered below, assembled into two camps, fighting each other.
Needless to say, this was another conflict between Brilliant Flame Sect and Ice Heart Valley, with each side suffering casualties and staining the ground red with blood. The brilliance of artifacts and Secret Techniques was extremely dazzling even from afar.
Yang Kai shook his head slowly and continued on his way
After flying forward a few dozen kilometres, though, Yang Kai sensed the fluctuations of battle coming from below again.
However, this fight was quite small, only involving three people who had seemingly been separated from the main battlefield.
Two men were besieging a woman. The cultivations of this group were not high. The woman was just a Second-Order Saint King while the two men were the same.
Fighting two opponents of the same level, the woman was clearly at a disadvantage. No matter how she tried to move, she would be flanked and forced back. However, the two men seemed to be wary of this woman’s methods and didn’t move in for a decisive blow, instead choosing to wear down her stamina and Saint Qi.
The woman was dressed in pure white robes and gave off an ice-cold aura while the two men clearly cultivated Fire Attribute Secret Arts. The blazing hot aura from their bodies easily countered the chill pulsing from the woman’s body and while they attacked, they would constantly taunt her in an attempt to disturb her concentration.
With their Saint Qi attributes mutually restraining one another, the situation of the woman was extremely difficult.
When Yang Kai passed by above, he couldn’t help frowning slightly and glancing down.
When the woman’s profile entered Yang Kai’s line of sight, he immediately came to a halt as his eyes shrank. Staring at the woman, Yang Kai was dumbfounded, as if he discovered something impossible.
The woman moved about lithely, and as her hair flew about, Yang Kai was able to catch a glimpse of her face.
“It’s actually her!” Yang Kai’s body trembled as an astonishing light flashed across his eyes.
He never expected he would encounter this woman on Scarlet Wave Star!
“Woman, this Liu advises you to surrender without a fight, do so and you’ll suffer less! This Liu is a man of culture and does not want to embarrass a woman.” On the battlefield down below, the older looking man called out while attacking, as if he was trying to persuade the woman to give up resisting.
The other man, who looked a little younger, coldly snorted in response, “Why bother speaking any nonsense with her, Senior Brother Liu? This woman’s looks are pleasing. So, once we capture her alive, we’ll be able to thoroughly enjoy her while she begs for death!”
Although the cultivators from Brilliant Flame Sect all cultivated Fire Attribute Secret Arts, they possessed a Secret Technique that could allow them to harvest the Ice Attribute Saint Qi of Ice Heart Valley disciple to achieve a rapid rise in their cultivations.
The two Sects had been enemies for countless years, and many female disciples from Ice Heart Valley had disappeared over those millennia, almost all of whom were captured and taken away by Brilliant Flame Sect.
The fate of those female disciples was easy to imagine.
Although this kind of Secret Technique was also quite dangerous to Brilliant Flame Sect’s cultivators, many of their disciples were hot-headed and took pride in tormenting Ice Heart Valley disciples to harvest their cultivations.
Brilliant Flame Sect’s leaders ignored such behaviour and even condoned it in secret.
The two Brilliant Flame Sect men engaging in such banter greatly disturbed the woman’s focus.
“Despicable! Shameless!” The woman grit her teeth and pushed her Saint Qi even harder, sending out a wave of Ice Attribute energy which condensed into the shape of a flock of birds which weaved through the air as they honed in on the two vile men, trying to blind their vision.
“She’s trying to run away!” The younger Brilliant Flame Sect disciple reacted quickly and pushed his Fire Attribute Saint Qi, turning him into a burning ball of flame as he dove straight into the flock of ice birds.
The ice vaporized on contact as the flames were far too intense.
Liu Xiang took advantage of the momentary opening his partner had created and punched towards the gap in the ice bird screen.
A huge flame tiger suddenly appeared and sent out a shocking roar as it charged towards the fleeing woman.
Being attacked from both left and right, the woman was immediately suppressed, and although she used all the means she had at her disposal to resolve this crisis, she was still hit by the flame tiger on her shoulder, creating a long gash, out of which her blood poured.
As she staggered from the blow, the two Brilliant Flame Sect disciples rushed towards her with grim expressions.
The woman’s face became desperate as she felt her life flash before her eyes, a trace of regret and nostalgia overwhelming her for a moment before she quickly steeled her will and made her resolve.
She knew that if she really fell into the hands of this pair from Brilliant Flame Sect, her fate would be worse than death.
In fact, whenever the disciples of Ice Heart Valley went out, the Elders would warn them that if they had a choice, it was better for them to die than to be captured!
Every disciple of Ice Heart Valley remembered these words.
“Damn, this cheap slut wants to commit suicide!” The younger Brilliant Flame Sect disciple shouted. He had fought with many disciples of Ice Heart Valley and had seen this scene numerous times before, so he understood this woman’s intentions.
“She won’t get to die so easily!” Liu Xiang smiled wickedly as he stretched out his hand flung out a rope-like artifact covered in flaming light that swiftly wound around the woman.
Immediately yanking on the rope, it tightened up greatly.
The woman’s rapidly surging Saint Qi’s fluctuations suddenly subsided and she stood in place, a look of horror filling her face.
“Haha, this Liu’s Yuan Sealing Rope was specially created by an Artifact Refining Grandmaster to suppress you Ice Heart Valley women. As long as you’re bound by this rope, no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to detonate your Saint Qi,” Liu Xiang saw he had succeeded and didn’t bother keeping up his previous ‘moral’ image, instead lewdly gazing at his capture prey with a wicked grin on his face.
“Kill me!” The woman struggled, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not circulate her Saint Qi. This rope artifact seemed to not only bind her body, but her cultivation as well.
Liu Xiang was not joking, this artifact had indeed been created specifically to deal with disciples of Ice Heart Valley, and now that she was tied up by it, she couldn’t circulate her Saint Qi at all.
“How could I be willing to kill you!” Liu Xiang grinned evilly, “It’s not easy to catch a woman from Ice Heart Valley alive, and you’re such a beauty. This Liu cannot wait to savour your taste.”
The woman’s face was pale as she could almost foresee how miserable her fate would be in the future.
“You still want to bite your tongue and commit suicide? In your dreams!” The younger man snorted coldly, reached out his hand, and sent a wave of his Saint Qi into the woman’s body, causing her to stiffen in place, unable to even speak.
“Let’s leave here first,” Liu Xiang glanced over at the main battlefield several dozen kilometres away but did not show any intention to go help. For him, catching one enemy alive was enough.
“Junior Brother will accompany you,” The other man grinned meaningfully.
“Naturally, don’t worry, Junior Brother will have his share as well!” Liu Xiang understood his meaning, stepped forward, and grabbed towards the captured woman.
However, after taking only three steps, in a flash, a strange figure appeared in front of him and stood between him and the woman.
Liu Xiang was taken aback and instinctively jumped back several dozen meters. Staring at this newcomer vigilantly, he questioned in a low voice, “Friend, who are you?”
The other party’s only response was an icy cold glare, one that made Liu Xiang, who cultivated a Fire Attribute Secret Art and should be immune to most cold, shiver uncontrollably.
“Senior Brother…” The younger cultivator also found that something was wrong. The young man who appeared suddenly looked at them with an unkind look and there was a rich murderous intent pulsing from his body. Obviously, this stranger didn’t have good intentions here.
Liu Xiang frowned as he stared for a moment before his eyes suddenly bulged and he exclaimed, “It’s you!”
He clearly recognized the identity of this person!
As soon as these words fell, Liu Xiang didn’t hesitate to use his Movement Skill to flee!
Liu Xiang’s partner was stunned for a moment but did not dare to remain either, quickly turning into a flaming beam of light as he tried to escape.
This stranger who had suddenly appeared was an Origin Returning Realm master, not someone they could compete with at all. Although the two of them did not want to give up the woman they had worked so hard to capture, preserving their lives was far more important compared to her.
Moreover, both of them recognized that this newcomer was none other than the person they had been looking for this past year. Right now, their most important duty was to report discovering him here as soon as possible.
The speed of these two was quite good, and in the blink of an eye, they had already run a few thousand meters.
The young man didn’t seem to care, however, and only when their figures were about to disappear from sight did he stretch out his hand unhurriedly and snapped his fingers twice.
The sound of something shattering rang out next.
Suddenly, in the distance, two screams rang out and the two Brilliant Flame Sect disciples stopped in place, as if struck by lightning, then fell to the ground.
The captured woman was completely startled as her beautiful eyes stared at the back of the man in front of her. For a moment, she felt that this broad figure, that stood before her like a mountain, was quite a pleasant sight and her heart filled with gratitude.
She had not expected that at this critical time, a master would suddenly appear to help her.
There were no male disciples in Ice Heart Valley, but perhaps this person was someone from a Sect attached to Ice Heart Valley.
She wanted to open her mouth to offer her thanks, but the seal which was placed on her by the Brilliant Flame Sect disciple before was still preventing her from speaking.
However… why did this person’s back seem somewhat familiar? The longer she stared, the more she felt she had seen it somewhere before.
The puzzled the woman greatly.
After killing the two Brilliant Flame Sect disciples, the murderous intent radiating from the man in front of him quickly dissipated and he turned around to direct a complicated look towards her.
Looking at each other, it was as if she had been struck by a petrification technique as she stared at the face of the man who had saved her.
She could hardly believe her eyes!
Yang Kai let out a sigh and spoke first, “Senior Qing Ya, it’s been many years since we last met.”
As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and with a wave, cut off the rope-like artifact that was binging her. Without the shackles of this artifact, Qing Ya was able to break the seal which was placed on her by circulating her Saint Qi slightly; however, instead of doing so, she simply remained frozen in place, staring at Yang Kai in shock.
She never expected that it would be Yang Kai who came to her rescue!
One had to know that Yang Kai, the one responsible for stirring up all the chaos on Scarlet Wave Star this past year, had never once shown his face!
On top of that, his current strength was impossible for Qing Ya to see through, which meant his cultivation was at least a full Great Realm higher than her own! Only such a massive gap would prevent her from being able to properly gauge his level.
How did he manage to grow so quickly?
Qing Ya had thought that Su Yan’s growth was scary enough; after all, they had all left Tong Xuan Realm together and at the time, Su Yan’s cultivation was lower than hers, but after entering the Star Field, Su Yan seemed to fully blossom and her cultivation soared upwards, reaching the First-Order Origin Returning Realm not long ago.
Yet, Yang Kai seemed to have reached an even higher cultivation than Su Yan.
[Where had he been all these years? How did he cultivate?]
Qing Ya’s thoughts were a mess
Only after a long time did Qing Ya gradually calm down and ask hesitantly, “Yang Kai? Is it really you?”
“It’s me,” Yang Kai nodded gently.
He too had not expected to meet the former Sect Master of Ice Sect, Qing Ya, here on Scarlet Wave Star.
The moment he saw her, Yang Kai had doubted whether he was imagining things.
Qing Ya and Su Yan were supposed to be together though, so if Qing Ya was here, what about Su Yan? Was she here too? Yang Kai’s thoughts became turbulent and he was barely able to suppress the expectations deep in his heart.
“Senior Qing Ya, Su Yan…” Yang Kai took a deep breath and asked, his voice nearly cracking, afraid he would not hear the answer he was looking for.
“Su Yan is fine, you don’t have to worry,” Qing Ya’s answer lifted a great weight from Yang Kai’s heart.
It had been more than thirty years, thirty years since they last met! This kind of parting was different from the one he had with Xia Ning Chang as although Yang Kai had not seen Little Senior Sister for many years, he at least knew she was safe on Tong Xuan Realm, waiting for him to return.
Su Yan’s situation was entirely different. For so many years, Yang Kai did not know where she was, how she was living, or whether she was safe.
This worry tormented him far more than them simply being separated.
Qing Ya’s few words brought a broad smile to Yang Kai’s face, one filled with relief.
“Did you arrive here together?” Yang Kai asked again, “Where is she now?”
“She’s not here right now, she’s currently back in Ice Heart Valley.”
“Ice Heart Valley? You joined Ice Heart Valley?” Yang Kai was stunned.
I probably won’t do so the next time if it is this obvious but do share your thoughts.
Title – Qing Ya
Su Yan and Qing Ya actually joined Ice Heart Valley!
Fate was truly unpredictable.
As early as a few years ago, Yang Kai had dealings with people from Ice Heart Valley in the Emperor Garden, and now, after arriving on Scarlet Wave Star by accident, he had learned just how powerful a force Ice Heart Valley was.
However, Yang Kai had never thought that Su Yan and Qing Ya had joined Ice Heart Valley.
If he had known this earlier, he would have come looking for them sooner.
However, Ice Heart Valley only accepted female disciple and was famous for its disciples all cultivating Ice Attribute Secret Arts and Secret Technique. It was truly a suitable place for Su Yan and Qing Ya; after all, Ice Sect, which they had originally belonged to, was quite similar.
“Su Yan has missed you greatly, but she was unable to return to Tong Xuan Realm. She kept telling me all these years that once she could travel the Star Field alone, she would definitely go back to find you,” Qing Ya looked at Yang Kai and couldn’t help reminiscing about Tong Xuan Realm which she had left all those years ago.
“I know, I’ve been looking for her all these years as well,” Yang Kai smiled, but just as he was about to inquire more about Su Yan with Qing Ya, he suddenly frowned and said, “This isn’t a place to stay and talk, we should leave here first.”
Saying so, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and used his Saint Qi to wrap up Qing Ya before quickly disappearing from where they stood.
Ten breaths or so later, a group of seven or eight cultivators appeared in the spot Yang Kai and Qing Ya had just left and their leader furrowed his brow, “There were people here just now, how did they suddenly disappear?”
“Perhaps they noticed our auras and ran away,” Someone speculated.
“En, no matter, our priority is to reinforce our Sect in the battle up ahead,” The leader waved his hand and led the others towards the battlefield.
A few tens of thousands of kilometres away from that battlefield, in a small city, Yang Kai and Qing Ya found an inn and rented a small room.
Inside the room, Yang Kai asked about how Su Yan had been these past few years carefully.
Learning that she was well and had not only entered Ice Heart Valley but also worshipped its Great Elder Ran Yun Ting as her Master, Yang Kai felt completely relieved.
Ice Heart Valley had an Origin King Realm master protecting it, and could not be considered a weak force, so the cultivation of their Great Elder was not low. Being accepted as the disciple of such a master was a great blessing for Su Yan.
Yang Kai even felt faintly grateful to this Ran Yun Ting.
Had it not been for her careful guidance, it would have been impossible for Su Yan to reach the First-Order Origin Returning Realm in such a short time!
Xia Ning Chang had refined Tong Xuan Realm’s Star Source to achieve her current cultivation, so Su Yan being able to stand on equal footing with her simply through her own efforts in cultivation showed how outstanding her aptitude was.
Qing Ya even informed Yang Kai that Su Yan was already preparing to break through to the Second-Order.
Yang Kai felt happy for her from the bottom of his heart!
As for why the pair had joined Ice Heart Valley, it was a simple stroke of luck.
According to Qing Ya, after they were separated from Qian Yue, they had arrived on Green Mountains Star through a Void Corridor. There, Qing Ya, Su Yan, and Qian Hao stayed and cultivated for a time on Green Mountains Star, but with their low strength at the Second and Third-Order Saint Realm, they were unable to earn too many Saint Crystals, far from enough to satisfy their cultivation needs.
All that changed when they met Ran Yun Ting by chance.
At that time, Ran Yun Ting had been on Green Mountains Star for some unspecified reason and after seeing Su Yan, was overjoyed with her innate talent and immediately offered to bring her back to the Ice Heart Valley to cultivate.
How could the trio refuse such a good offer?
After carefully inquiring about Ice Heart Valley, Su Yan and Qing Ya decided to join. As for Qian Hao, because he was a man, he was unable to follow them.
However, Ran Yun Ting arranged for Qian Hao to enter a Sect which was attached to Ice Heart Valley and now he had reached the Second-Order Saint King Realm.
After hearing what Qing Ya said, Yang Kai wore a strange expression.
“So you really were at Green Mountains Star,” He smiled bitterly.
Qian Yue had stayed on the Green Mountains Star for some time but was never able to find any information on Su Yan and the others. Apparently, they had simply been too late.
If Yang Kai had arrived on Green Mountains Star twenty or thirty years earlier, he might still have been able to meet them, but when Qian Yue was there searching for them, Su Yan and the others had already left for Scarlet Wave Star.
“Right, Qian Yue has been missing you greatly as well.”
“You’ve met Qian Yue? Is she alright?” Qing Ya asked with pleasant surprise. After they had been separated that year, she no longer knew how Qian Yue was doing and had been worried about her all this time. Now hearing Yang Kai’s words, Qing Ya was incredibly happy.
“Naturally, she is well, but you should ask her yourself,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Ask her myself?” Qing Ya frowned slightly, wondering what Yang Kai meant.
Yang Kai simply closed his eyes and scanned the Sealed World Bead with his Divine Sense. Quickly finding Qian Yue and confirming that she was not in retreat, he called out to warn her before swiftly bringing her out of the Sealed World Bead.
“What’s the matter?” Qian Yue asked with some confusion after she appeared.
“Look who I found,” Yang Kai pointed behind her and smiled.
Qian Yue turned around and her beautiful eyes instantly bulged as tears formed at their corners. Trembling slightly, she called out in joyful surprise, “Sect Master!”
“Qian Yue…” Qing Ya was also extremely excited.
Although the Star Field was filled with wonders, they had never forgotten their longing to reunite with one another. On Tong Xuan Realm, in the Ice Sect, Qing Ya and Qian Yue had a close relationship, just like sisters, so now that they had met once more after so many years of separation, they were both naturally very emotional.
Both of them had puffy red eyes.
Embracing one another and confirming that they were both well and had advanced greatly in their respective cultivations, the two women continued celebrating joyfully.
“Yang Kai, you actually found Sect Master!” Qian Yue turned a grateful look towards Yang Kai. Since meeting him on Shadowed Star, Qian Yue had always taken looking for Qing Ya and the others as her goal, almost to the point where it became a heart demon for her.
Yang Kai had fulfilled her greatest wish today!
“Where is my brother? Where is Su Yan? Are they alright?” Qian Yue asked anxiously.
“Both your brother Qian Hao and Su Yan are doing well. The Sect he has joined is called the Illusion Soul Sect, you don’t have to worry about his wellbeing,” Qing Ya comforted.
“That’s good, that’s good,” Qian Yue’s cheeks were wet as she continued weeping tears of joy while her face was filled with smiles.
“Come, tell me about your situation over these past few years, I’ve already told Yang Kai about our affairs,” Qing Ya took Qian Yue’s hand and sat down to chat.
Qian Yue obliged and began telling her story.
Learning that she had almost become a brothel woman used to satisfy men, Qing Ya’s expression became ice-cold and she could not help shooting a grateful glance towards Yang Kai.
When she heard that Yang Kai had now almost unified an entire Cultivation Star, Qing Ya was thoroughly shocked.
Even if there were no Origin Kings there, it was not a simple matter to unify a Cultivation Star. Not only did it require overwhelming strength, but also great personal skill and charisma.
Time passed slowly as the two women revelled in their reunion, seemingly never running out of words to say to one another.
Yang Kai did not try to interrupt them and simply sat the side, listening attentively.
It was not until evening that Qing Ya seemed to come back to her senses and apologized to Yang Kai, “It seems we’ve become lost in our conversation.”
“Senior Qing Ya is too serious, I can understand how you feel.”
If he had met Su Yan again like this, he would likely not have shown any more restraint.
“Your cultivation is now far beyond mine, so don’t call me Senior anymore,” Qing Ya smiled. “On top of that, you are a Sect Master now, so whether it is in terms of strength or status, I am no longer comparable to you. If you call me Senior again, it will only make me feel ashamed.”
“Senior is my Senior, that will never change,” Yang Kai shook his head. He never felt that he could despise his elders just because of his strength grew beyond theirs.
“If you don’t mind, please address me as Elder Sister,” Qing Ya smiled, “Su Yan and I now share a Senior Sister, Junior Sister relationship, and this is the Star Field, not Tong Xuan Realm anymore, so there’s no need to be tied down to our past.”
Yang Kai nodded and said, “Then just as I address Su Yan, I will call you Senior Sister.”
“Very good,” Qing Ya nodded, thinking of Su Yan, she smiled knowingly. “Su Yan should have heard about you by now, and although she mostly remains in the Inner Island in secluded retreat, not having contact with the outside world, before I left the Sect I wrote her a letter. She comes to visit me at least once a month, so she must have seen that letter and know you are on Scarlet Wave Star by now.”
“Can I enter Ice Heart Valley?” Yang Kai asked expectantly.
“Do you want to go?” Qing Ya frowned, “Although Ice Heart Valley hasn’t treated Su Yan or me poorly, Ice Heart Valley has moved quite overtly to search for you this time. I don’t know the specific reason, but if you take the initiative to show up in Ice Heart Valley, it is impossible to say what might happen.”
“Then can Su Yan leave Ice Heart Valley?” Yang Kai asked again.
Qing Ya shook her head, “Great Elder has extremely high expectations for Su Yan, and right now is a crucial moment for her as she prepares to break through to the Second-Order. With the battles between Ice Heart Valley and Brilliant Flame Sect growing ever more frequent, it is highly unlikely Great Elder will allow Su Yan to leave the Sect.”
“Then I must go!” Yang Kai quickly said.
“You…” Qing Ya opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to persuade him, but as soon as she saw the firmness in his look, she knew that no matter what she said it would be useless and immediately sighed. “Let me think about it for a moment.”
Yang Kai nodded and fell silent.
After a long time, Qing Ya sighed and looked up at Yang Kai again, “If you want to enter Ice Heart Valley, you’ll have to expose your identity and allow my Ice Heart Valley’s people to take you in. There is no other way. Ice Heart Valley has never allowed men to set foot into its territory, and for thousands of years there has never been an exception!”
“As long as I reveal myself, they will take the initiative to welcome me in?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“I am not certain, because I don’t know why Ice Heart Valley is looking for you. However, since the actions they took are so big, the Great Elder and Valley Master must have some concerns about you. So, I think it is possible.”
“Then we’ll do that!” Yang Kai grinned, “I’ll have to bother Senior Sister Qing Ya with this.”
“It’s no trouble for me, I simply need to report to the Elders and they will definitely send someone over to escort you back to the Sect!” Qing Ya said seriously, “But are you sure you want to do this? If you enter Ice Heart Valley, there’s no way to predict what will happen to you.”
“It’s fine, I just want to meet Su Yan as soon as possible,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“Good. Since you’ve decided to do so, I will contact them,” Qing Ya nodded, took out a communication artifact from her Space Ring, and poured her Divine Sense into it.
Soon after, an obvious Divine Sense fluctuation came from her communication artifact.
A moment later, Qing Ya put away her communication artifact, turned to Yang Kai, and said, “Thirteenth Elder is nearby, she will personally take you back to Ice Heart Valley!”
In the foyer of the inn, a beautiful woman in a full-length white outfit stared at Yang Kai with a cold expression, nodded, and replied, “Yes, he’s the one! Qing Ya, you have done a good job in finding this man, this Elder will report to the Valley Master and Elder Council about this merit and you will definitely receive an appropriate reward!”
After Qing Ya sent her a message, it only took two hours for Ice Heart Valley’s Thirteenth Elder to arrive and meet Yang Kai at the inn.
On the orders of the Valley Master, Ice Heart Valley’s disciples had been searching for Yang Kai outside for a year now, so all of them were naturally familiar with his appearance. Being able to find him made the Thirteenth Elder quite pleased.
“Many thanks, Elder,” Qing Ya didn’t show much joy on her face and instead asked with some worry. “Elder, may disciple ask, why has our Ice Heart Valley been seeking him?”
Thirteenth Elder turned her head and glanced at Qing Ya, her beautiful eyes flashing an icy light as she asked coldly, “Are you concerned about him?”
Qing Ya’s expression remained unchanged as she spoke, “He rescued me from a pair of Brilliant Flame Sect disciples and can be considered my lifesaver, so…”
Thirteenth Elder gently nodded, her doubts swept away, and slowly said, “We naturally have a reason for looking for him, but you need not ask about it. However, since he is your saviour, this Elder can at least tell you that Ice Heart Valley will not treat him poorly.”
Hearing this, Qing Ya let out a sigh of relief and quickly thanked her.
Thirteenth Elder next turned to Yang Kai, examined him carefully for a while, then nodded in approval, “Your strength isn’t bad, what is your name?”
“Yang Kai.”
“You’re not from Scarlet Wave Star?” Thirteenth Elder seemed to be wary of Yang Kai.
“No, I came from Green Mountains Star.”
“Green Mountains Star!” Thirteenth Elder narrowed her eyes as some vague speculations came to her mind. However, unable to verify any of these suspicions here, she simply asked, “You know that Brilliant Flame Sect and Ice Heart Valley are looking for you, so why have you chosen to go to Ice Heart Valley?”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, “I have some grievances with the Brilliant Flame Sect and have killed a number of their people, so if I want to seek refuge now, I can only choose Ice Heart Valley.”
After explaining himself, Yang Kai asked back, “Is Senior doubting my motives?”
“One cannot know the hearts of others at the first meeting!” Thirteenth Elder did not deny the charge, “But your choice is correct, now only Ice Heart Valley can shelter you. En, very well, we’ll remain here for a day until preparations are completed. Tomorrow, this Elder will personally escort you back to Ice Heart Valley!”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai suppressed his emotions and offered his thanks.
[At last, I will be able to meet Su Yan!] Yang Kai was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. He wanted to see with his own eyes how she was doing now.
Yang Kai waited anxiously in the inn.
As for Thirteenth Elder, she was making some kind of arrangements in secret.
That night, the cultivators belonging to Ice Heart Valley Sect and their attached forces took the initiative to launch an all-out assault on the disciples of Brilliant Flame Sect. Instantly, a myriad of battles erupted, consuming nearly everyone’s complete attention.
While it was still dark, Thirteenth Elder came to the inn again and brought Yang Kai and Qing Ya out of the city.
Roughly thirty kilometres outside the city, a group of about a dozen or so women were waiting quietly.
After seeing the arrival of Thirteenth Elder, all of them bowed their hands.
“Let’s go!” Thirteenth Elder did not bother with any nonsense and led the group forward with a wave of her hand.
The dozen or so women scattered about, keeping Yang Kai in the middle of their group as they followed Thirteenth Elder towards Pure Ice Island.
Wisps of different fragrances assaulted him from all sides, lingering at the tip of his nose, causing Yang Kai to become aware he was surrounded by a group of beauties.
These female disciples of Ice Heart Valley, regardless of their cultivation, all had outstanding appearances, slim figures, and assorted temperaments, each showcasing their own characteristics.
While on the way, however, all these disciples would stare at Yang Kai from time to time, their expressions somewhat strange.
They had been rushing around for a year, engaging in many battles, all to search for Yang Kai, so now that they got to see him in person, they naturally paid attention to him.
All of them were very curious as to what was so special about this man that Scarlet Wave Star’s two top Sects were going all out to find him.
For this man, many of their companions had died tragically while many others had unknown fates…
Naturally, Yang Kai did not miss the hostility these women were directing towards him.
Of the dozen or so women who were responsible for protecting him, at least half were directing hostile intent towards him.
Yang Kai was completely bewildered by this situation!
If it were not for Thirteenth Elder assuming command here, Yang Kai estimated that these women would have already joined together to beat him before they bothered trying to speak with him.
“Senior Sister Qing Ya, they don’t seem to like me very much,” Yang Kai whispered to Qing Ya quietly.
Qing Ya gave a wry smile. As a disciple of Ice Heart Valley, she had participated in this operation so she naturally knew why her fellow Sect Sisters were acting this way; however, explaining this was somewhat awkward so she could only say, “Don’t mind it, Ice Heart Valley’s disciples are generally hostile towards men.”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded, not doubting her words.
The group continued to advance at an extremely fast pace.
Three days later, the group passed by a certain mountain valley.
Suddenly, Yang Kai frowned and turned to look in a certain direction.
Thirteenth Elder, who was at the front of the team, also seemed to sense something and shouted, “Enemy attack!”
As soon as her voice fell, hot, domineering, and violent energy fluctuations burst forth. Several fire dragon phantoms charged out from the mountain valley down below and bared their fangs towards the Ice Heart Valley disciples.
There were eight of these fire dragons in total, and each one contained a terrifying power and killing intent.
The timing of the enemy’s attack was also just right. Even with Thirteenth Elder’s warning, the women from Ice Heart Valley were too late to react.
The light of Saint Qi shone from their bodies as the eight fire dragons crashed towards them.
Screams rang out as two women with lower strength were swallowed by the fire dragons and instantly disappeared. The others were caught in a precarious situation as they hurriedly tried to dodge.
Yang Kai stood to the side, protecting Qing Ya as he narrowed his eyes towards the valley.
From the mountain valley down below, several people flew up. There were fewer in this ambushing group than there were in the Ice Heart Valley’s team, but each of these attackers was an Origin Returning Realm master. The two who led this group also had auras which were on par with Thirteenth Elder.
Thirteenth Elder’s phoenix eyes narrowed as her expression became extremely ugly.
She had not expected that even after doing her best to act in a covert manner she had still been exposed.
Before setting out, she had eliminated any possibility of them being tracked. For this mission, the dozen or so disciples she had arranged to help her escort Yang Kai were strictly selected to ensure their absolute loyalty to Ice Heart Valley. Each of these women also had deep personal enmity towards Brilliant Flame Sect so it was impossible for them to have betrayed their fellow sisters to the enemy.
Was all of this just a coincidence? Thirteenth Elder’s thoughts flashed like lightning as she quietly shot a glance towards Yang Kai. Finding that he was unharmed, she was able to relax slightly.
“Yu Xue Qing, you must not have expected this old master to be waiting here for you!” A loud laugh came from below as a middle-aged man with pale skin appeared and began ogling Thirteenth Elder’s shapely and attractive figure.
“Yan Chi Lei!” Yu Xue Qing grit her teeth and shouted lowly.
The opponent’s surprise attack had caused the death of two Ice Heart Valley disciples, so Yu Xue Qing was making no qualms about exposing her killing intent.
“It is this Yan!” The middle-aged man took a step forward, “I knew what happened on that battlefield three days ago was your doing. Now the question is, what are you sneaking about like this for?”
“Elder Yan, why bother talking nonsense with her? We should just attack and get this over with,” A short old man next to Yan Chi Lei snorted coldly and said.
Yu Xue Qing looked towards the old man and her beautiful eyes immediately shrank, “Jiang Xi!”
“Heh heh, I didn’t expect that this old master’s name would even be known to Ice Heart Valley’s Thirteenth Elder. This old master is truly honoured!” The short old man smiled triumphantly.
Yu Xue Qing’s expression turned even uglier and she quietly signalled to the Ice Heart Valley women to prepare themselves while asking in a solemn voice, “Jiang Xi, my Ice Heart Valley has neither grievance nor grudge with you, so why are you inserting yourself into this chaotic situation?”
“Neither grievance nor grudge?” Jiang Xi coldly snorted, “Thirteenth Elder, are you purposefully talking nonsense? This Jiang has not forgotten the shame of twenty years ago. If you want to talk about grudges between your Sect and this King, you should ask your Ice Heart Valley’s Fifth Elder!”
“That story is true?” Yu Xue Qing was visibly surprised.
She had thought that rumour was just that, a rumour, but now it was apparently true.
If this was the case, it was not surprising Jiang Xi had decided to side with Yan Chi Lei of Brilliant Flame Sect; it seemed things were about to become troublesome.
She was not afraid of Yan Chi Lei on his own, but Jiang Xi was actually more difficult than Yan Chi Lei. Jiang Xi had cultivated numerous Poison Arts that were both difficult to defend against and deal with. The disciples who she had brought with her were not Jiang Xi’s opponent, and to make matters worse, it wasn’t just him and Yan Chi Lei they had to face.
“Those rumours were true…” Qing Ya looked at the short, ugly old man with a weird expression and muttered to herself.
She too had apparently heard about this story.
“What rumours?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
“It was said that twenty years ago, this old man wanted to marry my Ice Heart Valley’s Fifth Elder, but not only was he rejected outright, Fifth Elder seriously injured him as well. However, I thought it was just a rumour, not something that actually happened.”
“Him?” Yang Kai’s mouth twitched.
Sizing up Jiang Xi seriously again, Yang Kai was unable to find a single redeeming feature in his appearance.
Not only was Jiang Xi short, but he also seemed to have been born ugly, with a fat, crooked nose, large, beady eyes, thick lips, long ears, yellow skin, thick neck, short limbs…
Yang Kai had never seen Ice Heart Valley’s Fifth Elder before but judging from the quality of the women who were escorting him, this Fifth Elder was definitely not ugly.
Jiang Xi coveting this Fifth Elder brought only one phrase to Yang Kai’s mind.
“A toad lusting after a swan!”
Although the situation was extremely grave, Qing Ya still could not hold back her laughter.
Jiang Xi’s hearing was naturally not bad, and as soon as Yang Kai uttered these words, he immediately turned his head towards him and said in an icy voice, “Boy, what did you just say?”
Jiang Xi’s ugly physique had caused his personality to become ugly as well, and the one thing he hated the most was others insulting his appearance.
Yang Kai had undoubtedly hit upon his reverse scale.
Yan Chi Lei also glanced over at Yang Kai and suddenly showed a look of pleasant surprise, shouting in a low voice, “It’s you!”
At this moment, he could not help wanting to laugh.
One really wore out iron shoes while seeking their feet. This gain had come without needing any special effort. Brilliant Flame Sect had been searching for this boy for over a year, yet now, Yan Chi Lei had bumped into him by accident, so he was feeling overjoyed.
At this moment, he finally understood why Yu Xue Qing had ordered a full-scale assault on Brilliant Flame Sect a few days ago.
Obviously, she was trying to create a massive diversion to sneak this boy out unnoticed!
Moreover, judging from the direction this group was travelling, they were definitely heading back to Pure Ice Island.
“So that’s how it is!” Yan Chi Lei nodded lightly before turning to look at Yu Xue Qing, “It turns out that this was your purpose, but it’s a pity. Since you’ve met this Yan here, you’re doomed to fail!”
Yu Xue Qing was screaming to herself about how bad the situation was as she shot a glare at Yang Kai, blaming him for opening his mouth and creating trouble. At the same time, she shouted to the rest of her companions, “What are you all standing around in a daze for, quickly flee! No matter what, this boy must be sent to Pure Ice Island!”
As soon as her words fell, Yu Xue Qing pushed her Saint Qi violently and a burst of Ice Attribute energy visible to the naked eye spread out from her location, madly spreading to the surrounding area.
This frigid energy seemed to create a frozen world as it instantly covered the nearby ground in a thick layer of frost.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Ice spikes suddenly appeared behind Yu Xue Qing, each one thin and sharp, gleaming with icy light. Raising her hand, Yu Xue Qing pushed her jade palm forth and sent the countless ice spikes towards the Brilliant Flame Sect group.
“I’ve long heard of Thirteenth Elder’s prowess in battle! This Yan will accompany you here, I hope you won’t disappoint me!” Yan Chi Lei roared as he faced the storm of ice spikes without any fear and threw out a punch.
With a bursting sound, a blazing hot aura flared up as a massive flame fist intercepted the storm of ice spikes.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The ice spikes continuously shattered as the giant flame fist also gradually dimmed, the two attacks eventually cancelling each other out entirely.
“Brother Jiang, you can do with those women what you please, but that boy must be captured alive!” Yan Chi Lei diffused Yu Xue Qing’s attack with a single move then shot towards her while calling out to his ally.
“Heh heh heh… since that’s the case, this old master won’t refuse!” Jiang Xi grinned as he activated his Poison Art.
In an instant, the surrounding ten-kilometre region was shrouded in a multi-coloured poisonous fog. Inside this dome-shaped poison fog bank, an unpleasant aura filled the air, causing any who inhaled too deeply to feel like vomiting. All the Ice Heart Valley women who were caught in this poison fog began feeling somewhat dizzy and had difficulty circulating their Saint Qi smoothly.
“Not good, it’s Jiang Xi’s Annihilating Poisonous Mist!” One of the Ice Heart Valley disciples shouted in horror.
“No matter what, we need to send this boy off first!” One of the Ice Heart Valley women echoed Yu Xue Qing’s instructions loudly.
The Ice Heart Valley disciples suddenly returned to their senses after hearing this shout.
For more than a year, at least a thousand of their sisters had died tragically just to find Yang Kai, so now that they finally had him in their grasp, if he was to be snatched from them, all of their fellow disciples would have died in vain.
“Come with us!” A young woman called out to Yang Kai.
With Yu Xue Qing being entangled by Yan Chi Lei, this woman took charge.
“Leave?” Yang Kai looked at her and shook his head slowly, “That old frog is stronger than you, and this poisonous fog is not simple. If you try to run, you’ll only be tortured to death.”
“Enough of your nonsense, if I say leave, you leave!” The young woman grit her teeth hard and screamed, “This old man is strong, we can’t resist him!”
“Very strong? How strong?” Yang Kai’s expression remained unchanged.
“He is a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master! On Scarlet Wave Star, he is one of the most promising candidates to break through to the Origin King Realm. Only the top five Elders of my Ice Heart Valley can compete with him. Don’t just stand there waiting for death.”
“En, very strong,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“You…” The young woman’s heart filled with grievances and dissatisfaction towards Yang Kai’s flippant attitude. She had already explained the seriousness of their situation, yet this boy didn’t seem to care at all. Was he planning to just drag all of them down with him?
“We’ve missed the best opportunity to escape!” A woman next to her said sadly.
Hearing this, the young woman sighed.
If they had acted immediately after Thirteenth Elder warned them, they might have managed to escape, but after being delayed here for so long by Yang Kai, how could they possibly flee now?
Jiang Xi hated Ice Heart Valley deeply, and his strength was extremely high. On top of that, the Poison Arts he used were extremely difficult to deal with, so the fate of this group of women was looking quite grim.
Thinking so, the young woman glared at Yang Kai fiercely, grit her teeth, and shouted, “If we die here, it will be all your fault, and I swear I won’t let you off even in the next life.”
“Why so serious?” Yang Kai remained indifferent, “We just need to kill him.”
The young women from Ice Heart Valley were all dumbfounded as they stared at Yang Kai like he was an idiot, all of them thinking that men really were foolish creatures. Didn’t he understand how big the gap in strength was between him and Jiang Xi? He could not have picked a worse time to boast to shamelessly!
During this brief delay, a potent aura had surrounded Jiang Xi’s body, one that gave off the same feel as the poisonous fog around them. Only this time, it was denser, making it impossible to see his figure. Only the old man’s creepy laughter gave away his position.
“Assist this old master, but remember, don’t kill any of these women. These cheap sluts from Ice Heart Valley are all going to serve this old master from now on and learn there’s more to a man than just his face!” Jiang Xi shouted wickedly.
The other cultivators from Brilliant Flame Sect rolled their eyes when they heard this command, but knowing they were not as strong as this old man, they could only nod their heads and cooperate. Immediately after Jiang Xi shouted, a rich Fire Attribute Saint Qi rolled towards the Ice Heart Valley group.
“Here they come! We have more people than them so focus on defending first, be especially wary of Jiang Xi’s poisonous fog!” The leading young woman called out as the ten or so Ice Heart Valley women began pushing their Saint Qi together, plunging the temperature around them.
Turning to look at Yang Kai again, the young woman ordered, “You hide behind… hey, what are you doing!”
As she was shouting, she actually saw Yang Kai take a step forward to meet Jiang Xi and the Brilliant Flame Sect disciples head-on, as if he didn’t care at all about whether he lived or died.
“Get back!” The young woman was shocked.
On the other side, Yu Xue Qing, who was entangled with Yan Chi Lei, noticed something was wrong and turned her head to check out the situation, only to have her beautiful face immediately go pale.
In this moment of distraction, Yan Chi Lei was able to seize the initiative in their battle and gain the upper hand, forcing Yu Xue Qing onto the defensive as she cursed Yang Kai for not understanding the situation he was in and acting so recklessly.
She knew that everything was over.
Not only would it now be impossible to bring Yang Kai back to Ice Heart Valley, but the dozen disciples she had brought with her would all probably die as well. As for herself, the chances of her escaping with her life were less than thirty percent! Right now, Yu Xue Qing was feeling incredibly anxious, but there was simply nothing she could do.
“This boy is somewhat interesting! En, Elder Yan strictly ordered us to not take his life, so we can only capture him alive. This will be a bit troublesome!” Jiang Xi looked at Yang Kai who was rapidly approaching him and condensed his poisonous mist around his fist before punching towards him.
In the blink of an eye, this mass of poisonous mist flew over to Yang Kai, transformed into a rope, then attempted to wrap around him.
“It’s over!” The young woman behind Yang Kai felt her heart sink as she could barely bring herself to watch what was sure to happen next.
If it weren’t for Yang Kai wasting time with his stupid questions and then rushing out foolishly, they would have at least had some chance of completing this task, making the sacrifices and injuries they were certain the suffer worthwhile, but now, even that was impossible.
As if the poisonous mist had a mind of its own, it wrapped around and tied up Yang Kai’s body.
“Your Brilliant Flame Sect seems to have some use for this brat, so I’ll leave him to you!” Jiang Xi commanded, without even sparing Yang Kai another glance, flying past him as he aimed for the crowd of young women not far ahead.
The Brilliant Flame Sect disciples exchanged a glance before one of them rushed over towards Yang Kai while the others followed after Jiang Xi.
A team of eight passed by Yang Kai in the next instant.
Suddenly, there was a flash of golden light!
Blood splattered and broken limbs flew out…
The vital auras of several people instantly vanished!
Pieces of hashed meat and broken bone fell like rain, crashing down to the ground and creating an extremely bloody sight.
Perceiving the energy fluctuations behind himself, Jiang Xi frowned and looked back suspiciously.
The next instant, his eyes bulged, and he quickly turned around and directed a solemn yet shocked gaze towards Yang Kai.
The poison mist rope which he used to tie up this little brat had disappeared at some unknown point, and all the Brilliant Flame Sect cultivators who had been behind him just now were dead!
There were no sounds of battle, nor screams before death, only a momentary energy fluctuation and then seven Origin Returning Realm master cultivators had died inexplicably.
Suddenly, Jiang Xi felt the situation was far more precarious than he anticipated, and a chill ran up his spine.
“What just happened?” Over on the Ice Heart Valley side, the group of women were equally stunned. The leading young woman was even shivering slightly as she wore a blank look on her face, wondering if she was seeing things.
Qing Ya’s beautiful eyes flashed as only she wore a look of understanding.
Yang Kai insisting they not run and even taking the initiative to meet the enemy had really ended up how she thought it would.
She didn’t know Yang Kai very well, but from Su Yan, she understood that Yang Kai was a man who could always perform miracles and fought against those who had higher cultivations than him like it was commonplace.
Before, she was just guessing this to be the case here, but the facts were laid out before her.
The seven Brilliant Flame Sect disciples were all First-Order to Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, but the moment they passed by Yang Kai, they had all died in an instant.
This could no longer be described as the ability to fight above one’s realm, it was nothing less than a miracle!
No one knew exactly how Yang Kai accomplished this, only that there was a flash of golden light just before everything ended.
“How?” The lead young woman stared at Yang Kai in shock. At this moment, a golden thread was floating leisurely in front of Yang Kai. This golden thread gave off a strange aura, one filled with potent vitality, as if it was alive. From this aura alone, it was clear this golden thread was not to be underestimated.
With a faint smile on his face, Yang Kai looked at Jiang Xi with a somewhat mocking grin.
Jiang Xi instantly felt tremendous pressure, as if he was not facing a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy but a genuine Origin King!
Forcefully dispelling the uneasiness in his heart, Jiang Xi shouted in a low voice, “Little brat, your dare play the pig to eat a tiger?”
“You were the ones who decided to underestimate me,” Yang Kai grinned, not showing any kind of panic as he lightly said, “Old frog, are you ready to die?”
“Shameless boasting!” Jiang Xi sternly shouted as he released his Shi, trying to suppress Yang Kai.
“Shi nearly at the grand accomplishment stage,” Yang Kai raised his brow and immediately understood why Jiang Xi was so feared by the young women from Ice Heart Valley. With just his Shi, which had nearly reached the grand accomplishment stage, Jiang Xi was indeed qualified to be one of the most likely candidates on Scarlet Wave Star to break through to the Origin King Realm.
This extremely powerful Shi spread out rapidly and soon approached Yang Kai.
Immediately before this Shi reached Yang Kai, however, an invisible power not inferior to Jiang Xi’s burst out from Yang Kai’s body and pushed it back.
This collision was silent and invisible to the naked eye.
However, to Jiang Xi, it was as if thunder had just gone off in his head.
The Shi he was so proud of, at this moment, reacted like an egg smashing against a boulder, shattering to pieces and completely falling apart. In the blink of an eye, Jiang Xi was the one enveloped by an extremely suppressive force.
Yang Kai’s Shi!
Jiang Xi was shocked, and his face turned pale. Only now did he realize that Yang Kai was far from being as simple as he appeared. While this boy’s cultivation was only Second-Order Origin Returning Realm, his comprehension of Shi had greatly exceeded his own.
Pushing his Saint Qi madly, Jiang Xi did his best to resist this Shi’s influence on him, releasing a multi-coloured poisonous mist from his body wantonly, forming a kind of protective shell around himself while also sending a blast of it towards Yang Kai in an attempt to counterattack.
Although Jiang Xi had fallen into a disadvantage in terms of Shi, he was naturally not going to just stand there frozen and surrender.
His speciality was using poison, and the poisonous mist he had just shot out was incredibly lethal to anyone it managed to invade.
Yang Kai frowned when he saw this and did not dare take risks. After considering his options for a moment, he stretched out his hand and summoned the Firebird Artifact Spirit. Accompanied by a sharp, shrill cry, a several-dozen-metre-long flaming bird appeared above Yang Kai’s head, opened its beak, and sprayed out a stream of fireballs towards Jiang Xi.
Jiang Xi was taken aback as his poisonous fog was absolutely no match for the Firebird’s attack. Instead, his poisonous mist was rapidly burned down by the Firebird’s fireballs, after which, the protective layer of fog he had surrounded himself with rapidly began evaporating, revealing his extremely embarrassed figure.
The speed and frequency of the Firebird’s fireballs rapidly increased, leaving Jiang Xi completely suppressed, unable to fight back. Jiang Xi had to continuously push his Saint Qi to replace the poisonous fog around his body. However, Jiang Xi was unable to keep up with the rate of loss and his defences were soon broken, forcing him out into the open again.
Yang Kai stood in place and stared as Jiang Xi coldly, grinning as he taunted, “Old frog, you’re too weak.”
The women from Ice Heart Valley all stared dully at this scene.
The strange Firebird and Yang Kai’s Shi were completely suppressing Jiang Xi, and if Yang Kai found the right opportunity, Jiang Xi would most likely be killed here and now.
They simply could not comprehend what it was they were witnessing.
They had just prepared themselves to suffer heavy casualties as they believed that this disaster was inescapable. They had expected the worst to happen.
But now, after acting so low-key, Yang Kai had made a shocking move and his performance had completely overwhelmed their expectations.
Just this Firebird alone was enough to suppress Jiang Xi to the point where he was having difficulty protecting himself, having no spare energy to deal with them.
Perhaps this time, none of them would have to die… Everyone was excited as this thought filled their heads and the looks they gave Yang Kai gradually changed from their original hostility to wonder and gratitude.
The Firebird continued to increase the intensity of its attack, shooting out flames not only from its mouth but also from its wings, preventing Jiang Xi’s poisonous fog from spreading out while also inflicting numerous big and small burns on his body.
The smell of burnt flesh gradually began to diffuse.
Jiang Xi’s expression suddenly turned fierce as he summoned an artifact and spat a mouthful of multi-coloured poisonous mist onto it.
The artifact rapidly absorbed the poisonous mist before transforming into a massive five-coloured python.
This poisonous python twisted its body and rushed directly into the sky to face the Firebird, displaying an incredible might.
Taking this opportunity, Jiang Xi once again pushed his Saint Qi to free himself from Yang Kai’s Shi’s suppression then charged towards him.
He obviously wanted to use this opening to kill Yang Kai! As long as Yang Kai died, he would be able to do whatever he wanted.
As for Brilliant Flame Sect Yan Chi Lei’s words… At this moment, he could not even protect himself, so how was he supposed to care?
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Xi had rushed to a position only ten metres away from Yang Kai and many jets of poisonous mist shot out from his figure and towards Yang Kai.
At this time, the Ice Heart Valley disciples finally recovered, and the leading young woman shouted, “Help him!”
As she spoke, powerful Ice Attribute Saint Qi surged out of her tender body and condensed into a large ice spike that flew out towards Jiang Xi.
The other women also reacted, and each used their strongest Secret Techniques to attack Jiang Xi.
A golden light suddenly flashed as a Golden Blood Thread appeared in front of Yang Kai again before flickering and disappearing once more.
Jiang Xi felt a deathly chill grip his soul, warning him that if he did not flee now, he would surely die. Freezing in place awkwardly, he grit his teeth and dove to the side
The Golden Blood Thread suddenly appeared as it shot through the afterimage Jiang Xi left behind when he hastily dodged.
Jiang Xi broke out in a cold sweat, but before he could recover, the attacks from the ten or so Ice Heart Valley women were already upon him.
The place where he stood was instantly covered by hundreds of ice lances.
Chaotic energy fluctuations filled the air as Jiang Xi’s muffled cries rang out, signalling that he was injured.
The disciples of Ice Heart Valley weren’t as strong as Jiang Xi in terms of cultivation, and one-on-one, any of them would be killed in mere breaths, but the power of nearly a dozen of them attacking all at once was not to be underestimated.
Dust flew up, covering everyone’s view.
The young woman leading the Ice Heart Valley disciples felt her heart pound as she stared at that spot nervously.
“Did he die?” Someone asked anxiously.
As soon as these words fell, however, Jiang Xi’s voice echoed from far away, “Ice Heart Valley sluts, this old master won’t forget this! Sooner or later, this old master will destroy your Pure Ice Island and devastate each one of you to death!”
He had clearly escaped at some unknown point.
The lead young woman turned pale as she turned to look in the direction Jiang Xi’s voice came from. There, she saw a multi-coloured light flying away at an extremely fast speed; naturally, it was Jiang Xi.
She immediately turned back to look at Yang Kai, expecting him to give chase.
But the sight there dumbfounded her once again, as Yang Kai had also mysteriously disappeared.
The young woman searched around for a moment before turning back in the direction where Jiang Xi was fleeing where she spotted a figure standing in front of him and understood.
This battle had exceeded the level she was capable of comprehending or interfering with. Whether it was Jiang Xi or Yang Kai, their strength far exceeded her own.
She did not even know when Yang Kai and Jiang Xi had moved.
“How did you…” Jiang Xi looked at Yang Kai who was blocking his way as if he was staring at a ghost.
He had taken advantage of the chaotic explosion just now to blind his opponents and use a Secret Technique to escape, thinking that none were the wiser, but this young man had actually seen through his plans and somehow managed to overtake and intercept him.
Although he was feeling terrified inside, Jiang Xi was also a decisive person and understanding that he could not escape without breaking through the blockade, Yang Kai. Therefore, he clenched his fists and spat out a mouthful of Blood Essence, causing his aura to increase thirty percent while a crimson hue appeared around his body. He then charged towards Yang Kai mercilessly.
Yang Kai’s expression remained cold as he simply snorted and spat, “You court death!”
Without trying to evade, Yang Kai clenched his fist and condensed a layer of golden light around it, causing a faint metallic scraping to ring out as an incredibly sharp aura wrapped around him.
Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi, Metal Sword Qi.
Among the Five Elements Sword Qis, Metal was the sharpest.
Using this Metal Sword Qi, Yang Kai’s fist became shrouded in countless sword blades difficult to see with the naked eye.
Perceiving the terrifying power and sharpness of this fist, Jiang Xi naturally did not just sit still and once again condensed a thick poisonous smoke around his body.
When Yang Kai’s fist flew out and slammed into Jiang Xi’s body, though, the poisonous fog was instantly scattered, after which the crimson hue covering his body also collapsed. Jiang Xi’s Saint Qi defence had failed to provide him with any protection as the countless tiny golden sword lights easily sliced through it.
The sound of bones shattering rang out as Jiang Xi’s body was knocked backwards and blood spurted from his mouth.
His hideous face filled with horror as he desperately tried to stabilize his figure, but the golden light from the Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Thread caught up before he could and instantly surrounded him.
When the golden light faded, Jiang Xi’s whole body collapsed into countless pieces and fell from the sky.
Scarlet Wave Star’s famous Jiang Xi, a master qualified to break through to the Origin King Realm, had fallen!
The group of women from Ice Heart Valley’s cheeks flushed as they cheered in excitement.
Yan Chi Lei, who was locked in a fierce battle with Yu Xue Qing, also gawked as he stared at Yang Kai in shock, his movements becoming sluggish in that instant.
Yu Xue Qing was not the Thirteenth Elder of Ice Heart Valley just for show. Although her rank was a bit low, her strength was praiseworthy. So, how could she miss such an opportunity? Taking advantage of this shift in momentum, Yu Xue Qing launched a fierce counterattack and swiftly forced Yan Chi Lei onto the defensive.
She too was quite shocked, never having expected that Yang Kai could actually kill Jiang Xi.
After all, Jiang Xi’s Poison Arts were notoriously difficult to handle; even if she had been the one fighting him, she would definitely be at a disadvantage.
However, Yang Kai had killed Jiang Xi in less than thirty breaths of time.
In Ice Heart Valley, it was likely only the Great Elder could accomplish this.
Was this young man comparable to Great Elder Ran? Yu Xue Qing’s heart trembled as she felt she needed to re-examine Yang Kai.
“Senior Brother, please help Thirteenth Elder!” The young woman leading Ice Heart Valley’s group called out to Yang Kai suddenly.
“Sure,” Yang Kai nodded faintly, stretching out his hand and pointing to Yan Chi Lei as he called out, “Kill him!”
The Firebird immediately flew straight towards Yan Chi Lei.
Yan Chi Lei and Yu Xue Qing were an even match for one another, neither able to defeat the other in short order, so with the addition of the Firebird Artifact Spirit, Yan Chi Lei instantly found himself suppressed and rapidly losing the strength to fight back or even protect himself.
“Boy, I am an Elder of Brilliant Flame Sect! If you dare take action against me, you’ll die a miserable death! Cease now! Otherwise, even if you escape to the ends of the Star Field, Brilliant Flame Sect will never let you go!” Yan Chi Lei shouted angrily, hoping he could make Yang Kai back down and not join forces with Yu Xue Qing.
As long as Yang Kai didn’t involve himself, Yu Xue Qing wouldn’t have enough ability to stop him and he could still escape calmly.
As such, whether he lived or died was in Yang Kai’s hands.
Yu Xue Qing frowned and hurriedly shouted, “Little brother, there’s no need to fear him, his Brilliant Flame Sect is indeed strong but my Ice Heart Valley is not weak. Naturally, we will protect you if you help me kill this villain.”
She was worried that Yang Kai would give in to Yan Chi Lei’s threats.
After all, Yan Chi Lei was different from Jiang Xi. Although Jiang Xi’s strength was high, he was just a lone cultivator, if he was killed, no one would seek revenge for him, but Yan Chi Lei was an Elder of Brilliant Flame Sect, so there was a huge backer behind him.
“Naturally, I’ll help you kill him!” Yang Kai grinned towards Yan Chi Lei sarcastically. “Trying to threaten and intimidate me after things have gotten to this point, are all your Brilliant Flame Sect people so stupid?”
Yan Chi Lei’s face turned pale.
“By the way, I forgot to tell you, this isn’t the first time I killed someone from your Brilliant Flame Sect. I killed a guy named Kong Wen Dong in the Emperor Garden, and I also killed a guy named Zhang Qing in the Blood Prison some time ago. Weren’t they all from your Brilliant Flame Sect as well?”
Yan Chi Lei really panicked this time.
He had not expected that Yang Kai would have such a deep grudge with Brilliant Flame Sect. Whether it was Kong Wen Dong or Zhang Qing, both were famous figures in Brilliant Flame Sect, Elder-level figures who even ranked above him.
However, Kong Wen Dong had simply failed to return from the Emperor Garden while Zhang Qing had gone to the Blood Prison and had not been heard from yet.
If what Yang Kai said was true, though, didn’t that mean that they and everyone who accompanied them had died at his hands?
“I don’t have any kind of favourable impression of your Brilliant Flame Sect, so… die!” Yang Kai’s expression suddenly became cold as a stream of extremely powerful Spiritual Energy shot out from his forehead and crashed towards Yan Chi Lei.
This attack was silent but extremely powerful. Like a sharp sword, it easily pierced through Yan Chi Lei’s defences and invaded his Knowledge Sea.
Yan Chi Lei cried out pitifully as his face went white, his Soul suffering severe damage.
Yu Xue Qing’s beautiful eyes lit up and she took this opportunity to push her Shi to its maximum extent. With her body as the centre, the area within a three hundred metre radius immediately became extremely cold, as if even the air was frozen.
A thin layer of frost appeared on Yan Chi Lei’s body and the frigid energy began seeping into his body, affecting his Saint Qi circulation and physical strength.
The Firebird used this opening to pounce, opening its giant maw and swallowing Yan Chi Lei into its abdomen.
The Firebird Artifact Spirit’s stomach bulged visibly as something inside of it seemed to be struggling, but it was quickly suppressed by the Firebird’s intense flames.
As time passed, this struggle became smaller and smaller until it eventually disappeared.
A flash of lightning suddenly appeared in the Firebird’s body before it turned into a stream of light and returned to Yang Kai’s body.
Yan Chi Lei obviously also cultivated the Heaven Scorching Thunder Fire Secret Technique, just like Zhang Qing and Kong Wen Dong, so after his death, his Heaven Scorching Thunder Fire was swallowed by the Firebird to strengthen itself.
And so, the crisis had been rapidly resolved with a completely unexpected ending.
Yu Xue Qing stood in place, looking at Yang Kai with complicated eyes while breathing heavily.
The other women from Ice Heart Valley also wore shocked expressions.
Only Qing Ya was showing a happy smile.
After a long silence, Yu Xue Qing was barely able to accept the reality in front of her and nodded to Yang Kai, “Many thanks.”
This time, if it weren’t for Yang Kai suddenly taking action, it would have been a miracle for even two or three of Ice Heart Valley’s team to escape, but now, not only were most of them essentially unharmed, they had even managed to kill several of Brilliant Flame Sect’s people.
Yu Xue Qing was naturally incredibly grateful to Yang Kai.
“No need for thanks, I was just protecting myself. Can we set off now?” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Yu Xue Qing nodded before getting one of her subordinates to clean up the battlefield then leading the group towards Pure Ice Island again.
This time no one showed any ill will towards Yang Kai.
They all dismissed their original hostility and no longer surrounded Yang Kai to protect him as before. The battle against Brilliant Flame Sect’s people had made all of them realize that Yang Kai was the strongest in this group.
He did not need their protection at all!
Along the way, many of these women would shoot Yang Kai curious looks from time to time. They could not understand how this young man cultivated. Obviously, he was only at the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm but his combat power was absurdly high.
“Thirteenth Elder, why have we been looking for him all this time?” Qing Ya took this chance to ask as she knew it was the best time to inquire about such matters.
The other disciples of Ice Heart Valley also wore curious expressions as they turned expected looks towards Yu Xue Qing.
They, along with thousands of their fellow Sect Sisters, had been running around and fighting for nearly a year all to find Yang Kai. Many of their Senior and Junior Sisters had died as a result, so it was only natural that they wanted to know why.
Yu Xue Qing frowned and with a slight look of embarrassment replied, “I don’t know the specific reason, but since Brilliant Flame Sect was looking for him, our Ice Heart Valley didn’t want them to succeed. Perhaps… perhaps he knows the real reason.”
While saying this, Yu Xue Qing turned to look at Yang Kai thoughtfully.
Yang Kai’s expression remained indifferent, seemingly unaware of his surroundings, showing no intention to answer.
“You don’t need to worry about this though. Since Sect Master and the Elder Council have decided this, they must have a good reason.”
“Yes!” The women nodded.
Nothing more happened along the way as the team lead by Yu Xue Qing travelled for another half a month.
Only after half a month did this group arrive at a seaside city.
This was obviously a city under the jurisdiction of Ice Heart Valley, and once they arrived, Yu Xue Qing brought Yang Kai straight to the Space Array and used it to teleport to Pure Ice Island.
Once he arrived at Pure Ice Island’s Outer Island, Yang Kai noticed a certain change and a trace of excitement appeared on his face. Turning his eyes to stare in a certain direction, he seemed to be peering across space towards a distant location.
At the same time, in a certain ice room on the Inner Island, Su Yan, who was in meditation, opened her beautiful eyes as her tender body shivered.
At this moment, she too sensed something.
She felt Yang Kai’s aura!
Since the two of them cultivated the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art, as long as they weren’t too far apart, they could sense each other’s existence.
Although the Outer Island and the Inner Island were a few hundred kilometres apart, that could not impede the connection between Yang Kai and Su Yan!
[She’s here!]
[He came!]
At the exact same moment, the two noticed each other’s existence.
Yang Kai stood in place, his expression softening greatly.
Su Yan also hurriedly got up and went towards the entrance!
But as soon as she walked out of her ice room, she was stopped by two women.
“Junior Sister Su, where are you going?” The woman surnamed Zhou quickly stood in front of Su Yan and questioned coldly.
“Senior Sister Zhou, I want to go out!” Su Yan looked at her pleadingly.
“No!” The woman surnamed Zhou shook her head decisively, “Great Elder ordered that you are not to take a single step outside this room. Don’t make things difficult for your Senior Sisters.”
“Yes, Junior Sister Su, the two of us are responsible for monitoring you and also cannot move from this place. Just because you are Great Elder’s disciple, do you think you can not put us Senior Sisters in your eyes? Please go back inside,” The other woman also looked at Su Yan coldly.
Being forced to monitor Su Yan was an incredibly dull task, one where they could not leave or focus on their cultivation, causing them no small amount of grief.
This task had caused both women to complain deeply about Su Yan in their hearts. Also, they did not like how Su Yan was so heavily favoured, so they did not even try to speak politely.
“Two Senior Sisters, Junior Sister doesn’t want to make things difficult for you, but I must go out. I promise I will be back in half a day!” Su Yan bit her red lips and looked at them helplessly.
“Junior Sister really doesn’t put us Senior Sisters in her eyes!” The woman surnamed Zhou sneered, “Have you ever thought about the consequences? What will happen if you go out and Great Elder finds out? What kind of punishment will we receive? I don’t know what you want to go out for, but I’m not going to take responsibility for your truant behaviour.”
“Junior Sister is Great Elder’s favourite disciple, so Great Elder may not punish you too harshly, but what about us? You do not know how severe Great Elder is. Could it be that Junior Sister wants to push us to the brink of death? Junior Sister may look like a beautiful flower but apparently, she’s nothing but a vicious snake.”
Su Yan opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Although these two were clearly exaggerating things, it was also undeniable that if she went out, the two of them would be implicated.
Su Yan’s expression turned sad for a moment before she said softly, “Junior Sister has been inconsiderate.”
Her man had arrived on Pure Ice Island and was so close to her, but she could not go out to meet him, making Su Yan feel like a knife was being driven into her heart.
“Since you understand, hurry back inside!” The woman surnamed Zhou coldly snorted.
Su Yan nodded helplessly and turned back.
Seeing the door to the ice room close shut, the two women standing guard outside sneered.
The woman surnamed Zhou even snickered, “Finally, we’ve gotten some revenge. Did she think she could do whatever she wished after becoming Great Elder’s disciple?”
The other chuckled and said cheerfully, “Who told her to have eyes higher than the top of her head? If she had a good relationship with us before, we wouldn’t have embarrassed her here.”
“We are her Senior Sisters; it is our responsibility to teach her how to behave appropriately.”
“Then, should we inform Great Elder about this matter?”
The woman surnamed Zhou contemplated for a moment before shaking her head, “There’s no need. Since she was not able to go out, she won’t be punished even if we make a report. It will not be too late to inform Great Elder once she really makes some kind of mistake. At that time, Great Elder will definitely not spare her.”
“Senior Sister is wise,” The other woman’s eyes lit up.
…
“Little brother!” Yu Xue Qing’s call awakened Yang Kai and he finally retracted his gaze.
Ice Heart Valley’s Thirteenth Elder had a strange expression on her face as she lightly coughed and said, “The Inner Island of Pure Ice Island is in that direction. As a man, you can’t step foot into it. We are now on the outer island, but if it weren’t for the special situation this time, you wouldn’t have been allowed to enter this place either.”
“It is already Junior’s honour to be able to enter Pure Ice Island, this Junior offers his sincere thanks to Senior!” Yang Kai declared.
Because he could sense Su Yan nearby, Yang Kai was in a good mood and suddenly felt that these women from Ice Heart Valley were more radiant and genial.
Although she did not know why Yang Kai suddenly underwent some subtle changes, Yu Xue Qing didn’t probe any deeper, instead just nodding and saying, “You will have to remain here for the time being. As for what happens next… I will inform you after I report to Valley Master and the other Elders.”
Inside a small guest house on the Outer Island, adjacent to the sea, the sound of waves gently crashing echoed lightly.
After Yu Xue Qing arranged for Yang Kai to live here, she took her subordinates and left, leaving only a lower rank disciple to attend to Yang Kai’s daily life.
Before leaving, Qing Ya cast Yang Kai a glance, silently telling him to remain calm.
Yang Kai understood her meaning clearly.
Now that he had arrived on Pure Ice Island, and learned that Su Yan was only a few hundred kilometres away, his yearning to see her had grown far stronger. However, he also knew that Pure Ice Island was no ordinary place, so he wasn’t about to charge in recklessly.
Sitting down cross-legged in the small house, Yang Kai held Su Yan’s Ice Soul Bead in his hand motionlessly.
Yang Kai did not release his Divine Sense, but he could clearly feel that hundred of kilometres away, there was an aura closely tied to his own, sharing a deep and profound connection.
Of course, this was Su Yan’s aura.
At the same time, Su Yan was also sitting in her ice room, her beautiful eyes closed tightly and her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
The two of them were immersed in feeling each other’s existence, feeling each beat of the other’s heart.
This kind of silent, invisible connection was deeper than any kind of verbal communication could be and allowed both to feel warm in body and spirit.
At a certain moment, the two smiled at exactly the same time and a wondrous energy burst from their bodies, crossing the barrier of space to meet at the centre of Pure Ice Island.
Yang Kai felt as if he was able to see Su Yan standing in front of him happily. Her figure remained the same as it had thirty years ago.
He could even feel that Su Yan was reaching out to touch him.
He responded in kind.
This spiritual resonance between the two of them grew more intense as their auras gradually began merging.
There was no need for words as the two of them were clearly able to sense everything about the other and know what they had experienced over these years, as if they had lived them, themselves.
At a certain spot on the Inner Island, in Ran Yun Ting’s ice room, Ran Yun Ting was meditating when she suddenly frowned, seemingly noticing something as she turned to look up into the sky doubtfully.
In the next instant, the communication artifact beside her suddenly received a Divine Sense Message. Picking up the communication artifact and pouring her Divine Sense into it, Ran Yun Ting learnt of a certain piece of information and her face couldn’t help but sink, “Junior Sister Yu found that little brat and even brought him to Pure Ice Island? So that is how it is, it’s that little beast who is disturbing Su Yan’s mind!”
“Little bastard, you court death!”
Ran Yun Ting’s eyes flared with hostility and an extremely tyrannical Spiritual Energy burst from her forehead and smashed towards the sky, bombarding a certain spot above Pure Ice Island.
Yang Kai, who was silently meeting with Su Yan, did not expect anyone to attack him at that moment.
The resonance of their minds was different from interacting with one another via Divine Sense. The former had no killing and defensive power at all while the latter was capable of attacking and defending.
As soon as Ran Yun Ting used her Divine Sense, Yang Kai felt that his connection with Su Yan was cut off arbitrarily. Not only that, but the shock on his mind made his face pale and he nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
“Who dares!” Yang Kai opened his eyes suddenly, his face extremely ugly.
He could naturally feel that there was some murderous intent behind the attack which cut off his connection with Su Yan, as if his assailant did not care whether he lived or died. If Yang Kai’s Soul had not been far stronger than ordinary, he would have suffered heavy losses.
This kind of injury to one’s Soul could not be healed by ordinary means.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed coldly, but soon he shook his head helplessly.
He was the one mostly at fault just now; after all, this was Pure Ice Island, the headquarters of Ice Heart Valley. In thousands of years, he was the first man to set foot onto its Outer Island, so him taking such rash action just now was truly somewhat improper.
After thinking about it, Yang Kai calmed down and no longer concerned himself about it.
But judging from the power of that Spiritual Energy burst, it had most likely come from one of the top five Elders in Ice Heart Valley.
After suffering such a loss, Yang Kai no longer dared to act rashly. In any case, there would always be a chance for him to meet Su Yan again. As for Su Yan’s safety, Yang Kai was not worried as she was the Disciple of Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder. No matter which Elder interfered with them, they would naturally not have targeted Su Yan as well.
Inside Su Yan’s ice room, she suddenly opened her eyes and her face paled as she called out loudly, “Honoured Master!”
“Reflect on your mistake behind closed doors, if you try to do the same thing again, this Elder will personally take the head of that little bastard!” Ran Yun Ting’s ice-cold voice sounded in Su Yan’s ears.
Su Yan’s face went even paler as she opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out in the end.
“You need to take care of yourself!” Ran Yun Ting seemed to be quite disappointed with Su Yan now and after leaving these cold words, she no longer spoke.
In Ice Heart Valley’s Elder Hall, the Sect’s leadership had all gathered again after their last meeting nearly a year ago.
“Valley Master, what is so important that you had to call all of us here at this time?” One Elder asked.
Bing Long smiled gently and replied, “There is indeed something important, but it is a happy event.”
“Oh? What happy event?” Everyone became curious.
“Elder Yu has found the young man we’ve been searching for and brought him back to Pure Ice Island,” Bing Long did not keep them in suspense and said with a smile.
“He’s been found?”
“Junior Sister Yu’s methods are impressive, finding that boy is a great merit!”
“Very good, very good! It has been more than a year since we began searching and the Sect has suffered many casualties as a result, now we can finally have the disciples fall back and rest.”
“But Valley Master, did we ever discover why Brilliant Flame Sect was searching for him? What secrets or value does he possess that would cause Brilliant Flame Sect to seek him so doggedly?”
“This… this Queen doesn’t know. Elder Yu, you brought him back, were you able to learn anything regarding this?” Bing Long cast her gaze to Yu Xue Qing.
The latter, however, just shook her head slowly, “On the way back, I asked him, but he refused to answer. However, from my observations, he is definitely no ordinary person.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He… he should be a genius among geniuses. Yan Chi Lei of Brilliant Flame Sect died at his hands.”
“What? He killed Yan Chi Lei?” Bing Long’s brow furrowed, “Didn’t you report that this boy was only a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator?”
“En, he is truly only a Second-Order Origin Realm cultivator, but he is capable of fighting above his realm, which is why I called him a genius among geniuses.”
“Impressive!” Bing Long nodded.
“Jiang Xi was also killed by him,” Yu Xue Qing expression turned solemn, “In single combat and in less than twenty breaths at that!”
“Jiang Xi? That Jiang Xi?” The Fifth Elder of Ice Heart Valley narrowed her eyes as a look of shock appeared on her face.
“That Jiang Xi.”
“How is that possible?”
“Although Jiang Xi is not from a prominent Sect and has always been a lone wanderer, he had many fortuitous encounters in his early years and his strength is extraordinary. Not only is he a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, his Shi was also close to reaching the grand accomplishment stage.”
“He is one of the most likely candidates on Scarlet Wave Star to break through to the Origin King Realm. How could he have been killed by that young man? Junior Sister Yu, are you making a joke?”
“How could I be joking about this kind of matter? Junior Sister witnessed the entire fight with her own eyes, and there are a dozen disciples who can testify to the veracity of my words,” Yu Xue Qing said seriously.
The Elders of Ice Heart Valley all wore looks of amazement, several of them soon turning to their Fifth Elder, wanting to hear her opinion.
Among everyone present, she was the only one who had personally fought Jiang Xi, so her thoughts on this matter were critical.
Fifth Elder didn’t refuse and after pondering for a moment said, “The last time I fought Jiang Xi was twenty years ago, and it took me a whole day to severely wound him, but I still failed to kill him. Today, I would not necessarily be his opponent. In Ice Heart Valley, the Elders who could stand alone against Jiang Xi should number no more than three!”
*Si…*
Gasps resounded throughout the hall as the expressions of all the Elders present turned solemn.
Fifth Elder was not making any exaggerations and was simply stating the facts, but because of this, it had all the more impact.
“Does this mean that young man’s strength can rank amongst the top three of us Elders?”
“He is only a Second Order, if he breaks through to the Third-Order…”
“It’s more than that! Fighting and killing are two entirely different concepts. Him being able to kill Jiang Xi in less than twenty breaths means that only Great Elder is on par with him!”
The expressions of this group of Elders suddenly dimmed as none of them had confidence in what they were saying, because they knew that even if Great Elder took action personally, she may not be able to kill Jiang Xi in just twenty breaths.
After all of them realized this, their expressions only contained shock.
“It’s a pity he is not a woman,” Bing Long rubbed her brow lightly and smiled bitterly.
If Yang Kai was a woman, Bing Long would have done whatever it took to recruit him into Ice Heart Valley. Such talent had a much higher chance of breaking through to the Origin King Realm in the future, much more than the ordinary Origin Realm Cultivators.
The reason why Ice Heart Valley was one of the two great forces on Scarlet Wave Star was that it had an Origin King Realm assuming command of the Sect. But, if there was an additional Origin King among their ranks they could completely suppress Brilliant Flame Sect and possibly even destroy it, allowing them to become the sole ruler of Scarlet Wave Star.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s not a woman, he just has to marry one of our Ice Heart Valley’s disciples.” An Elder suggested with a smile.
“Not a bad idea, but he may not agree,” Another Elder sitting next to her shook his head slowly, “His strength and aptitude are incredible, and he doesn’t seem to be very old, so how could he have any lack of women? There are likely many women who would willingly follow him.”
“How could those cheap women compare to the elite disciples of my Ice Heart Valley? It would be his blessing to marry into Ice Heart Valley.”
“Fair enough.”
The Elders began chattering and expressing their opinions, seemingly quite eager to find a suitable candidate to marry Yang Kai right now so they could tie him to Ice Heart Valley.
Bing Long lightly coughed and interrupted with an awkward expression, “Have you all forgotten that Brilliant Flame Sect has been searching for him? Although Brilliant Flame Sect is not enough on its own for our Ice Heart Valley to dread, this matter likely involves Sir Luo Hai of Green Mountains Star… if we were to upset Sir Luo Hai, our Ice Heart Valley may not be able to bear his anger.”
All the Elder’s expressions darkened hearing this and they all fell silent.
“You’re right. This Queen will find a chance to talk to him. At the very least, we need to know if Sir Luo Hai coming to Scarlet Wave Star has anything to do with him. If not, we can try to recruit him, but if Sir Luo Hai really is here because of him…” Bing Long sighed softly, “We can only hand him over at that time in exchange for Ice Heart Valley’s security.”
“Valley Master is wise!” All the Elders agreed with her decision.
Yang Kai’s aptitude and potential were indeed excellent. He was able to fight above his realm and was also highly likely to break through to the Origin King Realm in the future.
But that was only a possibility for the future; after all, right now he was just a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm boy.
Between the wrath of a Second-Order Origin King Star Master and a great individual with a bright illusionary future, which was more important, all of them could naturally distinguish.
“When Valley Master meets with him, this Elder will accompany you!” Ran Yun Ting’s voice suddenly sounded inside the hall.
Everyone turned their heads towards the entrance and saw Great Elder Ran Yun Ting walk inside.
“Oh? Great Elder is also interested in him?” Bing Long was surprised.
Although Ran Yun Ting’s strength wasn’t quite as high as hers, the difference was almost negligible, but since Ran Yun Ting brought Su Yan back to Pure Ice Island more than thirty years ago, she had been devoting herself to cultivating her Disciple while ignoring all other matters and people.
Now that she was taking the initiative to meet Yang Kai, Bing Long was naturally surprised.
“Of course I am interested in such an outstanding talent, this Elder is naturally interested!” Ran Yun Ting smiled softly.
Without knowing why, everyone felt a chill run up their spines when they saw this smile.
————-
Millions of kilometres away from Pure Ice Island stood Scarlet Wave Star’s other peak force, Brilliant Flame Sect.
Brilliant Flame Sect’s headquarters was located in the best cultivation environment on Scarlet Wave Star. Its headquarters was extremely beautiful and filled with outstanding masters. In this place, Brilliant Flame Sect’s disciples could cultivate at an extremely rapid pace.
Scarlet Wave Star’s two great forces had always stood as equals; however, in recent years, Brilliant Flame Sect had slowly been gaining the upper hand in their millennia-old battle. The reason for this was the rumour that Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder had experienced a cultivation dissonance and been badly wounded.
Supreme Elder level figures were naturally Origin Kings, and although this kind of powerhouse would not intervene in the fights between juniors, such news had naturally affected the morale of Ice Heart Valley.
Brilliant Flame Sect had been steadily taking more and more aggressive actions these past few years intending to suppress Ice Heart Valley.
In the southern region of Brilliant Flame Sect headquarters, there were several huts built in a bamboo forest.
These huts seemed simple and unremarkable, with a set of mountains behind and a lake in front, making them seem rather picturesque situated among the vast grove of red bamboo.
At this moment, two men were sitting cross-legged across from one another at a low stone table. There was a simple chess board placed in the middle of the table where a match was being played.
On the left side was an old man with fiery red hair who, despite his aged appearance, had a bright complexion and skin that seemed youthful and vibrant as a thick imposing manner surrounded his body.
Opposite him was a middle-aged man wearing a golden robe with a golden crown on his head.
In addition to these two, a middle-aged man was standing motionlessly roughly a hundred metres away like a statue, only glancing towards the two seated men occasionally, his face flashing a trace of yearning.
The red-haired old man and the golden-crowned man were engaged in a battle of wits.
The red-haired old man made his moves extremely quickly, often not even needing to think about the position of his pieces before moving them with his fingers. On the other hand, the man with the golden crown often frowned and thought hard about each move he made.
On the chessboard, the black pieces belonging to the red-haired old man seemed to take a commanding position, encircling the golden-crowned man’s white forces.
As time passed, the golden-crowned man took longer and longer to make each move, his expression turning more and more cautious.
The red-haired old man did not rush his opponent though, instead just closing his eyes and maintaining mental tranquillity while he waited.
At a certain moment, the golden-crowned man suddenly showed a grin, reached out his hand, and with a single move, reversed his unfavourable position, taking a decisive edge.
The red-haired old man’s eyes widened as he stared in astonishment.
After thinking for a long time, the red-haired old man slowly shook his head and smiled bitterly, “Brother Luo Hai’s chess skills have improved greatly, this old master is no longer your opponent.”
The man with the golden crown smiled slightly, “Chi Huo, it is not that my chess skill surpasses yours, it’s that you’re too impatient. Your intentions and actions are written on the board for all to see, this King only needs to examine them to understand your strategy.”
“Acting straightforwardly is not a misdemeanour,” The red-haired old man shook his head and said. “Life is so short, how can one waste so much time thinking about each possibility or consequence of his actions? En, in any case, I have lost this battle.”
“En, it was an interesting match!”
The red-haired old man turned his head towards the side and beckoned to the other figure present.
The scholarly looking man who had been standing a hundred metres away immediately stepped forward, walked over to the two seated men, and saluted respectfully, “Wei Qing greets Supreme Elder, greets Senior Luo Hai!”
Luo Hai nodded lightly, waving his hand to indicate there was no need for formalities.
This scholarly looking man was none other than Wei Qing, the Sect Master of Brilliant Flame Sect, so his position and status were not low. Although Luo Hai was Green Mountains Star’s Star Master, he could not afford to act too arrogantly here. What’s more, he had a good relationship with Brilliant Flame Sect’s Supreme Elder Chi Huo, so Wei Qing could be considered his Junior.
“Why have you come?” Chi Huo raised his head and looked at Wei Qing.
Wei Qing replied respectfully, “Reporting to Supreme Elder, there has been a development in the matter Senior Luo Hai entrusted to us.”
Luo Hai’s eyes flashed brightly but he quickly concealed his burgeoning expectations.
Chi Huo said lightly, “Continue!”
“A few days ago, one of our spies saw Ice Heart Valley’s Thirteenth Elder Yu Xue Qing lead a young man into Pure Ice Island through a Space Array. Although Ice Heart Valley put up a strict guard and our spy did not see the young man’s face clearly, there is a good chance he is the person Senior Luo Hai is looking for.”
After delivering his report, Wei Qing stood aside respectfully and kept silent.
Although on Scarlet Wave Star, his position was under one, above ten million, Wei Qing didn’t dare act out of turn in front of Luo Hai and Chi Huo.
“Brother Luo Hai, what do you think?” Chi Huo turned to Luo Hai.
“Pure Ice Island is Ice Heart Valley’s headquarters, and no man has set foot on it for thousands of years. Them bringing a young man in at such a time shows how much value they place on him. He might very well be the one I am looking for and they plan on trying to use him as some kind of bargaining chip.”
“En, most likely they want to gain Brother Luo Hai’s favour and have you act as a peacemaker to resolve their current crisis,” Chi Huo seemed quite gruff on the outside but his mind was still extremely sharp.
Luo Hai simply laughed and said nothing.
“By the way, Brother Luo Hai, isn’t it about time that you tell this old master what you want with that little boy? What is it about him that can cause a character like you to pay so much attention to him?” Chi Huo asked suspiciously. He had been thinking about this question for a long time but was still unable to come up with any plausible answer.
What masters like Luo Hai cared about was breaking through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm, or Origin King Grade High-Rank artifacts! Besides these two things, in this world, essentially nothing else could even gain so much as a glance from Luo Hai.
A treasure which Luo Hai coveted was something Chi Huo was also extremely concerned about.
But every time Chi Hou attempted to probe Luo Hai’s intentions, he would receive only vague answers, leaving him helpless.
“Didn’t this King tell you? That little boy used his Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation to survive the Blood Prison Trial and his aptitude is also quite good. This King happens to not have any heirs and wants to take him as a Disciple to inherit this King’s legacy!” Luo Hai replied with a smile.
“So that’s how it is! This is a great blessing for that boy,” Chi Lu laughed and nodded while in his mind dismissing this obviously fake answer.
Luo Hai was a Second-Order Origin King and had refined a Star Source, so it was highly likely he would eventually break through to the Third-Order. How could he now be so eager to accept a Legacy Disciple?
Besides, even if he did want to accept a disciple, it would be impossible for him to drag so many people into this matter. If a Second-Order Origin King announced he was looking for a disciple, there would be countless geniuses who flocked to him to fight for the chance, how could Luo Hai chase after a mere boy so doggedly just to force him to be his disciple?”
No matter how Heaven-defying a genius this boy might be, Luo Hai couldn’t go through this much trouble for that alone!
There was definitely more to this than Luo Hai was willing to reveal.
“Since Ice Heart Valley has found that boy, then this King will go pay them a visit,” Luo Hai said, slowly getting up.
“This old master will come with you!” Chi Huo grinned meaningfully.
Luo Hai glanced at him thoughtfully for a moment before nodding, “Good, I’ve heard that Ice Heart Valley’s Pure Ice Grand Array is quite powerful, with Brother Chi Huo accompanying me, this trip will go much more smoothly.”
He didn’t try to refuse.
“Great. By the way, Wei Qing, tell that little bastard boy of yours to come and see this old master. This old master will bring him along to enjoy the scenery of Pure Ice Island!” Chi Huo shouted at Wei Qing again.
“Supreme Elder wants to take Wei Feng to Pure Ice Island?” Wei Qing was startled and said in a half-panic, “But that boy…”
He knew better than anyone the character of his son.
As the son of a Sect Master, Wei Feng’s aptitude was actually quite poor. Over the years, Wei Qing had used countless pills and magical resources to try to improve his son’s cultivation, but even so, Wei Feng had barely managed to enter the First-Order Origin Returning Realm.
Although Wei Feng had indeed reached the Origin Returning Realm, he was still unable to condense his Shi at all!
In this lifetime, his son would likely never reach beyond the First-Order Origin Returning Realm and would never possess the strength an Origin Realm cultivator should have.
In other words, Wei Feng was just a bit stronger than a peak level Saint King, and any Origin Realm master who had condensed their Shi to any extent would easily be able to defeat him.
The Supreme Elder had always disliked Wei Feng, feeling he was a disgrace to the Sect, and had even severely injured him once with a palm.
But today, why did the Supreme Elder say he wanted to take Wei Feng to Pure Ice Island?
“Enough nonsense, since I’ve made a decision, you simply need to follow it! It’s not like this old master is planning to kill him!” Chi Huo always had a short temper and shouted angrily when he saw Wei Qing hesitate.
“Yes!” A trace of fright flashed across Wei Qing’s face as he quickly stepped back.
Luo Hai frowned and turned to Chi Huo, not knowing what he was doing.
Pure Ice Island was no ordinary place, and even if Luo Hai was a Second-Order Origin King, he was still wary of the Pure Ice Grand Array that protected Ice Heart Valley. He and Chi Huo going alone would be the optimum plan, so why were they now trying to bring along a mere Junior?
What’s more, Chi Huo clearly disliked this Junior very much.
After frowning for a moment, however, Luo Hai suddenly understood something and shook his head with a wry smile.
Chi Huo laughed and said, “Brother Luo Hai, this time, this old master will have to borrow a bit of your momentum.”
“Only this time, but don’t go too far. Luo Li’s strength is not bad and if you really push her into a desperate situation where she uses the Pure Ice Grand Array, you and I will both suffer.”
“This old master naturally understands this, Brother Luo Hai. There is no need to worry.”
Not long after, Wei Qing returned with a young man.
This young man had good looks, but his sallow complexion and the dark circles under his eyes ruined his appearance. On top of that, at a glance, it was obvious he was the type to indulge in wine and women, putting up a strong front while actually being weak and cowardly.
When he came here, the young man was shivering and his face was pale as he constantly kept gulping, his eyes glancing towards Chi Huo in fear and horror.
Although he was already an Origin Returning Realm cultivator, he behaved like an ordinary mortal without the strength to truss up a chicken, hiding behind Wei Qing as if trying to seek shelter, not daring to face Chi Huo directly.
Chi Huo glanced at him and coldly snorted, a look of contempt and disdain clearly covering his face.
“Supreme Elder, I’ve brought Feng’er,” Wei Qing said helplessly.
“Good, you may leave,” Chi Huo waved his hand at Wei Qing.
Wei Qing opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he remained silent in the end, simply sighing while looking back at his son and shaking his head slowly before quickly leaving.
Wei Feng immediately fell into a panic as he watched his father’s disappearing back and cried out, “Father…”
“Shut up!” Chi Huo shouted.
Wei Feng was so frightened he nearly collapsed to the ground in terror as he struggled to turn his head and look at Chi Huo, his face lacking any form of colour.
He had no idea why the Supreme Elder had summoned him. He had an extraordinary status in Brilliant Flame Sect and could rely on his father’s power and strength to do as he pleased, but before the Supreme Elder, he was not worth a fart.
If the Supreme Elder wanted to kill him, even his father could not do anything.
“Su… Supreme… Elder… disciple has… has spent the p… p… past few days be… behind closed doors, c… cultivating i… in the Sect. I… I haven’t made a… any mistakes, p… please understand… Supreme Elder… don’t… don’t kill me… please!” Wei Feng stuttered and fumbled over his words as he whimpered like a baby, snot dripping from his nose as he knelt on the ground and kowtowed vigorously, knocking his head against the ground repeatedly.
The contempt and disgust in Chi Huo’s eyes rapidly grew stronger.
Luo Hai on the side also slowly shook his head, frowning as he said, “Wei Qing is worthy of being the future pillar of Brilliant Flame Sect, so how did his son end up as such a waste?”
“Defeated by a loving mother!” Chi Huo coldly snorted as he angrily glared at Wei Feng and shouted, “This old master orders you to stand up!”
Wei Feng yelped in panic but dared not refuse, quickly getting to his feet but still hunching over as his tears continued to pour down while he squeezed out a flattering smile, his face an utter ugly mess.
“Can you not even stand up straight you good-for-nothing waste?!” Chi Huo’s heart filled with grievances as he stepped forward and slapped Wei Feng twice.
With two crisp slaps, Wei Feng felt that his face had been beaten out of shape and gone completely numb.
Chi Huo was an Origin King Realm master, so even if he did not use any of his cultivation’s power, a casual slap would be enough to shatter Wei Feng’s body. Fortunately, Chi Huo still had a use for Wei Feng, so he couldn’t kill the latter here.
Grabbing Wei Feng’s neck and lifting him up like a butchered chicken, Chi Huo said coldly, “Boy, today is your lucky day. Weren’t you obsessed with a certain female disciple from Ice Heart Valley? This old master is going to bring you to Pure Ice Island to obtain her!”
“Huh?” Wei Feng wore a blank look as he stared at Chi Huo, seemingly never having expected the Supreme Elder to have called him here for this.
After a moment of stunned silence, Wei Feng became overjoyed and said eagerly, “Does Supreme Elder really mean it?”
Su Yan’s exquisite face, which seemed to be carved from the purest ice jade, suddenly flashed before his eyes, causing Wei Feng to tremble with excitement.
“Do you think this Supreme Elder will crack a joke with you?” Chi Huo snickered.
“But… but what if Ice Heart Valley refuses to give her up?” Wei Feng asked.
“They have no choice but to accept. Regardless of anything else, you are still the son of my Brilliant Flame Sect’s Sect Master and possess extraordinary status. Marrying you is an extreme honour for a mere Ice Heart Valley female disciple. Even if they want to refuse, they won’t be able to!”
“That’s right, that’s right…” Wei Feng’s excitement had completely overwhelmed his fear and he repeatedly nodded to Chi Huo and began to fantasize about all the things he would do once he obtained Su Yan, a stupid and obscene grin appearing on his face.
Luo Hai watched faintly from the side and shook his head slowly.
He naturally understood why Chi Huo was doing this, it was nothing more than another method to suppress and humiliate Ice Heart Valley.
Chi Huo was using this opportunity to borrow from Luo Hai’s prestige, something he had admitted to a moment ago.
But Luo Hai did not care. The struggles on Scarlet Wave Star had nothing to do with him. He came here only for Yang Kai. Since Chi Huo only wanted to make use of his power to gain a small advantage, Luo Hai was willing to accept.
After he ate the meat, Luo Hai could not stop Chi Huo from drinking the soup. As long as Chi Huo didn’t pursue the real reason he wanted to find Yang Kai, Luo Hai wouldn’t object.
“Brother Luo Hai, let’s go!” Chi Huo turned to Luo Hai while still gripping Wei Feng in his hand.
Luo Hai nodded and the two immediately turned into streams of light, disappearing from the bamboo forest and flying straight towards Pure Ice Island which was a few million kilometres away.
—
Pure Ice Island, the Outer Island.
Yang Kai was sitting in meditation in the guest room he was provided while trying to think of a way to meet with Su Yan.
He couldn’t set foot on the Inner Island, so if he wanted to meet Su Yan, he had to somehow get her to come to the Outer Island.
However, Yang Kai soon realized that Su Yan had no intention to come out and meet him as her aura remained essentially stationary somewhere on the Inner Island.
[Is she at a critical point in her cultivation and cannot move?] Yang Kai was puzzled. If it were not for her cultivation being at some kind of turning point, he was certain Su Yan would have come out to see him by now.
Yang Kai never suspected that Su Yan was not at a critical juncture in her cultivation but had been put under house arrest by Ran Yun Ting.
But now that he was here on Pure Ice Island and knew that Su Yan was only a few hundred kilometres away, Yang Kai no longer felt rushed.
There would certainly be a moment when they reunited.
After their last spiritual communication was disturbed, Yang Kai did not dare to reach out to Su Yan in the same manner. He was a mere guest here while Su Yan was in the Sect’s inner sanctuary, if he acted rashly, it would only backfire on him.
And so, he waited patiently for the right opportunity.
The next day, Yang Kai was still sitting in meditation when suddenly he opened his eyes and called out loudly, “I don’t know which Senior has come, but Junior offers his humble greetings.”
A soft voice came from outside the door, “This Queen is Ice Heart Valley’s Valley Master.”
A hint of surprise flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes; although he knew that there would definitely be a high-level Elder from Ice Heart Valley coming to meet him at some point, he hadn’t expected the one to come would be the Valley Master herself!
Ice Heart Valley’s Bing Long was a character Yang Kai had heard about from Qing Ya. Bing Long was the strongest master beneath Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder Luo Li and was rumoured to be on the verge of breaking through to the Origin King Realm.
Did Ice Heart Valley really take his existence so seriously?
With a wave of his hand, Yang Kai opened the front door and stood up solemnly to greet this visitor.
Two women walked in from outside, both beautiful middle-aged women. The one in front wore a temperate but dignified smile and exuded a type of noble grace as she lightly stepped forward.
However, the woman who followed wore an ice-cold expression, and even though this was the first time they had met, Yang Kai could sense some inexplicable hostility coming from her.
Yang Kai frowned and wondered why this woman seemed to have a prejudice against him.
Bing Long stopped ten metres in front of Yang Kai, swept her eyes over him, and gently asked, “Are you Yang Kai?”
“Junior Yang Kai greets Senior Bing Long!” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Bing Long nodded lightly, “Truly a dragon amongst men, your aura is calm yet profound, no wonder you were able to kill Jiang Xi and Yan Chi Lei so easily. For the act of saving Junior Sister Yu, this Queen offers her sincere thanks.”
Yang Kai shook his head and replied politely, “Junior was simply protecting himself; Valley Master need not be so polite.”
After saying so, Yang Kai turned a curious look at the beautiful woman behind Bing Long and asked, “This is…”
“This is my Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder!” Bing Long introduced.
Yang Kai raised his brow as he realized that this beautiful woman was actually Su Yan’s master!
And judging from her aura, Yang Kai could tell that she was the one who interfered with the spiritual connection between him and Su Yan yesterday!
[She seemed to have a deep prejudice and hostility towards me… Have I done something to offend her?] Yang Kai frowned in confusion.
Even thinking so, Yang Kai still cupped his fists again and said, “So it is Great Elder, Junior has been disrespectful!”
Ran Yun Ting just snorted coldly, not reciprocating any politeness with Yang Kai.
A trace of astonishment flashed across Bing Long’s eyes as she saw this and wondered what Great Elder was trying to do here, but she hurriedly took control of the conversation, “Great Elder and I have arrived here uninvited, please don’t take offence.”
“Valley Master must be joking; this is Pure Ice Island. This Junior is merely a guest here. Junior should be apologizing for failing to take the initiative to visit and offer his greetings.”
A hint of approval appeared on Bing Long’s face. She felt that Yang Kai was not only a cultivation genius but was also quite humble and polite, vastly different from other rising stars of the younger generation. Most of the so-called young handsome men had eyes atop their heads and acted insufferably arrogantly, doing whatever they wanted and parading around their strength as if they hoped everyone would know their strength. These young rising stars all seemed to lack the virtue of respecting the old and caring for the young.
Bing Long’s first impression of Yang Kai was quite good.
Bing Long and Ran Yun Ting then sat down at a small ice table with Yang Kai while a female disciple from Ice Heart Valley served tea.
Yang Kai did not know why these two had come here at this time, so he didn’t dare speak rashly, simply sipping his tea while waiting quietly for them to reveal their purpose.
Ran Yun Ting on the other hand had been glaring at Yang Kai since he took his seat, as if she was trying to pierce him with her sharp gaze.
Fortunately, Bing Long took the initiative to make some small talk with Yang Kai, asking him a few irrelevant questions to lighten the atmosphere.
After a cup of tea, Bing Long suddenly asked, “Little Brother Yang is not a Scarlet Wave Star cultivator, right?”
Yang Kai knew that she was trying to obtain some background information on him, but he didn’t have a reason to conceal something so simple so he nodded and replied, “Indeed, I am not from Scarlet Wave Star.”
“Then where does Little Brother Yang come from?”
“My homeland is Tong Xuan Realm!”
“Tong Xuan Realm?” Bing Long frowned, apparently never having heard of such a place.
On the other hand, Ran Yun Ting’s phoenix eyes narrowed, and a faint light flashed across their depths.
Bing Long had never heard of Tong Xuan Realm, but she had.
After all, Su Yan also came from Tong Xuan Realm!
[This brat really is the one who sullied Su Yan’s innocence! This little animal is preventing her from reaching the peak of the Martial Dao!]
A faint murderous intent began leaking from her body as Ran Yun Ting thought of this, and although it was extremely faint, Bing Long still noticed it. After shooting a glance towards Ran Yun Ting suspiciously, Bing Long found that Yang Kai seemed to be unaware of this ill-intent so she did not make a fuss and instead smiled slightly, “It looks like this Queen is somewhat ignorant and uninformed as she has never heard of such a star before.”
“Senior need not improperly belittle herself, my homeland is extremely barren and has no contact with the wider Star Field, so it is normal to not have heard of it.”
“May I ask why Little Brother Yang has come to Scarlet Wave Star at this time?” Bing Long asked again.
“I just passed by accidentally.”
“Do you know that Brilliant Flame Sect has been looking for you for nearly a year?”
“I’ve heard.”
“Why is Brilliant Flame Sect looking for you so fervently?”
After asking a few questions, Bing Long gradually became more straightforward.
Yang Kai smiled lightly, took a sip from his teacup, shook his head, and said, “I don’t know!”
“You don’t know?” Bing Long laughed slightly, her voice suddenly becoming solemn. “Then this Queen will ask a different question, has Green Mountains Star’s Star Master Sir Luo Hai come to Scarlet Wave Star because of you?”
“Since Senior already knows, why bother to ask?”
Bing Long was genuinely surprised and could not help asking again, “Sir Luo Hai really came for you?”
She had guessed that this was the case before, seeing how Luo Hai arrived on Scarlet Wave Star then went to Brilliant Flame Sect, after which, Brilliant Flame Sect began looking all over for Yang Kai. All these events could not have happened by mere coincidence, so Bing Long naturally had her suspicions.
However, guesses were just guesses, so after receiving confirmation from Yang Kai, Bing Long still felt surprised.
What kind of character was Luo Hai? Even considering the entire Star Field, he ranked amongst the highest of masters. What could possibly be of such great interest for him to come to Scarlet Wave Star from Green Mountains Star for Yang Kai.
“Why?” Bing Long asked again.
Yang Kai shook his head and said in a serious tone, “This Junior cannot answer that question. If Senior wishes to know, she might as well ask Luo Hai himself.”
Bing Long flashed an even more surprised look hearing this answer.
Yang Kai called Luo Hai directly by his name! There was not the slightest bit of respect in his voice at all.
One had to know that towards a master like Luo Hai, regardless of whether someone was related to him or not, they needed to show a certain level of deference by addressing him as Sir or Senior.
This was a type of etiquette which all cultivators had to display towards Origin Kings. Even Bing Long, as Ice Heart Valley’s Valley Master, had to address Luo Hai as Sir.
However, Yang Kai completely disregarded this convention.
After recovering from her shock, Bing Long asked, “Do you have some kind of enmity with Sir Luo Hai?”
“I was chased by him all the way from Green Mountains Star to Scarlet Wave Star and nearly died several times in the process. Does Senior think I wouldn’t have a grudge against him?” Yang Kai sneered.
Yang Kai did not attempt to conceal this fact because doing so was impossible to begin with.
Bing Long and Ran Yun Ting were thoroughly dumbfounded this time as they stared at Yang Kai incredulously.
After a long time, Bing Long wore a complicated look and said, “Your luck is truly great, even being able to escape from Sir Luo Hai’s pursuit!”
She thought that Yang Kai being safe and sound now was all thanks to luck. If not, how could a mere Second-Order Origin Returning Realm junior survive under the pursuit of a Second-Order Origin King?
“What kind of grudge do you have with Sir Luo Hai? Explain in detail!” Ran Yun Ting suddenly questioned. This was the first time she spoke since she arrived here, and her words were spoken in an almost commanding tone.
This made Yang Kai frown as he secretly felt that as a guest, not a disciple of Ice Heart Valley, this kind of domineering and commanding tone was inappropriate.
However, thinking that she was Su Yan’s master, Yang Kai could not snap back rudely, so he simply said, “Please forgive me, but I have no comment.”
“Boy, have you not figured out your situation yet? This is Pure Ice Island, and you have provoked a master like Sir Luo Hai. If you want to survive, you’d best cooperate with us obediently! Otherwise, no matter how smart you think you are, you won’t be able to escape!” Ran Yun Ting saw Yang Kai act so tactlessly and her face sank.
Yang Kai turned to look at her and narrowed his eyes, faintly asking, “Senior, are you threatening me?”
Ran Yun Ting’s pretty face became even colder, and she was just about to say something more when Bing Long hurriedly preempted, “Great Elder had no such intentions, but this matter is truly not trivial. This Queen will not try to abuse her status and will address you as an equal. Yang Kai, although your aptitude is good, having offended a master like Sir Luo Hai, I’m afraid your future is worrying.”
“I know,” Yang Kai nodded nonchalantly.
“Since you know, this Queen won’t bother with any nonsense. My Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder is also an Origin King, and although she is not as powerful as Sir Luo Hai, her methods are profound and she has some small friendship with Sir Luo Hai. If you can tell us your story in detail, it may be possible for this Queen to request the Supreme Elder to come forward and say a few good words on your behalf to resolve this crisis. What do you think?”
Bing Long’s sincerity and generosity reduced Yang Kai’s anger slightly, but he still shook his head decisively and said, “Seniors need not trouble yourselves with this Junior’s affairs. Junior can take care of them by himself.”
“You? What kind of skill do you possess to handle such a crisis?” Ran Yun Ting seemed to be particularly eager to see Yang Kai suffer and smiled sarcastically, “Boy, do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! If you never intended to say anything, why come to my Ice Heart Valley in the first place!”
“Rather than me coming here, wasn’t it Ice Heart Valley that was looking for me?” Yang Kai glanced over at Ran Yun Ting.
Ran Yun Ting became angered at his flippant tone and the Saint Qi in her body began welling up as she released a powerful Shi to envelop Yang Kai, as if she was about to attack him.
Bing Long’s face changed slightly as she quickly interjected, “Yang Kai, since you don’t want to say, then this Queen and Great Elder won’t force you. However, should you change your mind, please feel free to let one of the disciples here inform this Queen and this Queen will surely ask Supreme Elder to come forward to help you resolve this matter.”
“Many thanks, but Junior will have to decline Senior’s kind intentions!” Yang Kai said lightly.
“In that case, please feel free to stay here a while, as for what happens next… we will discuss it when the time comes,” Bing Long sighed and got up to leave.
Ran Yun Ting glared at Yang Kai for a moment before letting off a cold snort and getting up as well. When she arrived at the door to the room, however, she suddenly turned around, glared at Yang Kai icily, and asked sternly, “Boy, don’t think this Elder doesn’t know what you’re plotting! I advise you to give up now, she will eventually fly from this tiny branch to become a phoenix, she is not someone a nothing like you can get involved with. Don’t ruin her future!”
After saying so, Ran Yun Ting turned around and left without giving Yang Kai a chance to respond.
Yang Kai stared at the door with indifference, watching her and Bing Long leave.
However, listening to what Ran Yun Ting said, he understood that she knew about his relationship with Su Yan, which also explained why she was so hostile towards him.
Realizing Ran Yun Ting was just trying to protect her precious disciple, Yang Kai took a deep breath and calmed the anger in his heart.
In all honesty, Su Yan having a Master who cared so deeply for her future wasn’t a bad thing but Ran Yun Ting’s attitude had still made Yang Kai very unhappy.
—
“Junior Sister, there’s something wrong with you today.” On the way back to the Inner Island, Bing Long looked at Ran Yun Ting thoughtfully, “Do you know something? Why did you speak so harshly to that Yang Kai, almost like you knew him from somewhere before?”
“I don’t know him!” Ran Yun Ting shook her head, pondered for a moment, then let out a sigh, “Senior Sister, I’ll be honest with you, that Yang Kai and Su Yan know one another!”
“Oh? How do the two of them know each other?” Bing Long was surprised.
“Remember how he said he was from Tong Xuan Realm? Su Yan is also from that place! They used to have a Senior Sister Junior Brother relationship, and…”
Bing Long frowned, vaguely becoming aware of something, and asked in surprise, “Could it be that they…”
“En! Not only that, Su Yan is no longer a pure white jade!”
“What?” Bing Long’s expression changed dramatically as she asked in shock, “But… but hasn’t Su Yan cultivated the Ice Jade Secret Art? That’s strange. Why hasn’t she received any backlash?”
“Before she had not, but now she has. Su Yan’s cultivation has regressed, and there is now a flaw in her mood while her Ice Jade Heart has become clouded!” Ran Yun Ting grit her teeth as she said, “If my guess is correct, that little animal took the initiative to come to Pure Ice Island just to find Su Yan. Yesterday, I even discovered the two of them were communicating with a strange Soul power.”
Bing Long’s expression fluctuated rapidly as she murmured, “The two of them can communicate with each other using their Souls, like a form of heart resonance? It seems that their relationship between them is quite extraordinary. If that is the case though, is Su Yan’s future really beyond redemption?”
“No, there is a way to solve this problem!” Ran Yun Ting’s gaze became ruthless.
Seeing her look, Bing Long also quickly realized her intentions and hurriedly shook her head, “You can’t do this yet. Sir Luo Hai is here for him, and if he dies here, now, there’s no way our Ice Heart Valley can appease Sir Luo Hai, and this method is also not a guarantee. If it causes Su Yan to bear a grudge against you…”
“It doesn’t matter if she bears hatred towards me!” Ran Yun Ting chuckled, with a hint of madness in her smile, “Senior Sister, I am not ashamed to admit that I have no hope of breaking through to the Origin King Realm in my life, but Su Yan has such potential. Even if I cannot, she can! As long as she can reach such a height, what does it matter if she hates me? One day, she will understand that I did all of this for her own good!”
“Junior Sister, you…” Bing Long looked at her and suddenly sighed, a look of sadness appearing on her face.
If Ran Yun Ting was saying she had no hope of breaking through to the Origin King Realm, what about her? Bing Long had remained at the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm for countless years, hitting the bottleneck countless times, always failing, completely unable to grasp the mysteries of the Origin King Realm.
As Ran Yun Ting said, they would probably remain stuck at the threshold of the Origin King Realm for their entire lives. Unless they encountered some kind of Heaven defying opportunity, they would have no chance of rising higher!
Bing Long understood Ran Yun Ting’s thoughts, but she also felt it was quite inappropriate to act on them, so she could only say, “Give me some time to consider this matter, don’t act rashly!”
“I know.”
After walking forward for a while, the two separated.
Ran Yun Ting walked straight to Su Yan’s residence. She needed to speak frankly with her disciple and make her understand that only strength was eternal while love between men and women was a fleeting distraction not worth treasuring.
Not long after, Ran Yun Ting arrived near her destination, where she saw her a disciple speaking with the two guards outside Su Yan’s ice room with a pleading expression.
Upon closer inspection, Ran Yun Ting realized that this disciple was actually Qing Ya, who came to Ice Heart Valley with Su Yan.
Ran Yun Ting still had some impression of this disciple; after all, when she brought Su Yan back to Ice Heart Valley, Qing Ya also followed, but since the latter’s aptitude wasn’t as good as Su Yan’s, she had to remain on the Outer Island.
Seeing Ran Yun Ting approach, Qing Ya and the two women quickly stopped talking, turned around, and saluted respectfully, “Disciple greets Great Elder!”
Ran Yun Ting gently nodded before sweeping her eyes across Qing Ya’s face indifferently.
She didn’t know if it was because she had just met with Yang Kai, but Ran Yun Ting suddenly realized that this Outer Island disciple was also from Tong Xuan Realm and seemed a bit unpleasant to the eye. Just thinking of Yang Kai’s arrogant face made her feel irritated.
“What are you quarrelling here for? Don’t you all know that Su Yan is in retreat?” Ran Yun Ting shouted.
The eyes of the two female disciples responsible for guarding Su Yan flashed a trace of horror as they realized that Great Elder was in a very poor mood and immediately became anxious.
The woman surnamed Zhou quickly glanced over at Qing Ya and said in an aggrieved voice, “Reporting to Great Elder, this Junior Sister came here to see Su Yan. We stopped her, but she refused to back down!”
“Great Elder please understand, it’s not that we wished to disturb Su Yan, it’s all because this woman was being unreasonable!” The other woman also chimed in.
Ran Yun Ting’s stern eyes fell on Qing Ya and she said coldly, “If she refuses to withdraw, why did you not just force her to leave? Have both of you cultivated all these years in vain?”
As soon as these words came out, Qing Ya and the others all stared dumbfounded.
None of them seemed to have thought their Great Elder would say such a thing.
In Ice Heart Valley, although there were disputes and enmities between Sisters, no one ever openly fought because of them.
However, Great Elder’s words just now were clearly implying they should have beaten Qing Ya, weren’t they? The woman surnamed Zhou was so shocked she was unable to even reply and just stood in place, mute.
“What are you waiting for? Are you both deaf?” Ran Yun Ting shouted again.
The woman surnamed Zhou quickly understood that Great Elder was not cracking a joke, and feeling aggrieved in her heart at being reprimanded for no apparent reason, she nodded and yelled, “Yes, Disciple will obey Great Elder’s order!”
Saying so, she circulated her Saint Qi and pushed a palm out towards Qing Ya.
“Great Elder…” Qing Ya opened her mouth and called out, but after only a few words, her chest was struck by a fierce Qi and her tender body flew out almost uncontrollably through the air, causing her to cough up a mouthful of blood, staining her white dress red.
*Hong long long…*
Qing Ya flew several dozen meters away before smashing into an ice wall and falling down distressingly.
Her face was pale and bloodless as the wind was knocked out of her, making it difficult for her to even breathe much less get up.
She was a Second-Order Saint King while the woman surnamed Zhou who hit her was a First-Order Origin Realm cultivator, the gap between them was massive so she was completely unable to resist.
A single palm was all that was needed to injure Qing Ya!
Her beautiful eyes trembled violently as she turned to look at Ran Yun Ting in disbelief, still unable to understand why Great Elder had suddenly given such a ruthless command!
“Get out! If you dare set foot on the Inner Island in the future, this Elder will expel you from Ice Heart Valley!” Ran Yun Ting reprimanded coldly and without mercy.
“Qing Ya!” Su Yan’s door suddenly opened, and she appeared anxiously and flew over towards Qing Ya.
Although she heard the dispute between Qing Ya and the woman surnamed Zhou just now, because of Ran Yun Ting’s orders, she had not dared to appear without permission and could only remain behind closed doors.
But now, Qing Ya had actually been injured, so she could no longer hold back!
The two of them were both from Tong Xuan Realm and joined Ice Heart Valley together, becoming fellow sisters, so how could she just stand back and watch Qing Ya being beaten?
However, the moment she appeared, Ran Yun Ting waved her hand and forced Su Yan back.
“If you dare take one step forward, I’ll kill her right now!” Ran Yun Ting stood outside the ice room and stared at Su Yan’s sad face with a cold expression.
A trace of horror flashed across Su Yan’s face as she stared at Ran Yun Ting in shock, opening her mouth to speak, but eventually decided to not act rashly here. Taking a deep breath and gritting her teeth as she said, “As this is Qing Ya’s first offence, Disciple begs Honoured Master not to punish her further!”
Ran Yun Ting nodded, “As long as you are obedient, I will not embarrass her!”
Su Yan grit her teeth, clenched her fists, and whispered softly, “Disciple will obey Honoured Master’s command.”
Ran Yun Ting showed a look of satisfaction, “Good! I came here to tell you that that boy has arrived on Pure Ice Island. Now, sever your emotional ties with him immediately to make up for the flaw in your mood, or this Elder will do it for you!”
Su Yan’s tender body trembled as she stared at Ran Yun Ting in horror, a pleading expression appearing on her beautiful face as she muttered, “Honored Master…”
Severing her emotions was tantamount to cutting off her connection from Yang Kai, becoming complete strangers from then on.
But if she allowed her Honoured Master to act, there would only be one result… Yang Kai being killed!
Neither option was something Su Yan could accept; it was simply worse than letting her die.
“There is no third choice! I’ll give you a few days to think about it, you can tell me then!”
Su Yan’s beautiful eyes dimmed for an instant, as if they were covered by dark clouds, blocking all the light from her world, leaving her stunned and unable to move.
By the time she recovered, Ran Yun Ting had already left and Qing Ya was nowhere to be seen, only the two Senior Sisters responsible for guarding her remained, smiling at her mockingly.
These smiles angered her deeply!
For the first time in more than thirty years, she felt like shaking off the shackles which were binding her and escaping from this place.
It was undeniable that Ran Yun Ting had been very good to her. Ever since Su Yan came to Ice Heart Valley, Ran Yun Ting had taught her with complete devotion and provided her with an abundance of resources, allowing her to cultivate in the best environment possible Yan.
However, while teaching Su Yan without reservation, Ran Yun Ting was also chaining her.
She had too many expectations of Su Yan and placed a great burden on her. It was not an exaggeration to say Ran Yun Ting placed all her hopes and dreams onto Sun Yan, but Su Yan was ultimately unable to live up to those expectations.
The future of Ice Heart Valley, the mysteries of the Origin King Realm, Su Yan had heard Ran Yun Ting mention these concepts more than once.
Before, she had not given it much thought. Since her Honoured Master had given her such orders, all she needed to do was follow them; after all, without Ran Yun Ting, she, Qing Ya, and Qian Hao might still be struggling to support themselves on Green Mountains Star. How could their lives be so worry-free?
But now, Su Yan only felt exhausted.
The arrival of Yang Kai gave her an object to rely on. She did not want to take on the future of Ice Heart Valley, she simply wanted to travel freely together with Yang Kai, enjoying all the sights and scenes of the wider world.
She never had great ambitions, she simply wanted to lead a simple, enjoyable life.
Outside Su Yan’s door, her two Senior Sisters continued snickering and sneering without reservation, seemingly in a very good mood.
Su Yan felt aggrieved but did not dare to raise a fuss, simply sitting down cross-legged without saying a word and waving her hand to close the door of her ice room.
…..
In his guest house on the Outer Island, Yang Kai turned to the Ice Heart Valley female disciple who was responsible for his daily life.
This disciple was also an Outer Island disciple and only a First-Order Saint. She looked about twenty-four or five years of age, and although her appearance was not beautiful per se, she had a delicate and clean aura about her.
The disciples of Pure Ice Island all cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts, so she had a faint chill about her as well.
“Girl, do you know Qing Ya?” Yang Kai asked while looking at her.
“Senior Sister Qing Ya? I know her!” The woman nodded and replied, smiling slightly as she said, “Our ice rooms are not very far apart, so we meet each other frequently. Does Senior Brother also know Senior Sister Qing Ya?”
“En, can you take me to see her?”
“You wish to go see Senior Sister Qing Ya?” The woman was startled and frowned hesitantly, “I’m afraid I cannot agree to your request.”
“Why?”
“The Elders told me that Senior Brother may only rest here and cannot walk around without permission. Senior Brother, you should know, our Ice Heart Valley only has female disciples and no men are allowed to even set foot into the Sect. If you and I were to be seen walking around outside together…”
As she spoke, the young woman blushed.
“That’s… never mind, forget it,” Yang Kai smiled freely, not trying to insist, changing the subject, and chatting with the young woman a bit before turning around and walking back into his room.
Seeing Yang Kai not try to make things difficult for her, the female disciple could not help breathing a sigh of relief, thinking that this person was quite easy to talk to.
Returning to his room, Yang Kai wore a calm look that displayed neither happiness nor anger, but in his heart, he felt somewhat annoyed.
Wasn’t he essentially under house arrest?
Moreover, it had been three days since Ice Heart Valley’s Valley Master Bing Long and Great Elder Ran Yun Ting jointly visited. For these three days, no one had come to see him, and even Qing Ya had not shown up.
This confused Yang Kai somewhat.
It was fine if others did not come to see him, but why had Qing Ya not visited? She knew why he had come to Ice Heart Valley this time but now he was trapped in this small Outer Island icehouse, unable to leave much less see Su Yan.
Over the past three days, Su Yan had not attempted to communicate with him again.
The more Yang Kai thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong, so he quietly released his Divine Sense and found the disciple who was responsible for attending to him.
Space Force surged beside Yang Kai and in the next moment, his figure disappeared like a ghost.
If it was someone else, they might have difficulty sneaking out from this place, but for Yang Kai who cultivated the Dao of Space, it was extremely easy.
Without that female disciple noticing anything, Yang Kai appeared in a conceal spot a few kilometres away.
Looking up at an ice peak more than a dozen kilometres away, Yang Kai’s figure flickered again.
As they were chatting just now, Yang Kai had subtly probed the young female disciple about the position of her cave mansion.
Since she said that she lived close to Qing Ya’s cave mansion, it should be somewhere on this ice peak.
Yang Kai just did not know where exactly.
A moment later, Yang Kai arrived at the foot of the ice peak and concealed his aura.
There were hundreds of cave mansions here excavated into this ice peak, with many people living in them. Just looking at this scene gave Yang Kai a headache.
Release his Divine Sense to investigate, Yang Kai found that every cave mansion was protected by a barrier, and although with his Divine Sense’s strength, it wouldn’t be a problem breaking into these, doing so would certainly lead to trouble.
With no other choice, Yang Kai simply frowned and decided to wait quietly.
Just as he was searching for some kind of clue, however, a group of Ice Heart Valley disciples suddenly arrived at the base of the ice peak.
One of these five was a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator while the rest were Saint Kings.
Although their cultivation was not very high, Yang Kai could feel that each of them was radiating a type of unvarnished hostility, a fact that caused him to frown.
Generally speaking, this type of hostility should only be possessed by those who had short tempers and merciless personalities, but all of Ice Heart Valley’s disciples cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts, which focused on maintaining pure, emotionless states, so how could such people be here?
Not only that, these women all wore cold, grim expressions and gave off prickly auras that forced others to keep their distance.
These women walked straight to the ice peak before arriving in front of a certain cave mansion.
The lead woman looked around and asked, “Is this the place?”
One of her subordinates immediately replied, “It’s here.”
The lead woman nodded and suddenly yelled, “Outer Island disciple Qing Ya!”
This sound was not too loud, but it still spread out a great distance.
When Yang Kai heard this, his expression immediately became pleased. This was nothing less than someone sending him a pillow when he was feeling sleepy. He was worried he would not be able to find Qing Ya’s cave mansion, but now, a group had shown up and called Qing Ya out.
However… this group of women seemed to have ill intentions! Yang Kai frowned slightly and did not immediately reveal himself, remaining hidden nearby, observing in secret.
Three breaths after the woman shouted, a thin barrier outside the cave mansion split open a gap and from inside a woman wearing a white dress and possessing a solemn aura walked out.
Qing Ya! Yang Kai raised his brow as he noticed something was wrong.
Qing Ya’s aura was somewhat unsteady and her face was pale, as if she had recently suffered a serious injury!
She was fine when they returned to Pure Ice Island a few days ago, so how could she have suddenly become injured? And looking at her, it was not because she made a mistake in her cultivation. On the contrary, it looked like… she was beaten!
Yang Kai was quite confused.
On the other side, after Qing Ya exited her cave mansion and saw the face and robes of the person who summoned her, she could not help becoming even paler.
She seemed to recognize the leader of this group.
“So, it is Senior Sister Bing Die, does Senior Sister have some matter to discuss with me?” Qing Ya tried to keep her expression calm, but the trembling in her voice betrayed her inner tension.
By now, many Ice Heart Valley disciples who lived on this ice peak had been alarmed by Bing Die’s shout and came out to see what was happening.
After seeing this scene though, many showed looks of fear.
“It’s Senior Sister Bing Die of the Law Enforcement Hall! How could she be here? And why is she looking for Junior Sister Qing Ya?”
“This is bad, Junior Sister Qing Ya must have made some kind of terrible mistake, right? Why else would this disaster have appeared?”
“Impossible, Qing Ya has always fulfilled her duties to the Sect diligently and even seems to have earned great merit recently. How could she have committed a mistake?”
“That may not be so. I heard a Senior Sister from the Inner Island say that somehow, a few days ago, Junior Sister Qing Ya deeply angered Great Elder.”
“I also heard about that. It seems that a Senior Sister named Zhou Yun Xuan also injured her at that time.”
“Impossible, Junior Sister Qing Ya has an exceptionally good relationship with Su Yan. With Su Yan backing her, who would dare beat her?”
…..
In short order, and one after another, every single disciple on this ice peak came out from their cave mansions and began standing around watching from afar.
Even with all the whispers going around her, the lead woman named Bing Die remained unmoved, simply staring at Qing Ya indifferently for a moment before shouting in a low tone, “Qing Ya, as an Ice Heart Valley disciple who has received much care from the Sect, not only do you not understand how to show gratitude, you actually dared colluded with outsiders to shake the foundation of my Ice Heart Valley! By order of the Elder Council, Qing Ya, we are to have your cultivation crippled and from today forward, expelled from Ice Heart Valley. You are to never set foot on Pure Ice Island again!”
Bing Die’s few words stirred up an uproar from the crowd, with all the onlooking disciples calling out in shock. Many women covered their mouths with their hands as they directed looks of disbelief and sympathy towards Qing Ya.
Having one’s cultivation crippled and being expelled from Ice Heart Valley was the harshest punishment the Sect could make. This was a fate even worse than outright executing a person.
Death ended everything in an instant, but if one was crippled and then expelled from Ice Heart Valley, that person would carry an inescapable trauma for the rest of their life, a stain that could never be erased.
Qing Ya’s tender body trembled as her eyes filled with horror and her already pale face turned pure white. Shivering violently, she called out haltingly, “Senior Sister Bing Die, what is this all about?”
Collaborating with outsiders to shake the foundation of Ice Heart Valley was no casual charge. Since Qing Ya had entered Ice Heart Valley, she had never done anything to endanger the Sect, and some time ago, because she had found Yang Kai and brought him back to Pure Ice Island, she even earned the Valley Master’s praise, so how could she suddenly fall into this situation?
Bing Die’s sudden visit and announcement was a shock too great for her to immediately accept.
“What your sin is, you know in your heart!” Bing Die glared at Qing Ya indifferently, not showing any intention to explain, “Are you going to cripple yourself or do you want Senior Sister to do it? Let me say this first, if you do it yourself, things will be easier, but if you force Senior Sister to take action, you won’t be spared any pain!”
“Senior Sister Bing Die!” Qing Ya grit her teeth and a fierce light of resistance appeared in her horrified eyes, “Junior Sister has never done anything to endanger the Sect, and has never colluded with outsiders to shake the foundation of Ice Heart Valley. Junior Sister refuses to accept such charges without knowing their basis, I want to see the Elders or Valley Master!”
Qing Ya naturally would not just stand by and accept being accused of such a great crime; however, after some quick thinking, she had a vague guess as to why this was happening.
The so-called collusion with outsiders she had committed was nothing more than her contacting Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had come to Pure Ice Island because of her.
As for shaking the foundation of Ice Heart Valley, to put it simply, this was probably related to Su Yan’s cultivation. Su Yan had always been regarded by Ran Yun Ting as the future pillar of Ice Heart Valley, so bringing about a negative consequence to her cultivation was akin to shaking the foundation of Ice Heart Valley.
However, looking at it from a different perspective, this action probably had a completely different purpose.
The Law Enforcement Hall was most likely dispatched here because it received some kind of order from Ran Yun Ting.
“You may not see any of the Elders or the Valley Master. Today, the decision rests solely with me! I will give you ten breaths to think it over carefully!” Bing Die remained unmoved as she continued to stare at Qing Ya coldly.
All blood drained from Qing Ya’s face as she felt her heart breaking in two.
She was nothing more than a Second-Order Saint King, how could she resist the will of the Law Enforcement Hall?
If she really tried to resist, today, this place would become where her bones were buried. Qing Ya had heard about the methods used by the Senior Sisters of the Law Enforcement Hall.
Qing Ya smiled mirthlessly as a cold wind blew past her, but it was her heart that truly felt cold.
When she had first entered Ice Heart Valley, she was still filled with joy as she secretly thanked the Heavens she had met Ran Yun Ting, such a noble character, at the most difficult time in her life. After entering the Sect, she had been scrupulously about fulfilling her duties and responsibilities as a disciple, never once disobeying an order from the Sect.
She never relied on Su Yan’s identity and status to seek some kind of advantage for herself; even though she was more than capable of doing so.
She wanted to rely on her own efforts and step by step, strengthen herself, not so she could stand on the same level as Su Yan, but at least to the point where she wouldn’t disgrace herself. No matter what, the two of them had both come from the same homeland and joined Ice Heart Valley at the same time, but now Su Yan’s cultivation was soaring. So, if Qing Ya fell too far behind, others would only make irresponsible comments behind her back.
A few days ago, Ran Yun Ting had reprimanded her mercilessly and she had been injured by a Senior Sister named Zhou Yun Xuan, but even so, Qing Ya did not utter any complaints and simply returned to the Outer Island to enter retreat.
She knew that her actions at the time were indeed a bit reckless and not someone else’s fault.
But today, the charges levelled against her by Bing Die were like a bolt of lightning striking her, leaving her completely disheartened.
Great Elder intended to kill her ruthlessly!
She was just a small Outer Island disciple with no status to speak of, but just because she was an acquaintance with Yang Kai, Great Elder wasn’t willing to forgive her? Moreover, she was being accused of such heinous crimes.
Colluding with outsiders, shaking Ice Heart Valley’s foundation…
Qing Ya’s beautiful eyes gradually dimmed, and the look of resistance in her eyes gradually disappeared.
“You have three breaths left!” Bing Die said coldly.
Qing Ya brushed her hair back behind her ear, elegantly bowed to Bing Die, and said softly, “Senior Sister Bing Die, Junior Sister has a request she must trouble you with.”
Bing Die frowned slightly for a moment before nodding, “Speak.”
“Please do not let Su Yan know about today’s affairs. If she asks about me in the future, tell her that I have simply gone out for life experience.”
“Don’t concern yourself with Su Yan, Great Elder will give her an explanation,” Bing Die sneered, “Did you think you could survive by mentioning Su Yan’s name? The Law Enforcement Hall treats all impartially, even Su Yan. Nothing you say will stop what happens here today.”
She apparently thought that Qing Ya had ulterior motives and was trying to use Su Yan’s status to make them back down.
“Junior Sister had no such intentions,” Qing Ya smiled bitterly.
“Your time is up, your decision!” Bing Die issued an ultimatum.
“Senior Sister, please!” Qing Ya slowly closed her eyes.
Reaching her current cultivation was a long and tortuous path, so Qing Ya did not have the heart to simply destroy it all herself.
“As you wish!” A cold light flashed across Bing Die’s eyes as she lifted her palm and pressed it towards Qing Ya.
A blast of ice-cold energy flew out from the palm of her hand, one that contained great destructive power.
Exclamations sounded all around as countless Ice Heart Valley disciples watched.
Many people frowned secretly and showed reluctant expressions on their faces.
Their strength was not weak so they could naturally tell that Bing Die’s palm wasn’t meant to simply cripple Qing Ya’s cultivation, it was intended to kill her!
Even if Qing Ya managed to survive somehow, she would be seriously wounded, and may even be worse off than an ordinary mortal in the future, unable to take care of herself.
Sighing to themselves, many turned their heads, unwilling to witness such a cruel scene.
Bing Die’s eyes were frigid, seemingly containing no emotions a normal person should, only coldness.
“Hm?” Suddenly, Bing Die exclaimed.
Just as her palm was about to hit Qing Ya, in a flash, a new figure appeared in front of her.
This figure lifted his hand carelessly and seemingly lightly pushed it out.
In the next moment, Bing Die’s beautiful face paled as she felt a terrifying force fly towards her, one that not only scattered her attack but also shattered the Saint Qi defence around her body.
Like a paper kite with a broken thread, Bing Die was sent through the air as she coughed up blood without any ability to resist.
With a thud, Bing Die landed heavily on the snow and slid back a few dozen metres before finally coming to a stop.
Everything happened so suddenly that no one was able to react.
It wasn’t until three breathes after Bing Die had been hit that one of the disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall recovered and shouted, “Who goes there!”
At that moment, she turned to look at Yang Kai, but after seeing the face of the person who took action she couldn’t help staring blankly.
“A man?”
“Since when did our Pure Ice Island allow men to enter?”
“Where did this man come from? He forced Senior Sister Bing Die back and wounded her with a single palm.”
“Hey, isn’t he the one we were ordered to look for some time ago? So, we’ve already found him! No wonder the Elders recalled us.”
…..
The spectating female disciples from Ice Heart Valley behaved as if they were seeing an unexpected and novel creature as they stared at Yang Kai strangely. After discovering that he was the person they and their sisters had been searching for an entire year, they suddenly became excited.
All of them had worked hard outside the Sect for a year just to find a trace of Yang Kai, so now seeing him in the flesh, many couldn’t help wondering what was so special about him that Ice Heart Valley was willing to sacrifice so many disciples and resources to find him.
However, no matter how they looked, they couldn’t see any clues, only that Yang Kai seemed to be a little annoyed at the moment, his face extremely cold as he stood in front of Qing Ya like a towering mountain, blocking all winds and rain.
Such a scene made the disciples of Ice Heart Valley frown and speculate about the relationship between Yang Kai and Qing Ya.
The pain she was anticipating did not come, and instead, only Bing Die’s muffled cries rang in her ears, causing Qing Ya to open her eyes suspiciously only to find herself staring at Yang Kai’s back.
“What are you doing here?” Qing Ya asked in astonishment.
“I came over to talk to you, but I didn’t expect to encounter such a sight!” Yang Kai turned his head and glanced at her with concern, “Are you okay?”
Qing Ya shook her head and smiled bitterly, “It’s nothing serious.”
“Who hurt you?”
Qing Ya bit her red lips and refused to speak.
Yang Kai sighed slightly, took out a jade bottle from his Space Ring, and handed it over, “Take this and heal your injuries.”
Qing Ya reached out and accepted it, thanking him politely but not taking the pill inside right away. Instead, she turned her attention to Bing Die who was lying not far away with a complex expression.
After receiving Yang Kai’s palm, Bing Die looked extremely embarrassed, but she was not actually injured seriously. This was a result of Yang Kai holding back. Otherwise, with his current strength, he could have easily killed her with that blow.
This was Ice Heart Valley, after all, Su Yan’s Sect, so Yang Kai did not want to make doesn’t want too much of a fuss.
Hearing the conversation between Yang Kai and Qing Ya, Bing Die’s cold face showed a hideous expression as she leapt up and wiped the blood from the corner of her as she sneered, “Heal? She will not have a chance! Openly resisting the orders of an Elder, injuring a Law Enforcement Hall disciples, Outer Island disciple Qing Ya, today, you must die!”
Qing Ya’s tender body trembled as she clenched both her fists so tightly they began to bleed.
Yang Kai glanced over at Bing Die, his eyes as cold as a knife and a callous look upon his face.
“I’m the one who hurt you, so what crime has Qing Ya committed?”
“You won’t escape either! No matter what your origins are, since you dared act presumptuously in Pure Ice Island, you will not leave here alive. As for Qing Ya… she must die, not only has she colluded with outsiders, but she even brought a man into Pure Ice Island, corrupting the moral purity of my Ice Heart Valley! A male bastard and his female bitch sneaking into my Ice Heart Valley, what wicked scheme are you plotting?”
Qing Ya’s body shivered and her face paled as she stared at Bing Die, saying in a trembling voice, “Senior Sister Bing Die, I cannot let that pass, there is no such relationship between Yang Kai and me, and I have never done anything to corrupt the morals or shame the reputation Ice Heart Valley! Yang Kai is here only because…”
“Silence! You have no right to speak here!” Bing Die ground her teeth as she glared at Qing Ya, not allowing her to explain anything and snickering as she continued, “You are calling him so intimately, how dare you say you have no relationship with him?”
At this time, many of the spectating Ice Heart Valley disciples showed strange expressions.
Although Yang Kai and Qing Ya did not exchange more than a few words, anyone could infer from their attitude and tone that the relationship between the two wasn’t shallow. At the very least they were clearly familiar with one another.
Could there really be some untoward secret between them?
Qing Ya wore a saddened look as she pined, “Senior Sister, you may beat or even kill me, but you may not insult me. Since entering Ice Heart Valley, Qing Ya has never done anything to shame the Sect.”
Moreover, this matter was also related to Yang Kai. Yang Kai was Su Yan’s man, so no matter how muddled Qing Ya became, she couldn’t have any kind of intimate relationship with him.
“You haven’t done anything?” Bing Die looked at her viciously, “Instigating this man to sneak attack me is not a disgrace to the Sect?”
“I did no such thing!” Qing Ya retorted anxiously.
“Pure sophistry!” Bing Die snapped, “If it weren’t for your instigation, how could he appear here so timely!”
Qing Ya opened her mouth but was unable to respond.
“There’s truly no lack of charges with which to falsely incriminate someone!” Yang Kai’s face suddenly showed a look of disappointment, “Qing Ya, since there is no longer any place for you here, you need not remain.”
After saying so, he sighed and seemingly muttered to himself, “I thought that Su Yan would be well taken care of here, but now it seems that it is time to take her away. Staying in this filthy place will only tarnish her pure soul.”
Su Yan?
This man actually knew Su Yan?
And did he just say that… he wanted to take Su Yan away?
Was he sleep talking?
Men were all indeed unreasonable animals!
Many women looked at Yang Kai oddly, wondering if he was another poor fool who had been captivated by Su Yan’s charm?
Since Su Yan entered the Sect, although she had only gone out a few times, her reputation had spread across Scarlet Wave Star and even characters like Wei Feng, the son of Brilliant Flame Sect’s Sect Master, had never been able to forget her, let alone others.
Over the years, countless people from various great forces had come to Ice Heart Valley, hoping to let their young geniuses marry Su Yan. Among them were some talented rising stars with exceptional aptitude, but without exception, all were rejected by Ice Heart Valley.
Su Yan was the future hope of Ice Heart Valley, how could she be allowed to marry out of the Sect?
Rumours had it that even the Supreme Elder had high hopes for Su Yan, and would even teach Su Yan personally on occasion over the past few decades.
This was a great honour. In Ice Heart Valley, only the Valley Master and Great Elder were eligible to meet the Supreme Elder, no one else was qualified.
Su Yan was like a phoenix resting on a branch. Compared to her, all men on Scarlet Wave Star were like insects crawling on the ground.
No one was worthy of her!
Yang Kai suddenly making such a remake immediately sparked many misunderstandings among the women from Ice Heart Valley. They thought Yang Kai was like Wei Feng, enamoured with Su Yan but unable to obtain her and forced to pine for her from a distance.
“You, take Su Yan away?” Bing Die’s eyes flashed with anger as she shouted, “Only if you live past today can you continue spewing such nonsense! Ice Heart Valley disciples, obey my orders! Kill Qing Ya and this shameless man! Their deaths will serve as a warning to others who would dare infringe upon our Sect!”
As soon as Bing Die’s voice fell, the Law Enforcement Hall disciples who had followed her immediately rushed towards Yang Kai fearlessly.
It was not that they hadn’t seen the methods Yang Kai used to deal with Bing Die before, but the Law Enforcement Hall’s orders were absolute.
As for the disciples who were watching nearby, many chose to remain on sidelines while a few, due to the majesty of the Law Enforcement Hall’s reputation, secretly began condensing their Saint Qi as they stared at Yang Kai.
They did not want to attack Qing Ya, but they didn’t have any problem dealing with a male stranger like Yang Kai.
Ice Attribute Saint Qi surging in all directions, causing the already extremely cold ice peak to become more frigid, the air itself seemingly freezing.
The Law Enforcement Hall disciples who had rushed forward first, however, only got to within five metres of Yang Kai before being thrown backwards and falling to the snowy ground one by one, their faces pale, unable to stand up.
As for the Outer Island disciples who attacked Yang Kai, they too were forced backwards, their complexions turning pale as they stared at Yang Kai in shock, none of them daring to act rashly again.
No one saw how Yang Kai attacked just now, but the results of this brief conflict made them deeply understand just how massive the gap was between them.
“Yang Kai, don’t overdo it!” Qing Ya was shocked.
She had not expected that on Pure Ice Island, Yang Kai would dare attack so many Ice Heart Valley disciples.
A moment ago, he acted to save her, but now, he had actually displayed open hostility.
Although he did not kill anyone, from the looks of the Law Enforcement Hall disciples, it was obvious that their injuries were serious.
She did not care about the life or death of these people of course. After experiencing this event, Qing Ya’s sense of identity and belonging to Ice Heart Valley had disappeared.
She just wanted to leave here quickly.
What she was worried about was Yang Kai taking things too far and forcing Ice Heart Valley’s true masters to act!
At that time, even if Yang Kai had astonishing abilities, he would not be able to escape here easily.
Bing Die stood on the spot, staring at the scene in front of her for a moment before suddenly smiling, but this smile was like that of a poisonous viper, one who had their prey right where they wanted. “Good, good, good! This time, no matter who you are, you will die today!”
Yang Kai simply looked at her with narrowed eyes and calmly said, “You think I can’t see through this little charade of yours?”
The smile on Bing Die’s face suddenly became somewhat stiff.
“Why continue to conceal yourself? Come out! Your Excellency has watched long enough, right?” Yang Kai said as he suddenly waved his hand towards a spot in the sky, releasing a palm.
With a loud bang, this palm was intercepted and dispersed by some kind of invisible force, but in the spot where there was once nothing, a figure strangely appeared.
Countless Outer Island disciples looked up and suddenly shouted in shock, “Great Elder!”
“Disciple greets Great Elder!” Everyone came back to their senses and hurriedly saluted with respect.
The figure that appeared was none other than Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder!
Ran Yun Ting is dressed in a lavender dress that gave her a noble appearance and her quiet aura was deep and profound; however, at this moment, she was staring towards Yang Kai with some slight surprise.
She had not expected Yang Kai to have discovered her existence so quickly.
She had thought everything was proceeding smoothly and secretly.
“As expected. It’s you!” Yang Kai snorted lightly.
Ran Yun Ting returned the gesture as she looked down at Yang Kai condescendingly, as if overlooking an ant.
“It seems you very much want my life!” A sarcastic smile appeared on Yang Kai’s face, “It must have taken a great deal of effort to set up this situation to force me out, right?”
When he sensed that Ran Yun Ting was nearby, Yang Kai immediately knew that this situation was no accident but was instead a carefully laid trap.
Today, whether he had come to seek out Qing Ya or not, he would have been drawn over. That was why Bing Die had deliberately shouted after arriving in front of Qing Ya’s cave mansion, to ensure Yang Kai was alarmed in his housing nearby.
As long as he took notice of Bing Die’s intentions, Yang Kai would act.
It was just that no one had thought that Yang Kai would happen to be nearby already.
Repeatedly making things difficult for Qing Ya, accusing her of such great crimes, and even using a heavy hand when attacking her, were all just ploys to force Yang Kai into fighting back.
At the very end, Bing Die even ignored the safety of her fellow Law Enforcement Hall disciples and ordered them to kill Yang Kai just to provoke a response from him.
Everything was an act to achieve this objective.
And the person behind this plot was undoubtedly Ran Yun Ting!
As Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder, holding the powers she did, manipulating the Law Enforcement Hall to act was a minor matter.
Qing Ya is just an innocent pawn while Ran Yun Ting’s ultimate goal was Yang Kai!
“Great Elder…” Qing Ya looked towards the aloof Ran Yun Ting.
“Ungrateful thing, you’re not qualified to speak to me!” Ran Yun Ting glanced over at Qing Ya coldly and with a wave of her hand sent out an icy blast towards her.
Qing Ya simply stood in place, unable to react.
Yang Kai once again appeared in front of her though and sent out a punch of his own.
Demonic Flame burst out and the black flames impacted the icy blast, the two forces mutually destroying one another, creating an intense explosion of hot and cold energy that even warped the surrounding space.
Ran Yun Ting raised her brow as she finally gave Yang Kai a serious look, secretly shocked by his strength.
Although she hadn’t unleashed her full strength in the blow just now and seemed to only be casually waving her hand, she had still used a third of her power, but Yang Kai had resolved her attack with an equally casual one.
[It is obvious that he has power to spare!]
“Originally, I didn’t quite believe you had truly killed Jiang Xi and Yan Chi Lei with your ability alone, but now it seems to be true. Not bad indeed!” Ran Yun Ting nodded slightly, not changing continence much even after witnessing Yang Kai’s prowess, simply offering a few light words of praise.
“However, that’s all there is to you. Since you have injured my Ice Heart Valley’s disciples on my Pure Ice Island, not putting my Ice Heart Valley in your eyes, you will definitely die today!” Ran Yun Ting’s eyes suddenly became cold and without any emotion declared to Yang Kai, “It is your honour to die at this Elder’s hands!”
On the ice peak, countless female disciples’ tender bodies trembled as they stared at Ran Yun Ting in shock.
Great Elder was going to take action personally?
What was the origin of this young man? The Sect searched for him so hard before, yet the Great Elder wanted to kill him now? What kind of unknown story had taken place without their knowing? Everyone was at a loss, wondering what was going on.
However… It seemed that Great Elder had not truly fought for some time.
It was rumoured that the last time she engaged in a real battle was ten years ago, but no one witnessed that fight with their own eyes and only knew that her opponent had become an ice sculpture.
Now, Great Elder wanted to kill this young man here on Pure Ice Island.
At that moment, the countless Ice Heart Valley disciples were eagerly looking forward to seeing the great power of their Great Elder.
Many people responded with sympathetic glances towards Yang Kai, secretly thinking that since this young man had provoked Great Elder, he would be buried on Pure Ice Island today.
Before everyone’s eyes, Yang Kai’s cold and angry expression suddenly became calm. This strange change made everyone’s heart jump as they felt a vague sense of unease.
Immediately, Yang Kai turned to Ran Yun Ting and bowed slightly.
He actually bowed!
Everyone’s eyes bulged in shock.
All the disciples of Ice Heart Valley did not understand what Yang Kai was trying to do, actually bowing to their Great Elder when facing her murderous intent.
Was he scared? Did this man know that he was not Great Elder’s opponent, so he wanted to compromise to survive?
Bing Die to the side couldn’t help snickering as she stared at Yang Kai mockingly. She despised this type of gutless man who bullied the weak but feared the strong the most.
[And this man wanted to capture Su Yan’s heart? What utter nonsense.]
“It’s too late to admit your mistakes now!” Ran Yun Ting still stood aloof, her expression unchanged as her tone remained cold and indifferent, “You should know in your heart why this Elder wants to kill you. If you really understand, if you want what is best for her, you should commit suicide here and now! This Elder would prefer to not stain her hands with your blood; after all, I will see her often in the future.”
As if she was giving Yang Kai a final benevolent gift, Ran Yun Ting stood in place and waited quietly, allowing Yang Kai to decide how he would die himself.
Yang Kai, however, just smiled back at her, his face still calm as he gently shook his head and declared, “I did nothing wrong!”
Ran Yun Ting’s expression instantly turned grim, “Things have already gotten to this point yet, you still insist on remaining stubborn? She is not someone the likes of you can match. She is going to reach the peak of the Martial Dao. In the future, you will only be able to look up to her as she gets further and further away! Rather than suffering in the future, it is best for both of you if you disappear now. If you do this for her, she may still remember you for the rest of her life. Only those who can endure unending loneliness and solitude can achieve true greatness! Do you still not understand what lies ahead if you continue on this path?”
“It is you who are blind to the future!” Yang Kai looked at Ran Yun Ting lightly, “I bow to you today to thank you for teaching and caring for her over the years, but after this point, you and I will be enemies! If you insist on killing me still, you must prepare yourself to die by my hand as well!”
Ran Yun Ting’s pair of phoenix eyes flashed with murderous intent, making all who were watching her cower. Fearful, all the female disciples of Ice Heart Valley were unable to help turning their gazes away.
Yang Kai remained indifferent though, his eyes still staring into hers without flinching in the slightest.
“As for whether I can match her, that is not for you to decide. Who says ascending to the peak of the Martial Dao is a path one must walk alone? I will reach that supreme summit hand in hand with her!”
“Ignorant child, any more talk is useless. Surrender your life!” Ran Yun Ting seemed to be irritated by Yang Kai’s wild words and refused to listen to any more of his nonsense. Stretching out her hand, she created a vortex that drew in all the Ice Attribute Energy from the surrounding ten kilometres and used her Saint Qi to condense a several-dozen-metre-long, tens-of-metres-thick ice lance.
At first glance, this ice lance looked more like an inverted ice peak, imposing and majestic.
The onlooking disciples all exclaimed in shock as they stared at this scene in amazement.
The Great Elder’s might was earth-shaking, making all them stare at her with eyes filled with worship and yearning.
All of them could not help wondering when they too would be able to stand at the same height as their Great Elder!
However, most of them knew that this was nothing but an unrealistic fantasy. In the Sect, aside from a select few like Su Yan, none had the potential to reach this level. All of them were destined to be the foils for these geniuses.
Many thoughts passed through the minds of these female disciples as they used their Movement Skills to withdraw.
None of them dared to remain in place as a fight on the Great Elder’s level would surely wreak terrifying destruction. If they stayed so close, they would likely get caught up in the fallout.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and sent Qing Ya a few kilometres away with a wave before he leapt up and charged towards the small ice mountain without any trace of fear.
Ran Yun Ting narrowed her eyes and formed a seal with both her hands as she exhaled a white mist that poured it into the ice lance.
In a flash of light, the ice lance began radiating an even more intense destructive aura as she sent it flying forward.
Dark flames burned on Yang Kai’s two fists as he pushed his Saint Qi to the limit before he swung them wildly towards the ice lance.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
A thunderous noise rang out as the ice lance was being broken apart inch by inch.
Yang Kai was like a fierce beast swimming against the raging current, and wherever he went, chunks of ice were sent flying. He moved with unstoppable momentum, blasting the ice lance to pieces as easily as if it were rotting wood before directly arriving in front of Ran Yun Ting.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye!
“I respected you as Su Yan’s Master, and did not want to embarrass you, but since you insist on killing me, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Yang Kai’s voice was ice-cold as he stood just ten metres away from Ran Yun Ting and once again sent out a punch.
An astonishing Saint Qi accompanied this fist and the surrounding space seemed to distort as the area around Ran Yun Ting began filling with tiny, flickering Void Cracks.
Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder was so shocked that she could not help crying out.
At this moment, she had the illusion that her life was hanging by a thread, and that if she did not exert her full strength immediately, she would undoubtedly die.
In truth, Ran Yun Ting had never paid any attention to Yang Kai. Although she had learned from Thirteenth Elder Yu Xue Qing that Yang Kai killed Jiang Xi and Yan Chi Lei, Ran Yun Ting hadn’t seen this with her own eyes and simply felt that even if Yang Kai was a rising star, able to fight opponents above his realm, he couldn’t be her opponent.
She was a character who achieved fame a long time ago and was at the very peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, possessing strength second only to an Origin King.
But the instant their battle truly began, she felt tremendous pressure from Yang Kai.
This young man was like an extremely sharp sword that had been released from its sheath, his strength and momentum seemingly even more powerful than her own!
Breaking out into a cold sweat, Ran Yun Ting’s complexion changed drastically as she madly pushed her strength.
Snow filled the surrounding thousand-metre radius around her and the temperature in this range plummeted. Each tiny snowflake in this region seemed to contain a mysterious power.
This was Ran Yun Ting’s Shi, and in its range, she became the one and only master. The falling snow became her strongest weapon, capable of killing any enemy which it enveloped.
Even the wandering Void Cracks froze over.
Staring at Yang Kai coldly, her murderous intent rose to even greater heights, she commanded the falling snow with her mind to swiftly engulf Yang Kai.
“Boy, your courage is commendable but ultimately useless. Repent for your sins in the netherworld, and if you are fortunate enough to have a next life, learn well that toads may not eat swan meat! There are some people you cannot afford to seek friendship with!” Ran Yun Ting madly urged her Shi as she shouted.
Her understanding of the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way was infused into each of these tiny crystal snowflakes and her Shi had already reached the grand accomplishment stage, only one step away from reaching Domain, making her all but invincible among Origin Realm masters.
Yang Kai’s body was swiftly covered with snowflakes.
His aura then suddenly fell, and at a speed visible to the naked eye, frost spread across his exposed skin, freezing it in an instant…
More snowflakes gathered towards Yang Kai.
It seemed that all the icy cold in the surrounding worlds was pouring into Yang Kai’s body.
After a mere two breaths, Yang Kai was frozen into an ice sculpture, still maintaining the posture of punching out, his eyes furious, standing mid-air as even his black hair swept backwards motionlessly.
He was like a work of art crafted by a Grandmaster.
A few kilometres away, Qing Ya, who had just managed to regain her balance, raised her head and after seeing this scene, panicked, and suddenly called out in alarm, “Yang Kai!”
Her voice was full of sadness.
[Yang Kai had lost to the Great Elder! Was their strength too far apart? But if he were to die here, what would happen to Su Yan…]
Qing Ya hardly dared to think about it anymore, and for a moment, she froze in place, her thoughts descending into chaos.
At this moment, she felt she would rather have been killed by Bing Die just now rather than witness Yang Kai fall here because of her.
“Kill this traitor!” Ran Yun Ting looked at Qing Ya from a distance and indifferently gave orders to Bing Die, her eyes filled with disgust.
After issuing this decree, she turned away from Qing Ya in disdain.
It seemed, to her, Qing Ya’s life or death was of no importance at all! As long as she could make up for the flaws in Su Yan’s state of mind, she was willing to kill anyone even remotely related to her.
Bing Die had been injured by Yang Kai just now, but it was nothing serious so after quickly adjusting her breathing, she rushed towards Qing Ya without hesitation. Her eyes were cold as her Saint Qi surged and an icy aura pulsed from the figure as she stared at Qing Ya with extreme indifference, “Let’s see who will save you this time!”
As she spoke, she arrived a dozen meters in front of Qing Ya and sent out a palm.
Qing Ya didn’t move as she wasn’t even paying any attention to Bing Die’s attack, just staring blankly towards the frozen Yang Kai, as if it was the only thing she was able to see.
Her eyes were filled with sorrow and misery.
She had given up completely. Since Yang Kai had died at the hands of Great Elder, Qing Ya no longer dared to face Su Yan ever again. Perhaps it would not be so bad dying her together with Yang Kai, as on the road to the Yellow Springs, at least he would have good company.
Facing Bing Die’s killing blow, Qing Ya slowly closed her eyes, preparing herself for death.
Bing Die did not stop just because she had given up resisting. To her, the Great Elder’s orders were absolute.
The Ice Heart Valley disciples watching all exclaimed, none of them thinking that, after so many twists and turns, this situation would still end in the death of Qing Ya and that man.
Many people wore dispirited and regretful looks.
Suddenly, from the ice and snow below, a small head appeared in front of Qing Ya. This small head was sharp and angular, like it was carved from stone, but the two black, bean-like eyeballs on it were extremely energetic and flickered with intelligence.
Immediately, this little head popped out of the ground, like a radish being plucked from the earth, revealing its entire figure.
Now, in front of Qing Ya, there was a strange creature less than a meter tall.
This creature had no aura, something all living creatures should possess, but from its flexible movements and smart eyes, it clearly had its own wisdom and spirituality.
It was like a small stone puppet!
“This is…” Bing Die frowned as she stared suspiciously at the Stone Puppet that suddenly appeared in front of Qing Ya, her head unable to catch up with this sudden change.
Then, she saw an incredible scene.
This tiny stone puppet jumped out to block her path to Qing Ya and swung its slightly gangly arm, clenching a fist that it used to meet Bing Die’s attack.
There were still no energy fluctuations from this fist, but when the stone puppet punched out, Bing Die’s own condensed Ice Attribute palm shattered.
In the next instant, a force that was so intense that it caused Bing Die to feel desperate surged towards her!
Overwhelming power shatters all! Only when the difference in power was massive could all attributes be ignored and destroyed!
Bing Die was shocked!
With a horrible cry, she flew out again, and this time her injuries were obviously heavier than when Yang Kai had acted just now. After falling to the ground, she immediately fell unconscious, her life or death uncertain.
Countless people also heard the clear sounds of her arm bones breaking.
*Si…*
Gasps sounded from all directions.
Bing Die was an Inner Island disciple and a member of the Law Enforcement Hall, a cultivator at the First-Order Origin Returning Realm.
So, what was this strange creature which had suddenly appeared in front of Qing Ya? With just a casual punch, it had actually beaten Bing Die into such a state.
Where did it even come from?
Even Qing Ya was at a loss! She lowered her head to look at the slightly hunched over Stone Puppet which was standing in front, a blank look filling her beautiful eyes.
“What is this thing!?” Standing in mid-air, Ran Yun Ting cast her gaze towards the Stone Puppet solemnly.
Although she could not feel any vitality or energy fluctuations from this creature, it still gave her a huge sense of crisis, one that she would only sense when facing an opponent she could not hope to match!
As her heart clenched, she subconsciously glanced over towards Yang Kai, who should have been frozen in ice.
With this glance, Ran Yun Ting nearly screamed.
Yang Kai, who she thought was destined to die, was staring towards her mockingly from inside the ice crystal.
“The solemn Great Elder of Ice Heart Valley is only on this level? Honestly, you are far too disappointing. If you only have such pitiful ability, Su Yan should stop cultivating under your guidance immediately. You’re simply not qualified to continue teaching her!” Yang Kai’s voice came from inside the ice crystal, causing Ran Yun Ting to feel like she was seeing a ghost, her expression changing dramatically.
Down below, the Stone Puppet’s two black eyes darted about slightly, then as if remembering something, he suddenly stretched out his hands and pounded his chest firmly.
*Dang Dang Dang Dang…*
A terrifying rumbling rang out, shaking all the nearby ice peaks and causing countless blocks of snow and ice to shatter and come crashing down.
As this noise echoed, the Stone Puppet’s body suddenly increased in size, going from less than a meter in height to over ten in an instant.
Xiao Xiao then turned around, grinned towards the floating Yang Kai, then picked up Qing Ya and ran away rapidly.
Atop the white snow, only a trail of strange afterimages remained, stretching off into the distance!
It was as if a mountain bandit had left his cave and captured the wife of the village chief and couldn’t wait to bring her back to his abode.
The disciples of Ice Heart Valley were all dumbfounded!
Junior Sister Qing Ya… was abducted by a stone man?
But soon, they understood why this stone man had chosen to leave in such a hurry.
A frightening aura suddenly spread out, and Yang Kai, who was supposed to be frozen into a statue, let out a shocking roar as the ice crystal around his body began making creaking, dense spiderweb-like cracks appearing on its surface.
The ice crystal was about to break!
Ran Yun Ting was shocked, and the disciples of Ice Heart Valley turned pale!
None of them dared to remain where they were and once again retreated, running much further away this time.
“Wishful thinking!” Ran Yun Ting snorted sharply as the field of crystal snowflakes appeared again and flew towards Yang Kai, obviously attempting to freeze him once more.
“Break!” Yang Kai burst out.
*Hualala…*
The ice crystal shattered and exploded into dust.
At the same time, Ran Yun Ting’s Shi shattered!
The flying snow all over the sky suddenly disappeared and was replaced by countless tiny Void Cracks. These Void Cracks were like tiny black snakes that flitted about three thousand meters around Yang Kai!
“How? How is this possible?” Ran Yun Ting stumbled back as she stared blankly towards the location of Yang Kai, completely unable to accept this result.
In a face-to-face confrontation of their Shi, she had been defeated!
She was Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder, and her Shi had reached the grand accomplishment stage! How could this young man completely surpass her achievements in this field?
Moreover, his Shi contained a very strange power.
Not only did it create countless Void Cracks that were emitting rich murderous intent, but even her sense of distance inside this Shi had become distorted. She was unable to even locate Yang Kai! Yang Kai’s position seemed suddenly far yet also incredibly near, as if his position was constantly shifting.
[Space Force!] Ran Yun Ting’s face suddenly paled.
Only Space Force could form so many Void Cracks, and only Space Force could influence her perception of distance.
This young man had cultivated such an esoteric power? And he had managed to integrate it into his Shi?
Ran Yun Ting really was astonished this time!
“Die!” Yang Kai’s cold voice sounded, not showing any mercy despite knowing she was Su Yan’s Honoured Master. With a single thought, space suddenly seemed to solidify, and the countless Void Cracks flew towards Rang Yun Ting.
“You want my life? You must have the ability to take it first!” Ran Yun Ting screamed hysterically, no longer displaying any of the majesty a Great Elder should have, taking out a token from her Space Ring and pouring her Saint Qi into it as she shrieked.
In the next moment, an extraordinary change suddenly appeared in the surrounding space!
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed as he swept them around himself, instantly discovering that the air had become filled with a terrifying cold that was still rapidly intensifying. He also sensed a connection between the token in Ran Yun Ting’s hand and this building Ice Attribute Energy.
Beneath the ground, the highest quality Earth Vein of Pure Ice Island released a surge of World Energy that burst into the sky through numerous cracks in the earth and merged together with the surrounding space after which it was rapidly manipulated and transformed by the token Ran Yun Ting was using.
The frigid energy gathered like a roaming dragon and surrounding Ran Yun Ting, taking less than three breaths to force back Yang Kai’s Shi.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed, and he swiftly withdrew his Shi.
If one’s Shi was destroyed by force, it would do great harm to oneself and would be very troublesome to repair.
“A Sect Defending Array?” Yang Kai quickly figured out what Ran Yun Ting had done.
Obviously, she was using a profound Spirit Array arranged on Pure Ice Island to achieve this level of power.
This wasn’t too surprising once he thought of it though; after all, Ran Yun Ting’s status in Ice Heart Valley was extremely high, only below their Supreme Elder and Valley Master, so she could utilize this Sect Defending Array.
“Hahaha, my Ice Heart Valley’s Pure Ice Grand Array is the highest-ranked Spirit Array on Scarlet Wave Star. Boy, you may die content having forced this Elder to this point!” Ran Yun Ting laughed as she gripped the token in her hand and in a burst of light seemed to integrate her into the surrounding icy environment!
In an instant, innumerable ice-blades condensed in the surrounding area and slashed towards Yang Kai.
This was the real power of the Pure Ice Grand Array! Even an Origin King Realm master would have difficulty escaping this trap safely.
The moment Ran Yun Ting mobilized the power of this Grand Array to deal with Yang Kai, all the masters on Pure Ice Island instantly became aware.
On the Inner Island, in the Valley Master’s Ice Palace, Bing Long’s expression changed greatly as she looked towards a certain direction and muttered, “Who is using the Grand Array’s power? Is it Great Elder?”
Releasing her Divine Sense, Bing Long immediately saw the battle taking place at one of the Outer Island’s ice peaks and could not help leaping out of her ice palace in haste.
A dozen other Elders from the Inner Island also noticed this phenomenon and hurriedly rushed out towards the battle.
In a certain secluded place on the Inner Island, however, a woman with silver hair sat cross-legged by a cold lake. She looked young, only about twenty-eight years old, but the aura she gave off was countless times stronger than Bing Long or Ran Yun Ting.
An Origin King Realm master!
Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder, Luo Li!
Her silver hair formed a strong visual contrast with her face, making her seem both mature and youthful all at once.
At this moment, she seemed to be using the cold power of this small lake to do something, inhaling the energy which floated above it into her abdomen with each breath.
Luo Li’s face was a little pale, a result of the cultivation dissonance she suffered recently.
Luo Li also noticed the moment Pure Ice Grand Array activated, but after a slight glance, she quickly ignored it.
To a character like her, there was no need to intervene in these mundane issues. To her, it was all just some minor trouble the younger generation had stirred up, Bing Long would handle it.
However, just as Luo Li was about to continue healing, her expression suddenly changed and she turned towards a different direction, seemingly sensing something. Her complexion immediately became solemn as she muttered, “Chi Huo, can you really no longer restrain yourself? Daring to trespass on my Pure Ice Island… wait, this is….”
When she noticed the existence of the other person, Luo Li’s face grew even more solemn, and after a long silence, she let out a sigh, “I don’t know if my Pure Ice Island can survive this time… I can only hope they don’t go too far.”
Saying so, she slowly got up and her body flickered, disappearing from the lakeside, leaving behind only a slowly fading afterimage.
…..
“How foolish. If you could mobilize the full power of this Pure Ice Grand Array, you might be able to kill me, but with your lowly skill, how much power can you actually borrow from this Grand Array?” Yang Kai roared as a five coloured light burst from his body. These five coloured lights were extremely dazzling, forcing others to look away from him. At the same time, Yang Kai’s momentum soared upwards.
Yang Kai grabbed towards the sky and a golden glow suddenly separated from his body and condensed into a massive golden sword.
Five Elements Indestructible Sword Qi, Metal Sword Qi!
With this sword in his hand, Yang Kai’s killing intent erupted outwards, causing Ran Yun Ting’s eyes to shrink and with a shout, she madly poured her Saint Qi into the token in her hand, attempting to draw out more of the Grand Array’s power to suppress Yang Kai.
Countless ice blades, lances, and arrows formed in the sky and lased towards Yang Kai again.
“Come!” Yang Kai shouted as he swung the golden sword in his hand.
The golden light was dazzling and seemed to cut through space itself, filling all of Pure Ice Island with a brilliant radiance that carried with it a sharp, piercing Sword Qi.
The ice blades, lances, and arrows were all like snowflakes under the scorching sun.
Nothing was able to approach to within ten metres of Yang Kai!
His image was that of a wild beast as his black hair flew out behind him, like a god of war who hailed from ancient times, showing an indomitable and heroic spirit.
Countless women from Ice Heart Valley stared at him dumbfounded, a fierce pounding filling their hearts. This palpitation caused Yang Kai to become the only thing in their vision, and they all became unable to tear their eyes away from his figure.
On the Inner Island, the door to Su Yan’s ice room suddenly flung open, and as she rushed out, she immediately caught a glance of a familiar figure a few hundred kilometres away, covered in golden light.
“Junior Brother!” Su Yan murmured.
Although her voice was soft, it seemed to cross over the entire distance between them and Yang Kai, who was still swinging his golden sword, turned his head and looked towards her with a smile.
Su Yan smiled similarly and immediately flew out.
At this moment, her Honoured Master’s orders and the Sect’s rules no longer mattered to her, the only thing her heart desired was to reunite with the man who was raising so much noise on Pure Ice Island for her!
As long as she could see him again and enter his embrace, she could die without regret!
“Where are you trying to run!”
“Su Yan, stop right there!”
Zhou Yun Xuan and the other female disciple who were in charge of guarding Su Yan were also paying attention to the battle hundreds of kilometres away, but when they finally recovered their wits, they were shocked to find that Su Yan had actually run off. The two women were stunned and hurriedly gave chase while calling out to her.
“Su Yan, if you dare to violate Great Elder’s orders, you will be severely punished!”
“Come back now and you will suffer less, refuse and no one will be able to save you!”
Su Yan turned a deaf ear to their cries, almost as if she had not heard them at all, her body flying off and soon disappearing from the vision of the two women.
“This is bad!” Zhou Yun Xuan’s face went pale. No matter what, for failing to fulfil their duties, they would certainly be punished by the Great Elder.
“This bitch really irritates me!” The short woman grit her teeth and cursed, “Senior Sister Zhou, what should we do now?”
“Follow her,” Zhou Yun Xuan stomped and increased her speed.
Laughter resounded like a rolling thunder throughout Pure Ice Island as Yang Kai, still surrounded by the power of the Sect Defending Array, moved about freely, waving his sword madly as he shattered Ran Yun Ting’s attacks to pieces.
Ran Yun Ting’s expression was incredibly fierce as her eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
[Just how extraordinary was this young man?]
With a mere Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, he was able to suppress her even while she was using part of the Pure Ice Grand Array’s power!
She originally thought that in the Origin Returning Realm, she was already one the strongest, with few in this realm being capable of comparing with her, but today, she thoroughly understood that there are mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people!
[This young man is already capable of such phenomenal strength. If he were to break through to the Third-Order Origin Realm, won’t he be capable of battling an ordinary Origin King?]
Once this thought emerged, Ran Yun Ting was taken aback!
While frightened, her determination to kill Yang Kai here and now increased dramatically.
If he did not die here today, Ice Heart Valley would definitely suffer greatly in the future!
“Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder, is mediocre!” Yang Kai snorted in a deep voice, not putting Ran Yun Ting in his eyes, holding the sword in his left hand, he stretched out his right hand, condensed a new golden sword in it, and shouted in a low tone, “Pierce!”
A golden light flashed and a sharp sword light shot towards Ran Yun Ting, threatening to run her through in the next moment!
No matter how much Ran Yun Ting urged the power of the Pure Ice Grand Array, she was unable to stop this golden sword from reaching her.
For a moment, Ran Yun Ting’s face turned ashen and her eyes shrank.
She did not realize until this moment that Yang Kai bowing to her before was truly not because of fear, but was his final gesture of respect, severing the fate between her and Su Yan and him.
With these connections severed, he could kill her without hesitation.
If one were to ask Ran Yun Ting if she had any regrets, she would answer with a firm ‘No!’
Ran Yun Ting’s eyes became firm again a moment later. Even if she died here, she would not regret her decision.
Su Yan would eventually become the pillar of Ice Heart Valley, and whether Ice Heart Valley could continue on and eventually overpower Brilliant Flame Sect to become the most powerful great force on Scarlet Wave Star all depended on Su Yan’s ability.
She may die here today but killing the Ice Heart Valley Great Elder was no small matter. Once the Supreme Elder became aware and took action, Yang Kai would certainly die.
As long as Yang Kai died, the flaw in Su Yan’s heart could be solved and she would be able to put her all into cultivating and raising her strength!
Her light was bound to shine across the entire Star Field, and in the future, she would be able to stand atop the submit!
No matter how amazing this young man might seem now, he would eventually be overtaken and surpassed by Su Yan.
With death approaching, Ran Yun Ting stood motionless, staring at Yang Kai with a nearly insane smile.
At that moment though, the power of the Pure Ice Grand Array suddenly increased, and where it once had been unable to stop Yang Kai’s golden sword light, it now condensed a mass of ice-cold energy to form a flawless ice wall in front of Ran Yun Ting.
The golden sword light pierced this ice wall and made a terrible screech as it approached Ran Yun Ting little by little.
The ice wall seemed incapable of stopping the golden sword light!
But Yang Kai still frowned and turned to look towards the side.
Over there, Ice Heart Valley’s Valley Master Bing Long had appeared at some unknown point and was also holding a token in her hand, one that was identical to the one Ran Yun Ting was using and was pouring her Saint Qi into it to increase the power of the Pure Ice Grand Array.
Bing Long’s face was extremely dignified as sweat dripped from her forehead while she continued to pour her Saint Qi into her token.
More and more Ice Heart Valley Elders appeared, each of them calling out in shock as they hurriedly took out their tokens one after another.
With so many Ice Heart Valley Elders cooperating, the power of the Pure Ice Grand Array grew exponentially.
At the last moment, the golden sword light’s advancement was halted a mere palm’s length from Ran Yun Ting.
However, the aura around the golden Sword Qi’s was enough to pierce Ran Yun Ting’s forehead slightly, causing a drop of red blood to leak out from the centre of her brow.
Ran Yun Ting’s expression remained unchanged as she stared at Yang Kai coldly and snorted, “Is that all?”
The arrival of her fellow Elder’s had let her see hope of killing Yang Kai again.
“Die!” Yang Kai suddenly shouted.
The other four coloured auras circulating around his body shot forth and poured into the golden sword light, merging together with it.
A five coloured sword light took shape immediately!
This sword of light now contained the power of all five elements, each mutually reinforcing one another in an endless cycle, causing the power of the sword light to rapidly increase.
*Kacha…*
The ice wall protecting Ran Yun Ting immediately began to crack.
Ran Yun Ting paled in horror as Bing Long and the other Elders stared dumbfounded.
With a bang, the ice wall was completely shattered and the five coloured light pierced towards Ran Yun Ting’s brow again with unparalleled sharpness.
Just as Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder’s life was about to end, however, an ethereal jade white hand suddenly appeared.
This jade hand was completely flawless and seemed to only reach out lightly, as if it was trying to pick up a trivial object.
An extremely mysterious and indescribable power pulsed from the jade hand.
The five coloured sword light, which had easily shattered the ice wall, was grasped by this jade hand, and no matter how it struggled, it was unable to advance any further.
“Young man, when possible one should let others off, why must you insist on killing ruthlessly?” A chilly female voice sounded.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed deeply.
Having tread upon the gates of death, Ran Yun Ting was sweating profusely, but after seeing this jade hand and hearing this cold female voice, she was suddenly overjoyed and shouted, “Disciple thanks Supreme Elder for her assistance and humbly requests Supreme Elder kill this evil creature who dared violate our Ice Heart Valley!”
[Supreme Elder?]
Yang Kai’s expression became serious as he turned to look in a certain direction but was unable to see any kind of figure there.
He knew that there was a Supreme Elder in Ice Heart Valley, one that was an Origin King; however, she was still just a First-Order.
Yang Kai had even offended a character like Luo Hai and escaped from his pursuit across the vast Star Field, so no matter how powerful Ice Heart Valley’s Origin King was, she was not enough to frighten him.
This was also why he dared to come to Ice Heart Valley!
Still, he had to raise his guard and began condensing his Saint Qi quietly!
On the other hand, Bing Long was experiencing a great shock, and fearing that Supreme Elder would really kill Yang Kai in a rage, she quickly called out, “Supreme Elder please wait, there may be some misunderstanding here. This Bing Long requests she be able to handle this matter!”
The existence of Yang Kai was too important and Bing Long did not dare let him die casually.
The cold female voice sounded again, but this time she did not speak and instead just sighed. The jade white hand which was gripping the five coloured sword light also faded away.
With a thought, Yang Kai took back the five-coloured light into his body while glaring at Ran Yun Ting coldly.
The other party stared back at him with gritted teeth, looking extremely unwilling.
It seemed she was quite upset that Supreme Elder had not directly killed Yang Kai; after all, Yang Kai was truly acting rampantly just now. In front of everyone’s eyes, he tried to kill her, the Sect’s Great Elder.
Ran Yun Ting absolutely could not tolerate such provocations and insults.
However, facing the decision of the Supreme Elder, she did not dare to have any objections and could only choke down her annoyance.
A beautiful figure suddenly flew over from the distance, and as if he could sense her approach, Yang Kai turned to look at her and the shocking murderous intent which was leaking from his body instantly disappeared, as if it was never there in the first place, and he flashed a gentle smile.
As he gazed upon this figure, his eyes turned as soft as water.
Unable to adapt to this sudden transformation, Bing Long and the others could not help frowning, wondering what was happening.
Following his gaze, Bing Long showed a thoughtful expression after seeing the situation there clearly.
Ran Yun Ting also saw the face of the incoming person and her expression became sullen. Just as she was about to shout something, she suddenly felt a sharp gaze land on her.
Turning her head, she saw Yang Kai staring at her, giving off an aura that seemed to scream, “If you dare open your mouth, I’ll kill you.” Ran Yun Ting choked on her words and swallowed them back down as she quietly gulped.
She couldn’t be certain whether she was just imagining it or not, but at that moment, she felt as if she was being stared at by an ominous beast, and that if she provoked Yang Kai again, even Supreme Elder wouldn’t be able to save her life.
This thought was quite disturbing to her…
The beautiful figure coming from the distance only took a moment before she arrived and stood in front of Yang Kai, staring at him with wet eyes as she bit her lip lightly.
Looking at him, her always ice cold, indifferent face showed a rare smile.
The beautiful scenery of Pure Ice Island was instantly overshadowed when this smile appeared.
Countless Pure Ice Island Outer Island disciples fell into a daze upon seeing this sight.
“Heavens, Su Yan smiled? She can actually smile? And at a man!”
“I thought she would never smile; does she know this man?”
“What’s their relationship, and why do they look so close?”
“Su Yan has a man outside? Unimaginable.”
“No wonder she was punished by Great Elder, all Inner Island disciples are forbidden from having close contact with men without permission.”
“Who the hell is this guy, actually able to touch Su Yan’s heart…”
…
Whispers spread from all directions, turning Ran Yun Ting’s face green while Bing Long simply shook her head and sighed.
The remaining Elders all exchanged looks amongst themselves as well. None of them were aware that Su Yan and Yang Kai knew each other before their reunion. The sudden appearance of such a scene really shocked them.
In the sky, under the gaze of countless eyes, Yang Kai stretched out a hand towards Su Yan.
A faint blush appeared on Su Yan’s snow-white cheeks, but the indescribably yearning she felt overcame her natural shyness and she flew forward and fell into Yang Kai’s embrace.
The two held each other tightly!
After more than thirty years, the two from High Heaven Pavilion once again reunited.
As if embracing their entire world, they tightly held one another!
A cold wind swept through, whipping up the freshly fallen snow as all of Pure Ice Island fell silent, everyone’s eyes fixed on the sight of the young man and woman floating up above.
The picture was mesmerizing, and the atmosphere was warm enough to even dispel the chill in the air, filling everyone’s heart with warmth.
Ran Yun Ting’s expression darkened, and she turned towards Bing Long as if she wanted to say something, but seeing Bing Long’s helpless appearance, she eventually held her tongue.
“Su Yan, you cheap slut, come back here!”
“You’ll be punished if you dare act like this!”
Two abrupt voices sounded, shattering the serene scene.
Many disciples of Ice Heart Valley glared towards the source of this sound, secretly blaming these two for recklessly destroying the atmosphere here.
In two flashes of light, the two women who just called out raced over.
After seeing the situation here, however, both Zhou Yun Xuan and the other woman who were charged with guarding Su Yan stared blankly, obviously never having expected so many of the Sect’s leaders to already be present.
It was not an exaggeration to say that all of the Sect’s Elders were here.
The two of them looked at each other, then towards Ran Yun Ting timidly.
Regardless of anything else, it was a fact that Ran Yun Ting highly valued Su Yan, so them insulting Su Yan in front of Ran Yun Ting would likely lead them to being punished.
However, at a glance, the two women were overjoyed.
Ran Yun Ting did not seem to hear what they said just now or care about their presence at all. On the contrary, she was staring in a certain direction with eyes that were almost spitting flames, clearly completely enraged.
Following her line of sight, Zhou Yun Xuan gave an exclamation and covered her mouth.
There, she shockingly saw Su Yan hugging a strange man.
This… this was nothing short of rebellion!
Even ordinary Inner Island disciples were not allowed to have close contact with outside men without the permission of their Honoured Masters, and Su Yan was Great Elder’s favourite personal disciple. Her being so intimate with a man with such an identity in public was akin to slapping Great Elder’s face.
Did she still put her Honoured Master in her eyes?
No wonder Great Elder’s face was so ugly.
Considering all this, Zhou Yun Xuan hurriedly said, “Great Elder, Su Yan ignored Junior Sister’s and my dissuasion and insisted on rushing out. We thought she had some urgent matter to attend to, but never did we anticipate that it would turn out to be this. Acting like this in full view of the public, simply shameless! Please punish her, Great Elder!”
Ran Yun Ting’s body trembled as her face grew even angrier.
Why did Zhou Yun Xuan bother to make such pointless comments? If Ran Yun Ting could, she would have already ripped this bastard boy’s corpse into ten thousand pieces!
However, she had no choice now but to accept that she could not kill Yang Kai, only if the Supreme Elder personally took action would that be possible.
Therefore, she remained silent and did not respond to Zhou Yun Xuan.
Zhou Yun Xuan was taken aback, and a trace of suspicion flashed across her face.
Just as she was lost in confusion, a cold voice suddenly reached her ear, “Were you the one who just insulted Su Yan?”
Looking up, Zhou Yun Xuan suddenly noticed that the man with his arms around Su Yan was staring towards her indifferent eyes.
Su Yan seemed to have blocked out everything from the surrounding world and was like a little bird snuggled up beside her man, a contented expression filling her pretty face, as if even if she died immediately, she wouldn’t care.
Being stared at by such eyes, Zhou Yun Xuan couldn’t help feeling an inexplicable chill, and quietly glancing around and discovering that none of the Elders present seemed to have any intention of speaking up, she could only grit her teeth and replied, “I made a careless remark a moment ago.”
Regardless of whether Su Yan was wrong or not, it was indeed a mistake for her to insult her fellow disciple. In front of so many Elders and even the Valley Masters, she did not dare to act presumptuous and immediately admitted her mistake.
“Apologize!” Yang Kai said concisely.
A hint of anger flashed across Zhou Yun Xuan’s face as she snapped back, “What thing are you, how dare you order me around!”
Admitting a mistake and apologizing were two completely different concepts. Zhou Yun Xuan was not willing to apologize to Su Yan in front of so many eyes as that would simply be too embarrassing.
The moment she spoke, though, a resounding bang echoed as Zhou Yun Xuan felt her cheek become numb and her body flew out, tumbling several times through the air before heavily impacting the snow-covered ground.
All of Ice Heart Valley’s Elders paled.
None of them had seen how Yang Kai moved just now, only that this disciple named Zhou Yun Xuan had been sent flying by him.
Zhou Yun Xuan picked herself up from the snow with difficulty while covering her cheek with her hand, her face dull as she stared at Yang Kai in a daze.
She never expected that Yang Kai would dare to slap her in front of the Valley Master and so many Elders.
“Apologize!” Yang Kai continued glaring at her coldly.
Zhou Yun Xuan’s tender body trembled. Being insulted in front of so many of her fellow Sect Sisters, as an Origin Returning Realm master, how could she bear it? Her face twisting in anger, she screamed, “You dare hit me?”
*Pa…*
With another loud smacking sound, Zhou Yun Xuan flew out again.
Her other cheek this time went numb.
“Apologize!” Yang Kai’s voice sounded again coldly, without any emotion, causing all who heard it to shudder.
Zhou Yun Xuan climbed up from the ground for a second time with a look of horror on her face. When she turned to look at Ran Yun Ting, as if begging her to uphold justice, Zhou Yun Xuan felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head, her shock so great she stopped being able to think for a moment.
Great Elder’s face was sombre and still, and although she was glaring at Yang Kai fixedly, she did not say a word.
The other Elders present had similar expressions, and even the Valley Master was frowning with difficulty.
No one was going to seek justice for her!
Zhou Yun Xuan was shocked! She knew that she had done something wrong and should not have insulted Su Yan as she had, but there had to be other reasons why she was being abandoned here.
It was as if everyone here feared this young man!
“Apologize, or… die!” Yang Kai issued an ultimatum and his murderous intent reappeared, locking onto Zhou Yun Xuan. Having failed to kill Ran Yun Ting had made him extremely annoyed, so this Zhou Yun Xuan happened to be an easy target to vent on.
Bing Long finally spoke, frowning as she said, “Yang Kai, let us end this here. Although this disciple was indeed rude, you have already punished her, let her go.”
Zhou Yun Xuan was also a disciple of Ice Heart Valley, so Yang Kai slapping her twice in front of everyone was the limit to what Bing Long could tolerate. If Yang Kai insisted on continuing with his aggressive stance, Bing Long would not stand idly by.
If she really allowed him to do as he pleased, it would only cause all the disciples present to lose faith in the Sect.
“Junior Brother, forget it,” Su Yan also pleaded for Zhou Yun Xuan.
To her, Zhou Yun Xuan’s insult did no harm, and now that Yang Kai had also slapped her twice, all the resentment she felt was relieved.
Instead, Yang Kai acting for her without any hesitation had caused Su Yan to feel some sweetness in her heart.
“Since Senior Sister says so… I won’t kill her,” Yang Kai’s expression eased as he turned to Bing Long and said, “Make her apologize and I’ll spare her!”
Bing Long was speechless, wondering if this could even be called a concession while feeling a little annoyed.
At this time, all the leaders of Ice Heart Valley inclined their heads towards a certain direction, as if they had suddenly received some kind of message, their expressions becoming solemn.
Yang Kai frowned as he too vaguely sensed some Divine Sense fluctuations from nearby, but was unable to locate the exact source.
He immediately understood, though, that Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder was speaking to Bing Long and the other Elders.
Not bothering to act rashly again, he simply waited quietly.
The faces of Bing Long and the others became cloudy and uncertain, but after some time, they exchanged a solemn glance as they all vaguely felt that a great storm was approaching.
It seemed that something big had transpired in Ice Heart Valley.
“Apologize to Su Yan, then this matter will end!” Bing Long suddenly turned to Zhou Yun Xuan and said with a somewhat irritable expression.
Zhou Yun Xuan’s expression was blank, never having expected that Valley Master would also favour Yang Kai and Su Yan. Although she was filled with confusion, with the last chance she could rely upon gone, she could only reluctantly say, “Junior Sister Su, Senior Sister made an indiscreet remark just now, please don’t take offence!
After speaking, she grit her teeth hard and her eyes flickered with hatred and madness, like a vicious snake.
She knew that in the future, she would become a laughing stock in Ice Heart Valley, the topic of gossip between her Sisters from morning till night! She had never been more disgraced.
“Withdraw,” Bing Long waved to Zhou Yun Xuan and dismissed her.
Zhou Yun Xuan bowed and walked away, but before leaving she shot Yang Kai and Su Yan a vicious look, as if wanting to burn their appearances into her heart.
“Everyone else is to disperse as well!” Bing Long shouted softly.
The spectating Ice Heart Valley disciples retreated as ordered.
Soon, only the top executives of Ice Heart Valley, Yang Kai, and Su Yan were left atop the open expanse. Qing Ya stood far away, paying attention to what was happening with a worried expression.
“Yang Kai, follow me!” Bing Long looked at Yang Kai with a complicated expression.
“Who wants to see me?” Yang Kai asked, already having a vague guess as to what had happened.
Bing Long sighed, “Supreme Elder wants to see you… not only that, but Sir Luo Hai, Star Master of Green Mountains Star and Chi Huo, Supreme Elder of Brilliant Flame Sect also wish to see you!”
“Luo Hai is here?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes.
“Indeed!”
“What if I refuse to go?” Yang Kai grinned.
“I’m afraid you have no choice. You should know what will happen if you refuse,” Bing Long sighed, “Although you are very strong, it is still meaningless in front of Sir Luo Hai.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin, nodded and said, “It seems that I have to go. Good, I’ll go with Senior. It’s time to put an end to this matter.”
Bing Long was stunned, but did not ask much, glancing towards Su Yan who was still standing next to him, and sighed, “I’ll lead you there.”
The other Elders followed closely, with Ran Yun Ting staring at Yang Kai sullenly, her expression never losing its ferociousness.
Although she did not know why Sir Luo Hai wanted to meet Yang Kai so badly, even using Brilliant Flame Sect to find him, it was obvious that the grievances between them were not shallow.
This little animal really did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth, actually daring to provoke Sir Luo Hai! [Now it is just a question of how you die] Ran Yun Ting cursed hatefully in her heart.
The next moment, she saw Su Yan and Yang Kai holding hands while whispering something to each other in low voices, and could not help feeling a surge of anger, wishing she could rush up and separate them now.
Recalling Yang Kai’s unfathomable methods, Ran Yun Ting forced herself to endured, just coldly snorting and chasing after Bing Long and the others Elders
“Senior Sister, you should wait here for me, I’ll be right back.”
“No, I’m going together with you!” Su Yan shook her head, and her beautiful eyes became firm, obviously worried Yang Kai might have some kind of accident and wishing wholeheartedly to share that burden with him.
“Very well then…,” Yang Kai did not continue to persuade her, raising his head towards Qing Ya.
Qing Ya immediately said, “I’ll wait for you here!”
She knew that she was not qualified to participate in this matter, so she wisely decided to stay put.
Xiao Xiao stood quietly beside her.
Yang Kai gently nodded and left with Su Yan.
Bing Long was waiting not far away, but after seeing this pair, which seemed ignorant of everything around them, following her, her brow couldn’t help wrinkling somewhat. However, she did not take their conduct to heart at the moment and instead stared at Yang Kai meaningfully while asking, “Now that things have gotten to this point, shouldn’t you honestly tell us what kind of grievances you have with Sir Luo Hai?”
“Senior wants to know?” Yang Kai chuckled lightly.
Bing Long nodded.
“Then ask Luo Hai, if he is willing to tell you, you will naturally know.”
“You…” Bing Long became angry, “Are you still unclear about your situation? Sir Luo Hai and Senior Chi Huo have come to Pure Ice Island together and called to see you. They must be here for you, and the only one who can provide you shelter is my Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder. Are you so determined to keep hiding things that you are willing to die in exchange?”
“Your Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder is only a First-Order Origin King, no? If Luo Hai really wanted to do something to me here, could she stop him?” Yang Kai spat disdainfully.
Bing Long was instantly struck speechless.
In the Origin King Realm, every Minor Realm was separated by a vast gap, and the difference in strength was dramatic! It was precisely because of this that no one could stop Luo Hai and Chi Huo from trespassing onto Pure Ice Island, nor could Luo Li refuse when they demanded to see Yang Kai.
If this weren’t the case, how could Luo Li have allowed them to set foot on Pure Ice Island? In fact, if it had only been Chi Huo, Luo Li would have already beaten him back.
“What’s more, I have no friendship with your Ice Heart Valley, so even if your Supreme Elder did have the necessary ability, why would she take the initiative to protect me?” Yang Kai sneered, “Or what? Do you simply want to know what Luo Hai wants from me so you can bargain for a piece of it from him?”
Bing Long was stunned, but immediately said with a wry smile, “Since you understand, why would you still agree to meet with him? If I were you, I would have done my best to disappear!”
“And go where?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I was chased by him through the Star Field for days until I finally managed to hide on Scarlet Wave Star. Now that he has found my trail again, I am afraid I can’t get away. Having said that, it is time I settled this grievance with him, otherwise I will have to worry about him suddenly coming after me for the rest of my life. If he wants to use his strength to bully me, he must have the necessary ability!
As he spoke, Yang Kai’s face flashed with brutality and a strong light flashed across his eyes. Instead of retreating in fear of Luo Hai’s strength, he looked like he was eager to fight.
Bing Long stared at Yang Kai dumbfounded, only after a long silence shaking her head and muttering, “Lunatic!”
With only a Second-Order Origin Realm cultivation, Bing Long felt there was something wrong with Yang Kai’s head for daring to speak so wildly.
Yang Kai just laughed carefreely.
Su Yan did not say a word from beginning to end, just snuggling beside Yang Kai, holding hands with him, as if she never wanted to be separated, a quiet and content smile on her face.
Bing Long let out another exasperated sigh. In normal times, such a golden boy and jade girl would definitely be a match made by the Heavens.
However, with Yang Kai being stared at by Luo Hai, his future was filled with uncertainty. Su Yan on the other hand, as a core disciple of Ice Heart Valley who had cultivated the Ice Jade Secret Art, was doomed to fall from grace and become miserable if she could not break free of these emotional fetters.
Bing Long gradually became indifferent.
This group moved extremely fast and soon arrived in front of a magnificent ice palace on the Inner Island.
The ice palace seemed to be carved out of a single, pure ice crystal, and gave off a feeling of elegance and detached majesty.
Inside the ice palace, there were several extremely powerful auras.
When Yang Kai arrived in front of this white jade Ice Palace, three powerful Divine Senses instantly locked onto him, one of which far outstripped the other two.
Luo Hai!
Inside the white jade ice palace, Luo Hai sat upon a chair with his golden crown on his head, his breathing calm but with a flash of excitement in his eyes.
[Finally, I’ve found you!] Luo Hai exclaimed to himself without showing any outwards signs.
To think that he, a top master at the Second-Order Origin King Realm, one of the strongest in all the Star Field, had pursued a trivial Yang Kai for so long. Not only had this boy broken through his blockade on Green Mountains Star but even managed to escape his tracking after that.
If not for Luo Hai’s incredible patience, he would likely have really let this boy escape by now.
[Now, let’s see where you can run!] Luo Hai said with excitement.
With his strength, there were not many things that could excite him, but an Origin Essence Crystal left behind by the Monster King in the Blood Prison was something he deeply coveted. The Emperor Artifact on Yang Kai was also something Luo Hai desired.
The former could allow him to break through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm while the latter could directly increase his strength!
Once these two treasures landed in his hands, Luo Hai was confident he could become the strongest master in the entire Star Field. When the time came, no one in the Star Field would be able to compete with him!
Everything depended on taking Yang Kai here.
Although Luo Hai concealed his emotions very well, Chi Huo and Luo Li were also Origin Kings, so naturally, they could detect some subtle changes in his mood.
Chi Huo’s expression changed slightly as he wondered just what kind of secrets this little brat named Yang Kai had. If he did not possess something of extreme value, why would Luo Hai be so interested in him?
More than a year ago, Luo Hai suddenly visited Scarlet Wave Star, surprising Chi Huo. Then, Luo Hai had asked Brilliant Flame Sect to search for Yang Kai, further raising Chi Huo’s suspicions. Many times, he had tried to ask why Luo Hai was looking for Yang Kai, but Luo Hai had never given him a straight answer, leaving Chi Huo helpless.
Luo Li was also quite curious about this matter, but more than that, she felt sadness and helplessness.
She could do nothing about Luo Hai and Chi Huo in her current state!
Soon, Yang Kai stepped into the ice palace.
Inside the ice palace, in addition to the three Origin King Realm masters, a dozen or so Elders of Ice Heart Valley stood behind Luo Li.
Additionally, behind Luo Hai and Chi Huo, there was a young man with a sallow complexion and somewhat faint vitality.
The son of Brilliant Flame Sect’s Sect Master, Wei Feng!
At this moment, he was looking around excitedly, as if waiting for someone to arrive. After seeing Su Yan, his expression could not help brightening as an extremely excited look appeared on his face, like a wild dog that just spotted a delicacy, his saliva almost dripping from his mouth.
However, when he saw Su Yan holding hands with Yang Kai in such an intimate manner, his complexion could not help sinking as his gloomy eyes stared at Yang Kai, gleaming with hatred and anger.
[Where did this bastard pop out from!?] Wei Feng was furious seeing anyone dare hold hands with his woman.
In an instant, Wei Feng saw Yang Kai as a dead man and even began fantasizing about how he would torture Yang Kai to death, forcing him to beg for death, teaching him there were some women could not be touched.
“Junior Bing Long greets Sir Luo Hai, greets Senior Chi Huo,” Bing Long elegantly bowed before turning to Luo Li and reporting, “Supreme Elder, I’ve brought the requested person.”
Luo Li gently nodded but did not say anything, her pair of beautiful eyes fixing on Yang Kai as her brow wrinkled lightly.
Sensing her gaze, Yang Kai stared back.
This was the first time he saw the Supreme Elder of Ice Heart Valley, and from the aura she gave off, she was essentially on par with the red-haired old man sitting nearby. Both were First-Order Origin Kings, far weaker than Luo Hai.
However, an Origin King was still an Origin King, a powerhouse that had mastered Domain. No Origin King could be matched by an Origin Realm cultivator. At the very least, Yang Kai felt a great pressure from her!
“Brother Luo Hai, is this the little brat you’ve been looking for?” The old man Chi Huo looked up and down Yang Kai, chuckling lightly.
Luo Hai nodded, “Yes, it’s him!”
“Sure enough, a powerful and intelligent young man, Brother Luo Hai has a discerning eye. Since this boy has been found, what does Brother Luo Hai plan to do next?” Chi Huo seemed to ask casually.
“What do I plan to do? En, naturally I will bring him back to Green Mountains Star with me,” Luo Hai smiled as he directed a look of ridicule towards Yang Kai with a gentle smile, “Little bastard, this King won’t eat you, why do you insist on avoiding this King like some viper? This King just saw that your aptitude was exquisite and that we share some fate, so this King wished to pass on his mantle to you!”
He spoke with a casual attitude, as if he was feeling quite helpless and frustrated, making him come off as truthful and upright.
The complexions of the many Elders from Ice Heart Valley shook as they turned looks of envy towards Yang Kai.
To be appreciated by a master like Luo Hai was nothing less than a Heaven-sent opportunity for Yang Kai. From then on, he would become a famous character in the Star Field, soaring up into the sky.
Yang Kai just maintained a light smile.
Chi Huo’s seemingly cloudy old eyes slightly narrowed as a faint spark flashed across their depths.
Luo Li frowned slightly and said nothing.
Inside the Ice Palace, perhaps only Yang Kai himself and the other two Origin Kings did not believe Luo Hai’s words.
The ones in the know, understood that Luo Hai was just spouting nonsense because he wanted to take Yang Kai away! As for accepting him as a disciple and passing his mantle on to him, it was nothing but a lie!
What kind of character was Luo Hai? How could he go so far to recruit a mere disciple? If he wanted to accept disciples, he only needed to send out word and geniuses from all over the Star Field would flock to Green Mountains Star and line up to worship him.
Yang Kai didn’t try to reveal the truth, however, and simply said, “This Junior will have to politely decline Senior’s kindness. While this is indeed a Heaven-sent opportunity, Junior is afraid he is not fated to accept it. Senior should try looking for another person whose fortune is better.”
A hidden anger flashed across Luo Hai’s eyes as he secretly thought that this little brat really didn’t understand his limits, but he still maintained a light smile, “Don’t be too quick to refuse. Come with this King back to Green Mountains Star first. You can stay there for a few years and, if you still insist on declining at that time, this King will naturally not make things difficult for you.”
He spoke as if he was making great concessions.
Chi Huo also chimed in, “Boy, you’ve best consider this matter carefully, Brother Luo Hai wanting to accept you as a disciple is a blessing that cannot be asked for in several lifetimes, an opportunity ordinary people could never receive. Why refuse?”
“Does this Senior feel is it a great blessing? Good, since Senior feels so, he might as well worship Luo Hai as his Master,” Yang Kai looked at him with a smile.
The expressions of all the Ice Heart Valley Elders froze as they stared at Yang Kai like he was some kind of monster, all of their hearts clenching tightly.
This boy… truly did not know how to fear the Heavens! Daring to insult Chi Huo so blatantly, wasn’t he afraid of incurring unbearable consequences?
Chi Huo’s face became cold as he shouted angrily, “Bold!”
As he shouted, a ray of light flashed across his eyes and struck towards Yang Kai as if it had substance.
He intended to punish this little brat who did not know how to respect his elders.
Yang Kai’s complexion remained unchanged as he stood in place, while Su Yan also regarded this terrifying attack as nothing, her pair of beautiful eyes never once leaving Yang Kai’s face, glancing at him sideways with a face filled with happiness.
Luo Hai waved his hand casually.
Chi Huo’s attack was silently resolved.
Before getting what he wanted from Yang Kai, Luo Hai would not allow him to be injured by Chi Huo.
“Brother Chi Huo, calm yourself. Young people always like spouting nonsense, why lower yourself to their level. Brother Chi Huo is also an Origin King. So, even if I wanted to serve as his Master, I am afraid I am not capable enough.”
Chi Huo snorted as he stared at Yang Kai coldly, his sharp gaze seemingly cutting him a thousand times, but still remaining silent.
Luo Li, who had not made a sound yet and was simply sitting there quietly, suddenly chose to speak up, “Since this young man has already been brought here, if Sir Luo Hai wishes to take him away, please do so.”
As for what Luo Hai wanted to do after taking Yang Kai away, it was not something Luo Li needed to consider.
She had no friendship with Yang Kai, so she would not offend Luo Hai because of him. Right now, she just wanted to send Luo Hai and Chi Huo out of Pure Ice Island as soon as possible.
She did not even have the thought of punishing Yang Kai for hurting Ran Yun Ting and causing such a ruckus on Pure Ice Island.
She could not help feeling anxious right now as an inexplicable sense of crisis gripped her heart, as if something terrible was about to happen if Yang Kai was not quickly sent away.
Luo Hai nodded and smiled at Luo Li, “This King arrived here uninvited, so I hope Junior Sister Luo Li won’t take offence. If you have free time in the future, please visit my Green Mountains Star as a guest, this King will definitely provide a warm welcome.”
Luo Li replied indifferently, “There will come such a day. Sir Luo Hai has found such a good disciple, so he must be anxious to return to Green Mountains Star to begin cultivating him. This Luo Li will not delay you any further.”
She was bluntly trying to send them off.
However, Luo Hai just smiled lightly, not showing any intention to stand up and leave, instead glancing over at Yang Kai and waving his hand, “There’s no hurry, this King’s business is indeed done, but Brother Chi Huo has a certain matter he would also like to handle here today, which is why he came here together with this King.”
As soon as this statement came out, Luo Li’s face changed slightly.
Had her worries finally come to fruition?
Although Luo Hai had not spoken too clearly, just the phrase ‘Came together with this King’ was enough to cause Luo Li to worry.
This was equivalent to saying that Luo Hai was standing together with Chi Huo at this moment.
The faces of Bing Long and Ran Yun Ting were also ugly as they stared at Chi Huo warily.
The two great forces, Ice Heart Valley and Brilliant Flame Sect, had been competing with one another on Scarlet Wave Star for countless years, but even after all these millennia, neither had been able to gain a decisive edge over the other, but now with Luo Hai intervening, Ice Heart Valley was instantly put at a disadvantage.
And this disadvantage was quite immense at that. Even relying on Pure Ice Island’s Pure Ice Grand Array, they would likely not be able to reverse the situation.
For a moment, Bing Long and the many Elders wore angry looks, but none of them dared to speak.
Yang Kai just stood in place, watching the show with a smile, not showing any awareness of his current situation, which was akin to a prisoner.
“And what matter have you come to my Pure Ice Island for this time, Chi Huo?” Luo Li took a light breath, calmed her chaotic thoughts, and asked cautiously.
Chi Huo laughed loudly as his fiery red hair flew back and he released an imposing manner as he shook his head and said, “Just a minor matter, Luo Li. You don’t need to be so nervous.”
He was feeling incredibly good at this moment. He had fought with Luo Li for so many years, and even knew that she had recently suffered backlash from cultivation dissonance. Yet, he was unable to gain a true upper hand. Finally, he had experienced the pleasure of being in the absolute superior position. Although he was essentially borrowing another’s strength to achieve this victory, Chi Huo did not enjoy this feeling any less.
“Speak!” Luo Li looked at him indifferently.
Chi Huo chuckled lowly as he stated, “I’ve come to your Sect today to take someone.”
“Take someone? Who do you want?” Luo Li frowned, “My Ice Heart Valley should not have anyone you need, Chi Huo.”
“Indeed, your Sect truly does not have anyone I need, but…” Chi Huo waved his hand and shouted, “Little bastard, stand up and say it yourself; after all, this is your business.”
Wei Feng wore a happy look and quickly walked out from behind Chi Huo. First, he saluted Luo Hai, Luo Li and the others, following proper etiquette, then straightened his waist and opened his mouth, but just as he was about to speak, suddenly noticed a pair of cold eyes fixed on him.
This gaze pierced Wei Feng like a sharp sword, making his face pale with fright and forcing the words he was about to speak back down his throat.
He was unable to utter a word.
Following that gaze, Wei Feng only saw Luo Li staring at him coldly. Although she was not using any of her power, just this simple gaze was enough to chill him to the bone.
Wei Feng’s legs began to shiver as he nearly started choking, his eyes filling with panic.
Bing Long and the other Elders suddenly thought of something and unconsciously glanced over at Su Yan.
When Wei Feng came forward, they realized what Chi Huo was thinking about, and all of them became extremely displeased.
The son of Brilliant Flame Sect’s Sect Master had ideas about Su Yan for quite some time, and the fighting which broke out a little more than a year ago was all because Brilliant Flame Sect asked Ice Heart Valley to hand over Su Yan.
The people of Ice Heart Valley knew exactly what Wei Feng’s disposition was.
It could be said that if Wei Feng was not born in Brilliant Flame Sect, and if he was not Wei Qing’s son, even breaking through to the Saint King Realm would have been impossible.
Even if he consumed countless rare and precious pills and piled up innumerable Saint Crystals, he had barely managed to break through to the Origin Returning Realm.
Even with all that, he could not even condense his Shi!
He may be the only Origin Realm cultivator in the entire Star Field that did not possess his own Shi, making him a laughingstock to the world.
Wei Feng’s aptitude was obviously trash.
Compared with him, Su Yan was a beautiful fairy blessed by the Heavens. The two of them belonged to different worlds and should never have met.
But one time, when Su Yan went out for life experience, she accidentally bumped into Wei Feng, and he was immediately entranced by her and became determined to make her his.
Brilliant Flame Sect decided to use this as an excuse to kick up a big fuss!
Wei Feng’s character and morals were indeed terrible, but he was still the son of Wei Qing, so his status was extraordinary. Brilliant Flame Sect thought that Wei Feng taking a fancy to Su Yan was Su Yan’s blessing…
And so, Chi Huo bringing Wei Feng to Ice Heart Valley and forcing him to stand up and speak now made his purpose self-evident.
However, this pitiful boy nearly passed out from fear just by being glared at by Luo Li, unable to even open his mouth to speak.
Chi Huo’s face became extremely ugly as he watched Wei Feng destroy all the face Brilliant Flame Sect had. Annoyed, he kicked out and almost knocked Wei Feng to the ground.
“Useless thing! With this old master here, what are you afraid of? Just say what it is you want and prove to this old master you’re still a man!”
Chi Huo shouted loudly.
It seemed that being scolded by Chi Huo, on top of receiving such a guarantee, Wei Feng’s courage grew slightly, and with a flushed face, he grit his teeth, stretched out his finger, and declared, “I want this woman named Su Yan!”
All of Ice Heart Valley’s Elders were enraged!
Ran Yun Ting also wore an unsightly expression.
The smile on Yang Kai’s face gradually dimmed as his eyes became icy cold as he glared towards Wei Feng and curled his lips into a subtle grin.
Since entering this ice palace, Yang Kai had found this pathetic excuse for a man continuously staring at Su Yan; however, he hadn’t taken it to heart, after all, Su Yan was an incredible beauty who naturally attracted the attention of men. Now that Wei Feng had said something like this though, Yang Kai immediately understood that the other party wasn’t just satisfied with looking but wanted to possess her too!
A murderous intent surged in Yang Kai’s heart as he stared at Wei Feng faintly, his expression somewhat similar to the one Wei Feng gave him before.
It was as if he was staring at a dead man!
Su Yan turned her beautiful eyes at this time and frowned slightly as she stared at Wei Feng suspiciously.
She did not seem to regain consciousness until this time as all her thoughts had been focused on Yang Kai before, with nothing else entering her vision at all.
“You again?” Su Yan recognized Wei Feng and spoke indifferently, “What? Was the lesson I gave you not enough? Did you come here looking for more?”
These simple words made Wei Feng jump up like a frightened rabbit and he hurried back to Chi Huo, seeking a sense of security.
Wei Feng’s performance was terrible to the extreme, and Chi Huo also felt he had lost all face, his expression turning as black as the bottom of a pot.
Even Luo Hai, who had been watching from the side, slowly shook his head.
“You know him?” Yang Kai asked.
Su Yan shook her head, “I don’t know him. Last time we met; he made some impertinent remarks so I broke a few of his ribs. It turns out he actually belongs to Brilliant Flame Sect, no wonder he was so persistent and annoying.”
After saying so, she sighed again, “If I had known things would turn out like this, I would have just killed him directly and been done with it.”
“En, don’t show mercy next time,” Yang Kai patted the back of Su Yan’s hand.
Su Yan smiled and nodded slightly.
“You…you… how dare you!” Although Wei Feng was timid and incompetent, he also could not help feeling a little angry at this moment. He could not forget about Su Yan even in his dreams, yet the other party clearly did not even know about his background.
On top of that, it seemed she did not even know his name.
Wei Feng suddenly felt aggrieved, watching her act so intimately with this bastard of a man, completely ignoring his existence, he felt ashamed.
“You’ll see! When you become mine, I’ll let you know how fierce I am!” Wei Feng vowed daringly.
“Courting death!” Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a cold light as he violently waved his hand towards Wei Feng.
A recognizable palm of Saint Qi appeared and shot towards Wei Feng like a violent storm. This palm clearly contained terrifying destructive power.
Wei Feng was frightened and trembled as his face turned pale and he called out anxiously, “Supreme Elder, save me!”
“Boy, you’ve got guts, daring to act in front of this old master!” Chi Huo coldly snorted as he stretched out his hand and hit the air, causing the Saint Qi palm to burst apart.
The moment this palm exploded, however, it immediately underwent a subtle change and transformed into a sharp blade that once again shot out and caught Chi Huo off guard. Before he could react, the blade had already stabbed through Wei Feng’s left cheek and out his right.
Chi Huo’s face changed dramatically!
Luo Hai also raised his brow as he stared at Yang Kai in surprise.
Luo Li’s beautiful eyes also flashed brilliantly as she gave a nod of appreciation.
The three of them all saw that it was not that Yang Kai had applied some hidden trick to his Saint Qi palm, but had instead manipulated his Saint Qi masterfully, reorganizing it after it was shattered by Chi Huo to form a new attack.
Although as a result, this attack’s power was greatly reduced, to the point where even Wei Feng should have easily been able to defend against it.
However, Wei Feng’s performance was disappointing as he did not even notice anything until he was abruptly injured.
Only after blood began splashing from both sides of his mouth did Wei Feng notice the severe pain, feeling as if his cheeks were being burned as a strange power seeped into his wounds.
He immediately began howling violently, covering his cheeks with his hands as tears and snot dripped down his face, making everyone present embarrassed to even look at him.
Many Ice Heart Valley Elders shook their heads slowly as looks of contempt and disgust filled their faces.
Such a person actually wanted Su Yan? Comparing him to Yang Kai, the latter was countless times better, a real match for her.
Chi Huo’s old face went blue then white as he stared at Yang Kai and squeezed out a low shout like that of a mad beast, “Brat, you’re dead!”
In front of his face, Wei Feng’s cheek had been pierced. This was akin to slapping his face as well.
Chi Huo being slapped in the face was the same as Brilliant Flame Sect being slapped!
An old monster like Chi Huo could not bear such an insult.
Like a dormant lion, a horrific aura burst from Chi Huo’s body, causing everyone from Ice Heart Valley to pale.
Yang Kai remained calm and relaxed, though, as he stared at the red-haired old man indifferently, a sarcastic grin appearing on his lips.
“Chi Huo!” Luo Hai shouted, “Finish your business!”
He naturally would not let Chi Huo kill Yang Kai. Chi Huo using him to persecute Ice Heart Valley this time was something Luo Hai was willing to go along with only if Chi Huo did not pursue Yang Kai’s secrets.
However, if Chi Huo wanted to act against Yang Kai, he would not just sit back and watch.
No one could touch Yang Kai in front of him until he extracted everything he wanted.
Hearing this shout, the aura around Chi Huo’s body was like a raging flame that was doused with cold water, extinguishing instantly. He seemed to have regained his composure in that instant and simply glared at Yang Kai coldly.
“Supreme Elder, you must seek justice for me! Kill him! Kill him! Supreme Elder you must kill him for me!” Wei Feng wailed and cried incoherently, oblivious to the situation around him.
Chi Huo’s breathing began somewhat ragged hearing these cries.
Why did he bring this waste here to Ice Heart Valley?
At this moment, he could not wait to slap Wei Feng dead.
Chi Huo secretly made up his mind that after this trip, he would definitely imprison Wei Feng in Brilliant Flame Sect and never let him go out. Otherwise, he would continue destroying Brilliant Flame Sect’s face wherever he went.
Brilliant Flame Sect having such a waste in its midst was simply a curse from the Heavens!
“You shut up!” Chi Huo shouted angrily.
Wei Feng’s howling stopped abruptly as he did not dare disobey the Supreme Elder’s command, but the pain he felt still distorted his expression, and combined with the still dripping blood, made him look quite hideous.
Holding his cheeks with his hands, his eyes darted about, but not daring to look at anyone present in this hall, he settled for staring at his feet while holding his tongue.
“Boy, consider yourself lucky! Since Brother Luo Hai intends to shelter you, this old master will not care about you this time. If you want to thank anyone, you should thank Brother Luo Hai!” Chi Huo said grimly before turning to Luo Li and shouting, “I think you’re clear why this old master has come this time. My good-for-nothing Junior has taken a fancy to this girl, so I’ll be taking her back to Brilliant Flame Sect with me!”
When he said this, the corners of Chi Huo’s mouth twitched, as even he felt that Wei Feng was not worthy of holding Su Yan’s shoes.
However, this was indeed a good opportunity to deal a blow to Ice Heart Valley; as long as Ice Heart Valley could be forced to compromise here, then Brilliant Flame Sect would have the upper hand in all future battles.
The most important point was that he could use this incident to attack Luo Li’s state of mind and act contrary to her convictions.
Once this happened, it would surely become a heart demon for Luo Li and halt her cultivation in place.
After that, once he could advance his own cultivation, under the current circumstances, Scarlet Wave Star would belong to Brilliant Flame Sect.
As soon as Chi Huo’s voice fell, Ran Yun Ting took a step forward and coldly declared, “In your dreams! Su Yan is my Ice Heart Valley’s Core Disciple, how could she be allowed to marry an outsider? She will always be an Ice Heart Valley disciple!”
Chi Huo snickered as he stared at Ran Yun Ting and said, “If this old master isn’t mistaken, what she has cultivated should be your Ice Heart Valley’s Ice Jade Secret Art, right?”
“So what?” Ran Yun Ting did not know what he was thinking.
“If so, then this will be simple. This old master can see her heart has been moved, and her Ice Jade Heart stained, causing her to receive backlash from the Secret Art. This backlash also seems quite serious… En, in her situation, I’m certain that within a year or two her cultivation will completely scatter, and she will become an ordinary mortal. What use will she have for your Ice Heart Valley then?”
Ran Yun Ting’s face changed slightly as she was shocked by Chi Huo’s shrewdness.
Su Yan’s situation had been concealed very carefully, and only she, her Master, truly knew its full extent, but it only took Chi Huo a glance to properly assess Su Yan’s condition.
For a moment, Ran Yun Ting’s face became extremely gloomy and she shot a look filled with disappointment towards Su Yan.
However, Su Yan turned a blind eye to this, not even changing her expression, still just smiling happily as she stood there cuddling next to Yang Kai, as if her cultivation and strength meant nothing to her. As long as she could be with Yang Kai, even death was worth it.
Ran Yun Ting was even more disappointed.
“Su Yan…” Yang Kai was stunned and turned to the beautiful woman standing next to him with worried eyes.
Quickly releasing his Divine Sense and scanning Su Yan’s body, he finally noticed something wrong.
Su Yan’s aura was indeed fluctuating slightly, which was obviously an outward sign of her receiving backlash from her Secret Art. The situation was still manageable now, but if it was allowed to continue, it would definitely get worse.
“It’s fine,” Su Yan smiled softly, remaining perfectly calm, not worrying about this seemingly inevitable fate at all.
“I will find a way to resolve it for you,” Yang Kai took a deep breath and promised her solemnly.
“Kill yourself here and now and you can solve the problem immediately!” Ran Yun Ting burst into anger and shouted at Yang Kai.
“Honoured Master, please don’t say such things!” The smile on Su Yan’s face suddenly disappeared as she frowned and declared seriously, “If Junior Brother dies, I will immediately follow him!”
Ran Yun Ting opened her mouth and stared at Su Yan in a daze, showing an expression of astonishment.
It was the first time Su Yan used such a tone of voice to speak to her, which shocked Ran Yun Ting greatly. Su Yan had always been obedient to her; no matter her command, this disciple would complete the task with absolute certainty, making her extremely satisfied. This, in turn, raised Su Yan’s value in her eyes.
But today, her impression wavered.
It was as if all the work she put into teaching her and the great expectations she had for her, as her Honoured Master, were not as important as this little brat in her heart.
Ran Yun Ting’s face became cold and gloomy as she glared at Yang Kai and said in a deep tone, “Boy, you’ve destroyed Su Yan’s future, even if you die here, you won’t be able to redeem your sin!”
After speaking, she backed away and closed her eyes, as if she did not want to interfere with what would surely happen next.
“I’ve destroyed Senior Sister’s future? That is not something you get to decide, what the hell do you count for?” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
“Good, this farce ends here!” Chi Huo stood up, his eyes burning like flames as he turned to Luo Li, “This old master has explained his intentions. Luo Li, it is your choice, if you agree, this old master can retreat, if you don’t…”
There was an obvious threat in his words.
Many Elders of Ice Heart Valley wore anxious looks.
Luo Li looked at Chi Huo faintly, then turned to look at Luo Hai and lightly opened her lips and asked, “Is this Sir Luo Hai’s will as well?”
She knew better than anyone that Chi Huo daring to come to Pure Ice Island in such a bold manner this time and even pretentiously asking for the Sect’s best disciple was all because of Luo Hai’s backing!
Without Luo Hai, Chi Huo would not even dare to set foot within a thousand kilometres of Pure Ice Island.
Luo Hai smiled at this and said mildly, “Junior Sister Luo Li’s words are a bit unreasonable. This matter is between your Ice Heart Valley and Chi Huo’s Brilliant Flame Sect. This King is just here to enjoy the show, that’s all.”
Having said so though, Luo Hai continued, “However, this King feels that what Chi Huo said isn’t wrong. This disciple called Su Yan truly has good aptitude, but since she is suffering from the backlash of your Ice Jade Secret Art, I’m afraid it will be difficult for her to achieve anything of note in the future. As such, it would be better to marry her to Wei Feng so your two Sects can become in-laws, allowing you a chance to resolve your long-standing grievances. Wouldn’t it be best if you could all live in harmony in the future?”
Hearing what he said, Luo Li’s face grew dark as she knew that Luo Hai was standing on Brilliant Flame Sect’s side.
As for becoming in-laws and resolving the grievances between the two factions… that was nothing but sophistry.
The two Sects had fought for dominance of Scarlet Wave Star for thousands of years, and the grievances between them had been forged in oceans of blood, making them absolutely impossible to resolve. In this world, there would never be peace between Ice Heart Valley and Brilliant Flame Sect. The two Sects were destined to be enemies until the day one of them was destroyed.
“I understand,” Luo Li gently nodded and closed her limpid pupils, apparently caught in a difficult decision.
No one disturbed her, but all the Elders of Ice Heart Valley had their eyes fixed on her, wondering what answer she would give.
Luo Hai had a calm and relaxed face as he quietly sipped his tea.
Chi Huo wore a triumphant look, as he laughed under his breath constantly.
He was not afraid that Luo Li would refuse. This time, he was taking advantage of Luo Hai’s prestige to crush Ice Heart Valley’s morale. As for the girl named Su Yan, she was just a pawn in their battle.
Without Su Yan, there was Zhang Yan, Wang Yan… With so many female disciples in Ice Heart Valley, how could he not find a suitable candidate?
Wei Feng did not howl anymore. At this time, he was like a cat smelling fish and his eyes brightened as they darted back and forth. Although he still felt pain in his cheeks, he still gazed at Su Yan lustfully, like she was some kind of new toy he was about to acquire and could play with all he wanted.
In his heart, he was secretly pondering how he would torture this woman named Su Yan to teach Yang Kai the price for incurring his wrath.
Yang Kai and Su Yan stood side by side in the middle of the ice palace, as if they were outsiders.
No one cared about their feelings or opinions. In such high-level dialogue, the two of them had no right to speak.
The happiness in Su Yan’s beautiful eyes was dimmed with a tinge of sorrow, and the small hand she used to hold Yang Kai’s became harder.
She secretly decided that if Supreme Elder really compromised, then she would use her life to create an opportunity for Yang Kai to escape! As for herself, even if she died, she couldn’t go to Brilliant Flame Sect.
Yang Kai looked on with cold eyes, as if this matter had nothing to do with him, carefully observing the changes in Luo Li’s expression.
After a while, he let out a sigh and whispered in Su Yan’s ear, “Senior Sister, do you trust me?”
Su Yan did not even hesitate to nod.
“Good,” Yang Kai smiled warmly, “Junior Brother assures you that no one will take you away today. If they dare have such thoughts, I’ll make sure that they will all end up inside a coffin!”
“Then Senior Sister will wait and see,” Su Yan winked to Yang Kai.
This playful appearance made Yang Kai dumbfounded for a moment. He had never seen such a side to Su Yan before. It seemed that because of the great crisis, she dared to do things that she would never do before.
Although the two people spoke softly, how could they hide their conversation from Luo Hai and Chi Huo?
Hearing Yang Kai’s bold claims, the two Origin Kings both shot Yang Kai a disdainful look.
“Luo Li, it’s time to make a decision,” Luo Hai urged impatiently.
He was anxious to bring Yang Kai back to Green Mountains Star and extract all of his secrets. He was unwilling to delay time here.
Luo Li opened her eyes, and for an instant, all eyes inside the ice palace focused on her.
First, Luo Li turned to look at Su Yan, and a faint light of guilt flitted across her eyes, but that disappeared in a flash.
“You may take her away; I hope you can treat her well in the future!” Luo Li’s aura instantly deflated, as if it was punctured, with even her face going pale.
Obviously, making such a concession had violated her principles and caused her injuries to worsen.
“Supreme Elder…” Ran Yun Ting called out.
Although she had already guessed this would happen, she still could not accept Supreme Elder’s answer in the end. After shouting unconsciously though, she could not say anything anymore, just turning a regretful look towards Su Yan and sighing, “This is your own choice, don’t regret it in the future!”
At this moment, she ultimately decided to abandon Su Yan.
She had no way to resolve the flaw in Su Yan’s cultivation, so even if she could safeguard her here today, Su Yan’s cultivation would at best halt where it was. For such a disciple, it was not worth putting all of Ice Heart Valley in danger. Not to mention, she couldn’t violate Luo Li’s orders even if she wanted to.
Forcing the entire Sect into perdition for Su Yan would make her an eternal sinner to Ice Heart Valley.
Ran Yun Ting would not do such a thing, as it was obvious that no single disciple was more important than the Sect itself.
She closed her eyes to avoid looking at Su Yan again.
“Good!” Chi Huo laughed.
After so many years, he had finally completely suppressed Luo Li and made her back down in front of him. Although all of this was based on Luo Hai’s strength and status, the result was what Chi Huo wanted to see most.
Chi Huo smiled happily, his red hair dancing even without any wind, a strong momentum radiating from his body as he spiritedly pointed his hand at Su Yan and said to Wei Feng behind him, “Little beast, this girl is yours from now on, whether you torment or kill her, it’s all up to you to decide!”
He was not satisfied with the victory in front of him and wanted to further irritate the leadership of Ice Heart Valley and try to provoke them into making a rash decision.
However, everyone from Ice Heart Valley remained silent, just wearing despondent expressions, not even questioning Luo Li’s decision.
This made Chi Huo extremely disappointed, but also a bit contemptuous.
The actions and attitudes of these people from Ice Heart Valley may have been taken for the good of the Sect, but they had lost all moral standing as a result. He believed that after this incident, the future Ice Heart Valley would certainly not need to be feared!
Wei Feng smiled deviously, the injuries on both his cheeks making his laughter somewhat weak as he spoke unclearly, “How could disciple torment or kill her? Disciple is completely unwilling to even hurt her. Disciple thanks Supreme Elder! Supreme Elder’s might is truly unparalleled!”
Although Wei Feng was timid and weak, he was good at sucking up, so his few words further energized Chi Huo, and even made him feel this little brat was not so unpleasant to the eye.
“Good!” Luo Hai clapped his hands with a faint smile on his face. “This King congratulates you all. I hope your two Sects can use this as an opportunity to further peace between you in the future; after all, it benefits no one for the two greatest forces on Scarlet Wave Star to constantly fight and kill one another.”
“Brother Luo Hai, if you have nothing urgent to attend to, why not come back to Brilliant Flame Sect to share in the wedding festivities?” Chi Huo looked at him and sent out an invitation.
Luo Hai shook his head slowly, “No, this King has been away for too long already, it is time he returned to Green Mountains Star.”
Ice Heart Valley everyone looked at Chi Huo, seeing him boast and bluster in such a domineering fashion, but not daring to say anything. Even Luo Li adopted a stance of ‘what the eyes do not see, the heart does not grieve’.
“Yang Kai, come with me!” Luo Hai looked at Yang Kai and spoke in a tone that allowed no refusal.
Yang Kai sneered slightly without even looking at him, his eyes sweeping across the faces of everyone from Ice Heart Valley.
All of them, however, set aside their gazes, with looks of guilt upon their faces.
Even Ran Yun Ting was the same, but soon, she turned back and snapped back, “You’ve brought this upon yourself, you have no one else to blame!”
Yang Kai sneered even more.
Gently patting the back of Su Yan’s hand, Yang Kai said, “Senior Sister, go and salute these so-called Elders of yours. From now on, you have nothing to do with them!”
“Of course, I’ll listen to you,” Su Yan nodded obediently before stepping forward and sweeping her eyes across the Ice Heart Valley Elders. After bowing deeply, she lifted her head and spoke to Ran Yun Ting, “This is the last time Disciple will call you Honoured Master. Disciple offers here sincere thanks for Honoured Master’s generous teachings over these years. Please be well in the future, Honoured Master!”
Ran Yun Ting opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately, she just turned her eyes away.
Su Yan seemed to break free of the shackles binding her at that moment and returned to Yang Kai’s side lightly.
“Little brat, don’t be stubborn, just follow Brother Luo Hai obediently. As for this little girl next to you, she belongs to my Brilliant Flame Sect from now on,” Chi Huo coldly snorted.
Yang Kai and Su Yan looked at each other and suddenly smiled at the same time, their smiles dispelling the oppressive atmosphere in the ice palace like a scorching sun.
“If you want to take away Senior Sister, you must first step over my corpse!” Yang Kai suddenly said.
At the same time, Su Yan’s soft voice came out, “I pledge to live and die together with Junior Brother!”
The momentum of the pair suddenly soared as their Saint Qi burst out.
The Saint Qi of one person was of an extremely hot Yang Attribute, while the other was extremely cold Yin Attribute.
An unexpected change appeared next, as Yang Kai and Su Yan’s Saint Qi seemed to resonate and blend together.
More violent energy fluctuations came out suddenly.
Everyone’s complexion changed slightly as they turned their eyes towards the young man and woman standing side by side in front of them in shock.
Luo Hai’s eyes flashed as well, a look of amazement filling his face as if he had just discovered something extraordinary. Luo Li, who had been closing her eyes tightly, opened them at that moment as a strong light flashed across their depths.
Chi Huo also expressed surprise together with the other two Origin Kings present.
From an outsider’s perspective, Yang Kai and Su Yan seemed to become a single entity at this moment, their Second-Order and First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivations superimposing upon one another without the slightest conflict, directly reaching an intensity equivalent to the peak Third-Order.
“Interesting, this is a Dual Cultivation Technique, right?” Luo Hai frowned. With his profound knowledge, it was natural for him to see at a glance that Yang Kai and Su Yan had already reached an extremely deep level of connection. Otherwise, their two completely opposite Saint Qis would never have been able to merge together so perfectly.
“Bastard!” Chi Huo shouted.
In his opinion, Su Yan was already Wei Feng’s woman, but this woman had apparently dual cultivated with Yang Kai, this was nothing less than an insult to Brilliant Flame Sect.
Was retaining her purity not a pre-requisite for cultivating the Ice Jade Secret Art? How else could this scene be explained?
As soon as Chi Huo’s voice fell, a deafening roar suddenly sounded inside the ice palace. This roar was so deafening and majestic that it seemed to be able to shake the soul of any who heard it. When it rang out, everyone, including the three Origin Kings, felt their hearts jump.
As for the Ice Heart Valley Elders, all their expressions changed dramatically.
“This is…” Luo Hai stood up, tremblingly as he stared at the change Yang Kai was undergoing.
A golden aura suddenly shot out from Yang Kai’s body and quickly transformed into a massive golden phantom.
This phantom was more than a hundred meters long and radiated a blinding golden light, its hard scale armour shining like the strongest protection in the world, strong enough to resist any attack.
Two eyes the size of small houses and filled with endless majesty and indifference appeared and seemed to look down loftily from above.
Everyone felt a humble sense of insignificance before these eyes.
“A Golden Dragon!” Luo Hai’s eyes shot open as her tone of voice even rose slightly.
Staring fiercely at this golden phantom, it was as if he was witnessing something absolutely impossible.
Chi Huo stood in place, his eyes flashing with unreadable light.
He had not imagined that such amazing wealth was hidden in Yang Kai’s body!
[Did Luo Hai chase this boy to Scarlet Wave Star because of this? No, looking at Luo Hai’s face, he seems to have just learned about this as well.]
[Did this little brat have other secrets as well?]
Before Chi Huo’s thoughts could finish, however, another resounding voice rang out.
This sound was not as shocking as the previous Dragon Roar, but it seemed capable of piercing the Heavens themselves.
Accompanied by this cry, another ray of light shot out from Yang Kai’s body and flew above Su Yan’s head, transforming into a pure white phantom.
*Hua…*
This phantom unfurled its wings to a similar hundred-metre length as the Golden Dragon and a deep and profound chill suddenly filled the air. At that moment, the purest energy in the surrounding world began rapidly gathering towards Su Yan.
Luo Li’s expression changed dramatically this time as she stared at the massive white phantom above Su Yan’s head and exclaimed, “Ice Phoenix!”
“What!?” Luo Hai was thoroughly shocked this time and could no longer maintain his outwardly calm demeanour.
The Golden Dragon and Ice Phoenix were both legendary Ancient Divine Spirits that had long gone extinct, but today, he saw both appear from Yang Kai.
Although this was not a real Golden Dragon or Ice Phoenix, the faint Source fluctuations radiating from them could not be faked.
In other words, these two phantoms possessed at least part of the Source strength from a True Golden Dragon and Ice Phoenix that had died!
Just how much untold wealth was there on this boy! Luo Hai looked at Yang Kai with fiery eyes.
The strange domain of scorching heat and frigid cold expanded as Yang Kai and Su Yan stood side by side, an awe-inspiring aura radiating from their forms.
Pillars of golden and white light shot into the sky, like two giant swords cutting through the Heavens, parting the clouds in half.
All of Ice Heart Valley bore witness to this spectacle as they stood dumbfounded in place, not knowing what was happening.
The ice palace had become a ruin as the two completely opposite yet complimentary energies burst out, shattering any kind of protective barriers and Spirit Arrays.
The dozen or so Elders from Ice Heart Valley were forced to circulate their Secret Arts to resist the pervasive scorching heat and ice-cold air.
Wei Feng required Chi Huo’s protection to simply keep his life.
Out of everyone present, only the three Origin Kings could resist this horrible aura head-on without difficulty.
Ran Yun Ting was stunned as she stared blankly at Su Yan at this moment, a deep feeling of regret surging up in her heart.
She had told Yang Kai that Su Yan would fly from the branch to become a phoenix one day and that someone like him was not worthy of her.
But now, Su Yan had done just that. With the power of a true Ice Phoenix’s Source, she was fully capable of utilizing the Divine Abilities and strengths of an Ice Phoenix, essentially becoming one herself.
But all of this had been given to her by Yang Kai.
The Ice Phoenix Source had clearly flowed from Yang Kai’s body to Su Yan’s.
In this world, the only being capable of standing on par and walking together with a phoenix was a dragon.
Ran Yun Ting turned her gaze towards the massive Golden Dragon phantom above Yang Kai’s head and formed a silent, bitter smile.
The many Elders from Ice Heart Valley and even Luo Li herself wore similar expressions.
Luo Li had never anticipated the situation developing like this. If she had known, she would never have agreed to Chi Huo’s outrageous request, even if she needed to sacrifice all of Ice Heart Valley as the price.
What kind of Heaven defying opportunity was it to possess an Ice Phoenix’s Source? With this Source, the backlash from the Ice Jade Secret Art was no problem at all. Su Yan would surely lead Ice Heart Valley to a glorious future and reach heights she could only ever dream of.
Such a talent was worth the entire Sect using their lives to protect!
But unfortunately, she had pushed her away like a useless pawn, just to maintain the Sect’s pitiful existence.
The light in Luo Li’s eyes suddenly became a little dim as she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
She suddenly discovered that she had just made the biggest mistake of her life.
“Is this mine?” Su Yan looked up at the huge Ice Phoenix phantom, and as if sensing her gaze, the Ice Phoenix, which should be nothing more than a remnant image, lowered its head and staring at Su Yan with its noble eyes, a look of kindness and approval flashing across them in the next instant.
Everyone stared dumbfounded.
With the Ice Phoenix Source strength integrating into her body, Su Yan felt incredibly relaxed and the backlash she had been suffering from the Ice Jade Secret Art was instantly resolved.
The pure white phantom floating above her head felt like her own flesh and blood, merging perfectly with her form.
In an instant, her skin became like polished white jade and her slender neck gained a porcelain-like sheen. At this moment, Su Yan’s charm increased several levels, enough to entrance all living things.
Even masters like Chi Huo and Luo Hai could not help losing their focus temporarily as they stared at Su Yan’s dazzling radiance.
“En, I brought it with me from Tong Xuan Realm,” Yang Kai nodded.
The Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair talked with one another as if they were the only ones present, completely unphased by their current situation.
“Hmm… it feels so natural,” Su Yan took a breath and closed her beautiful eyes, her heart resonating at that moment with the Ice Phoenix phantom. The Ice Phoenix cried out happily, seemingly with infinite power, causing the icy air across all of Pure Ice Island to pulse in resonance. Soon, the ice-cold World Energy within thousands of kilometres began flooding towards Su Yan’s body, which absorbed it without any difficulty.
Su Yan’s own aura grew at a terrifying speed.
Originally, she was at the peak of the First-Order Origin Returning Realm and, if Yang Kai had not appeared, would have been in the final stages of preparing to break through to the Second-Order.
But because of the backlash of the Ice Jade Secret Art, her cultivation had instead regressed slightly.
Now, however, her cultivation began soaring upwards.
Peak First-Order, Second-Order, peak Second-Order…
Su Yan smashed through the barriers between these realms like they were made from rotting bamboo, only stopping at the peak Second-Order after some kind of external influence intervened.
This interference naturally came from Yang Kai!
At this moment, the two had formed a bizarre resonance, and with Yang Kai’s cultivation having only reached the peak Second-Order Origin Realm, Su Yan was also unable to continue improving, otherwise, the balance between their Saint Qis would definitely be broken.
However, everyone could tell that she still had plenty of energy to spare! She was more than capable of breaking through to the Third-Order at this instant!
Everyone was shocked as none of them had ever even heard of someone breaking through so quickly and without any hidden dangers. This could not be described as an opportunity anymore, only the word miracle was appropriate.
Yang Kai just smiled lightly, as if all of this was within his expectations.
A resonant dragon roar and phoenix cry sounded again, as the giant Golden Dragon and Ice Phoenix phantoms suddenly distorted, transformed into bright flashes of light, and poured into the bodies of Yang Kai and Su Yan.
Around the Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair, a strange aura continued to linger, however.
This aura was visible to the naked eye, with one half of it golden and the other white, the two halves pulsing with completely opposite attribute energies, but still merged together perfectly, giving off a momentum that far exceeded anything an Origin Returning Realm cultivator could achieve!
No Origin Returning Realm master could work up the will to resist when faced with such an overwhelming aura.
“This is your trump card?” Luo Hai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Yang Kai indifferently, stepping forward lightly from where he stood.
Every time he took a step, however, Pure Ice Island seemed to shake, along with the hearts of everyone else on the island.
With each step he took, his momentum also increased.
Yang Kai’s and Su Yan’s golden and white Yin-Yang field could not suppress Luo Hai.
Yang Kai still did not change his expression though, smiling as he watched his approaching enemy.
“If this is your last card, then this King advises you to give it up. Your strength is indeed amazing, enough to be invincible below the Origin King Realm, even giving you the capital to resist an ordinary First-Order Origin King.”
As soon as these words came out, both Chi Huo and Luo Li frowned.
Whether they wanted to admit it or not, Luo Hai was telling the truth. Both of them felt some slight pressure when facing the current Yang Kai and Su Yan pair, as if fighting with them would be tricky and even if they could ultimately win, they would have to pay a huge price to do so.
This was nothing short of astonishing.
Origin Kings were the peak of this world, and any Origin King could sweep away Origin Realm cultivators with ease, no matter how many of them they faced.
Yang Kai and Su Yan being capable of fighting an ordinary Origin King with only their own power went beyond the limits of conventional thinking.
Out of everyone present, only Luo Hai had the qualifications to disdain the current Yang Kai and Su Yan.
“Boy, obediently follow this King and I promise not to kill you!” Luo Hai looked at Yang Kai sternly, no longer keeping up his previous act.
“You won’t regret it unless you see your coffin it seems. Luo Hai, I had no grievance or grudge with you, but you have continued to pursue me doggedly and forced my hand. Good, today, I’ll kill you, so I can avoid any trouble with you in the future,” Yang Kai shouted.
“Kill me?” Luo Hai seemed to have heard some funny joke and laughed loudly, “It seems that your self-confidence is overwhelming, but do you think you can kill me like this? This King will let you understand what it means to be a true Origin King!”
As soon as these words fell, a bizarre force suddenly spread out towards Yang Kai and Su Yan.
Domain!
A Star Master level Domain at that.
The earth suddenly creaked, and at the original location of the ice palace, fissures began opening, as if the world itself was about to collapse under the effects of Luo Hai’s Domain.
“Brother Luo Hai, this old master will assist you!” Chi Huo yelled and at the same time released his Domain, putting even more pressure on Yang Kai and Su Yan.
Luo Hai glanced at him but didn’t raise any objections.
He naturally knew what Chi Huo was thinking.
Chi Huo simply did not want him to monopolize all the benefits this brat had to offer for himself, so he decided to ‘help’ in an attempt to get a piece of the pie.
Luo Hai was not bothered by this though. All he wanted was Yang Kai’s secrets, as for the girl named Su Yan… Although her Ice Phoenix Source was an incredible treasure as well, it was incompatible with his cultivation method, so it was useless to him.
As soon as the Domains of two Origin King Realm masters came out, the faces of the Ice Heart Valley Elders changed dramatically.
Luo Li hurriedly released her own Domain to offset the pressure on them and at the same time shouted, “Withdraw!”
If they did not leave immediately, these Elders would be injured.
Bing Long, Ran Yun Ting, and all the others did not say a word as they quickly used their Movement Skills to leave this place, leaping back a thousand meters and flying up into the sky. From their position, they all looked down in shock, leaving only Luo Li standing close to the strange standoff with a complicated expression on her face. Luo Li had no intention to interfere, and could only let out a sigh as she stared at Yang Kai and Su Yan full of regret.
“Senior Sister, are you ready?” Even with two Origin King Realm masters suppressing them with their Domains, Yang Kai remained calm and relaxed.
After experiencing the Blood Prison Trial, he had become accustomed to the intensity and influence of Domain. Such a Domain alone could not crush him, and so long as he did not fall, neither would Su Yan.
“I am!” Su Yan nodded.
The two of them were one in body and mind, so there was no need for Yang Kai to explain anything more, with just a thought, Su Yan understood what he was going to do.
“Then our fight begins now!” Yang Kai grinned, turned his head, and stared at Luo Hai coldly, “Luo Hai, today, you die!”
As soon as these words fell, a strange token suddenly appeared in his hand.
This token was black, made from some unidentifiable material, and was somewhat unremarkable.
But as soon as this token appeared, Luo Hai brow jumped as a feeling of terror suddenly gripped his heart.
“This is…” Luo Hai stared at the token with uncertainty for a moment before finally shouting, “Emperor Pressure! A Star Emperor Token?”
There was a faint, almost imperceptible aura coming from this token, but it was enough to cause Luo Hai’s face to pale.
Also, the character for ‘Emperor’ was clearly emblazoned on this token, allowing Luo Hai to understand what Yang Kai’s final card was.
He possessed a Star Emperor Token! And it was a still intact Star Emperor Token!
Rumours had it that the Starry Sky Great Emperor lived thousands of years ago and reigned supreme over the Star Field, leaving behind many legendary tales before at some point simply vanishing without a trace.
However, during the Great Emperor’s time, he refined nine Star Emperor Tokens and sealed one of his Divine Abilities inside each one. This Divine Ability was enough to kill any Origin King in mere breaths, a level of power impossible for any master in the Star Field to achieve.
Star Emperor Tokens were just the stuff of legends for ordinary cultivators, most of whom had no idea whether they even really existed or not.
However, masters at Luo Hai’s level knew full well that the Star Emperor Tokens really did exist. It was an open secret amongst top-level powerhouses that Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce possessed a Star Emperor Token, but theirs had already been unsealed. Only retaining barely any Emperor Pressure.
If an Origin King wore a Star Emperor Token on their body and perceived the Emperor Pressure it gave off for many years, it increased their chances of comprehending a higher Heavenly Way and Martial Dao.
As such, Luo Hai recognized the token in Yang Kai’s hand immediately and became unnerved.
“Not good!” Luo Hai exclaimed, “Brother Chi Huo, kill them quickly, they must not be allowed to unseal that Star Emperor Token.”
Chi Huo shivered as a trace of determination and cruelty flashed across his eyes. Biting his tongue, Chi Huo spat out a mouthful of his Blood Essence which immediately transformed into a raging ball of flame that shot towards Yang Kai and Su Yan.
He was a decisive man and understood that if he hesitated for an instant here, he would suffer unbearable consequences, so he had not hesitated to use his Blood Essence to deliver an overwhelming attack. He only wanted to kill Yang Kai and Su Yan as quickly as possible; otherwise, once the Star Emperor Token was unsealed, he would be defeated in an instant.
The Great Emperor’s prestige was so great that none dared challenge his might.
While Chi Huo took action, Luo Hai also acted, summoning a long sword-like artifact. The surface of this sword shone brightly, like moonlight, and exuded an aura of an Origin King Grade artifact. Luo Hai poured his Saint Qi into this sword, causing it to tremble slightly before his figure flickered and he suddenly disappeared.
By the time he reappeared, he was already standing in front of Yang Kai, piercing his sword towards the latter’s heart.
Yang Kai just stood on the spot and sneered lightly, unafraid of the deadly threats approaching as he poured his Saint Qi madly into the Star Emperor Token in his hand.
The world suddenly shook, as if the end of all creation had arrived, and an ancient and terrifying aura filled the air.
At that moment, on Scarlet Wave Star, every bird in flight fell from the sky, and every beast on the ground curled up and cowered.
In giant cities, small villages, headquarters of powerful Sects, and homes of tiny families, trillions of people all felt a terrifying aura press on their hearts.
This pressure was so horrifying it felt as if they would die at any moment.
Regardless of how old or young, weak or strong they were, every last living creature on Scarlet Wave Star dripped with cold sweat as they collapsed to the ground and were unable to stand up for quite some time, their strength completely drained in an instant.
Fortunately, this oppressive aura disappeared as fast as it had appeared.
Otherwise, billions of injuries and deaths would have been suffered on Scarlet Wave Star!
On Pure Ice Island, where its main ice palace once stood, above Yang Kai and Su Yan, a giant pair of illusory closed eyes suddenly appeared.
At the same time, Yang Kai and Su Yan were surrounded by a kind of invisible force which even Divine Sense could not detect.
The attack fueled by Chi Huo burning his Blood Essence, and the sword which Luo Hai had stabbed out, were both blocked by this invisible force, without so much as a ripple being created.
“Impossible!” Luo Hai cried out in horror.
With his Second-Order Origin King cultivation, he was unable to scratch Yang Kai even with an artifact, and all this was due to the appearance of this pair of closed eyes.
This was simply unacceptable to him.
The Great Emperor was only a character from legend to ordinary people, but masters like Luo Hai knew he was a real existence and many had been working hard their entire lives to find pieces of his inheritance while trying to surpass his position as the strongest cultivator to ever exist.
In their hearts, the Great Emperor was only somewhat more tyrannical in terms of cultivation, not some invincible existence.
Luo Hai also held similar thoughts, that the Great Emperor was just a master at the very peak of the Third-Order Origin King Realm and that one day he would be able to stand side by side with him, possibly even surpassing him.
But today, he finally understood that the Great Emperor had reached a level completely beyond his reach, completely surpassing the Origin King Realm, reaching some unknown and terrifying realm!
His pride and arrogance took a significant hit.
The closed pair of eyes slowly opened a moment later.
Luo Li’s face finally changed as she no longer dared to remain in place, her tender body flickering as she fled like a frightened rabbit, moving several thousand meters back from where the ice palace once stood.
The floating pair of eyes fully opened soon after, and their clear and flawless pupils radiated an overwhelming sense of majesty. Moreover, Luo Hai and Chi Huo were extremely surprised to see that these eyes clearly belonged to a woman!
[Could the legendary Starry Sky Great Emperor have been a woman?]
This kind of stray thought pricked the hearts of the two Origin Kings and left them in a state of disbelief.
These beautiful eyes stared at Luo Hai and Chi Huo coldly, without any emotion, like they were nothing but a pair of ants.
Chi Huo let out a pitiful cry in the next instant and was sent flying, as if he had suffered a crushing blow, blood spraying from his mouth as he tumbled through the air.
His Domain was suddenly shattered.
As for Wei Feng, who was being protected by Chi Huo the whole time, his body was shredded into a paste, leaving him without even a complete corpse.
A cracking sound resounded through the air and in Luo Hai’s heart. There were signs that his Domain was also on the verge of collapsing.
It seemed these indifferent eyes contained a supreme might which the so-called masters present were completely powerless against.
Luo Hai’s face turned pale as blood began leaking from the corners of his mouth and his body staggered. However, thanks to his significantly higher cultivation, he managed to stand his ground.
After this pair of beautiful eyes gave a casual glance, they vanished, as if they had never even appeared.
At the same time.
An overwhelming Emperor Pressure poured into Yang Kai and Su Yan. This was a power that did not exist naturally in this world and radiated an aura which made all of creation bow its head.
This was the power of the Great Emperor!
Yang Kai let out a burst of thunderous laughter that seemed to contain some kind of strange force which shocked Luo Hai’s mind, causing his Knowledge Sea to roil and become unsteady.
Just after Chi Huo stood firm, hearing this laughter, his face grew paler.
Gold and White Qi wrapped around Yang Kai and Su Yan’s figures as dragon roars and phoenix cries constantly resounded, but this mix of Yin and Yang Qi was now on a completely different scale compared to before.
Although the Yin and Yang Qis earlier were already powerful enough to threaten an ordinary First-Order Origin King, it was still negligible before Luo Hai.
But the current gold and white Qi had become so powerful it caused Luo Hai to feel a sense of panic!
It seemed that after unsealing the Star Emperor Token, an overwhelming power had poured into Yang Kai and Su Yan.
Suddenly, the Yin and Yang Qis completely merged into one.
In everyone’s field of vision, Yang Kai and Su Yan disappeared, leaving behind only a blinding ball of light.
“Chi Huo, you die first!” Yang Kai’s cold voice sounded from the mass of light and in the next moment, it flashed forward towards Chi Huo.
Chi Huo’s face changed drastically as he cried out in horror, “Brother Luo Hai, save me!”
At the same time, he formed a seal with his hands and desperately pushed his Saint Qi to form a protective barrier before himself.
This Saint Qi was so thick and dense that it was almost tangible, but Chi Huo did not stop there. He continued to summon an Origin King Grade defensive artifact which seemed to be wrapped in flame in the next instant as well.
However, all his efforts were in vain.
When the mass of light approached, the first thing to be broken was his Origin King Grade defensive artifact which had transformed into a wall of flames. This was a unique artifact and a rare treasure to the entire Star Field; however, it was easily shattered.
Inside the mass of light, a Golden Dragon and Ice Phoenix phantom swam about, displaying a majestic and noble dance.
The mass of light swiftly passed by Chi Huo.
Chi Huo stood motionless, staring blankly into space, a look of horror remaining on his face.
“This old master… regrets…”
Chi Huo’s words remained unfinished as a dazzling light burst from his body, pouring out from his pores, making him look like a glowing hedgehog.
*Hong…*
With a loud bang, Chi Huo’s body exploded into a blood mist that splashed out across the ground.
High up in the sky, gasps sounded as the Ice Heart Valley Elders inhaled sharply, all of them revealing frightened and alarmed expressions.
Chi Huo, a First-Order Origin King Realm master, was unable to resist a single blow from Yang Kai and Su Yan who were using the power sealed inside the Star Emperor Token, resulting in his instant death.
It was likely that not even the most powerful Third-Order Origin King would possess such phenomenal strength!
Luo Li’s tender body trembled as a hint of amazement flashed across the depths of her beautiful eyes, along with an incredible amount of regret.
She could understand Chi Huo’s mood just before he died and knew what it was that he was regretting.
Chi Huo regretted, but how could she not as well?
Had she known the situation would develop like this, how could she have violated her own convictions and feigned ignorance today?
If she had known things would turn out like this, she would have done everything in her power to protect Yang Kai and Su Yan, even if she died in the process.
Luo Li sighed deeply.
Ice Heart Valley was destined not to rise! A Heaven-sent opportunity was laid out in front of her, but she had turned a blind eye to it and even pushed it away, so what use was there in regretting now?
Now, she could only hope that this young man still took into consideration the fact that Su Yan was once an Ice Heart Valley disciple and after solving his immediate trouble would not turn his anger on them, for it he did, today would be the day of Ice Heart Valley’s destruction.
“Ha, hahahaha!” Mad laughter suddenly rang out, causing Luo Li to frown and turn, only to discover that Ran Yun Ting was its source.
Although she was laughing, the expression on her face was filled with endless bitterness and regret.
From the moment she decided to give up Su Yan, and Su Yan called her Honoured Master for the final time, she was destined to spend the rest of her life in regret.
“Luo Hai, it’s your turn!”
Yang Kai’s voice rang out from inside the mass of light again, and an intense murderous intent surged towards Luo Hai.
Luo Hai’s face changed drastically as he found he had still underestimated the terrifying power of the Star Emperor Token. Chi Huo being killed in a single blow was something even he could not accomplish.
In other words, he was completely outmatched!
“Star Force come to me!” Luo Hai’s expression fluctuated as he gave up any last hesitation and shouted.
He knew that trying to negotiate with Yang Kai was useless, he knew too many of this boy’s secrets, so it was absolutely impossible for them to simply part ways. What’s more, after Yang Kai had used a treasure as precious as a Star Emperor Token, how could he settle for not killing him? It was better to go all out in a fight than humiliate himself by begging.
Somewhere in the distant Star Field, Green Mountains Star flickered, and the unparalleled power from its very source blasted out, leapt across the barriers of space, and arrived on Scarlet Wave Star where it poured into Luo Hai’s body.
Luo Hai’s power and momentum surged, and his Second-Order Origin King cultivation rose to the very brink of the Third-Order in an instant.
As soon as this was complete, he fled towards the distance without looking back!
He had used his Star Source Support to escape, not even having the courage to confront Yang Kai and Su Yan head-on.
“You want to run?” Yang Kai laughed as the mass of light flickered and ripples of Space Force spread out, allowing him to instantly overtake Luo Hai where he released a blast of light towards him that contained terrifying power.
Luo Hai was shocked and the Origin King Grade artifact in his hand flashed, releasing a blade of light which seemed capable of cutting through the Heavens.
With the silent collision, space collapsed, and the sword wave was scattered, but the remaining power of the light blast still forced Luo Hai back a few thousand meters and had turned his face pale.
In their very first frontal exchange, he had suffered a small loss.
Stabilizing his figure and using the momentum he gained from being thrown out, Luo Hai continued to flee towards the Star Field!
The light mass which contained Yang Kai and Su Yan flickered once again and appeared in front of Luo Hai mysteriously.
“Boy, don’t go too far!” Luo Hai was so angry he coughed up blood. Although he knew that Yang Kai cultivated the Dao of Space, he never thought he would be toyed with in such a manner by it.
Those who cultivated the Dao of Space had unique advantages in both escaping and pursuing others.
If this were not the case, Luo Hai would have caught Yang Kai a year ago rather than allowing him to escape to Scarlet Wave Star.
“Now you want to talk about going too far? Why didn’t you think of this when you chased me across the Star Field? It’s useless to say anything more. Today, you die!”
A massive Void Crack suddenly formed, like the giant maw of an ancient beast, and bit towards Luo Hai, as if trying to swallow him whole. Luo Hai didn’t dare meet this attack and could only dodge desperately while searching for an opportunity to escape.
On Pure Ice Island, countless disciples shivered as the sturdy barriers all around them had long been destroyed by the terrifying explosions.
The current Pure Ice Island was almost completely undefended.
Luo Li’s face darkened when she realized this and shouted in a low voice, “Quickly make all disciples enter the underground secret rooms for refuge!”
Bing Long was also in a daze, but quickly reacted to these words and took out a communication artifact she then poured her Divine Sense into.
In short order, all of Ice Heart Valley’s disciples received the order and fled to the Sect’s underground chambers.
Only Bing Long and the dozen or so Elders remained beside Luo Li as they shivered, watching the terrifying battle taking place in front of them.
Only with Luo Li protecting them did they have the courage to stand where they were.
Above the clouds, at a location beyond where their eyes could reach, two extraordinary auras were clashing, these belonged to Yang Kai, Su Yan, and Luo Hai!
Although the Elders were unable to see the situation from where they stood, from the pitiful cries Luo Hai let out from time to time, it was easy to infer he was at a complete disadvantage.
From the clouds above, drops of blood which contained immense energy rained down occasionally, each droplet like a round gem that smashed open large craters whenever they hit the ground.
This was the blood of an Origin King Realm master!
“Supreme Elder…” Bing Long trembled, “What is the situation now?”
Luo Li’s beautiful eyes flashed as she stared into the void and whispered, “Luo Hai’s fate looks grim.”
The crowd was terrified when they heard this and could barely believe their ears.
Luo Hai was a Second-Order Origin King, so even if his opponent was a Third-Order Origin King, he would likely not die. With Luo Hai’s strength, even if he could not defeat his opponent, he should be able to make an escape and stage a comeback.
However, Luo Li had evaluated Luo Hai’s fate as grim.
This was indirectly saying it was highly likely that Luo Hai would die here today!
Could it be that Yang Kai and Su Yan, who united in body and mind, now had combat power that exceeded a Third-Order Origin King? Was this the true might of a Star Emperor Token? For a moment, everyone was at a loss for words.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s laughter echoed through the sky again, accompanied by a litany of Luo Hai’s angry curses.
The entire sky was in chaos, as waves of Space Force distorted the battlefield and massive Void Cracks shuttled back and forth, swallowing everything in their path.
Red blood constantly splashed and fell on the icy peaks of Pure Ice Island.
The devastating energy released from the clash caused many ice peaks to collapse and threw all of Pure Ice Island into chaos.
Bing Long and the others were deeply shocked as this kind of battle had rapidly moved into a realm they could no longer comprehend. Even if they wanted to watch, they could not see anything clearly or even feel anything aside from the fallout, making it impossible for them to gain any insight from it.
Only Luo Li could barely see something.
However, as time passed, the space and the flow of energy up in the sky grew more chaotic, to the point even she could not follow the situation.
Luo Hai’s curses had long ago ceased as he seemingly lacked the spare energy to even do that.
However, his aura was obviously weakening.
“Death!” Suddenly, Yang Kai’s shout rang out, together with Luo Hai’s panicked screams.
A shocking explosion occurred that sent out powerful shockwaves in the next moment.
Large amounts of blood fell from the sky like rain, together with some broken limbs and hashed meat.
The aura belonging to Luo Hai suddenly vanished.
Luo Li’s pupils shrank to the size of needle tips as her tender body could not help trembling.
She was well aware of what had just happened.
The earth-shaking battle subsided at that moment, but the Elders of Ice Heart Valley did not dare to even breath, all of them staring up into the sky in horror.
The chaotic battlefield began to clear as the massive Void Cracks slowly repaired themselves.
Gradually, a ball of light that was a blend of gold and white appeared before everyone’s vision, while there was no sign of Luo Hai anywhere to be seen.
There seemed to be a gaze projecting from the mass of light, overlooking everything below it.
This gaze was cold and merciless, with a hint of murderous intent mixed into it.
All those who fell under this gaze could not help shuddering.
Luo Li could not stop herself from inhaling sharply as she felt her heart leap up into her throat.
However, she soon felt relieved as this cold gaze quickly turned away and a shocking dragon roar and phoenix cry sounded before the mass of light flashed and suddenly disappeared.
No one knew where it had gone.
The Elders of Ice Heart Valley were unable to regain their composure for quite some time, and none of them dared to speak, all of them simply releasing their Divine Senses to carefully survey their surroundings.
It was not until half a day later, as the mass of light still did not appear, that they gradually relaxed.
Yang Kai apparently had no intentions of acting ruthlessly. Otherwise, Pure Ice Island would definitely have been filled with rivers of blood.
…..
Green Mountains Star, Star Master Shrine.
In the centre of the Star Master Shrine, there was a huge square, and at the centre of this square stood a statue about a hundred meters tall. This statue was carved extremely vividly and possessed an almost lifelike charm.
The statue was naturally of Luo Hai.
As a Star Master, Luo Hai had such a privilege. This statue was a symbol of his status as Green Mountains Star’s Star Master.
Below the statue, many cultivators sat cross-legged and seemed to be comprehending something from the statue.
Suddenly, there was a cracking sound. This cracking was immediately noticed, and the cultivators sitting in front of the statue frowned, opened their eyes, and looked around, wondering where this sound came from, but none of them were able to discover where it originated.
Just as they were about to close their eyes and continue their comprehension, however, another cracking sound occurred, this time clearer than before.
It was at this point that everyone finally turned their heads up towards the giant statue.
After a single glance, everyone was thoroughly stunned!
“Sir Luo Hai’s statue has cracked!”
“What? Impossible! How could there be cracks in Sir Luo Hai’s statue?”
“This statue is closely connected to the Star Source and Sir Luo Hai’s own aura! Since it’s cracked, could Sir Luo Hai be in some kind of danger?”
“Nonsense, Sir Luo Hai is Green Mountains Star’s Star Master and has profound cultivation, how could he have encountered any kind of danger… oh, there really is a crack.”
News spread like the wind and instantly forced all the cultivators who were present seeking enlightenment to awaken. These thousands of cultivators all looked up, and seeing the cracks gradually increase and widen, they could not help feeling stunned and panicked.
“Everyone, rest assured, Sir Luo Hai is Green Mountains Star’s Star Master, even if he encounters danger, he will surely be able to overcome it and come back safely, there’s no need to panic.”
“Exactly! How could a master like Sir Luo Hai fall so easily? Don’t make a fuss.” Someone immediately agreed, obviously admiring Luo Hai extremely.
However, as soon as this person’s voice fell, the huge human-shaped statue suddenly released a loud noise and burst apart, with giant pieces of it falling to the ground.
The closer cultivators gawked in shock, but quickly their eyes shrank, and they used their Movement Skills to flee.
*Hong long long…*
When the statue collapsed, the entire square shook as a cloud of dust flew up into the air.
At the same time, all of Green Mountains Star seemed to tremble and all those who possessed slightly higher strength immediately noticed that the World Energy of Green Mountains Star seemed to be weaker than before.
“Sir Luo Hai… fell?” Atop the square, thousands of cultivators with different levels of cultivation realized what had happened after experiencing a brief period of silence and consternation.
With this statue being closely connected to Luo Hai and the Star Source of Green Mountains Star, if the statue was destroyed, there was only one plausible explanation.
Luo Hai died!
No one could believe it!
How could such a powerful cultivator like Luo Hai die?
“Who did it? Which bastard did it? Someone tell me now so I can rip him into ten thousand pieces!” Someone shouted angrily as his face twisted in rage.
“Whoever killed Sir Luo Hai is the eternal enemy to all of Green Mountains Star!!”
“Everyone, we must punish the criminal!”
In the square, countless cultivators roared with indignation.
Luo Hai had nothing to do with most of them, and most had never even met him before, but he was still the Star Master of Green Mountains Star. With the Star Master falling, Green Mountains Star would also be affected. The drop in World Energy density on the star could not be recovered in short order, unless another Origin King came to Green Mountains Star and successfully refined its Star Source that is.
In other words, the fall of Luo Hai had caused a certain degree of loss to every cultivator on Green Mountains Star.
Whoever killed Luo Hai was naturally their enemy now.
As many cultivators shouted angrily, others wore solemn expressions as they took out their communication artifacts, poured their Divine Senses into them, and sent the shocking news to their relatives and friends.
One day later, everyone on Green Mountains Star knew that Star Master Luo Hai had fallen!
After one month, the news spread throughout the Star Field!
The entire Star Field shook!
There were many different opinions about Luo Hai’s death. Some people claimed that one of the Star Field’s old monsters who had not shown their face for thousands of years had killed Luo Hai. Others said that Luo Hai broke into some dangerous place and failed to escape. As for what the truth was, no one knew.
However, this was still explosive news. The number of Origin Kings in the Star Field was not very large, and the death of any of them was a sensational event.
What’s more, the Star Master of Green Mountains Star, Luo Hai, who died this time, was a Second-Order Origin King.
News soon reached Scarlet Wave Star, where Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder Luo Li had ordered all disciples of the Sect not to leak a word of what happened that day. Otherwise, she would personally take action to clean up the Sect. Naturally, none dared challenge her command.
In all honesty, only the top dozen or so Ice Heart Valley Elders actually knew what transpired that day, while the ordinary disciples knew nothing. They only knew that a terrifying battle had suddenly erupted over Pure Ice Island, but as for who was fighting, and what the outcome of the battle was, they were completely in the dark.
-Pure Ice Island-
Inside a rebuilt ice palace, all the leaders of Ice Heart Valley gathered.
Luo Li sat at the head of the hall with Bing Long, Ran Yun Ting, and the other Elders all sitting to either side of her while one Elder was reporting on the progress of restoring the various barriers and Spirit Arrays on the island.
The last shocking battle had destroyed almost every barrier around Pure Ice Island, so the disciples had been busy repairing all of them until today, when they finally finished.
However, the collapsed ice peaks could never be returned to their former glory. Fortunately, the disciples had all evacuated early so there were no casualties, the only bit of good news from the entire incident.
Luo Li kept her eyes closed until the Elder finished her report before gently nodding but not speaking.
Bing Long glanced at her, then turned to look at another person and asked, “Thirteenth Elder, is there any news about that person?”
Hearing this, Thirteenth Elder Yu Xue Qing shook her head solemnly, “No, we looked for him for an entire year before but never found any trace of him. If he had not shown up at that time of his own accord, we might still be unable to find him. This time, if he wants to deliberately conceal his location, there is nothing we can do to find him.”
“En!” Bing Long sighed.
“There’s no need to look for him!” Luo Li suddenly opened her eyes and said lightly.
“Supreme Elder…”
“He doesn’t want us to find him, so how could we? Besides, after such a battle, he must be busy healing.”
“Healing?” Bing Long and the others raised their brows as they looked a little surprised, but they quickly understood, “What Supreme Elder means is…”
“He used a power far beyond his own means, so he clearly must have paid a heavy price as well,” Luo Li said lightly.
“So, he’s currently wounded?” Ran Yun Ting’s eyes lit up and a hint of eagerness flashed across her face, “If that is the case, then we could…”
Before she could finish her words, however, Luo Li suddenly opened her eyes and shot her a cold glare, causing Ran Yun Ting to immediately fall silent, unable to speak a word.
“My Ice Heart Valley enduring until this day has not been easy, and my most earnest wish is not to make Ice Heart Valley rise, but to ensure our ancestral foundation is not destroyed. Do you understand?” Luo Li’s beautiful eyes swept around, revealing an endless majesty.
Everyone shivered as they understood the meaning of Luo Li’s words, quickly getting up and respectfully saying, “Disciple understands.”
“As long as you understand, don’t go provoking disaster for Ice Heart Valley.”
Ran Yun Ting’s face turned pale as she tremblingly spoke, “Disciple knows her wrongs!”
Luo Li nodded lightly, satisfied with her attitude, before suddenly smiling, “Let all those who we sent out to look for him return, he will come back on his own eventually.”
“He’ll come back?” One Elder’s complexion changed drastically. The day Yang Kai killed Luo Hai in battle, he had truly frightened them, so the thought that he would return to Pure Ice Island again at some point suddenly made them a little nervous.
Bing Long seemed to understand and smiled, “He left someone here on Pure Ice Island, so naturally he’ll come back for her.”
Ran Yun Ting thought for a while before positing, “Valley Master means that disciple named Qing Ya?”
“En, Qing Ya and Su Yan joined Ice Heart Valley together and share a very close relationship, so even if Yang Kai doesn’t want to return, Su Yan will definitely come back.”
“Should we try talking to Qing Ya?” Ran Yun Ting frowned.
“This Queen has already tried to speak with her a few days ago,” Bing Long gave a wry smile.
“Oh? And what did she say? Does she know the whereabouts of Yang Kai and Su Yan or what Yang Kai’s attitude towards our Ice Heart Valley is?” Ran Yun Ting asked.
“Although this Queen went to find her, she was unable to meet her,” A slightly embarrassed look appeared on Bing Long’s face.
“What happened?” All the Elders were surprised.
“Yang Kai left that stone man to guard her. When this Queen tried to approach, she was beaten back by that stone man,” Bing Long explained with a wry smile and some slight fear on her face. “If it wasn’t for Qing Ya hastily stopping it at that time, this Queen may have been wounded.”
“That stone man is so strong?” Ran Yun Ting’s face changed drastically.
She too had seen the stone man. When she ordered Bing Die to kill Qing Ya, it was the stone man who protected Qing Ya, but at that time, all her attention was focused on Yang Kai and Su Yan, so she hadn’t paid much attention to this strange creature.
Now, however, from Bing Long’s description, it seemed this stone man was quite extraordinary in its own right.
“In a head-on confrontation, I am not its opponent,” Bing Long declared solemnly.
Gasps sounded throughout the hall.
Bing Long was the strongest master among all of Ice Heart Valley’s Origin Returning Realm cultivators. Even taking all of Scarlet Wave Star into consideration, she was one of the greatest masters, but if even she was not this stone man’s opponent, didn’t that mean it was close to an Origin King in strength?
Just what kind of existence was it?
Everyone turned their eyes to Luo Li, hoping that she could enlighten them.
“Don’t look at me, I don’t know the origins of that stone man either. Perhaps it is a puppet that survived since ancient times, or perhaps it is an independent lifeform of some kind.”
[Even Supreme Elder does not know what it is?] Everyone was shocked. They always thought Supreme Elder was almost omnipotent, but today, that illusion was broken.
And the root of all of this was none other than Yang Kai.
“That disciple called Qing Ya must still hold some gratitude in her heart towards Ice Heart Valley, otherwise, she wouldn’t have stopped that stone man from attacking Bing Long. Don’t bother her anymore, just ask someone to attend to her needs. Yang Kai and Su Yan will come here again and take her away soon enough.”
“Yes!” Bing Long nodded respectfully.
“When he appears next time… make sure not to act disrespectful again!” Luo Li left this sentence before her figure flickered and suddenly disappeared.
The Elders all exchanged silent glances before they dispersed, leaving only Ran Yun Ting behind, who was still wallowing in endless regret.
…..
Inside the Sealed World Bead, in the loft where Xia Ning Chang lived before, Yang Kai and Su Yan sat cross-legged across from one another, their palms overlapping.
Saint Qi flowed between the two of them and blended together, forming a profound and endless cycle.
Both of their faces were slightly pale.
The battle with Luo Hai might have seemed simple and easy, but in order to use such terrifying power, both Yang Kai and Su Yan had paid a huge price.
It was for this reason that after that great battle, Yang Kai left Ice Heart Valley immediately, not even stopping to pick up Qing Ya, and went to find a place to recover.
Luo Li’s insight was quite sharp.
Fortunately, he had only used the Star Emperor Token after joining forces with Su Yan, so even though the cost paid was enormous, with the two of them sharing the burden, it was not unbearable.
Yang Kai felt quite lucky.
If Su Yan had not shared the burden with him this time, and he had instead used the Star Emperor Token all on his own, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
The power of the Great Emperor was not something he could bear.
Around the two of them, Saint Crystal Sources were scattered, and several empty jade bottles lay nearby, all the pills inside of them already taken.
Pure energy poured into the two of them as they carefully healed their wounds. As time passed, their complexions gradually recovered and the fluctuations in their auras slowly stabilized.
One day, Yang Kai exhaled a long breath and opened his eyes.
Facing him were Su Yan’s beautiful eyes.
The two smiled at each other. After more than three months of healing, they had finally recovered.
“Junior Brother, did you break through?” Su Yan eyes flashed with a hint of surprise.
“It seems so,” Yang Kai only then realized the changes he had undergone.
Before the battle with Luo Hai, he had reached the peak of the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm, and after the first battle, he had broken through and reached the Third-Order.
Truthfully, he didn’t even know when he broke through. It may have been that the Great Emperor’s divine might was too great, so when he took it into his body, it shattered his bottleneck all on its own without him realizing.
Moreover, his current cultivation was extremely stable, so Yang Kai did not need to spend any time consolidating it.
“You did as well,” Yang Kai looked at Su Yan and suddenly found that her cultivation realm was the same as his own, having reached the Third-Order as well.
Su Yan smiled.
The light from the entire world seemed to gather on Su Yan, making her look even more noble and glamorous.
Yang Kai could not help staring for a while before stretching out his hand to hold hers, his emotions rising rapidly, “Su Yan…”
Su Yan blushed, naturally aware of what he was thinking, and managed to mutter haltingly, “Honored Master and everyone else are waiting outside.”
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to investigate and quickly discovered that his acquaintances and friends had already heard the news and were now waiting outside.
The masters of the Human, Monster, and Demon races were waiting silently outside the loft.
Yang Kai scratched his cheeks for a moment before making up his mind and grinning, “They’ve waited for so long already, there’s no need to rush out and see them.”
Saying so, he leapt like a wolf onto Su Yan and pinned her to the ground.
…..
When the loft door opened, Yang Kai and Su Yan appeared in front of Ling Tai Xu and the others.
Everyone ran forward and asked about their situation, while Xia Ning Chang’s beautiful eyes were filled with anxiety and concern.
On that day, Yang Kai and Su Yan suddenly appeared inside the Sealed World Bead, with both their auras fluctuating wildly, as if they had been seriously injured. Naturally, Xia Ning Chang was shocked and quickly arranged a place for them to heal their injuries while at the same time spreading the news.
That was three months ago, and only now had the two of them emerged.
“Yang Kai, are you two all right?” Ling Tai Xu asked first.
“I’ve worried Grand Master unnecessarily; Disciple is fine now.”
“Smelly brat, you almost worried… your mother to death!” Yang Ying Feng also breathed a sigh of relief. Originally, he wanted to say that he was worried, but feeling like that would make him lose face, he quickly pushed that charge onto Dong Su Zhu.
Dong Su Zhu stood beside Yang Ying Feng, biting her red lips, her nose sniffling slightly as big tears threatened to leak from her eyes, seemingly wanting to cry but not daring to make a sound.
“Mother, don’t worry. I’m fine, really,” Yang Kai grinned and thumped his chest strongly to prove he was healthy.
Seeing this, Dong Su Zhu finally could not hold back and began weeping loudly.
If it were not for the presence of so many people, she would likely have rushed forward, embraced her son into her arms, and refused to let go for some time.
“Little Brat!” Yang Ying Feng became irritated and glared at Yang Kai.
“Why are you shouting? Who said you could shout!” Dong Su Zhu punched him with her pair of delicate fists, “Why are you shouting at my son!”
Yang Ying Feng’s face turned dark, thinking, [He’s not just your son but mine too! And he wouldn’t lose anything from being shouted at a bit!]
The entire matter quickly became noisy.
However, depressed as he was from all the injustice, Yang Ying Feng knew not to say anything and simply allowed Dong Su Zhu to punch him, not daring to move away.
Meeting a group of relatives and friends after so long, it was easy to feel their care and concern.
Yang Kai’s body and mind both felt warmed by this sight.
He reaffirmed that his decision to return to Tong Xuan Realm and bring out all these people was the correct one, despite the difficulties it had involved.
A great tree needed strong roots, just as a flowing river needed a source; these people from Tong Xuan Realm were Yang Kai’s.
Wood without roots and water without a source were destined to dry out quickly.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, in order to celebrate the return of Su Yan, the Three Clans put on a grand and extremely lively banquet.
During the banquet, drinks were pushed around constantly and no matter what one’s cultivation or age was, they all became swept up in the festive atmosphere.
Yang Kai was nearly drowned by all the toasts from the Three Clans’ masters, causing him to wake up the next day with a splitting headache.
Afterwards, Yang Kai stayed with his parents for two more days to fulfil his filial piety duties before leaving the Sealed World Bead.
Before leaving, however, Yang Kai taught Su Yan the Monster Transformation Secret Art.
Now that Su Yan possessed the Ice Phoenix Source, she too could cultivate the Monster Transformation and slowly develop the Source strength inside her body to strengthen herself.
He also gave her the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal.
This supreme treasure had originally been used to hold the Sun’s True Essence, and although it was now no longer useful to Yang Kai, it was an extremely useful auxiliary cultivation tool to Su Yan.
With the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal, Su Yan’s cultivation speed should increase by at least thirty percent.
With everything arranged, Yang Kai flew towards Ice Heart Valley again.
Pure Ice Island had returned to its original tranquillity.
The disciples seemed to have recovered from the aftermath of the shocking war that erupted several months ago and had now resumed their regular cultivation, spending their days calmly and peacefully.
On the Outer Island, below a certain ice peak, a woman in a white dress was sweeping a small ice road when suddenly a gust of wind rushed past and she couldn’t help shivering as an inexplicable sense of panic rose from her heart.
She looked up suspiciously and scanned her surroundings, but ultimately found nothing.
Feeling doubtful, she checked around herself for a while longer, but after still discovering nothing, she simply shook her head and continued to clean the ice road.
In front of an ice peak not far from this woman, a figure mysteriously appeared.
This figure walked forward towards a certain ice room, and after a short time, he arrived at his destination. Looking at the barrier in front of him, barring his path, this figure smiled slightly, stretched out his hand, and slashed towards the space.
A series of ripples emerged as the barrier split open and he walked directly inside.
Inside the ice room, Qing Ya sat cross-legged on the ground, her delicate cheeks resting on her hands as she stared at the Stone Puppet in front of her.
She seemed to be very interested in the Stone Puppet.
Yang Kai and Su Yan had killed two Origin Kings with shocking methods that day then immediately retreated, leaving her behind. Qing Ya had no complaints about this though, as she could vaguely tell that Yang Kai and Su Yan were both injured during this battle and had no leeway to remain.
What’s more, even though Yang Kai left, this weird Stone Puppet remained to guard her, so Qing Ya certainly wouldn’t have any complaints.
She also knew that Yang Kai and Su Yan would definitely return to Ice Heart Valley to take her away at some point.
These days, Qing Ya had remained behind closed doors, looking forward to the day she would leave this ice room, but when she was bored, she would often come and exchange stares with the Stone Puppet.
She discovered that although the Stone Puppet had its own sentience, no matter how she tried to communicate with it, it would not respond, instead just following her around all day silently.
“Little guy, when do you think Yang Kai and Su Yan will come?” Qing Ya sighed lightly. Once, she was proud to belong to Ice Heart Valley, but after her most recent experiences, she could not wait to leave this Sect that so greatly disappointed her and almost forced her to her death.
“Haa, you look a bit dull but how can you not even know how to speak?” Qing Ya stretched out her hand and flicked the Stone Puppet’s forehead lightly
This flick naturally caused no harm, but the Stone Puppet still blinked and wore a bewildered expression on its face.
Qing Ya was amused by its appearance and could not help giggling.
“Seems like you’re in a good mood,” Suddenly, a voice called out from behind her.
Qing Ya’s complexion changed greatly and she instinctually began condensing her Saint Qi, but after realizing who this voice belonged to, her frightened expression turned to one of pleasant surprise.
Turning around, Qing Ya saw a young man standing behind her smiling brightly, his presence like a ray of warm sunlight, dispelling the cold and darkness in the ice room.
The Stone Puppet’s two small black eyes also burst with life as he scampered over to the young man, stretched out his thick fingers, then pointed to himself and Qing Ya in turn, as if trying to express something but unable to form the words.
“I know, you’ve done a good job guarding her!” The young man patted the Stone Puppet on the head.
The Stone Puppet’s small eyes narrowed, obviously feeling quite happy.
“Yang Kai!” Qing Ya shouted as her face flushed slightly.
It seemed that the scene where she was talking to herself just now was seen by him, embarrassing Qing Ya a little.
But soon, Qing Ya adjusted her mood and asked with concern, “Are you all right?”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and replied, “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”
“That’s good. Ah… what about Su Yan?” Qing Ya’s face changed as she was unable to see Su Yan’s figure anywhere and could not help worrying that something bad had happened.
“Su Yan is in a very safe place,” Yang Kai motioned to her not to be nervous, “I’m here to take you away. Are you ready?”
Qing Ya took a deep breath then nodded firmly, “I’m ready.”
“Then let’s go!” Yang Kai nodded before suddenly frowning slightly and glancing in a certain direction, smiling wryly a moment later, “En, seems I was still noticed.”
At that moment, a cold voice echoed in the ice room, “Since Young Master Yang has taken the trouble to come, why leave so hastily? If you have time, why not come to Pure Ice Peak so we can chat?”
“Supreme Elder!” Qing Ya’s beautiful face lost all colour as she exclaimed in shock, recognizing that the voice which had just sounded belonged to Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder, Luo Li.
Yang Kai cast her a reassuring look before staring into the distance, a subtle grin appearing on his face as he called out, “It would be rude for Junior to refuse Senior’s kind invitation!”
“Then this Queen will await your arrival on Pure Ice Peak!” Luo Li’s voice sounded once more before her Divine Sense presence disappeared.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai waved to Qing Ya.
“Yang Kai…” Qing Ya’s face filled with worry.
“Rest assured, she has no malicious intentions,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
Hearing this, Qing Ya relaxed and quickly followed after Yang Kai as he walked out of the ice room.
Stepping outside, Qing Ya couldn’t help gasping slightly when she saw a dozen people standing nearby, the Valley Master, Great Elder, and other high-level figures of Ice Heart Valley among them, all of them seemingly waiting to see Yang Kai.
When these women saw Yang Kai, all of their expressions couldn’t help becoming solemn and respectful.
Yang Kai’s expression remained unchanged as he simply nodded to them.
“Young Master Yang…” Bing Long quickly greeted Yang Kai, but how she did so was far more respectful than before. It was obvious that the shocking battle that day had left a huge impact on her.
“Senior Bing Long!” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
“Please don’t be so polite,” Bing Long waved her hand quickly, “If Young Master Yang does not mind, please address this Mistress as Bing Long.”
A visible look of relief spread across Bing Long’s face. Before she came here, she was frightened Yang Kai would not give her any face or would speak insulting words. She was prepared to endure humiliation, but Yang Kai had spoken in a relaxed and casual manner instead while not neglecting proper etiquette, making Bing Long feel as if she had been a bit overly suspicious and pessimistic.
Thinking so, Bing Long was somewhat ashamed.
Seeing that Yang Kai did not seem to bear hostility towards Ice Heart Valley, Bing Long felt a great weight lift from her heart.
“I’ll have to ask Valley Master Bing to lead the way,” Yang Kai nodded.
“En, this way please!” Bing Long stepped back and gave way.
Yang Kai stepped forward.
Inside the crowd, Ran Yun Ting’s expression changed several times, but in the end, she couldn’t hold herself back and called out, “Where is Su Yan? Is she alright?”
Yang Kai stopped, turned around, and gave Ran Yun Ting a faint look.
The hearts of more than a dozen Elders immediately clenched tightly, and even Bing Long’s expression became tense, all of them silently sending signals to Ran Yun Ting to hold her tongue.
Ran Yun Ting turned a blind eye to all of this however and simply met Yang Kai’s gaze head-on with a bitter smile, “I’m not qualified to serve as her Honoured Master any longer, but that does not mean I am not worried about whether Su Yan is safe or now.”
“She’s safe, you need not worry about her!” Yang Kai responded lightly.
“As long as she’s safe,” Ran Yun Ting breathed a sigh of relief.
“From now on, Su Yan has nothing to do with Ice Heart Valley,” After Yang Kai made this declaration, he continued to walk forward.
Ran Yun Ting’s body trembled as the bitterness on her face became even more obvious. At the same time, the other Elders present sighed and shook their heads sadly.
Pure Ice Peak was the central ice peak of Pure Ice Island. It was not the tallest or most majestic ice peak, but it had the richest World Energy. Supreme Elder Luo Li of Ice Heart Valley lived in seclusion here.
It was rumoured that there was a pond which overflowed with cold energy on Pure Ice Peak, and that anyone who cultivated an Ice Attribute Secret Art nearby would be able to cultivate far faster than normal.
When the small group arrived at the base of Pure Ice Peak, Bing Long and the others came to a stop, “This is Pure Ice Peak. Supreme Elder is waiting for you at the summit, please enter, Young Master Yang!”
Without the Supreme Elder’s permission, no one could enter Pure Ice Peak, so Bing Long and the others could only remain here.
Yang Kai nodded, then turned to Qing Ya and said, “You wait for me here.”
“Ok,” Qing Ya nodded.
Yang Kai then set foot on a set of jade white steps as he ascended the mountain.
Along the way, cold and bitter winds whipped about as an icy strength which seemed capable of freezing anything under the Heavens filled the air.
Yang Kai was unaffected by this as he walked forward, he even had some spare capacity to enjoy the surrounding scenery.
A quarter of an hour later, Yang Kai arrived at the summit.
It only took a single glance for Yang Kai to take in everything at this summit as this place was extremely sparse. There were no grand ice palaces or pavilions present, only a small, thatched house covered in snow that seemed like it would leak wind from all sides.
The Supreme Elder of Ice Heart Valley, Luo Li, sat cross-legged inside this thatched hut with a small stone table in front of her. Atop this stone table was a pot of lightly steaming tea which was somehow isolated from the surrounding cold.
When Yang Kai arrived, the tea seemed to have just finished steeping.
Luo Li opened her eyes, looked at Yang Kai, smiled slightly, and gestured, “Young Master Yang, please sit down!”
Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Junior won’t stand on ceremony then!”
Saying so, he walked over and sat down cross-legged opposite of Luo Li.
Seeing him look so calm, Luo Li nodded slightly, stretched out her hand, poured some tea into a small teacup in front of Yang Kai, and said, “Have a taste of this Queen’s Tranquil as Snow Tea.” As she spoke, a clear and refreshing fragrance wafted towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he picked up the teacup and put it under his nose, sniffing it a few times as a slightly intoxicated look appeared on his face. Immediately after, he lifted the cup of tea up and drank it down in one gulp before chewing a small tea leaf that became stuck in his teeth.
Luo Li was slightly startled and smiled lightly, “Young Master Yang does not seem to have dabbled much in the art of tea ceremonies.”
“En, I haven’t studied it at all,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “I have been too busy running around these years so I haven’t had the time or mind to learn about such things.”
“That is only natural. Young Hero Yang already has such a shocking cultivation at his age, so clearly he is an assiduous individual.”
“Senior is too polite; however, though Junior does not know much about the tea ceremony, he can tell that this Tranquil as Snow has the effect of calming one’s mood. Senior giving me this tea as soon as I arrived… could you be worried about something?” Yang Kai smiled without really smiling.
Luo Li sighed openly, “Why does Young Master Yang ask something he already knows the answer to?”
Yang Kai’s expression became serious as he stated, “Junior will be direct then. Ice Heart Valley’s previous attitude and practice truly angered me greatly, and for a moment I felt that it would be best to wipe it from existence!”
Luo Li’s expression remained unchanged as she continued looking at Yang Kai, waiting for him to continue.
“But reflecting on it now, that was just an impulse driven by anger and completely unnecessary. Moreover, even if I really wanted to do so, Su Yan would not have agreed.”
When Yang Kai mentioned Su Yan, Luo Li’s face flashed with sadness, “Su Yan is a good child. I have taught her several times and her understanding, aptitude, and will are all outstanding. If it were not for matters occurring in such a manner, Su Yan would definitely have grown into the pillar of my Ice Heart Valley and lead it to a glorious future.”
“Unfortunately, that will never come to pass,” Yang Kai smiled coldly.
“This time, it was my Ice Heart Valley’s fault. My, Luo Li’s, fault. Young Master Yang having the heart to forgive our transgressions even after everything that happened is more than this Luo Li can thank you for!” Luo Li stood up and bowed to Yang Kai elegantly.
Yang Kai frowned, but his expression soon softened. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Senior is too serious. Senior is an Origin King while Junior is a mere Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator. Senior need not display such courtesy or respect.”
Luo Li shook her head sternly, “This Queen cannot depend on her status to remain aloof. Besides, although this Queen is somewhat short-sighted, she knows Young Hero’s future must be bright.”
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “Then I’ll take advantage of Senior’s auspicious words.”
After this laugh, Yang Kai said solemnly, “Since Senior is willing to speak openly and honestly, then Junior will reciprocate in kind. From now on, Su Yan and Qing Ya no longer have any relationship with Ice Heart Valley, and in return, I will not take what Ice Heart Valley has done in the past to heart.”
A trace of sadness flashed across Luo Li’s face as she nodded lightly, “Very well, it is my Ice Heart Valley that is not fated to receive these blessings and opportunities, so we will not try to demand them.”
“Senior being able to think so is for the best,” Yang Kai nodded in satisfaction.
Yang Kai was happy that Luo Li did not try to make things difficult here. Although his main purpose in coming here was to take Qing Ya away, he also wanted to meet with this Supreme Elder to draw a clear line between Ice Heart Valley and Su Yan.
After all, Ice Heart Valley had nurtured and taught Su Yan and Qing Ya for more than thirty years, using plenty of effort and resources on them, so although Yang Kai was extremely angry and disappointed with their most recent actions, some things still needed to be made clear.
“Good, since the personal affairs have been concluded, let’s talk about proper business,” Yang Kai’s expression changed as he spoke to Luo Li, a sly merchant’s grin appearing on his face.
Luo Li was stunned for a moment before she asked, “Proper business? What business?”
Despite her sharp instincts, she was unable to keep up with Yang Kai’s constantly changing rhythm.
“Brilliant Flame Sect and Ice Heart Valley have fought over Scarlet Wave Star for thousands of years and share an indelible blood feud. The number of Ice Heart Valley disciples who have died at the hands of Brilliant Flame Sect cultivators must be quite astonishing. Now that Brilliant Flame Sect’s Supreme Elder Chi Huo has been killed by me, hasn’t Senior had any ideas about taking advantage of the situation?” Yang Kai looked at Luo Li with a smile and slowly stated, “For example, cutting weeds and pulling out roots to avoid future troubles.”
Luo Li’s expression changed as she looked at Yang Kai in shock, “Young Hero is apparently a merciless person.”
“Hmph, those who aren’t merciless can never stand firmly,” Yang Kai sneered.
Luo Li’s beautiful eyes flashed, “These words are both learned and cultured, it seems this Queen has looked down on Young Hero.”
“So what are Senior’s intentions?”
“This Queen will speak opening then. This Queen indeed had such intentions; with Chi Huo dead, Brilliant Flame Sect now is leaderless, so now is indeed the best time to settle all the grievances between our two factions, but… this Queen is strong in will but weak in strength.”
Yang Kai raised his brow slightly before gently nodding, “Is Senior referring to her internal and Soul injuries?”
“Young Hero’s eyes are indeed sharp,” Luo Li did not deny it.
The internal injuries were the result of her recent cultivation dissonance, while the damage to her Soul was a result of her choice to abandon Su Yan. The latter made the situation of the former worse, which was the reason why Luo Li had not taken any action.
Otherwise, given all the grievances between the two factions, as early as the day Chi Huo was beheaded, Luo Li would have set out for Brilliant Flame Mountain Range to uproot Brilliant Flame Sect.
“Even so, with Senior’s means, is there no way to take Brilliant Flame Sect?” Yang Kai asked suspiciously.
“Young Hero thinks too highly of me,” Luo Li laughed and shook her head. “If this Queen was at her peak, she would have at least a seventy percent chance of breaking through Brilliant Flame Sect’s Sect Defending Array, but under the current circumstances… it would be quite difficult. Although Brilliant Flame Sect does not have an Origin King to protect it now, it still has hundreds of Origin Realm cultivators, and with the help of their Sect Defending Array, they would have a fair chance of defeating this Queen.”
“It seems I’ve underestimated Brilliant Flame Sect!” Yang Kai stroked his shin, showing a trace of solemnity on his face.
In the end, Brilliant Flame Sect had endured for more than ten thousand years, so it possessed a profound heritage.
“So… if I can allow Senior to restore her strength to its peak, heal her injuries, and offer my cooperation, there would be a good chance of success?” Yang Kai suddenly laughed strangely.
“What?” Luo Li was startled as she furrowed her delicate brow, “You have a method to allow me to restore my peak strength?”
“Indeed!”
“But to heal my injuries, only an extraordinary cure will be useful. I would need a very specific type of Origin King Grade pill!” As she spoke, Luo Li seemed to realize something and her complexion changed dramatically, calling out in alarm, “Is Young Hero also an Origin King Grade Alchemist?”
Yang Kai smiled meaningfully, giving off a profound image as he nodded, “Whether or not that is the case, Senior can see for herself. Good, I need these materials. With Ice Heart Valley’s heritage, it shouldn’t be difficult to take them out…”
Yang Kai quickly listed a number of herbs, all of them Origin King Grade.
Luo Li was in a daze as she took down the list of materials while staring at Yang Kai in disbelief, her tender body trembling slightly as she did.
All the signs pointed to this young man being an Origin King Grade Alchemist. At the very least, an Origin King Grade Alchemist was standing behind him, otherwise, he would not have any need for such herbs.
Luo Li’s heart tumbled like it was being battered by great stormy waves, making it impossible for her to regain her calm for a long time.
Origin King Grade Alchemists were extremely rare even considering the entire Star Field, almost to the point where they could be counted with one’s fingers. Each of these Grandmasters was extremely famous and even peak Third-Order Origin Kings would have to act respectful and polite whenever they met them.
They were the true nobility of the Star Field.
If the young man in front of her was really an Origin King Grade Alchemist, then Ice Heart Valley’s loss this time would be difficult to quantify.
As soon as she thought about this, Luo Li felt the light in front of her eyes dim slightly and she nearly fainted. Fortunately, thanks to her profound cultivation and many years of tempering, she somehow managed to endure this shock and maintain her consciousness.
“These materials shouldn’t be difficult to find, right?” Yang Kai looked at Luo Li.
“En, the materials Young Hero has listed should be in the Valley’s storehouses, I will have someone check immediately!”
“Very good. En, I will also need a seclusions room.”
“This Queen will have one prepared!” Luo Li nodded immediately.
“Alright, in three days, I will come here again, Senior should look forward to it!” Yang Kai stood up.
“Young Master Yang…” Luo Li also stood up and called out.
“Is there something else Senior wishes to say?”
“I would like to ask, why are you trying to destroy Brilliant Flame Sect? Although Wei Feng insulted Su Yan that day, he is also dead. Brilliant Flame Sect has not truly provoked Young Hero, right? Young Hero would also not do this simply to help my Ice Heart Valley.”
“Who said they haven’t provoked me?” Yang Kai snorted, “They’ve provoked me several times. Of course, this is not the main reason. I want to deal with Brilliant Flame Sect because I want their Heavenly Thunder Fire!”
Shock filled Luo Li’s face as she muttered, “Young Hero has a big appetite! The Heavenly Thunder Fire is the foundation of Brilliant Flame Sect. It is also rumoured to have its own sentience and possess incredible strength. The primary reason this Queen has hesitated to invade Brilliant Flame Sect was precisely because of the Heavenly Thunder Fire!”
“En, very good. Since it can cause Senior so much worry, the Heavenly Thunder Fire must be stronger than I anticipated. I want it even more now!” Yang Kai laughed happily.
“You…” Luo Li stared at Yang Kai in amazement, thinking that he was indeed somewhat crazy. Even she was extremely concerned about the Heavenly Thunder Fire, yet this young man showed not the slightest fear of it, it really was a mystery what he had to rely on.
[I hope he is not someone who does not know his own limits.]
Luo Li prayed secretly in her heart.
After her expression fluctuated a few times, Luo Li seemed to make some kind of important decision and spoke once more, “Young Master Yang, if there is a chance, could you have Su Yan come to see this Queen one last time? This Queen has something she wishes to tell her.”
Yang Kai looked at her seriously, but after a short silence, he nodded and said, “Sure, I will have Su Yan come see you tonight. I’ll take my leave first.”
“Many thanks, Young Hero,” Luo Li nodded gently.
Yang Kai descended Pure Ice Peak and met up with Qing Ya, who was waiting at its base. The latter released a sigh of relief when she saw him return safely.
Obviously, Bing Long had received Luo Li’s communication and immediately greeted Yang Kai, “Young Master Yang, please follow me.”
“Please!”
A short while later, Yang Kai was led to a certain isolated loft on the Inner Island while the herbs he had requested before were delivered to him by Bing Long herself.
After being brought out from the Sealed World Bead, Su Yan headed to Pure Ice Peak alone.
Although Yang Kai did not know why Luo Li wanted to meet Su Yan, he could tell that she had no malice towards Su Yan. He even felt that this was an opportunity for Su Yan.
The strange appearance of Su Yan shocked the Ice Heart Valley Elder who had been standing guard outside the secluded room.
She never saw Su Yan enter the room, but she had no doubt walked out from it.
No matter how she thought about it, she could not figure out what was going on.
In the meantime, Yang Kai remained in the secluded room to perform Alchemy.
An Origin King Grade Spirit Pill was not something that could simply be refined at will. According to Yang Kai’s understanding of the True Alchemic Way, if one wanted to refine an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill, they needed to infuse it with an appropriate pill spirit.
Only by possessing spirituality, could a refined pill be considered a Spirit Pill.
Yang Kai used high-grade Monster Beast Monster Cores as pill spirits.
A Monster Beast’s Monster Core contained its Spiritual Essence, which possessed its own spirituality, thus satisfying the Spirit Pill conditions.
Yang Kai naturally did not possess a Tenth-Order Monster Beast Monster Core, nor did Ice Heart Valley, but Ice Heart Valley did not lack Peak Ninth-Peak Monster Beast Monster Cores, one of which they supplied among the other materials Yang Kai had requested.
For the next three days, Yang Kai secluded himself.
From time to time, strange sounds and energy fluctuations emerged from the secluded room, and before long, a potent medicinal fragrance filled the air.
Bing Long and the other Elders, who had already heard some news from Luo Li, were absolutely stunned as they stood guard outside the secluded room, their jaws unable to close.
Yang Kai turned out to be an extremely skilled Alchemist, and although they didn’t know if he could truly refine an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill, just the signs they could see were enough to prove his extensive knowledge in the Alchemic Way.
But how was that possible?
Yang Kai didn’t seem to be very old, and his cultivation had already reached an incredible height at the Third Order Origin Returning Realm, so how could he have had any spare time or energy to study Alchemy, much less possess such high attainments in the field?
It was only at this moment that Bing Long and the other Elders realized just how terrifying an existence Yang Kai was.
The looks they directed towards the secluded room gradually became ones of awe.
Over time, the abnormal movement from the secluded room became more and more obvious as thousands of rays of light shone from it and the pill aroma that filled the air became more and more intense. Simply taking a deep breath of this fragrance was enough to allow the various Elders present to feel relaxed and comfortable.
Three days passed by in a flash, but no one dared open the door to this secluded room.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s voice came from inside, “Senior Bing Long, please enter.”
Bing Long adjusted her expression and hurried forward.
A short time after entering the secluded room, she walked out again, her expression filled with both excitement and anticipation.
“Valley Master, what is the situation?” Great Elder Ran Yun Ting and the others looked at it with anxious eyes. All of them knew that Yang Kai had been refining a Spirit Pill for the Supreme Elder these days. So, naturally, they could not wait to know what the results were.
Bing Long did not respond directly and instead just showed them a white jade bottle she held in her palm before quickly storing it into her Space Ring and then flying off to Pure Ice Peak in full haste.
“He succeeded?” Ran Yun Ting muttered to herself with a pale face.
The other Elders stared at the disappearing figure of Bing Long before turning their eyes to Ran Yun Ting again, a few of them letting out obvious sighs while others showed some meaning of blame in their eyes.
They knew that if they were in the same position as Ran Yun Ting on that day, with Chi Huo and Luo Hai applying pressure on Ice Heart Valley, they would have made the same decision as her: To give up on Su Yan to save the Sect.
However, Yang Kai’s bizarre performance and his incredible potential still made them feel a deep sense of regret.
If they had desperately tried to protect Su Yan instead of abandoning her that day… how wonderful would things have been? If that were the case, they could have forged a good relationship with Yang Kai.
Just how distinguished were Origin King Grade Alchemists?
Inside the secluded room, Yang Kai closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing. The Origin King Grade Spirit Pill refining he performed this time had given him some new insights he needed time to digest, and it just so happened that Luo Li would also need some time to refine this pill and heal her wounds, so he was in no rush to exit.
Once Luo Li recovered from her injuries, it would be time to attack Brilliant Flame Sect.
Yang Kai wanted to destroy Brilliant Flame Sect partly because of their Heavenly Thunder Fire. All the peak Brilliant Flame Sect masters he had encountered before had cultivated the Heaven Scorching Thunder Fire Secret Technique which when swallowed by the Firebird Artifact Spirit gave it a massive boost in strength.
Another reason was naturally because they had touched his bottom line.
Yang Kai had several grievances with this Sect even before the most recent incident, so his impression of them was quite poor.
One day later, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and nodded in satisfaction.
To continue improving in the Alchemic Way, practice really was a requirement. Refining a single Origin King Grade Spirit Pill had allowed him to accumulate a lot of experience, so if he had enough materials to continue practising regularly, Yang Kai felt that his Alchemy techniques would improve significantly in short order.
Feeling a gaze upon him, Yang Kai turned his head to the side and saw that Qing Ya seemingly wanting to speak to him.
“Senior Sister Qing Ya, if you have something to say, don’t hold back,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Do you want me to refine a certain pill for you?”
“No no no,” Qing Ya waved her hands quickly, hesitated for a while, then finally spoke, “It’s about Qian Hao.”
“Qian Hao…” Yang Kai nodded. Qian Hao was one of the former Elders of Ice Sect, as well as Qian Yue’s brother.
He had also come to Scarlet Wave Star with Qing Ya and Su Yan back then, but because he was male, he could not enter Ice Heart Valley. Fortunately, Ran Yun Ting arranged for him to enter a subordinate Sect of Ice Heart Valley and apparently, he had been doing well these past few decades.
“Do you want him to leave that Sect?” Yang Kai immediately understood Qing Ya’s intentions.
“En, Su Yan and I are no longer disciples of Ice Heart Valley, so if Qian Hao were to remain in his current Sect, there is a good chance he will become the target of discrimination. Also, since we have all reunited now, it makes no sense to leave Qian Hao to be on his own. He should come back and join us.”
“En, a simple matter,” Yang Kai smiled lightly as he released his Divine Sense and communicated with one of the Elders outside.
A moment later, he smiled at Qing Ya and said, “Qian Hao will come tomorrow, then all of Ice Sect’s members can be reunited.”
“Thank you,” Qing Ya said, full of emotion.
Ice Sect had been one of the most powerful Sects on Tong Xuan Realm, and although it did not have many disciples, it also did not have a very high public profile, any master of significance knew of its existence and that it was a silent hegemon in its own domain.
But now, only four people remained from Ice Sect.
Reflecting on the past, Qing Ya cherished the present even more.
[Su Yan had found herself a good man!] Qing Ya looked at Yang Kai with a smile of relief on her face.
Ice Heart Valley’s efficiency was great and the next day, Qian Hao arrived on Pure Ice Island. After seeing Qing Ya, he felt a sense of comfort, as if he had returned home, and after seeing Yang Kai, he was thoroughly dumbfounded, like he had seen a ghost.
Qian Hao had to rub his eyes several times before he could confirm that the Yang Kai in front of him was real and not some kind of illusion.
“Good, you’ve not met in quite some time so you should have a lot you wish to say to one another. Relax, I will send you to a place where someone is waiting for you!” Yang Kai smiled lightly as he spoke to Qing Ya and Qian Hao.
The pair did not ask any questions and immediately relaxed their guard.
Yang Kai waved his hand, enveloping the pair in an invisible force that in the next moment sent Qing Ya and Qian Hao into the Sealed World Bead.
When the brother and sister met, Qian Hao and Qian Yue cried with joy…
Ten days later, Yang Kai suddenly received Luo Li’s summon and immediately left his secluded room for Pure Ice Peak.
Luo Li’s voice sounded much better than before; obviously, the Origin King Grade Spirit Pill had played its role. Yang Kai did not know why she called him to Pure Ice Peak at this time, but he could vaguely guess that it had something to do with Su Yan.
Since Su Yan entered Pure Ice Peak that day, she had not returned.
Yang Kai was not worried because he could still sense that Su Yan was safe and sound.
A short time later, Yang Kai arrived at the summit of Pure Ice Peak. The scenery here was as simple as ever, with nothing of note except for the small, thatched shed.
Luo Li sat cross-legged inside this small hut, her aura stable, and even her complexion somewhat rosy.
Her injuries had obviously healed.
“You’ve arrived,” Luo Li motioned Yang Kai to sit down and talk.
Yang Kai turned his head around and asked with a slight frown, “Where is Su Yan?”
He did not see any trace of Su Yan here.
“Young Hero and Su Yan seem to share a kind of spiritual bond, so can’t you tell where she is?” Luo Li smiled without answering.
Was she testing him?
Yang Kai curled his lips slightly before immediately casting his eyes towards a cold pond not far away.
This cold pond was only about five metres in diameter and was filled with the purest of water; however, it was impossible to see to its bottom, so there was no telling how deep it was. Above the pond, there was a thin layer of white Qi which seemed to be composed of the purest Ice Attribute energy.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense instinctually but quickly took it back as a look of alarm filled his face, not daring to repeat his actions.
The last time he came here, he noticed this cold pond, but had not gone to observe it too closely. This time though, under his Divine Sense’s investigation, he was quite surprised.
A kind of Domain surrounded this cold pool which blocked his Divine Sense from penetrating it too far and even managed to freeze some of his Spiritual Energy the moment he tried.
Because of the Soul Warming Lotus, Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy was comparable in intensity to that of an ordinary Origin King.
What exactly was this cold pond then, and how was it so powerful?
Even so, Yang Kai could clearly sense that Su Yan was somewhere deep inside this cold pond.
“This is my Ice Heart Valley’s Heavenly Blessings Frozen Pond!” Seeing the look of doubt on Yang Kai’s face, Luo Li took the initiative to explain, “Together with Brilliant Flame Sect’s Heavenly Thunder Fire, they make up Scarlet Wave Star’s two Heavenly treasures. Those who enter the Heavenly Blessings Frozen Pond may receive the good fortune of Heaven, assuming they can withstand its extreme cold.”
“Oh, what kind of blessings does it bestow?” Yang Kai looked towards the cold pond with curious eyes, wondering about its mysteries.
“For those who cultivate Ice Attribute Secret Arts, the Heavenly Blessings Frozen Pond is the most precious of opportunities. The reason why my Ice Heart Valley was founded in this place was precisely because of this cold pond. It can transform a cultivator’s innate physique to make it more compatible with Ice Attribute Energy. The seniors of my Ice Heart Valley have all benefited from this cold pond.”
Yang Kai nodded gently and calmly.
Luo Li continued, “Additionally, every Origin King Realm master of my Ice Heart Valley, before their predestined time of death, deposited some of their Domain into this cold pond, allowing anyone who enters it to comprehend the mysteries of Ice Domain.”
“The Heavenly Blessings Frozen Pond is the ultimate Restricted Area of my Ice Heart Valley. No one is allowed to enter without explicit permission. The cold pool is divided into twelve layers, and the lower one goes, the higher the difficulty and the greater the danger, but the more benefits one can obtain,” Luo Li looked at Yang Kai and continued to explain.
“Oh? How deep has Senior managed to descend?” Yang Kai asked with interest.
“The deepest this Queen has managed to dive was the eighth layer,” Luo Li said with some slight embarrassment.
“Su Yan is inside?”
“En, her aptitude is superb, and she possesses an Ice Crystal Jade Body. Originally, I wanted to wait a few more years before allowing her to enter this place to seek opportunities, but she has now managed to break through to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm far ahead of when I anticipated, so she has the qualifications to enter the cold pond. Although she is no longer my Ice Heart Valley’s disciple, this can be considered a parting gift from this Queen.”
“If that is the case, I offer Senior my thanks.”
Naturally, he understood that Luo Li had done this to ease the relationship between Ice Heart Valley and him. In any case, allowing Su Yan to enter this Heavenly Blessings Frozen Pond wouldn’t have any detriments and could improve his opinion of Ice Heart Valley.
Luo Li smiled lightly, “This is what Ice Heart Valley owes her, Young Master Yang need not be so polite. En, she should be coming out soon, so it is just a question of how far down she was able to dive.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s expression changed, and from his connection, he realized that Su Yan’s aura was truly rising up slowly from this deep pond.
A short time later, a small vortex suddenly appeared on the surface of the water and released a profound chill from deep below.
Soon, a beautiful figure’s shadow flew out from this vortex.
A bit of cold light flashed along with this beautiful figure’s appearance, forcing Yang Kai to narrow his eyes. Even with his current strength, he could not help feeling a chill on his skin, like a million tiny needles were piercing him when this cold light shone upon him.
Yang Kai’s expression turned to one of shock as he stared towards the source of this cold light.
“This is…” Luo Li was also shocked as she stared up into the sky.
Up above, Su Yan’s figure stood quietly, motionless as an extremely tyrannical frozen aura pulsed from her right hand. In her grasp, there was a meter-long shining sword.
The stinging cold light was emanating from this long sword.
Yang Kai and Luo Li’s eyes instantly fixed on the long sword, the former flashing a smile as warm as the sun while the latter could not help trembling with shock.
The sword held by Su Yan was slightly strange in shape. Although it was a meter long, it was far slenderer than a normal sword of such length. The sharp aura it gave off was also quite astonishing.
The cold light shone without restraint from this sword as Su Yan held it in one hand while caressing it with her other.
The sword gave off a light hum as the cold light it was emitting suddenly transformed into a terrifyingly cold field centred around Su Yan.
Pure Ice Peak, which was already extremely cold, suddenly plunged in temperature once more.
The barrier outside the thatched hut creaked under this field, as if it was being overwhelmed and about to collapse.
“Profound Frost?” Luo Li could no longer maintain her composure as she leapt to her feet and exclaimed, her pair of beautiful eyes staring fixedly at the slender sword in Su Yan’s hand, a look of disbelief filling her face.
Yang Kai did not miss her reaction and instantly understood that Su Yan had picked up a big bargain this time, one that Luo Li apparently hadn’t expected her to, so he couldn’t help letting out a hearty laugh.
Su Yan also seemed to have finally recovered at this moment and turning her head, the ice aura suddenly faded and she revealed a warm smile, her tender body flickering as she flew down to the thatched hut and asked, “Junior Brother, why are you here?”
“Senior Luo asked me to come over,” Yang Kai explained with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.
He discovered that Su Yan’s aura was extremely calm and stable, becoming far stronger than when they had separated a dozen days ago. Obviously, she had obtained many benefits from this Heavenly Blessings Frozen Pond.
Yang Kai’s gaze then fell on the slender long sword again and after observing it for a moment, Yang Kai, who had seen several Origin King Grade artifacts before, couldn’t help feeling startled.
This slender sword was like a pure condensation of cold energy and was constantly releasing a sharp, invisible aura, one that pierced his mind all on its own, as if it was resisting his investigation.
“Su Yan, this sword… can you let this Queen examine it?” Luo Li composed herself and asked solemnly.
“Please have a look, Supreme Elder!” Su Yan respectfully held up the slender sword and handed it over.
Luo Li reached out and accepted.
A gleam of brilliance flashed across the sword as an unimaginable chill emerged from it and spread towards Luo Li’s body.
Luo Li’s delicate hand was being frozen at a speed visible to the naked eye, with a thin layer of ice quickly condensing on her fair skin.
However, she seemed to have expected this to happen and with a slight flick of her wrist, the ice broke.
Yang Kai raised his brow as he revealed a look of surprise.
This slender sword was truly extraordinary; even without anyone operating it, it could cause some minor trouble for a master like Luo Li. If it was being used consciously by a person, just how powerful would it be?
With this sword alone, Su Yan’s combat power would soar several levels!
This was probably a peak level Origin King Grade artifact! Yang Kai secretly guessed.
“Sure enough, it is Profound Frost!” Luo Li carefully observed the sword and nodded after a long time, a somewhat emotional expression filling her face as she muttered, “This Queen never expected to see Profound Frost in her lifetime.”
Yang Kai could not help asking, “What is the origin of this sword?”
A hint of respect appeared on Luo Li’s face as she solemnly replied, “This is the personal sword of my Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder: Bing Yun.”
Yang Kai and Su Yan exchanged a look of shock.
Ice Heart Valley had existed for over ten thousand years and it was rumoured that its Ancestral Founder was a peak Third-Order Origin King, a true powerhouse of the Star Field. However, although she had left behind her complete inheritance, throughout Ice Heart Valley’s history, it had never been able to replicate its original glory. The strongest master it had produced after its founding was only a Second-Order Origin King.
In this generation, Luo Li was the only Origin King, and she was only a First-Order.
“This is Ancestral Founder’s sword?” Su Yan was in a daze, but after coming back to her senses she said, “Since it is the Ancestral Founder’s sword, it should be kept by Supreme Elder. Disciple did not know the significance of this sword and only thought it was extremely valuable when she brought it out.”
Luo Li slowly shook her head, “You still calling me Supreme Elder is more than this Queen deserves. As for keeping this sword, hehe… this Queen cannot do that.”
As she spoke, she shook her arm and broke the layer of ice which had covered her arm. If she had not done so, the frost would likely have reached her chest and soon after, frozen her solid.
Luo Li did not dare to continue holding the sword. Reaching out, she handed Profound Frost back to Su Yan and said, “Since you’ve managed to obtain it, you should keep it. This is your opportunity after all! This Queen has no reason to take it back. Ancestral Founder’s last teachings state that Profound Frost will choose its own master, so if this Queen kept it, she would be disobeying Ice Heart Valley’s ancestral precepts. This Queen cannot bear such a sin.”
“But…” Su Yan seemed to want to say something.
“Fate works as so. Profound Frost’s decision is equivalent to Ancestral Founder’s decision,” Luo Li sighed.
If Su Yan was still an Ice Heart Valley disciple and she managed to obtain Profound Frost, Luo Li would feel only joy. However, Su Yan was no longer an Ice Heart Valley disciple, so her being recognized by Profound Frost was nothing less than a huge loss to Ice Heart Valley.
Even so, Luo Li did not dare violate the Ancestral Founder’s teachings.
At this moment, Luo Li very much wanted to ask Su Yan to return to Ice Heart Valley, but when she remembered the attitude she and the other Elders had shown, she was unable to voice such thoughts.
“Since Senior Luo has said so, you should accept it, Su Yan. As long as you keep Ice Heart Valley in your heart, what does it matter if you are an Ice Heart Valley disciple or not?” Yang Kai said indifferently from the side.
Luo Li glanced over at him thoughtfully before nodding in gratitude.
Although Yang Kai had not spoken too clearly, Luo Li was able to understand the meaning behind his words. Though what was broken once could never be fully restored, with the weight of Profound Frost in her hand, if Ice Heart Valley were to really encounter disaster in the future, Su Yan would definitely not just sit back and watch.
This was the best outcome Ice Heart Valley could currently ask for.
“En, Su Yan, since you managed to obtain Profound Frost, that must mean you reached the twelfth layer, yes?” Luo Li suddenly remembered something and asked nervously.
“Disciple does not know how many layers she managed to penetrate, but she did reach the bottom of the pond,” Su Yan replied softly.
“En, the bottom of the pond is the twelfth layer,” Luo Li sighed, “It seems that, with the power of the Ice Phoenix Source added to your body, your future achievements will be much higher than this Queen’s.”
She had cultivated diligently for many years but was still only able to reach the eighty layer. On the contrary, Su Yan managed to reach the twelfth layer of the Frozen Pond on her first attempt. This was more than enough to illustrate the great power of her Ice Phoenix Source.
Without the Ice Phoenix Source, Su Yan would never have been able to accomplish this feat at her current level.
“Since you reached the bottom of the pond, did you manage to find Ancestral Founder’s Origin Essence Crystal?” Luo Li’s expression became even tenser when she asked this.
“Origin Essence Crystal?” Su Yan frowned, “I did not see anything like that. Besides an extremely powerful Domain at the bottom of the pond, there was only Profound Frost. Disciple did not find any Origin Essence Crystal.”
“You truly did not find it!?” Luo Li’s beautiful eyes flashed brightly, as if she was thinking of something, her expression constantly changing. Only after quite some time smiling brightly as she muttered, “It seems the rumours were true after all, haha!”
In the end, she could not help laughing, as if extremely excited.
Yang Kai frowned and asked suspiciously, “What is Senior referring to?”
“My Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder may not be dead!” Luo Li made a shocking statement!
Yang Kai’s face changed dramatically, and Su Yan could not help covering her mouth in shock.
“Of course, this is only a possibility,” Luo Li smiled lightly, “A grand character like Ancestral Founder could not have fallen easily, and according to my Ice Heart Valley’s ancient books, it was only recorded that Ancestral Founder left behind Profound Frost in the deepest depths of the Heavenly Blessings Frozen Pond, but there was never any mention of whether she fell or not. However, since Ancestral Founder’s Origin Essence Crystal was not at the bottom of the pond, there is a chance she may still be alive!”
When one’s cultivation reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm, an Origin Essence Crystal would be condensed in their body. An Origin Essence Crystal contained the life experiences of an Origin King as well as the accumulation of their insights into the Martial Dao. Even if such a cultivator died, their Origin Essence Crystal would not disappear.
The Ancestral Founder of Ice Heart Valley left Profound Frost at the bottom of the Heavenly Blessings Frozen Pond, but her Origin Essence Crystal was nowhere to be seen, which was enough to raise many suspicions.
She might really still be alive!
Even if this was the case, no one had seen her for over ten thousand years, so there was no way to tell for certain if Ancestral Founder Bing Yun was alive or dead.
This was undoubtedly extremely exciting news for Luo Li nonetheless.
Luo Li turned to look at Yang Kai once more and sighed slightly.
She discovered that if Yang Kai were a disciple of Ice Heart Valley, he would surely bring them a great fortune!
Since his appearance in Ice Heart Valley, there had been too many happy events for them. First, Chi Huo was killed, second, her injuries had been healed, now Profound Frost had reappeared in this world, and if what Su Yan had seen was any indication, there was a chance Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder may still be alive somewhere in this universe…
This series of events were all excellent news for Ice Heart Valley.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai was a man, so he couldn’t join Ice Heart Valley, not to mention he did not hold a very good impression of them in the first place.
“Senior, it’s time we go to Brilliant Flame Sect,” Yang Kai suddenly said.
“En,” Luo Li nodded when she heard these words, “It is indeed time.”
Turning her gaze towards the distance, a strong light flashed across her eyes.
From now on, Scarlet Wave Star would be dominated by Ice Heart Valley!
…..
A fleet of five Starships took off from Pure Ice Island a few days later. These five Starships carried a total of three thousand Ice Heart Valley elites as they sailed towards Brilliant Flame Mountain Range.
Ice Heart Valley was one of the top two Sects on Scarlet Wave Star, so it had its own Starships.
However, Yang Kai could tell that there was only one Origin Grade High-Rank Starship, which served as a flagship of sorts, while the other four were only Origin Grade Mid-Rank.
The quality was incomparable to the one he possessed.
Evidently, Origin King Grade Starships were extremely rare even when the entire Star Field was taken into consideration.
To lay siege to Brilliant Flame Sect and thoroughly destroy it, Luo Li chose to use these Starships, as they were powerful mobile fortresses.
The disciples of Ice Heart Valley also knew the purpose of this expedition, so all of them wore solemn and fierce expressions.
Countless years of conflict made the feud between Ice Heart Valley and Brilliant Flame Sect incredibly deep, unable to be resolved in any other way than total victory. Many of these disciples had seen their Senior and Junior Sisters die tragically at the hands of Brilliant Flame Sect cultivators, and because they were all women, once one of them was captured alive, their fate would be worse than death.
Knowing that their Supreme Elder was personally leading a crusade against Brilliant Flame Sect, these three thousand elites immediately took the initiative to volunteer. All of them enthusiastically participated in this war and could not wait to charge into Brilliant Flame Mountain Range to destroy their hated enemy once and for all.
The fleet moved extremely fast, and although Ice Heart Valley was several million kilometres from Brilliant Flame Sect, it only took a few days for the five Starships to arrive outside Brilliant Flame Mountain Range.
At the head of the flagship, Luo Li stood looking into the distance as a group of high-level Ice Heart Valley Elders stood behind her.
Yang Kai and Su Yan were also present amongst this group.
“This is Brilliant Flame Mountain Range?” Yang Kai looked around with some admiration.
This mountain range looked like a long dragon laying on the ground that stretched on and on for tens of thousands of kilometres.
More importantly, this entire mountain range possessed a rich Fire Attribute aura, a faint red-light halo seemingly surrounding the mountains themselves.
Even the ambient temperature here was quite warm.
“En, this is Brilliant Flame Mountain Range. There is a giant Fire Dragon Earth Vein buried beneath this place which matches perfectly with Brilliant Flame Sect’s Secret Arts, allowing its disciples to cultivate very rapidly in this environment,” Bing Long explained softly to Yang Kai.
“Hmph, starting today, there will be no more Brilliant Flame Sect here,” Ran Yun Ting coldly snorted.
As soon as she spoke these words, she suddenly seemed to sense something, turned her gaze towards a certain spot, and stretched out her hand to grasp towards the void.
Accompanied by a panicked shout, a cultivator wearing Brilliant Flame Sect robes was dragged up and thrown onto the deck of the ship by Ran Yun Ting from the forest down below.
This person appeared middle-aged and did not have an extremely high cultivation, only First-Order Origin Returning Realm. His Fire Attribute Saint Qi was easily suppressed by Ran Yun Ting and after falling on the ship, seeing such a variety of beauties, he couldn’t help gulping as he immediately understood what his situation was and shouted, “Ice Heart Valley, why have you appeared here? So aggressively invading my Brilliant Flame Mountain Range, are you planning to start a war with my Brilliant Flame Sect?”
“Start a war?” Ran Yun Ting sneered, “Since when has my Ice Heart Valley and your Brilliant Flame Sect been at peace?”
The cultivator’s expression stagnated as he became speechless.
Indeed, the two great forces that dominated Scarlet Wave Star had never once called a truce. Small conflicts continued to happen without end, but a blatant full-scale invasion like this had never occurred before.
“What are your intentions here?” The Brilliant Flame Sect cultivator apparently had some backbone so even though he was facing so many masters whose strength far exceeded his own, he was still able to ask questions clearly.
“What are our intentions?” Ran Yun Ting sneered, “Naturally we’re here to trample your Brilliant Flame Sect flat!”
This cultivator turned pale as he stared at Ran Yun Ting with wide eyes, seemingly trying to tell if she was telling the truth or just bluffing.
“Your cultivation isn’t bad, and it seems your status in Brilliant Flame Sect isn’t low. Fine, scram back to your Sect and tell Wei Qing to wash his neck and wait for me, Ran Yun Ting, to claim his head.”
“Ran Yun Ting!?” The cultivator cried out in terror.
He naturally knew who Ice Heart Valley’s Great Elder was and what her reputation was like. Turning his head around, he quickly discovered that every woman here had a cultivation which far surpassed his own and could only shout out instinctually, “My Brilliant Flame Sect’s Supreme Elder will not let this pass!”
“You mean that old monster Chi Huo?” Ran Yun Ting sneered, “Don’t you know? Chi Huo is already dead.”
“Supreme Elder is dead?” The man’s eyes bulged as he parroted hoarsely, “Impossible, Supreme Elder is an Origin King, who among you has the ability to kill him?”
“Is that so? Go ask Wei Qing yourself then, this Elder has no time to talk nonsense with you!” Ran Yun Ting stopped talking, reached out, and tossed the hapless man off the Starship.
Regaining his balance mid-air, the cultivator hurriedly flew off while occasionally glancing back at the five imposing Starships behind him, pushing his Saint Qi to its limits so he could report this news to the Sect’s leaders as quickly as possible.
“En, sending a warning ahead is only proper. Allowing them some time to prepare will prevent them from slandering this Luo Li as someone who bullies the weak,” Luo Li, who hadn’t been paying attention to the previous situation, simply said lightly as the Brilliant Flame Sect cultivator disappeared from sight.
The fleet continued to move forward at a pace neither swift nor slow; however, the invisible and terrifying pressure quickly began spreading across Brilliant Flame Mountain Range from their presence.
A stick of incense worth of time later, chaos erupted inside Brilliant Flame Sect’s headquarters.
“Ice Heart Valley is actually attacking?”
“How dare they!”
“It seems that the lessons they have received this past year weren’t enough. Haha, good, since they’ve come of their own accord, we can teach them again, ruthlessly.”
“I heard that all of Ice Heart Valley’s top Elders are country toppling beauties, but there has never been an opportunity to capture one of them before. Now that they’ve delivered themselves to our door, this old master can snatch a few of them and train them well.”
“Elder Qi, at your age, you’re still interested in such pursuits?”
“Hmph, this old master’s prowess only grows stronger with age, why wouldn’t he be able to satisfy a few cheap sluts?”
“En, those sluts will definitely submit to Elder Qi’s might.”
A group of Elders all boasted and blustered heartily, not feeling at all anxious after hearing that Ice Heart Valley was attacking and instead feeling quite excited. Thinking of the screams they would pull from these tender women before they died or when they were devastating them put all the Elders into high spirits.
Ravaging a pure and innocent beauty, especially one that was unwilling, had always provoked the bestial instincts of men.
And the women of Ice Heart Valley were undoubtedly the purest of them all.
“Sect Master, please order us into battle immediately, we need to meet them head-on!” Many of the Elders called out to Wei Qing, who was sitting at the head of the hall.
However, when Wei Qing heard all these cries, all he could do was sweep his eyes around as a deep anxiety covered his face.
“Sect Master, you…” Wei Qing’s demeanour made many Elders furrow their brows and the noise inside the hall gradually subsided as everyone turned to him suspiciously.
“Catastrophe has come to Brilliant Flame Sect!” Wei Qing sighed.
The expressions of all the Elders changed when they heard these words.
“Sect Master, what do you mean?” One of the Elders who had spoken before wore a solemn expression and asked, “Ice Heart Valley is indeed strong, but since they dared to violate my Brilliant Flame Sect’s territory, all we need to do is defeat them and send them back, how could this be a catastrophe for my Brilliant Flame Sect?”
“Because… Supreme Elder may have already fallen.”
As soon as this statement came out, the audience fell silent.
Only after a long silence passed did one Elder ask hesitantly, “How is that possible? Sect Master, are you making some kind of joke?”
“At this time, how could this King make such a bad joke?” Wei Qing said solemnly.
“But… How could Supreme Elder fall? Wasn’t Supreme Elder entertaining Sir Luo Hai in his residence in the mountains?”
Wei Qing rubbed his forehead as he explained, “A few months ago, Supreme Elder and Sir Luo Hai left Brilliant Flame Sect and went to Ice Heart Valley, but they have not returned since then.”
“That doesn’t mean Supreme Elder has fallen though,” Some could not believe it and still held onto a glimmer of hope, but even while speaking this conjecture they did not have much confidence in their voices.
If the Supreme Elder had not fallen, how could this have happened? Why hadn’t he simply returned to Brilliant Flame Sect?
If Supreme Elder had not fallen, how could Ice Heart Valley dare act so aggressively?
Ice Heart Valley obviously knew the truth of this situation and was using this opportunity to launch an attack.
“Ice Heart Valley’s Luo Li could not possibly have killed the Supreme Elder! Could it be… Sir Luo Hai?” Someone exclaimed.
Only Luo Hai could kill their Supreme Elder on this star. However, wasn’t it rumoured that the two of them had a good relationship? Moreover, when Sir Luo Hai visited Scarlet Wave Star this time, he had been a guest at Brilliant Flame Sect for over a year, so why would he suddenly launch a deadly attack against their Supreme Elder?
“It was not Sir Luo Hai,” Wei Qing shook his head with a heavy expression, “Sir Luo Hai… also fell.”
“What?”
Gasps sounded all around as everyone in the hall showed a look of shock. All of Brilliant Flame Sect’s Elders turned incredulous gazes towards Wei Qing as the words he just spoke were even more unbelievable than the fall of their Supreme Elder.
“There is no need to doubt. I have received a message from Green Mountains Star two months ago saying the statue of their Star Master shattered and Sir Luo Hai’s Soul Brand, which was encased within it, disappeared. He has indeed fallen, and considering the timing, it should have happened during the few days he went to Ice Heart Valley together with Supreme Elder.”
“Supreme Elder and even Sir Luo Hai fell… who in Ice Heart Valley has such skill?”
“That’s right, a few months later, weren’t there earth-shattering energy fluctuations emanating from Ice Heart Valley? Could they be related to that matter?”
“Could it have been Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder? This old master has heard some rumours saying she has not died.”
“How could that be? Ice Heart Valley was founded more than ten thousand years ago. If their Ancestral Founder had really not died, why has she not shown up before now?”
“What’s the point of speculating about this now? Ice Heart Valley has already reached our borders! Right now, we need to quickly devise a way of dealing with them.”
“How are we supposed to deal with them? My Brilliant Flame Sect’s Supreme Elder has already fallen, and Ice Heart Valley’s Luo Li will definitely take action personally. No one from Brilliant Flame Sect can resist her!”
“Stop with your cowardly drivel! Even if Luo Li has come personally, this old master pledges to fight! If this old master is to die here today, he will at least do so after landing a blow on her!”
…..
After learning that Chi Huo had died, the group of Elders no longer had the same carefree attitudes they had before as all of them began expressing their own opinions of how to proceed with solemn expressions.
Wei Qing sat at the head of the hall without saying a word, as if he were just an outside observer.
After a long time, he raised his hand and the noisy hall instantly became silent, with everyone turning their attention towards him.
“Enough, calm down!” Wei Qing said lightly, “Ice Heart Valley is threatening our borders as we speak, and although this may be the greatest catastrophe my Brilliant Flame Sect has ever faced, if we handle this properly, we may yet emerge from this predicament intact. Luo Li is indeed an Origin King Realm master and none of us on our own are her opponent, but do not forget that they are the attackers while we are the defenders. We can take advantage of our Sect Defending Array to consume their strength, and… the rumours say that Luo Li experienced a cultivation dissonance recently and suffered backlash as a result, so she should not be able to display her full strength.”
“Exactly! What Sect Master says is correct, we are the defenders here so we have the advantage!”
“Jie Jie… don’t forget, we still have that thing as well! If we let that thing out, even Luo Li won’t get off easily!” Someone laughed strangely as a smile filled with madness filled his face.
Others also quickly realized what this old man was talking about and their expressions grew serious.
Even Wei Qing’s expression became more solemn as he pondered for a moment before saying, “Unless we have no other choice, that thing cannot be released! Transmit my orders, have all disciples prepare to meet the enemy. Today, we fight to the death!”
“Fight!” All the Elders shouted together.
….
Ice Heart Valley’s five Starships slowly sailed towards the depths of Brilliant Flame Mountain Range, approaching Brilliant Flame Sect’s headquarters at a steady pace.
Some Spirit Arrays and barriers appeared along the way to obstruct their advance, but none were able to dampen Ice Heart Valley’s momentum. Often, it only took a single volley of the Starships’ Crystal Cannons to destroy these barriers.
“Bing Long, go on ahead and announce that this Queen is only here to punish the leaders of Brilliant Flame Sect and that any disciples who leave now will not be targeted. Anyone who remains by the time my Ice Heart Valley’s Starships arrive will be considered enemies and shown no mercy,” Luo Li suddenly said.
“Yes!” Bing Long cupped her fists and flew off.
Soon, Bing Long’s Divine Sense spread out widely, conveying the message that only the Elders of Brilliant Flame Sect were targets of their assault while the common disciples were of no concern to them.
When Brilliant Flame Sect received this message, all of the Elders and leaders couldn’t help cursing Bing Long for her despicable behaviour, debasing her as a shameless and lowly slut.
Brilliant Flame Sect had tens of thousands of disciples, and although their cohesion was not frail, not all of them would choose to die with the Sect when facing this life or death crisis. Also, Bing Long deliberately spread the news that their pillar of support, Supreme Elder Chi Huo, had fallen, causing much panic and fear amongst the Brilliant Flame Sect disciples.
It was not long before some began fleeing from Brilliant Flame Mountain Range.
Once they discovered a deserter, the higher-ups of Brilliant Flame Sect would act decisively, killing a few to warn the many.
Although this bloody and cruel method temporarily deterred most of the common disciples, more and more Brilliant Flame Sect’s people became panicked and tried to flee as time passed.
Streams of light rose from many different places inside Brilliant Flame Sect, speeding away in all directions.
Luo Li quickly released her powerful Divine Sense to envelop all of Brilliant Flame Mountain Range.
The cultivators below the Origin Returning Realm were allowed to escape, but any Origin Realm master who tried was personally executed by Luo Li.
Any Brilliant Flame Sect cultivator that had reached the Origin Realm had the blood of countless Ice Heart Valley disciples on their hands, so Luo Li was naturally not about to let them escape.
Soon, the disciples with cultivations below the Origin Realm also discovered this situation and they immediately rejoiced, many of them ignoring the threats from their leaders and fleeing with all haste.
For a time, Brilliant Flame Sect became chaotic as even the Elders and Deacons’ bloody methods of suppression were unable to salvage the situation.
“Senior Luo Li, I’ll be going on ahead,” Yang Kai’s gaze suddenly landed on a mountain at the back of Brilliant Flame Mountain Range.
Luo Li also turned to look in that direction, understood what Yang Kai’s intentions were, and did not try to stop him, simply exhorting, “Be careful.”
Yang Kai gently nodded.
“Junior Brother, do you want me to accompany you?” Su Yan asked.
“No, you can stay here with Senior Luo Li,” Yang Kai waved his hand before disappearing from the flagship. When he reappeared, he was already a thousand metres away.
Luo Li’s beautiful eyes shrank slightly.
Only now did she realize how Yang Kai was able to escape from Luo Hai’s pursuit for several months.
Based on this profound Movement Skill alone, any ordinary Origin King would have no way to catch him. Even she was unable to see how he moved despite standing right next to him.
Was this the mysterious Dao of Space?
Luo Li wore a look of interest on her face as she took a moment to observe Yang Kai carefully, but no matter how she tried, she was unable to comprehend anything about how he used Space Force, simply feeling that everything around him blurred momentarily before he disappeared and reappeared.
With a slight sigh, Luo Li retracted her gaze as she confirmed that the Dao of Space was not something she could fathom. Immediately, she focused her attention back on Brilliant Flame Sect.
At the deepest depths of Brilliant Flame Mountain Range, there was a barren, extremely high temperature thousand-metre high mountain.
Standing at the base of this mountain and looking up, one could vaguely see a bright red light at its peak.
This volcanic crater was extremely active and the energy aura which diffused from it not only contained a potent Fire Attribute, but also an overbearing Thunder Attribute.
Inside the volcano was a hideous, suppressed aura, one that was filled with brutality and ferocity, making any who approached shudder.
“This must be it,” Yang Kai arrived at the base of the mountain and muttered thoughtfully.
This time, he did not intend to intervene in the battle between Ice Heart Valley and Brilliant Flame Sect. His only goal was Brilliant Flame Sect’s Heavenly Thunder Fire!
This was an ominous flame creature that even Luo Li feared.
According to the rumours, this creature seemed to have gained sentience and was extremely formidable.
From his Divine Sense investigation, Yang Kai determined that this entire volcanic mountain peak was covered in a powerful Spirit Array.
Yang Kai cast his gaze towards a certain spot in the sky and said with a grin, “Two friends, why show your tails while trying to conceal your heads? Why not just show yourselves openly?”
As soon as Yang Kai spoke these words, a cold snort sounded, and the air rippled as two figures appeared strangely.
It was as if they had appeared from a different world.
The two who appeared were both very old, with white hair and beards, but their cultivations were at the peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm and the Fire Attribute Saint Qi radiating from their bodies was extremely hot. The one on the left was tall and thin while the one on the right had dark brownish-red skin. Obviously, these two held high status in Brilliant Flame Sect.
“Boy, who are you?” The skinny Elder stared at Yang Kai and asked in a cold voice.
“Don’t worry about who I am, I just came here to collect this Heavenly Thunder Fire. If two old gentlemen do not mind, could you tell me how to open the Spirit Array blocking this place?” Yang Kai smiled and asked lightly.
“Bold Junior!” The skinny Elder was furious, “You dare covet my Brilliant Flame Sect’s Heavenly Thunder Fire? Out of consideration for your young age and high cultivation, we old masters won’t embarrass you and give you one chance to withdraw peacefully!”
This old man seemed somewhat easy to speak to as he did not try to immediately kill Yang Kai for trespassing into Brilliant Flame Sect’s Restricted Area.
“Old sir is quite kind!” Yang Kai raised his brow as a sarcastic grin appeared on his face. Stomping his foot lightly in the next instant, Yang Kai snickered, “Is this what old sir meant by not embarrassing me?”
*Hong…*
As Yang Kai’s foot fell, the ground suddenly cracked and a fissure spread from his position towards the two old men.
From this fissure, two well-concealed wisps of Fire Attribute energy flew up from a point only a few metres away from Yang Kai.
These two wisps of Fire Attribute energy were like venomous snakes lying in wait to strike out without warning.
“Your vision isn’t bad little brat. Since you’ve already seen through everything, there’s nothing left to discuss. For trespassing into Brilliant Flame Sect’s Restricted Area, you must die!” The skinny Elder did not hesitate after Yang Kai saw through his little trick, immediately removing his hypocritical face and pushing his Saint Qi, causing the wisps of Fire Attribute energy down below to transform into flame pythons that leapt towards Yang Kai.
“Paltry tricks!” Yang Kai laughed loudly as he summoned the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword into his hand and with a single swing sent out a wave of green light that easily split the terrifying flame python in half, causing it to scatter and dissipate.
[Strong!] The two old men both wore solemn expressions when they saw this display.
The Dragon Bone Sword in Yang Kai’s hand released a pressure akin to a giant mountain that pressed down on the two old men from Brilliant Flame Sect, causing their expressions to distort.
A thunderous dragon roar also resounded in their ears, deafening them.
“Take care of them quickly, I’ll be waiting up ahead,” Yang Kai said casually as he waved his hand to release the Stone Puppet and Firebird Artifact Spirit.
After saying so, Yang Kai did not even glance at the two old men again as he calmly stepped forward.
With this one step, Yang Kai seemed to cross over space, his figure flickering and disappearing before reappearing halfway up the mountain.
“Bold!” The skinny Elder’s face flushed as the naked contempt Yang Kai showed them greatly angered him. In an attempt to chase after Yang Kai, he turned his old figure around and prepared to dash off.
But the moment he acted, a jet black stick struck towards him, releasing an incredible pressure as it approached, as if it weighed a million kilograms, even ripping apart the air as it passed through it.
A harsh whipping sound rang in the old man’s eardrums.
The skinny Elder’s face sank as he hurriedly raised his arms to guard himself while simultaneously releasing a blazing flame around his body.
*Hong…*
The flames were instantly snuffed out as the thin Elder responded like he was struck by lightning, his figure flying out several dozen metres before finally stabilizing, his complexion completely pale as blood leaked from the corners of his mouth.
With one blow, he had been slightly injured.
Looking up in shock, the skinny Elder only saw a stone man less than a metre in height standing in front of him, carrying a long black stick on its shoulder, its small beady eyes showing a lifelike intelligence as it stared at him like he was prey.
On the other side, a crisp bird cry rang out as the dark-skinned old man battled the Firebird high up in the sky. The two figures exchanged volleys of flames, creating an intense and dazzling display that shook space itself.
“What the hell is this?” The skinny Elder muttered dumbfoundedly.
He could vaguely tell that the Firebird which was fighting with his companion was some kind of Artifact Spirit, but he had no clue what the stone man in front of him was.
There was no energy fluctuation coming from this thing’s body, but it still radiated a tyrannical aura he could not ignore.
“Ohhhhhhhh…” Xiao Xiao suddenly roared towards the Heavens as he pounded his chest with his fist, raising a resounding clatter that shook the soul like a great war drum.
As this sound rang out, the Stone Puppet, which was less than a metre tall, rapidly grew in size to become a dozen-metre-tall stone giant!
The long black stick it was shouldering also grew proportionally in size.
In addition, a scorching, dark-red light began radiating from the Stone Puppet’s body and covered it with a layer of lava armour in an instant!
This lava armour released a terrifying energy that caused the old man’s heart to clench.
In the next moment, the knees of the lava giant bent and its huge body shot out like an arrow from the string, shaking the earth and opening a giant pit where it once stood.
In a flash, the skinny Elder saw the lava giant rush up to him and swing its giant stick down towards his head with an unstoppable momentum that cracked the very space around him.
Perceiving the terrifying power contained in this attack, the skinny Elder roared as he dared not take it lightly, hastily using his Movement Skill to dodge.
However, despite his rapid reaction, the incoming attack was still faster.
Although he was only grazed by this attack, half his body went numb and his Saint Qi circulation became chaotic.
There was no hope of resistance!
The skinny Elder’s eyes shrank violently as he realized how big the gap between him and this lava giant was.
Before he could compose himself though, the pitch-black stick once again attacked from above, pressing down on him like Mount Tai.
The skinny Elder’s pupils shrank to the size of needles as he desperately pushed his Saint Qi and roared while summoning a shield-like artifact to protect his head.
*Hong Hong…*
The giant stick fell, and the shield artifact shattered into tiny fragments that shot off in all directions.
The power of Xiao Xiao’s attack remained undiminished as it smashed down towards the skinny Elder, pounding half his body into a paste and exposing his internal organs to the open air.
Even with such a grim injury, the skinny Elder did not immediately die, and if he could get his hands on powerful enough pills quick enough, he may even be able to recover.
But the fear that had been pounded into his heart made him lose all fighting spirit.
Staring blankly at the pitch-black giant stick that swept towards him once more, only one thought flickered across his mind.
[What the hell is this…]
At the end of his life, the last scene the skinny Elder saw was his companion being swallowed by the Firebird as the former howled miserably!
The black stick swept across and minced meat flew out, staining the surrounding world in red.
A ball of thunder fire flew out from the corpse of the skinny Elder, and the Firebird Artifact Spirit immediately inhaled it, like a whale drinking water, pulling the thunder fire into its belly before letting out a satisfied cry.
On top of the volcano, Yang Kai stood mid-air, looking down into the fierce volcanic crater that was filled with surging crimson lava as far as he could see.
The intense temperature around the peak of this volcano would be unbearable even for an ordinary Origin Realm master, and any cultivator below the Origin Realm master would certainly be burned to death in an instant just by standing here.
The Artifact Spirit flew over to Yang Kai’s side while the Stone Puppet resumed its harmless appearance, carrying the Heaven Shaking Pillar on its shoulder as it sat atop the Firebird Artifact Spirit.
“That was fast, you guys are also a little too violent.” Yang Kai grinned.
The Stone Puppet scratched his head, as if he did not know what Yang Kai was talking about, while the Artifact Spirit merely let out a cheerful chirp.
“Xiao Xiao, you come back for now,” Yang Kai stretched out his hand and sent the Stone Puppet into the Sealed World Bead, leaving only the Firebird Artifact Spirit behind.
The Firebird flew circles around Yang Kai letting out crisp tweets from time to time, seeming extremely excited, several times almost rushing directly into the volcanic crater.
Along with its cries, however, a thumping sound echoed from deep inside the volcano, as if responding to Firebird’s provocation.
“You can sense it, right?” Yang Kai squinted towards the volcanic crater and grinned.
The Firebird responded affirmatively.
“Can you defeat it?” Yang Kai asked again.
The Firebird went silent for a moment, before letting out an even louder cry.
“Okay, if that’s the case, then I look forward to your success. However, you need to be sure about this; there is no turning back once you begin, and if you don’t succeed, only oblivion will await you!”
The Firebird responded with a loud cry again.
“En, I understand. Then… good luck,” Yang Kai nodded solemnly before immediately waving his hand and summoning a massive Artifact Refining Furnace.
This was the Artifact Refining Furnace that gave birth to the Firebird Artifact Spirit. It was brought out by Yang Kai from the Earth Lung Fire Pond in the fifth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
It was the Firebird’s true body!
If the Artifact Refining Furnace was destroyed, the Firebird would perish together with it without any doubt.
Since obtaining the Firebird Artifact Spirit, Yang Kai had basically never used this Artifact Refining Furnace, first for the safety of the Artifact Spirit, and secondly because he did not need to use it.
But this time, he had not hesitated to summon this Artifact Refining Furnace.
By coordinating with its true body, the strength the Artifact Spirit could display would increase by at least twenty percent.
As soon as the Artifact Refining Furnace appeared, the Firebird opened its mouth and swallowed it into its belly.
Yang Kai closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, his left eye had become golden in colour.
Demon Eye of Annihilation!
The golden pupil in his left eye now seemed to contain an endless majesty that made all who saw it shudder in fear.
Looking down again, everything which had previously been hidden was revealed to Yang Kai.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation was able to see through all illusions, and with its help, Yang Kai immediately discovered the huge Spirit Array which was sealing the volcanic crater.
Stream of pure energy, like giant shackles, locked the entire volcanic crater from eight different directions.
This Spirit Array not only sealed the violent energy of the volcano inside its caldera, it also chained the creature which was hidden down below in place.
Yang Kai observed carefully for a moment before his eyes flashed with light and he began pouring his Saint Qi into the Dragon Bone Sword in his hand.
A thunderous dragon roar shook the sky.
“Go!” Yang Kai threw out the Dragon Bone Sword.
In a dazzling flash of green light, the Dragon Bone Sword transformed into a giant dark green dragon and bombarded a certain point in the sky with an unstoppable charge.
The Eight Shackles Spirit Array that was sealing the volcanic crater shook slightly as a small gap was opened in it.
A scorching aura immediately burst from this opening, burning everything in its path.
“Enter!” Yang Kai shouted.
The Firebird Artifact Spirit turned into a stream of light and rushed into the opening, quickly followed by Yang Kai.
The Eight Shackles Spirit Array shook slightly before it repaired itself, continuing to seal off the huge volcanic crater.
Inside the Spirit Array, Yang Kai’s face changed slightly as he hurriedly circulated his Saint Qi to resist the pervasive burning heat.
The Firebird meanwhile shot towards the base of the volcanic crater.
Looking around, the magma inside the volcano was rolling, and along the red lava, faintly flashes of blue lightning swam about like snakes. The entire caldera stirred, as if stimulated by the Firebird Artifact Spirit, like a sleeping dragon slowly awakening.
The Artifact Spirit rushed into the magma in the next instant and disappeared.
A moment later, an astonishing pressure suddenly erupted as a thunderous voice rang out.
“A trivial Artifact Spirit dares challenge this King’s majesty? A foolish ant that knows not its place! Tremble before my power!”
Yang Kai’s body trembled as he stared downwards in amazement, his gaze seemingly penetrating the thick magma and staring directly into the depths of the earth.
It seemed the rumours were true. Brilliant Flame Sect’s Heavenly Thunder Fire had indeed obtained sentience, and… this sentience was not low, at least more complete than the Firebird.
It was able to clearly convey its thoughts and meaning while the Firebird obviously did not have such ability.
The Firebird was clearly in a dire situation, causing Yang Kai to worry.
Before coming here, he had not expected the Heavenly Thunder Fire to have evolved to this level. He thought that the Heavenly Thunder Fire was at best on the same level as the Firebird, but now it seemed that the Heavenly Thunder Fire was superior.
Beneath the volcanic crater, a shocking struggle began between the Firebird Artifact Spirit and the Heavenly Thunder Fire, causing the World Energy aura which pervaded Brilliant Flame Sect to tumble.
In front of Brilliant Flame Sect’s headquarters, the elites of Ice Heart Valley, led by Luo Li, broke through countless layers of defensive barriers as they drove towards the center of the Sect.
The five Starships formed a line in the sky and continuously shot volleys of Crystal Cannon fire, bringing death and destruction wherever they went.
Aboard the fleet’s flagship, Luo Li watched indifferently as the Elders of Ice Heart Valley all displayed their might.
In a certain square up ahead, a thousand meters below, at this moment, the leaders of Brilliant Flame Sect had all gathered, led by Wei Qing, all of them wearing ugly expressions as they stared upwards.
Between these two groups, a fiery red-light barrier remained intact.
This was Brilliant Flame Sect’s last defensive barrier, and once it was breached, Brilliant Flame Sect would become completely undefended and fall to the mercy of Ice Heart Valley.
Staring across the barrier and each other for some time, Wei Qing shouted, “Senior Luo Li, is Ice Heart Valley really determined to fight to the death with my Brilliant Flame Sect?”
“Yes!” Luo Li responded immediately.
Wei Qing laughed, “Forcing Senior Luo Li to act personally is my Brilliant Flame Sect’s honour, but… does Senior believe Brilliant Flame Sect is some soft persimmon you can crush at will? If that is the case, Junior must advise Senior to reconsider. If Senior is not prepared for all of us to die here together, Junior advises her to retreat, otherwise Senior will surely regret it!”
“Are you threatening this Queen?” Luo Li’s cold gaze pierced Wei Qing, like a sharp knife, causing even someone as strong as him to stumble back a few steps.
With shock in his heart, he cupped his fists and shouted, “Junior would not dare; however, this Wei Qing is Brilliant Flame Sect’s Sect Master, so he must take into consideration the safety of the Sect’s tens of thousands of disciples. Senior’s cultivation is profound, and there is indeed no one in Brilliant Flame Sect that can serve as your opponent, but if you wish to destroy my Brilliant Flame Sect, know that it will not be as easy as you believe.”
“I know what it is you are relying on!” Luo Li smiled suddenly, “To be honest, this Queen also felt that dealing with that thing would be quite difficult, and if at all possible I do not wish to confront it.”
“If Senior understands, everything can be discussed!” Wei Qing’s face brightened slightly, thinking Luo Li was still worried about acting rashly, lest innocents be hurt.
Unexpectedly though, Luo Li simply smiled even more brightly, “But this Queen is only responsible for dealing with you, as for that thing, someone else will take care of it, so… you’d best surrender quickly. This Queen does not enjoy bullying the weak. As long as you waste your cultivation, this Queen will give you a chance to survive!”
Wei Qing’s face turned angry and was just about to snap back when suddenly his Knowledge Sea rolled as an astonishing and terrifying will spread out from a certain direction, carrying with it a message that caused a chill to run up his back!
“A trivial Artifact Spirit dares challenge this King’s majesty? A foolish ant that knows not its place! Tremble before my power!”
As soon as this voice sounded, a fierce battle erupted at the volcano in the deepest part of Brilliant Flame Sect.
Everyone clearly felt the energy fluctuations from this clash spread out.
Brilliant Flame Sect’s leadership all wore looks of shock as they turned in the direction of this disturbance.
“Who would dare provoke the Heavenly Thunder Fire!” An Elder of Brilliant Flame Sect exclaimed.
“It has already started?” Luo Li narrowed her eyes.
She had apparently still underestimated the speed with which Yang Kai would act. She thought it would take some time before Yang Kai engaged the Heavenly Thunder Fire in battle, but now, she had barely reached her main target with her forces and Yang Kai had already begun.
“You have ten breaths to cripple yourselves. Do so and this Queen will spare your lives. If you still refuse to comply and force this Queen to break this barrier, you will all perish!” At this moment, Luo Li’s temperament, which should have been cold and indifferent, became fierce and aggressive.
The grievances between the two great forces were too deep, reaching the point where they could simply not live under the same sky.
Wei Qing’s expression changed dramatically as he felt the powerful fluctuations coming from the Heavenly Thunder Fire’s Restricted Area and understood that the last card he had to play was no longer available to him. However, crippling himself was naturally impossible.
All cultivators fought against the Heavens throughout their lives, crossing one narrow bridge after another, with countless trillions falling along the way. Wei Qing had spent three hundred years cultivating to the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm and had high hopes to break through to the Origin King Realm.
How could he be willing to waste his cultivation now?
Rather than linger on in disgrace, it would be better to put his life on the line to fight for a chance to survive.
“To battle!” Wei Qing roared.
Brilliant Flame Sect’s leadership obviously held the same idea as Wei Qing. All of them knew how deep the grievances were between their two Sects and that even if they begged for mercy, there would be none. As such, once Wei Qing cried for war, all the Elders present pushed their Saint Qi, summoned their artifacts, and struck towards the five Starships.
“Death!” Luo Li’s face went cold as she lifted her hand and gently tapped the air in front of her.
She did not make any fancy movements, nor create any spectacular display, but the moment her finger pointed forward, a crystal-clear six-petal snowflake condensed before her.
In the blink of an eye, this six-petal snowflake expanded to cover the entire sky above the square.
A chill that caused all to shiver quickly descended from the sky!
“Endless Frozen Seal!” Bing Long, Ran Yun Ting, and all the other Ice Heart Valley Elders shouted in unison.
Saint Qi surged from all their bodies and gathering together before flooding into the space in front of them.
Wherever their Saint Qi passed, the ground began to freeze.
Snow then began falling from the sky.
Shocking energy fluctuations pulsed from each tiny snowflake and as they landed lightly on the fiery red barrier, it seemed to melt through it, slowly opening holes in Brilliant Flame Sect’s last protective shield.
A region of frozen earth spread out towards the square.
The less powerful Brilliant Flame Sect disciples instantly turned into ice sculptures.
Wei Qing instantly fell into despair, knowing that Brilliant Flame Sect was doomed this time.
With Luo Li taking action personally, all hope was basically lost. Originally, he had been relying on the sealed Heavenly Thunder Fire making Luo Li cautions, but now it had somehow been entangled by some unknown force and was of no use.
Moreover, looking at Luo Li’s appearance and aura, where were there any signs of injury?
She was clearly at her peak!
[Is Brilliant Flame Sect really going to fall today?] Darkness covered Wei Qing’s eyes, as if dark clouds had descended upon him, blocking out any trace of light.
…..
Inside the volcanic crater, Yang Kai landed on a red rock outcropping. This rock was extremely hot, and Yang Kai was forced to use his Saint Qi to protect himself so he would not be burned.
The magma in front of him roiled as two different auras fought desperately down below. From time to time, the low roars of the Heavenly Thunder Fire and the cries of the Firebird rang out
It seemed the two were evenly matched.
However, as the owner of the Artifact Spirit. Yang Kai was keenly aware that the Firebird was at a disadvantage.
It was not as evolved as the Heavenly Thunder Fire as the conditions for its birth were not as profound as the latter.
The Artifact Spirit was born from an Origin King Grade Artifact Refining Furnace after ten thousand years of accumulation in the Earth Lung Fire Pond, meaning it was an acquired entity.
As for this Heavenly Thunder Fire, it was an innate existence that had steadily grown since the formation of this star, a rare, pure energy entity.
Both in background and strength, the Firebird was inferior, so even with the assistance of its host Artifact Refining Furnace, the Firebird was gradually being suppressed.
It needed assistance.
Yang Kai promptly sat down cross-legged atop the rock, summoned Xiao Xiao to protect him, closed his eyes, and began releasing his Divine Sense.
An illusory shadow suddenly projected from Yang Kai’s forehead, one that had an appearance identical to Yang Kai himself.
However, this figure had no physical essence.
Soul projection!
What had appeared was Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar!
With a flicker, Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar plunged into the magma and dove down deep.
Releasing one’s Soul Avatar outside one’s body was an extremely dangerous move as, once it was done, one’s physical form would be left in a completely undefended state.
This was why Yang Kai summoned Xiao Xiao again.
Moreover, the Soul was a fragile and sensitive existence. Without the protection of a physical body, it would be easily damaged.
Even in an ordinary environment, one would need to be wary of releasing their Soul Avatar, much less in this burning hot volcanic crater. The Soul of an ordinary cultivator would not be able to survive in this kind of environment and would likely be incinerated the moment it appeared.
But Yang Kai was different.
He possessed a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, which meant that his Spiritual Energy and Soul had the same attribute as the flaming magma of this place.
As such, the burning heat that would even deter an Origin King in this place was no hindrance to Yang Kai.
Without much effort, Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar penetrated deep underground.
The surrounding environment grew hotter and more terrifying the deeper he proceeded.
After finally reaching the deepest depths, a strange subterranean battlefield appeared.
In this battlefield, with a wingspan of nearly three hundred meters, the beautiful Firebird Artifact Spirit flew back and forth as it fought against a massive red and purple shadow.
This shadow had a figure somewhat similar to a human’s as it floated in the sea of magma, but instead of ordinary limbs, it had long tentacle-like arms that swayed back and forth throughout the entire space.
At the head of this shadow, there was a single massive eye that emitted a frightening light.
Its body pulsed with rich Fire Attribute energy as purple arcs of lightning danced across the surface of its figure.
Heavenly Thunder Fire!
Yang Kai could not help staring for a moment, not having expected the true body of the Heavenly Thunder Fire to look like this.
However, just as he expected, this Heavenly Thunder Fire contained a terrifying destructive power that could make any who felt it tremble.
Its tentacle-like arms swept about, shrouding the entire battlefield in a torrent of attacks. Any time the Firebird was impacted by these attacks, the light of its body would slightly weaken.
It was as if the Heavenly Thunder Fire was sapping the strength of the Firebird.
The Firebird did not back down though, and whenever an opportunity presented itself, it would rush forward and bite into the Heavenly Thunder Fire, swallowing its essence to restore itself.
These two strange creatures regarded one another as prey and were using their own unique methods to try to consume the other, resulting in a strange but still earth-shaking battle.
However, Yang Kai keenly noticed that behind this Heavenly Thunder Fire, eight golden energy chains locked its body in place.
These eight chains gave off the exact same aura as the Spirit Array which surrounded the volcanic crater.
It seemed that the existence of these eight chains greatly limited the abilities of the Heavenly Thunder Fire. If not for it, the Firebird would not have been this entity’s opponent.
Realizing this, Yang Kai felt deeply shocked.
It was hard to imagine just how strong the Heavenly Thunder Fire would be without the shackles of this Spirit Array. Would it be equivalent to a Second-Order Origin King? Perhaps even a Third-Order Origin King?
Moreover, which kind of master was able to chain it here in the first place?
Nevertheless, this situation was fortunate for the Firebird. With the eight chains restricting the Heavenly Thunder Fire, the Firebird was barely able to contend with it.
As soon as Yang Kai appeared on the battlefield, the Heavenly Thunder Fire sensed him, and a bright light flashed from its single massive eye towards him.
“Another ant, but this one seems to be a tasty snack for me! Feel honoured to become my strength!”
The voice of the Heavenly Thunder Fire caused the entire chamber to shake.
A strong suction force descended on Yang Kai as the light beam seemed to have an irresistible attractive force which was trying to swallow Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar.
Yang Kai coldly snorted and released a burst of his Spiritual Energy.
A crackling sound rang out in the next instant and the attractive force shattered, freeing Yang Kai.
“A mere ant dares resist my will? Unforgivable!” The Heavenly Thunder Fire seemed to be irritated and it quickly swung one of its giant tentacles towards Yang Kai.
The Firebird let out a fierce cry as it shot a column of fire from its mouth, blocking the tentacle from reaching Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stood in place indifferently, focusing all his attention on observing the situation around him.
He did not currently have a method to successfully deal with this strange Heavenly Thunder Fire.
Right now, his Soul Avatar was here, but his physical body was still up above inside the volcanic crater, so he could not use his Saint Qi to help the Firebird against this enemy, only his Spiritual Energy.
Yang Kai did not want to act recklessly and rile up his opponent before coming up with a plan.
Tentacles swept in all directions as the Heavenly Thunder Fire seemed to have sensed the importance of Yang Kai to the Firebird, so he shamelessly began targeting Yang Kai almost exclusively.
The Firebird was instantly put on the defensive.
The sudden arrival of Yang Kai seemed to make the Firebird’s situation worse.
The two strange creatures thus began a fierce struggle over Yang Kai.
As time passed, the aura of the Firebird gradually weakened while the Heavenly Thunder Fire was as fierce as ever, not showing any signs of fatigue.
“Here, I am the master! You ants must surrender to me!” The Heavenly Thunder Fire’s voice roared once more.
At that moment, Yang Kai’s eyes flashed brightly, and he couldn’t help laughing out loud, “So that’s how it is!”
Sensing Yang Kai’s joy, the Firebird’s waning momentum surged upwards again, and a brilliant radiance burst from its body as it once more entangled the Heavenly Thunder Fire, trying to swallow its energy.
“I’ve seen through your trick already. Today, you will fall!” Yang Kai shouted as he swiftly stretched out his hand and slashed it through the air.
A strange wave of power lashed out.
Instantly, the space around the Heavenly Thunder Fire became somewhat distorted.
Space Force!
Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar could not use the Saint Qi which was contained in his physical body, but that did not hinder him from using his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
Using his Space Force, Yang Kai cut off the Heavenly Thunder Fire from a certain nearby position.
The Heavenly Thunder Fire was instantly taken aback, and a look of panic flashed across its massive eye. At that moment, it gave up attacking the Firebird entirely and instead launched a flurried attack towards Yang Kai.
“So, my thoughts have proven to be true!” Yang Kai laughed, concluding from the Heavenly Thunder Fire’s reaction that his guess was correct.
Without any hesitation, Yang Kai released a burst of Space Force from his Soul Avatar and rapidly spread it outwards to form a type of cage around the surrounding region.
After just ten breaths, the cage had taken shape!
This invisible cage isolated the Heavenly Thunder Fire from the outside world, enclosing it here with the Firebird.
This cage had no effect on the Firebird, but it was a fatal threat to the Heavenly Thunder Fire.
Now, the Heavenly Thunder Fire was no longer able to draw strength from its surrounding environment to restore itself!
Yang Kai had observed for a while and found that the Heavenly Thunder Fire had some kind of invisible connection with the surrounding magma and the scorching heat of the ground; because of that, no matter how much of its essence was swallowed by the Firebird, it was quickly able to restore itself.
On the other hand, the Firebird obviously had no such advantage!
This wasn’t too much of a surprise, however. The Heavenly Thunder Fire had been sealed in this place for countless millennia, so it had found a way to use this environment to its benefit.
Yang Kai’s Space Force cage, however, cut off this advantage in an instant.
“We’ll attack it together, it can’t restore itself anymore,” Yang Kai shouted to the Firebird before using his Soul Avatar to charge forward.
“Pitiful ants, you cannot defeat me! Even without the help of this place’s power, you are still not my opponents!” The Heavenly Thunder Fire roared disdainfully.
“Then we’ll just have to see who is stronger!” Yang Kai smiled fiercely as he shouted, “Demon Eye of Annihilation!”
From his left eye, a golden light suddenly flashed, and a majestic golden pupil revealed itself.
From this golden pupil, a beam of light containing a mysterious power shot forward and pierced the massive one-eyed Heavenly Thunder Fire.
The Heavenly Thunder Fire’s huge body froze up for an instant before it released a resounding howl, as if it had been wounded.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation was able to purify Souls.
When the Heavenly Thunder Fire obtained sentience, it formed its own Soul, so it was vulnerable to the Demon Eye of Annihilation.
Its huge body twisted as its countless tentacles waved about madly, seemingly threatening to collapse the entire space.
The Firebird shot forward, opened its mouth wide, and bit into the Heavenly Thunder Fire’s body.
A stream of pure power visibly to the naked eye flowed into the Firebird’s body from its mouth.
At the same time, the Heavenly Thunder Fire’s aura dropped noticeably.
“Ants! You dare anger me!? I will have all of you dead!” The Heavenly Thunder Fire roared madly as its tentacles flew back, wrapped up the Firebird, and hurled it away.
Immediately, its single eye locked onto Yang Kai and a fierce and destructive aura descended upon him. From that single eye, a mysterious light blasted out, one which was capable of fighting against Yang Kai’s golden light and slowly began pushing it back.
It was conceivable that once this profound light covered Yang Kai, his Soul Avatar would be erased.
“Blossoming Lotus!” Yang Kai shouted sharply.
Within the golden pupil of his left eye, a lotus bud suddenly appeared.
Immediately after this lotus bud appeared, it flickered and disappeared.
But from the perspective of the Heavenly Thunder Fire, this lotus bud rushed into its Knowledge Sea.
This lotus bud took Spiritual Energy as its nutrients and began madly swallowing all it could from the Heavenly Thunder Fire, slowly blossoming in the process.
The more it blossomed, the more Spiritual Energy it drew in. By the time the lotus bloomed halfway, the Heavenly Thunder Fire’s figure was shaking, and its originally solid form became a bit illusory.
Yang Kai had a splitting headache and was unable to stop himself from letting out a miserable cry.
To deal with Heavenly Thunder Fire, he had used almost all of his Spiritual Energy at once to condense this lotus bud.
But the effects were astonishing. The Heavenly Thunder Fire took a devastating hit and lost the strength to target him.
An angry growl and miserable howl burst from the Heavenly Thunder Fire’s mouth.
The Firebird took this opportunity to free itself from its restraints and summon its base Artifact Refining Furnace.
Stimulated by the Firebird, the Artifact Refining Furnace began rotating rapidly as it sent out an amazing attractive force from its mouth.
The Heavenly Thunder Fire’s unstable body could not withstand this suction and was gradually pulled towards the Artifact Refining Furnace.
“Nooo!” The Heavenly Thunder Fire yelled madly but to no avail.
Yang Kai’s Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique had swallowed most of its Spiritual Energy, rendering it incapable of resisting the Firebird’s attack.
As it howled miserably, the Heavenly Thunder Fire was pulled into the Artifact Refining Furnace like a plume of blue smoke!
The Firebird then turned and glanced towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai gripped his temples as their four eyes met and gently nodded, conveying an encouraging look.
The Firebird flapped its wings, turned into a ball of flame, and wrapped itself around the Artifact Refining Furnace before immediately sinking deeper into the magma below.
Its battle was not over yet!
The next stage of this battle would be fought inside the Artifact Refining Furnace, but unlike before, it would be on the Firebird’s home field where it would occupy the absolute advantage.
Yang Kai was no longer able to intervene.
However, he believed that when the Firebird appeared again, it would bring him a big, pleasant surprise.
Turning his head and looking around, Yang Kai did not choose to remain and immediately sent his Soul Avatar back to his body.
Opening his eyes, Yang Kai saw the Stone Puppet’s concerned gaze.
After giving it a comforting look, Yang Kai immediately took out some pills and stuffed them into his mouth before closing his eyes and refining their efficacies.
Time passed by.
The tearing pain in Yang Kai’s mind gradually faded, and with the help of the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, his Spiritual Energy was restored in short order. Recovering to the point where he could move about within a day.
After this battle, Yang Kai surprisingly found that his Spiritual Energy had also increased.
This was a fortunate accident.
A fragrant wind appeared behind him at a certain point, but Yang Kai didn’t even turn his head to look, instead just smiling slightly and saying, “Congratulations Senior, now Ice Heart Valley may dominate Scarlet Wave Star and become its sole ruler.”
Luo Li’s faint voice sounded, “This Queen has no intention of dominating anything. Everything done today was simply to settle our long-standing grievances. As long Brilliant Flame Sect remained, many from Ice Heart Valley would die.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, thinking these words conformed well with Luo Li’s mentality.
“However, this success was only thanks to Young Master Yang’s assistance. If you had not been here dealing with the Heavenly Thunder Fire, my Ice Heart Valley would not have been able to act so easily,” Luo Li said gratefully.
“We each simply attended to our own needs, Senior need not be so polite,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “En, what about Brilliant Flame Sect’s people?”
“All those in the Origin Returning Realm were killed, those below the Origin Realm who were known to have killed my Ice Heart Valley disciples were also killed. As for the rest… their cultivations were crippled and they were set free,” Luo Li replied.
“Senior is benevolent.”
“What you mean to say is this Queen shows too much womanly compassion, right?” Luo Li smiled softly.
“Junior wouldn’t dare. Senior must have her reasons for acting this way, Junior has no reason to question that,” Yang Kai replied calmly.
Luo Li smiled and said, “If you wish to say it, just say it, I doubt there’s anything you dare not do. En, if this Queen really slaughtered every Brilliant Flame Sect disciple from weak to strong… the Heavens would not reflect kindly upon it.”
Yang Kai nodded and said nothing more.
Cultivators had to act following their own convictions. Luo Li was not one who enjoyed killing, so if she were to engage in a reckless slaughter of Brilliant Flame Sect, it would no doubt have an impact on her mental state, which was not good for her. Although releasing these Brilliant Flame Sect disciples may seem like benevolence, it was just Luo Li obeying her own heart.
“Young Master Yang, where is the Heavenly Thunder Fire now?” Luo Li asked curiously.
Yang Kai pointed to the magma below, “It’s still inside right now, but it won’t be around much longer.”
Luo Li’s body shook as terrified light flashed across her beautiful eyes.
She naturally knew how powerful the Heavenly Thunder Fire was, but listening to the meaning of Yang Kai’s words, he seemed to have found a way to completely extinguish it, a development beyond Luo Li’s expectations.
Originally, she believed that Yang Kai merely had some kind of ability which he could use to hold back the Heavenly Thunder Fire, allowing her to freely deal with Brilliant Flame Sect.
As such, once she was done processing the remnants of Brilliant Flame Sect, she immediately rushed to this place to assist Yang Kai.
Never had she imagined that there would be nothing more for her to do here.
“Young Master Yang’s methods are truly astonishing, this Queen is incredibly impressed,” Luo Li spoke with sincere admiration. Even if she had acted personally, she was not confident she could destroy this strange flame, but Yang Kai apparently had this ability.
“Senior is too polite.”
“Since everything is settled here, this Queen won’t linger. If Young Hero has free time in the future, please accept my open invitation to Ice Heart Valley as a guest. Ice Heart Valley will offer Young Hero a fitting welcome.”
“If there is a chance,” Yang Kai replied in a noncommittal manner.
Luo Li nodded lightly before departing quickly.
After Luo Li left, another person flew down from the volcanic crater and, with a burst of refreshing icy air, arrived by Yang Kai’s side, sitting down.
Naturally, it was Su Yan.
Yang Kai turned his head, reached out, and grabbed one of her delicate hands, holding it in his own appreciatively.
Su Yan did not speak, simply smiling lightly as she turned to look at the rolling magma in front of her while leaning her head on Yang Kai’s shoulder with a satisfied look on her face.
It seemed the Senior Sister and Junior Brother pair simply wanted to spend some quiet time together.
“Junior Brother, where are we going next?” After a long silence, Su Yan asked.
“To Shadowed Star.”
“Shadowed Star? Where is that?”
“Shadowed Star is extremely far away, but it has a much better environment than today’s Tong Xuan Realm. Although there is a strange World Principle suppression there, it is suitable for everyone from Tong Xuan Realm to grow and develop. I founded High Heaven Sect there on a cultivation paradise…”
Yang Kai began describing the various aspects of Shadowed Star one by one, causing Su Yan to feel a sense of yearning.
The Star Field was incredibly vast, filled with wonders, but to her, it didn’t really matter where she went. As long as she could accompany the man beside her, even the ends of the universe could be a warm home.
At this moment, Su Yan felt a sense of satisfaction she never experienced before.
The battle between the Firebird and Heavenly Thunder Fire lingered on for quite some time.
Yang Kai and Su Yan waited next to the volcanic crater for half a month, but still, the battle down below had not been decided.
Bing Long came at one point and handed Yang Kai a large number of Space Rings filled with an astonishing amount of wealth which formerly belonged to Brilliant Flame Sect. There were many precious ores, herbs, artifacts, pills, and Secret Arts, Martial Skills, and billions of Saint Crystals.
Ice Heart Valley was able to wipe out Brilliant Flame Sect in one fell swoop thanks to Yang Kai, so they did not take sole possession of Brilliant Flame Sect’s wealth. After receiving instructions from Luo Li, Bing Long personally divided this huge harvest in half, one part going to Ice Heart Valley while the other was given to Yang Kai exclusively!
Naturally, this was a gesture of goodwill from Ice Heart Valley that was meant to ease the relationship between them and Yang Kai.
Yang Kai understood this and did not refuse, readily accepting the Space Rings.
Now that he was bringing over ten thousand of his friends and family to Shadowed Star, he would need an extraordinary amount of cultivation resources to support them. This wealth from Brilliant Flame Sect was enough to support those from Tong Xuan Realm for ten or twenty years without any difficulty.
Although Yang Kai had not left the volcanic crater after he arrived, he could still detect the movements of those from Ice Heart Valley.
After Brilliant Flame Sect was eliminated, Brilliant Flame Mountain Range became a treasured land without any owner, but since Ice Heart Valley’s disciples all cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts, they were not going to open a branch here.
Nevertheless, there were many Sects attached to Ice Heart Valley, so they had several of them migrate to Brilliant Flame Mountain Range to occupy this cultivation paradise.
All of this had nothing to do with Yang Kai as he was simply a passerby to Scarlet Wave Star.
While they waited, Yang Kai and Su Yan had plenty to talk about, sharing their respective experiences from the past thirty years, from the stunning adventures to the trivial occurrences.
From time to time, they would sit in meditation to cultivate as well.
The two found that when they cultivate together, their rate of cultivation increased ten-fold compared to when they were alone.
Saint Qi flowed between them and merged together, forming an endless cycle that rapidly drew in the surrounding World Energy to strengthen themselves.
Time flew by and soon another half a month passed.
While they were cultivating today, Yang Kai and Su Yan both sensed something and simultaneously opened their eyes before turning their gazes down.
Below, the originally tumbling and roaring magma was rapidly calming down and the terrifying heat which filled the air began to abate. Even the liquid magma was solidifying at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Obviously, something was absorbing all the Fire Attribute energy in this volcanic crater.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he had a vague guess in his heart about what was happening, raising his expectations greatly.
After half a day, the situation became more obvious as the temperature in the volcanic crater dropped to a normal level where even an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated would not feel much discomfort.
The tumbling magma in front of him had already become semi-solidified.
Suddenly, a stream of aura rapidly rose from the depths.
This aura was very familiar to Yang Kai and when he sensed it, a smile appeared on his face.
*Xiu…*
A red light blasted out from below and a Firebird with a ten-metre wingspan suddenly flew up into the air.
Its entire body was a dazzling fiery red while purple streaks of lightning flashed across its surface, giving it a domineering and devastating aura.
Yang Kai raised his brow as he looked at the radiant Firebird in surprise, secretly feeling shocked by the intensity of the aura it gave off.
The Firebird had undoubtedly successfully swallowed the Heavenly Thunder Fire and obtained a quantitative evolution, but the increase in its strength was actually quite shocking, possibly ten times more than before.
Yang Kai felt a pressure from the Firebird now comparable to an ordinary Origin King.
Was the Firebird now comparable to an Origin King? Yang Kai could not help smiling happily thinking so.
*Li…*
The Firebird raised its head high and released a resounding cry, seemingly extremely excited.
Immediately after, its figure began to distort, its wings folding in as its body underwent a rapid and dramatic transformation.
Soon, a beautiful young woman with fiery hair appeared in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded!
The beauty that appeared in front of him was so dazzling it was somewhat unbelievable. Her delicate face was dotted with elegant features, without the slightest flaw, and her slender willow brows, dazzling eyes, and tender lips which had a shimmering ruby lustre easily provoked the imagination.
Her figure was also extremely provocative, full in all the right places while slender in all the others, complimented perfectly with two long, beautiful legs.
Most noticeable was the highly exposed way she dressed.
She wore a fiery red armour which only covered her most sensitive places while revealing much of her thighs and lower abdomen.
Her seductive neckline, flat abdomen, and delicate belly button were all exposed to the air, as was much of her beautiful legs along with her snow-white jade feet which lightly stepped through the air, enchanting all who bore witness to them.
Yang Kai suddenly felt a little dizzy.
Su Yan also covered her mouth with her small hands in surprise, but immediately thinking of something, she shot Yang Kai a light smile as a profound light flashed across her eyes.
“You… you… how did you become like this?” Yang Kai pointed at the evolved Firebird in a somewhat incoherent manner.
“Greetings, Master!” The Firebird suddenly saluted Yang Kai elegantly and spoke in a clear voice.
Her voice and expression were cold and indifferent, a clear contrast to her scorching hot figure.
Moreover, her voice seemed to contain an aura of destruction and killing intent while her dark red eyes burned like flames.
Gazing into her eyes, Yang Kai faintly felt he saw a world of flames that could incinerate one’s Soul if they stared too long.
“You… can talk?” Yang Kai was even more shocked, his mouth hanging agape.
The Firebird nodded, thought for a moment, then explained, “After consuming that guy, I suddenly discovered I could speak. Why, does master not like this me?”
“Am I supposed to?” Yang Kai brow furrowed as he caught a glimpse of Su Yan staring at him with interest from the corner of his eye, making him feel a little guilty.
“It should… I have been following Master for many years and felt that my current appearance should match very well with Master’s interests, so…”
“Shut up!” Yang Kai roared frantically as he took a deep breath, turned to Su Yan, and declared solemnly, “This is slander, pure slander! Senior Sister, don’t take her seriously.”
Su Yan smiled lightly and said, “Naturally, I believe in Junior Brother.”
“It seems… I was mistaken,” Firebird thought about it for a while before sincerely admitting her wrongs. After completing this, she turned to Su Yan and bowed with a serious expression, “Greetings, Madam.”
[Seems her vision is sharp, at least!] Yang Kai cast an approving look towards the Firebird.
Su Yan pursed her lips and giggled, walking forward as she took the Firebird’s hand and said, “You don’t need to be so polite. Your current image is not old, so from now on, we will be sisters. En, you said you have followed Junior Brother for many years, so you must be very clear about all he’s done these years. If we have time, we should have a good chat.”
“Master probably wouldn’t want me to expose his private affairs, especially with regards to certain women,” Firebird frowned and replied, appearing somewhat reluctant.
Yang Kai’s face became as black as the bottom of a pot.
He suddenly discovered that the Firebird who was obedient to him and did not know how to talk was more likeable.
The current Firebird’s sentience had advanced greatly, and her strength had soared, but why did it feel like he had lost something in the process?
“By the way, Junior Brother, she now has a human form, so does she have a name?” Su Yan did not try to dig into these trivial matters and suddenly asked.
Yang Kai shook his head and turned to the Firebird to ask, “Do you want a name?”
A strange brilliance flashed across the Firebird’s eyes and she quickly nodded, “Please bestow me a name, Master!”
Possessing a true name was a special privilege that only existences which had achieved a certain level of sentience could possess, in other words, only those that had true names could be considered true, independent beings!
“En, then from now on your name will be Liu Yan,” Yang Kai did not think much before replying.
The black Origin King Grade Starship sailed through the vast Star Field without much need for human intervention, moving quickly towards a certain destination.
Inside the Starship, only a few cultivators were stationed to monitor the surrounding environment.
Yang Kai himself was inside the Sealed World Bead.
This was a homeward journey.
Shadowed Star would be the new home of all those from Tong Xuan Realm.
It had been a year since Yang Kai departed from Scarlet Wave Star, and since then, the Starship had sailed safely and smoothly according to the Star Chart drawn by Yang Kai.
The occasional minor problems that came up were quickly taken care of by a volley of Crystal Cannon fire, allowing the Starship to proceed unimpeded.
The tyrannical power of the Origin King Grade Starship was not something many could afford to challenge.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang were constantly refining pills, spending massive quantities of resources to improve the cultivation of those from Tong Xuan Realm.
The overall strength of the Three Clans had now soared with Saints everywhere. As for the top masters of the Three Clans, many had reached the Second or Third-Order Saint King Realm, their strength having risen greatly.
Cultivation was a process of accumulation. Tong Xuan Realm was different from Shadowed Star. The former had insufficient World Energy, so it severely limited the development of cultivators while the latter actually suppressed cultivators from reaching peak heights.
Now inside the Small Sealed World, with rich aura and abundant cultivation resources, the cultivators from Tong Xuan Realm were able to develop and improve their strength at astonishing speed.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the other Origin Realm masters also spent much time teaching those from Tong Xuan Realm the mysteries of cultivation, so it was no surprise that the latter group progressed quickly.
The atmosphere inside the Sealed World Bead was jubilant as every day someone would break through to the next realm.
Yang Kai gave special treatment to his closest relatives.
All people had selfish desires, and Yang Kai was no exception
His parents, Grand Master, Ancestral Founder, Martial Uncles and Aunt, Old Demon and others were all given Heaven-defying pills that Yang Kai refined personally, allowing them to transform their physiques, dredge their meridians, and thoroughly enhance their potential and aptitude.
Inside a certain loft, at a window on the second floor, a beautiful figure stood enjoying the breeze blowing through her hair, staring out across a nearby square, her eyes fixed on a brave and heroic-looking young man, a touch of gentleness and nostalgia across her face.
“Elder Sister Qiu.” Suddenly, a shout came from behind her and Qiu Yi Meng retracted her gaze, turned her head around, and saw a pair of twin sisters arriving together. Naturally, it was Hu Jiao’er and Hu Mei’er.
“You’ve come?” Qiu Yi Meng smiled slightly, bringing her thoughts to the present and motioning, “Have a seat!”
Hu Jiao’er glanced at her thoughtfully before turning her eyes to the window where she noticed a bustling figure in the square, heaving a sigh as she muttered, “It seems that the gap is only getting wider and wider between us. I don’t know if it will ever be possible for us to catch up to him in this lifetime.”
“En, the more I cultivate, the farther I feel from him,” Hu Mei’er’s expression also dampened.
Qiu Yi Meng smiled at them and said, “Why are you two sisters so discouraged? At least your cultivation pace is shockingly quick compared to your Elder Sister here. The two of you have reached the Second-Order Saint King Realm while I just entered the Saint King Realm.”
“Even so, I heard that he has already reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm,” Hu Mei’er said sadly. “Now, those who can stand next to him are only Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang. I really wonder how they cultivated, all of them actually reached the Origin Returning Realm already. A few days ago, Xia Ning Chang also seems to have broken through to the Second-Order Origin Realm. It’s simply maddening to think about it.”
“They have their own opportunities. We just need to work harder ourselves. Don’t try to catch up to him, just strive to not be left too far behind,” Qiu Yi Meng persuaded.
“Elder Sister Qiu’s determination and resolve are inspiring,” Hu Jiao’er was a little moved as she looked at Qiu Yi Meng admiringly.
Qiu Yi Meng smiled and said, “Since we chose to leave Tong Xuan Realm with him, we should have at least this much heart. If we could not withstand this kind of desperation, we should have just remained on Tong Xuan Realm where we would still be considered peak level masters. Isn’t that what you thought as well, two little sisters?”
Hu Jiao’er and Hu Mei’er looked at each other and nodded solemnly.
“Good, enough about this topic. Come with me, it’s time for the youths from the Three Clans to compare notes. Only by competing constantly can we really mature,” Qiu Yi Meng got up and motioned to the two sisters.
Hu Jiao’er and Hu Mei’er quickly followed.
…..
The days in the Sealed World Bead were calm and steady, allowing time to flow by freely and before anyone knew it, another year had passed.
One day, Yang Kai was cultivating together with Su Yan, their palms pressed against each other’s, their Saint Qi circulating between them.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes as if sensing something.
“What happened?” Su Yan also opened her eyes and asked curiously.
“It seems we’ve arrived,” Yang Kai grinned.
“We’ve finally arrived?” Su Yan was also quite pleased, “The journey was quite long.”
“En, Shadowed Star is very remote. If it were not for this Origin King Grade Starship, we wouldn’t have been able to reach this place. Come with me to have a look.”
“Good, call Ning Chang too.”
After meeting up with Xia Ning Chang, the trio moved out to the Starship.
Immediately, a disciple from High Heaven Sect came forward to report, “Sect Master, Shadowed Star is directly in front of us. We’re finally home.”
His expression was very excited.
Unlike those from Tong Xuan Realm, this disciple was originally a member of the Hai Ke Family, a native of Shadowed Star. He had come out with Yang Kai for eight years now, so he missed his hometown.
“Please give the order, Sect Master!” The disciple of High Heaven Sect respectfully bowed.
“En, bring us down.”
“Yes!”
The next moment, the Starship sailed towards the massive Cultivation Star and in just over a quarter of an hour, it entered the atmosphere, revealing the charming scenery below.
Yang Kai did not order the Starship to continue forward and instead took Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang out before putting the Starship into the Sealed World Bead and using his Star Shuttle to finish their descent.
The Origin King Grade Starship was a bit too noticeable and Yang Kai was not willing to draw too much attention to himself at this moment.
Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang breathed Shadowed Star’s air for the first time and immediately felt the rich World Energy surrounding them, both wearing expressions of pleasant surprise as they inhaled gently.
“Junior Brother, what city is down below? It’s so big,” Xia Ning Chang pointed to a city nearby and asked.
“Well… I actually don’t know,” Yang Kai scratched his head awkwardly. Although he had spent many years on Shadowed Star now, Shadowed Star itself was simply too big so he could not recognize every city at a glance.
Xia Ning Chang smiled seeing this and no longer embarrassed Yang Kai.
“Oh…” Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed, however, and after carefully examining the outline of the city below, he laughed, “Never mind, I do know where we are.”
“Where?”
“This is Heavenly Fate City!” Yang Kai pointed down, “Look over there, do you see that small mountain range? When I first arrived on Shadowed Star, this is where I settled down, Dragon Cave Mountain. Later, after being besieged by many people and engaging in a great battle, Dragon Cave Mountain was destroyed, and we moved to the current High Heaven Sect.”
Turning towards the direction Yang Kai pointed, Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang saw a small, dilapidated mountain range.
Perhaps because of the relationship this place shared with Yang Kai, the two women looked at the mountain range with cordial eyes.
“It seems you share some fate with this place,” Su Yan said with a little emotion.
When Yang Kai first came to Shadowed Star, this was where he arrived and settled, and now that he had returned after a long journey, this was the first place he came back to. It was almost serendipitous.
“There must indeed be some fate at work here. Good, let’s go down, I know the City Lord of Heavenly Fate City quite well, so we should be able to borrow their Space Array without any trouble,” Yang Kai waved his hand and flew down.
The City Lord of Heavenly Fate City was Fei Zhi Tu. If it had not been for his cultivation having fallen after suffering a serious wound, he would have followed Yang Kai to leave Shadowed Star like Qian Tong.
After so many years, Yang Kai wondered whether Fei Zhi Tu’s cultivation had recovered.
When Yang Kai was still weak, Fei Zhi Tu had taken good care of him, so Yang Kai naturally felt grateful to him.
Suddenly, a violent energy fluctuation erupted from nearby.
“Junior Brother, someone is fighting,” Su Yan noticed and pointed to a certain direction.
Yang Kai turned his head and looked over, only to reveal a look of shock in the next instant as he froze in place with a stunned expression on his face.
“How could it be them?”
Although they were separated by a great distance, with the strength of Yang Kai’s current Divine Sense, he was easily able to tell the identity the parties which were fighting.
It was Shadow Moon Hall’s top disciples Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er.
These two were the rising stars of Shadow Moon Hall, famous figures who were well-known throughout Shadowed Star. Yang Kai had not seen them for many years but he could tell that their cultivation had been progressing quite rapidly. Together, the two of them were able to exert power far beyond that of ordinary First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivators.
However, their opponents were even stronger. There were more than a dozen Origin Returning Realm masters engaging them, with a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm powerhouse taking the lead. Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er were currently surrounded and had no chance of escape.
But how was this possible? Yang Kai was extremely puzzled.
They were currently right next to Heavenly Fate City, which was a city under the direct jurisdiction of Shadow Moon Hall. Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er were the future pillars of Shadow Moon Hall, with the former being the disciple of the Hall Master and the latter the disciple of its Great Elder, Qian Tong. Both of them possessed extraordinary status.
Who would dare to attack them within the territory of Shadow Moon Hall?
Yang Kai instinctively realized something was terribly wrong, as if something big had happened to Shadowed Star during the years he had left.
“You know them, Junior Brother?” Su Yan asked.
“En, let’s go take a look,” Yang Kai calmly led Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang towards the direction of the battle.
A few hundred kilometres away, Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er were engaged in a bloody battle. Their opponents were five Origin Returning Realm masters.
Even if Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er possessed extraordinary combat strength for their realm, they were still being suppressed heavily because they were outnumbered and outmatched. Moreover, it seemed they have experienced many battles recently, causing their Saint Qi auras to be somewhat weak.
If not for their opponents seemingly worrying about the moon-shaped artifact floating above Wei Gu Chang’s head, they would already have rushed forward and killed them.
This moon-shaped artifact was being driven by Wei Gu Chang with some special method, exuding a soft light that flexibly floated about the battlefield, protecting Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er’s lives at critical moments several times.
Although this round moon-shaped artifact was incredibly powerful, Wei Gu Chang’s frequent use of it was consuming his strength rapidly. During the battle, he was constantly stuffing pills into his mouth in an attempt to restore his Saint Qi, but it was far from sufficient.
The five Origin Returning Realm masters who were besieging him and Dong Xuan’er were acting quite cautiously, not going for a decisive blow but instead keeping their distance while focusing on consuming their physical strength and Saint Qi, seemingly intent on capturing them alive.
Not far away, a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master stood with his hands behind his back, watching Wei Gu Chang with cold eyes while occasionally shouting, “Martial Nephew Wei, don’t be stubborn, hand over the Heavenly Moon Silver Mirror and Martial Uncle will give you a chance to live!”
“Ptui!” Wei Gu Chang spat. Although he was completely dishevelled, the look of contempt on his face was still clear, “Xie Chen, it is repulsive to think you once called yourself an Elder of Shadow Moon Hall. Not only are you a coward who covets life and fears death, stooping to colluding with those evil monsters to harm the Sect, but you’re even serving them like a whipped dog now, hahaha… if you want the Heavenly Moon Silver Mirror, come get it yourself!”
Wei Gu Chang was covered in blood, but that did not change his heroic character.
Xie Chen’s face went cold as his eyes filled with murderous intent.
Wei Gu Chang’s words undoubtedly hit his sore spot.
Taking a deep breath, however, he remained where he was and continued to call out, “Nephew Wei, you may be a rising star of the younger generation, but don’t you understand that wise birds choose the best roosts to live in? Today’s Shadowed Star has only one true ruler, the glory Shadow Moon Hall and all other big Sects once possessed is gone forever. Out of consideration for your youthful naivety, Martial Uncle will not make things difficult for you. If you hand over the Heavenly Moon Silver Mirror, you may leave. You are free to refuse, but… You may not care if you die, but what about Xuan’er? She is still just a young flower; do you not feel the slightest guilt about dragging her to death here with you?”
Wei Gu Chang’s expression changed slightly when he heard these words. Still immersed in this fierce battle, he could not help turning his gaze towards Dong Xuan’er, the hot-blooded ruthlessness on his face instantly being replaced with a touch of tenderness.
Xie Chen was extremely cunning, only needing a few words to shake Wei Gu Chang’s momentum.
Noticing his Wei Gu Chang’s gaze, Dong Xuan’er grit her teeth and shouted, “Senior Brother, don’t listen to his nonsense! He is no longer our Martial Uncle. Xuan’er being able to live and die together with Senior Brother is her greatest wish! No matter what, we cannot hand the Heavenly Moon Silver Mirror over to them!”
“Xuan’er…” Wei Gu Chang murmured.
At that moment, Xie Chen’s eyes flashed, and he swiftly condensed his Saint Qi as he pointed his finger towards Wei Gu Chang.
A black light burst from Xie Chen’s fingertip the moment Wei Gu Chang’s guard dropped and delivered a blow to the latter’s chest.
Wei Gu Chang was knocked back, seemingly taking a serious hit, coughing up a mouthful of blood as his momentum quickly weakened, only managing to stabilize himself after tumbling a few dozen meters through the air.
“Senior Brother!” Dong Xuan’er called out pitifully, her voice filled with a hint of profound sadness and distress.
A vicious look flashed across Xie Chen’s face as he cackled loudly, “Brat, this is the price for daring to fight with this old master! Now, let us see how you refuse to die. Kill him for me!”
“Despicable!” Wei Gu Chang grit his teeth and yelled as he saw his enemies madly charge towards him, releasing many artifact attacks and Secret Techniques. At this moment, Wei Gu Chang’s Saint Qi was in chaos and the silver moon artifact above his head had grown dim, so he was unable to put up any kind of defence.
Death was beckoning to him.
Strangely, Wei Gu Chang’s expression softened at this moment as he cast a glance towards Dong Xuan’er, his eyes filled with guilt and distress.
Behind Dong Xuan’er, two other Origin Realm cultivators launched violent attacks towards her.
Dong Xuan’er simply smiled back at him, as if everything else in the world had faded from her view.
Before death, the two did not need words, just a simple glance was enough to convey their satisfaction. They had not been born in the same year, the same month, or the same day, but they could die together, never to be separated again
Wei Gu Chang reached out his hand towards Dong Xuan’er, a gesture Dong Xuan’er returned.
Their two palms met mid-air, and it was as if their hearts and minds merged into one.
Pulling each other into a tight embrace, the pair closed their eyes and waited for the inevitable to come.
Screams filled the air in the next instant as violent energy fluctuations erupted and the sound of bones breaking rang out; however, the death Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er were expected never came…
Wei Gu Chang frowned and opened his eyes suspiciously only to see a familiar face not far away, smiling towards him.
Wei Gu Chang was instantly stunned as his eyes widened, unable to believe what he was seeing.
After rubbing his eyes vigorously to make sure he was not imagining things, Wei Gu Chang could not help crying out, “Brother Yang!”
The person standing next to him was none other than Yang Kai!
Wei Gu Chang’s heart jumped wildly.
Yang Kai had left Shadowed Star for a long voyage across the vast Star Field, something Wei Gu Chang was well aware of because he had heard Fei Zhi Tu mention it more than once, each time wearing a disgruntled and regretful expression.
If not for his cultivation having fallen that day, Fei Zhi Tu would have left Shadowed Star together with Yang Kai to experience the mysteries and excitement of the Star Field.
But at that last moment, fate played a cruel prank on him and his cultivation fell.
In the end, only Qian Tong left with Yang Kai from Shadow Moon Hall.
Yang Kai had left seven or eight years ago and there had been no news from him since then. No one knew whether he had safely made it to the Star Field or not.
But today, at this critical moment, Yang Kai had magically appeared and saved their Senior Brother Junior Sister pair!
[Since Yang Kai is back, what about Elder Qian?] Wei Gu Chang hurriedly turned his head to look around, but apart from discovering two shockingly beautiful women, there were no signs of Elder Qian.
Wei Gu Chang’s heart sank.
“Elder Qian is fine. Brother Wei doesn’t need to worry,” Yang Kai knew what he was thinking when he saw his look and quickly comforted him, “It’s been many years since we last met, but Brother Wei… en, it seems you’re doing quite well for yourself.”
Hearing Yang Kai’s joking tone, Wei Gu Chang grinned, blood dripping from the corner of his lips, giving him a wild and fierce look as he snickered, “Is Brother Yang making fun of this Wei?”
“I wouldn’t dare!”
“Senior Brother… let me go first,” Dong Xuan’er’s shy whisper entered Wei Gu Chang’s ears.
Startled, only now did he remember that he was still embracing Dong Xuan’er tightly.
Feeling the soft and tender body in his embrace heat up sharply while exhaling an orchid scent beside his ear aroused a certain sense of euphoria in Wei Gu Chang that made him extremely reluctant to let go.
Although the Senior Brother and Junior Sister pair had been in love with each other for many years, they had never truly been intimate. Only when they were facing death a moment ago had they tossed away all sense of shyness and embarrassment and broken this final barrier between them.
Gently letting go of Dong Xuan’er, Wei Gu Chang scratched his head, “I’ve shown Brother Yang something embarrassing.”
Dong Xuan’er stood aside with a blushing smile, her head down, keeping silent.
Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang looked at each other and smiled knowingly.
“Brother Wei and Sister Dong being able to express their true feelings in the face of adversity is something quite touching. How could this Yang laugh at such a display?” Yang Kai said seriously before immediately turning his eyes forward and asking indifferently, “What happened here? I was only gone for a few years but it seems something big has happened to Shadow Moon Hall.”
Hearing this, Wei Gu Chang’s face grew cold as he recalled, “Not just Shadow Moon Hall, all of Shadowed Star has been turned upside down. I won’t be able to explain everything in short order, but to be succinct, this dog here was once a high-level Elder of my Shadow Moon Hall, but he betrayed the Sect and helped a terrible enemy commit all kinds of heinous sins, including killing the older Hall Master and imprisoning City Lord Fei!”
“The old Hall Master was killed, and City Lord Fei was imprisoned?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“Exactly!”
“Little beast, it’s you!” On the opposite side, Xie Chen looked at Yang Kai gloomily, hatred flashing across his eyes, as if he held some kind of absolutely irreconcilable resentment with him. Smiling wildly, Xie Chen shouted, “You’ll really wear out iron shoes while seeking your feet! This old master has been searching for you for so many years, but I never expected you would actually deliver yourself to me today! Magnificent! Today this old master will kill you and avenge my clansmen’s deaths!”
“Do you know me?” Yang Kai looked at him suspiciously.
Xie Chen growled, “Do you remember Xie Li and Xie Hong Wen who died at your hands nearly ten years ago?”
“Xie Li, Xie Hong Wen?” Yang Kai frowned but quickly recalled, “You mean that Xie Family Young Master who led people to attack me in the Flowing Flame Sand Field and his father who later tried to seek revenge for him?”
“Indeed!”
“Who are you to them?” Yang Kai asked, still not certain about the other party’s identity.
“Xie Li is my Elder Brother and Xie Hong Wen is my nephew! Today, this old master will finally have his revenge! Little beast, do you have any last words to say?” Xie Chen ground his teeth and roared, his eyes turning red, like a wild beast.
Yang Kai sneered, “Xie Hong Wen and Xie Li died because of their own stupid decisions, they have no one to blame but themselves.”
“To think you dare still make such an audacious argument, you murderer!? Fine. If that is how you think, you dying today is no one’s fault but your own!” Xie Chen cried out hysterically.
Yang Kai sneered and shook his head, “Old dog, that’s where you’re wrong, you’re the one who’s going to die today.”
Xie Chen laughed, “Yellow-mouthed brat, you think this old master will listen to your nonsense?”
“It doesn’t matter whether you listen or not. Forget it, since this is Shadow Moon Hall’s business, I will not intervene. Elder Qian can clean up his Sect himself,” Yang Kai didn’t bother with Xie Chen anymore and instead used his Divine Sense to communicate with Qian Tong inside the Sealed World Bead
“Elder Qian…” Wei Gu Chang heard this, and a happy expression flashed across his face as he looked around, “Where is Elder Qian?”
“Is my Master here?” Dong Xuan’er also wore a look of pleasant surprise.
“En,” Yang Kai grinned, waving his hand as he condensed a mysterious power, forming a whirlpool mid in front of him.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er’s gazes were instantly drawn to this whirlpool and soon saw an elderly figure walk out from it.
Qian Tong!
“What is this!?” Xie Chen’s face changed slightly as he stared at the strange vortex, unable to figure out how Qian Tong came out from it. This vortex seemed to be connected to another world, but he was unable to draw any definitive conclusions about it.
Soon, however, Xie Chen’s gaze focused on Qian Tong, a look of dread spreading across his face.
As Shadow Moon Hall’s Great Elder, Qian Tong had a resounding reputation within Shadow Moon Hall for many years, and with the old Hall Master in retreat all year round, striving to comprehend the mysteries of the Origin King Realm, Qian Tong was all but in charge of Shadow Moon Hall.
Coupled with Qian Tong’s extremely high cultivation, Xie Chen had always been afraid of him.
Now that Qian Tong appeared before him suddenly, Xie Chen instinctively took a few steps back while looking a little panicked.
But soon, he stopped in place and his expression turned fierce.
Indeed, he would not have been Qian Tong’s opponent ten years ago; after all, his cultivation was a Minor Realm lower, but now…
As the deep-seated fear of Qian Tong in his heart abated, it was replaced with an eagerness to compete.
“Oh, we’re home?” Qian Tong walked out of the vortex, saw Heavenly Fate City nearby, and couldn’t help letting out a laugh, “We’re really home! This old master was getting quite bored staying in that isolated place.”
Although the Sealed World Bead was peaceful and rich in aura, it seemed to lack a certain something which made Qian Tong feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Now returning to his homeland and even arriving at Heavenly Fate City again, Qian Tong was naturally in a good mood.
“Good good good, Chang’er, Xuan’er, I haven’t seen you for many years but it seems your cultivations have not stopped improving. En, you will both likely break through to the Second-Order Origin Returning Rea… hm? Why are you injured?” Qian Tong’s face suddenly sank, and cold anger began filling it, “Who hurt you?”
He was not clear about the current situation.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er looked at Qian Tong in a daze, unable to return to their senses for a long time, but after a prolonged silence, the two of them dropped to their knees.
“Elder Qian, Disciple has failed in the task you entrusted him with. To protect Shadow Moon Hall, please deliver punishment, Elder Qian!” Wei Gu Chang pressed his forehead to the ground and shouted.
“Master, please also punish me!” Dong Xuan’er also kowtowed as she sobbed softly.
Even in the face of enemies several times more powerful than themselves, even in the face of death, the Senior Brother and Junior Sister had not shown the slightest weakness, but now that Qian Tong had appeared, the firm will supporting this pair finally collapsed like they were aggrieved children who had finally seen their parents again.
Qian Tong quickly realized that something was very wrong and swept his eyes around coldly, eventually focusing on Xie Chen and vaguely guessing something, but not immediately pursuing it. Reaching out, Qian Tong waved his hand and lifted Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er up, quickly saying, “Get up first and explain, what has happened to Shadow Moon Hall?”
Qian Tong’s face was calm, but like before an approaching storm, there was a heaviness to the atmosphere around him.
“Shadow Moon Hall… has fallen,” Wei Gu Chang replied sadly.
“Fallen?” Qian Tong’s face sank, “Who did it? Speak carefully.”
“Understood!” Wei Gu Chang nodded respectfully before explaining everything which had happened to Shadow Moon Hall.
Two years ago, Shadowed Star experienced a great upheaval. A new and powerful great force suddenly surfaced and rapidly began suppressing various Sects and families on Shadowed Star. Any who failed to submit were ruthlessly slaughtered. Shadowed Star experienced a reign of terror, with countless cities turning into ruins overnight and hundreds of millions perishing, leaving behind mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.
Soon, the claws of this mysterious great force stretched out towards Shadow Moon Hall. In the face of this seemingly unstoppable foe, the leaders of Shadow Moon Hall were at a loss about how to respond.
Shadow Moon Hall was originally divided into two factions, a truth which dated back to before Qian Tong had left Shadowed Star, and in the face of this crisis, this division only became more serious.
In the end, the faction led by Xie Chen won out.
Xie Chen and his supporters launched a sneak attack on the old Hall Master as well as some of the Sect’s core Elders, causing the Shadow Moon Hall to suffer heavy casualties and collapse.
Overnight, ownership of Shadow Moon Hall changed, with Xie Chen becoming the new Hall Master and surrendering to the new mysterious great force.
The senior cultivators who used to support and stand on Qian Tong’s side were almost all killed ruthlessly, while Fei Zhi Tu, who oversaw Heavenly Fate City, was also imprisoned.
Only a few elites from Shadow Moon Hall managed to escape. Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er were summoned by the old Hall Master, who realized what was about to occur just before it did, and entrusted them with the Heavenly Moon Silver Mirror before ordering them to escape from Shadow Moon Hall.
For the past two years, the two of them had hidden, running around while living under extremely difficult circumstances.
The reason why they had appeared so close to Heavenly Fate City today was to try to rescue Fei Zhi Tu.
Xie Chen had announced that Fei Zhi Tu, who had refused to submit to him, was to be beheaded in Heavenly Fate City today to serve as a warning, forcing Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er out of hiding.
Even if they knew it was a trap, the two had jumped into it without hesitation.
“Old Hall Master is dead? Old Fei was imprisoned?” Qian Tong’s face was covered in haze like a black cloud, and it was clear to anyone that his anger was soaring.
“What about High Heaven Sect?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice, “With Shadow Moon Hall suffering such a disaster, did High Heaven Sect not send help?”
If High Heaven Sect had really stood by and done nothing, Yang Kai would be greatly disappointed.
When Yang Kai was in trouble, Qian Tong and Fei Zhi Tu had always offered their help. The reason why Fei Zhi Tu’s cultivation had fallen was also related to Yang Kai.
However, thinking about it carefully, with Ye Xi Yun in command of High Heaven Sect, it was impossible that she had not acted.
“High Heaven Sect sent aid. Many of the disciples who escaped from Shadow Moon Hall were sheltered by High Heaven Sect. Moreover, Great Elder Ye deployed several Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters to assist, but…”
“But what?”
“They were ultimately outmatched and they had no choice but to withdraw after a few died,” Wei Gu Chang reported sadly.
“What?” Yang Kai was thoroughly shocked.
Even Qian Tong wore a look of disbelief.
The Origin Realm masters dispatched by High Heaven Sect must have been masters from Star Emperor Mountain, so how could they be outmatched to the point where some of them even died?
Shadow Moon Hall couldn’t possess such powerful strength!
“The masters of the Corpse Spirit Religion are as numerous as clouds. It is even rumoured that they have four Origin Kings leading them. The masters from High Heaven Sect who died were killed by one of those Origin Kings,” Wei Gu Chang explained.
Corpse Spirit Religion was the title of the newly emerged great force.
“Impossible!” Qian Tong denied vehemently.
Yang Kai was also astonished.
An Origin King Realm master had risen on Shadowed Star? And four of them at once?
How was that possible?
There was a mysterious suppression from the World Principles on Shadowed Star which prevented an Origin King from rising for the past ten thousand years. If that wasn’t the case, Qian Tong and the others would not have so eagerly followed Yang Kai on his long-distance voyage.
But now, Wei Gu Chang was telling them that four Origin Kings had appeared on Shadowed Star; naturally, they found this fact difficult to accept.
“Disciple has only heard rumours, so he cannot say for sure whether they are true or not,” Wei Gu Chang added before suddenly thinking of something and saying. “Right, Great Elder Ye should know the truth.”
“Why do you say so?” Yang Kai brow rose.
“It was said that Great Elder Ye encountered two of those four Origin Kings and was seriously wounded, forcing her to return to High Heaven Sect to recover.”
Ye Xi Yun was seriously injured!
This was extremely bad news.
But Yang Kai and Qian Tong also exchanged a glance as this piece of news gave them some important information.
The rumours about there being four Origin Kings were likely false. If they were true, it would have been impossible for Ye Xi Yun to retreat when facing two of them. As long as one Origin King took action, they should have easily been able to kill Ye Xi Yun.
However, Ye Xi Yun was only seriously injured and managed to flee.
Unfortunately, this still meant the strength of the enemy could not be underestimated. Ye Xi Yun’s cultivation had reached the absolute limit of the Origin Returning Realm, and if not for her unwillingness to leave Shadowed Star, it was likely she would already be an Origin King. The enemy only needing two masters to seriously wound Ye Xi Yun indicated that they were at least on par with her, possibly even stronger.
The expressions of Yang Kai and Qian Tong were constantly changing as they quietly digested the information Wei Gu Chang gave them.
Unexpectedly, Shadowed Star had experienced a great change over the past seven or eight years. What exactly was this Corpse Spirit Religion? Why had they waited until now to reveal themselves?
“Brother Yang doesn’t have to worry about High Heaven Sect. Today’s High Heaven Sect can be regarded as the last piece of pure land on Shadowed Star. Although the periphery is heavily surrounded, no one can attack it,” Wei Gu Chang saw Yang Kai’s ugly expression and quickly comforted.
“I understand that,” Yang Kai nodded.
Yang Kai was not worried about the safety of High Heaven Sect. Outside High Heaven Sect were the Three Blazing Flame Rings, an Emperor Artifact that even an Origin King would be helpless before.
“Many people who didn’t want to submit escaped to High Heaven Sect, but…” Wei Gu Chang sighed.
He and Dong Xuan’er also wanted to enter High Heaven Sect at the beginning, but there were too many enemies between them so there was no chance to seek refuge there and they were instead forced to live in hiding outside.
“Are you finished with your little chat?” Suddenly, a cold voice called out from the side.
Xie Chen!
He had been watching indifferently the entire time, neither attacking nor preventing Wei Gu Chang from revealing anything, only now deciding to speak up.
Qian Tong turned his head and looked at him, his gaze as cold as a knife.
Xie Chen’s heart jumped, being stared at like this, but he quickly regained his calm and sneered, “Great Elder Qian, it’s been too long!”
“Xie Chen!” Qian Tong took a deep breath, “It seems this old master was indeed too kind back then. I thought that since we all belonged to Shadow Moon Hall, if I killed all of you, it would only result in damaging Shadow Moon Hall, which was why this old master let you go when the Xie Family rebelled in the past. Who would have ever thought that showing compassion in the past would result in such a tragedy today? Even if this Qian were hacked to death by a thousand blades, it would be impossible for him to atone!”
“Hahaha!” Xie Chen laughed madly, “Qian Tong, death has come for you, yet you still bother speaking such nonsense! What do you think you are? True, this old master feared you and you could kill me in the past, but since you failed to do so back then, you will no longer have such a chance! This old master has now reached the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm as well and is the Hall Master of Shadow Moon Hall. You are no longer my opponent! Qian Tong, out of consideration for your past contributions to Shadow Moon Hall, this Hall Master can give you a chance to survive. As long as you pledge allegiance to the Corpse Spirit Religion, this Hall Master will restore you to your position as Great Elder!”
Qian Tong simply stared at Xie Chen indifferently, as if he was looking at a pitiful ant, a thick meaning of sarcasm and contempt flashing across his eyes.
Yang Kai was also quite amused by Xie Chen’s pompous rhetoric.
Xie Chen only broke through to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm a few years ago, yet he dared to challenge the current Qian Tong today. It seemed he really did not know how to spell the word ‘death’.
Seeing Qian Tong’s silence, Xie Chen thought he had been intimidated, so he became even more arrogant and savagely spat, “Qian Tong, a wise man will submit to the circumstances. Corpse Spirit Religion has four Origin Kings, and domination of Shadowed Star is just around the corner. Do not be stubborn, as long as you are willing to submit, this Hall Master can put in a few good words to you. With your cultivation, the treatment you’ll receive won’t be any worse than this Hall Master.”
Qian Tong suddenly sighed, and in a sullen tone steeped with coldness, he stared at Xie Chen and faintly said, “You said that there are four Origin Kings in this Corpse Spirit Religion?”
“Indeed!” Xie Chen grinned meaningfully and nodded.
“Do you even know what an Origin King is?”
“The Origin King Realm is…” Xie Chen froze for a moment, a trace of confusion flashing across his face. No Origin King had been seen on Shadowed Star for over ten thousand years, so the world only knew it was a realm higher than the Origin Returning Realm. Xie Chen wanted to speak, but he truly couldn’t say anything.
After all, he had never seen it either.
Becoming somewhat angry out of shame, he snapped back, “Do you know?”
Qian Tong stared at him indifferently, and without saying a word, he stretched out his hand towards Xie Chen and clenched his fist.
Xie Chen instinctively stepped back and pushed his Saint Qi to protect himself, thinking that some kind of attack was about to hit him, but even after waiting for a moment, nothing happened; in fact, he was unable to even notice any Saint Qi movement from Qian Tong.
“Qian Tong, you dare play tricks with this Hall Master?” Xie Chen was furious, his face going from blue to red, “I will have you dead! Since you and I both came from Shadow Moon Hall, I wanted to give you a chance, but since you don’t put this Hall Master in your eyes, no one can save you now! Kill him!”
As he barked this last sentence, he turned to his subordinates.
When Yang Kai rescued Wei Gu Chang just now, he immediately discovered that these people belonged to Shadow Moon Hall, so he had not immediately killed them as he was unaware of the current situation and simply forced them back from Wei Gu Chang.
These people did not have any serious injuries and had managed to stabilize themselves by now.
Hearing Xie Chen’s orders, however, the group of five Origin Realm cultivators all showed hesitation on their faces.
Even if Xie Chen did not fear Qian Tong, did they not? Although their strength had grown noticeably since joining the Corpse Spirit Religion, Qian Tong’s past majesty was still deeply rooted in their psyche, so they were undoubtedly quite reluctant to seek trouble with him now.
“Hm? Hall Master! You… you…” Suddenly, a middle-aged man seemed to have discovered something shocking and pointed at Xie Chen in horror while screaming.
The others all looked in the direction he was pointing then and could not help exclaiming. As horror filled their faces, all of them involuntarily retreated from Xie Chen, like they were avoiding a plague.
“What’s wrong?” Xie Chen was not a fool and realized something was wrong, quickly glancing down, only to have his complexion change drastically as he called out in shock, “What’s happening!?”
He suddenly noticed that the ends of his arms and legs were being slowly dissolved by some kind of energy which, while invisible to the naked eye, gave off now discernable fluctuations.
This silent energy was like a million tiny locusts, slowly eating away at Xie Chen’s limbs, inching its way towards his torso.
Even as he experienced this process, Xie Chen felt nothing, not even pain.
A sense of horror quickly overwhelmed Xie Chen as he felt a chill run up his spine, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.
*Peng peng peng…*
Four explosions suddenly sounded, and with great slashes of blood, Xie Chen’s arms and legs all exploded, leaving only his upper body which promptly fell to the ground, kicking up a big wave of dust.
Blood flowed out and stained the ground as Xie Chen’s expression fluctuated between shock disbelief.
The Shadow Moon Hall traitors also felt like they had been struck by lightning, their complexions going completely white, as if they had been suddenly thrown into a frigid blizzard.
“No! Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! This cannot be real!” Xie Chen roared like a wounded beast. Without his limbs, he appeared quite miserable, as if he had suffered some kind of vicious torture.
“This Hall Master is a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master! No one can do this to me except an Origin King! This Hall Master does not believe it!” Xie Chen had obviously taken a massive blow both physically and mentally and raved like a madman, but as soon as he spoke these words, he froze up in abject terror as he stared at Qian Tong blankly, fear covering his eyes as he stutteringly asked, “Origin King… you’re already an Origin King?”
If Qian Tong was not an Origin King, it would be absolutely impossible for him to do this to him with only a simple wave of his hand. If Qian Tong was not an Origin King, Xie Chen would definitely have the power to fight back.
“Seems you’ve not lost all of your intelligence!” Qian Tong said coldly.
“What? Great Elder is already an Origin King?” Wei Gu Chang was stunned.
Dong Xuan’er covered her mouth with her small hands and her beautiful eyes flashed with amazing brilliance, like a drowning woman who had managed to grab hold of a life-saving straw, her originally dim expression instantly brightening.
Origin King Realm!
The legendary realm that no one on Shadowed Star had managed to reach in ten thousand years?
If this was true, then Shadow Moon Hall could truly be saved! Dong Xuan’er’s tender body trembled lightly as tears overflowed from her eyes. At this moment, she could not help thinking of all the Junior Brothers and Sisters who had died in front of her.
Finally, their spirits in Heaven could rest in peace. Her Honoured Master had returned and was now an Origin King! [In just a few days, he would be able to avenge all of you and bring justice to all the murderers who betrayed you!]
*Putong…*
The traitorous Origin Realm masters from Shadow Moon Hall immediately knelt as they stared towards Qian Tong in panic while begging for mercy.
“Great Elder, Subordinate knows his wrongs. Please spare me, Great Elder!”
“Great Elder, Subordinate was forced to comply! Those evildoers took my wives and daughters hostage, and I had no choice but to obey them! Please understand, Great Elder!”
“Great Elder, please spare our lives! Give us a chance to repent!”
“Great Elder, mercy please!”
Qian Tong looked at them with disgust and hatred, took a light breath, and asked coldly, “Chang’er, Xuan’er, have they killed anyone from my Shadow Moon Hall?”
“Yes!” Wei Gu Chang replied with anger in his eyes.
The enemy using malicious methods was not worth hating, what was truly hateful were traitors who helped tyrants commit evil and oppress the innocent! Wei Gu Chang had seen more than once how these traitors had slaughtered their former compatriots.
“Good!” Qian Tong’s face remained calm in contrast to the dreadful anger which pulsed from his body, overwhelming the traitors before him as he delivered his judgement, “Since they’ve killed our brethren, nothing more needs to be said!”
As soon as he spoke these words, Qian Tong reached out his hand and pointed to the kneeling traitors.
Silently, all these kneeling traitors went stiff, as if they had been struck by lightning.
Everyone’s faces filled with pain, as if they were suffering some unbearable torture.
Then, a moment later, *Hong Hong Hong…*
With a series of loud bangs, all the traitors exploded and died, their Souls completely extinguished.
Only Xie Chen, who had lost all his limbs and whose meridians were completely shattered, crippling his cultivation permanently, remained.
“Kill me! Kill me!” Xie Chen shrieked.
As he was now, it would be far better to simply die. The cultivation he worked hundreds of years to obtain was wiped away by a single wrong decision as retribution for his misdeeds. Xie Chen now had nothing but regrets.
“A quick death is too good for you,” Qian Tong remained indifferent as he waved his hand and staunched the blood flowing from Xie Chen’s wound, reached out, and lifted him up before striding towards Heavenly Fate City.
“Chang’er, Xuan’er, come with this old master. We’re going to save your Martial Uncle Fei!”
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er exchanged a glance before excitedly following.
They knew that Qian Tong had truly been enraged this time, otherwise, with his temperament, it would have been impossible for him to launch such a vicious attack. Brutally killing those traitors was not unexpected, but Qian Tong preserving Xie Chen’s life, prolonging his suffering and fear, torturing him in body and mind, proved Qian Tong was going to make a grand statement this time.
“We’ll also follow,” Yang Kai motioned to Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, “City Lord Fei assisted me in the past as well.”
“Since he is Junior Brother’s benefactor, we must definitely save him,” The two women replied in unison.
…..
Defences were tight in Heavenly Fate City. Every three steps, there was a guard, every five, a watch. It was as if the entire city was on high alert.
At the central square, a dishevelled Fei Zhi Tu was chained and shackled atop a tall stage.
His appearance was terrible and no energy fluctuations were coming from his body. It was unclear whether his cultivation was sealed or crippled.
However, despite his downtrodden appearance, he still stood straight.
Around the square, countless residents of Heavenly Fate City had gathered.
All the people in the crowd looked up at Fei Zhi Tu with expressions of extreme sadness and anger.
Fei Zhi Tu had served as the City Lord of Heavenly Fate City for many years, and although he had not done a perfect job, many from the city appreciated him for protecting their peace and prosperity.
However, since Corpse Spirit Religion had taken over, Heavenly Fate City had been thrown into complete anarchy.
Countless young children had inexplicably disappeared while countless beautiful girls had also been taken. On top of that, any time anyone from Heavenly Fate City showed the slightest bit of resistance, they would be brutally punished.
Compared to when Fei Zhi Tu was City Lord, life was a living hell.
Everyone deeply missed those days!
Today, however, was the date scheduled for Fei Zhi Tu’s execution. Corpse Spirit Religion wanted to use this display as a warning to all of Shadowed Star, about what miserable fate awaited those who dared oppose them.
Not far from Fei Zhi Tu’s high platform, a few high-level leaders from Shadow Moon Hall were seated. In the past, these people all had some connection with Fei Zhi Tu, many of them even calling him brother, but now they had all gathered around a luxuriously dressed young man with clear looks of flattery on their faces.
This boy truly looked quite young, no older than seventeen or eighteen, but his face was abnormally pale and there was an unusually cold aura around him which made everyone quite uncomfortable.
If one got close to this young man, they would be able to smell a faint rancid scent coming from his body.
At this moment, he was sitting under the scorching sun, seemingly a bit irritated. From time to time, he would even look up at the sun in the sky and mutter curses under his breath.
One of the high-ranking traitors from Shadow Moon Hall who noticed this behaviour immediately waved his hand and shouted, “Bring the blood sacrifice!”
With these words, a Saint King Realm cultivator rushed from nearby with a child in his arms.
The child who was brought up was only two or three years old and still had his baby fat, making him look quite cute.
However, being treated so roughly, the child was naturally crying and kicking violently.
Among the crowd of onlookers below, a man who looked about thirty years old who, after hearing the child’s cry shook noticeably and he called out in a sad and shill voice, “My Son!”
A few days ago, his son had disappeared from home inexplicably and the man had no idea who had abducted his child.
Only now, did he realize that the one who had abducted his child was none other than Shadow Moon Hall.
Did that mean the rumours were true?
During this period, many children under the age of five, as well as many young beautiful girls had disappeared strangely from Heavenly Fate City. All of their families had searched frantically, but none had ever found anything. In private, everyone speculated that Shadow Moon Hall was behind this; after all, the only ones capable of committing such brazen acts and remaining anonymous was Shadow Moon Hall.
But guesses, in the end, were just guesses, and there was nothing they could do without any evidence, not to mention that the current Shadow Moon Hall was no longer the same as before. No one dared question Shadow Moon Hall and could only choke down their frustrations and suspicions while weeping silently.
Now, his child had suddenly appeared in front of him, so the middle-aged man was naturally quite excited and hurried forward.
His cultivation was not very high, only Third-Order Transcendent, not even reaching the Saint Realm.
Ordinarily, he would never dare act presumptuously in front of masters from Shadow Moon Hall but seeing the child he had lost appear before him, he could not be bothered with such considerations.
Leaping out from the crowd, he flew directly towards the high platform.
“Impudence!” A loud shout rang out and a stream of light flashed. The middle-aged man let out a scream mid-air as a bloody hole appeared in his chest. A moment later, a fresh corpse hit the ground below.
There was an immediate uproar as the crowd of onlookers stared, trembling in fear and horror.
“Daring to act presumptuously in front of Senior Fang, he deserved death! If there is another offender, one hundred will pay the same price!” The cultivator who acted just now shouted.
The residents of Heavenly Fate City wore expressions of grief and anger, but none dared raise their voices.
At this time, the three-year-old child had been brought before the boy surnamed Fang.
The teenage looking youth looked the child up and down with satisfaction before waving his hand gently.
Immediately, a glamorously dressed young woman wearing heavy makeup came out from behind him, her waist twisting like a water snake and a cold but coquettish smile adorning her lips.
“What are you trying to do?” Fei Zhi Tu suddenly asked.
Standing atop the high platform, although he could not use his strength, he still glared sharply at the boy.
The teenager grinned but did not answer, apparently thinking that a prisoner like Fei Zhi Tu was not qualified to talk to him.
Instead, a high-level traitor from Shadow Moon Hall grinned meaningfully and snickered, “Senior Brother Fei, you’d best hold your tongue. Just quietly enjoy the last moments of your life.”
After delivering this snide comment, the man stopped paying attention to Fei Zhi Tu.
The young woman came up to the child, stretched out her hand to grab his delicate little wrist, then stretched out her scarlet tongue and licked her lips seductively. Lightly opening her mouth, she then spoke, “En, this blood sacrifice is quite tender, it will definitely satisfy Senior’s taste.”
“Do it,” The boy surnamed Fang ordered faintly.
The young woman bowed lightly before flicking her wrist to summon a cold looking dagger into her hand. Gently, she then cut the child’s wrist, drawing fresh blood out from the wound.
In the young woman’s other hand, a glass cup appeared that she put under the child’s wrist to catch the flowing blood.
*Dida… dida…*
The sound of dripping blood and the sorrowful cries of the young child pierced everyone’s heart, and the crowd was instantly filled with righteous indignation, their eyes nearly spitting fire.
“You depraved monsters! You will die like dogs!” Fei Zhi Tu roared, struggling against his shackles as he tried to rush over and save the child, but before he could even take a step, he was knocked to the ground by a cultivator on the high platform and stomped on several times.
The young man surnamed Fang glanced over at Fei Zhi Tu coldly and said with a grin, “You’re just a defeated dog, what right do you have to speak to me? However, you can rest assured, this is just the beginning for you. After cutting off your head, this King will bestow you a new life!”
What he said seemed contradictory, and many in the crowd did not understand, but to Fei Zhi Tu these words were akin to the whispers of hell. From the ground where he was still being beaten, he shouted, “Fang Feng Qi, even if I die, I won’t let you off!”
The teenager simply sneered back, “When you become a member of my Corpse Spirit Race, you won’t think so; in fact, you will also come to know the joys of such blood meals!”
While talking, he took the glass full of blood from the young woman’s hand, put it under his nose, sniffed it lightly, then with an intoxicated look on his face, immediately raised his hand and drank the hot liquid down.
The onlookers were all shocked.
Countless pairs of eyes stared blankly as traces of blood leaked from the corner of Fang Feng Qi’s mouth. It was like all of them had been struck by lightning, their bodies freezing in place.
[He… drank blood? What is this Corpse Spirit Race he spoke of?]
The scene before them was beyond their realm of understanding, and at this moment, Fang Feng Qi was undoubtedly the incarnation of evil in their eyes, a frightful existence that many lost the courage to look towards.
Fei Zhi Tu struggled even harder as his eyes flashed with indescribable hatred, staring at Fang Feng Qi as if he wanted to tear him into ten thousand pieces.
“An excellent flavour!” Fang Feng Qi wiped the blood from his lips before stretching out his hand. In the next instant, the coquettish young woman knelt in front of him and stretched out her scarlet tongue to lick his fingers clean.
A seductive moan leaked from her lips as she performed this act.
As for the child whose blood had been drawn, he now looked languid, without the strength to even cry anymore, his face deathly pale. Immediately, the Saint King Realm cultivator who had brought him took him away.
Although this child was in no immediate danger of dying, after suffering such trauma at the mere age of three, a deep wound would be inflicted on his soul, one he would perhaps never be able to recover from.
“Good, the hour has come. Fei Zhi Tu, your new life awaits. This is a special gift to you from the Religion Master, you should be grateful!” Fang Feng Qi stood up and announced.
After drinking the glass of blood, his originally pale face showed an abnormal blush and his aura burgeoned unnaturally.
Fei Zhi Tu let out a wild laugh hearing this, “I, Fei Zhi Tu, swear here that even if I become an evil spirit in the future, I will kill all of you animals! Mark my words!”
As he said so, his gaze swept over the traitors from Shadow Moon Hall one by one with a vengeful expression.
“Well said!” An angry voice suddenly boomed, disrupting the desolate atmosphere of the square.
“Who!?” Fang Feng Qi’s expression changed drastically as he hastily looked towards the sky.
His instincts were warning him that this intruder’s strength was extremely high. What’s more, this newcomer had managed to approach so close without him noticing. Fang Feng Qi’s strength was already on par with a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters, so only someone at the very peak of the Third-Order Origin Realm could deceive his senses.
“That’s…” Fei Zhi Tu froze for a moment before a fierce grin formed on his face.
He was certain the one who spoke just now was Qian Tong!
Up in the sky, with a flicker, Qian Tong appeared.
“Great Elder!” The Shadow Moon Hall traitors shouted with horror on their faces.
“Hmph, you dare call me Great Elder still?” Qian Tong faintly swept his eyes across all these traitors, making them feel as if a great mountain was pressing down on them, nearly making it impossible for them to breathe.
Two streams of light quickly arrived after; naturally, it was Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er.
When they saw the terrible state Fei Zhi Tu was in, they immediately shouted, “Martial Uncle Fei!”
“Chang’er, Xuan’er!” Fei Zhi Tu looked at the two rising stars of Shadow Moon Halls and exclaimed. During this time, he had not been able to contact Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er, so he had no idea what their situation was. Now that he saw they were unscathed, he felt a weight lift from his heart.
“Go and rescue your Martial Uncle Fei,” Qian Tong ordered.
“Yes!” Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er flew down to the high platform without hesitation.
The cultivator who was in charge of guarding Fei Zhi Tu was a bit at a loss for a moment, not knowing how he was supposed to react. While he was hesitating, Wei Gu Chang kicked him flying, “Scram!”
“Bold! Wei Gu Chang, how dare you act with such impudence in front of Senior Fang!” Immediately, someone scolded him loudly.
Wei Gu Chang simply sneered while guarding Dong Xuan’er, who was freeing Fei Zhi Tu from his shackles, snapping back at the man who called out, “Yuan Qi, I, Wei Gu Chang always respected you, but all of that was in vain as you turned out to be nothing but a coward who covets life while fearing death! Not only did you degenerate into a dog for our hated enemies, you even betrayed and entrapped Martial Uncle Fei! Since I met you today, I will be sending you to your grave!”
The cultivator named Yuan Qi turned bright red after hearing Wei Gu Chang pronouncements as he snapped back, “What do you count for? You’d best keep such nonsense to yourself.”
Wei Gu Chang seemed to want to say something back, but Qian Tong indifferently cut in, “Don’t bother with them, there’s no need to speak with dead men.”
Wei Gu Chang thought about it seriously before nodding, “Great Elder is correct.”
Yuan Qi was annoyed and wanted to retort when something in Qian Tong’s hand suddenly caught his eye. After looking at it carefully, his expression changed drastically, “Hall Master?”
He hadn’t realized until this time that the thing Qian Tong was holding was actually Xie Chen!
Or rather, it was Xie Chen without any arms or legs!
What’s more, Xie Chen was clearly still alive, his expression filled with pain, as if he was being eaten alive by thousands of ants, a tragic sight to behold.
Hearing what he said, the others also finally reacted. Upon seeing Xie Chen’s miserable state, as if catching a glimpse of their own future, each of them couldn’t help feeling a chill and quietly moving closer to Fang Feng Qi, as if seeking some sense of security.
Qian Tong casually threw what remained of Xie Chen onto the high platform before commanding lightly, “This old master does not want to stain his hands with too much blood of his former comrades. I give you one chance, commit suicide and spare yourself some suffering!”
Everyone trembled.
“Old Ghost Qian, why are you blabbering on and on? We need to leave here quickly!” Fei Zhi Tu shouted nervously.
Qian Tong was truly strong, but there were too many enemies here, so he wasn’t confident Qian Tong could handle them all. If Qian Tong also fell here, it would be a real tragedy.
Not only did Fei Zhi Tu think so, the Shadow Moon Hall traitors who had aligned themselves with Corpse Spirit Religion also felt the same. One or two of them looked at Qian Tong with weird expressions, almost as if he was a naïve young man who didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth.
Fang Feng Qi even laughed loudly, “Old thing, stop shamelessly boasting! With such a big tone, do you think you are an Origin King?”
Qian Tong remained indifferent, not showing any intention to answer, instead just focusing his gaze on the Shadow Moon Hall rebels.
To the side, Wei Gu Chang looked excited and opened his mouth as if he was trying to say something, but held back in the end.
He wanted to announce loudly that Great Elder had really reached the Origin King Realm so he could see just how these traitors would react.
It would surely be a wonderful sight to see, right?
However, since Great Elder did not intend to answer, how could he jump in and spoil the surprise? After they saw Great Elder’s heaven-defying methods, they would understand just how foolish they were.
Above the high platform, Qian Tong said with a low tone, “I will give you thirty breaths of time to consider! After thirty breaths of time, this old master will decide for you!”
“Stop your foolish posturing, Great Elder!”
“Old Ghost Qian, are you making fun of us?”
“So what if you were the Great Elder in the past? Even ants will struggle against death, so how could we kill ourselves here with nothing but some empty threats from you?”
“That’s right! Qian Tong, if you dare take action here, don’t blame us for being impolite.”
The traitors all called out vigorously because Qian Tong’s calm and relaxed attitude irritated them greatly.
Did he really think he was an Origin King? Did he think a few glib words were enough to make them commit suicide?
None of them knew where he had been secluded these past few years, but now it seemed he had made a mistake in his cultivation and lost his mind.
Qian Tong simply closed his eyes and ignored the noise.
As for Xie Chen, who had lost all his limbs, it seemed he truly had gone insane from the physical and mental torture and was now just laughing wildly, his creepy voice piercing into everyone’s ears.
“Silence!” Fang Feng Qi snorted coldly and waved his hand through the air.
A sword-like attack slashed from the high platform and directly cut Xie Chen’s body in half.
“You’re all going to die… All of you will die!” After Xie Chen roared twice, his aura disappeared.
Fang Feng Qi just glared towards Xie Chen’s lifeless corpse and coldly snorted, “If you can’t accomplish your mission, at least don’t screw everything else up in the process!”
Among the Shadow Moon Hall traitors, Xie Chen wasn’t the strongest, but he was the shrewdest, which was why Fang Feng Qi had supported him as Hall Master and even granted him a special technique from the Religion Master which allowed him to improve his cultivation and break through to the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm in short order.
But Fang Feng Qi never expected Xie Chen to be so useless in the end. Not only had Xie Chen failed to kill the two Shadow Moon Hall Juniors and snatch the Heavenly Moon Silver Mirror according to the plan, but he had even gotten his limbs cut off and been dragged back like a dog.
There was no use keeping such a person alive.
At this moment, a brilliance flashed above the high platform again, and Yang Kai appeared together with Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang.
Seeing Fei Zhi Tu’s miserable appearance, Yang Kai’s heart clenched as he flew down quickly and grabbed the other party’s wrist, using his Saint Qi to carefully examine him.
“Yang Kai, you’re here too,” Fei Zhi Tu grinned, a warm and happy expression on his face.
[It seems I had not lived life in vain.] At the most critical moment, not only had Old Ghost Qian returned together with his two Juniors to rescue him, even Yang Kai had arrived. Fei Zhi Tu, a man of iron will, could not help his eyes from becoming a little moist at the scene before him.
When Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang appeared together in the sky, the entire world seemed to become brighter.
Almost every traitor from Shadow Moon Hall focused their eyes on the two women as they unconsciously voiced their admiration, expressing their amazement that such perfect women existed in this world.
Fang Feng Qi was even less restrained as his eyes wandered all over Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, a strong possessiveness flashing across their depths, as if he was seeing some kind of delicious meal. Sticking out his tongue and licking his lips, even his breathing becoming quick.
“Senior Fei, your wounds…” After Yang Kai performed an initial investigation, he frowned and muttered.
Fei Zhi Tu’s complexion changed and he became somewhat nervous.
“En, it shouldn’t be a big problem,” Yang Kai smiled lightly. “It’s just your Saint Qi being sealed and some physical suffering.”
“Brat, don’t scare me like that!” Fei Zhi Tu snapped before exhaling a long breath and pondering for a moment, “Good, they still needed my body for something, so they didn’t destroy my foundation.”
“Just some minor injuries, nothing Senior Fei needs to worry about. Little Senior Sister, what pills do you have that are suited to treat him now?” Yang Kai looked back at Xia Ning Chang.
Xia Ning Chang swiftly took out a jade bottle from her Space Ring and handed it to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai took it, opened the bottle, and poured out a dark red pill he handed to Fei Zhi Tu.
Fei Zhi Tu did not even glance at it before popping it into his mouth.
The next moment, however, his eyes bulged as he exclaimed, “This is…”
Without even finishing his thought, he immediately sat cross-legged on the high platform and circulated his Secret Art in order to dissolve the pill’s medicinal efficacies. Soon after, powerful energy fluctuations burst from Fei Zhi Tu’s body and his physical wounds began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er looked at each other and were both secretly startled.
They could tell at a glance that the pill Xia Ning Chang just took out was definitely an Origin Grade pill, and most likely an Origin Grade High-Rank one at that. Only such a high grade pill would have such remarkable effects.
An Origin Grade High-Rank pill was a treasure Wei Gu Chang could not help being shocked at.
“Many thanks, sister-in-law!” Wei Gu Chang solemnly cupped his fists and thanked together with Dong Xuan’er.
Xia Ning Chang’s face blushed for a moment as she glanced towards Yang Kai and said quietly, “Senior Brother is too polite, Senior Fei is Junior Brother’s benefactor, so he is our benefactor as well. A trivial pill is nothing to worry about.”
“Brother Yang is truly blessed!” Wei Gu Chang winked at Yang Kai while feeling a little envious.
“Bring those two women here, they belong to this King!” Fang Feng Qi suddenly shouted.
Without even mentioning the beauty of Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, just the pill Xia Ning Chang seemingly casually took out was enough for him to covet.
On Shadowed Star, Origin Grade High-Rank pills were all but impossible to come by.
As such, he could not wait to capture Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang. As long as he could get his hands on them, then everything in their Space Rings would belong to him too.
Yang Kai heard this and glanced over at him with icy eyes.
Fang Feng Qi’s heart jumped inexplicably, as if innately sensing that this young man could pose a life threat to his life.
“Thirty breaths are up!”
At that moment, Qian Tong suddenly opened his eyes and swept his gaze around coldly before declaring, “Since you are unwilling to commit suicide, this old master will send you to the afterlife personally!”
When these words came out, an astonishing might burst out, sending a ripple of force through the air that could not only be felt, but seen as well.
Domain!
The Domain of an Origin King!
The dozen or so traitors from Shadow Moon Hall were shocked and hurriedly pushed their Shi to resist, but like eggs smashing onto a rock, their Shi was shattered by Qian Tong’s Domain, instantly collapsing without playing any role at all.
In the blink of an eye, all the Origin Returning Realm traitors began leaking blood from their seven orifices, their faces pale and colourless.
The powerful Domain engulfed them tightly, as a violent wind began swirling about.
This wind was the unique attribute belonging to Qian Tong’s Domain!
As the wind condensed into sharp blades, it began slicing into the traitors.
From the screams that rang out, it was clear that the dozen Origin Returning Realm masters surrounded by Qian Tong’s Domain were suffering brutal torture, their bodies slowly being shaved away, turning them into bloody messes.
“An Origin King!” Everyone cried out in panic, with Fang Feng Qi’s eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as he stared towards the enraged Qian Tong, trembling in fear.
Originally, he was just making a joke; he never expected his casually spoken words to become prophetic, that Qian Tong was really an Origin King!
“Great Elder, spare me, I was wrong!”
“Great Elder, mercy!”
Just like the scene outside Heavenly Fate City before, when these traitors realized Qian Tong’s strength, they did not hesitate to beg for mercy. Throwing away all sense of shame, they knelt on the ground and kowtowed so hard their heads bled as they implored Qian Tong to spare them.
Qian Tong remained indifferent, with only a trace of sadness and disappointment flashing across his eyes.
Blood splashed and pieces of meat scattered as the Shadow Moon Hall traitors were shredded into a paste in just ten breaths of time, all of them suffering death by ten thousand cuts, their five organs, six viscera, even bones being ground down into dust.
“Good! Kill them!”
“Kill them all! Don’t let them run!”
“Justice for the women and children who died in Heavenly Fate City!”
“Send them all to their graves!”
The crowd of onlookers suddenly roared and swarmed up from all directions. Burning hatred appeared on all of their faces as their blood seemed to boil, their Qi surging up as they summoned their weapons and attacked towards the enemies which were still alive.
A three-hundred-meter radius around Fang Feng Qi’s location was instantly drowned in a dazzling explosion of light.
Even the glamorous young woman who was serving Fang Feng Qi before did not escape the angry mob’s fury. She was a Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, but only managed to endure for three breaths before her Saint Qi protection was broken and she died tragically on the spot.
A stream of light soared into the sky in the next moment and cut a bloody path through the crowd before quickly fleeing.
Fang Feng Qi!
In the end, a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master was not so easy to kill.
Without looking back, he desperately pushed his strength, only wanting to escape. With Qian Tong suddenly becoming an Origin King, Fang Feng Qi remaining was equivalent to courting death. He had to bring this news to the four Protectors as well as the Religion Master.
Continuously checking, however, he sensed that Qian Tong wasn’t trying to pursue him, instead remaining where he was, motionless.
Although Fang Feng Qi could not tell whether the other party simply disdained to attack him or something else, Fang Feng Qi was still overjoyed thinking that he could escape.
Just as he was thinking so though, a flash appeared in front of him and his path was suddenly blocked by a young man.
“You!” Fang Feng Qi recognized the young man standing in front of him at a glance, he was the one standing on the high platform just now. Fang Feng Qi’s expression twisted in anger as he continued to rush forward, threw out a punch, and shouted, “Scram!”
He only wanted to escape as quickly as possible, so how could he bear getting entangled with Yang Kai here? As such, he did not hold back.
A peculiar force lingered on Fang Feng Qi’s fist, turning it from ordinary at first glance to one that seemed to be launched from a powerful artifact in an instant. Atop Fang Feng Qi’s arm, hundreds of dark red hair-like needles suddenly grew.
These needles looked extremely odd and gave off an aura that made even Yang Kai feel uncomfortable. Covered in these needles, Fang Feng Qi’s punch increased in power dramatically.
Yang Kai frowned as a trace of suspicion flashed across his face.
[What kind of Martial Skill was this?]
He had never encountered a Martial Skill that could transform one’s own body, but this was not the end. Looking up, Yang Kai was shocked when he took another glance at Fang Feng Qi.
He surprisingly discovered that Fang Feng Qi’s entire image had changed dramatically. Before, he looked like a cold, malicious youth, but now, using some kind of strange Secret Technique, his face had become extremely distorted, with sharp fangs growing from his mouth and a rich Death Qi swirling around his form.
Thinking of the name ‘Corpse Spirit Religion’ again, Yang Kai’s mind flashed and he quickly guessed the origins of this Fang Feng Qi.
With an attack incoming, Yang Kai did not dare to neglect, waving his hand to release a Golden Blood Thread that shot out and wound itself around Fang Feng Qi’s outstretched arm before rapidly tightening.
Clearly visible scars appeared on Fang Feng Qi’s arm, but even with the sharpness of Yang Kai’s Golden Blood Thread, Fang Feng Qi’s arm could not be severed. From the wound, however, green coloured blood oozed that was filled with a nauseous aura that could kill an ordinary person with its scent alone!
[Poison!] Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed.
This green blood was not only poisonous but also extremely corrosive. The Golden Blood Thread wrapped around Fang Feng Qi’s arm flashed wildly as a sizzling sound rang out from it.
Fang Feng Qi roared, opened his mouth, and spat out a mass of green mist towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai coldly snorted as his figure flickered, disappearing from the place he stood only to re-appear directly above Fang Feng Qi’s head, the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword in his hand swinging down violently.
“Fool!” Fang Feng Qi sneered. In his opinion, this bladeless sword couldn’t hurt a hair on him, so not only did he not try to dodge, he instead threw another punch towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai twisted slightly to the side, avoiding Fang Feng Qi’s blow, before bringing the Dragon Bone Sword down directly onto the crown of Fang Feng Qi’s head.
The seemingly dull long sword instantly burst with unimaginable power as a faint dragon roar sounded from it. Shattering Fang Feng Qi’s defences as easily as crushing dry weeds, the Dragon Bone Sword smashed his head into his chest.
Fang Feng Qi’s eyes widened instantly as a look of utter shock filled his face. Only now did he realize how terrifying the Dragon Bone Sword was and exclaimed, “An Origin King Grade artifact!”
After receiving such a blow, he surprisingly had not died and instead was struggling violently, trying to escape from Yang Kai’s control.
Space Force burst forth and innumerable tiny Void Cracks as thin as hairs formed around Fang Feng Qi before immediately wrapping around him and slicing him from all directions.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Metallic scrapings sounds rang out endlessly as Fang Feng Qi’s physical body was extremely strong, somewhat able to withstand the cutting of these Void Cracks to a certain extent. Nevertheless, this was still not enough to resist Yang Kai’s violent offensive.
A series of scars quickly formed on him as his lost bits of physique were banished to The Void.
Green blood constantly flowed out from his wounds, seemingly contaminating the entire surrounding world.
“Don’t kill him yet!” Qian Tong’s voice suddenly came. He obviously also saw some problems, and standing atop the high platform, he stretched out his hand towards Fang Feng Qi, who was still struggling in vain, and completely suppressed him before dragging him over.
Yang Kai frowned at Fang Feng Qi as a trace of unease surged up in his heart.
At this moment, those onlookers also discovered the strangeness of Fang Feng Qi, and many with less courage turned their eyes away, not daring to look at him. Even those who were more mentally intrepid could not help showing looks of fear and panic as they observed Fang Feng Qi, unable to believe that such a strange person really existed in this world.
“Old dog, quickly release this King, otherwise, you will die without burial when the Religion Master learns of this!” Fang Feng Qi did not beg for mercy but instead chose to threaten Qian Tong.
Qian Tong scanned Fang Feng Qi’s body coldly with his eyes before immediately fixing his gaze on the latter’s abdomen. A moment later reaching out and slashing it open.
Even when Yang Kai used the Dragon Bone Sword to smash in his head, Fang Feng Qi didn’t show the slightest fear, but when Qian Tong did this, a terrified look filled his face and he exclaimed, “Old Dog, what are you trying to do?”
Qian Tong ignored him as he was completely focused on the wound on Fang Feng Qi’s abdomen.
There, he found a green bead about the size of that fingernail, but despite its small size, this green bead seemed to contain an amazing amount of energy.
“If this old master isn’t mistaken, destroying this little thing will result in your death, yes?” Qian Tong gave Fang Feng Qi a light look.
Fang Feng Qi’s face changed slightly as he grit his teeth without answering.
“Yang Kai, suppress him first, this old master has some questions to ask him,” Qian Tong said.
Yang Kai nodded, stretched out his hand, and removed the Dragon Bone Sword which was still lodged in Fang Feng Qi’s head before using a dozen Golden Blood Threads to firmly tie up his figure.
As the chaos ended, Qian Tong stood atop the high platform, looked around, and shouted, “Everyone, this old master has been in secluded retreat for many years and only exited today. I am deeply saddened to hear about the tragedy that has befallen Shadowed Star, but please rest assured, Heavenly Fate City is still under the jurisdiction of my Shadow Moon Hall and none shall dare invade it again now that I am here. Soon, this old master will visit this Corpse Spirit Religion to seek justice for the fallen as well as to open a brighter future for Shadowed Star!”
The crowd down below roared joyfully as they chanted Qian Tong’s name and swarmed around the platform.
Over the past two years, Heavenly Fate City had been under the control of Corpse Spirit Religion, and everyone had lived in constant fear, worried they would not see the sun tomorrow. However, everything was alright now, Qian Tong had returned and had reached the Origin King Realm. With him protecting Heavenly Fate City, Heavenly Fate City would never again have to experience these disasters.
“Elder Qian! I beg of you to uphold justice! My little girl disappeared a month ago, but someone claims to have seen her inside the City Lord’s Mansion. Please allow this old man to search the City Lord’s Mansion to see if she is still alive.”
“My child also disappeared three months ago, he must be in the City Lord’s Mansion!”
“My daughter as well!”
…..
Qian Tong’s eyes showed a pained light as he waved his hand to calm the cries of the crowd before solemnly saying, “Everyone, please wait a moment, this old master will have some people search the City Lord’s Mansion immediately. If your children are still alive, you will definitely be reunited.”
“Many thanks, Elder Qian!”
“I will never forget it Elder Qian’s great kindness!”
Qian Tong sighed slightly before turning to look at Wei Gu Chang.
“Disciple will investigate immediately,” Wei Gu Chang understood what he needed to do and hurriedly flew off towards the City Lord’s Mansion with Dong Xuan’er.
Yang Kai thought about it for a moment before saying, “I’ll go too.”
Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang followed close behind.
At the City Lord’s Mansion, some cultivators who had joined Corpse Spirit Religion came out to intercept these invaders, but they were no match for Yang Kai and the others. Rushing inside, Yang Kai’s group killed off several hundred people while capturing one of them to extract some information which led them to the underground dungeon.
The dungeon was dark and damp but held at least a few hundred people inside its cells.
All of these people were children under five years old, or young and beautiful women.
Whether it was a child or a woman, their vitalities were quite faint, as if they had been repeatedly tortured. On top of that, all of them had obvious wounds on their arms.
Remembering what Fang Feng Qi had done to the young child on stage earlier, how could Yang Kai’s group not know what happened to these people?
“Despicable!” Su Yan was furious and quickly broke open the cells together with Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er to release the prisoners inside.
Xia Ning Chang stood by the exit of the prison to check the physical condition of each of these people one by one and gave them appropriate pills to help stabilize their conditions.
Walking further inside, Yang Kai and the others wore heavy expressions.
Once they reached the deepest depths of the dungeon, and the looks on Yang Kai and others’ faces became truly unsightly.
At the bottom of the dungeon, there were no living humans, only piles of bones. Judging from the size and shape of these remains, they all undoubtedly belonged to children and women, but they had clearly suffered inhumane torture before they died as their physiques were literally shaved clean before their bones were discarded here.
There were at least a few thousand broken remains here, forming a tall mountain.
In just Heavenly Fate City, such a tragedy had occurred after only two years, so what kind of situation was the rest of Shadowed Star in?
“Hateful!” Wei Gu Chang grit his teeth and shouted; his face extremely grim.
…..
The upheaval in Heavenly Fate City lasted for two days before gradually subsiding.
The women and children released from the dungeon were all reunited with their families, but many more had perished in the dungeon. The chaos of the last two years brought indelible pain to countless people in Heavenly Fate City.
Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, Qian Tong and the others wore heavy expressions, each of them glaring angrily at the subdued Fang Feng Qi, their eyes nearly spitting flames.
“Great Elder, let me kill him!” Wei Gu Chang shouted in rage as he stood up.
Qian Tong waved his hand, signalling Wei Gu Chang to wait before turning his attention to Fang Feng Qi and asking, “If this old master is correct, you come from Grand Burial Valley, right?”
Hearing his question, Yang Kai’s eyes flashed with a hint of clarity, agreeing with this speculation!
After all, he had made such a conclusion as well.
Grand Burial Valley was an incredibly special place on Shadowed Star and was rumoured to have been the headquarters of a great force that existed two thousand years ago called the Ancient Yang Sect. Unfortunately, that force had offended Star Emperor Mountain and was wiped out overnight, its headquarters levelled in retaliation.
There were dangers inside Grand Burial Valley, including countless Spirit Arrays and an extremely vicious group of special creatures, corpses who should have perished long ago but had instead been reanimated.
When the Ancient Yang Sect was destroyed, nearly all of its members were killed, but some of them came back to life for an unknown reason, becoming animated corpses that could not only walk and fight but even cultivate and grow stronger.
On Shadowed Star, the younger generation may have been ignorant of the situation in the Grand Burial Valley, but Qian Tong wasn’t.
Yang Kai also knew about this as he and Yang Yan had gone to explore the Grand Burial Valley. During that expedition, Yang Kai acquired the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art as well as the Sun’s True Essence and Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal.
At that time, he also encountered several powerful Corpse Generals, and if not for his comprehension of the Dao of Space, he would not have been able to escape.
As soon as he fought against Fang Feng Qi, Yang Kai guessed that he was related to Grand Burial Valley, and Qian Tong’s question confirmed his speculations.
“Old dog, your eyes aren’t bad. This King is indeed from Grand Burial Valley. We are a noble family of corpses who dominate above all living things!” Fang Feng Qi didn’t show any fear as he announced proudly.
The Corpse Spirit Race! This was what the special creatures who comprised Corpse Spirit Religion called themselves, a piece of information Qian Tong had learned already from Fei Zhi Tu.
“You? Dominate above all living things?” Qian Tong’s expression remained indifferent, “You’re just a bunch of failures who should have remained dead, you have no such qualifications.”
“Heh heh,” Fang Feng Qi snickered, “Whether we are qualified or not is not up to you to decide. You will come to know just how ignorant you are soon! Old Dog, don’t waste your time, this King won’t tell you anything.”
“Really?” Qian Tong sneered, “Even if this old master destroys your Corpse Core, you won’t cooperate?”
The Corpse Core was the Corpse Qi-filled bead hidden in the lower abdomen of members of the Corpse Spirit Race like Fang Feng Qi. For the Corpse Spirit Race, this core was no different from a Monster Core of a Monster Beast. All of the strength a member of Corpse Spirit Race possessed was stored inside their Corpse Core.
Fei Zhi Tu had fought several members of the Corpse Spirit Race, so he knew this information.
Fang Feng Qi’s face changed slightly as he snapped, “Old Thing, you dare to threaten this King!?”
“Whether it’s a threat or not, you’ll know if you try,” Qian Tong said aggressively.
Fang Feng Qi seemed to understand Qian Tong’s decisiveness and his face became cold as he shouted, “Old Dog, you’ll never make this King talk! You’ve brought this upon yourself!”
As soon as he said so, a terrifying energy fluctuation erupted from his abdomen and a cracking sound rang out, as if something had just broken.
“Not good!” Fei Zhi Tu’s face changed drastically.
Everyone else also realized what was happening and Yang Kai hurriedly pushed his Saint Qi to protect Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang while Qian Tong waved his hand and protected Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er.
“One day soon, my Corpse Spirit Religion will unify Shadowed Star, and all of you will die, hahahaha!” Fang Feng Qi let out a peal of mad laughter before his body exploded with a loud crash.
A thick green cloud of Corpse Qi centred on Fang Feng Qi’s former position spread out. Wherever this Corpse Qi passed, the ground melted, and walls crumbled. In the blink of an eye, the entire City Lord’s Mansion shook violently and almost collapsed.
At the last moment, if it were not for Qian Tong using his Origin King Realm cultivation to support it, the City Lord’s Mansion would definitely have been destroyed.
This was not surprising though; the power of the self-destruction of a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master was not to be underestimated.
The only reason for keeping Fang Feng Qi alive was to extract some useful information from him about Corpse Spirit Religion, but instead of being useful, this only led to trouble, causing Qian Tong’s expression to turn ugly.
If all members of the Corpse Spirit Religion were so ruthless and decisive, dealing with them would surely be difficult.
Outside the hall, an Origin Returning Realm master hurriedly walked in and swept his eyes around, a look of shock filling his face as he was uncertain what had happened.
“What is it?” Qian Tong asked in a deep voice.
The man quickly cupped his fists and replied, “Great Elder, all Corpse Spirit Religion disciples hidden in Heavenly Fate City have been exterminated!”
“Good! Were there any casualties?”
“With the help of the Elders from High Heaven Sect, only a dozen people were killed or injured!”
“En, give all of them lavish funerals!”
“Yes!”
In Shadow Moon Hall, although many coveted life and feared death, choosing to submit to Corpse Spirit Religion, there were also many who stood firm and resisted. The latter had been imprisoned without exception and were rescued two days ago, now joined Qian Tong in his efforts.
In Heavenly Fate City, Fang Feng Qi was not the only Corpse Spirit Race member. Yang Kai, Wei Gu Chang, and the others encountered several others when they invaded the City Lord’s Mansion, all of which they promptly killed.
There were also many hiding in Heavenly Fate City, but they had been cleaned up over the past two days.
It could be said that only now had Heavenly Fate City been completely liberated and its internal worries eliminated.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others soon walked in from outside as well.
“Everyone has worked hard!” Qian Tong quickly got up and cupped his fists gratefully.
Yang Xiu Zhu waved his hand, his expression still somewhat grim, “Dealing with some miscellaneous pawns was no trouble at all, but if Heavenly Fate City is like this, I really don’t know what the rest of Shadowed Star is like.”
Fei Zhi Tu sighed, “Over the past two years, Corpse Spirit Religion has developed extremely quickly. They seem to have a Secret Technique that can turn living people into members of their Corpse Spirit Race and force them to bend to the religion’s will. Corpse Spirit Religion only appeared two years ago, and at that time they only numbered a few thousand, but now they have swelled tens of thousands. Many of these masters were originally Origin Returning Realm masters from various major Sects and families, so they cannot be underestimated!”
Fang Feng Qi also planned to turn Fei Zhi Tu into a member of the Corpse Spirit Race, which was why he had not crippled his cultivation or destroyed his meridians.
As long as the meridians weren’t destroyed, even if Fei Zhi Tu were beheaded, Fang Feng Qi had a way to turn his corpse into a Corpse Spirit which had similar combat prowess to when he was alive.
“This is a grave tribulation for Shadowed Star!” Qian Tong sighed heavily. After going out for eight years, his return home had turned out like this, wiping away all the joy he felt from breaking through to the Origin King Realm and replacing it with deep sadness and concern.
“Everyone, I want to return to Clear Sky Sect,” To the side, Mo Yu suddenly spoke.
He had also been helping in Heavenly Fate City these past two days, but now that the situation had stabilized, he naturally wanted to head home.
“Brother Mo…” Qian Tong opened his mouth, naturally understanding how he felt.
They did not know the exact situation of Clear Sky Sect, but at least half of the great forces on Shadowed Star had already been wrapped up in this turmoil. Clear Sky Sect was one of the first-class forces on Shadowed Star, so it would obviously be a target for Corpse Spirit Religion, meaning its prospects weren’t promising.
Mo Yu wanting to return to Clear Sky Sect was only natural; after all, he was Clear Sky Sect’s Great Elder.
However, allowing him to return alone at this time was not something the rest of those gathered here felt comfortable with.
If possible, Qian Tong wanted to accompany him, but although Heavenly Fate City had been cleaned up already, the problem of Shadow Moon Hall’s headquarters was yet to be resolved.
With Shadow Moon Hall’s headquarters still in dire straits, it was of utmost importance that Qian Tong remain here to handle matters personally, rescuing those who were unwilling to submit to Corpse Spirit Religion while purging the traitors and heretics who betrayed and murdered them.
“This Mo is not an ordinary Third-Order Origin Returning Realm now. None of you need to worry, I will be careful,” Mo Yu smiled lightly.
Seeing that he had made up his mind, Qian Tong could not say anything more, instead just nodding, “In that case, I wish Brother Mo a safe journey.”
“Rest assured, on today’s Shadowed Star, there are few worthy to be my opponent,” Mo Yu nodded.
The former Mo Yu was one of Shadowed Star’s top Origin Returning Realm masters, and after experiencing the Blood Prison Trial, his overall combat power has increased significantly, even though he failed to break through to the Origin King Realm as Qian Tong did.
Even if the Corpse Spirit Religion had many powerful masters, as long as they did not really possess an Origin King, there was no one Mo Yu needed to truly fear.
“Senior Mo, how about delaying for one day so I can accompany you,” Yang Kai suddenly proposed.
“Yang Kai, do you want to return to High Heaven Sect?” Qian Tong asked.
“En, although there’s no need to worry about High Heaven Sect being breached, I am still worried about what happened to Elder Ye as well as the others. Senior Mo’s Clear Sky Sect happens to be on the way, so we might as well travel together.”
“Very well!”
Although he did not understand why Yang Kai wanted him to wait for a day, Mo Yu still agreed.
After everything was decided, Yang Kai immediately went to the location of Heavenly Fate City’s Space Array.
When Corpse Spirit Religion seized control of Heavenly Fate City, the Space Array was destroyed by Fei Zhi Tu, so now Yang Kai wanted to try and see if it could be repaired.
If possible, it would save them a good deal of travel time.
After all, it was not a short journey to High Heaven Sect!
Yang Kai had used Heavenly Fate City’s Space Array more than once, so he knew where it was located. Soon, he rushed over to the palace with Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang, the two women standing guard to prevent any accidents as Yang Kai walked over to the Space Array and began carefully studying it.
Being proficient in the Dao of Space did not mean he could arrange a Space Array, as this required a great deal of knowledge about Spirit Arrays. Yang Kai had never arranged a Space Array before, but he had seen Yang Yan arrange one, so he had some confidence.
Yang Kai spent the next two hours examining the Space Array, constantly using his Divine Sense to scan its internal structure and identify what was damaged.
Two hours later, Yang Kai flashed a happy smile.
Fortunately, although this Space Array was indeed destroyed, the damage done to it was not serious. There were still traces of various patterns and structures, so if he simply patched them up, Yang Kai was certain he could restore it to working order.
After carefully sorting out his thoughts, Yang Kai leapt up onto the Space Array.
Taking out all kinds of rare ores from his Space Ring, Yang Kai began smelting them with his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea before patching the destroyed parts of the Space Array.
As this was his first attempt at such work, Yang Kai was not extremely deft and made obvious mistakes several times, frustrating him somewhat.
However, as time passed, he became more and more familiar with the work.
Moreover, repairing this Space Array seemed to deepen his own comprehension of the Dao of Space.
This unexpected gain greatly satisfied Yang Kai.
It seemed he had found another way to cultivate the Dao of Space.
The Dao of Space had always been difficult to cultivate. Recently, Yang Kai had been cultivating by absorbing the energy of Space Spirit Crystals, but he had already used up his entire supply of Space Spirit Crystals, so now his primary way of cultivating Space Force was to expand the Sealed World Bead.
Now, he learned that arranging and fixing Space Arrays was also a viable cultivation method.
One day later, the Space Array was repaired.
Yang Kai called Mo Yu, Yang Xiu Zhu, and the others over before bidding farewell to Qian Tong.
Yang Kai was not worried about Shadow Moon Hall at all. Qian Tong was now an Origin King, so it was no exaggeration to say he was the strongest master from Shadowed Star in ten thousand years. If some crisis befell Shadow Moon Hall and he could not handle, then all of Shadowed Star would probably be doomed.
“Brother Yang, may good fortune be with you,” Wei Gu Chang cupped his fists in parting.
Yang Kai responded in kind.
“Yang Kai, where is this Space Array connected?” Mo Yu asked from the side.
“Uh… If I am not mistaken, it should connect to Demon Blood City!”
“What do you mean?” Mo Yu asked hesitantly.
Demon Blood City was very close to the Flowing Flame Sand Field and not far from Clear Sky Sect’s headquarters, so Yang Kai choosing to connect the Space Array to that location wasn’t a surprise, but the way he said it gave Mo Yu some pause.
Yang Kai simply smiled awkwardly and replied, “This is the first time I’ve repaired a Space Array, so I can’t guarantee that we will be directly teleported to Demon Blood City.”
Mo Yu was instantly dumbfounded while Yang Xiu Zhu and others also had speechless expressions.
“Relax,” Yang Kai saw the looks on their faces and knew what they were worried about, so he quickly reassured them, “Even if we aren’t sent directly to Demon Blood City, there will be no danger in this transmission, that much I can guarantee.”
Hearing this, everyone felt relieved.
Teleporting with a Space Array was an extremely delicate matter. If the slightest error was made, one could be banished to the endless Void, never to return. Shadowed Star had records of many such incidents occurring over the years, where a Space Array had some kind of problem with it and someone who was sent through it vanished without a trace as a result, or was spat out on the other side in a million pieces.
So, when everyone heard what Yang Kai said just now, they couldn’t help feeling a little nervous.
But since Yang Kai guaranteed that there would be no danger, they no longer had anything to concern themselves about.
Even if they were sent to the wrong place, it would not matter much.
“Time is short, we should leave immediately,” Yang Xiu Zhu and the others could not wait to return to High Heaven Sect to see how things were there.
Everyone nodded and mounted the Space Array together with Yang Kai standing in the centre and channelling his Saint Qi. In an instant, the Saint Crystals placed into the Space Array flashed a dazzling light and pumped out a massive amount of energy.
Powerful Space Force fluctuations emerged, and the group of people disappeared.
“Destroy this array to prevent others from teleporting in!” As soon as Yang Kai his group disappeared, Qian Tong waved his hand and commanded.
Wei Gu Chang nodded and sent a punch towards the Space Array Yang Kai had just patched, splitting it in half and completely disabling it.
Qian Tong’s eyes flashed then as he turned towards the distance and said in a low tone, “It’s time to return to Shadow Moon Hall!”
Fei Zhi Tu, Wei Gu Chang, and the others straightened their backs as they too turned to gaze in the direction of Shadow Moon Hall, all of them releasing a shocking level of murderous intent.
…..
After travelling through The Void, a light flashed, and Yang Kai and the others re-appeared.
Among the group, everyone felt slightly dizzy besides Yang Kai and it took them a moment to gradually adapt. Most long-distance teleportations were accompanied by such side effects. Only Yang Kai, who cultivated Space Force, was able to ignore these effects.
Fortunately, there was no danger where they appeared, otherwise, all of them would have been taken off guard.
Turning his head and looking around, Yang Xiu Zhu furrowed his brow slightly, “This isn’t Demon Blood City. Where are we?”
The place where everyone appeared was clearly a vast plain that stretched out as far as the eye could see, with no signs of a city anywhere nearby.
Sure enough, something went wrong in the transmission.
Yang Kai had warned this was a possibility beforehand so he naturally felt no need to apologize, simply saying, “We should be somewhere between Demon Blood City and Heavenly Fate City. Does anyone have any impression of this plain?”
Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and Lin Yu Rao all shook their heads slowly, indicating that they did not recognize this place.
Although they were natives of Shadowed Star, they had spent most of their lives in secluded retreat atop Star Emperor Mountain, so they were not very familiar with the outside world’s geography. Even Yang Kai had a better grasp of Shadowed Star’s landmarks than them, so undoubtedly, it was a bit unrealistic to expect them to know where they were.
However, Mo Yu’s eyes lit up as a look of joy filled his face. After looking around a bit more, he flew up into the sky to get a broader view before returning excitedly.
“I know where we are! This is White Bone Plain, and Heaven Rift Gorge is nearby. We’re only a day away from Black Sea City.”
“Oh? Clear Sky Sect’s Black Sea City?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“Exactly!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. It seemed that the transmission error was not too big, and for Mo Yu, it actually turned out to be a fortunate accident. Black Sea City was under the jurisdiction of Clear Sky Sect and was located close to its headquarters, sharing a similar relation to Heavenly Fate City and Shadow Moon Hall.
Arriving here was a coincidence, but it helped Mo Yu.
“In that case, we might as well go to Black Sea City first,” Yang Kai thought for a moment before proposing. He urgently needed to inquire about the surroundings of High Heaven Sect, and going to Black Sea City was undoubtedly the best choice.
Moreover, the situation of Black Sea City was unknown to them, so naturally, he wanted to travel together with Mo Yu to investigate and lend his aid if necessary.
After all, this was a minor detour at most.
“Many thanks,” Mo Yu quickly cupped his fists.
This was inside the territory of Clear Sky Sect, so Mo Yu was obviously quite familiar with the terrain and took the lead. Only a day later, everyone saw a towering city standing on a vast plain in the distance.
“That’s Black Sea City!” Mo Yu pointed to the front and introduced.
“There seems to be a fight,” Yang Kai noticed the light of Secret Techniques and artifacts flashing up ahead.
“It’s my Clear Sky Sect’s people!” Mo Yu’s face sank as he increased his speed.
There being a battle near Black Sea City was not necessarily bad news; at the very least it meant that Black Sea City had not been occupied by Corpse Spirit Religion as there were still people resisting. The only question now was how precarious the situation was.
Atop the high walls of Black Sea City, a beautiful woman with a pale face stood tall with a dozen Origin Returning Realm masters gathered around her; however, all of these Origin Realm masters had despondent looks on their faces and all of them were injured to varying degrees. The most seriously wounded of these masters had even lost his right arm. This injury seemed to be quite recent as his shoulder was still wrapped in gauze and fresh blood was oozing out slowly.
This cultivator remained standing though, enduring obvious pain with grit teeth, not uttering a word of complaint.
Below the city wall, several Corpse Spirit Race clansmen covered in white, green, and red hairs were fighting with some Human cultivators.
The situation was very chaotic, and the number of people involved in this battle reached at least thousands, but not all the Human cultivators were fighting for the same side. In fact, many Human cultivators were assisting the Corpse Spirit Race to kill their compatriots.
These people had obviously chosen to submit to Corpse Spirit Religion.
“City Lord, please order them to return! If we wait any longer, I’m afraid they’ll all die!” Atop the wall, someone cupped their fists and implored the beautiful woman with a sad look on his face.
This was a completely hopeless battle. There were ten times as many enemies as allies, with every Black Sea City cultivator being forced to deal with multiple opponents at once.
Six hundred people had rushed out to meet the enemy, but after less than a quarter of an hour, only two hundred remained, and these two hundred were on the verge of collapsing.
“Yes, City Lord, these are the last elites of my Clear Sky Sect. If we let all of them die here, how will we explain to our ancestors in the future?”
“They cannot retreat!” The beautiful woman declared firmly, “The Spirit Array barrier of Black Sea City is still being repaired, and if we have them withdraw now, Black Sea City will be defenceless when Corpse Spirit Religion’s army arrives and everyone here will perish.”
“We are well aware, but…” The person who spoke before argued weakly, his voice full of grief.
The six hundred elites that had charged out had done so just to buy time for the Array Masters to repair the city’s Defensive Spirit Array at the cost of their lives. Black Sea City being able to endure until now was thanks to the many protective barriers and powerful Spirit Arrays it possessed. Without these Spirit Arrays, Corpse Spirit Religion’s army would have razed it to the ground by now.
Now, everyone had reached their limit. Corpse Spirit Religion only needed to organize one last powerful attack and they would likely conquer the city.
Given Corpse Spirit Religion’s typical behaviour, if the city’s defences fell, the millions of residents of Black Sea City would probably be exterminated.
“Damn Gale Pavilion, Hundred Transformations Sect, and Traceless Sect! These traitors used to spend all day flattering my Clear Sky Sect, but now they have become willing dogs of Corpse Spirit Religion and slaughtered my Sect’s disciples. If this old master can survive this, he will definitely make them pay for this in blood!” Someone yelled angrily.
The expressions of the others also turned ugly hearing these words.
Gale Pavilion, Hundred Transformations Sect, and Traceless Sect, as well as many other smaller forces and families used to be attached to Clear Sky Sect, would constantly curry favour when the latter was powerful.
Clear Sky Sect had never abused these forces and even granted them some Secret Techniques to allow them to grow while also allowing a number of their elite disciples to enter Clear Sky Sect every year for cultivation and to seek masters to personally teach them.
However, after Shadowed Star’s great upheaval, these opportunistic forces took the initiative to submit to Corpse Spirit Religion, not only betraying Clear Sky Sect but even launching an unexpected sneak attack on Clear Sky Sect headquarters.
In that battle, Clear Sky Sect headquarters had been destroyed, with only a few people managing to escape, reducing the great force that once stood supreme over a ten thousand kilometres radius area to only Black Sea City!
The beautiful female City Lord said nothing, but the pain in her eyes was obvious.
How many people in this world could maintain just and moral stances in the face of such tyrannical evil? Understanding this, she wasn’t angry at those people who had chosen to live on dishonourably, because doing so meant they lost what made them human in the process.
“Where is Chen Shi Tao!” The beautiful woman suddenly shouted.
Not far away, a woman with peach-eyes and a graceful figure hurried forward, cupped her fists, and reported, “Elder Du, Disciple is here!”
In normal times, such a woman would be the centre of attention of all men, but at this moment, none had the mind to have such frivolous thoughts.
The beautiful woman said majestically, “Chen Shi Tao, this Elder commands you to select three hundred people from my Clear Sky Sect’s younger generation and lead them away from Black Sea City through the Space Array!”
Chen Shi Tao was dazed for a moment, but she was not just beautiful but also intelligent so she immediately understood what the purpose behind this command was, her pretty face turning white as she cried out in protest, “Elder Du!”
The beautiful woman just turned and smiled temperately towards her though, “My Clear Sky Sect’s headquarters has been destroyed, and the Sect Master was killed. Now, the last blood of my Clear Sky Sect is gathered here in Black Sea City. You must take those three hundred people away with you and find some way to survive. Only by living on will my Clear Sky Sect have hope for the future!”
Chen Shi Tao’s eyes immediately turned red, “But Elder, all of you…”
“Rest assured, we will buy you the time you need. Remember, you must find a way to reach High Heaven Sect! Only High Heaven Sect has the means to protect your safety! This task will be arduous, but you must find an opportunity to bring the disciples to High Heaven Sect!”
“Elder!” Chen Shi Tao kept shaking her head.
“Go! Now!” The beautiful woman’s expression turned fierce as she shouted angrily at Chen Shi Tao, “Do you want my Clear Sky Sect to forever disappear from Shadowed Star? Do you want us to all shame Clear Sky Sect’s countless generations of ancestors?”
Chen Shi Tao’s face grew dull as she found herself unable to speak.
Another Elder from Clear Sky Sect looked at Chen Shi Tao softly and smiled, “Remember, you must live on. Great Elder will return one day, and as long as you can reunite with him, there will be a chance to revive Clear Sky Sect.”
“Go!” The beautiful woman shouted.
Tears flowed down Chen Shi Tao’s face as her tender body trembled violently. Kneeling down on the ground, she respectfully kowtowed three times to her Elders before getting up abruptly and preparing to depart.
At that moment though…
The beautiful woman standing atop the city wall and the few remaining masters of Clear Sky Sect seemed to notice something incredible in the distance.
If they were not mistaken, the rear camp of Corpse Spirit Religion’s army had been thrown into chaos as shocking energy fluctuations exploded out. Brilliant flashes of light erupted as hundreds of Corpse Spirit Religion soldiers were killed every breath.
“Elder Du, someone is attacking from that side!”
“I can see that, but who could it be?” The beautiful woman gently nodded.
“There aren’t many of them, only seven or eight in total, but they’re all incredibly strong…” An Origin Realm master commented as he could vaguely see that with each flash of light, Corpse Spirit Religion cultivators were being cut down like straw, a shocking sight to behold.
“Hey, that’s… that’s… that’s the Azure Sun Chaos Pagoda! It’s Great Elder! Great Elder has returned!” Someone exclaimed in excitement.
Everyone’s eyes instantly focused on a pagoda-shaped artifact that was several dozen meters tall floating high up in the sky, emitting a brilliant azure light.
This pagoda-shaped artifact rotated rapidly as it floated, and each time it descended from the sky, it would smash countless Corpse Spirit Religion disciples into paste. At the same time, it continuously sent out blasts of cyan light from its apex which vaporized any Corpse Spirit Religion cultivator upon contact.
In but a moment, as many as two hundred Corpse Spirit Religion disciples died under this artifact.
“It really is the Azure Sun Chaos Pagoda!” The beautiful woman’s eyes burst with amazing brilliance, as if she had seen hope again, her expression turning excited.
The Azure Sun Chaos Pagoda was one of Clear Sky Sect’s core inheritances. It was an artifact which was ranked somewhere between Origin Grade and Origin King Grade, a kind of quasi-Origin King Grade artifact.
And this powerful artifact was exclusively controlled by Great Elder Mo Yu.
At this moment, the Azure Sun Chaos Pagoda appearing here could only be because Mo Yu was also here.
Even if they could not see Mo Yu’s figure, everyone could feel Mo Yu’s familiar energy fluctuations across this short distance.
“Great Elder has returned, we’re saved!”
“Haha, kill them, kill those Corpse Spirit Religion bastards!”
“Don’t let any of them escape!”
“Vengeance for our Sect Master! Vengeance for our dead brothers and sisters!”
In an instant, shouts rang out from the wall as everyone vented their righteous indignation. All of them were so excited that if it were not for the orders of the beautiful woman, all of them would likely have already rushed out to meet Great Elder Mo already.
Among the crowd, only the beautiful woman frowned deeply, a trace of anxiety filling her face.
She could not decide if Great Elder suddenly appearing at this time was a blessing or a curse!
Although Great Elder’s strength was unfathomable, and he had an incredible artifact like the Azure Sun Chaos Pagoda to assist him… there were still too many enemies. If Great Elder was besieged by the enemy and unable to escape, then Clear Sky Sect’s last hope would probably be annihilated.
“Relay my orders, all Clear Sky Sect disciples who still have the ability to fight are to follow this City Lord to assist the Great Elder!” The beautiful woman’s thoughts turned quickly, and she swiftly reached a decision.
“Yes!” Someone replied immediately, moving to execute the beautiful woman’s command.
Not long after, the remaining forces of Clear Sky Sect had assembled. The beautiful woman looked around at the slightly fewer than a thousand people before her and a deep sorrow appeared in the depths of her eyes.
Out of Clear Sky Sect’s original population, only these few people were left, and all of them were injured and had miscellaneous cultivations!
Although Black Sea City had millions of inhabitants, only these thousand or so belonged to Clear Sky Sect while most the rest were ordinary people who had never cultivated before or had such low strength they wouldn’t be able to serve any role in combat at all.
“Our objective this time is simple: We must join up with Great Elder and support him. Are all of you prepared?” The beautiful woman looked around and asked sharply.
The thousand people wore solemn expressions and shouted in unison, “Yes!”
“In the future, all of your names will be engraved on Clear Sky Sect’s Wall of Heroes. Follow me!” The beautiful woman did not make a grand speech, but her tone was no less resolute, and with a wave of her hand, she was the first to rush out of Black Sea City.
The others followed close behind, each of them wearing expressions filled with righteous fury and a determination to fight death itself!
When the thousand remaining members of Clear Sky Sect rushed out of the gates, countless others followed them.
These people were residents of Black Sea City or cultivators who had fled here earlier!
They all understood the truth that in an open nest, there were no hidden eggs. Seeing Clear Sky Sect gather its remaining strength and launch an all-out assault, these people immediately joined them to contribute their strength.
In front of Black Sea City, it was as if a mighty army came charging forward!
“That bitch Du Yan Ling has finally gone crazy, hahaha. She wants to break through my Corpse Spirit Religion’s blockage with that bunch of trash that hasn’t even reached the Saint Realm? Kill them all then bring Du Yan Ling to me!” In the middle of Corpse Spirit Religion’s army, a burly man stood atop a tall war-cart, waving his hands extravagantly as he issued orders.
Like Fang Feng Qi, he had a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, but no heat or life aura was coming from his body, instead just a slightly rotten odour lingered about him.
Corpse Spirit Race!
And a top-level Corpse General at that!
As soon as his voice fell, however, an azure pagoda suddenly fell from the sky towards him. Noticing this, the burly man snorted coldly and swiftly dodged the incoming assault.
With a thunderous boom, the azure pagoda fell and pounded the war-cart flat, along with its eight powerful mounts, leaving behind little more than some broken scraps and bloodied paste.
“Who goes there!” Covered in red needle-like hairs, and with two sharp fangs hanging out of the corners of his mouth, the burly man turned towards a certain direction and roared.
A beautiful figure suddenly appeared beside him, like an immortal fairy descending to the earth, behind her, was a pair of crystal clear white wings seemingly carved from the purest of ice-jade. Her body exuded a bone-chilling chill that seemed capable of even freezing one’s soul.
In her hands was a long sword that radiated cold light.
As this long sword slashed, it left behind a flowing icy-light.
The burly Corpse General tried to defend himself, but his defences were instantly pierced by the overwhelming chill.
Only three moves later, the beautiful woman’s sword separated the Corpse General’s head from his body.
*Kacha…*
An icy field spread out swiftly, and despite the incredible power the burly Corpse General’s body possessed, it was instantly encased in ice, all traces of aura disappearing from it in the next instant.
Su Yan!
This was the first time she had taken action since she left Scarlet Wave Star, but the combat strength she displayed was nothing less than jaw-dropping. Seeing her in action, Mo Yu’s eyes bulged in shock.
Mo Yu clearly felt how powerful this Corpse General was and estimated that it would take him at least two or three hours to defeat this abomination. Even if he was confident he could win, he was certain that he would need to pay a certain price for that victory.
But this woman of Yang Kai’s actually managed to defeat this Corpse General in just a few moves.
Yang Kai is already extraordinary enough, but how could his woman also have such phenomenal strength? Mo Yu was stunned.
After killing this Corpse General, Su Yan did not pause for an instant. Holding Profound Frost, she used the Monster Transformation Secret Technique to mobilize the strength of her Ice Phoenix Source and charged into the Corpse Spirit Religion army. No one was able to impede her in the slightest.
As long as she struck, all the enemies before her became ice sculptures.
At the forefront of the battlefield, there was a small group of Clear Sky Sect disciples still engaged in a desperate battle. This group had rushed out long before Yang Kai and the others arrived to buy time to repair the Spirit Array barrier around Black Sea City.
Originally numbering six hundred, there were now just over a hundred of them left.
All of them were in dire straits at this moment, surrounded by countless enemies, with some of them falling every breath, their fresh blood staining the ground red.
Among this group, there was a young girl with long hair who was as quick as a rabbit, dashing left and right through the enemy lines, her body radiating a brilliant multi-coloured light. She appeared soft and delicate, but her small frame contained terrifying power, every time her small fist punched out, the air around her exploding from the force.
Any enemy she struck who was not an Origin Returning Realm master would instantly explode and die.
Even First-Order Origin Realm masters would have their bones crack and their muscles tear when they suffered a blow from this young girl, causing them to cry out in pain.
A flurry of attacks was launched towards her constantly, but she was able to dodge nearly all of them with extremely agile movements. Even when she occasionally suffered a hit, she would not suffer much damage and instead become even fiercer in her assault!
This young girl’s body seemed to contain an incomprehensible power.
Were it not for her protection, the remaining hundred people from Clear Sky Sect would have been wiped out long ago.
Each of the survivors present felt immense gratitude towards her.
Her actions soon attracted Yang Kai’s attention.
The multi-coloured radiance which surrounded her body gave Yang Kai an extremely familiar feeling. It was clearly Sword Qi from the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art!
Across a long distance, Yang Kai took a moment to observe this young girl carefully, and although she was covered in blood and it was impossible to tell her exact age, she did not look older than thirteen or fourteen, still in her budding years.
She possessed a figure that was not fully matured yet.
When her hair flew up at one point, a familiar face came into Yang Kai’s view.
“Could it be…” Yang Kai frowned before quickly wiping out the enemies in front of him and rushing over with interest towards the little girl, bringing Xia Ning Chang along with him.
Perceiving someone rapidly approaching her, the young girl turned her head rapidly while simultaneously sending out a punch.
Yang Kai raised his hand to block this punch.
*Hong…*
An extraordinary force erupted from this tiny fist, and even with Yang Kai’s great strength, he could not stop his body from shaking slightly. Fortunately, with his cultivation being significantly higher than this little girl, he did not embarrass himself on the spot, otherwise, he really wouldn’t have had any face left at all.
With her first blow failing to deal with this new opponent, the young girl reacted with lightning speed, instantly leaning back and delivering a high kick towards the enemy’s face, covering her foot in a golden gleaming light that gave off a sharp aura as she did.
Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art of Metal Sword Qi!
Her little foot seemed to instantly transform into the sharpest of swords as it swept towards Yang Kai’s head.
Yang Kai just smiled lightly and swiftly reached out his hand, grabbed the young girl’s ankle, and used his Saint Qi to perfectly offset her attack before holding her up like a doll.
The girl’s skirt fluttered, almost exposing a spring scenery, but fortunately, she reacted swiftly and managed to hold it down, preserving her dignity.
Just as she was filled with irritation, this young girl caught sight of Yang Kai’s smiling face.
“Ah… Uncle Sect Master!” The girl recognized Yang Kai at a glance and called out innocently, a pleasant surprise filling her cute smiling face.
“As expected, it’s you!” Yang Kai gently nodded and with a slight flick of his wrist flipped the young girl right-side up on the ground before he stared at her immature face, frowned, and asked, “Yun’er, why are you here?”
This girl was surprisingly the little girl Huang Juan adopted, Lin Yun’er!
When Yang Kai returned from the Emperor Garden and passed a small city on the Limitless Ocean’s coast, he had run into Huang Juan and brought her back to High Heaven Sect. At the same time, he also brought this little girl back with them.
Lin Yun’er was only five or six years old at the time, but she was already beginning to show amazing physical strength.
Yang Kai noticed the abnormality of her body and asked Ye Xi Yun to investigate it carefully. Later, Ye Xi Yun told Yang Kai that Lin Yun’er possessed the Tyrant Strength Body Special Constitution!
This was an exceedingly rare physique that perhaps had something to do with one of her ancestor’s bloodlines. After all, according to Huang Juan, Lin Yun’er’s mother had the blood of a Sea Monster Beast in her lineage.
Cultivators with this Special Constitution were born with an incredible innate strength that would only increase as their cultivation increased, eventually reaching a truly terrifying height.
Before leaving Shadowed Star, Yang Kai had given her the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art, and after eight years had passed, that little girl was now a young bud on the verge of blossoming.
Judging from the intensity of the five-coloured aura surrounding her body, it seemed Lin Yun’er had reached the minor accomplishment stage in the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art. In conjunction with her Tyrant Strength Body’s Special Constitution, the strength she could display was nothing less than astonishing.
Her cultivation was not actually that high, only Third-Order Saint Realm, according to Yang Kai’s investigation.
Even if High Heaven Sect did not lack financial resources, and Lin Yun’er had the personal guidance of masters such as Ye Xi Yun, being able to reach the Third-Order Saint Realm in just eight years proved she was an unparalleled genius.
This little girl would definitely become a bright new star in the Star Field!
When Yang Kai looked at her, he felt as if he was looking at a future supreme master.
Additionally, the Five Elements Indestructible Sword Tempering Art seemed to be tailor-made for her. Coupled with the might of her Tyrant Strength Body, she was able to use a mere Third-Order Saint Realm cultivation to fight on par with First-Order Origin Returning Realm masters!
This kind of ability to fight across realms was vastly superior to Yang Kai’s.
Even when he was a Third-Order Saint, he was unable to resist the attacks of First-Order Origin Realm masters head-on.
However, although Lin Yun’er still possessed an intrepid aura, her strength was clearly waning and there were numerous wounds on her body, indicating she was little more than an arrow at the end of its flight.
Her spirit remained undaunted though.
“When chaos descended upon Shadowed Star, Yun’er followed the orders of Great Elder Ye to assist Clear Sky Sect. As a result, Yun’er was trapped outside and unable to return, so Yun’er could only stay here,” Lin Yun’er said in an aggrieved tone.
Two years ago, she was only eleven or twelve, so after drifting outside for so long, she naturally missed High Heaven Sect greatly. She missed Ye Xi Yun who taught her carefully, missed Huang Juan who took care of her like a mother, and missed High Heaven Sect’s scenery as well as her Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters.
She had always been very strong, which may be related to her losing her parents as a child, but after seeing Yang Kai at this moment, her big eyes couldn’t help tearing up as her lips pursed and trembled.
“So that’s how it is! But why are you here on this battlefield now?” Yang Kai frowned. He did not know who the City Lord of this Black Sea City was, but how could they have arranged for Lin Yun’er to come out and engage the enemy at this time?
Yang Kai could see that this group had come out to fight to buy time, and that all of them held the determination to die in order to achieve this objective. Lin Yun’er was a High Heaven Sect disciple though, and considering her extremely young age, this was certainly not an assignment she should have been given.
“I came out on my own, I wanted to do everything within my power to help,” Lin Yun’er sniffled.
“Alright!” Yang Kai nodded firmly as he rubbed Lin Yun’er’s head, thinking for a moment before taking out a healing pill from his Space Ring and handing it to Lin Yun’er, “Take this.”
“En,” Lin Yun’er had absolute trust in Yang Kai despite not having seen him for eight years, so she swallowed down the pill without any hesitation.
Yang Kai nodded once more before turning to Xia Ning Chang and saying, “Little Senior Sister, escort them back to the city!”
“Okay!” Xia Ning Chang responded, waving her hands to form a series of complicated seals.
The surrounding World Energy suddenly began to swirl, and under the guidance of Xia Ning Chang underwent some miraculous changes before streaming into the exhausted cultivators around her.
The next moment, each of the Clear Sky Sect survivors’ bodies shook as they felt their energy reserves rapidly recovering.
All of them turned looks of utter amazement towards Xia Ning Chang!
They had no idea how Xia Ning Chang had managed to directly refine the ambient World Energy and send it into their bodies to replenish their nearly empty dry meridians and dantians.
“Follow me!” Xia Ning Chang shouted as the small sapphire on her forehead exuded a dazzling brilliance, making her look like an ethereal fairy. Everywhere this brilliance passed, the enemy cultivators felt an inexplicable force enter their hearts, causing their fighting spirit to dampen significantly.
Xia Ning Chang then took the team of a hundred people and cut a bloody path through the enemy ranks to join up with Du Yan Ling and the others who had just emerged from the city
Yang Kai next flew up into the sky and spread out his Divine Sense, looking for the strongest enemies on the battlefield. With a wave his hand, Golden Blood Threads shot out, transforming into golden flashes of light which rapidly harvested the lives of Corpse Spirit Religion disciples!
Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and Lin Yu Rao coordinated with one another to raise a storm in the enemy lines, leaving a swath of corpses in their path.
Under Mo Yu’s control, the Azure Sun Chaos Pagoda continuously released rays of brilliant blue light that vaporized all enemies around it.
This small group of seven people had swiftly thrown the entire Corpse Spirit Religion army into chaos.
Soon, some began to realize something was wrong. On the battlefield, the masters from Corpse Spirit Religion were no longer issuing orders as they were being rapidly killed, resulting in the entire army losing cohesion and becoming loose grains of sand unable to put up a united resistance.
This situation only became more serious when Du Yan Ling led the Clear Sky Sect remnants out to join the battle.
The Corpse Spirit Religion army was on the verge of collapse and many from its ranks began to panic and flee. The small Sects and families that had submitted to Corpse Spirit Religion also began to flee when they saw this.
Du Yan Ling and the others observed all this with bloodshot eyes and doggedly pursued these fleeing enemies across several tens of thousands of kilometres, slaughtering every Corpse Spirit Religion cultivator they could before returning to the city in victory.
Upon their return, the voices of Black Sea City’s millions of residents filled the air in jubilation.
Corpse Spirit Religion’s army had laid siege to Black Sea City for an entire year, and Clear Sky Sect’s strength had continuously waned during that time, so it was all but assured that the city would soon be destroyed; however, at the critical moment, powerful reinforcements had arrived, not only turning the tide of battle, saving Black Sea City from certain destruction, but also leading the surviving defenders to thoroughly route Corpse Spirit Religion’s forces, delivering them a devastating blow.
Everyone was curious about the origins of these reinforcements.
Soon, it became known that Clear Sky Sect’s Great Elder Mo Yu and High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master and Elders were the ones who had arrived to save them.
All understood at that moment why so few people possessed such astonishing strength, and why they were able to send Corpse Spirit Religion’s army running while crying for their fathers and screaming for their mothers!
In Black Sea City, the reputations of Clear Sky Sect and High Heaven Sect soared to unprecedented heights.
Inside the City Lord’s Mansion.
The few remaining high-level executives of Clear Sky Sect sat together with Yang Kai and his group.
Black Sea City’s City Lord, Du Yan Ling, who was also a high ranking Elder of Clear Sky Sect, gave a deep bow to Yang Kai and the others as she solemnly declared, “For this time’s graciousness, I offer my most sincere thanks to Sect Master Yang. If not for your timely arrival, I’m afraid Black Sea City would now be a barren wasteland devoid of life. On behalf of Black Sea City’s millions of residents, this Mistress offers her deepest gratitude to Sect Master Yang for his life-saving efforts.”
“City Lord Du is too polite, this Yang and Senior Mo are not strangers, so it is only we help one another!” Yang Kai smiled and waved.
His humility gave Du Yan Ling an excellent impression, and she couldn’t help giving Yang Kai a careful examination.
On Shadowed Star, Yang Kai was almost a legend.
Although he had only risen to fame recently, his deeds had been utterly earth-shaking.
The battle of Dragon Cave Mountain had revealed his brilliance to the world, after which he swiftly occupied one of Shadowed Star’s Three Great Forbidden Zones, the Flowing Flame Sand Field, established his own Sect, then proceeded to destroy Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect before conquering Star Emperor Mountain.
Yang Kai and High Heaven Sect were universally known existences on Shadowed Star!
Over the past two years, when tragedy befell Shadowed Star, High Heaven Sect had frequently dispatched powerful masters to assist the besieged Sects and cities, earning them the gratitude of the entire Human Race.
As High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master, Yang Kai was essentially considered to be Shadowed Star’s greatest master, a character who could shake Shadowed Star with the stomp of his foot.
This was actually Du Yan Ling’s first meeting with Yang Kai, so she was naturally curious about him.
However, even with her Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, she was unable to see through Yang Kai’s depths, as if this young man before her was far stronger than her Sect’s Great Elder, or even her former Sect Master who had died in battle.
Du Yan Ling was thoroughly shocked!
“Junior Sister Du, if the situation in Black Sea City is already so bad, what about Clear Sky Sect’s headquarters?” Mo Yu asked nervously.
Du Yan Ling and the other Elders instantly wore grim expressions.
Mo Yu could not help having a bad premonition as he asked urgently, “Could it be that the Sect’s headquarters…”
Du Yan Ling nodded sadly, “The Sect’s headquarters were breached, and Sect Master… he fell during the battle!”
“What?” Mo Yu suddenly stood up in shock, seemingly unable to accept this reality.
Yang Kai also let out a long sigh.
He had met Clear Sky Sect’s Sect Master, Gu Zhen, and felt he was an amiable person, but even with his peak level Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, it seemed he still couldn’t avoid such a tragic fate.
“Great Elder, please restrain your grief,” Du Yan Ling didn’t know what to say.
“How could headquarters have fallen? If it had, why has Black Sea City been able to persist until now?” Mo Yu’s complexion became gloomy.
Du Yan Ling replied sadly, “There were some people who secretly pledged allegiance to Corpse Spirit Religion and collaborated from the inside, causing headquarters to fall!”
“Who dares?” Mo Yu snapped.
“They’re all dead, Sect Master killed all of them before falling himself,” Du Yan Ling reported despondently.
Mo Yu was stunned for a long time before he seemed to lose all strength and fell back into his chair, unable to speak for quite some time.
After giving Mo Yu some time to digest this news, Yang Kai started to inquire about High Heaven Sect’s situation.
However, Du Yan Ling did not know much. Black Sea City had been under siege for a year now and thus been cut off from the outside world. Only when some cultivators occasionally escaped to Black Sea City would they bring some information with them.
According to those cultivators, High Heaven Sect seemed to be surrounded by the Corpse Spirit Religion’s army, and no one could get in or out. As for the internal situation of High Heaven Sect, no one knew.
A year ago, High Heaven Sect also frequently dispatched masters to assist those besieged Sects and great forces; however, after suffering the loss of several masters, High Heaven Sect had been forced to retreat and their ability to offer aid had greatly decreased.
In order to prevent High Heaven Sect masters from going out and causing trouble, Corpse Spirit Religion deployed a massive number of troops to surround the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
It could be said that although the current High Heaven Sect was unable to take the initiative to assist the rest of Shadowed Star, its mere existence restrained a great deal of Corpse Spirit Religion’s combat strength, improving the general situation silently.
If this weren’t the case, Black Sea City would not have been able to persist for such a long time without being overrun. One had to know that there were at least four Corpse Generals on the same level as Ye Xi Yun in Corpse Spirit Religion, not to mention the mysterious Religion Master that none had ever seen before.
After hearing this, Yang Kai nodded lightly and did not ask anything more.
The next day, Yang Kai gathered everyone from High Heaven, bid farewell to Mo Yu, and set out from Black Sea City.
Originally, Yang Kai wanted to bring the survivors of Clear Sky Sect with him to High Heaven Sect; after all, as long as they entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field, they would no longer need to worry about being killed by Corpse Spirit Religion’s forces.
However, after some careful consideration, Mo Yu declined Yang Kai’s proposal.
Clear Sky Sect truly had few remaining members, but Black Sea City still had millions of inhabitants.
If Clear Sky Sect followed Yang Kai, then the millions who resided in Black Sea City would certainly be slaughtered by Corpse Spirit Religion!
Many people had escaped here over the past two years, seeking shelter from Clear Sky Sect, so Mo Yu could not just abandon them.
This sentiment may be a bit pedantic, but it still won the unanimous approval of the rest of Clear Sky Sect’s leaders, all of them willingly pledging to protect the last bastion of Clear Sky Sect together with Great Elder Mo!
Yang Kai was impressed, but also at a loss.
“Yang Kai, don’t worry, although there aren’t many from my Clear Sky Sect left, Black Sea City is filled with able bodies, so it won’t be too difficult to supplement our fighting strength. As long as the cultivators here can unite, protecting this single city should not be a big problem,” Mo Hai said with a smile as he saw off Yang Kai.
Yang Kai could only nod, “In that case, I wish you good fortune, Senior Mo!”
After cupping his fists deeply, Yang Kai said goodbye to Du Yan Ling and the others before bringing Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang and the others out of Black Sea City and setting off for the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
After watching Yang Kai and the others depart, Mo Yu wore a solemn look and issued a command, “Inform all the cultivators above Saint Realm in Black Sea City that if they would like, they can temporarily join my Clear Sky Sect and help protect this city together with us!”
“Yes!” Du Yan Ling and the other Elders immediately set out to execute this order.
They had considered recruiting cultivators from Black Sea City before now, but the situation had been so hectic there was simply no time to deal with such matters. Before today, Corpse Spirit Religion’s army had been sieging the city and the independent cultivators in the city really did not have much fighting spirit, making it difficult for them to exert any real strength in battle.
Things were different now though. Corpse Spirit Religion had been repelled and suffered immense casualties, so the morale in Black Sea City was at an all-time high. It was undoubtedly the best time for Clear Sky Sect to bolster its ranks and strengthen its defences.
Black Sea City was still a fair distance from Flowing Flame Sand Field, and if one relied on Star Shuttle it would take at least seven or eight days to make the trip.
Yang Kai was quite eager to return to the Sect now, so he chose to use the Origin King Grade Starship.
Although the Starship was massive compared to a Star Shuttle, it was much faster while also being significantly safer. As long as one remained inside, they would essentially not need to concern themselves with outside threats.
Along the way, they encountered many scattered teams from Corpse Spirit Religion, some as small as a few dozen while others numbered up to a thousand, all of them under the lead of the Corpse Spirit Race, dealing damage to Shadowed Star.
A simple volley of the Starship’s Crystal Cannons, however, was enough to turn these enemies into dust, inflicting serious casualties if not wiping them out.
Yang Kai did not order any detours, immediately flying off after delivering a single round of attacks each time.
Only three days later, the number of enemies who died under the Starship’s Crystal Cannons reached the tens of thousands!
Only a few of these enemies belonged to the Corpse Spirit Race while most were Human cultivators who had submitted to Corpse Spirit Religion. Since they had chosen to follow Corpse Spirit Religion and commit all kinds of evil on their orders, there was no need to show any mercy.
The masters from the Three Clans who had been staying in the Sealed World Bead were also brought out by Yang Kai into the Starship to allow them to witness this intense slaughter.
Since they needed to gain a foothold on Shadowed Star, it was necessary for them to have more contact with this world.
Yang Kai wanted them to integrate into Shadowed Star as quickly as possible, as well as experience for themselves the level of the cultivators here for themselves.
Sure enough, after witnessing the strength of these enemies, Ling Tai Xu, Thunder Dragon, and Zhang Yuan were struck silent, but each of their eyes flashed with a thick desire to become stronger.
Lin Yun’er on the other hand behaved in a manner befitting her age. When she thought about how she would soon be returning to High Heaven Sect and seeing all the people she so dearly missed, she was so happy she could not stop twittering about, running circles around Yang Kai in excitement.
Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang liked this little girl very much as well, and after learning about her tragic childhood, their maternal instincts were greatly stimulated, even bringing them to tears, leaving Yang Kai speechless.
Three days later, the Origin King Grade Starship arrived at the periphery of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Standing on the Starship’s bridge, through the smooth, polished and transparent crystal glass, Yang Kai saw the densely packed figures surrounding the Flowing Flame Sand Field, extending out as far as the eye could see, numbering in the untold thousands.
“So many?” Yang Xiu Zhu was taken aback.
“It seems they take our High Heaven Sect quite seriously!” Chu Han Yi said coldly.
“According to City Lord Du, our High Heaven Sect has now become the last free paradise on Shadowed Star. Corpse Spirit Religion has not just deployed so many forces here because they are worried about us taking any kind of detrimental action towards them, but also because this place has now become a symbol. As long as High Heaven Sect still stands, Shadowed Star will not give up resisting. If I were Corpse Spirit Religion’s Religion Master, I would be doing everything in my power to destroy this place,” Lin Yu Rao said thoughtfully.
The others present nodded their heads in agreement.
“Sect Master, should we go around them?” A High Heaven Sect disciple, who was in charge of piloting the Starship, turned his head and asked.
“No, slaughter them!” Yang Kai declared coldly.
“Yes!” The High Heaven Sect disciple took the controls and began targeting the Starship’s Crystal Cannons with excitement.
Having his home surrounded by so many enemies naturally made everyone angry, so Yang Kai’s orders gave them the perfect opportunity to vent some frustration.
*Hong long long…*
A series of white beams of light lased from the Starship’s Crystal Cannons, vaporizing everything that stood in their path
This Origin King Grade Starship was refined personally by Yang Yan and had outstanding performance and combat strength. On top of that, the power of its Crystal Cannons relied on Saint Crystal Sources condensed by Stone Puppet Xiao Xiao and was phenomenal.
When the Crystal Cannons hit their mark, terrifying explosions rang out, as if the end of the world had come.
Each Crystal Cannon was able to sweep across a large area, cleaning it of any Corpse Spirit Race or Human cultivators in the blink of an eye.
The army down below was instantly thrown into chaos.
When the hundred-meter long pitch-black Starship had first appeared in the sky, it had brought an extremely oppressive atmosphere to the Corpse Spirit Race below, but when it opened fire, all of them couldn’t help showing looks of terror on their hideous faces.
Some of the Human cultivators who recognized the origins of this Starship began to flee as they shouted in panic.
The Starship ignored all of this and simply maintained its leisurely flight through the sky as it continued firing its Crystal Cannons.
The ground shook and massive craters were opened as billowing white smoke filled the air.
“Hm?” Inside the Starship, Yang Kai suddenly sensed something and turned his gaze towards a certain direction, sneering a moment later as he said, “There’s a big fish over there, I’ll go greet him!”
“Junior Brother, be careful!” Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang barely managed to call out before Yang Kai disappeared.
At the outer periphery of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, a seemingly newly built palace stood. This palace was not very large, only a few hundred square meters, but it had a clear magnificence to it that stood out greatly in this barren region.
Inside the palace, a man in white robes was reclining on a luxurious throne in a lazy posture, his chin resting on his hand as a wicked grin adorned his face. In front of them, a dozen gorgeous women were singing and dancing.
These women were from the great forces which had submitted to Corpse Spirit Religion and were here as tribute. Each of them was quite beautiful and had been rising stars from their respective Sects, but now, they had degenerated into playthings whose only purpose was to entertain this white-robed man.
All of them seemed to be very frightened of this white-robed man, and when they occasionally glanced over at him, they would hurriedly put their vision aside, each of them moving extremely carefully for fear of making any kind of mistake.
Suddenly, the earth shook, the palace trembled, and astonishing energy fluctuations accompanied by loud explosions appeared nearby. The white-robed man’s face sank when he sensed all this and sat up straight, sternly asking, “What happened?”
The dozen young girls who were singing and dancing below all stopped as they looked around blankly.
Immediately, someone rushed in from the outside and said in a panic, “Protector Kang, a black Starship suddenly appeared in the sky and is now massacring our Corpse Spirit Religion’s disciples!”
“Impudence! Who would dare?” The white-robed man stood up abruptly and an astonishing aura burst from his figure, causing the dozen dancing girls to go pale from fright.
“Subordinate… Subordinate does not know!” The cultivator who came in to report stuttered helplessly.
“Then what use are you?” The white-robed man snorted coldly as he stretched out his hand and grabbed towards the neck of the cultivator that appeared to deliver this report, his grasp seemingly crossing space to hold the poor man’s throat directly.
With just a slight twist, the cultivator’s neck was broken.
The dozen girls cried out in fear as the panic in their eyes became more and more intense.
“Hm? Interesting, even daring to come out on your own initiative!” The white-robed man suddenly raised his head and looked towards the sky, sending out a burst of Divine Sense to clash with Yang Kai’s at a position a dozen kilometres away.
*Hong…*
When these two Divine Senses clashed, space itself collapsed.
Inside the palace, the white-robed man was forced back a few steps, as if he was not this newcomer’s opponent at all.
The power of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense shocked the white-robed man, but after recoiling slightly, he became angry out of shame and let loose a great roar, his entire figure transforming into something inhuman the next instant.
Just like Fang Feng Qi who was captured by Yang Kai in Heavenly Fate City, this white-robed man’s body suddenly swelled up and white needle-like hairs protruded from his skin. Two sharp fangs grew from the corners of his mouth and a verdant coloured Corpse Qi burst from his body.
Leaping up, the white-robed man soared up into the sky like a shot, blowing open a hole in the small palace, his eyes flashing a fierce light. Pinpointing Yang Kai’s location, he then proceeded to wave his two claw-like hands repeatedly, sending a flurry of attacks towards Yang Kai.
“Shatter!” Yang Kai roared and without evading covered his fists in black flames and sent out a series of punches.
The flying claws broke under Yang Kai’s bombardment and the remnant attacks quickly landed on the white-robed man, pulling a grunt from his lips as they sent him crashing down to the ground.
A moment later, with a bang, a human-shaped pothole was smashed into the ground.
The white-robed man only became more enraged. After taking this blow from Yang Kai, he had not suffered much damage, so he quickly leapt from the pit, opened his mouth, and spat out a round bead. Gathering the thick green Corpse Qi from this bead, the white-robed man condensed several arrows which he then shot towards Yang Kai.
With a flick of his wrist, Yang Kai summoned the Verdant Dragon Bone Sword and after pouring his Saint Qi into it, accompanied by the loud dragon roar, the Dragon Bone Sword shook slightly and transformed into a giant dark green dragon which proceeded to dive towards the ground.
Yang Kai stood atop the dragon’s head, looking down at the white-robed man with disdain in his eyes.
The Corpse Qi, which was potent enough to kill an ordinary Origin Returning Realm master, had no effect on the giant dark green dragon. Corpse Qi was indeed poisonous, but so too was the giant dark green dragon, so the former had no way to damage the latter.
On the contrary, the giant dark green dragon simply opened its mouth wide and sucked in the green Corpse Qi which had originated from the white-robed man’s Corpse Core, causing him to fluster.
The distance between the two opponents quickly shortened.
Staring at the rapidly growing dragon head, with its giant maw, the white-robed man finally could not remain calm and let out a strange howl as he hurriedly dodged away.
The giant dark green dragon soared up into the air while Yang Kai leapt off it and stretched out his hand. The giant dark green dragon transformed back into the Dragon Bone Sword again and was caught by Yang Kai who proceeded to slash it out.
Suddenly, a terrifying aura burst from the bladeless long sword, one that seemed capable of cutting through the world itself.
The white-robed man was shocked and quickly raised his arm to defend himself from this blow.
Silently, green lights flashed, and a white-haired arm was cut off, falling to the ground.
This time, the white-robed man was truly shocked. He never thought that such a terrifying character existed on Shadowed Star. He had fought against Ye Xi Yun, the supposed first master of Shadowed Star, and felt that she was not anything special. However, this young man who had suddenly appeared before him was far stronger than Ye Xi Yun. He completely was not this young man’s opponent.
Seeing that the other party was about to strike with his sword again, the white-robed man couldn’t care about face anymore and tumbled to the side, swiftly grabbed his severed arm while avoiding the blow, and leapt backwards.
Only after opening a thousand-meter gap between him and Yang Kai did he stop, a lingering fear still gripping him as he lifted the severed arm towards his freshly wounded shoulder, a gloomy expression filling his face.
The severed arm that was cut down by Yang Kai’s Dragon Bone Sword quickly began squirming as it swiftly reattached itself.
As the white-robed man did all this, Yang Kai simply watched with cold eyes, not trying to stop him. Only when the arm was fully reattached did Yang Kai suddenly grin and ask, “Have we met before?”
Hearing this question, the white-robed man also frowned before suddenly pointing at Yang Kai and shouting in disbelief, “It’s you, it’s you!”
“Ah I see, we really have met!” Yang Kai smiled lightly, “It was back in that Corpse Cave. I remember you.”
When he first saw this white-robed man, Yang Kai thought he looked a little familiar, but now he finally remembered where he had seen him before. It was back when he and Yang Yan dove deep into the Corpse Cave below Grand Burial Valley where he once met this white-robed man. It was this white-robed man who had attacked him when he tried to escape.
At that time, the white-robed man was already a powerful Corpse General, an opponent Yang Kai had no choice but to flee from; however, after so many years, obviously Yang Kai’s strength had improved greatly.
“I also remember you!” The white-robed man grinned, “You snuck into the Corpse Cave and stole a lot of things, but this Protector must actually thank you for that!”
“Thank me for what?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Thank you for taking away that blasted Sun’s True Essence! If it were not for you, this Protector would not have his current achievement!” The white-robed man laughed loudly.
“What does any of this have to do with the Sun’s True Essence?” Yang Kai was puzzled.
“You wouldn’t understand!” The white-robed man sneered, “This Protector is Corpse Spirit Religion’s White-Robed Corpse General Kang Fei Rao. Boy, state your name!”
“White-Robed Corpse General…” Yang Kai raised his brow. “So there is also a Red-Robed Corpse General and Azure-Robed Corpse General or something?”
He remembered that inside the Corpse Cave, there were several other Corpse Generals dressed in different coloured robes.
“Indeed!” Kang Fei Rao did not attempt to deny it, “Boy, my Corpse Spirit Religion will soon unify Shadowed Star. You are young and have a powerful cultivation, so why not join us? This Protector will bring you to see the Religion Master who will surely make you a Deacon!”
“Not interested!” Yang Kai curled his lips.
“Brat, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, this Protector may appreciate your talent but do you think that means he won’t kill you?”
“Can you?” Yang Kai snickered.
When these words fell, Kang Fei Rao’s face changed drastically because he suddenly discovered that Yang Kai, who had been a thousand meters away just a moment ago, was now standing right in front of him, his hand waving through the air, releasing a massive Void Crack that slashed towards him like a giant blade!
“Space Force!” Kang Fei Rao’s pale face became even paler. He finally recalled that the reason Yang Kai was able to escape from the Corpse Cave that day was that he was skilled in the Dao of Space.
Now seeing Yang Kai use such a card, it was obvious just how profound this boy’s attainments in the Dao of Space were.
A sense of crisis rose in Kang Fei Rao as he hurriedly backed away, just barely avoiding being swallowed by this Void Crack.
A trace of annoyance appeared on Yang Kai’s face, but soon, he showed a sly grin.
Kang Fei Rao instinctively noticed something was wrong, but he could not figure out what it was. Just as he fell into confusion, an overwhelming force impacted him from behind, like a giant mountain crashing into him. The sound of countless bones shattering immediately rang out from his body.
In response to this heavy blow, Kang Fei Rao opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of green blood, his entire aura rapidly weakening as he flew towards Yang Kai under the force of the impact.
As he was flying forward, the Kang Fei Rao tried his best to look back and see who it was that managed to approach him without his knowledge and deliver such a devastating blow.
Turning his head, however, Kang Fei Rao was dumbfounded.
The one who attacked him was actually a stone giant with a somewhat dim expression on its face and a giant black stick in its hands!
This stone giant had no life aura, so it was not surprising he didn’t notice it until it was too late.
“Now, let’s see how you escape!” Yang Kai grinned as he slashed his hand through the air, sending out a series of Void Cracks that swiftly formed an impenetrable net covering Kang Fei Rao, blocking all his paths of retreat!
Kang Fei Rao’s face changed drastically as he felt the terrifying emptiness coming from these Void Cracks, forcing himself to come to a halt suddenly.
In the next moment, his whole figure seemed to flicker and disappear as he dove into the ground!
He seemed to be able to merge with the earth itself!
The Void Crack net which had formed above his head did not play any role at all!
“Stop him!” Yang Kai’s face sank, knowing that Kang Fei Rao must not be allowed to escape into the earth, otherwise, he would never be able to catch him again.
Xiao Xiao received this order and swiftly dove into the ground as well.
Immediately afterwards, a great rumble resounded from below the surface and the earth heaved up in great waves that rapidly spread out.
Soon, accompanied by an angry roar, Kang Fei Rao shot out of the ground, his entire face twisted in frustration.
The Stone Puppet pursued him, Heaven Shaking Pillar in hand, swinging it around lightly as if it weighed nothing, forcing Kang Fei Rao to dodge repeatedly.
Trying to escape underground in front of the Stone Puppet was possibly the stupidest decision Kang Fei Rao could have made!
Burrowing through the earth was one of the Stone Puppet’s Divine Abilities.
Yang Kai arrived above Kang Fei Rao’s head mysteriously at some point, and with a wave of his hand, more than a dozen Golden Blood Threads shot out and wound towards Kang Fei Rao like snakes.
In an instant, Kang Fei Rao was tightly wrapped up.
Kang Fei Rao still tried to struggle, but the Stone Puppet’s Heaven Shaking Pillar swept over at that moment, and with a single swipe, Kang Fei Rao’s lower half was pounded into paste, the massive force of the blow sending what remained of his body tumbling through the air.
Things had not ended yet however as a massive Void Crack suddenly opened next to Kang Fei Rao and devoured a big chunk of his torso.
When Kang Fei Rao finally hit the ground, he was completely crippled, with little of his original body remaining.
If an ordinary human suffered such damage, they would definitely have died long ago.
However, the Corpse Spirit Race was originally born from dead people, and their physical forms were extremely tenacious, so such an injury didn’t immediately reap Kang Fei Rao’s life.
A potent energy fluctuation burst from his abdomen in the next moment, spreading to his limbs, causing his flesh to wriggle and slowly regenerate.
Yang Kai stepped forward, inserted his hand into Kang Fei Rao’s abdomen, and clenched his Corpse Core.
The creeping flesh finally stopped moving, and Kang Fei Rao froze up, looking at Yang Kai close up in a state of shock and horror.
His eyes were filled with hatred, but in the end, he compromised and sighed, “What is it you want to know? Tell me what I must do to get you to release me!”
“Are you trying to negotiate with me?” Yang Kai smiled contemptuously.
“Of course!”
“Do you think you’re qualified?” Yang Kai continued to sneer.
“Since you didn’t kill me immediately, you obviously want something from me, otherwise why bother keeping me alive?” Kang Fei Rao coldly snorted.
“Seems you’re not stupid,” Yang Kai nodded, “But you still have no right to negotiate terms with me. I can consign you to death just by clenching my fist!”
Kang Fei Rao’s face grew gloomy, but ultimately, he was unable to refute.
Kang Fei Rao could also see that even without the help of the strange stone giant, he was definitely not Yang Kai’s opponent. This young man had not used his full strength from the beginning!
[Since when was there such a powerful Origin Returning Realm cultivator on this star?] Kang Fei Rao thought he had reached the limit of what an Origin Returning Realm master could achieve, but today, he realized he was greatly mistaken.
“Tell me what the Sun’s True Essence has to do with any of this?” Yang Kai’s voice sounded, “Why do you say you want to thank me for your current achievements? I don’t remember doing anything for you.”
Kang Fei Rao glanced at him but did not answer immediately. Only when he felt a ruinous strength beginning to crush his Corpse Core did his expression change and he quickly said, “It was an accident! You probably didn’t even know about it.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
“Do you think that Sun’s True Essence was just randomly placed there? If so, you’re gravely mistaken. The reason the Sun’s True Essence was sealed in that place was to suppress an Underworld Well Spring.”
“Underworld Well Spring?” Yang Kai’s expression changed slightly.
Kang Fei Rao grinned, “Yes, it connects this world to the Underworld, where a thick Yin, Corpse, and Death Qi spring forth from. The Yin, Corpse, and Death Qi are all useless to living creatures, harmful in fact, but to my Corpse Spirit Race, it is nothing less than the finest resource! With an unlimited supply of it, our strength can rapidly grow to the limit of the Origin Returning Realm… en, perhaps even beyond!”
Kang Fei Rao thought he was at the peak of the Origin Returning Realm, but after fighting with Yang Kai, he realized he was still far from it.
“There was actually such a thing beneath Grand Burial Valley?” Yang Kai frowned slightly.
Kang Fei Rao chuckled and said, “How do you think that Corpse Cave was formed? My Ancient Yang Sect’s ancestors discovered that Underworld Well Spring long ago and used that piece of Sun’s True Essence to suppress it. However, the entire reason my noble Corpse Spirit Race could be born was because of the rich Corpse Qi which leaked into the Corpse Cave from it! Previously, we could not access that Underworld Well Spring, but after you took away that Sun’s True Essence, everything changed! Now, do you understand why this Protector must thank you?”
Yang Kai’s expression instantly turned ugly, and he said in a gloomy tone, “So, Shadowed Star becoming like this was my fault?”
“Hahaha!” Kang Fei Rao cackled towards the Heavens as he snickered, “Indeed, you are responsible! So… what do you think would happen if the people of Shadowed Star learned of this? Would they direct all their hatred towards you?”
“Are you threatening me? If you think this is enough for me to let you go, you are greatly mistaken,” Yang Kai sneered.
Kang Fei Rao’s expression flickered but he decided not to further provoke Yang Kai in the end.
Now that his Corpse Core was literally in Yang Kai’s hand, his life and death no longer his to control, naturally he would not do something so foolish.
“Who is your Religion Master? Is he one of the Corpse Generals I saw that day?” Yang Kai asked.
Kang Fei Rao shook his head, “No!”
“Then who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Nonsense!” Yang Kai coldly snorted as he tightened his grip greatly, causing Kang Fei Rao’s Corpse Core to crack slightly, as if it was on the verge of being crushed.
Kang Fei Rao trembled as he grit his teeth and snarled, “I really don’t know. Religion Master is not one of our Corpse Spirit Race at all, he just suddenly appeared inside the Corpse Cave one day and taught us some profound Secret Arts related to our Corpse Qi cultivation, as well as a method to convert others into our clansmen. Without him, it would have been impossible for us to leave the Corpse Cave already, we would likely still be groping around for a way forward in that subterranean cave; after all, none of us has cultivated like this before.”
While Kang Fei Rao spoke, Yang Kai was constantly using his Divine Sense to monitor his expressions and Soul fluctuations, but he did not notice any flaws. There were only two explanations for this, one was that Kang Fei Rao wasn’t lying and really didn’t know the identity or background of this mysterious Religion Master, or two, Kang Fei Rao’s acting skills had reached an astonishing level that could deceive even Yang Kai’s senses.
Yang Kai was more inclined to believe the former possibility.
“Then how strong is he?” Yang Kai asked again.
Kang Fei Rao’s face contorted a few times before he grits his teeth and muttered, “If I said I don’t know what his cultivation is, would you believe it?”
“What do you think?” Yang Kai glared at him coldly.
Kang Fei Rao sighed, “But I really don’t know! He never took action in front of us.”
“Then how did he become your Corpse Spirit Religion’s Religion Master? Don’t tell me that just because he taught you some cultivation and conversion methods, you all willingly submitted to him.”
“How could that be?” Kang Fei Rao sneered, a trace of irritation appearing on his face, “The reason why we brothers surrendered to him was that he…”
Kang Fei Rao had not finished speaking yet when his face suddenly changed drastically, as if something terrifying was happening to him, his eyes bulging as they filled with shock before a look of extreme pain filled his face.
A violent and unstable aura quickly spread from his body.
Yang Kai’s complexion changed as he hurriedly pulled his hand back.
The next moment, Kang Fei Rao howled miserably as a destructive aura burst from his Corpse Core. This aura rapidly transformed into a green flame that seemed to be burning Kang Fei Rao from the inside out.
Kang Fei Rao’s mouth, nose, eyes, and ears all sprayed out green flames, giving him a terrifying appearance.
In less than ten breaths of time, this powerful peak level Corpse General who had fought evenly against Ye Xi Yun was burned down by these green flames, leaving behind only a pile of black ashes.
Yang Kai watched this scene from the beginning to the end, a chill gripping his heart when it was all over.
He did not know exactly what happened to Kang Fei Rao, but he guessed that the mysterious Religion Master of Corpse Spirit Religion had placed some kind of terrible seal on him. Once Kang Fei Rao tried to reveal some key information, this seal would immediately activate, detonate his Corpse Core, and produce this corpse flame that would swiftly kill Kang Fei Rao!
Although everything was just his guess, Yang Kai was confident in his assessment!
[Such vicious methods! Such meticulous scheming!]
It wasn’t even clear what kind of sensitive information Kang Fei Rao was about to reveal that triggered the seal in his body.
Yang Kai thought back to the words Kang Fei Rao spoke just before he died, and although the other party did not articulate anything in particular, Yang Kai was still able to infer some information from it.
This mysterious Religion Master possibly had some kind of method or artifact in his hand which enabled him to control the Corpse Spirit Race!
This was the most likely scenario.
Kang Fei Rao was dead now, so it was impossible to get anything more from it. Pausing for a moment, Yang Kai could not help feeling somewhat wary of this mysterious Religion Master.
Being able to place such a seal onto one’s own subordinates proved that this Religion Master would not be someone easy to deal with.
As for Kang Fei Rao’s statement that Shadowed Star’s current crisis was at least partially his fault, Yang Kai did not attempt to deny it. However, while it was true that him taking away the Sun’s True Essence suppressing the Underworld Well Spring allowed the Corpse Spirit Race to grow much more powerful in a short period of time, the primary reason for this upheaval was no doubt the mysterious Religion Master teaching them the proper method to cultivate as well as giving them the knowledge to successfully transform others into members of the Corpse Spirit Race!
If they did not possess such a method, Corpse Spirit Religion would never have been able to expand so rapidly.
After Yang Kai mulled over these thoughts for a moment, he decided to set the entire issue aside for the time being.
Looking up, the black Origin King Grade Starship was still wantonly bombarding Corpse Spirit Religion’s army. Each Crystal Cannon volley was able to harvest at least dozens from the Corpse Spirit Race as well as those Human cultivators who had submitted to them.
During his battle with Kang Fei Rao, the Flowing Flame Sand Field’s periphery had become filled with dead bodies and scattered remains.
Letting out a light sigh, Yang Kai flew up into the sky, pushed his Space Force, and returned to the Starship.
“Return to the Sect!” He shouted sharply.
After the campaign of extermination the Starship just executed, more than half of the Corpse Spirit Religion army which was besieging High Heaven Sect had been eliminated. Even the White-Robed Corpse General Kang Fei Rao had been killed by Yang Kai, so pursuing the rest of these remnants was not a high priority.
What was most important now was to return to the Sect.
The people Yang Kai brought with him from Tong Xuan Realm needed to be settled in; after all, they had been waiting inside the Sealed World Bead for several years now and it was best for them to contact and familiarize themselves with the World Principles here as soon as possible.
Moreover, Yang Kai also wanted to know how High Heaven Sect was fairing now. It was rumoured that High Heaven Sect had suffered several losses over the past two years and that Great Elder Ye Xi Yun was seriously injured, making Yang Kai wonder if she had recovered or not by now.
The Three Blazing Flame Rings which formed the Flowing Flame Sand Field were so powerful that even an ordinary Origin King Grade Starship would be burned to ashes the moment it tried to intrude.
However, High Heaven Sect’s Starship was personally refined by Yang Yan and had her aura branded into it, so the Three Blazing Flame Rings would not harm it and easily allowed it to pass.
It was not until the huge figure of the Starship disappeared that the Corpse Spirit Religion remnants who had been running and hiding breathed a sigh of relief, but the looks of lingering fear did not leave their faces.
Under the tyrannical might of the Starship, they were not even able to summon the courage to resist as they stood there waiting to be slaughtered!
Now that the Starship had left, they felt relieved.
Without receiving any orders to retreat, though, no one dared escape far. After a short time, the Corpse Spirit Religion cultivators gathered from all directions again and began waiting for instructions from Kang Fei Rao!
However, none of them were aware that Kang Fei Rao had already fallen.
It was not until an hour later, when Kang Fei Rao still didn’t show up, that some who had grown suspicious went to investigate the small palace, only to discover that the White-Robed Corpse General was dead.
The entire army instantly went into an uproar.
One of the four Protectors of Corpse Spirit Religion had fallen, and with the reappearance of High Heaven Sect’s Origin King Grade Starship, it was like an omen of things to come.
High Heaven Sect’s headquarters was located in the fourth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
However, after Yang Yan took back the first of the Three Blazing Flame Rings that day, the Flowing Flame Sand Field no longer had six layers, instead only consisting of four. So strictly speaking, High Heaven Sect was located in the second layer while the first layer was formed by the second of the Three Blazing Flame Rings. There was another Flame Ring which then separated the second layer from the innermost sanctum where Yang Yan was currently sleeping.
After crossing the flame barrier, Yang Kai scanned the familiar scenery around him and could not help feeling a little excited.
Although Tong Xuan Realm was his native land, he had actually lived on Shadowed Star for longer since he entered the Star Field, and with High Heaven Sect being located here, Yang Kai held a strong affinity to this place.
After all, this was the Sect he created with his own hands, the place where High Heaven Pavilion’s legacy would be carried forward. There was no substitute for the kind of emotion one attached to their own creation.
No more than an hour later, High Heaven Sect, located amidst the rolling mountains, appeared before everyone’s eyes.
The mountain road paved in white jade was clearly visible.
At the top of the mountain road, there was a huge plaque emblazoned with the words ‘High Heaven Sect’!
“A truly beautiful place,” Standing inside the Starship, Ling Tai Xu looked down through the crystal glass and felt extremely satisfied with the environment of High Heaven Sect’s headquarters.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Yang Kai stood to the side with a smile and explained to his Grand Master, “What you see now, can only be regarded as the entrance to High Heaven Sect. There are a total of eighty-one peaks in High Heaven Sect, nine main and seventy-two auxiliary. The scenery of each peak is unique; however, because the number of disciples until now has been quite small, we have only settled on this one. As for the other peaks, even I have not fully explored them. After we land, everyone will be able to find an appropriate peak to live on.”
“Amazing!” Chu Ling Xiao felt warmth in his old chest.
They had been a little worried about having enough space to live at their destination with Yang Kai bringing over ten thousand people from the Human, Monster, and Demon Races; after all, this was no small number and they would require a massive piece of land.
But looking around and seeing the lush, verdant mountains that towered up into the clouds, the myriad of elegant and palatial pavilions, and realizing this was but one of the eighty-one peaks, the masters from the Three Clans felt that fitting ten thousand people here would be a simple task, with plenty of space leftover when everything was said and done.
“We will live here in the future?” Thunder Dragon Great Senior looked out with excitement. This place was more than a hundred times better than Tong Xuan Realm’s Beast Sea Jungle.
Not only was the World Energy extremely rich, but the scenery was also first-class. Any Monster Race master who cultivated here would no doubt have great future achievements.
A headquarters was the foundation of a clan, and as a Monster Race Great Senior, Thunder Dragon understood the importance of a strong foundation.
“Yang Kai, my Demon Race owes you a great debt. In the future, whatever commands you may have of us, my Demon Race will do its utmost to fulfil.” Even someone as proud as Zhang Yuan felt grateful from the bottom of his heart, and even subtly indicated he wished for his companions and him to join High Heaven Sect immediately.
Yang Kai simply nodded.
Strictly speaking, bringing the Monster Race and Demon Race masters brought from Tong Xuan Realm was already a great favour to them; on the other hand, Li Rong and Han Fei of Ancient Demon Clan did not think so. Yang Kai was their Lord, and they had pledged to follow Yang Kai for life, so them being able to accompany him was simply their honour and duty.
As the masters from the Three Clans were immersed in shock and joy, Yang Kai commanded the Starship to land in the massive square below. At the same time, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings, hoping to glean what High Heaven Sect’s current status was.
A moment later, however, his brow could not help furrowing.
Yang Kai quickly discovered that there were about a thousand people gathered in High Heaven Sect at this moment, but none of them had familiar auras.
Ye Xi Yun, Wu Yi, Chang Qi, Hao An, Huang Juan, and the others seemed to be absent, and even the auras of the masters from Star Emperor Mountain had disappeared.
What’s more, the Starship’s descent was by no means a subtle event, yet no one from High Heaven Sect had come out to greet them.
On the contrary, from the pavilions near the square, countless unfamiliar Divine Senses extend out and scanned them.
This discovery made Yang Kai’s face sink and his expression turn unsightly.
Noticing something was off, Ling Tai Xu leaned closer and asked in a low voice, “Yang Kai, is there something wrong?”
Yang Kai sneered softly, “There is indeed something wrong. Grand Master, please wait aboard the Starship for a moment, I’ll go and sort this situation out!”
“Understood!” Ling Tai Xu responded.
Yang Kai gestured for the High Heaven Sect disciples to open the Starship’s hatch and he quickly walked out together with Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and Lin Yu Rao.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others apparently also noticed something was wrong and after exchanging a few glances amongst themselves, Yang Xiu Zhu circulated his Saint Qi and gave a loud shout, “Sect Master has returned to the Sect!”
This shout echoed across all eighty-one of High Heaven Sect’s peaks.
Still, no one came out to greet them.
Instead, the Divine Senses that had been probing the Starship before seemed to entangle with one another, engaging in a silent exchange.
The atmosphere in High Heaven Sect suddenly became tense.
A moment later, the various Divine Senses retracted, their owners apparently reaching some kind of consensus. Only after this did people begin flying out from the various palaces and lofts.
Yang Kai stood on the square, his expression as deep and tranquil as an ancient well, a cold aura radiating from his body as he waited silently.
*Shua Shua Shua…*
One figure after another landed nearby, gradually amassing into an extremely terrifying force.
All of the people who appeared were Origin Returning Realm masters, with several of them being Third-Orders; however, when these people saw Yang Kai, their eyes would shift, as if feeling guilty. No one dared to confront Yang Kai head-on, but a number were casting him cold glances, as if looking at some kind of enemy.
Yang Kai glanced around, and his eyes quickly fixed on an old woman with white hair and a dragon head walking stick.
Beside this old woman stood a delicate and beautiful young woman. This young woman was a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, a rising star of Shadowed Star.
Yang Kai’s gaze fixed on this old woman because he knew her!
She was none other than Old Woman Feng from Myriad Beast Mountain! During the battle of Dragon Cave Mountain, she had appeared at that climax to try to snatch the Emperor Jade.
Yang Kai didn’t have a good impression of this old woman, and although she had not gone as far as the Great Elder of Demon Blood Temple Jin Shi at that time, she clearly didn’t have any good intentions towards him.
As for the beautiful young woman with a shrewd light in her eyes, Yang Kai recalled that her name was Feng Yan! She was the granddaughter of Old Woman Feng.
At this moment, Feng Yan was looking Yang Kai over with a pair of curious eyes and a kind of eagerness that made it seem she wanted to compete with him and determine who was the stronger between them.
Yang Kai naturally had no interest in her; the other party was just a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, a weakling he could crush with a wave of his hand.
Continuing to scan the crowd, Yang Kai saw some familiar as well as unfamiliar faces, with the latter being more common. However, judging by the robes they wore, Yang Kai could tell that most of them came from first-class Sects or forces on Shadowed Star.
Yang Kai also spotted the current Sect Master of Coloured Glass Sect, Gong Ao Fu and her disciple Yin Su Die!
The previous Sect Master of Coloured Glass Sect, Gong Xing He, had fallen while exploring the Emperor Garden, so his daughter Gong Ao Fu had taken over as Sect Master.
Dai Yuan was nowhere to be seen though!
Yang Kai frowned when he noticed this. He did not know where that beautiful woman who insisted on disguising herself as an ugly one had gone. Strictly speaking, she was also a disciple of Coloured Glass Sect and should have been accompanying Gong Ao Fu.
Regarding Coloured Glass Sect, Yang Kai only had a favourable impression of Dai Yuan; after all, he had worked together with her several times.
Silence filled the square as Yang Kai looked around coldly, none of these outside Origin Returning Realm cultivators showing any intention to speak up.
After a long time, Yang Kai grinned and quipped, “Interesting, this Sect Master has just returned to the Sect yet none of the Elders or disciples have come out to greet him. Instead, all of you took the trouble to see me.”
As for why these people had appeared in High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai had a fairly good guess.
When he was in Black Sea City before, he learned from Du Yan Ling that High Heaven Sect had been extremely active during the past two years. Not only had it frequently sent out masters to rescue the elites of the Human race, but under Great Elder Ye Xi Yun’s orders, High Heaven Sect even opened its doors to shelter the cultivators who had nowhere else to flee.
These people should be the ones who had taken refuge in High Heaven Sect. This was not a surprise, of course, as High Heaven Sect was the last pure land on Shadowed Star. Protected by the Three Blazing Flame Rings, no matter how powerful the Corpse Spirit Religion was, there was no way they could reach it.
No one could criticize Ye Xi Yun’s decision, even Yang Kai.
If he was in High Heaven Sect at that time, Yang Kai would have done the same. Regarding the cultivators who fled here with such difficulty, Yang Kai would not be so hard-hearted to condemn them to death outside.
However, the current situation made him extremely angry.
Although he was not clear what happened here, or why Ye Xi Yun and the others hadn’t shown up, it was obvious that these people had somehow managed to usurp control here through some malicious means.
The Origin Returning Realm masters on the opposite side continued looking at each other before everyone’s eyes finally gathered on Old Woman Feng from Myriad Beast Mountain. Old Woman Feng did not pass on this responsibility and took a step forward while putting on a kind smile and saying, “Sect Master Yang is too serious. Now that Shadowed Star has fallen into chaos, High Heaven Sect has become the last bastion of my Human Race. It is only reasonable that we come out to greet you.”
“The last bastion of the Human Race?” Yang Kai looked at Old Woman Feng with a sneer, keenly grasping the key point she was trying to make, “Is Senior Feng trying to say that High Heaven Sect now belongs to the entire Human Race? How come I, the Sect Master, know nothing about this?”
Old Woman Feng’s complexion cramped for a moment as she did not know how to respond, apparently not having expected Yang Kai’s words to be so sharp.
A burly man suddenly stepped out and interjected, “Sect Master Yang, right? High Heaven Sect can rely on its natural defences to keep Corpse Spirit Religion’s army at bay, so naturally, this treasured land has become the last bastion for our Human Race. Now that the Corpse Spirit Race is rampaging around the world, no place is safe. High Heaven Sect should think of what is best for the Human Race and share this paradise freely, or does Sect Master Yang want to object for some reason?”
“You are…” Yang Kai squinted at him.
The burly man coldly snorted, “Floating Mist Palace’s Palace Lord, Tang Fu Shui!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, he had heard Tang Fu Shui’s name before and knew he was a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, comparable to Fei Zhi Tu or Qian Tong from before. Floating Mist Palace was after all one of Shadowed Star’s first-class Sects.
Tang Fu Shui continued, “If my Floating Mist Palace owned such a treasure, I would open the Sect’s gates wide to accept the elites of my Human Race as well as contribute our meagre strength to preserve that final hope. Sect Master Yang’s words just now, however, sound like he is trying to accuse us of some sin; could it be possible Sect Master Yang wants to drive all of us away?”
As soon as this statement was made, many people’s expressions changed drastically, anxiety filling their faces.
It had not been easy for them to escape here to High Heaven Sect, and if Yang Kai really drove them out, their good days would come to an end. In the future, they would likely have to face the constant chasing down and suppression of Corpse Spirit Religion with no one able to guarantee their own safety.
“When did I say anything like that?” Yang Kai sneered lightly as he looked around with sharp eyes, “What are you afraid of?”
No one dared meet eyes with him.
“What does this King have to feel guilty about?” Tang Fu Shui snapped back with a gloomy expression.
A peal of delightful laughter suddenly rang out as Feng Yan, who had been standing next to Old Woman Feng, stepped forward and elegantly bowed to Yang Kai, her beautiful eyes flashing slightly as she spoke, “Junior Sister greets Senior Brother Yang. Senior Brother Yang should be patient, you have not been back to High Heaven Sect for some time so you may not be aware of the situation and have some misunderstandings. Corpse Spirit Religion is currently causing chaos all across Shadowed Star and many have fled here to High Heaven Sect seeking shelter. Senior Brother Yang is indeed High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master, the master of this place, but please consider the overall situation first. If possible, we might as well sit down and discuss this matter calmly.”
Old Woman Feng nodded slightly, clearly feeling that what her granddaughter said was very appropriate.
Even Tang Fu Shui, who had lost his temper a moment ago, wore an appreciative look on his face.
“What the hell do you count for? Junior Sister? Don’t even try to put yourself on the same level as this Sect Master!” Yang Kai glanced at her indifferently, clearly not giving her the slightest face.
Old Woman Feng’s face sank.
Feng Yan was even more furious and beautiful face twitched as she ground her teeth and clenched her fists.
Her Myriad Beast Mountain was not weak, she was the granddaughter of Old Woman Feng, and her aptitude is also quite good. Although she wasn’t as famous as Wei Gu Chang and the other first-class talents, she was still among the rising stars of Shadowed Star.
Coupled with her beautiful looks and sharp mind, she had always been sought after by young men from Myriad Beast Mountain and regarded as the goddess in their hearts.
Even the young men from other great forces flattered and courted her wherever she went.
She had lost count of how many men were fascinated by her beauty!
As such, she never put any man in her eyes, thinking that all of them were fools who she could manipulate as she willed.
Yang Kai’s reaction just now, however, made her angry out of shame. From when she was a child until now, she had never received such insults, like a cold slap had been delivered straight to her face, what’s more, in front of such a massive crowd!
Just when she was about to snap back, Yang Kai turned away and blatantly ignored her.
To Yang Kai, she was truly not worthy of his attention.
This made Feng Yan even more annoyed and her pair of beautiful eyes sprayed with anger, glaring at Yang Kai fiercely as if she wanted to rip him to pieces.
“I’ll give you the time it takes to brew a cup of tea to explain the situation here clearly, after that time is up, if this Sect Master still does not have a satisfactory answer, all of you can scram out of my High Heaven Sect!” Yang Kai’s sharp eyes swept over the crowd as he declared coldly.
The crowd immediately went into an uproar and all of those who had been afraid to meet eyes with him now glared angrily towards him.
As for the masters who had originally been hostile to Yang Kai, the murderous intent in their eyes became obvious at this moment.
Yang Kai simply sneered as he stood straight like a spear, completely unmoved in the face of all this ill intent.
He had even fought against a character like Luo Hai, a Second-Order Origin King Star Master, so how could he possibly care about these people?
Although this group had many Origin Returning Realm masters, if Yang Kai really wanted to slaughter them, none would be able to escape from High Heaven Sect today.
Their ferocious eyes were as ridiculous as a blind man complimenting a woman for her looks.
After delivering his ultimatum, Yang Kai proceeded to ignore these people while instead spreading out his Divine Sense to look for High Heaven Sect’s disciples and elders, but after searching all eighty-one peaks he still couldn’t find any trace of them.
It was as if everyone from High Heaven Sect had simply vanished.
This discovery made Yang Kai’s expression more and more ugly.
He could vaguely guess what happened here.
One possibility was that everyone was killed by these guys, making it impossible for him to find them.
The second possibility was that High Heaven Sect’s members had withdrawn from the eighty-one peaks. As for where they went, Yang Kai had a guess.
The former scenario was highly unlikely. Although High Heaven Sect’s original numbers were small and their strengths were quite weak, after absorbing Star Emperor Mountain’s masters, High Heaven Sect’s strength had dramatically increased and was no longer a soft persimmon that could be crushed at will.
What’s more, these people weren’t able to kill Ye Xi Yun.
Then there was only the second possibility. Ye Xi Yun must have evacuated High Heaven Sect’s disciples to the deepest part of the Flowing Flame Sand Field! That was where Yang Yan slept, and with the innermost ring of the Three Blazing Flame Rings protecting it, no one could enter!
Yang Kai did not know why Ye Xi Yun had made this choice, but she had her own considerations.
Just as Yang Kai took back his Divine Sense and cleared up his thoughts, an old man with a sagely temperament suddenly appeared and cupped his fists in a dignified manner, “Sect Master Yang, this old master is Medicine Pill Sect’s Great Elder Li Jian Ming. Sect Master Yang has just returned from afar and must be tired. Why not take a rest first and then we can discuss this matter in detail?”
Medicine Pill Sect! This Sect was another great force with a famous reputation on Shadowed Star. The reason was simple, this Sect was focused entirely on Alchemy, similar to Medicine Pill Sect in the Great Han Dynasty, granting it a special status on this star.
Medicine Pill Sect had five Elders, all of whom were Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemists. They represented an extremely valuable resource to Shadowed Star and even Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect, back when they existed, would have to treat these five with respect, not daring to offend them in the slightest.
Li Jian Ming, as Medicine Pill Sect’s Great Elder, was also a prominent master of Shadowed Star, on par with the Sect Masters of other first-class forces.
He was naturally qualified to stand up and speak up here.
When this old man spoke, he stroked his grey beard and looked at Yang Kai with a confident smile on his face, as if silently saying he deserved face…
Yang Kai simply glanced at him and snorted coldly, “Half a cup of tea’s time remains. If you want to wait in silence with this Sect Master, this Sect Master is happy to accompany you, but after a half a cup of tea’s time, this Sect Master makes no guarantees with you about what happens next.”
After speaking, Yang Kai grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth like a beast waiting to pounce.
Li Jian Ming’s face changed as he said in annoyance, “Isn’t Sect Master Yang being too unreasonable? We came out to greet you, yet Sect Master Yang doesn’t give us any face, even going so far as to ignore basic decency and righteousness. Aren’t you afraid you’ll invite trouble by having such an attitude?”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed coldly, like a sharp blade as he stared towards Li Jian Ming.
Although this old man was an Origin Grade Alchemist, his cultivation was not that high, only First-Order Origin Returning Realm, so he was unable to withstand Yang Kai’s overbearing gaze and hastily retreated two steps.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had no intention to kill him, otherwise, Li Jian Ming would have suffered greatly just from this glare.
“Bold!” Tang Fu Shui suddenly yelled, a fierce light flashing across his eyes, “You dare take action against Elder Li? Boy, you need to be taught how to respect your Seniors! You may be a Sect Master but that does not give you the right to act however you please. Today this old master will teach you a lesson so you know how to behave in the future!”
As Tang Fu Shui shouted, he pushed his Saint Qi forcefully.
Possessing Fire Attribute Saint Qi, after Tang Fu Shui began pushing it, his entire body seemingly began to burn as flames surrounded his figure, making him look like a flame giant.
Stretching out his hand, he condensed a massive burning hammer before pounding it down towards Yang Kai.
An ordinary Origin Returning Realm master would likely not be able to handle this full-powered blow from Floating Mist Palace’s Palace Master.
Even Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and Lin Yu Rao, who had been standing silently behind Yang Kai, showed solemn expressions, with Yang Xiu Zhu taking a step forward and preparing to respond.
Yang Kai, however, stretched out his hand to stop him and laughed, “Not bad, finally someone could not hold themselves back. Since you court death, this Sect Master will oblige!”
As soon as these words fell, Yang Kai leapt up and met this flame giant with a vicious expression.
Upon returning to High Heaven Sect expectantly, he suddenly discovered that the Sect he had built with such difficulty had been occupied by a group of completely unrelated people while his disciples and friends were all gone.
Yang Kai had a stomach full of grievances since the beginning.
But before he could figure out what was going on here, he had forced himself to hold back and communicate with these people.
Although unlikely, he wished that there was really some kind of misunderstanding here.
Now it seemed that his tolerance was regarded as weakness by these people and someone had stepped out to bring death to themself!
Yang Kai’s anger completely erupted.
“Courting death!” Tang Fu Shui sneered as he saw Yang Kai actually try to meet his attack with his bare hands and body. Not only did he not restrain his strength, but he instead increased his Saint Qi’s output.
In an instant, the flame giant expanded again, and its aura became stronger.
Everyone’s eyes flashed as they watched Yang Kai meet this hammer head-on with mixed thoughts.
The seemingly small figure finally collided with the huge flame hammer, and at that moment, Tang Fu Shui’s complexion changed drastically as he was knocked backwards, apparently suffering a heavy blow.
*Huala…*
The giant hammer, which was condensed from the pure Saint Qi of a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, was instantly shattered and turned into countless fragments that scattered in all directions.
Yang Kai’s figure continued forward unabated, his murderous intent so thick it was tangible, transforming into a streak of light that rushed towards the tumbling Tang Fu Shui.
Before Tang Fu Shui’s stunned eyes, Yang Kai threw a clenched fist towards his face.
Tang Fu Shui’s reaction was remarkably quick. Facing such a punch, he desperately pushed his Saint Qi to form a protective barrier around his body while at the same time he spread out his Shi and tried to escape.
However, as soon as his Shi left his body, it was shattered, as if it had met its natural enemy, and his body froze in place, unable to even move.
Yang Kai’s fist quickly enlarged in his eyes.
No Saint Qi fluctuations were coming from this punch, but that did not decrease the aura of death Tang Fu Shui felt coming from it. Before this punch even arrived, Tang Fu Shui felt his protective Saint Qi crumble and his face begin to cave in.
“No!” Tang Fu Shui yelled in horror. At this moment, he no longer possessed any of the poise a Palace Master should have and instead wore a look filled with panic as he desperately looked for a way to survive.
*Hong…*
Yang Kai punched landed straight on his face.
None of these onlookers was weak, but even they couldn’t help jumping in fright when they saw Yang Kai’s punch directly shattered Tang Fu Shui’s head.
They were even clearly able to see the whole process of Tang Fu Shui’s head exploding, as if it had been slowed down countless times, creating a memory they would never be able to forget.
Everyone fell silent as the look they gave Yang Kai changed dramatically.
Originally, some held contempt for Yang Kai, who was simply an Origin Returning Realm cultivator like them, but now, only fear remained.
What kind of strength Tang Fu Shui had? All of them understood it was not something trivial. Among the Origin Returning Realm masters present, Tang Fu Shui could rank among the top three.
But even such a master had his head shattered by a single punch from Yang Kai, dying a miserable death. During the entire process, Yang Kai showed no signs of using his Saint Qi, seemingly relying solely on his physical strength to accomplish this feat.
No one was foolish enough to think that Tang Fu Shui had underestimated his opponent, leading to his demise. Tang Fu Shui, as the Palace Master of Floating Mist Palace, was a peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator who had fought countless battles throughout his life. With such rich experience, how could he make the mistake of underestimating his enemy?
Judging from the attack he launched, it was obvious Tang Fu Shui was also going all out.
But in the end, he was still killed in one blow.
This could only mean that Yang Kai’s strength far surpassed Tang Fu Shui’s, enough so that the latter could not even last one exchange in combat.
Tang Fu Shui was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, so was Yang Kai an Origin King?
Thinking so, everyone gasped and felt their lungs fill with frigid air.
“Execute everyone from Floating Mist Palace!” Yang Kai commanded angrily, clearly unwilling to simply let the matter drop.
Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi, and Lin Yu Rao had also been suppressing their anger for some time now, but without Yang Kai’s orders, they did not dare act on their own. At this moment though, having received Yang Kai’s command, they immediately dashed forward, pushing their Saint Qi furiously together with their Shi as they crashed into a group of a dozen people.
These dozen people had arrived together with Tang Fu Shui and were all wearing Floating Mist Palace’s robes, making them easy to identify.
Yang Kai obviously intended to act ruthlessly!
Like tigers descending the mountain, Yang Xiu Zhu and the others rushed into the Floating Mist Palace camp and after only ten breaths filled with cries for mercy, the dozen Origin Returning Realm masters from Floating Mist Palace had all been slaughtered, none of them even able to put up a decent struggle.
Strictly speaking, Floating Mist Palace was not a weak force, and other than the dead Tang Fu Shui, who was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master, there was another Third-Order, three Second-Order, and eight First-Order masters present.
However, these masters had been terrified by Yang Kai’s overwhelming power, while Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were peak-level masters themselves who had survived the Blood Prison Trial, so how could these dozen or so cultivators possibly offer any noteworthy resistance?
After ten breaths, a dozen fresh corpses were lying on the square and a potent smell of blood filled the air!
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others did not say a word, simply returning to stand behind Yang Kai silently after completing this task.
The audience also remained silent, with the only audible sound being the violent heartbeats of the nervous crowd. Everyone stared at Yang Kai, Yang Xiu Zhu, and the others as if they were a group of reapers, their faces filled with shock and horror.
“You… you dare use such cruel methods!” Feng Yan’s tender body trembled as she pointed at Yang Kai and said in an incredulous tone, “These are the last high-end masters of my Shadowed Star’s Human Race. If you kill them, who will be left to fight against Corpse Spirit Religion’s army in the future? Are you trying to condemn my Shadowed Star’s Human Race to extinction?”
Listening to her self-righteous words, Yang Kai only sneered, “Oh? Since they have such great strength, why aren’t they out fighting the enemy instead of cowering inside my High Heaven Sect?”
Feng Yan was struck speechless for a moment, but just as she was about to retort, Old Woman Feng suddenly glared at her.
Only then did Feng Yan come back to her senses and realized what she had just done. She really did not know what insanity had come over her that led her to condemn Yang Kai’s actions. Having awoken thanks to Old Woman Feng’s glare, Feng Yan’s tender body could not help shivering as cold sweat began soaking her clothes.
“My patience is limited!” Yang Kai repeated.
Everyone’s complexion paled as they looked towards Yang Kai in dread, but none dared to speak.
They had been relying on their superior numbers to not take Yang Kai seriously, feeling that no matter how annoyed or angry Yang Kai was, he couldn’t tear face with them on the spot. They thought that Yang Kai had no choice but to compromise with them, but after witnessing his brutal methods and terrifying strength, they realized they were greatly mistaken.
This young High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master did not need to talk to them at all, he could simply kill all of them and be done with it.
In the face of absolute force, all schemes and plans were futile.
After a long silence, Old Woman Feng sighed heavily and spoke, “The talents from the younger generation will always surpass those from the previous, we acknowledge that punishment is deserved. Sect Master Yang, just tell us what you want to know!”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I only want to know one thing, what happened to my High Heaven Sect!”
Old Woman Feng turned her head and glanced around, but everyone avoided her eyes, obviously not daring to be the one to explain what happened to Yang Kai. Old Woman Feng wore a depressed look and said desolately, “Sect Master Yang, this is a long story, but just know we were forced into this situation!”
“It looks like you still want to test my patience!” Yang Kai smiled wickedly as he began pushing his Saint Qi.
Old Woman Feng’s face changed drastically, and she hurriedly assumed a defensive stance.
“I will explain what happened here in High Heaven Sect.”
At that moment, a new voice suddenly called out from afar. When Yang Kai heard this voice, he thought it sounded a little familiar, and after turning his head, he saw an old man with a black face walking over to the square.
By the side of this old man was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties. When this middle-aged man saw the scattered corpses here, however, he could not help crying out in surprise.
Treasure Trove Pavilion’s Yan Pei and his Disciple!
Yang Kai had also dealt with this auctioneer known as Old Black Face and knew he had a good relationship with Qian Tong, so although he was still quite annoyed, he suppressed his anger and nodded, “So it is Senior Yan!”
“Sect Master Yang is too polite, this Yan will explain what transpired here,” Old Black Face Yan Pei cupped his fists before briefly summarizing what the situation was while Yang Kai listened solemnly.
Two years ago, when Corpse Spirit Religion first appeared, it began destroying great forces like a great snowball rolling down a hill, growing bigger and more unstoppable as time passed!
Many Sects and families were slaughtered ruthlessly down to their roots, and the more famous Sects were the ones Corpse Spirit Religion focused on first.
Facing this immense onslaught, no great force on Shadowed Star was able to resist.
Shadow Moon Hall, Floating Mist Palace, Coloured Glass Sect, Clear Sky Sect, Myriad Beast Mountain, Medicine Pill Sect… all of them were destroyed one after another, resulting in countless casualties.
Because of High Heaven Sect’s special geographic location, however, Corpse Spirit Religion had no way to attack them directly.
With Yang Kai away, Ye Xi Yun was in charge of High Heaven Sect, and did not just ignore Shadowed Star’s crisis. Stemming from her sense of morality and justice, she frequently dispatched High Heaven Sect’s masters to rescue the besieged Sects.
Ye Xi Yun even personally took action.
However, though High Heaven Sect was not weak, it was still unable to reverse the situation when facing a behemoth like Corpse Spirit Religion. Not only did High Heaven Sect suffer heavy losses in the process, but it also failed to obtain any kind of decisive victory.
Finally, High Heaven Sect opened its doors to accept the cultivators who had managed to flee as a last resort.
The thousand or so people Yang Kai sensed when he first returned to High Heaven Sect were these survivors.
Upon entering High Heaven Sect, these people felt like they had suddenly arrived in Heaven from Hell, the contrast making all of them feel ecstatic!
Outside, they had to worry about the pursuit of Corpse Spirit Religion and were unable to even heal their wounds as they needed to constantly remain on guard. But inside High Heaven Sect, all these worries disappeared with the Three Blazing Flame Rings protecting them. Living here was extremely comfortable, and even if the Heavens fell outside, it would not affect this place.
What’s more, the World Energy in High Heaven Sect was the richest on Shadowed Star. Even Star Emperor Mountain could not compare to even the lowest quality peak in High Heaven Sect.
Everyone fell in love with this place!
None of them knew what the inside of the Flowing Flame Sand Field was like before, but after Ye Xi Yun accepted them in as refugees, they discovered that this place was simply an unparalleled cultivation paradise!
Who would not covet such a treasured land?
Every cultivator from every Sect was envious of High Heaven Sect.
However, none of them was foolish enough to tear face with High Heaven Sect right after they had been saved by them.
When Ye Xi Yun wanted them to join High Heaven Sect’s efforts to rescue other great forces, however, the situation changed.
They had finally managed to reach a safe haven, so how could they be willing to go out again and live the life of constant fear!
As such, none of the great forces cooperated.
Still, by doing so, they worried that their attitudes and behaviour would anger Ye Xi Yun and she would drive them out.
In order to avoid such an outcome, several Sects began to conspire and launched a pre-emptive strike against High Heaven Sect.
Since High Heaven Sect had absorbed the masters from Star Emperor Mountain, its strength was definitely not weak, but after two years of constant battles, High Heaven Sect’s forces had suffered numerous losses and everyone who had managed to come back alive was injured. With such greatly reduced strength, how could they resist the combined forces of so many of Shadowed Star’s masters?
With no other choice, Ye Xi Yun had taken High Heaven Sect’s remaining members and retreated to the innermost depths of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
This happened two months ago.
With Ye Xi Yun and the others having retreated, these people naturally took over High Heaven Sect’s headquarters.
Although they were also worried that Ye Xi Yun would launch a counterattack after she recovered, they were more afraid of Corpse Spirit Religion’s army which had gathered outside the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Staying here, they knew they could at least survive, but if they were forced out of High Heaven Sect, only death awaited them.
So, despite living on in shame, they still occupied prime locations inside High Heaven Sect headquarters and bided their time.
“That is the entire story,” Old Black Face Yan Pei finished his explanation and fell silent.
His Disciple, Ren Tian Rui, known as Little Black Face, opened his mouth at this point and added, “My Treasure Trove Pavilion did not participate in this matter and neither did many other great forces!”
Yang Kai glanced over at him and sneered, “Even if you didn’t participate, you didn’t try to stop it, did you?”
Ren Tian Rui’s face turned pale, and he argued back weakly, “We warned Great Elder Ye in advance!”
“Ho, then this Sect Master must properly thank you!” Yang Kai stared at him indifferently.
Being mocked by Yang Kai, Ren Tian Rui opened his mouth to explain, but Yan Pei raised his hand to stop him, “There’s no need to say anything more as this was indeed our wrong. Sect Master Yang, rest assured, this old master will bring the people of Treasure Trove Pavilion and leave High Heaven Sect!”
Yang Kai took a deep look at him but did not say anything more, simply turning his head to Old Woman Feng and the others before snickering, “How great! Great Elder Ye showed both righteousness and compassion but ended up only saving a group of ungrateful wolves, this is simply the best!”
The Origin Returning Realm masters on the opposite side all wore guilty and embarrassed expressions.
Their behaviour was indeed shameful. The cultivators present were all leaders of great forces and possessed great combat strength. Although each of them was cunning like a vox and vicious as a wolf, their actions really were something they felt ashamed of.
As such, when faced with Yang Kai’s mockery, they could not refute.
On top of that, they were afraid of arousing Yang Kai’s anger and provoking him into massacring them, so everyone held their tongues.
Old Black Face Yang Pei stood to the side, and feeling the murderous intent coming from Yang Kai, his expression was extremely solemn, opening his mouth a few times to speak, but ultimately just sighing and choosing to remain silent.
“Who took the lead!?” Yang Kai shouted sharply, his eyes flashing with cold light as he scanned the crowd.
Feeling this terrible anger, everyone involuntarily stepped back a few steps, and in the next moment, many eyes glanced towards Old Woman Feng of Myriad Beast Mountain.
Feeling these gazes, Old Woman Feng’s face changed drastically as she glanced towards Yang Kai with dread.
Yang Kai grinned back at her viciously.
Old Woman Feng no longer dared to remain and with a shout, her withered body suddenly burst out with incredible strength and she turned into a stream of light that raced outwards.
“You want to leave now? Not with your life!” Yang Kai coldly snorted before stretching out his hand towards the fleeing Old Woman Feng and clenching his fist.
Old Woman Feng, who was already a thousand metres away, suddenly felt the space around her solidify and saw innumerable tiny Void Cracks open around her, surrounding her like the sharpest of blades.
“Sect Master Yang, please wait! This old woman admits her wrongs and is willing to offer compensation!” Old Woman Feng cried out. She did not dare to fight and could only push her Saint Qi to try to resist the suction force of the surrounding Void Cracks.
“Too late!” Yang Kai remained unmoved and pushed his Space Force.
The Void Cracks hummed as they seemingly transformed into real blades and sliced through Old Woman Feng.
The next moment, the aura of Old Woman Feng, a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master from Myriad Beast Mountain, disappeared and much of her figure was banished to The Void. What was left of her body fell to the ground in the next breath, leaving behind an eye-catching pile of hashed meat and bone.
Yang Kai next cast his gaze towards the others from Myriad Beast Mountain.
These high-level executives from Myriad Beast Mountain who had come together with Old Woman Feng turned pale and showed looks filled with terror and apprehension.
Some fell to their knees and begged for mercy while others let out desperate shouts as they tried to flee like Old Woman Feng. Others realized that there would be no escape and stood their ground. Their faces were ashen, but they were still pushing their Saint Qi, preparing to fight back.
Feng Yan only stood in place, her beautiful face filled with shock, as if she could not process what had just happened.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others did not need to wait for Yang Kai’s orders this time and shot forward, knowing what needed to be done.
Ten breaths later, all the Elders from Myriad Beast Mountain were wiped out, leaving only Feng Yan still standing stupidly in place.
The surrounding blood and the tragic deaths of her Martial Uncles and Aunts finally sobered up Feng Yan. Her tender body trembling, her thoughts in chaos, she actually chose the most unexpected action at that moment and shot towards Yang Kai while shouting, “I’ll take you down!”
Yang Kai stared at her blankly, showing no intention to stop her or even move.
Lin Yu Rao, who was standing behind him, took a step forward and waved her hand lightly, sending out a flash of light from her fingertips. A moment later, Feng Yan’s beautiful eyes instantly widened and after rushing forward a few more metres, she came to a halt just five steps from Yang Kai as a thin red line of blood appeared around her neck.
And so, Myriad Beast Mountain’s final bloodline died, and this Sect was completely removed from Shadowed Star.
“You can’t kill me!” A panicked shout suddenly came from the crowd, “This old master is the top Alchemist of Shadowed Star, he had made great contributions to the Human Race, so you can’t kill me!”
Yang Kai turned to the source of the voice and found it was Great Elder Li Jian Ming from Medicine Pill Sect.
Li Jian Ming’s complexion became pale after he witnessed Yang Kai’s ruthless methods and his spirit could not help collapsing somewhat.
“It seems that this matter is also related to your Medicine Pill Sect?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and his figure flickered, arriving in front of Li Jian Ming in the next instant as he stretched out a hand to grab him.
Although Li Jian Ming was the Great Elder of Medicine Pill Sect, he was only a First-Order Origin Returning Realm masters in the end. Having invested most of his life into the pursuit of Alchemy, Li Jian Ming had no spare energy to pursue the Martial Dao, resulting in his cultivation being quite low, and his combat experience being even lower.
When Yang Kai reached out towards him, Li Jian Ming did not even try to dodge and instead just continued to scream, “You can’t kill me!”
Yang Kai naturally did not pay him any mind and with a slap exploded his head.
“Stop!” A shout rang out too late, only reaching Yang Kai’s ears after Li Jian Ming’s head exploded.
Turning his head and looking around, Yang Kai saw several other senior members of Medicine Pill Sect glaring at him.
As soon as Yang Kai’s cold gaze landed upon them though, the senior executives of Medicine Pill Sect felt as if they had been thrown into a blizzard and could not help shivering.
The leader of this group, another Elder from Medicine Pill Sect, was just about to continue objecting, but seeing Yang Kai staring at him like this, his jaw clenched up and he hesitantly said, “Sect Master Yang… we are willing to pledge allegiance to High Heaven Sect, all we ask in return is that Sect Master Yang show mercy to us.”
Everyone could not help showing a look of shock.
Although Medicine Pill Sect had only a few members even before the chaos, it had always been an arrogant and aloof Sect.
When Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect were in their heydays, they naturally had ideas about annexing Medicine Pill Sect. They wanted to have these Alchemists work solely for their Sects, but Medicine Pill Sect refused to compromise so despite Heaven Battling Union and Thunder Typhoon Sect’s annoyance, they had no choice but to back down.
Eventually, they formed a cooperative relationship with Medicine Pill Sect and in exchange for a massive amount of materials and resources, Medicine Pill Sect would refine several pills for them.
But now, these Elders from Medicine Pill Sect declared their willingness to submit to High Heaven Sect.
Although Great Elder Li Jian Ming was already dead, there were still four Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemists in Medicine Pill Sect! There were also more than a dozen Saint King Grade Alchemists present, a treasure that any force would salivate over.
Any great force that could control this many high-rank Alchemists would surely see its strength grow rapidly in the future.
Although the atmosphere here and Yang Kai’s previous methods had caused great fear in everyone present, when the Elder of Medicine Pill Sect made this offer, the others present couldn’t help looking at Yang Kai with some envy.
“We are willing to submit to High Heaven Sect. Please spare our lives, Sect Master Yang!” Seeing that their leader had already compromised, how could the other Elders dare resist? All of them immediately lowered their arrogant heads one after another, expressing their willingness to surrender.
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others raised their brows as they looked towards Yang Kai with slightly expectant expressions, as if they wanted to suggest that he agree to Medicine Pill Sect’s request.
Yang Kai just snickered, however, and asked, “I just killed Li Jian Ming, do you not hold a grudge against me?”
The expressions of the people from Medicine Pill Sect changed slightly and the Elder who spoke first took the initiative and spoke up. “Wise birds choose the best tree to roost in, we are simply making the best choice we can.”
“Haha!” Yang Kai laughed lightly before his face sank and he commanded, “Kill them!”
Everyone from Medicine Pill Sect was stunned, and Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were shocked. They did not think that Yang Kai would issue such a ruthless order.
However, they also did not hesitate, rushed out, and executed his command.
The Elders from Medicine Pill Sect shouted, “Sect Master Yang, this old master and his companions are Origin Grade Alchemists, you…”
Before he could finish speaking, Chu Han Yi lopped off his head.
The people from Medicine Pill Sect did not have much fighting strength, so Yang Xiu Zhu’s trio didn’t need to exert much effort to send them all to the next life.
Unlike before though, there was some reluctance on their faces this time.
These people were all Alchemists capable of refining pills above Saint King Grade. Never had they been willing to submit to any great force, but now they were just corpses gradually growing cold on High Heaven Sect’s main square.
Yang Kai did not care in the slightest. If he were someone else, he might really have given these people a way out; after all, Origin Grade Alchemists were not easy to come across, especially in a place like Shadowed Star.
Every Alchemist above Saint King Grade was a precious resource.
However, Yang Kai himself was an Origin King Grade Alchemist while Little Senior Sister’s Alchemy skills were even better than his, so how could he care about a few trivial Origin Grade Low-Rank Alchemists?
Instead of wasting precious herbs on them, Yang Kai would rather kill them and do it himself.
After dealing with the two primary culprits, Myriad Beast Mountain and Medicine Pill Sect, the anger and murderous intent in Yang Kai’s heart finally calmed down somewhat, and under the terrified and anxious gazes of the rest of the crowd, he declared, “You now have two choices: Submit or die!”
Everyone here was an Origin Returning Realm cultivator and represented a powerful combat force.
While Yang Kai did have the ability to slaughter them all, considering his options, Yang Kai was more interested in subduing them.
Corpse Spirit Religion was a disaster for all of Shadowed Star, and High Heaven Sect’s original forces had suffered heavy casualties, so there was a lack of powerful masters who could be deployed in battle at this moment.
These people were more useful alive than dead.
Little Black Face Ren Tian Rui had also said that many great forces did not participate in the persecution of Ye Xi Yun and the others. Most of the great forces here probably just followed along with the flow of events.
So, after killing those responsible, Yang Kai did not intend to punish the others ruthlessly. Presumably, the blood of Myriad Beast Mountain and Medicine Pill Sect that he had spilt was enough to make these people understand their place.
After Yang Kai spoke, the square fell silent once more.
Everyone was exchanging glances, but compared to the anxious ones they were wearing just now, their expressions had eased greatly.
They had been afraid that Yang Kai’s murderous intentions would not be quelled until they were all dead, and with the strength he and Yang Xiu Zhu’s trio displayed, they knew they would not be able to resist.
No one was stupid enough to question Yang Kai’s overbearing command. Compared with his brutal tactics just now, being given a choice to submit was nothing less than a great benevolence, causing many to feel relieved but also somewhat complicated.
After a short silence, however, someone stepped forward. It was a man who appeared to be in his forties or fifties. After walking up to Yang Kai, this man cupped his fists with a solemn expression, “This one is Extreme Path Sect’s Sect Master Wang Tai Zhen, I am willing to submit to High Heaven Sect and obey Sect Master Yang’s dispatch in the future!”
“My Flame Shield Union is willing to obey Sect Master Yang’s commands.”
“Extreme Martial Pavilion is willing…”
…
Within moments, more than a dozen Sects of all sizes expressed their willingness and stepped forward to salute Yang Kai.
Yang Kai stood in place, his attitude was neither warm nor cold, appearing quite unreadable.
As time passed, more and more great forces submitted.
In the face of absolute strength, if they still did not recognize reality, it was no different than courting death! These people had finally escaped to High Heaven Sect and found refuge, so how could they be willing to die here?
Although Yang Kai’s approach was a little overbearing and his attitude also made them somewhat uncomfortable, in the end, this was what they needed to do to survive.
“Coloured Glass Sect is willing to join High Heaven Sect. From now on, there shall be no Coloured Glass Sect on Shadowed Star. Please show kindness and accept us into your ranks, Sect Master Yang!” A beautiful woman walked in front of Yang Kai and her eyes flashed with a determined and sincere light.
As soon as this statement came out, the masters who had expressed their allegiance just now all gawked towards the one who had spoken, disbelief covering their faces.
Yang Kai also finally showed a look of interest upon noticing that he knew this woman.
It was none other than the current Sect Master of Coloured Glass Sect, Gong Ao Fu!
Strictly speaking, she was Dai Yuan’s Honoured Master, but for some special reasons, Dai Yuan was not favoured by Gong Ao Fu. On the contrary, Yin Su Die was treated quite well by Gong Ao Fu, always accompanying her, and was cultivated vigorously.
Even now, the beautiful Yin Su Die stood beside Gong Ao Fu, even daringly casting a few gazes of admiration towards Yang Kai.
With a slight grin on his face, Yang Kai stared at Gong Ao Fu deeply before slowly asking, “Does Sect Master Gong understand what she is saying?”
Gong Ao Fu smiled lightly as she lifted her hand and brushed her long black hair back behind her ear and said lightly, “This Mistress is not a child, so she understands. Sect Master Yang need not worry, this Mistress can take full responsibility for her words.”
Submitting and joining had completely different meanings. The Sects that had chosen to submit to Yang Kai would from now on have to obey his orders, but they would not truly belong to High Heaven Sect, they would retain their Sect name and keep their statuses within it. One day, when they left High Heaven Sect, they would also return to their own headquarters and continue the operation of their Sect.
But Gong Ao Fu said she wished to join. Joining High Heaven Sect meant she would need to disband the current Coloured Glass Sect. In other words, Coloured Glass Sect’s history would end with her generation. If Yang Kai was willing to accept them, they would become disciples of High Heaven Sect.
At that point, Yang Kai would be in full control of their destinies. In the future, they would never be able to leave High Heaven Sect or revive Coloured Glass Sect without Yang Kai’s consent. Leaving without permission would be the same as betraying the Sect, an offence none could tolerate.
This was an extremely bold decision. The Origin Returning Realm masters in the square were shocked, and their expressions fluctuated greatly; but soon, many showed looks of admiration.
They naturally understood what Gong Ao Fu was thinking. Yang Kai had returned and displayed astonishing personal strength. On top of that, only High Heaven Sect remained safe on Shadowed Star. Joining High Heaven Sect at this time was undoubtedly the right choice as they would undoubtedly receive much greater attention and care.
But even understanding this, if they were really asked to give up their Sect and join High Heaven Sect instead, most would probably be unwilling.
Cultivators always regarded their origin and its inheritance very seriously! All of them proudly wore their Sect’s emblems, which represented centuries, if not millennia of history and tradition.
Even Yang Kai was no different in this regard.
This was why when he established his own Sect on Shadowed Star, he had named it High Heaven Sect, not Nine Heavens Holy Land or Soaring Heaven Sect! Although the latter two Sects had close ties to him, and he was the Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land, it was obvious how large his sentiments for High Heaven Pavilion were.
In the end, High Heaven Pavilion was his original home, and he carried a special affection towards it, one that Nine Heavens Holy Land and Soaring Heaven Sect could not replace.
Gong Ao Fu taking the initiative to disband Coloured Glass Sect and join High Heaven Sect showed that his beautiful woman had far greater vision that most people present, as well as firmer determination. If this were not the case, she would never have been able to make this decision which ran counter to all of her ancestral teachings.
Yang Kai looked at her directly, staring into her eyes, as if trying to see through to her heart.
Gong Ao Fu did not attempt to evade his gaze, seemingly not feeling the slightest guilt or fear, just continuing to meet Yang Kai eyes with clear and limpid vision.
“Does Sect Master Yang disdain my Coloured Glass Sect Shi for being too weak?”
Seeing that Yang Kai still hadn’t responded after some time, Gong Ao Fu couldn’t help feeling slightly anxious and said, “Coloured Glass Sect has suffered disaster and has very few disciples left. Those who followed this Mistress to High Heaven Sect only number fifty, but among them are ten Origin Realm masters, and the others have Saint King cultivations.”
“Being able to escape with fifty people, not bad at all,” Yang Kai casually complimented, but he still did not show any indication to accept or reject her.
Gong Ao Fu couldn’t help feeling a little awkward and continued, “This Mistress knows that there has been some unpleasantness between Coloured Glass Sect and Sect Master Yang before, but if Sect Master Yang is willing to forgive these transgressions and accept us, this Mistress will swear an oath that even if she dies the cruellest of deaths she will not betray Sect Master Yang’s trust!”
A woman needed incredible determination to make such a pledge as even most men would not have the courage to do so.
Having made this pledge, Gong Ao Fu called out suddenly, “Su Die, kneel down and apologize to Sect Master Yang! I know some of your actions in the past have angered Sect Master Yang.”
Yin Su Die’s tender body trembled when she heard this and she immediately directed a miserable look towards Yang Kai, one that could elicit pity from even the hardest of hearts; however, she did not dare disobey Gong Ao Fu’s command and really knelt in full view of this crowd before uttering in a weak voice, “Su Die was ignorant before and offended Sect Master Yang. Please do not take Su Die’s previous slights to heart, Sect Master Yang.”
She was now a First-Order Origin Returning Realm master, and if it were not for Gong Ao Fu’s order, it would have been absolutely impossible for her to humiliate herself like this.
Otherwise, once word of this spread, she would not be able to show her face in public in the future.
“Sect Master Yang, you…” Gong Ao Fu looked at Yang Kai tentatively.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before narrowing his eyes towards Gong Ao Fu before speaking, “I want to know where Dai Yuan is. Sect Master Gong should be clear about her whereabouts, no?”
Dai Yuan was one of Yang Kai’s few friends on Shadowed Star, and although their friendship was not too deep, it was not shallow. However, since Yang Kai appeared here, he had been unable to sense any trace of Dai Yuan. Logically speaking, if Dai Yuan had managed to escape here to High Heaven Sect, she should have appeared at this time.
Yang Kai had not seen her yet though, annoying him somewhat and making him worried about whether something had happened to Dai Yuan.
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, Gong Ao Fu actually relaxed and said with a smile, “If Sect Master Yang is worried about the safety of this Mistress’ Disciple, this Mistress can guarantee that she is currently well.”
“Why do you say so?”
“Dai Yuan followed Great Elder Ye to the innermost depths of the Flowing Flame Sand Field, so she is naturally safe now.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he could not help feeling some surprise.
Yang Kai could guess why Dai Yuan had chosen to follow Ye Xi Yun into the deepest part of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
It must have been because she did not want to associate herself with the people in this square, so she had chosen to abandon her Sect and side with Ye Xi Yun without hesitation. Yang Kai was also certain he was a driving force behind this decision.
If it were not for his friendship with Dai Yuan, she would never have taken such an action that could only be seen as a betrayal to her Sect.
Yang Kai could not help feeling moved.
While he did not have many friends on Shadowed Star, each one of them was a true companion he could trust whole-heartedly. There was no need to question Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er’s demeanours. To rescue Fei Zhi Tu, they had willingly thrown themselves into a trap, ignoring the life or death risk involved, and what Dai Yuan had done here was tantamount to treason to her Sect.
“I wonder if Sect Master Yang is satisfied with this Mistress’ answer?” Gong Ao Fu asked, but her face was already full of smiles. She had seen through Yang Kai’s thoughts, so she was no longer worried like before.
Yang Kai laughed loudly, stretched out his hand to help Yin Su Die up before nodding, “Since Sect Master Gong has such intentions, it would be too unkind if this Sect Master still refuses. From now on, Coloured Under Glass Sect’s survivors will be my High Heaven Sect’s disciples, sharing weal and woe together!”
Gong Ao Fu obtained the answer she wanted and immediately cupped her fists, “Many thanks, Sect Master. This Mistress greets Sect Master!”
She immediately changed how she addressed Yang Kai, narrowing the gap between them ever so slightly.
“Disciple greets Sect Master!” Yin Su Die also elegantly bowed, her pretty face blushing slightly, revealing a shy but enchanting light.
Yang Kai, however, knew her nature well and would not be deceived by this innocent act.
This woman cultivated Charm Techniques and it was an instinct for her to change her temperament to attract men’s attention.
She had not even tried to let go of Yang Kai’s hand, instead holding on to him tighter, like she was smitten with him.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched slightly as he glanced at her deeply before withdrawing his hand silently. Turning his focus, he then announced, “Sect Master Gong has great strength, and since you have now joined my High Heaven Sect, you will take up the position of Elder. En, the original disciples of Coloured Glass Sect will also be under your command.”
Gong Ao Fu’s delicate lips parted as a wave of emotion flashed across her beautiful eyes.
After joining High Heaven Sect, not only were they not pushed aside or oppressed, Yang Kai was even willing to let the original disciples Coloured Glass Sect remain under her control while also granting her the status of an Elder. Naturally, this greatly moved this beautiful woman.
“Also, if there is a chance in the future, and Elder Gong wishes to revive Coloured Glass Sect, this Sect Master will not object!” Yang Kai thought for a moment before throwing out another shocking commitment.
This time, Gong Ao Fu’s eyes became slightly moist as she bowed solemnly, “This Mistress offers her sincerest thanks to Sect Master. From this day forward, this Mistress will do her utmost to contribute to High Heaven Sect so as not to disappoint Sect Master’s expectations!”
She truly surrendered to Yang Kai this time.
Originally, joining High Heaven Sect was just a stopgap measure to protect the last remnants of Coloured Glass Sect, but it had already yielded such incredible returns, so how could Gong Ao Fu not feel immense gratitude?
At this moment, the other Sects present showed looks of regret.
None of them had expected Yang Kai to be so generous, even allowing Coloured Glass Sect to rebuild itself in the future. If they had known this, how could they have bothered debating such minor pros and cons in their hearts, they would have straight up asked to join High Heaven Sect as well.
Unfortunately, it was now too late for regrets. Although Yang Kai apparently possessed a forgiving and amiable personality, he was clearly no fool. After they had already seen the treatment Coloured Glass Sect received, how could he accept others coming up and wishing to join now?
Many people wore bitter looks, but they quickly set such stray thoughts aside and moved forward to congratulate Gong Ao Fu.
Gong Ao Fu was now considered an Elder of High Heaven Sect, so they needed to fawn upon her.
Gong Ao Fu also seemed to be in a jubilant mood because of Yang Kai’s words and responded to everyone who came up to her with a smile and appropriate words. After all, she had previously been a Sect Master herself, so dealing with these trivial pleasantries was not an issue for her.
Yang Kai glanced around until his eyes finally fixed on Yan Pei.
Yan Pei’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, making it impossible for anyone to tell his thoughts from his expression, but seeing Yang Kai looking at him, he took the initiative to sigh and cup his fists, “Sect Master Yang please take care, this old master will take his leave!”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Where does Senior Yan plan to go?”
Yan Pei frowned as he replied, “I don’t know, we’ll just take one step at a time.”
The Corpse Spirit Religion army was everywhere outside, and although Treasure Trove Pavilion was not weak, it naturally couldn’t compete with the former. If this weren’t the case, Yan Pei would not have brought his people here to seek refuge inside High Heaven Sect. Now that he had to depart, he naturally felt the future was bleak.
“If Senior Yan does not object, he might as well remain here. Although my High Heaven Sect has nothing extraordinary about it, it has more than enough land to accommodate the people of your Treasure Trove Pavilion.”
Yan Pei’s body shook as his old black face glowed with a hint of excitement. Turning to Yang Kai gratefully, he lowered his head and said, “This old master is ashamed!”
When the masters from the various Sects were making trouble for High Heaven Sect previously, although the people from Treasure Trove Pavilion did not participate, they also did not stand up to stop them, only going so far as to warn Ye Xi Yun in advance.
Towards a benefactor who had saved their lives and given them asylum, this was undoubtedly ungrateful behaviour.
And now, Yang Kai was even willing to retain them, repaying ingratitude with mercy and making Yan Pei feel quite ashamed and embarrassed.
He knew that there was not much friendship between Yang Kai and Treasure Trove Pavilion, only a few business dealings related to mutual interests. The reason why Yang Kai offered to let them remain was mainly because of Qian Tong’s face.
The personal relationship between Yan Pei and Qian Tong was quite good after all.
“Senior Yan is too serious. After this catastrophe passes, this Yang’s High Heaven Sect will no doubt receive help from Treasure Trove Pavilion regarding certain matters. When the time comes, I hope Senior Yan will not refuse!” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Sect Master Yang need not worry about that. If High Heaven Sect has a use for my Treasure Trove Pavilion in the future, it only needs to say the word,” Yan Pei pledged solemnly.
Yang Kai smiled with satisfaction, thinking Old Black Face Yan Pei was someone who understood propriety.
While his taking the initiative to offer shelter to Yan Pei was truly related to Qian Tong, Yang Kai’s main reason for doing so was because Treasure Trove Pavilion could not be taken lightly. Perhaps their combat power was not worth mentioning in front of him, but Treasure Trove Pavilion had influence all across Shadowed Star and had developed many businesses and channels that High Heaven Sect simply did not have. If High Heaven Sect wanted to grow in the future, it would not be a bad idea to have such an ally.
Moreover, the culprits who forced Ye Xi Yun to withdraw from High Heaven Sect had all been punished, so the flames of anger in Yang Kai’s heart had been greatly extinguished. He was not interested in pursuing those who were left here for this crime.
It would be a huge loss for Shadowed Star to kill all the people present. Instead of dying by his hand, it would be better to have them redeem themselves by fighting Corpse Spirit Religion.
For a time, the square actually became quite lively; however, ninety-nine percent of the masters present were still acting cautiously towards Yang Kai, lest they upset him accidentally.
Only Gong Ao Fu and the former members of Coloured Glass Sect who had officially joined High Heaven Sect wore a more natural expression.
Yang Kai had not returned to High Heaven Sect for a long time, so he was quite concerned about the Sect’s affairs. He was also very concerned about Ye Xi Yun and the others, so he did not waste any more time than necessary chatting with these people. After sending them back to their respective residences, he summoned out the rest of the people aboard the Starship.
Yang Kai did not need to issue any orders to these people as Yang Xiu Zhu and the others were more than capable of organizing themselves.
Yang Kai then hurried towards the sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
To Yang Kai’s surprise, however, before he could even leave High Heaven Sect’s perimeter, he saw a large cluster of lights flying towards him. At the head of this group, Yang Kai felt a familiar aura that belonged to Ye Xi Yun.
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment, but soon understood. Although he had only appeared in the square a short time ago, he had raised quite a ruckus, so it wasn’t a surprise that Ye Xi Yun had noticed and brought the original High Heaven Sect members out from the sixth layer.
Since they were returning on their own, Yang Kai simply stood in place and waited.
A moment later, a group of more than two hundred people, led by Ye Xi Yun, landed not far in front of Yang Kai.
Before Yang Kai could even examine Ye Xi Yun’s condition, he heard Great Elder Ye ask, “Finished processing everything?”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment but soon laughed, “Great Elder has such faith in me?”
Ye Xi Yun replied indifferently, “You are the Sect Master, who else can this Queen have faith in?”
Yang Kai sighed and nodded, “It has been handled.”
Ye Xi Yun turned in the direction of the square and asked lightly, “The smell of blood is quite strong, did many die?”
Yang Kai snickered, “Myriad Beast Mountain, Medicine Pill Sect, and Floating Mist Palace have been wiped out!”
Ye Xi Yun did not react much, but the people behind her all showed uplifted looks, knowing they had obtained justice.
It was these three forces which had incited the others to begin with, leading to those many masters opposing High Heaven Sect and forcing Ye Xi Yun to withdraw.
“Sect Master!” Chang Qi suddenly walked out from behind and saluted Yang Kai, “Please understand, Sect Master, Great Elder had us withdraw from the headquarters not because we weren’t those thieves’ opponents, but because Great Elder was worried about the weaker disciples of the Sect. Our High Heaven Sect’s numbers are still quite thin so we cannot afford to lose anyone.”
“I know,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
Chang Qi was taken aback but soon retreated without saying anything more.
Yang Kai originally thought that the reason Ye Xi Yun had retreated to the depths of the Flowing Flame Sand Field was that they were greatly outnumbered, and after seeing this group and their current states, he immediately confirmed his speculations.
Although the number of people in front of him was far smaller than when he left High Heaven Sect, and almost all of them had suffered varying degrees of injuries, Ye Xi Yun did not seem to be greatly affected. With her means, even if Myriad Beast Mountain, Medicine Pill Sect, and Floating Mist Palace tried, how could they have possibly driven her away?
The reason she took the initiative to retreat was simply to take care of the others from the Sect.
She may have been able to defeat ten opponents by herself, but the others could not, especially the former disciples of the Hai Ke Family who were the first to follow Yang Kai. These disciples were currently all Saint Kings at best.
If Ye Xi Yun had not withdrawn, all these lower disciples would have died without complete corpses.
In other words, if Ye Xi Yun had chosen to fight to the bitter end, High Heaven Sect would certainly have suffered immensely while at least half of the people back at the square would have also died.
“Since Sect Master understands, this Queen won’t bother explaining anything more,” Ye Xi Yun nodded lightly, her expression as indifferent as ever.
“How are Great Elder’s injuries? I heard on the way back that you fought against two masters from Corpse Spirit Religion and suffered severe wounds.”
“En, I truly was not their opponent in a two on one, but my condition now is stable. After another month or so I should be fully recovered.
“That’s good, the Sect will soon be receiving a great many people so I will need Great Elder to help properly arrange them.”
Ye Xi Yun glanced over at Yang Kai and snorted, “You seem quite happy you can sit back and remain idle.”
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “This is not my strong point. Moreover, I have been away from the Sect for nearly eight years now, so I really don’t understand its current situation.”
“Forget it, when the time comes, I’ll make the necessary arrangements,” Ye Xi Yun waved her hand and accepted.
The group of two hundred or so then quickly returned to the Sect’s headquarters.
When Yang Kai let out the ten thousand people from the Three Clans from the Sealed World Bead, even the always composed Ye Xi Yun could not help changing continence slightly.
Although she had been informed by Yang Kai that he had brought a large number of people to High Heaven Sect, she had not expected for there to be this many.
Fortunately, these people were all brought back by Yang Kai from his homeland, so there was no need to worry about issues of loyalty.
In other words, in terms of the number of people alone, today’s High Heaven Sect had completely eclipsed any great force on Shadowed Star! Of course, this was with the exception of Corpse Spirit Religion. Now, more and more people were submitting to Corpse Spirit Religion, and almost half Shadowed Star had fallen into its clutches.
With ten thousand people from the Three Clans, arranging them was definitely a problem.
However, Yang Kai was not worried about this problem at all.
After summoning the top masters from the Three Clans, Ye Xi Yun asked them about their respective requirements before quickly assigning them to various peaks.
There were ready-made palaces and buildings on each of these peaks, so the Human, Monster, and Demon Race clansmen only needed to clean them up a bit before moving in.
As for the original disciples of High Heaven Sect, they all went back to their original residences.
In just one day, Ye Xi Yun had processed these matters to an acceptable degree.
High Heaven Sect had absorbed nearly ten thousand new recruits all at once, so it was conceivable that it would truly become the greatest Sect on Shadowed Star at some point in the future.
After this new blood was injected into High Heaven Sect, the utilization rate of the eighty-one peaks increased to a little less than one-fifth, which meant most of the peaks still remained unoccupied.
The other masters from the outside Sects who had come here to seek refuge could only stare at these peaks with envy, helpless to do anything about it.
Most of them had offended High Heaven Sect, so although Yang Kai showed no intent to pursue their crimes, they still had to live cautiously, lest they irritate him and suddenly be expelled.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai spent some time patrolling and inspecting the various peaks to make sure the Three Clans were settling in properly.
The results of his investigation satisfied him greatly. No one from the Three Clans showed any dissatisfaction. Compared with Tong Xuan Realm, Shadowed Star was simply a cultivated paradise, not to mention that High Heaven Sect occupied the best location on Shadowed Star.
After the situation in the Sect settled down, Yang Kai began to deal with other matters.
The first priority was naturally to heal Ye Xi Yun and the others. Among the original members of High Heaven Sect, Ye Xi Yun was not the only one injured; in fact, a vast majority of the Origin Returning Realm masters of the Sect were suffering from wounds.
These wounds were left behind from the battles with Corpse Spirit Religion. The wounds themselves had traces of Corpse Qi in them, making them difficult to heal. The insidious Corpse Qi was not only corrosive, but also had the effect of hindering Saint Qi circulation.
It required a targeted type of detoxification pill to cleanse.
Before the Corpse Qi was purged from their wounds, it would be impossible to fully recover; until now, these masters had used their powerful cultivations to suppress this Corpse Qi, then slowly used their Saint Qi to expel it from their bodies, but this process was a long and arduous one.
After Yang Kai returned, this situation changed dramatically.
Working together with Xia Ning Chang, Yang Kai refined a special pill to detoxify the Corpse Qi. After taking a single pill, the Corpse Qi was rapidly dissolved.
Without the Corpse Qi hindering their recovery, it wasn’t difficult for the High Heaven Sect masters to heal themselves with their powerful cultivations, especially since Yang Kai provided them with a large number of high-grade healing pills to use as auxiliaries.
As such, within ten days or so, the problems which had plagued High Heaven Sect’s masters for months were solved and its high-end combat power was completely restored.
During the most recent incident, because of Ye Xi Yun’s quick decisions, there was no loss of personnel from High Heaven Sect. In addition, she took away all of High Heaven Sect’s most precious treasures before she had withdrawn from the Sect, including the Red Candle Fruit piece, the Ten Thousand Year Incense, and the Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree. Basically, High Heaven Sect’s headquarters had not suffered any losses besides being occupied by outsiders for a time.
After Ye Xi Yun returned, the Red Candle Fruit, Ten Thousand Year Incense, and Nine Branch Jade Crystal Tree were returned to their original places.
The former was the key to refining a special Origin King Pill while the latter two provided massive boosts to those who were trying to break through. All these treasures had unimaginable value to the entire Sect.
And so, High Heaven Sect had completely settled down ten days later.
Inside the main hall, Yang Kai had summoned all High Heaven Sect’s Elders.
No one knew what he was going to do, but they had all gathered promptly.
To start the meeting, Yang Kai didn’t mention anything of great importance, simply expressing his gratitude to all of the Elders for their silent contributions over the years and also saying how he was looking forward to the bright future of High Heaven Sect.
Only after some time had passed did Yang Kai suddenly smile mysteriously and say, “During my expedition, I obtained some good things for everyone. Although these things may not be able to play a decisive role on Shadowed Star, it will still allow all of you to comprehend some of the mysteries of the Origin King Realm. I believe that as long as you accumulate enough strength, you will only need to escape from the suppression of Shadowed Star’s World Principles in the future before breaking through to the Origin King Realm!”
When these words fell, the entire hall went silent as everyone stared dumbfounded towards Yang Kai, somewhat unable to digest this fantastical news.
Even Ye Xi Yun was stunned and gave a curious look towards Yang Kai, wondering what he was talking about.
The Origin King Realm had always been an unreachable legend on Shadowed Star, with even a master like Ye Xi Yun unable to take that final step. Although she chose to remain on Shadowed Star instead of accompanying Yang Kai in his most recent journey, that did not mean she had no desire towards this realm.
On the contrary, her desire to reach the Origin King Realm was stronger than anyone else’s because she already possessed the qualifications to break through, her Shi having long ago reached the grand accomplishment stage!
The reason she chose to stay behind was simply that she wanted to protect Yang Yan, fearing that some accident might have happened if no one remained behind to command the Sect.
Hearing Yang Kai’s words, she naturally was extremely interested.
“Sect Master, what kind of treasure has such amazing effects?” Gong Ao Fu asked with a smile.
Although she had only just become an Elder of High Heaven Sect, she quickly integrated herself and had managed to win the approval of most of the others in less than half a month with her steadfast personality and upright character.
As such, she had some say in such discussions.
Everyone looked towards Yang Kai curiously, waiting expectantly for him to answer.
“This!” Yang Kai did not keep them in suspense and quickly took out a dull crystal from his Space Ring.
As soon as this crystal appeared, a gentle yet profound aura filled the hall, causing all of the Origin Returning Realm masters present to wear looks of shock, bewilderment, and curiosity. Although they couldn’t quite grasp what this power was, they could tell it was some kind of deeper, more profound form of Shi.
“Domain Stone!” Yang Xiu Zhu’s eyes flashed as he quickly revealed the origins of this crystal.
Chu Han Yi and Lin Yu Rao also recognized this treasure and exclaimed together with pleasant surprise adorning their faces.
“What is a Domain Stone?” Ye Xi Yun frowned slightly. Of everyone present, her cultivation was the strongest, so she realized how deep and profound the energy pulsing from this crystal was. She had only felt it briefly, but could already sense her soul being cleansed, so it was easy for her to imagine what kind of benefits she could obtain if she cultivated with this crystal for an extended period.
Yang Kai simply smiled and motioned to Yang Xiu Zhu to explain.
Yang Xiu Zhu did not refuse and immediately explained the origins and purpose of this Domain Stone.
When they heard that this thing was actually condensed from the Domains of fallen Origin King Realm masters, the eyes of everyone in the hall lit up brightly.
When next they heard that one could comprehend the mysteries of Domain by refining this Domain Stone, every Elder in the hall began breathing heavily, staring towards the Domain Stone in Yang Kai’s hands unblinkingly, as if they were a pack of feral beasts who had just found a luscious feast.
Everyone’s eyes flashed with naked desire.
“Domain Stones are a unique product formed in the Blood Prison on Green Mountains Star. Every piece is invaluable. Although this Yang also entered to explore the Blood Prison, he was not fortunate enough to obtain such a treasure. Elder Lin, on the other hand, managed to harvest a single piece,” Yang Xiu Zhu looked at Lin Yu Rao with envy.
Lin Yu Rao smiled and took out a Domain Stone from her Space Ring so that everyone could see.
Chu Han Yi wore a blank but clearly envious look as well.
When the three of them journeyed deeper into the Blood Prison, they had gone their separate ways, and although they did not encounter any calamities thanks to their tyrannical cultivations, they also did not gain many benefits. On the contrary, Qian Tong had managed to take a step further and after leaving the Blood Prison broke through to the Origin King Realm.
If they had enough Domain Stones, they could unscrupulously consume them to comprehend the mysteries of Domain, it was nothing short of the greatest treasure a peak Origin Returning Realm master could obtain.
“Elder Lin’s luck is truly amazing!” Chang Qi sighed.
However, Chang Qi, Hao An, Ning Xiang Chen, Huang Juan and many of the others present did not have the same feelings of envy as Yang Xiu Zhu and the other peak level masters as they had only reached the First-Order Origin Returning Realm. Even if they obtained a Domain Stone, it would not be of much use to them with their current cultivation. At most, they would be able to use a Domain Stone to help them comprehend the mysteries of Shi.
After all, Domain was the evolved form of Shi, so studying the mysteries of a Domain Stone would naturally be helpful to one’s Shi cultivation.
That being said, Domain Stones still held an undeniable attraction to any Origin Returning Realm master!
After Ye Xi Yun fell silent for a time, she suddenly declared, “Sect Master, if it is convenient, this Queen wants ten Domain Stones!”
Gasps sounded throughout the hall as Yang Xiu Zhu and the others turned their heads to look at Ye Xi Yun in confusion.
Others may not know the preciousness of Domain Stones, but Yang Xiu Zhu and the others who had joined Yang Kai did. All three of them had participated in the Blood Prison Trial, but only Lin Yu Rao managed to obtain a single piece. Now, however, Ye Xi Yun actually asked for ten all at once.
This was more than just asking for the lion’s share!
It was also completely incompatible with Great Elder’s normal style!
Was this really the always benevolent and generous Great Elder? Why did she suddenly seem no different from a marketplace thief?
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others could not help feeling dazed.
Ye Xi Yun just snorted lightly, “Do you think Sect Master only had this one piece? With Sect Master’s personality, if he did not have many in his possession, how could he make such a big show of it here? He’s not the type that likes to show off his wealth to others.”
Hearing this, Yang Xiu Zhu and the other Elders suddenly understood and immediately turned scorching eyes filled with hope and expectation towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter as he shook his head and said, “Great Elder truly understands people’s hearts, it seems I cannot hide anything from you.”
“Sect Master…” Yang Xiu Zhu gulped audibly, his lips feeling slightly dry.
“Indeed! I did gain a lot of Domain Stones during the Blood Prison Trial… en, many!” Yang Kai didn’t try to hide anything as he smiled at everyone.
“How many… is many?” Chu Han Yi asked with a trembling voice.
“Enough for each of you to have ten!” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
*Si…*
Yang Xiu Zhu and the others drew sharp breaths as they stared at Yang Kai in admiration.
There were not many people in the hall, only about fifteen in total, including Gong Ao Fu and Dai Yuan who had recently joined High Heaven Sect.
Gong Ao Fu knew that Yang Kai did not like Yin Su Die and instead cared deeply about Dai Yuan, so she had recently started bringing Dai Yuan to accompany her instead of Yin Su Die, who seemed to have fallen into a bit of disfavour.
“Hmm… It seems that this Queen underestimated Sect Master’s capabilities, I should have asked for more,” Ye Xi Yun frowned slightly, her expression a little annoyed.
Yang Kai simply laughed loudly, “If Great Elder wants more, I can naturally satisfy her, but with Great Elder’s cultivation and comprehension of Shi, I think that two or three would be more than enough. Any more and you would have no use for them.”
“Even if this Queen cannot use them, she can keep them for others,” Ye Xi Yun said lightly, “But forget it, ten it is.”
Yang Kai did not say anything more, simply waving his hand and sending ten Domain Stones over to Ye Xi Yun.
Without even moving, Ye Xi Yun’s Space Ring flashed, and the Domain Stones were pocketed by her.
She truly displayed the skill and composure of a true master.
“Sect Master…” Yang Xiu Zhu blushed slightly as he rubbed his hands and stared at Yang Kai eagerly.
He was not the kind of person to flatter others, maintaining his upright and honest personality from his many years of cultivation on Star Emperor Mountain even after entering High Heaven Sect, but he was determined not to lag behind anyone else this time.
Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters valued Domain Stones far more than others, and although Yang Xiu Zhu had failed to break through to the Origin King Realm this time, he was fully confident he could successfully advance the next time he left Shadowed Star as long as he had enough Domain Stones to use!
What’s more, High Heaven Sect could launch long-distance voyages, so he firmly believed that Yang Kai would take them away from Shadowed Star again in the future!
Yang Xiu Zhu, Chu Han Yi and Lin Yu Rao got ten Domain Stones each as they wished.
All of them believed that with so many Domain Stones, they would be able to comprehend the mysteries of Domain. Coupled with their experiences in the Blood Prison Trial, their chances of breaking through to the Origin King Realm would not be small when they left Shadowed Star next time.
The others in the hall were also given different numbers of Domain Stones according to their cultivation.
Yang Kai gave five to each Second-Order Origin Realm, and three to each First-Order.
As long as they could make good use of the gentle energy in these Domain Stones, it wouldn’t be a problem for them to condense their Shi to the grand accomplishment stage.
It was not that Yang Kai was being stingy or was unwilling to give them more, it was just that giving them more would be pointless. Although Domain Stones were consumable resources, they were very different from Saint Crystals as they could each be used for an extended time.
The Domain Stones given out by Yang Kai would be sufficient for their use for quite a while.
After distributing these Domain Stones, Yang Kai took out a large number of artifacts with different appearances and superior grades from his Space Ring.
These artifacts were all trophies Yang Kai obtained from his exploits, most of which he had taken from the Monster Race masters he had killed from Monster Emperor Star. All the artifacts he took out were Origin Grade, with no lack of those at the High-Rank.
With these artifacts, Yang Kai believed that the strength of everyone present would greatly improve, and their chances of survival in the coming battle with Corpse Spirit Religion would also increase. As for how to distribute these things, Yang Kai did not need to consider it, simply handing everything over to Ye Xi Yun to process.
There were also all kinds of pills and auxiliary resources.
Yang Kai’s Space Ring was a veritable treasure trove, and everything he took out shocked and moved the people in the hall.
After finishing this, Yang Kai brought Xia Ning Chang and Su Yan back to First Heavenly Palace.
Since establishing High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai had been living in First Heavenly Palace, and although the area of this palace was not too large, it was not small either, with many different rooms and courtyards available to use. In the past, only Yang Kai lived here, but now, Su Yan and Xia Ning Chang would naturally be accompanying him.
Although High Heaven Sect was perfectly safe and there was no need to worry about any kind of danger befalling them, Yang Kai still hoped to improve the strength of his dearest people.
There was no need to worry about Su Yan as she now possessed the power of the Ice Phoenix Source as well as Profound Frost. With her Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, no one on Shadowed Star could be her opponent unless Qian Tong personally made a move.
And naturally, Qian Tong attacking Su Yan was impossible.
Xia Ning Chang had just recently broken through to the Second-Order Origin Returning Realm. Since becoming the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm, her cultivation speed had become even faster than before. Over the years, she had immersed herself in Alchemy, and with her Special Constitution, her strength would continue to increase even if she did not deliberately cultivate.
However, Second-Order Origin Returning Realm was still too weak in the end.
Yang Kai took out a deep green coloured Artifact Armour and a wheel-shaped artifact before handing both to Xia Ning Chang, “Little Senior Sister, find some time to refine these two things, I believe they will be very helpful to you.”
“This Artifact Armour is quite beautiful,” Xia Ning Chang did not pay any attention to the wheel-shaped artifact at first and instead became engrossed with the green Artifact Armour.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Although I don’t know the specific grade of this Artifact Armour, it is definitely Origin King Grade. With it, few people in this world will be able to break your defences.”
Xia Ning Chang was not very proficient in combat, so this defensive Artifact Armour was undoubtedly best suited for her.
“Where did Junior Brother obtain this from? Isn’t it quite precious?” Xia Ning Chang held it and looked it over a few times, seemingly quite fond of it.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s precious or not, the important thing is whether it can protect you for me.”
Xia Ning Chang looked up at Yang Kai and smiled with a satisfied expression.
This Artifact Armour was something he obtained in the Blood Prison. When Yang Kai retrieved Mad Crocodile Monster King’s Origin Essence Crystal, he had also obtained his Space Ring along with its contents.
Mad Crocodile Monster King was a peak Third-Order Origin King before he died, so how could the items in his Space Ring possibly be ordinary?
It was not an exaggeration to say that most of the artifacts and pills that Yang Kai had distributed in the hall earlier came from Mad Crocodile Monster King’s Space Ring.
Compared with this Origin King Grade Artifact Armour, however, the rest of the wealth in that Space Ring was not worth mentioning. Of course, this wealth was not anything to scoff at either and would be enough to support the current High Heaven Sect for a few years at the very least.
“Take this one too,” Yang Kai pressed the wheel-shaped artifact into her hands again.
This wheel-like artifact was also an Origin King Grade artifact and originally belonged to Heaven Battling Union: the Sun and Moon Golden Wheel!
When Yang Kai fought with Heaven Battling Union Master Qu Zheng and killed him, this Sun and Moon Golden Wheel was the greatest trophy he obtained and he had been holding onto it since then.
As long as Little Senior Sister refined these two Origin King Grade artifacts, she would no longer need to fear any enemy below the Origin King Realm.
Xia Ning Chang did not raise any objections and obediently accepted the green Artifact Armour and Sun and Moon Golden Wheel from Yang Kai. Casting a quick, nervous glance over towards Su Yan, who had been sitting nearby, Little Senior Sister quickly arrived in front of Yang Kai and kissed him on the cheek before scamping away like a frightened rabbit.
She moved extremely fast, as if running away after doing something shameful.
Su Yan looked at Yang Kai with a smile and said meaningfully, “Ning Chang has become far more courageous, it must be your bad influence!”
Yang Kai could only let out a burst of hollow laughter.
He had nothing to give to Su Yan now as back in Ice Heart Valley, he had given her the most important Ice Phoenix Empress Inheritance. At the same time, Yang Kai had given her the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal.
With the assistance of the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal, Su Yan’s cultivation speed had greatly increased, and with Profound Frost, there was no point in giving her additional outside boosts.
Yang Kai suddenly remembered Shan Qing Luo, about how he had separated from her in the Blood Prison and given her two hundred Domain Stone as well as the Origin King Grade Thunder Fire Seven Birds Whip.
He could not help wondering how that enchantress was doing now and whether her cultivation was going well.
Yang Kai then thought about Yang Yan…
“Senior Sister, please cultivate first. I’ll be going out for a bit,” Yang Kai suddenly got up.
Su Yan nodded lightly, took out the Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal, sat cross-legged in front of it, held a Domain Stone in her palm, closed her eyes, and began to cultivate.
Yang Kai left First Heavenly Palace and flew straight towards the centre of the Flowing Flame Sand Field.
Although he had learned from Ye Xi Yun that Yang Yan was still in a state of deep sleep, her condition not having changed all these years, Yang Kai still wanted to see her with his own eyes.
On Shadowed Star, Yang Yan was no doubt his closest friend, and if there had been no accidents, that friendship would likely have lasted a lifetime.
However, the events surrounding Yang Yan’s life were much too grand for that to happen now, and it was impossible to say exactly who she would be after she truly awoke. Even Yang Kai was uncertain about the future.
The original sixth layer of the Flowing Flame Sand Field was not large, only a dozen kilometres or so in diameter.
Holding a Star Emperor Token in his hand, Yang Kai easily crossed the fifth-layer Flame Area and reached the small bamboo forest.
Yang Kai then landed and walked through the bamboo forest to the small loft at its centre.
The Flowing Flame Sand Field’s sixth layer had always been a restricted area of High Heaven Sect. Previously, only Great Elder Ye Xi Yun could set foot here, with no one else being allowed to enter. It was only after the upheaval in the Sect headquarters that Ye Xi Yun had no other choice but to bring the others to the sixth layer, finally allowing the rest of High Heaven Sect to learn of the existence of this place.
However, the central loft was still off-limits to everyone.
Yang Kai was the only exception!
Crossing the bamboo forest, Yang Kai soon arrived in front of the loft, and after sweeping it with his Divine Sense, he went straight inside and ascended to the second floor.
The second floor was quite sparse, only having a simple wooden bed and nothing else.
On the wooden bed was a black-robed woman with a slender waist and a stunning figure. It was Yang Yan, whom Yang Kai had not seen for many years. She did not appear physically different from his memories, but her temperament was somewhat different.
When Yang Kai approached to look, he felt a sense of oppression coming from her Yang Yan. Even in a deep sleep, a frightening aura radiated from her figure.
It was as if just looking at her was blasphemy towards an immortal fairy.
Yang Kai was startled for a moment before his face suddenly changed.
His vision clouded and Yang Yan’s face unexpectedly began to blur, making it impossible for Yang Kai to see her clearly. It was as if she had somehow become ethereal and illusory at this moment.
His own Divine Sense was also dragged into an abyss by an invisible force, spiralling down and out of his control.
Yang Kai hastily bit the tip of his tongue and gave a small shout, the pain which allowed his Soul to break free from this whirlpool and his vision to re-focus.
A cold sweat leaked out and began soaking his clothes.
“Emperor Pressure… truly frightening!” Yang Kai muttered in lingering fear.
Even in an unconscious state, the Emperor Pressure emanating from Yang Yan was able to warp Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, making him wonder just what would happen once she awoke.
However, he had only come here to check in on Yang Yan; after all, he had not seen her for many years. When he was still quite weak, Yang Yan had helped him immensely. Without Yang Yan, there would have been no Dragon Cave Mountain or High Heaven Sect.
Yang Kai was incredibly grateful to her.
Understanding that Yang Yan was fine, just sleeping still, Yang Kai nodded lightly and was about to turn around and leave.
However, at that moment, he noticed Yang Yan’s fingers move ever so slightly, causing his body to shake as he froze in place and stared towards the wooden bed breathlessly.
An invisible force emerged from Yang Yan’s body and like the giant maw of a beast engulfed Yang Kai, not giving him any time to react or resist.
Immediately afterwards, a flash of light blinded Yang Kai’s eyes and he found himself in a familiar-looking environment.
A sea of flames rolled down below, containing terrifying energy that seemed capable of destroying Heaven and Earth. In the sky, there were various balls of multi-coloured light inside of which different scenes flashed by at such rapid speed that even Yang Kai was unable to see them clearly.
“This is…” Yang Kai frowned, looked around, and quickly understood what exactly this place was.
“A Knowledge Sea?” Yang Kai exclaimed.
“Yes, this is my Knowledge Sea,” A voice came from the side.
Yang Kai turned his head and saw Yang Yan sitting cross-legged in the void, forming a series of strange seals with her hands, her face extremely solemn as various halos of light flashed around her, giving her an almost sacred aura.
She looked at him with a smile, no different from the Yang Yan in his memory.
“Is it you, or her?” Yang Kai frowned, uncertain of the answer.
Yang Yan pursed her lips, “Is there a difference?”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, “It might not make a difference to you, but it does to me. I don’t want to be killed after angering the Starry Sky Great Emperor!”
“I am the Starry Sky Great Emperor!” Yang Yan snorted.
“Good, seems like it’s still you,” Yang Kai relaxed. As long as it wasn’t the legendary Great Emperor he was talking to, there wouldn’t be any problem. Having made this determination, he then asked, “Did you need something from me?”
“Not really,” Yang Yan shook her head slowly, “I just felt your aura and decided to bring you here.”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly.
Even he felt that he was no longer a weak Junior. His strength had grown rapidly over the years and he was now invincible below the Origin King Realm. Even if it was against an ordinary First-Order Origin King, Yang Kai was confident he could fight back.
But compared to Yang Yan, he was still nothing but an ant she could squash at will…
Yang Kai could not help feeling depressed.
Seemingly aware of what he was thinking, Yang Yan just giggled, “You don’t have to belittle yourself. To be honest, I have never met anyone with such rapid cultivation as you. Even in that place, you would be considered a peak genius. All you lack is the tempering of time. As long as you have enough time, you will be able to stand at the same height as me one day.”
“Are you trying to comfort me?” Yang Kai glanced at her, frowned, and asked, “Where is ‘that place’ you mentioned?”
Yang Yan laughed lightly without answering, appearing mysterious.
Seeing that she did not have any intention to explain, Yang Kai waved his hand, “Forget it, just pretend I didn’t ask.”
Yang Yan gently nodded before her expression suddenly became serious, “Although I have been sleeping, fusing my Embodiment and Soul, I am not completely ignorant of the outside world. I have felt that something big has happened to Shadowed Star in recent years, and just two months ago Ye Xi Yun even brought a number of people here. What happened? Is High Heaven Sect alright?”
“High Heaven Sect is fine, but Shadowed Star is in great trouble.” Yang Kai sighed and flew over to Yang Yan before sitting down cross-legged and telling her about Corpse Spirit Religion’s rise.
Yang Yan listened attentively, and after Yang Kai was finished, she nodded lightly, “It turns out that there was a suppressed Underworld Well Spring under Grand Burial Valley. This really is partially our fault then. If we had not taken that Sun’s True Essence away, that Underworld Well Spring would never have reappeared.”
“And that’s why I am troubled over this. If it was something else, I wouldn’t care as it did not involve High Heaven Sect. No matter what kind of chaos is raised outside, it has no way to affect High Heaven Sect’s headquarters, but in the end, this is related to me, so I cannot just feign un-involvement,” Yang Kai sighed.
Yang Yan agreed with Yang Kai’s point of view and after thinking for a moment asked, “Can you go confront that Corpse Spirit Religion Master?”
“Are you interested in him?” Yang Kai frowned.
“It’s not interest per-say, it’s just that I feel his methods of creating Corpse Spirits, and the methods he’s using to control Corpse Spirit Religion are quite similar to someone else I know.”
“Who?” Yang Kai was surprised.
“He called himself the Corpse Emperor, and he also controlled a race back then called the Corpse Spirit Race, which is why I asked.”
“Corpse Emperor…” Yang Kai drew a sharp breath, his expression fluctuating as he asked, “Is he on the same level as you?”
Yang Yan was the Starry Sky Great Emperor, and since this guy dared to call himself the Corpse Emperor, he was obviously a cultivator of the same rank as Yang Yan.
Yang Yan nodded gently.
Yang Kai’s complexion instantly became extremely ugly.
Yang Yan saw this and smiled, “You don’t need to be so anxious, the Corpse Emperor can’t come here, so there’s no way that Religion Master is the Corpse Emperor; instead, I suspect he is only somewhat connected to the Corpse Emperor, perhaps that one old acquaintance of mine as that fellow was also acquainted with the Corpse Emperor. Their friendship was quite good, so it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to know how to transform corpses!”
Yang Kai grit his teeth as he stared at Yang Yan, “Even if that person is not the Corpse Emperor, since he is your old acquaintance, he is not someone I can face. Wouldn’t rushing to confront him be courting death?”
“Of course, I’m not going to send you out there just to die!” Yang Yan glared at Yang Kai angrily, “If that person is really who I suspect he is, his strength will definitely not reach the Origin King Realm. At most, he will be a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator now. Shadowed Star has its own World Principles, so as long as he is stuck here, it is basically impossible for him to have broken through!”
Yang Kai’s expression instantly cleared up. If this mysterious Religion Master was truly just a Third-Order Origin Realm cultivator, then there was nothing to be afraid of.
However…
“What kind of story does that old acquaintance of yours possess that causes you such concern?” Yang Kai asked suspiciously.
Yang Yan went silent for a while before explaining, “You should know that the reason my true body fell into a long slumber was that it was severely injured in a great battle, forcing me to retreat to the Emperor Garden to recover. That old acquaintance… is the one who injured me!”
Yang Kai had to try extremely hard to maintain his composure as he asked, “Didn’t you say that in that battle that person died?”
Yang Kai also had some knowledge of these long-past events. The reason why the Starry Sky Great Emperor had fallen into a deep slumber was that the damage to her body was too great while her enemy had been exterminated.
But now, Yang Yan mentioned that her enemy might still be alive.
Yang Kai could not help feeling anxious.
Anyone who could harm Yang Yan was undoubtedly like her and the Corpse Emperor, a master on an incredible level.
“I destroyed his body and crushed his Soul, but that guy’s methods of escaping are first-class. Perhaps he found a way for a portion of his Soul to escape without me noticing. However, you can rest assured that his situation is quite different from mine. I was injured heavily, but as long as I had enough time and resources, I would be able to recover while his body was completely destroyed, so even if he wants to return to his peak, it won’t be that simple, especially on Shadowed Star.”
Yang Kai frowned and nodded, “If that’s the case, I can go look for him now, but even if it is like you said, and that Corpse Spirit Religion Religion Master is your old enemy, what do you plan to do about him?”
Yang Yan shook her head, “Not me, you! If that Corpse Spirit Religion Religion Master is really him, you must kill him in the shortest time possible, otherwise, the entire Star Field will suffer greatly once he manages to restore himself to a certain degree.”
“You are the Starry Sky Great Emperor, can’t you just wave your hand and consign him to oblivion?” Yang Kai looked at Yang Yan with a somewhat frustrated look.
Yang Yan shook her head, “I can’t act temporarily.”
Yang Kai suddenly felt like cursing, but after holding his tongue for a long time, he nodded fiercely and said, “Fine. I’ll go confront him.”
“Be careful. He is extremely cruel and specializes in controlling others to do his bidding. He rarely shows up in person, so if you find an opportunity, make sure you go for the kill!”
“I know!” Yang Kai answered casually.
“Then, return!” Yang Yan waved her hand and in the next moment, Yang Kai felt a repulsive force coming from the Knowledge Sea around him.
When he came back to his senses, Yang Kai found that he was still standing at the edge of the wooden bed while Yang Yan’s eyes were still closed tightly, sleeping in front of him.
Turning around, Yang Kai strode out of the loft.
Although he had promised Yang Yan to go confront the mysterious Religion Master as soon as possible, considering how secretive the other party was acting, even keeping the White-Robed Corpse General Yang Kai had killed in the dark about his true cultivation and face, finding and killing him would undoubtedly be a very difficult task.
Fortunately, Yang Kai did not intend to act alone.
After returning to High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai immediately sent someone to send a message to Qian Tong.
Now, Qian Tong was the undisputed strongest master on Shadowed Star with his Origin King Realm cultivation, so he would be able to play a critical role in this upcoming action.
Shadow Moon Hall should have stabilized by now, and if they wanted to solve the problems of Shadowed Star once and for all, eradicating Corpse Spirit Religion was an absolute necessity. Qian Tong should be more than willing to join hands with him to deal with the mysterious Religion Master.
Shadow Moon Hall was quite far from High Heaven Sect though, so even if Qian Tong were to come, it would take at least a month for him to arrive.
As such, Yang Kai decided to wait patiently while improving his strength.
In Ice Heart Valley, Yang Kai used the Star Emperor Token to fight Luo Hai, breaking through his own shackles and reaching the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, only one step away from the Origin King Realm.
On the way back, his cultivation had continued to consolidate and grow, gradually approaching the limits of his current realm, while his Shi had reached the grand accomplishment stage.
Also, thanks to the numerous Domain Stones in his possession and his experiences inside the Blood Prison Trial, Yang Kai also had a decent understanding of Domain.
In other words, if not for the current conditions not permitting it, Yang Kai could already begin breaking through to the Origin King Realm.
However, he was not in such a hurry. His Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation was the foundation upon which he would strive for the Origin King Realm, so the more he consolidated and strengthened it, the easier it would be for him to form his Domain after breaking through.
Yang Kai intended to wait until after Corpse Spirit Religion had been dealt with before leaving Shadowed Star again to break through, as well as deal with several outstanding issues he had in mind.
These few issues were crucial to improving his strength as well as his understanding of the mysteries of the Star Field.
Time passed day by day, with nothing of great surprise happening in High Heaven Sect. Almost everyone was immersed in cultivation.
Everyone understood that such peaceful days would not last long. Once the time was ripe, Yang Kai would launch a grand campaign against Corpse Spirit Religion. At that time, even if they wanted to cultivate, they would have no time.
It was for this reason that the masters of High Heaven Sect cherished the current calm and used every moment of it to increase their strength. The stronger they were, the better they could preserve their lives and the more enemies they could kill in the war to come.
One month later, Qian Tong rushed to High Heaven Sect and was immediately welcomed into the headquarters by the High Heaven Sect disciple posted outside.
Ever since Yang Kai beheaded White-Robed Corpse General Kang Fei Rao, the Corpse Spirit Religion army that was besieging High Heaven Sect had scattered. Now, High Heaven Sect had finally restored its connection with the outside world and begun gathering intelligence from all around the star. As a result, Qian Tong’s journey had gone without any incident.
After informing Qian Tong of his plan, Qian Tong immediately agreed.
Qian Tong also understood the principle of defeating one general to warn a thousand soldiers. Corpse Spirit Religion had been growing like a plague these past two years, expanding with ever-increasing speed. The number of masters transformed into Corpse Spirit Race clansmen and Human Race cultivators who had chosen to submit was simply countless. It was too difficult to kill all these people outright, so the better option was to decapitate Corpse Spirit Religion’s leadership by killing the mysterious Religion Master.
After Qian Tong assumed command of Shadow Moon Hall again, he had also been making investigations into Corpse Spirit Religion, and all the signs pointed to Grand Burial Valley being the root of everything; there was no doubt it was the place where Corpse Spirit Religion rose from!
Originally, he was still considering whether he should go to Grand Burial Valley to investigate the situation, but now that he received confirmation from Yang Kai, he had no reason to hesitate. Immediately, he and Yang Kai set off from High Heaven Sect and rushed to Grand Burial Valley.
This time, Yang Kai did not bring anyone else, only travelling together with Qian Tong. He even had Su Yan remain behind in High Heaven Sect.
Qian Tong was already an Origin King Realm master, so his speed was naturally incredibly fast, but although Yang Kai’s cultivation was not as high, his speed was actually noticeably faster because of his Dao of Space.
Less than ten days later, the pair arrived outside Grand Burial Valley.
When Yang Kai and Yang Yan came here last time, the Yin Qi which pervaded Grand Burial Valley was quite thick and could make any cultivator who entered feel uncomfortable, but it was still tolerable.
Now, when Yang Kai and Qian Tong arrived here and looked down from the sky, they could not help frowning.
Below, a thick haze enveloped all Grand Burial Valley, cloaking it in a veil so thick it was impossible to see through. This thick mist was clearly comprised of rich, frigid Yin Qi and poisonous Corpse Qi.
If a living person entered this place without sufficient strength, it would not be long before the omnipresent Corpse Qi invaded their body and transformed them into a member of the Corpse Spirit Race.
Under the perception of their Divine Senses, Yang Kai and Qian Tong noticed many dense Corpse Qi auras moving about.
Obviously, these were Corpse Spirit Race clansmen!
Just scanning the periphery revealed at least a thousand Corpse Spirits, so it wasn’t hard to imagine just how many of them were hidden deeper inside Grand Burial Valley.
“Let’s split up. Yang Kai, if you meet that Corpse Spirit Religion master, remember to send word to this old master immediately. This old master will go in first and thin these foul creatures out a bit,” Qian Tong exhorted before immediately turning into a stream of light and smashing down into Grand Burial Valley, kicking up a terrifying storm of wind and thunder wherever he went. Even the rich Corpse Qi which covered Grand Burial Valley was being dispersed by Qian Tong.
Qian Tong released his Domain and controlled all the wind within a ten-kilometre range around himself, pulling in the Corpse Spirits nearby and shredding them to pieces.
He did not intend to hide his whereabouts, simply charging about openly!
Yang Kai smiled slightly but didn’t care too much.
With Qian Tong’s current strength, no one on Shadowed Star was his opponent, so he was more than qualified to act this boldly.
And by doing so, Qian Tong was able to draw all the attention of Corpse Spirit Religion, creating an opportunity for Yang Kai to infiltrate and search this place more easily.
This was the plan they had agreed upon on the way here.
After only a brief moment, the thousand or so Corpse Spirits Yang Kai and Qian Tong had initially sensed were wiped out. An Origin King’s methods could not be underestimated! Qian Tong was not content to just stop here though, and immediately flew deeper into the valley, drawing in more Corpse Spirits and slaughtering them before they even knew what was happening.
Just as Qian Tong aggressively attacked and drew Corpse Spirit Religion’s attention, Yang Kai’s figure flickered and disappeared.
Following his memories from the last time he was here, Yang Kai swiftly proceeded towards the deepest depths of Grand Burial Valley.
The origin of Corpse Spirit Religion was no doubt the Underworld Well Spring in the lowest depths of the Corpse Cave. This was the foundation upon which Corpse Spirit Religion was built, so Yang Kai made it his first destination. If he could destroy this Underworld Well Spring, Corpse Spirit Religion would become a rootless tree, a river without a source. When that happened, it would be a simple matter to eradicate it. Otherwise, if the Underworld Well Spring was allowed to remain, no matter how many Corpse Spirits were killed, they could always create more.
Rumblings sounded in the distance as unfamiliar voices constantly cried out. Naturally, these were the voices of the Corpse Spirit Religion masters Qian Tong was fighting. Although he wasn’t able to observe this scene, Yang Kai knew that Qian Tong’s was engaging in a one-sided slaughter, forcing the Corpse Spirit Race to retreat in defeat again and again.
Only half a day later, Yang Kai reached the entrance of the Corpse Cave.
Along the way, Yang Kai ran into some Corpse Spirits, but these were all weaklings who could not impede him in any way. Yang Kai was able to kill all of them without even slowing his pace.
The entrance to the Corpse Cave had not changed and was not even hidden. Originally, it was hidden behind a powerful Spirit Array, but after Yang Yan cracked it last time, it no longer played any role.
From the mouth of the Corpse Cave, a thick Corpse Qi continued billowing out. The concentration and danger of the Corpse Qi in this location was far greater than anywhere else in Grand Burial Valley. Standing firm, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense to probe the situation slightly before diving in.
The Corpse Cave was as dark and damp as Yang Kai remembered, and a brief investigation revealed that many stone chambers now had traces of Corpse Spirit activities.
However, the chaos Qian Tong was stirring up outside was too great, so most of the Corpse Spirits inside were either rushing out or had already left to provide support to their besieged allies.
After Yang Kai entered, he immediately hid inside a nearby stone chamber to avoid a wave of Corpse Spirit Race reinforcements.
His task right now was to find the whereabouts of the mysterious Religion Master, so he did not want to expose his presence prematurely.
The Corpse Spirit Race clansmen passed by without noticing anything. After they left, Yang Kai walked out and scanned his surroundings.
This stone chamber was pitch black, with no source of light, but that did not hinder Yang Kai’s observation.
With just a glance, Yang Kai’s expression became gloomy.
He discovered that there were many complete corpses stored in this chamber, and each of them was being wrapped in a rich Corpse Qi, like a chrysalis. With the constant injection of Corpse Qi, these corpses were slowly undergoing some subtle changes, obviously transforming into members of the Corpse Spirit Race.
There were some corpses here that had already become more of a Corpse Spirit Race than a human! As long as they could completely absorb the chrysalis-like Corpse Qi outside their bodies, they would definitely become a part of the Corpse Spirit Race!
[So, this is how they transform!] Yang Kai nodded lightly.
He had speculated that this was the method Corpse Spirit Race members were created since Corpse Spirits couldn’t emerge from thin air. First, a suitable body was required, and the source of these bodies was the cultivators from great forces Corpse Spirit Religion had conquered.
These corpses were brought back to the Corpse Cave, where the rich Corpse Qi was used to transform them into members of the Corpse Spirit Race.
However, it appeared that this process was not perfect. Yang Kai found some semi-finished products without the slightest aura in this stone room as well, undoubtedly the results of previous failures.
The strength of a successfully transformed Corpse Spirit also seemed to be correlated to their cultivation before they died. The higher the cultivation a master possessed in life, the higher their initial strength would be after the transformation. This was no doubt why the Corpse Spirit Race clansmen named Fang Feng Qi wanted Fei Zhi Tu’s body in Heavenly Fate City.
After all, Fei Zhi Tu was one of Shadowed Star’s strongest masters.
The corpses stored in this stone chamber did not possess high cultivation, all of them below the Saint King Realm with most being Saints. There were also some Transcendent and Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivators mixed in.
These Corpse Spirits were undoubtedly meant to be used as pawns in Corpse Spirit Religion’s army, their only true advantage being superior numbers.
However, in this Corpse Cave, there were countless similar stone chambers, and if Yang Kai’s guess wasn’t wrong, the further down he went, the stronger the corpses would become.
Remaining silent, Yang Kai continued diving deeper.
Soon, he found that his guess was correct. The further down he went, the higher the cultivation of those corpses during their lifetime became, gradually changing from mostly Saints and Saint Kings to Origin Realm masters.
Of course, the total number of such corpses also grew smaller.
Yang Kai even saw a completely transformed Corpse Spirit Race man clawing his way out of his chrysalis. It seemed he had just been reborn. This Corpse Spirit Race man turned to the sky and roared, a putrid aura pulsing wildly from his body as two fangs extended out of the corners of his mouth and white needle-like hairs jetting out from his skin.
Having just finished his transformation, he obviously did not know how to control his power.
Yang Kai continued deeper without alerting any of the Corpse Spirits here, gradually reaching the position where he obtained the Sun’s True Essence that day.
This was originally the treasury of the Ancient Yang Sect and had a total of three rooms. The innermost room was where the Sun’s True Essence and Ten Thousand Year Ice Jade Pedestal had been placed.
Standing outside the treasury, Yang Kai frowned suddenly as he turned his gaze towards the inner depths for a moment before grinning lightly and striding inside.
The first and second rooms had Corpse Spirits lined up on either side, each of them possessing Origin Realm cultivation. But when Yang Kai walked in, none of them attacked immediately, instead just glaring at him fiercely. Watching Yang Kai, these Corpse Spirit masters hissing threateningly as he walked inside, only moving to block the entrance after he had passed through.
Yang Kai went straight to the third room of the treasury.
The third room had changed quite a lot. This place was now decorated magnificently and luxuriously, with many fist-sized light stones inlaid on the surrounding walls, exuding a soft light, making it seem like a magnificent palace.
At the very centre of this palace, there was a pool about three metres in radius inside of which a kind of yellow water was constantly tumbling and bubbling.
Yang Kai’s eyes fixed on this pool for a moment before he concluded that this was the legendary Underworld Well Spring! The yellow water in this pool was naturally not water but the embodiment of pure nether energy.
This kind of energy had no positive effect on living creatures, it was extremely harmful in fact, but it was of great use to the Corpse Spirit Race!
Yang Kai even felt some slight Space Force fluctuations coming from this Underworld Well Spring.
He had some speculations about what this meant, but he could not be too sure.
Shaking his head slightly, Yang Kai looked up towards a figure sitting on a throne up ahead.
The figure sitting on the chair was wearing ordinary clothes, but his entire image was being distorted by a strange energy barrier. Even when Yang Kai used his Divine Sense, he was unable to see this individual’s true face.
However, Yang Kai felt that the other party was somehow familiar, as if he had met him somewhere before.
This discovery made Yang Kai frown.
If his guess was right, this person should be the mysterious Religion Master of Corpse Spirit Religion.
But Yang Kai was unable to feel the slightest bit of Corpse Qi from him! In other words, he was not a member of the Corpse Spirit Race at all.
It might indeed be as Yang Yan had told him; this guy was the one she had fought against all those millennia ago and was skilled in the methods of creating Corpse Spirits as well as controlling them, allowing him to occupy such a position of power.
While Yang Kai was pondering these issues, the seated man suddenly laughed and spoke in an approving tone, “To think you really found this place, your courage isn’t small!”
Hearing the voice of this person, Yang Kai furrowed his brow as he stared straight at the blurred figure, as if trying to see through this haze and to his true face.
The other party did not even try to remain hidden though, slowly retracting the field around him and revealing a handsome face.
“Lu Ye?” Yang Kai called out in surprise.
It turned out to be Flowing Cloud Valley’s Young Master Lu Ye, the one who had tried to kill him multiple times before!
The first time Yang Kai confronted him was during the opening of the Flowing Flame Sand Field. When Yang Kai tried to obtain the Red Candle Stalk, Lu Ye had suddenly appeared and attempted to kill him. Yang Kai fought back and even managed to cut off one of his arms, but Lu Ye had still managed to escape.
Later, Lu Ye had used the Xie Family to attack him once more during the battle of Dragon Cave Mountain, instigating and controlling Xie Li and others to attack Dragon Cave Mountain.
Yang Kai didn’t even know why Lu Ye had such strong animosity towards him.
In the past, Yang Kai had thought Lu Ye merely held some kind of unreasonable grudge against him, but now… many thoughts connected suddenly, and Yang Kai arrived at a bold conjecture.
“Perhaps I shouldn’t call you Lu Ye, after all, you only seized that body for yourself!” Yang Kai’s lips curled upwards into a confident grin.
Lu Ye was stunned for a moment, apparently not expecting his secret to be revealed here. Staring at Yang Kai with some surprise, he nodded, “You are correct, this King has apparently looked down on you!”
“Is figuring that out really that difficult?” Yang Kai chuckled lightly, “The first time I met you was inside that pool of Soul Cleaning Divine Water in the Flowing Flame Sand Field. I obtained an Origin Essence Crystal from that pond if I recall, and after that, you never stopped targeting me. I assume that Origin Essence Crystal was yours, yes?”
Lu Ye’s originally handsome and serene expression suddenly twisted into a hideous one, with blue veins popping up all over his forehead as he shouted, “That’s right, that Origin Essence Crystal was this King’s! Where did you put it! Why can’t this King sense its aura?”
That incident was a nightmare that continued to haunt Lu Ye. If it weren’t for Yang Kai taking away his Origin Essence Crystal, he would only have needed to integrate his own Origin Essence Crystal after he seized this body and at least half of his original strength would have instantly been restored. Even if he was still suppressed by Shadowed Star’s World Principles and unable to break through to the Origin King Realm on the spot, becoming the strongest Origin Realm master on Shadowed Star would have been a given.
After that, he would only need to find a place to retreat for a few dozen years and restoring his original cultivation would not have been a dream. By then, the entire Star Field would bend to his will.
But everything had been ruined by Yang Kai!
He could not sense the existence of his own Origin Essence Crystal, let alone retrieve it, the crystallization and essence of his previous cultivation. Without that, wanting to restore his previous strength with the innate aptitude of Lu Ye’s body was more difficult than trying to ascend to the Heavens.
After so many years, he had only barely been able to reach the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, an unbearable reality for him!
“Sorry, I already absorbed that thing!” Yang Kai smiled and pointed his finger at his head.
“Impossible!” Lu Ye denied vehemently, looking at Yang Kai as contemptuously as if he were an ant and sneering, “With your strength, there is no way you could have refined this King’s Origin Essence Crystal!”
The Soul which had seized Lu Ye’s body was on the same level as the Starry Sky Great Emperor before his death, so the Origin Essence Crystal he left behind was naturally of extremely high grade. Even if an Origin King masters absorbed it, the slightest rashness would have led to their Soul being extinguished.
Yang Kai only had a Saint King cultivation at that time, so how could he have possibly absorbed it?
Lu Ye obviously would not believe such nonsense. He only thought that Yang Kai was lying and had hidden his Origin Essence Crystal by some special means, making it impossible for him to sense it.
“Believe what you want!” Yang Kai shrugged nonchalantly, certainly not willing to give a full explanation to Lu Ye. In the end, it was the Soul Warming Lotus which had refined the Origin Essence Crystal, having next to nothing to do with Yang Kai. In fact, it was not until recently that Yang Kai even realized that crystal back then was an Origin Essence Crystal.
“Enough nonsense, you’ve barged into my home uninvited today, so don’t think you can just walk away. As long as this King seizes you, he will naturally be able to retrieve his Origin Essence Crystal!” Lu Ye coldly snorted as the aura around his body filled with malevolence.
Yang Kai just laughed loudly, “You are at death’s door, yet you’re still shamelessly boasting!”
Hearing this, and seeing Yang Kai’s expression, Lu Ye could not help frowning slightly.
The next moment, the entire Corpse Cave suddenly shook violently, and an extremely powerful aura descended through it. This aura immediately surrounded Lu Ye, immobilizing him with an ugly expression on his face.
*Hong long long…*
The ground split apart suddenly and a hole opened up in the palace above where Yang Kai and Lu Ye were located, a figure leaping down and sending a palm towards Lu Ye in the next instant.
Lu Ye’s complexion changed drastically as he madly pushed his Shi to try to free himself.
But in front of this palm, everything he tried was futile.
His Shi easily shattered by this palm, Lu Ye only had enough time to let out one last roar before his body was ground into a pool of blood and flesh.
Qian Tong landed in the next instant, a slightly suspicious look on his face as he glanced over at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai also wore a stunned expression.
The two of them obviously hadn’t expected that Lu Ye would be patted to death like this!
“That was Corpse Spirit Religion’s Religion Master?” Qian Tong asked in astonishment.
Yang Kai nodded, “En, it was him!”
“This old master overestimated him,” Qian Tong snorted coldly. Although he hadn’t put this Religion Master in his eyes from the beginning, he also hadn’t thought the other party would be killed so easily, making Qian Tong feel like he had just punched cotton when he was expecting steel.
Yang Kai did not make a sound, however, as he still felt something was off. He felt that Lu Ye couldn’t die so easily; after all, this was a master that had even escaped from Yang Yan without her knowledge.
Even if Qian Tong was now an Origin King, how could he compare to Lu Ye in terms of methods and cunning?
Thinking so, Yang Kai quickly released his Divine Sense and began scanning the surrounding area.
Under his Divine Sense perception, the situation of the entire Grand Burial Valley could be understood in an instant.
Suddenly, he noticed that a vague aura fleeing outwards at an incredible speed. This aura was extremely well concealed, and if he had not been suspicious and deliberately searching for something similar, Yang Kai wouldn’t have been able to find it.
What’s more, this escaping aura had traces of Space Force fluctuations emanating from it.
“Elder Qian!” Yang Kai shouted before suddenly waving his hand through the air and tearing open a Void Crack.
Qian Tong frowned slightly, but although he did not understand why Yang Kai had done this, he chose to believe in him and without even asking anything follow Yang Kai into the Void Crack.
Outside Grand Burial Valley, a Corpse General wearing black robes sat in a meditative position, adjusting his breathing. He seemed to have been sitting here for a long time without moving.
Suddenly, the black-robed Corpse General trembled and his aura rapidly rose to the peak Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, not much worse than Ye Xi Yun.
Slowly opening his eyes, a look of shock and hatred flashed across his pupils as he gritted his teeth and cursed, “An Origin King?! how could there be an Origin King here? Old dog, this King will remember you! This King will make you pay ten times over for this!”
“You won’t have that chance!” A familiar voice suddenly called out from behind.
The Black-Robed Corpse General was shocked and hurriedly turned around just in time to see a Void Crack open and Yang Kai and Qian Tong step out.
The Corpse General was shocked but roared and tried to escape without even pausing to think.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Qian Tong shouted angrily, expanding his Domain rapidly to engulf the black-robed Corpse General.
Yang Kai did not act, instead choosing to carefully observe the Corpse General while pushing his Divine Sense to its limit.
The Black-Robed Corpse General was a familiar figure to Yang Kai, one he had seen before together with the White-Robed Corpse General Kang Fei Rao, most likely his fellow Sect brother. However, at this moment, he had clearly been possessed by Lu Ye’s Soul, becoming a completely different person.
Although this Corpse General had a peak Origin Returning Realm cultivation, he was still nothing in front of Qian Tong.
The moment the Black-Robed Corpse General’s body was ground to dust and his Soul extinguished, Yang Kai noticed a hidden aura leap across space and travel several hundred kilometres away!
This was obviously the aura of Corpse Spirit Religion’s Religion Master. If it were not for Yang Kai being proficient in the Dao of Space, it would have been impossible for him to notice this flickering aura.
After Qian Tong killed the Black-Robed Corpse General, he turned his head and looked at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not say a word and simply tore space again, the next moment the pair appeared a few hundred kilometres away.
Just after emerging from the Void Crack, Yang Kai and Qian Tong saw a Corpse General wearing azure robes fleeing with all haste.
Without waiting for Qian Tong to do anything, Yang Kai summoned more than a dozen Golden Blood Threads, condensed them to form a golden arrow, and shot it out at astonishing speed, penetrating a hole in the belly of this Corpse General and shattering his Corpse Core.
The Golden Blood Threads turned around and flew back in the next instant, but Yang Kai didn’t show the slightest trace of joy on his face after killing this powerful foe. Instead, a gloomy frown filled his brow as he tore space for a third time.
Five days later, Yang Kai and Qian Tong stood above a fresh corpse in front of them with truly ugly expressions.
This corpse did not belong to the Corpse Spirit Race, but instead was a Human cultivator. This person’s cultivation was not that high either, only First-Order Origin Returning Realm.
But this was the twenty-seventh body the mysterious Religion Master had seized!
It seemed that he did not suffer any damage to his Soul when he seized another host and could continue this process infinitely.
This was completely contrary to the understanding that Yang Kai had. When the physical body of a powerful master was destroyed, if that master’s Soul survived somehow, it could attempt to find a suitable body and seize it, but Soul Seizing was a very dangerous process. It was highly likely that in the process the foreign Soul would be defeated and swallowed up by the person they target. As a result, even if a Soul Seizing was successful, it would consume a massive amount of Spiritual Energy.
It was essentially impossible for someone to attempt to seize a second host in short order!
However, the mysterious Religion Master had completely broken this rule. In just five days, he had seized twenty-seven different hosts, and although Yang Kai was able to follow his trail and catch up to him each time he did, even if he and Qian Tong killed this new host, the Religion Master would simply move on to a new body!
After five days of pursuit, having still failed to kill the Religion Master, Yang Kai and Qian Tong both realized how difficult an opponent they were facing.
However, their efforts were not completely in vain.
Over time, they discovered that the Religion Master could not simply seize anyone’s body, only those he had implanted with a Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insect.
Yang Kai had contacted these Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insects before. The Xie Family’s Xie Li was controlled by a Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insect when he attacked Dragon Cave Mountain, ultimately leading to him self-destructing in an attempt to kill Yang Kai.
This strange insect was a unique Secret Technique of the Religion Master. Once a Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insect was implanted into someone, that individual would have no choice but to obey the Religion Master’s orders.
Clearly, he relied on this method to enslave unwilling subordinates, and now it seemed like they could also be used to perform Soul Seizing in an emergency!
As long as there was a Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insect host within a certain distance, his Soul could instantly reach its location, regardless of the limitations of space, and seize it for himself.
In addition to this knowledge, Yang Kai and Qian Tong also noticed that the Religion Master was choosing weaker and weaker hosts to seize as time went by.
In the beginning, the body’s he possessed were all Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters or peak-level Corpse Generals, but after two days, he was forced to choose Second-Order Origin Realm cultivations, and now, he could only seize First-Orders!
Apparently, his Soul Seizing technique was not without flaws, possibly even dealing some damage to his Soul the more he used it. Even the Religion Master could not avoid such backlash entirely.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai and Qian Tong were exhausted from being run around in circles.
“Next! We cannot possibly do this forever! This old master does not believe he will be able to escape!” Qian Tong had a stomach full of grievances. He was now an Origin King, the undisputed strongest on Shadowed Star, but just as he had reached the proudest moment in his life, he was unable to slaughter this Religion Master, making him very angry.
Of course, Qian Tong was unaware that the Religion Master was a master who had reached far beyond the Origin King Realm.
“Have you found him yet?” Qian Tong turned his head and looked at Yang Kai.
After a few days of pursuit, Qian Tong also understood the strangeness of the Religion Master’s methods. In fact, if not for Yang Kai being here to track him, Qian Tong knew that he would not be able to kill this enemy to the last.
He was simply unable to trace the Religion Master’s Soul when it escaped.
Yang Kai closed his eyes to scan their surroundings. A moment later, his eyes shot open and he slashed his hand through the air to open a Void Crack.
In a dense jungle, a handsome but evil-looking young man fled hastily. This man seemed to only be around thirty years old and his body radiated the aura of a First-Order Origin Realm master; however, his expression was quite dishevelled and his eyes flashed with a bloodshot light.
As he fled, he did his best to conceal his aura while sweeping his surroundings with his Divine Sense.
There did not seem to be any signs of movement within thirty kilometres.
But this young man did not relax his vigilance because of this. On the contrary, he continued to flee as if something terrifying was chasing him.
His face was filled with cruel, unforgettable hatred and rage.
He was a famous character even in that place, with few daring to provoke him, but since arriving in this tiny Star Field and falling onto this Cultivation Star, his fortunes had only grown worse and worse for ten thousand years. First, his body was vaporized by Yang Yan, then he had to spend ten thousand years just to recover.
But now, just as he awoke once more, he found himself being hunted down by a mere Third-Order Origin Returning Realm trash.
In his heyday, he could rip such an opponent into ten thousand pieces with a simple glance, but now he had no choice but to flee.
The young man felt grief and anger, like a tiger being taunted by a dog after it left the mountain, or a dragon being toyed with by a shrimp in a shallow pond, making his blood boil and his breathing difficult.
His Soul escaping technique was unparalleled, and even an Origin King would not be able to discover any trace of it, but that damned brat named Yang Kai just so happened to cultivate the Dao of Space! If not for this, how could he have possibly been forced into such a desperate situation?
The Dao of Space was an esoteric field even in that place, with very few able to cultivate it. Even smashing his head on a rock couldn’t help him understand how there was someone in such a backwards place who had reached such a high level of comprehension in the Dao of Space that they could tear it and instantly cross thousands of kilometres.
Just as he was grumbling to himself, gnashing his teeth, a strange energy fluctuation suddenly appeared in front of him.
The young man’s face immediately turned grim and pale.
This situation had occurred several dozen times now, so he was no stranger to it, and he knew what was about to happen.
“Boy, you’ve forced my hand!” The young man’s eyes filled with sullenness, as if he had just made some kind of important decision, stopping in place, and waiting quietly.
The strange fluctuations became more and more obvious and soon, a pitch-black crack suddenly appeared, one filled with a swirling, chaotic nothingness.
Two figures immediately emerged from this tear in space, with Qian Tong at the lead and Yang Kai following close behind.
As soon as Qian Tong appeared, a powerful Divine Sense immediately locked onto the position of the handsome young man. Without even speaking any words, Qian Tong expanded his Domain and engulfed the young man, wrapping him in a field of wind blades that crashed towards him.
The cultivation of this young man was not high, only First-Order Origin Returning Realm, so Qian Tong didn’t even need to make a conscious attack as his Domain was enough to strangle him to death.
The young man, however, let out a fierce laugh as he shouted, “Humble ants, bear the supreme anger of this King!”
As these words fell, he opened his mouth and spat out a verdant coloured aura. This dark green aura twisted before condensing into a long sword emblazoned with complicated runes that made one dizzy just by staring at them.
This green long sword immediately and silently slashed through the air.
A shocking scene then appeared as Qian Tong’s Domain was directly smashed by this sword, shattering to pieces instantly.
At the same time, both Qian Tong and Yang Kai’s complexions changed dramatically. In their vision, the verdant long sword mysteriously vanished and broke through their Soul defences before directly entering their Knowledge Seas. Transforming back into the appearance of a sword, it slashed down like a bolt of lightning.
In an instant, both Yang Kai and Qian Tong felt their Knowledge Seas cut in half by this attack, raising a great storm in their minds.
The strength of their Spiritual Energy was instantly ground down.
Yang Kai and Qian Tong felt they had instantly lost more than a third of their Spiritual Energy.
Both of them cried out as their heads felt like they were being split in half, their vision blurring and almost passing out.
Both their complexions went pale as they had not expected their opponent to still have such a powerful card to play, hurriedly pushing their Saint Qi to defend themselves in anticipation of a follow-up attack.
After the young man released this attack, however, his face also turned white and his entire body trembled uncontrollably. He was about to take advantage of this opening to cut down Yang Kai and Qian Tong, but in the end, he was strong in will but weak in strength.
Fiercely cursing, the young man’s body suddenly exploded into dust and disappeared.
However, as it did, a Soul rushed out and wrapped around the green long sword before cutting open a Void Crack and fleeing into it.
Yang Kai stared in the direction this Soul fled, doing his best to try to track it, but a strange field had somehow blocked off the surrounding region, making it impossible for him to follow it.
Feeling the fierce, piercing pain in his head again, Yang Kai could not help crying out and quickly took out a jade bottle. Pouring out several pills, he gave half to Qian Tong before stuffing the remainder into his mouth, sitting down cross-legged, and meditating.
Upon seeing this, Qian Tong quickly stuffed these pills into his mouth and also closed his eyes to adjust his breathing.
After a full day, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes, a trace of fear still lingering in the depths of his eyes.
He had the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, so even though his Soul was damaged, it did not matter much as given enough time it would be restored.
On the contrary, Qian Tong seemed to have suffered significant damage. Even though he was an Origin King, having suffered a blow like this, he would need at least half a year to heal himself.
As if sensing Yang Kai’s gaze, Qian Tong also opened his eyes, his face slightly pale, and paused for a moment before asking, “Did he get away?”
Yang Kai nodded silently.
Qian Tong sighed heavily, “A terrible opponent indeed. This old master thought he was already invincible on Shadowed Star after breaking through to the Origin King Realm but now I have suffered such a big loss at his hands. En, there are so many astonishing talents out there still. What kind of artifact was that? Why was it so powerful?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before replying, “It was probably an Emperor Artifact.”
“Emperor Artifact?” Qian Tong frowned before checking their surroundings thoughtfully and nodding, “That makes sense, there is indeed a faint Emperor Pressure lingering here, but why does it feel like this Emperor Pressure is different from the one emitted by the Emperor Garden?”
Yang Kai glanced at him as he mused to himself that there was more than one Great Emperor-level existence in this world, but he held his tongue.
It was this faint Emperor Pressure which had blocked Yang Kai’s tracing, allowing the Religion Master to escape.
After losing track of the Religion Master and considering the methods he used, finding him now would be quite difficult.
This time’s action could not be considered a success, but within a short time, the Religion Master should not be able to show himself; after all, he had also suffered heavy losses. The last attack he launched with that Emperor Artifact no doubt caused significant backlash for him. Otherwise, he would not have waited so long to use it.
Qian Tong obviously knew this, so he did not bother asking Yang Kai to continue this pursuit. After thinking about it for a moment, he proposed, “Although we let him escape, Corpse Spirit Religion still needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. We should first return to Grand Burial Valley and destroy that Corpse Cave. When this old master passed through it, he felt many Corpse Spirits sleeping inside.”
“En, I was thinking the same,” Yang Kai agreed with him.
After a brief discussion, the pair set off immediately in the direction of Grand Burial Valley.
Three days later, the two returned to Grand Burial Valley. The Corpse Spirits inside the valley had suffered serious losses thanks to Qian Tong’s earlier rampage, but they had not been completely wiped out. However, the remaining Corpse Spirits had seemingly escaped, leaving behind only the ones who had yet to fully transform inside the Corpse Cave.
Before Qian Tong destroyed the Corpse Cave, Yang Kai once again returned to the Underworld Well Spring to see if there was any way he could destroy it. This was the true source of the Corpse Spirit Race, so as long as it could be destroyed, the Corpse Spirit Race would no longer be able to increase their numbers, leaving only the remnants outside to clean up before Shadowed Star would once again have its peace restored.
However, to his disappointment, Yang Kai found it was impossible to destroy the Underworld Well Spring. It seemed this spring was connected to another world out of which Yin, Death, and Corpse Qi flowed continuously.
Rumour had it that the Underworld Well Spring connected to the netherworld!
The only way to destroy the bridge would be to enter it and sever the connection from the inside.
Yang Kai didn’t dare take such a risk though and could only take a step back, joining forces with Qian Tong to temporarily seal the Underworld Well Spring before collapsing the Corpse Cave, killing the incomplete Corpse Spirits inside in the process.
Ten days later, Yang Kai and Qian Tong returned to High Heaven Sect.
After briefly informing Ye Xi Yun and the other leaders about what had transpired, even Great Elder Ye was shocked, not having imagined there was such a strong method that allowed one continuously use Soul Seizing in this world.
The rest of the Elders also sighed.
“Sect Master, does that mean this Religion Master is immortal?” Ye Xi Yun frowned.
“That’s not the case. Although his seizing technique is profound and hard to be traced, it does some damage to him. This is obvious considering the targets he chose to possess. However, finding him again after he escaped this time will be exceedingly difficult,” Yang Kai sighed.
Ye Xi Yun nodded lightly, “Although the Religion Master was not beheaded this time, it is enough that the Underworld Well Spring has been sealed. Presumably, the Corpse Spirit Race will not be able to increase their numbers again, so it is time for us to begin our counterattack.”
Yang Kai glanced at her and smiled slightly, “What does Great Elder propose?”
“Take advantage of the victory!” Ye Xi Yun quickly said, “Shadowed Star’s situation has been deteriorating over the past two years was because the Corpse Spirit Race were a completely unfamiliar foe and they had the means to transform our own fallen into their comrades. Another reason is that the great forces of Shadowed Star all fought separately, allowing them to be defeated one by one. Now, however, things are different. With Sect Master’s return, along with our Origin King Grade Starship and Elder Qian’s breakthrough to the Origin King Realm, as long as you two stand up to take the lead, with the reputations and status of High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall, it should not be hard to unify Shadowed Star against the Corpse Spirit Races.”
“This old master has no objections. Shadowed Star is this old master’s homeland, so he is duty-bound to protect it,” Qian Tong said immediately.
Ye Xi Yun turned her sights to Yang Kai next.
“I’m also fine with it,” Yang Kai chuckled, “Great Elder and Elder Qian can take charge. The Sect’s resources and manpower are yours to deploy. I’ll contribute whatever I can.”
“Since Sect Master wants to loaf around, so be it. We’ll proceed as proposed,” Ye Xi Yun was a decisive woman and immediately made her decision.
Next came discussions about how exactly to go about uniting the remaining masters on Shadowed Star, how to establish a command structure which would be respected, and how to eliminate Corpse Spirit Religion…
In fact, things were quite simple. The prestige of High Heaven Sect was not low, and coupled with Qian Tong’s current identity as an Origin King, all that needed to be done was for the latter to raise his voice and others would surely rally.
With these two forces taking the lead, coupled with the Origin King Grade Starship, it would not be a difficult matter to gather up and rescue the masters and Sects who were besieged by Corpse Spirit Religion. As time passed, like a rolling snowball, they would be able to sweep across all of Shadowed Star and wipe out Corpse Spirit Religion!
Ye Xi Yun also prepared people to spread the word to all of Shadowed Star that the mysterious Religion Master of Corpse Spirit Religion had been killed by Yang Kai and Qian Tong!
Although this news was false, no one would doubt it, and right now, the Religion Master only wanted to conceal his whereabouts, so there was no chance of him showing himself to discredit them.
This news would greatly impact the morale of the Corpse Spirit Race and the Human cultivators who had submitted to Corpse Spirit Religion, making eliminating them all the easier.
Yang Kai did not participate in these discussions and instead went to visit Yang Yan again.
“It seems he really was the Insect Emperor!” Inside Yang Yan’s Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai sat face to face with her and wore a thoughtful look on his face, “The Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insect is one of the Ancient Insects he cultivated using a profound Secret Technique, and that Soul Splitting Saber is his artifact. Unexpectedly, he actually survived that battle; it seems I was negligent.”
“So his original title was Insect Emperor!” Yang Kai nodded.
“En, because the focus of his cultivation was on controlling different Ancient Exotic Insects. He is able to attach threads of his Soul to any insect he cultivates, allowing him to jump and take possession through them multiple times. The Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insect is just one kind of Exotic Insect in his possession and is not actually that big of a deal. It can only be used to control others. He has other more powerful methods in his hands. With those methods, he could raise a reign of terror throughout the Star Field, leaving countless corpses in his wake!”
Yang Kai could not help trembling slightly as he realized Yang Yan was not talking about a single Cultivation Star, but rather the entire Star Field.
Yang Yan smiled lightly, however, “You don’t need to be so nervous. In order to control certain powerful Exotic Insects, he needs a correspondingly powerful cultivation. Right now, he is only a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, so how could he possibly control so many Exotic Insects? Even using the Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insect in such a reckless manner must have caused quite a backlash for him, so believe me when I say he won’t show himself again for a few years at least.”
“As long as he’s alive, he’s still a disaster waiting to happen!” Yang Kai frowned.
Yang Kai was very wary of the Insect Emperor as he was a character on the same level as Yang Yan, so who knows what he was capable of?
Yang Yan narrowed her eyes slightly as she spoke, “I have a way to help you kill him!”
“Oh? What way?” Yang Kai looked up at her.
Yang Yan did not speak and instead reached out to grab towards the void.
Inside Yang Yan’s Knowledge Sea, a beautiful ball of multi-coloured light manifested atop her palm, after which she immediately pressed her hand against Yang Kai’s forehead.
She did not move quickly or slowly, seemingly just carelessly waving her hand, but Yang Kai was unable to react until the ball of light in Yang Yan’s hand had already entered his Soul Avatar and disappeared, shocking him as he asked, “What was that?”
Yang Yan smiled lightly and simply said, “You’ll know after refining it.”
The moment after Yang Yan spoke, Yang Kai felt a wild aura suddenly explode inside his Soul Avatar. This was a kind of strength he was unable to resist, and it forced his Soul Avatar to collapse directly and return to his main body.
The next moment, when he opened his eyes, what Yang Kai saw was not the inside of the small loft, but an empty and chaotic space, with absolutely nothing, not even light around him. He could not even sense his own existence.
Yang Kai was startled, not knowing where he was, but he was not someone unfamiliar with great storms, so he did not panic and instead began calmly examining his surroundings.
It was not long before traces of substance appeared inside the vast nothingness, and as this substance gathered together, it gradually grew larger and larger.
After some unmeasurable amount of time passed, a massive star appeared in Yang Kai’s field of vision. This star had no vitality, not even simple plants, a barren Dead Star by all accounts.
Staring at this massive star, however, Yang Kai felt it was a little familiar.
“Shadowed Star!” An epiphany struck Yang Kai as he observed Shadowed Star from the Starry Sky. It had the size and appearance of the current Shadowed Star, but none of the vitality.
“I understand now,” Yang Kai had not comprehended what Yang Yan had done to him until this moment, and feeling grateful in his heart, he quickly focused his attention to fully grasp this extremely rare and precious opportunity.
In his disembodied state, Yang Kai was unable to perceive the passage of time at all. It seemed that only a moment had gone by, while at the same time hundreds of millions of years had passed. Finally, traces of life began to appear on the dead Shadowed Star, the sea ebbed and flowed while plants and greenery began filling the land. Soon, flesh and blood creatures were also born.
One by one, different races rose, carving their mark into the long river of history before disappearing once more.
Many different civilizations rose and fell as Yang Kai looked on.
He felt auras from ancient and primordial times, and as he observed these epochs change, part of them seemed to integrate into his being, as if he had passed through all the aeons together with this star.
He witnessed its birth, development, peaks and troughs with his own eyes…
Gradually, Yang Kai began to have a peculiar feeling that he was this star, and the star was him!
A Star Master!
Only a Star Master would experience such a sensation.
When Xia Ning Chang refined the Star Source of Tong Xuan Realm, Yang Kai had accompanied and assisted her, granting him the opportunity to observe the evolution and development of Tong Xuan Realm, so now seeing such a similar scene again, how could he not understand?
This was clearly the process one needed to undertake when refining a Star Source and become a Star Master!
Yang Kai opened his eyes and a strange feeling filled his heart.
It was as if all of Shadowed Star had become a part of his body. He could feel any piece of land on Shadowed Star he wanted to, perceive the fertility or barrenness of any location on this Cultivation Star and discover any creature living upon it!
If he wanted to, he could easily reach any place on Shadowed Star without any restrictions, and if he so desired, he could cause the sky to fall, the earth to crack, or tsunamis to rise with but a single thought…
Clenching his fist lightly, Yang Kai felt the entire world’s aura shake slightly as a bell-like sound echoed across the sky.
At that moment, the trillions of lives on Shadowed Star shook as they looked up towards the Heavens, wondering what had just happened.
Shadowed Star underwent a very subtle change when Yang Kai became its Star Master. This change was indistinct and only a few masters were even aware of it, everyone else remaining completely ignorant.
From now on, Shadowed Star’s prosperity would be tied closely to Yang Kai’s, and with the improvement of his cultivation, the vitality of all of Shadowed Star would also burgeon more and more radiantly.
Yang Kai examined himself and found that inside his dantian there was now a tiny sphere which resembled Shadowed Star, only shrunk down hundreds of millions of times. It sat in place there, spinning at a subtle speed.
[Star Source Strength!]
If one wanted to become the Star Master of a Cultivation Star, they would first need to refine that Cultivation Star’s Star Source, and what Yang Yan had implanted into his body before was undoubtedly the Star Source of Shadowed Star.
From the miniature Shadowed Star, Yang Kai felt a subtle power nourish his body with every rotation it made, while at the same time drawing on his power to strengthen itself.
This was a mutually beneficial, symbiotic process.
While Yang Kai was extremely excited and happy, he also had many doubts.
Had he really just become the Star Master of Shadowed Star? The lord and ruler of this vast Cultivation Star?
He simply could not adapt to this new reality so quickly. Little Senior Sister becoming the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm had much to do with luck. Tong Xuan Realm’s aura was barren, just like a dying old man struggling to live on, which was why Tong Xuan Realm’s Star Source had sought out Xia Ning Chang on its own and allowed her to refine it.
But Shadowed Star was different. Even if the World Principles here had a suppressive effect that made it impossible for cultivators to comprehend the mysteries of the Origin King Realm, it was still a vibrant Cultivation Star. If Tong Xuan Realm was akin to a dying old man, then Shadowed Star was a youth filled with vigour and vitality.
In order to refine the Star Source of such a Cultivation Star, one would usually need to be a Third-Order Origin King, otherwise, it would simply be impossible!
Luo Hai being able to become a Star Master while still just a Second-Order Origin King was a unique achievement across the entire Star Field.
As if understanding Yang Kai’s suspicions, Yang Yan’s voice suddenly echoed in his Knowledge Sea, “The Star Source of Shadowed Star was detained by me for over ten thousand years, but now I allowed it to be free of my control. Why wouldn’t it cooperate with you?”
Yang Kai was stunned.
Yang Yan giggled, “Rest assured, its temper was smoothed out many years ago. It wasn’t so docile back then, therefore, I imprisoned it to teach it a lesson.”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly as he now understood the reason behind his easy success. Anyone who had been imprisoned for ten thousand years would have become obedient. Although the Star Source was not intelligent, it understood instinctually that it was unable to resist Yang Yan’s means and could only compromise.
Obtaining the position of Star Master so easily and simply still baffled Yang Kai greatly.
Furrowing his brow, Yang Kai expanded his Divine Sense. A tidal wave of Divine Sense spread out from his position and within moments covered most of the Shadowed Star.
Yang Kai noticed many ongoing battles in various locations as if he was seeing them with his own eyes.
However, the Spiritual Energy in his Knowledge Sea was also being drained at an alarming rate.
After Yang Kai took back his Divine Sense, he was shocked to find that his Knowledge Sea had been drained by a third after just five breaths.
This meant he could only monitor Shadowed Star for fifteen breaths before his Knowledge Sea dried up completely, and that was not even a comprehensive monitoring! After realizing this, Yang Kai could not help feeling stunned. Although he only had a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, his Soul’s strength was comparable to an ordinary Origin King’s. He also possessed a supreme treasure like the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, so generally speaking, it was impossible for his Knowledge Sea to be completely drained.
Apparently, even if he had become a Star Master, he still could not act as he pleased without the corresponding strength.
For now, though, it was enough.
“I need to go deal with some minor troubles. I’ll come see you later,” Yang Kai said, and before Yang Yan could reply, his figure flickered and disappeared.
Somewhere a hundred thousand kilometres away from High Heaven Sect, a group of Corpse Spirit Religion disciples were attacking a group of Human cultivators who were struggling to resist.
Ever since High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall jointly issued a call to arms, all of Shadowed Star had risen in revolt against Corpse Spirit Religion.
Under the leadership of Ye Xi Yun and Qian Tong, Corpse Spirit Religion’s armies were steadily forced back, and the Corpse Spirit Race suffered numerous casualties. The cultivators who had lost their homes and foundations spontaneously gathered and launched assaults on Corpse Spirit Religion’s strongholds and slowly re-took their homelands.
Without the Corpse Cave to transform new clansmen, every Corpse Spirit that was killed meant there would forever be one less of them. Additionally, rumours that the mysterious Religion Master was dead and all the senior leadership of the religion being slaughtered spread like wildfire, causing Corpse Spirit Religion’s will to resist to break.
The Human Race forces swept forth with unstoppable momentum, smashing Corpse Spirit Religion’s army wherever they went.
Over eighty percent of the Sects which had lost their headquarters had already retaken them! Everything was proceeding steadily. Leaving behind just enough manpower to protect their headquarters from any counterattack Corpse Spirit Religion launched, all other masters were deployed to the front lines.
Everyone took Corpse Spirit Religion extremely seriously, knowing that it would surely resurface in the future if they failed to eradicate it this time.
Most forces on Shadowed Star contributed to the fight to destroy Corpse Spirit Religion!
Now, a common sight on Shadowed Star was the remaining Corpse Spirit Race forces being exposed from their hiding places, causing thousands of Human Race cultivators to converge and besiege them.
Although the Corpse Spirit Race at this particular place numbered less than a thousand, like cornered beasts, they fought back fiercely, making the situation quite dangerous. What’s more, every member of the Corpse Spirit Race was originally transformed from a dead cultivator, so they did not fear pain and their physical bodies were incredibly strong, making them difficult to kill unless their Corpse Core was destroyed. In general, a human cultivator in the same realm as a Corpse Spirit was completely outmatched in combat.
Thousands of people had surrounded this group of Corpse Spirits in a small mountain valley, but did not dare to launch a comprehensive attack, instead choosing to maintain some distance and slowly whittle away at the enemy forces.
The Corpse Spirit Race clansmen clearly understood their enemy’s intentions, so how could they just sit still and accept their fate? Organizing themselves into multiple waves, they continuously tried to break out of the encirclement. Although they suffered many casualties, they also took a large number of lives in the process.
The two sides had been locked in a virtual stalemate for some time now, with the Corpse Spirit Race group knowing the end was near, causing them to become even fiercer than normal, while the Human Race cultivators became increasingly hesitant and scrupulous about their approach.
Just when the masters from the human side were feeling at a loss about how to proceed, a young man suddenly appeared strangely in the sky above the mountain valley.
His arrival was so sudden and without any prior signs that he was already standing mid-air by the time anyone discovered his existence.
The young man glanced down at the mountain valley below, raised his hand, and gently palmed forward.
This action seemed light and casual, as if he was swatting away a fly.
However, as he palmed, the World Energy in the surrounding region madly gathered towards him and condensed into a massive attack that covered the entire mountain valley.
This palm soon covered the entire sky and slammed down like a great thunderclap.
*Honglong…*
The ground shook violently, and the thousands of Human Race cultivators could barely stay on their feet.
At that next moment, everyone paled in shock.
They clearly witnessed that the nearly thousand Corpse Spirit Race clansmen whom they had been helpless to eliminate were almost all flattened into pools of hashed meat and bone under this giant palm.
Ninety-nine percent of the enemy died in an instant, with only a few who managed to survive by luck; however, even these survivors were heavily wounded and could barely stand on the spot, trembling as they stared up into the sky in horror.
The young man who stood there now looked like an ancient god who could control the world itself!
After delivering that palm, the young man’s figure flickered and disappeared, as if he had never been there at all.
However, the giant palm print which spanned the mountain valley down below, and the dead Corpse Spirit Race clansmen before them proved to all the Human Race cultivators that what they just witnessed wasn’t some kind of illusion.
“Who was that? How did he do that?”
“With the power of that palm, it must have been Hall Master Qian of Shadow Moon Hall, right? I heard that Hall Master Qian is already an Origin King. Or does Shadowed Star have a second Origin King now?”
“No, five months ago, this old master was fortunate enough to witness the terrifying methods of Hall Master Qian, but that palm just now was definitely stronger!”
“How could that be? Are you trying to say that there’s someone on Shadowed Star stronger than Hall Master Qian? I don’t believe it.”
“Haha, I know who that person is, he’s High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master Yang Kai! I met him once before, back when he still lived on Dragon Cave Mountain.”
“He’s High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master?”
Everyone suddenly understood and could not help feeling that the rumours they had heard were true. High Heaven Sect rising to become one of the most powerful Sects on Shadowed Star was not without reason. With such a powerful Sect Master, what worry was there the Sect would not rise?
“Enough idle chatter, there are still a few fish who slipped through the net. Sect Master Yang already solved our biggest problem for us, so we need to clean up the rest, or do you want to bother him to come back and deliver another palm for us?”
The group of masters who had assembled nodded in agreement before stepping towards the few surviving Corpse Spirit Race clansmen, clear malicious intent pulsing from their bodies!
As for the Corpse Spirit Race survivors, they all silently complained that they should have just been patted to death earlier and been done with it!
Looking around at all the enemies gathering towards them, the remaining Corpse Spirit Race clansmen felt despair…
Having experienced all the conveniences of being a Star Master, Yang Kai could not help feeling a little excited.
No wonder those Third-Order Origin King masters aimed to refine a Star Source and become a Star Master. Once one became a Star Master of a Cultivation Star, they could arrive anywhere on that star with a simple thought. This was much faster and more convenient than using a Space Array.
Moreover, after becoming a Star Master, there were many other benefits. Yang Kai had not had time to carefully explore all these though, so he wasn’t entirely clear on their full extent for the time being.
However, this alone was enough. Wherever he went, the Corpse Spirit Race had nowhere to escape. A casual palm was always sufficient to sweep away any group of Corpse Spirits.
Now that he was the master of Shadowed Star, who on the planet could resist him? Not even Qian Tong was qualified.
In just half a day, Yang Kai had crisscrossed half of Shadowed Star, killing all the Corpse Spirit Race’s forces he could find.
Many times, Yang Kai had already moved on before the nearby human cultivators had even figured out what was happening, leaving behind confused but jubilant people everywhere.
Beside the Limitless Ocean, a group of Human Race cultivators, who seemed to have been separated from the main army, were fleeing the pursuit of a dozen Corpse Spirits.
The Corpse Spirit Race had suffered greatly this past year. The powerful Corpse Generals were cut down by Qian Tong and the Elders of High Heaven Sect one by one. Rumours of the Religion Master’s demise also filled the air. Suppressed by the united Human Race front, the remaining Corpse Spirits were forced to retreat all the way to the Limitless Ocean, where they were now trying to escape into the vast sea and seek out a final chance to survive.
However, things did not go as they wanted. Qian Tong and Ye Xi Yun had been pursuing Corpse Spirit Religion doggedly this past year and had now surrounded them, cutting off their last avenue of retreat, making it impossible for them to enter the Limitless Ocean.
The current Corpse Spirit Religion was on its last leg, a mere shadow of its former glory.
The remaining Corpse Spirits could only look for those cultivators who were alone or in small groups to vent their anger on.
This group of eight Human Race cultivators was rather unlucky. After having just separated from the main army, they ran into this group of Corpse Spirits that both outnumbered them and exceeded them in strength. While suffering a few casualties, this group of Human Race cultivators had no choice but to flee towards the safety of the human army. At the head of this group was a charming and enchanting woman with a seductive figure that swayed greatly as she ran. Under the pursuit of these Corpse Spirits, her beautiful face had long ago gone pale though. While running away, she constantly poured her Divine Sense into a communication artifact in her hand, hoping to reach her Elders who could then come to their aid.
Another scream rang out from behind, causing the woman to look back and tremble at the scene she saw.
One of her companions had been overtaken by several Corpse Spirits and knocked to the ground. These cruel and vicious monsters did not kill this fallen man directly, swarming him and ripping apart his body with their sharp teeth instead.
The terrified cries for help this man let loose nearly caused the lead woman’s knees to buckle as she shivered violently.
Soon, this voice grew weak, and after the few Corpse Spirits finished their meal, they resumed their pursuit with even more fervour than before, pulling closer and closer with each passing moment.
Thinking how her tender flesh would soon enter the belly of one of these hideous Corpse Spirits just like her companion’s, leaving her as nothing but a pile of dry bones, the woman’s beautiful eyes filled with terror and helplessness.
This feeling of despair made her feet feel as heavy as lead and her Saint Qi unable to circulate smoothly, slowing her pace greatly.
As the Corpse Spirits got closer, she could even smell a strong scent of fresh blood.
The woman could not help calling out in alarm.
At that moment, a flash suddenly appeared in front of her and a hand stretched out towards her. Only feeling a light breeze brush past her cheek, the young woman was stunned as a young man before her and snapped his fingers, causing the dozen or so Corpse Spirits who had been pursuing her to explode into puffs of smoke.
The catastrophe which had best her was resolved in an instant.
The woman stared at the figure in front of her blankly as a feeling of disbelief after surviving certain death filled her heart.
“Yang Kai?”
Her voice was still trembling, and her face was still pale, obviously not having regained her composure yet.
Hearing this woman call this name, the other Human Race cultivators together with her were taken aback for a moment before they immediately directed excited looks towards Yang Kai.
They had naturally heard Yang Kai’s name before, but none of them had actually seen him up close before. Now, High Heaven Sect’s famous Sect Master had come to rescue them personally, so they felt immensely grateful.
“Yin Su Die?” Yang Kai returned the woman’s stare and frowned as he asked, “Why are you here? Where’s your Master?”
This young woman was none other than Yin Su Die of Coloured Glass Sect.
In Coloured Glass Sect, she had been considered the leader of the younger generation and few were able to resist the Beguiling Techniques she cultivated; however, facing the Corpse Spirit Race, her Beguiling Techniques played no role whatsoever, so even though she had a First-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivation, the strength she was able to display in combat against this strange race was limited.
If this was not the case, she wouldn’t have been in such a dire situation.
Yin Su Die smiled reluctantly and replied obediently, “Master is in Cape Town!”
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and soon found a large number of cultivators gathered in a city a few tens of thousands of kilometres away. This should be the Cape Town Yin Su Die mentioned, a city close to the edge of the Limitless Ocean.
“Why aren’t you accompanying your Master? What did you run out here to do?” Yang Kai asked, somewhat displeased.
Although the Human Race occupied the winning side and the Corpse Spirit Race was completely suppressed on all sides, it was still perilous to act alone, especially at the boundary of the Limitless Ocean.
Yang Kai did not like Yin Su Die very much, but she was still considered a disciple of High Heaven Sect now, so it was his duty to reprimand her as the Sect Master.
Yin Su Die was suddenly struck speechless.
When Yang Kai was still an unknown character, she had taken some malicious actions against him, but now things were different. Yin Su Die knew better than anyone of the gap between Yang Kai and herself. If Yang Kai now stood atop the clouds, she was still stuck on the ground, only able to look up to him.
She deeply envied that ugly Senior Sister Dai Yuan of hers and often wondered just what kind of means she had used to win Yang Kai’s care.
It was also precisely because of Yang Kai’s attitude that Yin Su Die’s Honoured Master Gong Ao Fu now favoured her Senior Sister Dai Yuan more and more, and had gradually pushed her away over the past year.
“Forget it,” Yang Kai waved his hand, not interested in delving into this situation any further. Sweeping his eyes over the other cultivators present, Yang Kai found that they were all young men.
This group had obviously been enchanted by Yin Su Die’s beauty and willingly followed behind her.
Yang Kai was clear of Yin Su Die’s methods and even noticed some of these young men staring warily towards him.
“I’ll send you back to where Elder Gong is,” Yang Kai said as he waved his hand to wrap his Saint Qi around Yin Su Die.
What Yang Kai didn’t expect was that Yin Su Die would use this chance to leap into his chest and wrap her hands around his waist, like an innocent young girl, embracing him tightly without the slightest shame, her soft peaks pressing up against him, showcasing their amazing elasticity.
Yang Kai shook his head wryly but did not push her away immediately, simply wrapping the rest of the cultivators nearby in his Saint Qi before directly teleporting to Cape Town.
Upon arriving, Yang Kai gently tapped Yin Su Die on the shoulder and said, “We’re here.”
After saying so, not waiting for her to respond, Yang Kai simply vanished again.
Yin Su Die yelped slightly, but upon looking around, she discovered she really had returned to the familiar Cape Town.
Her hands now embracing nothing but air, Yin Su Die could not help feeling a little lost.
Cape Town was fairly large, but it was fully occupied at the moment. Yang Kai found Ye Xi Yun and Qian Tong in the city shortly after arriving and only after talking to them did he learn of the current situation.
Yang Kai had not felt time pass while refining the Star Source, but apparently, more than a year had gone by since he began.
Over the course of this year, High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall had united most of Shadowed Star and basically uprooted the Corpse Spirit Religion. The remaining Corpse Spirits wanted to escape into the Limitless Ocean, but were blocked on all sides, forcing them to retreat to a certain mountain range about thirty thousand kilometres away from Cape Town.
Qian Tong had ventured into that mountain range several times and killed many, but some Corpse Spirits had concealed themselves too deeply, so even he was unable to route them out to the last, causing him quite a headache.
Shadowed Star’s peace had basically been restored, with roughly eighty percent of the remaining Corpse Spirit Race forces hiding in this one mountain range. As long as these Corpse Spirits here were eliminated, the scattered remnants outside wouldn’t be worthy of fear. At that time, there would be no need for High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall to come forward, these scattered Corpse Spirits would be hunted down by the respective strength of the other Sects eventually.
“In that case…” Yang Kai grinned after understanding the situation. “I’ll go.”
“Do you have a way?” Qian Tong looked at him in surprise. When they met this time, Qian Tong instinctually felt something about Yang Kai had changed, but he could not say what that change was exactly. As far as he could tell, Yang Kai was still a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator, but he now gave off an extremely dangerous feeling.
Qian Tong felt that if he were to fight Yang Kai now, the one who would die would certainly be him.
Feeling so caused Qian Tong to become curious, as he was unable to figure out why.
“When the time comes, you’ll know,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, keeping Qian Tong in suspense.
“I’ll go with you,” Qian Tong quickly said.
Yang Kai nodded, stood up, and suddenly said to Ye Xi Yun, “Let the people gathered in Cape Town disperse. After these few years of turmoil, all of them will need time to rest and recuperate. There’s no need to waste any more time here.”
Ye Xi Yun was slightly taken aback, but quickly nodded in compliance.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand and grabbed Qian Tong’s arm next before the two disappeared so rapidly from Ye Xi Yun’s sight that even she was unable to detect any trace of how they moved.
Ye Xi Yun’s expression fluctuated a few times before she suddenly chuckled lightly and muttered, “So that’s how it is!”
Obviously, she realized something at that moment.
After composing herself, she took out her communication artifact, poured her Divine Sense into it, and issued the appropriate orders.
Shortly after, the human cultivators gathered in Cape Town received word from High Heaven Sect saying the remaining Corpse Spirits had been wiped out and they were free to return to their respective Sects to recover!
The cultivators of the various Sects who received this news began running around, trying to confirm whether it was true or not, and it was not long before the Elders of Shadow Moon Hall and High Heaven Sect came forward to authenticate the information.
Although no one was clear how the remaining Corpse Spirits had suddenly been wiped out, the Human Race cultivators still celebrated the fact that Shadowed Star’s crisis had been resolved. Choosing to trust High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall, these cultivators began dispersing and preparing for the difficult task of rebuilding their respective Sects.
Rebuilding a Sect was no easy task and may take several dozen or even hundreds of years of hard work. However, the top priority of all Sects and small family forces in the near future was to forge good relationships with High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall. In the future, these two forces would undoubtedly be the leaders of Shadowed Star.
During this catastrophe, High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall had quickly accumulated fame far surpassing that of Heaven Battling Union, Thunder Typhoon Sect, and even Star Emperor Mountain. The two great forces were now the most powerful and most prestigious on Shadowed Star.
It could be said that the Corpse Spirit Religion crisis was the catalyst for High Heaven Sect and Shadow Moon Hall’s rapid rise!
A light flashed in front of the Cape Mountain Range and Qian Tong and Yang Kai appeared side by side.
Qian Tong gawked at Yang Kai, almost speechless in shock.
He was now an Origin King, a realm higher than Yang Kai, but he still could not figure out how Yang Kai brought them here.
This definitely was not a pure Space Force Secret Technique!
After pondering for a moment, Qian Tong suddenly came up with a shocking speculation and asked, “Did you refine Shadowed Star’s Source and became its Star Master?”
Only by becoming a Star Master could Yang Kai have brought them from Cape Town in an instant without Qian Tong recognizing how. Coupled with the subtle changes Shadowed Star underwent only a day ago, Qian Tong was almost certain his guess was correct.
“Haha, Elder Qian is quite sharp. I have indeed refined Shadowed Star’s Source,” Yang Kai did not deny it. In any case, this kind of thing could not be concealed, and Qian Tong was not an outsider.
Qian Tong’s jaw dropped but soon he let out a sigh as a complicated expression filled his face, “Unexpectedly, you actually walked a step further than this old master already. One must truly respect the young!”
He was happy for Yang Kai, but also quite shocked.
“It was just luck,” Yang Kai did not reveal the slightest arrogance. Being able to refine the Star Source was entirely because of Yang Yan. Otherwise, Yang Kai would have had to reach at least the Third-Order Origin King Realm before attempting this feat. Shadowed Star’s Source had been imprisoned in Yang Yan’s Knowledge Sea for over ten thousand years, so when it was given a chance to leave by fusing with Yang Kai, it complied with great enthusiasm.
This was indeed a matter of luck.
“In that case, this old master will just sit back and watch,” Qian Tong chuckled, quickly composing himself and not even showing any jealousy or envy as he took a step back and relaxed.
Yang Kai didn’t bother with any nonsense either, expanding his Divine Sense rapidly to cover every part of the Cape Mountain Range in front of him and locating every Corpse Spirit Race clansman inside. After confirming the position of his targets, Yang Kai raised his hands slowly towards the sky.
As his hands rose, the entire Cape Mountain Range trembled, and a violent sound rang out from inside. It was like the beating of a thousand war drums that spread to every corner of the Cape Mountain Range.
Visible to the naked eye, the entire mountain range which stretched over a hundred thousand kilometres slowly began to rise.
Qian Tong sucked in a cool breath as he felt a deep sense of yearning in his heart.
This was the power of a Star Master. With a single thought, one could transform the world itself, moving mountains and seas…
Moreover, Yang Kai’s actions didn’t destroy this mountain range, otherwise, he could have just completely flattened it.
Even if Qian Tong exerted all of his strength, he could not recreate this scene.
The sudden change in Cape Mountain Rang clearly alarmed the Corpse Spirit Race clansmen hiding inside, and all of them rapidly tried to fly up to investigate the situation, but soon, they were shocked to discover that the entire mountain range was covered in a strange, invisible force that prevented them from flying or even escaping from their underground hiding places.
This place, which had been their last refuge, was now an inescapable cage.
The various Corpse Spirits cried out in panic, none of them understanding what was going on.
A few breaths later, once Cape Mountain Range had risen about ten metres, Yang Kai exhaled softly and pushed his palm down rapidly.
*Honglong…*
In that instant, the hundred-thousand-kilometre long mountain crashed to the ground.
The earth shook violently as a deafening impact sounded from the mountain range, alongside a myriad of explosions. At this moment, all the surrounding World Energy seemed to be turned into a giant hammer that pounded down on the Corpse Spirits trapped here.
*Peng peng peng peng…*
All of the Corpse Spirit Race clansmen exploded into dust and disappeared.
After the noise subsided, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense again and confirmed that there was no trace of the Corpse Spirit Race left in Cape Mountain Range. The thousands of Corpse Spirits who had fled here were all eliminated without exception.
Qian Tong stared in shock for a long while before finally letting out a long breath, “It seems this catastrophe has ended.”
“Only after killing Corpse Spirit Religion’s Religion Master can you feel completely relieved,” Yang Kai smiled lightly.
“I’ll let you handle that, as for this old master… En, after you kill him, this old master will tell you about it, there is no need to pay it any mind at this point.”
Qian Tong obviously wanted to say something, but since he did not want to bring it up now, Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t force him to.
The two separated right after, with Qian Tong heading back to Shadow Moon Hall to take charge of the reconstruction while Yang Kai flew out into the Limitless Ocean. He intended to track down the Insect Emperor and erase him completely from this world.
While he was dealing with the remnants of the Corpse Spirit Race, Yang Kai had constantly been searching for the aura of the Insect Emperor, but to his disappointment, he never found it.
As such, Yang Kai focused his attention on the Limitless Ocean, believing that his judgment was not wrong.
Shadowed Star was huge, and since the great forces stationed on land and the great forces established on the sea had little in common with one another, they seldom interacted. It was for this reason that, although Corpse Spirit Religion had raised a reign of terror on the inland Sects of Shadowed Star, causing massive amounts of destruction and death, the deep-sea Sects had basically remained unaffected.
This was also why the Corpse Spirit Race had wanted to flee into the Limitless Ocean to avoid the hunt of the inland Sects.
Yang Kai had been to the Limitless Ocean before. When he left the Emperor Garden, he had accidentally been dropped here, but he was eager to return to the Sect at that time and had left right away.
This trip was different. Yang Kai was here searching for the whereabouts of the Insect Emperor, so, as he sped along, he had an opportunity to experience the local customs, which differed greatly from those of the inland Sects.
The great forces of the Limitless Ocean were not to be underestimated. Many island Sects had powerful Third-Order Origin Returning Realm masters presiding over them.
However, now that Yang Kai had become Shadowed Star’s Star Master, whether it was on land or sea, it made no difference to him, he could easily control everything around him.
Sunrise Island belonged to the most powerful Limitless Ocean Sect, Sea Temple.
Sea Temple was a famous existence here. While the residents of the Limitless Ocean may not know about High Heaven Sect or Star Emperor Mountain, they had all heard of Sea Temple.
Sea Temple’s history was no shorter than Heaven Battling Union or Thunder Typhoon Sect’s, and after the accumulation of countless years and thanks to the abundance of marine resources, Sea Temple had become a behemoth which occupied almost half of the Limitless Ocean’s domain.
On the Limitless Ocean, Sea Temple was the lord.
If it were not for the fact that most of their Secret Arts were based around Water or Ice Attributes, and their strength decreased noticeably once they fought on land, Shadowed Star may not have even had a Heaven Battling Union or Thunder Typhoon Sect. Sea Temple alone would have been able to unify all of Shadowed Star.
However, due to various constraints, Sea Temple was only able to exert its will in the Limitless Ocean and could not extend its reach inland.
On this day, Yang Kai arrived at Sunrise Island, which stretched nearly a thousand kilometres from one shore to the other.
Even considering the entire Limitless Ocean, this was not a small island, and among the islands under the direct control of Sea Temple, it could rank among the top ten. The waters around Sunrise Island were rich in ocean resources, and it would contribute massively to Sea Temple’s coffers every year. For obvious reasons, Sunrise Island was considered a vital strategic location by Sea Temple.
Yang Kai did not attempt to hide his approach, so when he landed on this island, he was immediately noticed by the Sea Temple disciples.
There were some obvious differences between the inland cultivators and those who lived on the sea, especially in terms of skin tone and attire, so when Yang Kai landed, he was immediately met by a patrol team of Sea Temple disciples that was responsible for dealing with security.
Sunrise Island was not a place that could be freely entered and exited by the public. Anyone who wanted to come here had to enter from a specific location, identify themselves, and pay a certain amount of Saint Crystals.
It was undoubtedly a direct provocation towards Sea Temple that Yang Kai simply flew in and landed here.
As such, all of the Sea Temple disciples wore gloomy looks on their faces, and although they sensed that Yang Kai was strong, they did not show any much fear.
Yang Kai had no intention to deal with these guards so he simply took a step forward and vanished from their sight.
“Where did that boy go?” The leader of the patrol team, who also had the highest cultivation, exclaimed as he swept his eyes around and was unable to find any trace of Yang Kai.
The others also scanned their surroundings hurriedly, feeling somewhat anxious.
Since their opponent had disappeared bizarrely without them even being able to detect how he moved, it proved they would be helpless if he had wanted their lives.
Realizing this, the team of Sea Temple disciples became somewhat frightened.
“Split up and look for him. I’ll report this to the Island Master!” The lead cultivator’s expression fluctuated a few times before quickly making a decision.
A powerful master suddenly appearing on Sunrise Island had to be reported to the Island Master regardless of what this newcomer’s intentions were.
The group of disciples nodded and immediately dispersed.
In front of a remote sea-facing wooden house on the island, Yang Kai casually appeared, looked out, and smiled lightly.
The scenery here was quite pretty, with the sea in front and the rest of Sunrise Island behind. At this time when the sun was setting, a rich red glow dyed Sunrise Island in a peaceful warmth. It was indeed a good place for recuperation.
Several lower strength cultivators were on guard outside the wooden house, but when they saw Yang Kai appearing so mysteriously, they were all stunned for a moment. In the next instant, however, they all seemed to receive some kind of instructions, pushed their Saint Qi madly, summoned their artifacts, and charged towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai frowned as he noticed that their actions were not taken willingly so instead of killing them ruthlessly, he simply stretched out his hand and grasped towards the void.
The surrounding World Energy condensed into firm ropes and immediately bound these weaker cultivators, immobilizing them.
The faces of these few cultivators turned ashen as they stared towards Yang Kai in horror.
“Since I’ve come, it’s meaningless for you to try to hide anymore. Show yourself!” Yang Kai yelled in the direction of the wooden house, standing on the spot with his hands crossed behind his back, waiting patiently.
After a brief silence, the sound of footsteps sounded from the wooden house. A moment later, a young man with delicate features walked out. This young man seemed to be only twenty years old and his cultivation was only Third-Order Saint King Realm. He stared at Yang Kai with hatred and dread, as well as incredulity, not understanding how he had been found so easily.
Looking at each other, Yang Kai wore a faint grin on his lips while the young man glared at him as if he was a dangerous predator.
“How did you find this King here?” The young man finally could not stand the silence and spoke. The current Yang Kai put a great deal of pressure on him, so he could no longer remain as calm as before, “This King is certain he left no clues that would give his presence away!”
“It really wasn’t easy to find you,” Yang Kai continued to smile lightly, “If it weren’t for your Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insects, I’m afraid I would never have found you.”
As he spoke, Yang Kai pointed his finger at the cultivators who had been imprisoned by him.
The young man’s expression turned gloomy as he glanced over at the subordinates he had implanted with Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insects to control, a look of annoyance flashing across his eyes.
He never anticipated that subduing a few temporary subordinates would actually lead to his demise.
He had already been extremely cautious this time, fleeing all the way to Sunrise Island to nurse his injuries. The strengths of the few people he subdued weren’t very high either, which should have made it impossible for anyone to notice or care about them, but Yang Kai had somehow managed to catch wind of him through them.
“Even so, if you want to kill this King, it will not be easy. You should understand that having already tried once. Why don’t we discuss terms?” The young man raised his chin slightly and proposed proudly.
“Not interested!” Yang Kai shook his head immediately.
The young man gawked as he asked, “If you don’t even listen to my proposal, how can you say you’re not interested? Aren’t you afraid you’ll regret it?”
“There is nothing to regret. Today, you must die!” Yang Kai sneered.
The young man snorted and laughed as he stared at Yang Kai sarcastically, “Little brat, you’d best not boast so shamelessly. Last time, this King was able to escape from you, and he can do it again today! However, if you swear to no longer interfere with this King’s business, this King can give you enough benefits to use for the rest of your life!”
“What can you, who only knows how to control Exotic Insects, give me?” Yang Kai snickered.
The young man’s face showed some surprise this time as his brow furrowed and he tentatively asked, “You know about this King’s background?”
“Whether I know or not doesn’t matter. Today, if I say you die, you must die!” Yang Kai snorted coldly and no longer bothered with any nonsense, reaching out his hand towards the young man.
“Bold!” The young man shouted as he did not even try to evade, instead choosing to rush straight at Yang Kai, pushing his Saint Qi wildly, seemingly intending to blow himself up.
He knew that he was not Yang Kai’s opponent at all with his current strength, so he never even considered keeping this body. Instead, he planned to self-destruct and disturb Yang Kai’s vision in hopes of finding an opportunity to escape.
Yang Kai just looked at him sarcastically. Without making any big movements, he just clenched his fist slowly.
World Energy quickly gathered around and imprisoned the young man. Suspended mid-air, unable to move, the young man found his Saint Qi had actually been suppressed and was unable to detonate.
The young man finally showed a look of fear in his eyes as he called out in horror, “What did you do?”
Just as he spat these words though, he seemed to think of something and his eyes bulged, screaming out at Yang Kai in the next instant, “You can manipulate the power of this star! Did you refine its Star Source?”
“Your Insect Emperor title is not undeserved; your vision is indeed sharp!” Yang Kai sneered as he clenched his fist tighter and tighter.
Accompanied by a dull explosion, the young man’s body burst into a cloud of blood fog, leaving behind only a distressed Soul which immediately tried to flee.
The last time Yang Kai and Qian Tong joined forces, they were unable to eliminate the Insect Emperor, but Yang Kai had since become the Star Master of Shadowed Star and prepared ahead of time, so how could the Insect Emperor escape death again?
With a single thought, Yang Kai sealed the surrounding hundred-metre space. No matter how the powerful Soul rushed about, it was unable to escape from the invisible barrier around him.
After a few failed attempts, the Insect Emperor realized his efforts were futile and so he stopped expending pointless effort. The Spiritual Energy condensed together and the Soul transformed from a glowing ball into a vague figure which floated in the air.
This figure glared at Yang Kai gloomily as his avatar fluctuated slightly, like a flickering flame, and quickly shouted, “This King admits his punishment is deserved, now tell me, what benefits do you want in order to set this King free!”
Yang Kai curled his lips and reached out to seize this Soul Avatar.
The Insect Emperor couldn’t avoid it at all, and his Soul was directly caught in the palm of Yang Kai’s hand.
Even struggling fiercely, he was unable to free himself from Yang Kai’s control, only able to curse loudly and yell hysterically.
Yang Kai clenched his hand tightly and with one last piercing scream, the Soul of the Insect Emperor exploded into nothingness and disappeared completely.
A verdant coloured sabre, which had been shrunk down countless times, and a small exquisite bracelet materialized then and fell into Yang Kai’s palm.
Both of these items exuded a malevolent Emperor Pressure. The bracelet at least appeared normal, but the tiny sabre artifact exuded a strange force that cut apart Yang Kai Divine Sense when he tried to probe it.
Emperor Artifacts!
Yang Kai raised his brow as he revealed a look of pleasant surprise.
He currently had no shortage of artifacts, even possessing two Emperor Artifacts: The offensive Annihilation Thunder Bead and the Sealed World Bead.
These two Emperor Artifacts were part of the core inheritance of Star Emperor Mountain.
Now, suddenly obtaining two more, Yang Kai was overjoyed.
No one disliked having more treasures, especially when those treasures were Emperor Artifacts!
This tiny deep green sabre that could cut through Spiritual Energy was naturally familiar to Yang Kai, as the Insect Emperor had used it last time to escape. Yang Yan had called it the Soul Splitting Saber, a fitting name.
As for the small bracelet, Yang Kai did not know what it was or what purpose it served.
Trying to examine it with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai found there was an invisible barrier around it, one that completely prevented his probing!
Realizing this, Yang Kai could only give up for now. However, he was not discouraged, after all, this bracelet was an artifact the Insect Emperor used, so the barrier protecting it would not be easily broken.
Although Yang Kai could not understand the function of this bracelet, he felt a fierce power pulsing from it, one that frightened him somewhat.
After fiddling with it for a while, Yang Kai put the Soul Splitting Saber and the strange bracelet away as he did not have time to refine these two things right now.
Just after finishing this, Yang Kai noticed a powerful aura rapidly approaching him from the centre of the island.
Obviously, the leaders in charge of Sunrise Island had noticed his aura fluctuations just now and were coming to investigate.
Yang Kai didn’t try to leave immediately, instead choosing to stand still and wait.
A short time later, a burly man fell from the sky. He was quite tall and had a wild-looking face that gave him a naturally imposing appearance. People would likely feel intimidated just by standing in front of him.
There was a long scar on the man’s face extending from his brow to his chin, adding to the ferocity of his looks.
After the man arrived and saw the blood on the ground, he could not help furiously shouting, “Bastard, how dare you act so impudently on my Sunrise Island!”
Saying so, he sent a palm towards Yang Kai.
This man was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm comparable in strength to the old Qian Tong or Fei Zhi Tu. With his bulging muscles, the moment he sent out this palm, the space around his hand seemed to cave in and crack.
Even a cultivator in the same realm that was hit by the palm would have at least a dozen broken bones.
Yang Kai frowned seeing this, and although he was a little displeased with the other party not even trying to clarify the situation before attacking, he quickly recalled that he was an uninvited guest here, so he didn’t pay it too much mind. With a casual wave of his hand, Yang Kai neutralized the burly man’s palm and sent him flying backwards.
Experiencing this, the burly man gawked towards Yang Kai right up until the moment he hit the ground with a loud thud, no longer daring to act too arbitrarily.
He realized that Yang Kai had no intention to hurt him, otherwise, he would not have escaped unscathed just now. With the means Yang Kai just showed him, this man was confident this young man could kill him in the blink of an eye if he wanted to.
As this terrifying thought surged deep in his heart, the burly man took a deep breath and pressed down the dread he was feeling before calling out, “May I ask Your Excellency’s name!”
Yang Kai grinned, cupped his fists, and said, “High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai!”
“High Heaven Sect…” The man thought for a while before his body shook violently and he called out in alarm, “Are you High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master Yang Kai?”
Although he lived on the Limitless Ocean, this man had obviously heard the names High Heaven Sect and Yang Kai before.
However, he never expected that the strength of this High Heaven Sect’s Sect Master to be this outrageous.
“And you are…?” Yang Kai asked, looking at him.
The man frowned but still answered promptly, “Sunrise Island’s Island Master, Pang Zhen!”
“So it is Island Master Pang, a pleasure to meet you!” Yang Kai cupped his fists in greeting.
Pang Zhen’s expression calmed down as he recovered from his initial shock. Although he was not Yang Kai’s opponent, he could not lose face for Sea Temple so he quickly said, “Sect Master Yang may be the respect Lord of High Heaven Sect, but my Sea Temple has neither grievance nor grudge with High Heaven Sect, so this Pang must ask why Sect Master Yang has come here and killed my Sea Temple’s disciples!”
As an Island Master, it was natural for Pang Zhen to maintain the safety of the cultivators on the island, so now that someone had died on his watch, he could not just ignore the situation, or his reputation and authority would be greatly damaged.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before replying, “Island Master Pang, forgive me, this Yang has not come here to kill indiscriminately. However, this man had to die. In truth, this Yang came here specifically to hunt him down!”
“Can Sect Master Yang explain more thoroughly?” Pang Zhen couldn’t help relaxing somewhat when he saw Yang Kai respond so politely.
“Naturally!” Yang Kai smiled slightly and began informing Pang Zhen about the situation.
Pang Zhen was shocked when he heard this explanation and somewhat could not believe what Yang Kai was saying, instinctually thinking that Yang Kai was just making up an excuse.
Knowing that he had doubts though, Yang Kai simply smiled and said, “Island Master Pang will understand after looking at these things.”
Saying so, Yang Kai stretched out his hand and pulled one of the cultivators he had previously imprisoned over to him.
These few cultivators were being controlled by the Insect Emperor via his Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insects. After Yang Kai arrived, he didn’t intend to kill these people since they were just victims, so he instead captured and suppressed them.
As Yang Kai waved his hand, all these captured cultivators trembled and their faces twisted, as if suffering immense pain. A moment later, all of them foamed at the mouth and collapsed to the ground; fortunately, they were still breathing, so their lives were not in immediate danger.
Pang Zhen stood to the side and observed closely, not daring to act recklessly like before.
Soon, accompanied by a few piercing squeaks, a stream of light shot out from the heads of all the collapsed cultivators.
Yang Kai stretched out his hand, grabbed these lights, and then motioned to Pang Zhen to observe.
In Yang Kai’s palm, there were a few oddly shaped, fingernail-sized black and red worms that were constantly struggling and resisting but seemed incapable of breaking free.
Pang Zhen stared for a long time in silence before gulping and asking, “These are the Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insects you mentioned?”
He had never seen an insect like this before, but he could still feel a trace of wild and ominous aura from them, as if they were extremely old. His instincts were also warning him these things were dangerous.
“En, if you are implanted with one of these Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insects, you will fall under the control of its master,” Yang Kai smiled lightly and confirmed.
“Can I have a closer look?” Pang Zhen felt curious and was somewhat interested in studying these Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insects. Although this thing was dangerous, if he could research it thoroughly and discover the method to control them, it would add a powerful Secret Technique to his arsenal.
Yang Kai looked at him with a faint smile and said, “If Island Master Pang is not afraid of them burrowing into his Knowledge Sea, I can give them to you.”
Pang Zhen paled, hesitated for a long time, then eventually shook his head, “Forget it. This Pang does not have the confidence to suppress them. I will have to trouble Sect Master Yang to dispose of these things.”
Yang Kai smiled lightly, flicked his wrist, and the several struggling Ten Thousand Poison Evil Insects were vaporized.
Understanding that the previous incident was indeed a misunderstanding, and Yang Kai was not here to kill innocent inhabitants of Sunrise Island, instead actually solving a huge future problem for him, Pang Zhen’s attitude towards Yang Kai became much friendlier.
Though, what he was more concerned about was Yang Kai’s strength.
No one in the entire Limitless Ocean could resist him.
Pang Zhen then strongly invited Yang Kai to his residence.
Yang Kai also intended to have some further discussions with him, so he did not decline.
Pang Zhen was the Island Master of Sunrise Island, so he lived in a palatial mansion built upon the best piece of land.
After entering the mansion, Pang Zhen immediately ordered a banquet prepared while having a dozen beautiful young women provide entertainment in the form of singing and dancing.
A group of Origin Returning Realm masters from the island also accompanied them.
The atmosphere was quite lively.
The chaos which had plagued the inland Sects was well known to Sea Temple’s leadership, but because it had never spread to the Limitless Ocean, Sea Temple was not completely clear about all the details.
The reason why Pang Zhen warmly invited Yang Kai was twofold. On the one hand, he was impressed with Yang Kai’s strength and wanted to make friends, while on the other, he wanted to use this opportunity to gain some information about the inland situation.
Yang Kai did not try to conceal anything.
When they learned that the Corpse Spirit Religion had been uprooted, everyone in Sea Temple exclaimed, and when they learned that Qian Tong had indeed broken through to the Origin King Realm, the faces of Pang Zhen and the others filled with worry.
An Origin King had not been born on Shadowed Star for more than ten thousand years and was more of a legend passed down from generation to generation than something real and tangible. This was an unattainable aspiration for all of Shadowed Star’s masters, so Pang Zhen and the others didn’t know how powerful an Origin King really was, but that did little to assuage their fears.
They were concerned Qian Tong would become ambitious and extend his clans towards the Limitless Ocean.
Although Sea Temple was a behemoth in the Limitless Ocean with massive influence, deep heritage, and numerous masters at its disposal, they were not confident they could withstand an Origin King.
Yang Kai naturally saw the anxiety in their faces and knew what they were worried about, but only felt it was something funny and did not offer them any kind of reassurance either way.
Forget about whether Qian Tong had such intentions, even if he did, he would not have the ability to subdue the Limitless Ocean. Shadow Moon Hall simply did not have such strength.
Pang Zhen and the other’s worries were superfluous.
“Island Master Pang, this Yang has a request to make, and I was hoping Island Master Pang could arrange it,” After drinking three rounds, Yang Kai suddenly said.
“Sect Master Yang, please,” Pang Zhen quickly raised his head and looked over.
“I want to meet with your Sea Temple’s Temple Masters,” Yang Kai smiled lightly as he took a sip of wine.
Pang Zhen was stunned and asked, “What does Sect Master Yang wish to discuss with the Temple Masters?”
Although Yang Kai naturally had the qualifications to meet the Temple Masters of Sea Temple, Pang Zhen still had to ask about his purpose.
The others also looked at Yang Kai curiously.
“It’s for a good cause.” Yang Kai smiled deeply, “This Sect Master wants to open up an exchange of materials between your Limitless Ocean Sect and those inland. Island Master Pang must know that many unique resources are produced both inland and here on the ocean due to their different environments. Cultivation materials that can be easily found here may be extremely precious inland, and vice-versa. If we can open a trade route to exchange the commodities we respectively need, it will bring great benefits to our respective forces!”
This was the primary reason Yang Kai had chosen to remain here, otherwise, he simply would have left after killing the Insect Emperor.
High Heaven Sect was not the same as before, with only a few hundred members. Originally, providing for these few disciples and Elders was a simple matter, but now, Yang Kai had brought over ten thousand of his friends and family from Tong Xuan Realm. An unimaginable amount of resources was being consumed every month, and even though he had accumulated much over the years, High Heaven Sect’s reserves would only last a few years if they weren’t constantly replenished.
However, during the war with Corpse Spirit Religion, all the inland Sects suffered heavy losses and were currently lacking all kinds of resources.
Yang Kai took a fancy to the difference between ocean and inland resources after spending some time on the Limitless Ocean, and if he could successfully establish a trade route between them, not only would it relieve his immediate worries, but he would also no longer need to worry about purchasing cultivation materials in the future, as wealth would simply pour in as time passed.
Although he was now the Star Master of Shadowed Star and could travel anywhere he wanted to at will, even force Sea Temple to submit to him by force, Yang Kai had no intention to do this.
Instead of waging war, he would rather allow the inland and ocean Sects to form a mutually beneficial relationship.
Now standing atop Shadowed Star as its Lord, he needed to consider the good of the entire Cultivation Star.
Hearing his proposal, Pang Zhen’s eyes lit up, but his enthusiasm soon dampened, “Sect Master Yang is not the first person to make such a proposal. Even some from my Sea Temple have mentioned this before, but because many resources require special preservation and transportation methods, and communication between the inland and ocean Sects is difficult, it has been logistically impossible to set up any significant trade between us except for in a few seaside cities.”
Seeing his demeanour, Yang Kai knew that the people of Sea Temple were interested in the inland materials as well, but establishing trade routes had proven too troublesome. If this weren’t the case, Yang Kai would not have been able to meddle in this matter, as it would have already been established long ago.
Another difficulty was finding an appropriate trading partner. With the size and scope of Sea Temple, there were very few inland Sects qualified to stand on equal footing, most great forces could only look up to them. As for the great forces capable of establishing trade, they held competitive relationships with Sea Temple, making them incompatible as business partners.
Yang Kai, however, just smiled and said, “And if I could solve those troubles?”
Pang Zhen’s expression shook, “Does Sect Master Yang really have a way?”
Yang Kai nodded sincerely; his expression completely serious.
Pang Zhen burst into hearty laughter and said, “If Sect Master Yang can do this, then this matter can be discussed! However, I cannot take responsibility for such a big endeavour and can only refer the matter to the Temple Masters for them to handle.”
“This Yang has long heard of Sea Temple’s reputation and knows that its Temple Masters are wise, so there should be no reason for them to refuse such a good thing,” Yang Kai laughed.
Pang Zhen was instantly put into a great mood and raised his glass again, “Then, a toast to the successful conclusion of this matter. When the time comes, this Pang will also have to ask Sect Master Yang to take care of me.”
If this matter could be negotiated successfully, then Pang Zhen would undoubtedly gain many benefits. If all went well, he might even be able to raise his position and status in Sea Temple, so he did not hesitate to become even friendlier with Yang Kai, treating him as the most honoured of guests.
In the middle of the night, after the banquet finally wound down, Pang Zhen arranged a luxurious courtyard for Yang Kai and ensured that a few beautiful young maidens were waiting for him when he got there.
Yang Kai immediately asked these young women to leave, of course, feeling quite awkward and embarrassed as they pouted resentfully while leaving.
Yang Kai thought that because the matter he proposed would be of great benefit to Sea Temple, they would be very enthusiastic to cooperate, but to his surprise, even after three days waiting on Sunrise Island, not even one of Sea Temple’s Temple Masters came to see him.
This reaction was quite confusing to Yang Kai.
It stood to reason that although Sea Temple’s territory was extremely vast, it should have Space Arrays on each of its main islands, so if one of Sea Temple’s Temple Masters wanted to, it should not have taken them more than half a day to arrive on Sunrise Island.
A delay of three days could only indicate that the other party did not believe what he said or was not interested in this matter in the first place.
But Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry. Now that the hidden dangers of Corpse Spirit Religion had been thoroughly eliminated, High Heaven Sect did not need him around urgently to make decisions. With Ye Xi Yun overseeing things, it did not make much difference how long he was gone for.
As such, Yang Kai took this opportunity to savour the changes he had undergone after becoming a Star Master.
As the Lord of Shadowed Star, he could now travel anywhere on it in an instant. As long as he had enough Spiritual Energy and Saint Qi, he could cross hundreds of thousands or even millions of kilometres in an instant. However, the further and more frequently he travelled, the larger the burden he would experience, limiting him somewhat.
Nonetheless, crossing a few tens of thousands of kilometres in an instant was a simple matter.
This was just one of the small conveniences Yang Kai received after becoming a Star Master.
The biggest benefit Yang Kai found was his ability to cultivate more rapidly on Shadowed Star. World Energy here now flowed into his body freely, allowing his cultivation speed to soar to almost a hundred times what it had been before, something impossible for anyone else to achieve.
In battle, he could also mobilize Shadowed Star’s World Energy to effortlessly kill his enemies, a skill he had already tested and verified.
However, there was one thing that concerned Yang Kai quite a bit, and that was a vague, invisible power which seemed to engulf Shadowed Star. This power had the characteristics of a giant seal, like a series of shackles preventing Shadowed Star’s cultivators from comprehending the mysteries of higher realms
It was precisely because of the existence of this barrier that no Origin King had been born on Shadowed Star for over ten thousand years!
These invisible shackles were the World Principles of Shadowed Star, an ethereal and unpredictable force that even an Origin King could not grasp or comprehend fully. Although Yang Kai had now become a Star Master, he still had no way to affect these World Principles.
Yang Kai attempted to break these shackles or disperse them, but ultimately failed.
With a long sigh, Yang Kai took back his Divine Sense, no longer wasting his time. Although this barrier prevented anyone from reaching the Origin King Realm, it was not actually harmful, so he did not need to pay too much attention to it.
Another day passed yet there was still no news from Sea Temple!
Yang Kai finally began to feel a little impatient, but just as he was considering whether he should go to the Sea Temple’s headquarters himself, his brow suddenly furrowed, and he expanded his Divine Sense.
A few thousand kilometres away from Sunrise Island, there was a huge wave almost a thousand metres high, which was quickly closing in. This wave gave off a terrible roar and was being ridden by a large number of figures, at least a hundred in total.
Among these hundred or so people, there were both males and females. The men were quite burly and had clearly non-human features. Each one was several metres tall and had terrifying forms that could cause anyone who saw them to shudder. On the other hand, the women were all great beauties with flawless skin and features. Some appeared pure, others charming, still other seductive, arousing endless reverie.
What concerned Yang Kai though was that this group of individuals were all Origin Realm masters!
Yang Kai initially thought these people were masters from Sea Temple, but after taking a closer look, he found that this was not the case.
These people were not human!
Thinking carefully, Yang Kai suddenly recalled some information.
In the Limitless Ocean of Shadowed Star, not only did the Human Race thrive, but there was also a race called the Sea Clan!
‘Sea Clan’ was a general term that encompassed many different oceanic races. They were born with great affinity to Water Attribute Secret Arts and Martial Skill and lived below the seas, many of them not even having human-like forms.
However, the Sea Clan seldomly interacted with the Human Race, so cultivators from the inland of Shadowed Star would not necessarily see someone from the Sea Clan even once throughout their lifetime. Even human cultivators living on the Limitless Ocean would rarely interact with these people.
Yang Kai observed for a while and found that this Sea Clan group was comprised of about four or five different races. Some were covered with scales while others had long barb-like tails behind them. Still others had pincer-like hands and crab-like legs, making them appear quite strange.
This was also Yang Kai’s first time seeing members of the Sea Clan, so he couldn’t help feeling somewhat interested. He also did not know why they were so aggressively rushing towards Sunrise Island. After observing them for so long though, a burly Sea Clan male who was riding the very front of the giant wave noticed something and turned his eyes towards the sky, sweeping his gaze around as if trying to find whoever was hiding nearby spying on them.
Yang Kai smiled slightly when he saw this and withdrew his gaze.
For him, no one on Shadowed Star was worthy of his concern. These hundred Sea Clan Origin Returning Realm masters may be an extremely powerful combat force for Sea Temple, but they were nothing to the current Yang Kai.
Above the huge wave, the burly Sea Clan leader frowned as he continued to scan the skies with suspicion on his face.
“Shang Ao, did you discover something?” A woman with an astounding figure and very revealing clothes also glanced upwards and frowned.
Shang Ao shook his head slowly, “It felt like someone was watching us, but I can’t sense any nearby presences. Maybe it was just my imagination.”
The woman was stunned. She understood how strong Shang Ao was. As one of the leaders of the Sea Clan’s Sea God Palace, Shang Ao was one of the strongest masters on all of Shadowed Star, so it was quite odd for his senses to be wrong.
However, since Shang Ao had said so himself, the woman did not bother digging into it, simply frowning slightly as she quietly spoke, “This matter will likely be quite difficult to handle. The princess disappeared near Sunrise Island, and although it is highly likely that she was abducted by those humans. If they refuse to admit to it, what are we to do?”
Shang Ao coldly snorted, “If they dare not admit it, this General will raze Sunshine Island to the ground! Those damn humans should have been chased out of the Limitless Ocean long ago. This is my Sea Clan’s territory!”
“Ha…” The woman sighed deeply, her face full of worries as she stared in the direction of Sunrise Island, secretly praying that her princess had really been abducted by these humans. If she wasn’t, they wouldn’t even have any clues as to where to look next. This time, they had brought a great army to Sunrise Island with the mentality that giving a dead horse medicine can’t harm it, but this was really nothing but a desperation move. If the humans hadn’t, with the great power Sea Temple commanded, Sea God Palace would not dare to start the war lightly with them.
Nevertheless, Shang Ao seemed to have already determined that the princess was taken away by these humans, so it was likely going to be difficult for her to settle this situation peacefully. If the princess could be found, everything would be fine, but if she could not be found, the two titans of the Limitless Ocean may really be set on the path to war.
That massive wave travelled extremely quickly.
When the wave approached to within a thousand kilometres of Sunrise Island, Pang Zhen and the other Elders noticed an abnormality in the surrounding World Energy and quickly rushed out of their respective residences to look into the distance.
A moment later, Pang Zhen’s face changed drastically, “These arrogant Sea Clan bastards dare to attack my Sunrise Island? Quickly activate all the defensive Spirit Arrays!”
As soon as the order was given, a ringing sound spread across Sunrise Island and soon, the entire island was enveloped in a transparent energy barrier. All of the cultivators on the island also deployed around Pang Zhen, each of them wearing solemn expressions as they waited for the Sea Clan’s arrival.
Yang Kai did not know what was happening, so being curious, he also came over to Pang Zhen.
“Sect Master Yang, the Sea Clan seems to have come to stir up trouble. I hope Sect Master Yang can stand back,” Pang Zhen gently persuaded. Yang Kai’s previous proposal was of great interest to him and depending on whether he could push it forward or not, his position in Sea Temple might very well change. However, the key to this proposal was Yang Kai himself, so it was only natural for Pang Zhen to worry about his safety.
“Don’t worry, Island Master Pang can just handle things as he sees fit. I’m only here to observe,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Seeing him like this, Pang Zhen thought for a moment but did not try to persuade him further. After all, Yang Kai had already proved his great strength before.
“Why is the Sea Clan so angry? Did Sunrise Island or Sea Temple provoke them in some way?” Yang Kai asked casually.
Pang Zhen shook his head, “I don’t know, but there has never been a harmonious relationship between Sea Temple and the Sea Clan; after all, we are two different races who both inhabit the Limitless Ocean, so friction is inevitable. However, today’s situation is one this Pang has never seen before. My Sea Temple and the Sea Clan’s Sea God Palace even have some agreements between us, so neither side ever sends out so many masters to deal with the other party.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flickered a few times before he seemingly casually remarked, “The Sea Clan’s Sea God Palace should also be able to collect a lot of ocean cultivation resources.”
Pang Zhen’s focus was on why the Sea Clan had dispatched so many masters to Sunrise Island, so he did not think too much about Yang Kai’s comment and nodded, “They have an innate advantage in this regard actually and are able to collect resources from the deepest parts of the sea with ease, something our Sea Temple is incapable of.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Pang Zhen came to his senses and quickly glanced over at Yang Kai only to find him smiling happily. Realizing his gaff, Pang Zhen quickly said, “Sect Master Yang, they are of a different race. Also, the Sea Clan is not easy to deal with. If you want to trade cultivation resources with them, I am afraid it will be quite difficult. The Sea Clan always have eyes atop their heads and look down greatly on our Human Race. You have lived your life inland so you perhaps don’t understand just how far apart our two races are.”
“Many thanks for your reminder, Island Master Pang,” Yang Kai responded thoughtlessly.
Pang Zhen naturally understood what Yang Kai was thinking and why he thought so.
Yang Kai had been waiting here for several days already, yet no one from Sea Temple’s headquarters had come to discuss the exchange of resources he had proposed. Anyone who was ignored like this would feel displeased. Sea Temple was the undisputed leader of the Human forces on the Limitless Ocean though, so regardless of how they acted, Yang Kai had no other option but to deal with them, but with masters from Sea God Palace suddenly appearing, Pang Zhen knew that Yang Kai was now having ideas about trying to forge a cooperative relationship with them instead.
If he could negotiate a deal with Sea God Palace, Yang Kai would not need to bother with Sea Temple anymore.
Without this kind of merit to his name, Pang Zhen would likely never be promoted again and could only remain as the Island Master of Sunrise Island for the rest of his life. Although this was not an unpleasant position, it was still a fair distance from Sea Temple’s truly powerful centre.
Seeing Yang Kai not take his words to heart, Pang Zhen also became a bit angered. He was not angry with Yang Kai, of course, but rather with his own Sea Temple’s leadership.
But right now, he did not have time to deal with this matter, as the huge wave had already arrived just a few kilometres outside Sunrise Island in the short time he had been talking with Yang Kai, and it showed no signs of slowing down.
*Hong long long…*
The Island Defending Array around Sunrise Island shook as it was impacted by the wave but it remained unbroken.
It took quite some time for the massive wave to dissipate as it spread out around Sunrise Island and disappeared.
Pang Zhen looked up into the sky with an ugly expression and shouted, “Shang Ao, what is the meaning of this? Could it be that Sea God Palace wants to make war with my Sea Temple?”
“Pang Zhen, hand over my clansman you abducted. Otherwise, I will raze your Sunrise Island today and kill off every last chicken and dog on it!” Shang Ao roared, his voice booming like thunder, causing many people’s ears to ring.
Pang Zhen was stunned and immediately asked, “Hand over who?”
He did not know what Shang Ao was talking about and couldn’t help feeling a bit confused.
“Don’t play dumb with me! This General will give you a cup of tea’s time. If you can’t bring out the one this General wants to see by then, you can suffer death instead!” Although Shang Ao was strong, he was obviously bullheaded and did not even try to negotiate or explain, instead opting for directly issuing ultimatums.
He was certain that the one he was looking for was here on Sunrise Island.
Seeing Shang Ao act so arrogant and unreasonable, Pang Zhen became angered and smiled coldly, “This Island Master doesn’t know who you are talking about, but even if he did, this Island Master would not give whoever it is you want to you.”
Pang Zhen was a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm master and the Island Master of Sunrise Island, so with Shang Ao coming here to cause trouble for no apparent reason, even daring to threaten him, he naturally could not show any weakness.
“Fine, since you admit your crimes, don’t blame this General for being ruthless,” Shang Ao’s face became stern and was just about to order his forces to attack when the woman next to him suddenly grabbed him and shouted. “Wait!”
Although Shang Ao looked very unhappy, he did not refuse, simply crossing his arms and standing tall while sweeping his gaze across the humans down below with clear contempt in his eyes.
He seemed to be looking down on everyone, not even putting Pang Zhen in his eyes, but when his gaze landed on Yang Kai, his eyes shrank slightly as a trace of doubt flashed across his face.
With a big smile on his face, Yang Kai looked harmless to humans and animals alike, but he still gave off an incredibly dangerous aura.
This made Shang Ao involuntarily focus on Yang Kai.